I don't see it as being a problem if the costs are the same (As is true in Canada/US)
However, in the UK it would suck to dial what you think is a land line (Or what used to be a landline) and get billed as though it were a cell.
This COULD work, as long as all carriers are offering service in all inbound dialing areas. If not, then the local telco will still need to pay the LD charges to get the call to a termination point for the provider in question. This could probably be managed similar to how the tollfree system works though, bill the recipient's telco, and let the cell phone telcos figure it out.
However, in all honesty, why bother? If you want a local number from anywhere, get a tollfree number. Mine is priced out at $0.04/minute, billed in 6 second increments, adding another $0.04/minute to your phone calls probably won't break the bank if you're using the service for business calls.
In all fairness, the way the system currently works it will require a bit of extra capacity to handle number portability. Calls are routed by prefix, if you dial a Verizon prefix you will be routed to Verizon's systems, then Verizon will need to redirect the call to your new provider. This still ties up a Verizon line or two.
However, in all honesty, bandwidth isn't an issue these days, most telcos own so much dark fibre in the ground that they could light up in about 45 seconds if they wanted that bandwidth isn't really an issue. With cellular phone networks, it's over-the-air bandwidth that is at a premium.
Personally, I'd like to see the FCC simply create higher fines then the additional infrastructure costs -- If it becomes cheaper to offer number portability then to lock in customers, numbers will be portable so fast it's not even funny.
Since we're talking volume licensing here, it's fair to point out that Dell will happily sell you OS-less machines to a corporate account if that corporate account has a MS volume license.
It's good for laughs. Funny thing is, the IP I'm on is not now, and has never been, a dynamic IP, a residential IP, an open proxy, or even run a mail server.
*shrugs*
I'm not real worried about it, I don't much care if I can't email AOL. A few of my users might care, but frankly, I don't want them using my SMTP anyway.
As a printer, it's a nightmare. As a color photocopier, it's the best I've ever seen under $150 -- No PC required.
However, that doesn't change the fact that it truely does calibrate itself.
Lies! All LIES!
From what I've seen some of the combo printer/scanners literally do calibrate themselves -- You print the test page, pop it on the scanner, and the printer does the rest on it's own.
Actually, in this case the real domain is yahoo.com
rd.yahoo.com is a giant open HTTP redirection that Yahoo uses internally.
Slashdot correctly identified the actual domain being used, but has no way to know about the redirection. Personally, I think it's worth a hack being added to slashcode to fix this, but that's just my opinion.
The receipts aren't sent to Visa as a matter of course, so it isn't possible to analyze them across the board. Visa can't pull up a list of everybody that bought a 10pack of lightbulbs, for instance, although the store likely could.
I'm not sure about you, but I used to work at an ISP with a front counter. I can tell you for certain that we did not send signed Visa receipts (from the till or received by fax) to Visa unless there was a challenge or an inquiry by Visa.
Now, granted, somebody could look up the details later on, that's always possible, but in a general-information-gathering system, all they'd have is a total.
Also, the act of "general services" being considered suspect is an even more worrysome idea, because it effectively means that an error by the hotel clerk is now reflecting negatively against ME.
#1: This only works if the information is accurate, and is understood in context.
#2: Credit cards record WHERE money is spent, but not WHAT is purchased. If you see I spent $100 at a hotel, yeah, I spent a night at the hotel. Or had an expensive dinner there. Or played at the hotel Casino. Or my card was stolen and I didn't notice the charge.
#3: They do? Does Google have a little punk reviewing all the sites they index?
I trust it never occurred to you that Chinese and Japanese are different languages, with different character sets?
Re:Avoiding another Circuit City DIVX debacle
on
Open Source DRM
·
· Score: 1
I think it's a reasonable argument to want to use legitimate media without having to whore yourself to an online provider first... Unless of course they plan on including online access, in which case I'm looking forward to watching DVDs on a plane.
You think a voice call from a plane is expensive, try data.
The problem with the current version isn't the actual bloat, it's how slow and clunky the media player is, and also IMO the lack of useful controls.
WMP 6.5:
Up/Down keyboard keys for volume
Space to pause
WMP 7+
F9/F10 for volume
Ctrl-P to pause
What's more intuitive?
Not only are they not obtrusive, but they're relevant and on-topic.
Many/most ads simply aren't relevant at all. I clicked on MSN's "Find a job" link and was presented with a "Bingo online" banner. I clicked on "Personals" and got a "Blackjack" advertisement.
Now, if I clicked on "Find a job" and got ads that were slightly relevant, perhaps something on investing in job skills (So as to not compete directly with the MSN Careers page I was visiting), then maybe MAYBE I'd have been interested.
Not only price, but space and power constraints as well. Granted, if you threw money at the problem, I'm sure you could find some tiny speakers that don't need much airflow that have better sound, but lets fact it, who would really pay for something like this?
I dunno, personally, mine are okay for music, and I plug in headphones or external speakers if I'm going to be listening for long.
For those too slow to keep up, the ***PATRIOT Act*** exists as result of a kneejerk reaction to terrorism, and was intended to fight terrorism.
This is an example of the PATRIOT Act being applied in a non-terrorism context.
The logic holds sound as long as they sell every XBox they make. If they sell an XBox and build another, then they've lost $200. If they manufacturer 10 more and sell 10 more they lost $2000. But, if they had one sit on the shelf and not sell, then they've only lost $400.
Little slow on the uptake here, iDEN phones already have GPS builtin and are able to use it for tracking and "employee management" in the i88 (among others)
*shrugs*
On one unit, yes. But, the more they sell, the more they lose... And lets face it, I can buy a low end P2 for $200, the XBox can do a bit more then that... Plus it can play DVDs for another $30.
So yeah, I'll spend $230 on a DVD player that doubles as a computer just to get $200 out of Microsoft's pockets.
Slashdot Mirror
I don't see it as being a problem if the costs are the same (As is true in Canada/US) However, in the UK it would suck to dial what you think is a land line (Or what used to be a landline) and get billed as though it were a cell.
This COULD work, as long as all carriers are offering service in all inbound dialing areas. If not, then the local telco will still need to pay the LD charges to get the call to a termination point for the provider in question. This could probably be managed similar to how the tollfree system works though, bill the recipient's telco, and let the cell phone telcos figure it out. However, in all honesty, why bother? If you want a local number from anywhere, get a tollfree number. Mine is priced out at $0.04/minute, billed in 6 second increments, adding another $0.04/minute to your phone calls probably won't break the bank if you're using the service for business calls.
In all fairness, the way the system currently works it will require a bit of extra capacity to handle number portability. Calls are routed by prefix, if you dial a Verizon prefix you will be routed to Verizon's systems, then Verizon will need to redirect the call to your new provider. This still ties up a Verizon line or two. However, in all honesty, bandwidth isn't an issue these days, most telcos own so much dark fibre in the ground that they could light up in about 45 seconds if they wanted that bandwidth isn't really an issue. With cellular phone networks, it's over-the-air bandwidth that is at a premium. Personally, I'd like to see the FCC simply create higher fines then the additional infrastructure costs -- If it becomes cheaper to offer number portability then to lock in customers, numbers will be portable so fast it's not even funny.
Since we're talking volume licensing here, it's fair to point out that Dell will happily sell you OS-less machines to a corporate account if that corporate account has a MS volume license.
It's good for laughs. Funny thing is, the IP I'm on is not now, and has never been, a dynamic IP, a residential IP, an open proxy, or even run a mail server. *shrugs* I'm not real worried about it, I don't much care if I can't email AOL. A few of my users might care, but frankly, I don't want them using my SMTP anyway.
As a printer, it's a nightmare. As a color photocopier, it's the best I've ever seen under $150 -- No PC required. However, that doesn't change the fact that it truely does calibrate itself.
For most companies it's easier to print duplicates then to maintain a dot matrix and pay for carbon paper.
Lies! All LIES! From what I've seen some of the combo printer/scanners literally do calibrate themselves -- You print the test page, pop it on the scanner, and the printer does the rest on it's own.
Actually, in this case the real domain is yahoo.com rd.yahoo.com is a giant open HTTP redirection that Yahoo uses internally. Slashdot correctly identified the actual domain being used, but has no way to know about the redirection. Personally, I think it's worth a hack being added to slashcode to fix this, but that's just my opinion.
The receipts aren't sent to Visa as a matter of course, so it isn't possible to analyze them across the board. Visa can't pull up a list of everybody that bought a 10pack of lightbulbs, for instance, although the store likely could.
I'm not sure about you, but I used to work at an ISP with a front counter. I can tell you for certain that we did not send signed Visa receipts (from the till or received by fax) to Visa unless there was a challenge or an inquiry by Visa. Now, granted, somebody could look up the details later on, that's always possible, but in a general-information-gathering system, all they'd have is a total. Also, the act of "general services" being considered suspect is an even more worrysome idea, because it effectively means that an error by the hotel clerk is now reflecting negatively against ME.
#1: This only works if the information is accurate, and is understood in context. #2: Credit cards record WHERE money is spent, but not WHAT is purchased. If you see I spent $100 at a hotel, yeah, I spent a night at the hotel. Or had an expensive dinner there. Or played at the hotel Casino. Or my card was stolen and I didn't notice the charge. #3: They do? Does Google have a little punk reviewing all the sites they index?
I trust it never occurred to you that Chinese and Japanese are different languages, with different character sets?
I think it's a reasonable argument to want to use legitimate media without having to whore yourself to an online provider first... Unless of course they plan on including online access, in which case I'm looking forward to watching DVDs on a plane. You think a voice call from a plane is expensive, try data.
Are we talking strictly online content? How about an offline machine that can't tell some rinky dink server that I'm listening to music right now.
It's better then the web interface, but it's still slow as crap compared to POP3, or even IMAP...
The problem with the current version isn't the actual bloat, it's how slow and clunky the media player is, and also IMO the lack of useful controls. WMP 6.5: Up/Down keyboard keys for volume Space to pause WMP 7+ F9/F10 for volume Ctrl-P to pause What's more intuitive?
Not only are they not obtrusive, but they're relevant and on-topic. Many/most ads simply aren't relevant at all. I clicked on MSN's "Find a job" link and was presented with a "Bingo online" banner. I clicked on "Personals" and got a "Blackjack" advertisement. Now, if I clicked on "Find a job" and got ads that were slightly relevant, perhaps something on investing in job skills (So as to not compete directly with the MSN Careers page I was visiting), then maybe MAYBE I'd have been interested.
Wasn't that Discover card only? Last time I checked, Visa and MasterCard still allow chargebacks.
Not only price, but space and power constraints as well. Granted, if you threw money at the problem, I'm sure you could find some tiny speakers that don't need much airflow that have better sound, but lets fact it, who would really pay for something like this? I dunno, personally, mine are okay for music, and I plug in headphones or external speakers if I'm going to be listening for long.
For those too slow to keep up, the ***PATRIOT Act*** exists as result of a kneejerk reaction to terrorism, and was intended to fight terrorism. This is an example of the PATRIOT Act being applied in a non-terrorism context.
Long time reader, medium time anonymous coward.
The logic holds sound as long as they sell every XBox they make. If they sell an XBox and build another, then they've lost $200. If they manufacturer 10 more and sell 10 more they lost $2000. But, if they had one sit on the shelf and not sell, then they've only lost $400.
Little slow on the uptake here, iDEN phones already have GPS builtin and are able to use it for tracking and "employee management" in the i88 (among others) *shrugs*
On one unit, yes. But, the more they sell, the more they lose... And lets face it, I can buy a low end P2 for $200, the XBox can do a bit more then that... Plus it can play DVDs for another $30. So yeah, I'll spend $230 on a DVD player that doubles as a computer just to get $200 out of Microsoft's pockets.