The algorithm looks in the blue channel of a color image for little circles and most likely examines the distance distribution encountered.
Couldn't someone use a different hue of cellophane (or "Saran Wrap" as we call it in the states) and place it over the bill before scanning, and then perform color correction afterwards? Depending on the hue, the circles may still be in the blue channel, but I'm not sure if they would have enough to be recognized.
Also, if the distance distribution is being counted, couldn't someone scan only pieces of the bill until the whole bill is scanned, and then piece them together? I suppose if they check for a bill in every step this might not work, but then a possible way around would be to leave the scanned pieces as layers in an image (instead of merging the layers).
My prediction (well, someone else's prediction that I like): The Powerbook G5 will have an area on the bottom that is perforated like the front and back of a G5 tower. Two thin, large fans will force air out.
I've also heard of the potential for liquid cooling, but I haven't heard much...
That's because the new numbers are based on AAC compression, which is a bit more efficient than MP3. AAC wasn't available when the original iPod came out.
Yes, but I believe both are assumed to be 128 kb/s, making one still ponder... (and yes, I know that AAC is VBR by default, but it will average 128 if you select "128 kb/s" as the bitrate)
You know, ever since Apple has released OS X and their new sexy metallic machines (what's next? Gallium?), their legal department has been surreptitiously quiet. This development might make the "evil" side of Apple show itself again... It will be interesting to see if this development will affect their stance any on Quicktime for Linux...
(note: this is blatantly ripped from SharpFang's ingenious post on 2003/12/25)
It is now official - Jordell Bank has confirmed: Beagle2 is dying
Yet another crippling bombshell hit the beleaguered Mars exploration community when recently ESA confirmed that Beagle2 accounts for less than a fraction of 1 percent of chances for survival. Coming on the heels of the latest Jordell Bank signal analysis which plainly states that Beagle2 has lost radio contact, this news serves to reinforce what we've known all along. Beagle2 is collapsing in complete disarray, as fittingly exemplified by failing dead last in the recent radiotelescope comprehensive signal search.
You don't need to be a Aldrin to predict Beagle2's future. The hand writing is on the wall: Beagle2 faces a bleak future. In fact there won't be any future at all for Beagle2 because Beagle2 is dying. Things are looking very bad for Beagle2. As many of us are already aware, Beagle2 continues to lose power. Red dust covers it like a river of blood. The lander rover is the most endangered of them all, having lost 93% of its core systems. The sudden and unpleasant failures of long time rover systems of traction and cameras only serve to underscore the point more clearly. There can no longer be any doubt: Beagle2 is dying.
Let's keep to the facts and look at the numbers.
All major surveys show that Beagle2 has steadily declined in survival chances. Beagle2 is very sick and its long term survival prospects are very dim. If Beagle2 is to survive at all it will be among martian hobbyist junk collectors. Beagle2 continues to decay. Nothing short of a miracle could save it at this point in time. For all practical purposes, Beagle2 is dead.
That said, are ibooks lowerpower than Intel boxes? The chips generally are.
See my earlier post for this -- the short answer is yes, and they usually draw half of what a similar x86 laptop draws in wattage. That is why their batteries last so long.
Seconded. Apple laptops draw between 45-65W nowadays, which is wonderful compared to x86 laptops which typically draw twice as much. The PPC line of CPUs are simply more energy efficient, as is the power management code in OS X. They are reasonably peppy to boot. Apple laptops generally have 4-5 hour battery life per charge (excluding watching a DVD or some other power-draining activity).
Although the center of gravity of a T-Bag or similar product is higher than that of a saddlebag, I know from experience that the T-Bags do not shift greatly if they are secured well and packed well enough. That being said, there have been times when I half-packed with something heavy, and it has shifted around unexpectedly. It was due to my poor packing more than anything.
One issue I have with a lot of saddlebags is that you need a symmetric load in both in order for them to be what I consider to be truly safer than a rear-located bag. I rarely have a symmetric load to carry. I guess more than anything I have a desire for a fully symmetric ride -- my Honda Magna even has its four exhaust pipes distributed two on each side (although I admit the picture doesn't show this very well).
According to your stats, you ride approximately 8 months per bike, and 13k miles per bike. Impressive mileage stat in particular, but why do you switch so often? Do you get tired of the same thing quickly?
Regardless of our differences, it's great to discuss motorcycling with another Jon on Slashdot... I think there might only be three or four of us who match all of the criteria.:^)
Please do not ride a motorcycle while wearing a bag, regardless of the strap layout. You could easily be seriously strangled by the strap in the event of an accident.
What I recommend is using a T-Bag motorcycle bag, or at least something similar. They slip over the backrest of your motorcycle, and they allow you to put your laptop bag inside (along with other items). They are useful for storing gear after you finish your rides as well. Mine is one of their cheaper "soft" models, but is large enough to hold a winter riding jacket and my helmet. I use a luggage lock on it, and have never had any issues with anyone tampering with it. If you don't have a backrest, consider getting saddlebags. You can find saddlebags for both cruisers and sportsbikes.
Do yourself a favor and avoid the potential for having serious bodily damage twice-over. Get a bag that attaches to your motorcycle and not you, and put your laptop bag inside of that instead.
Just make sure not to put your laptop right in the back near your back
I have to disagree with this statement -- there are two important reasons why I think you should place your laptop nearest to your back:
1. Having a flat object nearest to your back in your backpack provides the best support when wearing your backpack. Having other non-flat objects between your laptop and your back will often lead to random back pains. If you don't feel the pain now, you will eventually.:^)
2. When setting down a backpack, the bottom/front area usually takes the brunt of the impact. Having your laptop in the back shields it from this impact. I suppose others may set their backpacks down in a different manner than I do, but I generally let gravity decide which part lands first, and that is almost always the bottom/front.
Although Willow Design makes great cases, some of their older style cases (such as their NL-13) use poorly designed shoulder strap clasps (as seen here). I have had a couple close calls because the metal on the clasp would work its way out of the plastic clasp and then fly off. I submitted a redesigned clasp to them, but it appears different than the current design they are using. I am not sure if their current design works better or not -- some models use it, while others appear to be using the same problematic design.
Sculley was, after all, the only Apple leader in history who was able to consistently increase Mac sales in the consistenlty growing computer market.
Keep in mind that Sculley is the man who wanted to make Apple computers use x86 rather than PPC, just because x86 sells more in volume. If that had happened, Apple would have just been another beige box clone company...
As I have read previously, the G5 runs cooler than the G4 only when running at the same clock speed as the G4. The temperature gets hot however when you run the current 130nm G5 at its native speeds. I think as long as Apple can get a hold of 90nm G5s, and use very effective processor speed ramping, they can create a Powerbook G5 without too much trouble. I don't think they'll need nitrogen cooling or anything like that.:^)
What ISN'T done, is the ability to manage files by directory: to drag and drop them using your os and "just have it work."
Just to clarify, the iPod does allow you to manage files by directory, and allow you to drag and drop them using the OS, however it does not allow you to do this with MP3 or AAC files that you wish to listen to with the iPod. iTunes manages music files on the iPod, but Finder (or Windows explorer) manages the rest of the files on your iPod (for when it is in firewire disk mode).
I'm not sure about how it works on Windows, but on a Mac you can have it in firewire disk mode and have iTunes open at the same time, which provides you access to both modes quite easily.
I have often been asked how I can live without having a cell phone, and I tell people that I don't need one because everyone else has one. It is the same logic as herd immunity -- if most people have cell phones, then those who don't (such as myself) can still be "connected" if they use someone else's cell phone to make the occasional phone call.
So, for those who wear tin foil hats, you can use this technique to your advantage, and avoid being tracked. I think at least 50% of people in the U.S. have a cell phone now, so odds are you can easily find someone with a phone. Europe undoubtedly has an even higher saturation. Granted, you can't speak at length on someone else's phone, but in the event of an emergency, you are most likely within a short distance of someone with a cell phone. Social engineering is all that is needed at that point.
I'm not sure if the tuner audio unit can be tweaked or not -- perhaps it is included under Darwin, but I somehow doubt it...
I forgot to mention that I used the tuner audio unit inside of Audio Hijack Pro, which can alter iTunes output in realtime. There may be another VST pitch/time shifter out there that will work with it, but I didn't find any when I searched around... Good luck!
Slashdot Mirror
Also, if the distance distribution is being counted, couldn't someone scan only pieces of the bill until the whole bill is scanned, and then piece them together? I suppose if they check for a bill in every step this might not work, but then a possible way around would be to leave the scanned pieces as layers in an image (instead of merging the layers).
Ah -- I did not know that. Thanks for the clarification.
My prediction (well, someone else's prediction that I like): The Powerbook G5 will have an area on the bottom that is perforated like the front and back of a G5 tower. Two thin, large fans will force air out.
I've also heard of the potential for liquid cooling, but I haven't heard much...
Heh... Even your sig has an acronym in it!
You know, ever since Apple has released OS X and their new sexy metallic machines (what's next? Gallium?), their legal department has been surreptitiously quiet. This development might make the "evil" side of Apple show itself again... It will be interesting to see if this development will affect their stance any on Quicktime for Linux...
(note: this is blatantly ripped from SharpFang's ingenious post on 2003/12/25)
It is now official - Jordell Bank has confirmed: Beagle2 is dying
Yet another crippling bombshell hit the beleaguered Mars exploration community when recently ESA confirmed that Beagle2 accounts for less than a fraction of 1 percent of chances for survival. Coming on the heels of the latest Jordell Bank signal analysis which plainly states that Beagle2 has lost radio contact, this news serves to reinforce what we've known all along. Beagle2 is collapsing in complete disarray, as fittingly exemplified by failing dead last in the recent radiotelescope comprehensive signal search.
You don't need to be a Aldrin to predict Beagle2's future. The hand writing is on the wall: Beagle2 faces a bleak future. In fact there won't be any future at all for Beagle2 because Beagle2 is dying. Things are looking very bad for Beagle2. As many of us are already aware, Beagle2 continues to lose power. Red dust covers it like a river of blood. The lander rover is the most endangered of them all, having lost 93% of its core systems. The sudden and unpleasant failures of long time rover systems of traction and cameras only serve to underscore the point more clearly. There can no longer be any doubt: Beagle2 is dying.
Let's keep to the facts and look at the numbers.
All major surveys show that Beagle2 has steadily declined in survival chances. Beagle2 is very sick and its long term survival prospects are very dim. If Beagle2 is to survive at all it will be among martian hobbyist junk collectors. Beagle2 continues to decay. Nothing short of a miracle could save it at this point in time. For all practical purposes, Beagle2 is dead.
Fact: Beagle2 is dead
If you tune your radio antennae in the direction of Mars, maybe you'll hear the following...
Girls who are boys
Who like boys to be girls
Who do boys like they're girls
Who do girls like they're boys
Yes, it's a Blur song.
Seconded. Apple laptops draw between 45-65W nowadays, which is wonderful compared to x86 laptops which typically draw twice as much. The PPC line of CPUs are simply more energy efficient, as is the power management code in OS X. They are reasonably peppy to boot. Apple laptops generally have 4-5 hour battery life per charge (excluding watching a DVD or some other power-draining activity).
Hey, you stole my post! I posted it three minutes before you did. Nanny nanny boo boo! :^)
Although the center of gravity of a T-Bag or similar product is higher than that of a saddlebag, I know from experience that the T-Bags do not shift greatly if they are secured well and packed well enough. That being said, there have been times when I half-packed with something heavy, and it has shifted around unexpectedly. It was due to my poor packing more than anything.
:^)
One issue I have with a lot of saddlebags is that you need a symmetric load in both in order for them to be what I consider to be truly safer than a rear-located bag. I rarely have a symmetric load to carry. I guess more than anything I have a desire for a fully symmetric ride -- my Honda Magna even has its four exhaust pipes distributed two on each side (although I admit the picture doesn't show this very well).
According to your stats, you ride approximately 8 months per bike, and 13k miles per bike. Impressive mileage stat in particular, but why do you switch so often? Do you get tired of the same thing quickly?
Regardless of our differences, it's great to discuss motorcycling with another Jon on Slashdot... I think there might only be three or four of us who match all of the criteria.
I just checked their website, and they didn't have my personal favorite...
I know this isn't a bag, but I felt compelled to recommend it to you anyway...
Please do not ride a motorcycle while wearing a bag, regardless of the strap layout. You could easily be seriously strangled by the strap in the event of an accident.
What I recommend is using a T-Bag motorcycle bag, or at least something similar. They slip over the backrest of your motorcycle, and they allow you to put your laptop bag inside (along with other items). They are useful for storing gear after you finish your rides as well. Mine is one of their cheaper "soft" models, but is large enough to hold a winter riding jacket and my helmet. I use a luggage lock on it, and have never had any issues with anyone tampering with it. If you don't have a backrest, consider getting saddlebags. You can find saddlebags for both cruisers and sportsbikes.
Do yourself a favor and avoid the potential for having serious bodily damage twice-over. Get a bag that attaches to your motorcycle and not you, and put your laptop bag inside of that instead.
1. Having a flat object nearest to your back in your backpack provides the best support when wearing your backpack. Having other non-flat objects between your laptop and your back will often lead to random back pains. If you don't feel the pain now, you will eventually.
2. When setting down a backpack, the bottom/front area usually takes the brunt of the impact. Having your laptop in the back shields it from this impact. I suppose others may set their backpacks down in a different manner than I do, but I generally let gravity decide which part lands first, and that is almost always the bottom/front.
Although Willow Design makes great cases, some of their older style cases (such as their NL-13) use poorly designed shoulder strap clasps (as seen here). I have had a couple close calls because the metal on the clasp would work its way out of the plastic clasp and then fly off. I submitted a redesigned clasp to them, but it appears different than the current design they are using. I am not sure if their current design works better or not -- some models use it, while others appear to be using the same problematic design.
As I have read previously, the G5 runs cooler than the G4 only when running at the same clock speed as the G4. The temperature gets hot however when you run the current 130nm G5 at its native speeds. I think as long as Apple can get a hold of 90nm G5s, and use very effective processor speed ramping, they can create a Powerbook G5 without too much trouble. I don't think they'll need nitrogen cooling or anything like that. :^)
I'm not sure about how it works on Windows, but on a Mac you can have it in firewire disk mode and have iTunes open at the same time, which provides you access to both modes quite easily.
I have often been asked how I can live without having a cell phone, and I tell people that I don't need one because everyone else has one. It is the same logic as herd immunity -- if most people have cell phones, then those who don't (such as myself) can still be "connected" if they use someone else's cell phone to make the occasional phone call.
So, for those who wear tin foil hats, you can use this technique to your advantage, and avoid being tracked. I think at least 50% of people in the U.S. have a cell phone now, so odds are you can easily find someone with a phone. Europe undoubtedly has an even higher saturation. Granted, you can't speak at length on someone else's phone, but in the event of an emergency, you are most likely within a short distance of someone with a cell phone. Social engineering is all that is needed at that point.
That is "right".
That is "left".
I'm not sure if the tuner audio unit can be tweaked or not -- perhaps it is included under Darwin, but I somehow doubt it...
I forgot to mention that I used the tuner audio unit inside of Audio Hijack Pro, which can alter iTunes output in realtime. There may be another VST pitch/time shifter out there that will work with it, but I didn't find any when I searched around... Good luck!