I don't get it. I use the TiVo, and I want people to know what programs I watch.
In fact, I'm now making it impossible for them to invade my privacy, by giving out the contents of my Season Pass manager in public. It's at the end of this post. These are the shows I tape, folks.
I want the networks to know that I like science fiction, kids' shows, etc. I want to see more programs that I like out there. Bring 'em on! Sure, record that people who watch Buffy also like Richard Dean Anderson's shows. Maybe, since FX is getting lots of revenue from Buffy reruns, they'll start airing Macgyver again. Or whatever. And I'd be happy.
The point of marketing research is for them to find out what we want to buy. I want companies to put out products that I want to buy. What's wrong with this?
Personally, I believe TiVo when they say they only keep the information in the aggregate. I certainly would not want them to track everybody's information personally, but in the aggregate, I have no problem.
Anyway, here's my Season Pass list, for all the world to see. There's a lot on here; I like to have some variety in my Now Playing list, and just let stuff age out if I don't feel like watching it at the time. (The TiVo Suggestions also help with that.)
I'm a huge fan of the TiVo. I've been using it for about three months now, and (not to sound like an ad) it's really changed the way I watch TV. I tend to work at home, and very late, and I love always having something good on to watch while I code. I also like being able to watch my favorite shows when I'm ready to, and not miss them because I'm out with my friends or in a meeting.
However, one problem. I recorded the Super Bowl, but not the postgame. (I wanna see the action, not hear about it.) Not quite. According to the networks, the game was scheduled for 4 hours even.
Do you know what was going on at the end of four hours? There were 44 seconds left on the clock, and the score was tied at 13-13... and my TiVo stops recording.
Really, I should have told the TiVo to record longer. If I recorded more games, I may have gotten into that habit. But I don't, and I didn't. Still frustrating.
Don't take my comments as being down on TiVo. I think it's terrific. The fact that this one event was so frustrating may highlight how well it's been previously.
I also know that Tivo doesn't have the right information to really find out anything useful about me anyway, since they don't know what was on a channel at a given time anyway!.
Then what am I downloading from them each night? And how does the ToDo list know to label this show M*A*S*H?
Er... Check your high school economics textbook again.
High supply + low demand = surplus, which means lower prices. Assuming a constant supply, when demand goes up, prices increase. (Think about it for a minute, and it makes sense.)
To simplify to HS economics terms, we're looking at a low supply in this market. We don't know the specs of the H2 canisters, so they may be unique. Also, the users of this are probably a separate market than those who know where to get cheap H2, so it's effectively a low supply market, meaning high prices.
Of course, if demand increases, and the free market works right, then supply will increase to meet it (since H2 is not a scarce resource). That means competition, which means lower prices.
Aspects of this page indicate it's not yet released. For instance, lots of stuff is XX'd out; and if you click on "Fuel Cells" in the nav bar, you get a notice implying that the product is not yet ready.
Is it possible that this is not the final pricing? It could be an early number, could be the very top (so nobody claims "false advertising" if they stumble across it later, when they set the real price), could be misinformation for competitors, whatever.
Oh, nobody's mentioned numbers yet, but to get a single data point, you can get an
APC's Matrix 3000XR (which sustains 500kW for about 5:15, and is in many ways more capable-- higher peak, for instance-- but obviously-- can't be refueled
during a power outage). It's listed at $3750 US.
I interpret this as Schumann being nitpicky here. Performing the CSS decryption is one part to the job. But, unless I'm mistaken, DeCSS (or its firmware equivilent in a OTS DVD player) does not have a part in the process of evaluating the region code. That's up to a different component.
Well, as a random data point, I typically use it to watch TV while I code.
I've done database work where I would have loved to have the relevant portions of the schema diagram show up behind my code. (Alas, I was forced into Win95 at that job. Don't ask what the joke of a database was.)
Network diagrams behind the firewall logfiles you're analyzing, perhaps? Never tried that one, but I could see it happen.
Etc, etc. I can't generally read text behind text, but using a graphic behind a text has many practical uses.
I understand the idea of using quantum computers to simulate a NFA, and such. But what I don't understand is, how? I mean, how do we encourage the quantum computer to resolve to a solution state?
Does anybody have a link to a good introductory article on quantum computing?
-- Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
I suspect that a whole lot of the code that Dynamo optimised around, possibly is there because of the lack of good exception handling in C. For instance:
fd = open(argv[1], O_RDONLY); if (fd < 0) err(2, "cannot open %s", argv[1]); clen = read(fd, &buf, sizeof(buf)); if (clen < 0) err(2, "error reading %s", argv[1]); if (clen == 0) err(2, "no input"); process(buf);
and so on. A lot of C code gets fragmented because it's natural to put error handlers in the middle of the natural flow of execution.
However, many modern compilers can look for the most commonly taken branches from actual execution. (gcc and HP-UX's compiler, for instance, both can do this.) It's nice to compare against O2 code, but what I want to know is, does this provide a noticable speedup from this arc-analyzed code?
-- Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
What are some examples of existing open-source documentation that illustrate the writing principles you're talking about, or are examples of overall well-written docs?
-- Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
No, I think that it could apply to other scenarios, in which somebody wanted to restrict the users' freedom.
Let's consider when NeXT was developing their Objective C compiler. They based it on gcc, and wanted to make the compiler closed-source. As I understand it (and I'm not an authoritive source), Jobs tried to convince rms to allow the Objective C compiler to be closed-source. rms flatly disagreed.
Now, let's assume that he wanted to make this closed-source in order to make NeXT the superior Objective C development platform. (It was anyway, but that's irrelevant.) In this case, he wouldn't care if the NeXT owners had the source to the compiler; he just didn't want competitors to get ahold of it.
So, if this loophole were there (which is still under debate it seems), he could have distributed gcc along with this patch on the NeXT, with instructions to patch gcc and compile. Voila; he essentially ships a non-free improved gcc. IANAL, and these are my own opinions, not GNU's, RMS's, or Elvis's.
-- Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
This means you couldn't distribute the binary, but (and IANAL) I don't know that the program actually has to be GPL'd to be run. Look at section 5 of the GPL.
-- Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
I hate to pick nits, but "who" is correct. The subject of the sentence is "you", but the sentence contains a noun clause acting as a direct object; that puts "who" back into the nominative case. View the source of this for a diagram of just the independent clause in question ("Who do you think is going to win under Linux"), and wonder why/. doesn't allow PRE tags. See also "whom" under Strunk & White's Elements of Style, chap. V, or refer to "noun clauses" in any grammar book.
-- Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
Well, this is good timing. Tomorrow I was about to order a new box, and was planning on putting in the hardware for screaming 3D.
Since I've been running an old ET4000 for the last seven years, I'm kinda out-of-date on what 3D cards do well. Asking around, I heard great things about GeForce.
However, for both practical and philosophical reasons, I want a card with good, open source drivers. It looks like that's not going to happen anytime soon. Does anybody have contradictory information?
What are people's opinions about 3D cards for which drivers are available?
-- Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
Don't forget, OPIE has its problems too. Most notably, it is still vulnerable to connection hijacking, so frequent use of OPIE in a particularly hostile environment is generally a bad idea. Intelligently handling su in an environment with lots of root users is nontrivial at best. (Remember, any passwords sent over an OPIE connection can still be sniffed.)
I'm not saying OPIE is bad, or that it shouldn't be used. I'm just saying it needs to be used cautiously.
-- Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
Read the next-to-last paragraph in the article. The statement, as I read it, is that the design principles used to speed up the chip can be used with other algorithms. The fact that it is an ASIC makes it easier to work with the design.
-- Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
This is something I've been saying for a while, but recently have begun to reconsider my position. Emperical observations seem to imply that, on the client's side, processing can be a limiting condition in real-world scenarios.
Right now, I'm using Opera across a fractional T1. I also have used, on this computer, Netscape Navigator, Mozilla M7, and MSIE4. At home, on a shared 33.6k (I live too far out in the country to get a good 56k), I use Lynx and KFM, and have used Navigator and Mozilla on that machine. My roommate is evaluating IE5 vs Opera.
That's a lot of browsers, and a lot of rendering algorithms. Based on emperical evidence under uncontrolled conditions (read: totally unscientific numbers), it appears that the choice of app can make a significant difference. This would seem to imply that the browser's algorithm-- hence the CPU speed-- can make an observable difference.
Thoughts?
-- Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
The article states that they are targeting the "white box" computers (the ones you and I build, and the ones that the small retail outlets build), instead of the big OEMs (Dell, Compaq, etc).
I've been out of the building biz for a little while now, but last I recall, nearly every white box MB used an AMD or Award BIOS. I generally only see Phoenix on the big OEMs.
What's up with this?
-- Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
Slashdot Mirror
I don't get it. I use the TiVo, and I want people to know what programs I watch.
In fact, I'm now making it impossible for them to invade my privacy, by giving out the contents of my Season Pass manager in public. It's at the end of this post. These are the shows I tape, folks.
I want the networks to know that I like science fiction, kids' shows, etc. I want to see more programs that I like out there. Bring 'em on! Sure, record that people who watch Buffy also like Richard Dean Anderson's shows. Maybe, since FX is getting lots of revenue from Buffy reruns, they'll start airing Macgyver again. Or whatever. And I'd be happy.
The point of marketing research is for them to find out what we want to buy. I want companies to put out products that I want to buy. What's wrong with this?
Personally, I believe TiVo when they say they only keep the information in the aggregate. I certainly would not want them to track everybody's information personally, but in the aggregate, I have no problem.
Anyway, here's my Season Pass list, for all the world to see. There's a lot on here; I like to have some variety in my Now Playing list, and just let stuff age out if I don't feel like watching it at the time. (The TiVo Suggestions also help with that.)
I just gotta get this off my chest.
I'm a huge fan of the TiVo. I've been using it for about three months now, and (not to sound like an ad) it's really changed the way I watch TV. I tend to work at home, and very late, and I love always having something good on to watch while I code. I also like being able to watch my favorite shows when I'm ready to, and not miss them because I'm out with my friends or in a meeting.
However, one problem. I recorded the Super Bowl, but not the postgame. (I wanna see the action, not hear about it.) Not quite. According to the networks, the game was scheduled for 4 hours even.
Do you know what was going on at the end of four hours? There were 44 seconds left on the clock, and the score was tied at 13-13... and my TiVo stops recording.
Really, I should have told the TiVo to record longer. If I recorded more games, I may have gotten into that habit. But I don't, and I didn't. Still frustrating.
Don't take my comments as being down on TiVo. I think it's terrific. The fact that this one event was so frustrating may highlight how well it's been previously.
I also know that Tivo doesn't have the right information to really find out anything useful about me anyway, since they don't know what was on a channel at a given time anyway!.
Then what am I downloading from them each night? And how does the ToDo list know to label this show M*A*S*H?
I think I must have misunderstood what you mean.
Oops, I stand corrected... I meant 500W, of course.
Er... Check your high school economics textbook again.
High supply + low demand = surplus, which means lower prices. Assuming a constant supply, when demand goes up, prices increase. (Think about it for a minute, and it makes sense.)
To simplify to HS economics terms, we're looking at a low supply in this market. We don't know the specs of the H2 canisters, so they may be unique. Also, the users of this are probably a separate market than those who know where to get cheap H2, so it's effectively a low supply market, meaning high prices.
Of course, if demand increases, and the free market works right, then supply will increase to meet it (since H2 is not a scarce resource). That means competition, which means lower prices.
Aspects of this page indicate it's not yet released. For instance, lots of stuff is XX'd out; and if you click on "Fuel Cells" in the nav bar, you get a notice implying that the product is not yet ready.
Is it possible that this is not the final pricing? It could be an early number, could be the very top (so nobody claims "false advertising" if they stumble across it later, when they set the real price), could be misinformation for competitors, whatever.
Oh, nobody's mentioned numbers yet, but to get a single data point, you can get an APC's Matrix 3000XR (which sustains 500kW for about 5:15, and is in many ways more capable-- higher peak, for instance-- but obviously-- can't be refueled during a power outage). It's listed at $3750 US.
I interpret this as Schumann being nitpicky here. Performing the CSS decryption is one part to the job. But, unless I'm mistaken, DeCSS (or its firmware equivilent in a OTS DVD player) does not have a part in the process of evaluating the region code. That's up to a different component.
Or am I mistaken?
Well, as a random data point, I typically use it to watch TV while I code.
I've done database work where I would have loved to have the relevant portions of the schema diagram show up behind my code. (Alas, I was forced into Win95 at that job. Don't ask what the joke of a database was.)
Network diagrams behind the firewall logfiles you're analyzing, perhaps? Never tried that one, but I could see it happen.
Etc, etc. I can't generally read text behind text, but using a graphic behind a text has many practical uses.
I understand the idea of using quantum computers to simulate a NFA, and such. But what I don't understand is, how? I mean, how do we encourage the quantum computer to resolve to a solution state?
Does anybody have a link to a good introductory article on quantum computing?
--
Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
I can only partly agree with this statement.
I suspect that a whole lot of the code that Dynamo optimised around, possibly is there because of the lack of good exception handling in C. For instance:
fd = open(argv[1], O_RDONLY);
if (fd < 0) err(2, "cannot open %s", argv[1]);
clen = read(fd, &buf, sizeof(buf));
if (clen < 0) err(2, "error reading %s", argv[1]);
if (clen == 0) err(2, "no input");
process(buf);
and so on. A lot of C code gets fragmented because it's natural to put error handlers in the middle of the natural flow of execution.
However, many modern compilers can look for the most commonly taken branches from actual execution. (gcc and HP-UX's compiler, for instance, both can do this.) It's nice to compare against O2 code, but what I want to know is, does this provide a noticable speedup from this arc-analyzed code?
--
Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
--
Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
No, I think that it could apply to other scenarios, in which somebody wanted to restrict the users' freedom.
Let's consider when NeXT was developing their Objective C compiler. They based it on gcc, and wanted to make the compiler closed-source. As I understand it (and I'm not an authoritive source), Jobs tried to convince rms to allow the Objective C compiler to be closed-source. rms flatly disagreed.
Now, let's assume that he wanted to make this closed-source in order to make NeXT the superior Objective C development platform. (It was anyway, but that's irrelevant.) In this case, he wouldn't care if the NeXT owners had the source to the compiler; he just didn't want competitors to get ahold of it.
So, if this loophole were there (which is still under debate it seems), he could have distributed gcc along with this patch on the NeXT, with instructions to patch gcc and compile. Voila; he essentially ships a non-free improved gcc. IANAL, and these are my own opinions, not GNU's, RMS's, or Elvis's.
--
Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
--
Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
--
Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
I hate to pick nits, but "who" is correct. The subject of the sentence is "you", but the sentence contains a noun clause acting as a direct object; that puts "who" back into the nominative case. View the source of this for a diagram of just the independent clause in question ("Who do you think is going to win under Linux"), and wonder why /. doesn't allow PRE tags. See also "whom" under Strunk & White's Elements of Style, chap. V, or refer to "noun clauses" in any grammar book.
--
Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
Well, this is good timing. Tomorrow I was about to order a new box, and was planning on putting in the hardware for screaming 3D.
Since I've been running an old ET4000 for the last seven years, I'm kinda out-of-date on what 3D cards do well. Asking around, I heard great things about GeForce.
However, for both practical and philosophical reasons, I want a card with good, open source drivers. It looks like that's not going to happen anytime soon. Does anybody have contradictory information?
What are people's opinions about 3D cards for which drivers are available?
--
Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
This is assuming that DRI drivers for the GeForce come to life. Is there work in that direction?
--
Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
--
Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
Don't forget, OPIE has its problems too. Most notably, it is still vulnerable to connection hijacking, so frequent use of OPIE in a particularly hostile environment is generally a bad idea. Intelligently handling su in an environment with lots of root users is nontrivial at best. (Remember, any passwords sent over an OPIE connection can still be sniffed.)
I'm not saying OPIE is bad, or that it shouldn't be used. I'm just saying it needs to be used cautiously.
--
Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
Although the 'sploits are normally platform-specific, the buffer overflow still exists, so you could in theory create a PPC version.
--
Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
Read the next-to-last paragraph in the article. The statement, as I read it, is that the design principles used to speed up the chip can be used with other algorithms. The fact that it is an ASIC makes it easier to work with the design.
--
Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
This is something I've been saying for a while, but recently have begun to reconsider my position. Emperical observations seem to imply that, on the client's side, processing can be a limiting condition in real-world scenarios.
Right now, I'm using Opera across a fractional T1. I also have used, on this computer, Netscape Navigator, Mozilla M7, and MSIE4. At home, on a shared 33.6k (I live too far out in the country to get a good 56k), I use Lynx and KFM, and have used Navigator and Mozilla on that machine. My roommate is evaluating IE5 vs Opera.
That's a lot of browsers, and a lot of rendering algorithms. Based on emperical evidence under uncontrolled conditions (read: totally unscientific numbers), it appears that the choice of app can make a significant difference. This would seem to imply that the browser's algorithm-- hence the CPU speed-- can make an observable difference.
Thoughts?
--
Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
You forgot Honey, I Shrunk The Budget.
--
Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
The article states that they are targeting the "white box" computers (the ones you and I build, and the ones that the small retail outlets build), instead of the big OEMs (Dell, Compaq, etc).
I've been out of the building biz for a little while now, but last I recall, nearly every white box MB used an AMD or Award BIOS. I generally only see Phoenix on the big OEMs.
What's up with this?
--
Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi
The rest is overhead for the operating system.
--
Fourth law of programming: Anything that can go wrong wi