The nice thing about this approach is that everyone can use a browser even if they don't have an internet connection and they can get visual feedback (remember TURTLE?). And for some non-trival javascript check out the5k.org.
While I can manage to get done what I need to do in JavaScript I would like to see a better way to handle integers that having to use parseInt with a radix every time I want to get a number evaluated properly.
FWIW Nokia has been light years ahead of the U.S. in cell phone technology for over a decade. Hell, just look at the Nokia Communicator. This phone doubles as a pda (and has for several years!). Unfortunately the U.S. markets feel that there is no need for these kind of features so we get stuck with crap for web browsing phones and absolutly astronomical pricing for any data aware wireless devices. I think that this will bode well for Nokia, but we will not see the benifits until Amercian consumers realize that they have been getting second-class wireless data communications and decide to do something about it.
Why can't we just accept a better product when it is already out there instead of having to wait for Microsoft to develop a 'new software tedchnology' and wait still longer for hardware vendors to use it and still end up with an inferior product.
On Ask Slashdot last week was an article about rolling your own operating system.
My guess is that you have a little bootloader which relies to some degree on the BIOS that would let you paint a menu and allow selection of the operating system.
When I got my Apple ][ it had onboard 16K of ROM.
Somewhere in that manual was a funky command:
>CALL -151
This lead to the system monitor ROM. From here I discovered how to dump the content of the ROM with the hex address and an 'L' something like:
*FF00L
After a bunch of listings I found the address which was hard wired in the system as the first instruction to be executed when the computer was powered on; and from there basically reverse engineered the whole machine in order to get a feel for why it did what it did.
Now a days I'd suggest that you look at your hardware's BIOS and the calls made available to the operating system by it. Most but all os's work off the bios.
For some real fun, grab an 8080 system and reverse engineer it. Remember, Linus took a course where they looked at MINIX for the 286, all he wanted to do was make it work on his 386 and use the full capibilities of the processor.
So then, as in the sci-fi classic Killers from space; the aliens can not only steal power by parallel induction, but they can also tap communications and send spam!
Since RFID tags are passive, shouldn't it be possible to produce an RFID tag which would produce a jamming signal when activated by the external RF source?
Sierra's Outpost was a blast! I must have landed on that mars like planet and launched dozens of colonies. Tweak a little of this or a little of that kind of things. Then talk about the red light districts and Chia-Pet factories! Dig dig dig, build build build, then finally the science and technology to make another rocket and blast off to the stars.
Never did like the sequal, though. Always hoped to see a combined game in which you had to build your bases and stuff like a realtime, but then had the option of flying various ships from the front seat, sort of like Privateer or Tachyon Fringe.
George W. Bush is expected to announce shortly the Timber Reclamation Act of 2004 in which all wood framed houses will be demolished and the lumber reclaimed and recycled to produce "Goverment Bond" in an effort to avoid a predicted paper shortfall for government documents.
"I want to make it perfectly clear to every one in the world that just because I'm shortsighted does not mean that I can afford not to be misudnerstood."
My view of patents for software is that they are the antithesis of innovation. However there are a few notable exceptions; such as token-ring. Between the dns translation patent and today's modification of the XFree86 terms I wonder (jokingly) if I could file a patent for the technology to include copyright information in source code. On the flip side I constatly have to fight my bosses who won't put my work into the public domain to try and convince them that there is nothing patentable in it! But back to the point at hand:
If we're on the same page; then what harm would happen if a USPTO examiner were to read/. for general background information and/or post a question relating to the background material on which the patent is based? I recently had a runin with the sh/bash command SET. So I posted a question in the newsgroups and not only found out the what and why of the problem, but the how and history of the solution.
With so many knowledgeable people out there, a well constructed question to the right collective (usenet, slashdot) might save hundreds of hours in terms of looking where the light is better, without compromising the integrity of their investigations. They need not take the information gleaned therein as gospel, but as an opportunity enhance their worldview, specifically where it comes to the internet and opensource movements. While the entire history of each may not be represented, there are enough clues to enable the investigators to follow, and in many cases contact the principals, to determine the truth to both their personal satisfaction and professional standards.
After all, you're admittedly a/. reader and contributor so there is value here; and clearly it goes beyond entertainment!
I'm in Health Informatics, and we have several specialized news services. Unfortunately the minimum time from acceptance for publication in a peer reviewed journal to publication typically runs from 18 months to three years. Additionally, we wait for the data in those Journals to be released in searchable electronic format, that's usually another year. So now we're talking 2.5 to 4 years.
Then there's the little matter of people actually accessing the data, verifying for themselves the validity of the data and sharing it with their peers. This too is often measured in years. Now we're up to 3+ years (often as many as 8 years) behind 'the wave' minimum. Even the New England Journal of Medicine has recognized this fact and has, on occasion, published the results of some specific studies on their website prior to publication in their journal.
My point is that while IP layers may be pressed into obfusticating the environment surrounding a technology by their greedy masters, the folks at the USPTO need to 'bridge the gap' between the previously published material and the bleeding edge of technology; in order to be more completely informed when evaluating patents. Just because the legal precedents in the process of evaluation do not require the use of these new technologies does not mean that the mechanism of evaluation is flawless!
Many of these so-called 'bad patents' are more-or-less 'legalized crimes' forcing the redistribution of wealth in ways that benefit a very few (rewarding the criminals) and the common middle class wage earner ends up paying the bill. I hate to see money disappear from my pockets because it is 'legal' for some IP lawyers and USPTO clerks to be uninformed!
Any lawyer stuck on where to investigate can find a wealth of information here. They can Google and Altavista and Metacrawler. The point is that researching IP in hardcopy is a total joke. IP lives at internet speeds now and without 'catching the wave,' so to speak they will always be in the wake of progress.
What would it take to generate a magnetic field strong enough to divert particles? If particles can be bent around the sensitive semiconductors this might enhance their survivability.
Before the idiots who were sending it out got it quite right there were a few goofs, a couple of which I got. I thought it was clever to simulate the bounce of an outbound e-mail rather than the usual spam wrapper.
As for SCO, when the full scope of the cost of all their crap is finally added up, I'm sure it will have cost Americans more than all the Terrorists we have faced since 1776. He'll make Enron look like a swiped candybar.
I wonder if there is enough vapor to form condensation and potential short circuts where dust might accumulate in microscopically damp areas. Other concerns include areas of unusually high magnetic activity where magnetized iron bearing minerals might form accidential circuts. Or the possibility of static discharges, like mini lightening.
Does anyone have a comprehensive list of what the rovers are designed to deal with?
It may be time to return to a soft landing strategy.
UNIVERSAL NEWS SYNDICATE - MARS The Martain Government announced today that it has suspended any direct communication between the rover and earth until it has ascertained if any code on the rover constitutes a potential violation of SCO's IP suit. A spokesbeing for the ruling faction said off the record that the suit 'really has them turning green.' To which Darl McBride replied 'If it's green I want it!'
Most Slashdot readers will be too young for this one, but this it practically a script out of Salvage 1. Andy Griffith played the salvage engineer turned astronaut who first rescues a falling satellite, and later goes after the descent stage of a LEM.
I have played with Legos for over 40 years. I've built static models, moving models, even motorized and robotic models. From basic assembly skills to advanced robotic programming I have seen Legos change in a changing world. My son was brought up on Legos, and before we got a small inflatable pool for them I too stepped on them in the dark of night; Ouch!
Over the years I have followed the gradual trends, Duplo for smaller children, Techno for teenagers and the ever growing number of theme based kits. While the Robotic kits may be the big money loser, I believe that the real killer has been all those theme kits. For 20 bucks you can get a bucket with a few hundred unspecialized pieces, or 75 pieces of highly specialized blocks. Sure a race car or three little go-karts is much more like a toy, and many other things can be built with a specialized set, but collecting Legos through these specialized sets is both expensive and time consuming. Keeping specialized blocks (hands, hats and other smaller that 2X pieces) is is difficult at best. I've probably spent a week of my life at this point sifting through that sea of parts looking for some special piece or articulating joint or gear or axle to complete a project. Don't get me wrong, specialized pieces are definitely cool! But they become a huge waste of time if you don't spend almost as much on developing your own specialized storage system to deal with them.
Then there is the whole software aspect of Legos. (Anyone remember Micorserfs?) Lego spent quite a lot on Lego software. Now there are several 'virtual lego' products. I'm sure that we all remember the Lego diagrams that show how to build something. Those drawings are some of the cleanest engineering and assembly guides around. The software was supposed to enable end users to do that kind of thing, but unfortunately it crashed more machines than it loaded on in the first few go arounds. By the time that MIT's smart brick became the model for the Robotics kits there was even a slick, GUI driven programming model; one which I'm still torn by, because it's either the slickest tool for coding or one of those just over the edge towards madness gizmos depending on how the day/stress level/project deadline is. But you can't really build with Legos at the keyboard, nor can you read most displays from the floor, so I'm not sure that the whole Lego-Computer thing was very well conceived.
Now Lego with RFID tags might be something! Plug your Lego scanner into the computer and watch thOr maybe some kind of 'Etch-a-sketch' sized pad that could display how to build something would probably work better that a computer because you can use it right where you play with Legos. Your upgrade packs could come with inventory files so that the models that were displayed could be built with the pieces on hand. Hell, even a scanner to locate that missing piece could be incorporated!
I'd hate to lose a company like Lego, so I hope that they can 're-generalize and re-integrate' their product line into today's reality.
It's not the quantity of developers as much as it is the quality of their communications coupled with the clear understanding of the task at hand. When developers share the vision of both the task at hand and similar programming standards things can evolve quite raipdly. But one or more weak links in either the skills or communication, or some genuine personal disagreements can sink projects like a stone. Development has to be a cooperative venture governed by logic, not a pissing contest!
Slashdot Mirror
The nice thing about this approach is that everyone can use a browser even if they don't have an internet connection and they can get visual feedback (remember TURTLE?). And for some non-trival javascript check out the5k.org.
i=9;
j=9;
j+=1;
i < j; (false)
parseInt(i,10) < parseInt(j,10); (true)
Why can't we just accept a better product when it is already out there instead of having to wait for Microsoft to develop a 'new software tedchnology' and wait still longer for hardware vendors to use it and still end up with an inferior product.
My guess is that you have a little bootloader which relies to some degree on the BIOS that would let you paint a menu and allow selection of the operating system.
>CALL -151
This lead to the system monitor ROM. From here I discovered how to dump the content of the ROM with the hex address and an 'L' something like:
*FF00L
After a bunch of listings I found the address which was hard wired in the system as the first instruction to be executed when the computer was powered on; and from there basically reverse engineered the whole machine in order to get a feel for why it did what it did.
Now a days I'd suggest that you look at your hardware's BIOS and the calls made available to the operating system by it. Most but all os's work off the bios.
For some real fun, grab an 8080 system and reverse engineer it. Remember, Linus took a course where they looked at MINIX for the 286, all he wanted to do was make it work on his 386 and use the full capibilities of the processor.
"What do you think of our menagerie?"
Since RFID tags are passive, shouldn't it be possible to produce an RFID tag which would produce a jamming signal when activated by the external RF source?
Never did like the sequal, though. Always hoped to see a combined game in which you had to build your bases and stuff like a realtime, but then had the option of flying various ships from the front seat, sort of like Privateer or Tachyon Fringe.
"I want to make it perfectly clear to every one in the world that just because I'm shortsighted does not mean that I can afford not to be misudnerstood."
If we're on the same page; then what harm would happen if a USPTO examiner were to read /. for general background information and/or post a question relating to the background material on which the patent is based? I recently had a runin with the sh/bash command SET. So I posted a question in the newsgroups and not only found out the what and why of the problem, but the how and history of the solution.
With so many knowledgeable people out there, a well constructed question to the right collective (usenet, slashdot) might save hundreds of hours in terms of looking where the light is better, without compromising the integrity of their investigations. They need not take the information gleaned therein as gospel, but as an opportunity enhance their worldview, specifically where it comes to the internet and opensource movements. While the entire history of each may not be represented, there are enough clues to enable the investigators to follow, and in many cases contact the principals, to determine the truth to both their personal satisfaction and professional standards.
After all, you're admittedly a /. reader and contributor so there is value here; and clearly it goes beyond entertainment!
...NOT!
Then there's the little matter of people actually accessing the data, verifying for themselves the validity of the data and sharing it with their peers. This too is often measured in years. Now we're up to 3+ years (often as many as 8 years) behind 'the wave' minimum. Even the New England Journal of Medicine has recognized this fact and has, on occasion, published the results of some specific studies on their website prior to publication in their journal.
My point is that while IP layers may be pressed into obfusticating the environment surrounding a technology by their greedy masters, the folks at the USPTO need to 'bridge the gap' between the previously published material and the bleeding edge of technology; in order to be more completely informed when evaluating patents. Just because the legal precedents in the process of evaluation do not require the use of these new technologies does not mean that the mechanism of evaluation is flawless!
Many of these so-called 'bad patents' are more-or-less 'legalized crimes' forcing the redistribution of wealth in ways that benefit a very few (rewarding the criminals) and the common middle class wage earner ends up paying the bill. I hate to see money disappear from my pockets because it is 'legal' for some IP lawyers and USPTO clerks to be uninformed!
Any lawyer stuck on where to investigate can find a wealth of information here. They can Google and Altavista and Metacrawler. The point is that researching IP in hardcopy is a total joke. IP lives at internet speeds now and without 'catching the wave,' so to speak they will always be in the wake of progress.
Just a thought.
As for SCO, when the full scope of the cost of all their crap is finally added up, I'm sure it will have cost Americans more than all the Terrorists we have faced since 1776. He'll make Enron look like a swiped candybar.
But hey; that's GREED for you.
Hell, I'd give a couple of bucks!
There's a taxi in Aspin Colorado called The Ultimate Taxi. He's been around for years and just keeps getting better.
Does anyone have a comprehensive list of what the rovers are designed to deal with?
It may be time to return to a soft landing strategy.
UNIVERSAL NEWS SYNDICATE - MARS The Martain Government announced today that it has suspended any direct communication between the rover and earth until it has ascertained if any code on the rover constitutes a potential violation of SCO's IP suit. A spokesbeing for the ruling faction said off the record that the suit 'really has them turning green.' To which Darl McBride replied 'If it's green I want it!'
Slashdotting PC MAG Priceless!
(Sorry, I just couldn't help myself!)
Most Slashdot readers will be too young for this one, but this it practically a script out of Salvage 1. Andy Griffith played the salvage engineer turned astronaut who first rescues a falling satellite, and later goes after the descent stage of a LEM.
I have played with Legos for over 40 years. I've built static models, moving models, even motorized and robotic models. From basic assembly skills to advanced robotic programming I have seen Legos change in a changing world. My son was brought up on Legos, and before we got a small inflatable pool for them I too stepped on them in the dark of night; Ouch!
Over the years I have followed the gradual trends, Duplo for smaller children, Techno for teenagers and the ever growing number of theme based kits. While the Robotic kits may be the big money loser, I believe that the real killer has been all those theme kits. For 20 bucks you can get a bucket with a few hundred unspecialized pieces, or 75 pieces of highly specialized blocks. Sure a race car or three little go-karts is much more like a toy, and many other things can be built with a specialized set, but collecting Legos through these specialized sets is both expensive and time consuming. Keeping specialized blocks (hands, hats and other smaller that 2X pieces) is is difficult at best. I've probably spent a week of my life at this point sifting through that sea of parts looking for some special piece or articulating joint or gear or axle to complete a project. Don't get me wrong, specialized pieces are definitely cool! But they become a huge waste of time if you don't spend almost as much on developing your own specialized storage system to deal with them.
Then there is the whole software aspect of Legos. (Anyone remember Micorserfs?) Lego spent quite a lot on Lego software. Now there are several 'virtual lego' products. I'm sure that we all remember the Lego diagrams that show how to build something. Those drawings are some of the cleanest engineering and assembly guides around. The software was supposed to enable end users to do that kind of thing, but unfortunately it crashed more machines than it loaded on in the first few go arounds. By the time that MIT's smart brick became the model for the Robotics kits there was even a slick, GUI driven programming model; one which I'm still torn by, because it's either the slickest tool for coding or one of those just over the edge towards madness gizmos depending on how the day/stress level/project deadline is. But you can't really build with Legos at the keyboard, nor can you read most displays from the floor, so I'm not sure that the whole Lego-Computer thing was very well conceived.
Now Lego with RFID tags might be something! Plug your Lego scanner into the computer and watch thOr maybe some kind of 'Etch-a-sketch' sized pad that could display how to build something would probably work better that a computer because you can use it right where you play with Legos. Your upgrade packs could come with inventory files so that the models that were displayed could be built with the pieces on hand. Hell, even a scanner to locate that missing piece could be incorporated!
I'd hate to lose a company like Lego, so I hope that they can 're-generalize and re-integrate' their product line into today's reality.
It's not the quantity of developers as much as it is the quality of their communications coupled with the clear understanding of the task at hand. When developers share the vision of both the task at hand and similar programming standards things can evolve quite raipdly. But one or more weak links in either the skills or communication, or some genuine personal disagreements can sink projects like a stone. Development has to be a cooperative venture governed by logic, not a pissing contest!
SunnComm came to it's senses.
Seems like they should change their motto to: "Light Lears From Reality."