Don't forget that this service will be optimized for cell phone screens.
Most phones of today feature 128x128 screens, some up to 240x160, even Pocket PCs (the largest existing device that can be reasonably labeled a "cell phone" are 320x240. The average laptop screen is 1024x768, meaning the quality of a 240x160 signal on a 1024x768 screen will be worthless for anything but news. I can't imagine someone enjoying TV with such shoddy quality. At about 25 pixels for each 1 of the source (5x5) you'll have the equivalent of a bad webcast.
do imdb own the copyrights to all the trailers they upload? Apple Trailers? Any of the other 500,000,000 sites that offer trailers online? Trailers are also copyrighted material, albeit the studios are not so anal about it.
Re:As long as you have the space
on
Digital Packrats
·
· Score: 1
But then again, you could make "media" mean 1TB LaCIE drives, which store a terrabyte in less than a shoebox. Hell, you could make the standards for "media" as large or small as you'd loke to, from the first hard drives, at approx. 3ft^3 per megabyte, to 1GB SD cards, which could fit 1mb in ~0.5mm^3.
Media is therefore a dangerous route to take in measuring the "how big is it" factor. Paper, while it is a relatively [compared to media] stable standard, will still be affected:
- the thickness of the paper - the size of the container - the font used - the margins used - the size of the paper - the amount of space the ink occupies vertically etc...
so a truckload of data can be 1mb if you draw in crayon a single 1 or 0 on a sheet of construction paper and chuck it into a small truck, and ~10gb if you use a dot ~0.5mm^2 to signify a 1 and absence of one to signify a 0, no margins and extremely thin paper/magnetic ink.
Re:As long as you have the space
on
Digital Packrats
·
· Score: 1
Windows Media's automatic organization of ripped tracks, some semi-proprietary (single-purpose) programs, and many evenings droning over "3v4n3sc3nc3_-_g01ng_und3r[someobscuregroup][rippe dbyanotherobscuregroup][someobscurewebsite.com][pa ssword=someobscurewebsite.com].1337.txt.wav.mp3"
This is a neat toy (one I wouldn't mind playing around with myself), but this is not the perfect mouse.
Logitech is definitely onto something with their mouse dock. It's quite easy to slip the mouse into the dock when leaving the PC and take it back out when coming back, but with BT (and IR) mice, I find that there is still a problem: distance. I'm not sure about you, but having three displays on my desktop, the last thing I need is another device that MUST be there. Between my PDA's cradle, my sound system's remote, a satellite speaker, and various crap from ThinkGeek, the real estate on my desk is extremely scarce. My perfect mouse would be one with the design of an Intellimouse Explorer 4.0, based on RF technology to allow for reliable use several feet from the base. The cradle can then be placed somewhere where real estate isn't quite so scarce (a shelf, for example.)
As for my take on the battery-free tech, it's a toy. A cool, definitely nerdy toy, but still a toy. There's no reason anyone should be too lazy to slip a mouse into its cradle once every few days.
The program is clearly designed for those who paid for a comp with bootleg Windows or who paid an OEM to install bootleg windows. Not at those with the half a brain required to install it themselves.
Thus if they start busting doors, instead of increasing consumer confidence and market share, they'll end up on the front page of CNET and gain nothing but bills for replacing Grandpa's front door.
Instead, they're going after those who sell pirated copies of XP. This is essentially a much more ethical move than suing your 12-year old fans, and it will hit the one branch of piracy that could use the hitting: asshats that sell it to idiots that couldn't figure out IRC to save their lives.
It seems to me we need a solution that will detect framerate and adjust detail automatically. This way, when we've the desire to gawk at some doodad in the game world for three minutes at a time, we can enjoy it in full detail, but when you're being bumrushed by five beasties, your first reaction isn't to bask in the per-pixel lit glory. That is when the engine can crank down the detail and turn up the FPS (and potentially the amount of carbohydrates being pumped into your bloodstream.)
I've read on/. before [in a post] that the current progress of A.I. is somewhere on the level of a cockroach, in terms of actual intelligence.
Whilst I think that many modern games do a better immitation of intelligence than the skills of a roach, and I mostly join MP games for action, not discussion [MMORPG's excluded], I generally agree on the point that a human opponent is better equipped to provide a challenge [and some entertainment].
On the other hand, a console can't kick you back....
Palm/Zaurus is a viable alternatice, but there is a great number of programs made by hobbyist coders for Windows Mobile, not to mention that it has gained much market share. And regardless, Windows Mobile has nothing more than its name and logo to do with Microsoft. It is basically a Symbian OS - that is it is built around a specific environment, and does not go well across platforms. Microsoft simply assimilated it... as they did most of everything else. Besides, I was only referencing the availability of a particular piece of software to those wanting it. No need to troll me for that.
And for those curious, yes, I tri-boot (a build of LongHorn I'm too lazy to uninstall, XP Pro, and Slackware.)
Similar here, except I pay squat for rental. There are always offers [netflix, Blockbuster, just about every other company] for 2-3 weeks of free service, enough to get ~10 movies ripped, 15 if you're fast and lucky. And there is always more than one member in your family [my dog has had an account with blockbuster lol]
I'll have to agree with you on the first two points, but:
"1) They have to be small (it's a phone, it has to be easily pocketable)" 1. Sure, they have to be small, but so do digicams... putting the same lens system as that used in good "credit card" cameras couldn't hurt any.
"2) They have a very hard life compared with a "real" camera." 2. Once again, they could bother to learn from the real camera manufacturers. Would it kill them to put a cover over the lens - one that opens/shuts automatically like in most modern cameras.
"3) Most people now view mobile phones as disposable items, replacing them every year or so, so there's not a whole lot of point in spending a lot of money on a decent lens." 3. I am unsure about you, but I only buy a new phone every time my contract runs out, which is ~ every two years. The difference between a 1 and 2 year timeframe is significant, as in 1 year, technology hardly evolves much in phones (from the first cameraphones in 2k3 to the MP cameraphones - simply an enhancement, not a revolution), but in two years enough has changed to make the transition worthwhile. Besides, I hardly consider something I'll use for two years "disposabe"... as a matter of fact I've yet to dispose of a cell phone - most of them go to my family or as spare parts (LCD mod for my PC, for example) Anyway, I hardly have $250-500 per year to spend on the latest phone, so my current one had better be good enough to last me two years or more.
Re:Monkey Island
on
Humor in Games?
·
· Score: 5, Insightful
I particularly like the first three Monkey Island games (the ones based on the SCUMM engine).
P.S. For all the geeks with a Pocket PC (what self-respecting geek is without one?), there's ScummVM ( http://www.scummvm.org/downloads.php ), which I've been using for MI 1-3 and great old games like DOTT (Day of The Tentacle for the newbie geeks). I highly recommend it.
I believe the disc will be low in sugars as is. Most carbohydrates (sugars especially) easily denaturate. Would you really want to finish burning 25gb of pr0n to find out the contents of your burner had turned to caramel?
$25 for drive + $10 shipping + 5 minutes of work = Solution to a $150 problem*
*$150 Problem, Microsoft, XBOX, and Piece of Crap are registered trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation and may not be used without written authorization
Colonel: Snake! Can you hear me? Snake: I tried so hard... in the end... doesn't really matter... Colonel: Snake? Snake: I had to fall... lose it all... Colonel: Who the f**k gave him an MP3 player?! Naomi: err...
Slashdot Mirror
Don't forget that this service will be optimized for cell phone screens. Most phones of today feature 128x128 screens, some up to 240x160, even Pocket PCs (the largest existing device that can be reasonably labeled a "cell phone" are 320x240. The average laptop screen is 1024x768, meaning the quality of a 240x160 signal on a 1024x768 screen will be worthless for anything but news. I can't imagine someone enjoying TV with such shoddy quality. At about 25 pixels for each 1 of the source (5x5) you'll have the equivalent of a bad webcast.
do imdb own the copyrights to all the trailers they upload? Apple Trailers? Any of the other 500,000,000 sites that offer trailers online? Trailers are also copyrighted material, albeit the studios are not so anal about it.
But then again, you could make "media" mean 1TB LaCIE drives, which store a terrabyte in less than a shoebox. Hell, you could make the standards for "media" as large or small as you'd loke to, from the first hard drives, at approx. 3ft^3 per megabyte, to 1GB SD cards, which could fit 1mb in ~0.5mm^3.
Media is therefore a dangerous route to take in measuring the "how big is it" factor. Paper, while it is a relatively [compared to media] stable standard, will still be affected:
- the thickness of the paper
- the size of the container
- the font used
- the margins used
- the size of the paper
- the amount of space the ink occupies vertically
etc...
so a truckload of data can be 1mb if you draw in crayon a single 1 or 0 on a sheet of construction paper and chuck it into a small truck, and ~10gb if you use a dot ~0.5mm^2 to signify a 1 and absence of one to signify a 0, no margins and extremely thin paper/magnetic ink.
Windows Media's automatic organization of ripped tracks, some semi-proprietary (single-purpose) programs, and many evenings droning over "3v4n3sc3nc3_-_g01ng_und3r[someobscuregroup][rippe dbyanotherobscuregroup][someobscurewebsite.com][pa ssword=someobscurewebsite.com].1337.txt.wav.mp3"
This is truly a victory for the geek-child within all of us
DVD-Rs: $0.40 x 2 = $0.80
Donation to anonymous "friend": $13.20
Buying Halo 2 to realize you can't speak French:
priceless
Great! now I can toss my mouse against the wall AND capture the precise output. Console gamers - rejoice.
Piracy - it's not just for software anymore...
This is a neat toy (one I wouldn't mind playing around with myself), but this is not the perfect mouse.
Logitech is definitely onto something with their mouse dock. It's quite easy to slip the mouse into the dock when leaving the PC and take it back out when coming back, but with BT (and IR) mice, I find that there is still a problem: distance. I'm not sure about you, but having three displays on my desktop, the last thing I need is another device that MUST be there. Between my PDA's cradle, my sound system's remote, a satellite speaker, and various crap from ThinkGeek, the real estate on my desk is extremely scarce. My perfect mouse would be one with the design of an Intellimouse Explorer 4.0, based on RF technology to allow for reliable use several feet from the base. The cradle can then be placed somewhere where real estate isn't quite so scarce (a shelf, for example.)
As for my take on the battery-free tech, it's a toy. A cool, definitely nerdy toy, but still a toy. There's no reason anyone should be too lazy to slip a mouse into its cradle once every few days.
RTFA. Then think. Then post. In that order.
The program is clearly designed for those who paid for a comp with bootleg Windows or who paid an OEM to install bootleg windows. Not at those with the half a brain required to install it themselves.
Thus if they start busting doors, instead of increasing consumer confidence and market share, they'll end up on the front page of CNET and gain nothing but bills for replacing Grandpa's front door.
Instead, they're going after those who sell pirated copies of XP. This is essentially a much more ethical move than suing your 12-year old fans, and it will hit the one branch of piracy that could use the hitting: asshats that sell it to idiots that couldn't figure out IRC to save their lives.
"weird crap popping up telling you the obvious" Yup, that pretty much sums up XP.
It seems to me we need a solution that will detect framerate and adjust detail automatically.
This way, when we've the desire to gawk at some doodad in the game world for three minutes at a time, we can enjoy it in full detail, but when you're being bumrushed by five beasties, your first reaction isn't to bask in the per-pixel lit glory. That is when the engine can crank down the detail and turn up the FPS (and potentially the amount of carbohydrates being pumped into your bloodstream.)
http://www.ntsi.com/order/video.asp "Call for pricing" I don't know your definition of dirt cheap, but I sure could use your dayjob...
UPDATE: For the Palm owners out there, http://www.palmq.ru/download.php?op=getit&lid= 211
I've read on /. before [in a post] that the current progress of A.I. is somewhere on the level of a cockroach, in terms of actual intelligence.
Whilst I think that many modern games do a better immitation of intelligence than the skills of a roach, and I mostly join MP games for action, not discussion [MMORPG's excluded], I generally agree on the point that a human opponent is better equipped to provide a challenge [and some entertainment].
On the other hand, a console can't kick you back....
Microsoft thralls? I beg your pardon.
Palm/Zaurus is a viable alternatice, but there is a great number of programs made by hobbyist coders for Windows Mobile, not to mention that it has gained much market share. And regardless, Windows Mobile has nothing more than its name and logo to do with Microsoft. It is basically a Symbian OS - that is it is built around a specific environment, and does not go well across platforms. Microsoft simply assimilated it... as they did most of everything else. Besides, I was only referencing the availability of a particular piece of software to those wanting it. No need to troll me for that.
And for those curious, yes, I tri-boot (a build of LongHorn I'm too lazy to uninstall, XP Pro, and Slackware.)
I'm not even going to dignify this with a reply.
Oh, wait... nevermind.
Similar here, except I pay squat for rental. There are always offers [netflix, Blockbuster, just about every other company] for 2-3 weeks of free service, enough to get ~10 movies ripped, 15 if you're fast and lucky. And there is always more than one member in your family [my dog has had an account with blockbuster lol]
I'll have to agree with you on the first two points, but:
"1) They have to be small (it's a phone, it has to be easily pocketable)"
1. Sure, they have to be small, but so do digicams... putting the same lens system as that used in good "credit card" cameras couldn't hurt any.
"2) They have a very hard life compared with a "real" camera."
2. Once again, they could bother to learn from the real camera manufacturers. Would it kill them to put a cover over the lens - one that opens/shuts automatically like in most modern cameras.
"3) Most people now view mobile phones as disposable items, replacing them every year or so, so there's not a whole lot of point in spending a lot of money on a decent lens."
3. I am unsure about you, but I only buy a new phone every time my contract runs out, which is ~ every two years. The difference between a 1 and 2 year timeframe is significant, as in 1 year, technology hardly evolves much in phones (from the first cameraphones in 2k3 to the MP cameraphones - simply an enhancement, not a revolution), but in two years enough has changed to make the transition worthwhile. Besides, I hardly consider something I'll use for two years "disposabe"... as a matter of fact I've yet to dispose of a cell phone - most of them go to my family or as spare parts (LCD mod for my PC, for example)
Anyway, I hardly have $250-500 per year to spend on the latest phone, so my current one had better be good enough to last me two years or more.
I particularly like the first three Monkey Island games (the ones based on the SCUMM engine).
P.S. For all the geeks with a Pocket PC (what self-respecting geek is without one?), there's ScummVM ( http://www.scummvm.org/downloads.php ), which I've been using for MI 1-3 and great old games like DOTT (Day of The Tentacle for the newbie geeks). I highly recommend it.
I believe the disc will be low in sugars as is. Most carbohydrates (sugars especially) easily denaturate. Would you really want to finish burning 25gb of pr0n to find out the contents of your burner had turned to caramel?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&cate gory=20385&item=8141284548&rd=1
$25 for drive + $10 shipping + 5 minutes of work = Solution to a $150 problem*
*$150 Problem, Microsoft, XBOX, and Piece of Crap are registered trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation and may not be used without written authorization
Where I live, it's
"guaranteed for life, and comes with a two-day warranty"
is that truly a bad thing?
;)
This could give a whole new meaning to "viewing pleasure"
Colonel: Snake! Can you hear me?
Snake: I tried so hard... in the end... doesn't really matter...
Colonel: Snake?
Snake: I had to fall... lose it all...
Colonel: Who the f**k gave him an MP3 player?!
Naomi: err...