Bitch bitch bitch. What you're proposing is simply impossible. You can't have purely high-level graphical-whatever software, because that's just an idea. You can't have ideas materialise as tangible things without some way to actually represent them. Source code is the form in which all software exists, by definition. Wouldn't it be nice if software was just an idea that computers could magically work with? Well, yeah. A wise man once said, the cooler something is, the less likely it is to happen. In this case, the idea is very very cool.
I remember playing this and a newer version, the Even More Incredible Machine, on my old Power Mac. Basically, it was a game in which you constucted (albeit 2-dimensional) Rube Goldberg machines, and the advantage was that since it was all virtual you could make it work the same way every time. You could also adjust all kinds of physics variables like gravity and air pressure, IIRC. You could use gears and candles and balloons and strings and batteries and wires and conveyor belts and even cats. The goal of each level was to make the machine work, accomplishing a certain goal (like, "make the mouse run in the wheel), but you only had a limited number of parts. You had to get real creative sometimes; typical machine went like, "brick falls on cat, knocks it off the platform, falls on see-saw, catapulting a bowling ball onto a switch that runs an electric generator, igniting a spark plug that starts a fire that lifts a hot-air balloon. And all you started off with on-screen was a platform and an electric generator and a balloon, and all the other parts in your sidebar. It was great fun.
Where do you live?
Starbucks' wireless isn't even free. Here in Milwaukee there are several local/independent coffee shop chains (Node, Stone Creek, Alterra, etc), not to mention deli/burger/sub/bagel chains (Blue Dawg, Bakers' Square, Qdoba, Jimmy John's), and it seems like almost all of them have wi-fi or are within range of the network of the franchise next door. Just do some looking around; even if you're in a small town (under 50,000) I'll bet there are still a lot of places like this.
...I can truthfully say, I'm slightly scared by this, but at the same time, I have no idea how they'll enforce this. I caught this little gem in the article:
There would be no Internet sales tax police, however, because compliance would be on the honor system
CmdrTaco: If there was any way to make a lot of money by posting the same article several times in the same day, I was going to discover that way.
What would Microsoft/SCO/RIAA/whoever need to do for you to take down this site?
Taco: For one, if they all stopped advertising on here, I'd have no source of revenue now, would I...
Typical Post:
CleverHandle1337 writes, CNET is reporting on a clear case of abuse of patent law, which is not unlike a slashdot story from yesterday. Insert unnecessary flamebait comment from slashdot admin here at end of article.
I didn't notice an SBCsucks or an SBCblows. That's weird, because SBC really really sucks. Well, at least they did until one of their technicians accidently cut power to my high school. I love you, SBC! *Goes to register ilovesbc.com*
Skylab was never intended to be permanent. It was supposed to be in service only for a few months. The ISS is a very long-term station, which is why cost of maintenance is much more important. You can barely compare Skylab and the ISS because Skylab was designed for a time when we didn't really have any experience with space stations, so it was a sort of trial run, designed mostly for running some then-pioneering experiments in space. These days, something like Skylab wouldn't be so interesting or important, but back then it definitely was.
Actually let me add on a little to what I said. I clicked Submit before thinking it all through. Strangely that's pretty much what NASA has done, too, except NASA isn't posting to slashdot, they're responsible for the most formidable space program in our history. Yet it's starting to become less and less formidable all the time. It's mostly a series of bad management decisions that's leading to the fate of the shuttle and Hubble. I wonder where we'll be in ten years' time? I hope we aren't just going to launch another rover to Mars, because that really seems to the trend these days...
NASA really knew what they were doing. they spent quite a bit of money, but we did Apollo, we did Skylab, we did Hubble, and they managed to maintain public support. Then they just somehow fucked it up. I get the feeling it had something to do with the ISS, because that's around when the problems really began. The ISS is not a sustainable or viable presence in space. What we really need to look toward is 1) commercial development in space, which will lead to 2) a continued stay there for humanity. I usually don't like privatisation of government programs, but in this case, I think there may be companies that can construct and launch, for example, inflatable habitats as mentioned in previous slashdot articles, at a low cost. NASA hasn't even really seriously considered something like this, and now look at what we have. A space station that is important for scientific research, yes, but the actual value we're getting out of it for the money we spent is HIGHLY questionable.
But think about how much more power an iPod or laptop, or even a phone uses compared to a watch. A watch uses hardly any power at all. It has to move a little dial around very slowly over the course of the day, whereas the iPod has electrostatic controls, a backlight, a hard drive, volatile memory, a powered line out jack...all of these things, especially combined, use up a lot of power. It's a nice idea, but there's simply no way that an iPod could power itself by movement alone, nor with a hand crank (unless you wanted to crank a good part of the time). Consumers just wouldn't respond well to it.
Slashdot Mirror
Bitch bitch bitch. What you're proposing is simply impossible. You can't have purely high-level graphical-whatever software, because that's just an idea. You can't have ideas materialise as tangible things without some way to actually represent them. Source code is the form in which all software exists, by definition. Wouldn't it be nice if software was just an idea that computers could magically work with? Well, yeah. A wise man once said, the cooler something is, the less likely it is to happen. In this case, the idea is very very cool.
Oh, and the soundtrack was absolutely phenomenal!
I remember playing this and a newer version, the Even More Incredible Machine, on my old Power Mac. Basically, it was a game in which you constucted (albeit 2-dimensional) Rube Goldberg machines, and the advantage was that since it was all virtual you could make it work the same way every time. You could also adjust all kinds of physics variables like gravity and air pressure, IIRC. You could use gears and candles and balloons and strings and batteries and wires and conveyor belts and even cats. The goal of each level was to make the machine work, accomplishing a certain goal (like, "make the mouse run in the wheel), but you only had a limited number of parts. You had to get real creative sometimes; typical machine went like, "brick falls on cat, knocks it off the platform, falls on see-saw, catapulting a bowling ball onto a switch that runs an electric generator, igniting a spark plug that starts a fire that lifts a hot-air balloon. And all you started off with on-screen was a platform and an electric generator and a balloon, and all the other parts in your sidebar. It was great fun.
He'd be proud of this too
Why don't you actually contribute to the project then, if you want 1.8 so much.
Where do you live? Starbucks' wireless isn't even free. Here in Milwaukee there are several local/independent coffee shop chains (Node, Stone Creek, Alterra, etc), not to mention deli/burger/sub/bagel chains (Blue Dawg, Bakers' Square, Qdoba, Jimmy John's), and it seems like almost all of them have wi-fi or are within range of the network of the franchise next door. Just do some looking around; even if you're in a small town (under 50,000) I'll bet there are still a lot of places like this.
...I can truthfully say, I'm slightly scared by this, but at the same time, I have no idea how they'll enforce this. I caught this little gem in the article:
There would be no Internet sales tax police, however, because compliance would be on the honor system
Right.
OH MY GOD, visions of a tattoo-covered Steve Balmer.........
Why did you create this site?
CmdrTaco: If there was any way to make a lot of money by posting the same article several times in the same day, I was going to discover that way.
What would Microsoft/SCO/RIAA/whoever need to do for you to take down this site?
Taco: For one, if they all stopped advertising on here, I'd have no source of revenue now, would I...
Typical Post:
CleverHandle1337 writes, CNET is reporting on a clear case of abuse of patent law, which is not unlike a slashdot story from yesterday. Insert unnecessary flamebait comment from slashdot admin here at end of article.
I didn't notice an SBCsucks or an SBCblows. That's weird, because SBC really really sucks. Well, at least they did until one of their technicians accidently cut power to my high school. I love you, SBC! *Goes to register ilovesbc.com*
Oh yeah? Mine's got a body kit and type R sticker.
Just use an iPod RAID then.
I think I speak for everyone when I say, who's that girl?
Linus switches to Mac, IBM sold to China? The end is nigh.
Why would they need to do this anyway? They practically already have it.
Apple Computers...is listening
Well YEAH. Just hold down the escape key.
What distro?
I use the interweb on my PPC
Yeah, I like browsing on my Mac, too.
Don't forget which president they managed to vote for.
It's not 19.99, it's 29.99.
Is Horse the new Teddy Bear?
Skylab was never intended to be permanent. It was supposed to be in service only for a few months. The ISS is a very long-term station, which is why cost of maintenance is much more important. You can barely compare Skylab and the ISS because Skylab was designed for a time when we didn't really have any experience with space stations, so it was a sort of trial run, designed mostly for running some then-pioneering experiments in space. These days, something like Skylab wouldn't be so interesting or important, but back then it definitely was.
Actually let me add on a little to what I said. I clicked Submit before thinking it all through. Strangely that's pretty much what NASA has done, too, except NASA isn't posting to slashdot, they're responsible for the most formidable space program in our history. Yet it's starting to become less and less formidable all the time. It's mostly a series of bad management decisions that's leading to the fate of the shuttle and Hubble. I wonder where we'll be in ten years' time? I hope we aren't just going to launch another rover to Mars, because that really seems to the trend these days...
NASA really knew what they were doing. they spent quite a bit of money, but we did Apollo, we did Skylab, we did Hubble, and they managed to maintain public support. Then they just somehow fucked it up. I get the feeling it had something to do with the ISS, because that's around when the problems really began. The ISS is not a sustainable or viable presence in space. What we really need to look toward is 1) commercial development in space, which will lead to 2) a continued stay there for humanity. I usually don't like privatisation of government programs, but in this case, I think there may be companies that can construct and launch, for example, inflatable habitats as mentioned in previous slashdot articles, at a low cost. NASA hasn't even really seriously considered something like this, and now look at what we have. A space station that is important for scientific research, yes, but the actual value we're getting out of it for the money we spent is HIGHLY questionable.
But think about how much more power an iPod or laptop, or even a phone uses compared to a watch. A watch uses hardly any power at all. It has to move a little dial around very slowly over the course of the day, whereas the iPod has electrostatic controls, a backlight, a hard drive, volatile memory, a powered line out jack...all of these things, especially combined, use up a lot of power. It's a nice idea, but there's simply no way that an iPod could power itself by movement alone, nor with a hand crank (unless you wanted to crank a good part of the time). Consumers just wouldn't respond well to it.