Although there are certainly some technical issues with Flash in mobile, this was a calculated business decision by Steve Jobs. Technical issues are only excuses by the Apple camp. Apple decided to ban Flash because the Flash Platform would hurt Apple's ability to differentiate its devices. Check out this perspective: http://franciscokattan.com/2010/03/07/why-steve-jobs-will-never-put-adobe-flash-on-iphone-os-devices/ Note also the reasons behind Apple's support for HTML5 in the comment thread (despite the fact that HTML5 would also tend to hurt the iPhone's ability to differentiate). Although I'm a former Adobe mobile employee, this post represents only my personal opinion.

OK I said it.

But seriously though, a smart move by Valve if they can pull it off. There is an untapped market for real games on Linux. They would be the only game (pardon pun) in town, and many/any linux user would likely be more than happy to fork over money for games that run naively on Linux, particularly given the cost structure and the slick nature of remote distribution by Steam. I would even go so far to say that many, having saved 100-400$ by not having to buy a Windows OS, would justify or rationalize spending more on Valve games, and this is "Free" money (i.e. they saved it initially, so why not spend it on things that are fun, like games).

So while "Year of the Linux Desktop" it might not be, it is certainly a step in the right direction, as well as a step towards OS parity.

In another note, it might be interesting to see if this effects netbooks. Steam has a lot of independents, and smallish, low horsepower type games that are really cheap. Netbooks can only install stuff via networks (generally speaking). So think of a netbook, running Linux, and Steam, and using that service to install netbook friendly games onto netbooks. An interesting combination I think. Particularly given the low cost nature of all the above... low cost netbook, low cost linux, low cost gaming... Definatly a niche, but perhaps a very popular/profitable one. Look at iPhones for example.

I highly doubt that this would happen. ARM is currently one of the most important tech player on the market. If apple is interested it is straightforward that many other wealthy companies would try to outbid apple. From what I can see, apple is using some nasty tactics and even microsoft looks like a good puppy right now in comparison. This acquisition would make the tech industry and its consumers suffer big time. For now I am completely discarding this rumour - especially when I look at ARMH's stock price - I sense manipulation.

IIRC 2.6.32 is considered an "LTS" kernel. Occasionally, kernels are "suggested" to be used for longer support cycle releases for distros. Ubuntu 10.04 is using .32 as well.

I am not quite sure if the EU and the US would allow such a deal after all it basically would be problematic for an entire industry with billions of dollars in revenue.
ARM has pretty much a monopoly on handheld processors.

I usually get 15, I got 5 twice in a row a while back but that's abnormal.

I think it has to do with the number of comments modded up, as well as the amount of moderation. Starting with +2 karma bonus, I can only get 3 up-mods, but with +1 logged in bonus I can get +4 for a total of 5.

If I'm in an insightful mood I usually have 2 or 3 comments at +3 (plus karma) at the same time, and 15 mod points. When I had only 5 mod points, I think I just had 1 or two comments at +1 (with karma to make +3).

Hey, screw this debate, isn't the slashdot code open source? I'm not looking, but if you want to know I'm sure that would help more than nerd fights. Don't get me wrong I like nerd fights, but usually when there's something to debate. Objective code isn't debatable! Except for Objective-C, lots of people object to it, hence the name. Right? I'm confused now, what was the question?

Didn't the last guy who pulled data from Facebook get threatened with a frivolous lawsuit with a nebulous charge of "terms of use" infringement? Who in their right mind is going to use a new and improved API, when in reality anyone pulling data from Facebook is risking crossing a vaguely defined line on what Facebook likes and what they'll sue over?

I have a family to feed and no money for even threatened lawsuits... I don't even know if my "normal" facebook use is legal since the whole point of social network is data mining for personal gain, and that guy was sued for nothing except doing it too well. If he had used the new API, he would just get sued faster.

No, it's obvious that since it's a picture of Muhammad in a bear suit, they must have drawn Muhammad first, and then drawn the bear suit over him. Otherwise, it'd just be a picture of a bear-suit, and nothing to be upset about.

Precisely. Nothing like walking down the street in any major city with coins jingling in your pocket. Talk about panhandler magnets...

I wasn't aware that the servers needed protection. Why don't they hire security guards instead of arming the servers? Seems like it would be safer tha way.

The Raleigh-Durham techshop had to move due to a non-renewed lease, but they're rapidly converting the new building and will be up to full speed again soon. I know the owner and he is a true builder and experimenter himself, an enthusiast owner if I've ever met one. Anyone in the RDU area needs to check this place out - it is a great resource, having access to literally hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of tools and expertise, plus shop and storage space, for a small fraction of the cost. With a complete woodshop, an electronics lab, all the way up to high power laser cutters, they have pretty much everything you could need for any sort of project you can imagine.

When I toured the Menlo Park techshop, I was blown away by the facility and the projects that were in progress there. This new one is more of the same.

http://www.techshoprdu.com/

Probably Turbogears, Django and the other web frameworks that were springing up at the time.

I guess I do have more to say...

You do realize of course that Massachussetts IS a former British state (well, colony), right? And that it's title as a Commonwealth dates from that time, right?

Job listings don't mean very much.

Employees that are very happy with a language, and productive in it, might keep their jobs for years; you may never even know that their companies were using that language. One productive employee might do the job of 10 people in some other language, and maybe that's why they aren't hiring.

Some job postings only made me cringe when I saw them, and many make me think to myself: "all-Microsoft shop, never heard of what X, Y or Z can do". Just because there's a job available, doesn't mean the language is popular; it might even mean the opposite, i.e. all the sane people jumped ship months ago, instead of trying to maintain a steaming pile of code, that a company is now desperately trying to hire people to support.

Don't ever learn one of the stupid programming languages just to get a job. Do something you enjoy...make money without programming if you have to, for awhile, until you find a job that requires languages and platforms that you actually like and can be productive in. Nothing else is worthwhile.

Agree. The methodology is laughable.

I think searches that expect to see the word "Java" in content about Java may be falling because in a lot of contexts it's assumed you're talking about Java, it's not necessary to mention it. And if Java's being displaced by other JVM-based languages, why aren't they searching for Scala?

I'd take a look at the products these guys are selling, too. :-)