Next thing you know, they'll make a paint that will match your lawn and trees so you can have a camoflaged house. Seriously, I think this could cause a significant reduction in utility bills as well as make homes more efficient. If they could only get the paint to produce electricity (give them a few years), you could paint your house with solar cells and drop off the power grid.
Actually, I think you may be confusing this outage with the outage affecting Setiathome which was caused by copper thieves. From the website: Around 11:00 GMT (3:00am PST) on Tuesday, February 27, 2001, network fibers were broken, cutting off the entire Space Sciences Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley Labs from the internet. It turns out this was the work of vandals who cut the fiber in the process of gathering a bunch of expensive copper wire.
Given that there semms to have been no contact from intelligent life as yet, I think that may suggest there is no chance of contact in the end
Humans have been on the earth and been sentient a tiny fraction of the age of the earth, and the earth is a relatively young planet. We orbit a young star. We have only been seriously broadcasting radio waves for 50 years, which means only civilizations within 50 light years of us have any chance of knowing we exist. Only civilizations within 25 light years could have responded by now. This is a very small portion of just the Milky Way galaxy, there are countless other galaxies surrounding us. With the huge number of stars just by us around which life could originate, to think that if we haven't been contacted yet means "they ain't coming" is illogical.
It is a gas giant planet, it probably couldn't sustain life (as we know it), although life as we know it is very slim indeed. It is also very possible there are moons around this planet that are very similar to earth, and could be a very good place to look for the first extraterrestrial lifeforms. Jupiter has quite a few moons that we think might hold life, it stands to reason the newly discovered "habitable zone" planet may as well, especially it is nearer it's sun.
Since when is providing "illegal" content now legal on the Internet?
Actually, it would be totally legal for an ISP operating from Sealand to provide this content. It may or may not be legal for someone in another country to download it, depending on the local laws. Sealand has no laws protecting American copyright, why would it be illegal for them to provide any content? Sure it would be illegal for Americans to download that content, but that is not the ISP's problem.
They are only targeting people who use pirated cds.
No, they are also targeting people who have backup copies. Many people make backup copies and play with them rather than with the original so that there is less of a chance of hosing their $80 CD. Under this law, these people would be unable to do that. I don't know what the copyright law is like in Austrailia, but in the US such copies are covered by the fair use doctrine.
Exactly. You don't have this kind of law "yet". But as other countries pass laws like this, it will be easier for countries that don't have them to pass them. "It has been shown that laws like this have reduced software piracy by blahblah%, we can't afford not to have the law". The manufacturers will lobby congress to pass these laws, eroding our rights bit-by-bit (no pun intended). I wouldn't be shocked to see the US congress pass a law requiring you to surrender your encryption keys and passwords to law enforcement. A law like this was recently passed in England, paving the way for industrialized nations around the world to pass similar anti-privacy legislation. It's all in the name of anti-terrorism, but I have yet to see a case of a terrorist getting caught because of these anti-terrorism laws. But these laws aren't really aimed at terrorists, they are targeted at the people. This Playstation law in Australia is just another example of government trying to legislate technology which it does not understand.
There is no reason that somebody cannot create a fully compatible Windows/Linux system using a portable pIII processor and solid state storage
Xybernaut has been doing this for quite some time. There are also quite a few single board computers (SBCs) that are a very good base to build your own wearable. EMJ is a good place to find out more about SBC's. There are instructions for building your own matchbox server at the Stanford wearables page. With the addition of a HUD, this could easily be converted to a wearable. You can even order your own pre-made matchbox server here.
Only 320x240 too:( At least the subject of this article has 800x600. Another poster observed that 13" isn't big enough for his pr0n, but I think i could probably survive on that.
Re:This is part of our destiny.
on
Solar Sails
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· Score: 3
As Einstein irrefutably proved that travelling faster than the speed of light is utterly impossible
Nobody has ever irrefutably proved that it is impossible to travel faster than c. That it is why it is called the theory of relativity, not the fact of relativity. In fact, I have recently seen articles about scientists accelerating (admittedly massless) particles faster than the speed of light. And the speed of light may actually have a higher limit, check out this article. Hardly anything is ever proved, we just refine our theories by observation and hypothesis and we get closer and closer to the truth.
Enigma
Isn't this a little small?
on
Solar Sails
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· Score: 1
Correct me if I am wrong, but it was my understanding that a solar sail had to be a little bigger in order to carry a decent payload. Or is this just a proof-of-concept sort of thing? If they can make this sail material in bulk it could have thousands of appplications. It would be nice to be able to send out a probe to Jupiter using only a low-cost sail. This would free up more money and resources for building the actual probe, you don't have to design around large fuel tanks. This material also seems good for laser propulsion, which could get us around the solar system an beyond pretty quickly. Perhaps with the new technologies and discoveries(like the meteorite that show good evidence of previous life on Mars) the world will get its butt in gear and put some serious effort toward space exploration.
4. Put your stuff on your own website. And a link to order a real CD. (Burned, not stamped. Offer it cheap, since it's not as good of course.)
What the band (The Donner Party) for which I engineer does is make entire live shows available to download or stream so people can get an good idea of the sound. We either take a computer to the show and record 4 tracks (2 condenser mics and 2 board feeds) or record a board feed on a minidisc, which blows because I can't stay digital courtesy of the RIAA. It works out rather well for a little known band, publicity is worth 10 times what the music costs to produce. Of course sound kit costs a good deal of money, but costs are offset by CD sales and live shows.
As for "screw the studio" and burning your own CDs, I think there is something to be said for a professionally produced CD (no, I don't do audio full time, being a BOFH is alot more fun). Many of the mp3 advocates say they buy the CD for the cover, liner and graphics. It doesn't cost a TON of money to press a few thousand CDs and get some time in the studio.
Duron Paints cannot sue AMD because they are in seperate markets. Trademark law allows for the same name if the product is different. Nobody is going to confuse paint for processors. In Russia they take this to a further extreme, and you end up with things like McDonalds shirts and Microsoft Beer.
Yep, I go through that curve on my way to work. Everything else had snow on it this morning but that curve. Sure works good, they should start using it elsewhere.
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. I think the very fact that they did not adequately describe the things to be siezed and that the cause was not just would render this warrant unconstitutional.
Even if you are taking someone to the hospital, you are required to obey the speed limits. You put other people in danger of being hurt and killed to save 1 person. If the situation is so dire that the person needs to get to the hospital that fast, you should call an ambulance. They have lights and sirens to warn other cars of their excessive speed and the drivers have special training on driving at high speeds. Not to mention the fact they have paramedics on board and can start helping the person right away instead of waiting until you get to the hospital.
Police have long taken the proceeds of their law enforcement activities. More recently in the US, the police are allowed to sieze property involved in a crime (for example, if you are driving a car with a joint in your pocket the police can take your car because you are using it for "transporting drugs"). You don't even have to be charged with a crime to get your property siezed in this manner. There have been quite a few publicized cases where people have had their money/jewelry/other goods siezed just because "it looked suspicious to carry that much money on him". The burden isn't with the state to prove that the money isn't yours, the burden is with you to prove that it is your money, or they get to keep it. You actually have to file a civil suit againt the state to get your belongings back, and such suits are often not successful (plus, if you just got your life savings siezed, you probably don't have alot of money left to hire a lawyer). This is just another example of how are rights are being trodden upon by the "war on drugs". You have to be a psycho to declare war on your own people. Fortunately, we just passed an initiative in my state that reformed the seizure laws. They still can sieze things, but it is alot more restictive on in what situations they are allowed to sieze your property. The proceeds no longer go to the department(they now go to the public schools) so the police don't have [as much] incentive to sieze property unjustly. OK, I feel better, rant over:)
Slashdot Mirror
I thought the correct terminology was "RGB Tan".
Enigma
Next thing you know, they'll make a paint that will match your lawn and trees so you can have a camoflaged house. Seriously, I think this could cause a significant reduction in utility bills as well as make homes more efficient. If they could only get the paint to produce electricity (give them a few years), you could paint your house with solar cells and drop off the power grid.
Enigma
Actually, I think you may be confusing this outage with the outage affecting Setiathome which was caused by copper thieves. From the website:
Around 11:00 GMT (3:00am PST) on Tuesday, February 27, 2001, network fibers were broken, cutting off the entire Space Sciences Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley Labs from the internet. It turns out this was the work of vandals who cut the fiber in the process of gathering a bunch of expensive copper wire.
Enigma
Humans have been on the earth and been sentient a tiny fraction of the age of the earth, and the earth is a relatively young planet. We orbit a young star. We have only been seriously broadcasting radio waves for 50 years, which means only civilizations within 50 light years of us have any chance of knowing we exist. Only civilizations within 25 light years could have responded by now. This is a very small portion of just the Milky Way galaxy, there are countless other galaxies surrounding us. With the huge number of stars just by us around which life could originate, to think that if we haven't been contacted yet means "they ain't coming" is illogical.
Enigma
It is a gas giant planet, it probably couldn't sustain life (as we know it), although life as we know it is very slim indeed. It is also very possible there are moons around this planet that are very similar to earth, and could be a very good place to look for the first extraterrestrial lifeforms. Jupiter has quite a few moons that we think might hold life, it stands to reason the newly discovered "habitable zone" planet may as well, especially it is nearer it's sun.
Enigma
That's a lot better record than he had in Texas. He would frequently leave work 2-4 hours early to play golf.
Enigma
Yep, I had the exact same problem with my MS optical mouse. Died after a short time. There must have been a design flaw in the first generation.
Enigma
That's 4Kb/s, KiloBITS, not KiloBYTES. I think a 56 Kilobit connection could easily handle 4 Kilobits.
Enigma
Actually, it would be totally legal for an ISP operating from Sealand to provide this content. It may or may not be legal for someone in another country to download it, depending on the local laws. Sealand has no laws protecting American copyright, why would it be illegal for them to provide any content? Sure it would be illegal for Americans to download that content, but that is not the ISP's problem.
Enigma
No, they are also targeting people who have backup copies. Many people make backup copies and play with them rather than with the original so that there is less of a chance of hosing their $80 CD. Under this law, these people would be unable to do that. I don't know what the copyright law is like in Austrailia, but in the US such copies are covered by the fair use doctrine.
Enigma
Exactly. You don't have this kind of law "yet". But as other countries pass laws like this, it will be easier for countries that don't have them to pass them. "It has been shown that laws like this have reduced software piracy by blahblah%, we can't afford not to have the law". The manufacturers will lobby congress to pass these laws, eroding our rights bit-by-bit (no pun intended). I wouldn't be shocked to see the US congress pass a law requiring you to surrender your encryption keys and passwords to law enforcement. A law like this was recently passed in England, paving the way for industrialized nations around the world to pass similar anti-privacy legislation. It's all in the name of anti-terrorism, but I have yet to see a case of a terrorist getting caught because of these anti-terrorism laws. But these laws aren't really aimed at terrorists, they are targeted at the people. This Playstation law in Australia is just another example of government trying to legislate technology which it does not understand.
Enigma
Xybernaut has been doing this for quite some time. There are also quite a few single board computers (SBCs) that are a very good base to build your own wearable. EMJ is a good place to find out more about SBC's. There are instructions for building your own matchbox server at the Stanford wearables page. With the addition of a HUD, this could easily be converted to a wearable. You can even order your own pre-made matchbox server here.
Enigma
Only 320x240 too :( At least the subject of this article has 800x600. Another poster observed that 13" isn't big enough for his pr0n, but I think i could probably survive on that.
Enigma
Why not?
me@thisbox$ ssh mybox
Password:
me@mybox$ top
Enigma
Nobody has ever irrefutably proved that it is impossible to travel faster than c. That it is why it is called the theory of relativity, not the fact of relativity. In fact, I have recently seen articles about scientists accelerating (admittedly massless) particles faster than the speed of light. And the speed of light may actually have a higher limit, check out this article. Hardly anything is ever proved, we just refine our theories by observation and hypothesis and we get closer and closer to the truth.
Enigma
Correct me if I am wrong, but it was my understanding that a solar sail had to be a little bigger in order to carry a decent payload. Or is this just a proof-of-concept sort of thing? If they can make this sail material in bulk it could have thousands of appplications. It would be nice to be able to send out a probe to Jupiter using only a low-cost sail. This would free up more money and resources for building the actual probe, you don't have to design around large fuel tanks. This material also seems good for laser propulsion, which could get us around the solar system an beyond pretty quickly. Perhaps with the new technologies and discoveries(like the meteorite that show good evidence of previous life on Mars) the world will get its butt in gear and put some serious effort toward space exploration.
Enigma
What the band (The Donner Party) for which I engineer does is make entire live shows available to download or stream so people can get an good idea of the sound. We either take a computer to the show and record 4 tracks (2 condenser mics and 2 board feeds) or record a board feed on a minidisc, which blows because I can't stay digital courtesy of the RIAA. It works out rather well for a little known band, publicity is worth 10 times what the music costs to produce. Of course sound kit costs a good deal of money, but costs are offset by CD sales and live shows.
As for "screw the studio" and burning your own CDs, I think there is something to be said for a professionally produced CD (no, I don't do audio full time, being a BOFH is alot more fun). Many of the mp3 advocates say they buy the CD for the cover, liner and graphics. It doesn't cost a TON of money to press a few thousand CDs and get some time in the studio.
Enigma
Second, the emotional pleas: "If you cut tuna, do they not bleed?" (As a poster above noted, no they don't, they don't have blood).
And as several posters have noted since, Tuna DO have blood, as do most animals.
Enigma
Thought I would provide a link for this. BTW, I was mistaken, it's not Microsoft Beer, it's Windows 99 beer :)
Enigma
Duron Paints cannot sue AMD because they are in seperate markets. Trademark law allows for the same name if the product is different. Nobody is going to confuse paint for processors. In Russia they take this to a further extreme, and you end up with things like McDonalds shirts and Microsoft Beer.
Enigma
Yep, I go through that curve on my way to work. Everything else had snow on it this morning but that curve. Sure works good, they should start using it elsewhere.
Enigma
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
I think the very fact that they did not adequately describe the things to be siezed and that the cause was not just would render this warrant unconstitutional.
Enigma
Even if you are taking someone to the hospital, you are required to obey the speed limits. You put other people in danger of being hurt and killed to save 1 person. If the situation is so dire that the person needs to get to the hospital that fast, you should call an ambulance. They have lights and sirens to warn other cars of their excessive speed and the drivers have special training on driving at high speeds. Not to mention the fact they have paramedics on board and can start helping the person right away instead of waiting until you get to the hospital.
Enigma
Police have long taken the proceeds of their law enforcement activities. More recently in the US, the police are allowed to sieze property involved in a crime (for example, if you are driving a car with a joint in your pocket the police can take your car because you are using it for "transporting drugs"). You don't even have to be charged with a crime to get your property siezed in this manner. There have been quite a few publicized cases where people have had their money/jewelry/other goods siezed just because "it looked suspicious to carry that much money on him". The burden isn't with the state to prove that the money isn't yours, the burden is with you to prove that it is your money, or they get to keep it. You actually have to file a civil suit againt the state to get your belongings back, and such suits are often not successful (plus, if you just got your life savings siezed, you probably don't have alot of money left to hire a lawyer). This is just another example of how are rights are being trodden upon by the "war on drugs". You have to be a psycho to declare war on your own people. Fortunately, we just passed an initiative in my state that reformed the seizure laws. They still can sieze things, but it is alot more restictive on in what situations they are allowed to sieze your property. The proceeds no longer go to the department(they now go to the public schools) so the police don't have [as much] incentive to sieze property unjustly. OK, I feel better, rant over :)
Enigma
The article didn't mention cubic inches, it mentioned sqare inches. It didn't mention at what thickness the substrate could hold the 300Gb of data.
Enigma