Boy, is THAT a laugh! I'd bet a large number of Galactic Credits that the iPad 2 was in the pipeline BEFORE the iPad 1 even launched. Just how fast do you think someone can push a complex SoC like the A5 through all the approval and fab cycles? Xoom clone? I think your psychological "projection" is showing. Better put a towel over it!
The Xoom has a resolution of 1280x800. The iPad 2 has a resolution of 1024x768. Hence, the iPad 2 has a much lower resolution screen.
And, as many, many reviewers and slashdotters have pointed out, what is the point of having extra pixels if you can't paint them fast enough? Even YOU point out the GPU deficiencies on the Xoom. "The GPU performance of the Ipad 2 is indeed better than the Xoom. "
It's mobile strategy appears to be to emulate IBM's PC strategy in 1984.
In what way?
It will take a while for Android to mature in Tablets.
They've had over a year now to play CATCH UP, and haven't. Meanwhile, Apple is still chugging away, getting ever further and further ahead...
The T-mobile G-slate can capture 3-d video, which is pretty cool.
Oh, great! Now we have to suffer not only nauseatingly-fast 2D panning in home movies; but now it's going to be Tip O'Neill's 3-D House Of Representatives! Gag me (literally!).
Consumers who buy the iPad more than likely already are iPhone or iPod Touch owners. They're already familiar with iOS and how to get stuff done on it.
Bzzt! Sorry! Three out of Four iPad owners do not have another Apple Product. (I was surprised, too).
There's JIT lag for native code too when the hardware manufacturer changes the platform from one instruction set to another. The 68LC040 emulator in Mac OS 7/PowerPC was so slow that people bought a third-party replacement JIT (Connectix Speed Doubler) to speed things up. Rosetta (PowerPC emulator for Mac OS/x86) also introduces overhead. And when Android/x86 tablets land, they'll need a JIT to run the many applications that use ARM NDK modules.
I wasn't aware that MacOS 7 was PowerPC native (Hint: It wasn't). PowerPC support wasn't even available until System 8.5, long after System 7 was a bad memory.
Here's the real story about the history of 68k emulation on the Mac. What you say is partly true when speaking of NuBus PPC Macs; but, by the time the PCI PowerMacs came around (starting with, IIRC, the PM8100), the 68k emulator WAS a JIT, and a damn-fast one at that. I had a PM8500 running (with a G3 CPU card) until I "retired" it a couple of years ago (still running fine, BTW). I really couldn't tell any performance difference nor JIT-lag (haha!) that I could ever tell, even in the slightest. PPC, FatBinary, and 68k apps all launched and executed without any noticeable differences.
SpeedDoubler's greatest performance improvements came not from a better 68k emulator; but rather from a vastly improved (albeit a bit riskier) disk-caching scheme.
But still, Linux has failed to match the innovation that XP had from the start, apps that install by merely opening an email. Think of the Windows feature as the suppository model.
OS X users do have Fink and MacPorts available, so they are not entirely without repositories. Granted those are not mainstream and must be added. Also, they're not for native Mac apps.
We are so conflating iOS and OS X here it isn't even funny.
With OS X, even with the opening of Apple's Mac App Store, there is no "edict" that OS X apps be distributed only on the Apple store. You are free to peruse MacUpdate, CNet, et al.
So, I fail to see what Fink and MacPorts have to do with those models, or what any of that has to do with iOS vs. Android in the tablet market; which is the TOPIC of this Article.
And yes, I DID get your joke about Windows, and in fact it made me smile out loud...
I've never run across a patient with leprosy but in The Journal of Chiropractic Medicine,
I read about a person in Texas who went to her Chirporactor with leprosy
sores. The Doctor performed some excellent manipulations which got the
patient's nervous system in tip-top shape to battle the
infection.
After intense treatments the leprosy was GONE.
You mean after excellent manipulations AND antibiotic treatment with modern, anti-leprosy drugs.
Sucks, I know (and agree); but no one forces you to use a cellphone.
Nor is anyone forced to travel by air, or to use a computer, or a library or to walk around downtown...
But I sure am getting sick of being barred from any modern human activity if I should want to go about my business without enhanced levels of surveillance.
But, in this PARTICULAR case, it really IS a tempest in a teapot.
As you have no doubt read by now, all of the people who have actually LOOKED at the database confirm that ALL that is being stored is a database of CELL TOWER locations; NOT YOUR LOCATION.
But don't let the FACTS outweigh or mitigate your Apple Hate.
isn't it just guesswork to say "You visited thus and so" in a congested urban location?
The police will not guess. In an investigation the question of why your phone data is they way it is will be asked numerous times in multiple ways. Any answer you give that is not exactly like your other answers to the same question will be held up as proof that you were inconsistent and dishonest with the investigators.
If your phone doesn't track your location, that is one less pool of data you do not have to defend yourself against.
It DOESN'T track YOUR location; as you have conveniently ignored, everyone who has looked at the database confirms that it is keeping a database of recent CELL TOWERS. As one poster pointed out, one that was in his database was 75 miles away.
I think it's too early to judge what Apple is doing but
1. To help prevent DROPPED CALLS, by keeping a running database of nearby CELL TOWERS.
the ancient pre-millenium GSM phone I had years ago was one of those old voice-and-sms-only little things but it didn't drop calls. I don't have any evidence supporting my claim but I bet that it didn't store any cell tower location in any local database. How can a cell towers database make better something that was already working? (genuine question, no sarcasm intended).
How do you know that it didn't store a temporary database of nearby cell towers in RAM or in Flash?
Seriously, how do you think that seamless hand-offs happen?
The only difference here is that Apple used their database API to store the locations, rather than some array in RAM.
I'm as paranoid as the next person; but there seriously is NOTHING to see here. Honest.
BTW, in case you didn't know, every CELL CARRIER keeps this same information for EVERY cell phone, by LAW, in perpetuity
Yes I do know that. The cop pulling you over for speeding does *not* have access to that information and needs a damn warrant to get it. (not getting into whether the warrant thing is even true anymore (thanks GWB!).
Apple isn't using this information. The phone is.
Really? You don't see this data being misused in *any* way going forward? That its stored in plain text on PCs when you sync?
I'm not worried (much) about Apple using this data, I'm worried about other people using this data that Apple has so conveniently collected for them on *my* phone.
Considering that the data appears to be a REALLY low-resolution version of where you MIGHT have been (it seems to only be storing the location of CELL TOWERS), I really don't worry about this info.
Based on the articles, it's pretty clear you were traveling along a highway. That's more than enough to say you were in that area.
There is some debate over how accurate it is, since it isn't 'true' GPS. The fewer the towers the less accurate it is apparently. But in congested cities? Might be able to pin you down to a block at a certain time. And that's *plenty* to hold you for further questioning if they want too.
It's pretty clear that it is simply a database that is used BY THE PHONE for two purposes (and ONLY two purposes):
1. To help prevent DROPPED CALLS, by keeping a running database of nearby CELL TOWERS.
2. To provide COARSE-GRAINED "location" information for "Location Services".
BTW, in case you didn't know, every CELL CARRIER keeps this same information for EVERY cell phone, by LAW, in perpetuity. Sucks, I know (and agree); but no one forces you to use a cellphone.
1. A computer-implemented method performed by a location aware device, the method comprising: configuring a processor of the location aware device to collect network information broadcast from a number of network transmitters over a time span; and storing the network information and corresponding timestamps in a database as location history data."
I can generate that kind of patents as fast as I can type. Let's see...
1.A computer implemented mechanism to count from computer-defined 0 to an arbitrary computer number in an efficient way.
3. The method of claim 1, where the result is stored in a database.
4. The method of claim 1, where count begins from an arbitrary number.
5. The method of claim 1, where the counter is incremented by a computer-defined step that is not an integer 1.... Should start building my "portfolio" asap.
Exactly!
And Apple, like all big "tech" companies, patents a LOT of things they have no intention of implementing; or, which, for a variety of reasons, never see the light of day.
Just because someone was able to use a patent search engine, does NOT mean that the patent had anything to do with a shipping product.
Tracking the locations of cell towers != tracking a user
Is that the granularity of the database?!?
Damn, people are paranoid! (sometimes rightly so; but not in this case).
So, people are whining that the database kept to minimize call-drops when switching cell-towers (and to provide COARSE location data for Location Services) is now transmogrified into having a big-red-blinking-light attached to the top of your head?!?
The problem comes when you have states like Michigan where the police are allegedly downloading information from a smart phone in a minute or two and then, conceivably, can use that location information against you any way they want. Big problem.
Not that I am defending the privacy invasion by the police in ANY way; but is that location information fine-grained enough to say where, to a certainly, you went? I mean, unless you're talking about a rural area, where places are far enough apart to pinpoint, isn't it just guesswork to say "You visited thus and so" in a congested urban location?
So in order to encourage you to upgrade Windows XP to a newer version, they create a countdown clock that only runs on systems you have already upgraded??? Is it called the "Schadenfreude Clock"?
Actually, I have 30 years of embedded development experience. By the time I had settled into that career, I had already "reinvented" myself at least twice.
Hopefully you've saved a few bucks and can hold out until the next economic turnaround where you will be receiving investment income rather than regular income.
Never had investments or much savings. "Finance" has never been my strong suit, LOL!
Currently burning through my pittance of a 401k, which I had to cash-in to keep the wolves away. I figure I have about another 3-4 months before I REALLY have to say "Do you want fries with that?"
The only thing that is saving me is that my house is PAID FOR; so, I can hunker-down in "low-power" mode and last MUCH longer than my friends with $1200+/month mortgages. I'd be "dead" in a second if I had that kind of albatross around my neck...
UNfortunately, the same thing that is helping me to survive (my ZERO house-payment), is the very-same-thing which is currently fucking me over, career-wise. I have had some pretty frickin' nice job offers; but it takes a HELLUVA big salary to overcome the "flywheel" of living essentially for only the cost of food and utilities. It's kind of like living with your parents; but without Mom's cooking, LOL!
The problem is, with the absolute NON-"loyalty" exhibited by nearly every single company, I am, quite frankly, kind of loathe to pack up and move halfway across the U.S., just for a contract position; or even for a "permanent" position (are there any of those anymore?), working for a company that might really, honestly "strand me" in some equally-stupid place to be an embedded developer as is Indiana... But, THIS time with an $800 monthly apartment rental, and , and, and. BAM! Instant homelessness! No thank you VERY much...
My situation is typical in my age group (I'll be 55 in May, DAMMIT!). In fact, I read an article here on slashdot about a year ago that said (paraphrasing) that one of the biggest reasons why younger people advance more quickly in their career-paths, is because they are much less likely to have deep "roots" where they are living, and thus it is much less "expensive", "security-wise", for them to simply uproot and move across the country on a whim.
Unfortunately, during what would have been those "salad days" for me, career-wise (for example: Not to brag; but with the connections I had at the time, I most assuredly could have gotten hired at Apple in R&D in the late 70s), I sort of got "stuck" here in Indianapolis taking care of my sick parent. By the time she passed away, I was already in my mid-40s; but had carved out a nice comfortable career working in R&D for over 12 years for a local motor-control OEM. And, in all modesty, I was doing great, and doing a great job. In fact, my last product design was a finalist (actually, 2nd place) in a 2009 Design News national product design contest.
Then, I got a new boss... And HE wanted his buddy to do what I was doing. POOF! Goodbye career!
And yes, there really IS that little embedded development here in Indy. So, I have tried to re-invent myself yet again as a web developer; but I HATE web development with a purple passion; and thus, I just can't seem to get motivated to get good enough to make other than dribs and drabs of money at it. Yes, I know that's my fault; but I find HTML to be mind-numbingly stupid. Yes, I know: More stupid than flipping burgers? Well, almost. I would like to do iOS development; but fear that the "gold rush" is past its peak, and the lead time before you make ANY money (if you make any at all!) is too long for me to "wait out"...
So, here I sit; broken-hearted.
you should realize that many folks these days have multiple careers in their lifetime and that is really the norm over history
Preachin' to the choir, man: During other hiatuses (hiatii?) in my "embedde
Yes, I get it, you are an Elitist, who thinks the messy jobs in life are just for the people who made fun of you in middle school.
No, I am a trained and experienced professional, who expects only to be given due consideration in applying for jobs in his customary field of expertise.
Now what?
Not everyone will be digging but they will be doing jobs that are available the closely matches what they are best for, it is called good Human Resource Management.
I am well aware of the fact that the job description was a metaphor; so was my answer.
However, my "ability" lies in embedded development.
Now what?
I am just stating that the benedictory of government pay should do work for improving the community.
You act as if the people who drew Unemployment didn't have to WORK FIRST to be eligible for those benefits.
I worked for nearly 20 years between the last time I drew Unemployment, and my most recent time doing so.
Now what?
For those who are not strong enough to hold shovels would probably either already be on disability or be giving an other job.
The approval process for SSDI ("disability") takes an average of THREE YEARS, and nearly HALF are denied anyway. Unemployment lasts around TWO years.
Sorry, I'm a Libertarian. Which are, by and large, made up of Republicans that have gotten sick and tired of the Republican State-ist BULLSHIT.
Even during good economic times, there are many people that could easily get a job, but instead stay on welfare because it is easier.
And your point being?
Many people have no reason to get off welfare, so they don't.
Not any more. Since the Clinton-era "reforms", every state has "Welfare-to-Work" REQUIREMENTS, that keep that from being the case. I am not currently receiving any public assistance except Food Stamps, and even THOSE have a "Work Requirement" of at least 80 hours per month after the first 90 days.
Now what?
Who says that every single person applying has to do the exact same thing? Some people could do clerical/desk work. Get off your high horse and don't injure yourself on the way down.
When that particular horse ends up carrying YOU, you will see that it is easy to make pronouncements; but sometimes, even pronouncements must give way to facts. (paraphrased with apologies to Mr. Spock)
Slashdot Mirror
The Ipad2 was mostly a Xoom clone
Boy, is THAT a laugh! I'd bet a large number of Galactic Credits that the iPad 2 was in the pipeline BEFORE the iPad 1 even launched. Just how fast do you think someone can push a complex SoC like the A5 through all the approval and fab cycles? Xoom clone? I think your psychological "projection" is showing. Better put a towel over it!
The Xoom has a resolution of 1280x800. The iPad 2 has a resolution of 1024x768. Hence, the iPad 2 has a much lower resolution screen.
And, as many, many reviewers and slashdotters have pointed out, what is the point of having extra pixels if you can't paint them fast enough? Even YOU point out the GPU deficiencies on the Xoom. "The GPU performance of the Ipad 2 is indeed better than the Xoom. "
It's mobile strategy appears to be to emulate IBM's PC strategy in 1984.
In what way?
It will take a while for Android to mature in Tablets.
They've had over a year now to play CATCH UP, and haven't. Meanwhile, Apple is still chugging away, getting ever further and further ahead...
The T-mobile G-slate can capture 3-d video, which is pretty cool.
Oh, great! Now we have to suffer not only nauseatingly-fast 2D panning in home movies; but now it's going to be Tip O'Neill's 3-D House Of Representatives! Gag me (literally!).
Consumers who buy the iPad more than likely already are iPhone or iPod Touch owners. They're already familiar with iOS and how to get stuff done on it.
Bzzt! Sorry! Three out of Four iPad owners do not have another Apple Product. (I was surprised, too).
BTW, love your sig!
the Jit itself introduces a perceptible lag.
There's JIT lag for native code too when the hardware manufacturer changes the platform from one instruction set to another. The 68LC040 emulator in Mac OS 7/PowerPC was so slow that people bought a third-party replacement JIT (Connectix Speed Doubler) to speed things up. Rosetta (PowerPC emulator for Mac OS/x86) also introduces overhead. And when Android/x86 tablets land, they'll need a JIT to run the many applications that use ARM NDK modules.
I wasn't aware that MacOS 7 was PowerPC native (Hint: It wasn't). PowerPC support wasn't even available until System 8.5, long after System 7 was a bad memory.
Here's the real story about the history of 68k emulation on the Mac. What you say is partly true when speaking of NuBus PPC Macs; but, by the time the PCI PowerMacs came around (starting with, IIRC, the PM8100), the 68k emulator WAS a JIT, and a damn-fast one at that. I had a PM8500 running (with a G3 CPU card) until I "retired" it a couple of years ago (still running fine, BTW). I really couldn't tell any performance difference nor JIT-lag (haha!) that I could ever tell, even in the slightest. PPC, FatBinary, and 68k apps all launched and executed without any noticeable differences.
SpeedDoubler's greatest performance improvements came not from a better 68k emulator; but rather from a vastly improved (albeit a bit riskier) disk-caching scheme.
The difference is that with Linux you aren't forced to use the repository, the whole repository and nothing but the repository, so help you Jobs.
And if you "jailbreak" (root) your iOS device, you aren't, either, so help me , Me.
Now what?
Yes, by being able to chose multiple apt-get repositories, I'm not restricted to software approved by one person.
And by "jailbreaking" (rooting) you iOS device, you aren't restricted, either.
Now what?
But still, Linux has failed to match the innovation that XP had from the start, apps that install by merely opening an email. Think of the Windows feature as the suppository model.
OS X users do have Fink and MacPorts available, so they are not entirely without repositories. Granted those are not mainstream and must be added. Also, they're not for native Mac apps.
We are so conflating iOS and OS X here it isn't even funny.
With OS X, even with the opening of Apple's Mac App Store, there is no "edict" that OS X apps be distributed only on the Apple store. You are free to peruse MacUpdate, CNet, et al.
So, I fail to see what Fink and MacPorts have to do with those models, or what any of that has to do with iOS vs. Android in the tablet market; which is the TOPIC of this Article.
And yes, I DID get your joke about Windows, and in fact it made me smile out loud...
This is why you don't see Apple focusing on MacOS. They've given up trying to compete in open systems controlled by the end user.
Um, you might want to rethink your statement about Apple not focusing on MacOS.
And that's just OS X, and OS X-capable-product news from one site, for about the past week or so.
I've never run across a patient with leprosy but in The Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, I read about a person in Texas who went to her Chirporactor with leprosy sores. The Doctor performed some excellent manipulations which got the patient's nervous system in tip-top shape to battle the infection. After intense treatments the leprosy was GONE.
You mean after excellent manipulations AND antibiotic treatment with modern, anti-leprosy drugs.
Sucks, I know (and agree); but no one forces you to use a cellphone.
Nor is anyone forced to travel by air, or to use a computer, or a library or to walk around downtown...
But I sure am getting sick of being barred from any modern human activity if I should want to go about my business without enhanced levels of surveillance.
But, in this PARTICULAR case, it really IS a tempest in a teapot.
As you have no doubt read by now, all of the people who have actually LOOKED at the database confirm that ALL that is being stored is a database of CELL TOWER locations; NOT YOUR LOCATION.
But don't let the FACTS outweigh or mitigate your Apple Hate.
isn't it just guesswork to say "You visited thus and so" in a congested urban location?
The police will not guess. In an investigation the question of why your phone data is they way it is will be asked numerous times in multiple ways. Any answer you give that is not exactly like your other answers to the same question will be held up as proof that you were inconsistent and dishonest with the investigators. If your phone doesn't track your location, that is one less pool of data you do not have to defend yourself against.
It DOESN'T track YOUR location; as you have conveniently ignored, everyone who has looked at the database confirms that it is keeping a database of recent CELL TOWERS. As one poster pointed out, one that was in his database was 75 miles away.
But, don't let FACTS stop the Apple Hate!
I think it's too early to judge what Apple is doing but
1. To help prevent DROPPED CALLS, by keeping a running database of nearby CELL TOWERS.
the ancient pre-millenium GSM phone I had years ago was one of those old voice-and-sms-only little things but it didn't drop calls. I don't have any evidence supporting my claim but I bet that it didn't store any cell tower location in any local database. How can a cell towers database make better something that was already working? (genuine question, no sarcasm intended).
How do you know that it didn't store a temporary database of nearby cell towers in RAM or in Flash?
Seriously, how do you think that seamless hand-offs happen?
The only difference here is that Apple used their database API to store the locations, rather than some array in RAM.
I'm as paranoid as the next person; but there seriously is NOTHING to see here. Honest.
BTW, in case you didn't know, every CELL CARRIER keeps this same information for EVERY cell phone, by LAW, in perpetuity
Yes I do know that. The cop pulling you over for speeding does *not* have access to that information and needs a damn warrant to get it. (not getting into whether the warrant thing is even true anymore (thanks GWB!).
Apple isn't using this information. The phone is.
Really? You don't see this data being misused in *any* way going forward? That its stored in plain text on PCs when you sync? I'm not worried (much) about Apple using this data, I'm worried about other people using this data that Apple has so conveniently collected for them on *my* phone.
Considering that the data appears to be a REALLY low-resolution version of where you MIGHT have been (it seems to only be storing the location of CELL TOWERS), I really don't worry about this info.
Certainly enough imprecision that using it as the sole evidence to convict or accuse me of a crime would be laughable.
But more than enough "precision" to generate buttloads of senseless Apple Hate.
Oh well; when you're the big kid on the block, I guess jealousy is inevitable.
And you notice the Slashdot (and other "media") articles that are falling all over themselves rushing correct all this MISinformation.
Oh, wait... That doesn't generate hits.
Based on the articles, it's pretty clear you were traveling along a highway. That's more than enough to say you were in that area. There is some debate over how accurate it is, since it isn't 'true' GPS. The fewer the towers the less accurate it is apparently. But in congested cities? Might be able to pin you down to a block at a certain time. And that's *plenty* to hold you for further questioning if they want too.
It's pretty clear that it is simply a database that is used BY THE PHONE for two purposes (and ONLY two purposes) :
1. To help prevent DROPPED CALLS, by keeping a running database of nearby CELL TOWERS.
2. To provide COARSE-GRAINED "location" information for "Location Services".
BTW, in case you didn't know, every CELL CARRIER keeps this same information for EVERY cell phone, by LAW, in perpetuity. Sucks, I know (and agree); but no one forces you to use a cellphone.
Apple isn't using this information. The phone is.
"Claims:
1. A computer-implemented method performed by a location aware device, the method comprising: configuring a processor of the location aware device to collect network information broadcast from a number of network transmitters over a time span; and storing the network information and corresponding timestamps in a database as location history data." I can generate that kind of patents as fast as I can type. Let's see...
1.A computer implemented mechanism to count from computer-defined 0 to an arbitrary computer number in an efficient way.
3. The method of claim 1, where the result is stored in a database.
4. The method of claim 1, where count begins from an arbitrary number.
5. The method of claim 1, where the counter is incremented by a computer-defined step that is not an integer 1. ... Should start building my "portfolio" asap.
Exactly!
And Apple, like all big "tech" companies, patents a LOT of things they have no intention of implementing; or, which, for a variety of reasons, never see the light of day.
Just because someone was able to use a patent search engine, does NOT mean that the patent had anything to do with a shipping product.
Tracking the locations of cell towers != tracking a user
Is that the granularity of the database?!?
Damn, people are paranoid! (sometimes rightly so; but not in this case).
So, people are whining that the database kept to minimize call-drops when switching cell-towers (and to provide COARSE location data for Location Services) is now transmogrified into having a big-red-blinking-light attached to the top of your head?!?
Sheesh!
Umm isn't this pretty much what the telcos store anyways already in their own databases? The';ve used this info already on the First 48 hours show.
Good catch!
The problem comes when you have states like Michigan where the police are allegedly downloading information from a smart phone in a minute or two and then, conceivably, can use that location information against you any way they want. Big problem.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/michigan-police-being-questioned-for-extracting-smartphone-data/
Not that I am defending the privacy invasion by the police in ANY way; but is that location information fine-grained enough to say where, to a certainly, you went? I mean, unless you're talking about a rural area, where places are far enough apart to pinpoint, isn't it just guesswork to say "You visited thus and so" in a congested urban location?
I hear Apple has this app store thing, and batteries that are a pain to replace...
Long story short, to access your phone, all they have to do is wait.
Assuming, of course, you don't use one of the several third-party battery-replacement services.
So in order to encourage you to upgrade Windows XP to a newer version, they create a countdown clock that only runs on systems you have already upgraded??? Is it called the "Schadenfreude Clock"?
That was EXACTLY what I was thinking.
So as you watch the count down to XP's death tick by think about the problems created by using software that actually belongs to someone else..."
Yes, you're better off with opensource. It's much nicer knowing software you depend on may be abandoned without notice.
Wow! Al Jaffee would be proud of that Snappy Answer!
I'm no MS fan (see username), and quite enjoy many OSS projects; but that was too true...
If you have THIRTY YEARS' of employment
Actually, I have 30 years of embedded development experience. By the time I had settled into that career, I had already "reinvented" myself at least twice.
Hopefully you've saved a few bucks and can hold out until the next economic turnaround where you will be receiving investment income rather than regular income.
Never had investments or much savings. "Finance" has never been my strong suit, LOL!
Currently burning through my pittance of a 401k, which I had to cash-in to keep the wolves away. I figure I have about another 3-4 months before I REALLY have to say "Do you want fries with that?"
The only thing that is saving me is that my house is PAID FOR; so, I can hunker-down in "low-power" mode and last MUCH longer than my friends with $1200+/month mortgages. I'd be "dead" in a second if I had that kind of albatross around my neck...
UNfortunately, the same thing that is helping me to survive (my ZERO house-payment), is the very-same-thing which is currently fucking me over, career-wise. I have had some pretty frickin' nice job offers; but it takes a HELLUVA big salary to overcome the "flywheel" of living essentially for only the cost of food and utilities. It's kind of like living with your parents; but without Mom's cooking, LOL!
The problem is, with the absolute NON-"loyalty" exhibited by nearly every single company, I am, quite frankly, kind of loathe to pack up and move halfway across the U.S., just for a contract position; or even for a "permanent" position (are there any of those anymore?), working for a company that might really, honestly "strand me" in some equally-stupid place to be an embedded developer as is Indiana... But, THIS time with an $800 monthly apartment rental, and , and, and. BAM! Instant homelessness! No thank you VERY much...
My situation is typical in my age group (I'll be 55 in May, DAMMIT!). In fact, I read an article here on slashdot about a year ago that said (paraphrasing) that one of the biggest reasons why younger people advance more quickly in their career-paths, is because they are much less likely to have deep "roots" where they are living, and thus it is much less "expensive", "security-wise", for them to simply uproot and move across the country on a whim.
Unfortunately, during what would have been those "salad days" for me, career-wise (for example: Not to brag; but with the connections I had at the time, I most assuredly could have gotten hired at Apple in R&D in the late 70s), I sort of got "stuck" here in Indianapolis taking care of my sick parent. By the time she passed away, I was already in my mid-40s; but had carved out a nice comfortable career working in R&D for over 12 years for a local motor-control OEM. And, in all modesty, I was doing great, and doing a great job. In fact, my last product design was a finalist (actually, 2nd place) in a 2009 Design News national product design contest.
Then, I got a new boss... And HE wanted his buddy to do what I was doing. POOF! Goodbye career!
And yes, there really IS that little embedded development here in Indy. So, I have tried to re-invent myself yet again as a web developer; but I HATE web development with a purple passion; and thus, I just can't seem to get motivated to get good enough to make other than dribs and drabs of money at it. Yes, I know that's my fault; but I find HTML to be mind-numbingly stupid. Yes, I know: More stupid than flipping burgers? Well, almost. I would like to do iOS development; but fear that the "gold rush" is past its peak, and the lead time before you make ANY money (if you make any at all!) is too long for me to "wait out"...
So, here I sit; broken-hearted.
you should realize that many folks these days have multiple careers in their lifetime and that is really the norm over history
Preachin' to the choir, man: During other hiatuses (hiatii?) in my "embedde
You don't know any accountants do you?
They have no problem with this kind of thing. It cuts costs and everybody has been getting away with it for decades.
They will insist you get away with it.
Actually, I do.
Apparently, unlike you, the ones I know care about keeping their CPA licenses.
Yes, I get it, you are an Elitist, who thinks the messy jobs in life are just for the people who made fun of you in middle school.
No, I am a trained and experienced professional, who expects only to be given due consideration in applying for jobs in his customary field of expertise.
Now what?
Not everyone will be digging but they will be doing jobs that are available the closely matches what they are best for, it is called good Human Resource Management.
I am well aware of the fact that the job description was a metaphor; so was my answer.
However, my "ability" lies in embedded development.
Now what?
I am just stating that the benedictory of government pay should do work for improving the community.
You act as if the people who drew Unemployment didn't have to WORK FIRST to be eligible for those benefits.
I worked for nearly 20 years between the last time I drew Unemployment, and my most recent time doing so.
Now what?
For those who are not strong enough to hold shovels would probably either already be on disability or be giving an other job.
The approval process for SSDI ("disability") takes an average of THREE YEARS, and nearly HALF are denied anyway. Unemployment lasts around TWO years.
Now what?
Spoken like a true elitist Democrat.
Sorry, I'm a Libertarian. Which are, by and large, made up of Republicans that have gotten sick and tired of the Republican State-ist BULLSHIT.
Even during good economic times, there are many people that could easily get a job, but instead stay on welfare because it is easier.
And your point being?
Many people have no reason to get off welfare, so they don't.
Not any more. Since the Clinton-era "reforms", every state has "Welfare-to-Work" REQUIREMENTS, that keep that from being the case. I am not currently receiving any public assistance except Food Stamps, and even THOSE have a "Work Requirement" of at least 80 hours per month after the first 90 days.
Now what?
Who says that every single person applying has to do the exact same thing? Some people could do clerical/desk work. Get off your high horse and don't injure yourself on the way down.
When that particular horse ends up carrying YOU, you will see that it is easy to make pronouncements; but sometimes, even pronouncements must give way to facts. (paraphrased with apologies to Mr. Spock)