pgebhard

Don't the Japanese have those special barcodes everywhere? I'm sure something like that will eventually make it here, and an iPhone app would be a very quick, easy way to get it out there.

Those fast electronics cost extra time and money to design and build.

There seems to be a disconnect between your comment and that of the parent. Can you elaborate?

Because usually there would be some lag time for the camera's electronics to actually process your actions and finally snap the shutter.

Germs and such on fingers doesn't appeal to me. Instead I just pick at them...it's just as bad. I tend to do it most when concentrating hard, and I've been doing it for as long as I can remember. Any tips? (I think I need nail clippers always available)

Falls Church / Merrifield , VA

Those Pre keys are way too tiny. I didn't like how it felt after using it for a little bit, and I don't think I'd like it for a long time. I'm really glad Apple went the software keyboard route. It was definitely a smart idea (and it's much easier to type with, too, I feel).

My earlier statements about the carriers still apply. They're just prolonging the inevitable, which isn't so surprising. I think the fear that people will be able to SMS for free is a big deal to them, though things like AIM on the iPhone offer something similar, too.

As for the Voice revenue, we would still be using our minutes. I had just been considering using GV on my iPhone (through the GV website), but I've now realized that I would lose the benefit of free AT&T-AT&T calls since they would all forwarded through my GV number.

Yikes, and I thought I had it bad. Only 50 minutes?! Granted, I only use about half of my 450 (lowest you can go with AT&T).

I just wish the market would move more towards generic data access like an ISP. Voice, SMS, wireless Internet...it's all just a data pipe to me (and them), so charge me like an ISP (with speed and bandwidth caps, if necessary).

In many ways, it's unavoidable with any US carrier. The whole text messaging racket just bothers me so much. It's such an abuse of the customer, and all of the wireless companies seem to collude to keep those rates exorbitant. It also bothers me that I can look overseas and see such low rates, which INCLUDE tethering.

When will we finally reach a better wireless marketplace? Five years, I bet. It's sad, too, because Google has really been trying to break up the death grip of these carriers (spectrum auction, open-source mobile OS, Google Voice), but they're up against multiple 1,000lb. gorillas.

I can finally make it! Looking forward to meeting you all.

That's a bit of an overly obscured reference to Apple.

Good thing they don't "run out". If you just had some extra, cheap HDMI cables or component cables lying around, you'd have been set. I'll keep that in mind as I buy some HDMI cables soon for my upcoming HDTV purchase.

Being currently enrolled in an online master's degree program for computer science at Illinois, I can tell you that I don't feel as if I am getting as much out of it as I did as an undergrad. The lectures are far more convenient in an online form since I can watch them at any time, pause them, rewind them, jump around the slides. Occasionally, I wish that I could be able to ask questions, but I know that I can always email the prof. separately or involve the entire class by posting a question to a newsgroup. Newsgroups (and forums), by the way, are great in this setup.

Unfortunately, my experiences in working on a project (pretty much for every class) leave a lot to be desired. Working remotely with others can be really difficult due to schedule conflicts and lack of face-to-face communication. Skype-ing is amazingly helpful, but is no way close to sitting down with your teammates in a study room and brainstorming/hacking. Long silences while thinking becomes awkward when you can't see other's body language. I suppose video chat could help here, but I still think the teamwork experience is really lost when this kind of study is completely online.

I can see how this would be a god-send to people who might spend a lot of time messing around with VMs. Those users probably fall under your case.

Well, technically, the group name does specify NOVA and DC area...so what's the problem?

I totally agree. I really love imagining a filtering/triaging feature being a part of Wave. If incoming messages were automatically (or with just some amount of learning) given an importance rating, that would make my mind much clearer.

In large cities, you're still surrounded by many peers. While they may be harder to interact with due to distances, you'll likely also have the means to reach them relatively easily (car, public transportation). Tech meetups are really easy to find in nearly all large cities.

Of course, there are more responsibilities (the changing diapers at night part) when you're older, but more freedom (no parents that are cramping your style). I say these things with my own time struggle as I try overcome the cubicle by day and masters degree classwork by night. I really do miss the college student schedule with relatively low amount of time in class and a lot of freedom and flexibility in setting my day-to-day schedule.

In large cities, you're still surrounded by many peers. While they may be harder to interact with due to distances, you'll likely also have the means to reach them relatively easily (car, public transportation). Tech meetups are really easy to find in nearly all large cities.

Of course, there are more responsibilities (the changing diapers at night part) when you're older, but more freedom (no parents that are cramping your style). I say these things with my own time struggle as I try overcome the cubicle by day and masters degree classwork by night. I really do miss the college student schedule with relatively low amount of time in class and a lot of freedom and flexibility in setting my day-to-day schedule.

It's all just a degree of abstraction. Someone could say you were "programming" if you were using Automator. Explain more specifically to what level you think people should be programming their computers, because I think it will never happen to the level of writing actual high-level language source code, ala Python. People like looking at and clicking on/touching/interacting with pretty pictures/icons. I guess you might mean something that allows people to piece together actions (functions) to describe some goal they'd like. For example, "Purchase with CREDIT CARD -> from GROCERY STORE -> LAST WEEK'S GROCERY LIST -> deliver to HOME ADDRESS -> after TUESDAY CLASS TIME". Isn't Ubiquity trying to act as something like natural language processing in Firefox?

It's all just a degree of abstraction. Someone could say you were "programming" if you were using Automator. Explain more specifically to what level you think people should be programming their computers, because I think it will never happen to the level of writing actual high-level language source code, ala Python. People like looking at and clicking on/touching/interacting with pretty pictures/icons.

Tall ceilings would be nice. I don't understand why so many offices are cube farms with uninspiring walls and low ceilings. Windows are an afterthought. Lighting is all fluorescent...

Why can't your roommate play with headphones?

As for the clutter, I definitely agree that a clear desk (and computer desktop, taskbar) helps clear the mind and helps you focus on the real work. Being around others that are hard at work does amazing things, too, I agree!

Now, I just wish I didn't have just a single bedroom apartment, because I can't quite adequately separate my bedroom from my work...a desk in the living room is then surrounded by the distractions of TV and kitchen (from my girlfriend, not myself). A desk in the bedroom, while workable, is not ideal, I think.

I have a bookmarking problem...~17000 "To be read later" bookmarks in Instapaper. Mostly from this @#%! site.

Well, isn't there also the "greenhouse gas" factor when using oil. By using wind and solar power, that factor disappears.

The alt-text speaks the truth.

It looks like the cruise ship chairs used by all the obese people in WALL-E. I really hope that movie's futuristic scenarios aren't fulfilled.

What about Austin or Northern Virginia?

Does anybody else wonder if the concept of that restaurant is a bit sacrilegious?

Extending your thought...wouldn't the market then only be that active at those very narrow seasons?