Given that Microsoft sits on US$40+ billion in liquid assets, losing US$177 million in three months for XBox is a literal drop in the bucket for the company.
That's why Sony and Nintendo have to be wary of Microsoft--MS has way more than enough time and resources to wait it out and watch Sony and/or Nintendo make a major misstep and Microsoft swoops in to grab marketshare in a blink of an eye.
If I remember correctly, the resolution of SPOT (launched by the French) had a resolution of 10 meters in general. The current Landsat has a resolution around 5 meters, if I remember correctly. For many commercial imaging satellites, very high resolution is not really necessary because they're designed to cover wide areas for environmental research.
It was only after IKONOS became operational in the late fall of 1999 that commercial imaging satellites reached the 100 cm resolution level. You'll see a lot more 100 cm resolution imaging satellites from multiple companies in the coming years--several American and several European companies are designing such satellites now. We may see commercial imaging satellites capable of imaging down to 50 cm very soon.
I think the practical limit for today's KH-11 and newer spysats is about 6-7 cm resolution, not enough to read a newspaper headline but definitely good enough to tell what kind of vehicle you're looking at.
Remember, even at 100 cm resolution the IKONOS satellite is capable of showing some amazing images. Remember that IKONOS image of the North Korean rocket test facility?
I expect within the next 4-5 years several companies will be orbiting imaging satellites capable of resolution at 100 cm resolution. It'll be nearly impossible to hid any secret activity with that type of resolution.
Re:Well, What do you Expect?
on
The Last Comdex?
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
I think the days of the all in one computer shows in the USA are coming to an end.
You will likely see computer shows that are more closely focused with various aspects of the computer industry in the future; we may end up seeing a show dedicated to hardware, Microsoft may end up doing two Windows World expos per year, etc. Already, the success of LinuxWorld Expo has shown a demand for a more focused computer industry exposition.
Taiwan definitely does not need another computer trade show. They already have COMPUTEX, probably the most important computer trade show right now because of the huge fraction of computer components coming from Taiwan.
While this new system works great for the visible spectrum of the Sun's output, you still want a space-based observatory to monitor the Sun's output in the other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. That's why satellites like SOHO are still important.
I think while the author has some interesting points about interface problems, the issue here is that both the current MacOS X and Windows XP interfaces still owe a lot to the GUI concepts pioneered at Xerox PARC during the 1970's--and because of its massive infiltration any attempt at an alternative isn't exactly going to be popular. Indeed, most of the themes in both Gnome and KDE follow the same ideas pioneered from Xerox PARC's work.
Let's see if someone with the money to burn can come up from scratch with a GUI for Linux that implements a lot of the interface suggestions the author mentions--I wish them lots of luck!
...But trying to break that 163-bit "elliptical code" is going to require current technology computers (even if you have 10,000 of them) several hundred years to break the code.
You're going to need a good number of supercomputers about the level of IBM's upcoming Blue Gene system to even think about attempting a crack of 163-bit "elliptical code."
It's not a far-fetched idea. After all, Sony makes TiVo boxes, licensed the technology for Sony-branded PVR boxes sold in Japan and Sony has openly supported Linux, the OS behind TiVo.
I think TiVo will really thrive with Sony's powerful engineering and technical resources, especially since Sony is one of the most powerful brand names on this planet, period.
...Having the Chinese insist on an all-Linux setup is an extreme no-brainer.
After all, you know IBM is going to be supplying the IT hardware for Olympic operations, and given that IBM is probably the largest supporter of Linux in the world....
I think Transmeta probably would have succeeded a bit better if they had been able to produce a version of Crusoe that had the equivalent performance of the Tualatin-core Intel Celeron CPU running at 1,200 MHz. This level of performance plus the naturally-low power consumption of the Crusoe CPU would have made it possible for laptops running even Windows XP Professional that are fast enough for laptop users. Of course, such a CPU would be perfect for the Tablet CPU, too.
But in reality, Transmeta really could not compete against the technological might of Intel. Remember, Intel not long after the Crusoe CPU was announced rapidly developed low-powered versions of the Celeron and Pentium III CPU's that didn't use that much more power than the Crusoe CPU, which really affected Crusoe sales.
Re:XDocs might threaten pdf in workflow environmen
on
Microsoft takes on PDF
·
· Score: 2
I think people are making a major mistake of thinking that XDocs is essentially a Microsoft-only format.
People forget that XDocs IS essentially Microsoft's name for an XML-formatted document. Because XDocs is based on XML, anyone who can read and modify XML documents should (in general) be able to use XDocs documents and forms without having to use Microsoft software.
Given that non-Microsoft operating systems (Linux, BSD variants including MacOS X, commercial UNIX variants, etc.) are incorporating XML support anyway, the XDocs format is actually a good idea since users won't need to install additional software to read and modify XDocs documents and forms like you have to do with Adobe.PDF files. In short, when you create an XML-formatted document or form in StarOffice or OpenOffice it can be read and modified in Office 11 using XDocs controls.
I think people are misunderstanding what XDocs really does.
XDocs is pretty much XML-formatted documents and forms, more or less. Any program that can read and manipulate XML should be able to read and modify XDocs documents with generally no problems.
I find it kind of hilarious that while everyone is complaining that XDocs will become a competitor to Adobe Acrobat's.PDF format, XDocs is based on the rapidly-growing standard of XML that will be part of all the major future operating systems (Windows, Linux, BSD variants, commercial UNIX variants and MacOS X).
In short, when you create an XDocs document people with Linux and FreeBSD on their desktops who have XML support installed should be able to read and modify XDocs documents easily.
However, it was technological developments in the second half of the 19th Century that really changed the world.
Three developments that became widely used at this time--the telegraph, railroads with steam-powered trains, and steam-powered ships--literally changed the face of the developed world almost overnight.
Just the telegraph allowed news and other information to be spread over thousands of miles in from the originating point in a matter of hours. The rapid growth of trains made it possible for people and goods to travel hundreds of miles on land in a matter of a few days; and steam-powered ships made it possible to traverse the world's oceans and wider rivers without worrying (generally) about wind and water currents.
Most of the cities in the midwestern USA could not have developed rapidly without the developments I mentioned.
...is the huge potential for fraud that could swing a preferential ballot vote.
Let's suppose in an imaginary example the 2004 US Presidential election is done by preferential ballot on the Federal level. After the primary season we end up with these five main candidates:
George W. Bush (Republican) Albert Gore, Jr. (Democrat) Pat Buchanan (Reform) Ralph Nader (Green) Harry Browne (Libertarian)
What would stop Al Gore campaigners from offering underhanded and possibly illegal incentives for Nader and Browne supporters to drastically lower the level of preference for Bush, effectively swinging the election to Gore?
Actually, if you're talking servers and increasingly supercomputers, Linux has made great inroads in the US market--thanks to a company whose initials are I-B-M.:-)
Why do you think IBM's Blue Gene supercomputer now in development runs Linux?
There's also the fact that third-party peripheral support is still not as good as what you get with Windows, despite the gains of recent years.
Small wonder why we may see Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) support in the next Linux kernel, if only to make it easier to hot dock external devices through USB 1.1/2.0 and IEEE-1394 ports.
Here's the question: are Americans smart enough to use the preferential ballot system like you mentioned? And it will definitely require computers to count preferential ballots, especially on state-wide elections in California, New York, Texas, Florida, etc.
Since UnitedLinux covers most of the major distributions of Linux anyway, a single site (mirrored around the world for capacity reasons) is probably the best way to go for Linux updates.
Given that the majority of desktop Linux users will be operating in a GUI environment, a single point and click site for Linux updates is the best way to go for these users. The apt-get update command is not exactly understandable for people weaned on Windows and Mac's, and it's nice to be able to see graphically a listing of the updates you pick and choose to install.
I think you're forgetting a big problem with #2 Diesel fuel sold in the USA: a large amount of sulfur compounds in the fuel.
With sulfur compound levels as high as 2,000 parts per million, these compounds will act akin to sulfuric acid (anyone who's taken high school chemistry knows how nasty sulfuric acid can be) and quickly destroy the modern fuel delivery systems and exhaust emission controls found on European market diesel cars, where in Europe sulfur compound levels max out around 450-500 parts million.
In a few years the EPA will mandate that sulfur compounds be no more than 80 parts per million; once that happens we'll see a deluge of truly modern diesel-powered cars arrive in the US market. The Volkswagen PD130 and PD150 engines are very powerful, yet offer very high fuel efficiency; with the new cleaner diesel fuel and proper exhaust emission controls we could see a diesel car get 50+ mpg yet have excellent acceleration and even meet at minimum the ULEV emissions standard (equivalent to Euro 2004 standard).
Now imagine matching a modern diesel engine into a diesel-electric hybrid drivetrain; a Toyota Prius with a small turbodiesel engine instead of a gasoline engine could be capable of nearly 75 miles per US gallon fuel efficiency! With a 11.9 gallon gas tank a one way trip from Portland, OR to Sacramento, CA might be within reach.
Unfortunately, there isn't enough arable farmland to grow enough crops to make the levels of biodiesel that the US really needs.
Here in California, the sulfur content standard is no more than 80 parts per million; the entire USA will switch to this standard in a few years. Once that happens, you'll see really clean-burning diesel engines show up on the US market--and a diesel-electric hybrid getting around 90 miles per US gallon fuel efficiency is within technological reach.:-)
What Linux really needs is the equivalent of Windows Update so you can get a full listing of what needs to be updated.
With the rollout of UnitedLinux due anytime now, I hope they implement something akin to Windows Update so we don't waste valuable time chasing down manually every important software update to your Linux installation.
The reason why diesels aren't popular in the US today is the fact that current Diesel #2 fuel is too full of sulphur compounds, which will quickly destroy the fuel delivery and exhaust emission controls found on European diesel-powered automobiles.
Since the EPA will require drastic reductions of such compounds in a few years, by then we could see the PD130 and PD150 engines found on European-market Golfs and Passats show up on the US market. Can you imagine a diesel-electric hybrid powertrain on a VW Golf getting fuel mileage that would make the diesel-powered VW Lupo seem like a fuel-guzzler in comparison? It could happen as early as 2006.
I have read that Toyota has begun to scale up the hybrid drivetrain technology pioneered by the Prius. I know they are already selling a hybrid minivan in Japan right now.
Don't be surprised within 18 months (heck, we might even see a concept vehicle as early as the 2003 Detroit International Auto Show in a few months!) a Toyota RAV4 or even a Scion SUV with a hybrid powertrain. I would be unsurprised if Honda shows within a year a version of the new Honda Element SUV with an Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) technology powertrain, too.:-) I'd buy a hybrid-powertrain Element in a New York minute once it becomes available for sale.
Slashdot Mirror
Given that Microsoft sits on US$40+ billion in liquid assets, losing US$177 million in three months for XBox is a literal drop in the bucket for the company.
That's why Sony and Nintendo have to be wary of Microsoft--MS has way more than enough time and resources to wait it out and watch Sony and/or Nintendo make a major misstep and Microsoft swoops in to grab marketshare in a blink of an eye.
If I remember correctly, the resolution of SPOT (launched by the French) had a resolution of 10 meters in general. The current Landsat has a resolution around 5 meters, if I remember correctly. For many commercial imaging satellites, very high resolution is not really necessary because they're designed to cover wide areas for environmental research.
It was only after IKONOS became operational in the late fall of 1999 that commercial imaging satellites reached the 100 cm resolution level. You'll see a lot more 100 cm resolution imaging satellites from multiple companies in the coming years--several American and several European companies are designing such satellites now. We may see commercial imaging satellites capable of imaging down to 50 cm very soon.
I think the practical limit for today's KH-11 and newer spysats is about 6-7 cm resolution, not enough to read a newspaper headline but definitely good enough to tell what kind of vehicle you're looking at.
Remember, even at 100 cm resolution the IKONOS satellite is capable of showing some amazing images. Remember that IKONOS image of the North Korean rocket test facility?
I expect within the next 4-5 years several companies will be orbiting imaging satellites capable of resolution at 100 cm resolution. It'll be nearly impossible to hid any secret activity with that type of resolution.
I think the days of the all in one computer shows in the USA are coming to an end.
You will likely see computer shows that are more closely focused with various aspects of the computer industry in the future; we may end up seeing a show dedicated to hardware, Microsoft may end up doing two Windows World expos per year, etc. Already, the success of LinuxWorld Expo has shown a demand for a more focused computer industry exposition.
Taiwan definitely does not need another computer trade show. They already have COMPUTEX, probably the most important computer trade show right now because of the huge fraction of computer components coming from Taiwan.
While this new system works great for the visible spectrum of the Sun's output, you still want a space-based observatory to monitor the Sun's output in the other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. That's why satellites like SOHO are still important.
I think the case will end up like this:
Microsoft gives Eolas somewhere between US$100-$500 million to buy out the Eolas patents.
Case is closed.
I think while the author has some interesting points about interface problems, the issue here is that both the current MacOS X and Windows XP interfaces still owe a lot to the GUI concepts pioneered at Xerox PARC during the 1970's--and because of its massive infiltration any attempt at an alternative isn't exactly going to be popular. Indeed, most of the themes in both Gnome and KDE follow the same ideas pioneered from Xerox PARC's work.
Let's see if someone with the money to burn can come up from scratch with a GUI for Linux that implements a lot of the interface suggestions the author mentions--I wish them lots of luck!
...But trying to break that 163-bit "elliptical code" is going to require current technology computers (even if you have 10,000 of them) several hundred years to break the code.
You're going to need a good number of supercomputers about the level of IBM's upcoming Blue Gene system to even think about attempting a crack of 163-bit "elliptical code."
...They will be bought out by Sony Corporation.
It's not a far-fetched idea. After all, Sony makes TiVo boxes, licensed the technology for Sony-branded PVR boxes sold in Japan and Sony has openly supported Linux, the OS behind TiVo.
I think TiVo will really thrive with Sony's powerful engineering and technical resources, especially since Sony is one of the most powerful brand names on this planet, period.
...Having the Chinese insist on an all-Linux setup is an extreme no-brainer.
After all, you know IBM is going to be supplying the IT hardware for Olympic operations, and given that IBM is probably the largest supporter of Linux in the world....
I think Transmeta probably would have succeeded a bit better if they had been able to produce a version of Crusoe that had the equivalent performance of the Tualatin-core Intel Celeron CPU running at 1,200 MHz. This level of performance plus the naturally-low power consumption of the Crusoe CPU would have made it possible for laptops running even Windows XP Professional that are fast enough for laptop users. Of course, such a CPU would be perfect for the Tablet CPU, too.
But in reality, Transmeta really could not compete against the technological might of Intel. Remember, Intel not long after the Crusoe CPU was announced rapidly developed low-powered versions of the Celeron and Pentium III CPU's that didn't use that much more power than the Crusoe CPU, which really affected Crusoe sales.
I think people are making a major mistake of thinking that XDocs is essentially a Microsoft-only format.
.PDF files. In short, when you create an XML-formatted document or form in StarOffice or OpenOffice it can be read and modified in Office 11 using XDocs controls.
People forget that XDocs IS essentially Microsoft's name for an XML-formatted document. Because XDocs is based on XML, anyone who can read and modify XML documents should (in general) be able to use XDocs documents and forms without having to use Microsoft software.
Given that non-Microsoft operating systems (Linux, BSD variants including MacOS X, commercial UNIX variants, etc.) are incorporating XML support anyway, the XDocs format is actually a good idea since users won't need to install additional software to read and modify XDocs documents and forms like you have to do with Adobe
I think people are misunderstanding what XDocs really does.
.PDF format, XDocs is based on the rapidly-growing standard of XML that will be part of all the major future operating systems (Windows, Linux, BSD variants, commercial UNIX variants and MacOS X).
XDocs is pretty much XML-formatted documents and forms, more or less. Any program that can read and manipulate XML should be able to read and modify XDocs documents with generally no problems.
I find it kind of hilarious that while everyone is complaining that XDocs will become a competitor to Adobe Acrobat's
In short, when you create an XDocs document people with Linux and FreeBSD on their desktops who have XML support installed should be able to read and modify XDocs documents easily.
However, it was technological developments in the second half of the 19th Century that really changed the world.
Three developments that became widely used at this time--the telegraph, railroads with steam-powered trains, and steam-powered ships--literally changed the face of the developed world almost overnight.
Just the telegraph allowed news and other information to be spread over thousands of miles in from the originating point in a matter of hours. The rapid growth of trains made it possible for people and goods to travel hundreds of miles on land in a matter of a few days; and steam-powered ships made it possible to traverse the world's oceans and wider rivers without worrying (generally) about wind and water currents.
Most of the cities in the midwestern USA could not have developed rapidly without the developments I mentioned.
...is the huge potential for fraud that could swing a preferential ballot vote.
Let's suppose in an imaginary example the 2004 US Presidential election is done by preferential ballot on the Federal level. After the primary season we end up with these five main candidates:
George W. Bush (Republican)
Albert Gore, Jr. (Democrat)
Pat Buchanan (Reform)
Ralph Nader (Green)
Harry Browne (Libertarian)
What would stop Al Gore campaigners from offering underhanded and possibly illegal incentives for Nader and Browne supporters to drastically lower the level of preference for Bush, effectively swinging the election to Gore?
Actually, if you're talking servers and increasingly supercomputers, Linux has made great inroads in the US market--thanks to a company whose initials are I-B-M. :-)
Why do you think IBM's Blue Gene supercomputer now in development runs Linux?
There's also the fact that third-party peripheral support is still not as good as what you get with Windows, despite the gains of recent years.
Small wonder why we may see Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) support in the next Linux kernel, if only to make it easier to hot dock external devices through USB 1.1/2.0 and IEEE-1394 ports.
Here's the question: are Americans smart enough to use the preferential ballot system like you mentioned? And it will definitely require computers to count preferential ballots, especially on state-wide elections in California, New York, Texas, Florida, etc.
Since UnitedLinux covers most of the major distributions of Linux anyway, a single site (mirrored around the world for capacity reasons) is probably the best way to go for Linux updates.
Given that the majority of desktop Linux users will be operating in a GUI environment, a single point and click site for Linux updates is the best way to go for these users. The apt-get update command is not exactly understandable for people weaned on Windows and Mac's, and it's nice to be able to see graphically a listing of the updates you pick and choose to install.
2ms,
I think you're forgetting a big problem with #2 Diesel fuel sold in the USA: a large amount of sulfur compounds in the fuel.
With sulfur compound levels as high as 2,000 parts per million, these compounds will act akin to sulfuric acid (anyone who's taken high school chemistry knows how nasty sulfuric acid can be) and quickly destroy the modern fuel delivery systems and exhaust emission controls found on European market diesel cars, where in Europe sulfur compound levels max out around 450-500 parts million.
In a few years the EPA will mandate that sulfur compounds be no more than 80 parts per million; once that happens we'll see a deluge of truly modern diesel-powered cars arrive in the US market. The Volkswagen PD130 and PD150 engines are very powerful, yet offer very high fuel efficiency; with the new cleaner diesel fuel and proper exhaust emission controls we could see a diesel car get 50+ mpg yet have excellent acceleration and even meet at minimum the ULEV emissions standard (equivalent to Euro 2004 standard).
Now imagine matching a modern diesel engine into a diesel-electric hybrid drivetrain; a Toyota Prius with a small turbodiesel engine instead of a gasoline engine could be capable of nearly 75 miles per US gallon fuel efficiency! With a 11.9 gallon gas tank a one way trip from Portland, OR to Sacramento, CA might be within reach.
Unfortunately, there isn't enough arable farmland to grow enough crops to make the levels of biodiesel that the US really needs.
:-)
Here in California, the sulfur content standard is no more than 80 parts per million; the entire USA will switch to this standard in a few years. Once that happens, you'll see really clean-burning diesel engines show up on the US market--and a diesel-electric hybrid getting around 90 miles per US gallon fuel efficiency is within technological reach.
What Linux really needs is the equivalent of Windows Update so you can get a full listing of what needs to be updated.
With the rollout of UnitedLinux due anytime now, I hope they implement something akin to Windows Update so we don't waste valuable time chasing down manually every important software update to your Linux installation.
The reason why diesels aren't popular in the US today is the fact that current Diesel #2 fuel is too full of sulphur compounds, which will quickly destroy the fuel delivery and exhaust emission controls found on European diesel-powered automobiles.
Since the EPA will require drastic reductions of such compounds in a few years, by then we could see the PD130 and PD150 engines found on European-market Golfs and Passats show up on the US market. Can you imagine a diesel-electric hybrid powertrain on a VW Golf getting fuel mileage that would make the diesel-powered VW Lupo seem like a fuel-guzzler in comparison? It could happen as early as 2006.
I have read that Toyota has begun to scale up the hybrid drivetrain technology pioneered by the Prius. I know they are already selling a hybrid minivan in Japan right now.
:-) I'd buy a hybrid-powertrain Element in a New York minute once it becomes available for sale.
Don't be surprised within 18 months (heck, we might even see a concept vehicle as early as the 2003 Detroit International Auto Show in a few months!) a Toyota RAV4 or even a Scion SUV with a hybrid powertrain. I would be unsurprised if Honda shows within a year a version of the new Honda Element SUV with an Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) technology powertrain, too.