I DARE you to make a movie without loud music and ANY special effects of any kind, CGI or old school. You won't because you can't
I'm bound to agree. A few years ago they bought one that did well here. If you haven't seen it, it's The Gods Must be Crazy. It's low budget, tells a great story and has absolutely fantastic photography. It's a beatutiful film that's funny and entertaining.
Hollywood should use it as an example of how it's done. Good story well told with great photography. The main charactor couldn't even speak a word of english. It didn't detract from the film. No subtitles were needed. All actors were unknowns.
The first Star Wars out was nothing but an updated western. It included the damsel in distress, the land grab, the saloon, and the big showdown gunfight and the rescue of the damsel. It's not a new story. There were some costume changes and faster horses and some of the bad guys wore white hats (and suits) inatead of black (The really bad man did wear a black hat). It's the same old western retold with a twist. Too bad so many movies just don't have a good story.
A movie was bought overseas for next to nothing a few years ago and released to theatres with no advertising as an experiment. It did well. It was finaly advertised when it was shown on cable. I saw it because a friend recommended it. It had a great story. Beautiful photography and almost non-existant tacky special effects (speed up running). I even bought the video. Does anybody else remember this word of mouth experiment? The film was The Gods Must be Crazy.
Just as this film did well with no advertising, others that are bombs will also see the influence of word of mouth.
Get a clue guys. Make a good film. The people will come.
I have a old copy of Caldera 2.2. I wonder if I can reutrn it for a full refund because of the defect. Charging more after the purchase just doesn't seem right.
You made an assumption of main breaker. This is an older panel. Most older ones I have seen do not have a disconnect switch. You may need to contact the utility to disconnect you while you do repairs. They will probably require an inspection before reconnection. I would not recommend trying to do the work hot unless you want to be a canidate for the darwin awards.
Re:Safety practices around high power.
on
Solving a Wiring Mess?
·
· Score: 2, Informative
Actualy what you describe is an OSHA requirement. It's called Lockout Tagout. One small bit of info on the hasp. Never put a lock in the last hole. Put another hasp in it so anyone else joining the project also has a place for his lock and tag. The power can not be restored until everyone has removed their respective lock and tag.
I've seen it first hand. One place I worked had a fault that blew the cover off the panel 8 feet into the room. The electricial's explination for the force was the high magnetic field from the fault moved the buss bar behind the breakers. It was a 208 volt 3 phase panel. You don't want to be near it if and when it gets a fault to ground or nutral.
Burns and a shock are only part of the hazard. Flying heavy parts are a real part of high power faults. Get a pro.
Regarding DRM, here is what I read in the article;
I looked between the lines as always looking for what they are not saying. I found it.. It says Write and Delete files. That takes care of the serial copy problem. It does not say READ. My between the lines discovery indicates there will be no way to get the MP3's back off the device except delete them.
Selling, trading, donating, or even talking about such is considered "trafficking". And this provision does not expire.
Being redundant, this is the reason I always look for the Compact Disk logo. No logo, No sale. I'm not buying music that comes with risks of a criminal record to use in my car MP3 Jukebox.
I don't buy anything not compatible with my equipment. DMCA protected encrypted anti-copy is not compatible with my entertainment systems.
Re:Sampling frequencies and filters
on
Is Louder Better?
·
· Score: 1
even pro-sumer products rarely use high-bandwidth amplifiers
I must have a rare one. 20-20Khz +- 0.01db. 5hz-100KHZ +1 -10db. THD 20 Hz to 20 Khz is less than 0.005%. Too bad speakers that can reproduce that do not exist at any price.
I have noticed a sharp decline in amplifier specifications since the '70's. Most auto gear is not rated for RMS power but peak power at 10% or more THD. Most Pro-Sumer gear rarely list THD's below 0.01% anymore. Too bad most consumers don't know a 25 watt RMS amp at 0.01% THD is much more powerful than a 125 watt peak power rated at 10% THD. I'll take the 25 watt amp over the 250 watt amp anyday. It's a better amp with more power. Case in point. I saw a 250 watt auto amp using an 8 amp fuse. Hmmm 14 volts * 8 amps = 112 watts. There is no way that amp can out 250 watts RMS power and not fry the fuse. A real 25 watt / channel stereo amp can dump up to about 60 watts in heat (Linear transistor outputs and DC-DC inverter) while putting out 25 watts per channel undistorted into the load. This real amp would draw about 110 watts of input power or 7.8 amps at 14 volts. Most of these types amps are stout enough to deal with a minor impedance overload. They are typicaly fused with a 20 amp fuse on a 12 or 10 guage power lead, not a 8 amp fuse on a 18 guage wire. A Marantz 1060 is a 30 watt / channel amplifier. I used one as a replacement at a club that fried a 250 watt amplifier. Nobody knew the diffrence. It was good enough to do the job. A cheap amp would have overheated or distorted.
The 1 KW inverter I use for mobile use uses a 100 amp fuse and has a 1/0 guage power wire. (instructions recomended 2 gauge for up to 5 feet in length) Don't think an amp that can put out half that much power can run on a 20 amp fuse. It can't put out more steady state power than it takes in. Don't be fooled by the slick advertisement. Car audio is mostly over hyped. It is hard to compare real specs because they are rarely published. Seldom do I find any car audio rated in RMS watts into a specified load at less than 0.1% THD.
If the $20 legitimate CDs at the mall won't play in a computer
I've mentioned before and I'm mentioning it again;
Look for the Compact Disk Logo.
Ask the store sales person to help you look for it on your selections. Leave behind the ones without it and explain why. My portable MP3 player and in-car MP3 player won't work with cripled disks. Ripping a crippled disk is a violation of the DMCA, a fedral crime. You can't use the cripled disk because it isn't legal to do so. Currently I'm leaving about 60% of my selections on the counter for the clerk to re-shelf.
The battery pack in my Toyota Prius has a 100,000 mile warranty. It uses Panasonic cells. Part of the secret of long life is no deep cycling. Toyota is very clear about not running out of gas and driving on the battery only. It is hard on the battery. I guess this means the current Ni-Metal Hydride cells could last a lot longer if you do not wait for the low battery warning before recharging. Also just as important, don't overcharge. The Toyota system does not try to keep the battery fully charged. It tries to keep it's state of charge near 70%.
It's kind of like saying people prefer the Palm OS over Win CE because it came pre-installed on their handspring. Many people buying an off the shelf computer are buying more than just the hardware. They are buying a system, including an OS to make it work. It is true that usualy a MS OS is pre-installed. Would you buy that neat P4 system with DrDOS installed? Seldom do people buy a system with the intent of installing their own OS. They buy it for what it will do off the shelf. Did you buy your last system because it came with Windows, or did you buy it because it can Rip, Mix, Burn? The OS is part of it. It's true a part could be replaced for an upgraded part, DVD burner, memory, OS, and such, but most people buy systems for what they are advertised to do.
When I was a child, I saw a billobard with a big red pushbutton on it. The text said, what will you do when this button replaces your job. The answer was obvious. Get a job either designing buttons, or fix the broken ones. I've been in hands on repair and R&D since then. Where I currently work (R&D) there are lots of reliability testing to be done on the new processes and equipment prior to turning it over to manufacturing. After that, there is lots of hands on repairs and maitnance that still needs done. Lets face it, robots are great for the mundane stuff. Get a box of stuff from an automated hopper and load it on a process tool and such, but they don't have a chance when the tood error's out because it's cooling system sprang a leak and tripped the GFI. They still need someone to clean up the spill, find and fix the leak, recover from the error (disposition the half baked stuff) and get the process restarted. It's a great job, always busy, and not in danger of being eliminated soon. The pay isn't bad either. They don't hire dropout flunkies to take care of multi million dollar sets of automated equipment. The one's in danger of losing a job are the uneducated who traditionaly carried stuff around a factory or did part inspections. Those mundane jobs are going away.
NEVER! Why would I want my client or server validate my address by visiting ther site to fetch some visual. I'd rather have it show up as a dead letter unopened and deleted.
You will not notice much, if any, difference between 1080i and 480i on a 13" TV, for example If that's the case, why are TV's not used for computer monitors.. I thought there was a big diffrence between NTSC and SVGA. Last time I used a TV out from a computer as a sub monitor I couldn't read the dialog boxes or slashdot. There is a huge diffrence. Actualy I was looking for about a 20 inch, the same size as my computer monitor. Besides, when the FCC in the good ole USA kills analog (it is comming I think), only those with subscription or home theatre systems will get the current 6PM news broadcast. Those of us without a subscription will just watch videotape or DVD's. Maybe the delay is to get all us free TV holdouts to subscribe to cable or DISH. It looks like internet will finaly fully replace television unless the manufactures start making affordable televisions for the new standard.
HDTV tuner technology is still relatively expensive True, however calculators that could add, subtract, multiply, divide, and do percent were over $150. VCR's that could run at SP and LP were over $1200. Why is this taking so long to become affordable? When will they be priced like a VCR or DVD player without the mechanics? ($35-$50) I am old enough to remember when color came out in the 60's. Color tubes and circuits are just too expensive except for the rich to own. DTV is in the early color days. I'm going to wait for about 5 years. 15 years if they continue holding it up fighting over content protection schemes.
it hasn't been fully miniaturized yet Sometimes I think they are made big so someone feels like they are getting something for their money. Get real. It's a UHF tuner like your NTSC TV already has and a digital processer like your video game or computer graphics card. Big is a marketing tool. What super processing does it need to do that a custom programed computer graphics card and a UHF tuner can't do? Most of the delay is still over a stupid Beta/VS VHS type war over content protection and who gets to get the royalties for it. That's the big expense and why they are not in mass produced televisions. They are killing the golden goose fighting over the fact it might lay a golden egg. It's gonna be dead before it can grow up to lay that egg.
I also find it interesting there are no digital televisions. There are lots of HDTV and DTV monitors, but just try to find a television (Not NTSC but DTV). My 14 year old TV is awaiting a replacement, but none are to be found. I don't want a home theatre system. I want a TV that will work in a motorhome. Am I stuck with NTSC or a DISH subscription? I just want clear 11:00 news.
They even screwed up the hardware. When optical mice came out, I made the mistake of buying one of the MS mice. Two things struck me as very wrong.
1. EULA. It's a hardware mouse.. 2. It couldn't find a modem. It's a mouse. why is it looking for a modem that doesn't exist?
I ditched the MS mouse and replaced it with a Logitech optical. Never bought another MS hardware product. Too much red tape. When I get hardware, all I want is the hardware and a driver to make it work, not fodder for my legal department to debate before I can click OK.
I wonder if IP blocks from their official website address could be used to help build a perponderance of evidance against you. Could you explain why the RIAA official server is blocked by your router? A simple scan from a DSL or Cable modem followed by a Scan from an official RIAA server would create a quick list of prime suspects hiding from the RIAA.
I think the author doesn't have one of the in dash units. Mine auto-routes. It gives voice directions. It works even with the display turned off. I use the local talk radio for road reports. If I need to ditch the freeway, I just take any exit. The auto re-route works fully hands off. It re-does the route on the fly and contiues giving directions to an alternate route.
The unit I have is the factory Nav-Tech unit in the Toyota Prius. My only problem is my wife keeps swiping my car if she needs to go somewhere she hasn't been before. No need to deal with online maps. Punch in the address and go. Yahoo maps aren't much good if you need to re-route in traffic. It beats trying to read a map or Yahoo turn by turn directions while driving. I much prefer the voice "In two miles exit 62 is on the left." prompt.
Mostly useless is only defined by a commuter who never needs another route other than the few that are already pre'learned. The in dash GPS unit is perfect for realitors and others that need to go to many unknown locations. It quickly un-tangles many housing tracts that were nothing but a maze. Now they are an alternate route if needed. That's when you need the eyes on the road, not a map or GPS. By the way the Prius gets about 55 MPG in typical city driving.
I'm going to have to sping for a Street Pilot unit for my wife so I can keep my car. I hate driving the van.
Actualy his mom is right. Case in point. In the USA it is illegal to have sea turtle stuff. They are an endangered species. Beef is not protected. There is no problem finding a steak at the supermarket.
In the Cayman Islands it is legal to have sea turtle products including meat and shells. They also farm sea turtles to both sell the products and preserve the species. By the way turtle stew is delicious. Too bad the US would not permit me to bring a shell back.
If only they would allow the gulf coast to legaly farm and sell sea turtle products, they would be much more common. Possibly as common as a Big Mac (tm).
Making it illegal to own makes raising and selling for a profit impossible. Poaching kills the wild population. So does taking the habitat for legal profitable other uses of the land. (lots of beef is raised for profit) Threatened species becomes more threatened. Over hunting wild populations should be limited. Farming and selling should be legal.
Ever bought farm raised salmon? Could Chillean Sea Bass be profitably farmed with a percentage returned to the wild?
Raising passenger pigeons for the hat industry instead of hunting them could have saved it from extinction.
Obligatory link to the turtle farm. Watch the web cams on this farm here
http://www.turtle.ky/video.htm
Here is a cut and paste with some stats on the release program.
The Farm's captive breeding colony now produces an average of 45,000 eggs per year. Approximately eight thousand hatchlings are needed each year to satisfy current production goals. Excess hatchlings are designated for tagging and release. Over 28,000 hatchlings and yearlings have been released into the waters surrounding the Cayman Islands.
The Hawking printserver line also works great. They come both as a parallel and USB versions. It's a great way to share a laser printer for the cost of a color HP cartridge. (the full HP78)
It's been a few years ago, but I had a typo on my car registration and title. I was going to get it fixed, but within 2 days of my regestration, I got mail with the same wrong name. Then I started getting sales calls. I never fixed the registration. My vehicle registration was good for about 1/3 of my snail mail junk.
It came from places you wouldn't expect it. Sideing salesmen were the worst. I was renting an apartment at the time.
Slashdot Mirror
I DARE you to make a movie without loud music and ANY special effects of any kind, CGI or old school. You won't because you can't
I'm bound to agree. A few years ago they bought one that did well here. If you haven't seen it, it's The Gods Must be Crazy. It's low budget, tells a great story and has absolutely fantastic photography. It's a beatutiful film that's funny and entertaining.
Hollywood should use it as an example of how it's done.
Good story well told with great photography. The main charactor couldn't even speak a word of english. It didn't detract from the film. No subtitles were needed. All actors were unknowns.
The first Star Wars out was nothing but an updated western. It included the damsel in distress, the land grab, the saloon, and the big showdown gunfight and the rescue of the damsel. It's not a new story. There were some costume changes and faster horses and some of the bad guys wore white hats (and suits) inatead of black (The really bad man did wear a black hat). It's the same old western retold with a twist. Too bad so many movies just don't have a good story.
A movie was bought overseas for next to nothing a few years ago and released to theatres with no advertising as an experiment. It did well. It was finaly advertised when it was shown on cable. I saw it because a friend recommended it. It had a great story. Beautiful photography and almost non-existant tacky special effects (speed up running). I even bought the video. Does anybody else remember this word of mouth experiment? The film was The Gods Must be Crazy.
Just as this film did well with no advertising, others that are bombs will also see the influence of word of mouth.
Get a clue guys. Make a good film. The people will come.
I have a old copy of Caldera 2.2. I wonder if I can reutrn it for a full refund because of the defect. Charging more after the purchase just doesn't seem right.
Does anybody know if BSD has the same problem?
You made an assumption of main breaker. This is an older panel. Most older ones I have seen do not have a disconnect switch. You may need to contact the utility to disconnect you while you do repairs. They will probably require an inspection before reconnection. I would not recommend trying to do the work hot unless you want to be a canidate for the darwin awards.
Actualy what you describe is an OSHA requirement. It's called Lockout Tagout. One small bit of info on the hasp. Never put a lock in the last hole. Put another hasp in it so anyone else joining the project also has a place for his lock and tag. The power can not be restored until everyone has removed their respective lock and tag.
I've seen it first hand. One place I worked had a fault that blew the cover off the panel 8 feet into the room. The electricial's explination for the force was the high magnetic field from the fault moved the buss bar behind the breakers. It was a 208 volt 3 phase panel. You don't want to be near it if and when it gets a fault to ground or nutral.
Burns and a shock are only part of the hazard. Flying heavy parts are a real part of high power faults. Get a pro.
I noticed the article mentioned Write and Delete files. Somehow, Read seems to have been missed. Can you realy drag MP3's off the device?
If you can't, that would take care of any legal entanglements regarding serial copy control.
Regarding DRM, here is what I read in the article;
I looked between the lines as always looking for what they are not saying. I found it.. It says Write and Delete files. That takes care of the serial copy problem. It does not say READ. My between the lines discovery indicates there will be no way to get the MP3's back off the device except delete them.
Selling, trading, donating, or even talking about such is considered "trafficking". And this provision does not expire.
Being redundant, this is the reason I always look for the Compact Disk logo. No logo, No sale. I'm not buying music that comes with risks of a criminal record to use in my car MP3 Jukebox.
I don't buy anything not compatible with my equipment. DMCA protected encrypted anti-copy is not compatible with my entertainment systems.
even pro-sumer products rarely use high-bandwidth amplifiers
I must have a rare one. 20-20Khz +- 0.01db. 5hz-100KHZ +1 -10db. THD 20 Hz to 20 Khz is less than 0.005%. Too bad speakers that can reproduce that do not exist at any price.
I have noticed a sharp decline in amplifier specifications since the '70's. Most auto gear is not rated for RMS power but peak power at 10% or more THD. Most Pro-Sumer gear rarely list THD's below 0.01% anymore. Too bad most consumers don't know a 25 watt RMS amp at 0.01% THD is much more powerful than a 125 watt peak power rated at 10% THD. I'll take the 25 watt amp over the 250 watt amp anyday. It's a better amp with more power. Case in point. I saw a 250 watt auto amp using an 8 amp fuse. Hmmm 14 volts * 8 amps = 112 watts. There is no way that amp can out 250 watts RMS power and not fry the fuse. A real 25 watt / channel stereo amp can dump up to about 60 watts in heat (Linear transistor outputs and DC-DC inverter) while putting out 25 watts per channel undistorted into the load. This real amp would draw about 110 watts of input power or 7.8 amps at 14 volts. Most of these types amps are stout enough to deal with a minor impedance overload. They are typicaly fused with a 20 amp fuse on a 12 or 10 guage power lead, not a 8 amp fuse on a 18 guage wire. A Marantz 1060 is a 30 watt / channel amplifier. I used one as a replacement at a club that fried a 250 watt amplifier. Nobody knew the diffrence. It was good enough to do the job. A cheap amp would have overheated or distorted.
The 1 KW inverter I use for mobile use uses a 100 amp fuse and has a 1/0 guage power wire. (instructions recomended 2 gauge for up to 5 feet in length) Don't think an amp that can put out half that much power can run on a 20 amp fuse. It can't put out more steady state power than it takes in. Don't be fooled by the slick advertisement. Car audio is mostly over hyped. It is hard to compare real specs because they are rarely published. Seldom do I find any car audio rated in RMS watts into a specified load at less than 0.1% THD.
If the $20 legitimate CDs at the mall won't play in a computer
I've mentioned before and I'm mentioning it again;
Look for the Compact Disk Logo.
Ask the store sales person to help you look for it on your selections. Leave behind the ones without it and explain why. My portable MP3 player and in-car MP3 player won't work with cripled disks. Ripping a crippled disk is a violation of the DMCA, a fedral crime. You can't use the cripled disk because it isn't legal to do so. Currently I'm leaving about 60% of my selections on the counter for the clerk to re-shelf.
The battery pack in my Toyota Prius has a 100,000 mile warranty. It uses Panasonic cells. Part of the secret of long life is no deep cycling. Toyota is very clear about not running out of gas and driving on the battery only. It is hard on the battery. I guess this means the current Ni-Metal Hydride cells could last a lot longer if you do not wait for the low battery warning before recharging. Also just as important, don't overcharge. The Toyota system does not try to keep the battery fully charged. It tries to keep it's state of charge near 70%.
It's kind of like saying people prefer the Palm OS over Win CE because it came pre-installed on their handspring. Many people buying an off the shelf computer are buying more than just the hardware. They are buying a system, including an OS to make it work. It is true that usualy a MS OS is pre-installed. Would you buy that neat P4 system with DrDOS installed? Seldom do people buy a system with the intent of installing their own OS. They buy it for what it will do off the shelf. Did you buy your last system because it came with Windows, or did you buy it because it can Rip, Mix, Burn? The OS is part of it. It's true a part could be replaced for an upgraded part, DVD burner, memory, OS, and such, but most people buy systems for what they are advertised to do.
When I was a child, I saw a billobard with a big red pushbutton on it. The text said, what will you do when this button replaces your job. The answer was obvious. Get a job either designing buttons, or fix the broken ones. I've been in hands on repair and R&D since then. Where I currently work (R&D) there are lots of reliability testing to be done on the new processes and equipment prior to turning it over to manufacturing. After that, there is lots of hands on repairs and maitnance that still needs done. Lets face it, robots are great for the mundane stuff. Get a box of stuff from an automated hopper and load it on a process tool and such, but they don't have a chance when the tood error's out because it's cooling system sprang a leak and tripped the GFI. They still need someone to clean up the spill, find and fix the leak, recover from the error (disposition the half baked stuff) and get the process restarted. It's a great job, always busy, and not in danger of being eliminated soon. The pay isn't bad either. They don't hire dropout flunkies to take care of multi million dollar sets of automated equipment. The one's in danger of losing a job are the uneducated who traditionaly carried stuff around a factory or did part inspections. Those mundane jobs are going away.
spam filter render the HTML
NEVER! Why would I want my client or server validate my address by visiting ther site to fetch some visual. I'd rather have it show up as a dead letter unopened and deleted.
You will not notice much, if any, difference between 1080i and 480i on a 13" TV, for example
If that's the case, why are TV's not used for computer monitors.. I thought there was a big diffrence between NTSC and SVGA. Last time I used a TV out from a computer as a sub monitor I couldn't read the dialog boxes or slashdot. There is a huge diffrence. Actualy I was looking for about a 20 inch, the same size as my computer monitor. Besides, when the FCC in the good ole USA kills analog (it is comming I think), only those with subscription or home theatre systems will get the current 6PM news broadcast. Those of us without a subscription will just watch videotape or DVD's. Maybe the delay is to get all us free TV holdouts to subscribe to cable or DISH. It looks like internet will finaly fully replace television unless the manufactures start making affordable televisions for the new standard.
HDTV tuner technology is still relatively expensive
True, however calculators that could add, subtract, multiply, divide, and do percent were over $150. VCR's that could run at SP and LP were over $1200. Why is this taking so long to become affordable? When will they be priced like a VCR or DVD player without the mechanics? ($35-$50) I am old enough to remember when color came out in the 60's. Color tubes and circuits are just too expensive except for the rich to own. DTV is in the early color days. I'm going to wait for about 5 years. 15 years if they continue holding it up fighting over content protection schemes.
it hasn't been fully miniaturized yet
Sometimes I think they are made big so someone feels like they are getting something for their money. Get real. It's a UHF tuner like your NTSC TV already has and a digital processer like your video game or computer graphics card. Big is a marketing tool. What super processing does it need to do that a custom programed computer graphics card and a UHF tuner can't do? Most of the delay is still over a stupid Beta/VS VHS type war over content protection and who gets to get the royalties for it. That's the big expense and why they are not in mass produced televisions. They are killing the golden goose fighting over the fact it might lay a golden egg. It's gonna be dead before it can grow up to lay that egg.
I also find it interesting there are no digital televisions. There are lots of HDTV and DTV monitors, but just try to find a television (Not NTSC but DTV). My 14 year old TV is awaiting a replacement, but none are to be found. I don't want a home theatre system. I want a TV that will work in a motorhome. Am I stuck with NTSC or a DISH subscription? I just want clear 11:00 news.
They even screwed up the hardware. When optical mice came out, I made the mistake of buying one of the MS mice. Two things struck me as very wrong.
1. EULA. It's a hardware mouse..
2. It couldn't find a modem. It's a mouse. why is it looking for a modem that doesn't exist?
I ditched the MS mouse and replaced it with a Logitech optical. Never bought another MS hardware product. Too much red tape. When I get hardware, all I want is the hardware and a driver to make it work, not fodder for my legal department to debate before I can click OK.
I wonder if IP blocks from their official website address could be used to help build a perponderance of evidance against you. Could you explain why the RIAA official server is blocked by your router? A simple scan from a DSL or Cable modem followed by a Scan from an official RIAA server would create a quick list of prime suspects hiding from the RIAA.
I think the author doesn't have one of the in dash units. Mine auto-routes. It gives voice directions. It works even with the display turned off. I use the local talk radio for road reports. If I need to ditch the freeway, I just take any exit. The auto re-route works fully hands off. It re-does the route on the fly and contiues giving directions to an alternate route.
The unit I have is the factory Nav-Tech unit in the Toyota Prius. My only problem is my wife keeps swiping my car if she needs to go somewhere she hasn't been before. No need to deal with online maps. Punch in the address and go. Yahoo maps aren't much good if you need to re-route in traffic. It beats trying to read a map or Yahoo turn by turn directions while driving. I much prefer the voice "In two miles exit 62 is on the left." prompt.
Mostly useless is only defined by a commuter who never needs another route other than the few that are already pre'learned. The in dash GPS unit is perfect for realitors and others that need to go to many unknown locations. It quickly un-tangles many housing tracts that were nothing but a maze. Now they are an alternate route if needed. That's when you need the eyes on the road, not a map or GPS. By the way the Prius gets about 55 MPG in typical city driving.
I'm going to have to sping for a Street Pilot unit for my wife so I can keep my car. I hate driving the van.
Actualy his mom is right. Case in point. In the USA it is illegal to have sea turtle stuff. They are an endangered species. Beef is not protected. There is no problem finding a steak at the supermarket.
In the Cayman Islands it is legal to have sea turtle products including meat and shells. They also farm sea turtles to both sell the products and preserve the species. By the way turtle stew is delicious. Too bad the US would not permit me to bring a shell back.
If only they would allow the gulf coast to legaly farm and sell sea turtle products, they would be much more common. Possibly as common as a Big Mac (tm).
Making it illegal to own makes raising and selling for a profit impossible. Poaching kills the wild population. So does taking the habitat for legal profitable other uses of the land. (lots of beef is raised for profit) Threatened species becomes more threatened. Over hunting wild populations should be limited. Farming and selling should be legal.
Ever bought farm raised salmon? Could Chillean Sea Bass be profitably farmed with a percentage returned to the wild?
Raising passenger pigeons for the hat industry instead of hunting them could have saved it from extinction.
Obligatory link to the turtle farm. Watch the web cams on this farm here
http://www.turtle.ky/video.htm
Here is a cut and paste with some stats on the release program.
The Farm's captive breeding colony now produces an average of 45,000 eggs per year. Approximately eight thousand hatchlings are needed each year to satisfy current production goals. Excess hatchlings are designated for tagging and release. Over 28,000 hatchlings and yearlings have been released into the waters surrounding the Cayman Islands.
The Hawking printserver line also works great. They come both as a parallel and USB versions. It's a great way to share a laser printer for the cost of a color HP cartridge. (the full HP78)
Maybe Microsoft doesn't mind. There was some big stink about overseas piracy anyway. This should fix the piracy problem.
It's been a few years ago, but I had a typo on my car registration and title. I was going to get it fixed, but within 2 days of my regestration, I got mail with the same wrong name. Then I started getting sales calls. I never fixed the registration. My vehicle registration was good for about 1/3 of my snail mail junk.
It came from places you wouldn't expect it. Sideing salesmen were the worst. I was renting an apartment at the time.