The only advances in search that are important to me are advances that make it easier and faster to find what I'm looking for. I don't use search engines for the "experience" but rather to locate the sites that I do visit for the experience. The only relevant change that might improve search mentioned was trying to find better ways to understand user intent. Luckily, anyone web-savvy knows enough little tricks and tidbits to get their intent across to a search box in any normal situation (small but useful things like - and + operators or site: searches).
Third parties tend to seem futile at the time but it isn't surprising to see the major parties slowly adopt the major parts of the third parties platform given time. We saw it years ago with the Populist Party and I wouldn't be surprised to see bits and pieces of Green or Libertarian Party philosophy emerging from the Democrats and Republicans in a few decades.
By the time any settlement is made, Apple, at worst, might have to pay Creative some lump sum for having sold their older iPods, but the new iPod will be free of conflict. The lump sum might be tied to some amount relative to the number of Jukebox's, Zen's and Muvo's Creative has sold over the last decade, which is to say, Apple might have to let go of some petty cash. Apple won't be able to serve Jello in their cafeteria in that particular week.
Assuming a ruling in favor of Creative, not a settlement, the sum would be related to the amount of iPods sold that infringed on the patent. How many units Creative moved is irrelevant.
Vendors are already liable for their bugs, they just pay out of their userbase instead of their pockets. Which comes out of their pockets indirectly at a later point.
Slashdot Mirror
The only advances in search that are important to me are advances that make it easier and faster to find what I'm looking for. I don't use search engines for the "experience" but rather to locate the sites that I do visit for the experience. The only relevant change that might improve search mentioned was trying to find better ways to understand user intent. Luckily, anyone web-savvy knows enough little tricks and tidbits to get their intent across to a search box in any normal situation (small but useful things like - and + operators or site: searches).
Third parties tend to seem futile at the time but it isn't surprising to see the major parties slowly adopt the major parts of the third parties platform given time. We saw it years ago with the Populist Party and I wouldn't be surprised to see bits and pieces of Green or Libertarian Party philosophy emerging from the Democrats and Republicans in a few decades.
The iWii?
Vendors are already liable for their bugs, they just pay out of their userbase instead of their pockets. Which comes out of their pockets indirectly at a later point.