You knew it the moment that it became popular. The iPod totally sold out. Those of us who supported it back in the old days when it was little more than a cassette player in a garage are left wincing at how they've totally gone mainstream.
White case. Headphones. LED screen. Fucking sellouts.
Toho group has taken over the operation of the Virgin Cinema movie theaters in Tokyo and seem to be doing a bang-up job of bringing first run movies to Japan in a very timely fashion.
It still costs an arm and a leg to see a movie here, but the theaters are much more comfortable than any that I've been to in the US.
Godzilla ought to be retiring. The threat of environmental damage and subsequent mutations caused by a nuclear waste spill has been shown to be a Chicken Little cause. As more countries shift their means of electricity production to nuclear, we have seen a progressive reduction of air pollution in those countries. In the US, coal and oil are still the primary means of power generation, and it shows when looking at statistical charts how much pollution per capita is produced by Americans.
Godzilla ought to be retired because the reasons that he was brought forth in the first place are gone. A new creature, relevent to today's global threats ought to be created so that kids can learn about those threats in an interesting and entertaining manner. Whether the threat ought to be fossil fuel pollution, terrorism, or global warming, bringing the issues to the public in an easily digestible and entertaining medium is the first step towards educating everyone about the dangers posed by these global problems.
I for one would love to see more solid-state parts used in these game consoles. The more moving parts a thing has, the more likely it is that those things will break. By removing them and replacing them with solid-state devices, it makes the failure rate of the these things due to hardware failure drop considerably.
But that's just the consumer's POV.
More to the heart of the matter, Microsoft would likely be doing this because of the inability of hackers to easily replace the contents of a DOC with their own personal OS image, be it Linux or NetBSD. The reprogrammable DOC is great in its ease of update, if you've got the programming hardware. Otherwise, you have to find a way using the existing OS to update the OS image. You can be sure that MS will make that close to impossible.
But then again, I've never really cared about Linux on the XBox. It always seemed like one of those Everest platforms: you do it because it's there.
The more I delve into my job search here in Japan, I've come to realize how much Linux is growing on the minds of companies. Almost every company I've interviewed with has asked the "what experience do you have with Linux" question. I'm glad I installed Debian Woody last year and have been running that on a separate spare box here at home.
Until now, most multimedia production platforms have either been Windows or Mac based. But as the tools of Linux become better, especially with the recent improvements in KDE, Linux is seen and being used more and more as a desktop production platform. Because of this, software vendors are feeling their ears perk up in the direction of Linux.
While it may never take the lead in the Desktop wars, Linux will find a nice niche somewhere between Windows and Mac. Software vendors who do not take Linux seriously may find themselves and their competitive positions usurped by some other up and comer, if not someone else who wants to write a free version of the software.
Take a look at the screenshots of the configuration screens. While it might be obvious to someone who is an expert at these types of things, someone who just wants to have something that works will be confused.
There are no visual cues for the user that can show the user which audio codecs to choose, or what an ILS is, or even how to go about starting a session with a partner.
I imagine that you'd have to go through a period of training in order to get the girl to respond to your particular voice. However, trying to get Rio to take her clothes off seems a little self defeating. She's awfully ugly.
I guess there's a market for this kind of thing in Japan. The mean age in Japan is approaching 70 and many of these older persons are living alone, so there are a lot of seniors that will require assistance with their daily life. A robot that can fetch medicine or notify the owner that it is time to take medicine or even notify the authorities if the owner doesn't move for more than a specified time.
More than just "wow, this is cool! Imagine a beowulf cluster of these", this robot is a significant step forward for the assisted-living technological front.
All this play by play of SCO is really tiring. It's like a bunch of fleas issuing flyers every time the dog takes a walk. Yes, something's happening. No, it's not that important.
Off-topic, I admit, but there seem to be 2 more comments than are displayed here in this story. Where'd they go?
Spyware is a scourge, but how likely is it that this kind of weak-willed legislation will make spyware any better? Not likely, IMO. Not to mention that the law puts a muzzle on the 'free speech' of spyware authors, this law will probably go down in flames like all other anti-spam measures.
Yeah, it's SCO and nothing do makes much sense, but wouldn't it make more sense to wait for the ruling in their primary case against IBM so that they can have a concrete leg to stand on before going off and suing copyright violators without having a definite declaration of copyright ownership?
Makes it easier to forget to put in ALT tags for graphics and use tons of Flash animations.
What's that third, unclickable flag for, btw?
That project doesn't conform to the industry specs
on
DIY HVAC
·
· Score: 4, Informative
Not that it would matter to you if you are working on it by yourself, but without support for the technologies that the spec requires going forward, you face the unenviable position of being stuck with some out of date specs.
I wonder what possesses people to steal others' laptops. Is there a deep insatiable need to steal inherent in the theives that brings them to that point? Are they doing it for kicks? Are used laptops really selling for so much at pawn shops and computer shows?
If we could understand the motivations of the theives, perhaps we could do away with these band-aid measures and find a way to keep laptops safe without having to resort to alarms, locks, and any number of other gizmos that only make owning a laptop a pain in the ass.
Whenever a space story is brought up, some person always brings up the argument that perhaps we should spend money on the poor instead of a useless space elevator (or whatever the space story du jour is). I don't think they are arguing correctly. Space is just as important to human advancement as feeding the hungry, curing chronic diseases, and providing a livable environment is. I don't think you can order these in importance, they are all important.
But they go hand in hand with each other. Unless we truly believe Matthew 5:5, that the weak will inherit the Earth, it will take a worldwide view of humanity to move us to the next stage of human advancement which is the eventual separation of humans from the Earth and into the galaxy. We can go this alone, leaving the world's poor to their own devices, while the space superpowers leave them behind. However, when the day comes that certain small groups of humanity take to the heavens leaving this world and venturing off into the depths of space, how will history treat those of us living now who failed to hold the hands of those unable to stand with us as we raised humanity to new heights?
The space elevator is a great achievement. Hopefully we will begin to have a true space-based space program that is not dependent upon sending rockets to the space station. This would be the largest step in the path to Earth separation since the first manned space programs.
However, taking steps only with our strongest leg means we are still limping. We must strengthen all our limbs as members of the human family, IMO.
I sometimes think back to my college days and really regret that I didn't focus more on the hardware side of computer engineering, primarily delving into the Computer Science land of algorithms and language design. In the last several years of my employment in the embedded space, I have come into contact with more hardware than you could shake a stick at, and without that grounding in hardware that I should have gotten in school I feel a little overwhelmed when faced with anything deeper than a block diagram.
I also wish that teachers like yourself didn't have to worry about providing materials like this within such a tight budget. It doesn't sound like this is just for this year's class, but something that can be used year after year. $300 for a material that can be used multiple times seems very cheap, especially considering the intrinsic value of the tool. Schools should be at liberty to spend what is necessary to bring the classes up to exceptional levels. Considering how the U.S. lags behind most other modern Western nations in Math and Science, such tight-fisting seems to be one significant factor in this drop off.
I used to be a diehard Republican with pro-business ideas, but when decisions like this are handed down, I have to question whether a laissez faire policy is really the best thing for companies as well as employees.
It seems obvious that if IBM knew that these chemicals were causing higher cancer rates among its employees that it ought to be found complicit in their illnesses and be required to pay for their treatment and rehabilitation as well as compensatory damages. Unfortunately, the prosecution was not able to prove to the jury that this was the case.
However, in such a case the victims are simply out of luck. Should they, through no fault of their own be destined to spend many thousands of their own dollars for cancer treatment when they are in the least capable position of paying of any of the parties involved? IBM failed to provide, through simple negligence, a safe working environment and now people are suffering as a result.
I don't think that ignorance of the problem can be a usable excuse in cases such as this. It is IBM who through their ignorance caused this damage. I feel that it is their responsibility to pay.
With apologies to the Vapors, I think I'm turning Democratic.
The premise that you could get a significant number of file traders who already know and understand that they are in violation of copyright law to voluntarily cough up five dollars to pay for the 'right' to file share, when not paying has no consequence except the user's guilty conscience, seems to me to be a little more than optimistic.
It is a good step in the right direction to show the record labels new and interesting ways to make money, but in the end any solution must rely on the power of the law to enforce the payment of artists.
The Internet is designed such that any single network node can be obliterated and the network will continue to function by rerouting itself around the problem. Whole networks can be destroyed or otherwise cut off from the main network and the main network will still continue to function (as well, the cut off network will continue to function within itself).
This is basically his premise of how technology adjusts itself around attacks against it by industries that seek to limit it. However, what I think he fails to take into consideration is that given enough time, enough laws can be enacted that any technology that would work its way around a company's defenses would be illegal to possess or at the very least execute. We are already seeing this type of legislation coming into effect with such things as the DMCA.
Microsoft is one big player in the email world through their Hotmail service. They probably serve more spam to more places than any other single mail service. As such it makes sense that they would want to be at the forefront of spam-elimination technologies. They ought to be applauded for their initiative here, as well as their cooperation with SPF and Sendmail.
However, it disconcerts me that they are also applying for a patent in this area instead of engaging the community through a consortium-like committee that could share the technology across the board unencumbered by licensing fees. The specter of Hotmail becoming a proprietary mail system requiring foreign mail servers to run Microsoft-licensed "Caller-ID" to interact with Hotmail is a very legitimate concern.
Slashdot Mirror
You knew it the moment that it became popular. The iPod totally sold out. Those of us who supported it back in the old days when it was little more than a cassette player in a garage are left wincing at how they've totally gone mainstream.
White case. Headphones. LED screen. Fucking sellouts.
Toho group has taken over the operation of the Virgin Cinema movie theaters in Tokyo and seem to be doing a bang-up job of bringing first run movies to Japan in a very timely fashion.
It still costs an arm and a leg to see a movie here, but the theaters are much more comfortable than any that I've been to in the US.
Godzilla ought to be retiring. The threat of environmental damage and subsequent mutations caused by a nuclear waste spill has been shown to be a Chicken Little cause. As more countries shift their means of electricity production to nuclear, we have seen a progressive reduction of air pollution in those countries. In the US, coal and oil are still the primary means of power generation, and it shows when looking at statistical charts how much pollution per capita is produced by Americans.
Godzilla ought to be retired because the reasons that he was brought forth in the first place are gone. A new creature, relevent to today's global threats ought to be created so that kids can learn about those threats in an interesting and entertaining manner. Whether the threat ought to be fossil fuel pollution, terrorism, or global warming, bringing the issues to the public in an easily digestible and entertaining medium is the first step towards educating everyone about the dangers posed by these global problems.
I for one would love to see more solid-state parts used in these game consoles. The more moving parts a thing has, the more likely it is that those things will break. By removing them and replacing them with solid-state devices, it makes the failure rate of the these things due to hardware failure drop considerably.
But that's just the consumer's POV.
More to the heart of the matter, Microsoft would likely be doing this because of the inability of hackers to easily replace the contents of a DOC with their own personal OS image, be it Linux or NetBSD. The reprogrammable DOC is great in its ease of update, if you've got the programming hardware. Otherwise, you have to find a way using the existing OS to update the OS image. You can be sure that MS will make that close to impossible.
But then again, I've never really cared about Linux on the XBox. It always seemed like one of those Everest platforms: you do it because it's there.
The more I delve into my job search here in Japan, I've come to realize how much Linux is growing on the minds of companies. Almost every company I've interviewed with has asked the "what experience do you have with Linux" question. I'm glad I installed Debian Woody last year and have been running that on a separate spare box here at home.
Until now, most multimedia production platforms have either been Windows or Mac based. But as the tools of Linux become better, especially with the recent improvements in KDE, Linux is seen and being used more and more as a desktop production platform. Because of this, software vendors are feeling their ears perk up in the direction of Linux.
While it may never take the lead in the Desktop wars, Linux will find a nice niche somewhere between Windows and Mac. Software vendors who do not take Linux seriously may find themselves and their competitive positions usurped by some other up and comer, if not someone else who wants to write a free version of the software.
Maybe you should have posted that AC.
Idiot.
Oh shit.
Take a look at the screenshots of the configuration screens. While it might be obvious to someone who is an expert at these types of things, someone who just wants to have something that works will be confused.
There are no visual cues for the user that can show the user which audio codecs to choose, or what an ILS is, or even how to go about starting a session with a partner.
But it shore is purty.
I imagine that you'd have to go through a period of training in order to get the girl to respond to your particular voice. However, trying to get Rio to take her clothes off seems a little self defeating. She's awfully ugly.
Would you rather have the RIAA sit on the networks and monitor traffic themselves, or have the government do it for them?
Out of the pan, into the fire.
I'm running a FreeBSD machine at home as my internet gateway and it works awesomely.
I don't know what in the world I would do with a LiveCD of FreeBSD. The OS works so well that I would rather install it over Linux any day.
Linux needs LiveCDs, but the BSDs certainly stand on their own.
I guess there's a market for this kind of thing in Japan. The mean age in Japan is approaching 70 and many of these older persons are living alone, so there are a lot of seniors that will require assistance with their daily life. A robot that can fetch medicine or notify the owner that it is time to take medicine or even notify the authorities if the owner doesn't move for more than a specified time.
More than just "wow, this is cool! Imagine a beowulf cluster of these", this robot is a significant step forward for the assisted-living technological front.
Google does that as well. Most search engines do that. What right of mine is being violated?
All this play by play of SCO is really tiring. It's like a bunch of fleas issuing flyers every time the dog takes a walk. Yes, something's happening. No, it's not that important.
Off-topic, I admit, but there seem to be 2 more comments than are displayed here in this story. Where'd they go?
Spyware is a scourge, but how likely is it that this kind of weak-willed legislation will make spyware any better? Not likely, IMO. Not to mention that the law puts a muzzle on the 'free speech' of spyware authors, this law will probably go down in flames like all other anti-spam measures.
Yeah, it's SCO and nothing do makes much sense, but wouldn't it make more sense to wait for the ruling in their primary case against IBM so that they can have a concrete leg to stand on before going off and suing copyright violators without having a definite declaration of copyright ownership?
Makes it easier to forget to put in ALT tags for graphics and use tons of Flash animations.
What's that third, unclickable flag for, btw?
Not that it would matter to you if you are working on it by yourself, but without support for the technologies that the spec requires going forward, you face the unenviable position of being stuck with some out of date specs.
Space mannequins are made of people!
I wonder what possesses people to steal others' laptops. Is there a deep insatiable need to steal inherent in the theives that brings them to that point? Are they doing it for kicks? Are used laptops really selling for so much at pawn shops and computer shows?
If we could understand the motivations of the theives, perhaps we could do away with these band-aid measures and find a way to keep laptops safe without having to resort to alarms, locks, and any number of other gizmos that only make owning a laptop a pain in the ass.
Whenever a space story is brought up, some person always brings up the argument that perhaps we should spend money on the poor instead of a useless space elevator (or whatever the space story du jour is). I don't think they are arguing correctly. Space is just as important to human advancement as feeding the hungry, curing chronic diseases, and providing a livable environment is. I don't think you can order these in importance, they are all important.
But they go hand in hand with each other. Unless we truly believe Matthew 5:5, that the weak will inherit the Earth, it will take a worldwide view of humanity to move us to the next stage of human advancement which is the eventual separation of humans from the Earth and into the galaxy. We can go this alone, leaving the world's poor to their own devices, while the space superpowers leave them behind. However, when the day comes that certain small groups of humanity take to the heavens leaving this world and venturing off into the depths of space, how will history treat those of us living now who failed to hold the hands of those unable to stand with us as we raised humanity to new heights?
The space elevator is a great achievement. Hopefully we will begin to have a true space-based space program that is not dependent upon sending rockets to the space station. This would be the largest step in the path to Earth separation since the first manned space programs.
However, taking steps only with our strongest leg means we are still limping. We must strengthen all our limbs as members of the human family, IMO.
I sometimes think back to my college days and really regret that I didn't focus more on the hardware side of computer engineering, primarily delving into the Computer Science land of algorithms and language design. In the last several years of my employment in the embedded space, I have come into contact with more hardware than you could shake a stick at, and without that grounding in hardware that I should have gotten in school I feel a little overwhelmed when faced with anything deeper than a block diagram.
I also wish that teachers like yourself didn't have to worry about providing materials like this within such a tight budget. It doesn't sound like this is just for this year's class, but something that can be used year after year. $300 for a material that can be used multiple times seems very cheap, especially considering the intrinsic value of the tool. Schools should be at liberty to spend what is necessary to bring the classes up to exceptional levels. Considering how the U.S. lags behind most other modern Western nations in Math and Science, such tight-fisting seems to be one significant factor in this drop off.
Good luck in finding the right tool.
I used to be a diehard Republican with pro-business ideas, but when decisions like this are handed down, I have to question whether a laissez faire policy is really the best thing for companies as well as employees.
It seems obvious that if IBM knew that these chemicals were causing higher cancer rates among its employees that it ought to be found complicit in their illnesses and be required to pay for their treatment and rehabilitation as well as compensatory damages. Unfortunately, the prosecution was not able to prove to the jury that this was the case.
However, in such a case the victims are simply out of luck. Should they, through no fault of their own be destined to spend many thousands of their own dollars for cancer treatment when they are in the least capable position of paying of any of the parties involved? IBM failed to provide, through simple negligence, a safe working environment and now people are suffering as a result.
I don't think that ignorance of the problem can be a usable excuse in cases such as this. It is IBM who through their ignorance caused this damage. I feel that it is their responsibility to pay.
With apologies to the Vapors, I think I'm turning Democratic.
The premise that you could get a significant number of file traders who already know and understand that they are in violation of copyright law to voluntarily cough up five dollars to pay for the 'right' to file share, when not paying has no consequence except the user's guilty conscience, seems to me to be a little more than optimistic.
It is a good step in the right direction to show the record labels new and interesting ways to make money, but in the end any solution must rely on the power of the law to enforce the payment of artists.
The Internet is designed such that any single network node can be obliterated and the network will continue to function by rerouting itself around the problem. Whole networks can be destroyed or otherwise cut off from the main network and the main network will still continue to function (as well, the cut off network will continue to function within itself).
This is basically his premise of how technology adjusts itself around attacks against it by industries that seek to limit it. However, what I think he fails to take into consideration is that given enough time, enough laws can be enacted that any technology that would work its way around a company's defenses would be illegal to possess or at the very least execute. We are already seeing this type of legislation coming into effect with such things as the DMCA.
Microsoft is one big player in the email world through their Hotmail service. They probably serve more spam to more places than any other single mail service. As such it makes sense that they would want to be at the forefront of spam-elimination technologies. They ought to be applauded for their initiative here, as well as their cooperation with SPF and Sendmail.
However, it disconcerts me that they are also applying for a patent in this area instead of engaging the community through a consortium-like committee that could share the technology across the board unencumbered by licensing fees. The specter of Hotmail becoming a proprietary mail system requiring foreign mail servers to run Microsoft-licensed "Caller-ID" to interact with Hotmail is a very legitimate concern.