...M$ is desperate to sell their OS when they resort to giving away free samples in the post office:p . I mean, seriously, doesn't that tell you something?
Hmm, maybe all these free OS's (Linux, FreeBSD, etc. etc.) are getting to them even more than they are letting on! Heh heh.
Oh no... more of "Fahrenheit 451" is coming true. Censorship, book-burning, government control, big-screen TV's, headphones, and now robots with a sense of smell that can be trained to hunt people down!
Is Ray Bradbury psychic, or what? I mean, think about it: that book was written 50, 60 years ago, and it's still pertinent today. Just about the only thing that was off was the year the story took place-- 1990. But apparently, it was only off by about 15-20, because we could be living in that story in about 5-10 years, I'd say. *shudders* Really makes you think!
Let's not forget these devices require a power source. For the few minutes of operation, they'd be great. But don't forget that adding weapons and armor will do two things: SEVERELY tax the power supply, and when the power is gone, the frame makes the soldier a sitting duck for a fair amount of time while the suit is either re-charging/fueling, or the soldier is scrambling out of the suit.
Good point. However, would it be possible to somehow make it a body-powered device? Slashdot had an article about those a while back. While body-power isn't as good as plugging the thing into the wall, that could be *part* of the power supply. There could also be generators built in; the more you walk or move, the more power you supply to the suit. Batteries could (and probably would) still be incorporated into the suit. Maybe (though I'm not entirely sure) the research being done in the area of biomechatronics could prove somehow useful. Finally, there's everybody's all-time favourite: solar cells!;) It is possible to use solar cells, except for one thing-- aren't they usually reflective? And IIRC from 9th grade physical science, isn't it somehow necessary to the design that they be reflective? That may not be a good thing when you're trying to hide from the enemy.
But I do agree to a certain extent: the soldier in the suit can't be loaded to the hilt and armed to the teeth; this whole apparatus apparently takes a great deal of power. But there are several ways to provide power, and these ways *can* be combined.
Here we go again-- another sci-fi book comes true! Well, sorta. In Robert Heinlein's "Starship Troopers", they have powered exoskeletons like this. If you want to find out exactly how they're useful, at least, more useful than either straight vehicles (i.e. jeeps, tanks, helicopters, etc.) or infantrymen on foot with very BIG backpacks, read the book. The disadvantages are also mentioned in the book. I never saw the movie, so I don't know what-all it says in there.
A program, no matter how badly written, should not cause your entire machine to crash.... Windows simply should not let a program... get that close to the OS. The program should crash, leaving the OS untouched.
Unfortunately, that's Windows for you.
My family has owned two computers so far. The first one was a Packard Bell we bought in '96; it ran Windows 95. Considering the hardware (133 MHz Pentium, 16 MB RAM, & 1 GB HD) and the fact that we had it in the garage the first 2 yrs. we had it, it ran pretty well. It only gave me the BSOD 3 times I can remember (and one time it was my fault), and only gave me error messages once a month. We kept that computer almost 5 years, until Aug. Then we got the one I'm using right now. Hardware-wise, I love this thing. Software-wise, well, let's just say that Windows is not consistent; it seems to get worse as it goes on. This computer is an HP (1.3 GHz P4, 256 MB RAM, & 60 GB HD) running Windows ME. It gives me the BSOD once every 3 monthes; every time I get used to one error message popping up and what its schedule is, another one suddenly appears; and 4 days a week it freezes at least once a day, usually while its smack in the middle of shutting down!! And on both computers, I've had poorly written software crash the system. Heck, I've gotten so tired of Windows I'm buying my own computer and dual-booting Linux on it (my parents don't trust Linux ("what kind of OS can you get for _free_?! There's gotta be some sort of hidden cost _somewhere_! It's probably not even complete! Etc., etc."), so they won't let me dual-boot this computer).
Note: this is not intended as a flame; everyone is entitled to their own opinion-- this just happens to be mine. I don't make this stuff up, this is how my computer runs.
Um, just so you know, drinking was illegal in the US. It was called Prohibition; passed into law as the 18th(?) amendment of the constitution. Prohibition failed; speakeasies and, ultimately, organized crime were the results. Prohibition was repealed in the 21st(?) amendment. So, you see, that's why alcohol is legal.
BTW, if we do send astronauts and it turns out I do have a valid point (uh oh...), I think they're going to need more than penicillin! Imagine the report back to NASA: "Uh, Houston, we have a problem. Tell Michael Crichton he was right..."
What I'd like to see would be some kind of self inflating blimp that could survey a lot of land and transmit back imaging info. Maybe a helium blimp or perhaps even
a hot air one powered by solar electricity.
One question: how will the air be heated? On Earth, all we have to do is strike a match because Earth has oxygen. Mars has very little, if any, oxygen. Oxygen is a prerequisite for something to combust, as it said in the article.
Also, someone else in this thread made a very good point-- the temperature varies way too much for a blimp to be feasible. It would explode-- or, on the other hand, the air pressure would decrease so much that the balloon part of the blimp (I know there is a special term for that part-- anyone know what it is, by any chance?) would essentially deflate.
BTW, they have tested the entomopter. Every couple of monthes the Discovery Channel runs a show that has a bit about the entomopter. It's due to air pretty soon, I think. (My dad is addicted to Discovery, TLC, & the History Channel; he watches the show about the entomopter every time it comes on. (oy!)) But anyway, it's not like the people at GIT have only tested it on computer models; they just can't test a full-sized model with a full payload-- it would quite literally crash-and-burn. Oh yeah, now I remember-- the show is about mini-aircraft in general, and the bulk of the show is specifically about mini-spycraft. Some of the things the CIA has in the works are really fascinating:)
"That's what NASA should be spending at least half its money on: improving the technology to make cheap spaceflight possible. The shuttle and the ISS are stupid wastes of $$$"
First thing I want to clarify, the ISS is not just NASA's brainchild. It's an *international* project. We (the US) are just one of the participants. So, it's not like we're footing the *whole* bill; just a part.
Now my main point. NASA *is* improving the technology to make spaceflight cheaper. However, I admit I do not know how much of the budget is spent in this area. That's irrelevant to me. The research is there.
Second, the Shuttles aren't "stupid wastes of $$$". How do you expect the scientists at NASA to do 0-G research, hmm? And don't say 'computer models'; most of those bloody 'computer models' aren't worth the disk space they're saved on! The 0-G research they do on the Shuttles and ISS are what tells the people at NASA what is or is not feasible at what price and what else they need to look into. It is certainly not a "waste"!
"Man's reach must exceed his grasp, else what are the Heavens for?" -a variation of Galileo's "Man's reach must exceed his grasp, else what is Heaven for?".
What ever happened to "a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty", hmm? Because that's basically what this comes down to: the Federal Government is disreguarding that whole premise and is putting us all under suspicion. Not just suspicion of "terrorism", either; we are being made suspects of ANY crime currently (so far) on the books. Apparently, too many of our current leaders either a) slept through American History and Civics class or b) are practically the poster-children for the saying "Absolute power corrupts absolutely".
Also, has no one read "1984" and/or "Fahrenheit 451"? If so, has no one learned from it? (No offense to those of you who have and are trying your darndest to educate/warn everyone else; I'm just frustrated by those who haven't or, even worse, did but it went in one ear and straight out the other).
BTW, how long HAS that premise been eroded in the U.S.?
Slashdot Mirror
Hmm, maybe all these free OS's (Linux, FreeBSD, etc. etc.) are getting to them even more than they are letting on! Heh heh.
:)
Is Ray Bradbury psychic, or what? I mean, think about it: that book was written 50, 60 years ago, and it's still pertinent today. Just about the only thing that was off was the year the story took place-- 1990. But apparently, it was only off by about 15-20, because we could be living in that story in about 5-10 years, I'd say. *shudders* Really makes you think!
BTW, if you haven't read the book yet, READ IT!!
Good point. However, would it be possible to somehow make it a body-powered device? Slashdot had an article about those a while back. While body-power isn't as good as plugging the thing into the wall, that could be *part* of the power supply. There could also be generators built in; the more you walk or move, the more power you supply to the suit. Batteries could (and probably would) still be incorporated into the suit. Maybe (though I'm not entirely sure) the research being done in the area of biomechatronics could prove somehow useful. Finally, there's everybody's all-time favourite: solar cells! ;) It is possible to use solar cells, except for one thing-- aren't they usually reflective? And IIRC from 9th grade physical science, isn't it somehow necessary to the design that they be reflective? That may not be a good thing when you're trying to hide from the enemy.
But I do agree to a certain extent: the soldier in the suit can't be loaded to the hilt and armed to the teeth; this whole apparatus apparently takes a great deal of power. But there are several ways to provide power, and these ways *can* be combined.
Here we go again-- another sci-fi book comes true! Well, sorta. In Robert Heinlein's "Starship Troopers", they have powered exoskeletons like this. If you want to find out exactly how they're useful, at least, more useful than either straight vehicles (i.e. jeeps, tanks, helicopters, etc.) or infantrymen on foot with very BIG backpacks, read the book. The disadvantages are also mentioned in the book. I never saw the movie, so I don't know what-all it says in there.
Unfortunately, that's Windows for you.
My family has owned two computers so far. The first one was a Packard Bell we bought in '96; it ran Windows 95. Considering the hardware (133 MHz Pentium, 16 MB RAM, & 1 GB HD) and the fact that we had it in the garage the first 2 yrs. we had it, it ran pretty well. It only gave me the BSOD 3 times I can remember (and one time it was my fault), and only gave me error messages once a month. We kept that computer almost 5 years, until Aug. Then we got the one I'm using right now. Hardware-wise, I love this thing. Software-wise, well, let's just say that Windows is not consistent; it seems to get worse as it goes on. This computer is an HP (1.3 GHz P4, 256 MB RAM, & 60 GB HD) running Windows ME. It gives me the BSOD once every 3 monthes; every time I get used to one error message popping up and what its schedule is, another one suddenly appears; and 4 days a week it freezes at least once a day, usually while its smack in the middle of shutting down!! And on both computers, I've had poorly written software crash the system. Heck, I've gotten so tired of Windows I'm buying my own computer and dual-booting Linux on it (my parents don't trust Linux ("what kind of OS can you get for _free_?! There's gotta be some sort of hidden cost _somewhere_! It's probably not even complete! Etc., etc."), so they won't let me dual-boot this computer).
Note: this is not intended as a flame; everyone is entitled to their own opinion-- this just happens to be mine. I don't make this stuff up, this is how my computer runs.
Um, just so you know, drinking was illegal in the US. It was called Prohibition; passed into law as the 18th(?) amendment of the constitution. Prohibition failed; speakeasies and, ultimately, organized crime were the results. Prohibition was repealed in the 21st(?) amendment. So, you see, that's why alcohol is legal.
BTW, if we do send astronauts and it turns out I do have a valid point (uh oh...), I think they're going to need more than penicillin! Imagine the report back to NASA: "Uh, Houston, we have a problem. Tell Michael Crichton he was right..."
:)
One question: how will the air be heated? On Earth, all we have to do is strike a match because Earth has oxygen. Mars has very little, if any, oxygen. Oxygen is a prerequisite for something to combust, as it said in the article.
Also, someone else in this thread made a very good point-- the temperature varies way too much for a blimp to be feasible. It would explode-- or, on the other hand, the air pressure would decrease so much that the balloon part of the blimp (I know there is a special term for that part-- anyone know what it is, by any chance?) would essentially deflate.
BTW, they have tested the entomopter. Every couple of monthes the Discovery Channel runs a show that has a bit about the entomopter. It's due to air pretty soon, I think. (My dad is addicted to Discovery, TLC, & the History Channel; he watches the show about the entomopter every time it comes on. (oy!)) But anyway, it's not like the people at GIT have only tested it on computer models; they just can't test a full-sized model with a full payload-- it would quite literally crash-and-burn. Oh yeah, now I remember-- the show is about mini-aircraft in general, and the bulk of the show is specifically about mini-spycraft. Some of the things the CIA has in the works are really fascinating :)
First thing I want to clarify, the ISS is not just NASA's brainchild. It's an *international* project. We (the US) are just one of the participants. So, it's not like we're footing the *whole* bill; just a part.
Now my main point. NASA *is* improving the technology to make spaceflight cheaper. However, I admit I do not know how much of the budget is spent in this area. That's irrelevant to me. The research is there.
Second, the Shuttles aren't "stupid wastes of $$$". How do you expect the scientists at NASA to do 0-G research, hmm? And don't say 'computer models'; most of those bloody 'computer models' aren't worth the disk space they're saved on! The 0-G research they do on the Shuttles and ISS are what tells the people at NASA what is or is not feasible at what price and what else they need to look into. It is certainly not a "waste"!
"Man's reach must exceed his grasp, else what are the Heavens for?" -a variation of Galileo's "Man's reach must exceed his grasp, else what is Heaven for?".
What ever happened to "a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty", hmm? Because that's basically what this comes down to: the Federal Government is disreguarding that whole premise and is putting us all under suspicion. Not just suspicion of "terrorism", either; we are being made suspects of ANY crime currently (so far) on the books. Apparently, too many of our current leaders either a) slept through American History and Civics class or b) are practically the poster-children for the saying "Absolute power corrupts absolutely". Also, has no one read "1984" and/or "Fahrenheit 451"? If so, has no one learned from it? (No offense to those of you who have and are trying your darndest to educate/warn everyone else; I'm just frustrated by those who haven't or, even worse, did but it went in one ear and straight out the other). BTW, how long HAS that premise been eroded in the U.S.?