If heavy objects sink to the core, and lighter ones speed up, and go to the outer rim... do galaxies of galaxies behave the same way? And by that thinking, is the universe really expanding, or are we just moving towards the outer rim being a very large section of lighter galaxies (and we just appear to be expanding because behind us are heavier objects accelerating slower, stopped, or accelerating back into the core, and lighter objects are moving faster in front of us as we are all just moving on an outward spiral, thus giving the appearance of a universe that is spreading apart)?
And, if that's so, what would "THE core" be like. Hmmm, black hole not of one star but of entire galaxies?
Which begs the question, is there enough gravitational pull at a hypothetical core of all cores to hold the universe together like a giant counter weight on a pendulum, with fluctuations between expansions and collapses? (Never mind if 'Sha Ka Ree' is really there if it has the mass of 1 million Milky Ways, heh.)
IANA astronomer, astrophysicist, etc. Just curious because from what I read, as go moons, so go solar systems, so go galaxies, so goes the universe.
Ah, so that's why MS is going to push IE7 via automatic updates; anyone that does care about their browser won't voluntarily install it. Kinda like how Linux downloads outpace retail Microsoft Windows sales; nobody in their right mind voluntarily installs Windows unless they are forced to for one reason or another.
Yes yes, I know... but making the connection here was just too tempting... and too true, if I may say so myself.
To sum it up: If you want 100 windows and 700 tabs open on your Win98 75MHz Pentium with 132 MB memory... Firefox isn't for you. It will break. You are much better going with Netscape 4.72 on Win98. Because of this, Firefox is SO not production quality yet. Wait for version 3.
Actually, I'm with this guy, and I'm not going to post anonymously like 90% here who fear for their karma.
What, now white collar criminals are supposed to get it easier? What about Enron execs? They didn't physically hurt anyone. They just caused billions in damage. Jeff Skilling got 24 years, all for what comes down to lieing.
These guys were in the fraud business as well. Oh wait, he's a geek, so we MUST be outraged. Whatever... So everyone is anti-RIAA and anti-MPAA, but nobody here can honestly defend the legality of their actions. If a DVD retails for $15 (whether you agree with the price or not) and they assisted in transferring millions of copies, then I think he got off light with 5 months.
And don't give me that crap about getting raped and getting hocked on drugs. Give me a break. This guy got a slap on the wrist by anyone's account. 5 months is barely enough time for him to get through processing. He'll wind up in some low security work release area, or minimum security with face-to-face visits from mommy and daddy.
Anyone here who thinks 5 months and a $3000 fine is so severe... you've lived a sheltered life. People get longer times in local jails for writing bad checks, or prostitution, or too many PIs (public intoxication). This guy is getting a 5 month vacation to sit around, watch cable TV, get coffee and donuts served to him every morning, play some basketball every afternoon, and back to watching more TV. He'll be in just long enough to read a decent sized Stephen King novel.
Punishment not fitting the crime? Please, he broke federal law and got a slap on the wrist even by local yokal standards. And when he gets out, he'll be spending 5 months at home playing XBox. Yeah... he's got it REAL hard. He'll probably have a cushy IT job when he gets out, unlike those "bad" guys, who have nothing to look forward to but minimum wage factory work for the rest of their lives living in 2 bit apartments.
But no, let's treat him like he's Nelson Mandela standing up to "The Man". Do the crime, do the time. I have no sympathy for someone who knows they're breaking the law. Kill my karma if you want to, but I'm not karma-whoring for this chump.
"So, on the logic of the press release, Firefox is developing roughly 10 times as fast as IE."
Well, I think the logic of the reality is that Firefox is developing at least 10 times as fast as IE, hehe. Consider, Firefox in just a few years has eclipsed IE6 which has been out for many more years. Besides, IE started out with version 3, didn't it (at least that's the earliest I remember)?
Looking at adoption on MS's core customer base, IE7 will make no inroads on corporate machines that still run 2000. It will make some inroads on corporate XP machines, because many if not most have automatic updates turned off, for many reasons. Of those looking for the features it has, they've most likely already gone Firefox.
So, even IE7's actual impact will be one quick burst because of automatic updates. It will outpace Firefox growth in a very short period of about a month, then drop off to near zero. And, Firefox will continue its slower, but steady adoption, especially by those who did want IE7, but aren't supported, and will ditch IE for Firefox.
I would say that Firefox is developping at least 100x faster than IE, considering extensions. Add to that adoption rates, it adds a "sense" that Firefox continues to improve at break neck rate.
This of course, has nothing to do with version numbers. And there is no logical reason for the number jumps. But on an emotional level, it's a little self reward to say, "Yeah, we're certainly worthy of breaking out of version 1 by now." To me, version 1 is no better than beta, really, in an "unpolished" sense. Version 2's are clearly more polished products, which Firefox is. Not logically, but emotionally (which is the commercial marketting logic behind it). IE6, on the other hand, might be equivilant to say, alpha6... ok, I'll be kind... beta6, hehe.
"there's no justification for bumping the major version number."
IE7. Marketing trumps numbering conventions every time. And FF3.0 will come out before IE8. If I were the guy handling FF numbers, I'd increase by.5 every six months regardless of actual code changes, at least, until it has reached 7.5 (or one number greater than IE). Your average user's mind could see version 2.0 and version 7.0 and say to themselves, "Why should I trust those Firefox guys, it's only their second version, what do they know about the web?"
Just look at car comapnies. They rarely make a major break through within a model, so they go by the year giving the consumer the idea that every single year, the model improves. In fact, a big improvement will result in a new model, not "usually" within an existing model (unless the improvement goes company-wide, or the model is extremely popular and branding is at stake). Some models haven't fundamentally changed in over a decade.
If you think people get mad and beat machines because their $0.75 bag of chips got stuck, what do you think the person who just spent $250 on a phone are going to do when it gets stuck? That person is going to beat that machine until they break through the door. Think bats, crowbars, and smashing with vehicles, and then it's "Hey everybody, free cellphones!" (Veiled reference to a line from Police Academy.)
Here's a question. If buying too many pre-paid cellphones from Walmart can get you arrested (terrorism, drugs, etc... guilty only really of hyper-consumerism, imo), will the machine alert police to multiple purchases? Seeing as these will be in airports, if you decide to buy a half dozen as gifts, will you be allowed to board the plane, or get hauled off to get rubber glove probed?
Also, will breaking into one become a federal offence? And finally, because of the high profile of being targetting by thieves either by breaking in or by forcing others to buy phones for them, will these machines come with any type of security camera or remote help? At least then, it might be possible to talk with a service rep when the phone doesn't come out.
FTA: "The products are delivered to consumers by a robotic arm and are run from a central location, similar to the way automated teller machines are operated."
For these types of items to really take off, they have to be Walmart marketable. The best way to do that is to create a device everyone would want to use. An in-line firewall would be such a good application. One Lan-in, and either USB or Lan out cable, and a small server sitting in the middle acting as firewall, spam filter, pop-up/phishing blocker, and if they could squeeze it in, a virus blocker. Or, better, yet, one device that does each really well and really fast, and then chain several together to do each feature.
Connect, connect, safe and secure PC. The mass market for these products remains in constructing single, highly specialized but widely sought after features, that require no setup or a completely automated setup. LAMP on a micro-server isn't really that sort of product, even if it would be fun to play with. The market is in daemons on USB, preferably in-line or on its own dedicated node (though that's a bit wasteful, imho) - firewalls, independent shared drives, dns (plug and play opendns via in-line from modem to router), and even time servers (maybe with a little back lit LCD display, and adjustment controls on the outside). These tasks are currently being pushed into virtualization. But moving occasional services into a cheap occasionally used device would be even better.
I'm curious who you are flaming with that. Jews, Christians, Muslims, or all three? Or are you flaming the Catholics in China? Or are you supporting the religious intolerance and oppression of the Chinese government as a good economic tool?
Somehow you managed to turn an obvious flame of Christianity into an attack on all the world's major religions, which made no sense in a country-by-country comparison. America does have a religious monopoly.
Kudos on insulting everyone simultaneously and injecting the evolution theory into a discussion about space seeds, which by the way, does make evolutionary sense to use radiation to randomly alter DNA, and see if any improved traits emerge. (A strange and extremely inefficient way to go about irradiating seeds, IMO, but hey, it's their satellite to waste.)
But you do contribute a great pointing finger for US problems. We need to drop medicare and social security right? Yes, that will make us just as competitive as China by creating a large ultra-low income class of people willing to work for pennies on the dollar. Obviously Democrats and Republicans are both wrong, and we need to stop that whole "thinking of others" thing, which is so overly cliche religious masked as good politics. [/sarcasm]
Kudos on being more "insightful" than the more than 80% of the population US population (religious, elderly, democrat, republican) and related international populations you just flamed, blamed, or want turned out on the streets.
Good going, that comment just dropped LNUX from $4.15 to $3.95.
BTW, 2006 has been good to them (from wikipedia):
On February 21, 2006, VA Software reported its first ever profitable quarter. Net income for the second quarter stands at $10.5 million, or 17 cents per share, compared to a net loss of $702,000, or a penny a share, in the previous year's second quarter. Excluding one time gains from the sale of Animation Factory, VA's profit that quarter would have been $1.1 million, or 2 cents per share[5]. VA followed this performance with two more consecutive profitable quarters, earning $1.1 million in Q306 and $700,000 in fiscal Q406, which ended on July 31. Fiscal 2006 was VA Software's first ever profitable year, with total earnings of $11 million, or 17 cents per share ($1.3 million, or 2 cents a share, if Animation Factory asset sale gains are excluded). VA ended the year with $51.9 million in the bank, up from $36.6 million the previous year
Notice, after the new site design, profit has really gone up. But what really kick started it? "OMG!!! Ponies!!!" of April 1. Thinking about this, I finally figured it out!
Over 200 Years of using paper in elections, and thousands of years in development... not perfect, but our democracy worked very well under it. No coups, only one civil war which reunited the country again, relatively peaceful country without the "death squads" others have, only a few (any maybe ongoing) problems with presidents taking on more-than-democratic powers. But hey, it's an ok place, ain't it?
So a couple hanging chads made us think the sky was falling. But even after all that, I'm more comfortable with hanging chads than hacked boxes.
We've had what, 20 years of the computer really being main stream (give or take a few years), and less than that in which the majority of the population uses them?
Let's jump off the digital boat because we jumped on too soon. Paper is a proven product and proven in voting. Digital voting machines are unproven (well, proven bad), too secret (nothing secret about how paper works), and not enough people REALLY understand computers. If they did, we'd probably have to call in the national guard to keep the angry mobs away from Diebold offices.
Hey, I'm all for digital. But we're just not ready; we as in a nation, not as in/.'rs. Give the country at least enough time where most voters were born with a family computer, not as something they remember being invented. I see that happening in about 30-40 years. It's a fundamental change in our democratic process, and all fundamental changes in democratic governments must change slowly over many generations. It's what keeps a democracy stable. Any sudden moves throw chaos into the system. Chaos means people lose trust in the system. Losing trust means the system starts to deteriorate, even break down. When democracy breaks down, it takes a LOT longer to restore it again. Just look at Thailand.
It was good for the environment, and its good for democracy. Paper or Plastic? Paper.
iTV probably isn't going to carry local news, and if it carries sports, it's going to be with a BIG price tag for live games.
I'll take my football on regular TV (and Tivo will save it to watch later if I miss it), and I'll take The Daily Show via iTV, because I never see it, and I have to get an extended cable plan to watch that one show.
With a little interface (hey, if Apple can interface with a sneaker, they can work out a deal with Tivo), then a person could get by with iTV for the high quality specialty shows and normal cable or even digital broadcast (antenna) for local news, sports, and abc/cbs/nbc/fox/wb/etc network shows, and even grandma could figure it out. (Hey, they're two very UI conscious companies... could be the best remote control ever designed in the history of TV remotes, or the worst ever... either way, an instant Smithsonian collection item.)
As I stated here on the Zune price story, it's all about positioning the Zune to work closely with partners. They are going to be pushing content through partners to the Windows Media Player (and related media software for home entertainment) that is also portable on the Zune.
They're working to compete with Apple's iPod by getting deals with music and video distribution partners, who want a zero leniency DRM.
You could have said the same about Apple, but it's not about CD's. The CD is dead. Computers are moving to DVD-+R(W/RAM), and everyone and their brother has an iPod now. It's about sales of downloadable music, tv, and movies. It's all about download sales, and Microsoft is going to try to do to the iPod what the XBox did to the PlayStation (2/3). Undercut price, get content people want (especially exclusive deals), and spend a lot of time and energy on version 1, and even more time on version 2 to get a "WOW" effect when people see it on display at Walmart, Circuit City, Best Buy, etc.
Of course, I don't see MS getting into the content game as much as they did on the XBox, but of course, they have DRM license partners now, and they'll probably roll out a more aggressive program later on to expand their scope and the $$$-per-download they get in return.
All Zune has to do is go wireless, and have more space then a Nomad, and it'll be iPod killer!
BTW, CmdrTaco kinda wishes everyone would forget about that post.
Everyone that used the word "lame" on that post should have their karma permanently set -1... I should set them all to Foe just to be sure not to accidentally take their advice on any future product endorsements, reviews, or stock tips. Case in point (I'll withhold the name of the guilty party, though, you know...):
"I have to agree this is a let-down. For all the secrecy and even Steve Jobs promise of something "revolutionary", as an Apple fanatic I am unimpressed. I was expecting something quite a bit cooler then an MP3 player. "
But of course, this is my favorite comment from there:
"by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 25, @08:40PM (#2476752) This is a Mac product. It is not windoze, unix, linux, commodore, atari, yamaha, etc. bullshit proprietory music format. "
Hahaha... BAHAHAHAHAHA...
My take, everyone will scoff, because it's Microsoft. But, nobody is laughing at the XBox now. I sure laughed at the idea. Visions of Web TV danced in my head at the thought. So, for those who think Microsoft can't pull off an impressive hardware takeover, just look at Sony. Apple certainly is, and they have no intention of becoming another Sony.
My prediction isn't failure. The last MS failure was MS Bob. Since then, MS learned to run with any idea until it flew or they ran it so far into the ground everyone forgot it, but they will never concede defeat. Zune could sell 5 units, and they'll still release a v2.
I see a price war, along with Microsoft partnering closely with partners via Windows media software (geared towards music, and eventually TV and/or movies that play on a PC on the TV, or Zune portable), with Microsoft working to recoup costs via their DRM licensing to content providers. Hello, anyone read today's other MS story? MS DRM To Get Even Tighter. Gee, I wonder why they'd do that; what are they preparing for? [/sarcasm]
Ok, I'll let the cat out of the bag. So you can't take Partner songs, put them on Zune, and plug the Zune into another PC and copy them there. Microsoft is just getting ready to get better deals with content providers (think this is just music? This is the copy protection Hollywood wants too!).
Of course, Apple will fight back. Hopefully they have more than a market share and price advantage up their sleeves. I'm sure they do. And in the end, we'll all benefit. Whoever has the more acceptable DRM, the better price, and the better selection will win. Unless MS starts forcing PC vendors to bundle Zune Players with new computers, then we're all in trouble. Don't laugh, I'm not joking.
I was actually curious exactly how it worked after posting, so I checked. It all has to do with pressure:
1. How does the 15-Minute Rechargeable system work?
The I-C3 technology used in the 15-Minute Rechargeable System allows unsurpassed charging speed due to the system's ability to control the internal cell pressure. With currently available technology, expensive smart electronics must be built into the fast chargers to monitor voltage and temperature and avoid excessive pressure build-up. This breakthrough allows faster charging.
Hmmm, sounds like something Taco Bell should license for their bean burritos.
I-C3 Works Differently
on
USB Batteries
·
· Score: 1
Rayovac's patent-pending I-C3 technology (In-Cell Charge Control) puts the control of the recharging into the battery, instead of the charger.
15 Minute Rechargeables
Why Buy I-C3:
* Unsurpassed charging time - 15 minutes or less
* Lasts up to 3 times longer than standard alkaline
* Can be recharged up to 500 times
* Price - Very inexpensive compared to the hundreds of disposable alkaline batteries needed to match the lasting power of the 15-Minute Rechargeable System; far less expensive than lithium batteries
* Safe design - system monitors the charge in each individual battery for safe charge design, speed and reliability
500 charges sounds pretty good to me. Even at 50% charge, would last 1.5x longer than an alkaline. Also, this charger doesn't charge all rechargeables in 15 minutes, just specialized I-C3 batteries. So, there is a (rather significant) difference between your normal NiMH and these. It's not a "flash charger", just the charger that these batteries are designed for. The battery basically handles its own charging and timing.
We use the AA and AAA I-C3 rechargeables for cameras (my wife does weddings and other events), audio recorders and players (I use the AAA for digital recorders. I record roughly 4 hours each week, and listen about 8, all on 1 AAA. After charging all 4, I only have to charge once a month). And, of course, there's the TV remotes, LED flashlights, and camping radios.
And let me tell you, for flashlights and radios, there's no greater joy while camping then running my car for 15 minutes and charging the batteries quickly. I can't run my car 5 hours just to recharge some AA's. That's just crazy talk.
Here's a tip for travellers: Go to a gas station and ask for the wall socket for 15 minutes to recharge some batteries. Usually there is an empty spot behind the coffee machine, and then just take your time shopping for sodas, ice, something microwavable, bathroom, etc. You can't do that with 5 hour recharges.
And no, I'm not affiliated with Rayovac, I just find their quick charge batteries a real convenience and well worth it (unlike other rechargeables).
Obi-Wan Slashnobi: You were the Chosen One! You were supposed to destroy the Evil, not join them! You were supposed to bring balance to the force, not leave it in darkness!
Let me sum up the interview (which I think was good, btw, even if some answers were short and maybe glib):
"Hi kids,
Listen, they are using bad evidence tactics, but judges keep allowing them. The point is, if you share music that isn't legally sharable, they will sue, and they will win, because that is the law. Can you make backups? Maybe, courts are definative on this yet. Can you download backups if you lost it? Probably not, just like you can't photocopy a book from someone else because you lost your copy. Your right is to the copy you bought, not other copies. Can you download from places like allofmp3.com? Doesn't matter at this point, because they aren't suing downloaders, they are suing uploaders.
Point is, don't share. You may feel you have all the moral protection in the world, but that's not how the world or the law works, and you will lose. If you want to 'play hardball', so will the judge, and you will lose. This is civil, not criminal, and they don't have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, and you will lose. You may feel they are intangible objects and $750 per song may sound inflated, and it may be, but you will lose. You think I'm being a mean person for not telling you what you want a hear, that you have more rights than you really do, but if that's the attitude you bring to court, you will lose.
If you want to win, you need to have all your ducks in a row. You need to work on established law. Courts don't (aren't supposed to) make law. If you don't like the law, call your congressman. By the time you get to court, unless you have a solid case, you will lose."
I understand, and partly agree on many points, with other slashdotters about the outrage and the law. But come on, the guy is a lawyer. We threw him a bunch of what ifs, and are asking for definite answers on things that can't be foreseen. Each judge is different, each appeals court is different, and so on. The precedents for all this are still being formed. The best he can say is, "Yeah, it does suck, they are overbearing, and I'm trying to work on cases to establish precedents to help you all out. If you don't want dragged in, stop sharing. I'm not working so that the world becomes a place where 1 person buys a CD, and everyone just copies off them. I'm trying to make it so that you do have some legitimate rights with what you do with your music, that they can't harass you with crappy evidence, and that the courts realize the difference between hard core infringement and casual infringement (or whatever this guy's motives are, just taking a shot in the dark here)... rights you don't have right now according to the courts."
Come on, let's cut him some slack, he's on OUR side. He's in the courts fighting this fight, and everyone here is playing Monday morning quarterback. Anyone here who needs to add "IANAL", well... that's why they interviewed him, not you. If anyone has the answers right now, he's one of the better bets. If he doesn't have the answer, well then there isn't a good answer right now. He's not going to come in here and go "Rah rah rah! Sharing is your right, and I'm going to kick their butts as soon as the right case comes along!" That's because he's a lawyer, NOT a politician.
Sheesh, people are treating him like they're ultra-(insert far left or right) (insert political party here) and this guy like an ultra-ultra-(insert far left or right) (insert political party here) Supreme Court Nominee who was also the former (insert leadership role of controversial group).
Captain: Take off every 'sigge' !! Captain: You know what you doing. Captain: Move 'sigge'. Captain: For great justice.
Seasoned Slashdot readers would call it "a-not-so-hard-to-crack-password"
Seasoned Slashdot readers probably use zig:zig on BugMeNot and other "social" logins. I guess it just translates different in Sweden, kinda cute even... mental images of the Swedish Chef singing AYB.
I searched and searched for the TFA in Google News Archive, but the only copy I found says it was published today. Maybe being published today isn't old news enough to get into the archive. Maybe you mean its a dupe, so I checked that too. Sure enough, it's from 1879:
"The streets were thronged to an unusual extent, and every point where news was obtainable was besieged. Contrary to general expectation there were no bulletins displayed at the telegraph offices, and the disappointed crowds which had gathered at those points soon dispersed."
Does that make the entire Generation X that wierd? I wonder if they found a Nintendo next to the his C64. Play SMB, and get a girl-in-dungeon fetish.
This just in, tower sniper runs from tower into police custudy after hearing a dog bark. "Evil Dog laughs at me! Noooo...!" Police find copy of Duck Hunt in his backpack.
Neither can they just open up sales and go, "Enjoy!".
Like any band,, they already have a free MySpace page now. Of course, they're not allowed to sell anything from it, unless they pay MySpace for advertising space. But, it's not all that hard for a band to put a link to their domain in their MySpace account, and do sales there.
Joining MySpace obviously is a big help to them. The part that really doesn't help the band is the teaming up with them on sales.
But you hit a key point, promotion. Netflix does active promotion, MySpace is passive promotion. How does MySpace plan on actively promoting sales? If these bands could sell on their own, they don't need MySpace to help them. If they can't, then they need help with sales, not just some "Ok, we'll give you a sales link on your page." MySpace is all about promotion, imo, but this needs a bit more. They need something to drive people to those pages. Recommendations, randomly put Indies on the front page, free download offers for your friends if you purchase the songs, something. Otherwise, they're just-another-easy-setup-shopping-cart.
Sure, he uploads to Flickr, but had he installed some sort of update mechanism (manual from his own website or 3rd party tool), it might have activated the GPS features (if available on his phone) and location tagging now available on Flickr. Then maybe he'd actually get that phone back. As it currently is, it's most likely the thieves will just laugh when they read this, and start uploading more graphic pictures (and break into his Flickr account now that they know the password is on there somewhere).
Hmm, note to self: Next cellphone, make sure it has working GPS & API so I could code my own anti-theft system. Remember to buy "Louisville Slugger" for the "final step" of anti-theft system add-on pack.
Netflix does the same thing, only they sign unsigned movies that play at Sundance and the like, and give them non-exclusive DVD distribution deals.
The real key? Once on Netflix, they get pushed as a new release over the recommendation mechanism. So, heard of or not, they get exposure and an audience quickly.
MySpace has nothing like that to push unsigned bands, except to offer a sales/download link from all pages using the song. Also, Netflix hand picks each indie film, whereas MySpace is not hand picking indie bands and their songs.
Honestly, I don't see the advantage here from the band's perspective. Selling a Vanilla mp3 is not hard for even the least qualified web tech using any e-commerce storefront. There's no DRM to fool with, so all you have to do is take an order, and offer a random url download or e-mail the MP3 directly to them. But, since its on the honor system, why not just let everyone download all the mp3's, and put up a paypal link as a "Tip Jar".
Slashdot Mirror
If heavy objects sink to the core, and lighter ones speed up, and go to the outer rim... do galaxies of galaxies behave the same way? And by that thinking, is the universe really expanding, or are we just moving towards the outer rim being a very large section of lighter galaxies (and we just appear to be expanding because behind us are heavier objects accelerating slower, stopped, or accelerating back into the core, and lighter objects are moving faster in front of us as we are all just moving on an outward spiral, thus giving the appearance of a universe that is spreading apart)?
And, if that's so, what would "THE core" be like. Hmmm, black hole not of one star but of entire galaxies?
Which begs the question, is there enough gravitational pull at a hypothetical core of all cores to hold the universe together like a giant counter weight on a pendulum, with fluctuations between expansions and collapses? (Never mind if 'Sha Ka Ree' is really there if it has the mass of 1 million Milky Ways, heh.)
IANA astronomer, astrophysicist, etc. Just curious because from what I read, as go moons, so go solar systems, so go galaxies, so goes the universe.
Pshhhh, it doesn't even come with Clippy!
"Do you want to know more about browsing? [Yes] [No]"
Ah, so that's why MS is going to push IE7 via automatic updates; anyone that does care about their browser won't voluntarily install it. Kinda like how Linux downloads outpace retail Microsoft Windows sales; nobody in their right mind voluntarily installs Windows unless they are forced to for one reason or another.
Yes yes, I know... but making the connection here was just too tempting... and too true, if I may say so myself.
To sum it up: If you want 100 windows and 700 tabs open on your Win98 75MHz Pentium with 132 MB memory... Firefox isn't for you. It will break. You are much better going with Netscape 4.72 on Win98. Because of this, Firefox is SO not production quality yet. Wait for version 3.
Thanks for the tip, hehe.
He only got 5 months!
Actually, I'm with this guy, and I'm not going to post anonymously like 90% here who fear for their karma.
What, now white collar criminals are supposed to get it easier? What about Enron execs? They didn't physically hurt anyone. They just caused billions in damage. Jeff Skilling got 24 years, all for what comes down to lieing.
These guys were in the fraud business as well. Oh wait, he's a geek, so we MUST be outraged. Whatever... So everyone is anti-RIAA and anti-MPAA, but nobody here can honestly defend the legality of their actions. If a DVD retails for $15 (whether you agree with the price or not) and they assisted in transferring millions of copies, then I think he got off light with 5 months.
And don't give me that crap about getting raped and getting hocked on drugs. Give me a break. This guy got a slap on the wrist by anyone's account. 5 months is barely enough time for him to get through processing. He'll wind up in some low security work release area, or minimum security with face-to-face visits from mommy and daddy.
Anyone here who thinks 5 months and a $3000 fine is so severe... you've lived a sheltered life. People get longer times in local jails for writing bad checks, or prostitution, or too many PIs (public intoxication). This guy is getting a 5 month vacation to sit around, watch cable TV, get coffee and donuts served to him every morning, play some basketball every afternoon, and back to watching more TV. He'll be in just long enough to read a decent sized Stephen King novel.
Punishment not fitting the crime? Please, he broke federal law and got a slap on the wrist even by local yokal standards. And when he gets out, he'll be spending 5 months at home playing XBox. Yeah... he's got it REAL hard. He'll probably have a cushy IT job when he gets out, unlike those "bad" guys, who have nothing to look forward to but minimum wage factory work for the rest of their lives living in 2 bit apartments.
But no, let's treat him like he's Nelson Mandela standing up to "The Man". Do the crime, do the time. I have no sympathy for someone who knows they're breaking the law. Kill my karma if you want to, but I'm not karma-whoring for this chump.
"So, on the logic of the press release, Firefox is developing roughly 10 times as fast as IE."
Well, I think the logic of the reality is that Firefox is developing at least 10 times as fast as IE, hehe. Consider, Firefox in just a few years has eclipsed IE6 which has been out for many more years. Besides, IE started out with version 3, didn't it (at least that's the earliest I remember)?
Looking at adoption on MS's core customer base, IE7 will make no inroads on corporate machines that still run 2000. It will make some inroads on corporate XP machines, because many if not most have automatic updates turned off, for many reasons. Of those looking for the features it has, they've most likely already gone Firefox.
So, even IE7's actual impact will be one quick burst because of automatic updates. It will outpace Firefox growth in a very short period of about a month, then drop off to near zero. And, Firefox will continue its slower, but steady adoption, especially by those who did want IE7, but aren't supported, and will ditch IE for Firefox.
I would say that Firefox is developping at least 100x faster than IE, considering extensions. Add to that adoption rates, it adds a "sense" that Firefox continues to improve at break neck rate.
This of course, has nothing to do with version numbers. And there is no logical reason for the number jumps. But on an emotional level, it's a little self reward to say, "Yeah, we're certainly worthy of breaking out of version 1 by now." To me, version 1 is no better than beta, really, in an "unpolished" sense. Version 2's are clearly more polished products, which Firefox is. Not logically, but emotionally (which is the commercial marketting logic behind it). IE6, on the other hand, might be equivilant to say, alpha6... ok, I'll be kind... beta6, hehe.
"there's no justification for bumping the major version number."
.5 every six months regardless of actual code changes, at least, until it has reached 7.5 (or one number greater than IE). Your average user's mind could see version 2.0 and version 7.0 and say to themselves, "Why should I trust those Firefox guys, it's only their second version, what do they know about the web?"
IE7. Marketing trumps numbering conventions every time. And FF3.0 will come out before IE8. If I were the guy handling FF numbers, I'd increase by
Just look at car comapnies. They rarely make a major break through within a model, so they go by the year giving the consumer the idea that every single year, the model improves. In fact, a big improvement will result in a new model, not "usually" within an existing model (unless the improvement goes company-wide, or the model is extremely popular and branding is at stake). Some models haven't fundamentally changed in over a decade.
If you think people get mad and beat machines because their $0.75 bag of chips got stuck, what do you think the person who just spent $250 on a phone are going to do when it gets stuck? That person is going to beat that machine until they break through the door. Think bats, crowbars, and smashing with vehicles, and then it's "Hey everybody, free cellphones!" (Veiled reference to a line from Police Academy.)
Here's a question. If buying too many pre-paid cellphones from Walmart can get you arrested (terrorism, drugs, etc... guilty only really of hyper-consumerism, imo), will the machine alert police to multiple purchases? Seeing as these will be in airports, if you decide to buy a half dozen as gifts, will you be allowed to board the plane, or get hauled off to get rubber glove probed?
Also, will breaking into one become a federal offence? And finally, because of the high profile of being targetting by thieves either by breaking in or by forcing others to buy phones for them, will these machines come with any type of security camera or remote help? At least then, it might be possible to talk with a service rep when the phone doesn't come out.
FTA: "The products are delivered to consumers by a robotic arm and are run from a central location, similar to the way automated teller machines are operated."
That doesn't really explain much.
For these types of items to really take off, they have to be Walmart marketable. The best way to do that is to create a device everyone would want to use. An in-line firewall would be such a good application. One Lan-in, and either USB or Lan out cable, and a small server sitting in the middle acting as firewall, spam filter, pop-up/phishing blocker, and if they could squeeze it in, a virus blocker. Or, better, yet, one device that does each really well and really fast, and then chain several together to do each feature.
Connect, connect, safe and secure PC. The mass market for these products remains in constructing single, highly specialized but widely sought after features, that require no setup or a completely automated setup. LAMP on a micro-server isn't really that sort of product, even if it would be fun to play with. The market is in daemons on USB, preferably in-line or on its own dedicated node (though that's a bit wasteful, imho) - firewalls, independent shared drives, dns (plug and play opendns via in-line from modem to router), and even time servers (maybe with a little back lit LCD display, and adjustment controls on the outside). These tasks are currently being pushed into virtualization. But moving occasional services into a cheap occasionally used device would be even better.
I'm curious who you are flaming with that. Jews, Christians, Muslims, or all three? Or are you flaming the Catholics in China? Or are you supporting the religious intolerance and oppression of the Chinese government as a good economic tool?
Somehow you managed to turn an obvious flame of Christianity into an attack on all the world's major religions, which made no sense in a country-by-country comparison. America does have a religious monopoly.
Kudos on insulting everyone simultaneously and injecting the evolution theory into a discussion about space seeds, which by the way, does make evolutionary sense to use radiation to randomly alter DNA, and see if any improved traits emerge. (A strange and extremely inefficient way to go about irradiating seeds, IMO, but hey, it's their satellite to waste.)
But you do contribute a great pointing finger for US problems. We need to drop medicare and social security right? Yes, that will make us just as competitive as China by creating a large ultra-low income class of people willing to work for pennies on the dollar. Obviously Democrats and Republicans are both wrong, and we need to stop that whole "thinking of others" thing, which is so overly cliche religious masked as good politics. [/sarcasm]
Kudos on being more "insightful" than the more than 80% of the population US population (religious, elderly, democrat, republican) and related international populations you just flamed, blamed, or want turned out on the streets.
Good going, that comment just dropped LNUX from $4.15 to $3.95.
BTW, 2006 has been good to them (from wikipedia):
On February 21, 2006, VA Software reported its first ever profitable quarter. Net income for the second quarter stands at $10.5 million, or 17 cents per share, compared to a net loss of $702,000, or a penny a share, in the previous year's second quarter. Excluding one time gains from the sale of Animation Factory, VA's profit that quarter would have been $1.1 million, or 2 cents per share[5]. VA followed this performance with two more consecutive profitable quarters, earning $1.1 million in Q306 and $700,000 in fiscal Q406, which ended on July 31. Fiscal 2006 was VA Software's first ever profitable year, with total earnings of $11 million, or 17 cents per share ($1.3 million, or 2 cents a share, if Animation Factory asset sale gains are excluded). VA ended the year with $51.9 million in the bank, up from $36.6 million the previous year
Notice, after the new site design, profit has really gone up. But what really kick started it? "OMG!!! Ponies!!!" of April 1. Thinking about this, I finally figured it out!
1. Step one
2. Step two
3. ????????
4. Profit!
Step 3? OMG!!! Ponies!!!
Over 200 Years of using paper in elections, and thousands of years in development... not perfect, but our democracy worked very well under it. No coups, only one civil war which reunited the country again, relatively peaceful country without the "death squads" others have, only a few (any maybe ongoing) problems with presidents taking on more-than-democratic powers. But hey, it's an ok place, ain't it?
/.'rs. Give the country at least enough time where most voters were born with a family computer, not as something they remember being invented. I see that happening in about 30-40 years. It's a fundamental change in our democratic process, and all fundamental changes in democratic governments must change slowly over many generations. It's what keeps a democracy stable. Any sudden moves throw chaos into the system. Chaos means people lose trust in the system. Losing trust means the system starts to deteriorate, even break down. When democracy breaks down, it takes a LOT longer to restore it again. Just look at Thailand.
So a couple hanging chads made us think the sky was falling. But even after all that, I'm more comfortable with hanging chads than hacked boxes.
We've had what, 20 years of the computer really being main stream (give or take a few years), and less than that in which the majority of the population uses them?
Let's jump off the digital boat because we jumped on too soon. Paper is a proven product and proven in voting. Digital voting machines are unproven (well, proven bad), too secret (nothing secret about how paper works), and not enough people REALLY understand computers. If they did, we'd probably have to call in the national guard to keep the angry mobs away from Diebold offices.
Hey, I'm all for digital. But we're just not ready; we as in a nation, not as in
It was good for the environment, and its good for democracy.
Paper or Plastic?
Paper.
iTV probably isn't going to carry local news, and if it carries sports, it's going to be with a BIG price tag for live games.
I'll take my football on regular TV (and Tivo will save it to watch later if I miss it), and I'll take The Daily Show via iTV, because I never see it, and I have to get an extended cable plan to watch that one show.
With a little interface (hey, if Apple can interface with a sneaker, they can work out a deal with Tivo), then a person could get by with iTV for the high quality specialty shows and normal cable or even digital broadcast (antenna) for local news, sports, and abc/cbs/nbc/fox/wb/etc network shows, and even grandma could figure it out. (Hey, they're two very UI conscious companies... could be the best remote control ever designed in the history of TV remotes, or the worst ever... either way, an instant Smithsonian collection item.)
As I stated here on the Zune price story, it's all about positioning the Zune to work closely with partners. They are going to be pushing content through partners to the Windows Media Player (and related media software for home entertainment) that is also portable on the Zune.
They're working to compete with Apple's iPod by getting deals with music and video distribution partners, who want a zero leniency DRM.
You could have said the same about Apple, but it's not about CD's. The CD is dead. Computers are moving to DVD-+R(W/RAM), and everyone and their brother has an iPod now. It's about sales of downloadable music, tv, and movies. It's all about download sales, and Microsoft is going to try to do to the iPod what the XBox did to the PlayStation (2/3). Undercut price, get content people want (especially exclusive deals), and spend a lot of time and energy on version 1, and even more time on version 2 to get a "WOW" effect when people see it on display at Walmart, Circuit City, Best Buy, etc.
Of course, I don't see MS getting into the content game as much as they did on the XBox, but of course, they have DRM license partners now, and they'll probably roll out a more aggressive program later on to expand their scope and the $$$-per-download they get in return.
All Zune has to do is go wireless, and have more space then a Nomad, and it'll be iPod killer!
BTW, CmdrTaco kinda wishes everyone would forget about that post.
Everyone that used the word "lame" on that post should have their karma permanently set -1... I should set them all to Foe just to be sure not to accidentally take their advice on any future product endorsements, reviews, or stock tips. Case in point (I'll withhold the name of the guilty party, though, you know...):
"I have to agree this is a let-down. For all the secrecy and even Steve Jobs promise of something "revolutionary", as an Apple fanatic I am unimpressed. I was expecting something quite a bit cooler then an MP3 player. "
But of course, this is my favorite comment from there:
"by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 25, @08:40PM (#2476752) This is a Mac product. It is not windoze, unix, linux, commodore, atari, yamaha, etc. bullshit proprietory music format. "
Hahaha... BAHAHAHAHAHA...
My take, everyone will scoff, because it's Microsoft. But, nobody is laughing at the XBox now. I sure laughed at the idea. Visions of Web TV danced in my head at the thought. So, for those who think Microsoft can't pull off an impressive hardware takeover, just look at Sony. Apple certainly is, and they have no intention of becoming another Sony.
My prediction isn't failure. The last MS failure was MS Bob. Since then, MS learned to run with any idea until it flew or they ran it so far into the ground everyone forgot it, but they will never concede defeat. Zune could sell 5 units, and they'll still release a v2.
I see a price war, along with Microsoft partnering closely with partners via Windows media software (geared towards music, and eventually TV and/or movies that play on a PC on the TV, or Zune portable), with Microsoft working to recoup costs via their DRM licensing to content providers. Hello, anyone read today's other MS story? MS DRM To Get Even Tighter. Gee, I wonder why they'd do that; what are they preparing for? [/sarcasm]
Ok, I'll let the cat out of the bag. So you can't take Partner songs, put them on Zune, and plug the Zune into another PC and copy them there. Microsoft is just getting ready to get better deals with content providers (think this is just music? This is the copy protection Hollywood wants too!).
Of course, Apple will fight back. Hopefully they have more than a market share and price advantage up their sleeves. I'm sure they do. And in the end, we'll all benefit. Whoever has the more acceptable DRM, the better price, and the better selection will win. Unless MS starts forcing PC vendors to bundle Zune Players with new computers, then we're all in trouble. Don't laugh, I'm not joking.
I was actually curious exactly how it worked after posting, so I checked. It all has to do with pressure:
1. How does the 15-Minute Rechargeable system work?
The I-C3 technology used in the 15-Minute Rechargeable System allows unsurpassed charging speed due to the system's ability to control the internal cell pressure. With currently available technology, expensive smart electronics must be built into the fast chargers to monitor voltage and temperature and avoid excessive pressure build-up. This breakthrough allows faster charging.
Hmmm, sounds like something Taco Bell should license for their bean burritos.
15 Min Recharge Info
From the page:
Rayovac's patent-pending I-C3 technology (In-Cell Charge Control) puts the control of the recharging into the battery, instead of the charger.
15 Minute Rechargeables
Why Buy I-C3:
* Unsurpassed charging time - 15 minutes or less
* Lasts up to 3 times longer than standard alkaline
* Can be recharged up to 500 times
* Price - Very inexpensive compared to the hundreds of disposable alkaline batteries needed to match the lasting power of the 15-Minute Rechargeable System; far less expensive than lithium batteries
* Safe design - system monitors the charge in each individual battery for safe charge design, speed and reliability
500 charges sounds pretty good to me. Even at 50% charge, would last 1.5x longer than an alkaline. Also, this charger doesn't charge all rechargeables in 15 minutes, just specialized I-C3 batteries. So, there is a (rather significant) difference between your normal NiMH and these. It's not a "flash charger", just the charger that these batteries are designed for. The battery basically handles its own charging and timing.
We use the AA and AAA I-C3 rechargeables for cameras (my wife does weddings and other events), audio recorders and players (I use the AAA for digital recorders. I record roughly 4 hours each week, and listen about 8, all on 1 AAA. After charging all 4, I only have to charge once a month). And, of course, there's the TV remotes, LED flashlights, and camping radios.
And let me tell you, for flashlights and radios, there's no greater joy while camping then running my car for 15 minutes and charging the batteries quickly. I can't run my car 5 hours just to recharge some AA's. That's just crazy talk.
Here's a tip for travellers: Go to a gas station and ask for the wall socket for 15 minutes to recharge some batteries. Usually there is an empty spot behind the coffee machine, and then just take your time shopping for sodas, ice, something microwavable, bathroom, etc. You can't do that with 5 hour recharges.
And no, I'm not affiliated with Rayovac, I just find their quick charge batteries a real convenience and well worth it (unlike other rechargeables).
Obi-Wan Slashnobi: You were the Chosen One! You were supposed to destroy the Evil, not join them! You were supposed to bring balance to the force, not leave it in darkness!
Let me sum up the interview (which I think was good, btw, even if some answers were short and maybe glib):
"Hi kids,
Listen, they are using bad evidence tactics, but judges keep allowing them. The point is, if you share music that isn't legally sharable, they will sue, and they will win, because that is the law. Can you make backups? Maybe, courts are definative on this yet. Can you download backups if you lost it? Probably not, just like you can't photocopy a book from someone else because you lost your copy. Your right is to the copy you bought, not other copies. Can you download from places like allofmp3.com? Doesn't matter at this point, because they aren't suing downloaders, they are suing uploaders.
Point is, don't share. You may feel you have all the moral protection in the world, but that's not how the world or the law works, and you will lose. If you want to 'play hardball', so will the judge, and you will lose. This is civil, not criminal, and they don't have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, and you will lose. You may feel they are intangible objects and $750 per song may sound inflated, and it may be, but you will lose. You think I'm being a mean person for not telling you what you want a hear, that you have more rights than you really do, but if that's the attitude you bring to court, you will lose.
If you want to win, you need to have all your ducks in a row. You need to work on established law. Courts don't (aren't supposed to) make law. If you don't like the law, call your congressman. By the time you get to court, unless you have a solid case, you will lose."
I understand, and partly agree on many points, with other slashdotters about the outrage and the law. But come on, the guy is a lawyer. We threw him a bunch of what ifs, and are asking for definite answers on things that can't be foreseen. Each judge is different, each appeals court is different, and so on. The precedents for all this are still being formed. The best he can say is, "Yeah, it does suck, they are overbearing, and I'm trying to work on cases to establish precedents to help you all out. If you don't want dragged in, stop sharing. I'm not working so that the world becomes a place where 1 person buys a CD, and everyone just copies off them. I'm trying to make it so that you do have some legitimate rights with what you do with your music, that they can't harass you with crappy evidence, and that the courts realize the difference between hard core infringement and casual infringement (or whatever this guy's motives are, just taking a shot in the dark here)... rights you don't have right now according to the courts."
Come on, let's cut him some slack, he's on OUR side. He's in the courts fighting this fight, and everyone here is playing Monday morning quarterback. Anyone here who needs to add "IANAL", well... that's why they interviewed him, not you. If anyone has the answers right now, he's one of the better bets. If he doesn't have the answer, well then there isn't a good answer right now. He's not going to come in here and go "Rah rah rah! Sharing is your right, and I'm going to kick their butts as soon as the right case comes along!" That's because he's a lawyer, NOT a politician.
Sheesh, people are treating him like they're ultra-(insert far left or right) (insert political party here) and this guy like an ultra-ultra-(insert far left or right) (insert political party here) Supreme Court Nominee who was also the former (insert leadership role of controversial group).
Captain: You know what you doing.
Captain: Move 'sigge'.
Captain: For great justice.
Seasoned Slashdot readers probably use zig:zig on BugMeNot and other "social" logins. I guess it just translates different in Sweden, kinda cute even... mental images of the Swedish Chef singing AYB.
I searched and searched for the TFA in Google News Archive, but the only copy I found says it was published today. Maybe being published today isn't old news enough to get into the archive. Maybe you mean its a dupe, so I checked that too. Sure enough, it's from 1879:
s &hl=en&sa=N&sugg=d&as_hdate=1879
http://news.google.com/archivesearch?q=google+new
Turned up this summary:
"The streets were thronged to an unusual extent, and every point where news was obtainable was besieged. Contrary to general expectation there were no bulletins displayed at the telegraph offices, and the disappointed crowds which had gathered at those points soon dispersed."
Does that make the entire Generation X that wierd? I wonder if they found a Nintendo next to the his C64. Play SMB, and get a girl-in-dungeon fetish.
This just in, tower sniper runs from tower into police custudy after hearing a dog bark. "Evil Dog laughs at me! Noooo...!" Police find copy of Duck Hunt in his backpack.
Neither can they just open up sales and go, "Enjoy!".
Like any band,, they already have a free MySpace page now. Of course, they're not allowed to sell anything from it, unless they pay MySpace for advertising space. But, it's not all that hard for a band to put a link to their domain in their MySpace account, and do sales there.
Joining MySpace obviously is a big help to them. The part that really doesn't help the band is the teaming up with them on sales.
But you hit a key point, promotion. Netflix does active promotion, MySpace is passive promotion. How does MySpace plan on actively promoting sales? If these bands could sell on their own, they don't need MySpace to help them. If they can't, then they need help with sales, not just some "Ok, we'll give you a sales link on your page." MySpace is all about promotion, imo, but this needs a bit more. They need something to drive people to those pages. Recommendations, randomly put Indies on the front page, free download offers for your friends if you purchase the songs, something. Otherwise, they're just-another-easy-setup-shopping-cart.
Sure, he uploads to Flickr, but had he installed some sort of update mechanism (manual from his own website or 3rd party tool), it might have activated the GPS features (if available on his phone) and location tagging now available on Flickr. Then maybe he'd actually get that phone back. As it currently is, it's most likely the thieves will just laugh when they read this, and start uploading more graphic pictures (and break into his Flickr account now that they know the password is on there somewhere).
Hmm, note to self: Next cellphone, make sure it has working GPS & API so I could code my own anti-theft system. Remember to buy "Louisville Slugger" for the "final step" of anti-theft system add-on pack.
Netflix does the same thing, only they sign unsigned movies that play at Sundance and the like, and give them non-exclusive DVD distribution deals.
The real key? Once on Netflix, they get pushed as a new release over the recommendation mechanism. So, heard of or not, they get exposure and an audience quickly.
MySpace has nothing like that to push unsigned bands, except to offer a sales/download link from all pages using the song. Also, Netflix hand picks each indie film, whereas MySpace is not hand picking indie bands and their songs.
Honestly, I don't see the advantage here from the band's perspective. Selling a Vanilla mp3 is not hard for even the least qualified web tech using any e-commerce storefront. There's no DRM to fool with, so all you have to do is take an order, and offer a random url download or e-mail the MP3 directly to them. But, since its on the honor system, why not just let everyone download all the mp3's, and put up a paypal link as a "Tip Jar".