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Comment That has been among some reasons... (Score 2) 514

...but the biggest part of the lawsuit against Samsung specifically has been over TouchWiz, which isn't associated with adding an "Android cost" at all, since it's only Samsung's UI deal. Apple has also gone after HTC, and one wonders if they just expected an easier resolution in the wake of the Microsoft/HTC licensing agreement. Nokia sues Apple and gets counter-sued right back. Mainly, it's THE sector of computing showing exponential growth, so alla them big companies gonna be leveraging for position. And that means lawsuits be flyin', yo.

Comment Re:Ignorance (Score 1) 490

Northern Jersey-ite here, and my main experience has been fine on both Verizon and AT&T. There was a stretch of 206 where I ALWAYS lost signal, but I've had no ALWAYS-losses when moving to AT&T. I actually had a better random dropped-call rate for a while, too, but that got a bit worse over time so I'd say I'm under-par now. Perhaps I should blame too many iPhone users coming aboard? ;-)

My brother's down south more, and he de-rezzes on Verizon while on the road quite a lot as well. On the whole, they seem rather the same, and you'll mainly lose out if the very local geography of "your house" or "where you work" or "where you spend a lot of time" is fuxxed.

Comment Re:No ads please (Score 0, Redundant) 983

No, he's right! MACs do tend to be used by the two extremes of the user community! The newbies don't even know what Media Access Controls are, and life their lives blissfully unaware. The power-users are involved in MAC spoofing, and all sorts of other MAC-related activity, to haxx0r your boxx0r!

You see? It all makes sense!

Comment PC gamers are still on equivalent hardware (Score 2, Insightful) 518

That's still where the majority of PC gamers can handle things well, too. (Their hardware may be newer than the consoles, but DX9 is still the majority support, and they have higher resolutions to cover.) The real questions is if the developer is even INTERESTED in targetting higher-performance hardware with unique features, or if they mainly want to use it to be "slightly shinier" and hit better framerates.

Comment Re:That Explains The Updated SDK (Score 1) 1010

This is as close as we will ever get to Apple admitting their cult of personality is the primary (but not only) driver of their sales, not their products.

No, they're pretty much saying that their user experience will bring over the people who are looking at the advantages of netbooks (smaller form factor, lighter weight, more battery life, little desire to use it as a "primary computer," etc...) over to them instead. Which is something they always say.

Comment Re:Answers (Score 1) 671

Can you save and transfer documents to the iPad?

Probably in the same way it saves and passes notes, with a bit extra. Probably also through Mobile Me while encouraging use of online document support.

Does the iPad support Microsoft Exchange email?

The iPad runs the same OS as the iPhone right now, which supports it. Why would they take extra steps to remove such a feature?

Does the iPad support VPN and configuration management?

The iPad runs the same OS as the iPhone right now, which supports it. Why would they take extra steps to remove such a feature?

Can you use media services other than iTunes on the iPad?

In the same way that you can use them now; if you can transfer their media into iTunes. Also, if their media usage is built into an app that has been approved. Obviously also if it's browser-accessible and not Flash. Certainly you can enable streaming services from other sources through apps, as well. So it depends what you mean by "media services."

Can the iPad be used for videoconferencing?

There is no built-in camera, so not by itself. There is likely to be no built-in video-conferencing app from Apple to start, either. But there are already other apps that can be used as such on the App Store, and ostensibly any camera that can be connected to by WiFi, Bluetooth, or through the dock port could be used.

Will the iPad's internal storage be upgradable?

There is no expansion slot for it, and Apple has not provided it for the iPod Touch or iPhone, so... No.

Will the iPad allow multiple apps to run simultaneously?

With the current firmware version, no. But then the current firmware also has few iPad-specific features. 4.0 will likely drop or at least be detailed before the iPad launches, so anything it possible. I wouldn't expect to see any paradigm-breaking from their aim so far, but it's certainly conceivable to have some resources available for background use after switching out of an app, or having a "low profile"/widget mode that they could run in. Key factors would have to be seamless use, no additional UI clutter, no huge battery impact, and never needing to "manage" it. Certainly Apple could specify resource restrictions to keep things under control.

Will Apple allow the use of Flash on the iPad?

Doubtful. They've taken a stand against built-in code they do not control integrating with system apps for multiple reasons, and so far it has not hurt iPhone or iPod Touch sales at all. It might hurt the iPad more due to more people wanting to browse anywhere and everywhere with it--which is not as appealing on a smartphone screen--but it seems more likely that most sites will shift to HTML5 for the primary Flash use people want... video playing. And due to the messy nature of Flash on smartphones and other featurephones, it also seems more likely that Flash-required sites will at the very least build a functional HTML-access site alongside for the wider array of devices that want to access their data but can't.

Games

Copyright and the Games Industry 94

A recent post at the Press Start To Drink blog examined the relationship the games industry has with copyright laws. More so than in some other creative industries, the reactions of game companies to derivative works are widely varied and often unpredictable, ranging anywhere from active support to situations like the Chrono Trigger: Crimson Echoes debacle. Quoting: "... even within the gaming industry, there is a tension between IP holders and fan producers/poachers. Some companies, such as Epic and Square Enix, remain incredibly protective of their Intellectual Property, threatening those that use their creations, even for non-profit, cultural reasons, with legal suits. Other companies, like Valve, seem to, if not embrace, at least tolerate, and perhaps even tacitly encourage this kind of fan engagement with their work. Lessig suggests, 'The opportunity to create and transform becomes weakened in a world in which creation requires permission and creativity must check with a lawyer.' Indeed, the more developers and publishers that take up Valve's position, the more creativity and innovation will emerge out of video game fan communities, already known for their intense fandom and desire to add to, alter, and re-imagine their favorite gaming universes."

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