Computers and that sort of thing
Matt May describes why the iPod mini is priced perfectly and purposely.#
As for the huge gap between the 4GB mini and the 15GB iPod for $50 more, that's a selling point. Here's the inner monologue they're looking for in users: "$249 for the iPod mini. That's not so bad. It's only $50 more than this flash-based player. But then, if I'm going to spend $249 for the mini, I could just spend another $50 and get 15GB, if I trade up in size. But then, that one doesn't have the remote and dock, and that'll cost me another $78 if I want it. And for that much, I might as well buy the 20GB iPod for $399." And there you have it. Filling that gap in the price spectrum opens up a whole new set of new users who walk in hoping to spend $200, and walk out spending $400. If you're ready to hate Apple for this technique, again, look around. Everyone practices this approach, from the leather cases on the handhelds to the 12" saute pan to the rack that goes with the grill.
RPGamer has new screenshots from the Dragon Quest V remake for PSX.#
Aaron Swartz on downloading music.#
Downloading may be illegal. But 60 million people used Napster and only 50 million voted for Bush or Gore. We live in a democracy. If the people want to share files then the law should be changed to let them.
And there's a fair way to change it. A Harvard professor found that a $60/yr. charge for broadband users would make up for all lost revenues. The government would give it to the affected artists and, in return, make downloading legal, sparking easier-to-use systems and more shared music. The artists get more money and you get more music. What's unethical about that?
Michael Lucas-Smith points out the benefit and intelligent behind finding numbers to back up claims.#
I put in italics the methods that would require a spill object. Only 0.37% of methods in the system will spill!. Clearly this indicates that the technique will work even on a system with 8 registers like an x86.
Another possible metric should be how often said methods are called. Suppose there are 30k methods with no arguments that have a 1% likelihood of being called, but 10 methods with 6 arguments (and thus a spill object) that have a 50% likelihood of being called. Obviously these numbers are made up, but it's a consideration.