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Comment: Re:Pretty, but is it real? (Score 1) 93

by PriyanPhoenix (#43850407) Attached to: Interpreting Global Flight Maps
Is it density of flights or density of destinations? I though the colouring was only based on short or longhaul flights, not the number of flights along a particular route. So an airport connected to a large number of destinations would presumably appear brighter that one with higher traffic but fewer available destinations.

Comment: Re:Wow, as fast as Chrome? (Score 1) 441

by PriyanPhoenix (#36719422) Attached to: Firefox 8 20% Faster Than Firefox 5

No, they're patting themselves on the back for rendering as fast as the fastest rendering browser.

Benchmarking should always be against the best candidate in any given category, irrespective of the competition's relative marketshare overall. Anything else is disingenuous (not that it stops companies from doing it). Complaining that they're NOT comparing themselves to IE is just absurd.

Comment: Re:Die marketing department die! (Score 1) 162

by PriyanPhoenix (#36671660) Attached to: Google To Rebrand Blogger &amp; Picasa For Google+ Integration
I think it's borderline: "Blogger" a generic term for people who blog, but not generic as a platform for blogging. Provided the usage is unusual, you can trademark some otherwise generic terms. Such a trademark wouldn't prevent anyone from continuing to use the word to describe people who blog.

Comment: Re:How Microsoft of Them (Score 1) 250

Yeah, that strategy was a huge flop for Google Wave. . . ;)

FTFY. Wave is far more comparable where the platform is closed off from non-users, unlike Gmail that interacted just fine with every other email service. Google does need to learn that just because the strategy was so successful for Gmail, that doesn't mean it's the right fit for any new project they launch.

Comment: Re:Donations from pirates? Arr. (Score 3, Interesting) 140

by PriyanPhoenix (#35220550) Attached to: R-Rating Sunk <em>BioShock</em> Movie Plans

Actually this is essentially how Kickstarter fundraising works, but admittedly on a much larger scale. The budget for the project a deadline for the money to be raised are set and anyyone can pledge money, but no one is actually charged unless the funding goal is reached. If it is, everyone's money is automatically debited; if not, the project has failed to meet its target and none of the backers lose out.

Now, this presupposes that merely raising the $50m will actually guarantee the film gets made - which it doesn't - but with a large number of small backers, the risk to each is limited. And when it's made they all get a free digital version of the finished product. The only guarantee of quality is whatever pre-production artwork and other information can be used to entice people to contribute.

Obviously backers that way are not traditional investors and don't get a share in profits. Instead they have rewards based on their contribution. $30 might get a DVD version of the completed film, $50 the blu-ray, $100 signed artwork, $1000 some set piece memorabilia, etc.

Do I think you can actually, workably scale this kind of idea up to the level of Hollywood film production? Probably not, but it's not entirely ridiculous either.

Comment: Shame, given a promising move from EA (Score 1) 109

by PriyanPhoenix (#35208416) Attached to: <em>Mirror's Edge</em> Sequel On Hold

While EA was continually (and rightly) blasted for putting profits before quality, Mirror's Edge represented them delivering on a surprising promise to invest in new IP, alongside Dead Space that year. Sadly they felt stung by the move with lower sales than anticipated despite a sizeable marketing push unusual for a new IP. Meanwhile Dead Space (great but less interesting to me) is becoming a new gaming heavyweight franchise.

I absolutely view Mirror's Edge as a success and think there's plenty of room for strong sales with a sequel now that it has a recognizable name. It's not a game for everyone, but the exhilarating feeling of freedom in first person will be missed. For me the game only struggled in its closing levels when it started throwing too many enemies at the player so that fight (intentionally its most limited mechanic) overtook flight.

Comment: Re:The good, the bad, and the ugly (Score 1) 459

by PriyanPhoenix (#34875900) Attached to: Is Samsung Blocking Updates To Froyo?
Actually I think Google is trying to work around this, albeit under the guise of solving the "problem" of fragmentation and update delays with heavily customised Android builds. Their stated aim is to move most updates away from the OS and into apps via the market. In most cases this should allow them to make upgrades manufacturer and carrier independent, except where the Android market has been blocked in favour of an alternative (and this is exactly why I flatly refuse to buy a phone where that is the case).
