Slashback: Hippocampus, Matter, Blogs 187
Why not a quarter for 15 minutes of access? amy's robot writes "After announcing plans to do so just last week, Verizon has activated the WiFi hotspots built in to their Manhattan payphones. Here's official info and a FAQ along with a map of the hotposts. The catch: you have to be a Verizon Online subscriber to use them, but they're free if you are."
So the blogs can stop fleeing to the hills. GeekLife.com writes "Dave Winer received a note from Google PR stating 'Just want to be sure you know that there's been no consideration of removing weblogs from our index.' Seems The Register's speculation may have somehow been unfounded."
I'd rather see a patent for smart toothpaste. Wil McCarthy writes "Last week on this forum, there was some heated discussion about my nonfiction book, Hacking Matter , and specifically about the patent application included in the book's appendix. I was accused of the intellectual property equivalent of cybersquatting: patenting a speculative idea and then sitting back and waiting 'for someone to actually do the hard work of inventing a useful product before gouging them for royalties.' In this scenario, my book has a chilling effect on an entire industry, stifling innovation.
What may have been lost in the shuffle is the fact that I'm not 'just' a science fiction writer or science journalist. First and foremost I'm an engineer, and to the best of my knowledge the idea of "wellstone," or bulk programmable matter woven from fibers surfaced with quantum dots, is original to me. The patent merely codifies these facts. Also, notably, the field of quantum dot research is lively and growing, but not at all focused on materials science applications. Thus there is no extant programmable matter industry to be squelched by my efforts.
Nor have I, per the discussion, patented a device which a person skilled in the art could not produce. It's true that some embodiments of the invention require nanometer precision in three dimensions and are thus beyond present-day manufacturing capabilities, but other less capable embodiments could be produced today. I didn't provide a working model to the patent office because I wasn't required to, having filed a Provisional Patent Application prior to the RPA.
As I make clear in the book, my interest is in hastening the arrival of programmable matter as both an industry and a field of inquiry. My partner and I are presently engaged in discussions to fund the development of a prototype quantum dot fiber which would be broadly, programmably self-doping at liquid nitrogen temperatures. We're also quite willing to license the technology to interested parties at non-gouge rates, and any suggestion to the contrary is simply foolish. If my aim is to change the world, what do I stand to gain by stifling development of my own invention?"
Sorting through the evidence. CowboyRobot writes "Edward Tufte (known for his book, Envisioning Information) analyzes the Boeing explanation for the Columbia disaster, pointing out design flaws and how those flaws conceal ambiguity in the report."
Tufte's analyis is the kind that should be applied to many more situations -- he dissects the way reassuring, blandly obfuscated PowerPoint slides can be used to slip through statements that might cause justified concern if spoken in plain language.
Dr. Whonow? Mechanik writes "You may remember the previous Slashdot story about the BBC doing a Flash treatment of one of Douglas Adams's Dr. Who scripts, Shada. Just wanted to let everyone know that Part Two is now available."
Welcome to Stepford. ragingmime writes "The Boston Globe has an interesting story on the Polyphonic "hit song science" technology that Slashdot mentioned a while ago. The Globe mentions specific things that the software measures and give opinions from various people in the music industry. It's an interesting - and kinda creepy - read."
Boilerplate or camera tricks? andrel writes "In his Slashdot interview Michael Robertson answered question 10 with:
I believe that if you purchase a product, you should have the right to change it, move it, or alter it for your own personal needs. The seller should have the right to say that you void the warranty or refuse to support it if you change it, but you should still have right as the purchaser to make that choice. This goes for music, software and personal computers. [emphasis added]
Too bad Lindows.Com doesn't share his values. The license agreement for LindowsOS explicitly prohibits users from modifying it (section 1.1.a.iv for individuals and 1.1.b.iv for businesses). As for voiding the warranty, well according to section 4 there wasn't one there in the first place. The EULA also claims that you may not allow a visiting friend to use your LindowsOS computer, nor may you use it to conduct business(both in section 1.1.a.iii)."
Robertson reads Slashdot; I hope we'll see his reaction to this soon.
Imagine the course of a canoe paddled by Microsoft and SCO. SolipsistX writes "The Seattle Times is reporting that Microsoft now says that the iLoo is not a joke. Apparently, execs killed the project after it became a laughing stock. The announcement yesterday that it was a joke was caused by miscommunication, says Microsoft. Needless to say, this does not help Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing initiative."
iLoo (Score:5, Funny)
heh (Score:5, Funny)
Maybe Robertson should spend more time reading his own EULA's and less time reading /.
Come on now (Score:5, Funny)
Right (Score:5, Funny)
Which would not be the case if the slides had been created with Agnubis or Impress. That bit of editorial spiel would have read "he clarified points made in the presentation slides".
Stupid microsoft people (Score:2, Funny)
I would like to see them confirm that its an april fools joke..... in May (or maybe April, but way after April 1st anyways)!
What is that silly Lindows license thing ? (Score:5, Funny)
Bob, buzzing Roger : hey buddy, can I pop to your place to play with your new Lindows box ? ... ...
Roger : Err, actually Bob, I'd love to but we're friends and you'd be visiting me, so you couldn't use my box. The EULA says it, ya know
Bob : What does that mean ? are you kidding me ? you suck ass man !
Roger : hey, don't you dare insult me ! Bob : F*ck you man, you're talking bollocks. You're not my friend anymore. There ! Roger : well then, if we're not friends anymore, I suppose you can come visit me and try out my Lindows box
Re:iLoo (Score:5, Funny)
I think we have some good material for cartoons there. Maybe when it does crash, it clamps your buttocks and gives you a 3-fingered salute!
Of course this could all be a cover for the new Microsoft Wedgie2003 Professional release...
The iLoo is more serious than you'd think (Score:4, Funny)
The iLoo marks one attempt to create an environment where the internet is everywhere. It was a brave attempt - other attempts have focussed on relatively unusable systems such as bringing the internet to pocketable phones, an exceedingly expensive mechanism that does not deliver what it attempts to do due to the limitations of the medium. Airports have experimented, with moderate success, at providing Internet terminals, and also at 802.11 based systems - though in that case, taking advantage of the high number of laptops owned corporately and the high number of corporate users of air travel. More universal 802.11 solutions are doomed - at least until the development of a $199 Apple iBook.
Putting the Internet everywhere will be a difficult task. An environment needs to be fostered where relatively expensive equipment can be placed in public safely and profitably. This means thinking laterally, and Microsoft has, for once, done so with the iLoo. Systems may eventually be developed that provide usable Internet terminals on public transport or in shops or photobooths. The ideas about where cannot be limited except by trying and failing. But it's inevitable that ideas will not be tried if they're laughed at before they can even be tested. This quagmire of laterally thought ideas not being raised for fear of ridicule will not disappear by itself. Unless people are prepared to actually act, not just talk about it on Slashdot, nothing will ever get done. Apathy is not an option.
You can help by getting off your rear and writing to your congressman [house.gov] or senator [senate.gov]. Tell them that the Internet is important to you, and that universal access, both geographically and sociologically, is vital to the Internet's future and to the many billions of people who rely upon the Internet in their daily lives. Tell them that you appreciate the work being done to bring the Internet out of the offices and homes to where it can be reached by everyone, by groups such as Microsoft, VoiceStream, Palm, and Apple but that if they are unable to bring ideas even to the prototyping stage, you will be forced to use less and less secure and intelligently designed alternatives. Let them know that SMP may make or break whether you can efficiently deploy OpenBSD on your workstations and servers. Explain the concerns you have about freedom, openness, and choice, and how cramping creativity when it comes to opening the Internet harms all three. Let them know that this is an issue that effects YOU directly, that YOU vote, and that your vote will be influenced, indeed dependent, on their polices on Universal Internet Access .
You CAN make a difference. Don't treat voting as a right, treat it as a duty. Keep informed, keep your political representatives informed on how you feel. And, most importantly of all, vote.
BSODs (Score:5, Funny)
Re:An iLoo alternative? (Score:3, Funny)
Yet another way to increase your throughput, would be to eat constipatives, carefully timing your crapping to weekends and vacations.
Re:The iLoo is more serious than you'd think (Score:4, Funny)
Uh, yeah -- if I can't run OpenBSD on my quad-Xeon toilet firewall, why, it's almost not worth having network access in my bathroom at all!
The right retort (Score:1, Funny)
<accusation of communism and/or leftism>
<one-sided commentary on current event>
<inapplicable anecdote>
<baseless insult about your political ideals>
...you damn hippie.
Better question (Score:5, Funny)
Here's a better question: If your aim is to change the world, what the fuck are you doing wasting time answering questions from a bunch of morons on Slashdot?
Hippocampus ... Got it. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:iLoo (Score:5, Funny)
Big Shit Of Death?
Sounds painfull.
Re:iLoo (Score:5, Funny)
Re:iLoo (Score:2, Funny)
MS Commuting (Score:3, Funny)
Well, yeah, but who would want to replicate their model of commuting: travelling in a car with the the hood welded shut that requires a restart every few miles?
-Waldo Jaquith
yay (Score:2, Funny)
Re:iLoo (Score:5, Funny)
Whoever dumped the log.
Re:Stupid microsoft people (Score:3, Funny)
Re:iLoo (Score:5, Funny)
- I wanted to get a good grep while I took a core dump.
- It's the perfect place to play with your tarballs!
- We'd all be happy until RMS came around and told us we have to call it GNU/iLoo.
- And of course, the preferred process would be to gunzip,
./configure, make, and then make clean.
I will not apologize for that.Re:What is that silly Lindows license thing ? (Score:3, Funny)
Hippo campus (Score:2, Funny)
Google tabs (Score:2, Funny)