This makes me wonder if it would be possible to build a two-part device such that neither part was subject to these taxes, but when easily combined by the end-user, they would serve the same purpose. (I was thinking of "nearly fully-automatic" rifles one can buy that only need a small modification to go fully automatic.)
As an example - and I don't know the slightest details of the law, so don't pick it apart on that basis! - I'm thinking of something like the Lexar JumpGear MP3 player that takes a JumpDrive USB flash drive (sold separately). Seems to me that without any storage, the JumpGear would probably evade the law, and without any playback mechanism of its own, so would the JumpDrive.
Again, I have no idea what the law says exactly, but it seems to me that if there's a consumer backlash against these fees, manufacturers might start making "some assembly required" devices.
I still don't have a good reason we continue to use it though. Other than, "it's always been that way".
It's backwards compatible.
Also, turn the question around - what would be a good reason for changing to something else and, more importantly, would it be worth the hassle of changing?
We're stuck with many things for that reason - like 7 days a week, 12 months a year (of irregular lengths, only one divisible by the 7 days in a week), and SMTP.
What we have now isn't that different. When we set up a box, we can choose from a set of operating systems and applications. With all those choices we implicitly trust their creators and maintaners to some extent.
But it's not absolute trust; just as helpful bacteria in our mouths can get out of control, software may (will?) prove vulnerable. So we still have to monitor and maintain our systems, installing security patches and changing administration practices accordingly.
Re:Hole With No Bottom
on
Office 12 Exposed
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· Score: 4, Insightful
Now they're starting to put tits on the squid.
I'm going to give you credit for this expression, which I like better than "jump the shark." Since it's got the word "tits" in it, it's not going to go TV or NY Times mainstream any time soon.
How well does it work at blocking CIA mind-control rays? I'm worried that my tinfoil hat isn't up to the task against their post-9/11 spy satellite upgrades.
This is one of the few slashdot stories of the past few days that actually belongs here. In my opinion.
For these kinds of DIY projects, I've been enjoying hackaday and the print version of Make Magazine (although I see they have a fair bit of stuff on the site now.) Being able to buy something doesn't invalidate the many reasons for doing it yourself, or in this case, the entertainment value of seeing that someone else did it.
If I had more time (and didn't live with my girlfriend) I'd probably do lots more of these kinds of things.
how about an integrated mouse in a laptop? it could snap on/off and you could use it on the side, then just have the cord retract and it would re-attach to the machine.
The HP OmniBook 800 has "the paw" which is visible on the right of the photo. It slides back into the main laptop body when not in use. It works pretty well, I've found. Others have mentioned the trackpoint "nipples" which I like too. I've never really liked trackpads.
On Car Talk, they would just say put a piece of electrical tape over the dashboard light and get on with it.
On a slightly more related note, they once got a call from a shuttle astronaut saying he was something like "700 miles over Hawaii" which they played along with pretending it meant "North of." He proceeded to describe some of the characteristics of his vehicle (0 to 17 m/s in 5 minutes, fuel tank holds 20,000 gallons or whatever, etc.) and of course the brothers wanted to know what color it was.
You can only make a Steam engine so big but you cannot connect them together to get more power
And here's a picture of SMP (Steam Multi Processing) in action.
I wouldn't have been so hard on the guy - everybody seems to love analogies here even well after they have fallen apart. This one happened to fall apart sooner than most.
Reversing (and breaking) the analogy, here's what might have been considered a "dual core" steam engine. Ok, forget the analogies, it's an impressive machine.
Slashdot Mirror
As an example - and I don't know the slightest details of the law, so don't pick it apart on that basis! - I'm thinking of something like the Lexar JumpGear MP3 player that takes a JumpDrive USB flash drive (sold separately). Seems to me that without any storage, the JumpGear would probably evade the law, and without any playback mechanism of its own, so would the JumpDrive.
Again, I have no idea what the law says exactly, but it seems to me that if there's a consumer backlash against these fees, manufacturers might start making "some assembly required" devices.
It's backwards compatible.
Also, turn the question around - what would be a good reason for changing to something else and, more importantly, would it be worth the hassle of changing?
We're stuck with many things for that reason - like 7 days a week, 12 months a year (of irregular lengths, only one divisible by the 7 days in a week), and SMTP.
Did you check the extra directory?
But it's not absolute trust; just as helpful bacteria in our mouths can get out of control, software may (will?) prove vulnerable. So we still have to monitor and maintain our systems, installing security patches and changing administration practices accordingly.
I'm going to give you credit for this expression, which I like better than "jump the shark." Since it's got the word "tits" in it, it's not going to go TV or NY Times mainstream any time soon.
Idiot, they're extinct.
I for one bid farewell to our extinct airplane sized reptile overlords.
Does "Jenna" qualify as natural phenomena?
I'm no grammarian, but "we" might also be appropriate if TripMasterMonkey is a Beowulf cluster of Slashdot posting bots.
How well does it work at blocking CIA mind-control rays? I'm worried that my tinfoil hat isn't up to the task against their post-9/11 spy satellite upgrades.
"Patent lawyers, patent lawyers, patent lawyers..."
For these kinds of DIY projects, I've been enjoying hackaday and the print version of Make Magazine (although I see they have a fair bit of stuff on the site now.) Being able to buy something doesn't invalidate the many reasons for doing it yourself, or in this case, the entertainment value of seeing that someone else did it.
If I had more time (and didn't live with my girlfriend) I'd probably do lots more of these kinds of things.
What for? A pissing contest?
Tang [and] velcro ... both existed before the space program even began.
I think what he was trying to say was that the space program was the impetus for keeping Tang and velcro on top of his head.
The HP OmniBook 800 has "the paw" which is visible on the right of the photo. It slides back into the main laptop body when not in use. It works pretty well, I've found. Others have mentioned the trackpoint "nipples" which I like too. I've never really liked trackpads.
On a slightly more related note, they once got a call from a shuttle astronaut saying he was something like "700 miles over Hawaii" which they played along with pretending it meant "North of." He proceeded to describe some of the characteristics of his vehicle (0 to 17 m/s in 5 minutes, fuel tank holds 20,000 gallons or whatever, etc.) and of course the brothers wanted to know what color it was.
He lives in a Klein bottle, you insensitive clod!
There's a 2-year old article on Amtrak at the Christian Science Monitor's site that discusses this question in depth.
Or, repost the same content a day later, like some sites. I never bothered to check, but I wonder how many posts the repeats get vs. the originals.
Kidding, of course. Good observations about scarcity.
Slashdot confirms it - JS/UIX is dying.
Dvorak didn't think of those because he was a classical composer and wasn't into heavy metal. Sheesh, didn't you learn anything in school?
And here's a picture of SMP (Steam Multi Processing) in action.
I wouldn't have been so hard on the guy - everybody seems to love analogies here even well after they have fallen apart. This one happened to fall apart sooner than most.
Reversing (and breaking) the analogy, here's what might have been considered a "dual core" steam engine. Ok, forget the analogies, it's an impressive machine.
No problem. I'm sure they'll still be legal to buy in Cuba.
Anyone up for modding their laptop with a camera tripod mount?
We Yanks want to know what's that in real money. Oh, wait.
Then I guess it's a little late to consider yourself an early adopter ;)