I get something like 70 NTSC channels and everything above oh 400 Mhz on my cable system is QAM 256. I believe the cable company trucks the signal over fiber (QAM and all) to a local node where it is converted to RF and split into the house..
1 OC-192 = 10 Gbps 1 Fiber Running 40 Wavelengths = 400 Gbps 1 Fiber Running 160 Wavelengths? = 1600 Gbps And I'll forget about those OC-768s for now.
On most fiber routes they have so damn much unused capacity that its not close to a crisis.
If you look at Level 3 in particular, they have been buying up competitors to help improve their pricing ability. There is no shortage, other than one they'd like to create.
Now, lighting this fiber up costs lots of money. If you can make it worth someones while, I'm certain it can be arranged.
I have a personal domain that I give out to friends. Then I have a domain I use for e-mail for everyone other than friends and assign everyone a different e-mail address.
For example: microsoft@mydomainz.com for Microsoft. If Microsoft sends my info to a spammer, I can easily shut down the microsoft@mydomainz.com with a simple filter..
I noticed that a lot of spam came through from domain registration.. register1@mydomainz.com.. Now banned. register2.. Now banned. I think I'm on 3 right now.. Those spammers never learn.
The end result is my spam level, although not zero, is so dramatically reduced that its very manageable.. Most of it gets deleted as I see the headers, so it never actually gets read.
Thats interesting.. I have XM & people who have listened to mine have gone out and purchased it for themselves.
Your free to do what you want with your money, but for mine, XM is a good use of $10/mo. That should tell you something about the quality of radio stations in my area.
Check out satellite radio, you may find you LIKE it.
The usefulness of the proprietary data stream is overstated. I think it was in 94 that the first on-board diagnistic spec (OBD) appeared in mass production. Everyone was crying about it at the time. Amazingly, independent repair shops are still in business. Since then there have been refinements, but it basically defines a standard interface and subset data stream required on all production cars in the US. With an OBD capable scan tool and the proper manuals, any tech can diagnose any problem with any car. There might be a more robust data stream available to the dealer mechanic, but the true value of that extra data is trivial IMO.
I left a 10 year career in auto repair (part of that post-OBD), where my specialty was driveability and electrical. The truly skilled technicians understand the system and don't necessarily depend on a particular tool to get their work done. An old-style analog oscilloscope is more valuable to a tech than any proprietary scan tool. The challenge is the diminishing number of techs that would know what to do with one.
Let me fill you.
1987 OBD-I -- Codes for when sensors go out of spec.
1996 OBD-II -- Codes for when the comprehensive component manager detects something has gone wrong.
2004 CAN -- Controller Area Network -- It just gets worse.
I do mostly driveability stuff. However, I'm at a loss to perform functional tests, retrieve live data not on normal OBD-II lines, and flash proms without the manufacturer scan tool. The SnapOn often isn't good enough and although Vetronix will sell a scan tool for an arm, leg, and kidney that does most of what you want. You do lose some body parts for the privledge.
Try doing a cylinder power balance on an OBD-II car. What happens if you short out the plug? You get a misfire code, dump fuel into the cat, and thats not good. Sometimes you can turn off the fuel to the individual cylinder, but its generally a manufacturer scan tool and not all scan tools will do it.
How about testing transmission solenoids? You can do it on a GM Tech-2. I don't think a generic scanner will work though.
Its not a problem at a dealership where they have the tools, but its a gigantic problem everywhere else.
Even with manufacturer scan tools, most of my time is spent around a Vetronix MTS-5100 4-ch oscilloscope.
We don't respect mechanics because we, and our friends, have been lied to by mechanics so many times. Either about what needs to be repaired, what they broke while they were repairing something else, etc.
If computer techs started pulling the same shit that mechanics have been pulling, taking severe advantage of their greater knowledge of the subject, computer techs are going to be just as disrespected.
I'm both a mechanic and an engineer. (Guess which field I haven't been successful in obtaining gainful employment in.)
A Couple Of Things About Mechanics:
1. Not all mechanics are dishonest.
2. Not all mechanics are competent.
3. Dealerships make most of their money off of parts.
4. You usually get what you pay for.
If you really want a good mechanic in CA, find someone who passed ASE L1 (Advanced Diagnostics) and has a CA EA Smog License. ASE L1 is both a difficult test and has an experience requirement. The CA EA Smog License is a state exam that requires completion of ASE A6, A8, L1, a Clean Air Course, and an OBD-II Course -- most mechanics do not bother. These guys don't screw around, know their stuff and don't fudge anything. The CA Bureau of Automotive Repair does pull smog licenses and they aren't trivial to maintain. Most shops have very few smog techs.
That being said:
1. Not all computer techs are honest.
2. Not all computer tech are competent.
3. Computer stores with techs make most of their money off of parts. (Benefits and overhead are pricy.)
4. There are a lot of dishonest people out there who'll gladly take advantage of people.
Bad computer techs do the same crap as bad mechanics. They overcharge, the replace things that don't need to be fixed. They outright lie.
I was recently brought a family friends computer. Some "tech" said he wanted $250 to try to recover the data on her hard drive because the computer "stopped working." What had happened was the PS/2 keyboard connector had a bad connection and it failing the boot process. In 30 minutes, I copied the hard drive data to a CD, verified it was the keyboard connector, and returned the items to the owner for FREE. I was rewarded with a $50 gift card to Best Buy.
The computer owner had gone out and bought a new computer as she was unwilling to spend $250 for someone to TRY to recover her data. And she was incredibly grateful to have someone tell her what was really wrong with her computer and fix it for a reasonable (FREE) charge.
Would it make you feel better to know that you are correct? Might as well tell ya, you're right on all counts. Here's the problem, we are still required to somehow survive.
How do we survive?
1. We adapt. 2. We learn new skills. 3. We abandone fields on the decline. 4. We recognize that education is simply a credential, not a ticket into the real world. 5. We recognize that personal relationships are critically important and mean the difference between job and no job. 6. We accept that work is work. It may not be fun, but it feeds us.
I'm hard core unemployable. I'm an engineer whose been out of work for 2 years. In 6 months I'll have another degree in something OTHER than engineering. I will then take a job at a lot less than I use to make and I will be HAPPY because I have a job and don't have to think about being unemployed.
The problem is simple. Work involving thinking can be done somewhere else for less. However, there are many jobs that cannot be done elsewhere for less.
Auto repair, nursing, personal services, construction, and all sorts of jobs that you may not want -- but they are out there and there is demand.
Walk into almost any car dealership with a CA smog license and you can almost guarantee yourself a job.
Look in the paper, some hospitals are paying bonuses for RNs.
Life is a whole bunch of variables and we all must adapt. Isn't that what you really learned in EE anyways, how to adapt to change and manage extreme workloads?
How many people do you know give themselves 10 car lengths on a highway?
The answer is ME. I drive anticipating that everyone around me is a moron. I'm usually right. I drive with the speed of traffic, if its getting too tight, I slow down. If I really don't like the aggressive nature of the people on the road, I'll take an off ramp, wait 5 minutes, go.
This is a stupid band-aid law. It doesn't change the fact that there are too many bad drivers out there who shouldn't be on the road. Giving them distractions just exacerbates the fact that they shouldn't be driving.
I multitask well. I am very comfortable operating a car, changing the radio station, adjusting my GPS, and taking a phone call all in the span of 2 minutes while driving. Not everyone should do this, in fact most people should not do this. But if you are HIGHLY aware of your surroundings and aware that you are being distracted so you need to concentrate extra hard on other drivers and your car -- you can do it. I do it.
In 10 years, I haven't caused a single accident or been given a citation. In that time, I've had 5+ incidents where people have backed into me, rear ended me, and scraped my car as part of "normal" driving. These drivers had no distractions, except for being lousy drivers.
This idea that people can't decide for themselves how much sensory loading they can handle is absurd. You gave me a license to drive, let me decide how much technology I can manage at once. If I'm concerned about my ability to interface with it while driving, I don't use it or I pull over.
I can see the marketing campaign.. "Don't Play GTA3 and Drive!"
Here's the problem. A computer is a multifunction device. I can use it to display a map.. I can also use it to play Doom. If my passenger is playing Doom in the passenger seat, I'm guilty. I don't even have to be watching it.
Now, I'm not stupid enough to drive and play PS2 at the same time, but it bothers me that the government is making this judgement call for me. You're letting me pilot a 3000 lb missile, but won't let me decide whats a distraction.
I've noticed something. I have a Hotmail account I use for people I don't want to have my real e-mail address. It use to get bombarded with SPAM. It was like bob50303, so I got nailed by every single dictionary attack. Then, Microsoft implemented something -- spam dropped off. And now its GONE. I get something like 1 or 2 spam messages a week. Inbox is spotless.
I think the time is getting close to where spam won't pay anymore, the filters are obviously getting better and if SMTP gets revamped or replaced by something with any sort of authentication -- Spam's done.. Stick a fork in it.
My first suggestion would be to decide whether you prefer a laptop or desktop. It is your choice. If I were working for extended periods of time, I'd prefer a real desktop.
Power: An inverter off a battery is a good choice for periodic usage, but regular usage will require a generator. Since you won't want to use the generator all the time, keep a battery, and inverter around for when its not convenient to run the generator.. The EU3000 will keep your desktop running all the time on less than 4 gallons of gas.
Solar power doesn't make sense. You'll be waiting days for it to charge your batteries. Or if you have enough panels, it will just burn a hole in your pocket.
The Generator: They've improved dramatically. The newwest inverter based models are very quiet. See Honda's EU3000
If you've sworn off a generator, and they work great for running small coffee makers and Direct TV receivers, then consider a laptop, extra battery, and if necessary inverter + battery combination and just live with the results.
Re:(the problem with) Steel Buildings
on
Pre-Fab Homes?
·
· Score: 2, Informative
1. Steel is used for framing only. I'd challenge your assertion that you'd need some inordinate amount more insulation..
2. You can easily let a regular electrical contractor do the wiring, the framing members are designed to pass the wire through pre-stamped holes.
Most steel framing systems are just about big erector sets. Look at Excalibur Steel as an example. It's a big, customizable, kit.
As much as I love technology, I'd rather fix cars and let my engineering degree go to waste than tolerate the people who would dare post these jobs.
$10/hr to change oil
OR
$10/hr to put up with people on a help desk line
Tough choice? Nahh, coming to grips with the job market reality was much harder.
The Question Is: Do You Have The Right Radio?
on
Who Needs Radio?
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
I just got XM Satellite Radio. It's great, has genre specific channels so that I'm never blasted with music I dislike. I guess there are enough 1980s fans to warrant a niche chanel like "80s on XM 8". XM limits commercials to 6 minutes an hour and some channels have none.
XM has made radio fun again. It has eliminated DJs who talk too much, too many commercials, and "Hits of the 70,80,90, and Today" where the station attempts to be the "universal" choice and just becomes "universally" annoying.
Nothing wrong with radio, just make sure you have the right radio..
Slashdot Mirror
I get something like 70 NTSC channels and everything above oh 400 Mhz on my cable system is QAM 256. I believe the cable company trucks the signal over fiber (QAM and all) to a local node where it is converted to RF and split into the house..
How is this new or different?
Correct, keep the dark fiber dark and limit the amount of lit fiber available.. Decrease supply. If demand increaes, prices increase.
Companies like Level 3 sit on most of their assets. I'm sure someday they'll need all that fiber... Someday.
1 OC-192 = 10 Gbps
1 Fiber Running 40 Wavelengths = 400 Gbps
1 Fiber Running 160 Wavelengths? = 1600 Gbps
And I'll forget about those OC-768s for now.
On most fiber routes they have so damn much unused capacity that its not close to a crisis.
If you look at Level 3 in particular, they have been buying up competitors to help improve their pricing ability. There is no shortage, other than one they'd like to create.
Now, lighting this fiber up costs lots of money. If you can make it worth someones while, I'm certain it can be arranged.
Supply and demand is an amazing concept.
I have a personal domain that I give out to friends. Then I have a domain I use for e-mail for everyone other than friends and assign everyone a different e-mail address.
For example: microsoft@mydomainz.com for Microsoft. If Microsoft sends my info to a spammer, I can easily shut down the microsoft@mydomainz.com with a simple filter..
I noticed that a lot of spam came through from domain registration.. register1@mydomainz.com.. Now banned. register2.. Now banned. I think I'm on 3 right now.. Those spammers never learn.
The end result is my spam level, although not zero, is so dramatically reduced that its very manageable.. Most of it gets deleted as I see the headers, so it never actually gets read.
San Jose Area..
1. Google is insane. I can't figure out why they want to hire so many people..
2. I'm starting to get phone calls from companies I sent resumes to 3-6 months ago inquiring about availability.
Thinks are beginning to percolate, but its slow..
$15-20/hr flat rate is far better than sitting on your ass for $0/hr.
A lot of people in engineering/IT have made $0/hr for an extended period. It ain't good. Almost makes ya want to go fix a car.
I hold: BS Electronics & Computer Engineering Technology
I am a few weeks away from: AS Automotive Technology, CA Advanced Emissions License
I might actually be able to get a job with one of those degrees!! (Guess which.) It would be funny, if it weren't so sadly true.
Thats interesting.. I have XM & people who have listened to mine have gone out and purchased it for themselves.
Your free to do what you want with your money, but for mine, XM is a good use of $10/mo. That should tell you something about the quality of radio stations in my area.
Check out satellite radio, you may find you LIKE it.
1987 OBD-I -- Codes for when sensors go out of spec.
1996 OBD-II -- Codes for when the comprehensive component manager detects something has gone wrong.
2004 CAN -- Controller Area Network -- It just gets worse.
I do mostly driveability stuff. However, I'm at a loss to perform functional tests, retrieve live data not on normal OBD-II lines, and flash proms without the manufacturer scan tool. The SnapOn often isn't good enough and although Vetronix will sell a scan tool for an arm, leg, and kidney that does most of what you want. You do lose some body parts for the privledge.
Try doing a cylinder power balance on an OBD-II car. What happens if you short out the plug? You get a misfire code, dump fuel into the cat, and thats not good. Sometimes you can turn off the fuel to the individual cylinder, but its generally a manufacturer scan tool and not all scan tools will do it.
How about testing transmission solenoids? You can do it on a GM Tech-2. I don't think a generic scanner will work though.
Its not a problem at a dealership where they have the tools, but its a gigantic problem everywhere else.
Even with manufacturer scan tools, most of my time is spent around a Vetronix MTS-5100 4-ch oscilloscope.
A Couple Of Things About Mechanics:
1. Not all mechanics are dishonest.
2. Not all mechanics are competent.
3. Dealerships make most of their money off of parts.
4. You usually get what you pay for.
If you really want a good mechanic in CA, find someone who passed ASE L1 (Advanced Diagnostics) and has a CA EA Smog License. ASE L1 is both a difficult test and has an experience requirement. The CA EA Smog License is a state exam that requires completion of ASE A6, A8, L1, a Clean Air Course, and an OBD-II Course -- most mechanics do not bother. These guys don't screw around, know their stuff and don't fudge anything. The CA Bureau of Automotive Repair does pull smog licenses and they aren't trivial to maintain. Most shops have very few smog techs.
That being said:
1. Not all computer techs are honest.
2. Not all computer tech are competent.
3. Computer stores with techs make most of their money off of parts. (Benefits and overhead are pricy.)
4. There are a lot of dishonest people out there who'll gladly take advantage of people.
Bad computer techs do the same crap as bad mechanics. They overcharge, the replace things that don't need to be fixed. They outright lie.
I was recently brought a family friends computer. Some "tech" said he wanted $250 to try to recover the data on her hard drive because the computer "stopped working." What had happened was the PS/2 keyboard connector had a bad connection and it failing the boot process. In 30 minutes, I copied the hard drive data to a CD, verified it was the keyboard connector, and returned the items to the owner for FREE. I was rewarded with a $50 gift card to Best Buy.
The computer owner had gone out and bought a new computer as she was unwilling to spend $250 for someone to TRY to recover her data. And she was incredibly grateful to have someone tell her what was really wrong with her computer and fix it for a reasonable (FREE) charge.
Joe: Good to see ya!
NuttyBee: Think Cedritos 2nd Floor near microwave.
In college, I had some friends who also had xxx-weed as their #.. Kind of a no brainer as to why none of them finished.
Do you happen to have any examples of particularly effective cover letters you would like to share?
Would it make you feel better to know that you are correct? Might as well tell ya, you're right on all counts. Here's the problem, we are still required to somehow survive.
How do we survive?
1. We adapt.
2. We learn new skills.
3. We abandone fields on the decline.
4. We recognize that education is simply a credential, not a ticket into the real world.
5. We recognize that personal relationships are critically important and mean the difference between job and no job.
6. We accept that work is work. It may not be fun, but it feeds us.
I'm hard core unemployable. I'm an engineer whose been out of work for 2 years. In 6 months I'll have another degree in something OTHER than engineering. I will then take a job at a lot less than I use to make and I will be HAPPY because I have a job and don't have to think about being unemployed.
The problem is simple. Work involving thinking can be done somewhere else for less. However, there are many jobs that cannot be done elsewhere for less.
Auto repair, nursing, personal services, construction, and all sorts of jobs that you may not want -- but they are out there and there is demand.
Walk into almost any car dealership with a CA smog license and you can almost guarantee yourself a job.
Look in the paper, some hospitals are paying bonuses for RNs.
Life is a whole bunch of variables and we all must adapt. Isn't that what you really learned in EE anyways, how to adapt to change and manage extreme workloads?
The answer is ME. I drive anticipating that everyone around me is a moron. I'm usually right. I drive with the speed of traffic, if its getting too tight, I slow down. If I really don't like the aggressive nature of the people on the road, I'll take an off ramp, wait 5 minutes, go.
This is a stupid band-aid law. It doesn't change the fact that there are too many bad drivers out there who shouldn't be on the road. Giving them distractions just exacerbates the fact that they shouldn't be driving.
I multitask well. I am very comfortable operating a car, changing the radio station, adjusting my GPS, and taking a phone call all in the span of 2 minutes while driving. Not everyone should do this, in fact most people should not do this. But if you are HIGHLY aware of your surroundings and aware that you are being distracted so you need to concentrate extra hard on other drivers and your car -- you can do it. I do it.
.. "Don't Play GTA3 and Drive!"
In 10 years, I haven't caused a single accident or been given a citation. In that time, I've had 5+ incidents where people have backed into me, rear ended me, and scraped my car as part of "normal" driving. These drivers had no distractions, except for being lousy drivers.
This idea that people can't decide for themselves how much sensory loading they can handle is absurd. You gave me a license to drive, let me decide how much technology I can manage at once. If I'm concerned about my ability to interface with it while driving, I don't use it or I pull over.
I can see the marketing campaign
Here's the problem. A computer is a multifunction device. I can use it to display a map.. I can also use it to play Doom. If my passenger is playing Doom in the passenger seat, I'm guilty. I don't even have to be watching it.
Now, I'm not stupid enough to drive and play PS2 at the same time, but it bothers me that the government is making this judgement call for me. You're letting me pilot a 3000 lb missile, but won't let me decide whats a distraction.
My government & common sense. Not a good mix.
I've noticed something. I have a Hotmail account I use for people I don't want to have my real e-mail address. It use to get bombarded with SPAM. It was like bob50303, so I got nailed by every single dictionary attack. Then, Microsoft implemented something -- spam dropped off. And now its GONE. I get something like 1 or 2 spam messages a week. Inbox is spotless.
I think the time is getting close to where spam won't pay anymore, the filters are obviously getting better and if SMTP gets revamped or replaced by something with any sort of authentication -- Spam's done.. Stick a fork in it.
80k a year is barely enough to sustain a 2 bedroom apartment and life expenses in San Jose.
Tonight, I'm gonna party like its December 31, 2006.
No wait.. NTSC isn't going away.. Or is it.. Yeah it is..
Just a friendly message from: ATSC -- Trying to eliminate NTSC broadcasting since 1996
My first suggestion would be to decide whether you prefer a laptop or desktop. It is your choice. If I were working for extended periods of time, I'd prefer a real desktop.
Power: An inverter off a battery is a good choice for periodic usage, but regular usage will require a generator. Since you won't want to use the generator all the time, keep a battery, and inverter around for when its not convenient to run the generator.. The EU3000 will keep your desktop running all the time on less than 4 gallons of gas.
Solar power doesn't make sense. You'll be waiting days for it to charge your batteries. Or if you have enough panels, it will just burn a hole in your pocket.
The Generator: They've improved dramatically. The newwest inverter based models are very quiet. See Honda's EU3000
If you've sworn off a generator, and they work great for running small coffee makers and Direct TV receivers, then consider a laptop, extra battery, and if necessary inverter + battery combination and just live with the results.
1. Steel is used for framing only. I'd challenge your assertion that you'd need some inordinate amount more insulation.. 2. You can easily let a regular electrical contractor do the wiring, the framing members are designed to pass the wire through pre-stamped holes. Most steel framing systems are just about big erector sets. Look at Excalibur Steel as an example. It's a big, customizable, kit.
As much as I love technology, I'd rather fix cars and let my engineering degree go to waste than tolerate the people who would dare post these jobs.
$10/hr to change oil
OR
$10/hr to put up with people on a help desk line
Tough choice? Nahh, coming to grips with the job market reality was much harder.
I just got XM Satellite Radio. It's great, has genre specific channels so that I'm never blasted with music I dislike. I guess there are enough 1980s fans to warrant a niche chanel like "80s on XM 8". XM limits commercials to 6 minutes an hour and some channels have none.
XM has made radio fun again. It has eliminated DJs who talk too much, too many commercials, and "Hits of the 70,80,90, and Today" where the station attempts to be the "universal" choice and just becomes "universally" annoying.
Nothing wrong with radio, just make sure you have the right radio..