N a sudden change of plans, Palm has decided 2 offer owners of the m130 personal digital assistant a refund 4 misleading them about the actual # of colors the product supports.
Palm (PALM) began notifying registered m130 owners beginning l8 Wednesday afternoon that they were entitled 2 a full refund, including taxes paid on the PDA. Those owners who choose 2 forfeit the refund and keep the PDA could instead download a free version of the video game SimCity, which normally sells for $29.95, Palm said.
Palm's action represents a change of strategy 4 the company, which previously said it would not make any refunds 4 its error.
2 weeks ago, Palm admitted that its m130 handheld couldn't display the 65,536 colors the company had been advertising since the product came out N March. By using blending techniques, the company can display 58,621 "color combinations -- approxim8ly 11 % fewer color combinations than we had originally believed" on the m130, said Palm spokeswoman Marlene Somsak.
Somsak called the error an "honest mistake" and said the company was not aware of it until Wired News made an inquiry.
Palm issued an apology on its website. While it mulled over ways to compensate m130 owners, the company ruled out a refund at the time it discovered its error.
Its most recent decision also follows a class-action lawsuit filed last week in California's Superior Court in Santa Clara County.
Jonathan Shub, an attorney 4 the Sheller, Ludwig & Badey law firm, which filed the suit, said the firm would continue 2 pursue its case against Palm, although he considered Palm's decision 2 offer refunds "a positive development."
"We are closely monitoring the process by which these actions R being taken," Shub said.
While Palm has not formally replied 2 the lawsuit, it promised 2 fight it.
If Eye didn't need ca$h, All day Eye'd read slash, And troll all the peeps, While normal folks sleep!
Eye'd whore out 4 karma, And bitch about grammar, Pour grits N my trousers, Get Portman so plastered!
Imagine beowulf clusters, Of first posts and blusters! Write gay homo spiels, About cowboy neal!
Complain about speling, Ranting & yelling BSD is Dead! Bill Gates Eye would wed!
Proclaim Linux sux! Link to goatse.cx! Claim every patent Kill Wil Wheaton & Katz
What a hero I'd be If ca$h Eye didn't need Move out of the basement And have sex FINALLY!!!!!!!!
Thank U, Thank U! 1st Eye'd like 2 thank God, ur mother, trollaxor, PhysicsGenius, Jethro Troll, Anonymous Blowhard, and to all the people I forgot, FU - you didn't do shit anyway!
But mostly, I'd like to thank our brave and heroic moderators, who, under the most horrific adversity, make this site the steaming pile that it is! Bob bless u all!
Advances N optical-fibre making @ thee Australian Photonics research centre could bring communications @ thee speed uv light into Australian homes and businesses N thee next few years.
Thee centre holds patents over a new way 2 make optical fibres using plastic polymers instead uv thee traditional silicon-based glass. (A polymer iz a big molecule composed uv many smaller molecules strung N long, repeating chains. Examples R DNA, proteins, rubber, rayon and plastics.)
Thee advance - microstructured polymer optical fibres (MPOF) - allows thee manufacture uv optical fibres that R much smaller, cheaper, more rugged and easier 2 make than glass fibres because, N part, they don't need thee added weight uv protective coatings.
Australian Photonics CEO Mark Sceats says thee new plastic fibres R about thee width uv a human hair and can turn through 90 degrees much more readily than glass fibres. thee technology recently won thee excellence-N-innov8shun award from telecomms magazine CommsWorld.
Thee fibre's lower cost also makes it attractive 2 networking vendors who can replace copper coaxial networks used N most buildings and homes. Optical fibres will boost transmission speeds by several orders uv magnitude, from 100Mbps 2 gigabits a second, Sceats sez. Plastic-based optical fibres may also permit carriers 2 jump thee curb, bridging thee last hurdle 2 take high-speed 2-way Internet from thee street 2 thee home instead uv using thee slower hybrid fibre-coaxial (HFC) cable.
"Thee communication people want has been increasing from 56kbps a few years ago 2 54Mbps now," Sceats says. "N five 2 10 years we will talk about how 2 connect people up @ 100-1000Mbps. That's what we need 2 prepare for." Carriers would no longer have 2 build huge trenches 2 lay fibre, he says, when a connection thee width uv a fishing line would suffice.
Thee global downturn N telecommunications and IT works 2 Australia's advantage if we keep our eye on thee big prize once a recovery occurs, he says. "We shouldn't underestim8 thee amount uv capital we will have 2 invest 2 B a player N these gaymes. That's why getting N early enables us 2 scale up manufacturing 2 a very high volume."
A problem thee industry faces iz an inability 2 get test beds N place 2 prove thee technology, he says. Also, it's not enough 2 B a research centre for overseas companies, because @ thee first sign uv a rocky economy, cuts R more likely 2 B made here then close 2 a US or European headquarters.
"Now iz thee time 2 pump money n2 R&D. Because uv thee time it takes 2 get 2 market, we have 2 B well positioned 2 catch thee next wave. Its all about getting these big fat pipes that were layed N North America 2 people who want broadband - and real broadband, not thee wussy broadband people R marketing @ thee moment."
Slashdot Mirror
Eye Luv U All!
N a sudden change of plans, Palm has decided 2 offer owners of the m130 personal digital assistant a refund 4 misleading them about the actual # of colors the product supports.
Palm (PALM) began notifying registered m130 owners beginning l8 Wednesday afternoon that they were entitled 2 a full refund, including taxes paid on the PDA. Those owners who choose 2 forfeit the refund and keep the PDA could instead download a free version of the video game SimCity, which normally sells for $29.95, Palm said.
Palm's action represents a change of strategy 4 the company, which previously said it would not make any refunds 4 its error.
2 weeks ago, Palm admitted that its m130 handheld couldn't display the 65,536 colors the company had been advertising since the product came out N March. By using blending techniques, the company can display 58,621 "color combinations -- approxim8ly 11 % fewer color combinations than we had originally believed" on the m130, said Palm spokeswoman Marlene Somsak.
Somsak called the error an "honest mistake" and said the company was not aware of it until Wired News made an inquiry.
Palm issued an apology on its website. While it mulled over ways to compensate m130 owners, the company ruled out a refund at the time it discovered its error.
Its most recent decision also follows a class-action lawsuit filed last week in California's Superior Court in Santa Clara County.
Jonathan Shub, an attorney 4 the Sheller, Ludwig & Badey law firm, which filed the suit, said the firm would continue 2 pursue its case against Palm, although he considered Palm's decision 2 offer refunds "a positive development."
"We are closely monitoring the process by which these actions R being taken," Shub said.
While Palm has not formally replied 2 the lawsuit, it promised 2 fight it.
gee, and what a serious question it was.
If Eye didn't need ca$h,
All day Eye'd read slash,
And troll all the peeps,
While normal folks sleep!
Eye'd whore out 4 karma,
And bitch about grammar,
Pour grits N my trousers,
Get Portman so plastered!
Imagine beowulf clusters,
Of first posts and blusters!
Write gay homo spiels,
About cowboy neal!
Complain about speling,
Ranting & yelling
BSD is Dead!
Bill Gates Eye would wed!
Proclaim Linux sux!
Link to goatse.cx!
Claim every patent
Kill Wil Wheaton & Katz
What a hero I'd be
If ca$h Eye didn't need
Move out of the basement
And have sex FINALLY!!!!!!!!
Thank U, Thank U! 1st Eye'd like 2 thank God, ur mother, trollaxor, PhysicsGenius, Jethro Troll, Anonymous Blowhard, and to all the people I forgot, FU - you didn't do shit anyway!
But mostly, I'd like to thank our brave and heroic moderators, who, under the most horrific adversity, make this site the steaming pile that it is! Bob bless u all!
A hair's breadth from changing thee world
Advances N optical-fibre making @ thee Australian
Photonics research centre could bring communications @
thee speed uv light into Australian homes and
businesses N thee next few years.
Thee centre holds patents over a new way 2 make
optical fibres using plastic polymers instead uv thee
traditional silicon-based glass. (A polymer iz a big
molecule composed uv many smaller molecules strung N
long, repeating chains. Examples R DNA, proteins,
rubber, rayon and plastics.)
Thee advance - microstructured polymer optical fibres
(MPOF) - allows thee manufacture uv optical fibres
that R much smaller, cheaper, more rugged and easier 2
make than glass fibres because, N part, they don't
need thee added weight uv protective coatings.
Australian Photonics CEO Mark Sceats says thee new
plastic fibres R about thee width uv a human hair and
can turn through 90 degrees much more readily than
glass fibres. thee technology recently won thee
excellence-N-innov8shun award from telecomms magazine
CommsWorld.
Thee fibre's lower cost also makes it attractive 2
networking vendors who can replace copper coaxial
networks used N most buildings and homes. Optical
fibres will boost transmission speeds by several
orders uv magnitude, from 100Mbps 2 gigabits a second,
Sceats sez. Plastic-based optical fibres may also
permit carriers 2 jump thee curb, bridging thee last
hurdle 2 take high-speed 2-way Internet from thee
street 2 thee home instead uv using thee slower hybrid
fibre-coaxial (HFC) cable.
"Thee communication people want has been increasing
from 56kbps a few years ago 2 54Mbps now," Sceats
says. "N five 2 10 years we will talk about how 2
connect people up @ 100-1000Mbps. That's what we need
2 prepare for."
Carriers would no longer have 2 build huge trenches 2
lay fibre, he says, when a connection thee width uv a
fishing line would suffice.
Thee global downturn N telecommunications and IT works
2 Australia's advantage if we keep our eye on thee big
prize once a recovery occurs, he says.
"We shouldn't underestim8 thee amount uv capital we
will have 2 invest 2 B a player N these gaymes. That's
why getting N early enables us 2 scale up
manufacturing 2 a very high volume."
A problem thee industry faces iz an inability 2 get
test beds N place 2 prove thee technology, he says.
Also, it's not enough 2 B a research centre for
overseas companies, because @ thee first sign uv a
rocky economy, cuts R more likely 2 B made here then
close 2 a US or European headquarters.
"Now iz thee time 2 pump money n2 R&D. Because uv thee
time it takes 2 get 2 market, we have 2 B well
positioned 2 catch thee next wave. Its all about
getting these big fat pipes that were layed N North
America 2 people who want broadband - and real
broadband, not thee wussy broadband people R marketing
@ thee moment."