#1. Completely gut the patent system, invalidate all existing patents and abide by a this rule: any concept deemed worthy of a patent needs to be burdened with revolution, detailed and complex, all-encapsulating and original; something that is simply unheard of. Adding a feature to an existing technology doesn't count. It must be type of idea which, in its time, seems inconceivable and astonishing (for example, the telephone... who, at the time, *didn't* think it was completely impossible and ridiculous to have a real-time conversation with someone across town, across the country or across the world without physically being in their presence?)
#2. Publicly fund the patent office. No more bribe funding (which is what it really is)
#3. Get rid of prior art and replace it with something better: an RFP to the public. Any reasonable, similar or plausible responses would automatically deem a concept non-patentable (and accepted responders would receive payment; I'd gladly see my tax dollars working to prevent BS patents). Such responses would be publicly available and voted upon to prevent some crony in the office rubber-stamping patents. If there are no responses, then no patent is granted.
# It's free and always will be # It will never pester them about activation or similar BS # They will rarely, if ever, need to worry about malware
And be willing to:
# Install a bunch of software for them (don't just give them the out-of-the-box installation and expect them to take care of things) # Configure it for minimal distraction (as few sudo prompts as possible) and maximum usability (rename "Package Manager" to "App Store", etc.) # Image the drive once you're done your initial configuration. If you can find something to automatically backup their files and image the / partition on a nightly schedule, even better. # Explain that there's nothing they can click or type that can't be fixed. People worry too much that clicking the wrong thing will set the computer on fire. # Be their front-line support for a while (enable remote desktop, install openssh so you have remote shell access)
As for what distro, probably Ubuntu (without Unity) or Kubuntu (the K menu should give some similarity to the start menu)
I recently removed Windows XP Home from my mom's netbook and installed Ubuntu (before Unity ruined it)... she loves it. Although, it helps that her particular netbook ran unusably slow on XP and runs acceptably quick with Ubuntu.
As long as it does web surfing, email and Skype with video, she's happy.
I bought and received mine from RS Online a little while ago (shipped to Canada). Great little toy.
I first tried the basic recommended distro (I think it was Debian Squeeze). Little bit of fuss, but it didn't take much to get up and running with X and basically having a full-fledged desktop computer. A whole lot less hassle than your typical barebones Linux install.
Then I made a modest goal of getting it up and running as a web server. I don't think it took me more than a couple hours from start to finish, including research and everything. Swapped in a different SD card, installed arch Linux and set it up with LAMP. It was a little slow with PHP, but that was probably down to my own code needing optimizing more than anything else.
Now, I have it set up with OpenELEC, attached to the big screen TV downstairs, a spare keyboard mouse and a 2.1 speaker set. I just used the charging cable from a Kindle and one of many USB power adapters I have a lying around. I've played a few HD movies on it and it's been flawless! Once I can get the wiring setup in the house, I'll hook up the Ethernet, too (I think I've read that OpenELEC can do Netflix... if not then, oh well, at least there'll no more sneakerneting with a USB stick)
I think what I love about it most is how easy and painless it is to recover or change the operating system -- just swap in a different SD card; takes two seconds!
I'm glad to see that I can now buy some more Pi's. I'll probably get one to use as a NAS, one as a has a web server, another one to attach a webcam for home security... and who knows what else? For only a couple of 20's a piece, why the heck not?
All in all, much more than I could've hoped to expect for 35 bucks!
What about smartphones on which you can switch the GPS receiver off? I don't know if this is possible on iOS (wouldn't surprise me if it's not), but my Android phone can switch it off at my discretion.
This maybe the smartest move microsoft made in the last 15 years
...for Microsoft, perhaps. But, for everyone else, it's quite possibly one of the worst.
What made Microsoft so successful was its willingness to accept hardware clones. Apple would have no part in it, which is why they're a distant 2nd with their suffocating monoculture of devices. Now that Microsoft has a solid hold on the market, they probably think it's at their mercy (and they may be right)
Hopefully, the future of desktop computing is unstymied, either by Microsoft's continued acceptance of third parties or by someone finally figuring out how to position Linux into the desktop market.
Can anyone cite a technological reason why unlimited data should cost any more than the $30 or $40 per month that normal broadband does? Is the infrastructure really that bad or telcos really that greedy?
I have a pair of Klipsch in-ear phones. They're reasonably comfortable (and I *hate* earbuds), have decent sound quality with adequate bass response and isolate very well.
They include three sizes of ear pieces if you're still worried about comfort. The set also comes with a handy little pouch. They're so portable, I have them in a pocket at all times.
They cost me $25 on Amazon and the set closer to your $50 budget probably sounds even better. That said, I'm no hardcore audiophile, but actually *like* music...;)
Exactly right. Ad-supported programs only encourage me to search for alternatives that don't insult and annoy me. Especially annoying are the unskippable (or delayed-skip) video ads that appear before program startup or between program actions (ie.: Words with Friends, MixZing).
Listen up mobile software writers: the way to entice people to buy your software is to release a limited version for free and a full-featured version for sale with additional, useful features. But don't omit so many features that will cripple the free version into uselessness, that will only cause users to lose confidence in your software (ie.: if I buy the program, how can I be sure that these features work properly?)
It's called "the first taste is free" and it's one of the oldest tricks in marketing.
For example, I downloaded an volume levels program (I refuse to use the word "app" since Apple has doucherized the term) called AudioGuru which can set the various volume levels on the phone differently according to the time of day. The free version that I use has only a single daily schedule, the paid version can schedule varyingly according to the day of the week.
See? It's still useful, not annoying, but the additional features would make it more useful and convenient. I will try it for a little while and I may find that I forget to set the volume on days where the schedule would change.
Select the features you'll omit by balancing users' money with their time and convenience, not by annoying them (hint: ads are annoying).
There you go, developers, you can have this tip for free. Now, please stop pissing us off with your ad BS.
I'm getting really tired of hearing that $technology or $application_of_technology may be "useful to criminals".
In a supposedly free country (yeah, I know, who am I kidding?), shouldn't we always err on the side of liberty instead of trying to "pre-regulate" criminal activity?
We need a "Refreshing" moderation option for that post.
I started school in the early 90's and finished in the mid 00's, so I was right in the transition between what that chain letter describes and this modern coddle-culture.
I specifically remember doing exactly the same chemistry experiment (separating water into O and H with a burner) and it was COOL. That was in grade 6 and I still remember it very fondly.
By high school (early 00's), the most vaguely interesting thing I remember doing was building a bridge out of popsicle sticks in physics class. Helps teach some fundamentals of architecture, I suppose, but definitely lacks the "cool" factor.
I think the only reason I bacame interested in computers is because it was the only educational thing I could do that was actually hands-on and experimental. It's pretty pathetic to realize that the only thing in school that taught me the vast majority of real-life work experience was what I did *on my own time*. And to think that I was constantly scolded for spending too much time at it. Amazing.
The only reason that many kids dislike school is because it is made to be boring. Fun experiments shouldn't be an occasional treat, they should be the norm.
No, seriously. We really need to have two separate versions of Firefox. The current one which gets a new version every other day can be for morons who see "ZOMG BIGGAR NUMBAR MUZT BEE BETTAR!!!!!" (seriously, there are *tech writers* who think that Chrome is better because it has a higher version number. These idiots should be hanged with a power cable)
Then they can go back to about version 3.something for non-idiots who want a powerful, unbloated web browser that doesn't have stupid HTML-esque UI elements (ie. the add-ons manager) for things that should be native OS UI and doesn't constantly peg the CPU at 70-some percent, causing the cooling fan to constantly run. They can also continue to subversion it property, so it should actually be in the low 4's at this point.
You know what used to make Firefox great? It wasn't Chrome.
This is one of the many reasons I refuse to participate in the mass cultural delusion that is Facebook. Automatically assuming permission to use my photography just for using the service is an obscenely unfair deal.
Of course, I have to presume that any photos I provide to family members will be posted, so I watermark anything I give to them. If they complain, I tell them, sorry, it's not my fault. Stop trading your privacy for some crappy communication service and I won't need to plaster my watermark all over the photos.
Thanks for the reminder about this rip-off clause in the ToS, I need to beef up my watermarking to cover the entire image instead of just a logo in the corner.
The only reason Skype has a zero-score is because the EFF's criteria is inadequate. They're all contingent on these companies actually storing and using your data, neither of which Skype does. Skype actually takes it a step further and encrypts all communication. As far as I'm aware, Skype never sees your data, it's just a pipe.
Skype is ahead of all of these companies, as far as I'm concerned.
In what other industry is the creator or seller of a product allowed to tell you how you can and cannot use the product and charge you extra at a whim because of some imaginary perceived value?
Ford cannot charge you extra for carrying passengers in your car. Stihl cannot charge you per tree you cut down with your chainsaw. Microsoft cannot charge you for each piece of software you install on Windows. Nikon cannot charge you for each picture you take with your camera.
The examples are endless. I cannot think of any other industry that actually expects to create one product and have it carry them for life without updating it, adding to it, improving upon it and replacing it with a newer product.
Copyright needs to end so we can weed out these useless culture saps, leaving only those willing to actually work for a living. Art and culture will be better off for it.
I am exactly the same way. Any time I try to listen to music while I work, I constantly find myself having to pause it to concentrate. My mind wants to enjoy and analyze the music.
I can sometimes listen to classical instrumental while I work, but only very quietly and deliberately in the background.
Slashdot Mirror
Eat sandwiches.
Do you eat sandwiches? You must be a mass murderer.
#1. Completely gut the patent system, invalidate all existing patents and abide by a this rule: any concept deemed worthy of a patent needs to be burdened with revolution, detailed and complex, all-encapsulating and original; something that is simply unheard of. Adding a feature to an existing technology doesn't count. It must be type of idea which, in its time, seems inconceivable and astonishing (for example, the telephone ... who, at the time, *didn't* think it was completely impossible and ridiculous to have a real-time conversation with someone across town, across the country or across the world without physically being in their presence?)
#2. Publicly fund the patent office. No more bribe funding (which is what it really is)
#3. Get rid of prior art and replace it with something better: an RFP to the public. Any reasonable, similar or plausible responses would automatically deem a concept non-patentable (and accepted responders would receive payment; I'd gladly see my tax dollars working to prevent BS patents). Such responses would be publicly available and voted upon to prevent some crony in the office rubber-stamping patents. If there are no responses, then no patent is granted.
Backup
Explain to them why it's better:
# It's free and always will be
# It will never pester them about activation or similar BS
# They will rarely, if ever, need to worry about malware
And be willing to:
# Install a bunch of software for them (don't just give them the out-of-the-box installation and expect them to take care of things)
# Configure it for minimal distraction (as few sudo prompts as possible) and maximum usability (rename "Package Manager" to "App Store", etc.)
# Image the drive once you're done your initial configuration. If you can find something to automatically backup their files and image the / partition on a nightly schedule, even better.
# Explain that there's nothing they can click or type that can't be fixed. People worry too much that clicking the wrong thing will set the computer on fire.
# Be their front-line support for a while (enable remote desktop, install openssh so you have remote shell access)
As for what distro, probably Ubuntu (without Unity) or Kubuntu (the K menu should give some similarity to the start menu)
I recently removed Windows XP Home from my mom's netbook and installed Ubuntu (before Unity ruined it) ... she loves it. Although, it helps that her particular netbook ran unusably slow on XP and runs acceptably quick with Ubuntu.
As long as it does web surfing, email and Skype with video, she's happy.
Dang it, sorry about the text wall; that was supposed to be plain text, not HTML.
I bought and received mine from RS Online a little while ago (shipped to Canada). Great little toy. I first tried the basic recommended distro (I think it was Debian Squeeze). Little bit of fuss, but it didn't take much to get up and running with X and basically having a full-fledged desktop computer. A whole lot less hassle than your typical barebones Linux install. Then I made a modest goal of getting it up and running as a web server. I don't think it took me more than a couple hours from start to finish, including research and everything. Swapped in a different SD card, installed arch Linux and set it up with LAMP. It was a little slow with PHP, but that was probably down to my own code needing optimizing more than anything else. Now, I have it set up with OpenELEC, attached to the big screen TV downstairs, a spare keyboard mouse and a 2.1 speaker set. I just used the charging cable from a Kindle and one of many USB power adapters I have a lying around. I've played a few HD movies on it and it's been flawless! Once I can get the wiring setup in the house, I'll hook up the Ethernet, too (I think I've read that OpenELEC can do Netflix ... if not then, oh well, at least there'll no more sneakerneting with a USB stick)
I think what I love about it most is how easy and painless it is to recover or change the operating system -- just swap in a different SD card; takes two seconds!
I'm glad to see that I can now buy some more Pi's. I'll probably get one to use as a NAS, one as a has a web server, another one to attach a webcam for home security ... and who knows what else? For only a couple of 20's a piece, why the heck not?
All in all, much more than I could've hoped to expect for 35 bucks!
What about smartphones on which you can switch the GPS receiver off? I don't know if this is possible on iOS (wouldn't surprise me if it's not), but my Android phone can switch it off at my discretion.
Or is this a placebo button?
Don't.
What made Microsoft so successful was its willingness to accept hardware clones. Apple would have no part in it, which is why they're a distant 2nd with their suffocating monoculture of devices. Now that Microsoft has a solid hold on the market, they probably think it's at their mercy (and they may be right)
Hopefully, the future of desktop computing is unstymied, either by Microsoft's continued acceptance of third parties or by someone finally figuring out how to position Linux into the desktop market.
Think you have it bad in the States? Canadian providers are even worse (and our coverage sucks). Check it out. $51.20/mb. PER MEGABYTE
Can anyone cite a technological reason why unlimited data should cost any more than the $30 or $40 per month that normal broadband does? Is the infrastructure really that bad or telcos really that greedy?
I have a pair of Klipsch in-ear phones. They're reasonably comfortable (and I *hate* earbuds), have decent sound quality with adequate bass response and isolate very well.
They include three sizes of ear pieces if you're still worried about comfort. The set also comes with a handy little pouch. They're so portable, I have them in a pocket at all times.
They cost me $25 on Amazon and the set closer to your $50 budget probably sounds even better. That said, I'm no hardcore audiophile, but actually *like* music... ;)
Slashdotters!
Exactly right. Ad-supported programs only encourage me to search for alternatives that don't insult and annoy me. Especially annoying are the unskippable (or delayed-skip) video ads that appear before program startup or between program actions (ie.: Words with Friends, MixZing).
Listen up mobile software writers: the way to entice people to buy your software is to release a limited version for free and a full-featured version for sale with additional, useful features. But don't omit so many features that will cripple the free version into uselessness, that will only cause users to lose confidence in your software (ie.: if I buy the program, how can I be sure that these features work properly?)
It's called "the first taste is free" and it's one of the oldest tricks in marketing.
For example, I downloaded an volume levels program (I refuse to use the word "app" since Apple has doucherized the term) called AudioGuru which can set the various volume levels on the phone differently according to the time of day. The free version that I use has only a single daily schedule, the paid version can schedule varyingly according to the day of the week.
See? It's still useful, not annoying, but the additional features would make it more useful and convenient. I will try it for a little while and I may find that I forget to set the volume on days where the schedule would change.
Select the features you'll omit by balancing users' money with their time and convenience, not by annoying them (hint: ads are annoying).
There you go, developers, you can have this tip for free. Now, please stop pissing us off with your ad BS.
I'm getting really tired of hearing that $technology or $application_of_technology may be "useful to criminals".
In a supposedly free country (yeah, I know, who am I kidding?), shouldn't we always err on the side of liberty instead of trying to "pre-regulate" criminal activity?
I'm making the humanitarian sacrifice and choosing not to mate... yeah, choosing, that's it.
Dude... too creepy.
We need a "Refreshing" moderation option for that post.
I started school in the early 90's and finished in the mid 00's, so I was right in the transition between what that chain letter describes and this modern coddle-culture.
I specifically remember doing exactly the same chemistry experiment (separating water into O and H with a burner) and it was COOL. That was in grade 6 and I still remember it very fondly.
By high school (early 00's), the most vaguely interesting thing I remember doing was building a bridge out of popsicle sticks in physics class. Helps teach some fundamentals of architecture, I suppose, but definitely lacks the "cool" factor.
I think the only reason I bacame interested in computers is because it was the only educational thing I could do that was actually hands-on and experimental. It's pretty pathetic to realize that the only thing in school that taught me the vast majority of real-life work experience was what I did *on my own time*. And to think that I was constantly scolded for spending too much time at it. Amazing.
The only reason that many kids dislike school is because it is made to be boring. Fun experiments shouldn't be an occasional treat, they should be the norm.
No, seriously. We really need to have two separate versions of Firefox. The current one which gets a new version every other day can be for morons who see "ZOMG BIGGAR NUMBAR MUZT BEE BETTAR!!!!!" (seriously, there are *tech writers* who think that Chrome is better because it has a higher version number. These idiots should be hanged with a power cable)
Then they can go back to about version 3.something for non-idiots who want a powerful, unbloated web browser that doesn't have stupid HTML-esque UI elements (ie. the add-ons manager) for things that should be native OS UI and doesn't constantly peg the CPU at 70-some percent, causing the cooling fan to constantly run. They can also continue to subversion it property, so it should actually be in the low 4's at this point.
You know what used to make Firefox great? It wasn't Chrome.
This is one of the many reasons I refuse to participate in the mass cultural delusion that is Facebook. Automatically assuming permission to use my photography just for using the service is an obscenely unfair deal.
Of course, I have to presume that any photos I provide to family members will be posted, so I watermark anything I give to them. If they complain, I tell them, sorry, it's not my fault. Stop trading your privacy for some crappy communication service and I won't need to plaster my watermark all over the photos.
Thanks for the reminder about this rip-off clause in the ToS, I need to beef up my watermarking to cover the entire image instead of just a logo in the corner.
The only reason Skype has a zero-score is because the EFF's criteria is inadequate. They're all contingent on these companies actually storing and using your data, neither of which Skype does. Skype actually takes it a step further and encrypts all communication. As far as I'm aware, Skype never sees your data, it's just a pipe.
Skype is ahead of all of these companies, as far as I'm concerned.
What a childish and arrogant attitude of entitlement.
I don't get this.
In what other industry is the creator or seller of a product allowed to tell you how you can and cannot use the product and charge you extra at a whim because of some imaginary perceived value?
Ford cannot charge you extra for carrying passengers in your car. Stihl cannot charge you per tree you cut down with your chainsaw. Microsoft cannot charge you for each piece of software you install on Windows. Nikon cannot charge you for each picture you take with your camera.
The examples are endless. I cannot think of any other industry that actually expects to create one product and have it carry them for life without updating it, adding to it, improving upon it and replacing it with a newer product.
Copyright needs to end so we can weed out these useless culture saps, leaving only those willing to actually work for a living. Art and culture will be better off for it.
There will always be idiots asking you, "durrr how do i computer?", no matter where applications and data are stored.
I am exactly the same way. Any time I try to listen to music while I work, I constantly find myself having to pause it to concentrate. My mind wants to enjoy and analyze the music.
I can sometimes listen to classical instrumental while I work, but only very quietly and deliberately in the background.