Pocket PCs can already do this
on
Talking Palm
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· Score: 5, Informative
I have a new HP Jornada 567 (Pocket PC 2002), and one of the applications that comes with it is Mobile Conversay (www.conversay.com). It allows me to talk to my Jornada, and allows it to respond in a computerized voice. I can make inquiries (what time is it? how much battery is left?) and it will speak the response. I can tell it to launch or close any program I have installed. It also comes with Voice Calendar, which allows the Jornada to navigate my calendar and read my appointments to me. Very cool. There are other modules in the works, like Voice Tasks, Voice Contacts, and Voice Notes that should be available for download soon.Overall, it works pretty well.
IBM Via Voice is supposed to have similar software bundled with the new Ipaq 3700 and 3800 series, but since those won't ship until November, I haven't had a chance to play with it.
Also, there has been a voice-controlled Contacts lookup program on the Pocket PC for a while (too lazy to look up the link), as well as software that will read the time to you at regular intervals and when you turn the device on (TimeTalk).
I'm not trying to discount what's being done here on Palm (in fact, it's amazing they got it to work given the anemic processing power in Palms), but I wanted to mention that a lot of this functionality is available on Pocket PCs here and now.
We have a winner! And it's only $29! Can your Palm do that?;-)
Jenova_Six
Re:The Palm is already dying
on
Pocket PC 2002
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· Score: 2, Informative
I can't tell you how many times it's crashed on me (taking out all of my configurations, files, and network card drivers)
Dude, I don't know what kind of wacky software you're running on the iPaq, but I've been using mine for more than a year, and I've never had it lock up so hard that I had to hard reset.
Did I mention that the ActiveSync software doesn't automatically back up your file system whenever you sync? Maybe it could, but I can't find a way to make it so.
You didn't look very hard, then. Tools, Backup/Restore, check Automatically Backup Each Time the Device Connects. Plus, everything in your My Documents folder is automatically sync'ed with your desktop.
web browsing is a hassle with a tiny screen (even a nice color one.)
I personally love to read AvantGo channels and eBooks on my iPaq, but I guess that's just opinion.
And for all the gadgetry, I still can't mount an external drive via the network connection. What a useful feature that'd be... Too bad.
Pocket PC 2002 includes this feature, and the iPaq is upgradable. The upgrade is even free, depending on when you bought the iPaq. Otherwise, it's $29.
There are a lot of cool features built into Pocket PC 2002 - VPN client, Terminal Server client, MSN Messenger, spell checker, etc. If you don't like it, don't use it. But don't spread FUD about it, either.
The default setting on a Win98 SE box is "Confirm open after download". This is a good thing - that means it should prompt to open the file, instead of doing it automatically.
However, since Taco et al are reporting that IE5 opens readme.eml automatically, perhaps this feature is broken, or somehow being overridden.
The second problem comes from Lego's pricing. I have seen the recent prices on the more interesting sets, and they can't compete. The really huge sets, the ones that look like a full day of fun to build, and they sell for over $100 at Toys'r'us. That is more than most playstation games.
Actually, that's more than a Playstation itself (PS1, anyway), which goes for $99 or less. And I've never seen a game sell for $100, although Final Fantasy 3e/6j for SNES came close at $80. Most expensive game I ever bought, but worth every penny...
Here's a brief list of Microsoft's chief competitors (very brief, no need to e-mail me with additions):
PocketPC - Palm, Handspring, Compaq
Compaq is a competitor how? They manufacture the most popular Pocket PC device there is - the iPAQ. Your argument would be more credible if you didn't contradict yourself.
I was with Reflex, too, for about three weeks. I loved the service - static IP, good price, synchronous up/down speeds, not too many hassles, etc.
I installed a Linksys router/802.11b AP last Thursday. Everything was fine, but a few hours later, my link to the Internet went dead. I troubleshot for a couple of hours, thinking it was the router. Finally determined that the Reflex connection was dead. Called 1-877-FLEXNET. Number was disconnected. Called the local Portland office # (503-248-9366) and got a message saying to call back during business hours. They did have a number for customers to call for tech support (don't have it with me), which I did. All I got on the phone was a recording saying they had filed for Ch. 7 bankruptcy, and were out of business. I got no notification, or warning, or anything. They were up one day, then dark the next.
The scary part is that because they own the DSLAMs and lines in the communities they service, and signed exclusive marketing agreements with many properites, many of the customers they screwed aren't able to switch to another ISP, because the lines and equipment are tied up in the bankruptcy proceedings...
I called Speakeasy, and they say they can still hook me up, regardless of the Reflex lines, but we'll see. The install will, of course, take weeks. Hopefully, my apartment complex isn't in that boat.
You can see more of the bloody detail of what happened at f*'edcompany.com
(If the URL gets munged or dirty-word-filtered, just go to www.f*'edcompany.com and search for Reflex.)
They're dropping like flies... Rhythms' CEO resigned the other day, and Covad still hasn't released financials, so who knows how they're doing. I just hope Covad stays around, if I end up going with Speakeasy.net. Can't get cable, and I've heard too many horror stories about ILECs (Verizon, etc.) and big providers like Telocity...
It says it's for HPC Pro, but it works just fine on my iPAQ (StrongARM). I can connect to and control my windows and linux VNC servers.
Also, you can get a CompactFlash NIC (instead of PCMCIA) - I have one from Hawking that I picked up for about $60. Connect to the corporate LAN, surf the web, etc.
Actual fees for Omnisky are $39.99/month. They give you a break to the equivalent of $29.95/month if you pay for a whole year at a time.
I almost forked out $599 for the Onmisky iPAQ beta program this week ($300 for a year of discounted service, and $299 for the hardware), but I just couldn't justify it at 19.2Kbps. I have been anxiously waiting for Ricochet to become availble in the Portland, OR area - 128Kbps wireless on my iPAQ. Now, it looks like it might never happen...:-(
Computers already decide when to fire
on
Laser-equipped 747
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· Score: 1
The US Navy Aegis-class cruisers have a surface missle defense system (called Aegis) that, once actvated, is completely controled by computer (decides when/where to fire). The computer is a lot faster, and more reliable when there are several (dozens) of anti-ship missles coming your way rather quickly.
So don't worry about the computer firing the laser, unless it's name HAL, or Shodan, or Skynet, or something...:-)
Read Tom Clancy's "The Sum of All Fears". It's a story about almost exactly this - a lost nuclear device from a plane crash in the 60's (this time in Israel, not Carolina), which was recovered by terrorists, who used the plutonium to make a small nuclear device, smuggle it inside the US, and blow up Mile High Stadium during the Super Bowl.:-)
This is quite scary (R.L., not necessarily the Clancy book). I wouldn't be surprised if a nuclear terrorist incident happens in the next few years.
Just as long as the terrorists don't actually pick Mile High Stadium in Denver - the Broncos already have enough excuses why they can't win a Super Bowl...
You did read that, right?
on
EULA In Games
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· Score: 1
I used to do tech support for MS (Windows 98). When I was helping a user install/reinstall Windows, and we got to the EULA, they would of course click right through it, and I would immediately ask "You did read all of that, right?"
It was great. They froze and sputtered for just a few seconds until they realized I was kidding...:-) I could just imagine the fear they felt in their little hearts... *cruel smile*
The boot-to-DOS/16-bit/real mode part of Windows was eliminated in ME for the sake of Fast Boot (one of the big improvements MS is touting for ME). In previous versions, it loaded everything up in real mode (16-bit), including processing the autoexec.bat and config.sys files, then "thunked" over into 32-bit mode and launched the GUI (in 3.1 there had to be a line for win.com in autoexec.bat to accomplish this, in 9x it was automatic). This contributed a lot to 9x's long boot times.
I am using a release version of ME (build 3000), and it does boot significantly faster. As it has been mentioned here numerous times, you can make a bootdisk the same way as previous versions, and use that if you need to boot to real mode. And the DOS virtual machine/command prompt window functions just like previous releases.
Now, as long as we are ranting about ME, [rant] let me complain about how it treats my USB CF reader. Wants to make me 'stop' it in software before I remove the CF card. This didn't happen in 98SE, and I spent about an hour last night trying to get rid of it. Installed the old Sandisk drivers (ME has its own it wants to install), but it still has the dumb little icon to 'stop' the card, and pops a warning dialog when I remove it without stopping it...[/rant]
Jobs didn't change any hardware (at least according to the article on AppleInsider). He "ripped all mention of ATI and their products from his keynote presentation". Which is funny to me. You'd think he would want to tell people they could get a Radeon in one. The biggest reason I have stayed away from Apple all these years is that the 3D graphics (for certain things like gaming, which I do a lot of) basically sucked compared to the PC. ATI shouldn't have leaked anything if they were under NDA, and I believe that Jobs has the prerogative to do whatever he wants in his address, but I would have been a lot more excited about the new G4s if they had showcased the decent 3d graphics (Radeon).
Celeron (P6; Mendocino) - No L2 cache Actually, if my memory serves correctly, the cache-less Celeron core was called Covington, not Mendocino. Just my two bits...
95 doesn't support USB unless it's got the supplement installed (USB wasn't even release until 95 had been out for a couple of years). I'm surprised you got it to work at all. I used to be escalation support for Win98, and if someone asked me that question, I would have told them it's not supported, and try it at your own risk... Don't expect an old product to support new technology.
Slashdot Mirror
IBM Via Voice is supposed to have similar software bundled with the new Ipaq 3700 and 3800 series, but since those won't ship until November, I haven't had a chance to play with it.
Also, there has been a voice-controlled Contacts lookup program on the Pocket PC for a while (too lazy to look up the link), as well as software that will read the time to you at regular intervals and when you turn the device on (TimeTalk).
I'm not trying to discount what's being done here on Palm (in fact, it's amazing they got it to work given the anemic processing power in Palms), but I wanted to mention that a lot of this functionality is available on Pocket PCs here and now.
Jenova_Six
We have a winner! And it's only $29! Can your Palm do that?
Jenova_Six
I can't tell you how many times it's crashed on me (taking out all of my configurations, files, and network card drivers)
Dude, I don't know what kind of wacky software you're running on the iPaq, but I've been using mine for more than a year, and I've never had it lock up so hard that I had to hard reset.
Did I mention that the ActiveSync software doesn't automatically back up your file system whenever you sync? Maybe it could, but I can't find a way to make it so.
You didn't look very hard, then. Tools, Backup/Restore, check Automatically Backup Each Time the Device Connects. Plus, everything in your My Documents folder is automatically sync'ed with your desktop.
web browsing is a hassle with a tiny screen (even a nice color one.)
I personally love to read AvantGo channels and eBooks on my iPaq, but I guess that's just opinion.
And for all the gadgetry, I still can't mount an external drive via the network connection. What a useful feature that'd be... Too bad.
Pocket PC 2002 includes this feature, and the iPaq is upgradable. The upgrade is even free, depending on when you bought the iPaq. Otherwise, it's $29.
There are a lot of cool features built into Pocket PC 2002 - VPN client, Terminal Server client, MSN Messenger, spell checker, etc. If you don't like it, don't use it. But don't spread FUD about it, either.
Jenova_Six
Actually, AT&T is piloting GPRS in the Seattle area now. Search slashdot or google to find more info - I'm too lazy.
Jenova_Six
AAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!
Jenova_Six
However, since Taco et al are reporting that IE5 opens readme.eml automatically, perhaps this feature is broken, or somehow being overridden.
Jenova_Six
Actually, that's more than a Playstation itself (PS1, anyway), which goes for $99 or less. And I've never seen a game sell for $100, although Final Fantasy 3e/6j for SNES came close at $80. Most expensive game I ever bought, but worth every penny...
Jenova_Six
Now the beta test will be /.'ed.
There go my chances of getting a free eXpanium...
Jenova_Six
PocketPC - Palm, Handspring, Compaq
Compaq is a competitor how? They manufacture the most popular Pocket PC device there is - the iPAQ. Your argument would be more credible if you didn't contradict yourself.
Jenova_Six
I installed a Linksys router/802.11b AP last Thursday. Everything was fine, but a few hours later, my link to the Internet went dead. I troubleshot for a couple of hours, thinking it was the router. Finally determined that the Reflex connection was dead. Called 1-877-FLEXNET. Number was disconnected. Called the local Portland office # (503-248-9366) and got a message saying to call back during business hours. They did have a number for customers to call for tech support (don't have it with me), which I did. All I got on the phone was a recording saying they had filed for Ch. 7 bankruptcy, and were out of business. I got no notification, or warning, or anything. They were up one day, then dark the next.
The scary part is that because they own the DSLAMs and lines in the communities they service, and signed exclusive marketing agreements with many properites, many of the customers they screwed aren't able to switch to another ISP, because the lines and equipment are tied up in the bankruptcy proceedings...
I called Speakeasy, and they say they can still hook me up, regardless of the Reflex lines, but we'll see. The install will, of course, take weeks. Hopefully, my apartment complex isn't in that boat.
You can see more of the bloody detail of what happened at f*'edcompany.com
(If the URL gets munged or dirty-word-filtered, just go to www.f*'edcompany.com and search for Reflex.)
They're dropping like flies... Rhythms' CEO resigned the other day, and Covad still hasn't released financials, so who knows how they're doing. I just hope Covad stays around, if I end up going with Speakeasy.net. Can't get cable, and I've heard too many horror stories about ILECs (Verizon, etc.) and big providers like Telocity...
Jenova_Six
It says it's for HPC Pro, but it works just fine on my iPAQ (StrongARM). I can connect to and control my windows and linux VNC servers.
Also, you can get a CompactFlash NIC (instead of PCMCIA) - I have one from Hawking that I picked up for about $60. Connect to the corporate LAN, surf the web, etc.
Jenova_Six
I almost forked out $599 for the Onmisky iPAQ beta program this week ($300 for a year of discounted service, and $299 for the hardware), but I just couldn't justify it at 19.2Kbps. I have been anxiously waiting for Ricochet to become availble in the Portland, OR area - 128Kbps wireless on my iPAQ. Now, it looks like it might never happen... :-(
So don't worry about the computer firing the laser, unless it's name HAL, or Shodan, or Skynet, or something... :-)
This is quite scary (R.L., not necessarily the Clancy book). I wouldn't be surprised if a nuclear terrorist incident happens in the next few years.
Just as long as the terrorists don't actually pick Mile High Stadium in Denver - the Broncos already have enough excuses why they can't win a Super Bowl...
It was great. They froze and sputtered for just a few seconds until they realized I was kidding... :-) I could just imagine the fear they felt in their little hearts... *cruel smile*
Jenova_Six
The boot-to-DOS/16-bit/real mode part of Windows was eliminated in ME for the sake of Fast Boot (one of the big improvements MS is touting for ME). In previous versions, it loaded everything up in real mode (16-bit), including processing the autoexec.bat and config.sys files, then "thunked" over into 32-bit mode and launched the GUI (in 3.1 there had to be a line for win.com in autoexec.bat to accomplish this, in 9x it was automatic). This contributed a lot to 9x's long boot times.
I am using a release version of ME (build 3000), and it does boot significantly faster. As it has been mentioned here numerous times, you can make a bootdisk the same way as previous versions, and use that if you need to boot to real mode. And the DOS virtual machine/command prompt window functions just like previous releases.
Now, as long as we are ranting about ME, [rant] let me complain about how it treats my USB CF reader. Wants to make me 'stop' it in software before I remove the CF card. This didn't happen in 98SE, and I spent about an hour last night trying to get rid of it. Installed the old Sandisk drivers (ME has its own it wants to install), but it still has the dumb little icon to 'stop' the card, and pops a warning dialog when I remove it without stopping it...[/rant]
Jenova_Six
Jobs didn't change any hardware (at least according to the article on AppleInsider). He "ripped all mention of ATI and their products from his keynote presentation". Which is funny to me. You'd think he would want to tell people they could get a Radeon in one. The biggest reason I have stayed away from Apple all these years is that the 3D graphics (for certain things like gaming, which I do a lot of) basically sucked compared to the PC. ATI shouldn't have leaked anything if they were under NDA, and I believe that Jobs has the prerogative to do whatever he wants in his address, but I would have been a lot more excited about the new G4s if they had showcased the decent 3d graphics (Radeon).
Celeron (P6; Mendocino) - No L2 cache Actually, if my memory serves correctly, the cache-less Celeron core was called Covington, not Mendocino. Just my two bits...
95 doesn't support USB unless it's got the supplement installed (USB wasn't even release until 95 had been out for a couple of years). I'm surprised you got it to work at all. I used to be escalation support for Win98, and if someone asked me that question, I would have told them it's not supported, and try it at your own risk... Don't expect an old product to support new technology.