Well - yes and no. I submitted the story as a player of Perplex City - I'm not an employee. I do think it's a valid article - Perplex City is something new. I also put the video that I made as my homepage because it's a competition that's being run - the winner is the one with the most viewers.
Seriously - have you looked for such a phone? The Windows Mobile based devices have contact databases that are very much like Windows Outlook. Many addresses - many phone numbers, dates of birth, etc.etc.etc... Of course, for a few generations of phones they've been improving in this regard - just don't try to save names to your SIM (and make sure you can sync it with your favourite desktop PIM!)
My current phone network provider has an ability to undelete messages before you hang up on the answering machine service - very handy....
Quite a contrast from my previous system - it was completely voice activated, and generally pretty reliable. However - if someone who knew the system shouted "throw it away" at an inopportune moment - it would cheerfully do so with no further confirmation!
To be fair - for the most part that's a function of the transmitters, not the receivers as much! BUT - that said, I remember when I first had a mobile phone having to go out on the street to make calls - Inside most buildings in built up areas is fine now - probably simply a function of more masts and more power though...
See the Fish
How about allying with someone who's also got something virtual to deliver? Obviously MS could easily just ally with another one of it's arms - for mob appeal they could buy up Flikr, MySpace or YouTube? That gives them their own content - hence a reason to come along, something new and interesting to search... And before you say it, yes there's a lot of dross in those sites, but there are also hidden gems...
If they put AOL as the worst - they're going to have to condemn all the latest raft of sites such as YouTube, MySpace etc - the only reason that AOL got a bad name on the Internet was because it flooded a bunch of morons into Usenet and IRC - these are now very much back seat technologies. The latest bringers of idiocy (and lots of great content, but generally idiocy) just haven't got the means to shove it in your face!
I guess these things take time, but for the past two years, this idea has been so glaringly obvious it's not funny. The networks have the opportunity, for the cost of seeding a torrent, to massively increase their advertising.
They could even concievably cover the international advertising market themselves by delivering different advertising into the network for each zone. They're the ones that hold all the aces, so the international networks that depend on the US content will have to roll over.
Of course, that's not what's going to happen is it? Instead they'll be failing to deliver content due to massive demand, refusing to deliver it outside their own borders, and crippling it in a million other ways so that you'll not be able to view it on anything but their own viewer (or something equally controlling).
What is the video producing system's obsession with knowing when I watch something? First through the cinema->rental->dvd->premium tv->regular tv release schedule of movies, and now with the drip feeding of TV series around the world...?
No-one has mentioned Destinator - I thought it was a bit better for US maps, but I could be wrong. Personally I use Tomtom and it's fantastic. However, I am in the UK and we seem to be kept reasonably up to date with maps and accuracy.
As to comments over getting PocketPC devices instead of WM5, from my experience, the portable devices are just as good. I have a bluetooth GPS on the dash, so I don't have to either leave a map unit in the car, or remember to bring it when I want - it's always on me as it's my phone.
Sounds to me like the CEO is being taken by a 419 variant scam -
"Hi, we am interesting in investing to your company, the money will arrive from my dead uncles account of [insert country here]. We will just be needing $10k to release those funds please thank you. Did I mention that I am a civil servant..?"
1/ I consider myself to be a safe, knowledgeable and alert driver. Therefore I'd prefer to be the one on top if someone who was less so hit me.
2/ "Top Gear" in the UK ran a piece about how SUVs run over other cars, thereby causing lots of damage. The pointed out that in most collisions, one car will run over the other anyway, even identical models with different tyre pressures or suspension wear.
They got this from the reports coming from the hospital in which the test were done. THEY were reporting that he wasn't accepting any more test. I guess his live has taken a turn for the bizarre since this became news.
BTW, this angle was reported on both Sky News and BBC News.
If I didn't know better, and I do know that/. doesn't necessarily have the most well read readership, I'd swear that the huge number of people claiming that you can't use images in a parody were evidence of infiltration by someone trying to cloud the issue....
Or maybe I'm just paranoid, we can always hope that's the case I guess.
Just an opinion, but I think Bruce Schneider's dismissal of two factor authentication is essentially completely meaningless. It'd be useful if it suggested a viable system that would work, but simply dismissing this huge improvement is counter productive.
Passwords are terrible, they've had their day, they need to be removed from the planet now.
I've emailed the 10 MEPs that were elected in my area when I last voted. I have so far, in ONLY three days, had 5 responses, two of which were to state that they'd referred the matter to another party member in the area (interestingly, not due to it being a specialised subject, rather because although I elected them they don't agree with the system and view themselves as representing a sub-set of the area!)
Anyway, I have to say, the responses I've had (from Liberal Democrats and Conservatives [and Mr Richard Ashworth who doesn't have a website] have been very helpful and interesting. The two conservative responses were "party line", and therefore (almost) identical text. None of them will commit to a yes/no vote as they both feel the process is still subject to amendments, and possibly to defining reports.
Just to make the point, although it's relatively early, I've had no response yet to my emails to UKIP [Mr Nigel Farage who doesn't have his own website], Labour, Green or the independent representative in my area. I've also not had a response from the other Liberal democrat, but as they usually vote on party lines, so that's not an issue. UKIP and the independent are both very much anti-europe, and therefore may simply not have a view other than voting against anything that increases power.
Personally, from the responses I've had, I've been somewhat persuaded that a directive is probably required. However, I am also fairly certain that the current text is not that directive. If anyone doesn't know the issues involved the article above seems to be reasonably even handed. Essentially it's probably necessary to allow inventions to include computer software in them and not be immediately struck down on that point. It's also probably necessary to harmonise the rules across Europe in order to allow Europe to compete with the US and Japan.
However, what I think we should be lobby to have an extra article inserted that would define the "normal physical interactions" and another to define "technical effect". Furthermore, "technical contribution" is probably not the right direction from which to approach the dividing line that needs to be met. I personally see that the current directive would simply leave the matter to the courts, which would not only be a sidestepping of the parliament's responsibilities, but would push the possibility of patenting genuine inventions further out of the reach of the individual.
Not meaning to sound cheap, but why should we pay for this? Why can't it be advert supported. When the article was recently posted about the UK bittorrent downloading of sites being the highest in the world, I commented that it was the perfect forum for the TV companies to distribute their shows complete with adverts intact. They can then draw the money from advertisers to pay for it (and bandwidth wouldn't be so enormous, they'd just have to seed and catch the slack).
On the other hand, they could probably add a smaller revenue 50c, $1? per show if they offer them on the day (or following day) of original broadcast. That only leaves the problem of the rest of the world!
We get things 6-10 weeks after the US originally broadcasts (in the UK). That gap would have to be closed or the networks over here would complain (and not pay!).
In the end, as I mentioned in reply to the previous article, if there's any TV Execs out there that want this, let me know, I'll set it up for you:)
Just some comments supporting the immediate parent post. I'd love to get my act together and make a short. Because of Mini-DV cameras being so standard and cheap, and desktop editing being well within the grasp of the common PC,it's as easy as it's going to get. All you need is 10 dedicated friends (some of whom can act), and lots of time!
1/ Yes, amateur movie making has to be set in your neighbourhood, or one closeby. Forest settings may not be great due to lighting problems. I just watched an episode of "the 'Bu" from NY Channel 101, great example.
2/ If you can, rope in others with the same quality camera as you have. Much easier today given that most cheap cameras are single CCD recording to Mini-DV. Then shoot each action scene from a few angles and cut them together.
3/ there's usually very little you can do about the acting skills. Leadership is probably important here, you need a director who's happy to re-set a scene and make the do it again until they get it right.
4/ Don't even try the special effects. Unless you happen to know a 3d artist it's going to look out of place.
5/ Audio is toughest. Movies shot on location are dubbed and generally very few will be done in a sound stage. Dubbing is key to controlling what it all sounds like. Foley artists are also pretty specialised, but there are some noises you can do well (slapping, breaking etc).
One key thing is basic photography. Make sure you're thinking about the scene, getting character perspectives, shooting set pieces well (watch some soaps to see how conversations are shot, some action movies to see how action a chase is done etc..). If you get that right, it'll come together much more easily in the edit.
Oh, and going back to the director, make sure you are VERY organised. The clapperboard is your friend as is the notebook!
1/ The US networks insist on giving us shows AT LEAST 8 or 9 weeks behind them.
2/ Some are then subject to the whim of Sky's programming schedule (Alias for instance has been hopping time and channel since it's inception).
3/ Some don't, or may not make it over here at all (not seen any word on Lost yet?
So, how about a brave new world for the networks? Start up their own bittorrent site. Allow the international TV stations to buy shows to be shown 5 days behind the US broadcast, then after a week seed them for general download. The bonus? They can leave the adverts IN! It would mean a new sales model for them (selling adverts at the BT site point), but it would also mean a new revenue stream. It should't affect thier ability to sell the repeats as there's little difference (and BT would not likely be mass market for a while).
If any TV execs are listening, I'd be happy to quote to manage the service for you!
You can't enter into contracts with minors. Sounds like a great way of wasting an up front payment.
That said, I think it's a great idea to make sure you appreciate your babysitter and they appreciate you. They practically ARE a member of the family, a very important one. But lets remember, they're also usually 15-18 year old kids.
Indeed, there are copies of my fingerprints all around. However, once you loose physical security, you loose security anyway.
Also, if someone has the resources to fabricate fingerprints that will fool the reader, I don't think there's going to be a whole lot I can do about it. Almost all security is simply a means of raising the cost of hacking it to a level above it's value.
(Security gurus of course know: biometrics just don't work.)
They do? There are plenty of viable biometric measurements out there. They are not 100% reliable, but when compared to wetware trying to remember passwords they stack up pretty well.
I for instance have a finger print reader on both my palmtop and my desktop. In the limited environment I have, they identify and authorize perfectly well.
Slashdot Mirror
That video again
Interestingly - having a link in a slashdot article in the user link doesn't generate much clicking!
See the Fish!
Seriously - have you looked for such a phone? The Windows Mobile based devices have contact databases that are very much like Windows Outlook. Many addresses - many phone numbers, dates of birth, etc.etc.etc... Of course, for a few generations of phones they've been improving in this regard - just don't try to save names to your SIM (and make sure you can sync it with your favourite desktop PIM!)
See the Fish
On the other hand - one of the things that comes with the new features is often new UI innovation
Take for instance the Windows Mobile for Smartphones based phones... To get to an actual phone call I can do any of the following:
Featurefull phones are not in themselves a bad thing - badly designed UIs are a bad thing - always have been.
See the Fish
My current phone network provider has an ability to undelete messages before you hang up on the answering machine service - very handy....
Quite a contrast from my previous system - it was completely voice activated, and generally pretty reliable. However - if someone who knew the system shouted "throw it away" at an inopportune moment - it would cheerfully do so with no further confirmation!
See the Fish
To be fair - for the most part that's a function of the transmitters, not the receivers as much! BUT - that said, I remember when I first had a mobile phone having to go out on the street to make calls - Inside most buildings in built up areas is fine now - probably simply a function of more masts and more power though... See the Fish
How about allying with someone who's also got something virtual to deliver? Obviously MS could easily just ally with another one of it's arms - for mob appeal they could buy up Flikr, MySpace or YouTube? That gives them their own content - hence a reason to come along, something new and interesting to search... And before you say it, yes there's a lot of dross in those sites, but there are also hidden gems...
See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGuBx6Xj-PE
My Orange SPV Mobile phone did that - never did read up on what the technology was...
See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGuBx6Xj-PE
If they put AOL as the worst - they're going to have to condemn all the latest raft of sites such as YouTube, MySpace etc - the only reason that AOL got a bad name on the Internet was because it flooded a bunch of morons into Usenet and IRC - these are now very much back seat technologies. The latest bringers of idiocy (and lots of great content, but generally idiocy) just haven't got the means to shove it in your face!
See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGuBx6Xj-PE
I guess these things take time, but for the past two years, this idea has been so glaringly obvious it's not funny. The networks have the opportunity, for the cost of seeding a torrent, to massively increase their advertising.
They could even concievably cover the international advertising market themselves by delivering different advertising into the network for each zone. They're the ones that hold all the aces, so the international networks that depend on the US content will have to roll over.
Of course, that's not what's going to happen is it? Instead they'll be failing to deliver content due to massive demand, refusing to deliver it outside their own borders, and crippling it in a million other ways so that you'll not be able to view it on anything but their own viewer (or something equally controlling).
What is the video producing system's obsession with knowing when I watch something? First through the cinema->rental->dvd->premium tv->regular tv release schedule of movies, and now with the drip feeding of TV series around the world...?
(In the UK by the way)
No-one has mentioned Destinator - I thought it was a bit better for US maps, but I could be wrong. Personally I use Tomtom and it's fantastic. However, I am in the UK and we seem to be kept reasonably up to date with maps and accuracy.
As to comments over getting PocketPC devices instead of WM5, from my experience, the portable devices are just as good. I have a bluetooth GPS on the dash, so I don't have to either leave a map unit in the car, or remember to bring it when I want - it's always on me as it's my phone.
Sounds to me like the CEO is being taken by a 419 variant scam -
"Hi, we am interesting in investing to your company, the money will arrive from my dead uncles account of [insert country here]. We will just be needing $10k to release those funds please thank you. Did I mention that I am a civil servant..?"
1/ I consider myself to be a safe, knowledgeable and alert driver. Therefore I'd prefer to be the one on top if someone who was less so hit me.
2/ "Top Gear" in the UK ran a piece about how SUVs run over other cars, thereby causing lots of damage. The pointed out that in most collisions, one car will run over the other anyway, even identical models with different tyre pressures or suspension wear.
I've got some prior art on the idea:
8 37148
http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=141060&cid=11
They got this from the reports coming from the hospital in which the test were done. THEY were reporting that he wasn't accepting any more test. I guess his live has taken a turn for the bizarre since this became news.
BTW, this angle was reported on both Sky News and BBC News.
no kidding, $6.18 / US gallon here in the UK (UK£0.90/litre)
If I didn't know better, and I do know that /. doesn't necessarily have the most well read readership, I'd swear that the huge number of people claiming that you can't use images in a parody were evidence of infiltration by someone trying to cloud the issue....
Or maybe I'm just paranoid, we can always hope that's the case I guess.
Just an opinion, but I think Bruce Schneider's dismissal of two factor authentication is essentially completely meaningless. It'd be useful if it suggested a viable system that would work, but simply dismissing this huge improvement is counter productive.
Passwords are terrible, they've had their day, they need to be removed from the planet now.
I've emailed the 10 MEPs that were elected in my area when I last voted. I have so far, in ONLY three days, had 5 responses, two of which were to state that they'd referred the matter to another party member in the area (interestingly, not due to it being a specialised subject, rather because although I elected them they don't agree with the system and view themselves as representing a sub-set of the area!)
Anyway, I have to say, the responses I've had (from Liberal Democrats and Conservatives [and Mr Richard Ashworth who doesn't have a website] have been very helpful and interesting. The two conservative responses were "party line", and therefore (almost) identical text. None of them will commit to a yes/no vote as they both feel the process is still subject to amendments, and possibly to defining reports.
Just to make the point, although it's relatively early, I've had no response yet to my emails to UKIP [Mr Nigel Farage who doesn't have his own website], Labour, Green or the independent representative in my area. I've also not had a response from the other Liberal democrat, but as they usually vote on party lines, so that's not an issue. UKIP and the independent are both very much anti-europe, and therefore may simply not have a view other than voting against anything that increases power.
Personally, from the responses I've had, I've been somewhat persuaded that a directive is probably required. However, I am also fairly certain that the current text is not that directive. If anyone doesn't know the issues involved the article above seems to be reasonably even handed. Essentially it's probably necessary to allow inventions to include computer software in them and not be immediately struck down on that point. It's also probably necessary to harmonise the rules across Europe in order to allow Europe to compete with the US and Japan.
However, what I think we should be lobby to have an extra article inserted that would define the "normal physical interactions" and another to define "technical effect". Furthermore, "technical contribution" is probably not the right direction from which to approach the dividing line that needs to be met. I personally see that the current directive would simply leave the matter to the courts, which would not only be a sidestepping of the parliament's responsibilities, but would push the possibility of patenting genuine inventions further out of the reach of the individual.
Not meaning to sound cheap, but why should we pay for this? Why can't it be advert supported. When the article was recently posted about the UK bittorrent downloading of sites being the highest in the world, I commented that it was the perfect forum for the TV companies to distribute their shows complete with adverts intact. They can then draw the money from advertisers to pay for it (and bandwidth wouldn't be so enormous, they'd just have to seed and catch the slack).
:)
On the other hand, they could probably add a smaller revenue 50c, $1? per show if they offer them on the day (or following day) of original broadcast. That only leaves the problem of the rest of the world!
We get things 6-10 weeks after the US originally broadcasts (in the UK). That gap would have to be closed or the networks over here would complain (and not pay!).
In the end, as I mentioned in reply to the previous article, if there's any TV Execs out there that want this, let me know, I'll set it up for you
Just some comments supporting the immediate parent post. I'd love to get my act together and make a short. Because of Mini-DV cameras being so standard and cheap, and desktop editing being well within the grasp of the common PC,it's as easy as it's going to get. All you need is 10 dedicated friends (some of whom can act), and lots of time!
1/ Yes, amateur movie making has to be set in your neighbourhood, or one closeby. Forest settings may not be great due to lighting problems. I just watched an episode of "the 'Bu" from NY Channel 101, great example.
2/ If you can, rope in others with the same quality camera as you have. Much easier today given that most cheap cameras are single CCD recording to Mini-DV. Then shoot each action scene from a few angles and cut them together.
3/ there's usually very little you can do about the acting skills. Leadership is probably important here, you need a director who's happy to re-set a scene and make the do it again until they get it right.
4/ Don't even try the special effects. Unless you happen to know a 3d artist it's going to look out of place.
5/ Audio is toughest. Movies shot on location are dubbed and generally very few will be done in a sound stage. Dubbing is key to controlling what it all sounds like. Foley artists are also pretty specialised, but there are some noises you can do well (slapping, breaking etc).
One key thing is basic photography. Make sure you're thinking about the scene, getting character perspectives, shooting set pieces well (watch some soaps to see how conversations are shot, some action movies to see how action a chase is done etc..). If you get that right, it'll come together much more easily in the edit.
Oh, and going back to the director, make sure you are VERY organised. The clapperboard is your friend as is the notebook!
If you consider the following.
1/ The US networks insist on giving us shows AT LEAST 8 or 9 weeks behind them.
2/ Some are then subject to the whim of Sky's programming schedule (Alias for instance has been hopping time and channel since it's inception).
3/ Some don't, or may not make it over here at all (not seen any word on Lost yet?
So, how about a brave new world for the networks? Start up their own bittorrent site. Allow the international TV stations to buy shows to be shown 5 days behind the US broadcast, then after a week seed them for general download. The bonus? They can leave the adverts IN! It would mean a new sales model for them (selling adverts at the BT site point), but it would also mean a new revenue stream. It should't affect thier ability to sell the repeats as there's little difference (and BT would not likely be mass market for a while).
If any TV execs are listening, I'd be happy to quote to manage the service for you!
You can't enter into contracts with minors. Sounds like a great way of wasting an up front payment.
That said, I think it's a great idea to make sure you appreciate your babysitter and they appreciate you. They practically ARE a member of the family, a very important one. But lets remember, they're also usually 15-18 year old kids.
Indeed, there are copies of my fingerprints all around. However, once you loose physical security, you loose security anyway.
Also, if someone has the resources to fabricate fingerprints that will fool the reader, I don't think there's going to be a whole lot I can do about it. Almost all security is simply a means of raising the cost of hacking it to a level above it's value.
They do? There are plenty of viable biometric measurements out there. They are not 100% reliable, but when compared to wetware trying to remember passwords they stack up pretty well.
I for instance have a finger print reader on both my palmtop and my desktop. In the limited environment I have, they identify and authorize perfectly well.