A typical British housing estate is "mass produced" but it isn't built on a production line. Also they're not built with anything like the tolerances and quality control you'd get on a production line (e.g. it's a hot/cold/wet day and the bricklayer just wants to get finished as soon as they can).
The only sector in British housing building that is making serious use of production line techniques is the social housing sector, where often timber frame structures are used. These timber frame "modules" are manufactured in a factory and so can easily go through the QC processes you'd find on a production line before being shipped-out to the housing estate.
I suspect the real reason for this might be the introduction of £9,000 ($14,000) pa tuition fees plus the rise of the "helicopter parent" and a US-style litigation culture in the UK. By using a system such as the one proposed they'll be able to keep a record of who attends and if they are sued for breach of contract (or something similar) when little Jimmy doesn't pass his exams they can turn around and say (with confidence) that he never turned up to lectures. Government visa controls are probably being used as a scapegoat.
Indeed, let Samsung or LG do things like integrate the "steambox" within their TVs, ASUS etc can produce their own stand-alone consoles or "steambox" compatible PCs.
IMHO the only important thing is to standardise on GPU a,b or c, CPU x,y or z so as to reduce the number of different hardware configurations. Too many configurations and you'll get console users trying to cope some of the problems PC gamers have to deal with - not a good thing.
Thought I should mention the BBC Micro (aka Acorn Proton), manufactured by Acorn Computers (RIP) who gave the world the ARM microprocessor, as it also used the 6502. BBC micros equipped with a 6502 2nd processor were actually used to develop the first generation of ARM processors.
So yes the humble 6502 is a pretty important processor, if Acorn had used the 6800 or 8088 then we might not have the ARM processor today.
100-odd years ago people were saying similarly daft things about incandescent bulbs when electric lighting was replacing gas lighting.
I wouldn't be surprised if the same people who complain about CFL now will complain about LED bulbs in a few years time and at the same time extol the virtues of CFL.
The more things change the more they stay the same...
Go to Oxford...
Have a pint or three at the Eagle and Child, where The Inklings writers' group (which included J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis) used to meet-up until 1962 (the Rabbit Room has various bits of memorabilia.).
Then cross the road to the Lamb and Flag, where the Inklings group used to go to meet-up after 1962 and have a pint there.
As the saying goes "she was never bored because she was never boring"...
The idea of a mobile phone isn't actually that new, a US patent for the wireless telephone was granted on 12th May 1908 (U.S. Patent 887,357) so the concept of the mobile phone is over 100 years old now. According to the font of all knowledge (wikipedia) the first mobile phone was introduced in 1945 - well within grannies life.
Even work on the foundations of the Internet very nearly happened in grannies lifetime as work began in the 60's on ARPANET.
Would such a system actually use ARM Linux? The reason I ask is that the ARM processor is commonly used PDAs and therefore has Windows CE (or whatever they call it now).
So I wouldn't be surprised if M$ just renamed it Windows 7 Green Edition and rolled it out for such netbooks. Joe Public would be all oooh it runs powerpoint and word and IE and they'd be happy.
I'll assume that the N. American Ford Focus is pretty similar to the Europe one as I don't know which one you're talking about.
The Euro NCAP tests for car occupant safety give the Ford Focus 5/5 for adult safety (with 35 points score, the highest for ANY car is 37) and 4/5 for child safety (with 40 points score, the highest for ANY car is 43). See for yourself here.
Crumple zones are considered to be a saftey feature as it causes the car body to absorb the impact instead of it being transfered to the human body.
A port of Firefox 2 is available for newer ARM based computers running RISC OS.
One of these RISC OS computers uses a 400MHz Samsung ARM processor with 128Mb of RAM as standard. I think it's fair to say processor power and RAM aren't going to be too big an issue.
Development of the ARM architecture began in 1983, but the first prototype ARM 1 processors weren't completed until 1985, with the ready for market ARM 2 being available in 1986 when the Acorn Archimedes computers were released.
Mind you Apple are being taken to the European Court because they prevent UK downloaders from using the French and German iTunes sites and getting cheaper downloads.
For those of you who don't know the EUs single market prohibits this, a person from one EU must be able to buy something from another EU state as if they were living there - no discrimination can be made on grounds of nationality - thereby ensuring the free movement of goods.
I wonder if this will add another voice to the EU Software Patent law debate - an anti one? Somehow I don't see the big financial houses in Europe being very happy about this happening. If they get annoyed enough they may potentially start lobbying against software patents...
For Analogue viewers (switch-off of analogue services due between 2007-2010) BBC 1 BBC 2
For Digital Viewers (Terrestrial, Cable, Satellite) BBC 1 BBC 2 BBC Three BBC Four CBeebies (for very young children) CBBC (for older kids) BBC Parliament BBC News24 BBCi (part-time extra TV channels for major events like the olympics so you can decide if you want to watch swimming, cycling or gymnastics for example)
Wouldn't it be a better idea if they concentrated on fuel-cell powered laptops instead of PDAs? I would kill to have a laptop whose battery lasted 40hours, and was topped-up using cigarette lighter gas (butane)!
I don't see the battery manufactures jumping for about this one, if fuel cells do get sufficiently small and cheap then there'll be a few very worried companies out there.
Mods are about the only reason I stick with the good ol' PC, the value they add to a game shouldn't be underestimate. Take counter strike for example or the plethora of mods for battlefield 1942 or even the multiplayer mod for GTA:VC.
So OK the PS2 may of had GTA:VC first but I can play it against my friends or download mods to give me new weapons, cars etc...
Err... doubt it, for a start the UK isn't part of the US (for the time being at least).
Secondly the BPI (British Phonographic Industry - UK equivalent of RIAA) is surprisingly pro-downloading (legally of course) see this BBC News Story on downloads eventually replacing record shop sales of singles. To quote Mr Jamieson - executive chairman of BPI (on erradication of kazza "in due course") "I think you've got to grow viable legitimate alternatives so you can genuinely say to the consumer 'hey, stop stealing."
I'm worried about this guy's mental health. Do they have something similar in the US to "sectioning" in the UK (putting people into a mental hospital for their own protection when they've totally lost it)? If so I think someone should be calling the appropriate authorities...
But seriously, the average punter (i.e. your non-/.'er) only cares about the headlines "oooh it's SO much faster than a PC!" and won't bother reading the small print and Apple KNOW IT.
Jeremy Clarkson (UK motoring journalist) once said - Driving a car is a privilege not a right.
This is a fact often overlooked by too many drivers, in the UK there is a problem with people driving un-MOT'd (MOT is a annual inspection of any car that is more than 3years old), untaxed, and worst of all uninsured (try suing someone who can't pay). As far as these people are concerned driving a car is a God given right. Something really does need to be done to get these people off the roads, but I don't think cameras are the best solution as these people will just do something to evade detection (heck they're breaking the law already so why would they care).
Slashdot Mirror
A typical British housing estate is "mass produced" but it isn't built on a production line. Also they're not built with anything like the tolerances and quality control you'd get on a production line (e.g. it's a hot/cold/wet day and the bricklayer just wants to get finished as soon as they can).
The only sector in British housing building that is making serious use of production line techniques is the social housing sector, where often timber frame structures are used. These timber frame "modules" are manufactured in a factory and so can easily go through the QC processes you'd find on a production line before being shipped-out to the housing estate.
I suspect the real reason for this might be the introduction of £9,000 ($14,000) pa tuition fees plus the rise of the "helicopter parent" and a US-style litigation culture in the UK. By using a system such as the one proposed they'll be able to keep a record of who attends and if they are sued for breach of contract (or something similar) when little Jimmy doesn't pass his exams they can turn around and say (with confidence) that he never turned up to lectures. Government visa controls are probably being used as a scapegoat.
Indeed, let Samsung or LG do things like integrate the "steambox" within their TVs, ASUS etc can produce their own stand-alone consoles or "steambox" compatible PCs. IMHO the only important thing is to standardise on GPU a,b or c, CPU x,y or z so as to reduce the number of different hardware configurations. Too many configurations and you'll get console users trying to cope some of the problems PC gamers have to deal with - not a good thing.
Thought I should mention the BBC Micro (aka Acorn Proton), manufactured by Acorn Computers (RIP) who gave the world the ARM microprocessor, as it also used the 6502. BBC micros equipped with a 6502 2nd processor were actually used to develop the first generation of ARM processors. So yes the humble 6502 is a pretty important processor, if Acorn had used the 6800 or 8088 then we might not have the ARM processor today.
100-odd years ago people were saying similarly daft things about incandescent bulbs when electric lighting was replacing gas lighting. I wouldn't be surprised if the same people who complain about CFL now will complain about LED bulbs in a few years time and at the same time extol the virtues of CFL.
The more things change the more they stay the same...
Go to Oxford... Have a pint or three at the Eagle and Child, where The Inklings writers' group (which included J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis) used to meet-up until 1962 (the Rabbit Room has various bits of memorabilia.). Then cross the road to the Lamb and Flag, where the Inklings group used to go to meet-up after 1962 and have a pint there.
As the saying goes "she was never bored because she was never boring"...
Even work on the foundations of the Internet very nearly happened in grannies lifetime as work began in the 60's on ARPANET.
Would such a system actually use ARM Linux? The reason I ask is that the ARM processor is commonly used PDAs and therefore has Windows CE (or whatever they call it now).
So I wouldn't be surprised if M$ just renamed it Windows 7 Green Edition and rolled it out for such netbooks. Joe Public would be all oooh it runs powerpoint and word and IE and they'd be happy.
VW does have a trade union, IG Metall, it has over 2 million members and is considered to be Germany's most powerful union.
Just last month strikes organised by IG Metall hit the factories of Audi, Mercedes, Daimler, MAN and Bosch.
I'm sorry but I doubt that the unions are solely to blame for the troubles at Ford, GM and Chrysler.
I'll assume that the N. American Ford Focus is pretty similar to the Europe one as I don't know which one you're talking about.
The Euro NCAP tests for car occupant safety give the Ford Focus 5/5 for adult safety (with 35 points score, the highest for ANY car is 37) and 4/5 for child safety (with 40 points score, the highest for ANY car is 43). See for yourself here.
Crumple zones are considered to be a saftey feature as it causes the car body to absorb the impact instead of it being transfered to the human body.
A port of Firefox 2 is available for newer ARM based computers running RISC OS.
One of these RISC OS computers uses a 400MHz Samsung ARM processor with 128Mb of RAM as standard. I think it's fair to say processor power and RAM aren't going to be too big an issue.
Yes but not quite...
Development of the ARM architecture began in 1983, but the first prototype ARM 1 processors weren't completed until 1985, with the ready for market ARM 2 being available in 1986 when the Acorn Archimedes computers were released.
I reject your reality and substitute my own.
The BPI (UK equivalent of RIAA) must be over the moon about the FUD surrounding this issue.
All the 50 year rule concerns is the copyright of the SOUND RECORDING and the money the PERFORMERS and COMPANIES get.
The WRITERS of the lyrics and music will still have copyright on the lyrics and music.
Taking the example of Move It sung by Cliff Richard and if it was played on the radio or bought in a shop.
In 2006
Song writer - gets money
Music writer - gets money
Singer - gets money
Muscians - get money
In 2008 (when the recording copyright runs out)
Song writer - gets money
Music writer - gets money
Singer - gets nothing
Musicians - get nothing
Seems fair enough to me...
Mind you Apple are being taken to the European Court because they prevent UK downloaders from using the French and German iTunes sites and getting cheaper downloads.
For those of you who don't know the EUs single market prohibits this, a person from one EU must be able to buy something from another EU state as if they were living there - no discrimination can be made on grounds of nationality - thereby ensuring the free movement of goods.
I wonder if this will add another voice to the EU Software Patent law debate - an anti one? Somehow I don't see the big financial houses in Europe being very happy about this happening. If they get annoyed enough they may potentially start lobbying against software patents...
Believe me it has changed
For Analogue viewers (switch-off of analogue services due between 2007-2010)
BBC 1
BBC 2
For Digital Viewers (Terrestrial, Cable, Satellite)
BBC 1
BBC 2
BBC Three
BBC Four
CBeebies (for very young children)
CBBC (for older kids)
BBC Parliament
BBC News24
BBCi (part-time extra TV channels for major events like the olympics so you can decide if you want to watch swimming, cycling or gymnastics for example)
Wouldn't it be a better idea if they concentrated on fuel-cell powered laptops instead of PDAs? I would kill to have a laptop whose battery lasted 40hours, and was topped-up using cigarette lighter gas (butane)!
I don't see the battery manufactures jumping for about this one, if fuel cells do get sufficiently small and cheap then there'll be a few very worried companies out there.
Mods are about the only reason I stick with the good ol' PC, the value they add to a game shouldn't be underestimate. Take counter strike for example or the plethora of mods for battlefield 1942 or even the multiplayer mod for GTA:VC.
So OK the PS2 may of had GTA:VC first but I can play it against my friends or download mods to give me new weapons, cars etc...
Well if more companies behaved like this maybe the world would be a better place (well not for lawyers admittedly).
/. write "why didn't they just ask x to stop y". Well now somebody has.
I've lost count the number of times i've seen people in
What if SCO just asked for its code not to be used instead of sending the lawyers in?
Or Apple records asked Apple computers to stop selling music?
etc...
Err... doubt it, for a start the UK isn't part of the US (for the time being at least).
Secondly the BPI (British Phonographic Industry - UK equivalent of RIAA) is surprisingly pro-downloading (legally of course) see this BBC News Story on downloads eventually replacing record shop sales of singles. To quote Mr Jamieson - executive chairman of BPI (on erradication of kazza "in due course") "I think you've got to grow viable legitimate alternatives so you can genuinely say to the consumer 'hey, stop stealing."
There might be drivers available on the dri project site according to the FAQ.
.
/ linux/radeon8500linuxdrivers.html
The dri project page is here
Try doing a google search you might be able to trawl-up a link to the drivers (the radeon 8500 drivers still seem to be available) http://www.ati.com/support/products/pc/radeon8500
I'm worried about this guy's mental health. Do they have something similar in the US to "sectioning" in the UK (putting people into a mental hospital for their own protection when they've totally lost it)? If so I think someone should be calling the appropriate authorities...
like Quake 3 fps ;-)
But seriously, the average punter (i.e. your non-/.'er) only cares about the headlines "oooh it's SO much faster than a PC!" and won't bother reading the small print and Apple KNOW IT.
Jeremy Clarkson (UK motoring journalist) once said - Driving a car is a privilege not a right.
This is a fact often overlooked by too many drivers, in the UK there is a problem with people driving un-MOT'd (MOT is a annual inspection of any car that is more than 3years old), untaxed, and worst of all uninsured (try suing someone who can't pay). As far as these people are concerned driving a car is a God given right. Something really does need to be done to get these people off the roads, but I don't think cameras are the best solution as these people will just do something to evade detection (heck they're breaking the law already so why would they care).