Is it a gimmick? I wonder what people said about the mouse back in the 1980's?
When Speilberg was in pre-production for "Minority Report" he created a futurist think tank and asked for probably technologies of the near future. That scene where Cruise is using the computer with both hands combined with voice commands was one of the ideas that came out of those sessions.
Underkoffler: The sort of single largest scale item was the gestural interface language that we see in the first scene that Mr. Cruise's character uses to sift through the pre-visions -- the evidence dreamed by the pre-cogs. We had him in the middle of that giant curved, transparent screen and Steven's brief was that he wanted the interface of that computer to be like conducting an orchestra. Armed with that brief, I went off and devised this whole kind of sign language for interacting with this computer, for controlling the flow of all this information. That was great fun and it derived in some ways from my earlier research back at MIT.
Maybe I'm hopeful, but this seems more like a taste of the near-future than a gimmick.
I agree with you about the models introduced today. However, think about the iPod line. Apple started with the high-end iPod, then later introduced the Mini (now Nano) and the Shuffle. The Nano is Apple's top-selling MP3 player. I have a feeling they will do the same with the iPhone. In a year, they will probably introduce a mid-level phone at a lower price point which will satisfy a good chunk of the rest of us. So the rest of us who want an iPhone, will get an iPhone within the next 2-3 years, it just won't be this top-end model.
Blurb from Apple Inc. site:
The sleek, easy-to-use AirPort Extreme Base Station is the perfect wireless access point for home, school, or small business. Blazing fast, it delivers up to five times the performance and up to twice the range compared to 802.11g routers. And you can use it with both Macs and PCs.
most people want to focus on the PS3 and think the Wii is a distraction
PS3 has sold around 150,000 units so far. Wii has sold around 600,000 units so far. Sony is trying to hit 1,000,000 units shipped by the end of the calendar year. Wii is trying to hit 4,000,000 units shipped by the end of the calendar year.
Hmm, if I was an EA employee, I'd rather be on the team making games for the distraction as it seems it would lead to long-term employment.
Remember, Type 1 Diabetes will be cured one day. Type 2 is incurable. Hang in there. My son is Type 1 and he's doing all the things he has to do, diet, exercise, shots; until the day comes when there's a cure. There are good people going to work on Type 1...
UAB Creates Comprehensive Diabetes Center
Posted on September 15, 2006 at 2:30 p.m.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Establishment of the Comprehensive Diabetes Center at UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) was approved today by the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees, meeting in Tuscaloosa.
The center will be directed on an interim basis by Edward Abraham, M.D., chair of the Department of Medicine at the UAB School of Medicine, who will lead a national search for a highly qualified scientist to assume the center's leadership position. The UAB Diabetes Center will be housed on the 12th floor of the Richard C. and Annette N. Shelby Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building.
A UAB-Community partnership is under way to raise funds to support the creation of a major diabetes research and treatment program at UAB. Nearly $9 million has been raised and will be used to hire a permanent director and six additional faculty members, as well as to provide additional funding to support the center's operating costs during its start-up years, before it is able to generate its own funding, Abraham said.
"There are many people in the community to thank for their contributions to helping to find improved ways to care for people with diabetes and to work toward a cure for it," he said. He specifically thanked David Silverstein, Benny LaRussa and Robin Sparks, who are chairing the community effort, and major donors Nancy Gwaltney of Alexander City, Ala., and the Diabetes Trust Foundation.
The new Diabetes Center will assemble scientists and clinicians from many disciplines to collaborate on translating basic medical discoveries into effective therapies. Existing units that will collaborate include the departments of Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, Nutrition Sciences, Pathology, Cell Biology and Genetics.
Why is it not Slashdot news? Don't know any nerds with Type II Diabetes? I do. If you don't like the information, you don't have to read it, and you definitely shouldn't waste your time posting here.
I understand your confusion. This is Slashdot and foreplay is unheard of, which is why sex tends to be unheard of. Grandparent was probably thinking of the tongue.
It's not sexy, and it won't work against well-implemented security plans, but thanks to human nature bashing is still a simple and common method. Tried and true.
If you use up all your superlatives now, if you shout "tyranny" now, what words will you use when it gets worse?
It gets worse every day. I agree with almost everything you wrote, but you seem to imply the momentum downward has stopped. It hasn't. It hasn't even remotely begun to swing in another direction. There was thought it would change in 2004, but it didn't. We, Americans, have a chance once again in November to start turning this beast around. However, one day we are going to run out of opportunities.
Re:still supprised at the $250 price tag.
on
The Wii Takes NYC
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· Score: 1
"well... I could drop an extra $50 and buy a xbox 360 core system" (even though its a striped down hunk of junk compared to its real older brother)
But isn't that the point? People already know the core system for an extra $50 is junk because it's been out for several months. I think the Wii is going to have a huge initial sale because people, quite frankly people like me, have been waiting for it instead of shelling out $300 for junk.
You make a good point about fear versus action. I sometimes think a good dose of fear can cause action, but I suppose it cuts both ways. Thanks for the link, by the way. I had not seen that before.
The only thing that concerns me is that DHS's responsibility in the US government seems to get more and more broad; anything that can be deemed in the protection of "Homeland Security" they can control, from intelligence to customs and border patrol to cyber security.
You know... that's a pretty big concern. If that's truly the only thing that concerns you, you should still be scared stiff. We have a U.S. Department which is 100% staffed by the current administration, and it continues to broaden it's role. I would be extremely concerned about the end-game, and I believe there is an end-game in mind which doesn't involve Democracy.
Um... wow, you really slid in your own piece of FUD while complaining about the FUD Apple and it's customers deal with.
They are much too expensive for my taste, they run expensive proprietary software, and everything Apple does is way too costly for me, but Gosh, aren't they sexy.
As a followup to my post, I just have to comment on this and other recent articles. When did the "Imminent Death of Apple" articles turn into the "Imminent Death of Steve Jobs"?
I think the author is comparing Jobs to Balmer. Afterall, why can't Steve get fat, sweat, and scream "developers, developers, developers" to liven things up and remove the spector of death that the "gaunt" and "uninspiring" Steve Jobs is creating?
Product: The new Apple® II is unveiled at the first West Coast Computer Faire. It is the first personal computer able to generate color graphics and includes a keyboard, power supply and attractive case.
And yet he's describing a software future he doesn't want, but "ah well". "Ah well" doesn't cut it with me. You know what would have made his piece true journalism? Investigation.
What are his requirements on Windows? Are there other operating systems which meet those requirements? Do those operating systems have similar "ah well" behavior as Windows?
Look at it again... I'm sure that's going to be a common refrain in this new era of untrusting software and companies. Ah well."
That's not someone who's being a "bigger" person. That's resignation. That's yet another person who'll refuse to look at alternatives and will stick with Microsoft. Why? I don't know, I really don't... and I find it scary.
That bothered me as well. The end of a barrel is going to feel like the end of a barrel on any gun. I'm not sure how the end of a barrel feels like it's semi-automatic or not. That line alone made me feel like the article is somewhat exagerated at best. At worst it's yellow journalism, which I highly suspect.
As the father of two boys, I can support your theory. My older boy really wanted the XBox 360. However, as the details and pricing of the Nintendo Wii have been released, he's come 'round to my thinking. The motion controllers are what really started to sway him. Now he'd rather we buy the Wii and use the difference in price to buy a few games right off the bat. Which suits me just fine.
weird and wacky accessories that range from a leather thong case (it's not what you think)
Just looked at it and... that's exactly what I thought. Why? What did you think when you saw "leather thong case"?... check that, maybe I just don't need to expose myself to that answer.
To them, making $200,000 a year would not be very much money. That may seam strange to most people, but that is the world they live in.
This reminds me of a response former New York Knick star Patrick Ewing made once during the last NBA lock-out. I believe he was being asked how he felt about fan reaction that NBA players make too much money.
"Well, we make a lot of money, but we spend a lot too"
He continues to receive flak for that comment, but it does point to this world the rich live in which is hard for us working-class people to comprehend.
Absolutely! I can't tell you how many times my wife and I exchange phone calls to ensure someone remembered to turn off the coffee maker before leaving for work. Having this technology for ovens, stoves and coffee makers would be more useful than for laundry machines.
To further what the parent post said about time saving and laundry machines, give me laundry machines which can change loads and fold clothes, that would be a true time-saving feature for today's laundry machines. Anything else is just "bells and whistles".
Slashdot Mirror
When Speilberg was in pre-production for "Minority Report" he created a futurist think tank and asked for probably technologies of the near future. That scene where Cruise is using the computer with both hands combined with voice commands was one of the ideas that came out of those sessions.
http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/movies/i nt/2002/07/10/underkoffler_belker/index.html
Underkoffler: The sort of single largest scale item was the gestural interface language that we see in the first scene that Mr. Cruise's character uses to sift through the pre-visions -- the evidence dreamed by the pre-cogs. We had him in the middle of that giant curved, transparent screen and Steven's brief was that he wanted the interface of that computer to be like conducting an orchestra. Armed with that brief, I went off and devised this whole kind of sign language for interacting with this computer, for controlling the flow of all this information. That was great fun and it derived in some ways from my earlier research back at MIT.Maybe I'm hopeful, but this seems more like a taste of the near-future than a gimmick.
I agree with you about the models introduced today. However, think about the iPod line. Apple started with the high-end iPod, then later introduced the Mini (now Nano) and the Shuffle. The Nano is Apple's top-selling MP3 player. I have a feeling they will do the same with the iPhone. In a year, they will probably introduce a mid-level phone at a lower price point which will satisfy a good chunk of the rest of us. So the rest of us who want an iPhone, will get an iPhone within the next 2-3 years, it just won't be this top-end model.
Price: $179.00
PS3 has sold around 150,000 units so far. Wii has sold around 600,000 units so far. Sony is trying to hit 1,000,000 units shipped by the end of the calendar year. Wii is trying to hit 4,000,000 units shipped by the end of the calendar year.
Hmm, if I was an EA employee, I'd rather be on the team making games for the distraction as it seems it would lead to long-term employment.
Why is it not Slashdot news? Don't know any nerds with Type II Diabetes? I do. If you don't like the information, you don't have to read it, and you definitely shouldn't waste your time posting here.
Um, no ... it's called foreplay.
I understand your confusion. This is Slashdot and foreplay is unheard of, which is why sex tends to be unheard of. Grandparent was probably thinking of the tongue.
It's not sexy, and it won't work against well-implemented security plans, but thanks to human nature bashing is still a simple and common method. Tried and true.
It gets worse every day. I agree with almost everything you wrote, but you seem to imply the momentum downward has stopped. It hasn't. It hasn't even remotely begun to swing in another direction. There was thought it would change in 2004, but it didn't. We, Americans, have a chance once again in November to start turning this beast around. However, one day we are going to run out of opportunities.
You make a good point about fear versus action. I sometimes think a good dose of fear can cause action, but I suppose it cuts both ways. Thanks for the link, by the way. I had not seen that before.
You know ... that's a pretty big concern. If that's truly the only thing that concerns you, you should still be scared stiff. We have a U.S. Department which is 100% staffed by the current administration, and it continues to broaden it's role. I would be extremely concerned about the end-game, and I believe there is an end-game in mind which doesn't involve Democracy.
Yeah, too expensive by far ... WTF?!?
As a followup to my post, I just have to comment on this and other recent articles. When did the "Imminent Death of Apple" articles turn into the "Imminent Death of Steve Jobs"?
;)
What are his requirements on Windows? Are there other operating systems which meet those requirements? Do those operating systems have similar "ah well" behavior as Windows?
That's not someone who's being a "bigger" person. That's resignation. That's yet another person who'll refuse to look at alternatives and will stick with Microsoft. Why? I don't know, I really don't ... and I find it scary.
That bothered me as well. The end of a barrel is going to feel like the end of a barrel on any gun. I'm not sure how the end of a barrel feels like it's semi-automatic or not. That line alone made me feel like the article is somewhat exagerated at best. At worst it's yellow journalism, which I highly suspect.
hey, brain farts happen to the best of us.
As the father of two boys, I can support your theory. My older boy really wanted the XBox 360. However, as the details and pricing of the Nintendo Wii have been released, he's come 'round to my thinking. The motion controllers are what really started to sway him. Now he'd rather we buy the Wii and use the difference in price to buy a few games right off the bat. Which suits me just fine.
"Well, we make a lot of money, but we spend a lot too"
He continues to receive flak for that comment, but it does point to this world the rich live in which is hard for us working-class people to comprehend.
To further what the parent post said about time saving and laundry machines, give me laundry machines which can change loads and fold clothes, that would be a true time-saving feature for today's laundry machines. Anything else is just "bells and whistles".