First, they changed the EULA when this stuff started happening. People were getting CueCats, and tinkering with them, and posting their findings. DC went apeshit, and modified their EULA to say "Well, we really didn't give it to you. It's on LOAN to you, and we can take it back whenever we please."
That doesn't work either. I dare them to try to "recall" my scanner. I have a legitimate receipt of purchase from Radio Shack that clearly lists the CueCat Scanner, as well as a barcoded catalog. Everyone should have gotten one of these receipts. The purchase price is $0.00, but so what? It's still a legal purchase, and I have my receipt to prove it. So if DC claims that these scanners are on LOAN, that would mean that Radio Shack is dealing in stolen merchandise.
Sounds like DC should be butting heads with Radio Shack's lawyers, and not the end users.
What I find disappointing about Slashdot lately, is of the stories that get posted, very few are the quality of "Slashdot-3-years-ago" material.
Back then, I'd read something on Slashdot that didn't make news anywhere else for at LEAST a day, and the stories were *interesting.*
These days, stories get repeated, and are usually covered elsewhere A) more in-depth, B) more accurate, and C) earlier.
Plus, redundant stories get posted, and potentially good stories are left out. Take some of my own submissions:
2000-07-06 16:24:29 Microsoft SQL Server Benchmarks withdrawn (articles,microsoft) (rejected)
2000-08-16 01:14:50 Caffeine added to Soda to create addiction? (articles,news) (rejected)
2000-09-25 17:45:31 Data Loss when shutting down Windows ME, possibly 98 (articles,microsoft) (rejected)
2000-09-27 19:15:09 Suspected Creator of 'ILOVEYOU' Chats Online (articles,news) (rejected)
Some of these topics are things that Slashdot readers would want to read about, but were ignored AND not covered at all!
People can easily say "Well, go to another site! Stop Complaining!" or, "If you can do a better job, make your OWN site! Stop complaining!" If I had the time and the resources to start my own site, I would. And the reason I don't trounce around other sites is because Slashdot compresses them all into one site.
If I didn't try to help, I wouldn't complain. But I *am* submitting cool stories. They're just getting passed over for redundant stuff like this.
I used to defend Slashdot against complaints like this....unfortunately now, they're actually substantiated.
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
Re:Humor and sanity . . .
on
3D Printers
·
· Score: 3
Couldn't I just scan in some copyrighted mechanical widget and then people could print it out? How many industries will be impact by the ability to print out material at home?"
This takes piracy to a whole new level.
"HE PIRATED MY LIGHTSWITCH PLATE."
Or if a company used these things to make spare parts, and charged for the instructions....what's to stop you from giving those instructions to someone who needs it? We'll have a whole new DeCSS-like fiasco, but with hardware. Scary.
This technology is nothing new, but amazing nonetheless.
I was watching the Discovery Channel one night, and they had a show about this stuff. Basically, you have a tank of clear polymer. Computer controlled lasers are used to fire beams at the polymer. When the laser beam hits the liquid, it solidifies. They construct items millimeter by millimeter. As one layer is solidified, the bottom of the vat drops down slightly, and the next layer is constructed.
I watched them build a little mini-model of the Space Shuttle using this. (They sped up the photography, and it was facinating to watch.)
Imagine having this hooked up to a computer. You can "print out" physical objects! Use their example, say, a spare part for your dishwasher. An 'L' pipe connector for instance. Your L connector break? Go to www.maytag.com, download the instructions for your 3D printer to construct a new part! Manufacturer's construction costs are eliminated!
Oh yeah, the same agency that brought us the Mir#!@Piece of Junk*?space station.
If you weren't as ignorant as the rest of the sheep, you would know that Mir is in bad shape because it's been up there for more than double it's intended lifespan.
It was launched in February of '86, and was designed for six years of use. Considering it's been hanging there for 14 years, I'd say it's in pretty damn GOOD shape.
Looks like Nintendo finally gave in, and switched to an optical format. Back when the Nintendo 64 was still in early development (waaay back when it was called "Project Reality"), speculation was running rampant about how Nintendo just might stick with cartridges, and not switch to CD-based formats.
Nintendo announced that they were indeed continuing with the Cartridge trend, to the suprise of many. They stated that the CD-ROM format "does not include enough interactivity."
Looks like they've reversed their position. CDs are much cheaper to manufacture, much cheaper to package, and can hold a lot more information than a cartridge. (If you notice, it appears the CD size isn't standard. It doesn't look quite as big as a regular CD, but it doesn't look quite as small as one of the Mini-CDs that your CD-ROM tray still supports. I'm guessing that this format is either a "new" CD size, or it is in fact one of the Mini-CDs.)
You must have Javascript enabled to see what's happening here. You must be 18 months of age or older...
Hmmm, I definitely qualify for the age requirement, considering I'm 257 months of age.
Plus, we get the awesome warning from CmdrTaco, too:
(warning! Over 18 and over!)
Whee! Reminds me of Airplane!
Man: "Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet your Captain. Captain Over."
Clarence: "Gentlemen, welcome aboard."
Man: "Captain, your navigator Mr Unger and your first officer Mr Dunn."
www.networksloutions.com - which redirects to http://www.networksolutiond.com/, and provides a link to http://www.networksolutions.com/
You can probably come up with a LOT more than this list, just by entering misspelled domain names. Hell, it worked for me, and this is probably just a tiny sample of what's out there.
Oh my god, I have an old Gandalf ISDN modem sitting in my closet somewhere. I bought it for $3.00, and only because I like the LCD screen's diagnostics.
Would you really want to put your child through that kind of torment? Having a name like "static byte csstab1[256]" "The Other Kids(tm) would have a field day making fun of your child, and all because you had to come up with an idiotic way of distributing the source code. Find a smarter way of doing it.
(It's inefficient anyway - it's not feasible to have the entire source code as your kid's name, and "selected parts" would be useless.)
I'm REALLY hoping this is a troll. If it's not, here's hoping your child is strong enough to remain sane because his parents decided to name him something like "lfsr0 = ((im[4] >8)&0xff] >16)&0xff]>24)&0xff];"
Come on, Slashdot Staff! You've got clout! Instead of posting an "Ask Slashdot" article (Which, most of the answers would be speculation anyway...), why not call up Intervideo and ask them directly?
Or ask for an interview! Get one of the high-ranking officials on the horn, and field some questions! If you call them up, and they say "A representative from Slashdot is on the phone", I doubt they'll blow you off. If they do, that adds fuel to our side of the argument. "They keep delaying the release, they pulled information from their pages, and they refused an interview." That would say a lot right there.
On the other hand, if they ACCEPT the interview, we'd get some answers as to what's going on.
I'm sorry, but posting this as an "Ask Slashdot" piece seems like a lazy way out. We'd get no answers to the question that can be held as proof - merely speculation as to what "Might have happened." (Unless an Interview Employee replies, but that's not very interactive/informative.)
..Napster's usage has quadrupled... it stands among the fastest growing software apps ever.
You know why? All the publicity it's been getting has sparked the curiosity of millions of people, and millions of these millions are saying "Woah! Free Music!"
And since the record industry sold more CDs then ever last year, that of course proves what all these lawsuits are about *cough*.
That proves nothing. Ground Beef sales are up, because more people are buying skillets. Sure, they're related but not necessarily proportional.
"The notion of copyright was not invented by artists to protect themselves from honest individuals sharing their enthusiasm about their work," he writes. "It was invented by artists to protect themselves from dishonest and hypocritical individuals and companies exploiting their work without their consent." - Prince (The artist formerly known as 'The Artist', now known as 'Prince'), from this ABCNews Article
While I don't view Napster in the same light that Prince does, he makes an excellent point about copyright.
Unfortunately, Napster is raping that copyright from the artists. Don't tell me that all Napster users preview their music before they buy it. That excuse was invented by the company's founder, and people trying to justify stealing. No matter how much you argue to the contrary, you know DAMN well that most Napster users are using it to get free music. (I will admit, there are some users on there who DO sample music before buying. Don't label me one, though. I don't use Napster, and I've only SEEN it used once. If I like a song on the radio, I'll buy the CD - Single, or Album.)
The problem was that nasty resellers (like CompUSA) would grind the original markings off the faceplates and mark it up one jump...
Disclaimer: I worked for CompUSA for over a year. I don't work for them anymore. I didn't hate my job, but I didn't adore it either. I was a Business Sales Representative, made obsolete by the centralization of corporate accounts in Dallas.
Now, I'm going to defend CompUSA against your ignorant accusations. (By the way, where did you learn that CompUSA does this?)
1: CompUSA advertises a computer, let's say a Hewlett Packard Pavilion 8775C.
2: The model number of the HP designates the specifications of the computer. In this case, the 8775C has a Pentium III 933 MHz processor. It's shipped to CompUSA in a sealed box directly from HP's distribution channels.
3: Now, if CompUSA (Or any other large retail chain for that matter) were to get this shipment of 8775C computers, and wanted to overclock them, they'd have to crack open EVERY BOX, Pull out the processor, "grind the original markings off the faceplates", overclock the machine, replace the processor, and re-seal the box.
4: What do you think will happen if you see an 8775C advertised as a 1 GHz computer? Not everyone will catch it, but SOMEONE will. And that would cause problems for CompUSA.
You'd have to be a complete idiot to think this is actually what happens. Also, if you're referring to individually packaged processors, you're wrong there as well. CompUSA doesn't regularly keep processors in stock, as they're "Special Order" items. These are ordered from distribution centers, and what you ask for when you place the order is what you get when the order comes in. No remarking, no grinding, nothing.
Don't you think that if a huge chain like CompUSA was doing this (and somehow you found out about it), they'd have a tremendous problem on their hands? The answer is: THEY WOULD! But since they're not doing what you claim, they're not in trouble.
Now, if the MANUFACTURER of that computer was remarking the chips, THAT'S a different story.
"What the hell happens if you stop REAL short, and crash?"
Judging by the pics, the following sequence would be likely:
1.) Bike hits large pothole, front wheel descends and stops.
2.) Rider is thrown over the handlebars, pulling the Palm Pilot forward, breaking the dock and yanking it off the bar. (If the rider somehow clears the Palm Pilot, the handlebars hitting the ground will tear it off anyway.)
3.) The weight of the rear will cause it to swing forward to the right or left, falling on the rider and probably injuring him, as well as the motor, and LAN components.
4.) Bike comes to a rest on the rider, with pieces of plastic strewn around the wreck site. A very hurt, and very pissed off rider stumbles to his feet, surveys the damage, and wonders why the hell he put computer equipment on a Bicycle.
5.) Rider cries.
You'd think that if there were some sort of attempt to track scans vs consumer they'd be a little more attentive about getting, like, my name, or something.
Um, that's because it's not Radio Shack's responsibility. You give your personal information when you install the software.
20 Years ago, someone who didn't go to College (or quit) wouldn't go far. Anyone who DID was considered rare.
The trend has reversed. Companies have started to recognize people for qualities OTHER than a college education. They're starting to realize that College isn't that big a deal. If you know something, who says you must have a document proving it? That's what a resume is for.
I speak from experience when I say a College education isn't a big necessity. I got a really good job in Information Security. My recorded education? High School Diploma. Sure, I went to college for a little while - but I went to college for "Interactive Media", meaning 3D Graphics, Design, and animation. I quit before I got any kind of degree, and got a good job in a totally different field doing something I really enjoy.
My classes in College didn't help me, except in the fact that I learned some things that I didn't know before. I learned 3D Studio MAX, Macromedia Director, Flash, and lots of other cool stuff. What do those have to do with my current work? Nothing. My company hired me based on my knowledge presented in my resume and during my interview, and my personality.
I'm not disuading anyone from GOING to college, mind you. In fact, I recommend it if you know what you want to do with life. But I decided late that Interactive Media wasn't what I wanted to do, and I wasted that tuition money to do it. And on top of that, I got a job that I enjoy - without college to back it up.
If you can swing that, go for it. Tuition rates aren't going anywhere but up, so if you can save that money - do it.
Slashdot Mirror
Why?
First, they changed the EULA when this stuff started happening. People were getting CueCats, and tinkering with them, and posting their findings. DC went apeshit, and modified their EULA to say "Well, we really didn't give it to you. It's on LOAN to you, and we can take it back whenever we please."
That doesn't work either. I dare them to try to "recall" my scanner. I have a legitimate receipt of purchase from Radio Shack that clearly lists the CueCat Scanner, as well as a barcoded catalog. Everyone should have gotten one of these receipts. The purchase price is $0.00, but so what? It's still a legal purchase, and I have my receipt to prove it. So if DC claims that these scanners are on LOAN, that would mean that Radio Shack is dealing in stolen merchandise.
Sounds like DC should be butting heads with Radio Shack's lawyers, and not the end users.
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
Back then, I'd read something on Slashdot that didn't make news anywhere else for at LEAST a day, and the stories were *interesting.*
These days, stories get repeated, and are usually covered elsewhere A) more in-depth, B) more accurate, and C) earlier.
Plus, redundant stories get posted, and potentially good stories are left out. Take some of my own submissions:
2000-07-06 16:24:29 Microsoft SQL Server Benchmarks withdrawn (articles,microsoft) (rejected)
2000-08-16 01:14:50 Caffeine added to Soda to create addiction? (articles,news) (rejected)
2000-09-25 17:45:31 Data Loss when shutting down Windows ME, possibly 98 (articles,microsoft) (rejected)
2000-09-27 19:15:09 Suspected Creator of 'ILOVEYOU' Chats Online (articles,news) (rejected)
Some of these topics are things that Slashdot readers would want to read about, but were ignored AND not covered at all!
People can easily say "Well, go to another site! Stop Complaining!" or, "If you can do a better job, make your OWN site! Stop complaining!" If I had the time and the resources to start my own site, I would. And the reason I don't trounce around other sites is because Slashdot compresses them all into one site.
If I didn't try to help, I wouldn't complain. But I *am* submitting cool stories. They're just getting passed over for redundant stuff like this.
I used to defend Slashdot against complaints like this....unfortunately now, they're actually substantiated.
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
This takes piracy to a whole new level.
"HE PIRATED MY LIGHTSWITCH PLATE."
Or if a company used these things to make spare parts, and charged for the instructions....what's to stop you from giving those instructions to someone who needs it? We'll have a whole new DeCSS-like fiasco, but with hardware. Scary.
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
I was watching the Discovery Channel one night, and they had a show about this stuff. Basically, you have a tank of clear polymer. Computer controlled lasers are used to fire beams at the polymer. When the laser beam hits the liquid, it solidifies. They construct items millimeter by millimeter. As one layer is solidified, the bottom of the vat drops down slightly, and the next layer is constructed.
I watched them build a little mini-model of the Space Shuttle using this. (They sped up the photography, and it was facinating to watch.)
Imagine having this hooked up to a computer. You can "print out" physical objects! Use their example, say, a spare part for your dishwasher. An 'L' pipe connector for instance. Your L connector break? Go to www.maytag.com, download the instructions for your 3D printer to construct a new part! Manufacturer's construction costs are eliminated!
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
If you weren't as ignorant as the rest of the sheep, you would know that Mir is in bad shape because it's been up there for more than double it's intended lifespan.
It was launched in February of '86, and was designed for six years of use. Considering it's been hanging there for 14 years, I'd say it's in pretty damn GOOD shape.
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
Nintendo announced that they were indeed continuing with the Cartridge trend, to the suprise of many. They stated that the CD-ROM format "does not include enough interactivity."
Looks like they've reversed their position. CDs are much cheaper to manufacture, much cheaper to package, and can hold a lot more information than a cartridge. (If you notice, it appears the CD size isn't standard. It doesn't look quite as big as a regular CD, but it doesn't look quite as small as one of the Mini-CDs that your CD-ROM tray still supports. I'm guessing that this format is either a "new" CD size, or it is in fact one of the Mini-CDs.)
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
Hmmm, I definitely qualify for the age requirement, considering I'm 257 months of age.
Plus, we get the awesome warning from CmdrTaco, too:
(warning! Over 18 and over!)
Whee! Reminds me of Airplane!
Man: "Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet your Captain. Captain Over."
Clarence: "Gentlemen, welcome aboard."
Man: "Captain, your navigator Mr Unger and your first officer Mr Dunn."
Clarence: "Unger."
Unger: "Over."
Dunn: "Over."
Clarence: "Dunn!"
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
www.widnows.com
www.micorsoft.com
www.gooogle.com
www.exciite.com/
www.microsofy.com
www.hotmaik.com
Here's a funny one:
www.netwroksolutions.com
And
www.networksloutions.com - which redirects to http://www.networksolutiond.com/, and provides a link to http://www.networksolutions.com/
You can probably come up with a LOT more than this list, just by entering misspelled domain names. Hell, it worked for me, and this is probably just a tiny sample of what's out there.
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
Also, the big icons are not the default. You are able to change them back to the smaller size!
You're basically stating the obvious, and overstating things that we already know!
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
Hell, if any data gets near the
So is this just a graphical representation of the bit bucket?
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
I thought the purpose of having a small, portable, compact computer was to take it with you!
If the palm weighed 300 pounds, and was the size of a big screen TV, I'd understand.....but come on! Are we too lazy to carry a PALM PILOT?
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
Oh my god, I have an old Gandalf ISDN modem sitting in my closet somewhere. I bought it for $3.00, and only because I like the LCD screen's diagnostics.
WHat's this thing worth?
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
Would you really want to put your child through that kind of torment? Having a name like "static byte csstab1[256]" "The Other Kids(tm) would have a field day making fun of your child, and all because you had to come up with an idiotic way of distributing the source code. Find a smarter way of doing it.
(It's inefficient anyway - it's not feasible to have the entire source code as your kid's name, and "selected parts" would be useless.)
I'm REALLY hoping this is a troll. If it's not, here's hoping your child is strong enough to remain sane because his parents decided to name him something like "lfsr0 = ((im[4] >8)&0xff] >16)&0xff]>24)&0xff];"
You might as well call the kid "Prince".
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
Or ask for an interview! Get one of the high-ranking officials on the horn, and field some questions! If you call them up, and they say "A representative from Slashdot is on the phone", I doubt they'll blow you off. If they do, that adds fuel to our side of the argument. "They keep delaying the release, they pulled information from their pages, and they refused an interview." That would say a lot right there.
On the other hand, if they ACCEPT the interview, we'd get some answers as to what's going on.
I'm sorry, but posting this as an "Ask Slashdot" piece seems like a lazy way out. We'd get no answers to the question that can be held as proof - merely speculation as to what "Might have happened." (Unless an Interview Employee replies, but that's not very interactive/informative.)
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
Go Slackware!
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
You know why? All the publicity it's been getting has sparked the curiosity of millions of people, and millions of these millions are saying "Woah! Free Music!"
And since the record industry sold more CDs then ever last year, that of course proves what all these lawsuits are about *cough*.
That proves nothing. Ground Beef sales are up, because more people are buying skillets. Sure, they're related but not necessarily proportional.
"The notion of copyright was not invented by artists to protect themselves from honest individuals sharing their enthusiasm about their work," he writes. "It was invented by artists to protect themselves from dishonest and hypocritical individuals and companies exploiting their work without their consent." - Prince (The artist formerly known as 'The Artist', now known as 'Prince'), from this ABCNews Article
While I don't view Napster in the same light that Prince does, he makes an excellent point about copyright.
Unfortunately, Napster is raping that copyright from the artists. Don't tell me that all Napster users preview their music before they buy it. That excuse was invented by the company's founder, and people trying to justify stealing. No matter how much you argue to the contrary, you know DAMN well that most Napster users are using it to get free music. (I will admit, there are some users on there who DO sample music before buying. Don't label me one, though. I don't use Napster, and I've only SEEN it used once. If I like a song on the radio, I'll buy the CD - Single, or Album.)
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
Your bank, maybe...FDIC is a good thing, and 7-11 isn't.
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
"PUT YOUR HANDS UP. GET THEM UP!"
Clerk does as he is told.
"Wha-What do you want?"
"GIMME ALL OF YOUR DISPOSABLE DEBIT CARDS! NOW!"
Clerk starts shovelling the cards into a bag.
"Don't you want the cash in the register?"
The Masked intruder shakes his head, and looks puzzled.
"...What?"
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
Disclaimer: I worked for CompUSA for over a year. I don't work for them anymore. I didn't hate my job, but I didn't adore it either. I was a Business Sales Representative, made obsolete by the centralization of corporate accounts in Dallas.
Now, I'm going to defend CompUSA against your ignorant accusations. (By the way, where did you learn that CompUSA does this?)
1: CompUSA advertises a computer, let's say a Hewlett Packard Pavilion 8775C.
2: The model number of the HP designates the specifications of the computer. In this case, the 8775C has a Pentium III 933 MHz processor. It's shipped to CompUSA in a sealed box directly from HP's distribution channels.
3: Now, if CompUSA (Or any other large retail chain for that matter) were to get this shipment of 8775C computers, and wanted to overclock them, they'd have to crack open EVERY BOX, Pull out the processor, "grind the original markings off the faceplates", overclock the machine, replace the processor, and re-seal the box.
4: What do you think will happen if you see an 8775C advertised as a 1 GHz computer? Not everyone will catch it, but SOMEONE will. And that would cause problems for CompUSA.
You'd have to be a complete idiot to think this is actually what happens. Also, if you're referring to individually packaged processors, you're wrong there as well. CompUSA doesn't regularly keep processors in stock, as they're "Special Order" items. These are ordered from distribution centers, and what you ask for when you place the order is what you get when the order comes in. No remarking, no grinding, nothing.
Don't you think that if a huge chain like CompUSA was doing this (and somehow you found out about it), they'd have a tremendous problem on their hands? The answer is: THEY WOULD! But since they're not doing what you claim, they're not in trouble.
Now, if the MANUFACTURER of that computer was remarking the chips, THAT'S a different story.
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
"What the hell happens if you stop REAL short, and crash?"
Judging by the pics, the following sequence would be likely:
1.) Bike hits large pothole, front wheel descends and stops.
2.) Rider is thrown over the handlebars, pulling the Palm Pilot forward, breaking the dock and yanking it off the bar. (If the rider somehow clears the Palm Pilot, the handlebars hitting the ground will tear it off anyway.)
3.) The weight of the rear will cause it to swing forward to the right or left, falling on the rider and probably injuring him, as well as the motor, and LAN components.
4.) Bike comes to a rest on the rider, with pieces of plastic strewn around the wreck site. A very hurt, and very pissed off rider stumbles to his feet, surveys the damage, and wonders why the hell he put computer equipment on a Bicycle.
5.) Rider cries.
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
You'd think that if there were some sort of attempt to track scans vs consumer they'd be a little more attentive about getting, like, my name, or something.
Um, that's because it's not Radio Shack's responsibility. You give your personal information when you install the software.
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
That's a lot of money to spend to get a social life. You can save more than HALF of that just paying people to be your friend.
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
The trend has reversed. Companies have started to recognize people for qualities OTHER than a college education. They're starting to realize that College isn't that big a deal. If you know something, who says you must have a document proving it? That's what a resume is for.
I speak from experience when I say a College education isn't a big necessity. I got a really good job in Information Security. My recorded education? High School Diploma. Sure, I went to college for a little while - but I went to college for "Interactive Media", meaning 3D Graphics, Design, and animation. I quit before I got any kind of degree, and got a good job in a totally different field doing something I really enjoy.
My classes in College didn't help me, except in the fact that I learned some things that I didn't know before. I learned 3D Studio MAX, Macromedia Director, Flash, and lots of other cool stuff. What do those have to do with my current work? Nothing. My company hired me based on my knowledge presented in my resume and during my interview, and my personality.
I'm not disuading anyone from GOING to college, mind you. In fact, I recommend it if you know what you want to do with life. But I decided late that Interactive Media wasn't what I wanted to do, and I wasted that tuition money to do it. And on top of that, I got a job that I enjoy - without college to back it up.
If you can swing that, go for it. Tuition rates aren't going anywhere but up, so if you can save that money - do it.
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?