Phew. That clears it up for me. A few years ago, I saw some video from the process car manufacturers use to paint their cars. They use lasers to guide large spray painting machines over the body of the unfinished car. I guess it helps in defining how much of each color to spray the car.
That incorrect headline gave me the visual of someone using 10 or 12 lasers around the outside of their house in order to guide some massive spray painting machine.
However, "whois imaluser.com" (which is how you spell it in your profile), does turn up a hit...
Yes, and, thanks to the AC's complaints about his name, I clicked on his link. Of course, since I am at work right now, that probably wasn't the smartest thing to do.
I'll just sit at my desk and wait for the network guys to show up, since I am sure that someone will figure out what I just clicked on.
This is what you get for making a phone "more than a phone".
Reminds me of a story: Two years ago, the Sprint salesmean was trying to sell me the latest Sanyo. This kid (probably still in college), went on and on about the cool features of ringtones and web access. Then, he said, that I "...could even take a picture of someone with the phone and link that picture to that persons phone number". In short, everytime said person called me, their picture would pop up on my phone.
I asked him "Instead of doing that, couldn't I simply recognize the phone number when it showed up on the screen?" He didn't know what to say.
The sad thing is, I ended up buying that phone anyway. I saw what my other choices were and the other four phones were ugly-looking. So, I guess I do have some vanity with my phone.
Actually, a better way to put my thoughts on "smart cars" is as follows: If I wanted someone/something to have control of where I was going and how fast my commute was, I'd take a bus.
Yeah, that's classic "American" thinking, and rather shortsighted, but, hey, that's how I feel.
FYI -- I live in Pennsylvania. In PA, we slow down when we see the first snow flurry.
As for your idea of a 'smart' car: nothing could ever go wrong with a smart car, eh? There is no way the computer could 'crash' or have to be rebooted as a fly down the road at 70 mph. And, no, I'm not making a M$OFT joke, the fact is ALL operating systems with significant amounts of work load freeze up every now and then.
You start the car and it says "I5/405 interchange is blocked, would you like me to map another route?".
For one thing, I already have technology to tell me that information, it's called a radio. They have traffic alerts every 10 minutes all day long where I live. For another, in most major cities, every major interchange is loaded with traffic, so I would simply choose the alternative route before I started.
or your lost and you could pull over and bring up mapquest.
The vast, vast majority of my driving occurs within 10 miles of my house. Why would I need mapquest for an area that I am already familiar with? For those times I am away from home, the rental car company provides me with a paper map.
or it detects that vehcals in front of you(say 30 - 40 cars in front of you) have started decerating at an alarming rate, and it pops of a warning light.
Once again, the technology already exists. The red lights on the back of cars. Yeah, maybe I can't see 40 cars in front of me, but I can see brake lights about 10 cars in front of me.
Only your imagination will limit the options...and science.
In my imagination, I can see the moron next to me paying attention to his computer, instead of the frickin' road.
Maybe I am just being a bit to cynical, but this will help me in what way?
My car will be able to tell me that there is a traffic jam two miles ahead? Usually, that warning is way too late to do me any good.
Or, my car could tell me that the road is icy? Well, I could just stick my hand out the window and discover that it is cold.
Wake me up when there's a real benefit. In the meantime, I must remind myself that this comes from the same country (Germany, for the most part) where they invented a computer screen -- "I-Drive" -- inside BMW's. Nothing like fiddling with a computer screen while my car is flying down the road at 80 miles per hour.
I'm going to write to my congressman and ask him to lobby the standards organizations to study this.
Maybe if we are real lucky, the standards organization will form a *committee* with public hearings and comments. Then, they could create a report with a series of generic recommenations that woiuld go BACK to Congress. The, your congressman could have Congress form a committee to...
Ah, forget it. After all of the committee meetings, they'll end up recommending the Julian Calendar and we'll all get Lupercalia as a national holiday.
Maybe you are missing my point. I was being sarcastic in my original post. Camping is NOT about parking the RV next to a Wal-Mart. In fact, if your camping trip involves the use of an RV in any way, shape or form, you are not camping (unless you park your RV and hike ten miles into the deep woods to set up your tent). Camping should be about going out into the deep woods away from all other people, setting up a tent, building a fire and hiking. No cell phones, no TV, no radio, no Wal-Mart.
Yes, there are limitations. Sometimes, you need to use a parks designated campground. But, if that "campground" includes pipes to hook your recreational vehicle up, then by definition, you are NOT camping.
Next time I am sarcastic, I'll include *sarcasm* tags.
Generally when I'm going camping, I like to take fire
Fire? These days, camping involves parking the RV next to the nearest Wal-Mart. That way, you can plug into a power source and not only get a heated area to sleep, but you can even pick up your satellite TV. When you run out of food, just walk on over to the Supercenter and purchase all of their canned food.
Slashdot Mirror
Why does /. insist on posting articles that are simply promotions of useless web sites? Are the editors getting kickbacks from the submitters?
Yeah, In know. OT. And, it will be modded down. But, they are still insteresting questions.
Rocco: I'm in prison for kidnapping, murder and armed robbery. What are you in for?
Laser Guy: Well, I pointed a laser at a plane.
Phew. That clears it up for me. A few years ago, I saw some video from the process car manufacturers use to paint their cars. They use lasers to guide large spray painting machines over the body of the unfinished car. I guess it helps in defining how much of each color to spray the car.
That incorrect headline gave me the visual of someone using 10 or 12 lasers around the outside of their house in order to guide some massive spray painting machine.
Uh, I think he was making a joke.
Well, I'm not a fan of fancy phones. But if they include that picture as one of the features, they just sold me.
Uh, why would you need ANY of those things?
On second thought, I will give you the laptop.. I am a consultant. I feel naked unless I am carrying my laptop.
Yes, and, thanks to the AC's complaints about his name, I clicked on his link. Of course, since I am at work right now, that probably wasn't the smartest thing to do.
I'll just sit at my desk and wait for the network guys to show up, since I am sure that someone will figure out what I just clicked on.
Reminds me of a story: Two years ago, the Sprint salesmean was trying to sell me the latest Sanyo. This kid (probably still in college), went on and on about the cool features of ringtones and web access. Then, he said, that I "...could even take a picture of someone with the phone and link that picture to that persons phone number". In short, everytime said person called me, their picture would pop up on my phone.
I asked him "Instead of doing that, couldn't I simply recognize the phone number when it showed up on the screen?" He didn't know what to say.
The sad thing is, I ended up buying that phone anyway. I saw what my other choices were and the other four phones were ugly-looking. So, I guess I do have some vanity with my phone.
Actually, a better way to put my thoughts on "smart cars" is as follows: If I wanted someone/something to have control of where I was going and how fast my commute was, I'd take a bus.
Yeah, that's classic "American" thinking, and rather shortsighted, but, hey, that's how I feel.
FYI -- I live in Pennsylvania. In PA, we slow down when we see the first snow flurry.
As for your idea of a 'smart' car: nothing could ever go wrong with a smart car, eh? There is no way the computer could 'crash' or have to be rebooted as a fly down the road at 70 mph. And, no, I'm not making a M$OFT joke, the fact is ALL operating systems with significant amounts of work load freeze up every now and then.
And, thankfully, none of those "good" uses can be spoofed by an "evil" spammer, hacker, or bored techie.
Oh, wait....nevermind. T
For one thing, I already have technology to tell me that information, it's called a radio. They have traffic alerts every 10 minutes all day long where I live. For another, in most major cities, every major interchange is loaded with traffic, so I would simply choose the alternative route before I started.
or your lost and you could pull over and bring up mapquest.The vast, vast majority of my driving occurs within 10 miles of my house. Why would I need mapquest for an area that I am already familiar with? For those times I am away from home, the rental car company provides me with a paper map.
or it detects that vehcals in front of you(say 30 - 40 cars in front of you) have started decerating at an alarming rate, and it pops of a warning light.Once again, the technology already exists. The red lights on the back of cars. Yeah, maybe I can't see 40 cars in front of me, but I can see brake lights about 10 cars in front of me.
Only your imagination will limit the options...and science.In my imagination, I can see the moron next to me paying attention to his computer, instead of the frickin' road.
Ironically, it's about as useful as a CB radio.
Maybe I am just being a bit to cynical, but this will help me in what way?
My car will be able to tell me that there is a traffic jam two miles ahead? Usually, that warning is way too late to do me any good.
Or, my car could tell me that the road is icy? Well, I could just stick my hand out the window and discover that it is cold.
Wake me up when there's a real benefit. In the meantime, I must remind myself that this comes from the same country (Germany, for the most part) where they invented a computer screen -- "I-Drive" -- inside BMW's. Nothing like fiddling with a computer screen while my car is flying down the road at 80 miles per hour.
Yeah! I saw some black helicopters flying overhead earlier today. They were filled with DEA agents!
...not to mention the green skin and slight resemblence to Lou Ferrigno.
Send in the FEMBOTS!
Yeah, I just hate getting drunk in the middle of the morning. I prefer EARLY mornings.
Maybe if we are real lucky, the standards organization will form a *committee* with public hearings and comments. Then, they could create a report with a series of generic recommenations that woiuld go BACK to Congress. The, your congressman could have Congress form a committee to...
Ah, forget it. After all of the committee meetings, they'll end up recommending the Julian Calendar and we'll all get Lupercalia as a national holiday.
How about *peeps*, as in "The Peeps of the earth"?
Maybe you are missing my point. I was being sarcastic in my original post. Camping is NOT about parking the RV next to a Wal-Mart. In fact, if your camping trip involves the use of an RV in any way, shape or form, you are not camping (unless you park your RV and hike ten miles into the deep woods to set up your tent). Camping should be about going out into the deep woods away from all other people, setting up a tent, building a fire and hiking. No cell phones, no TV, no radio, no Wal-Mart.
Yes, there are limitations. Sometimes, you need to use a parks designated campground. But, if that "campground" includes pipes to hook your recreational vehicle up, then by definition, you are NOT camping.
Next time I am sarcastic, I'll include *sarcasm* tags.
Yes, but you usually need a power source to turn the TV on.
Fire? These days, camping involves parking the RV next to the nearest Wal-Mart. That way, you can plug into a power source and not only get a heated area to sleep, but you can even pick up your satellite TV. When you run out of food, just walk on over to the Supercenter and purchase all of their canned food.
Fahrenheits. We don't agree with the rest of the world on any subject, so why should we join them in a common set of measurement standards? :)
You have forgotten Slashdot Rule #6: Don't let the facts get in the way of the moderation.