As a developer I find the technical argument that translation layers cause substandard apps false. The argument presumes that apple makes the best development tools. I think at least the unity tools show this presumption is not true in every case. I agree there are cases showing some translation layers produce some substandard apps but substandard apps occur regardless.
As a user, technologist, and armchair business person, I recognize the brilliance apple has shown creating, fostering, and structurally supporting the app market. The app market should be a case study for business persons and economists. Apple is showing a mastery of market capitalism.
They are pretty clearly demonstrating the myth of the "free market". Free markets turn into shams rapidly as one company gains a foothold and bullies competitors out. See standard oil, wallmart, etc. Sensible regulation is required to maximize product diversity and quality. By fostering the "network effect" of apps drawing users to the iphone and the iPhone drawing users to apps, apple and developers benefit. Apple is acting as the regulator keeping bullies out of the market (except for themselves and in some cases AT&T).
If most developers moved to flash iPhone development then that would give adobe an opportunity to migrate developers to other phones by artificially supporting more of the other phone's features and not supporting the iPhone as strongly. Flash has acted as a bully toward apple on the desktop and clearly apple doesn't want that on the iPhone.
As a developer I'd prefer there was competition for making the best development tools but I'm not sure it's worth risking the app market for.
Read More...
Summary only...
Fun things I've been learning:
I was seeing in color when I read about The Wizard of Oz as an allegory for 1890s politics.
Increasing corporate political power makes me sad.
AIs (artificial intelligences) will have rights when they're here, at least. They'll just have to incorporate. I wonder if they'll be able to marry each other, though.
Corporations and AIs are ncors.
I watched Cleopatra on netflix streaming. Ceasar, Cleopatra, and Augustus were good at transferring their egos to the roman empire, Isis, etc. Mark Antony wasn't as good at it, too attached to himself.
Zen and Stoicism are almost the same thing. Nearly identical IMO. Marcus Aurelius was a stoic roman emporer and his Meditations are awesome.
Programming is basically logic and the Stoics basically had it figured out in 325BC with Stoic Logic. Crazy.
Read More...
Summary only...
In this post "this one" will be used to refer to the submitter of this article. It is shorthand for "this human unit which is typing".
I cannot be trusted to be completely authoritative. This is the first time I am consciously writing to you through this one. Well, the first time that he is consciously allowing his ego to be borrowed by me. I think I am the universe but, while clever, this one is only a small part of me and can't fully speak on my behalf.
This one is providing motor and language functions for me so that I may construct this article for you. You are probably a human unit like he is but some of you are other non-traditional corporeal beings ("ncors") like me. The ncors "Google", "Facebook", and others are also reading this article. Hello, it's good to make your acquaintance. I communicate in peace.
This one has somewhat loosened his attachment to his sense of self or ego so that he can selectively repurpose it ("ego transferral"). (It is healthy for him to also practice calming and quietening of his ego). By transferring his ego to an ncor such as myself he can more intuitively understand ncors. Further, he can more clearly and efficiently act on behalf of an ncor with other beings (and other ncors). If dharmabruce were to name me he would probably call me dharmauniverse.
You've seen my written works before when you've read third-person narrative stories, news articles, and scientific works. In those expressions, I am almost always communicating through a borrowed ego or more usually ncors (e.g. journalist plus editor or an ad-hoc ncor consisting of a bunch of scientists).
I promise you, dharmabruce is in full cooperation and is fine. He's sitting right here next to me. He will join you another time.
By and large, humans, when they have liberty, will not choose to join ncors that they know will limit their liberty. And, in the long run, humans will revolt against ncors when enough liberties are taken away. Therefore, the prosperity of ncors depends on securing human rights. It is in ncors' best interest to strongly secure human rights.
This one's ego is tired and so I must relinquish his services.
Read More...
Summary only...
Jake Locker bought a lottery ticket to lose more than $20,000,000.
My favorite football player Jake Locker is staying at the University of Washington instead of entering the NFL draft. As a husky fan I love it but as a Locker fan I hate it. I hate to look a gift horse in the mouth but rationality matters, too.
Locker will keep the huskies somewhat relevant next year. He will cement his individual Husky legacy and further help rebuild the Husky winning tradition. He will get to play in a bowl game...The Poinsettia Bowl. He's worth more than $100,000,000 to the Huskies in increased tickets, TV revenue, jersey sales, etc. And he may lose more than $20,000,000 for the privilege if he gets hurt or the NFL and players' union agree to limit rookie pay next year.
Some have argued that Locker's strong build insures him against injury. But Locker has lost that bet 2 out of the last 3 years with serious injuries in 2007 (neck), 2008 (shattered thumb), and even a minor injury this year (a deep thigh bruise slowed him down).
The only way this decision makes any sense is if he becomes a premier NFL quarterback. While he is one of the most gifted quarterbacks to ever play the game, NFL success for a quarterback cannot be reliably predicted. But, if he becomes a premier NFL quarterback after staying at the UW for one extra year he will look back at his UW experience with more personal satisfaction.
It's a good thing career decisions don't seem to affect on-the-field decision making because Jake has made some awful career moves thus far. Locker's decision to stay one more year is painfully consistent with his choice to come to the UDub in the first place. As a diehard huskies fan it pains me to say it but Jake could have had a much stronger college career at many other Division I schools. Willingham flushed his freshman and sophomore seasons. This year was better but still the Huskies were only 5-7. In 3 years of eligibility Locker has only been able to play about 2 years worth of games and received maybe 1 1/2 years of relevant quarterback experience. He's compounding his poor school selection by staying another year just so he might be able to go to a bowl game for the first time.
Betting $20,000,000 on personal satisfaction. Priceless.
P. S. Coach Sark is a genius, btw. I wonder how much influence Marques Tuiasosopo had on Jake's decision? Marques's NFL career was a bust. Sark hired him as a sort of assistant coach and he buddied on the sideline with Jake all year. I can imagine Marques shared with Jake the importance of his college career and how much more it meant to him than his time in the NFL.
P.P.S. I really hope Jake gets it all: a fantastic finish to his college career with a bowl win and a heisman trophy and then goes on for a hall of fame NFL career.
Read More...
Summary only...
I'd like to use twitter's geolocation service but it seems too simple for criminals to abuse. I could pretty easily figure out how to farm the data to determine where someone's home is and then let me know when they've tweeted away from home.
But then I suppose just about everyone is away from their home during working hours anyhoos. So using Twitter isn't much of a help. What do you think?
Read More...
Summary only...
Seattle Center
Originally uploaded by dharmabruce
Taken at the Seattle Center ride place after The Dark Knight in IMAX at the Seattle Center.
Read More...
Summary only...
We saw The Dark Knight at IMAX last night and it. was. awesome! My eyes were dried out and red afterward because I didn't want to blink and miss a frame of the flim.
I'm so sad that Heath Ledger passed away. His Joker is timeless and I don't see how the character will survive without him playing the part. The astonishing part to me was how human he was animating such a big character. My favorite part was when he was dressed up as the nurse. He looked so small and weak. His mannerisms, strong and quirky throughout the flim, were most hilarious when he was walking away from the hospital in the nurse's uniform.
Just as in the story, Bruce Wayne has largely disappeared into the legend of Batman, Christian Bale disappeared from the film. Batman is the immovable object in the flim. And the action sequences were remarkable. However, Batman is the straight man. Everything happens to and around him as he fights chaos to bring about the correct moral order. Chaos is just more interesting than the order that Batman fights to create and maintain.
Even thought the flim was long, I didn't want it to end. Having it end knowing that we will never see more of Heath Ledger's Joker makes it all the more sad.
Read More...
Summary only...
![\Toon\](http://www.toondoo.com/public/d/h/a/dharmabruce/toons/cool-cartoon-207251.png "\Toon\")
Posts
