...sends signals of 'no service' to cellphone frequencies, prompting phone to send calls directly to voicemail. Admittedly this is better than messing with everything that uses the same frequencies cellphones do.
Does this mean my pacemaker will get 'no service' messages as well? That can't be good.
Now that consoles are coming out with hard drives, all they have to add is the ability to use a keyboard and mouse (which I don't think would be too hard) and the PC will lose most 'advantages' it has over the consoles. Of course people who still need the pc for other things will still play pc games but for the many people who don't use computers for anything other than email/web browsing, there will be no reason not to switch to consoles. I imagine for those non computer savvy people out there, buying a new console is much easier than upgrading computer hardware, and much cheaper than buying a new computer.
"...it has some survival disadvantages: it is the size of a hotdog, eats lanternfish using a fleshy lure like a fishing pole..."
I don't see how you conclude these are disadvantages. I actually think the 'fleshy lure like fishing pole' is a quite interesting adaptation to help them survive and catch prey.
I also find it interesting that a great deal of 'alien' creatures used in books/movies are no more (and often far less) interesting than some of the bizare creatures you can find on Earth.
Holding a knife while drunk isn't illegal, driving while drunk is. It doesn't turn into a crime only after you injure someone, driving drunk is a crime the second you get behind the wheel. Big difference.
"There are a number of things that still won't be accurately tracked, but it's going to be remarkably easy to keep track of what people are earning from honest and legally operated businesses."
When people resort to monitoring, its not usually the 'honest' and 'legal' ones they are worried about.
"Who would expect a Mario game to involve sex, drugs, and grotesque amounts of gore?"
They aren't too far from it now. Stepping on turtles, blasting things with fireballs, popping mushrooms, and have you seen the way Mario and the princess look at eachother? I'd say its borderline at best.
It's not that they can't compete. It's that they don't have a chance to compete unless people can find their company, and the best way to do that is google. You could advertise on other sites or tv commercials, but that comes with enormous costs and still wont have the exposure that google gives you.
I wouldn't waste my time with the ngage if I were you. I don't believe its that popular.
If the people you are targeting are palm 'gamers' then they would obviously shell out for the palm with better graphics support, so there's one target.
What about just the pc? You won't make much with one game but if you produce many small simple games and do something like popcap does with yahoo games then you might have a little luck.
If all else fails try Linux or Mac, I hear they are hard up for games:)
I played magic when I was younger. The reason I stopped? The endless expantions. Not only did they keep adding more and more cards to the game (not all bad but games took forever as people tried to figure out what each card did after it was played) but you have to keep upgrading your decks with new packs. And you can't just buy the cards you want. You have to keep buying packs until you happen to be lucky enough to get them. It got very expensive very fast as your pile of worthless cards kept growing and every once in a while you added something good.
The only games I could still bring myself to play are the 1 pack tournaments. Everyone gets one brand new pack of cards, and thats all you have to play with. This forced you to think on the fly and develop strategy as you drew cards because you couldn't set up the deck beforehand. Quite a fun way to play (allthough you still had to buy a new pack every time you wanted to play it)
Again I agree that the uses of analog displays to determine relative measurements is superior to digital for the same purpose.
In the case of the spedometer. The analog display shows the same thing as the digital would, only you have to look at the number the hand is pointing to instead of merely having the number there. Either way you have to think about the number, only with the analog you have to follow the hand to the number it is pointing to first.
I would like to see the article about the car incident, where the dealer specifically states that the analog display was easier for the consumers to read.
For your watch example, however, on a digital watch if someone tells me to meet them in 25 mins I look at my watch, see that its 4:30, and figure I have until 4:55. This takes some addition. With an analog display I have to look at my watch, and judge the distance the hand has to travel to be 25 mins, I don't even have to know the current time. But which takes less time? On the one hand you have to add some numbers, on the other you have to judge distance around a circle. It all comes down to which you are more used to. If you are more used to analog judging the distance is cake, if you are used to digital adding times by number will be easier.
I think as people get used to one type of display, they get more familiar and comfortable with it. Thus dealing with this display is easier for them because they are used to doing so. If you give them a new display they will not be used to it and will take time to adapt. But Most people dont like change, which one rason why analog is still popular.
Take a GUI with the scrollbar on the right for example. Once you get used to it, like most people are now, it seems second nature. But when that same person tries to use a GUI with the scrollbar on the left it is awkward, and often takes a moment to make the adjustment every time you want to use it. But if this person uses this application over and over, they will get used to the scroller on the left, and it will become as intuitive as the scroller on the right used to be. It doesn't matter which one is 'better,' its all about what the user/consumer is used to.
I can't see radio ever dying until our cars drive themselves. You can't (well shouldn't) watch television while driving, so radio is really your only alternative.
I agree with some of your examples of displays, but I fail to see how the hands of a watch tell time faster than reading the numbers. I can, with a digital display, tell that 4:27 is almost 4:30 just as fast (if not faster) than a display utilizing 'hands'.
I do prefer the look of the watches with 'hands' however, they just seem fancier and more professional.
I for one still enjoy many older games from the previous generation of consoles (Final Fantasy VII and Zelda, Ocarina of Time for example) I still enjoy playing them on the new consoles. They may not have as good of graphics as new games but they are games that I have, and will always love.
That being said if the Playstation 2 wasn't backwards compatable I would still play Final Fantasy VII, I would just have an extra console. Backwards compatability is nice for those who already own the previous generation consoles and many games to go with it, but if that is the case, then you already have the old console so the point it moot.
If, on the otherhand, you do not already own the previous console, I can't see you shelling out $300 for a brand new one then buying outdated games for it. So again backwards compatability is not real necessary.
What I did like about the PS2 was that the controllers were also compatable, saved a lot in hardware costs.
My point is while backwards compatibility seems nice and can save room and eliminate more wires, I don't think its as important as getting a well functioning, advanced new console with it's own great new games. The only time I can see someone really needing them to be compatable is if the old console dies and you don't want to buy a new one.
Obviously it's not going to send your name/age etc every time, but I'm sure TIVO has that information about you already stored in their database, then they only have to link the information coming from your tivo to the information they already have stored about you.
"A glowing fish (or more accurately, a fluorescent fish, a distinction apparently lost on most Slashdotters) would look like a giant "Eat at Joe's" sign if it got out into the wild."
Animals in the wild have already developed bright colors as a sign, but its not "Eat at Joe's" its "Don't eat me unless you want to die, I'm poisonous and taste bad"
And, unless they test it, theres no telling what attributes the offspring of one of these fish and a fish thats already in the wild will produce. Theres just too many variables to take into account.
I have no problem with genetic engineering, but I agree that proper testing needs to be done to make sure there are no adverse side effects when these genes start to mix in with nature. Not only could the resulting fish have an advantage in nature, possibly killing off other species, but consuming these fish later unknowingly could pose health issues for us. Not saying any of this will happen but it is a possibility and should be looked into.
Would it be possible to begin the terraforming process before we sent actual humans to Mars? Send enough bacteria or whatever microbial life needed in mass quantities to begin converting the atmosphere to a more human-friendly one? Seeing how this is one theory how life on Earth started:
"An alternative possibility is that life started on Mars and spread to Earth inside material blasted into space by the impact of comets crashing into the Martian surface. Mars and Earth trade rocks, and hardy bacteria could have hitched a ride to seed our planet with microbial Martians."
I was under the impression that computer "viruses" were named viruses because they were similar to biological viruses. If this is the case then how are plants "an unlikely source" source, and how is the relation between computer viruses and biological viruses news?
Slashdot Mirror
...sends signals of 'no service' to cellphone frequencies, prompting phone to send calls directly to voicemail. Admittedly this is better than messing with everything that uses the same frequencies cellphones do .
Does this mean my pacemaker will get 'no service' messages as well? That can't be good.
Now that consoles are coming out with hard drives, all they have to add is the ability to use a keyboard and mouse (which I don't think would be too hard) and the PC will lose most 'advantages' it has over the consoles. Of course people who still need the pc for other things will still play pc games but for the many people who don't use computers for anything other than email/web browsing, there will be no reason not to switch to consoles. I imagine for those non computer savvy people out there, buying a new console is much easier than upgrading computer hardware, and much cheaper than buying a new computer.
"...it has some survival disadvantages: it is the size of a hotdog, eats lanternfish using a fleshy lure like a fishing pole..."
I don't see how you conclude these are disadvantages. I actually think the 'fleshy lure like fishing pole' is a quite interesting adaptation to help them survive and catch prey.
I also find it interesting that a great deal of 'alien' creatures used in books/movies are no more (and often far less) interesting than some of the bizare creatures you can find on Earth.
It should be easy enough to prove. Just genetically engineer the same mutation into another primate and see what happens.
I agree that this law is bogus, and in no way support it. I was just pointing out the severe flaws in your analogy.
Holding a knife while drunk isn't illegal, driving while drunk is. It doesn't turn into a crime only after you injure someone, driving drunk is a crime the second you get behind the wheel. Big difference.
"There are a number of things that still won't be accurately tracked, but it's going to be remarkably easy to keep track of what people are earning from honest and legally operated businesses."
When people resort to monitoring, its not usually the 'honest' and 'legal' ones they are worried about.
"Who would expect a Mario game to involve sex, drugs, and grotesque amounts of gore?" They aren't too far from it now. Stepping on turtles, blasting things with fireballs, popping mushrooms, and have you seen the way Mario and the princess look at eachother? I'd say its borderline at best.
It's not that they can't compete. It's that they don't have a chance to compete unless people can find their company, and the best way to do that is google. You could advertise on other sites or tv commercials, but that comes with enormous costs and still wont have the exposure that google gives you.
If you rank operationg a VCR up there with designing a website, you have technoproblems of your own.
I wouldn't waste my time with the ngage if I were you. I don't believe its that popular.
:)
If the people you are targeting are palm 'gamers' then they would obviously shell out for the palm with better graphics support, so there's one target.
What about just the pc? You won't make much with one game but if you produce many small simple games and do something like popcap does with yahoo games then you might have a little luck.
If all else fails try Linux or Mac, I hear they are hard up for games
I played magic when I was younger. The reason I stopped? The endless expantions. Not only did they keep adding more and more cards to the game (not all bad but games took forever as people tried to figure out what each card did after it was played) but you have to keep upgrading your decks with new packs. And you can't just buy the cards you want. You have to keep buying packs until you happen to be lucky enough to get them. It got very expensive very fast as your pile of worthless cards kept growing and every once in a while you added something good.
The only games I could still bring myself to play are the 1 pack tournaments. Everyone gets one brand new pack of cards, and thats all you have to play with. This forced you to think on the fly and develop strategy as you drew cards because you couldn't set up the deck beforehand. Quite a fun way to play (allthough you still had to buy a new pack every time you wanted to play it)
Again I agree that the uses of analog displays to determine relative measurements is superior to digital for the same purpose.
In the case of the spedometer. The analog display shows the same thing as the digital would, only you have to look at the number the hand is pointing to instead of merely having the number there. Either way you have to think about the number, only with the analog you have to follow the hand to the number it is pointing to first.
I would like to see the article about the car incident, where the dealer specifically states that the analog display was easier for the consumers to read.
For your watch example, however, on a digital watch if someone tells me to meet them in 25 mins I look at my watch, see that its 4:30, and figure I have until 4:55. This takes some addition. With an analog display I have to look at my watch, and judge the distance the hand has to travel to be 25 mins, I don't even have to know the current time. But which takes less time? On the one hand you have to add some numbers, on the other you have to judge distance around a circle. It all comes down to which you are more used to. If you are more used to analog judging the distance is cake, if you are used to digital adding times by number will be easier.
I think as people get used to one type of display, they get more familiar and comfortable with it. Thus dealing with this display is easier for them because they are used to doing so. If you give them a new display they will not be used to it and will take time to adapt. But Most people dont like change, which one rason why analog is still popular.
Take a GUI with the scrollbar on the right for example. Once you get used to it, like most people are now, it seems second nature. But when that same person tries to use a GUI with the scrollbar on the left it is awkward, and often takes a moment to make the adjustment every time you want to use it. But if this person uses this application over and over, they will get used to the scroller on the left, and it will become as intuitive as the scroller on the right used to be. It doesn't matter which one is 'better,' its all about what the user/consumer is used to.
I can't see radio ever dying until our cars drive themselves. You can't (well shouldn't) watch television while driving, so radio is really your only alternative.
I agree with some of your examples of displays, but I fail to see how the hands of a watch tell time faster than reading the numbers. I can, with a digital display, tell that 4:27 is almost 4:30 just as fast (if not faster) than a display utilizing 'hands'.
I do prefer the look of the watches with 'hands' however, they just seem fancier and more professional.
I for one still enjoy many older games from the previous generation of consoles (Final Fantasy VII and Zelda, Ocarina of Time for example) I still enjoy playing them on the new consoles. They may not have as good of graphics as new games but they are games that I have, and will always love.
That being said if the Playstation 2 wasn't backwards compatable I would still play Final Fantasy VII, I would just have an extra console. Backwards compatability is nice for those who already own the previous generation consoles and many games to go with it, but if that is the case, then you already have the old console so the point it moot.
If, on the otherhand, you do not already own the previous console, I can't see you shelling out $300 for a brand new one then buying outdated games for it. So again backwards compatability is not real necessary.
What I did like about the PS2 was that the controllers were also compatable, saved a lot in hardware costs.
My point is while backwards compatibility seems nice and can save room and eliminate more wires, I don't think its as important as getting a well functioning, advanced new console with it's own great new games. The only time I can see someone really needing them to be compatable is if the old console dies and you don't want to buy a new one.
Obviously it's not going to send your name/age etc every time, but I'm sure TIVO has that information about you already stored in their database, then they only have to link the information coming from your tivo to the information they already have stored about you.
He's Dracula, obviously he was in bat from and hanging from the ceiling, then he transformed to administer the bite.
"A glowing fish (or more accurately, a fluorescent fish, a distinction apparently lost on most Slashdotters) would look like a giant "Eat at Joe's" sign if it got out into the wild."
Animals in the wild have already developed bright colors as a sign, but its not "Eat at Joe's" its "Don't eat me unless you want to die, I'm poisonous and taste bad"
And, unless they test it, theres no telling what attributes the offspring of one of these fish and a fish thats already in the wild will produce. Theres just too many variables to take into account.
I have no problem with genetic engineering, but I agree that proper testing needs to be done to make sure there are no adverse side effects when these genes start to mix in with nature. Not only could the resulting fish have an advantage in nature, possibly killing off other species, but consuming these fish later unknowingly could pose health issues for us. Not saying any of this will happen but it is a possibility and should be looked into.
Would it be possible to begin the terraforming process before we sent actual humans to Mars? Send enough bacteria or whatever microbial life needed in mass quantities to begin converting the atmosphere to a more human-friendly one? Seeing how this is one theory how life on Earth started:
"An alternative possibility is that life started on Mars and spread to Earth inside material blasted into space by the impact of comets crashing into the Martian surface. Mars and Earth trade rocks, and hardy bacteria could have hitched a ride to seed our planet with microbial Martians."
It's not so much an argument against monopolies as it is an argument for diversification.
I was under the impression that computer "viruses" were named viruses because they were similar to biological viruses. If this is the case then how are plants "an unlikely source" source, and how is the relation between computer viruses and biological viruses news?