Yeah, I'm considering quitting broadcast TV in favor of (low cost) rentals of the few good shows. Netflix combined with DVD timeshifting so you don't have to worry about getting it back in the mail immediately is a nice combo. No Daily Show/Colbert Report, but I can live with that. Sports are best watched in bars anyway.
It should be around $1 per hour - in other words, $2 for a long movie, $1.50 for the usual length, $1 for an hour-long TV episode, and $0.50 for a half-hour episode, per viewing. Anything more and it makes more sense to just use Netflix or the video store.
Shouldn't we be asking Slashdot something like, "How do we stop the insanity?"
OK, I'll bite.
One of the major problems here is that Science, and in particular the Theory Of Evolution, is not getting the credit it deserves. And while many may engage in anti-evolution rhetoric, they are still using products directly tied to that theory (antibiotics, crops, flu vaccines, etc.) This may seem hypocritical, but really, how is an anti-evolutionist to know what those products are? More than one evolutionist has griped that anti-evolutionists should be denied access to these technologies, but that is an even more difficult task, not to mention unethical.
There is, however, a simpler voluntary solution - a Theory of Evolution label. Like the circle-K kosher symbol, or the dolphin-safe stamp on tuna, a TOE label (I would suggest a stylized "EVO" in a circle) would mark products that are the product of the theory of evolution. The label would be backed up by a registry, in which products using the label state the exact reasons for using it (an optional number under the label would direct inquiries to the correct entry). Holders of basic patents derived from TOE could even mandate that any products using those patents include the label (also preventing manufacturers from weaseling out of admitting their product's underpinnings). In this way, the true impact of the TOE could be made apparent to the general public. Support for the theory could be measured as a matter of consumption. Anti-evolutionists would also be free to avoid those products in favor of less sound alternatives, or use them in the full knowledge that they are the technology is at odds with their ideology and that their purchase will be evident in the numbers.
Other ideologically beleaguered theories could also use similar labels - quantum theory (circle-QT), for instance.
"We the jury find the defendent guilty of 1,204,652 counts of false advertising, and one count of being a world-class prick. We hereby sentence him to be hung by the neck until he is dead."
The BitTorrent protocol is pretty mature already, with numerous implementations. What's left to make money on? Embedded and secure versions. Optimized software and hardware implementations, and special-purpose implementations for data beyond ordinary filesharing. Live and archived streaming media without the overburdened servers. The options are endless. I know I've speculated on them before.
No, there aren't many Q, U, X, Y, Z names, but certainly more than one each. But XYZ (and to a lesser extent U) labled hurricanes rarely happen, so to an extent it balances out. So why on earth would you ignore those 3 letters only to skip directly to a system where there are only ONE names per letter, the greek alphabet? And furthermore, why deny us Hurricanes Xena, Yanni, and Zelda?
Syntax meta-language (EBNF) Consistent binary codes and endianness (EOF etc.) Plain text system (UTF) Compression/archive schemes (gzip/tar) Interpretable/compilable scripting language (Java/Javascript?) Behavioral framework (Flash/scripting) Network protocol (IPV6) Wireless and wired specifications Font system (TrueType) and common universal generic fonts (unicode serif, sans-serif, mono) Database/framework format (XML, SQLite, tar-directory) Reference system (UML and DOI) Hypertext format (XHTML) Word processing format (RTFD, XML, enhanced PDF, or XHTML) Spreadsheet format (XML+CSV/fixedLengthFields, SQLite) Printable/page layout format (enhanced PDF) Vector format (SVG) Image formats (various codec schemes, lossy and not) (PNG) Timed action standard Video formats (various codec schemes, lossy and not) (MPG4) 3D-object/scene format (GL/SVG?)
Am I missing any?
In fact, most of those things could be combined with a common XML framework to produce many different formats with universal behaviors and interpretation. Files would be optimized for a specific purpose (like word processing) but interpretable through others (XML browser) and
However, even for specialized file formats, if file format, syntax, and encoding/decoding schemes are a matter of public record then no files should be lost to the fog of time. As XML can get pretty bloated, it is not suitable for all purposes - but all programs should include a way to translate to a common XML-based format if not a specific type of format for exchange.
XML could probably use some sort of standard "hint" tag that has the offsets of key points in the document (and/or annotates the length of a tagged part) and fails gracefully if incorrect. Combined with a common archiving (portable directory) and compression scheme and things are dramatically simpler.
Beyond that, behaviors and formats can be tested extensively and then released as a whole every few years, as a compromise between common standards and technological improvement.
It's name was Rio and it looked good in your hand Until the iPod made it seem totally bland The loss of profit was too much for it to stand Oh Rio, Rio Apple killed the Rio Brand
This is the second time I've seen this story where they didn't mention the books were being moved (mainly to the much larger main library, PCL) and implied they were being eliminated. UT Austin is the flagship Texas university and the largest university in the country (world?). It has dozens of libraries including the LBJ presidential library. Books are not on the way out.
Rybaczyk creates Sam, a fictional character who walks through the history of time. It is unclear who this Sam is -- whether he is supernatural being, or someone who got root on a time server.
We do know, however, that he has a holographic partner named Al who talks to a computer named Ziggy a lot, and that he hopes that his next leap will be the leap home.
Come on, the first thing I thought about was culturing human cells. It's TOO EASY. Same goes for genetically altered meat cultured for particular flavors and nutritional properties.
No, the real future is not cultured human meat, but cultured meat from A human. How about that well-marbled Pamela Anderson? Or fresh-faced Lindsey Lohan? Maybe a slab of vintage Schwartzenegger is more to your liking, or a Lebron James fillet.
So quit yer bitchin' and put together an open source educational text collective. A guide designed to teach, including skill drills, questions, tests, outside links, a progressive framework and skill tracking, references, and instruction at multiple appropriate comprehension levels from 1st grade to graduate texts with appropriate formatting. It should be designed to be viewed on the web, printed out onto standard A4 paper, or viewed on an e-book, with both color and black-and-white options. The tone should be appropriate for self-study or classroom use; possibly including "teacher edition" extra text. Java/javascript should be used to generate randomized questions and exams, especially for math, science, and foreign language, and premade questions should also be included, as well as a means for generating custom exams and keys. Use of multimedia should be sparing, and designed to be handled separately in standard cd/dvd format, since the main body is meant to be printed out. However, including a pdf of the relevant text with the cd/dvd would be a good start, and DVDs can be made semi-interactive.
Wikipedia and wikidictionary would be nice core references and a subset of relevant materials should be included in the package, but are not designed for teaching.
This should be entirely doable. Cobbling together well-written material may be difficult for more esoteric subjects, but everything up to undergraduate core subjects can be made rock solid. Publishing could be done on the O'Reilley model or even more open.
The analog dials go up into the 60s, but you're lucky if you can pick up more than five or six stations most places, and most people have cable or satellite anyway. Most of it's going to waste. Open the bandwidth to the public and let TV networks set up video on demand instead. I mean look at this thing: it's unspeakably crowded. Public channels are tiny slivers, yet they're the hottest use of spectrum around. Surely this could be simplified and opened dramatically.
Of course, when the government can just sell public spectrum at a tidy profit for its own needs, what do you expect.
Radio is pretty crowded though, I wouldn't mess with it. Really though, if there were advertising-supported free digital/satellite radio we wouldn't need that either! But of course, AM/FM radios are tiny, simple, cheap things these days, and there are a ton of them. Until digital receivers are more common in cars it's foolish to think of replacing them.
I know for a fact I've been throttled. The first couple of months they were great... then suddenly my 3-day turnaround time went to 7-days with no explanation... somehow everything I sent in the mail was taking longer to get there and when they did get the disks they took longer to process and get here. It would have pissed me off a lot less if they didn't flat out lie to me about it being the Post Office's fault and garbage like that. There are whole websites devoted to this subject. Unlimited rentals my ass.
The second Amazon's service goes into effect, assuming they have a decent anime and out-of-print DVD selection, I'm switching. Also Amazon, the ability to rent games in addition to movies would be awesome, and something Netflix doesn't offer.
All you need to know is roughly when noon/midnight is here and there, take the difference, round to the nearest hour, and use that difference to extrapolate times and relative time of day here versus there (keeping the international date line in mind of course). It's exactly the same.
Gee, you don't suppose it has anything to do with the heavy TV advertising and wide release do you?
They use those techniques on crappy films all the time. The only really unusual thing this time was that they did it for a documentary for some reason, which presumably was still well-edited enough to be watchable by children.
Free neutrons should be rare in space since they have a 15 minute half-life. Gamma rays are more troublesome, and apparently require significant heavy-element shielding.
Frankly, there could be benefits from and novel uses for a universally globally unique identifier that is always with you and can't be lost. But the potential for abuse, obviously, outweighs those benefits.
You just described all biometrics in a nutshell (Appearance, fingerprint, retina scan, dna, etc.) And even without a National ID companies are still tracking and analyzing you.
My point being - these applications are coming whether you like it or not. Personally, I have nothing against a single National ID/Cash/Credit/Key card. If done right it would make identity protection and verification much easier - two matters that are definitely becoming serious issues. How's that mantra go? Something you have, something you know, something you are.
Government involvement is not necessarily a bad thing either. As a matter of legislation citizens would have clear legal rights and channels to influence and clarify appropriate use of the card and associated data, unlike now when you are largely subject to the motivations of the various corporations involved.
As a bonus, it would also eliminate the need for wallets. An implanted RFID chip could serve the same purpose but of course it has its own benefits and limitations in convenience, and of course even such a mild surgical procedure should not be mandatory. Futhermore, with any RFID technology, you should always have the option of shielding to prevent scanning, which is impractical with an implant but rather simple with a card. An independent chip - in a necklace, bracelet, or earring - would be a simple compromise.
It doesn't necessarily have to be a nuclear reactor does it? Batteries would work for a while at least; the idea of MMPP is that it requires very little energy and propellant to maintain the bubble. The article specifically mentions solar panels for this application.
Even if you do generate waste heat, the reactor could be kept very hot and the rest of the spacecraft relatively cold; conduction between the hot zone and a radiator could be used to generate electrical power as is done with deep space probes; heat can of course be diverted to warming the rest of the spacecraft to a degree; at least a small part of that could be applied towards generating the plasma; it can also be applied to a working fluid which is then ejected at very high velocities, in a more conventional nuclear propulsion scheme, for an additional boost or high-thrust purposes or simply to carry the heat away from the craft.
Besides MMPP, magnetic sails also offer protection, but are mechanical in nature. There are a lot of other spacecraft propulsion technologies speculated upon but these are the only two I know of that offer shielding. And I think I read something somewhere about electrical sheilding.
Slashdot Mirror
No torrents. I want legit sources only.
Yeah, I'm considering quitting broadcast TV in favor of (low cost) rentals of the few good shows. Netflix combined with DVD timeshifting so you don't have to worry about getting it back in the mail immediately is a nice combo. No Daily Show/Colbert Report, but I can live with that. Sports are best watched in bars anyway.
It should be around $1 per hour - in other words, $2 for a long movie, $1.50 for the usual length, $1 for an hour-long TV episode, and $0.50 for a half-hour episode, per viewing. Anything more and it makes more sense to just use Netflix or the video store.
Shouldn't we be asking Slashdot something like, "How do we stop the insanity?"
OK, I'll bite.
One of the major problems here is that Science, and in particular the Theory Of Evolution, is not getting the credit it deserves. And while many may engage in anti-evolution rhetoric, they are still using products directly tied to that theory (antibiotics, crops, flu vaccines, etc.) This may seem hypocritical, but really, how is an anti-evolutionist to know what those products are? More than one evolutionist has griped that anti-evolutionists should be denied access to these technologies, but that is an even more difficult task, not to mention unethical.
There is, however, a simpler voluntary solution - a Theory of Evolution label. Like the circle-K kosher symbol, or the dolphin-safe stamp on tuna, a TOE label (I would suggest a stylized "EVO" in a circle) would mark products that are the product of the theory of evolution. The label would be backed up by a registry, in which products using the label state the exact reasons for using it (an optional number under the label would direct inquiries to the correct entry). Holders of basic patents derived from TOE could even mandate that any products using those patents include the label (also preventing manufacturers from weaseling out of admitting their product's underpinnings). In this way, the true impact of the TOE could be made apparent to the general public. Support for the theory could be measured as a matter of consumption. Anti-evolutionists would also be free to avoid those products in favor of less sound alternatives, or use them in the full knowledge that they are the technology is at odds with their ideology and that their purchase will be evident in the numbers.
Other ideologically beleaguered theories could also use similar labels - quantum theory (circle-QT), for instance.
Make douchbaggery a hangable offense.
"We the jury find the defendent guilty of 1,204,652 counts of false advertising, and one count of being a world-class prick. We hereby sentence him to be hung by the neck until he is dead."
This will test the readiness of Japan's angst-ridden teenage boys and scantily-clad schoolgirl assassins.
The BitTorrent protocol is pretty mature already, with numerous implementations. What's left to make money on? Embedded and secure versions. Optimized software and hardware implementations, and special-purpose implementations for data beyond ordinary filesharing. Live and archived streaming media without the overburdened servers. The options are endless. I know I've speculated on them before.
No, there aren't many Q, U, X, Y, Z names, but certainly more than one each. But XYZ (and to a lesser extent U) labled hurricanes rarely happen, so to an extent it balances out. So why on earth would you ignore those 3 letters only to skip directly to a system where there are only ONE names per letter, the greek alphabet? And furthermore, why deny us Hurricanes Xena, Yanni, and Zelda?
It just makes life easier. All we need is:
Syntax meta-language (EBNF)
Consistent binary codes and endianness (EOF etc.)
Plain text system (UTF)
Compression/archive schemes (gzip/tar)
Interpretable/compilable scripting language (Java/Javascript?)
Behavioral framework (Flash/scripting)
Network protocol (IPV6)
Wireless and wired specifications
Font system (TrueType) and common universal generic fonts (unicode serif, sans-serif, mono)
Database/framework format (XML, SQLite, tar-directory)
Reference system (UML and DOI)
Hypertext format (XHTML)
Word processing format (RTFD, XML, enhanced PDF, or XHTML)
Spreadsheet format (XML+CSV/fixedLengthFields, SQLite)
Printable/page layout format (enhanced PDF)
Vector format (SVG)
Image formats (various codec schemes, lossy and not) (PNG)
Timed action standard
Video formats (various codec schemes, lossy and not) (MPG4)
3D-object/scene format (GL/SVG?)
Am I missing any?
In fact, most of those things could be combined with a common XML framework to produce many different formats with universal behaviors and interpretation. Files would be optimized for a specific purpose (like word processing) but interpretable through others (XML browser) and
However, even for specialized file formats, if file format, syntax, and encoding/decoding schemes are a matter of public record then no files should be lost to the fog of time. As XML can get pretty bloated, it is not suitable for all purposes - but all programs should include a way to translate to a common XML-based format if not a specific type of format for exchange.
XML could probably use some sort of standard "hint" tag that has the offsets of key points in the document (and/or annotates the length of a tagged part) and fails gracefully if incorrect. Combined with a common archiving (portable directory) and compression scheme and things are dramatically simpler.
Beyond that, behaviors and formats can be tested extensively and then released as a whole every few years, as a compromise between common standards and technological improvement.
Mathematicians do it homomorphically and abstractly
It's name was Rio and it looked good in your hand
Until the iPod made it seem totally bland
The loss of profit was too much for it to stand
Oh Rio, Rio Apple killed the Rio Brand
No who would be the bitch in a prison devoted exclusively to computer crimes? What would life in the Big (Nerd) House be like?
This is the second time I've seen this story where they didn't mention the books were being moved (mainly to the much larger main library, PCL) and implied they were being eliminated. UT Austin is the flagship Texas university and the largest university in the country (world?). It has dozens of libraries including the LBJ presidential library. Books are not on the way out.
Rybaczyk creates Sam, a fictional character who walks through the history of time. It is unclear who this Sam is -- whether he is supernatural being, or someone who got root on a time server.
We do know, however, that he has a holographic partner named Al who talks to a computer named Ziggy a lot, and that he hopes that his next leap will be the leap home.
Come on, the first thing I thought about was culturing human cells. It's TOO EASY. Same goes for genetically altered meat cultured for particular flavors and nutritional properties.
No, the real future is not cultured human meat, but cultured meat from A human. How about that well-marbled Pamela Anderson? Or fresh-faced Lindsey Lohan? Maybe a slab of vintage Schwartzenegger is more to your liking, or a Lebron James fillet.
Haven't they ever heard of Dutch Auctions?
So quit yer bitchin' and put together an open source educational text collective. A guide designed to teach, including skill drills, questions, tests, outside links, a progressive framework and skill tracking, references, and instruction at multiple appropriate comprehension levels from 1st grade to graduate texts with appropriate formatting. It should be designed to be viewed on the web, printed out onto standard A4 paper, or viewed on an e-book, with both color and black-and-white options. The tone should be appropriate for self-study or classroom use; possibly including "teacher edition" extra text. Java/javascript should be used to generate randomized questions and exams, especially for math, science, and foreign language, and premade questions should also be included, as well as a means for generating custom exams and keys. Use of multimedia should be sparing, and designed to be handled separately in standard cd/dvd format, since the main body is meant to be printed out. However, including a pdf of the relevant text with the cd/dvd would be a good start, and DVDs can be made semi-interactive.
Wikipedia and wikidictionary would be nice core references and a subset of relevant materials should be included in the package, but are not designed for teaching.
This should be entirely doable. Cobbling together well-written material may be difficult for more esoteric subjects, but everything up to undergraduate core subjects can be made rock solid. Publishing could be done on the O'Reilley model or even more open.
The analog dials go up into the 60s, but you're lucky if you can pick up more than five or six stations most places, and most people have cable or satellite anyway. Most of it's going to waste. Open the bandwidth to the public and let TV networks set up video on demand instead. I mean look at this thing: it's unspeakably crowded. Public channels are tiny slivers, yet they're the hottest use of spectrum around. Surely this could be simplified and opened dramatically.
Of course, when the government can just sell public spectrum at a tidy profit for its own needs, what do you expect.
Radio is pretty crowded though, I wouldn't mess with it. Really though, if there were advertising-supported free digital/satellite radio we wouldn't need that either! But of course, AM/FM radios are tiny, simple, cheap things these days, and there are a ton of them. Until digital receivers are more common in cars it's foolish to think of replacing them.
I know for a fact I've been throttled. The first couple of months they were great... then suddenly my 3-day turnaround time went to 7-days with no explanation... somehow everything I sent in the mail was taking longer to get there and when they did get the disks they took longer to process and get here. It would have pissed me off a lot less if they didn't flat out lie to me about it being the Post Office's fault and garbage like that. There are whole websites devoted to this subject. Unlimited rentals my ass.
The second Amazon's service goes into effect, assuming they have a decent anime and out-of-print DVD selection, I'm switching. Also Amazon, the ability to rent games in addition to movies would be awesome, and something Netflix doesn't offer.
All you need to know is roughly when noon/midnight is here and there, take the difference, round to the nearest hour, and use that difference to extrapolate times and relative time of day here versus there (keeping the international date line in mind of course). It's exactly the same.
Gee, you don't suppose it has anything to do with the heavy TV advertising and wide release do you?
They use those techniques on crappy films all the time. The only really unusual thing this time was that they did it for a documentary for some reason, which presumably was still well-edited enough to be watchable by children.
Falling behind in (humanoid) robot technology would be a source of national shame. Haven't you ever watched anime or read manga?
Free neutrons should be rare in space since they have a 15 minute half-life. Gamma rays are more troublesome, and apparently require significant heavy-element shielding.
Frankly, there could be benefits from and novel uses for a universally globally unique identifier that is always with you and can't be lost. But the potential for abuse, obviously, outweighs those benefits.
You just described all biometrics in a nutshell (Appearance, fingerprint, retina scan, dna, etc.) And even without a National ID companies are still tracking and analyzing you.
My point being - these applications are coming whether you like it or not. Personally, I have nothing against a single National ID/Cash/Credit/Key card. If done right it would make identity protection and verification much easier - two matters that are definitely becoming serious issues. How's that mantra go? Something you have, something you know, something you are.
Government involvement is not necessarily a bad thing either. As a matter of legislation citizens would have clear legal rights and channels to influence and clarify appropriate use of the card and associated data, unlike now when you are largely subject to the motivations of the various corporations involved.
As a bonus, it would also eliminate the need for wallets. An implanted RFID chip could serve the same purpose but of course it has its own benefits and limitations in convenience, and of course even such a mild surgical procedure should not be mandatory. Futhermore, with any RFID technology, you should always have the option of shielding to prevent scanning, which is impractical with an implant but rather simple with a card. An independent chip - in a necklace, bracelet, or earring - would be a simple compromise.
It doesn't necessarily have to be a nuclear reactor does it? Batteries would work for a while at least; the idea of MMPP is that it requires very little energy and propellant to maintain the bubble. The article specifically mentions solar panels for this application.
Even if you do generate waste heat, the reactor could be kept very hot and the rest of the spacecraft relatively cold; conduction between the hot zone and a radiator could be used to generate electrical power as is done with deep space probes; heat can of course be diverted to warming the rest of the spacecraft to a degree; at least a small part of that could be applied towards generating the plasma; it can also be applied to a working fluid which is then ejected at very high velocities, in a more conventional nuclear propulsion scheme, for an additional boost or high-thrust purposes or simply to carry the heat away from the craft.
Besides MMPP, magnetic sails also offer protection, but are mechanical in nature. There are a lot of other spacecraft propulsion technologies speculated upon but these are the only two I know of that offer shielding. And I think I read something somewhere about electrical sheilding.