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Domain: oz.net
Stories and comments across the archive that link to oz.net.
Stories · 11
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Portable, Wireless File Server for the Car?
Kerhop wonders: "I'm looking to implement an off-site file storage location but want it to be convenient for me to access with the right security credentials by placing a portable file server in my car that has at 802.11b ability and is battery powered (but also recharged via cigarette lighter adapter). I've found the Sony FSV-PGX1. I am curious, though -- what solutions have others found?" -
DVHS on a Budget
Kerhop writes "ecoustics.com has an article on how to convert SVHS tapes to work in DVHS recorders which is similar to modifying a floppy drive (like we did years ago) to double the storage. There's two holes on a DVHS cassette and a single hole on the SVHS tape. The hole common to both permits DVHS tapes to handle SVHS signals; the hole unique to DVHS is what we want to focus on. Just cut off the top four to five millimeters of the pin within the recorder itself." -
Insightfully Critical Fan Review of Halo 2
Anonymous the Cowardly Lion writes "While browsing the tome of data that is the online-Halo-community I came across 7hr33.org, a group apparently known for their pioneering work in the Tricks scene (contemporaries of the infamous Warthog Jump). What caught my eye was their critique of Halo 2 from December 2004: The Page of Woah|Woe. It's a little too in-depth for the casual player at first, but by the final third it really encapsulates the reactions of core players to the sequel." From the article: "The assessment is in: Halo 2 is... well, different. And I don't mean that in an entirely negative fashion. A lot of the changes are for the better, and we should certainly hope so. Online play, dual-wielding, boarding, the energy sword, stunning new vistas, and a compelling story arch... in many ways, H2 is a phenomenal game. There isn't another like it." -
Virtual Stuntmen Ready for Hollywood
Kerhop writes "Discovery Channel has an article about a new form of virtual actors in movies. In particular "Endorphin's virtual actors learn how to move and react independently, unlike most computerized characters now that depend on fixed databases containing animated clips". MSNBC also is featuring a news video (no direct link is available, stream must to be added to playlist). The featured software Endorphin is created by Natural Motion." -
Using Plants as Speakers
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Anticipating Earthquakes
dnahelix writes "Science @ NASA reports 'High above Earth where seismic waves never reach, satellites may be able to detect earthquakes--before they strike.'" -
Patches for a Broken Heart
dnahelix writes: "From NASA, Patches for a Broken Heart Using a space-age device called a bioreactor, researchers have grown patches of tissue that beat and respond much like a human heart does. This was reported in October of 1999, Scientists Grow Heart Tissue in Bioreactor, however, it appears progress is being made. The new article includes an animated gif of pulsing tissue!" From the article: "They'll pick a rate and they'll beat at it," says Freed. "If you blow on them, they'll change." They're very sensitive to stimulation, she says. "If they warm up or cool down, if someone slams the door, their rate can change." -
Bionic Eyes
DNAhelix writes: "From NASA: Bionic Eyes - Using space technology, scientists have developed extraordinary ceramic photocells that could repair malfunctioning human eyes." -
Judge Bars eBay Crawler
matty writes: "A judge has said that Bidder's Edge could no longer use its crawler to gather information from eBay. 'Even if its searches use only a small amount of eBay's computer system capacity, Bidder's Edge has nonetheless deprived eBay of the ability to use that portion of its personal property for its own purposes.' So what about Yahoo! and all the other search engines? Don't they use similar technology? Read the article and see for yourself." Or maybe it's not such a bad precedent; it'd be interesting if such a ruling helped discourage hard-drive searching by software which searches for "undesirable" content without your consent or knowledge. -
Flaws in LCD Displays?
jaredreimer asks: "Having just spent a sizeable amount of money on a top-of-the-line Sony VAIO notebook PC, I am extremely dismayed to find a single red pixel stuck on in the middle of the screen. While this is virtually unnoticable when running regular Windows applications [white backgrounds hide it well], it is unbelievably irritating when trying to watch DVD movies [which tend to have dark backgrounds]. The question is this: How good is good enough? Many vendors won't touch a screen unless it has six or ten bad pixels; is this fair, given that we spend thousands of dollars on their product? Barring a remedy from the manufacturer, has anyone heard of a software fix for this problem? (Preventing the pixel from ever lighting would be far preferable to having a red one stuck on.)" -
Auction off Windows Source?
