Even if the SCO's copyrights are ruled invalid, Microsoft still purchased a license from SCO. Considering Darl's claims that SCO owns "millions of lines of code" in the Linux kernel, couldn't Microsoft take this as an arguably legal way to circumvent the GPL, and pillage code from the kernel? If they were confronted about using the GPL'd kernel code in their proprietary products, Microsoft could say that they purchased the license to use the code in good faith, and "didn't know" that SCO didn't own the code. Scary...
Anyone who has played Nintendo's "Kirby's Air Ride" game (I have a 10-year old son) will instantly recognize this as the Wheelie Scooter, one of the vehicles available to drive. Lawsuit, anyone?;-)
Though a real-life Rex Wheelie (much bigger) would be pretty cool....
satellites smashed by asteriods? - probably none, as they usually don't come close enough. Meteoric dust (mostly stuff that is blown off comets) is much more of a problem. Even though they are usually less than 1mm in diameter, they are travelling at speeds up to 75km/second! They can and have caused damage to satellites. The most satellite operators can do when a meteoric storm is predicted (ie the Perseids and Leonids) is to turn their solar panels to be edge-on (=smaller target), close the doors over their sensors, and cross their fingers.
The source code for DeCSS can be found imbedded in several different GIF files, done in order to circumvent the whole ridiculous "linking" issue. To activate this "virus", you would have to strip out the code using some script, compile the code and link it with one of the many fine programs available for viewing DVD's under Linux. This nasty image-file-embedded virus would then allow you to "perform an illegal operation"... Darn.
You can find all sorts of Lego pieces, including the racks you're looking for at http://www.pldstore.com. Go to the "Spare Parts, Tools & Resources" department. I've never ordered from them myself, but I know they've got LOTS of stuff to choose from!
I only have one degree, in solid earth Geophysics (oil and mineral exploration, mainly), but I took a lot of CS courses on the side since I knew computers are used quite heavily for data processing. Well as luck would have it, I graduated about a year after the near collapse of the oil industry in 1986. I finally found my niche doing scientific computer programming for a (government) research lab (doing *atmospheric* geophysics!), and have been doing that for nearly 15 years. It hasn't gotten old because I am always learning new scientific stuff, and the projects finish up and new ones come up every so often. I've worked on multiple projects flown on the space shuttle and several satellites. During that time I've programmed in a variety of languages and on lots of different platforms, etc.
The article mentioned that bricks from 1971 still can be used with those from today. I still have a few pieces from my first Lego set (circa 1971) mixed in with my son's vast collection that continues to grow. Some of the colors have faded a bit, but they still work.
I have watched the evolution of the Lego sets over these last 30 years and have mixed feelings about these new Star Wars and Harry Potter lines. While my kids are excited about playing with them, they don't want to build other things from those sets, thus limiting the play. My son has finally seen the light and has started building bigger and better things.
As far as those specialized pieces, a few of the sets have ones that are made for that set in particular. However, most of the specialized pieces are ones that have been around before, usually in a different color. I think Lego has tried it best to keep new special pieces to an absolute minimum.
When I was growing up, those specialized pieces were essential, hinges especially. How else could you make spaceships with doors to open for the rovers to get out, legs that retract, etc?
Now that my son has so many sets (and spends hours in his room building/playing), I bought some plastic drawer units and sorted all the peices into various groupings. Am I crazy?
I can't vouch for the claims on the accuracy for these receivers, but they work differently in orbit than on the ground. On the ground, you're looking up to three or four GPS satellites for triangulation to determine your position. In orbit, the satellite has to look up, to the sides or down (depending on the altitude) to the GPS satellites. When you can only triangulate with ones to the sides, accurately pinpointing your position in three dimensions is quite a bit harder.
This is something I learned about these receivers during my work with the CHAMP satellite, the other satellite mentioned in the article.
I've had similar problems on a Gateway Solo 2300 laptop. After I added an external PS/2 trackball (I absolutely HATE the touchpad!!!), the pointer would freeze up at random intervals. Most of the time I was able to get control back by toggling to a virtual console, but sometimes not. Once I totally disabled the (built-in) touchpad via the BIOS, I have never lost pointer control.
Slashdot Mirror
Even if the SCO's copyrights are ruled invalid, Microsoft still purchased a license from SCO. Considering Darl's claims that SCO owns "millions of lines of code" in the Linux kernel, couldn't Microsoft take this as an arguably legal way to circumvent the GPL, and pillage code from the kernel? If they were confronted about using the GPL'd kernel code in their proprietary products, Microsoft could say that they purchased the license to use the code in good faith, and "didn't know" that SCO didn't own the code. Scary...
Anyone who has played Nintendo's "Kirby's Air Ride" game (I have a 10-year old son) will instantly recognize this as the Wheelie Scooter, one of the vehicles available to drive. Lawsuit, anyone? ;-)
Though a real-life Rex Wheelie (much bigger) would be pretty cool....
But keep in mind that the ink cartridges that come with a new printer are often smaller capacity than those refills.
satellites smashed by asteriods? - probably none, as they usually don't come close enough.
Meteoric dust (mostly stuff that is blown off comets) is much more of a problem. Even though they are usually less than 1mm in diameter, they are travelling at speeds up to 75km/second! They can and have caused damage to satellites. The most satellite operators can do when a meteoric storm is predicted (ie the Perseids and Leonids) is to turn their solar panels to be edge-on (=smaller target), close the doors over their sensors, and cross their fingers.
The source code for DeCSS can be found imbedded in several different GIF files, done in order to circumvent the whole ridiculous "linking" issue. To activate this "virus", you would have to strip out the code using some script, compile the code and link it with one of the many fine programs available for viewing DVD's under Linux. This nasty image-file-embedded virus would then allow you to "perform an illegal operation"... Darn.
You can find all sorts of Lego pieces, including the racks you're looking for at http://www.pldstore.com. Go to the "Spare Parts, Tools & Resources" department. I've never ordered from them myself, but I know they've got LOTS of stuff to choose from!
I only have one degree, in solid earth Geophysics (oil and mineral exploration, mainly), but I took a lot of CS courses on the side since I knew computers are used quite heavily for data processing. Well as luck would have it, I graduated about a year after the near collapse of the oil industry in 1986. I finally found my niche doing scientific computer programming for a (government) research lab (doing *atmospheric* geophysics!), and have been doing that for nearly 15 years. It hasn't gotten old because I am always learning new scientific stuff, and the projects finish up and new ones come up every so often. I've worked on multiple projects flown on the space shuttle and several satellites. During that time I've programmed in a variety of languages and on lots of different platforms, etc.
The article mentioned that bricks from 1971 still can be used with those from today. I still have a few pieces from my first Lego set (circa 1971) mixed in with my son's vast collection that continues to grow. Some of the colors have faded a bit, but they still work.
I have watched the evolution of the Lego sets over these last 30 years and have mixed feelings about these new Star Wars and Harry Potter lines. While my kids are excited about playing with them, they don't want to build other things from those sets, thus limiting the play. My son has finally seen the light and has started building bigger and better things.
As far as those specialized pieces, a few of the sets have ones that are made for that set in particular. However, most of the specialized pieces are ones that have been around before, usually in a different color. I think Lego has tried it best to keep new special pieces to an absolute minimum.
When I was growing up, those specialized pieces were essential, hinges especially. How else could you make spaceships with doors to open for the rovers to get out, legs that retract, etc?
Now that my son has so many sets (and spends hours in his room building/playing), I bought some plastic drawer units and sorted all the peices into various groupings. Am I crazy?
I can't vouch for the claims on the accuracy for these receivers, but they work differently in orbit than on the ground. On the ground, you're looking up to three or four GPS satellites for triangulation to determine your position. In orbit, the satellite has to look up, to the sides or down (depending on the altitude) to the GPS satellites. When you can only triangulate with ones to the sides, accurately pinpointing your position in three dimensions is quite a bit harder.
This is something I learned about these receivers during my work with the CHAMP satellite, the other satellite mentioned in the article.
BigFig
I've had similar problems on a Gateway Solo 2300 laptop. After I added an external PS/2 trackball (I absolutely HATE the touchpad!!!), the pointer would freeze up at random intervals. Most of the time I was able to get control back by toggling to a virtual console, but sometimes not. Once I totally disabled the (built-in) touchpad via the BIOS, I have never lost pointer control.