I googled but couldn't find any detailed information about the OS on the Ming/A1200. It looks like a gorgeous device. Does anyone know:
- How awful the handwriting recognition is? - If it is possible to load my own code on it? - If the Bluetooth is locked down or if it has DUN support? - If the browser is any good? - If it multitasks (lets me switch apps without losing my place in any of them, like a Blackberry and unlike Palm)?
Thanks in advance to anyone who can point me at in-for-mation:) Justin
OK, it's old news. But the whole easy-ness thing is a real bummer.
Not to brag (I've never really considered myself "good" at video games, I have friends who consistently kick my ass at it), but I picked up the New Super Mario Bros DS title a few weeks ago and beat it in about a week. Finished the final boss on my second try, and went back & polished off the 2 skipped worlds in a day or two.
This makes me a sad panda. It's a gorgeous game, loads of fun, but it was over before I knew it and compared to my childhood Mario experiences (SMB 1 & 3, SMW) it just seemed very easy. There's not even a % done indicator so I can see whether I've found all the coins and hidden spots. Am I missing something?:(
We've heard a lot about the original voice actors who are returning to Futurama. This is great, and I believe it is absolutely essential to the success of the new season. However, what about the other staff? Are the writers of the Fox episodes returning for the new season? Is there anyone who isn't coming back to the show who you'll miss?
Thanks! Can't wait for the new season!! Can I be cryogenically frozen until 2008?
I'm fairly sure that the vertical lines you describe are normal. My Olympus C8080 does the same thing while composing a shot -- bright points of light in a dark frame become vertical streaks -- but the resulting pictures are always fine. I believe that the CCD must have a "motion mode" and "still mode" which process the picture differently.
The camera is trying to approximate what will happen when you press the shutter, causing this artifact. I've noticed plenty of other differences between what is displayed on the LCD viewfinder and the final picture.
Justin (who really doesn't know what he's talking about, even a little)
The article is worthwile because it gives us, the readers, a chance to comment on it, and have a more intelligent discussion than that which is available on any of the above media outlets.
I don't want to nitpick, but Mac OS X users are NOT running a flavor of Linux. They're running a variant of a different UNIX, which is a bit different...
I think they beat you to it... No kidding, I saw this at Costco the other day. The keyboard was like $600, and I believe it was made by Yamaha. Looked really neat.
More on-topic, I'd just like to say that this is one of the coolest nonexistant products I've ever seen.
Thirty cents a unit is very cheap, but, frankly the cuecat sucked. The range is zero (literally) and the scan reliability was very poor unless you had the dexterity to move the thing across the barcodes at an exact, constant speed every time.
I got a small box of these from a Radio Shack which was trying to get rid of them, and briefly tried to set up a POS for a client based on the 'Cat. Two weeks of constant phone calls later, I had the client fork over $100 per seat for some medium range one-shot LED scanners and life was good.:)
Not to be a jerk, but, if you can't hook your PC up to your stereo or HDTV, maybe you're using the wrong PC;)
For example, my Mac can easily be hooked up to my TV via DVI, and as of Tiger, it even figures out the right crazy-ass video mode and aspect ratio. Optical digital out is also onboard. Whee.
I imagine that many PCs have the same features. It's not unheard of.:)
[Note: I am not a PC gamer. I have like six consoles. This message not to be construed as an endorsement of PC gaming;)]
I remember the cold winter night we got Super Mario Bros 3. It was snowing really hard, but damn it all, we had to have that game anyway. When we finally got home, I played it for 20 glorious minutes, my eyes gleaming and my jaw slack. It was unbelievable.
Then the power went out.
And stayed out. For a week.
I don't care if you were repeatedly molested by a gang of angry Hell's Angels as a child... THIS scarred me, for life. Justin
My first unit had no dead pixels, but it did have a giant piece of dirt trapped between the layers of the screen. The dirt was even visible when the PSP was off. When I returned it to Best Buy, the service desk lady actually exclaimed, "Oh my god!"
She informed me that at least my particular Best Buy had been accepting PSP returns from anyone with even a single dead pixel. This seems contrary to Sony's policy, but I'm certainly not complaining.:)
My replacement PSP has one dead pixel. It's stuck off (black) and it's in the bottom right corner. I'm not going to return the console again; For one thing, I realize that production costs go up inversely to the allowable percentage of dead pixels, and the PSP is expensive enough already!
It looks like they kind of botched it. I'm not surprised, given the lag and inaccuracy of GPS in an urban environment (tall buildings = imperfect coverage) and the overall insanity of the whole project.
Basically I searched for some things in New York, and got some cool images. Not once was I looking at the actual storefront I asked for. Once, I was able to find the store by moving left two images down the block (a neat feature) but the next time I searched, I was not even on the same block with the restaurant I was looking for. Next search, there was a giant truck in front of the store I wanted. Woo!
It is really entertaining to walk up and down the block and take a look at all the poor slobs who A9 caught scratching themselves on some streetcorner. I wonder when we can count on the first lawsuit?
You're a big exaggerator, or you have no imagination. All you need is one power cord running to the charger. If I want to do something else with the devices charging on the pad (sync, whatever) I can use Bluetooth.
Personally I want two of these, NOW! The only problem I see is getting 500 brands of cell phone, PDA, GPS, (.....) to support wireless charging. I'll have to buy all new devices, again.:(
I'll bite. I don't think your Apache analogy is correct.
Adware and spyware don't require bugs or exploits to flourish. One of the most common ways malware gets into Windows boxes is riding on some "legitimate" program a user installs. Since the user is taking action in installing things, the OS doesn't get a chance to stop it from happening.
Once it's on your system, the malware can install itself as a hidden startup task (or UNIX daemon, or whatever) and go to town recording your web browsing activities or performing other misdeeds.
This is not an indictment of OS X. You are partially right in that Safari is probably better at stopping malware from making an end-run around the user and installing itself than IE is, and that OS X's UNIX-based permissions system might limit the damage a piece of malware could do. But, most adware and spyware isn't out to delete your entire hard disk, anyway.
I'm convinced that if the mac mini does its job and doubles Apple's desktop market share, we'll start having to watch out for nasty software just as vigilantly as our PC neighbors...
No, don't get a Mac!! If too many users migrate to the Mac side, we'll start seeing Mac spyware and Mac adware! While I love my Mac, I do understand that the only reason it isn't as cluttered up with crap as the average PC is because of OS X's miniscule market share.
So, I say, keep Macs a secret! Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Justin
Yeah, but.. the screen on your 12" PB is only 1024x768, which is way smaller than "full frame" for HDTV. Have you tried outputting to a larger monitor or (ideally) an actual HDTV?
Aldo, Elgato's site says Dolby Digital 5.1 sound output is only possible on a dual G5. Does anyone know if any other machines (esp. an iMac G5) can simply pass the DD stream somehow?
Actually you simplified the issue past the point of being true.;)
Some people call this "temporal dithering" (as opposed to the regular kind of dithering, which I guess is spatial dithering) and the reason for it is that DLP pixels are either 100% on or 100% off at any given time, with no middle ground. If you want to display 50% gray on a DLP, your pixel has to be white half the time and black half the time.
While DLP is fast, it's not quite fast enough to make enough colors using the temporal dithering alone. So, DLPs combine this temporal dithering with regular spatial dithering. If you get up close to a DLP display showing a dark color, you will notice little blips of light quickly appearing and disappearing in random locations.
This all works wonderfully until the picture starts moving quickly. Since the screen isn't displaying the same thing for long enough, the temporal dithering effect breaks down and you can see nasty image artifacts. Supposedly newer DLPs with higher resolution, better speed and faster color wheels will improve matters. In the meantime, these are exactly the reasons why I returned my DLP and got a 3xLCD rear projection, which has a slightly worse black level but was cheaper and has no weird artifacts.
Doumo arigatou!!! You're not kidding, this IS the most useful Japanese tool I've seen so far. How is it that I have like 50 Japanese links in my bookmarks and I've never heard of this?! It's AMAZING!
Alright, sparky, why don't you calm down? Perhaps you should deal with your personal issues before sitting down to post a snotty flame such as the above. I'm always open to suggestions -- especially on topics I know almost nothing about (like Japanese) -- but you really don't have to be a dick about it.
In any case, I'm not just using Pimsleur; I'm also learning hiragana (done) and katakana (half done) as well as listening to Japanese TV online and watching some anime (Chobits!). As I know pronunciation is a big issue, I have also read and attempted to implement the recommendations of some semi-technical literature about the proper pronunciation of Japanese. I'd love to learn from native speakers, but where I live they are simply not all that easy to come by.
If you have any other (constructive) suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
I'm thinking of slapping together a little web page about my Japanese wanderings to help other independent students, and I'd love to put them up there too if you'd let me.
I'm monitrNOon@NOgmailSPAM.com (remove capital letters)
(Mods: Sorry for the blatantly off-topic post. I have turned off my karma bonus, and the parent AC left me no other choice!)
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I googled but couldn't find any detailed information about the OS on the Ming/A1200. It looks like a gorgeous device. Does anyone know:
:)
- How awful the handwriting recognition is?
- If it is possible to load my own code on it?
- If the Bluetooth is locked down or if it has DUN support?
- If the browser is any good?
- If it multitasks (lets me switch apps without losing my place in any of them, like a Blackberry and unlike Palm)?
Thanks in advance to anyone who can point me at in-for-mation
Justin
I think the only game that ever made me tear up was Beyond Good and Evil.
(Please let the sequel rumors be true!!)
Never mind that Apple's "decimal point" upgrades have more new features than Microsoft's multi-year jumps...
You're probably right about SMB1. I can't wait to go back and play all of those on the Wii (shudder... bad name) Virtual Console..
OK, it's old news. But the whole easy-ness thing is a real bummer.
:(
Not to brag (I've never really considered myself "good" at video games, I have friends who consistently kick my ass at it), but I picked up the New Super Mario Bros DS title a few weeks ago and beat it in about a week. Finished the final boss on my second try, and went back & polished off the 2 skipped worlds in a day or two.
This makes me a sad panda. It's a gorgeous game, loads of fun, but it was over before I knew it and compared to my childhood Mario experiences (SMB 1 & 3, SMW) it just seemed very easy. There's not even a % done indicator so I can see whether I've found all the coins and hidden spots. Am I missing something?
Justin
One Java desktop app which I use all the time is Azureus. You might argue that Azureus (a bittorrent client) isn't "serious," but it is pretty cool.
Billy --
We've heard a lot about the original voice actors who are returning to Futurama. This is great, and I believe it is absolutely essential to the success of the new season. However, what about the other staff? Are the writers of the Fox episodes returning for the new season? Is there anyone who isn't coming back to the show who you'll miss?
Thanks! Can't wait for the new season!! Can I be cryogenically frozen until 2008?
I'm fairly sure that the vertical lines you describe are normal. My Olympus C8080 does the same thing while composing a shot -- bright points of light in a dark frame become vertical streaks -- but the resulting pictures are always fine. I believe that the CCD must have a "motion mode" and "still mode" which process the picture differently.
The camera is trying to approximate what will happen when you press the shutter, causing this artifact. I've noticed plenty of other differences between what is displayed on the LCD viewfinder and the final picture.
Justin
(who really doesn't know what he's talking about, even a little)
The article is worthwile because it gives us, the readers, a chance to comment on it, and have a more intelligent discussion than that which is available on any of the above media outlets.
There's your added value.
Justin
I don't want to nitpick, but Mac OS X users are NOT running a flavor of Linux. They're running a variant of a different UNIX, which is a bit different...
:)
Still a valid point, though!
Justin
I think they beat you to it... No kidding, I saw this at Costco the other day. The keyboard was like $600, and I believe it was made by Yamaha. Looked really neat.
More on-topic, I'd just like to say that this is one of the coolest nonexistant products I've ever seen.
Justin
Thirty cents a unit is very cheap, but, frankly the cuecat sucked. The range is zero (literally) and the scan reliability was very poor unless you had the dexterity to move the thing across the barcodes at an exact, constant speed every time.
:)
I got a small box of these from a Radio Shack which was trying to get rid of them, and briefly tried to set up a POS for a client based on the 'Cat. Two weeks of constant phone calls later, I had the client fork over $100 per seat for some medium range one-shot LED scanners and life was good.
Justin
Not to be a jerk, but, if you can't hook your PC up to your stereo or HDTV, maybe you're using the wrong PC ;)
:)
;)]
For example, my Mac can easily be hooked up to my TV via DVI, and as of Tiger, it even figures out the right crazy-ass video mode and aspect ratio. Optical digital out is also onboard. Whee.
I imagine that many PCs have the same features. It's not unheard of.
[Note: I am not a PC gamer. I have like six consoles. This message not to be construed as an endorsement of PC gaming
Oh, the memories...
I remember the cold winter night we got Super Mario Bros 3. It was snowing really hard, but damn it all, we had to have that game anyway. When we finally got home, I played it for 20 glorious minutes, my eyes gleaming and my jaw slack. It was unbelievable.
Then the power went out.
And stayed out. For a week.
I don't care if you were repeatedly molested by a gang of angry Hell's Angels as a child... THIS scarred me, for life.
Justin
My first unit had no dead pixels, but it did have a giant piece of dirt trapped between the layers of the screen. The dirt was even visible when the PSP was off. When I returned it to Best Buy, the service desk lady actually exclaimed, "Oh my god!"
:)
She informed me that at least my particular Best Buy had been accepting PSP returns from anyone with even a single dead pixel. This seems contrary to Sony's policy, but I'm certainly not complaining.
My replacement PSP has one dead pixel. It's stuck off (black) and it's in the bottom right corner. I'm not going to return the console again; For one thing, I realize that production costs go up inversely to the allowable percentage of dead pixels, and the PSP is expensive enough already!
Justin
It looks like they kind of botched it. I'm not surprised, given the lag and inaccuracy of GPS in an urban environment (tall buildings = imperfect coverage) and the overall insanity of the whole project.
Basically I searched for some things in New York, and got some cool images. Not once was I looking at the actual storefront I asked for. Once, I was able to find the store by moving left two images down the block (a neat feature) but the next time I searched, I was not even on the same block with the restaurant I was looking for. Next search, there was a giant truck in front of the store I wanted. Woo!
It is really entertaining to walk up and down the block and take a look at all the poor slobs who A9 caught scratching themselves on some streetcorner. I wonder when we can count on the first lawsuit?
Justin
You're a big exaggerator, or you have no imagination. All you need is one power cord running to the charger. If I want to do something else with the devices charging on the pad (sync, whatever) I can use Bluetooth.
:(
Personally I want two of these, NOW! The only problem I see is getting 500 brands of cell phone, PDA, GPS, (.....) to support wireless charging. I'll have to buy all new devices, again.
Justin
I'll bite. I don't think your Apache analogy is correct.
Adware and spyware don't require bugs or exploits to flourish. One of the most common ways malware gets into Windows boxes is riding on some "legitimate" program a user installs. Since the user is taking action in installing things, the OS doesn't get a chance to stop it from happening.
Once it's on your system, the malware can install itself as a hidden startup task (or UNIX daemon, or whatever) and go to town recording your web browsing activities or performing other misdeeds.
This is not an indictment of OS X. You are partially right in that Safari is probably better at stopping malware from making an end-run around the user and installing itself than IE is, and that OS X's UNIX-based permissions system might limit the damage a piece of malware could do. But, most adware and spyware isn't out to delete your entire hard disk, anyway.
I'm convinced that if the mac mini does its job and doubles Apple's desktop market share, we'll start having to watch out for nasty software just as vigilantly as our PC neighbors...
No, don't get a Mac!!
If too many users migrate to the Mac side, we'll start seeing Mac spyware and Mac adware! While I love my Mac, I do understand that the only reason it isn't as cluttered up with crap as the average PC is because of OS X's miniscule market share.
So, I say, keep Macs a secret! Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Justin
Oops.. sorry, my mistake. I had 12" Powerbooks on my mind. :) He didn't say.
In fact I don't think a 1.25GHz 12" was ever produced. He probably has a 15" or 17". Mea culpa!!
Justin
Yeah, but.. the screen on your 12" PB is only 1024x768, which is way smaller than "full frame" for HDTV. Have you tried outputting to a larger monitor or (ideally) an actual HDTV?
Aldo, Elgato's site says Dolby Digital 5.1 sound output is only possible on a dual G5. Does anyone know if any other machines (esp. an iMac G5) can simply pass the DD stream somehow?
Thanks
Justin
Actually you simplified the issue past the point of being true. ;)
:)
Some people call this "temporal dithering" (as opposed to the regular kind of dithering, which I guess is spatial dithering) and the reason for it is that DLP pixels are either 100% on or 100% off at any given time, with no middle ground. If you want to display 50% gray on a DLP, your pixel has to be white half the time and black half the time.
While DLP is fast, it's not quite fast enough to make enough colors using the temporal dithering alone. So, DLPs combine this temporal dithering with regular spatial dithering. If you get up close to a DLP display showing a dark color, you will notice little blips of light quickly appearing and disappearing in random locations.
This all works wonderfully until the picture starts moving quickly. Since the screen isn't displaying the same thing for long enough, the temporal dithering effect breaks down and you can see nasty image artifacts. Supposedly newer DLPs with higher resolution, better speed and faster color wheels will improve matters. In the meantime, these are exactly the reasons why I returned my DLP and got a 3xLCD rear projection, which has a slightly worse black level but was cheaper and has no weird artifacts.
Sorry, ramble over.
Justin
Doumo arigatou!!!
You're not kidding, this IS the most useful Japanese tool I've seen so far. How is it that I have like 50 Japanese links in my bookmarks and I've never heard of this?! It's AMAZING!
Thanks again!
Justin
Alright, sparky, why don't you calm down? Perhaps you should deal with your personal issues before sitting down to post a snotty flame such as the above. I'm always open to suggestions -- especially on topics I know almost nothing about (like Japanese) -- but you really don't have to be a dick about it.
In any case, I'm not just using Pimsleur; I'm also learning hiragana (done) and katakana (half done) as well as listening to Japanese TV online and watching some anime (Chobits!). As I know pronunciation is a big issue, I have also read and attempted to implement the recommendations of some semi-technical literature about the proper pronunciation of Japanese. I'd love to learn from native speakers, but where I live they are simply not all that easy to come by.
If you have any other (constructive) suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
Justin
Um, yes please! I'd really appreciate that.
I'm thinking of slapping together a little web page about my Japanese wanderings to help other independent students, and I'd love to put them up there too if you'd let me.
I'm monitrNOon@NOgmailSPAM.com (remove capital letters)
(Mods: Sorry for the blatantly off-topic post. I have turned off my karma bonus, and the parent AC left me no other choice!)