I personally just present a simple math problem that's randomly generated, e.g. what is 4 + 8? If the client doesn't get it correctly, then they can't post, create an account, etc. I've yet to encounter a spammer that uses a bot smart enough to answer that sort of question. Of course, this approach leaves out those with really low IQs or who haven't completed first grade, but I think I can live without their comments on my blog.
Did you even read my post? You basically rehashed what I wrote, except I do believe there's bias. However, it's justified bias, which can easily be filtered out by someone with half a brain.
The bias for Apple is clearly obvious (full disclosure: I'm a Machead). However, look back at the early 90s when Apple was clearly not doing as well. It's not like media coverage was overwhelmingly in favor of Apple then. Was it that Apple made interesting products that caused media coverage or media coverage that caused Apple to make interesting products? I think it's the former. I remember reading/seeing good coverage in favor of Microsoft when it came out with Windows 95, Internet Explorer, and the XBox. What have they done since then that's all that interesting or even good? Until they come out with products that are as interesting as their milestones in the past, they're not going to get good media coverage. My point is that you're essentially missing what the cause is and what the effect is. No matter what, there will be bias, but look beyond that, and you'll see that the coverage itself has merit.
That was pretty interesting. I had a nice string of correct guesses and then wham! an incorrect guess. I eventually looked at the JavaScript to figure it out. I highly doubt I would have ever figured this one out.:(
If this is web-based, I highly recommend CAS. It is used by numerous institutions around the world, and the license agreement is extremely flexible. And, it is free.
Meanwhile, Paul Davies writes that we should be conducting SETI in our DNA. In turns out that an alien message designed to last millenia should be 'inside a large number of self-replicating, self-repairing microscopic machines programmed to multiply and adapt to changing conditions', otherwise known as living cells. Are we the message?
This was a Star Trek: TNG episode. I distinctly remember Romulans, Klingons, the Federation (and perhaps a couple other species) all fighting over some secret weapon they had discovered in human DNA when it turned out to be a holographic image of a common ancestral species that had seeded the planets. It was probably the second season.
Last time I was tested, I was at around 105 wpm with 99% accuracy. That's just a byproduct of using computers day in and day out for years though, and not a result of any typing class. I gradually developed my own touch typing system, I guess.
I believe that schools are phasing this out not because touch typing is not a necessary skill but because most of the students can already type better than the teachers. I remember taking a required typing class 11 years ago and just being bored out of my mind, because I could already type at more than 90 wpm. (This was in sixth grade.) I would finish the daily assignment in three or four mintues and then screw around with the computer the rest of the period. I'm guessing that since then, the number of kids screwing around has increased exponentially and schools finally realized the class wasn't worth teaching any more.
I have used this software, and it's absolutely perfect. I usually use it with PowerPoint, though it works with Keynote as well. I have a Sony Ericsson T610 hooked up via Bluetooth to my PowerBook G4, which I use for presentations all the time. Even technical audiences are wowed by it, and it frees you from standing behind a podium or walking back to change slides. My only gripe is that Bluetooth's range isn't quite as good as the specs say, but as long as you're within a few feet of your laptop, you should be fine. While the software isn't free, it's extremely inexpensive, and you can use it for other things such as controlling iTunes.
Don't bother unless you really need it for some sort of specialized application. I used to run Windows on a 1GB Microdrive on a SBC with a CF slot as IDE0. It was slow and failed pretty quickly. Microdrives really can't handle it. I honestly don't know about the newer 4GB ones, but I highly doubt that it'll last very long if you install an OS on it, especially if you have swap space on it.
Another thing that no one seems to be mentioning aside from the fact that each upgrade adds a crapload of features is the ease of the upgrade. I have NEVER reformatted and then upgraded Mac OS. Every single time, I have installed Mac OS X on top of the previous version, and every single time, Mac OS X has performed flawlessly afterwards. It takes very little time, adds a host of new, useful features and makes life so much better that it would be a shame NOT to upgrade. I can definitely not say the same thing about Windows. I unfortunately still have a Windows machine, and every single time a new version comes along, it is a two-day-long ordeal of reformatting, installing windows, patching like crazy, installing all of my applications, patching those like crazy, and finally moving over all of my data. Mac OS X? Give it an hour or two at most.
Right after I rebooted after installing the security update, Mac OS X started up and then showed the gray kernel panic screen after I logged in. I rebooted again, and it appears to be running fine, though I'll probably run Disk First Aid soon.
Nyah nyah! I have one!:-p It's actually not too tough to get an account. You just have to be acquainted with someone at Google. If you're on Orkut, it shouldn't be a problem to find someone who's less than a few degrees of separation from you who works at Google.
Also, six months is hardly a long time for a beta test. This is an absolutely enormous task they're undertaking. It's not like they're just installing IMP on a server or something. Gmail is also still very far from being ready for public consumption. I send bug reports and feature requests in constantly for things that are IMHO absolutely necessary for a full email experience.
I'm graduating this year with an EE/CS degree, and I don't think I'd do anything differently except take harder classes and get started earlier. (I used to be CS and switched to EE/CS my junior year.) I personally think that the degree actually affords you more opportunities, because you have both an understanding of EE and CS even if neither is truly in-depth. I personally focused more on CS and garnered most of my skills outside of the classroom anyway. The only huge problem I've run into is explaining what the major is and why I chose to do it. For us, it's extremely flexible, and you can really learn whatever you want in detail. As a result, I know practically nothing about, say, operating systems, but I do not a ton about computer graphics and digital design. And, I do have a good job lined up for after graduation. The opportunities are out there. You just have to work hard finding them. Also, don't limit yourself to just EE or CS-related positions, unless that's all you want. EE/CS majors are high in demand in other fields as well including consulting, management, anything quantitative, etc.
>Who can show me a "secret" link to sign up for the beta?
You have to be invited by a current Google employee to get a beta account. It's probably not worth it, but it sure does make me smile when I see that I have a 1000 MB quota.
Just go to any bookstore that has a math section. Every single one I've been to always has a book or two about doing mental math that is very comprehensive. And, these books are almost always really cheap, because no one else wants to buy them.:)
I worked for a small local ISP that wasn't owned by a family but had a lot of family members working there together. They all more or less got along except for some interesting incidents before I got there that caused an ugly rift. But whatever, the company was then bought out and everyone got laid off. It was a good work environment, as everyone got along with everyone else. However, there was a clear amount of nepotism, and once everybody was out on their ass on the street together, that was no good. My recommendation: don't do it. Are you really expecting to stay with your girlfriend with her working for you? Come on. Really.
If you're really intent on doing this (and I don't recommend it; just buy one of the previously posted products), then I recommend asking IBM first for specs. You might find a tech or engineer who's willing to release them to you. Then, you'll probably want to learn some stuff about PIC chips. Take a look around at the numerous one-handed keyboards and whatnot for ideas. There are a lot of people who have done similar projects.
I could be wrong, but a majority of Slashdot users seem like the kind of people who like upgrading and/or building their own computers. The iMac wasn't exactly easy to upgrade, which is part of the reason why it bombed.
True, but it was certainly fun to take one apart and hack around in it. Don't forget that a lot of us also like to take equipment that's just not intended for easy upgrade and hacking it. This obviously won't drive the market's demand for such products, but it's something I think we should keep in mind.
"with every language lost, there is a possibility that we may have missed an opportunity at improving the underlying heuristics."
That sounds plausible to me. However, isn't part of a programming language the ease with which we can use it? If no one could natively use a language or grasp it easily, then comprehending these wonderful heuristics would be extremely difficult. High level programming languages exist for a reason. That's why few people program in assembly--it's difficult to learn. No one grew up speaking assembly, but many people grew up speaking Romance and Teutonic languages. If programming languages were suddenly structured like, for example, Arabic or Chinese, I would likely find it extremely difficult to learn and use them. (Note that I can speak Chinese but can hardly imagine trying to program in it.)
Slashdot Mirror
I personally just present a simple math problem that's randomly generated, e.g. what is 4 + 8? If the client doesn't get it correctly, then they can't post, create an account, etc. I've yet to encounter a spammer that uses a bot smart enough to answer that sort of question. Of course, this approach leaves out those with really low IQs or who haven't completed first grade, but I think I can live without their comments on my blog.
This sounds like it'll be the biggest dartboard ever for one unlucky user. I sure don't want my face on there!
Did you even read my post? You basically rehashed what I wrote, except I do believe there's bias. However, it's justified bias, which can easily be filtered out by someone with half a brain.
The bias for Apple is clearly obvious (full disclosure: I'm a Machead). However, look back at the early 90s when Apple was clearly not doing as well. It's not like media coverage was overwhelmingly in favor of Apple then. Was it that Apple made interesting products that caused media coverage or media coverage that caused Apple to make interesting products? I think it's the former. I remember reading/seeing good coverage in favor of Microsoft when it came out with Windows 95, Internet Explorer, and the XBox. What have they done since then that's all that interesting or even good? Until they come out with products that are as interesting as their milestones in the past, they're not going to get good media coverage. My point is that you're essentially missing what the cause is and what the effect is. No matter what, there will be bias, but look beyond that, and you'll see that the coverage itself has merit.
That was pretty interesting. I had a nice string of correct guesses and then wham! an incorrect guess. I eventually looked at the JavaScript to figure it out. I highly doubt I would have ever figured this one out. :(
If this is web-based, I highly recommend CAS. It is used by numerous institutions around the world, and the license agreement is extremely flexible. And, it is free.
Meanwhile, Paul Davies writes that we should be conducting SETI in our DNA. In turns out that an alien message designed to last millenia should be 'inside a large number of self-replicating, self-repairing microscopic machines programmed to multiply and adapt to changing conditions', otherwise known as living cells. Are we the message?
This was a Star Trek: TNG episode. I distinctly remember Romulans, Klingons, the Federation (and perhaps a couple other species) all fighting over some secret weapon they had discovered in human DNA when it turned out to be a holographic image of a common ancestral species that had seeded the planets. It was probably the second season.
Last time I was tested, I was at around 105 wpm with 99% accuracy. That's just a byproduct of using computers day in and day out for years though, and not a result of any typing class. I gradually developed my own touch typing system, I guess.
I believe that schools are phasing this out not because touch typing is not a necessary skill but because most of the students can already type better than the teachers. I remember taking a required typing class 11 years ago and just being bored out of my mind, because I could already type at more than 90 wpm. (This was in sixth grade.) I would finish the daily assignment in three or four mintues and then screw around with the computer the rest of the period. I'm guessing that since then, the number of kids screwing around has increased exponentially and schools finally realized the class wasn't worth teaching any more.
I have used this software, and it's absolutely perfect. I usually use it with PowerPoint, though it works with Keynote as well. I have a Sony Ericsson T610 hooked up via Bluetooth to my PowerBook G4, which I use for presentations all the time. Even technical audiences are wowed by it, and it frees you from standing behind a podium or walking back to change slides. My only gripe is that Bluetooth's range isn't quite as good as the specs say, but as long as you're within a few feet of your laptop, you should be fine. While the software isn't free, it's extremely inexpensive, and you can use it for other things such as controlling iTunes.
I recommend joining the mailing list here. Search the archives. There are tons of emails that discuss building head-mounted displays (HMDs).
Don't bother unless you really need it for some sort of specialized application. I used to run Windows on a 1GB Microdrive on a SBC with a CF slot as IDE0. It was slow and failed pretty quickly. Microdrives really can't handle it. I honestly don't know about the newer 4GB ones, but I highly doubt that it'll last very long if you install an OS on it, especially if you have swap space on it.
Another thing that no one seems to be mentioning aside from the fact that each upgrade adds a crapload of features is the ease of the upgrade. I have NEVER reformatted and then upgraded Mac OS. Every single time, I have installed Mac OS X on top of the previous version, and every single time, Mac OS X has performed flawlessly afterwards. It takes very little time, adds a host of new, useful features and makes life so much better that it would be a shame NOT to upgrade. I can definitely not say the same thing about Windows. I unfortunately still have a Windows machine, and every single time a new version comes along, it is a two-day-long ordeal of reformatting, installing windows, patching like crazy, installing all of my applications, patching those like crazy, and finally moving over all of my data. Mac OS X? Give it an hour or two at most.
Right after I rebooted after installing the security update, Mac OS X started up and then showed the gray kernel panic screen after I logged in. I rebooted again, and it appears to be running fine, though I'll probably run Disk First Aid soon.
How is the first post redundant???
I have to wait six months to get an account :(
Nyah nyah! I have one! :-p It's actually not too tough to get an account. You just have to be acquainted with someone at Google. If you're on Orkut, it shouldn't be a problem to find someone who's less than a few degrees of separation from you who works at Google.
Also, six months is hardly a long time for a beta test. This is an absolutely enormous task they're undertaking. It's not like they're just installing IMP on a server or something. Gmail is also still very far from being ready for public consumption. I send bug reports and feature requests in constantly for things that are IMHO absolutely necessary for a full email experience.
I'm graduating this year with an EE/CS degree, and I don't think I'd do anything differently except take harder classes and get started earlier. (I used to be CS and switched to EE/CS my junior year.) I personally think that the degree actually affords you more opportunities, because you have both an understanding of EE and CS even if neither is truly in-depth. I personally focused more on CS and garnered most of my skills outside of the classroom anyway. The only huge problem I've run into is explaining what the major is and why I chose to do it. For us, it's extremely flexible, and you can really learn whatever you want in detail. As a result, I know practically nothing about, say, operating systems, but I do not a ton about computer graphics and digital design. And, I do have a good job lined up for after graduation. The opportunities are out there. You just have to work hard finding them. Also, don't limit yourself to just EE or CS-related positions, unless that's all you want. EE/CS majors are high in demand in other fields as well including consulting, management, anything quantitative, etc.
I only know one person who speaks hungarian, and he doesn't use OSX.
I'm willing to bet there are 10,000,000+ people in Hungary who speak Hungarian as well.
>Who can show me a "secret" link to sign up for the beta? You have to be invited by a current Google employee to get a beta account. It's probably not worth it, but it sure does make me smile when I see that I have a 1000 MB quota.
After seeing that picture, I sure want to go buy the product. She just looks so happy, as if she'll suffocate with joy riding this thing.
Just go to any bookstore that has a math section. Every single one I've been to always has a book or two about doing mental math that is very comprehensive. And, these books are almost always really cheap, because no one else wants to buy them. :)
I worked for a small local ISP that wasn't owned by a family but had a lot of family members working there together. They all more or less got along except for some interesting incidents before I got there that caused an ugly rift. But whatever, the company was then bought out and everyone got laid off. It was a good work environment, as everyone got along with everyone else. However, there was a clear amount of nepotism, and once everybody was out on their ass on the street together, that was no good. My recommendation: don't do it. Are you really expecting to stay with your girlfriend with her working for you? Come on. Really.
If you're really intent on doing this (and I don't recommend it; just buy one of the previously posted products), then I recommend asking IBM first for specs. You might find a tech or engineer who's willing to release them to you. Then, you'll probably want to learn some stuff about PIC chips. Take a look around at the numerous one-handed keyboards and whatnot for ideas. There are a lot of people who have done similar projects.
I could be wrong, but a majority of Slashdot users seem like the kind of people who like upgrading and/or building their own computers. The iMac wasn't exactly easy to upgrade, which is part of the reason why it bombed.
True, but it was certainly fun to take one apart and hack around in it. Don't forget that a lot of us also like to take equipment that's just not intended for easy upgrade and hacking it. This obviously won't drive the market's demand for such products, but it's something I think we should keep in mind.
Just keep in mind there's no patch for the shaking bug.
"with every language lost, there is a possibility that we may have missed an opportunity at improving the underlying heuristics."
That sounds plausible to me. However, isn't part of a programming language the ease with which we can use it? If no one could natively use a language or grasp it easily, then comprehending these wonderful heuristics would be extremely difficult. High level programming languages exist for a reason. That's why few people program in assembly--it's difficult to learn. No one grew up speaking assembly, but many people grew up speaking Romance and Teutonic languages. If programming languages were suddenly structured like, for example, Arabic or Chinese, I would likely find it extremely difficult to learn and use them. (Note that I can speak Chinese but can hardly imagine trying to program in it.)