Yes, it does transit rather quickly, usually over a couple/few minutes. I typically just watch it with the naked eye, although this week I am interested in using binoculars. I would attempt to get photos or video of it but I don't have an accurate way to lock in a precise az/el/RA/dec. That and my telescope doesn't have a computerized equatorial mount. One thing you can do if the ISS is bright enough (I'd say -1 apparent magnitude or lower) would be to use a wide angle lens and capture a bulb exposure of the entire sky. Then you'll have a photo of the path the ISS took across the sky. Depending on where the ISS passes, you may be able to get a cityscape in the photo as well, although that will add light pollution. The Heavens-Above site shows where in the sky the ISS will transit. There are some other websites out there that explain what exposure time to use (you can always use trial and error as well, practicing exposures before the ISS shows up). Then if you have cloudless skies you are in luck.
Lies, damned lies, and statistics. Considering that Windows 7 has only been out 493 days as of this posting, and 2979 days have elapsed since the beginning of 2003, that means that one vulnerability is announced every 8.6 days on average for Windows 7, versus one vulnerability every 19.9 days on average for OS X.
Be sure to check out Space Weather's Flybys page or Heavens Above to see if the ISS and Discovery are viewable overhead in your neighborhood. I tried a few zip codes and it looks like the NYC area will get to see a very bright ISS and Discovery pair on March 5th. This will be the day that Discovery undocks so you may get to see two bright dots moving across the sky from that area. I had the opportunity to see the ISS with Atlantis recently undocked on STS-129 and it was an impressive sight.
I am white, lanky, and I like wearing blue jeans and tennis shoes. I'm less nervous speaking to large crowds than small ones. I am an INTP which is close enough to ENTP. I don't own any mock turtlenecks but I imagine I could afford a few by exercising AAPL stock options. I've been using Apple products off and on since 1988, and bought a Titanium PowerBook G4 when it was frowned upon to own an Apple. So when do I start?
Depth of field is definitely an issue for other reasons as well... normal video preferentially captures a limited depth of field (so that a larger lens aperture can be used to let more light in), but with 3D you would tend to want more to be in focus (larger depth of field) so that anyone can look anywhere in the scene. The trade off there however is that the lens would require a very small aperture, and the resulting video would often be grainy or too dark to work with. You can get away with using a small aperture outdoors, but when indoors or in other dimly lit situations it would just not work. This is one reason why TRON: LEGACY was a good application of 3D in my opinion -- many scenes, both bright and dim, were able to achieve seemingly infinite depth of field because they were computer generated. The creators of the movie had the luxury of being able to selectively reduce the depth of field during dialogue or for cinematic effect.
A few years ago I made this image of a cough syrup bottle with the name "Placebo" written across the front. I never thought this would actually go to market until now.;^)
Just last week we shipped some laptops from one work location to another, and had to go through the process of getting proper package labeling due to the lithium ion batteries being contained inside. After getting everything labeled per their regulations, FedEx rejected and returned the shipment because there were two parentheses missing in the shipping label text. We added the two parentheses and it shipped fine.
Even then, I doubt that we'll see much impact, because the cost of the materials will still be high (think of the cost of paper and ink), and the production time is still very long, compared to how things are mass produced today. The cost to duplicate and transmit a CAD model may be low, but the costs to create that CAD model and manipulate it are relatively high, and it still costs a lot, in time and material, to produce it in the real world.
Very good point. We recently purchased a Stratasys uPrint 3D printer at work and realized that the sample objects it prints (like a crescent-style wrench with working worm gear) cost $12 in materials to make. While I imagine that the model and support material cost will eventually go way down, at this time it is the same price (or cheaper) to buy the real thing. The real benefit to such a device is that you can create objects that don't currently exist.
I work for a Fortune 50 company as well. If the job isn't getting any candidates, I would begin to wonder if something might be wrong or missing on the job posting. It could be something simple like the "show externally" flag wasn't set correctly on the job posting, so it's only being shown internally. Or it could just be that nobody wants to move to Wisconsin right before winter.:^)
Where are you posting the job? Try posting it on Monster.com, Yahoo! Jobs (which combines Monster and HotJobs), or search for candidates on Linkedin.com. If the job can be worked virtual, be sure to mention that. If the job can't be worked virtual, and the location is hindering people from applying, can you raise the pay and offer relocation benefits? You could also try working with a contract hiring firm to find someone who can support the position temporarily until a permanent candidate is found.
Slashdot Mirror
Yes, it does transit rather quickly, usually over a couple/few minutes. I typically just watch it with the naked eye, although this week I am interested in using binoculars. I would attempt to get photos or video of it but I don't have an accurate way to lock in a precise az/el/RA/dec. That and my telescope doesn't have a computerized equatorial mount. One thing you can do if the ISS is bright enough (I'd say -1 apparent magnitude or lower) would be to use a wide angle lens and capture a bulb exposure of the entire sky. Then you'll have a photo of the path the ISS took across the sky. Depending on where the ISS passes, you may be able to get a cityscape in the photo as well, although that will add light pollution. The Heavens-Above site shows where in the sky the ISS will transit. There are some other websites out there that explain what exposure time to use (you can always use trial and error as well, practicing exposures before the ISS shows up). Then if you have cloudless skies you are in luck.
Lies, damned lies, and statistics. Considering that Windows 7 has only been out 493 days as of this posting, and 2979 days have elapsed since the beginning of 2003, that means that one vulnerability is announced every 8.6 days on average for Windows 7, versus one vulnerability every 19.9 days on average for OS X.
...or Bob & Doug McKenzie's Mutants of 2051 A.D..
Be sure to check out Space Weather's Flybys page or Heavens Above to see if the ISS and Discovery are viewable overhead in your neighborhood. I tried a few zip codes and it looks like the NYC area will get to see a very bright ISS and Discovery pair on March 5th. This will be the day that Discovery undocks so you may get to see two bright dots moving across the sky from that area. I had the opportunity to see the ISS with Atlantis recently undocked on STS-129 and it was an impressive sight.
Here is a video that shows what Lockheed Martin is doing about space junk.
Right, but where are they going to find another white lanky guy who uses Apple products, likes to wear blue jeans and tennis shoes, and is an ENTP? :^)
I am white, lanky, and I like wearing blue jeans and tennis shoes. I'm less nervous speaking to large crowds than small ones. I am an INTP which is close enough to ENTP. I don't own any mock turtlenecks but I imagine I could afford a few by exercising AAPL stock options. I've been using Apple products off and on since 1988, and bought a Titanium PowerBook G4 when it was frowned upon to own an Apple. So when do I start?
Depth of field is definitely an issue for other reasons as well... normal video preferentially captures a limited depth of field (so that a larger lens aperture can be used to let more light in), but with 3D you would tend to want more to be in focus (larger depth of field) so that anyone can look anywhere in the scene. The trade off there however is that the lens would require a very small aperture, and the resulting video would often be grainy or too dark to work with. You can get away with using a small aperture outdoors, but when indoors or in other dimly lit situations it would just not work. This is one reason why TRON: LEGACY was a good application of 3D in my opinion -- many scenes, both bright and dim, were able to achieve seemingly infinite depth of field because they were computer generated. The creators of the movie had the luxury of being able to selectively reduce the depth of field during dialogue or for cinematic effect.
I pre-ordered mine at Babbages...
This.
A few years ago I made this image of a cough syrup bottle with the name "Placebo" written across the front. I never thought this would actually go to market until now. ;^)
Don't you know anything about programming?
I was talking about shipping packages, not programming. Don't you know anything about marsupials? :^P
Just last week we shipped some laptops from one work location to another, and had to go through the process of getting proper package labeling due to the lithium ion batteries being contained inside. After getting everything labeled per their regulations, FedEx rejected and returned the shipment because there were two parentheses missing in the shipping label text. We added the two parentheses and it shipped fine.
Hell, you find me a 5000mm lens on any system and I commend you.
Here is the Canon 5200mm f/14 EF FD lens. It's not exactly 5000mm as requested, but you get the point.
Continuing the pedantry a bit further, the speed of light is denoted as c, not C.
Hook up a GPS and connect it to a live version of Google Street View and you're done.
Even then, I doubt that we'll see much impact, because the cost of the materials will still be high (think of the cost of paper and ink), and the production time is still very long, compared to how things are mass produced today. The cost to duplicate and transmit a CAD model may be low, but the costs to create that CAD model and manipulate it are relatively high, and it still costs a lot, in time and material, to produce it in the real world.
Very good point. We recently purchased a Stratasys uPrint 3D printer at work and realized that the sample objects it prints (like a crescent-style wrench with working worm gear) cost $12 in materials to make. While I imagine that the model and support material cost will eventually go way down, at this time it is the same price (or cheaper) to buy the real thing. The real benefit to such a device is that you can create objects that don't currently exist.
Here is the simplified version of the above post: http://www.endofworld.net/
Yeah, it's funny how short-sighted many of the comments are. If that is still the case today, everyone needs to open their minds a bit. :^)
That is a bit myopic... the generator requires gasoline, which was most likely imported from somewhere else on the globe.
Making Linux competitive with Windows? I thought that's what FVWM-95 was for! :^)
I work for a Fortune 50 company as well. If the job isn't getting any candidates, I would begin to wonder if something might be wrong or missing on the job posting. It could be something simple like the "show externally" flag wasn't set correctly on the job posting, so it's only being shown internally. Or it could just be that nobody wants to move to Wisconsin right before winter. :^)
Where are you posting the job? Try posting it on Monster.com, Yahoo! Jobs (which combines Monster and HotJobs), or search for candidates on Linkedin.com. If the job can be worked virtual, be sure to mention that. If the job can't be worked virtual, and the location is hindering people from applying, can you raise the pay and offer relocation benefits? You could also try working with a contract hiring firm to find someone who can support the position temporarily until a permanent candidate is found.
If I were Rick Moranis I'd still wear it from time to time.
Somebody earlier this year wrote an article about this very topic: http://diveintomark.org/archives/2010/01/29/tinkerers-sunset