If it's any consolation, about 5 years ago the Local Monitoring Control Unit (driver's console UI and interface to the PLCs and other lower-level electronics) for Disney World's monorails was "upgraded" from a proprietary embedded platform to Windows 2K running a Delphi app.
It works for the most part, but it sure would have been better had Disney had assigned it to a programmer that had any experience driving the trains (at least three of which are Slashdot members, incidentally). As a UI it largely sucks, but that's not Delphi's fault.
The only thing I found that Raytheon does today is the failed Patriot missile defense system. Other than that - nothing.
Go look harder then. Just because you apparently don't have adequate search engine skills and are otherwise ignorant of the tech world outside your own little bubble doesn't mean the companies listed don't produce billions of dollars' worth of valuable equipment and IP.
I do love that list, because with the exception of EMC and Akamai, I've heard of none of them.
Sounds like you need to get out more then, especially saying ridiculous things like Raytheon "doesn't produce anything of value". Think about the ignorance of that statement the next time you warm something up in a microwave oven.
In this context, the US "controls most of the world's data infrastructure" only to the extent that everyone voluntarily points their DNS boxes to the ICANN-controlled root servers. If they're not happy about the way things are with ICANN, they're free to point their DNS someplace else at *any* time if they so choose. It just so happens that it's not in their best interests financially to do so, but there's no law that says they have to use those root servers.
I'm curious about this too. I recently attended a get-together with some old friends, and we shared a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label for the occasion. I'm not a Scotch connoisseur, so I think it was pretty much wasted on me, but everyone else seemed to think it was the greatest thing ever.
We vote for Specter AS LONG AS he maintains the principles of the party he was running under, in this case, Republican.
This makes the assumption that the party itself doesn't change over time. IMO, Specter has maintained his position in the political spectrum a lot more solidly than his party has.
If someone WANTS to run under the platform of "unlimited trust", he should run as Independent. There's a reason why almost nobody gets elected as one.
And a large part of that reason is because the Dems and GOP actively conspire together to keep it that way.
With life plus 50 years, there are untold numbers of authors dead only 10 or 20 years who might be willing to rise and take a crack at just one more novel.
It's been my experience that having experienced death puts a whole new perspective into an author's new works.
Keeping works from the public domain by means of effectively infinite copyright terms is more disgusting. It's also "stealing" in the literal sense of the word, without having to twist its meaning to jive with a political agenda like the pro-copyright lobby likes to do, and is a violation of the social contract that is the sole reason copyright exists in the first place.
Let them lose their franchise with your city and see what they think then
Like that's going to happen. When given the choice of upholding the law, or keeping the thousands/millions of dollars in franchise fees they receive every year, you can always expect a municipality to be loyal to the money.
I've thought about opening up a few complaints with the BBB and maybe even the state PUC for this kind of crap.
Forget the BBB - they're a paper tiger with no teeth. The PUC could likely put some screws to them though, and get in touch with your state AG as well. If you're being charged late fees that you didn't legitimately incur, the AG in particular might be interested in that. When they're told that you'll be getting the state involved in the problem, you will likely find that Cricket's reps magically gain the power to fix your bill.
Orlando's like that as well. Only positive thing to happen lately is that the Orange County mayor may just have hosed his future political aspirations by playing dirty in his capacity of the head of the local expressway authority.
Time-Warner had their chance to provide the service, and refused to do so. I personally think that communications/data connectivity needs to become a utility, just like power/water/sewer especially in light of the ridiculous amount of subsidies the phone companies/cable companies receive in the form of rights-of-way, easements, exclusive franchise agreements, etc.
Perhaps a more efficient way of doing things would be for the city to maintain the physical infrastructure, whereas smaller ISPs like yourself would lease bandwidth on the public lines.
Also consider that you can get up and walk around on the train, and if you're hungry you can get something more substantial than a tiny bag of peanuts any time you want. Plus, you load/unload your luggage yourself, so you have to put some effort into losing a bag.
Slashdot Mirror
SoftICE kicked major ass. The combination of Watcom C and SoftICE made it really easy to write device drivers back in the Win95 days.
assigned it to a programmer that had any experience driving the trains (at least three of which are Slashdot members, incidentally)
:-) It's late, what can I say?
The programmers, not the trains.
If it's any consolation, about 5 years ago the Local Monitoring Control Unit (driver's console UI and interface to the PLCs and other lower-level electronics) for Disney World's monorails was "upgraded" from a proprietary embedded platform to Windows 2K running a Delphi app.
It works for the most part, but it sure would have been better had Disney had assigned it to a programmer that had any experience driving the trains (at least three of which are Slashdot members, incidentally). As a UI it largely sucks, but that's not Delphi's fault.
The only thing I found that Raytheon does today is the failed Patriot missile defense system. Other than that - nothing.
Go look harder then. Just because you apparently don't have adequate search engine skills and are otherwise ignorant of the tech world outside your own little bubble doesn't mean the companies listed don't produce billions of dollars' worth of valuable equipment and IP.
I do love that list, because with the exception of EMC and Akamai, I've heard of none of them.
Sounds like you need to get out more then, especially saying ridiculous things like Raytheon "doesn't produce anything of value". Think about the ignorance of that statement the next time you warm something up in a microwave oven.
This got modded as a troll? I wasn't aware that Darl had a /. account....
In this context, the US "controls most of the world's data infrastructure" only to the extent that everyone voluntarily points their DNS boxes to the ICANN-controlled root servers. If they're not happy about the way things are with ICANN, they're free to point their DNS someplace else at *any* time if they so choose. It just so happens that it's not in their best interests financially to do so, but there's no law that says they have to use those root servers.
The 2.x versions with Windows were kinda pricey, but that was in part because you were also buying a Windows license along with OS/2 itself.
No, not even close. I don't really like most alcoholic drinks, so I did a shot's worth to be social, and that was it. :-)
I'm curious about this too. I recently attended a get-together with some old friends, and we shared a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label for the occasion. I'm not a Scotch connoisseur, so I think it was pretty much wasted on me, but everyone else seemed to think it was the greatest thing ever.
We vote for Specter AS LONG AS he maintains the principles of the party he was running under, in this case, Republican.
This makes the assumption that the party itself doesn't change over time. IMO, Specter has maintained his position in the political spectrum a lot more solidly than his party has.
If someone WANTS to run under the platform of "unlimited trust", he should run as Independent. There's a reason why almost nobody gets elected as one.
And a large part of that reason is because the Dems and GOP actively conspire together to keep it that way.
Whoosh again.
With life plus 50 years, there are untold numbers of authors dead only 10 or 20 years who might be willing to rise and take a crack at just one more novel.
It's been my experience that having experienced death puts a whole new perspective into an author's new works.
Might even make a two-year contract palatable.
Keeping works from the public domain by means of effectively infinite copyright terms is more disgusting. It's also "stealing" in the literal sense of the word, without having to twist its meaning to jive with a political agenda like the pro-copyright lobby likes to do, and is a violation of the social contract that is the sole reason copyright exists in the first place.
Let them lose their franchise with your city and see what they think then
Like that's going to happen. When given the choice of upholding the law, or keeping the thousands/millions of dollars in franchise fees they receive every year, you can always expect a municipality to be loyal to the money.
I've thought about opening up a few complaints with the BBB and maybe even the state PUC for this kind of crap.
Forget the BBB - they're a paper tiger with no teeth. The PUC could likely put some screws to them though, and get in touch with your state AG as well. If you're being charged late fees that you didn't legitimately incur, the AG in particular might be interested in that. When they're told that you'll be getting the state involved in the problem, you will likely find that Cricket's reps magically gain the power to fix your bill.
Just because an analyst competently proposes a prudent fiscal policy doesn't mean the legislature has to pay the least bit of attention to it. :-)
Orlando's like that as well. Only positive thing to happen lately is that the Orange County mayor may just have hosed his future political aspirations by playing dirty in his capacity of the head of the local expressway authority.
How much does TWC charge for similar service?
I'm not aware of *anywhere* that TWC even offers symmetric 20 megabit service.
Yes, fire them. Out of a cannon if necessary
I'd pay to see that. In fact, that could be a monthly event the community could rally around.
Time-Warner had their chance to provide the service, and refused to do so. I personally think that communications/data connectivity needs to become a utility, just like power/water/sewer especially in light of the ridiculous amount of subsidies the phone companies/cable companies receive in the form of rights-of-way, easements, exclusive franchise agreements, etc.
Perhaps a more efficient way of doing things would be for the city to maintain the physical infrastructure, whereas smaller ISPs like yourself would lease bandwidth on the public lines.
I don't think I'd put them on mine. Simonis cloth isn't cheap.
That's gonna need to be an *awfully* big collector to harvest enough energy to make the slightest difference to a hurricane...
Also consider that you can get up and walk around on the train, and if you're hungry you can get something more substantial than a tiny bag of peanuts any time you want. Plus, you load/unload your luggage yourself, so you have to put some effort into losing a bag.