but geo-location blocking by the NHL is pretty much my last hurdle before cutting the cable cord.
The NHL offers a service called Gamecenter Live that allows you to stream live games to a computer or certain STBs. All games except those from within your broadcasting region. For me, it's the Canucks as I live in Vancouver.
I can't watch the Canucks live over this service because of the blackout restrictions imposed by the NHL. And they even have terms in their contract stating that if you use technical means to bypass the lockouts, ie VPN or proxies, they can terminate your service with no refund.
I want to send the following message to the NHL:
Hey NHL, I want to give you money. Please take it. All that I ask in return is to be able to watch the Canucks over GameCenter Live with no restrictions. I don't think that's too much to ask.
From what I understand, the sports networks pay you to broadcast your content (ie, your games). The cable networks make money by selling advertising to a sizeable audience. My "value" to the NHL for watching one game could be calculated by something like the following.
value = (1 / Total VIewers Per Game) * (Money Paid to NHL for Broadcasting season/82 games broadcasted per year)
I think I could probably pay you up to 1.5x value per game, you'd be very happy, and I'd still be ahead with regards to the cable bill.
When I do finally cut the cable cord, there can be two scenarios:
1) Legal, easy streaming to my PS3 in high quality. You get paid for your content, I have no monthly cable bill. Everybody wins*
2) Illegal, awkward low quality streams through a PC connected to my TV, You don't get paid for your content. I'm still not paying for cable, but it's almost not worth it because of the streaming headaches. Nobody wins.
Pretty simple choice there.
*Assuming you give a shit about the cable companies or sports networks.
One issue that's been reported up here in BC is that smart meters have increased some customers' bills (according to the customer).
In most of the cases, it was just either human error or the billing system was just catching up on equalization payments vs. electricity actually used.
Many people have reported that their bills have actually come down a bit with the more accurate readings.
I consider it a matter of personal professional pride that I have never gone snooping, aside from the occasional accidental "Firing of So and So for Making Sexual Advances at So and so.doc" file name.
Especially at my last job where I had access to all financials, exchange boxes, etc.
Here I manage the Document Management System, and even though I have all the keys, and can even avoid the audit trail of the app, I still don't.
Some of it is the 'don't care' aspect of it as well. Because I have (had) total access, it makes it less alluring.
If you want a bit more options than a simple point and shoot, but don't want the full complexity of a DSLR, go for the middle and get a long-zoom point and shoot.
They have the options (aperature, shutter speed, ability to optically zoom to 300mm+ ranges) that the DSLRs have, but without the inconvenience of carrying around a bunch of lenses.
Then once you're comfortable, step up to a consumer level DSLR.
I have a Sony H5 for essentially kicking around with (and that I learned on), and a Sony A55 with an 18-55/F4 kit lens, a 55-200mm zoom telephoto lens, and a 35mm/1.8 prime lens for low-light situations, when I want to try to get really good pictures. Carrying around all that is usually impractical, so I only bring it when I purposefully want good pictures, and not just snapshots.
I'm by no means a good photographer, but I've been very happy with the results of both setups.
This reminds of a story I read in a newspaper at least 18 years ago that maybe was an excerpt from a book. Hoping someone could get me a name, or some other details.
Here's what I remember:
It was focused on a hacker. One of his crimes, he was able to remotely take over the operation of a dam, controlling its spillways, although I don't think he ever did any damage. When the authorities found the guy, his fingers were described as curled backwards from endless hours at a keyboard, and he was living in filth. I also remembered that in one of the authority's monitoring sessions, there was 45 minutes of uninterupted y's coming from the guy's terminal. Turns out he had fallen asleep on his keyboard.
I know, not much to go on. I read it as a child, and even though I wasn't really into computers at that time, I was still fascinated by it.
It's not always the content providers. Up here in Canada, broadcasters have to contend with the government agengy CRTC, which has a bunch of bullshit mandates about Canadian content percentage for networks (including radio stations) providing content in Canada. It may have been useful in the days of OTA, but it doesn't make any sense now.
I'm about 8 years out of date on my web development, but can someone give me a quick rundown on the subject of the article vs. what I know as server side javascript, aka ASP classic?
Agreed. You can have my Microsoft 4K when you pry it out of my cold, dead, non-carpal hands.
The only thing I would change about would be setting the default of the useless 'zoom' throttle in the middle to a window scroll. (It's possible to change the functionality by modifying a config file)
Cynic in me believes that in addition to a whiz bang storage network, AOL also got some free publicity in the Tech circle with the inclinination that they're leading edge.
In the rare case that your current employer will match or beat a new offering, you're still left the fact that your employer had been knowingly underpaying you for the period you worked there.
Yeah, Sony has a habit of delivering answers to un-asked questions. Playstation Home and The Tester series are prime examples.*
The jury's still out about how well the controller performs for FPS's. MAG beta has Move support, but reviewers have had mixed responses to it.
Heavy Rain was (will be?) patched to support Move. I think that would be a fairly novel concept. Especially using essentially the same interface that the FBI agent has.
*Still waiting for Jet Moto and Colony Wars updates, Sony. Get on it! I don't care about a lame Second Life ripoff or a lame reality show for a $10 hour job.
Heck yeah. I make $80K a year, and I live in Vancouver, BC. I do well for myself, but owning a house around here is out of the question on that salary.
Slashdot Mirror
but geo-location blocking by the NHL is pretty much my last hurdle before cutting the cable cord.
The NHL offers a service called Gamecenter Live that allows you to stream live games to a computer or certain STBs. All games except those from within your broadcasting region. For me, it's the Canucks as I live in Vancouver.
I can't watch the Canucks live over this service because of the blackout restrictions imposed by the NHL. And they even have terms in their contract stating that if you use technical means to bypass the lockouts, ie VPN or proxies, they can terminate your service with no refund.
I want to send the following message to the NHL:
*Assuming you give a shit about the cable companies or sports networks.
One issue that's been reported up here in BC is that smart meters have increased some customers' bills (according to the customer).
In most of the cases, it was just either human error or the billing system was just catching up on equalization payments vs. electricity actually used.
Many people have reported that their bills have actually come down a bit with the more accurate readings.
In the end, they will probably file chapter 11 and leave the debt with the US taxpayers.
I know it's hard to believe, but RIM is a Canadian company.
Some of their printers were friggin' tanks. I'm thinking specifically of of the HP 4, 5 and 5n LaserJets. Those things could not be killed.
If you didn't say a few weeks ago, I'd guess Opentext.
"Yes, let's change the name of our flagship product that it's had for almost two decades."
I consider it a matter of personal professional pride that I have never gone snooping, aside from the occasional accidental "Firing of So and So for Making Sexual Advances at So and so.doc" file name.
Especially at my last job where I had access to all financials, exchange boxes, etc.
Here I manage the Document Management System, and even though I have all the keys, and can even avoid the audit trail of the app, I still don't.
Some of it is the 'don't care' aspect of it as well. Because I have (had) total access, it makes it less alluring.
For anyone confused; a bollard is a retractable concrete or metal post that comes out the ground to block traffic. They seem to be popular in Europe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIqlkPhDfwM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZdLjKl0lHc
If you want a bit more options than a simple point and shoot, but don't want the full complexity of a DSLR, go for the middle and get a long-zoom point and shoot.
They have the options (aperature, shutter speed, ability to optically zoom to 300mm+ ranges) that the DSLRs have, but without the inconvenience of carrying around a bunch of lenses.
Then once you're comfortable, step up to a consumer level DSLR.
I have a Sony H5 for essentially kicking around with (and that I learned on), and a Sony A55 with an 18-55/F4 kit lens, a 55-200mm zoom telephoto lens, and a 35mm/1.8 prime lens for low-light situations, when I want to try to get really good pictures. Carrying around all that is usually impractical, so I only bring it when I purposefully want good pictures, and not just snapshots.
I'm by no means a good photographer, but I've been very happy with the results of both setups.
Aye, that's the one. Thank you kindly.
This reminds of a story I read in a newspaper at least 18 years ago that maybe was an excerpt from a book. Hoping someone could get me a name, or some other details.
Here's what I remember:
It was focused on a hacker. One of his crimes, he was able to remotely take over the operation of a dam, controlling its spillways, although I don't think he ever did any damage. When the authorities found the guy, his fingers were described as curled backwards from endless hours at a keyboard, and he was living in filth. I also remembered that in one of the authority's monitoring sessions, there was 45 minutes of uninterupted y's coming from the guy's terminal. Turns out he had fallen asleep on his keyboard.
I know, not much to go on. I read it as a child, and even though I wasn't really into computers at that time, I was still fascinated by it.
Was there no option for him to go to Lockheed or Boeing or McDonnel or any other military hardware contractor?
It's not always the content providers. Up here in Canada, broadcasters have to contend with the government agengy CRTC, which has a bunch of bullshit mandates about Canadian content percentage for networks (including radio stations) providing content in Canada. It may have been useful in the days of OTA, but it doesn't make any sense now.
It's the London scapegoat effect.
I assume the Commander is usually the last one out? I guess then... Christopher Ferguson will be the last astronaut to disembark from a space shuttle.
I'm about 8 years out of date on my web development, but can someone give me a quick rundown on the subject of the article vs. what I know as server side javascript, aka ASP classic?
Wonder if this was offshored to a country that was eligible to be part of this lottery. Could be ironic, paradoxical or just plain funny.
Agreed as well. I've been hoping for Liberty City Stories for 5 years now, but I doubt it'll ever be released.
...to the opening tracking shot of Paths of Glory. So much going on.
Agreed. You can have my Microsoft 4K when you pry it out of my cold, dead, non-carpal hands.
The only thing I would change about would be setting the default of the useless 'zoom' throttle in the middle to a window scroll. (It's possible to change the functionality by modifying a config file)
Cynic in me believes that in addition to a whiz bang storage network, AOL also got some free publicity in the Tech circle with the inclinination that they're leading edge.
In the rare case that your current employer will match or beat a new offering, you're still left the fact that your employer had been knowingly underpaying you for the period you worked there.
Yeah, Sony has a habit of delivering answers to un-asked questions. Playstation Home and The Tester series are prime examples.*
The jury's still out about how well the controller performs for FPS's. MAG beta has Move support, but reviewers have had mixed responses to it.
Heavy Rain was (will be?) patched to support Move. I think that would be a fairly novel concept. Especially using essentially the same interface that the FBI agent has.
*Still waiting for Jet Moto and Colony Wars updates, Sony. Get on it! I don't care about a lame Second Life ripoff or a lame reality show for a $10 hour job.
Heck yeah. I make $80K a year, and I live in Vancouver, BC. I do well for myself, but owning a house around here is out of the question on that salary.
I run PS3MediaServer on my fileserver. Streams (and trancodes when necessary) over the network to my PS3. Works well.
On the Dreamcast, didn't it come with a super rare, super expensive dual arcade stick controller?