I've been worried about that for a while now, because it makes too much sense. It would cost them almost nothing to create, have a nice shiny M$ logo on it so corporate IS would be happy, and serve to further fragment the Linux distribs.
The only reason they didn't totally foul up Java with "Visual J++" was the Sun lawsuit; there were a lot of mindless drones using J++ because they thought it was the only thing going. -----------------
A few people have mentioned that they would like to seem more autonomous robots in these games. A good first step seems to be the IFI Robotics control system. This system basically puts a control computer inside the robot, and links to an input/output operator interface using 2 900 Mhz wireless modems. The Control system has 8 outputs, 16 digital inputs and 7 analog inputs. It can be programmed using PBASIC. The operator interface has standard joystick controller ports, 25 led status lights, and a real-time voltage display. The whole system costs $1145, which is a lot more than a normal RC control system, but it seems to be a lot more powerful and reliable, too. -----------------
The first televised version of this was "Robot Wars" in the U.K. Their website mentions that "Robot Wars" is coming to the U.S. soon, but provides no further information. BTW, if you want to argue the merits of U.K. vs. U.S. robots, go to the message board at their site, the debate has been raging for months.
Battlebots is the first U.S. version, seen on Comedy Central in the U.S., The Comedy Channel in Canada, and BB2 in the U.K. Some of the robots from the British series appeared in Battlebots and did rather well. The rules and weight classes differ between the two shows. Battlebots info is here.
Finally, TLC, one of the Discovery channel networks has a series called "Robotica" which starts airing tonight at 9:00 PM E.S.T. It seems to be a hybrid of RobotWars and BattleBots, but there's not much information on the website.
Information about the robots can be found on the Robotwars and Battlebots websites, and many of the robots (or their builders) have their own sites, with more technical info than you can easy digest in one sitting. Take a look at the Suicidal Tendencies site and look at how they machined the individual tractor treads out of aluminium blocks. These people are fanatical! -----------------
TNN is now "The National Network". No more line dancing, it's now Miami Vice and XFL. I love watching Miami Vice for that weird 'flash-back' factor and the 'did we really dress like that?' feeling. Robot Wars would fit right in with the new TNN line-up. -----------------
("Yer Honor, we used encryption-based screws to keep the contents of the case from being hacked and maliciously opened!"
IBM invented those a few years ago for the PS/2 line. They're called "posix" screws.
Guess I better change my email address, huh? -----------------
Re:OSX has more jewlery hanging on it than Mr. T
on
OS X
·
· Score: 1
Windows XP requirements are worse, much worse. Their offical position is that you only buy XP pre-installed on a new PC, to make sure you meet all the hardware requirements. They don't recommend upgrading an existing system at all. -----------------
Newtek split into two companies, Play, which produced the Snappy video capture hardware and Gizmos software, and Newtek, who still make the Video Toaster for NT boxes. Kiki was working for Play, but Play has gone into receivership, and their stuff is no longer being supported.
Personally, I thought the only thing the Amiga was good for was running the Video Toaster, so I don't see the point of this latest resurrection. -----------------
If he didn't admit it, the fictional version of Bill in "Pirates of Silcon Valley" did.
STEVE JOBS
We're better than you, Bill.
BILL GATES
It doesn't matter, Steve. -----------------
The XBox is not going to help, at least not unless it becomes wildly successful, and not for a few years. There's an article somewhere (news.com or zdnet) that says that M$ is going to lose about $150 on each XBox they sell, and that they hope to make it back in software and licencing fees. So, buy a XBox and help Microsoft go under! -----------------
I think we should let Prince have a shot; he's been doing it for a lot longer than anyone else.
From the lyrics of "I Would Die 4 U" (Purple Rain, 1984):
U - I would die 4 U (U)
Darlin', if U want me 2
U - I would die 4 U
2 3 4 U
(There, now I've probably violated some copright law, and the RIAA are after me now.) -----------------
An average literacy level of Grade 9? In Canada? Honestly, that's pretty damn high. I don't think you have a real grasp of literacy levels. From the sounds of it, they're more like Grade 6 or 7. And I know of which I speak; my mother taught English at Humber Community College for years. The stories she brought were nothing short of astounding. -----------------
Son of a...! Zoomracks! That was a nifty piece of software. Pretty cheap, and it came with PC and Atari ST diskettes. It was a really nice database-like thingy for the Atari, but that stupid lawsuit killed the company and the product. Sigh. -----------------
I gutted my Atari Portfolio (but only after the thing had died). That was about ten years ago, so I don't have the pictures to prove it, but, man did they shoehorn the crap into that little box to make it work. -----------------
The thing I remember most about Sega is the issue of "Wired" magazine a few years ago with Sonic the Hedgehog on the cover. The feature article was about how Sega was going to rule the games world, blow Sony away, destroy Nintendo, etc.
And you wonder why I gave up reading "Wired". -----------------
Sorry this is off-topic, but it just reminded me: there is a screen-writing term, (M.O.S.) for a scene in silence. Legend has it this came from a german director who said, "Okay, ve shoot dis scene 'Mis Out Sound'."
We now return you to your regularly scheduled O.S. -----------------
Man, that sounds so much like Furbies (except there are no advanced rules for Furbies; waitasec, I think I smell a marketing oppertunity.) -----------------
WordPerfect (and Lotus) lost becuase they got snowed by MS. MS and IBM told them that OS/2 was "the next bug thing", so they spend millions porting their cash cow apps to Presentation Manager. Then Windows 3.0 comes along with Word and Excel. OS/2, Presentation Manager, WordPerfect and Lotus 1-2-3 all dissappear in short order. I still blame Microsoft more than Sun. -----------------
Slashdot Mirror
I've been worried about that for a while now, because it makes too much sense. It would cost them almost nothing to create, have a nice shiny M$ logo on it so corporate IS would be happy, and serve to further fragment the Linux distribs.
The only reason they didn't totally foul up Java with "Visual J++" was the Sun lawsuit; there were a lot of mindless drones using J++ because they thought it was the only thing going.
-----------------
A few people have mentioned that they would like to seem more autonomous robots in these games. A good first step seems to be the IFI Robotics control system.
This system basically puts a control computer inside the robot, and links to an input/output operator interface using 2 900 Mhz wireless modems. The Control system has 8 outputs, 16 digital inputs and 7 analog inputs. It can be programmed using PBASIC.
The operator interface has standard joystick controller ports, 25 led status lights, and a real-time voltage display.
The whole system costs $1145, which is a lot more than a normal RC control system, but it seems to be a lot more powerful and reliable, too.
-----------------
The first televised version of this was "Robot Wars" in the U.K. Their website mentions that "Robot Wars" is coming to the U.S. soon, but provides no further information. BTW, if you want to argue the merits of U.K. vs. U.S. robots, go to the message board at their site, the debate has been raging for months.
Battlebots is the first U.S. version, seen on Comedy Central in the U.S., The Comedy Channel in Canada, and BB2 in the U.K. Some of the robots from the British series appeared in Battlebots and did rather well. The rules and weight classes differ between the two shows. Battlebots info is here.
Finally, TLC, one of the Discovery channel networks has a series called "Robotica" which starts airing tonight at 9:00 PM E.S.T. It seems to be a hybrid of RobotWars and BattleBots, but there's not much information on the website.
Information about the robots can be found on the Robotwars and Battlebots websites, and many of the robots (or their builders) have their own sites, with more technical info than you can easy digest in one sitting. Take a look at the Suicidal Tendencies site and look at how they machined the individual tractor treads out of aluminium blocks. These people are fanatical!
-----------------
TNN is now "The National Network". No more line dancing, it's now Miami Vice and XFL. I love watching Miami Vice for that weird 'flash-back' factor and the 'did we really dress like that?' feeling. Robot Wars would fit right in with the new TNN line-up.
-----------------
If you have Rogers cable in Canada, you get TLC. Some of the other cable providers mya carry it as well.
-----------------
("Yer Honor, we used encryption-based screws to keep the contents of the case from being hacked and maliciously opened!"
IBM invented those a few years ago for the PS/2 line. They're called "posix" screws.
Free straight-line above.
-----------------
Guess I better change my email address, huh?
-----------------
Windows XP requirements are worse, much worse. Their offical position is that you only buy XP pre-installed on a new PC, to make sure you meet all the hardware requirements. They don't recommend upgrading an existing system at all.
-----------------
Newtek split into two companies, Play, which produced the Snappy video capture hardware and Gizmos software, and Newtek, who still make the Video Toaster for NT boxes. Kiki was working for Play, but Play has gone into receivership, and their stuff is no longer being supported.
Personally, I thought the only thing the Amiga was good for was running the Video Toaster, so I don't see the point of this latest resurrection.
-----------------
If he didn't admit it, the fictional version of Bill in "Pirates of Silcon Valley" did.
STEVE JOBS
We're better than you, Bill.
BILL GATES
It doesn't matter, Steve.
-----------------
The XBox is not going to help, at least not unless it becomes wildly successful, and not for a few years. There's an article somewhere (news.com or zdnet) that says that M$ is going to lose about $150 on each XBox they sell, and that they hope to make it back in software and licencing fees. So, buy a XBox and help Microsoft go under!
-----------------
I think we should let Prince have a shot; he's been doing it for a lot longer than anyone else.
From the lyrics of "I Would Die 4 U" (Purple Rain, 1984):
U - I would die 4 U (U)
Darlin', if U want me 2
U - I would die 4 U
2 3 4 U
(There, now I've probably violated some copright law, and the RIAA are after me now.)
-----------------
Ride the subway, it effectively blocks cells phones. Much more peaceful.
-----------------
Oops. Should be "Stories she brought home". Preview is your friend.
-----------------
An average literacy level of Grade 9? In Canada? Honestly, that's pretty damn high. I don't think you have a real grasp of literacy levels. From the sounds of it, they're more like Grade 6 or 7. And I know of which I speak; my mother taught English at Humber Community College for years. The stories she brought were nothing short of astounding.
-----------------
Son of a...! Zoomracks! That was a nifty piece of software. Pretty cheap, and it came with PC and Atari ST diskettes. It was a really nice database-like thingy for the Atari, but that stupid lawsuit killed the company and the product. Sigh.
-----------------
I gutted my Atari Portfolio (but only after the thing had died). That was about ten years ago, so I don't have the pictures to prove it, but, man did they shoehorn the crap into that little box to make it work.
-----------------
And every one of them has an AOL account.
-----------------
I love it when intellectuals get testy....
-----------------
The thing I remember most about Sega is the issue of "Wired" magazine a few years ago with Sonic the Hedgehog on the cover. The feature article was about how Sega was going to rule the games world, blow Sony away, destroy Nintendo, etc.
And you wonder why I gave up reading "Wired".
-----------------
And Boston, and Texas. ARod cost the owner more than he paid for the entire team and The Rangers still won't make the play-offs.
-----------------
EBCEDIC.
-----------------
Sorry this is off-topic, but it just reminded me: there is a screen-writing term, (M.O.S.) for a scene in silence. Legend has it this came from a german director who said, "Okay, ve shoot dis scene 'Mis Out Sound'."
We now return you to your regularly scheduled O.S.
-----------------
Man, that sounds so much like Furbies (except there are no advanced rules for Furbies; waitasec, I think I smell a marketing oppertunity.)
-----------------
WordPerfect (and Lotus) lost becuase they got snowed by MS. MS and IBM told them that OS/2 was "the next bug thing", so they spend millions porting their cash cow apps to Presentation Manager. Then Windows 3.0 comes along with Word and Excel. OS/2, Presentation Manager, WordPerfect and Lotus 1-2-3 all dissappear in short order. I still blame Microsoft more than Sun.
-----------------