Check out Nintendo vs. Galoob. Nintendo sued them over the Game Genie several years ago (and lost). This is the strongest legal argument in favor of these types of devices, and the main reason they're still around.
Now though they do things a little differently they used to with respect to loading memory, it still doesnt matter. Unless game makers start ENCRYPTING all of their code (not just pieces as they do now for copy protection), the dmca simply doesnt apply.
As many have mentioned earlier, these types of devices give replay power and could possibly even sell more games by giving people who suck at games a chance at beating them. Why would any game company be against that?
Anyway, 26,000 words is tiny for a legal document.... I found the DMCA an easy read compared to many other copyright documents...
Christ im tired of reading the ignorant messages about 'this is illegal under dmca', more proof that the DMCA is simply a word flung about by the fools here without a shred of understanding...
The DMCA covers copy protection. It has NOTHING to do with this. In fact, here's a subsection of DMCA *maintaining* the right to reverse engineer in this way:
`(f) REVERSE ENGINEERING- (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a)(1)(A), a person who has lawfully obtained the right to use a copy of a computer program may circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a particular portion of that program for the sole purpose of identifying and analyzing those elements of the program that are necessary to achieve interoperability of an independently created computer program with other programs, and that have not previously been readily available to the person engaging in the circumvention, to the extent any such acts of identification and analysis do not constitute infringement under this title.
Please, for the love of god, read the text of the DMCA before ever mentioning it again. It's fairly short and to the point.
Being the clever industry they are, the oil companies LONG ago realized they were dependent on a limited resource. Indeed, the reserves wouldnt make it out of the 21st century.
Hence they all now refer to themselves as 'energy companies', and work with all sorts of things, not just oil.
Its in their best interests that things start moving off fossil fuels, given their limited supply, and people move onto things like hydrogen, which is pretty damn common. And they know this.
You'll still be getting your fuel from them in 20 years...it just might not be gasoline anymore.
Growing up on DOS, the command line of unices is no sweat. Just some new commands to memorize and other things.
However, the biggest problem, is getting things to print. I truly dread printing in unix. It is unnecessarily complicated. Granted, my experience with it is network printing where a printer has to be specified (I suppose you could set it up to default to one...but that of course requires manipulating some config file somewhere). Until printing is as easy as windows (literally, just click the icon and whatever is on your application prints perfectly)...
The only games I've not been able to play on win2k are 16 bit (dos or win3.1) based games, of which I dont think any have been produced for the past several years.
So unless you've got some fanatical love for dos games, theres really no reason not to upgrade.
Unless you're referring to distant technology, virtually all of these are unlikely.
article says 25 cents (maybe dollars, I forget...) per shot.
It is cheaper to shoot a rifle. Plus these laser weapons are pathetically weak compared to a rifle. These weapons were designed for use on weak rockets and missiles travelling at high speeds in the air. The laser is only capable of heating and weakening the metal skin, which flight forces would tear a hole in, thus rupturing and destroying the missile. In an earlier post I questioned exactly how well these lasers would work on the much thicker and stronger skins of artillery shells.
To use one of these on a human is stupid and ineffective. Sure, it'll burn you..but why not just shoot the guy? More damaging and a quicker death.
As for the 'people' to get one, find me someone who can actually afford something like this. These weapons are enormous (they're TRYING to fit one on an 18 wheeler) and cost millions.
These lasers are useful city defenders against things like SCUDs. Not something Joe Q. Gunowner will own.
the case is the deadly part of artillery
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Battlefield Lasers
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· Score: 2
the thousands of metal shards caused by the case blowing are what makes artillery such a good weapon against exposed infantry.
In germany (and probably other european nations), a period is used instead of a comma, and a comma is used for decimal notation.
are artillery shells that delicate?
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Battlefield Lasers
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· Score: 3, Interesting
I know the airborne laser (uses the same chemical type laser) was capable of shooting down rockets by weakening the metal skins, which the forces of flight would thus rupture and cause the thing to fly apart, but are artillery shells really that delicate?
It's called "The Gambler, The Nun, the Radio". It makes an interesting point. Anything, and everything can be addictive.
The gambler of course, is addicted to gambling, even though he loses everytime (and is eventually shot)
The nun is addicted to her religion.
And the radio is the tool of addiction by a bedridden war veteran.
Now its not to say that all addictions are bad, as one could argue that breathing air is a necessary one. However, it becomes 'bad' when it negatively affects you and those around you.
Can gaming be as bad as crack? Sure, if you sacrifice your sleep, your friends, your family and perhaps your own sanity to it. Does it sound hard to believe? About as hard to believe as people willingly ingesting crack cocaine (i've yet to meet a crack addict who truly enjoyed their habit, and yes, i've known several).
..in any sense of the word. Most have no clue about software design in any sort, and consider the ability to write a shell script makes them a 'programmer'... more like dweebs and wannabes with too much time on their hands.
Look at the posts on slashdot..people here merely pay lipservice to the creed of 'use what you want'... and that's true of a larger part of the OSS community. It's turned into that which they criticize the most - wanting domination of one platform.
The zealots are afraid it will draw people away from their own choice of OS, rather than making one OS work with another one. Shameful and against all the 'open' philosophy, but zealots tend to ignore the parts of a philosophy they don't like.
(No, not the video format).. the thing that players sold at Circuit City a year and a half ago had in it. The same idea - you 'bought' dvd's for cheap but if you stopped paying, you couldnt watch anymore.
I saw ads for about 4 months, then that thing went out of business.
The RIAA should've listened to their motion picture brethren MPAA about that idea...
is the minute they lost most of their credibility.
Really, computers are tools to get things done. Most of us who write code for a living in the real world (and no, webdesign and little shell scripts is not coding. I'm talking real applications) couldn't care less about what OS and language is used, provided that it's the right tool for the job.
Windows I've found is the top platform for a number of things. Mainly anything dealing with non-technical users. Windows also has plenty of server benefits (especially if you're using java on the backend.. java + linux = nothing but trouble).. but of course, it depends on what you're trying to do.
Linux provides a nice development environment, and is grand for CS students. GCC is the top C compiler, hands down. I know it's been ported to win32, though i've never used that version.
In the end, the people who actually make a difference in the industry and their field are the ones who don't get caught up in the pseudo-religious muck that flies on slashdot.
*gets off soapbox*
Fantastic for universities
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This is IT?
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· Score: 2
Being at one of the world's largest universities, I can definately say I want one of these. I easily spend several hours a day merely walking around campus and back and forth from home. Most of my daily needs are within a 5 mile radius, which this thing is perfect for.
That and its much more pedestrian friendly than bicycles... no need to get into the street and getting hit by a bus or idiot speeding down the roads.
My only questions are: Why all the redundancy? Sure, it'd be annoying if a motor failed, but are they expecting that to happen often? Eliminating the extra motors and cpus would bring the cost down considerably.
And the weight too..at 65 lbs, its no lightweight. I have to climb up stairs to my apartment (no handicap ramps here), which I will need to lug the thing up. Eliminating those extra motors will help take a few lbs off of it... perhaps an integrated backstrap for it would help too.
All in all, i'd buy one if it were cheaper.
NeoGeo, the system everyone pined for
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Farewell to SNK
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· Score: 2
Back when I was 10 or so, everytime I was in the local game store which had a NeoGeo on display we'd always oogle the thing. It was the system every kid wanted, but could never afford. Sometimes there would be that rich kid in school who you would hear rumors like "I hear he's got a NeoGeo"..
Now if you were able to fuse the various atoms that make up jet fuel (is such a thing possible? Not even stars fuse much more than hydrogen..) then yes, I would step back.
were the planes powered by hydrogen, the buildings would still be there. Jet fuel burns nastily and is extremely flammable. It puts hydrogen to shame. The whole reason that they dont use hydrogen in cars and planes to date is because it contains much less energy per pound (which means you need HUGE amounts of it)
Considering there is no hydrogen infrastructure anywhere, it will be a long time before the world converts to such things.
For h2 in cars to work, you need hydrogen stations. Converting gasoline into hydrogen for a few years while gas stations add hydrogen pumps is the way to go.
And the oil companies are crafty. Indeed, there is no such thing as an 'oil' company today. They refer to themselves as 'energy' companies for a reason - they deal with more than oil. You can bet you'll be getting your hydrogen from texaco and chevron's offspring in 25 years.
Slashdot Mirror
There isnt a meatspace equivalent unless somehow by looking at your sign people were mysteriously teleported to a Ford dealership.
Now though they do things a little differently they used to with respect to loading memory, it still doesnt matter. Unless game makers start ENCRYPTING all of their code (not just pieces as they do now for copy protection), the dmca simply doesnt apply.
As many have mentioned earlier, these types of devices give replay power and could possibly even sell more games by giving people who suck at games a chance at beating them. Why would any game company be against that?
Anyway, 26,000 words is tiny for a legal document.... I found the DMCA an easy read compared to many other copyright documents...
The DMCA covers copy protection. It has NOTHING to do with this. In fact, here's a subsection of DMCA *maintaining* the right to reverse engineer in this way:
`(f) REVERSE ENGINEERING- (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a)(1)(A), a person who has lawfully obtained the right to use a copy of a computer program may circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a particular portion of that program for the sole purpose of identifying and analyzing those elements of the program that are necessary to achieve interoperability of an independently created computer program with other programs, and that have not previously been readily available to the person engaging in the circumvention, to the extent any such acts of identification and analysis do not constitute infringement under this title.
Please, for the love of god, read the text of the DMCA before ever mentioning it again. It's fairly short and to the point.
Text of DMCA
companies may be slow to change, but they dont get to be big companies by rejecting it completely.
Being the clever industry they are, the oil companies LONG ago realized they were dependent on a limited resource. Indeed, the reserves wouldnt make it out of the 21st century.
Hence they all now refer to themselves as 'energy companies', and work with all sorts of things, not just oil.
Its in their best interests that things start moving off fossil fuels, given their limited supply, and people move onto things like hydrogen, which is pretty damn common. And they know this.
You'll still be getting your fuel from them in 20 years...it just might not be gasoline anymore.
However, the biggest problem, is getting things to print. I truly dread printing in unix. It is unnecessarily complicated. Granted, my experience with it is network printing where a printer has to be specified (I suppose you could set it up to default to one...but that of course requires manipulating some config file somewhere). Until printing is as easy as windows (literally, just click the icon and whatever is on your application prints perfectly)...
i would have a tough time believing that. such 'compatability layers' are what made win98 and the like unstable, still relying on dos tech.
So unless you've got some fanatical love for dos games, theres really no reason not to upgrade.
Can you get anymore fascist and ironic?
article says 25 cents (maybe dollars, I forget...) per shot.
It is cheaper to shoot a rifle. Plus these laser weapons are pathetically weak compared to a rifle. These weapons were designed for use on weak rockets and missiles travelling at high speeds in the air. The laser is only capable of heating and weakening the metal skin, which flight forces would tear a hole in, thus rupturing and destroying the missile. In an earlier post I questioned exactly how well these lasers would work on the much thicker and stronger skins of artillery shells.
To use one of these on a human is stupid and ineffective. Sure, it'll burn you..but why not just shoot the guy? More damaging and a quicker death.
As for the 'people' to get one, find me someone who can actually afford something like this. These weapons are enormous (they're TRYING to fit one on an 18 wheeler) and cost millions.
These lasers are useful city defenders against things like SCUDs. Not something Joe Q. Gunowner will own.
In essence, a very large grenade.
thank you for clarifying it, perhaps for the lesser of mind.
In germany (and probably other european nations), a period is used instead of a comma, and a comma is used for decimal notation.
I know the airborne laser (uses the same chemical type laser) was capable of shooting down rockets by weakening the metal skins, which the forces of flight would thus rupture and cause the thing to fly apart, but are artillery shells really that delicate?
The gambler of course, is addicted to gambling, even though he loses everytime (and is eventually shot)
The nun is addicted to her religion.
And the radio is the tool of addiction by a bedridden war veteran.
Now its not to say that all addictions are bad, as one could argue that breathing air is a necessary one. However, it becomes 'bad' when it negatively affects you and those around you.
Can gaming be as bad as crack? Sure, if you sacrifice your sleep, your friends, your family and perhaps your own sanity to it. Does it sound hard to believe? About as hard to believe as people willingly ingesting crack cocaine (i've yet to meet a crack addict who truly enjoyed their habit, and yes, i've known several).
..in any sense of the word. Most have no clue about software design in any sort, and consider the ability to write a shell script makes them a 'programmer'... more like dweebs and wannabes with too much time on their hands.
The zealots are afraid it will draw people away from their own choice of OS, rather than making one OS work with another one. Shameful and against all the 'open' philosophy, but zealots tend to ignore the parts of a philosophy they don't like.
I saw ads for about 4 months, then that thing went out of business.
The RIAA should've listened to their motion picture brethren MPAA about that idea...
Really, computers are tools to get things done. Most of us who write code for a living in the real world (and no, webdesign and little shell scripts is not coding. I'm talking real applications) couldn't care less about what OS and language is used, provided that it's the right tool for the job.
Windows I've found is the top platform for a number of things. Mainly anything dealing with non-technical users. Windows also has plenty of server benefits (especially if you're using java on the backend.. java + linux = nothing but trouble).. but of course, it depends on what you're trying to do.
Linux provides a nice development environment, and is grand for CS students. GCC is the top C compiler, hands down. I know it's been ported to win32, though i've never used that version.
In the end, the people who actually make a difference in the industry and their field are the ones who don't get caught up in the pseudo-religious muck that flies on slashdot.
*gets off soapbox*
That and its much more pedestrian friendly than bicycles... no need to get into the street and getting hit by a bus or idiot speeding down the roads.
My only questions are: Why all the redundancy? Sure, it'd be annoying if a motor failed, but are they expecting that to happen often? Eliminating the extra motors and cpus would bring the cost down considerably.
And the weight too..at 65 lbs, its no lightweight. I have to climb up stairs to my apartment (no handicap ramps here), which I will need to lug the thing up. Eliminating those extra motors will help take a few lbs off of it... perhaps an integrated backstrap for it would help too.
All in all, i'd buy one if it were cheaper.
Back when I was 10 or so, everytime I was in the local game store which had a NeoGeo on display we'd always oogle the thing. It was the system every kid wanted, but could never afford. Sometimes there would be that rich kid in school who you would hear rumors like "I hear he's got a NeoGeo"..
The road to the supreme court is a long one. They cannot merely step in on something, unless they are asked.
Now if you were able to fuse the various atoms that make up jet fuel (is such a thing possible? Not even stars fuse much more than hydrogen..) then yes, I would step back.
were the planes powered by hydrogen, the buildings would still be there. Jet fuel burns nastily and is extremely flammable. It puts hydrogen to shame. The whole reason that they dont use hydrogen in cars and planes to date is because it contains much less energy per pound (which means you need HUGE amounts of it)
For h2 in cars to work, you need hydrogen stations. Converting gasoline into hydrogen for a few years while gas stations add hydrogen pumps is the way to go.
And the oil companies are crafty. Indeed, there is no such thing as an 'oil' company today. They refer to themselves as 'energy' companies for a reason - they deal with more than oil. You can bet you'll be getting your hydrogen from texaco and chevron's offspring in 25 years.