Don't worrry, you're not allowed to joke about explosives or express any interest in them. "Homeland Security" now has you on the watch and no-fly lists. Don't you feel safer now?
That the job time differs by a factor of 3.5 does not mean that data transfer speeds aren't improved tenfold. There are other factors involved, you know. It'd have been a cleaner comparison if they had transferred a single 250GB file from one HDD to another HDD, then a copy of that same file from one SSD to another SSD.
All the same, once capacities reach 750gb or better and the price point is below $200 or so, I'll be buying them. Hell, I'd probably consider buying a 256GB drive just to improve boot times. (when Linux decides it's time to fsck boot times are slow)
Question: That they could transfer 10 25 GB files to the SSD leads me to think it's 256 gigabytes rather than gibibytes? Are these SSDs rated using actual gigabytes, or gibibytes with the gigabyte label? I think SSD technology is a great breaking point where manufacturers could/should agree to abandon the misleading gibibyte ratings.
On an unrelated note: Maybe a spyware-infested Windows box will boot in under two minutes now;)
While it's good that they're getting lead out of toys, etc. what about computers, televisions, and other devices/appliances which are generally not regarded as disposable? Is this new solder going to be more reliable than tin, which is notorious for whisker and dendrite formation, which wreaks havoc with reliability?
Given that you're on/. I'd assume that you know what tin whiskers and dendrites are, but in case you're not here is a refresher:
You can see where this is a problem. And, although it's been discovered that matte tin surfaces and good quality control can reduce the likelihood of whisker formation, what about repairs and installation/reinstallation of components on a mainboard? Replacing integral components (capacitors, sockets, etc.) require high heat, which is sufficient to change the crystalline structure and introduce new stress points for whiskers to "grow," and flexing of the main board from installation of peripherals, connecting devices to sockets, and simple heat/cold cycling will be enough to introduce stress points even in properly-formed, properly-plated components, creating points where whisker formation is more likely.
Yes, protect the environment, but since more and more electronics are being recycled rather than being dumped in landfills, isn't lead in electronics a non-issue anyhow? I mean, in most localities you're not supposed to chuck monitors and devices containing printed circuit boards in the trash.
Uh, sorry, the problem isn't the GUI. The problem is the extremely painful installation and configuration process.
Until there are easier methods to get tuners configured, finding the right firmware files (oh, sure, go grab the OEM Windows installer, extract a binary blob, place it somewhere under/usr/local, edit/etc/config/foo$, run insmod, watch it fail, retry with a different driver version, etc.), and then configure the dbms by hand, etc. it won't gain much acceptance. Add in major lag between remote clicks and seeing the response on screen (rendering cable guides somewhere painful and useless because the Myth display lags behind somewhere between 500ms and 750ms on a PVR-150 card) and you've got a recipe for failure.
I have a lot of patience in dealing with hardware configuration, but Myth is just too painful to spend any time on.
Improve the installation/configuration process. Include a proper compatibility list - and keep it updated.
Also where are component or HDMI input options? HDCP/DRM be damned, we need a high-def PVR option. Screw Tivo or cableco DVRs where the recordings are tied to that EXACT box. If the box dies, so does access to recordings on an external HDD.
That's not to say the new GUI isn't nice, nor to underplay the importance of GUI design. It's just that the GUI is not Myth's problem in gaining mass acceptance.
An amusing aside... After I left the group, they reviewed most of our pages and made suggestions on how to rework them (mostly the content which is in Marketing's domain) but they started trying to tell IT how the pages should be coded, going so far as to say that well-formed HTML is bad.
That's bizarre. Clients often ask about SEO stuff and we refuse to get into the black hat stuff. We tell them it's all about clean HTML, clean design and content, content, content. If they want lots of traffic they should put up a blog, post interesting videos on youtube, and offer other free informational services -- and/or buy adwords.
Link farms and doorway pages not only alienate prospects, but can get you punted from search engines.
I don't think anyone can honestly make a living from legitimate SEO. You can improve your existing services by incorporating SEO strategies into your web design and development practices, but if you're doing your job right to begin with then organic SEO follows naturally.
It's not burn-in; it is image persistance and the display is not permanently damaged. How to fix it? Play a high-contrast full motion video for a few hours, or better yet, an animated image which turns all red pixels on then off (red then black), blue on then off (blue then black), then white (all pixels on) then black (all pixels off). Let each image display for at least a few seconds per.
My first iPAQ (a Pocket PC) exhibited this from the start menu, and running a slide show resolved the issue.
It's not burn-in. Burn-in is an actual evaporation (well, sublimation really) and/or burning of phosphors and cannot be corrected. Burn in "correction" on a plasma screen actually wears out the screen because those utilities are designed to burn in the rest of the screen to make the whole display more consistent.
"Hopefully, the patent office rejects this patent, because I somehow doubt that Halliburton is trying to get the patent as a way to block others from patent trolling."
It's in the USPTO's best interest to grant this patent because their revenue is largely driven by trolls patenting prior art and mechanisms/methods which are obvious to those skilled in the trade/art/science.
Take DAC (digital analog converters) for example: radio was there, then someone came along and said "Zomg! I'm gonna patent using a DAC to send voice over the radio waves using digital" and "ZOMG! I'm gonna use a DAC to send ethernet over the radio!" and so forth. The DAC is a physical implementation and ought to have been given a patent, but the uses for which DACs are implemented are obvious to anyone skilled in the trade and ought to not be granted patents.
But, if the USPTO rejects such patents, where is their job security? Or, if their jobs would still be secure, why, not rubber stamping a patent would require actual WORK. They can't have that now, can they? Just rubber stamp the patent application and let the courts sort it out, letting the little guys go bankrupt in the process.
Try installing Ubuntu or OpenSuSE sometime. I'll admit the Windows Vista installer is pretty good, but if and ONLY if your system has one hard drive installed. If you have multiple hard drives it'll barf until you disconnect the others. The problem is it only wants to see one possible install target on one interface. I've seen this on multiple systems and the first time I ran into it I thought I did something wrong until I queried google and found many other folks had run into the same issue.
Nothing particularly unusual. Ran into this on the Asus P5Q3 Deluxe WiFi (ICH10 and Silicon Image), P5B Deluxe WiFi (ICH8R and Marvell), and the Foxconn 945P7AA-8EKRS2 (ICH7R and ITE).
Ubuntu, Centos, OpenSuSE, Win2k3, and heck, even Windows XP doesn't have this problem of choking when multiple mass storage devices are installed on multiple interfaces. Only Vista.
I was expecting the article to not include a photo, which is so typical of stories covering notable events, where the author will go to great lengths in describing what makes the image great and then neglect to include a copy. It's almost like a strip tease, I guess.
But in this case, it's different. He discusses the high resolution and why it's so important to the field of astronomy, and an image is even included. However, it's a dinky low-resolution image one could have captured with a CCTV camera. Come on, you can do better than that. Couldn't you include at least a 100% crop inset if you won't fork up the full resolution image? Show us a small section of the photo at 100% resolution so we the reader can get an idea of what is visible in the photo. If I want to see a view like the one provided I'd grab a child's telescope from Toys R Us.
No, Snapgear is the best router you can get for under $500.00 - it is multihoming, supports ipsec, pptp. and a slew of other features, has an EXCELLENT NAT interface, and uptime is measured in months, not days. On top of that, like dd-wrt, snapgear runs Linux and is of course OSS. Oh, also, unlike dd-wrt, the GUI isn't asstastic -- and pptp actually works.
The WRT54GL is the best router you can get for under $180.00.
The problem with the law is that if something has dual purpose, or can be modified to be dual purpose, then it cannot be exported even to some countries with normalized relations. Devices as innocuous as Tivo PVRs could be considered dual purpose, and definitely security DVRs which feature P/T/Z camera support are restricted, because it is conceivable that the P/T/Z support could be modified to control a weapons system rather than just a camera (oh sure, it'd be directing a camera mount, since the mount would be a missile;)). So, security equipment, even just monitoring equipment, is often considered munitions based on dual-purpose assessments.
And cellphones? Walkie-talkies? They can be used to remotely detonate explosives. Ergo, could be construed to be munitions.
Flashlights? 6-cell Mag-lites are nothing more than power packs for detonators. They could be construed by some fascists to be dual-purpose if they want to be sticklers, and classify mag-lite flash lights as munitions.
"NASA has unveiled a new prototype lunar rover, called the Chariot, a production version of which is hoped to be operational on the lunar surface by 2019. "
Why does it take so long for we Americans to get anything accomplished nowadays? Didn't the Apollo missions take only seven years to get from conception to landing, including development of command modules, lunar rovers, lunar modules, and a fairly reliable multi-stage rocket engine system? Why is a new lunar rover going to take 11 years to go into production when technology is so much more advanced now and innovation is at a faster pace than ever?
Oh come on who are you kidding? It is easy to remove:
1. Log in as administrator 2. Open command prompt 3. cd \Program Files\ and rmdir/s Symantec 4. CD Common Files and rmdir/s Symantec 5. Open the registry and go to the SERVICES key and delete all the Symantec services 6. Open the registry and go to the RUN key and delete all the Symantec entries 7. Reboot 8. Install and run ccleaner, run the registry tool and let it clean up the now-broken library registrations 9. Use the uninstaller tool in ccleaner to remove now-broken uninstallers (that don't really clean up Symantec's poop trail ANYHOW) 10. Now try removing the directories again (steps 3 & 4) to remove the remaining Symantec poop
There, now Symantec PoopWare is now completely uninstalled. Now, wasn't that easy?
Would you consider using ZoneAlarm for your software firewall (or get a "hasbro" level appliance for home if you don't have one and don't bother with a software firewall if the PC isn't mobile), and then a F/OSS AntiVirus package that does AntiVirus and ONLY antivirus? If so, then check out Moon Secure AntiVirus. I run it on my Vista installation (which exists for gaming).
On Linux, I don't worry about it. In fact, I submit bug reports to malware authors complaining that their crapware doesn't run on WINE and I feel left out. OH WOE IS ME!
Hey I know that, you know that, but your government either likes to pretend or really believes that there are going to be more terrorist attacks.
Hence the term "security theater" -- and the current threat level which is "lavender" I think, well, it's probably "yellow" and by "yellow" I mean cowardly.
Seriously though, it's all show -- hand waving, conjuring up imagined threats to justify their living off of the taxpayer teat.
I have CD-Rs dating back to 1994 or 1995 that are just fine -- and they're off-brand media too. "Good" media was $12 to $20 per CD then, and "cheap" media was $7.00 per CD.
I have DVD-Rs dating back to 2002 or 2003 -- again, just fine.
While it's good to be cautious, some in here are crying wolf regarding optical media.
It'd be pretty funny if pirates would hijack a shipment of Microsoft software. THAT is software piracy!
Having said that, instead of pirating software, why not choose F/OSS?
*Linux for OS needs *Openoffice.org for office suite needs *kontact or thunderbird for email and calendaring needs *scalix or zimbra for groupware needs *gimp for image editing needs (granted it's still not Photoshop, but it's getting closer all the time!) *inkscape for illustration needs (again, it's a given that it isn't Illustrator, but if you don't need layer effects, Inkscape just might work for you!) * kopete or pidgin/gaim for instant messaging * Scribus for desktop publishing
You know, I installed Vista on my home machine for gaming I have to admit that I actually like Vista. Of course, I had to disable the UAC crap and install andlinux to make it tolerable, but with konqueror for tabbed file management and useful things like fish://, konsole and bash for shell access, and so forth, Vista is downright usable.
I click "yes" to install the malware, and then submit bug reports to the malware author when it doesn't run under WINE because I feel left out. Linux users are always left out in the cold.;)
Slashdot Mirror
Don't worrry, you're not allowed to joke about explosives or express any interest in them. "Homeland Security" now has you on the watch and no-fly lists. Don't you feel safer now?
That the job time differs by a factor of 3.5 does not mean that data transfer speeds aren't improved tenfold. There are other factors involved, you know. It'd have been a cleaner comparison if they had transferred a single 250GB file from one HDD to another HDD, then a copy of that same file from one SSD to another SSD.
All the same, once capacities reach 750gb or better and the price point is below $200 or so, I'll be buying them. Hell, I'd probably consider buying a 256GB drive just to improve boot times. (when Linux decides it's time to fsck boot times are slow)
Question: That they could transfer 10 25 GB files to the SSD leads me to think it's 256 gigabytes rather than gibibytes? Are these SSDs rated using actual gigabytes, or gibibytes with the gigabyte label? I think SSD technology is a great breaking point where manufacturers could/should agree to abandon the misleading gibibyte ratings.
On an unrelated note: Maybe a spyware-infested Windows box will boot in under two minutes now ;)
The DMCA provides exclusions for interoperability as well. :)
While it's good that they're getting lead out of toys, etc. what about computers, televisions, and other devices/appliances which are generally not regarded as disposable? Is this new solder going to be more reliable than tin, which is notorious for whisker and dendrite formation, which wreaks havoc with reliability?
Given that you're on /. I'd assume that you know what tin whiskers and dendrites are, but in case you're not here is a refresher:
http://www.siliconfareast.com/whiskers.htm
You can see where this is a problem. And, although it's been discovered that matte tin surfaces and good quality control can reduce the likelihood of whisker formation, what about repairs and installation/reinstallation of components on a mainboard? Replacing integral components (capacitors, sockets, etc.) require high heat, which is sufficient to change the crystalline structure and introduce new stress points for whiskers to "grow," and flexing of the main board from installation of peripherals, connecting devices to sockets, and simple heat/cold cycling will be enough to introduce stress points even in properly-formed, properly-plated components, creating points where whisker formation is more likely.
Yes, protect the environment, but since more and more electronics are being recycled rather than being dumped in landfills, isn't lead in electronics a non-issue anyhow? I mean, in most localities you're not supposed to chuck monitors and devices containing printed circuit boards in the trash.
Uh, sorry, the problem isn't the GUI. The problem is the extremely painful installation and configuration process.
Until there are easier methods to get tuners configured, finding the right firmware files (oh, sure, go grab the OEM Windows installer, extract a binary blob, place it somewhere under /usr/local, edit /etc/config/foo$, run insmod, watch it fail, retry with a different driver version, etc.), and then configure the dbms by hand, etc. it won't gain much acceptance. Add in major lag between remote clicks and seeing the response on screen (rendering cable guides somewhere painful and useless because the Myth display lags behind somewhere between 500ms and 750ms on a PVR-150 card) and you've got a recipe for failure.
I have a lot of patience in dealing with hardware configuration, but Myth is just too painful to spend any time on.
Improve the installation/configuration process. Include a proper compatibility list - and keep it updated.
Also where are component or HDMI input options? HDCP/DRM be damned, we need a high-def PVR option. Screw Tivo or cableco DVRs where the recordings are tied to that EXACT box. If the box dies, so does access to recordings on an external HDD.
That's not to say the new GUI isn't nice, nor to underplay the importance of GUI design. It's just that the GUI is not Myth's problem in gaining mass acceptance.
That's bizarre. Clients often ask about SEO stuff and we refuse to get into the black hat stuff. We tell them it's all about clean HTML, clean design and content, content, content. If they want lots of traffic they should put up a blog, post interesting videos on youtube, and offer other free informational services -- and/or buy adwords.
Link farms and doorway pages not only alienate prospects, but can get you punted from search engines.
I don't think anyone can honestly make a living from legitimate SEO. You can improve your existing services by incorporating SEO strategies into your web design and development practices, but if you're doing your job right to begin with then organic SEO follows naturally.
It's not burn-in; it is image persistance and the display is not permanently damaged. How to fix it? Play a high-contrast full motion video for a few hours, or better yet, an animated image which turns all red pixels on then off (red then black), blue on then off (blue then black), then white (all pixels on) then black (all pixels off). Let each image display for at least a few seconds per.
My first iPAQ (a Pocket PC) exhibited this from the start menu, and running a slide show resolved the issue.
It's not burn-in. Burn-in is an actual evaporation (well, sublimation really) and/or burning of phosphors and cannot be corrected. Burn in "correction" on a plasma screen actually wears out the screen because those utilities are designed to burn in the rest of the screen to make the whole display more consistent.
"Hopefully, the patent office rejects this patent, because I somehow doubt that Halliburton is trying to get the patent as a way to block others from patent trolling."
It's in the USPTO's best interest to grant this patent because their revenue is largely driven by trolls patenting prior art and mechanisms/methods which are obvious to those skilled in the trade/art/science.
Take DAC (digital analog converters) for example: radio was there, then someone came along and said "Zomg! I'm gonna patent using a DAC to send voice over the radio waves using digital" and "ZOMG! I'm gonna use a DAC to send ethernet over the radio!" and so forth. The DAC is a physical implementation and ought to have been given a patent, but the uses for which DACs are implemented are obvious to anyone skilled in the trade and ought to not be granted patents.
But, if the USPTO rejects such patents, where is their job security? Or, if their jobs would still be secure, why, not rubber stamping a patent would require actual WORK. They can't have that now, can they? Just rubber stamp the patent application and let the courts sort it out, letting the little guys go bankrupt in the process.
Try installing Ubuntu or OpenSuSE sometime. I'll admit the Windows Vista installer is pretty good, but if and ONLY if your system has one hard drive installed. If you have multiple hard drives it'll barf until you disconnect the others. The problem is it only wants to see one possible install target on one interface. I've seen this on multiple systems and the first time I ran into it I thought I did something wrong until I queried google and found many other folks had run into the same issue.
Nothing particularly unusual. Ran into this on the Asus P5Q3 Deluxe WiFi (ICH10 and Silicon Image), P5B Deluxe WiFi (ICH8R and Marvell), and the Foxconn 945P7AA-8EKRS2 (ICH7R and ITE).
Ubuntu, Centos, OpenSuSE, Win2k3, and heck, even Windows XP doesn't have this problem of choking when multiple mass storage devices are installed on multiple interfaces. Only Vista.
Oh cool I didn't see those links
I was expecting the article to not include a photo, which is so typical of stories covering notable events, where the author will go to great lengths in describing what makes the image great and then neglect to include a copy. It's almost like a strip tease, I guess.
But in this case, it's different. He discusses the high resolution and why it's so important to the field of astronomy, and an image is even included. However, it's a dinky low-resolution image one could have captured with a CCTV camera. Come on, you can do better than that. Couldn't you include at least a 100% crop inset if you won't fork up the full resolution image? Show us a small section of the photo at 100% resolution so we the reader can get an idea of what is visible in the photo. If I want to see a view like the one provided I'd grab a child's telescope from Toys R Us.
War is Peace.
Freedom is Slavery.
Ignorance is Strength.
I love Big Brother.
We're at war with Eastasia, you know. They raised the weekly chocolate ration to 15 grams this week. That's a doubleplusgood thing you know.
Excuse me comrade, I need to go: it's time for the two-minute hate!
No, Snapgear is the best router you can get for under $500.00 - it is multihoming, supports ipsec, pptp. and a slew of other features, has an EXCELLENT NAT interface, and uptime is measured in months, not days. On top of that, like dd-wrt, snapgear runs Linux and is of course OSS. Oh, also, unlike dd-wrt, the GUI isn't asstastic -- and pptp actually works.
The WRT54GL is the best router you can get for under $180.00.
The problem with the law is that if something has dual purpose, or can be modified to be dual purpose, then it cannot be exported even to some countries with normalized relations. Devices as innocuous as Tivo PVRs could be considered dual purpose, and definitely security DVRs which feature P/T/Z camera support are restricted, because it is conceivable that the P/T/Z support could be modified to control a weapons system rather than just a camera (oh sure, it'd be directing a camera mount, since the mount would be a missile ;)). So, security equipment, even just monitoring equipment, is often considered munitions based on dual-purpose assessments.
And cellphones? Walkie-talkies? They can be used to remotely detonate explosives. Ergo, could be construed to be munitions.
Flashlights? 6-cell Mag-lites are nothing more than power packs for detonators. They could be construed by some fascists to be dual-purpose if they want to be sticklers, and classify mag-lite flash lights as munitions.
Haeckel's embryo pictures
Why does it take so long for we Americans to get anything accomplished nowadays? Didn't the Apollo missions take only seven years to get from conception to landing, including development of command modules, lunar rovers, lunar modules, and a fairly reliable multi-stage rocket engine system? Why is a new lunar rover going to take 11 years to go into production when technology is so much more advanced now and innovation is at a faster pace than ever?
Oh come on who are you kidding? It is easy to remove:
1. Log in as administrator /s Symantec /s Symantec
2. Open command prompt
3. cd \Program Files\ and rmdir
4. CD Common Files and rmdir
5. Open the registry and go to the SERVICES key and delete all the Symantec services
6. Open the registry and go to the RUN key and delete all the Symantec entries
7. Reboot
8. Install and run ccleaner, run the registry tool and let it clean up the now-broken library registrations
9. Use the uninstaller tool in ccleaner to remove now-broken uninstallers (that don't really clean up Symantec's poop trail ANYHOW)
10. Now try removing the directories again (steps 3 & 4) to remove the remaining Symantec poop
There, now Symantec PoopWare is now completely uninstalled. Now, wasn't that easy?
Would you consider using ZoneAlarm for your software firewall (or get a "hasbro" level appliance for home if you don't have one and don't bother with a software firewall if the PC isn't mobile), and then a F/OSS AntiVirus package that does AntiVirus and ONLY antivirus? If so, then check out Moon Secure AntiVirus. I run it on my Vista installation (which exists for gaming).
On Linux, I don't worry about it. In fact, I submit bug reports to malware authors complaining that their crapware doesn't run on WINE and I feel left out. OH WOE IS ME!
. . . so says the anonymous coward troll. :)
Hence the term "security theater" -- and the current threat level which is "lavender" I think, well, it's probably "yellow" and by "yellow" I mean cowardly.
Seriously though, it's all show -- hand waving, conjuring up imagined threats to justify their living off of the taxpayer teat.
I have CD-Rs dating back to 1994 or 1995 that are just fine -- and they're off-brand media too. "Good" media was $12 to $20 per CD then, and "cheap" media was $7.00 per CD.
I have DVD-Rs dating back to 2002 or 2003 -- again, just fine.
While it's good to be cautious, some in here are crying wolf regarding optical media.
Then you mention something about fava beans.
It'd be pretty funny if pirates would hijack a shipment of Microsoft software. THAT is software piracy!
Having said that, instead of pirating software, why not choose F/OSS?
*Linux for OS needs
*Openoffice.org for office suite needs
*kontact or thunderbird for email and calendaring needs
*scalix or zimbra for groupware needs
*gimp for image editing needs (granted it's still not Photoshop, but it's getting closer all the time!)
*inkscape for illustration needs (again, it's a given that it isn't Illustrator, but if you don't need layer effects, Inkscape just might work for you!)
* kopete or pidgin/gaim for instant messaging
* Scribus for desktop publishing
You know, I installed Vista on my home machine for gaming I have to admit that I actually like Vista. Of course, I had to disable the UAC crap and install andlinux to make it tolerable, but with konqueror for tabbed file management and useful things like fish://, konsole and bash for shell access, and so forth, Vista is downright usable.
I click "yes" to install the malware, and then submit bug reports to the malware author when it doesn't run under WINE because I feel left out. Linux users are always left out in the cold. ;)