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User: Cinder6

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  1. Re:College textbooks a scam? on Art School's Expensive Art History Textbook Contains No Actual Art · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Right. Nobody's holding a gun to your head. However, what if, in order to graduate, you must pass the class? And in order to pass the class, you must buy the textbook? In that case, the distinction is quite small.

    It's similar to saying, "You don't HAVE to obey the law." It's technically correct. You're a free-will being, and you can make your own choices. However, there will be consequences if you decide to go that route.

  2. Re:Museums don't let you on Art School's Expensive Art History Textbook Contains No Actual Art · · Score: 1

    There are two reasons I actually like a "no pictures" policy.

    1. Tourists taking pictures are annoying. Just look and enjoy. Your camera gets in the way of that.
    2. Most people taking pictures would be too brain-dead to realize they need to turn off the flash.

    Bonus: If having to pay for a postcard in the museum gift shop helps keep that museum open, it's worth it. Though it sounds like they may be charging textbook makers too much. (Also: Why is the license to show them on a website more expensive than the license to print it in a book? Presumably, it won't let you view the images unless you own a copy of the book, so...why?)

  3. Re:What is the big deal here? on Major Backlash Looms For Apple's New Maps App · · Score: 1

    There's nothing stopping them, which is why this article is pointless. Google already released a Youtube app, and it's better than the original one ever was. As of this moment, however, there's no Google-made maps app on the App Store...but odds are good that Google will release one sooner rather than later.

  4. Re:Obvious troll is obvious on Major Backlash Looms For Apple's New Maps App · · Score: 4, Informative

    The article also acts as though every single iOS user took advantage of those features. For myself, I didn't even know that street view was on the thing until I heard some people complaining about its removal. Why? Because it was a feature I never found myself needing, and thus never checked to see if it had. Same with transit and bike routes. For me, iOS6 maps is a straight upgrade, because we *finally* get turn-by-turn navigation, and it works really well (running the GM).

    Even if they were features you used, maps.google.com has you covered. It looks like it has all the features mentioned in the article. And I do not doubt Google will release a maps app, just like they released a Youtube app.

  5. Re:Yes low cost junk replaces well made & supp on Hardware Is Dead — At Least Most Expensive Hardware Is · · Score: 1

    Basing your buying decisions in part on brand name is not a bad idea, so long as you have a reason for the evaluation. Is your brand of choice well-known for higher build quality, better support, better warranty, etc.? Those intangibles are important, even if they're not as immediately obvious.

  6. Re:Some how 'value' and 'computer' got screwed up. on Hardware Is Dead — At Least Most Expensive Hardware Is · · Score: 1

    A refurbished phone is not a new sale. The market share does not change when you purchase a refurbished phone, because the number of phones sold does not change. It's the same reason why video game publishers hate used game sales so much.

  7. Re:Some how 'value' and 'computer' got screwed up. on Hardware Is Dead — At Least Most Expensive Hardware Is · · Score: 1

    Actually, Apple's the one that seems to consistently give out numbers sold, not shipped (when they give out numbers at all)--unlike, say, Samsung: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_Tab#Sales

    What's the difference between Android activations and sales? Isn't a device only activated when it's sold? Those activation numbers are still higher than the shipped/sold numbers, so it still looks impossible. (Unless a single device can be activated twice or more, and those extra activations count in the total--in which case, the number is meaningless.)

  8. Re:Not so much about parts on Hardware Is Dead — At Least Most Expensive Hardware Is · · Score: 1

    He wasn't talking about specs. He was talking about build quality. Pointing out that there are cheaper Android phones than an iPhone actually helps to illustrate his point: the iPhone has better build quality than them.

  9. Re:Absolutely. on Hardware Is Dead — At Least Most Expensive Hardware Is · · Score: 1

    I must be missing something here, or maybe you just can't read the chart you linked. The chart shows the iPad gaining market share at the expense of Android since the launch of the Kindle Fire. The color coding of the chart is obnoxious, as the first chart in the article has the iPhone in red and Android in blue, while the tablet one has the colors reversed.

  10. Re:Care to Elaborate? on Dice Buys Geeknet's Media Business, Including Slashdot, In $20M Deal · · Score: 2

    Still shows up for me.

  11. Re:Faster is fine - do we need thinner? on iPhone 5 GeekBench Results · · Score: 1

    One of the things I'm excited about for the iPhone 5 is the thinness. The old design was thin enough by itself, but with a case on it was just at the edge of "almost too thick" for my preferences. I would give up the thinness for longer battery life, though.

  12. Re:WGAF? on iPhone 5 GeekBench Results · · Score: 1

    That's storage, not processing power. An app will run the same on a 16GB iPhone 5 as it does on a 32GB iPhone 5--unless, of course, your app is >16GB, in which case Apple wouldn't even let you release it and nobody would want to download it.

  13. Re:Wow. on Apple Confirms iPhone 5 Preorders Top 2 Million In 24 Hours · · Score: 1

    Good to know; thanks.

  14. Re:Waaay to much money for those things on Roomba Celebrates 10 Years of Cleaning Up After You · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Several years ago, we demoed a Dyson unit. They look cool and have good marketing, but we were pretty disappointed by its actual performance. It cost more and performed worse than the Hoover vacuum we wound up getting instead. Right now we have a Sebo, and it works great.

    As for the Roomba's performance, isn't there an argument that you can have it go out and vacuum every day? If you have it set to do that, then your carpets shouldn't get dirty enough that the lower performance is an issue. It also means that your carpets stay clean the whole week, rather than having one day where they look real nice and six days getting progressively worse (or am I the only one who vacuums only once a week?).

    (Dear lord, I can't believe I'm talking about vacuuming right now.)

  15. Re:Wow. on Apple Confirms iPhone 5 Preorders Top 2 Million In 24 Hours · · Score: 2

    I'm buying it. After taxes it's $252. I can (and will) sell an iPhone 4 for $170, so it's only $82 for the upgrade. For $82, I get a much better phone than the one I have now. Combine this with the fact that my iPhone 4's home button is starting to stick, and it's a no-brainer.

  16. Re:They rejected 16% salary increase over 4 years on Chicago Teachers Rip 'Big Money Interest Groups' · · Score: 1

    Education is important. Nobody here is going to deny that. But why should they be guaranteed such huge pay increases? It should be something earned, not something guaranteed. Teach well--that is, make your students excited about learning while teaching them things they need--and you'll be rewarded. Teach poorly, and lose your job. Since teaching is so important, the penalty for doing it poorly should be more severe than it is in other jobs. Unfortunately, it's the opposite. Teachers can get away with all kinds of crap and terrible performance with little or no consequence.

  17. Re:spammers on RIPE Region Runs Out of IPv4 Addresses · · Score: 1

    Knocking botnets off the Internet would be annoying for those poor folks who didn't realize their systems had been compromised.

  18. Re:It will certainly succeed on Nintendo WiiU Price and Release Date Announced · · Score: 1

    Don't forget power cords--my PS2* and PS3 (and PS1, I think) use a standard PC power cable, but not any of my other consoles. The 360's AC adapter is ridiculous.

    *IIRC, they may have changed this for the worst with the PS2 Slim, but the PS3 Slim still uses the standard power cable.

  19. Re:inb4 on Alibaba Says Google Threatened Acer With Banishment From Android · · Score: 1

    A literal one? I'll get my rain coat. Or maybe a bunker would be better.

  20. Re:iPad traffic on Apple Announces iPhone 5 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    No. Mine was, "wow, iPad users must really like using their devices."

  21. Re:Post-PC world? on Apple Announces iPhone 5 · · Score: 1

    My phone is far more "personal" than my PC has ever been.

  22. Re:Not at all. on Cutting the Power Cable: How Advantageous Is Wireless Charging? · · Score: 2

    A wireless charging pad is largely useless. I had one for the Touchpad. It was neat, but ultimately not worth the cost (though I did get it on a steep discount).

    On the other hand, I would absolutely love a wireless charging table or countertop. In my SF dream world, my house would charge all my devices while I was inside, regardless of where I put them. Of course, my SF dream world has flying cars and teleporters.

  23. Re:It will have a certain cool factor at first on Cutting the Power Cable: How Advantageous Is Wireless Charging? · · Score: 0

    If you eliminate the need for a power connector, it would be pretty simple to start producing smartphones and other devices that are waterproof themselves. That would be a nice improvement.

    Charging cables double as data cables. How would people react if you got rid of data cables entirely? Wireless syncing is nice, but I find I usually go for the cable. It's faster and has less chance of error, plus no drain on the phone's battery.

  24. Re:yikes! on 8th Circuit Upholds $220,000 Verdict In Jammie Thomas Case · · Score: 1

    Bandage solutions? Yes, $220k is a ridiculous fine, but I don't see how that negates the value of iTMS, Amazon's music store, Google Play, etc. If you don't think a DRM-free song in a reasonable bit-rate (256kbps; not as good as lossless, but better than 128) for $1.29 is reasonable, then don't buy it. Or pirate it. Why should you get someone else's work for free when their licensing agreements explicitly state that they think you should pay for them? Yes, we all hate the **AA, but remember that nobody held up these artists at gunpoint and forced them to sign.

    Just because you can do something (in this case, pirate) doesn't mean you have the right to.

  25. Re:bad for consumers on Samsung Expected To Sue Apple Over iPhone 5 LTE Networking · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Wasn't Apple's argument regarding the 3G patents that, since they bought the chips from Qualcomm, who did pay for the FRAND licensing deal, they were already licensed? (Which makes sense, honestly. Is it reasonable that a FRAND patent holder should be paid twice for the same product?) As I recall, this argument was accepted by the court. I'd like to look it up, but my school internet is absolutely awful.