I would be surprised if members of US Congress even got all the mail that was sent to them. We can get pretty accurate numbers from the US Postal Service, but unfortunately no such requirement is made of electronic mail. Yes, I know I'm playing down some technology issues but 'necessity is blah blah invention'.
Necessitate [ooh I invented a verb!] a better standard of email delivery, and Microsoft will have to fix it.
If you want to find out what your congress people are saying - I believe phone bills and actual email contents are public record. Use this to remind them that WE value our privacy too. Nothing motivates people like personal experience.
Anyways, I have an extremely low opinion of Exchange. Due to the fact that it mangles email headers, causing attachments and bodies to be lost, the resulting at my work has been to mandate Outlook as the Company Email Client. That's great, because good employees check their email at home,and now I have to boot Windows to use outlook, and PRAY I don't get nailed with a "You've got an Outlook Virus" email?:-/
Did I manage to turn this into a Microsoft sucks post?
Sorry to sound like a cynic, but this is an equally cynical PR move by the new Red Hat. I mean, are they even donating free shrinkwrapped boxes or are they saying "Just for you, we'll cut you a deal" and give out 1 CD-ROM with 500 zillion "licenses".
First of all, RH is their *distribution*, not "their operating system. This wording is splitting hairs among *us*, but many in the media thing Red Hat = Linux and everyone else is an also-ran. This is the legacy of the Windows Herd Mentality.
Every Distribution has it's strength and weaknesses. One Red Hat weakness is ease of use, where they're 4 months behind Mandrake, Corel, Caldera and probably SuSE 6.3 (I haven't tried that one).
Where's the story in this? Will someone please step forward and donate one $2 Debian CD's to the school?
I don't think this is bad for Red Hat - this is good PR also for the OS - but Red Hat would appease the CYNIC in me if they said "we'll give them 75% off support", rather than "we won't commit to a specific discount, if any".
I don't use Debian YET, but it's becoming my favorite simply because the distribution and the development process BY THEMSELVES are Open. How much influence do we have on Red Hat or Corel's distributions? If you want the answer, take a close look at their installers. GUI installs are not a checklist item for a review-driven marketing contest.
This post made with Mozilla M12...
This is not a big deal folks...
on
Live or Memorex?
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· Score: 2
I an a Vision Tester for SynaPix, and some of the people I work with wrote software that does exactly this before they joined the team. This is not really a big deal - you know the weatherman stands in front of a virtual set too.;)
All this talk about government conspiricies and doctoring footage is REALLY funny coming from a technical crowd. Beforehand, did you REALLY believe all those special effects in X Files??
You don't even have to calculate camera paths anymore to match moves against the camera - software does the math for you (See MatchMaker at my companies website). You can also automatically build 3D models from 2D motion footage, WITHOUT extra cameras and such.
You can fool a lot of people with virtual sets and motion capture, but an expert will [hopefully] always be able to tell what has been faked. The editing and compositing process always leaves some destructive signs of work, even if they are not visible to the eye. Relax people... I'd be more afraid of those transcievers they want to put in your driver's license so they can track you, only when you go through those express toll-booths of course;-)
This message was posted with Mozilla M12, and wow it's looking good!
I'm not the greatest Apple fan (I have 3 running computers and only 1 runs MacOS), but seeing Apple take these steps is good for everyone, even if you don't own a Mac and never would because you don't know how to install your own floppy drive;)
Thanks to Loki, Linux is getting some games support. To that I both say 'about time' *and' 'already??' (didn't YOU think it would take 2 more years?).
The Linux software suite and the MacOS software suite have a lot to offer, and a lot of people I think are like me and would like them both on the same OS. For all the talk, NT still does not achieve this and is only good for single-tasks, plus NT only resembles UNIX, with none of the openness, none of the legacy of fine-tuned applications and no freaking compiler of any kind.
Yes, the Mac has no floppy drive and yes it's a proprietary UNIX with some non-core technologies open sourced. So what. Apple COULD have rebuilt their next-gen OS on top of the NT kernel, which is what Bill Gates pressured Apple to select. And yes, M$ would have licensed it.
By selecting UNIX - and a well-respected kernel at that - Apple leapfrogs NT in technology, even if it will take years to convince the skeptics. Skeptics still don't support Linux, so screw 'em.
With the MacOS becoming an API on top of BSD, it's far more likely we will see great Mac applications ported to Linux because most of the code will have to be cleaned up for this anyhow. This means a few more games, and lots of applications SOME of us can't leave Windows/Mac for.
Ignoring the people who bitch that the QuickTime client isn't GPL'd or NPL'd or whatever, we'll probably get QT for Linux soon afterwards. Although it seems like APple doesn't listen, they do now, and it would be stupid of them to release QT/Linux BEFORE MacOS was out, and lose all that PR.
I'm very glad Apple's doing this. Everyone wants a version of Linux/UNIX that runs all the major applications - well here it is. AND, it runs on a 21st century CPU not some rickety Intel CPU that requires a 4"x4" heat sink cube with 3 fans. (My G3 MacOS/LinuxPPC system has a tiny heat sink and no CPU fan)
Hey, mistakes happen. I won't pretend I haven't made them, publicly. You won't see the "big media" - which probably snickers at the mention of Slashdot - run front-page apologies. We've heard only bare whispers of retractions when the media jumped the gun on Egypt Air. And they never retracted on their "profiling" of the Columbine killers, and playing into the hands of the would-be bookburners who want to begin with video games and movies...
ANYWAYS, I don't want to see Slashdot slow down, but there's a lesson for you here in facts-checking. It's not always the case, but here you had month old press releases which contradicted the gist of your post, links which the Slashdot Peanut Gallery was more than quick to provide.:)
If all goes well, we'll see just a little more fact checking on some of these posts. I'd rather see some of the stories last a little longer than 36 hours, and carry some real back and forth debate like the old/. (it seems like some stories get rolled off while still news, and active posting).
DVD for Linux is good, and encrypting content is bad, however...
I think the media is going to overblow this, aided by drooling w@r=z d00dz who think this is the Holy Grail or something.
I tried this out myself. Yep it rips movies flawlessly. But then what? Do I RE-compress the movie - further degrading quality? As it is I can see DEFECTS in the ORIGINAL DVD... compressing will only make it worse. True, I tried a Windows software DVD player which accounts for most of the defects, but this is a respectable playback platform (Voodoo3, AMD K62/450 128 MB RAM).
I don't remember all of biology, but I recall the human eye is much more sensitive than the human ear, so defects are much more obvious than say frequency clipping in an MP3... especially if you look for these things. I still grab the occasional MP3, but mostly they suck like car factory speakers suck and Microsoft ASF sucks .
I encode my own MP3's not because I want to be legal, but because that's the opnly way for me to get 320/44 kbps which tends to preserve the upper frequencies.
With compressing video, we're talking inter-frame compression which takes 100% of your CPU for (I'm guessing) 8 hours or more. What a sorry way to avoid $19 for a movie.
Don't get me wrong - I think the freedom to copy content you own is a GOOD THING, and I rank encrypting content right up there with evils like sterile plant seeds (designed to make addicts of the third world). I'm sure the music industry makes a KILLING of scratched and discarded audio CD's... backing up is your right.
But hey, we're WINNING. As Data put it, Resistance IS futile.:-D
This is GREAT NEWS, but I hope they settle this right. Personally I think all the gov't needs to do is fund GPL as a "public works project", which would also save tax dollars compared to what they pay MS for Office every year...
I still have to support relatives on Windows and I couldn't effectively put them on a Linux system. Yet.
What happens if NCs are successful? Will we have to submit batch jobs to use a Word for Windows server? Important documants delayed a week because our priorty is too low?
How is that different from Windows now, and where it's ultimately heading?
Remember, Windows is CLOSED. "Where do you want to go today" is not a marketing slogan... it's a TAUNT. I've had *plenty* of Word docs delayed a week because either Word or Windows NT decided it was time to reveal it's DOS-based heritage with a Blue Screen of Death. The delay is every bit as annoying as timesharing on an underpowered mainframe. Actually, it's more annoying... at least on a overworked mainframe you can gauge how long things will take and adjust.
Besides, Windows itself is heading towards a "subscription" model. This allows Microsoft to take yet more power from the users, because as a Utility Company they can "shut you off" when you don't pay the monthly bill. Not only that, but they have legal right to come onto your property and screw with the meter.
They're truly clever, those Microsoft folks. It's all the things they're experimenting with that truly scares me, like TEMPEST-based serial number verification they've invested in.
Besides, many of us put up with crap service from the phone and cable monopolies.. software is just on more.:-/
If IE ever reaches "critical mass", you'll see Microsoft removing the "use current page as start page".
Then msn.com will be integrated with the OS. They're inseperable.;)
It gets worse. Wait till the URL input disappears. You'll only be able to go to URL's using some sort of integrated "meta-URL" junk through a web form.
And to be fair, I worry about Netscape doing the same thing.
I'm SO glad Netscape released the Mozilla source when they did. I seriously doubt an inhuman corporation like AOL would ever have done that...
This isn't any more stupid than the already traditional tree-cutting, something which IS practiced outside of America [ahem].
Go with plastic trees, at least. It's only tacky if you don't consider the environmental implications. Plastic may be bad for the environment but manufacturing reusable trees have got to do less damage than clear-cutting forests to make way for "tree farms".
Disclaimer: Be fair... read entire post before judging by the subject header. Good to see occasional humanity topics on Slashdot... I get real tired of kernel posts, etc. (which I don't want to block altogether).
My wife and I are "child-free" by choice. For those that don't understand the difference from "child-less" (a negative term implying something lacking or perhaps a medical defect...), this means we don't want kids, will never have them, and have already taken steps to be sure we're not taken by "suprise" where we'll have to go to the local woman's clinic and duck insults & eggs from the militant jesus-nazis protesting outside (who apparently are too busy to become a Big Brother or Big Sister for the local orphanages...).
In a rich country you can become educated and PLAN your life. Whatever your choices in life... planning them makes the most of everything. My wife and I wish to be "selfish", and spend our modest income on ourselves. This means I can be a kid forever, buy the toys that I want, and take vacations when I want. I don't have to answer to anybody except myself and my life partner. And no, we "won't change our minds" either. Stop asking.:)
In poor countries, SOME of the overpopulation is attributed to culture -- a good wife is a baby factory and shows what a man you are. Overpopulation is also caused by lack of education. In many parts of the world, birth control and yes even CONDOMS are difficult to obtain. If the Catholic Church wields power, they're even taught that condoms *themselves* are a sin. If you can overcome brainwashing then you can make your own choice, but this isn't everyone's fortune. Even today MANY people believe the earth is only ~4,000 years old - that's what the BIBLE SEZ. So who wants to compound their sins - just plan sex without a condom.
Even over here the presence of wealth and education does NOT equate to educated individuals making the best decisions they could. Teen pregnancy is very high in southern New Hampshire and plenty of other places.
IMO a population drop is a GOOD THING. The planet can only support so many people before we really mess it up. Up in northern New Hampshire - what you would call the wilderness - people want the State to trap and "get rid of" pesky bears that wander in to scavange the trash humans create so much of. After all, those UNATTENDED CHILDREN need to be kept safe from bears, the internet, beavis and butthead, and godsmack. Anyone can be a BREEDER, but it takes a saint to be a responsible PARENT.
Carpet-bomb the world in condoms, I say, or we'll be so crowded we'll nuke and bio-bomb each other until there's only Penguins left...;D
You can also change to a virtual terminal to kill the X server, provided your keyboard isn't locked out, even if Ctrl-Alt-Backspace doesn't seem to work. Let's not forget that LOTS of people have networks at home now. Telnetting in isn't impossible...you don't even need a second Linux box. Although, you are correct in stating that if X crashes AND locks out your keyboard AND you can't telnet in, you're pretty well hosed.
What - TELNET in?!? Just download KReset and you have a nice push-button interface for resetting stuck display servers. You can even STORE your ROOT login password in the application so grandmama can fix her display without calling you at 3am.
This would be MUCK more useful than say KTop, a graphical interface to the awkward and very DOS-like "top" command. I was very saddened when I discovered there was no homepage for Ktop... [sniff!].
I would hesitate to reccomend Mozilla to most folks if they need a daily-use browser, but that's exactly what I'm going to try doing. Now that the lizard supports proxies and keyboard navigation I can live with the bugs - most of the problems I see are cosmetic - like when my cursor just disappeared and I couldn't see what I typed:) I'm REALLY proud that these guys have made it this far and put up with ungrateful criticism. Microsoft has NOT taken over the internet yet (we don't use mshttp: yet right?) so this project needs no rushing. When Moz is ready and everyone's drooling over stability, size, speed, and "kewl skins" or whatever else they want then Moz has served it's purpose. This is a browser where I can trim out fat like bookmark management, and some other bloke can REPLACE the built-in bookmark utility with his own.. The important thing is this is TECHNOLOGY done *right*. While MSIE may scroll more smoothly, I have a feeling once IE hits a certain sized user base you will NOT have the luxury of specifying your own "start page". Maybe you won't be able to type a URL either... just navigate through [paid for] hits in MSN.COM searchpage...;P
I thought the telco and cable deregulation was supposed to foster CHOICE and COMPETITION.
Here in Tyngsboro, Massachusettes our local cable monopoly is Continental Cablevision. *Every* town that borders my own is served by Media One, who has no plasns to ever offer work with CC and service in this town. I thought the whole point of the legistlation was competition was no longer "outlawed" and anyone can offer service anywhere? Or are the cable companies voluntarily avoiding each other's turf to prevent price wars?
I also live 1 mile from the phone exchange... plenty close enough for good DSL, but it's not offered. They just offer me ISDN which I don't want.
It just blows my mind that people are getting bandwidth in Okedokey, EBF and I'm just 30 minutes outside of from Boston and no one considers this a market. My cable company is based out of New York and Connecticut, where they offer cable.
If the company that serves you cable is an island among the "big boys" like Media One or @home, you're totally screwed. I built a Linux-based LAN with a dedicated 56k connection, but without cable I can't enjoy Quake 3 dammit. Give me universal service OR doors-wide-open competition, PLEASE.
I even looked at T1 service which has come down A LOT, but it's still way too expensive to justify because not just anyone can string up copper...
>:-
Slashdot bug: a left-angle bracket from the angry face got parsed out.
Wine is an application that really, really interests me. I haven't used it much at all, I'm sad to say. I've had some difficulty determining if apps fail because of something I did not configure correctly (the right switches for example), or if the app just can't run. I admit I'm a bit lazy and busy and haven't spent enough time on trial and error either...
What was I saying now..? Oh yeah, from a layman's perspective, it would seem like vbrun.dll compatability would be a major milestone for the project. I used to program in Visual Basic (and before that another cool gui builder called GFA BASIC on the Atari ST). VB was great in it's early days.. it went downhill FAST after version 4, and I know many agree.
Still, VB is used to create a lot of applications, especially in the corporate arena. Many commercial applications are written in VB, including some customer and call-tracking software, etc. The Massachusettes Department of Revenue has downloadable software for electronic filing of your taxes that's built with VB, which I managed to get running under Virtual PC because they don't support Mac or Linux.
I know vbrun.dll is really just a runtime and an interface to the bigger 0win16 and win32 API and so there are bigger issues than "just 1.dll", but it's be nice to know say vbrun400.dll is 97% compliant, vbrun600.dll is 45% compliant, etc. If people can easily research where they stand conversion is easier to consider or truly does become a no-brainer..
This falls squarely in the "rumor" catagory, but at NAB99 about a truly "crossplatform" version of QuickTime, and he very carefully worded it as "we would NOT see a Linux version of QuickTime before the OS X Consumer version was out".
I forget when OS X Consumer is out... Spring maybe?? That *doesn't* mean a Linux version will be out then, what I heard implied was we might get a clearer picture..
Basically the issue for those that don't know is, OS X Consumer is a UNIX BSD-based ("the other Linux" as someone put it, although it's technically innaccurate) implementation, and since OS X is commercial that will be "competing" for mindshare. Releasing a QuickTime for Linux before OS X would kind of steal Apple's thunder... QuickTime is one of the few world-class technologies they have left that can be sold, and great QT support IS still a basis for buying a Mac for some people.
I see both sides of this, and it is frustrating not to have a robust and well-supported video system in Linux. It's not *entirely* Apple's fault as some would state.. I don't see Red Hat and SuSE funding some GPL'd alternative (which without compatible codecs is moot anyhow). Apple doesn't "owe" the any platform a player - they owe their stockowners results. Anyways, It's fantastic to see some free good work out there.... thanks LOKI! I don't think a company should "own" a video delivery system any more than a phone (or cable...) company should have a monopoly .
The FIRST person I talked to at Apple's booth said "if I wanted QuickTime on UNIX I'd have to buy OS X". Great.. does OS X run Linux binaries? Oh, wait, they quietly smothered OS X for Intel (remember?). "Der...":-/
KDE and Gnome have file and web browsing integrated, and it would be a waste of resources IMO if they were still being developed. Does anyone see the benefit of replacing those browsers with PARTS (i.e. JUST the browser which seems faster) of Mozilla?
Oh wait... the MPL or NPL or whatever it's called right? Or am I mistaken?
My other comment/question:
To me one of the big plusses of open sourced software is choice... I don't worry about some big company cramming a suite of products down my throat when I want just 1 application.
I've used Mozilla SOME. I'd like to use JUST the browser, and conserve loading time and memory by discarding the built-in bookmarking, history, instant-messaging and IRC stuff I don't want.
Are these add-ons being integrated in such a way that I could easily unload them to save RAM? Doesthis work like a "default IRC client" which I could repoint to say BitchX or will it be hard-coded (yes, I know I am 'free to hack the code'... then bitch for an hour when it won't compile:)
I'm grateful to the mozilla folks for what they are doing. I think people tend to become a bit jaded online and make comments they wouldn't make in person.... "hey I just added some stuff to the free browser I wrote for you" - "oh great you couldn't resist the Kitchen Sink". Nice...
If I can plug in my own apps or disable the linking alltogether that sounds perfect for everyone - why complain?
Currently I run 3 computers on a 10T home lan: Mac, Linux, and Win98 systems.
I've read "Airport" type network will be available for PC's (or already is). Who makes it and what is the cost?
I'd love to move these out of The Oven, which is my computer room. 3 computers running 24/7 (distributed.net client of course..) tends to, um, "accelerate" homebrew fermentations. I just had a batch of Chocolate Stout blow the airlock out, shattering it against the ceiling. The brown spot on the ceiling is an interesting conversation piece tho.:)
Airport in the iMac, eh? Maybe I will put the G3 up on eBay...
Now all they need is portable mice and keyboards - are they available for USB? How about portable power in the form of microwave?
Usually I talk about my Mac in a positive light. My opinion hasn't changed - I still like it and prefer it over Linux and Win*.* for certain tasks. I'm not what some people stereotype somewhat disparagingly as the "typical Mac user" (i.e. The Mac is a threat to my Penis because it allows dumb people to use a computer without begging me to keep hacking their Registry or Init files.)
What I don't like about it is the dependence on Apple. I'm not worried about them going belly-up -- I also run Linux on it. I've read the G4 rom block is temporary - although if it's NOT my opinion of Apple will nosedive. My problem is someone else still controls the destiny of my computer. This happens in the wintel world also.. look at Intergraph's announcement this week, and this has nothing to do with Microsoft.
I hate the fact the Mac ships with no development tools. Apple has made the Mac Programmer's Workshop C++ compiler a free download, but it's difficult to install, and being a "non-revenue generator" that's still closed source, I doubt it will get many improvements. At least ship a BASIC...:)
Apple doesn't seem to encourage development by their users (see above). All those free Microsoft development tools look good, even if they are created mainly as a tool to perpetuate API lock-in. Windows is closed source, but an aweful lot of UNIX-based open sourced apps make it there (like GIMP, or FreeCiv).
I'm not decided on the mouse, but I hate the keyboard. At least make the arrow keys bigger so one can control Quake in a manner I'm used to already..
I hate Stuffit. This isn't Apple's fault directly, but by NOT bundling something better we're all hooked on that crappy Stuffit. Almost no one registers, so everytime you use it those sluggish 68000 CPU emulator libraries get loaded. Worse than Java... Bleck!:)
I also hate paying more for some Mac software. SOME software includes both Mac and PC software on the same disc, but Best Buy or CompUSA decides to mark it up in the Mac section by $10. Smarter users will buy the program from the PC section, which means the numbers are off.
Oh well. Not a perfect world, which is why I rely on more than one computer. I can't wait for SheepShaver for LinuxPPC to arrive so I can run Linux full-time on the thing (and not miss out on Infini-D and Premiere...)
I've answered a lot of questions from coworkers, friends and acquaintences regarding Linux as an OS. While most of them "get it" they've had no REAL* reason to run screaming from Windows to Linux
(* By this I mean some compelling reason for overnight change.)
Previously, what it would have taken to get these people to switch from Windows to Linux was a more refined Gnome/KDE and a more graphical installer (sorry gui RPM, while powerful, is just too different).
Amazing how the stuff gets smaller and smaller, so I was thinking what elsecould this be used for?
Couple this with Apple's Airport networking, and you'd have a portable brick that cracks rc5/des AND you can put it by your feet under the blanket this winter.
How about an multifunction MP3player for your car? This baby just small enough to fit in an air conditioning duct. On cold New England days I could crank that air conditioning up and keep warm...
Wearable computers? Not for humans, BUT... strap it to a live pig, put it in a box, and have THE freshest cooked ham *EVER*.
High-tech, self-propelled hot air balloons..? If they run hot enough they'd be lighter than air..:-p
Anyone besides me always get those wierd NT problems where all your desktop icons get replaced by other applications? Explorer's using Netscape Composer's icon right now, and Quake icon's for Word. Wacky...
Lame. I can't WAIT for bandwidth to be so plentiful that "underground" music stations do to MTV what email is doing to the postal services, and Icecast has already started on traditional "corporate" radio... (on the company T1, do you prefer commercials on RealAudio or just plain MUSIC on icecast).
MTV has all the sincerity and integrity of a bleached blonde silicon-enhanced porno whore, and if we don't want the culture they push they'll just keep pushing anyhow...
Anyways, I got this email today: http://support.microsoft.com/isapi/support/pass. idc?Product=Bill%20Gates%20Asshole%202000
Originally it came to me as a different URL, but in a rare show of bug-fixing Microsoft plugged that one already...
I find it ironic that you can apply for a credit card online, but if you want to prevent the bank from sharing your unlisted telephone line with greedy telemarketers, you must SNAIL MAIL them.
How's that for obstruction? Mail a LETTER? At my expense? Yeesh, what's wrong with an email or a checkbox on the same secure form.
This isn't Linux Credit Card's fault, it's the bank's. I signed up regardless, but I'ze got to get stamps today. I haven't mailed anything in MONTHS, aside from shipping things like cables, etc.
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I would be surprised if members of US Congress even got all the mail that was sent to them. We can get pretty accurate numbers from the US Postal Service, but unfortunately no such requirement is made of electronic mail. Yes, I know I'm playing down some technology issues but 'necessity is blah blah invention'.
:-/
Necessitate [ooh I invented a verb!] a better standard of email delivery, and Microsoft will have to fix it.
If you want to find out what your congress people are saying - I believe phone bills and actual email contents are public record. Use this to remind them that WE value our privacy too. Nothing motivates people like personal experience.
Anyways, I have an extremely low opinion of Exchange. Due to the fact that it mangles email headers, causing attachments and bodies to be lost, the resulting at my work has been to mandate Outlook as the Company Email Client. That's great, because good employees check their email at home,and now I have to boot Windows to use outlook, and PRAY I don't get nailed with a "You've got an Outlook Virus" email?
Did I manage to turn this into a Microsoft sucks post?
This message posted with Mozilla M13. Woo hoo!
Sorry to sound like a cynic, but this is an equally cynical PR move by the new Red Hat. I mean, are they even donating free shrinkwrapped boxes or are they saying "Just for you, we'll cut you a deal" and give out 1 CD-ROM with 500 zillion "licenses".
First of all, RH is their *distribution*, not "their operating system. This wording is splitting hairs among *us*, but many in the media thing Red Hat = Linux and everyone else is an also-ran. This is the legacy of the Windows Herd Mentality.
Every Distribution has it's strength and weaknesses. One Red Hat weakness is ease of use, where they're 4 months behind Mandrake, Corel, Caldera and probably SuSE 6.3 (I haven't tried that one).
Where's the story in this? Will someone please step forward and donate one $2 Debian CD's to the school?
I don't think this is bad for Red Hat - this is good PR also for the OS - but Red Hat would appease the CYNIC in me if they said "we'll give them 75% off support", rather than "we won't commit to a specific discount, if any".
I don't use Debian YET, but it's becoming my favorite simply because the distribution and the development process BY THEMSELVES are Open. How much influence do we have on Red Hat or Corel's distributions? If you want the answer, take a close look at their installers. GUI installs are not a checklist item for a review-driven marketing contest.
This post made with Mozilla M12...
All this talk about government conspiricies and doctoring footage is REALLY funny coming from a technical crowd. Beforehand, did you REALLY believe all those special effects in X Files??
You don't even have to calculate camera paths anymore to match moves against the camera - software does the math for you (See MatchMaker at my companies website). You can also automatically build 3D models from 2D motion footage, WITHOUT extra cameras and such.
You can fool a lot of people with virtual sets and motion capture, but an expert will [hopefully] always be able to tell what has been faked. The editing and compositing process always leaves some destructive signs of work, even if they are not visible to the eye. Relax people... I'd be more afraid of those transcievers they want to put in your driver's license so they can track you, only when you go through those express toll-booths of course ;-)
This message was posted with Mozilla M12, and wow it's looking good!
I'm not the greatest Apple fan (I have 3 running computers and only 1 runs MacOS), but seeing Apple take these steps is good for everyone, even if you don't own a Mac and never would because you don't know how to install your own floppy drive ;)
Thanks to Loki, Linux is getting some games support. To that I both say 'about time' *and' 'already??' (didn't YOU think it would take 2 more years?).
The Linux software suite and the MacOS software suite have a lot to offer, and a lot of people I think are like me and would like them both on the same OS. For all the talk, NT still does not achieve this and is only good for single-tasks, plus NT only resembles UNIX, with none of the openness, none of the legacy of fine-tuned applications and no freaking compiler of any kind.
Yes, the Mac has no floppy drive and yes it's a proprietary UNIX with some non-core technologies open sourced. So what. Apple COULD have rebuilt their next-gen OS on top of the NT kernel, which is what Bill Gates pressured Apple to select. And yes, M$ would have licensed it.
By selecting UNIX - and a well-respected kernel at that - Apple leapfrogs NT in technology, even if it will take years to convince the skeptics. Skeptics still don't support Linux, so screw 'em.
With the MacOS becoming an API on top of BSD, it's far more likely we will see great Mac applications ported to Linux because most of the code will have to be cleaned up for this anyhow. This means a few more games, and lots of applications SOME of us can't leave Windows/Mac for.
Ignoring the people who bitch that the QuickTime client isn't GPL'd or NPL'd or whatever, we'll probably get QT for Linux soon afterwards. Although it seems like APple doesn't listen, they do now, and it would be stupid of them to release QT/Linux BEFORE MacOS was out, and lose all that PR.
I'm very glad Apple's doing this. Everyone wants a version of Linux/UNIX that runs all the major applications - well here it is. AND, it runs on a 21st century CPU not some rickety Intel CPU that requires a 4"x4" heat sink cube with 3 fans.
(My G3 MacOS/LinuxPPC system has a tiny heat sink and no CPU fan)
Hey, mistakes happen. I won't pretend I haven't made them, publicly. You won't see the "big media" - which probably snickers at the mention of Slashdot - run front-page apologies. We've heard only bare whispers of retractions when the media jumped the gun on Egypt Air. And they never retracted on their "profiling" of the Columbine killers, and playing into the hands of the would-be bookburners who want to begin with video games and movies...
:)
/. (it seems like some stories get rolled off while still news, and active posting).
ANYWAYS, I don't want to see Slashdot slow down, but there's a lesson for you here in facts-checking. It's not always the case, but here you had month old press releases which contradicted the gist of your post, links which the Slashdot Peanut Gallery was more than quick to provide.
If all goes well, we'll see just a little more fact checking on some of these posts. I'd rather see some of the stories last a little longer than 36 hours, and carry some real back and forth debate like the old
DVD for Linux is good, and encrypting content is bad, however...
I think the media is going to overblow this, aided by drooling w@r=z d00dz who think this is the Holy Grail or something.
I tried this out myself. Yep it rips movies flawlessly. But then what? Do I RE-compress the movie - further degrading quality? As it is I can see DEFECTS in the ORIGINAL DVD... compressing will only make it worse. True, I tried a Windows software DVD player which accounts for most of the defects, but this is a respectable playback platform (Voodoo3, AMD K62/450 128 MB RAM).
I don't remember all of biology, but I recall the human eye is much more sensitive than the human ear, so defects are much more obvious than say frequency clipping in an MP3... especially if you look for these things. I still grab the occasional MP3, but mostly they suck like car factory speakers suck and Microsoft ASF sucks .
I encode my own MP3's not because I want to be legal, but because that's the opnly way for me to get 320/44 kbps which tends to preserve the upper frequencies.
With compressing video, we're talking inter-frame compression which takes 100% of your CPU for (I'm guessing) 8 hours or more. What a sorry way to avoid $19 for a movie.
Don't get me wrong - I think the freedom to copy content you own is a GOOD THING, and I rank encrypting content right up there with evils like sterile plant seeds (designed to make addicts of the third world). I'm sure the music industry makes a KILLING of scratched and discarded audio CD's... backing up is your right.
But hey, we're WINNING. As Data put it, Resistance IS futile. :-D
This is GREAT NEWS, but I hope they settle this right. Personally I think all the gov't needs to do is fund GPL as a "public works project", which would also save tax dollars compared to what they pay MS for Office every year...
I still have to support relatives on Windows and I couldn't effectively put them on a Linux system. Yet.
How is that different from Windows now, and where it's ultimately heading?
Remember, Windows is CLOSED. "Where do you want to go today" is not a marketing slogan... it's a TAUNT. I've had *plenty* of Word docs delayed a week because either Word or Windows NT decided it was time to reveal it's DOS-based heritage with a Blue Screen of Death. The delay is every bit as annoying as timesharing on an underpowered mainframe. Actually, it's more annoying... at least on a overworked mainframe you can gauge how long things will take and adjust.
Besides, Windows itself is heading towards a "subscription" model. This allows Microsoft to take yet more power from the users, because as a Utility Company they can "shut you off" when you don't pay the monthly bill. Not only that, but they have legal right to come onto your property and screw with the meter.
They're truly clever, those Microsoft folks. It's all the things they're experimenting with that truly scares me, like TEMPEST-based serial number verification they've invested in.
Besides, many of us put up with crap service from the phone and cable monopolies.. software is just on more. :-/
If IE ever reaches "critical mass", you'll see Microsoft removing the "use current page as start page".
;)
Then msn.com will be integrated with the OS. They're inseperable.
It gets worse. Wait till the URL input disappears. You'll only be able to go to URL's using some sort of integrated "meta-URL" junk through a web form.
And to be fair, I worry about Netscape doing the same thing.
I'm SO glad Netscape released the Mozilla source when they did. I seriously doubt an inhuman corporation like AOL would ever have done that...
This isn't any more stupid than the already traditional tree-cutting, something which IS practiced outside of America [ahem].
Go with plastic trees, at least. It's only tacky if you don't consider the environmental implications. Plastic may be bad for the environment but manufacturing reusable trees have got to do less damage than clear-cutting forests to make way for "tree farms".
Disclaimer: Be fair... read entire post before judging by the subject header. Good to see occasional humanity topics on Slashdot... I get real tired of kernel posts, etc. (which I don't want to block altogether).
:)
;D
My wife and I are "child-free" by choice. For those that don't understand the difference from "child-less" (a negative term implying something lacking or perhaps a medical defect...), this means we don't want kids, will never have them, and have already taken steps to be sure we're not taken by "suprise" where we'll have to go to the local woman's clinic and duck insults & eggs from the militant jesus-nazis protesting outside (who apparently are too busy to become a Big Brother or Big Sister for the local orphanages...).
In a rich country you can become educated and PLAN your life. Whatever your choices in life... planning them makes the most of everything. My wife and I wish to be "selfish", and spend our modest income on ourselves. This means I can be a kid forever, buy the toys that I want, and take vacations when I want. I don't have to answer to anybody except myself and my life partner. And no, we "won't change our minds" either. Stop asking.
In poor countries, SOME of the overpopulation is attributed to culture -- a good wife is a baby factory and shows what a man you are. Overpopulation is also caused by lack of education. In many parts of the world, birth control and yes even CONDOMS are difficult to obtain. If the Catholic Church wields power, they're even taught that condoms *themselves* are a sin. If you can overcome brainwashing then you can make your own choice, but this isn't everyone's fortune. Even today MANY people believe the earth is only ~4,000 years old - that's what the BIBLE SEZ. So who wants to compound their sins - just plan sex without a condom.
Even over here the presence of wealth and education does NOT equate to educated individuals making the best decisions they could. Teen pregnancy is very high in southern New Hampshire and plenty of other places.
IMO a population drop is a GOOD THING. The planet can only support so many people before we really mess it up. Up in northern New Hampshire - what you would call the wilderness - people want the State to trap and "get rid of" pesky bears that wander in to scavange the trash humans create so much of. After all, those UNATTENDED CHILDREN need to be kept safe from bears, the internet, beavis and butthead, and godsmack. Anyone can be a BREEDER, but it takes a saint to be a responsible PARENT.
Carpet-bomb the world in condoms, I say, or we'll be so crowded we'll nuke and bio-bomb each other until there's only Penguins left...
What - TELNET in?!?
Just download KReset and you have a nice push-button interface for resetting stuck display servers. You can even STORE your ROOT login password in the application so grandmama can fix her display without calling you at 3am.
This would be MUCK more useful than say KTop, a graphical interface to the awkward and very DOS-like "top" command. I was very saddened when I discovered there was no homepage for Ktop... [sniff!].
KIDDING folks.. put down the knife Pitr.. :)
I would hesitate to reccomend Mozilla to most folks if they need a daily-use browser, but that's exactly what I'm going to try doing. Now that the lizard supports proxies and keyboard navigation I can live with the bugs - most of the problems I see are cosmetic - like when my cursor just disappeared and I couldn't see what I typed :) I'm REALLY proud that these guys have made it this far and put up with ungrateful criticism. Microsoft has NOT taken over the internet yet (we don't use mshttp: yet right?) so this project needs no rushing. When Moz is ready and everyone's drooling over stability, size, speed, and "kewl skins" or whatever else they want then Moz has served it's purpose. This is a browser where I can trim out fat like bookmark management, and some other bloke can REPLACE the built-in bookmark utility with his own.. The important thing is this is TECHNOLOGY done *right*. While MSIE may scroll more smoothly, I have a feeling once IE hits a certain sized user base you will NOT have the luxury of specifying your own "start page". Maybe you won't be able to type a URL either... just navigate through [paid for] hits in MSN.COM searchpage... ;P
I thought the telco and cable deregulation was supposed to foster CHOICE and COMPETITION.
Here in Tyngsboro, Massachusettes our local cable monopoly is Continental Cablevision. *Every* town that borders my own is served by Media One, who has no plasns to ever offer work with CC and service in this town. I thought the whole point of the legistlation was competition was no longer "outlawed" and anyone can offer service anywhere? Or are the cable companies voluntarily avoiding each other's turf to prevent price wars?
I also live 1 mile from the phone exchange... plenty close enough for good DSL, but it's not offered. They just offer me ISDN which I don't want.
It just blows my mind that people are getting bandwidth in Okedokey, EBF and I'm just 30 minutes outside of from Boston and no one considers this a market. My cable company is based out of New York and Connecticut, where they offer cable.
If the company that serves you cable is an island among the "big boys" like Media One or @home, you're totally screwed. I built a Linux-based LAN with a dedicated 56k connection, but without cable I can't enjoy Quake 3 dammit. Give me universal service OR doors-wide-open competition, PLEASE.
I even looked at T1 service which has come down A LOT, but it's still way too expensive to justify because not just anyone can string up copper...
>:-
Slashdot bug: a left-angle bracket from the angry face got parsed out.
Rob,
:)
Did you pay the unisys license to display this GIF I mean utilize this Unisys technology?
Support PNG
Wine is an application that really, really interests me. I haven't used it much at all, I'm sad to say. I've had some difficulty determining if apps fail because of something I did not configure correctly (the right switches for example), or if the app just can't run. I admit I'm a bit lazy and busy and haven't spent enough time on trial and error either...
.dll", but it's be nice to know say vbrun400.dll is 97% compliant, vbrun600.dll is 45% compliant, etc. If people can easily research where they stand conversion is easier to consider or truly does become a no-brainer..
What was I saying now..? Oh yeah, from a layman's perspective, it would seem like vbrun.dll compatability would be a major milestone for the project. I used to program in Visual Basic (and before that another cool gui builder called GFA BASIC on the Atari ST). VB was great in it's early days.. it went downhill FAST after version 4, and I know many agree.
Still, VB is used to create a lot of applications, especially in the corporate arena. Many commercial applications are written in VB, including some customer and call-tracking software, etc. The Massachusettes Department of Revenue has downloadable software for electronic filing of your taxes that's built with VB, which I managed to get running under Virtual PC because they don't support Mac or Linux.
I know vbrun.dll is really just a runtime and an interface to the bigger 0win16 and win32 API and so there are bigger issues than "just 1
This falls squarely in the "rumor" catagory, but at NAB99 about a truly "crossplatform" version of QuickTime, and he very carefully worded it as "we would NOT see a Linux version of QuickTime before the OS X Consumer version was out".
I forget when OS X Consumer is out... Spring maybe?? That *doesn't* mean a Linux version will be out then, what I heard implied was we might get a clearer picture..
Basically the issue for those that don't know is, OS X Consumer is a UNIX BSD-based ("the other Linux" as someone put it, although it's technically innaccurate) implementation, and since OS X is commercial that will be "competing" for mindshare. Releasing a QuickTime for Linux before OS X would kind of steal Apple's thunder... QuickTime is one of the few world-class technologies they have left that can be sold, and great QT support IS still a basis for buying a Mac for some people.
I see both sides of this, and it is frustrating not to have a robust and well-supported video system in Linux. It's not *entirely* Apple's fault as some would state.. I don't see Red Hat and SuSE funding some GPL'd alternative (which without compatible codecs is moot anyhow). Apple doesn't "owe" the any platform a player - they owe their stockowners results. Anyways, It's fantastic to see some free good work out there.... thanks LOKI! I don't think a company should "own" a video delivery system any more than a phone (or cable...) company should have a monopoly .
The FIRST person I talked to at Apple's booth said "if I wanted QuickTime on UNIX I'd have to buy OS X". Great.. does OS X run Linux binaries? Oh, wait, they quietly smothered OS X for Intel (remember?). "Der...":-/
KDE and Gnome have file and web browsing integrated, and it would be a waste of resources IMO if they were still being developed. Does anyone see the benefit of replacing those browsers with PARTS (i.e. JUST the browser which seems faster) of Mozilla?
:)
Oh wait... the MPL or NPL or whatever it's called right? Or am I mistaken?
My other comment/question:
To me one of the big plusses of open sourced software is choice... I don't worry about some big company cramming a suite of products down my throat when I want just 1 application.
I've used Mozilla SOME. I'd like to use JUST the browser, and conserve loading time and memory by discarding the built-in bookmarking, history, instant-messaging and IRC stuff I don't want.
Are these add-ons being integrated in such a way that I could easily unload them to save RAM? Doesthis work like a "default IRC client" which I could repoint to say BitchX or will it be hard-coded (yes, I know I am 'free to hack the code'... then bitch for an hour when it won't compile
I'm grateful to the mozilla folks for what they are doing. I think people tend to become a bit jaded online and make comments they wouldn't make in person.... "hey I just added some stuff to the free browser I wrote for you" - "oh great you couldn't resist the Kitchen Sink". Nice...
If I can plug in my own apps or disable the linking alltogether that sounds perfect for everyone - why complain?
I couldn't locate the Mac zealot URL that states Apple invented wireless.. do you remember where you saw it?? :)
Wireless that doesn't suck *is* new tho. Knee-jerk labeling is IMO just as bad as zealotry...
Currently I run 3 computers on a 10T home lan: Mac, Linux, and Win98 systems.
:)
I've read "Airport" type network will be available for PC's (or already is). Who makes it and what is the cost?
I'd love to move these out of The Oven, which is my computer room. 3 computers running 24/7 (distributed.net client of course..) tends to, um, "accelerate" homebrew fermentations. I just had a batch of Chocolate Stout blow the airlock out, shattering it against the ceiling. The brown spot on the ceiling is an interesting conversation piece tho.
Airport in the iMac, eh? Maybe I will put the G3 up on eBay...
Now all they need is portable mice and keyboards - are they available for USB? How about portable power in the form of microwave?
Usually I talk about my Mac in a positive light. My opinion hasn't changed - I still like it and prefer it over Linux and Win*.* for certain tasks. I'm not what some people stereotype somewhat disparagingly as the "typical Mac user" (i.e. The Mac is a threat to my Penis because it allows dumb people to use a computer without begging me to keep hacking their Registry or Init files.)
:)
:)
What I don't like about it is the dependence on Apple. I'm not worried about them going belly-up -- I also run Linux on it. I've read the G4 rom block is temporary - although if it's NOT my opinion of Apple will nosedive. My problem is someone else still controls the destiny of my computer. This happens in the wintel world also.. look at Intergraph's announcement this week, and this has nothing to do with Microsoft.
I hate the fact the Mac ships with no development tools. Apple has made the Mac Programmer's Workshop C++ compiler a free download, but it's difficult to install, and being a "non-revenue generator" that's still closed source, I doubt it will get many improvements. At least ship a BASIC...
Apple doesn't seem to encourage development by their users (see above). All those free Microsoft development tools look good, even if they are created mainly as a tool to perpetuate API lock-in. Windows is closed source, but an aweful lot of UNIX-based open sourced apps make it there (like GIMP, or FreeCiv).
I'm not decided on the mouse, but I hate the keyboard. At least make the arrow keys bigger so one can control Quake in a manner I'm used to already..
I hate Stuffit. This isn't Apple's fault directly, but by NOT bundling something better we're all hooked on that crappy Stuffit. Almost no one registers, so everytime you use it those sluggish 68000 CPU emulator libraries get loaded. Worse than Java... Bleck!
I also hate paying more for some Mac software. SOME software includes both Mac and PC software on the same disc, but Best Buy or CompUSA decides to mark it up in the Mac section by $10. Smarter users will buy the program from the PC section, which means the numbers are off.
Oh well. Not a perfect world, which is why I rely on more than one computer. I can't wait for SheepShaver for LinuxPPC to arrive so I can run Linux full-time on the thing (and not miss out on Infini-D and Premiere...)
I've answered a lot of questions from coworkers, friends and acquaintences regarding Linux as an OS. While most of them "get it" they've had no REAL* reason to run screaming from Windows to Linux
(* By this I mean some compelling reason for overnight change.)
Previously, what it would have taken to get these people to switch from Windows to Linux was a more refined Gnome/KDE and a more graphical installer (sorry gui RPM, while powerful, is just too different).
Now they're scared..
Scott
Anyone besides me always get those wierd NT problems where all your desktop icons get replaced by other applications? Explorer's using Netscape Composer's icon right now, and Quake icon's for Word. Wacky...
Lame. I can't WAIT for bandwidth to be so plentiful that "underground" music stations do to MTV what email is doing to the postal services, and Icecast has already started on traditional "corporate" radio... (on the company T1, do you prefer commercials on RealAudio or just plain MUSIC on icecast).
. idc?Product=Bill%20Gates%20Asshole%202000
MTV has all the sincerity and integrity of a bleached blonde silicon-enhanced porno whore, and if we don't want the culture they push they'll just keep pushing anyhow...
Anyways, I got this email today:
http://support.microsoft.com/isapi/support/pass
Originally it came to me as a different URL, but in a rare show of bug-fixing Microsoft plugged that one already...
I find it ironic that you can apply for a credit card online, but if you want to prevent the bank from sharing your unlisted telephone line with greedy telemarketers, you must SNAIL MAIL them.
How's that for obstruction? Mail a LETTER? At my expense? Yeesh, what's wrong with an email or a checkbox on the same secure form.
This isn't Linux Credit Card's fault, it's the bank's. I signed up regardless, but I'ze got to get stamps today. I haven't mailed anything in MONTHS, aside from shipping things like cables, etc.
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