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User: carlzum

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  1. Re:Horse and buggy companies didn't make it either on The Rise and Fall of Kodak · · Score: 2

    Kodak may have a fighting chance in an "expensive camera, free film" market. Unfortunately for Kodak, it's becoming a free camera, nonexistent film market. The article argues Kodak's problem is worse than the auto or entertainment industries because their core products are still in demand, they just need to adapt.

    Even in hindsight, I'm not sure what they could have done other than using their capital to move into another industry. Digital cameras and picture frames, printers, printing services... they had relative success with many of those technologies and it didn't help. I agree with you, sadly, Kodak is a lost cause.

  2. Re:Why replace? on Ohio Supreme Court Drawn Into Magnetic Homes Case · · Score: 1

    I may be a liar making a guess, but a magnetic field powerful enough to displace a HD head even .0001% would do more than distort TV screens and phone signals. I have a hunch they were struggling to prove monetary loss, and data loss sounded good. "My wedding pictures and valuable business records are gone!"

  3. Re:Ridiculous idea on Volunteer Towns Sought For Nuclear Waste · · Score: 2

    The idea is rational, the only question is if it's practical. I bet lucrative incentives are more cost effective than fighting legal and political opposition. Something like the Alaska Permanent Fund would be very appealing to poor communities. It makes perfect sense to at least explore the idea.

  4. I don't get it on Dice Age — Indie Gaming Project vs. Hollywood · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Products in different industries with no reasonable claim that it may confuse or mislead consumers. Absolutely no attempt to invoke the film's characters, images, or design. The game's title is not even Ice Age, it's a pun for a common phrase which accurately describes the product.

    This isn't even close to copyright/trademark gray area, like parody, fair use, etc. It's simply intimidation and proves we're speeding down the IP-law slippery slope opponents had feared.

  5. Re:Consider projection systems on Today's Lighter TVs Mean Much Less E-Waste · · Score: 1
    Projection systems are becoming more practical, but I wouldn't replace my family room TV just yet. You have an actual movie theater in your home, and that's really cool... only the ultra-rich could afford something like that until now. But you still need a relatively dark room, and maintenance would be expensive with everyday use.

    I'm jealous of your setup. I've seen your photo a few times now and always wish I had the space (and not so lazy) to do the same.

  6. Re:aaaand... on iOS 4.3.4 Prevents Hacking and Jailbreaking · · Score: 1

    I just got an HTC Sensation, and while I don't plan to root it, I like the option. My phone has a signed bootloader, but HTC announced they would unlock it later this year.

  7. Re:Never heard.. on EA Buys Bejeweled-Maker PopCap In Deal Worth Up To $1.3 Billion · · Score: 1

    Bejeweled is similar to Tetris but better because there's only one shape and no rotating. If you match two colored shapes, they're removed and replaced with two more. You continue matching shapes until the monotony becomes unbearable or the device's battery dies.

  8. Re:4 year old? on Playdough For Fun and Profit · · Score: 1

    Not at all. I started doing kitchen experiments with my daughter when she was 3. Once she gets how one conducts and the other doesn't, she'll be able to try different combinations and see how the current moves, degrades, etc. She may not learn the technology, but a four year old's ability to learn through experience is incredible. Don't forget, she learned English in less than two years using observation alone.

    oops... I meant to say, she may not learn the terminology

  9. Re:4 year old? on Playdough For Fun and Profit · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Not at all. I started doing kitchen experiments with my daughter when she was 3. Once she gets how one conducts and the other doesn't, she'll be able to try different combinations and see how the current moves, degrades, etc. She may not learn the technology, but a four year old's ability to learn through experience is incredible. Don't forget, she learned English in less than two years using observation alone.

  10. Re:Blame "Pirates of the Caribbean" on Space Invaders: The Movie · · Score: 2

    I don't know, Pirates of the Caribbean was entertaining because it didn't rehash old characters and plot lines. It's not responsible for the A Team, Transformers, etc. The fact Space Invaders is starting from a blank slate gives it a chance. The moment "let's remake Planet of the Apes" was uttered, it was destined to suck.

    PS: Don't rip on the Chipmunks, my 6 year old's kindergarten will be on you like Muslims on a Danish cartoonist ;)

  11. Re:I hope that.. on PayPal Predicts the End of the Wallet By 2015 · · Score: 1

    I agree, my experience with PayPal support ~2 years ago was very poor. The experience was similar to my futile attempts to reach an actual person for help with google search or Facebook. That level of service may be adequate for "free" services, but not for a company handling financial transactions. PayPal support may be better now, but I'll wait for my trusted credit union to offer mobile payments before I turn to PayPal.

    In my opinion, the death of the wallet will be the death of PayPal and Google Wallet. What value do they offer if banks simply replace debit cards with smart-phone applications?

  12. Re:Silly Americans on Roundabout Revolution Sweeping US · · Score: 2

    Where I grew up in New Jersey, we had "circles" at big intersections. In a state with possibly the least considerate drivers on earth, it worked fine. It confused out of state drivers, but once you grasped the concept of yielding vs. stopping, spontaneous consideration wasn't required. They were replaced by traffic lights in the early 1990s. It's irritating waiting at a long traffic signal when the circle used to let me keep moving.

  13. Re:Climate Catastrophists are funded by everyone e on Climate Skeptic Funded By Oil and Coal Companies · · Score: 1

    It's not oil and coal companies funding lobbying and advertising that raises eyebrows. This is a prominent scientist getting paid a substantial amount of money by these companies. It raises serious questions over his research and his position on global warming. Promoting public policy, whether you think it's appropriate or not, is an entirely different issue.

  14. Re:atoms on Wildfire Threatens Los Alamos Labs · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Los Alamos, plutonium, and mass evacuation always make for a nerd-worthy story.

  15. Re:Cowards on LulzSec Announces That It Is Done · · Score: 1

    On June 21st a suspected member is arrested in the UK, on June 25th they call it quits. The prospect of life in a British arse pounding prison was certainly a factor.

  16. Re:Cowards on LulzSec Announces That It Is Done · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Excellent analogy, wrong conclusion. Know your objective, how what you're willing to invest to achieve it, and exit when you've reached your goal or exceeded your costs. LulzSec made some headlines and embarrassed a few major organizations. Going to jail isn't worth a few more headlines.

  17. Re:Sure thing on Asteroid To Pass Near Earth On Monday · · Score: 3, Informative

    An asteroid eventually hitting the earth is a sure thing, but hitting "us" is far from a sure thing. The asteroid most likely to hit earth in our lifetime has a 99.918% chance of missing.

  18. Re:Microsoft Obsoletes [Another] Developer Tool on The Longhorn Dream Reborn · · Score: 1

    I wasn't expecting it, and I bet Windows 8 supports .NET applications in some manner when it's released. It's always been hard for MS to drop anything corporate customers rely on... VB, 16-bit apps, FoxPro. If they hope to put Windows 8 on business desktops, the lack of .NET support will be a major obstacle.

  19. Re:You got trolled on Japanese Scientist Creates Meat Substitute From Sewage · · Score: 2

    Mitsuyuki Ikeda is referenced in countless articles and papers about education and sustainability organizations. The organization and project seem consistent with his other work. I'd like to believe it's not true, but it's really not a hoax.

  20. Re:Problem is... on Startup Provides Secure Calls For Egypt · · Score: 1

    It will be interesting to see how long it takes the people that need it in Egypt today to ban it after they're in power.

  21. Re:what? on Google To Shut Down 411 Service · · Score: 1

    I'm OK with that if it means I'll never look like a lunatic yelling at my phone in public again.

    Residential
    Res-i-den-tial
    Res-i-den-ti-al
    RES-I-DEN-TIAL
    RESIDENTIAL!!! I live in a fucking house!!!
    OPERATOR! OPERATOR! NO! YES! NO! NNN-OOO!
    Arrrrrggg!!!

  22. Re:what? on Google To Shut Down 411 Service · · Score: 1

    Yeah, it is a great service. It's one of the only automated attendant experiences that I preferred over a human operator. Every time I suffer through a clunky, annoying IVR when I call my bank or cable company, I wonder why they can't do it as well as Google's free service. Maybe the answer is, Google blew a lot of money on it and couldn't (or didn't want to) sustain it any longer.

  23. Re:Missing from the summary... on CD Sales Continue To Plummet, Vinyl Records Soar · · Score: 4, Funny

    Don't be such a downer. My 401k dropped from $100,000 to $1, but now it's up to $5. I have to assume it will continue to grow at a 500% rate, so I'm going to retire a millionaire and vinyl will be the dominant music format again.

  24. Re:And yet... on 25 Years of Super Mario Bros. · · Score: 1

    I'd say Mario is an example of an iconic character that is used to showcase new styles of game play. Arcade platformer, co-op play, 2D scroller, puzzles, 3D console, racing, etc. Most "franchises" regurgitate the same game, adding little more than gimmicks for a new platform.

  25. Re:Oh man on What Pinball Looks Like When the Stakes Are High · · Score: 1

    Theater of Magic! I'm insanely jealous.