During desert storm one, had an emergency order for a replacement machined part that HAD to get out. I get a call that the PC running the machine tool for part of the process went down. A quick look had it as the CRT was bad. Union shop - had to have a union guy do it or face consequences. Waited 45 minutes for him to show up and then tell me that he was taking the computer. My reply was that it just needed a new display. Argued with the idiot for five minutes even swapping displays so that he could see that the PC was working (over his objections). Still he wanted to take the PC. I left the working display on it, went to the tool crib and checked out a hammer, put the hammer through the old display and told the jerk that the display needed replacing. He took the display without comment. Probably because I had the hammer and a really angry face at that point. (hey - minutes counted here...)
Initial install there was a blast - installs had to be done from government cut tapes. After four tries with us sitting there with thumbs up our behinds for two weeks we were told that I could use MY personal backup tapes since the government procedures could not provide us with valid source. Loaded them without incident. However, the exause fan on the roof jammed, and the firefighters dousing it with water flooded our computer room. Wait for replacement parts. Kitchen underneath had a grease fire fire - computer room flooded again. Wait for replacement parts. Harrier crashes and parts hit the roof. Computer room flooded again, wait for replacement parts. AC in computer room dies. So old that we have to wait for parts to be fabricated. Finially after two months on sitting on our behinds due to all of these disasters, get everything working, have all of the acceptance folks fly in for testing to show up after the kick off meeting to find out that between out 8AM start and the 9:30 "let's start the testing scripts" the WHOLE BUILDING WAS CONDEMNED and we were not allowed in. My whole team was laughing so hard we were crying.
OK - old story - basis for patents used to be who got there first. One of my great-grandfathers developed a revolver. Tried to patent it (and had many built at a local factory) but the "official" ruling was that Sam Colt had his patent into the patent office TWO HOURS before gr-grandad.
And - for reference - you can blame my father for the microwave oven. Did not invent it, that was a guy from Maine whose name escapes me now (Dr. Tappen did the first HOME microwave) anyway - as Dad was one of the assistants to Charlie Adams, he was doing a job around the area where the microwave group was. There was an accident where he got hit on the head. The head of the group took dad into his office and "radaranged" a cup of coffee for him and they started discussing the microwave. As it ends up - the people at Raytheon were trying to make it a fancy oven - had a fancy french chef on duty trying to make recipies, etc. My father apparently (according to articles) looked at the manager and said "wrong market - from what I saw you need to sell this to places that need a quick way to heat up food. Like if a Greyhound pulls up to your diner and needs to feed everyone and you only have one cook. Freeze the food ahead of time and use this to reheat it".
And if the old "New England Expo Center" is still there on Rt. 128, there might still be a brass plaque mentioning that it was the first solid state production line - with my dad as the designer. Haven't been there for many years - Boston is too crowded and too high taxed for me.
I mentioned on a post elsewhere here that I had two similiar units in the house (bomb shelter for kid's nintendo, pool room to watch while swimming). But what I didn't post was that one of them is driven not only by a tuner, but by a hacked rca RD2780 - a PVP that is 1/100 the size of the combined panel & overhead. Makes for some interesting geek discussions when others see it.
They misled you on the price - that $20 is list. I have been purchasing mine directly from a distributer and not through office supply store. My cost is under $7 - and I have had the bulbs last closer to 100 hours. I have not however gotten a decent overhead for $50 - more like $75.
A setup like this is great for the kid's gamecube, and in my situation, for watching TV while swimming. I have one in the bomb shelter (nintendo) and one in the pool room so that we can watch TV and swim.
The first "production transistor radio" was actually produced by Raytheon. As part of an experiment, transistors that were mil-spec drop outs were re-used with other circuitry as "drop in" replacements for vacuum tubes. I do not remember how many were produced, but there was a genuine production run.
For those into ancient history - the first solid state production facility in the US is now the "new England Convention Center" off of 128.
How about battery life and size? The minidisc player is still much smaller than the ipod, and 30+ hours on a single 'AA' is great when traveling - no cradle/charger/fighting over AC outlets at the airport during delays (and yes, I do have membership to several airline "Clubs"). For what I listen to, 45 hours on a very small disk that costs $7 and I can carry several with me without worrying about dropping a hard drive onto a concrete floor is great. Now if only they would put out a clie that would use the USB HiMD as storage instead of the memorystick for movies (and an external replaceable battery pack for the clie..)
Well, I used to do it this way. Wake up, fix breakfast for the wife & kid, run the kid to school, go home and work. My break and human interaction came because I only kept food for a day in the house I had to go to the gocery store to cook dinner every night. That gave me enough human interaction to then in turn deal with the wife & kid on a somewhat human level. 7 year old already has considered me a "computer nerd" (his words) and aspires to more:)
yes, adobe sucks. Yes, microsoft sucks. But being able to carry a library with me on trips is wonderful. The wife appreciates not getting UPS boxes from used book stores not when I travel with my ebooks readers (depending on trip - GEMSTAR/RCA 1100, 1200, Ipaq 1940)
B&N was the first in my area to have the Neuvomedia rocketbook. It also dropped all software sales, cut the Scientific Fiction (OK I am an old timer....) area by 90%, cut the humor area by 50% and also started up several areas that I disagree with (but won't censor, complain about, just disagree with) and i will not even mention what my father says about them and the NYC artistic egocentric atitude that they have imposed on the whole chain. He now refuses to go to the NYC main store over the child porn that he says they now put out that they did not use to - so my opinion is that they had a change of manglement and are more "artistic" orientated. NYC&LA oriented, not midwest values (ok - flame me..)
for in the tub, try an aquapak case. I haven't had a cooling problem *YET* for my electronics. Including being in a hot tub for hours.... (yes, I know - not healthy...)
Um, yes. I read ebooks all the time in my spa and swimming pool while my 7 year old swims. Off of the Neuvomedia Rocketbook, the smartbook, the RCA/Gemstar versions (1100,1200), a pocketPC, the trash Ebookman (damn - if they had the software quality that they had at the end of the line when it first came out there would be no market for palm...), etc. Never had a problem - use aquapak waterproof cases (Wonderful people-heartily recommend anything they make), and never a problem. Also much easier than a hard bound/softcover since they take up less room and you do not have to worry about page turning and getting the book wet. Even with all of these units (current inventory is five REB1100, four Gemstar 2150's, Ipaq 1940) my cost for books is FAR LESS than it had been. Prior budget had $400/month for books (OK - I am a bookaholic) and now I spend maybe $50/month on books at the book store. (not counting magazines that usually run another $50)
As the second person to buy a Sinclair in the US
(Or so Nigel told me) this brings back memories.
Too bad that the going rate in the late 80's was
$10 and I recently saw a couple in a goodwill bin for $1 each (with power supply!)
Talk about a scam to sell 'em for $100 today!
Slashdot Mirror
During desert storm one, had an emergency order for a replacement machined part that HAD to get out. I get a call that the PC running the machine tool for part of the process went down. A quick look had it as the CRT was bad. Union shop - had to have a union guy do it or face consequences. Waited 45 minutes for him to show up and then tell me that he was taking the computer. My reply was that it just needed a new display. Argued with the idiot for five minutes even swapping displays so that he could see that the PC was working (over his objections). Still he wanted to take the PC. I left the working display on it, went to the tool crib and checked out a hammer, put the hammer through the old display and told the jerk that the display needed replacing. He took the display without comment. Probably because I had the hammer and a really angry face at that point. (hey - minutes counted here...)
Initial install there was a blast -
installs had to be done from government cut tapes. After four tries with us sitting there with thumbs up our behinds for two weeks we were told that I could use MY personal backup tapes since the government procedures could not provide us with valid source. Loaded them without incident. However, the exause fan on the roof jammed, and the firefighters dousing it with water flooded our computer room. Wait for replacement parts. Kitchen underneath had a grease fire fire - computer room flooded again. Wait for replacement parts. Harrier crashes and parts hit the roof. Computer room flooded again, wait for replacement parts. AC in computer room dies. So old that we have to wait for parts to be fabricated. Finially after two months on sitting on our behinds due to all of these disasters, get everything working, have all of the acceptance folks fly in for testing to show up after the kick off meeting to find out that between out 8AM start and the 9:30 "let's start the testing scripts" the WHOLE BUILDING WAS CONDEMNED and we were not allowed in. My whole team was laughing so hard we were crying.
OK - old story - basis for patents used to be who got there first. One of my great-grandfathers developed a revolver. Tried to patent it (and had many built at a local factory) but the "official" ruling was that Sam Colt had his patent into the patent office TWO HOURS before gr-grandad.
And - for reference - you can blame my father for the microwave oven. Did not invent it, that was a guy from Maine whose name escapes me now (Dr. Tappen did the first HOME microwave) anyway - as Dad was one of the assistants to Charlie Adams, he was doing a job around the area where the microwave group was. There was an accident where he got hit on the head. The head of the group took dad into his office and "radaranged" a cup of coffee for him and they started discussing the microwave. As it ends up - the people at Raytheon were trying to make it a fancy oven - had a fancy french chef on duty trying to make recipies, etc. My father apparently (according to articles) looked at the manager and said "wrong market - from what I saw you need to sell this to places that need a quick way to heat up food. Like if a Greyhound pulls up to your diner and needs to feed everyone and you only have one cook. Freeze the food ahead of time and use this to reheat it".
And if the old "New England Expo Center" is still there on Rt. 128, there might still be a brass plaque mentioning that it was the first solid state production line - with my dad as the designer. Haven't been there for many years - Boston is too crowded and too high taxed for me.
I mentioned on a post elsewhere here that I had two similiar units in the house (bomb shelter for kid's nintendo, pool room to watch while swimming). But what I didn't post was that one of them is driven not only by a tuner, but by a hacked rca RD2780 - a PVP that is 1/100 the size of the combined panel & overhead. Makes for some interesting geek discussions when others see it.
They misled you on the price - that $20 is list. I have been purchasing mine directly from a distributer and not through office supply store. My cost is under $7 - and I have had the bulbs last closer to 100 hours. I have not however gotten a decent overhead for $50 - more like $75.
A setup like this is great for the kid's gamecube, and in my situation, for watching TV while swimming. I have one in the bomb shelter (nintendo) and one in the pool room so that we can watch TV and swim.
The first "production transistor radio" was actually produced by Raytheon. As part of an experiment, transistors that were mil-spec drop outs were re-used with other circuitry as "drop in" replacements for vacuum tubes. I do not remember how many were produced, but there was a genuine production run.
For those into ancient history - the first solid state production facility in the US is now the "new England Convention Center" off of 128.
How about battery life and size? The minidisc player is still much smaller than the ipod, and 30+ hours on a single 'AA' is great when traveling - no cradle/charger/fighting over AC outlets at the airport during delays (and yes, I do have membership to several airline "Clubs").
For what I listen to, 45 hours on a very small disk that costs $7 and I can carry several with me without worrying about dropping a hard drive onto a concrete floor is great. Now if only they would put out a clie that would use the USB HiMD as storage instead of the memorystick for movies (and an external replaceable battery pack for the clie..)
Well, I used to do it this way. Wake up, fix breakfast for the wife & kid, run the kid to school, go home and work. My break and human interaction came because I only kept food for a day in the house I had to go to the gocery store to cook dinner every night. That gave me enough human interaction to then in turn deal with the wife & kid on a somewhat human level. 7 year old already has considered me a "computer nerd" (his words) and aspires to more :)
yes, adobe sucks. Yes, microsoft sucks.
But being able to carry a library with me on trips is wonderful. The wife appreciates not getting UPS boxes from used book stores not when I travel with my ebooks readers (depending on trip - GEMSTAR/RCA 1100, 1200, Ipaq 1940)
B&N was the first in my area to have the Neuvomedia rocketbook. It also dropped all software sales, cut the Scientific Fiction (OK I am an old timer....) area by 90%, cut the humor area by 50% and also started up several areas that I disagree with (but won't censor, complain about, just disagree with) and i will not even mention what my father says about them and the NYC artistic egocentric atitude that they have imposed on the whole chain. He now refuses to go to the NYC main store over the child porn that he says they now put out that they did not use to - so my opinion is that they had a change of manglement and are more "artistic" orientated. NYC&LA oriented, not midwest values (ok - flame me..)
for in the tub, try an aquapak case. I haven't had a cooling problem *YET* for my electronics. Including being in a hot tub for hours.... (yes, I know - not healthy...)
Um, yes. I read ebooks all the time in my spa and swimming pool while my 7 year old swims. Off of the Neuvomedia Rocketbook, the smartbook, the RCA/Gemstar versions (1100,1200), a pocketPC, the trash Ebookman (damn - if they had the software quality that they had at the end of the line when it first came out there would be no market for palm...), etc. Never had a problem - use aquapak waterproof cases (Wonderful people-heartily recommend anything they make), and never a problem. Also much easier than a hard bound/softcover since they take up less room and you do not have to worry about page turning and getting the book wet. Even with all of these units (current inventory is five REB1100, four Gemstar 2150's, Ipaq 1940) my cost for books is FAR LESS than it had been. Prior budget had $400/month for books (OK - I am a bookaholic) and now I spend maybe $50/month on books at the book store. (not counting magazines that usually run another $50)
As the second person to buy a Sinclair in the US (Or so Nigel told me) this brings back memories. Too bad that the going rate in the late 80's was $10 and I recently saw a couple in a goodwill bin for $1 each (with power supply!) Talk about a scam to sell 'em for $100 today!