In fact, you still (usually) have to pay tax even without a green card. Fair enough I suppose, but I think (I/aliens) should be able to vote if we're paying taxes (perhaps after sone minimum years of residence - say 5).
Of course that raises the question of if I should be allowed to continue to vote in Australia via postal vote too...
I work at Oak Ridge National Lab (although not in physics and I don't know these folks). A physics person I spoke to that has some inside perspective seems to think that it is legit.
However, he doesn't think there are any ideas around about how it could be applied to exctract any positive energy budget at this stage (let alone any practical ones). Unfortunately.
We can just hope that more people paying attention to it will increase the likelihood that some bright person will get some ideas in that direction.
I would be so happy if I could compile my c# code into a real executable
The Ximian mono C# compiler (mcs) has an -aot option - ahead of time. It lets the x86 JIT output the native code back into an.exe.so. It is not completely stand-alone as the CLR required metadata at runtime for reflection and linking with other code (the IL.exe is still needed for the metadata).
It might be possible to -aot the whole library and do away with the metadata if you don't use the System.Reflection APIs (?)
Surely, this is only true in countries where utility power is unreliable (like the US)?
I moved to the US five years ago and was initially amazed that someone had experienced a power outage in their lifetime! - After realizing they weren't joking I though it must have been a pretty unusual circumstance - like a major earth quake or something. First time I'd ever heard of surge protectors in power strips too - yikes! - doesn't give a good feeling about the power.
Of course, now I know better, that the electrical systems of building and power distributions systems are just extremely poorly engineered due to lax regulations and cost pressures (which might explain cheap electricity too). First time I'd ever seen electricity cabling strung on posts above ground on the street sides - hardly surprising that it can be effected by weather.
Since I've been living in TN, I've experienced 2 power outages due to thunderstorms, and now keep a set of candles in the kithen drawer.
I've even done some re-writing of light fixtures in our house myself - no degree/license required!
So, perhaps the US has traded for relaxed regulation, DIY wiring & cheap electricity at the expense of unreliable power & telecoms and higher cost/complexity of consumer applicances to compensate.
In short, I guess I'm suggesting that assuming that all electric devices are built to handle unreliable power (brownouts, spikes etc.) is perhaps country specifc.
I just finished wiring up my new house before the drywall went up. So I though I'd add some tips.
Firtly, I went crazy with Cat5 and thought - I'll never use all this, but just-in-case. Well - I after living in the house a few months - I don't have enough of what I want where.
The suggestion about the cunduit is spot on - that's what I did also
9) don't forget good 'ol coax. I've always had cable and switched to sattellite for the first time after moving. The first thing the installer needed was 3 coax cables running from outside into my distribution box. How many do you think I had? 2. So I still had to make another hole in the wall. Put plenty of coax in anywhere there isn't conduit.
10) don't forget cables (or conduit) provision for IR. I had all my TiVo, cable boxes etc. in a central distribution closet. I had planned to have IR recievers wired to a single IR xmitter in that closet. What is the first thing my wife wanted after moving in? To watch a DVD in bed. Well, the DVD player was one thing that isn't in the closet (on account of needing access to put DVDs in). I had assumed just watching DVD in the living room would be fine. Nope, so now I needed a way to get composite video from the living room to the closet and out to the bedroom & to get IR from bedroom to living room). Luckily I had enough stuff in place - but only just. Make sure you run conduit to several places in rooms you use heavily. For example, to at least three walls in the living room.
11) Also, I ran conduit over the fireplace so that I can connect surrount speakers without cables going around (in the future).
12) If you're using X10 for automation, don't believe their claim of 1 signal booster per 1000sq/ft. I've had to buy 4 extra (at $99 each!).
13) Don't forget you probably want video/phone/net at convenient places along the kitchen counter tops (for web recipes, TV while making dinner (so you don't miss anything) etc.)
I'm an Aussie living in the US. I have drank Nescafe Blend43 in Australia many times and would agree with your assesment.
However, the Nescafe B43 I've tried several times here (TN) has been much worse. I had a jar for backup and ended up just tossing it into the trash. Maxwell house is even worse.
I was in the general dynamics robotics factory two years ago to check out the Demo III vehicle. They look bascially like a scaled down HMMWV without the crew compartment.
The advantage of semi-autonomy is that you can have one person controlling a bunch of them.
People are still more expensive to pay/feed/move etc. than vehicles, and will be smarter for a while.
protected: typedef List<Apple> Apples; Apples apples;
... };
Fruit fruit;
Now imagine, having to think up more illogical and less descriptive names because Apple, and Apples, and Fruit are already taken! I'd hate if my constructor arg couldn't be called apples too - that what it is. Java forces me to write this.apples = apples.
I hate having to prefix with '_' or worse 'm_', as it just makes more work during reorganization/refactoring etc.
It already disturbs me that I can't use the same name for a method and a field. I'd like to be able to write code like:
class MyClass { public: MyClass(const Any& value):value(value) {}
Here in the US (TN) I pay US$50/month for a similar service, without the static IP. Granted the claimed rate is 1.5mb, but 384 is closer to the average I get over my, also old, phone lines (and I only live 10mins from the city center - pop. 300K)
This is basically the solution I use. I have a cron job that unison/rsync's my files to the USB2 external drive every night. It also mirrors to my PC at work to provide location redundancy (it is 20miles away).
I guess I'm young enough that if I can't find something on the web, I blow it off without even realising that there are other places to look.
I'm a scientist, but I haven't been to a library in over 5 years. If a researcher doesn't have information online, or at least available via an online journal, I don't take them seriously.
The sooner all the worlds existing books get put online the better.
I don't purchase paper books if I can avoid it these days either (Safari & eBooks) - so if the web goes down at our work place, I basically might as well just go home and relax - there is almost no work I can do.
I've read many times that modern compiled C code or well written C++ code is typically far better than hand written assembly code. I don't know that definitively, however. I'd assume that for small snippets, like specific loops etc., that an assembly programmer could still look at the compiler output and perhaps improve it slightly (if they could understand it!).
C++ is a super-set of C, so in theory you can get the same output if you want. However, typically program efficiency is at a higher level than specifically optimized loops etc. - e.g. at the level of algorithm choice. In addition, a good C++ matrix class (for example) can do constant folding, loop unrolling and ensure the memory access order of common matrix/vector operations is appropriate for your CPU (via templates) - that you'd be hard pressed to do in C except for very small projects.
I think C is only still alive because it is supported on most systems, and most programmers don't have enough training to use a more complex language.
C is really just glorified assembly language. It only provides a minimal of type checking over most macro assemblers and is about as easy to read. It does have alot of operators to save typing though.
I think that C and 'C++ used as C' is the reason alot of commercial software is so bug ridden. Hopefully Java,.NET/.GNU, scripting languages and competent use of modern C++ are starting to change that.
Don't even get me started on the 'C is faster than C++ myth'. Only in the hands of an idiot.
However, it depends on the amount of effort that gets put into R&D. I strongly believe that such robots are possible in the very near future and could have been available 10 years ago if there was a belief and will to make it happen.
Alas, scientific research doesn't sell and is increasingly becoming just another profession where most scientists are more interested in maintaining their jobs and the status quo than pushing the barriers.
I'd suspect it will happen within the time frame because I think perhaps we're getting to a threshold point where companies are starting to realize just how doable it is and how much money could be made.
As one of the authors of eNote, I would say that it is not well suited to the kind of markup that you can get via MS Word's Track Changes feature. The current version of eNote has grown from more modest roots and consequently is a rather messy Perl program.
The next generation eNote (which will not be ready for a while), will be more full featured, but will require Java on the client (Webstart). eNote2 isn't being developed by me, but I am developng a notebook client targets at the bioinformatics industry (however it will be generic also)
Both notebooks will use the SAM - Scientific Annotation Middleware - and I'll definitely consider adding a track-changes like function after reading this thread.
For the moment, I can't suggest anything better than the Word/OpenOffice track changes features.
If you are really interested in this kind of notebook for now, the ELN notebook came out of the same DOE project and has more features - but also requires Java on the client. Personally I think the UI is a bit clumsy though.
Slashdot Mirror
In fact, you still (usually) have to pay tax even without a green card. Fair enough I suppose, but I think (I/aliens) should be able to vote if we're paying taxes (perhaps after sone minimum years of residence - say 5).
Of course that raises the question of if I should be allowed to continue to vote in Australia via postal vote too...
I work at Oak Ridge National Lab (although not in physics and I don't know these folks). A physics person I spoke to that has some inside perspective seems to think that it is legit.
However, he doesn't think there are any ideas around about how it could be applied to exctract any positive energy budget at this stage (let alone any practical ones). Unfortunately.
We can just hope that more people paying attention to it will increase the likelihood that some bright person will get some ideas in that direction.
The Ximian mono C# compiler (mcs) has an -aot option - ahead of time. It lets the x86 JIT output the native code back into an .exe.so. It is not completely stand-alone as the CLR required metadata at runtime for reflection and linking with other code (the IL .exe is still needed for the metadata).
It might be possible to -aot the whole library and do away with the metadata if you don't use the System.Reflection APIs (?)
Surely, this is only true in countries where utility power is unreliable (like the US)?
I moved to the US five years ago and was initially amazed that someone had experienced a power outage in their lifetime! - After realizing they weren't joking I though it must have been a pretty unusual circumstance - like a major earth quake or something. First time I'd ever heard of surge protectors in power strips too - yikes! - doesn't give a good feeling about the power.
Of course, now I know better, that the electrical systems of building and power distributions systems are just extremely poorly engineered due to lax regulations and cost pressures (which might explain cheap electricity too). First time I'd ever seen electricity cabling strung on posts above ground on the street sides - hardly surprising that it can be effected by weather.
Since I've been living in TN, I've experienced 2 power outages due to thunderstorms, and now keep a set of candles in the kithen drawer.
I've even done some re-writing of light fixtures in our house myself - no degree/license required!
So, perhaps the US has traded for relaxed regulation, DIY wiring & cheap electricity at the expense of unreliable power & telecoms and higher cost/complexity of consumer applicances to compensate.
In short, I guess I'm suggesting that assuming that all electric devices are built to handle unreliable power (brownouts, spikes etc.) is perhaps country specifc.
I just finished wiring up my new house before the drywall went up. So I though I'd add some tips.
Firtly, I went crazy with Cat5 and thought - I'll never use all this, but just-in-case. Well - I after living in the house a few months - I don't have enough of what I want where.
The suggestion about the cunduit is spot on - that's what I did also
9) don't forget good 'ol coax. I've always had cable and switched to sattellite for the first time after moving. The first thing the installer needed was 3 coax cables running from outside into my distribution box. How many do you think I had? 2. So I still had to make another hole in the wall. Put plenty of coax in anywhere there isn't conduit.
10) don't forget cables (or conduit) provision for IR. I had all my TiVo, cable boxes etc. in a central distribution closet. I had planned to have IR recievers wired to a single IR xmitter in that closet. What is the first thing my wife wanted after moving in? To watch a DVD in bed. Well, the DVD player was one thing that isn't in the closet (on account of needing access to put DVDs in). I had assumed just watching DVD in the living room would be fine. Nope, so now I needed a way to get composite video from the living room to the closet and out to the bedroom & to get IR from bedroom to living room). Luckily I had enough stuff in place - but only just. Make sure you run conduit to several places in rooms you use heavily. For example, to at least three walls in the living room.
11) Also, I ran conduit over the fireplace so that I can connect surrount speakers without cables going around (in the future).
12) If you're using X10 for automation, don't believe their claim of 1 signal booster per 1000sq/ft. I've had to buy 4 extra (at $99 each!).
13) Don't forget you probably want video/phone/net at convenient places along the kitchen counter tops (for web recipes, TV while making dinner (so you don't miss anything) etc.)
Nope. I bought it and didn't get into the Prologue - so that's one - how many more?.
Perhaps they messed up their signup system or something.
I applied to get into the Beta months ago and was never accepted (not a peep).
Huh?
In my opinion, the same brand of instant in US is much worse than the Aussie sold version (only tested with Nescafe B43 & Maxwell House).
I'm an Aussie living in the US. I have drank Nescafe Blend43 in Australia many times and would agree with your assesment.
However, the Nescafe B43 I've tried several times here (TN) has been much worse. I had a jar for backup and ended up just tossing it into the trash. Maxwell house is even worse.
I was in the general dynamics robotics factory two years ago to check out the Demo III vehicle. They look bascially like a scaled down HMMWV without the crew compartment.
The advantage of semi-autonomy is that you can have one person controlling a bunch of them.
People are still more expensive to pay/feed/move etc. than vehicles, and will be smarter for a while.
An illustrative (if nonsense) piece of code typical of the style I may write: (this is C++ - but the argument is the same)
Now imagine, having to think up more illogical and less descriptive names because Apple, and Apples, and Fruit are already taken! I'd hate if my constructor arg couldn't be called apples too - that what it is. Java forces me to write this.apples = apples. I hate having to prefix with '_' or worse 'm_', as it just makes more work during reorganization/refactoring etc.
It already disturbs me that I can't use the same name for a method and a field. I'd like to be able to write code like:
Unfortunately, C++ can't tell 'Any value' from 'Any value()'. At least in C# I can use a property - but I still can't utilize the same name :(
Unless you can think of a way for the companies to make up the lost profit made from selling the power supply to you - you won't see it.
Here in the US (TN) I pay US$50/month for a similar service, without the static IP. Granted the claimed rate is 1.5mb, but 384 is closer to the average I get over my, also old, phone lines (and I only live 10mins from the city center - pop. 300K)
So, I don't think the rates are so different.
This is basically the solution I use. I have a cron job that unison/rsync's my files to the USB2 external drive every night. It also mirrors to my PC at work to provide location redundancy (it is 20miles away).
Check out Unison. Not sure if it is exactly what you want, but it is a nice cross-platform filesystem sync tool I use.
And now that eclipse runs find under Mono and IKVM, you can use it from C# too! :)
I guess I'm young enough that if I can't find something on the web, I blow it off without even realising that there are other places to look.
I'm a scientist, but I haven't been to a library in over 5 years. If a researcher doesn't have information online, or at least available via an online journal, I don't take them seriously.
The sooner all the worlds existing books get put online the better.
I don't purchase paper books if I can avoid it these days either (Safari & eBooks) - so if the web goes down at our work place, I basically might as well just go home and relax - there is almost no work I can do.
Where? How does it do raw pointers?
How about the reflective morphing of the robot in Terminator II - where it breaks out of the helicopter?
>In 1860, Heavier than air flight was considered impossible.
You mean they never bothered to put a bird on the scales and notice that it didn't float up to the ceiling?
When writing C++ you have full control over the use of dynamic type info, static or polymorphic method lookup, memory use and object lifetime, etc.
So, a good programmer can ensure that for performance critical code, none of those expensive features are used (selectively).
I've read many times that modern compiled C code or well written C++ code is typically far better than hand written assembly code. I don't know that definitively, however. I'd assume that for small snippets, like specific loops etc., that an assembly programmer could still look at the compiler output and perhaps improve it slightly (if they could understand it!).
C++ is a super-set of C, so in theory you can get the same output if you want. However, typically program efficiency is at a higher level than specifically optimized loops etc. - e.g. at the level of algorithm choice. In addition, a good C++ matrix class (for example) can do constant folding, loop unrolling and ensure the memory access order of common matrix/vector operations is appropriate for your CPU (via templates) - that you'd be hard pressed to do in C except for very small projects.
I think C is only still alive because it is supported on most systems, and most programmers don't have enough training to use a more complex language.
C is really just glorified assembly language. It only provides a minimal of type checking over most macro assemblers and is about as easy to read. It does have alot of operators to save typing though.
I think that C and 'C++ used as C' is the reason alot of commercial software is so bug ridden. Hopefully Java, .NET/.GNU, scripting languages and competent use of modern C++ are starting to change that.
Don't even get me started on the 'C is faster than C++ myth'. Only in the hands of an idiot.
As a roboticist, I would have to say, 'probably'.
However, it depends on the amount of effort that gets put into R&D. I strongly believe that such robots are possible in the very near future and could have been available 10 years ago if there was a belief and will to make it happen.
Alas, scientific research doesn't sell and is increasingly becoming just another profession where most scientists are more interested in maintaining their jobs and the status quo than pushing the barriers.
I'd suspect it will happen within the time frame because I think perhaps we're getting to a threshold point where companies are starting to realize just how doable it is and how much money could be made.
As one of the authors of eNote, I would say that it is not well suited to the kind of markup that you can get via MS Word's Track Changes feature. The current version of eNote has grown from more modest roots and consequently is a rather messy Perl program.
The next generation eNote (which will not be ready for a while), will be more full featured, but will require Java on the client (Webstart). eNote2 isn't being developed by me, but I am developng a notebook client targets at the bioinformatics industry (however it will be generic also)
Both notebooks will use the SAM - Scientific Annotation Middleware - and I'll definitely consider adding a track-changes like function after reading this thread.
For the moment, I can't suggest anything better than the Word/OpenOffice track changes features.
If you are really interested in this kind of notebook for now, the ELN notebook came out of the same DOE project and has more features - but also requires Java on the client. Personally I think the UI is a bit clumsy though.