Let's face it, the RIAA member companies are approaching if not already at redundancy. They are the ones depriving artists of their fair share of what they created, they are little more than middlemen. If they got out of the way artists could make more money while selling their music considerably cheaper than it is now.
Or perhaps convince all the artists to no longer sign deals with RIAA member labels. Let all the artists know how to fund their music promotion themselves, how to get on MTV, etc. without the major labels. Perhaps start your own label and offer a better deal for the artists while providing them the same up-front royalties and exposure they've come to expect.
While I disagree with some of the tactics and business methods employed by some of the labels, the artists are the ones knowingly signing the deals. If they don't do their homework and later complain because they made a bad decision, they have only themselves to blame. For better or for worse, the artists are the ones making the deal with the devil, so they shouldn't be surprised if they get burned. Consumers are the ones consuming this music, so it perpetuates the cycle.
Connections so clear you'll notice a pin dropping. *
(* That is, if it's a really heavy pin and it impales your foot. Sprint not responsible for infections as a result. Do not try at home. Not for internal use.)
I've no idea how difficult it is to synthesize Viagra or any other drug or chemical either. I do know that the manufacturing of it would require a chemical plant which is no trivial investment in pp&e.
Yeah, but who really builds their own chemical plants these days? There's tons of them out there which aren't at full capacity. Find a shady one which doesn't mind ignoring any patent rights and get them to make you some sildenafil citrate. At the retail price of several dollars PER PILL, I can't imagine mixing a bunch of chemicals together and then pumping out pills would cost you anywhere near that much.
With IP squatters like Pangia referenced by the MSNBC article, there is no product, no invention, no original idea.
And, as mentioned in my original post, I think these kinds of patents are terrible (ie: cookie + database = 1-Click = stupid patent).
RTFA -- The article doesn't say 10MHz, only the/. story does, and that may not be entirely accurate.
10,000 calculations does not mean 10MHz, at least, not in marketing speak.
You mean 10KHz not MHz, right? In marketing speak, they try and put forward the highest numbers possible. If those 10,000 calculations needed a 64KHz chip, don't you think some marketing droid would say it does 64,000 calculations per second? We're talking marketing numbers here, not engineering!
So... a 10KHz chip can make 10,000 calculations per second? Sure, as long as all those calculations take only 1 clock cycle each. And what good is a sensor that can take 20,000 samples per second if the CPU isn't powerful enough to even make use of all of them?
Honestly, what's the point? If the goal is to change the shoe characteristics, why not include a little adjustable screw so the wearer can manually change various tensions? This sounds like a lousy solution in search of a problem, and a badly marketed one at that.
I did read your journal before commenting. Unfortunately, the "who you're not" part leaves about 6 billion other possibilities.:)
The reason I asked is that the quantity of postings and your seeming familiarity with most of what IronPort does led me to believe you're doing more than just trying to dispell FUD. Actually, if you're going to do that, you're in for an awfully big job on Slashdot!
I also noticed that you haven't (yet) said that you don't work for/with IronPort. Or is that just my tinfoil hat going off again?
"Why do computers need inundate every single aspect of our lives?"... said the Anonymous Coward who used a computer to read the article and post his/her response.
I don't buy that argument. Yes, technology has increased and this argument should really only apply to developers who work like dogs to get the best game using the best tech so that it becomes game of the year.
Look at some of the games made by PopCap -- Bejeweled, Dynomite, etc. These games don't use any technology that wasn't available in the 1980s. No kick-ass pixel-shaded 3D rendering, no highly complex AI routines... but for such simple games, they are fun as hell and very addictive.
You can take the greatest development team in the world, give them the best looking and performing game engine, awesome graphics, motion capture, professional sound, and star voice acting... but if the actual game is poorly designed and not fun to play, what have they accomplished? Not much. Give me a really fun, innovative, challenging game using basic 2D graphics or the Quake II engine any day instead of the most highly polished piece of shit on the shelf. It may look pretty and sound great, but it still stinks.
Queue up the "bah! security through obscurity never works" posts.:)
I agree though, this is really fricking cool. With the right controls, you could make it so that the antenna characteristics change over time according to a pattern known only to those posessing the corresponding private key. Interception is harder and, even if it is intercepted, you could theoretically use this as one additional encryption layer.
Heck, forget about cities... this asteroid is 25 times larger (in two dimensions) than an entire country! That is, if the country in question happens to be Holy See (Vatican City), recognized as a separate country.
Why do people insist on putting -i at the end of every word that has a singular form ending in s? The plural of iris isn't irii. The plural of axis isn't axi. The whole purpose of the -es plural is that you are supposed to use it when a word ends in s. Why must people emply this queer new form? It just makes them sound like pompous douches -- or is it douchi?
It stems from octopus, one of those trivial things where people know that the plural of which is octopi (or octopuses). They then generalize this to assume that every word that ends in "us" can be pluralized by replacing "us" with "i".
Your logic of always appending "es" to a word ending in "s" is wrong. The plural of "phallus" is "phalli" (or "phalluses"). The plural of "torus" is "tori" -- "toruses" is actually 100% wrong. The plural of "modus" is "modi" -- "moduses" is also wrong. The plural of "corpus" is not "corpuses", it's "corpora". "abacus"... "abaci" or "abacuses". "cactus"... "cacti" or "cactuses". And the plural of "genus" isn't "genuses", it's "genera".
I've got an XP box sitting next to me that I don't dare turn on. I patch it every time I turn it on, but it's been a little over a month since I last needed to use it, so it's unpatched.
Um, you do run a firewall don't you? Prefereably such as a hardware firewall/router rather than directly connecting it to the internet on a publicly accessible IP address? Or, if not that, then you certainly have ZoneAlarm or other similar software firewall? Okay, at the very least you turned on the Internet Connection Firewall that is included with XP, right?
In another reply, I realized that reverse engineering could or could not be something trivial, so I mentioned a prescription drug. Once Pfizer has done all the expensive R&D, market trials, and obtained FDC approval for Viagra... without patent protection anybody could go and make a generic version:
Chemical name: 1-[4-ethoxy- 3-(6,7-dihydro- 1-methyl- 7-oxo- 3-propyl- 1H-pyrazolo [4,3-d]pyrimidin-5-yl) phenylsulfonyl]- 4-methylpiperazine citrate. Chemical formula: C22 H30 N6 O4S.C6 H8 O7
I don't know how easy it is to make generic Viagra as opposed to other drugs, but Pfizer has been battling companies who make generic versions of their other drugs, in violation of patent laws. So I would suspect it's not all that difficult.
Slashdot Mirror
Let's face it, the RIAA member companies are approaching if not already at redundancy. They are the ones depriving artists of their fair share of what they created, they are little more than middlemen. If they got out of the way artists could make more money while selling their music considerably cheaper than it is now.
Or perhaps convince all the artists to no longer sign deals with RIAA member labels. Let all the artists know how to fund their music promotion themselves, how to get on MTV, etc. without the major labels. Perhaps start your own label and offer a better deal for the artists while providing them the same up-front royalties and exposure they've come to expect.
While I disagree with some of the tactics and business methods employed by some of the labels, the artists are the ones knowingly signing the deals. If they don't do their homework and later complain because they made a bad decision, they have only themselves to blame. For better or for worse, the artists are the ones making the deal with the devil, so they shouldn't be surprised if they get burned. Consumers are the ones consuming this music, so it perpetuates the cycle.
After all, paying engineers is obviosly more costly than paying hores.
Just think... with the savings from that, you could pay for a spellchecker.
Another satisfied Sprint customer, I see.
Connections so clear you'll notice a pin dropping. *
(* That is, if it's a really heavy pin and it impales your foot. Sprint not responsible for infections as a result. Do not try at home. Not for internal use.)
I've no idea how difficult it is to synthesize Viagra or any other drug or chemical either. I do know that the manufacturing of it would require a chemical plant which is no trivial investment in pp&e.
Yeah, but who really builds their own chemical plants these days? There's tons of them out there which aren't at full capacity. Find a shady one which doesn't mind ignoring any patent rights and get them to make you some sildenafil citrate. At the retail price of several dollars PER PILL, I can't imagine mixing a bunch of chemicals together and then pumping out pills would cost you anywhere near that much.
With IP squatters like Pangia referenced by the MSNBC article, there is no product, no invention, no original idea.
And, as mentioned in my original post, I think these kinds of patents are terrible (ie: cookie + database = 1-Click = stupid patent).
RTFA -- The article doesn't say 10MHz, only the /. story does, and that may not be entirely accurate.
10,000 calculations does not mean 10MHz, at least, not in marketing speak.
You mean 10KHz not MHz, right? In marketing speak, they try and put forward the highest numbers possible. If those 10,000 calculations needed a 64KHz chip, don't you think some marketing droid would say it does 64,000 calculations per second? We're talking marketing numbers here, not engineering!
Reminds me of a Jack Handey:
Once I wept for I had no shoes. Then I came across a man who had no feet, so I took his shoes. I mean, it's not like he really needed them.
So... a 10KHz chip can make 10,000 calculations per second? Sure, as long as all those calculations take only 1 clock cycle each. And what good is a sensor that can take 20,000 samples per second if the CPU isn't powerful enough to even make use of all of them?
Honestly, what's the point? If the goal is to change the shoe characteristics, why not include a little adjustable screw so the wearer can manually change various tensions? This sounds like a lousy solution in search of a problem, and a badly marketed one at that.
Next up... Slashdot: Posting as if Karma Mattered
I did read your journal before commenting. Unfortunately, the "who you're not" part leaves about 6 billion other possibilities. :)
The reason I asked is that the quantity of postings and your seeming familiarity with most of what IronPort does led me to believe you're doing more than just trying to dispell FUD. Actually, if you're going to do that, you're in for an awfully big job on Slashdot!
I also noticed that you haven't (yet) said that you don't work for/with IronPort. Or is that just my tinfoil hat going off again?
With all your defensive replies, I'm wondering what your bias is here. Do you work for IronPort? Fess up!
"Why do computers need inundate every single aspect of our lives?" ... said the Anonymous Coward who used a computer to read the article and post his/her response.
There is an alternative. You can work for 3D Realms. I hear they have a project or two which doesn't suffer from this crunch mode.
Anything else is the theft of your time and money by your employer.
:)
You must be new here. Around these parts, we call it "compensation infringement".
Non-game projects also make developers, QA people, etc. work long hours as well.
The difference is that not too many people rush out before Christmas and pick up the latest copy of Dreamweaver MX for dad.
I don't buy that argument. Yes, technology has increased and this argument should really only apply to developers who work like dogs to get the best game using the best tech so that it becomes game of the year.
... but if the actual game is poorly designed and not fun to play, what have they accomplished? Not much. Give me a really fun, innovative, challenging game using basic 2D graphics or the Quake II engine any day instead of the most highly polished piece of shit on the shelf. It may look pretty and sound great, but it still stinks.
Look at some of the games made by PopCap -- Bejeweled, Dynomite, etc. These games don't use any technology that wasn't available in the 1980s. No kick-ass pixel-shaded 3D rendering, no highly complex AI routines... but for such simple games, they are fun as hell and very addictive.
You can take the greatest development team in the world, give them the best looking and performing game engine, awesome graphics, motion capture, professional sound, and star voice acting
or is it?
Better damn well be! How else will I know when to let them thaw my brain for resuscitation?
Yeah, and the bastards even patented it. Damn those evil patents... and for such a trivial idea as plasma + modulation = antenna!
Queue up the "bah! security through obscurity never works" posts. :)
I agree though, this is really fricking cool. With the right controls, you could make it so that the antenna characteristics change over time according to a pattern known only to those posessing the corresponding private key. Interception is harder and, even if it is intercepted, you could theoretically use this as one additional encryption layer.
Heck, forget about cities... this asteroid is 25 times larger (in two dimensions) than an entire country! That is, if the country in question happens to be Holy See (Vatican City), recognized as a separate country.
Or, it's just slightly smaller than Tuvalu.
Why do people insist on putting -i at the end of every word that has a singular form ending in s? The plural of iris isn't irii. The plural of axis isn't axi. The whole purpose of the -es plural is that you are supposed to use it when a word ends in s. Why must people emply this queer new form? It just makes them sound like pompous douches -- or is it douchi?
... "abaci" or "abacuses". "cactus" ... "cacti" or "cactuses". And the plural of "genus" isn't "genuses", it's "genera".
It stems from octopus, one of those trivial things where people know that the plural of which is octopi (or octopuses). They then generalize this to assume that every word that ends in "us" can be pluralized by replacing "us" with "i".
Your logic of always appending "es" to a word ending in "s" is wrong. The plural of "phallus" is "phalli" (or "phalluses"). The plural of "torus" is "tori" -- "toruses" is actually 100% wrong. The plural of "modus" is "modi" -- "moduses" is also wrong. The plural of "corpus" is not "corpuses", it's "corpora". "abacus"
I've got an XP box sitting next to me that I don't dare turn on. I patch it every time I turn it on, but it's been a little over a month since I last needed to use it, so it's unpatched.
Um, you do run a firewall don't you? Prefereably such as a hardware firewall/router rather than directly connecting it to the internet on a publicly accessible IP address? Or, if not that, then you certainly have ZoneAlarm or other similar software firewall? Okay, at the very least you turned on the Internet Connection Firewall that is included with XP, right?
Rumor has is that 10.5 is going to be named Sphynx, after the hairless cat. Steve Jobs worked out a deal with Gillette to promote the new OS.
I think that would be more accurately described as "decreased unusability".
In another reply, I realized that reverse engineering could or could not be something trivial, so I mentioned a prescription drug. Once Pfizer has done all the expensive R&D, market trials, and obtained FDC approval for Viagra... without patent protection anybody could go and make a generic version:
Chemical name: 1-[4-ethoxy- 3-(6,7-dihydro- 1-methyl- 7-oxo- 3-propyl- 1H-pyrazolo [4,3-d]pyrimidin-5-yl) phenylsulfonyl]- 4-methylpiperazine citrate. Chemical formula: C22 H30 N6 O4S.C6 H8 O7
I don't know how easy it is to make generic Viagra as opposed to other drugs, but Pfizer has been battling companies who make generic versions of their other drugs, in violation of patent laws. So I would suspect it's not all that difficult.