The Earth's magnetopause is at about 15 Earth radii on the sun-side. The Van Allen radiation belts are below 10 Earth radii. The moon orbits at about 60 Earth radii.
Most terrestrial bodies in the solar system have very weak magnetic fields, much weaker than that of Earth. The moon has none to speak of, because it is solid and mostly non-ferrous.
You might think you're joking. But I swear I was inches away from buying a pink iMac, even though I've hated every Mac I've ever touched. Just because it was pink.
It's awful. Luckily, I bought a can of spray paint and saved myself a couple grand.
When I was choosing what field to go into, I considered CS. I decided against it precisely because I didn't want to be the only woman studying or working with only men. (There were other factors too, like I was slightly more interested in other things, but that was a major factor.) I don't really mind working with guys--in fact, sometimes I prefer it, depending on the guys--but I don't want to be the token chick.
Too bad, because it programming was one of my best classes in high school. I liked the problem-solving and creative aspects of programming, and also UI design. If anything, the class wasn't challenging enough.
1) Students should not be blocked from reading it. It is a good source for everyday facts (say, properties of a particular metal, definition of a literary term, influences and contemporaries of an author, date of a birth of a historical personage, the difference between a pistil and a stamen, how to use a semicolon) and certain "obscure" topics (mass media, popular music, small towns) that don't have their own books devoted to them. It's a great way to start exploring a topic. It's a good supplement (along with the internet in general) if textbooks and teachers don't explain a topic perfectly.
It's an educational tool, and a good one. Not perfect, but a hell of a lot faster, easier, and more comprehensive than any current alternative. While there may be errors in the details, the general picture is usually accurate.
2) Using it as a sole or even a major source should not be allowed. Make it clear to students that it must be cited like any other source and should not be directly quoted. University profs can outright forbid it if they want to. I don't think most high school students really have the skills to do proper research--perhaps seeing the process in progress on Wikipedia will help them out.
Maybe point out that if they quote a mistake and cite it properly, it's their source's fault and not their own. But if they don't cite it, they're in trouble twice. Just a thought.
3) Elementary, junior, and high schools should be blocked from editing it. A great deal of vandalism comes from school networks. I've seen pages blanked and replaced with "Brad is a dick!!!!!" so many times. It's kids giggling to each other in the computer lab doing this. Look at the user profiles of IP addresses that belong to schools, and you'll see a continuous pattern of vandalism.
4) Perhaps a course in media awareness is called for. Kids need to be taught how media can be distorted to influence them. The only education I got on this in school was a brief discussion of propaganda in Nazi Germany. It's an important enough topic to warrant more education.
Say 1 billion people use the internet every day, with an average of 50 page views per person (rough guess). Now for some really rough guesses... say 0.1% of those page views have a Doubleclick ad on them and there is a 1% clickthrough with an average $0.25 payout per clickthrough.
1000000000 * 50 *.1% * 1% * $.25 = 125000 U.S. dollars / day.
Not enough, so clearly my numbers are wrong. Let's try 1% of pages with Doubleclick ads:
1000000000 * 100 * 1% * 1% * $.25 = $2.5 million / day
Possibly, but it still seems a little low. 2%? Maybe with a greater number of pageviews?
1250000000 * 150 * 2% * 1% * $.25 = $9.4 million / day
Now we're getting somewhere.
*totally pulled those numbers out of magic number hat*
I have no idea why I have a TV in the bathroom, but it's there. It just sauntered in one day and made itself at home. I wouldn't be surprised if it was actually part of some nefarious assassination plot. Oh well. If I'm going to die, at least I never miss Regis and Kelly.
I have four TVs. The biggest one, 28", is the one I watch the least. Small TVs are sufficient for watching the news in the kitchen (14") or bathroom (9"). Only movies or prime-time drama really demand something bigger (22"). Don't get me wrong, I get the appeal of big screens. But small screens definitely have a place, too. I really don't need to see the morning news life-sized. But I digress.
The lower power demands, greater flexibility, and better daylight visibility compared to LCD, raise the possibility of lightweight, portable, possibly battery-powered TVs. Obviously, good tech for laptops and portable DVD players as well.
My only question is, have they solved the lifespan issue? IIRC, OLEDs deteriorate faster than LCD, don't they?
If 3D printing ever gains a home user base, it will be among hobbyists. Usable, durable things are tricky. Toys, decorative items, and scale models are another story. I've heard of 3D printers that could make things out of chocolate, so specialty candy making is also possible. Ditto jewelery making. This is essentially a new tool for doing things like sculpting and modeling that have been done by hand for a long time.
Imagine, rather than searching for some hard to find model in exactly the right scale as the ones you have, that you can download it, scale it to the correct size, and make it yourself. Maybe even paint it. It took me over a year to find a 1:12 scale shotgun once, so this is a very appealing idea to me. (Although, that might be a little small for the current technology. I've never seen a rapid prototype product in person.)
I think it will take several technological advances before we see these in average households, if we ever do. It seems to be gaining ground with tech enthusiasts. But it's only a matter of time before it gains ground with other hobbyists.
Back in 1995 or 1996 or so, 3web, now a part of Cybersurf, started offering free (ad-supported) internet access for the cost of a CD. I still have the CD, marked "Free, Unlimited Internet For Life!" It brings a tear to my eye. Anyway, obviously it's not free anymore.
However, it's still cheaper than most of the competition (by about $15 for comparable speeds to my current plan, and twice as fast as the nearest price). They don't cap downloads. Upload speed might be a little slow sometimes--but that seems to be normal. Reading the service contract (which was several pages long) I did notice that they reserved the right to impose bandwidth limits. In several years I have not once gone over this unspecified hypothetical limit. (And believe me, I've pushed it.)
A long time ago, I noticed that the default BitTorrent port was slow, but that was easy to get around. I've never missed an email, and the few times I've had problems the customer service was quick and easy (getting back to me and solving the problem within hours). If your DSL acts up, they conveniently include free dialup access with it-- which is great, because the best way to fix a DSL problem seems to be to google for the solution. (Or order a new modem, email customer service, etc.)
The one thing they lack is included webspace. That's not a big deal--I'd rather not pay that if I wasn't going to use it.
Anyway, 3web has been great to me for years. Cybersurf is only just starting to expand into the United States, and apparently only offer dialup so far. They offer both DSL and cable in Canada.
Well, if you're upgrading every 3 years, you can probably save that $200 by keeping your old case, along with parts that don't need upgrading. (Do you really need a new sound card? 56k modem? fans? PSU?) Shipping probably covers the rest (Dell requires logins to see how much shipping cost, so screw it, but I'm assuming it's somewhere in the $50 range). Anyway, that's my geek talking. For people who don't mess with their computers' innards, I suppose reusing parts is out of the question.
A the mid-range, if you're paying $1500 instead of $1300, $200 isn't such a huge difference that it makes the thing more disposable. At the high end, $200 is the difference between the top-of-the-line CPU and the one that came out last month. It's trivial.
Sure, at the lowest end, $400 is a better deal than $500. But at the low end, are you really getting the most "modern equipment" anyway? No--you're getting a email/internet/word-processing machine. How much are you paying for shipping? How long are you waiting for it to be delivered? How long are you waiting if it needs to be repaired? If you're a business, what is the downtime costing you? (Based on a recent conversation with my boss, I estimate our business (not a big outfit) would lose at least $400/week without email. We barely even use computers.)
Why not call around to small local computer retailers and repair shops and see what they can put together for you?
When I bought my last desktop, I did exactly that. I knew roughly how fast I wanted it to be and what features I wanted, but didn't have the expertise to build it myself (or even choose all the right components). I also had a limited budget of about $500. I didn't need a video card or audio card, luckily (that would have blown my budget for sure), and I already owned a copy of Windows (I was not ready for Linux, I'm afraid).
I went to the shop and explained my needs. They picked out the appropriate parts for me and the next day I had a shiny new computer. I installed Windows myself, although they offered to do it for me. It was dead simple, and there was no worry or extra cost for shipping. All the parts were warrantied. They also warrantied their work for some period of time. The labour price was quite reasonable.
I suppose if you're located far from any decent shops, or need a large number of machines, or have some other particular need, the big guys are a good choice. But there are other options.
(Caveat: make sure you get a good power supply. Mine conked out after <4 years. Of course, that applies with any computer retailer. Cheaping out on that is a common way to lower prices.)
Barring upgrades and a new PS, it's still running 6 years later, and when I replace it I'll probably go back. (Granted, lots of upgrades. Most of which would be totally unnecessary if it weren't for those infernal games.)
Slashdot Mirror
But will my next Caravan run Linux?
No, unfortunately it's too far away.
i onship_to_Earthb elt
The Earth's magnetopause is at about 15 Earth radii on the sun-side. The Van Allen radiation belts are below 10 Earth radii. The moon orbits at about 60 Earth radii.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetosphere
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon#Orbit_and_relat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Allen_radiation_
Most terrestrial bodies in the solar system have very weak magnetic fields, much weaker than that of Earth. The moon has none to speak of, because it is solid and mostly non-ferrous.
...Or someone with sensitive financial or legal data. Customer profiles. Business plans. Credit card numbers.
Are you kidding me?
You might think you're joking. But I swear I was inches away from buying a pink iMac, even though I've hated every Mac I've ever touched. Just because it was pink.
It's awful. Luckily, I bought a can of spray paint and saved myself a couple grand.
When I was choosing what field to go into, I considered CS. I decided against it precisely because I didn't want to be the only woman studying or working with only men. (There were other factors too, like I was slightly more interested in other things, but that was a major factor.) I don't really mind working with guys--in fact, sometimes I prefer it, depending on the guys--but I don't want to be the token chick.
Too bad, because it programming was one of my best classes in high school. I liked the problem-solving and creative aspects of programming, and also UI design. If anything, the class wasn't challenging enough.
I wanted to say it in response to this story:2 5
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/04/08/22122
but I was too late.
"In Soviet Canuckistan, intellectual property owns you!"
Sorry.
You've clearly never heard of slash or shipping.
Girls don't need pictures.
What about if all the men die?
I suppose you guys aren't worried about that particular disaster's effect on the internet, but I am.
Monkeys sleep with two fingers in their anus?
Wait, what?
1) Students should not be blocked from reading it. It is a good source for everyday facts (say, properties of a particular metal, definition of a literary term, influences and contemporaries of an author, date of a birth of a historical personage, the difference between a pistil and a stamen, how to use a semicolon) and certain "obscure" topics (mass media, popular music, small towns) that don't have their own books devoted to them. It's a great way to start exploring a topic. It's a good supplement (along with the internet in general) if textbooks and teachers don't explain a topic perfectly.
It's an educational tool, and a good one. Not perfect, but a hell of a lot faster, easier, and more comprehensive than any current alternative. While there may be errors in the details, the general picture is usually accurate.
2) Using it as a sole or even a major source should not be allowed. Make it clear to students that it must be cited like any other source and should not be directly quoted. University profs can outright forbid it if they want to. I don't think most high school students really have the skills to do proper research--perhaps seeing the process in progress on Wikipedia will help them out.
Maybe point out that if they quote a mistake and cite it properly, it's their source's fault and not their own. But if they don't cite it, they're in trouble twice. Just a thought.
3) Elementary, junior, and high schools should be blocked from editing it. A great deal of vandalism comes from school networks. I've seen pages blanked and replaced with "Brad is a dick!!!!!" so many times. It's kids giggling to each other in the computer lab doing this. Look at the user profiles of IP addresses that belong to schools, and you'll see a continuous pattern of vandalism.
4) Perhaps a course in media awareness is called for. Kids need to be taught how media can be distorted to influence them. The only education I got on this in school was a brief discussion of propaganda in Nazi Germany. It's an important enough topic to warrant more education.
Say 1 billion people use the internet every day, with an average of 50 page views per person (rough guess). Now for some really rough guesses... say 0.1% of those page views have a Doubleclick ad on them and there is a 1% clickthrough with an average $0.25 payout per clickthrough. 1000000000 * 50 * .1% * 1% * $.25 = 125000 U.S. dollars / day.
Not enough, so clearly my numbers are wrong. Let's try 1% of pages with Doubleclick ads:
1000000000 * 100 * 1% * 1% * $.25 = $2.5 million / day
Possibly, but it still seems a little low. 2%? Maybe with a greater number of pageviews?
1250000000 * 150 * 2% * 1% * $.25 = $9.4 million / day
Now we're getting somewhere.
*totally pulled those numbers out of magic number hat*
I have no idea why I have a TV in the bathroom, but it's there. It just sauntered in one day and made itself at home. I wouldn't be surprised if it was actually part of some nefarious assassination plot. Oh well. If I'm going to die, at least I never miss Regis and Kelly.
I have four TVs. The biggest one, 28", is the one I watch the least. Small TVs are sufficient for watching the news in the kitchen (14") or bathroom (9"). Only movies or prime-time drama really demand something bigger (22"). Don't get me wrong, I get the appeal of big screens. But small screens definitely have a place, too. I really don't need to see the morning news life-sized. But I digress.
The lower power demands, greater flexibility, and better daylight visibility compared to LCD, raise the possibility of lightweight, portable, possibly battery-powered TVs. Obviously, good tech for laptops and portable DVD players as well.
My only question is, have they solved the lifespan issue? IIRC, OLEDs deteriorate faster than LCD, don't they?
That's exactly what I thought.
If 3D printing ever gains a home user base, it will be among hobbyists. Usable, durable things are tricky. Toys, decorative items, and scale models are another story. I've heard of 3D printers that could make things out of chocolate, so specialty candy making is also possible. Ditto jewelery making. This is essentially a new tool for doing things like sculpting and modeling that have been done by hand for a long time.
Imagine, rather than searching for some hard to find model in exactly the right scale as the ones you have, that you can download it, scale it to the correct size, and make it yourself. Maybe even paint it. It took me over a year to find a 1:12 scale shotgun once, so this is a very appealing idea to me. (Although, that might be a little small for the current technology. I've never seen a rapid prototype product in person.)
I think it will take several technological advances before we see these in average households, if we ever do. It seems to be gaining ground with tech enthusiasts. But it's only a matter of time before it gains ground with other hobbyists.
But darnit-- it's not free anymore.
Back in 1995 or 1996 or so, 3web, now a part of Cybersurf, started offering free (ad-supported) internet access for the cost of a CD. I still have the CD, marked "Free, Unlimited Internet For Life!" It brings a tear to my eye. Anyway, obviously it's not free anymore.
However, it's still cheaper than most of the competition (by about $15 for comparable speeds to my current plan, and twice as fast as the nearest price). They don't cap downloads. Upload speed might be a little slow sometimes--but that seems to be normal. Reading the service contract (which was several pages long) I did notice that they reserved the right to impose bandwidth limits. In several years I have not once gone over this unspecified hypothetical limit. (And believe me, I've pushed it.)
A long time ago, I noticed that the default BitTorrent port was slow, but that was easy to get around. I've never missed an email, and the few times I've had problems the customer service was quick and easy (getting back to me and solving the problem within hours). If your DSL acts up, they conveniently include free dialup access with it-- which is great, because the best way to fix a DSL problem seems to be to google for the solution. (Or order a new modem, email customer service, etc.)
The one thing they lack is included webspace. That's not a big deal--I'd rather not pay that if I wasn't going to use it. Anyway, 3web has been great to me for years. Cybersurf is only just starting to expand into the United States, and apparently only offer dialup so far. They offer both DSL and cable in Canada.
This, then, is the game for you.
Well, if you're upgrading every 3 years, you can probably save that $200 by keeping your old case, along with parts that don't need upgrading. (Do you really need a new sound card? 56k modem? fans? PSU?) Shipping probably covers the rest (Dell requires logins to see how much shipping cost, so screw it, but I'm assuming it's somewhere in the $50 range). Anyway, that's my geek talking. For people who don't mess with their computers' innards, I suppose reusing parts is out of the question.
A the mid-range, if you're paying $1500 instead of $1300, $200 isn't such a huge difference that it makes the thing more disposable. At the high end, $200 is the difference between the top-of-the-line CPU and the one that came out last month. It's trivial.
Sure, at the lowest end, $400 is a better deal than $500. But at the low end, are you really getting the most "modern equipment" anyway? No--you're getting a email/internet/word-processing machine. How much are you paying for shipping? How long are you waiting for it to be delivered? How long are you waiting if it needs to be repaired? If you're a business, what is the downtime costing you? (Based on a recent conversation with my boss, I estimate our business (not a big outfit) would lose at least $400/week without email. We barely even use computers.)
Why not call around to small local computer retailers and repair shops and see what they can put together for you?
When I bought my last desktop, I did exactly that. I knew roughly how fast I wanted it to be and what features I wanted, but didn't have the expertise to build it myself (or even choose all the right components). I also had a limited budget of about $500. I didn't need a video card or audio card, luckily (that would have blown my budget for sure), and I already owned a copy of Windows (I was not ready for Linux, I'm afraid).
I went to the shop and explained my needs. They picked out the appropriate parts for me and the next day I had a shiny new computer. I installed Windows myself, although they offered to do it for me. It was dead simple, and there was no worry or extra cost for shipping. All the parts were warrantied. They also warrantied their work for some period of time. The labour price was quite reasonable.
I suppose if you're located far from any decent shops, or need a large number of machines, or have some other particular need, the big guys are a good choice. But there are other options.
(Caveat: make sure you get a good power supply. Mine conked out after <4 years. Of course, that applies with any computer retailer. Cheaping out on that is a common way to lower prices.)
Barring upgrades and a new PS, it's still running 6 years later, and when I replace it I'll probably go back. (Granted, lots of upgrades. Most of which would be totally unnecessary if it weren't for those infernal games.)
The retailer in question was Gamepower Systems.