In case you don't remember, the first multi-touch product wasa keyboard. Apple bought FingerWorks and began incorporating its technology into their projects.
But as I wrote previously, the lack of tactile feedback is a deal-killer for anybody who types in their profession. It just makes typing too slow (55 wpm vs. 120 wpm).
Fortunately, the clever folks at FingerWorks (now Apple) have realized that, and they've been busily working on ways to reconfigure the tactile surface dynamically. I hope they work out -- it was very nice not having to move my hands to mouse.
On-disk encryption is why the U.S. government would be nervous about Chinese ownership of Seagate. They'd be afraid of a back door in their "secure" hard drives.
You may remember them for their Multi-Touch keyboard nearly 4 years ago. Apple first began incorporating the technology into their scrolling trackpads about 2 years ago. Now it has found its way into the iPhone.
For those of you at work who want to know what happened without pulling up a (overloaded) video stream, here's a text summary of everything that happened.
It's still got a bluray drive in the cheap version, it just doesn't have HDMI+HDCP, so you can't watch (some of) your bluray discs in full resolution.
I guess this explains Sony's prior announcement that their movies wouldn't force down-converting on analog outputs. At the time it looked like it was just an attempt to improve Blu-Ray's chances against HD-DVD, but now it looks like the decision was driven by the limitations of their low-end PS3.
The upcoming (high def) TiVo Series 3 has an e-SATA port. Adding more recording space will be a whole lot easier than it was before, especially for the less adventurous folks.
According to the article, use of the "Image Constraint Token" is up to the studios. This announcement is only that Sony movies won't force down-sampling "for the foreseeable future". Other studios' movies could, since the players will still support it.
Mac mini contains 667MHz (PC2-5300) double data rate, synchronous dynamic random-access memory (DDR2-SDRAM), one of the fastest memory technologies available today. Your Mac mini comes standard with two 256MB SO-DIMM chips for a total of 512 megabytes (MB) of memory... You can upgrade your memory later by taking your system to an Apple Authorized Service Provider or doing it yourself.
This sounds like you no longer have to tear the thing apart simply to upgrade the RAM.
However, sales of CRT televisions fell as consumers showed a preference for flat-panel models, the company said.
But then,
Continuing the restructuring in its electronics business, the company said it would... stop development and manufacturing of plasma televisions... It will also kill its Qualia line of pricey, high-specification products.
Are they getting out of the display business entirely?
There were rumblings about the Intel Macs dropping Classic support, but now it looks official. Compare the software specs for the PowerBook G4 to the MacBook Pro.
Someone on the Apple discussion boards pointed me to DT&T Computer Services. They charge $225 to replace the logic board (with a refurb). I haven't used them, but they're quite helpful on the phone. They also don't charge for the diagnosis. You pay shipping (there and back), diagnosis is free, and then you decide whether to pay for repairs. Also, other common problems (e.g. broken video cables) are cheaper still.
I've got a retractable cable from Gomadic with tips for both my cell phone and my PDA. That lets me charge from my laptop with minimal clutter, which is really handy for travel.
There are also a number of USB power adapters (for AC, car, air, or all of the above) out there in case you don't want to charge from your laptop.
I have no affiliation with any of these companies other than using their products.
It sure would be nice if they rated commercials, too. I remember, years ago, a commercial for the new Ripley's Believe It Or Not came on at dinner time (during the Simpsons, I believe). Without warning, the commercial came on, and a guy started hammering a nail up his nose. Then somebody had worms crawling all over them. Suddenly my spaghetti didn't look so appealing, and I barely managed to keep down what I had already eaten!
I've always wished that someone would build a cheap IP-enabled clock. I know of the SoundBridge Radio, but it's gigantic and has a terrible display for use as a bedside alarm clock. (And it's not cheap.)
Things that are missing from existing IP-enabled devices:
Small (fits on a small bedside table), but with large numbers (legible in the middle of the night).
A proper color display for bedside use (e.g. not blue).
A dimmable display.
Large, distinct (by touch) buttons for control when your eyes are closed.
Things that are missing from alarm clocks:
NTP time synchronization. Not everybody can get WWVB.
Audio streaming. I get terrible radio reception, and I hate waking up to commercials.
Configurable UI. If it's a real embedded device, you can tweak the buttons' behavior if you think the UI is dumb. (I don't care if this is difficult, as long as it's possible.)
Configurable behavior. If it doesn't have the feature you need (like those in the parent), you can add it.
Other niceties:
Battery back-up. Yes, there are still some clocks that don't have it. Of course, streaming would be difficult with no power, so it should have a piezo buzzer as a backup.
Power over Ethernet. Fewer cords, less risk of killing yourself when you knock over your glass of water at 3 in the morning. Probably cheaper than going wireless.
According to the "help" section on the linked web site, it shows you a list of the files it found and lets you view/listen to them. Here's what it says about compiling the list:
NOTE: Digital File Check will initially direct you to files in your 'shared folders'. The music, video and image files in these folders are likely to be illegal. When the programme scans for music, video, image and other files in other parts of your computer however, it does not distinguish between legal and illegal copies. It is up to the user to determine whether the files found by the programme were acquired legally, or if the material should be deleted.
So Mom could still delete Junior's legal music if she's not careful. It depends on the default action.
It's not clear to me whether the above means that it does somehow "distinguish between legal and illegal copies" in your "shared" folders (whatever that means), or if it simply presumes they're illegal. It's also unclear to me whether it presumes the other files are legal.
It sounds like the clicky noises on the iPod don't do it for you, but they at least did the same thing here. In small print on the side of the design page, it says that "a tiny speaker inside Mighty Mouse produces button-clicking and Scroll Ball-rolling sound effects."
Not quite as good as tactile feedback, but definitely better than none.
Thanks to a smooth top shell with touch-sensitive technology beneath, Mighty Mouse allows you to right click without a right button. Capacitive sensors under Mighty Mouse's seamless top shell detect where your fingers are and predict your clicking intentions, so you don't need two buttons -- just two fingers.
Slashdot Mirror
I wish I could mod the previous AC up, but I'll have to use my karma instead. Here's a link to the actual subject of the story:
https://www.transportation.gov/AV
Amazing that neither the /. editor nor the linked/plagiarized Vox article bothered to provide it.
The correct term for this is backhole.
For those who are wondering, the FLAC is 96 kHz, 24-bit. I presume ALAC is the same.
Reminds me of all the jokes when the "iPad" name was announced (and before!).
And Bloom County's chartreuse flame thrower.
In case you don't remember, the first multi-touch product was a keyboard. Apple bought FingerWorks and began incorporating its technology into their projects.
But as I wrote previously, the lack of tactile feedback is a deal-killer for anybody who types in their profession. It just makes typing too slow (55 wpm vs. 120 wpm).
Fortunately, the clever folks at FingerWorks (now Apple) have realized that, and they've been busily working on ways to reconfigure the tactile surface dynamically. I hope they work out -- it was very nice not having to move my hands to mouse.
On-disk encryption is why the U.S. government would be nervous about Chinese ownership of Seagate. They'd be afraid of a back door in their "secure" hard drives.
Apple bought FingerWorks several years ago.
You may remember them for their Multi-Touch keyboard nearly 4 years ago. Apple first began incorporating the technology into their scrolling trackpads about 2 years ago. Now it has found its way into the iPhone.
For those of you at work who want to know what happened without pulling up a (overloaded) video stream, here's a text summary of everything that happened.
Rumors say that there's a horizontal rod that you place just near your TV that does the spatial detection. We'll know more tomorrow.
The upcoming (high def) TiVo Series 3 has an e-SATA port. Adding more recording space will be a whole lot easier than it was before, especially for the less adventurous folks.
According to the article, use of the "Image Constraint Token" is up to the studios. This announcement is only that Sony movies won't force down-sampling "for the foreseeable future". Other studios' movies could, since the players will still support it.
Welcome to consumer confusion.
There were rumblings about the Intel Macs dropping Classic support, but now it looks official. Compare the software specs for the PowerBook G4 to the MacBook Pro.
Someone on the Apple discussion boards pointed me to DT&T Computer Services. They charge $225 to replace the logic board (with a refurb). I haven't used them, but they're quite helpful on the phone. They also don't charge for the diagnosis. You pay shipping (there and back), diagnosis is free, and then you decide whether to pay for repairs. Also, other common problems (e.g. broken video cables) are cheaper still.
There are also a number of USB power adapters (for AC, car, air, or all of the above) out there in case you don't want to charge from your laptop.
I have no affiliation with any of these companies other than using their products.
It sure would be nice if they rated commercials, too. I remember, years ago, a commercial for the new Ripley's Believe It Or Not came on at dinner time (during the Simpsons, I believe). Without warning, the commercial came on, and a guy started hammering a nail up his nose. Then somebody had worms crawling all over them. Suddenly my spaghetti didn't look so appealing, and I barely managed to keep down what I had already eaten!
Things that are missing from existing IP-enabled devices:
Things that are missing from alarm clocks:
Other niceties:
According to the "help" section on the linked web site, it shows you a list of the files it found and lets you view/listen to them. Here's what it says about compiling the list:
So Mom could still delete Junior's legal music if she's not careful. It depends on the default action.
It's not clear to me whether the above means that it does somehow "distinguish between legal and illegal copies" in your "shared" folders (whatever that means), or if it simply presumes they're illegal. It's also unclear to me whether it presumes the other files are legal.
Not quite as good as tactile feedback, but definitely better than none.