What were they thinking with this? They've been developing this adapter for long enough (how long has it been since they announced it was in development?) that they should have created all their games with the future in mind. What's the point of creating great games with internet access, if you intentionally leave out any sort of high speed upgradeability.
Will they have to release 'Quake 3.1', with 'new improved broadband support'? That's the only way they can get around this poor choice in system support.
> I can foresee a competition between the ad producers and proxy developers.
This is exactly what will happen. The same thing has been occurring throughout history with encryption (check out 'The Code Book', reviewed twice on slashdot). There was a new encryption method created, then a new way to crack that encryption, then a Better encryption was made, and That was cracked, etc etc.
This isn't exactly a battle of 'good' versus 'evil', either, although it seems like it might be... because most of us live in a capitalist society, and selling products or services means more money and power, companies are encouraged to come up with new advertizing schemes, and they're rewarded with increased revenue. If this means having popup ads and force-to-see ads, then so be it; as long as you click and buy something, they don't care. It's just the way it works.
Current trends in GUI design are very damaging from this POV since they further seperate the user from the program, i.e. a smaller percentage of expert computer users have any idea what is going on.
I strongly disagree with this. The whole Point of GUIs is so the user Has No Idea about how it works internally. The important thing to the user is... that it works in the first place. I don't know Anything about cars, but that doesn't keep me from driving it. I just take it into the shop when it needs repairs.
The whole theory behind GUIs is so people don't have to know how it works. That's why object-oriented design is so popular now; it encapsulates objects, while only giving access to some functions (like accessors and mutators). The programmer who made the GUI should be in control of it; just like Toyota should be in control of how their trucks' engines work with their gasket valve or whatever. As long as the user doesn't know, AND it still works, then the user is happy.
I think one of the best ideas this company has is.. basically cutting out the 'software developers' part of the game-creation cycle. They're assuming people will just create games themselves, and submit them, hoping they'll make the cut. Hell; there might even be some groups/tribes/whatever that will make games that rival N64 or PS2.... who knows. I have a strange feeling that the first few games will be Nintento-esque (16-color bitmaps walking around).
The truth is, you just can't make a console system out of thin air. Lots of work has to go into it; if you dont have software in mind, you shouldn't even Bother trying to make hardware. It's a good idea and all, but there's way too many loose strings.
What are the access times? What about data integrity? What about reliability? How much do the disks cost?
If you get really creative, you can store 140 GB on a CD-rom; the data just has to be... very compressible (like 99.999% compression; my math is probably a little off). Until I see these things in catalogs or on the store shelves, i give a big 'whoop de doo' in their general direction.
'D, the number of spatial dimensions in our universe-- that is, three. "Life could not exist if it were two or four," contends Rees.'
The sixth number really disturbs me; they say that because there are 3 spatial dimensions (and not 2 or 4), that life exists. How do we know that? As humans, we have no idea what living in a 4-dimensional universe would be like (unless there has been a lot of research into this that I'm not aware of). Some books have been written about 2-dimensional universes (check out the book 'Flatland' for a unique look at two-dimensional universes, and how multi-dimensional universes might co-exist).
Computer simulations have been made since the beginning of time that deal with 2-dimensional universes (Hell.. just about Every game before about 1990, including Pong, Super Mario Brothers, and Tetris), then with better processing power, 3-dimensional games were made (Star Fox, Mario 64). But as far as I know, there haven't been any 4-dimensional games. It's because we can't imagine a 4-dimensional world. Just because we can't see it, it doesn't mean it's not there.
The Slashdot audience is certainly a representative of the 'nerd' citizens of the United States (and internationally as well), and having a forum for open intellectual debate on the topic of the upcoming presidential election is greatly needed. Where else will our kind be able to voice our opinions without being drowned out by the mainstream? I think an example is in order....
The NRA is an active organization that fights for the American right to own handguns. Without a large group of people, mainstream America would just dismiss the random 'handguns are good' claims as 'those wacky NRA guys'. But indeed, there is strength in numbers; they have commercials playing on the radio, billboards on highways, and national recognition with their fight to get a cafe in downtown NYC. People are starting to listen, because their fight was organized and attracted attention.
Without a place to view opinions, we might as well be silent. Where else can we debate election issues??
-Egon
(btw i respect the NRA for having the desire to make change in how Americans view their association, but I don't necessarily agree with their ideaology.)
> I can't see this flick doing all that well in North America.
It all depends on their target audience. As long as they market this movie well, it could be nothing short of a blockbuster (aka X-Men, Phantom Menace, The Matrix). All it takes is smart marketing.
And besides; kids will see it because it's a cartoon, college guys will see it because it's.. well... Final Fantasy, and 'grown-ups' will go for the incredible animations that Sqaure is famous for.
At least, that's what the Marketing director will try to do; make people want to see it. I hope this movie does well; FF has had some excellent plots (ever since Nintendo's FF1:) ), and I'd love to see them on the big screen.
BTW, a black hole is a zero-dimensional object. A one-dimensional object would only have 'length' as a variable (a line), a two-dimensional object has 'length' and 'width' (a polygon). Since the black hole collapses to a single point, it's zero-dimensional.
Check out the book 'Flatland' for more on dimensions.
Just comparing file sizes of MP3s won't help any. If you look for Any song out there, most of the file sizes returned are unique; they were all ripped by different people using different software using different settings. Therefore, the ONLY way to really check for an ad-free MP3, is by listening to it from start to finish.
But you should do this anyway because tons of mp3s nowadays are ripped by amateurs; they're full of skips, imperfections, missing.5 seconds at the beginning and end, too loud, too quiet, etc etc.
Just my two cents. Don't spend it all in one place.
The way I see it, if you don't like something, instead of just sitting there, you DO something about it. I applaud Jose's actions and I'm glad someone is taking a stand on this issue.
I am strongly against the americanization of the world; and I'm going to move to London as soon as I finish college (I live in the USA right now, in a suburb of DC).... but if this keeps happening in other parts of the world (McD's and Wendy's and Burger Kings popping up everywhere), then it'll be pretty much pointless. This isnt the Land of the Free; it's the Land of the Bought.
and on a side note, I was staying in a hotel at the same time the WTO held their protest in Vancouver last summer.... quite impressive IMO. At the time i didn't know what was going on; but if I knew what I know now, I would have joined them.
What is this world coming to?? I bet no one in my family (apart from me and my dad) have heard of Linux. But it really doesn't matter, IMO... Linux has a strong support-base (just look at/.), but Windows has a strong user base. That's just the way it is. Maybe in a few years when people get mad at Microsoft, and they see Linux commercials on MTV, they'll consider them; but until then, Linux will just be one of those.... other guys.
... everyone Wake Up from your nice, cumfy beds and watch some lights in the sky. I dont want to speak for anyone, but it sounds like a lot of hubub over nothing. We can get the pics from the internet.
sorry if i sound like a bitter old man, but seriously.... this is kinda late to be stargazing... and plus it's a thursday night.
i strongly disagree, and i dont want to speak for everyone, but im pretty sure that many people would also disagree with what you said. first, the internet is a constantly-evolving structure; the creators never would have imagined that it would evolve into the incredible entity that it is today. but the fact remains that it is a new medium. BBSes and such are still around; no one is stopping anyone from using them.
and if you're interested in the old-days, the times where a 2400 BAUD modem was a luxury, then you shouldn't be complaining. sure, with java applets and graphics up the wazoo, the bandwidth is diminished, but you will Still get your 2400 baud (and i dare say, probably More than that).
the internet is whatever you want it to be. if you want it to be your shopping mall, then so be it. it can also be your newspaper, your television, your comic book, your bulletin board, or your game room for playing Quake II. the internet is a living, breathing thing. it's a dream come true for companies, and the children of today couldnt imagine a world without it.
it reroutes all the traffic a different way to the server? but.. what about updating DNS entries in other servers? i mean, you can't just go around changing paths and whatnot... and this certainly doesnt sound like 'real time' to me. maybe a few hours, maybe a few days,.... but... it seems impractical to me. *********************
what about Garbage Pail Kids?!? The 80's were all about fads. Garbage Pail Kids were THE fad. in only 4 years they insulted, disgusted, and amused little kids like nothing else could. This was like porn to me; i could never get enough. Of course, this was before i knew what porn actually Was, but i digress.
Where else can you get pictures of cabbage patch clones throwing up and urinating everywhere, for only $.25 a pack? (not to mention a FREE stick of gum!) Just amazing stuff, those garbage pail kids. It's too bad they stopped making them after four years. Oh well, all fads must end. And be thankful for that; for if they didnt, we would still have Pogs, Shrinky-Dinks, and Tamagochis everywhere.
And besides; the GPKs found a new form: the Magic card. The fad that's been going on for 7 years now, and doesnt show signs of stopping. I guess they finally found the secret to keeping fads around... or is it really a fad? all to be determined.
The Only reason you would encode at higher than 128/44 would be if you made the mp3s yourself from a wave editor or a mixing machine. Ripping from CDs should Always be 128/44 (anything higher is wasted bits). Music CDs themselves are recorded at about 120/44, btw.
i did the math: encoding mp3s at 128/44 is about 1 Mb / 1 min, so therefore a 4.6 Gb HD (which is 4710.4 Mb) can store about 4710.4 minutes, which is 78.5 hrs. That's close enough to 80 hrs, isnt it? i mean, who's gonna notice?:-)
Im sorry to say, but i agree with most of the comments on there... except for the 'free' part (if you have the resources, any software is free)... They say that NT is better than Linux for home use, and i completely agree with them. Most people, when they buy a new computer (and have no idea what they're doing) would just assume that Windows 98 (or 95) is the only operating system in the world; sort-of like the computer wont work unless it has Windows. Can you imaging someone, who has Never used a computer before, try using Linux?? It's next to impossible. It's hard enough to learn it after one has had a lot of experience with Macs or PCs. Even if it Is more stable; it doesnt help any if the user can't Use it. I mean, it makes sense, right?
I just recently installed Windows NT on my computer (to replace my two-partition Win98/RedHat5.0 OSes), and I must say, I'm very impressed with it.. Maybe it's because I'm so used to Windows.. but anyways, it's basically the standard. Even if people dont like it,
Oh Come ON!!!! im not gonna let THAT one slide.. that's just too much. WE are the great and powerful Hokies, and we WILL be respected. there's strength in numbers, man!! 28,000 to.. how many... 5,000??!?? well then. Need i say more? Feel free to talk to the hand.
Don't do this to me!!! it's bad enough that scores of people decided to make me famous by responding to my 10-line post, but PLEEEASE!! dont make me a fool at Tech!! im already in a big hole here, ya know..:o( arrrgh
well, there's always engineering.. is it too late to change majors?:-/
that was my First Post to slashdot. arrgh. i didnt know EVERYONE went here. arrgh.:-(
well i guess my secret's out.. im a sexually frustrated nerd.. and yes, i was exaggerating when i said that about the girls in the CS class.. some do look pretty good. well i hope you guys dont hate me now..
in conclusion.. i wish i hadn't written that first post.. but look at all of those responses underneath.. wierd, huh? i thought i'd get first post. argh. well, im sorry everybody.. especially u, T. dont hate me, pleeeeze!!!:o( it's a trying time for us cs majors. we're struggling!! and it's not a good thing.
Slashdot Mirror
What were they thinking with this? They've been developing this adapter for long enough (how long has it been since they announced it was in development?) that they should have created all their games with the future in mind. What's the point of creating great games with internet access, if you intentionally leave out any sort of high speed upgradeability.
Will they have to release 'Quake 3.1', with 'new improved broadband support'? That's the only way they can get around this poor choice in system support.
All I have to say is ...
** The Department of Redundancy Department **
Unless cables cost 4 figures, that's a pretty negligible cost. You can go to radio shack and get random cables for $30 tops.
-Egon
> I can foresee a competition between the ad producers and proxy developers.
... because most of us live in a capitalist society, and selling products or services means more money and power, companies are encouraged to come up with new advertizing schemes, and they're rewarded with increased revenue. If this means having popup ads and force-to-see ads, then so be it; as long as you click and buy something, they don't care. It's just the way it works.
This is exactly what will happen. The same thing has been occurring throughout history with encryption (check out 'The Code Book', reviewed twice on slashdot). There was a new encryption method created, then a new way to crack that encryption, then a Better encryption was made, and That was cracked, etc etc.
This isn't exactly a battle of 'good' versus 'evil', either, although it seems like it might be
-Egon
Current trends in GUI design are very damaging from this POV since they further seperate the user from the program, i.e. a smaller percentage of expert computer users have any idea what is going on.
... that it works in the first place. I don't know Anything about cars, but that doesn't keep me from driving it. I just take it into the shop when it needs repairs.
I strongly disagree with this. The whole Point of GUIs is so the user Has No Idea about how it works internally. The important thing to the user is
The whole theory behind GUIs is so people don't have to know how it works. That's why object-oriented design is so popular now; it encapsulates objects, while only giving access to some functions (like accessors and mutators). The programmer who made the GUI should be in control of it; just like Toyota should be in control of how their trucks' engines work with their gasket valve or whatever. As long as the user doesn't know, AND it still works, then the user is happy.
Ignorance is bliss!
-Egon
I think one of the best ideas this company has is .. basically cutting out the 'software developers' part of the game-creation cycle. They're assuming people will just create games themselves, and submit them, hoping they'll make the cut. Hell; there might even be some groups/tribes/whatever that will make games that rival N64 or PS2.... who knows. I have a strange feeling that the first few games will be Nintento-esque (16-color bitmaps walking around).
The truth is, you just can't make a console system out of thin air. Lots of work has to go into it; if you dont have software in mind, you shouldn't even Bother trying to make hardware. It's a good idea and all, but there's way too many loose strings.
-Egon
So what if it can hold 140 GB?
... very compressible (like 99.999% compression; my math is probably a little off). Until I see these things in catalogs or on the store shelves, i give a big 'whoop de doo' in their general direction.
What are the access times? What about data integrity? What about reliability? How much do the disks cost?
If you get really creative, you can store 140 GB on a CD-rom; the data just has to be
-egon
-
'D, the number of spatial dimensions in our universe-- that is, three. "Life could not exist if it were two or four," contends Rees.'
The sixth number really disturbs me; they say that because there are 3 spatial dimensions (and not 2 or 4), that life exists. How do we know that? As humans, we have no idea what living in a 4-dimensional universe would be like (unless there has been a lot of research into this that I'm not aware of). Some books have been written about 2-dimensional universes (check out the book 'Flatland' for a unique look at two-dimensional universes, and how multi-dimensional universes might co-exist).Computer simulations have been made since the beginning of time that deal with 2-dimensional universes (Hell .. just about Every game before about 1990, including Pong, Super Mario Brothers, and Tetris), then with better processing power, 3-dimensional games were made (Star Fox, Mario 64). But as far as I know, there haven't been any 4-dimensional games. It's because we can't imagine a 4-dimensional world. Just because we can't see it, it doesn't mean it's not there.
The Slashdot audience is certainly a representative of the 'nerd' citizens of the United States (and internationally as well), and having a forum for open intellectual debate on the topic of the upcoming presidential election is greatly needed. Where else will our kind be able to voice our opinions without being drowned out by the mainstream? I think an example is in order....
The NRA is an active organization that fights for the American right to own handguns. Without a large group of people, mainstream America would just dismiss the random 'handguns are good' claims as 'those wacky NRA guys'. But indeed, there is strength in numbers; they have commercials playing on the radio, billboards on highways, and national recognition with their fight to get a cafe in downtown NYC. People are starting to listen, because their fight was organized and attracted attention.
Without a place to view opinions, we might as well be silent. Where else can we debate election issues??
-Egon
(btw i respect the NRA for having the desire to make change in how Americans view their association, but I don't necessarily agree with their ideaology.)
> I can't see this flick doing all that well in North America.
.. well ... Final Fantasy, and 'grown-ups' will go for the incredible animations that Sqaure is famous for.
:) ), and I'd love to see them on the big screen.
It all depends on their target audience. As long as they market this movie well, it could be nothing short of a blockbuster (aka X-Men, Phantom Menace, The Matrix). All it takes is smart marketing.
And besides; kids will see it because it's a cartoon, college guys will see it because it's
At least, that's what the Marketing director will try to do; make people want to see it. I hope this movie does well; FF has had some excellent plots (ever since Nintendo's FF1
-Egon
BTW, a black hole is a zero-dimensional object. A one-dimensional object would only have 'length' as a variable (a line), a two-dimensional object has 'length' and 'width' (a polygon). Since the black hole collapses to a single point, it's zero-dimensional.
Check out the book 'Flatland' for more on dimensions.
-Egon
Just comparing file sizes of MP3s won't help any. If you look for Any song out there, most of the file sizes returned are unique; they were all ripped by different people using different software using different settings. Therefore, the ONLY way to really check for an ad-free MP3, is by listening to it from start to finish.
.5 seconds at the beginning and end, too loud, too quiet, etc etc.
But you should do this anyway because tons of mp3s nowadays are ripped by amateurs; they're full of skips, imperfections, missing
Just my two cents. Don't spend it all in one place.
The way I see it, if you don't like something, instead of just sitting there, you DO something about it. I applaud Jose's actions and I'm glad someone is taking a stand on this issue.
I am strongly against the americanization of the world; and I'm going to move to London as soon as I finish college (I live in the USA right now, in a suburb of DC).... but if this keeps happening in other parts of the world (McD's and Wendy's and Burger Kings popping up everywhere), then it'll be pretty much pointless. This isnt the Land of the Free; it's the Land of the Bought.
and on a side note, I was staying in a hotel at the same time the WTO held their protest in Vancouver last summer.... quite impressive IMO. At the time i didn't know what was going on; but if I knew what I know now, I would have joined them.
What is this world coming to?? I bet no one in my family (apart from me and my dad) have heard of Linux. But it really doesn't matter, IMO... Linux has a strong support-base (just look at /.), but Windows has a strong user base. That's just the way it is. Maybe in a few years when people get mad at Microsoft, and they see Linux commercials on MTV, they'll consider them; but until then, Linux will just be one of those.... other guys.
... everyone Wake Up from your nice, cumfy beds and watch some lights in the sky. I dont want to speak for anyone, but it sounds like a lot of hubub over nothing. We can get the pics from the internet.
sorry if i sound like a bitter old man, but seriously.... this is kinda late to be stargazing... and plus it's a thursday night.
just some.. um... random thoughts.
*************************
i strongly disagree, and i dont want to speak for everyone, but im pretty sure that many people would also disagree with what you said. first, the internet is a constantly-evolving structure; the creators never would have imagined that it would evolve into the incredible entity that it is today. but the fact remains that it is a new medium. BBSes and such are still around; no one is stopping anyone from using them.
and if you're interested in the old-days, the times where a 2400 BAUD modem was a luxury, then you shouldn't be complaining. sure, with java applets and graphics up the wazoo, the bandwidth is diminished, but you will Still get your 2400 baud (and i dare say, probably More than that).
the internet is whatever you want it to be. if you want it to be your shopping mall, then so be it. it can also be your newspaper, your television, your comic book, your bulletin board, or your game room for playing Quake II. the internet is a living, breathing thing. it's a dream come true for companies, and the children of today couldnt imagine a world without it.
just some random comments =)
***************
it reroutes all the traffic a different way to the server? but.. what about updating DNS entries in other servers? i mean, you can't just go around changing paths and whatnot... and this certainly doesnt sound like 'real time' to me. maybe a few hours, maybe a few days,.... but... it seems impractical to me.
*********************
what about Garbage Pail Kids?!? The 80's were all about fads. Garbage Pail Kids were THE fad. in only 4 years they insulted, disgusted, and amused little kids like nothing else could. This was like porn to me; i could never get enough. Of course, this was before i knew what porn actually Was, but i digress.
Where else can you get pictures of cabbage patch clones throwing up and urinating everywhere, for only $.25 a pack? (not to mention a FREE stick of gum!) Just amazing stuff, those garbage pail kids. It's too bad they stopped making them after four years. Oh well, all fads must end. And be thankful for that; for if they didnt, we would still have Pogs, Shrinky-Dinks, and Tamagochis everywhere.
And besides; the GPKs found a new form: the Magic card. The fad that's been going on for 7 years now, and doesnt show signs of stopping. I guess they finally found the secret to keeping fads around... or is it really a fad? all to be determined.
The Only reason you would encode at higher than 128/44 would be if you made the mp3s yourself from a wave editor or a mixing machine. Ripping from CDs should Always be 128/44 (anything higher is wasted bits). Music CDs themselves are recorded at about 120/44, btw.
:-)
i did the math: encoding mp3s at 128/44 is about 1 Mb / 1 min, so therefore a 4.6 Gb HD (which is 4710.4 Mb) can store about 4710.4 minutes, which is 78.5 hrs. That's close enough to 80 hrs, isnt it? i mean, who's gonna notice?
Im sorry to say, but i agree with most of the comments on there... except for the 'free' part (if you have the resources, any software is free)... They say that NT is better than Linux for home use, and i completely agree with them. Most people, when they buy a new computer (and have no idea what they're doing) would just assume that Windows 98 (or 95) is the only operating system in the world; sort-of like the computer wont work unless it has Windows. Can you imaging someone, who has Never used a computer before, try using Linux?? It's next to impossible. It's hard enough to learn it after one has had a lot of experience with Macs or PCs. Even if it Is more stable; it doesnt help any if the user can't Use it. I mean, it makes sense, right?
I just recently installed Windows NT on my computer (to replace my two-partition Win98/RedHat5.0 OSes), and I must say, I'm very impressed with it.. Maybe it's because I'm so used to Windows.. but anyways, it's basically the standard. Even if people dont like it,
Oh Come ON!!!! im not gonna let THAT one slide.. that's just too much. WE are the great and powerful Hokies, and we WILL be respected. there's strength in numbers, man!! 28,000 to.. how many... 5,000??!?? well then. Need i say more? Feel free to talk to the hand.
it's 'Eeeeegon' on AIM.. pretty ingenius, huh? :-) i'll be on at 7ish.. i dont have it at work :o( doeth.. my boss's room is next to mine.. heh...
:-) Thank you, T. well, im glad you're amused.. hehe.. 'cos YOUR social life isnt on the line here.. school starts in only 2 weeks, btw :-O
::
:: frantically searches for tuition money
Don't do this to me!!! it's bad enough that scores of people decided to make me famous by responding to my 10-line post, but PLEEEASE!! dont make me a fool at Tech!! im already in a big hole here, ya know.. :o( arrrgh
:-/
well, there's always engineering.. is it too late to change majors?
arrrgh.. i feel terrible now
:-(
:o( it's a trying time for us cs majors. we're struggling!! and it's not a good thing.
that was my First Post to slashdot. arrgh. i didnt know EVERYONE went here. arrgh.
well i guess my secret's out.. im a sexually frustrated nerd.. and yes, i was exaggerating when i said that about the girls in the CS class.. some do look pretty good. well i hope you guys dont hate me now..
in conclusion.. i wish i hadn't written that first post.. but look at all of those responses underneath.. wierd, huh? i thought i'd get first post. argh. well, im sorry everybody.. especially u, T. dont hate me, pleeeeze!!!