I completely agree that electric bikes don't solve every problem. Far from it. Obviously there's no way a contractor can balance their compound mitre saw on the handlebars of their bike. However for many people (and I realise you may not be one of them, I am not one of them either), they do very much lower the bar to biking. I wouldn't use an electic bike, because I'm in my late 20s, in good shape, and don't have any problem burning some calories going up hill (actually, I enjoy it). For many people, though, the idea of riding up hill or expending more effort than they're used to is exactly what keeps them in the SUV when they might actually be interested in riding a bike occasionally. The electric bike gives them a way in.
How was that a false dichotomy? I know electric bikes are electric-assist, and you can pedal them too. I don't think I implied otherwise. I was pointing out (to the great grandparent city hipster troll) that just because sometimes you may have stuff to move that you can't fit on a bike (electric or otherwise), doesn't prevent you from using a bike for those trips where it's feasible. In fact, electric bikes lower the bar to biking for a great many people - like the japanese mum you were talking about. That's a good thing.
When you have heavy stuff to move, or the weather isn't suited to your mating preferences, you get in your electric car. The rest of the time, you get on your bike (electric or cheesecake-powered at your preference) because it's far, far more efficient. That's the point. Nobody is saying electric bikes can replace all other vehicles, but for a great number of trips, they're a very good option, and one that (unfortunately) gets laughed at.
Before you accuse me of being a fucking city-living hipster, yes, I ride a bike, no, I don't ride it all the time (because it isn't the best choice in every situation), and no I don't live in a city.
It's actually kind of sad this got modded funny. Yes, I know people make fun of electric bikes, but you'd think anyone on slashdot would have enough physics 101 to understand why - if you're trying to go 100% electric a bike is actually a much easier, more efficient way to do it than a car. The majority of car trips are an easily-bikeable distance, and if electric bikes get people cycling, then great.
For the comfort and safety of all passengers, if you are unsure as to whether or not a specific device or periferal is approved for use during the flight, please check with your flight attendant before using it.
It costs a lot of (financial) capital to build a network, but a lot of capitol (hill lobbying) to maintain your garbage monopoly by whining that the consequences of your lack of investment is the users' fault. Which is exactly what the telcos are now trying to do.
if you're in a moving vehicle, what are the chances you'd still be in range by the time the reply to a TCP message came back?
If you have that problem, the AP is going to be useless to you for offloading data to as well. This sort of usage is clearly unusual, and there are plenty of ways it can fail, but that's kind of why it's interesting - it gives you the possibility to offload data onto a wifi network if it's possible to do so. If you're not in range long enough, or don't find an open AP soon enough, it can fall back to 3G.
Random handsets, no, but we're talking about the researchers' connections from their vehicle. I would hope that when specifically testing for availability, the researchers did a little more than drive around and see if their iphone could associate with the ap;)
This whole tech, though, is designed for applications where slight delays in sending the data don't matter. It's about offloading 3G usage onto wifi where possible. Every step you mentioned has to happen anyway, and a ping takes what, an extra 50ms? Could it be done more efficiently if you were building up a system from scratch? Sure, but this is about offloading data use onto existing networks.
Right, so you make the technology smart. It connects to the unsecured wireless network, attempts to make outgoing connections, and if the outgoing connection fails (or is redirected to a login page), switches to another network. You could quite easily test the connection in the background before attempting to pass application data to it.
The key point is that for it to be a pyramid scheme, the people underneath need to think they are going to make money the more people they subscribe into the scheme. Money is the incentive. Without a doubt, facebook makes more money the more people you convince to join it, but there never was, and never will be a promise of money from facebook to you for signing people up. Therefore, it's not a pyramid scheme.
On the other hand, I do wonder how difficult it would be to create this using a distributed network of cell phones, to literally crowd-source listening in on - say - what politicians are saying to each other apparently out of ear-shot of the crowd. I'd think the challenge would be sufficiently precise location awareness.
It's not geolocation in the traditional sense, because it's not mapping an IP address to a location. It's combining an XSS attack which gets your mac address from your router (from the inside of your network) with google's MAC to location lookup from their massive drive-by wifi sniffing done when the streetview car drives past your house. Typically a server can determine your IP address, and use that to map your approximate location. This can determine your MAC address and (in some cases) use that to determine your EXACT location.
Of course, you need to have:
a) not changed the default password on your router b) have a wireless network google has sniffed
What I'm not sure about is if google's sniffing gathers the mac address of encrypted wireless, so possibly this only works on unencrypted wireless connections. I don't if a wireless router reveals its mac before or after encryption is established. Anyone?
Either way, standard security such as changing the default password on your router is sufficient to render this ineffective.
Of course, it also doesn't work if you move your router somewhere else after google sniffs it.
Sure they can be, with a loss of quality. Since the grandparent says the images "look like crap", I would assume there's some proxy server in there, shrinking the image dimensions and ramping the jpg compression up to the max. It's fairly simple to do.
The best application of this sort of tech is, of course, messing with neighbours stealing your wireless.
I'm not talking about the UK in particular here, but compare quality of life indexes to taxation rates sometime, e.g. some of the Scandinavian countries. High taxes does not correlate with unhappy people. Great health care, dental, good working conditions, sports facilities, public services, a 35 hr work week, lots of vacation - now those things correlate with happy people.
Slashdot Mirror
Well, where are the "mocking" cartoons? Who has a link?
I completely agree that electric bikes don't solve every problem. Far from it. Obviously there's no way a contractor can balance their compound mitre saw on the handlebars of their bike. However for many people (and I realise you may not be one of them, I am not one of them either), they do very much lower the bar to biking. I wouldn't use an electic bike, because I'm in my late 20s, in good shape, and don't have any problem burning some calories going up hill (actually, I enjoy it). For many people, though, the idea of riding up hill or expending more effort than they're used to is exactly what keeps them in the SUV when they might actually be interested in riding a bike occasionally. The electric bike gives them a way in.
How was that a false dichotomy? I know electric bikes are electric-assist, and you can pedal them too. I don't think I implied otherwise. I was pointing out (to the great grandparent city hipster troll) that just because sometimes you may have stuff to move that you can't fit on a bike (electric or otherwise), doesn't prevent you from using a bike for those trips where it's feasible. In fact, electric bikes lower the bar to biking for a great many people - like the japanese mum you were talking about. That's a good thing.
When you have heavy stuff to move, or the weather isn't suited to your mating preferences, you get in your electric car. The rest of the time, you get on your bike (electric or cheesecake-powered at your preference) because it's far, far more efficient. That's the point. Nobody is saying electric bikes can replace all other vehicles, but for a great number of trips, they're a very good option, and one that (unfortunately) gets laughed at. Before you accuse me of being a fucking city-living hipster, yes, I ride a bike, no, I don't ride it all the time (because it isn't the best choice in every situation), and no I don't live in a city.
It's actually kind of sad this got modded funny. Yes, I know people make fun of electric bikes, but you'd think anyone on slashdot would have enough physics 101 to understand why - if you're trying to go 100% electric a bike is actually a much easier, more efficient way to do it than a car. The majority of car trips are an easily-bikeable distance, and if electric bikes get people cycling, then great.
For the comfort and safety of all passengers, if you are unsure as to whether or not a specific device or periferal is approved for use during the flight, please check with your flight attendant before using it.
...along with a mandatory .1F648 for all the "think of the children"-safe sites.
its costs a lot of capitol to build a network
You're right in more ways than one.
It costs a lot of (financial) capital to build a network, but a lot of capitol (hill lobbying) to maintain your garbage monopoly by whining that the consequences of your lack of investment is the users' fault. Which is exactly what the telcos are now trying to do.
if you're in a moving vehicle, what are the chances you'd still be in range by the time the reply to a TCP message came back?
If you have that problem, the AP is going to be useless to you for offloading data to as well. This sort of usage is clearly unusual, and there are plenty of ways it can fail, but that's kind of why it's interesting - it gives you the possibility to offload data onto a wifi network if it's possible to do so. If you're not in range long enough, or don't find an open AP soon enough, it can fall back to 3G.
Random handsets, no, but we're talking about the researchers' connections from their vehicle. I would hope that when specifically testing for availability, the researchers did a little more than drive around and see if their iphone could associate with the ap ;)
This whole tech, though, is designed for applications where slight delays in sending the data don't matter. It's about offloading 3G usage onto wifi where possible. Every step you mentioned has to happen anyway, and a ping takes what, an extra 50ms? Could it be done more efficiently if you were building up a system from scratch? Sure, but this is about offloading data use onto existing networks.
That is funny, but it also does say "reliable"... presumably that means "with functioning internet access".
Right, so you make the technology smart. It connects to the unsecured wireless network, attempts to make outgoing connections, and if the outgoing connection fails (or is redirected to a login page), switches to another network. You could quite easily test the connection in the background before attempting to pass application data to it.
The key point is that for it to be a pyramid scheme, the people underneath need to think they are going to make money the more people they subscribe into the scheme. Money is the incentive. Without a doubt, facebook makes more money the more people you convince to join it, but there never was, and never will be a promise of money from facebook to you for signing people up. Therefore, it's not a pyramid scheme.
There's an idea. Being dead is a pretty good way to convince the bank I didn't authorize a transaction...
1. Give passwords to relative.
2. Die.
3. Relatives max out credit card.
4. Phone visa and deny charges.
5. Relatives give me a cut.
6. Profit!!!
Fool proof.
On the other hand, I do wonder how difficult it would be to create this using a distributed network of cell phones, to literally crowd-source listening in on - say - what politicians are saying to each other apparently out of ear-shot of the crowd. I'd think the challenge would be sufficiently precise location awareness.
that describes a large part of the marketplace and at least 100% of the problem
Yeah, I hear you. MS really does feel like 150% of the problem, doesn't it.
Of course, it also doesn't work if you move your router somewhere else after google sniffs it.
Please, mod parent funny. That pdf is absolutely hilarious.
It's not geolocation in the traditional sense, because it's not mapping an IP address to a location. It's combining an XSS attack which gets your mac address from your router (from the inside of your network) with google's MAC to location lookup from their massive drive-by wifi sniffing done when the streetview car drives past your house. Typically a server can determine your IP address, and use that to map your approximate location. This can determine your MAC address and (in some cases) use that to determine your EXACT location.
Of course, you need to have:
a) not changed the default password on your router
b) have a wireless network google has sniffed
What I'm not sure about is if google's sniffing gathers the mac address of encrypted wireless, so possibly this only works on unencrypted wireless connections. I don't if a wireless router reveals its mac before or after encryption is established. Anyone?
Either way, standard security such as changing the default password on your router is sufficient to render this ineffective.
Of course, it also doesn't work if you move your router somewhere else after google sniffs it.
Obligatory:
http://pleaserobme.com/
Sure they can be, with a loss of quality. Since the grandparent says the images "look like crap", I would assume there's some proxy server in there, shrinking the image dimensions and ramping the jpg compression up to the max. It's fairly simple to do.
The best application of this sort of tech is, of course, messing with neighbours stealing your wireless.
http://www.ex-parrot.com/pete/upside-down-ternet.html
...no one can hear you barf.
OK, I bite.
I'm not talking about the UK in particular here, but compare quality of life indexes to taxation rates sometime, e.g. some of the Scandinavian countries. High taxes does not correlate with unhappy people. Great health care, dental, good working conditions, sports facilities, public services, a 35 hr work week, lots of vacation - now those things correlate with happy people.
You chose unwisely.
Forgive me for an OT reply to a blatant troll, but am I the only one who got a flash of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade here?