Umm, you may not have to hunt around for this specific model -- my combo DVD-VRC player (a cheap-ass one I by Minntek or some similar name that got on sale at Fry's about 9 months ago for less than $40.00) already does this!!
When I first bought my player, I thought it had a manufacturing defect because when you pop movies into it, they just PLAY -- they don't go to the menu, previews, FBI warning, etc!! You can get to the menu, previews, etc. if you want to, but it is not FORCED on you.
I just got used to my "crappy" DVD player just doing this until I played some DVD's at my aunts house -- having to go through the FBI warning, previews, etc. DROVE ME NUTZ!! We should NOT have to put up with this crap!!
This cheap ass combo DVD player does not care if you output to another VCR to record, and there is NOTHING that you cannot skip/ffwd, etc!! I guess that sometimes it pays to buy the cheapest possible player instead of the expensive ones!
You remember LOG don't you -- it even had it's own theme song!
"What rolls down stairs alone or in pairs
rolls over your neighbor's dog?
What's great for a snack and fits on your back?
It's Log, Log, Log!
It's Log, Log, it's big, it's heavy, it's wood.
It's Log, Log, it's better than bad, it's good!
Everyone wants a log! You're gonna love it, Log!
Come on and get your log! Everyone needs a Log!"
Stick -- BAH! I would take LOG over Stick any day of the week!
"I seriously think the hardest part about finding a game that women would enjoy is just finding out what the women want to play."
Sadly, I think this is exactly the problem preventing game publishers from being more successful at tapping into the female gaming market. No-one really understands what women want in games, and I think this is largely because there are not many women involved in game creation. The reason that gaming is popular for guys is that the games are written by a bunch of guys who went and created what they wanted. We need more female game designers/coders in order to get more female-oriented games on the market.
And many women DO want a gaming experience that is VERY different from the gaming experience that most men want. My top games right now are F.E.A.R., Half-Life2, and Black & White 2. My wife's top games are Mahjongg (several variants), computer scrabble, and who wants to be a millionaire.
However, the usual attitude of most guys out there is the one espoused by the comment that followed yours... (Paraphrased here): make em a game where you can fly around and beat people up with purses while avoiding obstacles and assembling the ultimate cute outfit! With game suggestions like these, it is no wonder that women avoid gaming! I am insulted, and I am a guy!
"Newspapers are the most blatantly wasteful thing. It'd be justified if they weren't horribly inferior to electronic media in every single way - but they are."
Not necessarily true... At my house, the printed newspaper still has a couple of purposes: 1) Birdcage liners (we own 2 scarlet macaws, and 1 blue & gold macaw -- they take a LOT of paper), 2) firestarting material (we have a woodburning stove as our ONLY heat, by choice, and newspaper is essential for this -- it is also useful for lighting campfires, etc.), and 3) the funnies -- you still get more and better funnies from a good newspaper than you can online at sites such as www.comics.com
Those points aside, however, I do agree that print media is dying out -- and this is a good thing. I love the immediacy and interactivity of online electronic media. I can search for and find things of relevance to me, and not waste my time reading news that is already outdated by the time it arrives, or waiting through minutes of random local crap for the 1 or 2 items of significance (which you have to do with TV-news).
And I must admit that even though I DO read all of my news online, I still think print media is useful for SOME things... Books are still far better on paper than electronically, and some print magazines still do a decent job of providing what I want (although this is mainly because the magazines I read do not all provide thier content online -- if they did, I would likely get it there, and never buy another print-copy)!
Feh -- Listen to IGN tell it, and anyone going into college should go into game-design related courses of study (or preferrably major in game-design)... IGN seems to stand for (as I see it anyway) Ignorant Group of Nutbags!
I chose to major in software engineering (I looked at game related studies, and at pursuing a career designing games, but decided the money was elsewhere), and I have never looked back. I graduated in 2002 in Oregon (not the most opportune place for a CS major, but not horrible either) right after the.com bubble burst. During my senior year, the bunch of us graduates went from planning who we would work for, and how much $$ we would make, to scrambling to find any job, and watching many of our fellow graduates cancel plans and move home to live with parents!!! Those of us who picked software and/or business related courses of study did OK, but those (including my best friend) who went the games design patch were left out cold.
Today, a couple of years later, and I make over 60K per year (salaried at that PLUS any overtime is compensated at time and a half as well) as a DB administrator -- I have fun at work, I get to look on the internet as much as I want while I work, and get paid great for it. My friends who were looking to get into game design neglected many essential courses for use in business IT/CS work, and cannot find jobs that pay even half of what I make (still). 2 are trying to go the independent game design route while working at Frys as a cashier and a salesman respectively.
My younger brother is studying graphic arts at UAT in Arizona (you can see the ads in the back of PCGamer), and hopes to get into game design when he gets out. I wish him the best of luck, but my wife and I have already cleared out the spare room at our house for him, since when he graduates, I have a feeling he will be staying with us for a while!
I do not want to denegrate those who go into game design (I love the work that comes from it), but you are braver souls that I am! I chose the path where it looked like I should be able to get steady work, decent money, and do something I liked. I have not regretted it yet!
This is a VERY good point.... Affordable computer hardware was not forseen at all, while affordable space-age hardware (for interstellar flight, flying cars, etc.) was predicted almost universally.
It is only because computers are cheap-as-dirt today that we can have them literally everywhere. And until we get the hardware for spaceflight down to a cheap AND safe level such that even a hobbyist, or at least a non-billionare can fund thier own spaceflights, we will not see large-scale spaceflight of the kind we all love to see written about.
One other aspect that I have not seen mentioned yet is that space is to us like the ocean was to cultures before affordable sailing ships came into use. The only reason that colonization and exploration happened is that: #1 -- a few rich people could afford to buy sailing ships, and hire for exploration, #2 -- people were firmly convinced that there were fortunes to be made for those brave enough (or stupid enough) to try it, and #3 -- the conditions at home were horrible enough that some people were willing to risk thier lives trying exploration of a strange new place.
As a country, we are too well-fed, and too complacent to have many people willing to risk thier lives on space exploration. In the 1400's, it was common for whole ships, and even fleets to go down at sea, be we cannot stomache the loss of 7 astronauts without almost killing the whole space program.
We also have to little imagination for the uses of space resources, asteroid mining, etc. We have barely explored the potential for crystal growth in space, and other potential money-making enterprises, and until people see enough $$$$ to be made, we will not really be seeing large scale attemps at non-government space travel (tourism ventures do NOT count).
I would love to see our presence in space become ubiquitious, but for the time being, I do not see the conditions being right for it. The x-prize ventures, and tourism ventures will help, if only because they lay the groundwork in technology, but in my opinion, until the conditions for space colonization are right (horrible home conditions, money to be made out there, and cheaper space travel tech), I do not see it happening the way it has been envisioned.
But hey, it could suprise us... Again, I would point to the previous posters reference to the unexpected prevalence of computer systems today. If not for a few unexpected breakthroughs in the technology, we would not have this situation, and it is possible that we will see a similar type of breakthrough that will open the door to space travel for us. I just don't plan on holding my breath for it!
Slashdot Mirror
Umm, you may not have to hunt around for this specific model -- my combo DVD-VRC player (a cheap-ass one I by Minntek or some similar name that got on sale at Fry's about 9 months ago for less than $40.00) already does this!!
When I first bought my player, I thought it had a manufacturing defect because when you pop movies into it, they just PLAY -- they don't go to the menu, previews, FBI warning, etc!! You can get to the menu, previews, etc. if you want to, but it is not FORCED on you.
I just got used to my "crappy" DVD player just doing this until I played some DVD's at my aunts house -- having to go through the FBI warning, previews, etc. DROVE ME NUTZ!! We should NOT have to put up with this crap!!
This cheap ass combo DVD player does not care if you output to another VCR to record, and there is NOTHING that you cannot skip/ffwd, etc!! I guess that sometimes it pays to buy the cheapest possible player instead of the expensive ones!
Or better yet.... LOG!!!
You remember LOG don't you -- it even had it's own theme song!
"What rolls down stairs alone or in pairs
rolls over your neighbor's dog?
What's great for a snack and fits on your back?
It's Log, Log, Log!
It's Log, Log, it's big, it's heavy, it's wood.
It's Log, Log, it's better than bad, it's good!
Everyone wants a log! You're gonna love it, Log!
Come on and get your log! Everyone needs a Log!"
Stick -- BAH! I would take LOG over Stick any day of the week!
"I seriously think the hardest part about finding a game that women would enjoy is just finding out what the women want to play."
Sadly, I think this is exactly the problem preventing game publishers from being more successful at tapping into the female gaming market. No-one really understands what women want in games, and I think this is largely because there are not many women involved in game creation. The reason that gaming is popular for guys is that the games are written by a bunch of guys who went and created what they wanted. We need more female game designers/coders in order to get more female-oriented games on the market.
And many women DO want a gaming experience that is VERY different from the gaming experience that most men want. My top games right now are F.E.A.R., Half-Life2, and Black & White 2. My wife's top games are Mahjongg (several variants), computer scrabble, and who wants to be a millionaire. However, the usual attitude of most guys out there is the one espoused by the comment that followed yours... (Paraphrased here): make em a game where you can fly around and beat people up with purses while avoiding obstacles and assembling the ultimate cute outfit! With game suggestions like these, it is no wonder that women avoid gaming! I am insulted, and I am a guy!
"Newspapers are the most blatantly wasteful thing. It'd be justified if they weren't horribly inferior to electronic media in every single way - but they are."
Not necessarily true... At my house, the printed newspaper still has a couple of purposes: 1) Birdcage liners (we own 2 scarlet macaws, and 1 blue & gold macaw -- they take a LOT of paper), 2) firestarting material (we have a woodburning stove as our ONLY heat, by choice, and newspaper is essential for this -- it is also useful for lighting campfires, etc.), and 3) the funnies -- you still get more and better funnies from a good newspaper than you can online at sites such as www.comics.com
Those points aside, however, I do agree that print media is dying out -- and this is a good thing. I love the immediacy and interactivity of online electronic media. I can search for and find things of relevance to me, and not waste my time reading news that is already outdated by the time it arrives, or waiting through minutes of random local crap for the 1 or 2 items of significance (which you have to do with TV-news).
And I must admit that even though I DO read all of my news online, I still think print media is useful for SOME things... Books are still far better on paper than electronically, and some print magazines still do a decent job of providing what I want (although this is mainly because the magazines I read do not all provide thier content online -- if they did, I would likely get it there, and never buy another print-copy)!
Feh -- Listen to IGN tell it, and anyone going into college should go into game-design related courses of study (or preferrably major in game-design)... IGN seems to stand for (as I see it anyway) Ignorant Group of Nutbags! I chose to major in software engineering (I looked at game related studies, and at pursuing a career designing games, but decided the money was elsewhere), and I have never looked back. I graduated in 2002 in Oregon (not the most opportune place for a CS major, but not horrible either) right after the .com bubble burst. During my senior year, the bunch of us graduates went from planning who we would work for, and how much $$ we would make, to scrambling to find any job, and watching many of our fellow graduates cancel plans and move home to live with parents!!! Those of us who picked software and/or business related courses of study did OK, but those (including my best friend) who went the games design patch were left out cold.
Today, a couple of years later, and I make over 60K per year (salaried at that PLUS any overtime is compensated at time and a half as well) as a DB administrator -- I have fun at work, I get to look on the internet as much as I want while I work, and get paid great for it. My friends who were looking to get into game design neglected many essential courses for use in business IT/CS work, and cannot find jobs that pay even half of what I make (still). 2 are trying to go the independent game design route while working at Frys as a cashier and a salesman respectively.
My younger brother is studying graphic arts at UAT in Arizona (you can see the ads in the back of PCGamer), and hopes to get into game design when he gets out. I wish him the best of luck, but my wife and I have already cleared out the spare room at our house for him, since when he graduates, I have a feeling he will be staying with us for a while!
I do not want to denegrate those who go into game design (I love the work that comes from it), but you are braver souls that I am! I chose the path where it looked like I should be able to get steady work, decent money, and do something I liked. I have not regretted it yet!
This is a VERY good point.... Affordable computer hardware was not forseen at all, while affordable space-age hardware (for interstellar flight, flying cars, etc.) was predicted almost universally. It is only because computers are cheap-as-dirt today that we can have them literally everywhere. And until we get the hardware for spaceflight down to a cheap AND safe level such that even a hobbyist, or at least a non-billionare can fund thier own spaceflights, we will not see large-scale spaceflight of the kind we all love to see written about. One other aspect that I have not seen mentioned yet is that space is to us like the ocean was to cultures before affordable sailing ships came into use. The only reason that colonization and exploration happened is that: #1 -- a few rich people could afford to buy sailing ships, and hire for exploration, #2 -- people were firmly convinced that there were fortunes to be made for those brave enough (or stupid enough) to try it, and #3 -- the conditions at home were horrible enough that some people were willing to risk thier lives trying exploration of a strange new place. As a country, we are too well-fed, and too complacent to have many people willing to risk thier lives on space exploration. In the 1400's, it was common for whole ships, and even fleets to go down at sea, be we cannot stomache the loss of 7 astronauts without almost killing the whole space program. We also have to little imagination for the uses of space resources, asteroid mining, etc. We have barely explored the potential for crystal growth in space, and other potential money-making enterprises, and until people see enough $$$$ to be made, we will not really be seeing large scale attemps at non-government space travel (tourism ventures do NOT count). I would love to see our presence in space become ubiquitious, but for the time being, I do not see the conditions being right for it. The x-prize ventures, and tourism ventures will help, if only because they lay the groundwork in technology, but in my opinion, until the conditions for space colonization are right (horrible home conditions, money to be made out there, and cheaper space travel tech), I do not see it happening the way it has been envisioned. But hey, it could suprise us... Again, I would point to the previous posters reference to the unexpected prevalence of computer systems today. If not for a few unexpected breakthroughs in the technology, we would not have this situation, and it is possible that we will see a similar type of breakthrough that will open the door to space travel for us. I just don't plan on holding my breath for it!