Who will be the first company to offer InstaFace technology? You know, the one where a simple press of a button behind your ear activates several air-bladder and plastic devices implanted under the skin to change your facial characteristics....
Come to think of it, why stop with the face? InstaTightStomach, Insta...well, let's keep it PG13;)
Don't forget for a minute that most of us are already in a GIANT database of names and matching faces: The DMV. At least those that take digital pictures. Heck, I have my face on a credit card, a frequent skier card, and on my website. I'm an upstanding citizen so no big worries...
ANYWAY, I had an interesting thought. Consider it a glimpse into the future:
Billy: "I'm heading to school mom, cya!" Mom: "Don't forget to put on your identity preservation devices, dear." Billy: "Aw mom, but I'm gonna be late for the bus...do I have to wear the cheek bone extensions and contacts?" Mom: You know the rules, son. If we don't disguise ourselves in public, the (*insert conspiracy theory protagonist here*) will take over our identities and (*insert wild and frightening possibility here*)
Brilliant! I agree, we should move to direct apps.
Hmm...but I want to run more than one...hey wait a minute, I have a great idea! Let's get rid of the OS and just make an app. We'll have the app hold a bunch of shared files, and then we can fiddle with it so it allows multiple instances of one program. No wait, let's make it so we can run a bunch of different apps at once and change between them. And let's make our app "special" so that if one of the mini-apps breaks, the big app can just kill it without the mini-app taking out the whole system. Man, this is going to be GREAT!
Oh yeah, that app would be an, uh, OPERATING SYSTEM. Oops.
I don't know about you, but isn't SlashDot AlmostNews neat? I love hearing all about the newest in VaporWare videogame technology, not to mention all the cool news about the MIR! I can't wait to see that TV show about the MIR with the survivor-esqe contest winner and the billionaire and the wacky hijinks that ensue as it is crashes into the Pacific!
I spent a year of college with 3 other guys who lived and breathed Mario Kart 64. Even after listening to them screech and yell at the screen for the 6th hour in a row, it was amazing how I couldn't help but plunk down next to them and play a few rounds.
Moral of the story? Replay value. For the N64 there are a small handful of games (with MK64 topping my list, of course) that make the system and extra controllers worth owning. Games that are nearly impossible to get bored with. Games that are fun sober or inebriated.
Me? I own a DreamCast. I bought a few games, and I burned a few games. Okay, maybe more than a few. But at the moment it is a given truth that over 200+ pirated games exist for the DreamCast. Even when stores finally run out and EBay supplies dry up (never, I know), you will still be able to own and play those 200+ games for a cost of nothing more than a spindle of cdrs, a decent CDR, and a few hours of your time. For $99 (plus and extra controller or two, of course), that's a HECK of a deal.
Screw plunking down $500 on a PS2 for what is IMHO, nearly the same technology. I've played both PS2 and DC, and they come out pretty even. If I was in the market for a game system right now, I would snatch up a $99 DC, buy/burn Tony Hawk2, MDK, Crazy Taxi, Virtua Tennis, and a few more sports games of your choice, and relish in the bliss of those well-made games. Then when you get bored with the 200+ titles out there a few years down the line, buy something new. But for now the DreamCast is hands down the best deal out there.
"And this handy little storage bowl not only has an easy-lock lid, but it can also be located with its onboard GPS tracking system in case a friend 'forgets' to return it!"
Thank you. It was meant as comedy, just as 85% of my comments are...I hope some Mod is trolling at 0 to catch that and correct the rating...but as usual, someone with no sense of humor incorrectly labels it.:(
I always used to wonder how some of those robots transformed when humans were riding in them. I guess as a kid I used to secretly hope for that one "special" episode where one of those annoying Earth kids would have an "accident" inside Bumblebee...
I just got back from an Auto/Boat show (no, not AutoBOT show), and I noticed that brand new Kia's are going for a little over $10,000.
Thus I must ask the question: Would it be cooler to have a bunch of Transformers that formed into a working automobile, or would you prefer a new Kia that transformed into a giant robot?
(I'd have to go with the latter myself, since if I had the former I would probably lose one of the DinoBots that was part of the engine or something else important)
Guys, if people keep blowing up the Solar Panel array, we'll never get good results on how hamsters deficate in a zero-G envornment!" Seriosuly guys, stop blowing all the equipment up! C'mon! I'm gonna tell NASA HQ!
I have a circa 1980-something VerBot that is holding up my printer. I have fond memories of playing with it as a child...
Me: "Back up."
(Robot does not respond)
Me: "VerBot, Back up."
(Robot does not respond)
Me: "BACK up."
(Robot does not respond)
Me: "BACK UP. BACKUP. BA. KA. UP."
(Robot does not respond)
Me: "BACK UP YOU STUPID ROBOT!"
(Robot turns left and lifts arm)
Me: "Screw this, Duck Tales is on!"
(Robot backs up)
Dreamcast's big mistake was using regular size cds, some say. That's why Nintendo's upcoming system is going to use proprietary discs that are slightly smaller than regular cdr's.
Silly Nintendo...I guess they don't realize that hackers will have quick workarounds for this too. I forsee either some 3rd-world company selling perfect Nintendo-sized cdrs within a month of the system hitting the market. I also bet we'll see a few shady little CDR-slicing systems for cutting a few inches off of regular cdrs.
After doing the little imaginary finger dance that all of us did immeadiately after reading the description of the keyboard, I would have to say that this would be LESS comfortable than a regular keyboard. It is much easier to press keys downward (with gravity) than it is to press sideways. It would also require more vertical strength in the index and middle fingers, I think.
Sorry, but after reading all the other comments, someone had to present the other opinion. Jeez, I feel all dirty now. Ah screw it, jump ship anyway...
I used to mail those in blank for awhile too, but then I slacked off about it. When I read the little side joke on it yesterday though, it got me thinking. Not
trying to karma whore here, but I'm curious to see what people think on this one.
Is mailing back pre-paid envelopes a GOOD idea, in the long run?
At first I would say yes, sure it is. It takes away cash from them. But then I realized that it will never BANKRUPT a company. It will only force them
to take away the pre-paid part of the spam. Here's some bullet points to simplify your responces:
1) How many people are REALLY persuaded just by the fact that it is prepaid? IE do you really think that the fools that send away for bogus junk
and lousy magazines are thinking "Hey, I should get that, but it requires a stamp...oh wait, postage is free? Sign me up!"
2) For bad postal spam: All they will do is convert to non-prepaid envelopes in the next mailing. We still have to get it, groan, and throw it away. No
time saved.
3) For GOOD postal spam: Yes, there are rare times when being on a techie mailing list means that you actually get some spam mail for something
you really want/need/enjoy. It's rare, but if our policy was to mail these prepaid envelopes in blank, aren't we only hurting ourselves in that we
semi-force those companies to change to non-prepaid mailers to save money? Yeah, it's 34 cents and no big deal, but why hurt good guys?
I used to mail those in blank for awhile too, but then I slacked off about it. When I read the little side joke on it today though, it got me thinking. Not trying to karma whore here, but I'm curious to see what people think on this one.
Is mailing back pre-paid envelopes a GOOD idea, in the long run?
At first I would say yes, sure it is. It takes away cash from them. But then I realized that it will never BANKRUPT a company. It will only force them to take away the pre-paid part of the spam. Here's some bullet points to simplify your responces:
1) How many people are REALLY persuaded just by the fact that it is prepaid? IE do you really think that the fools that send away for bogus junk and lousy magazines are thinking "Hey, I should get that, but it requires a stamp...oh wait, postage is free? Sign me up!"
2) For bad postal spam: All they will do is convert to non-prepaid envelopes in the next mailing. We still have to get it, groan, and throw it away. No time saved.
3) For GOOD postal spam: Yes, there are rare times when being on a techie mailing list means that you actually get some spam mail for something you really want/need/enjoy. It's rare, but if our policy was to mail these prepaid envelopes in blank, aren't we only hurting ourselves in that we semi-force those companies to change to non-prepaid mailers to save money? Yeah, it's 34 cents and no big deal, but why hurt good guys?
"the
Walsworth-Lukin team first slowed and then stopped the light in a
medium that consisted of specially prepared containers of gas. In this
medium, the light became fainter and fainter as it slowed and then
stopped. By flashing a second light through the gas, the team could
essentially revive the original beam."
Revive the original beam? Now I'm no scientist, but how exactly does one prove such a thing? Call me a skeptic, but isn't that just like taking a pair of dead batteries out of a Furby, switching one of them with a fresh battery, and saying that both of them are providing power again?
IE, if you shine a second light, and SEE a light come out, how can you say that this is a "recharged" version of the original beam?
Man, you thought names like "Athlon" and "Duron" were wierd...just wait until they start naming them after all of your friends after they find our how nice their DNA is...
First my rocket-powered re-entry gun fails on me, then I got picked up by Air Force radar and they dispatched one of those Laser-tipped 747's to take me out...
Then to top it all off, when I hit the ground I landed on a big chunk of the MIR.
Our first thought is that this is a worthless, mindless case that is a perfect of example of why our legal system is so backed up.
But keep in mind that the police probably did SOME homework before suing this kid. I imagine it took a lot of paperwork on the police side just to hire a lawyer and get a case drawn up.
Parody = humor = legal, but if this kid used the names of actual officers, pasted heads on naked bodies, etc etc, we are talking SLANDER. That's different than parody, and is a good enough reason to sue. It's correctly pointed out above that obscenity does NOT fall under a "parody" heading in the legal system of the USA.
Whatever we do, let's not name a spaceship after it, because MAN, it is bound to end up running on an engine powered by Satan, and then the ship will probably come to life and try to kill the crew, with cameos by hell minions Pinhead, Freddy, Jason, and CarrotTop...
"Uh, Mission Control...there is some crazy red-haired maniac killing my crewmates with idiotic inventions..."
Technically we AREN'T seeing this new effect, since it can only be produced on a high-end card we don't own.
Thus if we head over to that site with our current cards, we will see some footage that will not impress us and thus not encourage us to buy the newer card. I love it!
Slashdot Mirror
I'm taking bets now...
;)
Who will be the first company to offer InstaFace technology? You know, the one where a simple press of a button behind your ear activates several air-bladder and plastic devices implanted under the skin to change your facial characteristics....
Come to think of it, why stop with the face? InstaTightStomach, Insta...well, let's keep it PG13
Don't forget for a minute that most of us are already in a GIANT database of names and matching faces: The DMV. At least those that take digital pictures. Heck, I have my face on a credit card, a frequent skier card, and on my website. I'm an upstanding citizen so no big worries...
ANYWAY, I had an interesting thought. Consider it a glimpse into the future:
Billy: "I'm heading to school mom, cya!"
Mom: "Don't forget to put on your identity preservation devices, dear."
Billy: "Aw mom, but I'm gonna be late for the bus...do I have to wear the cheek bone extensions and contacts?"
Mom: You know the rules, son. If we don't disguise ourselves in public, the (*insert conspiracy theory protagonist here*) will take over our identities and (*insert wild and frightening possibility here*)
I can't wait!
Brilliant! I agree, we should move to direct apps.
Hmm...but I want to run more than one...hey wait a minute, I have a great idea! Let's get rid of the OS and just make an app. We'll have the app hold a bunch of shared files, and then we can fiddle with it so it allows multiple instances of one program. No wait, let's make it so we can run a bunch of different apps at once and change between them. And let's make our app "special" so that if one of the mini-apps breaks, the big app can just kill it without the mini-app taking out the whole system. Man, this is going to be GREAT!
Oh yeah, that app would be an, uh, OPERATING SYSTEM. Oops.
I don't know about you, but isn't SlashDot AlmostNews neat? I love hearing all about the newest in VaporWare videogame technology, not to mention all the cool news about the MIR! I can't wait to see that TV show about the MIR with the survivor-esqe contest winner and the billionaire and the wacky hijinks that ensue as it is crashes into the Pacific!
I spent a year of college with 3 other guys who lived and breathed Mario Kart 64. Even after listening to them screech and yell at the screen for the 6th hour in a row, it was amazing how I couldn't help but plunk down next to them and play a few rounds.
Moral of the story? Replay value. For the N64 there are a small handful of games (with MK64 topping my list, of course) that make the system and extra controllers worth owning. Games that are nearly impossible to get bored with. Games that are fun sober or inebriated.
Me? I own a DreamCast. I bought a few games, and I burned a few games. Okay, maybe more than a few. But at the moment it is a given truth that over 200+ pirated games exist for the DreamCast. Even when stores finally run out and EBay supplies dry up (never, I know), you will still be able to own and play those 200+ games for a cost of nothing more than a spindle of cdrs, a decent CDR, and a few hours of your time. For $99 (plus and extra controller or two, of course), that's a HECK of a deal.
Screw plunking down $500 on a PS2 for what is IMHO, nearly the same technology. I've played both PS2 and DC, and they come out pretty even. If I was in the market for a game system right now, I would snatch up a $99 DC, buy/burn Tony Hawk2, MDK, Crazy Taxi, Virtua Tennis, and a few more sports games of your choice, and relish in the bliss of those well-made games. Then when you get bored with the 200+ titles out there a few years down the line, buy something new. But for now the DreamCast is hands down the best deal out there.
Imagine the "Tupperware Party" of 2030...
"And this handy little storage bowl not only has an easy-lock lid, but it can also be located with its onboard GPS tracking system in case a friend 'forgets' to return it!"
Thank you. It was meant as comedy, just as 85% of my comments are...I hope some Mod is trolling at 0 to catch that and correct the rating...but as usual, someone with no sense of humor incorrectly labels it. :(
:)
And yeah, we're MUCH fatter too
This just in...
The US also beats Europe in...BASKETBALL!
You silly brits are so OWNED by our mad skillz in Hoops and Online Privacy!"
I always used to wonder how some of those robots transformed when humans were riding in them. I guess as a kid I used to secretly hope for that one "special" episode where one of those annoying Earth kids would have an "accident" inside Bumblebee...
I just got back from an Auto/Boat show (no, not AutoBOT show), and I noticed that brand new Kia's are going for a little over $10,000.
Thus I must ask the question: Would it be cooler to have a bunch of Transformers that formed into a working automobile, or would you prefer a new Kia that transformed into a giant robot?
(I'd have to go with the latter myself, since if I had the former I would probably lose one of the DinoBots that was part of the engine or something else important)
Guys, if people keep blowing up the Solar Panel array, we'll never get good results on how hamsters deficate in a zero-G envornment!" Seriosuly guys, stop blowing all the equipment up! C'mon! I'm gonna tell NASA HQ!
I have a circa 1980-something VerBot that is holding up my printer. I have fond memories of playing with it as a child...
Me: "Back up."
(Robot does not respond)
Me: "VerBot, Back up."
(Robot does not respond)
Me: "BACK up."
(Robot does not respond)
Me: "BACK UP. BACKUP. BA. KA. UP."
(Robot does not respond)
Me: "BACK UP YOU STUPID ROBOT!"
(Robot turns left and lifts arm)
Me: "Screw this, Duck Tales is on!"
(Robot backs up)
This sounds like a great idea, but I can just imagine the Quake3 scoreboard...
PaSsAnGeR57 - 5 TurbanDude2000 - 3 MileHighLyle - 8 CoPilotShmoPilot - 7 747_AUTOPILOT_SYSTEM_SERIES_204 - 1,305
"Doh!"
Dreamcast's big mistake was using regular size cds, some say. That's why Nintendo's upcoming system is going to use proprietary discs that are slightly smaller than regular cdr's.
Silly Nintendo...I guess they don't realize that hackers will have quick workarounds for this too. I forsee either some 3rd-world company selling perfect Nintendo-sized cdrs within a month of the system hitting the market. I also bet we'll see a few shady little CDR-slicing systems for cutting a few inches off of regular cdrs.
After doing the little imaginary finger dance that all of us did immeadiately after reading the description of the keyboard, I would have to say that this would be LESS comfortable than a regular keyboard. It is much easier to press keys downward (with gravity) than it is to press sideways. It would also require more vertical strength in the index and middle fingers, I think.
For the LOVE OF GOD, STAY!
Sorry, but after reading all the other comments, someone had to present the other opinion. Jeez, I feel all dirty now. Ah screw it, jump ship anyway...
I used to mail those in blank for awhile too, but then I slacked off about it. When I read the little side joke on it yesterday though, it got me thinking. Not trying to karma whore here, but I'm curious to see what people think on this one.
Is mailing back pre-paid envelopes a GOOD idea, in the long run?
At first I would say yes, sure it is. It takes away cash from them. But then I realized that it will never BANKRUPT a company. It will only force them to take away the pre-paid part of the spam. Here's some bullet points to simplify your responces:
1) How many people are REALLY persuaded just by the fact that it is prepaid? IE do you really think that the fools that send away for bogus junk and lousy magazines are thinking "Hey, I should get that, but it requires a stamp...oh wait, postage is free? Sign me up!"
2) For bad postal spam: All they will do is convert to non-prepaid envelopes in the next mailing. We still have to get it, groan, and throw it away. No time saved.
3) For GOOD postal spam: Yes, there are rare times when being on a techie mailing list means that you actually get some spam mail for something you really want/need/enjoy. It's rare, but if our policy was to mail these prepaid envelopes in blank, aren't we only hurting ourselves in that we semi-force those companies to change to non-prepaid mailers to save money? Yeah, it's 34 cents and no big deal, but why hurt good guys?
Just some random spam from my thought mailbox...
I used to mail those in blank for awhile too, but then I slacked off about it. When I read the little side joke on it today though, it got me thinking. Not trying to karma whore here, but I'm curious to see what people think on this one.
Is mailing back pre-paid envelopes a GOOD idea, in the long run?
At first I would say yes, sure it is. It takes away cash from them. But then I realized that it will never BANKRUPT a company. It will only force them to take away the pre-paid part of the spam. Here's some bullet points to simplify your responces:
1) How many people are REALLY persuaded just by the fact that it is prepaid? IE do you really think that the fools that send away for bogus junk and lousy magazines are thinking "Hey, I should get that, but it requires a stamp...oh wait, postage is free? Sign me up!"
2) For bad postal spam: All they will do is convert to non-prepaid envelopes in the next mailing. We still have to get it, groan, and throw it away. No time saved.
3) For GOOD postal spam: Yes, there are rare times when being on a techie mailing list means that you actually get some spam mail for something you really want/need/enjoy. It's rare, but if our policy was to mail these prepaid envelopes in blank, aren't we only hurting ourselves in that we semi-force those companies to change to non-prepaid mailers to save money? Yeah, it's 34 cents and no big deal, but why hurt good guys?
Just some random spam from my thought mailbox...
"the Walsworth-Lukin team first slowed and then stopped the light in a medium that consisted of specially prepared containers of gas. In this medium, the light became fainter and fainter as it slowed and then stopped. By flashing a second light through the gas, the team could essentially revive the original beam."
Revive the original beam? Now I'm no scientist, but how exactly does one prove such a thing? Call me a skeptic, but isn't that just like taking a pair of dead batteries out of a Furby, switching one of them with a fresh battery, and saying that both of them are providing power again?
IE, if you shine a second light, and SEE a light come out, how can you say that this is a "recharged" version of the original beam?
I can see the Evening News already...
"And as NASA's bullet hits, we can see the comet move back...and to the left. Back...and to the left. Back...and to the left."
Man, you thought names like "Athlon" and "Duron" were wierd...just wait until they start naming them after all of your friends after they find our how nice their DNA is...
First my rocket-powered re-entry gun fails on me, then I got picked up by Air Force radar and they dispatched one of those Laser-tipped 747's to take me out...
Then to top it all off, when I hit the ground I landed on a big chunk of the MIR.
Ouch.
Our first thought is that this is a worthless, mindless case that is a perfect of example of why our legal system is so backed up.
But keep in mind that the police probably did SOME homework before suing this kid. I imagine it took a lot of paperwork on the police side just to hire a lawyer and get a case drawn up.
Parody = humor = legal, but if this kid used the names of actual officers, pasted heads on naked bodies, etc etc, we are talking SLANDER. That's different than parody, and is a good enough reason to sue. It's correctly pointed out above that obscenity does NOT fall under a "parody" heading in the legal system of the USA.
Whatever we do, let's not name a spaceship after it, because MAN, it is bound to end up running on an engine powered by Satan, and then the ship will probably come to life and try to kill the crew, with cameos by hell minions Pinhead, Freddy, Jason, and CarrotTop...
"Uh, Mission Control...there is some crazy red-haired maniac killing my crewmates with idiotic inventions..."
Technically we AREN'T seeing this new effect, since it can only be produced on a high-end card we don't own.
Thus if we head over to that site with our current cards, we will see some footage that will not impress us and thus not encourage us to buy the newer card. I love it!