That's actually not true. I assumed that as well, but there is no actual value in mining other than a time sink. It's not like it actually contributes to anything or a greater whole. That was pretty shocking to me - it's just busy work, I thought that somehow intrinsically it would be using CPU cycles to do something useful.
The argument that government backed currencies are so faulty is, well, faulty.
Do certain countries have piss poor systems set up that can make their money worthless, overnight? Yup, that's why folks don't invest in them.
The dollar, the euro, etc. may fluctuate, but there are as reasonable safe guards against them going flat as is currently possible that are what make the world go 'round.
Comparing major real-world currencies to "crypto" currency is like comparing a child's pretend store to Wal-mart. Sure, if you convince enough kids that the pretend stuff in your pretend store is worth enough, you can dupe them into giving you their money. You might even make a few bucks before people catch on, and if you have a large enough supply of dumb kids in your neighborhood that fall for it and believe a baggie of dirt you sell them is magic dirt that will someday turn into gold or candy.
But it ends when the real world gets involved - because the real world doesn't buy into your pretend.
Repeatedly solving equations on a computer does not actually do anything valuable. It simply controls the output. But if what is behind the output of nothing is still nothing, it's simply an age old money scam where the new folks pay to get in by "investing" so the early adopters make money, but eventually the pyramid falls when everyone realizes that it's all based on...nothing.
BitCoin "investors" try so hard to make it all "real" and will quote you academic papers and media curiousity stories and "conferences" of folks who get together to debate all this, but it's just because they want folks to keep believing that some type of alternate currency is just going to sprout up over nothing. Nothing backing it, nothing being produced but virtual money that has no true value except to speculators who depend on additional folks speculating to make their pile of nothing have the perception of being something.
It's all rather insane, but it breeds on basic human hopes for wish fulfillment - the wish to get rich quick. I have no doubt BitCoin has made some folks very rich - but those very rich people became rich because they cash out their hauls into real dollars which can then be used in the real world. Cashing out by selling to folks who come in at the bottom of the pyramid.
I said this elsewhere and was pummeled by a bunch of believers - but you cannot pay for any of the necessities or luxuries of life with BitCoin. They retorted about debit cards and BitCoin ATMs - but missed the point, which is that they had to cash out those BitCoins into real world currency to make it useful. Once folks stop buying into the bottom of the pyramid, hoping to get rich, and the jig is up - they are worthless.
In the future, folks will look back at this as a large experiment gone wrong and marvel at how some of the smartest folks got taken in by this. Scams usually prey on the old and weak, yet you have some otherwise brilliant people who fell for this hook, line, and sinker by the lure of getting rich quick out of nothing.
I resisted wireless as long as I could because of this very issue. I can turn on my computer and see a dozen networks, and I live in the suburbs. Unfortunately, convenience and devices I wanted to use finally required it (can't use an iPad without wireless), so I caved a few years ago. Thankfully, I learned long, long a go that if I didn't want something on the Internet, I didn't let it near an Internet connected computer. I have an old laptop I use for personal things that is not connected to any internet whatsoever, and if I need to move files it's on a burned, finalized CD. Sure, it can still be read semi-remotely if someone wants to invest in that magnetic scanning tech that can read what data you are writing to your hard drive, but a) I don't have anything that would be THAT valuable to anyone, and b) if someone was going to use that on me, I've got far greater things to worry about.
Trolling is trolling - posting something simply to be disruptive and irritate people. It doesn't matter why it's done or if the troll thinks there is some greater point to it.
Although I can't know for sure, for some reason, Anonymous Troll, I have this odd feeling you are referring to the latest bit of bullshit that was going on here a few days ago. While I have no doubt that some folks legitimately thought that disrupting the comments section for every article was somehow a form of effective protest, that's not what I saw from most folks. What I saw was largely closeted trolls who were simply giddy and disrupted with glee feeling they suddenly had been given a "license" to do so on a site that usually has little tolerance of such behavior.
The absolute joy quite a good number of the folks "protesting" had was palatable, thinking they were being all clever and such and acted like a bunch of sugar-starved kids who had just been given the keys to the candy store, yet weren't content just eating their fill of candy but felt they had to rip down the displays and rip out the cash register and generally destroy the place, as well.
The folks who do have my respect are those that can make relevant comments, and then make their protest known at the end - not folks who are posting just to incite because they feel they had been given permission by the "community" to.
You are looking a little too deeply into this in hopes of finding something offensive.
"Interactive Movie" was actually traditionally used by the games industry back in the early days of digital video when they would incorporate it into a "game" but there wasn't enough game to actually call it a game, like Night Trap.
In modern context, it simply means a game that is so realistic that it would be indistinguishable from a motion picture visually, if one could choose character actions during a motion picture. It's an aspirational goal of the game industry, not the film industry trying to hone in on the games industry.
That said, the real issue with realism in games is that game developers keep pushing the envelope in the wrong direction. Even on the next gen systems (well, since they are out I suppose they are now current gen), they keep focusing on textures and increasing numbers of polygons on the screen instead of making what is there more realistic. I am always stunned when I see a brand new game and they STILL cannot get lip sync right. It doesn't matter how detailed the hairs on a characters head are if their lips don't move in sync with their voice.
not about people being "revolted" because they sense something "wrong" on an unconscious level, it's that they spend so much time trying to increase resolutions and textures that they don't focus on what makes characters alive - how they move and how they react. It's not about making single frames look more realistic, it's how they work in motion which really hasn't improved in step with the "how many hairs or pores can we texture on to this character".
UK again. Iceland? Zimbabwe? I can only compare it to the system in the United States, and the dollar is not disappearing overnight. The "financial crisis" we had was people who chose to gamble their money in the stock market and mutual funds hoping to make a quick buck, just like these BitCoin folks who think they are going to get rich off of nothingness. The only people getting rich are the fat cats who run the exchanges, who are accountable to absolutely no one, and could vanish overnight (what do you want to bet that at least one the exchanges that goes down never comes back up?).
BitCoin is an academic experiment that is using the age old technique of parting folks from their money by luring them in with the promise of future riches, until the bubble bursts. You can't make something out of nothing, it's just like any get rich quick scheme. This last week has lost any confidence, which was shaky and faith based to begin with. The wishful thinking is on it's way out, and reality is setting in, STAT.
I can't speak to the UK, I live in the United States. I have never once lost access to my money for an unspecified period of time. There is zero regulation on BitCoin, but in the US our funds are insured by the FDIC up to 100K. Though, I've never had to take advantage of such a thing. The USD may fluctuate in value like any currency, but unless you are gambling in the stock market or mutual funds, our money is as safe as it is possible for money to be if it's in a savings or checking account. And the USD is kind of a proven currency, it's been around for quite a few years now...
Compare that to trusting your BitCoins to folks who are used to dealing in game currency, with zero oversight, zero track record, that you can't really spend anywhere significant to begin with.
I actually know some folks in the "alternative currency" arena, including one who is a recognized expert who has been published and is actually doing a documentary about it, and to hear them talk about Bitcoin is like listening to seasoned musicians talking about Justin Bieber. It simply is not a legitimate currency, it can basically be used on a few websites, and is nothing but pure speculation. A game for folks who desperately want it to be something so they can makes something from nothing.
It's an academic experiement, not a serious investment and it never will be. For it to work, it has to become the very thing it espouses to circumvent.
The last week has proven the unreliability, which would be one thing if it had a long track record and just had a momentary glitch - a currency needs confidence, and to have confidence you have to have a certain amount of trust, which BitCoin simply hasn't earned.
Go back and read what the article above says - it's a desperate BitCoin pusher who sees all this happening and is trying to urge people not to panic or abandon it - like a guy standing in the middle of a theater that is burning down and saying "it's ok everyone, it's getting a little warmer but we can still stay and enjoy the rest of the film!"
"Itâ(TM)s important to note that DoS attacks do not affect peopleâ(TM)s bitcoin wallets or funds."
Oh good. That should make folks feel so much better. I know I always feel safe when my bank goes down cascading with other banks to know my funds are "safe", I've just had my access to them taken away for an unspecified time frame due to their theoretical safeguards that are largely untested and fall prey to the most basic, grade-school level Internet "hacking" (DDoS) which is more akin to a prank when compared to a real attack.
Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you - the beginning of the end of the Bitcoin bubble. When those exchanges go back up those Bitcoins are going to be ripped out of there and anyone who isn't completely daft will sell them off , take what cash they can get and run.
...is to not buy into the virtual currency fad to begin with.
Bitcoins are the collectable of the moment - it's like the comic book bubble. Sure, really old comics (like 1940's) remain valuable as artistic artifacts (issues that only exist in single or double digits in known quantity in the world), but you can pretty much get any comic from 1990 on for cover price at this point with very few exceptions, and even 60's/70's stuff for $20-30 now that all used to go for $100's in the 90's during the boom.
Once the "thrill of the chase" is over, and people start to realize that they have nothing of value to show for it, they still can't spend their Bitcoins on Amazon, or any brick and mortar environment, it all evaporates. Worse, in this case, is that with all of the issues and flaws in the system - it can happen much more quickly, as this weekend showed.
It's human nature to want something for nothing (or very little) - people are playing the Bitcoin lottery right now, and they'd be better off buying scratch tickets. Sure, folks are making a few bucks here and there, and a select few are probably making a lot of money on folks just trying to get in on it, but like any bubble, it doesn't last forever. In five years we'll be looking back at this and laughing that anyone paid $700 (or whatever it gets up to before the jig is up) for a virtual coin that can't really be spent anywhere significant, and is just people buying/selling to each other. Kudos to those who are taking advantage of this and making what they can while they can - but most folks would be better off buying virtual items in Everquest or WOW because then they actually get to use the items to enjoy in the game, because 100 Bitcoins can't even buy you a cup of coffee in 99.99999999...% of the world.
The person you replied to, though - has a great point regarding the general acceptance and "need" of such things. You obviously aren't the "general audience" when you talk about installing vibration sensors on your dryer and installing hardware onto your stove.
I don't "spend my day leaning against the dryer", for example, as I don't have time for that, either - if I set it for 50 minutes, I go back 50 minutes later. If I don't feel like looking at one of the many clocks in my home, I can set an alarm with two flicks of my finger on my phone or tablet. Or, since I don't have 17 kids I am doing laundry for, I just go back down to the dryer when I am ready - which can be six hours later.
Regardless, I agree with your point of paying premium prices for these devices - but I think that point extends to the person you replied to - if they cannot convince you, someone who does want these alerts, etc. - there isn't a chance in hell they will ever convince John Q. Public to do so.
This whole thing smacks of the "3D TV" fad. A bunch of manufacturers got together, trying to figure out what the "next step" was for their product to get the folks who already bought their equipment to re-buy it. The home theater community at large seemed to believe that suddenly 3D on TV was the "next big thing" and that by now (2014) every television would just have it as standard. The opposite has happened - big box retailers like Wal-mart and Target don't even carry them in store anymore (you can order online but they don't stock them), and while in 2011 it seemed like this was some big breakthrough that everyone would want - the public responded with a resounding "no" by not purchasing the products. People still buy 3D TV's, but they failed to go mainstream - which is why the manufacturers are all talking about "4K" now - again, selling to that niche of folks who have to have the newest best shiniest - who are willing to upgrade perfectly good equipment because buying electronics is their hobby.
All of the "problems" that any of these devices solve are already solved as much as most people care them to be. Want your coffee maker to have your coffee ready when you wake up? Plenty have timers just for that use. Washing machines, stoves, etc. already have timers built in. Sure, it takes a second or two of thought - but very few have a life so complex that such things are overwhelming, if they feel they "need" them to begin with. If you have home security needs, it's quite easy to view video feeds from far away these days. Very few people have all these needs, and in the end it really only appeals to super "gadget" folks with large disposable incomes. That's why home automation will always be a niche product - most people just do not need (or even want) that level of "control".
Finally, that brings it back to the essential problem the person you replied to posted - the lack of standards. Even if everyone did want this much interaction with the devices in their home, the lack of standards coupled with the lack of practicality to most folks makes this all DOA. It isn't any more going to happen now than it happened in the 50's and 60's (think: Jetsons) where they predicted we'd all be automated by the 80's.
We seem to fall for this stuff once a generation, at least. For a funny comparison, watch Back to the Future II - a film made in 1989. A large portion of the film takes place in 2015 - which is now less than a year away. Our world really resembles the 1985 depicted in the film much more than the 2015 - the only difference is we have smart phones. It's because we seem to think we are on this great cusp of automation and innovation when, in fact, for everyday tasks - it's just not cost effective to begin with, and it never will be because people simply don't care enough to make it mainstream. For most folks, looking in their fridge is enough to know they need milk - and, even if your fridge did have the feature of letting you know, you'd have to buy certain brands of milk that it
It reminds me of a quote from Game of Thrones when young King Joffrey is put in his place - to paraphrase, a "real King" doesn't need to keep telling everyone "I am the King!"
They can let them know via the "Feedback" link at the bottom of the homepage.
Ruining the comments section of every story so people cannot find and read the actual relevant comments is what upset me. It was the tenth story in a row I had tried to read the comments and gave up because of all these people "protesting" by ruining the site for everyone else by burying the relevant content.
I should not have gone down to their level by replying, but to be honest- the audacity and glee some of these folks are showing, who are clearly enjoying feeling they have permission to act like complete trolls just hit my "rage" button. They think they are so clever - but as I stated, at least some people are doing it under their own usernames, but some of these truly anonymous coward trolls are really the most infuriating as they hide behind "Anonymous" because that's what cowardly trolls do.
Unfortunately, this will likely just lead to them removing the Anonymous feature, which does have it's uses.
As a reader of this site, this entire thing just looks like one great big juvenile excuse to let people think they have permission to act like complete trolls and it's clear that a number of them don't even actually care about Beta but are just using it as an excuse to get their virtual masturbation jollies. The glee they are taking in it is what is really infuriating - nothing worse than someone using "protesting" as an excuse to ruin everything for everyone else.
Again, I should not have lowered myself to their level - but it's extremely unfortunate that their behavior is likely going to lead to some wholesale changes to commenting and moderation - these folks want this ship to sink entirely if they can't have everything their way, and are so selfish it makes me want to puke. But, I guess it's inevitable - everything good gets ruined at some point by folks who take advantage and manipulate to the detriment of everyone. I guess it's a miracle the site lasted this long.
I wish you fucktards would stop trying to ruin this site for those of us who don't give a rats ass about these changes. You are pathetic wastes of space who cower behind "anonymous" postings. At least be a man and post under your own account so we know who the douche bag cry babies are and can avoid you once this silliness is over.
You took the address book too literally. The only way your real world contact info gets on FB is if you are idiotic enough to put it there. It can be used as a literal address book for those idiots who post their phone number, etc on their page, but as a metaphorical address book it works as a collection of people with which you can contact easily. Other people can't add your phone number and address to your FB page, only you can. So if it's on there, it's your own damned fault.
It won't. The zeitgeist that made everyone from kids to grandmas sign up will not happen again in the same way. It's like Beatlemaina. The right place the right time the right thing - no one site will ever pull so many people in one place.
FB actually gives you great tools to filter out the chaff. They are a bit complex, it would be nice if it was more streamlined, but you can easily filter out the people from your newsfeed that you feel don't post interesting things consistently.
FB is like Walmart. Some people love it, some people hate it, some people don't have a choice but to use it. It has it's pluses and minuses but no retail store will ever be able to come up to truly compete, so you either figure out how to work with it or you avoid it and miss out.
Actually, dumbass anonymous coward, the real interesting thing is that you didn't read the next sentence - I am using the mobile version WHICH DOES NOT HAVE a preview button. But thanks for trying, better luck next time.
OMG, I haven't posted here in years - you STILL have to manually separate paragraphs? Ugh. Let's try again. Particularly annoying on this mobile version I am on that doesn't have a preview.
Yes, FB has a very robust internal search engine. I never used Google to search it to begin with - the thought never occurred to me. I use Google all the time, but when I want to search a specific website...I go to that site.
All the doom and gloom about FB doesn't take into account one thing: for many of us, it's our address book. Hundreds of friends from college, high school, former work places - when I want to get in touch with someone I don't regularly communicate with, that is where I go. So even though I don't sit and read everyone's posts every day like I may have at one point, it's still an essential and valuable tool in my life (even if I just go to find someone's regular email or phone number). I cannot tell you how amazing that ability is.
I needed a piece of art done for a cover of something I was publishing recently. I knew a girl I'm college who dated a good friend of mine. I happened to notice one day a year or so ago that she was doing custom art for people. When this project came up, I immediately thought of her because the style of art I needed was exactly what she was doing. I wrote her a FB message, and 24 hours later I had my cover, exactly how I envisioned it, and got it for free - and she got a credit for her resume. That would have never happened without FB, and things like that happen all the time.
What is getting old are the Facebook haters. If you don't like it, don't use it. But seriously, STFU about it. You doth protest too much. If you say you are sick of reading mundane details about everyone's lives, stop fucking reading them. If you spend your time doing something you don't like, the only idiot is you.
Facebook is an amazing TOOL, if you are using it strictly for entertainment good for you - but just because someone can't see beyond the "I had tuna salad for lunch today" or "I popped a really big zit - look at this!" posts, doesn't take away from the fact that used intelligently, it can be a very useful and ultimately gives us something that wasn't possible before it existed - a living address book of everyone we know. It's how you use it that determines if it's a god-send, or an utter waste of time.
Yes, FB has a very robust internal search engine. I never used Google to search it to begin with - the thought never occurred to me. I use Google all the time, but when I want to search a specific website...I go to that site.
All the doom and gloom about FB doesn't take into account one thing: for many of us, it's our address book. Hundreds of friends from college, high school, former work places - when I want to get in touch with someone I don't regularly communicate with, that is where I go. So even though I don't sit and read everyone's posts every day like I may have at one point, it's still an essential and valuable tool in my life (even if I just go to find someone's regular email or phone number).
I cannot tell you how amazing that ability is. I needed a piece of art done for a cover of something I was publishing recently. I knew a girl I'm college who dated a good friend of mine. I happened to notice one day a year or so ago that she was doing custom art for people. When this project came up, I immediately thought of her because the style of art I needed was exactly what she was doing. I wrote her a FB message, and 24 hours later I had my cover, exactly how I envisioned it, and got it for free - and she got a credit for her resume. That would have never happened without FB, and things like that happen all the time.
What is getting old are the Facebook haters. If you don't like it, don't use it. But seriously, STFU about it. You doth protest too much. If you say you are sick of reading mundane details about everyone's lives, stop fucking reading them. If you spend your time doing something you don't like, the only idiot is you.
Facebook is an amazing TOOL, if you are using it strictly for entertainment good for you - but just because someone can't see beyond the "I had tuna salad for lunch today" or "I popped a really big zit - look at this!" posts, doesn't take away from the fact that used intelligently, it can be a very useful and ultimately gives us something that wasn't possible before it existed - a living address book of everyone we know. It's how you use it that determines if it's a god-send, or an utter waste of time.
Exactly. Many companies of a decent size have their own internal apps, tools, etc. that are not commercial products. They can range from simple tools (say an internal web page that runs a query over several unrelated systems to show a data set) to entire systems (many large companies may start with a commercial product then "Frankenstein" them internally to tailor them to the individual companies needs.
Often, the people who may have made these tools are long gone (and if a tool is used for years, then the person was probably promoted out because it was a success). And very often they are either built in a short period of time for a specific task and don't scale well to newer systems, or they were built over a long period of time by many different people and there is little if any documentation as the goal was just to make it function and work.
It's not about laziness, it's about resources. Simply upgrading a web browser can render something non-functional. Basically when you make a major change like that, every inch of system, tools, and code needs to be tested, rewritten, and/or replaced. Since the company cannot just multiply it's IT budget by a factor of ten, or just close up shop for the time it takes to do all this so customers/clients are unaffected, it takes time.
RTFA...she wasn't in science class, she wasn't at a science fair. None of the teachers knew anything or assigned her to do any sort of "experiment". While the punishment does seem rather severe, the/. summary makes it sound like she was giving some demonstration and randomly got arrested. She wasn't, she just did this out of nowhere.
(The above mangled reply walloftext is due to first time posting on a tablet LOL, guess that one hasn't quite solved that problem yet;-) )
Not to mention, pictures of them didn't float up to the top of your email box with whatever they are currently (wishing the world to see) what they are doing, reminding you of them or allowing you to easily locate other people you know and easily contact them (browsing a friends list). It's a stupid analogy.
While I would not say Facebook solved a "problem", it filled a need we didn't know we had, which was caused by another advance. The Internet opened up the world of communication in such a way that it was very easy to lose touch with those real life networks (of which many of us have many and lose touch with - from old workplaces, schools, etc.).
Facebook may give an artificial sense of the local closeness at times, but it can be an amazing tool to do so. For the average person, it lets them plan barbecues and social activities and keep up with people they may never have been able to before. Are there fuck-tards on Facebook and people who misuse it or are disturbed by it? Sure, but same can be said for just about anything useful. I think some people are a little too over-zealous in their passion for guns, but on the other hand - I'm kind of glad they exist because a lot of the time they do offer protection just in general, mostly when they are it used (imagine a world where police officers had to use only knives and fists to keep law and order).
My mom has been on Facebook only for the first time recently, and she has found friends she has not seen in thirty years, a way to connect to her friends in a new way that's a lot more convenient than phone calls, and she helped solve a murder (no joke, LOL). I spend maybe fifteen minutes a month on Facebook these days, but it's still so valuable. I wanted to do a faux painting style on a wall in my house, so I looked up an acquaintance of mine who I hadn't seen in years for a little advice because awhile back I noticed in a past job they had done it professionally. I never knew that. Not only did I get my advice, but I reconnected with someone who may go from acquaintance to friend. Since they live fifteen states away, I may have never communicated with them again without Facebook. And shit like that happens every day.
Oh, wow, thread drift. I just can't stand FBwhines from people who either can't get any friends or are too stupid to know how to avoid the negatives of FB and reap the benefits of the positives.
As to GoogleGlass, I agree it is really no different that what is already out there. I've recorded shows on my iPhone ($350 a ticket, and I didn't copy it for anyone else - I feel ok with that LOL), taken pics a little on the down low (usually of bumper stickers I want to share with my friends). It's it hard. I always find that kids "Spy" stuff in the toy aisles fun to look at - as I played spy as a little kid a lot. I was all abut classic 30's and 40's spy movies. It's kind of amazing to see what they make for kids today, from mirror glasses (I bought one as a joke gift when it was on clearance for $3), cameras in toy helicopters, listening devices, and....video recording sunglasses. And they look more like regular sunglasses than GoogleGlass. You can wire them up to some watch to get extra recording time. Sure they are crappy VGA images probably (the package doesn't really tell you) but they work. They even have a Barbie doll down with a camera in her cleavage that one could easily disguise.
GoogleGlass is just bringing out the paranoia in people who weren't smart enough to be paranoid in the first place. Hey! I just turned that thread drift back on itself, since that pretty much sums it up about Facebook, too.
Not to mention, pictures of them didn't float up to the top of your email box with whatever they are currently (wishing the world to see) what they are doing, reminding you of them or allowing you to easily locate other people you know and easily contact them (browsing a friends list). It's a stupid analogy.
While I would not say Facebook solved a "problem", it filled a need we didn't know we had, which was caused by another advance. The Internet opened up the world of communication in such a way that it was very easy to lose touch with those real life networks (of which many of us have many and lose touch with - from old workplaces, schools, etc.).
Facebook may give an artificial sense of the local closeness at times, but it can be an amazing tool to do so. For the average person, it lets them plan barbecues and social activities and keep up with people they may never have been able to before. Are there fuck-tards on Facebook and people who misuse it or are disturbed by it? Sure, but same can be said for just about anything useful. I think some people are a little too over-zealous in their passion for guns, but on the other hand - I'm kind of glad they exist because a lot of the time they do offer protection just in general, mostly when they are it used (imagine a world where police officers had to use only knives and fists to keep law and order).
My mom has been on Facebook only for the first time recently, and she has found friends she has not seen in thirty years, a way to connect to her friends in a new way that's a lot more convenient than phone calls, and she helped solve a murder (no joke, LOL). I spend maybe fifteen minutes a month on Facebook these days, but it's still so valuable. I wanted to do a faux painting style on a wall in my house, so I looked up an acquaintance of mine who I hadn't seen in years for a little advice because awhile back I noticed in a past job they had done it professionally. I never knew that. Not only did I get my advice, but I reconnected with someone who may go from acquaintance to friend. Since they live fifteen states away, I may have never communicated with them again without Facebook. And shit like that happens every day.
Oh, wow, thread drift. I just can't stand FBwhines from people who either can't get any friends or are too stupid to know how to avoid the negatives of FB and reap the benefits of the positives.
As to GoogleGlass, I agree it is really no different that what is already out there. I've recorded shows on my iPhone ($350 a ticket, and I didn't copy it for anyone else - I feel ok with that LOL), taken pics a little on the down low (usually of bumper stickers I want to share with my friends). It's it hard. I always find that kids "Spy" stuff in the toy aisles fun to look at - as I played spy as a little kid a lot. I was all abut classic 30's and 40's spy movies. It's kind of amazing to see what they make for kids today, from mirror glasses (I bought one as a joke gift when it was on clearance for $3), cameras in toy helicopters, listening devices, and....video recording sunglasses. And they look more like regular sunglasses than GoogleGlass. You can wire them up to some watch to get extra recording time. Sure they are crappy VGA images probably (the package doesn't really tell you) but they work. They even have a Barbie doll down with a camera in her cleavage that one could easily disguise.
GoogleGlass is just bringing out the paranoia in people who weren't smart enough to be paranoid in the first place. Hey! I just turned that thread drift back on itself, since that pretty much sums it up about Facebook, too.
(In case it wasn't obvious, that was delivered with a great big/eyeroll)
The comments from people who automatically assume that just because its Disney it's going t somehow be aimed at toddlers hasn't been paying attention the last twenty years or so. Pretty Woman, Pulp Fiction? Released under branches of Disney.
Stop thinking about Davy Crocket or Mary Poppins - Disney doesn't make live action like that any more. They went after a real director for Episode VII, they have old school Star Wars folk like Larry Kasdan working on the solo films, and again - seen any of the Marvel pictures?
The problem with the prequels wasn't the kiddificaton - that's always been in Star Wars (the droids, the Ewoks, Chewbacca to a certain extent). It was because Lucas cannot write dialogue or direct actors worth a damn and he took too much on for those films. Most casual folk don't realize that he did it direct either of the original sequels. He is brilliant, just it at those things (and even Carrie Fisher's help ghost writing couldn't save the Padme storyline, George has such a fundamental misunderstanding of women it cannot help but show).
I was never more happy than when Disney bought Star Wars - the Disney of today is much different tha the Disney we (or our parents) grew up with, and all this immature "OMGZ ITZ DISNEY!" knee-jerk garbage here and elsewhere just shows a fundamental lack of knowledge of the film industry over the past couple of decades, where Disney has realized that they have the best success when they outsource for talent and bring in the best people to do the job and trust them to do it right.
Personally I cannot wait for Abrams to have his stamp on the franchise, and the future directors who will have an insane amount of resources to make hopefully great Star Wars films. Disney is just signing the checks here and making sure it doesn't turn into porn - other than that, I think you will find this isn't Walt's Disney any more.
Yeah an archive that may never be playable. The point of archiving is preservation, but a lot of good that FLAC archive would do someone who found it in 1000 years while sifting through the remnants of Earth - they will have a lot easier time finding a device that still exists that plays MP3 than they would FLAC or what have you.
The quality threshold has been met long ago by all but the most obsessive types who are more concerned about data theory than actual sound. So yeah, it's not a bit for bit copy of the CD, but in truth the original physical CD Is already a better storage medium for archival purposes than anything digitally stored on more volatile media (magnetic or even SSD). Sure it may take up more space (but not as much as one would think, in archival sleeves), but it's a heck of a lot easier to destroy a magnetic hard drive or wipe flash memory than to destroy an actual CD, plus all your eggs are not in one basket (if physical damage occurred, the likelihood of the entire CD archive being destroyed at once is more difficult than it would be to render a drive unusable).
And truthfully - who ever is going to really care more about it being a bit for bit digital copy - the sound is the point, and what we want to preserve - I'd rather leave a recording of Sinatra singing "New York" that can be audibly heard than a bunch of bits and data that are somehow mathematically more sound.
The biggest reason mp3 is and will remain standard is the same as why the red book CD has not been replaced for physical music media, even though better quality choices have been available. Virtually every device that accepts a disc plays red book CDs, and virtually every device out there that plays digital music plays MP3. The world could cease making new CD players and MP3 Players (notice most don't call them "digital music players") and we would all live for a very long time and still be able to enjoy our music. Just about every device in the world which has a speaker and you can get a digital file to plays MP3.
128k was only the "standard" for people that didn't know any better, or those that only pirated music off of Napster. I was ripping at 256 and 320 VBR since before the turn of the century. And my MP3's made back them still sound great, in spite of the supposedly antique methods used to record them.
Any FLAC I come across I generally convert and dump it, to me the importance of my musical archive is that the entire thing is in one format (MP3 of varying bit rates) and I can feed it in its entirety to any device and consume it. It's all at my finger tips no matter what playback device I may put it through, as long as I can get the files to it.
I think you will find most people feel similarly, if they even think about the concept at all. The average person thought cassette sounded just fine - it was the disc based media that sold the deal (much like the adoption DVD, which on image quality alone would not have made it as big nearly as quickly until HDTV came along (ironically, even though DVD is obviously SD). Now you or I may feel differently (for example, I almost exclusively buy Blu-ray now, I only buy a DVD when a Blu is not available) but to most people, they don't care or even know there is a difference that some people can supposedly hear. A least side by side unless you have cataracts you can see the difference between DVD and Blu - very few people are going to say the same thing about a 256k MP3 vs FLAC or what have you.
I think it also boils down to what someone said above - if people are listening that closely for technical details that very arguably human hearing can tell little difference of, then it must be some really poor music. I say the same thing about people who watch Blu-rays with microscopes to figure out if they like the quality or not - if you focus so much on the technical delivery, you are missing the entire point of enjoying media to begin with.
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That's actually not true. I assumed that as well, but there is no actual value in mining other than a time sink. It's not like it actually contributes to anything or a greater whole. That was pretty shocking to me - it's just busy work, I thought that somehow intrinsically it would be using CPU cycles to do something useful.
Do certain countries have piss poor systems set up that can make their money worthless, overnight? Yup, that's why folks don't invest in them.
The dollar, the euro, etc. may fluctuate, but there are as reasonable safe guards against them going flat as is currently possible that are what make the world go 'round.
Comparing major real-world currencies to "crypto" currency is like comparing a child's pretend store to Wal-mart. Sure, if you convince enough kids that the pretend stuff in your pretend store is worth enough, you can dupe them into giving you their money. You might even make a few bucks before people catch on, and if you have a large enough supply of dumb kids in your neighborhood that fall for it and believe a baggie of dirt you sell them is magic dirt that will someday turn into gold or candy.
But it ends when the real world gets involved - because the real world doesn't buy into your pretend.
Repeatedly solving equations on a computer does not actually do anything valuable. It simply controls the output. But if what is behind the output of nothing is still nothing, it's simply an age old money scam where the new folks pay to get in by "investing" so the early adopters make money, but eventually the pyramid falls when everyone realizes that it's all based on...nothing.
BitCoin "investors" try so hard to make it all "real" and will quote you academic papers and media curiousity stories and "conferences" of folks who get together to debate all this, but it's just because they want folks to keep believing that some type of alternate currency is just going to sprout up over nothing. Nothing backing it, nothing being produced but virtual money that has no true value except to speculators who depend on additional folks speculating to make their pile of nothing have the perception of being something.
It's all rather insane, but it breeds on basic human hopes for wish fulfillment - the wish to get rich quick. I have no doubt BitCoin has made some folks very rich - but those very rich people became rich because they cash out their hauls into real dollars which can then be used in the real world. Cashing out by selling to folks who come in at the bottom of the pyramid.
I said this elsewhere and was pummeled by a bunch of believers - but you cannot pay for any of the necessities or luxuries of life with BitCoin. They retorted about debit cards and BitCoin ATMs - but missed the point, which is that they had to cash out those BitCoins into real world currency to make it useful. Once folks stop buying into the bottom of the pyramid, hoping to get rich, and the jig is up - they are worthless.
In the future, folks will look back at this as a large experiment gone wrong and marvel at how some of the smartest folks got taken in by this. Scams usually prey on the old and weak, yet you have some otherwise brilliant people who fell for this hook, line, and sinker by the lure of getting rich quick out of nothing.
I resisted wireless as long as I could because of this very issue. I can turn on my computer and see a dozen networks, and I live in the suburbs. Unfortunately, convenience and devices I wanted to use finally required it (can't use an iPad without wireless), so I caved a few years ago. Thankfully, I learned long, long a go that if I didn't want something on the Internet, I didn't let it near an Internet connected computer. I have an old laptop I use for personal things that is not connected to any internet whatsoever, and if I need to move files it's on a burned, finalized CD. Sure, it can still be read semi-remotely if someone wants to invest in that magnetic scanning tech that can read what data you are writing to your hard drive, but a) I don't have anything that would be THAT valuable to anyone, and b) if someone was going to use that on me, I've got far greater things to worry about.
Bullshit.
Trolling is trolling - posting something simply to be disruptive and irritate people. It doesn't matter why it's done or if the troll thinks there is some greater point to it.
Although I can't know for sure, for some reason, Anonymous Troll, I have this odd feeling you are referring to the latest bit of bullshit that was going on here a few days ago. While I have no doubt that some folks legitimately thought that disrupting the comments section for every article was somehow a form of effective protest, that's not what I saw from most folks. What I saw was largely closeted trolls who were simply giddy and disrupted with glee feeling they suddenly had been given a "license" to do so on a site that usually has little tolerance of such behavior.
The absolute joy quite a good number of the folks "protesting" had was palatable, thinking they were being all clever and such and acted like a bunch of sugar-starved kids who had just been given the keys to the candy store, yet weren't content just eating their fill of candy but felt they had to rip down the displays and rip out the cash register and generally destroy the place, as well.
The folks who do have my respect are those that can make relevant comments, and then make their protest known at the end - not folks who are posting just to incite because they feel they had been given permission by the "community" to.
Oh, and fuck Beta.
You are looking a little too deeply into this in hopes of finding something offensive.
"Interactive Movie" was actually traditionally used by the games industry back in the early days of digital video when they would incorporate it into a "game" but there wasn't enough game to actually call it a game, like Night Trap.
In modern context, it simply means a game that is so realistic that it would be indistinguishable from a motion picture visually, if one could choose character actions during a motion picture. It's an aspirational goal of the game industry, not the film industry trying to hone in on the games industry.
That said, the real issue with realism in games is that game developers keep pushing the envelope in the wrong direction. Even on the next gen systems (well, since they are out I suppose they are now current gen), they keep focusing on textures and increasing numbers of polygons on the screen instead of making what is there more realistic. I am always stunned when I see a brand new game and they STILL cannot get lip sync right. It doesn't matter how detailed the hairs on a characters head are if their lips don't move in sync with their voice.
not about people being "revolted" because they sense something "wrong" on an unconscious level, it's that they spend so much time trying to increase resolutions and textures that they don't focus on what makes characters alive - how they move and how they react. It's not about making single frames look more realistic, it's how they work in motion which really hasn't improved in step with the "how many hairs or pores can we texture on to this character".
BitCoin is an academic experiment that is using the age old technique of parting folks from their money by luring them in with the promise of future riches, until the bubble bursts. You can't make something out of nothing, it's just like any get rich quick scheme. This last week has lost any confidence, which was shaky and faith based to begin with. The wishful thinking is on it's way out, and reality is setting in, STAT.
I can't speak to the UK, I live in the United States. I have never once lost access to my money for an unspecified period of time. There is zero regulation on BitCoin, but in the US our funds are insured by the FDIC up to 100K. Though, I've never had to take advantage of such a thing. The USD may fluctuate in value like any currency, but unless you are gambling in the stock market or mutual funds, our money is as safe as it is possible for money to be if it's in a savings or checking account. And the USD is kind of a proven currency, it's been around for quite a few years now...
Compare that to trusting your BitCoins to folks who are used to dealing in game currency, with zero oversight, zero track record, that you can't really spend anywhere significant to begin with.
I actually know some folks in the "alternative currency" arena, including one who is a recognized expert who has been published and is actually doing a documentary about it, and to hear them talk about Bitcoin is like listening to seasoned musicians talking about Justin Bieber. It simply is not a legitimate currency, it can basically be used on a few websites, and is nothing but pure speculation. A game for folks who desperately want it to be something so they can makes something from nothing.
It's an academic experiement, not a serious investment and it never will be. For it to work, it has to become the very thing it espouses to circumvent.
The last week has proven the unreliability, which would be one thing if it had a long track record and just had a momentary glitch - a currency needs confidence, and to have confidence you have to have a certain amount of trust, which BitCoin simply hasn't earned.
Go back and read what the article above says - it's a desperate BitCoin pusher who sees all this happening and is trying to urge people not to panic or abandon it - like a guy standing in the middle of a theater that is burning down and saying "it's ok everyone, it's getting a little warmer but we can still stay and enjoy the rest of the film!"
"Itâ(TM)s important to note that DoS attacks do not affect peopleâ(TM)s bitcoin wallets or funds."
Oh good. That should make folks feel so much better. I know I always feel safe when my bank goes down cascading with other banks to know my funds are "safe", I've just had my access to them taken away for an unspecified time frame due to their theoretical safeguards that are largely untested and fall prey to the most basic, grade-school level Internet "hacking" (DDoS) which is more akin to a prank when compared to a real attack.
Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you - the beginning of the end of the Bitcoin bubble. When those exchanges go back up those Bitcoins are going to be ripped out of there and anyone who isn't completely daft will sell them off , take what cash they can get and run.
Bitcoins are the collectable of the moment - it's like the comic book bubble. Sure, really old comics (like 1940's) remain valuable as artistic artifacts (issues that only exist in single or double digits in known quantity in the world), but you can pretty much get any comic from 1990 on for cover price at this point with very few exceptions, and even 60's/70's stuff for $20-30 now that all used to go for $100's in the 90's during the boom.
Once the "thrill of the chase" is over, and people start to realize that they have nothing of value to show for it, they still can't spend their Bitcoins on Amazon, or any brick and mortar environment, it all evaporates. Worse, in this case, is that with all of the issues and flaws in the system - it can happen much more quickly, as this weekend showed.
It's human nature to want something for nothing (or very little) - people are playing the Bitcoin lottery right now, and they'd be better off buying scratch tickets. Sure, folks are making a few bucks here and there, and a select few are probably making a lot of money on folks just trying to get in on it, but like any bubble, it doesn't last forever. In five years we'll be looking back at this and laughing that anyone paid $700 (or whatever it gets up to before the jig is up) for a virtual coin that can't really be spent anywhere significant, and is just people buying/selling to each other. Kudos to those who are taking advantage of this and making what they can while they can - but most folks would be better off buying virtual items in Everquest or WOW because then they actually get to use the items to enjoy in the game, because 100 Bitcoins can't even buy you a cup of coffee in 99.99999999...% of the world.
The person you replied to, though - has a great point regarding the general acceptance and "need" of such things. You obviously aren't the "general audience" when you talk about installing vibration sensors on your dryer and installing hardware onto your stove.
I don't "spend my day leaning against the dryer", for example, as I don't have time for that, either - if I set it for 50 minutes, I go back 50 minutes later. If I don't feel like looking at one of the many clocks in my home, I can set an alarm with two flicks of my finger on my phone or tablet. Or, since I don't have 17 kids I am doing laundry for, I just go back down to the dryer when I am ready - which can be six hours later.
Regardless, I agree with your point of paying premium prices for these devices - but I think that point extends to the person you replied to - if they cannot convince you, someone who does want these alerts, etc. - there isn't a chance in hell they will ever convince John Q. Public to do so.
This whole thing smacks of the "3D TV" fad. A bunch of manufacturers got together, trying to figure out what the "next step" was for their product to get the folks who already bought their equipment to re-buy it. The home theater community at large seemed to believe that suddenly 3D on TV was the "next big thing" and that by now (2014) every television would just have it as standard. The opposite has happened - big box retailers like Wal-mart and Target don't even carry them in store anymore (you can order online but they don't stock them), and while in 2011 it seemed like this was some big breakthrough that everyone would want - the public responded with a resounding "no" by not purchasing the products. People still buy 3D TV's, but they failed to go mainstream - which is why the manufacturers are all talking about "4K" now - again, selling to that niche of folks who have to have the newest best shiniest - who are willing to upgrade perfectly good equipment because buying electronics is their hobby.
All of the "problems" that any of these devices solve are already solved as much as most people care them to be. Want your coffee maker to have your coffee ready when you wake up? Plenty have timers just for that use. Washing machines, stoves, etc. already have timers built in. Sure, it takes a second or two of thought - but very few have a life so complex that such things are overwhelming, if they feel they "need" them to begin with. If you have home security needs, it's quite easy to view video feeds from far away these days. Very few people have all these needs, and in the end it really only appeals to super "gadget" folks with large disposable incomes. That's why home automation will always be a niche product - most people just do not need (or even want) that level of "control".
Finally, that brings it back to the essential problem the person you replied to posted - the lack of standards. Even if everyone did want this much interaction with the devices in their home, the lack of standards coupled with the lack of practicality to most folks makes this all DOA. It isn't any more going to happen now than it happened in the 50's and 60's (think: Jetsons) where they predicted we'd all be automated by the 80's.
We seem to fall for this stuff once a generation, at least. For a funny comparison, watch Back to the Future II - a film made in 1989. A large portion of the film takes place in 2015 - which is now less than a year away. Our world really resembles the 1985 depicted in the film much more than the 2015 - the only difference is we have smart phones. It's because we seem to think we are on this great cusp of automation and innovation when, in fact, for everyday tasks - it's just not cost effective to begin with, and it never will be because people simply don't care enough to make it mainstream. For most folks, looking in their fridge is enough to know they need milk - and, even if your fridge did have the feature of letting you know, you'd have to buy certain brands of milk that it
It reminds me of a quote from Game of Thrones when young King Joffrey is put in his place - to paraphrase, a "real King" doesn't need to keep telling everyone "I am the King!"
They can let them know via the "Feedback" link at the bottom of the homepage.
Ruining the comments section of every story so people cannot find and read the actual relevant comments is what upset me. It was the tenth story in a row I had tried to read the comments and gave up because of all these people "protesting" by ruining the site for everyone else by burying the relevant content.
I should not have gone down to their level by replying, but to be honest- the audacity and glee some of these folks are showing, who are clearly enjoying feeling they have permission to act like complete trolls just hit my "rage" button. They think they are so clever - but as I stated, at least some people are doing it under their own usernames, but some of these truly anonymous coward trolls are really the most infuriating as they hide behind "Anonymous" because that's what cowardly trolls do.
Unfortunately, this will likely just lead to them removing the Anonymous feature, which does have it's uses.
As a reader of this site, this entire thing just looks like one great big juvenile excuse to let people think they have permission to act like complete trolls and it's clear that a number of them don't even actually care about Beta but are just using it as an excuse to get their virtual masturbation jollies. The glee they are taking in it is what is really infuriating - nothing worse than someone using "protesting" as an excuse to ruin everything for everyone else.
Again, I should not have lowered myself to their level - but it's extremely unfortunate that their behavior is likely going to lead to some wholesale changes to commenting and moderation - these folks want this ship to sink entirely if they can't have everything their way, and are so selfish it makes me want to puke. But, I guess it's inevitable - everything good gets ruined at some point by folks who take advantage and manipulate to the detriment of everyone. I guess it's a miracle the site lasted this long.
I wish you fucktards would stop trying to ruin this site for those of us who don't give a rats ass about these changes. You are pathetic wastes of space who cower behind "anonymous" postings. At least be a man and post under your own account so we know who the douche bag cry babies are and can avoid you once this silliness is over.
You took the address book too literally. The only way your real world contact info gets on FB is if you are idiotic enough to put it there. It can be used as a literal address book for those idiots who post their phone number, etc on their page, but as a metaphorical address book it works as a collection of people with which you can contact easily. Other people can't add your phone number and address to your FB page, only you can. So if it's on there, it's your own damned fault.
FB actually gives you great tools to filter out the chaff. They are a bit complex, it would be nice if it was more streamlined, but you can easily filter out the people from your newsfeed that you feel don't post interesting things consistently.
FB is like Walmart. Some people love it, some people hate it, some people don't have a choice but to use it. It has it's pluses and minuses but no retail store will ever be able to come up to truly compete, so you either figure out how to work with it or you avoid it and miss out.
Actually, dumbass anonymous coward, the real interesting thing is that you didn't read the next sentence - I am using the mobile version WHICH DOES NOT HAVE a preview button. But thanks for trying, better luck next time.
Yes, FB has a very robust internal search engine. I never used Google to search it to begin with - the thought never occurred to me. I use Google all the time, but when I want to search a specific website...I go to that site.
All the doom and gloom about FB doesn't take into account one thing: for many of us, it's our address book. Hundreds of friends from college, high school, former work places - when I want to get in touch with someone I don't regularly communicate with, that is where I go. So even though I don't sit and read everyone's posts every day like I may have at one point, it's still an essential and valuable tool in my life (even if I just go to find someone's regular email or phone number). I cannot tell you how amazing that ability is.
I needed a piece of art done for a cover of something I was publishing recently. I knew a girl I'm college who dated a good friend of mine. I happened to notice one day a year or so ago that she was doing custom art for people. When this project came up, I immediately thought of her because the style of art I needed was exactly what she was doing. I wrote her a FB message, and 24 hours later I had my cover, exactly how I envisioned it, and got it for free - and she got a credit for her resume. That would have never happened without FB, and things like that happen all the time.
What is getting old are the Facebook haters. If you don't like it, don't use it. But seriously, STFU about it. You doth protest too much. If you say you are sick of reading mundane details about everyone's lives, stop fucking reading them. If you spend your time doing something you don't like, the only idiot is you.
Facebook is an amazing TOOL, if you are using it strictly for entertainment good for you - but just because someone can't see beyond the "I had tuna salad for lunch today" or "I popped a really big zit - look at this!" posts, doesn't take away from the fact that used intelligently, it can be a very useful and ultimately gives us something that wasn't possible before it existed - a living address book of everyone we know. It's how you use it that determines if it's a god-send, or an utter waste of time.
Yes, FB has a very robust internal search engine. I never used Google to search it to begin with - the thought never occurred to me. I use Google all the time, but when I want to search a specific website...I go to that site. All the doom and gloom about FB doesn't take into account one thing: for many of us, it's our address book. Hundreds of friends from college, high school, former work places - when I want to get in touch with someone I don't regularly communicate with, that is where I go. So even though I don't sit and read everyone's posts every day like I may have at one point, it's still an essential and valuable tool in my life (even if I just go to find someone's regular email or phone number). I cannot tell you how amazing that ability is. I needed a piece of art done for a cover of something I was publishing recently. I knew a girl I'm college who dated a good friend of mine. I happened to notice one day a year or so ago that she was doing custom art for people. When this project came up, I immediately thought of her because the style of art I needed was exactly what she was doing. I wrote her a FB message, and 24 hours later I had my cover, exactly how I envisioned it, and got it for free - and she got a credit for her resume. That would have never happened without FB, and things like that happen all the time. What is getting old are the Facebook haters. If you don't like it, don't use it. But seriously, STFU about it. You doth protest too much. If you say you are sick of reading mundane details about everyone's lives, stop fucking reading them. If you spend your time doing something you don't like, the only idiot is you. Facebook is an amazing TOOL, if you are using it strictly for entertainment good for you - but just because someone can't see beyond the "I had tuna salad for lunch today" or "I popped a really big zit - look at this!" posts, doesn't take away from the fact that used intelligently, it can be a very useful and ultimately gives us something that wasn't possible before it existed - a living address book of everyone we know. It's how you use it that determines if it's a god-send, or an utter waste of time.
Often, the people who may have made these tools are long gone (and if a tool is used for years, then the person was probably promoted out because it was a success). And very often they are either built in a short period of time for a specific task and don't scale well to newer systems, or they were built over a long period of time by many different people and there is little if any documentation as the goal was just to make it function and work.
It's not about laziness, it's about resources. Simply upgrading a web browser can render something non-functional. Basically when you make a major change like that, every inch of system, tools, and code needs to be tested, rewritten, and/or replaced. Since the company cannot just multiply it's IT budget by a factor of ten, or just close up shop for the time it takes to do all this so customers/clients are unaffected, it takes time.
RTFA...she wasn't in science class, she wasn't at a science fair. None of the teachers knew anything or assigned her to do any sort of "experiment". While the punishment does seem rather severe, the /. summary makes it sound like she was giving some demonstration and randomly got arrested. She wasn't, she just did this out of nowhere.
Not to mention, pictures of them didn't float up to the top of your email box with whatever they are currently (wishing the world to see) what they are doing, reminding you of them or allowing you to easily locate other people you know and easily contact them (browsing a friends list). It's a stupid analogy.
While I would not say Facebook solved a "problem", it filled a need we didn't know we had, which was caused by another advance. The Internet opened up the world of communication in such a way that it was very easy to lose touch with those real life networks (of which many of us have many and lose touch with - from old workplaces, schools, etc.).
Facebook may give an artificial sense of the local closeness at times, but it can be an amazing tool to do so. For the average person, it lets them plan barbecues and social activities and keep up with people they may never have been able to before. Are there fuck-tards on Facebook and people who misuse it or are disturbed by it? Sure, but same can be said for just about anything useful. I think some people are a little too over-zealous in their passion for guns, but on the other hand - I'm kind of glad they exist because a lot of the time they do offer protection just in general, mostly when they are it used (imagine a world where police officers had to use only knives and fists to keep law and order).
My mom has been on Facebook only for the first time recently, and she has found friends she has not seen in thirty years, a way to connect to her friends in a new way that's a lot more convenient than phone calls, and she helped solve a murder (no joke, LOL). I spend maybe fifteen minutes a month on Facebook these days, but it's still so valuable. I wanted to do a faux painting style on a wall in my house, so I looked up an acquaintance of mine who I hadn't seen in years for a little advice because awhile back I noticed in a past job they had done it professionally. I never knew that. Not only did I get my advice, but I reconnected with someone who may go from acquaintance to friend. Since they live fifteen states away, I may have never communicated with them again without Facebook. And shit like that happens every day.
Oh, wow, thread drift. I just can't stand FBwhines from people who either can't get any friends or are too stupid to know how to avoid the negatives of FB and reap the benefits of the positives.
As to GoogleGlass, I agree it is really no different that what is already out there. I've recorded shows on my iPhone ($350 a ticket, and I didn't copy it for anyone else - I feel ok with that LOL), taken pics a little on the down low (usually of bumper stickers I want to share with my friends). It's it hard. I always find that kids "Spy" stuff in the toy aisles fun to look at - as I played spy as a little kid a lot. I was all abut classic 30's and 40's spy movies. It's kind of amazing to see what they make for kids today, from mirror glasses (I bought one as a joke gift when it was on clearance for $3), cameras in toy helicopters, listening devices, and....video recording sunglasses. And they look more like regular sunglasses than GoogleGlass. You can wire them up to some watch to get extra recording time. Sure they are crappy VGA images probably (the package doesn't really tell you) but they work. They even have a Barbie doll down with a camera in her cleavage that one could easily disguise.
GoogleGlass is just bringing out the paranoia in people who weren't smart enough to be paranoid in the first place. Hey! I just turned that thread drift back on itself, since that pretty much sums it up about Facebook, too.
Not to mention, pictures of them didn't float up to the top of your email box with whatever they are currently (wishing the world to see) what they are doing, reminding you of them or allowing you to easily locate other people you know and easily contact them (browsing a friends list). It's a stupid analogy. While I would not say Facebook solved a "problem", it filled a need we didn't know we had, which was caused by another advance. The Internet opened up the world of communication in such a way that it was very easy to lose touch with those real life networks (of which many of us have many and lose touch with - from old workplaces, schools, etc.). Facebook may give an artificial sense of the local closeness at times, but it can be an amazing tool to do so. For the average person, it lets them plan barbecues and social activities and keep up with people they may never have been able to before. Are there fuck-tards on Facebook and people who misuse it or are disturbed by it? Sure, but same can be said for just about anything useful. I think some people are a little too over-zealous in their passion for guns, but on the other hand - I'm kind of glad they exist because a lot of the time they do offer protection just in general, mostly when they are it used (imagine a world where police officers had to use only knives and fists to keep law and order). My mom has been on Facebook only for the first time recently, and she has found friends she has not seen in thirty years, a way to connect to her friends in a new way that's a lot more convenient than phone calls, and she helped solve a murder (no joke, LOL). I spend maybe fifteen minutes a month on Facebook these days, but it's still so valuable. I wanted to do a faux painting style on a wall in my house, so I looked up an acquaintance of mine who I hadn't seen in years for a little advice because awhile back I noticed in a past job they had done it professionally. I never knew that. Not only did I get my advice, but I reconnected with someone who may go from acquaintance to friend. Since they live fifteen states away, I may have never communicated with them again without Facebook. And shit like that happens every day. Oh, wow, thread drift. I just can't stand FBwhines from people who either can't get any friends or are too stupid to know how to avoid the negatives of FB and reap the benefits of the positives. As to GoogleGlass, I agree it is really no different that what is already out there. I've recorded shows on my iPhone ($350 a ticket, and I didn't copy it for anyone else - I feel ok with that LOL), taken pics a little on the down low (usually of bumper stickers I want to share with my friends). It's it hard. I always find that kids "Spy" stuff in the toy aisles fun to look at - as I played spy as a little kid a lot. I was all abut classic 30's and 40's spy movies. It's kind of amazing to see what they make for kids today, from mirror glasses (I bought one as a joke gift when it was on clearance for $3), cameras in toy helicopters, listening devices, and....video recording sunglasses. And they look more like regular sunglasses than GoogleGlass. You can wire them up to some watch to get extra recording time. Sure they are crappy VGA images probably (the package doesn't really tell you) but they work. They even have a Barbie doll down with a camera in her cleavage that one could easily disguise. GoogleGlass is just bringing out the paranoia in people who weren't smart enough to be paranoid in the first place. Hey! I just turned that thread drift back on itself, since that pretty much sums it up about Facebook, too.
You mean like they did with Marvel?
(In case it wasn't obvious, that was delivered with a great big /eyeroll)
The comments from people who automatically assume that just because its Disney it's going t somehow be aimed at toddlers hasn't been paying attention the last twenty years or so. Pretty Woman, Pulp Fiction? Released under branches of Disney.
Stop thinking about Davy Crocket or Mary Poppins - Disney doesn't make live action like that any more. They went after a real director for Episode VII, they have old school Star Wars folk like Larry Kasdan working on the solo films, and again - seen any of the Marvel pictures?
The problem with the prequels wasn't the kiddificaton - that's always been in Star Wars (the droids, the Ewoks, Chewbacca to a certain extent). It was because Lucas cannot write dialogue or direct actors worth a damn and he took too much on for those films. Most casual folk don't realize that he did it direct either of the original sequels. He is brilliant, just it at those things (and even Carrie Fisher's help ghost writing couldn't save the Padme storyline, George has such a fundamental misunderstanding of women it cannot help but show).
I was never more happy than when Disney bought Star Wars - the Disney of today is much different tha the Disney we (or our parents) grew up with, and all this immature "OMGZ ITZ DISNEY!" knee-jerk garbage here and elsewhere just shows a fundamental lack of knowledge of the film industry over the past couple of decades, where Disney has realized that they have the best success when they outsource for talent and bring in the best people to do the job and trust them to do it right.
Personally I cannot wait for Abrams to have his stamp on the franchise, and the future directors who will have an insane amount of resources to make hopefully great Star Wars films. Disney is just signing the checks here and making sure it doesn't turn into porn - other than that, I think you will find this isn't Walt's Disney any more.
A real journal has a pear reviewed articles and other academics looking at them.
If you are the editor I'd be a bit nervous that you allow tree fruit to review your articles.
Yeah an archive that may never be playable. The point of archiving is preservation, but a lot of good that FLAC archive would do someone who found it in 1000 years while sifting through the remnants of Earth - they will have a lot easier time finding a device that still exists that plays MP3 than they would FLAC or what have you.
The quality threshold has been met long ago by all but the most obsessive types who are more concerned about data theory than actual sound. So yeah, it's not a bit for bit copy of the CD, but in truth the original physical CD Is already a better storage medium for archival purposes than anything digitally stored on more volatile media (magnetic or even SSD). Sure it may take up more space (but not as much as one would think, in archival sleeves), but it's a heck of a lot easier to destroy a magnetic hard drive or wipe flash memory than to destroy an actual CD, plus all your eggs are not in one basket (if physical damage occurred, the likelihood of the entire CD archive being destroyed at once is more difficult than it would be to render a drive unusable).
And truthfully - who ever is going to really care more about it being a bit for bit digital copy - the sound is the point, and what we want to preserve - I'd rather leave a recording of Sinatra singing "New York" that can be audibly heard than a bunch of bits and data that are somehow mathematically more sound.
The biggest reason mp3 is and will remain standard is the same as why the red book CD has not been replaced for physical music media, even though better quality choices have been available. Virtually every device that accepts a disc plays red book CDs, and virtually every device out there that plays digital music plays MP3. The world could cease making new CD players and MP3 Players (notice most don't call them "digital music players") and we would all live for a very long time and still be able to enjoy our music. Just about every device in the world which has a speaker and you can get a digital file to plays MP3.
128k was only the "standard" for people that didn't know any better, or those that only pirated music off of Napster. I was ripping at 256 and 320 VBR since before the turn of the century. And my MP3's made back them still sound great, in spite of the supposedly antique methods used to record them.
Any FLAC I come across I generally convert and dump it, to me the importance of my musical archive is that the entire thing is in one format (MP3 of varying bit rates) and I can feed it in its entirety to any device and consume it. It's all at my finger tips no matter what playback device I may put it through, as long as I can get the files to it.
I think you will find most people feel similarly, if they even think about the concept at all. The average person thought cassette sounded just fine - it was the disc based media that sold the deal (much like the adoption DVD, which on image quality alone would not have made it as big nearly as quickly until HDTV came along (ironically, even though DVD is obviously SD). Now you or I may feel differently (for example, I almost exclusively buy Blu-ray now, I only buy a DVD when a Blu is not available) but to most people, they don't care or even know there is a difference that some people can supposedly hear. A least side by side unless you have cataracts you can see the difference between DVD and Blu - very few people are going to say the same thing about a 256k MP3 vs FLAC or what have you.
I think it also boils down to what someone said above - if people are listening that closely for technical details that very arguably human hearing can tell little difference of, then it must be some really poor music. I say the same thing about people who watch Blu-rays with microscopes to figure out if they like the quality or not - if you focus so much on the technical delivery, you are missing the entire point of enjoying media to begin with.