This system is totally flawed and shouldn't even be considered.
I mean, how's this for a scenario: the terrorist points the plane in the desired direction, then destroys the plane's navigation computer. The plane's soft-wall system along with everything else is dead, and the plane carries on towards its target. Oops.
The current strategy, other than a "buy me now" advertisement, might also be an attempt to deflect criticism from shareholders that they drove the company into the ground. At least now they can blame all their woes on the "Linux pirates" and say they even went to court to get their own back.
Personally I wish the whole thing could be hurried up and brought to trial so that it can go away. The FUD that is coming out of SCO right now is highly damaging to Linux. Fortunately nobody in the corporate world (at least publicly) seems to be taking any notice, yet...
What I also want to see is the death of X-Windows. It's served it's term, but it isn't getting any better.
I really don't understand how people imagine X magically being replaced solving all of Linux's woes. So you expect all that work to be thrown away? All the hundreds of apps that run on top of it to be rewritten?
X is not going to go away, but it will be getting better. Just wait and see.
And thank God for the user-configurable kernel, because where would Joe User be without that?
Why, he'd be without an OS which can be run on everything from a rescue floppy disk to a full installation, from a PVR to a desktop to a large server. Same kernel, different configuration. Joe might not appreciate that, but it's a fact and he will benefit from it.
Linux is evolving. The average PC user can probably run Linux now (apart from games) - just about everything is there and it's fairly easy to use (at least, it has no less quirks than does Windows to the uninitiated.) Windows power users are the only people who have trouble, and they can learn to adapt. I know I did.
One important reason for me is that the Tivo and other similar devices just aren't available where I live (New Zealand). I suspect the same is true for a lot of other countries.
I tried something like this, and it failed dismally. Ground loops and interference made the device useless. I eventually gave up and went back to plug packs (or "wall warts" if you prefer).
I have been told that Tylenol also contains caffiene, apart from the main active ingredient mentioned in the article, which combats the symptoms of caffiene withdrawal (usually in the form of a headache).
Can anyone confirm this? (Google was not its usual helpful self)
Sigh... Please don't trot out the old "OS/2 failed because it emulated Windows apps" argument. This was the least of OS/2's reasons for failing, which you can read about in detail in Linux and Main's brilliant article here
Try Xine, or MPlayer. Xine has excellent DVD menu support, a fully functional GUI, and also plays other video files. You'll need libdvdcss, libdvdread, libdvdnav and xine-dvdnav as well to play encrypted DVDs with menu support (see here for more info).
As well as the other things already mentioned (complexity, cost, and existing systems for voice) there is also the question as to why you would want to clutter up the WiFi frequencies with voice data? The whole idea would seem to be wastage of everything all round.
Dude, you have to remember: Tivos are not available in some countries, eg. New Zealand, where I live. This is one reason why I'm building such a system for myself. (The hack factor is somewhat compelling as well, though).
I did a paper on the history of computing last semester. The guy taking the paper (Garry Tee, University of Auckland) is reasonably distinguished in this area. Particularly he did not recommend the first book mentioned (by Herman Goldstine) - "The first half (1620-1940) is worthless, and should not be used". Some of the more general books which he did recommend were (sorry, no ISBNs)
Bit by Bit: an Illustrated History of Computers Stan Augarten
A History of Computing Technology Michael R. Williams
The Origins of Digital Computers Brian Randell (editor)
Good advice, except with regard to security/fire detection. Generally there's no reason why you can't home-run your smoke detector cables, it's just not usually done that way (if you do, they end up being looped inside the control panel, which is normally fine but could be bad if you have a lot of detectors and long runs). The usual method is to daisy-chain the detectors in whatever pattern that makes sense for your building/wiring layout. 4-core alarm wire is best for this since it's very flexible and easy to terminate/join. For other detectors (eg. motion), run 6-core alarm wire. For keypads, some manufacturers recommend the use of twisted-pair cable, so feel free to use CAT5 for these, otherwise 6-core alarm wire is usually fine. As long as you keep these cables away from AC mains as with ethernet cables and don't stretch or crush them you'll be fine, and it should be OK to put these in even if you're not a qualified installer.
I recommend leaving the actual connections to a qualified alarm installer though, and even cooperating with the security company and letting them tell you where detectors should go, if you don't have experience in this area that is.
Oh, and lastly, with regard to ethernet cabling: do not skimp on the connectors - particularly at the hub/switch end. Spend the money and get a decent patch panel and some pre-tested patch leads to connect to your hub/switch. You won't regret it.
I work for a security equipment supply company. For that reason I won't talk about brands, but here is some information that might be useful.
Actually, ultrasonic is rarely used these days - most motion sensors are based on PIR (Passive Infra-Red, which detects the movement of body heat patterns) or microwave (which transmit microwaves into the protected area and use the Doppler effect to measure for movement). The best kinds of motion detectors use both of these (called dual-technology sensors). Dual-technology sensors are far less prone to false alarms since both technologies have to trigger before the detector will go into alarm. Also, some motion sensors are available with pet immunity, which with some restrictions allow you to have pets in your house while the alarm is on.
The comment about glass breakage detectors applies to acoustical glass breakage detectors only (which detect the sound of glass breaking) as opposed to shock sensors which are attached to the window or window frame and detect the sharp seismic signature of the glass breaking. I'd have to agree that acoustical sensors are usually rather indiscriminate and are not suited for all situations. They're fine for places like shop-fronts, but for homes you are better off with motion sensors, door reed switches and shock sensors for the windows.
Monitoring: I don't know how things work in the USA, but in NZ, the police don't generally respond to alarm calls - if your alarm is monitored then the monitoring station calls a guard company, who upon arrival will detain intruders until the police arrive. They do charge for call-outs, but it amounts to about 20 USD. This is worth it since they will make sure the house is secure and you can have them call people in to fix broken windows, etc.
If you choose quality equipment and have it professionally installed, you shouldn't have problems with false alarms. Unless you've installed alarms before, I would recommend you don't do it yourself. A lot of the DIY alarm equipment is cheap junk and should be avoided at all costs, and there are some tricky situations in installation that really require training to avoid.
Generally, simply having an alarm is deterrent enough, and there are still enough people out there who don't bother to have one that theives will go elsewhere if they see your house has an alarm. So if you do have an alarm, make sure there are plenty of window stickers prominently displayed. Also, people tend to forget that electronic security isn't everything - make sure your physical security is up to scratch as well (decent locks, don't leave windows open, etc.)
Nice idea, but then what do you use to set your motherboard options? For me, the "soft menu" features of recent motherboards is great. OK, I guess you could use a real app under a real OS to do this, but then you've actually got to boot the OS to use it - which would be a real pain if you have to play with the settings to get some piece of hardware to work. Plus you've got the whole OS choice thing (BIOS manufacturers: "I know, Windows! No wait, you can't get that kind of hardware access under NT/2K/XP without a huge mission, damn...").
Sure, there are improvements to be made to the PC BIOS, but doing away with it totally is not going to be practical.
I have two Deskstar drives, one a 45GB (DTLA-307045) and another 20GB which is a Deskstar but I forget which line it's in (purchased later). Both are working fine, although the 45GB has made some strange noises once or twice. Just to be sure, I ran it through the IBM testing software and Spinrite, no problems found.
Personally, I think IBM has just had a run of seriously bad luck, and I intend to carry on buying IBM drives in the future, mainly because I don't really trust any other brand. Anyway, you can bet that after this they're going to make doubly sure their quality control is up to scratch.
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This system is totally flawed and shouldn't even be considered.
I mean, how's this for a scenario: the terrorist points the plane in the desired direction, then destroys the plane's navigation computer. The plane's soft-wall system along with everything else is dead, and the plane carries on towards its target. Oops.
The current strategy, other than a "buy me now" advertisement, might also be an attempt to deflect criticism from shareholders that they drove the company into the ground. At least now they can blame all their woes on the "Linux pirates" and say they even went to court to get their own back.
Personally I wish the whole thing could be hurried up and brought to trial so that it can go away. The FUD that is coming out of SCO right now is highly damaging to Linux. Fortunately nobody in the corporate world (at least publicly) seems to be taking any notice, yet...
1. LCD Panel from CrystalFontz, Matrix Orbital, or make your own.
2. I/O panel such as a FrontX. These are great.
What I also want to see is the death of X-Windows. It's served it's term, but it isn't getting any better.
I really don't understand how people imagine X magically being replaced solving all of Linux's woes. So you expect all that work to be thrown away? All the hundreds of apps that run on top of it to be rewritten?
X is not going to go away, but it will be getting better. Just wait and see.
And thank God for the user-configurable kernel, because where would Joe User be without that?
Why, he'd be without an OS which can be run on everything from a rescue floppy disk to a full installation, from a PVR to a desktop to a large server. Same kernel, different configuration. Joe might not appreciate that, but it's a fact and he will benefit from it.
Linux is evolving. The average PC user can probably run Linux now (apart from games) - just about everything is there and it's fairly easy to use (at least, it has no less quirks than does Windows to the uninitiated.) Windows power users are the only people who have trouble, and they can learn to adapt. I know I did.
What about an iPAQ + PCMCIA backpaq + PCMCIA USB adapter? Wouldn't that work?
One important reason for me is that the Tivo and other similar devices just aren't available where I live (New Zealand). I suspect the same is true for a lot of other countries.
I tried something like this, and it failed dismally. Ground loops and interference made the device useless. I eventually gave up and went back to plug packs (or "wall warts" if you prefer).
Have you ever tried unplugging a hard drive? Not exactly easy to do, is it?
Molex connectors require far too much force to be any good for "outside the box" connections, and would wear out too quickly for regular use anyway.
I have been told that Tylenol also contains caffiene, apart from the main active ingredient mentioned in the article, which combats the symptoms of caffiene withdrawal (usually in the form of a headache).
Can anyone confirm this? (Google was not its usual helpful self)
Sigh...
Please don't trot out the old "OS/2 failed because it emulated Windows apps" argument. This was the least of OS/2's reasons for failing, which you can read about in detail in Linux and Main's brilliant article here
Charles Babbage never patented any of his inventions either. There's a short essay on it here.
Try Xine, or MPlayer. Xine has excellent DVD menu support, a fully functional GUI, and also plays other video files. You'll need libdvdcss, libdvdread, libdvdnav and xine-dvdnav as well to play encrypted DVDs with menu support (see here for more info).
As well as the other things already mentioned (complexity, cost, and existing systems for voice) there is also the question as to why you would want to clutter up the WiFi frequencies with voice data? The whole idea would seem to be wastage of everything all round.
Dude, you have to remember: Tivos are not available in some countries, eg. New Zealand, where I live. This is one reason why I'm building such a system for myself. (The hack factor is somewhat compelling as well, though).
Let people watch what they want when they want? They'll never allow it.
Unfortunately, no-one can be told what the Hurd is. You have to see it for yourself.
You forgot:
C. Buy it and then remove it from the market.
I did a paper on the history of computing last semester. The guy taking the paper (Garry Tee, University of Auckland) is reasonably distinguished in this area. Particularly he did not recommend the first book mentioned (by Herman Goldstine) - "The first half (1620-1940) is worthless, and should not be used". Some of the more general books which he did recommend were (sorry, no ISBNs)
Bit by Bit: an Illustrated History of Computers
Stan Augarten
A History of Computing Technology
Michael R. Williams
The Origins of Digital Computers
Brian Randell (editor)
A Computer Perspective
Charles & Ray Eames
Oh, just for clarification: daisy-chaining is only appropriate for smoke detectors, not motion detectors etc.
Good advice, except with regard to security/fire detection. Generally there's no reason why you can't home-run your smoke detector cables, it's just not usually done that way (if you do, they end up being looped inside the control panel, which is normally fine but could be bad if you have a lot of detectors and long runs). The usual method is to daisy-chain the detectors in whatever pattern that makes sense for your building/wiring layout. 4-core alarm wire is best for this since it's very flexible and easy to terminate/join. For other detectors (eg. motion), run 6-core alarm wire. For keypads, some manufacturers recommend the use of twisted-pair cable, so feel free to use CAT5 for these, otherwise 6-core alarm wire is usually fine. As long as you keep these cables away from AC mains as with ethernet cables and don't stretch or crush them you'll be fine, and it should be OK to put these in even if you're not a qualified installer.
I recommend leaving the actual connections to a qualified alarm installer though, and even cooperating with the security company and letting them tell you where detectors should go, if you don't have experience in this area that is.
Oh, and lastly, with regard to ethernet cabling: do not skimp on the connectors - particularly at the hub/switch end. Spend the money and get a decent patch panel and some pre-tested patch leads to connect to your hub/switch. You won't regret it.
I work for a security equipment supply company. For that reason I won't talk about brands, but here is some information that might be useful.
Actually, ultrasonic is rarely used these days - most motion sensors are based on PIR (Passive Infra-Red, which detects the movement of body heat patterns) or microwave (which transmit microwaves into the protected area and use the Doppler effect to measure for movement). The best kinds of motion detectors use both of these (called dual-technology sensors). Dual-technology sensors are far less prone to false alarms since both technologies have to trigger before the detector will go into alarm. Also, some motion sensors are available with pet immunity, which with some restrictions allow you to have pets in your house while the alarm is on.
The comment about glass breakage detectors applies to acoustical glass breakage detectors only (which detect the sound of glass breaking) as opposed to shock sensors which are attached to the window or window frame and detect the sharp seismic signature of the glass breaking. I'd have to agree that acoustical sensors are usually rather indiscriminate and are not suited for all situations. They're fine for places like shop-fronts, but for homes you are better off with motion sensors, door reed switches and shock sensors for the windows.
Monitoring: I don't know how things work in the USA, but in NZ, the police don't generally respond to alarm calls - if your alarm is monitored then the monitoring station calls a guard company, who upon arrival will detain intruders until the police arrive. They do charge for call-outs, but it amounts to about 20 USD. This is worth it since they will make sure the house is secure and you can have them call people in to fix broken windows, etc.
If you choose quality equipment and have it professionally installed, you shouldn't have problems with false alarms. Unless you've installed alarms before, I would recommend you don't do it yourself. A lot of the DIY alarm equipment is cheap junk and should be avoided at all costs, and there are some tricky situations in installation that really require training to avoid.
Generally, simply having an alarm is deterrent enough, and there are still enough people out there who don't bother to have one that theives will go elsewhere if they see your house has an alarm. So if you do have an alarm, make sure there are plenty of window stickers prominently displayed. Also, people tend to forget that electronic security isn't everything - make sure your physical security is up to scratch as well (decent locks, don't leave windows open, etc.)
Nice idea, but then what do you use to set your motherboard options? For me, the "soft menu" features of recent motherboards is great. OK, I guess you could use a real app under a real OS to do this, but then you've actually got to boot the OS to use it - which would be a real pain if you have to play with the settings to get some piece of hardware to work. Plus you've got the whole OS choice thing (BIOS manufacturers: "I know, Windows! No wait, you can't get that kind of hardware access under NT/2K/XP without a huge mission, damn...").
Sure, there are improvements to be made to the PC BIOS, but doing away with it totally is not going to be practical.
"Unexpected error, quitting."
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
I have two Deskstar drives, one a 45GB (DTLA-307045) and another 20GB which is a Deskstar but I forget which line it's in (purchased later). Both are working fine, although the 45GB has made some strange noises once or twice. Just to be sure, I ran it through the IBM testing software and Spinrite, no problems found.
Personally, I think IBM has just had a run of seriously bad luck, and I intend to carry on buying IBM drives in the future, mainly because I don't really trust any other brand. Anyway, you can bet that after this they're going to make doubly sure their quality control is up to scratch.