What would be better is carefully crafted ads that will have significance at 12x - perhaps even reveal hidden easter eggs only visible by watching them fast, by working out which frames will actually be viewable when watched at that speed.
Hm... I feel a patent coming on... let's pollute the process with a little "prior art"...
;-)
You could do the above *if* there was a way to signal to the recorder to start with a *specific* frame when ff so tha you knew precisely which frames would follow. Otherwise, the ff might happen on a frame that just skips your hidden data. I imagine such a "signal" could easily be embeded in the subtitle info... not sure if the vertical blanking signal is controllable at the "show" level or if that is something that happens during broadcast itself.
Since TiVo is actually working with advertisers... it might be possible to have the TiVo download a "special" version of the ad and play that when it is encountered while watching the show, instead of the over-the-air version. Then, this "special" version could have the signalling needed to show something of meaning when fast forwarded.
I know they already have a way to detect what commercials are playing... because of the little green thumbs up thingy that comes up to "record this show" on some commercials.
And replacing one ad with a different one isn't a technical issue either... just a "permission" problem. But, since it would be the same advertiser... I suppose that "problem" would go away.
I just deleted every "Commander in Chief" and "Invasion" from my Myth box this morning. I haven't watched any of them yet... and they are now on netflix.
When I do get around to those shows... they will be commercial free and of much higher quality than what I had from the tube.
That way, (at least some) TiVo owners ended up spending 15 minutes on a 30-second ad.
Maybe companies need to insist that advertisers sell them ten 3 second slots and insist that the ad run with no more than 30 seconds of commercial time total... potentially 10 ads... but "wasting" no more than 30 seconds of the viewers time.
Let the people that want to watch the ad slow-mo the thing... and don't infuriate every one else.
My child is pretty rarely exposed to television advertising.
Mine actually scream for me to come and ff when commercials come on.
(The little one cries until the show comes back on!)
I actually built a mythbox specifically so I could record the kid's shows and edit out all the crap... now I can set them down and let them watch without the commercials.
I've got one of these that I stuff full of kid shows (and stuff for mom & dad too) for when we go traveling. Very nice to be in a hotel room and not be at the mercy of broadcast television!!
that I watch my shows months after they are recorded.
I mean, I'd really hate to be suckered in by an advertisement that was actually relevant!
But, by watching everything months later I can be sure that any shows being advertised will have been shown long ago... and, like every other frikken commercial... of absolutely no use to me.
So, until I'm:
1) geriatric 2) female 3) senile 4) stupid 5) impotent 6) over weight 7) bored 8) unable to solve my own problems 9) unable to read
etc...
I think I'll just keep skipping commercials. Because, at best... they are a complete waste of my time.
Having never felt the need to go online to see what the fuss was about... I have absolutely no idea what I'm missing.
And, I could not care less.
Until that content can show up on my TV, easily... I'll simply ignore it's existence. (and when it does show up it better be more than 75 percent of the screen!)
I watched exactly one of Sci-Fi's "webisodes" (for Eureka) and decided it was not worth the bullshit of firing up a computer that had flash on it and actually having to sit there while their server strained to deliver "content" at a consumable rate.
If I had been able to actually download the data to watch without all the stuttering... and if I could have seen it on my every day workhorse (linux)... and if it wasn't the size of a postage stamp... maybe I'd reconsider)
So... your idea of "effective"... um... not so effective.
Oh yeah, I'm not going thru all that crap for 90 seconds of entertainment either. It is all I can do to be bothered with the amount of time it takes to tell netflix to send me something... and that is for 90 minutes of entertainment.
I can also presume that my 4th Gen iPod Colour will not be able to play the new games. How I love thy, apple....
I'll take dumb and lazy for the win... but you'll have to look in the mirror to find out who I'm talking about.
Above, your quote... below... my interpretation:
I did see him complaining about how the new features in the new iTunes he is forced to use are of no benefit to him as he has an older iPod.
As someone of slightly more intelligence can see... he is noting that the new features of iTunes (the games) won't work on his older iPod. He is pointing out that 1) he was forced to upgrade to continue using the program 2) the new version does less for him than the old version and 3) none of the new features in the new version are of use to him either.
He simply wants to use the version he paid for, without any diminished features.
And... if you go back to his original post for context... you will see this complaint is in regards to being forced to update iTunes... even tho none of the new features are of use to him.
BTW, take your name calling and shove it up your ass.
The conspiracy begins and ends with the company making these flawed voting systems being a major player in the politics of the currently dominant party.
I think you are right.
What we need to do is outsource the programming to China.
If you can't have China write the software and trust it... then something is wrong with your process. Because, who writes it should not matter one bit.
Maybe this would get the point across that the software needs a line by line peer review...
I don't know why so many people act like it's unthinkable to discard a flawed election and start over with a new one.
I don't know why so many people act like we need these guys anyway.
I bet we could go years without a congress or a president... just make most of thoes "appointments" civil service jobs (with the corresponding relatively low pay scale (when compared to what they actually get paid)) and move on.
We've been at this for more than 200 years... just how many freakin' laws do we need?
Let's take a bit of time off... have the Supreme court review EVERY law on the books (that'll keep 'em busy for a while) and get rid of everything that is unconstitutional.
Only after the pool is clean do we let the swimming begin again...
Let me see if I understand this. You bought a product that told you exactly what it did.
Yep, so far so good...
Later, a new product comes out that does something different and your complaining because....?
Later, they disabled the product he bought so that it would no longer work. (iTunes 5) But, he can update to a *new* product (iTunes 7) that does *NOT* do what his old product did... and none of the new features will be of use to him either. (because his older device does not support the new features)
Why don't you go and preach your crap to the families of the victims?
What exactly are you implying? Do you think the dead people have told their living relatives what "really" happened?
Or do you think the families of the victims don't give a damn about who really did it and they just want *someone* killed... and that it really doesn't matter who that someone is or if they actually had anything to do with it?
Becasue it really, really sounds like you are saying the truth doesn't matter... because some people got killed.
And while the latter is true, the first doesn't follow from that statement.
Truthfully, Americans are not afraid of terrorists - we the people took down a plane ourselves once we knew what was going on. What Americans fear is loss of freedom.
Dude, I live in Idaho... one of the reddest states in the country.
They are so chicken shit scared they'd give anything for more of that "please take everything, just don't hurt us" security that the GOP has been spoon feeding them.
Their biggest gripe is that Bush can't cut taxes fast enough and that is why the country doesn't have enough money to afford the security we need. Seriously. They think cutting taxes would give the gov't MORE money to make the country secure.
So... don't tell me Americans aren't scared... and don't tell me they are smart.
Because those Americans aren't living in red America.
Oh boy... I bet you are one of "those people" that think that Iraq has some connection to 9/11... aren't you?
Even if one were to throw this SINGULAR event into the "real" category (I'd call it dumb luck and move on with my life instead) what we have now has LITTLE to NOTHING to do with that day.
The only real connection seems to be Bush and the family friends.
The problem is that this guy and his company accepted money from US citizens who were on US soil in exchange for providing a service that is illegal in the US.
Which most likely isn't illegal for him if he isn't a U.S. citizen and wasn't on U.S. soil.
Why doesn't the U.S. instead go after the people that *were* under it's jurisdiction? Like, oh... I don't know... the gamblers?
Slashdot Mirror
What would be better is carefully crafted ads that will have significance at 12x - perhaps even reveal hidden easter eggs only visible by watching them fast, by working out which frames will actually be viewable when watched at that speed.
;-)
Hm... I feel a patent coming on... let's pollute the process with a little "prior art"...
You could do the above *if* there was a way to signal to the recorder to start with a *specific* frame when ff so tha you knew precisely which frames would follow. Otherwise, the ff might happen on a frame that just skips your hidden data. I imagine such a "signal" could easily be embeded in the subtitle info... not sure if the vertical blanking signal is controllable at the "show" level or if that is something that happens during broadcast itself.
Since TiVo is actually working with advertisers... it might be possible to have the TiVo download a "special" version of the ad and play that when it is encountered while watching the show, instead of the over-the-air version. Then, this "special" version could have the signalling needed to show something of meaning when fast forwarded.
I know they already have a way to detect what commercials are playing... because of the little green thumbs up thingy that comes up to "record this show" on some commercials.
And replacing one ad with a different one isn't a technical issue either... just a "permission" problem. But, since it would be the same advertiser... I suppose that "problem" would go away.
Most of the "TV" I now watch comes on DVD.
Exactly!
I just deleted every "Commander in Chief" and "Invasion" from my Myth box this morning. I haven't watched any of them yet... and they are now on netflix.
When I do get around to those shows... they will be commercial free and of much higher quality than what I had from the tube.
That way, (at least some) TiVo owners ended up spending 15 minutes on a 30-second ad.
Maybe companies need to insist that advertisers sell them ten 3 second slots and insist that the ad run with no more than 30 seconds of commercial time total... potentially 10 ads... but "wasting" no more than 30 seconds of the viewers time.
Let the people that want to watch the ad slow-mo the thing... and don't infuriate every one else.
Cram 7 commericals into a break and they all blend together in my mind.
Not mine. I didn't see them to begin with!
Long before I even started taping shows (remember VHS?) I would not sit and watch commercials.
Simply because there were so many that I could get other stuff done during the "break"... I'd wash dishes, vacuum, do laundry... whatever.
Invariably I'd miss the beginning of the next portion... and decided to simply tape the shows instead.
The rest is history...
My child is pretty rarely exposed to television advertising.
Mine actually scream for me to come and ff when commercials come on.
(The little one cries until the show comes back on!)
I actually built a mythbox specifically so I could record the kid's shows and edit out all the crap... now I can set them down and let them watch without the commercials.
I've got one of these that I stuff full of kid shows (and stuff for mom & dad too) for when we go traveling. Very nice to be in a hotel room and not be at the mercy of broadcast television!!
that I watch my shows months after they are recorded.
I mean, I'd really hate to be suckered in by an advertisement that was actually relevant!
But, by watching everything months later I can be sure that any shows being advertised will have been shown long ago... and, like every other frikken commercial... of absolutely no use to me.
So, until I'm:
1) geriatric
2) female
3) senile
4) stupid
5) impotent
6) over weight
7) bored
8) unable to solve my own problems
9) unable to read
etc...
I think I'll just keep skipping commercials. Because, at best... they are a complete waste of my time.
Having never felt the need to go online to see what the fuss was about... I have absolutely no idea what I'm missing.
And, I could not care less.
Until that content can show up on my TV, easily... I'll simply ignore it's existence. (and when it does show up it better be more than 75 percent of the screen!)
I watched exactly one of Sci-Fi's "webisodes" (for Eureka) and decided it was not worth the bullshit of firing up a computer that had flash on it and actually having to sit there while their server strained to deliver "content" at a consumable rate.
If I had been able to actually download the data to watch without all the stuttering... and if I could have seen it on my every day workhorse (linux)... and if it wasn't the size of a postage stamp... maybe I'd reconsider)
So... your idea of "effective"... um... not so effective.
Oh yeah, I'm not going thru all that crap for 90 seconds of entertainment either. It is all I can do to be bothered with the amount of time it takes to tell netflix to send me something... and that is for 90 minutes of entertainment.
I'd rather just read.
I've been writing in Perl for 13 years and detest supporting the crap code written by people who think it's applicable to every problem domain.
Hell, I detest supporting code *I* wrote even three years ago.
Not because the language is bad, but because the language is so rich that I learn more and better ways to do stuff all the time.
Some times it is really hard not to rewrite something simply because the old way I did it seemed so... uninformed.
And, yeah... every problem I solve is done so with Perl.
Thing is, I don't solve problems that shouldn't be solved with Perl... I pass those off to someone else.
As someone once said: The trick is to use Perl's strengths, not it's weaknessess.
I can also presume that my 4th Gen iPod Colour will not be able to play the new games. How I love thy, apple....
I'll take dumb and lazy for the win... but you'll have to look in the mirror to find out who I'm talking about.
Above, your quote... below... my interpretation:
I did see him complaining about how the new features in the new iTunes he is forced to use are of no benefit to him as he has an older iPod.
As someone of slightly more intelligence can see... he is noting that the new features of iTunes (the games) won't work on his older iPod. He is pointing out that 1) he was forced to upgrade to continue using the program 2) the new version does less for him than the old version and 3) none of the new features in the new version are of use to him either.
He simply wants to use the version he paid for, without any diminished features.
And... if you go back to his original post for context... you will see this complaint is in regards to being forced to update iTunes... even tho none of the new features are of use to him.
BTW, take your name calling and shove it up your ass.
Somebody hack just one state and get Mickey Mouse elected...
Haven't you heard?
The conspiracy begins and ends with the company making these flawed voting systems being a major player in the politics of the currently dominant party.
I think you are right.
What we need to do is outsource the programming to China.
If you can't have China write the software and trust it... then something is wrong with your process. Because, who writes it should not matter one bit.
Maybe this would get the point across that the software needs a line by line peer review...
I don't know why so many people act like it's unthinkable to discard a flawed election and start over with a new one.
I don't know why so many people act like we need these guys anyway.
I bet we could go years without a congress or a president... just make most of thoes "appointments" civil service jobs (with the corresponding relatively low pay scale (when compared to what they actually get paid)) and move on.
We've been at this for more than 200 years... just how many freakin' laws do we need?
Let's take a bit of time off... have the Supreme court review EVERY law on the books (that'll keep 'em busy for a while) and get rid of everything that is unconstitutional.
Only after the pool is clean do we let the swimming begin again...
my question is this: has diebold's product undergone any sort of peer review?
Unfortunately, yes. Many crooks and liars have deemed the system to be "just fine".
However, my point wasn't about itunes, it was about his ipod and his complaint that they released a new ipod.
I didn't see him complaining about the release of a new iPod.
I did see him complaining about how the new features in the new iTunes he is forced to use are of no benefit to him as he has an older iPod.
but DVD-ripping software still isn't legal
In some backwater countries.
Others are... what is the word I'm looking for... Oh yeah... FREE to do as they want with the things they pay for.
Let me see if I understand this. You bought a product that told you exactly what it did.
....?
Yep, so far so good...
Later, a new product comes out that does something different and your complaining because
Later, they disabled the product he bought so that it would no longer work. (iTunes 5) But, he can update to a *new* product (iTunes 7) that does *NOT* do what his old product did... and none of the new features will be of use to him either. (because his older device does not support the new features)
Get it yet?
Why don't you go and preach your crap to the families of the victims?
What exactly are you implying? Do you think the dead people have told their living relatives what "really" happened?
Or do you think the families of the victims don't give a damn about who really did it and they just want *someone* killed... and that it really doesn't matter who that someone is or if they actually had anything to do with it?
Becasue it really, really sounds like you are saying the truth doesn't matter... because some people got killed.
And while the latter is true, the first doesn't follow from that statement.
Why would I care about the weather and food when all I want is to drink and screw all day?
;-)
That is why *I* would go to France!
The majority however happens to differ, so suck it up and learn to live with it.
Thank you for pointing out so eloquently why the U.S. isn't a democracy.
Our founding fathers where well aware of the number of idiots in the country...
Truthfully, Americans are not afraid of terrorists - we the people took down a plane ourselves once we knew what was going on. What Americans fear is loss of freedom.
Dude, I live in Idaho... one of the reddest states in the country.
They are so chicken shit scared they'd give anything for more of that "please take everything, just don't hurt us" security that the GOP has been spoon feeding them.
Their biggest gripe is that Bush can't cut taxes fast enough and that is why the country doesn't have enough money to afford the security we need. Seriously. They think cutting taxes would give the gov't MORE money to make the country secure.
So... don't tell me Americans aren't scared... and don't tell me they are smart.
Because those Americans aren't living in red America.
Oh boy... I bet you are one of "those people" that think that Iraq has some connection to 9/11... aren't you?
Even if one were to throw this SINGULAR event into the "real" category (I'd call it dumb luck and move on with my life instead) what we have now has LITTLE to NOTHING to do with that day.
The only real connection seems to be Bush and the family friends.
The problem is that this guy and his company accepted money from US citizens who were on US soil in exchange for providing a service that is illegal in the US.
Which most likely isn't illegal for him if he isn't a U.S. citizen and wasn't on U.S. soil.
Why doesn't the U.S. instead go after the people that *were* under it's jurisdiction? Like, oh... I don't know... the gamblers?
Sucks
Peter Sucks Dicks
Got a problem with that?
See, thats not the case.
See, it is.
I've already said I don't do business w/ people that don't get the obvious stuff.
So... If for some reason you are the only people that can make a thing-a-ma-jig... I'll just not get a thing-a-ma-jig.
See how that works?
Even tho you may have a monopoly on thing-a-ma-jigs... you don't have a monopoly on thinking. And, I'm a firm believer in TMTOWTDI.
And, I can always just buy more toilet paper if I absolutely have to spend my money somewhere.
You've made the mistake that many business make. You think I need your product. I don't.
I haven't yet heard a complaint or seen some feedback come through our form stating "omg I gotta use IE!!!"
Maybe because they do what I do... simply take my business elsewhere.
I'm not going to waste my time or money dealing with people (or businesses) that can't get the obvious stuff right.