The problems with creating a computer guided vehicle are enormous. Just getting the computer to recognize the lines, etc of a road without veering and such, and doing it in realtime - that is a huge problem. Doing the same on a normal road when you have four or five (or more) cars around you, with normal humans (and the woman in the Expedition putting on makeup and chatting on the cell phone - yikes!) is near impossible. Then comes avoiding the small stuff (kids, balls, cats - well, maybe not cats - just kidding)...
I think we shouldn't be concentrating on a complete computer guided car concept, but more on an advanced cruise control for vehicles. Front and rear looking radar (maybe side radar too), combined with a simple vision system (a single B/W low-res cam should do OK here), and smart dots - these things could be done in such a way to make an easy an affordable "smart" cruise control for the freeway commute or interstate drive.
The radar portion would be for speed and avoidance control - this portion is already in limited use in luxury vehicles, as well as some commercial vehicles. The cam system would be forward looking, and would be a system to do edge detection - to help keep the car centered going down a lane. The processing power to do the real-time edge detection and centering should be able to be accomplished with current cpu's, at max maybe a small Beowulf style cluster parallel computer (to process in sections of the image - kinda like the 8x8 processing of jpegs). The final portion would be the smart dots...
What I am calling a smart dot here would be the only infrastructure change needed - and if such a thing hasn't already been created and patented, well, it probably should've been. If not, then what follows I am placing under the GPL - the design, and implementation of anything remotely like it (I doubt this will hold up in court, though). Anyhow...
A smart dot would replace those dots that separate the lanes on the freeway. The new dots would be similar, except that they would have a small circuit in them that put out a very low power 900 Mhz signal, that can only be detected by being near to the dot. The lower edge of the dot would be 3M reflective white, the upper top curved portion would remain clear, to focus sunlight onto a small solar cell to recharge a small NiMH batttery that powers the thing. This "lens" would only be about the size of a quarter or so, maybe even a dime size hole would do it. At any rate, the rest of the dot would be the 3M white, so at night (the battery should be able to last through a night of use - this thing will be very low power) it will show up in the headlamps of the car as normal. This same style dot could be used for the frustum/rectangular style dots, with only a few simple mods.
All the dots emit the low power signal, so low you must be within a foot or less to pick the signal up. Sensors on either side of the car would pick the signal up, so that the car knows it is drifting, and can compensate left or right, and update what it is seeing in the camera vision system to account for the drift. These dots would be the last line of defense (well, not the last line - since this IS a cruise control, the driver is still behind the wheel, and can take over in an emergency). The dots could also emit information, such as a certain exit coming up, or cars need to slow down for road work ahead, or merge left/right (they could be programmable as well - maybe these things use a funky iPic, like that webserver). If they really wanted to be cheap, the dots could encase small rare-earth magnets, and hall effect sensors would be placed on the cars (with appropriate compensation for the earth's magnetic field). However, these kind of dots wouldn't be as flexible, though they would cost only fractions of a penny more than the current dots in use, and probably wouldn't take much to retool for manufacturing them, vs the smart dots.
This kind of system, while not as whiz-bang, would solve a LOT of problems (such as people not being able to merge properly, and vehicle density issues vs speed). It might make traffic move smoother during rush hour, and make it easier to get on and off freeways during these times.
It won't allow you to read a paper or take a nap and catch those few extra minutes of sleep while you go to work - but when it comes to cars, I wouldn't trust any system to allow me to do that!
Then there was always...
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Quickielanche
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The Fox overdubbed version of Wierd Science:
"She kicked me in the in the nuts" became "She kicked me in the guts" (not too bad), with the follow-up "In the flippin gizzard?" dubbed over the original line (which I can't remember what it was).
I enjoy watching dubbed movies, just because the cheesiness makes me roll on the floor...
Especially when coupled with a database! One thing I would like to know is whether this database that is being compiled has limits set on it (and by who?) - such as the data is deleted after graduation from high school (or maybe a fresh start between "levels" - elementary, jr. high, high school) or when you reach 18 years of age, that the data is available to the parents at any time, that the data is not sold to anyone else, that the data cannot be used against me by a future employer...
Think this can't happen? I can assure you it can (I still cringe at the fact that somewhere my fingerprints are in a database from being ID'd by one of those "save the children" type, "keep-your-kids-from-getting-lost" campaigns my parents took me to when I was little in the 80's), and probably will, unless proper safeguards are put in place...
This is what I get in return every time someone downloads a piece of code I have GPL'd (of course, it helps that they notify me that they d/l'd it, and liked it). I get good feelings that someone has found my code useful, helpful, and perhaps has even learned from it.
While this may not feed my family, it still can be considered a "consideration", correct?
Hey, I never said my method was easy - but it would have to be cheaper, and maybe more reliable (unless you tend to move that laptop around a lot, flopping on the couch to do some coding or whatever - personally, I have never done this, and don't think it would be comfortable, but I can understand the appeal).
If one is dealing with a person, on a normal house or such (the vision I was having was that the building was a brownstone or one of those SF style Victorians - tall and narrow), then it would be a good idea to approach the person. However, if that doesn't work, I say screw 'em, and do it quietly.
It can be possible to do the work quietly (though it will be MUCH slower, and maybe impossible if one has to go through concrete). Unless the landlord lives on-site (as in the same building, where noise will be the issue), there shouldn't be any problem doing surreptitious mods (provided they are discrete, and are made to look good).
The way the person was describing the building, though, was that he lived on all three floors - one wouldn't have to run the wire in the walls - run it between the floors, by drilling up through the ceiling/down through the floor (peel back the carpet first). When you move out, cut and remove the cable, and patch the holes. Done right, with an artistic touch, you will not be able to tell.
As far as building codes? I wouldn't worry about them unless you running near electrical outlets (though I did suggest this), or you are running electrical cable. An ethernet cable is not going to impact anything. I agree with your suggestion of conduit, and of mentioning the improvements as a plus to the landlord. But you have to know your landlord - how nice are they, etc - before mentioning if. If the landlord is an ass - don't mention it, get denied, then do it - suspicion is on you, then.
Finally, all bets are off if your landlord likes to take regular "tours" of your place while you are away. If this is the case, I think you may have bigger problems, and may want to look into a video security system while you're at it...
A couple of the provisions (it may not be in every state, but I suspect it is) for a CDL is that a) you must have a physical done at time of renewal of license (every two years or so) and b) you must fill out inspection forms prior to driving the vehicle (as well as staying withing certain load limits). Let me tell you - I don't want to do either one of those things, for my Ford Ranger.
My fiance's brother-in-law drives a 10 wheel dump truck for a living, on a contract basis. Are you aware of the amount of shit he has to put up with while on the road. Just seeing a cop makes him flinch, and reach for his log book - just in case. For commercial drivers, cops have nothing better to do than pull you over - it could be for something as minor as a dusty license plate. They will pull you over, make you clean it, then hand you a $300 ticket just for spite. Have an oil drip (and on a 20 year old dump truck, who the fuck wouldn't) - wham, fine 'em! Then make them PARK by the side of the road, find a ride back home, and tow the damn thing - or make you, the driver, FIX it, right there.
So now all light truck owners would have to do a pre-drive inspection on their vehicles before moving them an inch - better hope that brake light works (oh, yeah - if you have any lights on the vehicle - ALL OF THE LIGHTS have to work. It could be a damn dashboard LED, that indicated nothing, it would have to work). I don't know about you, but I have better things to do with my time than climb underneath my vehicle on a cold morning prior to going to my coding job.
I don't expect them to move light trucks up to CDL level - maybe split the light truck class weight, and give a more stringent test (a stress test would be good, to weed out the crazy power hungry folks) for the upper end license.
You did get me on my solution be more regulation (and my contradiction with it). Perhaps rather than giving this special test to only a certain class of drivers, all drivers should be required to take such a test (maybe with a psych-eval too).
I just looked at the zip file (cp4break.zip), and took a look inside to see how the GPL was applied.
In so many words, it wasn't.
The source code consists of various C/C++ modules (by Matthew Skala) and various Pascal modules (by Eddy L O Jansson). Only one of these source files mentions the GPL - a module called "Unit1.pas", in which it states "CPHack v0.1.0 by Eddy L O Jansson / Released under the GPL.", near the top of the code, in the unit "Unit1".
Nowhere is the full text of the GPL given, not in the code, not in any HTML files, not in any text file included in the archive. No license file is given, and if a stranger was handed this archive, he would be hard pressed to find a copy of that license, since it doesn't appear like any web site information was given, nor any other contact information, as required by the GPL.
I wouldn't consider that one little blurb about the GPL to mean much - if anything, it only serves to muddle the issue - notice it reads "CPHack v0.1.0 by Eddy L O Jansson" - not "CPHack v0.1.0 by Eddy L O Jansson and Matthew Skala. Yet they both worked on it, and had rights to it (implicit, if anything).
I don't know these two individuals, but it is obvious from looking at the code that they haven't much "real world" development experience - one of the first things you do when developing code is put the banner comments at the top (hell, this should be a "boilerplate" starting template!), and keep updating them as you develop (with change notices, etc). This wasn't done well, if at all, by either author, and I fear this may very well give Mattel the loophole they need, regardless of the authors' original intents...
You say you are renting this place - a three level apartment (a basement and two above ground floors). You say you can't run wire because you are renting. I say you haven't tried.
As someone who has lived in SEVERAL apartments, and is currently renting a house (with express permission to do damn near anything I wish, short of busting out a wall!), I can tell you it is EASY to run wire, even if you have to go through concrete.
The thing is, you have to want to do it - rent a SawsAll and go for it! I have seen the "normal" maintenance guys tear the SHIT out different rooms in the apartments I have lived in (mostly for plumbing problems), and restore them to the way they were with hardly a seam afterward. If maintenance drones can do it - YOU CAN TOO! Learn how to do simple drywall repair, patching and plasterwork, and learn how to paint. I cannot tell you how many times I have "restored" an apartment I had "trashed" when I moved out - and got my deposit back, in full, EVERY time.
You may need to cut and drill a bit, but it isn't that hard to route cable in an apartment. It become massively easier to do it if the place is built out of wood or concrete block (in the case of wood, drill and cut. For block construction, pull an outlet out of the wall, and see if the wires run down past the "floor" you are on, and follow them to where they are going - sometimes, you can find another outlet inline vertically with each other - count bricks!). If the apartment is a concrete box construction (massive walls and ceilings of reinforced concrete), then you will need a concrete drill. Pull back the carpet in a corner and go for it.
In the end, when you move out, do what patching you need to - do it neat, and blend the paint. Ask what color paint they use (tell them you need some for touch up repair - sometimes they'll give you a pint), or take a sample and have it color matched. Or wait until they paint one of the apartments, then "walk in" on the paint crew and ask. Many times apartments and other rentals will use the cheapest stuff they can find (Conco Brand Cottage White is a favorite in my area).
Final note - when you move out, close all drapes/blinds, and close all doors (cabinets, closets and interior). Do the inspection during late evening, on a Friday is best. This is so they won't bother to do too thorough of an inspection - and they may skip over some of the finer points, and miss others (got to get home, away from work, weekend is here). However, this in NO WAY should keep you from doing the best job you can repairing what you have done, so do that portion properly, without haste. Then blame anything that is noticed on a past repair.
It can be done - I know, I have done it - YOU CAN TOO.
It's been quite a while since my high school days (9 years and counting - tick...tick...), but if there is one thing that is needed now, more than ever, it is getting our kids to think for themselves. We should want them to question authority (not overrule it, but to question "why?" - and only overrule it if the answer is unjust), to question what they see on TV and on the internet. To question why they should drink Coke, eat McDonald's, or wear the "latest" fad clothing.
With all the censorship and law issue going on in regards to the internet and computers, having the ability to think about issues in life without being led by the nose by corporate interests will be a skill worth having when they graduate and move on into adult life.
Perhaps with this skill a future generation can lead our society to a saner level and away from what we are currently experiencing.
So whatever you teach in that computer class, interject the idea of questioning into it. Don't let the kids get into the habit of always taking your word as the gospel truth - actively discourage it! Tell them about issues they may not be aware of, and discuss why they are problems, and how they may impact them as kids and as future adults. In short, be honest with the students.
One other thing - we had at my high school a teacher who was honest like this - he got fired in the end. It seems the other faculty didn't like his views, and canned him. He stuck to his guns, and didn't waffle - while we lost a great teacher, we all had respect for him, and knew who was right in the end. So if teaching kids to think for themselves gets you in hot water, don't buckle under the pressure - stay your course, regardless of the outcome. Showing resolve against a system that does you wrong will leave a bigger impression on the kids than buckling under.
But they are light trucks - not vehicles that are covered under the provisions for a CDL. IIRC, a CDL requires a certain tonnage to be met before such a license is required (and SUV's do not come anywhere near close enough).
I agree with you that many people who drive SUV's drive them like cars (and some, much to there peril, drive them like sport cars!), something should be done. But I don't think regulation is the answer (we already have ENOUGH regulations as it is).
Maybe what is needed is in order to buy or have a license for one of these vehicles, you would need to take a lengthy test-track kind of test to show you can handle the vehicle safely (kinda like what you need to do for a CDL, but it would be for a normal license, or to use your normal license for the new vehicle)? Does this sound like a good plan?
One thing I have loved about this effect is the ethereal quality it gives everything - especially when the entire shot is "frozen" (by essentially taking the same shot from all the cameras along the track at the same instant). Bright light seems to "fog", falling water seems as if it is made of diamond. Things "hang" in midair - like magic.
These effects are truely amazing - even more amazing when one considers the early motion photographer Edward Muybridge almost discovered it himself...
I can understand if you guys couldn't get the software/firmware loaded onto the RCX (without reading the instructions) - that would pretty much kill Mindstorms right there. But I find it laughable that you couldn't build a robot out of LEGO.
You have gears, tank treads, wheels, axles, girders (with holes for the axles), motors, and sensors - and you couldn't build a robot? What the heck was wrong with you guys? Did you EVER play with LEGO as a kid? Did any of you (OK, I will accept that it is possible to grow up and become an engineer without EVER having played with LEGO in the past)? At the minimum, one would think you could have come up with a simple two wheel motorized device with skids (even if it wouldn't work with the RCX, it would still be a robot - just one that needs the software worked out). You wouldn't have even needed to mess around with gears and such - you could have used pulleys and rubber bands.
If you and these engineers were dropped in the middle of a Home Depot - could you build a robot with what is there? Somehow, I tend to think you would be lost - even with the multitude of tools and parts at your disposal (and for those of you who doubt that you could build a robot from parts at a Home Depot - go to one, and take a good look around).
It amuses me that these guys call themselves engineers...
But it could also be because Fisher Technik is VERY expensive (much more so than LEGO). While I agree that LEGO is expensive, I have looked into FT, and while the quality is excellent (there is a reason they use them for engineering classes), I couldn't justify the cost for playing around.
Why? Because it took manufacturer's soooo long to copy those "elements" from the Taurus. You see, the Taurus had been a concept car of Ford's since the late 60's (one element, that was in the concept vehicle, but never made it to production, was enclosed wheel wells, to cut down on air resistance) - I have a Popular Mechanix (or Pop Sci) of the period detailing the entire vehicle - imagine my suprise when Ford FINALLY released it nearly 20 years later...
frankie: Millennium is right - it isn't the car that is at fault, it's the driver behind the wheel. With your logic, one could argue as to why Jason was driving such a small vehicle, rather than something larger (though in this case, that small vehicle probably saved his life - did you see how much impact the car assorbed and distributed around the cab - incredible). I don't think we need more laws or tests or other restrictions on vehicles - I think we need more responsible people driving (of course, I could see only giving licenses to those people who demonstrate responsible actions on a test).
Millennium: What happened? Did you get to the Honda Civic portion and drop the word "Civic", thus forming your idea that Jason was riding a motorcycle? While I agree with your sentiment that "it's the driver, not the car", please read a little more carefully in the future...
Finally, I wish Jason and Cassie the best of luck - I hope he comes back full and strong from this setback, and hopefully sues the fucker who hit him into oblivion (I am not a fan of lawsuits, but in this case there was gross negligence on the part of the other driver, and that driver should pay up ).
You beat me to it! But, the article you point out is actually about the SpringWalker device, and not the Hardiman.
For those of you who don't know, the Hardiman was built by GE researchers (one is actually pretty famous, though I can't remember his name off the top of my head right now) looking into body amplification techniques for the Navy. The suit they created was IMMENSE. I haven't been able to find any pictures on the net of this suit, but I do have a book or two that shows it (along with the four legged truck that was also built). Wait - maybe the guy's name was Ralph Mosser, or something like that. Anyhow, you have to see pictures of this device to believe it. It looks as good as the exoskeletons depicted in Aliens. I might just take a scan from my book and post it here later...
This device was a good first step. The SpringWalker is another.
I figure we'll see privately developed exoskeletons (or mobile armor, or mechs, or whatever you want to call 'em) long before the military versions (and I bet SRL beats them all!).
I have been using CheckFree for about 4-5 years now, via the Windows-based modem-dialup software. My bank offers it's own software, in addition to a web-based system, but it isn't as intuitive as the CheckFree system.
One thing that I love about the CheckFree system is their level of customer service - A+! On many occasions they have helped me to figure out when and where something has gone wrong (sometimes I got double billed, other times it was my fault). As long as those dial-up's work I should be ok...
Which brings me to a point I _hate_ about CheckFree - the software is Windows only! Even if I decided to chuck all of my Windows software today and move to Linux, I would have to keep a Windows box for the CheckFree software. Why? Because I track ALL of my transactions in the CheckFree software - from ATM withdrawals to checks I write (and I write VERY few checks, now). I balance everything in CheckFree, and it all works easily, with the features I want, when I want them.
I thought about going with the CheckFree web interface, but it only does the bill paying features - it doesn't allow you to run budget reports or balance your account - you have to do that on paper or in a spreadsheet or something external (and basically be doing double entry at that point, which can lead to errors). I have seriously given thought to creating some software for Linux to allow me to use the web interface, but do the balancing stuff on a spreadsheet, in an all-in-one package.
It's a real sticking point - I don't want to be able to only pay bills - I want to be able to track the cash flow as well, without two different interfaces (or double entry, or whatever you want to call it). I haven't found anything that allows this yet...
Why does the site seem to make it sound like this can only be used with a couple of Dacta sets (specifically 9630/9645)? No where does it mention using it for other sets, though it seems to imply you could "design" your own parts, hence building a Lego component library...
But why should you? Why not just use LDraw or LeoCAD for modeling your Lego creations?
Their latest is actually a pretty small device, that transmits to the receiver half of one of their Video Sender/Receiver pairs (like what you get when you order the DVD Anywhere kit, etc).
Still, it has a wire that goes to a power supply. And it can be jammed.
I would suggest a regular, monitored alarm system as your main system - They don't tend to be too expensive on a month to month basis, and your renter's/homeowner's insurance rates will be lower with such a system.
You still want to catch the thief, though, and for that you will need a camera (or an auto-targeting taser device - hehe...). You can buy the stuff off the shelf, but you WILL pay through the nose. So I will tell you, in "block" terms, how to build one yourself:
1. Get a few camera's - those pinhole ones you see, black and white is OK - if you want the IR illumination option, get it, too. Mount them in housings, wire them up to power, and bring all the wire into the walls via copper or steel tubing jackets. Bring all the video feeds to a central point.
2. Get an analog signal multiplexor/switcher chip - these chips are provided by several manufacturers, and allow you to poll a line on them to select one of several different inputs/outputs. Most use standard TTL level signals for the polling line, designed to be driven by a timer chip (like a 555) or a computer (in our case). Analog signals generally can go both ways (one to many, or many to one, the latter being what we'll use).
3. Wire the chip up such that each composite video output from each camera goes into one of the switched lines on the chip. There will now be a single line on the chip that can be used as an output, bring a line out from that. Connect the poll line on the chip to one of the control lines on the parallel port on your PC.
4. Now, here is the tricky part: Write some software to poll the parallel port, to cause each camera's output to appear on the single line. Poll only every second or so. This output should be routed to a video digitiser card (like a TV tuner card, or something similar). Now, after you poll the port, have the software digitize the image, and compare that to the LAST image digitized (maybe by XOR the two images, if there are any pixels different, the output of the XOR op will show it). You may want a threshold value here (so as not to detect the grass waving in the wind).
5. If a difference is detected, that means an intruder (or something) is present. Save that picture to your drive, and maybe upload it to a private web/ftp site (broadband comes in REAL handy here). You could also have the system page you, or email you as well.
6. Set up the web page to view the images - or email the image to you!
With that in hand, you could use your judgment on either calling the police, the alarm company, or whatever. I know I have only presented a VERY high level view of what needs to be done for such a system, but on the other hand, such a system beats a time lapse VCR (which are expensive, and have to save the video on-site) in cost and customizability (is that a word?)...
Basically, at the maximum, we should only have to go up there, get the things, then park them near the station, or on the station, to be used as needed - like a scrap bin (with VERY expensive scrap).
We shouldn't have to bring them down, retool, then send them back up - that's stupid and wasteful. They are already up there, so do all the work UP THERE. There shouldn't be much need for retooling, and what little there is needed should be done up there as well.
Think of this analogy - I need a part for my car. Do I go to the scrapyard, find a part, then send it to the manufacturer to have it rebuilt, or do I just bring it back where I need it (home), and work on myself, installing it in the right spot (with maybe a little hacking/tweaking here and there)? Which one seems like the most the LOGICAL solution?
This would be a much better solution than letting them all burn up (aren't they in a higher orbit than the space station, anyhow? Couldn't you deorbit them to a lower "altitude" and have them slowed down by nets or something at the space station (assuming they aren't moving too fast relative to the station speed)?) - though I did like the ID2000 idea...
A. The format is NOT the problem - those people pirating MP3's of artist's music which they do not have a "bought" copy of, are stealing, by law. However, it is not because of the format!
B. Cracking? These people are not cracking software and releasing it under the GPL! I assume you mean the CyberPatrol thing. They created software to decrypt the database being used by CP so that others could see what was and what wasn't being blocked. This database should be legally viewable by the purchaser of the product, so they can see if it is a good product, or if it is a product with an agenda to push. The code these guys released under the GPL was NOT a cracked CyberPatrol, but rather a decryption utility for the CyberPatrol database. In other words, it was their own code.
Maybe you should "beat that into YOUR pointy little head"!
Kinda misleading - talks about a system call ARTOC - a primitive war planning/operations multimedia device using funky projector/digitization technology, and pneumatic tube information retrieval - and it's portable (portable being relative here, of course)!
Be sure to check out this link:
http://wps.com/texts/ARTOC/
Which has numerous scans taken from an old book (proposal?) detailing the device and how it was to work - extremely fascinating!
I got a chance to hear a couple of Edison wax cylinders, played on an original player, after finals at the end of my senior year (almost 10 years ago). My history teacher at the time was an antique collector, and he had one. He brought it in for a little "show-and-tell". I can't remember what was played, but I remember that it was scratchy, but played pretty well for its age...
That's an 8 inch floppy - and yes, by today's standards, the capacity was low.
We have a place here in Phoenix, Arizona called Apache Reclamation and Electronics - THE place where old computers come to die. I have many times found old 10 meg disk packs in the junkyard out back, and sometimes, the drive they went in!
Slashdot Mirror
The problems with creating a computer guided vehicle are enormous. Just getting the computer to recognize the lines, etc of a road without veering and such, and doing it in realtime - that is a huge problem. Doing the same on a normal road when you have four or five (or more) cars around you, with normal humans (and the woman in the Expedition putting on makeup and chatting on the cell phone - yikes!) is near impossible. Then comes avoiding the small stuff (kids, balls, cats - well, maybe not cats - just kidding)...
I think we shouldn't be concentrating on a complete computer guided car concept, but more on an advanced cruise control for vehicles. Front and rear looking radar (maybe side radar too), combined with a simple vision system (a single B/W low-res cam should do OK here), and smart dots - these things could be done in such a way to make an easy an affordable "smart" cruise control for the freeway commute or interstate drive.
The radar portion would be for speed and avoidance control - this portion is already in limited use in luxury vehicles, as well as some commercial vehicles. The cam system would be forward looking, and would be a system to do edge detection - to help keep the car centered going down a lane. The processing power to do the real-time edge detection and centering should be able to be accomplished with current cpu's, at max maybe a small Beowulf style cluster parallel computer (to process in sections of the image - kinda like the 8x8 processing of jpegs). The final portion would be the smart dots...
What I am calling a smart dot here would be the only infrastructure change needed - and if such a thing hasn't already been created and patented, well, it probably should've been. If not, then what follows I am placing under the GPL - the design, and implementation of anything remotely like it (I doubt this will hold up in court, though). Anyhow...
A smart dot would replace those dots that separate the lanes on the freeway. The new dots would be similar, except that they would have a small circuit in them that put out a very low power 900 Mhz signal, that can only be detected by being near to the dot. The lower edge of the dot would be 3M reflective white, the upper top curved portion would remain clear, to focus sunlight onto a small solar cell to recharge a small NiMH batttery that powers the thing. This "lens" would only be about the size of a quarter or so, maybe even a dime size hole would do it. At any rate, the rest of the dot would be the 3M white, so at night (the battery should be able to last through a night of use - this thing will be very low power) it will show up in the headlamps of the car as normal. This same style dot could be used for the frustum/rectangular style dots, with only a few simple mods.
All the dots emit the low power signal, so low you must be within a foot or less to pick the signal up. Sensors on either side of the car would pick the signal up, so that the car knows it is drifting, and can compensate left or right, and update what it is seeing in the camera vision system to account for the drift. These dots would be the last line of defense (well, not the last line - since this IS a cruise control, the driver is still behind the wheel, and can take over in an emergency). The dots could also emit information, such as a certain exit coming up, or cars need to slow down for road work ahead, or merge left/right (they could be programmable as well - maybe these things use a funky iPic, like that webserver). If they really wanted to be cheap, the dots could encase small rare-earth magnets, and hall effect sensors would be placed on the cars (with appropriate compensation for the earth's magnetic field). However, these kind of dots wouldn't be as flexible, though they would cost only fractions of a penny more than the current dots in use, and probably wouldn't take much to retool for manufacturing them, vs the smart dots.
This kind of system, while not as whiz-bang, would solve a LOT of problems (such as people not being able to merge properly, and vehicle density issues vs speed). It might make traffic move smoother during rush hour, and make it easier to get on and off freeways during these times.
It won't allow you to read a paper or take a nap and catch those few extra minutes of sleep while you go to work - but when it comes to cars, I wouldn't trust any system to allow me to do that!
The Fox overdubbed version of Wierd Science:
"She kicked me in the in the nuts" became "She kicked me in the guts" (not too bad), with the follow-up "In the flippin gizzard?" dubbed over the original line (which I can't remember what it was).
I enjoy watching dubbed movies, just because the cheesiness makes me roll on the floor...
Especially when coupled with a database! One thing I would like to know is whether this database that is being compiled has limits set on it (and by who?) - such as the data is deleted after graduation from high school (or maybe a fresh start between "levels" - elementary, jr. high, high school) or when you reach 18 years of age, that the data is available to the parents at any time, that the data is not sold to anyone else, that the data cannot be used against me by a future employer...
Think this can't happen? I can assure you it can (I still cringe at the fact that somewhere my fingerprints are in a database from being ID'd by one of those "save the children" type, "keep-your-kids-from-getting-lost" campaigns my parents took me to when I was little in the 80's), and probably will, unless proper safeguards are put in place...
That's right - good feelings.
This is what I get in return every time someone downloads a piece of code I have GPL'd (of course, it helps that they notify me that they d/l'd it, and liked it). I get good feelings that someone has found my code useful, helpful, and perhaps has even learned from it.
While this may not feed my family, it still can be considered a "consideration", correct?
Hey, I never said my method was easy - but it would have to be cheaper, and maybe more reliable (unless you tend to move that laptop around a lot, flopping on the couch to do some coding or whatever - personally, I have never done this, and don't think it would be comfortable, but I can understand the appeal).
If one is dealing with a person, on a normal house or such (the vision I was having was that the building was a brownstone or one of those SF style Victorians - tall and narrow), then it would be a good idea to approach the person. However, if that doesn't work, I say screw 'em, and do it quietly.
It can be possible to do the work quietly (though it will be MUCH slower, and maybe impossible if one has to go through concrete). Unless the landlord lives on-site (as in the same building, where noise will be the issue), there shouldn't be any problem doing surreptitious mods (provided they are discrete, and are made to look good).
The way the person was describing the building, though, was that he lived on all three floors - one wouldn't have to run the wire in the walls - run it between the floors, by drilling up through the ceiling/down through the floor (peel back the carpet first). When you move out, cut and remove the cable, and patch the holes. Done right, with an artistic touch, you will not be able to tell.
As far as building codes? I wouldn't worry about them unless you running near electrical outlets (though I did suggest this), or you are running electrical cable. An ethernet cable is not going to impact anything. I agree with your suggestion of conduit, and of mentioning the improvements as a plus to the landlord. But you have to know your landlord - how nice are they, etc - before mentioning if. If the landlord is an ass - don't mention it, get denied, then do it - suspicion is on you, then.
Finally, all bets are off if your landlord likes to take regular "tours" of your place while you are away. If this is the case, I think you may have bigger problems, and may want to look into a video security system while you're at it...
A couple of the provisions (it may not be in every state, but I suspect it is) for a CDL is that a) you must have a physical done at time of renewal of license (every two years or so) and b) you must fill out inspection forms prior to driving the vehicle (as well as staying withing certain load limits). Let me tell you - I don't want to do either one of those things, for my Ford Ranger.
My fiance's brother-in-law drives a 10 wheel dump truck for a living, on a contract basis. Are you aware of the amount of shit he has to put up with while on the road. Just seeing a cop makes him flinch, and reach for his log book - just in case. For commercial drivers, cops have nothing better to do than pull you over - it could be for something as minor as a dusty license plate. They will pull you over, make you clean it, then hand you a $300 ticket just for spite. Have an oil drip (and on a 20 year old dump truck, who the fuck wouldn't) - wham, fine 'em! Then make them PARK by the side of the road, find a ride back home, and tow the damn thing - or make you, the driver, FIX it, right there.
So now all light truck owners would have to do a pre-drive inspection on their vehicles before moving them an inch - better hope that brake light works (oh, yeah - if you have any lights on the vehicle - ALL OF THE LIGHTS have to work. It could be a damn dashboard LED, that indicated nothing, it would have to work). I don't know about you, but I have better things to do with my time than climb underneath my vehicle on a cold morning prior to going to my coding job.
I don't expect them to move light trucks up to CDL level - maybe split the light truck class weight, and give a more stringent test (a stress test would be good, to weed out the crazy power hungry folks) for the upper end license.
You did get me on my solution be more regulation (and my contradiction with it). Perhaps rather than giving this special test to only a certain class of drivers, all drivers should be required to take such a test (maybe with a psych-eval too).
I just looked at the zip file (cp4break.zip), and took a look inside to see how the GPL was applied.
In so many words, it wasn't.
The source code consists of various C/C++ modules (by Matthew Skala) and various Pascal modules (by Eddy L O Jansson). Only one of these source files mentions the GPL - a module called "Unit1.pas", in which it states "CPHack v0.1.0 by Eddy L O Jansson / Released under the GPL.", near the top of the code, in the unit "Unit1".
Nowhere is the full text of the GPL given, not in the code, not in any HTML files, not in any text file included in the archive. No license file is given, and if a stranger was handed this archive, he would be hard pressed to find a copy of that license, since it doesn't appear like any web site information was given, nor any other contact information, as required by the GPL.
I wouldn't consider that one little blurb about the GPL to mean much - if anything, it only serves to muddle the issue - notice it reads "CPHack v0.1.0 by Eddy L O Jansson" - not "CPHack v0.1.0 by Eddy L O Jansson and Matthew Skala. Yet they both worked on it, and had rights to it (implicit, if anything).
I don't know these two individuals, but it is obvious from looking at the code that they haven't much "real world" development experience - one of the first things you do when developing code is put the banner comments at the top (hell, this should be a "boilerplate" starting template!), and keep updating them as you develop (with change notices, etc). This wasn't done well, if at all, by either author, and I fear this may very well give Mattel the loophole they need, regardless of the authors' original intents...
You say you are renting this place - a three level apartment (a basement and two above ground floors). You say you can't run wire because you are renting. I say you haven't tried.
As someone who has lived in SEVERAL apartments, and is currently renting a house (with express permission to do damn near anything I wish, short of busting out a wall!), I can tell you it is EASY to run wire, even if you have to go through concrete.
The thing is, you have to want to do it - rent a SawsAll and go for it! I have seen the "normal" maintenance guys tear the SHIT out different rooms in the apartments I have lived in (mostly for plumbing problems), and restore them to the way they were with hardly a seam afterward. If maintenance drones can do it - YOU CAN TOO! Learn how to do simple drywall repair, patching and plasterwork, and learn how to paint. I cannot tell you how many times I have "restored" an apartment I had "trashed" when I moved out - and got my deposit back, in full, EVERY time.
You may need to cut and drill a bit, but it isn't that hard to route cable in an apartment. It become massively easier to do it if the place is built out of wood or concrete block (in the case of wood, drill and cut. For block construction, pull an outlet out of the wall, and see if the wires run down past the "floor" you are on, and follow them to where they are going - sometimes, you can find another outlet inline vertically with each other - count bricks!). If the apartment is a concrete box construction (massive walls and ceilings of reinforced concrete), then you will need a concrete drill. Pull back the carpet in a corner and go for it.
In the end, when you move out, do what patching you need to - do it neat, and blend the paint. Ask what color paint they use (tell them you need some for touch up repair - sometimes they'll give you a pint), or take a sample and have it color matched. Or wait until they paint one of the apartments, then "walk in" on the paint crew and ask. Many times apartments and other rentals will use the cheapest stuff they can find (Conco Brand Cottage White is a favorite in my area).
Final note - when you move out, close all drapes/blinds, and close all doors (cabinets, closets and interior). Do the inspection during late evening, on a Friday is best. This is so they won't bother to do too thorough of an inspection - and they may skip over some of the finer points, and miss others (got to get home, away from work, weekend is here). However, this in NO WAY should keep you from doing the best job you can repairing what you have done, so do that portion properly, without haste. Then blame anything that is noticed on a past repair.
It can be done - I know, I have done it - YOU CAN TOO.
It's been quite a while since my high school days (9 years and counting - tick...tick...), but if there is one thing that is needed now, more than ever, it is getting our kids to think for themselves. We should want them to question authority (not overrule it, but to question "why?" - and only overrule it if the answer is unjust), to question what they see on TV and on the internet. To question why they should drink Coke, eat McDonald's, or wear the "latest" fad clothing.
With all the censorship and law issue going on in regards to the internet and computers, having the ability to think about issues in life without being led by the nose by corporate interests will be a skill worth having when they graduate and move on into adult life.
Perhaps with this skill a future generation can lead our society to a saner level and away from what we are currently experiencing.
So whatever you teach in that computer class, interject the idea of questioning into it. Don't let the kids get into the habit of always taking your word as the gospel truth - actively discourage it! Tell them about issues they may not be aware of, and discuss why they are problems, and how they may impact them as kids and as future adults. In short, be honest with the students.
One other thing - we had at my high school a teacher who was honest like this - he got fired in the end. It seems the other faculty didn't like his views, and canned him. He stuck to his guns, and didn't waffle - while we lost a great teacher, we all had respect for him, and knew who was right in the end. So if teaching kids to think for themselves gets you in hot water, don't buckle under the pressure - stay your course, regardless of the outcome. Showing resolve against a system that does you wrong will leave a bigger impression on the kids than buckling under.
But they are light trucks - not vehicles that are covered under the provisions for a CDL. IIRC, a CDL requires a certain tonnage to be met before such a license is required (and SUV's do not come anywhere near close enough).
I agree with you that many people who drive SUV's drive them like cars (and some, much to there peril, drive them like sport cars!), something should be done. But I don't think regulation is the answer (we already have ENOUGH regulations as it is).
Maybe what is needed is in order to buy or have a license for one of these vehicles, you would need to take a lengthy test-track kind of test to show you can handle the vehicle safely (kinda like what you need to do for a CDL, but it would be for a normal license, or to use your normal license for the new vehicle)? Does this sound like a good plan?
One thing I have loved about this effect is the ethereal quality it gives everything - especially when the entire shot is "frozen" (by essentially taking the same shot from all the cameras along the track at the same instant). Bright light seems to "fog", falling water seems as if it is made of diamond. Things "hang" in midair - like magic.
These effects are truely amazing - even more amazing when one considers the early motion photographer Edward Muybridge almost discovered it himself...
I can understand if you guys couldn't get the software/firmware loaded onto the RCX (without reading the instructions) - that would pretty much kill Mindstorms right there. But I find it laughable that you couldn't build a robot out of LEGO.
You have gears, tank treads, wheels, axles, girders (with holes for the axles), motors, and sensors - and you couldn't build a robot? What the heck was wrong with you guys? Did you EVER play with LEGO as a kid? Did any of you (OK, I will accept that it is possible to grow up and become an engineer without EVER having played with LEGO in the past)? At the minimum, one would think you could have come up with a simple two wheel motorized device with skids (even if it wouldn't work with the RCX, it would still be a robot - just one that needs the software worked out). You wouldn't have even needed to mess around with gears and such - you could have used pulleys and rubber bands.
If you and these engineers were dropped in the middle of a Home Depot - could you build a robot with what is there? Somehow, I tend to think you would be lost - even with the multitude of tools and parts at your disposal (and for those of you who doubt that you could build a robot from parts at a Home Depot - go to one, and take a good look around).
It amuses me that these guys call themselves engineers...
But it could also be because Fisher Technik is VERY expensive (much more so than LEGO). While I agree that LEGO is expensive, I have looked into FT, and while the quality is excellent (there is a reason they use them for engineering classes), I couldn't justify the cost for playing around.
Why? Because it took manufacturer's soooo long to copy those "elements" from the Taurus. You see, the Taurus had been a concept car of Ford's since the late 60's (one element, that was in the concept vehicle, but never made it to production, was enclosed wheel wells, to cut down on air resistance) - I have a Popular Mechanix (or Pop Sci) of the period detailing the entire vehicle - imagine my suprise when Ford FINALLY released it nearly 20 years later...
One to frankie, the other to Millennium:
frankie: Millennium is right - it isn't the car that is at fault, it's the driver behind the wheel. With your logic, one could argue as to why Jason was driving such a small vehicle, rather than something larger (though in this case, that small vehicle probably saved his life - did you see how much impact the car assorbed and distributed around the cab - incredible). I don't think we need more laws or tests or other restrictions on vehicles - I think we need more responsible people driving (of course, I could see only giving licenses to those people who demonstrate responsible actions on a test).
Millennium: What happened? Did you get to the Honda Civic portion and drop the word "Civic", thus forming your idea that Jason was riding a motorcycle? While I agree with your sentiment that "it's the driver, not the car", please read a little more carefully in the future...
Finally, I wish Jason and Cassie the best of luck - I hope he comes back full and strong from this setback, and hopefully sues the fucker who hit him into oblivion (I am not a fan of lawsuits, but in this case there was gross negligence on the part of the other driver, and that driver should pay up ).
The GE resercher's name was Ralph Mosher. That is the correct spelling. Anyhow, I have found two references to him:
One on Scientific American Frontiers. This link has a transcript of what is on the video (the episode you can buy).
The other link is from an article on "Industrial Lingerie" (WTF!? Cute girls, though), on a site called monk.com. The reference is on "page" 2.
Enjoy!
You beat me to it! But, the article you point out is actually about the SpringWalker device, and not the Hardiman.
For those of you who don't know, the Hardiman was built by GE researchers (one is actually pretty famous, though I can't remember his name off the top of my head right now) looking into body amplification techniques for the Navy. The suit they created was IMMENSE. I haven't been able to find any pictures on the net of this suit, but I do have a book or two that shows it (along with the four legged truck that was also built). Wait - maybe the guy's name was Ralph Mosser, or something like that. Anyhow, you have to see pictures of this device to believe it. It looks as good as the exoskeletons depicted in Aliens. I might just take a scan from my book and post it here later...
This device was a good first step. The SpringWalker is another.
We can also see exoskeleton features in the technology and design that went into Robosaurus, as well as in the devices (and controls) used by Survival Research Laboratories (SRL).
I figure we'll see privately developed exoskeletons (or mobile armor, or mechs, or whatever you want to call 'em) long before the military versions (and I bet SRL beats them all!).
I have been using CheckFree for about 4-5 years now, via the Windows-based modem-dialup software. My bank offers it's own software, in addition to a web-based system, but it isn't as intuitive as the CheckFree system.
One thing that I love about the CheckFree system is their level of customer service - A+! On many occasions they have helped me to figure out when and where something has gone wrong (sometimes I got double billed, other times it was my fault). As long as those dial-up's work I should be ok...
Which brings me to a point I _hate_ about CheckFree - the software is Windows only! Even if I decided to chuck all of my Windows software today and move to Linux, I would have to keep a Windows box for the CheckFree software. Why? Because I track ALL of my transactions in the CheckFree software - from ATM withdrawals to checks I write (and I write VERY few checks, now). I balance everything in CheckFree, and it all works easily, with the features I want, when I want them.
I thought about going with the CheckFree web interface, but it only does the bill paying features - it doesn't allow you to run budget reports or balance your account - you have to do that on paper or in a spreadsheet or something external (and basically be doing double entry at that point, which can lead to errors). I have seriously given thought to creating some software for Linux to allow me to use the web interface, but do the balancing stuff on a spreadsheet, in an all-in-one package.
It's a real sticking point - I don't want to be able to only pay bills - I want to be able to track the cash flow as well, without two different interfaces (or double entry, or whatever you want to call it). I haven't found anything that allows this yet...
Why does the site seem to make it sound like this can only be used with a couple of Dacta sets (specifically 9630/9645)? No where does it mention using it for other sets, though it seems to imply you could "design" your own parts, hence building a Lego component library...
But why should you? Why not just use LDraw or LeoCAD for modeling your Lego creations?
Their latest is actually a pretty small device, that transmits to the receiver half of one of their Video Sender/Receiver pairs (like what you get when you order the DVD Anywhere kit, etc).
Still, it has a wire that goes to a power supply. And it can be jammed.
I would suggest a regular, monitored alarm system as your main system - They don't tend to be too expensive on a month to month basis, and your renter's/homeowner's insurance rates will be lower with such a system.
You still want to catch the thief, though, and for that you will need a camera (or an auto-targeting taser device - hehe...). You can buy the stuff off the shelf, but you WILL pay through the nose. So I will tell you, in "block" terms, how to build one yourself:
1. Get a few camera's - those pinhole ones you see, black and white is OK - if you want the IR illumination option, get it, too. Mount them in housings, wire them up to power, and bring all the wire into the walls via copper or steel tubing jackets. Bring all the video feeds to a central point.
2. Get an analog signal multiplexor/switcher chip - these chips are provided by several manufacturers, and allow you to poll a line on them to select one of several different inputs/outputs. Most use standard TTL level signals for the polling line, designed to be driven by a timer chip (like a 555) or a computer (in our case). Analog signals generally can go both ways (one to many, or many to one, the latter being what we'll use).
3. Wire the chip up such that each composite video output from each camera goes into one of the switched lines on the chip. There will now be a single line on the chip that can be used as an output, bring a line out from that. Connect the poll line on the chip to one of the control lines on the parallel port on your PC.
4. Now, here is the tricky part: Write some software to poll the parallel port, to cause each camera's output to appear on the single line. Poll only every second or so. This output should be routed to a video digitiser card (like a TV tuner card, or something similar). Now, after you poll the port, have the software digitize the image, and compare that to the LAST image digitized (maybe by XOR the two images, if there are any pixels different, the output of the XOR op will show it). You may want a threshold value here (so as not to detect the grass waving in the wind).
5. If a difference is detected, that means an intruder (or something) is present. Save that picture to your drive, and maybe upload it to a private web/ftp site (broadband comes in REAL handy here). You could also have the system page you, or email you as well.
6. Set up the web page to view the images - or email the image to you!
With that in hand, you could use your judgment on either calling the police, the alarm company, or whatever. I know I have only presented a VERY high level view of what needs to be done for such a system, but on the other hand, such a system beats a time lapse VCR (which are expensive, and have to save the video on-site) in cost and customizability (is that a word?)...
Basically, at the maximum, we should only have to go up there, get the things, then park them near the station, or on the station, to be used as needed - like a scrap bin (with VERY expensive scrap).
We shouldn't have to bring them down, retool, then send them back up - that's stupid and wasteful. They are already up there, so do all the work UP THERE. There shouldn't be much need for retooling, and what little there is needed should be done up there as well.
Think of this analogy - I need a part for my car. Do I go to the scrapyard, find a part, then send it to the manufacturer to have it rebuilt, or do I just bring it back where I need it (home), and work on myself, installing it in the right spot (with maybe a little hacking/tweaking here and there)? Which one seems like the most the LOGICAL solution?
This would be a much better solution than letting them all burn up (aren't they in a higher orbit than the space station, anyhow? Couldn't you deorbit them to a lower "altitude" and have them slowed down by nets or something at the space station (assuming they aren't moving too fast relative to the station speed)?) - though I did like the ID2000 idea...
A. The format is NOT the problem - those people pirating MP3's of artist's music which they do not have a "bought" copy of, are stealing, by law. However, it is not because of the format!
B. Cracking? These people are not cracking software and releasing it under the GPL! I assume you mean the CyberPatrol thing. They created software to decrypt the database being used by CP so that others could see what was and what wasn't being blocked. This database should be legally viewable by the purchaser of the product, so they can see if it is a good product, or if it is a product with an agenda to push. The code these guys released under the GPL was NOT a cracked CyberPatrol, but rather a decryption utility for the CyberPatrol database. In other words, it was their own code.
Maybe you should "beat that into YOUR pointy little head"!
#46.1 Portable pneumatic tube, early multi-media
Kinda misleading - talks about a system call ARTOC - a primitive war planning/operations multimedia device using funky projector/digitization technology, and pneumatic tube information retrieval - and it's portable (portable being relative here, of course)!
Be sure to check out this link:
http://wps.com/texts/ARTOC/
Which has numerous scans taken from an old book (proposal?) detailing the device and how it was to work - extremely fascinating!
I got a chance to hear a couple of Edison wax cylinders, played on an original player, after finals at the end of my senior year (almost 10 years ago). My history teacher at the time was an antique collector, and he had one. He brought it in for a little "show-and-tell". I can't remember what was played, but I remember that it was scratchy, but played pretty well for its age...
That's an 8 inch floppy - and yes, by today's standards, the capacity was low.
We have a place here in Phoenix, Arizona called Apache Reclamation and Electronics - THE place where old computers come to die. I have many times found old 10 meg disk packs in the junkyard out back, and sometimes, the drive they went in!