Looks like link this was going to be included in the article, but something got messed up. Sciam digital subscription required for the full article, unfortunately...
How about reducing all the packages back to where they were last year, and charging the people who actually WANT Viacom's crap a couple bucks a month? I think I can survive without Racist Entertainment TV & No-Music TV.
Yeah, okay, no South Park is gonna hurt, but that's what the net is for.
I have to give Charlie credit for standing up to viacom.
I posted a similar article almost a year ago for a class I was doing for kids about that age. I ended up using Game Maker, which worked very well - it let them experience various aspects of game design, such as graphics, sound, gameplay, collision detection, without having to do it all from scratch in a low level language. We just used the graphical interface, but it also has a scripting language for more complicated programming. After 10 hours of class time, the kids were able to take a fully playable game home with them.
Oh, and to followup to your last comment... I'm probably going to wait until the successor to the 10D comes out. It will likely support the EF-S mount as well, unless Canon figures out how to get full frame sensors in the "prosumer" level cameras.
The EF-S mount depends specifically on the sensor in the camera being smaller than 35mm film. Because the EF-S lens needs to produce a smaller image, they can be made much cheaper than an equivilant extreme wide angle 35mm (EF) lens ($100 vs $400 or so).
A normal EF produces a larger image (by 1.6x), so it will work on EF-S mount cameras. The reverse isn't true, however - even if you could get it to physically mate (I believe EF-S lenses extend further into the body than EF lenses), it wouldn't expose the entire frame of 35mm film.
Most digital SLRs use smaller than 35mm sensors. The only exception I know of are some true pro-level cameras like the Canon 1Ds. The rest have a magnification factor of 1.4 - 1.6 or so.
Agreed, and the related issue of a zillion different possible hardware combinations to be compatible with; but Linux shows us that it's possible to have a stable OS on generic hardware.
I think at least the big-name hardware vendors would develop OSX/x86 drivers; many already do for hardware that is compatible with both systems. You might not get it for every $15 widget out of Taiwan, but the decent graphics cards and such should be supported pretty quickly.
And I don't know if the OSX architecture supports it in a GPL-friendly way, but there are certainly plenty of open source drivers that could be ported, although this might interfere with the image of Apple boxes as easy to set up and use.
I don't know about then, but I feel it's a big mistake for Apple not to release an x86 version of OSX now. I've heard a lot of good things about OSX, and it would be great to be able to try it, but I'm not going to dump $1500 or so for the priviledge of getting some overpriced, proprietary hardware platform.
I'd be happy to pay $130 or whatever the going rate is for a copy of OSX that I can run on an Intel box I already own. It's supposed to have a clean and fast desktop, and it's designed for mainstream users. I hear they've even managed to find a few users that can handle more than one mouse button.
Now that they have finally developed a stable operating system, they have a viable, mainstream competitor for Windows. An article the other day pointed out how fed up Windows users are getting . Most aren't potential Linux converts, but I'm sure many would run OSX if they didn't need to shell out for a new computer.
Apple has come a long way in supporting common interfaces (USB, PCI, etc); it's time they make the final leap and get out of the hardware business, or at spin it off for the elitist few who are willing to pay a premium for an exotic metal laptop with a glowing white apple logo.
You can sign up any time, but telespammers are only required to check the master list once every three months. So if you wait until after the 31st, they won't need to stop calling your number until Feb 1st (instead of Oct 1st). They explain it on the front page of the donotcall.gov site.
It's probably more related to how much current the power lines are carrying. This will vary depending on usage patterns, and how the utility decides to route power. I'd imagine they're nice and bright on a hot summer night when everyone has the AC running.
The Matrix was filmed in Australia, not New Zealand. The City scenes specifically were shot in Sydney, if memory serves. They talk about it on the Reloaded disc.
New Zealand is a great location for films that need a natural backdrop... there is an amazing variety of unspoiled natural terrain for such a small country, particularly on the South Island. Definately on the short list of places to visit for me.
Large companies buy it - it helps them get past the idea of using "free software". Other users buy it to get installation support, which is worth it if you've never touched *nix before.
Personally, I download the free version and subscribe systems I manage to the RHN service, which makes updates simple, and is well worth the $60/year.
It's a bit of a hack, but you can split the wires in a ribbon cable (very carefully) into 8 or 10 narrower "strips" and then tape the whole thing together with electrical tape or use wire ties every few inches. It's not quite as nice as a "real" round cable, but it does work and really makes it convenient when you need to route around a crowed case without obstructing airflow.
It's probably not the best thing to do electrically, but I've never had any problems doing it, even with fairly long (~5') cables. I'd make a point to keep the number of lines per strip even, since every other line is a ground. The newer high density cables are tricky to split without exposing a wire, so practice on a scrap cable first before you hack that 8-connector ribbon cable.
Presumably this refers to hosted server connections, rather than a simple virtual web server account. For this sort of connection, I would want a true Internet connection, instead of some firewalled lan port. I would be very upset if the ISP did ANY filtering on my connection without my specific request or knowledge. It's none of the ISP's business what I do with my end of the network cable (aside from spam policies) - they don't need to know if I'm running a web server, SQL server, or some custom game server that happens to use UDP/1443.
Most colo providers I'm familiar with bill on 95th percentile bandwidth, which means that they drop the top 5% of samples (typically 5-minute average) and bill you for the bandwidth of the highest remaining sample. This means that you can absorb short-term heavy bandwidth spikes without being charged, up to about a day and a half worth of time per month.
In any case, the ISP should have no way of knowing WHAT traffic creates the bandwidth spike, unless I specifically request that they monitor my port. Of course, smart ISPs will exploit these incidents by offering firewalling services as a value-add, even if it's just stateless filtering at the router, as a way for customers to "insure against unexpected traffic spikes from virus/worm activity".
Of course, if I was paying for virtual web service, rather than a server colo and bandwidth fee, I should not be charged for non-web traffic, and I doubt any ISP would have the balls to do so.
The problem is that there is no way to broadcast in a format that's compatible with current DSS and DVB receivers at the same time - they are completely different formats. It's much easier for a single, large company to manage a conversion to new hardware, than for two smaller companies to come to an agreement that will force one to replace ALL of their consumer hardware, at least for consumers that want to receive locals.
I'm sure they are looking at ways to make a receiver that will work on both standards, but that won't help the millions of existing receivers.
It's definately a good idea - I would do it by creating a new company to handle the local content for both parent companies - but the format conversion is a real problem. Another lesson in benefits of being standards complient...
(to be fair to Hughes, DSS was chosen before DVB was finalized).
The 721 is available now... check Ebay or any of the online retailers. I just ordered one, in fact.
And the standard I referred to is MPEG-DVB. This is the international standard for TV broadcast. It also means that you can (on the DishPlayer and 501, at least) pull the original MPEG-2 program stream from the drive and edit it on a computer. This is the only way to edit content with NO analog stage, from the content provider (in most cases) all the way through your DiVX encoder. Granted, I'm sure the MPAA isn't real happy about this "feature", and the 721 may store the stream encrypted, but having the content MPEG-2 is a big start. Even if you can pull the content off the DirecTIVO, it will be in the proprietary encoding used in DSS, or it will have been re-encoded/transcoded by the TIVO hardware - not sure if it records the satellite transport stream or not.
I wasn't thinking of it in the original post, but another standard it uses is USB... so you can use off the shelf ethernet adapters, instead of some funky custom hack the TIVO needs. For what it's worth, Echostar runs their GPL compliency web server on a 721.
And yeah, the drive upgrade issue is a pain, but all of the vendors go to some effort to make that difficult. Tivo doesn't exactly make it a supported process, either.
The satellites won't need to be replaced, since they all operate in the same band. A communications satellite is nothing more than a "bent pipe in the sky" - it just retransmits whatever it receives. It doesn't know or care about the signal itself, or even if it's digital or analog. (Hence the name "Echostar").
Replacing the consumer's equipment WILL cost a lot of money, however. Echostar has stated that they will replace a customer's equipment if it is necessary to receive the same programming the currently get. No one will need to "go out and buy" new equipment to keep their service.
(another minor nitpick - GEO satellites are rarely "deorbited". Because they are so far out, it would take much more fuel than they carry (especially at end of life) to deorbit them. Instead, they generally use the last little bit of fuel to push them a little bit out past GEO orbit where they won't get in the way of anything.)
To make this post worthwhile, here's a glossary for the uninitiated:
DVB - Digital Video Broadcast. The worldwide standard for digital satellite TV. Echostar (Dish Network) uses this standard. Video is MPEG-2, audio is generally Layer 2.
CATV - Community Antenna TV. An old term for Cable TV, from the days when they simply rebroadcast a signal from a big antenna on mountaintop, without no special programming.
DSS - Digital Satellite System. The proprietary standard that DirecTV uses for video broadcast. If the merger goes through, this will likely be replaced by standards-complient MPEG2-DVB equipment over a few (many) years.
TV - TeleVision. Probably the largest single reason 60% of americans are fat and lazy.
Yeah, the Dish PVR really sucks, doesn't it. It runs Linux, it's completely hackable, is standards complient, and you don't have to pay $10 or whatever for a monthly subscription just to get your program listings. What a lame product. Yes, the early versions were a little buggy, but it's mostly worked out now. The TIVO was bug-free from day 1?
If ANYONE really thinks that preventing this merger is in the public interest, I'd really like some of whatever they're smoking. The FCC is bought and paid for by the CATV industry, as we've seen before with the must-carry rules for satellite and local rebroadcasting rules. Let's look at the facts:
1) Without a merger, it is not cost effective for either company to rebroadcast local channels is ALL markets. This means the cable companies will continue to have a monopoly on local content in these areas (yes, a lucky few can use an off-air antenna, but I don't know anyone that can get a decent signal this way). Echostar has committed to provide local service to ALL US markets within two years if the merger goes through.
2) Echostar has committed to having a flat pricing model across the US. This means that in order to screw the rural customer, they would have to raise their prices so much that they would be much higher than CATV in markets where it is available. Since the the vast majority of wealthy markets (big spenders on PPV & movie channels - where providers make the big bux) are well covered by cable, it would not make economic sense to screw the poor rural customer to lose the rich suburban customer.
3) An argument has been made that DirecTV users will need to shell out for new equipment. Echostar has stated that NO ONE will need to buy new equipment to receive the same services that they currently receive. They will provide new equipment for people that subscribe to services that are moved to DVB from the proprietary mess that DirecTV uses.
4) Neither Echostar or DVB have subscriber bases big enough to compete with cable companies for program purchases. This means that they pay more for programming that they resell, and have a harder time keeping costs down. That said, they are STILL well below most cable pricing.
People need to understand that although a merger will create a monopoly for DBS, it will create competition for TV providers - which is what really matters to joe consumer. Until satellite can deliver LOCAL broadcasts into all markets, they can't reasonably compete with cable - most people are not willing to give up local news and local used car dealer ads.
The cable industry already has a monopoly, and they have lobbied the FCC very hard to keep it. This merger would ruin the monopoly they have had over the majority of american households for 50 years.
Who honestly believes that anything the cable TV industry is FOR (preventing this merger) is in the best interest of the public?
In a traditional BNC (or TNC), the male end (the end the the pointy center conductor) also contains the metal sleeve that screws over female connector. On the reverse-polarity version, the sleeve is on the female end.
The term refers to mechanical polarity, not electrical.
As someone mentions below, the reason RP-TNC connectors are used on 802.11 gear is that the FCC doesn't like people hacking antennas for extra gain, and these connectors are a b*tch to get hold of. The comment below does have a link to a site that supposedly carries them, tho.
I've NEVER seen this happen to an original Sony controller. I've only had this happen with the cheapo third-party controllers. Also, because there is a power pin on those cables, a worn cable will often blow the SMD fuse in the console, which is not fun to replace.
The XBOX has an inline disconnect in the controller cords, about 8 inches from the console. If the cable gets yanked, or things get a little *TOO* exciting, they will pull out before jerking the console. And from personal experience on the PS2, yanking the cable downward (and thus the console upward) with a disc spinning at 500RPM or so can do really nasty things to the disc.
Except N connectors are threaded, not bayonet. Here's another question... why is it called "bayonet", anyway? Is is similar to the way that a bayonet was (is?) attached to a rifle?
To add to your list of confusing connectors, there are also reverse-polarity variations of TNC and BNC, and probably others. One particularly obnoxious use of these connectors is for the antennas on the Linksys 802.11 hubs.
I just re-read the specs on it... I was wrong, it only has two DVI ports, which can be used for two displays, or you can use an included adapter on one of the DVI ports to generate seperate signals for two analog displays, giving a total of three displays. Not sure how the adapter works, but it's definately a hardware device.
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The plane has ENGINES. It can exceed terminal velocity in a dive.
Looks like link this was going to be included in the article, but something got messed up. Sciam digital subscription required for the full article, unfortunately...
Scientific American: The Tyranny of Choice [ PSYCHOLOGY ]
Logic suggests that having options allows people
to select precisely what makes them happiest. But, as studies show, abundant choice often makes for misery
How about reducing all the packages back to where they were last year, and charging the people who actually WANT Viacom's crap a couple bucks a month? I think I can survive without Racist Entertainment TV & No-Music TV.
Yeah, okay, no South Park is gonna hurt, but that's what the net is for.
I have to give Charlie credit for standing up to viacom.
I posted a similar article almost a year ago for a class I was doing for kids about that age. I ended up using Game Maker, which worked very well - it let them experience various aspects of game design, such as graphics, sound, gameplay, collision detection, without having to do it all from scratch in a low level language. We just used the graphical interface, but it also has a scripting language for more complicated programming. After 10 hours of class time, the kids were able to take a fully playable game home with them.
8 disk RAID-0? You do like living on the edge, don't you...
Oh, and to followup to your last comment... I'm probably going to wait until the successor to the 10D comes out. It will likely support the EF-S mount as well, unless Canon figures out how to get full frame sensors in the "prosumer" level cameras.
The EF-S mount depends specifically on the sensor in the camera being smaller than 35mm film. Because the EF-S lens needs to produce a smaller image, they can be made much cheaper than an equivilant extreme wide angle 35mm (EF) lens ($100 vs $400 or so).
A normal EF produces a larger image (by 1.6x), so it will work on EF-S mount cameras. The reverse isn't true, however - even if you could get it to physically mate (I believe EF-S lenses extend further into the body than EF lenses), it wouldn't expose the entire frame of 35mm film.
Most digital SLRs use smaller than 35mm sensors. The only exception I know of are some true pro-level cameras like the Canon 1Ds. The rest have a magnification factor of 1.4 - 1.6 or so.
Agreed, and the related issue of a zillion different possible hardware combinations to be compatible with; but Linux shows us that it's possible to have a stable OS on generic hardware.
I think at least the big-name hardware vendors would develop OSX/x86 drivers; many already do for hardware that is compatible with both systems. You might not get it for every $15 widget out of Taiwan, but the decent graphics cards and such should be supported pretty quickly.
And I don't know if the OSX architecture supports it in a GPL-friendly way, but there are certainly plenty of open source drivers that could be ported, although this might interfere with the image of Apple boxes as easy to set up and use.
I don't know about then, but I feel it's a big mistake for Apple not to release an x86 version of OSX now. I've heard a lot of good things about OSX, and it would be great to be able to try it, but I'm not going to dump $1500 or so for the priviledge of getting some overpriced, proprietary hardware platform.
I'd be happy to pay $130 or whatever the going rate is for a copy of OSX that I can run on an Intel box I already own. It's supposed to have a clean and fast desktop, and it's designed for mainstream users. I hear they've even managed to find a few users that can handle more than one mouse button.
Now that they have finally developed a stable operating system, they have a viable, mainstream competitor for Windows. An article the other day pointed out how fed up Windows users are getting . Most aren't potential Linux converts, but I'm sure many would run OSX if they didn't need to shell out for a new computer.
Apple has come a long way in supporting common interfaces (USB, PCI, etc); it's time they make the final leap and get out of the hardware business, or at spin it off for the elitist few who are willing to pay a premium for an exotic metal laptop with a glowing white apple logo.
You can sign up any time, but telespammers are only required to check the master list once every three months. So if you wait until after the 31st, they won't need to stop calling your number until Feb 1st (instead of Oct 1st). They explain it on the front page of the donotcall.gov site.
It's probably more related to how much current the power lines are carrying. This will vary depending on usage patterns, and how the utility decides to route power. I'd imagine they're nice and bright on a hot summer night when everyone has the AC running.
The Matrix was filmed in Australia, not New Zealand. The City scenes specifically were shot in Sydney, if memory serves. They talk about it on the Reloaded disc.
New Zealand is a great location for films that need a natural backdrop... there is an amazing variety of unspoiled natural terrain for such a small country, particularly on the South Island. Definately on the short list of places to visit for me.
Large companies buy it - it helps them get past the idea of using "free software". Other users buy it to get installation support, which is worth it if you've never touched *nix before.
Personally, I download the free version and subscribe systems I manage to the RHN service, which makes updates simple, and is well worth the $60/year.
It's a bit of a hack, but you can split the wires in a ribbon cable (very carefully) into 8 or 10 narrower "strips" and then tape the whole thing together with electrical tape or use wire ties every few inches. It's not quite as nice as a "real" round cable, but it does work and really makes it convenient when you need to route around a crowed case without obstructing airflow.
It's probably not the best thing to do electrically, but I've never had any problems doing it, even with fairly long (~5') cables. I'd make a point to keep the number of lines per strip even, since every other line is a ground. The newer high density cables are tricky to split without exposing a wire, so practice on a scrap cable first before you hack that 8-connector ribbon cable.
Presumably this refers to hosted server connections, rather than a simple virtual web server account. For this sort of connection, I would want a true Internet connection, instead of some firewalled lan port. I would be very upset if the ISP did ANY filtering on my connection without my specific request or knowledge. It's none of the ISP's business what I do with my end of the network cable (aside from spam policies) - they don't need to know if I'm running a web server, SQL server, or some custom game server that happens to use UDP/1443.
Most colo providers I'm familiar with bill on 95th percentile bandwidth, which means that they drop the top 5% of samples (typically 5-minute average) and bill you for the bandwidth of the highest remaining sample. This means that you can absorb short-term heavy bandwidth spikes without being charged, up to about a day and a half worth of time per month.
In any case, the ISP should have no way of knowing WHAT traffic creates the bandwidth spike, unless I specifically request that they monitor my port. Of course, smart ISPs will exploit these incidents by offering firewalling services as a value-add, even if it's just stateless filtering at the router, as a way for customers to "insure against unexpected traffic spikes from virus/worm activity".
Of course, if I was paying for virtual web service, rather than a server colo and bandwidth fee, I should not be charged for non-web traffic, and I doubt any ISP would have the balls to do so.
That was owls.
The problem is that there is no way to broadcast in a format that's compatible with current DSS and DVB receivers at the same time - they are completely different formats. It's much easier for a single, large company to manage a conversion to new hardware, than for two smaller companies to come to an agreement that will force one to replace ALL of their consumer hardware, at least for consumers that want to receive locals.
I'm sure they are looking at ways to make a receiver that will work on both standards, but that won't help the millions of existing receivers.
It's definately a good idea - I would do it by creating a new company to handle the local content for both parent companies - but the format conversion is a real problem. Another lesson in benefits of being standards complient...
(to be fair to Hughes, DSS was chosen before DVB was finalized).
The 721 is available now... check Ebay or any of the online retailers. I just ordered one, in fact.
And the standard I referred to is MPEG-DVB. This is the international standard for TV broadcast. It also means that you can (on the DishPlayer and 501, at least) pull the original MPEG-2 program stream from the drive and edit it on a computer. This is the only way to edit content with NO analog stage, from the content provider (in most cases) all the way through your DiVX encoder. Granted, I'm sure the MPAA isn't real happy about this "feature", and the 721 may store the stream encrypted, but having the content MPEG-2 is a big start. Even if you can pull the content off the DirecTIVO, it will be in the proprietary encoding used in DSS, or it will have been re-encoded/transcoded by the TIVO hardware - not sure if it records the satellite transport stream or not.
I wasn't thinking of it in the original post, but another standard it uses is USB... so you can use off the shelf ethernet adapters, instead of some funky custom hack the TIVO needs. For what it's worth, Echostar runs their GPL compliency web server on a 721.
And yeah, the drive upgrade issue is a pain, but all of the vendors go to some effort to make that difficult. Tivo doesn't exactly make it a supported process, either.
The satellites won't need to be replaced, since they all operate in the same band. A communications satellite is nothing more than a "bent pipe in the sky" - it just retransmits whatever it receives. It doesn't know or care about the signal itself, or even if it's digital or analog. (Hence the name "Echostar").
Replacing the consumer's equipment WILL cost a lot of money, however. Echostar has stated that they will replace a customer's equipment if it is necessary to receive the same programming the currently get. No one will need to "go out and buy" new equipment to keep their service.
(another minor nitpick - GEO satellites are rarely "deorbited". Because they are so far out, it would take much more fuel than they carry (especially at end of life) to deorbit them. Instead, they generally use the last little bit of fuel to push them a little bit out past GEO orbit where they won't get in the way of anything.)
Arrgh. Must proofread TWICE next time.
4) should read:
Neither Echostar or DTV (DirecTV)
To make this post worthwhile, here's a glossary for the uninitiated:
DVB - Digital Video Broadcast. The worldwide standard for digital satellite TV. Echostar (Dish Network) uses this standard. Video is MPEG-2, audio is generally Layer 2.
CATV - Community Antenna TV. An old term for Cable TV, from the days when they simply rebroadcast a signal from a big antenna on mountaintop, without no special programming.
DSS - Digital Satellite System. The proprietary standard that DirecTV uses for video broadcast. If the merger goes through, this will likely be replaced by standards-complient MPEG2-DVB equipment over a few (many) years.
TV - TeleVision. Probably the largest single reason 60% of americans are fat and lazy.
Yeah, the Dish PVR really sucks, doesn't it. It runs Linux, it's completely hackable, is standards complient, and you don't have to pay $10 or whatever for a monthly subscription just to get your program listings. What a lame product. Yes, the early versions were a little buggy, but it's mostly worked out now. The TIVO was bug-free from day 1?
If ANYONE really thinks that preventing this merger is in the public interest, I'd really like some of whatever they're smoking. The FCC is bought and paid for by the CATV industry, as we've seen before with the must-carry rules for satellite and local rebroadcasting rules. Let's look at the facts:
1) Without a merger, it is not cost effective for either company to rebroadcast local channels is ALL markets. This means the cable companies will continue to have a monopoly on local content in these areas (yes, a lucky few can use an off-air antenna, but I don't know anyone that can get a decent signal this way). Echostar has committed to provide local service to ALL US markets within two years if the merger goes through.
2) Echostar has committed to having a flat pricing model across the US. This means that in order to screw the rural customer, they would have to raise their prices so much that they would be much higher than CATV in markets where it is available. Since the the vast majority of wealthy markets (big spenders on PPV & movie channels - where providers make the big bux) are well covered by cable, it would not make economic sense to screw the poor rural customer to lose the rich suburban customer.
3) An argument has been made that DirecTV users will need to shell out for new equipment. Echostar has stated that NO ONE will need to buy new equipment to receive the same services that they currently receive. They will provide new equipment for people that subscribe to services that are moved to DVB from the proprietary mess that DirecTV uses.
4) Neither Echostar or DVB have subscriber bases big enough to compete with cable companies for program purchases. This means that they pay more for programming that they resell, and have a harder time keeping costs down. That said, they are STILL well below most cable pricing.
People need to understand that although a merger will create a monopoly for DBS, it will create competition for TV providers - which is what really matters to joe consumer. Until satellite can deliver LOCAL broadcasts into all markets, they can't reasonably compete with cable - most people are not willing to give up local news and local used car dealer ads.
The cable industry already has a monopoly, and they have lobbied the FCC very hard to keep it. This merger would ruin the monopoly they have had over the majority of american households for 50 years.
Who honestly believes that anything the cable TV industry is FOR (preventing this merger) is in the best interest of the public?
In a traditional BNC (or TNC), the male end (the end the the pointy center conductor) also contains the metal sleeve that screws over female connector. On the reverse-polarity version, the sleeve is on the female end.
The term refers to mechanical polarity, not electrical.
As someone mentions below, the reason RP-TNC connectors are used on 802.11 gear is that the FCC doesn't like people hacking antennas for extra gain, and these connectors are a b*tch to get hold of. The comment below does have a link to a site that supposedly carries them, tho.
I've NEVER seen this happen to an original Sony controller. I've only had this happen with the cheapo third-party controllers. Also, because there is a power pin on those cables, a worn cable will often blow the SMD fuse in the console, which is not fun to replace.
The XBOX has an inline disconnect in the controller cords, about 8 inches from the console. If the cable gets yanked, or things get a little *TOO* exciting, they will pull out before jerking the console. And from personal experience on the PS2, yanking the cable downward (and thus the console upward) with a disc spinning at 500RPM or so can do really nasty things to the disc.
Except N connectors are threaded, not bayonet. Here's another question... why is it called "bayonet", anyway? Is is similar to the way that a bayonet was (is?) attached to a rifle?
To add to your list of confusing connectors, there are also reverse-polarity variations of TNC and BNC, and probably others. One particularly obnoxious use of these connectors is for the antennas on the Linksys 802.11 hubs.
I just re-read the specs on it... I was wrong, it only has two DVI ports, which can be used for two displays, or you can use an included adapter on one of the DVI ports to generate seperate signals for two analog displays, giving a total of three displays. Not sure how the adapter works, but it's definately a hardware device.