2. Noise-cancelling headphones generally do not work well for vocal ranges; they work well for constant noise as others have pointed out; generally lower-frequency and/or constant sounds like ICE and turbine engines, road noise, HVAC, and so forth. It actually has the reverse effect on vocal ranges which are intermittent sounds; when the background sound is removed conversational and animal vocalizations become more noticeable. A better solution is sealed over-ear headphones (Sennheiser HD280 Pro for example) for isolation rather than cancellation.
Considering what? Considering it's not a jack of all trades (it's not even a master of one; it's a master of none); it cannot match the capabilities of any one single aircraft it was designed to replace. it does not meet the performance envelope, efficiency, or capacity of any of the older units that have been phased out or are slated to be phased out in favor of the F-35.
They really ought to fix the remaining issues with the F-22, put that into production and introduce proper replacements for the other aircraft... or simply upgrade the old designs and build a few new upgraded examples of the older designs, employing newer technology wherever practical.
> Fuck, I sure hope so! I hope that their next blog post talks about how Australis is being thrown away in favor of the Firefox 3.6 UI, which was actually usable.
but... Apple invented rounded rectangles. That Samsung shipped various electronic devices with that shape quite a few years before the iPhone's existence is not proof that Apple did not invent the shape. I mean, this is APPLE we're talking about! No ideas come from anywhere except Apple. Single button mouse? Apple's innovation. Dumbed-down UIs? Apple. Elimination of user-replaceable batteries, rendering smartphones essentially disposable and contributing to the e-waste crisis? That's INNOVATION! Prior to invention of the iPhone, no rounded rectangles existed anywhere, placing a button on an electronic device was never conceived of previously, and most importantly, no disposable products existed anywhere. It's innovation, man - get with the program!;)
> Samsung should try doing something *original* instead of *stealing* from the genius that is Apple. Quite honestly, they got off easy with this settlement. Samsung should be out of business for such despicable practices.
I agree. Time after time Apple has copied Samsung's designs (including the rounded rectangle that Apple got their panties into a twist over), but now that Samsung is copying the iPhone's worst features (no SD slot, no user-replaceable battery, etc.), even on the flagship Note line, they deserve to be spanked.;)
> so I wouldn't even recommend them for minor things like keeping the kids out of your wifes box of dildos. They can be convenient only in a situation where you need lots of them fast (I had it down to ~20 seconds per lock).
In what situation would you need to get your hands on boxes of dildos? Wouldn't one or two suffice?;)
I've torn down my S4 completely to replace a shattered screen. For an early large-screen smartphone it is remarkably slim. The new glued-together-to-render-unrepairable model hasn't really saved any space; it is only contributing to the e-waste problem. I hate that we have become such an irresponsible society where everything is becoming disposable.
> The most the manufacturers should be able to do is cancel the warranty on modification.
Wrong. Only failures as a direct result of any modification should be denied. See: Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. Installation of a third-party part should not void the warranty. If Apple could get their way they would probably void the warranty if you use third-party headphones/earbuds with the iPhone.
Some PC manufacturers tried to pull this crap when users added RAM or peripheral cards with a sticker on the chassis sealing it shut, reading "warranty void if removed." Um yeah... people always chose PCs with 8 slots to not expand them.
Greed is good for short-term gain, not long-term growth. It is very shortsighted thinking that is self-defeating over the long term when your customer base can no longer afford your products, or you've alienated them to the point where they choose your competitors' offerings out of spite.
> You respond with, "feel free to hire a team of programmers to fix that. you have the source code.:"
The better response would be "Well, here's our bug tracker, and here is our roadmap for $RELEASE_FOO. If this is high priority for you, we could add $YOUR_PET_DEFECT or $YOUR_PET_FEATURE_REQUEST to $RELEASE_FOO for $N, but if you're willing to wait until $RELEASE_BAR we could add $YOUR_PET_FEATURE_REQUEST to the design spec for a $MODEST_DONATION. If it is truly critical we could fork it for you for $REASONABLE_CONTRACT_FEES and after you've tested it we can merge it back into the main trunk... or if the request is contrary to the project's goals the response could be "We understand and appreciate your request but it conflicts with the overall community's needs. However we are in need of funding as we also have families to feed so we could fork it and develop the custom solution for you if you fund it." Any responses like that would gain a lot of good will and acceptance of the open source community as it is far less sociopathic......where instead the response all too often is along the lines of "it's open source fix it yourself" or "man foo" or what amounts to "fixing bugs is boring" which tells the world "We OSS developers are pretentious jerks." They're really not jerks at heart - it's that a lot of the community is comprised of aspies who lack people skills and it is compounded by jerks who only complain about the projects rather than saying "hey guys this software is great and it's saved is $TENS_OF_THOUSANDS over the last two years by helping us avoid outrageous licensing fees, but we've run into a few bugs we would love for you to take a look at."
"Additionally the BBC's high-quality disc extras do not seem to have made the jump from disc to digital, signifying possible further decline for 'value added' features such as commentaries and documentaries in the future."
Between availability, audiovisual quality, lack of extras, and packaging I think that physical media will remain the premium choice for a long time to come. Add in the fact that there is little to no availability of 3D content on streaming services, or where there is, it's only through a handful of devices (not roku, chromecast, etc.) and you've got very good reasons for physical media to be an attractive option that enthusiasts will happily pay for.
But then again, my DVD and Blu-Ray movie collection has now exceeded 500 discs - all legitimately purchased, so maybe I'm biased. But, the ads proclaiming "own it on Blu-Ray or DVD today!" is attractive to me, rather than the fucktarded "you only license it" nature of streamed media. I bought these DVDs and Blu-Ray discs, and despite what revisionists claim, I OWN those copies... so if Netflix, Amazon Prime, or in this case, the BBC decides to not host the content any more, I still have possession of my non-revocable legally-owned copies.
But... we're safe from water fights on a plane as the TSA won't let us bring even bottled water on a commercial aircraft, nor clear plastic squirt guns that bear only the most superficial resemblance to an actual firearm. We're also safe from diet coke + mentos rockets flying around the cabin, thanks to the TSA.
He is referring to the fact that we won't turn off GPS because we've convinced general aviation and commercial and private ships to use it - as a primary navigation aid. It's also used by law enforcement for tracking criminals, and for drivers. Taxis are often required to use taxi-centric GPS apps to ensure the most cost-effective (for the passenger) route. With the prevalence of GPS, finding up-to-date paper maps isn't as easy as it used to be.
Even the errors introduced into the GPS signal have been reduced or turned off, because when it comes to accuracy, a few meters' worth of error isn't going to make one iota of difference if an enemy nuclear missile uses GPS to navigate.
Turning off GPS at this point would disrupt the world's economy so it will likely never happen. Don't like it? Blame Ronnie Raygun, whose administration opened up the GPS system to worldwide public use.
> Fake meat patties and cutlets and so forth have various flavors and textures, none of which taste like real meat. (at least, as far as I can remember)
I have had tofu that tastes and feels almost exactly like chicken - not exactly but very, very close. Unfortunately now that I know I have a soy intolerance (plus a mild allergy) I avoid eating products made entirely of soy. It gives me migraine and cluster headaches, and makes me irritable.
I can have soy sauce though, and most vegetable oils without problem, thank goodness.
The problems that people are trying to solve? Ethical issues - some people feel really bad about eating other animals. Others are concerned about the inhumane nature of "factory farming" where animals are treated very cruelly. Consider even chickens - dumb as a box of rocks but even they experience emotion. There is also the matter of poorly-managed ranches where not one flying fuck is given regarding ecological conservation. Some won't eat meat due to insanitary conditions in slaughterhouses.
I have a Savannah cat (an obligate carnivore who requires higher levels of taurine than most domestic cats) and I used to feel bad eating other animals for a brief period but looking at the food chain and considering that we are more toward the carnivorous side of the omnivore spectrum (we can eat vegetable matter but we really do not digest it efficiently) I now look at it differently. I like lambs and cows and such and think they are cute creatures and make wonderful pets (I've raised sheep, goats, chickens, and other farm animals as pets) but I recognize that I am mostly carnivore thanks to evolution (or god, or flying pasketti monster, or whatever;)) and have no problem eating tasty animals. Meat is fuel for the complex machine I inhabit.
There is a relatively easy solution to this problem to avoid any confusion.
Offer permits for such drone flights around monuments and installations such as the Capitol, with the contract signed upon applying for the permit acknowledging the limits on flight ceiling, proximity to the installation and to other people, and a hotline to call to report your location when you start flying and verify the time is okay (you never know if a national security issue has arisen there), if you have a mishap, etc. and when you've finished getting your shots. Even better would be to require that you have a cellphone on you and are reachable in case any sort of "lockdown" event occurs and the drone flight needs to be cancelled to eliminate distraction of security personnel.
This puts security at ease, preserves your right as The People to view what your tax dollars are paying for, and is a reasonable compromise both sides of the issue. It also eliminates the excuse of "but I didn't know it wasn't okay to hover outside the oval office for 20 minutes!" and "I didn't know it wasn't okay to buzz the President's helicopter!"
Allowing flights ad-hoc over such installations is chaotic and is a distraction, but disallowing them completely is too extreme. Allowing them under controlled conditions outside the perimeter when there is nothing serious going on is not unreasonable.
Slashdot Mirror
So I suppose you hear no difference between radio trash full-range speakers and Klipsch reference series or palladium series speakers?
If you can't hear the difference, I truly feel sorry for you because you really are missing out.
Fuck city dwellers who move to rural areas and then complain about livestock and pets.
Two problems:
1. "No highs, no lows, must be BOSE."
2. Noise-cancelling headphones generally do not work well for vocal ranges; they work well for constant noise as others have pointed out; generally lower-frequency and/or constant sounds like ICE and turbine engines, road noise, HVAC, and so forth. It actually has the reverse effect on vocal ranges which are intermittent sounds; when the background sound is removed conversational and animal vocalizations become more noticeable. A better solution is sealed over-ear headphones (Sennheiser HD280 Pro for example) for isolation rather than cancellation.
> The F35 isn't really that bad, considering.
Considering what?
Considering it's not a jack of all trades (it's not even a master of one; it's a master of none); it cannot match the capabilities of any one single aircraft it was designed to replace. it does not meet the performance envelope, efficiency, or capacity of any of the older units that have been phased out or are slated to be phased out in favor of the F-35.
They really ought to fix the remaining issues with the F-22, put that into production and introduce proper replacements for the other aircraft... or simply upgrade the old designs and build a few new upgraded examples of the older designs, employing newer technology wherever practical.
> Fuck, I sure hope so! I hope that their next blog post talks about how Australis is being thrown away in favor of the Firefox 3.6 UI, which was actually usable.
Classic Theme Restorer to the rescue. :-)
but... Apple invented rounded rectangles. That Samsung shipped various electronic devices with that shape quite a few years before the iPhone's existence is not proof that Apple did not invent the shape. I mean, this is APPLE we're talking about! No ideas come from anywhere except Apple. Single button mouse? Apple's innovation. Dumbed-down UIs? Apple. Elimination of user-replaceable batteries, rendering smartphones essentially disposable and contributing to the e-waste crisis? That's INNOVATION! Prior to invention of the iPhone, no rounded rectangles existed anywhere, placing a button on an electronic device was never conceived of previously, and most importantly, no disposable products existed anywhere. It's innovation, man - get with the program! ;)
> Samsung should try doing something *original* instead of *stealing* from the genius that is Apple. Quite honestly, they got off easy with this settlement. Samsung should be out of business for such despicable practices.
I agree. Time after time Apple has copied Samsung's designs (including the rounded rectangle that Apple got their panties into a twist over), but now that Samsung is copying the iPhone's worst features (no SD slot, no user-replaceable battery, etc.), even on the flagship Note line, they deserve to be spanked. ;)
> so I wouldn't even recommend them for minor things like keeping the kids out of your wifes box of dildos. They can be convenient only in a situation where you need lots of them fast (I had it down to ~20 seconds per lock).
In what situation would you need to get your hands on boxes of dildos? Wouldn't one or two suffice? ;)
I've torn down my S4 completely to replace a shattered screen. For an early large-screen smartphone it is remarkably slim. The new glued-together-to-render-unrepairable model hasn't really saved any space; it is only contributing to the e-waste problem. I hate that we have become such an irresponsible society where everything is becoming disposable.
http://www.supergrubdisk.org/
We do however want to queue them. Up against the wall.
> Agree. I also wonder what about this project makes it more attractive than picking up a $59 Asus router and throwing open-wrt on it.
wrt is still very limited. Want multiple WAN IPs? Command line. You may as well just run Linux on a cheap box from goodwill at that point.
> The most the manufacturers should be able to do is cancel the warranty on modification.
Wrong. Only failures as a direct result of any modification should be denied. See: Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. Installation of a third-party part should not void the warranty. If Apple could get their way they would probably void the warranty if you use third-party headphones/earbuds with the iPhone.
Some PC manufacturers tried to pull this crap when users added RAM or peripheral cards with a sticker on the chassis sealing it shut, reading "warranty void if removed." Um yeah... people always chose PCs with 8 slots to not expand them.
Right, because running the same code compiled for ARM or similar processors is any more secure?
> Greed is supposed to rule in Corporate America.
False.
Greed is good for short-term gain, not long-term growth. It is very shortsighted thinking that is self-defeating over the long term when your customer base can no longer afford your products, or you've alienated them to the point where they choose your competitors' offerings out of spite.
I doubt there is anyone visiting /. who hasn't any idea what MST3K is... or at least how to google it
> You respond with, "feel free to hire a team of programmers to fix that. you have the source code.:"
The better response would be "Well, here's our bug tracker, and here is our roadmap for $RELEASE_FOO. If this is high priority for you, we could add $YOUR_PET_DEFECT or $YOUR_PET_FEATURE_REQUEST to $RELEASE_FOO for $N, but if you're willing to wait until $RELEASE_BAR we could add $YOUR_PET_FEATURE_REQUEST to the design spec for a $MODEST_DONATION. If it is truly critical we could fork it for you for $REASONABLE_CONTRACT_FEES and after you've tested it we can merge it back into the main trunk... or if the request is contrary to the project's goals the response could be "We understand and appreciate your request but it conflicts with the overall community's needs. However we are in need of funding as we also have families to feed so we could fork it and develop the custom solution for you if you fund it." Any responses like that would gain a lot of good will and acceptance of the open source community as it is far less sociopathic... ...where instead the response all too often is along the lines of "it's open source fix it yourself" or "man foo" or what amounts to "fixing bugs is boring" which tells the world "We OSS developers are pretentious jerks." They're really not jerks at heart - it's that a lot of the community is comprised of aspies who lack people skills and it is compounded by jerks who only complain about the projects rather than saying "hey guys this software is great and it's saved is $TENS_OF_THOUSANDS over the last two years by helping us avoid outrageous licensing fees, but we've run into a few bugs we would love for you to take a look at."
"Additionally the BBC's high-quality disc extras do not seem to have made the jump from disc to digital, signifying possible further decline for 'value added' features such as commentaries and documentaries in the future."
Between availability, audiovisual quality, lack of extras, and packaging I think that physical media will remain the premium choice for a long time to come. Add in the fact that there is little to no availability of 3D content on streaming services, or where there is, it's only through a handful of devices (not roku, chromecast, etc.) and you've got very good reasons for physical media to be an attractive option that enthusiasts will happily pay for.
But then again, my DVD and Blu-Ray movie collection has now exceeded 500 discs - all legitimately purchased, so maybe I'm biased. But, the ads proclaiming "own it on Blu-Ray or DVD today!" is attractive to me, rather than the fucktarded "you only license it" nature of streamed media. I bought these DVDs and Blu-Ray discs, and despite what revisionists claim, I OWN those copies... so if Netflix, Amazon Prime, or in this case, the BBC decides to not host the content any more, I still have possession of my non-revocable legally-owned copies.
But... we're safe from water fights on a plane as the TSA won't let us bring even bottled water on a commercial aircraft, nor clear plastic squirt guns that bear only the most superficial resemblance to an actual firearm.
We're also safe from diet coke + mentos rockets flying around the cabin, thanks to the TSA.
Thank you TSA!!
> What if the issue is not lack of GPS but lack of electrical power?
Then the ship is a sitting duck anyhow, considering that it's usually electric motors driving the propellers.
He is referring to the fact that we won't turn off GPS because we've convinced general aviation and commercial and private ships to use it - as a primary navigation aid. It's also used by law enforcement for tracking criminals, and for drivers. Taxis are often required to use taxi-centric GPS apps to ensure the most cost-effective (for the passenger) route. With the prevalence of GPS, finding up-to-date paper maps isn't as easy as it used to be.
Even the errors introduced into the GPS signal have been reduced or turned off, because when it comes to accuracy, a few meters' worth of error isn't going to make one iota of difference if an enemy nuclear missile uses GPS to navigate.
Turning off GPS at this point would disrupt the world's economy so it will likely never happen. Don't like it? Blame Ronnie Raygun, whose administration opened up the GPS system to worldwide public use.
They should also have cholesterol for people who require it in their diets.
> Fake meat patties and cutlets and so forth have various flavors and textures, none of which taste like real meat. (at least, as far as I can remember)
I have had tofu that tastes and feels almost exactly like chicken - not exactly but very, very close. Unfortunately now that I know I have a soy intolerance (plus a mild allergy) I avoid eating products made entirely of soy. It gives me migraine and cluster headaches, and makes me irritable.
I can have soy sauce though, and most vegetable oils without problem, thank goodness.
The problems that people are trying to solve? Ethical issues - some people feel really bad about eating other animals. Others are concerned about the inhumane nature of "factory farming" where animals are treated very cruelly. Consider even chickens - dumb as a box of rocks but even they experience emotion. There is also the matter of poorly-managed ranches where not one flying fuck is given regarding ecological conservation. Some won't eat meat due to insanitary conditions in slaughterhouses.
I have a Savannah cat (an obligate carnivore who requires higher levels of taurine than most domestic cats) and I used to feel bad eating other animals for a brief period but looking at the food chain and considering that we are more toward the carnivorous side of the omnivore spectrum (we can eat vegetable matter but we really do not digest it efficiently) I now look at it differently. I like lambs and cows and such and think they are cute creatures and make wonderful pets (I've raised sheep, goats, chickens, and other farm animals as pets) but I recognize that I am mostly carnivore thanks to evolution (or god, or flying pasketti monster, or whatever ;)) and have no problem eating tasty animals. Meat is fuel for the complex machine I inhabit.
The telescope got jammed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
There is a relatively easy solution to this problem to avoid any confusion.
Offer permits for such drone flights around monuments and installations such as the Capitol, with the contract signed upon applying for the permit acknowledging the limits on flight ceiling, proximity to the installation and to other people, and a hotline to call to report your location when you start flying and verify the time is okay (you never know if a national security issue has arisen there), if you have a mishap, etc. and when you've finished getting your shots. Even better would be to require that you have a cellphone on you and are reachable in case any sort of "lockdown" event occurs and the drone flight needs to be cancelled to eliminate distraction of security personnel.
This puts security at ease, preserves your right as The People to view what your tax dollars are paying for, and is a reasonable compromise both sides of the issue. It also eliminates the excuse of "but I didn't know it wasn't okay to hover outside the oval office for 20 minutes!" and "I didn't know it wasn't okay to buzz the President's helicopter!"
Allowing flights ad-hoc over such installations is chaotic and is a distraction, but disallowing them completely is too extreme. Allowing them under controlled conditions outside the perimeter when there is nothing serious going on is not unreasonable.