Random technology news & announcements

Denamian

Denamian

Night Janitor
<Nazi Janitors>
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eXarc_sl said:
Apple OS is free.

Apple Just Ended the Era of Paid Operating Systems | Wired Business | Wired.com
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Just a bit of hyperbole in that headline.

The Article_sl said:
And just last week, Microsoft announced that, much like Apple, it would not charge consumers who upgrade their machines to the latest version of Windows, version 8.1.
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8.1 is just service pack 1 for Windows 8 and service packs have always been free. You still have to buy Windows 8 to get 8.1, nothing newsworthy there.

If this leads to Windows being cheaper or free that would be fantastic, but I doubt that will happen anytime soon. It's always annoying when someone asks me to build them a cheap computer and I have to tell them Windows will end up being 1/4 to 1/3 of the cost of the damn thing if they don't want Linux.
 
Lenas

Lenas

Trump's Staff
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If 8.1 is a service pack then so is Maverick. HEY! MULTI-MONITOR FULL SCREEN SUPPORT! Calendar is updated!1!! You specifically say that you need Windows 8 to update to 8.1 (duh) but conveniently neglect to mention that you still need to own (have paid for) Snow Leopard or higher to get Mavericks.

GTFO Apple and Wired
 
A

a_skeleton_03

<Banned>
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It is still calling a service pack an entire OS.

Apple has been getting away with this for years. They call a service pack an OS and only charge $30 for it and people think it is this insanely awesome deal.
 
Deathwing

Deathwing

<Bronze Donator>
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Li-fi works by utilising specialised LED bulbs to transmit data through parallel streams of light that are undetectable to the human eye.
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Won't line of sight essentially ruin this?
 
Joeboo

Joeboo

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I'd have to assume that the best way to use the technology would be to where your light socket in your ceiling has an additional wire(Cat6 or whatever in the future) running to it, so when you screw in a Li-Fi light bulb and turn on the light, it illuminates the room and also sends a wireless signal to everywhere that is illuminated by that light.

I already have a few friends that have built new homes in the last decade that ran network cabling to every room of their home just like electrical wiring, that's probably going to become more and more common in new construction. Retrofitting an older home/building could be problematic and expensive though.

On that same though, electrical outlets could also easily have network jacks in them, and your lamp would now have 2 cords, 1 electrical power, 1 network to plug into the wall.
 
Joeboo

Joeboo

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I find it interesting that Google/Android is deemed such a threat that Microsoft and Apple are willing to partner up together to try to fight against them. Google really rustles some tech jimmies apparently.
 
Joeboo

Joeboo

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Well, no more joking about it, Google takes it's first major step towards becoming SkyNet

Google Adds to Its Menagerie of Robots - NYTimes.com

Humanity is doomed, it's only a matter of time
terminator-salvation-t800.jpg
 
C

Column_sl

shitlord
9,833
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Google just has money to burn at this point

They also bought those HUGE floating data centers. Who knows what the fuck they plan with that.
Get in trouble with the US government move there Floating Citadels flanked by security robots to open waters.

Ok taking my Lumi tin foil hat off, I like that google is trying to do some cool stuff. Maybe some Google financed space exploration is in the cards?
 
Ritley

Ritley

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joeboo_sl said:
This isn't good:

Patent war goes nuclear: Microsoft, Apple-owned ??oRockstar??? sues Google | Ars Technica

tl;dr Microsoft, Apple, RIM, Ericsson, and Sony formed a company together that purely exists to purchase patents and then sue the shit out of Google/Android in an effort to damage the product. They filed 8 lawsuits today basically suing Google and every major Android phone manufacturer including HTC and Samsung.
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I understand apple and Microsoft, but why Sony? Don't their phones use android?
 
Joeboo

Joeboo

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Ritley_sl said:
I understand apple and Microsoft, but why Sony? Don't their phones use android?
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They do, for now... Rumors have been circulating for a year or two that Sony wants to drop Android and go with their own proprietary OS for their phones, possibly a version of VITA OS

Sony has also released Windows phones in the past too
 
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