I bought a PS3 to do development using a Cell processor, and leave it on to run Folding@Home when I'm not using it. It tears through work units. (Note: I don't need a lecture on energy usage from anyone. I offset my home carbon emissions even though I don't have to since it's nuclear energy).
Dude, come on, what are you? Nine years old? Perhaps you're just trolling. Kudos. In the event you're not, let me clarify for you. Windows XP as well as Windows 2000/2003 have excellent kernels that keep them chugging away. Vista? Not so much.
Also, if you don't like that everyone uses Windows, build an OS that's as easy to use. Linux you say? I've tried Fedora Core 8/Ubuntu on the desktop. They're pretty decent, but not quite there yet to replace Windows. Also, any distributed computing application is going to keep track of work units and do checkpointing, so even if OS-of-your-choice crashes, the distributed computing app is going to pick up right where it left off.
If they've made a deal with a processing company, they can bundle all of the charges together during their nightly settlement run and get a lower per-transaction charge (as the transaction charge/percentage is calculated by volume with most processing companies).
Obviously, Apple was able to work out a better credit card processing deal then Microsoft was. Also, remember iTunes does a huge volume. Xbox Live? Not so much. Other companies do the same thing to handle the processing costs (Enom, the domain registrar comes to mind). If you don't like it, don't use them, but don't whine about it if they've stated they're not going to change it.
I take issue with your point about photon storage. Technological advances over the past 30 years is what has driven other industries. Could we sequence DNA as fast as we do without processing power, storage capacity, and robotics? Could we model drugs in the lab? Could we design aircraft and space vehicles with the certainty provided to us by digital modeling?
I have to be honest. Years ago (I'm 25 now), I was a staunchly against religion in all it's forms. I was all about pure science. I believed in things that could be proven, things that followed the scientific method. Not some silly sky wizard. As I've matured, I've come to believe there might be something more. God? Maybe. Maybe not. Silly as it sounds, I think Futurama nailed it on the head (the episode where Bender is floating through space and has civilization begin, survive, and then collapse on him).
"When you do things right, no one will know you've done anything at all." ~God, Futurama.
I would love for the Freakonomics guys to do a study on this, taking into account factors such as IQ, net worth, earning power, careers, etc. I've read much about how Aspergers Syndrome has started popping up more frequently in areas such as Silicon Valley, where you're likely to have two extremely intelligent people having children together. I wonder if the average IQ of the children in that area is rising as well.
Try getting large diesel tanks approved by the EPA at unmanned towers/locations. Now try to get a gas line dragged there.
Disclaimer: I use to work for a large cellular carrier. They used natural gas at all their remote locations, except their datacenter (which was diesel).
SMS messages actually are more resource-intensive then voice calls. The reason behind this is voice calls can be allocated to designated voice channels (typically 24 per cell site, give or take a few depending on GSM, CDMA, iDen, etc.). All SMS messages are transmitted over the control channel, which there is only one of per cell site. That same control channel also provides heartbeat info to the phone, as well as call buildup/teardown information.
If gensets are installed at remote cellular sites, the testing can all be done remotely (genset startup, short runtime for monitoring, and then shutdown). Fuel level can also be monitored remotely (via TCP/IP even if you want, with a slim web server). Plenty of unmanned data centers do this sort of remote monitoring/testing already.
Ma Bell and the landline service has been built out for generations and it shows.
Ma Bell works when no one else does because it's a requirement by law. Cellular networks are not deemed monopolies like Ma Bell, and therefore are unencumbered by the reliability expectations incumbent local exchange carriers are required to provide.
I don't believe cellular providers should have the cost burden thrust upon them because people demand to be able to use their phones after huge disasters occur. If you want that level of service, be prepared for the cost of cellular service to rise, as the cost is just going to be tacked on to your existing service.
Solar panels cannot be used on the outside of the tower. Wind loading would pull the tower to the ground. It's not built to support that, only to support a frame structure and RF equipment.
Wireless Priority Services
- Became a high priority after September 11, 2001.
Extension of the U.S. wireline GETS system that had been around for many years.
Used the same call queuing approach.
Only available from GSM providers
- Only GSM has priority call identifiers.
Most critical unmanned infrastructure uses natural gas generators onsite, not stored diesel, so they're not going to run out unless the natural gas infrastructure is damaged as well (which is a definite possibility in cases such as Katrina).
Let's assume "us" means the entire Slashdot user group (which we'll estimate at around a million just for round numbers). That's still less then 1% of the US population. A small market. As a small business owner, I really don't want to market my product to someone who feels that a homegrown solution is "better", even if it means it's more expensive, less reliable, and carries no support. And the market seems to agree with me (Tivo VS. MythTV, for example).
I think Elon Musk is a great guy for starting SpaceX. When you decided "Hey, I want to colonize Mars.", find out the launch costs are way too high, and then decide to lower launch costs by doing your own development, that's just a fantastic thing to do I think.
I'm not sure what fuel SpaceX and Virgin Galactic use, but the US Space Shuttle burns primarily hydrogen/oxygen via it's three main engines (the SRBs use a solid propellant whose name escapes me at the moment). If we continue to use hydrogen/oxygen for sub-orbital/orbital launches, we should be fine as long as we have low-carbon methods of generating the hydrogen from water (nuclear, solar, etc).
Hopefully we can start getting mass into orbit faster and cheaper. I loathe the idea of being stuck in this gravity well when we run out of cheap energy.
Slashdot Mirror
Exactly. Amazon's Mechanical Turk system already does this.
I bought a PS3 to do development using a Cell processor, and leave it on to run Folding@Home when I'm not using it. It tears through work units. (Note: I don't need a lecture on energy usage from anyone. I offset my home carbon emissions even though I don't have to since it's nuclear energy).
Also, if you don't like that everyone uses Windows, build an OS that's as easy to use. Linux you say? I've tried Fedora Core 8/Ubuntu on the desktop. They're pretty decent, but not quite there yet to replace Windows. Also, any distributed computing application is going to keep track of work units and do checkpointing, so even if OS-of-your-choice crashes, the distributed computing app is going to pick up right where it left off.
They probably ARE doing this now, but don't have the same volume as iTunes.
If they've made a deal with a processing company, they can bundle all of the charges together during their nightly settlement run and get a lower per-transaction charge (as the transaction charge/percentage is calculated by volume with most processing companies).
Obviously, Apple was able to work out a better credit card processing deal then Microsoft was. Also, remember iTunes does a huge volume. Xbox Live? Not so much. Other companies do the same thing to handle the processing costs (Enom, the domain registrar comes to mind). If you don't like it, don't use them, but don't whine about it if they've stated they're not going to change it.
I take issue with your point about photon storage. Technological advances over the past 30 years is what has driven other industries. Could we sequence DNA as fast as we do without processing power, storage capacity, and robotics? Could we model drugs in the lab? Could we design aircraft and space vehicles with the certainty provided to us by digital modeling?
"When you do things right, no one will know you've done anything at all." ~God, Futurama.
Only the smart ones who marry dumb partners need to worry about this. Intelligent partners aren't going to go looking for genetic material elsewhere.
I would love for the Freakonomics guys to do a study on this, taking into account factors such as IQ, net worth, earning power, careers, etc. I've read much about how Aspergers Syndrome has started popping up more frequently in areas such as Silicon Valley, where you're likely to have two extremely intelligent people having children together. I wonder if the average IQ of the children in that area is rising as well.
Germany Acts to Legally Ban Scientology
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071210/30428_Germany_Acts_to_Legally_Ban_Scientology.htm
Disclaimer: I use to work for a large cellular carrier. They used natural gas at all their remote locations, except their datacenter (which was diesel).
SMS messages actually are more resource-intensive then voice calls. The reason behind this is voice calls can be allocated to designated voice channels (typically 24 per cell site, give or take a few depending on GSM, CDMA, iDen, etc.). All SMS messages are transmitted over the control channel, which there is only one of per cell site. That same control channel also provides heartbeat info to the phone, as well as call buildup/teardown information.
If gensets are installed at remote cellular sites, the testing can all be done remotely (genset startup, short runtime for monitoring, and then shutdown). Fuel level can also be monitored remotely (via TCP/IP even if you want, with a slim web server). Plenty of unmanned data centers do this sort of remote monitoring/testing already.
That still have licenses? I remember when they dropped the morse code requirement and though "What is the world coming to!?"
Ma Bell works when no one else does because it's a requirement by law. Cellular networks are not deemed monopolies like Ma Bell, and therefore are unencumbered by the reliability expectations incumbent local exchange carriers are required to provide.
I don't believe cellular providers should have the cost burden thrust upon them because people demand to be able to use their phones after huge disasters occur. If you want that level of service, be prepared for the cost of cellular service to rise, as the cost is just going to be tacked on to your existing service.
Solar panels cannot be used on the outside of the tower. Wind loading would pull the tower to the ground. It's not built to support that, only to support a frame structure and RF equipment.
http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:cwTrqX9BMl8J:www.cse.umkc.edu/~beardc/WorkSummary.pdf+GSM+emergency+priority+traffic&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=9&gl=us&client=firefox-a
Wireless Priority Services
- Became a high priority after September 11, 2001.
Extension of the U.S. wireline GETS system that had been around for many years.
Used the same call queuing approach.
Only available from GSM providers
- Only GSM has priority call identifiers.
Most critical unmanned infrastructure uses natural gas generators onsite, not stored diesel, so they're not going to run out unless the natural gas infrastructure is damaged as well (which is a definite possibility in cases such as Katrina).
Let's assume "us" means the entire Slashdot user group (which we'll estimate at around a million just for round numbers). That's still less then 1% of the US population. A small market. As a small business owner, I really don't want to market my product to someone who feels that a homegrown solution is "better", even if it means it's more expensive, less reliable, and carries no support. And the market seems to agree with me (Tivo VS. MythTV, for example).
I think Elon Musk is a great guy for starting SpaceX. When you decided "Hey, I want to colonize Mars.", find out the launch costs are way too high, and then decide to lower launch costs by doing your own development, that's just a fantastic thing to do I think.
I'm not sure what fuel SpaceX and Virgin Galactic use, but the US Space Shuttle burns primarily hydrogen/oxygen via it's three main engines (the SRBs use a solid propellant whose name escapes me at the moment). If we continue to use hydrogen/oxygen for sub-orbital/orbital launches, we should be fine as long as we have low-carbon methods of generating the hydrogen from water (nuclear, solar, etc).
Hopefully we can start getting mass into orbit faster and cheaper. I loathe the idea of being stuck in this gravity well when we run out of cheap energy.
Large parks can self-insure if they need to.
Never email what you can say over the phone
Never say over the phone what you can say in person