Zarkonnen - Slashdot User

Submission + - Wolfram launches Computational Document Format (pcpro.co.uk)

Submitted by

Barence

on Thursday July 21, 2011 @08:49AM

Barence writes: "Wolfram Research has launched its own document format, which it claims is "as everyday as a document, but as interactive as an app". The Computational Document Format (CDF) allows authors to embed interactive charts, diagrams and graphics into their documents, allowing readers to adjust variables to see how increasing a price affects profits, for example, or display different segments of a brain scan. Wolfram aims to make the format easy enough for non-programmers to use, based on the linguistic commands used in its search engine. "[Currently] anyone who can make an Excel macro should easily be able to make interactivity for CDF," said Conrad Wolfram. "Where I'd like to get is that anyone who can make an Excel chart can make interactivity in CDFs.""

Comment "Protection for Cows" (Score 1) 256

by Zarkonnen on Friday June 17, 2011 @02:45AM (#36471758) Attached to: Iowa Rejects Video Privacy Protection For Cows

This is hardly *protection* for the cows, now is it? It's protection for the people who mistreat them. Could we have a headline that doesn't try to editorialize an issue about citizen journalism and animal rights into one about privacy?

Comment Mathematics (Score 3, Interesting) 150

by Zarkonnen on Tuesday April 14, 2009 @09:22AM (#27569229) Attached to: Should Good Indie Games Be More Expensive?

What most of the commenters seem to be ignoring is the evidence that the author is doing perfectly well selling his game for $28.

Having played (and paid for) one of them, given it took me dozens of (entertaining) hours to complete, I don't have much of a problem with that price.

I think what the post really boiled down to was:

Expect high ($30 - $60) prices for big commercial titles because they cost millions. Huge development costs divided by lots of customers result in high prices.

Expect low prices ($1 - $10) for indie games in popular genres (puzzle, etc) because there is lots of competition. Low development costs divided by lots of customers result in low prices.

But expect highish ($10 - $30) prices for indie games in niche genres, because there are simply fewer potential customers. Low(ish) development costs divided by few customers must result in highish prices, or you lose money.

Yes, there are free flash games, but point me at a free flash game in the same genre and of the depth of the author's games?

Should Good Indie Games Be More Expensive? 150

Posted by Soulskill on Tuesday April 14, 2009 @06:47AM from the i-wonder-what-the-internet-will-say dept.

spidweb writes "Indie gaming blog The Bottom Feeder has an article on why independent games should be more expensive. The enforced low prices on XBox Live, Amazon, and iTunes might feel good now, but they'll kill off the variety and depth gamers are hoping indie developers can provide. From the article: 'Every year, life is getting more and more expensive. Insurance. Rent. Food. And, at the same time, games are getting cheaper and cheaper, sometimes as cheap as a dollar, as we engage in a full speed race to the bottom. This is not going to help developers stay in business. This is not how a healthy industry is maintained.'"

Submission + - Eavesdropping Didn't Help Uncover Terrorist Plot

Submitted by crymeph0 on Wednesday September 12, 2007 @08:24PM

crymeph0 writes: Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell asserted that the "Protect America Act", which frees the intelligence community from pesky things like judicial oversight while they eavesdrop on international conversations, was used to good effect in exposing the recently foiled terrorist plot to bomb U.S. military facilities in Germany. Not so, according to other, anonymous, intelligence community officials. McConnell was forced to admit his errors in a phone call to Sen. Joe Lieberman. Turns out the military got wise to the bad guys months before the law was passed, simply due to alert military guards noticing odd behavior by some passers-by, a.k.a. good old fashioned police work!

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