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User: Gethsemane

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Comments · 16

  1. SCO should be scared... on New Survey Finds No Linux 'Chill' From SCO Suit · · Score: 1

    I don't know about you... But I sure wouldn't want millions of Angry Penguins running after me. Those flightless birds have a terrible temper. ;-)

  2. Classic case of... on SCO Gets More Desperate; Sends More Letters · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Its better to be thought of a fool than to speak up and remove all doubt. Personally, I would like to see SCO stand up and provide substantial claims to their suit other than a few lines of code that seem to be so generic anyone could have created them. I believe a few weeks ago a judge ordered SCO to cough up some real prrof and hopefully they run away with their tail between their legs.

  3. I beg to differ... on 235,000 Fewer Programmers by 2015 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Remember what Dell just did recently? Most big business's were complaining that Dell's over seas tech support was a farce and demanded english speaking tech support reps that new the nomenclature of IT. There was such an up roar, Dell did move their Big Business tech support back to the US.

    I think after awhile with enough uproar from consumers, their slumping tech support award will cause them to follow suit for the average joe as well.

    I think we can extrapolate this to all of the other area of IT, especially programming. You still need a high level of written and oral communication to perform your job effectively. That is whyI think this big push for over seas IT jobs will eventually backfire in the face of big business.

  4. Re:Breakthrough? All depends on how you look at it on Sony Claims First Running Humanoid Robot · · Score: 1

    Yes I agree with your points there. I guess I am looking at it from my perspective -- its a difficult thing to do when your University or dept may not have a lot of money. Plus, you are right, stopping is the main concearn, and I believe that is something that they had solved. Another invention I see this becoming useful for is biomechanical legs for handicapped people. Something you can strap around their legs and it would do the walking and balancing for them, similar to the segway with its gyroscopes. Something to think about anyways.

  5. Re:This is really a great breakthrough! on Sony Claims First Running Humanoid Robot · · Score: 1

    I guess my point is, most people, take for granted the ability to walk. Walking, or running for that matter, is a series of simple tasks that make up a complex movement.

    I've created two bi-pedal robots (simple ones)and even with the most precise servos, accelerometers, etc, it was still a major undertaking to get it to balance, move foreward, and stop.

    Side note: I used the JavaStamp with the ajile processor.

  6. This is really a great breakthrough! on Sony Claims First Running Humanoid Robot · · Score: 5, Interesting

    My masters thesis is in robotics and most individuals do not comprehend how hard it is to make a bi-pedal robot walk unsupported. When you examine the biomechanics of a simple taks of walking, you quickly realize just how impressive of a feat it really is! (You parents out there know what I am talking about.) Baiscally to walk you have to fall forward and catch yourself with a leg that swings infront of you. Essentially you are in an equilibrium of falling forward and balancing yourself with your feet. Of course this is an over simplified approach and doesn't consider how your toes or balls of your foot assist. Bravo to Sony! And hopefully Honda and Sony get into a race and do some real development with each of their respective robots.

  7. Re:OpenOffice to the rescue on City Of Austin Migrating To OpenOffice.org · · Score: 1

    I guess near future to me is within the decade. OpenOffice is getting packaged with numerous new PC's now. Lindows isn't my idea of great linux, but atleast its a step forward in the right direction. I would like to see Compaq or HP pushing linux more on their new PC's and bundle it with openoffice and other great apps.

  8. OpenOffice to the rescue on City Of Austin Migrating To OpenOffice.org · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I am glad to hear that OpenOffice is gaining more ground. I firmly believe OpenOffice will over take MS Office in the near future.

    If you haven't already check out the development section of their web site:
    http://development.openoffice.org/index.htm l

    I am really amazed with the level of documentation, add on's, scripts/macros, and integration with other languages.

  9. Re:Wrights NOT FIRST to fly! on (At Least) 100 Years Of Powered Human Flight · · Score: 1

    You are obviously the same type of idiot that would believe the civil war was about slavery and freeing the oppresed slaves aren't you? History is written several ways, just because one popular view is being expressed doesn't make it accurate.

  10. Re:The Wrights on (At Least) 100 Years Of Powered Human Flight · · Score: 1

    You are right, about the replica... I don't think it was ever meant to fly. But I do recall on the Discovery Wings sometime back that they did re-create Weisskopfs airplane and it flew, considerably better then the group that tried to re-create flight by building a wright airplane. I just recently watched as they tried to re-create flight with the wright flyer on the history channel about 2 weeks ago. That was a miserable attempt!

  11. Smithsonian Contract with Wright brothers on (At Least) 100 Years Of Powered Human Flight · · Score: 1

    "On 23 November of that same year, the executors of Orville Wright's estate entered into a contract with the Smithsonian for the display of the aircraft which dealt with, among other - things, the wording to be used on the accompanying plaque. Paragraph 2 (d) of the Agreement reads: "Neither the Smithsonian Institution or its successors, nor any museum or other agency, bureau or facilities administered for the United States of America by the Smithsonian Institution or its successors shall publish or permit to be displayed a statement or label in connection with or in respect of any aircraft model or design of earlier date than the Wright Aeroplane of 1903, claiming in effect that such aircraft was capable of carrying a man under its own power in controlled flight." "Failure to observe this condition by the Smithsonian would result in a return of the "Flyer" to the vendors, according to paragraph 4 of the contract. "The implication is clear. By trading its integrity for an aeroplane, the Smithsonian one of the most prestigious public institutions in the world, was condemning Gustave Whitehead [and by inference also condeming all other early aviation pioneers including Richard Pearse of New Zealand - CJB] to obscurity." Full article: http://chrisbrady.itgo.com/pearse/smithsonian.htm

  12. Wiesskopf Article on (At Least) 100 Years Of Powered Human Flight · · Score: 1

    http://www.weisskopf.de/history.htm

  13. Re:The Wrights on (At Least) 100 Years Of Powered Human Flight · · Score: 1

    LMAO, Weisskopf flew longer distances about 14 months before the wrights even had their airplane off the ground. Do your homework!

  14. Re:Ahem on (At Least) 100 Years Of Powered Human Flight · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Ah yes, that is why Gustav Weisskopf used a clutch mechanism to shift the power from one engine to the other. He used this as a pseudo aileron LONG before the wrights even got their glider off the ground!

  15. Re:Wright Brothers == True Engineers on (At Least) 100 Years Of Powered Human Flight · · Score: 1

    That is the funniest thing I have ever heard. They basically made a glider that had to be sling-shotted to gain altitude and then it was such a poor design, underpowered, and so heavy it quickly glided back to earth. Look up Gustav Weisskopf. He was the true aviation pioneer with true engineering skillz, long before the wright bros managed to toddle their way through history.

  16. Wrights NOT FIRST to fly! on (At Least) 100 Years Of Powered Human Flight · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Gustav Weisskopf (Whitehead) was actually the first person to fly in an airplane (controlled flight) many months earlier than the wright bros. In fact his aircraft design was so well engineered (German of course) that he helped steer the airplane using a clutch mechanism to slow one engine and give the 2nd engine more power.

    Gustav Weisskopf's distances were also much longer than the slingshot effect the wright bros. had. Go do your google homework! ;-)

    In addition the wright bros. spent the rest of their time suing people like Curtis who actually made real airplanes and had better aircraft inventions. Try looking up the contract between the smithonian and the wright bros concearning the airplane they have on display. Its an eye opener!