Doen't mean that I'm required to provide verification of my ID does it? If the Law says "who are you" and I give my name, do I know have to pull out a license or school ID or something to back that up? Why? I'lkl gladly give an officer my name, after that they're on their own.
Further, comments aside, this story was about a man accused of stealing, and it turns out he was not. He was arrested for a charge unrelated to theft. Seems folks are getting off-topic a bit.
Ask management just how much money they want to spend on this new standardization process, and then hit them with the real cost. Do your homework; look up prices for licenses, new hardware if needed, time to implement, cost in man hours, cost and losses in downtime during the multiple evenings and weekends that servers and network segments will be down, and other general migration costs.
When they come back and ask how much it will cost instead of just saying we'll budget X amount of money, Make sure you give them real numbers; money, time, man-hours, counsulting fees, etc.
Management tends to listen to the numbers, and not much else. Don't forget upgrade and re-licensing costs in the future either. Try to make a projection on those costs. Also don't forget to include the amount of time and money spent just to collect the preliminary data your collecting, and then make absolutely sure that they comprehend the entire scope that this project would encompass. Also, remember to take into account additional IT staff training and possible additions to the IT staff to operate and management the new infrastructure.
That should give them more than enough to pause and reconsider carefully. Management hates to throw money on a non-existent problem (personal experience).
Life throws many curves at you during your time in it.
My suggestion would be moot on this, but I can ask a question:
Which do you prefer? Enjoying your job and you co-workers and going home having enjoyed your day, or just working to get paid and wishing your co-workers would leave you alone so you can get some work done and going home wondering why you still work there?
Answer that question, and you'll know which offer to take.
Rarely do I find a television show that I watch or might watch that is somehow involved with Sony, same goes with movies though they are more prominent. At least I go to matinee shows and save a few extra dollars when I do go to the movies.
I don't own a PS or PSP, nor do I plan to. I bought an Xbox and then find just a few short months later that the next version is coming out in another year or so, and suddenly you can't find games for the original anymore. Sony is mucht eh same in that regard. I'm not going to shell out money every few years for a new console just to play the new games when my PC does just as good a job, I already own it, and it's much easier to upgrade.
Further, Sony has no hold over my home. So far as I can recall, I own no Sony products other than a few CD's and maybe 5 or 6 DVD's. I think I have some appliances and such that may have Sony hardware in them, but they are not Sony branded (like a laptop CD drive or something similar).
Sony hasn't been one of my favorite companies for a few years, and ranks right down their with US West/Qwest Communications, CitiFinancial, and TCF Banks and Mortgage. They're all horrid and they just don't see it, even when customers start flooding to other providers/businesses/sources for the same things, or drop that service or device out of their lives all together. I am on such person, which is why I don't have a home phone (Qwest) and my home mortgage is no longer with TCF even though I have a slightly higher interest rate now than before. As it turns out, my new vehicle ended up getting financed through Citi, though I'm already in process of moving that to my credit union instead.
Regardless, Sony need not rule our lives or even live in a portion of it. They have no hold on me, and I'm not missing anything yet. My wife feels the same way, as do a number of my geek friends and their friends since they've all been bitten by Sony at some point or other in the last few years, and word of mouth alone is making them change their minds. They found out about this and started raising hell all over again.
Boycott Sony? Already have, and will continue to do so.
"That's it! I'm mad! I'm going home! You can keep the ball..."
In a year he'll probably try to get back in after he realizes how much he misses it. Either that or he'll continue downward and end up in a ditch somewhere.
What ya wanna bet that they will soon classify newspaper sites and other news sources as social sites, and block them.
So, you can go the library and read the paper, but you can't go to the library to read the paper online.
Regardless, it'll be nice for those school kids going to the library to use the computer and Internet for a report only to find that certain sites that Google says have the info are blocked or censored or denied access in some other fashion.
Makes me wonder when they'll start censoring commercials from my TV during public broadcasts.
...light sabers were powered by a plasma power cell in the hilt. The 'blade' is composed entirely of plasma, with the frequency of the electronics controlling the plasma dictating the blade color. The plasma is ejected around the edge of the opening of the weapon, and some kind of electromagnetic field bends it back in on itself and pulls the plasma back down and into the center of the opening on the weapon. A big loop basically. As I recall, we already have the technology (on a room size scale anyway) to control and redirect plasma flows without mechanical controls. I would assume that a further improved technology (say 200 years or so) would shrink that down to something a person could hold in a hand, much like computers have shrunk in size over the last 80 years.
I read the first slide about these, and I loved the comment about how it isn't possible to make light do things without a large gravity source or some thing to redirect it through.
That being the case then... Why does the road or a desert horizon shimmer on a hot day? Heat from the road or the sand is causing the light to shift.
And the whole faster than light travel thing.... Didn't some french researchers prove that warp drive (ala Star Trek style) was possible just a couple years back? Haven't scientists just lately made light travel at speeds faster than light in a lab (in the USA I believe)? If it's impossible, then did all these researchers lie?
I'm thinking that maybe Forbes should get a real science writer that will actually do a bit of research into things before he/she/they start putting things to print.
Further... They said that teleportation (ala Star Trek transporters) were impossible just 10 years ago. Just last year, researchers teleported light particles across a laboratory on multiple occasions. As I recall reading, there were going to start working with more massive particles on larger scales this year.
All I'm saying is that people should really stop and think before they say something is impossible. Flying was supposed to be impossible. Landing on the moon (or even people in space) was supposed to be impossible. Lasers were impossible. Your everyday microwave oven was born from science fiction and most people that work in an office setting have printers, copiers, scanners or even fax machines that all use lasers to do what they do. That bar code scanner at the grocery store uses a laser, so does the one at the fuel station and the scanner that the freindly UPS and FedEx people use.
People keep saying things are impossible, and then 5 or 50 years later someone makes it reality. Writers should think before they start labeling things like that, or they should really be prepared to get laughed right out of town when they are suddenly shown to be quite wrong. I'm not saying that any Star Wars technology is possible today, or even 50 years from today, but someone will make it or something very much like it work one day. I'd rather not be the guy that said (very publicly) that it was impossible.
I see this in every submission that mentions or concerns FreeBSD.
If it's so dead, then why does it keep coming up more and more lately?
I also can't figure out why so many open source advocates want to see or are wishing for an open source OS to go away. Makes no sense to me. I use BSD. I also use Linux. I also use Windows. Each has found a niche in my network, and all work well. Diversity is the key as some systems/OS's are more profiecent at ceertain tasks than others or have software readily available that I don't have to work at installing before I can use it.
I just don't get it. Are these doom-sayers of BSD open source folks or not?
On a side note: Personally, I'm getting tired of hearing the same old stuff about how BSD is dead/dying. How about something new? Like maybe BSD was created by aliens for the betterment of mankind only to be shot-down by man himself? Eh?
If they're just giving these away (which is apparently the case if Big Bill is getting one), then can I have one to? Oh, and a couple extra for my friends and my dog?
...so Microsoft better get ready for some big legal battles over folks that use Word and Excel to keep their records in check, Access databases put on the web listing all the titles in pages made with Frontpage and Notepad...
Seems a little far fetched? Look closely at the DMCA and say that again...
I haven't had access in my home for about 3 years now. Everything I need I can do at work or a freinds home, or perhaps an open WAP if the need is dire.
I was tired of the prices I had to pay compared to the quality of service (or lack thereof), and of people constantly trying to hack my network.
I just said the hell with it all, cancelled my DSL and turned everything off. Perhaps someday I may well take that ride again, but for now my 30+ systems are just collecting dust. I have one laptop that I dug out of the mess and use that for most everything that I can't get accomplished on my work machine.
If broadband costs were to take a downturn (perhaps 25 or 50% lower than they are) then I may fire up something short-term, otherwise I can't see a reason to spend $80 or $100 a month for a service that has perhaps 70% availability month-to-month and that would allow most anyone with enough time and know-how to enter my equipment and mess it up.
In both areas, these people are highly skilled and capable.
I am a ham radio operator, and I've both seen and been involved with situations the required creative thinking, extreme problem solving and lots of outside-the-box thinking to get things done. If you need an example, then check out the video here and try to tell me otherwise.
Programmers, coders, hackers and even the everyday computer enthusiast use these same ideas and techniques to do similiar things.
The only real differrences between them: Radio operators are licensed Radio operators have a specific 'area' they can play in (radio spectrum rules, band plans, etc.) Radio operators are encouraged to try new things.
Coders and hackers on the other hand, when trying to find new ways to solve old problems or improve on things that currently exist continually get hit with stereotypes, copyright infractions, patent infractions, lawsuits and the like.
What's the real difference? The law. Radio operators take a test and get licensed to do what they do. Perhaps programmers and coders should look at a similar thing that could perhaps one day stand up in court or something. I know that certifications exist (I hold a few myself) but perhaps some recreation of a GPL or GNU license could help in that regard. Something that you have to test for, like a certification, that would give you at least some limited legal ability to examine source codes, security flaws and such and legally work on them in order to help the owner improve their product(s).
I know it seems far fetched, but if a 16 year old kid can get legal permission to operate a motor vehicle at speeds well over what is required to decimate a mammal on impact, why can't coders get something similiar? Something that would give them a little legal protection and allow them to function much as the Ham Radio folks do?
Yes you can get a Dell system without an OS. For some systems you can't order it like that online, but if you give them a call they're more than happy to help you.
I ordered a small server from them earlier this year and got it without an OS (and I promptly installed FreeBSD on it). Also, the company I worked at before I was laid off ordered 10 or 20 workstations a month, all of which were recieved with blank drives and the 7 servers we ordered while I was there were also ordered without an OS.
Very true. Or might I suggest an alternative for the those needlers? Set up your own mail server. Doamin names are cheap to get now, and any type of broadband connection is relatively cheap now as well. I've also found that most DSL providers at least use a static address on the line, including Covad and DirecTV at least they did when I asked about it). So, setup your own server on your own domain and it won't matter anymore.
You can check hotfiles and Download.com and Shareware.com for free software (it does exist). Just look for 'SMTP server' and/or 'POP server'.
I didn't loose any money, I bought SGI stock after it tanked in hopes that it would rebound in the long-term. As a side not, I also own stock in Cray.:)
I don't think SGI is gonna disappear anytime soon, and Cray is still turning out super-machines same as Sun and a couple other makers. After the market relaxes a little and gets going again, things will pick up and start cruising. I'm just waiting for it to happen.
It seems that whenever I get involved with something, it fails. I bought a ReplayTV unit some time ago, then Replay all but disappeared and is now coming back. I bought stock in 3DFX, who are now all but outta business. I also run FreeBSD on two servers and 3 laptops here, and now they are going away. Maybe I should just move to the hills and leave the world alone.
Regardless, I like FBSD and plan to keep using it. I'm currently downloading all that I can (via a schedule so I don't overload or hog the network)from the FBSD ftp servers so I can at least save some of it for future use. I've got plenty of space on my server, and I'm adding another 60gig shortly, so I'll be able to hold a good chunk of the info for awhile. I don't believe FBSD will go away and disappear because to many of the people involed/working on it just simply like it and want it to live. So, I choose to believe that it will continue in a diminished state for some years to come, and may resurface one day as a good OS to install/use. I'll keep using it as I have no reason not to, and I also like it. I would advise others that feel as I do to consider downloading and saving a portion of the materials so that they do not every become lost or unavailable.
It's frontpage news because a lot of people use Compaq laptops and desrve to know about this recall. Since/. is read by so many people everyday, it only seems fitting that this would be one of many places used to inform people of the problem. It's not news really, but people need to be aware of it. I kinda thought that's what/. was all about, keeping people informed on a wide variety of subjects regardless of personal interest. I agree that this item isn't really 'news', but people need to know. If it wasn't posted here then I probably wouldn't have heard about it for another week or two.
Now, on topic:
Dell had this problem with batteries, and it was a real issue. If I recal correctly, Gateway also had an adapter issue some years ago. Now Compaq does. I wanna know what these manufacturers are trying to accomplish. They all more or less seem to be making the same basic mistakes with their overall system designs. Might I suggest that instead of using transformers in the power packs instead use a capacitive power supply that produces much less heat and is more effiecient than the transformers of old. Folks in California might actually purchase one laptop over another if it was energy effiecent and didn't start fires.
This could actually be kinda cool. I mean, money aside, they'll actually be able to start peeking into things that we can't go to yet. We can barely get off our own planet, let alone go check out the local scenery. This thing would let the smart-folks exmaine lots of local stellar stuff, after a fashion. Could be a great boon to scientific research.
This reminds me of a device for the Nintendo Entertainment System from like 10 or 15 years ago. It was a glove styled as a controller that didn't go over very well with the kids, so was discontinued. Later it was found that they were perfect for home-brew Virtual Reality systems. With a few bucks and some minor modifications, you'd connect it to the serial port on a PC and go to town. I had one that I modded, but I ended up destroying it when I moved a few years ago. It was pretty cool, glad to see the pro's doing it again.
She's nice, but she aint that great. Besides, if people only watch a show or movie for the women, might I suggest selling your computer(s), subscribing to PlayboyTV and enjoying yourself?
Just a short correction: The armor plating can go offline if it is polarized armor plating, which this is since Archer specificly gave the command to polarize the armor. I assume them saying it's offline means it is no longer polarized and hence not as effective.
Slashdot Mirror
I use bittorrent. See here for one example:
http://www.freebsd.org/releases/6.2R/announce.html (scroll down a few lines)
Lots of LEGAL software is distributed this way, so why should I be targeted?
You have an actual link to the article that you can post?
Doen't mean that I'm required to provide verification of my ID does it? If the Law says "who are you" and I give my name, do I know have to pull out a license or school ID or something to back that up? Why? I'lkl gladly give an officer my name, after that they're on their own.
Further, comments aside, this story was about a man accused of stealing, and it turns out he was not. He was arrested for a charge unrelated to theft. Seems folks are getting off-topic a bit.
Ask management just how much money they want to spend on this new standardization process, and then hit them with the real cost. Do your homework; look up prices for licenses, new hardware if needed, time to implement, cost in man hours, cost and losses in downtime during the multiple evenings and weekends that servers and network segments will be down, and other general migration costs.
When they come back and ask how much it will cost instead of just saying we'll budget X amount of money, Make sure you give them real numbers; money, time, man-hours, counsulting fees, etc.
Management tends to listen to the numbers, and not much else. Don't forget upgrade and re-licensing costs in the future either. Try to make a projection on those costs. Also don't forget to include the amount of time and money spent just to collect the preliminary data your collecting, and then make absolutely sure that they comprehend the entire scope that this project would encompass. Also, remember to take into account additional IT staff training and possible additions to the IT staff to operate and management the new infrastructure.
That should give them more than enough to pause and reconsider carefully. Management hates to throw money on a non-existent problem (personal experience).
Life throws many curves at you during your time in it.
My suggestion would be moot on this, but I can ask a question:
Which do you prefer? Enjoying your job and you co-workers and going home having enjoyed your day, or just working to get paid and wishing your co-workers would leave you alone so you can get some work done and going home wondering why you still work there?
Answer that question, and you'll know which offer to take.
I gave up on Sony long ago.
Rarely do I find a television show that I watch or might watch that is somehow involved with Sony, same goes with movies though they are more prominent. At least I go to matinee shows and save a few extra dollars when I do go to the movies.
I don't own a PS or PSP, nor do I plan to. I bought an Xbox and then find just a few short months later that the next version is coming out in another year or so, and suddenly you can't find games for the original anymore. Sony is mucht eh same in that regard. I'm not going to shell out money every few years for a new console just to play the new games when my PC does just as good a job, I already own it, and it's much easier to upgrade.
Further, Sony has no hold over my home. So far as I can recall, I own no Sony products other than a few CD's and maybe 5 or 6 DVD's. I think I have some appliances and such that may have Sony hardware in them, but they are not Sony branded (like a laptop CD drive or something similar).
Sony hasn't been one of my favorite companies for a few years, and ranks right down their with US West/Qwest Communications, CitiFinancial, and TCF Banks and Mortgage. They're all horrid and they just don't see it, even when customers start flooding to other providers/businesses/sources for the same things, or drop that service or device out of their lives all together. I am on such person, which is why I don't have a home phone (Qwest) and my home mortgage is no longer with TCF even though I have a slightly higher interest rate now than before. As it turns out, my new vehicle ended up getting financed through Citi, though I'm already in process of moving that to my credit union instead.
Regardless, Sony need not rule our lives or even live in a portion of it. They have no hold on me, and I'm not missing anything yet. My wife feels the same way, as do a number of my geek friends and their friends since they've all been bitten by Sony at some point or other in the last few years, and word of mouth alone is making them change their minds. They found out about this and started raising hell all over again.
Boycott Sony? Already have, and will continue to do so.
My thoughts exactly.
It's almost like he said:
"That's it! I'm mad! I'm going home! You can keep the ball..."
In a year he'll probably try to get back in after he realizes how much he misses it. Either that or he'll continue downward and end up in a ditch somewhere.
What ya wanna bet that they will soon classify newspaper sites and other news sources as social sites, and block them.
So, you can go the library and read the paper, but you can't go to the library to read the paper online.
Regardless, it'll be nice for those school kids going to the library to use the computer and Internet for a report only to find that certain sites that Google says have the info are blocked or censored or denied access in some other fashion.
Makes me wonder when they'll start censoring commercials from my TV during public broadcasts.
I read the first slide about these, and I loved the comment about how it isn't possible to make light do things without a large gravity source or some thing to redirect it through.
That being the case then... Why does the road or a desert horizon shimmer on a hot day? Heat from the road or the sand is causing the light to shift.
And the whole faster than light travel thing.... Didn't some french researchers prove that warp drive (ala Star Trek style) was possible just a couple years back? Haven't scientists just lately made light travel at speeds faster than light in a lab (in the USA I believe)? If it's impossible, then did all these researchers lie?
I'm thinking that maybe Forbes should get a real science writer that will actually do a bit of research into things before he/she/they start putting things to print.
Further... They said that teleportation (ala Star Trek transporters) were impossible just 10 years ago. Just last year, researchers teleported light particles across a laboratory on multiple occasions. As I recall reading, there were going to start working with more massive particles on larger scales this year.
All I'm saying is that people should really stop and think before they say something is impossible. Flying was supposed to be impossible. Landing on the moon (or even people in space) was supposed to be impossible. Lasers were impossible. Your everyday microwave oven was born from science fiction and most people that work in an office setting have printers, copiers, scanners or even fax machines that all use lasers to do what they do. That bar code scanner at the grocery store uses a laser, so does the one at the fuel station and the scanner that the freindly UPS and FedEx people use.
People keep saying things are impossible, and then 5 or 50 years later someone makes it reality. Writers should think before they start labeling things like that, or they should really be prepared to get laughed right out of town when they are suddenly shown to be quite wrong. I'm not saying that any Star Wars technology is possible today, or even 50 years from today, but someone will make it or something very much like it work one day. I'd rather not be the guy that said (very publicly) that it was impossible.
If it's so dead, then why does it keep coming up more and more lately?
I also can't figure out why so many open source advocates want to see or are wishing for an open source OS to go away. Makes no sense to me. I use BSD. I also use Linux. I also use Windows. Each has found a niche in my network, and all work well. Diversity is the key as some systems/OS's are more profiecent at ceertain tasks than others or have software readily available that I don't have to work at installing before I can use it.
I just don't get it. Are these doom-sayers of BSD open source folks or not?
On a side note: Personally, I'm getting tired of hearing the same old stuff about how BSD is dead/dying. How about something new? Like maybe BSD was created by aliens for the betterment of mankind only to be shot-down by man himself? Eh?
If they're just giving these away (which is apparently the case if Big Bill is getting one), then can I have one to? Oh, and a couple extra for my friends and my dog?
I'm offline, permanently. Try and hack that.
...so Microsoft better get ready for some big legal battles over folks that use Word and Excel to keep their records in check, Access databases put on the web listing all the titles in pages made with Frontpage and Notepad...
Seems a little far fetched? Look closely at the DMCA and say that again...
I haven't had access in my home for about 3 years now. Everything I need I can do at work or a freinds home, or perhaps an open WAP if the need is dire.
I was tired of the prices I had to pay compared to the quality of service (or lack thereof), and of people constantly trying to hack my network.
I just said the hell with it all, cancelled my DSL and turned everything off. Perhaps someday I may well take that ride again, but for now my 30+ systems are just collecting dust. I have one laptop that I dug out of the mess and use that for most everything that I can't get accomplished on my work machine.
If broadband costs were to take a downturn (perhaps 25 or 50% lower than they are) then I may fire up something short-term, otherwise I can't see a reason to spend $80 or $100 a month for a service that has perhaps 70% availability month-to-month and that would allow most anyone with enough time and know-how to enter my equipment and mess it up.
I'd rather save my money for paintball.
I am a ham radio operator, and I've both seen and been involved with situations the required creative thinking, extreme problem solving and lots of outside-the-box thinking to get things done. If you need an example, then check out the video here and try to tell me otherwise.
Programmers, coders, hackers and even the everyday computer enthusiast use these same ideas and techniques to do similiar things.
The only real differrences between them:
Radio operators are licensed
Radio operators have a specific 'area' they can play in (radio spectrum rules, band plans, etc.)
Radio operators are encouraged to try new things.
Coders and hackers on the other hand, when trying to find new ways to solve old problems or improve on things that currently exist continually get hit with stereotypes, copyright infractions, patent infractions, lawsuits and the like.
What's the real difference? The law. Radio operators take a test and get licensed to do what they do. Perhaps programmers and coders should look at a similar thing that could perhaps one day stand up in court or something. I know that certifications exist (I hold a few myself) but perhaps some recreation of a GPL or GNU license could help in that regard. Something that you have to test for, like a certification, that would give you at least some limited legal ability to examine source codes, security flaws and such and legally work on them in order to help the owner improve their product(s).
I know it seems far fetched, but if a 16 year old kid can get legal permission to operate a motor vehicle at speeds well over what is required to decimate a mammal on impact, why can't coders get something similiar? Something that would give them a little legal protection and allow them to function much as the Ham Radio folks do?
Yes you can get a Dell system without an OS. For some systems you can't order it like that online, but if you give them a call they're more than happy to help you.
I ordered a small server from them earlier this year and got it without an OS (and I promptly installed FreeBSD on it). Also, the company I worked at before I was laid off ordered 10 or 20 workstations a month, all of which were recieved with blank drives and the 7 servers we ordered while I was there were also ordered without an OS.
Very true. Or might I suggest an alternative for the those needlers? Set up your own mail server. Doamin names are cheap to get now, and any type of broadband connection is relatively cheap now as well. I've also found that most DSL providers at least use a static address on the line, including Covad and DirecTV at least they did when I asked about it). So, setup your own server on your own domain and it won't matter anymore.
You can check hotfiles and Download.com and Shareware.com for free software (it does exist). Just look for 'SMTP server' and/or 'POP server'.
I didn't loose any money, I bought SGI stock after it tanked in hopes that it would rebound in the long-term. As a side not, I also own stock in Cray. :)
I don't think SGI is gonna disappear anytime soon, and Cray is still turning out super-machines same as Sun and a couple other makers. After the market relaxes a little and gets going again, things will pick up and start cruising. I'm just waiting for it to happen.
DirecTV is picking up UPN and WB around the begining of the year. When that happens, I'll toss my antenna in the trash and be happy. :)
I dunno about other markets, but the easiest way to find out is to do what I did: call & ask.
Regardless, I like FBSD and plan to keep using it. I'm currently downloading all that I can (via a schedule so I don't overload or hog the network)from the FBSD ftp servers so I can at least save some of it for future use. I've got plenty of space on my server, and I'm adding another 60gig shortly, so I'll be able to hold a good chunk of the info for awhile. I don't believe FBSD will go away and disappear because to many of the people involed/working on it just simply like it and want it to live. So, I choose to believe that it will continue in a diminished state for some years to come, and may resurface one day as a good OS to install/use. I'll keep using it as I have no reason not to, and I also like it. I would advise others that feel as I do to consider downloading and saving a portion of the materials so that they do not every become lost or unavailable.
My mind, my thoughts.
Now, on topic:
Dell had this problem with batteries, and it was a real issue. If I recal correctly, Gateway also had an adapter issue some years ago. Now Compaq does. I wanna know what these manufacturers are trying to accomplish. They all more or less seem to be making the same basic mistakes with their overall system designs. Might I suggest that instead of using transformers in the power packs instead use a capacitive power supply that produces much less heat and is more effiecient than the transformers of old. Folks in California might actually purchase one laptop over another if it was energy effiecent and didn't start fires.
This could actually be kinda cool. I mean, money aside, they'll actually be able to start peeking into things that we can't go to yet. We can barely get off our own planet, let alone go check out the local scenery. This thing would let the smart-folks exmaine lots of local stellar stuff, after a fashion. Could be a great boon to scientific research.
This reminds me of a device for the Nintendo Entertainment System from like 10 or 15 years ago. It was a glove styled as a controller that didn't go over very well with the kids, so was discontinued. Later it was found that they were perfect for home-brew Virtual Reality systems. With a few bucks and some minor modifications, you'd connect it to the serial port on a PC and go to town. I had one that I modded, but I ended up destroying it when I moved a few years ago. It was pretty cool, glad to see the pro's doing it again.
She's nice, but she aint that great. Besides, if people only watch a show or movie for the women, might I suggest selling your computer(s), subscribing to PlayboyTV and enjoying yourself?
Just a short correction: The armor plating can go offline if it is polarized armor plating, which this is since Archer specificly gave the command to polarize the armor. I assume them saying it's offline means it is no longer polarized and hence not as effective.