... All color camcorders have IR-blocking filters built in....
NOT! Many camcorders are DESIGNED to pickup IR. The SONY Handicam series (color) can view in total darkness with it's built in IR lights and if you record someone using their IR remote, you can easily see the bright flashing of the IR LED in the replay.
"In other words, in the first quarter, 92% of their revenue was from Japan. Last year during the first quarter, 55% of their revenue was from Japan.
That could mean anything, btw."
What are you talking about?
Are you claiming that they didn't receive 55% of their revenue from Japan in the first quarter of last year?
Their statement means exactly what it says! It shows that a larger percentage of their revenues are coming from Japan than a year ago.
Considering the number of posted responces that question whether the possible states in the universe are infinite or not, I think it needs to be pointed out...
Acording to Quantum Mechanics, the universe definitely has an infinite number of possible states.
Example: Even the simiplest atom has an infinite number of possible energy configurations. The energy levels for an electron in a hydrogen atom are defined by E = -13.6eV/n^2 for ANY positive integer n. This entire set of infinite energy states range accross a meagre 13.6eV.
Now, whether or not quantum mechanics really has anything to do with reality is an entirely different topic.;)
... that seems to imply that he can make all real numbers
Actually, he can't make all real numbers. In fact the one that supposedly generates pi really only generates rational approximations of pi. (more accurate with each itteration, but definitely not pi or any other irrational number).:)
Assuming the universe is a closed system, I think we can at the very least, most niave level truncate the upper bounds as equal to all the energy in the universe contained within the one state, for the one particle. This places an upper limit on the energe state, which once again appears to put a limit on the number of possible states, albeit a very, very large one.
Dude, you really blew that one. The energy levels in an electron... in their infinite entirity are ALL within a very finite energy range. In a hydrogen atom for example, the entire range over the entire infinite set of possible energy states is only 13.6 eV.
ACCORDING TO QUANTUM MECHANICS, there are an *INFINITE* number of possible energy states of an electron in a hydrogen atom.
the smallest unit by which position can change or be defined is defined by the plank constant
What have you been smoking? Time for you to retake that undergraduate QM class. I know some people are partial to a concept of quantized space, but this is definitely not what QM implies at all. Look at an unbound particle for example... there are NO restrictions on it's position at all.
Thus, for an electron orbiting [bad word, but traditional] a nucleus there is a lower limit to the number of descrete positions it can have
NOT. Look at the quantum numbers for an electron bound in an atom. Do you you see a position there? Hell NO! It's not the position of the electron that's quantized... it's the energy, angular momentum, etc! Take the lowest energy orbital (s) for example. The orbital is perfectly symetric and according to QM the electron has an eqaul chance of being found on ANY point on the orbital. (Just in case you missed it, there are an INFINITE number of points/positions on a sphere).
I could go on and on, but it's apparent that at some point in your physics education you either had some pretty messed up teachers, or weren't paying to much attention.
I'm guessing that you're referring to the possibility that some hackers might be able to turn the X-Box into a sweet little $199 A/V linux box at the expense of Micro$oft.
I'm sure Micro$oft wouldn't be too keen on that happening, but it would probably be the only reason I would ever consider buying an X-Box.
The whole concept of 'stealing' information is very different than that of stealing a car since no one is deprived in the process. The only valid argument against it, IMHO, is the loss of revenues that would have been provided had the information been 'purchased'. Thus the common 'I wouldn't have bought it anyway'.
Just how far the MPAA/RIAA would go to stop this is debatable. If it were possible, my guess is that they'd want to be paid everytime you thought about a movie/music you saw/heard.
MPAA Personal Account Services: "I'm sorry, but it's been a week since you saw ATOC. Please credit our account for $xxx if you want to preserve your memories of the film."
Joe Consumer: "But I don't have enough money right now..."
MPAA Personal Account Services: "Please stand by while your memory is selectively erased..."
Joe Consumer: "AuGhhhhHHHHhhh....."
MPAA Personal Account Services: "BSOD: Your system has become unstable..."
... compared to Star Wars [rottentomatoes.com] at 97%...
Just remember to take the 'cream of the crop' reviews with a grain of salt. Don't forget that Siskel & Ebert originally gave StarWars two thumbs down claiming that it wasn't 'adult' enough for viewers.
I try to always go into a movie hopefull, but not expecting too much. Sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised. It also seems to help the enjoyment if I never expect any movie to be serious.:)
Registering the cable modem has nothing to do with installing a router. The router is on the LAN side of the cable modem and justs looks like a single PC to the outside world. You have to register your modem with them for them to do the provisioning for their network, but that doesn't in any way stop you from installing a router.
At least when I got my connection, the modem registration was done before provisioning. You didn't even have to have a computer connected for any of the setup process.
I never installed ANY of the ATT broadband software. In fact I never even took the disk out of it's envelope. I just said "I don't want/need that software. I'll set things up myself". The install tech, who couldn't comprehend that you could use the service without their software, just took my word for it because he obviously didn't know much about the system. (It looks like they hire all high-school grads at minimum-wage.)
I have about 8 systems on my home network - all with full-time high speed access.:)
The different simulations are different in that they are varying initial conditions. This is VERY different from varying the model.
The model has to accurately reflect system interacionts - which systems affect which other systems, and in what way, and to what degree. Many of these systems (some of which are critical to prediction) are still very poorly understood or modeled.
This entire project is based on flawed thinking. If the effects are non-linear (which they're sure to be). Even if they manage to find initial conditions that DO follow 50 years of prediction accuratly, that has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with a continuation of the model to follow the next 50 years accurately.
The problem with modeling of any non-linear dynamical system is not the model. This is a common misconception. You could have a PERFECT model of climatic systems and still be entirely unable to predict the long-range paterns.
This has everything to do with knowledge of initial conditions and the fact that the dynamics are non-linear.
You can't throw out "small scale stuff" if you want to be able to predict long-term. Nonlinear things don't "quickly disappear into the larger scale". If that happens, it's linear effect. In non-linear systems, those effects are all still there and will at some point manifest themselves by greatly altering the predictions of the model.
No, no, no. If the system is modular (AS REQUESTED BY THE STATES), then the functionality should be offered in the form of a system dll (or two, or three...).
Installing a dll is NOT the same as installing an application (IE).
If IE (the browser) is providing functionality that the entire OS uses (as claimed by MS), it needs to be moved to a system dll. That's the whole idea behind modularity!
The whole argument was that IE (The browser application) should not be required. Not that any OS API should be removed.
As frustrating as it might be that they don't always release the specs on such things as their network protocols and file formats, I fail to see why government should be able to force them to do so?
Because they are a MONOPLOLY abusing their position with it! It's AGAINST THE LAW!
Wake up! An API isn't just some secret internal working. It's the Aplication Interface! It's sole purpose is to allow applications to use it to interface to the OS! The is absolutely NO reason for hidden APIs except for anticompetative behavior.
... How is a third party component supposed to plug in to the OS and work as it should without full API disclosure?
Just the way they have to now: with the partial disclosure of APIs that Microsoft has made available.
The problem is that Microsoft has APIs that are only known to itself and it's 'trusted partners' which give their products an unfair advantage over the competition. This has been documented in many instances and books are available on the subject.
It would only kill Microsoft if they aren't cabable of competing on a level playing field. Having the API's open and available would certainly be in the public's best interest in the long run for reasons of reduced lock-in, interoperability and choice. If Microsoft can't compete... tough luck.:)
Forcing Microsoft to release the APIs is the obvious answer to many of their anticompetative practices and should be a bare minimum for a settlement IMHO.
Sounds like her parent's may have been "hollow-earthers". (People who believe the earth is hollow and that there is a civilization living down there.) Yes, some people actually believe that!
The ancients accepted a certain amount of increased complexity in order to avoid a proposition they couldn't stomach: that the Earth was in motion. It's my opinion that the equant pushed the limits of acceptable complexity, and they knew it.
It's amazing how much increased complexity is accepted by some scientists these days. For these scientists, there seem to be no limits of acceptable complexity that thye are willing to accept to save their current views.
The Big Bang theory is a classic example. There are all kinds of bizzare theories postulated with no other purpose than to attempt to reconcile the big bang with observed reality. Cosmic strings, repulsion of empty space, cosmic braking, the cosmological constant, etc. The funny thing is that the quantized red-shift observations made (and substantiated) in the last 20 years refute the original assumption upon which the B.B. was originally founded: that the shift is due to recessional velocity. I don't think that any intelligent physicist who has studdied the history of the big bang's transformation from a simple idea to one of the most proped-up theories ever can honestly believe it, especially in light of all the raw data we have access to these days. In fact it has been stated by prominent physicists in the field that "We can no longer accept the Big Bang as a plausible explanation of the origin of the universe", yet it is still taught as fact (rather than theory) at most universities. Furthermore, empirical observations that are extremely pertinent to the subject are ignored or burried. A graduating student here in my department did his dissertation on a cosmological topic and was entirely unaware of the quantized red-shift at all!
Alright, time for some back-of-envelope calculations...
Gross heat of compustion for Hydrogen is about 12 kJ/L at STP. (Note that they specify the amount of H in the rock in terms of volume and not mass, leading to the conclusion that these NASA bozo's aren't too competent in the first place).
If the rock had to be brought to the surface to be processed, the potential energy it would take to retrieve enough rock to process into 1 liter of Hydrogen can be calculated roughly as follows (assuming about 5g/cm for rock and the height as about 2miles):
1000cm *.005kg/cm * 9.8m/s*s * 3226m = 158 kJ to retrieve enough rock to process into 1L of Hydrogen.
Oops! Just a bit in excess of the 12kJ/L you get back by burning the Hydrogen.
The article also stated that this Hydrogen-rich rock forms at "depths far below" this 2 mile region.
So to extract any viable energy from this system, the hydrogen would need to be extracted deep within the earth's crust, and Oxygen to provide the combustion would have to be pumped into the earth, and this doesn't even begin to address the energy requirements of the actual processing methods... well, hopefully you get the idea. Doesn't exactly strike me as being the "Vast Energy Reserves" as claimed.
Slashdot Mirror
And you really think that the studios would pass that savings on to the theaters? Not likely!
NOT! Many camcorders are DESIGNED to pickup IR. The SONY Handicam series (color) can view in total darkness with it's built in IR lights and if you record someone using their IR remote, you can easily see the bright flashing of the IR LED in the replay.
What are you talking about?
Are you claiming that they didn't receive 55% of their revenue from Japan in the first quarter of last year?
Their statement means exactly what it says! It shows that a larger percentage of their revenues are coming from Japan than a year ago.
Don't drink and post. :)
Wake the hell up! 12 Volt batteries do NOT have enough voltage to kill a person.
Acording to Quantum Mechanics, the universe definitely has an infinite number of possible states.
Example: Even the simiplest atom has an infinite number of possible energy configurations. The energy levels for an electron in a hydrogen atom are defined by E = -13.6eV/n^2 for ANY positive integer n. This entire set of infinite energy states range accross a meagre 13.6eV.
Now, whether or not quantum mechanics really has anything to do with reality is an entirely different topic. ;)
Actually, he can't make all real numbers. In fact the one that supposedly generates pi really only generates rational approximations of pi. (more accurate with each itteration, but definitely not pi or any other irrational number). :)
Dude, you really blew that one. The energy levels in an electron ... in their infinite entirity are ALL within a very finite energy range. In a hydrogen atom for example, the entire range over the entire infinite set of possible energy states is only 13.6 eV.
ACCORDING TO QUANTUM MECHANICS, there are an *INFINITE* number of possible energy states of an electron in a hydrogen atom.
What have you been smoking? Time for you to retake that undergraduate QM class. I know some people are partial to a concept of quantized space, but this is definitely not what QM implies at all. Look at an unbound particle for example... there are NO restrictions on it's position at all.
Thus, for an electron orbiting [bad word, but traditional] a nucleus there is a lower limit to the number of descrete positions it can have
NOT. Look at the quantum numbers for an electron bound in an atom. Do you you see a position there? Hell NO! It's not the position of the electron that's quantized... it's the energy, angular momentum, etc! Take the lowest energy orbital (s) for example. The orbital is perfectly symetric and according to QM the electron has an eqaul chance of being found on ANY point on the orbital. (Just in case you missed it, there are an INFINITE number of points/positions on a sphere).
I could go on and on, but it's apparent that at some point in your physics education you either had some pretty messed up teachers, or weren't paying to much attention.
I'm sure Micro$oft wouldn't be too keen on that happening, but it would probably be the only reason I would ever consider buying an X-Box.
Just how far the MPAA/RIAA would go to stop this is debatable. If it were possible, my guess is that they'd want to be paid everytime you thought about a movie/music you saw/heard.
Just remember to take the 'cream of the crop' reviews with a grain of salt. Don't forget that Siskel & Ebert originally gave StarWars two thumbs down claiming that it wasn't 'adult' enough for viewers.
I try to always go into a movie hopefull, but not expecting too much. Sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised. It also seems to help the enjoyment if I never expect any movie to be serious. :)
At least when I got my connection, the modem registration was done before provisioning. You didn't even have to have a computer connected for any of the setup process.
I never installed ANY of the ATT broadband software. In fact I never even took the disk out of it's envelope. I just said "I don't want/need that software. I'll set things up myself". The install tech, who couldn't comprehend that you could use the service without their software, just took my word for it because he obviously didn't know much about the system. (It looks like they hire all high-school grads at minimum-wage.)
I have about 8 systems on my home network - all with full-time high speed access. :)
Those Linksys routers are swEET! :)
The different simulations are different in that they are varying initial conditions. This is VERY different from varying the model.
The model has to accurately reflect system interacionts - which systems affect which other systems, and in what way, and to what degree. Many of these systems (some of which are critical to prediction) are still very poorly understood or modeled.
This entire project is based on flawed thinking. If the effects are non-linear (which they're sure to be). Even if they manage to find initial conditions that DO follow 50 years of prediction accuratly, that has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with a continuation of the model to follow the next 50 years accurately.
This has everything to do with knowledge of initial conditions and the fact that the dynamics are non-linear.
You can't throw out "small scale stuff" if you want to be able to predict long-term. Nonlinear things don't "quickly disappear into the larger scale". If that happens, it's linear effect. In non-linear systems, those effects are all still there and will at some point manifest themselves by greatly altering the predictions of the model.
Installing a dll is NOT the same as installing an application (IE).
If IE (the browser) is providing functionality that the entire OS uses (as claimed by MS), it needs to be moved to a system dll. That's the whole idea behind modularity!
The whole argument was that IE (The browser application) should not be required. Not that any OS API should be removed.
Because they are a MONOPLOLY abusing their position with it! It's AGAINST THE LAW!
Wake up! An API isn't just some secret internal working. It's the Aplication Interface! It's sole purpose is to allow applications to use it to interface to the OS! The is absolutely NO reason for hidden APIs except for anticompetative behavior.
Just the way they have to now: with the partial disclosure of APIs that Microsoft has made available.
The problem is that Microsoft has APIs that are only known to itself and it's 'trusted partners' which give their products an unfair advantage over the competition. This has been documented in many instances and books are available on the subject.
Forcing Microsoft to release the APIs is the obvious answer to many of their anticompetative practices and should be a bare minimum for a settlement IMHO.
RMS doesn't necessarily imply AC. It can apply to any source. DC, AC, pulsed, continuous, ...whatever.
What are you saying! The Corilois effect is one of the main causes of huricanes!
Sounds like her parent's may have been "hollow-earthers". (People who believe the earth is hollow and that there is a civilization living down there.) Yes, some people actually believe that!
It's amazing how much increased complexity is accepted by some scientists these days. For these scientists, there seem to be no limits of acceptable complexity that thye are willing to accept to save their current views.
The Big Bang theory is a classic example. There are all kinds of bizzare theories postulated with no other purpose than to attempt to reconcile the big bang with observed reality. Cosmic strings, repulsion of empty space, cosmic braking, the cosmological constant, etc. The funny thing is that the quantized red-shift observations made (and substantiated) in the last 20 years refute the original assumption upon which the B.B. was originally founded: that the shift is due to recessional velocity. I don't think that any intelligent physicist who has studdied the history of the big bang's transformation from a simple idea to one of the most proped-up theories ever can honestly believe it, especially in light of all the raw data we have access to these days. In fact it has been stated by prominent physicists in the field that "We can no longer accept the Big Bang as a plausible explanation of the origin of the universe", yet it is still taught as fact (rather than theory) at most universities. Furthermore, empirical observations that are extremely pertinent to the subject are ignored or burried. A graduating student here in my department did his dissertation on a cosmological topic and was entirely unaware of the quantized red-shift at all!
Gross heat of compustion for Hydrogen is about 12 kJ/L at STP. (Note that they specify the amount of H in the rock in terms of volume and not mass, leading to the conclusion that these NASA bozo's aren't too competent in the first place).
If the rock had to be brought to the surface to be processed, the potential energy it would take to retrieve enough rock to process into 1 liter of Hydrogen can be calculated roughly as follows (assuming about 5g/cm for rock and the height as about 2miles):
1000cm * .005kg/cm * 9.8m/s*s * 3226m = 158 kJ to retrieve enough rock to process into 1L of Hydrogen.
Oops! Just a bit in excess of the 12kJ/L you get back by burning the Hydrogen.
The article also stated that this Hydrogen-rich rock forms at "depths far below" this 2 mile region.
So to extract any viable energy from this system, the hydrogen would need to be extracted deep within the earth's crust, and Oxygen to provide the combustion would have to be pumped into the earth, and this doesn't even begin to address the energy requirements of the actual processing methods... well, hopefully you get the idea. Doesn't exactly strike me as being the "Vast Energy Reserves" as claimed.
Additional comments welcome.
HINT: Retailers like products that sell well. ;)
No! It's not wasted! We NEED that alpha channel! :)