I remember after Acorn's demise hearing Dave the engineer who used to do lots of talking with the enthusiast community remember Hydra as another reason to kill Chris Cox(?) (the ex-manager). The hardware was there, developed by someone else, but Acorn wouldn't let the work be done of RISC OS to make it preemptively multitasking (they were probably throwing away money of Digital TVs or developing applications which they then just threw away because they couldn't be bothered to even try marketing them). Hence, RISC OS still has cooperative multitasking and is way out of date (despite still being blindingly fast for everyday use)
Last year JANET started charging institutions for all traffic, not just traffic which goes outside the JANET network. I presume that this means that JANET won't lose much money through external charges as institutions are being charged for access to mirror.ac.uk now anyway, and if costs go up they can just increase the charge to institutions...
I can think of lots of reasons I leave the house. I meet people in real life. I like to go and browse second hand record and book shops. I go to see music performed. I sometimes go to a museum or art gallery. Sometimes I even just go for a walk because I feel like it and the house is somewhat limiting for walks.
This is research. It may make its way onto the desktop (and it could be useful). Transparecy can be annoying, but here they seem to be making windows translucent when not in focus. When you're using a window it is not transparent. Swinging windows out of the way could be really cool, as could the notes on the backs of windows. The jukebox is just an idea for a 3D application, I wouldn't use it, but give it to non-techies and they'll probably lap it up. If this comes to fruition, it will give insight into how useable 3D interfaces are, and the existence of a useable 3D UI may lead to the development of 3D displays.
The GUI hasn't changed much since it was first suggested, active research into how to improve it can only be a good thing, even if the conclusion is that the methods researched are not (yet?) viable.
I think people should stop griping and be a bit more positive...
A good way to practice is every time you get a bus or train (or get any sort of ticket with numbers on) add up the digits on it in your head. After doing this for a while you'll get quicker and more accurate. For added challenge translate every letter on there into a number using its place in the alphabet (or even its ascii number) and add them on.
You can then make up your own versions using other arithmetical operators and fractions.
After your arithmetic is up to scratch other areas of maths will be easier to do in your head (although beyond anything simple it is still best to write it down)
Anyone who wants to learn ML and the principles of functional programming could do a lot worse than getting a copy of Larry Paulson's "ML For The Working Programmer"
The view any computer user should take is to use the best software for the job, not is this software 'free' by some set of standards. Debian are producing a product for users and should take the user's needs into consideration not petty politics which could have an adverse effect on their users. This will also cause problems with a central part of the system, the man pages. The upstream package now contains non-free (by Debian standards) POSIX man pages so the man-pages package may have to be moved to non-free or split with part going into non-free.
And the clinching argument against this move is the loss of rogue from the distribution as it is packaged in bsdgames-nonfree. Every Unix systme should contain a copy of Rogue so hours can be whiled away searching for the amilet of yendor;-)
Remix Metallica's Black Album with The Beatle's White Album. (or of course, the famous album by the great Spinal Tap - "Smell The Glove" which was released with an entirely black cover before Metallica ever released their's)
I can't disagree more strongly. Higher level languages should be taught first (preferably an OO and a Functional language followed by a logic language to gain an overview of different paradigms) Assembly language should be taught in conjunction with a study of hardware and its design. There is very little need for assembly level programming with today's optimising compilers, time would be much better spent learning about algorithm design and software engineering.
Infact, it is much more useful to learn the principles of computer science (ranging from programming and hardware principles to theory) which can then be applied in many different areas than the specifics of a small area which is of little use outside that area.
I also don't see how assmebly language helps you understand the internals of the processor and the design choices made, assembly language is an abstraction layer. Efficiency is also not gained through assembly level programming, but through good software design, engineering and the right algorithms and datastructures.
I find TOra to be very good.
Its aimed more at Oracle, but will work wth MySQL and PostreSQL.
I use it mainly for inputting and modifying data in a sensible way.
Listening to the BBC coverage on Radio 4, it is very good and impartial. The BBC is the only media service I know of which will openly criticize itself. They are concerned with reporting the facts, not their own agenda (unlike most newspapers, many of whom have an agenda against the BBC as their owners want to control all the media in the country)
They're now interviewing the director of news for the BBC, and he's admitting that the Hutton Report is very bad for the BBC and a lot needs to be done to ensure this doesn't happen again.
I'm just shocked at how much the MoD and Government has got away with... (the way they named Kelly was horrendous, openly inviting journalists to guess and telling them if they're right)
Its been known for a long time that the north is rising and the south sinking. We were taught that in Geography about 7 or 8 years ago. Its due to the glaciers having melted in the north.
It is already possible in Britain for the police or security services to find out how a person voted. Every ballot paper has a number, this is written next to your name on the register. Ballot papers are stored in a warehouse for a length of time, it is a simple, if time consuming process to find out who voted for, say the Communist Party. Electronic voting will just make this easier... Also, given the government's track record on IT projects, I wouldn't want to trust the system... I'm 22 and will still go down to the poling station (which is all of 5 minutes walk away) and vote in the traditional manner. Its simple, and works. All the bugs have been ironed out by court cases years ago.
That's the best policy... So if, as Microsoft says, their software is the best, why should they need to lobby against other software?
Pluto should really be an asteroid...
on
Defining "Planet"
·
· Score: 2
If Pluto was discovered today, it'd just be considered an asteroid or Kuipier belt object The fact that its called a planet is just due to when it was discovered. Not that it really matters...
Only 18 pages long (about 3 pages of references and diagrams as well included in that). cf. Fermat's Last Theorem proof that's tiny. I suppose we'll see, its been submitted to a journal, and will be undergoing peer review, and lots of checking.
This came up in our security lecture today. The EU are working towards making it illegal not to allow recycling and refilling of printer cartridges, on environmental grounds. I can see another trade war brewing...
RISC OS does that as well, results in very fast boot up (most of the OS is on ROM, what takes a long time is your own desktop configuration). Acorn were making Network Computers years ago, they were just crap at selling anything...
There was an original Doomsday machine going on e-bay not long ago. IIRC it was a BBC Master 128 with 2nd processor, SCSI card, video disc player and track ball. Still worked, although some of the disks were damaged.
This is a huge area... To start off with I'd recommend a book about Logic. After this one can go onto Computation Theory (Turing/Church etc) and Complexity. These need a fair amount of Discrete Maths. AI is often a favourite area for philosophers (much to the annoyance of my lecturer as they never actually study it properly). This is again a huge area in itself, we've been recommended "Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach - Stuart Russell and Peter Norvig" See if you can find some lecture notes as well, many universities put the on the web (try http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/)
The pressure to get results, so you can get funding for research is huge, its not surprising that results get falsified. Very little research is done with no vested interest now, companies want to make money from it, so they'll only put money into research which is going how they want it, or is worth gambling on as the gains would be so enormous if they were to come to fruition.
Start off slow, with walking if necessary. Find some nice areas to run, and running can be fantastic. A break from the world, a chance to think. Just don't dress up like those '80s joggers...
Swimming can be good, although I'd combine it with other forms of exercise. Cycling is also good, although remember you have to go a lot further and for longer to get the same amount of exercise as running.
Building up bulk, a gymn is probably your best bet, and they can give you a tailored routine, and should be able to advise you on other forms of exercise.
And just in general, walk, don't drive where possible. You might need to leave a bit more time to get around, but you soon get used to it.
I thought this was already well known. Perhaps these new measurements confirm it or show that the effect is bigger, but wasn't this already known? Aeroplanes definitely cause a lot of pollution and affect the atmosphere quite badly.
Slashdot Mirror
I remember after Acorn's demise hearing Dave the engineer who used to do lots of talking with the enthusiast community remember Hydra as another reason to kill Chris Cox(?) (the ex-manager).
The hardware was there, developed by someone else, but Acorn wouldn't let the work be done of RISC OS to make it preemptively multitasking (they were probably throwing away money of Digital TVs or developing applications which they then just threw away because they couldn't be bothered to even try marketing them).
Hence, RISC OS still has cooperative multitasking and is way out of date (despite still being blindingly fast for everyday use)
Last year JANET started charging institutions for all traffic, not just traffic which goes outside the JANET network.
I presume that this means that JANET won't lose much money through external charges as institutions are being charged for access to mirror.ac.uk now anyway, and if costs go up they can just increase the charge to institutions...
I can think of lots of reasons I leave the house.
I meet people in real life.
I like to go and browse second hand record and book shops.
I go to see music performed.
I sometimes go to a museum or art gallery.
Sometimes I even just go for a walk because I feel like it and the house is somewhat limiting for walks.
I really can't be a geek...
This is research. It may make its way onto the desktop (and it could be useful).
Transparecy can be annoying, but here they seem to be making windows translucent when not in focus. When you're using a window it is not transparent.
Swinging windows out of the way could be really cool, as could the notes on the backs of windows.
The jukebox is just an idea for a 3D application, I wouldn't use it, but give it to non-techies and they'll probably lap it up.
If this comes to fruition, it will give insight into how useable 3D interfaces are, and the existence of a useable 3D UI may lead to the development of 3D displays.
The GUI hasn't changed much since it was first suggested, active research into how to improve it can only be a good thing, even if the conclusion is that the methods researched are not (yet?) viable.
I think people should stop griping and be a bit more positive...
A good way to practice is every time you get a bus or train (or get any sort of ticket with numbers on) add up the digits on it in your head. After doing this for a while you'll get quicker and more accurate.
For added challenge translate every letter on there into a number using its place in the alphabet (or even its ascii number) and add them on.
You can then make up your own versions using other arithmetical operators and fractions.
After your arithmetic is up to scratch other areas of maths will be easier to do in your head (although beyond anything simple it is still best to write it down)
Just what I thought...
It is cute though...
I'll have to check this out.
Anyone who wants to learn ML and the principles of functional programming could do a lot worse than getting a copy of Larry Paulson's "ML For The Working Programmer"
The view any computer user should take is to use the best software for the job, not is this software 'free' by some set of standards. Debian are producing a product for users and should take the user's needs into consideration not petty politics which could have an adverse effect on their users.
;-)
This will also cause problems with a central part of the system, the man pages. The upstream package now contains non-free (by Debian standards) POSIX man pages so the man-pages package may have to be moved to non-free or split with part going into non-free.
And the clinching argument against this move is the loss of rogue from the distribution as it is packaged in bsdgames-nonfree. Every Unix systme should contain a copy of Rogue so hours can be whiled away searching for the amilet of yendor
Remix Metallica's Black Album with The Beatle's White Album.
(or of course, the famous album by the great Spinal Tap - "Smell The Glove" which was released with an entirely black cover before Metallica ever released their's)
I can't disagree more strongly.
Higher level languages should be taught first (preferably an OO and a Functional language followed by a logic language to gain an overview of different paradigms)
Assembly language should be taught in conjunction with a study of hardware and its design.
There is very little need for assembly level programming with today's optimising compilers, time would be much better spent learning about algorithm design and software engineering.
Infact, it is much more useful to learn the principles of computer science (ranging from programming and hardware principles to theory) which can then be applied in many different areas than the specifics of a small area which is of little use outside that area.
I also don't see how assmebly language helps you understand the internals of the processor and the design choices made, assembly language is an abstraction layer.
Efficiency is also not gained through assembly level programming, but through good software design, engineering and the right algorithms and datastructures.
I find TOra to be very good.
Its aimed more at Oracle, but will work wth MySQL and PostreSQL.
I use it mainly for inputting and modifying data in a sensible way.
Listening to the BBC coverage on Radio 4, it is very good and impartial. The BBC is the only media service I know of which will openly criticize itself. They are concerned with reporting the facts, not their own agenda (unlike most newspapers, many of whom have an agenda against the BBC as their owners want to control all the media in the country)
They're now interviewing the director of news for the BBC, and he's admitting that the Hutton Report is very bad for the BBC and a lot needs to be done to ensure this doesn't happen again.
I'm just shocked at how much the MoD and Government has got away with... (the way they named Kelly was horrendous, openly inviting journalists to guess and telling them if they're right)
Beat me to it.
I was going to ask the same thing.
Think we need to get out of the EU at this rate as well.
Its been known for a long time that the north is rising and the south sinking. We were taught that in Geography about 7 or 8 years ago.
Its due to the glaciers having melted in the north.
It is already possible in Britain for the police or security services to find out how a person voted. Every ballot paper has a number, this is written next to your name on the register.
Ballot papers are stored in a warehouse for a length of time, it is a simple, if time consuming process to find out who voted for, say the Communist Party.
Electronic voting will just make this easier...
Also, given the government's track record on IT projects, I wouldn't want to trust the system...
I'm 22 and will still go down to the poling station (which is all of 5 minutes walk away) and vote in the traditional manner. Its simple, and works. All the bugs have been ironed out by court cases years ago.
That's the best policy...
So if, as Microsoft says, their software is the best, why should they need to lobby against other software?
If Pluto was discovered today, it'd just be considered an asteroid or Kuipier belt object
The fact that its called a planet is just due to when it was discovered.
Not that it really matters...
Only 18 pages long (about 3 pages of references and diagrams as well included in that).
cf. Fermat's Last Theorem proof that's tiny.
I suppose we'll see, its been submitted to a journal, and will be undergoing peer review, and lots of checking.
This came up in our security lecture today. The EU are working towards making it illegal not to allow recycling and refilling of printer cartridges, on environmental grounds.
I can see another trade war brewing...
RISC OS does that as well, results in very fast boot up (most of the OS is on ROM, what takes a long time is your own desktop configuration).
Acorn were making Network Computers years ago, they were just crap at selling anything...
There was an original Doomsday machine going on e-bay not long ago.
IIRC it was a BBC Master 128 with 2nd processor, SCSI card, video disc player and track ball.
Still worked, although some of the disks were damaged.
This is a huge area...
To start off with I'd recommend a book about Logic. After this one can go onto Computation Theory (Turing/Church etc) and Complexity. These need a fair amount of Discrete Maths.
AI is often a favourite area for philosophers (much to the annoyance of my lecturer as they never actually study it properly). This is again a huge area in itself, we've been recommended "Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach - Stuart Russell and Peter Norvig"
See if you can find some lecture notes as well, many universities put the on the web (try http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/)
The pressure to get results, so you can get funding for research is huge, its not surprising that results get falsified.
Very little research is done with no vested interest now, companies want to make money from it, so they'll only put money into research which is going how they want it, or is worth gambling on as the gains would be so enormous if they were to come to fruition.
Start off slow, with walking if necessary.
Find some nice areas to run, and running can be fantastic. A break from the world, a chance to think.
Just don't dress up like those '80s joggers...
Swimming can be good, although I'd combine it with other forms of exercise.
Cycling is also good, although remember you have to go a lot further and for longer to get the same amount of exercise as running.
Building up bulk, a gymn is probably your best bet, and they can give you a tailored routine, and should be able to advise you on other forms of exercise.
And just in general, walk, don't drive where possible. You might need to leave a bit more time to get around, but you soon get used to it.
I thought this was already well known. Perhaps these new measurements confirm it or show that the effect is bigger, but wasn't this already known?
Aeroplanes definitely cause a lot of pollution and affect the atmosphere quite badly.