And releasing more often means that the changes are smaller.
Also, developers have introduced a more clever way of introducing changes to the user. Overlays with explanations of new menus etc. which I've seen first on the web (i.e. gmail) are making their way to more and more "desktop" applications.
Introducing these changes slowly over time seems to avoid the "I will never install this version" effect.
the interesting counter though is that people end up being more likely to be "stuck" with something they really don't like, and get to have it happen in slow motion (see the gripes about gmail).
I wonder if that that makes it easier or harder to convince people to use alternative software
But then again, you can always reset the password if you made a typo.
- Username and password should enable you to change the email
- Email alone should enable you to reset the password
So there is no risk in removing both duplicate fields. But maybe by now it's expected to type in a password twice. Users might be so used to it that it feels wrong to only insert it once.
But then again, you can always reset the password if you made a typo.
Exactly. We dropped the "confirm your password" box in our forms a while ago.
Related problems since that time: 0.
People often forget their passwords anyway, so a streamlined password reset facility seems more practically useful than hassling people to type the same thing twice.
I think what's scary to some is the perceived ease of production. Just download some files and hit print. The engineer in his shed at least has to know what he's doing.
I'm not saying they are right and I have also no idea how hard it is to build an actual (metal)weapon from scratch, but the notion of "anyone can do this" seems to be a big factor in most stories.
This guy built an AK47 out of a shovel. (well the receiver and stock anyhow) Some of the other bits are a little more tricky. Vodka appears to be an important factor as well.
What's most impressive about that build is that the AK47 design is optimized for specially-tooled mass production factories, not DIY. The AR15 is a more modular design that's easier for this sort of thing.
The AK47 receiver (which is the "gun" in the eyes of the law) is much simpler than the AR15. Its literally a piece of folded sheet metal. (I have built both in my garage from scratch)Now headspacing and barrel pressing with the AK is a bit more complicated but still there are ways around this work.
You're right - 'perceived' is the operative word here. People are imagining Star Trek replicators, and that's not even close to where we're at.
The whole conversation around 3D printing reminds me a lot of personal computing in the 70s. It's a group of diehards hacking this stuff together, doing it because it's neat. There isn't a hell of a lot you can do with it yet, and no one can really predict what the future of it will be like, but everybody understands that it can be huge.
Get a length of pipe that a shotgun shell will fit in - a slightly larger length of pipe that the smaller pipe will ride in smoothly, a cap for the larger length and a nail. Attach the nail to the cap - stick the cap onto the larger pipe. Place a shell in the smaller pipe and slide it into the larger one.
It's not hugely safe, mind - but it's doable. You can see videos on youtube of people, even kids, who've made them.
If you're willing to relax safety standards, you can easily do it with Home Depot parts. You just have to be mechanically inclined and somewhat clever. It doesn't have to look like a traditional firearm (grip, magazine, chamber, barrel, etc), all it has to be able to do is ignite a propellant and push a bullet down a tube.
Even if it was easy, you still need to go and find bullets, which is presumably just as hard and finding a gun. I wouldn't know, I've never had any inclination go anywhere near the things, and I don't know a single person in my normal life who owns one.
Here in the USA, ammunition is sold on every street corner. But then, so are guns. Printed guns seems to be more of a technical challenge than anything practical. The police and press making a fuss seem to be looking for a juicy story more than any actual danger. Meanwhile D&D made me the Satanist I am today.
Well, you can also make your own bullets. I cast my own lead bullets sometimes (in the garage, you have to heat the lead and vapor doesn't belong in the house), but most of the time just reload old scruffy brass. Or as another poster mentioned, just buy the ammo. Ammo really is the easy part.
It's extremely scary. In most countries, the right to owning ammunition is not allowed. The thought that in the future, my neighbor could make a gun using a home 3d printer makes me feel very unsafe.
Your neighbor can build a bomb right now with beauty salon supplies. If you think restricting things is going to make you safe, you should be terrified.
It seems to be Bing and Bing-related revenue together with ads [1]:
"OSD revenue increased primarily as a result of growth in online advertising revenue. Online advertising revenue grew $100 million or 21% to $572 million, reflecting continued growth in search and display advertising revenue"
Xbox related revenue, including Live and Downloads are part of the Entertainment and Devices division.
This dip was expected and isn't necessary a problem as long as the "positive effects" outnumber the negative ones. By a move like this, you'll lose visitors and attention because your stories potentially aren't referenced as much anymore, but you might make it up in additional revenue and a more dedicated readership.
Great project. Is it possible to include the best time of the day to visit, e.g. "quiet on Wednesday mornings"? Also: Do you adjust for longer opening times? Maybe some venues close sooner on some days.
It's great to see how ThinkGeek uses April Fool's day as a way to gauge customer interest. They did this before with their Tauntaun sleeping bags which they produced/sold after a lot of positive feedback to their April 1st joke.
I think that has been a great deal in the past, but these days it seems frustratingly obvious that the April Fools Day posts are sometimes little more than market research. It seems to take some of the humor out of it.
Also- While the orig. idea was by ThinkGeek, the production isn't by them for this product, it's a third-party.
I worked under the same corporate umbrella as the thinkgeek guys before :) If I'm not mistaken, all of their production is outsourced. In this case, though I think the design is partially outsourced, too, since it's a little more complex than a guitar shirt with the bluetooth and all.
I don't really think the April fools stuff is being explicitly used as test marketing, btw, though I think it's a neat side effect. Those guys just really like April fools stuff.
Also, developers have introduced a more clever way of introducing changes to the user. Overlays with explanations of new menus etc. which I've seen first on the web (i.e. gmail) are making their way to more and more "desktop" applications.
Introducing these changes slowly over time seems to avoid the "I will never install this version" effect.