The only difference between Chinese and Americans is that Americans think they're free. Just because we have nice TVs doesn't mean we have it so much better than the average Chinese.
Average American Income: $43,762 (US Census Bureau)
Average Chinese Income: $2,025 (WorldBank)
Average US Life Expectancy: 75 / 80 (m / f) (WHO)
Average Chinese Life Expectancy: 72 / 75 (m / f) (WHO)
Probability of dying under 5 yrs old, US: 8 per 1000 (WHO)
Probability of dying under 5 yrs old, China: 24 per 1000 (WHO)
GNI per capita, US: $47,240 (World Bank)
GNI per capita, China: $3,620 (World Bank)
Sounds like a great flashmob idea... txt out a venue where folks are watching a world cup match and show up with either real Vuvuzelas or just your cell phone making the noise... Then avoid getting the @##@ beat out of you by enraged soccer fans.
First of all, Sprint's time to answer is measured in seconds, not hours. Yes, sometimes that "seconds" is over 60 or 120 at peak hours. Call resolution is measured in minutes, and the average is nowhere near an hour. I do not believe the "2-3 hour" estimate you provide unless its an extreme circumstance. Now, that being said, if you worked in a store where you were already capable of solving most basic problems directly and quickly, I wouldn't be surprised if your calls (escalations essentially) averaged longer.
Second, all carriers share towers. Take a look at a typical city tower these days and you'll see 3-6+ antennas on them. You might have meant that Sprint and Verizon use the same network technology (CDMA) and sometimes (not always) roam on each other. And ATT and T-Mobile both use the same technology (GSM) and sometimes (not always) roam on each other. But that overlooks many other companies involved in both network technologies and the fact that most towers have all carriers on them -- that's actually the major profit motive for the companies that own the tower -- one property with many lessees.
I won't speak to your comments about the other carriers as I don't have expertise on them, but based on the two items above, I'm skeptical.
the ability to dynamically switch either side from eReader/Netbook at any moment
Ummm... That would be physically impossible with e-ink, AFAIK... You could certainly do that with a dual-screen tablet and an app for your e-reader, but you cannot switch between physical display technologies on the fly. e-ink provides a completely different platform than a tablet much more suited to reading.
Wow, I came to this conclusion within minutes of owning a Kindle DX and I strongly suspected it before it even arrived. Yes, textbook models are largely becoming obsolete. Only crazy ppl in California think that every student just needs pdfs of the textbooks for e-learning. sigh...
On a related note, check out the Entourage Edge concept. I don't know that they've got everything right yet, but this is on a better track than the Kindle DX.
Here is an excellent blog post by Qualcomm's VP of Education Technology on the 21st century textbook.
As for the DNA I wouldn't have any problem giving it voluntarily since they don't know who I am...
How long will it be before they can take that DNA and simulate/project what you would look like at college age? So how hard would it be, from the DNA sample, to link it back to other publicly available identifying records (like photos on your facebook page or flickr or the yearbook)?
If I want to send my kid to private school, they don't let me opt out of paying for the public schools.
That's because you aren't paying for your kid's education. You are paying for a public education system. This is why non-parents also pay the same taxes. Society benefits from a public education system.
The concept that anonymous postings on the internet carry any authority which could rise to libel is crazy.
Now, that being said... If Google was served takedown notices and failed to comply, shame on them. That act would constitute defense of the position, IMHO.
...aliens wouldn't be travelling across space pointlessly. If they spend a lot of time and energy to actually travel to our parts, a likely reason for doing so might be that they want to find resources they need for survival.
Traveling here may or may not be "a lot of time and energy" in their terms, depending on their level of advancement. However, communication would still likely be cheaper than travel. In fact, one could argue that it is likely *much* cheaper. To the point that communication/collaboration to solve problems of sustainability with other species is *much* more productive than travel/conflict...
Ok, I know there was more to your statement than that, but I just couldn't get past the killer app for computing device being books. What a world.;)
Atryn
The terrific achievements of British intelligence were largely due to the fact......and perhaps even homosexual liaisons....What we need is strong DOD leadership so that the incessant rivalries between the CIA, FBI, NSA and military intelligence agencies are at least made less harmful I am not optimistic however.
Well, we ARE trying to do away with Don't Ask, Don't Tell... Sounds like that might be a step in the right direction.;)
How about never needed? I'm not the one to punish for something someone else's grandfather did to another person's grandfather. Affirmative Action is totally ridiculous and should never be implemented by any company or government. The merits of a worker is their talent, not the colour of their skin or where they come from.
I used to be of this same perspective when I was younger and more naive. AA has nothing to do with "punitive" measures for your "grandfather's" wrongs, so don't misinterpret it that way. AA has to do with the imbalance/inequality in opportunity available to otherwise equal people. Yes, the merits of a person -- I agree. But what if that person never had the opportunity you had because of a pervasive and persistent bias culture?
As I said before, this isn't the case anymore in many places, but it certainly is in others. Even in the public, free K-12 system in the US there are still significant inequalities in access to resources, talent, technology, etc. that are entirely tied to historical inequities and patterns. Much has been done and is being done to overcome that, but it is hard.
The wealthy and established (majority and historically white) will always want the "best" for their children -- better than what anyone else is getting. It is virtually impossible to "match" opportunity to develop the "skills" you speak of among otherwise equal babies. This is what makes class/caste systems persist.
Now, I am a white male in the US who has suffered under reverse discrimination and AA, so don't think I'm pleading my own case. But I see where my "upper-middle-class" upbringing has tremendous advantages over a multitude of others. And I have recognized raw talent in people that is simply lacking any development and refinement due to unequal opportunity.
Yet, I remain on the fence on the issue of AA and I think it may be approaching the point where its negatives outweigh its positives... we'll see.
Why can't game developers figure this out? It's not worth the cost.
or record companies, or movie studios?
Seriously? Do you think these are comparable? One is a manufacturing situation in which there are scaled cost advantages in overlooking excess production that doesn't affect your sales market. The other is almost purely Intellectual Property in which excess production and circulation has no advantages and often does creep into your (otherwise) target market.
Example, you would know of austudy and abstudy, these are centrelink payments you get as a student. Now, in an equal society, why are these two different systems needed, why can't aboriginal students be treated the same as white students?
They receive more money and more benefits than any white man could hope for in the same situation. Call me crazy, but that is racist, against the majority.
I don't know the Australian systems you describe but your summary makes them sound a lot like Affirmative Action here in the US. This is a tough question. There is no question that AA is prejudice and, depending on implementation, racist. However, as it is there to correct a past wrong, the hard part is deciding when it is still or no longer needed. We are struggling with this question still in the US, as evidence by the recent University of Michigan case on admissions.
One major issue here is whether the "need" for AA is perceived to be "over" in some areas (such as the North) but the opposite in others (like the South)... I waffle a bit on this issue myself. I'd personally prefer no law or regulation mentioning race (thus invalidating AA) but that is based on the assumption that racism and inequality is no longer an issue... which is only true in some places.
The only reason the loyalty was misplaced was because the CEO screwed them.
And a man's honor should know no geographic bounds, especially in this day and age. I would expect anyone considering business with this man (including anyone in Ireland, or elsewhere) to take heed and note that he is not trustworthy. I would also encourage such former employees to make the facts of the case known wide and far, as far as is possible without criminal libel or slander.
So basically, what Apple are saying with the iPad is "We've taken all the negative traits we thought about netbooks, made them worse, added more, and doubled the price".
Clearly you don't understand Apple... What they are doing is changing what people want.;)
"Kindle", "iPad", "Nook" and you have a "PRS-505"... wow, is that selling well?
Having worked in the carrier industry, I've been amazed with the lack of creativity and marketing in naming of some devices. Even putting the technical improvements aside, should we be surprised when the "Touch Pro" outsells the "PPC-6800"?
I think this is one area Apple has done well with. Even with Blackberry adopting names like "Curve", "Pearl", etc. you somehow always still need to know its numeric identifier to find the right updates, support, talk to your carrier, etc... Simplicity is an advantage and marketing/branding certainly has a role to play in simplicity.
You don't need bluetooth tethering for that. You just need to go for UMTS 3G, and provide a slot for a SIM card. I buy one from whichever provider I want, stick it in, and it just works, no tethering involved.
Why would needing to move hardware (even a SIM card) around be easier than wireless connectivity? Whether you are using Bluetooth or WiFi (such as a walking hotspot app on several smartphones, a MiFi, or other mobile WiFi personal access app/service) isn't no cables, no sim, always on, using your existing paid connection/account better than saying "well, as long as it supports x specific standard and I can insert hardware for it..."
WiFi and BT are standard enough and allow you to completely disassociate the iPad from the network/carrier issue.
no useful text editor. Also no useful spreadsheets or web page editors
Assuming you've already sifted through the 140,000 apps and not found a text or spreadsheet editor, you could always use Google Docs and Spreadsheets...
No reason to use AT&T's 3G, just get an Overdrive with Sprint 3G/4G and use it with the WiFi version. Or for 3G only, a MiFi.
Really, it's appalling that teachers aren't some of our most highly-paid professionals.
While I wouldn't mind seeing teachers paid more, that hasn't been the main problem, IMHO, for some time. In this market (Atlanta) good teachers take a pay cut to go work in the better private schools. The attraction is clear... they have a more supportive environment, creativity is encouraged, parents tend to be more engaged/supportive, students tend to be more motivated (not to mention in many of these schools tested in at minimum levels), etc.
I agree that age-based instruction is a major flaw we have in today's system. But I've also increasingly come to believe that the biggest flaw in the U.S. K-12 system is the political basis. I'm just not sure anymore that locally elected school boards are the best way to run a district or bring about positive change. I've interacted with some pretty frightening school board members across the country who really have little to no related skills or education to qualify them for the role. They just won a local popularity contest.
The best / most successful districts I have encountered, the School Board hires a really good Superintendent and then mostly backs off. A great SI who is well educated, professionally minded, motivational with business sense makes a huge difference. That position, IMHO, should definitely be paid more.
Combine this with the recent news of Apple and the NY Times working on the supposed Apple Slate and the logic here could be that they are planning for their tablet / news media option. Providing free or low cost access to subscription based news via advertising is certainly nothing new.
Hmmm... that's the first time I've been marked troll and I wasn't trolling for anything. odd... I thought that an example of how a negative memory association might be helpful would be more welcome than most of the jokes that had been posted. Oh well.
Slashdot Mirror
Should we assume you meant half the US prison population?
Average American Income: $43,762 (US Census Bureau)
Average Chinese Income: $2,025 (WorldBank)
Average US Life Expectancy: 75 / 80 (m / f) (WHO)
Average Chinese Life Expectancy: 72 / 75 (m / f) (WHO)
Probability of dying under 5 yrs old, US: 8 per 1000 (WHO)
Probability of dying under 5 yrs old, China: 24 per 1000 (WHO)
GNI per capita, US: $47,240 (World Bank)
GNI per capita, China: $3,620 (World Bank)
Sounds like a great flashmob idea... txt out a venue where folks are watching a world cup match and show up with either real Vuvuzelas or just your cell phone making the noise... Then avoid getting the @##@ beat out of you by enraged soccer fans.
Hmm, multiple things wrong in this post...
First of all, Sprint's time to answer is measured in seconds, not hours. Yes, sometimes that "seconds" is over 60 or 120 at peak hours. Call resolution is measured in minutes, and the average is nowhere near an hour. I do not believe the "2-3 hour" estimate you provide unless its an extreme circumstance. Now, that being said, if you worked in a store where you were already capable of solving most basic problems directly and quickly, I wouldn't be surprised if your calls (escalations essentially) averaged longer.
Second, all carriers share towers. Take a look at a typical city tower these days and you'll see 3-6+ antennas on them. You might have meant that Sprint and Verizon use the same network technology (CDMA) and sometimes (not always) roam on each other. And ATT and T-Mobile both use the same technology (GSM) and sometimes (not always) roam on each other. But that overlooks many other companies involved in both network technologies and the fact that most towers have all carriers on them -- that's actually the major profit motive for the companies that own the tower -- one property with many lessees.
I won't speak to your comments about the other carriers as I don't have expertise on them, but based on the two items above, I'm skeptical.
Ummm... That would be physically impossible with e-ink, AFAIK... You could certainly do that with a dual-screen tablet and an app for your e-reader, but you cannot switch between physical display technologies on the fly. e-ink provides a completely different platform than a tablet much more suited to reading.
Wow, I came to this conclusion within minutes of owning a Kindle DX and I strongly suspected it before it even arrived. Yes, textbook models are largely becoming obsolete. Only crazy ppl in California think that every student just needs pdfs of the textbooks for e-learning. sigh...
On a related note, check out the Entourage Edge concept. I don't know that they've got everything right yet, but this is on a better track than the Kindle DX.
Here is an excellent blog post by Qualcomm's VP of Education Technology on the 21st century textbook.
How long will it be before they can take that DNA and simulate/project what you would look like at college age? So how hard would it be, from the DNA sample, to link it back to other publicly available identifying records (like photos on your facebook page or flickr or the yearbook)?
Atryn
That's because you aren't paying for your kid's education. You are paying for a public education system. This is why non-parents also pay the same taxes. Society benefits from a public education system.
+1 here and mod this person up.
The concept that anonymous postings on the internet carry any authority which could rise to libel is crazy.
Now, that being said... If Google was served takedown notices and failed to comply, shame on them. That act would constitute defense of the position, IMHO.
Traveling here may or may not be "a lot of time and energy" in their terms, depending on their level of advancement. However, communication would still likely be cheaper than travel. In fact, one could argue that it is likely *much* cheaper. To the point that communication/collaboration to solve problems of sustainability with other species is *much* more productive than travel/conflict...
Ok, I know there was more to your statement than that, but I just couldn't get past the killer app for computing device being books. What a world. ;)
Atryn
Well, we ARE trying to do away with Don't Ask, Don't Tell... Sounds like that might be a step in the right direction. ;)
I used to be of this same perspective when I was younger and more naive. AA has nothing to do with "punitive" measures for your "grandfather's" wrongs, so don't misinterpret it that way. AA has to do with the imbalance/inequality in opportunity available to otherwise equal people. Yes, the merits of a person -- I agree. But what if that person never had the opportunity you had because of a pervasive and persistent bias culture?
As I said before, this isn't the case anymore in many places, but it certainly is in others. Even in the public, free K-12 system in the US there are still significant inequalities in access to resources, talent, technology, etc. that are entirely tied to historical inequities and patterns. Much has been done and is being done to overcome that, but it is hard.
The wealthy and established (majority and historically white) will always want the "best" for their children -- better than what anyone else is getting. It is virtually impossible to "match" opportunity to develop the "skills" you speak of among otherwise equal babies. This is what makes class/caste systems persist.
Now, I am a white male in the US who has suffered under reverse discrimination and AA, so don't think I'm pleading my own case. But I see where my "upper-middle-class" upbringing has tremendous advantages over a multitude of others. And I have recognized raw talent in people that is simply lacking any development and refinement due to unequal opportunity.
Yet, I remain on the fence on the issue of AA and I think it may be approaching the point where its negatives outweigh its positives... we'll see.
Seriously? Do you think these are comparable? One is a manufacturing situation in which there are scaled cost advantages in overlooking excess production that doesn't affect your sales market. The other is almost purely Intellectual Property in which excess production and circulation has no advantages and often does creep into your (otherwise) target market.
I don't know the Australian systems you describe but your summary makes them sound a lot like Affirmative Action here in the US. This is a tough question. There is no question that AA is prejudice and, depending on implementation, racist. However, as it is there to correct a past wrong, the hard part is deciding when it is still or no longer needed. We are struggling with this question still in the US, as evidence by the recent University of Michigan case on admissions.
One major issue here is whether the "need" for AA is perceived to be "over" in some areas (such as the North) but the opposite in others (like the South)... I waffle a bit on this issue myself. I'd personally prefer no law or regulation mentioning race (thus invalidating AA) but that is based on the assumption that racism and inequality is no longer an issue... which is only true in some places.
And a man's honor should know no geographic bounds, especially in this day and age. I would expect anyone considering business with this man (including anyone in Ireland, or elsewhere) to take heed and note that he is not trustworthy. I would also encourage such former employees to make the facts of the case known wide and far, as far as is possible without criminal libel or slander.
You aren't married, are you? Atryn
just to clarify... "few" might be a better phrase. Plenty of options here.
Clearly you don't understand Apple... What they are doing is changing what people want. ;)
Just a side observation here but... WTF?
"Kindle", "iPad", "Nook" and you have a "PRS-505"... wow, is that selling well?
Having worked in the carrier industry, I've been amazed with the lack of creativity and marketing in naming of some devices. Even putting the technical improvements aside, should we be surprised when the "Touch Pro" outsells the "PPC-6800"?
I think this is one area Apple has done well with. Even with Blackberry adopting names like "Curve", "Pearl", etc. you somehow always still need to know its numeric identifier to find the right updates, support, talk to your carrier, etc... Simplicity is an advantage and marketing/branding certainly has a role to play in simplicity.
Why would needing to move hardware (even a SIM card) around be easier than wireless connectivity? Whether you are using Bluetooth or WiFi (such as a walking hotspot app on several smartphones, a MiFi, or other mobile WiFi personal access app/service) isn't no cables, no sim, always on, using your existing paid connection/account better than saying "well, as long as it supports x specific standard and I can insert hardware for it..."
WiFi and BT are standard enough and allow you to completely disassociate the iPad from the network/carrier issue.
Assuming you've already sifted through the 140,000 apps and not found a text or spreadsheet editor, you could always use Google Docs and Spreadsheets...
No reason to use AT&T's 3G, just get an Overdrive with Sprint 3G/4G and use it with the WiFi version. Or for 3G only, a MiFi.
While I wouldn't mind seeing teachers paid more, that hasn't been the main problem, IMHO, for some time. In this market (Atlanta) good teachers take a pay cut to go work in the better private schools. The attraction is clear... they have a more supportive environment, creativity is encouraged, parents tend to be more engaged/supportive, students tend to be more motivated (not to mention in many of these schools tested in at minimum levels), etc.
I agree that age-based instruction is a major flaw we have in today's system. But I've also increasingly come to believe that the biggest flaw in the U.S. K-12 system is the political basis. I'm just not sure anymore that locally elected school boards are the best way to run a district or bring about positive change. I've interacted with some pretty frightening school board members across the country who really have little to no related skills or education to qualify them for the role. They just won a local popularity contest.
The best / most successful districts I have encountered, the School Board hires a really good Superintendent and then mostly backs off. A great SI who is well educated, professionally minded, motivational with business sense makes a huge difference. That position, IMHO, should definitely be paid more.
Combine this with the recent news of Apple and the NY Times working on the supposed Apple Slate and the logic here could be that they are planning for their tablet / news media option. Providing free or low cost access to subscription based news via advertising is certainly nothing new.
Hmmm... that's the first time I've been marked troll and I wasn't trolling for anything. odd... I thought that an example of how a negative memory association might be helpful would be more welcome than most of the jokes that had been posted. Oh well.