But if there's no attendant, there will be one less casualty for the next Darwin award, so it's actually a good thing. No? Hahha, I concur... to the max!
While I feel the internet has gotten a whole lot shittier with laws encroaching onto our once pristine wild wild west style play ground. I personally don't feel any less safe. There are risks out there of course, just has there has been for a long time now. But by practicing the same techniques I have for ages I'm fairly confident in my box.
If anything I might be slightly more confident as these days. I've always been a hardware geek and as case mods have come down in price and the software to support them has matured, I now have instantaneous access to system resource utilization and temperatures through various means that allow me to gauge my computer utilization with a glance, contrast that to the task at hand and you know when things are being accessed outside of your control. The cost of a hardware based SPI firewall is within anyones range. Also memory prices are so cheap you can afford the extra 128+ required to leave a software based firewall, anti-virus and network logger running.
And I always delve into windows to ensure maximum resources are available for gaming. So along the way I get to know windows on a level most never do. So all it takes is a quick glance at which processes are running to keep me feeling okay about things.
Really the only thing that worries me are rootkits, but I ran those scanners once in a while. However I don't really know how much faith I should be putting in them... Either way a competent user shouldn't have to much to worry about.
With that being said, I don't think I would put quite as much faith in network security at work, granted the admin's are paid and trained to do what they do. But they also, generally, have an increased workload and many other responsibilities.
Wow that's a bummer. I grew up in Tillamook, Oregon. I was doing it, oh I don't remember 2001ish. And depending on how busy it was, or whether the costumer was in a hurry I did all that aside from the tires, I believe my manager warned me about it. There was potential of liability if you could obviously tell they were in dangerous condition and let them drive off (althought I don't recall exactly). I had to change headlights, check oil, fluids all the time. There wasn't a car that came through that didn't get it's windows washed... Although people took advantage of that. Peak tourist activity during the summer, and you get some spoiled soccer mom rolling up in an escalade (or even camper) and have you wash every fucking window on the thing.
With that said, I've noticed that on my visits back home it has indeed become quite rare for them to wash your windows unless you're getting a fill up.
I referred to it as the "Oregon Stoner Permanent Employment Act". I don't think anyones ever hit the nail on the head quite as squarely as you sir, my hat is off to you!
My Logitech USB Optical Mouse Model Number: MBT96a. It's almost seen as much beer as I have...
I wouldn't trade it for anything...
Well except for a new Logitech product.
Great experiances with their products, got a 2.1 speaker setup with a 6" sub. That has gotten the cops at my door more than once (and while yes I was living in an apartment at the time, it was this fat lady that lived across a fairly busy street in a trailer park that called them, 3 times over 6 months). And of course my newest Logitech product, the G-15 Gaming Keyboard... There enough dried up alcohol and weed in between the keys to put an elephant down. Good times...
and arrows Speaking of arrows and tech, does anyone remember that LCD demo where the guy shot it with a cross bow? The video made rounds not to long ago...
It kills me, I really like my 360... I have one of the originals... ie prior to any hardware revisions... Works like a champ, BUT the DVD-ROM is going out... I'm seeing abnormal wear on the top of the discs around the hole. It seems as if the DVD-ROM is having a hard time properly gripping the disc... I don't know exactly. But I really need to send it in, I'm scared I won't get this exact box back... Win some ya lose some I guess... Still if the hardware was more robust, I would really think very highly of this game system, software/feature wise.
It should be noted that it is easily repaired. I have a Nintendo damn near as old as I am that with a few tweaks of a jewelers screw driver kit, is working fine. Of course it is a stopgap fix as the issue is the contacts tend to degrade with use, requiring further tweaking in order to ensure proper contact with the pins on the game cartridge. You can order after market gold plated replacement pins and install them fairly easily. To my knowledge they last quite a long time once serviced.
Yeah, the analog sticks on the N64 where somewhat weak. I concur but I seem to recall it being merely an issue with the spring (unless you are talking about the stick itself snapping, never happened to be if that's the case), fairly easy to correct if you so desired. I manged to make a few bucks doing that in school, cleaning the gunk and tightening the spring a bit.
Even the Virtualboy Man, I had one of those. Thank god a few of my friends saw me with my face strapped to it, no one believes me that I once owned it... Had that "3d" space shooter game. Gave me headaches... But it was 32bit!
Whatever happened to it is anyones guess. I like to think it's still out there somewhere causing eye strain and headaches...
To say there was any sort of training involved is ludicrous at best. There was none. I've never been clear on the reasoning behind the law, since yes attendants could be just as retarded as anyone else. It wasn't like there was even a hint of training, like say in a food handlers class. Still it was an easy and fun summer job. Good for the kids.
The article talks about the Netherlands though. I realize that I was simply relating my experiance in the fueling industry here in the states to the article.
I'd go as far as to say that many Europeans, when asked, would find the very idea to be ludicrous (once you have explained it to them). And the same can be said here in the US. I'm in Nampa, ID 30-40 mins from the border of Oregon, and even here it boggles peoples minds when it comes up through the course of a conversation.
In fact, it goes even further - it's very common to have completely "unattended" gas stations I'm sure there are differences you failed to clarify but that sounds a lot like any gas station outside of Walmart or Fred Meyers here in the Northwest US. A guy sits in a booth and takes your dollars or you use credit/debit at the pump. If you do mean however, no attendants on duty at all (which is the case with most gas stations here in Idaho during the night). I would be somewhat reluctant to support it... I can't tell you how many people fuel with engines running, on cell phones, fueling old school metal canisters in there pick up beds. I've even seen people with custom built fuel tanks trying to fill. I've never been to Europe, and I realize that chances of an explosion or fire are slim and remote. But it does seem, at least here in the Northwest people are really doing all they can to increase the odds of an accident happening.
In fact I seem to recall 2 years or so ago someone fueling up while smoking, I don't remember the details but it seems they were horsing around with their younger brother and an accident did occur and the young boy ended in the burn unit. An alert attendant could easily of prevented that.
that's ASCAP Glad you brought them up, I've trying to determine how they fit into this whole War of Copyright. From my experiance they seem to be a fairly decent orginization. Out of high school I had some work registered with them. Back when Mp3.com was going and promoting user generated content... I got 2 laptop bags from mp3.com and 20 dollars from ASCAP, apparently my 'music' got played in France. Never did figure out what song tho...
Now this is were automation really is handy dandy stuff. But actual merits aside, if it were to ever be used in the US it would be a novelty. People would bitch and complain...
I grew up in Oregon. A state that requires an attendent to pump your gas. I worked at a texaco one summer. There were 3 distinct positions on the issue:
1. Out of staters: Oh my god wow, it's really illegal for me to pump my own gas? Why thank you keep the change. 2. The in towners: Hurry the fuck up kid and please get my side windows. 3. The drive up politicians: Don't you see how this is hurting the very business you work for by requring man power for a job the costumer could do themselves. (My reply: dude I'm just here for the beer money)
So yeah I see the same thing to varying degrees happening at the pump (if this were to ever become a substantial choice for gas station owners here in the states)... Which would just be a rehash of the old auto workers complaints I can remember from as far back as grade school. Our science text books had these odd placed "Look to the future" sections. One of which was about robotics, and how there was a concern it would replace jobs with out creating... yadda yadda yadda Seemed like a pro union slant to me even then. (tho for the record I am pro union)
All that aside. I think it would be cool to have a robot doing this. I've worked in gas stations outside of Oregon here and there. Where people could do their own fueling, the amount of gas people slopped all over themselves, their car or the ground was substantial... and they always wanted a refund!
1, 6 and 10? Is that correct? Do I win the toaster oven Bob?
I haven't used iTunes in a while... But I'm not impressed... I bought the amount of RAM I have to future proof my PC for a little while longer... Not so poorly designed programs can eat it up all willy nilly. (I'm looking at you as well, Nero!)
I'm not sure how I got modded flamebait, I'm simply trying to point out some things. 1. GPU's tend to dominate when doing certain calculations. Most notably floating point intensive applications . See: Folding@home. Therefor with the current stated intentions of both Intel and AMD to incorporate GPU type capabilities into their general purpose processors nVidia needs to further innovate above and beyond their current level. 2. By incorporating an already tried and true, robust hardware based physics model into their GPU's nVidia would have a tremendous advantage compared to Intel and AMD (unless the AMD Fusion concept comes along nicely). 3. The only thing potentially holding nVidia back would be basic integer performance, doesn't seem to far fetched for them to make something that would be in line with current processors there, if not exceeding current performance, although as people have pointed out heat is an issue, so I would expect some or all of the chip to be scaled back to a degree. But I also wonder if licenses might be in issue. However I do not believe so as nVidia has been licensed to develop chipsets for both AMD and Intel processors... Though licensing issues aren't really my forte... 4. All that being said, I think now more then ever, nVidia is in a very good position to release an x86 processor.
There are differences. Otherwise Sony wouldn't have wet themselves when they announced Cell technology in the PS3 or Microsoft could of countered their ATI GPU was pretty much the same thing or more powerful or however the market types would of spun it if that was the case
I don't like being tied into Vista for the latest hardware support when it comes to gaming. Microsoft developers have gone on record as saying there is no reason DirectX 10/10.1 couldn't be used with XP. They just wanted it to be used as a 'dividing point' in which to ditch all the old tech... Something like that. It was in a Maximum PC a while back... Makes ya wonder what happened to OpenGL in the PC gaming market.
But to veer a little, I will say I found that the driver issues were a bit overblown. At least for me, using the RTM edition of Vista a while back. And once I disabled things like UAC and reverted the GUI to 'classic', I really wasn't disappointed in the performance, nor was I impressed. I think the real problem with Vista is that, yes it does consume more resources than is needed or called for but also perception is reality. And the perception is Vista is a pile... I agree to an extent but not as much as some.
Slashdot Mirror
Hahha, I concur... to the max!
While I feel the internet has gotten a whole lot shittier with laws encroaching onto our once pristine wild wild west style play ground. I personally don't feel any less safe. There are risks out there of course, just has there has been for a long time now. But by practicing the same techniques I have for ages I'm fairly confident in my box.
If anything I might be slightly more confident as these days. I've always been a hardware geek and as case mods have come down in price and the software to support them has matured, I now have instantaneous access to system resource utilization and temperatures through various means that allow me to gauge my computer utilization with a glance, contrast that to the task at hand and you know when things are being accessed outside of your control. The cost of a hardware based SPI firewall is within anyones range. Also memory prices are so cheap you can afford the extra 128+ required to leave a software based firewall, anti-virus and network logger running.
And I always delve into windows to ensure maximum resources are available for gaming. So along the way I get to know windows on a level most never do. So all it takes is a quick glance at which processes are running to keep me feeling okay about things.
Really the only thing that worries me are rootkits, but I ran those scanners once in a while. However I don't really know how much faith I should be putting in them... Either way a competent user shouldn't have to much to worry about.
With that being said, I don't think I would put quite as much faith in network security at work, granted the admin's are paid and trained to do what they do. But they also, generally, have an increased workload and many other responsibilities.
This is all getting a little stale and crusty...
The first warning sign came when a sharp-eyed worker snorting pills...
I think this thread is turning sour!
Wow that's a bummer. I grew up in Tillamook, Oregon. I was doing it, oh I don't remember 2001ish. And depending on how busy it was, or whether the costumer was in a hurry I did all that aside from the tires, I believe my manager warned me about it. There was potential of liability if you could obviously tell they were in dangerous condition and let them drive off (althought I don't recall exactly). I had to change headlights, check oil, fluids all the time. There wasn't a car that came through that didn't get it's windows washed... Although people took advantage of that. Peak tourist activity during the summer, and you get some spoiled soccer mom rolling up in an escalade (or even camper) and have you wash every fucking window on the thing.
With that said, I've noticed that on my visits back home it has indeed become quite rare for them to wash your windows unless you're getting a fill up.
I don't think anyones ever hit the nail on the head quite as squarely as you sir, my hat is off to you!
My Logitech USB Optical Mouse Model Number: MBT96a.
It's almost seen as much beer as I have...
I wouldn't trade it for anything...
Well except for a new Logitech product.
Great experiances with their products, got a 2.1 speaker setup with a 6" sub. That has gotten the cops at my door more than once (and while yes I was living in an apartment at the time, it was this fat lady that lived across a fairly busy street in a trailer park that called them, 3 times over 6 months). And of course my newest Logitech product, the G-15 Gaming Keyboard... There enough dried up alcohol and weed in between the keys to put an elephant down. Good times...
Speaking of arrows and tech, does anyone remember that LCD demo where the guy shot it with a cross bow? The video made rounds not to long ago...
It kills me, I really like my 360... I have one of the originals... ie prior to any hardware revisions... Works like a champ, BUT the DVD-ROM is going out... I'm seeing abnormal wear on the top of the discs around the hole. It seems as if the DVD-ROM is having a hard time properly gripping the disc... I don't know exactly. But I really need to send it in, I'm scared I won't get this exact box back... Win some ya lose some I guess... Still if the hardware was more robust, I would really think very highly of this game system, software/feature wise.
It should be noted that it is easily repaired. I have a Nintendo damn near as old as I am that with a few tweaks of a jewelers screw driver kit, is working fine. Of course it is a stopgap fix as the issue is the contacts tend to degrade with use, requiring further tweaking in order to ensure proper contact with the pins on the game cartridge. You can order after market gold plated replacement pins and install them fairly easily. To my knowledge they last quite a long time once serviced.
I concur but I seem to recall it being merely an issue with the spring (unless you are talking about the stick itself snapping, never happened to be if that's the case), fairly easy to correct if you so desired. I manged to make a few bucks doing that in school, cleaning the gunk and tightening the spring a bit.
Man, I had one of those. Thank god a few of my friends saw me with my face strapped to it, no one believes me that I once owned it... Had that "3d" space shooter game. Gave me headaches... But it was 32bit!
Whatever happened to it is anyones guess. I like to think it's still out there somewhere causing eye strain and headaches...
To say there was any sort of training involved is ludicrous at best. There was none. I've never been clear on the reasoning behind the law, since yes attendants could be just as retarded as anyone else. It wasn't like there was even a hint of training, like say in a food handlers class. Still it was an easy and fun summer job. Good for the kids.
Yeah that sounds about right. I wasn't aware of such a thing. Thanks for the link!
I realize that I was simply relating my experiance in the fueling industry here in the states to the article.
I'd go as far as to say that many Europeans, when asked, would find the very idea to be ludicrous (once you have explained it to them).
And the same can be said here in the US. I'm in Nampa, ID 30-40 mins from the border of Oregon, and even here it boggles peoples minds when it comes up through the course of a conversation.
In fact, it goes even further - it's very common to have completely "unattended" gas stations I'm sure there are differences you failed to clarify but that sounds a lot like any gas station outside of Walmart or Fred Meyers here in the Northwest US. A guy sits in a booth and takes your dollars or you use credit/debit at the pump. If you do mean however, no attendants on duty at all (which is the case with most gas stations here in Idaho during the night). I would be somewhat reluctant to support it... I can't tell you how many people fuel with engines running, on cell phones, fueling old school metal canisters in there pick up beds. I've even seen people with custom built fuel tanks trying to fill. I've never been to Europe, and I realize that chances of an explosion or fire are slim and remote. But it does seem, at least here in the Northwest people are really doing all they can to increase the odds of an accident happening.
In fact I seem to recall 2 years or so ago someone fueling up while smoking, I don't remember the details but it seems they were horsing around with their younger brother and an accident did occur and the young boy ended in the burn unit. An alert attendant could easily of prevented that.
Glad you brought them up, I've trying to determine how they fit into this whole War of Copyright. From my experiance they seem to be a fairly decent orginization. Out of high school I had some work registered with them. Back when Mp3.com was going and promoting user generated content... I got 2 laptop bags from mp3.com and 20 dollars from ASCAP, apparently my 'music' got played in France. Never did figure out what song tho...
Don't worry I'm sure someone will type something that can rise to the top and keep this going.
It's not that he's anti-science per se... He's merely anti views that don't agree with his agenda.
Now this is were automation really is handy dandy stuff. But actual merits aside, if it were to ever be used in the US it would be a novelty. People would bitch and complain...
I grew up in Oregon. A state that requires an attendent to pump your gas. I worked at a texaco one summer. There were 3 distinct positions on the issue:
1. Out of staters: Oh my god wow, it's really illegal for me to pump my own gas? Why thank you keep the change.
2. The in towners: Hurry the fuck up kid and please get my side windows.
3. The drive up politicians: Don't you see how this is hurting the very business you work for by requring man power for a job the costumer could do themselves. (My reply: dude I'm just here for the beer money)
So yeah I see the same thing to varying degrees happening at the pump (if this were to ever become a substantial choice for gas station owners here in the states)... Which would just be a rehash of the old auto workers complaints I can remember from as far back as grade school. Our science text books had these odd placed "Look to the future" sections. One of which was about robotics, and how there was a concern it would replace jobs with out creating... yadda yadda yadda Seemed like a pro union slant to me even then. (tho for the record I am pro union)
All that aside. I think it would be cool to have a robot doing this. I've worked in gas stations outside of Oregon here and there. Where people could do their own fueling, the amount of gas people slopped all over themselves, their car or the ground was substantial... and they always wanted a refund!
1, 6 and 10? Is that correct? Do I win the toaster oven Bob?
I haven't used iTunes in a while... But I'm not impressed... I bought the amount of RAM I have to future proof my PC for a little while longer... Not so poorly designed programs can eat it up all willy nilly. (I'm looking at you as well, Nero!)
I'm not sure how I got modded flamebait, I'm simply trying to point out some things.
1. GPU's tend to dominate when doing certain calculations. Most notably floating point intensive applications . See: Folding@home. Therefor with the current stated intentions of both Intel and AMD to incorporate GPU type capabilities into their general purpose processors nVidia needs to further innovate above and beyond their current level.
2. By incorporating an already tried and true, robust hardware based physics model into their GPU's nVidia would have a tremendous advantage compared to Intel and AMD (unless the AMD Fusion concept comes along nicely).
3. The only thing potentially holding nVidia back would be basic integer performance, doesn't seem to far fetched for them to make something that would be in line with current processors there, if not exceeding current performance, although as people have pointed out heat is an issue, so I would expect some or all of the chip to be scaled back to a degree. But I also wonder if licenses might be in issue. However I do not believe so as nVidia has been licensed to develop chipsets for both AMD and Intel processors... Though licensing issues aren't really my forte...
4. All that being said, I think now more then ever, nVidia is in a very good position to release an x86 processor.
whitehouse.com is no longer smutt? the internet really is changing... kind makes me miss the days of yore...
it was well known throughout my time in public schools...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics_processing_unit#Cell_Processor_vs_PPUs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics_processing_unit#GPUs_vs_PPUs
There are differences. Otherwise Sony wouldn't have wet themselves when they announced Cell technology in the PS3 or Microsoft could of countered their ATI GPU was pretty much the same thing or more powerful or however the market types would of spun it if that was the case
Yeah, I agree... Unfortunately.
I don't like being tied into Vista for the latest hardware support when it comes to gaming. Microsoft developers have gone on record as saying there is no reason DirectX 10/10.1 couldn't be used with XP. They just wanted it to be used as a 'dividing point' in which to ditch all the old tech... Something like that. It was in a Maximum PC a while back... Makes ya wonder what happened to OpenGL in the PC gaming market.
But to veer a little, I will say I found that the driver issues were a bit overblown. At least for me, using the RTM edition of Vista a while back. And once I disabled things like UAC and reverted the GUI to 'classic', I really wasn't disappointed in the performance, nor was I impressed. I think the real problem with Vista is that, yes it does consume more resources than is needed or called for but also perception is reality. And the perception is Vista is a pile... I agree to an extent but not as much as some.