If one's communicating with these scammers using one's most common e-mail address,
Even though my e-mail address cannot itself be traced to a specific location, I would definitely recommend using a brand-new address if playing with scammers' heads.
Well, by specific location, I guess I meant in a broader sense...Online or offline. You definately hit it right on the head, though. For instance, my Hotmail account is currently registered to "Anakin Skywalker", thinks i'm 76 years old, and that I live in Vanatu:):P
How would they know where to find you? First of all, you likely live thousands of miles away from the scammer. And, you use a fake name, paperwork, photo, etc. in all your communication with them, sending it all from an email address that cannot be traced to a specific location.
Sure, you don't want to give out real personal info, but other than that, you're fine:)
No, it's not. They've come out and said that whatever they're releasing next year, it's not a console and not a handheld. Probably an accessory for the Gamecube or something.
Well you answer a question with a question. The Department of Energy does bith Military and Civilian research.
Well, seeing as the person that's heading the project they're funding is president of a civilian biotech firm, and it states right in the article that they're hoping to get microbes that can clean the environment or produce hydrogen...I would lean toward the research being largely, if not completely, for civilian purposes.
The DOE does nuclear testing amoung other things. And I don't mean scantron sheets for plant operators. They used to blow things up with nuclear weapons. Since the test ban treaty they have been blowing up simulated thing with simulated nuclear bombs inside of massive clustered computing arrays.
So? What does this have to do with the question at hand? Simulating bomb blasts and creating microbes for environmental cleanup/fuel generation have nothing to do with eachother.
The array runs Linux, BTW. Remember that the next time someone calls Linux a religion^H^H^H^H^H^H^H Operating System for beatnicks and hippies.
That's real cool and all, but again, it has absolutely no relevance to this thread. Save the evangelizing for another time.
If you're going to reply again, please at least try to make it relevant beyond the first sentence.
What's even better is that Javascript and/or ActiveX support in IE has also stopped working completely for me...I can't even get to Windows Update anymore, as it just loads a completely blank white page:P
I have a sneaking suspicion that one of the security patches or service packs had something to do with it, as it worked again after I tried reinstalling Win XP, then died after re-patching everything.
The game didn't cost $50 to include in the bundle.
So? The point is, by including a $50 game in with the system, that's $50 of the customer's money that you're not getting for that game, even if the disc itself costs a pittiance.
In contrast, with the $99 bundle, customers will most likely buy $50-100 worth of games when they buy the system...The shiny new Cube isn't much use without a game or two to actually use it with, right?
Personally, I bought the $150 bundle with a free game back in July, and got another $30 game along with it, with a couple more not long after.
Anyway, seems to come out about the same in the end...I wouldn't be suprised if they're actually making a bit more average profit per customer (because of game sales) at the $99 price point, though. I do know Nintendo is still forecasting a profit for the second half of the fiscal year, too.
Turn your phone off. I'm curious though, why would you need IM's that bad?
For that exact reason. The phone is not an ideal medium for communicating with many people, especially if you live halfway accross the country/world from them. Maybe you have the cash to pay for long-distance charges everytime you want to chat about every little thing with someone, but most people don't.
Disconnect, take a shower, read a book, you don't have to be *connected* round the clock, if some friend needs you that bad, use your phone the way it was designed and have them call you.
See above. You seem to be assuming that it's practical for any friend that would talk to you on IM to call on the phone as well. Even if the distance is not an issue, they may work somewhere where they can type away, but the phone is being used for business, they may only have a cellphone but be out of minutes, their little brother/sister may like to tie up the phone for hours, etc.
See what a few billion in lost revenues does to 'em.
The likely result: Nothing.
I've seen reports saying that they're losing ~$800-900 million a year on their XBox division, for example. With the cash reserves they have, do you really think even a loss of ~3 billion or so over one year is really going to hurt them?
If nothing else, they'd bounce back immediately after the ban was lifted.
Meanwhile, I take the view that we should let Microsoft do whatever they want. Let them force hardware makers to bundle WMP9 or IE. That'll only force people to build upon non-MS operating systems, such as Linux or MacOS.
Not that it really solves the problem, but ya know what? Most people could care less about IE or WMP9 being bundled with Windows, and if they don't like using them....Then they stop using those specific programs. They don't dump the whole OS.
Personally, I hate(d) IE, so I stopped using it (except for places like Homestarrunner that won't work otherwise), and now use Firebird 99% of the time instead.
Same with WMP- at this point, it's installed only to allow access to the codec or whatever so Winamp can play the odd.wmv file. Something's fux0red to the point where the actual WMP program won't even start up anymore.
Perhaps I should have been more specific...Mario or Zelda-only title. Not a crossover like SSBM. I suppose Luigi's Mansion counts, though I don't think it was seen as a "real" Mario game by most people. Wind Waker was out earlier this year...Hardly a launch title.
Not to say that SSBM isn't an awesome game, though...First game I bought with the system, and i've been hopelessly addicted to it since then.
The sales only increased after they dropped the price to $99. This is cutting into the profit margins on console sales (but those pesky games are still $50).
You do realize it used to be that the base bundle was $150 with a free $50 game, and now the base is $99 with no game? Think about that for a moment.
But devices such as TVs don't have an infinite number of inputs. Many just have two independent sources: a coaxial connection (for Cable) and an RCA connection. So in that case the single device is better
Does it really take that long to swap out a set of RCA input cables? If you can seriously say that it does, then maybe you have a point, but otherwise i'm not really sure.
Perhaps this new device is an enhanced GameCube, with the ability to play full DVDs (and even have games with a full DVD worth of data) and 720P support, but otherwise the same API or a superset thereof, so developers don't need to do much different at the moment.
Except for the DVD games thing, this already exists, and it's called the Panasonic Q, a version of the Gamecube that can play regular-size DVD movie discs. Quite expensive at the moment, though.
Nintendo's real failure with the GameCube was not having a Pokemon title at or near launch. Now the Pokemon phenomenon has faded, it's not such an issue, but people would have bought the console just for a GameCube game like Pokemon Gold/Sapphire/etc.
I think it was more a failure not to have a Zelda or Mario title available for launch...A mistake that I don't think will be repeated.
Why does the next one have to play DVDs? I don't know about you specifically, but myself and everyone I know already has a perfectly good stand-alone DVD player....
There's no reason for DVD on a game console to be a selling point, especially not with how cheap the regular players are these days.
Why don't they just stick to the Gameboy? They're good at that. They've pretty much cornered the retrogame market and the cute-and-fluffy-characters market.
I'd say because not everyone agrees on the "cute-and-fluffy-characters" and sometime "kiddy" angle to be a bad thing, most of the time. Blood, gore, and/or dark environments does not always a fun game make. As Gabe of Penny Arcade says, are you afraid playing a game with bright colors or cute characters in it will make you less of a person?
As long as they keep making games that're fun to go with them, Nintendo can go with a blessing and keep making consoles to the end of time.
A mate of mine used to work for ITN (Independent Television News - UK Broadcaster) and he said you'd regularly get birds falling out of the sky if they flew to close to (ie through) the microwave links.
You would do well to RTFA, as your friend had no idea what he was talking about. As clearly stated in the article and by other posters here, the intensity of the beam will only be ~20% of noontime sunlight.
You don't see birds being cooked en masse every day at noon, do you?
Seeing AT&T held to better business practices can only be a good thing, I think, even if it takes a hefty fine for them to see it.
By way of example:
Up until I got a cellphone a few months ago, I had long-distance from them, then decided to shut off the service afterwards. After calling and doing so (and being asked if I wanted service again, in the same breath as they told me they closed the account), it took weeks and three more phone calls (along with 3 more attempts to sign me up again) before my account was finally zeroed out with the last payment i'd sent.
And then on top of that, until just last week I was recieving overdue notices on a balance of $0 and postal letters trying to bribe me into signing up again. Took two more phone calls and an email ripping into them for their practices to finally stop it...Just unbelieveable.
Slashdot Mirror
If one's communicating with these scammers using one's most common e-mail address,
:):P
Even though my e-mail address cannot itself be traced to a specific location, I would definitely recommend using a brand-new address if playing with scammers' heads.
Well, by specific location, I guess I meant in a broader sense...Online or offline. You definately hit it right on the head, though. For instance, my Hotmail account is currently registered to "Anakin Skywalker", thinks i'm 76 years old, and that I live in Vanatu
How would they know where to find you? First of all, you likely live thousands of miles away from the scammer. And, you use a fake name, paperwork, photo, etc. in all your communication with them, sending it all from an email address that cannot be traced to a specific location.
:)
Sure, you don't want to give out real personal info, but other than that, you're fine
Not only did you not make any attempt at formatting the text, the whole article is already posted at the top of the Slashdot article page....
So don't buy the damn thing :P Some people have money to burn, and might think this sort of thing is pretty cool, even if you don't.
From the description- The gracefully curved desk is constructed with a brushed aluminum body
:P
Try and actually follow the link first, at least if you're going to attempt to be witty
No, it's not. They've come out and said that whatever they're releasing next year, it's not a console and not a handheld. Probably an accessory for the Gamecube or something.
Look here.
The current Gamecube already runs on an IBM PowerPC CPU. Why couldn't another console be based on one or more of the processors used in this project?
Well you answer a question with a question. The Department of Energy does bith Military and Civilian research.
Well, seeing as the person that's heading the project they're funding is president of a civilian biotech firm, and it states right in the article that they're hoping to get microbes that can clean the environment or produce hydrogen...I would lean toward the research being largely, if not completely, for civilian purposes.
The DOE does nuclear testing amoung other things. And I don't mean scantron sheets for plant operators. They used to blow things up with nuclear weapons. Since the test ban treaty they have been blowing up simulated thing with simulated nuclear bombs inside of massive clustered computing arrays.
So? What does this have to do with the question at hand? Simulating bomb blasts and creating microbes for environmental cleanup/fuel generation have nothing to do with eachother.
The array runs Linux, BTW. Remember that the next time someone calls Linux a religion^H^H^H^H^H^H^H Operating System for beatnicks and hippies.
That's real cool and all, but again, it has absolutely no relevance to this thread. Save the evangelizing for another time.
If you're going to reply again, please at least try to make it relevant beyond the first sentence.
I'd like to know who's funding them. Is it civilian or military?
I know it's too much to ask around here sometimes, but maybe you could at least glance at the article?
- The project was funded in part by the Department of Energy
Indeed.
:P
What's even better is that Javascript and/or ActiveX support in IE has also stopped working completely for me...I can't even get to Windows Update anymore, as it just loads a completely blank white page
I have a sneaking suspicion that one of the security patches or service packs had something to do with it, as it worked again after I tried reinstalling Win XP, then died after re-patching everything.
The game didn't cost $50 to include in the bundle.
So? The point is, by including a $50 game in with the system, that's $50 of the customer's money that you're not getting for that game, even if the disc itself costs a pittiance.
In contrast, with the $99 bundle, customers will most likely buy $50-100 worth of games when they buy the system...The shiny new Cube isn't much use without a game or two to actually use it with, right?
Personally, I bought the $150 bundle with a free game back in July, and got another $30 game along with it, with a couple more not long after.
Anyway, seems to come out about the same in the end...I wouldn't be suprised if they're actually making a bit more average profit per customer (because of game sales) at the $99 price point, though. I do know Nintendo is still forecasting a profit for the second half of the fiscal year, too.
Thanks much...I'll give that a try this weekend, do a fresh install or two :)
Turn your phone off. I'm curious though, why would you need IM's that bad?
For that exact reason. The phone is not an ideal medium for communicating with many people, especially if you live halfway accross the country/world from them. Maybe you have the cash to pay for long-distance charges everytime you want to chat about every little thing with someone, but most people don't.
Disconnect, take a shower, read a book, you don't have to be *connected* round the clock, if some friend needs you that bad, use your phone the way it was designed and have them call you.
See above. You seem to be assuming that it's practical for any friend that would talk to you on IM to call on the phone as well. Even if the distance is not an issue, they may work somewhere where they can type away, but the phone is being used for business, they may only have a cellphone but be out of minutes, their little brother/sister may like to tie up the phone for hours, etc.
Yeah, it's very wierd...Some Flash will work, while others just refuse to display anything at all.
See what a few billion in lost revenues does to 'em.
The likely result: Nothing.
I've seen reports saying that they're losing ~$800-900 million a year on their XBox division, for example. With the cash reserves they have, do you really think even a loss of ~3 billion or so over one year is really going to hurt them?
If nothing else, they'd bounce back immediately after the ban was lifted.
Meanwhile, I take the view that we should let Microsoft do whatever they want. Let them force hardware makers to bundle WMP9 or IE. That'll only force people to build upon non-MS operating systems, such as Linux or MacOS.
.wmv file. Something's fux0red to the point where the actual WMP program won't even start up anymore.
Not that it really solves the problem, but ya know what? Most people could care less about IE or WMP9 being bundled with Windows, and if they don't like using them....Then they stop using those specific programs. They don't dump the whole OS.
Personally, I hate(d) IE, so I stopped using it (except for places like Homestarrunner that won't work otherwise), and now use Firebird 99% of the time instead.
Same with WMP- at this point, it's installed only to allow access to the codec or whatever so Winamp can play the odd
Perhaps I should have been more specific...Mario or Zelda-only title. Not a crossover like SSBM. I suppose Luigi's Mansion counts, though I don't think it was seen as a "real" Mario game by most people. Wind Waker was out earlier this year...Hardly a launch title.
Not to say that SSBM isn't an awesome game, though...First game I bought with the system, and i've been hopelessly addicted to it since then.
The sales only increased after they dropped the price to $99. This is cutting into the profit margins on console sales (but those pesky games are still $50).
You do realize it used to be that the base bundle was $150 with a free $50 game, and now the base is $99 with no game? Think about that for a moment.
But devices such as TVs don't have an infinite number of inputs. Many just have two independent sources: a coaxial connection (for Cable) and an RCA connection. So in that case the single device is better
Does it really take that long to swap out a set of RCA input cables? If you can seriously say that it does, then maybe you have a point, but otherwise i'm not really sure.
Perhaps this new device is an enhanced GameCube, with the ability to play full DVDs (and even have games with a full DVD worth of data) and 720P support, but otherwise the same API or a superset thereof, so developers don't need to do much different at the moment.
Except for the DVD games thing, this already exists, and it's called the Panasonic Q, a version of the Gamecube that can play regular-size DVD movie discs. Quite expensive at the moment, though.
Nintendo's real failure with the GameCube was not having a Pokemon title at or near launch. Now the Pokemon phenomenon has faded, it's not such an issue, but people would have bought the console just for a GameCube game like Pokemon Gold/Sapphire/etc.
I think it was more a failure not to have a Zelda or Mario title available for launch...A mistake that I don't think will be repeated.
Why does the next one have to play DVDs? I don't know about you specifically, but myself and everyone I know already has a perfectly good stand-alone DVD player....
There's no reason for DVD on a game console to be a selling point, especially not with how cheap the regular players are these days.
Why don't they just stick to the Gameboy? They're good at that. They've pretty much cornered the retrogame market and the cute-and-fluffy-characters market.
I'd say because not everyone agrees on the "cute-and-fluffy-characters" and sometime "kiddy" angle to be a bad thing, most of the time. Blood, gore, and/or dark environments does not always a fun game make. As Gabe of Penny Arcade says, are you afraid playing a game with bright colors or cute characters in it will make you less of a person?
As long as they keep making games that're fun to go with them, Nintendo can go with a blessing and keep making consoles to the end of time.
They certainly may consider the Linux-booting an important issue, yes, but let's not overstate things.
A mate of mine used to work for ITN (Independent Television News - UK Broadcaster) and he said you'd regularly get birds falling out of the sky if they flew to close to (ie through) the microwave links.
You would do well to RTFA, as your friend had no idea what he was talking about. As clearly stated in the article and by other posters here, the intensity of the beam will only be ~20% of noontime sunlight.
You don't see birds being cooked en masse every day at noon, do you?
Oh wait, I did anyway. Not because I thought Linux worked better but because I hate Windows.
And why did you feel the need to tell us this? Switching OSes out of blind hatred is supposed to be good or l33t somehow?
Seeing AT&T held to better business practices can only be a good thing, I think, even if it takes a hefty fine for them to see it.
By way of example:
Up until I got a cellphone a few months ago, I had long-distance from them, then decided to shut off the service afterwards. After calling and doing so (and being asked if I wanted service again, in the same breath as they told me they closed the account), it took weeks and three more phone calls (along with 3 more attempts to sign me up again) before my account was finally zeroed out with the last payment i'd sent.
And then on top of that, until just last week I was recieving overdue notices on a balance of $0 and postal letters trying to bribe me into signing up again. Took two more phone calls and an email ripping into them for their practices to finally stop it...Just unbelieveable.