This isn't a question of free speech, but a question of morality.
Thankfully, the First Amendment lets you freely espouse your morality, because no matter how conservative you are, there's somebody out there who doesn't feel your morality is conservative enough and who, given the opportunity, would gladly use the legal system to shut you up.
The First Amendment may protect virtual child pornographers, but it also protects the ultra-conservatives and the ultra-liberals, and everybody in between.
An innovative child pornographer would, the first time he needed to molest kids, find an uncensored USENET feed and download a few dozen images. Upon getting his first victim, he would make his own and therefore have a ready supply.
How can you prove that a digital image is real and not fabricated????
By finding the victim(s), instead of sitting on your ass.
Yes, we all know that old-fashioned police work is just that, work. On the other hand, let's try and keep the amount of things that are illegal-if-proved-true greater than the amount of things that are illegal-until-proven-false, OK?
Fantasy in troubled individuals often leads to acts.
Then how about punishing those people that commit those acts? If I drive over somebody in a car, then I am tried, convicted, and sent to prison. Yet the other, responsible drivers on the road aren't required to hand in their licenses and freedoms because one person did something stupid.
Why should this be any different? Rather than punish people for something they might do, and in the process take away some essential liberties, how about punishing people for the crimes they actually commit?
What you're saying is the equivalent of, "It's OK to punish as many innocent people as possible, so long as one of them might commit a crime in the future (possibly)."
Our current system would say law enforcement, which translates to no way that they can crack down on child pornographers without catching them "in the act".
Our current system would say law enforcement, but in actuality the proof would wind up resting on the defense anyways. How?
"Your Honor, look at these pictures. Obviously they use real children."
"How about it, Mr. X? Can you prove you didn't (ab)use real children?"
"Uh, no, your Honor. I created them on my computer."
"So, in other words, you can't prove real children weren't involved."
"No."
Voila! Despite the fact being unable to unequivocably prove a negative is next to impossible, you have now successfully translated the burden of the prosecution to prove children were involved to the defense to prove children weren't.
In other words: assumed guilty until you can prove you're innocent.
Uh, these "advanced" distros you talk so slightly of have something called "install options" to let you choose which packages you want and don't want! Gasp! Imagine it! You can choose to NOT install X or KDE if you like!
Slackware gives you that capability as well. You don't have to install everything, you can simply pick and choose what you want. Before you install, you can specify which disk sets you wish to install, where each disk set corresponds to a particular major feature. There's a disk set for X, a disk set for networking, and so on. During the install, you can subsequently go through and select which packages you want from the disk sets you want to install.
My last installation, for example, I skipped installing X and all of the GUI things (WMs, KDE, GNOME, etc.). The system worked perfectly afterwards.
But you've probably never actually tried any of them recently, or you wouldn't be making an uninformed comment like that.
Obviously, you haven't run Slackware recently, or you wouldn't be making an uninformed comment like the one above.
Part of BeOS is open source. The Tracker (equivalent to Windows Explorer) and Deskbar (a much more functional taskbar, but not as fancy as the ones for GNOME and KDE) are both open source, released under the BSD license.
Does anybody have a link to a layman's summary of what copyright is, what the concepts of fair use and reverse engineering are, the current abuse of copyright in the world, and why copyright abuse is a severe erosion of our rights and abilities as end-users?
I'd like to get some of my friends more aware of the issues (and hopefully, they'll get _their_ friends aware of the issues, who will get _their_ friends aware, etc.), but most of the summaries tend to be more technical than my friends are (they wouldn't understand a casual reference to the first-sale doctrine or have any clue what DeCSS is).
Somebody enlighten me about any real benefits of the space program.
(all shamelessly swiped from the 'net; do a google search on "benefits NASA"):
Computer Technology - NASA Spinoffs
GROUND PROCESSING SCHEDULING SYSTEM - Computer-based scheduling system that uses artificial intelligence to manage thousands of overlapping activities involved in launch preparations of NASA's Space Shuttles. The NASA technology was licensed to a new company which developed commercial applications that provide real-time planning and optimization of manufacturing operations, integrated supply chains, and customer orders.uu
SEMICONDUCTOR CUBING - NASA initiative led to the Memory Short StackÅ, a three-dimensional semiconductor package in which dozens of integrated circuits are stacked one atop another to form a cube, offering faster computer processing speeds, higher levels of integration, lower power requirements than conventional chip sets, and dramatic reduction in the size and weight of memory-intensive systems, such as medical imaging devices.
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS - This NASA program, originally created for spacecraft design, has been employed in a broad array of non-aerospace applications, such as the automobile industry, manufacture of machine tools, and hardware designs.
WINDOWS VISUAL NEWS READER (Win Vn) - Software program developed to support payload technical documentation at Kennedy Space Center, allowing the exchange of technical information among a large group of users. WinVn is an enabling technology product that provides countless people with Internet access otherwise beyond their grasp, and it was optimized for organizations that have direct Internet access.
AIR QUALITY MONITOR - Utilizing a NASA-developed, advanced analytical technique software package, an air quality monitor system was created, capable of separating the various gases in bulk smokestack exhaust streams and determining the amount of individual gases present within the stream for compliance with smokestack emission standards.
VIRTUAL REALITY - NASA-developed research allows a user, with assistance from advanced technology devices, to figuratively project oneself into a computer-generated environment, matching the user's head motion, and, when coupled with a stereo viewing device and appropriate software, creates a telepresence experience.
Other spinoffs in this area include: Advanced keyboards, Customer Service Software, Database Management System, Laser Surveying, Aircraft controls, Lightweight Compact Disc, Expert System Software, Microcomputers, and Design Graphics.
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Consumer/Home/Recreation - NASA Spinoffs
ENRICHED BABY FOOD - A microalgae-based, vegetable-like oil called Formulaid developed from NASA-sponsored research on long duration space travel, contains two essential fatty acids found in human milk but not in most baby formulas, believed to be important for infants' mental and visual development.
WATER PURIFICATION SYSTEM - NASA-developed municipal-size water treatment system for developing nations, called the Regenerable Biocide Delivery Unit, uses iodine rather than chlorine to kill bacteria.
SCRATCH-RESISTANT LENSES - A modified version of a dual ion beam bonding process developed by NASA involves coating the lenses with a film of diamond-like carbon that not only provides scratch resistance, but also decreases surface friction, reducing water spots.
POOL PURIFICATION - Space technology designed to sterilize water on long-duration spacecraft applied to swimming pool purification led to a system that uses two silver-copper alloy electrodes that generate silver and copper ions when an electric current passes through them to kill bacteria and algae without chemicals.
RIBBED SWIMSUIT - NASA-developed riblets applied to competition swimsuits resulted in flume testing of 10 to 15 percent faster speeds than any other world class swim-suit due to the small, barely visible grooves that reduce friction and aerodynamic drag by modifying the turbulent airflow next to the skin.
GOLF BALL AERODYNAMICS - A recently designed golf ball, which has 500 dimples arranged in a pattern of 60 spherical triangles, employs NASA aerodynamics technology to create a more symmetrical ball surface, sustaining initial velocity longer and producing a more stable ball flight for better accuracy and distance.
PORTABLE COOLERS/WARMERS - Based on a NASA-inspired space cooling system employing thermoelectric technology, the portable cooler/warmer plugs into the cigarette lighters of autos, recreational vehicles, boats, or motel outlets. Utilizes one or two miniaturized modules delivering the cooling power of a 10-pound block of ice and the heating power of up to 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
SPORTS TRAINING - Space-developed cardio-muscular conditioner helps athletes increase muscular strength and cardiovascular fitness through kinetic exercise.
ATHLETIC SHOES - Moon Boot material encapsulated in running shoe midsoles improve shock absorption and provides superior stability and motion control.
Other spinoffs in this area include: Dustbuster, shock-absorbing helmets, home security systems, smoke detectors, flat panel televisions, high-density batteries, trash compactors, food packaging and freeze-dried technology, cool sportswear, sports bras, hair styling appliances, fogless ski goggles, self-adjusting sunglasses, composite golf clubs, hang gliders, art preservation, and quartz crystal timing equipment.
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Environmental and Resource Management - NASA Spinoffs
MICROSPHERES - The first commercial products manufactured in orbit are tiny microspheres whose precise dimensions permit their use as reference standards for extremely accurate calibration of instruments in research and industrial laboratories. They are sold for applications in environmental control, medical research, and manufacturing.
SOLAR ENERGY - NASA-pioneered photovoltaic power system for spacecraft applications was applied to programs to expand terrestrial applications as a viable alternative energy source in areas where no conventional power source exists.
WEATHER FORECASTING AID - Space Shuttle environmental control technology led to the development of the Barorator which continuously measures the atmospheric pressure and calculates the instantaneous rate of change.
FOREST MANAGEMENT - A NASA-initiated satellite scanning system monitors and maps forestation by detecting radiation reflected and emitted from trees.
SENSORS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL - NASA development of an instrument for use in space life support research led to commercial development of a system to monitor an industrial process stream to assure that the effluent water's pH level is in compliance with environmental regulations.
WIND MONITOR - Development of Jimsphere wind measurement balloon for space launches allows for making high resolution measurements of the wind profile for meteorological studies and predictions.
TELEMETRY SYSTEMS - A spinoff company formed to commercialize NASA high-data-rate telemetry technology, manufactures a high-speed processing system for commercial communications applications.
PLANT RESEARCH - NASA research on future moon and Mars bases is investigating using plants for food, oxygen, and water to reduce the need for outside supplies. This research utilizes Hydroponics (liquid nutrient solutions) instead of soil to support plant growth and finds applications for vegetable production on Earth.
FIRE RESISTANT MATERIAL - Materials include chemically-treated fabric for sheets, uniforms for hazardous material handlers, crew's clothing, furniture, interior walls of submersibles and auto racer and refueler suits.
RADIATION INSULATION - Aluminized polymer film is highly effective radiation barrier for both manned and unmanned spacecraft. Variations of this space-devised material are also used as an energy conservation technique for homes and offices. The materials are placed between wall studs and exterior facing before siding or between roof support and roof sheathing. The radiant barrier blocks 95% of radiant energy. Successful retrofit installations include schools and shrink wrap ovens.
Other spinoffs in this area include: Whale identification method, environmental analysis, noise abatement, pollution measuring devices, pollution control devices, smokestack monitor, radioactive leak detector, earthquake prediction system, sewage treatment, energy saving air conditioning, and air purification.
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Health and Medicine - NASA Spinoffs
DIGITAL IMAGING BREAST BIOPSY SYSTEM - The LORAD Stereo Guide Breast Biopsy system incorporates advanced Charge Coupled Devices (CCDs) as part of a digital camera system. The resulting device images breast tissue more clearly and efficiently. Known as stereotactic large-core needle biopsy, this nonsurgical system developed with Space Telescope Technology is less traumatic and greatly reduces the pain, scarring, radiation exposure, time, and money associated with surgical biopsies.
BREAST CANCER DETECTION - A solar cell sensor is positioned directly beneath x-ray film, and determines exactly when film has received sufficient radiation and has been exposed to optimum density. Associated electronic equipment then sends a signal to cut off the x-ray source. Reduction of mammography x-ray exposure reduces radiation hazard and doubles the number of patient exams per machine.
LASER ANGIOPLASTY - Laser angioplasty with a "cool" type of laser, caller an excimer laser, does not damage blood vessel walls and offers precise non-surgical cleanings of clogged arteries with extraordinary precision and fewer complications than in balloon angioplasty.
ULTRASOUND SKIN DAMAGE ASSESSMENT - Advanced instrument using NASA ultrasound technology enables immediate assessment of burn damage depth, improving patient treatment, and may save lives in serious burn cases.
HUMAN TISSUE STIMULATOR - Employing NASA satellite technology, the device is implanted in the body to help patient control chronic pain and involuntary motion disorders through electrical stimulation of targeted nerve centers or particular areas of the brain.
COOL SUIT - Custom-made suit derived from space suits circulates coolant through tubes to lower patient's body/ temperature, producing dramatic improvement of symptoms of multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, spina bifida and other conditions.
PROGRAMMABLE PACEMAKER - Incorporating multiple NASA technologies, the system consists of the implant and a physician's computer console containing the programming and a data printer. Communicates through wireless telemetry signals.
OCULAR SCREENING - NASA image processing techniques are used to detect eye problems in very young children. An electronic flash from a 35-millimeter camera sends light into the child's eyes, and a photorefractor analyzes the retinal reflexes, producing an image of each eye.
AUTOMATED URINALYSIS - NASA fluid dynamics studies helped development of system that automatically extracts and transfers sediment from urine sample to an analyzer microscope, replacing the manual centrifuge method.
MEDICAL GAS ANALYZER - Astronaut-monitoring technology used to develop system to monitor operating rooms for analysis of anesthetic gasses and measurement of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen concentrations to assure proper breathing environment for surgery patients.
VOICE-CONTROLLED WHEELCHAIR - NASA teleoperator and robot technology used to develop chair and manipulator that respond to 35 one-word voice commands utilizing a minicomputer to help patient perform daily tasks, like picking up packages, opening doors, and turning on appliances.
Other spinoffs in this area include: Arteriosclerosis detection, ultrasound scanners, automatic insulin pump, portable x-ray device, invisible braces, dental arch wire, palate surgery technology, clean room apparel, implantable heart aid, MRI, bone analyzer, and cataract surgery tools.
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Industrial Productivity/Manufacturing Technology - NASA Spinoffs
MAGNETIC LIQUIDS - Based on the NASA-developed ferrofluid concept involving synthetic fluids that can be positioned and controlled by magnetic force, the ferrofluidic seal was initially applied in a zero-leakage, nonwearing seal for the rotating shaft of a system used to make semiconductor chips, solving a persistent problemãcontamination due to leaking seals.
WELDING SENSOR SYSTEM - Laser-based automated welder for industrial use incorporates a laser sensor system originally designed for Space Shuttle External Tank to track the seam where two pieces of metal are to be joined, measures gaps and minute misfits, and automatically corrects the welding torch distance and height.
MICROLASERS - Based on a concept for optical communications over interplanetary distances, microlasers were developed for the commercial market to transmit communication signals and to drill, cut, or melt materials.
MAGNETIC BEARING SYSTEM - Bearings developed from Space Shuttle designs support moving machinery without physical contact, permitting motion without friction or wear, and are now used in electric power generation, petroleum refining, machine tool operation, and natural gas pipelines.
ENGINE LUBRICANT - A NASA-developed plasma-sprayed coating is used to coat valves in a new, ten-inch-long, four-cylinder rotary engine, eliminating the need for lubricating the rotorcam, which has no crankshaft, flywheel, distributor, or water pump.
INTERACTIVE COMPUTER TRAINING - Known as Interactive Multimedia Training (IMT), originally developed to train astronauts and space operations personnel, now utilized by the commercial sector to train new employees and upgrade worker skills, using a computer system that engages all the senses, including text, video, animation, voice, sounds, and music.
HIGH-PRESSURE WATERSTRIPPING - Technology developed for preparing Space Shuttle solid rocket boosters first evolved into the U.S. Air Force's Large Aircraft Robotic Paint Stripping (LARPS) system, and now used in the commercial airline industry, where the waterjet processing reduces coating removal time by 90 percent, using only water at ultra-high pressures up to 55,000 psi.
ADVANCED WELDING TORCH - Based on the Variable Polarity Plasma Arc welding technology, a handheld torch originally developed for joining light alloys used in NASA's External Tank, is now used by major appliance manufacturers for sheet metal welding.
Other spinoffs in this area include: Gasoline vapor recovery, self-locking fasteners, machine tool software, laser wire stripper, lubricant coating process, wireless communications, engine coatings, and engine design.
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Public Safety - NASA Spinoffs
RADIATION HAZARD DETECTOR - NASA technology has made commercially available new, inexpensive, conveniently carried device for protection of people exposed to potentially dangerous levels of microwave radiation. Weighing only 4 ounces and about the size of a cigarette pack, it can be carried in a shirt pocket or clipped to a belt. Unit sounds an audible alarm when microwave radiation reaches a preset level.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE ROBOT - Remotely-operated robot reduces human injury levels by performing hazardous tasks that would otherwise be handled by humans.
PERSONAL ALARM SYSTEM - Pen-sized ultrasonic transmitter used by prison guards, teachers, the elderly, and disabled to call for help is based on space telemetry technology. Pen transmits a silent signal to receiver that will display the exact location of the emergency.
EMERGENCY RESCUE CUTTERS - Lightweight cutters for freeing accident victims from wreckage developed using NASA pyrotechnic technology.
FIREMAN'S AIR TANKS - Lighter-weight firefighter's air tanks have been developed. New back-pack system weighs only 20 lbs. for 30 minute air supply, 13 lbs. less than conventional firefighting tanks. They are pressurized at 4,500 psia (twice current tanks). A warning device tells the fireman when he or she is running out of air.
PERSONAL STORM WARNING SYSTEM - Lightning detector gives 30-minute warning to golfers, boaters, homeowners, business owners, and private pilots.
SELF-RIGHTING LIFE RAFT - Developed for the Apollo program, fully inflates in 12 seconds and protects lives during extremely adverse weather conditions with self-righting and gravity compensation features.
Other spinoffs in this area include: Storm warning services (Doppler radar), firefighters' radios, lead poison detection, fire detector, flame detector, corrosion protection coating, protective clothing, and robotic hands.
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Transportation - NASA Spinoffs
STUDLESS WINTER TIRES - Viking Lander parachute shroud material is adapted and used to manufacture radial tires, increasing the tire material's chainlike molecular structure to five times the strength of steel should increase tread life by 10,000 miles.
BETTER BRAKES - New, high-temperature composite space materials provide for better brake linings. Applications includes trucks, industrial equipment and passenger cars.
TOLLBOOTH PURIFICATION - A laminar airflow technique used in NASA clean rooms for contamination-free assembly of space equipment is used at tollbooths on bridges and turnpikes to decrease the toll collector's inhalation of exhaust fumes.
WEIGHT SAVING TECHNOLOGY - NASA research on composite materials is used to achieve a 30-percent weight reduction in a twin-turbine helicopter, resulting in a substantial increase in aircraft performance.
IMPROVED AIRCRAFT ENGINE - Multiple NASA developed technological advancements resulted in a cleaner, quieter, more economical commercial aircraft engine known as the high bypass turbofan, featuring a 10-percent reduction in fuel consumption, lower noise levels, and emission reductions of oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, and unburned hydrocarbons.
ADVANCED LUBRICANTS - An environmental-friendly lubricant designed to support the Space Shuttle Mobile Launcher Platform led to the development of three commercial lubricants for railroad track maintenance, for electric power company corrosion prevention, and as a hydraulic fluid with an oxidation life of 10,000 hours.
ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM - The Flywheel Energy Storage system, derived from two NASA-sponsored energy storage studies, is a chemical-free, mechanical battery that harnesses the energy of a rapidly spinning wheel and stores it as electricity with 50 times the capacity of a lead-acid battery, very useful for electric vehicles.
NEW WING DESIGN FOR CORPORATE JETS - NASA-developed computer programs resulted in an advanced, lighter, more aerodynamically-efficient new wing for Gulfstream business aircraft.
AIDS TO SCHOOL BUS DESIGN - Manufacturer uses three separate NASA-developed technologies originally developed for aviation and space use in their design and testing of a new school bus chassis. These technologies are a structural analysis computer program infrared stress measurement system, and a ride quality meter system.
Other spinoffs in this area include: Safer bridges, emission testing, airline wheelchairs, electric car, auto design, methane-powered vehicles, windshear prediction, and aircraft design analysis.
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Personal cabin pressure altitude monitor to contribute to public aviation safety
Shuttle Technology to Benefit Patients on Earth
New, Wide-ranging Applications of Satelite Pictures
Neurolab Team To Discuss Results, Benefits
Nasa Research Helps Mold Better Products
Nasa Space Suit Gives Boy His First Day in the Sun
Flight Experiment Smoothes Flow Over Supersonic Wing
NASA Technology To Help Pilots Taxi More Efficiently
Fire Imaging Device for Firefighters
Benefits Derived from Manned Space Missions
Nasa's Innovative Device to Aid Knee Injury
Robotic Helicopter for Public Safety
European Satellite Telecommunications Improve Maritime Safety
Nasa Sensors Provide Safe Platform for Volcano Studies
Non-Polluting Methanol Fuel Cell for Zero-Emission Vehicles
Nasa Research in Space May Redesign Household Windows
Nasa Technology Creates Market for Recycled Milk Bottles
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The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission set out to generate the most accurate topographical map of the Earth. The data recorded will enable engineers and scientists to develop safer navigation techniques and better communication systems.
Two girls who can not tolerate exposure to either the sun's strong ultraviolet light or even bright indoor lighting, each received a special UV protection suit that was developed from space-based technology.
A miniaturized ventricular-assist pump has been successfully implanted into several people. Initially called the NASA/DeBakey heart pump, it is based in part on technology used in space shuttle fuel pumps.
Winging their way into toy stores are Hasbro Aero Nerf Gliders, benefiting from NASA wind tunnel and aerodynamic expertise.
Properties of metal alloys studied for the space station program have sparked a new line of golf clubs. Shape memory metal gives the most seasoned golfer new control and feel.
BSR created blanket insulation kits based on NASA Space Shuttle Thermal Protection System materials and had the first products bear a seal from the U.S. Space Foundation indicating their space origin.
Based on award-winning NASA telerobotics software, VEVI4 is a powerful tool used to represent complex devices graphically in a 3-D environment. Depicted here is the Dante II vehicle during its descent into Mount Spurr, Alaska.
Building the Boeing 777 brought about the use of NASA innovations, from lightweight composite materials to the modern glass cockpit and aircraft control systems.
Well, for one thing, throwing tons of radioactive material into space isn't exactly a safe way to protect mankind, is it?
For one thing, it's not literally tons of radioactive material. Cassini, for instance, which was the latest big bugaboo for the anti-nuclear forces, contained a mere 33 kilograms of nuclear material.
Second, the radioactive material is very heavily protected and encased in materials that make it very likely to survive orbital reentry fully intact. (Recently, a Russian rocket did fail during liftoff and exploded; the probe it was carrying, a RTG-powered device, fell deep into the ocean. Later surveys found the RTG completely intact and not leaking radiation.)
Third, if you want to imagine Cassini blew up in the atmosphere _and_ the radioactive material was incinerated and distributed around the globe, then the average exposure for any given human being by the radioactive material is LESS than the exposure you get each year simply be the radioactivity emitted by the sun.
(If you want references, you'll have to look in Robert Zubrin's latest book, Entering Space: Creating a Spacefaring Civilization. He discusses it, with math to prove his case.)
In summary, the hype of global cancer plagues caused by radioactive sources is just that: hype. You'll get exposed to more radiation by standing outside than you would by breathing in the distributed remains of something like Cassini.
We should be outraged when anyone is spammed, and we should put the full force of the state and the law against the perpetrator no matter who the victim!
I think the more reasonable of us agree that nobody, not even spammers, deserve to get deluged under spam. And whoever did this should get prosecuted.
However, having said that, this is certainly an ironic and amusing anecdote, and I think it cheers up a lot of people that spammers - perhaps among the most universally loathed people on the entire 'net - had a very succient object lesson as to why people don't like them very much.
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Re:light stopped? Or destroyed and re-emitted...
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Unfortunately, the problem with this is that the probability of this happening is of course so astronomically remote that it will never happen anywhere in the expanse of the universe within whatever lifespan the universe may have.
Nitpick: that's not an entirely true statement. As long as the universe does not collapse upon itself in a Big Crunch, then the lifetime of the universe is effectively infinite. (That is not to say life itself is infinite, as at a certain point the universe becomes too cold and dead to continue to maintain life.)
One of the tenants of probability theory is that, given enough time, an event will occur. Thus, given an infinite period of time, _all_ events that are possible will eventually occur. In other words, if you wait an infinitely long time, you'll eventually teleport to the inner ring of Neptune.
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Re:Artificial Black Holes
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gravitational pull, attracts more mass
The problem is, a black hole would need to be awfully large to have more than negligible gravitational attraction.
Black holes only have as much attraction as the mass they contain. A black hole that weighs as much as your car is going to have the same gravitational attraction as... your car. How much gravitational attraction does a skyscraper have? (Negligible.) How much gravitational attraction does an aircraft carrier have? (Negligible.)
A black hole would have to have tremendous mass to make even the slightest effect on nearby objects, and then you still have problems because black holes are incredibly dense - which means even "large" black holes are going to be incredibly small (if I remember correctly, a black hole with the mass of the Earth is about the size of a marble - how small is a black hole that only has the mass of an aircraft carrier?). How much matter it can consume is limited by the size of the black hole.
Not to mention, too, that Stephen Hawking proved that black holes do give off some radiation, and thus will shrink if they do not consume enough mass to stay stable (and if they shrink past a certain limit, they simply explode).
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Re:More like BeOS's filesystem?
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I should really learn not to post to Slashdot anymore.
Instead of productive conversation, you get arrogant, condescending assholes who feel that they must be right at all costs, civility and politeness be damned.
I'd response, Aunt Mable, but you've already demonstrated that you aren't worth any more of my time.
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Re:More like BeOS's filesystem?
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Many people view "databases" as the actual method of storing the data as well as the management system.
I'm not saying NTFS5 isn't a real database. In the view of many, however, NTFS5 is a rudimentary database at best because it doesn't have any sort of decent management system.
Don't be so defensive!
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Re:More like BeOS's filesystem?
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The fact that it can be indexed so both content AND properties are searchable sounds a lot like a database to me.
It's a rudimentary database, and not what people mean when they compare it to a "real" database. A real database is a lot more advanced, and offers a lot more features, than just searching. --
Re:More like BeOS's filesystem?
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No. I believe BeOS just has a meta attribute at the FS level filled with supposed attributes.
BeOS doesn't have one big clump of data that is partitioned; it has a lot of little bits of data. There is nothing "supposed" about the attributes.
For instance, an "MP3" datatype might have fields for Artist, Title, Album, Year, and Comments. You could then search for any song with the word "Land," performed by a group with "Men" in their name, on any album between the years 1982-1988, with the phrase "sounds like crap" in the comment field.
There's no way to actually define a new field at the FS level.
Sure there is. Preferences->Filetypes allows you to add new attributes to a particular filetype, as well as define new filetypes. It's up to the associated applications to do anything meaningful with the new field or fields, but you can pretty much do what you want.
On the command line, I don't think you can manipulate a global filetype. However, for individual files, you can add your own attributes, delete existing ones, and so on.
Early version of BeOS did use a database FS for the entire system but they dropped it by R4 (I think that's the right version) because of performance issues.
The early versions of BeOS used a separate database (not very complex) and filesystem, which wound up being very difficult to work with, so eventually they merged the two. The "database" aspects of the BeOS filesystem are more of being able to add (relatively) arbitrary data to particular filetypes, and do searching based on those criteria. It isn't a formal database in any sense of the word.
This is true in just about any development environment--the difference between reality and a model of reality is that reality usually doesn't fit into models very well, because it is a inherently a superset of any model.
There's an old saying which demonstrates this: "The difference between theory and practice is that in theory, there is no difference between theory and practice."
Ha ha, so now two products shipped in the same box are lawful when they're *not* integrated! Wow. There goes your whole argument.
Actually, my argument isn't that two products shipped in the same box are unlawful if they're not integrated.
and because a file manager, of some sort, has been included with Windows since it was originally released.
Why does this matter with regard to integration? Do you mean that if IE had been included in Windows all along it would be lawful by your reasoning?
I wouldn't necessarily say it's lawful; on the other hand, it would be a much easier justification/defense for being lawful. Why? At least for me, it's because the consumer/user would never have had the perspective of the product without it.
You can provide your own browser and install it on Windows, as well as choose which browser should be the default. Even Jim Barksdale testified that Navigator was "perfectly interoperable" with Microsoft's operating system. 10/22/98 pm Tr. at 51-52.
That's all well and good, but that addresses only a small portion of IE's supposed integrational benefits. Can I use Navigator inside Explorer to view the contents of a file folder? Can I use Navigator to peruse my Windows help files? Keeping with the tire analogy, it would be like buying a car, asking to put on my own tires, and the dealer telling me that my tires will only fit on the back wheels - for the front ones, the only tires that will do are the ones that dealer gives me.
Given that IE is essentially a COM component, which by definition has an interface which should, if written correctly, makes the component a black box, I see no technical reason why replacing the IE component with another rendering component which supports the same interface should fail - unless IE and Windows are artifically tied together.
Point is, just because your body is dependent on *a heart* doesn't mean it's dependent on *a particular heart* (JHU is happy to provide a substitute) a la the car-tire analogy;
I agree. You can replace human hearts. However, replacing a human heart is not a trivial operation. It requires cutting into the chest, breaking the sternum and bending back the rib cage, stopping the heart while still providing blood circulation, removing the heart, replacing it with a donor heart, securing the new heart to the existing body, and closing the patient back up. It also requires constant monitoring and in most cases a strict regimine of anti-rejection drugs.
Vis-a-vis integration, there is something to be said for the objective difficulty in removing it (again, let me stress objective).
and just because your heart is dependent on *an attached circulatory system* doesn't mean it's dependent on a particular one (it can be kept alive outside of your body).
As far as I'm concerned, hooking a heart up to a machine in order for it to keep pumping blood (and similarly, hooking a human up to a machine that pumps blood in the absense of a heart) constitute "extreme measures."
The IE analogy follows: Windows is dependent on an HTML-rendering component (not necessarily IE); the IE HTML rendering component has no meaning outside the context of an app, but doesn't rely on a particular app. Still IE is an integral part of Windows in much the same way the heart is commonly thought of as an integral part of the circulatory system. Anyway, enough silly analogies...
This is where we disagree. I don't see that as integration - for me, integration has to be a dual independence. One part has to be dependent on the other, and vice versa. If one part is dependent on another, but the latter doesn't require the former, then they aren't integrated. All you have is a dependency.
According to your logic, any application which requires any external application or library can be said to be integrated with that application or library. I don't buy that. It doesn't even make sense. At work, I'm working on video editing software that requires the MFC DLLs to run - but I don't think anybody with an ounce of technical knowledge would dare claim that my application is integrated with Windows! It is merely dependent.
Furthermore, if Windows is dependent on an HTML renderer, and not any specific renderer, you're attacking your own argument. How can Windows and IE be integrated if Windows doesn't even necessarily require IE? That simply supports the argument that Windows has dependencies on technologies, not integrated technologies.
Interdependence is perhaps the most complete integration, but cannot be the test for integration. Otherwise, most software written in an object oriented fashion is 'not integrated' and therefore an unlawful tie under your test e.g. you write an air traffic control app in C++ and your AirPlane class is fully encapsulated; the AirPlane class is not integrated with the app, and is a tie.
I would modify your initial statement. I would say independence is not the only test for integration. Code integration can be a stronger argument for whether a pair of programs or technologies are truly integrated. I don't think anyone would claim that two classes in the same program aren't integrated, regardless of how "black box" they are with regards to each other (no matter how you feel about IE/Windows, this is just common sense). Two programs in the same source code may be considered integrated, but there would have to be extenuating circumstances. Do they share data, so that one can't function without the other and vice versa? Or are they completely independent programs that have simply been sandwiched into the same source code? (Yes, I have seen that in previous jobs.) Do they require access to the same data structures and logic?
On a more germane level, IE - the HTML renderer - is available as a COM component, which is independent of any particular application. If you were to look at Windows Explorer source code, one thing to look for would be how IE is used. For instance, is IE used as an imported DLL or as a COM interface? Is there any reason why IE is used as a DLL rather than via COM? If so, is that reason valid? (In other words, is that reason technically sound? Is there a strong technical reason why you couldn't implement that functionality through the COM interface, or is it just an artificial dependency?) Are DLL/COM locations hardcoded into the application? If so, is there any reason why Explorer couldn't simply retrieve the location of the preferred renderer from a Registry setting?
My basic argument is this: Internet Explorer is a COM component, usable by not only Windows but by third-party programs. IE the COM component is a full implementation of an HTML renderer. Why doesn't Windows/Explorer simply use the COM component? And if it does, then why am I - or any third-party application - prevented from replacing that COM component with another COM component? If I can, and there is an established procedure for doing so, why isn't this being used as a defense in the lawsuit? ("Gee, Your Honor, anybody can replace the HTML renderer - is it our fault that nobody has written a component that can do it yet?")
The fact that this isn't being used as a defense in the lawsuit leads me to believe that there is no way of swapping HTML renderers in Windows, which subsequently implies that Windows/Explorer is either a) not using COM component Internet Explorer, or b) using COM component IE, but not providing any external method of swapping it out for another renderer. In the first case, if IE/COM is truly a full-featured HTML renderer, then that leads me to ask why IE/COM isn't being used. In the second case, it leads me to ask why Microsoft isn't allowing me to substitute another renderer for IE. And in both cases, the only common answer that springs forth is that Microsoft is intentionally making it difficult/impossible to replace HTML renderers. And the only reasons that comes to mind as to why MS is making it intentionally difficult are a) total ignorance, b) intentional deception, or c) outright maliciousness.
This is what happens when the govt. tries to take concepts used when reasoning about bricks and medical services and apply them to something that's basically a series of instructions. It just implodes.
I think the reason for doing it is just, simply that the implementation is less than perfect. I mean, speaking hypothetically, what do you do to compete with a company that has a complete, or near, monopoly on essential software and is willing to use the strength of that monopoly to dominate other areas where it is not so strong? When you have only a fractional amount of resources as compared to said company?
At any rate, no matter how you feel about the lawsuit, it does have one good benefit: either way it goes, it will establish precedence under the law for handling software technology cases.:)
OK, a couple more questions: Do you believe the inclusion of the Windows Explorer (the file system browsing tool) in Windows 95 was unlawful? Note that a number of third parties were selling similar tools previously.
I would say that no, it was not unlawful, because the technologies are not integrated and because a file manager, of some sort, has been included with Windows since it was originally released.
Also, with regard to your car analogy, is it unlawful for a car dealer to force you to buy tires with the car even though they're not integrated products by your reasoning?
No, it isn't, for two reasons.
One, tires are necessary for the functioning of a car. If it were onlt this point, you can make a plausible case that this demonstrates that IE and Windows are integrated (since Windows, at least in its present form, is dependent on IE).
However, the second reason is that I can provide my own tires, or have my choice of the tires I wish to have my car run on. The car dealer does not claim that the tires and car are inseparable, that it is impossible to install non-dealership tires, or that the car can use one, and only one, specific model of tires and no others will fit.
Finally, would you consider your heart (the muscle) to be integrated with your circulatory system, considering that it can be swapped out for a similar component supplied by a third party?
Yes, I would consider it an integrated portion. Without extreme measures, a heart cannot survive without a body attached to it, nor can a human being survive without a heart without extreme measures.
This would be an instance of the two-way dependence I mentioned earlier. Neither component can survive without the other.
Do you believe that Windows 95 was lawful with regard to its combination of a GUI and DOS?
Technically, no, I don't think it was lawful.
On the other hand, I have yet to see a demonstration where Windows 95 was successfully executed on a non-MS-DOS operating system. Caldera claimed to have a tiny (on the order of several dozen kilobytes) TSR that would allow Windows 95 to run on DR-DOS, but never released the TSR to the public. So, based on the evidence that has come into the public domain, I have a strong suspicion that Windows 98 and MS-DOS 7 were artifically wedded - but I can't prove it, so all I can do is grumble.
On the other hand, I have seen a machine stripped of IE continue working, albeit with certain applications non-functional, with no loss of stability or performance. The 98micro option of 98Lite will strip IE out completely, and in fact can boost the performance of Windows by several percent.
Also what were the chief benefits of Windows 95 and were they 'tautological' under Hollaar's analysis?
I'm not going to provide a list, simply because there will always be things I forgot that you, or somebody else, will challenge me on. Suffice it to say, things like the improved GUI, improved programs, and so on, as well as the single install, help, and configuration options, are either due to the tautological benefits that Hollaar espoused or due to the improvement in the components themselves, rather than any specific improvement arising from the coupling of Windows 95 and MS-DOS 7.
Perhaps you can provide me with an example of something that could not be accomplished by having Windows 95 be a separate GUI rather than tied to MS-DOS 7?
Slashdot Mirror
This isn't a question of free speech, but a question of morality.
Thankfully, the First Amendment lets you freely espouse your morality, because no matter how conservative you are, there's somebody out there who doesn't feel your morality is conservative enough and who, given the opportunity, would gladly use the legal system to shut you up.
The First Amendment may protect virtual child pornographers, but it also protects the ultra-conservatives and the ultra-liberals, and everybody in between.
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An innovative child pornographer
An innovative child pornographer would, the first time he needed to molest kids, find an uncensored USENET feed and download a few dozen images. Upon getting his first victim, he would make his own and therefore have a ready supply.
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How can you prove that a digital image is real and not fabricated????
By finding the victim(s), instead of sitting on your ass.
Yes, we all know that old-fashioned police work is just that, work. On the other hand, let's try and keep the amount of things that are illegal-if-proved-true greater than the amount of things that are illegal-until-proven-false, OK?
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Fantasy in troubled individuals often leads to acts.
Then how about punishing those people that commit those acts? If I drive over somebody in a car, then I am tried, convicted, and sent to prison. Yet the other, responsible drivers on the road aren't required to hand in their licenses and freedoms because one person did something stupid.
Why should this be any different? Rather than punish people for something they might do, and in the process take away some essential liberties, how about punishing people for the crimes they actually commit?
What you're saying is the equivalent of, "It's OK to punish as many innocent people as possible, so long as one of them might commit a crime in the future (possibly)."
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Our current system would say law enforcement, which translates to no way that they can crack down on child pornographers without catching them "in the act".
Our current system would say law enforcement, but in actuality the proof would wind up resting on the defense anyways. How?
"Your Honor, look at these pictures. Obviously they use real children."
"How about it, Mr. X? Can you prove you didn't (ab)use real children?"
"Uh, no, your Honor. I created them on my computer."
"So, in other words, you can't prove real children weren't involved."
"No."
Voila! Despite the fact being unable to unequivocably prove a negative is next to impossible, you have now successfully translated the burden of the prosecution to prove children were involved to the defense to prove children weren't.
In other words: assumed guilty until you can prove you're innocent.
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Uh, these "advanced" distros you talk so slightly of have something called "install options" to let you choose which packages you want and don't want! Gasp! Imagine it! You can choose to NOT install X or KDE if you like!
Slackware gives you that capability as well. You don't have to install everything, you can simply pick and choose what you want. Before you install, you can specify which disk sets you wish to install, where each disk set corresponds to a particular major feature. There's a disk set for X, a disk set for networking, and so on. During the install, you can subsequently go through and select which packages you want from the disk sets you want to install.
My last installation, for example, I skipped installing X and all of the GUI things (WMs, KDE, GNOME, etc.). The system worked perfectly afterwards.
But you've probably never actually tried any of them recently, or you wouldn't be making an uninformed comment like that.
Obviously, you haven't run Slackware recently, or you wouldn't be making an uninformed comment like the one above.
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BeOS is closed source.
Part of BeOS is open source. The Tracker (equivalent to Windows Explorer) and Deskbar (a much more functional taskbar, but not as fancy as the ones for GNOME and KDE) are both open source, released under the BSD license.
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Does anybody have a link to a layman's summary of what copyright is, what the concepts of fair use and reverse engineering are, the current abuse of copyright in the world, and why copyright abuse is a severe erosion of our rights and abilities as end-users?
I'd like to get some of my friends more aware of the issues (and hopefully, they'll get _their_ friends aware of the issues, who will get _their_ friends aware, etc.), but most of the summaries tend to be more technical than my friends are (they wouldn't understand a casual reference to the first-sale doctrine or have any clue what DeCSS is).
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Somebody enlighten me about any real benefits of the space program.
(all shamelessly swiped from the 'net; do a google search on "benefits NASA"):
Computer Technology - NASA Spinoffs
GROUND PROCESSING SCHEDULING SYSTEM - Computer-based scheduling system that uses artificial intelligence to manage thousands of overlapping activities involved in launch preparations of NASA's Space Shuttles. The NASA technology was licensed to a new company which developed commercial applications that provide real-time planning and optimization of manufacturing operations, integrated supply chains, and customer orders.uu
SEMICONDUCTOR CUBING - NASA initiative led to the Memory Short StackÅ, a three-dimensional semiconductor package in which dozens of integrated circuits are stacked one atop another to form a cube, offering faster computer processing speeds, higher levels of integration, lower power requirements than conventional chip sets, and dramatic reduction in the size and weight of memory-intensive systems, such as medical imaging devices.
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS - This NASA program, originally created for spacecraft design, has been employed in a broad array of non-aerospace applications, such as the automobile industry, manufacture of machine tools, and hardware designs.
WINDOWS VISUAL NEWS READER (Win Vn) - Software program developed to support payload technical documentation at Kennedy Space Center, allowing the exchange of technical information among a large group of users. WinVn is an enabling technology product that provides countless people with Internet access otherwise beyond their grasp, and it was optimized for organizations that have direct Internet access.
AIR QUALITY MONITOR - Utilizing a NASA-developed, advanced analytical technique software package, an air quality monitor system was created, capable of separating the various gases in bulk smokestack exhaust streams and determining the amount of individual gases present within the stream for compliance with smokestack emission standards.
VIRTUAL REALITY - NASA-developed research allows a user, with assistance from advanced technology devices, to figuratively project oneself into a computer-generated environment, matching the user's head motion, and, when coupled with a stereo viewing device and appropriate software, creates a telepresence experience.
Other spinoffs in this area include: Advanced keyboards, Customer Service Software, Database Management System, Laser Surveying, Aircraft controls, Lightweight Compact Disc, Expert System Software, Microcomputers, and Design Graphics.
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Consumer/Home/Recreation - NASA Spinoffs
ENRICHED BABY FOOD - A microalgae-based, vegetable-like oil called Formulaid developed from NASA-sponsored research on long duration space travel, contains two essential fatty acids found in human milk but not in most baby formulas, believed to be important for infants' mental and visual development.
WATER PURIFICATION SYSTEM - NASA-developed municipal-size water treatment system for developing nations, called the Regenerable Biocide Delivery Unit, uses iodine rather than chlorine to kill bacteria.
SCRATCH-RESISTANT LENSES - A modified version of a dual ion beam bonding process developed by NASA involves coating the lenses with a film of diamond-like carbon that not only provides scratch resistance, but also decreases surface friction, reducing water spots.
POOL PURIFICATION - Space technology designed to sterilize water on long-duration spacecraft applied to swimming pool purification led to a system that uses two silver-copper alloy electrodes that generate silver and copper ions when an electric current passes through them to kill bacteria and algae without chemicals.
RIBBED SWIMSUIT - NASA-developed riblets applied to competition swimsuits resulted in flume testing of 10 to 15 percent faster speeds than any other world class swim-suit due to the small, barely visible grooves that reduce friction and aerodynamic drag by modifying the turbulent airflow next to the skin.
GOLF BALL AERODYNAMICS - A recently designed golf ball, which has 500 dimples arranged in a pattern of 60 spherical triangles, employs NASA aerodynamics technology to create a more symmetrical ball surface, sustaining initial velocity longer and producing a more stable ball flight for better accuracy and distance.
PORTABLE COOLERS/WARMERS - Based on a NASA-inspired space cooling system employing thermoelectric technology, the portable cooler/warmer plugs into the cigarette lighters of autos, recreational vehicles, boats, or motel outlets. Utilizes one or two miniaturized modules delivering the cooling power of a 10-pound block of ice and the heating power of up to 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
SPORTS TRAINING - Space-developed cardio-muscular conditioner helps athletes increase muscular strength and cardiovascular fitness through kinetic exercise.
ATHLETIC SHOES - Moon Boot material encapsulated in running shoe midsoles improve shock absorption and provides superior stability and motion control.
Other spinoffs in this area include: Dustbuster, shock-absorbing helmets, home security systems, smoke detectors, flat panel televisions, high-density batteries, trash compactors, food packaging and freeze-dried technology, cool sportswear, sports bras, hair styling appliances, fogless ski goggles, self-adjusting sunglasses, composite golf clubs, hang gliders, art preservation, and quartz crystal timing equipment.
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Environmental and Resource Management - NASA Spinoffs
MICROSPHERES - The first commercial products manufactured in orbit are tiny microspheres whose precise dimensions permit their use as reference standards for extremely accurate calibration of instruments in research and industrial laboratories. They are sold for applications in environmental control, medical research, and manufacturing.
SOLAR ENERGY - NASA-pioneered photovoltaic power system for spacecraft applications was applied to programs to expand terrestrial applications as a viable alternative energy source in areas where no conventional power source exists.
WEATHER FORECASTING AID - Space Shuttle environmental control technology led to the development of the Barorator which continuously measures the atmospheric pressure and calculates the instantaneous rate of change.
FOREST MANAGEMENT - A NASA-initiated satellite scanning system monitors and maps forestation by detecting radiation reflected and emitted from trees.
SENSORS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL - NASA development of an instrument for use in space life support research led to commercial development of a system to monitor an industrial process stream to assure that the effluent water's pH level is in compliance with environmental regulations.
WIND MONITOR - Development of Jimsphere wind measurement balloon for space launches allows for making high resolution measurements of the wind profile for meteorological studies and predictions.
TELEMETRY SYSTEMS - A spinoff company formed to commercialize NASA high-data-rate telemetry technology, manufactures a high-speed processing system for commercial communications applications.
PLANT RESEARCH - NASA research on future moon and Mars bases is investigating using plants for food, oxygen, and water to reduce the need for outside supplies. This research utilizes Hydroponics (liquid nutrient solutions) instead of soil to support plant growth and finds applications for vegetable production on Earth.
FIRE RESISTANT MATERIAL - Materials include chemically-treated fabric for sheets, uniforms for hazardous material handlers, crew's clothing, furniture, interior walls of submersibles and auto racer and refueler suits.
RADIATION INSULATION - Aluminized polymer film is highly effective radiation barrier for both manned and unmanned spacecraft. Variations of this space-devised material are also used as an energy conservation technique for homes and offices. The materials are placed between wall studs and exterior facing before siding or between roof support and roof sheathing. The radiant barrier blocks 95% of radiant energy. Successful retrofit installations include schools and shrink wrap ovens.
Other spinoffs in this area include: Whale identification method, environmental analysis, noise abatement, pollution measuring devices, pollution control devices, smokestack monitor, radioactive leak detector, earthquake prediction system, sewage treatment, energy saving air conditioning, and air purification.
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Health and Medicine - NASA Spinoffs
DIGITAL IMAGING BREAST BIOPSY SYSTEM - The LORAD Stereo Guide Breast Biopsy system incorporates advanced Charge Coupled Devices (CCDs) as part of a digital camera system. The resulting device images breast tissue more clearly and efficiently. Known as stereotactic large-core needle biopsy, this nonsurgical system developed with Space Telescope Technology is less traumatic and greatly reduces the pain, scarring, radiation exposure, time, and money associated with surgical biopsies.
BREAST CANCER DETECTION - A solar cell sensor is positioned directly beneath x-ray film, and determines exactly when film has received sufficient radiation and has been exposed to optimum density. Associated electronic equipment then sends a signal to cut off the x-ray source. Reduction of mammography x-ray exposure reduces radiation hazard and doubles the number of patient exams per machine.
LASER ANGIOPLASTY - Laser angioplasty with a "cool" type of laser, caller an excimer laser, does not damage blood vessel walls and offers precise non-surgical cleanings of clogged arteries with extraordinary precision and fewer complications than in balloon angioplasty.
ULTRASOUND SKIN DAMAGE ASSESSMENT - Advanced instrument using NASA ultrasound technology enables immediate assessment of burn damage depth, improving patient treatment, and may save lives in serious burn cases.
HUMAN TISSUE STIMULATOR - Employing NASA satellite technology, the device is implanted in the body to help patient control chronic pain and involuntary motion disorders through electrical stimulation of targeted nerve centers or particular areas of the brain.
COOL SUIT - Custom-made suit derived from space suits circulates coolant through tubes to lower patient's body/ temperature, producing dramatic improvement of symptoms of multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, spina bifida and other conditions.
PROGRAMMABLE PACEMAKER - Incorporating multiple NASA technologies, the system consists of the implant and a physician's computer console containing the programming and a data printer. Communicates through wireless telemetry signals.
OCULAR SCREENING - NASA image processing techniques are used to detect eye problems in very young children. An electronic flash from a 35-millimeter camera sends light into the child's eyes, and a photorefractor analyzes the retinal reflexes, producing an image of each eye.
AUTOMATED URINALYSIS - NASA fluid dynamics studies helped development of system that automatically extracts and transfers sediment from urine sample to an analyzer microscope, replacing the manual centrifuge method.
MEDICAL GAS ANALYZER - Astronaut-monitoring technology used to develop system to monitor operating rooms for analysis of anesthetic gasses and measurement of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen concentrations to assure proper breathing environment for surgery patients.
VOICE-CONTROLLED WHEELCHAIR - NASA teleoperator and robot technology used to develop chair and manipulator that respond to 35 one-word voice commands utilizing a minicomputer to help patient perform daily tasks, like picking up packages, opening doors, and turning on appliances.
Other spinoffs in this area include: Arteriosclerosis detection, ultrasound scanners, automatic insulin pump, portable x-ray device, invisible braces, dental arch wire, palate surgery technology, clean room apparel, implantable heart aid, MRI, bone analyzer, and cataract surgery tools.
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Industrial Productivity/Manufacturing Technology - NASA Spinoffs
MAGNETIC LIQUIDS - Based on the NASA-developed ferrofluid concept involving synthetic fluids that can be positioned and controlled by magnetic force, the ferrofluidic seal was initially applied in a zero-leakage, nonwearing seal for the rotating shaft of a system used to make semiconductor chips, solving a persistent problemãcontamination due to leaking seals.
WELDING SENSOR SYSTEM - Laser-based automated welder for industrial use incorporates a laser sensor system originally designed for Space Shuttle External Tank to track the seam where two pieces of metal are to be joined, measures gaps and minute misfits, and automatically corrects the welding torch distance and height.
MICROLASERS - Based on a concept for optical communications over interplanetary distances, microlasers were developed for the commercial market to transmit communication signals and to drill, cut, or melt materials.
MAGNETIC BEARING SYSTEM - Bearings developed from Space Shuttle designs support moving machinery without physical contact, permitting motion without friction or wear, and are now used in electric power generation, petroleum refining, machine tool operation, and natural gas pipelines.
ENGINE LUBRICANT - A NASA-developed plasma-sprayed coating is used to coat valves in a new, ten-inch-long, four-cylinder rotary engine, eliminating the need for lubricating the rotorcam, which has no crankshaft, flywheel, distributor, or water pump.
INTERACTIVE COMPUTER TRAINING - Known as Interactive Multimedia Training (IMT), originally developed to train astronauts and space operations personnel, now utilized by the commercial sector to train new employees and upgrade worker skills, using a computer system that engages all the senses, including text, video, animation, voice, sounds, and music.
HIGH-PRESSURE WATERSTRIPPING - Technology developed for preparing Space Shuttle solid rocket boosters first evolved into the U.S. Air Force's Large Aircraft Robotic Paint Stripping (LARPS) system, and now used in the commercial airline industry, where the waterjet processing reduces coating removal time by 90 percent, using only water at ultra-high pressures up to 55,000 psi.
ADVANCED WELDING TORCH - Based on the Variable Polarity Plasma Arc welding technology, a handheld torch originally developed for joining light alloys used in NASA's External Tank, is now used by major appliance manufacturers for sheet metal welding.
Other spinoffs in this area include: Gasoline vapor recovery, self-locking fasteners, machine tool software, laser wire stripper, lubricant coating process, wireless communications, engine coatings, and engine design.
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Public Safety - NASA Spinoffs
RADIATION HAZARD DETECTOR - NASA technology has made commercially available new, inexpensive, conveniently carried device for protection of people exposed to potentially dangerous levels of microwave radiation. Weighing only 4 ounces and about the size of a cigarette pack, it can be carried in a shirt pocket or clipped to a belt. Unit sounds an audible alarm when microwave radiation reaches a preset level.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE ROBOT - Remotely-operated robot reduces human injury levels by performing hazardous tasks that would otherwise be handled by humans.
PERSONAL ALARM SYSTEM - Pen-sized ultrasonic transmitter used by prison guards, teachers, the elderly, and disabled to call for help is based on space telemetry technology. Pen transmits a silent signal to receiver that will display the exact location of the emergency.
EMERGENCY RESCUE CUTTERS - Lightweight cutters for freeing accident victims from wreckage developed using NASA pyrotechnic technology.
FIREMAN'S AIR TANKS - Lighter-weight firefighter's air tanks have been developed. New back-pack system weighs only 20 lbs. for 30 minute air supply, 13 lbs. less than conventional firefighting tanks. They are pressurized at 4,500 psia (twice current tanks). A warning device tells the fireman when he or she is running out of air.
PERSONAL STORM WARNING SYSTEM - Lightning detector gives 30-minute warning to golfers, boaters, homeowners, business owners, and private pilots.
SELF-RIGHTING LIFE RAFT - Developed for the Apollo program, fully inflates in 12 seconds and protects lives during extremely adverse weather conditions with self-righting and gravity compensation features.
Other spinoffs in this area include: Storm warning services (Doppler radar), firefighters' radios, lead poison detection, fire detector, flame detector, corrosion protection coating, protective clothing, and robotic hands.
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Transportation - NASA Spinoffs
STUDLESS WINTER TIRES - Viking Lander parachute shroud material is adapted and used to manufacture radial tires, increasing the tire material's chainlike molecular structure to five times the strength of steel should increase tread life by 10,000 miles.
BETTER BRAKES - New, high-temperature composite space materials provide for better brake linings. Applications includes trucks, industrial equipment and passenger cars.
TOLLBOOTH PURIFICATION - A laminar airflow technique used in NASA clean rooms for contamination-free assembly of space equipment is used at tollbooths on bridges and turnpikes to decrease the toll collector's inhalation of exhaust fumes.
WEIGHT SAVING TECHNOLOGY - NASA research on composite materials is used to achieve a 30-percent weight reduction in a twin-turbine helicopter, resulting in a substantial increase in aircraft performance.
IMPROVED AIRCRAFT ENGINE - Multiple NASA developed technological advancements resulted in a cleaner, quieter, more economical commercial aircraft engine known as the high bypass turbofan, featuring a 10-percent reduction in fuel consumption, lower noise levels, and emission reductions of oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, and unburned hydrocarbons.
ADVANCED LUBRICANTS - An environmental-friendly lubricant designed to support the Space Shuttle Mobile Launcher Platform led to the development of three commercial lubricants for railroad track maintenance, for electric power company corrosion prevention, and as a hydraulic fluid with an oxidation life of 10,000 hours.
ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM - The Flywheel Energy Storage system, derived from two NASA-sponsored energy storage studies, is a chemical-free, mechanical battery that harnesses the energy of a rapidly spinning wheel and stores it as electricity with 50 times the capacity of a lead-acid battery, very useful for electric vehicles.
NEW WING DESIGN FOR CORPORATE JETS - NASA-developed computer programs resulted in an advanced, lighter, more aerodynamically-efficient new wing for Gulfstream business aircraft.
AIDS TO SCHOOL BUS DESIGN - Manufacturer uses three separate NASA-developed technologies originally developed for aviation and space use in their design and testing of a new school bus chassis. These technologies are a structural analysis computer program infrared stress measurement system, and a ride quality meter system.
Other spinoffs in this area include: Safer bridges, emission testing, airline wheelchairs, electric car, auto design, methane-powered vehicles, windshear prediction, and aircraft design analysis.
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Personal cabin pressure altitude monitor to contribute to public aviation safety
Shuttle Technology to Benefit Patients on Earth
New, Wide-ranging Applications of Satelite Pictures
Neurolab Team To Discuss Results, Benefits
Nasa Research Helps Mold Better Products
Nasa Space Suit Gives Boy His First Day in the Sun
Flight Experiment Smoothes Flow Over Supersonic Wing
NASA Technology To Help Pilots Taxi More Efficiently
Fire Imaging Device for Firefighters
Benefits Derived from Manned Space Missions
Nasa's Innovative Device to Aid Knee Injury
Robotic Helicopter for Public Safety
European Satellite Telecommunications Improve Maritime Safety
Nasa Sensors Provide Safe Platform for Volcano Studies
Non-Polluting Methanol Fuel Cell for Zero-Emission Vehicles
Nasa Research in Space May Redesign Household Windows
Nasa Technology Creates Market for Recycled Milk Bottles
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The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission set out to generate the most accurate topographical map of the Earth. The data recorded will enable engineers and scientists to develop safer navigation techniques and better communication systems.
Two girls who can not tolerate exposure to either the sun's strong ultraviolet light or even bright indoor lighting, each received a special UV protection suit that was developed from space-based technology.
A miniaturized ventricular-assist pump has been successfully implanted into several people. Initially called the NASA/DeBakey heart pump, it is based in part on technology used in space shuttle fuel pumps.
Winging their way into toy stores are Hasbro Aero Nerf Gliders, benefiting from NASA wind tunnel and aerodynamic expertise.
Properties of metal alloys studied for the space station program have sparked a new line of golf clubs. Shape memory metal gives the most seasoned golfer new control and feel.
BSR created blanket insulation kits based on NASA Space Shuttle Thermal Protection System materials and had the first products bear a seal from the U.S. Space Foundation indicating their space origin.
Based on award-winning NASA telerobotics software, VEVI4 is a powerful tool used to represent complex devices graphically in a 3-D environment. Depicted here is the Dante II vehicle during its descent into Mount Spurr, Alaska.
Building the Boeing 777 brought about the use of NASA innovations, from lightweight composite materials to the modern glass cockpit and aircraft control systems.
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Well, for one thing, throwing tons of radioactive material into space isn't exactly a safe way to protect mankind, is it?
For one thing, it's not literally tons of radioactive material. Cassini, for instance, which was the latest big bugaboo for the anti-nuclear forces, contained a mere 33 kilograms of nuclear material.
Second, the radioactive material is very heavily protected and encased in materials that make it very likely to survive orbital reentry fully intact. (Recently, a Russian rocket did fail during liftoff and exploded; the probe it was carrying, a RTG-powered device, fell deep into the ocean. Later surveys found the RTG completely intact and not leaking radiation.)
Third, if you want to imagine Cassini blew up in the atmosphere _and_ the radioactive material was incinerated and distributed around the globe, then the average exposure for any given human being by the radioactive material is LESS than the exposure you get each year simply be the radioactivity emitted by the sun.
(If you want references, you'll have to look in Robert Zubrin's latest book, Entering Space: Creating a Spacefaring Civilization. He discusses it, with math to prove his case.)
In summary, the hype of global cancer plagues caused by radioactive sources is just that: hype. You'll get exposed to more radiation by standing outside than you would by breathing in the distributed remains of something like Cassini.
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Sorry if a shuttle chief who doesnt know basic statistics doesn't inspire confidence in NASA.
He didn't say he couldn't figure it out. He said it wasn't relevant.
There's a huge difference between those two statements.
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We should be outraged when anyone is spammed, and we should put the full force of the state and the law against the perpetrator no matter who the victim!
I think the more reasonable of us agree that nobody, not even spammers, deserve to get deluged under spam. And whoever did this should get prosecuted.
However, having said that, this is certainly an ironic and amusing anecdote, and I think it cheers up a lot of people that spammers - perhaps among the most universally loathed people on the entire 'net - had a very succient object lesson as to why people don't like them very much.
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Unfortunately, the problem with this is that the probability of this happening is of course so astronomically remote that it will never happen anywhere in the expanse of the universe within whatever lifespan the universe may have.
Nitpick: that's not an entirely true statement. As long as the universe does not collapse upon itself in a Big Crunch, then the lifetime of the universe is effectively infinite. (That is not to say life itself is infinite, as at a certain point the universe becomes too cold and dead to continue to maintain life.)
One of the tenants of probability theory is that, given enough time, an event will occur. Thus, given an infinite period of time, _all_ events that are possible will eventually occur. In other words, if you wait an infinitely long time, you'll eventually teleport to the inner ring of Neptune.
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gravitational pull, attracts more mass
The problem is, a black hole would need to be awfully large to have more than negligible gravitational attraction.
Black holes only have as much attraction as the mass they contain. A black hole that weighs as much as your car is going to have the same gravitational attraction as... your car. How much gravitational attraction does a skyscraper have? (Negligible.) How much gravitational attraction does an aircraft carrier have? (Negligible.)
A black hole would have to have tremendous mass to make even the slightest effect on nearby objects, and then you still have problems because black holes are incredibly dense - which means even "large" black holes are going to be incredibly small (if I remember correctly, a black hole with the mass of the Earth is about the size of a marble - how small is a black hole that only has the mass of an aircraft carrier?). How much matter it can consume is limited by the size of the black hole.
Not to mention, too, that Stephen Hawking proved that black holes do give off some radiation, and thus will shrink if they do not consume enough mass to stay stable (and if they shrink past a certain limit, they simply explode).
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I should really learn not to post to Slashdot anymore.
Instead of productive conversation, you get arrogant, condescending assholes who feel that they must be right at all costs, civility and politeness be damned.
I'd response, Aunt Mable, but you've already demonstrated that you aren't worth any more of my time.
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Many people view "databases" as the actual method of storing the data as well as the management system.
I'm not saying NTFS5 isn't a real database. In the view of many, however, NTFS5 is a rudimentary database at best because it doesn't have any sort of decent management system.
Don't be so defensive!
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The fact that it can be indexed so both content AND properties are searchable sounds a lot like a database to me.
It's a rudimentary database, and not what people mean when they compare it to a "real" database. A real database is a lot more advanced, and offers a lot more features, than just searching.
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No. I believe BeOS just has a meta attribute at the FS level filled with supposed attributes.
BeOS doesn't have one big clump of data that is partitioned; it has a lot of little bits of data. There is nothing "supposed" about the attributes.
For instance, an "MP3" datatype might have fields for Artist, Title, Album, Year, and Comments. You could then search for any song with the word "Land," performed by a group with "Men" in their name, on any album between the years 1982-1988, with the phrase "sounds like crap" in the comment field.
There's no way to actually define a new field at the FS level.
Sure there is. Preferences->Filetypes allows you to add new attributes to a particular filetype, as well as define new filetypes. It's up to the associated applications to do anything meaningful with the new field or fields, but you can pretty much do what you want.
On the command line, I don't think you can manipulate a global filetype. However, for individual files, you can add your own attributes, delete existing ones, and so on.
Early version of BeOS did use a database FS for the entire system but they dropped it by R4 (I think that's the right version) because of performance issues.
The early versions of BeOS used a separate database (not very complex) and filesystem, which wound up being very difficult to work with, so eventually they merged the two. The "database" aspects of the BeOS filesystem are more of being able to add (relatively) arbitrary data to particular filetypes, and do searching based on those criteria. It isn't a formal database in any sense of the word.
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This is true in just about any development environment--the difference between reality and a model of reality is that reality usually doesn't fit into models very well, because it is a inherently a superset of any model.
There's an old saying which demonstrates this: "The difference between theory and practice is that in theory, there is no difference between theory and practice."
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What, the Apple suing Freetype article not too long ago wasn't enough of a troll for you?
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Anyone can buy PPC CPUs and CHRP is an open architecture, and Linux for PPC is free.
Where?
Seriously. If I can buy a G4 and an ATX MB and toss it into my system w/ standard parts, I'd do it in a second.
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Ha ha, so now two products shipped in the same box are lawful when they're *not* integrated! Wow. There goes your whole argument.
:)
Actually, my argument isn't that two products shipped in the same box are unlawful if they're not integrated.
and because a file manager, of some sort, has been included with Windows since it was originally released.
Why does this matter with regard to integration? Do you mean that if IE had been included in Windows all along it would be lawful by your reasoning?
I wouldn't necessarily say it's lawful; on the other hand, it would be a much easier justification/defense for being lawful. Why? At least for me, it's because the consumer/user would never have had the perspective of the product without it.
You can provide your own browser and install it on Windows, as well as choose which browser should be the default. Even Jim Barksdale testified that Navigator was "perfectly interoperable" with Microsoft's operating system. 10/22/98 pm Tr. at 51-52.
That's all well and good, but that addresses only a small portion of IE's supposed integrational benefits. Can I use Navigator inside Explorer to view the contents of a file folder? Can I use Navigator to peruse my Windows help files? Keeping with the tire analogy, it would be like buying a car, asking to put on my own tires, and the dealer telling me that my tires will only fit on the back wheels - for the front ones, the only tires that will do are the ones that dealer gives me.
Given that IE is essentially a COM component, which by definition has an interface which should, if written correctly, makes the component a black box, I see no technical reason why replacing the IE component with another rendering component which supports the same interface should fail - unless IE and Windows are artifically tied together.
Point is, just because your body is dependent on *a heart* doesn't mean it's dependent on *a particular heart* (JHU is happy to provide a substitute) a la the car-tire analogy;
I agree. You can replace human hearts. However, replacing a human heart is not a trivial operation. It requires cutting into the chest, breaking the sternum and bending back the rib cage, stopping the heart while still providing blood circulation, removing the heart, replacing it with a donor heart, securing the new heart to the existing body, and closing the patient back up. It also requires constant monitoring and in most cases a strict regimine of anti-rejection drugs.
Vis-a-vis integration, there is something to be said for the objective difficulty in removing it (again, let me stress objective).
and just because your heart is dependent on *an attached circulatory system* doesn't mean it's dependent on a particular one (it can be kept alive outside of your body).
As far as I'm concerned, hooking a heart up to a machine in order for it to keep pumping blood (and similarly, hooking a human up to a machine that pumps blood in the absense of a heart) constitute "extreme measures."
The IE analogy follows: Windows is dependent on an HTML-rendering component (not necessarily IE); the IE HTML rendering component has no meaning outside the context of an app, but doesn't rely on a particular app. Still IE is an integral part of Windows in much the same way the heart is commonly thought of as an integral part of the circulatory system. Anyway, enough silly analogies...
This is where we disagree. I don't see that as integration - for me, integration has to be a dual independence. One part has to be dependent on the other, and vice versa. If one part is dependent on another, but the latter doesn't require the former, then they aren't integrated. All you have is a dependency.
According to your logic, any application which requires any external application or library can be said to be integrated with that application or library. I don't buy that. It doesn't even make sense. At work, I'm working on video editing software that requires the MFC DLLs to run - but I don't think anybody with an ounce of technical knowledge would dare claim that my application is integrated with Windows! It is merely dependent.
Furthermore, if Windows is dependent on an HTML renderer, and not any specific renderer, you're attacking your own argument. How can Windows and IE be integrated if Windows doesn't even necessarily require IE? That simply supports the argument that Windows has dependencies on technologies, not integrated technologies.
Interdependence is perhaps the most complete integration, but cannot be the test for integration. Otherwise, most software written in an object oriented fashion is 'not integrated' and therefore an unlawful tie under your test e.g. you write an air traffic control app in C++ and your AirPlane class is fully encapsulated; the AirPlane class is not integrated with the app, and is a tie.
I would modify your initial statement. I would say independence is not the only test for integration. Code integration can be a stronger argument for whether a pair of programs or technologies are truly integrated. I don't think anyone would claim that two classes in the same program aren't integrated, regardless of how "black box" they are with regards to each other (no matter how you feel about IE/Windows, this is just common sense). Two programs in the same source code may be considered integrated, but there would have to be extenuating circumstances. Do they share data, so that one can't function without the other and vice versa? Or are they completely independent programs that have simply been sandwiched into the same source code? (Yes, I have seen that in previous jobs.) Do they require access to the same data structures and logic?
On a more germane level, IE - the HTML renderer - is available as a COM component, which is independent of any particular application. If you were to look at Windows Explorer source code, one thing to look for would be how IE is used. For instance, is IE used as an imported DLL or as a COM interface? Is there any reason why IE is used as a DLL rather than via COM? If so, is that reason valid? (In other words, is that reason technically sound? Is there a strong technical reason why you couldn't implement that functionality through the COM interface, or is it just an artificial dependency?) Are DLL/COM locations hardcoded into the application? If so, is there any reason why Explorer couldn't simply retrieve the location of the preferred renderer from a Registry setting?
My basic argument is this: Internet Explorer is a COM component, usable by not only Windows but by third-party programs. IE the COM component is a full implementation of an HTML renderer. Why doesn't Windows/Explorer simply use the COM component? And if it does, then why am I - or any third-party application - prevented from replacing that COM component with another COM component? If I can, and there is an established procedure for doing so, why isn't this being used as a defense in the lawsuit? ("Gee, Your Honor, anybody can replace the HTML renderer - is it our fault that nobody has written a component that can do it yet?")
The fact that this isn't being used as a defense in the lawsuit leads me to believe that there is no way of swapping HTML renderers in Windows, which subsequently implies that Windows/Explorer is either a) not using COM component Internet Explorer, or b) using COM component IE, but not providing any external method of swapping it out for another renderer. In the first case, if IE/COM is truly a full-featured HTML renderer, then that leads me to ask why IE/COM isn't being used. In the second case, it leads me to ask why Microsoft isn't allowing me to substitute another renderer for IE. And in both cases, the only common answer that springs forth is that Microsoft is intentionally making it difficult/impossible to replace HTML renderers. And the only reasons that comes to mind as to why MS is making it intentionally difficult are a) total ignorance, b) intentional deception, or c) outright maliciousness.
This is what happens when the govt. tries to take concepts used when reasoning about bricks and medical services and apply them to something that's basically a series of instructions. It just implodes.
I think the reason for doing it is just, simply that the implementation is less than perfect. I mean, speaking hypothetically, what do you do to compete with a company that has a complete, or near, monopoly on essential software and is willing to use the strength of that monopoly to dominate other areas where it is not so strong? When you have only a fractional amount of resources as compared to said company?
At any rate, no matter how you feel about the lawsuit, it does have one good benefit: either way it goes, it will establish precedence under the law for handling software technology cases.
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OK, a couple more questions: Do you believe the inclusion of the Windows Explorer (the file system browsing tool) in Windows 95 was unlawful? Note that a number of third parties were selling similar tools previously.
I would say that no, it was not unlawful, because the technologies are not integrated and because a file manager, of some sort, has been included with Windows since it was originally released.
Also, with regard to your car analogy, is it unlawful for a car dealer to force you to buy tires with the car even though they're not integrated products by your reasoning?
No, it isn't, for two reasons.
One, tires are necessary for the functioning of a car. If it were onlt this point, you can make a plausible case that this demonstrates that IE and Windows are integrated (since Windows, at least in its present form, is dependent on IE).
However, the second reason is that I can provide my own tires, or have my choice of the tires I wish to have my car run on. The car dealer does not claim that the tires and car are inseparable, that it is impossible to install non-dealership tires, or that the car can use one, and only one, specific model of tires and no others will fit.
Finally, would you consider your heart (the muscle) to be integrated with your circulatory system, considering that it can be swapped out for a similar component supplied by a third party?
Yes, I would consider it an integrated portion. Without extreme measures, a heart cannot survive without a body attached to it, nor can a human being survive without a heart without extreme measures.
This would be an instance of the two-way dependence I mentioned earlier. Neither component can survive without the other.
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Do you believe that Windows 95 was lawful with regard to its combination of a GUI and DOS?
Technically, no, I don't think it was lawful.
On the other hand, I have yet to see a demonstration where Windows 95 was successfully executed on a non-MS-DOS operating system. Caldera claimed to have a tiny (on the order of several dozen kilobytes) TSR that would allow Windows 95 to run on DR-DOS, but never released the TSR to the public. So, based on the evidence that has come into the public domain, I have a strong suspicion that Windows 98 and MS-DOS 7 were artifically wedded - but I can't prove it, so all I can do is grumble.
On the other hand, I have seen a machine stripped of IE continue working, albeit with certain applications non-functional, with no loss of stability or performance. The 98micro option of 98Lite will strip IE out completely, and in fact can boost the performance of Windows by several percent.
Also what were the chief benefits of Windows 95 and were they 'tautological' under Hollaar's analysis?
I'm not going to provide a list, simply because there will always be things I forgot that you, or somebody else, will challenge me on. Suffice it to say, things like the improved GUI, improved programs, and so on, as well as the single install, help, and configuration options, are either due to the tautological benefits that Hollaar espoused or due to the improvement in the components themselves, rather than any specific improvement arising from the coupling of Windows 95 and MS-DOS 7.
Perhaps you can provide me with an example of something that could not be accomplished by having Windows 95 be a separate GUI rather than tied to MS-DOS 7?
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Holy crap.
What does your company actually produce?
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