That's a very good point. The way the human population grows in combination with the way we use the resources on Earth, it is theoretically possible that we run out of resources and need to colonize other planets. In that context, searching for a habitable planet is highly practical in the long run.
Reminds me of how Q in StarTrek says that humans are like a virus and that we infect planets.
As opposed to what people seem to be suggesting, I don't think they are trying to replace kilogram with a brand-new unit, but just changing the definition. You would still say the brick is 1Kg; however, that will no longer mean that your brick is equivalent to the platinum-iridium cylinder, but a constant as defined by a unchanging natural phenomenon as suggested by the scientists...
Not to mention, this guy is a game programmer. He's not coding for NASA or nuclear scientists...
How are these so different? The many engines (3D, speech, SFX, animation...) that run in a game are incredibly sofisticated with lots of concern for physics. There are many people researching the optimization of things that likely will be most useful in the gaming industry (or have application in, well, the research field) and game companies hire these people for their ideas.
I find that very demeaning. A game programmer has much the same integrety as a science programmer or a nuclear scientist. Programming a game is fun because you're working with the game, but the work involved is just as difficult as any other programmer's work.
Plus, coders usually expect to put in some unpaid overtime every once in a while to fix emergencies. But the consistent long hours are definitely not part of the contract.
I wonder if companies will produce DivX DVDs/CDs for retail sales... that would be pretty neat.
Come to think of it, this is kind of like buying an MP3 stereo/player. I still haven't seen any MP3 CD at my local CD retail yet, but I've seen people burning their own MP3 CDs. At least there aren't record companies going after these MP3 player makers yet, hopefully this will hold true for these divx players.
Re:Obligatory references in the spirit of FARK.COM
on
Upgrade Your Dog
·
· Score: 1
I, for one, welcome our new canine overlords who will force us to have mandatory walks with them or report us to SPCA.
I agree with the first poster that it is not a surprise that they adhere to Chinese laws when feeding content to a Chinese audience.
In fact, I think it would be odd if they don't. There is simply no point in jeopardizing their business this way.
This reminds me of the whole Kazaa Lite censorship stuff, where they took a rather conservative route in obeying the law. But I think their stance in the legal area should save them lots of trouble dealing with the implications.
My largest rant about games nowadays is that companies seem to spend so much time/money on graphics the contents is, well, lacking. This seems to be slowly changing of late. But, heh, I always get suckered into buying Nintendo stuff because I am a huge fan of the few genres that they have come up with. Zelda and Metroid, even with good graphics, still maintain good game content, and I still buy one after another.
Interesting you should say that. MMORPGs on phones has been a huge hit in Japan. For example, my favourite game, Tengai Makyou (aka Far East of Eden) has been re-released on the GameCube and PS2, almost at the same time they did a FOMA version of Tengai Mobile.
I am starting to pick up on clicking the end of the URL, ^U and then middle click. Or, click the middle of the URL, and ^K to kill the rest of the line.
At home (on Windows) I use the True X-Mouse Gizmo which makes Windows mouse more X-like(select = copy, middle = paste, raise/lower window). One thing nice about it is if you explicitly hit ^C (as opposed to select copy) it knows to not copy the next time you select some text. You can also middle-click while dragging to turn on/off copy.
This is kind of confusing at the beginning, but it sure beats all the accidental copying I've done.
The spire was installed on 9 October; thus, the full height was attained. The building isn't due to complete until 2004.
I must say, having lived in Taiwan for 15 years, that I think the scariest are the earthquakes and typhoons -- tall buildings are pretty shakey without any wind already. I wonder what a combination (worst-case scenario) could do...
Wow, didn't know there are so many UW people here.
From what I understand, MS signed a deal with Engineering and they are required to do.NET and what-not. I didn't realize the deal fell through.
Microsoft Canada does have an academic alliance with UW, that's how the students get free copies of Windows XP and such MS products.
Apparently, this is a subscription for universities, so part of our money goes there. I think this does benefit both sides of the deal because (1) over half the people in the University (artsies, etc) need the Windows liscences because they are not UNIX-compatible, so the University is getting a good deal on getting what the students need and (2) Microsoft gets to expand its territory in terms of user-base (it always sickens me how upper-year CS people -- who are required to use UNIX because the University no longer gives them a windows account -- take up a UNIX terminal only to start up WinCenter, a Windows emulation for UNIX).
IMO, Microsoft Canada has been VERY active in trying to get future software engineers to learn.NET. I have gone to a MS seminar geared towards undergrads that can be summed up as propaganda on how great.NET is (3 hours long, includes a free dinner), then at the end they give you a free copy of VS.NET as well as some pamphlets. They followed up with a free online.NET course which I went through as well; this comes with a free.NET textbook (hardcover, weighs a ton; probably cost about $100, CAD), a free copy of Windows XP Pro and a free copy of VS.NET (again). The strategy makes sense because it potentially builds up Gates's Army, and there will be more MS products in the future, which means more people will be (forced) to use Windows and related products. For us students, this is a deal that is hard to resist since Windows programming is mainstream. and we get the free software (which we always try and pay for, of course).
All in all, as much as I support the open source movement, I have to give it to Microsoft for keeping an eye on the long-term future. Well, I guess they just have enough money to put aside for that purpose unlike others...
Slashdot Mirror
That's a very good point. The way the human population grows in combination with the way we use the resources on Earth, it is theoretically possible that we run out of resources and need to colonize other planets. In that context, searching for a habitable planet is highly practical in the long run.
Reminds me of how Q in StarTrek says that humans are like a virus and that we infect planets.
As opposed to what people seem to be suggesting, I don't think they are trying to replace kilogram with a brand-new unit, but just changing the definition. You would still say the brick is 1Kg; however, that will no longer mean that your brick is equivalent to the platinum-iridium cylinder, but a constant as defined by a unchanging natural phenomenon as suggested by the scientists...
Not to mention, this guy is a game programmer. He's not coding for NASA or nuclear scientists...
How are these so different? The many engines (3D, speech, SFX, animation...) that run in a game are incredibly sofisticated with lots of concern for physics. There are many people researching the optimization of things that likely will be most useful in the gaming industry (or have application in, well, the research field) and game companies hire these people for their ideas.
I find that very demeaning. A game programmer has much the same integrety as a science programmer or a nuclear scientist. Programming a game is fun because you're working with the game, but the work involved is just as difficult as any other programmer's work.
Plus, coders usually expect to put in some unpaid overtime every once in a while to fix emergencies. But the consistent long hours are definitely not part of the contract.
I wonder if companies will produce DivX DVDs/CDs for retail sales... that would be pretty neat.
Come to think of it, this is kind of like buying an MP3 stereo/player. I still haven't seen any MP3 CD at my local CD retail yet, but I've seen people burning their own MP3 CDs. At least there aren't record companies going after these MP3 player makers yet, hopefully this will hold true for these divx players.
I, for one, welcome our new canine overlords who will force us to have mandatory walks with them or report us to SPCA.
Or do they do that already?
I agree with the first poster that it is not a surprise that they adhere to Chinese laws when feeding content to a Chinese audience.
In fact, I think it would be odd if they don't. There is simply no point in jeopardizing their business this way.
This reminds me of the whole Kazaa Lite censorship stuff, where they took a rather conservative route in obeying the law. But I think their stance in the legal area should save them lots of trouble dealing with the implications.
My largest rant about games nowadays is that companies seem to spend so much time/money on graphics the contents is, well, lacking. This seems to be slowly changing of late. But, heh, I always get suckered into buying Nintendo stuff because I am a huge fan of the few genres that they have come up with. Zelda and Metroid, even with good graphics, still maintain good game content, and I still buy one after another.
Interesting you should say that. MMORPGs on phones has been a huge hit in Japan. For example, my favourite game, Tengai Makyou (aka Far East of Eden) has been re-released on the GameCube and PS2, almost at the same time they did a FOMA version of Tengai Mobile.
I am starting to pick up on clicking the end of the URL, ^U and then middle click. Or, click the middle of the URL, and ^K to kill the rest of the line.
At home (on Windows) I use the True X-Mouse Gizmo which makes Windows mouse more X-like(select = copy, middle = paste, raise/lower window). One thing nice about it is if you explicitly hit ^C (as opposed to select copy) it knows to not copy the next time you select some text. You can also middle-click while dragging to turn on/off copy.
This is kind of confusing at the beginning, but it sure beats all the accidental copying I've done.Well, at my university, there a rule that if a prof chooses to use a book he/she wrote, all profits made must be donated to charities of some form.
Solves part of the problem, anyway.
Will
The spire was installed on 9 October; thus, the full height was attained. The building isn't due to complete until 2004.
I must say, having lived in Taiwan for 15 years, that I think the scariest are the earthquakes and typhoons -- tall buildings are pretty shakey without any wind already. I wonder what a combination (worst-case scenario) could do...
Wow, didn't know there are so many UW people here.
From what I understand, MS signed a deal with Engineering and they are required to do .NET and what-not. I didn't realize the deal fell through.
Microsoft Canada does have an academic alliance with UW, that's how the students get free copies of Windows XP and such MS products.
Apparently, this is a subscription for universities, so part of our money goes there. I think this does benefit both sides of the deal because (1) over half the people in the University (artsies, etc) need the Windows liscences because they are not UNIX-compatible, so the University is getting a good deal on getting what the students need and (2) Microsoft gets to expand its territory in terms of user-base (it always sickens me how upper-year CS people -- who are required to use UNIX because the University no longer gives them a windows account -- take up a UNIX terminal only to start up WinCenter, a Windows emulation for UNIX).
IMO, Microsoft Canada has been VERY active in trying to get future software engineers to learn .NET. I have gone to a MS seminar geared towards undergrads that can be summed up as propaganda on how great .NET is (3 hours long, includes a free dinner), then at the end they give you a free copy of VS.NET as well as some pamphlets. They followed up with a free online .NET course which I went through as well; this comes with a free .NET textbook (hardcover, weighs a ton; probably cost about $100, CAD), a free copy of Windows XP Pro and a free copy of VS.NET (again). The strategy makes sense because it potentially builds up Gates's Army, and there will be more MS products in the future, which means more people will be (forced) to use Windows and related products. For us students, this is a deal that is hard to resist since Windows programming is mainstream. and we get the free software (which we always try and pay for, of course).
All in all, as much as I support the open source movement, I have to give it to Microsoft for keeping an eye on the long-term future. Well, I guess they just have enough money to put aside for that purpose unlike others...