liquidben

I think you might be disregarding the part where he said the lack of a qualifier implies an invite to disagree.

It's actually a striking thought that hadn't occurred to me. Your prototypical geek enjoys discourse to refine a point. Inclusion of qualifiers such as "I think..." are antithetical _not because the implication of uncertainty invites argument, but because it dissuades discussion_. In short, if I say that I think something, I imply that I already know someone disagrees and yet I think it anyway. Further dialogue on that topic is dissuaded, because the first author implies that they're possibly already aware of your opinion.

Reviewing the discussion here, I think his important point is being missed: Due to the supply chain Apple has built through iPod then iPhone/iPod Touch, the iPad is an extremely cost competitive multitouch interface. In fact it's so cost competitive that you might want to use it mounted. Forget carrying and maybe even rotating. It's a (relatively) cheap multitouch interface with great usability and a health programming community breeding future professionals.

Your heart might be crying out that this is not cool or sexy, and therefore incompatible with Apple, but it's a very interesting proposal. I can foresee a potential future where 50% of iPad hardware sold gets nailed down and screwed in.

I am by no means against working out, but forcing this dichotomy may dissuade people from taking a simple an useful step that could even be aggregated: Stretch out your previously brief ice cream consumption while doing your normal schedule AND go for that walk. BAM! You're an even bigger winner.

I fully agree with the value implicit in having that library book deadline to push you to finish something that you wouldn't have finished otherwise (100 Years of Solitude was that book for me). At the same time, you can avail yourself of the cost-free access to try something that you can't find in bookstores in case you won't like it. I got to surprise myself with enjoying Asterios Polyp and hating Chris Ware's Jimmy Corrigan.

If you try and like it, please donate to your local public library! Just think of how much you're not spending on books and how much you'd spend for Netflix discs

As a side tip, I've usually got notions towards more books than I actually want to check out at a time, so creating an Amazon wish list is a really easy way to track interests.

So the trick is to give people what they need, which is not necessarily what they ask for. That doesn't necessarily defy the article's thesis, since it might be possible to phrase questions artfully enough to diagnose needs vs wants, but that might be tricky and take great effort.

And of course, there really was no reason to disparage the auteur behind Waterworld aside from being linkbait. ;)

This sort of thread would be remiss to not include the quote popularized by Twain about there being three types of falsehoods: "Lies, damn lies, and statistics"

Amusingly enough, it's got its own Wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lies,_damned_lies,_and_statisti...

FYI: Google does have a limited 'command line' tool for time zone differences. If you search for "London time", it will return the current time in London UK in bold, along with London, Ontario and London, Arkansas.

This obviously is only for the current time, and you'll find that it doesn't work for everywhere. Also I've encountered occasional 'outages' where the time results for reliable locations aren't posted in your search results. I guess the applet gets disengaged occasionally due to back-end business.

Great info, but I thought that I'd supplement that, noting that they also have the Chumby One, which is a hard shell version without included battery. Mine is placed mainly to stare at as I dumbly eat cereal first thing in the morning http://www.chumby.com/pages/compare

And of course the main website is http://www.chumby.com/

So is this Google's first evolutionary step towards something equivalent to Stack Overflow

I think the grandparent post's application of quotation marks around "BS" subtly speaks volumes, i.e. perception of the bullshit value of a job is potentially invalid. Marco's essay reads as if he's got a pretty unilateral opinion about the worth of things. A person is allowed to deem something BS, but they've got to be open to potential compromise.

Apparently someone once thought over-designing the O-rings on the shuttle was BS work.

I'd presume that trespass would apply to this situation, although it would not likely invalidate the lawsuit outright.

It will be very interesting to see what XNA support is like on the final model. There's a strong community of developers accessing these tools for free, which would allow Microsoft to roll out a full and lively app store quickly. I would be highly optimistic about Microsoft's ability to run an app store service, based on experiences with Xbox Live, Xbox Indie Games, and Rock Band Network. Since they're building from scratch, they could analyze and avoid legacy issues present in Apple's iTunes App Store ecology.

Converse to their potential strengths at running an app store, Microsoft has a difficult decision posed by marketing. There are a lot of people out there addicted to Xbox Live Achievement points. If MS allows you to earn achievement points via games on it's new mobile phone, it will get a tremendous boost in market share.

The risk present here is that the achievement points system requires additional overhead and review by MS, in order to prevent system breaking games. There's no feasible way for them to populate their app store with indies and approve achievement points for all of them.

In order to have their cake and eat it to, MS needs to be able to differentiate achievement point games from indie games, but without turning indie games into an unshopped ghetto (see Xbox Indie Games). My best resolution would be to offer a small differentiation to icons on the store, specifically take those icons for games with points and apply a smaller logo to the corner, much like on a shortcut icon. Perhaps make it a little gold medal with a green ribbon falling in an X shape ;)

Terry Pratchett was fond of saying that one-in-a-million chances come true 9 times out of ten, but I believe in that he was referring to fiction and not internet crazies.

The repercussions of this on the next generation of gaming consoles would be very intriguing.

I'm having trouble tracking down a citation, but Marketplace pointed out that this is the first of these recalls to happen since the burgeoning of social networking. Pintos got written up in newspaper headlines. The SUV/Firestone debacle probably got snarky bylines on Fark. The Toyota "crisis" happened in the full bloom of Twitter et all. The commonality of foreign cars means that Bob can post to Facebook to warn any and all of his friends that they should check their driveway for any of the recalled models.

Furthermore there's an angle on the story: Toyota's reputation is build on reliability. I can't speak for the Pinto, but I don't recall Ford's SUV having that reputation. With sentiments currently against big business, suggestions of deceit are juicy linkbait.

Beyond that, some speak of Toyota's timeliness in issuing an apology. The Asashi, 2nd leading Japanese national newspaper, accuses them of apologizing too late. I personally wouldn't know how much weight that holds, but I find it interesting.

I've always rather enjoyed this piece of found internet art, having grown up with Calvin and Hobbes, and now having my own family on the way.

http://www.coffeeandcigarettes.com/2009/02/11/yea-verily-i-s...

I think you've got a really good point here. Speaking from the syndicate's point of view, it's highly inefficient and a poor bargaining position if you have to get authorial approval for each and every item. Watterson probably never had a choice, it was either authorize BOTH the Hobbes doll AND the peein' Calvin doll, or neither at all.

I personally think that a perfectly normal Hobbes stuffed doll would be an incredible incitement to a child's imagination. Instead of a talking Dora the Explorer doll that can replay the voice of the actress from the cartoon, the child (or child at heart) would be compelled to imitate Calvin and use their imagination.

And as to killing the magic, I'd think it's safe to presume that anyone with the agency and means to obtain a Hobbes doll could also can handle the fact that Calvin lives inside a comic strip with his Hobbes, but the one you've got is different

Your comment speaks about awkwardness derived from the difficulties of giving a presentation. The article speaks about awkwardness derived from potential ergonomic issues.

You've made some good points, but the two are not mutually exclusive.

This article raises points that I've been wondering about myself. The thinner cross-section and lack of non-interactive space in front represent a significant potential gripping issue, at least for those with larger hands or arthritis. These aren't present in iPhone shapes since you can alternatively grip it with your hand wrapped from the left to right. Anecdotally speaking, when playing my Nintendo DS Lite for longer periods, my hands cramp up from clutching the thinner form factor. This makes me wonder how I would be holding an iPad comfortably.

How would you expect to hold yours?

I think the implication is that if a user is trying to use Google Docs or other "advanced" features, then either they themselves or their support staff are likely to be willing and able to upgrade their IE client.

Search is more lowest common denominator, hence it's ongoing compatibility.

Good idea: Comparing criticism at the iPad's introduction to criticism at the iPod's introduction

Bad idea: Cherry-picking quotes that are catchy at best, like those that complain that new product did not meet unfounded expectations

Worst idea: Saying iPhone instead of iPod.

"The real determining factor... isn't financial but one of convenience"

But convenience is financial as it can be valued. (My statements based upon extensive research involving 7-11 and getting food delivered)

Reminds me of the mantra I repeat to myself whenever I start going to the gym again:

"Everybody's got to start somewhere"

Preexisting high levels of popularity, I'd presume. One could be curious about what makes for a popular Twitter account.

Or Bill could secretly love TMZ shrugs It's not necessarily incompatible with the rest of his life, albeit unexpected.

So multiple exposures to content that's been slightly modulated each time will result in greater user uptake, right?

I had to Google "purrel -purell" to track that down, and even then it wasn't an immediate hit.

According to WordNik.com, which cites the "Century Dictionary", a purrel is "A list ordained to be at the end of kersies to prevent deceit in diminishing their length."

Wasn't that helpful?! According to Wiktionary, a kersie is Afrikaans for cherry.

Ergo a purrel is a list at the end of cherries to prevent lies about their length. Clear as mud, eh?

(Yes, none of this is helpful at all, but I'm cracking up)

http://www.wordnik.com/words/purrel http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kersie

"Protectionists warned that if sugar tariffs were lifted, then the value of slaves working on the sugar plantations would collapse thus causing a general fall in slave values throughout the South."

Sugar tariffs originally supported the slave industry. There's a muckraking point against HFCS that I hadn't heard before. I'm surprised it hasn't been exploited.

This amusing reflection strikes me: Said managers may likely have the exact same feelings, e.g. "barely one-fifth (21%) of managers are truly engaged in their work, in the sense that they would go the extra mile for their employees. Nearly four out of ten (38%) are mostly or entirely disengaged, while the rest are in the tepid middle."

Isn't part of the issue at hand that the extensibility of Firefox is deep, while that of Chrome is shallow(er)? I understand that deep extensibility isn't necessarily a cause for memory leaks, the ongoing inheritance of a community making use of that deep extensibility can limit

Also, I personally haven't been exposed to any evidence regarding the existence of memory leaks in a Firefox install with no extensions. Many people have anecdotal evidence of their issues with memory leaks, but I never see a corresponding claim for having no extensions installed.

Of course that point is also anecdotal.

I think they should also credit RedBox for the decrease in rental stores. There are a lot of people out there who use it, either because they aren't internet-savvy or for other reasons.

As for faxing, I sadly encounter way too many occasions where it is still used.

Here's hoping that in the next decade, we'll see a drastic improvement of local governments posting things online. I just received a letter stating that unspecified changes were being made to a the zoning codes of a district only referred to as a number, specifically in regards to areas zoned as one of two different two-letter abbreviations. For full text, I have to go to city hall. They might as well have printed it on Vogon letterhead