I understand what you are getting at, so perhaps if such a binary were available, I could create my own distro to redistribute the binary - I just couldn't use the DVD logo. That answers most of my argument.
However, I still think they would justify the fees in other ways: What if my "distro" was on a bootable CF card, and all the distro contained was the system, the binary CSS bit, and some DVD playback software? Basically, what you would be distributing is a bootable drive (could even be a CD to be popped into the DVD drive once and loaded into RAM) for a DVD playback machine - essentially a mostly "open source" DVD player? Heck, why couldn't I just get a mini-itx board, some custom cases, the distro - and sell ultra-low cost "open source" DVD players (of course, it would be hard to sell for less than a $50.00 Apex - but that isn't the point)? Would they still "not care"?
Something tells me they would - especially once you started adding ripping/archival functionality (which should be perfectly legal - think home DVD server appliance)...
Sounds good - but can I create my own distro of Linux and include/distribute the plugin? Something tells me I probably can't, because I wouldn't be the original purchaser of the license. This same idea seems to indicate that the major linux distros couldn't group together - they would probably each have to pay $10,000 to license a copy, and only they could distribute it (as soon as you copied your Mandrake and handed it to a friend, you would be breaking the license agreement)...
I am still reading the book you reference, and as I am reading it and seeing things like this, I have to say it is becoming very interesting. Some of the diagrams and math are going over my head, but I am trying to gain the fundamentals about what he is talking about - which I think was his goal.
By the way, it seems as though Wolfram is most interested in the non-fractal systems the CA produces - the fractal-like systems (can't remember the rule numberes off the top of my head, but many look like Serpinski's (sp?) triangle) were repetitive, always continuing, even after many iterations - on the whole never evolving.
The more dynamic rules seem fundamentally random, almost chaotic - but all seem to point to an organization of some sort. I do agree that there is something interesting going on with DNA - I think in some manner, it is going to end up being a simple Turing-like machine, with a very limited and simple ruleset, acting like a simple CA, and after having run for such a very, very long time - gaining an extreme level of complexity based on Wolfram's ideas.
While I have seen a lot of criticism here on/. about Wolfram, CAs, Mathematica, lawsuits involving everything, references to this book as being a doorstop - I think he is on to something, and I hope he is vindicated - something tells me he didn't write such a large book and sell it so cheaply for nothing. The book would be cheap (book price wise, if nothing else) at three times what it cost - he spent $15.00 a copy, and it is only selling in bookstores for $40-50.00 a copy - so you know he isn't making much money on each copy - and no one spends that much time and money on writing that large of a book on such a topic for a mere "vanity press book" - not unless he is completely nuts, which I don't think he is...
Actually, perhaps not rebuilding an entire engine - but teaching students how to check and change fluids, spark plugs, filters (oil, air *and* gas), as well as other basic maintenance (shocks, belts, hoses, etc) would go a long way to showing that an automobile is something that can be made to last far longer than the "3 years" that manufacturers seem to want you to use a car for. Not to mention that knowing how to do all of those things could save them money and time down the road (I can change my oil and filter FAR faster than a quickie lube place, and it costs less, too).
There is nothing wrong with teaching and expecting someone to know more about what makes the tools they use everyday work (and I shudder to think what it would have cost me to get a new booster and master cylinder installed in my truck at a shop - I did it in about 3 hours last Sunday, for the cost of parts - pretty simple job, actually).
At work, I have to use Windows (NT4 Workstation) because I do development work on a custom CRM application written in VB and Access. Just about every other application, though, on my machine is an open source app, GPL where I can get it. I use Mozilla as my main browser (though I keep Netscape and IE onboard for testing purposes).
I am working on migrating the CRM app from VB and Access - first step will be to migrate to another DB (PostgreSQL likely, or MySQL), then begin the recoding of the application to allow it to be browser based (likely PHP or Perl or some combo here, or maybe Java). While the application works now, it could be made a lot better.
At home, my main machine is a SuSE 6.4/7.2 "hybrid" box - I use it for any new development (mostly Perl, PHP, and Java), browsing (using Mozilla, once again), etc - I really enjoy it, sometimes I "break" things that I have to "re-fix" (3d acceleration is a big one - linked libs get jacked around by various config utils, mostly), and some things don't quite work how I want them to, but mostly it is a *good thing*.
I am working on putting Debian on an old 486 laptop as well, soon. Linux is something I love, and at some point I want to be completely on it.
I do have one app, though, that is on a Windows box, and is the only thing I use on that Windows box - it is the old Checkfree software. I use it, rather than the web interface, because of the reporting, and the fact that you can enter other transactions into the account, etc. Online banking is not an option, because that shows the same things as your statement, rather than what you have vs. the statement (thus, balancing your checkbook never really happens, and you can't tell when a mistake or extra entry has been made - and such incidences have happened with me).
Yes, I know about GNUCash, and I would love to use it, but last time I checked (and I really should check again), it didn't have electronic transaction capability to allow online electronic bill payment - so, you end up writing checks (which I hate), and entering in amounts - or doing online banking, and doing double entry of amounts (which you can EASILY screw up - so it isn't an option for me).
My only other alternative is WINE - but really, I would love to just have a Linux app, and drop all pretense of any mention of Windows altogether.
I don't currently own or buy DVDs, but this still OUTRAGES me! They want to make information behave like food, but at least with food you get some energy and such out of it!
Screw 'em, this will be hacked easily - in fact, I will tell you one way how it might be hacked and still work:
The dye interacts with air, right? Well, you have the sandwich of label/dye layer/polycarb disc - thus, the air would have to get to the dye layer either by the edges or through the label, or maybe through the polycarb layer. I am not a chemist, so I don't know how porus the polycarb disc would be, but I don't think it is really that porus. That would leave the label and edge. So, seal the label with some spray shellac (as one poster already mentioned), and the edge with superglue, as soon as you receive it!
Damn, how dumb do these farks think we are? What exactly is this about? EVERYTHING THEY HAVE COME UP WITH HAS BEEN BROKEN, many times BEFORE it comes out, or not too long thereafter.
I tell you, I HATE THESE GREEDY NO-GOOD BASTARD WASTES OF FLESH...!
And a lot of newer houses, sheesh, vinyl siding on the outside,then gyp board,then fiberglass insulation then drywall. Like, all you need to get in someone's new house built like that nowadays-and quietly- is a simple razor knife right through the wall, skip the doors and windows. It's a problem not advertised much in the press.
I hear you there - my wife's sister and brother-in-law bought a house not too long ago, and he hit a golf ball clean through an exterior wall! There wasn't even any chicken wire to stop it. Not that it would have mattered:
We had a case out in Scottsdale, AZ where a couple of burgleries occurred by the the guys using a chainsaw to cut through the exterior wall.
Fact of the matter is, if someone wants in, they will find a way (of course, if you have solid block construction with security bars/shutters on the windows, and a good alarm system, with video - you probably won't have many problems)...
Focus on the tech behind the tech. Let me explain:
Knowing all about various languages and such is great, it will get your foot in the door, etc - but what you really should know (and if you have done half of the things you posted, you should know this) is how languages work. In other words, the logic/mindset/etc behind general purpose computers. You should know enough that you could at least conceptualise how to develop a compiler or scripting language interpreter, using your "favorite" programming language (I am not saying it has to be optimised, but you should be able to know how to do it). Think of it as a mid-point of knowledge between that of a programmer and a comp. sci. individual - a melding of the theory with the practical.
Find and read books and articles on these "abstract" areas. Right now I am reading (and attempting to understand the main concepts behind) Stephen Wolfram's "A New Kind Of Science" - I don't know how it will help me later, but I am sure I will learn something interesting from it. I try to read and understand various books and articles on topics like that, and work that into my knowledge base to better myself in programming and other development work.
Believe me, if you can get the interview and can steer the conversation to such a funky topic, and describe how "simple cellular automatons can describe high-complex behavior, signifying that simple programs can create complex outcomes" and "as such, I can apply such knowledge to create better, smaller, and faster software systems", etc (ok, maybe not in those words, but you can see what I mean - be honest, no bull, but tell them what you know and take an interest in) - eyebrows will raise, and you may rise a few notches in consideration.
If you get the job, continue learning, and continue talking - and above all, build funky projects at home (I get the strangest looks when I tell people at my work about my current building of a homebrew electric vehicle using bicycle parts, custom welding, an surplus electric motor, etc - they just don't know what to think, BECAUSE IT ISN'T IN THEIR WORLDVIEW that somebody would do that).
I am sure you already do at least a little of this already, but if not - do it. If so, take it up a notch (ie, say your project is an AI for a game - well, why not just a generalised AI to compete in the Loebner prize challenge?)...
On work days, I typically carry my backpack. On my belt I usually have my Buck knife or some other tool knife. On my keys I have a small, nearly worthless key-fob folding pliers thing (it has helped on occasion). In my backpack, though...
Let's see: Notebook with a ton of graph paper, telephone address book, business card book, a floppy, a package of bandaids, bottle of aspirin, bottle of newskin, bottle of no-doz, bottle of aleve, bottle of ibuprofen, bottle of eyrithromicin (sp?), 2 bottles of eyedrops, container of carmex, bottle of pepper seeds (don't ask), handy folding "port-a-cup" with cotton and aspirin inside, a combo pen-sized telescope/microscope, a mechanical pencil, a keychain tetris (great when you are bored), two pocket mini-torches, security cards for work, folding multi-tool pocket knife, laser pointer, mini-mag flashlight, mini-110 camera and film, dental floss, mini-AM/FM radio and 2 AAA batteries, and a few old sticks of "StayAlert" caffeine gum (yum!).
Now, if I am tooling around in my truck, I have even more stuff in there - various tools (wrenches, pliers, wire cutters, socket sets, screwdrivers, etc), bunches of tape, a poncho, a spool of wire, a tape measure, two car jacks, a tarp, various hoses, duct and electrical tape, a hammer, a crowbar, a haynes book for the truck, my CB with PA, rope, various bungee cords and ratcheting tiedowns, electric air pump, two cans of fix-a-flat, plus probably a few other things I have forgot to mention.
I think the interesting part of this story seems to be that instead of standard PCI network cards (they talk about GigE being too slow), they are using Bus Cards - which I am taking to mean some form of SCSI Bus cards.
In other words, the computers are networked via high-speed SCSI links, to increase bandwidth and thoroughput. I have always thought this was possible, and had probably already been done, but this is the first time I have seen such a thing written up about (in other words, it probably has been done in the past, and I just didn't read about it).
I am thinking the SCSI cards here are being used in a "poor-man's MYRINET" fashion, in order to get past the bottleneck of ethernet NICs and switches. Now, if they only made (or, maybe they do?) a SCSI "switch" (are those called crossbar switches?) for the thing, you could go to a star topology instead...
In my opinion, optical wireless networking is better than current 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz (ie, 802.11a & b) for one main reason: it can't be regulated.
Think about that for a moment: Sure, right now WiFi is pretty much "open" and "free". Everybody and their dog is playing with it, or actually using it. It is readily available to consumers at a low price point, which is very attractive.
However, and this is a big one: It is only this way because the government and corporations are allowing it. As soon as P2P mesh freenets start taking off, the corporations WILL cry foul to the government IF they are not "allowed" to be a part of the "mesh" (and really, do WE want a second corporate internet - isn't that what P2P is ultimately about, freedom from corporate/government domination through free exchange of information?) - once that occurs, our government will likely either make it illegal to operate an 802.11 AP, or will require a license (with hefty fees) for the frequency band to operate in (of course with limits thrown in so as not to effect cordless phones, microwave overs, etc). The corporations won't mind, they can afford the fees normal consumers cannot. Then watch the mesh network implode.
However, here is where LED (IR or otherwise) and Laser comm devices such as this can still help keep a mesh network together. It would be difficult for them to regulate using light for communications, after all. Although, I am sure they would try - and at that point, we have bigger things to worry about...
It almost seems like photos like this are a rarity - not only are we losing old data that is valuable due to advancing technology, we are also losing the hardware itself (most of it going to scrap yards/metal recycling - or ebay if it is lucky), as well as images of the machines.
It it strange - we have many, many examples of automobiles - full piece, in pristine and running condition, lots of memoriabilia, parts, books, photographs, music, etc - as is fitting for something which has so radically altered the world (for good and bad).
The computer? Of the earliest examples, we hardly have anything - and what we do have is scattered. Part of it can be attributed to the fact that early machines weren't built in great numbers, but a lot of it is simply because computers have almost always have been seen as "disposable" when they became "obsolete" - and not worth saving. Very few magazines and books from the "early days" of commercial computing (1950-1970) are still around - no one really cared about the things - photos of computers don't evoke emotions in most people, and contemporary books from the period are worthless in most people's eyes because the technology is "obsolete" (though these same contemporary books offer valuable historical viewpoints).
All of this has been mostly thrown away. I fear that one day historians will look back and not have any "first sources" to research and study in order to figure out how we got from there to here - it is only getting worse with today's machines - a lot of them are disappearing quickly into landfills, or being processed in other countries for the metals - I am not saying all computers should be saved, but one would think there would be something like the Smithsonian or Air and Space Museum for computers, some place where this stuff could be preserved for the future (the few museums that do exist are either running on a shoestring or have closed - and who knows where the exhibits go to).
If you ever have the chance, check out the computer museum in downtown San Diego - it has a pretty extensive collection of computers (including some Hollerith punches) that has to be seen if you are any sort of computer geek. I was impressed and amazed - but even its collection only represents a drop of the variety that used to exist...
Have you thought about perhaps a custom many million mile long "spool" of fiber optic cable? What I am thinking of is something akin to a nickel wire delay line - except using fiber and laser pulses, photomultiplier tubes to pick up pulses on the other end, and high-power lasers to pump the thing - basically with the data going around in a very long circle, so that the data takes a half minute or so to make the trip - you could pack a lot of data in that length, much more with a multi-mode system (I think that is the right term). Of course, I am talking out my ass here, so it may not be that good of an idea...
Sounds cool, AC - there are days I wish I had the knowledge and skill to work sound, as I love music - but my thing is coding and hardware (I barely have time to tweak with my sound card in my Linux box - it works, but it still has issues with the mixer control)...
I have to say I enjoyed those pictures - I really liked the panoramic multi-monitor system - that is something I am thinking about doing myself.
I must be lucky - I have not one, but two geek rooms!
My main room is a small bedroom in which I have my main Linux box and an old 'doze box I use for one one piece of software, and someday I am ditching that and running it on Wine. Anyhow, my table is a 6 foot folding table (soon to be modified for a new server I am building - if I ever get my mb back from iwill in working cond), with a 19 inch monitor on one end, a KVM next to that, a phone, and an ATX power supply on the other end taped down with blue painters tape (used for testing motherboards). All the wires for both machines drape down the back of the desk and along the floor. I have a centralized DC power supply and bus running along the underside of the desk (to get rid of wall warts), which is powered by a Sun switching PS. I have what may be an almost one-of-a-kind IBM Model M keyboard (it is one made by Lexmark, but still has clicky keys AND the drain slots - strange) to type on, a Precision Technologies 3 button serial mouse, which rides upon a BSA "report software pirates" mousepad I "picked up" scrounging at DefCon 5. In a U shape around me the walls are lined with steel shelving floor-to ceiling, filled mostly with books, CDs, floppys, tapes, videocassettes, and other assorted crap. Speakers hang on the walls with power and audio wires running "open". My LOAF firewall sits on the floor next to me. My biggest problem is lighting - all I have is an adjustable arm lamp with magnifier lit with a 15 watt CF bulb. I am planning on adding a couple of smaller CF tube lights elsewhere, to help with the problem.
My other geek room? That would be my "workshop", which while attached to the house, can only be reached by going out on the back patio - there I have another small room containing all of my tools - regular tools, power tools, junk parts, miscellaneous computers in various states, old monitors, soldering and test equipment, a large greasy bench for building shit on without worrying about burning/mangling furniture or floor. Floor is bare concrete, it also has an attic access for other storage room, my half-completed recumbent bicycle EV hangs from the ceiling by hooks, patiently awaiting more work. I can do just about any work in there short of welding and be OK (and a welder is coming soon, but that will be stashed in the garage)...
What is strange about this story is that such a thing is not supposed to be legally possible in Nevada - if such a thing occurred, it would seem to indicate that the machines are not truely random, and can actually be "adjusted" remotely.
Now, perhaps they were doing maintenance on those machines, and had stuck them in a predictive mode, the techs notice it, ask the security to go over and check it, they tell the techs "yeah, people are playing - stick it back in random mode" - and then you started losing. They didn't make a fuss because you could claim innocence and get the money anyhow (and perhaps more via a court - plus they would get bad press) - and so let you keep whatever winnings you had.
Now, this would indicate something interesting - go to the casinos, look for banks of empty machines (big banks of empties) and play them, and see if you win because they are "down" for maintenance - when the goons come by, lose a couple rounds, then leave - go to another casino. I can't see how they could consider that a "scam" - if they had a problem with it, surely they could unplug the machines or chain them off, or put a "under maintenance" graphic on the boxes. If not, you could claim innocence/ignorance. It also opens up the interesting possibility of "hacking" the network to open up the machines for big payouts - but if it hasn't happened in 10+ years of DefCons in Vegas, it is unlikely to ever happen - but it is fun to think about it...
I know you probably can, and there have been times when I have gone for 4000 or so between - still, doing it more often can't hurt, and might be better in order to flush out the contaminants (dirt, metal particles) in the engine, because you would be doing it more often, giving less time for the particles to do serious damage. Also, most people don't change their filter until an oil change - I would imagine just changing your filter would get you to 5000 or 6000 miles until the oil change, but if you leave in the filter, it won't do its job. Changing the oil is a quick and cheap thing to do, especially if you do it yourself.
Have they ever managed to keep the plasma torus stable enough in a tokamak to use it? From what I understood, this was one of the main problems with research tokamaks, which was preventing the project from going further.
The other main issue with tokamaks are their sheer size - the research ones are pretty damn big - but from what I have seen, the size requirements for one to power a city was to have been about the size of a large 50,000 seat stadium. I am not saying such a machine can't be built, but the capital costs to do so are pretty prohibitive...
Ok, here is what I found, and it seem VERY convoluted (as law typically is). Can someone unravel this mess of spaghetti code? Anyhow, it seems to be officially introduced as The Cable Consumer Protection Act of 1983, and then ammended from there, finally becoming Public Law Number 98-549 on Oct 30, 1984 (basically, if you look at the links to "Detailed Legislative Status" on each section, there is a link to follow up the chain as it is ammended - but it stops with that public law).
If anybody can find out where it goes from there - I can't seem to find the text. If this text could be found, then maybe we would have some kind of "backup" to let our cable operator know that we know what the law is, and not let them yank us around (it may or may not help, though)...
Here is what I have found so far, if I find more I will post a reply to this message:
First off, the name of the original act is called the "Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act", and was passed in 1992 - it is more commonly called the "1992 Cable Act".
As others have mentioned, locks and alarms of any kind exist only to keep honest people honest. A true thief is not going to care.
With that said, you might try doing the smart thing - don't buy a car someone would want to steal. Remember, a vehicle is simply a way to get you and your stuff from point A to point B - the minute the vehicle seems like something that gives you an "image", you are lost. That isn't to say that you need to get a clunker or something, just don't buy for image. Furthermore, the best advice I was ever given as a kid was "Buy a vehicle that will for for you, instead of one where you work for it". My vehicle is a small pickup - should I lose my job as a programmer, I still have a vehicle I could (in theory) load up some lawn equipment in and do some yard work for cash until I get back on my feet, or deliver newspapers, or phone books, or haul trash, or throw wire boxes in and install network cabling, etc - hard to do that with another vehicle, but maybe your needs or work are different.
One note: buying a used car may be a better thing - my small truck is pre-1997, which I think is the year they went to the ODB-II system. This is the "On Board Diagnostic" system used by the vehicle's engine computer - it also reports back things typically using a reader. Here is the clincher - on ODB-I systems, you can read the codes yourself, most of the time doing nothing more than stick a jumper in a plug and watching a blinking light - other times by keying the starter switch in a certain pattern and watching the engine light blink. ODB-II systems require you to buy a reader, and unless you buy an expensive reader, you can only read one model vehicle at a time. Still, you have to spend some bucks for the reader. Another thing is that on ODB-II systems when you go get smog checked, if they are using the system, they simply plug in, and tell you if you pass or not. My wife recently had this done on her 1997 Neon, and she passed, but if she hadn't, the paper wouldn't have said where the issue was, and we would have probably had to take it to a mechanic to get it fixed - at least when you can see what emmisions are out of whack, you have an idea where to start (ie, O2 sensor, etc). Don't even get me started on ODB-III (which seems near Orwellian in scope).
Another thing would be to see if they will eliminate these "mandatory" systems that simply add to the cost of a new car and take it off the price. Save a little money.
Finally, instead of an expensive system, add an "old school" system - a second switch. Wire it inline with the starter switch. If you want, you can wire up a high-current contact relay in the system instead, and hook that up to the relay in the starter, so that current has to pass through both set of contacts in order for the starter to turn over. Hide the switch somewhere in the automobile where a thief typically won't look - under the dash is bad, but in the glove box, a cubby hole, under the seat, in the trunk - all good spots. Add a well visible blinking red LED to complete the system. Total cost in parts will be a few bucks, but would probably frustrate the hell out of a potential thief (of course, it might tick him off so bad that he destroys the interior of the car or something, and it wouldn't stop him from stealing the radio or anything - which is a good reason to keep the factory radio).
Ok, you may not like any of my answers, but my point still stands - a vehicle is just something to get you and your stuff from point A to point B. Whatever you do, don't get into the "buy a new car every three years" cycle - this is just a waste. Pay off your car, keep up its maintenance, and the thing should last you a looong time - my truck currently 8 years old, and has 115,000 miles on it - the only thing I am needing replacement on is a new fan belt and new tires, which will probably happen sometime this winter. I replace the oil and filter on it every 3000 miles (btw, get a "permanent" air-filter as soon as you buy the car - it will cost more, but in the long run you will save money on air-filter replacements after about 8-10 oil changes), replace the shocks when needed, flush the tranny and radiator every now-and-then, change the spark plugs and wires as needed, belts, hoses, diff gear oil (nasty stuff) - every 60,000 miles get the timing belt/chain looked at and replaced if needed (timing chains can go longer in between checks - see your manual - but they still need to be looked after). If you treat everything right, there is no reason your car shouldn't last for 200,000 miles or more.
Myself, I plan on keeping my truck until the engine dies - then if the engine dies, I might look into getting a new engine (has to be cheaper than a brand new truck, and better than a used truck that I don't know how it was maintained)...
If you want to do something "different", and own something that no one else can buy, something you can pass down to your kids, and you have the skills - build your sled yourself, by consulting an old set of Popular Mechanics Do It Yourself Encyclopedias!
I have a set of these (hard to find a complete set), and I remember in the "S" volume there were plans for a few snow sleds, etc - I think there may even have been a plan for a sleigh! Anyhow, one of these plans was some kind of racer deal, with outboard "skid rudders" and a steering wheel that turned to allow you to "drive" the sled - seemed like a fun thing! I also think there was a plan for an ice sail-skate racer thingie (not sure what they are called).
A little background:
The encyclopedia set was published in 1968, and contained a TON of "do-it-yourself" projects - everything from cars, to homes, to boats - even a clothes dryer! Full plans, full articles giving you instructions on how to build, and what tools to use. The articles typically leave just enough leeway for you to experiment, too. Unfortunately, I think they may have only been published that year, as I haven't seen any later editions for sale anywhere. But if you can find them, they are well worth it - some of the projects are meaningless nowadays, except on the educational level - either there are better products to buy on the market today, or there are similar products which are cheaper than what can be built. Other projects and articles though are still relevant today, and can give you ideas on how to do things cheaper than by hiring someone (for instance, there are three articles in the series on building your own full size swimming pool - one made out of fiberglass. There are articles on building fences, and other home improvements - one talks about building rolling storage systems to recover unused space in crawlways and basements. Other articles detail things like basic auto maintenance, plumbing, electrical wiring - though that last one would have to be checked against code, of course).
I have known about these encyclopedias for a long time, since I was a kid and purchased one at a used book sale at the library (the "A" volume, which was the "free" volume they would send you - they don't seem to do much of that kind of marketing anymore - anyhow, I bought it because it had some cool plans for a model hovercraft). I find it sad to think it wasn't too long ago when people thought "Yeah - I could just build the damn thing!" and bought these kind of books to help them out. Nowadays, it seems that people think if it can't be bought, it can't exist - and most people don't think about building anymore. A lot of people don't even have the ability to think they can build it. Maybe it was because there are enough products today that are cheaper than building it yourself. Or maybe people are just lazy and don't want to take the time to learn how.
When I see someone doing "homebrew" stuff, though, it makes me feel better knowing there are still people that can do it - which is why I do so myself, so that others can feel the same way, and perhaps be inspired by example. For most computer geeks, this seems to be the way anyhow, what with case modding, overclocking, hardware building and interfacing, homebrew pringles can antennas, etc.
I cannot reccommend these encyclopedias enough - I wish they (I think it was a Time-Life series) would republish them again, with some of the old plans and articles reworked for modern materials and parts, but still keeping that old-time "do-it-yourself" feel...
I have to agree with those around here who have recommended a "clean box" environment, rather than an entire room. For the project you are working on, a "clean room" just isn't necessary, and the cost associated with building one would probably be more than the cost of the thing you are building.
Think about it - do you think Sputnik was built in a "clean room"? If anything, it was built in a room that was sterile, like a hospital OR, but I doubt it was "clean".
Another question to ask yourself is how clean does the box (or room) really need to be? I would imagine that all of your components are going to be off-the-shelf, mostly electronic, and potted in epoxy for launch - if the stuff works on the bench, it should work on a satellite. I can understand mechanical systems needing a cleaner than normal construction area, but a simple "beeper" sat shouldn't have too many mechanical components.
For those few mechanical components, a clean-box should be more than enough, and cheap to build. Build (or buy) a largish (3 x 3 x 3 feet would be big enough) clear acrylic box, cut a couple of holes for your arms, and attach rubber gloves attached to dryer hose "sleeves" with epoxy. Buy a couple of brand new 120V axial muffin fans for each side, and cut a hole for both, installing flat HEPA vac filters over both - the air should be pumped "through" the filters so that air travels in one direction only. On the outside of the box on the side that has the fan blowing "into" the box, install a sealed ION air cleaner filter system (rip one from one of those cheap cheezy plug in filters that are sold all over nowadays), with a standard filter behind that - so that the stage is "standard filter->ION filter->HEPA filter->axial fan->HEPA filter->box->HEPA filter->axial fan->open air".
You will also need to fashion a clean air lock of some sort, preferably located near the air out-take (so that any particles immediately are sucked out). You will also need to clean the box and all components extremely well after it is built, then cycle air through it for 24 hours.
This kind of "clean box" would surely provide all of what you desire. Its rating probably wouldn't be excellent, but it should work for what you are doing, and cheap as well. I am surprised that case-modders don't build these things for hard-drive modding (hey, by all accounts they rely on "bathroom tricks" to clean the air - and are successful most of the time - this clean-box would have to be thousands of times better).
I have wondered the same thing myself, on just about every component of a computer system. I have wondered the same thing about laptops - why can't I buy a laptop with a cheap monochrome screen, or with a low-spec processor - and save a ton of money (ie, a laptop for $500). I can't, and there isn't much I can do about it because I am only one person - the market isn't there for such devices.
What I can do, though, is buy used - instead of trying to stay on the bleeding edge, hang off the trailing edge, and know that it will all trickle down eventually.
I can still buy just about any 486 or low-end Pentium laptop for pennies on the dollar of what it originally cost. Same with graphics cards, and other parts. Even whole systems are very cheap. Things that I thought I would never be able to afford can now be found for a fraction of what they sold a short while ago.
For instance, the Spacetec Spaceball - a 3D input controller. Back in the mid-90's, you would have had to pay around $2000.00 for this device. Today, off of Ebay, one can be had for $20-25.00! Even the best model (made by HP, I think) only goes for about $200! Last year I purchased a professional level VR HMD for $250.00 - it used to retail for around $3000.00! I recently purchased a 28-bay CDNet cd server with 14 SCSI drives for $200.00 - not too many years ago these were selling for around $10,000! Finally, we have all seen the "free Cray to whoever will haul it away"-type deals on Ebay and elsewhere - these are super-computers we are talking about, things that ordinary people at one time couldn't even DREAM about owning, but I would bet there are a few people using them now in their basement (while the rest are "making do" with Beowulf style clusters). My work recently gave me a PII-300 and motherboard - not too long ago, do you have any idea what that would have cost me? Here it is being GIVEN to me, otherwise it was TRASH!
When people throw out or darn near "give" away hardware, why bother staying on the "bleeding edge"? VERY FEW applications even require todays "mid-range" hardware - most people can get by with older equipment no-problem. I suspect that in a few years, unless something "great" comes along that we can't live without, we will see a massive decline in sales of hardware - because most people won't need it or want it. The other thing that makes the older hardware a great thing is that if things keep going like they are, what with DRM, etc - all of that old hardware will be worth $$$$ on the grey/black market - considering that the junk is being given or thrown out now, should such a situation exist with DRM, people might be throwing away a good investment, in a manner of speaking.
Finally, I leave you with this - think about that $400 video card, think about what it is capable of. Then think about what that power would have cost you back in the mid-1990's. If you don't have a clue, look into the REAL top-of-the-line offerings by companies like Evans and Sutherland (ie, simulator graphics engines) - prepare to break out a cool $10,000 to $20,000 - for the LOW END. Then realize that this power will be available to the consumer for gaming and other tasks a mere 5-10 years from now...
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However, I still think they would justify the fees in other ways: What if my "distro" was on a bootable CF card, and all the distro contained was the system, the binary CSS bit, and some DVD playback software? Basically, what you would be distributing is a bootable drive (could even be a CD to be popped into the DVD drive once and loaded into RAM) for a DVD playback machine - essentially a mostly "open source" DVD player? Heck, why couldn't I just get a mini-itx board, some custom cases, the distro - and sell ultra-low cost "open source" DVD players (of course, it would be hard to sell for less than a $50.00 Apex - but that isn't the point)? Would they still "not care"?
Something tells me they would - especially once you started adding ripping/archival functionality (which should be perfectly legal - think home DVD server appliance)...
Sounds good - but can I create my own distro of Linux and include/distribute the plugin? Something tells me I probably can't, because I wouldn't be the original purchaser of the license. This same idea seems to indicate that the major linux distros couldn't group together - they would probably each have to pay $10,000 to license a copy, and only they could distribute it (as soon as you copied your Mandrake and handed it to a friend, you would be breaking the license agreement)...
By the way, it seems as though Wolfram is most interested in the non-fractal systems the CA produces - the fractal-like systems (can't remember the rule numberes off the top of my head, but many look like Serpinski's (sp?) triangle) were repetitive, always continuing, even after many iterations - on the whole never evolving.
The more dynamic rules seem fundamentally random, almost chaotic - but all seem to point to an organization of some sort. I do agree that there is something interesting going on with DNA - I think in some manner, it is going to end up being a simple Turing-like machine, with a very limited and simple ruleset, acting like a simple CA, and after having run for such a very, very long time - gaining an extreme level of complexity based on Wolfram's ideas.
While I have seen a lot of criticism here on /. about Wolfram, CAs, Mathematica, lawsuits involving everything, references to this book as being a doorstop - I think he is on to something, and I hope he is vindicated - something tells me he didn't write such a large book and sell it so cheaply for nothing. The book would be cheap (book price wise, if nothing else) at three times what it cost - he spent $15.00 a copy, and it is only selling in bookstores for $40-50.00 a copy - so you know he isn't making much money on each copy - and no one spends that much time and money on writing that large of a book on such a topic for a mere "vanity press book" - not unless he is completely nuts, which I don't think he is...
There is nothing wrong with teaching and expecting someone to know more about what makes the tools they use everyday work (and I shudder to think what it would have cost me to get a new booster and master cylinder installed in my truck at a shop - I did it in about 3 hours last Sunday, for the cost of parts - pretty simple job, actually).
I am working on migrating the CRM app from VB and Access - first step will be to migrate to another DB (PostgreSQL likely, or MySQL), then begin the recoding of the application to allow it to be browser based (likely PHP or Perl or some combo here, or maybe Java). While the application works now, it could be made a lot better.
At home, my main machine is a SuSE 6.4/7.2 "hybrid" box - I use it for any new development (mostly Perl, PHP, and Java), browsing (using Mozilla, once again), etc - I really enjoy it, sometimes I "break" things that I have to "re-fix" (3d acceleration is a big one - linked libs get jacked around by various config utils, mostly), and some things don't quite work how I want them to, but mostly it is a *good thing*.
I am working on putting Debian on an old 486 laptop as well, soon. Linux is something I love, and at some point I want to be completely on it.
I do have one app, though, that is on a Windows box, and is the only thing I use on that Windows box - it is the old Checkfree software. I use it, rather than the web interface, because of the reporting, and the fact that you can enter other transactions into the account, etc. Online banking is not an option, because that shows the same things as your statement, rather than what you have vs. the statement (thus, balancing your checkbook never really happens, and you can't tell when a mistake or extra entry has been made - and such incidences have happened with me).
Yes, I know about GNUCash, and I would love to use it, but last time I checked (and I really should check again), it didn't have electronic transaction capability to allow online electronic bill payment - so, you end up writing checks (which I hate), and entering in amounts - or doing online banking, and doing double entry of amounts (which you can EASILY screw up - so it isn't an option for me).
My only other alternative is WINE - but really, I would love to just have a Linux app, and drop all pretense of any mention of Windows altogether.
Anybody got suggestions?
I don't currently own or buy DVDs, but this still OUTRAGES me! They want to make information behave like food, but at least with food you get some energy and such out of it!
Screw 'em, this will be hacked easily - in fact, I will tell you one way how it might be hacked and still work:
The dye interacts with air, right? Well, you have the sandwich of label/dye layer/polycarb disc - thus, the air would have to get to the dye layer either by the edges or through the label, or maybe through the polycarb layer. I am not a chemist, so I don't know how porus the polycarb disc would be, but I don't think it is really that porus. That would leave the label and edge. So, seal the label with some spray shellac (as one poster already mentioned), and the edge with superglue, as soon as you receive it!
Damn, how dumb do these farks think we are? What exactly is this about? EVERYTHING THEY HAVE COME UP WITH HAS BEEN BROKEN, many times BEFORE it comes out, or not too long thereafter.
I tell you, I HATE THESE GREEDY NO-GOOD BASTARD WASTES OF FLESH...!
rant off...
I hear you there - my wife's sister and brother-in-law bought a house not too long ago, and he hit a golf ball clean through an exterior wall! There wasn't even any chicken wire to stop it. Not that it would have mattered:
We had a case out in Scottsdale, AZ where a couple of burgleries occurred by the the guys using a chainsaw to cut through the exterior wall.
Fact of the matter is, if someone wants in, they will find a way (of course, if you have solid block construction with security bars/shutters on the windows, and a good alarm system, with video - you probably won't have many problems)...
Knowing all about various languages and such is great, it will get your foot in the door, etc - but what you really should know (and if you have done half of the things you posted, you should know this) is how languages work. In other words, the logic/mindset/etc behind general purpose computers. You should know enough that you could at least conceptualise how to develop a compiler or scripting language interpreter, using your "favorite" programming language (I am not saying it has to be optimised, but you should be able to know how to do it). Think of it as a mid-point of knowledge between that of a programmer and a comp. sci. individual - a melding of the theory with the practical.
Find and read books and articles on these "abstract" areas. Right now I am reading (and attempting to understand the main concepts behind) Stephen Wolfram's "A New Kind Of Science" - I don't know how it will help me later, but I am sure I will learn something interesting from it. I try to read and understand various books and articles on topics like that, and work that into my knowledge base to better myself in programming and other development work.
Believe me, if you can get the interview and can steer the conversation to such a funky topic, and describe how "simple cellular automatons can describe high-complex behavior, signifying that simple programs can create complex outcomes" and "as such, I can apply such knowledge to create better, smaller, and faster software systems", etc (ok, maybe not in those words, but you can see what I mean - be honest, no bull, but tell them what you know and take an interest in) - eyebrows will raise, and you may rise a few notches in consideration.
If you get the job, continue learning, and continue talking - and above all, build funky projects at home (I get the strangest looks when I tell people at my work about my current building of a homebrew electric vehicle using bicycle parts, custom welding, an surplus electric motor, etc - they just don't know what to think, BECAUSE IT ISN'T IN THEIR WORLDVIEW that somebody would do that).
I am sure you already do at least a little of this already, but if not - do it. If so, take it up a notch (ie, say your project is an AI for a game - well, why not just a generalised AI to compete in the Loebner prize challenge?)...
Let's see: Notebook with a ton of graph paper, telephone address book, business card book, a floppy, a package of bandaids, bottle of aspirin, bottle of newskin, bottle of no-doz, bottle of aleve, bottle of ibuprofen, bottle of eyrithromicin (sp?), 2 bottles of eyedrops, container of carmex, bottle of pepper seeds (don't ask), handy folding "port-a-cup" with cotton and aspirin inside, a combo pen-sized telescope/microscope, a mechanical pencil, a keychain tetris (great when you are bored), two pocket mini-torches, security cards for work, folding multi-tool pocket knife, laser pointer, mini-mag flashlight, mini-110 camera and film, dental floss, mini-AM/FM radio and 2 AAA batteries, and a few old sticks of "StayAlert" caffeine gum (yum!).
Now, if I am tooling around in my truck, I have even more stuff in there - various tools (wrenches, pliers, wire cutters, socket sets, screwdrivers, etc), bunches of tape, a poncho, a spool of wire, a tape measure, two car jacks, a tarp, various hoses, duct and electrical tape, a hammer, a crowbar, a haynes book for the truck, my CB with PA, rope, various bungee cords and ratcheting tiedowns, electric air pump, two cans of fix-a-flat, plus probably a few other things I have forgot to mention.
I am such a geek [whimper]...
In other words, the computers are networked via high-speed SCSI links, to increase bandwidth and thoroughput. I have always thought this was possible, and had probably already been done, but this is the first time I have seen such a thing written up about (in other words, it probably has been done in the past, and I just didn't read about it).
I am thinking the SCSI cards here are being used in a "poor-man's MYRINET" fashion, in order to get past the bottleneck of ethernet NICs and switches. Now, if they only made (or, maybe they do?) a SCSI "switch" (are those called crossbar switches?) for the thing, you could go to a star topology instead...
Think about that for a moment: Sure, right now WiFi is pretty much "open" and "free". Everybody and their dog is playing with it, or actually using it. It is readily available to consumers at a low price point, which is very attractive.
However, and this is a big one: It is only this way because the government and corporations are allowing it. As soon as P2P mesh freenets start taking off, the corporations WILL cry foul to the government IF they are not "allowed" to be a part of the "mesh" (and really, do WE want a second corporate internet - isn't that what P2P is ultimately about, freedom from corporate/government domination through free exchange of information?) - once that occurs, our government will likely either make it illegal to operate an 802.11 AP, or will require a license (with hefty fees) for the frequency band to operate in (of course with limits thrown in so as not to effect cordless phones, microwave overs, etc). The corporations won't mind, they can afford the fees normal consumers cannot. Then watch the mesh network implode.
However, here is where LED (IR or otherwise) and Laser comm devices such as this can still help keep a mesh network together. It would be difficult for them to regulate using light for communications, after all. Although, I am sure they would try - and at that point, we have bigger things to worry about...
It it strange - we have many, many examples of automobiles - full piece, in pristine and running condition, lots of memoriabilia, parts, books, photographs, music, etc - as is fitting for something which has so radically altered the world (for good and bad).
The computer? Of the earliest examples, we hardly have anything - and what we do have is scattered. Part of it can be attributed to the fact that early machines weren't built in great numbers, but a lot of it is simply because computers have almost always have been seen as "disposable" when they became "obsolete" - and not worth saving. Very few magazines and books from the "early days" of commercial computing (1950-1970) are still around - no one really cared about the things - photos of computers don't evoke emotions in most people, and contemporary books from the period are worthless in most people's eyes because the technology is "obsolete" (though these same contemporary books offer valuable historical viewpoints).
All of this has been mostly thrown away. I fear that one day historians will look back and not have any "first sources" to research and study in order to figure out how we got from there to here - it is only getting worse with today's machines - a lot of them are disappearing quickly into landfills, or being processed in other countries for the metals - I am not saying all computers should be saved, but one would think there would be something like the Smithsonian or Air and Space Museum for computers, some place where this stuff could be preserved for the future (the few museums that do exist are either running on a shoestring or have closed - and who knows where the exhibits go to).
If you ever have the chance, check out the computer museum in downtown San Diego - it has a pretty extensive collection of computers (including some Hollerith punches) that has to be seen if you are any sort of computer geek. I was impressed and amazed - but even its collection only represents a drop of the variety that used to exist...
Have you thought about perhaps a custom many million mile long "spool" of fiber optic cable? What I am thinking of is something akin to a nickel wire delay line - except using fiber and laser pulses, photomultiplier tubes to pick up pulses on the other end, and high-power lasers to pump the thing - basically with the data going around in a very long circle, so that the data takes a half minute or so to make the trip - you could pack a lot of data in that length, much more with a multi-mode system (I think that is the right term). Of course, I am talking out my ass here, so it may not be that good of an idea...
Sounds cool, AC - there are days I wish I had the knowledge and skill to work sound, as I love music - but my thing is coding and hardware (I barely have time to tweak with my sound card in my Linux box - it works, but it still has issues with the mixer control)...
I must be lucky - I have not one, but two geek rooms!
My main room is a small bedroom in which I have my main Linux box and an old 'doze box I use for one one piece of software, and someday I am ditching that and running it on Wine. Anyhow, my table is a 6 foot folding table (soon to be modified for a new server I am building - if I ever get my mb back from iwill in working cond), with a 19 inch monitor on one end, a KVM next to that, a phone, and an ATX power supply on the other end taped down with blue painters tape (used for testing motherboards). All the wires for both machines drape down the back of the desk and along the floor. I have a centralized DC power supply and bus running along the underside of the desk (to get rid of wall warts), which is powered by a Sun switching PS. I have what may be an almost one-of-a-kind IBM Model M keyboard (it is one made by Lexmark, but still has clicky keys AND the drain slots - strange) to type on, a Precision Technologies 3 button serial mouse, which rides upon a BSA "report software pirates" mousepad I "picked up" scrounging at DefCon 5. In a U shape around me the walls are lined with steel shelving floor-to ceiling, filled mostly with books, CDs, floppys, tapes, videocassettes, and other assorted crap. Speakers hang on the walls with power and audio wires running "open". My LOAF firewall sits on the floor next to me. My biggest problem is lighting - all I have is an adjustable arm lamp with magnifier lit with a 15 watt CF bulb. I am planning on adding a couple of smaller CF tube lights elsewhere, to help with the problem.
My other geek room? That would be my "workshop", which while attached to the house, can only be reached by going out on the back patio - there I have another small room containing all of my tools - regular tools, power tools, junk parts, miscellaneous computers in various states, old monitors, soldering and test equipment, a large greasy bench for building shit on without worrying about burning/mangling furniture or floor. Floor is bare concrete, it also has an attic access for other storage room, my half-completed recumbent bicycle EV hangs from the ceiling by hooks, patiently awaiting more work. I can do just about any work in there short of welding and be OK (and a welder is coming soon, but that will be stashed in the garage)...
Now, perhaps they were doing maintenance on those machines, and had stuck them in a predictive mode, the techs notice it, ask the security to go over and check it, they tell the techs "yeah, people are playing - stick it back in random mode" - and then you started losing. They didn't make a fuss because you could claim innocence and get the money anyhow (and perhaps more via a court - plus they would get bad press) - and so let you keep whatever winnings you had.
Now, this would indicate something interesting - go to the casinos, look for banks of empty machines (big banks of empties) and play them, and see if you win because they are "down" for maintenance - when the goons come by, lose a couple rounds, then leave - go to another casino. I can't see how they could consider that a "scam" - if they had a problem with it, surely they could unplug the machines or chain them off, or put a "under maintenance" graphic on the boxes. If not, you could claim innocence/ignorance. It also opens up the interesting possibility of "hacking" the network to open up the machines for big payouts - but if it hasn't happened in 10+ years of DefCons in Vegas, it is unlikely to ever happen - but it is fun to think about it...
I know you probably can, and there have been times when I have gone for 4000 or so between - still, doing it more often can't hurt, and might be better in order to flush out the contaminants (dirt, metal particles) in the engine, because you would be doing it more often, giving less time for the particles to do serious damage. Also, most people don't change their filter until an oil change - I would imagine just changing your filter would get you to 5000 or 6000 miles until the oil change, but if you leave in the filter, it won't do its job. Changing the oil is a quick and cheap thing to do, especially if you do it yourself.
The other main issue with tokamaks are their sheer size - the research ones are pretty damn big - but from what I have seen, the size requirements for one to power a city was to have been about the size of a large 50,000 seat stadium. I am not saying such a machine can't be built, but the capital costs to do so are pretty prohibitive...
Thank you...
If anybody can find out where it goes from there - I can't seem to find the text. If this text could be found, then maybe we would have some kind of "backup" to let our cable operator know that we know what the law is, and not let them yank us around (it may or may not help, though)...
First off, the name of the original act is called the "Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act", and was passed in 1992 - it is more commonly called the "1992 Cable Act".
Here is the FCC FAQ regarding the act...
With that said, you might try doing the smart thing - don't buy a car someone would want to steal. Remember, a vehicle is simply a way to get you and your stuff from point A to point B - the minute the vehicle seems like something that gives you an "image", you are lost. That isn't to say that you need to get a clunker or something, just don't buy for image. Furthermore, the best advice I was ever given as a kid was "Buy a vehicle that will for for you, instead of one where you work for it". My vehicle is a small pickup - should I lose my job as a programmer, I still have a vehicle I could (in theory) load up some lawn equipment in and do some yard work for cash until I get back on my feet, or deliver newspapers, or phone books, or haul trash, or throw wire boxes in and install network cabling, etc - hard to do that with another vehicle, but maybe your needs or work are different.
One note: buying a used car may be a better thing - my small truck is pre-1997, which I think is the year they went to the ODB-II system. This is the "On Board Diagnostic" system used by the vehicle's engine computer - it also reports back things typically using a reader. Here is the clincher - on ODB-I systems, you can read the codes yourself, most of the time doing nothing more than stick a jumper in a plug and watching a blinking light - other times by keying the starter switch in a certain pattern and watching the engine light blink. ODB-II systems require you to buy a reader, and unless you buy an expensive reader, you can only read one model vehicle at a time. Still, you have to spend some bucks for the reader. Another thing is that on ODB-II systems when you go get smog checked, if they are using the system, they simply plug in, and tell you if you pass or not. My wife recently had this done on her 1997 Neon, and she passed, but if she hadn't, the paper wouldn't have said where the issue was, and we would have probably had to take it to a mechanic to get it fixed - at least when you can see what emmisions are out of whack, you have an idea where to start (ie, O2 sensor, etc). Don't even get me started on ODB-III (which seems near Orwellian in scope).
Another thing would be to see if they will eliminate these "mandatory" systems that simply add to the cost of a new car and take it off the price. Save a little money.
Finally, instead of an expensive system, add an "old school" system - a second switch. Wire it inline with the starter switch. If you want, you can wire up a high-current contact relay in the system instead, and hook that up to the relay in the starter, so that current has to pass through both set of contacts in order for the starter to turn over. Hide the switch somewhere in the automobile where a thief typically won't look - under the dash is bad, but in the glove box, a cubby hole, under the seat, in the trunk - all good spots. Add a well visible blinking red LED to complete the system. Total cost in parts will be a few bucks, but would probably frustrate the hell out of a potential thief (of course, it might tick him off so bad that he destroys the interior of the car or something, and it wouldn't stop him from stealing the radio or anything - which is a good reason to keep the factory radio).
Ok, you may not like any of my answers, but my point still stands - a vehicle is just something to get you and your stuff from point A to point B. Whatever you do, don't get into the "buy a new car every three years" cycle - this is just a waste. Pay off your car, keep up its maintenance, and the thing should last you a looong time - my truck currently 8 years old, and has 115,000 miles on it - the only thing I am needing replacement on is a new fan belt and new tires, which will probably happen sometime this winter. I replace the oil and filter on it every 3000 miles (btw, get a "permanent" air-filter as soon as you buy the car - it will cost more, but in the long run you will save money on air-filter replacements after about 8-10 oil changes), replace the shocks when needed, flush the tranny and radiator every now-and-then, change the spark plugs and wires as needed, belts, hoses, diff gear oil (nasty stuff) - every 60,000 miles get the timing belt/chain looked at and replaced if needed (timing chains can go longer in between checks - see your manual - but they still need to be looked after). If you treat everything right, there is no reason your car shouldn't last for 200,000 miles or more.
Myself, I plan on keeping my truck until the engine dies - then if the engine dies, I might look into getting a new engine (has to be cheaper than a brand new truck, and better than a used truck that I don't know how it was maintained)...
I have a set of these (hard to find a complete set), and I remember in the "S" volume there were plans for a few snow sleds, etc - I think there may even have been a plan for a sleigh! Anyhow, one of these plans was some kind of racer deal, with outboard "skid rudders" and a steering wheel that turned to allow you to "drive" the sled - seemed like a fun thing! I also think there was a plan for an ice sail-skate racer thingie (not sure what they are called).
A little background:
The encyclopedia set was published in 1968, and contained a TON of "do-it-yourself" projects - everything from cars, to homes, to boats - even a clothes dryer! Full plans, full articles giving you instructions on how to build, and what tools to use. The articles typically leave just enough leeway for you to experiment, too. Unfortunately, I think they may have only been published that year, as I haven't seen any later editions for sale anywhere. But if you can find them, they are well worth it - some of the projects are meaningless nowadays, except on the educational level - either there are better products to buy on the market today, or there are similar products which are cheaper than what can be built. Other projects and articles though are still relevant today, and can give you ideas on how to do things cheaper than by hiring someone (for instance, there are three articles in the series on building your own full size swimming pool - one made out of fiberglass. There are articles on building fences, and other home improvements - one talks about building rolling storage systems to recover unused space in crawlways and basements. Other articles detail things like basic auto maintenance, plumbing, electrical wiring - though that last one would have to be checked against code, of course).
I have known about these encyclopedias for a long time, since I was a kid and purchased one at a used book sale at the library (the "A" volume, which was the "free" volume they would send you - they don't seem to do much of that kind of marketing anymore - anyhow, I bought it because it had some cool plans for a model hovercraft). I find it sad to think it wasn't too long ago when people thought "Yeah - I could just build the damn thing!" and bought these kind of books to help them out. Nowadays, it seems that people think if it can't be bought, it can't exist - and most people don't think about building anymore. A lot of people don't even have the ability to think they can build it. Maybe it was because there are enough products today that are cheaper than building it yourself. Or maybe people are just lazy and don't want to take the time to learn how.
When I see someone doing "homebrew" stuff, though, it makes me feel better knowing there are still people that can do it - which is why I do so myself, so that others can feel the same way, and perhaps be inspired by example. For most computer geeks, this seems to be the way anyhow, what with case modding, overclocking, hardware building and interfacing, homebrew pringles can antennas, etc.
I cannot reccommend these encyclopedias enough - I wish they (I think it was a Time-Life series) would republish them again, with some of the old plans and articles reworked for modern materials and parts, but still keeping that old-time "do-it-yourself" feel...
Think about it - do you think Sputnik was built in a "clean room"? If anything, it was built in a room that was sterile, like a hospital OR, but I doubt it was "clean".
Another question to ask yourself is how clean does the box (or room) really need to be? I would imagine that all of your components are going to be off-the-shelf, mostly electronic, and potted in epoxy for launch - if the stuff works on the bench, it should work on a satellite. I can understand mechanical systems needing a cleaner than normal construction area, but a simple "beeper" sat shouldn't have too many mechanical components.
For those few mechanical components, a clean-box should be more than enough, and cheap to build. Build (or buy) a largish (3 x 3 x 3 feet would be big enough) clear acrylic box, cut a couple of holes for your arms, and attach rubber gloves attached to dryer hose "sleeves" with epoxy. Buy a couple of brand new 120V axial muffin fans for each side, and cut a hole for both, installing flat HEPA vac filters over both - the air should be pumped "through" the filters so that air travels in one direction only. On the outside of the box on the side that has the fan blowing "into" the box, install a sealed ION air cleaner filter system (rip one from one of those cheap cheezy plug in filters that are sold all over nowadays), with a standard filter behind that - so that the stage is "standard filter->ION filter->HEPA filter->axial fan->HEPA filter->box->HEPA filter->axial fan->open air".
You will also need to fashion a clean air lock of some sort, preferably located near the air out-take (so that any particles immediately are sucked out). You will also need to clean the box and all components extremely well after it is built, then cycle air through it for 24 hours.
This kind of "clean box" would surely provide all of what you desire. Its rating probably wouldn't be excellent, but it should work for what you are doing, and cheap as well. I am surprised that case-modders don't build these things for hard-drive modding (hey, by all accounts they rely on "bathroom tricks" to clean the air - and are successful most of the time - this clean-box would have to be thousands of times better).
I have wondered the same thing myself, on just about every component of a computer system. I have wondered the same thing about laptops - why can't I buy a laptop with a cheap monochrome screen, or with a low-spec processor - and save a ton of money (ie, a laptop for $500). I can't, and there isn't much I can do about it because I am only one person - the market isn't there for such devices.
What I can do, though, is buy used - instead of trying to stay on the bleeding edge, hang off the trailing edge, and know that it will all trickle down eventually.
I can still buy just about any 486 or low-end Pentium laptop for pennies on the dollar of what it originally cost. Same with graphics cards, and other parts. Even whole systems are very cheap. Things that I thought I would never be able to afford can now be found for a fraction of what they sold a short while ago.
For instance, the Spacetec Spaceball - a 3D input controller. Back in the mid-90's, you would have had to pay around $2000.00 for this device. Today, off of Ebay, one can be had for $20-25.00! Even the best model (made by HP, I think) only goes for about $200! Last year I purchased a professional level VR HMD for $250.00 - it used to retail for around $3000.00! I recently purchased a 28-bay CDNet cd server with 14 SCSI drives for $200.00 - not too many years ago these were selling for around $10,000! Finally, we have all seen the "free Cray to whoever will haul it away"-type deals on Ebay and elsewhere - these are super-computers we are talking about, things that ordinary people at one time couldn't even DREAM about owning, but I would bet there are a few people using them now in their basement (while the rest are "making do" with Beowulf style clusters). My work recently gave me a PII-300 and motherboard - not too long ago, do you have any idea what that would have cost me? Here it is being GIVEN to me, otherwise it was TRASH!
When people throw out or darn near "give" away hardware, why bother staying on the "bleeding edge"? VERY FEW applications even require todays "mid-range" hardware - most people can get by with older equipment no-problem. I suspect that in a few years, unless something "great" comes along that we can't live without, we will see a massive decline in sales of hardware - because most people won't need it or want it. The other thing that makes the older hardware a great thing is that if things keep going like they are, what with DRM, etc - all of that old hardware will be worth $$$$ on the grey/black market - considering that the junk is being given or thrown out now, should such a situation exist with DRM, people might be throwing away a good investment, in a manner of speaking.
Finally, I leave you with this - think about that $400 video card, think about what it is capable of. Then think about what that power would have cost you back in the mid-1990's. If you don't have a clue, look into the REAL top-of-the-line offerings by companies like Evans and Sutherland (ie, simulator graphics engines) - prepare to break out a cool $10,000 to $20,000 - for the LOW END. Then realize that this power will be available to the consumer for gaming and other tasks a mere 5-10 years from now...