There are probably plenty of devices out there that could do what you ask fairly cheaply.
A few jobs ago, I designed a wireless timeclock network that went on a very inexpensive 900mhz wireless RS232 interface. We had the timeclocks individually addressed, and wrote a simple C program to poll them as serial devices. We had dozens of them all running on the same frequency in an enclosed area, and we did it all with off-the-shelf parts (aside from the cables). Response time wasn't amazing, (each clock was polled about 2x/second) but it suited our purposes just fine.
Just about everything that we used could be found in any catalog that sells bar code readers. I'm sure that someone out there makes little 10-key units that can plug straight into a radio so you can collect the input.
... was a story told to me at a Citrix admin class once. Apparently the Citrix development group had a running gag going where they would remotely take over the desktop of their receptionist every so often and move things around. She had no idea that Citrix could allow this and eventually they had her convinced that her system was haunted.
A "Clean Install" with Windoze is not always a "Clean" one. On more than one occasion I have formatted a drive and reinstalled Windows and it has pulled system settings up from the previous install. Sometimes this has disastrous results, but mostly it is just a PITA. It has thought previously installed applications were on the box and listed them in the registry, and has looked to re-establish a mirrored set that I never created on at least one occasion. Despite the DOS format, old files are not deleted, and the drive is not really clean.
My advice is to clean the drive as much as possible before a reinstall of Windows. This is especially true if you are upgrading/downgrading it from one version to another. If you have SCSI drives, I would suggest going into your controller config and low-level formatting them. If this is impossible, either delete and recreate the partition, or add a "/u" to your DOS format command (or both). This should properly zero out the filesystem on the drive, and eliminate the chances of a buggy reinstall (like you probably have now).
Mine had a larger screen and a red case. It was from the days before pen-based computing, but it had cursor controls built into the case. You shook it upside-down to reboot.
I'm tired of reading all the other theories behind MD not taking off here in the states. This is simple.
MD players/recorders are most popular in countries where many people use public transportation. If you drive a car, you probably have a CD deck or a tape deck, or listen to the radio. But, if you're on a subway, MD is really the best choice. It's compact, reliable, practically skip-proof, and the media is far more robust than CD's or tapes. Try getting a solid radio signal on a subway, and you'll see in a hurry why you need something recorded, and MD is really the way to go. MD never hit mainstream in the States because we Americans drive ourselves everywhere in little portable living rooms with built-in sound systems.
I own an MD recorder myself but even I don't use it all that often. Most of the time when I commute, I listen to the sound system in the car. If I rode a train, I would probably listen to it every day.
... I probably wouldn't do it over the web. When I can go down the street, pick one up and use it, and compare it to the other ones on the rack, THEN I'll consider gambling on it.
As a footnote, Gaming does suck down the batteries. Star Fleet Battles sucks down the juice twice as fast as taking notes in a meeting. I can get close to 3 hours on a full charge doing just word processing, and that goes down to about 1.5 hours gaming.
Screen is great, and the graphics are very responsive. ATI Rage Mobility AGP 2x w/ 8MB. It runs 3d games at 1024x768 with no hesitation, although I haven't benchmarked it. Your mileage may vary; I have 320MB of RAM.
The really irritating thing is in the video drivers from IBM. For some reason, when it boots it automatically detects whether there is an external monitor or not and sometimes CHANGES THE GODDAMN BIOS SETTINGS to reflect that state. When the BIOS settings are changed, you can't toggle the screen settings with the function keys anymore. This wouldn't be a problem if I never used my docking station, but I often have problems with restarting my system undocked (after it being docked) and being unable to see anything on the damn LCD screen. This can be remedied if I can plug it into a monitor somewhere, but that kind of defeats the purpose of having a laptop in the first place. A real pain when I take the thing to meetings or try to use it on the bus to/from work.
Only other problem: The screen rubs the keyboard. I've got halo's of about 20 keys and the trackpoint on the screen. It's not that visible YET, but I think it will probably start to restrict my viewing in the next 8 months or so.
Considering the design problems inherent in automotive intercooler design with trying to balance flow and cooling efficiency, it would be wonderful to adapt a technology like this to cooling in racing applications. There have been some theories on the best way to approach this in the past, but something like this would be wonderful!
I agree that there is a lot of bunk out there. I did some research on it myself, and I came across a website talking about gasoline vapor carburetion and trying to get the mileage up on a 1993 Geo Metro:
http://www.phact.org/e/dennis27.htm
Basically, the owner of the car gave up and went back to the stock fuel injection system with more efficient intake and exhaust.
The way I figure it, if Honda didn't put it in the Insight, it probably isn't a good technology at reducing fuel consumption.
Slashdot Mirror
There are probably plenty of devices out there that could do what you ask fairly cheaply.
A few jobs ago, I designed a wireless timeclock network that went on a very inexpensive 900mhz wireless RS232 interface. We had the timeclocks individually addressed, and wrote a simple C program to poll them as serial devices. We had dozens of them all running on the same frequency in an enclosed area, and we did it all with off-the-shelf parts (aside from the cables). Response time wasn't amazing, (each clock was polled about 2x/second) but it suited our purposes just fine.
Just about everything that we used could be found in any catalog that sells bar code readers. I'm sure that someone out there makes little 10-key units that can plug straight into a radio so you can collect the input.
- Freed
They need to include Balrogs, Ents, Goblins, Wargs, Elves, Dwarves, and Gollum in the first picture so they can sell action figures of them.
- Freed
Maybe he should take some Viagra.
- Freed
... was a story told to me at a Citrix admin class once. Apparently the Citrix development group had a running gag going where they would remotely take over the desktop of their receptionist every so often and move things around. She had no idea that Citrix could allow this and eventually they had her convinced that her system was haunted.
Well, I thought it was funny.
- Freed
A "Clean Install" with Windoze is not always a "Clean" one. On more than one occasion I have formatted a drive and reinstalled Windows and it has pulled system settings up from the previous install. Sometimes this has disastrous results, but mostly it is just a PITA. It has thought previously installed applications were on the box and listed them in the registry, and has looked to re-establish a mirrored set that I never created on at least one occasion. Despite the DOS format, old files are not deleted, and the drive is not really clean.
My advice is to clean the drive as much as possible before a reinstall of Windows. This is especially true if you are upgrading/downgrading it from one version to another. If you have SCSI drives, I would suggest going into your controller config and low-level formatting them. If this is impossible, either delete and recreate the partition, or add a "/u" to your DOS format command (or both). This should properly zero out the filesystem on the drive, and eliminate the chances of a buggy reinstall (like you probably have now).
- Freed
Apparently someone has made a more advanced version of my childhood handheld.
- Freed
Mine had a larger screen and a red case. It was from the days before pen-based computing, but it had cursor controls built into the case. You shook it upside-down to reboot.
- Freed
I'm tired of reading all the other theories behind MD not taking off here in the states. This is simple.
MD players/recorders are most popular in countries where many people use public transportation. If you drive a car, you probably have a CD deck or a tape deck, or listen to the radio. But, if you're on a subway, MD is really the best choice. It's compact, reliable, practically skip-proof, and the media is far more robust than CD's or tapes. Try getting a solid radio signal on a subway, and you'll see in a hurry why you need something recorded, and MD is really the way to go. MD never hit mainstream in the States because we Americans drive ourselves everywhere in little portable living rooms with built-in sound systems.
I own an MD recorder myself but even I don't use it all that often. Most of the time when I commute, I listen to the sound system in the car. If I rode a train, I would probably listen to it every day.
- Freed
... I probably wouldn't do it over the web. When I can go down the street, pick one up and use it, and compare it to the other ones on the rack, THEN I'll consider gambling on it.
- Freed
As a footnote, Gaming does suck down the batteries. Star Fleet Battles sucks down the juice twice as fast as taking notes in a meeting. I can get close to 3 hours on a full charge doing just word processing, and that goes down to about 1.5 hours gaming.
- Freed
Screen is great, and the graphics are very responsive. ATI Rage Mobility AGP 2x w/ 8MB. It runs 3d games at 1024x768 with no hesitation, although I haven't benchmarked it. Your mileage may vary; I have 320MB of RAM.
The really irritating thing is in the video drivers from IBM. For some reason, when it boots it automatically detects whether there is an external monitor or not and sometimes CHANGES THE GODDAMN BIOS SETTINGS to reflect that state. When the BIOS settings are changed, you can't toggle the screen settings with the function keys anymore. This wouldn't be a problem if I never used my docking station, but I often have problems with restarting my system undocked (after it being docked) and being unable to see anything on the damn LCD screen. This can be remedied if I can plug it into a monitor somewhere, but that kind of defeats the purpose of having a laptop in the first place. A real pain when I take the thing to meetings or try to use it on the bus to/from work.
Only other problem: The screen rubs the keyboard. I've got halo's of about 20 keys and the trackpoint on the screen. It's not that visible YET, but I think it will probably start to restrict my viewing in the next 8 months or so.
- Freed
Can I make it undo accidentally saving over my only good copy of something when I say:
... dammit ... AWWW HELLLLL!!!!"
"God
- Freed
I thought that was the "Macintosh" section...
- Freed
"Don't label me flamebait, I own 5 Macs myself."
Considering the design problems inherent in automotive intercooler design with trying to balance flow and cooling efficiency, it would be wonderful to adapt a technology like this to cooling in racing applications. There have been some theories on the best way to approach this in the past, but something like this would be wonderful!
- Freed
... that you could ask Alice anything anymore.
Would that be a catamaran?
- Freed
That would be a marketing cat-astrophe.
- Freed
I think it involves unprotected sex.
- Freed
Sheesh!
Take a look at their stock price graph in the article. I shoulda sold short on Transmeta last year.
Sounds like a good chip. Hope they aren't going under any time soon.
- Freed
Even if it was the Athlon "Bill Gates Special Edition?"
- Freed
I agree that there is a lot of bunk out there. I did some research on it myself, and I came across a website talking about gasoline vapor carburetion and trying to get the mileage up on a 1993 Geo Metro:
http://www.phact.org/e/dennis27.htm
Basically, the owner of the car gave up and went back to the stock fuel injection system with more efficient intake and exhaust.
The way I figure it, if Honda didn't put it in the Insight, it probably isn't a good technology at reducing fuel consumption.
- Freed
Yo Katz!
try HERE !
Something tells me Jerry Rice would never consent to being dressed up like a streetwalker.
- Freed
http://www.allaboutcelebs.com/galleries/blalock.ht m
Both "Woo" and "Hoo".
- Freed
If he called it OSLeg, he would probably get sued by a company in Zimbabwe:
http://www.google.com/search?q=osleg
- Freed