How will we compensate the guy who built the last mile?
Why shouldn't we encourage potential competitors to build their own last mile?
Why do you think that government mandated rates would be the way the Federal Government pay for the lines? Why not taxes?
Why on earth would do you think the Federal Government should be in the business of providing internet service, other than the fact that you are a socialist?
Glocks do not have exposed hammers, so I can't imagine what 'cocked back' refers to. Indeed, Glocks have a rather unique firing system, in that the hammer is left in a semi-cocked position when a round is chambered. If it is released it will not have enough energy to fire the shell. The hammer is actully cocked as the trigger is squeezed, which is why I hate Glocks, the damn trigger creep is ridiculous. (Altohough in the summer you'll find me carrying a G36 as it is much less bulky than even the scaled down 1911 variants).
Here is the entire linked story, minus any line or paragraph breaks. Mod me up!
Soundbug turns flat surfaces into speakers
12:25 Thursday 14th March 2002
Graeme Wearden
The desks are alive with the sound of music at the CeBIT show in Hannover, as Olympia launches a cheap device that will turn any surface into the biggest speaker on the block
It may be more famous for making typewriters, but Olympia has just revealed what some observers are calling one of the sexiest gadgets of this year's CeBIT -- a small device that can turn pretty much any flat surface into a soundboard.
The Soundbug can be plugged into the headphone socket of, for example, an MP3 player or a walkman, and then fixed by suction to the flat surface -- effectively turning a desk or window into a speaker.
Set to go on sale in the UK for £29.99, the Soundbug -- which is roughly the same size as a computer mouse -- will be targeted at the youth market, but it is likely to appeal to a much wider range of technology users.
"We spoke to plenty of children when we were designing the Soundbug, and they all really wanted to know when they'd be able to buy one," Richard May, Olympia's president, told ZDNet UK.
The sound quality achieved by Soundbug is impressive, especially when the device is attached to a thick piece of a dense material -- such as a desk. It's even possible to daisy-chain two Soundbugs together to achieve stereo sound, even when both are stuck to the same surface.
The Soundbug was developed in partnership with Newlands Scientific, a commercial research company that was spun off from Hull University.
The Soundbug transmits the sound to the flat surface by way of a small piece of Terfenol, which is a mixture of rare earth metals and iron. This substance is placed within an aluminium case, around which is wrapped a coil.
Passing electricity through the coil causes the piece of Terfonal to slightly expand, resulting in a force of 400 pounds, explained Newlands Scientific managing director Brian Smith. Once attached to a flat surface, Soundbug will transmit electronic signals into mechanical energy -- causing the flat surface to vibrate and broadcast the sound.
Smith told ZDNet UK that there are many exciting applications for this technology, which is called magnetostriction. In theory, it could create noise-insulating windows that could block out the sound of traffic.
Olympia also demonstrated a mobile phone version of Soundbug, that will be aimed at business workers. The device can be stuck to a car windscreen, meaning that drivers can have a hands-free conversation without having to wear a headset. It could be on sale by the end of this summer, and May is aiming for a price of £49.99.
A high-end conference phone version is also being developed that would mean everyone seated around a table would be able to hear the phone conversation equally clearly.
For now, though, the focus is on the launch of Soundbug next month.
"We're hoping that Soundbug will be the number one product on childrens' Christmas present list," said May. If Olympia is that successful, the Soundbug could even become a bit of a pest. "Just imagine what the school bus could be like," grinned May.
For full coverage of CeBIT 2002 -- the biggest tech show in the world -- see the CeBIT News Special.
For further coverage of upcoming UK and international events go to ZDNet UK's Events channel.
Have your say instantly, and see what others have said. Go to the ZDNet news forum.
Let the editors know what you think in the Mailroom.
Related Links
Comdex Chicago: The world is wireless
Creative takes sound out of the box
Creative Labs blasts out Audigy
Nuggets: Cool flat panel speakers with a thumping bass
Search for similar stories
Email this story to a friend
Printer friendly version
Should I take your sarcasm to mean that you think you have some right to watch movies? Is it an inalienable right, up there with freedom of speech or keeping arms?
I'd like to see your line of thinking extended beyond software.
Have some industrial waste lying around? Maybe its lead contaminated soil, or heavy metal laden cooling tower runoff? Give it away to the people. Tell them its Holy Water, or mulch. Spread it over playgrounds. Do whatever with it, as long as you don't charge for it, who cares?
Please run this marketing copy for us as if it were a user submitted story. We have some new phones, with daring new features like pop off covers and a myriad of ring tones.
Since these are the same new features that our phones have had for 5 or 6 years, we've chosen to align each model with a particular image, like Urban Sophistication. This will help sell the idea that they are actually new phones. We are also pushing the fact that these will run Java, so this story should appeal to your demographic.
Please return the names, user IDs, and addresses of all subscribers who read the ad, as well as any text they post. Thanks.
Now? There have been product placement ads on Slashdot for quite a while.
They Might Be Giants bought an entire article. Yesterday, Sony bought the word 'excellent' in the headline of the article about their handhelds. (Taco: "$1000 for the article, another $200 and a handheld if you want me to call them excellent in the headline." Sony marketing guy: "Thats a go!").
Why don't you just drop by your local Federal Prison and turn yourself in? It'd be alot faster, and waste fewer valuable resources in hunting you down.
First of all, you don't know what the fuck I be motherfuckin' knowin.
Next, I couldn't be bothered to read the article because I was going for FP.
In the event you couldn't tell, my post was a parody of the countless this will destroy Microsoft posts that you could read any day on Slashdot. You didn't get that did you? No, because you're a moron. Maybe your mom dropped you a lot when you were young, maybe she fed you a diet that impaired brain development, maybe you're just a humor impaired geek, I don't know and I don't care. Stop reading my posts if you can't figure them out.
Set aside the fact that the single mother probably pays less tax in aggregate compared to the geek, because she buys less. Why should the geek pay more than the mother? They most likely consume about the same quantity of public goods? Why should the geek pay more.
The DMCA is in place now, so it does differ. The DMCA prevents reverse engineering, except under certain circumstances. As for where we would be without 3rd party BIOS: A) I don't know because your point is entirely speculative, B) That has no bearing on whether battle.net violated the DMCA.
A person or company that offers to the public a device (or software) that facilitates copyright violation is subject to legal action by the copyright holder. That is part of the DMCA, the standard that defines facilitating copyright violation is in US copyright law.
Once again, just because you people can't work out in your heads why something is illegal doesn't mean that it isn't. If you, with your infintessimal knowledge of the way businesses earn money and your left skewed politics, can't find the inured party, no one cares. Go back to rambling on about the newest kernel release.
You people seem to think that Fair Use means whatever pops into your head when you hear the words. It doesn't, it has a very clear legal definition that does not include the vast majority of the things you all seem to think it does.
Considering that the battle.net server would be excluded from Fair Use by T17-C1-S107(4), Fair Use doesn't enter into the equation for them. For you, it might, which is probably why they aren't going after end users, but if there is a license agreement that prohibits you from connecting to third party servers then it would take precedence, although I still wouldn't expect Blizzard to come after anyone who bought a legitimate copy of their stuff.
As for software licensing not being upheld in court, you must be thinking of the GPL. There have been enough court decisions involving everything from shrink wrap licenses to click throughs to fill up the widest of Slashdot pages. You can find some yourself if you're really that interested, because I can't be bothered to give you a link. Try Caspi vs. Microsoft, I testified in that one, dumbass.
You are correct that the software license that comes with the client doesn't bind the programmers of battle.net. The DMCA does though, and if they participate in copyright violation, even by proxy, they should be punished.
Slashdot Mirror
I'd really like to see Microsoft as the defendant in the first GPL case, that'd be a blast. I'd buy a ticket.
Why shouldn't we encourage potential competitors to build their own last mile?
Why do you think that government mandated rates would be the way the Federal Government pay for the lines? Why not taxes?
Why on earth would do you think the Federal Government should be in the business of providing internet service, other than the fact that you are a socialist?
I got my twin glock .40s, cocked back
Glocks do not have exposed hammers, so I can't imagine what 'cocked back' refers to. Indeed, Glocks have a rather unique firing system, in that the hammer is left in a semi-cocked position when a round is chambered. If it is released it will not have enough energy to fire the shell. The hammer is actully cocked as the trigger is squeezed, which is why I hate Glocks, the damn trigger creep is ridiculous. (Altohough in the summer you'll find me carrying a G36 as it is much less bulky than even the scaled down 1911 variants).
Fake ass gangsters.
Soundbug turns flat surfaces into speakers 12:25 Thursday 14th March 2002 Graeme Wearden The desks are alive with the sound of music at the CeBIT show in Hannover, as Olympia launches a cheap device that will turn any surface into the biggest speaker on the block It may be more famous for making typewriters, but Olympia has just revealed what some observers are calling one of the sexiest gadgets of this year's CeBIT -- a small device that can turn pretty much any flat surface into a soundboard. The Soundbug can be plugged into the headphone socket of, for example, an MP3 player or a walkman, and then fixed by suction to the flat surface -- effectively turning a desk or window into a speaker. Set to go on sale in the UK for £29.99, the Soundbug -- which is roughly the same size as a computer mouse -- will be targeted at the youth market, but it is likely to appeal to a much wider range of technology users. "We spoke to plenty of children when we were designing the Soundbug, and they all really wanted to know when they'd be able to buy one," Richard May, Olympia's president, told ZDNet UK. The sound quality achieved by Soundbug is impressive, especially when the device is attached to a thick piece of a dense material -- such as a desk. It's even possible to daisy-chain two Soundbugs together to achieve stereo sound, even when both are stuck to the same surface. The Soundbug was developed in partnership with Newlands Scientific, a commercial research company that was spun off from Hull University. The Soundbug transmits the sound to the flat surface by way of a small piece of Terfenol, which is a mixture of rare earth metals and iron. This substance is placed within an aluminium case, around which is wrapped a coil. Passing electricity through the coil causes the piece of Terfonal to slightly expand, resulting in a force of 400 pounds, explained Newlands Scientific managing director Brian Smith. Once attached to a flat surface, Soundbug will transmit electronic signals into mechanical energy -- causing the flat surface to vibrate and broadcast the sound. Smith told ZDNet UK that there are many exciting applications for this technology, which is called magnetostriction. In theory, it could create noise-insulating windows that could block out the sound of traffic. Olympia also demonstrated a mobile phone version of Soundbug, that will be aimed at business workers. The device can be stuck to a car windscreen, meaning that drivers can have a hands-free conversation without having to wear a headset. It could be on sale by the end of this summer, and May is aiming for a price of £49.99. A high-end conference phone version is also being developed that would mean everyone seated around a table would be able to hear the phone conversation equally clearly. For now, though, the focus is on the launch of Soundbug next month. "We're hoping that Soundbug will be the number one product on childrens' Christmas present list," said May. If Olympia is that successful, the Soundbug could even become a bit of a pest. "Just imagine what the school bus could be like," grinned May. For full coverage of CeBIT 2002 -- the biggest tech show in the world -- see the CeBIT News Special. For further coverage of upcoming UK and international events go to ZDNet UK's Events channel. Have your say instantly, and see what others have said. Go to the ZDNet news forum. Let the editors know what you think in the Mailroom. Related Links Comdex Chicago: The world is wireless Creative takes sound out of the box Creative Labs blasts out Audigy Nuggets: Cool flat panel speakers with a thumping bass Search for similar stories Email this story to a friend Printer friendly version
Do not post comments in this story, they have been disabled.
Should I take your sarcasm to mean that you think you have some right to watch movies? Is it an inalienable right, up there with freedom of speech or keeping arms?
The reeks of a forthcoming Altavista ad.
Firestone didn't do anything wrong, much less hide information.
Have some industrial waste lying around? Maybe its lead contaminated soil, or heavy metal laden cooling tower runoff? Give it away to the people. Tell them its Holy Water, or mulch. Spread it over playgrounds. Do whatever with it, as long as you don't charge for it, who cares?
Thats what you get for lying prone across the bed of communism.
98% of the computing public, that who. And they'll pay for the thing as well.
And it will be better than Linux's, as was the previous one, and the one before that, and the one before that, and....
I would want it to run PocketPC.
Since these are the same new features that our phones have had for 5 or 6 years, we've chosen to align each model with a particular image, like Urban Sophistication. This will help sell the idea that they are actually new phones. We are also pushing the fact that these will run Java, so this story should appeal to your demographic.
Please return the names, user IDs, and addresses of all subscribers who read the ad, as well as any text they post. Thanks.
Heres a tip for you: Don't buy one.
They Might Be Giants bought an entire article. Yesterday, Sony bought the word 'excellent' in the headline of the article about their handhelds. (Taco: "$1000 for the article, another $200 and a handheld if you want me to call them excellent in the headline." Sony marketing guy: "Thats a go!").
Next, I couldn't be bothered to read the article because I was going for FP.
In the event you couldn't tell, my post was a parody of the countless this will destroy Microsoft posts that you could read any day on Slashdot. You didn't get that did you? No, because you're a moron. Maybe your mom dropped you a lot when you were young, maybe she fed you a diet that impaired brain development, maybe you're just a humor impaired geek, I don't know and I don't care. Stop reading my posts if you can't figure them out.
This will surely destroy Open Source.
A person or company that offers to the public a device (or software) that facilitates copyright violation is subject to legal action by the copyright holder. That is part of the DMCA, the standard that defines facilitating copyright violation is in US copyright law.
Once again, just because you people can't work out in your heads why something is illegal doesn't mean that it isn't. If you, with your infintessimal knowledge of the way businesses earn money and your left skewed politics, can't find the inured party, no one cares. Go back to rambling on about the newest kernel release.
Your comment will be added to the list of things that Slashbots have predicted will cause Microsoft to crumble. It is now Reason #93,426.
Hell yeah, although you should capitalize MEEPT!
Considering that the battle.net server would be excluded from Fair Use by T17-C1-S107(4), Fair Use doesn't enter into the equation for them. For you, it might, which is probably why they aren't going after end users, but if there is a license agreement that prohibits you from connecting to third party servers then it would take precedence, although I still wouldn't expect Blizzard to come after anyone who bought a legitimate copy of their stuff.
As for software licensing not being upheld in court, you must be thinking of the GPL. There have been enough court decisions involving everything from shrink wrap licenses to click throughs to fill up the widest of Slashdot pages. You can find some yourself if you're really that interested, because I can't be bothered to give you a link. Try Caspi vs. Microsoft, I testified in that one, dumbass.
You are correct that the software license that comes with the client doesn't bind the programmers of battle.net. The DMCA does though, and if they participate in copyright violation, even by proxy, they should be punished.