I didn't mean 'single digit' minutes, I meant more like 30-45 minutes.
From what I've seen on TV the the capacity of these stations is nominally: "As long as it takes for the proper power stations to reach full output", i.e. they're there to take up the slack, not as a primary power source.
The pumped water method can't provide power for days on end. The total generation capacity is typically measured in minutes and is used to smooth out known peaks in demand.
For example: In the UK they know that a million people make a cup of tea at certain times of the day (eg. right after a popular TV show ends...) so they know to switch on the pumped water system a couple of minutes before that peak appears to smooth things out.
Statistically speaking, the calm day *will* appear, even if it's only once per decade. You can't expect the country to shut down, ever. Some people will literally die without a constant power supply.
Real-Time RayTracing simply isn't going to happen.
a) It's not desirable. It looks cool for scenes with shiny spheres in them but it doesn't match the way light works in the real world.
b) The amount of transistors needed to do make it happen would produce WAY BETTER results if used for other rendering methods (real time radiosity...?)
That's rubbish, graphics cards are still advancing at a ferocious pace.
What's happened is that:
a) Content production has plateaued so those graphics cards are just being used for higher frame rates and higher resolutions, not new effects (are there any effects left to do?). Upping the level of content would be massively expensive - you'll need twice as many people working on it.
b) The spread of graphics card ability is wider then ever so the difference between a high-end card and what they're aiming at is quite wide (which introduces a vicious circle because less people see the need to upgrade their graphics)
So...the advances in graphics cards is mostly for benchmark bragging rights. People read a magazine and see which company is faster this week and buy that brand when in reality there's not much difference between the two. These days you're not going to be disappointed because you made the wrong choice between AMD/NVIDIA.
It's sold to people as a 'phone by 'phone companies...that makes it a 'phone to most people. However you slice it, having all those computing abilities is a bad thing for security.
Yeah but patents are supposed to be clever things which are "non obvious" to professionals who work in the associated trade.
If my boss asked me to come up with a way to tag media files I wouldn't need six months of hard R&D to figure out how to do it, I'd have some ideas right away, a basic plan in a couple of minutes and the specs written the same day.
THIS is why the patent system is broken, not because the basic concept of owning ideas is wrong.
To help protect yourself, I suggest beginning by disabling flash, scripting and use only CSS/HTML in the web-facing interface.
How about you get hold of something that lets you whitelist which sites are allowed to use Flash and Javascript...? That way your computer will still be able to do something useful.
Slashdot Mirror
Not to mention that they're covered in snow and ice most of the time - hardly ideal operating conditions for a wind turbine.
I didn't mean 'single digit' minutes, I meant more like 30-45 minutes.
From what I've seen on TV the the capacity of these stations is nominally: "As long as it takes for the proper power stations to reach full output", i.e. they're there to take up the slack, not as a primary power source.
The pumped water method can't provide power for days on end. The total generation capacity is typically measured in minutes and is used to smooth out known peaks in demand.
For example: In the UK they know that a million people make a cup of tea at certain times of the day (eg. right after a popular TV show ends...) so they know to switch on the pumped water system a couple of minutes before that peak appears to smooth things out.
Statistically speaking, the calm day *will* appear, even if it's only once per decade. You can't expect the country to shut down, ever. Some people will literally die without a constant power supply.
What can realistically replace that?
This is the question the anti-nuke people never seem to answer, it's always just "something else".
You can't expect to shut the country down on calm/cloudy days. Something has to take up the slack.
That's a question of dot pitch, not the number of pixels on the screen.
eg. For ages the 'standard' resolution was 1280x1024 and you could choose 17" or 19" monitors. The 19" monitors obviously have bigger pixels.
The same thing still happens...if your eyes aren't as good as they used to be then look for a screen with bigger pixels.
Yeah, but learning how to complete Super Mario Brothers in under ten minutes takes weeks.
Real-Time RayTracing simply isn't going to happen.
a) It's not desirable. It looks cool for scenes with shiny spheres in them but it doesn't match the way light works in the real world.
b) The amount of transistors needed to do make it happen would produce WAY BETTER results if used for other rendering methods (real time radiosity...?)
Good analogy...the sound card is now a moot point in choosing a computer (in fact the "sound card" ceased to exist in Windows 7)
I think graphics still have a way to go until they reach that point though...integrated graphics still leave a lot to be desired.
That's rubbish, graphics cards are still advancing at a ferocious pace.
What's happened is that:
a) Content production has plateaued so those graphics cards are just being used for higher frame rates and higher resolutions, not new effects (are there any effects left to do?). Upping the level of content would be massively expensive - you'll need twice as many people working on it.
b) The spread of graphics card ability is wider then ever so the difference between a high-end card and what they're aiming at is quite wide (which introduces a vicious circle because less people see the need to upgrade their graphics)
So...the advances in graphics cards is mostly for benchmark bragging rights. People read a magazine and see which company is faster this week and buy that brand when in reality there's not much difference between the two. These days you're not going to be disappointed because you made the wrong choice between AMD/NVIDIA.
It's sold to people as a 'phone by 'phone companies...that makes it a 'phone to most people. However you slice it, having all those computing abilities is a bad thing for security.
Have you seen tuition fees lately? $120 is a drop in the ocean compared to all the plasma TVs and sports stadiums.
Does anybody really think virus writers don't own compilers?
Me? I'm bet the virus writers will have their stuff working long before the anti-virus companies have theirs.
PS: Won't Word macro viruses work without even a recompile?
If not IRC then definitely ICQ. AIM was only for lusers.
Yeah but patents are supposed to be clever things which are "non obvious" to professionals who work in the associated trade.
If my boss asked me to come up with a way to tag media files I wouldn't need six months of hard R&D to figure out how to do it, I'd have some ideas right away, a basic plan in a couple of minutes and the specs written the same day.
THIS is why the patent system is broken, not because the basic concept of owning ideas is wrong.
Is there any proof at all that Microsoft is logging those addresses?
I can't imagine that the IP addresses of "Windows 7 machines" would be useful information to anybody.
Politicians understand how hysterical (and votey) women can get if you talk about things that might harm their little snowflake.
+1 informative - towers are further away!
why are we only banning these devices from schools?
You have a lot to learn about the business/political leverage that "protecting the children" can give you.
It's a drop in the ocean compared to the trillions being spent on wars and CEO bonuses^W^Windustry bailouts.
Yep, and Space Shuttles are 'hurled' into space instead of using their engines.
Also ... it's a 'race', I honestly didn't know that. I wonder who the other competitors were? Isn't space exciting!
Made me cringe, too, I think it was written by a Luddite who fancies himself as a "writer".
To help protect yourself, I suggest beginning by disabling flash, scripting and use only CSS/HTML in the web-facing interface.
How about you get hold of something that lets you whitelist which sites are allowed to use Flash and Javascript...? That way your computer will still be able to do something useful.
Or buy through somebody like CDBaby ...
Only the USA gives such importance to "credit rating"
(I don't even know if I have such a thing...)
...and Iraq/Afghanistan. Going in and shooting people isn't really really helping there.