The use of digital computer systems to solve this problem has been suggested. U.S. Pat. No. 5,371,551 issued to Logan et al., on Dec. 6, 1994, teaches a method for concurrent video recording and playback. It presents a microprocessor controlled broadcast and playback device. Said device compresses and stores video data onto a hard disk. However, this approach is difficult to implement because the processor requirements for keeping up with the high video rates makes the device expensive and problematic. The microprocessor must be extremely fast to keep up with the incoming and outgoing video data.
It would be advantageous to provide a multimedia time warping system that gives the user the ability to simultaneously record and play back TV broadcast programs. It would further be advantageous to provide a multimedia time warping system that utilizes an approach that decouples the microprocessor from the high video data rates, thereby reducing the microprocessor and system requirements which are at a premium.
Just for reference, U.S. Pat. No. 5,371,551 is the Pause Technology Patent. So not only was Tivo aware of this patent, they talk about the shortcomings and why their way is better.
As an aside, it looks like if the Tivo is infringing on the patent, it's only the stand alone unit. Their DirecTV receivers with Tivo do no compression.
I'm looking at making my computer easier to haul around as well. I leave a 19" monitor, mouse and keyboard at the gaming site so I don't have to lug any of them around, but still grab my main case and take it to play games on a weekly basis. I find that the weight is much more annoying than the size of a mid-tower case.
The guys here at work just got in some aluminum cases and I think it may just be about time for me to upgrade to one. They run about $200, which is a little high for a quality case but they are very light. My current case is 45 lbs, the aluminum ones here are like 12 (both empty). Bolt a handle on and your set.
If you're intersted, details on the cases are available.
I spent a summer working with a Swedish Multimedia company (Warning! Cool Hardware Alert!) and got to attend a convention/show. This was in 1991 when I still thought my Amiga could do some very nice multimedia presentations. What these guys did was was something else entirely.
The most impressive display of the show was from Volvo (I am pretty sure Volvo, could have been Saab though) which included a bank of a couple hundred Kodak 35 mm slide projecters, 60 - 80 Hassalblad medium format slide projectors and a 35 mm motion picture projector. To top it all off the show contained some amazing feats of driving prowess!
The IP section of the agreement from a previous employer basically stated everything you did was theirs. They specifically mentioned on your own time with your own equipment as still belonging to them. Bad stuff.
This company had know-little HR people go over the substantial amount of paperwork with you and a fellow cow-orker used this to his advantage. He simply wrote a huge X over that section and wrote his initials. The HR guy stated, "Hey! You can't do that!" to which he replied "Yes I can". I have no idea if it would ever stand up if contested, but I do beleive it removes this companies rights to his IP.
Standard disclaimer: IANAL, please consult your own legal counsel on these matters.
A perfectly reasonable response. No one is going to force you to buy a major db, with the possible exception of a boss. You have every right to not buy any product you wish, just like they have the right to restrict what can be done with their product.
News at 11, Microsoft enforces same license that every other database vendor uses. AFAICR, no big time database vendor would allow you to publish benchmark results, not just Microsoft. Now if they were going to allow the results to be published if the Win2K box beat the NT4 box, then you may have something.
Besides, they left out way too much detail to get in a fuss over. Like maybe the NT4 box was a 4 way P4, and the Win2K box was a P133 overclocked to 166 MHz and with flaky 32MB simm. They never state that the same hardware was used.
While I have never been accused of being in Microsofts corner, they are in the right on this one and we have seen darn near every major* database vendor pull the same stunt.
Let's see, sysadmin at university knowingly allows friend to use University computer resources to gain illegal access to ISPs. Sounds to me like you should have been fired.
Not really. Without going into too much detail, I think he had access to several dial-up accounts to small ISP's that didn't concern me. I have no idea how he got them, though.
I had no idea he was using the lab Sparcs to then telnet to the ISPs. I really tried to ignore any of the stupid activities he took part in.
Ah yes, Campus Police investigating computer crimes. I was a student Admin at the University I was attending. A friend was in the middle of getting busted for hacking into ISPs for free access. I tried to convince him the risk wasn't worth $20 a month, but some lessons you have to learn yourself.
Anyways, being an Admin I would leave myself logged into a Sparc and just use screen to resume the session. This friend would log onto the same Sparc and then telnet out to the ISPs using his hacked accounts. This was all the proof they needed, I was brought in for questioning.
"I have a printout of a log that shows that every time 'slow learner' used this computer for illegal activity, you were also logged in. How do you explain that? Why won't you tell us how you were helping him?"
"Uh, I can show you a log that shows that I have been logged in for about 5 months straight."
This went on for a while.
A large group of us (mostly locals) would hang out on IRC and even get together every so often for a party. I attended a majority of these parties, so did "slow learner". Unfortunately, so did my gf (now wife). So she was brought in for questioning.
"So you would attend these 'Hacker Parties'? What went on there? Why are you getting yourself into computer crimes? Who was the leader of this 'Hacker Party'".
"Uh, we just got together a lot."
Again, this went on for quite a while. A large number of us were just good friends at school and used IRC to keep in touch while some of us were out co-op'ing and such. We'd throw a party after finals and such and just do stupid, but not yet illegal, stuff. Drinking, music, standard party stuff really.
This guy kept threatening to drag me downtown (the *real* cops) if I kept refusing to cooperate. The worse part was my boss had to sit there and listen to this guy, pretty much powerless to make him stop pestering me. And threatening to take my computers.
Now I realize that to some people spending $1500 on the wiring for a stereo is a small budget, but it's a significant expenditure to most of us. Whatever you do get, it can be made better by a proper setup.
After everything has gotten a chance to break in, do some real setup work. Here's an FAQ on setting up the video yourself and some pointers to getting a ISF Certified pro to bring his $7000 machine and do it for you. I used the Video Essentials DVD that came with my DVD player to do it myself and it makes a significant difference.
The analog SPL meter from Radio Shack is both more accurate and cheaper than the digital one.
Some receivers make you enter a delay value for the center and rears. The formula is pretty simple once you find it, like from this FAQ from Dolby. They have a lot of meaty info on their site.
I don't think that audio setup guide mentioned the trick to sub setup: put the sub where your sweet spot will be and crawl across the room with the SPL meter. Wherever it registers the highest readings should make for a good sub placement. You should generally avoid corners though.
For the period you have to return the items you purchase, listen critically. Continue listening to other setups. Once this time is over, stop being so critical. There will always be something else out there just a little better, and it may even have a cheaper price tag on it. It's much better to enjoy what you have (even if it's a Bose) that to continuously beat yourself up and say "I should have gotten that".
Disclaimer: I am not an audio professional or an audiophile (in the elitist sense of the word). I am even using wiring I found for a nickel a foot! I am happy with my ParadigmMini-Monitor based setup.
> Most, if not all telephone switches in the US today support ten digit dialing. Go ahead, try it. Dial:
> 1-<your-area-code>-<some-friend-in-your-a rea-code%gt;
That's 11 digits.
And I live in Cincinnati as well, and I usually dial 7 digits. This 10 digit plan would require you to dial the area code + 7 digit number for all calls, even from 513 to 513. And no more 1 + area code + number for long distance. So how do you determine when you will be billed for a call? Already have this problem somewhat: When I was in Northern VA some 7 digit numbers were metered. That included my ISP access number, imagine my suprise to see that bill! Bell Atlantic gave it to me free, for that month. Then I found a closer number.
I don't have the time to look up cites at the moment, but I am getting a serious case of deja vu here.
I used Commodore products until they went away, so my first experience with a PC was with the original Pentium. At the time of it's introduction (P60) it was slower and hotter than the offerings from AMD (I think their 486 was hitting 80MHz and was about to climb to 120 or so) and I think even the Intel 486 offerings at the time. Eventually (really starting as early as the P90/100) the architecture difference was put to good use and the Pentiums were faster than 486s.
I can only vaguely remember the Pentium Pro launch, but I think it was faster than an standard Pentium from the beginning.
Then I remember the P2 being considered a huge flop. No advantage over a Pentium. A cost reduced Pentium Pro. MMX was all hype and no software. The standard Pentiums and the P2s were about the same speed for a while, but eventually the P2 pulled away.
I really don't remember the launch of the P3 much at all. Neither does anyone else I've talked to. WTF is the difference between a P2 and a P3 anyways?
So now the P4 is out. It's being benched and guess what? It's slow and expensive. Just like the last several generations of chips from Intel, for the first six months anyway. Give them time, it will be faster.
Until then, I will still use my Thunderbird based systems.
First off, you are right that the DirecTV receiver with Tivo will not Tivo-tize the anything not on the satellite. That cheaper price is helped by not having a MPEG encoder in there. And DirecTV probably wouldn't be very happy making your cable viewing experience better with their equipment.
As for getting locals on the dish... Whoever is the local NBC affiliate pays money to be the only way for you to watch NBC. Allowing you to watch another NBC affiliate means the local affiliate looses ad revenue. Not that Tivo owners actually watch commercials anyways...
I am working on a cite for his numbers as well. I think I have found them, here . I have heard that the Reform Party in Florida is called the Independent Party, and sure enough on this form it says there are 14,551 registered voters in Palm Beach county who are considered members of the Independent party.
This really hinges on Buchannan being the candidate for what Floridians call the Independent Party. I am looking for a cite on that one. It's not looking too hopeful as there is a Reform Party listed (as well as a Reform Silly Party).
Check out this link and here as well to see just how much they vary. Granted, the benchmarks are from a vendor and are likely going to be tweaked to make their product (Resin looks good), but you can see an order of magnitude difference between Tomcat and some of the others.
I will chime in with my own little opinion that it is far cheaper to buy the hardware to get the performance you need from any technology you choose (within reason) than it is to train a staff to a new technology.
And the best example of tuning a Java web app I've heard was a bank's app running on a 16-way Ultra-Sparc. Not pleased with performance they considered moving to an E10K. Then someone pointed out that they were using green threads. For the non-Java guys, green threads (as opposed to native threads) are managed by the VM and cannot use multiple CPUs. Their app was pegging one CPU and leaving the rest idle. Moving to native threads gave them an instant speed, um, boost would be an understatement.
There's plenty of progress being made in this area, though. Check out this page. I have heard a about this thing a couple of times, this is the first link I was able to find. Some choice quotes:
TOCHIGI, Japan-Honda Motor Co. Ltd., claiming a breakthrough in car emissions technology, said Monday it has developed a super-clean gasoline engine that produces exhaust sometimes cleaner than the air it breathes in.
...
Carbon monoxide emissions from the 2.3 litre, four-cylinder engine were 0.17 gram per mile, compared with 1.7 grams allowed under California's Ultra Low Emission Vehicle standard.
"A car equipped with this engine could drive through a high-smog area and the smog-producing emissions coming out of the tailpipe would actually be lower than they are in the surrounding air," Honda president Nobuhiko Kawamoto said.
I think that would go beyond "clean" machines and into "cleaning" machine territory.
The second link in the post describes how to get XFree86 to run on MacOSX. Specifically, look here. Even the page you refer to points to that article, and even says (direct quote) "As a side bonus, if you survive the 50+ mb download, you can log in to OS X's console and run the X server directly from there, if you so choose".
How about reading the article before complaining about it?
software piracy has become such a serious issue that we need to use schemes such as CD keys to protect our future sales.
and from the above mentioned page:
Pre-orders placed on Loki's website will be shipped in two parts. The Quake III CDROM will be shipped via FedEx 2-day delivery beginning 3 days after we receive the Gold Master from id. The tin box, jewel case, manual and other packaging materials will be sent later via parcel post. We hope in this way to get Linux users playing Quake III immediately, without delays for packaging, assembly and stocking retail shelves.
At least in the case of Half-Life, the CD Key was on the jewel case. Anyone seen the Q3 stuff yet & see where they put it? Oh what kind of hell it would be to have the disk in hand, and no key.
Yea, I'd rather get all the info from nntp. Then I'd let Gnus do it's job and be able to read this stuff quicker. And it'd be a lot easier to keep up with new replies to articles I've already read.
Slashdot Mirror
I'm pretty sure that the New York Times has an "all you can eat" contract with L-N and his searches cost them 0.
Just for reference, U.S. Pat. No. 5,371,551 is the Pause Technology Patent. So not only was Tivo aware of this patent, they talk about the shortcomings and why their way is better.
As an aside, it looks like if the Tivo is infringing on the patent, it's only the stand alone unit. Their DirecTV receivers with Tivo do no compression.
I'm looking at making my computer easier to haul around as well. I leave a 19" monitor, mouse and keyboard at the gaming site so I don't have to lug any of them around, but still grab my main case and take it to play games on a weekly basis. I find that the weight is much more annoying than the size of a mid-tower case.
The guys here at work just got in some aluminum cases and I think it may just be about time for me to upgrade to one. They run about $200, which is a little high for a quality case but they are very light. My current case is 45 lbs, the aluminum ones here are like 12 (both empty). Bolt a handle on and your set.
If you're intersted, details on the cases are available.
I spent a summer working with a Swedish Multimedia company (Warning! Cool Hardware Alert!) and got to attend a convention/show. This was in 1991 when I still thought my Amiga could do some very nice multimedia presentations. What these guys did was was something else entirely.
The most impressive display of the show was from Volvo (I am pretty sure Volvo, could have been Saab though) which included a bank of a couple hundred Kodak 35 mm slide projecters, 60 - 80 Hassalblad medium format slide projectors and a 35 mm motion picture projector. To top it all off the show contained some amazing feats of driving prowess!
My whole concept of multimedia changed that week.
The IP section of the agreement from a previous employer basically stated everything you did was theirs. They specifically mentioned on your own time with your own equipment as still belonging to them. Bad stuff.
This company had know-little HR people go over the substantial amount of paperwork with you and a fellow cow-orker used this to his advantage. He simply wrote a huge X over that section and wrote his initials. The HR guy stated, "Hey! You can't do that!" to which he replied "Yes I can". I have no idea if it would ever stand up if contested, but I do beleive it removes this companies rights to his IP.
Standard disclaimer: IANAL, please consult your own legal counsel on these matters.
A perfectly reasonable response. No one is going to force you to buy a major db, with the possible exception of a boss. You have every right to not buy any product you wish, just like they have the right to restrict what can be done with their product.
As much as I don't like to admit it, I can see the DB vendors point here. The major DB systems take a tremendous amount of knoweldge to tune. They don't want a published benchmark to show their product is inferior simply because someone didn't know how to set it up.
On the other hand, I think there are results that can be published if they are properly audited.
News at 11, Microsoft enforces same license that every other database vendor uses. AFAICR, no big time database vendor would allow you to publish benchmark results, not just Microsoft. Now if they were going to allow the results to be published if the Win2K box beat the NT4 box, then you may have something.
Besides, they left out way too much detail to get in a fuss over. Like maybe the NT4 box was a 4 way P4, and the Win2K box was a P133 overclocked to 166 MHz and with flaky 32MB simm. They never state that the same hardware was used.
While I have never been accused of being in Microsofts corner, they are in the right on this one and we have seen darn near every major* database vendor pull the same stunt.
*For some definitions of major.
Not really. Without going into too much detail, I think he had access to several dial-up accounts to small ISP's that didn't concern me. I have no idea how he got them, though.
I had no idea he was using the lab Sparcs to then telnet to the ISPs. I really tried to ignore any of the stupid activities he took part in.
Anyways, being an Admin I would leave myself logged into a Sparc and just use screen to resume the session. This friend would log onto the same Sparc and then telnet out to the ISPs using his hacked accounts. This was all the proof they needed, I was brought in for questioning.
"I have a printout of a log that shows that every time 'slow learner' used this computer for illegal activity, you were also logged in. How do you explain that? Why won't you tell us how you were helping him?"
"Uh, I can show you a log that shows that I have been logged in for about 5 months straight."
This went on for a while.
A large group of us (mostly locals) would hang out on IRC and even get together every so often for a party. I attended a majority of these parties, so did "slow learner". Unfortunately, so did my gf (now wife). So she was brought in for questioning.
"So you would attend these 'Hacker Parties'? What went on there? Why are you getting yourself into computer crimes? Who was the leader of this 'Hacker Party'".
"Uh, we just got together a lot."
Again, this went on for quite a while. A large number of us were just good friends at school and used IRC to keep in touch while some of us were out co-op'ing and such. We'd throw a party after finals and such and just do stupid, but not yet illegal, stuff. Drinking, music, standard party stuff really.
This guy kept threatening to drag me downtown (the *real* cops) if I kept refusing to cooperate. The worse part was my boss had to sit there and listen to this guy, pretty much powerless to make him stop pestering me. And threatening to take my computers.
After everything has gotten a chance to break in, do some real setup work. Here's an FAQ on setting up the video yourself and some pointers to getting a ISF Certified pro to bring his $7000 machine and do it for you. I used the Video Essentials DVD that came with my DVD player to do it myself and it makes a significant difference.
Here's another FAQ on doing the audio.
I felt they left out a couple of things though:
Disclaimer: I am not an audio professional or an audiophile (in the elitist sense of the word). I am even using wiring I found for a nickel a foot! I am happy with my Paradigm Mini-Monitor based setup.
You mean 5 of the 6 channels, no? On most setups nowadays the sub brings his own juice to the party.
> Most, if not all telephone switches in the US today support ten digit dialing. Go ahead, try it. Dial:
> 1-<your-area-code>-<some-friend-in-your-a rea-code%gt;
That's 11 digits.
And I live in Cincinnati as well, and I usually dial 7 digits. This 10 digit plan would require you to dial the area code + 7 digit number for all calls, even from 513 to 513. And no more 1 + area code + number for long distance. So how do you determine when you will be billed for a call? Already have this problem somewhat: When I was in Northern VA some 7 digit numbers were metered. That included my ISP access number, imagine my suprise to see that bill! Bell Atlantic gave it to me free, for that month. Then I found a closer number.
I don't have the time to look up cites at the moment, but I am getting a serious case of deja vu here.
I used Commodore products until they went away, so my first experience with a PC was with the original Pentium. At the time of it's introduction (P60) it was slower and hotter than the offerings from AMD (I think their 486 was hitting 80MHz and was about to climb to 120 or so) and I think even the Intel 486 offerings at the time. Eventually (really starting as early as the P90/100) the architecture difference was put to good use and the Pentiums were faster than 486s.
I can only vaguely remember the Pentium Pro launch, but I think it was faster than an standard Pentium from the beginning.
Then I remember the P2 being considered a huge flop. No advantage over a Pentium. A cost reduced Pentium Pro. MMX was all hype and no software. The standard Pentiums and the P2s were about the same speed for a while, but eventually the P2 pulled away.
I really don't remember the launch of the P3 much at all. Neither does anyone else I've talked to. WTF is the difference between a P2 and a P3 anyways?
So now the P4 is out. It's being benched and guess what? It's slow and expensive. Just like the last several generations of chips from Intel, for the first six months anyway. Give them time, it will be faster.
Until then, I will still use my Thunderbird based systems.
First off, you are right that the DirecTV receiver with Tivo will not Tivo-tize the anything not on the satellite. That cheaper price is helped by not having a MPEG encoder in there. And DirecTV probably wouldn't be very happy making your cable viewing experience better with their equipment.
... Whoever is the local NBC affiliate pays money to be the only way for you to watch NBC. Allowing you to watch another NBC affiliate means the local affiliate looses ad revenue. Not that Tivo owners actually watch commercials anyways ...
As for getting locals on the dish
I am working on a cite for his numbers as well. I think I have found them, here . I have heard that the Reform Party in Florida is called the Independent Party, and sure enough on this form it says there are 14,551 registered voters in Palm Beach county who are considered members of the Independent party.
This really hinges on Buchannan being the candidate for what Floridians call the Independent Party. I am looking for a cite on that one. It's not looking too hopeful as there is a Reform Party listed (as well as a Reform Silly Party).
I thought he was referring to: "Scientists with the Hubble Heritage created the image using archive data recorded by the Hubble telescope in 1996."
I was curious about the same thing.
I will chime in with my own little opinion that it is far cheaper to buy the hardware to get the performance you need from any technology you choose (within reason) than it is to train a staff to a new technology.
And the best example of tuning a Java web app I've heard was a bank's app running on a 16-way Ultra-Sparc. Not pleased with performance they considered moving to an E10K. Then someone pointed out that they were using green threads. For the non-Java guys, green threads (as opposed to native threads) are managed by the VM and cannot use multiple CPUs. Their app was pegging one CPU and leaving the rest idle. Moving to native threads gave them an instant speed, um, boost would be an understatement.
I think that would go beyond "clean" machines and into "cleaning" machine territory.
How about reading the article before complaining about it?
Yea, I'd rather get all the info from nntp. Then I'd let Gnus do it's job and be able to read this stuff quicker. And it'd be a lot easier to keep up with new replies to articles I've already read.
I'm really wondering which VM they will use. Blackdown's port? A port of their VM? I've used WebSphere before under NT and was extremely impressed.