There have been rumors flying around for some time that The Old Republic development is essentially a complete clusterfuck, with no end in sight. Why on earth EA took the great Knights of the Old Republic IP and decided to completely ignore its console roots (KOTOR 1 and 2 sold WAY more console copies than PC) in favor of a PC-only MMO is beyond me. KOTOR 3 & 4 could have been two of the biggest-selling games in 360/PS3 history. Instead they went with a PC-only title that has been in development hell for years now.
People have forgotten how great the KOTOR series was back in the day, and that's a shame. EA screwed up epically on this one.
What will happen to all the developers who love their Macs today?
They'll have to buy a developer box and/or a developer license (similar to a console developer license you would buy with XNA). They will still be able to develop on their Mac's, but they won't be able to install that software on regular Mac's until it has been vetted by Apple.
Apple is going after the market of users who are sick of dealing with security issues/malware/etc. They've done it by created a closed system. And while us geeks hate that, it has a strong appeal to most people. When they go to a closed system on Mac's (and they will), that's who they're going to be appealing to. "Buy a computer where all your software is pre-screened through our App Store and you don't have to worry about viruses" is a powerful (and potentially very profitable) message in a time when malware and assorted hacks have become so common.
I've been predicting this for some time. The days when you can just install anything on an Apple computer are numbered. Pretty soon, all software will have to go through the App Store on a Mac just like they already do on an iPhone/iPad. The writing on the wall was pretty obvious back when they first announced the App Store was coming to Mac. Rigth now it's just an option, but soon it will be mandatory.
Every time these "Future of the Mac" I predict that there will come a time when EVERYTHING from Apple will be just as locked down as the iPhone/iPad, and every time I get laughed at for saying it. Yet with every announcement, Apple moves closer and closer to phasing out their last open platform.
That would be a great idea--if most of these families wouldn't immediately run out and blow the money on crack, gold jewelry, flashy cars, etc. almost immediately, And they would.
I get so sick of hearing people say that the internet can't be censored (usually with some "The internet is *designed* to route around any censorship" crap). If a government wants to stop you from posting pics of you beating kids on the old internets, they don't have to develop some elaborate firewall that you and your hacker buddies can figure out how to bypass. All they have to do is show up at the handful of ISP's in the country with rifles and tell them to cut you off. No connection to your house, no internet for you.
with just one feature: render standard compliant HTML7 pages with 100% accuracy.
Fuck that noise. I happen to like the add-ons feature for Firefox, and I also like the idea that you can add Flash support to browsers and a lot of other mods. You stick with strict standards compliance all you want. But the first time I hit a website that says "Sorry, you can't view this video/play this game/use this utility" because some anal-retentive autistic nerd has decided that my browser will ONLY support some standard that some W3C assholes approved in a committee meeting--that's the moment that I uninstall that browser and go back to Firefox (or Chrome, or IE, or whatever).
I won't put up with Steve Jobs telling me what I can and can't install (that's right, fuck you Steve, I use flash), so why would I put up with some browser that won't let me use add-ons?
But most of those videos/photos that show bad stuff aren't done by professional photographers. They're done by average citizens holding up their smartphones. Just think of what this kind of technology would have done if the Libyan/Yemeni/Egyptian/Tunsian/Syrian/etc. governments had been able to deploy it in the streets of their cities.
That's the first thing I thought of when I read the summary. That's not even required by law, but just TRY to find a color printer that doesn't have this "feature."
Because it costs a lot of money to produce and promote a show. And no one wants to invest in a show if they know it's going to be despised by critics and fans alike. Would YOU like to be the poor bastard who greenlit the "Star Wars Holiday Special"?
Apple has tapped into a pretty nice market there. They'll make quite a bit just selling portable IR transmitters that cops can wear on their belts--for when our boys in blue need to enforce a little extra discouragement on handcuffed perps and don't want to deal with any pesky pinkos filming or taking pictures.
Not only that, but by holding the patent, they stand to make a fortune when the government decides to make it mandatory in all new cameras.
That Steve Jobs is nothing if not a money-making machine. I bet he'll have every college student in the U.S. lined up around the block to buy one of these "enhanced" cameras. He's like one of those Bond villians who comes up with a plan that's undeniably horrific and evil, but also damned creative and ingenious.
Meanwhile the old Bond villian, Bill Gates, is off fighting AIDS in Africa. Guess that's like when Jaws became a good guy in Moonraker.
No, it was a giant vat of white paint. Poor bastard looked like a ghost at his own funeral. Every time I smell that drying paint smell, I still think of him.
Slashdot Mirror
There have been rumors flying around for some time that The Old Republic development is essentially a complete clusterfuck, with no end in sight. Why on earth EA took the great Knights of the Old Republic IP and decided to completely ignore its console roots (KOTOR 1 and 2 sold WAY more console copies than PC) in favor of a PC-only MMO is beyond me. KOTOR 3 & 4 could have been two of the biggest-selling games in 360/PS3 history. Instead they went with a PC-only title that has been in development hell for years now.
People have forgotten how great the KOTOR series was back in the day, and that's a shame. EA screwed up epically on this one.
I suspect it will happen before 2014. And yes, if it hasn't happened by then, I will concede that I was wrong (wouldn't be the first time).
What will happen to all the developers who love their Macs today?
They'll have to buy a developer box and/or a developer license (similar to a console developer license you would buy with XNA). They will still be able to develop on their Mac's, but they won't be able to install that software on regular Mac's until it has been vetted by Apple.
Mac OS X isn't going anywhere, it's just going to become a closed system (where you will only be able to install Apple-approved software).
Apple is going after the market of users who are sick of dealing with security issues/malware/etc. They've done it by created a closed system. And while us geeks hate that, it has a strong appeal to most people. When they go to a closed system on Mac's (and they will), that's who they're going to be appealing to. "Buy a computer where all your software is pre-screened through our App Store and you don't have to worry about viruses" is a powerful (and potentially very profitable) message in a time when malware and assorted hacks have become so common.
I've been predicting this for some time. The days when you can just install anything on an Apple computer are numbered. Pretty soon, all software will have to go through the App Store on a Mac just like they already do on an iPhone/iPad. The writing on the wall was pretty obvious back when they first announced the App Store was coming to Mac. Rigth now it's just an option, but soon it will be mandatory.
Every time these "Future of the Mac" I predict that there will come a time when EVERYTHING from Apple will be just as locked down as the iPhone/iPad, and every time I get laughed at for saying it. Yet with every announcement, Apple moves closer and closer to phasing out their last open platform.
Yes, sir. And may I remind sir that the gentlemen is coming today for sir's weekly rectal bleaching.
The point in giving demos to people who already bought it. Doesn't it negate the entire point of the demo?
Not if the demo sucks and the only people you want seeing it are people who are already stuck with the game.
I just imagine someone hacking their presentation at E3 while they're live onstage. That would be some serious lulz.
That would be a great idea--if most of these families wouldn't immediately run out and blow the money on crack, gold jewelry, flashy cars, etc. almost immediately, And they would.
Actually, I would probably get the most hilarity out of the Apple fanboys' reactions. Those guys are a little high strung.
I get so sick of hearing people say that the internet can't be censored (usually with some "The internet is *designed* to route around any censorship" crap). If a government wants to stop you from posting pics of you beating kids on the old internets, they don't have to develop some elaborate firewall that you and your hacker buddies can figure out how to bypass. All they have to do is show up at the handful of ISP's in the country with rifles and tell them to cut you off. No connection to your house, no internet for you.
Slashdot routes all its traffic through Syria.
Clearly slashdot is just encouraging us to seek a guru, to learn meditation.
with just one feature: render standard compliant HTML7 pages with 100% accuracy.
Fuck that noise. I happen to like the add-ons feature for Firefox, and I also like the idea that you can add Flash support to browsers and a lot of other mods. You stick with strict standards compliance all you want. But the first time I hit a website that says "Sorry, you can't view this video/play this game/use this utility" because some anal-retentive autistic nerd has decided that my browser will ONLY support some standard that some W3C assholes approved in a committee meeting--that's the moment that I uninstall that browser and go back to Firefox (or Chrome, or IE, or whatever).
I won't put up with Steve Jobs telling me what I can and can't install (that's right, fuck you Steve, I use flash), so why would I put up with some browser that won't let me use add-ons?
Sorry, Charlie don't surf and Steve don't do charity.
This summer, only Ben Affleck can protect our craters...
JULY 2011
But most of those videos/photos that show bad stuff aren't done by professional photographers. They're done by average citizens holding up their smartphones. Just think of what this kind of technology would have done if the Libyan/Yemeni/Egyptian/Tunsian/Syrian/etc. governments had been able to deploy it in the streets of their cities.
Just don't forget to put a tasteful and elegant "iCensored" logo at the bottom, in a pleasant Apple Garamond font.
laser printer watermarking
That's the first thing I thought of when I read the summary. That's not even required by law, but just TRY to find a color printer that doesn't have this "feature."
Why wouldn't they?
Because it costs a lot of money to produce and promote a show. And no one wants to invest in a show if they know it's going to be despised by critics and fans alike. Would YOU like to be the poor bastard who greenlit the "Star Wars Holiday Special"?
Apple has tapped into a pretty nice market there. They'll make quite a bit just selling portable IR transmitters that cops can wear on their belts--for when our boys in blue need to enforce a little extra discouragement on handcuffed perps and don't want to deal with any pesky pinkos filming or taking pictures.
Not only that, but by holding the patent, they stand to make a fortune when the government decides to make it mandatory in all new cameras.
That Steve Jobs is nothing if not a money-making machine. I bet he'll have every college student in the U.S. lined up around the block to buy one of these "enhanced" cameras. He's like one of those Bond villians who comes up with a plan that's undeniably horrific and evil, but also damned creative and ingenious.
Meanwhile the old Bond villian, Bill Gates, is off fighting AIDS in Africa. Guess that's like when Jaws became a good guy in Moonraker.
No, it was a giant vat of white paint. Poor bastard looked like a ghost at his own funeral. Every time I smell that drying paint smell, I still think of him.
No, I'm pretty sure "lack of technology" is LucasSpeak for "No network in their right mind wants to pick up this piece of shit show."