Talk about braille outputs on Pocket PC's reminded me of a slightly Offtopic but very Interesting idea I thought of.
I've always wondered if it's possible to make a side panel of a PDA (for example, the left side of a Clie, like the Jog Dial) have maybe a hundred little actuators and sensors that can make virtual controls like switches, dials, and sliders... it would be interesting...
...all the sound samples you'll want for the spoken menus.
I'm not sure if the phone's speakers can be used to play audio from software, or if the Treo 600 includes a "real" speaker; if not, sound effects/messages are pretty much out of the question, since on most Palm devices (other than a Handera and the newer Clies) the speaker is a simple tone-based one, akin to a PC speaker. Apps have been written to play sound, just like Microsoft wrote a PC Speaker Wave Driver, but the quality of both are horrible.
I thought some of them used an induction coil and a small device worn on the belt to recharge a battery... so you plug in the belt thingy when it gets low, and it keeps the pacemaker charged.
Maybe the 3.6 V battery was designed to replace two regular AA's? Most alkaline AA's give 1.5v, and most rechargeable AA's put out 1.2+v, so take the 3.6v and divide by 2, you get 1.3v which could easily mean it should replace two batteries (in series, I believe).
DeCSS:
myDVD::Crowbar:my House
Close, but no cigar. We presume that for this use of a crowbar to be legal you must own or have rights to access the house. It is unclear which is meant simply because a house bears no resemblance to intelectual property. In other words, this house is real property...it can only be in the hands of one person at a time, that person has the right to access his property.
Italic text was added by me.
Obviously--having a DeCSS program should also be just like having a crowbar. It's a legal item to possess, but using it in the wrong way can be a crime. That'd be like if they forced everyone to have their feet amputated at birth so you couldn't kick people. And it's legal to get into your house with a crowbar, provided you don't then go and try to get insurance money, but that's another story.
This is a really good analogy, especially pointing out that even if the bookstore patented the light, the tacheon emitter is not. But that's also a flaw in your argument--if you had figured out how to build one of the lights then it would be exactly equal.
Frankly, they need a law saying that technical measures (such as DeCSS) must not impose at all on people's rights to use their content in any legal way, such as viewing it with whatever they want.
So make a CSS layout that doesn't fall apart and then use font-size: xx-small, x-small, small, medium, large, x-large, xx-large CSS properties. To specify the size of things on the page, use a percentage of the total width, i.e. make a nav bar 10% of the width of the page. It's a lot easier and looks better at odd sizes!
Well I would say one site that has a very clean design is Slashdot in Light mode, but I guess that doesn't really count... I haven't really run in to any really easy to use sites lately.
First, a site has to look decent, color- and font-wise. A standard font like arial or times is good, and the colors can't clash. Also, the font, color, size, et cetera has to be consistent throught the page, i.e. if there are topic headings make them all the same style. The place I have seen this most ignored is in small e-shops where they have links and pictures and huge headings everywhere.
Next: navigatino has to be easy and structured, but not overstructured--it's a balance. If you have just a pile of pages without organization, it's really hard to find stuff, but (as it sometimes happens with large directories like Yahoo and Google) grouping under too many levels gives vague top-level headings that don't really reveal what's beneath.
Another random thing that popped into my head: if the main content of a site is articles, then the navbar should have a bunch of categories for articles. It's really annoying when I see something like Home, About Us, Articles, Polls, Members, Forums, Help, Log In and I go to several places looking for stuff when all the main content is under one heading; in other words, keep the sections balanced.
Use stylesheets... it's really annoying to see crappy web pages with different fonts and colors, or mistakes in markup because the writer was typing out font tags. I saw a web site the other day that had font tags around each and every link on the page to give links a different color... um, there's an easier way to do it!
Don't add pointless features. Nobody really wants to vote on which picture of your cat is the best (sorry, a classic of vanity web pages) or sign your pointless guestbook. When you use one of those stupid web-page wizards, put a little thought into whether you really need each feature you want to add...
More about stylesheets... This is hard for already-created sites, but lay out and format the bulk of your site with CSS so it can be resized, stretched, and twisted without looking stupid. Make sure changing the font size doesn't ruin your layout, and also that you can change the font size--don't use pixel sizes!
Congress has distilled the crime of felony copyright infringement to four essential elements: (1) a copyright exists; (2) it was infringed by the defendant, specifically by reproduction or distribution of the copyrighted work; (3) the defendant acted "willfully"; and (4) the defendant infringed at least 10 copies of one or more copyrighted works with a total retail value of more than $2,500 within a 180-day period. See 17 U.S.C. 506(a)(2); 18 U.S.C. 2319(a), (c)(1).
I'm assuming it's changed since then, but let's say you only let your P2P client distribute a song every 20 days... let's say the CD costs $20, has 20 songs... that's $1 a song, which would be $9 and nine copies every 180 days...
3. Trading MP3s is a good way to "preview" an album/artist. I ROUTINELY buy CDs after having listened to a few MP3s.
Same here... I found out about Weird Al on Napster "back in the days" (/me reminisces...) and have two of his CD's; I've downloaded more of it and I'm planning to get more CD's.
I agree with what you say. I hate IE myself, just because everything is so Microsoft-centric: ActiveX, "JavaScript" (MicroShit style), fake new "HTML" tags, etc...
But since almost everyone has IE, it's a lot more important... and also Mozilla is always being updated and patched, and people who use Mozilla usually know to update the browser when mozilla.org/start says "Hey, you're using an old version..."
Now all someone needs to do is hack into MSN and put some code to crash IE... I believe <INPUT TYPE CRASH> worked until recently--but what Joe Computer-(L)user actually downloads the patches?
I don't have to guess, I already know. My TiVo. I went the "Ultra-Nerd Build It Yourself" route too, and found my TiVo to be much better. You must be one hell of a fat loser.
No, you have to be one hell of a fat loser, posting this message which is Offtopic, Redundant, and Flamebait, all at once!
Offtopic: It's a discussion about making your own PVR, not which is better.
Redundant: Others have repeatedly said that they think TiVo is better.
Flamebait: You're calling the author of an On-topic, Informative post "one hell of a fat loser" and poking fun at the "Ultra-Nerd Build It Yourself" route--please note the caption beneath slashdot: "News for Nerds..."
As for the original poster, that's a pretty good look at one of these. So far from reading this article it seems that a TiVo with lifetime subscription and a homebrew box are about the same cost, but personally I think a homebrew box would be better since it lets you do basically anything you want.
Man, the DMCA sucks. If I ever end up buying a CD that doesn't work on my PC, I'm going to return it and mail all my collected AOL CD's to the company that made it.
Speaking of AOL CD's, they circumvent Microsoft's attempt to make you sign up for MSN, so they're a circumvention device.
And Internet Explorer and all browsers are gone, since smart people can type obvious URL's into crappy websites to get out secret documents...
And of course we have to ban audio cables; you can connect a tape recorder to a CD player with that!
And microphones...
And pencils; they circumvent any eBook's security by allowing you to duplicate files (by hand, but still...)
And monitors: they produce a visible copy of digital data in RAM, which is illegal. And there's probably copies in the Ethernet card's buffer, swap file, data in RAM, video RAM, monitor, and don't forget the shadow on the wall on the other side of the room.
Monitors
RAM
Ethernet
Walls
Light
And semisilvered mirrors that can split a light beam--they can make a monitor image show up in two places at once.
And cameras...
And Xerox machines--they're certainly convenient, but you can copy stuff...::shudder::...
And Silly putty--you can copy newspaper articles...
To be continued...
Please don't rant about how all of these aren't covered under the DMCA; it's just a joke! But feel free to add your own to the list!
That's actually a pretty good idea for using computer vision. The one problem I've always had with a GUI is the overhead in switching windows and such.
I think having your current window in front, with others as small pictures at the top, getting smaller as unused longer (with a limit of course) would be great--you could just look at a window and it would pop up.
Go to hell you bastards who modded me Troll. It was a perfectly good question.
(Yes, I do have something useful to say.)
I do agree that over-complication has really made Linux hard. When I run one of the loopbacking distros on my Windows system, the prospect of adding software is just horrific, since you have to compile it, blah blah blah...
If Linux people took a clue from Microsoft and made an more organized directory structure (I'm a newb, I probably just haven't noticed) that contains binaries for each program, and created a special archive-installer that checks for a script to install stuff, so you just download whatever.tar.gz and tell it to install and it finds the install script and runs it.
Also, I have a gigantic idea that probably won't work. Someone should create a cross-platform, XML-driven driver format so you don't end up with piles of useless hardware since it only works on Windows.
It's okay, I tried to get it but missed--now my post has less of a chance of being modded down. You should have done what I did and come up with a blazingly obvious question along with a subject of "First Post"--none of this "FP" wussiness!
Slashdot Mirror
Talk about braille outputs on Pocket PC's reminded me of a slightly Offtopic but very Interesting idea I thought of.
I've always wondered if it's possible to make a side panel of a PDA (for example, the left side of a Clie, like the Jog Dial) have maybe a hundred little actuators and sensors that can make virtual controls like switches, dials, and sliders... it would be interesting...
Any ideas?
I'm not sure if the phone's speakers can be used to play audio from software, or if the Treo 600 includes a "real" speaker; if not, sound effects/messages are pretty much out of the question, since on most Palm devices (other than a Handera and the newer Clies) the speaker is a simple tone-based one, akin to a PC speaker. Apps have been written to play sound, just like Microsoft wrote a PC Speaker Wave Driver, but the quality of both are horrible.
I almost passed out last time... It's really not fun...
I thought some of them used an induction coil and a small device worn on the belt to recharge a battery... so you plug in the belt thingy when it gets low, and it keeps the pacemaker charged.
I could use one of those for my computer to convert the millions of cables to one USB 2.0 cable going to the box.
Ah, I see. Well why would they make a battery that is the size of 1 AA but the power of 3? A mystery...
Maybe the 3.6 V battery was designed to replace two regular AA's? Most alkaline AA's give 1.5v, and most rechargeable AA's put out 1.2+v, so take the 3.6v and divide by 2, you get 1.3v which could easily mean it should replace two batteries (in series, I believe).
Italic text was added by me.
Obviously--having a DeCSS program should also be just like having a crowbar. It's a legal item to possess, but using it in the wrong way can be a crime. That'd be like if they forced everyone to have their feet amputated at birth so you couldn't kick people. And it's legal to get into your house with a crowbar, provided you don't then go and try to get insurance money, but that's another story.
This is a really good analogy, especially pointing out that even if the bookstore patented the light, the tacheon emitter is not. But that's also a flaw in your argument--if you had figured out how to build one of the lights then it would be exactly equal.
Frankly, they need a law saying that technical measures (such as DeCSS) must not impose at all on people's rights to use their content in any legal way, such as viewing it with whatever they want.
Agreed, wonderful post!
It depends on your point of view... If it were a Latin word the plural of virus would be virii .
So make a CSS layout that doesn't fall apart and then use font-size: xx-small, x-small, small, medium, large, x-large, xx-large CSS properties. To specify the size of things on the page, use a percentage of the total width, i.e. make a nav bar 10% of the width of the page. It's a lot easier and looks better at odd sizes!
Your post is almost Flamebait but it's sorta funny. Maybe the moderator was kidding--too bad you can't metamoderate a moderation "Funny".
Well I would say one site that has a very clean design is Slashdot in Light mode, but I guess that doesn't really count... I haven't really run in to any really easy to use sites lately.
First, a site has to look decent, color- and font-wise. A standard font like arial or times is good, and the colors can't clash. Also, the font, color, size, et cetera has to be consistent throught the page, i.e. if there are topic headings make them all the same style. The place I have seen this most ignored is in small e-shops where they have links and pictures and huge headings everywhere.
Next: navigatino has to be easy and structured, but not overstructured--it's a balance. If you have just a pile of pages without organization, it's really hard to find stuff, but (as it sometimes happens with large directories like Yahoo and Google) grouping under too many levels gives vague top-level headings that don't really reveal what's beneath.
Another random thing that popped into my head: if the main content of a site is articles, then the navbar should have a bunch of categories for articles. It's really annoying when I see something like Home, About Us, Articles, Polls, Members, Forums, Help, Log In and I go to several places looking for stuff when all the main content is under one heading; in other words, keep the sections balanced.
Use stylesheets... it's really annoying to see crappy web pages with different fonts and colors, or mistakes in markup because the writer was typing out font tags. I saw a web site the other day that had font tags around each and every link on the page to give links a different color... um, there's an easier way to do it!
Don't add pointless features. Nobody really wants to vote on which picture of your cat is the best (sorry, a classic of vanity web pages) or sign your pointless guestbook. When you use one of those stupid web-page wizards, put a little thought into whether you really need each feature you want to add...
More about stylesheets... This is hard for already-created sites, but lay out and format the bulk of your site with CSS so it can be resized, stretched, and twisted without looking stupid. Make sure changing the font size doesn't ruin your layout, and also that you can change the font size--don't use pixel sizes!
Okay, I'm done ranting...
Sorry... I don't get cable though, so I don't see MTV.
I'm assuming it's changed since then, but let's say you only let your P2P client distribute a song every 20 days... let's say the CD costs $20, has 20 songs... that's $1 a song, which would be $9 and nine copies every 180 days...
(I love finding the loopholes in stuff...)
No kidding... if an artist thinks music should be free, they wouldn't join an association which thinks it should not be free... duh!
Now you have. I do this all the time--really!
Same here... I found out about Weird Al on Napster "back in the days" (/me reminisces...) and have two of his CD's; I've downloaded more of it and I'm planning to get more CD's.
I agree with what you say. I hate IE myself, just because everything is so Microsoft-centric: ActiveX, "JavaScript" (MicroShit style), fake new "HTML" tags, etc...
But since almost everyone has IE, it's a lot more important... and also Mozilla is always being updated and patched, and people who use Mozilla usually know to update the browser when mozilla.org/start says "Hey, you're using an old version..."
Now all someone needs to do is hack into MSN and put some code to crash IE... I believe <INPUT TYPE CRASH> worked until recently--but what Joe Computer-(L)user actually downloads the patches?
No, you have to be one hell of a fat loser, posting this message which is Offtopic, Redundant, and Flamebait, all at once!
As for the original poster, that's a pretty good look at one of these. So far from reading this article it seems that a TiVo with lifetime subscription and a homebrew box are about the same cost, but personally I think a homebrew box would be better since it lets you do basically anything you want.
Just my two cents,
MooseGuy529
No, because in Soviet Russia, the TiVo buys you.
</karmawhore>Yes, lets!
Man, the DMCA sucks. If I ever end up buying a CD that doesn't work on my PC, I'm going to return it and mail all my collected AOL CD's to the company that made it.
Speaking of AOL CD's, they circumvent Microsoft's attempt to make you sign up for MSN, so they're a circumvention device.
And Internet Explorer and all browsers are gone, since smart people can type obvious URL's into crappy websites to get out secret documents...
And of course we have to ban audio cables; you can connect a tape recorder to a CD player with that!
And microphones...
And pencils; they circumvent any eBook's security by allowing you to duplicate files (by hand, but still...)
And monitors: they produce a visible copy of digital data in RAM, which is illegal. And there's probably copies in the Ethernet card's buffer, swap file, data in RAM, video RAM, monitor, and don't forget the shadow on the wall on the other side of the room.
And semisilvered mirrors that can split a light beam--they can make a monitor image show up in two places at once.
And cameras...
And Xerox machines--they're certainly convenient, but you can copy stuff... ::shudder:: ...
And Silly putty--you can copy newspaper articles...
To be continued...
That's actually a pretty good idea for using computer vision. The one problem I've always had with a GUI is the overhead in switching windows and such.
I think having your current window in front, with others as small pictures at the top, getting smaller as unused longer (with a limit of course) would be great--you could just look at a window and it would pop up.
Sorry to reply to my own post.
Go to hell you bastards who modded me Troll. It was a perfectly good question.
(Yes, I do have something useful to say.)
I do agree that over-complication has really made Linux hard. When I run one of the loopbacking distros on my Windows system, the prospect of adding software is just horrific, since you have to compile it, blah blah blah...
If Linux people took a clue from Microsoft and made an more organized directory structure (I'm a newb, I probably just haven't noticed) that contains binaries for each program, and created a special archive-installer that checks for a script to install stuff, so you just download whatever.tar.gz and tell it to install and it finds the install script and runs it.
Also, I have a gigantic idea that probably won't work. Someone should create a cross-platform, XML-driven driver format so you don't end up with piles of useless hardware since it only works on Windows.
Thanks for listening. --MooseGuy529
It's okay, I tried to get it but missed--now my post has less of a chance of being modded down. You should have done what I did and come up with a blazingly obvious question along with a subject of "First Post"--none of this "FP" wussiness!