Yeah, realistically, I don't think too much about standards created to promote the sale of a device. They tend to die off. Passbook (which is what I think you meant) seems like a great idea, but why would any vendor other than the Apple store adopt a system that only works with 17 percent of the market?
Hmm. That's what the insurance company said, [1] but I've had two doctors say that's pretty much nonsense. Exercise, if you can stand it, does keep the muscles and tendons in shape, which tends to hold things together better, but does not mitigate the fact that your joints are essentially grinding together bone on bone. There's apparently nothing practical that will regrow the missing cartilage, and short of knee replacement, treatment generally consist of reducing the pain, not reducing the damage.
Mind you, I still walk the dog nightly, even in the rain, but i wear leg braces that (incidentally) I had to pay for out of pocket.
Just pointing out that the vision of everyone happily bicycling to work may not be realistic.
[1] It seems clear that the motivation is the expense of a stationary bicycle vs knee replacement. Welcome to universal healthcare.
Another two words: myocardial infarction. Which you are much less likely to get with routine aerobic exercises.
I agree. I get regular aerobic exercise. [1] It doesn't happen to involve riding a bicycle. I gave that up with regret, (my Cannondale is still in the garage, was serviced recently, and every once in awhile I try to ride it) but one has to make concessions for what one's body can do. The point was, the vision of everyone riding high tech bicycles to work is probably unrealistic. It seems cool and green and healthy when you're young and your body is uninjured, but given time and road wear and your views might change.
[1] As it happens, two weeks from now will be my third black belt test. The style I'm currently studying requires upper body strength and speed but acrobatics, which I can't do anymore, are kept to a minimum. Even then, I have to modify some techniques for what my knees allow me to do.
Mental exercise significantly decreases the chances of dementia. I'm 56 and involved in lots of things, not the least of which is coding for a large company. Someone once said "learning keeps you young" and he was right. My last career switch was at 53. I picked up a new, fairly technical hobby at 54 at which I'm becoming fairly decent. Earlier this year I completed a 4,400 mile solo motorcycle trip.
There are concessions, of course. My knees are blown out. I can't run or bicycle anymore, and put those things away with true regret. But other things have replaced this. Walks with the dog, (with knee braces) long motorcycle trips, and driving daughter and her friends to skiing trips. (I hang out in the bar and write. Some of my best articles have come from there.)
If you think your life is over at 50, I can tell you from experience, it is only if you want it to be. I see some of my contemporaries sitting in their barcaloungers in front of the boob tube waiting for life to end, and it makes me sad. A few of them used to be sharp, and can no longer carry on a conversation that doesn't involve reminiscing. The people I associate with tend to be decades younger than I, because they're still doing stuff and I am unwilling to give up on doing stuff.
At 65, my mother had a bad heart attack, resulting in a triple bypass. She quit smoking, started a new business, and now in her seventies is a successful small businessperson. But the biggest change I've noticed is that for the first time in years her thoughts are clear, she can carry on a coherent conversation, and she's interested in learning new things.
I thought it had been pretty much settled that activity (mental and physical) tends to keep the parts working. I'm not sure why this is a news item. But I note other threads like this, even in Slashdot, of people worried that their careers will be over at 40. Well, maybe if you're a trapeze artist, but otherwise, it's pretty much up to you.
> And I don't relish turning a day long trip of 750 miles (a particular trip which I do several times a year incidentally, hence that specific number) into a multiday expedition, with my body contributing most of the work. I think most of humanity has established that they prefer quicker travel times and more comfortable commutes over better fuel economy.
Look on the bright side. The more people using these things, the more gas for the rest of us.
All those things are true. But succeed, fail, or eck out a meager existence, Microsoft really has no choice if they're going to play at all in this space.
The two phones MS made a couple years ago that sold ridiculously poorly and were pulled from the carrier (Verizon, I think) after only a few weeks. Yeah, a Microsoft phone will change everything.
Yeah, but the difference is that the Kin was a piece of cra....
That's terrible for Nokia. The few chances for its survival, IMO, now are gone:-S
True. But it's a logical move for Microsoft. The world has changed. The paradigm of selling an operating system at high profit margins is failing against the paradigm of giving the operating system away in order to sell devices. Microsoft can't compete with that without changing the way they do business.
Which just goes to show, you can't grant power to government and confine it only to your own party. Typically, when the other party holds office, they inherit the power. Something to think about when your representatives grant far reaching power to *your* candidate.
Which goes back to the airship concept. The problem there is that although airships can have huge lifting capability, they tend to be slow. And people still remember the Hindenburg.
Yeah, that's the problem. Microsoft's business plan requires the software be a premium product that everyone has to adopt, which is how the OS marketplace had always worked for them. In this case, however, three things are working against them: One, they're last to market in this marketplace. Two, the perception that the competing products are more mature and useful. Three, the competition, having a different business plan, offers for free the component for which Microsoft's business plan requires that the user pay a premium.
I just don't see it happening.
And in fact, I suspect that Google and Apple intended this scenario from the very beginning. Instead of meeting Microsoft head-to-head selling operating systems, they adopted a different business plan and gave away the parts that Microsoft's business plan requires they sell.
Now, Microsoft could certainly change their business plan, at least for gadgets, but wouldn't they have had to start, oh, a decade ago?
"Phantom's visual effects supervisor Rob Coleman recently told a seminar that he brought his concerns to George Lucas, who told him that he had designed Jar Jar to appeal to small children." http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0171197/news?year=1999
Now with the disney ties, jar jar will become more crapier than you can possibly imagine!
Slashdot Mirror
> - It needs to be more universal ... not just iOS
Yeah, realistically, I don't think too much about standards created to promote the sale of a device. They tend to die off. Passbook (which is what I think you meant) seems like a great idea, but why would any vendor other than the Apple store adopt a system that only works with 17 percent of the market?
With all those stupid discount cards, there's no room anymore.
That is a plus point. It reduces Osteoarthritis.
Hmm. That's what the insurance company said, [1] but I've had two doctors say that's pretty much nonsense. Exercise, if you can stand it, does keep the muscles and tendons in shape, which tends to hold things together better, but does not mitigate the fact that your joints are essentially grinding together bone on bone. There's apparently nothing practical that will regrow the missing cartilage, and short of knee replacement, treatment generally consist of reducing the pain, not reducing the damage.
Mind you, I still walk the dog nightly, even in the rain, but i wear leg braces that (incidentally) I had to pay for out of pocket.
Just pointing out that the vision of everyone happily bicycling to work may not be realistic.
[1] It seems clear that the motivation is the expense of a stationary bicycle vs knee replacement. Welcome to universal healthcare.
Another two words: myocardial infarction.
Which you are much less likely to get with routine aerobic exercises.
I agree. I get regular aerobic exercise. [1] It doesn't happen to involve riding a bicycle. I gave that up with regret, (my Cannondale is still in the garage, was serviced recently, and every once in awhile I try to ride it) but one has to make concessions for what one's body can do. The point was, the vision of everyone riding high tech bicycles to work is probably unrealistic. It seems cool and green and healthy when you're young and your body is uninjured, but given time and road wear and your views might change.
[1] As it happens, two weeks from now will be my third black belt test. The style I'm currently studying requires upper body strength and speed but acrobatics, which I can't do anymore, are kept to a minimum. Even then, I have to modify some techniques for what my knees allow me to do.
Mental exercise significantly decreases the chances of dementia. I'm 56 and involved in lots of things, not the least of which is coding for a large company. Someone once said "learning keeps you young" and he was right. My last career switch was at 53. I picked up a new, fairly technical hobby at 54 at which I'm becoming fairly decent. Earlier this year I completed a 4,400 mile solo motorcycle trip.
There are concessions, of course. My knees are blown out. I can't run or bicycle anymore, and put those things away with true regret. But other things have replaced this. Walks with the dog, (with knee braces) long motorcycle trips, and driving daughter and her friends to skiing trips. (I hang out in the bar and write. Some of my best articles have come from there.)
If you think your life is over at 50, I can tell you from experience, it is only if you want it to be. I see some of my contemporaries sitting in their barcaloungers in front of the boob tube waiting for life to end, and it makes me sad. A few of them used to be sharp, and can no longer carry on a conversation that doesn't involve reminiscing. The people I associate with tend to be decades younger than I, because they're still doing stuff and I am unwilling to give up on doing stuff.
At 65, my mother had a bad heart attack, resulting in a triple bypass. She quit smoking, started a new business, and now in her seventies is a successful small businessperson. But the biggest change I've noticed is that for the first time in years her thoughts are clear, she can carry on a coherent conversation, and she's interested in learning new things.
I thought it had been pretty much settled that activity (mental and physical) tends to keep the parts working. I'm not sure why this is a news item. But I note other threads like this, even in Slashdot, of people worried that their careers will be over at 40. Well, maybe if you're a trapeze artist, but otherwise, it's pretty much up to you.
osteo arthritis
> And I don't relish turning a day long trip of 750 miles (a particular trip which I do several times a year incidentally, hence that specific number) into a multiday expedition, with my body contributing most of the work. I think most of humanity has established that they prefer quicker travel times and more comfortable commutes over better fuel economy.
Look on the bright side. The more people using these things, the more gas for the rest of us.
Thomas jefferson, if he knew what became of the US.
Good point.
All those things are true. But succeed, fail, or eck out a meager existence, Microsoft really has no choice if they're going to play at all in this space.
The two phones MS made a couple years ago that sold ridiculously poorly and were pulled from the carrier (Verizon, I think) after only a few weeks. Yeah, a Microsoft phone will change everything.
Yeah, but the difference is that the Kin was a piece of cra....
Wait a minute.
Never mind.
That's terrible for Nokia. The few chances for its survival, IMO, now are gone :-S
True. But it's a logical move for Microsoft. The world has changed. The paradigm of selling an operating system at high profit margins is failing against the paradigm of giving the operating system away in order to sell devices. Microsoft can't compete with that without changing the way they do business.
Frankly, Nokia should have seen this coming.
Sssh! You'll spoil the surprise.
Which just goes to show, you can't grant power to government and confine it only to your own party. Typically, when the other party holds office, they inherit the power. Something to think about when your representatives grant far reaching power to *your* candidate.
Anyone surprised?
WHY?
Poke the button to get a real person, talk very quietly so they bump up the volume, then blow a boat horn in their ear. $11.56 on Amazon.
I was going to ask her out.
Which goes back to the airship concept. The problem there is that although airships can have huge lifting capability, they tend to be slow. And people still remember the Hindenburg.
So, without George involved, maybe a watchable Star Wars film could be made.
On the other hand, having seen John Carter, (I was drunk; it didn't help...) I may have to rethink that.
To acquire the rights to Howard the Duck!
There will still be graphics overkill. There will also be actors "acting" and a plot that might make sense outside King George's skull.
You may very well be right. In that case, I will decline to see it, and I have lost nothing.
VOLUME
Yeah, that's the problem. Microsoft's business plan requires the software be a premium product that everyone has to adopt, which is how the OS marketplace had always worked for them. In this case, however, three things are working against them: One, they're last to market in this marketplace. Two, the perception that the competing products are more mature and useful. Three, the competition, having a different business plan, offers for free the component for which Microsoft's business plan requires that the user pay a premium.
I just don't see it happening.
And in fact, I suspect that Google and Apple intended this scenario from the very beginning. Instead of meeting Microsoft head-to-head selling operating systems, they adopted a different business plan and gave away the parts that Microsoft's business plan requires they sell.
Now, Microsoft could certainly change their business plan, at least for gadgets, but wouldn't they have had to start, oh, a decade ago?
"Phantom's visual effects supervisor Rob Coleman recently told a seminar that he brought his concerns to George Lucas, who told him that he had designed Jar Jar to appeal to small children." http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0171197/news?year=1999
Now with the disney ties, jar jar will become more crapier than you can possibly imagine!
On the positive side, we don't have to watch it.