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User: atmurray

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  1. Re:SHOULD "Apps" Cost Something? on Why We Agonize Over Buying $1 Apps · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I think you're pretty close to spot on but I disagree with one aspect and it got me thinking... Whilst with a coke you do know and expect the same every time, something like a coffee you don't. I'm somewhat of a coffee snob these days and can be pretty picky with my coffee, but I'll still chance $3 to $4 on something that I could regret later. Why? Then I realised, to counter-act buyer's remorse you have the ability to justify to yourself that at least if it is bad you can choose not to buy your coffee from that store again. Perhaps the analogy for app purchases is outright vs subscription purchases? It'd be interesting look at a comparison between paying, say $1 for an app, or paying $0.25 a month for the same app. I would hypothesise that people would be more willing to pay the $0.25 for one month (to at least trial the app for one month before paying the full $1) so they can "choose" to stop or not pay for the app in full even though this would mean that they'd have to "reject" 1 in 4 apps to just break even.

  2. Re:Say it aint so! on Sony: 10 Million Credit Cards May Have Been Exposed · · Score: 1

    After hearing about people having their whole (google) lives (accounts) delete, I highly recommend http://goo.gl/mbDHy

  3. Isn't this just like... on Google To Block Piracy-Related Terms From Autocomplete · · Score: 1

    ... the Mafia being to be removed from the "Organised Crime" index of the yellow pages, but being left in the white pages? It won't stop people who really want to contact the Mafia from doing so, it'll just result in them generating less attention (which is probably what they'd like). I wouldn't see this a good thing if I was the MPAA/RIAA.

  4. It definitely has nothing to do with marketing on Real Reason Why the White iPhone 4 Is Delayed · · Score: 1

    There is no way it is a marketing ploy to get people to buy a second iPhone 4 when the elusive "white" model is available because iPhone consumers are only interested in the raw features and functionality of the device. It has nothing to do with cosmetic looks, I guarantee it! I have a white 3GS :$

  5. Re:Can atheists refute one simple fact? on Largest Genome Ever · · Score: 1

    My condolences :)

  6. Re:Can atheists refute one simple fact? on Largest Genome Ever · · Score: 5, Insightful

    “I contend we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.”- Stephen F. Roberts

  7. Re:I think someone fails to comprehend... on Open Source Music Fingerprinter Gets Patent Nastygram · · Score: 1

    but profiting from the idea is patent infringement. This is the really ugly grey area and something I know nothing about. What constitutes "profiting"? If he has Google ad-words on his site and gets revenue from that, is that profiting? Even if he doesn't directly derive any cash from the traffic, is the attention/notoriety/status that he gains a "profit"? If it is, how would you hypothetically calculate a value to give to the patent owner if they sued? What if the author, instead of posting this as a blog, published a journal or conference paper detailing the idea (as often occurs)? This sort of thing, if upheld, could really stifle academia. e.g. how do you teach computer science/mathematics undergrads about these concepts without infringement - would you have to go back to chalk and talk instead of handing out pdf slides? how do you do publish further research of this idea if you were not permitted to outline the current state-of-the-art in the background of a paper/thesis?

  8. Re:Close on Apple Implements the CalDAV Standard For MobileMe · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Which is why I run: 1) Ubuntu Linux on my home server/gateway 2) Mac OS on my laptop for day-to-day use 3) Windows inside my vm for running e-Tax (Australian Gov. tax return software - only runs under Windows/Wine)

  9. Re:Security? on Microsoft Talks Back To Google's Security Claims · · Score: 1

    So let me get this straight, UAC is both: 1) Too easy to ignore as you just have to click 'yes' every time 2) Too intrusive as it pops up whenever a program requires administrative privileges So you want your cake and to eat it too do you? At least as far as point 2 goes, mac os and many linux distros are "worse" as they not only prompt, but require your user name and password. For me the problem never was about UAC, it was the fact that the UI design of things like the control panel required users to go in and out of the Administrative sandbox too often. This creates too many UAC prompts which frustrates the user. Mac OS at least (and some stuff in linux) has the notion of temporarily unlocking things like System Preferences so you can make many changes with only one prompt. The concept of Windows's UAC is fine, it just boils down to poor UI design. Disclaimer: These days I use a mac for my day to day machine and various ubuntu boxes for remote number crunching that I do.

  10. Re:CSIRO are still good guys on CSIRO Sues US Carriers Over Wi-Fi Patent · · Score: 1

    Oh and also, the CSIRO aren't Patent Trolls as they spun off a company (Radiata) to commercialise the patent. Radiata was then aquired by CISCO. "Patent troll is a pejorative term used for a person or company that enforces its patents against one or more alleged infringers in a manner considered unduly aggressive or opportunistic, often with no intention to manufacture or market the patented invention." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patent_troll

  11. Re:CSIRO are still good guys on CSIRO Sues US Carriers Over Wi-Fi Patent · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The CSIRO is playing the same rules that apply to everyone. The reason why the big company's aren't happy is that the CSIRO has no need to do a patent "swap". Normally, the big companies would just threaten to sue each other due to patent infringement and then at the last minute agree to cross licensing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-licensing with a minimal (if any) amount of money trading hands. However, the CSIRO doesn't make end product. As such they have no need for cross licensing. They just want royalties for their IP. Big business goes after the smaller guys that don't have IP to cross license all the time, why is it that now the shoe is on the other foot that everyone is up in arms about it?

  12. Re:HAVE YOU ALL FUCKING LOST IT? on Japan Moves Toward Blocking Online Child Porn · · Score: 1

    I think the point the sane people on here are trying to make is that targeting the possession of CP is just the easy way for governments and law enforcement to perceive to be working to protect children. Whilst seeking out and acquiring CP certainly does great a market for its generation, possession doesn't directly cause child harm. It just doesn't. It indirectly does. As such, if governments and law enforcement were serious about really "protecting the children" they'd commit a majority of their resources (in terms of person, money and legal power) in tracking down and prosecuting the direct causes of child harm (those actually generating CP). It is indeed a cynical point but I believe a valid one that when authorities trumpet prosecuting possessors of child porn, they're merely doing so to make themselves look good, and not actually doing *that* much to prevent abuse from happening. From a mathematical point of view, presume for every 1 person that generates CP there is say 1000 people that view that piece of material. In order to reduce CP by cutting demand, you'd really have to take out 99% of those viewers of the material. However, if you go after that 1 person generating the CP you've achieved your goal and arguably prosecuted the more guilty party in the process.

  13. Lack of resolution independence in OS on HDTV Has Ruined the LCD Market · · Score: 1

    Both Microsoft and Apple are probably partly to blame here for failing to add resolution independence to their operating systems (which they've both promised for years). Who wants an extremely high DPI display when you can't scale up your Operating System so that it's usable?

  14. Re:Oh noes on BBC Activates DRM For Its iPlayer Content · · Score: 1

    Don't tell me you're having second thoughts on that old tea party of yours are you?

  15. Re:The Australian Broadband Survey... compare? on A Broadband Survey That Asks the Right Questions · · Score: 1

    Not to mention that the whirlpool forums are one of the best general resources of tech knowledge, it never ceases to amaze me the number of times I google for something and a post comes up in the top 5 results.

  16. Re:The wise user will wait on Microsoft Announces Windows 7 SP1 · · Score: 1

    It's find for an IT administrator to continually stay up to date the continual way you suggest, however you can't expect end users to either do this or even allow IT people to do this for them. Could you imagine what it would be like to come in to work every week and find some programs that you rely on have been upgraded? Even businesses with unix/linux install bases don't do continual upgrades as you suggest. They wait for a few significant upgrades to be available, then test for compatibility, then release and train staff with the changes.

  17. Re:The wise user will wait on Microsoft Announces Windows 7 SP1 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Care to explain why Windows 7 is hated by far fewer people then? To me Windows 7 is Windows Vista with a few UI tweaks and the couple of less annoying default settings (like the UAP settings). There's few if any fundamental differences (neither user interface wise or code wise) between the two. Regardless of whether 7 is any good, if you hated Vista, you've got no reason to love 7 in my books.

  18. There is a patch already... on France Tells Its Citizens To Abandon IE, Others Disagree · · Score: 1

    ...either install a newer version of IE or install a new web browser all together.

  19. Re:Sadly, the article makes no sense on Scientists Crack 'Entire Genetic Code' of Cancer · · Score: 1

    In fact you'll find that CT/CAT scans expose you to a comparable amount of radiation as flying: http://www2.ans.org/pi/raddosechart/pdfs/raddosechart.pdf 1 full body CAT scan is about the same as 220 hours of flying (10 long haul flights) 1 Thyroid scan about the same as 28 hours of flying (just over 1 long haul flight) There's lots of sources of radiation, not only that but studies have started to show that constant low level exposure to radiation may in fact reduce you susceptibility to cancer.

  20. Re:Niceplayer isn't a bad alternative on Lack of Manpower May Kill VLC For Mac · · Score: 1

    Oh and forgot to mention, it's FOSS too!

  21. Niceplayer isn't a bad alternative on Lack of Manpower May Kill VLC For Mac · · Score: 1

    For what it's worth, Niceplayer is a fairly decent alternative to Quicktime and VLC http://code.google.com/p/niceplayer/

  22. Re:VLC is the linsux of media players on Lack of Manpower May Kill VLC For Mac · · Score: 1

    Moreover, most of the EDA industry doesn't port their software to MacOS. Even linux get's more attention from the EDA industry than MacOS (although this isn't surprising, considering the strong Unix roots of much of the software). Even Mathwork's Matlab for MacOS is a poor hack job of an X port of the linux version of their software.

  23. Re:Like that's going to work this time... on Nvidia Announces 3D Blu-ray Format For 2010 · · Score: 1

    My Sony Bravia X-Series I bought a few years ago is 100Hz/120Hz (depending on source) and the latest does 200Hz/240Hz depending on source. Admittedly it doesn't accept sources over 60Hz and uses frame interpolation (they call it "Motionflow") to increase the frame rate from the source, but the most expensive part is ensuring the panel can do the refresh rate. Other manufacturers have equivalent frame interpolation technology too.

  24. Re:Is any form of trivial encryption sufficient? on Virgin Media To Trial Filesharing Monitoring In UK · · Score: 1

    I think you've all missed my point. My point is, by using any old encryption, no matter how strong/weak the encryption is, it makes it illegal to decipher what the content of it is without a warrant. The idea is to make any evidence collected inadmissible in court. Furthermore, if a warrant to raid your premises was obtained using evidence that was tainted (due to being collected illegally), the warrant may be deemed invalid and any further evidence collected maybe also inadmissible.

  25. Re:Is any form of trivial encryption sufficient? on Virgin Media To Trial Filesharing Monitoring In UK · · Score: 1

    Correct. However, evidence collected illegally generally isn't admissible in court.