Two words: extra credit. In the not too distant past when I was in school, the way to get kids involved was to get their teachers to bribe them. Anything to get out of opening the textbooks is a sure winner.
As for robotics, it is all about marketing your event. Think BattleBots and not Lost in Space.
In the end, talk with teachers at the local schools to get some insite on what they think you can offer. Check with the science, math, computer and library type people.
When my business buys a batch of laptops this year and another batch next year, as an admin I sure don't want to have to maintain two seperate hard drive images and sets of drivers (which happened to us with the Inspiron 4100/4150, then again with the Inspiron 8500/8600). As a home user I don't care about any thing other than my single model, so only the hardware specs matter.
Other things like docking station support and Windows 2000/NT support are the same: marketing driven descisions.
Also the Latitude models are supposed to be able to take more physical abuse than their Inspiron cousins. I'm still waiting to pull one apart to see for my self.
As a number of others have said, it isn't always just about the hardware you have in hand.
Many utilities will take a deposit up front instead of your SSN. Quite often the phone techs will not know about this option. It can take a number of transfers to various managers.
Unfortunately, you are correct in that some companies will not bend on this. This is when you start writing letters. Talk to local politicians. Or just give in...:(
Do not use your social security number for anything other than taxes and social security. Once someone has your name and SSN, they can sign up for credit cards in your name.
Health insurance, higher education organizations, etc. love using SSN because it is unique. These organizations can not require you to give your SSN.
When signing up for new service, write Please assign number in the SSN box. Most places I have done this with are happy to comply. If you already have accounts with your SSN as your id, CHANGE IT and just tell your doctors your insurance number changed.
I suggest visiting some of the national parks in North America. The four listed below have made the biggest impact on me. All of these have great backpacking trails and areas once you get there.
These are not what I would call "geeky" but in all honesty, most of the geek destinations have been a let down. I usually get more enjoyment out of books and articles than visiting a place. (Unless you absolutely need to make a stop by micro$oft headquarters)
While the standard is part of CDMA2000, and part of the uplink from the cell phone to the base station uses CDMA, the downlink uses TDMA exclusively to increase the total throughput. The downlink is transmitting to only ONE user at a time.
You are correct in that the base station only transmits to one user at a time.
This paper by A. Jalali, R. Padovani and R. Pankaj of Qualcomm even stated that this data is
sent "in a TDM fassion", but calling the forward link TDMA instead of CDMA is incorrect. The
forward link baseband waveform (made up of the various channels) is made up of the normal CDMA I and Q channels. From the RF, modulation, and spectrum usage standpoints, this is still CDMA.
This is in fact not even CDMA - the voice technology used by Verizon. It is a TDMA technique which uses the fact that data is NOT delay-sensitive to increase the data-rate by waiting out 'bad times'.
The second link in the post clearly states that 1xEV-DO is CDMA. Qualcomm also agrees. Traditional CDMA was standardized as IS-95 and 1xEV-DO has been standardized as IS-856 if you want to read more about the technology.
Also note that it is 2.4Mbps peak per cell sector, per cell carrier. So if you and your ten buddies are sucking down data from the same base station cell, the 2.4Mbps peak data rate is split between all of the users.
I have purchased a number of items only after watching the curves over the course of a few months.
Also look at a pricewatch curve grapher that keeps a history of prices for items in eash catagory. Quite a nice tool to compare like technologies over the past.
As for the hardware, it is small enough and has no moving parts so I don't feel bad about banging it around. It also includes an FM receiver which is cool too.
The beauty of Linux and the Open Source movement is that it is Open Source. If third party businesses want to incorporate their own ideas into Linux, they can download the source and do whatever development they want! There are some great projects out that patch against the standard Linux kernel that are not appropriate for mass distribution, for instance FreeS/WAN, XFS, JFS and Apache 2.0. Having a very small core of people decide what goes in the kernel keeps the process from getting messy and political.
Cal Poly SLO's CSC department uses the 2.0 Linux kernel for our OS classes.
Why use 2.0 and not something bleeding edge? Documentation and commentaries are more available for the 2.0 series. We used David A Rusling's The Linux Kernel online book, Linux Kernel Internals edited by Michael Beck and Tanenbaum's Modern Operating Systems.
You are right: most charities would be better off with donations of your time rather than of your money. However a bit of both are needed for most organizations to survive.
I am motivated to give of my time and money because I have seen first hand how what we consider a little can make such a big difference in the lives of those who are less fortunate than me. Seeing the joy it brings a child to not only move out of a cardboard shack into a house, but to know that there are people in the world who care about the condition of his family and are willing to help becase they can.
In general, I think it is a desire to do what you can to better society. You crank out software and go home and consume. How does that help better society in general? Does it help literacy rates go up? Does is decrease the crime rate in your city? Are less people wasting their lives on drugs? Are people happier, smarter or healther because of your contribution?
Contrary to what society and the media tell us, making and spending money is not going to make us happy and it is tearing our society down. Donating to these groups is how we can take an active part in preserving those parts of society that we see as good and benificial.
Chuck Hoberman's firm develops and builds "Unfolding Structures". These domes, spheres and other shapes can expand to something like 30 times their original volume.
Now they have toys too! These make great desk toys for work! I have the mini sphere that glows in the dark. Quite nifty!
I have not used the warping and warpto functionality of twm. However I claim that you can do anything in E that you want. Using the eesh enlightenment shell/IPC scripting interface, I was able to duplicate something like the twm
"F5" = : all : f.warpto "emacs"
Here is my humble attempt at replicating the warpto. The script takes your warpto window request as one cli argument and will find the window with a matching name that is furthest from the top of the window_list. Once a window id is extracted, we switch to the correct multiple desktop, then to the correct virtual area, then raise the window and give it the focus.
To use this in enlightenment, just setup in your keybindings to call the above script with requested target window name as the parameter to the script.
I would be willing to bet a frozen peach yogurt that there isn't anything you can't do in enlightenment with eesh and perl that any other window managers can do. For more info, run eesh and type help to see the Enlightenment IPC Commands Help. Also check out the sample-scripts directory in the latest enlightenment distribution.
I did the same thing with my trackball back when I played Descent. I couldn't keep on top of the 20-some keys anduse the mouse with my hand at the same time. With practice it's not that hard. Clicking can be tricky...
I also took apart my keyboard, added wire to some important keys, then connected them to an array of switches on the floor for use with my feet. People thought my plexiglass/tenis ball/radio shack switch gizmo was wierd, but it worked well!!!
Slashdot Mirror
Let me guess - You're not from the UK, and you've never seen the video that this is a spoof of?
Here is a clip from the Tony Christie & Peter Kay video: AmarilloTwo words: extra credit. In the not too distant past when I was in school, the way to get kids involved was to get their teachers to bribe them. Anything to get out of opening the textbooks is a sure winner.
As for robotics, it is all about marketing your event. Think BattleBots and not Lost in Space.
In the end, talk with teachers at the local schools to get some insite on what they think you can offer. Check with the science, math, computer and library type people.
Regarding Dell Latitude and Inspiron laptop lines: yes many of the specs and features are very similar or exactly the same, but one of the biggest reasons businesses go with the Latitudes is the "long life cycles" vs. the Inspiron's "latest and greatest technology" (as Dell puts it). The Inspiron models come and go, but the Latitudes stick around much longer. http://www1.us.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.as px/products/needhelp/en/compare_notebooks?c=us&cs= 04&l=en&s=bsd&~lt=popup&~tab=3
When my business buys a batch of laptops this year and another batch next year, as an admin I sure don't want to have to maintain two seperate hard drive images and sets of drivers (which happened to us with the Inspiron 4100/4150, then again with the Inspiron 8500/8600). As a home user I don't care about any thing other than my single model, so only the hardware specs matter.
Other things like docking station support and Windows 2000/NT support are the same: marketing driven descisions.
Also the Latitude models are supposed to be able to take more physical abuse than their Inspiron cousins. I'm still waiting to pull one apart to see for my self.
As a number of others have said, it isn't always just about the hardware you have in hand.
Many utilities will take a deposit up front instead of your SSN. Quite often the phone techs will not know about this option. It can take a number of transfers to various managers.
Unfortunately, you are correct in that some companies will not bend on this. This is when you start writing letters. Talk to local politicians. Or just give in... :(
Do not use your social security number for anything other than taxes and social security. Once someone has your name and SSN, they can sign up for credit cards in your name.
Health insurance, higher education organizations, etc. love using SSN because it is unique. These organizations can not require you to give your SSN.
When signing up for new service, write Please assign number in the SSN box. Most places I have done this with are happy to comply. If you already have accounts with your SSN as your id, CHANGE IT and just tell your doctors your insurance number changed.
If I were a SCO shareholder and I saw the SCOX Chart, I would be dumping my stock too!
I suggest visiting some of the national parks in North America. The four listed below have made the biggest impact on me. All of these have great backpacking trails and areas once you get there.
These are not what I would call "geeky" but in all honesty, most of the geek destinations have been a let down. I usually get more enjoyment out of books and articles than visiting a place. (Unless you absolutely need to make a stop by micro$oft headquarters)
If you make it to Washington DC, make sure to stop at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, if you are into that sort of thing.
While the standard is part of CDMA2000, and part of the uplink from the cell phone to the base station uses CDMA, the downlink uses TDMA exclusively to increase the total throughput. The downlink is transmitting to only ONE user at a time.
You are correct in that the base station only transmits to one user at a time. This paper by A. Jalali, R. Padovani and R. Pankaj of Qualcomm even stated that this data is sent "in a TDM fassion", but calling the forward link TDMA instead of CDMA is incorrect. The forward link baseband waveform (made up of the various channels) is made up of the normal CDMA I and Q channels. From the RF, modulation, and spectrum usage standpoints, this is still CDMA.
This is in fact not even CDMA - the voice technology used by Verizon. It is a TDMA technique which uses the fact that data is NOT delay-sensitive to increase the data-rate by waiting out 'bad times'.
The second link in the post clearly states that 1xEV-DO is CDMA. Qualcomm also agrees. Traditional CDMA was standardized as IS-95 and 1xEV-DO has been standardized as IS-856 if you want to read more about the technology.
Also note that it is 2.4Mbps peak per cell sector, per cell carrier. So if you and your ten buddies are sucking down data from the same base station cell, the 2.4Mbps peak data rate is split between all of the users.
make that a small variety
DI is a great site with a variaty of music styles. I have found a number of "new to me" artists and DJs here.
The web site has comment sections for discussing the current play list. The streamed mp3 format works great in Windows, Solaris, Linux, and Mac.
Here is another mirror: http://www2.shuman.org:8082/mirror/www.rm-r.net/~b ri/casemod/
:)
For now, all the sizes are there. We will see how long that lasts
Keep an eye on Pricewatch.
I have purchased a number of items only after watching the curves over the course of a few months.
Also look at a pricewatch curve grapher that keeps a history of prices for items in eash catagory. Quite a nice tool to compare like technologies over the past.
I also have a Creative Labs Nomad. The third party Linux USB support works great: http://nomadii.sourceforge.net/
As for the hardware, it is small enough and has no moving parts so I don't feel bad about banging it around. It also includes an FM receiver which is cool too.
Here are the details on the rebate that came with the 2-disc set:
$10 Mail In Rebate on Collector's DVD Gift Set
-*or*-
$5 Mail In Rebate on the Special Extended DVD & VHS Editions.
offer expires 2/28/03
It requires the reciept AND proof-of-purchase from BOTH dvds.
I picked up my copy for $15.99 at best buy. For me it is worth the 10.99 to own both versions.
"Cyber-games make children brighter"m l / 07/22/stinwenws03005.html
http://slashdot.org/articles/01/07/22/1952241.sht
http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/news/pages/sti/2001
'nuf said
The beauty of Linux and the Open Source movement is that it is Open Source. If third party businesses want to incorporate their own ideas into Linux, they can download the source and do whatever development they want! There are some great projects out that patch against the standard Linux kernel that are not appropriate for mass distribution, for instance FreeS/WAN, XFS, JFS and Apache 2.0. Having a very small core of people decide what goes in the kernel keeps the process from getting messy and political.
Benifits:
Cal Poly SLO's CSC department uses the 2.0 Linux kernel for our OS classes.
Why use 2.0 and not something bleeding edge? Documentation and commentaries are more available for the 2.0 series. We used David A Rusling's The Linux Kernel online book, Linux Kernel Internals edited by Michael Beck and Tanenbaum's Modern Operating Systems.
California ISO System Conditions Page:
http://www.caiso.com/SystemStatus.html
You are right: most charities would be better off with donations of your time rather than of your money. However a bit of both are needed for most organizations to survive.
I am motivated to give of my time and money because I have seen first hand how what we consider a little can make such a big difference in the lives of those who are less fortunate than me. Seeing the joy it brings a child to not only move out of a cardboard shack into a house, but to know that there are people in the world who care about the condition of his family and are willing to help becase they can.
In general, I think it is a desire to do what you can to better society. You crank out software and go home and consume. How does that help better society in general? Does it help literacy rates go up? Does is decrease the crime rate in your city? Are less people wasting their lives on drugs? Are people happier, smarter or healther because of your contribution?
Contrary to what society and the media tell us, making and spending money is not going to make us happy and it is tearing our society down. Donating to these groups is how we can take an active part in preserving those parts of society that we see as good and benificial.
Chuck Hoberman's firm develops and builds "Unfolding Structures". These domes, spheres and other shapes can expand to something like 30 times their original volume.
Now they have toys too! These make great desk toys for work! I have the mini sphere that glows in the dark. Quite nifty!
Hoberman SphereHoberman Mini-Sphere an expanding trapezoidal icositetrahedron-the intersection of a cube and an octahedron
Expandagon Construction System
Flight Ring (glows in the dark too!)
I forgot to check for the iconify state in the previous version. Here is version 0.02
/$ARGV[0]/, `eesh -ewait window_list`;
/\:/;
#!/usr/bin/perl
@possible_wins = grep
foreach(@possible_wins) {
chomp;
@stuff = split
$stuff[0] =~ s/\s+//g;
push @win_ids, $stuff[0];
}
$last = $#win_ids;
($tmp,$destdesk) = split(/\:/, `eesh -ewait \"win_op $win_ids[$last] desk ?\"`);
$destdesk =~ s/\s+//g;
($tmp,$destarea) = split(/\:/, `eesh -ewait \"win_op $win_ids[$last] area ?\"`);
chomp($destarea);
$destarea =~ s/^\s+//g;
($tmp,$iconify) = split(/\:/, `eesh -ewait \"win_op $win_ids[$last] iconify ?\"`);
chomp($iconify);
$iconify =~ s/\s+//g;
open IPCPIPE,"| eesh";
print IPCPIPE "goto_desktop $destdesk\n";
print IPCPIPE "goto_area $destarea\n";
if ($iconify eq 'yes') { print IPCPIPE "win_op $win_ids[$last] iconify\n"; }
print IPCPIPE "win_op $win_ids[$last] raise\n";
print IPCPIPE "set_focus $win_ids[$last]\n";
close IPCPIPE;
I have not used the warping and warpto functionality of twm. However I claim that you can do anything in E that you want. Using the eesh enlightenment shell/IPC scripting interface, I was able to duplicate something like the twm
"F5" = : all : f.warpto "emacs"
Here is my humble attempt at replicating the warpto. The script takes your warpto window request as one cli argument and will find the window with a matching name that is furthest from the top of the window_list. Once a window id is extracted, we switch to the correct multiple desktop, then to the correct virtual area, then raise the window and give it the focus.
#!/usr/bin/perl /$ARGV[0]/, `eesh -ewait window_list`;
/\:/;
@possible_wins = grep
foreach(@possible_wins) {
chomp;
@stuff = split
$stuff[0] =~ s/\s+//g;
push @win_ids, $stuff[0];
}
$last = $#win_ids;
($tmp,$destdesk) = split(/\:/, `eesh -ewait \"win_op $win_ids[$last] desk ?\"`);
chomp($destdesk);
$destdesk =~ s/\s+//g;
($tmp,$destarea) = split(/\:/, `eesh -ewait \"win_op $win_ids[$last] area ?\"`);
chomp($destarea);
$destarea =~ s/^\s+//g;
open IPCPIPE,"| eesh";
print IPCPIPE "goto_desktop $destdesk\n";
print IPCPIPE "goto_area $destarea\n";
print IPCPIPE "win_op $win_ids[$last] raise\n";
print IPCPIPE "set_focus $win_ids[$last]\n";
close IPCPIPE;
To use this in enlightenment, just setup in your keybindings to call the above script with requested target window name as the parameter to the script.
I would be willing to bet a frozen peach yogurt that there isn't anything you can't do in enlightenment with eesh and perl that any other window managers can do. For more info, run eesh and type help to see the Enlightenment IPC Commands Help. Also check out the sample-scripts directory in the latest enlightenment distribution.
Once again, kudos to Rasterman!!!
I did the same thing with my trackball back when I played Descent. I couldn't keep on top of the 20-some keys anduse the mouse with my hand at the same time. With practice it's not that hard. Clicking can be tricky...
I also took apart my keyboard, added wire to some important keys, then connected them to an array of switches on the floor for use with my feet. People thought my plexiglass/tenis ball/radio shack switch gizmo was wierd, but it worked well!!!