Comment Re:So, how long before... (Score 1) 577
Spending 30 billion on NBC does not make it obvious. Google, Netflix, and the customers already pay for this on their end. The problem is the ISPs are wasting it on other shit.
Comment Re:What's with this app horsedookie? (Score 1) 225
You know, not every bit of software is an app...
Isn't that why it said "and services"? Although...
Etymologically, yes...but it's used (or at least is supposed to be used) to describe small applications downloadable to phones. I noticed it really take hold with Apple's App Store, although its been around longer than that
That usage of the word apps especially "internet apps", web apps etc predates the mobile phone usage. Your reference is just the more recent trend even it if has been used for a while.
Australian Politician Caught Viewing Porn 150
destinyland writes "An Australian Parliament member has resigned after admitting he'd used government computers to access porn and gambling sites. McLeay 'gave an uncomfortable press conference outside Parliament House,' notes one technology site, 'during which he admitted he had acted in a standard not expected of cabinet ministers.' Paul McLeay was also the Minister for Mineral and Forest Resources as well as the Minister for Ports and Waterways. In resigning, he apologized to his constituents and parliamentary colleagues, as well as to his wife and family."
Comment Re:WTF? Star Wars is totally nonsensical (Score 1) 495
- Star Wars uses laser weapons. Any advanced space-race would never use laser weapons as they are readily re-mediated by the use of reflective materials.
Our current understanding of lasers is hardly adequate to apply to the scale and versatility of the laser weaponry used in Star Wars. There are some different mechanics involved in Star Wars blasters, turbo lasers etc that we do not use. Furthermore, the countermeasures you speak of are easily countered and unpractical even by todays standards.
Star Trek uses Phasers (phased energy weapons), which at least sort of makes sense.
Why? Have you been about to demonstrate that there aren't any efficient countermeasures?
- An entire planet existing as a city? This makes no sense from a material logistics point of view, at all.
Neither do many of our cities.
Need I mention the force? Microscopic life forms (midichlorians) giving magical powers to people? It is an interesting plot device, but rooted in any kind of science? No.
It's about as rooted in science as a transporter. The only difference is you dressed up the idea with the phrase magical powers.
Girl Quits On Dry Erase Board a Hoax 147
suraj.sun writes "It's the same old story: young woman quits, uses dry erase board and series of pictures to let entire office know the boss is a sexist pig, exposes his love of playing FarmVille during work hours." Story seem too good to be true? It probably is, at least according to writer Peter Kafka. Even so, Jay Leno and Good Morning America have already reached out to "Jenny."
Comment Re:WTF (Score 1) 185
since when US=ALL?
It seems like you are just taking the use of the word out of context. If I say "everyone was at my party", it doesn't really mean everyone in existence, especially if the scope is clarified in the sentence after. I assumed that the word "all" wasn't meant to be taken literally or imply that the "US=ALL", but instead meant that the service was no longer invite only.
Comment Re:mod points (Score 1) 177
I wanted to mod you up, but there's no option for "drug induced rambling."
No I think he needs an exorcist.
Comment Re:And nothing of value was lost (Score 1) 83
go fuck yourself and find an actual business model.
So a paid tweet is what I thought it was. Thanks for clearing that up.
Killzone 3 Announced 58
Sony has officially taken the wraps off of Killzone 3, providing a ton of information about the third installment in the popular FPS franchise. The game will pick up where Killzone 2 left off, the levels will be much larger than in the past, and it will contain support for 3-D mode. Eurogamer has a detailed hands-on report about the game. Quoting:
"Encounters have lost much of their predictability. More open design gives the AI more options, as well as freeing the player from the necessity of hide and peek. This means that it's now a much more viable option to get up close and personal with the Higs, unleashing the multi-stage and context-sensitive CQC kills with rifle butts and the trusty knife. ... For stage three of the hands-on we're introduced to perhaps the most exciting piece of new hardware — the jetpack. Initially only coming attached to a Helghan shock trooper, this insectoid assault platform is a four-winged, one-man affair, complete with a unlimited supply of ammunition for the attached large-calibre machine gun. Fighting them from the ground puts you in a precarious situation, putting you on the backfoot as you balance the necessity of looking upwards with the dangers of the sheer ice-cliffs around you. ... From the ground the pack will propel you upwards to around 15 feet, with the glide period afterward giving you the freedom to traverse sizable gaps. There's a booster, too — squirting you forward in short bursts if you're falling just short of an edge. Controls are light and agile, with the disconcerting verticality soon becoming second nature. "
Websites That Don't Need to Be Made Anymore 161
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but there is a finite number of social networking or selling websites that the world needs. Here is a collection of the eight kinds of websites that absolutely don't need to be made anymore. I'd add dating sites and anybody who uses pop-up ads myself, but I think that would eliminate half the Web.
Australian Women Fight Over "Geekgirl" Trademark 187
bennyboy64 writes "Two prominent women in the Australian IT industry are in a bitter dispute over the ownership of the trademark 'geekgirl.' A woman attempting to use 'geekgirl' on Twitter told ZDNet that women had been advised by the trademark owner to stop doing so since she owned the trademark for the word. 'She noted her trademark and asked me to stop calling myself a "geekgirl" in general conversation and to cease using the hashtag "#geekgirl" on Twitter,' IT consultant Kate Carruthers said."
Comment Re:DRM, restrictions, outcry (Score 1) 610
Who cares? Pick a different platform folks.
It seems like a lot of people do care. For just about every reason you mentioned. Flash pays some people's bills. iPad meets some people's desires and needs but has some glaring inconveniences, while alternatives might not even com close. Also as a developer you don't want to be strung along only to find that your work is suddenly banned from the platform that you did choose. I'm not saying I disagree with all of Apple's choices but I also wouldn't act like it's of no concern to anyone. Also it's good for consumers and developers alike to let companies like Apple know what they like or at least how their decisions will influence PR. In some rare cases it actually does get them what they want.
Comment Re:And nothing of value was lost (Score 1) 264
You don't use a torrent to grab a three or four meg file: swarming protocols work best for sharing large files.
You don't or you shouldn't? With torrents people generally look for the album many of which are small enough that they aren't even compressed. From there they can download a single track listed in the torrent (bad for the sworm) or just download the whole album and delete the songs they don't want. If the album is well seeded, the benefit of a higher downloads speed and selection is often worth dealing with torrents, even for small files. Then you have the private trackers like jpopsuki that seed singles and package files so you can download them individually.
Comment Re:Why?? (Score 1) 753
And once everyone had a replicator - everyone would replicate the newest, coolest, best car.
And nobody would pay for it.
And the people who design cars wouldn't have money to keep designing cars. And all of the advancement and innovation that we've seen since the first car and now would grind to a halt.
Wouldn't it be the opposite? You can replicated the cars but you can't really replicate a service such as making an original design. In addition the materials and cost of designing the car would be greatly reduced by the replicators. Then factor in that the designers will no longer need money to pay for food clothing etc which also applies to their employer and customers giving them more money pay for services and energy. It seems like the designer is the one that would end up with the real job security here. That's not even factoring in the new industries that would spring up as a result.
Life-size Eva Unit 01 Being Built In Japan 80
JoshuaInNippon writes "Japan has gone life-size anime model crazy. Last year there was the robotic 1:1 Gundam model that guarded Tokyo for a few months in the summer to mark the series' 30th anniversary, and then there was the giant Gigantor moment that opened in Kobe in the fall in honor of the city's rejuvenation from the devastating 1995 earthquake. Now, an amusement park near Mt. Fuji named Fuji-Q Highland is building an Eva Unit 01 from the popular Neon Genesis Evangelion series, or at least a bust of it, in conjunction with the series' recent movies. The bust will sit in a replica hanger, and reportedly stand around 9 meters tall. Visitors will have the chance, for a little extra money, to have their photo taken in the unit's cockpit, where the series' protagonist-of-sorts Shinji Ikari normally sits. The attraction is set to a cost of over US$1.6 million to build, and open on July 23 of this year. It will also undoubtedly be swamped by crazed fans looking the opportunity to bring their anime dreams to life."
