You're assuming that he listens to the stock player instead of a streaming music service like Slacker or Pandora. The Iphone/Ipod kills those apps if you hit the home button. I couldn't even stream the comedy channel from Slacker and use my grocery list app while shopping (need something funny while I shop so I don't run over people with my cart) until I ran the jailbreak.
That's nice that the "games wreck your life" attitude works for you.
I was once able to spend hours every day trying out all the new games or grinding away in EverQuest or WoW, hiding from "the real world" behind my computer screen or television. Then I let my friend talk me into dropping my games to get socially involved. I met a great woman, we hit it off and eventually started living together. Skip ahead in time a bit, I now have two kids, a job, and I am going back to school full time. We travel every weekend to see family or visit "fun" places for the kids. There's so much "life" going on that I have little to no time for gaming anymore.
I'd give anything to go back in time and kick my friend in the teeth.
*Disclaimer: I work at Best Buy on the Geek Squad.
We don't use Decrapifier. We have in-house software that guides the "agent" through a process that eliminates programs from add/remove, then shortcuts, and startup items. User preference is invoked at each step of the process, meaning there is no set rules for what to remove and what to leave. My personal policy is to remove anything that has a time-bomb built into it, such as 15-minute game demos or other trial versions of software. Also on the list are special OEM programs that "assist" the user in updating the 15 useless OEM programs that do things like monitor wireless activity, check file associations, and boost the launch speed of certain apps.
Obviously we are removing some things that sponsors have paid to have placed there, but our "Optimization" program only exists because many people don't want that crap cluttering up their new PC. I can't say I blame them, but then again it does help drop the price of the computer a bit.
Well for one, I use three different computers on an average day to check my email, it's just easier to access it via a web browser, which each computer has. I'm not about to install and configure a program on all these computers, two of which are frequently used by other people.
Second, I have several gigabytes of email, and not a lot of disk space on the laptops. Storage may be cheap, but unless it's free, I'm not going to waste time downloading it all to a hard drive or disk that has a higher chance of failing than the storage at Google.
Sure, if you have confidential or top-secret information in your email, you need to back it up to another device. But as handy as it is sometimes to dig up an old message for something, I could lose every bit of my emails and not be affected much. Once in a while, I export my contacts to a CSV, that's about it.
Believe it or not, everyone doesn't have the same needs as you.
Any gaming laptop has a decent graphics card in it with capability to push a HDTV to its max resolution. Even my 2-year old Dell runs beautifully on my HDTV. Most modern games allow for resolutions like 1366x768, 1280x720, 1920x1080.
I was just playing Rainbox Six:Vegas on my HDTV last night, and it looked fantastic. But I prefer using the wireless keyboard and mouse as opposed to controllers.
Oh, and Guitar Hero is very addicting. That is another fine PC game that I play regularly.
I know this discussion pertains to laptop screens, but I just had this conversation with my girlfriend about widescreen TVs.
We recently bought a 26" LCD HDTV for our bedroom, and she is not happy with the widescreen. Any show that is not broadcast in a widescreen format leaves those black bars on the side of the screen, effectively reducing the viewable screen to about 19" diagonal. The only alternative is to stretch it to fit the width (unacceptable to her or myself), or zoom in until it fits, which crops about 3" of the picture on the top and bottom.
After doing some research, I am finding it very difficult to locate a LCD Flat Panel TV that is NOT widescreen unless it is 19" or smaller. Why is there no market for people who like having a 4:3 aspect ratio? Most of our DVDs are fullscreen, and our Satellite TV is broadcast in fullscreen. I'm sure there are people out there who pay extra for HD programming and buy widescreen DVDs, but shouldn't the manufacturers try to accomodate both markets?
Another issue I have with small (32" or less) LCD HDTV screens is the resolution... most of them are 1366x768. What the hell is that? Standard Cable is 480i, DVD is 720p, and HD programs are 1080i or 1080p. Why aren't the native resolutions 1280x720p, so there would be no stretching of pixels in order to fill the screen?
Navigation might work, but it's far from perfect, or even good.
It's nice that your robot can tell when something is blocking its way. But how does it know when there is nothing left to walk/drive on? For instance, a stair leading down, or a change in materials (from sand to water, or asphalt to ice) that would prevent it from moving properly? Can it tell that certain variations are normal (a rug, or different colored tiles on a ceramic floor) and some are dangerous (the edge of an in-ground pool)?
When a robot/computer can tell that something is in it's way- and figure out what that object is, and if it can be moved (safely, and to where), then we're approaching *decent* AI.
Funny that someone here has linked to my companies site...
Our original goal at CitySimulation was to do what Google is doing now- build every major city in the U.S. in a real-time virtual environment. Our models are not built as quickly and easily (Google has airplanes with laser scanners, vans with mounted cameras, and high-tech GPS photo mapping software), but since every square inch of our models are 'hand-crafted', they are a lot more accurate, and of higher quality.
Since we never got any investors to buy into the idea, we had to rely on doing developer projects, one building at a time. It' a nice use of real-time technology... A developer has a challenge of convincing the city council that their proposed building will fit within the context of the site and its surroundings. With an interactive model (like a video game), many questions about a design can be answered in one meeting.
Anyway, we're now moving on to areas that Google and Microsoft are not (yet) interested in- proposed buildings/renovations, and building interiors. It's fun work, as close to creating video games that I'll probably ever get to be.
You can rant and rave about improvements in reliability, security, efficiency, GUI elements, and so forth, but at the end of the day what people care most about is: "Will it run my software?".
You're right, unfortunately. Allow me to expand on that statement...
"Will it run my software?" Most Linux advocates will immediately say "90+%, Yes". But that's a simplified question with a misleading answer. How about this?
"Will it do everything I need it to without requiring some cryptic commands to be entered into an archaic-looking text window, or some emulation program?"
For people who only want to use Office applications, Email, and the Internet- They will probably get by alright, but for anyone who wants to do any type of production work... the tools are just lacking. Not in quantity of course, there are so many freeware programs on Linux it's amazing. But the quality of those programs rarely even approach the functionality of professional software on a Mac or PC. I want to be able to take my pictures and videos of my baby, and create professional looking video slideshows on a DVD with navigable menus (With one or maybe two intuitive programs that make the task easy). Or how about taking my AutoCad drawings into 3DsMax to add life, animation and beautiful renderings? Sure, there are a host of tools on Linux for that stuff (even an old version of Maya, which is cool), but you'll need several programs to get those types of tasks done, and many of them will require you to type "sudo apt-get something-or-other" before they even work. (By the way, don't even mention Blender as an alternative to 3d Studio).
The problem, as it has been stated before, is the lack of support from big software and hardware developers. Many people won't use Linux because it won't run their games or specific applications, and most software companies (game developers especially) won't make Linux versions because there's not enough Linux users to justify the expense.
Ubuntu is bringing the dream of the Linux Desktop to the common users, but it's still not ready. Trust me- I can't wait until everything I want to do is possible in Linux, but I'm an artist and a gamer, so for now I have to dual boot Feisty Fawn and XP Pro.
What if they encrypt all incoming IP addresses before storing them in memory? Then they could hand over the contents of the RAM with no problem... Just say that all data is encrypted for the users safety and security.
Who was "stealing" the latest Brittany Spears CD? Let's see.... oh, it was
21834amG1239d4HyG2JHm34VJs1623H4uVJ21H374V21JH3k4V 4J6sT325
I'm not even sure if it's possible, but it would be nice to see them abide by the ruling, and still stick it to them in the process.
Now that I think about it, I believe the IP's would have to be encrypted by the client machine, and decrypted on the server end, and even then I'm not sure you could keep the unencrypted IP out of the RAM...
I'm not going to argue about cost of administering/maintaining a Linux box vs. Windows, but I really want to know why there is such a big deal about Windows being "dangerously insecure, adware/spyware prone, etc". Do Slashdot users really spend money on software to protect against that crap? I run 4 boxes of various Windows flavors, most are XP. Some are SP1, some are SP2. None of them have any sort of "protection" programs on them for viruses or spyware, and I never have any problems with them. By monitoring my task manager, I can tell nothing foreign is running.
I spend hours every day surfing the net, downloading all kinds of software- from legit programs to... not-so-legit. I visit adult sites, sites for cracks/serials, and online games. I have teenage family members that visit and load their chat programs and games on the computer.
Never been infected on any machine (except at work a few years ago, via an Outlook virus that hit everyone in the company). Is it because I use Firefox, or that I know not to click on misleading ads? (Not that I see any ads with Adblock installed)
Or am I just incredibly lucky? I'd like to know how many Slashdot users have the same luck, and if you do get infected- how does it happen?
With all of your intellectual thought, maybe you could muster up a reference to one of those newspaper articles you mentioned, that gives insight (with facts) to a supposed giant secret surveillance system? Otherwise, you're making it up. You saw The Enemy of the State, or some other spy movies, and now you're sure there is a huge secret surveillance system out there, playing Big Brother to the unsuspecting folks in Country X.
Like your parent poster said... Where's your facts to back up your theory? If it's hidden, how do you know about it? And if you're "in the loop" but can't say because it's classified information, confirm that for us, please. Not that anyone with a response like yours would be intelligent enough to be involved in something so complex and "top secret". Your reply could have been typed by a defensive teenager who just wants people to think he knows something they don't.
Why would you think you had first post? There are a lot of comments before yours. And why does it matter if you're the first person to leave a comment- is it some sort of recognition you desire? It seems like putting "First post" into your message, then NOT being the first comment in the thread pretty much makes you look like a complete idiot... the opposite of what you're desperately trying to achieve.
What will happen when technology allows any attendee at any function to transmit information (multimedia, for example) to anywhere s/he wants to? You mean like a cell phone?
What's to stop someone from calling another person (or computer) and giving a play by play synopsis, just like you would in a blog, but without having to lug around a laptop and type it themselves? With a nice headset, it would be mostly unnoticeable, and could be recorded on the other end of the line to create a podcast.
Now that I think about it, there are dozens of ways to record and transmit information... how does the NCAA or any other media control freaks plan on stopping people from using their phones, pda's and other increasingly small recording devices to send live information to public web sites?
Also, why is it "illegal" to record a sporting event (via audio, video, or text) and distribute it publicly? Is it because then no one would want to pump money into the pockets of the Cable providers and other media broadcasters? Or is there something I am missing?
Windows even allows you to "Undo" deletes, renames, moves, and copy operations, as long as the action was performed on a local disk- network and removable drives don't have that option.
Patents mean everything to an investor looking to dump funds into a startup company. If the company has a couple of patents that make it harder for the competition to come in and steal their idea, they are more likely to receive capital.
Slashdot Mirror
You're assuming that he listens to the stock player instead of a streaming music service like Slacker or Pandora. The Iphone/Ipod kills those apps if you hit the home button. I couldn't even stream the comedy channel from Slacker and use my grocery list app while shopping (need something funny while I shop so I don't run over people with my cart) until I ran the jailbreak.
Leecher!
That's nice that the "games wreck your life" attitude works for you.
I was once able to spend hours every day trying out all the new games or grinding away in EverQuest or WoW, hiding from "the real world" behind my computer screen or television. Then I let my friend talk me into dropping my games to get socially involved. I met a great woman, we hit it off and eventually started living together. Skip ahead in time a bit, I now have two kids, a job, and I am going back to school full time. We travel every weekend to see family or visit "fun" places for the kids. There's so much "life" going on that I have little to no time for gaming anymore.
I'd give anything to go back in time and kick my friend in the teeth.
We don't use Decrapifier. We have in-house software that guides the "agent" through a process that eliminates programs from add/remove, then shortcuts, and startup items. User preference is invoked at each step of the process, meaning there is no set rules for what to remove and what to leave. My personal policy is to remove anything that has a time-bomb built into it, such as 15-minute game demos or other trial versions of software. Also on the list are special OEM programs that "assist" the user in updating the 15 useless OEM programs that do things like monitor wireless activity, check file associations, and boost the launch speed of certain apps.
Obviously we are removing some things that sponsors have paid to have placed there, but our "Optimization" program only exists because many people don't want that crap cluttering up their new PC. I can't say I blame them, but then again it does help drop the price of the computer a bit.
Hah! He said it goes both ways...
I actually posted first, but because I am in Beijing, so you Americans won't see my comment until about noon tomorrow.
Does this mean that I will be able to see through the pixelation of the "naughty bits" on yuvutu.com?
I'd mod you up if I had points. You obviously have experience as a parent, something that isn't obvious in the parent's post.
Second, I have several gigabytes of email, and not a lot of disk space on the laptops. Storage may be cheap, but unless it's free, I'm not going to waste time downloading it all to a hard drive or disk that has a higher chance of failing than the storage at Google.
Sure, if you have confidential or top-secret information in your email, you need to back it up to another device. But as handy as it is sometimes to dig up an old message for something, I could lose every bit of my emails and not be affected much. Once in a while, I export my contacts to a CSV, that's about it.
Believe it or not, everyone doesn't have the same needs as you.
I was just playing Rainbox Six:Vegas on my HDTV last night, and it looked fantastic. But I prefer using the wireless keyboard and mouse as opposed to controllers.
Oh, and Guitar Hero is very addicting. That is another fine PC game that I play regularly.
We recently bought a 26" LCD HDTV for our bedroom, and she is not happy with the widescreen. Any show that is not broadcast in a widescreen format leaves those black bars on the side of the screen, effectively reducing the viewable screen to about 19" diagonal. The only alternative is to stretch it to fit the width (unacceptable to her or myself), or zoom in until it fits, which crops about 3" of the picture on the top and bottom.
After doing some research, I am finding it very difficult to locate a LCD Flat Panel TV that is NOT widescreen unless it is 19" or smaller. Why is there no market for people who like having a 4:3 aspect ratio? Most of our DVDs are fullscreen, and our Satellite TV is broadcast in fullscreen. I'm sure there are people out there who pay extra for HD programming and buy widescreen DVDs, but shouldn't the manufacturers try to accomodate both markets?
Another issue I have with small (32" or less) LCD HDTV screens is the resolution... most of them are 1366x768. What the hell is that? Standard Cable is 480i, DVD is 720p, and HD programs are 1080i or 1080p. Why aren't the native resolutions 1280x720p, so there would be no stretching of pixels in order to fill the screen?
Navigation might work, but it's far from perfect, or even good.
It's nice that your robot can tell when something is blocking its way. But how does it know when there is nothing left to walk/drive on? For instance, a stair leading down, or a change in materials (from sand to water, or asphalt to ice) that would prevent it from moving properly? Can it tell that certain variations are normal (a rug, or different colored tiles on a ceramic floor) and some are dangerous (the edge of an in-ground pool)?
When a robot/computer can tell that something is in it's way- and figure out what that object is, and if it can be moved (safely, and to where), then we're approaching *decent* AI.
Our original goal at CitySimulation was to do what Google is doing now- build every major city in the U.S. in a real-time virtual environment. Our models are not built as quickly and easily (Google has airplanes with laser scanners, vans with mounted cameras, and high-tech GPS photo mapping software), but since every square inch of our models are 'hand-crafted', they are a lot more accurate, and of higher quality.
Since we never got any investors to buy into the idea, we had to rely on doing developer projects, one building at a time. It' a nice use of real-time technology... A developer has a challenge of convincing the city council that their proposed building will fit within the context of the site and its surroundings. With an interactive model (like a video game), many questions about a design can be answered in one meeting.
Anyway, we're now moving on to areas that Google and Microsoft are not (yet) interested in- proposed buildings/renovations, and building interiors. It's fun work, as close to creating video games that I'll probably ever get to be.
You're right, unfortunately. Allow me to expand on that statement...
"Will it run my software?" Most Linux advocates will immediately say "90+%, Yes". But that's a simplified question with a misleading answer. How about this?"Will it do everything I need it to without requiring some cryptic commands to be entered into an archaic-looking text window, or some emulation program?"
For people who only want to use Office applications, Email, and the Internet- They will probably get by alright, but for anyone who wants to do any type of production work... the tools are just lacking. Not in quantity of course, there are so many freeware programs on Linux it's amazing. But the quality of those programs rarely even approach the functionality of professional software on a Mac or PC. I want to be able to take my pictures and videos of my baby, and create professional looking video slideshows on a DVD with navigable menus (With one or maybe two intuitive programs that make the task easy). Or how about taking my AutoCad drawings into 3DsMax to add life, animation and beautiful renderings? Sure, there are a host of tools on Linux for that stuff (even an old version of Maya, which is cool), but you'll need several programs to get those types of tasks done, and many of them will require you to type "sudo apt-get something-or-other" before they even work. (By the way, don't even mention Blender as an alternative to 3d Studio).
The problem, as it has been stated before, is the lack of support from big software and hardware developers. Many people won't use Linux because it won't run their games or specific applications, and most software companies (game developers especially) won't make Linux versions because there's not enough Linux users to justify the expense.
Ubuntu is bringing the dream of the Linux Desktop to the common users, but it's still not ready. Trust me- I can't wait until everything I want to do is possible in Linux, but I'm an artist and a gamer, so for now I have to dual boot Feisty Fawn and XP Pro.
Who was "stealing" the latest Brittany Spears CD? Let's see.... oh, it was 21834amG1239d4HyG2JHm34VJs1623H4uVJ21H374V21JH3k4V 4J6sT325
I'm not even sure if it's possible, but it would be nice to see them abide by the ruling, and still stick it to them in the process.
Now that I think about it, I believe the IP's would have to be encrypted by the client machine, and decrypted on the server end, and even then I'm not sure you could keep the unencrypted IP out of the RAM...
What do you expect? Didn't you know NASA is funded completely by Microsoft?
*ducks*
I spend hours every day surfing the net, downloading all kinds of software- from legit programs to ... not-so-legit. I visit adult sites, sites for cracks/serials, and online games. I have teenage family members that visit and load their chat programs and games on the computer.
Never been infected on any machine (except at work a few years ago, via an Outlook virus that hit everyone in the company). Is it because I use Firefox, or that I know not to click on misleading ads? (Not that I see any ads with Adblock installed)
Or am I just incredibly lucky? I'd like to know how many Slashdot users have the same luck, and if you do get infected- how does it happen?
Like your parent poster said... Where's your facts to back up your theory? If it's hidden, how do you know about it? And if you're "in the loop" but can't say because it's classified information, confirm that for us, please. Not that anyone with a response like yours would be intelligent enough to be involved in something so complex and "top secret". Your reply could have been typed by a defensive teenager who just wants people to think he knows something they don't.
Did anyone else read this headline as a warning in the SimCity message window?
Why would you think you had first post? There are a lot of comments before yours. And why does it matter if you're the first person to leave a comment- is it some sort of recognition you desire? It seems like putting "First post" into your message, then NOT being the first comment in the thread pretty much makes you look like a complete idiot... the opposite of what you're desperately trying to achieve.
What's to stop someone from calling another person (or computer) and giving a play by play synopsis, just like you would in a blog, but without having to lug around a laptop and type it themselves? With a nice headset, it would be mostly unnoticeable, and could be recorded on the other end of the line to create a podcast.
Now that I think about it, there are dozens of ways to record and transmit information... how does the NCAA or any other media control freaks plan on stopping people from using their phones, pda's and other increasingly small recording devices to send live information to public web sites?
Also, why is it "illegal" to record a sporting event (via audio, video, or text) and distribute it publicly? Is it because then no one would want to pump money into the pockets of the Cable providers and other media broadcasters? Or is there something I am missing?
What the hell is a gigawatt??!?
Windows even allows you to "Undo" deletes, renames, moves, and copy operations, as long as the action was performed on a local disk- network and removable drives don't have that option.
Patents mean everything to an investor looking to dump funds into a startup company. If the company has a couple of patents that make it harder for the competition to come in and steal their idea, they are more likely to receive capital.