With some luck Vista will block the current spyware, but it's only a matter of time until someone finds their way around it again. It's still Microsoft, for God's sake, when have they managed to secure something for the last time? And once there is spyware leaking through, the anti-spyware companies come in again because you can hardly rely on MS to handle it in a timely fashion, given their track record.
Make something foolproof, and someone will make better idiots. Make something spyware-proof, and someone will program better spyware.
As long as the price stays like it is, I don't see much chance for this becoming popular at all. Why get a relatively easily destroyed or damaged storage medium when you can just as well back up on a hard disk for much less money?
Get the price down, then we can talk. But that's going to take two or three years, and who knows what flash storage size is possible by that time.
And it would certainly show off the visual advantages. Nothing like widescreen images of desert, sky, and flirry air to prove that HD-DVD might actually be worth it.
And the people who are willing to sit through four hours of Peter O'Toole crossing various deserts on various means of transport might also be the ones who have the money to spend it on a new system when it's not certain yet whether it's here to stay.
Actually, including Phantom of the Opera makes sense. I'm more puzzled about Million Dollar Baby.
They have The Last Samurai for the widescreen epic battle scenes to show off the quality of the format in this kind of movie. Phantom (or any kind of musical, Chicago or Moulin Rouge would have served just as well - Phantom is simply newer) is there to demonstrate the sound qualities. It's as close to opera as you can get while still being accessible for a "normal" audience. Plus, it's geared at the female half of the market. Musical fans can be as obsessed as Star Wars fans, and Phantom is one of the most popular musicals around.
Million Dollar Baby is unexpected because it doesn't actually do anything for the format. I'd have expected a movie that shows off special effects. Like Matrix or Star Wars, as others have already said. Something with big explosions and preferably space ships.
Not to mention spending that money on something much more flashy and visible. Computer security is boring, after all, and the average citizen won't appreciate the importance of it.
Upper-level management is supposed to map out strategies and at the same time be able to listen to the middle management where the operational issues are concerned. In an ideal world, that would actually happen. As it is, they lose sight of the small but necessary issues and then wonder why their beautiful plans start to crumble.
I wish I could say I'm surprised, but, honestly? Not so much. It just fits in with the overall record.
What I'd really like to know is how much money goes into system security. Most likely an amount that should turn their system into something that puts Fort Knox to shame.
I already got up today at 7 just to be at university at 8, only to find out there that the prof had rescheduled the class for tomorrow, same time.
If there were such a thing as calendar subscriptions, I'd still have gotten up at 7, but at 7:03 I'd have been back in bed, after checking my calendar had told me that the class won't take place.
Evolution happens when those too weak/unable to adapt to their surroundings don't get to breed, so only the successful genes survive. Straightforward, and of course we aren't going to stop evolving just because Darwin was wrong and God is bored with the game after a few thousand years.
Now I know this is a short-term perspective, but who knows how long this will go on - look at women these days (and for the last century). If women want to work and have a career, then they'd do well to be smart enough not to have children. So essentially, modern society removes a good deal of good genes from the gene pool. Female academics have much fewer children, they're pickier about who they marry/have those children with. And there's very little sign that this is going to ease up anytime soon It's much easier for you guys - when you're an academic and successful, picking up a woman isn't that hard, so you'll get to pass on your genes. Just watch out you don't have daughters, because if they inherit your intelligence, your genes may be in a dead end there.
I think this is an excellent opportunity for an upcoming musician/band. It gets you some publicity, people can check you out, and maybe they'll remember your name once you actually play in a club somewhere. Perhaps you could even sell your music this way - and you'd cut out the middle man and actually get more than the measly 16cents or so. It's going to be word-of-mouth, but that works often enough.
So you're screwed when you show financial responsibility because it puts you on one of Homeland Security's black lists, and screwed if you don't because you a) lose money on the interest you pay and b) you get worse conditions on your credit card.
I can't help admiring the system.
Slashdot Mirror
With some luck Vista will block the current spyware, but it's only a matter of time until someone finds their way around it again. It's still Microsoft, for God's sake, when have they managed to secure something for the last time? And once there is spyware leaking through, the anti-spyware companies come in again because you can hardly rely on MS to handle it in a timely fashion, given their track record.
Make something foolproof, and someone will make better idiots. Make something spyware-proof, and someone will program better spyware.
As long as the price stays like it is, I don't see much chance for this becoming popular at all. Why get a relatively easily destroyed or damaged storage medium when you can just as well back up on a hard disk for much less money?
Get the price down, then we can talk. But that's going to take two or three years, and who knows what flash storage size is possible by that time.
And it would certainly show off the visual advantages. Nothing like widescreen images of desert, sky, and flirry air to prove that HD-DVD might actually be worth it. And the people who are willing to sit through four hours of Peter O'Toole crossing various deserts on various means of transport might also be the ones who have the money to spend it on a new system when it's not certain yet whether it's here to stay.
Actually, including Phantom of the Opera makes sense. I'm more puzzled about Million Dollar Baby.
They have The Last Samurai for the widescreen epic battle scenes to show off the quality of the format in this kind of movie. Phantom (or any kind of musical, Chicago or Moulin Rouge would have served just as well - Phantom is simply newer) is there to demonstrate the sound qualities. It's as close to opera as you can get while still being accessible for a "normal" audience. Plus, it's geared at the female half of the market. Musical fans can be as obsessed as Star Wars fans, and Phantom is one of the most popular musicals around.
Million Dollar Baby is unexpected because it doesn't actually do anything for the format. I'd have expected a movie that shows off special effects. Like Matrix or Star Wars, as others have already said. Something with big explosions and preferably space ships.
Not to mention spending that money on something much more flashy and visible. Computer security is boring, after all, and the average citizen won't appreciate the importance of it.
Upper-level management is supposed to map out strategies and at the same time be able to listen to the middle management where the operational issues are concerned. In an ideal world, that would actually happen. As it is, they lose sight of the small but necessary issues and then wonder why their beautiful plans start to crumble.
I wish I could say I'm surprised, but, honestly? Not so much. It just fits in with the overall record.
What I'd really like to know is how much money goes into system security. Most likely an amount that should turn their system into something that puts Fort Knox to shame.
Oh yes. Please. Now.
I already got up today at 7 just to be at university at 8, only to find out there that the prof had rescheduled the class for tomorrow, same time.
If there were such a thing as calendar subscriptions, I'd still have gotten up at 7, but at 7:03 I'd have been back in bed, after checking my calendar had told me that the class won't take place.
Evolution happens when those too weak/unable to adapt to their surroundings don't get to breed, so only the successful genes survive. Straightforward, and of course we aren't going to stop evolving just because Darwin was wrong and God is bored with the game after a few thousand years.
Now I know this is a short-term perspective, but who knows how long this will go on - look at women these days (and for the last century). If women want to work and have a career, then they'd do well to be smart enough not to have children. So essentially, modern society removes a good deal of good genes from the gene pool. Female academics have much fewer children, they're pickier about who they marry/have those children with. And there's very little sign that this is going to ease up anytime soon It's much easier for you guys - when you're an academic and successful, picking up a woman isn't that hard, so you'll get to pass on your genes. Just watch out you don't have daughters, because if they inherit your intelligence, your genes may be in a dead end there.
I think this is an excellent opportunity for an upcoming musician/band. It gets you some publicity, people can check you out, and maybe they'll remember your name once you actually play in a club somewhere. Perhaps you could even sell your music this way - and you'd cut out the middle man and actually get more than the measly 16cents or so. It's going to be word-of-mouth, but that works often enough.
So you're screwed when you show financial responsibility because it puts you on one of Homeland Security's black lists, and screwed if you don't because you a) lose money on the interest you pay and b) you get worse conditions on your credit card. I can't help admiring the system.