From what I've been reading, WiMax has really good potential. Mobile WiMax (dunno how far its been standardized) ought to do fancy roaming thingies like the mobile counterparts. With far greater range than WiFi, its pretty useful for rural areas in some countries as well. The more options we have for mobile and data services, the better it is for us consumers.
So I read the article and it sounded like there was never a time they could point to and say 'here's when the mutation occured'.
It doesn't usually work that way. Evolution is a continuous process, like, for instance, hair growth. Consider a random population of 1000 short haired people. At what instance does the average length cross 3 cm? There really isn't a distinct time when it happens, since several may visit the barber on different days, making the average shuffle up and down (although maintaining a noticeable upward trend all the way). You could only conclude that, after say, 2 months, the average length in that sample was comfortably over 3 cm, although there might not necessarily have been a single instant when the change occured.
Alright that wasn't a very good analogy, but I hope you get the point: In evolution, the average trends in the gene pool are what are considered rather than a specific instance of change. (IANAEB (I'm not an evolutionary biologist), so please correct me if I'm wrong)
RTFA please! The title is a bit misleading, the article is not one bit about open source software. Its about having a more 'open' online presence within its branches, such as through the use of blogs and wikis. The blogs example particularly has a good case for it: the example of google using links to rank the importances of pages is given, compared to the mess of unsortable data the government previously seemed to be having.
TFA mentions a Netevents conference in Hong Kong where Negroponte made this statement. The link to the events sheet is here, and the transcript of the interview is here (Warning: DOC link).
In one of the last questions, he has this to say about microsoft's past criticisms:
"So when I read in the press, including some remarks from Bill, about "Geeze, get a real computer". Rubbish. This is a real computer. And even though it's not instant on at the moment, it will be instant on, instant off. How long does it take you to turn on your laptop? The little message that says do you want to communicate with Microsoft, I get it five times a day. My computer crashes five times a day."
..which is inline with all his past emphases on open source and linux. So what side is he really on, then? I think (and hope) this article is blown beyond the actual context.
What happens when thousands of these laptops are connected to the internet by little kids with no prior experience? What next, install AVG, Spybot, and the rest before distribution? Teach kids about spyware, bots and viruses before they even learn how to browse?
Slightly offtopic: I was searching for 'Sinosat' in Wikipedia, and came across this page. The outcome is already updated as 'Failure', with a reason given.
As a comparison, the article linked here at/. is dated 3rd December, and the wiki change was in the 2nd. I'm seriously impressed.
Well, whatever it is, I hope things get fixed soon. In my fairly frequent science/evolution debates in my company's intranet forum, talkorigins is invariably what I link to after the JREF. The site is mind-bogglingly comprehensive, and I enjoy reading the post of the month section (even though a lot of the more detailed debates go well over my head). Its sad to see a great resource like that hacked and delisted; I wish them a speedy recovery.
But it sure does make for an interesting read:)
Plus, this is a bank that was the victim of the attack. That's pretty worrying, I think. News like this (that illustrate how trivial social engineering can be) should hopefully make more people in important places (like banks) get over their false sense of security.
RFID, which is much like barcode except for the (far more insecure) scanning method is supposed to correct the "problem"? I smell an ulterior motive.
I was just reading Wired's coverage of the same news, and there are actually some valid points. From there: A scanner can only pick up bar codes that pass directly in front of its laser; wet, folded or smudged tags are often unreadable, and scanners perform especially poorly when exposed to dirt or dust.
Whereas: Utilizing radio waves instead of lasers, RFID doesn't require a direct line of sight between the reader and tag, and isn't affected by dirt or dust. RFID tags are generally more weather-resistant than paper labels, and the hardware is compatible with most existing baggage systems.
It actually sounds alright to me. I'll don my tinfoil hat when they attach it to passengers, but this looks like one place where RFID can be put to good use.
I thought it was pretty much obvious there'd be infringing patents. From Bruce Peren's open letter to Novell (also covered here at/.):
Let's be truthful about software patents: there can be no non-trivial computer program, either proprietary or Free, that does not use methods that are claimed in software patents currently in force and unlicensed for use in that program. There are simply enough patents, on enough fundamental principles, to make this so. If all software patents were enforced fully, the software industry would grind to a halt.
Right. The example he gives is of a dozen different options to hibernate/logout/shut down a computer in Vista. The screenshot really does say it all. I'm thinking of other places where his reasoning holds true, but I'm coming up with blanks here. I mean, I can close a tab in firefox by middle-clicking it, pressing Ctrl+W, clicking on the small X, or with File->Close Tab. They're all redundant ways of doing something but it involves different input devices and shortcuts, and each is equally useful for different people. Information overload? Hmmm.. can't think of any other example where its such a waste as in TFA, really.
So you'll find some of their free (yes, free) software on my machine.
Ballmer was not asked about free software (i.e. freeware), which he would hardly care about as opposition. He was asked about Free software, as in freedom. What you have of theirs in your machine is the former, which is not what the perceived threat to microsoft is. You might want to brush up on the free beer/freedom thingies again.
That's okay. It'll probably take less than a week after release before the adblockers come around. Its survival of the fittest from there. The gaudy flash advertisers will be first to go, and I probably wouldn't mind the less intrusive ones if I was getting a phone for free.
I'm probably very late with this post, but here's an excerpt from RedHat's reply to the Novell/Microsoft deal:
Q: Did Red Hat consider a similar patent deal with Microsoft?
A: An innovation tax is unthinkable. Free and open source software provide the necessary environment for true innovation. Innovation without fear or threat. Activities that isolate communities or limit upstream adoption will inevitably stifle innovation.
Q: What's Red Hat's position on interoperability?
A: Our business has always been based on open standards and interoperability. Open standards create interoperability everyone can implement. That's the real solution. It doesn't require a deal between two companies.
Granted, things could change once wads of money are shaken in front of them, but somehow their prompt and emphatic response reassures me very much. And oh, I almost forgot, the reply is very neatly summed from the homepage link to the response: "Unthinkable".
I'd like to extend a big thanks for letting us know, and also for explaining how the problem arose in the first place. (I'm not smart enough to jump into slashcode and feel at home there, so its pretty interesting to see the kinda stuff you people have to face every now and then)
Can somebody puhlease fix the site (or atleast have a notification on the front page if something's being fixed)? Why's poor/. gone so buggy all of a sudden? Detailed information is provided by thesegentlemen.
The open letter sounds too idealistic, I can't imagine Diebold doing even half the things there. Looks like their line of thought is pretty clear from the second link:
Siwdarski is already trying to distance the Diebold name from its voting machine business to protect its brand.... the company recently ordered the name "Diebold" removed from the front of the voting equipment. Why? A spokesman would only say, "It was a strategic decision on the part of the corporation."
There's a fat line between what ought to happen and what actually does.
We don't really need blatant campaigning on/. do we? A lot of readers here aren't American, and news from 2002 doesn't seem to be necessary either. Ok, maybe he's one of the bad guys, but I still don't see any newsworthiness in this.
The 'article' is woefully low on information, apart from a mention of Gracenote MusicID being used. From Gracenote's own page (Its on mobile music recognition, but I assume the principle is the same): How it Works
1. When music fans hear a song they want to identify, they tap a command on the phone keypad to start the audio recognition process, and then hold the phone up to the music source.
2. The phone captures a few seconds of the audio and extracts a waveform fingerprint of the snippet. The snippet can be from any section of the song, even the last few seconds.
3. The fingerprint is sent to the Mobile MusicID recognition service from the service provider that may be located anywhere in the world.
4. The Mobile MusicID recognition server compares the fingerprint to its database of reference fingerprints and responds with the exact match.
5. The artist, song title and related information, as well as content like album art and download links are relayed to the fan.
The question here isn't whether we want to support those features or if we understand that web developers want them (we do), but simply prioritization. We focused on web developers' real world problems.
Real world problems my @$$. I know hardly anything about web development, but just for the heck of it, I did a one page implementation of an xhtml/css webpage* a month back. Even that didn't show up well in IE. I kinda realised then what kinda problems you poor web developers go through.
*I used a png file cos I wanted some simple transparency and my background colour wasn't white. I know a few dozen people are going to point out that its fixed now, or that there's a 5 line hack to get around it, but it didn't work in the IE version I tried (6, I think) while the validator page showed me I was 100% compliant with the specs. Talking about listening to real world problems is just plain annoying. I'm also a little drunk (friday night, here) so forgive any other errors.
Microsoft bashing aside, this is the guy who's founded the Charles Simonyi Chair in the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford. Richard Dawkins is the current head. I guess that qualifies him pretty much as a (science) nerd. He still didn't have to put up a Flash 9 only website, though.
I wonder if they take into account such matters as government presence and control in media
Apparently they do. The questionnaire linked at the bottom of the page lists the criteria they used, and points 32-36 are all state-related questions, such as: 32. A state monopoly of TV? 35. Government control of state-owned media's editorial line? 36. Improper sackings of journalists in the state-owned media?....you get the idea.
Nevertheless the majority of the criteria seem to be about harassmen, imprisonment or surveillance of reporters, not of the actual state of media control in each country. This being compiled by Reporters Without Borders, I guess that's something they're more concerned about. Perhaps the likes of Freedomhouse may provide a more complete picture, but ironically, my company's Websense blocks that site so I can't really see it now:(
Slashdot Mirror
From what I've been reading, WiMax has really good potential. Mobile WiMax (dunno how far its been standardized) ought to do fancy roaming thingies like the mobile counterparts. With far greater range than WiFi, its pretty useful for rural areas in some countries as well.
The more options we have for mobile and data services, the better it is for us consumers.
Alright that wasn't a very good analogy, but I hope you get the point: In evolution, the average trends in the gene pool are what are considered rather than a specific instance of change. (IANAEB (I'm not an evolutionary biologist), so please correct me if I'm wrong)
RTFA please! The title is a bit misleading, the article is not one bit about open source software. Its about having a more 'open' online presence within its branches, such as through the use of blogs and wikis. The blogs example particularly has a good case for it: the example of google using links to rank the importances of pages is given, compared to the mess of unsortable data the government previously seemed to be having.
In one of the last questions, he has this to say about microsoft's past criticisms:
..which is inline with all his past emphases on open source and linux. So what side is he really on, then? I think (and hope) this article is blown beyond the actual context.
What happens when thousands of these laptops are connected to the internet by little kids with no prior experience? What next, install AVG, Spybot, and the rest before distribution? Teach kids about spyware, bots and viruses before they even learn how to browse?
Slightly offtopic: I was searching for 'Sinosat' in Wikipedia, and came across this page. The outcome is already updated as 'Failure', with a reason given. /. is dated 3rd December, and the wiki change was in the 2nd. I'm seriously impressed.
As a comparison, the article linked here at
Well, whatever it is, I hope things get fixed soon. In my fairly frequent science/evolution debates in my company's intranet forum, talkorigins is invariably what I link to after the JREF. The site is mind-bogglingly comprehensive, and I enjoy reading the post of the month section (even though a lot of the more detailed debates go well over my head).
Its sad to see a great resource like that hacked and delisted; I wish them a speedy recovery.
But it sure does make for an interesting read :)
Plus, this is a bank that was the victim of the attack. That's pretty worrying, I think. News like this (that illustrate how trivial social engineering can be) should hopefully make more people in important places (like banks) get over their false sense of security.
A scanner can only pick up bar codes that pass directly in front of its laser; wet, folded or smudged tags are often unreadable, and scanners perform especially poorly when exposed to dirt or dust.
Whereas:
Utilizing radio waves instead of lasers, RFID doesn't require a direct line of sight between the reader and tag, and isn't affected by dirt or dust. RFID tags are generally more weather-resistant than paper labels, and the hardware is compatible with most existing baggage systems.
It actually sounds alright to me. I'll don my tinfoil hat when they attach it to passengers, but this looks like one place where RFID can be put to good use.
Right. The example he gives is of a dozen different options to hibernate/logout/shut down a computer in Vista. The screenshot really does say it all.
I'm thinking of other places where his reasoning holds true, but I'm coming up with blanks here. I mean, I can close a tab in firefox by middle-clicking it, pressing Ctrl+W, clicking on the small X, or with File->Close Tab. They're all redundant ways of doing something but it involves different input devices and shortcuts, and each is equally useful for different people. Information overload? Hmmm.. can't think of any other example where its such a waste as in TFA, really.
You might want to brush up on the free beer/freedom thingies again.
That's okay. It'll probably take less than a week after release before the adblockers come around. Its survival of the fittest from there. The gaudy flash advertisers will be first to go, and I probably wouldn't mind the less intrusive ones if I was getting a phone for free.
And oh, I almost forgot, the reply is very neatly summed from the homepage link to the response: "Unthinkable".
I'd like to extend a big thanks for letting us know, and also for explaining how the problem arose in the first place.
(I'm not smart enough to jump into slashcode and feel at home there, so its pretty interesting to see the kinda stuff you people have to face every now and then)
Can somebody puhlease fix the site (or atleast have a notification on the front page if something's being fixed)? /. gone so buggy all of a sudden?
Why's poor
Detailed information is provided by these gentlemen.
We don't really need blatant campaigning on /. do we? A lot of readers here aren't American, and news from 2002 doesn't seem to be necessary either.
Ok, maybe he's one of the bad guys, but I still don't see any newsworthiness in this.
God I hate draconian surveillance
The 'article' is woefully low on information, apart from a mention of Gracenote MusicID being used. From Gracenote's own page (Its on mobile music recognition, but I assume the principle is the same):
How it Works
1. When music fans hear a song they want to identify, they tap a command on the phone keypad to start the audio recognition process, and then hold the phone up to the music source.
2. The phone captures a few seconds of the audio and extracts a waveform fingerprint of the snippet. The snippet can be from any section of the song, even the last few seconds.
3. The fingerprint is sent to the Mobile MusicID recognition service from the service provider that may be located anywhere in the world.
4. The Mobile MusicID recognition server compares the fingerprint to its database of reference fingerprints and responds with the exact match.
5. The artist, song title and related information, as well as content like album art and download links are relayed to the fan.
*I used a png file cos I wanted some simple transparency and my background colour wasn't white. I know a few dozen people are going to point out that its fixed now, or that there's a 5 line hack to get around it, but it didn't work in the IE version I tried (6, I think) while the validator page showed me I was 100% compliant with the specs. Talking about listening to real world problems is just plain annoying.
I'm also a little drunk (friday night, here) so forgive any other errors.
Microsoft bashing aside, this is the guy who's founded the Charles Simonyi Chair in the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford. Richard Dawkins is the current head. I guess that qualifies him pretty much as a (science) nerd.
He still didn't have to put up a Flash 9 only website, though.
32. A state monopoly of TV?
35. Government control of state-owned media's editorial line?
36. Improper sackings of journalists in the state-owned media?....you get the idea.
Nevertheless the majority of the criteria seem to be about harassmen, imprisonment or surveillance of reporters, not of the actual state of media control in each country. This being compiled by Reporters Without Borders, I guess that's something they're more concerned about.
Perhaps the likes of Freedomhouse may provide a more complete picture, but ironically, my company's Websense blocks that site so I can't really see it now