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Chris Jacob
The Apple thing is interesting, especially since they work so diligently to kill hackintosh makers. I realize this is not a full OS push, but the end result would be similar, on all sorts of strange equipment.
I'm not saying I don't like the idea, though. In fact, this would be great for a lot of people like me. I have a Camry Hybrid with a touch-screen nav system. I installed an iPod interface, which connects to the satellite input. Unfortunately, the iPod controls are almost unusable -- six big, text-based buttons and a 10 or 16 character limit to the song and artist display, depending on the screen. If I could have the standard iPod or iPhone iPod interface or, even better, Cover Flow, it would be great. To avoid using my system's crappy iPod controls, I usually set it to Auxiliary and use my iPod or iPhone to navigate music.
I agree with the Bing thing in principle. However, haven't all the major players in search, Microsoft, Yahoo and Google, catered to China's censorship policies?
OK, a couple of things about the LCD TV's. 5 HDMI ports is too many? Really? I have 2 desktops, two Dish DVR's, an HD-DVD player, a Blu-ray player, a PS3 and I have a few portable products which I like to use from time to time on the big screen. Seems I need more than 5.
Second, that's prohibitively expensive? Because in your article about which HDTV's to buy only the LG's are not priced in that range.
But the TV's aren't even american TV's! The British taxing system notwithstanding, they're completely uncomparable with US TV's. Let's wait for if and when they announce the 60Hz versions.
If some nation engaged in rampant mandatory pedophilia, a company that decided it had to engage in pedophilia there to go along and get along wouldn't do that because it's a retarded analogy.
On the other hand, an information provider that relies on the fact that its home nation does not censor decides that to make more money by heading into a new market, it has to go along to get along by censoring the very info they're supposed to be providing cause by golly that's just how it's done there.
Not even to mention the whole respectability and authority of the names MS and Google. Wanna blow your nose or make a copy? Use a Kleenex or Xerox because those'll get'r'done. Wanna do a search of the information that is reliably presented to you because the provider is the world leader in search? Use Google, or Bing if MS managed to convince you to roll that way. Except if you actually want real unvarnished info on Tienanmen in Chinese that is.
@bobofish: Next thing you know, you're gonna get Obama to swear at Wen Jiabao because he has the great firewall of china up.
I'm sure that'll do awesome for America's trade deficit.
This is a VOIP service, so they don't need to set up any infrastructure, making their service cheaper than many. As long as they can get new customers on board, they'll have a good source of income for a while. Once that well dries up, they could always branch out and provide other services.
@DisposableInterloper: sounds like a business model based on a pyramid scheme. And while the infrastructure might not be extensive, if it's anything but computer-to-computer, there are going to be landline carrier charges to pay (that's the reason that companies like Skype have to charge for many of their services).
It's not a pyramid. There's no reselling of services involved.
As I mentioned, when they gain market share and the initial well dries up, they could always branch out. Upon providing other services, they need not necessarily have it be a one-time fee deal.
@DisposableInterloper: A pyramid scheme doesn't need to involve "reselling of services" - I think you're thinking of multilevel marketing.
A classic pyramid scheme is an investment opportunity that promises higher than usual returns, but that are not sustainable because the returns are paid out from future investors; a person invests $100 and is told that in six months they'll get $200 back. But when six months comes along the $200 is paid out from other investors who came in later. Without more and more people coming in (at least 2 for every 1 paid out) the whole thing collapses, usually after the original "investors" have already been paid out handsomely.
I'm not saying this is illegal or anything, but just that it relies on similar growth of their core services or a shift in their business plan. Otherwise the more they build their "lifetime" user base, the more money they'll lose in the long run and eventually they'll go out of business.
11/21/09
I'm not saying I don't like the idea, though. In fact, this would be great for a lot of people like me. I have a Camry Hybrid with a touch-screen nav system. I installed an iPod interface, which connects to the satellite input. Unfortunately, the iPod controls are almost unusable -- six big, text-based buttons and a 10 or 16 character limit to the song and artist display, depending on the screen. If I could have the standard iPod or iPhone iPod interface or, even better, Cover Flow, it would be great. To avoid using my system's crappy iPod controls, I usually set it to Auxiliary and use my iPod or iPhone to navigate music.
11/21/09
11/20/09
Second, that's prohibitively expensive? Because in your article about which HDTV's to buy only the LG's are not priced in that range.
But the TV's aren't even american TV's! The British taxing system notwithstanding, they're completely uncomparable with US TV's. Let's wait for if and when they announce the 60Hz versions.
11/20/09
11/21/09
I've always felt that was pretty weak tea.
If some nation engaged in rampant mandatory pedophilia, a company that decided it had to engage in pedophilia there to go along and get along wouldn't do that because it's a retarded analogy.
On the other hand, an information provider that relies on the fact that its home nation does not censor decides that to make more money by heading into a new market, it has to go along to get along by censoring the very info they're supposed to be providing cause by golly that's just how it's done there.
Not even to mention the whole respectability and authority of the names MS and Google. Wanna blow your nose or make a copy? Use a Kleenex or Xerox because those'll get'r'done. Wanna do a search of the information that is reliably presented to you because the provider is the world leader in search? Use Google, or Bing if MS managed to convince you to roll that way. Except if you actually want real unvarnished info on Tienanmen in Chinese that is.
11/21/09
I'm sure that'll do awesome for America's trade deficit.
11/13/08
11/13/08
11/14/08
11/13/08
11/13/08
This is a VOIP service, so they don't need to set up any infrastructure, making their service cheaper than many. As long as they can get new customers on board, they'll have a good source of income for a while. Once that well dries up, they could always branch out and provide other services.
11/13/08
11/13/08
It's not a pyramid. There's no reselling of services involved.
As I mentioned, when they gain market share and the initial well dries up, they could always branch out. Upon providing other services, they need not necessarily have it be a one-time fee deal.
11/14/08
A classic pyramid scheme is an investment opportunity that promises higher than usual returns, but that are not sustainable because the returns are paid out from future investors; a person invests $100 and is told that in six months they'll get $200 back. But when six months comes along the $200 is paid out from other investors who came in later. Without more and more people coming in (at least 2 for every 1 paid out) the whole thing collapses, usually after the original "investors" have already been paid out handsomely.
I'm not saying this is illegal or anything, but just that it relies on similar growth of their core services or a shift in their business plan. Otherwise the more they build their "lifetime" user base, the more money they'll lose in the long run and eventually they'll go out of business.