Completely off-topic, but my brother's Cell has a blue back light on a monochrome display. At some point, he managed to disconnect the LCD, so that when he pressed a button, all he got was a blue background w/ no pixels.
I must admit, I'm curious about this "stealth spam" thing he mentioned. What could it be? Are those sneaky Europeans writing some sort of elaborate VB proggie that exploits Windows Messaging Services? I admit that I've seen one of those pop up once on a friend's machine; we then promptly disabled the messaging service.
Come to think of it, Messaging really should be disabled by default on XP Home, and possibly XP Pro.
On a related note, check out VXML (google for it, I'm too lazy to link). If you want to tinker, you can set up an account with http://cafe.bevocal.com . It's pretty nifty, since they provide a free 800 number for testing. All you do is call up, speak a pin, and it loads up your app for testing.
In my case, I'd buy one because the cost of an extra 59.2Wh battery for my Sony Vaio is US$249.99. For an extra $50, I can get this behemoth 120Wh battery pack that I can simply leave in my rollerbag and just yank out a cable when I feel I need to start leeching some amps off of it.
I suppose they're letting the magic smoke out prematurely.
(Lifted from the Jargon File)
Magic Smoke - n. A substance trapped inside IC packages that enables them to function (also called `blue smoke'; this is similar to the archaic `phlogiston' hypothesis about combustion). Its existence is demonstrated by what happens when a chip burns up -- the magic smoke gets let out, so it doesn't work any more. See smoke test, let the smoke out.
Usenetter Jay Maynard tells the following story: "Once, while hacking on a dedicated Z80 system, I was testing code by blowing EPROMs and plugging them in the system, then seeing what happened. One time, I plugged one in backwards. I only discovered that *after* I realized that Intel didn't put power-on lights under the quartz windows on the tops of their EPROMs -- the die was glowing white-hot. Amazingly, the EPROM worked fine after I erased it, filled it full of zeros, then erased it again. For all I know, it's still in service. Of course, this is because the magic smoke didn't get let out." Compare the original phrasing of Murphy's Law.
You've obviously never had a business relationship with Big Blue. If they can get you to buy one server, they'll get you to buy another, then another, then your entire IT infrastructure becomes IBM.
Well, you're being clever or naive, I can't tell which. By faster programming, I'm guessing you meant that you can whip the code out quickly and efficiently. That's true. However, there are just some cases where a higher level language will cost you, such as Embedded Programming, or high performance drivers and software (e.g. the Detonator series of drivers from NVidia). If you're trying to push as much data around as physically possible in a clock cycle to get that extra 2 FPS, low level is the way to go.
With each level of abstraction, you, as a coder or designer, add overhead and unneeded to the code operations (check the assembler's output of a c++ program vs. hand-written assembler).
The human mind is still the best code optimizer out there today.
I remember the 5200; it's slowly migrated away from my desk to the attic; I imagine it still works, but I absolutely despise the 603e processor they stuck in it; the 6840's seemed so much faster. Not to mention that I remember seeing one on ebay for a whole $50. And that was at the end of the auction.
One of the things I'd always wanted on my machine (VAIO F-series) was the ability to use the machine as the "head" for another computer, i.e. use special cables to plug the laptop into a standard desktop, and use the laptop's keyboard, pointer, and display as the input / output for a desktop. You could even have some Function Key to switch between the internal machine and the external.
My thoughts exactly. I plan on waiting until all three can be released in a set, possibly matching my "big red" collector's edition of the book. I mean, how neat would it be to mix the old with the new by putting the DVDs in a leather case? I'd gladly pay at least $100 if it had 4 discs in it (3 movies, one features disc). Make it match the collector's edition book, and I'd pay another $50.
You're serious? More power to you for being brave enough to do that. The problem with this is not only junk getting onto the surface, but said junk hitting the read heat at 5400 (or 7200) RPM, causing an actual disk crash. Not a computer crash, but flying read head actually crashing into the disk, and kicking up even more junk to corrupt other parts of the drive.
I wish I could find a picture, but someone I know at Seagate has a poster on his wall showing the gap between the disk head and the platter. Next to it's a scale drawing of a (relatively small) particle of dust that's huge compared to that gap.
The sad part is I know what this means. HP printers do that if you picked the wrong size paper when you printed, e.g. A4 when all the printer has is 8.5x11.
IBM did this in 2k1 for PalmOS PDA's, and called it ATOMIK (Alphabetically Tuned and Optimized Mobile Interface Keyboard). It's from our Alphaworks, and is designed so that it has: 1. Higher movement efficiency than any other existing touch keyboard. 2. Alphabetically-tuned layout: Generally, letters from A to Z run from the upper left corner to the lower right corner of the keyboard. This layout helps novice users find letters that are not yet memorized. 3. Letter connectivity of common words: Many common words or comment fragments of words, such as "the" and "ing" are totally connected.
That's easy. Take a 4-cube. Pass it through 3-space, and what you'll see is an infinitely small cube at the point in the center of the 4-cube which will then grow to the cross-sectional size of the 4-cube, and shrink back down. Not too hard to wrap your head around. Tesseracts are a totally different matter...
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Completely off-topic, but my brother's Cell has a blue back light on a monochrome display. At some point, he managed to disconnect the LCD, so that when he pressed a button, all he got was a blue background w/ no pixels.
His phone Blue Screened. *rimshot*
Well, I suppose this has always been true:
Intel Giveth, and Microsoft Taketh Away.
I must admit, I'm curious about this "stealth spam" thing he mentioned. What could it be? Are those sneaky Europeans writing some sort of elaborate VB proggie that exploits Windows Messaging Services? I admit that I've seen one of those pop up once on a friend's machine; we then promptly disabled the messaging service.
Come to think of it, Messaging really should be disabled by default on XP Home, and possibly XP Pro.
On a related note, check out VXML (google for it, I'm too lazy to link). If you want to tinker, you can set up an account with http://cafe.bevocal.com . It's pretty nifty, since they provide a free 800 number for testing. All you do is call up, speak a pin, and it loads up your app for testing.
Anyone calculate a Mean Time Between Failure?
In my case, I'd buy one because the cost of an extra 59.2Wh battery for my Sony Vaio is US$249.99. For an extra $50, I can get this behemoth 120Wh battery pack that I can simply leave in my rollerbag and just yank out a cable when I feel I need to start leeching some amps off of it.
I suppose they're letting the magic smoke out prematurely.
(Lifted from the Jargon File)
Magic Smoke - n. A substance trapped inside IC packages that enables them to function (also called `blue smoke'; this is similar to the archaic `phlogiston' hypothesis about combustion). Its existence is demonstrated by what happens when a chip burns up -- the magic smoke gets let out, so it doesn't work any more. See smoke test, let the smoke out.
Usenetter Jay Maynard tells the following story: "Once, while hacking on a dedicated Z80 system, I was testing code by blowing EPROMs and plugging them in the system, then seeing what happened. One time, I plugged one in backwards. I only discovered that *after* I realized that Intel didn't put power-on lights under the quartz windows on the tops of their EPROMs -- the die was glowing white-hot. Amazingly, the EPROM worked fine after I erased it, filled it full of zeros, then erased it again. For all I know, it's still in service. Of course, this is because the magic smoke didn't get let out." Compare the original phrasing of Murphy's Law.
You've obviously never had a business relationship with Big Blue. If they can get you to buy one server, they'll get you to buy another, then another, then your entire IT infrastructure becomes IBM.
Well, you're being clever or naive, I can't tell which. By faster programming, I'm guessing you meant that you can whip the code out quickly and efficiently. That's true. However, there are just some cases where a higher level language will cost you, such as Embedded Programming, or high performance drivers and software (e.g. the Detonator series of drivers from NVidia). If you're trying to push as much data around as physically possible in a clock cycle to get that extra 2 FPS, low level is the way to go.
With each level of abstraction, you, as a coder or designer, add overhead and unneeded to the code operations (check the assembler's output of a c++ program vs. hand-written assembler).
The human mind is still the best code optimizer out there today.
I remember the 5200; it's slowly migrated away from my desk to the attic; I imagine it still works, but I absolutely despise the 603e processor they stuck in it; the 6840's seemed so much faster. Not to mention that I remember seeing one on ebay for a whole $50. And that was at the end of the auction.
One of the things I'd always wanted on my machine (VAIO F-series) was the ability to use the machine as the "head" for another computer, i.e. use special cables to plug the laptop into a standard desktop, and use the laptop's keyboard, pointer, and display as the input / output for a desktop. You could even have some Function Key to switch between the internal machine and the external.
Anyone seen this?
My thoughts exactly. I plan on waiting until all three can be released in a set, possibly matching my "big red" collector's edition of the book. I mean, how neat would it be to mix the old with the new by putting the DVDs in a leather case? I'd gladly pay at least $100 if it had 4 discs in it (3 movies, one features disc). Make it match the collector's edition book, and I'd pay another $50.
"A hotbed for the experimental & controversial process..."
Wouldn't that be the worst place to put a frozen body?
You're serious? More power to you for being brave enough to do that. The problem with this is not only junk getting onto the surface, but said junk hitting the read heat at 5400 (or 7200) RPM, causing an actual disk crash. Not a computer crash, but flying read head actually crashing into the disk, and kicking up even more junk to corrupt other parts of the drive.
I wish I could find a picture, but someone I know at Seagate has a poster on his wall showing the gap between the disk head and the platter. Next to it's a scale drawing of a (relatively small) particle of dust that's huge compared to that gap.
Like I said, more power to you.
Wow.
Is Sub-selects and foreign keys. These are probably the two biggest features I've constantly found myself needing / wanting.
Why not use a boot CD? Most good cd-burning apps can make a CD bootable.
Never try to match wits with an idiot; he'll drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
Just thought I'd pass that along.
Ummm.... if I recall correctly, it takes seven steps to program one of the radio's presets. I don't need to pull over every time I find a new station.
I kind of like this adaptation of that metaphor:
"Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life."
-- (Terry Pratchett, Jingo)
I wouldn't say make more movies, I'd say make better movies.
"Server error is '/' application..."
The sad part is I know what this means. HP printers do that if you picked the wrong size paper when you printed, e.g. A4 when all the printer has is 8.5x11.
IBM did this in 2k1 for PalmOS PDA's, and called it ATOMIK (Alphabetically Tuned and Optimized Mobile Interface Keyboard). It's from our Alphaworks, and is designed so that it has:
e yboard.htm and scroll down for a list of very good research papers.
1. Higher movement efficiency than any other existing touch keyboard.
2. Alphabetically-tuned layout: Generally, letters from A to Z run from the upper left corner to the lower right corner of the keyboard. This layout helps novice users find letters that are not yet memorized.
3. Letter connectivity of common words: Many common words or comment fragments of words, such as "the" and "ing" are totally connected.
You might want to take a look at http://www.almaden.ibm.com/u/zhai/topics/virtualk
You know, you're perfectly correct. I defer to you. You know, it's too bad you can't append old posts...
That's easy. Take a 4-cube. Pass it through 3-space, and what you'll see is an infinitely small cube at the point in the center of the 4-cube which will then grow to the cross-sectional size of the 4-cube, and shrink back down. Not too hard to wrap your head around. Tesseracts are a totally different matter...