AvitarX 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (11) comment rss

  • On the post: Comcast Loses 500k Video Customers, Fails To Add Broadband Users For First Time In History

    AvitarX ( profile ), 29 Jul, 2022 @ 11:48pm

    5g service

    The T-Mobile 5G in my area is pretty cheap. $50 (vs $75 for Comcast's cheapest) and 50/25 30ms real life service. Comcast is 75/6 20ms. T-Mobile is carrier grade NAT and doesn't allow incoming IPv6, so it doesn't work for anything P2P, but otherwise it's a pretty good deal.

  • On the post: BMW’s Push To Make Heated Seats A $18 Per Month Subscription Portends A Dumb And Costly Future

    AvitarX ( profile ), 13 Jul, 2022 @ 08:31pm

    The buttons on my computer are hardware (the keyboard and power button), the icons on my computer are displayed. Even on my phone where I touch the icons, there's still a few buttons (power, vol up, vol down). I'm surprised that BMW is going for a button free interface on the type of thing that may want frequent (once or twice an hour) adjusting. If they use hardware buttons on the car, that means the car would have a seat heater button that's disabled? Like I push it and nothing happens, it just seems broken?

  • On the post: BMW’s Push To Make Heated Seats A $18 Per Month Subscription Portends A Dumb And Costly Future

    AvitarX ( profile ), 13 Jul, 2022 @ 02:15pm

    Will they cancel it later?

    My 2016 BMW i3 can no longer talk to their network (3g only and they won't sell a replacement modem). If I buy this feature, will it stop working in the future? I'm already not buying a BMW again after a not so old car is losing features, but this seems like a nightmare (unless one can code it on as easy as features can be added to my current car). I'm more surprised though that BMW would be willing to sell a car without heated seats, and that they are commiting so firmly to not having hardware buttons (or do they have the buttons there and inactive). Heated seats should be standard in the luxury and near luxury markets.

  • On the post: AT&T Fights Against New Broadband Definitions, Insists 10 Mbps Upstream Is Good Enough

    AvitarX ( profile ), 31 Mar, 2021 @ 04:55pm

    I wish I could get 50/10

    I have Comcast, 200/5 (it starts to get expensive if you want more than 5 up).

    Live streaming is a thing now, and gaining in popularity. I am willing to accept some level of asymmetry is fine, but really the minimum should be 50/25 at this point.

    Consumer services exist that need it, it's no longer exotic with 4k and streaming. Until recently I was very happy with my 25/5 (living alone), it wasn't perfect, but it was pretty comprehensive.

    Times change.

  • On the post: How Should Social Media Handle Election Polls That Turned Out To Be Misinformation?

    AvitarX ( profile ), 09 Nov, 2020 @ 04:06pm

    Strange interpretation of misinformation

    Polls usually list their methodology and how many responses they got from different groups etc.

    Just because they were wrong doesn't mean they're information, they accurately (legitimate ones anyway) described what they were reporting.

    Also, the polls weren't particularly bad, off a few percent in aggregate, which is to be expected (it's the far end of expected, but in the realm of normal).

  • On the post: Appeals Court Says That Sharing Passwords Can Violate Criminal Anti-Hacking Laws

    AvitarX ( profile ), 07 Jul, 2016 @ 10:52am

    This seems like a clear case of social engineering

    Perhaps the ruling is overly broad, but this seems pretty clearly like social engineering to me.

    It's getting access to the system that would not have been allowed from an inside employee.

    If this isn't covered, is spear phishing allowed too?

  • On the post: Adobe's New Subscription Service Goes Live And Is Cracked In Less Than 24 Hours

    AvitarX ( profile ), 26 Jun, 2013 @ 02:06pm

    Re: Re: Response to: Anonymous Coward on Jun 26th, 2013 @ 5:47am

    My response was to the requirement of "ages mastering".

    PhotoShop is better from day one.

    It has little to do with ones experience level (value of PS vs GIMP), though that is certainly relevant. It's that PS is just faster to do many types of operations (better select tools, better stamp type tools, pretty decent content fill delete all being super simple tools).

    The more advanced, but hardly difficult to use effectively things, such as vector support and non-destructive editing are pretty useful for someone that has even a brief amount of experience.

    Yes, PS is a tool for professionals, but it hardly requires an expert to benefit from it's use. I oft see stated that PS 6 is enough for anyone, and CS2 being free is all one needs, but the newer tools benefit the inexperienced users most.

  • On the post: Adobe's New Subscription Service Goes Live And Is Cracked In Less Than 24 Hours

    AvitarX ( profile ), 26 Jun, 2013 @ 07:08am

    Response to: Anonymous Coward on Jun 26th, 2013 @ 5:47am

    Really? There's a tool as quick and easy as the new select in CS6?

    I love the gimp, but for making money, even (especially ) basic use is much much faster in photoshop.

  • On the post: The Public Apparently Isn't Interested In Sound Economics

    AvitarX ( profile ), 06 Nov, 2012 @ 01:53pm

    Re: Re: Point 4: A "consumption" tax isn't practical.

    I like the idea of equal handouts to all, and flat taxes personally.

    No arguing about deductions etc., simply everyone gets $X every month (no matter what they're income), and everybody pays X% on everything (ideally consumption, as it helps with trade imbalance and saving rate which are both very bad in the US).

    The tax would work out greatly negative for the poorest, somewhere approaching neutral at some level, and approaching the actual percentage as one got wealthier.

    Additionally, it would cheat and tax accrued generational wealth that is currently tax free, which is of course why we will never go to a consumption tax.

  • On the post: Does Setting Up A Paywall Suddenly Make Your Readers Erudite & Intellectual vs. Crass & Tacky?

    AvitarX ( profile ), 29 Aug, 2012 @ 02:26pm

    Re: Nothing new

    Arguably this model works for HBO.

    They don't need to appeal to the masses, they need to appeal to the loyal fanbase. They get more money per a show-viewer (in general) than adverts produce, and people pay because they want those shows.

    HBO costs $300/year. that's 150 hours of prime subject watch (Grey's anatomy viewership numbers came out to their viewing demographic, which was ideal to advert to, being worth about $2 an hour).

    that's 75 shows watched by 2 people (or 35 if you count the movie content as having some value, though most HBO subscriber I know don't really).

    People who purchased HBO for the Saprano's alone (many did) paid a hefty amount of money, and it encouraged HBO to appeal to that type of audience.

    The economist is very similar. The problem is that most "news" organizations went to pulp, as subscriptions were never about making money, they were generally break-even on distribution, or close to it. Very few publications had the pay for good content business model, and they are easy to spot, as they were never ad-heavy.

  • On the post: Woman Sues Over Misleading Movie Trailer; Wants To Make It A Class Action

    AvitarX ( profile ), 11 Oct, 2011 @ 01:46pm

    Re: Count me in

    I thought it was a fairly accurate trailer. It certainly set the mood heavy, and not light-hearted (like fast and furious). I do think all of the driving of the entire movie was in the trailer though.

    I'm somewhat amused, because my friend that recommended it to me said "don't watch the trailer, it's the whole movie", and this woman thinks it's deceptive.

    It's pretty clear from the trailer it's going to be violent and have some serious ass-kicking.