"People don't seem to apply their own basic intelligence to computers"
That's because computers all have a Common Sense Exclusion Field generator. Anyone coming into that field turns into a dribbling idiot. However technical type people's brainwave patterns generat electromagnetic field around them that nullifies this field. It also knocks quirky hardware and software back into order, which is why it mysteriously starts working once you show up to fix the problem.
Given that the mice already had Earth build to their specifications, it seems logical that they would use the galaxy's most powerful computer to enhance themselves...
That is why we will never see the fabled car that drives itself to your destination. If you and I are in an accident, and both of us were letting the cars drive themselves, who is at fault? The manufacturer(s) of course. The liability of such systems is unbelievably high.
The way to get around this is simply to have a law saying that if you're using an automated vehicle, YOU are responsible for your car and yourself ONLY. If there's an accident caused by a fault in the system, each person involved should have insurance to cover themselves. The number of accidents should go down to a level that the insurance is far less than what we have to pay now. I'm assuming you're talking about the central computer messing up; if it was a car breaking because of a defect, I don't see how that would be different than it is now.
Most are under the impression that they shouldn't bother with anything other than Windows because there's no money in it. "95% of the market is Windows, so why bother with a poultry 5%" type attitude.
This seems to be the general gist of most of the comments here... But what if we took a different approach, and started with consoles? From what I understand, most consoles are sold at a loss, and the profit is made via the games. So:
1. Make console based on Linux
2. Make bootable Linux CD capable of running console's games on most hardware, so if people have windows, they can just pop the CD in.
3. Now people can either buy a console, use the bootable cd, or if they already have linux, just play the game.
4. PROFIT!!!
Now all of a sudden people don't have to jump in to buy a console if they want to play your console games, freeing up $200 to spend on the profitable games. Use USB memory devices instead of proprietary cards, and you can transfer saves between console and PC, too.
We do this too. We handle a lot of Dell End of Lease boxes, and the keyboards are usually pretty nasty when they come back... we just load them all into the breakroom dishwasher.:) They come out looking like new.
...that these devices will be uniquely identifiable? All they need for this to work is aggregate data, so they just have to call home and say "hey, my host car just engaged the ABS going 45mph, the road temp is 31 F, etc. I'm at x,y,z." No need to send a serial number.
If it didn't identify itself, reporting such things as speed would be a huge help, since the police could use the data to target enforcement where it's needed. (of course, in Dallas, that's pretty much everywhere, since if you're not going at least 10 over, even the police are passing you)
Heh, this reminds me of something we did in college... Some idiot with an over-sensitive car alarm (like it went off every time someone drove past) would ALWAYS park right out front of our dorm at about 6am, and we'd have to listen to the thing every 2 minutes for the next several hours. It was a really small car, though, so one day we got fed up, got a bunch of guys down there, picked up one end and swung it out into the street. Of course it was towed, and we finally had some peace. (he was too scared to park there again)
And learn to control your dreams on your own. I found this site the other day, and have been doing the first exercise for 3 days now. I've managed to have lucid dreams (or at least semi-lucid) twice already. (lucid meaning you realize that you're dreaming) Once you're in a lucid dream, it's sort of like the Matrix... you know anything is possible, and can do anything you want.
We also use Ghost Enterprise at a school where I administer their network. The 60 machines in the 2 computer labs are identical, as are all (widely separated) workstations that are used by the teachers. One feature that's a real lifesaver (since I do most of the heavy imaging work during the summers when no one is there) is that in conjunction with the Ghost Console Client, you're able to boot the machine via WOL, push an image or pull an image, then shut the machine down again. This is great when you don't have a key to 95% of the offices. The achilles heel is it's limitation of 15 characters for the NT or Active Directory domain when adding win2k boxen. There's an included utility that will change SIDs for you, but if your fully qualified AD name is over 15 characters, you have to MANUALLY add every single workstation to the domain. There's also support for pushing apps, but I haven't messed with that.
Microwave from satellites? Just wait until that satellite malfunctions and carves a 500-foot-wide trench through Manhattan. There is no "clean" solution here.
What do you mean? Microwave would be perfect. Your elecrolysis plant really just needs to be a big floating microwave reciever a few miles offshore with a pipeline back to land.
I'd have to say I agree completely with that analogy. Bicycle - small, clean, efficient, dependable Luxury Car - big, inefficient, expensive to maintain, with too many bells and whistles
I can't help but think, that, maybe, having someone monitor everyone's driving habits could have a good side. Just think... if all the morons are always having their liscenses suspended, imagine how much less traffic there'd be for the rest of us to deal with! In Dallas, anyway, about 90% of the drivers would have to ride DART, and I could get to work much faster.
The USPTO (or any patent office) are just a bunch of clerks when it comes to the crunch.
Well, the 'crunch' is really the whole problem IMO. If they had time to research them, I doubt we'd have such a problem. How about some sort of limit on number of patents filed per unit time? IIRC, the idea of patents was to protect small time inventors from the big evil guys. So the garage R&D dept probably won't even notice the limit, but the people who abuse the system by filing hundreds of patents for anything and everything are now forced to pick only the really important stuff.
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"People don't seem to apply their own basic intelligence to computers"
That's because computers all have a Common Sense Exclusion Field generator. Anyone coming into that field turns into a dribbling idiot. However technical type people's brainwave patterns generat electromagnetic field around them that nullifies this field. It also knocks quirky hardware and software back into order, which is why it mysteriously starts working once you show up to fix the problem.
"That'd mess up their plans to seem all cool by rushing out to the site of the can within 10-20 minutes with a TV crew, now woudln't it? :)"
Ha! I'd push the button in the middle of a flight to Hawaii!
Given that the mice already had Earth build to their specifications, it seems logical that they would use the galaxy's most powerful computer to enhance themselves...
The way to get around this is simply to have a law saying that if you're using an automated vehicle, YOU are responsible for your car and yourself ONLY. If there's an accident caused by a fault in the system, each person involved should have insurance to cover themselves. The number of accidents should go down to a level that the insurance is far less than what we have to pay now. I'm assuming you're talking about the central computer messing up; if it was a car breaking because of a defect, I don't see how that would be different than it is now.
is all the 'packets' they drop
1. Make console based on Linux
2. Make bootable Linux CD capable of running console's games on most hardware, so if people have windows, they can just pop the CD in.
3. Now people can either buy a console, use the bootable cd, or if they already have linux, just play the game.
4. PROFIT!!!
Now all of a sudden people don't have to jump in to buy a console if they want to play your console games, freeing up $200 to spend on the profitable games. Use USB memory devices instead of proprietary cards, and you can transfer saves between console and PC, too.
We do this too. We handle a lot of Dell End of Lease boxes, and the keyboards are usually pretty nasty when they come back... we just load them all into the breakroom dishwasher. :) They come out looking like new.
Given that you've got an extra 100lbs of ballast attached to your legs, I'd say probably yes. :)
...that these devices will be uniquely identifiable? All they need for this to work is aggregate data, so they just have to call home and say "hey, my host car just engaged the ABS going 45mph, the road temp is 31 F, etc. I'm at x,y,z." No need to send a serial number.
If it didn't identify itself, reporting such things as speed would be a huge help, since the police could use the data to target enforcement where it's needed. (of course, in Dallas, that's pretty much everywhere, since if you're not going at least 10 over, even the police are passing you)
"...at work with a boss that refuses to recognize my contributions..."
/. of course."
/.? =)
"..and at work, I love to spend my day reading
maybe because your "contribution" consists of reading
Given how many times I was messily eaten by a plain old wumpus back in the day, the idea of a megawumpus, let alone a gigawumpus is quite frightening.
Figures... I have mod points, but there's no "+1 Troll" option
Heh, this reminds me of something we did in college... Some idiot with an over-sensitive car alarm (like it went off every time someone drove past) would ALWAYS park right out front of our dorm at about 6am, and we'd have to listen to the thing every 2 minutes for the next several hours. It was a really small car, though, so one day we got fed up, got a bunch of guys down there, picked up one end and swung it out into the street. Of course it was towed, and we finally had some peace. (he was too scared to park there again)
And learn to control your dreams on your own. I found this site the other day, and have been doing the first exercise for 3 days now. I've managed to have lucid dreams (or at least semi-lucid) twice already. (lucid meaning you realize that you're dreaming) Once you're in a lucid dream, it's sort of like the Matrix... you know anything is possible, and can do anything you want.
How about Inverse Fusile Energy Extraction? :p Or Exothermic Matter Decomposition... or Half-Life Accellotron?
"If you ask many non-techs how they find information on the web, they don't say "I search for it" they say "I google it"."
Most of the non-tech people I see start up IE and type what they're looking for in the MSN search that's still hanging around as their homepage.
We also use Ghost Enterprise at a school where I administer their network. The 60 machines in the 2 computer labs are identical, as are all (widely separated) workstations that are used by the teachers. One feature that's a real lifesaver (since I do most of the heavy imaging work during the summers when no one is there) is that in conjunction with the Ghost Console Client, you're able to boot the machine via WOL, push an image or pull an image, then shut the machine down again. This is great when you don't have a key to 95% of the offices. The achilles heel is it's limitation of 15 characters for the NT or Active Directory domain when adding win2k boxen. There's an included utility that will change SIDs for you, but if your fully qualified AD name is over 15 characters, you have to MANUALLY add every single workstation to the domain. There's also support for pushing apps, but I haven't messed with that.
We're doomed.
What do you mean? Microwave would be perfect. Your elecrolysis plant really just needs to be a big floating microwave reciever a few miles offshore with a pipeline back to land.
I'd have to say I agree completely with that analogy.
Bicycle - small, clean, efficient, dependable
Luxury Car - big, inefficient, expensive to maintain, with too many bells and whistles
Seriously, I'd be more concerned about one of these malfunctioning in a civilian area.
I can't help but think, that, maybe, having someone monitor everyone's driving habits could have a good side. Just think... if all the morons are always having their liscenses suspended, imagine how much less traffic there'd be for the rest of us to deal with! In Dallas, anyway, about 90% of the drivers would have to ride DART, and I could get to work much faster.
I'm sure it's 'commercially produced' vegetable oil.
You can easily find prices for the components you want from tons of different places:
www.pricewatch.com