I remember my first trip to Indonesia and asking the accountant how I enter a bribe on my expense reports.
My only complaint with the system is that there is lack of consistency, predictability, and no guarantees that everything will be legal once you do pay the "fees." Sometimes the fees are outrageous, but as long as you know what it is like ahead of time it can be factored in to the overall costs.
The OP's concern is a little bit of a challenge not knowing what the actual objective is. Most of the direct skills learned in school aren't that useful applied directly in life. However, it does form an important base for many items of curiosity that one hopefully encounters later on.
If your goal is just to master things that escaped you before, first figure out why this will benefit you, and what your incentive is to master things for the intellectual value alone.
It's great to learn new things (or master old things), but I have always needed a practical application for the information in order to keep moving with it.
The thing fundamentally missing from this argument is the reality of the cell phone coverage in the US.
Today I was less than 100' from a cell tower, and unable to use my iPhone with AT&T's Edge network. The service I purchased my iPhone to use is not usable.
The question then becomes who is responsible? My Blackberry used to work fine at that location, both on AT&T. Is Apple responsible because their partner network doesn't work, or is AT&T responsible, because they can't provide the service they advertise?
In the end, I don't care who is responsible; I just want to be able to use my phone in a location that someone provides service at a reasonable rate. The reality today is that Apple is preventing this basic functionality, which makes me want my money back...
Sun actually has a more elegant solution than what Google's patent proposes; they fit the air conditioning system in the container itself (sans chilled water plant). Google's sounds more like what I would have done (and is sitting on the whiteboard in the coference room next door right now from a discussion yesterday), although they are looking to do a phase-change cooling solution where I would have used water for improved efficiency.
Sun really did create a beautiful solution with their approach. There might be some conflict between business models that would develop around containerized data centers, but the core engineering of it makes these solutions substantially different.
I didn't see any mention of vibration or shock mounting in Google's patent, which is what is really needed for it to be viable.
Apparently the iPhone does not actually have a end-user unlock code option. It was designed to never be unlocked under any circumstances.
When I entered into the contract that Apple alleges I entered, this was not made clear. My assumption was that it could be unlocked after 90 days by my carrier, whereby I would have the freedom to do with it as I needed. I was willing to pay a three month premium when I travel, but not a "life of phone" premium.
Apple is wrong on this, and they are going to get themselves in trouble.
I wonder if I can start a class action suit against Apple for all the new EULAs they make me review with my lawyer to understand the implications of the revised contract arrangemetns. I should at least be able to recover my legal fees, right...;)
Only a fool of an engineering undergrad goes straight to business school. You need a few years under your belt to get more than the "duh" factor out of it.
Starting grads in engineering are paid amazingly well for the work they produce. It used to be that an employer would need them to stay for 1-2 years to break even on the investment in them; today it is closer to three years unless you get someone exceptionally committed. Too many people don't stick around or in the industry to make the equation work for the long term.
A new grad we hired for a bargain that is smart and puts in more effort than he should have to produces only 65% of his actual salary (including O&P), and he is really doing well!
More importantly, 90% of American engineering students realize that the only reason for getting an MS in engineering is to teach. I'm yet to find someone who thinks he learned something worthwhile in post-grad engineering school.
Getting an MBA has actual value. Working and gaining real-world experience has actual value. Meaningful research is a noble task, but... there isn't that much of it going on in most programs from what I can tell.
Contrast that with India or Germany, where you basically need a PhD to get a job flipping burgers (yes, sarcasm), and it is easy to understand why Americans are a minority.
Also, it isn't a recent change; it's been true for the past 20 years.
Do you realize the irony of that statement? The DSL infrastructure has a simple payback of 6-12 months. The FIOS infrastructure has a simple payback of 3-6 years at those rates. As much as I hate the argument that if cities provide a subsidized infrastructure, Telcos can't afford to compete... this is a classic example of where ROI is absent for additional investment.
The real question is how long the WiFi infrastructure will meet citizen needs, and if when it has outlived its general usefulness the competitors will come rushing back in. Time will tell...
...and this will make things better how? Sadly, Apple is demonstrating a desire to be more and more restrictive. They aren't TELCO BAD yet, but getting closer with more and more products.
Beyond the immediate iPhone issues, the Video DRM is actually more emblematic of my complaint with how Apple is dealing with this. The iPod and consequently iTMS would have never caught hold if it wasn't for the whole "rip, mix, burn" campaign-- the fact that it was possible and legal, and not the marketing. The same is required for the success of video sales long-term-- things need to be opened up sufficiently to allow unintended uses that expand the market.
When taking this argument to the iPhone, people must realize that there are unintended uses of the iPhone that both drive sales and improve customer satisfaction. You can buy an iPhone in Bangkok today. There are over 100 stores with them in stock by my estimates. The stores are charging a healthy premium above cost in the US, and they are selling fairly well. Apple is not likely to ever sell iPhones directly in Thailand. The same story is true the world over.
What incentive does a company have for restricting their products from a market at a cost comparable or higher than their target markets?
There is also a specific subset of people that buy Apple's products whose needs are different than everybody else. If you travel abroad, leave the iPhone at home! Why the hell would I buy a quad-band world phone if I can't use it to at least make calls-- ideally take advantage of some of the functions with a controlled cost?
I've been an Apple fan, consumer, and stockholder for a long time, and I have to say that they are moving in a direction that is not conducive for me to remain any of the three.
My suggestion would be to go for community DSL- it scales pretty well, and combining it with wireless is pretty easy. I looked into doing it for a rural community. How many neighbors are there in a one mile radius?
The other option is a microwave link- expensive, but very flexible on location.
If apple wants a hit with the mac and the iPhone in the corporation,the best effort is in working on a viable exchange/sharepoint alternative that works seamlessly with the iPhone and prettydarn well with other mobile devices.
Looking at retail sales, NYT is wrong- they are doing about as well as they can. If they want to grow sales further, the server side is what needs the work. That opportunity is dwindling fast- Linux has come a long way since Tiger was released.
...but the settlement let them get a share of any future lawsuit revenue. So... now if they get money out of the telcos, RIMM makes more money with no additional effort.
It's a big issue when you need the software to complete a project, working against the clock, and you have to re-install for whatever reason. I actually prefer using the cracked versions of most software at work just to avoid this hassle. Again, it's a case of the illegal version offering improved functionality.
Apple botched by not being able to shut off data transfer while leaving voice on. For international roaming, the charges are exorbinant at best for data, yet the iPhone constantly tries to connect without any user intervention. Simple things like voicemail are downloaded over the GPRS channel without consent.
AT&T charges about a dime per kB. The data transfer associated with a 1kB text file is about 7kB by my estimates. If you throw in anything more complicated than text, it mushrooms tenfold. Visual Voicemail... about $0.50 per minute of messages, best case.
The worst thing of it all is that you have no idea of the transfer magnitude until you get the bill.
BTW, as much as I consider myself computer-savvy, it isn't exactly easy to shut off the iPhone completely. SIM locking makes it so much worse, since there is no option for a local pre-paid card when travelling.
Fuel efficiency for a boat is roughly proportional to its speed cubed for a displacement hull. 30 Knots is pretty fast at sea, so an operation that only needs to go a more common 10 knots should be fairly fuel efficient.
Would think that a planing design or hydrofoil would be much more efficient for high-speed craft.
I ride a bicycle. The nearby electronics store which I must frequent for various supplies has a "show the receipt" policy. Because I ride a bicycle, I need to pack all my crap into my backpack. The most conveinent place to do that is at the sales counter.
I generally refuse to show my receipt on principle. Occasionally, I oblige, but generally refuse to show merchandise. Once in a blue moon, they ask to see the goods, to wit I crack my backpack open for a token inspection.
It does nothing to aid in loss prevention.
It just pisses [a certain subset of] customers off.
Why should customers be inconveinenced at all for shopping in your store?!
The difference is that a pedestal DSLAM usually maxes out at either 368 or 736 customers, as opposed to the several thousand on a cable head-end. Logic is pretty simple; cable companies were able to deploy their system faster by minimizing the additional fiber they ran. Both topologies should end up being fairly similar, if their owners continue to upgrade them in response to local demand.
The only place DC power makes sense is large data centers, where AC is converted to DC in only a few places, instead of in each machine.
Actually, traditionally the reverse is generally true-- it's only the small (That's because DC power distribution suffers from massive losses if it's transmitted across any decent distance.
Low voltage infers high current; high current causes losses in the wiring. Traditionally, it was hard to convert DC voltages as is done in AC with transformers. This precluded having transmission, distribution, and utilization voltages in a DC system.
Today, when there is talk of DC data centers, it is generally focusing on a distribution system at 300-1kV DC, with local converters at a rack level to go from the distribution voltage to -48VDC. The challenge is still that at a 48V level you are talking about up to 600A for a high density blade center rack. This creates all kinds of interesting fault and safety concerns, as well as getting back to the original problem of too much copper.
The value of using DC distribution is that the AC-DC conversion is inherently inefficient. If you have a UPS, then you are doing an extra AC-DC rectification at the UPS front-end, plus a slightly more efficient DC-AC inversion at the output, plus the AC-DC conversion at the utilization equipment. In contrast, DC-DC voltage conversions can be almost as efficient as an AC-AC conversion. The cost of an efficient DC-DC conversion is significantly higher than the typical voltage regulator, where excess voltage is burned off as heat.
The telling information though is the debt ratios for the telcos. They are all very highly leveraged already, where as the Tech companies have cash and no debt. If a tech company really wants it, they can out-bid the telcos. Unfortunately, it might do just as much to kill them as it will the telcos...
Slashdot Mirror
It isn't so much "would have implemented" as "could have implemented." The latter is what establishes the obviousness...
I remember my first trip to Indonesia and asking the accountant how I enter a bribe on my expense reports.
My only complaint with the system is that there is lack of consistency, predictability, and no guarantees that everything will be legal once you do pay the "fees." Sometimes the fees are outrageous, but as long as you know what it is like ahead of time it can be factored in to the overall costs.
The OP's concern is a little bit of a challenge not knowing what the actual objective is. Most of the direct skills learned in school aren't that useful applied directly in life. However, it does form an important base for many items of curiosity that one hopefully encounters later on.
If your goal is just to master things that escaped you before, first figure out why this will benefit you, and what your incentive is to master things for the intellectual value alone.
It's great to learn new things (or master old things), but I have always needed a practical application for the information in order to keep moving with it.
The thing fundamentally missing from this argument is the reality of the cell phone coverage in the US.
Today I was less than 100' from a cell tower, and unable to use my iPhone with AT&T's Edge network. The service I purchased my iPhone to use is not usable.
The question then becomes who is responsible? My Blackberry used to work fine at that location, both on AT&T. Is Apple responsible because their partner network doesn't work, or is AT&T responsible, because they can't provide the service they advertise?
In the end, I don't care who is responsible; I just want to be able to use my phone in a location that someone provides service at a reasonable rate. The reality today is that Apple is preventing this basic functionality, which makes me want my money back...
Sun actually has a more elegant solution than what Google's patent proposes; they fit the air conditioning system in the container itself (sans chilled water plant). Google's sounds more like what I would have done (and is sitting on the whiteboard in the coference room next door right now from a discussion yesterday), although they are looking to do a phase-change cooling solution where I would have used water for improved efficiency.
Sun really did create a beautiful solution with their approach. There might be some conflict between business models that would develop around containerized data centers, but the core engineering of it makes these solutions substantially different.
I didn't see any mention of vibration or shock mounting in Google's patent, which is what is really needed for it to be viable.
ROFL
I better sell my shares quick!
Apparently the iPhone does not actually have a end-user unlock code option. It was designed to never be unlocked under any circumstances.
;)
When I entered into the contract that Apple alleges I entered, this was not made clear. My assumption was that it could be unlocked after 90 days by my carrier, whereby I would have the freedom to do with it as I needed. I was willing to pay a three month premium when I travel, but not a "life of phone" premium.
Apple is wrong on this, and they are going to get themselves in trouble.
I wonder if I can start a class action suit against Apple for all the new EULAs they make me review with my lawyer to understand the implications of the revised contract arrangemetns. I should at least be able to recover my legal fees, right...
Only a fool of an engineering undergrad goes straight to business school. You need a few years under your belt to get more than the "duh" factor out of it.
Starting grads in engineering are paid amazingly well for the work they produce. It used to be that an employer would need them to stay for 1-2 years to break even on the investment in them; today it is closer to three years unless you get someone exceptionally committed. Too many people don't stick around or in the industry to make the equation work for the long term.
A new grad we hired for a bargain that is smart and puts in more effort than he should have to produces only 65% of his actual salary (including O&P), and he is really doing well!
Per
More importantly, 90% of American engineering students realize that the only reason for getting an MS in engineering is to teach. I'm yet to find someone who thinks he learned something worthwhile in post-grad engineering school.
Getting an MBA has actual value. Working and gaining real-world experience has actual value. Meaningful research is a noble task, but... there isn't that much of it going on in most programs from what I can tell.
Contrast that with India or Germany, where you basically need a PhD to get a job flipping burgers (yes, sarcasm), and it is easy to understand why Americans are a minority.
Also, it isn't a recent change; it's been true for the past 20 years.
Do you realize the irony of that statement? The DSL infrastructure has a simple payback of 6-12 months. The FIOS infrastructure has a simple payback of 3-6 years at those rates. As much as I hate the argument that if cities provide a subsidized infrastructure, Telcos can't afford to compete... this is a classic example of where ROI is absent for additional investment.
The real question is how long the WiFi infrastructure will meet citizen needs, and if when it has outlived its general usefulness the competitors will come rushing back in. Time will tell...
...and this will make things better how? Sadly, Apple is demonstrating a desire to be more and more restrictive. They aren't TELCO BAD yet, but getting closer with more and more products.
Beyond the immediate iPhone issues, the Video DRM is actually more emblematic of my complaint with how Apple is dealing with this. The iPod and consequently iTMS would have never caught hold if it wasn't for the whole "rip, mix, burn" campaign-- the fact that it was possible and legal, and not the marketing. The same is required for the success of video sales long-term-- things need to be opened up sufficiently to allow unintended uses that expand the market.
When taking this argument to the iPhone, people must realize that there are unintended uses of the iPhone that both drive sales and improve customer satisfaction. You can buy an iPhone in Bangkok today. There are over 100 stores with them in stock by my estimates. The stores are charging a healthy premium above cost in the US, and they are selling fairly well. Apple is not likely to ever sell iPhones directly in Thailand. The same story is true the world over.
What incentive does a company have for restricting their products from a market at a cost comparable or higher than their target markets?
There is also a specific subset of people that buy Apple's products whose needs are different than everybody else. If you travel abroad, leave the iPhone at home! Why the hell would I buy a quad-band world phone if I can't use it to at least make calls-- ideally take advantage of some of the functions with a controlled cost?
I've been an Apple fan, consumer, and stockholder for a long time, and I have to say that they are moving in a direction that is not conducive for me to remain any of the three.
My suggestion would be to go for community DSL- it scales pretty well, and combining it with wireless is pretty easy. I looked into doing it for a rural community. How many neighbors are there in a one mile radius?
The other option is a microwave link- expensive, but very flexible on location.
If apple wants a hit with the mac and the iPhone in the corporation,the best effort is in working on a viable exchange/sharepoint alternative that works seamlessly with the iPhone and prettydarn well with other mobile devices.
Looking at retail sales, NYT is wrong- they are doing about as well as they can. If they want to grow sales further, the server side is what needs the work. That opportunity is dwindling fast- Linux has come a long way since Tiger was released.
...but the settlement let them get a share of any future lawsuit revenue. So... now if they get money out of the telcos, RIMM makes more money with no additional effort.
It's a big issue when you need the software to complete a project, working against the clock, and you have to re-install for whatever reason. I actually prefer using the cracked versions of most software at work just to avoid this hassle. Again, it's a case of the illegal version offering improved functionality.
Apple botched by not being able to shut off data transfer while leaving voice on. For international roaming, the charges are exorbinant at best for data, yet the iPhone constantly tries to connect without any user intervention. Simple things like voicemail are downloaded over the GPRS channel without consent.
AT&T charges about a dime per kB. The data transfer associated with a 1kB text file is about 7kB by my estimates. If you throw in anything more complicated than text, it mushrooms tenfold. Visual Voicemail... about $0.50 per minute of messages, best case.
The worst thing of it all is that you have no idea of the transfer magnitude until you get the bill.
BTW, as much as I consider myself computer-savvy, it isn't exactly easy to shut off the iPhone completely. SIM locking makes it so much worse, since there is no option for a local pre-paid card when travelling.
Fuel efficiency for a boat is roughly proportional to its speed cubed for a displacement hull. 30 Knots is pretty fast at sea, so an operation that only needs to go a more common 10 knots should be fairly fuel efficient.
Would think that a planing design or hydrofoil would be much more efficient for high-speed craft.
I ride a bicycle. The nearby electronics store which I must frequent for various supplies has a "show the receipt" policy. Because I ride a bicycle, I need to pack all my crap into my backpack. The most conveinent place to do that is at the sales counter.
I generally refuse to show my receipt on principle. Occasionally, I oblige, but generally refuse to show merchandise. Once in a blue moon, they ask to see the goods, to wit I crack my backpack open for a token inspection.
It does nothing to aid in loss prevention.
It just pisses [a certain subset of] customers off.
Why should customers be inconveinenced at all for shopping in your store?!
The difference is that a pedestal DSLAM usually maxes out at either 368 or 736 customers, as opposed to the several thousand on a cable head-end. Logic is pretty simple; cable companies were able to deploy their system faster by minimizing the additional fiber they ran. Both topologies should end up being fairly similar, if their owners continue to upgrade them in response to local demand.
Refreshingly well put.
Actually, traditionally the reverse is generally true-- it's only the small (That's because DC power distribution suffers from massive losses if it's transmitted across any decent distance.
Low voltage infers high current; high current causes losses in the wiring. Traditionally, it was hard to convert DC voltages as is done in AC with transformers. This precluded having transmission, distribution, and utilization voltages in a DC system.
Today, when there is talk of DC data centers, it is generally focusing on a distribution system at 300-1kV DC, with local converters at a rack level to go from the distribution voltage to -48VDC. The challenge is still that at a 48V level you are talking about up to 600A for a high density blade center rack. This creates all kinds of interesting fault and safety concerns, as well as getting back to the original problem of too much copper.
The value of using DC distribution is that the AC-DC conversion is inherently inefficient. If you have a UPS, then you are doing an extra AC-DC rectification at the UPS front-end, plus a slightly more efficient DC-AC inversion at the output, plus the AC-DC conversion at the utilization equipment. In contrast, DC-DC voltage conversions can be almost as efficient as an AC-AC conversion. The cost of an efficient DC-DC conversion is significantly higher than the typical voltage regulator, where excess voltage is burned off as heat.
The kevlar is to hold the pulling tension, not to stop bullets.
The telling information though is the debt ratios for the telcos. They are all very highly leveraged already, where as the Tech companies have cash and no debt. If a tech company really wants it, they can out-bid the telcos. Unfortunately, it might do just as much to kill them as it will the telcos...
...The real irony is that there is a long line to get into this little "paradise."
Such an awful airport. Guess it represents the city appropriately, though.