I've got to second the in-ear canalphone recommendation. For one, they use less power (and don't require their own batteries) as most noise-cancelling phones do (better for portable player life). They have excellent broad-spectrum attenuation -- typically far superior to noise-cancelling. And if you invest in a decent pair (even the $80 Shure e2c's) they'll sound a heck of a lot better than most any noise-cancelling set. If you really step up to the plate, Shure's E5 series or Etymotic Research has some models that will simply blow you away -- Shure's even has a "push to hear" feature that allows you to hear outside noises clearly without removing the phones. And the sound quality on these higher-end models is right up there with the best -- period. The same can't be said for ANY noise-cancelling phones. Of course you have to get used to having something stuck in your ear....
Bah! Current radio formats ARE antiquated and outdated. You want unique content? Have you looked at the number of pocasts out there lately? Compare that to the number of unique radio shows...where are there more? Yeah...podcasts kick the crap out of radio -- and simply because it is FAR easier and cheaper for the common man to broadcast that way. Not radio. Decent transmitters are expensive -- not to mention the regulation fees. Sure, your listening devices still aren't as cheap or ubiquitous as a $10 transistor radio, but that's part of the point -- radio is so old it's technology is dirt cheap. You can't say the same for podcasts (yet), but given that they've only been in existance for a few years -- it will come -- as will the ability to receive them in your car while driving. The INTERNET is the great equalizer here. Radio will become a servant to that. Analog is dead.
The original statement is correct -- for power as was stated. SPL is NOT power, and is dependant upon both the output power of the signal source and the sensitivity of the speaker. Output power in dB for amplifiers is 20log (new power/original power), so a 6dB increase in POWER is a x2 increase. (20log2=6.02)
Current 1080p capable widescreens can be had for less than $2k. As an example, Mitsubishi has several. Here's a 50-inch:
http://www.fotoconnection.com/viewitem.php?IndexID =52698&RefTag=froogle
Many computer monitors also support this resolution (or greater). WUXGA resolution is becoming more common, and monitors can be had for $700:
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.a spx?sku=320-4335&cs=19&c=us&l=en
And that's a 24-inch monitor.
Yes, I own a 1080p capable monitor now, and I plan on buying a larger 1080p capable monitor in the next year (perhaps a projector -- about $3k for 1080p capable) I'm already enjoying the benefits of HD as well as the xbox 360 outputs. Sports (in particular) have now become almost unwatchable in SD for me. Sort of like once you've tried Tivo -- you can't go back.
And yes, you can see image artifacts at 1080i. The damn interlacing always makes bricks (in particular, but any small horizontal detail line) flicker with movement. Upscaling to 1080p (even if the original source is 1080i or lower) fixes that.
So yes: HDTV is great. 1080p is great. That it makes 1080i stuff cheaper is great, too.
Ahhh -- but the question then is wether the laser is digitizing the information from the vinyl when it scans the groove. I'm not sure -- I don't have the link to the site or know their technology -- but if that is the case then it IS the same thing. Both would require a DAC on the output.
Well, I can't disagree about the critical mass aspect -- but it doesn't negate my point (about designing for the future). Just because it's not a feature on most devices doesn't mean it's not wanted. Ever tried to send a friend a song off your iPod? It's a pain in the ass (as it is with most). I think the wireless is a novel idea for this and even the 3 day rule (or whatever it is) seems a good way to appease the recording companies. That it only works with other zunes (and presumably other wi-fi enabled computers) sucks for those that don't have a zune -- not the other way around. I've also had issues with laptops, but not many with small wireless devices designed specifically for ad-hoc connections, like the Nokia 770 and Nintendo DS. These types of products seem specifically designed to be used in such a manner. Heck, I use my 770 as a connection tester -- it works great. I think with proper design of this function there is no reason why it shouldn't work easily and reliably -- let's see how well it works on the zune. Sorry -- the insight line of mine was a cheap shot. I appreciate the tone of your last responses, particularly in light of mine.:)
Obviously you are no longer in high-school, or junior high, or even elementary school here in the US. The proliferation of iPods and portable music players among those who can't actually afford them themselves (but their parents bought them one) is staggering. So is the propensity to share music in these user groups -- something the iPod makes a tad more inconvenient than flaky wireless. While I can't personally say I'd use this feature much (since I'm long since out of school), it seems to make perfect sense for these types of groups to desire such a feature. I also could see sharing a new song occasionally with a friend so they could purchase it themselves if they wished (since song use is limited). All in all -- this seems more like a "demo song" feature intended to increase music sales (much like listening to samples of songs on the iTunes store, but you get to take them with you). You don't design a product assuming no one will buy it ("if I find another zune owner") -- you assume it will be a smashing success because of all the great features you've implemented. And really -- wireless in an open-air area, ad-hoc, works great -- like cell phones!;) You're using it to share a song with someone right in front of you! Your comments (generously modded "insightful") show a distinct lack thereof.
FYI -- this has turned into a he said/she said at this point. It's not clear in the crappy CNET article, but the LA TImes (which broke the story and received the files from the Angiledes group) has a slightly better article that has the Governator's staff claiming it was password protected:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la- me-audio13sep13,1,1414498.story?coll=la-center-pol itics-cal&ctrack=1&cset=true
The CHP (state police in CA) are currently investigating. I'm not geek enough to know if any password protection was required by simply looking at the google cache, and of course the Angiledes group didn't share the link with anyone until after they gave the data to the Times (and the link was killed). If it wasn't password protected (on an otherwise semi-public site -- it was for reporters) I'd agree that there is no issue, and this is simply a counter stunt by the Ahnold camp to make Angiledes look bad.
This is EXACTLY what is going on. The more interesting story is why the LA Times left out in their original story that the Angiledes camp passed them the information. And today they run another story saying Angiledes group claimed responsibility for giving the info to the Times -- as if the LA Times didn't know! And why would they run this story as an anonymous source originally? And have Angiledes be outraged in the same story! The LA Times lost any shred of credibility it had during the recall election when Ahnold won the governorship -- it's just sad to see they still haven't cleaned up their act. It's no wonder they've lost so many readers the last few years (including me).
I'm missing the Tom reference here. Tom Bombadil -- left out of Peter Jackson's LOTR trilogy -- wasn't in The Hobbit. And I kinda liked the "Road Goes Ever On" music -- or maybe that's just my childish remeberences of the cartoon version.
Interesting point -- about the failure of the original xbox in Japan causing lackluster sales of the current 360. I'd certainly agree that the original xbox didn't have a large selection of RPG that may have led to smaller sales in Japan -- but poor original design? The gamecube had better titles? You're losing me here. The original xbox design -- love or hate the case -- was superior in many ways to the ps2 (and gamecube). Take Live for instance -- the first successful console online component. The controllers were rock solid, and you COULD use it as a media client (although it's kind of a pain in the ass). The hardware modding of the xbox continues today -- it's the STILL the best(for the money) media client around. Games were good, but a lack of RPGs... I love my gamecube, but I'm STILL waiting for good games that aren't designed for 6 year olds. Yeah, RE was great. Rogue Squadron was great, but the RPGs also were pretty limited on the 'cube. Not much reason (besides the price) to justify the better sales of the gamecube vs the xbox. The other systems you list that were failures in the US were failures elsewhere, too. The current 360 is the next big thing (STILL a lack of RPGs...) -- it's a shame it's not catching on over there.
Ok, I agree with aboslutely everything you said in this last post. You can't argue with numbers;) BUT...None of that is contrary to my last post. I'm asserting this is NOT because the 360 isn't a fine product -- even "dumbed-down" -- but rather because of Japansese bias against MS and American electronics in general. MS had to release the 360 in Japan -- it's the gaming center of the universe. It saddens me it's not more of a success there (and probaby won't be), since I think success there would translate into a much more diverse set of games for the 360 and benefits for all. Stick a Sony badge on it and it'll sell like hotcakes. It'd be the best network and user interface Sony'd ever done.... Let's face it -- the 360 is what the PS3 hopes to be without the Blu-Ray. It's a full media center client, capable of streaming audio/video/playing DVDs/CDs/PMP connecting and plays games to boot. If it's not succeeding, why would Sony hope their new PS3 will succeed? It's got the same features. It's big advantage is that it plays the whole PS2 library (hopefully) and that it's a Sony. Oh, and it's way more expensive than a 360. Does this make sense any other way than to say their exists a Japanses bias vs MS? Either that, or the Japanese don't understand what the 360 is -- and given their "technologically concious" nature I'd say that's not so.
Staggering. I'd hardly call the 360 a "dumbed-down version of a console that no one wants". It's selling just fine here in the US, and (at the moment) it's the best thing out there. It plays the most of the old xbox games and the newer games have some pretty good titles, too. Oh, and the "dumbed-down" interface and xbox live system is second to none. That I can start the thing, shut it down, check with other friends online, stream video/music from my server PC to any room in my house I've got it plugged into -- Microsoft finally got it right. So, no, the 360 is hardly a "dumbed-down version of a console". Your comments (and many of the MS haters above) show little experience with the 360. I'm no MS fanboy, but I've had a 360 since January and I get more impressed with the interface and useability each time I use it. Not quite as usefull as a modded xbox, but nearly so, with very nice user interface. The wireless controls are exceptional. As for "technologically concious" -- the Japanese like their electronics, but god help me no Sony 200 button remote is good design -- and you can't convince me ANYONE wants that. Yet the Japanese buy it anyway -- why? The xbox360 features both a high level of technology and good design. If more Japan-only games were developed there would be no excuse for not having higher sales figures Microsoft HAS TO release it in Japan -- wether they want it or not. A market boost is almost irrelevant -- they need to get it IN the market. I think the previous revolt against the xbox in Japan was enough to show the Japanese bias. No Japanese style games? -- GET A JAPANESE DEVELOPER TO MAKE SOME! Come on! I won't argue that MS didn't have some PR issues in Japan with the original xbox launch, but the reasons that get cited (non-Japanese centric, not enough Japansese titles) are rediculous and easily remidied. There seems to be a lot of anti-MS bias in Japan (hell -- even here in the US) and they seem to take their electronics purchasing to a new nationalistic level. Don't think people really buy stuff that way? Know any Americans that will only buy Ford's or Chevy's? Yup -- I know quite a few that are so restrictive in their purchasing abilities. The Japanese seem to be the same about their electronics. Then we're going to compare the Wii and the DS and think becasue the DS is such a hit in Japan, the Wii will be the same? THey're in two totally different markets! With totally different target markets! You can say the Wii is targeting the casual gamer much like the DS -- but I can't take it on the train, I can't take it on the bus, I can't take it in all these urban public transit places that the DS thrives on. I like the Wii, but I'll make no such comparisons. It's success will in no way depend on the DS or the market it serves.
No, because it was legal where the winnings were achieved. It's not illegal to transport money accross state lines (although there are limits for international travel). Whether the profits were "immoral" is another issue -- and not one necessarily related to the law. For example -- I can buy and sell fireworks in South Carolina. Most fireworks are legal in SC. I can take money gained from that enterprise anywhere -- even states where those fireworks may be illegal (like North Carolina). I cannot transport those same fireworks through those states, but the money is no issue.
Becasue he's not transporting something accross state lines -- as one is when doing transactions online or by any phone transactions that are federally regulated. Gambling may be legal within a state as governed by State laws. Gambling itself is also not directly illegal by Federal laws (witness Indian casinos in US operating on "Federal" land). The online quotient makes this "interstate" and thus regulatable by the Feds as defined under article 1 of the US constitution's defintion of congressional power.
Wait a minute. The xbox wifi adapter is priced competitively with other "game specific" wifi routers from Linksys, D-Link, and Netgear (all about $100 retail at any big electronics stores). I don't see this as gouging (that much). Of course the smart user buys a wireless access point for $30 and runs a short cable to their xbox, but Microsoft certainly isn't out of place asking $100 for such an item -- A custom enclosed and specifically designed piece of hardware with such a limited market. I don't know anybody who thinks the 360 is cheap (!) but their peripherals are as over-priced as anyone else (no excpetion to Nintendo). Now the xbox (not 360) IS still cheap -- with or without wifi -- for what it is capable of. Let's see if the Wii is quite as capable.
Re:How about some more *durable* flash drives?
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16GB Flash USB Dongle
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Hmm. In my experience (and I'm crazy enough to have tried to fix one of mine that died after a few months of useage like yours) it's the crystal that goes bad -- usually by moisture leakage. Mine made a travel through the washer once and would boot sporadicaly after that, despite my attempts to clean the board. Replacing the 12MHz crystal did the trick. The cans they put those things in aren't necessarily moisture sealed. Unless you're reading/writing continuously to these things you're unlikely to use up the read/write cycles in any year soon. Most other causes of failure will be shorts via some other contaminant on the board -- which can be cleaned like any other pcb. It was a 1GB Tiny drive. Still had all my data, too. Frankly, flash drives SHOULD be about the most reliable media out there. Unfortunately, few of them are designed with this in mind. How about simply sealing the damn things...that'd take care of most issues except read/write cycle overuse and contaminates on the USB pins (and you could put a wiper on the pins for that...).
Uh, this will work, but PLEASE don't wipe in a circular motion AROUND the disk! You CAN move in a (more or less) circular motion from the inside to the outside (or vice-versa, but it's really just back and forth -- or even just one direction is best) -- but mostly maintaining so that the abrasions caused by your polishing action are accross the disk -- not circular in line with the data. Remember CDs have data wrapped spirally like a record. Polishing across the data minimizes the amount that may be obscured by scratches and allows the error correction to work better. The commercial CD/DVD doctor products work in this way also -- with a spinning vertical abrasive disk polishing a horizontal surface. As the surface rotates, so does the polishing wheel perpenticular to it -- thus all polishing occurs in one direction accross the data (perpendicular to data). These things actually work pretty well -- and can be quick if you modify your power drill to drive it!
I'm also VERY dubious of this 100k miles claim. How long does your laptop battery last YOU before it starts looking tired? How's your iPod lately? Yeah -- about a year before they start getting SERIOUSLY weak. There's nothing new in this car except the massive amount of Li-Ion batteries on board. The specs are nice, but not particularly impressive as far as modern electrics go. But 100k on Li-Ion batteries? I'm doubting those last few miles are very fast....
As for exploding: gasoline doesn't typically explode on impact -- something it seems Li-Ion can (or when crushed). Gas takes a pretty decent ignition source to go off (spark, flame -- not impact). Considering most crashes do not involve cars exploding (even when significantly crushed), I'd think this would be a serious weakness of Li-Ion.
No, winds biggest problem isn't that it isn't reliable -- I've seen many windmill farms set up in permanently windy mountain pass areas that work great -- its the environmentalits who scream about the number of bird kills on windmill blades and the homeowners who feels windmill farms are unsightly (a la Cape Cod hippocrites). Never mind that bird kills occur in the same amount for any tall structures....
I'd have to agree with you here. We used DGPS years ago with UC Riverside experiments in autonomous vehicles at their CE-CERT facility. I was amazed with how accurate ground based differential GPS systems could get. We'd have an antenna on top of our research facility and a unit in the car. Accuracy in controlling the car was better than half a meter -- and this was about 8 years ago now. Of course, these were pretty low speed tests at the time, but still pretty impressive. Civilian ground based DGPS systems seem to be quite accurate in short range experiments (less than a mile from the transmitter site). I couldn't comment on rockets....
Sadly, it appears I have another reason not to buy a PS3 on arrival -- and maybe ever. Weve already seen an increase in next gen games prices with the 360 -- I would expect similar from Sony, but even TALKING about it seems to imply a greater increase than what we currently have -- and nobody is happy about those costs either. Games are getting too damn expensive -- this will only feed the rental market. Who do they think is going to buy this thing and its associated games? Im in my early 30s, with lots of disposable income and a gaming appetite Ive fed since I was four, yet I will NOT be buying this. Kids are going to suck $60-$100 a pop for games? In an industry that is exceeding the revenue of the movie industry? Yeah, right. We are now approaching the cost of a full system for a single game. Remember when Nintendo was $100? How about the Atari 2600? We are now approaching that cost for a single game and I FINALLY ask myself: Is it worth it? From what Ive seen -- NO. Theres nothing out there coming out that impresses me that much. NOTHING. And there is too much other content out there competing for my time and dollar. Its got to be pretty seriously special to command that kind of scratch. As a audio-video phile I love the whole Blu-Ray concept, but this is just too much. Sony is offically on my shit list. Ill wait for the $149.99 version with the $20 games. Not that Im cheap, but the price is right.
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I've got to second the in-ear canalphone recommendation. For one, they use less power (and don't require their own batteries) as most noise-cancelling phones do (better for portable player life). They have excellent broad-spectrum attenuation -- typically far superior to noise-cancelling. And if you invest in a decent pair (even the $80 Shure e2c's) they'll sound a heck of a lot better than most any noise-cancelling set. If you really step up to the plate, Shure's E5 series or Etymotic Research has some models that will simply blow you away -- Shure's even has a "push to hear" feature that allows you to hear outside noises clearly without removing the phones. And the sound quality on these higher-end models is right up there with the best -- period. The same can't be said for ANY noise-cancelling phones.
Of course you have to get used to having something stuck in your ear....
Bah! Current radio formats ARE antiquated and outdated. You want unique content? Have you looked at the number of pocasts out there lately? Compare that to the number of unique radio shows...where are there more? Yeah...podcasts kick the crap out of radio -- and simply because it is FAR easier and cheaper for the common man to broadcast that way. Not radio. Decent transmitters are expensive -- not to mention the regulation fees.
Sure, your listening devices still aren't as cheap or ubiquitous as a $10 transistor radio, but that's part of the point -- radio is so old it's technology is dirt cheap. You can't say the same for podcasts (yet), but given that they've only been in existance for a few years -- it will come -- as will the ability to receive them in your car while driving.
The INTERNET is the great equalizer here. Radio will become a servant to that. Analog is dead.
Sounds almost like serial vs. parallel data streams...One very fast pipe for information vs many slower pipes..
The original statement is correct -- for power as was stated. SPL is NOT power, and is dependant upon both the output power of the signal source and the sensitivity of the speaker. Output power in dB for amplifiers is 20log (new power/original power), so a 6dB increase in POWER is a x2 increase. (20log2=6.02)
Current 1080p capable widescreens can be had for less than $2k. As an example, Mitsubishi has several. Here's a 50-inch: http://www.fotoconnection.com/viewitem.php?IndexID =52698&RefTag=froogle
Many computer monitors also support this resolution (or greater). WUXGA resolution is becoming more common, and monitors can be had for $700:
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.a spx?sku=320-4335&cs=19&c=us&l=en
And that's a 24-inch monitor.
Yes, I own a 1080p capable monitor now, and I plan on buying a larger 1080p capable monitor in the next year (perhaps a projector -- about $3k for 1080p capable) I'm already enjoying the benefits of HD as well as the xbox 360 outputs. Sports (in particular) have now become almost unwatchable in SD for me. Sort of like once you've tried Tivo -- you can't go back.
And yes, you can see image artifacts at 1080i. The damn interlacing always makes bricks (in particular, but any small horizontal detail line) flicker with movement. Upscaling to 1080p (even if the original source is 1080i or lower) fixes that.
So yes: HDTV is great. 1080p is great. That it makes 1080i stuff cheaper is great, too.
Ahhh -- but the question then is wether the laser is digitizing the information from the vinyl when it scans the groove. I'm not sure -- I don't have the link to the site or know their technology -- but if that is the case then it IS the same thing. Both would require a DAC on the output.
Well, I can't disagree about the critical mass aspect -- but it doesn't negate my point (about designing for the future). Just because it's not a feature on most devices doesn't mean it's not wanted. Ever tried to send a friend a song off your iPod? It's a pain in the ass (as it is with most). I think the wireless is a novel idea for this and even the 3 day rule (or whatever it is) seems a good way to appease the recording companies. That it only works with other zunes (and presumably other wi-fi enabled computers) sucks for those that don't have a zune -- not the other way around. :)
I've also had issues with laptops, but not many with small wireless devices designed specifically for ad-hoc connections, like the Nokia 770 and Nintendo DS. These types of products seem specifically designed to be used in such a manner. Heck, I use my 770 as a connection tester -- it works great. I think with proper design of this function there is no reason why it shouldn't work easily and reliably -- let's see how well it works on the zune.
Sorry -- the insight line of mine was a cheap shot. I appreciate the tone of your last responses, particularly in light of mine.
Obviously you are no longer in high-school, or junior high, or even elementary school here in the US. The proliferation of iPods and portable music players among those who can't actually afford them themselves (but their parents bought them one) is staggering. So is the propensity to share music in these user groups -- something the iPod makes a tad more inconvenient than flaky wireless.
While I can't personally say I'd use this feature much (since I'm long since out of school), it seems to make perfect sense for these types of groups to desire such a feature. I also could see sharing a new song occasionally with a friend so they could purchase it themselves if they wished (since song use is limited). All in all -- this seems more like a "demo song" feature intended to increase music sales (much like listening to samples of songs on the iTunes store, but you get to take them with you).
You don't design a product assuming no one will buy it ("if I find another zune owner") -- you assume it will be a smashing success because of all the great features you've implemented.
And really -- wireless in an open-air area, ad-hoc, works great -- like cell phones!;) You're using it to share a song with someone right in front of you! Your comments (generously modded "insightful") show a distinct lack thereof.
so all players that support mp3 should also support it.
FYI -- this has turned into a he said/she said at this point. It's not clear in the crappy CNET article, but the LA TImes (which broke the story and received the files from the Angiledes group) has a slightly better article that has the Governator's staff claiming it was password protected: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la- me-audio13sep13,1,1414498.story?coll=la-center-pol itics-cal&ctrack=1&cset=true
The CHP (state police in CA) are currently investigating. I'm not geek enough to know if any password protection was required by simply looking at the google cache, and of course the Angiledes group didn't share the link with anyone until after they gave the data to the Times (and the link was killed). If it wasn't password protected (on an otherwise semi-public site -- it was for reporters) I'd agree that there is no issue, and this is simply a counter stunt by the Ahnold camp to make Angiledes look bad.
This is EXACTLY what is going on. The more interesting story is why the LA Times left out in their original story that the Angiledes camp passed them the information. And today they run another story saying Angiledes group claimed responsibility for giving the info to the Times -- as if the LA Times didn't know!
And why would they run this story as an anonymous source originally? And have Angiledes be outraged in the same story!
The LA Times lost any shred of credibility it had during the recall election when Ahnold won the governorship -- it's just sad to see they still haven't cleaned up their act. It's no wonder they've lost so many readers the last few years (including me).
I'm missing the Tom reference here. Tom Bombadil -- left out of Peter Jackson's LOTR trilogy -- wasn't in The Hobbit. And I kinda liked the "Road Goes Ever On" music -- or maybe that's just my childish remeberences of the cartoon version.
Interesting point -- about the failure of the original xbox in Japan causing lackluster sales of the current 360. I'd certainly agree that the original xbox didn't have a large selection of RPG that may have led to smaller sales in Japan -- but poor original design? The gamecube had better titles? You're losing me here. The original xbox design -- love or hate the case -- was superior in many ways to the ps2 (and gamecube). Take Live for instance -- the first successful console online component. The controllers were rock solid, and you COULD use it as a media client (although it's kind of a pain in the ass). The hardware modding of the xbox continues today -- it's the STILL the best(for the money) media client around. Games were good, but a lack of RPGs...
I love my gamecube, but I'm STILL waiting for good games that aren't designed for 6 year olds. Yeah, RE was great. Rogue Squadron was great, but the RPGs also were pretty limited on the 'cube. Not much reason (besides the price) to justify the better sales of the gamecube vs the xbox.
The other systems you list that were failures in the US were failures elsewhere, too. The current 360 is the next big thing (STILL a lack of RPGs...) -- it's a shame it's not catching on over there.
Ok, I agree with aboslutely everything you said in this last post. You can't argue with numbers ;)
BUT...None of that is contrary to my last post.
I'm asserting this is NOT because the 360 isn't a fine product -- even "dumbed-down" -- but rather because of Japansese bias against MS and American electronics in general.
MS had to release the 360 in Japan -- it's the gaming center of the universe. It saddens me it's not more of a success there (and probaby won't be), since I think success there would translate into a much more diverse set of games for the 360 and benefits for all. Stick a Sony badge on it and it'll sell like hotcakes. It'd be the best network and user interface Sony'd ever done....
Let's face it -- the 360 is what the PS3 hopes to be without the Blu-Ray. It's a full media center client, capable of streaming audio/video/playing DVDs/CDs/PMP connecting and plays games to boot. If it's not succeeding, why would Sony hope their new PS3 will succeed? It's got the same features. It's big advantage is that it plays the whole PS2 library (hopefully) and that it's a Sony. Oh, and it's way more expensive than a 360. Does this make sense any other way than to say their exists a Japanses bias vs MS?
Either that, or the Japanese don't understand what the 360 is -- and given their "technologically concious" nature I'd say that's not so.
Staggering. I'd hardly call the 360 a "dumbed-down version of a console that no one wants". It's selling just fine here in the US, and (at the moment) it's the best thing out there. It plays the most of the old xbox games and the newer games have some pretty good titles, too. Oh, and the "dumbed-down" interface and xbox live system is second to none. That I can start the thing, shut it down, check with other friends online, stream video/music from my server PC to any room in my house I've got it plugged into -- Microsoft finally got it right. So, no, the 360 is hardly a "dumbed-down version of a console". Your comments (and many of the MS haters above) show little experience with the 360. I'm no MS fanboy, but I've had a 360 since January and I get more impressed with the interface and useability each time I use it. Not quite as usefull as a modded xbox, but nearly so, with very nice user interface. The wireless controls are exceptional. As for "technologically concious" -- the Japanese like their electronics, but god help me no Sony 200 button remote is good design -- and you can't convince me ANYONE wants that. Yet the Japanese buy it anyway -- why? The xbox360 features both a high level of technology and good design. If more Japan-only games were developed there would be no excuse for not having higher sales figures
Microsoft HAS TO release it in Japan -- wether they want it or not. A market boost is almost irrelevant -- they need to get it IN the market. I think the previous revolt against the xbox in Japan was enough to show the Japanese bias. No Japanese style games? -- GET A JAPANESE DEVELOPER TO MAKE SOME! Come on! I won't argue that MS didn't have some PR issues in Japan with the original xbox launch, but the reasons that get cited (non-Japanese centric, not enough Japansese titles) are rediculous and easily remidied. There seems to be a lot of anti-MS bias in Japan (hell -- even here in the US) and they seem to take their electronics purchasing to a new nationalistic level. Don't think people really buy stuff that way? Know any Americans that will only buy Ford's or Chevy's? Yup -- I know quite a few that are so restrictive in their purchasing abilities. The Japanese seem to be the same about their electronics.
Then we're going to compare the Wii and the DS and think becasue the DS is such a hit in Japan, the Wii will be the same? THey're in two totally different markets! With totally different target markets! You can say the Wii is targeting the casual gamer much like the DS -- but I can't take it on the train, I can't take it on the bus, I can't take it in all these urban public transit places that the DS thrives on. I like the Wii, but I'll make no such comparisons. It's success will in no way depend on the DS or the market it serves.
No, because it was legal where the winnings were achieved. It's not illegal to transport money accross state lines (although there are limits for international travel). Whether the profits were "immoral" is another issue -- and not one necessarily related to the law.
For example -- I can buy and sell fireworks in South Carolina. Most fireworks are legal in SC. I can take money gained from that enterprise anywhere -- even states where those fireworks may be illegal (like North Carolina). I cannot transport those same fireworks through those states, but the money is no issue.
Becasue he's not transporting something accross state lines -- as one is when doing transactions online or by any phone transactions that are federally regulated. Gambling may be legal within a state as governed by State laws. Gambling itself is also not directly illegal by Federal laws (witness Indian casinos in US operating on "Federal" land). The online quotient makes this "interstate" and thus regulatable by the Feds as defined under article 1 of the US constitution's defintion of congressional power.
Wait a minute. The xbox wifi adapter is priced competitively with other "game specific" wifi routers from Linksys, D-Link, and Netgear (all about $100 retail at any big electronics stores). I don't see this as gouging (that much). Of course the smart user buys a wireless access point for $30 and runs a short cable to their xbox, but Microsoft certainly isn't out of place asking $100 for such an item -- A custom enclosed and specifically designed piece of hardware with such a limited market.
I don't know anybody who thinks the 360 is cheap (!) but their peripherals are as over-priced as anyone else (no excpetion to Nintendo).
Now the xbox (not 360) IS still cheap -- with or without wifi -- for what it is capable of. Let's see if the Wii is quite as capable.
Hmm. In my experience (and I'm crazy enough to have tried to fix one of mine that died after a few months of useage like yours) it's the crystal that goes bad -- usually by moisture leakage. Mine made a travel through the washer once and would boot sporadicaly after that, despite my attempts to clean the board. Replacing the 12MHz crystal did the trick. The cans they put those things in aren't necessarily moisture sealed. Unless you're reading/writing continuously to these things you're unlikely to use up the read/write cycles in any year soon. Most other causes of failure will be shorts via some other contaminant on the board -- which can be cleaned like any other pcb. It was a 1GB Tiny drive. Still had all my data, too.
Frankly, flash drives SHOULD be about the most reliable media out there. Unfortunately, few of them are designed with this in mind. How about simply sealing the damn things...that'd take care of most issues except read/write cycle overuse and contaminates on the USB pins (and you could put a wiper on the pins for that...).
Uh, this will work, but PLEASE don't wipe in a circular motion AROUND the disk! You CAN move in a (more or less) circular motion from the inside to the outside (or vice-versa, but it's really just back and forth -- or even just one direction is best) -- but mostly maintaining so that the abrasions caused by your polishing action are accross the disk -- not circular in line with the data. Remember CDs have data wrapped spirally like a record. Polishing across the data minimizes the amount that may be obscured by scratches and allows the error correction to work better.
The commercial CD/DVD doctor products work in this way also -- with a spinning vertical abrasive disk polishing a horizontal surface. As the surface rotates, so does the polishing wheel perpenticular to it -- thus all polishing occurs in one direction accross the data (perpendicular to data). These things actually work pretty well -- and can be quick if you modify your power drill to drive it!
I'm also VERY dubious of this 100k miles claim. How long does your laptop battery last YOU before it starts looking tired? How's your iPod lately? Yeah -- about a year before they start getting SERIOUSLY weak. There's nothing new in this car except the massive amount of Li-Ion batteries on board. The specs are nice, but not particularly impressive as far as modern electrics go. But 100k on Li-Ion batteries? I'm doubting those last few miles are very fast.... As for exploding: gasoline doesn't typically explode on impact -- something it seems Li-Ion can (or when crushed). Gas takes a pretty decent ignition source to go off (spark, flame -- not impact). Considering most crashes do not involve cars exploding (even when significantly crushed), I'd think this would be a serious weakness of Li-Ion.
No, winds biggest problem isn't that it isn't reliable -- I've seen many windmill farms set up in permanently windy mountain pass areas that work great -- its the environmentalits who scream about the number of bird kills on windmill blades and the homeowners who feels windmill farms are unsightly (a la Cape Cod hippocrites). Never mind that bird kills occur in the same amount for any tall structures....
from the moon to see it (or more).
I'd have to agree with you here. We used DGPS years ago with UC Riverside experiments in autonomous vehicles at their CE-CERT facility. I was amazed with how accurate ground based differential GPS systems could get. We'd have an antenna on top of our research facility and a unit in the car. Accuracy in controlling the car was better than half a meter -- and this was about 8 years ago now. Of course, these were pretty low speed tests at the time, but still pretty impressive.
Civilian ground based DGPS systems seem to be quite accurate in short range experiments (less than a mile from the transmitter site). I couldn't comment on rockets....
Sadly, it appears I have another reason not to buy a PS3 on arrival -- and maybe ever. Weve already seen an increase in next gen games prices with the 360 -- I would expect similar from Sony, but even TALKING about it seems to imply a greater increase than what we currently have -- and nobody is happy about those costs either. Games are getting too damn expensive -- this will only feed the rental market.
Who do they think is going to buy this thing and its associated games? Im in my early 30s, with lots of disposable income and a gaming appetite Ive fed since I was four, yet I will NOT be buying this. Kids are going to suck $60-$100 a pop for games? In an industry that is exceeding the revenue of the movie industry? Yeah, right. We are now approaching the cost of a full system for a single game. Remember when Nintendo was $100? How about the Atari 2600? We are now approaching that cost for a single game and I FINALLY ask myself: Is it worth it? From what Ive seen -- NO. Theres nothing out there coming out that impresses me that much. NOTHING. And there is too much other content out there competing for my time and dollar. Its got to be pretty seriously special to command that kind of scratch.
As a audio-video phile I love the whole Blu-Ray concept, but this is just too much. Sony is offically on my shit list. Ill wait for the $149.99 version with the $20 games. Not that Im cheap, but the price is right.