Here's a really good cache of the "About" page that gives a great overview of SkyOS. It's enough to make me want to try it - I wonder if there's a live CD in the works. -N
Yes, but I'm sure Boies & Co is well aware it's a losing battle. They'll fight it as long as they can make money doing it and I'm sure they're not interested in sticking it out on the one in a trillion shot that SCO exists for a reason. -N
ASIMO isn't intended to be any kind of artificially intelligent robot. He's intended to be a demonstration of the motor skills that Honda can put in a robot. He's intended as a research demonstration of human-like motion, walking, running, etc.
And that's enough work for Honda anyway. ASIMO is quite impressive if you've ever seen him. Someone else can continue to develop the artificial intelligence algorithms while they do this. This is what they are good at. -N
No disagreeing with you there... but whether people allow themselves to be distracted while driving has nothing to do with using a phone. Realistically, all this idea does though is encourage those who would be distracted to be even more so. -N
So now those who were driving along using their phone will start swerving when they look down at their phone trying to figure out why the call is dropping all of a sudden. Have you seen someone drop a call? They stare at the phone, check the signal bars, shake it, point it different directions, stare at it a few more minutes to see if the signal strength goes back up, etc.
It's jackass ideas like yours that contribute to accidents. And of course, getting into an accident is now worse. I can imagine already a 911 call being blocked by your jammer as you drive by an accident scene on the side of the road.
I haven't used Office in a good while, so this is unfamiliar to me... why wouldn't you be able to do this? Isn't that the point of using Office at all? Since it is "the standard" and can be opened anywhere? -N
Well, in all fairness, I haven't bought any solid state storage in awhile, so I didn't really know how cheap it had gotten... but still, this has got to be better than the PocketPC world of just ignoring the storage needs or just not acknowledging the problem to begin with. -N
And how does your comment have anything to do with this story? I hate feeding the trolls... don't know what the fascination is that keeps me doing it on occasion... -N
I haven't read the article, so if the summary is misleading, then I take back all these comments...
But I kinda wish now I was an earlier customer of these just to take advantage of this offer. They seemingly turned a customer service nightmare into a great spell of luck for early adopters... I wish more companies were like this. -N
The slashdot crowd at large doesn't support or defend their right to download movies and music for free. They support and defend the terms of fair use and complain about legislation that is eroding those rights protected by copyright law.
This story is about one company presumably profiting off of someone else's work. That's not even a close parallel to debating about the laws that the RIAA and MPAA are buying these days with campaign contributions.
You've got 4, Insightful for your "will be modded down" post and the only thing I can think is that it should have been. But it seems like the moderators here automatically mod up any post that makes a claim like that... pathetic. -N
That's useless reasoning. If you're going to be subject to restrictive licenses either way, then you go with the solution you think is better. So go with Linux if it suits you or Windows if it suits you better. Having to pay for software anyway is not reasoning just to go use MS products. In this case, that restrictive license with Xandros is a step into an OS that has no restrictions from the OS with the most and most good businesses will be willing to pay for software if it helps them.
Some of us use Linux because it's better, even if you apparently only use it because you're cheap. -N
What is the point of replying to a Slashdot post with a terrible assumption about email being one-way, when you haven't even read the article?
Geez, one of his largest sections talked about the 3 different methods of text entry and described how he liked that flexibility more than any keypad/T9 solution. -N
He was showing a directory, but pointing out the DRM Plugin and the Windows Media Plugin that are both installed 777, rather than at least 775 or something even a little restricted. You can't even see the directory's entry (.) there. And Quicktime is 775, nothing wrong with that. -N
Only one kind of limited slip provides traction control
ABS provides traction when braking and limited slip diffs provide traction when going. Any kind of limited slip is going to improve traction or else it wouldn't be a diff at all. Even an open diff improves traction above a solid axle. Electronic or not makes no difference, except in how it helps traction.
In addition, a limited slip won't help your non-driven wheels.
And neither will ABS, unless you're under hard braking and they are locking up. They are just holding up the rear of the car and if they lose traction (aside from hard braking), they are going sideways... no traction control will fix that in a non-powered wheel...
I'm much more aware of how these systems work and it seems you need to brush up. ABS is braking traction control and limited slip differentials are acceleration traction control. Any good system makes use of the diffs... some may use ABS too, but any system based solely on that is likely a pretty bad and cheap system unless all you ever do is brake. -N
Actually, most modern cars don't have traction control and ABS is only starting to become popular enough where you can get it in most modern cars.
And good traction control systems do not use brakes. Good traction control systems use limited slip differentials, mechanically or electronically controlled, but differentials nonetheless to make sure the engine's power goes to the wheels that grip.
Cheap traction control systems use ABS because they are for people who aren't driving anyway and think brakes are the best way to avoid any accidents. Sometimes brakes are a dangerous way to recover a car in limited traction. -N
That's not what I said. I said why bother trying to recreate an install CD? The best case scenario for trying to do that (which is probably not even close to achievable) is that you'd get a disc identical to all the ISOs you can download elsewhere. Either way, you're effectively violating youe EULA probably, so go the easier route and download a real CD. -N
Why bother? The best case scenario for putting together an install CD from a restore CD is equivalent to the CDs I'm sure you can download in ISO form wherever. It wouldn't be worth the work. -N
When I first checked, I initially thought it was all but one, that one being a repost of the story in case of a slashdotting... then I realized that the story had been filtered as per s/r/t/i and couldn't stop laughing... -N
I considered adding a paragraph about algorithms being the appropriate parallel in software, but pulled it out just because of what you said here...
I guess at that point, you'd have to also confirm it's a non-obvious method that is being patented. If someone invents a truly novel algorithm of encrypting communication that doesn't involve really big factorizations or something, that might warrant a patent. If someone develops an encryption algorithm though that just does different factorizations or longer keys than normal methods, while different, that algorithm isn't really novel.
So essentially, I guess algorithms could potentially be patented ethically, but it would more or less be a math patent, not a software patent. And i would take a good mathemetician to identify if it was obvious or not, because I know I certainly couldn't decide...
And even with all that, this is a gray area, which is largely why patent reform is necessary in the first place. Innovation is being hindered by these questions since some of the most innovation right now is coming out of software development. -N
That's the point... largely, software patents don't deal with truly clever ways of accomplishing things. They deal with obvious things that are practically accepted as standard methods of doing things. They are written to prevent other projects from achieving interoperation without stepping on patents.
If software patents only covered truly novel ideas like the patent system was initially designed to do, then no one would have a problem with them.
I look at it like this... good patents cover the way something is accomplished and bad patents cover the accomplishment. A good patent something like a particular method of preparing a chemical that is particuarly difficult normally to prepare. A bad patent is patenting that chemical, regardless of how it's prepared, as if that chemical's existence is owed to the patent holder.
It's hard to make up a good example of this with software, because any program you use, you're only seeing the output, but that may well be the patented methods, like a scrollbar in your example, which could be implemented many different ways of course.
Slashdot Mirror
Does this mean AOL is trying to become something which it is not?
Yes. Relevant.
-N
I'm an idiot. Here's the link to the page I was talking about above:: www.skyos.org/aboutnew.php&strip=1
http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:mAtB9IdidSUJ
-N
Here's a really good cache of the "About" page that gives a great overview of SkyOS. It's enough to make me want to try it - I wonder if there's a live CD in the works.
-N
Yes, but I'm sure Boies & Co is well aware it's a losing battle. They'll fight it as long as they can make money doing it and I'm sure they're not interested in sticking it out on the one in a trillion shot that SCO exists for a reason.
-N
ASIMO isn't intended to be any kind of artificially intelligent robot. He's intended to be a demonstration of the motor skills that Honda can put in a robot. He's intended as a research demonstration of human-like motion, walking, running, etc.
And that's enough work for Honda anyway. ASIMO is quite impressive if you've ever seen him. Someone else can continue to develop the artificial intelligence algorithms while they do this. This is what they are good at.
-N
No disagreeing with you there... but whether people allow themselves to be distracted while driving has nothing to do with using a phone. Realistically, all this idea does though is encourage those who would be distracted to be even more so.
-N
So now those who were driving along using their phone will start swerving when they look down at their phone trying to figure out why the call is dropping all of a sudden. Have you seen someone drop a call? They stare at the phone, check the signal bars, shake it, point it different directions, stare at it a few more minutes to see if the signal strength goes back up, etc.
It's jackass ideas like yours that contribute to accidents. And of course, getting into an accident is now worse. I can imagine already a 911 call being blocked by your jammer as you drive by an accident scene on the side of the road.
Idiot.
-N
I haven't used Office in a good while, so this is unfamiliar to me... why wouldn't you be able to do this? Isn't that the point of using Office at all? Since it is "the standard" and can be opened anywhere?
-N
Well, in all fairness, I haven't bought any solid state storage in awhile, so I didn't really know how cheap it had gotten... but still, this has got to be better than the PocketPC world of just ignoring the storage needs or just not acknowledging the problem to begin with.
-N
And how does your comment have anything to do with this story? I hate feeding the trolls... don't know what the fascination is that keeps me doing it on occasion...
-N
I haven't read the article, so if the summary is misleading, then I take back all these comments...
But I kinda wish now I was an earlier customer of these just to take advantage of this offer. They seemingly turned a customer service nightmare into a great spell of luck for early adopters... I wish more companies were like this.
-N
The slashdot crowd at large doesn't support or defend their right to download movies and music for free. They support and defend the terms of fair use and complain about legislation that is eroding those rights protected by copyright law.
This story is about one company presumably profiting off of someone else's work. That's not even a close parallel to debating about the laws that the RIAA and MPAA are buying these days with campaign contributions.
You've got 4, Insightful for your "will be modded down" post and the only thing I can think is that it should have been. But it seems like the moderators here automatically mod up any post that makes a claim like that... pathetic.
-N
That's useless reasoning. If you're going to be subject to restrictive licenses either way, then you go with the solution you think is better. So go with Linux if it suits you or Windows if it suits you better. Having to pay for software anyway is not reasoning just to go use MS products. In this case, that restrictive license with Xandros is a step into an OS that has no restrictions from the OS with the most and most good businesses will be willing to pay for software if it helps them.
Some of us use Linux because it's better, even if you apparently only use it because you're cheap.
-N
What is the point of replying to a Slashdot post with a terrible assumption about email being one-way, when you haven't even read the article?
Geez, one of his largest sections talked about the 3 different methods of text entry and described how he liked that flexibility more than any keypad/T9 solution.
-N
He was showing a directory, but pointing out the DRM Plugin and the Windows Media Plugin that are both installed 777, rather than at least 775 or something even a little restricted. You can't even see the directory's entry (.) there. And Quicktime is 775, nothing wrong with that.
-N
Nope... this one.
-N
ABS provides traction when braking and limited slip diffs provide traction when going. Any kind of limited slip is going to improve traction or else it wouldn't be a diff at all. Even an open diff improves traction above a solid axle. Electronic or not makes no difference, except in how it helps traction.
And neither will ABS, unless you're under hard braking and they are locking up. They are just holding up the rear of the car and if they lose traction (aside from hard braking), they are going sideways... no traction control will fix that in a non-powered wheel...
I'm much more aware of how these systems work and it seems you need to brush up. ABS is braking traction control and limited slip differentials are acceleration traction control. Any good system makes use of the diffs... some may use ABS too, but any system based solely on that is likely a pretty bad and cheap system unless all you ever do is brake.
-N
Actually, most modern cars don't have traction control and ABS is only starting to become popular enough where you can get it in most modern cars.
And good traction control systems do not use brakes. Good traction control systems use limited slip differentials, mechanically or electronically controlled, but differentials nonetheless to make sure the engine's power goes to the wheels that grip.
Cheap traction control systems use ABS because they are for people who aren't driving anyway and think brakes are the best way to avoid any accidents. Sometimes brakes are a dangerous way to recover a car in limited traction.
-N
Maybe suing your customer is a good idea to make sure it is a one-off customer and to make sure you don't have any other customers. Ever.
-N
That's not what I said. I said why bother trying to recreate an install CD? The best case scenario for trying to do that (which is probably not even close to achievable) is that you'd get a disc identical to all the ISOs you can download elsewhere. Either way, you're effectively violating youe EULA probably, so go the easier route and download a real CD.
-N
Why bother? The best case scenario for putting together an install CD from a restore CD is equivalent to the CDs I'm sure you can download in ISO form wherever. It wouldn't be worth the work.
-N
When I first checked, I initially thought it was all but one, that one being a repost of the story in case of a slashdotting... then I realized that the story had been filtered as per s/r/t/i and couldn't stop laughing...
-N
I considered adding a paragraph about algorithms being the appropriate parallel in software, but pulled it out just because of what you said here...
I guess at that point, you'd have to also confirm it's a non-obvious method that is being patented. If someone invents a truly novel algorithm of encrypting communication that doesn't involve really big factorizations or something, that might warrant a patent. If someone develops an encryption algorithm though that just does different factorizations or longer keys than normal methods, while different, that algorithm isn't really novel.
So essentially, I guess algorithms could potentially be patented ethically, but it would more or less be a math patent, not a software patent. And i would take a good mathemetician to identify if it was obvious or not, because I know I certainly couldn't decide...
And even with all that, this is a gray area, which is largely why patent reform is necessary in the first place. Innovation is being hindered by these questions since some of the most innovation right now is coming out of software development.
-N
That's the point... largely, software patents don't deal with truly clever ways of accomplishing things. They deal with obvious things that are practically accepted as standard methods of doing things. They are written to prevent other projects from achieving interoperation without stepping on patents.
If software patents only covered truly novel ideas like the patent system was initially designed to do, then no one would have a problem with them.
I look at it like this... good patents cover the way something is accomplished and bad patents cover the accomplishment. A good patent something like a particular method of preparing a chemical that is particuarly difficult normally to prepare. A bad patent is patenting that chemical, regardless of how it's prepared, as if that chemical's existence is owed to the patent holder.
It's hard to make up a good example of this with software, because any program you use, you're only seeing the output, but that may well be the patented methods, like a scrollbar in your example, which could be implemented many different ways of course.
-N
Well, the article summary does say that it has GPS, making it clear that it's one of the main selling points.
The whole basis of the product line seems to be location-finding and all...
-N