AOL wants to flex what little muscle it has left and try to have an impact on something? KMA AOL, VLC is going to cast your SHOUTcast aside. No one will miss it, and more importantly, no one will miss AOL when it fades off into the sunset.
Mobiles have been around for over 20 years. I got my first one in 1988 and they *have* come a long way since.
Yes, they have come a long way but a huge chunk of it has been the last few years. There weren't that many "breakthroughs" after the Palm & Newtons until the mobile handsets started trying to resurrect their functionality.
However, unlike PCs, mobile phones have always been more restricted by size and battery capacity. Constraints that never applied to PCs.
These are some of the most important hurdles for mobile computing to clear. It's a mishmash of extended battery life supported by CPU efficiency supported by OS's that treat power conservation as a priority to get more out of smaller batteries with extended life...
The smaller sizes also make a difference, but they can't get too small or we won't be able to interact with them. Things haven't gotten much smaller than an old Palm but they've crammed more and more into them (they do the same thing to laptops & desktops).
Mobile innovation is outpacing desktop innovation because desktop innovation has been going on for 20+ years and mobile innovation has been stuck in its infancy for too long.
I have an iPhone 3G. It can make use of some of the newest features in iOS 4 but cannot support multitasking (among others). I will not be upgrading my iPhone.
There are always going to be "bleeding edge early adopters". They serve a purpose: they allow those of us who are more patient to see how well/poorly something new works. I expect glitches and other problems for those upgrading... but nothing too drastic. If they want to jump in with both feet I say "let them".
nyctopterus meant they are using an OS GUI that was not made for, or geared toward, 'touch' user interaction. Windows 7 may have some features that work with a 'touch' device but it certainly isn't "made for touch". The Windows Phone 7 OS would probably have been a better choice.
What we really need in NJ are cameras that can be programmed to identify political corruption as it unfolds. Oh wait, we already have them, they're called 'regular cameras pointed at our politicians'.
:: crickets::
Either there aren't too many 'Swypers' reading/. today or they're all having trouble 'swyping' on their non-phone keyboards. Either way this wins this week's "Sleepy Sunday Afternoon Story Award".
That is why I wrote "all-time low". Not because it's the worst we've seen, but because I still believe that the taking of someone's life, no matter your stance on capital punishment, deserves a bit more than 140 characters in Twitter.
"He's dead, Jim." Only 15 characters. I conserved almost 90% of my available bandwidth! WooHoo!
The Utah AG was 'tweeting' while the murder was 'twitching'? This case received a lot of publicity (as most executions do) and he was just spreading the news as it happened. He's now qualified to work for one of the big networks.
Just wait until the MPAA hears about this! They'll try everything in their powers to show how this 'Made for Torrent' content has harmed them because no one had to pay for it. I can hear it now "This will cause irreparable harm to the movie industry by offering free and non-predictable content to the very masses we've been training for years to swallow our expensive, DRM laden predictable and rehashed tripe."
Verizon CRS: Thank you for calling Verizon.
Customer: I'd like to block all of your special services on my Verizon account.
Verizon CRS: Oh, OK.... I'll need to get special permission for that. Have you submitted that request in writing? We can only accept it in writing.
Customer: In writing? You're a phone company!
Verizon CRS: Not just a phone company - we offer many extra wonderful and expensive services.
Customer: But I don't want any of those extra wonderful and expensive services.
Verizon CRS: I'm very sorry to hear that, but I can't hear you. You'll have to submit that in writing.
Customer: Are you kidding me?
Verizon CRS: No sir. We take our billing practices very seriously. Did you know that blocking all special extra wonderful services includes blocking all incoming and outgoing calls?
Customer: What?
Verizon CRS: Yes, those are part of the 'Premium Call Package'.
Customer: What does the 'Basic' call package include?
Verizon CRS: The opportunity for us to offer you many special extra wonderful and expensive services.
Customer: But I don't want those!
Verizon CRS: Submit your request in writing. Please allow 6 - 8 weeks for processing. There is a $9.99 charge for terminating each of our many special extra wonderful services. Thank you for calling Verizon.
There have been, and will continue to be, terrorist activities against governments, religions and 'peoples'. This includes the United States and 'our way of life' but isn't limited to the US by any stretch of the imagination. These acts of terror are committed by people of all nationalities and religions. It's evident that we all "just can't get along". The vast majority of these efforts aren't because of "perceived government eavesdropping on landlines, cellphones and e-mail" - they are because some extremist didn't get enough hugs from mommy, or someone of a nationality or religion other than theirs disrespected or harmed them or their way of life in some way (real or imaginary).
In the US this isn't a Republican vs. Democrat issue. The Republicans tend to campaign on the 'national security' issue much more than the Democrats, and regularly use it in their talking points. When the Republicans are in power they advance this agenda openly (though we'll never be aware of most of the details). The Democrats tend to campaign on alliances and détente, though they don't use coordinated talking points effectively. When the Democrats are in power the also advance an agenda of national security, but do it quietly and "behind the scenes" (and we'll never be aware of most of the details). Both parties use & promote surveillance and other activities that attempt to skirt the limits of the Constitution and the laws. The Republicans take their flack for it up front and the Democrats take their flack for it when it exposes itself.
Do you really think that the creators of these "tools" aren't going to leave SOME way of getting back into them? To prevent them from being used against their own systems?
No, of course not... though they may install a copy of Kaspersky to remove the competition from their latest conquest.
You don't *need* any analogies for this situation - IT'S A BROADCAST. They're all radio waves. Everybody understands FM, AM, TV broadcasts and would think it absolutely ridiculous for a broadcaster to get all up in arms about somebody receiving it. That's what WiFi is, but with somewhat less power, so it comes up less often.
Can everybody PLEASE stop using analogies? They only serve to cloud the issue, and everybody already understands radio. It's a matter of making it clear to everybody that WiFi is radio.
So you're saying I should have used a radio controlled car analogy? OK, but I've never used one of those to run over an old lady before.
The difference between that and accidentally storing useless bits of data is obvious.
This is/. and I was required to use a car analogy. I could have just as easily said "If I find an iPhone prototype and use the personal information in it to accidentally steal someone's identity, it doesn't absolve me of the liability - even if that old lady had it coming, er, left her iPhone behind in that bar."
Inadvertent or not Google broke laws in some countries. Accidentally breaking the law doesn't eliminate responsibility or culpability - even if people shouldn't have left their WiFi unsecured.
If I accidentally run over someone with my car because I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing, it doesn't absolve me of the liability - even if that old lady had it coming, er, was jaywalking.
You're absolutely right. Casual gamers aren't investing in a console or a high-end graphics card just to play a few games when they have a little time to kill. The game companies need to offer enough interesting and leading edge content to get the "intermediate" gamers to "graduate up" their gaming ladder.
Casual gamers are looking for a low cost of entry, no subscriptions or long term commitments, and games that don't require hours and hour of their time. It's one of the reasons the low cost, easy to play smartphone type games are popular. Each one is only a few dollars and is available for immediate download. They've become a digital impulse item. No going to a store, and you don't have to go to a computer or even leave your couch. Just download, play and kill a few minutes here and there.
This doesn't really answer your questions, but ISP's can't provide reliable & fast service at today's prices because it eliminates their opportunities to charge customers more and more every time they provide an incremental increase in speed. They need to be able to raise your rates for improving your speed by a few Mbs here or there. If they don't they'll never be able to charge $250 a month for 100Mbs service.
I have Optimum Online 'Boost' service which costs me $60 per month. It's pretty fast: 17Mbs/5Mbs to the closest server and 13Mbs/3Mbs to a server across the country. I could get the 'Ultra' service but it wouldn't really make much of a difference for my needs. I have three clients who use the 'Ultra' service and they get great service.
Slashdot Mirror
AOL wants to flex what little muscle it has left and try to have an impact on something? KMA AOL, VLC is going to cast your SHOUTcast aside. No one will miss it, and more importantly, no one will miss AOL when it fades off into the sunset.
AC complaining != /.ers caring. I'm just sayin'
This is nice and all but I'm gonna wait until I can just Google 'ACTG' and get all this in a neat little package ;-)
Mobiles have been around for over 20 years. I got my first one in 1988 and they *have* come a long way since.
Yes, they have come a long way but a huge chunk of it has been the last few years. There weren't that many "breakthroughs" after the Palm & Newtons until the mobile handsets started trying to resurrect their functionality.
However, unlike PCs, mobile phones have always been more restricted by size and battery capacity. Constraints that never applied to PCs.
These are some of the most important hurdles for mobile computing to clear. It's a mishmash of extended battery life supported by CPU efficiency supported by OS's that treat power conservation as a priority to get more out of smaller batteries with extended life ...
The smaller sizes also make a difference, but they can't get too small or we won't be able to interact with them. Things haven't gotten much smaller than an old Palm but they've crammed more and more into them (they do the same thing to laptops & desktops).
Mobile innovation is outpacing desktop innovation because desktop innovation has been going on for 20+ years and mobile innovation has been stuck in its infancy for too long.
Make sure you are ready today to get the update as soon as possible, IE backup your phones or touch's so you can get it as soon as possible.
Obviously they aren't aware that iDevices create a backup every time they sync or update.
I have an iPhone 3G. It can make use of some of the newest features in iOS 4 but cannot support multitasking (among others). I will not be upgrading my iPhone.
... but nothing too drastic. If they want to jump in with both feet I say "let them".
There are always going to be "bleeding edge early adopters". They serve a purpose: they allow those of us who are more patient to see how well/poorly something new works. I expect glitches and other problems for those upgrading
nyctopterus meant they are using an OS GUI that was not made for, or geared toward, 'touch' user interaction. Windows 7 may have some features that work with a 'touch' device but it certainly isn't "made for touch". The Windows Phone 7 OS would probably have been a better choice.
Now... if the system sent automated drones out to deal with everything it thought was a crime... that would be a different story.
Yes it would, and it's called RoboCop ;-)
What we really need in NJ are cameras that can be programmed to identify political corruption as it unfolds. Oh wait, we already have them, they're called 'regular cameras pointed at our politicians'.
:: crickets :: /. today or they're all having trouble 'swyping' on their non-phone keyboards. Either way this wins this week's "Sleepy Sunday Afternoon Story Award".
Either there aren't too many 'Swypers' reading
Tweeting something like this puts it on the same level as the idiot twittering "I just took a huge crap LOL WTF!!111oneone!"... it's NOT appropriate.
Obligatory Penny Arcade Twitter Shitter comic.
From the AG of the great democracy, USA, I expect a bit more.
He's the AG of the State of Utah, not the USA.
That is why I wrote "all-time low". Not because it's the worst we've seen, but because I still believe that the taking of someone's life, no matter your stance on capital punishment, deserves a bit more than 140 characters in Twitter.
"He's dead, Jim." Only 15 characters. I conserved almost 90% of my available bandwidth! WooHoo!
The Utah AG was 'tweeting' while the murder was 'twitching'? This case received a lot of publicity (as most executions do) and he was just spreading the news as it happened. He's now qualified to work for one of the big networks.
... then I suggest moving to a free country! ^^ (Really!)
I was tempted to pickup and move to Petoria but I heard the border guards at 'Checkpoint Quahog' were impossible to deal with.
Just wait until the MPAA hears about this! They'll try everything in their powers to show how this 'Made for Torrent' content has harmed them because no one had to pay for it. I can hear it now "This will cause irreparable harm to the movie industry by offering free and non-predictable content to the very masses we've been training for years to swallow our expensive, DRM laden predictable and rehashed tripe."
Verizon CRS: Thank you for calling Verizon. ... I'll need to get special permission for that. Have you submitted that request in writing? We can only accept it in writing.
Customer: I'd like to block all of your special services on my Verizon account.
Verizon CRS: Oh, OK.
Customer: In writing? You're a phone company!
Verizon CRS: Not just a phone company - we offer many extra wonderful and expensive services.
Customer: But I don't want any of those extra wonderful and expensive services.
Verizon CRS: I'm very sorry to hear that, but I can't hear you. You'll have to submit that in writing.
Customer: Are you kidding me?
Verizon CRS: No sir. We take our billing practices very seriously. Did you know that blocking all special extra wonderful services includes blocking all incoming and outgoing calls?
Customer: What?
Verizon CRS: Yes, those are part of the 'Premium Call Package'.
Customer: What does the 'Basic' call package include?
Verizon CRS: The opportunity for us to offer you many special extra wonderful and expensive services.
Customer: But I don't want those!
Verizon CRS: Submit your request in writing. Please allow 6 - 8 weeks for processing. There is a $9.99 charge for terminating each of our many special extra wonderful services. Thank you for calling Verizon.
There have been, and will continue to be, terrorist activities against governments, religions and 'peoples'. This includes the United States and 'our way of life' but isn't limited to the US by any stretch of the imagination. These acts of terror are committed by people of all nationalities and religions. It's evident that we all "just can't get along". The vast majority of these efforts aren't because of "perceived government eavesdropping on landlines, cellphones and e-mail" - they are because some extremist didn't get enough hugs from mommy, or someone of a nationality or religion other than theirs disrespected or harmed them or their way of life in some way (real or imaginary).
In the US this isn't a Republican vs. Democrat issue. The Republicans tend to campaign on the 'national security' issue much more than the Democrats, and regularly use it in their talking points. When the Republicans are in power they advance this agenda openly (though we'll never be aware of most of the details). The Democrats tend to campaign on alliances and détente, though they don't use coordinated talking points effectively. When the Democrats are in power the also advance an agenda of national security, but do it quietly and "behind the scenes" (and we'll never be aware of most of the details). Both parties use & promote surveillance and other activities that attempt to skirt the limits of the Constitution and the laws. The Republicans take their flack for it up front and the Democrats take their flack for it when it exposes itself.
Do you really think that the creators of these "tools" aren't going to leave SOME way of getting back into them? To prevent them from being used against their own systems?
No, of course not ... though they may install a copy of Kaspersky to remove the competition from their latest conquest.
You don't *need* any analogies for this situation - IT'S A BROADCAST. They're all radio waves. Everybody understands FM, AM, TV broadcasts and would think it absolutely ridiculous for a broadcaster to get all up in arms about somebody receiving it. That's what WiFi is, but with somewhat less power, so it comes up less often.
Can everybody PLEASE stop using analogies? They only serve to cloud the issue, and everybody already understands radio. It's a matter of making it clear to everybody that WiFi is radio.
So you're saying I should have used a radio controlled car analogy? OK, but I've never used one of those to run over an old lady before.
The difference between that and accidentally storing useless bits of data is obvious.
This is /. and I was required to use a car analogy. I could have just as easily said "If I find an iPhone prototype and use the personal information in it to accidentally steal someone's identity, it doesn't absolve me of the liability - even if that old lady had it coming, er, left her iPhone behind in that bar."
Inadvertent or not Google broke laws in some countries. Accidentally breaking the law doesn't eliminate responsibility or culpability - even if people shouldn't have left their WiFi unsecured.
If I accidentally run over someone with my car because I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing, it doesn't absolve me of the liability - even if that old lady had it coming, er, was jaywalking.
You're absolutely right. Casual gamers aren't investing in a console or a high-end graphics card just to play a few games when they have a little time to kill. The game companies need to offer enough interesting and leading edge content to get the "intermediate" gamers to "graduate up" their gaming ladder.
Casual gamers are looking for a low cost of entry, no subscriptions or long term commitments, and games that don't require hours and hour of their time. It's one of the reasons the low cost, easy to play smartphone type games are popular. Each one is only a few dollars and is available for immediate download. They've become a digital impulse item. No going to a store, and you don't have to go to a computer or even leave your couch. Just download, play and kill a few minutes here and there.
This doesn't really answer your questions, but ISP's can't provide reliable & fast service at today's prices because it eliminates their opportunities to charge customers more and more every time they provide an incremental increase in speed. They need to be able to raise your rates for improving your speed by a few Mbs here or there. If they don't they'll never be able to charge $250 a month for 100Mbs service.
I have Optimum Online 'Boost' service which costs me $60 per month. It's pretty fast: 17Mbs/5Mbs to the closest server and 13Mbs/3Mbs to a server across the country. I could get the 'Ultra' service but it wouldn't really make much of a difference for my needs. I have three clients who use the 'Ultra' service and they get great service.
Why cater to the customers needs in the first place? Just screw them as much as you can.
If you're a hooker those two are one and the same. I'm just sayin'