Linked by Thom Holwerda on Mon 23rd Jul 2012 12:57 UTC
Without giving any detailed information, Madfinger Games announced that because the piracy rates of their game Dead Trigger were so high on Android, they made the game available for free. This sucks balls. I'm interested in more detailed statistics, especially where, exactly, the piracy rate is highest, considering you can only get paid Google Play applications in 31 countries, and then, often only with a credit card (which many people outside of the US don't have and/or use). It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if those piracy rates mostly come from places without paid applications support and/or with lousy payment options. In any case, Google needs to get its act together with the Play Store.
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Member since:2011-01-28
Bobthearch,
"re gas stations: If you're paying cash at many stations you have to go in, wait in line, and pre-pay for fuel. Then after fueling you have to go back in, stand in line again, and wait for change or a receipt."
Regarding convenience factor, you're absolutely right.
Edit: wasn't thinking about New Jersey, where by law all gas stations are full service - the attendant has to pump the gas. He can accept cash as easily as a card.
"And, as I mentioned, many stations are unattended at night (some stations don't have clerks at all) and the only way to get fuel is by inserting a Visa/Mastercard at the pump."
Many gas stations here close up their shops at night, but they still have staff sitting at the cash window when the pumps are on in the middle of the night. Maybe it's a state law that pumps cannot be left unattended?
"As a result, you really need a card for traveling. You can't even make a motel reservation, even if paying cash, without giving a credit card number."
I believe I have, but I won't deny it's useful to have at least one charge card. I honestly wouldn't consider going on a vacation without some other form of payment, even if just as backup. I simply don't trust they'll work when I need them to. Many street/carnival/stadium vendors still can't accept cards, if you're into those kinds of things.
Anyway, I found my US credit card worked in restaurants and shops while I was in europe. The B&B's that we stayed at would only accept cash, it's just different norms.
Edited 2012-07-24 02:51 UTC
Member since:2005-07-06
re gas stations: If you're paying cash at many stations you have to go in, wait in line, and pre-pay for fuel. Then after fueling you have to go back in, stand in line again, and wait for change or a receipt.
[...]
And, as I mentioned, many stations are unattended at night
[...]
And, as I mentioned, many stations are unattended at night
There is no 1st step around here. Besides, I bet that fuel stations want you to come to the cashier - because you can be drawn to buy some food or drink or snacks along the way ...I think that's even more profitable for them. Especially during the night, when they are one of the very few shops open, basically no other choices.
Not like paying with debit card for that isn't common.
Now, some ~unmanned fuel stations of course accept cards at the pump ...and cash (insert banknote, the pump gives you its amount of fuel in return); usually at supermarkets.
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Linked by David Adams on 05/16/13 4:23 UTC
OSNews is a sponsor of this year's O'Reilly OSCON in Portland, Oregon, USA. A lucky OSNews reader will win a free three-day pass, including two tutorials days. To win the pass, post a comment on this story saying something about Open Source Software or OSCON. We'll pick a winner at random next week. If you don't have an OSNews account, you may email us your entry. Part of the conference is the 9th annual Open Source Awards, and today the 16th is the deadline for nominations. If you'd like to nominate an outstanding open source contributor, do it here. Read on for more information about OSCON. Update: The 20% discount code for OSNews readers is "OSN."
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/11/13 21:41 UTC
"Windows is indeed slower than other operating systems in many scenarios, and the gap is worsening." That's one way to start an insider explanation of why Windows' performance isn't up to snuff. Written by someone who actually contributes code to the Windows NT kernel, the comment on Hacker News, later deleted but reposted with permission on Marc Bevand's blog, paints a very dreary picture of the state of Windows development. The root issue? Think of how Linux is developed, and you'll know the answer.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/08/13 14:22 UTC
This is one of those news items that's fun to write, fun to read, fun to comment on, and where no one will be able to say anything unkind. It's all just one big ball of awesome fluffiness. TuneTracker, the BeOS radio automation software, has just released something very special: TuneTracker System 5, the first version designed entirely and specifically for Haiku. In fact, it actually includes Haiku in the software package. Better yet, TuneTracker also unveiled several system-in-a-box products - which have Haiku and TuneTracker pre-installed.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/02/13 15:28 UTC
Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/29/13 21:06 UTC
Oh multitasking. That staple of computing that got thrown out the window with many modern smartphones. We got some rudimentary thing in its place - but even as multitasking on phone and tablets improves, its user-visible side remains cumbersome. Windows 8 has a neat implementation, and now it's time Android follows in it footsteps.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/24/13 22:24 UTC
They're here! Whether that excites you or not remains to be seen, but the Galaxy S4, which will most likely become the best selling Android smartphone of the year by a huge margin, has been reviewed by all the major sites, and there's lots of interesting conclusions in there - although I think most of you will get the gist.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/18/13 11:21 UTC
Nokia has posted its quarterly results for the first quarter of 2013, and just like the quarters that came before, there's not a whole lot of good news in there. The rise in Lumia sales still can't even dream of making up for the sales drop in Symbian phones, and when broken down in versions, the sales figures for Windows Phone 8 Lumias in particular are very disappointing. In North America, Nokia is getting slaughtered.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/16/13 9:29 UTC
The day has finally come: Google has started shipping Google Glass to the lucky few early adopters. Now that it's shipping, Google has also unveiled a lot more about the API and the specifications of the device itself. While the company had already given out substantial details at earlier occasions, there are still a few surprises here.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/15/13 22:44 UTC
Almost exactly three years ago, I wrote about why OSNews was no longer OSNews: the alternative operating system scene had died, and OSNews, too, had to go with the times and move towards reporting on a new wave of operating systems - mobile, and all the repercussions that the explosion of smartphones and tablets have caused. Still, I was wondering something today: why aren't we seeing alternative operating systems on mobile?
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/14/13 18:22 UTC, submitted by MOS6510
You can say what you will about Windows Phone and Windows 8's Metro interface (I refuse to drop that name) - it's inefficient, unpopular, cumbersome, beautiful, ugly, organised, clean, limiting - but there's one thing we can all agree on: it's unique and distinctive. CNet has published a profile of Microsoft's Albert Shum, the man behind Metro, and he highlights what I think is at the very core of Microsoft's problems in mobile right now.More Features »
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Member since:
2006-01-27
I don't disagree with any of your comments on credit card security. While I've never had a card shut off in mid-transaction, I've seen it happen.
re gas stations: If you're paying cash at many stations you have to go in, wait in line, and pre-pay for fuel. Then after fueling you have to go back in, stand in line again, and wait for change or a receipt.
By comparison, using the card at the pump is very fast and easy. Furthermore, it protects the station owners from drive-offs (people pumping fuel and not paying).
And, as I mentioned, many stations are unattended at night (some stations don't have clerks at all) and the only way to get fuel is by inserting a Visa/Mastercard at the pump.
As a result, you really need a card for traveling. You can't even make a motel reservation, even if paying cash, without giving a credit card number. Pretty sure airline tickets and rental cars are the same situation.