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Comment: Re:Benchmarks are nice, but... (Score 1) 305

by whoop (#43457021) Attached to: Ouya Performance Not Particularly Exciting

It should be enough to handle the vast majority of the Xbox Live/Playstation Network type games though. I think that would be the niche they need to aim for, not the next Call of Assassin's Effect Yearly Sequel 43.

I think convincing devs to port to it will be the hardest thing for them, though. I'll wait and see before buying.

Government

US Senate Passes National Internet Sales Tax Mandate 297

Posted by timothy
from the man-vs-the-states dept.
SonicSpike writes with the news that the U.S. Senate yesterday "passed a nonbinding proposal to allow states to collect sales tax on Internet sellers that have no presence within their borders. The proposal was an amendment to a 2014 budget bill that the Senate debated Friday. It was pushed by Senators Mike Enzi, a Wyoming Republican, and Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, and was designed to give backers a sense of whether they had enough votes to push forward with final legislation to impose an Internet sales tax. The vote showed they have plenty of backing to overcome any filibuster seeking to block a final sales tax bill."

Comment: Re:As a teacher... (Score 1) 96

by whoop (#42779103) Attached to: Google Announces 2,000 Schools Now Use Chromebooks, Up 100% In 3 Months

But, but, making kids learn to use a different product?? That is just Ka-Razy! Kids need to only know one product and that is all. Why, if they learn to navigate menus in too many different applications, they're liable to go and use something that doesn't make me money!

It's been a long while since I left the tech-support field, but that was one of my biggest pet peeves. Far too many people, who's job is to use a computer, just learn "Hit Alt-F, S, type document.doc, press Enter" and do not truly know what saving a file is, how to use a file/directory structure, etc. Drop another program in front of them, and they are completely helpless.

Comment: Re:Contract term (Score 1) 475

by whoop (#42691803) Attached to: Unlocking New Mobile Phones Becomes Illegal In the US Tomorrow

And that's why non-contract services like Ting are going to become more popular. I was paying $150/month for me and the wife's phones with Sprint (cheapest 'round here at the time) plus $100 for the phone that was on sale.

I switched to Ting, and the highest my bill has been is $60, average $30, plus ~$200 for a simple Android phone. So take your "subsidized" phones and shove 'em. I now just turn on the hotspot on my phone and use a Nexus 7 for everything. I don't need a super-powerful phone when I've always got my N7 with me.

Comment: Re:OK, 35 years, then... (Score 1) 390

by whoop (#42656781) Attached to: MIT Warned of a JSTOR Death Sentence Due To Swartz

Show me a case where someone was indeed sentenced to 35 years + $1 million. It's the theoretical maximum that CAN be applied. The entire judicial process is a negotiation. Prosecutors start at the max, defense lawyers start at the minimum, and they try to come to some middle ground.

The only way he'd get the maximum is if he defied the court's orders, refused to cooperate in any way, spit on everyone at the courthouse, went on the run, and more.

Movies

Hands On With Redbox Instant 64

Posted by Soulskill
from the a-challenger-emerges dept.
adeelarshad82 writes "The three things any streaming service needs in order to be successful are: a good price, a massive content library, and a decent app that is available on as many devices as possible. Unfortunately the only thing Redbox Instant has going for it right now is the price. The digital library that comprises Redbox Instant at the moment is limited to a handful of comedies, budget horror flicks, and one or two blockbuster titles from the last year. However, there is hope that once the final version is launched, Verizon FiOS On Demand's massive libraries of current television shows will be made available on Redbox. As for the app itself: while it's well designed and offers filtering by search, genre and rating, its biggest drawback is that it's only available on iOS and Android devices. You can't even stream from the Redbox website."

Comment: Re:Love my kindle and my Nexus 7 (Score 2) 465

by whoop (#42494593) Attached to: Death of Printed Books May Have Been Exaggerated

Amazon and Nook make their reader apps available on a myriad of devices, PC, Mac, tablets, phones, etc. So, you could open a collection of books on just as many devices as you want. Even the same book on two different pages!!

Look up references without typing? Well, you still have to look? That's just a weird qualifier. Hitting a search button and typing a reference word isn't that complicated compared to flipping to the index, then back to the needed page.

Paper books have several sizes? How many books make editions with a dozen font sizes (times a dozen different fonts)? You pretty much get standard and large print for old folks. I want my books in Comic Sans 30pt, dammit! Show me a Harry Potter book in that font.

All your arguments are pointless, coming down to personal preference. And that's just fine. Neither is going away. All you folks arguing here have fallen for this article's stupid premise that there can be only one. Linux isn't the only computer OS. White isn't the only wall paint. And a Prius isn't the only car available. Different stuff for whatever suits you. Relax.

Stupidity got us into this mess -- why can't it get us out?

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