I have always said that being an engineer (Programmer) is less about what you know and more about knowing how to look it up. I have been a system engineer for going on 20 years now and I still look up 90% of the stuff I do. I could muddle through many of the tasks but why would you do that when I can look it up, get it done faster and have a higher chance of success?
I think you really hit the nail on the head with this testing people in isolation thing. It doesn't tell you anything about how well they work in groups, how quickly they can get through reference material (I would suggest that looking it up is my sharpest skill), thus not really telling you anything about problem solving in the real world. Testing doesn't show you anything, the worst engineers I have ever worked with had a list of certs as long as my arm. The best ones didn't have a cert or degree or anything.
It's a food scientist writing a blog about the food science work they do. As long as it was marked as paid content space I don't know what the big deal is. Hell even if it was not, it's just a blog page from a legitimate scientist doing legitimate work that millions of people enjoy every day. Would it been a problem if this scientist had written this blog and not paid for the space? Honestly people need to get over themselves, they might not like Pepsi but he is still doing science.
I have said for a long time that console manufactures are to short sighted with the hardware they develop and release. Sony and Microsoft have hardware platforms that are capable of so much more with very simple editions to the software and/or hardware that would allow them to replace many functions people use 3rd party hardware for today. A PlayStation or Xbox with a couple of TV tuner card slots, wired/wireless keyboard, mice and joysticks, a very large HDD and the ability to run apps from a 'open' market place would allow for people to get one machine that replaces the family desktop, DVR, cable box, and be a gaming machine. Add a DVI port and you can just as easily put it on your desk for office work like a standard PC (MS could offer Office Suite on theirs) making it more capable that many low end desktops for about the same price.
I feel like Sony and MS really have missed the market they could take with these things. Sure it's not Activision's goal exactly, but if MS and Sony had really pushed their hardware platforms they might have taken the market share from PC manufactures for most home sales, leaving the two of them the dominate platforms. Allowing TIVO and the cable companies to keep the DVR, and desktop manufactures to be the domain of the keyboard, mouse and productivity apps really leaves them as nothing more than a expensive toy for gamers, where having it all would be a cheap alternative for people that want a DVR and cheap low end home PC, getting the gaming platform would be a bonus but it will lead to more game sales.
The survey was mostly Mac only users. Is that because mostly only Mac lovers are buying the ipad or something else?
In the end the only meaningful result from this survey is that Apple has fanboys that just repeat talking points back into the phone when answering surveys. This is not to say that the ipad is a good or bad product, just that the survey is worthless.
seems to me most people buy laptops because they think that's what they need. Then they just sit on their desk all day every day. People also don't seem to get (As this bit shows) that you don't have to put your desktop on your desk. I have one in my bedroom as a media center machine but also do all kinds of work on it while laying in bed (Monitor arms are great). The machine cost me far less than a laptop and I can fix it if it breaks.
US Sues Oracle Over Alleged Overcharging? Allegedly? Really? Have you seen the price for their software? They always overcharge, nothing they sell is worth the money. Over charge is the sticker price.
I realize the govt is upset because they where charged more than the sticker price, but they should have turned their nose up when they saw the sticker.
People are mad at Apple or ATT about this but there is no one to be mad at but yourself honestly. You bought a locked in proprietary device from a manufacturer, that can only be used on one network. Anyone that had thought past the 'but apple is kewl' part of this would have never picked up the netbook that doesn't come with a keyboard, a stand, USB, card slot or even enough storage to store half your photos, or music.
That's a good point, if you only have 50 employees exchange/outlook might be a little over the top. However if you have 500+ employees most companies find having something easy to use, reliable, supportable, and more feature complete than anything else you can get it cheaper than not getting it.
BTW, exchange has a bunch of price points too. Smaller business can get smaller group licensing deals and pay much less than $25 per seat per year.
So your suggestion that everyone learn three or four new apps each of which do only part of what Outlook does, have to move data manually between those apps, and have limited to no way to transfer that data to other users within the apps. That sounds like a great idea.
The 'larger financial company' that I work for has 4 exchange admins. That's right around 1 exchange admin for every 50,000 users. We have not had an exchange outage in like 9 years and then it was only for a few hours. (and then it was a bug in exchange client not exchange server that caused the issue).
There really is a reason most companies use outlook/exchange. It might be hard for you to see from a individual users level or even an engineers level (That doesn't deal with email) but there is no good alternatives, nothing that is enterprise ready that's 100% for sure, and nothing that is as easy for end users, easy for admins and as cheap in total costs as the Exchange/outlook combo.
You might not like MS and I know I have my issues with them, but your picking on the wrong product here.
Call me when that market share is based on something a little less transitory. Ipads are going to end up being a bust for all the same reasons all other tablets are a bust. The iphone will continue to make money and do well, but it's market over dominance is coming to an end with Android and the like. Once the novelty of these devices wanes and the 'hippness' of Apple beings to fall people will realize they are overpriced and under perform. Apple has done great before, and they always fail in the follow up.
I really think the above is normally pretty bad advice. Being friendly, talking to people in the hall for a minute, eating lunch with your team are all good things that most people will enjoy and like about you. Being cold and distant only erodes moral and espree de corps which does not look good to your boss and will look even less good when your team reviews at the end of the year say "Not a team player", "Unfriendly", "Cold and Unapproachable".
Just be clean, be nice, and get your work done and you will do fine. There are a thousand other things to remember, Don't gossip negativity about others, but feel free to gossip positively about people, Help those in trouble, be quick to forgive a mistake, always try to avoid getting anyone in trouble, Volunteer for the work no one else wants to do if you can. Etc etc etc, but mostly it boils down to be clean, be nice and get your work done.
My company did the same thing. Well except they gave us all laptops to use. Tell them it's fine, but if you want me to work at home you have to give me a laptop. If they refuse, just stop doing that work at home.
Re:Can't use it in MD
on
Life Recorder
·
· Score: 4, Informative
Sure you can. In MD they use security camera's all the time. In fact I have seen hidden security cameras in MD. The only time consent for taking your picture or recording is necessary is when one or more parties have assumed privacy. IE in there own home, on the phone, etc. Once you are in public is doesn't matter.
Consent BTW doesn't have to be in writing either. If the camera is obvious that's good enough.
Doesn't have to be that big
on
Life Recorder
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
It doesn't need to have that much space. Anything over a day is more than enough for now, sure as storage and power gets smaller and cheaper having days,weeks,months or years will happen, but I think we will start to see them before they get all the way to a year at a time.
Oh and when are we going to make the cops wear them? Can we start doing that now? As we know cops are involved with more violence per capita than any other group of citizens annually, year after year. (With the exception of maybe solders)
It's up the the seller to make sure that the item is listed correctly. If Amazon failed to note that it was different from the other units it had sold before, that is it's bad and it need to pay. Sony changed the product, they didn't list it on Amazon.
The idea behind those laws are not about protecting the company, it's about protecting the consumer and investor in that company. They are designed to give the same protection to the little investor, or individual customer the company doesn't care about as the big guy the company could have trouble with if they piss off.
I know that these laws don't always work that way, but to say they don't help protect the company is like saying that life boats aren't worth anything because don't help people trapped in the desert. It the boat doesn't help people at sea then it's worthless and we should do something about it. I don't care if Murder being a crime doesn't help against rape, I still want it to be a crime.
to big to fit in pocket, to small for laptop
on
Apple iPad Reviewed
·
· Score: 1
Have they made it so it fit in your pocket?
No. Then I don't want one. If I am going to have to carry a bag around to put my device in I am going to carry a netbook or laptop. I don't know why anyone would give us RAM, keyboard, HDD space, multitasking, plus plus plus, but to carry the ipad.
Yes, No and No. Yes because I want to do other stuff with my TV, no and No because I don't want to do anything but 'cook' and clean with the oven and dishwasher.
Would you complain if you got a car and then found out that while it's bigger, it can't carry two passengers like the smaller cheaper car you used to have?
Just because you never make anything and don't ever solve a real world problem doesn't mean you didn't invent something. If I design something that does something in a new way or does something not done before I have invented something. Even if I take that design and lock it away in a draw for all time, I still invented it. You might not like thier business model, you might not like what they do to IP, but to say the never invented anything just because they don't make anything is a pretty narrow view of invention yourself.
All the desktop machines I have have them, including the ultra-cheap large buyer business workstation that I have floating around. Desktop might take up a little more room, but they are more efficient and cost less.
All of them are going to fail until you can put them in your pocket. Honestly if I have to have a bag to carry it around why would I want something that doesn't do everything a netbook/notebook would do?
Once they perfect fold out screens we will see more tablet like applications on phones, not on stand alone tablets at all. They are going to just make the screen bigger, the CPU more powerful, and add storage to your phone. Eventually that phone with it's fold out keyboard and fold out screen will eat the netbook/notebook market as well. I think the 'PC' will have better long legs after that, but eventually the PC market will be eaten up by phone as well.
The 360 needs two cable card readers and the ability to plug in HUGE USB storage devices (1tb HHDs for example). Two cable card readers in the thing and people would start to wonder why they would by a stand alone DVR at all. The 360 has always been just one or two upgrades away from being the perfect home entertainment center. I think the only thing left is cablecard readers and USG mass storage.
so the downfall really begins. When as a company you realize that the only way you are going to survive is to sue those that compete with you out of business, you are on the way out. If like the Music Business, Hollywood and now Apple, you have a huge amounts of money and a large eager fan base you might pull it out for awhile, but unless you 'think different' you are on the way out.
I think MS might be on the same ride, the major difference between MS and the others is the number of profitable areas it has (Consumer electronics, Office software, operating systems, business systems, consumer application market, gaming, etc, etc). unlike the others that are very highly focused. Apple only makes consumer electronics an some software to support it, Hollywood and the Music industry only make the one product each (expect the parent companies to make it though as they are mostly more like MS) This might allow MS to survive the death of one or more core market areas in the long run (Like Sony could survive the loss of BMG).
Slashdot Mirror
I have always said that being an engineer (Programmer) is less about what you know and more about knowing how to look it up. I have been a system engineer for going on 20 years now and I still look up 90% of the stuff I do. I could muddle through many of the tasks but why would you do that when I can look it up, get it done faster and have a higher chance of success? I think you really hit the nail on the head with this testing people in isolation thing. It doesn't tell you anything about how well they work in groups, how quickly they can get through reference material (I would suggest that looking it up is my sharpest skill), thus not really telling you anything about problem solving in the real world. Testing doesn't show you anything, the worst engineers I have ever worked with had a list of certs as long as my arm. The best ones didn't have a cert or degree or anything.
It's a food scientist writing a blog about the food science work they do. As long as it was marked as paid content space I don't know what the big deal is. Hell even if it was not, it's just a blog page from a legitimate scientist doing legitimate work that millions of people enjoy every day. Would it been a problem if this scientist had written this blog and not paid for the space? Honestly people need to get over themselves, they might not like Pepsi but he is still doing science.
I have said for a long time that console manufactures are to short sighted with the hardware they develop and release. Sony and Microsoft have hardware platforms that are capable of so much more with very simple editions to the software and/or hardware that would allow them to replace many functions people use 3rd party hardware for today. A PlayStation or Xbox with a couple of TV tuner card slots, wired/wireless keyboard, mice and joysticks, a very large HDD and the ability to run apps from a 'open' market place would allow for people to get one machine that replaces the family desktop, DVR, cable box, and be a gaming machine. Add a DVI port and you can just as easily put it on your desk for office work like a standard PC (MS could offer Office Suite on theirs) making it more capable that many low end desktops for about the same price. I feel like Sony and MS really have missed the market they could take with these things. Sure it's not Activision's goal exactly, but if MS and Sony had really pushed their hardware platforms they might have taken the market share from PC manufactures for most home sales, leaving the two of them the dominate platforms. Allowing TIVO and the cable companies to keep the DVR, and desktop manufactures to be the domain of the keyboard, mouse and productivity apps really leaves them as nothing more than a expensive toy for gamers, where having it all would be a cheap alternative for people that want a DVR and cheap low end home PC, getting the gaming platform would be a bonus but it will lead to more game sales.
The survey was mostly Mac only users. Is that because mostly only Mac lovers are buying the ipad or something else? In the end the only meaningful result from this survey is that Apple has fanboys that just repeat talking points back into the phone when answering surveys. This is not to say that the ipad is a good or bad product, just that the survey is worthless.
seems to me most people buy laptops because they think that's what they need. Then they just sit on their desk all day every day. People also don't seem to get (As this bit shows) that you don't have to put your desktop on your desk. I have one in my bedroom as a media center machine but also do all kinds of work on it while laying in bed (Monitor arms are great). The machine cost me far less than a laptop and I can fix it if it breaks.
My question is what percentage of gun murders (As she puts it) are committed with a legal firearm used by the registered owner?
US Sues Oracle Over Alleged Overcharging? Allegedly? Really? Have you seen the price for their software? They always overcharge, nothing they sell is worth the money. Over charge is the sticker price. I realize the govt is upset because they where charged more than the sticker price, but they should have turned their nose up when they saw the sticker.
People are mad at Apple or ATT about this but there is no one to be mad at but yourself honestly. You bought a locked in proprietary device from a manufacturer, that can only be used on one network. Anyone that had thought past the 'but apple is kewl' part of this would have never picked up the netbook that doesn't come with a keyboard, a stand, USB, card slot or even enough storage to store half your photos, or music.
I got an idea, stop developing for a company that treats developers like they are the source of all the evil in the world. Easy as that...:)
That's a good point, if you only have 50 employees exchange/outlook might be a little over the top. However if you have 500+ employees most companies find having something easy to use, reliable, supportable, and more feature complete than anything else you can get it cheaper than not getting it. BTW, exchange has a bunch of price points too. Smaller business can get smaller group licensing deals and pay much less than $25 per seat per year.
So your suggestion that everyone learn three or four new apps each of which do only part of what Outlook does, have to move data manually between those apps, and have limited to no way to transfer that data to other users within the apps. That sounds like a great idea. The 'larger financial company' that I work for has 4 exchange admins. That's right around 1 exchange admin for every 50,000 users. We have not had an exchange outage in like 9 years and then it was only for a few hours. (and then it was a bug in exchange client not exchange server that caused the issue). There really is a reason most companies use outlook/exchange. It might be hard for you to see from a individual users level or even an engineers level (That doesn't deal with email) but there is no good alternatives, nothing that is enterprise ready that's 100% for sure, and nothing that is as easy for end users, easy for admins and as cheap in total costs as the Exchange/outlook combo. You might not like MS and I know I have my issues with them, but your picking on the wrong product here.
Call me when that market share is based on something a little less transitory. Ipads are going to end up being a bust for all the same reasons all other tablets are a bust. The iphone will continue to make money and do well, but it's market over dominance is coming to an end with Android and the like. Once the novelty of these devices wanes and the 'hippness' of Apple beings to fall people will realize they are overpriced and under perform. Apple has done great before, and they always fail in the follow up.
I really think the above is normally pretty bad advice. Being friendly, talking to people in the hall for a minute, eating lunch with your team are all good things that most people will enjoy and like about you. Being cold and distant only erodes moral and espree de corps which does not look good to your boss and will look even less good when your team reviews at the end of the year say "Not a team player", "Unfriendly", "Cold and Unapproachable". Just be clean, be nice, and get your work done and you will do fine. There are a thousand other things to remember, Don't gossip negativity about others, but feel free to gossip positively about people, Help those in trouble, be quick to forgive a mistake, always try to avoid getting anyone in trouble, Volunteer for the work no one else wants to do if you can. Etc etc etc, but mostly it boils down to be clean, be nice and get your work done.
My company did the same thing. Well except they gave us all laptops to use. Tell them it's fine, but if you want me to work at home you have to give me a laptop. If they refuse, just stop doing that work at home.
Sure you can. In MD they use security camera's all the time. In fact I have seen hidden security cameras in MD. The only time consent for taking your picture or recording is necessary is when one or more parties have assumed privacy. IE in there own home, on the phone, etc. Once you are in public is doesn't matter. Consent BTW doesn't have to be in writing either. If the camera is obvious that's good enough.
It doesn't need to have that much space. Anything over a day is more than enough for now, sure as storage and power gets smaller and cheaper having days,weeks,months or years will happen, but I think we will start to see them before they get all the way to a year at a time. Oh and when are we going to make the cops wear them? Can we start doing that now? As we know cops are involved with more violence per capita than any other group of citizens annually, year after year. (With the exception of maybe solders)
It's up the the seller to make sure that the item is listed correctly. If Amazon failed to note that it was different from the other units it had sold before, that is it's bad and it need to pay. Sony changed the product, they didn't list it on Amazon.
The idea behind those laws are not about protecting the company, it's about protecting the consumer and investor in that company. They are designed to give the same protection to the little investor, or individual customer the company doesn't care about as the big guy the company could have trouble with if they piss off. I know that these laws don't always work that way, but to say they don't help protect the company is like saying that life boats aren't worth anything because don't help people trapped in the desert. It the boat doesn't help people at sea then it's worthless and we should do something about it. I don't care if Murder being a crime doesn't help against rape, I still want it to be a crime.
Have they made it so it fit in your pocket? No. Then I don't want one. If I am going to have to carry a bag around to put my device in I am going to carry a netbook or laptop. I don't know why anyone would give us RAM, keyboard, HDD space, multitasking, plus plus plus, but to carry the ipad.
Yes, No and No. Yes because I want to do other stuff with my TV, no and No because I don't want to do anything but 'cook' and clean with the oven and dishwasher. Would you complain if you got a car and then found out that while it's bigger, it can't carry two passengers like the smaller cheaper car you used to have?
Just because you never make anything and don't ever solve a real world problem doesn't mean you didn't invent something. If I design something that does something in a new way or does something not done before I have invented something. Even if I take that design and lock it away in a draw for all time, I still invented it. You might not like thier business model, you might not like what they do to IP, but to say the never invented anything just because they don't make anything is a pretty narrow view of invention yourself.
All the desktop machines I have have them, including the ultra-cheap large buyer business workstation that I have floating around. Desktop might take up a little more room, but they are more efficient and cost less.
All of them are going to fail until you can put them in your pocket. Honestly if I have to have a bag to carry it around why would I want something that doesn't do everything a netbook/notebook would do? Once they perfect fold out screens we will see more tablet like applications on phones, not on stand alone tablets at all. They are going to just make the screen bigger, the CPU more powerful, and add storage to your phone. Eventually that phone with it's fold out keyboard and fold out screen will eat the netbook/notebook market as well. I think the 'PC' will have better long legs after that, but eventually the PC market will be eaten up by phone as well.
The 360 needs two cable card readers and the ability to plug in HUGE USB storage devices (1tb HHDs for example). Two cable card readers in the thing and people would start to wonder why they would by a stand alone DVR at all. The 360 has always been just one or two upgrades away from being the perfect home entertainment center. I think the only thing left is cablecard readers and USG mass storage.
so the downfall really begins. When as a company you realize that the only way you are going to survive is to sue those that compete with you out of business, you are on the way out. If like the Music Business, Hollywood and now Apple, you have a huge amounts of money and a large eager fan base you might pull it out for awhile, but unless you 'think different' you are on the way out. I think MS might be on the same ride, the major difference between MS and the others is the number of profitable areas it has (Consumer electronics, Office software, operating systems, business systems, consumer application market, gaming, etc, etc). unlike the others that are very highly focused. Apple only makes consumer electronics an some software to support it, Hollywood and the Music industry only make the one product each (expect the parent companies to make it though as they are mostly more like MS) This might allow MS to survive the death of one or more core market areas in the long run (Like Sony could survive the loss of BMG).