What Guy's article says is basically, if you turn off every neat feature in the new iPhone, you get the battery life of a regular phone. I honestly don't see the point. - Rubin Sfadj
BTW, how long does it take to charge an iPhone up? A separate battery + battery charger usually saves my [portable] day. Alas, here it wouldn't work. - Lech
yep that is the summary. I'm rather peeved about the battery life, still. I have to charge the iPhone every night or I get an iBrick on my commute home. And this is with about 2 hours of heavy websurfing / crossword puzzle playing / music listening during my commutte. - Jason Kaneshiro
“If you really want the government to run all aspects of life, can you please move to one of the pre-existing socialist or fascist countries in existence and stop ruining mine?”
You need to confer with some of your fellow democrats then, please. I had one argue in the comments at Mashable that privatization of *anything* is a disaster, and a National CTO is a great first step to getting the country's tech sector under the thumb of the government. And also that I've never made any sense. He may be right on the second point, but the first really bothers me. - Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins
Also, it occurs to me that both republicans and democrats are very guilty lately of taking over our lives, just from different parts of it. Can we just reboot our government? Is that possible? - Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins
I am not a democrat, but agree that if you want to avoid fascism, best way to go in November is Democrat, and I'll (obviously) be doing so. Although yeah, the national CTO chatter this week was ridiculous... - Anthony Citrano
I don't see what the issue is with a national CTO. Why *wouldn't* you want someone in an administration who helps it make more informed policy decisions? Would you rather have a government make decisions that affect the technology sector with nothing? Not everything has to be a slippery slope to fascism. - Mark Trapp
Heh, well some people are going to be more socialist than I am. I think that deregulation has it's pros and cons. Particularly if done poorly (see how California deregulated power in the 90s as a poor way to do it). Some people will never like big corporations and some people will never get how the government can effectively regulate industries. - AlexScoble(Robert'sBro)
Many European countries have had the equivalent of a "national CTO" for many years. It hasn't helped Europe in the worldwide innovation race. Pretty much the opposite. - Rubin Sfadj
I'd say that the government's job is to regulate large corporations to prevent Enrons and the current housing crisis as much as possible. But of course the regulations have to be smartly written and serve purpose and the regulators also have to have the tools/personnel required to enforce them. When you don't have both of those things regulation is ineffective or can actually make things worse. - AlexScoble(Robert'sBro)
Rubin: that's totally because the CTO is hampering innovation, and definitely not because Europe has never really been that strong in that sector, has other high-tech unfriendly labor laws that were enacted long before the idea of a CTO, and generally doesn't have the same level of infrastructure as the United States, right? - Mark Trapp
Democrats are all about more government. I guess some people would be happy if they gave their whole paycheck to the government and let it spend the money for them. The perfect Democratic government would be where the government ran everything and ran it poorly. - Michael Tefft
to be fair, if you look globally you'll find in Western countries that it's the right that preaches small government but actually is worst at delivering it. The left may embrace a more open social agenda, but they tend to have the sense of not allowing it to get as out of hand as the right does. - Duncan Riley
Michael: which is why the government has increased its spending and infrastructure more than any other time in the Reagan and Bush administrations? How does that make sense? The Bush administration spends more per year than any other administration in the country's history. - Mark Trapp
Michael: but that's not relevant to the argument you made. Your claim that Democrats would love nothing more than to take your whole paycheck isn't based on a statement of fact. In reality, the Republicans are worse at it than Democrats. Talking about unemployment rates is just an inane diversion from the point you're attempting to make. - Mark Trapp
Rebooting the government won't work. The software's been replaced many times to no avail. The legacy hardware is clearly at fault. - abacab
You made my point for me Alex. I wasn't talking about Democracy, I was talking about a country in which the Democrats had their way in everything. Take from the rich and the middle class, give to the poor until everyone is equal, i.e. Communism. - Michael Tefft
Two things @Michael: 1. Perhaps the incidence of cancer is higher, too. Does that a connection make? Plus - here you are arguing for smaller government, then implying it is city officials' responsibility to ensure the employment of the citizenry? 2. Traditional Republicanism advocated for small government. I hope you're not asserting that Bush 2, nor the freshly-hijacked Republican party has done so. - Anthony Citrano
Anthoney.It should be city officials responsible for ensuring the welfare of its people, not the federal government. That is my point. You want the federal government to be responsible for everything. The federal government can't run everything and should not even try. What do you think local and state governments are for? - Michael Tefft
Mark, It is relevant. The point is whether at city or federal levels Democratic policies don't work. - Michael Tefft
Sorry I misspelled your name Anthony. - Michael Tefft
Actually Communism is where the government takes from everyone and creates a ruling class (because you have to have that) and of course they live great, while everyone else waits in line for toilet paper. Our country's tax system was based on the fact that the more you make the more you pay as being fair. And this is fair because the more you make, the more you can afford to pay in taxes. And yes, some of this money goes back to the poor, but it is to create a safety net for everyone... - AlexScoble(Robert'sBro)
@Michael: I do? You know what I think about federalism, states rights and so on? How? Before you presume to know what someone thinks, you ought at least make an effort to know who they are, for Christ's sake. I *was* a government CTO, perhaps even the first (although I am not sure.) I don't need to be lectured about the different levels of government, especially from someone intent on painting the world thusly. The patronizing comments from some of you are a little hard to take. - Anthony Citrano
To keep corporations in check. To protect us against invaders. To control crime and build up/maintain infrastructure vital to the nation's security and economy. To regulate industry as required. To keep us safe in times of disasters both large and small. And to give everyone an equal opportunity at succeeding in life. - AlexScoble(Robert'sBro)
Yeah, I don't know how I feel about the whole CTO thing. For one thing, government bureaucracies tend to slow everything down, and technology has really thrived without a lot of that oversight and regulation over the past 40 years or so. I can see technological progress slowing down with a CTO. On the other hand, there are some reckless and ruthless corporations and other entities out there that would certainly play nicer if we had someone enforcing tight standards and watching out for us, the little guy - Pete Delucchi
Well said Alex, but I think that some Democratic tax policies are unfair in this regard. They take more than their fair share from the rich and the middle class. That is one of the differences between Republican and Democratic tax policies. - Michael Tefft
@Mark: I'd say that's because of the flawed view that the government's job amounts to more than setting the right environment when it comes to innovation. Collectivism at its best/worst. - Rubin Sfadj
less of a tax rate results in more taxes being paid though by the higher income earners - Jeff Quinton
Anthony, the first version of your comment addressed "Mark," so I figured you were talking about Mark Hopkins. I wasn't addressing you with my original comment: I was addressing Mark Hopkins. I don't think it's a slippery slope towards fascism or socialism just to have someone in an administration who helps shape policy regarding different labor areas, and considering the rational difficulties of a slippery slope argument, I'm quite taken back that one would use it. - Mark Trapp
Michael- You obviously did not look at the data on Obama's tax policy vs McCain's then. Obama would give the largest tax reductions across the board, except to the wealthiest of Americans, which can afford to pay the most in taxes. He's keeping capital gains below the historic low (not counting the huge reduction that GW put in place "temporarily") which provides incentive for investment. His tax policy is more progressive and therefore more fair to the average american. - AlexScoble(Robert'sBro)
@Mark Trapp - that's why I put in your last name... sorry, I'm cranky and sunburned. - Anthony Citrano
Sorry that the rich have to pay more, but that's the cost they have to bear for the privilege (and yes it's a privilege and not a right to be rich) of being rich. Sucks to be them. I won't be crying for Donald Trump, Simon Cowell, or even my brother. As my dad likes to say "I'd love to pay more taxes, because it means that I'm making more money." - AlexScoble(Robert'sBro)
"Our true choice is not between tax reduction, on the one hand, and the avoidance of large Federal deficits on the other. It is increasingly clear that no matter what party is in power, so long as our national security needs keep rising, an economy hampered by restrictive tax rates will never produce enough revenues to balance our budget just as it will never produce enough jobs or enough profits… In short, it is a paradoxical truth that tax rates are too high today and tax revenues are too low and the soundest way to raise the revenues in the long run is to cut the rates now - Jeff Quinton
Silly people that buy into Republican talking points of the last 30 years without bothering to check any facts. I really loved the unemployment quote. If Republicans ran those cities they would be proud of the incredibly higher unemployment rates they would intentionally cause and the atrocious manner in which those governments were run. Republicans are incompetent at running anything well and that includes corporations, government, the Republican party(ie embezzlement) and their personal lives. - Brad Nickel
Brad - painting the Rs with such a broad brush is no better than when they do the same to Ds. How, exactly, does that kind of tripe advance our discourse or our national condition? - Anthony Citrano
Actually, as the WaPo graph shows, Obama is raising taxes for some, whereas McCain is lowering them for everyone. Back to the topic at hand, though, I'm curious as to why socialized <insert industry here> doesn't equate to socialism for Democrats. I hear socialized medicine, socialized insurance, socialized retirement investing ..... all I think is that we're on a long slow march to socialism. Enlighten me. - Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins
Anthony, there is nothing generalized about it is their governing philosophy. Why would you bother to run government well when you don't want government to survive. Their party is a financial mess. I guess I have to take back the corporate comment, when their corporations are feeding at the trough of government spending they created for them with misleading evidence about wars, so that one I am wrong about. Besides that, I stand by the point. - Brad Nickel
Call it socialized, socialist or communist, I am damn ready for socialized medicine and so is a majority of this country. The only competent form of medicine in this country is medicare. It is efficient and well run. Privatized medicine is a complete f'ing mess. So, bring it on with whatever label you like. - Brad Nickel
Go ahead and stand there, then, and point fingers and claim those with differing viewpoints "are incompetent at running anything". That'll surely fuel progress. - Anthony Citrano
I'm definitely not ready for socialized, socialist or communist anything. I can tell you from first hand experience that medicare is a much bigger mess than any private insurer. I've had both, and medicare is a much worse mess. DO NOT WANT. - Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins
Anthony, I don't expect Republicans to ever be competent at government or compassion. I do expect them to be good at misleading, stealing from government, distorting the message, attacking, harming people, corruption, and hypocrisy. When they stop that, they've become Democrats. What progress can I expect from a party that cuts funding for our veterans and soldiers protection while their corporations reap billions from the same war. Republican and progress do not belong in the same sentence. - Brad Nickel
They've proven their incompetence, I don't have to point it out. Its why a majority of Americans think George Bush is one of the worst presidents ever. - Brad Nickel
Anthony, there is truth to discourse that is reasonable having value. But, I've been watching Joe Biden videos all day and the man speaks truth to bullshit. While I am fired up he is our VP nominee, I am more outraged now than ever about what has been done to our country, our freedom, our reputation, our soldiers, and our people by the Republican party in the name of greed and power. I am sick to my stomach at what we have done to the world and how much opportunity we have lost. - Brad Nickel
So *everyone* in the Republican party is just some sort of evil monster that only diminishes freedom and the reputation of the country... that's what you're saying? The whole party? You realize you're indicting over half the country there? Do you realize how unreasonable you sound? - Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins
Well, those that still proudly wave the banner of the party after the last 8 years have serious issues to consider. So called moderates that have chosen not to fight back are as guilty as those that support the party as it is. When I speak about the Republican party, I am speaking to what it is and has done as a party. If you support the party of today, then I guess you are indicted or will be shortly at the rate they are going. I will always fight that in my party and will stand with Rs that do in theirs. - Brad Nickel
Actually Rizzn it's only a bit under a third of the voting public, so perhaps a quarter of the country or so. *But* the issue overlooked here (again) is that the Republican party in its current form has been hijacked. Traditional small-government R philosophy is long gone. Most of my smart Republican friends are infuriated that their party was stolen by a few dozen neocons. It is likely dead. The party influencers are to blame for allowing this to happen. - Anthony Citrano
@Brad: I've been following Biden for decades and you're right he's a truthful guy. He is also exceedingly fucking smart and "gets" geopolitics like few others. But since you see things so black and white, I'm surprised you haven't written him off because of his 2002 authorization and support of the Iraq invasion and war. - Anthony Citrano
Anthony, I am never black and white. I always believe people can redeem themselves. So far I haven't seen much of that in the Republican party. I am waiting though. Chuck Hagel is making a good run at it, so far. It won't change how I feel in general about the philosophy of the Republican party and government that has been core for much longer than 8 years, but at least makes them tolerable. - Brad Nickel
"The party influencers are to blame for allowing this to happen." Its worse than the demise of the party. Those are the people that allowed the party to get away from civil liberties and be run by the religious right. They have to take responsibility for not only ruining that party, but doing great harm to the country. So far I haven't heard you reply to the core point I am making about who has been in charge and what they have done to us and that party. Your smart R friends were cowards. - Brad Nickel
Honestly I worry less about the religious right and more about the neocons, although they've merged frighteningly well over the past half-decade. Brad - which "core point?" I just hear rambling anger. And now you start calling my friends names? Jesus Christ, might you consider stopping with the personal attacks and vitriole? Have you any idea how badly this distracts from constructive debate? Do you realize this is a large part of what's broken in American politics? - Anthony Citrano
Unfortunately, constructive debate left us with the lies of "compassionate conservatism". Its nice to think that we could all have a pleasant intellectual discussion about big government vs. little, but the Republican party had their chance and they blew it. Those that let this happen to our country are cowards in both parties and those that "let" the neocons and religious right take over their party gave up all rights to being treated with civility. A lot of "smart" Rs sat back and watched this happen. - Brad Nickel
Tell the screwed over victims of Katrina, the innocents in Iraq, and our soldiers returning home missing limbs for a war of lies and with a decimated VA unable to help them that we need to have a civil discussion. Tell the innocents that were imprisoned and tortured and the families of Americans tortured and murdered in retaliation that we need a constructive debate. - Brad Nickel
You know what Anthony, you are right. My anger is going to get us nowhere. I just rocked my 2 year old back to sleep and had the time to think about what you are saying. So, my apologies to you and your friends if I've been offensive and for the personal attacks. After 43 years on this planet, I've seen R's in power consistently since the 70s disregard people, liberty and our constitution. My anger cannot be justified, but my son is going to have to clean up this mess and I don't know why. - Brad Nickel
Understood. And on the anger and name-calling, glad to hear it. But since nature abhors a vacuum, it seems like Alex Scoble will be stepping it up in your stead. ;) Look, you're right, but you act like one side is to blame. The Ds are just as much to blame. To take one tiny example, they basically ran (and won) in the mid-term Congressional elections on two issues: getting us out of Iraq and holding the WH accountable for their crimes. They have done neither. - Anthony Citrano
Anthony, sorry to dredge this up again, but I definitely agree that there are serious "problems" in the Democratic party, but I am doing what I can whenever I can to root them out and will continue to do so in order to protect what I believe are important values. One point of contention I have with your last post though, is the idea that the Dems have had the type of majority they needed to accomplish those election campaign promises. We knew full well that plenty of conservative Dems would not be on board. - Brad Nickel
I think we've long forgotten what the word conservative means. If they were truly conservative, they'd be the first aboard. But (for example), in the Senate there are a lot of things they can do without 60 votes and they have opted not to. The same is true in the Congress. It ain't just about vote-counting. It's about re-election, again and again. - Anthony Citrano
i'm looking to monetize this phenomenon - ishak via twhirl
or the lifetime of your folks, whichever is shorter... - Louis Gray
This was true until Vista. When my father CHOSE to get Vista (he seriously waited to get his laptop until Vista was released), I told him all bets were off. He misses our tech support. - Cyndy
@Cyndy I got the exact same story with my dad. We all have Macs in the family, but he insisted on buying a Vista laptop. The thing is now sitting in a corner somewhere while he steals my old PowerBook 12. - Rubin Sfadj
@Chris White: It's sad that many now think of Apple as the lesser of two evils instead of a wholly awesome choice that stands on its own merits. "It's not Windows" is certainly an OK justification for purchasing Apple stuff, but "It's _Apple_, a no-brainer buy" is how it used to (and should still) be. - abacab
it's even worse they expect you to help them as well with the nxt products they might wanna have :/ - Jaap Willem
abacab, I think most Apple products are "a wholly awesome choice", although no product line or product is perfect. Buying them all Macs and other Apple stuff makes upgrades easier, and since I don't use Windows much anymore, it's easier on my brain to just concentrate on one system. (I used to spend days trying to clean out viruses and other crap on Windows for them) - Chris White
Maybe he's French. The French say "expresso". - Rubin Sfadj
And by 'monkey' you meant what exactly? - Krista Summitt
HEY! I use to be one of those monkey people! - Michelle Miller
I'm starting to feel like Chris just starts threads across multiple micro-blogging platforms and never comes to join the conversation. :( - Rahsheen(isSoAwesome)
I am at a Starbucks right now.. I don't see a monkey. - Kyle Lacy
You can't post Media (images/videos/music) in Twitter. Rejaw is like live chat. No page refreshing. - Rahsheen(isSoAwesome)
"Rejaw is like live chat" ... well, that's kinda cool - .LAGizmoto
I wasn't impressed at first either. It actually quite similar to Kwippy, but leaves Kwippy in the dust with it's features. I don't think it would every replace something like Twitter or Identi.ca, but it's definitely something I'm going to pay attention to in addition to Identi.ca :) - Rahsheen(isSoAwesome)
Liking this because i still want to try that sandwich - Lindsey Smith
Nope, couldn't do my job if it was. Having a 64bit platform gives me enough compatibility to do my job while providing just enough software incompatibility to get me out of some mundane and/or unfun support work =) - Stupid Blogger (aka Tina)
yup. been 5 years since i switched and i haven't skipped a beat so no need to think of PCs anymore. - Christine Lu
I think so, if we're talking about a laptop. The fact that I can run Windows on it is starting to seal the deal. The final sinker will be if Mac comes out with a Tablet-style portable. - Sergio Cruz
Wait, lemme finish laughing and come back.... - Yuvi
Yes. But my last four have also been Macs. There was a Sony VAIO back there somewhere. - Michael Markman
I switched some 4 years ago and using a PC at work feels like torture now. I don't think I'll ever buy one again myself, unless Apple dies and Microsoft buys OS X from them :) - Rubin Sfadj
pc's are crap, get a mac or linux, that is the only way to go, if you are not computer literate get a mac, its easier than a pc when you get use to it, not to mention.... STABLE - SoN9ne
"Salut Koz, et merci pour ton commentaire. Sur le point de vue de C. Young, je pense que le fond de son propos est de mettre en lumière le fait que l'opposition d'A.S. au régime soviétique n'était pas une opposition fondée sur un idéal démocratique ou libéral, mais bien plutôt sur un retour à la Russie czarsite et féodale. D'où les qualificatifs d'anti-laïque, anti-moderne et anti-individualiste. D'où aussi qu'il est en filigrane fait référence à l'antisémitisme d'A.S. — que l'on peut me semble-t-il qualifier d'antisémitisme d'extrême droite. Dans ces conditions, mon billet traduit mes interrogations sur la dualité dont tu parles : cet homme a indéniablement contribué à mieux faire connaître et à dénoncer les crimes et la réalité du régime soviétique, ce qui mérite qu'on lui rende hommage ; mais faut-il pour autant le hisser au rang de héros de la liberté ? Comment reconnaître la valeur de sa contribution sans faire silence sur les aspects moins acceptables (en tout cas pour moi) de sa..." - Rubin Sfadj
Why not use the wallpaper from the "The Website is Down" video? ;) - Jim Graham
I'm a big fan of SocWall.com - They've got a huge library of really nice desktop backgrounds for all shapes and sizes, including patterns. http://www.socwall.com - Haggis (Sean)
Little late on this, but I'm always down with the pixel girl: www.pixelgirlpresents.com - BKB
Noah, evidence is there! Let's not rehash it or be naive! Remember I am from Soviet Union! All this plotting and counter plotting is everyday activity there! It all reads like a movie script! Same your Federales thing! - Igor The Troll
except for NY it wasn't on TV. you forget all my family and friends were there and saw it. not a movie - Noah David Simon
the Mexicans were trying to prove that the Muslims didn't do it by detaining Jews flying into NY. your right it was a conspiracy... but reverse of what you think. Third world nations were desperate to prove that JEWS caused 911. I was jailed because of this. Lucky for me the US state dapartment stood up for me. http://simonstudiotheatre.blog... - Noah David Simon
for me the glamorizing of conspiracy is a little bit more personal because me and my family were working the gears of the US government while 9/11 was going on. I find it offensive... in the same way I find the Palestinian accusations offensive because I have friends there that I call on the phone and fact check any accusations online I read about. I know people in Hebron in 1948. all the accusations are lies. - Noah David Simon
Noah you welcome to believe as you like! But unless USA requests Mexico to detain you from boarding a plane they will not do it! - Igor The Troll
What happened to you in Mexico is nothing new! You should read about USA citizens detained in Chile and Argentina and other South American countries! Same signature as your case! America came to rescue them! All set up! - Igor The Troll
A lot of nasty stuff under Pinochet! I do not know all the details but I am sure you can find references in Wikipedia. - Igor The Troll
no Igor... Pinochet was not in power at that point. There was a lot of Anti-Semitism in Puerto Vallarta when I was there. this was part of that. I had applied for a job at a hotel and rejected because it turned out the owner was Iranian. A very common name in that region is "Omar" because there is a sizable Arab population in Puerto Vallarta. Believe it or not the town was small when it wasn't tourist season and I stuck out there. I was the talk of the town and there were other difficulties. - Noah David Simon
you have to understand.... extortion is the norm in Mexico. We had to pay thousands of dollars to the airline to keep the airport authority from stealing my friends things. This story is more complicated then you understand. My friend had also tried haggling with the extorters... Several attempts of assassination on myself took place while I was there. - Noah David Simon
I made reference to when USA government supported Pinochet, nothing to do with Mexico, but same style of detaining Americans who spoke out against USA government! As far as Mexico goes I spent 3 years there and I've been to Puerta Viatra. I lived in Mazatlan for 1 year. I did not see or experience anti-Semitism. The Iranian guy could just be personal. - Igor The Troll
there were other details. the man I was staying with was a famous psychoanalyst. He was a very rich man. ...and the Mexicans were looking for him to pay money. They took me into custody to get money as well. We will never know for sure of course. that is what is so frightening. Once you see the Mexican corruption... you will never think badly of the US again. - Noah David Simon
A picture of three examples of what can go wrong with evolution and natural selection. - Michael Tefft
Puerto Vallarta is a different kind of place Igor. Mexico is a big country. In Puerto Vallarta drugs are almost legal. Prostitution is the norm. Puerto Vallarta makes the majority of it's money from rich Europeans and Canadians. Very few American guests unless they are celebrities. The Euros and Canadians shit talk the Americans and the Mexicans reflect that hostility. It is a very left wing and gay town. - Noah David Simon
Look, you can believe as you wish. But I am talking from personal experiences with USA government! Remember I cannot get a USA visa on my Israeli passport even though my mother is USA citizen! So you want to believe USA government rescued you from Mexico, good for you! - Igor The Troll
as for the psychologist... I was working with him to build a pro-Zionist website.... and it was well known where our political allegiances were. This guy dated back to the Chelsea Hotel. I had talks with him about Nico from the Velvet Undergrount and I do believe this shrink might of been one of many lovers of Lou Reed and he claims to have had sex with Jim Morrison? Kind of an alternative 60's person who was out of place with contemporary politics. He was also Jeffrey Daumer's shrink. - Noah David Simon
So I had made some odd company... and the Mexican's were watching me. - Noah David Simon
Igor... of course they wouldn't allow you a Visa. you are creating a digital trail of anti Americanism... what is worse is you a
