I put a padded shell inside a slightly battered back pack. The shell does a great job of protecting the backpack. I can take the shell out when I'm using the backpack for something else. And, it doesn't look like there's anything valuable in the backpack. I've heard stories of people smashing car windows and grabbing shoulder bags, because they look like they probably have a laptop inside them. My bag looks like it's used by a student to carry text books.
If you really need to keep your notes organized on a computer, why not pick up a scanner and some OCR software. Of course, you also need to be able to write. Being able to print legibly, to say nothing of writing in cursive, seems to be a skill that is dwindling in the general population.
Seriously though, does anyone want to recommend a good OCR package?
I don't really know if this kind of scan is illegal. However, I really don't want to try to explain what I was doing to a jury. If you are going to do scans on other people's systems, try to be careful about it. Three simple rules: Never scan a government system, respect the owner of the equipment you are scanning, and don't scan from home. My forth rule is that what you don't know can't hurt me.
Better hope your computer isn't "legacy free" or a Mac. You won't have any place left to plug in your keyboard and mouse. Also, don't forget to plug up the parrallel port. I still have a ZIP drive!
Simple, take your sporty car to a closed track and do whatever you want. If there's enough demand for the ability to go 100+ MPH and spin your wheels then finding a place to do it shouldn't be a problem.
I too find it interesting that with the exception of three laptops that scored in the 4.0-4.9 range, every other laptop scored a 5.0 or better. This is based on ratings for 519 laptops. So, of all the laptops they reviewed, 516 are average or above, and only 3 out of 519 are below average. It makes me wonder if CNET knows what the word average means. On another note, the highest rating is an 8.8, so they don't like giving out really high scores either.
So the vast majority of their ratings fall between 5 and 9. So really, the rating system would be more like 5=bad, 6=below average, 7=average, 8=above average, 9=good. If they get a bad system, and rate it a 5, when the manufacturer gets huffy they can say they gave it an average score. But anyone who realizes the way the system works will know that a system scoring below a 7 is probably lacking.
Though, as we can see here, CNET doesn't always get it right. I don't know if I would accuse them of being shills for this though, if most of these problems cropped up over time, and where not apparent right away.
In this case though Jamdat's the largest of these "small" companies. There are also a lot of companies like mine, Mobliss, with less than 100 employees turning out some really good games. Shameless plug: Brady Bunch Kung Fu rocks! You're talking about an industry where there are still a lot of small players.
Of course in any industry like this one there will be waves of acquisition and combination that will result in an oligopoly of large companies controlling most of the industry. I think this is especially true when you have to worry about carrier relations. The only way for a game company to succeed is to have a good relationship with Verizon, Cingular, T-mobile, etc. And those big carriers prefer dealing with people they know, over new start ups.
P.S. these are my own personal views, and not those of my employer or anyone else.
If I have a game that's fun to play, but that I don't want to replay, I'm much more likely to give it to a friend. In some cases I won't buy a game like that because I know I can just wait a couple weeks, and get for free from a friend. On the other hand, if a game is still playable for a long time I'm going to hang on to it. Thus my friends will have to buy their own copies, which increases sales.
I agree. If you look at the big 3 - Microsoft, Macintosh, and Linux - they all have different strengths and weaknesses. Don't lock yourself into one platform, because you think it's the only "good" one. You need to be willing to look at all three, and then pick the best one for the job. In our case that looks like this:
Windows: Standard office PC, with the largest selection of business software. Everyone knows how to use it, easy to manage, e.g. group policy objects. Macintosh: Some developers, art people, and the system administrators all insist on having PowerBooks. This is what I have at home. Linux: Externally facing servers. Development. Very stable, best for production, this-is-the-server-that-pays-our-bills, type stuff.
Granted, that's a simplification, but we've found that different platforms work better in different situations. And in almost every case you have tradeoffs. For example, Windows supports more business applications, like Visio and Project, but it's also more likely to get hit with viruses and spyware. Your mileage may vary.
Hey now, let's not be too hasty. Uninstalling these things is what keeps me busy at work. You might call them malware, but I prefer the term gainfully-employedware.
When I was doing tech support for Earthlink I would start by declaring that I would fix whatever the problem was. Then, I put on my best Ben Stein voice. It gently lulled the customer into a state of hypnosis, and he or she would robotically follow all of my commands. Most of the time I would fix the problem. If not, I just said "Reboot and it'll work, thank you, good bye".
On the other hand, when I have to call support, I already know what's wrong (I fix computers for a living). So I just put on my best Ben Stein voice, and gently explain to the tech that I've already run all the tests and I need such-and-such part mailed to me.
The key here is to use basic hypnosis to convince the other person that you know what's going on and that you should be listed to. It's very simple.
Good science is possible.
on
Space Tourism?
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· Score: 1
There is nothing to prevent someone without a scientific background from conducting good science. The tourist in question is not designing the experiment. He is conducting the experiment, and acting as an assistant to the scientists who did design the experiments. In some cases space tourists will be able to offer useful suggestions. In other cases they will just be the eyes and arms of people on the ground.
I think most people would agree that we have a reasonable expectation of privacy when a system is brought to a technician for repair. That does not mean that the technician is legally required to respect that. In fact, the technician may be legally required to report certain things, like kiddie-porn.
Obviously a technician should not browse around your computer, and a good tech won't do that. But at the same time, it's not a good idea to leave files around that could get you in trouble.
Look, let's take a real-world analogy for a second. When the cable guy comes over, I don't expect him to poke around in my dresser. But at the same time, I don't leave a bong out on the coffee table either.
I don't know how much this would really help you if the BSA did a raid, but there is the concept of due diligence. You need to be able to show that you made an effort to follow copyright instructions and get your boss to do the same.
Yes, licensing is expensive. But the cost of TS CAL is about the same as an XP license. As long as you only use the server for terminal services, and nothing else, e.g. file server, you should only need a TS CAL for each client. The cost of licensing the app should be the same. That is, most companies will say that 50 licenses on 50 computers is equivalent to 50 licenses on 1 computer. The advantage is that you don't have to upgrade the hardware on the desktops to support Windows.
No, that isn't what will happen. When users start having a lousy web experience, they will stop visiting your web site, and go someplace else. If you're putting together a personal web site, you probably don't care. But if you have a business, they you aren't going to want to turn away even a small percentage of your visitors.
"Then there is the physical side of things. You might consider getting the computer looked in a box with holes for wires and vent holes. Of course you would want trusted members to have keys to access the box. Also security plates just to cover the USB openings might be a valid option. "
That's a pretty good solution. They did something like this in the call centers at AT&T Wireless. The only downside was having to open the box everytime some idiot moved the keyboard and accidentaly unplugged it.
They'll be at OS 11 (Spinal Tap) long before they run out of cat names, especially if they are willing to use the medium cats, e.g lynx, bobcat, ocelot.
Exactly. This is why I run my own VPN server at home. If I want to get email when I'm using a public hot spot, I just VPN to my home server on comcast cable. Then I check mail using SSL. So I have an encrypted SSL connection tunneled inside an encrypted VPN connection. Now if only everyone else was as paranoid as I am.
This comparison is only valid if you think that Windows XP has the same value as OS X. Also, if you are going to compare the two systems, at least put XP Pro on the Windows box.
It's funny how things like that work. For example, when I'm pushing a cart down the aisle at a crowded grocery store, people don't always hear you say, "Excuse me". Or at least they pretend not to hear. But if I make driving noises while I push the cart, people get out of the way without me having to say anything at all. Try it - it works.
I know AT&T Wireless was looking into carrying the Sidekick 2. I got to play with one pre-release over in the marketing building. But for whatever reason, they decided to go another direction.
Slashdot Mirror
I put a padded shell inside a slightly battered back pack. The shell does a great job of protecting the backpack. I can take the shell out when I'm using the backpack for something else. And, it doesn't look like there's anything valuable in the backpack. I've heard stories of people smashing car windows and grabbing shoulder bags, because they look like they probably have a laptop inside them. My bag looks like it's used by a student to carry text books.
If you really need to keep your notes organized on a computer, why not pick up a scanner and some OCR software. Of course, you also need to be able to write. Being able to print legibly, to say nothing of writing in cursive, seems to be a skill that is dwindling in the general population.
Seriously though, does anyone want to recommend a good OCR package?
I don't really know if this kind of scan is illegal. However, I really don't want to try to explain what I was doing to a jury. If you are going to do scans on other people's systems, try to be careful about it. Three simple rules: Never scan a government system, respect the owner of the equipment you are scanning, and don't scan from home. My forth rule is that what you don't know can't hurt me.
Better hope your computer isn't "legacy free" or a Mac. You won't have any place left to plug in your keyboard and mouse. Also, don't forget to plug up the parrallel port. I still have a ZIP drive!
Simple, take your sporty car to a closed track and do whatever you want. If there's enough demand for the ability to go 100+ MPH and spin your wheels then finding a place to do it shouldn't be a problem.
I too find it interesting that with the exception of three laptops that scored in the 4.0-4.9 range, every other laptop scored a 5.0 or better. This is based on ratings for 519 laptops. So, of all the laptops they reviewed, 516 are average or above, and only 3 out of 519 are below average. It makes me wonder if CNET knows what the word average means. On another note, the highest rating is an 8.8, so they don't like giving out really high scores either.
So the vast majority of their ratings fall between 5 and 9. So really, the rating system would be more like 5=bad, 6=below average, 7=average, 8=above average, 9=good. If they get a bad system, and rate it a 5, when the manufacturer gets huffy they can say they gave it an average score. But anyone who realizes the way the system works will know that a system scoring below a 7 is probably lacking.
Though, as we can see here, CNET doesn't always get it right. I don't know if I would accuse them of being shills for this though, if most of these problems cropped up over time, and where not apparent right away.
In this case though Jamdat's the largest of these "small" companies. There are also a lot of companies like mine, Mobliss, with less than 100 employees turning out some really good games. Shameless plug: Brady Bunch Kung Fu rocks! You're talking about an industry where there are still a lot of small players.
Of course in any industry like this one there will be waves of acquisition and combination that will result in an oligopoly of large companies controlling most of the industry. I think this is especially true when you have to worry about carrier relations. The only way for a game company to succeed is to have a good relationship with Verizon, Cingular, T-mobile, etc. And those big carriers prefer dealing with people they know, over new start ups.
P.S. these are my own personal views, and not those of my employer or anyone else.
If I have a game that's fun to play, but that I don't want to replay, I'm much more likely to give it to a friend. In some cases I won't buy a game like that because I know I can just wait a couple weeks, and get for free from a friend. On the other hand, if a game is still playable for a long time I'm going to hang on to it. Thus my friends will have to buy their own copies, which increases sales.
I agree. If you look at the big 3 - Microsoft, Macintosh, and Linux - they all have different strengths and weaknesses. Don't lock yourself into one platform, because you think it's the only "good" one. You need to be willing to look at all three, and then pick the best one for the job. In our case that looks like this:
Windows: Standard office PC, with the largest selection of business software. Everyone knows how to use it, easy to manage, e.g. group policy objects.
Macintosh: Some developers, art people, and the system administrators all insist on having PowerBooks. This is what I have at home.
Linux: Externally facing servers. Development. Very stable, best for production, this-is-the-server-that-pays-our-bills, type stuff.
Granted, that's a simplification, but we've found that different platforms work better in different situations. And in almost every case you have tradeoffs. For example, Windows supports more business applications, like Visio and Project, but it's also more likely to get hit with viruses and spyware. Your mileage may vary.
Hey now, let's not be too hasty. Uninstalling these things is what keeps me busy at work. You might call them malware, but I prefer the term gainfully-employedware.
When I was doing tech support for Earthlink I would start by declaring that I would fix whatever the problem was. Then, I put on my best Ben Stein voice. It gently lulled the customer into a state of hypnosis, and he or she would robotically follow all of my commands. Most of the time I would fix the problem. If not, I just said "Reboot and it'll work, thank you, good bye".
On the other hand, when I have to call support, I already know what's wrong (I fix computers for a living). So I just put on my best Ben Stein voice, and gently explain to the tech that I've already run all the tests and I need such-and-such part mailed to me.
The key here is to use basic hypnosis to convince the other person that you know what's going on and that you should be listed to. It's very simple.
Green motorcycles exist. They're called mopeds.
There is nothing to prevent someone without a scientific background from conducting good science. The tourist in question is not designing the experiment. He is conducting the experiment, and acting as an assistant to the scientists who did design the experiments. In some cases space tourists will be able to offer useful suggestions. In other cases they will just be the eyes and arms of people on the ground.
I think most people would agree that we have a reasonable expectation of privacy when a system is brought to a technician for repair. That does not mean that the technician is legally required to respect that. In fact, the technician may be legally required to report certain things, like kiddie-porn.
Obviously a technician should not browse around your computer, and a good tech won't do that. But at the same time, it's not a good idea to leave files around that could get you in trouble.
Look, let's take a real-world analogy for a second. When the cable guy comes over, I don't expect him to poke around in my dresser. But at the same time, I don't leave a bong out on the coffee table either.
I don't know how much this would really help you if the BSA did a raid, but there is the concept of due diligence. You need to be able to show that you made an effort to follow copyright instructions and get your boss to do the same.
Yes, licensing is expensive. But the cost of TS CAL is about the same as an XP license. As long as you only use the server for terminal services, and nothing else, e.g. file server, you should only need a TS CAL for each client. The cost of licensing the app should be the same. That is, most companies will say that 50 licenses on 50 computers is equivalent to 50 licenses on 1 computer. The advantage is that you don't have to upgrade the hardware on the desktops to support Windows.
No, that isn't what will happen. When users start having a lousy web experience, they will stop visiting your web site, and go someplace else. If you're putting together a personal web site, you probably don't care. But if you have a business, they you aren't going to want to turn away even a small percentage of your visitors.
Agreed. It's not open source. But it is OS X native, and at $40 a pop it's not very expensive either.
"Then there is the physical side of things. You might consider getting the computer looked in a box with holes for wires and vent holes. Of course you would want trusted members to have keys to access the box. Also security plates just to cover the USB openings might be a valid option. " That's a pretty good solution. They did something like this in the call centers at AT&T Wireless. The only downside was having to open the box everytime some idiot moved the keyboard and accidentaly unplugged it.
They'll be at OS 11 (Spinal Tap) long before they run out of cat names, especially if they are willing to use the medium cats, e.g lynx, bobcat, ocelot.
Why not use an ipod? Yes, it is external, but you have a 20 or 40 GB hard drive for backing up data, and you can listen to music.
Exactly. This is why I run my own VPN server at home. If I want to get email when I'm using a public hot spot, I just VPN to my home server on comcast cable. Then I check mail using SSL. So I have an encrypted SSL connection tunneled inside an encrypted VPN connection. Now if only everyone else was as paranoid as I am.
This comparison is only valid if you think that Windows XP has the same value as OS X. Also, if you are going to compare the two systems, at least put XP Pro on the Windows box.
It's funny how things like that work. For example, when I'm pushing a cart down the aisle at a crowded grocery store, people don't always hear you say, "Excuse me". Or at least they pretend not to hear. But if I make driving noises while I push the cart, people get out of the way without me having to say anything at all. Try it - it works.
I know AT&T Wireless was looking into carrying the Sidekick 2. I got to play with one pre-release over in the marketing building. But for whatever reason, they decided to go another direction.