I asked a geek "Do you have a girlfriend?". He responded with a very puzzled look. "A girlfriend?," he mused, "Who is the developer?". I chuckled and told him this was not an open source project. He then became slightly angry and inquired, "Are you trying to insult me? Only the best geeks use open source only! What planet are you living on?!". I reassured him I was well aware of his integrity as a geek (white skin, clumsy, pants that are too short, lack of daily shower, pocket protector etc), and explained, "A girlfriend is a female who to a male (most oftenly a male) has an intimate friendship." He gave me a very confused look. "I have never heard of such a thing.. this.. g-g-irlfriend?" He asked me, sounding very baffled. "I have heard of friends before, those pets other people have. But what is this thing you say.. Grill?". "Girl," I corrected. Then I asked him to sit down on a bench nearby so I could explain it too him, the poor, helpless thing.
I told him that for human beings to reproduce, sexual intercourse must occur between a male and a female. "Perhaps you hear the trolls mention a thing called "pussy" on slashdot?". The geek burst into laughter, "Haha, you have been browsing at -1 lately, haven't you? You know that is just troll talk. Those silly trolls never have anything intelligent to say." My face turned serious. "My dear geek, are you not aware of the female population amongst you? Do you not stare in the street and want to hump a post when you pass by a hot, slim, gorgeous looking chick with a firm bust and well sculpted ass?". The geek immediately began to appear as if we was having a nervous breakdown. His glasses began to fog up and he took them off to wipe them with this linux embroidered shirt, "I think I know what you are talking about. Those things are icky. They have cooties. Get away from me!" I felt offended. "Nonsense, I pleaded! Pussy is a beautiful thing. A sacred thing that you should strive to give pleasure to."
The geek would not listen and he began to cry. "STOP IT!! You are EVIL!!" He then, quite geekishly, skipped off down the path. I walked back to my house feeling rather disheartened. 'Why don't they listen to me' I asked myself? When I got home my girlfriend opened the door. She was wearing short-shorts and a sports bra. She had been doing the thigh master for the past 30 minutes and was sweating. I could see her dark nipples underneath her slightly damp bra. Oh god I could fuck her to the moon and back. I could smell her horniness the second I took my shoes off. I chased her, both of us laughing, to our bedroom [THE FOLLOWING has been censored for the well-being of geeks].... Six hours later, finally satisfied a little, I sat up and noticed that same geek hiding in the trees. He had been watching us the entire time. I swear his penis had to have been the size of a fucking horse cock (not bad for a geek, i might add), and he appeared as if he had gone into a state of shock. I could see cum stains forming near the bulge of his pant zipper. I thought to myself. There is one geek, finally brought into the real world.
E3 is a glorious time. This month's expo was bursting at the seams with all of the new products that will be pouring into stores over the next two years. The amount of information that streamed out of the show was so overwhelming I was tempted to shut down from sheer overload. Yet the truly remarkable thing was how little of what surfaced during E3 represents an original idea.
Stop me if you've heard this one before: "Coming soon to next-generation consoles and the PC is a military-themed 3D shooter in which players take the role of a Special Forces agent assigned to eliminating terrorist threats around the globe." Or this: "Players will soon be able to enjoy life as a wizard in an online fantasy world filled with orcs and elves." Ugh. We seem to be quickly approaching a point where retail shelves offer innumerable variations of two games - retooled and retitled but nonetheless staggeringly derivative: Counter-Strike on steroids and EverQuest clones. (CPL president Angel Munoz coined the term "Counter-Strike on steroids" during a conversation we had about the lack of innovation in the industry.)
Clearly things haven't boiled down to that point - but they seem to be heading that way. The reason is simple: Games are no different from any other business when it comes to milking the overworked nipples of a cash cow for everything they've got. This is hardly a revelation - as the industry has long been willing to sell its soul for a dollar. What other reasons could there be for the self-imposed exile of Sierra's early giants of the adventure genre? Why else would the legendary Sid Meier continue dipping into his reservoir of classics and updating them for new generations of players? The game industry's thinking has become dismally linear and one-dimensional.
A Devil's advocate might ask: "Who can blame game companies for taking sure bets?" The list of publishers who aren't bleeding money and employees is a short one. Expensive gambles like The Sims Online aren't paying off. And product development is becoming increasingly expensive as better hardware permits more glitz and sparkle. Who would condemn the industry for extracting every ounce of value out of a successful idea? Certainly not me. I'm looking forward to Doom III and Half-Life 2 as much as every other fan of 3D shooters. Where I begin having a problem is when that process starts treading on the grounds of creativity and originality.
Case in point: You've probably read that Funcom is shunning the point-and-click roots of The Longest Journey in favor of a developing 3D action-adventure sequel. This news wouldn't be so disappointing if the original game wasn't a minor classic - and if store shelves weren't already saturated with third-person romps manufactured in the same mold. I can imagine how disheartening this news is to fans of the first installment - but the truly worrying aspect of this development is series creator Ragnar Tornquist's statement to Adventure Gamers that "the era of point-and-click adventures is over." Tornquist is a talented designer with an elegant style and a knack for storytelling - but forgive me if I can't help seeing irony in the developers of The Longest Journey taking a shortcut to success in an industry stricken by a lack of originality.
Perhaps Funcom believes its titles need mainstream appeal. The logic of many publishers dictates that most end users desire simplicity in concept and execution. This line of thinking suggests the best games are those that can be explained in easy catch phrases - much like the high concept movie pitches of Hollywood: We want "Star Wars" meets "Beverly Hills Cop." "Raiders of the Lost Ark" meets "Tootsie." Pacman meets Tomb Raider. This gives consumers an immediate point of reference and keeps marketing people from having to think too hard to sell a product. If my dollars were on the line - and they're not - I'd certainly choose my investments carefully and strive for fiscal optimization.
The IMfree, which looks like a bit like an overgrown beeper, comes with a battery, a charger and a little USB base station.
IM from anywhere in your house
Motorola's IMfree aims at young teen audience
REVIEW By Gary Krakow MSNBC
May 20 -- "Just what the world needs," I thought at first, "another portable device that does one task and one task only." But Motorola's new wireless instant messaging device was never intended for the likes of me and it may just be perfect for its target audience.
INTRODUCING THE IMfree, a cordless phone-like device for the generation that uses instant messaging more than the phone. With IMfree, children can IM to their hearts' delight anywhere in their homes -- or at least until the batteries need recharging.
Motorola is marketing IMfree to young teens, and to young teenage girls in particular, because they found this group was a heavy user of instant messaging services. (Girls take to it immediately. Boys begin taking to it when they want to begin chatting with girls.)
Like a cordless phone, IMfree works through a hub that must stay in one place -- in other words, no taking this device to school. But that may not matter much to a young girl who'd rather IM her friends from her bedroom, even if the computer is in the living room or den. And her parents may appreciate being able to use the computer again.
HOW IT WORKS
At first glance, the device looks like an overgrown pager (not surprising since Motorola makes pagers). It is 4.5 by 4.8 by 1.3 inches, weighs in at a hefty 9 ounces and has a 9-line, black and white display.
To use IMfree, you must attach its base unit via a USB port to your home computer, preferably one with a broadband (DSL or cable modem) connection to the Web. The PC (no support for Macs yet) must then be on and running special software which allows up to seven IMfree devices to communicate on the Internet and permits users access to their IM buddy lists. The software runs in the background, however, allowing you to do other tasks while IMfrees are in use.
The software also comes with built-in parental controls allowing adults to limit who can send messages to the handheld and block certain chat invitations. Parents can also disable individual handsets manually, or use the software to set limits, automatically disabling the handheld during certain times of the day.
The device itself communicates with its base station on public 900 MHz frequencies, just like a cordless phone. Under the best conditions the maximum range is also like that of a cordless phone: 150 feet.
Assuming you can type quickly, you can conduct up to six IM conversations at the same time on the IMfree. At the moment, the device only works with AOL Instant Messenger, which you can sign-up for for free without subscribing to AOL. Other instant messaging services may be an option in the future.
THE REAL CRITICS
I played with IMfree for a few minutes and thought it was a good idea - but I'm not anywhere near the target audience. So, I had Motorola send one to my niece and nephew in Florida to get a true view of how IMfree's intended users will like it.
Courtney, age 13, thinks they've targeted her needs perfectly:
"I was so excited when the package arrived and could not wait to get started with it. The set up required a little assistance from my brother and mom, but once I got it working, I thought it was the greatest thing since the cell phone.
"The best thing about it is the connection. We have it hooked up to our DSL, so I am able to access it anytime. I also really like how easy it is to work. It works faster than my computer (via modem) and doesn't take up a phone line. (My brother has the DSL connection on his computer).
"I also really enjoy the ability to walk around my house or sit by the pool and still be able to "talk" online. It is very efficient."
Older brother Bradley, a
"The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible," Albert Einstein once remarked.
Perhaps the world is indeed comprehensible to a genius like Einstein. And -- with the launch of a new website on Monday -- at least Einstein himself will be a bit more comprehensible to the world.
In addition to the voluminous collection of Einstein's writings, some never before published and none previously available online, the website will house an extensive database of 40,000 documents, images and research on Einstein's life and work, as well as digitized copies of Einstein's professional and personal correspondence and pages from his notebooks and travel diaries.
The site will include documents refuting popular beliefs about Einstein. He was not a bad student -- the only subject he flunked was French. He didn't work for the U.S. government on top-secret projects like the atom bomb; instead, he was for many years monitored by the FBI as a possible threat to national security. And he was, as his personal letters prove, an unrepentant flirt.
The new website, which goes live Monday at 3 p.m. EST, is the result of a year-long cooperative effort between the Albert Einstein Archives at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Einstein Papers Project at the California Institute of Technology.
"It is a beautiful collaboration between two continents," said Diana Kormos Buchwald, director and general editor of the Einstein Papers Project. "We hope it will serve both the general public and researchers equally well."
The site was launched to compliment the day-long symposium on Einstein's life and work being held Monday at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
At the symposium, among other subjects, researchers will discuss 2,000 unpublished pages of calculations recently found in Einstein's files. Kormos Buchwald said the calculations are connected with Einstein's pursuit of a Grand Unified Theory.
Einstein firmly believed he would be able to describe every single law of physics through one simple mathematical equation. Although he devoted 35 years to his quest for the Unified Theory, it's believed he failed to discover that magic calculation.
But Kormos Buchwald said the 2,000 pages of notes, seemingly written shortly before Einstein's death in 1955, have yet to be fully explored.
"We have a lot of wonderful research to do yet, a lot of work ahead of us," Kormos Buchwald said. The calculations eventually will be posted on the website. The Einstein Papers Project plans to publish more than 14,000 Einstein-related documents in a 25-volume series called, aptly enough, "The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein."
The eight volumes that are available so far contain Einstein's writings and correspondence from his youth to age 40. They include his major papers on the theory of special relativity, general relativity, the quantum theory of light and matter, as well as a wealth of lesser-known contributions on many aspects of science, education, international reconciliation, Zionism and pacifism.
The website will present records for all items that have been edited and annotated by scholars, and those that have appeared in "The Collected Papers."
Approximately 500 previously unpublished documents, uncovered during the past 25 years from private collections and university archives, also will be available on the website.
Einstein Archives Online was developed in collaboration with the information technology and photo-reprography departments of Hebrew University's Jewish National and University Library, the library's David and Fela Shapell Digitization Project and the Princeton University Press.
Einstein's personal papers were bequeathed to Hebrew University in his last will and testament. The Albert Einstein Archives have been housed at the school since 1982, after being held at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, so U.S. scholars and scientists could review them.
Introduction This project is a plan to incorporate the three primary uses of the existing nationwide cable network, voice, data and video, into one convenient and easy-to-use package that will satisfy most consumers' communication needs at a fair price.
The long term goal of this project is to maximize shareholder return by becoming the standard by which both urban and suburban American people access these communications mediums. In the short term, the goal is to maintain and increase existing market share by creating a competitive advantage over competitors with overlapping markets using the existing infrastructure.
Detailed Background of Subject
Much money and time has been invested in setting up the infrastructure for a nationwide, high-speed cable network. However, market share has been fragmented between many competitors. Today, the cable industry is fighting a battle with the satellite TV, high-speed DSL internet access, and telco phone service companies. Most of these competitors are more formidable in size and financial health.
Currently, cable is the only medium that can simultaneously offer all three means of communication whereas every other competitor is only able to offer one or two means of communication using its existing infrastructure. Therefore, the cable infrastructure has enormous potential. Despite the possible marketing alliances between satellite television and internet (dial-up and DSL services) companies to provide all three services in conjunction to the consumer, they are still unable to provide these services through a single infrastructure. However, the virtual bundling of these services offered by cable competitors still poses a threat to existing cable market share.
Detailed Problem Explanation If the cable industry were to continue in its current ways, it would face high churn and a relatively shrinking customer base. Furthermore, the cable industry would lose its opportunity to create a competitive advantage. Factors that contribute to this problem include:
DSL will continue growing twice as fast as cable modems.
Satellite TV would continue convincing cable customers to switch over with more attractive packages.
Cable would never enter the telephone industry due to the customer being used to their existing regional phone services.
While cable operators can expect steep competition from satellite and telecom vendors, Cable currently is the only network architecture of its kind capable of offering not only digital video, high-speed data, and telephony, but other interactive services such as home networking, remote home security monitoring, video conferencing, interactive TV/games, and others. With millions already invested in cable and plant upgrades, many believe that Cable operators are positioned for success if the right decisions are made.
Cable companies must recognize the fact that their infrastructure already contains large amounts of unused capital. This, in effect, translates into a "free" investment, that is, it can use all this extra bandwidth that it has to offer great services at a very low marginal cost.
Competitors have reduced prices of packages which then, combined with free equipment promotions, free installation promotions, and multi-receivers, are compelling packages that are eating up more market share.
Objectives
We envision...
Using the huge infrastructure and bandwidth muscle to eliminate satellite TV from the urban and suburban areas by adding more content-rich and interactive features beyond the bandwidth that satellite TV is capable of handling.
Delivering cable TV, high-speed internet access, telephone with video conferencing, static-free radio, on-demand games and movies, and more through one single medium. Essentially, the cable line becomes the only link needed between the home and the outside world for all cable subscribers.
Offering a local wireless network within each household by which content is distributed, e
FORT LAUDERDALE -- So-called ''black boxes,'' which have provided valuable information in determining what has caused airliners to crash, are now being used to help tell what happened in automobile accidents.
And information from the computerized devices is increasingly finding its way into civil and criminal courtrooms, where judges and juries are trying to determine who is at fault in car crashes.
Some prosecutors and defense lawyers say that the data from black boxes, which are on about 40 million cars in the USA, provide an unbiased account of accidents. But privacy advocates are raising warnings about how information from the boxes is being used.
In a trial that opened here this week, , prosecutors hope that measurements obtained from the black box on Edwin Matos' 2002 Pontiac Trans Am will tell what happened seconds before his car slammed into another one occupied by two teenage girls.
Matos, 46, is accused of driving drunk when the collision occurred on Aug. 17, 2002, in Pembroke Pines, Fla. The girls were killed. Prosecutors say that black-box evidence will show Matos was driving four times the posted speed limit of 30 mph at the time of the crash.
Matos has pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Roberto Stanziale, plans to call the black-box data into question.
Black-box recorders have been used on airplanes since the dawn of aviation. Wilbur and Orville Wright used crude machines to record basic information about flights. Starting in the jet era, flight data recorders became integral to investigating crashes.
Most drivers unaware of them
Initially, they tracked an airplane's movements so investigators could piece together an aircraft's final moments. Steady improvements have broadened the amount of information these recorders store. The latest models record thousands of measurements, from engine temperature readings to the positions of switches in the cockpit.
Surveys indicate most motorists don't know that cars have black boxes. But their use is on the rise.
Unlike the aviation models, which are required by federal law to be on aircraft, the black boxes in autos are used in safety investigations only as an afterthought. They were installed on newer-model cars to trigger air bags. Because they are not required, no exact figures exist on their use. But experts say that most U.S. automakers began installing some forms of the device in the 1990s. They have found information from the boxes valuable in product-liability lawsuits and in designing safer cars.
And, while a black box on a jet can store data on dozens of flights, the boxes on motor vehicles vary widely in how much information they record and in how accessible it is to anyone other than manufacturers. Only General Motors, and to a lesser extent, Ford, have made information from their boxes easily accessible to third parties.
The boxes are usually silver, not black, and about the size of a pack of cigarettes. Depending on their sophistication, they may constantly monitor speed, braking, seat-belt use and other factors. Recordings are made in five-second spans. What's captured is the final five seconds leading up to a crash, or to the instant the car's electronic brain determines an air bag should deploy.
Similar technology has been used to create other car data recorders, such as those that now monitor crash forces felt by NASCAR (news - web sites) drivers. And several private firms have also begun marketing devices that can be added to vehicles to measure on-road performance of teens, taxi drivers and ambulance crews.
GM gave a California company permission in 2000 to sell a computer program to download data. Since then, information from black boxes has been showing up more frequently in accident investigations and in court:
* In January in Fort Myers, Fla., a black box caused jurors to question the prosecution's argument that John Robert Walker was speeding recklessly before a head-on crash with another vehicle. Two people died. Walker was found not guilty after a defense expert testified his truck's black box showed he was drivi
Slashdot Mirror
yes i do, it is much easier to read.
I asked a geek "Do you have a girlfriend?". He responded with a very puzzled look. "A girlfriend?," he mused, "Who is the developer?". I chuckled and told him this was not an open source project. He then became slightly angry and inquired, "Are you trying to insult me? Only the best geeks use open source only! What planet are you living on?!". I reassured him I was well aware of his integrity as a geek (white skin, clumsy, pants that are too short, lack of daily shower, pocket protector etc), and explained, "A girlfriend is a female who to a male (most oftenly a male) has an intimate friendship." He gave me a very confused look. "I have never heard of such a thing.. this.. g-g-irlfriend?" He asked me, sounding very baffled. "I have heard of friends before, those pets other people have. But what is this thing you say.. Grill?". "Girl," I corrected. Then I asked him to sit down on a bench nearby so I could explain it too him, the poor, helpless thing.
I told him that for human beings to reproduce, sexual intercourse must occur between a male and a female. "Perhaps you hear the trolls mention a thing called "pussy" on slashdot?". The geek burst into laughter, "Haha, you have been browsing at -1 lately, haven't you? You know that is just troll talk. Those silly trolls never have anything intelligent to say." My face turned serious. "My dear geek, are you not aware of the female population amongst you? Do you not stare in the street and want to hump a post when you pass by a hot, slim, gorgeous looking chick with a firm bust and well sculpted ass?". The geek immediately began to appear as if we was having a nervous breakdown. His glasses began to fog up and he took them off to wipe them with this linux embroidered shirt, "I think I know what you are talking about. Those things are icky. They have cooties. Get away from me!" I felt offended. "Nonsense, I pleaded! Pussy is a beautiful thing. A sacred thing that you should strive to give pleasure to."
The geek would not listen and he began to cry. "STOP IT!! You are EVIL!!" He then, quite geekishly, skipped off down the path. I walked back to my house feeling rather disheartened. 'Why don't they listen to me' I asked myself? When I got home my girlfriend opened the door. She was wearing short-shorts and a sports bra. She had been doing the thigh master for the past 30 minutes and was sweating. I could see her dark nipples underneath her slightly damp bra. Oh god I could fuck her to the moon and back. I could smell her horniness the second I took my shoes off. I chased her, both of us laughing, to our bedroom [THE FOLLOWING has been censored for the well-being of geeks].... Six hours later, finally satisfied a little, I sat up and noticed that same geek hiding in the trees. He had been watching us the entire time. I swear his penis had to have been the size of a fucking horse cock (not bad for a geek, i might add), and he appeared as if he had gone into a state of shock. I could see cum stains forming near the bulge of his pant zipper. I thought to myself. There is one geek, finally brought into the real world.
Been There, Done That
Published: May 26, 2003
E3 is a glorious time. This month's expo was bursting at the seams with all of the new products that will be pouring into stores over the next two years. The amount of information that streamed out of the show was so overwhelming I was tempted to shut down from sheer overload. Yet the truly remarkable thing was how little of what surfaced during E3 represents an original idea.
Stop me if you've heard this one before: "Coming soon to next-generation consoles and the PC is a military-themed 3D shooter in which players take the role of a Special Forces agent assigned to eliminating terrorist threats around the globe." Or this: "Players will soon be able to enjoy life as a wizard in an online fantasy world filled with orcs and elves." Ugh. We seem to be quickly approaching a point where retail shelves offer innumerable variations of two games - retooled and retitled but nonetheless staggeringly derivative: Counter-Strike on steroids and EverQuest clones. (CPL president Angel Munoz coined the term "Counter-Strike on steroids" during a conversation we had about the lack of innovation in the industry.)
Clearly things haven't boiled down to that point - but they seem to be heading that way. The reason is simple: Games are no different from any other business when it comes to milking the overworked nipples of a cash cow for everything they've got. This is hardly a revelation - as the industry has long been willing to sell its soul for a dollar. What other reasons could there be for the self-imposed exile of Sierra's early giants of the adventure genre? Why else would the legendary Sid Meier continue dipping into his reservoir of classics and updating them for new generations of players? The game industry's thinking has become dismally linear and one-dimensional.
A Devil's advocate might ask: "Who can blame game companies for taking sure bets?" The list of publishers who aren't bleeding money and employees is a short one. Expensive gambles like The Sims Online aren't paying off. And product development is becoming increasingly expensive as better hardware permits more glitz and sparkle. Who would condemn the industry for extracting every ounce of value out of a successful idea? Certainly not me. I'm looking forward to Doom III and Half-Life 2 as much as every other fan of 3D shooters. Where I begin having a problem is when that process starts treading on the grounds of creativity and originality.
Case in point: You've probably read that Funcom is shunning the point-and-click roots of The Longest Journey in favor of a developing 3D action-adventure sequel. This news wouldn't be so disappointing if the original game wasn't a minor classic - and if store shelves weren't already saturated with third-person romps manufactured in the same mold. I can imagine how disheartening this news is to fans of the first installment - but the truly worrying aspect of this development is series creator Ragnar Tornquist's statement to Adventure Gamers that "the era of point-and-click adventures is over." Tornquist is a talented designer with an elegant style and a knack for storytelling - but forgive me if I can't help seeing irony in the developers of The Longest Journey taking a shortcut to success in an industry stricken by a lack of originality.
Perhaps Funcom believes its titles need mainstream appeal. The logic of many publishers dictates that most end users desire simplicity in concept and execution. This line of thinking suggests the best games are those that can be explained in easy catch phrases - much like the high concept movie pitches of Hollywood: We want "Star Wars" meets "Beverly Hills Cop." "Raiders of the Lost Ark" meets "Tootsie." Pacman meets Tomb Raider. This gives consumers an immediate point of reference and keeps marketing people from having to think too hard to sell a product. If my dollars were on the line - and they're not - I'd certainly choose my investments carefully and strive for fiscal optimization.
But success doe
The IMfree, which looks like a bit like an overgrown beeper, comes with a battery, a charger and a little USB base station.
IM from anywhere
in your house
Motorola's IMfree aims
at young teen audience
REVIEW
By Gary Krakow
MSNBC
May 20 -- "Just what the world needs," I thought at first, "another portable device that does one task and one task only." But Motorola's new wireless instant messaging device was never intended for the likes of me and it may just be perfect for its target audience.
INTRODUCING THE IMfree, a cordless phone-like device for the generation that uses instant messaging more than the phone. With IMfree, children can IM to their hearts' delight anywhere in their homes -- or at least until the batteries need recharging.
Motorola is marketing IMfree to young teens, and to young teenage girls in particular, because they found this group was a heavy user of instant messaging services. (Girls take to it immediately. Boys begin taking to it when they want to begin chatting with girls.)
Like a cordless phone, IMfree works through a hub that must stay in one place -- in other words, no taking this device to school. But that may not matter much to a young girl who'd rather IM her friends from her bedroom, even if the computer is in the living room or den. And her parents may appreciate being able to use the computer again.
HOW IT WORKS
At first glance, the device looks like an overgrown pager (not surprising since Motorola makes pagers). It is 4.5 by 4.8 by 1.3 inches, weighs in at a hefty 9 ounces and has a 9-line, black and white display.
To use IMfree, you must attach its base unit via a USB port to your home computer, preferably one with a broadband (DSL or cable modem) connection to the Web. The PC (no support for Macs yet) must then be on and running special software which allows up to seven IMfree devices to communicate on the Internet and permits users access to their IM buddy lists. The software runs in the background, however, allowing you to do other tasks while IMfrees are in use.
The software also comes with built-in parental controls allowing adults to limit who can send messages to the handheld and block certain chat invitations. Parents can also disable individual handsets manually, or use the software to set limits, automatically disabling the handheld during certain times of the day.
The device itself communicates with its base station on public 900 MHz frequencies, just like a cordless phone. Under the best conditions the maximum range is also like that of a cordless phone: 150 feet.
Assuming you can type quickly, you can conduct up to six IM conversations at the same time on the IMfree. At the moment, the device only works with AOL Instant Messenger, which you can sign-up for for free without subscribing to AOL. Other instant messaging services may be an option in the future.
THE REAL CRITICS
I played with IMfree for a few minutes and thought it was a good idea - but I'm not anywhere near the target audience. So, I had Motorola send one to my niece and nephew in Florida to get a true view of how IMfree's intended users will like it.
Courtney, age 13, thinks they've targeted her needs perfectly:
"I was so excited when the package arrived and could not wait to get started with it. The set up required a little assistance from my brother and mom, but once I got it working, I thought it was the greatest thing since the cell phone.
"The best thing about it is the connection. We have it hooked up to our DSL, so I am able to access it anytime. I also really like how easy it is to work. It works faster than my computer (via modem) and doesn't take up a phone line. (My brother has the DSL connection on his computer).
"I also really enjoy the ability to walk around my house or sit by the pool and still be able to "talk" online. It is very efficient."
Older brother Bradley, a
"The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible," Albert Einstein once remarked.
Perhaps the world is indeed comprehensible to a genius like Einstein. And -- with the launch of a new website on Monday -- at least Einstein himself will be a bit more comprehensible to the world.
In addition to the voluminous collection of Einstein's writings, some never before published and none previously available online, the website will house an extensive database of 40,000 documents, images and research on Einstein's life and work, as well as digitized copies of Einstein's professional and personal correspondence and pages from his notebooks and travel diaries.
The site will include documents refuting popular beliefs about Einstein. He was not a bad student -- the only subject he flunked was French. He didn't work for the U.S. government on top-secret projects like the atom bomb; instead, he was for many years monitored by the FBI as a possible threat to national security. And he was, as his personal letters prove, an unrepentant flirt.
The new website, which goes live Monday at 3 p.m. EST, is the result of a year-long cooperative effort between the Albert Einstein Archives at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Einstein Papers Project at the California Institute of Technology.
"It is a beautiful collaboration between two continents," said Diana Kormos Buchwald, director and general editor of the Einstein Papers Project. "We hope it will serve both the general public and researchers equally well."
The site was launched to compliment the day-long symposium on Einstein's life and work being held Monday at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
At the symposium, among other subjects, researchers will discuss 2,000 unpublished pages of calculations recently found in Einstein's files. Kormos Buchwald said the calculations are connected with Einstein's pursuit of a Grand Unified Theory.
Einstein firmly believed he would be able to describe every single law of physics through one simple mathematical equation. Although he devoted 35 years to his quest for the Unified Theory, it's believed he failed to discover that magic calculation.
But Kormos Buchwald said the 2,000 pages of notes, seemingly written shortly before Einstein's death in 1955, have yet to be fully explored.
"We have a lot of wonderful research to do yet, a lot of work ahead of us," Kormos Buchwald said. The calculations eventually will be posted on the website. The Einstein Papers Project plans to publish more than 14,000 Einstein-related documents in a 25-volume series called, aptly enough, "The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein."
The eight volumes that are available so far contain Einstein's writings and correspondence from his youth to age 40. They include his major papers on the theory of special relativity, general relativity, the quantum theory of light and matter, as well as a wealth of lesser-known contributions on many aspects of science, education, international reconciliation, Zionism and pacifism.
The website will present records for all items that have been edited and annotated by scholars, and those that have appeared in "The Collected Papers."
Approximately 500 previously unpublished documents, uncovered during the past 25 years from private collections and university archives, also will be available on the website.
Einstein Archives Online was developed in collaboration with the information technology and photo-reprography departments of Hebrew University's Jewish National and University Library, the library's David and Fela Shapell Digitization Project and the Princeton University Press.
Einstein's personal papers were bequeathed to Hebrew University in his last will and testament. The Albert Einstein Archives have been housed at the school since 1982, after being held at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, so U.S. scholars and scientists could review them.
Introduction
This project is a plan to incorporate the three primary uses of the existing nationwide cable network, voice, data and video, into one convenient and easy-to-use package that will satisfy most consumers' communication needs at a
fair price.
The long term goal of this project is to maximize shareholder return by becoming the standard by which both urban and suburban American people access these communications mediums. In the short term, the goal is to maintain and increase existing market share by creating a competitive advantage over competitors with overlapping markets using the existing infrastructure.
Detailed Background of Subject
Much money and time has been invested in setting up the infrastructure for a nationwide, high-speed cable network. However, market share has been fragmented between many competitors. Today, the cable industry is fighting a battle with the satellite TV, high-speed DSL internet access, and telco phone service companies. Most of these competitors are more formidable in size and financial health.
Currently, cable is the only medium that can simultaneously offer all three means of communication whereas every other competitor is only able to offer one or two means of communication using its existing infrastructure. Therefore, the cable infrastructure has enormous potential. Despite the possible marketing alliances between satellite television and internet (dial-up and DSL services) companies to provide all three services in conjunction to the consumer, they are still unable to provide these services through a single infrastructure. However, the virtual bundling of these services offered by cable competitors still poses a threat to existing cable market share.
Detailed Problem Explanation
If the cable industry were to continue in its current ways, it would face high churn and a relatively shrinking customer base. Furthermore, the cable industry would lose its opportunity to create a competitive advantage. Factors that contribute to this problem include:
DSL will continue growing twice as fast as cable modems.
Satellite TV would continue convincing cable customers to switch over with more attractive packages.
Cable would never enter the telephone industry due to the customer being used to their existing regional phone services.
While cable operators can expect steep competition from satellite and telecom vendors, Cable currently is the only network architecture of its kind capable of offering not only digital video, high-speed data, and telephony, but other interactive services such as home networking, remote home security monitoring, video conferencing, interactive TV/games, and others. With millions already invested in cable and plant upgrades, many believe that Cable operators are positioned for success if the right decisions are made.
Cable companies must recognize the fact that their infrastructure already contains large amounts of unused capital. This, in effect, translates into a "free" investment, that is, it can use all this extra bandwidth that it has to offer great services at a very low marginal cost.
Competitors have reduced prices of packages which then, combined with free equipment promotions, free installation promotions, and multi-receivers, are compelling packages that are eating up more market share.
Objectives
We envision...
Using the huge infrastructure and bandwidth muscle to eliminate satellite TV from the urban and suburban areas by adding more content-rich and interactive features beyond the bandwidth that satellite TV is capable of handling.
Delivering cable TV, high-speed internet access, telephone with video conferencing, static-free radio, on-demand games and movies, and more through one single medium. Essentially, the cable line becomes the only link needed between the home and the outside world for all cable subscribers.
Offering a local wireless network within each household by which content is distributed, e
FORT LAUDERDALE -- So-called ''black boxes,'' which have provided valuable information in determining what has caused airliners to crash, are now being used to help tell what happened in automobile accidents. And information from the computerized devices is increasingly finding its way into civil and criminal courtrooms, where judges and juries are trying to determine who is at fault in car crashes. Some prosecutors and defense lawyers say that the data from black boxes, which are on about 40 million cars in the USA, provide an unbiased account of accidents. But privacy advocates are raising warnings about how information from the boxes is being used. In a trial that opened here this week, , prosecutors hope that measurements obtained from the black box on Edwin Matos' 2002 Pontiac Trans Am will tell what happened seconds before his car slammed into another one occupied by two teenage girls. Matos, 46, is accused of driving drunk when the collision occurred on Aug. 17, 2002, in Pembroke Pines, Fla. The girls were killed. Prosecutors say that black-box evidence will show Matos was driving four times the posted speed limit of 30 mph at the time of the crash. Matos has pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Roberto Stanziale, plans to call the black-box data into question. Black-box recorders have been used on airplanes since the dawn of aviation. Wilbur and Orville Wright used crude machines to record basic information about flights. Starting in the jet era, flight data recorders became integral to investigating crashes. Most drivers unaware of them Initially, they tracked an airplane's movements so investigators could piece together an aircraft's final moments. Steady improvements have broadened the amount of information these recorders store. The latest models record thousands of measurements, from engine temperature readings to the positions of switches in the cockpit. Surveys indicate most motorists don't know that cars have black boxes. But their use is on the rise. Unlike the aviation models, which are required by federal law to be on aircraft, the black boxes in autos are used in safety investigations only as an afterthought. They were installed on newer-model cars to trigger air bags. Because they are not required, no exact figures exist on their use. But experts say that most U.S. automakers began installing some forms of the device in the 1990s. They have found information from the boxes valuable in product-liability lawsuits and in designing safer cars. And, while a black box on a jet can store data on dozens of flights, the boxes on motor vehicles vary widely in how much information they record and in how accessible it is to anyone other than manufacturers. Only General Motors, and to a lesser extent, Ford, have made information from their boxes easily accessible to third parties. The boxes are usually silver, not black, and about the size of a pack of cigarettes. Depending on their sophistication, they may constantly monitor speed, braking, seat-belt use and other factors. Recordings are made in five-second spans. What's captured is the final five seconds leading up to a crash, or to the instant the car's electronic brain determines an air bag should deploy. Similar technology has been used to create other car data recorders, such as those that now monitor crash forces felt by NASCAR (news - web sites) drivers. And several private firms have also begun marketing devices that can be added to vehicles to measure on-road performance of teens, taxi drivers and ambulance crews. GM gave a California company permission in 2000 to sell a computer program to download data. Since then, information from black boxes has been showing up more frequently in accident investigations and in court: * In January in Fort Myers, Fla., a black box caused jurors to question the prosecution's argument that John Robert Walker was speeding recklessly before a head-on crash with another vehicle. Two people died. Walker was found not guilty after a defense expert testified his truck's black box showed he was drivi