Oh yeah, not to mention, S-video only carries video, you still need to run sound. Now you've got three wires coming off the back of your computer that is a) probably under a desk somewhere, and b) not near your living room TV
(sorry to respond to own post, but still getting used to the new posting system on here)
Until people realize how ridiculously simple it is to connect a S-Video out cable from the PC to their TV. That's funny. I thought I was the only person on the planet that even owned an S-Video cable (that I haven't used since I got rid of my 15-year old RCA 35" CRT that came with 'cutting edge' S-Video input).
You might want to check Blockbuster's current policy on late fees. They don't have late fees anymore. They just threaten to make you buy the dvd if you don't bring it back within the week. Personally, I prefer the traditional late fee:-)
What will replace all these boxes and modes is an open standard box that does it all with a unified GUI. It might even take "expansion boxes", to handle retrieving and decoding different data types, especially if they're as different as, say, a videogame and a newshour. My cable company is so close...they have the model in place to do this, but the execution is crap. The Scientific Atlanta DVR box theoretically could do everything you mention, if it weren't a big steamy pile of dung on the User Interface side.
I think your scenario is basically a pipe-dream in the States. Most municipalities still don't have a REAL choice in service, so we are limited to crappy Scientific Atlanta boxes, going with satellite (and acquiring a few more remote controls and boxes) or getting content from streaming devices. All these devices want to ensure their own longevity, so it is in their best interest NOT to interoperate easily with other devices (or a single media device).
The closest I've come to a mostly seamless integration of my media devices (PS3, DVD, DVR, Laptop, iPod) into my home stereo/HD tv is with a Logitech Harmony remote control. Otherwise, I still have about 500 wires and 50 boxes of things connected to the back AND front of my Yamaha AV receiver. I just got my PS3, so hopefully I'll figure out a way to make it more of a media hub than what I've got going now.
I'm buying a PS3 mostly just for the Blu-ray player. I'll probably play ONE game on it (GTA IV) and maybe a few more if my kids decide to stop liking their Wii and start buying games for the PS3.
Given my local Blockbuster has the largest selection of Blu-ray titles for rent (outside of mail order stuff like Netflix), I'm not only going with a PS3, but I'm also going with Blockbuster.
Maria,
I lean towards "meaning" as well when it comes to defining "engagement", in that engaging learning is only engaging if it has meaning to the learner. "Fun" has a LOT of meaning for younger ages and is an acceptable engagement tool, but at a certain point, the maturity of a child outgrows the "fun" factor and engagement has to come from somewhere else -- intrinsic motivation, for example.
I think this notion of "maturity" is why this article comes to the conclusion that adults don't find games to be worthwhile. I think there is a social stigma that "adults" don't play "games" because we adults are, well, mature, and that games aren't?
I wrote a paper in Grad school on PE and Tech integration. Students in the PE course were also enrolled in Technology course and had to use technology to plan/track/evaluate their fitness routines. They'd spend some class time learning the technology skills required (such as using spreadsheets, graphic design/layout tools, database stuff, etc) and the other time doing PE activities. They do ONE project, such as tracking miles with Nike + iPod thingies and correlating the data with the PE workouts, then producing a presentation (be it video/web/PowerPoint).
Same thing can be done with Foreign Language + Tech, or History + Tech. This sort of interdisciplinary curriculum is a good way to knock out two birds with one stone (and eliminating the 5 days a week of wasted Tech class time working on "typing" skills or going on "The Internets").
Of course, the question is, will any of this transfer beyond the game? That's unclear. One thing that I've heard multiple researchers mention is that people who practice sophisticated skills in or because of a game often don't consider themselves to really have those skills. I wish I hadn't commented yet or I'd have modded this WAY up.
The main problem with video games is not that they are a flawed learning mechanism. The flaw is in the curriculum system in place today. We teach facts about subjects with very little emphasis on critical thinking. Video games just don't mesh with the curricular goals of meeting "Standards" that are written such as: "By the fourth grade, students will be able to multiply two-digit numbers", or "By the fifth grade, students will be able to identify elements of the Bill of Rights". Surely a video game could be made to reinforce these knowledge-based standards, but since there really isn't much applicability in the standards themselves (as written), any corresponding video game will not reinforce any sort of real world applicability either. Multiplying two-digit numbers and knowing the Constitution are very important in real-world applications, but unfortunately our schools aren't teaching students to think about WHY the Constitution is important or WHEN you would ever need to multiply 2-digit numbers -- just that you have to do it to pass a standard.
We should also note that studies indicate that video games, like television, have detrimental effects on the attention span of the very young. Is this why MTV only plays 15 second snippets of music videos now days (during the 2 hours a day they actually play music)?
I have a Masters in Education (emphasis Computer Education) and can say in my research I've found that engagement is the number one factor in contributing to learning. Video games can engage, but are limited to affecting only a few of the things needed to ensure learning transfer. Video games can motivate to the point where learning is "fun", thus ensuring the students have a personal connection to the content, but this connection lasts only as long as the game remains fun; we all know how long a bad game takes to get boring, and I have no faith in my fellow educators' abilities to create fun games.
...you don't have any flights?
American Airlines is looking like it will have onboard Wi-Fi within the next couple months, American Airlines is looking like it won't have any flights left, after canceling over 1000 flights this week so far.
I work at a software company and if our developers spent half as much time coding as they did making excuses, they'd be twice as productive.
Seriously, when something pops up that doesn't work right, doesn't work well, or doesn't work elegantly, I get every excuse in the book: "functions as designed", "not a requirement", "don't have enough time", "costs too much". How about just shutting the hell up and fixing it? We all have jobs we have to do, but only the developers seem to be the ones trying to get out of doing their jobs.
I have the exact opposite experience here. Parallels (and probably any brand of VM) is much more complicated to keep configured and running optimally than it it to just reboot and hold down the option key, booting into real Windows.
VM is still too slow for me. I have a 2.4Ghz iMac and 2gb of ram and Parallels suffers from some pretty bad slowdowns. I have VMWare at work on my Dell box (same specs as my iMac) and it's a bit snappier, but still obviously not running things natively.
I'd say it's a paint app that remains expensive and hasn't added anything extraordinary to the feature lineup in 10 years. I'd say somebody isn't tapping into all of the features available in Photoshop. The History palette, for one, was a huge feature, as were many of the improved layer masking improvements. I'm sure that the bevel/dropshadow/etc. layer masks being available from right within the layers palette has been in the past 10 years as well. Text editing has improved too (while far from perfect, much better than it was 10 years ago). And those are only the hobbyist features that I'm aware of...I'm sure there are tons of professional features that have been added in the past 10 years that I'll never use.
Chances are that some flagwaving dickhead fascist in 'Homeland Security' puts your name on a terrorist-do-not-fly list. It will stay there forever along with a million other people who have absolutely nothing to do with terrorism. You can't ever get your name off the list. Sounds scary and all, but I don't see it happening, nor do the people who post this stuff ever cite real examples of it happening. My Father-in-Law has a very common name, that also happens to be on some TSA watch list. He gets questioned for about an extra five seconds compared to everyone else.
I love a flat, accurate sound as well, but I give my desktop Bose Speaker/woofer combo thingy (the more expensive one) high marks. Not for music quality, mind you, just in the fact that it produces a big fat sound from my computer, which is playing sounds OTHER than music most of the time, and constantly competing against the noise of my kids playing drums or practicing trumpet or playing Xbox, or whatever.
Nothing grates my ears more than "loudness button" settings that I know Bose gets ripped for a lot, but on their computer/usb system, they don't have that like their home systems do (I have a 15 year old Lifestyle system as reference). The real shame in Bose home stereo is that they charge premium prices for inferior gear. My main system is now Paradigm Monitor 9s and a Klipsch subwoofer, which together cost about the same as four little cardboard cube speakers and a muddy woofer from Bose.
The last time the low quality of a sound card affected a video game for me was in 1998, playing the physics-intense Grand Prix Legends. That game required every last bit of processor power and a sound card upgrade usually helped free some up. Are games still like that? (I'm old now, and don't play anymore).
Perhaps because not many people use their home computers as the hub of their hi-fi music systems (yet)? I've never understood why anyone would ever buy a sound card, period. I'm a gigging musician, and ANYTHING sound related that goes into my computer does so through outboard gear, and in through the firewire port. Soundcard-schmoundcard!
Paper isn't white naturally, nor is ink black. But there is a reason nearly everything ever has been printed in black text on white paper. Perhaps there is a difference when you switch it to a screen, but you can never go wrong with black text and a LOT of white space. I read in a design book this simple statement (apologies to the author, I can't remember who it is): black on white, red for attention.
No, when the road dead-ends in the driveway and pictures included the garage doors, the trampoline, the front door, the garbage cans...that's when it should have become apparent it was probably private property and no longer a road.
I can't believe I'm actually on the "privacy" tag's side for once...but this is pretty ridiculous. Come on Google, have a clue.
Slashdot Mirror
Oh yeah, not to mention, S-video only carries video, you still need to run sound. Now you've got three wires coming off the back of your computer that is a) probably under a desk somewhere, and b) not near your living room TV (sorry to respond to own post, but still getting used to the new posting system on here)
You might want to check Blockbuster's current policy on late fees. They don't have late fees anymore. They just threaten to make you buy the dvd if you don't bring it back within the week. Personally, I prefer the traditional late fee :-)
I think your scenario is basically a pipe-dream in the States. Most municipalities still don't have a REAL choice in service, so we are limited to crappy Scientific Atlanta boxes, going with satellite (and acquiring a few more remote controls and boxes) or getting content from streaming devices. All these devices want to ensure their own longevity, so it is in their best interest NOT to interoperate easily with other devices (or a single media device).
The closest I've come to a mostly seamless integration of my media devices (PS3, DVD, DVR, Laptop, iPod) into my home stereo/HD tv is with a Logitech Harmony remote control. Otherwise, I still have about 500 wires and 50 boxes of things connected to the back AND front of my Yamaha AV receiver. I just got my PS3, so hopefully I'll figure out a way to make it more of a media hub than what I've got going now.
Given my local Blockbuster has the largest selection of Blu-ray titles for rent (outside of mail order stuff like Netflix), I'm not only going with a PS3, but I'm also going with Blockbuster.
P.S. I'm not a "nerd".
I think this notion of "maturity" is why this article comes to the conclusion that adults don't find games to be worthwhile. I think there is a social stigma that "adults" don't play "games" because we adults are, well, mature, and that games aren't?
M.U.L.E. Transgendered programmer and best game ever. Enough said!
Same thing can be done with Foreign Language + Tech, or History + Tech. This sort of interdisciplinary curriculum is a good way to knock out two birds with one stone (and eliminating the 5 days a week of wasted Tech class time working on "typing" skills or going on "The Internets").
The main problem with video games is not that they are a flawed learning mechanism. The flaw is in the curriculum system in place today. We teach facts about subjects with very little emphasis on critical thinking. Video games just don't mesh with the curricular goals of meeting "Standards" that are written such as: "By the fourth grade, students will be able to multiply two-digit numbers", or "By the fifth grade, students will be able to identify elements of the Bill of Rights". Surely a video game could be made to reinforce these knowledge-based standards, but since there really isn't much applicability in the standards themselves (as written), any corresponding video game will not reinforce any sort of real world applicability either. Multiplying two-digit numbers and knowing the Constitution are very important in real-world applications, but unfortunately our schools aren't teaching students to think about WHY the Constitution is important or WHEN you would ever need to multiply 2-digit numbers -- just that you have to do it to pass a standard.
I have a Masters in Education (emphasis Computer Education) and can say in my research I've found that engagement is the number one factor in contributing to learning. Video games can engage, but are limited to affecting only a few of the things needed to ensure learning transfer. Video games can motivate to the point where learning is "fun", thus ensuring the students have a personal connection to the content, but this connection lasts only as long as the game remains fun; we all know how long a bad game takes to get boring, and I have no faith in my fellow educators' abilities to create fun games.
Seriously, when something pops up that doesn't work right, doesn't work well, or doesn't work elegantly, I get every excuse in the book: "functions as designed", "not a requirement", "don't have enough time", "costs too much". How about just shutting the hell up and fixing it? We all have jobs we have to do, but only the developers seem to be the ones trying to get out of doing their jobs.
VM is still too slow for me. I have a 2.4Ghz iMac and 2gb of ram and Parallels suffers from some pretty bad slowdowns. I have VMWare at work on my Dell box (same specs as my iMac) and it's a bit snappier, but still obviously not running things natively.
Why not just the latter? I personally tend to avoid businesses with the overt "Company Goal" of taking over the world.
Nothing grates my ears more than "loudness button" settings that I know Bose gets ripped for a lot, but on their computer/usb system, they don't have that like their home systems do (I have a 15 year old Lifestyle system as reference). The real shame in Bose home stereo is that they charge premium prices for inferior gear. My main system is now Paradigm Monitor 9s and a Klipsch subwoofer, which together cost about the same as four little cardboard cube speakers and a muddy woofer from Bose.
There's more to audio quality than surround sound capabilities...just sayin'...
The last time the low quality of a sound card affected a video game for me was in 1998, playing the physics-intense Grand Prix Legends. That game required every last bit of processor power and a sound card upgrade usually helped free some up. Are games still like that? (I'm old now, and don't play anymore).
Presonus makes a lot of great firewire stuff. Check musiciansfriend, like the post below suggests.
Perhaps because not many people use their home computers as the hub of their hi-fi music systems (yet)? I've never understood why anyone would ever buy a sound card, period. I'm a gigging musician, and ANYTHING sound related that goes into my computer does so through outboard gear, and in through the firewire port. Soundcard-schmoundcard!
Paper isn't white naturally, nor is ink black. But there is a reason nearly everything ever has been printed in black text on white paper. Perhaps there is a difference when you switch it to a screen, but you can never go wrong with black text and a LOT of white space. I read in a design book this simple statement (apologies to the author, I can't remember who it is): black on white, red for attention.
I can't believe I'm actually on the "privacy" tag's side for once...but this is pretty ridiculous. Come on Google, have a clue.