O'Reillys "Head First Java" is IMHO the best technical resource / learning tool I've ever used; it's honestly fun to read. You can read it online for 30 days free using the Safari service.
A favorite excerpt of mine (on how to remember the single-inheritance, multiple-interface concept):
I would have preferred Apple had adopted Java back in the late 90's and done all of Cocoa in it, personally.
I'm a fan of Java, but I really like my GUIs to run at native speed. Coincidentally, I'm a big fan of IBM's Standard Widget Toolkit (soon to have better cocoa support, hopefully!)
I think you're reading his/her words incorrectly. The way I see it, the author wrote that you get technology used in the PS3 in your computer. After all, the Cell is PS3 technology since it consists of one.
That is a true and valid point. I may have overreacted (I blame coffee) but I've grown uncomfortable sitting on that rant for so long. The author's statement would have been just as correct if he/she had said 'Yes, think supercomputer technology...'
Cell was the brainchild of Sony's hardware genius Kutagari and IBM's Hofstee...
Kutagari may have been thinking about consoles when he came up with the idea that would become the Cell BEA, but when development started on the Cell the design team's goal was high performance in a many different applications. Many of the Cell processors sold thus far have been in PlayStations, and it may be their most visible application, but I believe the PlayStation represents only a fraction of Cell's potential utility.
Yes, think PS3 technology, developed jointly by Toshiba, Sony, and IBM.
Saying that the Cell BEA was developed for the PlayStation 3 is like saying the wheel was developed for razor scooters. The PlayStation 3 uses the Cell, but the Cell was not made solely for the PlayStation. The Cell was developed to be a floating point and vector arithmetic monster that would be at home in a supercomputer, which it is.
I have nothing against the PlayStation 3, but I get upset when a myth like this is perpetuated. Saying that one of the most powerful processors available today was 'made to play video games' detracts from it and gives readers an incorrect impression (in my humble opinion).
Having 300,000 cores wouldn't help if you didn't have enough cores. However, University of Illinois probably won't be using it to run one instance of McAfee and one instance of Word. Chances are, they'll be using it for meteorological simulations.
Sorry, that should read 'Having 300,000 cores wouldn't help if you weren't running enough processes.'
If not...how would 300,000 cores help unless you are running 300,000 processes, or an app that you know will scale over that many cores?
The preceding was in fact a serious question.
Having 300,000 cores wouldn't help if you didn't have enough cores. However, University of Illinois probably won't be using it to run one instance of McAfee and one instance of Word. Chances are, they'll be using it for meteorological simulations.
I never said it wasn't:)
I had so much fun with Warcraft II that I visited Blizzard's website every day from the time Starcraft was announced to the time it launched, checking for updates. It seems like such a short time ago. Well, now I'm off to Starcraft2.com.
It's not just that Blizzard holds back their games until they are ready, it's that they have fans that will WAIT until Blizzard's games come out. That is a luxury that most other studios don't have. That said, Warhammer Online better have its features ASAP, first impressions are extremely important in MMOs.
I've heard some people asking about the possibilities the NIA brings to people who have difficulty using mice or keyboards. The NIA does not replicate full mouse or keyboard functionality, but something that my classmates cooked up for a final project does:
http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/ee476/FinalProjects/s2008/xh33_jdm55_ww239/xh33_jdm55_ww239/index.html
It's a mouse + keyboard that you wear on your head. It tracks eye movement and winks, allowing a user to direct a mouse pointer around the screen, click, and right-click. It also allows the user to switch into keyboard mode and (slowly) enter text. It connects via a pair of PS/2 connectors. It lacks the thought-activated rapid response of the NIA, but the fact that it worked at all really impressed me. For their demonstration (no video, sorry), one of the makers used it to open wordpad and type a short message. Very cool.
Note: this is a simple copy + paste of a reply I made to new article.
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The free flashlight I have from the App Store adjusts the brightness. It's called 'Light', and it was made by Erica Sadun if you're interested.
O'Reillys "Head First Java" is IMHO the best technical resource / learning tool I've ever used; it's honestly fun to read. You can read it online for 30 days free using the Safari service.
A favorite excerpt of mine (on how to remember the single-inheritance, multiple-interface concept):
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Extend only one,
But implement two!"
I would have preferred Apple had adopted Java back in the late 90's and done all of Cocoa in it, personally.
I'm a fan of Java, but I really like my GUIs to run at native speed. Coincidentally, I'm a big fan of IBM's Standard Widget Toolkit (soon to have better cocoa support, hopefully!)
I think you're reading his/her words incorrectly. The way I see it, the author wrote that you get technology used in the PS3 in your computer. After all, the Cell is PS3 technology since it consists of one.
That is a true and valid point. I may have overreacted (I blame coffee) but I've grown uncomfortable sitting on that rant for so long. The author's statement would have been just as correct if he/she had said 'Yes, think supercomputer technology...'
Cell was the brainchild of Sony's hardware genius Kutagari and IBM's Hofstee...
Kutagari may have been thinking about consoles when he came up with the idea that would become the Cell BEA, but when development started on the Cell the design team's goal was high performance in a many different applications. Many of the Cell processors sold thus far have been in PlayStations, and it may be their most visible application, but I believe the PlayStation represents only a fraction of Cell's potential utility.
Yes, think PS3 technology, developed jointly by Toshiba, Sony, and IBM.
Saying that the Cell BEA was developed for the PlayStation 3 is like saying the wheel was developed for razor scooters. The PlayStation 3 uses the Cell, but the Cell was not made solely for the PlayStation. The Cell was developed to be a floating point and vector arithmetic monster that would be at home in a supercomputer, which it is.
I have nothing against the PlayStation 3, but I get upset when a myth like this is perpetuated. Saying that one of the most powerful processors available today was 'made to play video games' detracts from it and gives readers an incorrect impression (in my humble opinion).
Having 300,000 cores wouldn't help if you didn't have enough cores. However, University of Illinois probably won't be using it to run one instance of McAfee and one instance of Word. Chances are, they'll be using it for meteorological simulations.
Sorry, that should read 'Having 300,000 cores wouldn't help if you weren't running enough processes.'
If not...how would 300,000 cores help unless you are running 300,000 processes, or an app that you know will scale over that many cores?
The preceding was in fact a serious question.
Having 300,000 cores wouldn't help if you didn't have enough cores. However, University of Illinois probably won't be using it to run one instance of McAfee and one instance of Word. Chances are, they'll be using it for meteorological simulations.
I never said it wasn't :)
I had so much fun with Warcraft II that I visited Blizzard's website every day from the time Starcraft was announced to the time it launched, checking for updates. It seems like such a short time ago. Well, now I'm off to Starcraft2.com.
It's not just that Blizzard holds back their games until they are ready, it's that they have fans that will WAIT until Blizzard's games come out. That is a luxury that most other studios don't have. That said, Warhammer Online better have its features ASAP, first impressions are extremely important in MMOs.
I've heard some people asking about the possibilities the NIA brings to people who have difficulty using mice or keyboards. The NIA does not replicate full mouse or keyboard functionality, but something that my classmates cooked up for a final project does: http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/ee476/FinalProjects/s2008/xh33_jdm55_ww239/xh33_jdm55_ww239/index.html It's a mouse + keyboard that you wear on your head. It tracks eye movement and winks, allowing a user to direct a mouse pointer around the screen, click, and right-click. It also allows the user to switch into keyboard mode and (slowly) enter text. It connects via a pair of PS/2 connectors. It lacks the thought-activated rapid response of the NIA, but the fact that it worked at all really impressed me. For their demonstration (no video, sorry), one of the makers used it to open wordpad and type a short message. Very cool. Note: this is a simple copy + paste of a reply I made to new article.