If this were merely a test, it would be done in the early morning when most people are asleep, so that it doesn't disrupt programming schedules.
I believe that the fact that it's being done when people are likely to be watching means that this is not just a test but a drill. Expect more "tests" like we have with the existing emergency alert systems.
What bothers me is that the government seems to have a way to cut off most television broadcasts if it chooses. They may start with emergencies, but technically they could use it to provide "important announcements" of a non-emergency nature. For example, they might also have an "alert" during a political debate, cutting off the broadcast when a candidate unfavorable to those in power starts to speak. With this system, at least we know why the revolution will not be televised.
In all seriousness, I don't truly believe that the above WILL happen, but I wouldn't put it past the US government. If you give someone a shiny new toy that gives them more control then they will want to play with it.
I've used Windows Speech Recognition as well, but that isn't quite what I was thinking of. You still can't ask it questions and have it give you meaningful answers, and you can't tell it to remind you call someone back tomorrow at noon or anything like that.
Hopefully the interest in Siri and similar things will create more interest in speech recognition in general, and then the programs and services will start to appear elsewhere.
Since this speech recognition and processing is available on phones (with processing done in the cloud if I recall correctly), is there anything similar for desktops? I know there are speech recognition programs, but the ones I've seen don't answer questions in a similar manner to Siri, nor do they go out and search the web for the local weather or whatever.
Why limit this to phones? I have a desktop with a good microphone. I want to run an app where I can speak in natural language and get results in text\voice or perform actions such as setting reminders. If the processing is done remotely, I can assume that it's harder to tie that in with desktop applications than with proprietary phone apps, but I still don't see why it can't be done on some level.
I've seen Google Voice search, but that only works for Google searches, on Google's page, and it requires Chrome. If you ask it a question, it's just going to bring up a list of search results. Obviously that's pretty limited. I've also seen programs like Dragon NaturallySpeaking, but that seems to be mainly for dictation and program control, and it doesn't go online to fetch information. It certainly doesn't provide answers to questions that it's asked.
So what's currently out there or being developed for the desktop? The mobile world seems to be getting all the cool toys lately. I know that we can use keyboards for data input much more easily on a desktop system, but that shouldn't be any reason not to have alternatives.
If a company came out with a speech program\service that was able to connect local programs with the web using something other than a phone, I'd happily pay for the product.
You can't. Because they didn't like the look of the big, floor-to-ceiling look of the old XP system, they shrunk it all down so that it only shows 5-6 items at a time and has a scrollbar.
THIS. This is one of the most irritating things I've found with Win7, despite it being quite good in other ways. Does anyone know if there's a secret registry setting, 3rd party program, or ANY other way to get back that "floor-to-ceiling" look of the Start menu instead of that annoying scrollbar? Not only does the current version take longer to search through, but it makes it more difficult and time-consuming to drag and drop shortcuts into there.
Strange. I've seen frame by frame comparisons on another site that concluded that Comcast did that but Verizon's FiOS TV service was crystal clear. That was a few years ago, so perhaps Verizon is compressing things as well now.
They knew about the protest beforehand and took these measures to make it seem like it failed, yet the outcome was good, for a single day. It'd be nice if we could go back to regular screenings like on the 24th. Why don't we just make EVERY day an opt-out day?
Seriously, Oregonians or not, I suggest contacting this man and praising him for his position. We tend to write our elected officials when we're angry with what they're doing, but we also need to let them know when we're happy that they've done something we like.
Okay, so when will people be able to buy these things for their own netbooks, and how much will they cost?
Will the screens be compatible in all netbooks? (I know there is a resolution standard but unsure if there is a standard panel size.)
How would you switch between the 3 screen modes? You'd need a dedicated switch that your netbook doesn't have, or a special driver (hopefully there would be a Linux version) to select your mode.
I'd love to have one of these screens to replace the glossy display in my current netbook. It's completely unusable in direct sunlight. Hell, I'd love to see this kind of tech eventually be offered as an option in ALL laptop screens.
Ghostbusters really pissed me off, especially since I found the plot enjoyable. I just got sick of either moving the mouse a little and feeling like I'm moving through molasses, or moving the mouse a little faster and suddenly spinning around. Let's not even talk about aiming. Basically they used the analog controller acceleration, with NO WAY OF DISABLING IT. Is it REALLY that hard to do 1:1 mouse mapping? I've been looking for a patch ever since, but I'm starting to wonder if someone might just have to write their own, if that's even possible.
This is great! I mean, just look at how wonderfully they de-aged Patrick Stewart for his brief role in Wolverine. Oh, wait..
As cool as this is for creating aliens and other strange creatures, it does NOT work well. Even if it ends up looking better in the future, this is NOT something that I would be looking forward to.
I can hear at least up to 20kHz (as high as my speakers' frequency response goes, so I can't test any higher) and it really IS a pain sometimes. The most useful thing I've been able to do is remind them that they left the TV on in the other room. "But I turned off the power and the screen is black.." No, you turned off the power to the cable box which cut out the image and sound on the TV, but I can still hear the flyback transformer. Of course this doesn't work on LCD TVs, though they sometimes just hum or buzz quietly anyway.
I'm 31 years old. I thought that people around my age weren't supposed to hear such things? Is it all related to one's environment? I don't listen to loud music, avoid loud places, etc, but I still thought that hearing was supposed to diminish.
I've seen people at a retail store who were afraid of the security scanners at the entrances (which use radio waves). More specifically, they would buy pet fish and HOLD THEM OVER the scanner when they walked through, because the CASHIERS had told them to, otherwise the fish would die. Of course, the people got home, and their fish died a few days later from illness\improper setup\random causes, but they would insist that it was the security scanner that had fried their fish. Trying to educate them about how the scanners work and how safe radio waves are was an exercise in futility.
I've heard other odd things like some video cards also.
If you can hear a video card, it is likely to be the tiny piezo speaker on it that beeps to communicate hardware errors and such. I had the same problem with my Geforce 8800GT, but only when I was using it in Folding@Home. I couldn't see an easy way to disconnect the speaker, so I blocked it up with some chewing gum (some soft thick foam or something similar might work well too) and it almost completely muffled the noise. Of course, others thought I was nuts since they couldn't hear anything to begin with.
If you want the BEST protection (but not the cheapest) possible, try the InvisibleSHIELD from http://www.shieldzone.com/
From what I've seen, this stuff's nearly impossible to break or scratch, and you don't even notice it's there. I'm going to get the shield for my DS Lite. I was skeptical, but after seeing those videos of attacking an iPod with sets of keys and whatnot, I think I'll try it.
Does anyone here have any LCD products that they've protected with this stuff? What's been your experience with it?
One thing that's kept me away from Skype is the fact that it seems it's not easy to record your conversations. (to wav/mp3/ogg/whatever)
I know there are privacy issues, but can't they code in a checkbox that both sides must check before allowing the recording function to work?
I've tried things like Total Recorder, but it has issues with my card and often garbles things.
The only thing similar to Skype which I have used was Teamspeak 2, which isn't as easy to set up, especially on multiple platforms, and often needing to tell someone on the other end how to set it up.
But those issues, combined with my poor memory, keep me coming back to IM programs (currently Trillian) which log all of my conversations.
My Wal-Mart only got 18, and they were all apparently pre-ordered. We had people camping out in electronics. Campers, waiting for the 360 to spawn at midnight, I guess.
Slashdot Mirror
If this were merely a test, it would be done in the early morning when most people are asleep, so that it doesn't disrupt programming schedules.
I believe that the fact that it's being done when people are likely to be watching means that this is not just a test but a drill. Expect more "tests" like we have with the existing emergency alert systems.
What bothers me is that the government seems to have a way to cut off most television broadcasts if it chooses. They may start with emergencies, but technically they could use it to provide "important announcements" of a non-emergency nature. For example, they might also have an "alert" during a political debate, cutting off the broadcast when a candidate unfavorable to those in power starts to speak. With this system, at least we know why the revolution will not be televised.
In all seriousness, I don't truly believe that the above WILL happen, but I wouldn't put it past the US government. If you give someone a shiny new toy that gives them more control then they will want to play with it.
I've used Windows Speech Recognition as well, but that isn't quite what I was thinking of. You still can't ask it questions and have it give you meaningful answers, and you can't tell it to remind you call someone back tomorrow at noon or anything like that.
Hopefully the interest in Siri and similar things will create more interest in speech recognition in general, and then the programs and services will start to appear elsewhere.
Since this speech recognition and processing is available on phones (with processing done in the cloud if I recall correctly), is there anything similar for desktops? I know there are speech recognition programs, but the ones I've seen don't answer questions in a similar manner to Siri, nor do they go out and search the web for the local weather or whatever.
Why limit this to phones? I have a desktop with a good microphone. I want to run an app where I can speak in natural language and get results in text\voice or perform actions such as setting reminders. If the processing is done remotely, I can assume that it's harder to tie that in with desktop applications than with proprietary phone apps, but I still don't see why it can't be done on some level.
I've seen Google Voice search, but that only works for Google searches, on Google's page, and it requires Chrome. If you ask it a question, it's just going to bring up a list of search results. Obviously that's pretty limited. I've also seen programs like Dragon NaturallySpeaking, but that seems to be mainly for dictation and program control, and it doesn't go online to fetch information. It certainly doesn't provide answers to questions that it's asked.
So what's currently out there or being developed for the desktop? The mobile world seems to be getting all the cool toys lately. I know that we can use keyboards for data input much more easily on a desktop system, but that shouldn't be any reason not to have alternatives.
If a company came out with a speech program\service that was able to connect local programs with the web using something other than a phone, I'd happily pay for the product.
Thanks! I haven't installed it yet, but this looks just like what I wanted. I'm glad that I'm not the only one annoyed by this "feature" in 7.
You can't. Because they didn't like the look of the big, floor-to-ceiling look of the old XP system, they shrunk it all down so that it only shows 5-6 items at a time and has a scrollbar.
THIS. This is one of the most irritating things I've found with Win7, despite it being quite good in other ways. Does anyone know if there's a secret registry setting, 3rd party program, or ANY other way to get back that "floor-to-ceiling" look of the Start menu instead of that annoying scrollbar? Not only does the current version take longer to search through, but it makes it more difficult and time-consuming to drag and drop shortcuts into there.
Real football or American football?
Don't forget the third in the series! - I Am Also Scotty
Strange. I've seen frame by frame comparisons on another site that concluded that Comcast did that but Verizon's FiOS TV service was crystal clear. That was a few years ago, so perhaps Verizon is compressing things as well now.
They knew about the protest beforehand and took these measures to make it seem like it failed, yet the outcome was good, for a single day. It'd be nice if we could go back to regular screenings like on the 24th. Why don't we just make EVERY day an opt-out day?
Seriously, Oregonians or not, I suggest contacting this man and praising him for his position. We tend to write our elected officials when we're angry with what they're doing, but we also need to let them know when we're happy that they've done something we like.
http://wyden.senate.gov/contact/
Okay, so when will people be able to buy these things for their own netbooks, and how much will they cost?
Will the screens be compatible in all netbooks? (I know there is a resolution standard but unsure if there is a standard panel size.)
How would you switch between the 3 screen modes? You'd need a dedicated switch that your netbook doesn't have, or a special driver (hopefully there would be a Linux version) to select your mode.
I'd love to have one of these screens to replace the glossy display in my current netbook. It's completely unusable in direct sunlight. Hell, I'd love to see this kind of tech eventually be offered as an option in ALL laptop screens.
Ghostbusters really pissed me off, especially since I found the plot enjoyable. I just got sick of either moving the mouse a little and feeling like I'm moving through molasses, or moving the mouse a little faster and suddenly spinning around. Let's not even talk about aiming. Basically they used the analog controller acceleration, with NO WAY OF DISABLING IT. Is it REALLY that hard to do 1:1 mouse mapping? I've been looking for a patch ever since, but I'm starting to wonder if someone might just have to write their own, if that's even possible.
Err, rather it does not work well for HUMANS. Hit submit too quickly.
This is great! I mean, just look at how wonderfully they de-aged Patrick Stewart for his brief role in Wolverine. Oh, wait..
As cool as this is for creating aliens and other strange creatures, it does NOT work well. Even if it ends up looking better in the future, this is NOT something that I would be looking forward to.
I can hear at least up to 20kHz (as high as my speakers' frequency response goes, so I can't test any higher) and it really IS a pain sometimes. The most useful thing I've been able to do is remind them that they left the TV on in the other room. "But I turned off the power and the screen is black.." No, you turned off the power to the cable box which cut out the image and sound on the TV, but I can still hear the flyback transformer. Of course this doesn't work on LCD TVs, though they sometimes just hum or buzz quietly anyway.
I'm 31 years old. I thought that people around my age weren't supposed to hear such things? Is it all related to one's environment? I don't listen to loud music, avoid loud places, etc, but I still thought that hearing was supposed to diminish.
Where'd you get yours? Mine didn't come with fish.
Amazing! Without this brilliant video, I would have never figured out that MS is releasing a new version of Windows!
I've seen people at a retail store who were afraid of the security scanners at the entrances (which use radio waves). More specifically, they would buy pet fish and HOLD THEM OVER the scanner when they walked through, because the CASHIERS had told them to, otherwise the fish would die. Of course, the people got home, and their fish died a few days later from illness\improper setup\random causes, but they would insist that it was the security scanner that had fried their fish. Trying to educate them about how the scanners work and how safe radio waves are was an exercise in futility.
I've heard other odd things like some video cards also.
If you can hear a video card, it is likely to be the tiny piezo speaker on it that beeps to communicate hardware errors and such. I had the same problem with my Geforce 8800GT, but only when I was using it in Folding@Home. I couldn't see an easy way to disconnect the speaker, so I blocked it up with some chewing gum (some soft thick foam or something similar might work well too) and it almost completely muffled the noise. Of course, others thought I was nuts since they couldn't hear anything to begin with.
Wow, that brings back memories. I had the 5200 version.
If you want the BEST protection (but not the cheapest) possible, try the InvisibleSHIELD from http://www.shieldzone.com/
From what I've seen, this stuff's nearly impossible to break or scratch, and you don't even notice it's there. I'm going to get the shield for my DS Lite. I was skeptical, but after seeing those videos of attacking an iPod with sets of keys and whatnot, I think I'll try it.
Does anyone here have any LCD products that they've protected with this stuff? What's been your experience with it?
Who *didn't* do this?
Just imagine if you had one of those Pinnacle chips and accidently pressed @[=g3,8d]\&fbb=-q]/hk%fg followed by delete..
One thing that's kept me away from Skype is the fact that it seems it's not easy to record your conversations. (to wav/mp3/ogg/whatever)
I know there are privacy issues, but can't they code in a checkbox that both sides must check before allowing the recording function to work?
I've tried things like Total Recorder, but it has issues with my card and often garbles things.
The only thing similar to Skype which I have used was Teamspeak 2, which isn't as easy to set up, especially on multiple platforms, and often needing to tell someone on the other end how to set it up.
But those issues, combined with my poor memory, keep me coming back to IM programs (currently Trillian) which log all of my conversations.
My Wal-Mart only got 18, and they were all apparently pre-ordered. We had people camping out in electronics. Campers, waiting for the 360 to spawn at midnight, I guess.