Here in the UK, there's all sorts of levels of courses labelled as "Pass Plus" that go into the things that you normally gain with experience on the road. I think they vary from a bog standard set of driving lessons that go a little bit beyond how to pass the test, all the way up to the expensive ones where ex-police drivers visit you and take you out in high performance motors. Usually, they'll also stand you in good stead with the insurance bloodsuckers too, and you may get a discount for having taken them.
I know this is A method and system are provided for extending the functionality of application buttons on a limited resource computing device, and that their examples all over the patent cite PDA's and other such mobile devices, but how does this actually exclude a normal PC? Or any other computing device, for that matter? A PC is not an "unlimited resource device" and until those finicky quantum computers become reality, we're unlikely to ever build a computer to that spec.
Interestingly, one of their references (by Jones, 1991) cites the following in the abstract: The keyboard includes menu keys corresponding to menu labels displayable on the display and a multi-function key having a primary function and a secondary function. Which of the key functions is selected depends on the duration of the key press. The calculating device executes the primary function if the key is pressed for a short time. However, if the key is pressed for longer than a given time period, the calculating device displays a set of menu labels and assigns a function associated with a displayed menu label to a menu key. If the key continues to be pressed, the display scrolls to show additional sets of menu labels.
Saying all that, IANAL, so any opinion of mine is likely to be worth less than the two cents offered.
That was kinda my point, although there is a fair difference in the power output of a BTS compared with a phone. I only work on the 3G malarkey, and in the network at that, so I haven't got the 2G numbers to compare.
It's their stated policy not to get into situations where they are an occupying force
Their policy is to not do what they do? IANAL, but I thought that under the Geneva convention if you invade somewhere (and win!) you have an obligation to occupy until you can install a new regime.
Back on topic, I'm sure the sim they're developing would be a great game to play - particularly if you could play on your own local map. Wandering round your local town centre shooting people would be fun.
I wonder if they'd sell advertising space in them, too?
would be to consider what happens after they've occupied a place. US army doesn't have a good reputation as an occupying force and seems to make no effort whatsoever to win over the "hearts and minds" of the locals. UKs Channel 4 ran an interesting piece comparing US and UK occupation strategy - the film piece was much more detailed than the link, but the closing paragraph is very illustrative:
America's response? Barring some miracle in the Fallujah talks, it is to do precisely what the British attempted and failed in Iraq eighty years ago -- shoot and bomb Iraqis into accepting the occupation.
From the film, it didn't seem that the US soldiers - skilled as they may be at killing efficiently - had any talent/inclination/direction to try and win over the locals. They have anyone with language skills so the patrols are limited to hand gestures to "talk" to people, and there is no cultural interaction. As a bizarre contrast, down in Basra, a couple of clowns had shipped out to provide entertainment to the local kids. US patrols are all vehicular, whereas UK troops do (at least some of) theirs on foot, paired up with local police.
End result, US troops need training in fostering local goodwill, not how to shoot (although various ironic statements about how not to shoot friendlies spring to mind).
As it happens, a bunch of mathematicians with waaay too much time on their hands are going through the computer proof by hand. I'm sure that'll make for interesting reading when it comes out. I found this out courtesy of the Annals of Improbable Research - invaluable background reading to be found at www.improbable.com , highlighed in their email summary mailing.
There is a website run by OfCom that lets you put in a postcode and it pops up a map with all the known local masts. It only tells you who owns them, and plonks an icon on the map to show you where they are, but it's a step in the right direction.
On the other hand, I know a guy who works for one of the UK operators whose job it was to run commands to the actual sites to find out where they think they are. Turns out a lot of lazy install engineers just put in (0,0) GPS coordinates when setting up site. In this case, your bog-standard E911 that just uses cell location should probably route your calls to the Coast Guard to send a boat out to the the African coast when you have a car accident.
I can't remember the details of the calculations, but we did a load of work on this in our department a while back. Ideally you want loads of sites involved because the multipath properties of radio signals can really screw things up for you. If you're out in the sticks then this becomes less of an issue, but for inner city calculations it ecomes really complex.
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Here in the UK, there's all sorts of levels of courses labelled as "Pass Plus" that go into the things that you normally gain with experience on the road. I think they vary from a bog standard set of driving lessons that go a little bit beyond how to pass the test, all the way up to the expensive ones where ex-police drivers visit you and take you out in high performance motors. Usually, they'll also stand you in good stead with the insurance bloodsuckers too, and you may get a discount for having taken them.
Secondly, get them something they can't speed in!
Interestingly, one of their references (by Jones, 1991) cites the following in the abstract: The keyboard includes menu keys corresponding to menu labels displayable on the display and a multi-function key having a primary function and a secondary function. Which of the key functions is selected depends on the duration of the key press. The calculating device executes the primary function if the key is pressed for a short time. However, if the key is pressed for longer than a given time period, the calculating device displays a set of menu labels and assigns a function associated with a displayed menu label to a menu key. If the key continues to be pressed, the display scrolls to show additional sets of menu labels.
Saying all that, IANAL, so any opinion of mine is likely to be worth less than the two cents offered.
...that loads of UK petrol stations have GSM masts in their signposts.
Their policy is to not do what they do? IANAL, but I thought that under the Geneva convention if you invade somewhere (and win!) you have an obligation to occupy until you can install a new regime.
Back on topic, I'm sure the sim they're developing would be a great game to play - particularly if you could play on your own local map. Wandering round your local town centre shooting people would be fun.
I wonder if they'd sell advertising space in them, too?
America's response? Barring some miracle in the Fallujah talks, it is to do precisely what the British attempted and failed in Iraq eighty years ago -- shoot and bomb Iraqis into accepting the occupation.
From the film, it didn't seem that the US soldiers - skilled as they may be at killing efficiently - had any talent/inclination/direction to try and win over the locals. They have anyone with language skills so the patrols are limited to hand gestures to "talk" to people, and there is no cultural interaction. As a bizarre contrast, down in Basra, a couple of clowns had shipped out to provide entertainment to the local kids. US patrols are all vehicular, whereas UK troops do (at least some of) theirs on foot, paired up with local police.
End result, US troops need training in fostering local goodwill, not how to shoot (although various ironic statements about how not to shoot friendlies spring to mind).
Unless, of course, Bob is from Cornwall, in which case there may be a vastly reduced gene pool due to the "Uncle Dad" effect....
As it happens, a bunch of mathematicians with waaay too much time on their hands are going through the computer proof by hand. I'm sure that'll make for interesting reading when it comes out. I found this out courtesy of the Annals of Improbable Research - invaluable background reading to be found at www.improbable.com , highlighed in their email summary mailing.
On the other hand, I know a guy who works for one of the UK operators whose job it was to run commands to the actual sites to find out where they think they are. Turns out a lot of lazy install engineers just put in (0,0) GPS coordinates when setting up site. In this case, your bog-standard E911 that just uses cell location should probably route your calls to the Coast Guard to send a boat out to the the African coast when you have a car accident.
I can't remember the details of the calculations, but we did a load of work on this in our department a while back. Ideally you want loads of sites involved because the multipath properties of radio signals can really screw things up for you. If you're out in the sticks then this becomes less of an issue, but for inner city calculations it ecomes really complex.
I heard they found a cure for the common cold, but it involved giving you all sorts of cancers.
someone's gotta: a) patent cookies b) ??? c) profit!!!!!