Just make all of the outlets which are in public spaces under lock and key. That'd stop the vast majority.
Then, to make an extra buck they can have a little "power cafe" if you will. Same idea as getting a little internet time somewhere, but you go plug in to recharge instead. Personally, I'd pay a dollar for the right to plug in and charge from a single outlet for whatever time I am there. I think most people who needed to charge something would pay out a dollar, and the airports could make good money offerring it at that price.
But they would have to change the content of the Sims to make it useful. There's only so much I can do in a foreign country when all I can say is "take out the garbage", "Go to work", and "Eat some food". The game play would have to be changed to allow me to actually do something aside from mundane chores over, and over and over again.
In theory, I think this could work. Remember the Speak and Spell from back in the 80's? I had one, and loved playing with it and making it say bad words (when my mom wasn't watching) while I was doing the exercises that came with the thing. Foreign language video games seems a logical progression from the days of old.
While I do agree that rape is a more serious crime than pirating an album online, I feel I should point out that usually people are only fined for pirating music. And the really serious cases get some jail time.
Most rape cases have a minimum sentence which is longer than the worst case for music piracy, if I had to guess. (and I am guessing since I am not a lawyer)
The problem is, millions of people steal music and other files every day. They far outnumber the rapists out there in the world. So, they fine people for stealing music. It's no different than having a stiff penalty for stealing a car. Or a penalty for robbing a bank. Stealing is still stealing, even if what you are stealing can be broken down to 1's and 0's at the lowest level. When I steal a car, I don't break it down into "I am stealing molecules of steel, or molecules of rubber.
Clearly you don't see the danger in DC++, which is the same danger as torrents, Kazaa, or almost any other P2P network. DC++ broadcasts your IP address just like everything else. There's no way to completely hide who you are. There is always going to be at least one other person/site who knows your real IP address...and anyone who is high enough on this "dark pyramid" is going to be watched, and eventually caught.
The best way to get free stuff is to stay at the bottom (or at least mid way down) where you blend in with the other 1/2 million users. They won't be watching you as much, and you only have to wait a couple of days extra before getting the goods.
With the MPAA and the RIAA on the rampage, it won't be long and they will know most of the top sites. Rather than chop the head off of the beast, they should just get the distro FTP sites one level lower down, which should be easy once they have the topsites. Taking out the topsites is pretty pointless, those people have enough resources to rebuild and start over somewhere else...the people below them probably do not. And once there is no lower level to puch stuff to, the topsites won't matter.
How clever...and if it was true, I would sign up. I've successfully completed many of these deals, and would love to visit Japan. That'd be killing several birds with one stone.
I currently have a Dell Axim, which locks up less than my Palm used to lock up. Also, the Garmin iQue (running palm based OS) locks up as well.
There is no OS on a handheld that does not lock up occasionally, depending on the software you run. GPS and other "intensive" software packages tend to lead to more lockups. Not only because of the software, but the hardware interface that is required as well.
I'm not saying they lock up all the time...but an inexperienced user could feel awfully lost when a PDA locked up while they are borrowing it in a foreig country. Think of your poor granny trying to use a borrowed PDA...now think how happy she would be to get the colored pamphlets that seemed so dull to the previous person responding to my comments.
Why does it have to be a PDA? I mean a magazine or pamphlet would seemingly be just as useful to most people (and much cheaper). Put some common translations that tourists might need in a little book, and throw in a good map and some sightseeing information, and you're all set. Now granted, the magazine will not have GPS capability or be able to talk to me or whatever...but still it is only.01% as expensive afterall. And no one cares if I walk off with a magazine.
On another note, PDA's are still pretty touchy most times. They do lock up occasionally, and someone who has never used it could get confused. The batteries die, the screens get scratched up, the stylus gets lost...all of which make it inconvenient to loan out to someone visiting the country.
Amen to that one. I was thinking the same thing when I read it. That and the annoying "emoticons" and smileys are annoying as well. Come on, can't the posters at least act like this is a respectable place to come for news?
If I were a first time visitor to this site, and that was the first thing I read, I would leave and never come back because I wouldn't take this place seriously. Keep that crap in the chat rooms or whatever.
No that's not insulting, but I would turn you down. It's not because of the kind of work you offer me, its the money/time benefit on my part. I don't need a dollar badly enough to want to spend 2 minutes cleaning your car.
And I do believe you can blame the moderators for all of the spamming links going on here. They knew damn well what was going to happen when they posted this article. If you read to the bottom of my post, you made it through a lot more than a simple spam. And I clearly point out that it is more of a time/cost issue if you want to try these deals. I'm not begging for your referral here, that's what my site is for. And yes, it serves a single purpose and it works quite well for me. My personal site is for my personal benefit, let's be clear about that. Begging on Slashdot is an entirely different behavior, and I try to avoid it.
Yes, they have recruited me to advertise. And I am guessing that you are wearing branded clothing right now as well. Nike shoes perhaps? A Gap shirt, or perhaps Polo or something a little more mature. Levis jeans? The point is, my subtle advertising is not in your face bugging you all the time. Just ignore my sig like you ignore every pair of jeans or Gap shirt you see. Advertising is everywhere in every aspect of your life.
I never send unsolicited emails, and I never overtly beg for referrals. I thought in this case it was appropriate to mention I had a referral link in my sig. And as far as other forums, the sigs are just as discrete. Sometimes with nothing more than a link to my page.
I am not trying to be a troll or anything here, just to add my personal experience.
I signed up for the Gratis freeipods.com site a few months back, and successfully recieved my iPod. Visit my site below if you want pics, no direct links because my server will die. I have also done several other free items, including a free iRiver, $275 cash, a PS2 and a Harmony 688 remote worth $150-$200. I'm currently working on a photo ipod (see my sig to help me) and only need two more people.
So yes, these sites work. What's the catch? Time. It takes a decent amount of time to get started on these deals. Most people I ask to help me tell me it is a scam, but they're dead wrong. It's not a scam for any one person in particular. The companies I have dealt with (PrizeCube.com, Offercentric, and Gratis) are 100% legit. But they do make money off me, and I have no problem with that.
I would like to say, however, that these three companies have not (to the best of my knowledge) sold my email or personal information. I have not gotten any spam in my inbox, nor have I gotten any increase in junk mail at my home address. The email account I used for all of the sites is a brand new Gmail account, and I only get one or two spam each week there. I have another Gmail account used for online purchases, subscription sites, and random other online crap...it gets about 20 spam every day. Thankfully, Gmail has a really good spam filter, and only 1 or 2 get through the filter at all. Also, I would like to say that there are some worthwhile deals on the sites worth trying. I signed up for Audible.com and Blockbuster online, both of which I still use. They are great sites, and great offers if you ask me. On the other hand, I cancelled a lot of deals that were not for me, but I gave them a shot. That's one important rule you should be ready to follow if you try these deals: Try the offer, and don't cancel the next day. They check, and will disqualify you if they suspect you are trying to cheat the system. It's their right...it's in the TOS.
When I started out on these deals, I spent about 30 minutes each night posting on random groups and forums advertising my links. That went pretty much nowhere, but it did get me my free iPod from Gratis after about 3 weeks (so about 10-15 hours total). So the return on my time was pretty low in most of your eyes...it is less than I make per hour at work, but it was more or less in the process of reading forums I would have read anyway (like here at Slashdot) because I had the links in my sigs.
The "profit" started coming in once I started working on some of the other deals. I was getting hits at my web site by then, because it was also in my sig. I whipped up a web page, and pretty soon I was well on my way to some more stuff. I'd say another 5-10 hours and I had my free iRiver and my free PS2. Since then, I try to never advertise in any way other than my sig on a forum site, or on my personal web site. Rarely do I draw attention to my links, and no one has to read my site, but once they are there they will more or less be reading about my free deals.
So now, there is little to no work on my part. I spend 5 minutes each day checking my email for people contacting me about the deals, and I spend 5 more minutes posting on my website updating my deals and whatnot. So now, I can honestly say that the ~$1500 worth or stuff I have gotten is well worth the 30 or so hours I have spent on it. It's nothing to write home about I guess, but I have never felt obligated to work on it. It's just something I do every day or two at this point, and I enjoy it.
So would I recommend signing up for a site or two? Yeah, if you want to spend some time on it. But you'll start to break even on the time/money tradeoff if you do more sites. If you try only one, it may or may not be worth your time. It would be faster for some people to go get a part time job at Best Buy and use the employee discount to just buy an iPod. These deals are not for everyone
I have been looking at LCD Tv's for my home for the past few months. Unfortunately up until this point the plasmas have been slightly more in my price range for the size I am looking for. Will this shift to LCD technology cause the plasmas to come down in price, because they are "outdated" technology, or will we see the LCD prices come down because there is more production?
Also, any Slashdotters have recommendations on going with a plasma vs an lcd? Power usage, heat, image quality, overall life of product?
WTF does a free ipod have to do with voting and our national voting procedure? I could see if you said my sig was annoying...but not ironic. If you don't want to see sigs...just turn them off like most people do. It's easy as pie, MR. A.C., next time at least reply when logged in so we can all marvel at your wonderful sig as well.
I will argue a point without seeing the article, since it is dead. This screen is still likely much more expensive than a CRT, so unless the desk space you save with the LCD is worth a couple hundred dollars, I am guessing this is not going to appeal to most people.
The people who buy LCD's now do it because they are small, sexy, and save on desk space. The very SMALL minority will be buying an LCD just because it has good colors and refresh rates. Those people do exist (ie gamers and graphic designers and such) but most people are just looking for the slim, sexy design of the LCD, myself included. Code looks just fine on an LCD, I use one at work 9 hours a day, with no trouble at all.
Ok, so the spammers have to pay $1 billion for what they did. On the other hand Diebold only had to pay $2.6 million for writing bad voting software that potentially ruined the future of the country by allowing for voting results to be hacked?
There's something wrong with the way our legal system works, and more importantly this shows that people don't value their right to vote nearly enough. Spam seems so terrible to people because it annoys them on a daily basis, and yet no one is up in arms about their freedom to vote being insecure.
Come on people get the priorities straight...afterall there's decent antispam software out there, and even a small ISP can block people from sending spam through their servers if they are properly patched and up to date on security realeses. Damn, I only wish some spammers would take advantage of any holes I have now, then I could sue and be rich forever.
So that's how much our the future of our nation is worth? Insecure voting machines that play a part in determining who is elected to office...and it's only worth $2.6 million? What a bunch of B.S., $2.6 million is nothing close to what they should pay, if you ask me.
"Why is the much respected tech writer leaving what he described as 'greatest gig in the world' for the perilous journey of developing an entrepreneurial idea in citizen-journalism?"
I can think of two reasons...
1. almost all big media is corupt these days, and spin the news to their liking just for ratings with the readers, or to get money from the sponsors. Maybe he's just sick of it.
2. MONEY...he has a chance to "get rich quick" with his entrepreneurial venture. Why not take the risk? If he fails, he can always go back to something similar since he'll still has his good rep (unless he does something really terrible between now and then)
Good to know that we won't go more than a few days without a "history" lesson here on Slashdot. I mean, it had been several days since I read the history of the iPod article. At least this history spans more than a couple of years...
Why don't we have a "Star Wars History Month" anyway? I'd get up and celebrate!
Here in Michigan, during the winter months we may not see the sun for a week at a time. It is cloudy, overcast, and gloomy. During the summer, we do get a lot of sunny days, but we'd never make it on solar power only for the winter months.
I don't think solar power is a very good idea for us here, we'd end up being reliant on outside energy piped in from elsewhere. We could get some use out of wind generated power, we've got plenty of that most of the time, and hydroelectricity is awlways an option...I mean we do have the Great Lakes and tons of rivers all over the state.
So here in Michigan, I doubt the "solar revolution" we be all that fantastic here even if it is out there in silicon valley. I'd never be able to live if my house were solar powered, unfortunately.
Well, I have not transfered a phone for almost 2 years now, but previous to that I have done it twice. And I am 100% sure that the $35 is not for new service only. Even when the replacement phone was an "equipment replacement" phone that I got for free when my first phone died, I had to pay the $35 fee. It is in the equipment replacement contract that I had.
That said, I have not done it for a couple years so it may be different now. It sure seems silly to charge an existing customer to switch phones...I mean where has the term "valued customer" gone?
I kind of like the idea of merging with nextel. Maybe this will eventually make it so I can have one of the memory chips that allows me to transfer my account/number/phone memory right to another phone just like Nextel. Right now, I cannot do that with Sprint, which makes it a hassle and a $35 cost to activate a new phone.
But thing that irritates me the most about Nextel phones is that people feel it is a good idea to carry out entire conversations with the radio feature...STOP IT!!! And if more people (ie the Sprint customer base) get this feature, I think I will be driven insae. If you need to have an entire conversation, just call them instead of repeatedly beeping back and forth in the grocery store! Or at least turn off the sound so the rest of us can't hear it.
Ok, I assume that he took pics of the damage from the quake? I can't see the second link because it has been/.'d but I can make that jump in logic and hope to be right.
But seriously, this seems like a random front page story. I almost think that I could make any article I wanted about kite photography and get it posted. There have been so many kite stories lately...I'm too lazy to post links to them all. But a quick search in old stories turns up at least 5 since July.
I think I know enough about kites now, can't we do something new and exciting? Maybe home-made submarine cams or something?
Couldn't they just have gotten this guy a nice tablet PC, a copy of Photoshop, and then give him a new layer to go hog wild on? I mean, is this really that revolutionary?
Or they could have projected onto a whiteboard with one of those fancy tools that transfers whatever you write to a PC...thus having his sketch overlayed on the original...there seem to be dozens of better alternatives to their orignal idea of taking a digital picture of the whiteboard.
Slashdot Mirror
Just make all of the outlets which are in public spaces under lock and key. That'd stop the vast majority.
Then, to make an extra buck they can have a little "power cafe" if you will. Same idea as getting a little internet time somewhere, but you go plug in to recharge instead. Personally, I'd pay a dollar for the right to plug in and charge from a single outlet for whatever time I am there. I think most people who needed to charge something would pay out a dollar, and the airports could make good money offerring it at that price.
But they would have to change the content of the Sims to make it useful. There's only so much I can do in a foreign country when all I can say is "take out the garbage", "Go to work", and "Eat some food". The game play would have to be changed to allow me to actually do something aside from mundane chores over, and over and over again.
In theory, I think this could work. Remember the Speak and Spell from back in the 80's? I had one, and loved playing with it and making it say bad words (when my mom wasn't watching) while I was doing the exercises that came with the thing. Foreign language video games seems a logical progression from the days of old.
While I do agree that rape is a more serious crime than pirating an album online, I feel I should point out that usually people are only fined for pirating music. And the really serious cases get some jail time.
Most rape cases have a minimum sentence which is longer than the worst case for music piracy, if I had to guess. (and I am guessing since I am not a lawyer)
The problem is, millions of people steal music and other files every day. They far outnumber the rapists out there in the world. So, they fine people for stealing music. It's no different than having a stiff penalty for stealing a car. Or a penalty for robbing a bank. Stealing is still stealing, even if what you are stealing can be broken down to 1's and 0's at the lowest level. When I steal a car, I don't break it down into "I am stealing molecules of steel, or molecules of rubber.
Clearly you don't see the danger in DC++, which is the same danger as torrents, Kazaa, or almost any other P2P network. DC++ broadcasts your IP address just like everything else. There's no way to completely hide who you are. There is always going to be at least one other person/site who knows your real IP address...and anyone who is high enough on this "dark pyramid" is going to be watched, and eventually caught.
The best way to get free stuff is to stay at the bottom (or at least mid way down) where you blend in with the other 1/2 million users. They won't be watching you as much, and you only have to wait a couple of days extra before getting the goods.
With the MPAA and the RIAA on the rampage, it won't be long and they will know most of the top sites. Rather than chop the head off of the beast, they should just get the distro FTP sites one level lower down, which should be easy once they have the topsites. Taking out the topsites is pretty pointless, those people have enough resources to rebuild and start over somewhere else...the people below them probably do not. And once there is no lower level to puch stuff to, the topsites won't matter.
How clever...and if it was true, I would sign up. I've successfully completed many of these deals, and would love to visit Japan. That'd be killing several birds with one stone.
I currently have a Dell Axim, which locks up less than my Palm used to lock up. Also, the Garmin iQue (running palm based OS) locks up as well.
There is no OS on a handheld that does not lock up occasionally, depending on the software you run. GPS and other "intensive" software packages tend to lead to more lockups. Not only because of the software, but the hardware interface that is required as well.
I'm not saying they lock up all the time...but an inexperienced user could feel awfully lost when a PDA locked up while they are borrowing it in a foreig country. Think of your poor granny trying to use a borrowed PDA...now think how happy she would be to get the colored pamphlets that seemed so dull to the previous person responding to my comments.
Why does it have to be a PDA? I mean a magazine or pamphlet would seemingly be just as useful to most people (and much cheaper). Put some common translations that tourists might need in a little book, and throw in a good map and some sightseeing information, and you're all set. Now granted, the magazine will not have GPS capability or be able to talk to me or whatever...but still it is only
On another note, PDA's are still pretty touchy most times. They do lock up occasionally, and someone who has never used it could get confused. The batteries die, the screens get scratched up, the stylus gets lost...all of which make it inconvenient to loan out to someone visiting the country.
Amen to that one. I was thinking the same thing when I read it. That and the annoying "emoticons" and smileys are annoying as well. Come on, can't the posters at least act like this is a respectable place to come for news?
If I were a first time visitor to this site, and that was the first thing I read, I would leave and never come back because I wouldn't take this place seriously. Keep that crap in the chat rooms or whatever.
No that's not insulting, but I would turn you down. It's not because of the kind of work you offer me, its the money/time benefit on my part. I don't need a dollar badly enough to want to spend 2 minutes cleaning your car.
And I do believe you can blame the moderators for all of the spamming links going on here. They knew damn well what was going to happen when they posted this article. If you read to the bottom of my post, you made it through a lot more than a simple spam. And I clearly point out that it is more of a time/cost issue if you want to try these deals. I'm not begging for your referral here, that's what my site is for. And yes, it serves a single purpose and it works quite well for me. My personal site is for my personal benefit, let's be clear about that. Begging on Slashdot is an entirely different behavior, and I try to avoid it.
Yes, they have recruited me to advertise. And I am guessing that you are wearing branded clothing right now as well. Nike shoes perhaps? A Gap shirt, or perhaps Polo or something a little more mature. Levis jeans? The point is, my subtle advertising is not in your face bugging you all the time. Just ignore my sig like you ignore every pair of jeans or Gap shirt you see. Advertising is everywhere in every aspect of your life.
I never send unsolicited emails, and I never overtly beg for referrals. I thought in this case it was appropriate to mention I had a referral link in my sig. And as far as other forums, the sigs are just as discrete. Sometimes with nothing more than a link to my page.
I am not trying to be a troll or anything here, just to add my personal experience.
I signed up for the Gratis freeipods.com site a few months back, and successfully recieved my iPod. Visit my site below if you want pics, no direct links because my server will die. I have also done several other free items, including a free iRiver, $275 cash, a PS2 and a Harmony 688 remote worth $150-$200. I'm currently working on a photo ipod (see my sig to help me) and only need two more people.
So yes, these sites work. What's the catch? Time. It takes a decent amount of time to get started on these deals. Most people I ask to help me tell me it is a scam, but they're dead wrong. It's not a scam for any one person in particular. The companies I have dealt with (PrizeCube.com, Offercentric, and Gratis) are 100% legit. But they do make money off me, and I have no problem with that.
I would like to say, however, that these three companies have not (to the best of my knowledge) sold my email or personal information. I have not gotten any spam in my inbox, nor have I gotten any increase in junk mail at my home address. The email account I used for all of the sites is a brand new Gmail account, and I only get one or two spam each week there. I have another Gmail account used for online purchases, subscription sites, and random other online crap...it gets about 20 spam every day. Thankfully, Gmail has a really good spam filter, and only 1 or 2 get through the filter at all. Also, I would like to say that there are some worthwhile deals on the sites worth trying. I signed up for Audible.com and Blockbuster online, both of which I still use. They are great sites, and great offers if you ask me. On the other hand, I cancelled a lot of deals that were not for me, but I gave them a shot. That's one important rule you should be ready to follow if you try these deals: Try the offer, and don't cancel the next day. They check, and will disqualify you if they suspect you are trying to cheat the system. It's their right...it's in the TOS.
When I started out on these deals, I spent about 30 minutes each night posting on random groups and forums advertising my links. That went pretty much nowhere, but it did get me my free iPod from Gratis after about 3 weeks (so about 10-15 hours total). So the return on my time was pretty low in most of your eyes...it is less than I make per hour at work, but it was more or less in the process of reading forums I would have read anyway (like here at Slashdot) because I had the links in my sigs.
The "profit" started coming in once I started working on some of the other deals. I was getting hits at my web site by then, because it was also in my sig. I whipped up a web page, and pretty soon I was well on my way to some more stuff. I'd say another 5-10 hours and I had my free iRiver and my free PS2. Since then, I try to never advertise in any way other than my sig on a forum site, or on my personal web site. Rarely do I draw attention to my links, and no one has to read my site, but once they are there they will more or less be reading about my free deals.
So now, there is little to no work on my part. I spend 5 minutes each day checking my email for people contacting me about the deals, and I spend 5 more minutes posting on my website updating my deals and whatnot. So now, I can honestly say that the ~$1500 worth or stuff I have gotten is well worth the 30 or so hours I have spent on it. It's nothing to write home about I guess, but I have never felt obligated to work on it. It's just something I do every day or two at this point, and I enjoy it.
So would I recommend signing up for a site or two? Yeah, if you want to spend some time on it. But you'll start to break even on the time/money tradeoff if you do more sites. If you try only one, it may or may not be worth your time. It would be faster for some people to go get a part time job at Best Buy and use the employee discount to just buy an iPod. These deals are not for everyone
They are gone now...hope everyone enjoys them.
Check the link below. These are honest to goodness invites. There are 30 of them...so move fast.
http://www.jiggybyte.com/gmail.htm
Enjoy. Sorry for the offtopic post.
I have been looking at LCD Tv's for my home for the past few months. Unfortunately up until this point the plasmas have been slightly more in my price range for the size I am looking for. Will this shift to LCD technology cause the plasmas to come down in price, because they are "outdated" technology, or will we see the LCD prices come down because there is more production?
Also, any Slashdotters have recommendations on going with a plasma vs an lcd? Power usage, heat, image quality, overall life of product?
WTF does a free ipod have to do with voting and our national voting procedure? I could see if you said my sig was annoying...but not ironic. If you don't want to see sigs...just turn them off like most people do. It's easy as pie, MR. A.C., next time at least reply when logged in so we can all marvel at your wonderful sig as well.
I will argue a point without seeing the article, since it is dead. This screen is still likely much more expensive than a CRT, so unless the desk space you save with the LCD is worth a couple hundred dollars, I am guessing this is not going to appeal to most people.
The people who buy LCD's now do it because they are small, sexy, and save on desk space. The very SMALL minority will be buying an LCD just because it has good colors and refresh rates. Those people do exist (ie gamers and graphic designers and such) but most people are just looking for the slim, sexy design of the LCD, myself included. Code looks just fine on an LCD, I use one at work 9 hours a day, with no trouble at all.
Ok, so the spammers have to pay $1 billion for what they did. On the other hand Diebold only had to pay $2.6 million for writing bad voting software that potentially ruined the future of the country by allowing for voting results to be hacked?
There's something wrong with the way our legal system works, and more importantly this shows that people don't value their right to vote nearly enough. Spam seems so terrible to people because it annoys them on a daily basis, and yet no one is up in arms about their freedom to vote being insecure.
Come on people get the priorities straight...afterall there's decent antispam software out there, and even a small ISP can block people from sending spam through their servers if they are properly patched and up to date on security realeses. Damn, I only wish some spammers would take advantage of any holes I have now, then I could sue and be rich forever.
So that's how much our the future of our nation is worth? Insecure voting machines that play a part in determining who is elected to office...and it's only worth $2.6 million? What a bunch of B.S., $2.6 million is nothing close to what they should pay, if you ask me.
"Why is the much respected tech writer leaving what he described as 'greatest gig in the world' for the perilous journey of developing an entrepreneurial idea in citizen-journalism?"
I can think of two reasons...
1. almost all big media is corupt these days, and spin the news to their liking just for ratings with the readers, or to get money from the sponsors. Maybe he's just sick of it.
2. MONEY...he has a chance to "get rich quick" with his entrepreneurial venture. Why not take the risk? If he fails, he can always go back to something similar since he'll still has his good rep (unless he does something really terrible between now and then)
Good to know that we won't go more than a few days without a "history" lesson here on Slashdot. I mean, it had been several days since I read the history of the iPod article. At least this history spans more than a couple of years...
Why don't we have a "Star Wars History Month" anyway? I'd get up and celebrate!
Here in Michigan, during the winter months we may not see the sun for a week at a time. It is cloudy, overcast, and gloomy. During the summer, we do get a lot of sunny days, but we'd never make it on solar power only for the winter months.
I don't think solar power is a very good idea for us here, we'd end up being reliant on outside energy piped in from elsewhere. We could get some use out of wind generated power, we've got plenty of that most of the time, and hydroelectricity is awlways an option...I mean we do have the Great Lakes and tons of rivers all over the state.
So here in Michigan, I doubt the "solar revolution" we be all that fantastic here even if it is out there in silicon valley. I'd never be able to live if my house were solar powered, unfortunately.
Well, I have not transfered a phone for almost 2 years now, but previous to that I have done it twice. And I am 100% sure that the $35 is not for new service only. Even when the replacement phone was an "equipment replacement" phone that I got for free when my first phone died, I had to pay the $35 fee. It is in the equipment replacement contract that I had.
That said, I have not done it for a couple years so it may be different now. It sure seems silly to charge an existing customer to switch phones...I mean where has the term "valued customer" gone?
I kind of like the idea of merging with nextel. Maybe this will eventually make it so I can have one of the memory chips that allows me to transfer my account/number/phone memory right to another phone just like Nextel. Right now, I cannot do that with Sprint, which makes it a hassle and a $35 cost to activate a new phone.
But thing that irritates me the most about Nextel phones is that people feel it is a good idea to carry out entire conversations with the radio feature...STOP IT!!! And if more people (ie the Sprint customer base) get this feature, I think I will be driven insae. If you need to have an entire conversation, just call them instead of repeatedly beeping back and forth in the grocery store! Or at least turn off the sound so the rest of us can't hear it.
Ok, I assume that he took pics of the damage from the quake? I can't see the second link because it has been
But seriously, this seems like a random front page story. I almost think that I could make any article I wanted about kite photography and get it posted. There have been so many kite stories lately...I'm too lazy to post links to them all. But a quick search in old stories turns up at least 5 since July.
I think I know enough about kites now, can't we do something new and exciting? Maybe home-made submarine cams or something?
Couldn't they just have gotten this guy a nice tablet PC, a copy of Photoshop, and then give him a new layer to go hog wild on? I mean, is this really that revolutionary?
Or they could have projected onto a whiteboard with one of those fancy tools that transfers whatever you write to a PC...thus having his sketch overlayed on the original...there seem to be dozens of better alternatives to their orignal idea of taking a digital picture of the whiteboard.