This is why I love the DropBox concept : it is just a local folder on my machine and I can use any application I want to edit the files stored in there.
And if one day DropBox becomes too evil or too expensive, I can transparently switch to an other solution to sync my documents without changing the way I edit them.
This looks like a "messaging" app. It seems like the only point is to get around the few remaining billing plans on the planet that don't have unlimited text messaging
Few billing plans ? Maybe in the USA, but in the rest of the world (including Western Europe), many people use pre-paid plans. Especially kids, who happen to be heavy users of messaging.
And remember that "unlimited" text messaging is usually only for domestic messages : you often pay to send messages to another country, and you often pay when sending from abroad.
I once saw Brenda Eich at a conference in Amsterdam maybe 10 years ago, where he did
the final keynote.
As usual for such conferences in Europe, 90% of the audience was not of English mother
tongue, but spoke and understood it quite well (thanks, Slashdot). But Eich's keynote
was barely understandable to many people : he managed to speak at the same time too fast
and too low, with inside jokes that only a few Americans seemed to understand.
XML is much more mature. XML has standardized schemas, validation, querying, transformation, a binary format and APIs for interoperability from any language.
Which means that XML will still be around in 10 years, and can safely be used today for major projects.
Like many other posters here, I also use KeePass and put the password file on DropBox.
The only issue for me is that I also use a "keyfile" file on all my computers (work, home, laptop), and that I could not yet find an iOS version of KeePass which would support keyfiles.
The funny thing is Facebook bought for billions a company which makes software running over XMPP.
Now that they have plenty of cash, what refrains the WhatsApp founders from starting over a concurrent application ? Especially if Facebook begins to do the evil things that WhatsApp didn't want to do (store messages, sell ads, etc...) ?
All these tools and the service are free for basic usage. nvAlt is open source; the other clients are probably not, but as long as my data is in a format which is not application-dependant, that's enough for me.
Every time I take a look at my boss's MacBook Pro I feel my eyes relax a bit compared to the jagged fonts on my Air.
It depends on your eyesight. Mine is not so good, I don't really see the difference between a Retina display and a regular one. And I am happy with the low price I paid for my MacBook Air:-)
Software developer should NEVER try to roll their own authentication, just like they shouldn't try to roll their own encryption.
It depends on what you mean by "roll". For both authentication and encryption, I think that it is wise today to use solid tools developed by experts (ideally open source tools), but to deploy your own system in order to keep your data (keys, passwords, etc...) under your control.
I agree, it's a preference, based on past history.
It might change in the future, but I think that BT Sync's architecture is very promising. If they refuse to provide an open source implementation, then somebody else might implement a very similar solution based on the very same architecture.
There's also the fact that open sourcing it allows implementations for ANY architecture and platform, not just those they choose.
Yes, but I would be more interested in their protocol to be published, in order to be able to implement interoperable solutions between BT Sync and other competing products (free as in free beer, free as in free speech or closed/commercial).
I think that opening BT Sync's code is neither sufficient neither necessary :
- BT Sync seems to be a protocol, which can be observed. It should be easy to check that Sync is only sending files to expected places and not the NSA, independently from the licence of its source code.
- Even if DropBox or Apple would release the source code of their cloud application, your files are sent to a centralized place, from where anything can happen. This does not seem to be the case with BT Sync
Slashdot Mirror
This is why I love the DropBox concept : it is just a local folder on my machine and I can use any application I want to edit the files stored in there.
And if one day DropBox becomes too evil or too expensive, I can transparently switch to an other solution to sync my documents without changing the way I edit them.
Mass deployment of nuclear power could almost completely replace fossil fuels in half that time.
Nuclear fission is based on fossil fuels.
So why would I want to use a new one yet?
If you have the original iPad, there are plenty of reasons to upgrade (size, speed, limited to iOS 5, etc.)
But my iPad 2 still works very fine, I see no reason to replace it.
This looks like a "messaging" app. It seems like the only point is to get around the few remaining billing plans on the planet that don't have unlimited text messaging
Few billing plans ? Maybe in the USA, but in the rest of the world (including Western Europe), many people use pre-paid plans. Especially kids, who happen to be heavy users of messaging.
And remember that "unlimited" text messaging is usually only for domestic messages : you often pay to send messages to another country, and you often pay when sending from abroad.
"Brenda"? Are you saying this heterosexist is actually trans?
Freudian slip...
I once saw Brenda Eich at a conference in Amsterdam maybe 10 years ago, where he did the final keynote.
As usual for such conferences in Europe, 90% of the audience was not of English mother tongue, but spoke and understood it quite well (thanks, Slashdot). But Eich's keynote was barely understandable to many people : he managed to speak at the same time too fast and too low, with inside jokes that only a few Americans seemed to understand.
Most of us thought "What a jerk".
Why use Google Apps when LibreOffice is not only economically free, but spyware free?
And works in off-line mode.
And doesn't need a Google Account.
And respects your privacy.
And can open MS Office documents.
And has a familiar GUI.
Feel free to add to this list...
XML is much more mature. XML has standardized schemas, validation, querying, transformation, a binary format and APIs for interoperability from any language.
Which means that XML will still be around in 10 years, and can safely be used today for major projects.
Like many other posters here, I also use KeePass and put the password file on DropBox.
The only issue for me is that I also use a "keyfile" file on all my computers (work, home, laptop), and that I could not yet find an iOS version of KeePass which would support keyfiles.
Any idea ?
they need to pick one way to do it and stick with that.
Both are fine depending on context, screen size, user preference... It is nice that you can change the default.
When you sell the company, you also sell the IP -- and then they can pummel you for stealing 'their' idea.
Remember mysql and MariaDB ?
Same (potential) situation here : there is no IP in WhatsApp. Just an excellent execution of well-known idea.
The funny thing is Facebook bought for billions a company which makes software running over XMPP.
Now that they have plenty of cash, what refrains the WhatsApp founders from starting over a concurrent application ? Especially if Facebook begins to do the evil things that WhatsApp didn't want to do (store messages, sell ads, etc...) ?
- Windows PC at work, using the Resoph Notes client
- iPhone in my pocket with the official SimpleNote app.
- Mac at home with the client
All these tools and the service are free for basic usage. nvAlt is open source; the other clients are probably not, but as long as my data is in a format which is not application-dependant, that's enough for me.
Every time I take a look at my boss's MacBook Pro I feel my eyes relax a bit compared to the jagged fonts on my Air.
It depends on your eyesight. Mine is not so good, I don't really see the difference between a Retina display and a regular one. And I am happy with the low price I paid for my MacBook Air :-)
My family visited Europe this Fall and were surprised at the level of civility experienced there.
My family visited the USA this Fall and were surprised at the level of paranoia and violence...
Software developer should NEVER try to roll their own authentication, just like they shouldn't try to roll their own encryption.
It depends on what you mean by "roll". For both authentication and encryption, I think that it is wise today to use solid tools developed by experts (ideally open source tools), but to deploy your own system in order to keep your data (keys, passwords, etc...) under your control.
More importantly, this is a non-news story since they have since rolled back those changes.
They rolled back because of the huge negative reaction. That is the story.
Here is my list of stuff that is rude that over 40s do that I wish would stop:
I am close to 50, and I experience just the opposite : younger developers who think that version control is an outdated stuff.
Concerning meetings : I have no problem with people texting during meetings, but answering calls is only for assholes
where most schools are private, and the public ones are more prestigious than the private ones.
And neither applicable in Switzerland, where private schools are mostly for those who failed in the public ones.
... a 2000 square foot circle of the town square ... ... about 538 square feet ... up over 2150 square fee
This is slashdot science ?
Besides, the slashdot summary is ambigous : it mentions a population of 3,386, but in which unit ? Number of legs ?
...I live along the equator where our days and nights ar "equal" throughout the year.
I am glad to live in a place (Central Europe) where there are seasons, and not the same thing all over the year.
I'd be more concerned with them just breaking into my house and slurping down the contents of my HDD when I wasn't home.
Luckily, this is not scalable.
I tend to have a bit more trust in BitTorrent
No, actually you simply have a preference.
I agree, it's a preference, based on past history.
It might change in the future, but I think that BT Sync's architecture is very promising. If they refuse to provide an open source implementation, then somebody else might implement a very similar solution based on the very same architecture.
There's also the fact that open sourcing it allows implementations for ANY architecture and platform, not just those they choose.
Yes, but I would be more interested in their protocol to be published, in order to be able to implement interoperable solutions between BT Sync and other competing products (free as in free beer, free as in free speech or closed/commercial).
Open source Sync and we will trust you.
I think that opening BT Sync's code is neither sufficient neither necessary :