Rather impossible. If that were so, we'd be inside the event horizon, and therefore we'd be falling into that black hole. Now, even though science fiction has all sorts of time-dilation motifs inside the event horizons of black holes, I tend to doubt that my existence to this point has been a few seconds on the way into a singularity.
Well, like I said earlier, unless the heat sinks are properly configured, you could very easily burn out the processor by overcloaking it. Part of the problem with heat dissipation in space (and part of the problem with breathing...) is the lack of gravity. With no natural breeze, you get the same air trapped around the processor.
Now, yes, you can use fans to move air about. But how do the fans work in 0 G? (Well, microgravity, but pretty much the same thing...) I imagine that the fans have to be reconfigured as well.
I also imagine that the boards have to be reinforced to withstand the forces during takeoff, as well as the screen... the mouse is simple; use the same little pad you normally do with laptops.
Exactly. Heat dissapation is a major problem in space. Unless the laptop's heatsinks are properly configured, you could very easily burn out the laptop with only a hour's use.
Also, I imagine that disk ejection systems and CD drives need to be reconfigured so you don't have spinning discs floating all over the place.
Makes you wonder what frisbee would be like in 0 G...
Correct. We assume that it will work based on mathematical models, but we cannot program the computer to do anything but follow those same mathematical models. Now if the universe (and black holes in particular) actual follow those models, that's great. But a pure computer model will not be able to tell us that. All it will be able to tell us is that the model we programmed worked.
For things like aerodynamics, where we are conversant with the formulae and models involved, computer simulations work, and they work very well. Similarly, based on our knowledge of materials, friction, etc. we can model pretty much any machine in a good CAD program (I recommened Pro-Engineer). But the computer modeling of a black hole, while perhaps pretty in it's own way, cannot tell us anything other then information along the mathematical model it is based on.
While the concept of a controllable black hole gives all kinds of options (hazardous waste disposal, new option instead of cremation), the problem I would have with it is that I have an intrinsic distrust of trying to create something this potentially hazardous anywhere near Earth. I think I can safely speak for all of humanity when I say I would rather not be around if they messed up.
On the bonus side, it would give the AD&D geeks an actual 'Sphere of Annihilation'.
Well, the movie may have been crapola, but assuming that the asteroid is not the size of Texas, a large enough bomb (or more then one bomb) could be used to turn the asteroid into small enough chunks of rubble that they will burn up in the atmosphere. It is also possible to use explosives to alter the trajectory of the asteroid. It may not alter it much in the grand scheme of things, but it might be enough to matter. (Of course, I have very little experience with explosives and none with asteroids.)
Realistically though, I doubt that there would be enough warning time to mount a feasible mission involving explosives as an asteroid deterrent. And unless NASA has been up to some new tricks, I rather think our space tug fleet is a touch small (read nonexistant).
You're right. I didn't. But what I said was that when a computer not only takes into account data that it has been given, but plans for what it hasn't, that it is a step towards reasoning. And it is. At least intuitive reasoning.
Well, most humans only reason with the information that they are given, at least if my college courses are any indication. The fact that this computer created robots that could accomplish the goals set it, again, while it might not be reasoning, is at least a step in the right direction. When the computer can make a robot that not only traverses terrain with the details it is given, but plans for details it isn't given, I figure we can unabashedly call that reasoning.
I wouldn't be so sure about this. A couple of weeks ago there was an article (wish I could find the link) about robots created solely be computers. The operators fed in the terrain constants, but the computer was solely in charge of design, testing, and implementation. I don't know whether this would qualify as reasoning, but I think it's a big step up from the idiot algorithms running my Spades program.
As for humans not reasoning... well, I don't know about you, tovarisch, but I reason. (With apologies to the great Robert Heinlein.)
Actually, it's nothing new. Courts have been been sealing records, not only on cases, but all the details of cases for years. I've most often seen it applied to juvenile cases, but occassionally to corporate cases as well.
Now, is it right? That depends. Sometimes it is the best thing for both the plaintiff and defendant. After all, along with freedom of information, there is a right to privacy. While it may hinder later court cases in the terms of not allowing other attorneys full access to records, sometimes it is needed.
1) Nice to know that the Intervideo LinDVD player is actually being produced. I have friends who were waiting for it. Wonder if and how this will affect the 2600 appeal?
2) Amazon has the most peculiar views on privacy... of course, Amazon has also decided to refund their 'price-gouging' from their dynamic pricing scheme.
3) eBay, as it always mentioned in it's policies, has the right to refuse to actually auction anything it doesn't want to. Normally, there is a list of things that don't stand a chance (human body parts, guns, etc.), but they still reserve the right to refuse service. Whether or not this is the actual case or not doesn't matter. I didn't expect the auction to last that long anyways.
Well you can port characters over, although it is entirely possible that not all the items will make it across (I've seen that before in some games). The ship date is good too, as it's near the end of the month, which is paycheck time for a lot of game-players.
However, I don't think it's going to do well in the Christmas season. Just my opinion on this, but it just does not feel like a big Christmas "must-buy".
You are working on a code project that anyone can look at. You have a 'duty' to make sure that it is the best code possible to make. Also, look at it this way: You have a bunch of geek coders all working on the same project. If you don't have some sort of management and organization system, then the project is pretty much doomed to failure.
There are various Software methodologies to use, each with their own advantages and limitations. Frankly, I don't reccommend Team Software Process (TSP) for Open Source, as it relies too much on time management figures (which may not always be available) and requires too many forms, which may not be the best things for Open Source coders.
Just my $0.02
Kierthos
Re:What the real question is...
on
The First Mouse
·
· Score: 1
Although the video voice-over comments on that they just started calling it a mouse and they don't know why, during that same point in the video, where they are demonstrating using the mouse, the representation on the computer screen, at least to my eyes, does look like a mouse running around. (A small mouse, mind you, but that's the impression I got.)
Okay, it looks like UPS shot itself in the foot on this one. I would try FedEx, and hey, you never know, "Mailboxes, Etc." might be able to help as well.
Personally, I think this $100 limit including the shipping costs outside of those five cities is a load. It makes no sense that you can only ship, via UPS, packages of an amount up to $2.50. Heck, I have a friend who's done just that. (He shipped about 10 pairs of American jeans to his cousin in the 'wilds' of Russia.) If I can find out how he did it (assuming I can find him), I'll let the list know how it was done.
Yup. NEC's legal team either figured it would cost less in the long run to pay RAMBUS off this way then fight it out in court, or it's a tacit admission of guilt settled out of court. Either way, NEC comes out of it with pretty much the same reputation, and the vast majority of/. thinks RAMBUS still sucks.:P
Maybe not the best way to handle things, but these are corporations. They are in the business of making money, not losing it (at least, that's the idea). If RAMBUS can get NEC to pay them royalties because of patent infringements, then they legally have to do so. To not try and sue NEC would fall into the legal morass of failing to enforce patents and copyrights, where you can lose the ability to actually enforce the patents you have.
Want to bet? It's the press that defines what the vast majority of the populace sees and hears. If they want to call the crime involved here 'hacking', then it's hacking to the vast herds of computer-clueless, no matter what we think it should be called. And since judges and lawyers routinely fall into this category of "computer-clueless", I'm afraid it will stick.
Interesting note though: Is the 17 year-old being charged as a minor? If he is, then his parents or guardians are legally responsible for any civil damages that occured. Criminally, I think he's going to Boys-Town for a while.
Also, I don't like the concept of removing the $1,000 dollar cap on the damages. It means that even if you do nothing but break into a site that you do not have lawful access to (password cracking, for example), then you can be charges under this law, at least in Michigan. Might cut down on the number of minors hacking for porn-site passwords, but I rather doubt it.
It's already hard enough to get to the web-page you're looking for without having a bunch of porn site operators or script kiddies skewing the results by embedding background text. If you know the code for the search engine, then it makes it that much easier for them to do so.
The last thing I want is to always, 100% of the time get the 'wrong' web-pages no matter what criteria I use to search for them. I get enough of that as it is.
Fortunately, the search engines keep evolving to try and take care of this. Unfortunately, it also seems to be easier and easier to divert search engines because of holes in the evolution of the browsers or new options allowed in the code or script for web-pages. Hopefully, the search engines will win this fight.
Great, now I know exactly what kind of crud I have in the keyboard. Could be worse, I suppose... I haven't spilt any Ramen(tm) on the keyboard lately.
Oh, and btw, depending on what you spill/drop on the keyboard, shaking it out won't help. While you might get rid of some exfoliated skin and food crumbs, there's still the large chance of having human or pet hair in there. Removing the keys isn't always easy, and I wouldn't suggest it to anyone who is not prepared to buy a new keyboard. In short, unless the crud is a major problem, don't worry about it. Frankly, I find the 'cleaning hints' at the end of the article to be largely irresponsible.
I guess some people don't care whether they break their Palm by messing with it. However, some of the gizmos are pretty cool. While I personally do not like the idea of a hand crank for a Palm, I can see where it would be useful. And since I can't read Japanese either, I would too be greatly interested in a English mirror site (heck, I'd set it up myself if I could get the translation done).
Does anyone know if there is anything like a solar cell for Palms or Visors? How about a modification to the screen so that you have to shine UV light to read the text? (That would insure a bit of privacy...)
Well, according to the original article upon which this/. thread is based on, AOL IM has 90+% of the 'market share' of IM users. That probably qualifies as a monopoly. Now, mind you, IM does not have it's own charges for use, so I'm not sure whether some, if not all, of the monopoly laws would even apply.
Also, you have to realize that with all the other options out there it's not like AOL could lock off real-time Internet communications. Like you said, there's always IRC (with it's attendent diffiiculties).
Well, of course it's secure. When you have as many people as there are coding apps and programs (and re-writing the base code) for the flavours of Linux, it's pretty easy to close most, if not all of the security holes that are there. Also, at least with Linux, if you find a security issue, you can usually get something done about it, as opposed to other OS's (read Windows) where you have to wait months for the next Service Package, and even then it might not work.
Mind you, as fast as some things get coded for Linux, it's also pretty easy to make new security holes, especially when you don't take the time to go through your code carefully.
One thing that worries me slightly is the availability of Linux to those who don't know how to use it properly. I mean, you expect people to not know how Windows works, or to not be aware of every last of the thousands of security issues that exist for it and it's apps, but when Joe Newbie goes to the computer store and buys a copy of Linux, there's bound to be trouble. Oh well... it keeps the script kiddies busy on someone else's machine, rather then any I'm using.
We're talking about Micro$oft... of course it's going to be their own crappy version. If it follows their SOP, then it will look like it will be months late, yet amazingly ship close to on time, with all the bugs to be worked out in a patch released 4-6 months later.
Okay, maybe that's a bit harsh, but has MS done anything to not deserve a criticism like that? Frankly, I expect them to bully their way into this market as well. I hope I'm wrong.
Nice selection of apps, although it has a bastard child of IE, but oh well, nothing's perfect. It looks like it has some compatibility issues with some of the file system apps under Mac OS 9, though...
It still has some work to be done (as expected with a Beta), as a lot of peripheral standards have yet to be implemented, and it can only handle a few different types of video cards. And it won't install on several types of systems, including ones with more then one monitor.
Also, it won't be available for download, but CDs with the OS will be made available for a 'nominal' charge. Me, I'd wait for the full release unless you absolutely have to have it. Check out what it can't run here on ZDNET.
Slashdot Mirror
Rather impossible. If that were so, we'd be inside the event horizon, and therefore we'd be falling into that black hole. Now, even though science fiction has all sorts of time-dilation motifs inside the event horizons of black holes, I tend to doubt that my existence to this point has been a few seconds on the way into a singularity.
Kierthos
Well, like I said earlier, unless the heat sinks are properly configured, you could very easily burn out the processor by overcloaking it. Part of the problem with heat dissipation in space (and part of the problem with breathing...) is the lack of gravity. With no natural breeze, you get the same air trapped around the processor.
Now, yes, you can use fans to move air about. But how do the fans work in 0 G? (Well, microgravity, but pretty much the same thing...) I imagine that the fans have to be reconfigured as well.
I also imagine that the boards have to be reinforced to withstand the forces during takeoff, as well as the screen... the mouse is simple; use the same little pad you normally do with laptops.
Kierthos
Exactly. Heat dissapation is a major problem in space. Unless the laptop's heatsinks are properly configured, you could very easily burn out the laptop with only a hour's use.
Also, I imagine that disk ejection systems and CD drives need to be reconfigured so you don't have spinning discs floating all over the place.
Makes you wonder what frisbee would be like in 0 G...
Kierthos
Correct. We assume that it will work based on mathematical models, but we cannot program the computer to do anything but follow those same mathematical models. Now if the universe (and black holes in particular) actual follow those models, that's great. But a pure computer model will not be able to tell us that. All it will be able to tell us is that the model we programmed worked.
For things like aerodynamics, where we are conversant with the formulae and models involved, computer simulations work, and they work very well. Similarly, based on our knowledge of materials, friction, etc. we can model pretty much any machine in a good CAD program (I recommened Pro-Engineer). But the computer modeling of a black hole, while perhaps pretty in it's own way, cannot tell us anything other then information along the mathematical model it is based on.
Kierthos
While the concept of a controllable black hole gives all kinds of options (hazardous waste disposal, new option instead of cremation), the problem I would have with it is that I have an intrinsic distrust of trying to create something this potentially hazardous anywhere near Earth. I think I can safely speak for all of humanity when I say I would rather not be around if they messed up.
On the bonus side, it would give the AD&D geeks an actual 'Sphere of Annihilation'.
Kierthos
Well, the movie may have been crapola, but assuming that the asteroid is not the size of Texas, a large enough bomb (or more then one bomb) could be used to turn the asteroid into small enough chunks of rubble that they will burn up in the atmosphere. It is also possible to use explosives to alter the trajectory of the asteroid. It may not alter it much in the grand scheme of things, but it might be enough to matter. (Of course, I have very little experience with explosives and none with asteroids.)
Realistically though, I doubt that there would be enough warning time to mount a feasible mission involving explosives as an asteroid deterrent. And unless NASA has been up to some new tricks, I rather think our space tug fleet is a touch small (read nonexistant).
Kierthos
You're right. I didn't. But what I said was that when a computer not only takes into account data that it has been given, but plans for what it hasn't, that it is a step towards reasoning. And it is. At least intuitive reasoning.
Kierthos
Well, most humans only reason with the information that they are given, at least if my college courses are any indication. The fact that this computer created robots that could accomplish the goals set it, again, while it might not be reasoning, is at least a step in the right direction. When the computer can make a robot that not only traverses terrain with the details it is given, but plans for details it isn't given, I figure we can unabashedly call that reasoning.
Kierthos
I wouldn't be so sure about this. A couple of weeks ago there was an article (wish I could find the link) about robots created solely be computers. The operators fed in the terrain constants, but the computer was solely in charge of design, testing, and implementation. I don't know whether this would qualify as reasoning, but I think it's a big step up from the idiot algorithms running my Spades program.
As for humans not reasoning... well, I don't know about you, tovarisch, but I reason. (With apologies to the great Robert Heinlein.)
Kierthos
Actually, it's nothing new. Courts have been been sealing records, not only on cases, but all the details of cases for years. I've most often seen it applied to juvenile cases, but occassionally to corporate cases as well.
Now, is it right? That depends. Sometimes it is the best thing for both the plaintiff and defendant. After all, along with freedom of information, there is a right to privacy. While it may hinder later court cases in the terms of not allowing other attorneys full access to records, sometimes it is needed.
Oh yeah, and for the record, IANAL.
Kierthos
1) Nice to know that the Intervideo LinDVD player is actually being produced. I have friends who were waiting for it. Wonder if and how this will affect the 2600 appeal?
2) Amazon has the most peculiar views on privacy... of course, Amazon has also decided to refund their 'price-gouging' from their dynamic pricing scheme.
3) eBay, as it always mentioned in it's policies, has the right to refuse to actually auction anything it doesn't want to. Normally, there is a list of things that don't stand a chance (human body parts, guns, etc.), but they still reserve the right to refuse service. Whether or not this is the actual case or not doesn't matter. I didn't expect the auction to last that long anyways.
Kierthos
Well you can port characters over, although it is entirely possible that not all the items will make it across (I've seen that before in some games). The ship date is good too, as it's near the end of the month, which is paycheck time for a lot of game-players.
However, I don't think it's going to do well in the Christmas season. Just my opinion on this, but it just does not feel like a big Christmas "must-buy".
Kierthos
Wouldn't this conflict with the policy of not using electronic devices during takeoff?
Kierthos
You are working on a code project that anyone can look at. You have a 'duty' to make sure that it is the best code possible to make. Also, look at it this way: You have a bunch of geek coders all working on the same project. If you don't have some sort of management and organization system, then the project is pretty much doomed to failure.
There are various Software methodologies to use, each with their own advantages and limitations. Frankly, I don't reccommend Team Software Process (TSP) for Open Source, as it relies too much on time management figures (which may not always be available) and requires too many forms, which may not be the best things for Open Source coders.
Just my $0.02
Kierthos
Although the video voice-over comments on that they just started calling it a mouse and they don't know why, during that same point in the video, where they are demonstrating using the mouse, the representation on the computer screen, at least to my eyes, does look like a mouse running around. (A small mouse, mind you, but that's the impression I got.)
Kierthos
Okay, it looks like UPS shot itself in the foot on this one. I would try FedEx, and hey, you never know, "Mailboxes, Etc." might be able to help as well.
Personally, I think this $100 limit including the shipping costs outside of those five cities is a load. It makes no sense that you can only ship, via UPS, packages of an amount up to $2.50. Heck, I have a friend who's done just that. (He shipped about 10 pairs of American jeans to his cousin in the 'wilds' of Russia.) If I can find out how he did it (assuming I can find him), I'll let the list know how it was done.
Kierthos
Yup. NEC's legal team either figured it would cost less in the long run to pay RAMBUS off this way then fight it out in court, or it's a tacit admission of guilt settled out of court. Either way, NEC comes out of it with pretty much the same reputation, and the vast majority of /. thinks RAMBUS still sucks. :P
Maybe not the best way to handle things, but these are corporations. They are in the business of making money, not losing it (at least, that's the idea). If RAMBUS can get NEC to pay them royalties because of patent infringements, then they legally have to do so. To not try and sue NEC would fall into the legal morass of failing to enforce patents and copyrights, where you can lose the ability to actually enforce the patents you have.
Kierthos
Want to bet? It's the press that defines what the vast majority of the populace sees and hears. If they want to call the crime involved here 'hacking', then it's hacking to the vast herds of computer-clueless, no matter what we think it should be called. And since judges and lawyers routinely fall into this category of "computer-clueless", I'm afraid it will stick.
Interesting note though: Is the 17 year-old being charged as a minor? If he is, then his parents or guardians are legally responsible for any civil damages that occured. Criminally, I think he's going to Boys-Town for a while.
Also, I don't like the concept of removing the $1,000 dollar cap on the damages. It means that even if you do nothing but break into a site that you do not have lawful access to (password cracking, for example), then you can be charges under this law, at least in Michigan. Might cut down on the number of minors hacking for porn-site passwords, but I rather doubt it.
Kierthos
It's already hard enough to get to the web-page you're looking for without having a bunch of porn site operators or script kiddies skewing the results by embedding background text. If you know the code for the search engine, then it makes it that much easier for them to do so.
The last thing I want is to always, 100% of the time get the 'wrong' web-pages no matter what criteria I use to search for them. I get enough of that as it is.
Fortunately, the search engines keep evolving to try and take care of this. Unfortunately, it also seems to be easier and easier to divert search engines because of holes in the evolution of the browsers or new options allowed in the code or script for web-pages. Hopefully, the search engines will win this fight.
Kierthos
Great, now I know exactly what kind of crud I have in the keyboard. Could be worse, I suppose... I haven't spilt any Ramen(tm) on the keyboard lately.
Oh, and btw, depending on what you spill/drop on the keyboard, shaking it out won't help. While you might get rid of some exfoliated skin and food crumbs, there's still the large chance of having human or pet hair in there. Removing the keys isn't always easy, and I wouldn't suggest it to anyone who is not prepared to buy a new keyboard. In short, unless the crud is a major problem, don't worry about it. Frankly, I find the 'cleaning hints' at the end of the article to be largely irresponsible.
Kierthos
I guess some people don't care whether they break their Palm by messing with it. However, some of the gizmos are pretty cool. While I personally do not like the idea of a hand crank for a Palm, I can see where it would be useful. And since I can't read Japanese either, I would too be greatly interested in a English mirror site (heck, I'd set it up myself if I could get the translation done).
Does anyone know if there is anything like a solar cell for Palms or Visors? How about a modification to the screen so that you have to shine UV light to read the text? (That would insure a bit of privacy...)
Kierthos
Well, according to the original article upon which this /. thread is based on, AOL IM has 90+% of the 'market share' of IM users. That probably qualifies as a monopoly. Now, mind you, IM does not have it's own charges for use, so I'm not sure whether some, if not all, of the monopoly laws would even apply.
Also, you have to realize that with all the other options out there it's not like AOL could lock off real-time Internet communications. Like you said, there's always IRC (with it's attendent diffiiculties).
Kierthos
Well, of course it's secure. When you have as many people as there are coding apps and programs (and re-writing the base code) for the flavours of Linux, it's pretty easy to close most, if not all of the security holes that are there. Also, at least with Linux, if you find a security issue, you can usually get something done about it, as opposed to other OS's (read Windows) where you have to wait months for the next Service Package, and even then it might not work.
Mind you, as fast as some things get coded for Linux, it's also pretty easy to make new security holes, especially when you don't take the time to go through your code carefully.
One thing that worries me slightly is the availability of Linux to those who don't know how to use it properly. I mean, you expect people to not know how Windows works, or to not be aware of every last of the thousands of security issues that exist for it and it's apps, but when Joe Newbie goes to the computer store and buys a copy of Linux, there's bound to be trouble. Oh well... it keeps the script kiddies busy on someone else's machine, rather then any I'm using.
Kierthos
We're talking about Micro$oft... of course it's going to be their own crappy version. If it follows their SOP, then it will look like it will be months late, yet amazingly ship close to on time, with all the bugs to be worked out in a patch released 4-6 months later.
Okay, maybe that's a bit harsh, but has MS done anything to not deserve a criticism like that? Frankly, I expect them to bully their way into this market as well. I hope I'm wrong.
Kierthos
Nice selection of apps, although it has a bastard child of IE, but oh well, nothing's perfect. It looks like it has some compatibility issues with some of the file system apps under Mac OS 9, though...
It still has some work to be done (as expected with a Beta), as a lot of peripheral standards have yet to be implemented, and it can only handle a few different types of video cards. And it won't install on several types of systems, including ones with more then one monitor.
Also, it won't be available for download, but CDs with the OS will be made available for a 'nominal' charge. Me, I'd wait for the full release unless you absolutely have to have it. Check out what it can't run here on ZDNET.
Kierthos