Wasn't it just a while ago that a lot of people on/. were lamenting on the loss of the Saturn V rocket design, especially since NASA is thinking of reintroducing Apollo style capsules?
Well... we have a working model, which claims to be to-scale, so if we could blow it up, voila! Granted as some people have already said, small-scale physics work differently, but that's what computer simulations are for =)
Would be really nice to have the Saturn V back... IMHO the launch sequence is FAR moroe impressive than the present shuttle.
Slightly OT, but speaking of FOIA, quite a few Kennedy assasination investigation files are supposed to be declassified by 2000. There was a lot of hype in the 90s about them, I wonder what became of that...
Anyone every think that the gov't is really in a no-win situation? Release information, and everybody starts asking why they didn't release the information earlier. Don't release, and risk somebody getting wind and THEN asking why they didn't release earlier. Either way, heads (and quite old and powerful heads) would roll, which is something nobody wants happening to them.
Also, turf war. The moment UFOs/LGM are confirmed, everybody will want a piece, NASA/CIA/NSA... all would have legit reasons to want a piece of the pie. And that's just within the US gov't. Academia would be brought in, and if there's anything worse than sharing the piece of the pie, it's letting a "civvie" take a piece of it...
IANAAE (I Am Not An Aeronitics Engineer), but from what I know the F-117 was already flying in the 1980s, and wasn't "public knowledge" until quite a while afterwards. Even then, it wasn't until Desert Storm did we really get a glimpse at its capabilities.
Same deal with the B-2.
Both planes are (almost) decades old, and still highly classified.
This is not to say that I don't want to see the disclosed documents. I'm just saying that decades-old documents could still be VERY sensitive and revealing.
MO Drives are also very popular among the Asian graphics industry, even more so than CD-Rs and Zip drives. I did a part-time stint between a few graphic companies, and all of them used MOs to transport their stuff between each other and to the printing press.
I actually own a DynaMO 640 USB. It's an older limited release asia-only model, not the new "Pocket" version Fujitsu has now. I've dropped it and crammed it in all sorts of hostile environments. The media, sitting alongside my CD-Rs, don't get dusty, don't scratch. Overall, very reliable drive, even more reliable media. Windows 2000 and above recognize it without any hassle, VERY useful for computers that don't have burners. Large file transfers are a problem, but that's the case with any USB 1.1 device. Maybe it's time to get one of the new USB 2.0 drives...
I think the entire MO technology (MD included, which is essentially the same thing) is really under-advertised in the states. MDs could really kill tapes. All we need is enough MO/MD machines sold and prices should fall.... if only....
I think a large part is also played out by how games and anime in general are perceived by the American public.
Without getting into a whole sociological lecture, games and anime have been with the Japanese for a long time now, at least since the 80s. A lot, and I mean a LOT of the games and anime sold there are marketed towards adults, or at least the adult market. The same stuff in the states is still pretty much kiddy-entertainment. Anime has only become widespread in recent years, and then only quite limited releases. The first generation of anime fans are just beginning to make money on their own in the states.
How does this tie in with music releases? Comparison: movie soundtracks, by which I mean composed scores, not song compliations. They're sold by the thousands (I hope), but when was the last time you saw a teenager walk into Virgin to buy the soundtrack for Lord of the Rings? Teens in the states simply don't listen to anything without lyrics that contain curses every other word.
Now, let's say you release the Final Fantasy VII OST four disc set, going for... say 25 bucks. Kids aren't gonna buy it, they don't have the money nor the inclination. Adults aren't gonna buy something they see as music for a "kids' game". All you're left with is a niche market, which would barely draw in enough money to cover for publishing the CDs.
Composers also make a difference. Like somebody else already said, really famous composers work on Japanese soundtracks, and a lot have made their name there. Lately, even J-pop singers have cast their lot into game soundtracks (anime soundtracks are virtually tied into the J-pop industry already). Faye Wong for FFVIII, Kumi Koda for FFXII-2, etc.. why? Because they sell well, and it's a chance to get your name out there. In the States, the only pop group to have done this that I'm aware of is NIN for the Quake II soundtrack. Seeing how the music trend in the states these days are, I don't think that's gonna change... not that I want to. Lord knows what our beloved C&C/Quake/Grim Fandango music would be like if the big leagues got their hands on it.
Don't even get me started on how U.S. music labels have a tendency to cut movie score tracks from the CD.
For the companies that do release dedicated soundtracks, bravo! But most still only see limited releases. I really regret not picking up the Command & Conquer OSTs when they were available...
Alright, rant mode off, here are a couple of noteworthy game soundtracks, IMHO, that REALLY should see a regular stateside release. -Square Games(they got good people working on their music) -Bare Knuckle/Streets of Rage -Command & Conquer (just so I can get the music in CD quality:D) -Grim Fandango -Homeworld -Morrowind -Blizzard *craft series -Mechwarrior 2 (ultimate classic. Yes, I know, it's on the game CD, I listen to it constantly, but come on, how about a symphonic release?:D)
I wouldn't be too optimistic... the last few times I was in an internet cafe in China/Taiwan/HK/Korea, the most played game was either Lineage or Dragon Raja, MMORPGs coming out of Korea. Stores were lined more with local games than imported US games. Granted, CS/SC/WC/UT have a following, the local software companies have a better grasp at what the local taste is like.
I don't have any sales numbers, but I suspect most US-made games sell a whole lot more in the states/Europe than they do in Asia. Not to mention rampant piracy.....
Unless, of course, we all start playing non-US games, which does seem to be the coming trend. Lineage II (Korea) is coming to the states, FFXI (Japan) is soon to be released, and China... well... the cultural differences have yet to been bridged. Chinese games are more tied in with their history and culture, and really geared towards Chinese-literate.
Now.. imagine.. five years down the line, FFXX-3 being developed for Linux due to Japanese everyday usage... and imagine the average Joe in the US when said FF is being brought over.
"Dude, you hear the next Final Fantasy will run on this Linux thing?" "Damn man, how much is it?" "I hear it's free!" "Let's get it!!" *massive slashdot-effect (err... FF-effect) as Joes/Janes all over the US suddenly started downloading Linux*
Strange... I took the opposite route four years ago. Figured CS would be overcrowded, headed into sociology and economics instead.
Now, I graduate to find that my skills (or lack thereof) are ALSO down to nill. At least you guys have hard skills to fall back on, I only got a few economic theories and sociological observations rattling around in my head.
Been looking for five months now, everybody want either an accounting or a finance major.
It doesn't help with quite a few alumni classes before us ALSO looking for jobs. Heck, I went to an Internship job fair and saw quite a few classmates from my year trying to compete with them juniors and seniors for a lowest-wage internship.
Where's the Trader? The only Army-Navy store I know around Canal is Iceberg, and they're heavily commercialized.
Roosevelt Island Tramway is around 59 and 2nd I think.
I would also suggest Flushing Meadows. There's not much there, but I think the leftovers from the World Fair are pretty worth it, relive MIB, hehe... Hall of Science isn't too far from there either, check out all them future geeks have fun (I remember having loads of fun there as a kid).
St. John the Divine just survived a fire last year, but I think they're open. Being that it's a cathedral under construction, it's not complete by any means, but probably something an architectural geek would appreciate.
B&H is a must if you're a photo or audio geek. I also like the B&O store around Union Square, just to check out their cool audio equipment.
The Intrepid (along with her companion destroyer and sub) are well worth going to.
There's the so-called World's Largest Internet Cafe at Times Square, pretty impressive sight. The Sony Store is also around there I believe.
Oh, and there's the "Only In New York" Museum of Sex... not really geek related (we're nerds, we don't get any, lol), but one-of-a-kind.
they've taken our rights to fan sites for our favourite TV series (Star Trek anybody?). They've taken our rights to sites dedicated to song lyrics (anybody remember www.lyrics.ch?). They've taking our rights to guitar tabs (www.olga.net?). And now, they're about to take our rights to... ahem, sharing music with the citizens of the internet whom we love, albeit we don't know personally... DeCSS is still under observation... hope the Judge doesn't scew this one up... Everytime we stepped back, dismantled the sites, and went underground. Isn't it about time that we all did something to fight for the few remaining rights that we still have left to us? -- I love America, but I hate Corporate America!
Slashdot Mirror
Wasn't it just a while ago that a lot of people on /. were lamenting on the loss of the Saturn V rocket design, especially since NASA is thinking of reintroducing Apollo style capsules?
Well... we have a working model, which claims to be to-scale, so if we could blow it up, voila! Granted as some people have already said, small-scale physics work differently, but that's what computer simulations are for =)
Would be really nice to have the Saturn V back... IMHO the launch sequence is FAR moroe impressive than the present shuttle.
Slightly OT, but speaking of FOIA, quite a few Kennedy assasination investigation files are supposed to be declassified by 2000. There was a lot of hype in the 90s about them, I wonder what became of that...
Anyone every think that the gov't is really in a no-win situation? Release information, and everybody starts asking why they didn't release the information earlier. Don't release, and risk somebody getting wind and THEN asking why they didn't release earlier. Either way, heads (and quite old and powerful heads) would roll, which is something nobody wants happening to them.
Also, turf war. The moment UFOs/LGM are confirmed, everybody will want a piece, NASA/CIA/NSA... all would have legit reasons to want a piece of the pie. And that's just within the US gov't. Academia would be brought in, and if there's anything worse than sharing the piece of the pie, it's letting a "civvie" take a piece of it...
And all this is just within the US.
IANAAE (I Am Not An Aeronitics Engineer), but from what I know the F-117 was already flying in the 1980s, and wasn't "public knowledge" until quite a while afterwards. Even then, it wasn't until Desert Storm did we really get a glimpse at its capabilities.
Same deal with the B-2.
Both planes are (almost) decades old, and still highly classified.
This is not to say that I don't want to see the disclosed documents. I'm just saying that decades-old documents could still be VERY sensitive and revealing.
MO Drives are also very popular among the Asian graphics industry, even more so than CD-Rs and Zip drives. I did a part-time stint between a few graphic companies, and all of them used MOs to transport their stuff between each other and to the printing press.
I actually own a DynaMO 640 USB. It's an older limited release asia-only model, not the new "Pocket" version Fujitsu has now. I've dropped it and crammed it in all sorts of hostile environments. The media, sitting alongside my CD-Rs, don't get dusty, don't scratch. Overall, very reliable drive, even more reliable media. Windows 2000 and above recognize it without any hassle, VERY useful for computers that don't have burners. Large file transfers are a problem, but that's the case with any USB 1.1 device. Maybe it's time to get one of the new USB 2.0 drives...
I think the entire MO technology (MD included, which is essentially the same thing) is really under-advertised in the states. MDs could really kill tapes. All we need is enough MO/MD machines sold and prices should fall.... if only....
I think a large part is also played out by how games and anime in general are perceived by the American public.
:D) :D)
Without getting into a whole sociological lecture, games and anime have been with the Japanese for a long time now, at least since the 80s. A lot, and I mean a LOT of the games and anime sold there are marketed towards adults, or at least the adult market.
The same stuff in the states is still pretty much kiddy-entertainment. Anime has only become widespread in recent years, and then only quite limited releases. The first generation of anime fans are just beginning to make money on their own in the states.
How does this tie in with music releases? Comparison: movie soundtracks, by which I mean composed scores, not song compliations. They're sold by the thousands (I hope), but when was the last time you saw a teenager walk into Virgin to buy the soundtrack for Lord of the Rings? Teens in the states simply don't listen to anything without lyrics that contain curses every other word.
Now, let's say you release the Final Fantasy VII OST four disc set, going for... say 25 bucks. Kids aren't gonna buy it, they don't have the money nor the inclination. Adults aren't gonna buy something they see as music for a "kids' game". All you're left with is a niche market, which would barely draw in enough money to cover for publishing the CDs.
Composers also make a difference. Like somebody else already said, really famous composers work on Japanese soundtracks, and a lot have made their name there. Lately, even J-pop singers have cast their lot into game soundtracks (anime soundtracks are virtually tied into the J-pop industry already). Faye Wong for FFVIII, Kumi Koda for FFXII-2, etc.. why? Because they sell well, and it's a chance to get your name out there. In the States, the only pop group to have done this that I'm aware of is NIN for the Quake II soundtrack. Seeing how the music trend in the states these days are, I don't think that's gonna change... not that I want to. Lord knows what our beloved C&C/Quake/Grim Fandango music would be like if the big leagues got their hands on it.
Don't even get me started on how U.S. music labels have a tendency to cut movie score tracks from the CD.
For the companies that do release dedicated soundtracks, bravo! But most still only see limited releases. I really regret not picking up the Command & Conquer OSTs when they were available...
Alright, rant mode off, here are a couple of noteworthy game soundtracks, IMHO, that REALLY should see a regular stateside release.
-Square Games(they got good people working on their music)
-Bare Knuckle/Streets of Rage
-Command & Conquer (just so I can get the music in CD quality
-Grim Fandango
-Homeworld
-Morrowind
-Blizzard *craft series
-Mechwarrior 2 (ultimate classic. Yes, I know, it's on the game CD, I listen to it constantly, but come on, how about a symphonic release?
Huh, nobody else has posted this, guess I'll do it.
s =& threadid=10692
http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?
I wouldn't be too optimistic... the last few times I was in an internet cafe in China/Taiwan/HK/Korea, the most played game was either Lineage or Dragon Raja, MMORPGs coming out of Korea. Stores were lined more with local games than imported US games. Granted, CS/SC/WC/UT have a following, the local software companies have a better grasp at what the local taste is like.
I don't have any sales numbers, but I suspect most US-made games sell a whole lot more in the states/Europe than they do in Asia. Not to mention rampant piracy.....
Unless, of course, we all start playing non-US games, which does seem to be the coming trend. Lineage II (Korea) is coming to the states, FFXI (Japan) is soon to be released, and China... well... the cultural differences have yet to been bridged. Chinese games are more tied in with their history and culture, and really geared towards Chinese-literate.
Now.. imagine.. five years down the line, FFXX-3 being developed for Linux due to Japanese everyday usage... and imagine the average Joe in the US when said FF is being brought over.
"Dude, you hear the next Final Fantasy will run on this Linux thing?"
"Damn man, how much is it?"
"I hear it's free!"
"Let's get it!!"
*massive slashdot-effect (err... FF-effect) as Joes/Janes all over the US suddenly started downloading Linux*
Strange... I took the opposite route four years ago. Figured CS would be overcrowded, headed into sociology and economics instead.
Now, I graduate to find that my skills (or lack thereof) are ALSO down to nill. At least you guys have hard skills to fall back on, I only got a few economic theories and sociological observations rattling around in my head.
Been looking for five months now, everybody want either an accounting or a finance major.
It doesn't help with quite a few alumni classes before us ALSO looking for jobs. Heck, I went to an Internship job fair and saw quite a few classmates from my year trying to compete with them juniors and seniors for a lowest-wage internship.
Where's the Trader? The only Army-Navy store I know around Canal is Iceberg, and they're heavily commercialized.
Roosevelt Island Tramway is around 59 and 2nd I think.
I would also suggest Flushing Meadows. There's not much there, but I think the leftovers from the World Fair are pretty worth it, relive MIB, hehe... Hall of Science isn't too far from there either, check out all them future geeks have fun (I remember having loads of fun there as a kid).
St. John the Divine just survived a fire last year, but I think they're open. Being that it's a cathedral under construction, it's not complete by any means, but probably something an architectural geek would appreciate.
B&H is a must if you're a photo or audio geek. I also like the B&O store around Union Square, just to check out their cool audio equipment.
The Intrepid (along with her companion destroyer and sub) are well worth going to.
There's the so-called World's Largest Internet Cafe at Times Square, pretty impressive sight. The Sony Store is also around there I believe.
Oh, and there's the "Only In New York" Museum of Sex... not really geek related (we're nerds, we don't get any, lol), but one-of-a-kind.
they've taken our rights to fan sites for our favourite TV series (Star Trek anybody?). They've taken our rights to sites dedicated to song lyrics (anybody remember www.lyrics.ch?). They've taking our rights to guitar tabs (www.olga.net?). And now, they're about to take our rights to... ahem, sharing music with the citizens of the internet whom we love, albeit we don't know personally... DeCSS is still under observation... hope the Judge doesn't scew this one up... Everytime we stepped back, dismantled the sites, and went underground. Isn't it about time that we all did something to fight for the few remaining rights that we still have left to us? -- I love America, but I hate Corporate America!