That's the problem with people. You can never tell what a futuristic anything will look like. Ever read science fiction from before the 80s? Things may have looked futuristic, but they didn't always act so.
The keyboard has been perfected over the ages (although the QWERTY keyboard isn't the fruits of that), and most will probably be reluctant to change. I know I will. How am I, working in a loud office, supposed to tell my computer anything that it will understand? I have enough trouble understanding people on the phone. Besides, I don't want my coworkers to know what I'm doing. "Open browser, connect to http://www.superhotsex.com/~movies/082300jkp.mov", etc, etc. Not only is it awkward to say, but I don't want anyone else knowing! Besides, without a keyboard and mouse, how would we click on hyperlinks?
With today's price fluctuations and power-hungry consumers, it's no doubt that one day we may see gene sequencers alongside our desktops (if, that is, we're still using desktops). Remember when a Cray was a spectacle to behold? Well, today you can but machines that give you the same power for a fraction of the price. An ambitious geek could feasably purchase an entry-level Alpha machine for the same price of a Pentium-x or Athlon. It sounds silly to those of us who can remember the days when an upgrade to a 386 was nothing short of amazing (yeah, just 386. I don't go back that far!). But with the (possible?) future advances in quantum computing, molecular genetics, nanocomputing and all the rest, who can say that we may not see these things alongside our toasters someday?
Yeah, but what about the small businesses? They must count for something. I know I'd rather shell out $5,000 to protect my ass than get blacklisted from half a dozen vendors because I install Linux instead of Windows.
I don't believe that is the purpose of eWatch. Of course it will be used as such, that's just the Corporate Way, but eWatch has a nobler purpose. False claims are made against businesses all the time, and occassionally the claims can be detrimental to business. Not always, but it does happen. Corporate espionage happens. It's all in a days work. But just as you have to watch what you write in an email, you should watch what you post on the Internet and say in chatrooms. I'm not saying I agree with the situation, but that's how it is. Remember -- the law is on the side of free speech (believe it or not), but money is what keeps the law alive.
As a network application developer for both WinNT and Linux, my box of choice is the obvious vanilla PC. And that probably wouldn't change unless, for some very odd reason, I started to develop for the mac. However, during my training in music theory and composition, we would often use the Macintosh to edit, sequence, compose, etc. Today there is sufficient software to perform those tasks on the PC, so it is more economical, convenient, and comfortable for me to shy away from the Macintosh. But if I was ONLY composing, or designing graphics, or designing web sites, or word processing (I worked for a newspaper that was a Mac job only), perhaps I would use a Macintosh. Different computers for different needs. But I would like to see the Open Source movement work in the Mac community. It could only help their cause.
I think I was about 9 or 10 when I started programming in BASIC on an Apple II e, I think. I thought it was the coolest thing, so I hit the bookstore (this was about 10 years ago -- when we still had books). I don't think I was ever more fascinated in my life. I learned QBasic and batch "programming." Which eventually led to an interest in VAX/VMS (don't ask how), and then to Linux. Unfortunately, at my job, I'm stuck with MSVC++, but I'm doing what I like to do -- program. My advice would be to set up an old box with DOS 6.22 (or something), QBasic, and bring them to a book store. Let them play around a bit. You can't learn much about computers until you "accidentally" format your HDD a few times...
How about XHTML 1.0 or XML? XML would allow Slashdot to truly personalize itself. It would probably make for cleaner and easier slashcode, too. The ability to use user-defined tags could extend the capabilities of slashcode...
It mentions in the article that you can get 16MB or 32MB. But why use it for just MP3s? If you've got the extra storage space, why not load Linux on the phones? Then you could use them as Web servers as well. Or maybe a quick game of Doom or something. Hmmm... I'm just waiting for the time to come when you can play DVDs on your cell phone. Just hope Nextel doesn't decide to use this technology -- they can't even get their two-way radio feature to work properly...
Well, maybe if Metallica, et al., didn't charge an arm an a leg for sub-par recordings, maybe I wouldn't be so inclined to download MP3s. As a former editor for a newspaper, I am very aware of copyright laws. And they're rediculous. Everyone violates them. It's the unfortunate truth. Schools photocopy copyrighted material all the time. It's part of the fabric of society. Suing Napster is like suing Xerox. It's absurd.
I don't think Metallica, or any other recording artist for that matter, will be affected by programs like Napster. People have been copying and recording music on blank cassettes for years. Did anyone speak out then? Napster is, perhaps, more beneficial to the recording industry than cassettes. For example -- I hear a song on the radio that I like. So, I pop a blank tape in the cassette recorder, and hit record. Then I make 5 copies for my friends, who, in turn, make five copies, ad infinitum. Number of "official" cassettes/CDs purchased? 0. With MP3s, someone has to own the CD originally (unless you're ambitious) in order to rip it to the hard drive. And I'd be willing to bet that there are more cassette recorders out there than PCs with napster. Why do I use napster? Because I don't want to lug my rather large CD collection to work with me every day. So I download the MP3s (or, rip them onto my computer once-and-for-all). Does Metallica expect me to purchase two copies of their music? One for home and one for the office? Damn. Why don't we ban photocopy machines while we're at it. And faxes. And VCRs. And cameras. And gene cloning technology... and our memories... and...
This isn't exactly as ground-breaking as one might be lead to believe. What it allows for is native-protocol communication between the Internet and other satellites. Crackers have "taken over" satellites in the past, so the thought is nothing new. And satellites are used in communication systems quite frequently. But now the satellites get their own IP address and can make use of native TCP/IP functionality, so it can only enhance telecommunications.
Well, here's the story with 42... I know the answer is in the radio transcripts...I'm not sure if it's in the books, though (I don't recall...). 6*9=54. In base ten. The base 13 representation of the decimal number 54 is 42. That is, (4*13)+(2*1)=(dec)54. Now, why anyone would use base-13, I don't know... But there have been civilizations that have used base-60 (hence 60 seconds to the minute, etc..), base-12 and -24 (24 hours to the day), and base-48 (well...uh...some of us are just weird!).
This has been bugging me forever: "`Why are people born?' `Why do they die?' `Why do they spend so much of the intervening time wearing digital watches?'" I've always wondered if Douglas Adams wears a digital watch...
That's actually a theory that I've been interested in for some time (I've written several papers on Choas and Catastrophe theory). You can actually do more with a two-dimensional "sheet" than the three already mentioned. But fractal dimensions are dependant on the recursiveness of a system, and thus far, there isn't any measurable universal quantity. Maybe if supersymmetry ever becomes a reality we'd be able to come up with something. I personally believe that there is a fractal number that's eluding physicists.... but we may never know (in our lifetime, anyway).
Unfortunately, people think you have to be a politician to make a change around here. It's quite a shame, because I'm sure that there are plenty of brilliant people who have brilliant ideas but can't deal with people at all... I suppose that's what separates the great leaders from the not-so-great, but maybe it isn't always fair... But an Internet democracy? Gimme a break...
The most popular theory out right now is as such - that mass warps space (and time). But think of it this way -- when we speak, our vocal chords cause a fluctuation in pressure, which creates sound waves. Isn't that similar (in the loosest sense) to what gravity would then do, if it was causing fluctuation in the fabric of space and time? And while we're on that wavelength (LMAO), it isn't unusual for one action to cause another seemingly dissimilar action. e.g., when one passes a magnetic charge around a wire, electrical current is created in that wire. Who knows what gravity will produce...
While I disagree that an "anti-gravity" device will ever live up to anyone's expectations, it isn't entirely out of the question. Let me first write a bit about what gravity is... There are four forces to speak of: the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force, electromagnetism (really 2 forces that follow the same rules, so they're combined into one), and gravity. The strong nuclear force is the strongest, but it has the smallest reach, whereas gravity is the weakest but works at the greatest distance. All the forces, except gravity, have been proven to exhibit particle/wave duality. So, there is reason to believe that gravity is both a wave and a particle (gravitons). Neither have yet been proven, but it makes sense. As for anti-gravity, all that can be offered (at least until "gravitons" are discovered...) is false-anti-gravity. Think of a gyroscope. Same basic principle. The mag-lev trains are a similar idea as well. No amount of research can produce anti-gravity until we know what gravity is. The television, telephone, or computer could not have been invented without a basic understanding of the electron -- and we don't yet have the same understanding of gravity. So I apologize, but for now, if we want to fly, we'll need an airplane...
Here's my attempt at connecting dinosaurs with buckyballs... One of the most understated theories of dinosaur extinction has to do with the Chaos Theory (or, more appropriately, Catastrophe Theory, in which there are six manifolds of states describing the being on the "edge of chaos"). Basically stated, it was their behavioral changes that "threw" the dinosaurs over the edge. As for buckyballs, their motion is chaotic as well. They are never at rest, and their position at any given time can never be measured (60 carbon atoms rotating and bouncing around...pretty hectic). However, chaos theory can attempt to predict basic trends, like how one can graph one week or one year of the stock market and compare similarities. Because buckyballs can be studied in a controlled environment, and since they're small and fast, perhaps the study of buckminster fullerenes can shed some light on why the dinosaurs really died...
Just thought I'd pass along some interesting information.... The buckyball (or buckminsterfullerene) is technically termed isocahedral C60. It's a molecule made up of 60 carbon atoms arranged to form a sphere consisting of 20 hexagons and 12 pentagons. It was discovered by Richard Smalley and Harry Kroto, and named after Buckminster Fuller for his work on the geodesic dome, which it resembles. Furthermore, the buckyball is an insolator, but can be "doped" to make what is called a dopyball. Scientists crack open the ball with lasers, add other elements (potassium, rubidium, thallium, etc...), and reseal the ball. This is VERY similar to how silicon wafers are doped. These dopyballs are superconductors, but they don't follow most of the traditional rules (i.e., temperature and energy relations, etc). Perhaps superstrong, supercheap (you can make them at home...sort of) computer components can be made from them... think of the possibilities!
Slashdot Mirror
That's the problem with people. You can never tell what a futuristic anything will look like. Ever read science fiction from before the 80s? Things may have looked futuristic, but they didn't always act so. The keyboard has been perfected over the ages (although the QWERTY keyboard isn't the fruits of that), and most will probably be reluctant to change. I know I will. How am I, working in a loud office, supposed to tell my computer anything that it will understand? I have enough trouble understanding people on the phone. Besides, I don't want my coworkers to know what I'm doing. "Open browser, connect to http://www.superhotsex.com/~movies/082300jkp.mov", etc, etc. Not only is it awkward to say, but I don't want anyone else knowing! Besides, without a keyboard and mouse, how would we click on hyperlinks?
With today's price fluctuations and power-hungry consumers, it's no doubt that one day we may see gene sequencers alongside our desktops (if, that is, we're still using desktops). Remember when a Cray was a spectacle to behold? Well, today you can but machines that give you the same power for a fraction of the price. An ambitious geek could feasably purchase an entry-level Alpha machine for the same price of a Pentium-x or Athlon. It sounds silly to those of us who can remember the days when an upgrade to a 386 was nothing short of amazing (yeah, just 386. I don't go back that far!). But with the (possible?) future advances in quantum computing, molecular genetics, nanocomputing and all the rest, who can say that we may not see these things alongside our toasters someday?
Yeah, but what about the small businesses? They must count for something. I know I'd rather shell out $5,000 to protect my ass than get blacklisted from half a dozen vendors because I install Linux instead of Windows.
I don't believe that is the purpose of eWatch. Of course it will be used as such, that's just the Corporate Way, but eWatch has a nobler purpose. False claims are made against businesses all the time, and occassionally the claims can be detrimental to business. Not always, but it does happen. Corporate espionage happens. It's all in a days work. But just as you have to watch what you write in an email, you should watch what you post on the Internet and say in chatrooms. I'm not saying I agree with the situation, but that's how it is. Remember -- the law is on the side of free speech (believe it or not), but money is what keeps the law alive.
Now if only eWatch could be used to get rid of posts like the previous. Then I'd be willing to give up a fraction of my Freedom of Speech.
As a network application developer for both WinNT and Linux, my box of choice is the obvious vanilla PC. And that probably wouldn't change unless, for some very odd reason, I started to develop for the mac. However, during my training in music theory and composition, we would often use the Macintosh to edit, sequence, compose, etc. Today there is sufficient software to perform those tasks on the PC, so it is more economical, convenient, and comfortable for me to shy away from the Macintosh. But if I was ONLY composing, or designing graphics, or designing web sites, or word processing (I worked for a newspaper that was a Mac job only), perhaps I would use a Macintosh. Different computers for different needs. But I would like to see the Open Source movement work in the Mac community. It could only help their cause.
I think I was about 9 or 10 when I started programming in BASIC on an Apple II e, I think. I thought it was the coolest thing, so I hit the bookstore (this was about 10 years ago -- when we still had books). I don't think I was ever more fascinated in my life. I learned QBasic and batch "programming." Which eventually led to an interest in VAX/VMS (don't ask how), and then to Linux. Unfortunately, at my job, I'm stuck with MSVC++, but I'm doing what I like to do -- program. My advice would be to set up an old box with DOS 6.22 (or something), QBasic, and bring them to a book store. Let them play around a bit. You can't learn much about computers until you "accidentally" format your HDD a few times...
How about XHTML 1.0 or XML? XML would allow Slashdot to truly personalize itself. It would probably make for cleaner and easier slashcode, too. The ability to use user-defined tags could extend the capabilities of slashcode...
I think, actually, that the standard cube is blue (wonder if that's why they call it a cobalt cube?).
It mentions in the article that you can get 16MB or 32MB. But why use it for just MP3s? If you've got the extra storage space, why not load Linux on the phones? Then you could use them as Web servers as well. Or maybe a quick game of Doom or something. Hmmm...
I'm just waiting for the time to come when you can play DVDs on your cell phone. Just hope Nextel doesn't decide to use this technology -- they can't even get their two-way radio feature to work properly...
Well, maybe if Metallica, et al., didn't charge an arm an a leg for sub-par recordings, maybe I wouldn't be so inclined to download MP3s. As a former editor for a newspaper, I am very aware of copyright laws. And they're rediculous. Everyone violates them. It's the unfortunate truth. Schools photocopy copyrighted material all the time. It's part of the fabric of society. Suing Napster is like suing Xerox. It's absurd.
I don't think Metallica, or any other recording artist for that matter, will be affected by programs like Napster. People have been copying and recording music on blank cassettes for years. Did anyone speak out then? Napster is, perhaps, more beneficial to the recording industry than cassettes.
For example -- I hear a song on the radio that I like. So, I pop a blank tape in the cassette recorder, and hit record. Then I make 5 copies for my friends, who, in turn, make five copies, ad infinitum. Number of "official" cassettes/CDs purchased? 0. With MP3s, someone has to own the CD originally (unless you're ambitious) in order to rip it to the hard drive. And I'd be willing to bet that there are more cassette recorders out there than PCs with napster.
Why do I use napster? Because I don't want to lug my rather large CD collection to work with me every day. So I download the MP3s (or, rip them onto my computer once-and-for-all). Does Metallica expect me to purchase two copies of their music? One for home and one for the office? Damn. Why don't we ban photocopy machines while we're at it. And faxes. And VCRs. And cameras. And gene cloning technology... and our memories... and...
This isn't exactly as ground-breaking as one might be lead to believe. What it allows for is native-protocol communication between the Internet and other satellites. Crackers have "taken over" satellites in the past, so the thought is nothing new. And satellites are used in communication systems quite frequently. But now the satellites get their own IP address and can make use of native TCP/IP functionality, so it can only enhance telecommunications.
Well, here's the story with 42... I know the answer is in the radio transcripts...I'm not sure if it's in the books, though (I don't recall...).
6*9=54. In base ten. The base 13 representation of the decimal number 54 is 42. That is, (4*13)+(2*1)=(dec)54. Now, why anyone would use base-13, I don't know... But there have been civilizations that have used base-60 (hence 60 seconds to the minute, etc..), base-12 and -24 (24 hours to the day), and base-48 (well...uh...some of us are just weird!).
This has been bugging me forever: "`Why are people born?' `Why do they die?' `Why do they spend so much of the intervening time wearing digital watches?'" I've always wondered if Douglas Adams wears a digital watch...
That's actually a theory that I've been interested in for some time (I've written several papers on Choas and Catastrophe theory). You can actually do more with a two-dimensional "sheet" than the three already mentioned. But fractal dimensions are dependant on the recursiveness of a system, and thus far, there isn't any measurable universal quantity. Maybe if supersymmetry ever becomes a reality we'd be able to come up with something. I personally believe that there is a fractal number that's eluding physicists.... but we may never know (in our lifetime, anyway).
Unfortunately, people think you have to be a politician to make a change around here. It's quite a shame, because I'm sure that there are plenty of brilliant people who have brilliant ideas but can't deal with people at all... I suppose that's what separates the great leaders from the not-so-great, but maybe it isn't always fair...
But an Internet democracy? Gimme a break...
The most popular theory out right now is as such - that mass warps space (and time). But think of it this way -- when we speak, our vocal chords cause a fluctuation in pressure, which creates sound waves. Isn't that similar (in the loosest sense) to what gravity would then do, if it was causing fluctuation in the fabric of space and time? And while we're on that wavelength (LMAO), it isn't unusual for one action to cause another seemingly dissimilar action. e.g., when one passes a magnetic charge around a wire, electrical current is created in that wire. Who knows what gravity will produce...
While I disagree that an "anti-gravity" device will ever live up to anyone's expectations, it isn't entirely out of the question. Let me first write a bit about what gravity is... There are four forces to speak of: the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force, electromagnetism (really 2 forces that follow the same rules, so they're combined into one), and gravity. The strong nuclear force is the strongest, but it has the smallest reach, whereas gravity is the weakest but works at the greatest distance. All the forces, except gravity, have been proven to exhibit particle/wave duality. So, there is reason to believe that gravity is both a wave and a particle (gravitons). Neither have yet been proven, but it makes sense.
As for anti-gravity, all that can be offered (at least until "gravitons" are discovered...) is false-anti-gravity. Think of a gyroscope. Same basic principle. The mag-lev trains are a similar idea as well. No amount of research can produce anti-gravity until we know what gravity is. The television, telephone, or computer could not have been invented without a basic understanding of the electron -- and we don't yet have the same understanding of gravity. So I apologize, but for now, if we want to fly, we'll need an airplane...
Here's my attempt at connecting dinosaurs with buckyballs...
One of the most understated theories of dinosaur extinction has to do with the Chaos Theory (or, more appropriately, Catastrophe Theory, in which there are six manifolds of states describing the being on the "edge of chaos"). Basically stated, it was their behavioral changes that "threw" the dinosaurs over the edge. As for buckyballs, their motion is chaotic as well. They are never at rest, and their position at any given time can never be measured (60 carbon atoms rotating and bouncing around...pretty hectic). However, chaos theory can attempt to predict basic trends, like how one can graph one week or one year of the stock market and compare similarities. Because buckyballs can be studied in a controlled environment, and since they're small and fast, perhaps the study of buckminster fullerenes can shed some light on why the dinosaurs really died...
Just thought I'd pass along some interesting information.... The buckyball (or buckminsterfullerene) is technically termed isocahedral C60. It's a molecule made up of 60 carbon atoms arranged to form a sphere consisting of 20 hexagons and 12 pentagons. It was discovered by Richard Smalley and Harry Kroto, and named after Buckminster Fuller for his work on the geodesic dome, which it resembles. Furthermore, the buckyball is an insolator, but can be "doped" to make what is called a dopyball. Scientists crack open the ball with lasers, add other elements (potassium, rubidium, thallium, etc...), and reseal the ball. This is VERY similar to how silicon wafers are doped. These dopyballs are superconductors, but they don't follow most of the traditional rules (i.e., temperature and energy relations, etc). Perhaps superstrong, supercheap (you can make them at home...sort of) computer components can be made from them... think of the possibilities!
Well, maybe they're OOP proponents??! My guess would be that the simulation is MFC-based, though...
Seriously, they're going to have to build a nuclear reactor anyway, just to have access to a sufficient cooling system...