Interesting. The whole point of running a server IMHO (which you must do to store the MP3 files) is that you can just run software on it and forget about it.
I bought my first SliMP3 device 3 years ago (after thinking about an Audiotron) and I've been finding more and more applications for it (and the Squeezebox that I bought later). The latest adition is using it to control my 3-tuner MythTV box (yes, more server software).
The Squeezeboxes are an excellent example of devices that just become more and more valuable as time goes by. As the server software is perfected and new plugins become available.
I never regretted getting one instead of the Audiotron.
My Squeezeboxes are always up and always ready to play. In a network with a server present Squeezeboxes are the perfect choice. You don't start up iTunes, you just play music as if those litte boxes just magically contain your entire MP3 collection.
I have an Airport Express too. It's nice but too limited in scope. I keep it in a drawer;)
That's the direction I was thinking in also, but it would be interesting to know what that process was. I guess we'll haave to wait for another Beatles, Beatles posting for that...
In general you're probably right but the more sophisticated a mechanism becomes the more likely it seems to me that there has to be some evolutionary benefit attached.
In evolution there has to be a reason. Something has to be beneficial for the species to evelve (please don't start any ID discussions). So the GP makes a good point. What is the evolutionary reason for this behaviour to evolve? The only effect I see is that it destroys the affected individual. What is the benefit here?
In Holland you CAN get ticketed for driving on the left, but in practice you won't be. Same as in Germany. Most of us whish we had the US system, because lots of people drive slowly in the left lane even though it's not allowed and we're not allowed to pass them on the right and that law IS enforced. The German autobahns are a bit different because the speed differences can be much greater, at least if the traffic isn't to busy (no max. speed).
You should hear the stories on US traffic that do the rounds in Europe. I believe that most people have a flawed picture of what goes on on the other side of the Atlantic. And it's not just with traffic...;)
In this type of arguments people usually mean workgroup scheduling when they're talking about Linux. I don't know if this is already available out-of-the-box on Linux distros...
Come on, guys. Redundant? Flame Bait? These are serious issues that are really holding back acceptance of my (and probably your) favorite browser. Is Slashdot turning into a bunch of blind fan-boys that try to shut out the real world?
I bet it doesn't. Website designers try to make sure that IE users don't get confronted with browser crashes because of bugs. FF still doesn't have the market position to ensure that they do the same for it.
I'm sure there are lots of bugs in IE, but everyone tries to steer around them.
It's extremely rare to find a site that works better in FF than IE, it's still too common to find the reverse situation.
This week I spent 15 minutes entering data on a car insurance comparison site. Just as the site (independer.nl) was finally ready to tell me the cheapest insurance for my situation...Firefox crashed.
Whenever I advise any of my friends and colleagues to switch, I hate to think what they'll do when they encounter something like this.
Yeah Fastmail. I've been using it for almost 2 years and I'm very happy with it. It has a huge amount of filtering archiving, personality, domains, etc. etc. features. The webmail client is great in its simplicity (no graphics at all). Running your own IMAP server is fine and I did that for years before that, but it's also too big a hassle (esp. the backups).
OTOH, don't trust FM too much. Two weeks ago their main server (the big expensive one that housed most of their 'enhanced' clients) and it took them THREE DAYS to recover from backups.
Since then I run a Gmail account in parallel (mail is forwarded to both fastmail & gmail). I hate Gmail 'cause it doesn't do IMAP, but as a backup for Fastmail it's almost perfect.
I just spent a substantial part of my day emailing back & forth with a Linux driver who was trying to help me with a driver problem. Or should I say, he spent a considerable part of his day trying to help me.
We owe a lot to the guys who do this unglamorous but very important work.
Wel there are a few reason to choose a homebrew solution for me:
- Tivo's are not sold in Europe (perhaps in the UK) so there's no real alternative. (otherwise $99 is quite attractive) - Homebrew solutions tend to do exactly what I want (after some sweat & tinkering) - I already have a Linux server that's on 24/7 so why not let it do some more useful work.
Of course I don't have my server in my living room. That's why I distribute the signal through the cable TV wiring (RF modulator) to all TV's in the house for a perfectly invisible and quiet solution. The remote control requires some more tinkering, but when it's done it will be just what I need...:)
I agree, a decent range rf remote control would be wonderful. I have my 'htpc' hidden away in my server room. The A/V signal is fed to a modulator that mixes the signal onto the TV cable so I can watch it on all TV's in the house.
That leaves controlling the system. Fortunately I own two squeezeboxes ( http://www.slimp3.com/ ). I created a plugin for the slimserver that allows me to use the squeezebox remote to control my htpc.
OK then, Just in case anyone else is as thick as me: Don't check the parents of these replies unless you want to spoil your pleasure in reading the latest Harry Potter.
It can store a list of PIN codes protected by a single unlock PIN code. When you enter the wrong unlock code you just get the list populated with the wrong PIN codes.
That's why crooks usually take you hostage in your appartment while their accomplice goes to the ATM. When the codes work, you lose, when they don't, you lose in a different and probably even less pleasant way:(
For me the most interesting application for this feature would be to have the phone incorporate some tactile feedback device that would allow you to 'feel' the incoming message with your finger.
Why? Because it would give you totally covert communications. Just put a hand in your pocket and communicate in total secrecy with someone else.
Using SMS wouldn't be first choice, though. GPRS would be much better and cheaper (in Europe you pay per MB).
2) I use an iRiver H140 in my car and it's been pretty good. I put DC power and car radio AUX connectors in my glove box.
The H140 has a (extra) remote of which the clip can be removed. I velcro the remote to my dashboard.
Then comes along the rockbox crew who are working on an alternative (open) firmware. It's getting pretty good. It already has auto switch-off (triggered by DC power) and auto-resume for in car use.
I use my player in my car about 90% of the time so I'm pretty happy with this solution.
Sony lost footing because they couldn't anticipate portable CD players. Come on, man. Sony had discmans very early on. I believe they were actually cheaper than regular CD players. I know people who didn't want to buy a regular one and ended up with a discman linked to their home stereo...
Slashdot Mirror
I just discovered http://mvpmc.sourceforge.net/ today.
This is a project to convert the ($99 list) Hauppauge MediaMVP box into a MythTV frontend and a SlimServer (Squeezebox) frontend.
A cheap way to get much of the Squeezebox functionality and a lot more and do some hacking in the process...
X.
Interesting. The whole point of running a server IMHO (which you must do to store the MP3 files) is that you can just run software on it and forget about it.
I bought my first SliMP3 device 3 years ago (after thinking about an Audiotron) and I've been finding more and more applications for it (and the Squeezebox that I bought later). The latest adition is using it to control my 3-tuner MythTV box (yes, more server software).
The Squeezeboxes are an excellent example of devices that just become more and more valuable as time goes by. As the server software is perfected and new plugins become available.
I never regretted getting one instead of the Audiotron.
X.
My Squeezeboxes are always up and always ready to play. In a network with a server present Squeezeboxes are the perfect choice. You don't start up iTunes, you just play music as if those litte boxes just magically contain your entire MP3 collection.
;)
I have an Airport Express too. It's nice but too limited in scope. I keep it in a drawer
X.
Good thing this discussion already has the term 'nitpick' above it. ;)
But then again, that's probably what drew you to it in the first place
This is the kind of argument I was hoping to avoid.
You interpret the term reason to literal.
That's the direction I was thinking in also, but it would be interesting to know what that process was. I guess we'll haave to wait for another Beatles, Beatles posting for that...
In general you're probably right but the more sophisticated a mechanism becomes the more likely it seems to me that there has to be some evolutionary benefit attached.
Yes, I see the short term evolutionary advantage for the spreading cancer cell, but would that be enough to create such an elaborate mechanism?
In evolution there has to be a reason. Something has to be beneficial for the species to evelve (please don't start any ID discussions). So the GP makes a good point. What is the evolutionary reason for this behaviour to evolve? The only effect I see is that it destroys the affected individual. What is the benefit here?
In Holland you CAN get ticketed for driving on the left, but in practice you won't be. Same as in Germany. Most of us whish we had the US system, because lots of people drive slowly in the left lane even though it's not allowed and we're not allowed to pass them on the right and that law IS enforced. The German autobahns are a bit different because the speed differences can be much greater, at least if the traffic isn't to busy (no max. speed).
;)
You should hear the stories on US traffic that do the rounds in Europe. I believe that most people have a flawed picture of what goes on on the other side of the Atlantic. And it's not just with traffic...
X.
In this type of arguments people usually mean workgroup scheduling when they're talking about Linux. I don't know if this is already available out-of-the-box on Linux distros...
Come on, guys. Redundant? Flame Bait? These are serious issues that are really holding back acceptance of my (and probably your) favorite browser. Is Slashdot turning into a bunch of blind fan-boys that try to shut out the real world?
X. (disappointed)
I bet it doesn't. Website designers try to make sure that IE users don't get confronted with browser crashes because of bugs. FF still doesn't have the market position to ensure that they do the same for it.
I'm sure there are lots of bugs in IE, but everyone tries to steer around them.
It's extremely rare to find a site that works better in FF than IE, it's still too common to find the reverse situation.
X.
This week I spent 15 minutes entering data on a car insurance comparison site. Just as the site (independer.nl) was finally ready to tell me the cheapest insurance for my situation...Firefox crashed.
Whenever I advise any of my friends and colleagues to switch, I hate to think what they'll do when they encounter something like this.
X.
Yeah Fastmail. I've been using it for almost 2 years and I'm very happy with it. It has a huge amount of filtering archiving, personality, domains, etc. etc. features. The webmail client is great in its simplicity (no graphics at all). Running your own IMAP server is fine and I did that for years before that, but it's also too big a hassle (esp. the backups).
OTOH, don't trust FM too much. Two weeks ago their main server (the big expensive one that housed most of their 'enhanced' clients) and it took them THREE DAYS to recover from backups.
Since then I run a Gmail account in parallel (mail is forwarded to both fastmail & gmail). I hate Gmail 'cause it doesn't do IMAP, but as a backup for Fastmail it's almost perfect.
X.
Sounds like video on demand to me...
Another promise waiting to be fullfilled.
X.
I just spent a substantial part of my day emailing back & forth with a Linux driver who was trying to help me with a driver problem. Or should I say, he spent a considerable part of his day trying to help me.
We owe a lot to the guys who do this unglamorous but very important work.
X.
Wel there are a few reason to choose a homebrew solution for me:
:)
- Tivo's are not sold in Europe (perhaps in the UK) so there's no real alternative. (otherwise $99 is quite attractive)
- Homebrew solutions tend to do exactly what I want (after some sweat & tinkering)
- I already have a Linux server that's on 24/7 so why not let it do some more useful work.
Of course I don't have my server in my living room. That's why I distribute the signal through the cable TV wiring (RF modulator) to all TV's in the house for a perfectly invisible and quiet solution. The remote control requires some more tinkering, but when it's done it will be just what I need...
X.
I agree, a decent range rf remote control would be wonderful. I have my 'htpc' hidden away in my server room. The A/V signal is fed to a modulator that mixes the signal onto the TV cable so I can watch it on all TV's in the house.
;)
That leaves controlling the system. Fortunately I own two squeezeboxes ( http://www.slimp3.com/ ). I created a plugin for the slimserver that allows me to use the squeezebox remote to control my htpc.
All of the fun and none of the ugly boxes...
X.
Of course Cyrus uses a database to store the IMAP metadata as well as index files within the 'maildirs'.
OK then, Just in case anyone else is as thick as me: Don't check the parents of these replies unless you want to spoil your pleasure in reading the latest Harry Potter.
It can store a list of PIN codes protected by a single unlock PIN code. When you enter the wrong unlock code you just get the list populated with the wrong PIN codes.
:(
That's why crooks usually take you hostage in your appartment while their accomplice goes to the ATM. When the codes work, you lose, when they don't, you lose in a different and probably even less pleasant way
For me the most interesting application for this feature would be to have the phone incorporate some tactile feedback device that would allow you to 'feel' the incoming message with your finger.
Why? Because it would give you totally covert communications. Just put a hand in your pocket and communicate in total secrecy with someone else.
Using SMS wouldn't be first choice, though. GPRS would be much better and cheaper (in Europe you pay per MB).
2) I use an iRiver H140 in my car and it's been pretty good. I put DC power and car radio AUX connectors in my glove box.
The H140 has a (extra) remote of which the clip can be removed. I velcro the remote to my dashboard.
Then comes along the rockbox crew who are working on an alternative (open) firmware. It's getting pretty good. It already has auto switch-off (triggered by DC power) and auto-resume for in car use.
I use my player in my car about 90% of the time so I'm pretty happy with this solution.
Sony lost footing because they couldn't anticipate portable CD players.
Come on, man. Sony had discmans very early on. I believe they were actually cheaper than regular CD players. I know people who didn't want to buy a regular one and ended up with a discman linked to their home stereo...