(Note: during this post I'm going to refer to Zarus several times, by zarus I mean ANY handheld device that has the capacity to run a 'real' unix)
A lot of people in the 'open source' catagory are responding with things like 'But using open source lets you do things you woulden't be able to do normally' but don't list any examples.
A lot of those who feel that the proprietary (or at least 'designed speicifically with handheld in mind') solutions are better cite 'give us an example'
Well for an example that is probabally impossible on anything short of a full blown windows on palmtop proprietary solution (but easily done in a linux on palmtop using a few shell scripts); Lets say I own the game Crono Trigger, for the super nintendo, and I have a long trip ahead of me; I wan to play this game during the trip, because it's a great game, but I don't want to carry tonnes of crap with me. I can get a port of SNES9X for linux, and play my game on my palmtop (handeling the 'select game, select speed and other insanity' that would require a lot of clicking and scrolling around with a shell script).
Now this is a rather off example since it's strictly for gaming- BUT, a new sharp zarus could probabally play gameboy advanced games emulated as well- So the Zarus, because it is Linux, and because it's built powerfully enough to run linux, could be both your organiser, and your GBA in one package (for the sake of legalities, we'll assume that you also pay to get a cartidge copier and purchase all your games)- It was more expensive then both devices combined; but if you can find two more useful uses for it; then it might be a more cost effective package (and definatly smaller then carring both a Palm, and a GBA).
Another good example of something that I personally want from any 'really damned expensive device that I have purchased' is that it signal me in certain situations (like when it's battery is runnign low- Now, the palm and Zarus may come with a beep when battery power gets low- But later on (maby even years later) I may find a card that can do both GPS and cellular internet on the cheap, so I can throw that in my zarus, and then change it's low battery warning to be 'send me an e-mail with your current GPS co-ordinates', and then I can add 'also do that if anyone ever fails to enter the user password correctly' as an anti-theft measure!
But we can't ignore the fact that the palm-type device is just plain cheaper! Like tonnes cheaper! So while the above scenarios would be kinda cool- you could probabally affoard to buy a palm, then 'upgrade'(buy a new one) to a palm that also plays GBA games (assuming one is created), then 'upgrade' to a palm that plays GBA games, and has an integrated cell modem and GPS; Possibly upgrading twice will still cost less then buying one new Zarus and the devices/peripials to make it do all those things.
I don't understand how so many slashdotters can be convinced that we will experence global armegeddon at the hands of nanomachines that will reduce us to 'grey goo'.
I hope what I type here might help dispel some of this parasitic meeme!
In the event that we mannage to make 'room temprature' nanmachines that are not instantly destroyed by a slight breeze, can break down even terminally simple matter for use in replication, and somehow get released into the world with a malicious intent (or through a glitch)- they will not be too much of a threat!
Ultimately unless some methoed of making semi-conductors and computer circurtry that dose not involve electricity at all comes along, each and every single active nanomachine will be vunerable to a simple EMP, and EMPs can be easily generated by sending massive voltage through a coil- hence even a 'barnyard warrior' fighting a nanomachine threat could rig up his disel truck to take out the microscopic buggers (that might make a good movie though!). In the event that we do find a way to making non-electric computer circutry it would have to be immue to dosens of other things that can mess with computer circuts (for instance a theoretically 100% optical computer could be fried by massive ammounts of UV radiation)
And lets not forget the technical overhead required to overcome those first few problems! Any nanomachine made of metal will be victim to rust, small bits of object rust much faster then large ones- hence a swarm of iron nanomachines could be killed with a simple spray of salt-water! Diamond ones would be extremely brittel (diamond is strong, but shatteres rather then bending) so sound waves would be an effective weapon (True for any crystaline structure; and a crystaline structure is required for optical transmission!)
Next is the ability to reprduce using simple matter, I mean, a lab is a very different enviornment then the real world, we'll probablly see self-replicating nano-machines that work in specifically temperature controled vats long before we see ones that can do it in the real world: Why, even if you can get a machine so sofisticated that it can tear apart simple carbon atoms, and whatever else it needs (and figure out what's carbon and what's not) and build a copy of itself, it's likely to loose it's tiny manipulators with every major temprature change, as the particles grow and contract while it tries to move them along!
Next someone will have to be able to get a hold of these things, and reprogram them to do somethign bad (that may actually be the easiest part: as all you have to do is REMOVE code that will be telling them to do other things besides replicate), but it will still require a multi-billion dollar lab to access there tiny circutry and reprogram them on such a basic level (the equivalent to taking out chips in a modern computer, but requireing a nano-manipulator!), so this is not something a 'backyard terrorist' is going to do, and if a government dose it, they will put a reasonable 'off' time in them, which will probabally put them into the same catagory as other WMDs.
Diamond flakes and small bits of glass are simmilar enough at scales that small that you can compare them (I guess). If you work with stained glass the next few days you cough up blood once or twice, then as I understand it, your better (I felt better the next day and no longer couged up blood, my understanding is the that blood carries the glass powder); at least, I've not encoutnered anyone who works with stained glass who has serious respatory problems (People who work with stained glass often do so without masks, perhaps unwise, but none of the people in the teaching classes use masks either, and those tiny grinders definatly make powdered glass in the air).
Another 'big if' I keep seeing that seems somewhat unfounded is the 'won't the nanomachines kill us once we breath them in'- Laser toner is molecular scale, while that stuff isin't great for you (possible carcinogin) you don't get 'black lung' from getting a whiff of it, it dosen't poke millions of tiny holes in your cellular system, and it's actually the fact that it's easy to break down that makes it dangerous (your cells can process it, and that's where the carcinogen factor comes in).
As for worries about bizarr 'grey goo' scenarios- EMP, and if that dosen't work; Nuke with associated EMP- then all you have are a bunch of inert bits of metal dust that'll rust soon enough, and otherwise pass harmlessly through your system.
WOW; maby the submitter got it wrong, maby he had trouble understanding the article, maby he just wanted to make the topic sound more 'cool', but he's very wrong.
Were not talking about data over the power lines, were talking about a WAP every 3 or 4 poles, all connected with fiber, so that anyone in the city can get wireless access. Which is damned cool, and I hope my home town (hamilton) has plans to do likewise soon.
So once again, this has nothing to do with sending data over the powerlines, just using existing infrastructure to set up wireless for a city.
if that were true- you woulden't be able to see your desktop. Try this one day (windows XP/2000 only since they have non-crippled task mannagers); run task mannager and end process on EXPLORER.EXE; watch how much stuff dies.
I sure as hell want to- Notepad is old and outdated- and dosen't perform several very useful functions that I require from a 'quick' text editor.
If I had the option of removing notepad, I would- as it stands, I don't use it, I use PFE; which while it lacks syntax highlighting, is great for looking at HTML code and other programming related text quickly, and it also dosen't crap out after a certain size.
Ok- Some people seem to have missed the point, I think, It's not specifically a 'big deal' that it's two screens, it's a big deal that it's double-sized AND in two screens, so that you can have the viewing area of two GBA screens, but still have it fold into a relatively useful size.
That's why there hyping 'two screens' instead of 'double sized single screen', so that you'll know it'll be able to fold into about the same size as a GBA(SP?) when your not playing your extera screen games.
And if you can't picture uses for extera large screen games- let me list a few:
1-RPG Combat Screens: by the time you have menus, player status, enemy status, options, etc, there isin't a lot of space left over for the actually fight screen, this is fine on a TV where the image is large- but on a tiny screen like the GBA you feel kinda robbed unless they've purposely simplified the system- now they don't have to, I can play a woefully complex RPG without having to sacrifice a neat looking battle screen.
2-Minimaps- Same as above, by the time you make the minimap large enough to be useful your taking out a significant portion of the usable screen; once again, when this is not on a portable it's fine because TV's are big, but on a small screen like the GBA screen real-estate is important; with this I can have the full sized minimap and the actual screen where I walk around open at the same time.
3-(this one is only a possibility); A special touch sensitive adaptor that goes over the second screen, the first screen or both screens- One of the screens could become an 'omni-controller'- each game can send it's own controller output to the second screen that has a custom set of buttons on it! That would rock- Think about playing a spy type game, and comming up to a 'keypad lock' and suddenly getting the keypad on your second screen instead of having to play around with the thumbpad to act like your using the keypad- or to have an electrical circut displayed and you 'hack' the system by soldering joints together- get it right and the door opens and it 'feels' much more real then just pressing buttons on a thumbpad.
So to recap- Dual screens means; Extera large screen that can fold into NOT being extra large AND possiblity of some really cool options that would be possible but more difficult to impliment on just a double sized screen (like the custom keypad), all in all; good stuff.
But imagine all the neat electronic applications you could perform with a >1 farad non-electrolitic capacitor.
Rail gun
tesla coil
Jacobs ladder
Speaker system in you car that can launch watermellons
Causing iron ingots to melt
exploding pickels
exploding bags of paint
EMP coils
If you think that all life is sacred you'd better give up eating everything except milk and eggs- Cause guess what, even that carrot had to die to be eaten.
Or perhaps the deal is different when you deal with sentient life? In which case now your into the realm where the pro-choicers like to argue from; Is a featus inteligent, is it aware of it's surroundings, or cognisant (I'm in no position to answer that, nor will I try), but if you think that a featus is sentient, you should probablly take all meats out of your diet, since there rather simmilar things.
But the big parts taht pro choicers liek to argue ist hat a featus is 'unsustainable'- in that, during pregnancy a featus is a parasite leeching nutrients from the mother, and causing all kinds of medical problems- If removed from the mother by surgical means it will die.
Now I'm not sure about you, but if I had a possibly inteligent tapeworm inside me and the doctor told me 'we could surgically remove it but that would be killing a possibly living thing, your going to have to put up with the following symptoms for 9 monthes after which time there will be a messy exit stratagy', I think I'd find another doctor; I'm not saying I'd nessassarily kill the semi-inteligent tapeworm, but I'd want that option.
I can't help but argue with this; My aunt buys a lot more 'tech' (If by tech were refering to power tools and vehicles) then me and my dad put together. I had ocassion to ask her what she looks for when she goes out to buy something, she looks at several factors- the Most Important being 'how much time will it save her'- Hence when she buys things she often gets the jigsaw with the largest number of horses, the planer with the biggest acceptance surface, the nailgun with the quickest solinoid recharge rate; She specifically AVOIDS any of the 'female geared' technology, which kick down the horsepower to the point where it's easier to do it by hand, and use a 'pretty looking' coloured case that'll loose its colour in three weeks of constant use, and break after 5.
I imagine that this anecdote is true of most female buyers, they don't want 'female geared' technology- espically if 'female geared' is advertiser speak for 'cheaper and less durable, but prettier looking'- they want devices that will make them able to do projects faster and easier- and that's what power tools and 'tech' in the home improvment catagory allready is!
YEA for the GPL, you can run RHEL for free- But; you don't get RHEL's support for free; which is really where the money for that is going; the support.
I think that redhats decision is a perfect buisness decision, and I don't fault them for it- At the same time, I'm sure they know that other people have compiled there enterprise suite; and there probabally find with that too- After all, it's a 'free taste' of there enterprie suite, and I'm sure there hoping that people will try it, and decide that the support for that suite is worth it (and they dide't even have to host the ISO's)
I think were seeing a lot of enthused people, but the technology is not what you seem to think it is.
It's a sensor implated into the back of your head that will take directions from the you, and move around the cursor to match those directions- essentially it will at its best remove the mouse from the computer (it will probabally work as a stylus/mouse once you get used to it).
Now this might solve a lot of RSD and Carple tunnel problems, but it's not going to let you 'download' massive ammounts of code from your brain into your computer, and it definatly isin't going to send anything back.
And the technology isin't ever going to do that (well this particularly strain of technology, someone else will work on brain signal decoding some day- this process dosen't decode anything), this technology may however build better prostetic limbs or weelchairs, and it will allow the paralized slow, but functional, access to the itnernet (try typing on a virtual keyboard with your mouse, it's goign to be slow not matter what compared to a touch typer)
So slow down there, I like you, cannot wait to be able to interface directly with my computer; I'm even interested in this technology (I'm starting to feel the progression of RSD on my 'mousing fingers' (I switch which hand uses the mouse every 6 monthes) and wrists), but I don't expect THIS technology to ever evolve into direct some form of neural interface, that will have to wait for someone else to develop a way to decode/encode human transmission signals.
I really have to ask 'what?' on this one, as a person who has worked at timeclocked locations and had to carry around a stupid card all the time to check in/out (a card I often misplaced, since it had to be easily removable to swipe), when I read this article I thought to myself 'cool that's a great idea, and nice thing for the employees'. Yet there are dozens of posts about possible security concerns?
If your emplyee wants your fingerprint for some illicit purpose, they can get you to handle a glass object and lift it later. Heck, they could probablly just plain ASK for your fingerprint 'in connection with a series of food store thefts' and you'd hand it over without a second thought (since you diden't steal any food), or perhaps after a second thought, but that thought being 'it's not worth loosing my job over it'.
So if it's that easy to get your fingerprint, what has the instalation of a biometric reader really done? It's made life easier on the emplyees, who no longer have to carry around a stupid card- BUT it's also made life harder on the employees who cheat the system by getting there buddy to clock them in early.
Besides if your so terminally afaraid of your fingerprints being stolen, why don't YOU (the theoritical emplyee of mcdonnalds who dosen't like his hand being scanned) insist on something else being scanned, like your lucky hat, or somesuch. Something tells me they woulden't care, but they might check to make sure you don't get your buddy to check you in a LOT (which they have the right to do). Also I'm sure they woulden't care if you wore a glove during the scan (just make sure you allwase have that glove, and don't go crying to mannagment the day you forget it).
Wow, I've been seeing a lot of posts relating to SkyOS and possible GPL violations, so I thought I'd check there website and see if the source is avalible, this is directly from there website:
GPL
Sources of applications/libraries which are distributed under the GPL or modified LGPL sources are available by CD order.
This CD will ship for 12 (including shipping cost) to the entire world.
Small sources (
Now nowhere dose it say in the GPL that you have to provide the sources for free, just that they have to be avalible; though 12 pounds is quite a bit for a CD shipping, it's not outragoues either.
So do they follow the GPL, evidently yes, do there changes actually contribute anything, as they themselves have said- not really; there just ports of the allready existing programs for there OS.
Sources for my info:
http://www.skyos.org/board/viewtopic.php?t=17223
http://www.skyos.org/board/viewtopic.php?t=16917
Side note; anyone know how to get out of italics mode-/i dosen't seem to work for me, nor/I, or for that matter \i, or \I; works for bold though...
Ok, so to summarize all arguments put forward to this point:
1-Microsoft should support there products ad-infinium!
2-Microsoft supports it's products for what appears to be an average of 5 years (4 for windows 95, NT, 6 for windows 98)
2-Redhat (and most linux distro's) dose not support it's products for more then a year
3-You can pay someone else to support those products for more then a year at ~$5/year
4-You cannot pay someone else to support windows (due to closed source nature, or maby just because microsoft dosen't see it as a viable buisness model to contract out there support)
So what's the final verdict? In my humble opinion; Microsoft's long support contracts are good things(tm), however; you can purchase 5 years of support for your linux product for $25; which is generally a lot less then the difference between buying a microsoft OS/Word Processor and buying a Linux OS/Word Processor- but it's a major inconvience to have to purchase support from a company which is not the orriginal one you bought the software from.
(No longer informative rant)
I think that what linux needs to counter this 'viscious cycle of expirations' is develop a method for updating the whole system to the newer system while leaving your.conf files intact (since that's where anything interesting with your setup is going on anyway), ultimately it shouldent be impssible to do (I can back up my.conf files manually and then overwrite as long as there structure hasen't changed between versions), just a matter of making a special package (weither it be RPM, DEB, or source) that replaces your files with those of a new version, and simultaneously updates any.conf's that need it done; however for this to work I believe that the individual Software writers will need to post a 'how to change from 3.1->3.2' guide for the disto's to follow.
(/No longer informative rant)
Sarcastic remark perhaps, or perhaps you have not heard of M.A.D. (Mutual assured destruction).
For those of you who are not 'in the know' or perhaps just don't like to learn things- MAD is what kept the cold war cold; the idea behind it is- by the time you lauch an atomic missile, or a plane carrying an atomic bomb twoards your enemy, your enemy would have enough time to lauch THEIR missiles and planes with bombs twoards you- Since there dose not exist a 'perfect' missile defence, some of those are going to hit, and since nukes are so violently powerful, and both sides have so damned many, both countries get completely anhialated in the ensewing chaos.
China is as atomic capable as Russia was during the cold war- maby more, and missile defence is not much better: hence it's not possible to nuke China wihthout as a result nukeing the US.
Well that really depends on the duration of these pulses; I mean, a littel bit here and there won't kill you (else the moon missions would have been disasterous, and taking a spacewalk very risky if one just happened), so what they need to do is migitate exposure- if a solar flare lasts hours, and they have 'unsafe levels of radation' detectors on the ship- when the thing starts beeping it's off the lead sheilded room, and they only get a few minutes of exposure rather then hours; which would probabally make a mars mission only as radiation burning as a lunar mission without such a system.
You know what; that's close enough to black and white enough for anyone who's not a big mac fan/artists/other very colour oriented occupation and your just as you said 'nitpicking'.
Sounds like it was printed on a Xerox (formerly Tectronix) phaser printer, which uses melted wax as it's writing medium, makes for a very impressive looking waxey print (which of course looks nothing like money)
I remember when I was in high school we got to do some real playing with the computers (which were 286 units on a BNC network that really only ran 'teach typing' type programs well, and word processors (the non-graphical wordperfect sort) poorly) in the library; Once I discovered the existance of Qbasic I spent every lunch designinig 'cool stuff' to leave it running for the next person who'd come by (of coruse with no hard disk that I could access and no disk drive the data was all lost at the end of the period)- Eventually I had put together a quickly compiled script that I could quickly rebuild that let me and my friends make our own 'choose your own adventure' games.
Though we did get in trouble once for making fun of the teachers in those games; we never got in trouble for using the computers: Because the admin's were compotent and everything was sealed down, save actually screwing with the hard ware there was nothing we could do to those computers that a quick press of the reset button woulden't fix.
A few weeks ago, I was doing some work for my dad (who is a teacher at a school) to assist them with some problems on a windows 2000 computer connecting to a windows NT network (the windows 2000 boxes refused to use the roaming profiles of the student's- still do actually; if someone knows the problem I'm talking about tell me!), one of the peices of software on those computers is a littel program called 'deep freeze', basically it images the hard disk after the admin has set it up properly, and that image is restored every time the computer is restarted (which slows down restart a bit, but not much, it only looks for changed bits, and all student information is on the roaming profile- except on those damned 2000 machines!) so the students can do whatever the hell they want to those computers, it dosen't matter- if the machine is behaving badly, it's just a restart from going back to 'default' (of course the image for that is updated with security updates regularly too)
Now my dad dosen't know a hell of a lot about computers- but I know he woulden't throw a fit if someone in his class did something cute like send 'hey' to everyone in the class, heck he might even ask how it's done so that he can use it when a kid is asleap at the monitor (he teaches typing and internet skills; not computers BTW).
interesting idea- but all he did was use net send; a reward is probabally in order- but I'd worry about the precident if we sent him tonnes of stuff just because he GOT CAUGHT; as responsible individuals we don't want to give him the idea that he's being rewarded for being suspended, just that indipendant thought and experementation is NOT wrong no matter what the school tells him-
But an O'Reilly book on 'windows scripting' or simmilar might be in order, I've got a dollar if you do?
Except that; IBM allready has a large Linux support center, and that's growing. Anyone applying for an internal transfer to the linux areas will get linux training, and anyone applying for an internal transfer from the linux areas will allready have linux training. As a result- all the internal helpdesk folk probabally allready need to know linux RIGHT NOW so that they can troubleshoot a problem when the external tech support guys screw up there test computers running linux.
but that raises the total cost of ownership- and NESSESITATES that you use something not windows;
Some of the TCO costs cover the people that your hiring- Sure you can hire a fresh MCSE every year and fire them at the end of that year for a grand total of $15/hr; But the compotent admin who's MCSE, A+, CCNA, RHCSE and whatever other requirements there going to have COULD work on linux, and will cost the same as the linux admin (because it's the same person you'd be hiring for either); So you have a choice- pay for windows, pay less for your employees, get hit by virii, or pay for windows and pay the same cost you would to a linux admin, and don't get hit by virii.
Not using a firewall- What type of firewall would they be using; another mircrosoft box using internet sharing? Or a Cisco router. If it's the cisco roter, it's not longer a 'microsoft' solution- and it may have been cheaper/more effective to just go linux and set up a linux based router. Also you run into the price of the admin problem above- if your going to have to hire an admin who can command a cisco box- they can command a linux one too.
Virus Scanners- Are the yearly fees of virus scanners included in those costs?- I dbought it. A good virus scanner (as in not norton or macafee) can have some pretty hefty costs, and those are per year costs, so they raise up the TCO, and a compotent admin who can do more then click pretty buttons/reinstall in responce to virii is going to cost more again!
Also as was mentioned elsewhere, the cost of downtime is not included in these figures, and if your patching once a week (which I believe is microsoft's current release schedule), your going to have to reset once a week- which means downtime once a week, that could be astronimically more expensive then any TCO bogey-man.
Re:Examples of heresies about America
on
What You Can't Say
·
· Score: 1
The funniest part is I think you actually expected to be knocked down to -1 for that.
Slashdot Mirror
(Note: during this post I'm going to refer to Zarus several times, by zarus I mean ANY handheld device that has the capacity to run a 'real' unix) A lot of people in the 'open source' catagory are responding with things like 'But using open source lets you do things you woulden't be able to do normally' but don't list any examples.
A lot of those who feel that the proprietary (or at least 'designed speicifically with handheld in mind') solutions are better cite 'give us an example'
Well for an example that is probabally impossible on anything short of a full blown windows on palmtop proprietary solution (but easily done in a linux on palmtop using a few shell scripts); Lets say I own the game Crono Trigger, for the super nintendo, and I have a long trip ahead of me; I wan to play this game during the trip, because it's a great game, but I don't want to carry tonnes of crap with me. I can get a port of SNES9X for linux, and play my game on my palmtop (handeling the 'select game, select speed and other insanity' that would require a lot of clicking and scrolling around with a shell script).
Now this is a rather off example since it's strictly for gaming- BUT, a new sharp zarus could probabally play gameboy advanced games emulated as well- So the Zarus, because it is Linux, and because it's built powerfully enough to run linux, could be both your organiser, and your GBA in one package (for the sake of legalities, we'll assume that you also pay to get a cartidge copier and purchase all your games)- It was more expensive then both devices combined; but if you can find two more useful uses for it; then it might be a more cost effective package (and definatly smaller then carring both a Palm, and a GBA).
Another good example of something that I personally want from any 'really damned expensive device that I have purchased' is that it signal me in certain situations (like when it's battery is runnign low- Now, the palm and Zarus may come with a beep when battery power gets low- But later on (maby even years later) I may find a card that can do both GPS and cellular internet on the cheap, so I can throw that in my zarus, and then change it's low battery warning to be 'send me an e-mail with your current GPS co-ordinates', and then I can add 'also do that if anyone ever fails to enter the user password correctly' as an anti-theft measure!
But we can't ignore the fact that the palm-type device is just plain cheaper! Like tonnes cheaper! So while the above scenarios would be kinda cool- you could probabally affoard to buy a palm, then 'upgrade'(buy a new one) to a palm that also plays GBA games (assuming one is created), then 'upgrade' to a palm that plays GBA games, and has an integrated cell modem and GPS; Possibly upgrading twice will still cost less then buying one new Zarus and the devices/peripials to make it do all those things.
I don't understand how so many slashdotters can be convinced that we will experence global armegeddon at the hands of nanomachines that will reduce us to 'grey goo'.
I hope what I type here might help dispel some of this parasitic meeme!
In the event that we mannage to make 'room temprature' nanmachines that are not instantly destroyed by a slight breeze, can break down even terminally simple matter for use in replication, and somehow get released into the world with a malicious intent (or through a glitch)- they will not be too much of a threat!
Ultimately unless some methoed of making semi-conductors and computer circurtry that dose not involve electricity at all comes along, each and every single active nanomachine will be vunerable to a simple EMP, and EMPs can be easily generated by sending massive voltage through a coil- hence even a 'barnyard warrior' fighting a nanomachine threat could rig up his disel truck to take out the microscopic buggers (that might make a good movie though!). In the event that we do find a way to making non-electric computer circutry it would have to be immue to dosens of other things that can mess with computer circuts (for instance a theoretically 100% optical computer could be fried by massive ammounts of UV radiation)
And lets not forget the technical overhead required to overcome those first few problems! Any nanomachine made of metal will be victim to rust, small bits of object rust much faster then large ones- hence a swarm of iron nanomachines could be killed with a simple spray of salt-water! Diamond ones would be extremely brittel (diamond is strong, but shatteres rather then bending) so sound waves would be an effective weapon (True for any crystaline structure; and a crystaline structure is required for optical transmission!)
Next is the ability to reprduce using simple matter, I mean, a lab is a very different enviornment then the real world, we'll probablly see self-replicating nano-machines that work in specifically temperature controled vats long before we see ones that can do it in the real world: Why, even if you can get a machine so sofisticated that it can tear apart simple carbon atoms, and whatever else it needs (and figure out what's carbon and what's not) and build a copy of itself, it's likely to loose it's tiny manipulators with every major temprature change, as the particles grow and contract while it tries to move them along!
Next someone will have to be able to get a hold of these things, and reprogram them to do somethign bad (that may actually be the easiest part: as all you have to do is REMOVE code that will be telling them to do other things besides replicate), but it will still require a multi-billion dollar lab to access there tiny circutry and reprogram them on such a basic level (the equivalent to taking out chips in a modern computer, but requireing a nano-manipulator!), so this is not something a 'backyard terrorist' is going to do, and if a government dose it, they will put a reasonable 'off' time in them, which will probabally put them into the same catagory as other WMDs.
Diamond flakes and small bits of glass are simmilar enough at scales that small that you can compare them (I guess). If you work with stained glass the next few days you cough up blood once or twice, then as I understand it, your better (I felt better the next day and no longer couged up blood, my understanding is the that blood carries the glass powder); at least, I've not encoutnered anyone who works with stained glass who has serious respatory problems (People who work with stained glass often do so without masks, perhaps unwise, but none of the people in the teaching classes use masks either, and those tiny grinders definatly make powdered glass in the air).
Another 'big if' I keep seeing that seems somewhat unfounded is the 'won't the nanomachines kill us once we breath them in'- Laser toner is molecular scale, while that stuff isin't great for you (possible carcinogin) you don't get 'black lung' from getting a whiff of it, it dosen't poke millions of tiny holes in your cellular system, and it's actually the fact that it's easy to break down that makes it dangerous (your cells can process it, and that's where the carcinogen factor comes in).
As for worries about bizarr 'grey goo' scenarios- EMP, and if that dosen't work; Nuke with associated EMP- then all you have are a bunch of inert bits of metal dust that'll rust soon enough, and otherwise pass harmlessly through your system.
WOW; maby the submitter got it wrong, maby he had trouble understanding the article, maby he just wanted to make the topic sound more 'cool', but he's very wrong.
Were not talking about data over the power lines, were talking about a WAP every 3 or 4 poles, all connected with fiber, so that anyone in the city can get wireless access. Which is damned cool, and I hope my home town (hamilton) has plans to do likewise soon.
So once again, this has nothing to do with sending data over the powerlines, just using existing infrastructure to set up wireless for a city.
if that were true- you woulden't be able to see your desktop. Try this one day (windows XP/2000 only since they have non-crippled task mannagers); run task mannager and end process on EXPLORER.EXE; watch how much stuff dies.
I sure as hell want to- Notepad is old and outdated- and dosen't perform several very useful functions that I require from a 'quick' text editor.
If I had the option of removing notepad, I would- as it stands, I don't use it, I use PFE; which while it lacks syntax highlighting, is great for looking at HTML code and other programming related text quickly, and it also dosen't crap out after a certain size.
Ok- Some people seem to have missed the point, I think, It's not specifically a 'big deal' that it's two screens, it's a big deal that it's double-sized AND in two screens, so that you can have the viewing area of two GBA screens, but still have it fold into a relatively useful size.
That's why there hyping 'two screens' instead of 'double sized single screen', so that you'll know it'll be able to fold into about the same size as a GBA(SP?) when your not playing your extera screen games.
And if you can't picture uses for extera large screen games- let me list a few:
1-RPG Combat Screens: by the time you have menus, player status, enemy status, options, etc, there isin't a lot of space left over for the actually fight screen, this is fine on a TV where the image is large- but on a tiny screen like the GBA you feel kinda robbed unless they've purposely simplified the system- now they don't have to, I can play a woefully complex RPG without having to sacrifice a neat looking battle screen.
2-Minimaps- Same as above, by the time you make the minimap large enough to be useful your taking out a significant portion of the usable screen; once again, when this is not on a portable it's fine because TV's are big, but on a small screen like the GBA screen real-estate is important; with this I can have the full sized minimap and the actual screen where I walk around open at the same time.
3-(this one is only a possibility); A special touch sensitive adaptor that goes over the second screen, the first screen or both screens- One of the screens could become an 'omni-controller'- each game can send it's own controller output to the second screen that has a custom set of buttons on it! That would rock- Think about playing a spy type game, and comming up to a 'keypad lock' and suddenly getting the keypad on your second screen instead of having to play around with the thumbpad to act like your using the keypad- or to have an electrical circut displayed and you 'hack' the system by soldering joints together- get it right and the door opens and it 'feels' much more real then just pressing buttons on a thumbpad.
So to recap- Dual screens means; Extera large screen that can fold into NOT being extra large AND possiblity of some really cool options that would be possible but more difficult to impliment on just a double sized screen (like the custom keypad), all in all; good stuff.
But imagine all the neat electronic applications you could perform with a >1 farad non-electrolitic capacitor.
Rail gun
tesla coil
Jacobs ladder
Speaker system in you car that can launch watermellons
Causing iron ingots to melt
exploding pickels
exploding bags of paint
EMP coils
If you think that all life is sacred you'd better give up eating everything except milk and eggs- Cause guess what, even that carrot had to die to be eaten.
Or perhaps the deal is different when you deal with sentient life? In which case now your into the realm where the pro-choicers like to argue from; Is a featus inteligent, is it aware of it's surroundings, or cognisant (I'm in no position to answer that, nor will I try), but if you think that a featus is sentient, you should probablly take all meats out of your diet, since there rather simmilar things.
But the big parts taht pro choicers liek to argue ist hat a featus is 'unsustainable'- in that, during pregnancy a featus is a parasite leeching nutrients from the mother, and causing all kinds of medical problems- If removed from the mother by surgical means it will die.
Now I'm not sure about you, but if I had a possibly inteligent tapeworm inside me and the doctor told me 'we could surgically remove it but that would be killing a possibly living thing, your going to have to put up with the following symptoms for 9 monthes after which time there will be a messy exit stratagy', I think I'd find another doctor; I'm not saying I'd nessassarily kill the semi-inteligent tapeworm, but I'd want that option.
I can't help but argue with this; My aunt buys a lot more 'tech' (If by tech were refering to power tools and vehicles) then me and my dad put together. I had ocassion to ask her what she looks for when she goes out to buy something, she looks at several factors- the Most Important being 'how much time will it save her'- Hence when she buys things she often gets the jigsaw with the largest number of horses, the planer with the biggest acceptance surface, the nailgun with the quickest solinoid recharge rate; She specifically AVOIDS any of the 'female geared' technology, which kick down the horsepower to the point where it's easier to do it by hand, and use a 'pretty looking' coloured case that'll loose its colour in three weeks of constant use, and break after 5.
I imagine that this anecdote is true of most female buyers, they don't want 'female geared' technology- espically if 'female geared' is advertiser speak for 'cheaper and less durable, but prettier looking'- they want devices that will make them able to do projects faster and easier- and that's what power tools and 'tech' in the home improvment catagory allready is!
I think in this situation measure once cut twice might work better.
YEA for the GPL, you can run RHEL for free- But; you don't get RHEL's support for free; which is really where the money for that is going; the support.
I think that redhats decision is a perfect buisness decision, and I don't fault them for it- At the same time, I'm sure they know that other people have compiled there enterprise suite; and there probabally find with that too- After all, it's a 'free taste' of there enterprie suite, and I'm sure there hoping that people will try it, and decide that the support for that suite is worth it (and they dide't even have to host the ISO's)
I think were seeing a lot of enthused people, but the technology is not what you seem to think it is.
It's a sensor implated into the back of your head that will take directions from the you, and move around the cursor to match those directions- essentially it will at its best remove the mouse from the computer (it will probabally work as a stylus/mouse once you get used to it).
Now this might solve a lot of RSD and Carple tunnel problems, but it's not going to let you 'download' massive ammounts of code from your brain into your computer, and it definatly isin't going to send anything back.
And the technology isin't ever going to do that (well this particularly strain of technology, someone else will work on brain signal decoding some day- this process dosen't decode anything), this technology may however build better prostetic limbs or weelchairs, and it will allow the paralized slow, but functional, access to the itnernet (try typing on a virtual keyboard with your mouse, it's goign to be slow not matter what compared to a touch typer)
So slow down there, I like you, cannot wait to be able to interface directly with my computer; I'm even interested in this technology (I'm starting to feel the progression of RSD on my 'mousing fingers' (I switch which hand uses the mouse every 6 monthes) and wrists), but I don't expect THIS technology to ever evolve into direct some form of neural interface, that will have to wait for someone else to develop a way to decode/encode human transmission signals.
I really have to ask 'what?' on this one, as a person who has worked at timeclocked locations and had to carry around a stupid card all the time to check in/out (a card I often misplaced, since it had to be easily removable to swipe), when I read this article I thought to myself 'cool that's a great idea, and nice thing for the employees'. Yet there are dozens of posts about possible security concerns?
If your emplyee wants your fingerprint for some illicit purpose, they can get you to handle a glass object and lift it later. Heck, they could probablly just plain ASK for your fingerprint 'in connection with a series of food store thefts' and you'd hand it over without a second thought (since you diden't steal any food), or perhaps after a second thought, but that thought being 'it's not worth loosing my job over it'.
So if it's that easy to get your fingerprint, what has the instalation of a biometric reader really done? It's made life easier on the emplyees, who no longer have to carry around a stupid card- BUT it's also made life harder on the employees who cheat the system by getting there buddy to clock them in early.
Besides if your so terminally afaraid of your fingerprints being stolen, why don't YOU (the theoritical emplyee of mcdonnalds who dosen't like his hand being scanned) insist on something else being scanned, like your lucky hat, or somesuch. Something tells me they woulden't care, but they might check to make sure you don't get your buddy to check you in a LOT (which they have the right to do). Also I'm sure they woulden't care if you wore a glove during the scan (just make sure you allwase have that glove, and don't go crying to mannagment the day you forget it).
Wow, I've been seeing a lot of posts relating to SkyOS and possible GPL violations, so I thought I'd check there website and see if the source is avalible, this is directly from there website:
/i dosen't seem to work for me, nor /I, or for that matter \i, or \I; works for bold though...
GPL Sources of applications/libraries which are distributed under the GPL or modified LGPL sources are available by CD order. This CD will ship for 12 (including shipping cost) to the entire world. Small sources (
Now nowhere dose it say in the GPL that you have to provide the sources for free, just that they have to be avalible; though 12 pounds is quite a bit for a CD shipping, it's not outragoues either.
So do they follow the GPL, evidently yes, do there changes actually contribute anything, as they themselves have said- not really; there just ports of the allready existing programs for there OS.
Sources for my info:
http://www.skyos.org/board/viewtopic.php?t=17223
http://www.skyos.org/board/viewtopic.php?t=16917
Side note; anyone know how to get out of italics mode-
Ok, so to summarize all arguments put forward to this point:
.conf files intact (since that's where anything interesting with your setup is going on anyway), ultimately it shouldent be impssible to do (I can back up my .conf files manually and then overwrite as long as there structure hasen't changed between versions), just a matter of making a special package (weither it be RPM, DEB, or source) that replaces your files with those of a new version, and simultaneously updates any .conf's that need it done; however for this to work I believe that the individual Software writers will need to post a 'how to change from 3.1->3.2' guide for the disto's to follow.
(/No longer informative rant)
1-Microsoft should support there products ad-infinium!
2-Microsoft supports it's products for what appears to be an average of 5 years (4 for windows 95, NT, 6 for windows 98)
2-Redhat (and most linux distro's) dose not support it's products for more then a year
3-You can pay someone else to support those products for more then a year at ~$5/year
4-You cannot pay someone else to support windows (due to closed source nature, or maby just because microsoft dosen't see it as a viable buisness model to contract out there support)
So what's the final verdict? In my humble opinion; Microsoft's long support contracts are good things(tm), however; you can purchase 5 years of support for your linux product for $25; which is generally a lot less then the difference between buying a microsoft OS/Word Processor and buying a Linux OS/Word Processor- but it's a major inconvience to have to purchase support from a company which is not the orriginal one you bought the software from.
(No longer informative rant) I think that what linux needs to counter this 'viscious cycle of expirations' is develop a method for updating the whole system to the newer system while leaving your
Sarcastic remark perhaps, or perhaps you have not heard of M.A.D. (Mutual assured destruction).
For those of you who are not 'in the know' or perhaps just don't like to learn things- MAD is what kept the cold war cold; the idea behind it is- by the time you lauch an atomic missile, or a plane carrying an atomic bomb twoards your enemy, your enemy would have enough time to lauch THEIR missiles and planes with bombs twoards you- Since there dose not exist a 'perfect' missile defence, some of those are going to hit, and since nukes are so violently powerful, and both sides have so damned many, both countries get completely anhialated in the ensewing chaos.
China is as atomic capable as Russia was during the cold war- maby more, and missile defence is not much better: hence it's not possible to nuke China wihthout as a result nukeing the US.
Well that really depends on the duration of these pulses; I mean, a littel bit here and there won't kill you (else the moon missions would have been disasterous, and taking a spacewalk very risky if one just happened), so what they need to do is migitate exposure- if a solar flare lasts hours, and they have 'unsafe levels of radation' detectors on the ship- when the thing starts beeping it's off the lead sheilded room, and they only get a few minutes of exposure rather then hours; which would probabally make a mars mission only as radiation burning as a lunar mission without such a system.
You know what; that's close enough to black and white enough for anyone who's not a big mac fan/artists/other very colour oriented occupation and your just as you said 'nitpicking'.
Sounds like it was printed on a Xerox (formerly Tectronix) phaser printer, which uses melted wax as it's writing medium, makes for a very impressive looking waxey print (which of course looks nothing like money)
I remember when I was in high school we got to do some real playing with the computers (which were 286 units on a BNC network that really only ran 'teach typing' type programs well, and word processors (the non-graphical wordperfect sort) poorly) in the library; Once I discovered the existance of Qbasic I spent every lunch designinig 'cool stuff' to leave it running for the next person who'd come by (of coruse with no hard disk that I could access and no disk drive the data was all lost at the end of the period)- Eventually I had put together a quickly compiled script that I could quickly rebuild that let me and my friends make our own 'choose your own adventure' games.
Though we did get in trouble once for making fun of the teachers in those games; we never got in trouble for using the computers: Because the admin's were compotent and everything was sealed down, save actually screwing with the hard ware there was nothing we could do to those computers that a quick press of the reset button woulden't fix.
A few weeks ago, I was doing some work for my dad (who is a teacher at a school) to assist them with some problems on a windows 2000 computer connecting to a windows NT network (the windows 2000 boxes refused to use the roaming profiles of the student's- still do actually; if someone knows the problem I'm talking about tell me!), one of the peices of software on those computers is a littel program called 'deep freeze', basically it images the hard disk after the admin has set it up properly, and that image is restored every time the computer is restarted (which slows down restart a bit, but not much, it only looks for changed bits, and all student information is on the roaming profile- except on those damned 2000 machines!) so the students can do whatever the hell they want to those computers, it dosen't matter- if the machine is behaving badly, it's just a restart from going back to 'default' (of course the image for that is updated with security updates regularly too)
Now my dad dosen't know a hell of a lot about computers- but I know he woulden't throw a fit if someone in his class did something cute like send 'hey' to everyone in the class, heck he might even ask how it's done so that he can use it when a kid is asleap at the monitor (he teaches typing and internet skills; not computers BTW).
interesting idea- but all he did was use net send; a reward is probabally in order- but I'd worry about the precident if we sent him tonnes of stuff just because he GOT CAUGHT; as responsible individuals we don't want to give him the idea that he's being rewarded for being suspended, just that indipendant thought and experementation is NOT wrong no matter what the school tells him-
But an O'Reilly book on 'windows scripting' or simmilar might be in order, I've got a dollar if you do?
Except that; IBM allready has a large Linux support center, and that's growing. Anyone applying for an internal transfer to the linux areas will get linux training, and anyone applying for an internal transfer from the linux areas will allready have linux training. As a result- all the internal helpdesk folk probabally allready need to know linux RIGHT NOW so that they can troubleshoot a problem when the external tech support guys screw up there test computers running linux.
but that raises the total cost of ownership- and NESSESITATES that you use something not windows;
Some of the TCO costs cover the people that your hiring- Sure you can hire a fresh MCSE every year and fire them at the end of that year for a grand total of $15/hr; But the compotent admin who's MCSE, A+, CCNA, RHCSE and whatever other requirements there going to have COULD work on linux, and will cost the same as the linux admin (because it's the same person you'd be hiring for either); So you have a choice- pay for windows, pay less for your employees, get hit by virii, or pay for windows and pay the same cost you would to a linux admin, and don't get hit by virii.
Not using a firewall- What type of firewall would they be using; another mircrosoft box using internet sharing? Or a Cisco router. If it's the cisco roter, it's not longer a 'microsoft' solution- and it may have been cheaper/more effective to just go linux and set up a linux based router. Also you run into the price of the admin problem above- if your going to have to hire an admin who can command a cisco box- they can command a linux one too.
Virus Scanners- Are the yearly fees of virus scanners included in those costs?- I dbought it. A good virus scanner (as in not norton or macafee) can have some pretty hefty costs, and those are per year costs, so they raise up the TCO, and a compotent admin who can do more then click pretty buttons/reinstall in responce to virii is going to cost more again!
Also as was mentioned elsewhere, the cost of downtime is not included in these figures, and if your patching once a week (which I believe is microsoft's current release schedule), your going to have to reset once a week- which means downtime once a week, that could be astronimically more expensive then any TCO bogey-man.
The funniest part is I think you actually expected to be knocked down to -1 for that.