This may not work in non-US countries. Not to mention that some people don't have credit cards but would like to use Myspace anyway (and are 18 or older).
Perhaps some of the the 200K/month consoles will be used for testing purposes, so that they won't screw when devices are made in large quantities (problems like too much thermopaste in Macbooks, Xbox 360 failing when put on carpet). Some problems may appear only when you make a lot of consoles. If you have to recall 400K units it's cheaper than 4 million.
Passports without contacts would be better. Imagine a group of people entering (while boarding their flight), say, a room designed for 20 people and working like an airlock. 20 people go in, wait a couple of seconds while their passports and visas are being verified (wirelessly), then they continue walking to their airplane. Better still, a long corridor could be locked when someone with a suspicious passport enters (and completely open when everything's OK).
Well, I've never used licensed software. In Russia (where I currently live) using pirated software is pretty much mainstream. OTOH, win'98 is licensed to be used on one computer, right? So it's either 1) installed on one virtual computer (HDD image on a USB flash) 2) used only on one PC at a time. As I understand the license permits me to install Win98 on a second computer if I delete it from the first one.
For those that don't want to carry their laptop from home to work and back again (not using on on the road), virtualization is a great option. I created a win'98 image with all kind of useful stuff and carried it to university and back home on a USB flash drive. When I get to a PC with VMWare installed, I load my environment and have everything configured, along with the latest copy of my files. Also great for demonstrating how your software works on a PC you don't own. You'll get your complete and familiar environment. External HDDs also work well, but they won't fit inside a shirt pocket.
Re:How about enlisting older tech for calibration.
on
More Wii-mote Info
·
· Score: 1
As I understand the problem with lightguns was that they worked only with CRT TVs, depending on vertical/horizontal scanning. Other types flashed a white square instead of each target once you pressed the trigger. The main problem is that lightguns depended on stuff shown on the screen (and not like the screen-independent Wii). Wii-mote communicates only with the receiver on top of the screen (making it independent of the screen type and avoiding flashing patterns). It doesn't actually see what's on the screen. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightgun
Re:NO Mention of source code
on
World Firefox Day
·
· Score: 2, Informative
If both you and your friend opt-in to have your names included, we'll add your names to an interactive Firefox friends display that will be accessible from within Firefox 2."
It says interactive so I guess there will be some XUL/AJAX hybrid that displays 10 names at a time, probably with a search function.
On the other hand:
"How do I see the names in Firefox 2?
We're working on the details of this and will share this soon."
Probably the calibration procedure will include pointing at various points on the TV so that the Wii-mote will build its coordinate system, pretty much like PDAs do.
Reachargable batteries tend to lose charge over time (especially NiMH and NiCD). I've owned a mouse that came with rechargable batteries. It lasted about a week between recharges. After it died I replaced it with a non-rechargable battery one. It runs about a month now on the batteries included and the battery meter still shows "good". Another example: TV remotes and motherboards. They consume so little electicity that it would be insane putting rechargable batteries in. They mention that a Wii-mote runs about 30 to 60 hours (depending on the mode). Considering that Wii is targeted at casual gamers who play no more than 2 hours a day (and usually even less) this may be a wise decision. If you want to play more than that, buy a 4 NiMH battery + recharger pack. These cost no more than $30 and may be used for digital cameras etc. as well.
What about traditional spacecraft? Most manned ships are in fact metallic balloons that have enormous inside pressure (compared to the outside). The only difference is that traditional metal spaceships don't ever change their size or shape. Oh, and BTW the Volga airlock made for the first Soviet EVA was made of fabric. See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voskhod_2
I'm probably stating the obvious, but procedural textures (as well as models) are a lot harder to make than bitmap-based. For bitmaps, you need a digital camera or an artist. To make a complete 3D model, you'll need a person who knows Photoshop and 3ds max. For procedural models, you'll need someone who knows advanced math (including matrices, linear transforms etc.) and has some artistic value AS WELL.
If your kid knows your credit card number, he can use it to spend all your money in online gambling. If he goes to a real casino, I'm sure he simply won't get in. Also, certifying online casinos is much harder, especially if they are located in another country. Consider this example: you win some amount of money and you are unable to get the money you won (a specially designed 404 page or whatever) but you'll lose real money if you lose in the game. Or stuff like a software roulette that is "intelligent", e.g. isn't completely random and tries to make you rise the stake and makes sure you won't win if the stake is high enough. At least if a live person's cheating you can notice something unusual.
How about this: buy some stuff, then (after receiving it or knowing it can't be returned) cancel the payments. Should work great on paid downloads & online stores, as well as services (e.g. taxi, car wash etc.).
No. The skull acts the same as a loudspeaker's enclosure (or a guitar body) - greatly amplifying low and medium frequency waves (try saying aaaa or mmmmmm with your hand on top of your head). So if you pick up sound directly from the bone, you'll be recording the sound directly from its source, and background noises would be too weak compared to your own voice (except when a plane flies really low or you are at a really loud rock concert). That's like putting a microphone inside a loudspeaker. Of course it will record noises, but only really loud ones will be of any significance.
In 1984, 19-year-old Terry Wallis was thrown from his pick-up truck during an accident near his home in Massachusetts, US.
So he lived 19 years in a normal state and 19 years in coma. Probably a coincidence or even an editorial mistake. But what if these numbers are connected? Perhaps his brain returned to its earliest possible state and then started reading memories in realtime, filling the gaps or doing something with memories linked to the gaps. Or, restoring communitation skills based on the memories of people couumnicating. Something like fsck;-)
By the "opportunity to protect themselves" they probably mean "opportunity to buy a Windows license with a discount". My pirated copy of Windows fails WGA checks and Microsoft offers me to buy Windows XP Pro for $149, which is a lot less than its store price. I'd gladly buy a legal copy of Windows, if it 1) didn't have Activation because I often replace my PC's components and I would hate to get a new activation key each time I do a massive upgrade. Oh, and I have 3 PCs and buying a copy of Windows for each one would be insane 2) cost no more than $70
That's a lot, but for your money you'll get WiFi, USB host, 128 megs of flash, CF&MMC slots, a touchscreen and mp3 playback. It has a 400Mhz Intel Xscale CPU, which is used in many PDAs. I'd gladly pay $250 for a device without all these (well, a single CF or SD slot may be handy). But for $850 I can get a decent mobile phone ($150), a PDA with WiFi ($220), a 1 Gb SD card ($40), an iPod ($300) and buy some books and songs using the money I saved.
Well, the ability to search is great in scientific stuff. That's why I prefer PDFs instead of dead-tree books. You can also share them easily with associates (if it doesn't have any DRM). Carrying a dozen 1000+ page books isn't a problem, and that means that for example you can learn a new computer language in transport or waiting in queues (I learned C++ that way: theory while on the bus and practice once I get home). You can carry your documents, sourcecode etc. and open them any time you like, without printing 100+ pages every time you change something. Digital books are sometimes easier to find (Edonkey is your friend) and *pirated* books have actually LESS restrictions than their paper analogs. Or books that are not pirated, but scanned by someone (because he needed a digital copy) and distributed to those who have the paper copy but want a digital one to save space and get all the features (it's perfectly legal). That's why mp3 players didn't sell well at first - they were expensive, had crappy DRM, little amount of memory and people had the same thought as you described - "what good is music when I can't get my hands on the CD". But once a company like Apple makes non-restrictive DRM (for those who want an easy way to get books) or no DRM at all (for those who use P2P networks or already have everything they need in digital) things will change. I have never read a paper book since I got my first Palm back in 2002. Getting a book is simpler than going to the library, you can download 20+ books and be sure that you'll have something to read, you can read in the dark, PDAs are usually smaller than even A5 books (so it's OK even in crowded transport). You can also see your progress, how many pages are left until the end of the chapter, instantly open the dictionary or search a specific phrase.
Well, remember back in 2002 when memory prices actually dropped lower than what it cost to produce? I was kind of amused when a 128 megabyte module I purchased before (cost me $120) dropped to something like $20 in just a couple of months. That's why commoditizing is here - manufacturers produce more goods for a lower price, having a more stable revenue flow. However if iPod's price drops, people may be actually buying less iPods - because a little bit of overpricing helps Apple products to be thought of as high-quality and something that is worth more. Imagine seeing a Creative player, an iPod and an iRiver player, all priced the same. They'll look pretty much the same to a non-savvy buyer. However if the iPod is priced 15% more, there's a reason for that, right? Probably it's higher quality or has better support or something.
Re:define very large
on
EXT4 Is Coming
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
Though this may be needed in some rare applications, I don't see ext4 as something needed in the near future. As I understand, the larger the max partition&file size, the more space indexes will need (not to mention that speed will probably drop). For example, if we have 20-bit indexes (2^20 clusters max) and use 4-kilobyte clusters, to increase the maximum space we'll either have to add one bit to the indexes to double the maximum space or we'll have to increase the cluster size and have problems storing small files (remember the FAT16->FAT32 transition?) ext4 is thousands larger than ext3, which will probably mean that indexes will need a lot more space, which will be bad for 8TB volumes (and besides, noone would notice any benefits!)
Office XP was released before Windows XP (which was released in 2001). However, only the whole suite is named XP; individual components are named Word 2002, Excel 2002, etc. Pocket PC 2002 was released in 2001 (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocket_PCs)
So Dell, Gateway, Microsoft, Apple, etc, all need to specifically have a disclaimer stating "don't use our stuff to infringe copyright"?
In fact all iPods have a sticker on their screen (as well as on the packaging) saying "Don't steal music" in several languages. So to use your brand-new iPod you have to peel off the sticker, reading what it says.
That's not a supercomputer, that's a really large computing grid. Supercomputers are needed for tasks that require insane amounts of RAM and a really fast system bus. When you have many computers, the data transfer speed between computers is limited by the network bandwidth, and any network is slow compared to your CPU-memory bus. That may be OK for tasks like searching but not acceptable for physics simulation/capture. Sensors connected to a modern collider generate tens of gigabytes of data per second. So to simulate it you'll need to transfer all that data through your network, which will require hours or even days to simulate just one second.
Slashdot Mirror
I think that iPod vs. Zune will repeat the Pocket PC vs. Palm war.
This may not work in non-US countries.
Not to mention that some people don't have credit cards but would like to use Myspace anyway (and are 18 or older).
Perhaps some of the the 200K/month consoles will be used for testing purposes, so that they won't screw when devices are made in large quantities (problems like too much thermopaste in Macbooks, Xbox 360 failing when put on carpet). Some problems may appear only when you make a lot of consoles. If you have to recall 400K units it's cheaper than 4 million.
Passports without contacts would be better. Imagine a group of people entering (while boarding their flight), say, a room designed for 20 people and working like an airlock. 20 people go in, wait a couple of seconds while their passports and visas are being verified (wirelessly), then they continue walking to their airplane. Better still, a long corridor could be locked when someone with a suspicious passport enters (and completely open when everything's OK).
Well, I've never used licensed software. In Russia (where I currently live) using pirated software is pretty much mainstream.
OTOH, win'98 is licensed to be used on one computer, right? So it's either
1) installed on one virtual computer (HDD image on a USB flash)
2) used only on one PC at a time. As I understand the license permits me to install Win98 on a second computer if I delete it from the first one.
For those that don't want to carry their laptop from home to work and back again (not using on on the road), virtualization is a great option. I created a win'98 image with all kind of useful stuff and carried it to university and back home on a USB flash drive. When I get to a PC with VMWare installed, I load my environment and have everything configured, along with the latest copy of my files. Also great for demonstrating how your software works on a PC you don't own. You'll get your complete and familiar environment.
External HDDs also work well, but they won't fit inside a shirt pocket.
As I understand the problem with lightguns was that they worked only with CRT TVs, depending on vertical/horizontal scanning. Other types flashed a white square instead of each target once you pressed the trigger. The main problem is that lightguns depended on stuff shown on the screen (and not like the screen-independent Wii). Wii-mote communicates only with the receiver on top of the screen (making it independent of the screen type and avoiding flashing patterns). It doesn't actually see what's on the screen.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightgun
Here's the quote from http://www.worldfirefoxday.com/en/faq.php#q11
"How will our names be included in Firefox 2?
If both you and your friend opt-in to have your names included, we'll add your names to an interactive Firefox friends display that will be accessible from within Firefox 2."
It says interactive so I guess there will be some XUL/AJAX hybrid that displays 10 names at a time, probably with a search function.
On the other hand:
"How do I see the names in Firefox 2?
We're working on the details of this and will share this soon."
Probably the calibration procedure will include pointing at various points on the TV so that the Wii-mote will build its coordinate system, pretty much like PDAs do.
Reachargable batteries tend to lose charge over time (especially NiMH and NiCD). I've owned a mouse that came with rechargable batteries. It lasted about a week between recharges. After it died I replaced it with a non-rechargable battery one. It runs about a month now on the batteries included and the battery meter still shows "good".
Another example: TV remotes and motherboards. They consume so little electicity that it would be insane putting rechargable batteries in. They mention that a Wii-mote runs about 30 to 60 hours (depending on the mode). Considering that Wii is targeted at casual gamers who play no more than 2 hours a day (and usually even less) this may be a wise decision. If you want to play more than that, buy a 4 NiMH battery + recharger pack. These cost no more than $30 and may be used for digital cameras etc. as well.
What about traditional spacecraft? Most manned ships are in fact metallic balloons that have enormous inside pressure (compared to the outside). The only difference is that traditional metal spaceships don't ever change their size or shape. Oh, and BTW the Volga airlock made for the first Soviet EVA was made of fabric. See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voskhod_2
I'm probably stating the obvious, but procedural textures (as well as models) are a lot harder to make than bitmap-based. For bitmaps, you need a digital camera or an artist. To make a complete 3D model, you'll need a person who knows Photoshop and 3ds max. For procedural models, you'll need someone who knows advanced math (including matrices, linear transforms etc.) and has some artistic value AS WELL.
If your kid knows your credit card number, he can use it to spend all your money in online gambling. If he goes to a real casino, I'm sure he simply won't get in.
Also, certifying online casinos is much harder, especially if they are located in another country. Consider this example: you win some amount of money and you are unable to get the money you won (a specially designed 404 page or whatever) but you'll lose real money if you lose in the game. Or stuff like a software roulette that is "intelligent", e.g. isn't completely random and tries to make you rise the stake and makes sure you won't win if the stake is high enough. At least if a live person's cheating you can notice something unusual.
How about this: buy some stuff, then (after receiving it or knowing it can't be returned) cancel the payments. Should work great on paid downloads & online stores, as well as services (e.g. taxi, car wash etc.).
No.
The skull acts the same as a loudspeaker's enclosure (or a guitar body) - greatly amplifying low and medium frequency waves (try saying aaaa or mmmmmm with your hand on top of your head).
So if you pick up sound directly from the bone, you'll be recording the sound directly from its source, and background noises would be too weak compared to your own voice (except when a plane flies really low or you are at a really loud rock concert).
That's like putting a microphone inside a loudspeaker. Of course it will record noises, but only really loud ones will be of any significance.
From TFA:
;-)
In 1984, 19-year-old Terry Wallis was thrown from his pick-up truck during an accident near his home in Massachusetts, US.
So he lived 19 years in a normal state and 19 years in coma. Probably a coincidence or even an editorial mistake. But what if these numbers are connected? Perhaps his brain returned to its earliest possible state and then started reading memories in realtime, filling the gaps or doing something with memories linked to the gaps. Or, restoring communitation skills based on the memories of people couumnicating. Something like fsck
By the "opportunity to protect themselves" they probably mean "opportunity to buy a Windows license with a discount". My pirated copy of Windows fails WGA checks and Microsoft offers me to buy Windows XP Pro for $149, which is a lot less than its store price.
I'd gladly buy a legal copy of Windows, if it
1) didn't have Activation because I often replace my PC's components and I would hate to get a new activation key each time I do a massive upgrade. Oh, and I have 3 PCs and buying a copy of Windows for each one would be insane
2) cost no more than $70
That's a lot, but for your money you'll get WiFi, USB host, 128 megs of flash, CF&MMC slots, a touchscreen and mp3 playback. It has a 400Mhz Intel Xscale CPU, which is used in many PDAs.
I'd gladly pay $250 for a device without all these (well, a single CF or SD slot may be handy).
But for $850 I can get a decent mobile phone ($150), a PDA with WiFi ($220), a 1 Gb SD card ($40), an iPod ($300) and buy some books and songs using the money I saved.
Well, the ability to search is great in scientific stuff. That's why I prefer PDFs instead of dead-tree books. You can also share them easily with associates (if it doesn't have any DRM). Carrying a dozen 1000+ page books isn't a problem, and that means that for example you can learn a new computer language in transport or waiting in queues (I learned C++ that way: theory while on the bus and practice once I get home). You can carry your documents, sourcecode etc. and open them any time you like, without printing 100+ pages every time you change something.
Digital books are sometimes easier to find (Edonkey is your friend) and *pirated* books have actually LESS restrictions than their paper analogs. Or books that are not pirated, but scanned by someone (because he needed a digital copy) and distributed to those who have the paper copy but want a digital one to save space and get all the features (it's perfectly legal).
That's why mp3 players didn't sell well at first - they were expensive, had crappy DRM, little amount of memory and people had the same thought as you described - "what good is music when I can't get my hands on the CD". But once a company like Apple makes non-restrictive DRM (for those who want an easy way to get books) or no DRM at all (for those who use P2P networks or already have everything they need in digital) things will change. I have never read a paper book since I got my first Palm back in 2002. Getting a book is simpler than going to the library, you can download 20+ books and be sure that you'll have something to read, you can read in the dark, PDAs are usually smaller than even A5 books (so it's OK even in crowded transport). You can also see your progress, how many pages are left until the end of the chapter, instantly open the dictionary or search a specific phrase.
Well, remember back in 2002 when memory prices actually dropped lower than what it cost to produce? I was kind of amused when a 128 megabyte module I purchased before (cost me $120) dropped to something like $20 in just a couple of months.
That's why commoditizing is here - manufacturers produce more goods for a lower price, having a more stable revenue flow.
However if iPod's price drops, people may be actually buying less iPods - because a little bit of overpricing helps Apple products to be thought of as high-quality and something that is worth more. Imagine seeing a Creative player, an iPod and an iRiver player, all priced the same. They'll look pretty much the same to a non-savvy buyer. However if the iPod is priced 15% more, there's a reason for that, right? Probably it's higher quality or has better support or something.
Though this may be needed in some rare applications, I don't see ext4 as something needed in the near future. As I understand, the larger the max partition&file size, the more space indexes will need (not to mention that speed will probably drop).
For example, if we have 20-bit indexes (2^20 clusters max) and use 4-kilobyte clusters, to increase the maximum space we'll either have to add one bit to the indexes to double the maximum space or we'll have to increase the cluster size and have problems storing small files (remember the FAT16->FAT32 transition?)
ext4 is thousands larger than ext3, which will probably mean that indexes will need a lot more space, which will be bad for 8TB volumes (and besides, noone would notice any benefits!)
Office XP was released before Windows XP (which was released in 2001).
However, only the whole suite is named XP; individual components are named Word 2002, Excel 2002, etc.
Pocket PC 2002 was released in 2001 (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocket_PCs)
That's not a supercomputer, that's a really large computing grid. Supercomputers are needed for tasks that require insane amounts of RAM and a really fast system bus. When you have many computers, the data transfer speed between computers is limited by the network bandwidth, and any network is slow compared to your CPU-memory bus. That may be OK for tasks like searching but not acceptable for physics simulation/capture. Sensors connected to a modern collider generate tens of gigabytes of data per second. So to simulate it you'll need to transfer all that data through your network, which will require hours or even days to simulate just one second.
But the irony!
The better the computer, the higher its flop per second value!