Every time I opt out, I am subject to TSA employees persuading me to go through the scanner instead. I always tell them: I am just doing what I can to save your job, as soon you will be replaced by the machine. They usually do not know how to respond to that, so they shut up.
This unsuccessful attempt to throw mud at Assange may be good news for the Pirate Party. If I were Swedish, this incident alone would make me vote for them in the upcoming elections.
Americans are in love with their cars and hate not having them at their destination when they travel. Rental cars are an expensive workaround solution, given that cars cannot be carried in planes. However, cars could be carried in trains, even in high speed trains. The Eurochannel shuttles show that this is not only possible but relatively cheap and efficient. Marriage of high speed train and cars is the way of the future for America. Gone would be the increasingly more paranoid hassles of air travel and the inconvenience of not having your car with you. The rental car industry would suffer but the tourism industry would bloom, as people would be able to do more when they travel than they can now. I am surprised that so few people in the US see what a win-win situation this is for the US.
Yes and no. The UK is ahead in video surveillance (although it's not as exaggerated as many people on/. seem to believe); the US has been giving a surprising amount of power to the DHS; but only in one of the three countries you mentioned do people have to register their address with the local police. "Police state" is less a spectrum and more a set of attributes, and comparing different subsets objectively isn't easy.
Let me guess... This third country is the USA: I must register my address within 10 days of moving or face deportation. My fault, since I am just a lowly permanent resident and not a citizen. Fortunately, my son is a US citizen, and he did not have to register his address with the federal government, just with the state government. He has to carry his state-issued school ID at all times while in the school premises and show it to any school official who requests it for any reason. And in our state school attendance is mandatory. Americans sometimes forget that police in the USA comes under many different names: department of motor vehicles, board of education, citizen and immigration service, bureau of investigation, fire marshall, social services and... police.
Let me rephrase it. I mean, get rid of schools as they are now. And in particular, get rid of so many incompetent teachers. The school buildings could be repurposed as educational libraries with classrooms for group study and for watching online lectures. A few teachers and proctors could be around to answer questions and to give and grade tests. Many teachers should consider a career change, and everyone will benefit. It would be financially sound and more efficient. The only reason this is not done is the teachers unions.
Online books are not a very good idea. Books are still better for reading and studying, and the technology for ebooks is still not good enough to mimic all features of real books. Video, on the other hand, is already good enough to have online lectures. I know, because my university does it, and I took some classes where I only went to the classroom to take the tests. I watched all lectures at my own pace in the comfort of my room, and I feel it made no difference whatsoever. Actually, I am sometimes bored in a classroom lecture and wished I could just press the pause button on the teacher, go for a coffe and come back without missing anything. So, I find online lectures just as effective as live lectures but much more convenient, and the interactive aspect can also be taken care of by using email and online forums. So, I think the Governor should re-examine the issue and maybe get rid of schools but keep the books. I am not kidding.
What the US really needs is to have a network of high speed trains that carry cars between cities. That system would be a real alternative to air travel. You could take your car with you and let the train do the boring and long driving for you in much less time. I wonder why people are not considering this system. A people-only system is not suitable for the US suburban metropolis.
A piece of hardware like this is badly needed, but the key is that any such device should be totally independent of the software installed. People then could choose to install anything they want on it. My ideal tablet would behave exactly like a notebook computer without the need to have custom software or modify existing desktop environments. One way to achieve that would be to have a touchscreen plus 3 additional hardware buttons that interact with the OS at the lowest level possible (maybe even below driver level). The 3 buttons should work like this:
A button to show a virtual keyboard so that the OS receives key-press events
A button to send drag events so that the OS receives button-pressed-while-mouse-moving events when pressed
A button to cycle between left, middle and right clicks as the event sent to the OS when the user touches the screen
Any OS would think it was running in a regular notebook with a regular keyboard and a regular mouse, so the hardware would not be handicapped by the lack of available custom software. I see no reason why a tablet like this does not exist today, as there are lots of things one could do with it even if CPU power was low. The Nokia N8xx tablets were close to this goal, but their dependence on custom software (applications had to be hildonized) made them much less useful than they could have been otherwise.
My Nokia 800 tablet was stolen. I had it configured so that every time it detects a network it downloads my mail from a server I control. The thieves did not notice, so I accumulated a lot of logs that I passed to the police. Did they catch the thieves? No way! They had the logs for 3 months now, but their "computer expert" is still trying to figure out what to do with the IP addresses. It is not that difficult, though, as one address shows up a lot and is clearly a cable connection, so that must be the thieves home. So logs are totally useless to the police, at least in small towns.
Comparing OO to Google apps may make more sense if we try to look at their features in a more abstract setup: type of storage, type of UI, ease of use, functionality, freedom and openess. Let us say we compare Google apps with storing OO documents in the cloud. Then, the main advantage of Google docs goes away and we are left with an application that runs only on a Web interface, whose code is not accessible to the user and that uses a closed format for documents versus an application that runs only on a classical interface, whose code is fully accessible to the user and that uses a fully documented and standards-approved format. Then, they only thing Google could claim in their favor is maybe ease of use. Is that enough? Not for me or for anyone who values freedom.
My Linux-based eee 901 is the best computer I ever had. The Atom chip sucks compared to the multicore CPUs in my other computers. Its SSD is tiny compared to massive 1TB drives I have in other computers. Its graphics capabilities suck compared to my game desktop. But (a biiig but) it is so lightweight that I carry it with me all the time, and the battery lasts me a full day! In a month I have been assimilated and now am part of the symbiotic Me-and-my-EEE borg. It is amazing to be able to have a real computer with me even in the toilet. The Nokia 800 tablet was the closest I got before to this but it was not a full-capability computer, and it showed. There is reason for Microsoft to be scared because they see resistance will be futile. I sometimes walk while typing on my EEE without fear of breaking my hard drive. I always drive with my EEE on the dashboard. More powerful netbooks miss the whole point. They are just laptops, maybe cheaper and less heavy, but not good enough for assimilation.
While Wikileaks may be subject to many DMCA take downs, it will be difficult for the Government to shut it down completely because the site falls very straightforwardly under a First Amendment umbrella. So the Government will have to take more subtle actions against it than plain censorship. On the other hand, GNU Radio is a potential threat to many big industries: cell phone providers, HDTV content producers, digital radio and, of course, the
military. Furthermore, it is very easy for the Government to ban it (via FCC) due to technical issues rather than the more controversial political issues. If GNU Radio ever works on hardware easy to build by anyone out of cheap components, it will be banned the next day. Imagine being able to build your own cell phone with all the features you actually want... This cannot be allowed to happen.
If Microsoft attempts to force manufacturers to cripple their products, it is going to be hit hard by antitrust authorities, as this is a clear-cut case of monopoly abuse. So the Europeans will draw more cash from Microsoft and the American politicians will increase their pardon fees. At one point, this is not going to be financially profitable to Microsoft: European antitrust penalty + American pardon fees + very little money from the
crippled computers = net loss. So their only goal seems to be killing that market before it becomes unstoppable. But people are sick and tired of
carry heavy weights around, so they have to fight not only against the zero cost of Linux but also against the comfort level of travellers, and even if they were able to kill Linux no marketing campaign is going to convince people to carry more weight around other than in their belly and bottoms.
I love my Nokia N800. It is really cheap at about $200 now. It is very small and lightweight, but I can browse the web (including Flash sites), read PDF files, check my mail, and it even has an X Terminal that I sometimes use for shell access to my desktop. I added a Bluetooth keyboard, so that I can type long texts easily, and I can also listen to my music and make Skype calls. I take it with me everywhere and never notice the weight. If I need more functionality, I would carry my big laptop. Not sure whether the middle point is so useful, as it would not fit in my pocket. The Nokia N800 does fit.
Here's the scary part: Blizzard also insists that because the license agreement forbids using Glider with WoW, Glider users are committing copyright infringement when they load copies of WoW into RAM in order to play the game.
Actually, this is no different from the fact that whenever you read a book, the words are copied into your retina. So, if Blizzard wins this, prepare for a similar ruling for books soon.
ROFLMAO, you beat me to it. I was just wondering what service would be like. Just what can you steal? There are probably not too many Brits laughing. They have to register their bloody televisions.
Mind you, they get a nice return on that, or used to. Not sure how good BBC programming is these days but I'm willing to wager that it has any of the major American networks beat hands down.
Ha, Ha! That's wishful thinking. The American no-need-to-register PBS is pretty good, especially all those british progra... well, never mind.
If anyone has copies of these two programs, please post them. Sourceforge seems to have removed them, so the software is de facto revoked unless some copy is posted somewhere. Unfortunately, I have no copies to post, but I hope it is not too late to make the software free again.
Intel wants to sell PC's. There lies the problem. Intel should restrain from selling PC's and focus on selling chips. They are abusing their prominent position in the chip market to get an unfair advantage in other markets. They have learned too much from their unnamed software partner.
American voting system has a huge social flaw that makes electronic voting attractive despite all the added flaws. Vote counting should be a compulsory duty similar to jury duty, and not left in the hands of a few volunteers. All the money wasted on voting machines should be allocated for compensation to citizens called to their vote counting duty. That is how many other countries manage to have results minutes after the polls are closed without the need for flawed technology. Furthermore, citizens may be encouraged to participate in the voting process more willingly if they see themselves as part of it and see that they can trust it. Forget about technology, make vote counting every citizen's duty.
I am still waiting for a reasonably priced low-end drive. An 8GB usb drive can be found for about $50. Packing 4 of them and replacing the usb circuitry with SATA would make for a 32MB for $200. Granted, it may not be the fastest drive around, but sometimes speed is not the most important factor. A 32MB would be enough for installing any current OS and still have some room for personal files to carry along on a trip. So, I think the current trend of providing high-end drives only is just an attempt to milk users to the maximum without much concern for what we actually need.
As opposed to BusinessWeek advocating for tight piracy controls in developing nations so that companies like RedHat or Ubuntu can thrive there. That would also be a pro-business point of view, but not a pro-establishment one. So, maybe BusinessWeek should rename themselves BigBusinessWeek or EstablishedBusinessWeek, or MonopolyWeek.
I wonder what does BusinessWeek gain by being pro-Microsoft. Are they owned by the software giant? Is their growth somehow tied to that of proprietary software? Do they think their licenses will be terminated if they show disrespect for MS? The real question BusinessWeek should address is not how to make Microsoft more implanted in the developing nations but why they think that situation would be a good thing.
At least, expletives in other languages will remain legal for a while, so I encourage English speakers to switch to Spanish expletives, which are widely understood but safe for TV. Use the loophole while it lasts, coño !
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Every time I opt out, I am subject to TSA employees persuading me to go through the scanner instead. I always tell them: I am just doing what I can to save your job, as soon you will be replaced by the machine.
They usually do not know how to respond to that, so they shut up.
This unsuccessful attempt to throw mud at Assange may be good news for the Pirate Party. If I were Swedish, this incident alone would make me vote for them in the upcoming elections.
Americans are in love with their cars and hate not having them at their destination when they travel. Rental cars are an expensive workaround solution, given that cars cannot be carried in planes. However, cars could be carried in trains, even in high speed trains. The Eurochannel shuttles show that this is not only possible but relatively cheap and efficient. Marriage of high speed train and cars is the way of the future for America. Gone would be the increasingly more paranoid hassles of air travel and the inconvenience of not having your car with you. The rental car industry would suffer but the tourism industry would bloom, as people would be able to do more when they travel than they can now. I am surprised that so few people in the US see what a win-win situation this is for the US.
Let me guess... This third country is the USA: I must register my address within 10 days of moving or face deportation. My fault, since I am just a lowly permanent resident and not a citizen. Fortunately, my son is a US citizen, and he did not have to register his address with the federal government, just with the state government. He has to carry his state-issued school ID at all times while in the school premises and show it to any school official who requests it for any reason. And in our state school attendance is mandatory. Americans sometimes forget that police in the USA comes under many different names: department of motor vehicles, board of education, citizen and immigration service, bureau of investigation, fire marshall, social services and ... police.
Let me rephrase it. I mean, get rid of schools as they are now. And in particular, get rid of so many incompetent teachers. The school buildings could be repurposed as educational libraries with classrooms for group study and for watching online lectures. A few teachers and proctors could be around to answer questions and to give and grade tests. Many teachers should consider a career change, and everyone will benefit. It would be financially sound and more efficient. The only reason this is not done is the teachers unions.
Online books are not a very good idea. Books are still better for reading and studying, and the technology for ebooks is still not good enough to mimic all features of real books. Video, on the other hand, is already good enough to have online lectures. I know, because my university does it, and I took some classes where I only went to the classroom to take the tests. I watched all lectures at my own pace in the comfort of my room, and I feel it made no difference whatsoever. Actually, I am sometimes bored in a classroom lecture and wished I could just press the pause button on the teacher, go for a coffe and come back without missing anything. So, I find online lectures just as effective as live lectures but much more convenient, and the interactive aspect can also be taken care of by using email and online forums. So, I think the Governor should re-examine the issue and maybe get rid of schools but keep the books. I am not kidding.
What the US really needs is to have a network of high speed trains that carry cars between cities. That system would be a real alternative to air travel. You could take your car with you and let the train do the boring and long driving for you in much less time. I wonder why people are not considering this system. A people-only system is not suitable for the US suburban metropolis.
Any OS would think it was running in a regular notebook with a regular keyboard and a regular mouse, so the hardware would not be handicapped by the lack of available custom software. I see no reason why a tablet like this does not exist today, as there are lots of things one could do with it even if CPU power was low. The Nokia N8xx tablets were close to this goal, but their dependence on custom software (applications had to be hildonized) made them much less useful than they could have been otherwise.
My Nokia 800 tablet was stolen. I had it configured so that every time it detects a network it downloads my mail
from a server I control. The thieves did not notice, so I accumulated a lot of logs that I passed to the police.
Did they catch the thieves? No way! They had the logs for 3 months now, but their "computer expert" is still trying to figure out what to do with the IP addresses. It is not that difficult, though, as one address shows up a lot and is clearly a cable connection, so that must be the thieves home. So logs are totally useless to the police, at least in small towns.
Comparing OO to Google apps may make more sense if we try to look at their features in a more abstract setup: type of storage, type of UI, ease of use, functionality, freedom and openess. Let us say we compare Google apps with storing OO documents in the cloud. Then, the main advantage of Google docs goes away and we are left with an application that runs only on a Web interface, whose code is not accessible to the user and that uses a closed format for documents versus an application that runs only on a classical interface, whose code is fully accessible to the user and that uses a fully documented and standards-approved format. Then, they only thing Google could claim in their favor is maybe ease of use. Is that enough? Not for me or for anyone who values freedom.
My Linux-based eee 901 is the best computer I ever had. The Atom chip sucks compared to the multicore CPUs in my other computers. Its SSD is tiny compared to massive 1TB drives I have in other computers. Its graphics capabilities suck compared to my game desktop. But (a biiig but) it is so
lightweight that I carry it with me all the time, and the battery lasts me a full day! In a month I have been assimilated and now am part of the
symbiotic Me-and-my-EEE borg. It is amazing to be able to have a real computer with me even in the toilet. The Nokia 800 tablet was the closest I got before to this but it was not a full-capability computer, and it showed. There is reason for Microsoft to be scared because they see resistance will be futile. I sometimes walk while typing on my EEE without fear of breaking my hard drive. I always drive with my EEE on the dashboard. More powerful netbooks miss the whole point. They are just laptops, maybe cheaper and less heavy, but not good enough for assimilation.
While Wikileaks may be subject to many DMCA take downs, it will be difficult for the Government to shut it down completely because the site falls very straightforwardly under a First Amendment umbrella. So the Government will have to take more subtle actions against it than plain censorship. On the other hand, GNU Radio is a potential threat to many big industries: cell phone providers, HDTV content producers, digital radio and, of course, the military. Furthermore, it is very easy for the Government to ban it (via FCC) due to technical issues rather than the more controversial political issues. If GNU Radio ever works on hardware easy to build by anyone out of cheap components, it will be banned the next day. Imagine being able to build your own cell phone with all the features you actually want... This cannot be allowed to happen.
If Microsoft attempts to force manufacturers to cripple their products, it is going to be hit hard by antitrust authorities, as this is a clear-cut case of monopoly abuse. So the Europeans will draw more cash from Microsoft and the American politicians will increase their pardon fees. At one point, this is not going to be financially profitable to Microsoft: European antitrust penalty + American pardon fees + very little money from the crippled computers = net loss. So their only goal seems to be killing that market before it becomes unstoppable. But people are sick and tired of carry heavy weights around, so they have to fight not only against the zero cost of Linux but also against the comfort level of travellers, and even if they were able to kill Linux no marketing campaign is going to convince people to carry more weight around other than in their belly and bottoms.
I love my Nokia N800. It is really cheap at about $200 now. It is very small and lightweight, but I can
browse the web (including Flash sites), read PDF files, check my mail, and it even has an X Terminal that I sometimes use for shell access to my desktop. I added a Bluetooth keyboard, so that I can
type long texts easily, and I can also listen to my music and make Skype calls. I take it with me
everywhere and never notice the weight. If I need more functionality, I would carry my big laptop. Not sure whether the middle point is so useful, as it would not fit in my pocket. The Nokia N800 does fit.
If anyone has copies of these two programs, please post them. Sourceforge seems to have removed them, so the software is de facto revoked unless some copy is posted somewhere. Unfortunately, I have no copies to post, but I hope it is not too late to make the software free again.
- If the plane deviates from the flight plan, access to Google Maps may become handy to plan a new route
- While on autopilot, access to certain web sites may provide some entertainment to the captain, who usually is a lonely man
- Given the bad quality of many onboard speakers, announcements from the cockpit can be emailed or IM'ed to passengers
- Hacker intrusion may be a better excuse than malfunctioning engine as the reason for a plane crash
- No more planes grounded due to lack of pilot operating manual, as it could be easily downloaded from the Internet
I am sure there are many other good reasons to connect the navigation network to the Internet, so this list is not exhaustive.American voting system has a huge social flaw that makes electronic voting attractive despite all the added flaws. Vote counting should be a compulsory duty similar to jury duty, and not left in the hands of a few volunteers. All the money wasted on voting machines should be allocated for compensation to citizens called to their vote counting duty. That is how many other countries manage to have results minutes after the polls are closed without the need for flawed technology. Furthermore, citizens may be encouraged to participate in the voting process more willingly if they see themselves as part of it and see that they can trust it. Forget about technology, make vote counting every citizen's duty.
I am still waiting for a reasonably priced low-end drive. An 8GB usb drive can be found for about $50. Packing 4 of them and replacing the usb circuitry with SATA would make for a 32MB for $200. Granted, it may not be the fastest drive around, but sometimes speed is not the most important factor. A 32MB would be enough for installing any current OS and still have some room for personal files to carry along on a trip. So, I think the current trend of providing high-end drives only is just an attempt to milk users to the maximum without much concern for what we actually need.
As opposed to BusinessWeek advocating for tight piracy controls in developing nations so that companies like RedHat or Ubuntu can thrive there. That would also be a pro-business point of view, but not a pro-establishment one. So, maybe BusinessWeek should rename themselves BigBusinessWeek or EstablishedBusinessWeek, or MonopolyWeek.
I wonder what does BusinessWeek gain by being pro-Microsoft. Are they owned by the software giant? Is their growth somehow tied to that of proprietary software? Do they think their licenses will be terminated if they show disrespect for MS? The real question BusinessWeek should address is not how to make Microsoft more implanted in the developing nations but why they think that situation would be a good thing.
At least, expletives in other languages will remain legal for a while, so I encourage English speakers to switch to Spanish expletives, which are widely understood but safe for TV. Use the loophole while it lasts, coño !