My favorite feature isn't mentioned. It's a very tiny tweak to how ambient display works, and it makes all the difference to me. I've actually turned "Lift to check phone" back on again because of it.
Previously, the ambient display could too-easily be tapped or swiped such that the ambient display would become the full screen-on display. If you had the Smart Unlock body-detection enabled, that could easily lead to unlocking the phone in your pocket. From there comes accidental app launches, battery drain, etc. Also, ambient display used to present interactive media controls if you had a media player running, so you might accidentally tap "play" on your music app when all you wanted to do was check the time.
Now, ambient display requires a double-tap to go to the full screen-on display. A single tap or a swipe isn't enough. This makes a huge difference and makes it far less likely that I'll accidentally turn on the screen and unlock my phone. It also no longer gives you interactive controls on the ambient display, but still presents them on the full lock screen. No more accidental taps on media controls just because I want to see what time it is.
These changes seem very tiny, but represent a major UX improvement to a feature that always had great potential.
You pay, say, $100 per month for an HD cable package with premium channels. You're allowed to watch all the TV you want on the channels you pay for. This is a concept that everyone understands.
But now imagine the cable company wants to cap the number of hours you can watch TV per month. You still pay the same $100 base price, but if you want to watch more than 30 hours per month, you'll need to pay another $10 for every block of 10 hours you want to watch above the base amount. The cable company argues that by watching more TV, you're somehow incurring costs that your $100/month doesn't already cover.
The notion is ridiculous to anyone who has ever paid for cable before, and is a perfect example of what they're trying to do to the internet.
I think they think of the Xbox as a platform for which they sell licensing, content, and advertising space. I haven't looked at the numbers, but I'd be surprised if they're making much money on sales of the Xbox hardware alone.
Do you really think in a state where brown skin is the majority that cops will waste their time bugging everyone who is brown skinned? We in AZ are aware there are a lot of legal Hispanics here, don't insult us with your assumptions.
Where do you see that AZ is majority non-white? Census numbers from 2010 show that Arizona is 73% white. Did I just read your post wrong?
Holotoy uses the accelerometer and calculates the viewing angle based on the iPad's orientation. This uses the camera and calculates the viewing angle based on the viewer's location in space. The main difference is that with this, you can put the device on a table and it'll adjust the angle as you move around it. You don't have to be holding and moving the device for it to work.
The lack of versioning is the real problem with it, though. It was a fluke that I lost some of my bookmarks, but it happened. In my case, it wasn't user error. It was a bug. But imagine if it was a user error and I accidentally deleted a bookmark or bookmarks. With no versioning in there, there's absolutely no way to get them back.
Sync works great until it doesn't. And when it doesn't, there's no recourse. It's great that it's working for you, but anyone would be wise to have a backup plan in place if they're going to use this.
Re:Does bookmark sync *really* work?
on
Firefox 4 RC1 Released
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· Score: 3, Informative
No, it's crap. I love Firefox 4, but bookmark sync is pretty friggin' awful. I've lost entire folders full of bookmarks, which wouldn't be a problem if there was a way to roll back to previous versions. There isn't. Once they're gone, they're gone. Luckily I still had my Foxmarks account and was able to bring back most of what I'd lost. Until there's a way to view your sync'd data in a secure online account, and to roll back to previous versions, I suggest you stay far far away from Firefox Sync if you value your data.
"Yes dear, the battery in the car is flat, I've just got to wait an hour for it to charge, then I'll be on my way home..."
"Yes dear, I ran out of gas and now I have to walk to the nearest gas station, fill up a can, walk back to the empty car, put enough in there to *drive* to the gas station, fill it for real, then I'll be on my way home."
I was thinking it might actually be the opposite. If you're not penalized for running down pedestrians, then you're less stressed when you take your eyes off the road. Maybe that extra relaxation helps the ad sink in more easily.
Ah, but what if they offered you a version without commercials for $60 or one with ads all over it for $20 - which would you choose then? (And yes, in this scenario you must only choose one or the other - saying "I would download the torrent for free" isn't what I am looking for as an answer.)
If I was absolutely forced to choose one or the other, I'd go with the $60 ad-free version if it was a great game, or the $20 version if it was so-so. But *really*, I'd grab a torrent if it was just so-so.
And as a follow up - have you gotten rid of your television, radio, and internet as well, because they also have ads everywhere. Forget going to the movie theater too - even forking over $12 won't let you escape the ads. (Except for a cool old school theater in my city where they have zero ads or previews, but instead have a real live person playing a pipe organ before they show the feature.)
* Television: Still have it. No cable though. I use it to watch ad-free TV shows that I've downloaded, and Instant-Watch movies from Netflix (I *will* still pay for media if the price is right.) * Radio: Replaced with ad-free podcasts of all my favorite shows. * Internet: Firefox with adblock plus. * Theater: I have my pick of second-run theaters all over my city that will show me an ad-free movie for $3. Some have sofas as seats and serve beer and pizza, too. I do still get the previews, but I like those. Oh, and no kids in the evenings.
I get pretty much all the entertainment I want for much less than I used to pay, and it's (mostly) ad-free. Why would I choose something dripping with ads when there's so much available without?
...I would have gotten "Spored" if I hadn't noticed the negative reviews and I'm sure I'm not alone.
Yup, I was actually on my way out the door to buy it when I saw this/. article on my news reader.
This is the last straw for me. Starting today, every time I see a game that's been DRM'd to hell, I'm putting that $50 into my sock drawer. Use that money for a PC upgrade. Or maybe a console...
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My favorite feature isn't mentioned. It's a very tiny tweak to how ambient display works, and it makes all the difference to me. I've actually turned "Lift to check phone" back on again because of it.
Previously, the ambient display could too-easily be tapped or swiped such that the ambient display would become the full screen-on display. If you had the Smart Unlock body-detection enabled, that could easily lead to unlocking the phone in your pocket. From there comes accidental app launches, battery drain, etc. Also, ambient display used to present interactive media controls if you had a media player running, so you might accidentally tap "play" on your music app when all you wanted to do was check the time.
Now, ambient display requires a double-tap to go to the full screen-on display. A single tap or a swipe isn't enough. This makes a huge difference and makes it far less likely that I'll accidentally turn on the screen and unlock my phone. It also no longer gives you interactive controls on the ambient display, but still presents them on the full lock screen. No more accidental taps on media controls just because I want to see what time it is.
These changes seem very tiny, but represent a major UX improvement to a feature that always had great potential.
You pay, say, $100 per month for an HD cable package with premium channels. You're allowed to watch all the TV you want on the channels you pay for. This is a concept that everyone understands.
But now imagine the cable company wants to cap the number of hours you can watch TV per month. You still pay the same $100 base price, but if you want to watch more than 30 hours per month, you'll need to pay another $10 for every block of 10 hours you want to watch above the base amount. The cable company argues that by watching more TV, you're somehow incurring costs that your $100/month doesn't already cover.
The notion is ridiculous to anyone who has ever paid for cable before, and is a perfect example of what they're trying to do to the internet.
Let me tell you about my mother.
It makes me feel better knowing it's not terrorists who are shooting the Olympics.
I think they think of the Xbox as a platform for which they sell licensing, content, and advertising space. I haven't looked at the numbers, but I'd be surprised if they're making much money on sales of the Xbox hardware alone.
Do you really think in a state where brown skin is the majority that cops will waste their time bugging everyone who is brown skinned? We in AZ are aware there are a lot of legal Hispanics here, don't insult us with your assumptions.
Where do you see that AZ is majority non-white? Census numbers from 2010 show that Arizona is 73% white. Did I just read your post wrong?
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/04000.html
I stand corrected. You're right: this is nothing new.
Holotoy uses the accelerometer and calculates the viewing angle based on the iPad's orientation. This uses the camera and calculates the viewing angle based on the viewer's location in space. The main difference is that with this, you can put the device on a table and it'll adjust the angle as you move around it. You don't have to be holding and moving the device for it to work.
Whoosh!
The lack of versioning is the real problem with it, though. It was a fluke that I lost some of my bookmarks, but it happened. In my case, it wasn't user error. It was a bug. But imagine if it was a user error and I accidentally deleted a bookmark or bookmarks. With no versioning in there, there's absolutely no way to get them back.
Sync works great until it doesn't. And when it doesn't, there's no recourse. It's great that it's working for you, but anyone would be wise to have a backup plan in place if they're going to use this.
No, it's crap. I love Firefox 4, but bookmark sync is pretty friggin' awful. I've lost entire folders full of bookmarks, which wouldn't be a problem if there was a way to roll back to previous versions. There isn't. Once they're gone, they're gone. Luckily I still had my Foxmarks account and was able to bring back most of what I'd lost. Until there's a way to view your sync'd data in a secure online account, and to roll back to previous versions, I suggest you stay far far away from Firefox Sync if you value your data.
I was going to say a Swiss Warbler, but I like the vuvuzela idea better.
"Our white-collar crimes are not like your white-collar crimes."
"Yes dear, the battery in the car is flat, I've just got to wait an hour for it to charge, then I'll be on my way home..."
"Yes dear, I ran out of gas and now I have to walk to the nearest gas station, fill up a can, walk back to the empty car, put enough in there to *drive* to the gas station, fill it for real, then I'll be on my way home."
And here's another "Fuck" just for the heck of it.
Thank you for using "heck". That would have been the straw.
I was thinking it might actually be the opposite. If you're not penalized for running down pedestrians, then you're less stressed when you take your eyes off the road. Maybe that extra relaxation helps the ad sink in more easily.
Ah, but what if they offered you a version without commercials for $60 or one with ads all over it for $20 - which would you choose then? (And yes, in this scenario you must only choose one or the other - saying "I would download the torrent for free" isn't what I am looking for as an answer.)
If I was absolutely forced to choose one or the other, I'd go with the $60 ad-free version if it was a great game, or the $20 version if it was so-so. But *really*, I'd grab a torrent if it was just so-so.
And as a follow up - have you gotten rid of your television, radio, and internet as well, because they also have ads everywhere. Forget going to the movie theater too - even forking over $12 won't let you escape the ads. (Except for a cool old school theater in my city where they have zero ads or previews, but instead have a real live person playing a pipe organ before they show the feature.)
* Television: Still have it. No cable though. I use it to watch ad-free TV shows that I've downloaded, and Instant-Watch movies from Netflix (I *will* still pay for media if the price is right.)
* Radio: Replaced with ad-free podcasts of all my favorite shows.
* Internet: Firefox with adblock plus.
* Theater: I have my pick of second-run theaters all over my city that will show me an ad-free movie for $3. Some have sofas as seats and serve beer and pizza, too. I do still get the previews, but I like those. Oh, and no kids in the evenings.
I get pretty much all the entertainment I want for much less than I used to pay, and it's (mostly) ad-free. Why would I choose something dripping with ads when there's so much available without?
I see what you did there.
So, how much of this "change" is there if the VP pick for Obama (let alone most of his cabinet!) is the usual Democratic politician?
Fixed that for you.
...for those who are compensating for their small nano-penis?
I was on my sofa with a beer on the coffee table, switching back and forth between CNN and my VATS targeting system.
Really? Why is it that felons can run for office but in many states felons can't vote? This makes no sense to me.
...I would have gotten "Spored" if I hadn't noticed the negative reviews and I'm sure I'm not alone.
Yup, I was actually on my way out the door to buy it when I saw this /. article on my news reader.
This is the last straw for me. Starting today, every time I see a game that's been DRM'd to hell, I'm putting that $50 into my sock drawer. Use that money for a PC upgrade. Or maybe a console...
Everyone knows superstition didn't evolve. It was intelligently designed.
Feedback submitted. Thanks for the link.