Most real servers (not the off-the-rack, PC in a box called a server stuff) can easily, on their own (with no UPS), handle a 10,000 volt spike (of course, most still require a UPS to handle power outages greater than a few seconds...).
Or perhaps I am too used to using IBM servers instead of some fast PC workstation being called a server because it has some server-like components in it (like SCSI).
Microsoft is used to the "fact" that if they "screw up" how something gets done, or decide it needs to be done differently, then the hardware manufacturers will change their products to support Microsofts new "technologies"
While your statement makes sense on a logical front, keep in mind, MS's methods in this respect have worked - and continue to - as is evidenced by the revisions SanDisk (and potentially others) are already planning to get around Vista's shortcomings.
Sadly, as long as Windows is the defacto OS installed on PCs, this will continue. It's one big nasty circle. MS will continue to leverage their dominance in that area to "force" hw manufacturers to make sure their stuff works on Windows.
The question is how to break that circle. Linux, MacOSX, eComStation and all of the other PC OS's out there combined do not yet have sufficient marketshare to help break that circle.
Sadly, here's the other issue... as long as MS can continue to leverage their install base as a method of forcing hardware manufacturers to design stuff with special features and implementations, it makes it harder for OS and driver programmers (on other platforms) to even stay in the game (or they are stuck using only a subset of what a system is capable of). For instance, the plethora of hardware based acceleration in video cards that were designed with MS and DX10/9/etc in mind... that (for instance) the Linux community struggles to make comparable drivers for.
In some cases (like drivers) the situation isnt [b]as bad[/b] as some manufacturers are releasing the needed specs... but it isnt all at this point, and MS is still pushing for hardware changes and implementations that will effectively lock out other OS's.
Time will tell... but sadly, logic wont. What has been happening isnt logical - your quite correct surmise aside.
You forget that some of the largest server installs were banks and the insurance industry, where IBM had a virtual stranglehold. Their numbers easily exceeded the rest combined.
You are indeed correct - but there was more to it than that. Keep in mind that at the time they put Win2K into the planning stages, OS/2 had the server market (due to all the vertical market businesses that IBM catered to). MS needed something that competed, and was decent.
Of course, the other added factor was continually breaking and changing networking implementations and such to ensure that since "your" workstations (mostly) ran Windows, the server had to as well.
Before that, you could manage a Windows domain from OS/2 simply by drag-n-drop. Since MS couldnt beat that (and still doesnt have anything remotely close), they had to make another release (both for competitive reasons and to break compatibility with LanMan).
The key thing (competition) is what died in those areas... fortunately in the browser market, MS can no longer leverage their monopoly to create a similar situation, leaving everyone having to either play catch-up to stay in the game or fighting to stay ahead. We all benefit...
I have a feeling, that unless this new technology makes grossly inefficient use of power compared to "regular" LEDs, then the 10% figure is based off comparison to flourescents.
That statement is based off the power requirements of current LED lighting offerings compared to CFLs of the same "apparent wattage"
Unfortunately, I couldnt find anything in the article that indicated whether the new technique was more or less efficient - or the same - as the available LED offerings. Without knowing that, it's just speculation.
Of course, there are other advantages, such as the long life. As it is, more and more businesses are looking into LED lighting for just that reason... install once, virtually never replace. They are also ideal in situations where bulbs are hard (and thus costly) to replace like high overhead fixtures.
optical connections are the nerves between your eyes and your brains. if you disable them you wont be able to watch the videos let alone your girlfriend!
Girlfriend? Who on Slashdot has one of those? C'mon! You must not visit here often!!!
Yeah, but that was my point... with so much core crap tied into Windows kernel and DX and sound and explorer... it's not a very safe mode at all - since such a scheme would leave all the drivers and workarounds and apps that protect the machine in non-running states.
...and that would leave as many resources as possible... but for whatever infected the machine - not for the game itself.
Agreed... what I also was trying to point out is that all that money (in R&D - and in the cost of fuel injectors and the rest of the stuff that goes with it) could possibly have spent on something that raised the efficiency even more than FI compared to carburator.
I just think it kinda neat that car and oil companies make such claims about all the money they spend to "improve" things - all while overlooking better alternatives to doing so.
If you actually RTFA (before it was slashdotted), kernel modularization was one of the points, as was some sort of "safe mode for games".
Which was a silly, irrelevant suggestion - unless all of Windows gets re-written. Too many games require the Internet (ooops... there goes the "safe mode for games"). Enabling safe mode (for games) with networking pretty much disables the "safe" portion of that equation - unless it goes back to running everything so that firewall, AV, AS and AM protection is runnable.
My 1988 Hyundai was carburated and got 35-40MPG on the highway (oddly it was rated at less... 33mpg - but I did a lot of long distance trips, which probably makes a difference. My newer car gets 22-25mpg highway on short to medium distance driving, and 30mpg highway when I am doing 200+ mile trips). Carburetors were never the major issue in fuel economy.
While a small engine, with low horsepower, today's similar sized engines that produce similar horsepower are no longer carburated and yet dont get any better gas mileage.
Furthermore, IBM is a bad company to throw into that mix. The ComputerWorld article skews their research contribution to the world greatly by focusing on a paltry $400 million worth of their research projects (IBM invests BILLIONS a year on R&D - in very diverse fields, including medical; which have resulted in numerous advances in things that are not computer related in the normal sense). IBM's research covers far more diverse areas than Microsoft, HP and Yahoo combined... and they thus apply for and win more patents than any of the other companies 15 years in a row so far....
Looking into the list (assuming you find it and have the time to read it) provides a startling insite to just how many areas they innovate in (and how many technologies are beholden to either their research and findings, or beholden to them for improving on someone else's research).
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS118240+14-Jan-2008+PRN20080114
("This year (2007), IBM Corp. continues to maintain the top slot, as it has for the previous 14 years" (14+1=15))
And the list of them can be obtained on IBM's (or others') Patent Server... there doesnt seem to be any area they dont try to innovate in.
As noted, their (all of them) research is indispensable... and yes, they should be applauded... but it is still also about money. Licensing (or selling) these patents brings in a lot of money.
Either way, the benefit usually gets to the consumer in one fashion or another.
You need to weigh more than just telecom immunity when considering this vote. I'm not saying he made the right vote
Perhaps the 4th Amendment?
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
The what? I don't understand what you are trying to say... The 4th what of what?
It sounds vaguely familiar, but I can't place it. And for whatever reason, it reminds me of buying gasoline at under a dollar a gallon - which I also know could never have existed or happened...
I have a feeling the document you are referring to got burned up in the Pentagon crash on 9/11, because nowadays, very few people seem to remember it ever even existed - and fewer understand what it means - and even fewer understand it's importance.
People already have... there's a guy online who is using it for low-voltage house lighting... and with the advent of high power LEDs, and a little soldering know-how, it should be very easy to improve on his ideas and be able to provide more lighting using the same amount of power he is.
Sorry I dont have the link handy... but a Google search will probably work - unless Verizon or whoever has already gotten the info removed.
The beauty is, (as long as it is still physically connected at the house and at the telco end), a "dead" landline works just as well for providing such power.
"Land lines are great-- for about $16.95 which is what I pay for one."
That's impressive... for two lines here on Long Island, we were paying $122/month - cheapest we could find. (You dont even wanna know what Verizon cost). No special features, no weird long-distance packages... just phone, caller-ID, call-waiting, etc... the standard package.
We've since (very recently) switched to VOIP over cable as our combined cable, Internet and two phone lines cost the same as two land lines. And of course we get a bunch more features, as well as included long-distance at no extra charge.
Many new CableModem installs are done with cable modems that come with battery backup built in (like various Scientific Atlanta units)- which prevents the loss of phone service if power goes out. For those without a model that comes with battery backup, a UPS also works wonders (and at their current cheap price, everyone should have one anyway - they are barely more than a good quality surge suppressor).
In addition, most people use cordless or wall outlet powered phones...
SO, unless they have the foresight to plug the base into a UPS, it really doesnt matter if they have self-powered land lines or not. I rarely (cannot remember the last time) have seen any of my friends or customers who actually has a phone that runs entirely off the land line. All the ones I have seen in recent years, corded or cordless, all need to be plugged into a wall outlet to support (basic phone use and) the various added functions (such as the voicemail system, wireless to handset functions, etc).
Regardless, VOIP (especially through cable) is easy to maintain during power outages if properly planned. Most power outages are short enough (in time duration) that it will not exhaust a decently planned battery backup setup. And most longer outages also effect normal landlines as well (ie: a pole coming down during a bad storm... takes out the landlines as well).
If the site becomes popular enough , it gives exposure to the artists.
There, that was not so hard to figure out.
Bingo!
And folks, it does (potentially) far more than that - it proves that the RIAA is out of their mind when they claim that P2P software is only for illegal sharing. It proves that software, like any other tool, is not necessarily good or bad - how it is used determines that.
If this site makes it and becomes popular, it is perfect proof that the laws that the **AA are lobbying for are really for getting/keeping control over online media - and not about piracy.
Of course, the **AA's next step will be trying to pass a law ensuring that royalties and profits for these types of services go to one of their organizations (like SoundExchange) for them to control funds distribution (ie: the **AA keeps the money - just like the recent Internet Radio bullshit that passed).
But, that's a few more miles down the road - first, this site (and similar sites) must prove that BitTorrent can be and is being used for legal purposes to help prevent the **AA (and others') attempts at laws making P2P software illegal.
Oddly, someone above posted about the upcoming "accidental" attack on this service by the **AA - and was modded OffTopic... dunno why. I surely wouldnt doubt that such a thing will occur, and I definitely find it on-topic to a discussion about LegalTorrent offering legal BitTorrent downloads - as such a situation would potentially cause two issues directly related (assuming the **AA find open servers)... (1) LegalTorrent would be "offering" illegal torrents, and/or (2) LegalTorrent wouldnt be offering anything once the **AA's server farm pummelled them into nothingness - just like they did to Revision3).
If I am reading that right, it means it very likely (if the magistrate judge follows the law) that the RIAA and their current cohorts will never be allowed to carry out any form of investigation in NC.
Sadly, that requires a court order - which would require a police department (and DA) who understands the matter well enough to initiate such proceedings. (it is interesting that when "big money" is involved - such as in RIAA proceedings - suddenly everyone involved on the enforcement side becomes far more knowledgable).
On that note, you may wish to see if your local PD has a dedicated "Internet Crimes Division" - you may just be talking to the wrong people in your local PD. Failing that, try contacting the state police (who should have such a division), explaining to them that your local PD is not equipped or sufficiently knowledgable to assist you.
Failing that (and this one is a remote one), if it was purchased with a credit card that has loss/theft coverage, contact your credit card company and explain both the situation and the information you have to assist them in tracking the laptop...
Very valid points... in addition, I'd love to know what the real dialup vs broadband statistics are.
What I do know is a site I help manage (http://www.startreknewvoyages.com/) shows that in the last year, out of 1,147,097 visits (559,135 unique visitors), only 3.92% (based off visits) use dialup (44,943 users).
I'd love to see other sites' statistics on the matter... ours is probably not representative as I would guess that Star Trek TOS fans are more tech saavy and have broadband if and when possible.
Many people who just check their email, read a forum or IM probably dont need broadband - which I am sure accounts for the non-adopters (while the rest are probably the people who want it but just cant get it).
...This isn't a problem for incompressible fluids such as water....
Water does indeed compress... perhaps not easily, but it does. Search Google... I'm too bored to do so.
Or ignore that statement... for all intensive purposes (due to the difficulty in compressing water), your point is otherwise valid (and I am just being nitpicky).;-)
Batteries (as another poster mentioned) are extremely efficient. Li-ion, for example, ranges from 95%-99.9% depending on the variety and the rate of charge. The problem is not the efficiency of batteries but their cost. One hope is that flow batteries may improve the situation.
Li-ion have great theoretical efficiencies... but that is all. They dont heat up so much during charging or discharging because of efficiency. And of course, needing to replace them after so many cycles isnt efficient either (and is very costly for situations such as this that would require a lot of battery).
You do have a valid point though - except I think it would be more valid if it discussed such things as the relatively new "supercapacitors as batteries" concepts.
Yes, I would... considering it is August 5th - not the 1st.
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.php
;-)
But seriously, if this study was really either accurate and/or relevant, I can guarantee you that Dell would NOT be selling insurance covering loss... they would lose too much money - which does make one wonder about the motives behind the study.
Though honestly, I am not sure how one would leave a laptop on a plane... I for one know after lugging my carryon stuff onto a plane and remembering the headache and hassle of doing so (and finding a place to stow it), that I feel rather naked if I try to leave without being so burdened... but that's just me.
On a more relevant note, that's 624,000 laptops a year lost... yeah... I can believe that. Well, no, actually I cant... 1,200 tons of laptops a year? Really? If they say so... after all, it's on Slashdot - it must be true...;-)
You are correct... we are on the same page... but contrary to some people's beliefs...
Keep in mind, most computer users are not slashdot tech saavy readers... and in a store, much of the things you pointed out do not show in a casual observation... and most consumers wouldn't have a clue about the points you brought up - while a small subset of that would at least know "higher brightness is better... lower response is better... dunno what any of that means... but I know I need to look for a higher number in one, and a lower in the other..."
Slashdot Mirror
Most real servers (not the off-the-rack, PC in a box called a server stuff) can easily, on their own (with no UPS), handle a 10,000 volt spike (of course, most still require a UPS to handle power outages greater than a few seconds...).
Or perhaps I am too used to using IBM servers instead of some fast PC workstation being called a server because it has some server-like components in it (like SCSI).
Microsoft is used to the "fact" that if they "screw up" how something gets done, or decide it needs to be done differently, then the hardware manufacturers will change their products to support Microsofts new "technologies"
While your statement makes sense on a logical front, keep in mind, MS's methods in this respect have worked - and continue to - as is evidenced by the revisions SanDisk (and potentially others) are already planning to get around Vista's shortcomings.
Sadly, as long as Windows is the defacto OS installed on PCs, this will continue. It's one big nasty circle. MS will continue to leverage their dominance in that area to "force" hw manufacturers to make sure their stuff works on Windows.
The question is how to break that circle. Linux, MacOSX, eComStation and all of the other PC OS's out there combined do not yet have sufficient marketshare to help break that circle.
Sadly, here's the other issue... as long as MS can continue to leverage their install base as a method of forcing hardware manufacturers to design stuff with special features and implementations, it makes it harder for OS and driver programmers (on other platforms) to even stay in the game (or they are stuck using only a subset of what a system is capable of). For instance, the plethora of hardware based acceleration in video cards that were designed with MS and DX10/9/etc in mind... that (for instance) the Linux community struggles to make comparable drivers for.
In some cases (like drivers) the situation isnt [b]as bad[/b] as some manufacturers are releasing the needed specs... but it isnt all at this point, and MS is still pushing for hardware changes and implementations that will effectively lock out other OS's.
Time will tell... but sadly, logic wont. What has been happening isnt logical - your quite correct surmise aside.
You forget that some of the largest server installs were banks and the insurance industry, where IBM had a virtual stranglehold. Their numbers easily exceeded the rest combined.
"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."
Anger doesn't always lead to hate. Suppressed anger leads to hate. And that will either hurt you or someone else.
You can't just neglect your emotions , they are part of you too.
Ok , this has nothing to do the Iphone. Sorry about that.
Ummm... if Yoda says it does, then who the heck are you to dispute it?!?!?!?!
You are indeed correct - but there was more to it than that. Keep in mind that at the time they put Win2K into the planning stages, OS/2 had the server market (due to all the vertical market businesses that IBM catered to). MS needed something that competed, and was decent.
Of course, the other added factor was continually breaking and changing networking implementations and such to ensure that since "your" workstations (mostly) ran Windows, the server had to as well.
Before that, you could manage a Windows domain from OS/2 simply by drag-n-drop. Since MS couldnt beat that (and still doesnt have anything remotely close), they had to make another release (both for competitive reasons and to break compatibility with LanMan).
The key thing (competition) is what died in those areas... fortunately in the browser market, MS can no longer leverage their monopoly to create a similar situation, leaving everyone having to either play catch-up to stay in the game or fighting to stay ahead. We all benefit...
Any hatred is irrational, but Apple does seem quite opposed to Freedom these days, which is a strong reason not to support them.
Excuse me, what? What's irrational about hating someone who wants to put you in a "jail".. even metaphorically?
C'mon... you should know the answer to that question...
"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."
I have a feeling, that unless this new technology makes grossly inefficient use of power compared to "regular" LEDs, then the 10% figure is based off comparison to flourescents.
That statement is based off the power requirements of current LED lighting offerings compared to CFLs of the same "apparent wattage"
Unfortunately, I couldnt find anything in the article that indicated whether the new technique was more or less efficient - or the same - as the available LED offerings. Without knowing that, it's just speculation.
Of course, there are other advantages, such as the long life. As it is, more and more businesses are looking into LED lighting for just that reason... install once, virtually never replace. They are also ideal in situations where bulbs are hard (and thus costly) to replace like high overhead fixtures.
optical connections are the nerves between your eyes and your brains. if you disable them you wont be able to watch the videos let alone your girlfriend!
Girlfriend? Who on Slashdot has one of those? C'mon! You must not visit here often!!!
;-)
Yeah, but that was my point... with so much core crap tied into Windows kernel and DX and sound and explorer... it's not a very safe mode at all - since such a scheme would leave all the drivers and workarounds and apps that protect the machine in non-running states.
...and that would leave as many resources as possible... but for whatever infected the machine - not for the game itself.
;-)
Agreed... what I also was trying to point out is that all that money (in R&D - and in the cost of fuel injectors and the rest of the stuff that goes with it) could possibly have spent on something that raised the efficiency even more than FI compared to carburator.
I just think it kinda neat that car and oil companies make such claims about all the money they spend to "improve" things - all while overlooking better alternatives to doing so.
;-)
If you actually RTFA (before it was slashdotted), kernel modularization was one of the points, as was some sort of "safe mode for games".
Which was a silly, irrelevant suggestion - unless all of Windows gets re-written. Too many games require the Internet (ooops... there goes the "safe mode for games"). Enabling safe mode (for games) with networking pretty much disables the "safe" portion of that equation - unless it goes back to running everything so that firewall, AV, AS and AM protection is runnable.
But it is a nice wish...
My 1988 Hyundai was carburated and got 35-40MPG on the highway (oddly it was rated at less... 33mpg - but I did a lot of long distance trips, which probably makes a difference. My newer car gets 22-25mpg highway on short to medium distance driving, and 30mpg highway when I am doing 200+ mile trips). Carburetors were never the major issue in fuel economy.
While a small engine, with low horsepower, today's similar sized engines that produce similar horsepower are no longer carburated and yet dont get any better gas mileage.
Furthermore, IBM is a bad company to throw into that mix. The ComputerWorld article skews their research contribution to the world greatly by focusing on a paltry $400 million worth of their research projects (IBM invests BILLIONS a year on R&D - in very diverse fields, including medical; which have resulted in numerous advances in things that are not computer related in the normal sense). IBM's research covers far more diverse areas than Microsoft, HP and Yahoo combined... and they thus apply for and win more patents than any of the other companies 15 years in a row so far....
Looking into the list (assuming you find it and have the time to read it) provides a startling insite to just how many areas they innovate in (and how many technologies are beholden to either their research and findings, or beholden to them for improving on someone else's research).
http://www.ibm.com/news/us/en/2007/01/2007_01_11B.html
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/20868.wss
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS118240+14-Jan-2008+PRN20080114
("This year (2007), IBM Corp. continues to maintain the top slot, as it has for the previous 14 years" (14+1=15))
And the list of them can be obtained on IBM's (or others') Patent Server... there doesnt seem to be any area they dont try to innovate in.
As noted, their (all of them) research is indispensable... and yes, they should be applauded... but it is still also about money. Licensing (or selling) these patents brings in a lot of money.
Either way, the benefit usually gets to the consumer in one fashion or another.
Why not vote against it?
You need to weigh more than just telecom immunity when considering this vote. I'm not saying he made the right vote
Perhaps the 4th Amendment?
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
The what? I don't understand what you are trying to say... The 4th what of what?
It sounds vaguely familiar, but I can't place it. And for whatever reason, it reminds me of buying gasoline at under a dollar a gallon - which I also know could never have existed or happened...
I have a feeling the document you are referring to got burned up in the Pentagon crash on 9/11, because nowadays, very few people seem to remember it ever even existed - and fewer understand what it means - and even fewer understand it's importance.
:-(
People already have... there's a guy online who is using it for low-voltage house lighting... and with the advent of high power LEDs, and a little soldering know-how, it should be very easy to improve on his ideas and be able to provide more lighting using the same amount of power he is.
Sorry I dont have the link handy... but a Google search will probably work - unless Verizon or whoever has already gotten the info removed.
The beauty is, (as long as it is still physically connected at the house and at the telco end), a "dead" landline works just as well for providing such power.
"Land lines are great-- for about $16.95 which is what I pay for one."
That's impressive... for two lines here on Long Island, we were paying $122/month - cheapest we could find. (You dont even wanna know what Verizon cost). No special features, no weird long-distance packages... just phone, caller-ID, call-waiting, etc... the standard package.
We've since (very recently) switched to VOIP over cable as our combined cable, Internet and two phone lines cost the same as two land lines. And of course we get a bunch more features, as well as included long-distance at no extra charge.
Many new CableModem installs are done with cable modems that come with battery backup built in (like various Scientific Atlanta units)- which prevents the loss of phone service if power goes out. For those without a model that comes with battery backup, a UPS also works wonders (and at their current cheap price, everyone should have one anyway - they are barely more than a good quality surge suppressor).
In addition, most people use cordless or wall outlet powered phones...
SO, unless they have the foresight to plug the base into a UPS, it really doesnt matter if they have self-powered land lines or not. I rarely (cannot remember the last time) have seen any of my friends or customers who actually has a phone that runs entirely off the land line. All the ones I have seen in recent years, corded or cordless, all need to be plugged into a wall outlet to support (basic phone use and) the various added functions (such as the voicemail system, wireless to handset functions, etc).
Regardless, VOIP (especially through cable) is easy to maintain during power outages if properly planned. Most power outages are short enough (in time duration) that it will not exhaust a decently planned battery backup setup. And most longer outages also effect normal landlines as well (ie: a pole coming down during a bad storm... takes out the landlines as well).
If the site becomes popular enough , it gives exposure to the artists.
There, that was not so hard to figure out.
Bingo!
And folks, it does (potentially) far more than that - it proves that the RIAA is out of their mind when they claim that P2P software is only for illegal sharing. It proves that software, like any other tool, is not necessarily good or bad - how it is used determines that.
If this site makes it and becomes popular, it is perfect proof that the laws that the **AA are lobbying for are really for getting/keeping control over online media - and not about piracy.
Of course, the **AA's next step will be trying to pass a law ensuring that royalties and profits for these types of services go to one of their organizations (like SoundExchange) for them to control funds distribution (ie: the **AA keeps the money - just like the recent Internet Radio bullshit that passed).
But, that's a few more miles down the road - first, this site (and similar sites) must prove that BitTorrent can be and is being used for legal purposes to help prevent the **AA (and others') attempts at laws making P2P software illegal.
Oddly, someone above posted about the upcoming "accidental" attack on this service by the **AA - and was modded OffTopic... dunno why. I surely wouldnt doubt that such a thing will occur, and I definitely find it on-topic to a discussion about LegalTorrent offering legal BitTorrent downloads - as such a situation would potentially cause two issues directly related (assuming the **AA find open servers)... (1) LegalTorrent would be "offering" illegal torrents, and/or (2) LegalTorrent wouldnt be offering anything once the **AA's server farm pummelled them into nothingness - just like they did to Revision3).
If I am reading that right, it means it very likely (if the magistrate judge follows the law) that the RIAA and their current cohorts will never be allowed to carry out any form of investigation in NC.
Nice!
Well, one can hope...
Sadly, that requires a court order - which would require a police department (and DA) who understands the matter well enough to initiate such proceedings. (it is interesting that when "big money" is involved - such as in RIAA proceedings - suddenly everyone involved on the enforcement side becomes far more knowledgable).
On that note, you may wish to see if your local PD has a dedicated "Internet Crimes Division" - you may just be talking to the wrong people in your local PD. Failing that, try contacting the state police (who should have such a division), explaining to them that your local PD is not equipped or sufficiently knowledgable to assist you.
Failing that (and this one is a remote one), if it was purchased with a credit card that has loss/theft coverage, contact your credit card company and explain both the situation and the information you have to assist them in tracking the laptop...
Very valid points... in addition, I'd love to know what the real dialup vs broadband statistics are.
What I do know is a site I help manage (http://www.startreknewvoyages.com/) shows that in the last year, out of 1,147,097 visits (559,135 unique visitors), only 3.92% (based off visits) use dialup (44,943 users).
I'd love to see other sites' statistics on the matter... ours is probably not representative as I would guess that Star Trek TOS fans are more tech saavy and have broadband if and when possible.
Many people who just check their email, read a forum or IM probably dont need broadband - which I am sure accounts for the non-adopters (while the rest are probably the people who want it but just cant get it).
...This isn't a problem for incompressible fluids such as water....
Water does indeed compress... perhaps not easily, but it does. Search Google... I'm too bored to do so.
Or ignore that statement... for all intensive purposes (due to the difficulty in compressing water), your point is otherwise valid (and I am just being nitpicky). ;-)
Batteries (as another poster mentioned) are extremely efficient. Li-ion, for example, ranges from 95%-99.9% depending on the variety and the rate of charge. The problem is not the efficiency of batteries but their cost. One hope is that flow batteries may improve the situation.
Li-ion have great theoretical efficiencies... but that is all. They dont heat up so much during charging or discharging because of efficiency. And of course, needing to replace them after so many cycles isnt efficient either (and is very costly for situations such as this that would require a lot of battery).
You do have a valid point though - except I think it would be more valid if it discussed such things as the relatively new "supercapacitors as batteries" concepts.
This surprises you after so many voted a potted plant back into the presidency after such obvious failure in 2004?
I find that statement offensive... potted plants surely have more intelligence and serve a purpose... while... well, you get the picture. ;-)
Yes, I would... considering it is August 5th - not the 1st.
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.php
;-)
But seriously, if this study was really either accurate and/or relevant, I can guarantee you that Dell would NOT be selling insurance covering loss... they would lose too much money - which does make one wonder about the motives behind the study.
Though honestly, I am not sure how one would leave a laptop on a plane... I for one know after lugging my carryon stuff onto a plane and remembering the headache and hassle of doing so (and finding a place to stow it), that I feel rather naked if I try to leave without being so burdened... but that's just me.
On a more relevant note, that's 624,000 laptops a year lost... yeah... I can believe that. Well, no, actually I cant... 1,200 tons of laptops a year? Really? If they say so... after all, it's on Slashdot - it must be true... ;-)
You are correct... we are on the same page... but contrary to some people's beliefs...
Keep in mind, most computer users are not slashdot tech saavy readers... and in a store, much of the things you pointed out do not show in a casual observation... and most consumers wouldn't have a clue about the points you brought up - while a small subset of that would at least know "higher brightness is better... lower response is better... dunno what any of that means... but I know I need to look for a higher number in one, and a lower in the other..."