The RIAA and other like-minded bodies need to find a way to get their message out (music is not free) without alienating their customers.
Technology stays a step ahead of the music industries ability to track down people who are downloading and/or distributing copyrighted content throughout the Internet. So, either find a way to communicate, more effectively, that people who make music have to get paid, or, price the products so that it is just not worth it to download what is quite often not-so-great recordings. Have there been experiments to see if you can sell enough CD's at, say, $10 instead of $18 to make up for the price drop?
If this fine is imposed and Microsoft decides to pay it (possibly after years of litigating), it still represents a little less than 2% of annual profits if we use a fairly conservative estimate of $6 billion dollars in annual profits. Perhaps, for Microsoft, this would simply be a cost of doing business.
I would like to see some corroboration for this story. It is a great story and quite interesting, but, I don't know if I can believe it. Still, it would make a great short novel!
Intel marches steadily on with new chips and planned obsolescence for the old chips. I tend to feel that software is lagging in terms of taking advantage of more powerful and faster processors. I suppose some programs such as PhotoShop can take advantage of faster chips when rendering large and complex files. Still, I think the processors are, by and large, way ahead of software.
I have read many times, in many magazines, that scramjet technology is integral to getting something into space without the traditional rocket engine technology. This is a nice development in that direction. I hope the funding for this stays in place. Funny how some truly exciting developments in air/space don't get much mainstream exposure such as CNN, MSNBC, etc.
If Microsoft is successful in this endeavor it will be primarily because users let them. Most people do not want to think about how to use their hardware or software. Like a lemmings drawn to the sea, folks just sort of glaze over and use their computers as mindlessly as possible. And, maybe it has to be that way to ensure some degree of cohesiveness across applications and even the Internet. I don't know what people use I.E. Explorer and rant about popups when Mozilla is a great browser and suppresses popups. Same for mail clients such as Thunderbird. But, that requires having some fun with your computer and that just isn't the way it's done in the mainstream. I suspect I am preaching to the choir here on Slashdot. Oh well..../
Great..soon I will get spam touting how little nanotech machines can provide a better and longer lasting erection? Hey, it could happen.
Happy Trails,
Erick
I agree. I marketed computers to the gov't for about ten years and there was a great desire to spend a bit more for a higher quality product, but the rules made it tough. I am not sure how the bidding process works for NASA projects. I am sure it is not just the low bid as I said in my previous post. But, clearly, a better system would cost more and they should spend that amount or not do it at all given what is at stake. I sold NASA the ThinkPad computers that they are still using for Shuttle missions. The only reason I won that bid was that I was the only bidder. So, in that instance, they probably did better than expected given some of the stuff that was on the market at the time.
Happy Trails,
Erick
I don't mean to diminish the tragedy or the loss of life. But, you gotta wonder how any astronaut must feel sitting on top of a vehicle taller than most buildings, with over a million separate parts, with a propulsion system that could take out a small country, and all of this assembled by the low bidder.
Happy Trails,
Erick
I read in Time magazine that one of the proposed projects for the moon is the installation of a group of optical telescopes on the "dark side" of the moon. The cost is probably stratospheric (pun intended...). However, this type of installation would probably require less care since it is not floating in space. Or not. Either way, it may be the next logical step after Hubble.
Happy Trails,
Erick
This one gets my vote:
In Canada, General Motors is forced to come up with a new name for its Buick LaCrosse sedan after discovering that crosse is a slang term for masturbation in Quebec.
If gives a whole new meaning to "road trip."
Happy Trails,
Erick
If these self-destructing DVD's were priced at, say, $3.00 or so, I'd do it just because I am lazy and I wouldn't have to drive back to the store to return the DVD(s). I often get them on Saturday and have to return them on Monday. Since I am not picking up additional DVD's on Monday, I wouldn't mind avoiding the trip. Is it possible that the cost of creating and distributing these DVD's are too high to price them low enough to compete with rental prices?
Happy Trails,
Erick
I agree with the notion that using Internet Explorer is the problem. I use Mozilla and only open I.E. if Mozilla won't, for whatever reason, open a page. I.E. is a pop-up hell.
Happy Trails,
Erick
It would seem that a corporate sense of humor diminishes as it gets closer and closer to the big money. I don't really think that people are going to mistake booble for google. And, if they do, they will figure it out pretty quickly.
Erick
"State Dependent Learning" theory might dictate that if your sleep was alcohol or drug induced, you would consider being in the same state once awake in order to take advantage of the mental processing that occured during sleep. Just a thought. Let me sleep on it......
-Erick
Re:Confusion over how infringing files are identif
on
RIAA Files 532 Lawsuits
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
Then...how does this work in reverse? How do they detect a user that only downloads? Or do they?
Slashdot Mirror
Technology stays a step ahead of the music industries ability to track down people who are downloading and/or distributing copyrighted content throughout the Internet. So, either find a way to communicate, more effectively, that people who make music have to get paid, or, price the products so that it is just not worth it to download what is quite often not-so-great recordings. Have there been experiments to see if you can sell enough CD's at, say, $10 instead of $18 to make up for the price drop?
Happy Trails,
Erick
Happy Trails,
Erick
Happy Trails,
Erick
Happy Trails,
Erick
Happy Trails,
Erick
Happy Trails,
Erick
Great..soon I will get spam touting how little nanotech machines can provide a better and longer lasting erection? Hey, it could happen. Happy Trails, Erick
I agree. I marketed computers to the gov't for about ten years and there was a great desire to spend a bit more for a higher quality product, but the rules made it tough. I am not sure how the bidding process works for NASA projects. I am sure it is not just the low bid as I said in my previous post. But, clearly, a better system would cost more and they should spend that amount or not do it at all given what is at stake. I sold NASA the ThinkPad computers that they are still using for Shuttle missions. The only reason I won that bid was that I was the only bidder. So, in that instance, they probably did better than expected given some of the stuff that was on the market at the time. Happy Trails, Erick
I don't mean to diminish the tragedy or the loss of life. But, you gotta wonder how any astronaut must feel sitting on top of a vehicle taller than most buildings, with over a million separate parts, with a propulsion system that could take out a small country, and all of this assembled by the low bidder. Happy Trails, Erick
I read in Time magazine that one of the proposed projects for the moon is the installation of a group of optical telescopes on the "dark side" of the moon. The cost is probably stratospheric (pun intended...). However, this type of installation would probably require less care since it is not floating in space. Or not. Either way, it may be the next logical step after Hubble. Happy Trails, Erick
This one gets my vote: In Canada, General Motors is forced to come up with a new name for its Buick LaCrosse sedan after discovering that crosse is a slang term for masturbation in Quebec. If gives a whole new meaning to "road trip." Happy Trails, Erick
If these self-destructing DVD's were priced at, say, $3.00 or so, I'd do it just because I am lazy and I wouldn't have to drive back to the store to return the DVD(s). I often get them on Saturday and have to return them on Monday. Since I am not picking up additional DVD's on Monday, I wouldn't mind avoiding the trip. Is it possible that the cost of creating and distributing these DVD's are too high to price them low enough to compete with rental prices? Happy Trails, Erick
I agree with the notion that using Internet Explorer is the problem. I use Mozilla and only open I.E. if Mozilla won't, for whatever reason, open a page. I.E. is a pop-up hell. Happy Trails, Erick
Open the pod door, HAL. HAL, open the pod door..... Sleepily, Erick
It would seem that a corporate sense of humor diminishes as it gets closer and closer to the big money. I don't really think that people are going to mistake booble for google. And, if they do, they will figure it out pretty quickly. Erick
There is something deliciously ironic about using porn sites in the spammers quest to deliver emails for penis enlargement. Take care, Erick
"State Dependent Learning" theory might dictate that if your sleep was alcohol or drug induced, you would consider being in the same state once awake in order to take advantage of the mental processing that occured during sleep. Just a thought. Let me sleep on it...... -Erick
Then...how does this work in reverse? How do they detect a user that only downloads? Or do they?