There are some times when I really would like automatic check out. say I'm in a store to just buy one item and there's a line around the block with people, carts full of crap, and the person at the register is filling out a check.
Sorry, but automated checkout doesn't help when all the stations are in use, some idiot is buying 25 items when there's an 11 item limit, and some yahoo is constantly nagging the supervising clerk because he's too stupid to read the instructions.
That is because the people who published the PDF were idiots.
Acrobat has a number of commenting tools. What the Washington Post staff did in that case was use the Highlight tool, set the color to black, and use it to draw over the names.
Only problem? The highlighter is an object that is drawn on top of the text object it is attached to. The underlying text is not modified at all. In fact, if you watch closely, you can see the name for a split second before the renderer draws the highlights.
If the Washington Post had used the TouchUp Text tool to delete the names, the information would not have been leaked.
Um, how about doing a valid comparison? Like getting 2 dual-proc Dell machines that are identically configured, and putting (say) Gentoo linux on one and Solaris 9 on the other.
Let's say you find an old copy of a random book that you really, really like. Unfortunately, very few libraries carry the book. What's worse, the original publisher no longer exists and its assets have changed hands so many times that the current owner doesn't know/care about this book.
Now while it wouldn't be legal to publish your own copies (either by scanning each page into a PDF, or going full-bore and re-creating it in something like Adobe FrameMaker), it would not be right to let a good book fade into oblivion just because the publisher doesn't care.
And with the current rules, waiting for the copyright to expire is no longer viable unless you want to give your grandkids something to do.
I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong (this is Slashdot, after all), but a lot of these are considered "stress tests" for encoders. That is, they usually cause audible artifacting in the compressed version, even at high bitrates.
This makes them ideal tests when comparing encoders, because you don't need "golden ears" to spot the differences. It also gives you a good idea of a worst-case scenario for the quality of the music you encode.
If I have a company that manufactures low profit margin widgets, and I have a competitor who manufactures low profit margin widgets, and I devise a business process that streamlines my manufacturing to eke out more profits, I won't want my competitor to have that business process.
That's why you make it a trade secret. Patenting it makes it public, but rewards you by granting you a limited monopoly. So sure, others can use your idea, but they have to pay you to use it.
The example you gave isn't even a business method patent. A business method patent would be, for example, patenting the idea of leaving the newspaper at your door and then suing the New York Times for infringing on your patent.
Unfortunately, it is only for the Windows version because it is simply referencing the NTLM DLL files that IE uses to authenticate. Yipee!
Mac/Linux users are still hosed.
On the other hand, Mozilla *can* authenticate with the MS Proxy Server by using Windows NT user ID format (DOMAIN\user). And unlike Safari, Mozilla actually saves the password!:P But, good luck bringing up any restricted Intranet web page (read: most of them).
PDF (while a great standard) doesn't do reflow very well. So on a handheld - page size becomes a total pain in the arse.
Like hell it doesn't. Like many things to do with PDF, it all depends on what you use to create your PDF. You'll find that a PDF created from a page layout program (PageMaker, InDesign, FrameMaker) through Acrobat Distiller reflows a lot better than a PDF made from MS Works using some archaic version of Acrobat.
They don't have to look over your work and give you any feedback. I bet it takes less than an hour a week to do this.
Uh huh. Those posts don't write themselves! Your prof wants you to post to the public area so other students can see your questions and possibly answer them for you. The prof doesn't have time to babysit you online any more than he would if you were in a classroom with 200 other people.
I never got huge amounts of feedback from my assignments in school, beyond the obligatory "nice work" etc. I think your expectations are a tad too high.
A common refrain is to "trust your eyes," however your eyes can be very deceiving.
Every monitor displays colors differently. Even different monitors that are the same model! Color perception depends greatly on ambient lighting, the signal being put out by the video card, to say nothing of the monitor's controls. This is why the row of monitors at Fry's all look different--it has nothing to do with the actual quality of the monitor! Trusting your eyes may result in you buying an inferior model.
Spec out the monitor you want in terms of size and dot pitch, then go out and buy the model with those specs that also gives you fine-grained control over the color settings. Don't worry too much about what the display model looks like--it's almost guaranteed to be calibrated incorrectly.
Of course, the fun part is calibrating it when you get home. Use a utility such as Adobe ColorSync to do a quick-n-dirty calibration.
Unless you're working in graphic design, you probably won't do anything else with color management.
Nathan
Re:Family Tree Tech support: Wood for the fire....
on
Family Tech Support
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
There's a solution to that:
Charge money.
I do tech support for several of my in-laws. I have no problem doing it, because I charge them $25/hour to do the work. And they're fine with it.
Now my parents are another story, but.. well, they're my parents. And my mom is a geek-in-denial so when it breaks I can be reasonably sure that it's really broken.:)
You're misunderstanding why they are requesting a call.
Yes, your e-mail may be verbose and even quite thorough, but the technician on the other end may need to ask some probing questions. E-mail sucks for that type of discussion. It is almost always going to be more efficient to simply talk to you on the phone for 5-10 minutes and give you the answer(s) you need.
The other issue may be that the information can only be given in verbal format. There is probably nothing deceitful about the information, but written communication can be legally liable. It's a CYA thing, unfortunately.
If you're walking down 5th Avenue in Manhattan and some homeless guy is beating away at a drum and chanting "Fuck the USA. Don't bomb Iraq" you cannot sue him because it would breech the freedom of speech laws.
Wrong. Doing so would no doubt violate a number of public disturbance laws (particularly if the word 'fuck' was involved). The first amendment does not give you the right to say anything, anywhere, to anyone. What it does do is give the public permission to criticize the government.
The first amendment doesn't even apply in this case.
Slashdot Mirror
Nathan
Actually, the "three months' salary" suggestion is because that's the largest unsecured loan you can typically get from a bank.
Nathan
That is because the people who published the PDF were idiots.
Acrobat has a number of commenting tools. What the Washington Post staff did in that case was use the Highlight tool, set the color to black, and use it to draw over the names.
Only problem? The highlighter is an object that is drawn on top of the text object it is attached to. The underlying text is not modified at all. In fact, if you watch closely, you can see the name for a split second before the renderer draws the highlights.
If the Washington Post had used the TouchUp Text tool to delete the names, the information would not have been leaked.
Nathan
Do you realize how stupid you sound using "Faux News" as some kind of stab at Fox News?
Fox is pronounced "fawks" and it rhymes with "box."
Faux is pronounced "foe" and it rhymes with "toe."
"Foe News" just makes you sound stupid, and is not even remotely clever.
Nathan
"Mode," of course.
Nathan
Um, how about doing a valid comparison? Like getting 2 dual-proc Dell machines that are identically configured, and putting (say) Gentoo linux on one and Solaris 9 on the other.
Then let them race.
Nathan
I'll bite.
Let's say you find an old copy of a random book that you really, really like. Unfortunately, very few libraries carry the book. What's worse, the original publisher no longer exists and its assets have changed hands so many times that the current owner doesn't know/care about this book.
Now while it wouldn't be legal to publish your own copies (either by scanning each page into a PDF, or going full-bore and re-creating it in something like Adobe FrameMaker), it would not be right to let a good book fade into oblivion just because the publisher doesn't care.
And with the current rules, waiting for the copyright to expire is no longer viable unless you want to give your grandkids something to do.
Nathan
I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong (this is Slashdot, after all), but a lot of these are considered "stress tests" for encoders. That is, they usually cause audible artifacting in the compressed version, even at high bitrates.
This makes them ideal tests when comparing encoders, because you don't need "golden ears" to spot the differences. It also gives you a good idea of a worst-case scenario for the quality of the music you encode.
Nathan
Finally! You know how many tech support guys have been begging for that functionality??
:(
Too bad it's being recalled.
Nathan
The example you gave isn't even a business method patent. A business method patent would be, for example, patenting the idea of leaving the newspaper at your door and then suing the New York Times for infringing on your patent.
Nathan
IIRC, "Export" Fosters isn't actually brewed in Australia. I think it's made in Canada. I'd have to go check the can, though.
:)
Still, Fosters isn't that bad here in the states, but then it's competing with junk like Coors, Budweiser, and MGD. Gimme Guinness any day.
Nathan
Unfortunately, it is only for the Windows version because it is simply referencing the NTLM DLL files that IE uses to authenticate. Yipee!
:P But, good luck bringing up any restricted Intranet web page (read: most of them).
Mac/Linux users are still hosed.
On the other hand, Mozilla *can* authenticate with the MS Proxy Server by using Windows NT user ID format (DOMAIN\user). And unlike Safari, Mozilla actually saves the password!
Nathan
Like hell it doesn't. Like many things to do with PDF, it all depends on what you use to create your PDF. You'll find that a PDF created from a page layout program (PageMaker, InDesign, FrameMaker) through Acrobat Distiller reflows a lot better than a PDF made from MS Works using some archaic version of Acrobat.
Nathan
I never got huge amounts of feedback from my assignments in school, beyond the obligatory "nice work" etc. I think your expectations are a tad too high.
And "techno savvy"? Quit channelling Jon Katz!
Nathan
Nathan
I mean, then MS programmers would need to either C# or Bb. :)
Nathan
The reason you get zero is because "1/2" is integer math and results in zero. If you change that to "1.0/2.0" it will work as it should.
Nathan
Nathan
How many people read the writeup and saw the lame Iraq jokes coming a mile away?
Yeah, I thought so.
Nathan
A common refrain is to "trust your eyes," however your eyes can be very deceiving.
Every monitor displays colors differently. Even different monitors that are the same model! Color perception depends greatly on ambient lighting, the signal being put out by the video card, to say nothing of the monitor's controls. This is why the row of monitors at Fry's all look different--it has nothing to do with the actual quality of the monitor! Trusting your eyes may result in you buying an inferior model.
Spec out the monitor you want in terms of size and dot pitch, then go out and buy the model with those specs that also gives you fine-grained control over the color settings. Don't worry too much about what the display model looks like--it's almost guaranteed to be calibrated incorrectly.
Of course, the fun part is calibrating it when you get home. Use a utility such as Adobe ColorSync to do a quick-n-dirty calibration.
Unless you're working in graphic design, you probably won't do anything else with color management.
Nathan
There's a solution to that:
:)
Charge money.
I do tech support for several of my in-laws. I have no problem doing it, because I charge them $25/hour to do the work. And they're fine with it.
Now my parents are another story, but.. well, they're my parents. And my mom is a geek-in-denial so when it breaks I can be reasonably sure that it's really broken.
Nathan
You're misunderstanding why they are requesting a call.
Yes, your e-mail may be verbose and even quite thorough, but the technician on the other end may need to ask some probing questions. E-mail sucks for that type of discussion. It is almost always going to be more efficient to simply talk to you on the phone for 5-10 minutes and give you the answer(s) you need.
The other issue may be that the information can only be given in verbal format. There is probably nothing deceitful about the information, but written communication can be legally liable. It's a CYA thing, unfortunately.
Nathan
This picture is just begging to be creatively modified.
Nathan
In SOVIET RUSSIA, the Windows source code reads you!
Nathan
The first amendment doesn't even apply in this case.
Nathan