I've purchased an iPod, an iPad, and two Android phones in the past two years. I still haven't purchased anything from the Apple Store or Google Play yet. Free apps have met all my needs, even my gaming needs.
(Before you ask, in the same period my direct charity contributions have been around $5K.)
My new favorite plan is PlatinumTel. I just bought an Android handset for $60 and signed up for a plan that only requires a minimum of $10 every three months. Texts are 2 cents, voice is 5 cents, and data is 10 cents/MB. However, it's an Android phone, so anyplace that has wireless is free. (e.g., it's a great phone for the wife and kids)
My personal phone is currently an Android handset on a $25/month unlimited data + 300 minutes Virgin Mobile plan, but I'm pretty sure that plan's not available for new folks. I dropped the family's last TracPhone (too expensive) last year. I also used Net10 for a while, but Virgin beat that, and now it looks like PlatinumTel is the least expensive one out there.
Just when you thought SlashDot video couldn't get any worse.
Editors, who's Rob Malda? Where's the transcript for those of us who don't have time to watch talking heads? Did he say or do anything interesting in "parts 1 or 2", or are those just for the Rob Malda collectors/fans?
>> JPMorgan Chase spends $500 million to build a data center...asserts that huge data centers are among the advantages of ginormous banks.
Remind me to short JPMorganChase tonight. Even the tiniest bank has access to "huge data centers" today because most banks already use an outsourced financial processor...which are all hosted in centralized, redundant data centers (which generally cost less than $500M).
Seems like this guy missed the leveling effect of cloud services - one that descended on the banking industry a good 10-15 years ago.
>> It's difficult if not impossible to anticipate all the situations that a software program will be faced with, especially when — as was the case for both UBS and Knight — it is interacting with other software programs that are not under your control. It's difficult to test software properly if you don't know all the use cases that it's going to have to support.
That's why so many industries continue to use FTP (also FTPS and SFTP) to punt files over the wall when real-time response is not critical.
File transfer is cheap, easy, and as long as at least one side hangs onto the files, reversible if someone makes a mistake. But most of all, it breaks up operational problems into two distinct parts: 1) did it transfer? 2) did it parse? From there, you can build help desk and other entry-level IT tasks to correct transient problems...and usually avoid having to hire programmers to maintain a potentially faster but more brittle tightly-coupled interface.
I used to write notes by hand (even when I was carrying a laptop) and that was usually enough to allow me to memorize the material. (Take the test, recycle the notes.)
Reboot the same lame Batman/Superman/Spiderman/Xmen/Hulk/whatever story again, this time after only two years, not five, and this time, it will be "darker than last time."
Whereas you kept 100% revenues before, now you get to pay us 30% off the top AND rewrite your software, while pissing off your existing base (who still runs XP whenever they can).
I tried this this morning...and still registered fine with a fake/temporary account to make comments on videos. I think all this means is that your posting aliases are more likely to be interrupted by a space than before.
On the other hand, when Google does mine, they'd probably wonder why I watch so much Dora the Explorer on my business account. (It's tied to my business cell phone, which I use most often to keep my daughter entertained.)
When a new consumer product/book/whatever hits the market, it's common to limit quantities of the first shipment so you can tell the world you "sold out" a few days later. The reason you do this is threefold:
1) Reminds consumers that product X is now available for sale 2) Get consumers to think that if they're interested, they need to buy now (e.g., rather than comparison shop) 3) Get consumers to think that the list price IS the price the product is selling for (e.g., don't look for discounts)
>> Apple Gets the Importance of Packaging; Why Doesn't Google?
Probably because Google's figured out a way to surpass Apple in the market without farting around with fancy box designs. Seems like packaging isn't that important to gain market share. (Packaging does help artificially inflate the profit on each individual Apple unit; part of the reason I never buy new.)
As a DM, these were the things that seemed most unbalanced to me in v2: 1) Rangers and their damn ambidexterity 2) Fireballs from hidden positions ("Can I shuffle-cast so that my last movement is beyond the wall?") 3) Strength damage bonuses on missle weapons ("Screw archery or swordplay, imagonna load up on 50 lightweight daggers.") 4) Character attribute selection + no penalties for low charisma, intelligence, or wisdom for non-spellcasters
Other than that, it powered about four years of fun for me. How 'bout you?
>> Will applications need to be rewritten or modified to work on Wayland? Yes. (From TFA.)
As a developer, I'm about to get off the Ubuntu train. Every major release recently has required tweaking the UI (e.g., tray icon behavior changes). I'm not really looking forward to another migration, especially when there are Red Hat and SUSE users (who tend to buy more) who are looking for things too.
>> If you're a Final Fantasy fan, appreciate the series' music, and have even the slightest interest in music game mechanics, Theatrhythm is well worth the $40.
I didn't know games for portable devices were still sold somewhere $40 - seems like a lot in the era of $4.99 premium editions from app stores and all that.
Slashdot Mirror
>> how bright your geeks are, rather than just how much money you have
You realize that geeks are being employed here for the sole purpose of raising money, right?
>> To be fair, no one buys a new Mario game looking for a completely new experience.
To be fair, no one buys a new Mario game UNLESS IT COMES FREE WITH THE CONSOLE.
There, fixed that for ya'!
I've purchased an iPod, an iPad, and two Android phones in the past two years. I still haven't purchased anything from the Apple Store or Google Play yet. Free apps have met all my needs, even my gaming needs.
(Before you ask, in the same period my direct charity contributions have been around $5K.)
My new favorite plan is PlatinumTel. I just bought an Android handset for $60 and signed up for a plan that only requires a minimum of $10 every three months. Texts are 2 cents, voice is 5 cents, and data is 10 cents/MB. However, it's an Android phone, so anyplace that has wireless is free. (e.g., it's a great phone for the wife and kids)
My personal phone is currently an Android handset on a $25/month unlimited data + 300 minutes Virgin Mobile plan, but I'm pretty sure that plan's not available for new folks. I dropped the family's last TracPhone (too expensive) last year. I also used Net10 for a while, but Virgin beat that, and now it looks like PlatinumTel is the least expensive one out there.
>> Northrop Grumman has a $517 million contract to build three (blimps) for the U.S. Army.
It allegedly costs only $2M to build a Goodyear blimp. Wish I knew how to land government contracts like these.
Just when you thought SlashDot video couldn't get any worse.
Editors, who's Rob Malda? Where's the transcript for those of us who don't have time to watch talking heads? Did he say or do anything interesting in "parts 1 or 2", or are those just for the Rob Malda collectors/fans?
>> JPMorgan Chase spends $500 million to build a data center...asserts that huge data centers are among the advantages of ginormous banks.
Remind me to short JPMorganChase tonight. Even the tiniest bank has access to "huge data centers" today because most banks already use an outsourced financial processor...which are all hosted in centralized, redundant data centers (which generally cost less than $500M).
Seems like this guy missed the leveling effect of cloud services - one that descended on the banking industry a good 10-15 years ago.
>> It's difficult if not impossible to anticipate all the situations that a software program will be faced with, especially when — as was the case for both UBS and Knight — it is interacting with other software programs that are not under your control. It's difficult to test software properly if you don't know all the use cases that it's going to have to support.
That's why so many industries continue to use FTP (also FTPS and SFTP) to punt files over the wall when real-time response is not critical.
File transfer is cheap, easy, and as long as at least one side hangs onto the files, reversible if someone makes a mistake. But most of all, it breaks up operational problems into two distinct parts: 1) did it transfer? 2) did it parse? From there, you can build help desk and other entry-level IT tasks to correct transient problems...and usually avoid having to hire programmers to maintain a potentially faster but more brittle tightly-coupled interface.
I used to write notes by hand (even when I was carrying a laptop) and that was usually enough to allow me to memorize the material. (Take the test, recycle the notes.)
>> Illinois did something that makes sense?
The legislature is like the monkeys with the typewriters...
>> "I have a friend who..."
C'mon, man up and admit that YOU have a question. (This is Slashdot, not Penthouse.)
>> I think this one was slightly cheaper...
Only because they paid in Canadian loons.
>> what's next for superhero movies?
Reboot the same lame Batman/Superman/Spiderman/Xmen/Hulk/whatever story again, this time after only two years, not five, and this time, it will be "darker than last time."
Why not? People seem to fall for this every time.
Whereas you kept 100% revenues before, now you get to pay us 30% off the top AND rewrite your software, while pissing off your existing base (who still runs XP whenever they can).
What's not to like?
I tried this this morning...and still registered fine with a fake/temporary account to make comments on videos. I think all this means is that your posting aliases are more likely to be interrupted by a space than before.
On the other hand, when Google does mine, they'd probably wonder why I watch so much Dora the Explorer on my business account. (It's tied to my business cell phone, which I use most often to keep my daughter entertained.)
In this case the first run of the book survives. In the tech world, changing the "digital version" of infringing software wouldn't leave a trace.
>> ...one party claims that another party is using its size to “bully” to get its way. Not this time.
Er...yes, this time. Jack Daniels won.
When a new consumer product/book/whatever hits the market, it's common to limit quantities of the first shipment so you can tell the world you "sold out" a few days later. The reason you do this is threefold:
1) Reminds consumers that product X is now available for sale
2) Get consumers to think that if they're interested, they need to buy now (e.g., rather than comparison shop)
3) Get consumers to think that the list price IS the price the product is selling for (e.g., don't look for discounts)
"Big Boobs" isn't as sexist as it is, er, sexist and/or weightist.
As long as it doesn't turn the evil bits back on our TCP packets, I'm fine with it.
>> Apple Gets the Importance of Packaging; Why Doesn't Google?
Probably because Google's figured out a way to surpass Apple in the market without farting around with fancy box designs. Seems like packaging isn't that important to gain market share. (Packaging does help artificially inflate the profit on each individual Apple unit; part of the reason I never buy new.)
As a DM, these were the things that seemed most unbalanced to me in v2:
1) Rangers and their damn ambidexterity
2) Fireballs from hidden positions ("Can I shuffle-cast so that my last movement is beyond the wall?")
3) Strength damage bonuses on missle weapons ("Screw archery or swordplay, imagonna load up on 50 lightweight daggers.")
4) Character attribute selection + no penalties for low charisma, intelligence, or wisdom for non-spellcasters
Other than that, it powered about four years of fun for me. How 'bout you?
>> probably a lot cheaper than buying a tube of thermal paste
Normally these come free with the cooling fan IME. Otherwise, a tube of paste is like $5.
>> key to the sheet is a combination of silicon and carbon fibers
Paste MIGHT be cheaper.
>> Will applications need to be rewritten or modified to work on Wayland? Yes. (From TFA.)
As a developer, I'm about to get off the Ubuntu train. Every major release recently has required tweaking the UI (e.g., tray icon behavior changes). I'm not really looking forward to another migration, especially when there are Red Hat and SUSE users (who tend to buy more) who are looking for things too.
>> Paul Vixie
Not a bad porn star name. Or is he just a huge Fox and the Hound fan?
>> How much would you pay for 2 DVDs and 2 soundtrack CDs?
Whatever the cost of two DVD-Rs and 2 CD-Rs is these days. Maybe...$1.30?
>> If you're a Final Fantasy fan, appreciate the series' music, and have even the slightest interest in music game mechanics, Theatrhythm is well worth the $40.
I didn't know games for portable devices were still sold somewhere $40 - seems like a lot in the era of $4.99 premium editions from app stores and all that.