The books are pure space opera, with a bit of moral and social theme. But the universe and characters are just great. Giving the whole thing a Strazinsky (sp?) twist would work nicely.
My current hopes are pinned on Grand Theft Auto 3. The PS2 version is good, both in the graphics & gameplay department. The game is played 3rd person, rather than overhead & that really opens up the freedom movement and immmersion of the game. The PC port comes out at the end of March (along with KDE 3 and (possibly) Mandrake 8.2, April should be fun.)
No a mouse is not just a diode or two. Almost all will have some form of microchip (possibly just a serial encoder, probably more) in there. Many older mice are dual mode, so they'll function connnected to the serial port, or the ps2 port. Modern USB mice _will_ contain a microprocessor, which means an oscilator (sp?) running at a few MHz.
I'm not claiming that these people actually experience actual symptoms, but the facts you mention are inaccurate. It would be proper to remain open to the possibility, the human body is a n amzingly complex machine, which probably still contains many surprises. Until properly conducted experiments show conclusive evidence, don't jump the gun.
On the subject of whether the ban is proper, I would have to say no. A faraday cage would probably be a better solution of the sufferers. Even if it's only as a placebo.
Some of the more accurate terms that you might prefer to use are "copy prevention" (that's what those technologies actually try to do) or "usage control" (that's the effect of copy prevention, e.g. your choice of playback devices is limited). To describe a media that is crippled by usage control technology, you can use something like "restricted use media."
How about Digital Usage Management of Bits, then we can force everyone to say copy control is DUMB. Of course adding Extraction Restrictions makes it DUMBER:).
> 93 degrees centigrate at 18 bar pressure will produce the ultimate coffee.
Do you really mean that? 18 bar == approx 18 atmospheres, or the pressure at 170m below sea level. Where the blazes do you work/live? Or do you have a coffee machine that creates a seal then pumps up the pressure before it makes the brew? I'm fascinated, please tell this wasn't a typo - it'd be so disappointing.
In Client/Server transactions: Never trust data from or judgements made by the client.
This includes The Client, your client - ther bods paying you to make their e-commerce site. Dont trust their specs, don't trust their existing system's specs, dont trust their decisions, and above all..
Dont trust 'The Check is in the Mail' when sending the final product.
Alex
Dont know about Gibson, haeven't got round to him yet. The one i've just finished is The Diamond Age - nanotyech is all pervasive, all matter compilation is controlled by feeds and all human interactions are governed by and international law called the Common Economic Protocol, backed by Protocol Enforcement (think MPAA + MI5). In the book one of the main characters, Hackworth, tries to create a device called the seed, a self contained matter compiler/processor/gatherer, this is the P2P equiv of the book.
They say "The terms and conditions are unacceptable," our source told us. "I run a group where people post code. Why would anyone want to give away the copyright on their own code?"
Except I've looked at the Yahoo T&C page and as far as I can tell, for groups atleast yahoo don't claim copyright. However they do state With respect to Content other than photos, graphics, audio or video you submit or make available for inclusion on publicly accessible areas of the Service other than Yahoo! Clubs or Yahoo! Groups, the perpetual, irrevocable and fully sublicensable license to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such Content (in whole or in part) and to incorporate such Content into other works in any format or medium now known or later developed.
This seems a bit nasty to me, I'm not exactly sure what it means but it can't be good.
I have the Logtech cordless desktop, it's great, perfectly reliable for normal use. Where it trips up is for games, particularly Quake 3. The reason for this is the refresh rate of only 50Hz on the mouse, not quite good enough for that elusive rail gun shot or fast shotgun skirmish.
Alex
I don't know what he meant, but i agree with what he wrote IE5 is the best free (lunch) browser for windows there is. It isn't perfect ('no i don't want to search with MS i want google) does crash and freeze - sometimes, less than many programs. However it's fast (to load and render), efficiently uses screen space (try putting the address bar next to the menus, under the toolbar in NS4.x).
Win9x Netscape is highly flakey, less configurable, slower, uglier, and generally annoying (to me.) Latest Mozilla M18 has numerous glitches like buttons that don't press (OK in prefs comes to mind) and is not feature complete. Opera is not free in any sense of the word (except warez) and this really only leaves the semi-browser in staroffice - oh dear.
Now to appease the penguin pushers - I do object to the attitude of MS to bugs and security (OE5), locking tactics (why do i need a 'Digital Certicate' from Verisign(TM), whats wrong with PGP?') and sumbit-with-digital-blood EULAs.
I'll first admit this: VB is a bad language - I started in it, and it's only now in delphi and C I'm learning good practises.
But one thing that makes VB more appropriate to a beginner is immediate results. The VB IDE has strong user feedback, incorrect syntax is flagged the moment a line is completed, controls change as properties are edited. I'm not just talking about visual form design but other 'shortcut' features in particular the immediate or debug window which allows on the spot execution of a simple piece of code. This makes the discovery process all the more interactive, engaging and ultimately fun to use (barring ideosynchrasities which drive those expirienced to distraction).
I'm not saying use VB because it's a good language or it teaches good programming technique. But because it's that bit more likely to get them hooked, the finer points (a pride in elegance they bring) can come later.
Incidently if there is another language in Windows that anyone feels these critieria name it then we could give the best of both worlds.
Interesting, could this technology be combined with networking of household appliances (you know fridges that order extra milk for you etc..). Leasding to the punchline... Would a watched quantum kettle boil faster?
Slashdot Mirror
I enjoyed B5, despite the hoops you had to jump through to see it all in the UK.
I always thought JMS would do a good job with the Reality Dysfunction trilogy by Peter F Hamilton, if it was ever televised.
The books are pure space opera, with a bit of moral and social theme. But the universe and characters are just great. Giving the whole thing a Strazinsky (sp?) twist would work nicely.
Anyone else care to give there take on this?
Alex
Please don't leave me in suspense... he sounds worth checking out.
Who is is he?
Alex
I believe the first paid product placement in a a game Was Zool for the Amiga. The Product was Chuypa Chup (sp?) lollies.
Anyone care to refute or deny this?
Alex
My current hopes are pinned on Grand Theft Auto 3. The PS2 version is good, both in the graphics & gameplay department. The game is played 3rd person, rather than overhead & that really opens up the freedom movement and immmersion of the game. The PC port comes out at the end of March (along with KDE 3 and (possibly) Mandrake 8.2, April should be fun.)
Alex
No a mouse is not just a diode or two. Almost all will have some form of microchip (possibly just a serial encoder, probably more) in there. Many older mice are dual mode, so they'll function connnected to the serial port, or the ps2 port. Modern USB mice _will_ contain a microprocessor, which means an oscilator (sp?) running at a few MHz.
I'm not claiming that these people actually experience actual symptoms, but the facts you mention are inaccurate. It would be proper to remain open to the possibility, the human body is a n amzingly complex machine, which probably still contains many surprises. Until properly conducted experiments show conclusive evidence, don't jump the gun.
On the subject of whether the ban is proper, I would have to say no. A faraday cage would probably be a better solution of the sufferers. Even if it's only as a placebo.
Alex
Some of the more accurate terms that you might prefer to use are "copy prevention" (that's what those technologies actually try to do) or "usage control" (that's the effect of copy prevention, e.g. your choice of playback devices is limited). To describe a media that is crippled by usage control technology, you can use something like "restricted use media."
:).
How about Digital Usage Management of Bits, then we can force everyone to say copy control is DUMB. Of course adding Extraction Restrictions makes it DUMBER
Alex
It's good to see people being complimentary about Mosfet.
Sorry, had to be done.
Alex
What is the icon that slashdot uses for GNU meant to be? To me it looks like a goat with a security blanket sucking his/her/it's thumb.
Really this isn't a piss take, i do want to know.
(Yes, I'm that bored right now)
Alex W
> Or smurf quake?
At first site i thought that might be scary, but then I thought of all those lovely weapons in quake 3, and how a blue target would stand out.
I agree where is smurf quake 3, as long as they kept the BFG it sounds fun.
Alex
> Yes, it's commonly called an espresso machine...
Mea culpa, sorry didn't think of that one, not a coffee drinker myself.
Thanks
Alex W
> 93 degrees centigrate at 18 bar pressure will produce the ultimate coffee.
Do you really mean that? 18 bar == approx 18 atmospheres, or the pressure at 170m below sea level. Where the blazes do you work/live? Or do you have a coffee machine that creates a seal then pumps up the pressure before it makes the brew? I'm fascinated, please tell this wasn't a typo - it'd be so disappointing.
Alex W
--
Like everyone else is saying:
In Client/Server transactions: Never trust data from or judgements made by the client.
This includes The Client, your client - ther bods paying you to make their e-commerce site. Dont trust their specs, don't trust their existing system's specs, dont trust their decisions, and above all..
Dont trust 'The Check is in the Mail' when sending the final product.
Alex
Dont know about Gibson, haeven't got round to him yet. The one i've just finished is The Diamond Age - nanotyech is all pervasive, all matter compilation is controlled by feeds and all human interactions are governed by and international law called the Common Economic Protocol, backed by Protocol Enforcement (think MPAA + MI5). In the book one of the main characters, Hackworth, tries to create a device called the seed, a self contained matter compiler/processor/gatherer, this is the P2P equiv of the book.
A good read, cryptic at times though.
Alex
The reg have an intriguing article on this.
They say "The terms and conditions are unacceptable," our source told us. "I run a group where people post code. Why would anyone want to give away the copyright on their own code?"
Except I've looked at the Yahoo T&C page and as far as I can tell, for groups atleast yahoo don't claim copyright. However they do state With respect to Content other than photos, graphics, audio or video you submit or make available for inclusion on publicly accessible areas of the Service other than Yahoo! Clubs or Yahoo! Groups, the perpetual, irrevocable and fully sublicensable license to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such Content (in whole or in part) and to incorporate such Content into other works in any format or medium now known or later developed.
This seems a bit nasty to me, I'm not exactly sure what it means but it can't be good.
Alex
I have the Logtech cordless desktop, it's great, perfectly reliable for normal use. Where it trips up is for games, particularly Quake 3. The reason for this is the refresh rate of only 50Hz on the mouse, not quite good enough for that elusive rail gun shot or fast shotgun skirmish. Alex
I don't know what he meant, but i agree with what he wrote IE5 is the best free (lunch) browser for windows there is. It isn't perfect ('no i don't want to search with MS i want google) does crash and freeze - sometimes, less than many programs. However it's fast (to load and render), efficiently uses screen space (try putting the address bar next to the menus, under the toolbar in NS4.x).
Win9x Netscape is highly flakey, less configurable, slower, uglier, and generally annoying (to me.) Latest Mozilla M18 has numerous glitches like buttons that don't press (OK in prefs comes to mind) and is not feature complete. Opera is not free in any sense of the word (except warez) and this really only leaves the semi-browser in staroffice - oh dear.
Now to appease the penguin pushers - I do object to the attitude of MS to bugs and security (OE5), locking tactics (why do i need a 'Digital Certicate' from Verisign(TM), whats wrong with PGP?') and sumbit-with-digital-blood EULAs.
Alex
But one thing that makes VB more appropriate to a beginner is immediate results. The VB IDE has strong user feedback, incorrect syntax is flagged the moment a line is completed, controls change as properties are edited. I'm not just talking about visual form design but other 'shortcut' features in particular the immediate or debug window which allows on the spot execution of a simple piece of code. This makes the discovery process all the more interactive, engaging and ultimately fun to use (barring ideosynchrasities which drive those expirienced to distraction).
I'm not saying use VB because it's a good language or it teaches good programming technique. But because it's that bit more likely to get them hooked, the finer points (a pride in elegance they bring) can come later.
Incidently if there is another language in Windows that anyone feels these critieria name it then we could give the best of both worlds.
Alex Willmer
Interesting, could this technology be combined with networking of household appliances (you know fridges that order extra milk for you etc..).
Leasding to the punchline...
Would a watched quantum kettle boil faster?