I live in New York State and signed up for the Do-Not-Call list, which seems to have cut back the number of calls I get. However, for the ones that make it through, if I'm out, most telemarketers don't leave messages. If I'm in, most telemarketers have a hard time pronouncing my name, and I can usually tell they're calling from a room full of other telemarketers, so it's pretty easy to tell it's an unwanted call. So I listen as they say something like, "Hello, may I speak to... uh... Mig - non?"
Another reason to use Linux is that had Linux finished behind Windows on this benchmark, it wouldn't take long before someone figured out and fixed the Linux kernel and released the patch. I don't remember the exact test, but this very situation happened a few years ago.
I can't imagine Microsoft releasing a patch to address this (admitedly small) performance deficit, and if they did, who knows what other damage it would cause. Again, I don't remember the exact situation, but Microsoft has definitely released service packs that were considered to be avoided.
As I vaguely understood the explanation, it seems to rely on properties of wave interference. Some components, if you will, of a combination of waves travel faster than light, but the aggregate doesn't. OK, that's not too far fetched for my basic physics knowledge to comprehend.
But we all know that electrons have properties of particles as well as waves. So that makes me wonder if all electrons travel at the same speed, or are they traveling in a range of speeds, with the average electron going at the nominal speed for a given medium? In other words, are some going slower and some going faster? And if so, is it possible that some are actually going much closer to the speed of light than others?
Interesting to hear another's view on this. I've mentioned a few times that I set up Slackware on a refurbed bare Dell for my neophyte mother. Mostly she uses it for web-based email and browsing.
Aside from the "how do I use the mouse" questions that are platform-independent, I certainly get a few questions about why she can't open this or that attachment. (Usually some Word or Excel document.)
My feeling as the family's designated sysadmin was that I would rather have to sometimes say "Your computer can't do that. Tell the sender to reformat it as text and send it to you." rather than sometimes say "Sorry your computer is hosed. Looks like you shouldn't have opened that email from that person. I'll have to reinstall everything now." For one thing, it's way less work. Also, I've been able to remotely admin the machine, which is a huge timesaver.
So far things are working out pretty well. As I said, the initial questions were mostly about how to use a computer, with some that were derived from Linux's shortcomings as a desktop. But things have been pretty quiet lately.
I think a bigger worry I'd have is supporting old hardware. You never know when some IC or other component is going to flake out, or the BIOS battery runs out.
A little perspective for those doing all the bitching:
First of all, this is a PhD project, not a product in development.
Second, use your imaginations - just because it's demonstrated on Ikea furniture doesn't restrict it to that. Ikea furniture is designed to be
compact to ship, and
easy to assemble.
Having some sort of assembly assistance could relax the latter requirement and enable more complicated DIY products. Or they could be used for faster training of assembly-line workers. If I get any more ideas, I may have to start charging consulting fees.
On to my subject: There's a 116 MB video on their site. I downloaded the whole thing at work (way fast) and watched it (about 5 minutes or so). It's pretty deadpan, and shows a guy putting together an Ikea Pax armoire unit. (It just so happens that I have three of these myself. They're pretty straight-forward to assemble, just quite heavy at 50 kilos per unit, not including doors or shelves.) There's also footage of the developer discussing how his ideas work, with some overlays of accelerometer output and the like. The clip ends with the builder standing proudly next to the completed armoire, as the image fades to black. After a short pause, there is a loud crash, so I think these guys had a sense of humor about their project.
I don't know if this will directly address your problem, but I found it helpful once for diagnosing a bad FPU. There's lots of good tidbits talking about bad hardware and its symptoms.
I am looking for the most cost effective solution in a scientifically oriented PDA.
If you drop the "digital" requirement, every mad scientist needs a personal assistant. Preferably named Igor. Slavish, sniveling obedience required. Humpback optional.
Speaking of bigger cats, I am reminded of the saying that if your dog were human-sized, he would want to hang out with you, but if your cat were your size, he would want to eat you.
Well, today was my last day with a company that I've been with for 4.5 years.... I'm 25.
Dude, you're 25 years old, today was your last day at work and you're farting around posting to Slashdot instead of getting shit-faced? Where are your priorities, man? And besides, save the posting to Slashdot to we people at work.
The ads don't say which two months' salary, right?
Here's what you do - take a leave of absence or quit your job, if you have one, for two months. Enjoy your time off - maybe even spend it with your sweetie, but do some panhandling in the subway/mall/wherever to make a little money during that time. With those two months' salary, buy your sweetie a ring. Then return to work.
I don't know what you consider 'formerly huge' but unless your drives are bigger than 40 or 60-gig, it may not be worth your time. I know it would not be worth my time nor my electricity.
A colleague of mine had a story about a place that replaced some ancient early hard drives that were so big (think refrigerator) with their modern equivalent (think breadbox) and made up for the replacement cost (and removal cost of the old unit) in reduced electric bills in a reasonably short time. (Sorry for lack of details but he's working and since he's my boss, I don't want to ask him to post this story.)
I was thinking about this the other day, when signing up for some similar site: I thought the WTC used to have their own ZIP code(s). I was too lazy to look them up to use them, but I wonder if they would have worked.
Slashdot Mirror
Then I say "No," and hang up.
Another reason to use Linux is that had Linux finished behind Windows on this benchmark, it wouldn't take long before someone figured out and fixed the Linux kernel and released the patch. I don't remember the exact test, but this very situation happened a few years ago.
I can't imagine Microsoft releasing a patch to address this (admitedly small) performance deficit, and if they did, who knows what other damage it would cause. Again, I don't remember the exact situation, but Microsoft has definitely released service packs that were considered to be avoided.
But we all know that electrons have properties of particles as well as waves. So that makes me wonder if all electrons travel at the same speed, or are they traveling in a range of speeds, with the average electron going at the nominal speed for a given medium? In other words, are some going slower and some going faster? And if so, is it possible that some are actually going much closer to the speed of light than others?
Two dudes are listening to a new Metallica album.
Dude 1: Dude, all these songs sound the same!
Dude 2: Yeah, but Dude, it's a good song!
I wonder how long before someone ports Linux to it.
This is what the AC posted. (Here's Google's HTML version.)
In what might be a Slashdot first, a Slashdot submission includes a link to a Slashdot comment, causing Slashdot itself to suffer the Slashdot effect.
So what they're saying is, "You can touch this," right?
The testers tried, but it scrolled by too fast to see anything.
I heard you could play a two-hour movie in an hour and a half!
Aside from the "how do I use the mouse" questions that are platform-independent, I certainly get a few questions about why she can't open this or that attachment. (Usually some Word or Excel document.)
My feeling as the family's designated sysadmin was that I would rather have to sometimes say "Your computer can't do that. Tell the sender to reformat it as text and send it to you." rather than sometimes say "Sorry your computer is hosed. Looks like you shouldn't have opened that email from that person. I'll have to reinstall everything now." For one thing, it's way less work. Also, I've been able to remotely admin the machine, which is a huge timesaver.
So far things are working out pretty well. As I said, the initial questions were mostly about how to use a computer, with some that were derived from Linux's shortcomings as a desktop. But things have been pretty quiet lately.
I think a bigger worry I'd have is supporting old hardware. You never know when some IC or other component is going to flake out, or the BIOS battery runs out.
Good luck!
- compact to ship, and
- easy to assemble.
Having some sort of assembly assistance could relax the latter requirement and enable more complicated DIY products. Or they could be used for faster training of assembly-line workers. If I get any more ideas, I may have to start charging consulting fees.On to my subject: There's a 116 MB video on their site. I downloaded the whole thing at work (way fast) and watched it (about 5 minutes or so). It's pretty deadpan, and shows a guy putting together an Ikea Pax armoire unit. (It just so happens that I have three of these myself. They're pretty straight-forward to assemble, just quite heavy at 50 kilos per unit, not including doors or shelves.) There's also footage of the developer discussing how his ideas work, with some overlays of accelerometer output and the like. The clip ends with the builder standing proudly next to the completed armoire, as the image fades to black. After a short pause, there is a loud crash, so I think these guys had a sense of humor about their project.
Here's how Napster's guardians can avoid a conflict of interest when selling it: put it on eBay!
This suggests a whole new meaning to "Slashdot Effect" - Long hours editing Slashdot submissions affects grammar.
I don't know if this will directly address your problem, but I found it helpful once for diagnosing a bad FPU. There's lots of good tidbits talking about bad hardware and its symptoms.
If you drop the "digital" requirement, every mad scientist needs a personal assistant. Preferably named Igor. Slavish, sniveling obedience required. Humpback optional.
Speaking of bigger cats, I am reminded of the saying that if your dog were human-sized, he would want to hang out with you, but if your cat were your size, he would want to eat you.
Not to mention "tit-mouse."
Dude, you're 25 years old, today was your last day at work and you're farting around posting to Slashdot instead of getting shit-faced? Where are your priorities, man? And besides, save the posting to Slashdot to we people at work.
The ads don't say which two months' salary, right? Here's what you do - take a leave of absence or quit your job, if you have one, for two months. Enjoy your time off - maybe even spend it with your sweetie, but do some panhandling in the subway/mall/wherever to make a little money during that time. With those two months' salary, buy your sweetie a ring. Then return to work.
Dude, if she reads Slashdot, you just did.
Yeah, you want to keep your worm in a Trojan(tm), or you might get a virus.
A colleague of mine had a story about a place that replaced some ancient early hard drives that were so big (think refrigerator) with their modern equivalent (think breadbox) and made up for the replacement cost (and removal cost of the old unit) in reduced electric bills in a reasonably short time. (Sorry for lack of details but he's working and since he's my boss, I don't want to ask him to post this story.)
At my age ... "remember"? Maybe. "high school"? Definitely not.
I was thinking about this the other day, when signing up for some similar site: I thought the WTC used to have their own ZIP code(s). I was too lazy to look them up to use them, but I wonder if they would have worked.