*klik* *beep* "Huh?" *klik* *klik* *klik* *beep* *beep* *beep* "Stupid thing..." *klik*klik*klik*klik*klik*klik* *beep*beep*beep*beep*beep*beep* "Martha! The TV remote's not working and it's making these weird beeping sounds!" "That's your cell phone, dear."
1. Sony purchases Spiderman rights from Marvel. 2. Sony makes a buttload of money. 3. Sony tries to advertise that they did everything they did with the more recent "Spiderman" stuff. 4. Marvel gets jealous, attempts to revoke license.
Am I missing something here? Does Marvel have a case?
So the only worthy causes to donate to are charities?
While I'm not saying you shouldn't give to world hunger societies, it's not reasonable to only give to such situations. What about museums? What about schools? What about interesting points of free expression?
Hypothetical case: What about Slashdot?
I agree that charities are a good cause to give to, but I don't see anything wrong with splitting donations.
I emailed Nintendo about that. I got no response yet, but in a discussion with someone else who had information, it turns out the Japanese E-Reader didn't have that dongle that connects to the link-port- nor did it have the port at the back of the Reader. The linkport is used for nothing but a pass-through connector.
On the flip side, holding the unit with that big thing sticking out of it would be horrid.
There are too many variables and too little information here to really state anything for sure.
Information wants to be free... So why not let it out? He's getting in serious trouble just for mentioning something he found in his work. He's recieving no money and no income for it. Take down the site, but what good is arresting him? He's already stopped!...but shit, this can ruin the company! Where does he get off thinking he can post such private information? With the format out, it's trivial to create a device to create fake keys. I give it one month, and it's too late now. He needs not only to be punished, but to pay restitution to DirecTV, which now must come up with a completely different security algorithm, stopping all the products they already have out or in the lines using this technology.
I, personally, say "arrest the cretin." Much as I'm inclined to dislike large companies, years of DirecTV's work is now ruined, and he should have to pay every dime.
The theory sounds nice (although there are about 3,000,000 better ways), but all the ways it could go wrong...
GPS jammers, as previously mentioned
Hardware hacking the box to return low numbers...
or hacking someone else's to return high numbers.
Or random numbers that have no bearing on miles driven.
It's a major invasion of privacy; I can see the government quietly slipping in chips that track locations, broadcast the information on a hidden band, and allow the government to track peoples' movements. Of course, the information wouldn't be read wihthout reason- but the Patriot Act gives them a very simple, no-proof-needed reason.
And on that previous idea, if that happens and the band gets found- and decoded- the results should be obvious.
What happens if the box malfunctions? Who gets the blame?
What about tunnels, which go a long way to killing GPS recognition within them?
For that matter, what about thunderstorms?
There are just too many problems with this for it to be feasible...
Opera just made a mistake, in my opinion, with that. I liked how they kept the browser streamlined and stripped down; this new feature is, possibly, a sign of creeping featurism and surrender to the forces of software bloat.
Oh well. I guess if I want a simple browser, I should stick to Lynx.
-What defines a mass marketer? Could I get sued by dialing two wrong numbers in a row who are on the DNC list?
-What, exactly, do they define a "chairity" as?
-Will there be an opportunity for telemarketers to buy a permit to call these people?
-What about schools, who have a viable reason to contact large numbers of people? (*ring* "School's closed!")
-What about a practical joker who registers a whole bunch of numbers other than his own, of people who, for some insane reason, actually like telemarketers?
-Is there any way to get off the list?
-What about ad faxers?...there just isn't enough information.
This may have merit, but as a nerd, I shudder at the entire nauseating concept of such an invasion.
I just don't like how they don't ask. If they said it clearly, released two versions, and/or popped up a dialog requester with a simple "May I," it wouldn't be a problem. But the fact that it's so subtle and silent indicates to me that this company knows that this misfeature is not going to make it popular.
On the flip side, it will show artists what music is popular, and what we like to hear, so more of it will be made.
On the flip side's flip side, said artists will just create the same type of music, remixed a bit, and rereleased- it's the new stuff that I like, the odd and offbeat. If it's cloned, it sort of loses that.
It's sort of like a survey about your music preferences. Except they don't ask if you want to take it.
I can also see a DDoS attack on the system myseriously slowing down your comptuer (if you don't know this is happening) if their server gets overloaded by a whole bunch of music listeners, or just a good old ping flood, as your system tries again and again to send. I bet this could cause a good bit of net.congestion, too.
Not to mention that modem users will hate its guts.
Sheesh! This is getting way out of hand, and the government really needs to step in and do something.
Micro$oft has been on a buying spree recently. Rareware was one of its more recent aquisitions, much to my horror. They had good games; now, I'll avoid them on general principle.
M$ is trying to expand by assimilation. Don't have the tools/knowledge/brains/experience to corner a market? Just buy someone who does! If they don't sell, drive them out of business!
This chain will only end with complete Microsoft control of the world- literally- or M$ gets broken up. The government has to step in and cause the second.
Microsoft's "Buy Or Kill" strategy is, unfortunately, an effective one. Destroy all competition, by taking what they have, if possible; expand to new markets by buying the leader of the industry.
End result? A Microsoft monopoly on almost every technological market.
Would the right party in this plan recieve the money? You'd be paying the reader- what about the ISP who had to store the mail, or the 12 servers the 48K thing hit on the way?
I don't like the idea in general. I'm on seven discussion lists, and I could never afford to pay 100 to 750 (!) people with each mail I send to them.
There's a lot of potential for abuse in this system- crack the key system, the company getting bribed, and what about ISP system messages?
1. Battery power. How convinient would it be to store and charge? 2. Durability. What if the wearer is caught in the rain. 3. Inconvinience. Does the screen permanently impair vision? Does the battery pack set your pants on fire? Does the mouse require micron-accurate hand movements and/or a flat surface? Is it all voice-recognition that will severely mess up during a regular conversation? 4. Functionality. What, precisely, do they expect this to be set up to do? 5. Superiority. How is this better than the flopped "Cybiko?" How is it better than any other PDA out there? 6. Dorkage. How dumb does it look?
Come to think of it, number 6 would probably be the primary influence on this.
The government's historically stepped in to break monopolies, but more recent events have not been promising. I really don't know which way it would go- especially as those little individual free providers would hang on, providing the noncompetition AT&T would need to prove it's not a monopoly.
Pros: You'll be familliar with the company... maybe
Cons: Massive prices, price fixing, no need for good service as there are no alternatives, only one feature set, their way or no way, no change, about 3,000,000 other complaints
That's it! It's a new market that we never thought of before! Sell megaphones to tree frogs! It's a new paradigm!
I can just see the ad campaign now. "Don't bother searching for the perfect tree... use FrogAMP and watch the females hop right to you!"...sadly, somebody probably would try to sell this.
Linux is a very organized free-software movement that's gotten rather ubiquitous. The small, free networks have a chance- but they will have to work together, and I'm not seeing that happen.
Slashdot Mirror
*klik* *beep*
"Huh?"
*klik* *klik* *klik* *beep* *beep* *beep*
"Stupid thing..."
*klik*klik*klik*klik*klik*klik* *beep*beep*beep*beep*beep*beep*
"Martha! The TV remote's not working and it's making these weird beeping sounds!"
"That's your cell phone, dear."
1. Sony purchases Spiderman rights from Marvel.
2. Sony makes a buttload of money.
3. Sony tries to advertise that they did everything they did with the more recent "Spiderman" stuff.
4. Marvel gets jealous, attempts to revoke license.
Am I missing something here? Does Marvel have a case?
So the only worthy causes to donate to are charities?
While I'm not saying you shouldn't give to world hunger societies, it's not reasonable to only give to such situations. What about museums? What about schools? What about interesting points of free expression?
Hypothetical case: What about Slashdot?
I agree that charities are a good cause to give to, but I don't see anything wrong with splitting donations.
This weapon is totally harmless to people
What about people with electronic replacement limbs, pacemakers, hearing aids, EKGs, hospital machines...
In my opinion, the best change from BAM to Snood is the Danger Bar.
In BAM, it hits every X shots, and X drops across the course of play. Just something to deal with, no real strategy to it.
In Snood, you can decrease the Danger Bar with trick shots, encouraging seriously creative play beyond the scoreboard...
It really changes the game more than either of the other changes- although "squeezer shots" make the game more skill-based.
I emailed Nintendo about that. I got no response yet, but in a discussion with someone else who had information, it turns out the Japanese E-Reader didn't have that dongle that connects to the link-port- nor did it have the port at the back of the Reader. The linkport is used for nothing but a pass-through connector.
On the flip side, holding the unit with that big thing sticking out of it would be horrid.
It's a story on how you don't have the right to commit brazen theft.
There are too many variables and too little information here to really state anything for sure.
...but shit, this can ruin the company!
Information wants to be free...
So why not let it out? He's getting in serious trouble just for mentioning something he found in his work. He's recieving no money and no income for it. Take down the site, but what good is arresting him? He's already stopped!
Where does he get off thinking he can post such private information? With the format out, it's trivial to create a device to create fake keys. I give it one month, and it's too late now. He needs not only to be punished, but to pay restitution to DirecTV, which now must come up with a completely different security algorithm, stopping all the products they already have out or in the lines using this technology.
I, personally, say "arrest the cretin." Much as I'm inclined to dislike large companies, years of DirecTV's work is now ruined, and he should have to pay every dime.
There are just too many problems with this for it to be feasible...
Predictably, the images are down.
Opera just made a mistake, in my opinion, with that. I liked how they kept the browser streamlined and stripped down; this new feature is, possibly, a sign of creeping featurism and surrender to the forces of software bloat.
Oh well. I guess if I want a simple browser, I should stick to Lynx.
The charities aren't the only holes here.
...there just isn't enough information.
-What defines a mass marketer? Could I get sued by dialing two wrong numbers in a row who are on the DNC list?
-What, exactly, do they define a "chairity" as?
-Will there be an opportunity for telemarketers to buy a permit to call these people?
-What about schools, who have a viable reason to contact large numbers of people? (*ring* "School's closed!")
-What about a practical joker who registers a whole bunch of numbers other than his own, of people who, for some insane reason, actually like telemarketers?
-Is there any way to get off the list?
-What about ad faxers?
But that software can be included as an autorun installer on the disc. And should that installer be silent, there's no way to know...
Winamp at least tells you so you can turn it off. It even asks in the install.
...but you have to know to do it.
This may have merit, but as a nerd, I shudder at the entire nauseating concept of such an invasion.
I just don't like how they don't ask. If they said it clearly, released two versions, and/or popped up a dialog requester with a simple "May I," it wouldn't be a problem. But the fact that it's so subtle and silent indicates to me that this company knows that this misfeature is not going to make it popular.
On the flip side, it will show artists what music is popular, and what we like to hear, so more of it will be made.
On the flip side's flip side, said artists will just create the same type of music, remixed a bit, and rereleased- it's the new stuff that I like, the odd and offbeat. If it's cloned, it sort of loses that.
It's sort of like a survey about your music preferences. Except they don't ask if you want to take it.
I can also see a DDoS attack on the system myseriously slowing down your comptuer (if you don't know this is happening) if their server gets overloaded by a whole bunch of music listeners, or just a good old ping flood, as your system tries again and again to send. I bet this could cause a good bit of net.congestion, too.
Not to mention that modem users will hate its guts.
Coincidence? I think not. Right after the heat is off, here they are again...
The only thing for it is to try again.
Sheesh! This is getting way out of hand, and the government really needs to step in and do something.
Micro$oft has been on a buying spree recently. Rareware was one of its more recent aquisitions, much to my horror. They had good games; now, I'll avoid them on general principle.
M$ is trying to expand by assimilation. Don't have the tools/knowledge/brains/experience to corner a market? Just buy someone who does! If they don't sell, drive them out of business!
This chain will only end with complete Microsoft control of the world- literally- or M$ gets broken up. The government has to step in and cause the second.
Microsoft's "Buy Or Kill" strategy is, unfortunately, an effective one. Destroy all competition, by taking what they have, if possible; expand to new markets by buying the leader of the industry.
End result? A Microsoft monopoly on almost every technological market.
*whimper*
Would the right party in this plan recieve the money? You'd be paying the reader- what about the ISP who had to store the mail, or the 12 servers the 48K thing hit on the way?
I don't like the idea in general. I'm on seven discussion lists, and I could never afford to pay 100 to 750 (!) people with each mail I send to them.
There's a lot of potential for abuse in this system- crack the key system, the company getting bribed, and what about ISP system messages?
I think it's a bad idea, personally.
Interesting idea, but it's got a few problems.
1. Battery power. How convinient would it be to store and charge?
2. Durability. What if the wearer is caught in the rain.
3. Inconvinience. Does the screen permanently impair vision? Does the battery pack set your pants on fire? Does the mouse require micron-accurate hand movements and/or a flat surface? Is it all voice-recognition that will severely mess up during a regular conversation?
4. Functionality. What, precisely, do they expect this to be set up to do?
5. Superiority. How is this better than the flopped "Cybiko?" How is it better than any other PDA out there?
6. Dorkage. How dumb does it look?
Come to think of it, number 6 would probably be the primary influence on this.
Even "to scale" to compensate for its dirt cheap price, it still doesn't stack up.
...And this is why you shouldn't believe the prerelease specs. Nothing ever performs to spec; trust the benchmarks.
It's pretty common, really. But I haven't usually seen it to this degree.
...and look at what isn't happening to Microsoft.
The government's historically stepped in to break monopolies, but more recent events have not been promising. I really don't know which way it would go- especially as those little individual free providers would hang on, providing the noncompetition AT&T would need to prove it's not a monopoly.
You mean the sides that a user is carefully bracing with his/her elbows to hold the machine on his/her lap while riding in a moving vehicle?
Unregulated Monopoly
Pros: You'll be familliar with the company... maybe
Cons: Massive prices, price fixing, no need for good service as there are no alternatives, only one feature set, their way or no way, no change, about 3,000,000 other complaints
That's it! It's a new market that we never thought of before! Sell megaphones to tree frogs! It's a new paradigm!
...sadly, somebody probably would try to sell this.
I can just see the ad campaign now. "Don't bother searching for the perfect tree... use FrogAMP and watch the females hop right to you!"
What about Linux?
Linux is a very organized free-software movement that's gotten rather ubiquitous. The small, free networks have a chance- but they will have to work together, and I'm not seeing that happen.