I never fully understood why MS objected to Lindows in the first place. It seems to me that Lindows does more for MS than it does for the Linux community. It sounds like an example of MS just throwing money away for no reason. (Of course they aren't exactly hurting for cash..)
I would have like to see some more information about the software used to program this thing. Specifically if it were capable of sending some of those special codes needed to make many DVD players into Multi Region players.
The review didn't go into very much depth on that side of it. Does anyone have one of these things?
The group that handles most of the credit processing for Ford Motor Company is The Associates. At least it was a few years ago. They were recently purchased by Citigroup. They also do home loans etc, and incidentally, are having some controversy regarding discrimination in loan practices (redlining). At any rate, security there was never what it should have been. There were quite a few systems around the various building where anyone could just walk up and access that kind of information. You could cross-reference by address also, or last name. What was worse, you didn't need a password, because it was embedded in the software. Some of my co-workers would occasionally run reports for their family and friends. All in all, I can't say I'm too surprised by this.
I sure would like to see that in action. If it is really that scaleable, and if it works as well as they say, then this could be some serious competition for Lucent and Nortel platforms which cost a hell of a lot more money.
''They are galvanized by the images that they see on television. They want to be like the rock-throwers.''
Why? What is it that makes someone want to throw rocks at TANKS or people with Machine Guns? It can't be technology.
The article reads as a case of misplaced blame. I think that the technology actually does the opposite of what this article is saying. The chinese people fighting against their oppressive goverment is a good example of this.
It's like blaming the music someone listens to for their actions. Like Chris Rock said. "Who cares what they were listening to? Why can't they just be crazy?"
True, there are some good examples of efficient state run services in Europe. However, the services you mentioned in the UK seem to be screwed up whether they are state run or privitized. The tube is still state run, and look how expensive and crappy it is.
For good examples, you could look to the French rail system (or most anything in France, private or not is better than the equivelant in the UK) France Telecom is better, cheaper, and delivers service faster than BT.
Telefonica, in Spain, which is at least partially privitized by now also provides fast service, at good prices.
so, yes, I agree that just because something is state run, doesn't make it bad. The UK seems to be giving us a good example of how things should not be done whether they are state run or private.
The whole concept behind RealNames was doomed from the beginning. Clearly he is mad at MS for not renewing the contract, but to tell you the truth, Im surprised he ever had a contract in the first place. I never understood what advantage they offered, and I dont think anyone is really surprised by the failure.
I would really like to hear from MS and any other companies that might have purchased the RealNames services, to try to understand what they might have been thinking.
I suspect that it was simply a case of signing up, just because they didnt want get left behind on something.. Clearly, that was not a valid concern....
Ive actually been looking for a DVD player for linux. I didnt think there were any good ones yet, but then, I had just started looking. Hence, the article sounds really interesting, unfortunately, the linuxjournal site bit the dust pretty much as soon as the slashdot article went up.
Does anyone out there have a working DVD player under linux?
The results of the linux installations were quite impressive to me. Especially the results with the sound card. I actually still have never gotten the sound to work on the two linux distros I've installed. (Red Had and SUSE). Although I haven't researched it too much, as sound wasn't high on my priority list. However, now that I am using Linux more and more, I would really like to have the sound working properly.
The most interesting thing was that he pointed out that Linux did a better job of installing than Windows XP, which is supposed to be able to detect nearly everything, but it didn't even detect the crappy modem.
Now if Wal-mart only had stores in Europe... One of those cheap clones would make a decent additional machine...
Did I miss something or had someone previously insinuated that Linux was somehow piracy. Linux is not a method of developing software either. Perhaps Brad Smith doesn't realize what Linux is. OR Perhaps he is just trying to confuse people. Either way, He didn't make much sense.
And the 34% figure doesn't seem believable either.
It is hard to see how they could really succeed here. Would they sell CD's? Or would they simply allow MP3 downloads? Or would they do it all online with some Napster-like service?
I'm all for a totally new music distribution system (and who isn't? except for the record companies). The article is a bit light on details. Hopefully there will be more information soon.
Hey maybe one day, you will be able to call up and order you PC and have it shipped to you preloaded with your favorite MP3s!!!
A few years back, when I worked at IBM, there was a fabulous version of AIX that ran on the POWERPC line of systems. There was even a Thinkpad series based on the POWERPC that ran AIX. (I think it was the 8000 series, Man that was a fabulous box). I wonder if the new Apple PowerPC's can run the POWERPC version of AIX? That would sure make for a nice system. AIX, with Netview (which is basically HP Openview), all on a laptop. That would be the ultimate power user box.
It's nice to see that they are still able to do some cool R&D type work. I wonder how much of this type of thing is funded by their new space tourism program? It sure would be interesting to see a budget breakdown on that. Perhaps that could get NASA to think about a similar program. It seems like a great way to fund space research without tax dolllars..
He seems to be saying that the special effects type work of Video games is more difficult and detailed than the same type of work in Movies. I thought that was pretty interesting, as I would have though the opposite. Of course I never have been much of a game player.
But there have been many games based on movies, and they seem to be able to produce / create a game much faster than a movie. Also, I never have seen a video game budget approach the numbers they give for some of the big movies these days. (Yes, I realize they have to pay the actors and such)
It still seems to me that making a movie would be much more time consuming and diffucult than a video game. IF for no other reason than the fact that you have to mix the reality and digitally created scenes perfectly, whereas in a video game, it is all digital.
I guess Final Fantasy would be the best type of comparison, since it was all digitally generated.
This article doesn't make sense. (or maybe I didn't understand it), but it's talking about cyber cafes and most of the people there would use something like free hotmail accounts, which wouldn't cost any more or less due to the fact that they are in africa. The article also failed to mention how any ISP Might charge for said emails. (did I miss something?). I don't see how email can cost any more or less based on the information in this article.
Re:Surprised? No. Opportunity? Yes.
on
XP, Phone Home
·
· Score: 1
God I hate April 1st.. What is the point of all this nonsense? I gues it could be funny, but after about age 5 it sort of stopped being funny for me. Perhaps I should go re-discover my lost childhood or something.
This story isn't even remotely believable. I did get taken in once by John Dvorak's april fools column about vaccum tubes coming back.. Geez, that was pretty bad.. (on my part)...
I have several problems with that article. Not the least of which is that it contradicts itself several times. The article claims that the lighting of dormant fibers has come to a standstill, and it also says that it takes 8 to 18 months to get it in the ground (that much is true). Clearly it can be lit very quickly, and yes, it costs money to light it, but if the demand is there, so is the revenue. So where is the problem? Is the problem supposed to be that the telecom companies don't have enough money to light the fiber because investors don't want to put money in Telecoms? Rubbish! If the demand is there, so is the revenue, hence so is the money. That's why they didn't light the fiber in the first place..
The biggest hurdle in telecoms is getting the fiber in the ground. It is the Right of Way that drives this business, that is why the Utilities and the Railroads are the biggest players in this business.
I think the comparison of Fiber to a farmers seed is kind of interesting. Well, more amusing that interesting.. Yeah, I guess they both go into the ground, but apart from that, there are no similarities..
I also dispute the claim that for every $1 they spend to bury the fiber, they spend $20 to light it. It is the burying of the fiber that costs more time and money. I wish I had some hard facts to back that up, but the 20 to 1 ratio has got to be nonsense..
Incidentally, teh project was called the TIGER project, and the MAPs from it are available online. These maps are also used by many of the GPS systems these days..
It sounds like they want exactly what I want in one of those handhelds. They sure have come a long way since I worked there many many years ago. Incidentally, The Burueau of the Census was the first agency to put MAPs of nearly every single tiny little down in the country on to computers, including street names, alternate names etc.. So, they have always been on somewhat of a leading edge technology wise. When I was there, they were digitizing the maps onto Tektronix CAD stations that still ran CPM! Personally, I think they will be able to get pretty close to that target price. The Census Bureau doesnt get the respect it deserves..
It seems like a more useful tool, would be a standard translator, where you could type in the words, and get the equivalent in your target language. Verb conjugation would also be very important. Franklin / Larousse makes some decent translators, but they are a little too large, and don't hold up very well. Does anyone know if there is a port or similar product for handheld devices?
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I never fully understood why MS objected to Lindows in the first place. It seems to me that Lindows does more for MS than it does for the Linux community. It sounds like an example of MS just throwing money away for no reason. (Of course they aren't exactly hurting for cash..)
I would have like to see some more information about the software used to program this thing. Specifically if it were capable of sending some of those special codes needed to make many DVD players into Multi Region players.
The review didn't go into very much depth on that side of it. Does anyone have one of these things?
The group that handles most of the credit processing for Ford Motor Company is The Associates. At least it was a few years ago. They were recently purchased by Citigroup. They also do home loans etc, and incidentally, are having some controversy regarding discrimination in loan practices (redlining). At any rate, security there was never what it should have been. There were quite a few systems around the various building where anyone could just walk up and access that kind of information. You could cross-reference by address also, or last name. What was worse, you didn't need a password, because it was embedded in the software. Some of my co-workers would occasionally run reports for their family and friends. All in all, I can't say I'm too surprised by this.
I sure would like to see that in action. If it is really that scaleable, and if it works as well as they say, then this could be some serious competition for Lucent and Nortel platforms which cost a hell of a lot more money.
Generate your own random info here
http://www.majcher.com/nytview.html
''They are galvanized by the images that they see on television. They want to be like the rock-throwers.''
Why? What is it that makes someone want to throw rocks at TANKS or people with Machine Guns? It can't be technology.
The article reads as a case of misplaced blame. I think that the technology actually does the opposite of what this article is saying. The chinese people fighting against their oppressive goverment is a good example of this.
It's like blaming the music someone listens to for their actions. Like Chris Rock said. "Who cares what they were listening to? Why can't they just be crazy?"
True, there are some good examples of efficient state run services in Europe. However, the services you mentioned in the UK seem to be screwed up whether they are state run or privitized. The tube is still state run, and look how expensive and crappy it is.
For good examples, you could look to the French rail system (or most anything in France, private or not is better than the equivelant in the UK) France Telecom is better, cheaper, and delivers service faster than BT.
Telefonica, in Spain, which is at least partially privitized by now also provides fast service, at good prices.
so, yes, I agree that just because something is state run, doesn't make it bad. The UK seems to be giving us a good example of how things should not be done whether they are state run or private.
The whole concept behind RealNames was doomed from the beginning. Clearly he is mad at MS for not renewing the contract, but to tell you the truth, Im surprised he ever had a contract in the first place. I never understood what advantage they offered, and I dont think anyone is really surprised by the failure.
I would really like to hear from MS and any other companies that might have purchased the RealNames services, to try to understand what they might have been thinking.
I suspect that it was simply a case of signing up, just because they didnt want get left behind on something.. Clearly, that was not a valid concern....
Haven't they just simply added the "rebate" into the cost of thier distro?
Also, the SUSE distro seems to have all same features of the new RH, and is less than half the price anyway.
Ive actually been looking for a DVD player for linux. I didnt think there were any good ones yet, but then, I had just started looking. Hence, the article sounds really interesting, unfortunately, the linuxjournal site bit the dust pretty much as soon as the slashdot article went up.
Does anyone out there have a working DVD player under linux?
The results of the linux installations were quite impressive to me. Especially the results with the sound card. I actually still have never gotten the sound to work on the two linux distros I've installed. (Red Had and SUSE). Although I haven't researched it too much, as sound wasn't high on my priority list. However, now that I am using Linux more and more, I would really like to have the sound working properly.
The most interesting thing was that he pointed out that Linux did a better job of installing than Windows XP, which is supposed to be able to detect nearly everything, but it didn't even detect the crappy modem.
Now if Wal-mart only had stores in Europe... One of those cheap clones would make a decent additional machine...
Did I miss something or had someone previously insinuated that Linux was somehow piracy. Linux is not a method of developing software either. Perhaps Brad Smith doesn't realize what Linux is. OR Perhaps he is just trying to confuse people. Either way, He didn't make much sense.
And the 34% figure doesn't seem believable either.
It is hard to see how they could really succeed here. Would they sell CD's? Or would they simply allow MP3 downloads? Or would they do it all online with some Napster-like service?
I'm all for a totally new music distribution system (and who isn't? except for the record companies). The article is a bit light on details. Hopefully there will be more information soon.
Hey maybe one day, you will be able to call up and order you PC and have it shipped to you preloaded with your favorite MP3s!!!
There are much easier ways to bring information and programms in and out than using flash cards and MP3 players.. This article is just nonsense..
A few years back, when I worked at IBM, there was a fabulous version of AIX that ran on the POWERPC line of systems. There was even a Thinkpad series based on the POWERPC that ran AIX. (I think it was the 8000 series, Man that was a fabulous box). I wonder if the new Apple PowerPC's can run the POWERPC version of AIX? That would sure make for a nice system. AIX, with Netview (which is basically HP Openview), all on a laptop. That would be the ultimate power user box.
It's nice to see that they are still able to do some cool R&D type work. I wonder how much of this type of thing is funded by their new space tourism program? It sure would be interesting to see a budget breakdown on that. Perhaps that could get NASA to think about a similar program. It seems like a great way to fund space research without tax dolllars..
He seems to be saying that the special effects type work of Video games is more difficult and detailed than the same type of work in Movies. I thought that was pretty interesting, as I would have though the opposite. Of course I never have been much of a game player.
But there have been many games based on movies, and they seem to be able to produce / create a game much faster than a movie. Also, I never have seen a video game budget approach the numbers they give for some of the big movies these days. (Yes, I realize they have to pay the actors and such)
It still seems to me that making a movie would be much more time consuming and diffucult than a video game. IF for no other reason than the fact that you have to mix the reality and digitally created scenes perfectly, whereas in a video game, it is all digital.
I guess Final Fantasy would be the best type of comparison, since it was all digitally generated.
This article doesn't make sense. (or maybe I didn't understand it), but it's talking about cyber cafes and most of the people there would use something like free hotmail accounts, which wouldn't cost any more or less due to the fact that they are in africa. The article also failed to mention how any ISP Might charge for said emails. (did I miss something?). I don't see how email can cost any more or less based on the information in this article.
1 Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA
In fact, he would probably hunt them down and beat them senseless with a huge copper tubing.
God I hate April 1st.. What is the point of all this nonsense? I gues it could be funny, but after about age 5 it sort of stopped being funny for me. Perhaps I should go re-discover my lost childhood or something.
This story isn't even remotely believable. I did get taken in once by John Dvorak's april fools column about vaccum tubes coming back.. Geez, that was pretty bad.. (on my part)...
I have several problems with that article. Not the least of which is that it contradicts itself several times. The article claims that the lighting of dormant fibers has come to a standstill, and it also says that it takes 8 to 18 months to get it in the ground (that much is true). Clearly it can be lit very quickly, and yes, it costs money to light it, but if the demand is there, so is the revenue. So where is the problem? Is the problem supposed to be that the telecom companies don't have enough money to light the fiber because investors don't want to put money in Telecoms? Rubbish! If the demand is there, so is the revenue, hence so is the money. That's why they didn't light the fiber in the first place..
The biggest hurdle in telecoms is getting the fiber in the ground. It is the Right of Way that drives this business, that is why the Utilities and the Railroads are the biggest players in this business.
I think the comparison of Fiber to a farmers seed is kind of interesting. Well, more amusing that interesting.. Yeah, I guess they both go into the ground, but apart from that, there are no similarities..
I also dispute the claim that for every $1 they spend to bury the fiber, they spend $20 to light it. It is the burying of the fiber that costs more time and money. I wish I had some hard facts to back that up, but the 20 to 1 ratio has got to be nonsense..
Incidentally, teh project was called the TIGER project, and the MAPs from it are available online. These maps are also used by many of the GPS systems these days..
http://tiger.census.gov/
It sounds like they want exactly what I want in one of those handhelds. They sure have come a long way since I worked there many many years ago. Incidentally, The Burueau of the Census was the first agency to put MAPs of nearly every single tiny little down in the country on to computers, including street names, alternate names etc.. So, they have always been on somewhat of a leading edge technology wise. When I was there, they were digitizing the maps onto Tektronix CAD stations that still ran CPM! Personally, I think they will be able to get pretty close to that target price. The Census Bureau doesnt get the respect it deserves..
It seems like a more useful tool, would be a standard translator, where you could type in the words, and get the equivalent in your target language. Verb conjugation would also be very important. Franklin / Larousse makes some decent translators, but they are a little too large, and don't hold up very well. Does anyone know if there is a port or similar product for handheld devices?