Re: iPhone 4 Epic Unreal Engine
 

@turkishflavor: thanks for sharing.. Would you also write how it's much better to do your general computing and connectivity work on a big workstation with 3 curved displays?

This is a thread about advances by competitors in a handheld forum :)

Ps: no, you're not missing anything.. Except the point of the thread ;)

Re: iPhone 4 Epic Unreal Engine
 

Does it really make a difference once you've allowed yourself to worship at the holy alter of Jobs, OPK, Gates or Ellison or whomever people tend to idolize unnecessarily?

Regardless... I worship the almighty gadget that fits my needs.

Re: iPhone 4 Epic Unreal Engine
 

More like we're just wrong for not buying into the Apple cult I suppose. And our punishment is being lorded over by Superior Apple Buyers.

I suppose my mistake was not wanting to be locked in by DRM. Silly me ;)

Re: iPhone 4 Epic Unreal Engine
 

Do i get to perform prima nocta on my serf's wives?

@fap'n: whoa, that sounds like v1 device!

Re: iPhone 4 Epic Unreal Engine
 

Yes... but only if you clear it with the king.

Re: iPhone 4 Epic Unreal Engine
 

What are the controls like? I really have an awkward time playing anything that emulates a joystick and keys on the iPhone.

Re: iPhone 4 Epic Unreal Engine
 

The controls are ok (as in they work for me). I personally don't like them though, compared to dedicated controls like you see in a Nintendo or Sony handheld. But it's a user preference.

Re: iPhone 4 Epic Unreal Engine
 

Which DRM? You mean music? There is none.

Oh you mean apps? Surprise! You're getting DRM with MeeGo!

And worse... Nokia Ovi keeps saying you can get books and music; yet it just doesn't work on the N900. How about that... you can download but can't partake. That's... seriously messed up. Sorta like having a hot chick in front of you and you're just rendered impotent and can't enjoy.

Your punishment seems to be DRM-less and support less (very damn soon) too. I'm not a fan of that latter as much.

Re: iPhone 4 Epic Unreal Engine
 

@gerbrick u set me nuff jokes lol

Re: iPhone 4 Epic Unreal Engine
 

Technically they said you could run a version of Meego without DRM but then that means choosing between DRM apps and doing all the cool stuff you can normally do.

If anyone does want both then it looks like paying for the apps, then downloading the cracked versions will have to be the solution if this is the case.

Re: iPhone 4 Epic Unreal Engine
 

DRM is only bad when it's invasive or depended upon within a platform. Apple iOS is a bit of both, annoys the hell out of me.

But stories like this make even my "freedom from DRM" speeches a bit less loud and angry because that small-time dude that got screwed could have been me. Or you. Or somebody we know.

But if DRM is there, only tapped when it's needed; I can live with that. As long as I can bring along my own music, eBooks, comic books (cbrs) and whatnot, I'll be happy. And if the corresponding market has an app, eBook, or song that I want, then let me enjoy it too on the device and anything else I might connect to that device... without being in my way.

The fight against DRM should be real specific. Blindly stating that you don't want it, then you should bring an option that won't hurt me as hobbyist or professional and allows for companies that want a professional manner to protect their software. Nobody wants a repeat of Angry Birds where it was bought once, shared many...

That's the kind of stuff that lends itself to an abandoned OS.

Re: iPhone 4 Epic Unreal Engine
 

Why should it be "real specific?" No one deserves to have their economic model protected via technological roadblocks. It sucks, but that's the march of progress. I'll continue buying my software, but I'm not surrendering control over my property in exchange (IE don't treat your customers like thieving criminals.)

PCs aren't abandoned last I check. By that logic we would all be using heavily locked down consoles for all of our computing these days.

I understand that they WANT that, though. Nothing worse than consumers who think they have, you know, rights and the power to do what they want.

Re: iPhone 4 Epic Unreal Engine
 

PC's aren't abandoned. But I really don't see a list of companies rallying behind Maemo. A PC has become pervasive, necessary in the workforce. As has Linux and Mac. Maemo? Not as much. It's a throw-away OS, just ask Nokia.

I don't like being treated like a criminal when I'm honestly a customer either. But seriously though... no DRM is not the answer either.

Case in point. Name a company that really brought their **** to that platform (Maemo 5) and stayed there with updates, new versions and continued support.

Re: iPhone 4 Epic Unreal Engine
 

It's a 'dual analog' config that centers wherever you initially place your thumbs.

My experience w/ iphone controls:
0-2 minutes: "WTF is this ****?!?! gimme my physical!keys!!"
2-5 minutes: "Hmm.. interesting (mechanics/gfx/content/whateva). The control isn't as bad as i thought"
5-15 minutes: "WTF is this ****?!?! i want my keys back!!!"
15-30 minutes: "Ok, it's not so bad. I can see the gradual progression of control mastery"
30-60 minutes: "WTF is th....

Seriously though, it can be mastered. There are tradeoffs. It depends on one's religion/bias and hownthey usually deal with new stuffs. Fast learners should be ok.

Re: iPhone 4 Epic Unreal Engine
 

Preventing file sharing should be relatively simple: Just encode the purchasers name, verified credit card information, address, and other sensitive data in the file, and have a portion of this data displayed during playtime (eg. 'owned by: Thumbs Murphy' in the song info/title). With a little hash-action (possibly some public-private scheme) over the entire file, modification of this data would not be trivial.

Additionally you can watermark the file in the content itself with this data. So unnoticeable audio anomalies, video artifacts, in-game textures that will be automatically constructed to reveal this data *and* the necessary keys to properly decoding the data.

I'm not saying that this couldn't be circumvented, but at the very least it acts as a significant impetus to sharing for the general public, while still allowing freedom to move the files around/copy as they choose. Hey, if you own it legally, what's the harm in having your name on it?

Weather or not the public would go for this remains to be seen. I know I probably wouldn't...... Ironic.....

Of course, preventing copying of the source content is another story altogether. And release groups would likely still be able to easily release tons of material if only a re-encode of content output. However, the watermark scheme, if well implemented, may deter this from happening on as large a scale as current.

Re: iPhone 4 Epic Unreal Engine
 

I think most of the music (and movies) people share illegally is ripped from physical media. As long as they sell CD's I can't see how your branding idea would help this.

Another way of making illegal file sharing go away is to legalize it, then we would only have file sharing. The phenomenon being illegal has very little consequence I'm afraid. Most people do it, like speeding and I can't say I'm very bothered by this kind of criminality.

Re: iPhone 4 Epic Unreal Engine
 

Indeed. My solution isn't an absolute solution, just a mechanism designed to *reduce* occurrences of sharing, and as more music becomes digital, it may prove to be proportionally effective (hypothetically anyway).

Re: iPhone 4 Epic Unreal Engine
 

I like the idea of dragging anywhere on the display to look around, and having dedicated portion (say in the lower left corner), for movement; a second finger tap in this area could jump. For shooting, you drag with your middle finger and tap with your index to shoot (unless you've had some horrible shop accident). This style of control would best be played on a flat surface.

Just dreaming...

Re: iPhone 4 Epic Unreal Engine
 

I'd love to see a keyboard-screen control system, as is to be expected on a PC. Drag screen to look, and use left hand for forwards-back, maybe strafe, a la wasd. Firing could be tap, as opposed to drag. Jump can be either a key, or, skin me alive for saying this, forgo jumping.

Many games are doing fine with no jumping. Mass Effect, SWAT. Can be idiotic at times, but with a game designed around no jumping, it doesn't even register.

Oh, and, even on resistive, firing could be 2-finger. Very fast swiping to the right could be fire, via gesture. Or a key near forward, with small keys one could just lean the finger outwards, from W to, say, E.

I think it's possible to have this on N900 (I don't mean it can be done, I mean we might just see it).

Re: iPhone 4 Epic Unreal Engine
 

I'd also point out that it depends on the game's implementation of controls.

Re: iPhone 4 Epic Unreal Engine
 

I think the lesson to learn from that is that DRM is not the solution. I mean does no one even notice that the most locked down platform has the highest piracy rates in the mobile world? IMO DRM only helps against casual piracy, where Joe average would rather pay $5 for an app than sit there jailbreaking his phone. Those who pirate will continue to do so and inconveniencing the legitimate users with the ole ball and chains is not going to be the solution.

Re: iPhone 4 Epic Unreal Engine
 

Care to back this up?

I've heard this argument so many times but afaik it's impossible to get any real data in the first place.

The way i see it, DRM is one of the tools to herd the masses to a functioning cyber marketplace. Yes HERD. We're frickin social beings, nothing bad about that. Moreover, there's no way to be really actually unique unless you fabricate your own gadgets and software. No, recompiling your own kernel does not count, you script kiddie.

Re: iPhone 4 Epic Unreal Engine
 

Herd, like cattle. You're a consumer from which profit is to be extracted. If they had any respect for you as the consumer they wouldn't be treating you like the enemy.

Why snip at people who like to work with software? I understand you like being locked down under layers of DRM, but why attack those who don't?

Re: iPhone 4 Epic Unreal Engine
 

Herd, as in to guide the mass of net-connected individuals to online economy. We ain't seen nothing yet. Convenient micropayments can finance interesting and sophisticated projects. So much more than the simple $0.99 apps common nowadays.


Whoops, that wasn't meant as a snip to anyone in particular. Just that i'm seeing a generous amount of users here who feel l33t and unique just because they're one step away from mainstream. Because they're associated with the Linux 'brand'.