The courts would keep you from marketing a software package with an English-word title like "Excel", "Word", or "Access"... but you could use one of these words to sell a car (for example).
Nope. Sun was selling optical mice with the SparcStations LONG ago True, but they represented an earlier generation of optical mice. The Sun optical mice (and others like it) required special gridded mousepads, and weren't particularly precise (resolution was about 1/20th of the pad grid). Microsoft, Apple, and Logitech draw on some real breakthroughs in engineering.
You're complaining the Rambus is leveraging their patent for profit??
Patents create government-endorsed monopolies. They encourage progress by giving inventors first dibs on profit. Sure, the economy suffers a little deadweight loss during a patent's early years, but the consumer still wins in the long run. I think the basis for a patent system is sound. The problem is that too many are vague, too many patents are granted, and the life of patents is too long (it should be long enough for a business to establish its product in the market, but not much longer).
Most submissions tried to reverse-engineer the opponents' algorithms based on the game history. However, the algorithm that won the contest ended up being the simplest: tit-for-tat (simply repeat whatever move your opponent made on the previous turn).
I imagine the results would be about the same for rock-paper-scissors.
What would happen if someone at Nullsoft "accidentally" leaked the code, DeCSS-style? I'm sure the code would propagate faster than the corporates could issue lawsuits, and "inspired" clones would pop up in no time. But I'm sure nullsoft would be held accountable in the courts, and nobody there wants to lose their job...
Why just three letters? TLDs should provide some layer of classification (i.e. ".microsoft" shouldn't be a TLD), but there's no arbitrary limit on length. Or is there?
is that in the business world, we vote with our dollars.
If Sony did decide to send out spam, they could probably spam a hundred thousand or so people people for a nominal cost (the benefit of spam). Provided that they don't rely exclusively on spam to generate business, your "dollar vote" means nothing to them.
Also, they'd stand a better chance of getting away with it. I doubt the spam cops would really want to squabble with a multibillion dollar corp. over a first ammendment issue.
As for people who would otherwise buy Sony products, but don't after receiving spam -- I'm sure that their numbers pale when compared to those who actually do take the bait. I mean, hey... if they'd offered me an insane deal on a really cool product, I'd at least consider it.
The image is not a rendered. It's hand-drawn. Airbrushed, probably in Photoshop. The difference between the gradient on the battery cover and the rest of the casing is a dead giveaway.
What's more, on the pull out wand the light reflection is perfectly paralell along the long axis of the wand.
Yes, it's a linear gradient. Select rectangular region, apply gradient, shape with eraser, and tweak with airbrush.
If gravity did propagate faster than light, you could send a signal faster than light (I move a heavy object, and another object across the galaxy feels a change in gravitational pull -- a weak but undeniable signal).
If there isn't pressure on patent readers to process more patents, patents will become harder to obtain. Granted, some of the more bogus patents will be rejected -- but as competition increases for patent grants, the little guy might not be able to invest the time and effort necessary to compete with big corporations.
DNA sequences are patented even though the patenter has no idea what the sequence does.
Sort of. Patenters have to provide some explanation of what it does, and a specific description of its application. But they can be pretty vauge, and even incorrect from time to time -- patent examiners have no clue what they're reading.
For example, CCR5 and CXCCR4, genes that code for chemotactic receptors targetted by HIV, were both granted patents a few days ago. The patent specifically describes how the receptors interact with chemotactic factors, but barely mentions HIV. Still, any anti-AIDS drugs that blocks CCR binding will still be subject to the patent.
..and we've all seen the videos where an F-14 fails to take off from a carrier, crashing into the ocean beyond the runway. $40 million a pop makes $750,000 fluke look pretty insignificant.
Judging from the media attention this has garnered, I don't think NASA has a habit of throwing away million-dollar toys. Except for the Mars Lander...
I was under the impression that some space shuttle orbits were occasionally beyond 25,000 miles. Doesn't the shuttle deploy geostationary satellites from time to time, requiring a much higher orbit?
Very sobering article. I was especially annoyed at the whole "checked out" count. Their lame-ass format is bad enough -- now they have to monitor use...
DSL really can't be supported beyond a 5 or 6 mile radius from the nearest "upgraded" switching station, since quality (manifested as speed) decreases with distance. According to U S WEST, the cost of upgrading the stations simply isn't justified in rural/fringe areas. They polled a number of residents some time back and asked whether they would be willing to pay a little more for DSL access in order to equate the costs. An overwhelming majority said no.
If you live in a densely-populated area, then I'm sure they're on the way.
Could an algorithm/mathematical relationship be protected under GPL? When software is GPL'd, it does prevent other companies from patenting it for profit (though I don't know if this requirement has been tested in court..)
It's nice that the PCR guys have decided to be fair with their patent. Unfortunately, the patent process doesn't mandate fairness from anyone.
I believe the same company also owns the patent for TAQ-Gold polymerase (far more effective in replication), and charge a hefty penny for the protein...even though it costs them the same amount to produce.
Slashdot Mirror
Sort of...
The courts would keep you from marketing a software package with an English-word title like "Excel", "Word", or "Access"... but you could use one of these words to sell a car (for example).
Nope. Sun was selling optical mice with the SparcStations LONG ago True, but they represented an earlier generation of optical mice. The Sun optical mice (and others like it) required special gridded mousepads, and weren't particularly precise (resolution was about 1/20th of the pad grid). Microsoft, Apple, and Logitech draw on some real breakthroughs in engineering.
Steve Jobs just announced it... try www.apple.com.
An interface that reminds me of Verisign's old registration forms...
If they develop a search engine and don't use tax dollars, how do they fund it?
You're complaining the Rambus is leveraging their patent for profit??
Patents create government-endorsed monopolies. They encourage progress by giving inventors first dibs on profit. Sure, the economy suffers a little deadweight loss during a patent's early years, but the consumer still wins in the long run. I think the basis for a patent system is sound. The problem is that too many are vague, too many patents are granted, and the life of patents is too long (it should be long enough for a business to establish its product in the market, but not much longer).
Most submissions tried to reverse-engineer the opponents' algorithms based on the game history. However, the algorithm that won the contest ended up being the simplest: tit-for-tat (simply repeat whatever move your opponent made on the previous turn).
I imagine the results would be about the same for rock-paper-scissors.
What would happen if someone at Nullsoft "accidentally" leaked the code, DeCSS-style? I'm sure the code would propagate faster than the corporates could issue lawsuits, and "inspired" clones would pop up in no time. But I'm sure nullsoft would be held accountable in the courts, and nobody there wants to lose their job...
Why just three letters? TLDs should provide some layer of classification (i.e. ".microsoft" shouldn't be a TLD), but there's no arbitrary limit on length. Or is there?
I am not required to listen to what every freak on the street has to say.
And you don't have to read spam, either. But within reasonable parameters, companies are allowed to send it to you.
"I hold it to be the inalienable right of anybody to go to hell in his own way." -Robert Frost
is that in the business world, we vote with our dollars.
... if they'd offered me an insane deal on a really cool product, I'd at least consider it.
If Sony did decide to send out spam, they could probably spam a hundred thousand or so people people for a nominal cost (the benefit of spam). Provided that they don't rely exclusively on spam to generate business, your "dollar vote" means nothing to them.
Also, they'd stand a better chance of getting away with it. I doubt the spam cops would really want to squabble with a multibillion dollar corp. over a first ammendment issue.
As for people who would otherwise buy Sony products, but don't after receiving spam -- I'm sure that their numbers pale when compared to those who actually do take the bait. I mean, hey
Apex seems almost bootleg -- I mean, why the secrecy?
The image is not a rendered. It's hand-drawn. Airbrushed, probably in Photoshop. The difference between the gradient on the battery cover and the rest of the casing is a dead giveaway.
What's more, on the pull out wand the light reflection is perfectly paralell along the long axis of the wand.
Yes, it's a linear gradient. Select rectangular region, apply gradient, shape with eraser, and tweak with airbrush.
If gravity did propagate faster than light, you could send a signal faster than light (I move a heavy object, and another object across the galaxy feels a change in gravitational pull -- a weak but undeniable signal).
If there isn't pressure on patent readers to process more patents, patents will become harder to obtain. Granted, some of the more bogus patents will be rejected -- but as competition increases for patent grants, the little guy might not be able to invest the time and effort necessary to compete with big corporations.
He's not all that snobby, at least according to people I've talked with who know him.
He drives an old car, lives in a modest house, and his office boasts a ratty chair and a desk made from a door.
Granted, he's richer than God -- but that alone doesn't make a person snobby. Consider what the man actually says.
DNA sequences are patented even though the patenter has no idea what the sequence does.
Sort of. Patenters have to provide some explanation of what it does, and a specific description of its application. But they can be pretty vauge, and even incorrect from time to time -- patent examiners have no clue what they're reading.
For example, CCR5 and CXCCR4, genes that code for chemotactic receptors targetted by HIV, were both granted patents a few days ago. The patent specifically describes how the receptors interact with chemotactic factors, but barely mentions HIV. Still, any anti-AIDS drugs that blocks CCR binding will still be subject to the patent.
..and we've all seen the videos where an F-14 fails to take off from a carrier, crashing into the ocean beyond the runway. $40 million a pop makes $750,000 fluke look pretty insignificant.
Judging from the media attention this has garnered, I don't think NASA has a habit of throwing away million-dollar toys. Except for the Mars Lander...
I remember seeing a TV bit on this.
Someone showed the film to Lucas -- he laughed himself silly and I believe he offered the guys jobs at ILM.
Even if it had made direct references to Star Wars, I seriously doubt it would be pursued.
Nah.... gorilla.bas rulez.
Didn't Bill Gates write that?
I was under the impression that some space shuttle orbits were occasionally beyond 25,000 miles. Doesn't the shuttle deploy geostationary satellites from time to time, requiring a much higher orbit?
Very sobering article. I was especially annoyed at the whole "checked out" count. Their lame-ass format is bad enough -- now they have to monitor use...
r
It's not red tape... it's economics.
DSL really can't be supported beyond a 5 or 6 mile radius from the nearest "upgraded" switching station, since quality (manifested as speed) decreases with distance. According to U S WEST, the cost of upgrading the stations simply isn't justified in rural/fringe areas. They polled a number of residents some time back and asked whether they would be willing to pay a little more for DSL access in order to equate the costs. An overwhelming majority said no.
If you live in a densely-populated area, then I'm sure they're on the way.
Could an algorithm/mathematical relationship be protected under GPL? When software is GPL'd, it does prevent other companies from patenting it for profit (though I don't know if this requirement has been tested in court..)
It's nice that the PCR guys have decided to be fair with their patent. Unfortunately, the patent process doesn't mandate fairness from anyone.
I believe the same company also owns the patent for TAQ-Gold polymerase (far more effective in replication), and charge a hefty penny for the protein...even though it costs them the same amount to produce.