As the parent article states, "blind and/or deaf". That possible "and" puts an interesting twist on things that blows "sole useful input" right out of the water.
Yes, blind and visually impaired people can use vocal interfaces to use computers. Personally as a legally blind programmer I can't STAND vocal interfaces. They bloat the amount of time it takes me to tab through code by a factor of at least three. So I make do with using the PC at a lower resolution. I'm one of the lucky ones out there who can do this with no problems.
As well there are braille-based systems available for completely blind induviduals and these sometimes also work for deafblind folks. There are also ways to adapt current OS'es for deaf induviduals so that any audial cues are represented onscreen. I'm not familiar of any tools that can process an audio file and create captioning though, which is a shame as that'd rock.
My point boils down to there aren't suitable OS options available for deaf, blind, AND/or deafblind induviduals. As the BBC reported working with technology can be an excessively frustrating situation for deafblind induviduals. In addition when you want to create a solution for deaf, blind, AND/or deafblind induviduals you have the issue of no two snowflakes being the same so to speak. On top of that it has to be easy to use. For those of us who can't/don't want to spend an hour just trying to read the first email in our inbox it has to be fast to use as well. There's also considerations such as multi-format training materials, child-sized input devices, learning curves due to induviduals being used to using other devices, etc. The list goes on.
This, folks is a REAL challenge. One I hope someone can rise to and overcome.
Ever since first hearing about the fact that moon dust/debris does not get rounded off at the edges and thus stays very sharp I've wondered one thing: is it possible to create a barrier against the moon dust by using moon dust itself?
Consider a mostly solid but porous substance like the polyethelene compound they use in truck liners (only we'd probably need it a foot thick for this hypothesis). Now imagine the sharp-edged moon dust joyfully lodging itself in the nooks and crannies of the polyethelene surface, creating a lattice overtop the surface. The moon dust continues to gather and eventually clogs the porous substance and provides a sheild against itself, reducing on wear and tear instead of just sliding off of smooth metal or superporcelian. Given, it wouldn't be complete protection against the BIG chunks, but it might help to reduce regular wear and tear. As long as the walls behind the coating are undamaged all you have to do to repair the surface is spray more goo on.
To be honest I'm just shooting in the dark, but wouldn't that be nifty? I always liked how polyethelene coatings work.
I was in a very similar situation at my college, though instructors were only "allowed" to fail someone at so many classes so they could continue to the next semester and pay more money.
I came out of the "old" curriculum and can make doubly linked lists of pointers without so much as batting an eyelash. The students in the "new" curriculum can barely even use a pointer, let alone understand the advantages of using one. This is all due to pressures for more new grads from HP/Compaq who funded the new building the classes are located in (whose foundation was shoddily constructed so you get a "sinking" feeling upon entering, oh the idiosyncratic irony).
About seven years ago when my brother graduated the hiring rate for grads for the "old" course was over 89% within the first six months. Now it's dropping well below 60%. People aren't avoiding hiring grads from the "new" program because they completed their jail term and graduated - it's because word is spreading like wildfire that grads from the "new" program don't have the key basics plain and simple. They didn't learn to learn, they got used to easy spoon-fed classes where little to no mental backflips were required.
I graduated from the program with honors and due to knuckling down and getting passionate about things and had fun with my final project team making a damn nice hybrid inventory management system (possibly the best one in the entire fourth semester group for function, design, and presentation). That very same passion used in an interview managed to net me a good startup job, and there's no limit to where I can go now. The very experience itself lighted that fire under my butt.
If I could choose to go back in time and decide between going through the program or dropping out I would stick with it all over again. Employers in my area can smell incompetent, immature individuals I swear. The places I've applied to and heard about have been fooled enough times by bad employing choices to look that extra bit closer. There's only so many low-skill government and call center jobs that can be filled at any given time. Someone's gotta fill the positions that require skill, education, drive, and most importantly cleverness.
One doesn't have to look far to see bad design manifesting in real life with hilarious effect. The phrase "I'm sure glad I'm already colourblind!" in regards to bad interior design echoes with the sentiment behind "I'm sure glad I never have to work on that project!" in regards to bad software development. In both cases you want to aim the offending subject away from ones' face. However in the case of bad software development not everyone actually walks into the software's spiritual equivalent of the room with the faux fur mauve throw rug in the green-walled room with the gold curtains and the single rusted sink and has a proper around (only to run out screaming).
I recommend buying the book if you like the sampling from lileks.com. I've seen the collection in it's eye-searing completeness and it's a riot.
Well he did say his console is both invisible and gold. Sounds like some kind of enchanted loot to me!
Of course with it being the Phantom I'd haul it over to the local druids' to have it disenchanted. Y'know just to make sure it isn't a spectral object or anything. I'm just sayin'.
That's awefully odd idle speculation and I can't really see the value in removing backwards compatibility as an option. It seems to be less like "saving money by not looking backwards" and more like "blocking off all old formats to force people to buy remakes".
I purchased both my PS2 and GBA unit FOR their backwards compatibility because I have a large pre-existing library of Gameboy and PS1 games that I still enjoy playing on a regular basis. The value I place on the games I own was not negated when these new consoles came out. In fact the personal value of my games for the two systems was increased.
The GBA has a much nicer screen on it than my original toasterish greenscreen-style Gameboy. The PS2 added new functionality and didn't have the problems caused by wear and tear that my PS1 had. Essentially in both cases I was able to replace my existing worn hardware with fresh hardware that provided new features that I wanted.
As an example of a format that is only playable on one system because I never purchased the re-release of the SNES unit I never got a replacement for my existing hardware. I need to tread lightly with my SNES when I want to play with the real console. Even though it's in excellent condition the rarity of a fresh, unused SNES console makes preserving the existing console I have all that more important.
"Back up! Are you backing up? Okay that's not working, try going forward. Cut it out, you'll flood the engine! Have you tried backing up yet? Oh no, you flooded the engine!"
On the lighter side of things they might want to call up someone from Winnepeg, Toronto, or Montreal. Anyone who's used to nudging their way out of being stuck in a snow drift.
We're pulling for you little Rover, we just wish we could get out and push too!
"I'm very sorry if my boys can't tell the difference between feet and inches!"
If he really was 5" he'd make an awesome new addition to Spinal Tap when they're doing Stonehenge. He'd be the only one not in danger of trodding on the foam replica. And Jet Black could do guest vocals!...Oh wait, is he still dead for tax purposes?
What was the driving inspiration behind the look for the movie version of Marvin? Fans are all aware of the "brain the size of a planet" lament, but what's with that giant round head? A new play on words? For laffs? Because all the other MP3 players seem to be going with that look nowadays?
They're thinking of giving up on Voyager before it runs out of juice to save a few mil? That's like getting nearly to the very bottom of a deep dungeon or cave - you KNOW there's good treasure at the bottom to be had. Giving up right before you get there is madness, pure madness! Hand in your +1 ring mail underoos boys, because you're killing the adventure.
Thinking of a future date when we all have to bite our knuckles and wonder what we all could have discovered if we'd gone a bit farther is a bitter thought to mull over.
...As I'm currently working on three sites that have a variety of eCommerce worked into them. One is linking to a ridiculous third party all-in-one shopping cart package the client repeatedly insisted on using. I'm having the damndest time trying to ensure that everything is secure and that items being paid for are being flagged properly when they are fully paid for. Because of the hopping back and forth from our server to theirs I'm using browser cookies and I'm not fond of it at all.
I have to ask how does one inspire confidence and secure feelings in visitors to the site? It helps to make sure the site looks nice and has a minimum of spelling errors, but there isn't anything I can think of that will suggest "Hey! We're really a legitimate business and won't just take your money and run" to people who don't know what SSL is.
As someone who likes to buy things online I only trust a handful of sites to accept and process my transactions properly. I know what will keep me from using an online store (no SSL at payment, no multiple protected ways to pay, ridiculous things like having to get a Yahoo! account just to be able to checkout my shopping cart). But I can't put my finger on what keeps me feeling secure in making my transactions after that.
The worse they tend to actually be at effectively using English to communicate. I've had many bad/hilarious experiences attempting to dechiper what some clients and team members were trying to say in e-mails.
The most recent example I can think of was a reply after I fixed a site bug; "I works great now!". At least that one made me grin.
The worst example I have is when I was in college doing my final project. I got stuck under a team "lead" who fancied themselves an English major (they weren't, but they figured they were as good as one). This supposed team "lead" ended up dragging our documentation through hell, high water, and no less than six other non-team members to "proofread" it. The resulting edited documentation was unclear and the phrasing was almost unreadable with all the "necessary" edits. On top of that this persons' e-mails were improperly capitalized and lead to constant conflicts. They were regularly abrupt and snotty in their e-mails and simply refused to explain their lack of ettiquette later.
No one uses English perfectly, especially as there are many variations on the form. But I just can't stand people who get a big head over their language "skills". How can you possibly spot areas that need improvement if you think you're perfect anyways?
Okay that was enough sarcastic quotation marks for today.
What would really sell me on this is if the wooden items smell slightly of wood. Now that's something I would really welcome to my computer table. It would break up the smells of the everyday with a pleasing, natural scent.
Come to think of it, how many people are really aware or concered by the smells that surround their work area? Aside from the smell of ozone when something pops. That's a natural header to the worrying smells list.
I'm always on the look out for news about eye replacements and chips. As a person who was born with the condition "acromatopsia" I desire to have complete vision. However as I read more about these devices it seems nearly impossible that I'll ever be able to see properly due to the fact I was born with my impairment.
To give a bit of background on my condition, acromatopsia is a mutation of the rods and cones of the retina so images that pass properly through the pupil become garbled or don't pass through the retina at all. This is most often found as a latent gentic trait passed down from residents of a certain island (detailed in the book Island of the Blind) whose eyes have developed differently. Visual problems range due to the amount of improperly formed or non-existent rods and cones. I myself can see but I am near sighted and can only see about two arms lengths away from my face before things become too blurry to discern. I see all in greys (not the "classic" colourblindness) and am super-sensitive to light. This is why "acromatopsia" is often called "night vision" because photophobia is a common symptom and actually helps to make things visible at night.
What concerns me most is if the cortexes of my eyes are developed enough to use these new technologies. I can see if only up close but due to the extreme photophobia and lack of colour vision my cortexes may not be suited for an upgrade. It might be like trying to connect an Apple IIe to an Athlon if you get my drift. Anyone know anything about this? As both a programmer and an artist it's really hard to work when I can't see well, can't tell colour, and have to wear creepy black shades because otherwise I'd be running around screaming "IT BURNS! IT BURNS!".
As a longtime gamer I don't think this is a good idea. While clever and interesting some things key to the successs of games seems to have been overlooked.
Basic console and hardware differences have caused video game deveolopers to make games that suit the console's specs. While this can hold back the full potential of some games it causes uniqueness in the games themselves. Sacrificing something due to a weaker area causes developers to work harder in another area. Removing the console difference would cause the very contingency that causes games to be so different from console to console.
While a console created for 3D rendering (ie: N64) can display sprite graphics on games like Paper Mario it won't handle a game like Jojo's Bizzare Adventure (PSX) as well. So there's a kind of Bleem! situation going on. To accomidate for a system that isn't set up specifically to play a certain range of games you've got to use the easiest to emulate games limiting your game selection greatly.
Plus I'm not sure if Java could pull it off at all. Pardon my disbelief.
I'm not sure if this is scary or funny so I'll have to say it's fuary. I mean this has been the idea of gamers who play way too many games over the years and it's finally come true. A whole new way to let everyone know who rocks most at a game in a very obvious manner.
This reminds me of that one time they tried to bring back the Nester cartoon (as drawn by a guest artist) for a Nintendo Power anniversary issue. He and a younger friend were playing Star Fox 64 with the rumble packs and by the time he left he was shaking from all the rumbling of being destroyed over and over.
Next up, Smell-o-vision CRT montiors. Like you don't all see THAT one on the horizon. "Warning, do not use while viewing Geocities sites!"
Just like the Alex Chiu Immortality rings. PROVEN to work. Pft, if I actually accepted that kind of heresay I might as well walk around with horse blinders on.
Nay I say, it's not bloodly likely that the quality will go down due to copying. Information always ends up as 1's and 0's sometime and more dedicated people than I will be sitting there with their compilers and linkers already with a soloution to decode and transfer.
Come to think of it that's like saying a.bin file is unreadable and untransferrable because it's in binary and therefore you can't read it right away.
Nooooooooooo. That would be Enix that made Dragon Warrior (technically Dragon Quest).
In fact in FF 1 in the first town you'll bump into a sign that reads "EDRIC IS DEAD" (I do believe that's the proper spelling but this is verbatim). This was a pot-shot at Enix's hero of Dragon Warrior. Enix was a major thorn in Square's side at that time. You learn new things every day.
There's another project Square is currently working on. Final Fantasy Unlimited is an animated TV series based loosely on the concepts of the Final Fantasy worlds. It's currently rumoured that an entirely new series spawned off of this anime will be created. That's right, another new offshoot of Final Fantasy.
Currently FF:U has 10 episodes that have already aired in Japan with decent viewership. The world of FF:U has a semi organic look (not too much though) with interesting backdrops and character, beast, and environment styles that sometimes harken back to the Yoshitaka Amano style to a retro 70/80's style. However with Square currently under the gun due to the mass losses from Spirits Within I'm defenitely questioning whether or not anyone outside of Japan who isn't watching fansubs will see it. Let alone if they finish the first game related to the show.
I've seen up to episode 7 as translated by Soldats and I really like it. It's bizzare mix of recognizable series elements, magic through technology (a gun that can summon monsters?), and an overall easily acceptable experience. Even if Lisa really needs a new bra. BOING!
At least they got this version right. The last time they did a History of Final Fantasy Andrew Vestal made some hee-larious sweeping generalizations. You need a Gameshark to unlock Hide? HAHAHAH.
Can I get the specs on Solid Snake's mullet? I'm thinking of tricking out mine and want to see what's out on the market. I've already overclocked it a bit. It's halfway down my back.
I'm technically in the second semester of Computer Systems Technology and despising it. Though the course is designed to actually keep with with the constant restructuring of the tech industry it makes the program more unstable than anything. After a tragedy in my family that caused me to stay home for a year I returned to the program to progress. They changed the damn thing on me and now I'm at where I was two years ago. In second semester.
I could complain for hours about the course but seeing as how I just got back from one of my heavier days (and still have to study extra VB and SQL script because I'm not in one of the linked classes!) I'm far too tired to do so. So I will try to make my situation and opinion brief.
I'm visually handicapped with about 5% or so vision, colourblindness, and photophobia (I see light far more intensely than anyone else). Getting a job let alone a job that isn't a pity job is ridiculously hard where I live. This is a situation where you'll only get hired if you've got a good degree and even then, anyone will turn you up for someone who doesn't have to wear creepy black glasses all the time. So I chose CS to get a certificate then maybe a degree in. After all I work fairly well with computers and can change resoloutions to allow me to see properly. Plus I heard it pays great once you get into the industry. And pay is always a good thing.
Boy what a mistake. I don't think I'm cut out for the stress of the program when it gets into full swing. And even though I'm pretty good at C++ and things like ERD's or logical flowcharting I don't enjoy doing it. But it's too late now really. I've sunk too much money into this program to give up now. I can only hope that one day I will be able to wave my certificate under someone's nose and end up doing what I actually want to do. Be a sketch and illustrations artist (though it's hard to get anyone to believe I'm good at drawing with my disability!).
In simplest words, the IT industry is a cruel cruel mistress. I want a divorce!
Until those thrill theatre designs were brought into the general entertainment industry flow again. I mean who's to frown on the poor innovators at Mad Catz for picking up an idea that's over 30 years old. Not to mention marketing it to a peice of hardware that is often used for longer durations than two hours. We really need to give ourselves shock treatment? Sure it feels good but we'd need to mass prodouce diapers just to help out the people with problems controlling their bladders when shocked. Heh.
Still, the whole shock thing can't be good. How many times could you be shocked if you get fragged, go down, and continue to be shot? This often happens in some FPS and MMORPG with force feedback controllers. Think about it.
Slashdot Mirror
As the parent article states, "blind and/or deaf". That possible "and" puts an interesting twist on things that blows "sole useful input" right out of the water.
Yes, blind and visually impaired people can use vocal interfaces to use computers. Personally as a legally blind programmer I can't STAND vocal interfaces. They bloat the amount of time it takes me to tab through code by a factor of at least three. So I make do with using the PC at a lower resolution. I'm one of the lucky ones out there who can do this with no problems.
As well there are braille-based systems available for completely blind induviduals and these sometimes also work for deafblind folks. There are also ways to adapt current OS'es for deaf induviduals so that any audial cues are represented onscreen. I'm not familiar of any tools that can process an audio file and create captioning though, which is a shame as that'd rock.
My point boils down to there aren't suitable OS options available for deaf, blind, AND/or deafblind induviduals. As the BBC reported working with technology can be an excessively frustrating situation for deafblind induviduals. In addition when you want to create a solution for deaf, blind, AND/or deafblind induviduals you have the issue of no two snowflakes being the same so to speak. On top of that it has to be easy to use. For those of us who can't/don't want to spend an hour just trying to read the first email in our inbox it has to be fast to use as well. There's also considerations such as multi-format training materials, child-sized input devices, learning curves due to induviduals being used to using other devices, etc. The list goes on.
This, folks is a REAL challenge. One I hope someone can rise to and overcome.
Ever since first hearing about the fact that moon dust/debris does not get rounded off at the edges and thus stays very sharp I've wondered one thing: is it possible to create a barrier against the moon dust by using moon dust itself?
Consider a mostly solid but porous substance like the polyethelene compound they use in truck liners (only we'd probably need it a foot thick for this hypothesis). Now imagine the sharp-edged moon dust joyfully lodging itself in the nooks and crannies of the polyethelene surface, creating a lattice overtop the surface. The moon dust continues to gather and eventually clogs the porous substance and provides a sheild against itself, reducing on wear and tear instead of just sliding off of smooth metal or superporcelian. Given, it wouldn't be complete protection against the BIG chunks, but it might help to reduce regular wear and tear. As long as the walls behind the coating are undamaged all you have to do to repair the surface is spray more goo on.
To be honest I'm just shooting in the dark, but wouldn't that be nifty? I always liked how polyethelene coatings work.
I was in a very similar situation at my college, though instructors were only "allowed" to fail someone at so many classes so they could continue to the next semester and pay more money.
I came out of the "old" curriculum and can make doubly linked lists of pointers without so much as batting an eyelash. The students in the "new" curriculum can barely even use a pointer, let alone understand the advantages of using one. This is all due to pressures for more new grads from HP/Compaq who funded the new building the classes are located in (whose foundation was shoddily constructed so you get a "sinking" feeling upon entering, oh the idiosyncratic irony).
About seven years ago when my brother graduated the hiring rate for grads for the "old" course was over 89% within the first six months. Now it's dropping well below 60%. People aren't avoiding hiring grads from the "new" program because they completed their jail term and graduated - it's because word is spreading like wildfire that grads from the "new" program don't have the key basics plain and simple. They didn't learn to learn, they got used to easy spoon-fed classes where little to no mental backflips were required.
I graduated from the program with honors and due to knuckling down and getting passionate about things and had fun with my final project team making a damn nice hybrid inventory management system (possibly the best one in the entire fourth semester group for function, design, and presentation). That very same passion used in an interview managed to net me a good startup job, and there's no limit to where I can go now. The very experience itself lighted that fire under my butt.
If I could choose to go back in time and decide between going through the program or dropping out I would stick with it all over again. Employers in my area can smell incompetent, immature individuals I swear. The places I've applied to and heard about have been fooled enough times by bad employing choices to look that extra bit closer. There's only so many low-skill government and call center jobs that can be filled at any given time. Someone's gotta fill the positions that require skill, education, drive, and most importantly cleverness.
One doesn't have to look far to see bad design manifesting in real life with hilarious effect. The phrase "I'm sure glad I'm already colourblind!" in regards to bad interior design echoes with the sentiment behind "I'm sure glad I never have to work on that project!" in regards to bad software development. In both cases you want to aim the offending subject away from ones' face. However in the case of bad software development not everyone actually walks into the software's spiritual equivalent of the room with the faux fur mauve throw rug in the green-walled room with the gold curtains and the single rusted sink and has a proper around (only to run out screaming).
I recommend buying the book if you like the sampling from lileks.com. I've seen the collection in it's eye-searing completeness and it's a riot.
Well he did say his console is both invisible and gold. Sounds like some kind of enchanted loot to me!
Of course with it being the Phantom I'd haul it over to the local druids' to have it disenchanted. Y'know just to make sure it isn't a spectral object or anything. I'm just sayin'.
That's awefully odd idle speculation and I can't really see the value in removing backwards compatibility as an option. It seems to be less like "saving money by not looking backwards" and more like "blocking off all old formats to force people to buy remakes".
I purchased both my PS2 and GBA unit FOR their backwards compatibility because I have a large pre-existing library of Gameboy and PS1 games that I still enjoy playing on a regular basis. The value I place on the games I own was not negated when these new consoles came out. In fact the personal value of my games for the two systems was increased.
The GBA has a much nicer screen on it than my original toasterish greenscreen-style Gameboy. The PS2 added new functionality and didn't have the problems caused by wear and tear that my PS1 had. Essentially in both cases I was able to replace my existing worn hardware with fresh hardware that provided new features that I wanted.
As an example of a format that is only playable on one system because I never purchased the re-release of the SNES unit I never got a replacement for my existing hardware. I need to tread lightly with my SNES when I want to play with the real console. Even though it's in excellent condition the rarity of a fresh, unused SNES console makes preserving the existing console I have all that more important.
"Back up! Are you backing up? Okay that's not working, try going forward. Cut it out, you'll flood the engine! Have you tried backing up yet? Oh no, you flooded the engine!"
On the lighter side of things they might want to call up someone from Winnepeg, Toronto, or Montreal. Anyone who's used to nudging their way out of being stuck in a snow drift.
We're pulling for you little Rover, we just wish we could get out and push too!
"I'm very sorry if my boys can't tell the difference between feet and inches!"
...Oh wait, is he still dead for tax purposes?
If he really was 5" he'd make an awesome new addition to Spinal Tap when they're doing Stonehenge. He'd be the only one not in danger of trodding on the foam replica. And Jet Black could do guest vocals!
What was the driving inspiration behind the look for the movie version of Marvin? Fans are all aware of the "brain the size of a planet" lament, but what's with that giant round head? A new play on words? For laffs? Because all the other MP3 players seem to be going with that look nowadays?
They're thinking of giving up on Voyager before it runs out of juice to save a few mil? That's like getting nearly to the very bottom of a deep dungeon or cave - you KNOW there's good treasure at the bottom to be had. Giving up right before you get there is madness, pure madness! Hand in your +1 ring mail underoos boys, because you're killing the adventure.
Thinking of a future date when we all have to bite our knuckles and wonder what we all could have discovered if we'd gone a bit farther is a bitter thought to mull over.
...As I'm currently working on three sites that have a variety of eCommerce worked into them. One is linking to a ridiculous third party all-in-one shopping cart package the client repeatedly insisted on using. I'm having the damndest time trying to ensure that everything is secure and that items being paid for are being flagged properly when they are fully paid for. Because of the hopping back and forth from our server to theirs I'm using browser cookies and I'm not fond of it at all.
I have to ask how does one inspire confidence and secure feelings in visitors to the site? It helps to make sure the site looks nice and has a minimum of spelling errors, but there isn't anything I can think of that will suggest "Hey! We're really a legitimate business and won't just take your money and run" to people who don't know what SSL is.
As someone who likes to buy things online I only trust a handful of sites to accept and process my transactions properly. I know what will keep me from using an online store (no SSL at payment, no multiple protected ways to pay, ridiculous things like having to get a Yahoo! account just to be able to checkout my shopping cart). But I can't put my finger on what keeps me feeling secure in making my transactions after that.
The worse they tend to actually be at effectively using English to communicate. I've had many bad/hilarious experiences attempting to dechiper what some clients and team members were trying to say in e-mails.
The most recent example I can think of was a reply after I fixed a site bug; "I works great now!". At least that one made me grin.
The worst example I have is when I was in college doing my final project. I got stuck under a team "lead" who fancied themselves an English major (they weren't, but they figured they were as good as one). This supposed team "lead" ended up dragging our documentation through hell, high water, and no less than six other non-team members to "proofread" it. The resulting edited documentation was unclear and the phrasing was almost unreadable with all the "necessary" edits. On top of that this persons' e-mails were improperly capitalized and lead to constant conflicts. They were regularly abrupt and snotty in their e-mails and simply refused to explain their lack of ettiquette later.
No one uses English perfectly, especially as there are many variations on the form. But I just can't stand people who get a big head over their language "skills". How can you possibly spot areas that need improvement if you think you're perfect anyways?
Okay that was enough sarcastic quotation marks for today.
What would really sell me on this is if the wooden items smell slightly of wood. Now that's something I would really welcome to my computer table. It would break up the smells of the everyday with a pleasing, natural scent.
Come to think of it, how many people are really aware or concered by the smells that surround their work area? Aside from the smell of ozone when something pops. That's a natural header to the worrying smells list.
I'm always on the look out for news about eye replacements and chips. As a person who was born with the condition "acromatopsia" I desire to have complete vision. However as I read more about these devices it seems nearly impossible that I'll ever be able to see properly due to the fact I was born with my impairment.
To give a bit of background on my condition, acromatopsia is a mutation of the rods and cones of the retina so images that pass properly through the pupil become garbled or don't pass through the retina at all. This is most often found as a latent gentic trait passed down from residents of a certain island (detailed in the book Island of the Blind) whose eyes have developed differently. Visual problems range due to the amount of improperly formed or non-existent rods and cones. I myself can see but I am near sighted and can only see about two arms lengths away from my face before things become too blurry to discern. I see all in greys (not the "classic" colourblindness) and am super-sensitive to light. This is why "acromatopsia" is often called "night vision" because photophobia is a common symptom and actually helps to make things visible at night.
What concerns me most is if the cortexes of my eyes are developed enough to use these new technologies. I can see if only up close but due to the extreme photophobia and lack of colour vision my cortexes may not be suited for an upgrade. It might be like trying to connect an Apple IIe to an Athlon if you get my drift. Anyone know anything about this? As both a programmer and an artist it's really hard to work when I can't see well, can't tell colour, and have to wear creepy black shades because otherwise I'd be running around screaming "IT BURNS! IT BURNS!".
Righty-o.
As a longtime gamer I don't think this is a good idea. While clever and interesting some things key to the successs of games seems to have been overlooked.
Basic console and hardware differences have caused video game deveolopers to make games that suit the console's specs. While this can hold back the full potential of some games it causes uniqueness in the games themselves. Sacrificing something due to a weaker area causes developers to work harder in another area. Removing the console difference would cause the very contingency that causes games to be so different from console to console.
While a console created for 3D rendering (ie: N64) can display sprite graphics on games like Paper Mario it won't handle a game like Jojo's Bizzare Adventure (PSX) as well. So there's a kind of Bleem! situation going on. To accomidate for a system that isn't set up specifically to play a certain range of games you've got to use the easiest to emulate games limiting your game selection greatly.
Plus I'm not sure if Java could pull it off at all. Pardon my disbelief.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
(waits for the forehead slapping and groaning)
I'm not sure if this is scary or funny so I'll have to say it's fuary. I mean this has been the idea of gamers who play way too many games over the years and it's finally come true. A whole new way to let everyone know who rocks most at a game in a very obvious manner.
This reminds me of that one time they tried to bring back the Nester cartoon (as drawn by a guest artist) for a Nintendo Power anniversary issue. He and a younger friend were playing Star Fox 64 with the rumble packs and by the time he left he was shaking from all the rumbling of being destroyed over and over.
Next up, Smell-o-vision CRT montiors. Like you don't all see THAT one on the horizon. "Warning, do not use while viewing Geocities sites!"
Just like the Alex Chiu Immortality rings. PROVEN to work. Pft, if I actually accepted that kind of heresay I might as well walk around with horse blinders on.
.bin file is unreadable and untransferrable because it's in binary and therefore you can't read it right away.
Nay I say, it's not bloodly likely that the quality will go down due to copying. Information always ends up as 1's and 0's sometime and more dedicated people than I will be sitting there with their compilers and linkers already with a soloution to decode and transfer.
Come to think of it that's like saying a
I think that there are 5 main elements that make a programming language powerful.
Simple sequence
Do While
Do Until
If Then Else
Case
Of course I'm from the school of thought where anything can be solved by using the logic. But what do I know? I'm not even 25 yet.
Nooooooooooo. That would be Enix that made Dragon Warrior (technically Dragon Quest).
In fact in FF 1 in the first town you'll bump into a sign that reads "EDRIC IS DEAD" (I do believe that's the proper spelling but this is verbatim). This was a pot-shot at Enix's hero of Dragon Warrior. Enix was a major thorn in Square's side at that time. You learn new things every day.
Dragon Warrior by Square. Hee hee.
"I like swords."
Welcome to Corneria.
"I like swords."
Welcome to Corneria.
Ah, for the days when all people only had one thing to say. Except the King (and possibly Matoya) because, it's good to be the King!
There's another project Square is currently working on. Final Fantasy Unlimited is an animated TV series based loosely on the concepts of the Final Fantasy worlds. It's currently rumoured that an entirely new series spawned off of this anime will be created. That's right, another new offshoot of Final Fantasy.
Currently FF:U has 10 episodes that have already aired in Japan with decent viewership. The world of FF:U has a semi organic look (not too much though) with interesting backdrops and character, beast, and environment styles that sometimes harken back to the Yoshitaka Amano style to a retro 70/80's style. However with Square currently under the gun due to the mass losses from Spirits Within I'm defenitely questioning whether or not anyone outside of Japan who isn't watching fansubs will see it. Let alone if they finish the first game related to the show.
You can see more about this on the Studio Gonzo site, TV Tokyo's site, and catch previews over at Anime Daisuke.
I've seen up to episode 7 as translated by Soldats and I really like it. It's bizzare mix of recognizable series elements, magic through technology (a gun that can summon monsters?), and an overall easily acceptable experience. Even if Lisa really needs a new bra. BOING!
At least they got this version right. The last time they did a History of Final Fantasy Andrew Vestal made some hee-larious sweeping generalizations. You need a Gameshark to unlock Hide? HAHAHAH.
Can I get the specs on Solid Snake's mullet? I'm thinking of tricking out mine and want to see what's out on the market. I've already overclocked it a bit. It's halfway down my back.
Too much Space Ghost has rotted my brain!
I'm technically in the second semester of Computer Systems Technology and despising it. Though the course is designed to actually keep with with the constant restructuring of the tech industry it makes the program more unstable than anything. After a tragedy in my family that caused me to stay home for a year I returned to the program to progress. They changed the damn thing on me and now I'm at where I was two years ago. In second semester.
I could complain for hours about the course but seeing as how I just got back from one of my heavier days (and still have to study extra VB and SQL script because I'm not in one of the linked classes!) I'm far too tired to do so. So I will try to make my situation and opinion brief.
I'm visually handicapped with about 5% or so vision, colourblindness, and photophobia (I see light far more intensely than anyone else). Getting a job let alone a job that isn't a pity job is ridiculously hard where I live. This is a situation where you'll only get hired if you've got a good degree and even then, anyone will turn you up for someone who doesn't have to wear creepy black glasses all the time. So I chose CS to get a certificate then maybe a degree in. After all I work fairly well with computers and can change resoloutions to allow me to see properly. Plus I heard it pays great once you get into the industry. And pay is always a good thing.
Boy what a mistake. I don't think I'm cut out for the stress of the program when it gets into full swing. And even though I'm pretty good at C++ and things like ERD's or logical flowcharting I don't enjoy doing it. But it's too late now really. I've sunk too much money into this program to give up now. I can only hope that one day I will be able to wave my certificate under someone's nose and end up doing what I actually want to do. Be a sketch and illustrations artist (though it's hard to get anyone to believe I'm good at drawing with my disability!).
In simplest words, the IT industry is a cruel cruel mistress. I want a divorce!
Still, the whole shock thing can't be good. How many times could you be shocked if you get fragged, go down, and continue to be shot? This often happens in some FPS and MMORPG with force feedback controllers. Think about it.