To be suspenseful, it would have required that the story was not 99.9% predictable.
I didn't think it was predictable at all. I mean, who could have predicted that the natives, following the lead of a trained soldier, would mount a cavalry charge, head on, against a vastly superior force that possessed dramatically more firepower rather than utilize their superior knowledge of the terrain and abilities to blend in to attack from stealth...
Or, to put it more bluntly, who could have predicted that this movie would manage to make Ewoks look like strategic geniuses?...
But, yeah - the plot was obvious from the get-go. I just felt the need to vent a bit about a painfully stupid moment in the movie.:)
Does McAfee offer other products of significant value because, quite frankly, it blows my mind beyond words that an anti-virus software manufacturer is worth $7.7 BILLION. Someone, please explain what the hell I'm missing here. Besides the boat...
Um, Quake II in HTML5. I could be mistaken but I believe some very smart people are imagining how to implement media-rich games in HTML5. Flash's days are numbered. It might take several years, but it is a technology on the way out.
While the summary is full of sympathy for Hurd, implying that he was the wronged party in this situation (boggles the mind...), I have absolutely no sympathy for him. Ignoring the fact that he got a rather sizable golden handshake which would enable most people to retire in luxury, he was stupid. When you're in a management position, especially a senior management position (such as the CEO...), you have an obligation to not cross personal boundaries. Members of senior management should know better. It's inappropriate and it's the sort of thing that leads to trouble. Shockingly, it lead to trouble.
No sympathy. I have no clue if he was a good CEO or not, but he was a stupid one, that's for certain.
Ironic that this comes up on Slashdot at the same time that I learned about a Canadian company opening up with a hexatech simulator - Technologies ERS. Apologies for the site being in french - they're based in Quebec. Still, it's a damn cool machine.
Anyone who's actually done the legitimate math has found that Apple products are only a minimal amount more expensive ($100-ish) than a comparably built device from another company (they are more expensive, but minimally so). The problem is very few companies actually make devices that compare to the feature set that Apple offers by default. In order to get a comparable machine - a machine that has everything that the Apple machine offers and not just the same sized harddrive, RAM, and processor - one needs to add on numerous additional features that push the price up to a very comparable level.
But, hey, it you have proof that shows I'm wrong, feel free to post it and prove your claim. Until then, I'll just chalk your comment up to the typical anti-Apple hyperbole that is all too common lately.
How about this rocket scientist, take your baby to the track. Go as fast as u want
Bought a kickass cool car that goes fast fast fast? Go for it - take it to the track and drop the hammer and see what the car is really made of. The public streets, with kids and grandmas and, you know, everyone else in the damn world, is not the track. Getting someone else killed just so you can enjoy an adrenaline rush is disgusting.
I'm glad the cops nailed him - I wish they'd confiscated the car (100kmh above the speed limit is, to say the least, excessive).
You are blaming the store for charging the MSRP - the _MANUFACTURER'S suggested retail price. While I agree that the price of some books are insane but that's hardly B&N's, or any other book store's fault.
And, with this shift, we will see the resurgence of the mom and pop bookstore that sells new and used books in a loving environment which was previously squeezed out by the mega chains. And I'm fine with that.
Sadly, we'll also see the resurgence of those bookstores with five cats wandering around the store making the place smell like stale cat urine. I'm less fine with that...
It's not vandalism. You're not reducing or eliminating the intended functionality or the appearance of the device.
That's not what vandalism is. Vandalism is (quoting wikipedia because they summarize it rather succinctly) "private citizens commit vandalism when they willfully damage or deface the property of others or the commons."
You don't think that jailbreaking an Apple store display device if vandalism? Fine - I'll issue a challenge to you then. Put your money where your mouth is. Go get a cop, go into an Apple store, get the manager, tell them both what you're about to do and then jailbreak one of their devices. If the store manager doesn't have the cop arrest you for vandalism, then you're right and I will apologize for erroneously calling it vandalism.
I bet you won't accept the challenge, however, because you know you'll get arrested. Because it's a pretty clear-cut case of a private citizen willfully damaging or defacing the property of another. But, hey, feel free to prove me wrong.
I'm sorry, but are you trying to imply that there's a negative bias against Android and a positive bias towards the iPhone on Slashdot lately? Really? Maybe you haven't been reading the site for the past year or so but, things have changed, quite a bit...
Ed Felten has criticized the iPhone and iPad as Disneyland-like 'walled gardens'...
I like Disneyland. It's a ton of fun. I especially enjoy Bats in the Park. Good fun.
Oh. Wait. You were trying to use Disneyland as a way to imply there was something wrong with it? Oh. My bad. Sorry.
On a serious note, however, I think it's very cool that there's now an app store for the web apps that can run on the iPhone. After all, that is one of the features of the device.
I know it's become a cliche joke over the years but I find it amusing when a company will casually and regularly throw around the term "innovation" when they rarely are anything approaching innovative. Microsoft has become the poster-child of this movement. When was the last time that Microsoft lead the way into a new market segment? When was the last time that Microsoft truly innovated rather than following someone else's lead? I realize they've watched Apple leap into the tablet market with huge success only to recognize "I want me some of that!" but, seriously, could they have not done it themselves, years ago? They have the money to invest in R they have the brainpower to put together good stuff. But, their corporate culture (which has been discussed, ad naseum, here) absolutely stifles innovation. They have become a corporation that follows rather than leads. They have two markets (desktop OS and office suite software) where they established a lead and are going to be very slow to relinquish their leadership position but, in virtually every other market, they seem intent on watching what others do and follow the successful ones, after the fact.
It really is a shame because I'm sure, if their braintrust was let loose to create without the petty corporate politics getting in the way, they could probably make some really cool shit but, until their corporate culture is slaughtered and replaced with a new one (in other words, Ballmer is replaced...), they seem intent on remaining a me-too company.
So, because you don't like Apple and their products it's ok for you to insult people who do like Apple and their products? Or did you just miss the point of my post? I don't care what companies nor products you like other than I may find your opinion interesting and insightful, even if I disagree with it. But, when you (and I'll be kind and use the general "you" rather than referring to you specifically) insult me because I do like Apple, then I think you can go fuck yourself and, no matter how well-formed and valid your opinion may be, I'm likely to ignore it because you call me an Apple fanboy or imply that I'm sucking some part of Steve Jobs's anatomy or any of the other typical insults that fly from the anti-Apple crowd.
Like or dislike Apple all you want. There are valid reasons for both stances and I'm interested in reading about both. But, when you decide to sling insults towards those on the other side, as Slashdot is moving more and more towards in this pro-Apple/anti-Apple arms race, then my desire to tell you to fuck off rises.
I'll just assume you missed my point and thought I had a problem with people hating Apple, however. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
I'm sorry, but the tone of conversations on Slashdot hasn't quite gotten insulting enough towards us Apple fans yet - could you please dial up the trolling a bit more. Perhaps a story that simply says "Fuck you Apple Fanboys" would suffice. I'm sure that one's coming soon enough, at the rate things are going.
Or, in other words, imagine how many heads would explode if a similar troll fluff piece was posted insulting Android users.
Perhaps you missed my point. You have no problem with it. I have no problem with it. You and I are not "average" computer users. Ask yourself if it would be overwhelming for your mother to use it. Ask yourself if the counter clerk at the DMV or the bank would find it easy to use. Ask yourself if a truly average user finds what you've described to be easy.
What power users find easy and what average users find easy are different things. This perception difference is what has holds Linux back, more than anything else.
To me, what immediately put it as "not easy to use" was the moment that I realized I needed things like "sudo" or any other commands to make things happen. Once Canonical realizes that the average user _NEVER_ wants to enter commands to do run of the mill, average stuff, then they'll truly be a long way towards having an easy-to-use OS. I found myself trying to get things to happen with Ubuntu, being forced to resort to Google (a sign things may not be rosy but not surprising since I had zero Linux experience until I installed Ubuntu on my Wind), and found that the way to make "this" happen was not selecting a control panel but to open a Terminal session and entering a complex command that I would never, ever remember.
Average users don't want to ever, ever, ever use Terminal. _NEVER_
Power users, who truly push machines beyond what is considered "normal" use, are fine with using Terminal because it doesn't scare them but the average computer user, today, does not want to open Terminal and enter any command.
Once that's sorted out, then Ubuntu (or whatever Linux distro figures it out) will be a long ways towards being easy to use.
Microsoft Windows is really so much harder to use than Ubuntu.
I don't know how this got modded insightful but, as someone who has computers with Mac OSX, Windows XP, _and_ Ubuntu, I'm going to have to say that's so utterly wrong that it's actually funny. I like Ubuntu and I look forward to the day that it truly hits the mainstream but it is not, in any way, easier to use than Windows. It may be the easiest of the Linux distros to use (I have no clue if it is since it's the only one I've ever played with to any degree); it may be easy enough for the average person to use; it may be incredibly easy for a hardcore computer user to use, but it is not easier to use than Windows.
I don't like Windows, at all, but let's be serious...
I could see this being a big part of a new, updated Apple TV. Ad drive OS to dramatically reduce the cost of the set-top box to a price point where consumers won't mind paying for it (compared to the free set top box they probably get from their cable provider). Now, while watching tv, the viewer is "forced" to watch ads served up by Apple. Not that much different from the current situation but now with the added functionality that Apple will provide.
Slashdot Mirror
To be suspenseful, it would have required that the story was not 99.9% predictable.
I didn't think it was predictable at all. I mean, who could have predicted that the natives, following the lead of a trained soldier, would mount a cavalry charge, head on, against a vastly superior force that possessed dramatically more firepower rather than utilize their superior knowledge of the terrain and abilities to blend in to attack from stealth...
:)
Or, to put it more bluntly, who could have predicted that this movie would manage to make Ewoks look like strategic geniuses?...
But, yeah - the plot was obvious from the get-go. I just felt the need to vent a bit about a painfully stupid moment in the movie.
Dear RIAA,
Fuck off.
©2010, whisper_jeff
Does McAfee offer other products of significant value because, quite frankly, it blows my mind beyond words that an anti-virus software manufacturer is worth $7.7 BILLION. Someone, please explain what the hell I'm missing here. Besides the boat...
Which one should you choose?
I know which choice I'm making - HTML5.
Um, Quake II in HTML5. I could be mistaken but I believe some very smart people are imagining how to implement media-rich games in HTML5. Flash's days are numbered. It might take several years, but it is a technology on the way out.
google search: how to sexually harrass someone and not get caught
Clearly he should have used Bing for that search...
While the summary is full of sympathy for Hurd, implying that he was the wronged party in this situation (boggles the mind...), I have absolutely no sympathy for him. Ignoring the fact that he got a rather sizable golden handshake which would enable most people to retire in luxury, he was stupid. When you're in a management position, especially a senior management position (such as the CEO...), you have an obligation to not cross personal boundaries. Members of senior management should know better. It's inappropriate and it's the sort of thing that leads to trouble. Shockingly, it lead to trouble.
No sympathy. I have no clue if he was a good CEO or not, but he was a stupid one, that's for certain.
Ironic that this comes up on Slashdot at the same time that I learned about a Canadian company opening up with a hexatech simulator - Technologies ERS. Apologies for the site being in french - they're based in Quebec. Still, it's a damn cool machine.
Proof please.
Anyone who's actually done the legitimate math has found that Apple products are only a minimal amount more expensive ($100-ish) than a comparably built device from another company (they are more expensive, but minimally so). The problem is very few companies actually make devices that compare to the feature set that Apple offers by default. In order to get a comparable machine - a machine that has everything that the Apple machine offers and not just the same sized harddrive, RAM, and processor - one needs to add on numerous additional features that push the price up to a very comparable level.
But, hey, it you have proof that shows I'm wrong, feel free to post it and prove your claim. Until then, I'll just chalk your comment up to the typical anti-Apple hyperbole that is all too common lately.
How about this rocket scientist, take your baby to the track. Go as fast as u want
Bought a kickass cool car that goes fast fast fast? Go for it - take it to the track and drop the hammer and see what the car is really made of. The public streets, with kids and grandmas and, you know, everyone else in the damn world, is not the track. Getting someone else killed just so you can enjoy an adrenaline rush is disgusting.
I'm glad the cops nailed him - I wish they'd confiscated the car (100kmh above the speed limit is, to say the least, excessive).
You are blaming the store for charging the MSRP - the _MANUFACTURER'S suggested retail price. While I agree that the price of some books are insane but that's hardly B&N's, or any other book store's fault.
And, with this shift, we will see the resurgence of the mom and pop bookstore that sells new and used books in a loving environment which was previously squeezed out by the mega chains. And I'm fine with that.
Sadly, we'll also see the resurgence of those bookstores with five cats wandering around the store making the place smell like stale cat urine. I'm less fine with that...
But who the fuck am I?
http://slashdot.org/~Spazntwich
It's not vandalism. You're not reducing or eliminating the intended functionality or the appearance of the device.
That's not what vandalism is. Vandalism is (quoting wikipedia because they summarize it rather succinctly) "private citizens commit vandalism when they willfully damage or deface the property of others or the commons."
You don't think that jailbreaking an Apple store display device if vandalism? Fine - I'll issue a challenge to you then. Put your money where your mouth is. Go get a cop, go into an Apple store, get the manager, tell them both what you're about to do and then jailbreak one of their devices. If the store manager doesn't have the cop arrest you for vandalism, then you're right and I will apologize for erroneously calling it vandalism.
I bet you won't accept the challenge, however, because you know you'll get arrested. Because it's a pretty clear-cut case of a private citizen willfully damaging or defacing the property of another. But, hey, feel free to prove me wrong.
Is it wrong of me to think that it would be awesome if everybody did this to every phone? I mean, it's legal now!
Wrong? Probably. Infantile? Absolutely. Legal? Absolutely not. It's called vandalism which is still illegal.
Because the US military presence there has clearly helped to stop the ne'er-do-wells' activities, right?
I'm sorry, but are you trying to imply that there's a negative bias against Android and a positive bias towards the iPhone on Slashdot lately? Really? Maybe you haven't been reading the site for the past year or so but, things have changed, quite a bit...
Ed Felten has criticized the iPhone and iPad as Disneyland-like 'walled gardens'...
I like Disneyland. It's a ton of fun. I especially enjoy Bats in the Park. Good fun.
Oh. Wait. You were trying to use Disneyland as a way to imply there was something wrong with it? Oh. My bad. Sorry.
On a serious note, however, I think it's very cool that there's now an app store for the web apps that can run on the iPhone. After all, that is one of the features of the device.
I know it's become a cliche joke over the years but I find it amusing when a company will casually and regularly throw around the term "innovation" when they rarely are anything approaching innovative. Microsoft has become the poster-child of this movement. When was the last time that Microsoft lead the way into a new market segment? When was the last time that Microsoft truly innovated rather than following someone else's lead? I realize they've watched Apple leap into the tablet market with huge success only to recognize "I want me some of that!" but, seriously, could they have not done it themselves, years ago? They have the money to invest in R they have the brainpower to put together good stuff. But, their corporate culture (which has been discussed, ad naseum, here) absolutely stifles innovation. They have become a corporation that follows rather than leads. They have two markets (desktop OS and office suite software) where they established a lead and are going to be very slow to relinquish their leadership position but, in virtually every other market, they seem intent on watching what others do and follow the successful ones, after the fact.
It really is a shame because I'm sure, if their braintrust was let loose to create without the petty corporate politics getting in the way, they could probably make some really cool shit but, until their corporate culture is slaughtered and replaced with a new one (in other words, Ballmer is replaced...), they seem intent on remaining a me-too company.
So, because you don't like Apple and their products it's ok for you to insult people who do like Apple and their products? Or did you just miss the point of my post? I don't care what companies nor products you like other than I may find your opinion interesting and insightful, even if I disagree with it. But, when you (and I'll be kind and use the general "you" rather than referring to you specifically) insult me because I do like Apple, then I think you can go fuck yourself and, no matter how well-formed and valid your opinion may be, I'm likely to ignore it because you call me an Apple fanboy or imply that I'm sucking some part of Steve Jobs's anatomy or any of the other typical insults that fly from the anti-Apple crowd.
Like or dislike Apple all you want. There are valid reasons for both stances and I'm interested in reading about both. But, when you decide to sling insults towards those on the other side, as Slashdot is moving more and more towards in this pro-Apple/anti-Apple arms race, then my desire to tell you to fuck off rises.
I'll just assume you missed my point and thought I had a problem with people hating Apple, however. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
I'm sorry, but the tone of conversations on Slashdot hasn't quite gotten insulting enough towards us Apple fans yet - could you please dial up the trolling a bit more. Perhaps a story that simply says "Fuck you Apple Fanboys" would suffice. I'm sure that one's coming soon enough, at the rate things are going.
Or, in other words, imagine how many heads would explode if a similar troll fluff piece was posted insulting Android users.
Seriously, this place is going to hell lately.
Perhaps you missed my point. You have no problem with it. I have no problem with it. You and I are not "average" computer users. Ask yourself if it would be overwhelming for your mother to use it. Ask yourself if the counter clerk at the DMV or the bank would find it easy to use. Ask yourself if a truly average user finds what you've described to be easy.
What power users find easy and what average users find easy are different things. This perception difference is what has holds Linux back, more than anything else.
To me, what immediately put it as "not easy to use" was the moment that I realized I needed things like "sudo" or any other commands to make things happen. Once Canonical realizes that the average user _NEVER_ wants to enter commands to do run of the mill, average stuff, then they'll truly be a long way towards having an easy-to-use OS. I found myself trying to get things to happen with Ubuntu, being forced to resort to Google (a sign things may not be rosy but not surprising since I had zero Linux experience until I installed Ubuntu on my Wind), and found that the way to make "this" happen was not selecting a control panel but to open a Terminal session and entering a complex command that I would never, ever remember.
Average users don't want to ever, ever, ever use Terminal. _NEVER_
Power users, who truly push machines beyond what is considered "normal" use, are fine with using Terminal because it doesn't scare them but the average computer user, today, does not want to open Terminal and enter any command.
Once that's sorted out, then Ubuntu (or whatever Linux distro figures it out) will be a long ways towards being easy to use.
Microsoft Windows is really so much harder to use than Ubuntu.
I don't know how this got modded insightful but, as someone who has computers with Mac OSX, Windows XP, _and_ Ubuntu, I'm going to have to say that's so utterly wrong that it's actually funny. I like Ubuntu and I look forward to the day that it truly hits the mainstream but it is not, in any way, easier to use than Windows. It may be the easiest of the Linux distros to use (I have no clue if it is since it's the only one I've ever played with to any degree); it may be easy enough for the average person to use; it may be incredibly easy for a hardcore computer user to use, but it is not easier to use than Windows.
I don't like Windows, at all, but let's be serious...
I could see this being a big part of a new, updated Apple TV. Ad drive OS to dramatically reduce the cost of the set-top box to a price point where consumers won't mind paying for it (compared to the free set top box they probably get from their cable provider). Now, while watching tv, the viewer is "forced" to watch ads served up by Apple. Not that much different from the current situation but now with the added functionality that Apple will provide.