One of the many reasons why I'm glad I live in Tucson and not Phoenix/Tempe/Chandler/Sprawl is that our sheriff someone other that grandstanding fuckwit on whom Amnesty International keeps tabs. His tent jails are an abomination, and what's worse is that he doesn't seem to understand the difference between those who have been convicted of crimes, and those who have been arrested and are awaiting trial.
In other words, you'd be wise to avoid speeding on I-10 as you drive into Phoenix.
Anyways, The Valley Of The Sun has all of the disadvantages of Los Angeles -- traffic, smog, crime, sprawl, ugly housing, etc -- without any of the cultural advantages.
"For the price of a Mini plus screen (let's say we go cheapo and connect a 15" CRT, keyboard and monitor -- final cost $600), I can get a small business Dell tower with a 15" flat screen monitor, Works suite (almost identical to iWork), twice as much memory, same combo drive, much faster processor and an 80 GB hard drive (the $499 Mac sells has a 40 GB, the higher-end has 80). I now have a faster, more capable PC for the same price.
"Now, not including keyboard and mouse is a cheap move on Apple's part. I mean, come on, how am I expected to use the damn thing without a keyboard?"
Two reasons:
1) Everybody agrees that the Apple keyboards and mice SUCK and every Mac user goes out and buys a real keyboard and mouse with more than one button. So, why charge for something people are going to throw away, anyways? (Shades of Linux users buying PCs and wiping windows away, huh?)
2) Back In The Day, Apple didn't include keyboards with the computer. You had to choose between a handful of different keyboard options.
Now, if Apple would come out with USB and Bluetooth versions of the old Extended keyboards -- yeah, the really GOOD keyboards -- they could charge $150 and CLEAN UP.
What he's trying to do can't be done in a $30 FPGA.
And even if it could, there's no way the end-user cost of the box would be less than $300. Probably more. A lot more.
You said, "1. Make it as cheap as possible, while still being fully functional. If it sells for $30 (maybe after a few months) I'll buy dozens of them myself!"
He then pointed out that the only FPGAs capable getting near the ballpark cost a thousand bucks each.
I have tried the noise reduction headphones, and I can hear the cancellation noise just as loud as the other noise.
You hear the artifacts of incomplete noise cancellation.
If noise cancellation is an issue, why not run another fan exactly out of phase, rather than try to generate a noise that is the "opposite"? I think you'd have better results if it was a real fan (despite that the power drain would be 2x).
OK, genius: how exactly do you run the other fan "out of phase" with the first fan -- without affecting the airflow (and hence the cooling)?
Acoustic noise cancellation, especially for something as simple as a computer fan in a case, is a homework problem in any grad-school course in Adaptive Signal Processing.
I have a Seiko automatic watch. An automatic watch differs from the "kinetic" type in that the automatic watch is purely a mechanical design. Motion winds the spring.
The "kinetic" watches are actually cheap quartz electronic watches that use motion to charge a capacitor battery. The battery of course actually runs the watch.
The Swiss automatic watch is MUCH cooler.
-a
Uninformed writes, "No store in their right mind these days or a deep pockets will promise unconditional returns in case there is any dissatisfaction with the product even if the product behaves exactly as described."
Actually, that is NOT true. Most retailers WILL accept returns, usually up to 30 days after purchase, no questions asked. (Look at -- and keep! -- your receipt next time you go shopping.)
Why? Quite simple. They keep you as a customer.
The vast majority of customers are honest, and the stores know this. They accept the fact that there are always going to be people who abuse the system, and they also know that the abusers actually LOVE to play the game. The smart retailer tells the clerks to smile and give the customer their money back, so the abusive customer can't play the game.
There ARE some exceptions to this. Pretty much every store that sells big-screen TVs suspends the 30-day money-back guarantee a month before Super Bowl Sunday, for the obvious reason...
2) Get a Ph.D. Not really too hard, and can be fun if you figure out a program that lets you have fun and do useful work while you accumulate credit. The Ph.D. is a good ticket to a lot of useful things in the world (and useful people). Nice credential. Skip a Master's if you can. Not particularly useful, and often awarded as a booby prize to those who can't cut the Ph.D. program.
OK, genius, do YOU have a Ph.D.?
A handful of my friends have doctorates and every single one of them worked harder than they ever thought possible, and the degree took longer than they imaginged (since all were working full-time jobs). One likened it to pledging a frat, except the hazing went on for years.
All except for one got their Masters before entering the doctoral program -- they were not even CONSIDERED for the Ph.D. program without the Masters. The one person who DID get the Ph.D. without the Masters did so after working in the industry for over 20 years and getting a dozen patents along the way. (Yes, he went back to school and got the degree at the age of 50. Impressive!)
3) Get certified as a professional engineer. This also opens lots of doors that are otherwise closed. Just having the ticket tells people something about you.
Do YOU have a professional engineer license? Do you realize that you can't just apply for a PE like you'd do for a driver's license? You actually have to have a job in your field, working as a practicing engineer for some number of years before you're allowed to take the test.
They should try and get a creative sound card to work properly under a current M$ OS or any other application. It is not the OS's problem, it is the MORON's at creative, their crappy hardware and really CRAPPY drivers....
Word.
I bought an SB Live not too long after it was first released. I'm smart enough to know NOT to install the drivers that come in the box, so I downloaded the latest/greatest from Creative, installed 'em, installed the card -- and BANG! BSOD. I shoulda known.
I considered trying to fix it and keep the card, but as I was reading the fine print on Creative's web site, I found out that the card's hardware sample rate was 48kHz ONLY. It would do sample-rate conversion for everything else, including things like playing back CD audio or stuff brought in over S/PDIF. Unclefuckers! I brought it back and haven't considered anything from Creative ever since.
"Nearly every computer on the planet will play a.wav file. So why are they using anything except
the most compatible sound format available?"
Well, for starters,.wav files are uncompressed and require a fsckload more bandwidth than any of the compressed formats used for streaming audio. Having said that, the uncompressed format sounds best.
Grandparent post: "AM talk radio shows rarely (if ever) claim objectivity. A website that calls itself `News' should be expected to adhere to some stardard of journalistic integrity." (Emphasis mine.)
Goldspider's allegedly snarky reply: "Fox News is an AM talk radio show? That's news to me!"
No, you dumb fuck, Fox News purports themselves to be a news program, and according to the grandparent post, "should be expected to adhere to some standard of journalistic integrity."
More Goldspider snark: "Besides, I doubt you've ever even watched Fox News."
Actually, I have -- which is why I agree with those who state that they are biased, and certainly not "fair and balanced."
More GS: "And it's only natural that, after a decade of news entirely from the Left,"
..and where is this leftist news coming from?
"anything representing both sides is going to appear Right in comparison."
Back to the right-wing AM radio talk shows: the only use they have for mentioning "the other side" is to denigrate it. However, all of their arguments are baseless, except if you consider that their ill-informed, blowhard points-of-view are, in fact, a base for reasoned discussion. Of course, they have no use for reasoned discussion, since they clearly do not care about facts.
"AM talk radio shows rarely (if ever) claim objectivity. A website that calls itself "News" should be expected to adhere to some stardard of journalistic integrity."
"The Democrats are still waiting to see what their lastest focus group says about pop-ups before deciding how they feel about them."
You're an ass.
Consider why congressmen are called "representatives." They represent their constituents! As such, they should always be mindful of what the people back home think is important, and a rep's votes ought to reflect their community.
And if the representative's votes and actions run counter to the community's ideas, then (s)he's voted out at the next election. This, of course, is exactly what happened in Spain, where the overwhelming majority of the people were against the misadventures in Iraq, and they voted the bastard out.
There's a reason it's called a Democracy.
This is as opposed to, say, a coup or an installation, where the leaders aren't beholden to We The People, but rather the forces that installed them. In those instances, history has shown again and again that these leaders are interested in one thing only -- enriching themselves and their close circle, to the obvious detriment of the citizens.
bush should be applauded for bringing attention to this problem, and sure, now it needs to be discussed and different solutions evaluated, but it should be ok to identify a problem before you have all of the solutions.
Only problem is that lack of broadband access PALES in comparison to the REAL problems facing this country -- the aforementioned lack of healthcare is obviously number problem 1.
both bush and kerry are pretty decent people who want to work hard.
Bush hasn't worked a day in his life.
if we really want to get somewhere with technology, we probably should keep the plodding and clumsy government out of funding it.
Clearly you've forgotten (or never knew) that this very same government funded the Internet when it was first designed and implemented. Ever hear of DARPANet?
im very happy with bush's idea to assist it by not taxing it, and i hope that extends to online purchases indefinately.
I'm really glad you're happy. I hope you're still happy when internet traffic is wiretapped and ultimately censored, since that fits right in with the Bush Administration's anti-privacy ('cept for them, natch) initiatives -- think PATRIOT Act.
The best argument against an internet sales tax is that it's regressive in the same way that local sales taxes are regressive.
I really doubt that there would be a catastrophic drop in online sales if sales taxes were added to the purchases. The reasons are obvious, and are the same reasons people use the internet for shopping today: choice and convenience.
too many narrow minded people out there who hate bush for his social conservatism, and offesive civil rights ideas and dont realiz that he also has done a lot of great things for progressivism and human rights.
He has done NOTHING for progressivism and human rights -- in fact, he has worked AGAINST everything that progressives believe in. Perhaps that's why he's been dubbed "The Regressive." You need some education, my friend.
"How about RFIDs? How can they be miss-used? Well, just look at EZPass, the toll-booth system that uses RFIDs to automatically charge motorists. That info, in the state of IL, has been supoenaed 11 times already. In one case to prove infidelity in a divorce case."
I'm sure you've not noticed this, but watch the opening credits of The Sopranos. You'll notice that Tony's SUV doesn't have an EZPass tag -- he gets a paper ticket when he gets onto the NJ Turnpike.
"Albertson's over here in AZ for years advertised thier Bonus Buy program, where you get the discounts without having to carry around their card. This past month they added a bonus card program, ensuring anyone who didn't fill out a form would get ripped off.
If that isn't customer betrayal, I don't know what is. Now I'm less inclined to shop there than at places that have had cards all along (plus they're a little bit more expensive, either way)."
Yep, they just started the card bullshit. The checkout girl asked me if I wanted a card, and I said, "Sure -- but I'm not gonna use my real name and address. My Basha's card is in the name `George W. Bush.'" ("Thanks for shopping at Basha's, Mr. Bush!")
Turns out that Albertson's lets you get a card WITHOUT giving them any info (just check the box: "I don't wanna give any info").
Of course, you have to pay cash if you want to be truly anonymous.
Actually, I think I have three or four new Albertson's cards -- I keep forgetting to bring the card to the store, so I just fill out another form and get another card!
Might be fun to fill out a card in the name of George W. Bush, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington DC, and use it ONLY to buy alcohol...Expand on this and get several cards and use each to buy only one specific type of product, like dog food, or whatever. Confuse the data-miners, says I!
PhxBlue pontificates: "No, the silly argument is that everyone should have to pay taxes to support musicians in the first place. As others have said (in slightly different words): if you can't make a living as a musician in the contemporary market--be it through MP3s, CD sales, or tours--you suck."
Sucking is usually an important part of being a successful musician/artist!
It's the talented and challenging musicians who get ignored by the Clear Channels and the Music Industry.
And putting a tour together for an unknown band is really a Catch-22. Venues/promoters won't book bands that no one's ever heard of, and no one will be able to hear your band if you can't get booked.
And nobody buys CDs by bands they've never heard.
As for the tax issue, it's of course completely wrong. The tax is really to ensure that The Music Industry's income stream isn't affected by downloading. It's an even money bet that NONE of this tax money will ever filter down to an actual artist.
Car Talk is one of only a few NPR shows that does not offer free, archived versions of its episodes. If they really cared about their listeners, they wouldn't charge $3-4 for each episode!
Remind me again: why should their archives be free?
No kidding. The show has really gone to shit in the past few years. It used to be fairly informative, but now all the questions are, "What kind of car should I get for the prom? I have to take a trip to Florida. We need a new car. What's good for two dogs, three kids, and a pound of chicken?"
So, you're blaming the show's hosts for the quality of the callers??
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In other words, you'd be wise to avoid speeding on I-10 as you drive into Phoenix.
Anyways, The Valley Of The Sun has all of the disadvantages of Los Angeles -- traffic, smog, crime, sprawl, ugly housing, etc -- without any of the cultural advantages.
"For the price of a Mini plus screen (let's say we go cheapo and connect a 15" CRT, keyboard and monitor -- final cost $600), I can get a small business Dell tower with a 15" flat screen monitor, Works suite (almost identical to iWork), twice as much memory, same combo drive, much faster processor and an 80 GB hard drive (the $499 Mac sells has a 40 GB, the higher-end has 80). I now have a faster, more capable PC for the same price.
yeah, but then you still can't run Mac OS X.
"Now, not including keyboard and mouse is a cheap move on Apple's part. I mean, come on, how am I expected to use the damn thing without a keyboard?"
Two reasons:
1) Everybody agrees that the Apple keyboards and mice SUCK and every Mac user goes out and buys a real keyboard and mouse with more than one button. So, why charge for something people are going to throw away, anyways? (Shades of Linux users buying PCs and wiping windows away, huh?)
2) Back In The Day, Apple didn't include keyboards with the computer. You had to choose between a handful of different keyboard options.
Now, if Apple would come out with USB and Bluetooth versions of the old Extended keyboards -- yeah, the really GOOD keyboards -- they could charge $150 and CLEAN UP.
What he's trying to do can't be done in a $30 FPGA. And even if it could, there's no way the end-user cost of the box would be less than $300. Probably more. A lot more.
His complaint??
You said, "1. Make it as cheap as possible, while still being fully functional. If it sells for $30 (maybe after a few months) I'll buy dozens of them myself!"
He then pointed out that the only FPGAs capable getting near the ballpark cost a thousand bucks each.
Doc Ruby asks, "Do you know how the Behringers feel in the fingertips?"
It feels like the Play-Skool piece of kit it is.
If you want to be taken seriously at these meetings, you should learn proper grammer.
"Me and another EFF staffer" is not proper gramemr.
Spelling counts, too.
I have mod points but I have to respond to this.
I have tried the noise reduction headphones, and I can hear the cancellation noise just as loud as the other noise.
You hear the artifacts of incomplete noise cancellation.If noise cancellation is an issue, why not run another fan exactly out of phase, rather than try to generate a noise that is the "opposite"? I think you'd have better results if it was a real fan (despite that the power drain would be 2x).
OK, genius: how exactly do you run the other fan "out of phase" with the first fan -- without affecting the airflow (and hence the cooling)?Acoustic noise cancellation, especially for something as simple as a computer fan in a case, is a homework problem in any grad-school course in Adaptive Signal Processing.
I have a Seiko automatic watch. An automatic watch differs from the "kinetic" type in that the automatic watch is purely a mechanical design. Motion winds the spring. The "kinetic" watches are actually cheap quartz electronic watches that use motion to charge a capacitor battery. The battery of course actually runs the watch. The Swiss automatic watch is MUCH cooler. -a
Uninformed writes, "No store in their right mind these days or a deep pockets will promise unconditional returns in case there is any dissatisfaction with the product even if the product behaves exactly as described."
Actually, that is NOT true. Most retailers WILL accept returns, usually up to 30 days after purchase, no questions asked. (Look at -- and keep! -- your receipt next time you go shopping.)
Why? Quite simple. They keep you as a customer.
The vast majority of customers are honest, and the stores know this. They accept the fact that there are always going to be people who abuse the system, and they also know that the abusers actually LOVE to play the game. The smart retailer tells the clerks to smile and give the customer their money back, so the abusive customer can't play the game.
There ARE some exceptions to this. Pretty much every store that sells big-screen TVs suspends the 30-day money-back guarantee a month before Super Bowl Sunday, for the obvious reason...
All of the shifter knobs are fscking UGLY, too, and they don't work too well, either. You can't tighten them enough.
A typical knownothing AC writes:
2) Get a Ph.D. Not really too hard, and can be fun if you figure out a program that lets you have fun and do useful work while you accumulate credit. The Ph.D. is a good ticket to a lot of useful things in the world (and useful people). Nice credential. Skip a Master's if you can. Not particularly useful, and often awarded as a booby prize to those who can't cut the Ph.D. program.
OK, genius, do YOU have a Ph.D.?
A handful of my friends have doctorates and every single one of them worked harder than they ever thought possible, and the degree took longer than they imaginged (since all were working full-time jobs). One likened it to pledging a frat, except the hazing went on for years.
All except for one got their Masters before entering the doctoral program -- they were not even CONSIDERED for the Ph.D. program without the Masters. The one person who DID get the Ph.D. without the Masters did so after working in the industry for over 20 years and getting a dozen patents along the way. (Yes, he went back to school and got the degree at the age of 50. Impressive!)
3) Get certified as a professional engineer. This also opens lots of doors that are otherwise closed. Just having the ticket tells people something about you.
Do YOU have a professional engineer license? Do you realize that you can't just apply for a PE like you'd do for a driver's license? You actually have to have a job in your field, working as a practicing engineer for some number of years before you're allowed to take the test.
They should try and get a creative sound card to work properly under a current M$ OS or any other application. It is not the OS's problem, it is the MORON's at creative, their crappy hardware and really CRAPPY drivers....
Word.
I bought an SB Live not too long after it was first released. I'm smart enough to know NOT to install the drivers that come in the box, so I downloaded the latest/greatest from Creative, installed 'em, installed the card -- and BANG! BSOD. I shoulda known.
I considered trying to fix it and keep the card, but as I was reading the fine print on Creative's web site, I found out that the card's hardware sample rate was 48kHz ONLY. It would do sample-rate conversion for everything else, including things like playing back CD audio or stuff brought in over S/PDIF. Unclefuckers! I brought it back and haven't considered anything from Creative ever since.
Got a new Digidesign MBox today. Good stuff!!
"Nearly every computer on the planet will play a .wav file. So why are they using anything except
the most compatible sound format available?"
Well, for starters, .wav files are uncompressed and require a fsckload more bandwidth than any of the compressed formats used for streaming audio. Having said that, the uncompressed format sounds best.
Grandparent post: "AM talk radio shows rarely (if ever) claim objectivity. A website that calls itself `News' should be expected to adhere to some stardard of journalistic integrity." (Emphasis mine.)
Goldspider's allegedly snarky reply: "Fox News is an AM talk radio show? That's news to me!"
No, you dumb fuck, Fox News purports themselves to be a news program, and according to the grandparent post, "should be expected to adhere to some standard of journalistic integrity."
More Goldspider snark: "Besides, I doubt you've ever even watched Fox News."
Actually, I have -- which is why I agree with those who state that they are biased, and certainly not "fair and balanced."
More GS: "And it's only natural that, after a decade of news entirely from the Left,"
..and where is this leftist news coming from?
"anything representing both sides is going to appear Right in comparison."
Back to the right-wing AM radio talk shows: the only use they have for mentioning "the other side" is to denigrate it. However, all of their arguments are baseless, except if you consider that their ill-informed, blowhard points-of-view are, in fact, a base for reasoned discussion. Of course, they have no use for reasoned discussion, since they clearly do not care about facts.
"If you think that there isn't a difference between our President and the Nazi party of Germany, then God save us all."
Well, one big difference between Bush and Hitler is that Hitler actually fought in WWI; Bush of course sat out his Guard duty during Vietnam ...
"AM talk radio shows rarely (if ever) claim objectivity. A website that calls itself "News" should be expected to adhere to some stardard of journalistic integrity."
Oh, you mean like Fox News?
Puh-leeze.
"The Democrats are still waiting to see what their lastest focus group says about pop-ups before deciding how they feel about them."
You're an ass.
Consider why congressmen are called "representatives." They represent their constituents! As such, they should always be mindful of what the people back home think is important, and a rep's votes ought to reflect their community.
And if the representative's votes and actions run counter to the community's ideas, then (s)he's voted out at the next election. This, of course, is exactly what happened in Spain, where the overwhelming majority of the people were against the misadventures in Iraq, and they voted the bastard out.
There's a reason it's called a Democracy.
This is as opposed to, say, a coup or an installation, where the leaders aren't beholden to We The People, but rather the forces that installed them. In those instances, history has shown again and again that these leaders are interested in one thing only -- enriching themselves and their close circle, to the obvious detriment of the citizens.
bush should be applauded for bringing attention to this problem, and sure, now it needs to be discussed and different solutions evaluated, but it should be ok to identify a problem before you have all of the solutions.
Only problem is that lack of broadband access PALES in comparison to the REAL problems facing this country -- the aforementioned lack of healthcare is obviously number problem 1.
both bush and kerry are pretty decent people who want to work hard.
Bush hasn't worked a day in his life.
if we really want to get somewhere with technology, we probably should keep the plodding and clumsy government out of funding it.
Clearly you've forgotten (or never knew) that this very same government funded the Internet when it was first designed and implemented. Ever hear of DARPANet?
im very happy with bush's idea to assist it by not taxing it, and i hope that extends to online purchases indefinately.
I'm really glad you're happy. I hope you're still happy when internet traffic is wiretapped and ultimately censored, since that fits right in with the Bush Administration's anti-privacy ('cept for them, natch) initiatives -- think PATRIOT Act.
The best argument against an internet sales tax is that it's regressive in the same way that local sales taxes are regressive. I really doubt that there would be a catastrophic drop in online sales if sales taxes were added to the purchases. The reasons are obvious, and are the same reasons people use the internet for shopping today: choice and convenience.
too many narrow minded people out there who hate bush for his social conservatism, and offesive civil rights ideas and dont realiz that he also has done a lot of great things for progressivism and human rights.
He has done NOTHING for progressivism and human rights -- in fact, he has worked AGAINST everything that progressives believe in. Perhaps that's why he's been dubbed "The Regressive." You need some education, my friend.
"How about RFIDs? How can they be miss-used? Well, just look at EZPass, the toll-booth system that uses RFIDs to automatically charge motorists. That info, in the state of IL, has been supoenaed 11 times already. In one case to prove infidelity in a divorce case."
I'm sure you've not noticed this, but watch the opening credits of The Sopranos. You'll notice that Tony's SUV doesn't have an EZPass tag -- he gets a paper ticket when he gets onto the NJ Turnpike.
"Albertson's over here in AZ for years advertised thier Bonus Buy program, where you get the discounts without having to carry around their card. This past month they added a bonus card program, ensuring anyone who didn't fill out a form would get ripped off.
If that isn't customer betrayal, I don't know what is. Now I'm less inclined to shop there than at places that have had cards all along (plus they're a little bit more expensive, either way)."
Yep, they just started the card bullshit. The checkout girl asked me if I wanted a card, and I said, "Sure -- but I'm not gonna use my real name and address. My Basha's card is in the name `George W. Bush.'" ("Thanks for shopping at Basha's, Mr. Bush!")
Turns out that Albertson's lets you get a card WITHOUT giving them any info (just check the box: "I don't wanna give any info").
Of course, you have to pay cash if you want to be truly anonymous.
Actually, I think I have three or four new Albertson's cards -- I keep forgetting to bring the card to the store, so I just fill out another form and get another card!
Might be fun to fill out a card in the name of George W. Bush, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington DC, and use it ONLY to buy alcohol...Expand on this and get several cards and use each to buy only one specific type of product, like dog food, or whatever. Confuse the data-miners, says I!
... or a bathroom scale manufacturer because the scale told him how fat he was.
PhxBlue pontificates: "No, the silly argument is that everyone should have to pay taxes to support musicians in the first place. As others have said (in slightly different words): if you can't make a living as a musician in the contemporary market--be it through MP3s, CD sales, or tours--you suck."
Sucking is usually an important part of being a successful musician/artist!
It's the talented and challenging musicians who get ignored by the Clear Channels and the Music Industry.
And putting a tour together for an unknown band is really a Catch-22. Venues/promoters won't book bands that no one's ever heard of, and no one will be able to hear your band if you can't get booked.
And nobody buys CDs by bands they've never heard.
As for the tax issue, it's of course completely wrong. The tax is really to ensure that The Music Industry's income stream isn't affected by downloading. It's an even money bet that NONE of this tax money will ever filter down to an actual artist.
Car Talk is one of only a few NPR shows that does not offer free, archived versions of its episodes. If they really cared about their listeners, they wouldn't charge $3-4 for each episode!
Remind me again: why should their archives be free?
Profane Unclefucker asks,
No kidding. The show has really gone to shit in the past few years. It used to be fairly informative, but now all the questions are, "What kind of car should I get for the prom? I have to take a trip to Florida. We need a new car. What's good for two dogs, three kids, and a pound of chicken?"So, you're blaming the show's hosts for the quality of the callers??