Oh, sorry, my bad for not looking that up. But at least it's digital right, and thus retains it's crisp color no matter what? And higher definition than, say, normal TV broadcasts? So it's better, and it's available. It's not 1080p but when I watch movies in 480p on my friend's streaming website, it looks just fine and dandy whether it's on my monitor or my TV.
Confused? I don't see why.. First off, I am a guy and a geek by nature.
Ergo, we mostly notice the women who are "dumb" when it comes to anything we care about.
Guys notice girls who look good. Girls who care about appearance don't generally care about tech. As geeks and nerds, anyone without a basic understanding of simple tech-stuff qualifies as "dumb". Ergo, we are attracted to "dumb" girls, and "Most girls are dumb" is perhaps a result of this.
The rest was just a random rant, a bit of support for the gals we so easily disregard as being dumb because they have no interest in or understanding of the things we all love. I was making the point that someone we consider dumb because they could never build a pc from scratch or learn (and enjoy) programming might have other skills and interests that they value.
For example a sense of style. The reason I mostly wear black, dark blue and gray'ish colors is that I'm safe from total failure no matter what I throw on each morning. Why do you think every guy out clubbing wears essentially the same thing, while no two girls would be caught dead looking the same? Why do you think men are very comfortable looking like a bunch of suit-wearing clones while women go out of their way to look good and unique?
Do you think that doesn't require extensive skill and experience? I advice you to ask your girlfriend, wife or a female friend to let you do their makeup. Perhaps you'll acknowledge their non-tech related skill when they end up looking like they've been shot with Homer's makeup shotgun. =P
Also, Super Mario Galaxy ranks as one of my favorite games. Despite me being quite the SNES fanboy I actually liked Super Mario 64 and have it on my Wii, and I am eagerly awaiting more chaotic platform jumping in SMG2.
Seriously. Get it! I've only played through it with two players, but that game is so unbelievably entertaining I lack words. The only bad thing I have to say is that the controls feel a bit "sluggish" compared to the old NES/SNES games where responsiveness was a very important priority, but it's not so bad as to be an issue and is quickly forgotten in the glee of playing such an awesome game!
Well, as guys we generally notice girls who look good and girls who spend time tending to their appearance don't often care about gadgetry and tech stuff. Ergo, we mostly notice the women who are "dumb" when it comes to anything we care about.
On a related note.. has anyone here considered the skill required in putting on a decent face of make-up? I can do amazing things with php, mysql and jQuery in no time at all, I am proficient in a good handful of languages, I can setup and configure servers and networks...
..but I can't for the life of me put together an ensemble that makes me look good and stand out at a social gathering, much less do so in 30 minutes.
Lack of understanding doesn't exclude ability to enjoy. I wanted to hook up my old Logitech 4.1 surround speakers at home to at least get better sound than the TV's built in speakers but my girlfriend didn't like the idea of extra wires and such. She was away visiting family for a few days this Christmas though, so I seized the opportunity to do it anyways, and since she got home and heard the difference there has been no argument.
Also, I am currently trying to hold her back from buying some large-ass plasma TV. She doesn't bother with properly understanding things like contrast and resolution, so she tends to get a bit blinded by the "CHEAP SUPER-PLASMA 50 inch WOWNESS"-advertising. Just have to keep telling her that anything below 720p is a complete waste of money no matter how big it is, since we already have a decent non-HD wide-screen TV.
Credit where credit is due though, she's quite the technophile (for a girl. I can say that, right?). She loves gadgets and utterly rocks right off the bat at pretty much any game she plays. The best gift I have ever given her is an official Star Wars lightsaber. Every time we have new people over, she takes it down from it's shelf to show off. ^^
What I don't get is that the Wii already supports HD. Depends on your definition I guess but 480p is, per definition, HD. Sure, you'd need to buy an extra cable or break out the proper output yourself (I recall seeing someone hack this together a while back), but 480p should look a lot better than 480i or whatever VHS players of ye olden days used (that we still, for some reason, use).
With the examples set by the US and US-based corporations reaching out across the world to slap whoever they think is bad across the face, and with China not exactly being insignificant themselves, wouldn't you at least try to comply with their rules if you wanted a corporate foothold there?
They tried to peddle their wares in China, they had to play by the rules (as all businesses in all countries have to), they couldn't make any money (and/or felt the Chinese government was just too crazy), so they pulled out.
Big deal, any company in the world would do the exact same thing.
I don't know what your definition of tech-savvy people is, but the people around me I can call "tech-savvy" are ceasing to like Google.
The only techies I know who don't like Google are the most extreme of the linux/FOSS "fanbois". You know.. those guys who think anyone making money off anything is a bad idea and that IT, entertainment and culture and tech in general would be further along if no money was involved.
Anyone with a realistic view of the world knows that Google's search engine reigns supreme and that things like gmail are very decent tools in an ever-growing free-for-all toolbox. Also, Android is growing fast in a market dominated by a very few, and will start munching on the netbook market pretty soon.
If your techie friends dislike Google, I suspect they do so without much reason apart from not wanting to be "mainstream". No, Google can't fight for the freedom of the Chinese people. They are a business, they make stuff to turn a profit and all that stuff (to the best of my knowledge) is of sound quality with a lot of it being free.
Not much of an argument, but what about brand recognition? Google arguably has the most recognized brand name in the entire World, and tech-savvy people generally trust Google and view them as the anti-"evil, money hungry corporation".
If Google launched a chain of electronics retail stores, my first instinct would be to assume they carried competitively priced quality products and I think most geeks and nerds would react in much the same fashion. All else being equal, I'd rather take my business to the people behind the amazing, free product I have used every day the past 10 years than to the guys who do nothing but sell things to make money.
Also, there is awesomeness. Even if Google started up a food franchise, completely unrelated to anything traditionally "Google" except the logo, owners and "spirit" (lacking a better word), I'd never set foot in a MacDonald's or any other kebab/pizza/burger parlor ever again. Such is the power of pure awesomeness!
You may want to check your local extradition laws. Not all countries are as servile to the US as we are.
Not even going to bother. The Norwegian officials are well known to lick the proverbial Presidential Posterior. To the best of my knowledge, there has yet to be a case where RIAA/MPAA and associates have managed to actually do anything over here (unlike in Sweden), and our ISP's have dead refused to give over logs and such on suspected piracy etc.
Other than that, I think we (in principle and by law) extradite criminals, but Mullah Krekar has remained here despite the fact that several countries, including the US, have requested that he be extradited. This is (as far as I know) because we refuse to send people anywhere where they might risk torture, murder or a death sentence, even if they are wanted terrorists/criminals pretty much everywhere and continue to travel home and broadcast "jihad-TV" from the comfort of their welfare-sponsored apartment.
I don't get it.. File a US patent in the US, and you can sue anyone violating that patent anywhere in the world? Then what is the point of having patents tied to nation? Can I patent something here in Norway that isn't already covered by a Norwegian patent, then go sue someone in the US for patent infringement and/or theft of IP? That is after all, the way they do it in the US..
Yeah, that makes about as much sense as if a huge US corporation pressured, say, the Swedish government to pass a new law weeks before a trial, ensuring people could be convicted of enabling piracy by running a service that could very well be used for legal purposes.
The Indians never owned anything. They considered themselves part of nature, and no part of nature could be owned by another.
Asshattery aside, that was some horrible stuff that happened all those centuries ago! I wholeheartedly agree that it is vital that we bring this into a debate about lab animals and medicine, as it is wholly and fully related and relevant!
Thanks for the explanation! I didn't really think the angle at which the incoming light hit the flat panels mattered a whole lot, but it probably does.
Out of curiosity, do you have any numbers on how much efficiency is lost throughout a day with a panel laying flat (perpendicular to noonday sun) as opposed to a tracking one?
If that is the case, then I actually have one thing to thank Christianity for! I like nudity. I don't get aroused by seeing a calf. Most middle-eastern men do, however, because it's considered "naughty" down there. If everyone walked around naked, the fascination with tits, thighs and ass (and as such, the pure, unadulterated glee of being allowed to see, touch and play with said body parts) would probably be completely diminished.
So for the very first, and probably last time of my life: Thank GOD!
Yeah, as you said, "factor of five" and such. The theoretical math still stands though.. if they covered 140 acres with 10% efficient solar panels, they'd get >56MW peak output.
Obviously I am missing something here. It'd be ridiculous to believe they'd build all that solar tracking stuff to get 1/4 of the power available form just laying the panels flat on the ground without good reason, ergo my reasoning must be flawed or my information lacking. =P
Only if by "IT person" you mean "server maintenance guy". What about all the problems users need help with every day?
Printer jams up? Can't find your document? Got a terrifying spam mail? Someone turned off your monitor so obviously your computer is broken? Your IP-phone is "broken" because you pressed the "Do not disturb"-button?
Call IT. Owh, IT is on strike..? Well then, I might as well just quit for the day, because I can't use my tools so I can't do my job.
Are you honestly saying that if garbage men went on a two week strike, huge, life supporting systems would stop working and people would die..?
Around here, the garbage is picked up once a week. Two week strike..? Ok, there might be a bag or three outside the bin, but that's hardly devastating.
As to postal employees.. come on. We all know they hardly work at all. Jokes aside though, e-mail and fax would make sure the corporate wheels kept on turning with nary a hiccup.
No, it points to users not having an absolute bare minimum of training in general computer use, and no interest in learning on their own.
Computer interfaces are generally fairly logical. If you know MS Word 95, you can figure out OpenOffice Writer or MS Word 2003. If you know how to print from MS ExCel, you know how to print from FireFox.
Still, there are things the users need our help with nearly every day. My current workplace is an absolute low with regards to general computer understanding, but I worked shortly at a huge engineering consultant company and you kind of loose faith when the people responsible for designing bridges and oil platforms call you up for the third time to have an USB-pen explained and demonstrated to them.
Not true. I don't know what sort of systems you work with but with a few hundred users continuously bashing the systems for which I am responsible with their stupid-sticks, there is no way the IT-department could leave for two weeks.
Yes, so the systems themselves wouldn't fail. Still, users punching info would screw up and need us to fix their mistakes, sometimes mistakes that bring parts of the software down (poorly designed software). Users forget on a day-to-day basis how to print stuff, and routinely need us to help relocate files and directories they have misplaces or cannot remember the location of. Users shy away from their computers if they get a pop-up box they haven't seen before, no matter how innocent it might be.
Being in IT isn't just about the technical part. It's also making sure all the other employees can do their jobs, and every last employee where I work uses a computer every day of the week.
I can go on vacation, because my systems are fairly stable but just in case I always need to keep my phone around, and the rest of the IT department is here to do my share of the more generic "chimp"-work while I'm away.
That doesn't mean the shit wouldn't hit the fan if the entire IT-department went on strike at the same time.
Huh? 0.22 square miles is 569797 square meters, right (according to google)? 1KW per square meter, with a modest 10% efficiency from the panels, gives 56MW peak power.
Increase the panel efficiency to something more realistic and you'd in theory have in excess of 100MW peak power. Theoretically of course, but this is slashdot after all..
Lining the chimney..? No, cover the ground with them! 20% efficient panels, 1000KW per square meter at peak sun, and (according to google) 10359952 square meters, means 2GW of electricity!
Also, covering the ground with dark colored panels would mean the air inside the greenhouse would get one hell of a lot warmer than with just the desert sand absorbing heat (or am I mistaken here..?), meaning that the whole solar tower would become a lot more efficient.
Owh, and a lot of the problems with panels and mirrors would be minimized, as the panels would be covered by the greenhouse and thus dust and rain becomes less of a problem.
Slashdot Mirror
Dolphin works now? I recall trying it a few years back, way before the Wii was announced, and I couldn't even get it to run properly.
Oh, sorry, my bad for not looking that up. But at least it's digital right, and thus retains it's crisp color no matter what? And higher definition than, say, normal TV broadcasts? So it's better, and it's available. It's not 1080p but when I watch movies in 480p on my friend's streaming website, it looks just fine and dandy whether it's on my monitor or my TV.
Confused? I don't see why.. First off, I am a guy and a geek by nature.
Ergo, we mostly notice the women who are "dumb" when it comes to anything we care about.
Guys notice girls who look good. Girls who care about appearance don't generally care about tech. As geeks and nerds, anyone without a basic understanding of simple tech-stuff qualifies as "dumb". Ergo, we are attracted to "dumb" girls, and "Most girls are dumb" is perhaps a result of this.
The rest was just a random rant, a bit of support for the gals we so easily disregard as being dumb because they have no interest in or understanding of the things we all love. I was making the point that someone we consider dumb because they could never build a pc from scratch or learn (and enjoy) programming might have other skills and interests that they value.
For example a sense of style. The reason I mostly wear black, dark blue and gray'ish colors is that I'm safe from total failure no matter what I throw on each morning. Why do you think every guy out clubbing wears essentially the same thing, while no two girls would be caught dead looking the same? Why do you think men are very comfortable looking like a bunch of suit-wearing clones while women go out of their way to look good and unique?
Do you think that doesn't require extensive skill and experience? I advice you to ask your girlfriend, wife or a female friend to let you do their makeup. Perhaps you'll acknowledge their non-tech related skill when they end up looking like they've been shot with Homer's makeup shotgun. =P
Also, Super Mario Galaxy ranks as one of my favorite games. Despite me being quite the SNES fanboy I actually liked Super Mario 64 and have it on my Wii, and I am eagerly awaiting more chaotic platform jumping in SMG2.
New Super Mario Bros for Wii
Seriously. Get it! I've only played through it with two players, but that game is so unbelievably entertaining I lack words. The only bad thing I have to say is that the controls feel a bit "sluggish" compared to the old NES/SNES games where responsiveness was a very important priority, but it's not so bad as to be an issue and is quickly forgotten in the glee of playing such an awesome game!
Well, as guys we generally notice girls who look good and girls who spend time tending to their appearance don't often care about gadgetry and tech stuff. Ergo, we mostly notice the women who are "dumb" when it comes to anything we care about.
On a related note.. has anyone here considered the skill required in putting on a decent face of make-up? I can do amazing things with php, mysql and jQuery in no time at all, I am proficient in a good handful of languages, I can setup and configure servers and networks...
..but I can't for the life of me put together an ensemble that makes me look good and stand out at a social gathering, much less do so in 30 minutes.
Lack of understanding doesn't exclude ability to enjoy. I wanted to hook up my old Logitech 4.1 surround speakers at home to at least get better sound than the TV's built in speakers but my girlfriend didn't like the idea of extra wires and such. She was away visiting family for a few days this Christmas though, so I seized the opportunity to do it anyways, and since she got home and heard the difference there has been no argument.
Also, I am currently trying to hold her back from buying some large-ass plasma TV. She doesn't bother with properly understanding things like contrast and resolution, so she tends to get a bit blinded by the "CHEAP SUPER-PLASMA 50 inch WOWNESS"-advertising. Just have to keep telling her that anything below 720p is a complete waste of money no matter how big it is, since we already have a decent non-HD wide-screen TV.
Credit where credit is due though, she's quite the technophile (for a girl. I can say that, right?). She loves gadgets and utterly rocks right off the bat at pretty much any game she plays. The best gift I have ever given her is an official Star Wars lightsaber. Every time we have new people over, she takes it down from it's shelf to show off. ^^
What I don't get is that the Wii already supports HD. Depends on your definition I guess but 480p is, per definition, HD. Sure, you'd need to buy an extra cable or break out the proper output yourself (I recall seeing someone hack this together a while back), but 480p should look a lot better than 480i or whatever VHS players of ye olden days used (that we still, for some reason, use).
With the examples set by the US and US-based corporations reaching out across the world to slap whoever they think is bad across the face, and with China not exactly being insignificant themselves, wouldn't you at least try to comply with their rules if you wanted a corporate foothold there?
They tried to peddle their wares in China, they had to play by the rules (as all businesses in all countries have to), they couldn't make any money (and/or felt the Chinese government was just too crazy), so they pulled out.
Big deal, any company in the world would do the exact same thing.
I don't know what your definition of tech-savvy people is, but the people around me I can call "tech-savvy" are ceasing to like Google.
The only techies I know who don't like Google are the most extreme of the linux/FOSS "fanbois". You know.. those guys who think anyone making money off anything is a bad idea and that IT, entertainment and culture and tech in general would be further along if no money was involved.
Anyone with a realistic view of the world knows that Google's search engine reigns supreme and that things like gmail are very decent tools in an ever-growing free-for-all toolbox. Also, Android is growing fast in a market dominated by a very few, and will start munching on the netbook market pretty soon.
If your techie friends dislike Google, I suspect they do so without much reason apart from not wanting to be "mainstream". No, Google can't fight for the freedom of the Chinese people. They are a business, they make stuff to turn a profit and all that stuff (to the best of my knowledge) is of sound quality with a lot of it being free.
Not much of an argument, but what about brand recognition? Google arguably has the most recognized brand name in the entire World, and tech-savvy people generally trust Google and view them as the anti-"evil, money hungry corporation".
If Google launched a chain of electronics retail stores, my first instinct would be to assume they carried competitively priced quality products and I think most geeks and nerds would react in much the same fashion. All else being equal, I'd rather take my business to the people behind the amazing, free product I have used every day the past 10 years than to the guys who do nothing but sell things to make money.
Also, there is awesomeness. Even if Google started up a food franchise, completely unrelated to anything traditionally "Google" except the logo, owners and "spirit" (lacking a better word), I'd never set foot in a MacDonald's or any other kebab/pizza/burger parlor ever again. Such is the power of pure awesomeness!
You may want to check your local extradition laws. Not all countries are as servile to the US as we are.
Not even going to bother. The Norwegian officials are well known to lick the proverbial Presidential Posterior. To the best of my knowledge, there has yet to be a case where RIAA/MPAA and associates have managed to actually do anything over here (unlike in Sweden), and our ISP's have dead refused to give over logs and such on suspected piracy etc.
Other than that, I think we (in principle and by law) extradite criminals, but Mullah Krekar has remained here despite the fact that several countries, including the US, have requested that he be extradited. This is (as far as I know) because we refuse to send people anywhere where they might risk torture, murder or a death sentence, even if they are wanted terrorists/criminals pretty much everywhere and continue to travel home and broadcast "jihad-TV" from the comfort of their welfare-sponsored apartment.
GOOOO NORWAY! -__-'
I don't get it.. File a US patent in the US, and you can sue anyone violating that patent anywhere in the world? Then what is the point of having patents tied to nation? Can I patent something here in Norway that isn't already covered by a Norwegian patent, then go sue someone in the US for patent infringement and/or theft of IP? That is after all, the way they do it in the US..
Yeah, that makes about as much sense as if a huge US corporation pressured, say, the Swedish government to pass a new law weeks before a trial, ensuring people could be convicted of enabling piracy by running a service that could very well be used for legal purposes.
Oh, wait..
Oh, how I wish I hadn't just spent my mod points elsewhere! xD
Time to be a pedantic asshat!
The Indians never owned anything. They considered themselves part of nature, and no part of nature could be owned by another.
Asshattery aside, that was some horrible stuff that happened all those centuries ago! I wholeheartedly agree that it is vital that we bring this into a debate about lab animals and medicine, as it is wholly and fully related and relevant!
Thanks for the explanation! I didn't really think the angle at which the incoming light hit the flat panels mattered a whole lot, but it probably does.
Out of curiosity, do you have any numbers on how much efficiency is lost throughout a day with a panel laying flat (perpendicular to noonday sun) as opposed to a tracking one?
If that is the case, then I actually have one thing to thank Christianity for! I like nudity. I don't get aroused by seeing a calf. Most middle-eastern men do, however, because it's considered "naughty" down there. If everyone walked around naked, the fascination with tits, thighs and ass (and as such, the pure, unadulterated glee of being allowed to see, touch and play with said body parts) would probably be completely diminished.
So for the very first, and probably last time of my life: Thank GOD!
Yeah, as you said, "factor of five" and such. The theoretical math still stands though.. if they covered 140 acres with 10% efficient solar panels, they'd get >56MW peak output.
Obviously I am missing something here. It'd be ridiculous to believe they'd build all that solar tracking stuff to get 1/4 of the power available form just laying the panels flat on the ground without good reason, ergo my reasoning must be flawed or my information lacking. =P
Only if by "IT person" you mean "server maintenance guy". What about all the problems users need help with every day?
Printer jams up? Can't find your document? Got a terrifying spam mail? Someone turned off your monitor so obviously your computer is broken? Your IP-phone is "broken" because you pressed the "Do not disturb"-button?
Call IT. Owh, IT is on strike..? Well then, I might as well just quit for the day, because I can't use my tools so I can't do my job.
Are you honestly saying that if garbage men went on a two week strike, huge, life supporting systems would stop working and people would die..?
Around here, the garbage is picked up once a week. Two week strike..? Ok, there might be a bag or three outside the bin, but that's hardly devastating.
As to postal employees.. come on. We all know they hardly work at all. Jokes aside though, e-mail and fax would make sure the corporate wheels kept on turning with nary a hiccup.
No, it points to users not having an absolute bare minimum of training in general computer use, and no interest in learning on their own.
Computer interfaces are generally fairly logical. If you know MS Word 95, you can figure out OpenOffice Writer or MS Word 2003. If you know how to print from MS ExCel, you know how to print from FireFox.
Still, there are things the users need our help with nearly every day. My current workplace is an absolute low with regards to general computer understanding, but I worked shortly at a huge engineering consultant company and you kind of loose faith when the people responsible for designing bridges and oil platforms call you up for the third time to have an USB-pen explained and demonstrated to them.
Not true. I don't know what sort of systems you work with but with a few hundred users continuously bashing the systems for which I am responsible with their stupid-sticks, there is no way the IT-department could leave for two weeks.
Yes, so the systems themselves wouldn't fail. Still, users punching info would screw up and need us to fix their mistakes, sometimes mistakes that bring parts of the software down (poorly designed software). Users forget on a day-to-day basis how to print stuff, and routinely need us to help relocate files and directories they have misplaces or cannot remember the location of. Users shy away from their computers if they get a pop-up box they haven't seen before, no matter how innocent it might be.
Being in IT isn't just about the technical part. It's also making sure all the other employees can do their jobs, and every last employee where I work uses a computer every day of the week.
I can go on vacation, because my systems are fairly stable but just in case I always need to keep my phone around, and the rest of the IT department is here to do my share of the more generic "chimp"-work while I'm away.
That doesn't mean the shit wouldn't hit the fan if the entire IT-department went on strike at the same time.
Well, I was talking about Norway, not wherever you're posting from. I make roughly $49,761 by todays currency rates.
Huh? 0.22 square miles is 569797 square meters, right (according to google)? 1KW per square meter, with a modest 10% efficiency from the panels, gives 56MW peak power.
Increase the panel efficiency to something more realistic and you'd in theory have in excess of 100MW peak power. Theoretically of course, but this is slashdot after all..
What about the happiness of the billions of people who'll never be born?
Consider the over 500 billion potential people you deny a happy life, that is a rather weird statement to make.
Lining the chimney..? No, cover the ground with them! 20% efficient panels, 1000KW per square meter at peak sun, and (according to google) 10359952 square meters, means 2GW of electricity!
Also, covering the ground with dark colored panels would mean the air inside the greenhouse would get one hell of a lot warmer than with just the desert sand absorbing heat (or am I mistaken here..?), meaning that the whole solar tower would become a lot more efficient.
Owh, and a lot of the problems with panels and mirrors would be minimized, as the panels would be covered by the greenhouse and thus dust and rain becomes less of a problem.