I missed the whole iPhone craze by staying in the walled-in world of RIM. I'm about to upgrade to an Android handset, and I'm not seeing what this app madness is all about. I downloaded a few applications for the blackberry, but I found that most of the ones that I wanted were web services, and it was much easier to access those websites from the browser. (OK, in many cases the standalone applications offered a better interface, but I found it more convenient to just do everything in the browser)
What applications do you really need beyond those that come pre-installed on an Android phone?
I'm considering the HTC Evo right now -
Can get my email? check
Makes phone calls? check
Has a web browser? check
Has a decent camera for grabbing a quick picture of something? check
Maybe I'm not like most users, but I don't intend to use my phone beyond what features are included by default. All of my iPhone toting friends have a bunch of apps installed, but rarely use any of them. (virtual dog whistle? golf scorekeeper?)
There's a big difference between blowing a whistle, and breaking the law by divulging classified information.
The reality is that there's a lot of information that doesn't belong in the public domain, and it's in the best interest of the country/corporation/individual to keep secured.
That's a good point - do you really need an announcer telling you everything that's going on during a sporting event? A little chatter between the action is fine, but there's absolutely no need for play-by-play narration when you're watching the game.
I searched, and found my answer (sort of). At least in the case of the C64, it uses a VIC-II chip to handle everything, controlled by 47 memory mapped registers.
Now to dig into the specific workings of the chip. I think I found a starting point, unless there's something simpler. What I'd really like to know (for my project idea) is what the Atari 2600 used.
Speaking of that, do you happen to know of any resources (such as tutorials/examples/projects) for basic audio and video?
I'm an ECE, and know processors inside and out, however I don't have a clue as to how you go from circuit board to a screen. I want to know how you display images on a screen (probably best to start with an analog CRT for now). I also want to know how audio works as well. I had a C64 shortly after they first came out; I was old enough to tinker with it a bit, but too young where I couldn't see beyond just using it to play games. I didn't know anything about programming, and nobody in my family had the interest or desire (father was a machinist and mother was a hairdresser).
I've been wanting to build my own replica of a classic video game system using a microcontroller, but realized I don't know basic building blocks of a computer.
The other alternative, which I have done, is to build your own from individual components. I have various interchangeable diodes that fit into a flashlight enclosure with a custom machined holder/heatsink, which holds batteries and a driver circuit that's adjustable up to 500mW.
I had my fun when I first got it, mostly using it to burn stuff and light matches, but I now keep it configured as a violet pointer with just a 405nm violet (blu-ray) diode at 5mW. Lasers are very dangerous if not handled properly, and I'd rather not be responsible for permanently damaging anyone's eyes.
Just this past weekend some fool at a nearby campsite kept shining his green laser at my tent; I guess he forgot that the beam is visible which makes it really easy to identify the source. A quick blast with my 8W tactical flashlight in strobe mode got him to stop.
When I was six, my mother bought a new VCR one day. Insisting on watching a video, without her permission I opened the box, pulled out the manual, and figured out how to connect it to the TV. When I asked to watch a movie, she was mad about me opening the box and said, "wait for your father to get home to make sure it's connected properly." When my father came home he took a look and gave it a thumbs up.
My three year old daughter has a toy pink cellphone; she used to pretend to talk on it, now she's always using a screwdriver to take the battery cover off, take the batteries out, putting them back in, and re-attaching the cover. She doesn't always put the batteries back with the correct polarity, but I'm impressed that she likes to take the cover off.
If that's the case, then how do people 'fail' a polygraph? Or is 'failing the polygraph' really just the subject providing answers that the administrator (person or organization) didn't like?
What is the likelihood that if you just answer everything the way it would benefit you most, even if it means a mix of truth and lies, you would pass?
I worked with a guy who said he's taken his share of polygraph tests and worked with many others in the past who have been interrogated. He claims that it's mostly ultra religious people who fail regulary. I don't know what this means exactly, but I'm assuming that the ultra-religious are probably 100% honest in answering every question, and I'm guessing there are some skeletons in their closets that come out during this intense interrogation - some of which may be grounds for 'failing' the test.
I see where your "Open Garage Door" approach applies, however nothing was really 'stolen.' In this case it's more like an open garage door with somebody's email address or social security number written in big letters on a wall inside the garage.
The owner of that garage has the responsibility to keep the door closed, and prevent the information from being so easily seen.
I'd have to agree with you - I'm no Apple fan, however I fail to see how this is Apple's fault. Apple still has full control over their product, but they weren't the ones who had a poorly designed website that returned an email address when the request included a valid ICC-ID. That sounds like poor web security, and sounds like it was AT&T's website.
I also fail to see how what the "Goatse" guys did is a crime. If I send a legitimate request to a website and it returns someone's email address, is it my fault that the website gave it to me? The website is responsible for protecting this stuff.
Very true, but it's not IFF rather Kerry, formerly called MasterTaste (but your NJ id is spot on). The only reason I know what they make is because a friend used to work in the factory when it was called MasterTaste. What disturbs me is that it's a food flavoring company, yet they're making candle scents.
Speaking of food flavorings, my coworker's father was a flavor chemist at Monsanto and is responsible for the flavorings of several popular candy and juice products. For being the individual responsible for these remarkable developments, you'd think he would have been compensated more for his accomplishments.
I hear you.. I often wonder if all the cars of the era smelled like that, if it's a side effect of burning modern fuels in an older engine, or if the old engine itself isn't properly tuned (fuel/air mixture, timing, etc.).
None of the 60's era muscle cars I've seen drag strips smell like that, and they're all carbureted and burning pump gasoline (not leaded or oxygenated racing fuel or specialty fuels). My guess is that it's related to carburetor tuning. Come to think of it, I've seen plenty of 80s and early 90s era cars that smell just as bad, despite having some emissions controls - maybe it is more closely related to the timing and fuel/air mixture than anything else.
I live near a facility that manufactures food flavorings and scented additives, most notably ALL the scented oils that are used in the production of a well-known national candle store. At times, depending on the temperature and density of air and the speed and direction of wind, the heavy combination of scents can linger. It's not too bad actually; it almost smells like incense, however I can see how some people could be irritated by it.
I guess it all depends on the school. I went to a school almost equally divided between nerds and artsy people, and quickly found a fraternity that I liked. We had quite the mix of different types of people - different races, people from money, poor kids, geeks, druggies, rednecks, jocks, and even a few openly gay guys. I made a lot of good friends there, and have no regrets whatsoever. I also agree that there were many anti-fraternity people who were much more snobbish.
I'm easily amused by the stupidest off-the-wall crap on youtube or elsewhere, but for the life of me I just don't get "the star wars kid" video. It's a young kid waving a stick around for a minute and 40 some seconds. I don't see how it's funny, entertaining, or embarrassing - no big deal really. Unless I'm missing something, I don't get what the fuss is all about. Lots of kids do lots of silly things, and many capture it on video.
It figures a guy from Pittsburgh would create a way to separate oil. I bet he figured this out while eating fries from "TheO" or perhaps one of the dozens of fine greasy eating establishments throughout the city.
People need to learn how to properly use search engines and interpret their results. SPONSORED LINKS are exactly that - people pay to have their links appear when certain terms are searched; that's how search engines make money. Sponsored links aren't the best and most relevant result for your search (and are likely the exact opposite).
I have a friend who does affiliate marketing, and makes a lot of money off of people's dumb search habits, specifically their willingness to click sponsored links, believing they're actual search results that link to the retailer they're looking for.
There's something about the quality of Canon cameras....
I have a Canon SD300 which is 'only' 4MP, however it takes pictures of much better quality than the 8MP Samsung or 12MP Vivitar cameras that I've borrowed from friends.
I'm not saying that Samsung or Vivitar don't make decent cameras - it could very well be that these cameras I've used were lower end models - however this does reaffirm the fact that higher resolution doesn't always mean better picture quality.
Because thats what its going to take to get products made in a country where the hourly minimum wage could buy a motorcycle in a developing nation.
Please, tell me in which country I can buy a motorcycle for the equivalent of $15 USD or less. (or maybe I'm way off - is my estimate of a $15 minimum wage too low?)
Even if they were available for convenient download at a reasonable price, PEOPLE WILL STILL BE PIRATING! MPAA/RIAA seems to not understand this.
People who really want to see a movie *will* pay to see it in a theater, buy the DVD, or rent the DVD. That's what I do. In fact, I know many people who really don't have much money to part with yet they have vast legitimate DVD collections (purchased not copied) and frequently go to theaters to watch movies.
The studios and artists aren't losing anything because the people who are downloading movies would not be buying or renting them.
Just how often do these 'disasters' occur in California? Ok, there have been a few wildfires and related mudslides over the last few years, but stop and look at the data. The last time a 'major' earthquake that caused significant damage occurred was in 1994.
Slashdot Mirror
I missed the whole iPhone craze by staying in the walled-in world of RIM. I'm about to upgrade to an Android handset, and I'm not seeing what this app madness is all about. I downloaded a few applications for the blackberry, but I found that most of the ones that I wanted were web services, and it was much easier to access those websites from the browser. (OK, in many cases the standalone applications offered a better interface, but I found it more convenient to just do everything in the browser)
What applications do you really need beyond those that come pre-installed on an Android phone?
I'm considering the HTC Evo right now -
Can get my email? check
Makes phone calls? check
Has a web browser? check
Has a decent camera for grabbing a quick picture of something? check
Maybe I'm not like most users, but I don't intend to use my phone beyond what features are included by default. All of my iPhone toting friends have a bunch of apps installed, but rarely use any of them. (virtual dog whistle? golf scorekeeper?)
You HAD to ask... so here's the Slashdot answer:
Cat5
HDMI
There's a big difference between blowing a whistle, and breaking the law by divulging classified information.
The reality is that there's a lot of information that doesn't belong in the public domain, and it's in the best interest of the country/corporation/individual to keep secured.
I read the title as Al (like short for Albert or Alfred) Physician - I thought to myself, "What a funny name for a doctor."
Dang sans serif fonts...
That's a good point - do you really need an announcer telling you everything that's going on during a sporting event? A little chatter between the action is fine, but there's absolutely no need for play-by-play narration when you're watching the game.
I searched, and found my answer (sort of). At least in the case of the C64, it uses a VIC-II chip to handle everything, controlled by 47 memory mapped registers.
Now to dig into the specific workings of the chip. I think I found a starting point, unless there's something simpler. What I'd really like to know (for my project idea) is what the Atari 2600 used.
Speaking of that, do you happen to know of any resources (such as tutorials/examples/projects) for basic audio and video?
I'm an ECE, and know processors inside and out, however I don't have a clue as to how you go from circuit board to a screen. I want to know how you display images on a screen (probably best to start with an analog CRT for now). I also want to know how audio works as well. I had a C64 shortly after they first came out; I was old enough to tinker with it a bit, but too young where I couldn't see beyond just using it to play games. I didn't know anything about programming, and nobody in my family had the interest or desire (father was a machinist and mother was a hairdresser).
I've been wanting to build my own replica of a classic video game system using a microcontroller, but realized I don't know basic building blocks of a computer.
The other alternative, which I have done, is to build your own from individual components. I have various interchangeable diodes that fit into a flashlight enclosure with a custom machined holder/heatsink, which holds batteries and a driver circuit that's adjustable up to 500mW.
I had my fun when I first got it, mostly using it to burn stuff and light matches, but I now keep it configured as a violet pointer with just a 405nm violet (blu-ray) diode at 5mW. Lasers are very dangerous if not handled properly, and I'd rather not be responsible for permanently damaging anyone's eyes.
Just this past weekend some fool at a nearby campsite kept shining his green laser at my tent; I guess he forgot that the beam is visible which makes it really easy to identify the source. A quick blast with my 8W tactical flashlight in strobe mode got him to stop.
When I was six, my mother bought a new VCR one day. Insisting on watching a video, without her permission I opened the box, pulled out the manual, and figured out how to connect it to the TV. When I asked to watch a movie, she was mad about me opening the box and said, "wait for your father to get home to make sure it's connected properly." When my father came home he took a look and gave it a thumbs up.
My three year old daughter has a toy pink cellphone; she used to pretend to talk on it, now she's always using a screwdriver to take the battery cover off, take the batteries out, putting them back in, and re-attaching the cover. She doesn't always put the batteries back with the correct polarity, but I'm impressed that she likes to take the cover off.
If that's the case, then how do people 'fail' a polygraph? Or is 'failing the polygraph' really just the subject providing answers that the administrator (person or organization) didn't like?
What is the likelihood that if you just answer everything the way it would benefit you most, even if it means a mix of truth and lies, you would pass?
I worked with a guy who said he's taken his share of polygraph tests and worked with many others in the past who have been interrogated. He claims that it's mostly ultra religious people who fail regulary. I don't know what this means exactly, but I'm assuming that the ultra-religious are probably 100% honest in answering every question, and I'm guessing there are some skeletons in their closets that come out during this intense interrogation - some of which may be grounds for 'failing' the test.
I see where your "Open Garage Door" approach applies, however nothing was really 'stolen.' In this case it's more like an open garage door with somebody's email address or social security number written in big letters on a wall inside the garage.
The owner of that garage has the responsibility to keep the door closed, and prevent the information from being so easily seen.
I'd have to agree with you - I'm no Apple fan, however I fail to see how this is Apple's fault. Apple still has full control over their product, but they weren't the ones who had a poorly designed website that returned an email address when the request included a valid ICC-ID. That sounds like poor web security, and sounds like it was AT&T's website.
I also fail to see how what the "Goatse" guys did is a crime. If I send a legitimate request to a website and it returns someone's email address, is it my fault that the website gave it to me? The website is responsible for protecting this stuff.
Aw crap, it's time to start eating the next tasty endangered species: Dolphins and Whales.
Very true, but it's not IFF rather Kerry, formerly called MasterTaste (but your NJ id is spot on). The only reason I know what they make is because a friend used to work in the factory when it was called MasterTaste. What disturbs me is that it's a food flavoring company, yet they're making candle scents.
Speaking of food flavorings, my coworker's father was a flavor chemist at Monsanto and is responsible for the flavorings of several popular candy and juice products. For being the individual responsible for these remarkable developments, you'd think he would have been compensated more for his accomplishments.
I hear you.. I often wonder if all the cars of the era smelled like that, if it's a side effect of burning modern fuels in an older engine, or if the old engine itself isn't properly tuned (fuel/air mixture, timing, etc.).
None of the 60's era muscle cars I've seen drag strips smell like that, and they're all carbureted and burning pump gasoline (not leaded or oxygenated racing fuel or specialty fuels). My guess is that it's related to carburetor tuning. Come to think of it, I've seen plenty of 80s and early 90s era cars that smell just as bad, despite having some emissions controls - maybe it is more closely related to the timing and fuel/air mixture than anything else.
I live near a facility that manufactures food flavorings and scented additives, most notably ALL the scented oils that are used in the production of a well-known national candle store. At times, depending on the temperature and density of air and the speed and direction of wind, the heavy combination of scents can linger. It's not too bad actually; it almost smells like incense, however I can see how some people could be irritated by it.
I guess it all depends on the school. I went to a school almost equally divided between nerds and artsy people, and quickly found a fraternity that I liked. We had quite the mix of different types of people - different races, people from money, poor kids, geeks, druggies, rednecks, jocks, and even a few openly gay guys. I made a lot of good friends there, and have no regrets whatsoever. I also agree that there were many anti-fraternity people who were much more snobbish.
What was so painful about that childhood memory?
I'm easily amused by the stupidest off-the-wall crap on youtube or elsewhere, but for the life of me I just don't get "the star wars kid" video. It's a young kid waving a stick around for a minute and 40 some seconds. I don't see how it's funny, entertaining, or embarrassing - no big deal really. Unless I'm missing something, I don't get what the fuss is all about. Lots of kids do lots of silly things, and many capture it on video.
It figures a guy from Pittsburgh would create a way to separate oil. I bet he figured this out while eating fries from "The O" or perhaps one of the dozens of fine greasy eating establishments throughout the city.
Mmmm.. I'm craving Primanti Brothers right now.
People need to learn how to properly use search engines and interpret their results. SPONSORED LINKS are exactly that - people pay to have their links appear when certain terms are searched; that's how search engines make money. Sponsored links aren't the best and most relevant result for your search (and are likely the exact opposite).
I have a friend who does affiliate marketing, and makes a lot of money off of people's dumb search habits, specifically their willingness to click sponsored links, believing they're actual search results that link to the retailer they're looking for.
There's something about the quality of Canon cameras.... I have a Canon SD300 which is 'only' 4MP, however it takes pictures of much better quality than the 8MP Samsung or 12MP Vivitar cameras that I've borrowed from friends.
I'm not saying that Samsung or Vivitar don't make decent cameras - it could very well be that these cameras I've used were lower end models - however this does reaffirm the fact that higher resolution doesn't always mean better picture quality.
Please, tell me in which country I can buy a motorcycle for the equivalent of $15 USD or less. (or maybe I'm way off - is my estimate of a $15 minimum wage too low?)
Even if they were available for convenient download at a reasonable price, PEOPLE WILL STILL BE PIRATING! MPAA/RIAA seems to not understand this.
People who really want to see a movie *will* pay to see it in a theater, buy the DVD, or rent the DVD. That's what I do. In fact, I know many people who really don't have much money to part with yet they have vast legitimate DVD collections (purchased not copied) and frequently go to theaters to watch movies.
The studios and artists aren't losing anything because the people who are downloading movies would not be buying or renting them.
Just how often do these 'disasters' occur in California? Ok, there have been a few wildfires and related mudslides over the last few years, but stop and look at the data. The last time a 'major' earthquake that caused significant damage occurred was in 1994.