Pretty cool story: My grandfather worked in tool and die for PPG (back then it still stood for, Pittsburgh Plate Glass) and they had a super rudimentary "CNC machine" that used punch cards for coordinates in straight lines only. He had zero knowledge of computers but he did figure out how, within the limitations, he could plot enough points to create arcs and essentially circles. It was a huge improvement that teams of "programmers" had been working on unsuccessfully. He never even mentioned it to anyone until I was in college going for a CS degree and I was floored, he figured no one would understand or care since it seemed trivial.
I dislike Steve Jobs a ton, I dislike the overly proprietary nature of Apple devices, I dislike most of my alternative options more. I've been into Linux since 1995, I've been in IT even longer, I appreciate open standards and things that work properly and freely. My next laptop and computer? Macbook Pro and an iMac. This coming from someone who has built computers since the 386 days.
I can still run Windows or Linux on them, they are solidly built with all of the features I need, real battery life on the MBP, iLife which is perfect for my photos and music hobby work, my graphics apps run better, no antivirus/malware/B.S. All this comes at about a few hundred dollar premium, but the time not spent delousing an infection here and there over a few years alone makes up for it.
The problem is that I used to love to hack and play and even if things were kludgy or inelegant, they worked. As I've gotten older I really don't need 4,000 choices, I just want one that works like it should the first time and every time. Does that mean I'd ever think of renting movies/TV from Apple or play into any number of their lifestyle and hip and trendy stuff? No. It's simply the right tool for the job for me and denying it for image or trend reasons is silly. If a purple hammer sunk a nail each and every time on the first blow, I'd happily use the purple hammer.
The company I was at before basically went under during the down-turn, I had actually been pretty careful in screening new jobs and found out after about one week that I had been lied to about this new job on a number of levels... now the problem is that if I jump ship too soon it will look bad on a resume and I'll have to constantly do damage control on it in interviews.
In my time in IT and consulting I have been in a number of businesses and industries and truthfully none have been very good when it comes to IT. It is seen as a drain when other departments are seen as money makers, rarely you find a company with a positive view on technology but it is way too rare and getting worse because now the push is to virtualize everything, pile tons more responsibilities, global operations, travel, etc. and on the bare minimum. Many companies have decided to not re-hire from layoffs during the down-turn which just compounds the issue.
I've had a decent run in this field, I've made good money, I think it may be time to sacrifice some of the paycheck to be able to have a normal life with no on-call and weekend/off-hour updates and changes. I'm happy for those that have it better, believe me, it's not all doom and gloom, but I haven't had a ton of luck and my colleagues and friends seem to have had pretty similar experiences as mine.
Yes, long distance was no issue, it was nation-wide but there were also far less towers everywhere so roaming was an issue at times but nothing major. The analog phones were also higher-powered so signal was excellent. I was able to get service with my old Teletac in places newer phones have nothing. I'm not saying it was some magical device, they had their limitations too back then, but overall $20 bought far more than current digital plans offer. The phones were also still subsidized back then so that wasn't part of it either.
It may even be the best option, but don't do it. I hate to say it because I work in IT and I do love a lot of FOSS but I have also learned to not push it in business. The only time I do recommend it is if the entire department/team is fluent in the OS/software/language being proposed... and in that case you wouldn't have to push to sell it.
Go with something that is supportable by everyone, that offers professional services, and fits the bill. Most likely that is not the FOSS option. I know it isn't what you want to hear, but it is the truth. I've been there, I understand, but I strongly advise you to reconsider. Good luck!
The soaking for data has to stop. I have had a cell phone since the early days of the Motorola Teletacs... they were analog which took up a ton more bandwidth and I had a high minute plan with unlimited nights and weekends for $20/month. Then after things went digital and the load on the carrier dropped significantly it became the norm to pay $40-50 for less minutes and the same N/W plan. B.S. Then the new rage of smartphones with the forced $30+ additional per month and it's ridiculous. I refuse to pay it. I refuse to buy a smartphone or a product like this until the prices become reasonable. I'd love to own one, but there just is no way I'm paying the insane amounts being asked right now by some carriers.
It blows my mind that so many kids/teens have smartphones and are shelling out thousands of dollars per year on them... I can enjoy a nice week or two vacation someplace awesome for that kind of money. And they wonder why they are always broke or can't afford anything.
(sorry if this sounds too Get off my lawn-ish, but it's the truth... I remember when nickles had pictures of bumblebees on them.)
I work in IT for a company that is located in a rural area. They started their business here and as they have grown over the years, they remain here for their HQ, even though they are global now. It's terrible. Sure the lack of traffic is nice, but that is about all.
Here are some realities:
1. They want you to work as if you are in some overseas sweatshop. 2. They run beyond lean but with global reach that means essentially 12-20 hour days are the norm. No comp time. 3. They do not attract top talent because of their location, while some want to get away from the city, many do not. 4. They generally are looking to avoid things like unions and costs like healthcare... I was told by HR to not even use the healthcare and instead use the clinics in Walgreens, etc. (I am expected to work 50+ hours and travel like mad, and accep tthat even if I pay for healthcare I'd be better off at some pharmacy clinic for my health.) 5. Free parking. That's another plus. FWIW.
I've been in IT for over 15 years and the writing is on the wall, this industry has become a joke. If you value any semblance of a normal life and family it's almost impossible with 24x7 on-call, travel, running so lean there is nothing but bone, extreme pressure, slashed budgets... I could go on. I value my life and time more than a paycheck, and it's coming close to the point where I make a move out of IT and into something a bit more sane.
I actually disagree a bit with you... Apple and MS both have these in-built proclivities and they both are very limiting and self-serving, where they differ is that MS tends to be much less subtle about it and the obtrusiveness is what actually makes them seem more annoying. Apple does the same thing but much more slyly so folks don't notice or get as upset about it. Android is too new to really have an emerging theme on this, but I have a feeling the chaotic envoronment is not going to end as a nice, clean, easy solution in the long-run.
I have no dogs in the race, I still use a Samsung dumbphone personally and a BB for work that I think is pathetic. Once smartphones in general stabilize and data becomes part of the base monthly price, I'll care.
Because terrorists aren't cave-dwelling urchins with brain damage like our great media likes to portray. These guys are extremely intelligent and motivated. No one seems to call anyone on this though, if they were as poorly trained and unintelligent as we make them out to be then why haven't we rapped this up quickly with all of our "intelligence" and technology? It's because they are equally (if not more) intelligent than our side, they may lack the funding and technology but they manage to devise incredible feats with what little they do have access to.
I'd take the terrorist over the mostly (failed) high-school educated soldier we put into battle. I do realize there are many very intelligent folks in our service, but a large majority are not.
You're preaching to the choir here... I have attempted to state this very thing for close to 10 years now and it is rebuffed each and every time even though the kernel development follows this very model and it is critical to it's success. (If Slashdot history goes back far enough you will see even here the concept is flamed as soon as it is brought up and has been forever).
Right now we're building a skyscraper on a foundation of jelly that keeps moving and shifting and is impossible to ever get anywhere on. My biggest hope these days is Ubuntu and if they ever decide to truly make their own distro with a unified vision and goal.
Building a standard base does not mean we can't have speciality and one-off distros too, but that we could have a foundation for a desktop and a server distro that could then be extended upon and offer some semblance of control and standardization. I have basically walked away from Linux as a desktop replacement and even for non-pre-built servers and devices until this happens.
15 years of next years was just too much for me... and I love Linux.
I have been waiting for this mythical "next year" when everything gets sorted and Linux makes a major inroad. A few times I thought it was going to happen (Redhat IPO, Mandrake, Ubuntu) but the reality is that chaos breeds chaos. The bazaar is cool but not for steering and vision... look at how far OSX came because of a single unified vision in a much shorter timeframe. Linux needs to have a steering comittee not for all distros or flavors but for a single base framework where a single architecture (common denomenator) is targeted and the best in class choice is made in each area. Of course this could then be tweaked or refined for specific needs or builds but would give Linux a stable and solid foundation on the desktop. Look at the kernel for a shining example of both why this is needed and how well it can work. Imagine if kernel dev happened like the rest of Linux dev!
I think you've missed my points entirely, but what I'm saying is that anyone who is looking for older, rare, oop, scholar texts, niche titles ("serious" readers) there are essentially zero prospects of them being digitized and/or sold in a format for these devices. eBooks will have their place, but it will be for leisure reading, magazines, comics and textbooks. To render an illuminated manuscript in crappy eInk or even the iPad is useless. I never said they weren't useful just that this idea of serious readers being the market is wrong. They are a consumer device that makes books and periodicals consumables, for many folks that is fine, for others it is not.
I also wanted to add that the premise that books are "expensive" is ludicrous. at $6-15 for most paperbacks and maybe $20-25 for hardcover releases a book offers far more hours of entertainment for far cheaper than almost any other media. It's not a broken system like music was which facilitated the rapid shift to MP3, it is a time-tested system that is quite mature and for the most part solid.
Yes, there are readers out there... I'm one of them. You're a bit misguided though in your reasoning. I will not buy an eReader. Most serious readers will not. The actual target are the mid-range readers. Librarians, scholars, and avid readers do not want Grisham or the latest Dan Brown "masterpiece." The eBook/eReader crowd does. Book shopping is not a hassle, many of us enjoy it, we also tend to do it in places without blaring espresso machines and John Mayer playing softly. I can appreciate that you and many others who enjoy reading are more apt to read due to the simplicity and instant gratification, but serious readers can't be lumped into that thinking. I read, on average, 52 books a year (one a week). I'm not afraid of technology, in fact I am an IT professional and own two devices that can display eBooks... it has nothing to do with any of that. A physical book cannot be replaced no matter how much companies want them to be. It would eliminate libraries, used book stores, lending a good book to a friend, etc. You may think that isn't a big deal but there is much more surrounding those sites than just books. Programs, reading groups, discussion, learning, exploring, freedom, archives, and much more. We'd be losing all of that in favor of companies making more money.
I'm a heavy tech user and IT professional and you can pry my real books from my cold, dead hands. I refuse to shop at Barnes & Noble in favor of Borders simply because I will not pay a yearly fee to get my books for what they should cost to begin with. I spend a large amount of time and money at my local Borders, I also buy a lot of books from places like Amazon and Half.com. Everyone talks about how no one reads anymore yet people are buying eBooks apparently. I won't buy into eBooks because I love the tactile feel of a book and the go-anywhere, low-tech, nature that suits a million more uses than an ereader. I like to lend and share books with friends and family, I like a nice bookcase filled with inspiring and excellent works. I like buying used books for a small amount of money to take a chance on something new or different. I will not give in and I'm also here to say that I am a fairly young American male that reads close to 52 books a year in addition to technical books and comics/magazines (also in regular paper form).
We've understood antenna's for more than 100 years, yet they managed to completely drop the ball on that aspect. It was the very first thing I said when I saw the unveiling, I love how people are surprised by it now. I don't even hate Apple, it's just dumb no matter who would have done it.
Fully and completely. I say it in every wikileaks article here or anywhere. I always draw responses of either "it already it" or "it's fine as it is" and that is bullshit. Wikileaks is one of the most important outlets the world has, to not do everything possible to keep it that way is sheer stupidity.
I understand where you are coming from since we are in the same boat... and if you only hang with similarly-minded folks it would seem that we are all "mostly" OK... but that isn't the case. I worked for some time at a private university and when you actually spend time with and in close proximity to the youth you realize it is not "OK" it isn't a minority, it is an overwhelming majority. Easily 75-80%.
I used to work a job that require me to be on-call 24/7 and I was tethered by these kinds of gadgets... I kind of burnt out and took a job not requiring on-call at all and I also ditched a smartphone altogether. I use a plain Samsung phone and I have an iPod Touch. That's it now. I'm far happier even though I'm less "connected" and it isn't just because of the job change.
Life is essentially one big distraction these days and no one knows how to just enjoy what it happening. People have to contantly be tweeting or on Facebook or snapping pics and talking about the concert/meal/vacation/whatever *while* it is happening. They barely actually enjoy the event because it is instead spent telling everyone else about it. This is going to have a terrible impact long-term and already is. People are more easily frustrated and distracted and have lost the ability to just singularly enjoy something. It's a shame.
My XBMC original Xbox setup happily powers my 32" LCD just fine and wirelessly streams media (bridged wireless router) through my house from my server. Serves up all the old game systems and games, and even some cool streaming from the Internet via a few apps. I wish it had Netflix or Hulu, but oh well, once something comes out that rivals it full and for a low enough price I'll switch, but for now it just keeps chugging along fine.
I hate to admit it, but I love my original Kodak 5100 mfp. The ink is cheap and lasts a long time, the actual cost per page is one of the lowest of all inkjets, and it has lasted longer and worked better than any other inkjet I have owned or used.
This kinda thing only works when, like this, it is based on an existing product with wide appeal, and also has a lot of people looking for an alternative. Sure, that could fit a few apps but not every one. It's just like when big bands like Radiohead or others do a "pay what you want" for a new release and everyone praises it and claims it to be the wave of the future... go ahead and try that *before* you are mega-stars or not in some mainstream or popular genre... all 8 people that pay will totally make it worthwhile. Indie software, etc. all follows this same pattern.
It will never work for the vast majority of projects.
I have never liked or respected Zuckerberg, he is delusional and dangerous. Greed + ego never ends well and add youth to that and you have a complete nightmare. Sadly I have close friends and family spread out over the globe and Facebook is one of the best ways for us to stay in touch right now. Hopefully that changes soon, but in the meantime I have removed everything from my profile and have suggested others do the same.
Slashdot Mirror
Pretty cool story: My grandfather worked in tool and die for PPG (back then it still stood for, Pittsburgh Plate Glass) and they had a super rudimentary "CNC machine" that used punch cards for coordinates in straight lines only. He had zero knowledge of computers but he did figure out how, within the limitations, he could plot enough points to create arcs and essentially circles. It was a huge improvement that teams of "programmers" had been working on unsuccessfully. He never even mentioned it to anyone until I was in college going for a CS degree and I was floored, he figured no one would understand or care since it seemed trivial.
I dislike Steve Jobs a ton, I dislike the overly proprietary nature of Apple devices, I dislike most of my alternative options more. I've been into Linux since 1995, I've been in IT even longer, I appreciate open standards and things that work properly and freely. My next laptop and computer? Macbook Pro and an iMac. This coming from someone who has built computers since the 386 days.
I can still run Windows or Linux on them, they are solidly built with all of the features I need, real battery life on the MBP, iLife which is perfect for my photos and music hobby work, my graphics apps run better, no antivirus/malware/B.S. All this comes at about a few hundred dollar premium, but the time not spent delousing an infection here and there over a few years alone makes up for it.
The problem is that I used to love to hack and play and even if things were kludgy or inelegant, they worked. As I've gotten older I really don't need 4,000 choices, I just want one that works like it should the first time and every time. Does that mean I'd ever think of renting movies/TV from Apple or play into any number of their lifestyle and hip and trendy stuff? No. It's simply the right tool for the job for me and denying it for image or trend reasons is silly. If a purple hammer sunk a nail each and every time on the first blow, I'd happily use the purple hammer.
The company I was at before basically went under during the down-turn, I had actually been pretty careful in screening new jobs and found out after about one week that I had been lied to about this new job on a number of levels... now the problem is that if I jump ship too soon it will look bad on a resume and I'll have to constantly do damage control on it in interviews.
In my time in IT and consulting I have been in a number of businesses and industries and truthfully none have been very good when it comes to IT. It is seen as a drain when other departments are seen as money makers, rarely you find a company with a positive view on technology but it is way too rare and getting worse because now the push is to virtualize everything, pile tons more responsibilities, global operations, travel, etc. and on the bare minimum. Many companies have decided to not re-hire from layoffs during the down-turn which just compounds the issue.
I've had a decent run in this field, I've made good money, I think it may be time to sacrifice some of the paycheck to be able to have a normal life with no on-call and weekend/off-hour updates and changes. I'm happy for those that have it better, believe me, it's not all doom and gloom, but I haven't had a ton of luck and my colleagues and friends seem to have had pretty similar experiences as mine.
Yes, long distance was no issue, it was nation-wide but there were also far less towers everywhere so roaming was an issue at times but nothing major. The analog phones were also higher-powered so signal was excellent. I was able to get service with my old Teletac in places newer phones have nothing. I'm not saying it was some magical device, they had their limitations too back then, but overall $20 bought far more than current digital plans offer. The phones were also still subsidized back then so that wasn't part of it either.
It may even be the best option, but don't do it. I hate to say it because I work in IT and I do love a lot of FOSS but I have also learned to not push it in business. The only time I do recommend it is if the entire department/team is fluent in the OS/software/language being proposed... and in that case you wouldn't have to push to sell it.
Go with something that is supportable by everyone, that offers professional services, and fits the bill. Most likely that is not the FOSS option. I know it isn't what you want to hear, but it is the truth. I've been there, I understand, but I strongly advise you to reconsider. Good luck!
The soaking for data has to stop. I have had a cell phone since the early days of the Motorola Teletacs... they were analog which took up a ton more bandwidth and I had a high minute plan with unlimited nights and weekends for $20/month. Then after things went digital and the load on the carrier dropped significantly it became the norm to pay $40-50 for less minutes and the same N/W plan. B.S. Then the new rage of smartphones with the forced $30+ additional per month and it's ridiculous. I refuse to pay it. I refuse to buy a smartphone or a product like this until the prices become reasonable. I'd love to own one, but there just is no way I'm paying the insane amounts being asked right now by some carriers.
It blows my mind that so many kids/teens have smartphones and are shelling out thousands of dollars per year on them... I can enjoy a nice week or two vacation someplace awesome for that kind of money. And they wonder why they are always broke or can't afford anything.
(sorry if this sounds too Get off my lawn-ish, but it's the truth... I remember when nickles had pictures of bumblebees on them.)
I work in IT for a company that is located in a rural area. They started their business here and as they have grown over the years, they remain here for their HQ, even though they are global now. It's terrible. Sure the lack of traffic is nice, but that is about all.
Here are some realities:
1. They want you to work as if you are in some overseas sweatshop.
2. They run beyond lean but with global reach that means essentially 12-20 hour days are the norm. No comp time.
3. They do not attract top talent because of their location, while some want to get away from the city, many do not.
4. They generally are looking to avoid things like unions and costs like healthcare... I was told by HR to not even use the healthcare and instead use the clinics in Walgreens, etc. (I am expected to work 50+ hours and travel like mad, and accep tthat even if I pay for healthcare I'd be better off at some pharmacy clinic for my health.)
5. Free parking. That's another plus. FWIW.
I've been in IT for over 15 years and the writing is on the wall, this industry has become a joke. If you value any semblance of a normal life and family it's almost impossible with 24x7 on-call, travel, running so lean there is nothing but bone, extreme pressure, slashed budgets... I could go on. I value my life and time more than a paycheck, and it's coming close to the point where I make a move out of IT and into something a bit more sane.
I actually disagree a bit with you... Apple and MS both have these in-built proclivities and they both are very limiting and self-serving, where they differ is that MS tends to be much less subtle about it and the obtrusiveness is what actually makes them seem more annoying. Apple does the same thing but much more slyly so folks don't notice or get as upset about it. Android is too new to really have an emerging theme on this, but I have a feeling the chaotic envoronment is not going to end as a nice, clean, easy solution in the long-run.
I have no dogs in the race, I still use a Samsung dumbphone personally and a BB for work that I think is pathetic. Once smartphones in general stabilize and data becomes part of the base monthly price, I'll care.
Because terrorists aren't cave-dwelling urchins with brain damage like our great media likes to portray. These guys are extremely intelligent and motivated. No one seems to call anyone on this though, if they were as poorly trained and unintelligent as we make them out to be then why haven't we rapped this up quickly with all of our "intelligence" and technology? It's because they are equally (if not more) intelligent than our side, they may lack the funding and technology but they manage to devise incredible feats with what little they do have access to.
I'd take the terrorist over the mostly (failed) high-school educated soldier we put into battle. I do realize there are many very intelligent folks in our service, but a large majority are not.
You're preaching to the choir here... I have attempted to state this very thing for close to 10 years now and it is rebuffed each and every time even though the kernel development follows this very model and it is critical to it's success. (If Slashdot history goes back far enough you will see even here the concept is flamed as soon as it is brought up and has been forever).
Right now we're building a skyscraper on a foundation of jelly that keeps moving and shifting and is impossible to ever get anywhere on. My biggest hope these days is Ubuntu and if they ever decide to truly make their own distro with a unified vision and goal.
Building a standard base does not mean we can't have speciality and one-off distros too, but that we could have a foundation for a desktop and a server distro that could then be extended upon and offer some semblance of control and standardization. I have basically walked away from Linux as a desktop replacement and even for non-pre-built servers and devices until this happens.
15 years of next years was just too much for me... and I love Linux.
I have been waiting for this mythical "next year" when everything gets sorted and Linux makes a major inroad. A few times I thought it was going to happen (Redhat IPO, Mandrake, Ubuntu) but the reality is that chaos breeds chaos. The bazaar is cool but not for steering and vision... look at how far OSX came because of a single unified vision in a much shorter timeframe. Linux needs to have a steering comittee not for all distros or flavors but for a single base framework where a single architecture (common denomenator) is targeted and the best in class choice is made in each area. Of course this could then be tweaked or refined for specific needs or builds but would give Linux a stable and solid foundation on the desktop. Look at the kernel for a shining example of both why this is needed and how well it can work. Imagine if kernel dev happened like the rest of Linux dev!
I think you've missed my points entirely, but what I'm saying is that anyone who is looking for older, rare, oop, scholar texts, niche titles ("serious" readers) there are essentially zero prospects of them being digitized and/or sold in a format for these devices. eBooks will have their place, but it will be for leisure reading, magazines, comics and textbooks. To render an illuminated manuscript in crappy eInk or even the iPad is useless. I never said they weren't useful just that this idea of serious readers being the market is wrong. They are a consumer device that makes books and periodicals consumables, for many folks that is fine, for others it is not.
I also wanted to add that the premise that books are "expensive" is ludicrous. at $6-15 for most paperbacks and maybe $20-25 for hardcover releases a book offers far more hours of entertainment for far cheaper than almost any other media. It's not a broken system like music was which facilitated the rapid shift to MP3, it is a time-tested system that is quite mature and for the most part solid.
Yes, there are readers out there... I'm one of them. You're a bit misguided though in your reasoning. I will not buy an eReader. Most serious readers will not. The actual target are the mid-range readers. Librarians, scholars, and avid readers do not want Grisham or the latest Dan Brown "masterpiece." The eBook/eReader crowd does. Book shopping is not a hassle, many of us enjoy it, we also tend to do it in places without blaring espresso machines and John Mayer playing softly. I can appreciate that you and many others who enjoy reading are more apt to read due to the simplicity and instant gratification, but serious readers can't be lumped into that thinking. I read, on average, 52 books a year (one a week). I'm not afraid of technology, in fact I am an IT professional and own two devices that can display eBooks... it has nothing to do with any of that. A physical book cannot be replaced no matter how much companies want them to be. It would eliminate libraries, used book stores, lending a good book to a friend, etc. You may think that isn't a big deal but there is much more surrounding those sites than just books. Programs, reading groups, discussion, learning, exploring, freedom, archives, and much more. We'd be losing all of that in favor of companies making more money.
I'm a heavy tech user and IT professional and you can pry my real books from my cold, dead hands. I refuse to shop at Barnes & Noble in favor of Borders simply because I will not pay a yearly fee to get my books for what they should cost to begin with. I spend a large amount of time and money at my local Borders, I also buy a lot of books from places like Amazon and Half.com. Everyone talks about how no one reads anymore yet people are buying eBooks apparently. I won't buy into eBooks because I love the tactile feel of a book and the go-anywhere, low-tech, nature that suits a million more uses than an ereader. I like to lend and share books with friends and family, I like a nice bookcase filled with inspiring and excellent works. I like buying used books for a small amount of money to take a chance on something new or different. I will not give in and I'm also here to say that I am a fairly young American male that reads close to 52 books a year in addition to technical books and comics/magazines (also in regular paper form).
We've understood antenna's for more than 100 years, yet they managed to completely drop the ball on that aspect. It was the very first thing I said when I saw the unveiling, I love how people are surprised by it now. I don't even hate Apple, it's just dumb no matter who would have done it.
Fully and completely. I say it in every wikileaks article here or anywhere. I always draw responses of either "it already it" or "it's fine as it is" and that is bullshit. Wikileaks is one of the most important outlets the world has, to not do everything possible to keep it that way is sheer stupidity.
because my Dreamcast is still hooked up and humming along fine with all the games I love and the proper controller. VMU's I could do without.
I understand where you are coming from since we are in the same boat... and if you only hang with similarly-minded folks it would seem that we are all "mostly" OK... but that isn't the case. I worked for some time at a private university and when you actually spend time with and in close proximity to the youth you realize it is not "OK" it isn't a minority, it is an overwhelming majority. Easily 75-80%.
I used to work a job that require me to be on-call 24/7 and I was tethered by these kinds of gadgets... I kind of burnt out and took a job not requiring on-call at all and I also ditched a smartphone altogether. I use a plain Samsung phone and I have an iPod Touch. That's it now. I'm far happier even though I'm less "connected" and it isn't just because of the job change.
Life is essentially one big distraction these days and no one knows how to just enjoy what it happening. People have to contantly be tweeting or on Facebook or snapping pics and talking about the concert/meal/vacation/whatever *while* it is happening. They barely actually enjoy the event because it is instead spent telling everyone else about it. This is going to have a terrible impact long-term and already is. People are more easily frustrated and distracted and have lost the ability to just singularly enjoy something. It's a shame.
My XBMC original Xbox setup happily powers my 32" LCD just fine and wirelessly streams media (bridged wireless router) through my house from my server. Serves up all the old game systems and games, and even some cool streaming from the Internet via a few apps. I wish it had Netflix or Hulu, but oh well, once something comes out that rivals it full and for a low enough price I'll switch, but for now it just keeps chugging along fine.
Hoping new ventures pick it up and run with it.
I hate to admit it, but I love my original Kodak 5100 mfp. The ink is cheap and lasts a long time, the actual cost per page is one of the lowest of all inkjets, and it has lasted longer and worked better than any other inkjet I have owned or used.
This kinda thing only works when, like this, it is based on an existing product with wide appeal, and also has a lot of people looking for an alternative. Sure, that could fit a few apps but not every one. It's just like when big bands like Radiohead or others do a "pay what you want" for a new release and everyone praises it and claims it to be the wave of the future... go ahead and try that *before* you are mega-stars or not in some mainstream or popular genre... all 8 people that pay will totally make it worthwhile. Indie software, etc. all follows this same pattern.
It will never work for the vast majority of projects.
Even more, if they are friends or family, *they know* which is why they are close friends and family.
I have never liked or respected Zuckerberg, he is delusional and dangerous. Greed + ego never ends well and add youth to that and you have a complete nightmare. Sadly I have close friends and family spread out over the globe and Facebook is one of the best ways for us to stay in touch right now. Hopefully that changes soon, but in the meantime I have removed everything from my profile and have suggested others do the same.
An .msi would be an extremely smart move and part way to where it needs to be!