Where did writers of buisness publications get it into their heads that Google is trying to directly compete with Microsoft?
"The Dell deal, on the other hand, gives Google prime real estate on desktops -- a space dominated by Microsoft (MSFT)... [Microsoft] drew the ire of Google... Google now is taking matters into its own hands"
I very well could just be missing something, but I just don't see them competing in a direct, substantive way, at least just yet. I mean, Google makes most of its profits by online advertising, and Microsoft makes most of its profits through licensing of software.
There's obviously some overlap in that some of their products overlap, but what's with all this war drum talk?
This may sound like an asinine question, I know, but I don't have much experience with cell phones at all.
Since this cellphone is made in Switzerland, a country that presumably has differing cell phone communication standards than the US does, is it possible to buy and use this cellphone in the US with a normal US carrier? Or would we have to wait and hope for a company to build something similar for the US?
I didn't mean to imply that no one does, but rather the majority, which is all that is needed in such votes.
Besides, this may sound cynical, but how do you think the politicians get elected if they don't worry about popularity?
I'm no political science student, but I can assume that it's because of the political consequences that would come with not voting for passing the act - could you imagine how easy it would make life for the campaign manager for a candidate running for office against one of the people who voted against it?
"[Insert Senator Name] hurt American security by not voting for the absolutely vital PATRIOT Act"
I'm not up on my Antitrust/competiton laws at all, so this is more a question than a comment.
From the article:
"Jobs reasons that since iTunes and the iPod use the vertical integration model that Microsoft could use the same tactic to finally relegate the iPod to the technical trash bin. In theory, the system would work as follows: Microsoft would bundle a music playing program with every PC that, of course, pointed to an iTunes like music store. The model would be completed when people buy a Microsoft produced digital audio player. Consumers, being the lazy slugs they are, would take the path of least resistance. Inevitably, iPod marginalization would ensue."
Did Microsoft get in trouble for this sort of anti-competitive bundling before? If so, are they really stupid enough to try it again on such a large scale?
You're not quite right, though (as far as I can tell -- I'm a mathematician, not a lawyer). It is the legal requirement of a publicly traded company to maximize shareholder profit. Here is a very nice summary of the legal basis for this, with several case studies: http://www.caseplace.org/collections/collections_s how.htm?doc_id=306896.
If it is a privately held company, on the other hand, this is not the case. It's your money more or less, and you can do whatever you want with it (donate company profits to charity, for example).
Realize as you read this that I am a math student, not an engineer, physicist, or chemist, so this may be as useless a reply as the one the postgrad gave, but here goes:
So a gas is compressed at a certain temperature and pressure in a container. The pressure goes up when the temperature rises (you know... PV=nRT and all that good stuff). So the container will have tolerances built in to account for changes in temperature.
My guess is those tolerances didn't account for the canisters being subjected to a 100 foot tall plume of flame and smoke. Hence the canisters went kaboom.
"He won't elaborate on how his system works but is preparing a protocol document that will describe it in detail, which he'll post on the internet when the program is ready."
...
"It's designed for a Mac, but will be adapted for PCs before Zimmermann makes it available for download. He's looking for investors to back a startup company that will support the product and oversee its distribution."
Tell me where it says that the program will be open source. (No... seriously... if it actually is in the article, I'd really like to know). Passages like that make me think that it won't be open sourced.
"It is my hypothesis that in their choice of stories, and the way they cover them, the media create a parody of science, for their own means. They then attack this parody as if they were critiquing science. This week we take the gloves off and do some serious typing."
Granted my sample space of random, anecdotal evidence is probably much smaller than his, but he seems to attribute the poor reporting to some sort of grand conspiracy, or at least malice.
From what I've seen of bad science reporting (my professors often give examples in lecture for us to laugh at), the cause is nowhere near as malevolent -- it's simply writers who are not educated enough about science and the methods of discovery that surround it trying to simplify for their readers a scientific breakthrough like they'd simplify a speech or debate.
And they just don't understand it anywhere near enough to avoid cropping out hugely important parts.
The submitter's homepage (http://billposer.org/) says that he is a Adjunct Professor of Linguistics at the University of British Columbia, so I guess that means Linguistics journals.
I've read a couple of articles about this idea, and it seems truly sane (which, when I speak of DRM, is very high praise from me).
The big question, though, is whether content owners/producers/distributors will want to use it.
Apple has their own DRM, and so does Sony and Microsoft. And each company seems very pleased with themselves for coming up with their particular scheme.
I probably came off more egotistical in that post than I either meant to or should have.
I'm not a very good snow driver. I live in a place where it barely snows, and when it does, the TC very much goes on.
But what about track day events, or a brisk mountain drive? The traction control system is programmed such that it'll be safe for 90 year olds. And so it takes the control out of my hands much sooner than I want.
If you know how to control a sideways car, the car should let you drive it sideways.
I'm no technophobe at all (my posting on Slashdot should be proof enough of that), but I really hate this sort of technology in cars.
The Lexus mentioned in the article decides for you how hard you should be braking in an emergency. I wonder if you can turn that off... That's just one example of computer interference in the article.
My car has traction control. I couldn't get it without it. It has a "Trac Off" button, but it doesn't completely turn off. It still chooses to apply brakes to wheels when it thinks I took a corner too fast.
I hate to tell you this, Toyota, but I can drive better than your computers in the dashboard can. Please let me drive my car...
I'm all for this sort of technology in cars. But I hope they make cars without it, or at least offer cars with a real off button.
I had a really hard time deciding between moderating and replying to this. Hopefully some other kind soul with mod points will mod this up.
Yes, I realize this was a joke, and I laughed out loud when I read it, but as someone who spends an inordinate amount of his life racing bicycles, I felt the need to comment:
Bicycle racing is drug-tested to absolutely stupid levels. In general, every day in the Tour, the overall winners are tested, the winner of the stage is tested, and people who the Tour organizers don't like are tested.
I would be absolutely floored if a majority of people in the Tour de France are using performance-enhancing drugs.
Now track and field competitions on the other hand...
I'm about the farthest from an expert on Canadian legal matters that one can be, so I'm truly curious, not trying to argue:
Does the Canadian Telecommunications Act include ISPs as 'carriers'? Most legislation considering telecommunications and common carriers that I know of was written before the internet was as popular and vital as it is now.
While I'm all in favor of contests for private space flight, what you suggest is really kind of silly --
You are suggesting that we encourage amateurs to launch a bunch of rockets at the space station, which countries all over the world are going to pay about $100 billion for over the lifetime of the program.
I have a feeling those other countries might not like that so very much.
Slashdot Mirror
I copied and pasted everything, then stripped out the advertisement text, and the wordcount is 5119 words.
So about 120 words per page, spread out over 40 pages. That's a joke.
"The Dell deal, on the other hand, gives Google prime real estate on desktops -- a space dominated by Microsoft (MSFT) ... [Microsoft] drew the ire of Google ... Google now is taking matters into its own hands"
I very well could just be missing something, but I just don't see them competing in a direct, substantive way, at least just yet. I mean, Google makes most of its profits by online advertising, and Microsoft makes most of its profits through licensing of software.
There's obviously some overlap in that some of their products overlap, but what's with all this war drum talk?
Since this cellphone is made in Switzerland, a country that presumably has differing cell phone communication standards than the US does, is it possible to buy and use this cellphone in the US with a normal US carrier? Or would we have to wait and hope for a company to build something similar for the US?
Thanks, and sorry for the ignorance.
I suppose I got it. And I'm just a college student.
You guaranteed no one would get it. I want my money back, then.
This is false, at least in some jurisdictions. I've personally seen it happen at least twice (in Virginia).
I didn't mean to imply that no one does, but rather the majority, which is all that is needed in such votes. Besides, this may sound cynical, but how do you think the politicians get elected if they don't worry about popularity?
I'm no political science student, but I can assume that it's because of the political consequences that would come with not voting for passing the act - could you imagine how easy it would make life for the campaign manager for a candidate running for office against one of the people who voted against it?
"[Insert Senator Name] hurt American security by not voting for the absolutely vital PATRIOT Act"
Or some nonsense like that.
Not that it makes it right.
"[Jobs] reasons that since iTunes and the iPod ..."
Just for the sake of accuracy ...
From the article:
"Jobs reasons that since iTunes and the iPod use the vertical integration model that Microsoft could use the same tactic to finally relegate the iPod to the technical trash bin. In theory, the system would work as follows: Microsoft would bundle a music playing program with every PC that, of course, pointed to an iTunes like music store. The model would be completed when people buy a Microsoft produced digital audio player. Consumers, being the lazy slugs they are, would take the path of least resistance. Inevitably, iPod marginalization would ensue."
Did Microsoft get in trouble for this sort of anti-competitive bundling before? If so, are they really stupid enough to try it again on such a large scale?
You're not quite right, though (as far as I can tell -- I'm a mathematician, not a lawyer). It is the legal requirement of a publicly traded company to maximize shareholder profit. Here is a very nice summary of the legal basis for this, with several case studies: http://www.caseplace.org/collections/collections_s how.htm?doc_id=306896.
If it is a privately held company, on the other hand, this is not the case. It's your money more or less, and you can do whatever you want with it (donate company profits to charity, for example).
You know, I thought of that as soon as I hit the submit button. Right. Thanks for the correction.
So a gas is compressed at a certain temperature and pressure in a container. The pressure goes up when the temperature rises (you know ... PV=nRT and all that good stuff). So the container will have tolerances built in to account for changes in temperature.
My guess is those tolerances didn't account for the canisters being subjected to a 100 foot tall plume of flame and smoke. Hence the canisters went kaboom.
No.
...
"It's designed for a Mac, but will be adapted for PCs before Zimmermann makes it available for download. He's looking for investors to back a startup company that will support the product and oversee its distribution."
Tell me where it says that the program will be open source. (No ... seriously ... if it actually is in the article, I'd really like to know). Passages like that make me think that it won't be open sourced.
"It is my hypothesis that in their choice of stories, and the way they cover them, the media create a parody of science, for their own means. They then attack this parody as if they were critiquing science. This week we take the gloves off and do some serious typing."
Granted my sample space of random, anecdotal evidence is probably much smaller than his, but he seems to attribute the poor reporting to some sort of grand conspiracy, or at least malice.
From what I've seen of bad science reporting (my professors often give examples in lecture for us to laugh at), the cause is nowhere near as malevolent -- it's simply writers who are not educated enough about science and the methods of discovery that surround it trying to simplify for their readers a scientific breakthrough like they'd simplify a speech or debate.
And they just don't understand it anywhere near enough to avoid cropping out hugely important parts.
In fact, here are some of this papers: http://www.billposer.org/papers.html
But that's just a guess.
The big question, though, is whether content owners/producers/distributors will want to use it.
Apple has their own DRM, and so does Sony and Microsoft. And each company seems very pleased with themselves for coming up with their particular scheme.
Would they really want to switch?
I'm not a very good snow driver. I live in a place where it barely snows, and when it does, the TC very much goes on.
But what about track day events, or a brisk mountain drive? The traction control system is programmed such that it'll be safe for 90 year olds. And so it takes the control out of my hands much sooner than I want.
If you know how to control a sideways car, the car should let you drive it sideways.
Some deity? The parents?
The Lexus mentioned in the article decides for you how hard you should be braking in an emergency. I wonder if you can turn that off ... That's just one example of computer interference in the article.
My car has traction control. I couldn't get it without it. It has a "Trac Off" button, but it doesn't completely turn off. It still chooses to apply brakes to wheels when it thinks I took a corner too fast.
I hate to tell you this, Toyota, but I can drive better than your computers in the dashboard can. Please let me drive my car ...
I'm all for this sort of technology in cars. But I hope they make cars without it, or at least offer cars with a real off button.
Yes, I realize this was a joke, and I laughed out loud when I read it, but as someone who spends an inordinate amount of his life racing bicycles, I felt the need to comment:
Bicycle racing is drug-tested to absolutely stupid levels. In general, every day in the Tour, the overall winners are tested, the winner of the stage is tested, and people who the Tour organizers don't like are tested.
I would be absolutely floored if a majority of people in the Tour de France are using performance-enhancing drugs.
Now track and field competitions on the other hand ...
Does the Canadian Telecommunications Act include ISPs as 'carriers'? Most legislation considering telecommunications and common carriers that I know of was written before the internet was as popular and vital as it is now.
While I'm all in favor of contests for private space flight, what you suggest is really kind of silly -- You are suggesting that we encourage amateurs to launch a bunch of rockets at the space station, which countries all over the world are going to pay about $100 billion for over the lifetime of the program. I have a feeling those other countries might not like that so very much.
It's called the BarMonkey (http://www3.hmc.edu/~bgreer/barmonkey/)