If you haven't yet, check out Mandrake Linux. A number of the developers (and community members) have made a lot of progress in LDAP-ifying (is that a word?) pieces of the Mandrake Linux distribution. The archives of the "Cooker" mailing list are probably a good place to start (as well as the spin-off list "Cooker-Server"). I don't have a lot of the details, but I've been keeping an eye on them for quite a few years, and I've seen their work (I prefer and use Mandrake Linux for my personal stuff, so my opinion may be biased).
The power supply was specifically made for Sun clones, and contains one standard ATX 20-pin and one EPS 24-pin connector to the motherboard. The original power supply is no longer in production, so far I haven't been able to dig up any suitable replacement for it. Am I able to modify a new PSU? I know how to use the tools required, I'm not sure what the implication are for things like 'separate voltage lines for each CPU complex' etc. The servers in question are EVU450 from Tritec, AFAIK clones of the E420R Sun server. The original Sun parts don't fit, though. Am I out of luck?
Alright, so it's a clone of an E420R, but the standard Sun E420R power supply doesn't fit. If you're thinking about modding to get yourself a power supply, you only need to be asking yourself one question: "Are the power supplies mechanically/electrically the same?"
If so, you're set.
Acquire Sun E420R power supply.
Rip guts out of old clone power supply, throw away.
Rip guts out of Sun E420R power supply, and insert into clone power supply case, making any neccessary adjustments to make it fit.
This topic actually inspired me to think (if you know me, you know I don't think very often, so this must be important).
I came to realize that one of the reasons I don't regularly vote is because I don't have time to figure out who I should be voting for. There are SO many different people out there, with SO many different opinions on SO many differet issues, it's nearly impossible to keep track of, especially for people that are trying to just get by with their own lives. I also think that a lot of the issues have gotten a little too complex for the average citizen (it could be we're all getting dumber, I can't really say for sure). I think a website for people in this situation would help many of us make semi-informed decisions and vote for "the right guy".
So.. I agree and disagree with your statement about the complexity/simplicity of this particular project.
In a perfect world, yes, the project would go down to each individual bill and each attached amendment to each bill and who supported what and include the lobbies and such. Unfortunately, you're right - that's way too complex.
Instead, I think we should focus on "the newbies guide to politics" - keep it simple:
First, this has to be a community effort. Citizens from all over the country should be allowed to add information on their local candidates, maybe with some form of peer review upon submission.
Then, list all the current senators and house members and the president, along with all the currently running candidates. Also include the ability to add more local positions like governor, council persons, mayors, etc.
Once you've got all that.. list the issues, and break them down into categories to make them easy for idiots like me to check out what I want to see. Abortion, Jobs (with sub-categories for things like tech jobs, auto workers, whatever), military, foreign policy, whatever.
Then.. it's the simple process of cross-referencing all the people with the issues, and wallah! You've got "An Idiot's Guide to Politics".
Star Blazers goes back a lot further than Robotech though.. Robotech was '84/'85, Star Blazers was well before that ('79?)..
Re:UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE THAT MUCH CAFFEINE!
on
Death by Coffee?
·
· Score: 1
Strangely enough, a few years ago, I consumed 22 1/2 cups of coffee in a Lyon's (24-hour-Denny's-competitor-on-West-Coast) one night while hanging out with some friends. Besides staying awake all night and using the restroom a few times, I can't say I experienced any real side effects. However, that is considerably less than 100 cups, so YMMV.
And don't forget the battle at Wolf 359 in ST:TNG. Both it and the First Contact battle were awe-inspiring, but unfortunately were not shown in-depth. One thing that I really wish they would have done more of in ST:TNG were actual space battles. I was hoping they'd do a batter job in First Contact, but they left it just as short as they usually did.
Are you listening, producers? We want good, long space battles!
From my understanding of what "Number Portability" was to bring to cell phone users, the ability to keep your number and move to another state was NOT on the list. I understood that number portability was implemented so that someone could move from one cell phone carrier to another and keep the same number.
That's not to say that isn't possible, and I've heard several stories of people who have moved and kept their number. I think that is totally up to the carrier in question and their infrastructure and billing systems. I do not think this was an FCC-mandated feature.
To be honest, I'm surprised the FCC allows it.
You can read more about number portability, success and horror stories, provider discussions, and cell phone capabilities over at Howard Forums. Very good, very high traffic. It's like Slashdot for cell phones. =)
Are you aware you can buy keyboards from IBM that are pretty close to what you want? In fact, this is slightly cooler, just because it comes with the number-pad, too..
I work for a scrap metal recycling company, with offices and recycling facilities throughout the midwest United States. As you could imagine, the dust is absolutely horrible, and what's worse is that it has a high metallic content (little bits of metal on a motherboard == sparks, burn-outs, shorts, etc). I have yet to find a good solution, other than someone mentioning puting coffee filters near any air vents on the case (which I haven't tried yet).
To be honest, I don't really care if it's a do-it-yourself solution or if there's a company out there that sells "filtered" PCs that aren't outrageously priced (most "hardened" PCs are WAY out of the price range).
We're currently using standard Compaq and IBM business-class Intel workstations and servers, but find that dust and heat can still cause problems. The Compaq PCs come with an on-site warranty, and I pay a little extra for the IBM on-site warranty, but I feel that there should be a better solution then having them constantly out to replace hardware that fails due to dust.
I'm personally not a big fan of GroupWise, but I think it has some of the functionality you're looking for. Mind you, I'm somewhat new at supporting GroupWise, and I could be a bit off on my details here, but I think I'm pretty close.
The GroupWise client has 3 modes: Online Caching Remote
The Online mode acts as a local LAN connection should, a consistant connection to the server.
I'm a little confused as to the exact operation of the Remote mode, but it does copy everything down. I haven't used this much, but it appears to be more like the local PST file scenario.
The cool feature is the Caching mode. The first time you switch to Caching mode, you should be on the LAN. This will create a local copy of all your mail. Now when you go, you have everything with you. Changes made will effect both the local system and be propegated back to the server so that when you switch back to Online mode, it's like nothing ever happened.
How does this help you? You may try experimenting to see if the GroupWise client will function in the same manner in your Exchange environment. Yeah, it's kind of annoying having a second client, but the good news is that there's add-ons to make GroupWise look and feel just like Outlook.
I guess the ultimate solution would be to have Microsoft do something similar with the Outlook client.
IMHO, Outlook/Exchange is a better overall system than GroupWise, but GroupWise has this one feature that makes it worthwhile, especially for travelling.
I thought I'd expand on Geek Cruises a bit, since I've been drooling over the opportunity to attend one of their cruises for a long time.
Linux Lunacy II - Western Caribbean - October 20-27, 2002
Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Cozumel, Mexico - Georgetown, Grand Cayman - Ocho Rios, Jamaica - Half Moon Cay, Bahamas - Ft. Lauderdale
Seminars include: Learning Perl, Introduction to the Linux Kernel, Introduction to Python, Application Development with Python, More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Filesystems, User Interface Programming and Architecture using Embedded Linux, Programming without Perl, Introduction to Zope 3, Building Ad Hoc Serverless Communities, Integrating Linux into a Small Business, Code Inspections and Reviews, Bullet Proofing, Paranoia, and Mucking Out, Vim for Vi Users, The Open Source Revolution, The Zen of UNIX, Twenty Years Among the Hackers, The Great Brain Race, Graphical User Interfaces using Embedded Linux, Web Application Attacks and Countermeasures 101, Web Application Attacks and Countermeasures 202, Digital Forensics Using Open Source Tools, and Preparing for Incident Response and Forensics.
Inside Cabin - $849
Better Inside - $899
Outside Cabin - $999
Better Outside - $1,149
Mini Suite - $1,399
Conference Fee - $995
On board, what Net connections will be available? Holland America has equipped its ships for Internet connectivity. Called the "Internet Cafe," this room (which is open 24 hours a day) has six to 12 PCs with realtime browser access to the Internet.
Will my PC work aboard ship? Each stateroom is equipped with 110-volt, 60-cycle alternating current. So most hair dryers, electric shavers, portable computers, and other small appliances not exceeding 500 watts (110 volts) may be used in the stateroom outlets. Having said that, many staterooms have only one outlet, so we suggest you bring a power strip!
My significant other is doubtful about cruising with a ship full of geeks, but I want him/her to come along with me. The ship holds about 1,400 people and only about 300 of that number will be Geek Cruisers, including their non-geek spouses, friends, and family members. So, actually, it's the geeks who will be in the minority. Your spouse will have plenty of company.
There's a lot more at their website, but that should sum it up really well.
Where I work part/full time, Steak N Shake, we were closed for Thanksgiving and Christmas (normally 24/7).
The Denny's closest to us was closed, but I heard one out a bit further was open (also normally 24/7).
Walgreens around here has some stores open 24/7 (which I think are still all open), and some stores that are only open regular hours (in which case I think they all ran on their Sunday schedule).
As always, 7-11 is open.
On my way home from the family dinner, I cruised by QuikTrip (the local 24/7 gas station) as my tank was low, and it was open.
This morning I saw an ambulance flying down the street, so I know they're working as well.
Honestly, I can't remember a Thanksgiving or Christmas where I have worked (although I've worked plenty of day-befores and day-afters). I guess I'm kinda lucky.
Just thought I'd toss in my "we have it here too!" comment.
Here in St. Louis, Charter has been offering Digital Cable and VOD for over a year. I've watched a few movies and the quantity (200 maybe?) and quality was always quite good. Prices vary depending on age and popularity; anywhere from $1.99 to $3.99 I believe.
Along with the standard movies, there's a good 100 or so pr0n flix; I think those are between $7.99 and $9.99.
One thing that really surprised me was that there's a kids section too! You can watch old episodes of the Care Bears and other cartoons and educational shows, and they're only $0.99 a piece.
In case you don't trust your kids (or roommates, which frequently act like kids), they offer an administration feature where you can set up user accounts and spending limits. Pretty cool, IMHO.
Wow, another interesting possibility I hadn't even considered. Roaming radio stations.
That'd be pretty cool.. although for people like me who ride with grrrls who sit there and do nothing but change radio stations to look for that one song they want to hear, that would be a nightmare.. thousands of stations to choose from, and they change every couple of minutes..
*snip* ... wireless 802.11 to download music from my home server when parked in the driveway ... *snip* ... I've gotta admit, the 802.11 extension is a new twist on the traditional car MP3 player! ...
*snip*
Does this mean that when going on long trips (and even around town, I guess), you could download/trade songs from neighboring vehicles? Napster-on-the-go, anyone?
Seriously though, how could we implement something like this? I'm trying to figure out how this would work, using my Linux background as a basis for information. Since there really wouldn't/couldn't be a centralized server, it would be up to the individual vehicles to negotiate connections with each other. I guess some sort of daemon performing a multicast broadcast to announce availability every few seconds would be needed to share the files, and then a client listening for those broadcasts and handling the connection for those wishing to search for and download files. Of course, some type of MD5SUM or something would have to be generated for each file to do integrity checking, and the thought of using something like rsync just popped into my head. I think I like that idea better. I'm actually surprised more of these file sharing programs don't use rsync, a well-established download-and-resume-incomplete-files protocol (or do they, and I just don't know?). Considering you'll be going in and out of range of vehicles quickly and frequently, I think resume is important, especially with an MD5SUM system, so you can resume the same file from a different vehicle.
Once that's in place, I guess you need to think about the interface.. not really too easy to do on an in-dash system (especially while driving!). That is one of the bigger headaches.
Okay, here's a plan.. someone feel like developing it? Let me know if you do.
Oh, by the way, if you decide to use this idea, it better be an open protocol/standard/codec and open sourced, or I'll come after you. I'm tired of proprietary junk.
The words "job" and "productive" can not be used in the same sentence anymore. All those jobs disappeared 20 years ago. I like to think that in the 2 years I've been with the same company, I've accomplished something. I guess the finished products that line my computer desk at home don't count.
Oh, and the certification tests? Part of the job. Talk to them if you think them spending money on me is a waste of my money. I personally don't see the connection between my cash and my job paying for certification tests (and paying me to take them).
A couple of years ago, when I was working in the software department at Fry's Electronics in Silicon Valley, the most popular children's software was the JumpStart series from Knowledge Adventure.
I received praise after praise from customers, who came back time and again to purchase more of their products as they released new ones. Knowledge Adventure has since expanded their product line considerably, breaking their software down into a few different categories, depending on the type of learning you're interested in.
From the sounds of it, you're looking for something along the lines of "JumpStart Baby" or "JumpStart Toddler", both a part of the "Full Grades" category. Other titles from this category include "JumpStart Preschool", "JumpStart Kindergarten", and a product each for 1st through 6th grades.
These titles come highly recommended from parents across the country (I know, I've spoken with them face-to-face!), although I've never looked at them myself (excuses: don't have kids yet, don't really have the money to buy software I won't use, I run mostly Linux).
The best thing is that nearly, if not, all of their products run on both Windows and Macintosh computers (hybrid CD-ROM), meaning almost everyone out there can take advantage of them. Unfortunately, they do not have a Linux version, and I am unsure as to whether or not they run under Wine, VMWare, or the like. If they do, I'd be interested to hear about it, as I'm sure many Linux-running parents and educators may want to hear as well.
On a side note, I'm sure all those parents out there that have been using the JumpStart series for a few years wouldn't mind donating the products that their children have outgrown to a school. Don't forget, just because your local school may have computers in the classroom now, that doesn't mean they have a huge amount of software, or the budget to purchase stuff for the kids to use. Don't throw out your old software, and don't even sell it in a garage sale. Donate it to your local school!
Mandrake is currently working on updating their PPC tree. I believe they are going to skip an 8.1 release and focus on an 8.2 release that will (hopefully) coincide with their i586 8.2 release. Testing is open to the public (like all Mandrake releases), you can download the tree from most Mandrake development FTP mirrors. They also have a mailing list that you can subscribe to for those interested in running the PPC port. Check out http://www.linux-mandrake.com/en/fdevlists.php3 for the mailing list and http://www.linux-mandrake.com/en/cookerdevel.php3 for information on downloading the development tree.
You'd actually be surprised. For the past 2-3 weeks, there has been a split pretty much every hour on the hour. It's not just the same server(s), either. It's all of them.
My wonderful EFnet, that I've enjoyed for so many years (7 or 8), is finally crumbling.
This is worse than the big split back in the stealth.net days. That was some mess, too. Don Head
Linux Mentor
Have you ever tried "make oldconfig"? Red Hat and Mandrake have both been praised for how well this works for making a distro-like kernel. Don Head Linux Mentor
Slashdot Mirror
If you haven't yet, check out Mandrake Linux. A number of the developers (and community members) have made a lot of progress in LDAP-ifying (is that a word?) pieces of the Mandrake Linux distribution. The archives of the "Cooker" mailing list are probably a good place to start (as well as the spin-off list "Cooker-Server"). I don't have a lot of the details, but I've been keeping an eye on them for quite a few years, and I've seen their work (I prefer and use Mandrake Linux for my personal stuff, so my opinion may be biased).
The power supply was specifically made for Sun clones, and contains one standard ATX 20-pin and one EPS 24-pin connector to the motherboard. The original power supply is no longer in production, so far I haven't been able to dig up any suitable replacement for it. Am I able to modify a new PSU? I know how to use the tools required, I'm not sure what the implication are for things like 'separate voltage lines for each CPU complex' etc. The servers in question are EVU450 from Tritec, AFAIK clones of the E420R Sun server. The original Sun parts don't fit, though. Am I out of luck?
Alright, so it's a clone of an E420R, but the standard Sun E420R power supply doesn't fit. If you're thinking about modding to get yourself a power supply, you only need to be asking yourself one question: "Are the power supplies mechanically/electrically the same?"
If so, you're set.
Zardoz does have elements of The Prisoner, along with elements of Logan's Run. Honestly, I think The Prisoner and Logan's Run did a MUCH better job.
Zardoz is 2 hours of my life I'm afraid I'll never getting back.
How about the "Exposed laser of death"? I don't see a "Class 2 Laser Product" warning sticker anywhere on this thing.
This topic actually inspired me to think (if you know me, you know I don't think very often, so this must be important).
I came to realize that one of the reasons I don't regularly vote is because I don't have time to figure out who I should be voting for. There are SO many different people out there, with SO many different opinions on SO many differet issues, it's nearly impossible to keep track of, especially for people that are trying to just get by with their own lives. I also think that a lot of the issues have gotten a little too complex for the average citizen (it could be we're all getting dumber, I can't really say for sure). I think a website for people in this situation would help many of us make semi-informed decisions and vote for "the right guy".
So.. I agree and disagree with your statement about the complexity/simplicity of this particular project.
In a perfect world, yes, the project would go down to each individual bill and each attached amendment to each bill and who supported what and include the lobbies and such. Unfortunately, you're right - that's way too complex.
Instead, I think we should focus on "the newbies guide to politics" - keep it simple:
First, this has to be a community effort. Citizens from all over the country should be allowed to add information on their local candidates, maybe with some form of peer review upon submission.
Then, list all the current senators and house members and the president, along with all the currently running candidates. Also include the ability to add more local positions like governor, council persons, mayors, etc.
Once you've got all that.. list the issues, and break them down into categories to make them easy for idiots like me to check out what I want to see. Abortion, Jobs (with sub-categories for things like tech jobs, auto workers, whatever), military, foreign policy, whatever.
Then.. it's the simple process of cross-referencing all the people with the issues, and wallah! You've got "An Idiot's Guide to Politics".
I own all the Robotech.. VHS and DVD. =)
Star Blazers goes back a lot further than Robotech though.. Robotech was '84/'85, Star Blazers was well before that ('79?)..
Strangely enough, a few years ago, I consumed 22 1/2 cups of coffee in a Lyon's (24-hour-Denny's-competitor-on-West-Coast) one night while hanging out with some friends. Besides staying awake all night and using the restroom a few times, I can't say I experienced any real side effects. However, that is considerably less than 100 cups, so YMMV.
Does anyone remember Gunbuster? I haven't seen it in a few years.. but I seem to recall it had some pretty decent space battle scenes.
I've also been a big fan of the Star Blazers series, but that's going back a few years. I hate showing my age. =P
And don't forget the battle at Wolf 359 in ST:TNG. Both it and the First Contact battle were awe-inspiring, but unfortunately were not shown in-depth. One thing that I really wish they would have done more of in ST:TNG were actual space battles. I was hoping they'd do a batter job in First Contact, but they left it just as short as they usually did.
Are you listening, producers? We want good, long space battles!
From my understanding of what "Number Portability" was to bring to cell phone users, the ability to keep your number and move to another state was NOT on the list. I understood that number portability was implemented so that someone could move from one cell phone carrier to another and keep the same number.
That's not to say that isn't possible, and I've heard several stories of people who have moved and kept their number. I think that is totally up to the carrier in question and their infrastructure and billing systems. I do not think this was an FCC-mandated feature.
To be honest, I'm surprised the FCC allows it.
You can read more about number portability, success and horror stories, provider discussions, and cell phone capabilities over at Howard Forums. Very good, very high traffic. It's like Slashdot for cell phones. =)
Dialing another country is easy..
..would be a UK number.
011 + Country Code + Number
So like..
01144...
They don't teach you that in school, though. You kind of have to ask around at work and find someone who's had to phone the London office. =)
Are you aware you can buy keyboards from IBM that are pretty close to what you want? In fact, this is slightly cooler, just because it comes with the number-pad, too..
D C= 461017
D C= 170470
http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.aspx?E
Or, if you really want the number-pad-less version, try this:
http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.aspx?E
I work for a scrap metal recycling company, with offices and recycling facilities throughout the midwest United States. As you could imagine, the dust is absolutely horrible, and what's worse is that it has a high metallic content (little bits of metal on a motherboard == sparks, burn-outs, shorts, etc). I have yet to find a good solution, other than someone mentioning puting coffee filters near any air vents on the case (which I haven't tried yet).
To be honest, I don't really care if it's a do-it-yourself solution or if there's a company out there that sells "filtered" PCs that aren't outrageously priced (most "hardened" PCs are WAY out of the price range).
We're currently using standard Compaq and IBM business-class Intel workstations and servers, but find that dust and heat can still cause problems. The Compaq PCs come with an on-site warranty, and I pay a little extra for the IBM on-site warranty, but I feel that there should be a better solution then having them constantly out to replace hardware that fails due to dust.
Give my IBM rep a call and ask him why it took so long to get the new IBM xSeries 345 servers in stock.
I'm personally not a big fan of GroupWise, but I think it has some of the functionality you're looking for. Mind you, I'm somewhat new at supporting GroupWise, and I could be a bit off on my details here, but I think I'm pretty close.
The GroupWise client has 3 modes:
Online
Caching
Remote
The Online mode acts as a local LAN connection should, a consistant connection to the server.
I'm a little confused as to the exact operation of the Remote mode, but it does copy everything down. I haven't used this much, but it appears to be more like the local PST file scenario.
The cool feature is the Caching mode. The first time you switch to Caching mode, you should be on the LAN. This will create a local copy of all your mail. Now when you go, you have everything with you. Changes made will effect both the local system and be propegated back to the server so that when you switch back to Online mode, it's like nothing ever happened.
How does this help you? You may try experimenting to see if the GroupWise client will function in the same manner in your Exchange environment. Yeah, it's kind of annoying having a second client, but the good news is that there's add-ons to make GroupWise look and feel just like Outlook.
I guess the ultimate solution would be to have Microsoft do something similar with the Outlook client.
IMHO, Outlook/Exchange is a better overall system than GroupWise, but GroupWise has this one feature that makes it worthwhile, especially for travelling.
Linux Lunacy II - Western Caribbean - October 20-27, 2002
Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Cozumel, Mexico - Georgetown, Grand Cayman - Ocho Rios, Jamaica - Half Moon Cay, Bahamas - Ft. Lauderdale
Seminars include: Learning Perl, Introduction to the Linux Kernel, Introduction to Python, Application Development with Python, More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Filesystems, User Interface Programming and Architecture using Embedded Linux, Programming without Perl, Introduction to Zope 3, Building Ad Hoc Serverless Communities, Integrating Linux into a Small Business, Code Inspections and Reviews, Bullet Proofing, Paranoia, and Mucking Out, Vim for Vi Users, The Open Source Revolution, The Zen of UNIX, Twenty Years Among the Hackers, The Great Brain Race, Graphical User Interfaces using Embedded Linux, Web Application Attacks and Countermeasures 101, Web Application Attacks and Countermeasures 202, Digital Forensics Using Open Source Tools, and Preparing for Incident Response and Forensics.
On board, what Net connections will be available?
Holland America has equipped its ships for Internet connectivity. Called the "Internet Cafe," this room (which is open 24 hours a day) has six to 12 PCs with realtime browser access to the Internet.
Will my PC work aboard ship?
Each stateroom is equipped with 110-volt, 60-cycle alternating current. So most hair dryers, electric shavers, portable computers, and other small appliances not exceeding 500 watts (110 volts) may be used in the stateroom outlets. Having said that, many staterooms have only one outlet, so we suggest you bring a power strip!
My significant other is doubtful about cruising with a ship full of geeks, but I want him/her to come along with me.
The ship holds about 1,400 people and only about 300 of that number will be Geek Cruisers, including their non-geek spouses, friends, and family members. So, actually, it's the geeks who will be in the minority. Your spouse will have plenty of company.
There's a lot more at their website, but that should sum it up really well.
Well, let's see..
Where I work part/full time, Steak N Shake, we were closed for Thanksgiving and Christmas (normally 24/7).
The Denny's closest to us was closed, but I heard one out a bit further was open (also normally 24/7).
Walgreens around here has some stores open 24/7 (which I think are still all open), and some stores that are only open regular hours (in which case I think they all ran on their Sunday schedule).
As always, 7-11 is open.
On my way home from the family dinner, I cruised by QuikTrip (the local 24/7 gas station) as my tank was low, and it was open.
This morning I saw an ambulance flying down the street, so I know they're working as well.
Honestly, I can't remember a Thanksgiving or Christmas where I have worked (although I've worked plenty of day-befores and day-afters). I guess I'm kinda lucky.
Just thought I'd toss in my "we have it here too!" comment.
Here in St. Louis, Charter has been offering Digital Cable and VOD for over a year. I've watched a few movies and the quantity (200 maybe?) and quality was always quite good. Prices vary depending on age and popularity; anywhere from $1.99 to $3.99 I believe.
Along with the standard movies, there's a good 100 or so pr0n flix; I think those are between $7.99 and $9.99.
One thing that really surprised me was that there's a kids section too! You can watch old episodes of the Care Bears and other cartoons and educational shows, and they're only $0.99 a piece.
In case you don't trust your kids (or roommates, which frequently act like kids), they offer an administration feature where you can set up user accounts and spending limits. Pretty cool, IMHO.
Wow, another interesting possibility I hadn't even considered. Roaming radio stations.
That'd be pretty cool.. although for people like me who ride with grrrls who sit there and do nothing but change radio stations to look for that one song they want to hear, that would be a nightmare.. thousands of stations to choose from, and they change every couple of minutes..
*snip*
...
...
...
wireless 802.11 to download music from my home server when parked in the driveway
...
*snip*
I've gotta admit, the 802.11 extension is a new twist on the traditional car MP3 player!
*snip*
Does this mean that when going on long trips (and even around town, I guess), you could download/trade songs from neighboring vehicles? Napster-on-the-go, anyone?
Seriously though, how could we implement something like this? I'm trying to figure out how this would work, using my Linux background as a basis for information. Since there really wouldn't/couldn't be a centralized server, it would be up to the individual vehicles to negotiate connections with each other. I guess some sort of daemon performing a multicast broadcast to announce availability every few seconds would be needed to share the files, and then a client listening for those broadcasts and handling the connection for those wishing to search for and download files. Of course, some type of MD5SUM or something would have to be generated for each file to do integrity checking, and the thought of using something like rsync just popped into my head. I think I like that idea better. I'm actually surprised more of these file sharing programs don't use rsync, a well-established download-and-resume-incomplete-files protocol (or do they, and I just don't know?). Considering you'll be going in and out of range of vehicles quickly and frequently, I think resume is important, especially with an MD5SUM system, so you can resume the same file from a different vehicle.
Once that's in place, I guess you need to think about the interface.. not really too easy to do on an in-dash system (especially while driving!). That is one of the bigger headaches.
Okay, here's a plan.. someone feel like developing it? Let me know if you do.
Oh, by the way, if you decide to use this idea, it better be an open protocol/standard/codec and open sourced, or I'll come after you. I'm tired of proprietary junk.
The words "job" and "productive" can not be used in the same sentence anymore. All those jobs disappeared 20 years ago. I like to think that in the 2 years I've been with the same company, I've accomplished something. I guess the finished products that line my computer desk at home don't count.
Oh, and the certification tests? Part of the job. Talk to them if you think them spending money on me is a waste of my money. I personally don't see the connection between my cash and my job paying for certification tests (and paying me to take them).
A couple of years ago, when I was working in the software department at Fry's Electronics in Silicon Valley, the most popular children's software was the JumpStart series from Knowledge Adventure.
I received praise after praise from customers, who came back time and again to purchase more of their products as they released new ones. Knowledge Adventure has since expanded their product line considerably, breaking their software down into a few different categories, depending on the type of learning you're interested in.
From the sounds of it, you're looking for something along the lines of "JumpStart Baby" or "JumpStart Toddler", both a part of the "Full Grades" category. Other titles from this category include "JumpStart Preschool", "JumpStart Kindergarten", and a product each for 1st through 6th grades.
These titles come highly recommended from parents across the country (I know, I've spoken with them face-to-face!), although I've never looked at them myself (excuses: don't have kids yet, don't really have the money to buy software I won't use, I run mostly Linux).
The best thing is that nearly, if not, all of their products run on both Windows and Macintosh computers (hybrid CD-ROM), meaning almost everyone out there can take advantage of them. Unfortunately, they do not have a Linux version, and I am unsure as to whether or not they run under Wine, VMWare, or the like. If they do, I'd be interested to hear about it, as I'm sure many Linux-running parents and educators may want to hear as well.
On a side note, I'm sure all those parents out there that have been using the JumpStart series for a few years wouldn't mind donating the products that their children have outgrown to a school. Don't forget, just because your local school may have computers in the classroom now, that doesn't mean they have a huge amount of software, or the budget to purchase stuff for the kids to use. Don't throw out your old software, and don't even sell it in a garage sale. Donate it to your local school!
Mandrake is currently working on updating their PPC tree. I believe they are going to skip an 8.1 release and focus on an 8.2 release that will (hopefully) coincide with their i586 8.2 release. Testing is open to the public (like all Mandrake releases), you can download the tree from most Mandrake development FTP mirrors. They also have a mailing list that you can subscribe to for those interested in running the PPC port. Check out http://www.linux-mandrake.com/en/fdevlists.php3 for the mailing list and http://www.linux-mandrake.com/en/cookerdevel.php3 for information on downloading the development tree.
You'd actually be surprised. For the past 2-3 weeks, there has been a split pretty much every hour on the hour. It's not just the same server(s), either. It's all of them.
My wonderful EFnet, that I've enjoyed for so many years (7 or 8), is finally crumbling.
This is worse than the big split back in the stealth.net days. That was some mess, too.
Don Head
Linux Mentor
Have you ever tried "make oldconfig"? Red Hat and Mandrake have both been praised for how well this works for making a distro-like kernel.
Don Head
Linux Mentor