Realistically, what is the point of even trying this hack? Just to see if you can do it? Why not just spend the 50 or so dollars it would cost to buy an actual barcode scanner? They are simple to use, and simple to install. All you need to do is plug the thing into a PS/2 keyboard port. You can even connect your keyboard at the same time. Scan a barcode when you need to, and type when you need to. I don't know how much an optical mouse is worth these days, but I would imagine it is probably the same cost as a cheap barcode scanner.
The only reason people think this is because they watched Robocop one too many times.
I will admit that this whole thread hasn't interested me at all, until I came across this gem. Please explain this one further. Are you referring to OCP running everything, including the Police, and allowing Clarence Boddicker to control all the crime in the New City? I haven't watched in a couple of years. But, as big a Robocop fan as I am, I don't really see any reason to compare Microsoft to OCP.
I am sure it must already have been said, but I would definately donate money to the Green Party. I know that here in Canada, there are Provincial wings, as well as the Federal Green Party. I am sure it is the same in the United States.
I feel that groups such as Greenpeace, while fighting for a formidable cause, are approaching it the wrong way. I realize that the chances of the Green Party winning an election - especially in the States - are very slim, indeed. However, the more votes the Green Parties get, it will hopefully encourage the incumbents to make their own platforms a little more Green.
And as an added bonus, political donations are tax deductible. Again, I am speaking from a Canadian perspective.
DDR (dance dance revolution) is good for an aerobic workout
It is also a great way to make yourself look like a complete dork. Whenever I have a bad day, I like to go to the nearby arcade and watch people play. Always good for a few laughs.
all of the Vegas casinos track who you are and how often you are there and when you win and such (well, all of the big ones). they have shared access to a huge database of people that go through there. images, room data, game data, etc etc.
I think that only happens in Terry Benedict's Casinos...
The casino had a game similar to the lottery where you had to guess a set of numbers, 8 in this case.
Something similar to this happened in the Montreal Casino a few years ago. The game you are referring to is called Keno, I think. A guy watched the machine for a while (days, weeks?) and somehow figured out the pattern of numbers. He won a lot of money, and naturally pissed off the Casino. He ended up being charged for cheating, even though he didn't really cheat. I believe the court ruled in favour of the Casino. And of course, he ended up with no money.
I have to agree with an earlier post. The best way to beat the Casino is to not play at all.
By the way, does anyone here really think that the dealers don't count the cards? Bullshit. You know damn well they do.
Most of the dealers I have seen (mostly in Ontario Casinos) couldn't count cards if they wanted to. Do you really think people smart enough to count cards would work as a dealer for barely over minimum wage? Besides, what incentive is there for a dealer to win? He gets paid regardless of what happens. It isn't like they work on commission. But if they did, well then, time for a career change...
AND WHAT ARE THEY DOING SPENDING $600 ON A HAMMER???
I remember a teacher I had in grade 7 teaching the class about education budgets. What he basically told us is that if you don't spend 100 percent of your budget, the financial types (I don't remember what he called them) would cut your budget next year. I imagine this is still true today, and especially true of NASA.
The Capitals' goalie Olaf Kolzig has a nickname of 'Zilla'. Something to do with his furious temper. He even has a picture of a dinosaur demolishing a city, with the word 'zilla' just below his facemask.
Besides, wouldn't a nice 20 Billion USD worth satelite be a nice target to attack? Once simple ambush with a 100 USD rocket launcher and poof goes 20 billion bucks. Are they going to provide every transport military cover all the way to the anchor site?
Following your logic, how come the Space Shuttle hasn't been attacked on the slow journey from the vehicle assembly plant to the launch pad? Doesn't it take a few days? If you would read the faqs, it mentions security risks. The ultimate plan is for this to be a multinational project. Allowing the entire world access to something will most definately lower the risk of a terrorist attack. If the usual enemies of the Western world are allowed access to the Space Elevator, they might not see it as a symbol of American repression. Perhaps it can be seen as a symbol of International unity?
Yes, I realise all that sounds like Science Fiction, but perhaps this Space Elevator is the first step towards the Enlightened future we all crave so much.
If Canadians became Americans, it would no longer be politically correct to make fun of the accents...
As a Canadian, I find this quite funny coming from an American. Ever been to Long Island? If anything, I would venture that Canadians speak English better than the English.
Rogers Cable has had tiered service for at least a few months now. Of course, it doesn't have fancy names such as Ultralink, but there are 2 distinct levels of service.
The main one is called Rogers High Speed (and I will refrain from the jokes about the general lack of speed), and the lower tier is called Rogers Light Internet. The High Speed is supposed to be 1.5 Meg down, and 128 up. The Light service is 128K down, and 64K up. The price of the High Speed is ~50 bucks a month. The light version is ~20 bucks. Not too bad, and probably cheaper than most dialup access.
So far there has been no mention of usage caps, but I would imagine they will be forthcoming.
I wonder how many people will simply sell their old TV and do something useful with their time/new gained empty space in the living room.
The honest and sad answer to this question is probably not many. The reality is that they will all rush out to the store the minute that old TV stops working.
The channels I have that come in digital are about 2x as clear and the sound is a lot better as well.
Not sure how valid this comparison is, but I am almost completely opposite of you. I get around 200 digital channels, some of which are digital versions of traditional analog channels. I find about 80% of my digital channels (via Rogers digital cable) are very pixellated and noisy. Sure the sound is good, but the picture is horrible. It often looks like I am watching a poorly encoded MPEG stream (which I assume it actually is.)
Just this morning, I cancelled all but 5 of these channels, and the poor picture quality is the main reason (OK, the content is crap, too). Not surprisingly, the only channels with perfect video and audio are the PPV channels.
Luckily the CRTC has set no such mandate for HDTV adoption, and if this is any indication of how poor the service might be, I for one will be quite content with analog television.
I almost took this poor dude's side, until I read an absolutely preposterous remark.
Being Canadian isn't just about drinking beer...
As long as I can remember, being a Canadian has been about drinking beer. Good beer, too. Canadian beer. Besides, Canadian.biz is kind of like saying Cuba.biz. Nobody really cares.
Am I the only person who liked this movie? Yes, it was kind of stupid, but I still liked it. I mean really, it is no more or no less believeable than ANY Star Wars movie.
Besides, it had a young, hot Lea Thompson as an 80's punk rocker.
However, (I do hate them) the KKK is allowed to excercise their freedom of speech. While in Canada that could never happen. If you excercise your freedom of speech that is not current to the times then you will be prosecuted.
Now, contrast this with the freedom that known terrorist organizations can raise money in Canada. It is wrong for me to incite hatred against anybody in Canada. But, I can host a fundraiser for the Tamil Tigers and the government turns a blind eye.
As much as many Canadians (myself included) love to hate the United States, we would be so lucky to have the freedom of Speech our American neighbours have. You are correct in saying that the Canadian system certainly does change according to political whims.
Slashdot Mirror
I was going to post a comment about the spelling mistakes, but then I hesitated. The blatant spelling errors in the story must be a joke. Right?
Realistically, what is the point of even trying this hack? Just to see if you can do it? Why not just spend the 50 or so dollars it would cost to buy an actual barcode scanner? They are simple to use, and simple to install. All you need to do is plug the thing into a PS/2 keyboard port. You can even connect your keyboard at the same time. Scan a barcode when you need to, and type when you need to. I don't know how much an optical mouse is worth these days, but I would imagine it is probably the same cost as a cheap barcode scanner.
Obligatory link - www.pscnet.com
I go from power-on, to login prompt in about 30 seconds using OS X 10.2.
My Gentoo workstation gets to a login prompt in ~30 seconds, too. And that includes the 5 or so seconds before GRUB even starts.
The only reason people think this is because they watched Robocop one too many times.
I will admit that this whole thread hasn't interested me at all, until I came across this gem. Please explain this one further. Are you referring to OCP running everything, including the Police, and allowing Clarence Boddicker to control all the crime in the New City? I haven't watched in a couple of years. But, as big a Robocop fan as I am, I don't really see any reason to compare Microsoft to OCP.
I am sure it must already have been said, but I would definately donate money to the Green Party. I know that here in Canada, there are Provincial wings, as well as the Federal Green Party. I am sure it is the same in the United States.
I feel that groups such as Greenpeace, while fighting for a formidable cause, are approaching it the wrong way. I realize that the chances of the Green Party winning an election - especially in the States - are very slim, indeed. However, the more votes the Green Parties get, it will hopefully encourage the incumbents to make their own platforms a little more Green.
And as an added bonus, political donations are tax deductible. Again, I am speaking from a Canadian perspective.
DDR (dance dance revolution) is good for an aerobic workout
It is also a great way to make yourself look like a complete dork. Whenever I have a bad day, I like to go to the nearby arcade and watch people play. Always good for a few laughs.
all of the Vegas casinos track who you are and how often you are there and when you win and such (well, all of the big ones).
they have shared access to a huge database of people that go through there. images, room data, game data, etc etc.
I think that only happens in Terry Benedict's Casinos...
The casino had a game similar to the lottery where you had to guess a set of numbers, 8 in this case.
Something similar to this happened in the Montreal Casino a few years ago. The game you are referring to is called Keno, I think. A guy watched the machine for a while (days, weeks?) and somehow figured out the pattern of numbers. He won a lot of money, and naturally pissed off the Casino. He ended up being charged for cheating, even though he didn't really cheat. I believe the court ruled in favour of the Casino. And of course, he ended up with no money.
I have to agree with an earlier post. The best way to beat the Casino is to not play at all.
By the way, does anyone here really think that the dealers don't count the cards? Bullshit. You know damn well they do.
Most of the dealers I have seen (mostly in Ontario Casinos) couldn't count cards if they wanted to. Do you really think people smart enough to count cards would work as a dealer for barely over minimum wage? Besides, what incentive is there for a dealer to win? He gets paid regardless of what happens. It isn't like they work on commission. But if they did, well then, time for a career change...
AND WHAT ARE THEY DOING SPENDING $600 ON A HAMMER???
I remember a teacher I had in grade 7 teaching the class about education budgets. What he basically told us is that if you don't spend 100 percent of your budget, the financial types (I don't remember what he called them) would cut your budget next year. I imagine this is still true today, and especially true of NASA.
The Capitals' goalie Olaf Kolzig has a nickname of 'Zilla'. Something to do with his furious temper. He even has a picture of a dinosaur demolishing a city, with the word 'zilla' just below his facemask.
Besides, wouldn't a nice 20 Billion USD worth satelite be a nice target to attack? Once simple ambush with a 100 USD rocket launcher and poof goes 20 billion bucks. Are they going to provide every transport military cover all the way to the anchor site?
Following your logic, how come the Space Shuttle hasn't been attacked on the slow journey from the vehicle assembly plant to the launch pad? Doesn't it take a few days? If you would read the faqs, it mentions security risks. The ultimate plan is for this to be a multinational project. Allowing the entire world access to something will most definately lower the risk of a terrorist attack. If the usual enemies of the Western world are allowed access to the Space Elevator, they might not see it as a symbol of American repression. Perhaps it can be seen as a symbol of International unity?
Yes, I realise all that sounds like Science Fiction, but perhaps this Space Elevator is the first step towards the Enlightened future we all crave so much.
"Microsoft Visual Studio.NET - Get your trial DVD today!!"
I've got one on my desk as I type this. Pay for the postage and it is yours...
Who would you like to see together in a movie, and what kind of movie?
How about me and Charlize in a pr0n?
If Canadians became Americans, it would no longer be politically correct to make fun of the accents...
As a Canadian, I find this quite funny coming from an American. Ever been to Long Island? If anything, I would venture that Canadians speak English better than the English.
Just slap some racing stripes on it and call it a day. Racing stripes are proven to make everything more aerodynamic.
I thought all the extra performance came from those "Powered by Honda" and other assorted racing company stickers?
Besides - I wasn't bitching about anyone, just stating an alternate point of veiw.
Don't you know that such things are forbidden on Slashdot? Toe the line or be banished.
Rogers Cable has had tiered service for at least a few months now. Of course, it doesn't have fancy names such as Ultralink, but there are 2 distinct levels of service.
The main one is called Rogers High Speed (and I will refrain from the jokes about the general lack of speed), and the lower tier is called Rogers Light Internet. The High Speed is supposed to be 1.5 Meg down, and 128 up. The Light service is 128K down, and 64K up. The price of the High Speed is ~50 bucks a month. The light version is ~20 bucks. Not too bad, and probably cheaper than most dialup access.
So far there has been no mention of usage caps, but I would imagine they will be forthcoming.
I wonder how many people will simply sell their old TV and do something useful with their time/new gained empty space in the living room.
The honest and sad answer to this question is probably not many. The reality is that they will all rush out to the store the minute that old TV stops working.
The channels I have that come in digital are about 2x as clear and the sound is a lot better as well.
Not sure how valid this comparison is, but I am almost completely opposite of you. I get around 200 digital channels, some of which are digital versions of traditional analog channels. I find about 80% of my digital channels (via Rogers digital cable) are very pixellated and noisy. Sure the sound is good, but the picture is horrible. It often looks like I am watching a poorly encoded MPEG stream (which I assume it actually is.)
Just this morning, I cancelled all but 5 of these channels, and the poor picture quality is the main reason (OK, the content is crap, too). Not surprisingly, the only channels with perfect video and audio are the PPV channels.
Luckily the CRTC has set no such mandate for HDTV adoption, and if this is any indication of how poor the service might be, I for one will be quite content with analog television.
I almost took this poor dude's side, until I read an absolutely preposterous remark.
Being Canadian isn't just about drinking beer...
As long as I can remember, being a Canadian has been about drinking beer. Good beer, too. Canadian beer. Besides, Canadian.biz is kind of like saying Cuba.biz. Nobody really cares.
Mind you, at least he never made Howard the Duck.
Am I the only person who liked this movie? Yes, it was kind of stupid, but I still liked it. I mean really, it is no more or no less believeable than ANY Star Wars movie.
Besides, it had a young, hot Lea Thompson as an 80's punk rocker.
Damn, I was waiting until 2063 to see if Odyssey 3 would in fact come true. Now I will never know.
FYI, "boo yah" is an expression used to describe triumph or revenge. Come to America, its popular here.
This explains it, then. In the rest of the world, we don't have an official language known as Ebonics.
However, (I do hate them) the KKK is allowed to excercise their freedom of speech. While in Canada that could never happen. If you excercise your freedom of speech that is not current to the times then you will be prosecuted.
Now, contrast this with the freedom that known terrorist organizations can raise money in Canada. It is wrong for me to incite hatred against anybody in Canada. But, I can host a fundraiser for the Tamil Tigers and the government turns a blind eye.
As much as many Canadians (myself included) love to hate the United States, we would be so lucky to have the freedom of Speech our American neighbours have. You are correct in saying that the Canadian system certainly does change according to political whims.