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Comment: Re:Self-stabilizing system (Score 4, Interesting) 480

Actual question, not rhetorical: Could this be a catalyst that forces more widespread electronic payments adoption - stored value cards, mobile phones, etc. - in lieu of paper currency? If you take away the need to "print" -- and replace it with a plastic card with value on it -- would that potentially be Iran's solution? Just a thought.

Comment: Re:You do not think large enough (Score 2) 272

by lantenon (#40898859) Attached to: Carriers Blame the iPhone For Data Caps and Increased Upgrade Fees
We hear things like this a lot, but the truth is, this is true only of short-sighted investors. Smarter investors take a view of the longer term, and want to see not only what the company is doing to be successful now, but also what the company is doing that will make them successful two, three, ten years down the road. Those who care only about the immediate term are speculators, more than anything else.

Comment: Re:Yes, they did. (Score 1) 265

by lantenon (#40601903) Attached to: Hans Reiser Sued By Own Kids For $15 Million
Not sure about Switzerland, but in the U.S., banks pay insurance premiums to be covered by that FDIC insurance. So, your argument to a certain extent falls apart: the government has already been paid for the risk that they're taking; if the person dies, the fact that they took that risk gives the government no more right to the funds than the bank (as, by your logic, both parties -- the bank, and the government -- have already been compensated for their efforts.)

Comment: Re:Duh. (Score 1) 897

by lantenon (#36925992) Attached to: The End of the Gas Guzzler
My thinking works for everyone. Just because you think that you need something different than I said doesn't mean you actually need something different than I said.

What the hell kind of statement is that? You likely know nothing about this person, and can have no way of knowing what s/he does or doesn't need.

Comment: Re:Won't Be On The Market Long Enough To Matter (Score 1) 280

by lantenon (#34138522) Attached to: iFixit Tears Down Microsoft's Kinect For Xbox 360

It's also important to recognize that Microsoft's investment in Kinect/Netal isn't solely about games; there's a significant component to their Xbox strategy that revolves around non-gaming applications ... demos / POCs I've seen around things like using the motion recognition components to rethink how video browsing and selection occurs on Netflix, as an example, show applications for this technology that sit outside of the "gaming" realm and more squarely in the court of the "entertainment center" that it appears Microsoft wants to develop.

Will Kinect be cool for video games? Maybe, maybe not. The more interesting question, to me, is, "Will Kinect challenge the entire idea of the 'remote control' for electronic devices?"

Only time will tell.

Comment: Re:Fighting malware doesn't have to complicated (Score 1) 105

by lantenon (#34063934) Attached to: Inside Google's Anti-Malware Operation

The developers of Linux decided long ago they like things the way they are, the world could do it their way or go jump

That's entirely backwards. It's Windows that you have to do it their way, not Linux. With Linux you have a choice of distros, desktops, boot loaders, everything. I had a discussion with a fellow slashdotter the other day about how much I liked the way KDE opens with the apps open that were open, with the book I was reading open to the same page it was on when I shut it down, and he hated that. His is configured to open with a "clean" desktop. His is the way he wants, mine is the way I want, and we're both happy. Not so with Windows. With Windows, it's the Microsoft way and if you don't like it, tough shit.

You missed his point. His point is that end-users don't want a choice of distros, desktops, etc. They want to press "on" and have it work. This is, ostensibly, what Windows provides.

Handhelds

Apple Reverses iPad "No Cash Purchase" Policy 377

Posted by timothy
from the so-it's-free-now dept.
ZipK writes "After a few days of bad publicity, Apple has reversed its no cash purchase policy, explaining that the policy was originally implemented to limit the number of iPads an individual could buy during the introductory period of short supply. Now that supply has caught up with demand — and the story has hit front pages and gained national attention — Apple has reversed its policy, and taken the opportunity to put a bow on the story by giving the formerly scorned Diane Campbell a free iPad."
First Person Shooters (Games)

Dedicated Halo 2 Fans Keep Multiplayer Alive 239

Posted by Soulskill
from the never-surrender dept.
On April 15th, Microsoft terminated Xbox Live support for the original Xbox console, marking the end of online multiplayer for many older games. However, a group of Halo 2 players have refused to give up online play by leaving their consoles on and connected since then. Overheating consoles and dropped connections have taken their toll, but at present, 13 players are still going strong.
Image

New Speed Cameras Catch You From Space 351

Posted by samzenpus
from the no-place-to-run-or-speed dept.
A new kind of speed camera that uses satellites to measure average speed over long distances is being tested in Britain. The "Speedspike" system combines plate reading technology with a global positioning satellite receiver to calculate average speed between any two points in the area being monitored. From the article: "Details of the trials are contained in a House of Commons report. The company said in its evidence that the cameras enabled 'number plate capture in all weather conditions, 24 hours a day.' It also referred to the system's 'low cost' and ease of installation." I can't wait to see the episode of MythBusters where they try to avoid getting a speeding ticket from a satellite.

Microsoft Demos Three Platforms Running the Same Game 196

Posted by Soulskill
from the pick-up-and-play dept.
suraj.sun writes with this excerpt from Engadget: "Microsoft's Eric Rudder, speaking at TechEd Middle East, showed off a game developed in Visual Studio as a singular project (with 90% shared code) that plays on Windows with a keyboard, a Windows Phone 7 Series prototype device with accelerometer and touch controls, and the Xbox 360 with the Xbox gamepad. Interestingly, not only is the development cross-platform friendly, but the game itself (a simple Indiana Jones platformer was demoed) saves its place and lets you resume from that spot on whichever platform you happen to pick up."
Piracy

Sony Joins the Offensive Against Pre-Owned Games 461

Posted by Soulskill
from the saddle-up dept.
BanjoTed writes "In a move to counter sales of pre-owned games, EA recently revealed DLC perks for those who buy new copies of Mass Effect 2 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Now, PlayStation platform holder Sony has jumped on the bandwagon with similar plans for the PSP's SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3. '[Players] will need to register their game online before they are able to access the multiplayer component of the title. UMD copies will use a redeemable code while the digital version will authenticate automatically in the background. Furthermore ... anyone buying a pre-owned copy of the game will be forced to cough up $20 to obtain a code to play online."
Classic Games (Games)

M.U.L.E. Is Back 110

Posted by Soulskill
from the not-for-the-red-wings dept.
jmp_nyc writes "The developers at Turborilla have remade the 1983 classic game M.U.L.E. The game is free, and has slightly updated graphics, but more or less the same gameplay as the original version. As with the original game, up to four players can play against each other (or fewer than four with AI players taking the other spots). Unlike the original version, the four players can play against each other online. For those of you not familiar with M.U.L.E., it was one of the earliest economic simulation games, revolving around the colonization of the fictitious planet Irata (Atari spelled backwards). I have fond memories of spending what seemed like days at a time playing the game, as it's quite addictive, with the gameplay seeming simpler than it turns out to be. I'm sure I'm not the only Slashdotter who had a nasty M.U.L.E. addiction back in the day and would like a dose of nostalgia every now and then."

Thufir's a Harkonnen now.

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