you can destroy our farms and our barracks... but you cant destroy the IRC horde
It sounds more like they've invaded and destroyed your main base, but the peons were sent scattering to the four corners of the map...Off to build new (vengeful) armies; far away from the enemy's prying eyes of blimps and Goblin technology.
That's very true; the W3 fork of BNetD is still being developed. On W3 forums, people are always going on about getting the latest bug-fixes and updates.
From what I've heard, a lot of beta testers prefer playing on the cracked servers because they actually host more active users/games than the official Battle net.
If W3 is so great that people are actually writing their own game server emulators, I can't wait to buy the real deal when it's out!
It's no different to putting MPEG-1 video or MP3 audio into an AVI file - the relevant compression standards apply even if a "non-native" container format is being used.
But wouldn't a QuickTime file be the native "container format" for MPEG-4? I know the file structure of MPEG-4 is at least based on QuickTime 3.
MPEG-4 is a compression standard just like MPEG-1 and MPEG-2, not a specific CODEC (implementation), so the DivX implementation is just as much MPEG-4 as are Microsoft's, Phillip's or Apple's. It's meaningless to say "it's similar to MPEG-4 but is a completely new CODEC".
You know, there is a difference between being MPEG-4 based and MPEG-4. For example, a true MPEG-1 stream can be played by any player written according to the published MPEG-1 spec, but a codec which is only MPEG-1 based would be proprietary.
According to Apple's press release:
"QuickTime 6 provides a fully scalable, ISO compliant MPEG-4 solution for streaming media to the widest range of devices."
This suggests that any video encoded using Apple's MPEG-4 will be playable in any ISO compliant player (and vice-versa). This is not true for DivX, ASF, RM, etc.
Low-power infrared laser beams are prone to disruptions by snow, rain and fog...
Then why not use a high-power laser? If the light were visible, I think the effect might even look cool. Imagine all of the buildings on campus connected by glowing beams of light! Of course, the lasers would have to be far enough above the ground to prevent terrorists from disrupting the network with duct tape or umbrellas.
DivX may be somewhat popular now as a MPEG-4 "based" codec, but I don't see it holding up against real, standard MPEG-4. If it isn't an open codec (as suggested by the need to license it), DivX will have no real advantage. At least MPEG-4 on it's own is a standard, with encoders and players being developed by several different parties, which should (in theory) be compatible with each other. I'm tired of hunting for codecs every time I DL a video in some crazy format.
You'll still have to buy a license for MPEG-4 if you try to make a profit from M4V content, but for non-profit uses it won't cost anything to distribute. Why settle for half-baked imitations?
The line might generate a lot of electrical potential if it didn't remain stationary relative to the earth's magnetic field... Also, wouldn't things like wind, static electricity, lightning and auroras cause problems with a 22,000 mile long cable?
Animation DVDs have to be compressed differently (like a key-frame every frame or something; no or very little temporal compression), and the visual quality is almost flawless in comparison.
I always thought that both spacial and temporal compression worked well with animation. There are a lot of flat color areas and the image doesn't change as much between frames. The real problem is that most video codecs (like mpeg) introduce "noise" which is more visible on single-color regions and they operate in rectangular chunks, which interferes with smooth lines and edges. What we really need is a codec that divides the image into arbtrary gradiated polygons.
If "People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" is good advice, then we might also assume that "People in stone/concrete houses shouldn't throw glass" is also a solid recommendation.
I've conducted a small experiment to test this assertion and it turns out that it is, in fact, true. As a side-effect my parents have now strictly forbidden the throwing of both glass and stone in our house, even though the building is not transparent nor made of glass.
QDesign has an audio codec designed specifically for compressing sound from musical instruments (it isn't as optimal for voice or effects). If you have a lot of classical, techno, or plain instrumentals it should give you better quality/size ratios than MP3 or OOG. Check out this audio clip. The quality is pretty good for a 300k file that is almost 2 minutes long.
The downside is that the professional encoder isn't free, though the player is. In fact any audio player that supports QuickTime will work without downloading any other plugin.
Ok; everyone thought I was crazy when I mentioned this after the keynote but I've finally managed to track down and scan an old copy of MacWorld Magazine from May 1995. The issue features a number of Apple prototypes, but the one on the cover is very much like the new iMac. I am convinced that Jonathan Ive was inspired by this design.
Personally, I won't be impressed until 3D environments are detailed enough that all of the game's sound effects are generated in real-time by the physics engine.
That font is actually an old typeface called Chicago, and looks nothing like Apple Garamond. It does make the iPod look more Mac-like, though in a retro sort of way (Apple hasn't used that font in years). I imagine the reason it was selected for the iPod is the same reason the old Mac OSs used it. Their UI research determined that Chicago was superior as a screen font in terms of readability and the thicker appearance also made it easier on the eyes; remember this is long before GUI-level antialiasing was available.
I think a good extension of this would be to attach a large enough solar collector to a spacecraft which could convert water into fuel in-flight. It's probqably easier to focus a laser through space anyway... How about a moon orbiting collector that can power a station whose only fuel source is ice?
Was I the only one impressed with the Mathematica demo during the keynote? They showed a multi-dimensional graph on Win XP and OS X running side by side. The resolution and frame rates looked comparable, but the image quality on OS X was definately superior; there were no moire artifacts at all on the OS X visualization!
Quite right about that. The new iMac does, in fact, appear to have a new keyboard. This was not mentioned durign the keynote but the keys are now white instead of black and the mouse interior is silver. Too bad about the mouse... I sort of preferred the "bead of mercury" effect the old optical mice had.
Specifically, you can see a (blurry) picture of something that Jobs is going to show off
Wow! Isn't that the "clicker" Steve uses to advance the presentation slides? Wait...don't get too excited; I'm pretty sure he demonstrated that at the last keynote.
Oh well. I was hoping to see a new telepathic iClicker that both clicks and plays MP3s.
MacWorld magazine published an article back in 1995 showing off some Apple prototypes. One of the designs shown (unfortunately the online article is devoid of pictures) is remarkably similiar to the new iMac, though much cooler IMO. It was black in color and the base was a horizontally flattened dome instead of a hemisphere. The LCD was mounted on a metallic boom that pivoted in the middle; the display on one and and a counter weight on the opposite end.
If anyone can can post a picture of this, I'm sure it would get you some quick karma points.:)
People have been talking for years about the possibility of augmenting human intelligence by implanting microchips and the like... That still isn't going to happen any time soon but I think wearables can serve this purpose.
When I'm at my desktop, the accumulated software and data there greatly extends my abilities. It would be great to have something as powerful that I could wear all the time. As long as the UI is transparent enough, it would be like having a second brain.
What you're describing sound like Moire artifacts. Software renderers in some of the old-skool 3D games were notorious for these kind of visual problems. I am absolutely shocked that a modern gaming system has issues like this.
The sib poster is right though... Proper mip-mapping would set things right.
The article says that "corporate executives, computer-network administrators and students at major universities, government workers and employees of technology and computer firms" are being prosecuted as a result of the raids.
So those are the kind of people the US wants to put in prison! And they're saying it is to protect "American leadership in computers and software".
It sounds like these CS and IT professionals and students are just trying to challenge themselves (according to the article). I'm sorry, but locking up exceptional individuals is no way to preserve the US's leadership in technology.
Thomas Sutcliffe's review mentions "...Hitler would have adored this film, with its hideous Untermenschen, its homeland-loving hobbits and its Aryan beauties." That isn't a very positive endorsement.
So should I see this film or not?
On one hand Sutcliffe doesn't like it. On the other hand, Hitler gives it two thumbs up!
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you can destroy our farms and our barracks... but you cant destroy the IRC horde
It sounds more like they've invaded and destroyed your main base, but the peons were sent scattering to the four corners of the map...Off to build new (vengeful) armies; far away from the enemy's prying eyes of blimps and Goblin technology.
That's very true; the W3 fork of BNetD is still being developed. On W3 forums, people are always going on about getting the latest bug-fixes and updates.
From what I've heard, a lot of beta testers prefer playing on the cracked servers because they actually host more active users/games than the official Battle net.
If W3 is so great that people are actually writing their own game server emulators, I can't wait to buy the real deal when it's out!
It's no different to putting MPEG-1 video or MP3 audio into an AVI file - the relevant compression standards apply even if a "non-native" container format is being used.
But wouldn't a QuickTime file be the native "container format" for MPEG-4? I know the file structure of MPEG-4 is at least based on QuickTime 3.
MPEG-4 is a compression standard just like MPEG-1 and MPEG-2, not a specific CODEC (implementation), so the DivX implementation is just as much MPEG-4 as are Microsoft's, Phillip's or Apple's. It's meaningless to say "it's similar to MPEG-4 but is a completely new CODEC".
You know, there is a difference between being MPEG-4 based and MPEG-4. For example, a true MPEG-1 stream can be played by any player written according to the published MPEG-1 spec, but a codec which is only MPEG-1 based would be proprietary.
According to Apple's press release:
"QuickTime 6 provides a fully scalable, ISO compliant MPEG-4 solution for streaming media to the widest range of devices."
This suggests that any video encoded using Apple's MPEG-4 will be playable in any ISO compliant player (and vice-versa). This is not true for DivX, ASF, RM, etc.
Low-power infrared laser beams are prone to disruptions by snow, rain and fog...
Then why not use a high-power laser? If the light were visible, I think the effect might even look cool. Imagine all of the buildings on campus connected by glowing beams of light! Of course, the lasers would have to be far enough above the ground to prevent terrorists from disrupting the network with duct tape or umbrellas.
DivX may be somewhat popular now as a MPEG-4 "based" codec, but I don't see it holding up against real, standard MPEG-4. If it isn't an open codec (as suggested by the need to license it), DivX will have no real advantage. At least MPEG-4 on it's own is a standard, with encoders and players being developed by several different parties, which should (in theory) be compatible with each other. I'm tired of hunting for codecs every time I DL a video in some crazy format.
You'll still have to buy a license for MPEG-4 if you try to make a profit from M4V content, but for non-profit uses it won't cost anything to distribute. Why settle for half-baked imitations?
The line might generate a lot of electrical potential if it didn't remain stationary relative to the earth's magnetic field... Also, wouldn't things like wind, static electricity, lightning and auroras cause problems with a 22,000 mile long cable?
Animation DVDs have to be compressed differently (like a key-frame every frame or something; no or very little temporal compression), and the visual quality is almost flawless in comparison.
I always thought that both spacial and temporal compression worked well with animation. There are a lot of flat color areas and the image doesn't change as much between frames. The real problem is that most video codecs (like mpeg) introduce "noise" which is more visible on single-color regions and they operate in rectangular chunks, which interferes with smooth lines and edges. What we really need is a codec that divides the image into arbtrary gradiated polygons.
If "People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" is good advice, then we might also assume that "People in stone/concrete houses shouldn't throw glass" is also a solid recommendation.
I've conducted a small experiment to test this assertion and it turns out that it is, in fact, true. As a side-effect my parents have now strictly forbidden the throwing of both glass and stone in our house, even though the building is not transparent nor made of glass.
QDesign has an audio codec designed specifically for compressing sound from musical instruments (it isn't as optimal for voice or effects). If you have a lot of classical, techno, or plain instrumentals it should give you better quality/size ratios than MP3 or OOG. Check out this audio clip. The quality is pretty good for a 300k file that is almost 2 minutes long.
The downside is that the professional encoder isn't free, though the player is. In fact any audio player that supports QuickTime will work without downloading any other plugin.
Ok; everyone thought I was crazy when I mentioned this after the keynote but I've finally managed to track down and scan an old copy of MacWorld Magazine from May 1995. The issue features a number of Apple prototypes, but the one on the cover is very much like the new iMac. I am convinced that Jonathan Ive was inspired by this design.
Those screen shots look good...but not great.
Personally, I won't be impressed until 3D environments are detailed enough that all of the game's sound effects are generated in real-time by the physics engine.
That font is actually an old typeface called Chicago, and looks nothing like Apple Garamond. It does make the iPod look more Mac-like, though in a retro sort of way (Apple hasn't used that font in years). I imagine the reason it was selected for the iPod is the same reason the old Mac OSs used it. Their UI research determined that Chicago was superior as a screen font in terms of readability and the thicker appearance also made it easier on the eyes; remember this is long before GUI-level antialiasing was available.
I think a good extension of this would be to attach a large enough solar collector to a spacecraft which could convert water into fuel in-flight. It's probqably easier to focus a laser through space anyway... How about a moon orbiting collector that can power a station whose only fuel source is ice?
Was I the only one impressed with the Mathematica demo during the keynote? They showed a multi-dimensional graph on Win XP and OS X running side by side. The resolution and frame rates looked comparable, but the image quality on OS X was definately superior; there were no moire artifacts at all on the OS X visualization!
Quite right about that. The new iMac does, in fact, appear to have a new keyboard. This was not mentioned durign the keynote but the keys are now white instead of black and the mouse interior is silver. Too bad about the mouse... I sort of preferred the "bead of mercury" effect the old optical mice had.
Specifically, you can see a (blurry) picture of something that Jobs is going to show off
Wow! Isn't that the "clicker" Steve uses to advance the presentation slides? Wait...don't get too excited; I'm pretty sure he demonstrated that at the last keynote.
Oh well. I was hoping to see a new telepathic iClicker that both clicks and plays MP3s.
MacWorld magazine published an article back in 1995 showing off some Apple prototypes. One of the designs shown (unfortunately the online article is devoid of pictures) is remarkably similiar to the new iMac, though much cooler IMO. It was black in color and the base was a horizontally flattened dome instead of a hemisphere. The LCD was mounted on a metallic boom that pivoted in the middle; the display on one and and a counter weight on the opposite end.
:)
If anyone can can post a picture of this, I'm sure it would get you some quick karma points.
People have been talking for years about the possibility of augmenting human intelligence by implanting microchips and the like... That still isn't going to happen any time soon but I think wearables can serve this purpose.
When I'm at my desktop, the accumulated software and data there greatly extends my abilities. It would be great to have something as powerful that I could wear all the time. As long as the UI is transparent enough, it would be like having a second brain.
This can't exist...didn't anyone see Apple's main page yesterday? Macworld SF is supposed to be "Beyond the rumor sites. Way beyond."
What you're describing sound like Moire artifacts. Software renderers in some of the old-skool 3D games were notorious for these kind of visual problems. I am absolutely shocked that a modern gaming system has issues like this.
The sib poster is right though... Proper mip-mapping would set things right.
They'll probably just change the blood color to green and say the "people" are actually undead zombies.
It worked for the UK version of Carmageddon!
The article says that "corporate executives, computer-network administrators and students at major universities, government workers and employees of technology and computer firms" are being prosecuted as a result of the raids.
So those are the kind of people the US wants to put in prison! And they're saying it is to protect "American leadership in computers and software".
It sounds like these CS and IT professionals and students are just trying to challenge themselves (according to the article). I'm sorry, but locking up exceptional individuals is no way to preserve the US's leadership in technology.
Thomas Sutcliffe's review mentions "...Hitler would have adored this film, with its hideous Untermenschen, its homeland-loving hobbits and its Aryan beauties." That isn't a very positive endorsement.
So should I see this film or not?
On one hand Sutcliffe doesn't like it. On the other hand, Hitler gives it two thumbs up!
I want an X-Box so bad, or as I would call it, a DOA3-Box.
;)
Only for the pixel shaded bump-mapping and rich plot development, no doubt.