I am a gamer first and foremost. Not an OSS person, but a gamer.
OSS came to me as I needed FPS on my crappy computer. My IRC program, mIRC used too much RAM(256 megs on XP ugh), so my friend recommended to me XChat2 for windows. I had a hard time getting a free version(the official web page for Xchat makes you pay for the windows version wtf-way to alienate future OSS users, but ok) so I tried XChat2. It only uses 4 megs of memory while minimized, so it became my IRC program of choice.
Soon I found a lot of OSS to use less resources, and actually work(don't ever try HD video on windows media player - it doesn't work, so I switched to VLC). Firefox was the next thing on my windows box, and there is no comment needed for the excellency of that piece of software.
Then, when a copy of my game, America's Army was released for linux, and I was frustrated with windows, I installed Fedora Core 3(it was a while ago).
I was quite pleased. It uses WAAAY less ram, and except for not having flash(def should be default in all distros btw) I didn't really need to do much. It just worked, and I got more FPS.
Thus OSS grew on me, now I dual boot, and am EXTREMELY happy with linux, and except for my gaming needs, linux is my OS of choice. (btw, its a bit too hard(like more than 10 minutes of thinking) to get wmv files to work with linux - depriving a geek of his porn/warez is not a good way to curry his favor)
But yeah, OSS for windows drew me in, and now I can't live without it.
I think the $500 media library he is referring to is your 100% legal tunes + movies. He is not talkinb about the XBox360, because it doesn't cost 500 bucks, and if they were referring to it, it would cost 300(even though it takes 400 to buy a proper 360).
C'mon how hard would it be for google.
Basically, they take the human genome, index it, then search for unusual areas in the genome to find interesting treatment options.
Doesn't seem that hard.
This is a new one, but I think a civilization type on game on each planet would be quite tough, and a little boring with the micromanagemeant, but higher level like this would be quite fun. Havnt played this, nor the ones mentioned, but I may.
Well if you assume the square is flat, like the first couple of games, then it is just a rotated image at perspective.
Whereas with a hex, you would need to shade off certain pixels in the square.
Now that its 3d, I guess all this doesn't really matter, as you are mapping twenty triangle to a face, so hex wouldn't change much.
Kinda just leaves the data structure reasons.
With a grid, you just create an array of arrays of tile objects.
With a map of hexagons, the data structure would be a bit harder to create, but easily surmountable.
Also, hex based games seem nerdy, and appeal to the mainstream is huge in these games.
Re:Dear Mr. Civ Creator
on
Ask Sid Meier
·
· Score: 5, Funny
Actually I would like to lodge a complaint against Mr Meier.
When I was 7 years old, you released Civ II, like a drug dealer giving out free samples of cocaine to get kids addicted and coming back for the rest of their life.
Since then I have been trying to get over my PC gaming addiction, and my success in school is dependent I stop upon these games.
It is my junior year in HS, and what do you do????
You release Civ 4, you sick bastard, in the one year of my HS which truly counts.
Not to be mean, but if you knew anything about the game, it is VERY open to modding. Python scripting is available, and a unit editor(or the ability to easily create them) and generally very open to being played with. So please mod down, so that we can have some insightful questions.
You seem to have forgotten Civilization: Alpha Centauri, which I believe is PC Gamer's highest scoring game of all time(I may be mistaken though) which is a sci fi version of the civilization series.
It was a very deep game, allowing you to create your own units, and other cool things, but AFAIK it was not a big seller.
Wow, not even the first paragraph and they screw up. Its Unreal Engine 3, because the UT2k4 engine was not a new version, rather UE2.5. Pretty lame that they lose crediblity so quickly.
Very interesting point on taking advantage of the hardware, all though I strongly disagree.
But, on the matter of Halo, the original was designed for the PC, I believe to be published by Microsoft Games, when the new XBox unit wanted to a "killer ap" and got Microsoft Games to throw some money at Bungie to move it to the PC-similar Xbox.
As for your Interesting point, I think gameplay, which makes games fun, is devoid of hardware, and with a properly portable engine, the gameplay can be on all systems.
Aren't they insuring servers?
Linux usually runs (from what I know) database applications and Apache. The LAMP stack doesn't have much to do with media, and they usually don't do a lot of media encoding.
Splinter Cell Chaos Theory had some of the most annoying ads in-game. The computer monitors you were hacking, and the sides of trucks (I played it right before E3) were covered in ads for G4's coverage of E3.
It pissed me off to no end, and it ruined the atmosphere of the game. It was total BS.
I only wish the reviewers saw the travesty I did, and could have trashed Ubi soft for it.
His argument is somewhat logical, except when Cringely starts talking about the retinal scan viewer for the movie iPods. That is lunacy, as is his comparison to Apple's Cinema Displays.
LCD displays were proven technology before Apple picked it up, but as far as I know, these "retinal scan" things exist only in tech demos and have never been mass produced(and apple has to do that succesfully with good yields, which is even harder).
Re:Um... the end of that press release....
on
3D Face Cameras
·
· Score: 1
Not to mention that the submittter of this article is newsblaze, and guess what site it is on?
newsblaze.com
I hate the companies use slashdot as their PR mouthpiece.
Starting in about 7th or 8th grade, let students(I am in high school) study subjects we are interested in.
If I had been given to study computer programming with competent teachers(which I haven't had) from 7th or 8th grade, I think I could code some excellent stuff, and I would be interested in what I am doing in school. While core materials are important, I really don't give a shit about taking spanish, or learning so much about the mesopotamians.
Schedules should contain 2 classes in subjects which you have chosen and are interested in, and 4 other "core" classes, which would be shorter and assign less work.
Also, classes need to move at the pace of students, even if it makes some kids feel bad. Smart kids should go in faster classes, and stupid kids in slower classes. Three levels of difficulty is not enough, as in advanced programming, we spent an entire class on the structure of the for loop. Basic control structures, such as loops, if statements and other things ended up taking an entire week, when I had tought myself during the summer such things in one hour with a book.
Give kids material that they are interested in, and we will learn. But spare us the shit please. Oh, and get rid of gym class, its a waste of time.
*IF* they can get enough drivers.
I decided to get the public beta of XP64 and I can say it was one of the stupidest decisions I have ever made in my life. I wanted to get a free OS and rather than steal XP (it is needed for certain things unfortunately) I decided I would go the legal route and take the free beta. What a mistake.
Half of my programs do not work, as they whine about DLLs, missing libraries or just an OS that isnt the right kind. If you get any performance benefit from running in XP64 it is all lost BECAUSE NOTHING WORKS!! Don't buy the PR crap about 32 bit program compatability, it is as good as trying to use WINE(or whatever they decided to change the name to, I really don't care) to emulate windows. It works with about two programs, but if you step outside the box, you get slammed for even thinking of using a non standard application.
Now, take the driver situation. The drivers are terrible, as until recently my computer stopped consistenly BSODing when I ran a necessary application and other programs are constantly locking up. Also, please take note that such devices most of us feel are necessities(god forbid a printer) will be completely unsupported and you will find yourself completely screwed over in every way.
In short, unless you really need more than 4 gigabytes of RAM (the server edition maybe be better, I don't know) stay away from this.
If I violated any EULAs, well, I don't give a crap, thank you for wasting an entire month of my life while I built mediocre solutions for my problem of an OS that cannot be explained without comparing it to goatse man, tubgirl and whatever other perversions the internet to has to offer.
Truly this devil spawn of an OS is the worst product Microsoft has ever released.
Java, the standard language in high schools is tought with the method the program uses to properly use objects etc. Verbs are methods, nouns/adjectives(which fall into a noun category) are data. It is not new in any manner, nor is it that complicated. I mean, all this does is take something every high schooler has been tought.
The only thing that seems hard to me is figuring out whether a word is being used as a noun or a verb.
I have a friend that works as a defense contractor and he has a security clearence and all that. His job is to build the radios that the FBI, Secret Service, etc use and if you think that stuff is paranoid, these guys are nuts.
The radios are encrypted (obviously) using NSA techniques. The NSA techniques cannot be written down anywhere, and to find out how they work, they ask some dude who has been employed by said defense contractor for his entire life and his job is to remember this technique without ever writing it down or such. He is well paid too.
Once this said technique is written and tested to work 100% of the time, and not 99.99999999% like many programs, it is compiled and the source file is then given to the NSA for safe keeping/code review.
The radios themselves are the height of paranioa. The radios if tampered or left unguarded for 15 minutes, it will automatically wipe out the flash card (thus destroying the encryption key and non hardware based technique). This makes the radio a $1000 dollar brick which then needs to be sent back to the manufacturer to work again. (for a nice profit too!) Also, once a radio is compromised, the other radios are distributed new encryption keys, so their communications are now secure. The radios in said group are also re-keyed at normal intervals.
Now, these radios if compromised are not totally useless. They can be used as remote listening devices (transmit when button not pressed, and "other" features) and can be broadcast fake information(duh).
Also, in those type situations, I have another friend who says the destruction method of choice for paper and tapes are incendiary grenades. Load the classified manuals(these are just lit with a lighter, but you get the point), important computer chips and other stuff into a box, place the nade and watch it flame and then after it has burned, chuck it off said airplane. Also, most of the memory devices have a self-wipe feature. For hardware, the sledgehammer method is used. "take one, and apply liberally" After that, to break the individual chips, smaller boards are collected in boxes and smashed with said hammers and stepped on etc. He said his training instructor said, "Have you ever wanted to trash a room like a rock star? Leave nothing intact, and just destroy everything in sight? Except instead of some hotel room, it would be millions of dollars of equipment, and you get to destroy it? Nothing off limits? This is your chance. Live your dreams. Just before you land, make you sure you destroy the more valuable stuff first, and toss the remains out the airplane too. " He also claims(this one I doubt), that the flight crew in case of a crash landing, where they survive, knows how to blow up the entire airplane and remaining(if any) avionics equipment.
In other news, the security chief of Microsoft's has been named to the DHS's internet security commitee.
My god, some things just make me angry. And even madder that 51% of America could vote for this administration.
seriously, I am glad you can't give a "campaign donation" to federal circuit courts.
And let me say, Internet Pirates around the world have one the thing to say: 0WN3D!
Slashdot Mirror
at 23k, some of the regions get a bit laggy, but they are planning a big server upgrade soon, so hopefully those issues will go away.
warez = stolen movies in my book. Shoulda been clearer.
Very true.
I am a gamer first and foremost. Not an OSS person, but a gamer.
OSS came to me as I needed FPS on my crappy computer. My IRC program, mIRC used too much RAM(256 megs on XP ugh), so my friend recommended to me XChat2 for windows. I had a hard time getting a free version(the official web page for Xchat makes you pay for the windows version wtf-way to alienate future OSS users, but ok) so I tried XChat2. It only uses 4 megs of memory while minimized, so it became my IRC program of choice.
Soon I found a lot of OSS to use less resources, and actually work(don't ever try HD video on windows media player - it doesn't work, so I switched to VLC). Firefox was the next thing on my windows box, and there is no comment needed for the excellency of that piece of software.
Then, when a copy of my game, America's Army was released for linux, and I was frustrated with windows, I installed Fedora Core 3(it was a while ago).
I was quite pleased. It uses WAAAY less ram, and except for not having flash(def should be default in all distros btw) I didn't really need to do much. It just worked, and I got more FPS.
Thus OSS grew on me, now I dual boot, and am EXTREMELY happy with linux, and except for my gaming needs, linux is my OS of choice. (btw, its a bit too hard(like more than 10 minutes of thinking) to get wmv files to work with linux - depriving a geek of his porn/warez is not a good way to curry his favor)
But yeah, OSS for windows drew me in, and now I can't live without it.
I think the $500 media library he is referring to is your 100% legal tunes + movies. He is not talkinb about the XBox360, because it doesn't cost 500 bucks, and if they were referring to it, it would cost 300(even though it takes 400 to buy a proper 360).
C'mon how hard would it be for google. Basically, they take the human genome, index it, then search for unusual areas in the genome to find interesting treatment options. Doesn't seem that hard.
This is a new one, but I think a civilization type on game on each planet would be quite tough, and a little boring with the micromanagemeant, but higher level like this would be quite fun. Havnt played this, nor the ones mentioned, but I may.
Well if you assume the square is flat, like the first couple of games, then it is just a rotated image at perspective. Whereas with a hex, you would need to shade off certain pixels in the square. Now that its 3d, I guess all this doesn't really matter, as you are mapping twenty triangle to a face, so hex wouldn't change much. Kinda just leaves the data structure reasons.
With a grid, you just create an array of arrays of tile objects. With a map of hexagons, the data structure would be a bit harder to create, but easily surmountable. Also, hex based games seem nerdy, and appeal to the mainstream is huge in these games.
Actually I would like to lodge a complaint against Mr Meier.
When I was 7 years old, you released Civ II, like a drug dealer giving out free samples of cocaine to get kids addicted and coming back for the rest of their life.
Since then I have been trying to get over my PC gaming addiction, and my success in school is dependent I stop upon these games.
It is my junior year in HS, and what do you do????
You release Civ 4, you sick bastard, in the one year of my HS which truly counts.
Not to be mean, but if you knew anything about the game, it is VERY open to modding. Python scripting is available, and a unit editor(or the ability to easily create them) and generally very open to being played with. So please mod down, so that we can have some insightful questions.
You seem to have forgotten Civilization: Alpha Centauri, which I believe is PC Gamer's highest scoring game of all time(I may be mistaken though) which is a sci fi version of the civilization series.
It was a very deep game, allowing you to create your own units, and other cool things, but AFAIK it was not a big seller.
Very interesting point on taking advantage of the hardware, all though I strongly disagree. But, on the matter of Halo, the original was designed for the PC, I believe to be published by Microsoft Games, when the new XBox unit wanted to a "killer ap" and got Microsoft Games to throw some money at Bungie to move it to the PC-similar Xbox. As for your Interesting point, I think gameplay, which makes games fun, is devoid of hardware, and with a properly portable engine, the gameplay can be on all systems.
Aren't they insuring servers? Linux usually runs (from what I know) database applications and Apache. The LAMP stack doesn't have much to do with media, and they usually don't do a lot of media encoding.
Splinter Cell Chaos Theory had some of the most annoying ads in-game. The computer monitors you were hacking, and the sides of trucks (I played it right before E3) were covered in ads for G4's coverage of E3.
It pissed me off to no end, and it ruined the atmosphere of the game. It was total BS.
I only wish the reviewers saw the travesty I did, and could have trashed Ubi soft for it.
His argument is somewhat logical, except when Cringely starts talking about the retinal scan viewer for the movie iPods. That is lunacy, as is his comparison to Apple's Cinema Displays.
LCD displays were proven technology before Apple picked it up, but as far as I know, these "retinal scan" things exist only in tech demos and have never been mass produced(and apple has to do that succesfully with good yields, which is even harder).
Not to mention that the submittter of this article is newsblaze, and guess what site it is on? newsblaze.com I hate the companies use slashdot as their PR mouthpiece.
Starting in about 7th or 8th grade, let students(I am in high school) study subjects we are interested in.
If I had been given to study computer programming with competent teachers(which I haven't had) from 7th or 8th grade, I think I could code some excellent stuff, and I would be interested in what I am doing in school. While core materials are important, I really don't give a shit about taking spanish, or learning so much about the mesopotamians.
Schedules should contain 2 classes in subjects which you have chosen and are interested in, and 4 other "core" classes, which would be shorter and assign less work.
Also, classes need to move at the pace of students, even if it makes some kids feel bad. Smart kids should go in faster classes, and stupid kids in slower classes. Three levels of difficulty is not enough, as in advanced programming, we spent an entire class on the structure of the for loop. Basic control structures, such as loops, if statements and other things ended up taking an entire week, when I had tought myself during the summer such things in one hour with a book.
Give kids material that they are interested in, and we will learn. But spare us the shit please. Oh, and get rid of gym class, its a waste of time.
I forgot to set the mode to plain text.
I wrote it in paragraphs, but the bossman was coming, so I had to hide.
*IF* they can get enough drivers. I decided to get the public beta of XP64 and I can say it was one of the stupidest decisions I have ever made in my life. I wanted to get a free OS and rather than steal XP (it is needed for certain things unfortunately) I decided I would go the legal route and take the free beta. What a mistake. Half of my programs do not work, as they whine about DLLs, missing libraries or just an OS that isnt the right kind. If you get any performance benefit from running in XP64 it is all lost BECAUSE NOTHING WORKS!! Don't buy the PR crap about 32 bit program compatability, it is as good as trying to use WINE(or whatever they decided to change the name to, I really don't care) to emulate windows. It works with about two programs, but if you step outside the box, you get slammed for even thinking of using a non standard application. Now, take the driver situation. The drivers are terrible, as until recently my computer stopped consistenly BSODing when I ran a necessary application and other programs are constantly locking up. Also, please take note that such devices most of us feel are necessities(god forbid a printer) will be completely unsupported and you will find yourself completely screwed over in every way. In short, unless you really need more than 4 gigabytes of RAM (the server edition maybe be better, I don't know) stay away from this. If I violated any EULAs, well, I don't give a crap, thank you for wasting an entire month of my life while I built mediocre solutions for my problem of an OS that cannot be explained without comparing it to goatse man, tubgirl and whatever other perversions the internet to has to offer. Truly this devil spawn of an OS is the worst product Microsoft has ever released.
Anyway I can get linux on this? And FP?
Java, the standard language in high schools is tought with the method the program uses to properly use objects etc. Verbs are methods, nouns/adjectives(which fall into a noun category) are data. It is not new in any manner, nor is it that complicated. I mean, all this does is take something every high schooler has been tought.
The only thing that seems hard to me is figuring out whether a word is being used as a noun or a verb.
This is not new nor revolutionary.
I have a friend that works as a defense contractor and he has a security clearence and all that. His job is to build the radios that the FBI, Secret Service, etc use and if you think that stuff is paranoid, these guys are nuts.
The radios are encrypted (obviously) using NSA techniques. The NSA techniques cannot be written down anywhere, and to find out how they work, they ask some dude who has been employed by said defense contractor for his entire life and his job is to remember this technique without ever writing it down or such. He is well paid too.
Once this said technique is written and tested to work 100% of the time, and not 99.99999999% like many programs, it is compiled and the source file is then given to the NSA for safe keeping/code review.
The radios themselves are the height of paranioa. The radios if tampered or left unguarded for 15 minutes, it will automatically wipe out the flash card (thus destroying the encryption key and non hardware based technique). This makes the radio a $1000 dollar brick which then needs to be sent back to the manufacturer to work again. (for a nice profit too!)
Also, once a radio is compromised, the other radios are distributed new encryption keys, so their communications are now secure. The radios in said group are also re-keyed at normal intervals.
Now, these radios if compromised are not totally useless. They can be used as remote listening devices (transmit when button not pressed, and "other" features) and can be broadcast fake information(duh).
Also, in those type situations, I have another friend who says the destruction method of choice for paper and tapes are incendiary grenades. Load the classified manuals(these are just lit with a lighter, but you get the point), important computer chips and other stuff into a box, place the nade and watch it flame and then after it has burned, chuck it off said airplane.
Also, most of the memory devices have a self-wipe feature. For hardware, the sledgehammer method is used. "take one, and apply liberally"
After that, to break the individual chips, smaller boards are collected in boxes and smashed with said hammers and stepped on etc.
He said his training instructor said, "Have you ever wanted to trash a room like a rock star? Leave nothing intact, and just destroy everything in sight? Except instead of some hotel room, it would be millions of dollars of equipment, and you get to destroy it? Nothing off limits? This is your chance. Live your dreams.
Just before you land, make you sure you destroy the more valuable stuff first, and toss the remains out the airplane too. "
He also claims(this one I doubt), that the flight crew in case of a crash landing, where they survive, knows how to blow up the entire airplane and remaining(if any) avionics equipment.
In other news, the security chief of Microsoft's has been named to the DHS's internet security commitee. My god, some things just make me angry. And even madder that 51% of America could vote for this administration.
seriously, I am glad you can't give a "campaign donation" to federal circuit courts. And let me say, Internet Pirates around the world have one the thing to say: 0WN3D!