I live in New York City, and while there's two places within thirty seconds of my front door that have WiFi access, I've never seen or heard of Bluetooth being used.
What faires are you at? The California ones? I'm at Tuxedo and we don't have anything near that many pagans. Among the boothies it's prevalent (and maybe the gamers too), I guess, but probably not even 45%, and there's hardly any pagans to be found among the performers, beverages, concessions, grounds, etc...
It used to be that I could joke on Mac OS not being a proper OS (because before OS X it was a toy even compared to Windows) but now Apple stole BSD and ruined my joke.
Even today they have people watching the self-checkouts for hijinks. There's ways to keep people honest...
For example one way would be for the scanner to burn out all the RFID tags after the purchase is complete, and have another scanner detect any active RFID tags trying to leave the store. Similar to the magnetic strips in use today.
Once RFID tags get off the ground self-checkouts will be pretty sweet. Park your shopping cart next to the machine, verify that the list of items matches what's in your cart, and insert cash/credit card.
As far as I know speeding tickets based on transponders has mostly been passed up. I think either New Jersey or Pennsylvania does it on one of their Turnpikes but otherwise no one around here seems to really want to implement this.
I find that there are certain things that are reusable forever. My current floppy drive, one of my CD/DVD drives, and one of my hard drives have been through all three or four computers that I have built. As long as they keep putting IDE and the legacy floppy connector on motherboards they will keep being reused.
Here's an experiment you can do. Get a big motherfucking laser. Shoot it at a specific point at the moon. Get a big motherfucking laser detector. If you hit the right spot on the moon your detector will detect the laser coming back.
You know why? Because our men put fucking MIRRORS on the moon. Is that enough proof for you?
"Moon Hoax" believers are about as bad as creationists.
Remember this is a business environment. Maybe the business doesn't want to spend thousands of dollars on new barcode scanners that use USB so that they can have the privilege of a translucent multicolored abomination on their checkout lines.
When computers in a working environment have to interface with the outside world besides standard mouse, keyboard, speaker, monitor, printer, and Ethernet, you'd be amazed at the crazy shit that gets plugged in, usually through the parallel or serial port.
That's Apple's whole design ethos or some shit right there. Floppy drive. Obsolete tech but it still comes in damn handy from time to time. Every time I've built a computer I have the option to not or not include a floppy and I have continued to include it.
It cost me five dollars to buy a floppy drive. Apple can probably get them for fifty cents each. But they take them out just so that they will be cool.
These guys are smart enough to completely own Valve's computers but they're not smart enough to realize that you have to get the art, sounds, levels, and such too if you want to play Half-Life 2.
I don't think the zones of thought are based on any sort of galactic habitable zone theory - I read in an interview somewhere that, although it isn't relevant to the story, Vinge intended the Zones of Thought to have been created by some extremely powerful entity.
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So to keep you from becoming American-speaking bigots your government tries to make you become French-speaking bigots. Sweet.
They did a good job with you.
Tim
There will be a sticker with U.S. standard nutrition facts applied somewhere on the foreign language packaging.
Tim
I live in New York City, and while there's two places within thirty seconds of my front door that have WiFi access, I've never seen or heard of Bluetooth being used.
Tim
Wires are better than EVEN MORE electromagnetic radiation fucking up your head, and they're faster and more reliable on top of that.
Tim
You're supposed to dress up as something you're NOT for Halloween.
Why not dress up as someone who isn't batshit insane?
Tim
What faires are you at? The California ones? I'm at Tuxedo and we don't have anything near that many pagans. Among the boothies it's prevalent (and maybe the gamers too), I guess, but probably not even 45%, and there's hardly any pagans to be found among the performers, beverages, concessions, grounds, etc...
Tim
Well, you could be right, but fusion power is supposed to come in 2050 +/- ten years. Which means you have only a 1/20 chance of being correct.
Tim
Everyone busts their nuts over it but it is jackshit worthless.
Tim
It used to be that I could joke on Mac OS not being a proper OS (because before OS X it was a toy even compared to Windows) but now Apple stole BSD and ruined my joke.
Tim
Even today they have people watching the self-checkouts for hijinks. There's ways to keep people honest...
For example one way would be for the scanner to burn out all the RFID tags after the purchase is complete, and have another scanner detect any active RFID tags trying to leave the store. Similar to the magnetic strips in use today.
Tim
Tim
Once RFID tags get off the ground self-checkouts will be pretty sweet. Park your shopping cart next to the machine, verify that the list of items matches what's in your cart, and insert cash/credit card.
Tim
As far as I know speeding tickets based on transponders has mostly been passed up. I think either New Jersey or Pennsylvania does it on one of their Turnpikes but otherwise no one around here seems to really want to implement this.
Tim
Well, you have lasers, big lasers, and big motherfucking lasers. That's a technical term.
Tim
I find that there are certain things that are reusable forever. My current floppy drive, one of my CD/DVD drives, and one of my hard drives have been through all three or four computers that I have built. As long as they keep putting IDE and the legacy floppy connector on motherboards they will keep being reused.
Tim
Here's an experiment you can do. Get a big motherfucking laser. Shoot it at a specific point at the moon. Get a big motherfucking laser detector. If you hit the right spot on the moon your detector will detect the laser coming back.
You know why? Because our men put fucking MIRRORS on the moon. Is that enough proof for you?
"Moon Hoax" believers are about as bad as creationists.
Tim
Remember this is a business environment. Maybe the business doesn't want to spend thousands of dollars on new barcode scanners that use USB so that they can have the privilege of a translucent multicolored abomination on their checkout lines.
When computers in a working environment have to interface with the outside world besides standard mouse, keyboard, speaker, monitor, printer, and Ethernet, you'd be amazed at the crazy shit that gets plugged in, usually through the parallel or serial port.
Tim
That's Apple's whole design ethos or some shit right there. Floppy drive. Obsolete tech but it still comes in damn handy from time to time. Every time I've built a computer I have the option to not or not include a floppy and I have continued to include it.
It cost me five dollars to buy a floppy drive. Apple can probably get them for fifty cents each. But they take them out just so that they will be cool.
Tim
It turns you into a flamboyant artfag.
Tim
You haven't come across an IE only page because your browser has been telling webservers that it is IE.
Tim
Look for an Antec Sonata. Shiny black, well-built, not overdesigned.
Tim
Pirated Copy: Submitted for your Consideration (blur).
Tim
Why not just download the DVD?
Tim
These guys are smart enough to completely own Valve's computers but they're not smart enough to realize that you have to get the art, sounds, levels, and such too if you want to play Half-Life 2.
Tim
I haven't read the annotations but I believe I have read an interview where he states that they are artificial.
Tim
I don't think the zones of thought are based on any sort of galactic habitable zone theory - I read in an interview somewhere that, although it isn't relevant to the story, Vinge intended the Zones of Thought to have been created by some extremely powerful entity.
Tim