I live in eastern PA (Lehigh Valley Area) and was on the local trial of BPL.
Our power company, PPL, built up a network about a year ago that promised BPL at 1.5mbps symmetric for everyone. I actually got in on the first trials of the service... and it simply sucked. Firstly and foremostly, the speeds NEVER got ANYWHERE near 1.5mbps... in either direction... at any time of day. About half of the system was based on 802.11x wireless, which is what got the signal from the medium voltage lines (the ones that feed the transformers that get the power down to 110v) to the homes. This was done because otherwise, they would need a device to jump over every transformer, since the signal for BPL doesn't survive otherwise. So, as I was wardriving, I noticed a VERY big bunch of PPLBroadbandxxxxxx APs in the area, which I suspect caused part of the problem: too much signal, not enough bandwidth.
Other things I noticed (but were logical design decisions made by the system builders, not inherent limitations in the technology) include: - Throttling of ICMP, which totally screwed with any traceroute or ping measurement when troubleshooting - Use of unroutable IP space for end customers - Authentication of end users not by the BPL modem's MAC (like cable modems work), but by the MAC of the first device behind it... a real headache for those of use switching out devices on a regular basis
All in all, BPL is one of those things that sounds good on paper, but is absolutely abysmal in practice. If I were to put my money on a future last-mile broadband technology, it would have to be DSL (newer DSL variations allow much greater distances from CO to demarc) or long-range wireless (WiMAX, low orbit satellite, 4G cellular, etc).
Just for the record, about a month ago, PPL gave up, took down all of their equipment and went home. I suspect it's being used down in Texas about now;-).
Add Sony to that list... their laptops are some of the best looking/feeling ones in the PC world.
Also, the half of the design work done by Quanta is likely having to do with the manufacturing process. Someone has to figure out exactly how to make a magnesium frame and a 2-piece alminum case from raw materials.
Um... when you log in to the PIX, it says 'Copyright Cisco 2000-whatever'. Whoever made this copy, surely had no permission from the copyright holder to make that, much less sell it. Thus, it's very definitely copyright infringement.
Because it's good for you. Like brussel sprouts and spinnach. Now eat up, and experiance something different for a change. The world is a little bigger than your parents' basement.
Seeing as this is the year of The Matrix, perhaps you should read a couple of Masamune Shirow's graphic novels and see where The Matrix got its roots. Definite titles to read include Ghost in the Shell (the original and the new Manmachine Interface), and Appleseed (anyone else think Minority Report's visual style was drawn directly from there?). If you're able to digest mangas as fast as I can, then I'd also suggest picking up the 9 volume Battle Angel Alita set. James Cameron said in a recent interview that he is planning on making at least a couple movies from this anthology.
Of course... even all of that took me only a couple weeks to read in my very sparse spare time, so maybe you should pick some other books too;-).
"Although criticized by some for lacking a strong plot..."
This is actually the reason this DVD will not be in my collection. Granted, the plot is well beyond that of most hollywood movies, but it doesn't even approach the level of the rest of my collection (containing Ghost in the Shell, Akira, Evangelion, Lain, etc...).
What I see this as being is a good way to get that not-quite-bright-enough-to-grasp-Ghost-in-the-Shel l friend to watch some anime.
Actually, Evangelion is greek for "gospel", and the actual japanese words "Shin Sheiki" (which were translated into english as "Neon Genesis") actually mean "New Century"....
So, we put it all together, and we get the real meaning of the title: "Gospel for a New Century"
This is the only word that can be used to describe what Eva does to you. If you want to see some fucked up shit, see the End of Eva movie (before you do that, watch all of the episodes in the series, as it is a SERIES and no episodes should be skipped or watched out of order). I'll try not to spoil, but the bulk of the clustermindfucking is done in the last half of the movie, and that comes to a head just before (perhaps 15 seconds before) the very end. I guarentee that after watching this, you will find yourself crying naked in a corner, covered in your own excriment, unable to speak. Yes, it's that good.
Also... to those not aquainted with the world of Ultra-CMF (see title of this post) viewing: if The Matrix is a 0 on the CMF scale, and Eva is 100 (and it is)... then Ghost in the Shell is roughly a 93, Serial Experiments: Lain scores about an 85, and Akira scores a good 25. EVERY GEEK SHOULD WATCH THESE.
Though, I'll offer a word of warning: once you have viewed the above titles, your opinion of the bulk of Hollywood movies will go down the shitter. Personally, I find myself watching The Matrix and other movies that I had previously found to be "profound" and thinking to myself how blatently obvious they are.
As for the rest of the world of anime, I generally stay away from ~99% of it, as it is underbudget, retarded crap. Of course, if it's something you're in to collecting as a hobby (as CmdrTaco is), then that's your own thing.
I feel the same way, but I got out much earlier. I switched my major to International Business, and look foreward to to it. The classes are easier... there are more girls... I get to take a load of language classes (once one masters C, then Chinese, Japanese, and German are nothing...). The best part is the world travel. I've done a minimal amount of overseas travel, and I simply love it... can't wait until I'm out working...
I apologize for for this off-topic post, but it seems that even in posts that even remotely reference anime, a few retards crawl out of their holes and spew forth unintelligent stupidity. If you're not interested in the yelling at of idiots, the read no further.
The reality is, that a good number of very mature and professional people enjoy a good number of anime titles. I believe the people you speak of are the ones that like anime just because it is animated and from japan and for no oher reason. But, then again, these people are simply collectors like anyone else that collects anything. Stamps, cars, model trains, anime... it's all the same. There are, on the other hand, people (myself included) that enjoy the content of a small group of anime titles. I can think of no less than 5 of the best anime titles that are all about things like cyberspace, privacy rights, and other topics which are discussed daily here on the slashing dot (the one referenced in this post, Serial Experiments: Lain, is all about real/wired world convergeance). Maybe you two should take a look at what's being referenced before spewing uninformed stupidity all over the forums. I assure you, that even if you don't like it, you'll have some grasp about why, and be able to post intelligently about it (this means not making insulting statements about general groups of people with a certain like/dislike).
I have one of the Developer Edition ones that has only been used for a few minutes. I got it, and then had an unexpected increase in workload that has yet to die down. Unfortunately, I havn't had any time to sit down and write anything for it. Drop me an email if you want it. (The price will be more than reasonable, and I'll be willing to trade for a few select items)
webmaster@netmp.com -------------------------
Been looking around for the official ISO white paper for some time. Anyone know where it can be found? I'm looking for the end-all be-all reference to the language so I can settle all of the "no you can't" vs. "yes you can" disputes about the office/school. -------------------------
Interesting how Evangelion isn't in your list. And watch more than the first episode. If you get bored after the 40 minutes it takes to do that, then they have doctors for that. But this series is one that takes 4 or 5 to really get started. If you can't handle that, PBS has a great live action series with a big yellow bird and a green guy in a trash can that might be more your speed. -------------------------
Yeah, there is just sooooo much anime-centric stuff on/. I'd like to give a big "SUCK IT" to anyone who thinks that the 6 articles (including this one) that appeared this year were just too much. -------------------------
In terms of animation quality: Definately (except EoE).
In terms of storyline depth and quality: not a chance in hell. Eva makes Akira look like a kiddy pool.
Also, Akira isn't out on DVD. -------------------------
This is no cartoon for kids. The depth of the story line and underlying themes make most anything that comes from Hollywood look like a kiddy pool. In the land of anime, comparing Evangelion to anything for kids (i.e. Pokemon, DBZ, etc...) is like comparing The Matrix to say, Sesame Street. If any one of the children in the target audience for the latter of both were to watch the former, they would be completely confused by the subject matter and probably disgusted with the language/violence.
I'd usually say "you should watch this series," but, as you have displayed, your ignorance would probably prevent you from enjoying it, so don't bother. And stop complaining. Clicking on the happy little anime head icon (or here) will show you that there have been 6 articles anime-related posted this year (including this one). After all the crap about Mir, this is nothing. -------------------------
Of course, Manga will be doing these. ADV did (is still doing) the series. And if my copy of Ghost in the Shell has anything to say about it, the quality of the Eva movies will be kickass at the least. -------------------------
Slashdot Mirror
I live in eastern PA (Lehigh Valley Area) and was on the local trial of BPL.
;-).
Our power company, PPL, built up a network about a year ago that promised BPL at 1.5mbps symmetric for everyone. I actually got in on the first trials of the service... and it simply sucked. Firstly and foremostly, the speeds NEVER got ANYWHERE near 1.5mbps... in either direction... at any time of day. About half of the system was based on 802.11x wireless, which is what got the signal from the medium voltage lines (the ones that feed the transformers that get the power down to 110v) to the homes. This was done because otherwise, they would need a device to jump over every transformer, since the signal for BPL doesn't survive otherwise. So, as I was wardriving, I noticed a VERY big bunch of PPLBroadbandxxxxxx APs in the area, which I suspect caused part of the problem: too much signal, not enough bandwidth.
Other things I noticed (but were logical design decisions made by the system builders, not inherent limitations in the technology) include:
- Throttling of ICMP, which totally screwed with any traceroute or ping measurement when troubleshooting
- Use of unroutable IP space for end customers
- Authentication of end users not by the BPL modem's MAC (like cable modems work), but by the MAC of the first device behind it... a real headache for those of use switching out devices on a regular basis
All in all, BPL is one of those things that sounds good on paper, but is absolutely abysmal in practice. If I were to put my money on a future last-mile broadband technology, it would have to be DSL (newer DSL variations allow much greater distances from CO to demarc) or long-range wireless (WiMAX, low orbit satellite, 4G cellular, etc).
Just for the record, about a month ago, PPL gave up, took down all of their equipment and went home. I suspect it's being used down in Texas about now
Add Sony to that list... their laptops are some of the best looking/feeling ones in the PC world.
Also, the half of the design work done by Quanta is likely having to do with the manufacturing process. Someone has to figure out exactly how to make a magnesium frame and a 2-piece alminum case from raw materials.
Um... when you log in to the PIX, it says 'Copyright Cisco 2000-whatever'. Whoever made this copy, surely had no permission from the copyright holder to make that, much less sell it. Thus, it's very definitely copyright infringement.
Because it's good for you. Like brussel sprouts and spinnach. Now eat up, and experiance something different for a change. The world is a little bigger than your parents' basement.
Seeing as this is the year of The Matrix, perhaps you should read a couple of Masamune Shirow's graphic novels and see where The Matrix got its roots. Definite titles to read include Ghost in the Shell (the original and the new Manmachine Interface), and Appleseed (anyone else think Minority Report's visual style was drawn directly from there?). If you're able to digest mangas as fast as I can, then I'd also suggest picking up the 9 volume Battle Angel Alita set. James Cameron said in a recent interview that he is planning on making at least a couple movies from this anthology.
;-).
Of course... even all of that took me only a couple weeks to read in my very sparse spare time, so maybe you should pick some other books too
With such a high frequency, line-of-sight would be required. So the only real advantage over 802.11b is the bandwidth.
If I was to buy a copy of WinXP Pro, it would cost me ~$300 and my soul...
;-).
I think there's a divide by zero error in there somewhere, so I win by proving that every bit of WinXP costs you everything
Seriously... what list of top scifi movies is complete without Ghost in the Shell?
So good job on wasting your (and our) time by posting. Damned troll.
"Although criticized by some for lacking a strong plot..."
l l friend to watch some anime.
This is actually the reason this DVD will not be in my collection. Granted, the plot is well beyond that of most hollywood movies, but it doesn't even approach the level of the rest of my collection (containing Ghost in the Shell, Akira, Evangelion, Lain, etc...).
What I see this as being is a good way to get that not-quite-bright-enough-to-grasp-Ghost-in-the-She
Actually, Evangelion is greek for "gospel", and the actual japanese words "Shin Sheiki" (which were translated into english as "Neon Genesis") actually mean "New Century"....
So, we put it all together, and we get the real meaning of the title: "Gospel for a New Century"
This is the only word that can be used to describe what Eva does to you. If you want to see some fucked up shit, see the End of Eva movie (before you do that, watch all of the episodes in the series, as it is a SERIES and no episodes should be skipped or watched out of order). I'll try not to spoil, but the bulk of the clustermindfucking is done in the last half of the movie, and that comes to a head just before (perhaps 15 seconds before) the very end. I guarentee that after watching this, you will find yourself crying naked in a corner, covered in your own excriment, unable to speak. Yes, it's that good.
Also... to those not aquainted with the world of Ultra-CMF (see title of this post) viewing: if The Matrix is a 0 on the CMF scale, and Eva is 100 (and it is)... then Ghost in the Shell is roughly a 93, Serial Experiments: Lain scores about an 85, and Akira scores a good 25. EVERY GEEK SHOULD WATCH THESE.
Though, I'll offer a word of warning: once you have viewed the above titles, your opinion of the bulk of Hollywood movies will go down the shitter. Personally, I find myself watching The Matrix and other movies that I had previously found to be "profound" and thinking to myself how blatently obvious they are.
As for the rest of the world of anime, I generally stay away from ~99% of it, as it is underbudget, retarded crap. Of course, if it's something you're in to collecting as a hobby (as CmdrTaco is), then that's your own thing.
I feel the same way, but I got out much earlier. I switched my major to International Business, and look foreward to to it. The classes are easier... there are more girls... I get to take a load of language classes (once one masters C, then Chinese, Japanese, and German are nothing...). The best part is the world travel. I've done a minimal amount of overseas travel, and I simply love it... can't wait until I'm out working...
I apologize for for this off-topic post, but it seems that even in posts that even remotely reference anime, a few retards crawl out of their holes and spew forth unintelligent stupidity. If you're not interested in the yelling at of idiots, the read no further.
The reality is, that a good number of very mature and professional people enjoy a good number of anime titles. I believe the people you speak of are the ones that like anime just because it is animated and from japan and for no oher reason. But, then again, these people are simply collectors like anyone else that collects anything. Stamps, cars, model trains, anime... it's all the same. There are, on the other hand, people (myself included) that enjoy the content of a small group of anime titles. I can think of no less than 5 of the best anime titles that are all about things like cyberspace, privacy rights, and other topics which are discussed daily here on the slashing dot (the one referenced in this post, Serial Experiments: Lain, is all about real/wired world convergeance). Maybe you two should take a look at what's being referenced before spewing uninformed stupidity all over the forums. I assure you, that even if you don't like it, you'll have some grasp about why, and be able to post intelligently about it (this means not making insulting statements about general groups of people with a certain like/dislike).
One word... Pascal.
-------------------------
I have one of the Developer Edition ones that has only been used for a few minutes. I got it, and then had an unexpected increase in workload that has yet to die down. Unfortunately, I havn't had any time to sit down and write anything for it. Drop me an email if you want it. (The price will be more than reasonable, and I'll be willing to trade for a few select items) webmaster@netmp.com
-------------------------
Been looking around for the official ISO white paper for some time. Anyone know where it can be found? I'm looking for the end-all be-all reference to the language so I can settle all of the "no you can't" vs. "yes you can" disputes about the office/school.
-------------------------
Interesting how Evangelion isn't in your list. And watch more than the first episode. If you get bored after the 40 minutes it takes to do that, then they have doctors for that. But this series is one that takes 4 or 5 to really get started. If you can't handle that, PBS has a great live action series with a big yellow bird and a green guy in a trash can that might be more your speed.
-------------------------
Exactly. That's what the extremely deep and detailed story line is for.
-------------------------
Yeah, there is just sooooo much anime-centric stuff on /. I'd like to give a big "SUCK IT" to anyone who thinks that the 6 articles (including this one) that appeared this year were just too much.
-------------------------
In terms of animation quality: Definately (except EoE). In terms of storyline depth and quality: not a chance in hell. Eva makes Akira look like a kiddy pool. Also, Akira isn't out on DVD.
-------------------------
This is no cartoon for kids. The depth of the story line and underlying themes make most anything that comes from Hollywood look like a kiddy pool. In the land of anime, comparing Evangelion to anything for kids (i.e. Pokemon, DBZ, etc...) is like comparing The Matrix to say, Sesame Street. If any one of the children in the target audience for the latter of both were to watch the former, they would be completely confused by the subject matter and probably disgusted with the language/violence. I'd usually say "you should watch this series," but, as you have displayed, your ignorance would probably prevent you from enjoying it, so don't bother. And stop complaining. Clicking on the happy little anime head icon (or here) will show you that there have been 6 articles anime-related posted this year (including this one). After all the crap about Mir, this is nothing.
-------------------------
Of course, Manga will be doing these. ADV did (is still doing) the series. And if my copy of Ghost in the Shell has anything to say about it, the quality of the Eva movies will be kickass at the least.
-------------------------