Sure, there was a "no tapes" policy (page 3 of article above)... but I can confirm through reliable sources that there was at least one version floating around the 'Net in MPEG format. Not to mention that said version has been around for several -weeks-.
I don't doubt that a percentage of "Fan Sites" are professionally produced, with dollar-backed agendas, etc.... What makes me wonder about Salon's reporting is that there appeared to be -several- articles about "TBWP" referenced at the end of the one about "studio paid hype".
-Phyxis
Re: ex-CMU people knowing Declan (was Re:Lying...)
on
I Was a Teenage Hacker
·
· Score: 1
Okay... so I went to Carnegie Mellon (CMU) in Declan's era too... *chuckle*. I can't comment on his past since I wasn't around him in middle/high-school, but yes, while he was at CMU, I'd agree his prowess was in the political/journalistic/communications arena.
Even if I didn't always agree with the goal, he -could- get people motivated.
-Phyxis
PS: Yeah, after CMU, I kinda dropped off the face of the earth for a while.:-)
I'd say a few static "face shots" might be useful annotation to the audio content though. Perhaps the sort of "action poses" you see in print magazines?
I actually use a Ricochet "SE" series TA every single day at work. I have another "classic, Phase 2" Ricochet unit at home for personal use.
My overall review of the equipment: Very very cool stuff. ~100kbit/sec burst packet radio, behaves just like a standard Hayes command set serial modem.
My overall review of the service/coverage: On my linux box (P133 laptop/RHL 5.0) I get best results with MTU/MRU manually set at 576. I found that interactive performance is _MUCH_ better than with the stock 1500. Don't expect this to be like a land-line... it's packet-based, so even though you can sustain 28.8kbit/sec throughput, it's burstier... and latencies are a bit longer.
Metricom/Ricochet market this device as a "wireless email/web-browsing link"... which is exactly what it's best at. Think carefully before you invest, they're not cheap, but they/can/ fit certain specific needs extremely well.
I haven't had a chance to play with unit-to-unit or STRIP modes, but I use standard (virtual PPP Terminal Adaptor -- lets you have a PPP link into Ricochet's network) and TMA (virtual land-line dialout modem -- lets you dial a local land-line modem wirelessly) extensively... although I'm not quite happy with their newer 100hrs/mo, 4hrs consecutive policy on TMA, I do understand the need for cost-control.
Just my $0.02 in the bit bucket...
-Phyxis
PS: There's rumors of a 128kbit sustained "Generation 2" Ricochet network being built. *hope*hope*hope*:-)
If you can find them, the older ISA WaveLAN cards (~2Mbit/sec) are pretty cool, and had decent support under RedHat 4.2 (to give you an idea of how long support has been around in a commercial distro). I had problems with one under Windows95 (transmit lockup) but no problems on a P120/32 RHL4.2 system.
I don't have all the spec's handy, but they're full-length ISA cards with a type-F connector on the back, and an external square pancake antenna (white). NCR was the manufacturer at the time. They are -not- compatible with the currently shipping WaveLAN systems (different encoding schemes and operating frequencies), so older cards are much cheaper.:-)
There are ~$10 RCA to RCA audio ground-loop isolators available from the er... crack shack;-)
Seriously... they work wonders (all my components are isolated this way, long story:). They're basically audio-isolation transformers in the middle of an RCA patch cable.
These will kill 90%+ of the 60/50Hz hum present in audio equiment "chains" of devices... (ex: LaserDisc player to VCR to TV...). -Phyxis
Slashdot Mirror
I have to wonder whether Iridium would have sold better if the US Gov't wasn't so antsy about being able to wiretap it.
How did Qualcomm get around this for their tri-band GlobalStar phones?
-P
Sure, there was a "no tapes" policy (page 3 of article above)... but I can confirm through reliable sources that there was at least one version floating around the 'Net in MPEG format. Not to mention that said version has been around for several -weeks-.
I don't doubt that a percentage of "Fan Sites" are professionally produced, with dollar-backed agendas, etc.... What makes me wonder about Salon's reporting is that there appeared to be -several- articles about "TBWP" referenced at the end of the one about "studio paid hype".
-Phyxis
Okay... so I went to Carnegie Mellon (CMU) in Declan's era too... *chuckle*. I can't comment on his past since I wasn't around him in middle/high-school, but yes, while he was at CMU, I'd agree his prowess was in the political/journalistic/communications arena.
:-)
Even if I didn't always agree with the goal, he -could- get people motivated.
-Phyxis
PS: Yeah, after CMU, I kinda dropped off the face of the earth for a while.
But... but... Rob's a cutie!
*grin*
I'd say a few static "face shots" might be useful annotation to the audio content though. Perhaps the sort of "action poses" you see in print magazines?
-Phyxis
I actually use a Ricochet "SE" series TA every single day at work. I have another "classic, Phase 2" Ricochet unit at home for personal use.
/can/ fit certain specific needs extremely well.
:-)
My overall review of the equipment:
Very very cool stuff. ~100kbit/sec burst packet radio, behaves just like a standard Hayes command set serial modem.
My overall review of the service/coverage:
On my linux box (P133 laptop/RHL 5.0) I get best results with MTU/MRU manually set at 576. I found that interactive performance is _MUCH_ better than with the stock 1500. Don't expect this to be like a land-line... it's packet-based, so even though you can sustain 28.8kbit/sec throughput, it's burstier... and latencies are a bit longer.
Metricom/Ricochet market this device as a "wireless email/web-browsing link"... which is exactly what it's best at. Think carefully before you invest, they're not cheap, but they
I haven't had a chance to play with unit-to-unit or STRIP modes, but I use standard (virtual PPP Terminal Adaptor -- lets you have a PPP link into Ricochet's network) and TMA (virtual land-line dialout modem -- lets you dial a local land-line modem wirelessly) extensively... although I'm not quite happy with their newer 100hrs/mo, 4hrs consecutive policy on TMA, I do understand the need for cost-control.
Just my $0.02 in the bit bucket...
-Phyxis
PS: There's rumors of a 128kbit sustained "Generation 2" Ricochet network being built. *hope*hope*hope*
If you can find them, the older ISA WaveLAN cards (~2Mbit/sec) are pretty cool, and had decent support under RedHat 4.2 (to give you an idea of how long support has been around in a commercial distro). I had problems with one under Windows95 (transmit lockup) but no problems on a P120/32 RHL4.2 system.
:-)
I don't have all the spec's handy, but they're full-length ISA cards with a type-F connector on the back, and an external square pancake antenna (white). NCR was the manufacturer at the time. They are -not- compatible with the currently shipping WaveLAN systems (different encoding schemes and operating frequencies), so older cards are much cheaper.
-Phyxis
When I went and looked (near the time 6.0 first rolled out), the "Hard Core" distro wasn't available (for purchase) yet.
*shrug*
It took me 12 tries (not kidding), but I finally convinced the 6.0 installer to net-install via FTP.
-Phyxis
There are ~$10 RCA to RCA audio ground-loop isolators available from the er... crack shack ;-)
:). They're basically audio-isolation transformers in the middle of an RCA patch cable.
Seriously... they work wonders (all my components are isolated this way, long story
These will kill 90%+ of the 60/50Hz hum present in audio equiment "chains" of devices... (ex: LaserDisc player to VCR to TV...).
-Phyxis