G. Bush routinely veto's legislation passed by the rest of the USA's legislature. Certainly, in the eyes of the rest of the world, there doesn't presently appear to be a big difference between the USA and Iran.
A patent on tilting the thing so cause something appear to move or slide?
There are all ready a zillion games over 100 years old that operate on this principle. (Where gravity supplies a reference axis.)
Then there is the fact that the iPhone undoubtably provide "tilt axis" information as a system call... obviously, the iPhone designers anticipated using "tilt" as a control mechanism.
But, because the unique concept here relates to a high tech gadget, the patent examiners will probably rule that it is a "novel concept", and pass it through the system as being valid. (rather than doing their job, and failing it!)
Still... a neat "proof of concept", hope the guy makes some well deserved cash from this. (But, not be granted the patent... PLEASE!)
I would argue that MIPS does stand for Mega Instructions per second... as KIPS would stand for Kilo operations per second...
In engineering, the prefixes k (kilo), m (mega), g (giga) have been utilised since way before most slashdotters were in nappies. It seems that some people can use gHz without being confused, but stumble when attempting to apply the same principle elsewhere.
Actually, they appear to be talking about LOW frequency Radio astronomy. That is, from 1Hz to probably 30..60 MHz.
Parabolic dishes need to be several wavelengths across to exhibit significant gain. EG: 1MHz has a wavelength of 3e8/1e6 = 300 metres. So for 1MHz, a single dish would probably need to be at least 1kM in diameter. This is a big ask, even for NASA. (and, in the kHz range, even the whole moon isn't big enough!)
The type of astronomy that can leverage reasonable size parabolic reflectors is at a much higher frequency. At these higher frequencies the ionosphere is less of an issue. (Although, there is still extra attenuation due to the earths atmosphere, but this is relatively small.)
LF radio astronomy relies more on arrays of wire antenna's. No atmosphere would definitely be a huge advantage at LF.
Generation "Y" scientologists are waiting for the Apple "I-Meter" to come out.
"Good" Scientology Blogs have reviewed the I-Meter and say this device is the "bee's knees", what with the fancy touch screen, inbuilt megapixel camera, and enhanced "Aura detection" (tm) along with all the fancy wireless and telepathy interfaces. Rumour has it that these devices were manufactured on Xenu by advanced Thetan engineers. (Not in China, as some heretics have suggested!)
Personally, I am just waiting for some Guru to crack the I-Meters DRM so that 3rd party Apps can be installed. (SCi-Notes, Sci-Calendar, Sci-Mail, Sci-evaluator... All shareware yet written by fully qualified Thetan technicians...
Just wait a few years. Your eyes will naturally blur the image, rather than having some lame algorithm to do it for you. You have been watching way to much CSI!
The zoom feature is good. Pity it has taken so long to make it into an integral part of the browser.
From the tone of your post, I guess you missed your valium tablets this morning!
H'mm, Its not really free!. To start with, the typ of DRM they will undoubtedly employ is the one that "phones home" every time you play a track. On a mobile phone, that could come to a substantial charge very rapidly. (AKA: "protected" Windoz Media files).
The music will probably be preceded by advertising of one sort or another.
(this could easily be tied in with the DRM phone home ability)...
Analysis of the dross you listen to would enable targeted advertising...
There is no such thing as FREE, there will always be a hook hidden somewhere in the bait.
It appears that most countries complain of a "Brain Drain". It's much the same here in Australia.
Another side of the coin is that after graduation, many "ethnic" graduates do elect to stay in the "west". Part of this is due to financial reward. If the person goes back home, his earning prospects are very much diminished.
Undoubtedly, this situation will change as the standard of living changes in the "east".
The reason many of the "foreign" students so easily get jobs AFTER graduation is that many westerners perceive them as being better workers. When given a task, they don't complain, just go off and do the required work. This is not often true of their "western" counterparts! (Just watch the newbie westerner's web surfing habits compared to that of his "eastern" counterparts.
There is a lot more to this, but I dont have the time to continue.
Not only that, but if you look into the mathematics of digital sampling, you find that it is very easy to push the alias well away from the intended baseband (0..20kHz). This then allows for a much less drastic anti-alias filter that does not have "nasty" rapid phase changes as the filter rolls off.
However... I once worked on an oversampling converter for CD's that upsampled the 16 bit data to 20bit data. This device also incorporated a very stable/clean clock source as well. To my surprise, the output of this device sounded MUCH better than the output obtained from the CD player direct. (And, it did not matter what type of CD player was used as the "source", the coverter always sounded better.)
If you are happy listening to MP3's though, none of this really matters. I find that the Highly compressed MP3's all sound distorted. Those encoded at high rates though, I find to be okay...
I am surprised that mainstream CD's haven't evolved to 192 kHz sampling at 24 bit resolution. At 24 bits, the minimum transition is way smaller than the recording equipments noise floor. At 192 kHz sampling, the nyquist frequency becomes 96 kHz. Not even dogs can hear that high a tone! (But, the audio "purist" (read as Luddite) will still argue that the analogue recording is better. Audiophiles treat this subject like a religion. No amount of eveidence to the otherwise is ever going to convince them they are delusional!
I am constantly amazed at some of the drivel here! Most 10 year olds have better reasoning skills than those shown on/. by 1/2wits masquerading as nerds!
While I applaud MIT for releasing the IP for H264 and OFDM, I think that real hardware engineers will find it virtually useless. It will, however be useful for examining how other people have actually implemented a working design.
While true that this HDL code could be implemented in an FPGA, this tends to be MUCH less cost effective than finding an "off the shelf" solution. I recently went down this path with H264 encode. To implement 2 channels of H264 encode in an FPGA ends up costing around US $100. (Not including NRE, PCB'S, ETC. Then you need to factor in the extra stuff, like video encoders, decoders, interface to other IC's, EMI/EMC... the list is endless!
There are devices out there that implement 2 channels of encode, one channel of decode, A fast ARM core, Video decoders, USB, IDE, Serial, encryption... and the implementation cost is around US$50. Plus, there is none of the "uncertainty" one gets in the development time of the product that comes with using FPGA's. (And ASICS as well!).
As far as H264 (MPEG 4 part 10) decode is concerned, there are lots of cheap semiconductor devices that incorporate the decoder as part of the design. (Check out the Intel site.) Even cheaper are the devices in PVR's. (Generally Zoran IC's)
The same is virtually true for OFDM...
Who is going to "roll their own" Wireless transceiver, when complete modules (and they are tiny) are ready to plonk down on a board. (These can be had for around US $20 in one off qty's, and become MUCH cheaper in 1000's off!)
Actually, It is normally a transistor set up to be noisy, and used to drive a digital bit into a shift register. (I have seen that trick used in several different encryptors, and it works very well!)
I would have thought all algorithmic solutions to random number generation would suffer the same flaw as described in the text. Be in deep shit if it worked any other way.
Your joking? A one watt solar cell would be a lot less intrusive.
Might I suggest the authors had this device strapped somewhere else, and that they now all need glasses. (As per the old joke... can I do it until I need glasses.)
Using tables to optimise some aspect of hardware certainly predates 1998 by a long stretch. Applying this to a particular aspect of a CPU and claiming it is novel seems disingenuous to me!
For that matter, several hardware synthesis over the years have allowed for table input. FPGA's all essentially rely on "tables" as the basic combinatorial logic element is a ram array. (IE: A table). In fact, the configuration of all FPGA's, CPLD's, etc are "table" driven.
I would view microcode within a CPU as being table driven as well.
I also wonder about the funding that paid for this "research". I tend to get annoyed when public funding has been used to feather a "private" persons nest. Many thousands of people "own" patents that hinge on publicly funded research. Not just in electronics, but in medicine, etc. Do others think this is fair?
I would suggest that should Intel decide to fight, the eventual outcome will be that the patent will be overturned.
I'm sure this response is related to M$ Vista. Has everyone forgotten about all the DRM associated dross associated with M$ flagship product?
I guess that very few people realize much of the Vista kernel is devoted to something very much related to not correctly playing "content" if the "chain" of protection is not complete. (IE: the HI-RES monitor connected to the machine has no (or revoked) keys.)
To do this, M$ encrypt the video data BEFORE sending it to the video card on a potentially hostile databus. (Thus inhibiting spying on that digital data by third party hardware connected to the video cards databus.) Part of the full Vista "experience" requires a video card that has hardware decryption of incoming video data as an integral part of the devices operation. To this end, M$ has essentially forced the vendors of Graphics hardware to add hardware decryption to their hardware, although (apart from Vista), it adds nothing to genuinely speeding up any graphics operations. This may also explain why ATI & NVIDIA seem so reluctant to release full details of their latest hardware. (Thus annoying the crap out of those with Linux, etc). Also goes a long way to explaining why Vista is so much slower than XP.
NB: above explanation is a simplification... but is essentially correct!
So, the RIAA/MPAA have already convinced (or coerced?) the major players at least part way down the road to full lock down. Next, it will be Apple, and then all they need to do is outlaw rogue operating systems like linux/bsd, etc.
Slashdot Mirror
Are there rings around Uranus? How about Ma's?
FOSS VLC plays flash very necely ... perhaps Apple should try that.
What makes you think the USA is any different?
G. Bush routinely veto's legislation passed by the rest of the USA's legislature. Certainly, in the eyes of the rest of the world, there doesn't presently appear to be a big difference between the USA and Iran.
A patent on tilting the thing so cause something appear to move or slide?
... obviously, the iPhone designers anticipated using "tilt" as a control mechanism.
... a neat "proof of concept", hope the guy makes some well deserved cash from this. (But, not be granted the patent ... PLEASE!)
There are all ready a zillion games over 100 years old that operate on this principle. (Where gravity supplies a reference axis.)
Then there is the fact that the iPhone undoubtably provide "tilt axis" information as a system call
But, because the unique concept here relates to a high tech gadget, the patent examiners will probably rule that it is a "novel concept", and pass it through the system as being valid. (rather than doing their job, and failing it!)
Still
The moral of the story is: Don't bend for a friend or you'll get it in the end!
I would argue that MIPS does stand for Mega Instructions per second ... as KIPS would stand for Kilo operations per second ...
In engineering, the prefixes k (kilo), m (mega), g (giga) have been utilised since way before most slashdotters were in nappies. It seems that some people can use gHz without being confused, but stumble when attempting to apply the same principle elsewhere.
Actually, they appear to be talking about LOW frequency Radio astronomy. That is, from 1Hz to probably 30..60 MHz.
Parabolic dishes need to be several wavelengths across to exhibit significant gain. EG: 1MHz has a wavelength of 3e8/1e6 = 300 metres. So for 1MHz, a single dish would probably need to be at least 1kM in diameter. This is a big ask, even for NASA. (and, in the kHz range, even the whole moon isn't big enough!)
The type of astronomy that can leverage reasonable size parabolic reflectors is at a much higher frequency. At these higher frequencies the ionosphere is less of an issue. (Although, there is still extra attenuation due to the earths atmosphere, but this is relatively small.)
LF radio astronomy relies more on arrays of wire antenna's. No atmosphere would definitely be a huge advantage at LF.
Dark matter stars make BLACK LIGHT?
Generation "Y" scientologists are waiting for the Apple "I-Meter" to come out.
... All shareware yet written by fully qualified Thetan technicians...
"Good" Scientology Blogs have reviewed the I-Meter and say this device is the "bee's knees", what with the fancy touch screen, inbuilt megapixel camera, and enhanced "Aura detection" (tm) along with all the fancy wireless and telepathy interfaces. Rumour has it that these devices were manufactured on Xenu by advanced Thetan engineers. (Not in China, as some heretics have suggested!)
Personally, I am just waiting for some Guru to crack the I-Meters DRM so that 3rd party Apps can be installed. (SCi-Notes, Sci-Calendar, Sci-Mail, Sci-evaluator
Just wait a few years. Your eyes will naturally blur the image, rather than having some lame algorithm to do it for you. You have been watching way to much CSI! The zoom feature is good. Pity it has taken so long to make it into an integral part of the browser. From the tone of your post, I guess you missed your valium tablets this morning!
H'mm, Its not really free!. To start with, the typ of DRM they will undoubtedly employ is the one that "phones home" every time you play a track. On a mobile phone, that could come to a substantial charge very rapidly. (AKA: "protected" Windoz Media files). The music will probably be preceded by advertising of one sort or another. (this could easily be tied in with the DRM phone home ability) ...
Analysis of the dross you listen to would enable targeted advertising...
There is no such thing as FREE, there will always be a hook hidden somewhere in the bait.
So you want (say) a laptop that dies if you don't feed it, and instead of the blue screen of death, the damn thing barfs all over you when it crashes?
It appears that most countries complain of a "Brain Drain". It's much the same here in Australia.
Another side of the coin is that after graduation, many "ethnic" graduates do elect to stay in the "west". Part of this is due to financial reward. If the person goes back home, his earning prospects are very much diminished.
Undoubtedly, this situation will change as the standard of living changes in the "east".
The reason many of the "foreign" students so easily get jobs AFTER graduation is that many westerners perceive them as being better workers. When given a task, they don't complain, just go off and do the required work. This is not often true of their "western" counterparts! (Just watch the newbie westerner's web surfing habits compared to that of his "eastern" counterparts.
There is a lot more to this, but I dont have the time to continue.
Not only that, but if you look into the mathematics of digital sampling, you find that it is very easy to push the alias well away from the intended baseband (0..20kHz). This then allows for a much less drastic anti-alias filter that does not have "nasty" rapid phase changes as the filter rolls off.
... I once worked on an oversampling converter for CD's that upsampled the 16 bit data to 20bit data. This device also incorporated a very stable/clean clock source as well. To my surprise, the output of this device sounded MUCH better than the output obtained from the CD player direct. (And, it did not matter what type of CD player was used as the "source", the coverter always sounded better.)
...
However
If you are happy listening to MP3's though, none of this really matters. I find that the Highly compressed MP3's all sound distorted. Those encoded at high rates though, I find to be okay
I am surprised that mainstream CD's haven't evolved to 192 kHz sampling at 24 bit resolution. At 24 bits, the minimum transition is way smaller than the recording equipments noise floor. At 192 kHz sampling, the nyquist frequency becomes 96 kHz. Not even dogs can hear that high a tone! (But, the audio "purist" (read as Luddite) will still argue that the analogue recording is better. Audiophiles treat this subject like a religion. No amount of eveidence to the otherwise is ever going to convince them they are delusional!
Truth, Justice, ... and the American way.
Your right ...
/. by 1/2wits masquerading as nerds!
I am constantly amazed at some of the drivel here! Most 10 year olds have better reasoning skills than those shown on
While I applaud MIT for releasing the IP for H264 and OFDM, I think that real hardware engineers will find it virtually useless. It will, however be useful for examining how other people have actually implemented a working design.
... the list is endless!
... and the implementation cost is around US$50. Plus, there is none of the "uncertainty" one gets in the development time of the product that comes with using FPGA's. (And ASICS as well!).
...
...
While true that this HDL code could be implemented in an FPGA, this tends to be MUCH less cost effective than finding an "off the shelf" solution. I recently went down this path with H264 encode. To implement 2 channels of H264 encode in an FPGA ends up costing around US $100. (Not including NRE, PCB'S, ETC. Then you need to factor in the extra stuff, like video encoders, decoders, interface to other IC's, EMI/EMC
There are devices out there that implement 2 channels of encode, one channel of decode, A fast ARM core, Video decoders, USB, IDE, Serial, encryption
As far as H264 (MPEG 4 part 10) decode is concerned, there are lots of cheap semiconductor devices that incorporate the decoder as part of the design. (Check out the Intel site.) Even cheaper are the devices in PVR's. (Generally Zoran IC's)
The same is virtually true for OFDM
Who is going to "roll their own" Wireless transceiver, when complete modules (and they are tiny) are ready to plonk down on a board. (These can be had for around US $20 in one off qty's, and become MUCH cheaper in 1000's off!)
This is just the tip of the iceberg
Actually, It is normally a transistor set up to be noisy, and used to drive a digital bit into a shift register. (I have seen that trick used in several different encryptors, and it works very well!)
I would have thought all algorithmic solutions to random number generation would suffer the same flaw as described in the text. Be in deep shit if it worked any other way.
So I guess your real name must be Ben Dover?
Your joking? A one watt solar cell would be a lot less intrusive.
... can I do it until I need glasses.)
Might I suggest the authors had this device strapped somewhere else, and that they now all need glasses. (As per the old joke
Well, its an unusual star. The article says its low on Lithium, so its probably just been skipping its schizophrenia medication.
Missiles easily pull 50G turns. Lets see an bat do that! (after that attempt you would have to call it a splat!)
Using tables to optimise some aspect of hardware certainly predates 1998 by a long stretch. Applying this to a particular aspect of a CPU and claiming it is novel seems disingenuous to me!
For that matter, several hardware synthesis over the years have allowed for table input. FPGA's all essentially rely on "tables" as the basic combinatorial logic element is a ram array. (IE: A table). In fact, the configuration of all FPGA's, CPLD's, etc are "table" driven.
I would view microcode within a CPU as being table driven as well.
I also wonder about the funding that paid for this "research". I tend to get annoyed when public funding has been used to feather a "private" persons nest. Many thousands of people "own" patents that hinge on publicly funded research. Not just in electronics, but in medicine, etc. Do others think this is fair?
I would suggest that should Intel decide to fight, the eventual outcome will be that the patent will be overturned.
I'm sure this response is related to M$ Vista. Has everyone forgotten about all the DRM associated dross associated with M$ flagship product?
... but is essentially correct!
I guess that very few people realize much of the Vista kernel is devoted to something very much related to not correctly playing "content" if the "chain" of protection is not complete. (IE: the HI-RES monitor connected to the machine has no (or revoked) keys.)
To do this, M$ encrypt the video data BEFORE sending it to the video card on a potentially hostile databus. (Thus inhibiting spying on that digital data by third party hardware connected to the video cards databus.) Part of the full Vista "experience" requires a video card that has hardware decryption of incoming video data as an integral part of the devices operation. To this end, M$ has essentially forced the vendors of Graphics hardware to add hardware decryption to their hardware, although (apart from Vista), it adds nothing to genuinely speeding up any graphics operations. This may also explain why ATI & NVIDIA seem so reluctant to release full details of their latest hardware. (Thus annoying the crap out of those with Linux, etc). Also goes a long way to explaining why Vista is so much slower than XP.
NB: above explanation is a simplification
So, the RIAA/MPAA have already convinced (or coerced?) the major players at least part way down the road to full lock down. Next, it will be Apple, and then all they need to do is outlaw rogue operating systems like linux/bsd, etc.