Copyright is different from patent, and the latter is where reverse engineering comes into play. You cannot "reverse engineer" a work of art. You can represent it in different ways, but the author still owns it, no different from an audio book vice its printed counterpart. It's the melody itself (and sometimes lyrics) that comprises the musical work, not the method of representing that melody. Many artists do publish sheet music and/or tablature as well, so this site may be directly competing with them.
That said, this is more of a hobby, and using legal strongarming to shut them down is in poor taste. You might as well sue the friday night cover bands at the local watering holes.
Actually, the hack in question only allows the use of copies. There is an exploit which allows the execution of unsigned code, but it only works on a specific version of the kernel. Connecting to Live would automatically update the kernel (dash console), which would patch the exploit. So any claims that they are protecting against bots and cheats is pure FUD, since bots and wall hacks *do not exist* on the 360 (at this time); at least none that would work on Live.
Eventually another unsigned code vulnerability may be found (which is what you would need to run a modfied client), but this will almost definately not be a result of modifying the DVD-ROM firmware.
a) It's a local tax, not a "US law," and some localities may not have property tax. States specify maximum taxes, but not minimum.
b) You might as well ask "what's the difference between my power bill and my gas bill?" The answer is what you get for your money. You aren't paying the government to use your own property; you're paying them for the services within their jurisdiction -- usually schools, water, roads, police, streetlights, etc.
c) It's a TAX. Likewise, try not paying your income tax and see what happens. That doesn't mean you don't have a right to earn a living, but you *also* have an obligation to help maintain our society.
d) "What happens" is usually that a lein is placed against your property, and that lein must be paid if/when the property is sold or transferred. In some localities, the worst thing that happens is that your name is printed in the local paper. In others, sale is forced, in which case you still get all the money after the government takes its cut.
So how is that like rent again, where you have nothing to show for your money, cannot transfer posession of the asset, and are liable for damages?
People who say you don't "own" the property are using very narrow definitions of the word "own." It could be argued that you don't own anything, since there are no guarantees that someone else won't take it away, and you forfeit all of it when you die. Such definitions are both impractical and misleading.
(It's the same way they make "color safe bleach": It's not bleach. It's fluorescent dye.)
Not quite. There is no chlorine in "color safe bleach," but there are still oxidizers, such as sodium percarbonate, and those are the primary agents of stain removal. The flourescent dyes you're referring to are optical brighteners, but those are present in pretty much any laundry detergent made since the 1940s, although I don't think they're present in color safe bleach.
I can't speak to MythTV, but I'm using Vista Media Center (and WMC 2005 before that), and even the kids can operate it: Green button -> Videos -> TV -> Simpsons. I'd go with Myth, but I like being able to play PC games as well, and dual booting makes it less convenient. As an added benefit, I can watch full HD content, and use it for any other computing related task when necessary (like right now, while my motherboard is at ASUS for warranty service). Additionally, I don't have to worry about codec or format support, hardware support, etc. True, it was substantially more expensive than an Xbox (at the time of purchase), and the OS isn't free, but it was essentially a last-gen system that wasn't doing much of anything before I set it up as an HTPC. If you have extra hardware (and what geek doesn't?), I'd recommend an HTPC over a console-based solution any day. MythTV if you're into that, though I have no complaints about VMC/WMC.
I think what happens, at least in my case, is that the bar is raised for suspension of disbelief. This is especially true in games that try to use graphics to make the game more immersive, such as Zelda on the Wii. What passed 5 or 10 years ago won't necessarily pass today; much the same way poor green screening would make a movie laughable, no matter how good the plot might be. The bar is different for different market segments as well. Movies have a broad appeal, so almost all of them require quality production and cinematography to be taken seriously by most people. The bar for games may not be as high for the same percentage of potential customers, therefore the Wii may continue to do well. Eventually though, the bar will be raised, and it's a guarantee that the successor to the Wii will be more powerful, and the games will look better. People may still appreciate the older games, much the way they appreciate older movies, but they wouldn't expect to buy *new* games with the same production quality as older games, any more than they would expect to watch a new movie with hollow mono audio and an uneven framerate (except, perhaps, as a novelty). Games may reach a plateau where production quality can't economically be improved, but the Wii is far from that plateau.
I understand your implication, but like I said, it's a barrier to entry. Difficult to make calls means likely failure. Easy to make calls means "now show me why I should spend $700 instead of taking the free phone my carrier is offering."
That said, it may be a success based on the status of Apple alone. I selfishly hope it's not, but mostly because I find a large touchscreen horribly impractical, and I don't want to see that feature spread to every other phone the way cameras did a couple of years ago.
Because welfare is essentially insurance against destitution (as most insurance is, albeit indirectly).
Moreover, the money does not disappear once it goes to welfare, and when it's eventually spent by the recipient (even if it's spent on CDs or a new XBox), it goes back into the economy. If it really bothers you that much, it's not difficult to get a direct line to that cash stream: Rent to Section 8 tenants, and you'll have all your money back and then some. Good luck finding a similarly easy method of recovering your car/life/homeowners premiums, or getting the nutrition back from your "analogous" tapeworm, for that matter.
While I appreciate your concern for my reading skills, "not as successful as Apple had hoped" is clearly a nice way of saying "a failure." Aside from that, Wikipedia is hardly an authoritative reference, so arguing over what it says is an exercise in futility. If you're going to try to prove me wrong, at least link to something more authoritative. Like this, perhaps. Although "Apple CEO Gil Amelio is also taking a close look at Newton, the disastrous 'personal digital assistant' that has yet to turn a profit," might not be the smoking gun you were looking for. That said, the article was from 1997. Maybe the Newton actually started turning a profit right before they discontinued it a year later? In which case, why is the Newton on the top of Macworld's 21 biggest IT flops?
I'm not sure e-books will ever catch on, DRM or not. There's just some intangible quality about holding a tangible book.
Books can be shared, lent, borrowed, cherished, etc. A book may hold sentimental value because someone gave it to you, even if you did not particularly enjoy it. It can be treasured because it belonged to someone else, or for memories it preserves. A book can be a display piece, and a conversation starter. When's the last time a meaningful conversation was sparked by an iPod? (Although at least iPods can be overheard.. no polite person will shoulder surf to see what eBook you're reading, and then start a conversation about it). Perhaps this will change, but not until/unless society changes. When receiving an e-card is considered on par with receiving a real card, then e-books might have a chance.
I tried MythDora, but frankly I got tired of the "Swiper, no swiping!" popups every time I tried to record a show. I've heard there's a MythBusters plugin to get around them, but I don't think the walrus mustache is an acceptable tradeoff.
I'm willing to accept the side effects of free handouts -- namely that some people will abuse and/or take them when they don't need them -- in exchange for the overall benefit that people who do need them will have access to them. If the situation got to the point where people were literally sucking the nutrition out of the food I ate before my body had a chance to process it, then I would probably change my mind. As it stands, that is not the case.
The end of the last paragraph available in the preview, and the following paragraph are:
Volunteers watch a screen and when a particular image appears, a red circle, say, they have to press a key with their index finger. Different coloured circles require presses from different fingers. Typical response time is about half a second, and the volunteers quickly reach their peak performance. Then they learn to listen to different recordings and respond by making a specific sound. For instance, when they hear a bird chirp, they have to say "ba"; an electronic sound should elicit a "ko", and so on. Again, no problem. A normal person can do that in about half a second, with almost no effort.
The trouble comes when Marois shows the volunteers an image, then almost immediately plays them a sound. Now they're flummoxed. "If you show an image and play a sound at the same time, one task is postponed," he says. In fact, if the second task is introduced within the half-second or so it takes to process and react to the first, it will simply be delayed until the first one is done. The largest dual-task delays occur when the two tasks are presented simultaneously; delays progressively shorten as the interval between presenting the tasks lengthens.
In other words, we can serialize processes very efficiently, but we suck at performing tasks simultaneously. Our brains are wired to do a very small number of things in parallel, which include maintaining balance, and breathing. Attention can be divided, but results are usually disasterous. A real world example many Slashdotters are probably familiar with is when someone asks a question while you're playing a game. The question is usually not answered fully, and/or gameplay suffers, even if one of the two tasks are delayed.
Of course, this isn't about people performing parallel processing, it's about telling machines how to do it. Nonetheless, parallel processing adds an additional layer of complexity to the task, and in that respect, it's inherently more difficult. The question is whether it raises the bar above what most programmers are capable of, which would be my definition of "too hard." It's more difficult to write assembly than VB, but that doesn't necessarily mean assembly is too hard, as most programmers could probably handle it with a little training (although maybe not most VB programmers;) even if it's more tedious and takes longer.
demonstrating how to get software right (which I have every confidence Apple will do - given their track record with things like the Newton)
Maybe it's just me, but pointing to a market failure as an example of how to do things right seems, uh.. well, let's just say it's not very convincing.
That's the most ridiculous qualification for success I've ever heard. "If my mom can open the front door, she'll love the house!" I've never seen anyone who didn't know how to place a call. Push the buttons, hit Send. My 5 year old knows how to do that -- I'm not kidding -- and I've only told him once. He has a harder time remembering his mom's phone number and tying his shoes.
This is a test of basic functionality. If mom can't make a call, that's a bad sign. If she can, it only means the device is a usable phone.
Slashdot Mirror
Copyright is different from patent, and the latter is where reverse engineering comes into play. You cannot "reverse engineer" a work of art. You can represent it in different ways, but the author still owns it, no different from an audio book vice its printed counterpart. It's the melody itself (and sometimes lyrics) that comprises the musical work, not the method of representing that melody. Many artists do publish sheet music and/or tablature as well, so this site may be directly competing with them.
That said, this is more of a hobby, and using legal strongarming to shut them down is in poor taste. You might as well sue the friday night cover bands at the local watering holes.
I guess it works for jobs, too.
To be sure.. picking up girls is always easier when you have a job.
Ummm... how exactly would you place a physical keylogger on a laptop?
Did you read the fscking article?
Actually, the hack in question only allows the use of copies. There is an exploit which allows the execution of unsigned code, but it only works on a specific version of the kernel. Connecting to Live would automatically update the kernel (dash console), which would patch the exploit. So any claims that they are protecting against bots and cheats is pure FUD, since bots and wall hacks *do not exist* on the 360 (at this time); at least none that would work on Live.
Eventually another unsigned code vulnerability may be found (which is what you would need to run a modfied client), but this will almost definately not be a result of modifying the DVD-ROM firmware.
Well if the EFF said not to use it, then I'd better do what the EFF says!
Well, let's see..
a) It's a local tax, not a "US law," and some localities may not have property tax. States specify maximum taxes, but not minimum.
b) You might as well ask "what's the difference between my power bill and my gas bill?" The answer is what you get for your money. You aren't paying the government to use your own property; you're paying them for the services within their jurisdiction -- usually schools, water, roads, police, streetlights, etc.
c) It's a TAX. Likewise, try not paying your income tax and see what happens. That doesn't mean you don't have a right to earn a living, but you *also* have an obligation to help maintain our society.
d) "What happens" is usually that a lein is placed against your property, and that lein must be paid if/when the property is sold or transferred. In some localities, the worst thing that happens is that your name is printed in the local paper. In others, sale is forced, in which case you still get all the money after the government takes its cut.
So how is that like rent again, where you have nothing to show for your money, cannot transfer posession of the asset, and are liable for damages?
People who say you don't "own" the property are using very narrow definitions of the word "own." It could be argued that you don't own anything, since there are no guarantees that someone else won't take it away, and you forfeit all of it when you die. Such definitions are both impractical and misleading.
Ahhh, so that's sick.
I just ask my invisible friend.
(It's the same way they make "color safe bleach": It's not bleach. It's fluorescent dye.)
Not quite. There is no chlorine in "color safe bleach," but there are still oxidizers, such as sodium percarbonate, and those are the primary agents of stain removal. The flourescent dyes you're referring to are optical brighteners, but those are present in pretty much any laundry detergent made since the 1940s, although I don't think they're present in color safe bleach.
Exactly!! Because not following the law is proof that.. wait, what?!?
There is no freedom in the US. Don't believe me? Just steal some stuff and get caught and see what happens.
I can't speak to MythTV, but I'm using Vista Media Center (and WMC 2005 before that), and even the kids can operate it: Green button -> Videos -> TV -> Simpsons. I'd go with Myth, but I like being able to play PC games as well, and dual booting makes it less convenient. As an added benefit, I can watch full HD content, and use it for any other computing related task when necessary (like right now, while my motherboard is at ASUS for warranty service). Additionally, I don't have to worry about codec or format support, hardware support, etc. True, it was substantially more expensive than an Xbox (at the time of purchase), and the OS isn't free, but it was essentially a last-gen system that wasn't doing much of anything before I set it up as an HTPC. If you have extra hardware (and what geek doesn't?), I'd recommend an HTPC over a console-based solution any day. MythTV if you're into that, though I have no complaints about VMC/WMC.
I think what happens, at least in my case, is that the bar is raised for suspension of disbelief. This is especially true in games that try to use graphics to make the game more immersive, such as Zelda on the Wii. What passed 5 or 10 years ago won't necessarily pass today; much the same way poor green screening would make a movie laughable, no matter how good the plot might be. The bar is different for different market segments as well. Movies have a broad appeal, so almost all of them require quality production and cinematography to be taken seriously by most people. The bar for games may not be as high for the same percentage of potential customers, therefore the Wii may continue to do well. Eventually though, the bar will be raised, and it's a guarantee that the successor to the Wii will be more powerful, and the games will look better. People may still appreciate the older games, much the way they appreciate older movies, but they wouldn't expect to buy *new* games with the same production quality as older games, any more than they would expect to watch a new movie with hollow mono audio and an uneven framerate (except, perhaps, as a novelty). Games may reach a plateau where production quality can't economically be improved, but the Wii is far from that plateau.
Is that companion like a dog, or companion like Inara Serra?
I'm a cool, promiscuous, adult gangsta, you insensitive clod.
My licence plate is an anchor, you insensitive clod.
I understand your implication, but like I said, it's a barrier to entry. Difficult to make calls means likely failure. Easy to make calls means "now show me why I should spend $700 instead of taking the free phone my carrier is offering."
That said, it may be a success based on the status of Apple alone. I selfishly hope it's not, but mostly because I find a large touchscreen horribly impractical, and I don't want to see that feature spread to every other phone the way cameras did a couple of years ago.
Because welfare is essentially insurance against destitution (as most insurance is, albeit indirectly).
Moreover, the money does not disappear once it goes to welfare, and when it's eventually spent by the recipient (even if it's spent on CDs or a new XBox), it goes back into the economy. If it really bothers you that much, it's not difficult to get a direct line to that cash stream: Rent to Section 8 tenants, and you'll have all your money back and then some. Good luck finding a similarly easy method of recovering your car/life/homeowners premiums, or getting the nutrition back from your "analogous" tapeworm, for that matter.
While I appreciate your concern for my reading skills, "not as successful as Apple had hoped" is clearly a nice way of saying "a failure." Aside from that, Wikipedia is hardly an authoritative reference, so arguing over what it says is an exercise in futility. If you're going to try to prove me wrong, at least link to something more authoritative. Like this, perhaps. Although "Apple CEO Gil Amelio is also taking a close look at Newton, the disastrous 'personal digital assistant' that has yet to turn a profit," might not be the smoking gun you were looking for. That said, the article was from 1997. Maybe the Newton actually started turning a profit right before they discontinued it a year later? In which case, why is the Newton on the top of Macworld's 21 biggest IT flops?
Next time, do your own research.
I'm not sure e-books will ever catch on, DRM or not. There's just some intangible quality about holding a tangible book.
Books can be shared, lent, borrowed, cherished, etc. A book may hold sentimental value because someone gave it to you, even if you did not particularly enjoy it. It can be treasured because it belonged to someone else, or for memories it preserves. A book can be a display piece, and a conversation starter. When's the last time a meaningful conversation was sparked by an iPod? (Although at least iPods can be overheard.. no polite person will shoulder surf to see what eBook you're reading, and then start a conversation about it). Perhaps this will change, but not until/unless society changes. When receiving an e-card is considered on par with receiving a real card, then e-books might have a chance.
I tried MythDora, but frankly I got tired of the "Swiper, no swiping!" popups every time I tried to record a show. I've heard there's a MythBusters plugin to get around them, but I don't think the walrus mustache is an acceptable tradeoff.
I'm willing to accept the side effects of free handouts -- namely that some people will abuse and/or take them when they don't need them -- in exchange for the overall benefit that people who do need them will have access to them. If the situation got to the point where people were literally sucking the nutrition out of the food I ate before my body had a chance to process it, then I would probably change my mind. As it stands, that is not the case.
The end of the last paragraph available in the preview, and the following paragraph are:In other words, we can serialize processes very efficiently, but we suck at performing tasks simultaneously. Our brains are wired to do a very small number of things in parallel, which include maintaining balance, and breathing. Attention can be divided, but results are usually disasterous. A real world example many Slashdotters are probably familiar with is when someone asks a question while you're playing a game. The question is usually not answered fully, and/or gameplay suffers, even if one of the two tasks are delayed.
Of course, this isn't about people performing parallel processing, it's about telling machines how to do it. Nonetheless, parallel processing adds an additional layer of complexity to the task, and in that respect, it's inherently more difficult. The question is whether it raises the bar above what most programmers are capable of, which would be my definition of "too hard." It's more difficult to write assembly than VB, but that doesn't necessarily mean assembly is too hard, as most programmers could probably handle it with a little training (although maybe not most VB programmers
demonstrating how to get software right (which I have every confidence Apple will do - given their track record with things like the Newton)
Maybe it's just me, but pointing to a market failure as an example of how to do things right seems, uh.. well, let's just say it's not very convincing.
That's the most ridiculous qualification for success I've ever heard. "If my mom can open the front door, she'll love the house!" I've never seen anyone who didn't know how to place a call. Push the buttons, hit Send. My 5 year old knows how to do that -- I'm not kidding -- and I've only told him once. He has a harder time remembering his mom's phone number and tying his shoes.
This is a test of basic functionality. If mom can't make a call, that's a bad sign. If she can, it only means the device is a usable phone.
Ghostwall doesn't do application control, which is the only particular purpose I have for a software firewall.