Yes, but they sell you the microphone as well. I haven't gone through the specs, but I'm assuming there's more than one microphone in that system, and they're of a higher quality than what you'd find in a phone. Cell/smartphones aren't known for quality microphones, and at a certain price point the microphone itself (if it *is* high quality) will make the approach too expensive. I'm also skeptical of both the accuracy and resolution of the location information that they do manage to get out of a single microphone, of any quality.
Posts about modding is a call to be modded down, but here I go anyway:
That was not Flaimbait. If you go around modding any post that pokes fun at a brand as "Flaimbait", you'll turn Slashdot comment threads into humorless, boring lists of generic observations. You may not agree with the logic of the post, but as the popular sig goes -- "there's no -1 'disagree' mod". Maybe there was some intention of "bating flame", but implying that Apple's response to the antenna problem was, in part, motivated by financial considerations, isn't the type of inflammatory content that the "Flamebait" mod was intended for.
When you place '1' as highly unlikely, which part of it do you mean? When I separated the two "problems with the theory", I split it into two categories, not two scenarios. The '1' mentioned several *ways* in which our timing (the fact that we're exploring Mars *now*) would present a problem. Do you mean it's unlikely that Mars will have life or that is used to have life? According to the separating line ("It is far more likely that the failing magnetic field would have triggered the death of all Martian life") you mean that it's unlikely that there will be life (or that we will find it). In which case we have no argument, as I said -- "it's possible that it was wiped out for good".
Then there's '2', which, since I didn't understand the logic of "if 1 is true" (because 1 was not a single scenario), I'll address broadly:
Finding traces of life that used to exist is a separate matter. Considering that Mars is constantly being swept by sand storms, it's a very good place to hide evidence, as well as *erode* evidence. We might have to dig very deep to find even remnants of what used to be life. As for life's ability to survive harsh environments, there's one rule that is never (to my knowledge) broken: If there's no liquid, there's no life. Even if one can argue that life could exist in liquid methane, there's no liquid anything on most of the planet's surface. There may be liquid water in other parts of the planet, areas that haven't yet been explored.
Also, the argument that life was found underground Antarctica would support the theory of sparse life: You can send as many rovers as you like to roam the "deep south" areas in Antarctica, but unless you dig, you won't find anything but ice.
Two problems with that theory:
1) Time. It's possible that we're exploring mars at a time in its lifespan (the lifespan of what we consider to be a planet, I mean) when life has just begun to spread. Even if, given a couple of million years, you'd see it everywhere on the planet, it may be that we're just there early. It's more likely, considering what we know (and/or have deduced) of Mars, that life already existed there, but it was wiped out due to some planet-wide event. In that case, it's possible that it was wiped out for good, but it's also possible that there are remnants in highly isolated locations.
2) Location. The word 'everywhere' covers a bit too much "ground". We've yet to find life existing higher than the stratosphere (and I don't mean frozen pico-plankton that happened to get swept up there), so there are physical barriers that are either too harsh for life to get through, or that it would take life too long to finally evolve into something that could survive in these areas ("too long" in the sense that the environment changes faster than life can adapt).
That episode is at least a couple months past shooting by now.
That might be a good basis for a conspiracy theory... NASA is afraid we wouldn't be able to handle all of the information in one go, so they release it gradually. They may have found a couple of goldfish on Europa, but the information isn't due to be published until late 2011. The appearance of this life-on-mars related news was released to two recipients, but at incorrect dates. Someone will lose their job over this. When in doubt, default to weather balloons....
But cars and boats are often referred to as a "she". Now that I think about it, I know a few people who give their computers female names, but most (guys) name their computers macho names like "TeraFrag" or "The Obliterator". They see computers more like weapons than people.
First Stickybot (~2007)
The Gecko-Woman from the "Prototype This" episode (~2008)
Third Stickybot (April, this year)
How about Googling the stories before posting them? This is why it's worth checking the firehose often. There are plenty of good stories that are skipped for reasons I can't fathom, but "olds" are posted whenever they need to plug a hole in the news stream (usually on the weekend).
Because having one port support multiple speeds wasn't enough to properly confuse non-nerds. Ever see a normal person get the message "you've plugged a high speed USB device to a low-speed port" (I'm paraphrasing...)?
"But I don't get it... They both look the same... So I should use this one for the keyboard, and the other one for the webcam? What about a thumbdrive? Which one would that plug into?"
These are the same minds that brought you "SoundBlaster 32 Pro Extreme Gamer - External".
They're more than just a "bit" slow, IMO. An external HD connected by USB 2 can only really be used for backup, and even then it lags. Firewire is better, but driver problems will occur more often than with USB. Then there's eSata, of which you need 1 per drive. I really hope USB 3 becomes the standard for external storage, possibly even more common than eSata (even though, technically, eSata is cheaper when looking at the overall system).
eSata doesn't hubs or daisy-chains, making it much more rigid. If you want that port to be "universal", then the space is better occupied by a USB3. (yes, I know that the eSata/USB "solves" that, but I'd still rather have 1 format (to which I might be able to connect an HD video stream *or* an HD) than the hybrid port)
That would have helped, but what really killed it was not making it a hyperlink. What do you expect me to do? Select the text, click Ctrl+C, followed by Ctrl+T, follwed by Ctrl+V, and then press enter? Some of us have shit to do!
Slashdot Mirror
Yes, but they sell you the microphone as well. I haven't gone through the specs, but I'm assuming there's more than one microphone in that system, and they're of a higher quality than what you'd find in a phone. Cell/smartphones aren't known for quality microphones, and at a certain price point the microphone itself (if it *is* high quality) will make the approach too expensive. I'm also skeptical of both the accuracy and resolution of the location information that they do manage to get out of a single microphone, of any quality.
Posts about modding is a call to be modded down, but here I go anyway:
That was not Flaimbait. If you go around modding any post that pokes fun at a brand as "Flaimbait", you'll turn Slashdot comment threads into humorless, boring lists of generic observations. You may not agree with the logic of the post, but as the popular sig goes -- "there's no -1 'disagree' mod". Maybe there was some intention of "bating flame", but implying that Apple's response to the antenna problem was, in part, motivated by financial considerations, isn't the type of inflammatory content that the "Flamebait" mod was intended for.
RTFA. It clearly states that you need *two* beams, so it's only logical that it needs two separate posts in order to work.
True, but it uses Lasers. Once the cult of Laser picks it up, the rest of the public will follow. Damn those Laser sheep...
Slashdot has become so big that the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing, and neither hand actually READS Slashdot...
Seems to me that Indian Atheists would be quite happy with the findings...
When you place '1' as highly unlikely, which part of it do you mean? When I separated the two "problems with the theory", I split it into two categories, not two scenarios. The '1' mentioned several *ways* in which our timing (the fact that we're exploring Mars *now*) would present a problem. Do you mean it's unlikely that Mars will have life or that is used to have life? According to the separating line ("It is far more likely that the failing magnetic field would have triggered the death of all Martian life") you mean that it's unlikely that there will be life (or that we will find it). In which case we have no argument, as I said -- "it's possible that it was wiped out for good".
Then there's '2', which, since I didn't understand the logic of "if 1 is true" (because 1 was not a single scenario), I'll address broadly:
Finding traces of life that used to exist is a separate matter. Considering that Mars is constantly being swept by sand storms, it's a very good place to hide evidence, as well as *erode* evidence. We might have to dig very deep to find even remnants of what used to be life. As for life's ability to survive harsh environments, there's one rule that is never (to my knowledge) broken: If there's no liquid, there's no life. Even if one can argue that life could exist in liquid methane, there's no liquid anything on most of the planet's surface. There may be liquid water in other parts of the planet, areas that haven't yet been explored.
Also, the argument that life was found underground Antarctica would support the theory of sparse life: You can send as many rovers as you like to roam the "deep south" areas in Antarctica, but unless you dig, you won't find anything but ice.
Two problems with that theory:
1) Time. It's possible that we're exploring mars at a time in its lifespan (the lifespan of what we consider to be a planet, I mean) when life has just begun to spread. Even if, given a couple of million years, you'd see it everywhere on the planet, it may be that we're just there early. It's more likely, considering what we know (and/or have deduced) of Mars, that life already existed there, but it was wiped out due to some planet-wide event. In that case, it's possible that it was wiped out for good, but it's also possible that there are remnants in highly isolated locations.
2) Location. The word 'everywhere' covers a bit too much "ground". We've yet to find life existing higher than the stratosphere (and I don't mean frozen pico-plankton that happened to get swept up there), so there are physical barriers that are either too harsh for life to get through, or that it would take life too long to finally evolve into something that could survive in these areas ("too long" in the sense that the environment changes faster than life can adapt).
how did Lief Ericson fail to discover martians in North America?
He didn't. He discovered them on Mars.
Depends on where you live.
That episode is at least a couple months past shooting by now.
That might be a good basis for a conspiracy theory... NASA is afraid we wouldn't be able to handle all of the information in one go, so they release it gradually. They may have found a couple of goldfish on Europa, but the information isn't due to be published until late 2011. The appearance of this life-on-mars related news was released to two recipients, but at incorrect dates. Someone will lose their job over this. When in doubt, default to weather balloons....
Morbo predicted this...
But cars and boats are often referred to as a "she". Now that I think about it, I know a few people who give their computers female names, but most (guys) name their computers macho names like "TeraFrag" or "The Obliterator". They see computers more like weapons than people.
...ditto for women.
Hell, I've been with women that I've slept with several times
This is Slashdot, you insensitive clod.
That depends on who you ask, and how you phrase the question.
But a noob would only get crappy, low-res, old porn. If you want the good stuff you have to know what you're doing. Same with women.
Oh yeah, keep going!... *pauses* Don't stop... That's the one... *buffering* What?! No, keep going! Don't stop now! Now NOW!
It's not the woman, it's her ISP. She's being throttled.
I think I'll get a model where all the hardware is Linux or *BSD compatible.
But then you're stuck with a rather crappy UI, and who wants that on a woman...
Here's the history:
First Stickybot (~2007)
The Gecko-Woman from the "Prototype This" episode (~2008)
Third Stickybot (April, this year)
How about Googling the stories before posting them? This is why it's worth checking the firehose often. There are plenty of good stories that are skipped for reasons I can't fathom, but "olds" are posted whenever they need to plug a hole in the news stream (usually on the weekend).
Scott Bakula didn't have a problem with it. If it was good enough for Bacula, it's good enough for me.
Because having one port support multiple speeds wasn't enough to properly confuse non-nerds. Ever see a normal person get the message "you've plugged a high speed USB device to a low-speed port" (I'm paraphrasing...)?
"But I don't get it... They both look the same... So I should use this one for the keyboard, and the other one for the webcam? What about a thumbdrive? Which one would that plug into?"
These are the same minds that brought you "SoundBlaster 32 Pro Extreme Gamer - External".
They're more than just a "bit" slow, IMO. An external HD connected by USB 2 can only really be used for backup, and even then it lags. Firewire is better, but driver problems will occur more often than with USB. Then there's eSata, of which you need 1 per drive. I really hope USB 3 becomes the standard for external storage, possibly even more common than eSata (even though, technically, eSata is cheaper when looking at the overall system).
eSata doesn't hubs or daisy-chains, making it much more rigid. If you want that port to be "universal", then the space is better occupied by a USB3. (yes, I know that the eSata/USB "solves" that, but I'd still rather have 1 format (to which I might be able to connect an HD video stream *or* an HD) than the hybrid port)
That would have helped, but what really killed it was not making it a hyperlink. What do you expect me to do? Select the text, click Ctrl+C, followed by Ctrl+T, follwed by Ctrl+V, and then press enter? Some of us have shit to do!