I had exactly the same problem--I solved it with creativity, a 4x8 sheet of plywood, and a scroll saw.
My construction was simple. I cut a single 4'x8', 0.75" sheet of oak plywood to the correct shape. To support the weight of my monitors, I ran bracing the length and width of the table directly under the monitors. The bracing strips are 2" wide, made from the same sheet of plywood, and mounted perpendicular to the bottom of the table. For added stability, I fastened two edges the table to the wall using 2"x2"s, but if your installation is temporary this may not work for you. Because of the bracing and wall fastening, the table requires just one leg, which leaves plenty of space for my legs and four computers under the table.
I cut the table to shape using a scroll saw, which I already owned. I rounded the edges using a router, which I now had an excuse to buy:). I finished it with Verithane, because the stuff doesn't stink and cleans up with water.
Total cost, $90. Satisfaction, at least 10 times anything I found in stores at a reasonable price.
Notes:
1. Explicitly define your requirements. Mine were lots of table space, enough depth for 21" monitor, keyboard tray that also has room for the mouse, and plenty of room under the table for multiple computers. Also, where are you going to put it? In particular, consider the location's lighting.
2. Create a prototype. Use string or masking tape to create a virtual table;) on the floor. Place your computer equipment, books, etc. in place. Does it feel right? Try again in a couple of days. Does it still feel right?
3. Double check that the design is stable and robust. In particular, is it strong enough to hold that pair of 21" monitors. Consider bracing to MHz or RAM, more is better.
5. Buy the wood, tools, screws and wood glue. Try and find "void free" plywood. Most plywood has hidden holes in the interior layers.
6. Even thought I took my time, used guides to ensure my straight edges were straight and curves consistent, rounded the edges, and put on three finishing coats, the entire project only took four hours. It is well worth it!
It looks like the model the media industry is working toward is end-to-end encryption so they can have complete access control. If the video stream stays encrypted until a digital display converts it to analog for viewing, no software-only ripper can get directly to the decrypted video data. instead, you will have to modify the internals of the display unit. In the case of an LCD display, the decryption and LCD drivers can be built into the same chip, which is in turn embedded into the LCD panel--which makes modification really, really hard.
Consider this in the context of "next generation" computer video playback. Instead of the current video overlay scheme used by computer graphics cards, we will have a new encrypted video overlay scheme. The encrypted video data will be passed directly to the LCD unit for decoding. The DVD player will negotiate directly with the LCD unit to assure both are "authorized" devices.
Guess what!? No more decryption in software! No more vulnerable software players! No more hacking the display driver to capture the video overlay as it is played!
Without the decrypted video data passing through the CPU and RAM, ripping is going to be much, much harder. And will the required hardware or software that violate the DMCA? Probably!
It looks like things are going to get worse long before they get better! Hand on, its going to be a bumpy ride.
It seems to me that there is a "simple fix" (conceptually simply anyway, it is probably many times harder than it sounds).
Since so much modern routing equipment can monitor and limit traffic, perhaps the routers can be modified to detect unusual increases in traffic. When the traffic levels exceeded 2 or 3 times "normal" high averages, bandwidth limiting would automatically kick in.
To be effective, the tracking and limiting would need to employ some very sophisticated statistical analysis, monitor aggregate traffic between pairs of subnets, and be deployed on all backbone border routers.
I realize this is a very hard problem that will required router firmware changes operational changes by the backbone providers. But, we need preventive solutions to this kind of a problem or the new eConomy that employs many of us could take a serious hit--either due to the cracker/vandals or through repressive (and potentially invasive) governement monitoring.
I have read a lot of Cox@Home bashing here and wanted to say that I rather like my Cox@Home service. It's fast. I can download MP3's and Linux updates in a reasonable amount of time. I can navigate from one slashdot article to another in just a few seconds (this is my favorite).
To protect my machines from misuse, I use a Linux-based firewall that I have tested with several services such as www.hackerwhacker.com, so I am fairly sure I am locked down.
But does the average @Home user understand any of this TCP/IP trivia that I love and comes naturally to me? Of course not! Should the average @Home user need to understand this stuff? NO!
I like spending hundreds of hours on TCP/IP trivia. I hate mowing the lawn! If my firewall breaks, it's play time. If my lawn mower breaks, I take it to the shop.
This leads me to the difficulty @Home faces: trying to balance cost and service. Their current emphasis is on keeping cost low which, as a subscriber, suits me fine. Unfortunately, this also means that they don't have the hundreds of people with Internet AND customer services skills required to help every non-technical user who incorrectly configures a proxy server. (I mean really, how many of us who really understand this stuff would want to do customer service for @Home anyway?)
When you come right down to it, proxy servers are harder to configure than they should be. For someone who just wants to connect several PCs to their cable modem, WinGate and other venders could make it much simpler than it is.
Lets hope that @Home can figure out how to solve the this dilema quickly and fairly. It is only because of the demand created by these non-technical users, those who mess up their proxy servers, that I can have a fast connection to my house.
Is there a patent lawyer out there than can tell me if any of these is prior art?
1. In the mid-70's several U.S. Navy systems I worked on used 4-digit julian dates with the form YDDD. 'Y' was the last digit of the year and the software used a rolling window to determine which year. This software was written in the late 60's and persisted into the 80's through an emulator.
2. In 1991 I wrote the code for a system that allows the user to enter 2-digit years and determined the correct year based on a rolling base year. This code was Y2K Ready in 1991! The resulting dates are converted to serial numbers that are stored in the database. This serial number, like the patent's years, is offset from a base date. -- Does it really matter that the patent's serial numbers are 2-digit BCD and mine are 16-bit binary?
Here are several other thoughts:
1. Storing offsets is a fundmental computer technique. Every record pointer is an offset from the beginning of a file. Every C pointer is an offset from the beginning of memory. Every (christian) date is an offset from year zero!
2. It seems to me that storing '97' in the database, with an implied offset from 1900, is not significantly different than storing '17' with an explicit offset from 1980.
3. The "10-decade window" seems like a red herring and obfuscation factor. No matter how you slice it, 2 decimal digits are always limited to a 100 year window.
Pioneer makes a SCSI version of their 6X DVD drive. It is available as a Hi-Val model. Buy.com has it here. I have been considering buying it. Has anyone used one of these? Do you like it?
Whew! Now I know why I took a few writing courses.
I think the author is trying to say something fairly simple:
if the "subnet identifier" (not subnet mask) for an IP address is known, the IP address can refer to different hosts depending on the subnet identifier.
True enough, simple in concept. BUT, where are routers going to get the subnet identifier? We will have to (1) modify the IPv4 packet header, (2) change the DNS A record, (3) modify the network system calls, (4) modify the programs that use the system calls, (5) et cetera.
Tacking on a few extra octets and calling it IPv4.1 would probably be simpler.
Slashdot Mirror
I had exactly the same problem--I solved it with creativity, a 4x8 sheet of plywood, and a scroll saw.
:). I finished it with Verithane, because the stuff doesn't stink and cleans up with water.
;) on the floor. Place your computer equipment, books, etc. in place. Does it feel right? Try again in a couple of days. Does it still feel right?
My construction was simple. I cut a single 4'x8', 0.75" sheet of oak plywood to the correct shape. To support the weight of my monitors, I ran bracing the length and width of the table directly under the monitors. The bracing strips are 2" wide, made from the same sheet of plywood, and mounted perpendicular to the bottom of the table. For added stability, I fastened two edges the table to the wall using 2"x2"s, but if your installation is temporary this may not work for you. Because of the bracing and wall fastening, the table requires just one leg, which leaves plenty of space for my legs and four computers under the table.
I cut the table to shape using a scroll saw, which I already owned. I rounded the edges using a router, which I now had an excuse to buy
Total cost, $90. Satisfaction, at least 10 times anything I found in stores at a reasonable price.
Notes:
1. Explicitly define your requirements. Mine were lots of table space, enough depth for 21" monitor, keyboard tray that also has room for the mouse, and plenty of room under the table for multiple computers. Also, where are you going to put it? In particular, consider the location's lighting.
2. Create a prototype. Use string or masking tape to create a virtual table
3. Double check that the design is stable and robust. In particular, is it strong enough to hold that pair of 21" monitors. Consider bracing to MHz or RAM, more is better.
5. Buy the wood, tools, screws and wood glue. Try and find "void free" plywood. Most plywood has hidden holes in the interior layers.
6. Even thought I took my time, used guides to ensure my straight edges were straight and curves consistent, rounded the edges, and put on three finishing coats, the entire project only took four hours. It is well worth it!
It looks like the model the media industry is working toward is end-to-end encryption so they can have complete access control. If the video stream stays encrypted until a digital display converts it to analog for viewing, no software-only ripper can get directly to the decrypted video data. instead, you will have to modify the internals of the display unit. In the case of an LCD display, the decryption and LCD drivers can be built into the same chip, which is in turn embedded into the LCD panel--which makes modification really, really hard.
Consider this in the context of "next generation" computer video playback. Instead of the current video overlay scheme used by computer graphics cards, we will have a new encrypted video overlay scheme. The encrypted video data will be passed directly to the LCD unit for decoding. The DVD player will negotiate directly with the LCD unit to assure both are "authorized" devices.
Guess what!? No more decryption in software! No more vulnerable software players! No more hacking the display driver to capture the video overlay as it is played!
Without the decrypted video data passing through the CPU and RAM, ripping is going to be much, much harder. And will the required hardware or software that violate the DMCA? Probably!
It looks like things are going to get worse long before they get better! Hand on, its going to be a bumpy ride.
Although a 500MHz & 64MB RAM make for a cheap Windows box, it is an excellent Linux box.
Anyone got the time and talent to help these folks get converted?
It seems to me that there is a "simple fix" (conceptually simply anyway, it is probably many times harder than it sounds).
Since so much modern routing equipment can monitor and limit traffic, perhaps the routers can be modified to detect unusual increases in traffic. When the traffic levels exceeded 2 or 3 times "normal" high averages, bandwidth limiting would automatically kick in.
To be effective, the tracking and limiting would need to employ some very sophisticated statistical analysis, monitor aggregate traffic between pairs of subnets, and be deployed on all backbone border routers.
I realize this is a very hard problem that will required router firmware changes operational changes by the backbone providers. But, we need preventive solutions to this kind of a problem or the new eConomy that employs many of us could take a serious hit--either due to the cracker/vandals or through repressive (and potentially invasive) governement monitoring.
I have read a lot of Cox@Home bashing here and wanted to say that I rather like my Cox@Home service. It's fast. I can download MP3's and Linux updates in a reasonable amount of time. I can navigate from one slashdot article to another in just a few seconds (this is my favorite).
To protect my machines from misuse, I use a Linux-based firewall that I have tested with several services such as www.hackerwhacker.com, so I am fairly sure I am locked down.
But does the average @Home user understand any of this TCP/IP trivia that I love and comes naturally to me? Of course not! Should the average @Home user need to understand this stuff? NO!
I like spending hundreds of hours on TCP/IP trivia. I hate mowing the lawn! If my firewall breaks, it's play time. If my lawn mower breaks, I take it to the shop.
This leads me to the difficulty @Home faces: trying to balance cost and service. Their current emphasis is on keeping cost low which, as a subscriber, suits me fine. Unfortunately, this also means that they don't have the hundreds of people with Internet AND customer services skills required to help every non-technical user who incorrectly configures a proxy server. (I mean really, how many of us who really understand this stuff would want to do customer service for @Home anyway?)
When you come right down to it, proxy servers are harder to configure than they should be. For someone who just wants to connect several PCs to their cable modem, WinGate and other venders could make it much simpler than it is.
Lets hope that @Home can figure out how to solve the this dilema quickly and fairly. It is only because of the demand created by these non-technical users, those who mess up their proxy servers, that I can have a fast connection to my house.
Is there a patent lawyer out there than can tell me if any of these is prior art?
1. In the mid-70's several U.S. Navy systems I worked on used 4-digit julian dates with the form YDDD. 'Y' was the last digit of the year and the software used a rolling window to determine which year. This software was written in the late 60's and persisted into the 80's through an emulator.
2. In 1991 I wrote the code for a system that allows the user to enter 2-digit years and determined the correct year based on a rolling base year. This code was Y2K Ready in 1991! The resulting dates are converted to serial numbers that are stored in the database. This serial number, like the patent's years, is offset from a base date. -- Does it really matter that the patent's serial numbers are 2-digit BCD and mine are 16-bit binary?
Here are several other thoughts:
1. Storing offsets is a fundmental computer technique. Every record pointer is an offset from the beginning of a file. Every C pointer is an offset from the beginning of memory. Every (christian) date is an offset from year zero!
2. It seems to me that storing '97' in the database, with an implied offset from 1900, is not significantly different than storing '17' with an explicit offset from 1980.
3. The "10-decade window" seems like a red herring and obfuscation factor. No matter how you slice it, 2 decimal digits are always limited to a 100 year window.
Pioneer makes a SCSI version of their 6X DVD drive. It is available as a Hi-Val model. Buy.com has it here. I have been considering buying it. Has anyone used one of these? Do you like it?
I think the author is trying to say something fairly simple:
True enough, simple in concept. BUT, where are routers going to get the subnet identifier? We will have to (1) modify the IPv4 packet header, (2) change the DNS A record, (3) modify the network system calls, (4) modify the programs that use the system calls, (5) et cetera.Tacking on a few extra octets and calling it IPv4.1 would probably be simpler.
Time for a reality check on this one.
Perhaps this is a direction for prior art the prior art search:
HTML is really just text!
An HTML file is really nothing more than a text file with some codes in it. Surely the creation of text files was distributed well before 1996!
According to the FAQ, Game support in v1.0 is going to be marginal. In particular, DirectX and Joysticks are not supported.