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User: jwachter

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  1. mostly items in bulk on Amazon to Launch Online Grocery Store · · Score: 5, Informative

    FYI, if you browse through the store, you'll notice that almost all the items they sell are economy sized or are packaged in multi-packs. If you just want one bottle of detergent, you're out of luck. If you want to save on 6 bottles at a time, this is the place for you.

    Jonathan

  2. Apple has been a leader in addressing this problem on Apple's All-Seeing Screen · · Score: 5, Insightful
    The iSight video camera was distinctive back when it was introduced for two reasons (versus most other web cams commonly used at that time). First, it connected via FireWire. Second, it came with mounting brackets (included, for free in the iSight box) to attach the camera securely to the top center of Apple's LCD monitors and laptop screens.

    The result of this second "innovation"? iSight video confernces looked significantly more natural and more natural than web conferences hosted using Logitech and other web cams that (typically) sat to the bottom right or left of the computer monitor (or awkwardly on top) and, hence, gave participants really skewed views of each others' faces.

    The innovation described in TFA is the logical next step of this eminently sensible design decision that Apple has been promoting for years.

    (Side note: the reason why the iSight demos in Apple keynote addresses look so darn good is that the participants are looking at the iSight camera, and not at the actual screen when they're doing the demo. It's a very subtle shift, but it still matters. Kind of a clever, sneaky way to make the product look even better than it actually does.)

  3. Um, no... on Podcasting Goes Pay-to-Play · · Score: 5, Informative

    Did either the submitter or the editor bother to read TFA?

    The only "news" here is that a single, previously free podcast is now going to sell itself on Audible.com and remove itself from the iTunes Music Store. There is no new functionality being added to iTunes (such as a way for individual podcsters to sell their own content).

    Nothing to see here. Please move along.

    Jonathan

  4. Re:How they handle it at Harvard (Business School) on Is Wi-Fi Ruining College? · · Score: 2, Insightful

    and thereby (in my opinion) completely defeating the supposed purpose of HAVING wifi in the first place. why would they have wifi access in classrooms if you can't use it while you're supposed to be in class?

    A very good point. Two possible responses
    (1) the admins want the internet wirelessly available in common / collaborative work spaces in the class buildings, which their solution still allows (as long as you're not "collaborating" during class time)
    (2) genuine lack of foresight (as you suggest)

    Probably a bit of both...

  5. How they handle it at Harvard (Business School) on Is Wi-Fi Ruining College? · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'm a student at Harvard Business School, where they have a fairly interesting solution for handling this problem. While every campus building has wireless access, all the access points in the classroom buildings require a web based log-in that checks your student ID versus your class schedule. If you're scheduled to be in class at that moment, you are denied wireless access to the internet (in any classroom building).

    Draconian, perhaps, but very effective at keeping us focused in class.

  6. am I the only one... on iPod Video Coming to a Car Near You · · Score: 1

    ...who is having touble finding the "video" section of the music store? I've upgraded to iTunes 6, but can't seem to find any links to the ABC content on the front page of the music store.

  7. type-a people and multiple ipods on iPod nano Owners In Screen Scratch Trauma · · Score: 1

    Ever since buying my first (2nd gen) ipod, I've noticed this problem. My latest theory is that Apple does it on purpose to take advantage of the obsessive / compulsive consumer with a large wallet.

    Scratch on the screen? Buy a new one.

    It's just a variante of how Gillette polymer-coats its Mach3 blades so they have a shorter useful life. (Except, in this case, it's the razor - not the blade - that's falling apart!)

  8. Re:Just goes to show... on U.S. Army To Ramp Up Anthrax Purchasing · · Score: 1

    Ah, you mean like Israel? lets see.. Threatening to use nukes? check. Ethnic cleansing? check. Israel's existance has been threatened by wars of aggression started by its neighbors 3 times in its ~60 years of existance (48, 67, 73). The war in 73 was started on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, and Israel was nearly destroyed. IMHO, any nation with a national history like that has the right to have nuclear weapons in its arsenal. Put differently: their nuclear weapons have nothing to do with their policy towards the Palestinians. Jonathan

  9. Re:Full Listing on Top 50 Science Fiction TV Shows · · Score: 1

    Notice how they cleverly put each listing on a separate ad-laden page? It's amazing they didn't give us the top 100 sci fi shows at all time.

  10. who cares? on Moody Non-Photo-Realistic Driving · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    This is a cute demo. Other than that, so what? Is this really "stuff that matters"? Or even "news for nerds"?

  11. Re:keep their monitor in view on When Should You Buy Your Kid A Laptop? · · Score: 1

    Quote: What's with all the censorship? If you have raised your child properly it should be able to distinguish what is good and what isn't.

    I'm not censoring anything; in fact, my method doesn't even require me to lock down my kid's machine (as long as he doesn't lock *me* out of it in turn).

    Insteads my method is its own teaching tool. A kid sitting in his own room with the door closed may think "totally OK to browse pr0n, totally OK to steal software" - but if his dad is looking over his shoulder, he'll think twice. And then he'll *think* about why he's thinking twice. That's learning.

    What I do will allow him complete freedom but always requires him to use common sense ("what would Dad think of *this*?").

  12. keep their monitor in view on When Should You Buy Your Kid A Laptop? · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Until you trust your kids to browse the internet and use their computer responsibly, give them a desktop and orient its monitor so that it can be seen by you and your spouse when you casually walk by. (BTW this means do *not* let them have a computer in their bedroom!)

    Giving them a laptop to take to their friends' houses is just inviting them to access all sorts of nasty stuff.

    The best possible choice? Set up your offspring's computer(s) in your own home office. What you loose in distraction, you'll gain in piece of mind and time spent with them.

  13. Re:HDCP requried by DVD spec on Toshiba HD-DVD Player Planned to Enforce HDMI · · Score: 1

    From the parent: DVI is not encrypted, is it? Actually, on all commercial DVD players the video signal sent over DVI is HDCP encrypted.

  14. Was a real threat for me on Y2K: Hoax, Or Averted Disaster? · · Score: 1

    I was working at my college newspaper at the time (www.thecrimson.com) as a "business technology manager". We had no Y2K problems, but only because we upgraded our entire building security system to be compliant. If we hadn't, no one (or perhaps everyone, we couldn't figure out) would have been able to get into the newspaper building on Jan 1, 2000.

    My guess is that this experience is fairly common: careful planning averted major annoyances (if not actual disasters).

  15. Re:BRING IT ON!!! on Think Secret Predicts Sub-$500 Headless Mac · · Score: 1

    Don't want to restate the obvious so I will restate what may not be so obvious:
    A 1" thick headless unit fits nicely in my A/V cabinet.


    Will Apple include a digital audio out port so we can run 5.1 sound from the DVD Player application to our receivers?

    IMHO they will. After all, they have digital out on the iMac.

  16. CNN: not a nuke on Mushroom Cloud Reported Over North Korea · · Score: 1

    SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- A large cloud that appeared over North Korea in satellite images several days ago was not the result of a nuclear explosion, according to a U.S. official.

    http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/09/12/nkor ea .blast/index.html

  17. Apple trumps all competitors on storage density on Why iPod Mini is a smart move for Apple · · Score: 3, Interesting
    This is an interesting an analysis that Ars did not do: calculate the number of gigabytes per cubic inch packed into each of these machines. On this metric, the iPod mini is the winner by a decent margin (1.11 GB/in^3 for the iPod vs .93 for the Nitrus and .74 for the MuVo2).

    Below you'll find the analysis. First column is number of gigabytes, second column is the size of the device in cubic inches. The third column is the ratio, "storage density". Notice that the Rio Nitrus is the only unit which comes close to Apple.
    Company Device Gigabytes Size Density
    Apple iPod Mini 4.00 3.60 1.11
    Creative MuVo2 4.00 5.41 0.74
    Rio Nitrus 4.00 4.32 0.93
    iRiver iGP-100 1.50 8.65 0.17
    Rio Nitrus 1.50 4.32 0.35
    Sony NW-MS70D 0.256 2.40 0.11
    iRiver iFP-195T 0.512 4.03 0.13
    Creative Muvo TX 0.512 2.44 0.21
    DigitalWay MPIO FY-200 0.512 2.45 0.21
    Rio Chiba 0.256 5.18 0.05
    iRock! iRock! 860 0.256 3.24 0.08
    (Anyone know of a way of making columns show up in slashdot posts?)

  18. Re:Mixed response on Rumors of iPod mini, 100 Million Songs, Xserve G5 All True · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Not only that, but I jog with my regular 3rd gen iPod all the time with no problems!

    I'm curious: do you hold it in your hand or have some sort of sport case for it? I like the arm band available for the mini... is there something similar for the full-sized unit?

  19. Re:Dock not compatible! Arm band $29! on Rumors of iPod mini, 100 Million Songs, Xserve G5 All True · · Score: 1

    I watched the keynote, and I distinctly remember Jobs saying the connector was identical. So no, if you buy a mini you can just pull the cable out of the iPod dock and connect it to your Mini that way-- the dock is not required.

    Nope, that's not correct. Check out the apple store's web site:

    iPod Dock

    Just plug, unplug, and go. The iPod Dock makes charging and syncing easier than ever. A convenient and elegant home base for iPod on a desk or connected to a home stereo system, the dock provides syncing via FireWire or USB 2.0*, charging via FireWire and a stereo line out for simple connection to power speakers or a stereo system.

    Supports all iPods with Dock Connector. Does not support iPod mini.

    * USB 2.0 connection is for Windows PC only; dock connector to USB 2.0 cable sold separately.

  20. Re:Not a very great day from Jobs.. on Rumors of iPod mini, 100 Million Songs, Xserve G5 All True · · Score: 1

    I know the mini's are smaller.. but NOT THAT MUCH!!

    Do the math:
    15 GB: 2.4 x 4.1 x .62 inches = 6.1 cu in (and 5.6 oz)
    Mini: 3.6 x 2.0 x .5 inchies = 3.6 cu in (and 3.6 oz)

    About half the size and weight, by my calcs...

  21. Dock not compatible! Arm band $29! on Rumors of iPod mini, 100 Million Songs, Xserve G5 All True · · Score: 1

    Now we know how Apple *really* makes all its money. I sunk $80 into two docks for my current 3G iPod and now, if I want a mini, I need to buy the docks all over again. And $29 for an arm band? I'm sure it costs Apple about $5 to manufacture.

    But, what can I say, the product looks pretty darn cool. I might just have to buy one. (Besides, if I'm shelling out $249 for a new unit, I really shouldn't complain...)

  22. punishing innovation on DVD-Jon Breaks iTunes Encryption For Linux Users · · Score: 1

    I wonder when the Slashdot community will come to its senses on this issue. Apple created an extremely useful, innovative and (for all its flaws) flexible way for us to purchase music we like online. What is our response? To lionize an individual who will doubtless make it more difficult for Apple and others to create similar innovations in the future. When Apple (or some other company) shops the idea of an "iTunes Movie Store" to the studios, they'll point to the broken AAC DRM, say "These systems are inherently insecure." and perhaps walk right out of the room.

    The fact is that, if it weren't for @ssholes like Johansen GOING OUT OF THEIR WAY to screw up legitimate business plans, these systems would DEFINITELY be secure enough.

    So, thanks DVD-Jon, for making cheap, flexibile digital media sales even more difficult for innovative companies to make a reality.

    Jonathan

  23. why? on Konqueror Compiled For Mac OS X; KOffice Next · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Sorry if this seems like a troll, but why is this an important achievement? I guess it's nice to have another browser on OSX and all, but it seems like a lot of effort for a small result.

  24. Newly Endangered Profession on Sony Claims First Running Humanoid Robot · · Score: 1

    Has anyone else seen the sixth video? Four dancing robots...

    I wonder if one day the jobs of human ballet dancers could be threatened by more advanced versions of these robots. The robots' precision and coordination certainly can't be matched by human beings.

    Or, less provocatively, I wonder if "robot dance" could be an up-and-coming modern art form.

    Seriously, the coreography in the video is quite cool.

  25. Re:Greed on iTunes Music Store - 'Coolest Invention of 2003' · · Score: 2, Interesting
    'Paltry' and '$50 million dollar profit' don't belong in the same sentence. This mentality is what's screwing the entire downloadable music process. It's not about whether it's profitable, it's about whether it's profitable enough. Just for them saying that, I'm going to download some MP3s tonight. WTF...
    If you're being sarcastic (I suppose you are), you clearly have no understanding of corporate finance.

    Apple, like any corporation, is legally responsible to its shareholders (mostly private US citizens) to make as much money possible. To the extent that that they are deciding whether to invest $100m in some new business project (building an online music store, porting OSX to windows, selling flat panel TVs), they choose amongst those projects by determining which will yeild the highest return on their investment. Initiating an investment that is merely "somewhat" profitable can be an enormous mistake for ANY corporation if it means foregoing an investment that could be hugely profitable.