>"I'm surprised the idea of the miniplex hasn't caught on. Instead on one big room with 300 morons, have 30 rooms that seat 10 each"
That is a lot less economical for the theater. Plus it is likely to sacrifice screen size. That said, when I want to see a movie in the theater, I intentionally wait until it has been out quite a while and then try to pick times/days/theaters in which attendance will be low. Generally that seems to work out pretty well.
I have a good home theater, but I still like to go out to see them on the "even bigger screen", especially if it is 3D and shot in good quality. Probably my biggest complaint about theaters (other than annoying people and endless previews) is that most are simply WAY too loud. Jacking the sound volume up is not a replacement for quality sound, and louder is not better.
>"Like I said, it hasn't bothered me when people do it"
I don't doubt it doesn't bother you (nor perhaps many other people), but not everyone is the same. Things that bother one person might not bother someone else at all (and in reverse). As a society, we have to understand that people are different and make a reasonable effort to prevent annoying others, even when it is not something that annoys ourselves.
>"What movie theater do you frequent? I'll make sure to shine a flashlight in your eyes and tell you your attention span sucks"
You are either an uncooked teenager or just don't give a damn about anyone around you. Perhaps karma will catch up with you one day.... one can only hope.
>"I haven't had that issue when people have taken out their phones to text or check the time."
It greatly depends on a variety of factors:
* How long it was used * How bright the screen is * How far away other people are * How dark the theater is * How dark the movie screen is at the time it was used * How sensitive the people are around you * How the phone is being held (this is a big one)
Generally, it is rude to use a phone at all in a theater because it has the great *potential* to annoy others around the user, just like talking does. I speculate 95% of the texting seen in theaters is totally unnecessary-it is not urgent or something that can't wait until after the movie. But to check the time or for an urgent text, the impact can be greatly reduced by:
* Doing it as quickly as possible * Turning down the brightness * Holding the device close to you and never facing in a way someone can see the screen
>"If someone is bothered by a phone screen's brightness during a movie, it sounds like they aren't paying attention to the right screen."
And that is just a typical "everyone is like me" attitude. Just because it doesn't bother YOU doesn't mean it doesn't bother anyone else. This is one of the biggest issues with society- many people are simply unable to imagine that other people are more or less sensitive/annoyed by things. Even worse are the people who simply don't care that what they do annoys others because the world revolves around their own selfishness.
>"I have never, ever noticed this, not in a single movie."
Well good for you. I have in several movies and it was EXTREMELY annoying and distracting to have someone in front of me light up their damn phone every 5 to 10 minutes. And the people I was with were also annoyed.
And now there are no less than THREE separate sequences before each movie telling people to turn off and/or not use phones during the movie. Added to the previews and such, it takes 20+ minutes for the movie to start.
Good luck with that. There was an expose' a year or two ago on TV that I watched showing just how futile it is to try and correct ANY wrong negative info in your credit reports with any of the agencies. To the point that many agencies simply didn't do anything at all when you contact them, except send you around in circles (if you are even that lucky).
So you can make all the laws you want, probably won't make a damn bit of difference. Plus, consumers have NO IDEA how many records are being kept about them and shared and aggregated and combined and by whom.
>"Goodies found inside include proximity, light and inertial sensors, sound transducers, a TI OMAP CPU, flash, RAM, camera and tiny projection display."
OK, I obviously need to take reading comprehension class:) Sorry about that. Damn I wish there were a "delete" function...
>"Goodies found inside include proximity, light and inertial sensors, sound transducers, a TI OMAP CPU, flash, RAM, camera and tiny projection display."
You forgot the camera- the part that makes it such a rude and privacy killing and controversial device. If it really were missing, it would probably fare much better...
The same place it has been since version 3- not on my machines. I think I have XP in a virtual machine somewhere, but otherwise all my desktops, servers, and laptops at home and at work all run Linux (Mageia, Fedora, CentOS, and RHEL).
My last purchase was a Lenovo Twist convertible notebook and it had version 7 of the MS-Windows tax preloaded on it. I did play with it for a few hours of TOTAL FRUSTRATION just to see what all the complaining was about before I wiped it and installed Fedora 17 (now 18) on it.... which works a million times better. Even the touchscreen works fine under Linux.
Of course, my setup isn't for everyone.
>"(Is it the year of Linux on the Desktop yet?)"
Not only has it been for 15 years, but my phones all run Android Linux, my DVR runs Linux, two of my TV's run Linux, my tablets run Linux, my cable modem runs Linux, my car entertainment system runs Linux, my copiers at work run Linux, my security and video systems run Linux, my electronic signs run Linux, my phone system runs Linux, all my routers run Linux, even my timeclocks run Linux.
There is so much more out there than just desktops...
I don't disagree with you about the installer. 17 was the best yet. 18 left me very bitter and figured they will have a lot of work to do on the "new" installer and hope 19 is improved.
But you should not condemn Fedora based on Gnome... that has nothing to do with Fedora. JUST DON'T USE GNOME. Install the KDE spin or the XFCE spin or the LXDE spin and be happy and don't look back. Maybe they should offer a MATE spin, but I have never been all that impressed with Gnome (old or especially new) in the first place.
It is nice that there are choices, even within the distro. And although I have installed Fedora on my laptop and work machines and other places, it didn't stop me from loading the new Mageia 3 on my main home desktop:)
I agree with what you are saying but caution on this part:
>" with no LED to tell you it's recording or in use"
It doesn't matter if there is an LED or not because it will be easy to mask or disable it or just not easy to see. The issue everyone is having is the popularizing of covert and in-your-face video/audio/photo recording.... and worse yet, something that dumps all its crap to a non-personal network.
Like you, I find it totally unacceptable. Cell phones and security cameras are already bad enough, but this is really raising the bar. I have a feeling society is going to draw a line. But we shall see.
My part is this- don't even TRY to talk to me with one of those damn things on your head, or while pointing a video camera or phone or recording device in my face. I don't care if I am at home, in a restaurant, at work, or in a store. It is *RUDE AND UNACCEPTABLE*. I will turn away and leave, probably after informing the perpetrator WHY they are being rude.
Is it that mysterious? Many people have already posted on many sites as to why. If people would stop asking why and start reading some of the answers, maybe they would understand...
It presents major issues with privacy, security, and etiquette. It isn't just dorky, it is rude, creepy, and invasive too. The author and Google (especially the CEO) seems to just completely skirt the entire issue of privacy- not only for the user, but all the hundreds of "victims" around a Glass user, every day. Take out your phone and hold it up in the air, pointed at everyone you pass, meet, talk to, sit next to, and see what kind of reactions ensue. This is nothing like static and unconnected security cameras. Exactly how much private information are we all going to be willing to give Google?
Other counties, like Canada, did it for years without major issues. No, don't include decimal points, it doesn't need to be THAT exact, just round. Half a kilometer is only 0.31 miles.
This doesn't fly for me. There is no human equivalent of an inch or mile or gallon or acre anymore than a kilometer or centimeter or liter or gram. The foot is about the only human thing about the imperial system, and that is not enough to matter all that much.
I was taught both systems in school and use both. Interestingly, I prefer cm/mm over inches and feet over meters; have no preference with gallons/qts vs. liters; prefer ml over fluid ounces, prefer grams over ounces but pounds over kg. How is THAT for confused. This is the result of the mess we have right now:)
Sounds like you might be using a prepaid-type (or month-to-month type) plan with no roaming allowed and no phone subsidies. That is essentially contract-free, so it is not the topic of the article and my followup.
>" Normally, consumers could vote with their wallets by taking their business elsewhere"
Hate to tell you this, but I think they all do that. Sprint has, Verizon has... not how T-Mobile does it. They all have one or more mysterious "fee" lines on the bill. It is a sham and why you can't believe any advertising from any cell company about the price of the plans. It is bad enough that in MY locality, wireless is taxed at something like 22%, then add "carrier surcharges", E911 fees, administrative fees, "Federal Univ Serv Assess Non-ID" fees, "State Gross Receipts Surcharge", "State Special Revenue Surcharge", "Regulatory Charge", and even f*ing sales tax (how can the state charge sales tax on a SERVICE???)
Then don't forget to add that data add-on charge and insurance protection in case you drop that $600 phone.
Before all the above, my plan for two phones is $107.99. And after- it is $159.48. 48% higher than the shiny number being advertised.
>"Uh, so you don't already HAVE chips?! My EC card has had them for years. All ATMs use the chip, and magnetic strips only work as a fallback option (though there are safeguards against simply using a copied card without chip)."
None of my USA credit cards have chips. My Bank of America debit/ATM card also has no chip.
>"I am curious, what are the options for online banking in the US today? When I was a customer of Citibank in the US in 2001, it was just username/password (I had an HBCI encryption chip on my German card then...)"
I can only speak to home/consumer use with Bank of America. They use a login, site image ID, and password for verification. The only other option is that F**KING "Rapport Trusteer" S**T software for MS-Windows-only that takes over your whole computer like a virus. BTW- we are *FORCED* to use that with SunTrust at work and it is a total NIGHTMARE, especially since we are nearly 100% Linux based. I have already recommend to the CFO and CEO we need to change banks because of it.
Yours is one of the best replies yet. Yes, the idea of having a button or some other technology that confirms intent is what would be needed to "fix" the situation.
Slashdot Mirror
>"I'm surprised the idea of the miniplex hasn't caught on. Instead on one big room with 300 morons, have 30 rooms that seat 10 each"
That is a lot less economical for the theater. Plus it is likely to sacrifice screen size. That said, when I want to see a movie in the theater, I intentionally wait until it has been out quite a while and then try to pick times/days/theaters in which attendance will be low. Generally that seems to work out pretty well.
I have a good home theater, but I still like to go out to see them on the "even bigger screen", especially if it is 3D and shot in good quality. Probably my biggest complaint about theaters (other than annoying people and endless previews) is that most are simply WAY too loud. Jacking the sound volume up is not a replacement for quality sound, and louder is not better.
>"Like I said, it hasn't bothered me when people do it"
I don't doubt it doesn't bother you (nor perhaps many other people), but not everyone is the same. Things that bother one person might not bother someone else at all (and in reverse). As a society, we have to understand that people are different and make a reasonable effort to prevent annoying others, even when it is not something that annoys ourselves.
>"What movie theater do you frequent? I'll make sure to shine a flashlight in your eyes and tell you your attention span sucks"
You are either an uncooked teenager or just don't give a damn about anyone around you. Perhaps karma will catch up with you one day.... one can only hope.
>"I haven't had that issue when people have taken out their phones to text or check the time."
It greatly depends on a variety of factors:
* How long it was used
* How bright the screen is
* How far away other people are
* How dark the theater is
* How dark the movie screen is at the time it was used
* How sensitive the people are around you
* How the phone is being held (this is a big one)
Generally, it is rude to use a phone at all in a theater because it has the great *potential* to annoy others around the user, just like talking does. I speculate 95% of the texting seen in theaters is totally unnecessary-it is not urgent or something that can't wait until after the movie. But to check the time or for an urgent text, the impact can be greatly reduced by:
* Doing it as quickly as possible
* Turning down the brightness
* Holding the device close to you and never facing in a way someone can see the screen
>"If someone is bothered by a phone screen's brightness during a movie, it sounds like they aren't paying attention to the right screen."
And that is just a typical "everyone is like me" attitude. Just because it doesn't bother YOU doesn't mean it doesn't bother anyone else. This is one of the biggest issues with society- many people are simply unable to imagine that other people are more or less sensitive/annoyed by things. Even worse are the people who simply don't care that what they do annoys others because the world revolves around their own selfishness.
>"I have never, ever noticed this, not in a single movie."
Well good for you. I have in several movies and it was EXTREMELY annoying and distracting to have someone in front of me light up their damn phone every 5 to 10 minutes. And the people I was with were also annoyed.
And now there are no less than THREE separate sequences before each movie telling people to turn off and/or not use phones during the movie. Added to the previews and such, it takes 20+ minutes for the movie to start.
>"'Has our culture become so private that no one knows how to behave anymore in public?"
Yes it has. A large percent of the population are very rude regarding phones. And the younger the generation, the more rude.
Good luck with that. There was an expose' a year or two ago on TV that I watched showing just how futile it is to try and correct ANY wrong negative info in your credit reports with any of the agencies. To the point that many agencies simply didn't do anything at all when you contact them, except send you around in circles (if you are even that lucky).
So you can make all the laws you want, probably won't make a damn bit of difference. Plus, consumers have NO IDEA how many records are being kept about them and shared and aggregated and combined and by whom.
>"While some might liken the deal to the Empire joining up with the Trade Federation"
They deserve each other. Might be a match made in heaven. Think of all the markets they can ruin together!
>"Goodies found inside include proximity, light and inertial sensors, sound transducers, a TI OMAP CPU, flash, RAM, camera and tiny projection display."
OK, I obviously need to take reading comprehension class :) Sorry about that. Damn I wish there were a "delete" function...
>"Goodies found inside include proximity, light and inertial sensors, sound transducers, a TI OMAP CPU, flash, RAM, camera and tiny projection display."
You forgot the camera- the part that makes it such a rude and privacy killing and controversial device. If it really were missing, it would probably fare much better...
>" where does MS-Windows stand for you today?"
The same place it has been since version 3- not on my machines. I think I have XP in a virtual machine somewhere, but otherwise all my desktops, servers, and laptops at home and at work all run Linux (Mageia, Fedora, CentOS, and RHEL).
My last purchase was a Lenovo Twist convertible notebook and it had version 7 of the MS-Windows tax preloaded on it. I did play with it for a few hours of TOTAL FRUSTRATION just to see what all the complaining was about before I wiped it and installed Fedora 17 (now 18) on it.... which works a million times better. Even the touchscreen works fine under Linux.
Of course, my setup isn't for everyone.
>"(Is it the year of Linux on the Desktop yet?)"
Not only has it been for 15 years, but my phones all run Android Linux, my DVR runs Linux, two of my TV's run Linux, my tablets run Linux, my cable modem runs Linux, my car entertainment system runs Linux, my copiers at work run Linux, my security and video systems run Linux, my electronic signs run Linux, my phone system runs Linux, all my routers run Linux, even my timeclocks run Linux.
There is so much more out there than just desktops...
>"This tempts me so bad. I don't want to steal cars. I just want a button that sets off everyone's panic alarms."
Please, when you do, develop something we can aim at those F*****G boom box cars to turn them OFF... or better yet- fry the stereo electronics.
I don't disagree with you about the installer. 17 was the best yet. 18 left me very bitter and figured they will have a lot of work to do on the "new" installer and hope 19 is improved.
But you should not condemn Fedora based on Gnome... that has nothing to do with Fedora. JUST DON'T USE GNOME. Install the KDE spin or the XFCE spin or the LXDE spin and be happy and don't look back. Maybe they should offer a MATE spin, but I have never been all that impressed with Gnome (old or especially new) in the first place.
It is nice that there are choices, even within the distro. And although I have installed Fedora on my laptop and work machines and other places, it didn't stop me from loading the new Mageia 3 on my main home desktop :)
I agree with what you are saying but caution on this part:
>" with no LED to tell you it's recording or in use"
It doesn't matter if there is an LED or not because it will be easy to mask or disable it or just not easy to see. The issue everyone is having is the popularizing of covert and in-your-face video/audio/photo recording.... and worse yet, something that dumps all its crap to a non-personal network.
Like you, I find it totally unacceptable. Cell phones and security cameras are already bad enough, but this is really raising the bar. I have a feeling society is going to draw a line. But we shall see.
My part is this- don't even TRY to talk to me with one of those damn things on your head, or while pointing a video camera or phone or recording device in my face. I don't care if I am at home, in a restaurant, at work, or in a store. It is *RUDE AND UNACCEPTABLE*. I will turn away and leave, probably after informing the perpetrator WHY they are being rude.
>"Google Glass: What's With All the Hate?"
Is it that mysterious? Many people have already posted on many sites as to why. If people would stop asking why and start reading some of the answers, maybe they would understand...
It presents major issues with privacy, security, and etiquette. It isn't just dorky, it is rude, creepy, and invasive too. The author and Google (especially the CEO) seems to just completely skirt the entire issue of privacy- not only for the user, but all the hundreds of "victims" around a Glass user, every day. Take out your phone and hold it up in the air, pointed at everyone you pass, meet, talk to, sit next to, and see what kind of reactions ensue. This is nothing like static and unconnected security cameras. Exactly how much private information are we all going to be willing to give Google?
We just went through this: http://tech.slashdot.org/story/13/05/03/1322242/is-google-glass-too-nerdy-for-the-mainstream
AND
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/13/04/26/2316211/eric-schmidt-google-glass-critics-afraid-of-change-society-will-adapt
But I guess we have to hash it out every month now :(
Other counties, like Canada, did it for years without major issues. No, don't include decimal points, it doesn't need to be THAT exact, just round. Half a kilometer is only 0.31 miles.
55 MPH
89 KPH
This doesn't fly for me. There is no human equivalent of an inch or mile or gallon or acre anymore than a kilometer or centimeter or liter or gram. The foot is about the only human thing about the imperial system, and that is not enough to matter all that much.
I was taught both systems in school and use both. Interestingly, I prefer cm/mm over inches and feet over meters; have no preference with gallons/qts vs. liters; prefer ml over fluid ounces, prefer grams over ounces but pounds over kg. How is THAT for confused. This is the result of the mess we have right now :)
>"It's not a waste of money if the Feds simply say that any new signs paid for with Federal highway funds must have SI units as their primary measure"
I don't even think they need to be marked PRIMARILY in metric units, but why not at least include them secondarily?
The costs of adding a few additional digits and letters to new signs has to be negligible in the overall cost.
Sounds like you might be using a prepaid-type (or month-to-month type) plan with no roaming allowed and no phone subsidies. That is essentially contract-free, so it is not the topic of the article and my followup.
>" Normally, consumers could vote with their wallets by taking their business elsewhere"
Hate to tell you this, but I think they all do that. Sprint has, Verizon has... not how T-Mobile does it. They all have one or more mysterious "fee" lines on the bill. It is a sham and why you can't believe any advertising from any cell company about the price of the plans. It is bad enough that in MY locality, wireless is taxed at something like 22%, then add "carrier surcharges", E911 fees, administrative fees, "Federal Univ Serv Assess Non-ID" fees, "State Gross Receipts Surcharge", "State Special Revenue Surcharge", "Regulatory Charge", and even f*ing sales tax (how can the state charge sales tax on a SERVICE???)
Then don't forget to add that data add-on charge and insurance protection in case you drop that $600 phone.
Before all the above, my plan for two phones is $107.99. And after- it is $159.48. 48% higher than the shiny number being advertised.
>"There are other countries less backwards than the USA you know, pin's on credit cards exist."
Yes, I know, but I thought it was pretty clear I was talking about the USA.
>"Uh, so you don't already HAVE chips?! My EC card has had them for years. All ATMs use the chip, and magnetic strips only work as a fallback option (though there are safeguards against simply using a copied card without chip)."
None of my USA credit cards have chips.
My Bank of America debit/ATM card also has no chip.
>"I am curious, what are the options for online banking in the US today? When I was a customer of Citibank in the US in 2001, it was just username/password (I had an HBCI encryption chip on my German card then...)"
I can only speak to home/consumer use with Bank of America. They use a login, site image ID, and password for verification. The only other option is that F**KING "Rapport Trusteer" S**T software for MS-Windows-only that takes over your whole computer like a virus. BTW- we are *FORCED* to use that with SunTrust at work and it is a total NIGHTMARE, especially since we are nearly 100% Linux based. I have already recommend to the CFO and CEO we need to change banks because of it.
Being in a holster is no less accessible or slower than being in a pocket.
No, it is not "off", the SCREEN is off, you have to press the button to turn the screen on
+1 informative
Yours is one of the best replies yet. Yes, the idea of having a button or some other technology that confirms intent is what would be needed to "fix" the situation.