For the Kindle, you don't even need to connect it to the computer. You just email it to yourself or use the Send to Kindle app, and it shows up on all your Kindle devices--not just one at a time. It then actually syncs your position between devices, which (unless things have changed) the Nook and others don't do for side loaded content.
You're right, it's the vendor lock-in that really hurts us here.
I think it would be pretty cool if companies made Android-based dedicated eReaders based off of Google Play Books. That way, you could have competition in the hardware space and not suffer as much from vendor lock-in. Actually, what I want is for Amazon to open up their platform to allow this; they've already admitted they don't make money on the hardware, so it's not quite as far-fetched as it sounds at first (though it'll still never happen). I would easily pay even a $100 premium for the Aura HD if it had access to all of the Kindle features and my Kindle library.
With that said, there are third-party eBook sellers, such as Baen, which are options to avoid lock-in. The only problem, again, is that there's no syncing for side-loaded books on anything but the Kindle. That's the killer feature that keeps me with Amazon. I bought a Nook with Glow Light when it came out, and while I preferred reading on it over the Kindle (until the Paperwhite came out), the lack of side-loaded syncing was what made me go crawling back.
The current landscape of eReaders is incredibly frustrating to me. Your choice is to go for either the superior platform or the superior hardware. Amazon has, by far, the best platform. It is ridiculously easy to side load to your devices, be it via USB, email (with each registered device having its own address), or the Send to Kindle app. Not only that, but it syncs your current position across devices, even for side loaded documents. Then there's Whispersync for Voice, which works impressively well (and provides a cheap means to get audiobooks, as well). The problem is that the hardware is just a rectangular slab with no ergonomics.
Contrast this with Kobo and B&N. Their hardware looks and feels great. The Aura even has a higher res screen 265dpi, the same as a retina iPad). The problem, though, is that their stores are smaller and have worse prices, and no syncing for side loading (and less easy to accomplish, as well). Both Kobo and B&N have nicer firmware/reading software, as well.
Amazon's advantages are, for me, strong enough that it makes the Kindle the better choice of the three. This irritates me, because the Aura HD looks fantastic. I may get one just for the hell of it.
They did just announce a 6.8" reader, limited only to this year, to see if it's popular. It also has the highest DPI of any dedicated reader at 264, the same as a retina iPad. I'm actually sort of considering getting it.
It's important to note that only third-party developers are prohibited from placing ads; Google isn't bound by the same rules. My tinfoil-hat conspiracy theory says they want to get people used to Glass first, and then start slowly implementing ads until they feel commonplace and accepted. If Glass is plastered with ads from the beginning, no one will use it, and Google knows this.
That said, it would be great if it never has ads. I would be willing to pay more (were I in the market for Glass) for no ads on a device such as this.
I would think it's against a store's interests to map out their products like you describe. If you have to search for them even a little bit, then you may see some other product that you also want to buy that you didn't think about before. I believe that's the reason Costco reorganizes so often.
With that said, it's a cool idea, but I still question the utility of it and other items on your list. Everything listed is doable on a phone, which you will presumably already have, and at a much lower cost. If Google Glass offered a much more comprehensive AR experience with a bigger display, then it would be something. As it is, though, I can't see it as anything but a HUD with some worrisome aspects. Then again, maybe I'm a Luddite.
California tried this. It won't be done until 2028, and costs have more than doubled to $69 billion, which is steep even if your state isn't broke like California is. My prediction is it will never actually get completed, and the cost estimates will continue to soar.
Or you could wait for DVD release, or buy it via Amazon Instant. I don't have HBO, but I can still easily access the show via legal means; I just have to wait longer than subscribers.
It's clear on highways, but not always so clear in cities if you don't live there or drive there often, which is probably the case with the OP as he was using a rental car
USA was making a surplus in the closing years of the Clinton government.
Clinton never pulled the nation out of debt. What you refer to as a surplus just means that the government pulled in more revenue than it spent for the year--NOT that there was no national debt. The national debt increased by $2 T over Clinton's administration, overall.
Seconded. My father got a TDI Passat last year. He likes it a lot, and its mileage (mid-40s) is great for his long, daily commute. It also has good performance, though first gear is a bit sluggish for my tastes.
It was my understanding that diesel vehicles have a smaller filler nozzle than standard gasoline vehicles to prevent filling them with the wrong fuel type. This is, at least, the case with the Passat; I'm not sure about other cars. Is this not a standard thing across the world? It actually seems like a sensible thing to do.
I knew I was forgetting a good game (PS:T). Still, for every PS:T, there are a dozen shallow games. I do enjoy the RPG genre quite a bit, but I don't go into it expecting great depth or character development. Those few that manage to surprise me are all the more enjoyable.
Something a lot of people don't seem to get is that there's a difference between plot and story. Plot is what happens in a narrative; story is how it happens. Put another way, story is the combination of the raw plot and the characters' interactions with it.
Video games are pretty good, sometimes great, at the plot bit. Most games, however, utterly fail at the character--story--side. You can find any number of examples of this in so-called RPGs, especially JRPGs. While these games are often a lot of fun, they typically have the character development and depth of a rock. Some exceptions certainly exist, such as the Witcher series, which give the character much more say in the narrative than most games. Heavy Rain also tried with some degree of success to instill greater character into the narrative (interestingly, it did a pretty good job with character development at the expense of plot).
In the end, though, games have an inherently difficult time portraying character weakness, flaw, or depth. They try to cheat it through cutscenes, but that's only half successful. Take Metal Gear Solid 4. In cutscenes, Snake is pretty weak, even enfeebled. During actual gameplay, though, he controls even better than his younger self did in the first Metal Gear Solid. And can you blame the developers? Would you really want to play the game as an actual geriatric spy? Would such a game sell enough to recoup the millions of dollars it cost to make?
Games, books, and movies each have strengths and weaknesses on the story-telling front. Games are good at immersion, plot, A/V elements, and immediacy. Movies are good for broad character character development and showing subtle nuances, such as a slight twitch or motion that a careless viewer might miss (this is something games are able to fake by way of cutscenes). Books are the best for really getting inside a character's head, but lack the immediacy or auditory/visual feedback of a movie or game.
As games mature, I don't doubt we'll see something of a convergence of elements happening. I don't think we're there yet, and I don't think games will ever be on par, in this particular area, with books. Also note I'm talking about commercial games with the assumption that the producers are attempting to maximize profit. I don't doubt an indie developer could pull off an amazing story with enough dedication and talent (sadly, I have yet to see this; any suggestions?).
I use both Dropbox and Mailbox. I think both are great services. Part of that evaluation is due to the fact that if either service goes down (or under), I lose nothing. All of my Dropbox files are stored locally and on my Time Machine backup. All of my emails are stored on Google's servers (and if I wanted to, I could download all of them to my computer as well).
This is in direct contrast with many other providers, including Mega. If Mega shut down today, I would lose everything (actually, I've already lost everything, which amounts to a blank.txt file, because it says the password I stored in my password manager is wrong). When Google Reader shuts down, lots (most?) of RSS apps will have to be updated to work with something else, and unmaintained apps will simply stop working.
This is the reason why I own my email domain. I use the Gmail interface, but I like knowing that if (by some wild chance) Google shut down Gmail, I can still keep my email address; only the interface will change.
If you're smart about your usage of "the cloud", you can avoid some of its ugliest pitfalls.
I tried Feedly on iOS a couple weeks ago. It was a mess; I couldn't ever get it to display more than one article. It also seems to be too focused on looking pretty.
It's a very American thing to believe fervently that market forces will fix everything, but the fact is that the only feedback of which EA took notice was Amazon's removal of the game from sale because that stopped uninformed purchasers from buying, and Amazon only did that because of complaints, not because people didn't buy it.
It's entirely possible that market forces are working, but they aren't working in favor of the collective will of Slashdot. Sure, there will be lots of uninformed purchasers, but how many of those, as a percentage, actually experience problems? I know it's popular to rag on Diablo 3's launch, and yet the friends I know in real life never had any problems, myself included. Saying "See, look at all these complaints!" is in danger of confirmation bias. The people who experience problems will naturally be more vocal about it than those who are too busy enjoying their games.
Please note that this is not a defense of DRM. I hate DRM and buy from GOG when I can, and I generally support DRM-free titles while avoiding games with the worst "protections" (I haven't bought SimCity 4, even though I would really like to play it). My point is that, without concrete numbers, it's very difficult to know if the problem is wide-spread or if it's relatively small. If it's relatively small, then it shouldn't be surprising that people continue to purchase DRM-ridden games.
That seems like a catch-22: you can only give a bad review if EA (or whoever) already has your money. At least I hope that's the case, because letting people review something that isn't in their purchase history is just asking for trouble.
Nope, you can review it if you didn't purchase it. What's worse is that many sites allow you to review something before it's even released. This is what makes Goodreads reviews largely worthless. Luckily, Amazon isn't so brainless.
Where I live, the crosswalks have lights and also countdown timers, which is really nice for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists alike. With that said, this seems to be a sadly uncommon situation.
How? The law says don't cross the white line if the light is red. You cross it when the light is red, you've broken the rules. It's not exactly a massive safety violation but the number of times I've seen people stop with their back wheels on the line and their nose peeking out into the junction so that it blocks pedestrian crossings is infuriating.
If there's no safety issue, and you aren't massively inconvenienced, then it's a money grab, plain and simple. I'm not sure why it's "infuriating" when a car occasionally goes past the line, even if you're a pedestrian. Just go around them (on the non-traffic side). It doesn't even slow you down. I think people are way too prone to indignation when there's the slightest infraction of the rules.
You break the rules, you get a fine. Simple. It's not like the rules are obscure or hard to remember, there are signs and lines everywhere they apply.
TFA makes it sound like they're all speed cameras anyway, not line cameras, and points out that of the two cameras which were operating one was in a school zone where you really do want these things enforced.
What bothers me about the camera in a school zone is that I have no way of knowing if it's enforcing the speed correctly. If it gives me a ticket for going over 25 at, say, 6pm, then it's clearly in the wrong. However, the signs say (at least in my area), "When children are present."* What if it's 3pm, and no kids are around (say it's a holiday)? I just don't trust the camera people to be diligent on the matter, as it's against their interests.
*I hate this wording, incidentally. High school students aren't exactly children, so it causes me some cognitive dissonance when I go past a high school and am forced to go 25.
As the user of a Das Keyboard, which is similar to a Model M, but not identical:
1. The keys, in my experience, take less objective force to actuate, since they don't have extra resistance at "resting" position. Force is linear until the spring buckles, unlike most membrane keyboards, which require high force at the initial press before slamming to the depressed state. This leads to... 2. You don't need to bottom out on a mechanical keyboard. Once the spring buckles, the key is actuated. Typing properly reduces a lot of noise, too. 3. I hate special keyboard buttons; they always seem to require extra drivers. If you really want volume control, though, you can try AutoHotkey. 4. Keys tend to work the same from day 1 to the day they die (and then you can just replace them). I've noticed that membrane keyboards get mushy over time.
Noise is subjective, but I like the audible feedback. Also, I'm nowhere near an accountant, but I do use the 10-keys enough to justify having them.
The best-seeming Bluetooth mechanical keyboard I've found is the KBtalKing Pro. There are a few caveats:
1. $179. 2. At least when they first came out, they only had red switches, which I dislike. At the moment, you can choose blue, brown, and red, though; not sure if that is permanent. 3. I haven't been able to confirm rollover. I read that a different Bluetooth keyboard only had 2KRO (which I believe matches the Model M, incidentally); I'm not sure if that's a limitation of going wireless or if it was just a limitation of that particular keyboard. 4. Blank keycaps are only available with red switches (by no means a dealbreaker, but I prefer blank keys).
I would love a Bluetooth mechanical keyboard with NKRO (I would accept 6, though), blue switches, blank keycaps, macros, and the look and build quality of a Das Keyboard. Given that mechanical keyboards are experiencing something of a renaissance of late, hopefully that dream will become a reality.
Why yes, it's acceptable, because 59 is more than enough for smooth animations--your eyes don't notice the difference, and your monitor probably couldn't even refresh fast enough to show it, anyway. My games never drop below this rate, so it looks smooth throughout.
Slashdot Mirror
For the Kindle, you don't even need to connect it to the computer. You just email it to yourself or use the Send to Kindle app, and it shows up on all your Kindle devices--not just one at a time. It then actually syncs your position between devices, which (unless things have changed) the Nook and others don't do for side loaded content.
You're right, it's the vendor lock-in that really hurts us here.
I think it would be pretty cool if companies made Android-based dedicated eReaders based off of Google Play Books. That way, you could have competition in the hardware space and not suffer as much from vendor lock-in. Actually, what I want is for Amazon to open up their platform to allow this; they've already admitted they don't make money on the hardware, so it's not quite as far-fetched as it sounds at first (though it'll still never happen). I would easily pay even a $100 premium for the Aura HD if it had access to all of the Kindle features and my Kindle library.
With that said, there are third-party eBook sellers, such as Baen, which are options to avoid lock-in. The only problem, again, is that there's no syncing for side-loaded books on anything but the Kindle. That's the killer feature that keeps me with Amazon. I bought a Nook with Glow Light when it came out, and while I preferred reading on it over the Kindle (until the Paperwhite came out), the lack of side-loaded syncing was what made me go crawling back.
The current landscape of eReaders is incredibly frustrating to me. Your choice is to go for either the superior platform or the superior hardware. Amazon has, by far, the best platform. It is ridiculously easy to side load to your devices, be it via USB, email (with each registered device having its own address), or the Send to Kindle app. Not only that, but it syncs your current position across devices, even for side loaded documents. Then there's Whispersync for Voice, which works impressively well (and provides a cheap means to get audiobooks, as well). The problem is that the hardware is just a rectangular slab with no ergonomics.
Contrast this with Kobo and B&N. Their hardware looks and feels great. The Aura even has a higher res screen 265dpi, the same as a retina iPad). The problem, though, is that their stores are smaller and have worse prices, and no syncing for side loading (and less easy to accomplish, as well). Both Kobo and B&N have nicer firmware/reading software, as well.
Amazon's advantages are, for me, strong enough that it makes the Kindle the better choice of the three. This irritates me, because the Aura HD looks fantastic. I may get one just for the hell of it.
They did just announce a 6.8" reader, limited only to this year, to see if it's popular. It also has the highest DPI of any dedicated reader at 264, the same as a retina iPad. I'm actually sort of considering getting it.
http://www.techspot.com/news/52251-kobos-68-265-ppi-aura-hd-ereader-is-coming-this-month-for-170.html
I worry I will be disappointed by the title availability and price, and I really like Whispersync for Voice...
It's important to note that only third-party developers are prohibited from placing ads; Google isn't bound by the same rules. My tinfoil-hat conspiracy theory says they want to get people used to Glass first, and then start slowly implementing ads until they feel commonplace and accepted. If Glass is plastered with ads from the beginning, no one will use it, and Google knows this.
That said, it would be great if it never has ads. I would be willing to pay more (were I in the market for Glass) for no ads on a device such as this.
I would think it's against a store's interests to map out their products like you describe. If you have to search for them even a little bit, then you may see some other product that you also want to buy that you didn't think about before. I believe that's the reason Costco reorganizes so often.
With that said, it's a cool idea, but I still question the utility of it and other items on your list. Everything listed is doable on a phone, which you will presumably already have, and at a much lower cost. If Google Glass offered a much more comprehensive AR experience with a bigger display, then it would be something. As it is, though, I can't see it as anything but a HUD with some worrisome aspects. Then again, maybe I'm a Luddite.
California tried this. It won't be done until 2028, and costs have more than doubled to $69 billion, which is steep even if your state isn't broke like California is. My prediction is it will never actually get completed, and the cost estimates will continue to soar.
It's especially lame with an RSS reader. Well, I guess my productivity will be slightly higher today.
Or you could wait for DVD release, or buy it via Amazon Instant. I don't have HBO, but I can still easily access the show via legal means; I just have to wait longer than subscribers.
It's clear on highways, but not always so clear in cities if you don't live there or drive there often, which is probably the case with the OP as he was using a rental car
USA was making a surplus in the closing years of the Clinton government.
Clinton never pulled the nation out of debt. What you refer to as a surplus just means that the government pulled in more revenue than it spent for the year--NOT that there was no national debt. The national debt increased by $2 T over Clinton's administration, overall.
Seconded. My father got a TDI Passat last year. He likes it a lot, and its mileage (mid-40s) is great for his long, daily commute. It also has good performance, though first gear is a bit sluggish for my tastes.
It was my understanding that diesel vehicles have a smaller filler nozzle than standard gasoline vehicles to prevent filling them with the wrong fuel type. This is, at least, the case with the Passat; I'm not sure about other cars. Is this not a standard thing across the world? It actually seems like a sensible thing to do.
I knew I was forgetting a good game (PS:T). Still, for every PS:T, there are a dozen shallow games. I do enjoy the RPG genre quite a bit, but I don't go into it expecting great depth or character development. Those few that manage to surprise me are all the more enjoyable.
Something a lot of people don't seem to get is that there's a difference between plot and story. Plot is what happens in a narrative; story is how it happens. Put another way, story is the combination of the raw plot and the characters' interactions with it.
Video games are pretty good, sometimes great, at the plot bit. Most games, however, utterly fail at the character--story--side. You can find any number of examples of this in so-called RPGs, especially JRPGs. While these games are often a lot of fun, they typically have the character development and depth of a rock. Some exceptions certainly exist, such as the Witcher series, which give the character much more say in the narrative than most games. Heavy Rain also tried with some degree of success to instill greater character into the narrative (interestingly, it did a pretty good job with character development at the expense of plot).
In the end, though, games have an inherently difficult time portraying character weakness, flaw, or depth. They try to cheat it through cutscenes, but that's only half successful. Take Metal Gear Solid 4. In cutscenes, Snake is pretty weak, even enfeebled. During actual gameplay, though, he controls even better than his younger self did in the first Metal Gear Solid. And can you blame the developers? Would you really want to play the game as an actual geriatric spy? Would such a game sell enough to recoup the millions of dollars it cost to make?
Games, books, and movies each have strengths and weaknesses on the story-telling front. Games are good at immersion, plot, A/V elements, and immediacy. Movies are good for broad character character development and showing subtle nuances, such as a slight twitch or motion that a careless viewer might miss (this is something games are able to fake by way of cutscenes). Books are the best for really getting inside a character's head, but lack the immediacy or auditory/visual feedback of a movie or game.
As games mature, I don't doubt we'll see something of a convergence of elements happening. I don't think we're there yet, and I don't think games will ever be on par, in this particular area, with books. Also note I'm talking about commercial games with the assumption that the producers are attempting to maximize profit. I don't doubt an indie developer could pull off an amazing story with enough dedication and talent (sadly, I have yet to see this; any suggestions?).
I use both Dropbox and Mailbox. I think both are great services. Part of that evaluation is due to the fact that if either service goes down (or under), I lose nothing. All of my Dropbox files are stored locally and on my Time Machine backup. All of my emails are stored on Google's servers (and if I wanted to, I could download all of them to my computer as well).
This is in direct contrast with many other providers, including Mega. If Mega shut down today, I would lose everything (actually, I've already lost everything, which amounts to a blank .txt file, because it says the password I stored in my password manager is wrong). When Google Reader shuts down, lots (most?) of RSS apps will have to be updated to work with something else, and unmaintained apps will simply stop working.
This is the reason why I own my email domain. I use the Gmail interface, but I like knowing that if (by some wild chance) Google shut down Gmail, I can still keep my email address; only the interface will change.
If you're smart about your usage of "the cloud", you can avoid some of its ugliest pitfalls.
Numerous studies have suggested that obesity is linked to not getting enough sleep. Aside from that, try bicycling to work if it's feasible.
I tried Feedly on iOS a couple weeks ago. It was a mess; I couldn't ever get it to display more than one article. It also seems to be too focused on looking pretty.
It's a very American thing to believe fervently that market forces will fix everything, but the fact is that the only feedback of which EA took notice was Amazon's removal of the game from sale because that stopped uninformed purchasers from buying , and Amazon only did that because of complaints, not because people didn't buy it.
It's entirely possible that market forces are working, but they aren't working in favor of the collective will of Slashdot. Sure, there will be lots of uninformed purchasers, but how many of those, as a percentage, actually experience problems? I know it's popular to rag on Diablo 3's launch, and yet the friends I know in real life never had any problems, myself included. Saying "See, look at all these complaints!" is in danger of confirmation bias. The people who experience problems will naturally be more vocal about it than those who are too busy enjoying their games.
Please note that this is not a defense of DRM. I hate DRM and buy from GOG when I can, and I generally support DRM-free titles while avoiding games with the worst "protections" (I haven't bought SimCity 4, even though I would really like to play it). My point is that, without concrete numbers, it's very difficult to know if the problem is wide-spread or if it's relatively small. If it's relatively small, then it shouldn't be surprising that people continue to purchase DRM-ridden games.
That seems like a catch-22: you can only give a bad review if EA (or whoever) already has your money. At least I hope that's the case, because letting people review something that isn't in their purchase history is just asking for trouble.
Nope, you can review it if you didn't purchase it. What's worse is that many sites allow you to review something before it's even released. This is what makes Goodreads reviews largely worthless. Luckily, Amazon isn't so brainless.
Where I live, the crosswalks have lights and also countdown timers, which is really nice for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists alike. With that said, this seems to be a sadly uncommon situation.
At least where I live, red-light cameras are placed on the opposite side of the intersection, meaning they take a picture of your front license.
How? The law says don't cross the white line if the light is red. You cross it when the light is red, you've broken the rules. It's not exactly a massive safety violation but the number of times I've seen people stop with their back wheels on the line and their nose peeking out into the junction so that it blocks pedestrian crossings is infuriating.
If there's no safety issue, and you aren't massively inconvenienced, then it's a money grab, plain and simple. I'm not sure why it's "infuriating" when a car occasionally goes past the line, even if you're a pedestrian. Just go around them (on the non-traffic side). It doesn't even slow you down. I think people are way too prone to indignation when there's the slightest infraction of the rules.
You break the rules, you get a fine. Simple. It's not like the rules are obscure or hard to remember, there are signs and lines everywhere they apply.
TFA makes it sound like they're all speed cameras anyway, not line cameras, and points out that of the two cameras which were operating one was in a school zone where you really do want these things enforced.
What bothers me about the camera in a school zone is that I have no way of knowing if it's enforcing the speed correctly. If it gives me a ticket for going over 25 at, say, 6pm, then it's clearly in the wrong. However, the signs say (at least in my area), "When children are present."* What if it's 3pm, and no kids are around (say it's a holiday)? I just don't trust the camera people to be diligent on the matter, as it's against their interests.
*I hate this wording, incidentally. High school students aren't exactly children, so it causes me some cognitive dissonance when I go past a high school and am forced to go 25.
As the user of a Das Keyboard, which is similar to a Model M, but not identical:
1. The keys, in my experience, take less objective force to actuate, since they don't have extra resistance at "resting" position. Force is linear until the spring buckles, unlike most membrane keyboards, which require high force at the initial press before slamming to the depressed state. This leads to...
2. You don't need to bottom out on a mechanical keyboard. Once the spring buckles, the key is actuated. Typing properly reduces a lot of noise, too.
3. I hate special keyboard buttons; they always seem to require extra drivers. If you really want volume control, though, you can try AutoHotkey.
4. Keys tend to work the same from day 1 to the day they die (and then you can just replace them). I've noticed that membrane keyboards get mushy over time.
Noise is subjective, but I like the audible feedback. Also, I'm nowhere near an accountant, but I do use the 10-keys enough to justify having them.
The best-seeming Bluetooth mechanical keyboard I've found is the KBtalKing Pro. There are a few caveats:
1. $179.
2. At least when they first came out, they only had red switches, which I dislike. At the moment, you can choose blue, brown, and red, though; not sure if that is permanent.
3. I haven't been able to confirm rollover. I read that a different Bluetooth keyboard only had 2KRO (which I believe matches the Model M, incidentally); I'm not sure if that's a limitation of going wireless or if it was just a limitation of that particular keyboard.
4. Blank keycaps are only available with red switches (by no means a dealbreaker, but I prefer blank keys).
I would love a Bluetooth mechanical keyboard with NKRO (I would accept 6, though), blue switches, blank keycaps, macros, and the look and build quality of a Das Keyboard. Given that mechanical keyboards are experiencing something of a renaissance of late, hopefully that dream will become a reality.
Why yes, it's acceptable, because 59 is more than enough for smooth animations--your eyes don't notice the difference, and your monitor probably couldn't even refresh fast enough to show it, anyway. My games never drop below this rate, so it looks smooth throughout.