I'm in complete agreement with you.
Ever since the early 90's the world has moved towards a "its not my fault because" type attitude. Its not my fault that little sally is a b*tch and failing school, she has ADHD/Aspergers....
I've got three kids, and one had a set of buckyball magnets. I gave them to a 15 year old as he was old enough to know he shouldn't eat them. When they were in the "everything goes into the mouth" phase i didn't give them powerful magnets. I bought age-appropriate toys to avoid this exact problem. It should be common sense that at a certain age you need to watch the kids and protect them from themselves.
Combine the "it wasn't my fault attitude" with the ability to sue for a lot more then if you won an average lottery and you have a real mess on your hands.
We now have super-strict IP laws. Back then, when the speech was made people didn't instinctively look at all the science fiction works and sue for infringement (we already had science fiction works about going to the moon after-all).
Don't get me wrong, its not like a user replaceable battery is the ultimate selling tool. To me it does show they are more willing to work with their users. Everyone seems to want to make disposible stuff these days.
How? On the original white nooks you can just pop the back off. This is the same way you install a microSD card. The back isn't even held on with screws (just clips).
http://portables.about.com/od/ebookreasers/ss/Nook-Battery-Removal-How-To-Change-Battery-Of-Barnes-And-Noble-Nook.htm
I'm on the same page as you... I agree that copyright is basically F'd and needs to be reformed. When you have corps like Disney raiding the public domain for ideas and simultaneously pushing to extend the protection of "mickey mouse" you know things are bad.
I live in Canada now, but lived in the US for a while and own a kindle and a few nooks for me and my kids.
Nook Pro's (just the white book reader, not the tablets)
- Both the device and its accessories are more reasonably priced then the kindle.
- Native EPUB support which greatly expands your options.
- feels nice in your hand
- user replaceable battery
- microSD slot which is handy for putting books/music on.
- Seem more "friendly" then others (not as locked down).
- Somewhat stylish (I like the white, which has stayed clean for 3 years).
Nook Con's
- battery doesnt seem to last as long as my kindle
- sorting / cataloging could be improved. Simple stuff like allowing me to sort by when i added the books would be nice.
The nook has two large buttons on each side for forward/backward and can easily be used single-handed.
I use my nook when i'm reading some opensource matrial (epub support is great) and I use my kindle for any amazon content.
I've looked at the Kobo upon returning to Canada and think the kobo is probably pretty comparable to a nook.
Like almost everything, IP can be bought/sold. Whoever owns the "catalog" owns the rights and this is independent of who created the work. Almost every record label structures things as work done "for hire" to make sure the actual creators never receive the rights.
Original purpose or not, this is what it has come down to.
Or contracts which forbid class action lawsuits and force "third party mediation". Didn't know you could "sign away" a right, but i guess if a corp wants that right removed you can...
Its a really bad and lopsided relationship which hopefully comes to an end in my lifetime, but i'm not optimistic this will happen. Too many players and too much money at stake. "artists" which cant write a song, cant play an instrument, and cant read sheet music.. just pretty faces and autotune earning boatloads of money....
Same position here. I remember when i bought a VCR with "VCR+" to make it easy to program. Seems shows now play more commercials then before and the system is becoming more and more top heavy (actors demanding more and more $$$ and so the commercials have to pay for this by putting more into the show).
I also have Cable TV, but rarely watch it as i just cant take the commercials. I went to a friends place recently and we watched some TV to wind down at the end of the day. Watching shows with commercials after such a long absence was just terrible. This was made worse by them playing a set every 5 minutes or so towards the back half of the show. It seems that as the show ends they want to do 5 minutes of show and 5 minutes of commercials.
I understand the model, commercials play for the program, but perhaps paying a few hundred K per episode to each "lead character" in the show is a bad model? Long ago actors made good money and the show:commercial ratio was reasonable. Now they make an absolute killing and the show:commercial ratio (including product placement) seems to turn blend the line between the shows and the commercials.
Remember when the people acting on the shows use to make a "reasonable" amount of money? Now they are in the multiple-hundreds of thousands per episode. Someone has to pay for this so they just introduce more and more commercials.
It's rare i watch tv with commercials anymore and when i do its incredibly annoying. As the show gets closer to the end the commercials just pile on knowing you want to see how it ends.
Odd, as I had always thought it was the cold that kills them.
I'm in Southern Ontario, so the winters are a lot more mild then what you probably deal with.
I had the original battery in my cheap Plymouth Voyager when i sold it just over 10 years later. Still started the thing up first time in the morning after being left in the freezing cold all night.
It was impressive that a relatively cheap car battery can last that long and keep running while every LION battery i've ever owned had a fairly short life (and most electronics seem to come with non-replaceable batteries these days).
I live in Canada as well. In practice you can do it, but be ready for one of the "big three" to randomly shut you down for no valid reason (low traffic, low bandwidth site). You know they offer "business" class at twice the price right?
Or they are hoping to be the first to sign up chinese to their membership. Think of the union dues on millions of chinese workers?
The union is a business just like any other, they need new members/dues to function.
Exactly.... Its the "importers" who are pricing the work out to Chinese manufacturers based on lowest cost. I'm not aware of any chinese manufacture who sells directly to the end customers in NA (I'm sure they would like to as that is where the margins are).
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I'm in complete agreement with you. Ever since the early 90's the world has moved towards a "its not my fault because" type attitude. Its not my fault that little sally is a b*tch and failing school, she has ADHD/Aspergers....
I've got three kids, and one had a set of buckyball magnets. I gave them to a 15 year old as he was old enough to know he shouldn't eat them. When they were in the "everything goes into the mouth" phase i didn't give them powerful magnets. I bought age-appropriate toys to avoid this exact problem. It should be common sense that at a certain age you need to watch the kids and protect them from themselves.
Combine the "it wasn't my fault attitude" with the ability to sue for a lot more then if you won an average lottery and you have a real mess on your hands.
Do you mean "who takes the largest share of the profit from selling phones" or number of devices activated?
cyanogenmod.com Just flash what is probably a cleaner and more up-to-date version of android on your device....
Then why complain when the Chinese spy? The Chinese spy agency has a mandate just like the CIA does.
We now have super-strict IP laws. Back then, when the speech was made people didn't instinctively look at all the science fiction works and sue for infringement (we already had science fiction works about going to the moon after-all).
Celine's house in Florida is up for sale, a paltry $72MM she might be able to contribute to the cause?
Don't get me wrong, its not like a user replaceable battery is the ultimate selling tool. To me it does show they are more willing to work with their users. Everyone seems to want to make disposible stuff these days.
How? On the original white nooks you can just pop the back off. This is the same way you install a microSD card. The back isn't even held on with screws (just clips).
http://portables.about.com/od/ebookreasers/ss/Nook-Battery-Removal-How-To-Change-Battery-Of-Barnes-And-Noble-Nook.htm
I'm on the same page as you... I agree that copyright is basically F'd and needs to be reformed. When you have corps like Disney raiding the public domain for ideas and simultaneously pushing to extend the protection of "mickey mouse" you know things are bad.
Where do i have a misunderstanding? The original purpose was to offer monopoly rights for a set term to allow the "creator" to profit from their work.
I live in Canada now, but lived in the US for a while and own a kindle and a few nooks for me and my kids.
Nook Pro's (just the white book reader, not the tablets)
- Both the device and its accessories are more reasonably priced then the kindle.
- Native EPUB support which greatly expands your options.
- feels nice in your hand
- user replaceable battery
- microSD slot which is handy for putting books/music on.
- Seem more "friendly" then others (not as locked down).
- Somewhat stylish (I like the white, which has stayed clean for 3 years).
Nook Con's
- battery doesnt seem to last as long as my kindle
- sorting / cataloging could be improved. Simple stuff like allowing me to sort by when i added the books would be nice.
The nook has two large buttons on each side for forward/backward and can easily be used single-handed.
I use my nook when i'm reading some opensource matrial (epub support is great) and I use my kindle for any amazon content.
I've looked at the Kobo upon returning to Canada and think the kobo is probably pretty comparable to a nook.
Like almost everything, IP can be bought/sold. Whoever owns the "catalog" owns the rights and this is independent of who created the work. Almost every record label structures things as work done "for hire" to make sure the actual creators never receive the rights. Original purpose or not, this is what it has come down to.
Or contracts which forbid class action lawsuits and force "third party mediation". Didn't know you could "sign away" a right, but i guess if a corp wants that right removed you can...
Its a really bad and lopsided relationship which hopefully comes to an end in my lifetime, but i'm not optimistic this will happen. Too many players and too much money at stake. "artists" which cant write a song, cant play an instrument, and cant read sheet music.. just pretty faces and autotune earning boatloads of money....
They did the work "for hire" and don't own the rights, the labels do.
Same position here. I remember when i bought a VCR with "VCR+" to make it easy to program. Seems shows now play more commercials then before and the system is becoming more and more top heavy (actors demanding more and more $$$ and so the commercials have to pay for this by putting more into the show).
I also have Cable TV, but rarely watch it as i just cant take the commercials. I went to a friends place recently and we watched some TV to wind down at the end of the day. Watching shows with commercials after such a long absence was just terrible. This was made worse by them playing a set every 5 minutes or so towards the back half of the show. It seems that as the show ends they want to do 5 minutes of show and 5 minutes of commercials.
I understand the model, commercials play for the program, but perhaps paying a few hundred K per episode to each "lead character" in the show is a bad model? Long ago actors made good money and the show:commercial ratio was reasonable. Now they make an absolute killing and the show:commercial ratio (including product placement) seems to turn blend the line between the shows and the commercials.
Remember when the people acting on the shows use to make a "reasonable" amount of money? Now they are in the multiple-hundreds of thousands per episode. Someone has to pay for this so they just introduce more and more commercials. It's rare i watch tv with commercials anymore and when i do its incredibly annoying. As the show gets closer to the end the commercials just pile on knowing you want to see how it ends.
Odd, as I had always thought it was the cold that kills them. I'm in Southern Ontario, so the winters are a lot more mild then what you probably deal with.
I had the original battery in my cheap Plymouth Voyager when i sold it just over 10 years later. Still started the thing up first time in the morning after being left in the freezing cold all night. It was impressive that a relatively cheap car battery can last that long and keep running while every LION battery i've ever owned had a fairly short life (and most electronics seem to come with non-replaceable batteries these days).
Because they both have the same employer?
I live in Canada as well. In practice you can do it, but be ready for one of the "big three" to randomly shut you down for no valid reason (low traffic, low bandwidth site). You know they offer "business" class at twice the price right?
Or they are hoping to be the first to sign up chinese to their membership. Think of the union dues on millions of chinese workers? The union is a business just like any other, they need new members/dues to function.
Is this a case of "final assembly in the US" to get the "made in the USA" stamp or actually made in the US?
Its funny as the US now has some of the most strict IP laws in the world. Not that long ago they were known for ruthless infringement.
I own a house in Guilin and have been to the "flying tigers" museum. Interesting seeing US air force memorabilia so deep in China.
Exactly.... Its the "importers" who are pricing the work out to Chinese manufacturers based on lowest cost. I'm not aware of any chinese manufacture who sells directly to the end customers in NA (I'm sure they would like to as that is where the margins are).