"I read about people who dropped $1000 or more on Christmas gifts"
I had to return something that I purchased a few days earlier on Friday, and I was stuck behind a couple who were purchasing decent matching PCs with 17" flat panel monitors and a laptop. Oh yeah, and a VCR (which oddly seemed the man's primary concern). The total that I saw was somewhere in the area of $6,000.
I'm not sure how I felt after seeing that as I returned some washer hoses to get my 30 bucks back, but I'm sure it wasn't good...
The most interesting thing I saw out of the whole day was a pair of police officers putting big bright orange warnings on cars telling the owners that they were likely candidates to be broken in to. I asked one officer about it and he said, "If we see anything in plain site - electronics, purses, movies or CDs - we put this note on the car to alert them to the fact they could be a target for a car break-in." When I pointed out to him that putting big bright orange notes on windshields might make the cars slightly bigger targets, he scratched his head and just stood there, silent.
Except that it's more than likely that they have some number of lawyers on payroll as well as expected court costs, so it's an already budgeted cost, where as any unexpected testing and engineering is probably not. Not that I have any clue how it actually works in the real world... I've got 2 dollars and a coupon for applesauce in my wallet right now.
Re:No system is secure: Social Engineering. Educat
on
More on Longhorn
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· Score: 1
It seems to me that Microsoft is depending on the user's naiveness, not neglecting it.
Surf around for a while. It has pages that tell you that you can't access the content if you block pop-ups. Silly, really, seeing as there's about 4 million other emulation sites, most of which are better.
Okay, maybe to a small minority (uber-geeks) it was great but you won't even get the whole/. crowd to agree it was good let alone the general public. It's time the/. crowd faced the facts... the average joe would sooner watch Just Shoot Me than some weird sci-fi show.
Not necessarily disagreeing, but I think that the viewership for this tends to be *more* of the average joes and less of the uber geeks. Take this thread, for instance. About 80% of the reponses are that this show sucks. I have several "average" friends who regularly watch this show. I think that happens because it's more accesible sci-fi to the average joe than something along the lines of Babylon 5 or Farscape. Just a thought.
Nintendo and Square's relationship is doing better. A new FF: Tactics is due out for GBA sometime in the near future, and I'm too lazy to find exact info, but Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicle (or something like that) is coming out for Gamecube at the beginning of next year. Google for it or search through Madman's Cafe for it. Looks kinda crummy, but you never know.
I know there are a lot of people on here that are/claim to be musicians, but many of them seem surprised that playing music for a living sucks. Guess what - it's true. It does suck. For everyone. If you really enjoy making music but are finding that you're losing too much money (or just not making enough), get a real job and play music in your spare time. If you already do that, then why does it matter so much? You're never guaranteed to make your recording costs back.
For the record, I have a full time job and play in a band at night - we have our entire CD online for free and are in the process of getting a couple hundred printed up with our teeny show fund (~$900) for people to buy if they want the artwork or just want to support. This is my 7th year of playing out and I've never had to worry about any of this junk.
Don't be forced to sit around worrying about the bottom line - just concentrate on the making music part.
Just treat this whole thing as entertainment. Something to discuss. I don't really care one way or the other if they win, but it'll be fun to watch them try and take on a few of the bigger cash piles in the world. Do they even have a real legal leg to stand on? (honest question)
Re:Because the people who run slashdot are stupid
on
XBOX Media Player 2.0
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· Score: 1
Btw, I've heard of modded Xboxes being used to play NES/SNES/etc games, can the PS2 with a linux kit do the same thing?
If I remember right, the NES/SNES/Genesis emus run fair (with a hiccup here and there), but mame crawls on ~80% of the games. However, there is at least one snes emu (I think that's the right link) that was more or less direct ported to the PS2 that you can use with a modchip. Neat gui and runs well w/ a couple bugs. Dig around and you'll probably find more.
Try to convince your local government to adopt a No Call List. The Missouri one appears to give some leeway to the callers, but I think the Kansas one is a little better. I haven't seen any results yet since they haven't gone into effect, but I have noticed that solicitors call more frequently as the deadline approaches (solicited calls are allowed, so if they get you to let them call you back, they can do so forever).
I haven't stopped playing yet. I'm giving them a fair shake in my opinion, but really, glorified chatroom is too kind because at least 1/4 of the interaction involves people saying "lt, mc, ms" or "go n 3 e 4". It has about as many similarities with real life as I do with George Clooney (hint: I'm not rich, famous or popular but I am male). And it's not "still very much in a beta stage" - it's less than a month until release (12/17 still is the target and they're saying (as of last week) they intend on keeping that date unless something drastic happens). So what you're playing now is basically *the* final version without one or two options (i.e. employee and band functions - whatever the hell that's all about. Yech.)
Chat room: Group of people randomly talking about subjects that have to do with life and the world around them. Usually text based.
Sims Online: Group of people randomly talking about subjects that have to do with life and the world around them while making SimPizza or whatever the get rich quick scheme of the week is (pinata? The three-person doo-hickey?). Often, the subject of discussion is ways to make money. Graphically based.
The documentation that comes with the Xbox doesn't guarantee use of Xbox Live just like your computer doesn't come with a guarantee for internet access. Besides, didn't they flat out say they were going to do this a while ago?
What I want to know is how long it'll be before an alternate network is created. Weren't people playing some of these games online beore Xbox Live was even in beta?
"For a pretty Linux desktop experience there's Debian; for the more seasoned Linux hackers there is Mandrake and SuSE; for the Linux newbies there's Slackware and Gentoo"
I can't wait to see how this one turns out... if saying that Slack and Gentoo are for newbies doesn't pull people out of the woodwork, nothing will.
For the record, you still have to pay for shipping ($5.00) and in a week is 'Armageddon', when everyone has everything wiped on all servers to start the 'real' cities. Then people who participate in the play test have 30 days to play before they have to start shelling out the real money for (I assume) a real version and the ~$10-$13/month to play. From experience (testing since day one), this game is a glorified chat room and blows. Hard. Don't waste your money.
It's quite simple. Either the submitter or/. have resorted to not-so-well disguised subliminal advertising within submissions. Look how many people have questioned why those links exist - hell, the links are nearly slashdotted. Someone is making traffic revenue off that, I reckon... or maybe I need a bigger tinfoil hat. Whatever.
Also, if anyone knows what happened to the author of the Larry the Cow comics (the guy that supposedly hassled the Gentoo mailing list for 'stealing' his poorly drawn cow face to use as their logo), reply. Those comics were damned funny. They used to be located here.
OT - RIAA Sues Radio Stations For Giving Away...
on
Congress Passes SWSA
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· Score: 1
Forgive me for asking, but did they actually take that article down? I thought they archived everything... did they get in trouble or something? I'm at a strictly (but apparently not strictly enough if I'm reading/.) filtered work right now so I can't dig around theonion.com.
Slashdot Mirror
"I read about people who dropped $1000 or more on Christmas gifts"
I had to return something that I purchased a few days earlier on Friday, and I was stuck behind a couple who were purchasing decent matching PCs with 17" flat panel monitors and a laptop. Oh yeah, and a VCR (which oddly seemed the man's primary concern). The total that I saw was somewhere in the area of $6,000.
I'm not sure how I felt after seeing that as I returned some washer hoses to get my 30 bucks back, but I'm sure it wasn't good...
The most interesting thing I saw out of the whole day was a pair of police officers putting big bright orange warnings on cars telling the owners that they were likely candidates to be broken in to. I asked one officer about it and he said, "If we see anything in plain site - electronics, purses, movies or CDs - we put this note on the car to alert them to the fact they could be a target for a car break-in." When I pointed out to him that putting big bright orange notes on windshields might make the cars slightly bigger targets, he scratched his head and just stood there, silent.
Except that it's more than likely that they have some number of lawyers on payroll as well as expected court costs, so it's an already budgeted cost, where as any unexpected testing and engineering is probably not. Not that I have any clue how it actually works in the real world... I've got 2 dollars and a coupon for applesauce in my wallet right now.
It seems to me that Microsoft is depending on the user's naiveness, not neglecting it.
There already is.
(Captain)
....
What happen?
(Data)
Somebody set us up the bomb.
(Number One)
We get signal.
(Captain)
What !
(Number One)
Main screen turn on.
(Captain)
It's You !!
(CmdrTaco)
How are you gentlemen !!
All your base are belong to us.
You are on the way to destruction.
(Captain)
What you say !!
(CmdrTaco)
You have no chance to survive make your time.
(CmdrTaco)
HA HA HA HA
(Captain)
Take off every 'zig' !!
You know what you doing.
Move 'zig'.
For great justice.
You can tell the size of a developer's community by the kind of car he drives.
Real-world test: Arcade@Home
Surf around for a while. It has pages that tell you that you can't access the content if you block pop-ups. Silly, really, seeing as there's about 4 million other emulation sites, most of which are better.
Nintendo and Square's relationship is doing better. A new FF: Tactics is due out for GBA sometime in the near future, and I'm too lazy to find exact info, but Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicle (or something like that) is coming out for Gamecube at the beginning of next year. Google for it or search through Madman's Cafe for it. Looks kinda crummy, but you never know.
If you feel like doing some math, the 2000-2001 numbers seem to be available in this article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/new_media /1841768.stm
I know there are a lot of people on here that are/claim to be musicians, but many of them seem surprised that playing music for a living sucks. Guess what - it's true. It does suck. For everyone. If you really enjoy making music but are finding that you're losing too much money (or just not making enough), get a real job and play music in your spare time. If you already do that, then why does it matter so much? You're never guaranteed to make your recording costs back.
For the record, I have a full time job and play in a band at night - we have our entire CD online for free and are in the process of getting a couple hundred printed up with our teeny show fund (~$900) for people to buy if they want the artwork or just want to support. This is my 7th year of playing out and I've never had to worry about any of this junk.
Don't be forced to sit around worrying about the bottom line - just concentrate on the making music part.
Just treat this whole thing as entertainment. Something to discuss. I don't really care one way or the other if they win, but it'll be fun to watch them try and take on a few of the bigger cash piles in the world. Do they even have a real legal leg to stand on? (honest question)
Btw, I've heard of modded Xboxes being used to play NES/SNES/etc games, can the PS2 with a linux kit do the same thing?
If I remember right, the NES/SNES/Genesis emus run fair (with a hiccup here and there), but mame crawls on ~80% of the games. However, there is at least one snes emu (I think that's the right link) that was more or less direct ported to the PS2 that you can use with a modchip. Neat gui and runs well w/ a couple bugs. Dig around and you'll probably find more.
Try to convince your local government to adopt a No Call List. The Missouri one appears to give some leeway to the callers, but I think the Kansas one is a little better. I haven't seen any results yet since they haven't gone into effect, but I have noticed that solicitors call more frequently as the deadline approaches (solicited calls are allowed, so if they get you to let them call you back, they can do so forever).
I haven't stopped playing yet. I'm giving them a fair shake in my opinion, but really, glorified chatroom is too kind because at least 1/4 of the interaction involves people saying "lt, mc, ms" or "go n 3 e 4". It has about as many similarities with real life as I do with George Clooney (hint: I'm not rich, famous or popular but I am male). And it's not "still very much in a beta stage" - it's less than a month until release (12/17 still is the target and they're saying (as of last week) they intend on keeping that date unless something drastic happens). So what you're playing now is basically *the* final version without one or two options (i.e. employee and band functions - whatever the hell that's all about. Yech.)
Chat room: Group of people randomly talking about subjects that have to do with life and the world around them. Usually text based.
Sims Online: Group of people randomly talking about subjects that have to do with life and the world around them while making SimPizza or whatever the get rich quick scheme of the week is (pinata? The three-person doo-hickey?). Often, the subject of discussion is ways to make money. Graphically based.
The documentation that comes with the Xbox doesn't guarantee use of Xbox Live just like your computer doesn't come with a guarantee for internet access. Besides, didn't they flat out say they were going to do this a while ago?
What I want to know is how long it'll be before an alternate network is created. Weren't people playing some of these games online beore Xbox Live was even in beta?
"For a pretty Linux desktop experience there's Debian; for the more seasoned Linux hackers there is Mandrake and SuSE; for the Linux newbies there's Slackware and Gentoo"
I can't wait to see how this one turns out... if saying that Slack and Gentoo are for newbies doesn't pull people out of the woodwork, nothing will.
For the record, you still have to pay for shipping ($5.00) and in a week is 'Armageddon', when everyone has everything wiped on all servers to start the 'real' cities. Then people who participate in the play test have 30 days to play before they have to start shelling out the real money for (I assume) a real version and the ~$10-$13/month to play. From experience (testing since day one), this game is a glorified chat room and blows. Hard. Don't waste your money.
Actually, I think someone else might be responsible (first post 10/29). Don't be too hard on your prophetic self, though.
It's quite simple. Either the submitter or /. have resorted to not-so-well disguised subliminal advertising within submissions. Look how many people have questioned why those links exist - hell, the links are nearly slashdotted. Someone is making traffic revenue off that, I reckon... or maybe I need a bigger tinfoil hat. Whatever.
Imagine a Beowulf cluster of all those links!
It would probably end up linking to the greatest pr0n site of all time...
Have you ever seen that movie In The Bedroom?
Please copy and/or redirect this response to this comment. Thanks.
As long as people are randomly promoting other webcomics (shamelessly, I might add) in this thread, I thought I'd toss in my two cents:
Achewood
My New Fighting Technique is Unstoppable
Also, if anyone knows what happened to the author of the Larry the Cow comics (the guy that supposedly hassled the Gentoo mailing list for 'stealing' his poorly drawn cow face to use as their logo), reply. Those comics were damned funny. They used to be located here.
Forgive me for asking, but did they actually take that article down? I thought they archived everything... did they get in trouble or something? I'm at a strictly (but apparently not strictly enough if I'm reading /.) filtered work right now so I can't dig around theonion.com.