I think this entry was the best -- some of the others were "prettier", or "better" from a pure design perspective. However, this design retains the familiar Slashdot feel while legitimately improving the feel and readability of the site. Not that my standards are that high... I just wanted to make sure we didn't have headlines rendered using pixel fonts...
... it will kill my Cable subscription. I'm paying $40 a month, but they'll never see a dime from me again. They can throw all the worthless DRM they want at me, I'll take my money elsewhere (or nowhere, if others want to play this game). The insanity of all this is that even if HDCP somehow survives despite its obvious flaws, somebody can still rip a master. It's digital, IT ONLY TAKES ONE! How can they not understand this?!
I don't care anymore, I was mad when I first heard this news, but now it's just amusing. In the end, they've gained nothing, but lost me (and hopefully many others) as a customer for life.
I was at the Zero Hour launch event -- there were somewhere between 200-300 consoles there, and at no point did I see one crash. If the problem was/is as bad as it's suggested to be here, I would have seen (or experienced myself) several crashes with that many consoles. I've also had mine for a week, and although I admittedly haven't used it much I've experienced no problems whatsoever.
This reminds me of the original Xbox launch, with all the overheating problems. My original Xbox never even got warm to the touch -- I have 3 original Xboxes in house, and haven't had a single problem at any point in my years of ownership, other than some boot failures when a modchip pin came off.
WMP 10 requires XP, and WMP 10 requires IE (so it can host an embedded browser for DRM license delivery, etc.).
I asked Microsoft about this, and apparently the primary reason for WMP 10 requiring XP is that they didn't want to delay its release by testing on older platforms.
They didn't entirely rule out making it available at a later time, so if enough people scream...
If the goals was to create buzz then perhaps they should have advertised at least one semi-interesting feature. A red eye brush? Stock photos? What is this, 1996?
I haven't had an 8 hour work day since I was a child laborer. Of course, the only people I see using Tablet PCs typically do about 20 minutes of work per day anyways, so this is overkill for them. Good thing Windows Solitaire isn't a big battery hog.
Actually, the IRS does *not* type all of them in. They type in some percentage, and file the rest of them for a few years in case they need to reference it. That's why people who want to avoid getting audited never file electronically, it automatically reduces your chances because they never get to run the "audit?" algorithm on your data.
A) not open source. open source is good for me, so closed is worse
Worse, perhaps, but unusable? No. How about your video card driver?
B) platform support. Flash will NOT reach the entire world, simply because you must have the flash player, which is unavailable on most platforms (all but the most popular)
Nothing will reach the entire world, Flash currently covers Windows/Mac/Linux/Pocket PC, and is branching to cell phones. Not bad for a proprietary technology. I still can't play Quicktime movies for crap on Linux, but Flash does pretty well, even the newest features like video.
C) standardization. There is none. it's proprietary vendor lock in. There's no competeing development environments, no competing players
Not entirely true. SWF, the file format, is open and there are several 3rd party development environments (not as functional, but they exist). There are also open source libraries for generating SWF (ming, et al). There are even general purpose encoders for Flash video. NOTHING stops someone from creating Flash content using free tools, and NOTHING stops someone from creating a free, open source Flash player like the below:
D) breakage of the web. Flash is not the web. therefore, you can't bookmark it, index it, search it. You can't look at the code, or make the text bigger, or have your text reader read it because you are blind
Depends on how it's used -- and certainly this will change over time. Google could write a reader for SWF just like PDF once Flash becomes better at rendering text which would be usable to search on.
Basically, flash is okay for silly games or homestarrunner, but so bad in other ways it's generally frowned upon by those who are not confused by colors and animation.
Simply not true -- perhaps it was at one point but Flash has grown a lot from the Futuresplash days.
Yes, a picture viewing app that fetches data from a back end and displays it beautifully. Just like Google Maps fetches data from a back end and displays it beautifully. Different data, different display, exact same concepts. The Flash app works exactly the same on Linux, Mac, and Windows, in any browser that supports Flash. The Google Maps app works similarly on Linux, Mac and Windows, in any browser that supports "Ajax". The difference is that the Flash app is written once, without the "if this browser then do that" behaviors.
and a flash penetration stat from...wait for it...The Horses Mouth!
Provide me with a working flash example that at least matches google maps functionality and I may reconcider, regardless of how easy/hard to write.
OK. That application has all the visual appeal of Google Maps, just a different back end. I should probably get bonus points for including a site which was mentioned in the article, but you really don't have to bother. Really.
Ummm, yeah but Javascript in each variation of this or that browser *is* a 3rd party environment in many ways. If I write something like this in Flash, I don't need to worry so much about browser quirks and the like. Plus Flash has a rendering engine designed for apps like this... something like Google Maps could have been just as "neato" in Flash and would've been much easier to write.
And Flash has 99% penetration, which is probably better than the numbers for browsers which properly support Google Maps. The only real advantage of the "Ajax" approach for that application is you can write the whole app in Emacs, sans $500 Flash IDE.
Sorry, but I haven't seen a 'friendly local rental shop' in years... the last one I remember was about 7 years ago, and it lasted maybe 3 months before going under.
The "don't plug in the network" cable advice is good advice... although I just installed the newest version of Windows Server 2003 (sp1 beta), and it works a bit differently.
After initial installation, it configures the network but disables inbound traffic on all ports. It walks you through the patch process (Windows Update) and once all the updates are installed it finally allows access to core services.
That song from the Grammys was "Welcome to Paradise" rehashed. Aside from that, I particularly like how they pretend to be "punk" and "rock and roll" after making that God-awful "I hope you have the time of your life" song... my grandma loves that song. Punk indeed.
If GD came out and said "hey, we're a bunch of sellouts -- we are just trying to get paid" I would have some respect for them. For the record, Dookie was a great album. It just got a little old the fifth time. And to reiterate, anybody claiming to be "punk" after that "time of your life" song (been to a high school graduation in the last 5 years?) is pathetic.
Having been to the MS campus many times, Hondas are a rare sight. Porsches seem to be the transport of choice, but I've also seen Ferraris and Lambos amongst the scores of 'Vettes and Vipers. These sightings were far more common 5 years ago, but there are still quite a few of the "big stock winner" MS employees still grinding away there.
The default start page for Firefox is already hosted by Google. Clearly they have enough interest in the browser to add a page to their site. All roads point to GBrowser.
Ummm, good luck with that. I'm still trying to figure out how to get pictures off of my cell phone without paying @#$%ing Verizon $0.25 every time. Weak.
It has Bluetooth capability, which allows it to dial a Bluetooth-capable phone handset. If you want more integration, Audiovox makes a very slick Pocket PC phone (no WiFi, but you can browse the Internet via mMode). AT&T Wireless used to sell it, not sure what it's fate is with the Cingular merger. I used it a bit for some testing and it's great. It convinced me to purchase the Dell Axim X50v (a budget version of the item reviewed here), which I'm primarily using for home control (WiFi-enabled remote control).
Slashdot Mirror
I think this entry was the best -- some of the others were "prettier", or "better" from a pure design perspective. However, this design retains the familiar Slashdot feel while legitimately improving the feel and readability of the site. Not that my standards are that high ... I just wanted to make sure we didn't have headlines rendered using pixel fonts ...
... it will kill my Cable subscription. I'm paying $40 a month, but they'll never see a dime from me again. They can throw all the worthless DRM they want at me, I'll take my money elsewhere (or nowhere, if others want to play this game). The insanity of all this is that even if HDCP somehow survives despite its obvious flaws, somebody can still rip a master. It's digital, IT ONLY TAKES ONE! How can they not understand this?!
I don't care anymore, I was mad when I first heard this news, but now it's just amusing. In the end, they've gained nothing, but lost me (and hopefully many others) as a customer for life.
Flexible, yes -- but capable? Unfortunately, HD via CableCARD probably won't be a reality in Linux any time soon. :(
I was at the Zero Hour launch event -- there were somewhere between 200-300 consoles there, and at no point did I see one crash. If the problem was/is as bad as it's suggested to be here, I would have seen (or experienced myself) several crashes with that many consoles. I've also had mine for a week, and although I admittedly haven't used it much I've experienced no problems whatsoever.
This reminds me of the original Xbox launch, with all the overheating problems. My original Xbox never even got warm to the touch -- I have 3 original Xboxes in house, and haven't had a single problem at any point in my years of ownership, other than some boot failures when a modchip pin came off.
Meh, maybe I'm just lucky.
WMP 10 requires XP, and WMP 10 requires IE (so it can host an embedded browser for DRM license delivery, etc.).
...
I asked Microsoft about this, and apparently the primary reason for WMP 10 requiring XP is that they didn't want to delay its release by testing on older platforms.
They didn't entirely rule out making it available at a later time, so if enough people scream
If the goals was to create buzz then perhaps they should have advertised at least one semi-interesting feature. A red eye brush? Stock photos? What is this, 1996?
I haven't had an 8 hour work day since I was a child laborer. Of course, the only people I see using Tablet PCs typically do about 20 minutes of work per day anyways, so this is overkill for them. Good thing Windows Solitaire isn't a big battery hog.
Way to go Bill! You've come a long way from "Speed Walker", wiggling your ass in tight shorts superhero costume for laughs on "Almost Live"
:)
LOL, indeed -- and let's not forget about his membership in the high-fivin' white guy club
Plus, someone at Apple leaked the private key.
Source?
Actually, the IRS does *not* type all of them in. They type in some percentage, and file the rest of them for a few years in case they need to reference it. That's why people who want to avoid getting audited never file electronically, it automatically reduces your chances because they never get to run the "audit?" algorithm on your data.
It would be fun to wire this up to an LCD photo frame or a high definition TV. A hell of a lot cheaper than commercial offerings, that's for sure.
A) not open source. open source is good for me, so closed is worse
Worse, perhaps, but unusable? No. How about your video card driver?
B) platform support. Flash will NOT reach the entire world, simply because you must have the flash player, which is unavailable on most platforms (all but the most popular)
Nothing will reach the entire world, Flash currently covers Windows/Mac/Linux/Pocket PC, and is branching to cell phones. Not bad for a proprietary technology. I still can't play Quicktime movies for crap on Linux, but Flash does pretty well, even the newest features like video.
C) standardization. There is none. it's proprietary vendor lock in. There's no competeing development environments, no competing players
Not entirely true. SWF, the file format, is open and there are several 3rd party development environments (not as functional, but they exist). There are also open source libraries for generating SWF (ming, et al). There are even general purpose encoders for Flash video. NOTHING stops someone from creating Flash content using free tools, and NOTHING stops someone from creating a free, open source Flash player like the below:
http://gplflash.sourceforge.net/
D) breakage of the web. Flash is not the web. therefore, you can't bookmark it, index it, search it. You can't look at the code, or make the text bigger, or have your text reader read it because you are blind
Depends on how it's used -- and certainly this will change over time. Google could write a reader for SWF just like PDF once Flash becomes better at rendering text which would be usable to search on.
Basically, flash is okay for silly games or homestarrunner, but so bad in other ways it's generally frowned upon by those who are not confused by colors and animation.
Simply not true -- perhaps it was at one point but Flash has grown a lot from the Futuresplash days.
So, you link to a picture viewing app
Yes, a picture viewing app that fetches data from a back end and displays it beautifully. Just like Google Maps fetches data from a back end and displays it beautifully. Different data, different display, exact same concepts. The Flash app works exactly the same on Linux, Mac, and Windows, in any browser that supports Flash. The Google Maps app works similarly on Linux, Mac and Windows, in any browser that supports "Ajax". The difference is that the Flash app is written once, without the "if this browser then do that" behaviors.
and a flash penetration stat from...wait for it...The Horses Mouth!
Care to try again?
I really should stop posting to Slashdot.
Provide me with a working flash example that at least matches google maps functionality and I may reconcider, regardless of how easy/hard to write.
OK. That application has all the visual appeal of Google Maps, just a different back end. I should probably get bonus points for including a site which was mentioned in the article, but you really don't have to bother. Really.
And 99% penetration?
OK, 98%. My bad.
Ummm, yeah but Javascript in each variation of this or that browser *is* a 3rd party environment in many ways. If I write something like this in Flash, I don't need to worry so much about browser quirks and the like. Plus Flash has a rendering engine designed for apps like this ... something like Google Maps could have been just as "neato" in Flash and would've been much easier to write.
And Flash has 99% penetration, which is probably better than the numbers for browsers which properly support Google Maps. The only real advantage of the "Ajax" approach for that application is you can write the whole app in Emacs, sans $500 Flash IDE.
but rather like your friendly local rental shop.
... the last one I remember was about 7 years ago, and it lasted maybe 3 months before going under.
Sorry, but I haven't seen a 'friendly local rental shop' in years
Really? No such luck in Seattle, WA ... or Redmond, WA for that matter :)
... something tells me SC does *not* have that.
We do have valet parking at one grocery store though
The "don't plug in the network" cable advice is good advice ... although I just installed the newest version of Windows Server 2003 (sp1 beta), and it works a bit differently.
After initial installation, it configures the network but disables inbound traffic on all ports. It walks you through the patch process (Windows Update) and once all the updates are installed it finally allows access to core services.
That song from the Grammys was "Welcome to Paradise" rehashed. Aside from that, I particularly like how they pretend to be "punk" and "rock and roll" after making that God-awful "I hope you have the time of your life" song ... my grandma loves that song. Punk indeed.
If GD came out and said "hey, we're a bunch of sellouts -- we are just trying to get paid" I would have some respect for them. For the record, Dookie was a great album. It just got a little old the fifth time. And to reiterate, anybody claiming to be "punk" after that "time of your life" song (been to a high school graduation in the last 5 years?) is pathetic.
I bet many of them drive HONDAS too!!!!
Having been to the MS campus many times, Hondas are a rare sight. Porsches seem to be the transport of choice, but I've also seen Ferraris and Lambos amongst the scores of 'Vettes and Vipers. These sightings were far more common 5 years ago, but there are still quite a few of the "big stock winner" MS employees still grinding away there.
Okay, so XML's not a scripting language.
/> />
Right, but a scripting language could be represented in XML.
<for var="i" test="i < 10" mod="i++">
<drop object="nuke[i]" on="civ[i]"
<clean object="pollution" nearobject="nuke[i]"
</for>
The default start page for Firefox is already hosted by Google. Clearly they have enough interest in the browser to add a page to their site. All roads point to GBrowser.
http://www.google.com/firefox
I have a Samsung a610, seen here:
m _verizon.jpg
http://www.wirelessmoment.com/samsung_scha610_fro
Ummm, good luck with that. I'm still trying to figure out how to get pictures off of my cell phone without paying @#$%ing Verizon $0.25 every time. Weak.
It has Bluetooth capability, which allows it to dial a Bluetooth-capable phone handset. If you want more integration, Audiovox makes a very slick Pocket PC phone (no WiFi, but you can browse the Internet via mMode). AT&T Wireless used to sell it, not sure what it's fate is with the Cingular merger. I used it a bit for some testing and it's great. It convinced me to purchase the Dell Axim X50v (a budget version of the item reviewed here), which I'm primarily using for home control (WiFi-enabled remote control).