The above is actually very much on-topic. It shows how pixels have started to become irrelevant, as we are now reached a point where the size of pixels can differ an order of magnitude between one display and another. The days of pixel-perfect rendering, thus, are gone; Where 10 pixels would be enough on a regular display to render small print, they would now pretty much be rendered unreadable. Instead, we'd need to render as points instead. The above wraps said facts into a geeky joke, where the contract is rendered in 12 points but the smallprint as 10 pixels, which would render it completely unreadable on the high-res displays being discussed in this thread.
Just a guess: because 1. They make their money on the games, not on the console, and/or 2. Money is more important than providing added value to your customers?
The point of branding is to help people recognize what they can expect from a product. If you disagree with the proven track record of shady business tactics of a company, just consider their logo to be a warning label. You'll be surprised at how well this works.
Pixels that small means the resolution of monitors will be far higher than what the human eye can perceive. Even if it is just a bit higher, that's all we need. Unless we're trying to cater for a whole new breed of gullible Videophiles...
I feel for what he must have gone through, and hope he brings down an Evil Corporation, setting a precedent for all Evil Corporations to come- but I think he's barking up the wrong tree.
Just because wire-tapping functionality is built-in, doesn't mean you should use it to enforce a totalitarian regime. I think Nokia could easily argue that this was not the original intent and purpose of the equipment.
Just because a length of rope can be used for strangling someone, that doesn't mean that the rope manufacturer should be held liable. Just because you can break someone's skull with a hammer, that doesn't mean the manufacturer can be held responsible.
Only when the tool is *intended* for killing and hurting do we enter a grey area - If your neighbour shoots you in the knee cap, are you going to sue the gun manufacturer or the person that used the gun? Chances are, you'll still go after that sob of a neighbour that held the gun rather than after the people that built it.
So what? Everyone has something to hide, and it's not only indoors. The system has no business spying on when and where people went.
This is a step worse than CCTV cameras (which were put up "for the safety of the public" but don't really help reduce crime). Now imagine that all this imagery is also conveniently linked to the names of people.
Some people go to the local Red Light district. Others go to their dealer. Yet others go and visit their lovers or whatnot. Yet others accidentally find themselves at the scene of a crime and *really* don't want to be forced to be a witness in the case, nor to be implicated. Yet these scanners will place them at a certain location at a certain time. So what?
Fact: Information leaks. It is not a matter of if it happens, but when it happens. Do you want to be watching your every step 24/7 just because information about your whereabouts will be out there at some point in the future?
"But if I'm doing nothing wrong, so I'm OK with people watching me." True story: I like to go out for walks at night. I live near an industrial area which has some nice paths, ponds, and a good scenery. Great to go for a stroll, and I'm doing nothing wrong, just enjoying the evening air. Suddenly a security car pulls up next to me asking me what I'm doing. "Just going for a stroll", I answer. Apparently someone has seen me walking about on CCTV. Mind you- not doing anything wrong. But just because someone has decided to put up CCTV cameras and sees me walking about, my innocent stroll suddenly triggers them sending over a security car. I now feel less free to move about, because I don't want to cause false alarms. What used to be "doing nothing wrong" without CCTV, suddenly becomes "possibly being a nuisance" if CCTV is there (even though my behaviour is the same!) Who wants to bet that to keep going for walks there will eventually get me in trouble? In any case, my stroll will never be the same: Either I avoid said area (for no good reason!) or what was previously an innocent stroll about, in my mind would now be a rebel statement. So what? It changes everything, because it changes me.
In the middle of all this, you're forgetting that you (and all of us) have rights, which were hard-won, and you're giving them away, just like that, saying "So what?" The blood of our ancestors, that's what!
how I can make non-automated testing a little bit more stimulating
You answered your own question: Automate it.
If you can't automate it, this is likely because your presentation layer and logic layer are not properly separated- which calls for refactoring (although it's easier and far less time-consuming to do it right from the start). Depending on how picky you are, your program code should ideally be completely controllable by your test code.
There are more reasons to do this than testing alone. It will allow you to create alternative interfaces for your program. A command-line interface will make it possible to script any task that your program can perform; a completely stand-alone user interface will make it possible to provide different skins for your program; or text-mode menu-driven interfaces, or user interfaces for the visually impaired.
Surely this whole world of extra possibilities is more motivating than manual testing? (Which, as other posters pointed out, should be done by someone else *anyway*...)
When it remains a keyboard that looks like a keyboard, except it can change between character sets, there's not that much functionality gained.
The optimus tactus shows the keyboard playing back video- which IMO, although cool, misses the point. A keyboard is, after all, an *input* device!
But there are situations in which an adaptive touchscreen keyboard could have serious uses. In medical environments (a smooth, easy-clean surface is less likely to pass on germs); in audio (showing faders on the keyboard rather than buttons makes it more friendly than either a regular keyboard or a mouse) and I'm quite sure that those are just the tip of the iceberg.
My main concern, though, is that drivers are going to be an issue. Currently, if I need a monitor or a keyboard, I can pretty much walk into any random shop, get any random monitor or keyboard and it will work without requiring device-specific drivers. If the MS keyboard simply exports a USB keyboard (and/or mouse) device+USB video device: no problem. But somehow I suspect that this fancy-schmancy MS keyboard is going to require proprietary drivers.
True, but you'll generally have to click that button manually. If you need to do that to administer 261 computers, that's 261 manual clicks. And if you have to change them back regularly, you'll spend your days clicking. In contrast, the command line inherently allows scripting, so those 10+ CLI commands will easily be replicated across those 261 machines- *and* you'll often be able to walk away to grab a coffee while the script is crunching away. This (the coffee, not the scripts!) is why *nix admins are generally more productive than NT admins.
[citation needed]. Gluten is wheat protein, right? When I buy flour, the protein content is stated and typically ranges from roughly 10-12% (12% being the "strong", high-protein variety, such as this flour). If you're going to claim twice the protein content in wheat flour, please back those claims up with evidence.
"Imagine technology that allows you to get inside the mind of a terrorist to know how, when, and where the next attack will occur."
Done. Now imagine spending that money on something that will save more lives more effectively, for example on making the roads safer, rather than on trying to get into people's minds without their consent (or did you really expect terrorists to cooperate)?
"After about 2 weeks, they told me that they weren't going to do anything about it."
If the police don't do anything when given all the info needed to bust someone, they're not going to do anything at all, ever. If you ask them why, they answer you that they're "too busy". As a result, cases go unsolved. The crooks know it; so they get away with it. As a result, crime rises, and the police are now *even busier*. So basically the police are simply letting crime spiral out of control.
We seriously need Batman to do something about this.
Well if the topic were MONEY I'd suggest the 69cent instant noodles you can get from any supermarket. A meal for under $2
Cheap and fast doesn't have to be unhealthy. Example: Here in the UK, the cheapest McDonalds burger costs 1 pound. A packet of Sainsbury's basics or ASDA noodles (that's walmart for you people across the pond) can be had for about 9 or 10 p. Preparation time is about 4 minutes. To make it a proper meal, upgrade it: For example with an egg (15p), half an onion (5p), a tomato (10p) and half a bell pepper (30p). You can cut the veg in the time the noodles are soaking. This way, 70p can get you 2 of your 5-a-day in under 10 minutes. Oh by the way- that's about US$1.50 - so previously mentioned 15 bucks may get you 5 meals at the Mac, but when home cooking it gets you 10. As a personal preference, I'd rather use proper chow mein noodles or rice noodles though. Preparation time is marginally longer but proper noodles and a vegetable stir fry can still be cooked up under a pound and in less than 15 minutes- and it gives me more control over how much sodium is in the food.
Let's fly our sunlight-powered flying
machine in the most overcast place on earth!
Seems perfectly reasonable to me.
First of all- the blimp is not going to crash- helium, not solar power, is what makes it fly. Solar power is just used to propel it. Second, it's possible to fly above the clouds. Third, it's going to fly across the channel. Even if it crashes, it's most likely to land on water. Fourth, aircraft regulations require avoiding densely populated areas if at all possible so even if it crashes on land, it will most likely miss any houses or other important buildings. Fifth, if against all odds said blimp crashes on land in a populated area, it's filled up with helium, not with hydrogen- so it won't burst into flames and as such it would be a lot less eventful than the Hindenburg. Which was a commercial craft anyway (with paying passengers on board), rather than a somewhat experimental craft attempting to cross the channel.
Slashdot Mirror
http://ringbreak.dnd.utwente.nl/~mrjb/misc/chickenandegg.html
The above is actually very much on-topic. It shows how pixels have started to become irrelevant, as we are now reached a point where the size of pixels can differ an order of magnitude between one display and another. The days of pixel-perfect rendering, thus, are gone; Where 10 pixels would be enough on a regular display to render small print, they would now pretty much be rendered unreadable. Instead, we'd need to render as points instead. The above wraps said facts into a geeky joke, where the contract is rendered in 12 points but the smallprint as 10 pixels, which would render it completely unreadable on the high-res displays being discussed in this thread.
Just a guess: because 1. They make their money on the games, not on the console, and/or 2. Money is more important than providing added value to your customers?
The point of branding is to help people recognize what they can expect from a product. If you disagree with the proven track record of shady business tactics of a company, just consider their logo to be a warning label. You'll be surprised at how well this works.
Pixels that small means the resolution of monitors will be far higher than what the human eye can perceive. Even if it is just a bit higher, that's all we need. Unless we're trying to cater for a whole new breed of gullible Videophiles...
.contract {
.smallprint {
font-family: times,serif;
font-size: 12pt;
}
font-family: times,serif;
font-size: 10px;
}
I feel for what he must have gone through, and hope he brings down an Evil Corporation, setting a precedent for all Evil Corporations to come- but I think he's barking up the wrong tree.
Just because wire-tapping functionality is built-in, doesn't mean you should use it to enforce a totalitarian regime. I think Nokia could easily argue that this was not the original intent and purpose of the equipment.
Just because a length of rope can be used for strangling someone, that doesn't mean that the rope manufacturer should be held liable. Just because you can break someone's skull with a hammer, that doesn't mean the manufacturer can be held responsible.
Only when the tool is *intended* for killing and hurting do we enter a grey area - If your neighbour shoots you in the knee cap, are you going to sue the gun manufacturer or the person that used the gun? Chances are, you'll still go after that sob of a neighbour that held the gun rather than after the people that built it.
So what? Everyone has something to hide, and it's not only indoors. The system has no business spying on when and where people went.
This is a step worse than CCTV cameras (which were put up "for the safety of the public" but don't really help reduce crime). Now imagine that all this imagery is also conveniently linked to the names of people.
Some people go to the local Red Light district. Others go to their dealer. Yet others go and visit their lovers or whatnot. Yet others accidentally find themselves at the scene of a crime and *really* don't want to be forced to be a witness in the case, nor to be implicated. Yet these scanners will place them at a certain location at a certain time. So what?
Fact: Information leaks. It is not a matter of if it happens, but when it happens. Do you want to be watching your every step 24/7 just because information about your whereabouts will be out there at some point in the future?
"But if I'm doing nothing wrong, so I'm OK with people watching me." True story: I like to go out for walks at night. I live near an industrial area which has some nice paths, ponds, and a good scenery. Great to go for a stroll, and I'm doing nothing wrong, just enjoying the evening air. Suddenly a security car pulls up next to me asking me what I'm doing. "Just going for a stroll", I answer. Apparently someone has seen me walking about on CCTV. Mind you- not doing anything wrong. But just because someone has decided to put up CCTV cameras and sees me walking about, my innocent stroll suddenly triggers them sending over a security car. I now feel less free to move about, because I don't want to cause false alarms. What used to be "doing nothing wrong" without CCTV, suddenly becomes "possibly being a nuisance" if CCTV is there (even though my behaviour is the same!) Who wants to bet that to keep going for walks there will eventually get me in trouble? In any case, my stroll will never be the same: Either I avoid said area (for no good reason!) or what was previously an innocent stroll about, in my mind would now be a rebel statement. So what? It changes everything, because it changes me.
In the middle of all this, you're forgetting that you (and all of us) have rights, which were hard-won, and you're giving them away, just like that, saying "So what?" The blood of our ancestors, that's what!
You answered your own question: Automate it.
If you can't automate it, this is likely because your presentation layer and logic layer are not properly separated- which calls for refactoring (although it's easier and far less time-consuming to do it right from the start). Depending on how picky you are, your program code should ideally be completely controllable by your test code.
There are more reasons to do this than testing alone. It will allow you to create alternative interfaces for your program. A command-line interface will make it possible to script any task that your program can perform; a completely stand-alone user interface will make it possible to provide different skins for your program; or text-mode menu-driven interfaces, or user interfaces for the visually impaired.
Surely this whole world of extra possibilities is more motivating than manual testing? (Which, as other posters pointed out, should be done by someone else *anyway*...)
When it remains a keyboard that looks like a keyboard, except it can change between character sets, there's not that much functionality gained.
The optimus tactus shows the keyboard playing back video- which IMO, although cool, misses the point. A keyboard is, after all, an *input* device!
But there are situations in which an adaptive touchscreen keyboard could have serious uses. In medical environments (a smooth, easy-clean surface is less likely to pass on germs); in audio (showing faders on the keyboard rather than buttons makes it more friendly than either a regular keyboard or a mouse) and I'm quite sure that those are just the tip of the iceberg.
My main concern, though, is that drivers are going to be an issue. Currently, if I need a monitor or a keyboard, I can pretty much walk into any random shop, get any random monitor or keyboard and it will work without requiring device-specific drivers. If the MS keyboard simply exports a USB keyboard (and/or mouse) device+USB video device: no problem. But somehow I suspect that this fancy-schmancy MS keyboard is going to require proprietary drivers.
Or you can write the output of /dev/random to a wav file and burn it on an audio CD. Or just cat /dev/random >/dev/dsp.
...and they're best with just a bit of salt, pepper, garlic and nutmeg. Just let the main ingredient speak for itself!
True, but you'll generally have to click that button manually. If you need to do that to administer 261 computers, that's 261 manual clicks. And if you have to change them back regularly, you'll spend your days clicking. In contrast, the command line inherently allows scripting, so those 10+ CLI commands will easily be replicated across those 261 machines- *and* you'll often be able to walk away to grab a coffee while the script is crunching away. This (the coffee, not the scripts!) is why *nix admins are generally more productive than NT admins.
Oh yes you did. The fine CRTs that Space War was designed for: Oscilloscopes. Now get off my lawn.
[citation needed]. Gluten is wheat protein, right? When I buy flour, the protein content is stated and typically ranges from roughly 10-12% (12% being the "strong", high-protein variety, such as this flour). If you're going to claim twice the protein content in wheat flour, please back those claims up with evidence.
You'll find out once I've assembled my mutant army.
Done. Now imagine spending that money on something that will save more lives more effectively, for example on making the roads safer, rather than on trying to get into people's minds without their consent (or did you really expect terrorists to cooperate)?
What about all the extra time and money it will cost to keep *supporting* IE6 with its broken CSS etc?
I don't *expect* a BFG 9000 to be realistic. If it were, it would kill half the fun.
Anyone want to bet that they collected this info to try to set up a more accurate geolocation service than anyone else?
Even if only because "make -j8" would be frickin' awesome.
Increased suicide rates have been a known side effect of antidepressants for years. Because of this, amongst other things, one should avoid Diazepam/Valium when having severe depression.
"After about 2 weeks, they told me that they weren't going to do anything about it."
If the police don't do anything when given all the info needed to bust someone, they're not going to do anything at all, ever. If you ask them why, they answer you that they're "too busy". As a result, cases go unsolved. The crooks know it; so they get away with it. As a result, crime rises, and the police are now *even busier*. So basically the police are simply letting crime spiral out of control.
We seriously need Batman to do something about this.
Cheap and fast doesn't have to be unhealthy. Example: Here in the UK, the cheapest McDonalds burger costs 1 pound.
A packet of Sainsbury's basics or ASDA noodles (that's walmart for you people across the pond) can be had for about 9 or 10 p. Preparation time is about 4 minutes. To make it a proper meal, upgrade it: For example with an egg (15p), half an onion (5p), a tomato (10p) and half a bell pepper (30p).
You can cut the veg in the time the noodles are soaking. This way, 70p can get you 2 of your 5-a-day in under 10 minutes. Oh by the way- that's about US$1.50 - so previously mentioned 15 bucks may get you 5 meals at the Mac, but when home cooking it gets you 10.
As a personal preference, I'd rather use proper chow mein noodles or rice noodles though. Preparation time is marginally longer but proper noodles and a vegetable stir fry can still be cooked up under a pound and in less than 15 minutes- and it gives me more control over how much sodium is in the food.
Seems perfectly reasonable to me.
First of all- the blimp is not going to crash- helium, not solar power, is what makes it fly. Solar power is just used to propel it.
Second, it's possible to fly above the clouds.
Third, it's going to fly across the channel. Even if it crashes, it's most likely to land on water.
Fourth, aircraft regulations require avoiding densely populated areas if at all possible so even if it crashes on land, it will most likely miss any houses or other important buildings.
Fifth, if against all odds said blimp crashes on land in a populated area, it's filled up with helium, not with hydrogen- so it won't burst into flames and as such it would be a lot less eventful than the Hindenburg. Which was a commercial craft anyway (with paying passengers on board), rather than a somewhat experimental craft attempting to cross the channel.