The manufactuer had a booth at the Seattle Bike Show last weekend with a demo "box" - basically a video screen showing the road and a helmet with the HUD system attached. The result is very neat: the thing is so close to your vision that your eyes pick up the information and display it "over" your normal field of vision. Within a few seconds, I wasn't looking "at" the information but at the "road" of the video. I could still see what gear, rpm and speed was being projected without refocusing. That being said, I didn't care for it: It is an external mounted display that I know I would lose or damage. If helmets came with the system built in, I would consider it, but...
I'll second the recommendations for the folding keyboard for the Visor (and Palm). I use it on my Visor Deluxe to take notes in class daily, and it's been an amazing success.
What I want (now! not x-mas) is the Citizen pn60i printer. IR port, as small as a (Maglight) Flashlight, so I can print my essays in class. Add in Palm Print to communicate with it and you're set (in theory, I guess I'll find out soon).
Or put another way, you get 36 months of dialin, 56k ISP service for $10.84 a month and pay full price for the computer. In fact, one might say that you get it even cheaper since your $400 is earning interest in the bank instead of being spent up front on the system. For the right type of user, it is an acceptable deal - provided that their needs don't change over the next three years. IMHO, the ISPs are betting that they will.
The split keyboards are especially difficult to use if you've taught yourself how to type in a different manner than a keyboarding class would. I type one key to the "right" compared to the "taught" way, and constantly end up stabbing the middle of the keyboard when I go to hit the Y, 6, or 7 keys.
What bothers me is that all the quality keyboard makers are jumping on the bandwagon, making it harder for me to find a good keyboard that isn't split (or isn't equipped with "Internet" buttons, or is wireless, or extra crap I don't want).
My current one is a $14 "Nimble" generic special, and my next one will probably be the cheapest LogiTech.
Billsf: Try a trackball, especially one like my LogiTechTrackman Marble, which is thumb operated. It takes a little getting used to, but you leave your arm in a single position and move only your thumb - so your back doesn't get sore from moving your entire arm around. I can "mouse" for hours without getting sore, and my "workspace" is a folding party table and a somewhat adjustable cheap office chair. With a normal mouse, I'm feeling the telltale signs of strain within 45 minutes. It really works!
I'll support what the others have posted: UofPhoenix has a poor reputation within the educational community. If you're looking to get a degree while you're working (so you can be promoted to management within your current company) it might be a godsend. For someone looking to get into education, or for another field where degrees are scrutinized, you'd probably be better off without it.
UofPhoenix also has brick&mortar sites (25 or so) - they are opening a campus in my area (Seattle). One interesting thing about their program is that you take a single class at a time, which lasts for about 5-8 weeks, 1 or 2 long sessions (3 hours) a week. Excellent approach IMHO, especially for working students. One could take classes during the slow times and take off when you're busy. I wish my school worked like this.
Right on! Kudos to Hemos for mentioning the site, and AC, you're exactly on the money.
Emil: Until you really look at it, you don't realize how the game market is slanted towards the 12-24 year old male. Most games are focused to their interests and taste.. because they appear to be the only market. This is marketing exec think, but it creates a nasty catch-22: the games are catered to males in a particular age bracket, and *surprise*, they sell well to that group and not so hot to the rest of the consumer base. So, the suits say "Girls don't play games, here are the sales to prove it" and shake their heads as they authorize Tomb Raider 38DD.
What I think WomenGamers.com is going to be is an example to those decision makers that female gamers do exist - so the next time someone tries to sell a game that isn't the standard teenage boy fare. They know the male gamers are out there, but need to be shown that the female ones are.
IMHO, more girls would play games if there were more games that interested them. I'm not talking about Cosmo makeup software, but a little bit of consideration would make things go a long way: female characters that are more than decoration, more realistic body depictions (how would you like to play a game in which every male character had a 14 inch penis?), hell.. maybe some beefcake to go along with the bimbettes would improve things.
As for other sexual preferences being welcome in the regular gaming scene, I say bullshit - many online gamers, protected by their anonymity, don't hesitate to harass and insult gays or other groups in the gaming minority. It's acceptable behavior on the Quake servers to say "Man, that was gay!" or "You cock-sucking camper!" - not a friendly environment to anyone but the straight teenage male, IMHO.
A lot of gaming is still the clubhouse with a "Girls/Fags/Dykes Keep Out" sign on the door. That's fine and dandy - it's their money/server/bandwidth - but whining about the outcasts setting up their own club is uncalled for.
[No connection to the web site, just found it. Blah, blah, blah. Don't get insulted if you're the exception to the above stereotypes, I'm talking about the majorty.]
Anyone who cares what kind of processor is inside this kind of box is shopping for the wrong computer.
This type of "Internet Appliance" is tailored to be sold at the consumer electronics level to people who "Want to get on that Internet thingy" for the least amount of cash. Think WebTV.
We should be happy that the box will be at least somewhat useful when they're thrown away after the new models (with new colors) come out. If they have the foresight to include an ethernet port on the thing, that is..
Agreed! The article is vague on how the attachment gets executed. Info, anyone?
While a lot of/. rips AOL, they're the #1 ISP, and the place for computer illiterate people. I can't stand using it, but I realize that AOL has it's place online. How many of your relatives or friends of your family use AOL? I know mine do, and to be honest it's easier to support than the typical Win9x dialup/IE/Outlook combo.
Slashdot Mirror
The manufactuer had a booth at the Seattle Bike Show last weekend with a demo "box" - basically a video screen showing the road and a helmet with the HUD system attached. The result is very neat: the thing is so close to your vision that your eyes pick up the information and display it "over" your normal field of vision. Within a few seconds, I wasn't looking "at" the information but at the "road" of the video. I could still see what gear, rpm and speed was being projected without refocusing. That being said, I didn't care for it: It is an external mounted display that I know I would lose or damage. If helmets came with the system built in, I would consider it, but...
- Erston
I'll second the recommendations for the folding keyboard for the Visor (and Palm). I use it on my Visor Deluxe to take notes in class daily, and it's been an amazing success.
What I want (now! not x-mas) is the Citizen pn60i printer. IR port, as small as a (Maglight) Flashlight, so I can print my essays in class. Add in Palm Print to communicate with it and you're set (in theory, I guess I'll find out soon).
Or put another way, you get 36 months of dialin, 56k ISP service for $10.84 a month and pay full price for the computer. In fact, one might say that you get it even cheaper since your $400 is earning interest in the bank instead of being spent up front on the system. For the right type of user, it is an acceptable deal - provided that their needs don't change over the next three years. IMHO, the ISPs are betting that they will.
> Now, When a kid thinks X he'll think Microsoft
> first, and then have to be explained exactly
> what X really is.
Exactly - and it is a marketing coup by MS. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if Exchange got renamed eXchange RSN.
The split keyboards are especially difficult to use if you've taught yourself how to type in a different manner than a keyboarding class would. I type one key to the "right" compared to the "taught" way, and constantly end up stabbing the middle of the keyboard when I go to hit the Y, 6, or 7 keys.
What bothers me is that all the quality keyboard makers are jumping on the bandwagon, making it harder for me to find a good keyboard that isn't split (or isn't equipped with "Internet" buttons, or is wireless, or extra crap I don't want).
My current one is a $14 "Nimble" generic special, and my next one will probably be the cheapest LogiTech.
Billsf: Try a trackball, especially one like my LogiTech Trackman Marble, which is thumb operated. It takes a little getting used to, but you leave your arm in a single position and move only your thumb - so your back doesn't get sore from moving your entire arm around. I can "mouse" for hours without getting sore, and my "workspace" is a folding party table and a somewhat adjustable cheap office chair. With a normal mouse, I'm feeling the telltale signs of strain within 45 minutes. It really works!
HTH,
I'll support what the others have posted: UofPhoenix has a poor reputation within the educational community. If you're looking to get a degree while you're working (so you can be promoted to management within your current company) it might be a godsend. For someone looking to get into education, or for another field where degrees are scrutinized, you'd probably be better off without it.
UofPhoenix also has brick&mortar sites (25 or so) - they are opening a campus in my area (Seattle). One interesting thing about their program is that you take a single class at a time, which lasts for about 5-8 weeks, 1 or 2 long sessions (3 hours) a week. Excellent approach IMHO, especially for working students. One could take classes during the slow times and take off when you're busy. I wish my school worked like this.
If you look on the German copy of the page , you'll see it's spelled correctly.
>
> Linux ist eine registrierte Handelsmarke von Linus Torvalds.
>
Perhaps it was just an overzealous spellchecker and poor proofchecking before publishing the page.
Right on! Kudos to Hemos for mentioning the site, and AC, you're exactly on the money.
Emil: Until you really look at it, you don't realize how the game market is slanted towards the 12-24 year old male. Most games are focused to their interests and taste.. because they appear to be the only market. This is marketing exec think, but it creates a nasty catch-22: the games are catered to males in a particular age bracket, and *surprise*, they sell well to that group and not so hot to the rest of the consumer base. So, the suits say "Girls don't play games, here are the sales to prove it" and shake their heads as they authorize Tomb Raider 38DD.
What I think WomenGamers.com is going to be is an example to those decision makers that female gamers do exist - so the next time someone tries to sell a game that isn't the standard teenage boy fare. They know the male gamers are out there, but need to be shown that the female ones are.
IMHO, more girls would play games if there were more games that interested them. I'm not talking about Cosmo makeup software, but a little bit of consideration would make things go a long way: female characters that are more than decoration, more realistic body depictions (how would you like to play a game in which every male character had a 14 inch penis?), hell.. maybe some beefcake to go along with the bimbettes would improve things.
As for other sexual preferences being welcome in the regular gaming scene, I say bullshit - many online gamers, protected by their anonymity, don't hesitate to harass and insult gays or other groups in the gaming minority. It's acceptable behavior on the Quake servers to say "Man, that was gay!" or "You cock-sucking camper!" - not a friendly environment to anyone but the straight teenage male, IMHO.
A lot of gaming is still the clubhouse with a "Girls/Fags/Dykes Keep Out" sign on the door. That's fine and dandy - it's their money/server/bandwidth - but whining about the outcasts setting up their own club is uncalled for.
[No connection to the web site, just found it. Blah, blah, blah. Don't get insulted if you're the exception to the above stereotypes, I'm talking about the majorty.]
Anyone who cares what kind of processor is inside this kind of box is shopping for the wrong computer.
This type of "Internet Appliance" is tailored to be sold at the consumer electronics level to people who "Want to get on that Internet thingy" for the least amount of cash. Think WebTV.
We should be happy that the box will be at least somewhat useful when they're thrown away after the new models (with new colors) come out. If they have the foresight to include an ethernet port on the thing, that is..
Agreed! The article is vague on how the attachment gets executed. Info, anyone?
/. rips AOL, they're the #1 ISP, and the place for computer illiterate people. I can't stand using it, but I realize that AOL has it's place online. How many of your relatives or friends of your family use AOL? I know mine do, and to be honest it's easier to support than the typical Win9x dialup/IE/Outlook combo.
While a lot of
Makes the Borg-esque Icon a bit eerie, doesn't it?