I've moved a bit, but wouldn't choose any different, really. After Arkansas, I moved to Indiana, where went to Purdue and got a very nice job working on DSPs using C and assembly on several families of chips. Then my parents decided to get out of the rat race, and buy a business - they found a really great pet store in Florida, so they moved there, and I went along to help out (they really needed it too). Unfortunately, the tech market is rather dead here. I've contemplated going back to ASU just because I'd be able to finish up the BS in CS rather quickly - and I really enjoyed Dr. Hammerand's graphics classes - but I'd rather keep helping out the folks and finish up here instead. Now I'll need more loans than before.
I would, but the only reason I came here in the first place was to help my parents out. They have a pet store here, and I want to be able to help them out while I finish my last few classes on my BS degree. It's worth it either way to me. I'd just like to find someone I can help more than the animal label-maker programs and things I throw together for them. On the bright side, I have learned to be quite a good cook in the meantime!
Well, seeing as the last place I was able to find work, I was only offered $5/hour... no. The guy actually had to talk to his accountant to discover the minimum wage. I'm an experienced professional C++/assembly programmer on DSPs. I was doing advertising design, web design, new product design, and planning for future PDA programming for this company too.
His other developer and his family had to live in a trailer - and the boss "gave" him a car and phone, only to hold them over his head. When he was sick for a few days, the boss had that phone disconnected.
The boss even proclaimed to be an experienced Europian developer, and he did fluently speak several languages... so I'm amazed he could treat people that way... and much worse than that on many occasions too. But his company was the only place that would even allow a computer person with less than 3 years experience find a job. He even made quitting a huge hassle - I had to research and quote many specific laws before he dismissed me with "it's not worth my time" to get paid for my two weeks there, even at minimum wage.
Now I'm still looking for a job... any job. And I can't. I haven't for months. I've called half the numbers in the yellow pages and looked at all the leads in all towns within three hours drive. I have to say, looking for work as a programmer in central Florida REALLY sucks.
First, Suikoden III - a console-style CRPG featuring over 108 characters who can join your team... but each of them adds in ways you don't expect. It's not some Pokemon-flavored RPG series though - each one centers on how war destroys the lives of those involved, turns honest people into monsters, and brother against brother. The 108 characters in each game (mostly different who they are each game) are based on an old chinese story of 108 stars of destiny - so much of the lore and characters have a bit of a less arbitrary feel about them than most console RPG's. A great game to come back to over weeks, accomplishing little things at a time.
Then, in a little over a week, there will be Metroid Prime. The hype has been so negative for so long... and now all the positive hype - should be interesting. Perhaps I'll throw the old NES emulation disk into the dreamcast and have a go at the first game some night next week
No - it's not an insightful thing to say - I'll forget the +1 bonus on this one - but if the editors can proclaim their favorite recent games that drew them to console gaming recently, I figure I can at least let a few other people know what I've really enjoyed recently.:^)
Does that make this a quantum quantum theory? The theory itself is inside a black box (of both existence before big bang singularity, and of the undecipherable explanation of it's creators), and is both simultaniously correct and incorrect at the same time. Sure, we could call it mal-defined or unprovable in this state, but that wouldn't be any fun.:^)
1. Microsoft, after conducting polls consisting of them seeing if they can get the average person to call it "cool", decides to spend billions on development of cheap, portable flat panels, efficient power supplies, and come out with a $500 version of a tablet PC that stores an 8-hour charge overnight, with extra rechargeable batteries $20 a pop.
2. People decide they'd rather have a keyboard, and a non-specialized operating system, so just get laptops instead.
3. Nintendo and sony release portable gaming devices with HUGE LCD displays based off the defunct technology that they buy off all the companies that went along with the Tablet PC idea.
Or perhaps it'll just end up an extension of the X-Box in a few years. Just so long as the development of the displays gets done - otherwise, all we have are crippled laptops without keyboards, or a moderately bulked-up PDA, depending on how you look at it. I guess it's still better than the "Internet Appliance".:^)
Ryan Fenton
Unfortunate, but OSS has to have advocates.
on
Halloween VII
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· Score: 3, Insightful
It would be great if open source operating systems could exist, Windows (and possibly others later) could exist, and each of them attracting those who find the respective operating system most helpful to them.
But that's not entirely possible. Because of the great freedom afforded by the internet for thousands of programmers to create anything, and distribute them, combined with the free architechture of open source operating systems - the applications on these formerly hobbyist-only OS' have been infringing on the markets most prized by propietary software vendors. It can't be helped - people are interested in such applications, so they develop them to use in their favorite open source environment.
In response, companies like Microsoft have been working on legal, finantial, and legislative grounds to hinder or halt many forms software and idea development. After all, they can't just explain to their stockholders that they just can't convince these potential customers to pay for their proprietary software, and that there's nothing special to that they can do to stop that.
So, now open source software needs advocates. Advocates in the legal world, in the finantial world, and in the legislative world if any expectation of free development is to be expected.
These voices don't have to work the same way proprietary software advocates do - they just have to get others to understand why they need the freedom to believe the way they do... because the simple freedom to develop is almost all that is needed for open source software to exist. This is most unlike proprietary software, that needs a certain dollar value, and constant increase over time on top of that for stockholders.
It's unfortunate that advocates are needed, but they are - stories like this show the mindset that forces this need.
There are two main methods for obtaining music online: peer-to-peer file-sharing programs and legal subscription service
As the poster mentioned, this definetly falsely implies that peer-to-peer programs are not legal.
"File sharing has become such a dreadful experience," said Brad Hill, who writes books and articles about digital music, referring to the illicit music-swapping sites.
Also: Why do these articles alternately refer to peer-to-peer programs as "sites"? Sure, they have sites often associated with them, but it's a small part of the whole thing, a complete misnomer. Oh well.
Other file-sharing services, like Kazaa, which come with pesky built-in pop-up advertising programs, have become unreliable and full of phony files, thanks largely to slyly intrusive actions by agents for the musicians or record labels. A downloaded file titled as an Eminem song, for example, could be a virus, another song entirely or perhaps even a repeating loop of the Eminem song.
This section is appears to leaning towards FUD. Yes, Kazaa has become a minefield of spyware - but there is Kazaalight and other things out there to help, which is of course, not mentioned. Yes, there are viruses out there, but they cannot be transmitted through MP3 files, and most file sharing programs make a very clear distinction between executables and media files. As far as bad files go, Kazaa and others have a variety of helpful methods to help, from user comments on files, to more active methods being implimented in different P2P systems.
If you're looking for new pirated movies or something, expect to occasionally waste time on mislabelled files - mostly by fans, really. This is understandable. But if you're looking to see if you like Carol King, you can expect to find the music you are interested in, without many problems. To imply that it is inconvenient and dangerous to search for music on a P2P network is misleading at best.
"They exist, and some people will pay for them, but the mass audience that used to use Napster uses nothing right now."
Well - when asked, most will TELL you they use nothing right now. The same word-of-mouth that made Napster so popular hasn't stopped because Napster has gone away. Even without that, anyone with access to a search engine would know about Kazaa and the like as long as they had any interest and willingness to install a program that simply asks for a username, password and share directory before allowing you access to anything you are interested in.
The morals and ethics of file sharing with unaproved music files are definetly questionable - but the avaialbility and popularity of P2P programs are definetly not as questionable. I can't help but see most of this article as either anti-P2P FUD, or very poorly researched information.
Then again, perhaps it's just knowingly false just to get interest, disagreement, and publicity.
Origin, Inc. screwing over it's user base? That would simply never happen. I mean, just look at Ultima IX!
Besides, what's the further insult? Anyone still there shouldn't care too much about stats any longer. Plus, you can always just start up or join a player-made shard. This would make a very expensive strategy for "grief" players to try and just get a boost with a new character - so you can laugh if anyone uses such a stategy.:^)
MT: Whatever happened to the personalized Pitfall license plate?
DC: I still use it. And the most common response is, "Funny plate... what do you mean it's a video game?"
What was the text of the plate then? The obvious "PITFALL", or something else? And yes, I've done the obligitory searched with Google, and no reference appears to spell it out, so to speak.
Not a huge deal - but an opportunity for the Karma-hungry.
I just moved to Florida, and couldn't get into the college I wanted to, because even though I had a 3.5 GPA and had successfully transferred to 3 other large colleges (I move along to help with my parent's pet store busines), the incoming freshman class pushed the requirement for a transfer student just above that!
There's something wrong with a system that has the average above a 3.0. I got many of the folks at admissions on my side after months of phone calls, but by that point, it was just too late to get in. I've met and talked with a lot of these new students too, and they aren't notably more or less knowledgeable or talented compared to the hundreds of similar students I've met over the years.
It's rather annoying being at the upper 10% of most of your classes at other colleges, coming to a new state, and then being told to go to a local community college instead, so you can take advantage of special rules to be admitted in aother year.
So now I'll be graduating from another college further away. Fortunately, I'm a computer science student with quite a bit of real on-job programming experience (DSP, assembly, MFC, DirectX, etc.), so the college name won't matter that much on a resume as long as the information and skills are there - but this whole adventure took FAR too much of my time and money.
On another message board, I have an ongoing tongue-in-cheek argument with some people about who has the best nation to live. Now, at least I won't feel so bad about having to argue with the English folks, or those saying "if it gets worse, I can always move to england".
Really though, what motivation is there to pass such a law? Has it increased sales, security, standards, or anything in the U.S. by any measurable degree above pre-existing laws? Has it really has any impact on large-scale piracy, or given anyone any tools to make the U.S. a better place to live for the average person?
Can a meaningful "life" stand on it's own as "liberty" and "the pursuit of happyness" become completely controlled by costly beaurocracy, both corporate and governmental?:^)
Foreward I am not an engineer, just a CS student, so I'll be light on implimentation.
If a large touchpad could be made to sense change in contact (using change in current across a plate), then a binary pattern could be established to trigger an appropriate alarm. This could work much like a clapper, with a complex enough pattern that it wouldn't be accidently triggered, but not so complex as to be useless when in shock. The downside would be a requirement for positioning of the device, though if the device could be strapped directly to where it could always be used (like a brace on the arm), that could be fixed.
As a slight variation, another method would be to have multiple touchpads, each on a different controllable part of the body, where if they were all repeatedly pressed around the same time, it would trigger the alarm. So, in that case, both arms would be equipped with a brace or whatever to allow panic use of the alarm with less chance of accidental triggering.
Of course, that's why I posted that link, as opposed to a half dozen links to all the different pages they had. All images shown on those pages either cropped off the interesting bits, or had someone's big mug in front of the schematics I'd love to see. I'm sure everyone here has had such frustrations finding images they are *interested in* before.
Again, I must reiterate: No goatse links. Thank you.;^)
I'd be interested in seeing what this implimentation of a scramjet looks like on the actual craft.
I've done the usual google search and found this (which was very nice, but is a little video, not a good image), and this,but was wondering if anyone has found anything more detailed.:^)
Ironically, I WOULD trust them more than any "joint industry task force" put together to decide how best to organize radio spectrum. I'd rather have a big portion that's mysteriously ignored by most new radios than have a sysem in place for charging by-the-second for a sweep across the newly-digital dial.:^)
I've done my fair share of DSP programming. There is a fairly high psycholofical bar when developing code for most DSPs.
First, you have the custom compilers, with their custom interfaces. It can take days for a new programmer just to learn the proper way to organize their files and on-board resources to get a "hello world" equivalent LED-lights flashing program working. Then the implimentation of C may not be completely correct, or severely nonstandard compiler errors start showing up. It isn't easy for a newcomer to just get over that and continue coding like nothing happened. All this is assuming that the documentation is halfway decent.
Next, there's the assembly layer. Oh, the assembly languages. Riddles wrapped inside enigmas, with structural assumptions that make answers seem impossible to give. It's just going to take a while, not to mention a LOT of sample code for a programmer to understand the extremely tight flow of specialty registers, limited instructions, stacks, alignments, and how they mix with the on-board implimentation of C functions and the like.
Then, there's debugging and using the DSP tools. Half the tools I've ever used on various DSP projects have been much flakier than anything you've ever seen from Microsoft. One of the first things that I had to do when getting a new DSP is to just port a set of Standard IO routines over, because so many DSPs would be out-and-out unreliable when transferring data to the PC for debug and the like. I probably spent just as much time ensuring quality communication between the DSP and the PC than I did on any one project - but this is just one of the illustrations of why starting work on a DSP that is new to you can seem such a uncertain, slow process.
I definetly agree, that if these people started at the same point as you did, then they REALLY need to do their homework, bite the bullet, and just make mistakes to get some code down to revise later. In that case though, unless you just want to call them lazy to look better than them, you really should get an O.K. from management, then take some time to teach these people what you've learned. In most projects, I'd agree that these people should at least get half the work out that you did - but on a DSP-oriented project, I'm not at all shocked that one person out of many would be able to *get it* quicker than the others... but now to get some large-scale work done, you really should see what they know, then get everyone up to speed if you can.:^)
So, if this bill passes, and someone don't like the moderation they recieve from a slashdot post... would they be able to request the post be removed from slashdot, else legally be permitted to attempt to DDoS and otherwise attack slashdot for holding copywrited material? After all, is not all written material considered copywrited unless otherwise agreed beforehand? I'd hate to have to sign a license agreement for every slashdot post.:^)
And, as mentioned in their news for the comic, this itself is old news. They've since taken up the cause of promoting a Irish lad who has been waiting in line for Turok 2. Why? Only the boy himself could know, apparantly.:^)
Ryan Fenton
According to another press release from Gato:
on
Mac PVR Coming Soon
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· Score: 1
" My Name is El Gato. I Have Metal Ends. Switch me on. And save 15 minutes of Friends. "
Going away from the central engine idea is the equivalent to looking foreward to the first moon landing as far as the slow world of auto design is concerned.
The idea that cars may be made cheaper and safer in this manner is also overwhelmingly appealing an idea. Combine the idea of smaller redundant engines with cheaper replaceable parts, and you have a better machine in total.
None of this is to say that the end result will be anything like the plans - but the ideas coming to fore lift my impression of the U.S. auto industry many times what it had previously become.
Besides, the endless stream of sedans on the highway have long since warn out their $15,000+ price tags I mentally see on each of them. I'm finally excited about the idea of a car again.:^)
Slashdot Mirror
I've moved a bit, but wouldn't choose any different, really. After Arkansas, I moved to Indiana, where went to Purdue and got a very nice job working on DSPs using C and assembly on several families of chips. Then my parents decided to get out of the rat race, and buy a business - they found a really great pet store in Florida, so they moved there, and I went along to help out (they really needed it too). Unfortunately, the tech market is rather dead here. I've contemplated going back to ASU just because I'd be able to finish up the BS in CS rather quickly - and I really enjoyed Dr. Hammerand's graphics classes - but I'd rather keep helping out the folks and finish up here instead. Now I'll need more loans than before.
Ryan Fenton
I would, but the only reason I came here in the first place was to help my parents out. They have a pet store here, and I want to be able to help them out while I finish my last few classes on my BS degree. It's worth it either way to me. I'd just like to find someone I can help more than the animal label-maker programs and things I throw together for them. On the bright side, I have learned to be quite a good cook in the meantime!
Ryan Fenton
Well, seeing as the last place I was able to find work, I was only offered $5/hour... no. The guy actually had to talk to his accountant to discover the minimum wage. I'm an experienced professional C++/assembly programmer on DSPs. I was doing advertising design, web design, new product design, and planning for future PDA programming for this company too.
His other developer and his family had to live in a trailer - and the boss "gave" him a car and phone, only to hold them over his head. When he was sick for a few days, the boss had that phone disconnected.
The boss even proclaimed to be an experienced Europian developer, and he did fluently speak several languages... so I'm amazed he could treat people that way... and much worse than that on many occasions too. But his company was the only place that would even allow a computer person with less than 3 years experience find a job. He even made quitting a huge hassle - I had to research and quote many specific laws before he dismissed me with "it's not worth my time" to get paid for my two weeks there, even at minimum wage.
Now I'm still looking for a job... any job. And I can't. I haven't for months. I've called half the numbers in the yellow pages and looked at all the leads in all towns within three hours drive. I have to say, looking for work as a programmer in central Florida REALLY sucks.
Ryan Fenton
"Your power source will DEFINETLY outlast you."
"The last power upgrade you'll ever need."
"The ultimate power source. Just remember - this is very important - NO EXPORTS!"
"Wouldn't it be great to know you aren't wasting energy, but actually CREATING it? Matter-energy conversion is where it's at, baby."
Ryan Fenton
First, Suikoden III - a console-style CRPG featuring over 108 characters who can join your team... but each of them adds in ways you don't expect. It's not some Pokemon-flavored RPG series though - each one centers on how war destroys the lives of those involved, turns honest people into monsters, and brother against brother. The 108 characters in each game (mostly different who they are each game) are based on an old chinese story of 108 stars of destiny - so much of the lore and characters have a bit of a less arbitrary feel about them than most console RPG's. A great game to come back to over weeks, accomplishing little things at a time.
Then, in a little over a week, there will be Metroid Prime. The hype has been so negative for so long... and now all the positive hype - should be interesting. Perhaps I'll throw the old NES emulation disk into the dreamcast and have a go at the first game some night next week
No - it's not an insightful thing to say - I'll forget the +1 bonus on this one - but if the editors can proclaim their favorite recent games that drew them to console gaming recently, I figure I can at least let a few other people know what I've really enjoyed recently.
Ryan Fenton
Does that make this a quantum quantum theory? The theory itself is inside a black box (of both existence before big bang singularity, and of the undecipherable explanation of it's creators), and is both simultaniously correct and incorrect at the same time. Sure, we could call it mal-defined or unprovable in this state, but that wouldn't be any fun.
Ryan Fenton
1. Microsoft, after conducting polls consisting of them seeing if they can get the average person to call it "cool", decides to spend billions on development of cheap, portable flat panels, efficient power supplies, and come out with a $500 version of a tablet PC that stores an 8-hour charge overnight, with extra rechargeable batteries $20 a pop.
2. People decide they'd rather have a keyboard, and a non-specialized operating system, so just get laptops instead.
3. Nintendo and sony release portable gaming devices with HUGE LCD displays based off the defunct technology that they buy off all the companies that went along with the Tablet PC idea.
Or perhaps it'll just end up an extension of the X-Box in a few years. Just so long as the development of the displays gets done - otherwise, all we have are crippled laptops without keyboards, or a moderately bulked-up PDA, depending on how you look at it. I guess it's still better than the "Internet Appliance".
Ryan Fenton
It would be great if open source operating systems could exist, Windows (and possibly others later) could exist, and each of them attracting those who find the respective operating system most helpful to them.
But that's not entirely possible. Because of the great freedom afforded by the internet for thousands of programmers to create anything, and distribute them, combined with the free architechture of open source operating systems - the applications on these formerly hobbyist-only OS' have been infringing on the markets most prized by propietary software vendors. It can't be helped - people are interested in such applications, so they develop them to use in their favorite open source environment.
In response, companies like Microsoft have been working on legal, finantial, and legislative grounds to hinder or halt many forms software and idea development. After all, they can't just explain to their stockholders that they just can't convince these potential customers to pay for their proprietary software, and that there's nothing special to that they can do to stop that.
So, now open source software needs advocates. Advocates in the legal world, in the finantial world, and in the legislative world if any expectation of free development is to be expected.
These voices don't have to work the same way proprietary software advocates do - they just have to get others to understand why they need the freedom to believe the way they do... because the simple freedom to develop is almost all that is needed for open source software to exist. This is most unlike proprietary software, that needs a certain dollar value, and constant increase over time on top of that for stockholders.
It's unfortunate that advocates are needed, but they are - stories like this show the mindset that forces this need.
Ryan Fenton
http://www.bradhill.com/blog/archives/00000021.ht
Indeed - Brad has some minor corrections to the article.
Ryan Fenton
As the poster mentioned, this definetly falsely implies that peer-to-peer programs are not legal.
Here's an introduction to one of his latest books. From what little I've read though, he ultimatly makes different conclusions than the article.
Also: Why do these articles alternately refer to peer-to-peer programs as "sites"? Sure, they have sites often associated with them, but it's a small part of the whole thing, a complete misnomer. Oh well.
This section is appears to leaning towards FUD. Yes, Kazaa has become a minefield of spyware - but there is Kazaalight and other things out there to help, which is of course, not mentioned. Yes, there are viruses out there, but they cannot be transmitted through MP3 files, and most file sharing programs make a very clear distinction between executables and media files. As far as bad files go, Kazaa and others have a variety of helpful methods to help, from user comments on files, to more active methods being implimented in different P2P systems.
If you're looking for new pirated movies or something, expect to occasionally waste time on mislabelled files - mostly by fans, really. This is understandable. But if you're looking to see if you like Carol King, you can expect to find the music you are interested in, without many problems. To imply that it is inconvenient and dangerous to search for music on a P2P network is misleading at best.
Well - when asked, most will TELL you they use nothing right now. The same word-of-mouth that made Napster so popular hasn't stopped because Napster has gone away. Even without that, anyone with access to a search engine would know about Kazaa and the like as long as they had any interest and willingness to install a program that simply asks for a username, password and share directory before allowing you access to anything you are interested in.
The morals and ethics of file sharing with unaproved music files are definetly questionable - but the avaialbility and popularity of P2P programs are definetly not as questionable. I can't help but see most of this article as either anti-P2P FUD, or very poorly researched information.
Then again, perhaps it's just knowingly false just to get interest, disagreement, and publicity.
Ryan Fenton
Origin, Inc. screwing over it's user base? That would simply never happen. I mean, just look at Ultima IX!
Besides, what's the further insult? Anyone still there shouldn't care too much about stats any longer. Plus, you can always just start up or join a player-made shard. This would make a very expensive strategy for "grief" players to try and just get a boost with a new character - so you can laugh if anyone uses such a stategy.
Ryan Fenton
What was the text of the plate then? The obvious "PITFALL", or something else? And yes, I've done the obligitory searched with Google, and no reference appears to spell it out, so to speak.
Not a huge deal - but an opportunity for the Karma-hungry.
Ryan Fenton
I call dibs on the name "Octaron" for the 8-processor Opteron configuration!
Sigh... if only that weren't the way copyrights work.
Ryan Fenton
I just moved to Florida, and couldn't get into the college I wanted to, because even though I had a 3.5 GPA and had successfully transferred to 3 other large colleges (I move along to help with my parent's pet store busines), the incoming freshman class pushed the requirement for a transfer student just above that!
There's something wrong with a system that has the average above a 3.0. I got many of the folks at admissions on my side after months of phone calls, but by that point, it was just too late to get in. I've met and talked with a lot of these new students too, and they aren't notably more or less knowledgeable or talented compared to the hundreds of similar students I've met over the years.
It's rather annoying being at the upper 10% of most of your classes at other colleges, coming to a new state, and then being told to go to a local community college instead, so you can take advantage of special rules to be admitted in aother year.
So now I'll be graduating from another college further away. Fortunately, I'm a computer science student with quite a bit of real on-job programming experience (DSP, assembly, MFC, DirectX, etc.), so the college name won't matter that much on a resume as long as the information and skills are there - but this whole adventure took FAR too much of my time and money.
Ryan Fenton
On another message board, I have an ongoing tongue-in-cheek argument with some people about who has the best nation to live. Now, at least I won't feel so bad about having to argue with the English folks, or those saying "if it gets worse, I can always move to england".
Really though, what motivation is there to pass such a law? Has it increased sales, security, standards, or anything in the U.S. by any measurable degree above pre-existing laws? Has it really has any impact on large-scale piracy, or given anyone any tools to make the U.S. a better place to live for the average person?
Can a meaningful "life" stand on it's own as "liberty" and "the pursuit of happyness" become completely controlled by costly beaurocracy, both corporate and governmental?
Ryan Fenton
Foreward I am not an engineer, just a CS student, so I'll be light on implimentation.
If a large touchpad could be made to sense change in contact (using change in current across a plate), then a binary pattern could be established to trigger an appropriate alarm. This could work much like a clapper, with a complex enough pattern that it wouldn't be accidently triggered, but not so complex as to be useless when in shock. The downside would be a requirement for positioning of the device, though if the device could be strapped directly to where it could always be used (like a brace on the arm), that could be fixed.
As a slight variation, another method would be to have multiple touchpads, each on a different controllable part of the body, where if they were all repeatedly pressed around the same time, it would trigger the alarm. So, in that case, both arms would be equipped with a brace or whatever to allow panic use of the alarm with less chance of accidental triggering.
Any more robust triggering device ideas?
Ryan Fenton
Of course, that's why I posted that link, as opposed to a half dozen links to all the different pages they had. All images shown on those pages either cropped off the interesting bits, or had someone's big mug in front of the schematics I'd love to see. I'm sure everyone here has had such frustrations finding images they are *interested in* before.
;^)
Again, I must reiterate: No goatse links. Thank you.
Ryan Fenton
No goatse links, thanks.
I'd be interested in seeing what this implimentation of a scramjet looks like on the actual craft.
I've done the usual google search and found this (which was very nice, but is a little video, not a good image), and this,but was wondering if anyone has found anything more detailed.
Ryan Fenton
Ryan Fenton
Ironically, I WOULD trust them more than any "joint industry task force" put together to decide how best to organize radio spectrum. I'd rather have a big portion that's mysteriously ignored by most new radios than have a sysem in place for charging by-the-second for a sweep across the newly-digital dial.
Ryan Fenton
I've done my fair share of DSP programming. There is a fairly high psycholofical bar when developing code for most DSPs.
First, you have the custom compilers, with their custom interfaces. It can take days for a new programmer just to learn the proper way to organize their files and on-board resources to get a "hello world" equivalent LED-lights flashing program working. Then the implimentation of C may not be completely correct, or severely nonstandard compiler errors start showing up. It isn't easy for a newcomer to just get over that and continue coding like nothing happened. All this is assuming that the documentation is halfway decent.
Next, there's the assembly layer. Oh, the assembly languages. Riddles wrapped inside enigmas, with structural assumptions that make answers seem impossible to give. It's just going to take a while, not to mention a LOT of sample code for a programmer to understand the extremely tight flow of specialty registers, limited instructions, stacks, alignments, and how they mix with the on-board implimentation of C functions and the like.
Then, there's debugging and using the DSP tools. Half the tools I've ever used on various DSP projects have been much flakier than anything you've ever seen from Microsoft. One of the first things that I had to do when getting a new DSP is to just port a set of Standard IO routines over, because so many DSPs would be out-and-out unreliable when transferring data to the PC for debug and the like. I probably spent just as much time ensuring quality communication between the DSP and the PC than I did on any one project - but this is just one of the illustrations of why starting work on a DSP that is new to you can seem such a uncertain, slow process.
I definetly agree, that if these people started at the same point as you did, then they REALLY need to do their homework, bite the bullet, and just make mistakes to get some code down to revise later. In that case though, unless you just want to call them lazy to look better than them, you really should get an O.K. from management, then take some time to teach these people what you've learned. In most projects, I'd agree that these people should at least get half the work out that you did - but on a DSP-oriented project, I'm not at all shocked that one person out of many would be able to *get it* quicker than the others... but now to get some large-scale work done, you really should see what they know, then get everyone up to speed if you can.
Ryan Fenton
So, if this bill passes, and someone don't like the moderation they recieve from a slashdot post... would they be able to request the post be removed from slashdot, else legally be permitted to attempt to DDoS and otherwise attack slashdot for holding copywrited material? After all, is not all written material considered copywrited unless otherwise agreed beforehand? I'd hate to have to sign a license agreement for every slashdot post.
Ryan Fenton
http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php3
:^)
And, as mentioned in their news for the comic, this itself is old news. They've since taken up the cause of promoting a Irish lad who has been waiting in line for Turok 2. Why? Only the boy himself could know, apparantly.
Ryan Fenton
"
My Name is El Gato.
I Have Metal Ends.
Switch me on.
And save 15 minutes of Friends.
"
The joke just had to be made.
Ryan Fenton
Going away from the central engine idea is the equivalent to looking foreward to the first moon landing as far as the slow world of auto design is concerned.
The idea that cars may be made cheaper and safer in this manner is also overwhelmingly appealing an idea. Combine the idea of smaller redundant engines with cheaper replaceable parts, and you have a better machine in total.
None of this is to say that the end result will be anything like the plans - but the ideas coming to fore lift my impression of the U.S. auto industry many times what it had previously become.
Besides, the endless stream of sedans on the highway have long since warn out their $15,000+ price tags I mentally see on each of them. I'm finally excited about the idea of a car again.
Ryan Fenton