It would be nice if laptops used displays that could be read in sunlight. I'm working at home at the moment, it's a beautiful day outside, I have a laptop and a wireless network... the only reason I'm not working outside is because I wouldn't be able to see the screen.
This may be hard for you to accept, but in war people die.
And that makes it okay? Let me put it this way: Al Qaeda declare war on the USA, and fly four planes into three buildings and a field. Almost three thousand civilians die. Tragedy? Hey, it's war. People die.
It's an excuse that doesn't go over well when you're the country being invaded.
True, although being Scottish I find South of England accents hardest to understand. But this is why I use the internet if at all possible rather than picking up the phone, because it's very likely that, outsourced or not, I'm not going to be able to understand the person on the other end.
I used a Camelbak Zoid for a while, for carrying around my various gadgets (as well as some handy water!). It worked perfectly, but I got a lot of funny looks.
The United States has been doing an overall good job of running things.
There is a very good article in today's Guardian that details at length why this is not the case.
A number of companies - and even countries - that are frustrated by years of delays have started offering the internet in their own languages by working outside the existing domain name system (DNS).
Icann was first approached in the year it was created - 1998 - with the aim of introducing "internationalised domain names" into its system. But it has yet to introduce a single one. Many members of the global internet community have cried foul at the endless delays from a company based in the least linguistically diverse area of the world (the US has speakers of 170 different languages, compared to 364 in Europe and 2,390 in Africa).
These accusations have only been strengthened by the fact it is American companies that own and run the existing global domains and so have the most to lose from new foreign-language additions. These companies not only have disproportionate influence over Icann but have also been insisting on being given automatic ownership rights to any foreign versions of their domains - an argument of such corrupt logic that the very fact it is even discussed is a major cause of concern.
that another video game will ever be produced for a console with graphics on the same level as that experienced by NES games, and that people will buy it?
Handhelds have been a good refuge from 3D graphics in recent years, and I'm almost sad to see the advent of 3D graphics on the DS and PSP. I've been enjoying Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap over the last couple of weeks, and the GameCube/GBA Four Swords Adventures is a great example of old-style 2D graphics being almost seamlessly merged with 3D effects. I couldn't comment on the sales figures of these games though.
Why must a book usually be made into a movie before a video game is based on it?
The easy answer to that is because a lot of the creative work is already done by the film crew. Turning a book into something visual is a very tricky business, because everybody has a different interpretation of how it should look. Why not let the film crew worry about that? It means that the whole dev team has one set interpretation to work from.
The gun that came with Time Crisis on the Playstation required a recalibration every time it was switched on, for the same reason. It got tedious, especially when I started the game and then realised that my calibration was off, so I had to reset and start again. I'm hoping that, as long as the television and control strip are not moved, that this won't be the case for the Wii.
I realise I'm speaking empirically here, but I didn't see the minidisc as a failure, at least not from a consumer standpoint. Everybody I knew that had a portable music player had a minidisc player at some point. Sure, you could never buy prerecorded discs, but the point was moot - you recorded your music digitally from your CDs using the optical S/PDIF port on the back of your stereo, and there always was (and still is) a plentiful supply of recordable media available in the shops.
Sure, Sony was slow to react to the iPod revolution, and now that something better has come along its popularity is waning. But you criticise the format for not targeting computer users? The market just wasn't there at the time. People weren't at the point where they were ready to rely on their computers for music even until after the iPod. The optical recording setup that the format used by default was appropriate for the market at the time.
What, are you rubber stamping computer orders? I order what I need, dude, and if you're with a company that's forcing video RAM on you, leave.
You order what you need, but with a close eye on the cost. I remember that when I was back in high school, the computing department took an order of some new 300MHz Celeron computers from RM, all complete with CD-ROM drives. I asked the teacher why they'd ordered the drives, as we didn't really have a need for them - apparently it would have cost more to remove the drives than to leave them in.
I would expect the same to be true of video memory when Vista is released - cards with less simply won't be economically viable any more.
Ah, the AC that replied reminded me of this article, which states:
"Regulation 1400/2001 was issued on 10 July 2001, and contradicted a 12 June 2001 decision taken by British Customs & Excise that the PS2 should be classified as a computer under the definitions laid down in European law. As such it is zero-rated for import duty - unlike a games console."
So the extra $150 is going to Apple, not the UK tax man.
Apple's factories are in East Asia, so wouldn't American customers pay import duties as well? Or does the US govt have special rules for American companies so that it's easier to outsource?
If you want to sample music before you buy it, trying out the iTunes Music Store might be a good idea. They let you listen to ~30 second clips of every song, and it's entirely legal. Failing that, most online CD stores have similar clips that you can stream (Amazon does, at least on some of its stock).
Better yet, look for independent bands that put sample songs on their websites (I think it's a good idea in general to look for bands that aren't RIAA-affiliated). And look for podcasts that play these bands' music. My favourite is the tartanpodcast... have a listen and see if it's you're kind of thing.
Or, by all means, continue to download. But ignorance of the law isn't a defence, and what you're doing is illegal. Just bear that in mind.
I had an American Maths teacher in high school, and he got caught out by this. The class was after lunchtime, and a member of staff had come in and told him something rather implausible that was actually true. He didn't believe it, and thought it was an April Fool. Trying to persuade him that it finished at noon was rather difficult.
Plus, the fact that CD singles were never good value for money. They conveniently ignore the fact that album sales have not declined, as have CD sales overall.
From this article: Since the system does not bypass target DRM technologies, it's unlikely to fall foul of the European Union Copyright Directive (EUCD) or the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which forbid such intervention. Although a judge's interpretation might have been different, if it had gone to court.
If they have, it's a remarkable backpedal. Real tried to license it from them a while back, and were told 'no'. They developed Harmony, which stripped FairPlay encryption and substituted it for Real's own, but only after their attempts to license FairPlay legally had failed.
Personally, I think it's shite. Apple likes its vertical monopoly, and has absolutely nothing to gain by licensing FairPlay.
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It would be nice if laptops used displays that could be read in sunlight. I'm working at home at the moment, it's a beautiful day outside, I have a laptop and a wireless network... the only reason I'm not working outside is because I wouldn't be able to see the screen.
Because kids will just head into town at lunchtime to buy chips.
Experimenting with drugs is not a sign of maturity.
And that makes it okay? Let me put it this way: Al Qaeda declare war on the USA, and fly four planes into three buildings and a field. Almost three thousand civilians die. Tragedy? Hey, it's war. People die.
It's an excuse that doesn't go over well when you're the country being invaded.
True, although being Scottish I find South of England accents hardest to understand. But this is why I use the internet if at all possible rather than picking up the phone, because it's very likely that, outsourced or not, I'm not going to be able to understand the person on the other end.
I used a Camelbak Zoid for a while, for carrying around my various gadgets (as well as some handy water!). It worked perfectly, but I got a lot of funny looks.
There is a very good article in today's Guardian that details at length why this is not the case.
Bugger that, I want a nuclear bomb that detonates when I die.
Handhelds have been a good refuge from 3D graphics in recent years, and I'm almost sad to see the advent of 3D graphics on the DS and PSP. I've been enjoying Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap over the last couple of weeks, and the GameCube/GBA Four Swords Adventures is a great example of old-style 2D graphics being almost seamlessly merged with 3D effects. I couldn't comment on the sales figures of these games though.
The easy answer to that is because a lot of the creative work is already done by the film crew. Turning a book into something visual is a very tricky business, because everybody has a different interpretation of how it should look. Why not let the film crew worry about that? It means that the whole dev team has one set interpretation to work from.
The gun that came with Time Crisis on the Playstation required a recalibration every time it was switched on, for the same reason. It got tedious, especially when I started the game and then realised that my calibration was off, so I had to reset and start again. I'm hoping that, as long as the television and control strip are not moved, that this won't be the case for the Wii.
Internet != World Wide Web.
I realise I'm speaking empirically here, but I didn't see the minidisc as a failure, at least not from a consumer standpoint. Everybody I knew that had a portable music player had a minidisc player at some point. Sure, you could never buy prerecorded discs, but the point was moot - you recorded your music digitally from your CDs using the optical S/PDIF port on the back of your stereo, and there always was (and still is) a plentiful supply of recordable media available in the shops.
Sure, Sony was slow to react to the iPod revolution, and now that something better has come along its popularity is waning. But you criticise the format for not targeting computer users? The market just wasn't there at the time. People weren't at the point where they were ready to rely on their computers for music even until after the iPod. The optical recording setup that the format used by default was appropriate for the market at the time.
What, are you rubber stamping computer orders? I order what I need, dude, and if you're with a company that's forcing video RAM on you, leave.
You order what you need, but with a close eye on the cost. I remember that when I was back in high school, the computing department took an order of some new 300MHz Celeron computers from RM, all complete with CD-ROM drives. I asked the teacher why they'd ordered the drives, as we didn't really have a need for them - apparently it would have cost more to remove the drives than to leave them in.
I would expect the same to be true of video memory when Vista is released - cards with less simply won't be economically viable any more.
How about the European Computer Driving Licence? It's what my university uses for its basic IT skills course.
Ah, the AC that replied reminded me of this article, which states:
"Regulation 1400/2001 was issued on 10 July 2001, and contradicted a 12 June 2001 decision taken by British Customs & Excise that the PS2 should be classified as a computer under the definitions laid down in European law. As such it is zero-rated for import duty - unlike a games console."
So the extra $150 is going to Apple, not the UK tax man.
Apple's factories are in East Asia, so wouldn't American customers pay import duties as well? Or does the US govt have special rules for American companies so that it's easier to outsource?
If you want to sample music before you buy it, trying out the iTunes Music Store might be a good idea. They let you listen to ~30 second clips of every song, and it's entirely legal. Failing that, most online CD stores have similar clips that you can stream (Amazon does, at least on some of its stock).
Better yet, look for independent bands that put sample songs on their websites (I think it's a good idea in general to look for bands that aren't RIAA-affiliated). And look for podcasts that play these bands' music. My favourite is the tartanpodcast... have a listen and see if it's you're kind of thing.
Or, by all means, continue to download. But ignorance of the law isn't a defence, and what you're doing is illegal. Just bear that in mind.
I had an American Maths teacher in high school, and he got caught out by this. The class was after lunchtime, and a member of staff had come in and told him something rather implausible that was actually true. He didn't believe it, and thought it was an April Fool. Trying to persuade him that it finished at noon was rather difficult.
Well, it's equally appropriate...
Well, 'car' is short for 'carriage'...
Plus, the fact that CD singles were never good value for money. They conveniently ignore the fact that album sales have not declined, as have CD sales overall.
From this article: Since the system does not bypass target DRM technologies, it's unlikely to fall foul of the European Union Copyright Directive (EUCD) or the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which forbid such intervention. Although a judge's interpretation might have been different, if it had gone to court.
If they have, it's a remarkable backpedal. Real tried to license it from them a while back, and were told 'no'. They developed Harmony, which stripped FairPlay encryption and substituted it for Real's own, but only after their attempts to license FairPlay legally had failed.
Personally, I think it's shite. Apple likes its vertical monopoly, and has absolutely nothing to gain by licensing FairPlay.
Well in the UK, piracy comes under fraud laws and not theft laws. So from that point of view, the above is technically correct.