Without having seen the exact implementation of Microsoft and Kodak's different photo software, it's hard to make a judgement - unlike what everyone else here appears to be doing.
It's entirely possible that Microsoft may have written better camera controlling software than Kodak. It's not a foregone conclusion, by any means - but I've seen some pretty awful driver software for the digital camera I own - one that crashes the machine on a regular basis, at any rate - and I'd have no problem using a competitors product if it was more stable and fully featured. Even if the competitor was Microsoft.
Besides, I'm inclined to blame Kodak on this one - it's up to their installer to make sure that their software can be run properly.
Isn't that slightly dangerous? I can see it now... robot comes swinging round a corner at 35kph and collides with a lecturer - but instead of stopping, keeps running, causing severe injury as it mutters "Kernel Panic"...
Is it not possible to activate tracking on a car remotely after a given time period? I remember reading something like this in a Tom Clancy novel...
I'd have no problem if the car was set up to start reporting its location beginning at the time when the car was expected to be returned to the rental agency.
You can't rent a car if you don't have a full driving license - and many rental companies over here refuse to rent to anyone under the age of 25. You can't get a full driving license unless you've passed a driving test.
I'm not trying to claim there are no disadvantages to privacy. You're right, if a mutant racoon (or Slashdot reader) bit off my legs, it's entirely possible that I'd be stuck there if nobody knew where I was. Though even if I did have a GPS device, it's entirely possible that nobody would notice until I was dead anyway.
What I am saying is that if a person wants privacy (as I do), then they should be entitled to it (as near as possible anyway - being realistic, you're unlikely to get privacy in an urban area).
...didn't someone just say that GPS wasn't accurate in a moving vehicle? By that account, how, precisely, can the GPS device be sure of the speed the motorist has been driving at? It could be wrong!
What about the situation where you're pulled over by the police for speeding in a rental car? According to this contract, you'd then be fined twice for the same offence!
I'm not Paranoid! I just value my privacy. There are virtues in being away from it all - being uncontactable, and having nobody know precisely where you are.
I'm well aware of that. My point it that fundamentally the speed limit should be at the discretion of the driver. As an AC posted below, the limit is the lowest common denominator of what's safe (except in the case of country roads in Ireland, it seems).
Unfortunately there are idiots out there that will drive recklessly if they're not controlled by law, thereby spoiling it for everyone else. The german Autobahn has no speed limit in many sections - and the accident statistics are no different to those with motorways here that are limited at 70MPH.
As far as I know the police over here enforce a 10% rule for this very reason - namely, that you can get away with up to 10% over the limit without a fine.
I'm personally a believer in digital speedometers though. Watch my DeLorean vaporize at 88MPH!
Speed limits are the law, but they're silly. Let me give you a local example.
In Ireland, the national speed limit is 60MPH. This is for all zones where no speed limit is signposted - basically everywhere other than urban areas. The upshot is that it is fully legal to drive at 60MPH through twisty country roads - many of which have no lighting. It's also suicide. But it's legal.
Yet, on a motorway - a perfectly straight and wide road, it's illegal to drive faster than 70MPH. That's right folks, on a perfectly straight road, extra wide, and specially designed for higher speeds, you're only allowed drive 10MPH faster than you're allowed go on twisty country roads.
And what about weather? You're allowed drive at 60MPH through country roads that are covered in snow. What's that about? Anyone ever tried driving faster than 10MPH on snow who's lived to tell the tale?
Slashdot Mirror
Without having seen the exact implementation of Microsoft and Kodak's different photo software, it's hard to make a judgement - unlike what everyone else here appears to be doing.
It's entirely possible that Microsoft may have written better camera controlling software than Kodak. It's not a foregone conclusion, by any means - but I've seen some pretty awful driver software for the digital camera I own - one that crashes the machine on a regular basis, at any rate - and I'd have no problem using a competitors product if it was more stable and fully featured. Even if the competitor was Microsoft.
Besides, I'm inclined to blame Kodak on this one - it's up to their installer to make sure that their software can be run properly.
Food for thought, at any rate.
I dunno, I'd be very afraid of having the power run out at the wrong time...
...was the codenumber of the robot in Robocop, no?
What do you feed robots? What do they like to drink?
The batteries will hardly last more than a few months, though, wouldn't you think?
Problem is that the vending machines don't have any mechanism for seeing (yet).
Isn't that slightly dangerous? I can see it now... robot comes swinging round a corner at 35kph and collides with a lecturer - but instead of stopping, keeps running, causing severe injury as it mutters "Kernel Panic"...
Easy. Your relatives do.
In the same scenarios that everyone else does, namely:
* Mechanical/tyre faillure (rare, but not unknown).
* Another driver doing something stupid.
* Potholes/road problems.
* Driver error.
Though...
Is it not possible to activate tracking on a car remotely after a given time period? I remember reading something like this in a Tom Clancy novel...
I'd have no problem if the car was set up to start reporting its location beginning at the time when the car was expected to be returned to the rental agency.
You can't rent a car if you don't have a full driving license - and many rental companies over here refuse to rent to anyone under the age of 25. You can't get a full driving license unless you've passed a driving test.
I'm not trying to claim there are no disadvantages to privacy. You're right, if a mutant racoon (or Slashdot reader) bit off my legs, it's entirely possible that I'd be stuck there if nobody knew where I was. Though even if I did have a GPS device, it's entirely possible that nobody would notice until I was dead anyway.
What I am saying is that if a person wants privacy (as I do), then they should be entitled to it (as near as possible anyway - being realistic, you're unlikely to get privacy in an urban area).
...didn't someone just say that GPS wasn't accurate in a moving vehicle? By that account, how, precisely, can the GPS device be sure of the speed the motorist has been driving at? It could be wrong!
...so you were going 10 km/h over the limit? :)
Hehe - now you're being extreme... I've never bothered sweeping the house for bugs, as I can't imagine anyone would bother.
:)
Besides, if I did hit a tree/fall off a cliff/blew up, it wouldn't make a great deal of difference if I had a GPS device etc, as I'd still be dead!
Privacy doesn't give you the ability to do things that others can't. It does, however, ensure that whatever you can do is your own business only.
I dunno... charging people extra for stopping at McDonalds wouldn't bother me :)
What about the situation where you're pulled over by the police for speeding in a rental car? According to this contract, you'd then be fined twice for the same offence!
I'm not Paranoid! I just value my privacy. There are virtues in being away from it all - being uncontactable, and having nobody know precisely where you are.
I'm well aware of that. My point it that fundamentally the speed limit should be at the discretion of the driver. As an AC posted below, the limit is the lowest common denominator of what's safe (except in the case of country roads in Ireland, it seems).
Unfortunately there are idiots out there that will drive recklessly if they're not controlled by law, thereby spoiling it for everyone else. The german Autobahn has no speed limit in many sections - and the accident statistics are no different to those with motorways here that are limited at 70MPH.
Now yes - I know that's their fault - but IMHO the key provisions of any contract, including something like this, should be very obvious.
As it happens, I don't.
But whether I do or not - my exact location at any given time is my business - nobody elses. This is the same reason I do not carry a mobile phone.
Funny you should mention that...
...after all, a motorist was booked for doing 773kph....
As far as I know the police over here enforce a 10% rule for this very reason - namely, that you can get away with up to 10% over the limit without a fine.
I'm personally a believer in digital speedometers though. Watch my DeLorean vaporize at 88MPH!
Speed limits are the law, but they're silly. Let me give you a local example.
In Ireland, the national speed limit is 60MPH. This is for all zones where no speed limit is signposted - basically everywhere other than urban areas. The upshot is that it is fully legal to drive at 60MPH through twisty country roads - many of which have no lighting. It's also suicide. But it's legal.
Yet, on a motorway - a perfectly straight and wide road, it's illegal to drive faster than 70MPH. That's right folks, on a perfectly straight road, extra wide, and specially designed for higher speeds, you're only allowed drive 10MPH faster than you're allowed go on twisty country roads.
And what about weather? You're allowed drive at 60MPH through country roads that are covered in snow. What's that about? Anyone ever tried driving faster than 10MPH on snow who's lived to tell the tale?