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I have read in news that MS announced itself as a 'device and service' company. This model seems to mean they look at software as service instead of product.
Latest changes seem to be in that direction too. Office (365) is in the cloud so is a version of Windows (Azure) and SqlServer. There is also a minimal version of Windows (RT) produced for devices which doesn't have desktop.
We are obviously at the middle of a change and 'Threshold' must mean we'll be at its peak probably in a year. It seems to me that desktop is going to be removed completely (at least the way it is today).
I was wondering how will service vs. product affect me as a Windows developer and also what will be the impact on companies I design software for? What shall I prepare them for and how to decide about their long term plans?
What do you think is the end result of all these changes on Microsoft platform?
Planning to move to Germany, looking for a job there!Looking for a Windows desktop programmer? I look forward to hearing from you! 
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Hamed Mosavi wrote: What do you think is the end result of all these changes on Microsoft platform?
Loss of market share.
This space intentionally left blank.
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Probably. I think they don't care, maybe for them it's only the paying market share that matters.
What is left unconsidered is the impact of non-paying users over paying users and the market in general. I mean when majority of people are using Windows, it probably has effects on a new tech user.
However, I have no idea, when it comes to predict future. Maybe Microsoft is actually ditching Desktop PCs. I was hoping for more feedback. If true, it sure has huge impact on my decisions and consults I provide to companies about their investments for future.
I've heard Adobe stopped their desktop line of products too and planning to move to service model. I haven't read it from a reliable source though. I find such news frightening and I can't find any serious discussion on this matter anywhere yet.
Planning to move to Germany, looking for a job there!Looking for a Windows desktop programmer? I look forward to hearing from you!
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And here comes their storage system: https://preview.onedrive.com/[^]
This seems to actually be their strategy. A unified cloud service based family of products.
Planning to move to Germany, looking for a job there!Looking for a Windows desktop programmer? I look forward to hearing from you!
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The UIK is about to intriduce law to stop their sale to under 16s, and the BBC come in with this comment.
WTF are they talking about? It is a nicotine patch delivered in steam with some flavourings. Risk? Are they THAT stupid?
The fact is its just a bit too much like smoking, and thst the problem, as opposed to putting a patch on your arm, and this has the patronising middle classes in uproar, 'perhaps its too nice! I must assume the position of knowing better than them and stop them doing it!'.
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Link for the linkless: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25900542[^]
You're overreacting a bit, aren't you?
The article says that the plan is to raise the age at which you can buy "normal" cigarettes from 16 to 18, and to prevent the sale of the "E" version to under 18s at the same time. It also says that the reason is to prevent under 18s being addicted to nicotine by the "E" version and moving onto the "regular" type from there.
I can't see that's a problem: it's already illegal to sell cigarettes to children (and has been for decades as you know) so this is just a "catch up" change to legislation to adapt to changing technology, isn't it?
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952)
Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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I'd say that it is stupid to have different age borders for 'regular' and 'electronic' cigarettes.
I am now down on a level where I don0t smoke while at work (Means no smoke for me until 5 or 6 PM, on weekdays) and I believe we would be better off by just illegalizing them.
Veni, vidi, caecus | Everything summarizes to Assembly code
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Marco Bertschi wrote: I believe we would be better off by just illegalizing them.
Surprisingly, that turns out not to be the case!
The prohibition on alcohol in the US in the early 20th Century showed that making something illegal doesn't necessarily improve the situation: there is research that says consumption went up, not down, and the medical problems (and gangster activity!) increased dramatically.
Think about it: Dope is illegal almost everywhere, but that doesn't stop it being either the first or second most popular recreational drug taken worldwide, (the other being alcohol itself). And it costs an absolute fortune every year to try and (unsuccessfully) clamp down on production / import / distribution!
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952)
Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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OriginalGriff wrote: Surprisingly, that turns out not to be the case!
The prohibition on alcohol in the US in the early 20th Century showed that making something illegal doesn't necessarily improve the situation: there is research that says consumption went up, not down, and the medical problems (and gangster activity!) increased dramatically.
Maybe you are right: But 16 is definately too low for an age barrier, 18 would be more adequate.
OriginalGriff wrote: Dope is illegal almost everywhere, but that doesn't stop it being either the first or second most popular recreational drug taken worldwide, (the other being alcohol itself). And it costs an absolute fortune every year to try and (unsuccessfully) clamp down on production / import / distribution!
You can't compare Dope to Alcohol/Cigarettes: It is by far more dangerous. I've seen many close friends loosing the control over what is going on in their live, they started to consume more and more of it.
The real Danger with Dope is that the risk that it takes over your entire existence is by far higher than with Alcohol/Cigarettes. Smoking affects your lungs, but not your thinking capabilities, and the risk that you suddenly end up being an alcoholic because you occasionaly drink on weekends is really low, too. I've seen people going down the drain because they lost control and were taken over by dope. They suddenly had a lot of cell phone numbers, some of them even started to deal. They all were intelligent people, but the Dope made 'em stupid.
Veni, vidi, caecus | Everything summarizes to Assembly code
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Marco Bertschi wrote: It is by far more dangerous.
Nonsense.
Marco Bertschi wrote: I've seen many close friends loosing the control over what is going on in their live,
And I know someone that committed suicide with no alcohol or dope involved. Thus it follows that everyone should do both to prevent suicide (same causation you are suggesting.)
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Erudite_Eric wrote: WTF are they talking about? It is a nicotine patch delivered in steam with some flavourings. Risk? Are they THAT stupid?
I hope it was an irony and after having seen a title "BBC says 'E Cigarettes are not risk free'" I was expecting sth like: "O thank you Cpt. Obvious". Now I am not so sure.
Greetings - Jacek
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It isn't the BBC making that comment, it is the UK's chief medical officer who they are quoting.
Also it seems the e-cigarette trade agree with both the sentiment and the law.
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In other news, Getting out of bed in the morning is not risk free.
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I suppose that inhaling anything that is not air is not risk free for the lungs.
~RaGE();
I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus
Do not feed the troll ! - Common proverb
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New Ammunition That Has Gun Owners Drooling[^]
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.-John Q. Adams
You must accept one of two basic premises: Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not alone in the universe. And either way, the implications are staggering.-Wernher von Braun
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.-Albert Einstein
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I suspect it is illegal under the Geneva Convention
=========================================================
I'm an optoholic - my glass is always half full of vodka.
=========================================================
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No, only in combat. That's the funny thing - soldiers (I have two) are not allowed to legally use hollow point as it makes wounds worse (duh). Napalm has been outlawed as well (I think). Anyway, so they use FMJ.
Why not use FMJ in the event of home or personal defense? Because it's a round that keeps on going. Hit the bad guy, goes in, goes out, through the sheetrock, out the window, etc. Hollow point, on the other hand, tends to expend most/all of its energy in the target.
-- which is why law enforcement use HP. This is nothing more than an eco friendly version.
Nothing to see here, just a scary looking bullet.
Charlie Gilley
<italic>You're going to tell me what I want to know, or I'm going to beat you to death in your own house.
"Where liberty dwells, there is my country." B. Franklin, 1783
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” BF, 1759
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Imagine you have a cctv system that is web viewable.
No problem, there are millions of them out there.
However most people have dynamic IPs, rather than fixed.
Fixed IPs are expensive, so most people will use something like dyndns.org for a workaround.
Again, no problem.
However, this needs to run a regular updater to refix the new IP address to the web address.
This is also, usually, not a problem.
But sometimes it is.
Let us say you go on holiday for two weeks and bring your laptop with you.
So of course the laptop will run the updater and update the local IP of the hotel they are staying in, so no web viewable CCTV!
One alternative is to leave a second pc or laptop running at home all the time.
This is a problem as either people do not have a second computer or are running the risk of buggering up the computer that is left on all the time.
Here is my great idea.
A small box that sits under the modem, connected by a short ethernet wire that monitors the ip address and runs the updater.
Or possibly a wifi modem with an integral unit.
Being a very cut down unit I cannot see it being expensive to build, basically a very reduced pc without any of the bells and whistles.
Is there any members of the community willing to help me with this project?
I can put in this great idea, some capital and my project management skills (sorry about swearing).
I just need a hardware guy and a software chap (Or guyess and chapess, I am not sexist).
I think this could find a market at a selling price of about £70, so we would need to build and distribute for about £50 to give a £20 above the line profit.
Of course the idea being that we get it to a prototype stage and then flog it to one of the big boys.
All profits split fairly of course, and if nothing else it would be an interesting project.
Anyone got any ideas?
---------------------------------
Obscurum per obscurius.
Ad astra per alas porci.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur .
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It sounds like an Arduino or similar device would fit the bill.
Marc
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One of my friends has a CCTV system that is controlled by a Raspberry Pi, which also makes it web-viewable and updates the IP address as needed. It also has a SSH-based remote management system.
This friend has actually completely automated his home with Raspberry Pis and Arduinos. He has even automated his coffee maker!
Getting information off the Internet is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant.
- Mitchell Kapor
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You would be surprised how many have this feature built in 
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Great idea, but over here in the states at least a few of the router brands (D-link & Netgear for example)
already offer this option.
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I think most half-decent routers these days have dynamic dns facilities to the major providers already built-in.
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Already built in to my router.
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So someone has a CCTV system and they are concerned enough about it that they want to monitor it while on vacation (which would suggest to me more than one camera, wiring, maybe controllers, etc) but they only have one computer in the house?
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