While I think constant vigilance is needed with Google, this looks like nothing more than Microsoft once again using other groups to legitimize it's attacks on a competitor that has with consistent success kicked it in the ass at every turn.
I'm a bit of a fan of Google but I think this investigation should go ahead. I am confident that Google will not be found guilty, as you said this is not Microsoft, Google has a monopoly in search but unlike MS they don't use their dominant market position to crush competition or prevent new competitors from entering the market.
It's not just MS gunning for Google, Apple is doing it as well. Google represents the end of the Apple/MS business model if they are successful with Android and Chrome. Seeing as the EU hasn't even made a whimper about Google I doubt they have much to worry about.
You say that until he gets on a major talk show, talks about his improperly interpret results and suddenly 20 million people are parroting his incorrect results.
The problem is that we dont apply the same standard to a talk show as we do to a scientific institution.
If a talk show spreads incorrect information absolutely nothing happens, if a scientific institution does the same there will be a royal commission, investigation, scrutiny and even if they are found innocent someone's career is still ruined.
What we need is to get rid of the double standard, lets just say if Box News makes a deliberately misleading statement about the Australian Hoop Snake they should be investigates, charged and the editor, producer and reporter fired and barred from working in the media field again. If we started giving news agencies with the same scrutiny and punishments as universities then the level of misinformation would drop dramatically.
Published scientific reports should also have the data published publicly, however there should be severe punishments for the misuse of this data to spread misinformation and attempts to ruin careers.
Does this mean every biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering research group (I'm talking about grad students and postdocs, here) would have to open their lab notebooks to anyone who asked? Researchers who ply their trade on the cutting edge of science live in perpetual fear of being "scooped" by another group who publishes their discovery first.
I think this would only pertain to data gathered using public money and work that is published.
It would be certifiably mad to force all material to be vetted before it is published or at least released for peer review. Unfortunately this is the future I see if the anti-intellectuals are permitted to gain power, notebooks searched for "unapproved" research.
no, peer review is good. It helps to point out mistakes or inconsistencies. Getting rid of scientific journals is quasi-good (less profit motive in science, but also less chance to get work out there).
I think the GP meant getting rid of copyright restrictions in peer review and scientific journals, not getting rid of peer review or scientific journals.
Peer review is a great thing(TM) and should be applied to everyone, scientists and "sceptics" alike.
My understanding is that they are only controlling the software, specifically the Operating System. Since there is an encryption and methods to prevent installing custom OSs, to circumvent them violates the DMCA. It sucks, but right now they're legally allowed to prevent it.
US only. Here in Australia it is legal to mod consoles despite the DMCA (forced on us in a trade agreement, never been enforced however). What I can't do is pay someone else to mod for me. For us, a copyright issue only comes into play when we attempt to distribute, hence I can't legally pay for a modded Wii or R4 cartridge however possession of any of these items is not prohibited.
As the GP said, if you're running into HW issues, just put the disto onto a virtual machine and run it with VMWare Player or Virtual Box. Personally VMware Player is easier to use from an end users perspective, it depends on how open you need it to be. Both can easily be installed onto the students home computers and will provide students with a stable, consistent environment that can be run from anywhere.
That's bad form Gizmodo. Hows a complete lack if professionalism and integrity.
Professionalism and integrity from the company that used a TV-B-Gone at a CES presentation, methinks you are expecting too much.
This whole thing reeks of an ad story, the HTC Incredible and Evo are being released around the same time so Apple want to get their name back in the news as cheaply as possible. Gizmodo have their tongue planted so far up Apple arse it's become a park bench at 1 Infinite Loop so this has all the hallmarks of a carefully orchestrated ad campaign, Jobs and the Marketer, I mean Engineer who lost the phone are probably toasting their success with a nice bottle of Bollinger and lightly sautéd kitten.
Wow. Here in the land of normal people, we *welcome* the announcement of these commercial relationships. It's called "full disclosure". Would you rather *not* know who a commentator is taking money from?
I once rang the CEO Geeknet.inc to suggest that all Apple and Microsoft Shills on/. receive small "A" and "M" tags on the profile like Slashdot and Rackspace staff but the only responses I got were "Who are you", "How did you get this number" and "Never call here again".
I'm still not convinced that this isn't a marketing ploy.
Given Apple's modus operandi I think you've got to be pretty naive to not believe that the whole thing was orchestrated to get Apple back in the media. It's like the Current Affairs programs making outlandish and deliberately inflammatory stories.
Yesterday an infamous Australian criminal (Carl Williams) was beaten to death in prison. Channel 9 news had a short RIP message for Williams in the titles, this was entirely to get people talking about Channel 9 (yes I'm aware of the irony here). Apple is doing the same thing, making up news in order to get a lot of free publicity (/. you're not helping). I have no doubt that Gawker (Gizmodo) and Apple are in cahoots, Gizmodo are far too dedicated as Apple fanboys to risk upsetting Apple by defying orders.
As much as I enjoy the usual/. digressions, I'd love to get an analysis from anyone who designs logos for a living. I'm not a designer, but I do notice few things that the logos have in common: Most of them have either text or design elements that rise to the upper-right of the logo. Most have some sort of pointer, either arrows (Subway), a slashing underline (Pizza Hut), meteor (Burger King), italics(KFC, Pizza Hut, Subway). Most use primary colours exclusively. Are these elements standard idioms in logo design? Are they universal, or are they specific to North American branding?
Yellow and Red are meant to make people feel hungry, hence why signs tend to favour these colours. Over here Burger King is called Hungry Jacks.
I'm not a designer mind you, I believe in being productive.
True. For example, are those Jews and Muslims, who will not eat at any of those "joints", affected in the same way as those who aren't?
I know plenty of Jews and Muslims that eat McDonalds, Burger King, KFC and so forth. The first thing I saw after clearing Customs in Malaysia was a McD's, only the double bacon cheeseburger is not Halal hence it's not served there.
OK, most things at McD's aren't Kosher, mixing meat and dairy but in Australia I'm yet to meet a Jew who is that dedicated, most refuse to eat at McD's because it's too expensive.
Unlocking cores that the manufacturer deems to be flawed - um, yeah.
This has been happening for some time now. I've known how to unlock the fourth core on the AMD Phenom II X3 series for almost a year. I'm certain this is not a record for old news on/. however. This has turned out to be quite stable, AMD have disabled the core because they found some flaw with it in QA, this may mean that the core is completely unstable or it may mean the core has one tiny flaw that may cause a problem under some obscure circumstance. Further more, AMD doesn't care if you unlock the core, they just wont support the proc under warranty, same with any kind of overclocking.
The iPad (not Ipad) also fails the basic Wikipedia definition you cited. Since you can't manage files on the device, it doesn't store nor manipulate data
So, that 32 GB of flash memory is doing what...
I believe it is storing data. You fail here at manipulating definitions, storing data does not refer specifically to using a GUI to move files. It does store, manage and manipulate data, in fact Itunes does the exact function you describe. It does not fail the definition because it doesn't manage files like Windows.
Manipulate data, so you cant save a game with the Ipad, shock horror this is manipulating data. It's also writing and reading data from a storage device when doing this (managing files). The simple fact that the Ipad can install programs means that it can store and manipulate data.
So it is a general purpose computer, just not a very good one. No amount of re-definition or marketing will change this because it does the same function as other general purpose computers, just not as well.
The Ipad (correct English please) fails basic punctuation. It is a proper noun and I will treat it as such. On the plus side you can now use Ipad in Scrabble (also a proper noun).
is it immoral for them to tell you how you can use it?
Immoral, well I'll leave that to the theologians, it is however wrong (in a legal sense) for them to tell me what I can and cannot do with hardware that I own. Lease is quite different but Apple aren't "leasing" the hardware to me, they are just trying to act in that fashion.
Just because you think it is, or want it to be a PC, that doesn't make it wrong for Apple not to make it one.
Except that it is a general purpose computer, or PC as they are commonly known. Please see here and here for definitions.
general purpose computer: A computer designed to perform, or that is capable of performing, in a reasonably efficient manner, the functions required by both scientific and business applications. Note: A general purpose computer is often understood to be a large system, capable of supporting remote terminal operations, but it may also be a smaller computer, e.g., a desktop workstation.
A general purpose computer has four main components: the arithmetic logic unit (ALU), the control unit, the memory, and the input and output devices (collectively termed I/O).
I know that you and Apple want so very desperately to escape the PC comparison because when you look at the Ipad compared to a notebook, with the Ipad's limitations and restrictions it is such a terrible comparison. Unfortunately you cant escape the definition and more so, are trying to occupy the same space in the market.
If your statement was true, we wouldn't see battered wives going back to their husbands with the old "but he loves me" excuse. It's in the human condition that we want to be right about our choices and our ego creates conditions to support this, especially when it isn't true (ego based defences such as denial, distortion or projection).
Projection is an important one, your post is projecting your desires onto that of everyone else around you. Your ego wants the Ipad so badly it creates an entire world where everyone shares your desire. Unfortunately this also means your ego will not permit a condition where there can be a problem with the Ipad, thus trying to suppress the cognitive dissonance when someone points out the somewhat obvious flaws in the Ipad.
A computer in the common sense is a combination of hardware and software. The iPad's limitations in both hardware and software keep it from being considered a computer.
I'm sorry, but your and Apple's attempts to get the Ipad classified as "not a computer" are terrible. The Ipad, as well as the Iphone and Android phones (WinMo phones, Symbian S60 and so forth) are general purpose computers according to the definition.
A computer is a programmable machine that receives input, stores and manipulates data, and provides output in a useful format.
The Ipad still executes a program, it still has a arithmetic logic unit, control unit, memory and I/O device. This makes it a general purpose computer. Being limited in both hardware and software just makes it a very poor general purpose computer.
Is Apple supposed to make it easy for you to do anything you want with the device?
No, but Apple is not meant to fight me when I do, which is the case now with the Iphones, each software update and hardware revision is designed to stop you from doing what you want with your own device. The last generation of Iphones needs to be re-jailbroken each time it's rebooted.
This pathological level of control is why I can never buy Apple.
"This author stole entire paragraphs from my dissertation"
That one is plagiarism, not theft. Stolen is the colloquial term, plagiarism is the legal term
They took the code without Google's consent, hence they stole it.
Technically this isn't theft either, it's infringement, corporate espionage, breaking into a computer system without authorisation and fraud. Steal, again is the colloquial term, the criminals in this case, if ever caught will not be charged with theft.
The English language is a funny thing, this is stealing in the same way that to say this [cheap item] was "a steal" to indicate the extremely low price for which I purchased it, not to indicate that I had committed theft to acquire it. BTW, colloquial definitions are in the dictionary.
is wrong. Flash is simpler than drives. The manufacturing requires less machining, materials, and human labor. I'm not saying next year or even five years out
The construction is more complex and requires more skilled labour. Right now in a Western Digital factory in Issan, Thailand young Thai's are assembling mechanical hard drives as an alternative to subsistence farming. Netting approximately 1000 Baht (US$35) a week, well paid for an Issan Thai. How much would a single worker in one of Intel's flash memory fabs cost.
The cost of the human labour will not reach parity for some time, neither will the machines required for assembly. What will eventually drive the price down is:
1. increased demand, leading to increased production.
2. this is where economies of scale kick in, even if the price to turn sand into silicon does not decrease, profit margins can be shaved as more is being moved.
3. Increased competition also from increased demand.
In fact I don't see SSD's reaching per GB parity with mechanical hard drives until we can no longer make larger mechanical hard drives. Where SSD's win is in performance, faster with less power draw, even at thrice the per GB cost they become a bargain for the performance gain. Right now I can buy a 1 TB HDD for A$110, that's A$0.11 a GB while a cheap SSD costs A$219 for 64 GB which is A$3.42 per GB (A-RAM brand, and Intel 80 GB is A$400). Even once we start paying A$1 per GB SSD's become worth it.
White guilt means guilt over doing what the other people would have done if they were in our forefathers shoes.
Unfortunately, the term white guilt is only used as a precursor to xenophobic and racist speeches.
I know you are smarter and more eloquent then that.
The dictionary definition and the colloquial definition differ with the term "white guilt" as it has become synonymous with the most nationalist and racist of radicals in the western world. It's used as more of a cop out, to ignore and excuse the actions of bigots these days. Brushing off the past as "white guilt" or "white mans burden" is just an excuse used by those who wish to ignore the lessons we learned from our history.
Of course every non-white superpower throughout history (the Mongols, the Persians, the Arabs, the Chinese, the Japanese, the Indians)
Because Joey hit Johnny is not an excuse for Johnny to hit Janey.
The Mongols, Persians and Arabs are no longer superpowers, you reap what you sew, as Europe was abolishing slavery they were getting taken over by Europe. The big difference is that the regimes of India, Japan, China or any of the others that you mentioned no longer exist, however the first county to outlaw slavery in 1107 still exists, as do the governments of England and the United States. Those who do not learn from history and so forth.
(This didn't end up happening in the US, but in Britain and other European countries slavery was outlawed over time without violence).
It's also worth noting that in many places in Europe, including Britain slavery was outlawed before the US civil war.
1102, slave trading and serfdom ruled illegal in London.
1117, slavery declared illegal in Iceland.
1335, slavery declared illegal in Sweden.
1723, Russia abolishes slavery.
1761, slavery declared illegal in mainland Portugal.
1772, English courts decide the condition of slavery did not exist under English law, 10-14,000 slaves emancipated.
1778, slavery declared illegal in Scotland.
1787, Siera Leone established as a colony for emancipated slaves by Britain.
1794, First French Republic abolishes slavery.
1803, Lower Canada abolishes slavery.
1807, Slave trading declared illegal by Britain, captains charged 100 Pounds per slave transported.
1807, Britain patrols African coast to arrest slave trading vessels.
1822, Greece abolishes slavery.
1834, Britain abolishes slavery throughout the empire with the exception of the East India company and Ceylon.
1838, Slaves in the British empire made free after a period of forced apprenticeships.
1839, Indian indenture system made illegal.
1843, East India Company forced to abolish slavery by the British empire.
1845, 36 Royal Navy vessels assigned to the Anti-Slavery Squadron making it one of the largest fleets in the world at the time.
1860, indenture system abolished in British India.
1861, American Civil War begins
1863, Slavery abolished in Dutch colonies.
1863, Emancipation Proclamation.
1865, Thirteenth amendment to the US constitution outlaws slavery.
There were many other examples but I've tried to keep this list limited to US and European governments. Several US states outlawed slavery in the early 1800's but there was also the Fugitive Slave Act of 1950 which required the return of escaped slaves.
Yes, there are all these treaties and laws that make jailbreaking technically illegal.
In Australia, yes (but I can pay someone else to do it or buy one pre-jailbroken). In the US they can bludgeon you with the DCMA until you give in.
Everyone seems to forget that the consumer really holds all the power.
Number 6: What do you want.
Number 2: We want information, information, information.
Number 6: You wont get it.
Number 2: By hook or by crook we will.
Number 6: I am not a number, I'm a free man.
Number 2: Laughs manically.
Why do I always think of the opening to the Prisoner when I read something like this. The consumer holds no real power, we petition for laws in order to empower us. As a group we are too disparate and organised to be any influence on a large corporation. Without consumer protection laws the consumer is stuffed.
Consumer disgust with Apple's locked-down phone has lead to the Android, a fully-open platform.
Android was in development long before the Iphone was released. Google acquired Android Inc in 2005. The OS was announced in November 2007 with the formation of the Open Handset Alliance (OHA). The driver for Android was a standard platform for the handset industry, which is why the OHA started with 65 members. Google was the driver for openness, no-one in the OHA had a problem with this.
I am sure that an Android-based e-reader is in the works, if not already commercially available.
Slashdot Mirror
I'm a bit of a fan of Google but I think this investigation should go ahead. I am confident that Google will not be found guilty, as you said this is not Microsoft, Google has a monopoly in search but unlike MS they don't use their dominant market position to crush competition or prevent new competitors from entering the market.
It's not just MS gunning for Google, Apple is doing it as well. Google represents the end of the Apple/MS business model if they are successful with Android and Chrome. Seeing as the EU hasn't even made a whimper about Google I doubt they have much to worry about.
The problem is that we dont apply the same standard to a talk show as we do to a scientific institution.
If a talk show spreads incorrect information absolutely nothing happens, if a scientific institution does the same there will be a royal commission, investigation, scrutiny and even if they are found innocent someone's career is still ruined.
What we need is to get rid of the double standard, lets just say if Box News makes a deliberately misleading statement about the Australian Hoop Snake they should be investigates, charged and the editor, producer and reporter fired and barred from working in the media field again. If we started giving news agencies with the same scrutiny and punishments as universities then the level of misinformation would drop dramatically.
Published scientific reports should also have the data published publicly, however there should be severe punishments for the misuse of this data to spread misinformation and attempts to ruin careers.
I think this would only pertain to data gathered using public money and work that is published.
It would be certifiably mad to force all material to be vetted before it is published or at least released for peer review. Unfortunately this is the future I see if the anti-intellectuals are permitted to gain power, notebooks searched for "unapproved" research.
I think the GP meant getting rid of copyright restrictions in peer review and scientific journals, not getting rid of peer review or scientific journals.
Peer review is a great thing(TM) and should be applied to everyone, scientists and "sceptics" alike.
US only. Here in Australia it is legal to mod consoles despite the DMCA (forced on us in a trade agreement, never been enforced however). What I can't do is pay someone else to mod for me. For us, a copyright issue only comes into play when we attempt to distribute, hence I can't legally pay for a modded Wii or R4 cartridge however possession of any of these items is not prohibited.
Wow, way to be a xenophobic wanker over a perfectly good joke.
Here's a few for you.
CO2 output from volcano's have not varied wildly meaning their effect on Global temperatures is minimal.
CO2 from eyjafjallajokull vs CO2 from Europe's airline industry.
I guess these aren't the citations the OP was looking for.
As the GP said, if you're running into HW issues, just put the disto onto a virtual machine and run it with VMWare Player or Virtual Box. Personally VMware Player is easier to use from an end users perspective, it depends on how open you need it to be. Both can easily be installed onto the students home computers and will provide students with a stable, consistent environment that can be run from anywhere.
Professionalism and integrity from the company that used a TV-B-Gone at a CES presentation, methinks you are expecting too much.
This whole thing reeks of an ad story, the HTC Incredible and Evo are being released around the same time so Apple want to get their name back in the news as cheaply as possible. Gizmodo have their tongue planted so far up Apple arse it's become a park bench at 1 Infinite Loop so this has all the hallmarks of a carefully orchestrated ad campaign, Jobs and the Marketer, I mean Engineer who lost the phone are probably toasting their success with a nice bottle of Bollinger and lightly sautéd kitten.
Sorry about that, but I normally filter out ads these days.
I once rang the CEO Geeknet.inc to suggest that all Apple and Microsoft Shills on /. receive small "A" and "M" tags on the profile like Slashdot and Rackspace staff but the only responses I got were "Who are you", "How did you get this number" and "Never call here again".
Given Apple's modus operandi I think you've got to be pretty naive to not believe that the whole thing was orchestrated to get Apple back in the media. It's like the Current Affairs programs making outlandish and deliberately inflammatory stories.
Yesterday an infamous Australian criminal (Carl Williams) was beaten to death in prison. Channel 9 news had a short RIP message for Williams in the titles, this was entirely to get people talking about Channel 9 (yes I'm aware of the irony here). Apple is doing the same thing, making up news in order to get a lot of free publicity (/. you're not helping). I have no doubt that Gawker (Gizmodo) and Apple are in cahoots, Gizmodo are far too dedicated as Apple fanboys to risk upsetting Apple by defying orders.
Yellow and Red are meant to make people feel hungry, hence why signs tend to favour these colours. Over here Burger King is called Hungry Jacks.
I'm not a designer mind you, I believe in being productive.
I know plenty of Jews and Muslims that eat McDonalds, Burger King, KFC and so forth. The first thing I saw after clearing Customs in Malaysia was a McD's, only the double bacon cheeseburger is not Halal hence it's not served there.
OK, most things at McD's aren't Kosher, mixing meat and dairy but in Australia I'm yet to meet a Jew who is that dedicated, most refuse to eat at McD's because it's too expensive.
This has been happening for some time now. I've known how to unlock the fourth core on the AMD Phenom II X3 series for almost a year. I'm certain this is not a record for old news on /. however. This has turned out to be quite stable, AMD have disabled the core because they found some flaw with it in QA, this may mean that the core is completely unstable or it may mean the core has one tiny flaw that may cause a problem under some obscure circumstance. Further more, AMD doesn't care if you unlock the core, they just wont support the proc under warranty, same with any kind of overclocking.
So, that 32 GB of flash memory is doing what...
I believe it is storing data. You fail here at manipulating definitions, storing data does not refer specifically to using a GUI to move files. It does store, manage and manipulate data, in fact Itunes does the exact function you describe. It does not fail the definition because it doesn't manage files like Windows.
Manipulate data, so you cant save a game with the Ipad, shock horror this is manipulating data. It's also writing and reading data from a storage device when doing this (managing files). The simple fact that the Ipad can install programs means that it can store and manipulate data.
So it is a general purpose computer, just not a very good one. No amount of re-definition or marketing will change this because it does the same function as other general purpose computers, just not as well.
The Ipad (correct English please) fails basic punctuation. It is a proper noun and I will treat it as such. On the plus side you can now use Ipad in Scrabble (also a proper noun).
Immoral, well I'll leave that to the theologians, it is however wrong (in a legal sense) for them to tell me what I can and cannot do with hardware that I own. Lease is quite different but Apple aren't "leasing" the hardware to me, they are just trying to act in that fashion.
Except that it is a general purpose computer, or PC as they are commonly known. Please see here and here for definitions.
I know that you and Apple want so very desperately to escape the PC comparison because when you look at the Ipad compared to a notebook, with the Ipad's limitations and restrictions it is such a terrible comparison. Unfortunately you cant escape the definition and more so, are trying to occupy the same space in the market.
Some people are incapable of recognising problems. See Cognitive Dissonance, post purchase rationalisation and choice-supportive bias.
If your statement was true, we wouldn't see battered wives going back to their husbands with the old "but he loves me" excuse. It's in the human condition that we want to be right about our choices and our ego creates conditions to support this, especially when it isn't true (ego based defences such as denial, distortion or projection).
Projection is an important one, your post is projecting your desires onto that of everyone else around you. Your ego wants the Ipad so badly it creates an entire world where everyone shares your desire. Unfortunately this also means your ego will not permit a condition where there can be a problem with the Ipad, thus trying to suppress the cognitive dissonance when someone points out the somewhat obvious flaws in the Ipad.
I'm sorry, but your and Apple's attempts to get the Ipad classified as "not a computer" are terrible. The Ipad, as well as the Iphone and Android phones (WinMo phones, Symbian S60 and so forth) are general purpose computers according to the definition.
Shamelessly ripped from Wikipedia.
The Ipad still executes a program, it still has a arithmetic logic unit, control unit, memory and I/O device. This makes it a general purpose computer. Being limited in both hardware and software just makes it a very poor general purpose computer.
No, but Apple is not meant to fight me when I do, which is the case now with the Iphones, each software update and hardware revision is designed to stop you from doing what you want with your own device. The last generation of Iphones needs to be re-jailbroken each time it's rebooted.
This pathological level of control is why I can never buy Apple.
That one is plagiarism, not theft. Stolen is the colloquial term, plagiarism is the legal term
Technically this isn't theft either, it's infringement, corporate espionage, breaking into a computer system without authorisation and fraud. Steal, again is the colloquial term, the criminals in this case, if ever caught will not be charged with theft.
The English language is a funny thing, this is stealing in the same way that to say this [cheap item] was "a steal" to indicate the extremely low price for which I purchased it, not to indicate that I had committed theft to acquire it. BTW, colloquial definitions are in the dictionary.
The construction is more complex and requires more skilled labour. Right now in a Western Digital factory in Issan, Thailand young Thai's are assembling mechanical hard drives as an alternative to subsistence farming. Netting approximately 1000 Baht (US$35) a week, well paid for an Issan Thai. How much would a single worker in one of Intel's flash memory fabs cost.
The cost of the human labour will not reach parity for some time, neither will the machines required for assembly. What will eventually drive the price down is:
1. increased demand, leading to increased production.
2. this is where economies of scale kick in, even if the price to turn sand into silicon does not decrease, profit margins can be shaved as more is being moved.
3. Increased competition also from increased demand.
In fact I don't see SSD's reaching per GB parity with mechanical hard drives until we can no longer make larger mechanical hard drives. Where SSD's win is in performance, faster with less power draw, even at thrice the per GB cost they become a bargain for the performance gain. Right now I can buy a 1 TB HDD for A$110, that's A$0.11 a GB while a cheap SSD costs A$219 for 64 GB which is A$3.42 per GB (A-RAM brand, and Intel 80 GB is A$400). Even once we start paying A$1 per GB SSD's become worth it.
Unfortunately, the term white guilt is only used as a precursor to xenophobic and racist speeches.
I know you are smarter and more eloquent then that.
The dictionary definition and the colloquial definition differ with the term "white guilt" as it has become synonymous with the most nationalist and racist of radicals in the western world. It's used as more of a cop out, to ignore and excuse the actions of bigots these days. Brushing off the past as "white guilt" or "white mans burden" is just an excuse used by those who wish to ignore the lessons we learned from our history.
Because Joey hit Johnny is not an excuse for Johnny to hit Janey.
The Mongols, Persians and Arabs are no longer superpowers, you reap what you sew, as Europe was abolishing slavery they were getting taken over by Europe. The big difference is that the regimes of India, Japan, China or any of the others that you mentioned no longer exist, however the first county to outlaw slavery in 1107 still exists, as do the governments of England and the United States. Those who do not learn from history and so forth.
It's also worth noting that in many places in Europe, including Britain slavery was outlawed before the US civil war.
1102, slave trading and serfdom ruled illegal in London.
1117, slavery declared illegal in Iceland.
1335, slavery declared illegal in Sweden.
1723, Russia abolishes slavery.
1761, slavery declared illegal in mainland Portugal.
1772, English courts decide the condition of slavery did not exist under English law, 10-14,000 slaves emancipated.
1778, slavery declared illegal in Scotland.
1787, Siera Leone established as a colony for emancipated slaves by Britain.
1794, First French Republic abolishes slavery.
1803, Lower Canada abolishes slavery.
1807, Slave trading declared illegal by Britain, captains charged 100 Pounds per slave transported.
1807, Britain patrols African coast to arrest slave trading vessels.
1822, Greece abolishes slavery.
1834, Britain abolishes slavery throughout the empire with the exception of the East India company and Ceylon.
1838, Slaves in the British empire made free after a period of forced apprenticeships.
1839, Indian indenture system made illegal.
1843, East India Company forced to abolish slavery by the British empire.
1845, 36 Royal Navy vessels assigned to the Anti-Slavery Squadron making it one of the largest fleets in the world at the time.
1860, indenture system abolished in British India.
1861, American Civil War begins
1863, Slavery abolished in Dutch colonies.
1863, Emancipation Proclamation.
1865, Thirteenth amendment to the US constitution outlaws slavery.
There were many other examples but I've tried to keep this list limited to US and European governments. Several US states outlawed slavery in the early 1800's but there was also the Fugitive Slave Act of 1950 which required the return of escaped slaves.
In Australia, yes (but I can pay someone else to do it or buy one pre-jailbroken). In the US they can bludgeon you with the DCMA until you give in.
Number 6: What do you want.
Number 2: We want information, information, information.
Number 6: You wont get it.
Number 2: By hook or by crook we will.
Number 6: I am not a number, I'm a free man.
Number 2: Laughs manically.
Why do I always think of the opening to the Prisoner when I read something like this. The consumer holds no real power, we petition for laws in order to empower us. As a group we are too disparate and organised to be any influence on a large corporation. Without consumer protection laws the consumer is stuffed.
Android was in development long before the Iphone was released. Google acquired Android Inc in 2005. The OS was announced in November 2007 with the formation of the Open Handset Alliance (OHA). The driver for Android was a standard platform for the handset industry, which is why the OHA started with 65 members. Google was the driver for openness, no-one in the OHA had a problem with this.
It's called the Nook.