+1 what can I say. Me (code monkey) and the DBA spent 1+ month writing one damn online one page report with one popup, because the specs did not exist technically, and because they kept coming back with: " oh can you add that it displays XYZ too?" crap. ONE MONTH on something we could have done in 3 days if they came up with all the shit beforehand..... well... and then there are the idiots who do not test, and come back to you.
My 9-5 and my freelancing is hell and heaven. I (freelance) make a spec, make them accept, pay %, develop, test. Accepted: pay, not, fix.
After that they want an extra dot on it: quote, accept, code, pay. And so on.....
So simple. It is common sense, you go to the mechanic and pay for a mirror change. He does it, you pay. YOU CAN NOT GO BACK and ask for a WIPER CHANGE without asking for a quote and pay more, but if the mirror is not working, he has to fix it.
When I lived in Hungary in 2001, I called Chello and asked for a cable internet connection, and told them that I did not have TV and did not want one at all, so no HBO or local TV. They said fine.
Then their techs showed up and told me that the company had no way to prohibit people with net access from seeing the broadcast and they installed a splitter for no charge or bribe and told me to "enjoy". Well I guess I was one in a thousand who did not want TV but wanted the net.
So what I am saying is that there might be a technical issue with this. A similarity is cell phones. Even though I make/receive 2 calls on average a week, I am not sure I could actually could get GPRS/EDGE without the phone service.
That is not to protect the providers, I really do not want TV (and could happily be without a phone) but want net, and THERE MUST BE A WAY to have a service.
But then again, if they say that is the package, that is the package, so what can you do ?
Sorry for being that cybernerdish-childish, but when I saw TAAS and space I immediately associated at Tessier Ashpool (yeah have all the books here but lazy to check the correct spelling) corporation from the Gibson books.:)
If I should let the *sshole in front of me so i will go 10km/h for the next 10 minutes, or if I should risk the *sshole being behind me and crash into me killing me.
*sshole am I? Well, A speakerphone cellphone goes under $100 (compared to any half decent car cost under $2000 or more), and a bluetooth (superior to any $5 wired) solution starting at $15.
With studies going all the way back and forth for the subject and knowing myself how I drive holding a phone, I assume that no one should drive holding a phone and should be punished more than a drunk driver on the scene no questions asked.
Well, if you have the balls to completely screw your employer; just sit on the plane, move to Central America.... and then they can sue their a**es.
I work for a sports betting company, write sports promotion software as freelance, and work after hours for clients software my "day time job" company cannot provide as they are (we are=I am) short on staff. These guys are hardcore gaming people, and as far as I do not steal clients (as in customers) from them they do not care.
You come here, rent a car, an apartment, spend some $$, you are cool (unless you are wanted in the US or something)....
So if you are serious and you are willing to make the step but worried, come here. I am not kidding, answer me and I can even help you out, with a lawyer or with coders. Yep I am here for 8 years, totally legal and coding stuff that would get me in trouble anywhere else (no virii, or spam or kiddie pr0n, but gaming applications which have no problem with my morals.... really )....
Funny thing is, that leaving my dehumidifier on from 8:am till 3:30-4:00 PM would fill the 4 liter (1 gallon) in any location of the house I live in.
I never tried drinking it, but I was always wondering if what was there was drinkable water. My worry was, that the process would create any chemical to get in the water (from filters, moving parts) and if the condensed water had any dangerous properties (such as distilled or ionized water).
I mean I know you can collect drinking water on a piece of aluminium foil in the desert or jungle which at the end is the same process, but not sure if "rushing" the process would do anything bad to the final product.
In Costa Rica:) you need this or your clothes get eaten by mold, and you go to sleep into a wet bed, and wear humid clothes all the time.
So can someone enlighten me and tell me how this is really different from a dehumidifier ?
Ask them how they solve a problem which includes networking, OS selection, possibly a hardware device which is connected to a server.....
If the guy starts with "I write a program in VB and it will take 3 months" run away....
If the guy says "I install this this this, then a proxy, then script it and if I really-really need to write any compiled source I to this-and-this" - that is your guy who solves problems and does not dick-around.....
Then again, you might think this is bullc*ap and go for the VB guy, and I might have described myself a little with scenario #2.
Still, I interview people, and see, that there are the VB guys, and then there are the guys who are in this for 12+ years, who know that there are a lot of things you can do with a shell, with just configuring something right, and without writing something with a compiler (bash, sh, csh, perl) and get the job done...... the guys who prefer csv because you can sed, grep , awk and you*name*it, instead a doc or an xls....
And you got it wrong, these guys also know the buzz-words, and will configure your "Time Capsule" right, and know how to use an iPhone....:)
Btw I got a linkg form dailywtf which had a query (SQL) that generated a Mandelbrot Fractal..... guess what... nor my boss, not our network guys, nor OUR DBA know WTF a fractal was.... I really got sad..... 15 IT people and there was 1 guy who understood the beauty of this... and some of these guys are College degree IT people....
They are the ones you DO NOT WANT.... you know what? Ask them if they know what a fractal is, and if they can access a web page with a shell and nothing else (telnet, netcat tops)....
It is probably you, me and the rest of the animal kingdom. Really.
Most girls (sorry goes to the ones different) care about celebrity news, nice tan, sitting in a nice (nor powerful nor functional) car, weekend is for "meeting people" while vacations are for quiet relaxation.
I am almost sure most of the geeky persons have different ways of enjoying themselves. For me celebrity/stars and TV is a waste of time (except maybe Discovery and some others), I prefer function and long-lasting when comes to car as opposed to trendy and nice looking, weekends are to get some work done, ride bikes, go diving and play video games, while vacations are to exhaust yourself with diving/hiking/biking to the point when you only eat and sleep afterwords....... Oh clothing? I am sitting in the office in motocross (actually enduro) pants bare feet, because that is the most comfortable.... yeah.....
Now I know biologists are even worse than computer people..... that is why I probably married one.....
Now as yourself if you went to IT school: what you do/did very different than the guys at business administration or other "popular" "science" career, and how many would make your surroundings' average girl run into an other direction (not literally, just not to be able to live with)....
A few years ago I used Skytel (skytel.com) in Costa Rica. Even though phone service became somewhat better, and GSM appeared next to TDMA, there are still places where phones do not reach.
There is another pager service we used here just a year ago, but that is a local only service (no US coverage as far as I know)
While I really-really hate to have a pager, I know that I would be missing it if I was still running networking services or hosting where you need to be paged. No I am mostly developing, so there are no emergencies if I handle changes correctly and the support staff knows what to do with what in non-regular production hours.
No, I am good with people and bad with idiots. Even though that is the truth, I can handle people quite well, and make them think they are all right......
I think it just needs enough explaining, and charging them till they understand.
And I am a programmer, but I worked both as a manager, programmer, tech support and product manager, so I clearly see where the problems occur in the chain....
"The new requests coming in involve capabilities "
Any project should start with a complete specification of the final product. Yes I know, I also have IT and non-IT partners who DO NOT/CAN NOT/WILL NOT understand this, and then technically pay for every rewrite one way or the other.
Well, just my 2c. When you require at least an outline of WTF they WANT, this happens to you less and less. When you explain it to them for the 50th time, that it will take SERIOUSLY LONGER to modify something, than plan for it in time, they will also start to understand. Slowly though, as they are IDIOTS!!! Did you find it out yet? They are MORONS!
Sorry, don't know what to tell you, I usually write and reuse my own database classes, do not know hibernate and only use ODBC when I really have to (e.g. modifying some ASP crap that already uses it, or SQL 2005 with PHP is easy with it). Just use PDO or mysql_ or mssql_.
Even though it does not seem to exist anymore (at least not where I moved), but in good ol' Europe we used to have these all flat keys, that had this magnetic strip inside (sometimes 3 round ones, sometimes a straight line of magnet).
Not sure if it had a security issue, or it never made it to Latin America, or what the hell, but I cannot see these even online anymore.....
Well,,.. anyway, duplicate those from a photo taken from 200 meters....
Sorry, for me the article suggests,that degradation starts at AROUND that age. Let's suppose that you keep learning and learning (which I try to do and some here probably too), but most of the population has a steady succesful or sucky job at the age and is already degrading with alcohol or drugs.
OK, I had a really bad day, and I am kinda grumpy, still however I read the article I just cannot feel that "peek is there, X more years and I am on the top"....
BIG HUGE BUTTONS like doorbells, so people who never used a touch screen can use it.
I deal with users and their interface preference on a daily basis, and I can tell you, that older people are NOT comfortable with what WE technical people would consider normal.
I am not saying that this is on purpose, but I could easily construct a confusing interface that would favor selection 1 over selection 2 on user error, and all you need is to define the touch screen areas tricky. How about calibration ? I can mis-calibrate a PDA on purpose just like any other touch device. I doubt that the company designed a bad interface on purpose, but how about people tempering with the machines ?
"The ultimate weapon for the state in this case is that state can legally declare all gambling debts unenforcable. "
Nah. I work in the sports industry (NOT in a sportsbook, only programming some things aroung the betting industry.
FYI, many serious operations moved from POST-UP to Credit. That means, that you do not deposit money via credit card, but you have a credit with your land based agent.
That also means, that there will be no law and credit card company enforcing the payment, but 2 guys with a baseball bet knocking on your door.
If the domain thing and routing goes live (won't happen IMHO), then there will be a client based software very quickly One that uses multiple ips, and an updated list of the "UP sites". There are a lot of talks about something like that. That would work, because they are not going to block whole nations, and places like Costa Rica (where I live), Dominican Rep, Panama (etc. etc.) have "normal" sites mixed with gaming sites all over. Sometimes on the same server and IP.
Here is the other thing: casinos and poker rooms might get screwed, but sportsbooks will happily take bets over the phone. Many people actually do that, as they have no idea how to use a computer.
Well, just my view on the issue. I am somewhat thinking on the technicalities, but most of the people I know just laughed at the whole thing.
Haha.... I can imagine fingertip, however it is linked (in my head) to left click.
I think the mouse key-scheme (3 buttons and scroller) are very nice, and then you have the thumb left for control. Steep learning curve I know, but as soon as you are used to it it is just sooo nice.
Oh, by the way, as you know a trackball repels people from your computer. No one can use it, and if they try in 2 minutes they are screaming:)
I do programming and surfing with the ball, and it is all-right. I usually work on a 19" + 24" at work, but at home I use 13+19+22 and sometimes have a 17 next to them, and civering that with a mouse is just a pain in the butt..
Hmm... still I need more buttons.... I even though of just getting a drill and hacking a "many button" mouse inside the trackball. I need a one click access to expose, spaces and maybe dashboard. Yep, I use a mac to program mostly PHP, ASP Dashboard and yahoo widgets (and whatever else comes my way:)....
Sorry for being off topic, but all I want from the pointing device business is to put some innovation into trackballs.
I use a Logitech Trackman wheel (left thumb operated optically read (red dotted) ball.
The device is great when new, then degrades when the rollers and the ball surface loses its "shine".
As for the original topic: a laser mouse works fine for me when I use one on most surfaces except glass. Plastics are the best as they are low friction, while glass "sticks".... I have an older explorer mouse and a mighty mouse.... but then again I haven't used a mouse since I stopped playing on the PC..... (that is also when I stopped using a PC, and even when I turn it on I use it over synergy with a trackball)....
I do not even care about the degradation as the life span is comfortable 5+ years (I had button problems on one I got in 2002).
All the damn thing needs is : 1. Scroll ball (as in mighty mouse from apple). Maybe just a side scroller (tilting wheel would do it) 2. 4-5 extra buttons.
When that is done I start whining for a keyboard like the apple aluminium which is possible to "split" for ergonomic setting:)
As many times as makes them finally try a mac, realize that it is not just the damn machine but the operating system too. Then they either hate quietly, or buy one.
My favorite people are the ones who say, that mac is so expensive, then they pirate the os, install it on a PC, then constantly come to me asking why their XYZ stopped working after doing this, and how they can solve it, and what a shit system.
Naturally my answer is always get a mac, then your OS will work on it.....
Well anyways. I really do not care what people use. You want Dos BSD, Linux, Win, Vista OSX I DO NOT CARE.... I just wonder why people are so much living in their own asses and criticize people for using a damn brand of computer.
The only exception is people who are techs and use Vista. Their business, but I question their sanity every time they LOVE the thing louder than any Linux, OSX or other UNIX fanatic.
It is almost like those bike clubs, that do not allow members' friends to ride with them unless they have the same brand. No, this is reality.
opening the memory hatch does not void your warranty. The procedure needs no tools or maybe 1 phillips (not sure) and is documented on the official apple site.
At my local mac store, they just asked if I could install my own memory, and then sold it to me, no questions asked.
It is a Macbook though. The only thing they wanted to do themselves is the Mac Mini memory upgrade, as you need that special "spatula" to buthcer the thing open. Needless to say I did a better job at that too, on my wife's mac mini with no scratches whatsoever, while they indeed left some scratches on the bottom of the box.
Hm... well, yes. I know. Most of my colleagues in a tech department of programmers, designers, DBAs and network people look at me like crazy buying a $50 enclosure instead of a $15 enclosure.
BTW by design, and originally to add a little extra security, there are only 1 net ports per table at the office. I saw my colleague routing a cable through the neighboring cubicle to connect his laptop. (we are allowed to bring in devices, so it is not a prob)........
What I do when I bring my laptop in? Elegantly connect the laptop through firewire to my desktop G5, and just share the connection:) That also gives me a perfect, lag free teleport/vnc access to the other screen.
Nah anyway, I get your point, still I will have a problem with apple if they suddenly start eliminating FW from other products. I hope the mini (which I will have in the office as a IM/MAIL/VMWare, have as a home machine, and will have as a media "PC" sooner or later in rooms) will come with a firewire in the future, if not I cannot be a customer of those kickass devices anymore.
not flaming, but 15 years ago I remember using coaxial connections.
Hey, maybe you worked at NASA or some high tech place, but we were following the coaxial trail to see where it was broken when the whole office was down, kicked out by the cleaning lady???? - from termination to termination.
However I get your point... USB connectors SUCK! even regular phone jacks are better....
I use a macbook, because it is a better sized (not oversized) laptop like the pro.
I also use a mac, because I want equipment that works (good desktop, full unix, not windows).
That said, I use a mac because I do not want mainstream crap. No mac, No USB. I know the specs, USB 2 should be faster than FW. It is not. Not by anyone's implementation.
So I want a mac which is small, and a disk that works, even if I daisychain 3 of them, so I use a set of MacAlly FireWire enclosures with ATA/SATA disks in them and do not have to deal with crappy USB performance.... Iphone update fails if +1 USB device is connected, USB power warnings, LOOONG copy times for no apparent reason... etc etc etc.... USB is ok for a 4Gb stick, my trackball, or low res video camera.
My DV should be attached (along with HDs) to FW. Period.
I love apple, but if that is the decision, I just keep my Mac Mini, My office G5, and my macbook. All of which have Firewire which I use EVERY day.
Would I get a pro? If they make a 13 (or even better 12 inch ) version of it. I need a laptop and not a brick to carry around.
Then again I have SHIT LOAD of apple stuff in the house and I use them to make money. I love it, I lick it, I want them all.
But: No firewire, no purchase. Period. I better stay with Minis and old macbooks. How much power do you need for development ? 2Ggigs/ 2.1Ghz not enough? I can be for 4 more years on my macbook, mini and G5 for sure until apple reconsiders or something else (better than USB and FW comes out)....
Just my 2cents..... yeah written on an old Macbook with firewire disks attached !!!!!
I am a software engineer, just for the record, and I have to admit that most of my phones are HARD to use, they are painful, and they constantly have connection problems.
My last phone before my iphone (which I admit LACKS a lot of features) was a business edition $600 phone.
When I tried to connect it to my windows machine, I had to pirate bluetooth software, because the one that came with my various dongles (I have like 5 here) were.. umh.. CRAP. Then the supplied nokia software worked, then did not, then found my phone, then did not, then crashed, then.. you name it.
I know that according to many geeks and nerds an iphone is a toy, a shit, it lack function, and 3g and blabla.....
But I connect the thing, it downloads my pictures, syncs my calendar I can drag and drop music, and it just works.
Yes you guessed, I also switched to a mac, and do my office and freelancing work on a mac (mostly PHP, some ASP, some widget (yahoo, osx) programming and network/infrastructure/UNIX-Linux consulting)....
Yeah you guessed, it is more for the UNIX for me than for anything else, but my iphone is my first phone I actually use to the limit, because it is not a PAIN IN THE ARSE to use...
Oh some people say it sucks as a phone. I am not sure, I make 2 calls tops a day, and keep them short, so not sure. It still rocks as a wireless device, and when a decent SIP client comes out on it and Fring, I stop carrying my nokia (which I use as a wifi phone at the office, as there is no reception whatsoever there (kinda like a basement in a hole under 4 stories of concrete. has big windows though:)))
Slashdot Mirror
+1 what can I say. Me (code monkey) and the DBA spent 1+ month writing one damn online one page report with one popup, because the specs did not exist technically, and because they kept coming back with: " oh can you add that it displays XYZ too?" crap. ONE MONTH on something we could have done in 3 days if they came up with all the shit beforehand..... well ... and then there are the idiots who do not test, and come back to you.
My 9-5 and my freelancing is hell and heaven. I (freelance) make a spec, make them accept, pay %, develop, test. Accepted: pay, not, fix.
After that they want an extra dot on it: quote, accept, code, pay. And so on.....
So simple. It is common sense, you go to the mechanic and pay for a mirror change. He does it, you pay. YOU CAN NOT GO BACK and ask for a WIPER CHANGE without asking for a quote and pay more, but if the mirror is not working, he has to fix it.
SIMPLE. CLIENTS = IDIOTS. NOT SIMPLE !
When I lived in Hungary in 2001, I called Chello and asked for a cable internet connection, and told them that I did not have TV and did not want one at all, so no HBO or local TV. They said fine.
Then their techs showed up and told me that the company had no way to prohibit people with net access from seeing the broadcast and they installed a splitter for no charge or bribe and told me to "enjoy". Well I guess I was one in a thousand who did not want TV but wanted the net.
So what I am saying is that there might be a technical issue with this. A similarity is cell phones. Even though I make/receive 2 calls on average a week, I am not sure I could actually could get GPRS/EDGE without the phone service.
That is not to protect the providers, I really do not want TV (and could happily be without a phone) but want net, and THERE MUST BE A WAY to have a service.
But then again, if they say that is the package, that is the package, so what can you do ?
Sorry for being that cybernerdish-childish, but when I saw TAAS and space I immediately associated at Tessier Ashpool (yeah have all the books here but lazy to check the correct spelling) corporation from the Gibson books. :)
If I should let the *sshole in front of me so i will go 10km/h for the next 10 minutes, or if I should risk the *sshole being behind me and crash into me killing me.
*sshole am I? Well, A speakerphone cellphone goes under $100 (compared to any half decent car cost under $2000 or more), and a bluetooth (superior to any $5 wired) solution starting at $15.
With studies going all the way back and forth for the subject and knowing myself how I drive holding a phone, I assume that no one should drive holding a phone and should be punished more than a drunk driver on the scene no questions asked.
Just my 2c..
Well, if you have the balls to completely screw your employer; just sit on the plane, move to Central America.... and then they can sue their a**es.
I work for a sports betting company, write sports promotion software as freelance, and work after hours for clients software my "day time job" company cannot provide as they are (we are=I am) short on staff. These guys are hardcore gaming people, and as far as I do not steal clients (as in customers) from them they do not care.
You come here, rent a car, an apartment, spend some $$, you are cool (unless you are wanted in the US or something)....
So if you are serious and you are willing to make the step but worried, come here. I am not kidding, answer me and I can even help you out, with a lawyer or with coders. Yep I am here for 8 years, totally legal and coding stuff that would get me in trouble anywhere else (no virii, or spam or kiddie pr0n, but gaming applications which have no problem with my morals.... really )....
+1
Funny thing is, that leaving my dehumidifier on from 8:am till 3:30-4:00 PM would fill the 4 liter (1 gallon) in any location of the house I live in.
I never tried drinking it, but I was always wondering if what was there was drinkable water. My worry was, that the process would create any chemical to get in the water (from filters, moving parts) and if the condensed water had any dangerous properties (such as distilled or ionized water).
I mean I know you can collect drinking water on a piece of aluminium foil in the desert or jungle which at the end is the same process, but not sure if "rushing" the process would do anything bad to the final product.
In Costa Rica :) you need this or your clothes get eaten by mold, and you go to sleep into a wet bed, and wear humid clothes all the time.
So can someone enlighten me and tell me how this is really different from a dehumidifier ?
Ask them how they solve a problem which includes networking, OS selection, possibly a hardware device which is connected to a server.....
If the guy starts with "I write a program in VB and it will take 3 months" run away....
If the guy says "I install this this this, then a proxy, then script it and if I really-really need to write any compiled source I to this-and-this" - that is your guy who solves problems and does not dick-around.....
Then again, you might think this is bullc*ap and go for the VB guy, and I might have described myself a little with scenario #2.
Still, I interview people, and see, that there are the VB guys, and then there are the guys who are in this for 12+ years, who know that there are a lot of things you can do with a shell, with just configuring something right, and without writing something with a compiler (bash, sh, csh, perl) and get the job done...... the guys who prefer csv because you can sed, grep , awk and you*name*it, instead a doc or an xls....
And you got it wrong, these guys also know the buzz-words, and will configure your "Time Capsule" right, and know how to use an iPhone .... :)
Btw I got a linkg form dailywtf which had a query (SQL) that generated a Mandelbrot Fractal ..... guess what ... nor my boss, not our network guys, nor OUR DBA know WTF a fractal was .... I really got sad..... 15 IT people and there was 1 guy who understood the beauty of this... and some of these guys are College degree IT people ....
They are the ones you DO NOT WANT .... you know what? Ask them if they know what a fractal is, and if they can access a web page with a shell and nothing else (telnet, netcat tops) ....
It is probably you, me and the rest of the animal kingdom. Really.
Most girls (sorry goes to the ones different) care about celebrity news, nice tan, sitting in a nice (nor powerful nor functional) car, weekend is for "meeting people" while vacations are for quiet relaxation.
I am almost sure most of the geeky persons have different ways of enjoying themselves. For me celebrity/stars and TV is a waste of time (except maybe Discovery and some others), I prefer function and long-lasting when comes to car as opposed to trendy and nice looking, weekends are to get some work done, ride bikes, go diving and play video games, while vacations are to exhaust yourself with diving/hiking/biking to the point when you only eat and sleep afterwords....... Oh clothing? I am sitting in the office in motocross (actually enduro) pants bare feet, because that is the most comfortable.... yeah.....
Now I know biologists are even worse than computer people..... that is why I probably married one.....
Now as yourself if you went to IT school: what you do/did very different than the guys at business administration or other "popular" "science" career, and how many would make your surroundings' average girl run into an other direction (not literally, just not to be able to live with)....
I might be wrong about that .......
A few years ago I used Skytel (skytel.com) in Costa Rica. Even though phone service became somewhat better, and GSM appeared next to TDMA, there are still places where phones do not reach.
There is another pager service we used here just a year ago, but that is a local only service (no US coverage as far as I know)
While I really-really hate to have a pager, I know that I would be missing it if I was still running networking services or hosting where you need to be paged. No I am mostly developing, so there are no emergencies if I handle changes correctly and the support staff knows what to do with what in non-regular production hours.
Just my 2c: there are still pagers!
No, I am good with people and bad with idiots. Even though that is the truth, I can handle people quite well, and make them think they are all right......
I think it just needs enough explaining, and charging them till they understand.
And I am a programmer, but I worked both as a manager, programmer, tech support and product manager, so I clearly see where the problems occur in the chain....
"The new requests coming in involve capabilities "
Any project should start with a complete specification of the final product. Yes I know, I also have IT and non-IT partners who DO NOT/CAN NOT/WILL NOT understand this, and then technically pay for every rewrite one way or the other.
Well, just my 2c. When you require at least an outline of WTF they WANT, this happens to you less and less. When you explain it to them for the 50th time, that it will take SERIOUSLY LONGER to modify something, than plan for it in time, they will also start to understand. Slowly though, as they are IDIOTS!!! Did you find it out yet? They are MORONS!
Sorry, don't know what to tell you, I usually write and reuse my own database classes, do not know hibernate and only use ODBC when I really have to (e.g. modifying some ASP crap that already uses it, or SQL 2005 with PHP is easy with it). Just use PDO or mysql_ or mssql_.
Even though it does not seem to exist anymore (at least not where I moved), but in good ol' Europe we used to have these all flat keys, that had this magnetic strip inside (sometimes 3 round ones, sometimes a straight line of magnet).
Not sure if it had a security issue, or it never made it to Latin America, or what the hell, but I cannot see these even online anymore.....
Well,,.. anyway, duplicate those from a photo taken from 200 meters....
Sorry, for me the article suggests,that degradation starts at AROUND that age. Let's suppose that you keep learning and learning (which I try to do and some here probably too), but most of the population has a steady succesful or sucky job at the age and is already degrading with alcohol or drugs.
OK, I had a really bad day, and I am kinda grumpy, still however I read the article I just cannot feel that "peek is there, X more years and I am on the top" ....
cheers ...
Sorry I grew up in Communist Hungary ....
You did not have to vote as you only had one option: the asshole "sponsored by the USSR"
more seriously: there are 2 candidates with a chance. Have 2 buttons and that is it.....
OR: fill out a paper, X your choice, have a scanner read your vote which you have to confirm .... are people really retards ??? Programmers too ?
2 candidates :
1 big button (not touch) on right, one on left,
you press, it beeps, asks to confirm.
BIG HUGE BUTTONS like doorbells, so people who never used a touch screen can use it.
I deal with users and their interface preference on a daily basis, and I can tell you, that older people are NOT comfortable with what WE technical people would consider normal.
I am not saying that this is on purpose, but I could easily construct a confusing interface that would favor selection 1 over selection 2 on user error, and all you need is to define the touch screen areas tricky. How about calibration ? I can mis-calibrate a PDA on purpose just like any other touch device. I doubt that the company designed a bad interface on purpose, but how about people tempering with the machines ?
Just my 2c
you bet! :)
"The ultimate weapon for the state in this case is that state can legally declare all gambling debts unenforcable. "
Nah. I work in the sports industry (NOT in a sportsbook, only programming some things aroung the betting industry.
FYI, many serious operations moved from POST-UP to Credit. That means, that you do not deposit money via credit card, but you have a credit with your land based agent.
That also means, that there will be no law and credit card company enforcing the payment, but 2 guys with a baseball bet knocking on your door.
If the domain thing and routing goes live (won't happen IMHO), then there will be a client based software very quickly One that uses multiple ips, and an updated list of the "UP sites". There are a lot of talks about something like that. That would work, because they are not going to block whole nations, and places like Costa Rica (where I live), Dominican Rep, Panama (etc. etc.) have "normal" sites mixed with gaming sites all over. Sometimes on the same server and IP.
Here is the other thing: casinos and poker rooms might get screwed, but sportsbooks will happily take bets over the phone. Many people actually do that, as they have no idea how to use a computer.
Well, just my view on the issue. I am somewhat thinking on the technicalities, but most of the people I know just laughed at the whole thing.
Haha .... I can imagine fingertip, however it is linked (in my head) to left click.
I think the mouse key-scheme (3 buttons and scroller) are very nice, and then you have the thumb left for control. Steep learning curve I know, but as soon as you are used to it it is just sooo nice.
Oh, by the way, as you know a trackball repels people from your computer. No one can use it, and if they try in 2 minutes they are screaming :)
I do programming and surfing with the ball, and it is all-right. I usually work on a 19" + 24" at work, but at home I use 13+19+22 and sometimes have a 17 next to them, and civering that with a mouse is just a pain in the butt ..
Hmm ... still I need more buttons.... I even though of just getting a drill and hacking a "many button" mouse inside the trackball. I need a one click access to expose, spaces and maybe dashboard. Yep, I use a mac to program mostly PHP, ASP Dashboard and yahoo widgets (and whatever else comes my way:) ....
Sorry for being off topic, but all I want from the pointing device business is to put some innovation into trackballs.
I use a Logitech Trackman wheel (left thumb operated optically read (red dotted) ball.
The device is great when new, then degrades when the rollers and the ball surface loses its "shine".
As for the original topic: a laser mouse works fine for me when I use one on most surfaces except glass. Plastics are the best as they are low friction, while glass "sticks".... I have an older explorer mouse and a mighty mouse .... but then again I haven't used a mouse since I stopped playing on the PC ..... (that is also when I stopped using a PC, and even when I turn it on I use it over synergy with a trackball) ....
I do not even care about the degradation as the life span is comfortable 5+ years (I had button problems on one I got in 2002).
All the damn thing needs is :
1. Scroll ball (as in mighty mouse from apple). Maybe just a side scroller (tilting wheel would do it)
2. 4-5 extra buttons.
When that is done I start whining for a keyboard like the apple aluminium which is possible to "split" for ergonomic setting :)
As many times as makes them finally try a mac, realize that it is not just the damn machine but the operating system too. Then they either hate quietly, or buy one.
My favorite people are the ones who say, that mac is so expensive, then they pirate the os, install it on a PC, then constantly come to me asking why their XYZ stopped working after doing this, and how they can solve it, and what a shit system.
Naturally my answer is always get a mac, then your OS will work on it.....
Well anyways. I really do not care what people use. You want Dos BSD, Linux, Win, Vista OSX I DO NOT CARE.... I just wonder why people are so much living in their own asses and criticize people for using a damn brand of computer.
The only exception is people who are techs and use Vista. Their business, but I question their sanity every time they LOVE the thing louder than any Linux, OSX or other UNIX fanatic.
It is almost like those bike clubs, that do not allow members' friends to ride with them unless they have the same brand. No, this is reality.
opening the memory hatch does not void your warranty. The procedure needs no tools or maybe 1 phillips (not sure) and is documented on the official apple site.
At my local mac store, they just asked if I could install my own memory, and then sold it to me, no questions asked.
It is a Macbook though. The only thing they wanted to do themselves is the Mac Mini memory upgrade, as you need that special "spatula" to buthcer the thing open. Needless to say I did a better job at that too, on my wife's mac mini with no scratches whatsoever, while they indeed left some scratches on the bottom of the box.
Hm... well, yes. I know. Most of my colleagues in a tech department of programmers, designers, DBAs and network people look at me like crazy buying a $50 enclosure instead of a $15 enclosure.
BTW by design, and originally to add a little extra security, there are only 1 net ports per table at the office. I saw my colleague routing a cable through the neighboring cubicle to connect his laptop. (we are allowed to bring in devices, so it is not a prob)........
What I do when I bring my laptop in? Elegantly connect the laptop through firewire to my desktop G5, and just share the connection :) That also gives me a perfect, lag free teleport/vnc access to the other screen.
Nah anyway, I get your point, still I will have a problem with apple if they suddenly start eliminating FW from other products. I hope the mini (which I will have in the office as a IM/MAIL/VMWare, have as a home machine, and will have as a media "PC" sooner or later in rooms) will come with a firewire in the future, if not I cannot be a customer of those kickass devices anymore.
not flaming, but 15 years ago I remember using coaxial connections.
Hey, maybe you worked at NASA or some high tech place, but we were following the coaxial trail to see where it was broken when the whole office was down, kicked out by the cleaning lady???? - from termination to termination.
However I get your point ... USB connectors SUCK! even regular phone jacks are better ....
I get your point, however:
I use a macbook, because it is a better sized (not oversized) laptop like the pro.
I also use a mac, because I want equipment that works (good desktop, full unix, not windows).
That said, I use a mac because I do not want mainstream crap. No mac, No USB. I know the specs, USB 2 should be faster than FW. It is not. Not by anyone's implementation.
So I want a mac which is small, and a disk that works, even if I daisychain 3 of them, so I use a set of MacAlly FireWire enclosures with ATA/SATA disks in them and do not have to deal with crappy USB performance .... Iphone update fails if +1 USB device is connected, USB power warnings, LOOONG copy times for no apparent reason ... etc etc etc .... USB is ok for a 4Gb stick, my trackball, or low res video camera.
My DV should be attached (along with HDs) to FW. Period.
I love apple, but if that is the decision, I just keep my Mac Mini, My office G5, and my macbook. All of which have Firewire which I use EVERY day.
Would I get a pro? If they make a 13 (or even better 12 inch ) version of it. I need a laptop and not a brick to carry around.
Then again I have SHIT LOAD of apple stuff in the house and I use them to make money. I love it, I lick it, I want them all.
But: No firewire, no purchase. Period. I better stay with Minis and old macbooks. How much power do you need for development ? 2Ggigs/ 2.1Ghz not enough? I can be for 4 more years on my macbook, mini and G5 for sure until apple reconsiders or something else (better than USB and FW comes out)....
Just my 2cents ..... yeah written on an old Macbook with firewire disks attached !!!!!
I am a software engineer, just for the record, and I have to admit that most of my phones are HARD to use, they are painful, and they constantly have connection problems.
My last phone before my iphone (which I admit LACKS a lot of features) was a business edition $600 phone.
When I tried to connect it to my windows machine, I had to pirate bluetooth software, because the one that came with my various dongles (I have like 5 here) were .. umh.. CRAP. Then the supplied nokia software worked, then did not, then found my phone, then did not, then crashed, then .. you name it.
I know that according to many geeks and nerds an iphone is a toy, a shit, it lack function, and 3g and blabla .....
But I connect the thing, it downloads my pictures, syncs my calendar I can drag and drop music, and it just works.
Yes you guessed, I also switched to a mac, and do my office and freelancing work on a mac (mostly PHP, some ASP, some widget (yahoo, osx) programming and network/infrastructure/UNIX-Linux consulting) ....
Yeah you guessed, it is more for the UNIX for me than for anything else, but my iphone is my first phone I actually use to the limit, because it is not a PAIN IN THE ARSE to use...
Oh some people say it sucks as a phone. I am not sure, I make 2 calls tops a day, and keep them short, so not sure. It still rocks as a wireless device, and when a decent SIP client comes out on it and Fring, I stop carrying my nokia (which I use as a wifi phone at the office, as there is no reception whatsoever there (kinda like a basement in a hole under 4 stories of concrete. has big windows though :)))