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Comment Re:If only! (Score 1) 277

Ask the developer. There are links to their web site and email on most apps' pages. Some devs are cool and include it in the app's description. But all this comes down to the developer. They should know and be able to tell you what the app specifically does with one of the permissions.

Of course, the dev could say "It connects to the Internet to verify your purchase license" but still secretly transmit you're top-secret personal data to a scrupulous third party.

So, just stick to open-source apps that you are able to audit all the code. Or just make your own. You cannot trust anyone these days. Then again, you have weigh that vs the convenience of having a ready-made app do what you want out of it. I cannot say I personally have poured over GCC's code to know it isn't sending my source code to some server in China. But, I trust the community enough that if that were to be found of some program, all hell would break loose on them. Apps have been found to do stuff like this (people running network sniffers and the like), and I feel the response was appropriate from the community and Google in identifying, pulling from the store, and when severe enough, automatically wiping it from people's phones.

The decision is yours. Hyper-paranoia and do it yourself, or ask the developer and decide if you trust them. The Android system is striking a balance between flexible enough to give you a starting point to the needed permissions, any more strict and you run into the Vista-style annoyance that it becomes futile. Any less, and you don't know what's going on ever.

Comment Open World stuff. (Score 1) 338

My daughter started playing WoW at about 2-and-a-half. She was fascinated with going in doors and up/down stairs in it. I was surprised how long it took her to perceive moving around in a 3D game. It starts with her just spinning non-stop, but before long (about 15 minutes) she had the key timings down to do just what she wants.

Sure, WoW's not Linux-specific, but start with something that's open-world with no pressure to do anything (Minecraft maybe?) but plenty of stuff to explore. Then, let them go at it on their own.

Comment No surprise (Score 1) 118

The same thing is going on here. "News" agencies see a story they like, and so they run with it without checking. Every election cycle it happens, and will continue to happen forever. No one is unbiased, Fox, Politico, TV networks.

Comment Re:Switched to Ting a while back (Score 1) 45

And Ting is great for those areas that aren't multi-million populations. I'm dropping from $150/month for two Sprint lines to about $20-50 depending on usage. My area, 100-150k, has WiMAX in two spots around sprint stores (1500 Mbps tops). Real useful, right?

When I called Sprint to cancel, they promised LTE will be everywhere, not just major cities. I'll believe it when I see it. Meanwhile, I'll save a hundred a month.

It is definitely something to look into when you figure out how much you "need" mobile data. It is only a modest adjustment to download big things on home/work wifi (podcasts, custom ROMs, etc). Since I got a Nexus 7, I use my phone even less. So with Ting, I just turn tethering on this simple phone (LG Optimus Elite).

Comment Re:LOL (Score 1) 142

You have games you've downloaded on your drive, but what of those that you don't currently have downloaded, when Steam/XBox Live/etc one day close up? They're just as gone.

If you live your life constantly afraid of the apocalypse, you'll never enjoy yourself. Sit back, buy a game on OnLive at a heavy discount during their sales, play the shit out of it, have fun, and move on. The service hasn't gone down, it works just the same.

Or are you so smug you'd rather sit and stare at Slashdot for 2+ years going, "Yeah, one day I'll show them OnLive bastards when they go under!" while we've been having fun playing video games? Really? Is that a life you want to live?

Comment Re:Still was going to have a real tough time (Score 1) 142

It all depends on your gaming situation. If top-notch graphics are your primary concern, yes, OnLive sucks. Multiplayer for most games sucks since it tends to just be amongst other OnLive players so there's a smaller number of them.

Or, if you are a cheap-ass like me, it's great. They have had numerous sales that rival Steam's. 75% off coupons a multitude of times, for any one game on the service. Where can you catch a game a week or so out from release at 75% off? Also, I pre-ordered Saints Row 3 on OnLive for $17.49, which I hadn't seen beat on Steam until their summer sale.

I have a computer that can play most games on Ultra settings. I also have a laptop that cannot. I also have the microconsole (gotten for free with another game purchase) for the big-screen TV. It even works on my old-ass EeePC. I can play the same game on any and switch between them easily.

For me, OnLive has been wonderful to try out games (30 minutes free time for most games, not some crippled demo), or for games I'm not really sure are worth the $50-60 they want for PC/Console.

Latency hasn't been an issue for the last year. When the service first came out, there was about a half-second delay between when you moved the mouse and when you saw it move on the screen. That was fixed and games play far, far better. OnLive isn't going to replace all gaming everywhere (what is it with Slashdotters that every tech must wipe out everything else??), but it is a fine service when you put these factors in perspective.

Comment Re:Inflation (Score 1) 323

That's the problem, Battlefield 3 didn't do THAT well, compared to Call of Duty. They even cut the price of BF3 heavily right around release. I picked it up on sale, pre-order a week before release, for $35, including one bit of DLC. It did fine numbers, but not well enough that they could get away with this price increase.

This goes well with the recent Origin PHB saying Steam's sales cheapen the whole industry. I guess selling 10,000 at $70 is better than selling a million at $40, since the devs put so much hard work into it and you don't want to cheapen their work...

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