If you know xbox games (halo and mirror's edge, specifically), the renders look like The Flood from Halo took over the city in Mirror's Edge. There are alien looking structure Creepy... -Taylor
...how can the armor know the ground terrain that the wearer has to physically negotiate? Say the person is standing in two feet of snow, or in sand in the desert, perhaps the person is in two feet of water, or they are walking down stairs? The armor requires the user to be an acrobat from what I can tell. And no matter what, unless the armor can fully mobilize the wearer and move them automatically, this system still leaves room for grave human error, meaning it's hardly reliable.
I would rather fall down a flight of stairs than get hit by a bullet.
So my advice to the married chumps out there is to keep a separate bank account for discretionary purchases which your wives have neither control of nor access to. Life without self-respect (and gadgets) is not worth living.
Or... marry someone who isn't a total shite and respects your interests. -Taylor
Amazing. This is what it takes to solve many Microsoft-related problems...
Well, not really. I've never actually had to do anything that complicated, it was just an example of things i wish they would automate, not me trying to say windows sucks. Turns out that the issue I had with that KB article was solved by rebooting (it has to do with windows giving out larger than 16 bit handles to 16 bit programs), which most users would try anyway first, and there was also a "Method 2" to the KB article (not sure why it wasn't method 1...) that was simpler:
Method 2
1. Click Start, click Run, type C:\windows\repair, and then click OK.
2. Right-click the Autoexec.nt file, and then click Copy.
3. Click Start, click Run, type %windir%\system32, and then click OK.
4. In the System32 folder, press Ctrl + V to paste the Autoexec.nt file in this folder.
My point was just that i wish that KB things could be more automated, it wasn't supposed to be an example of how terrible windows is or isn't/ And for the record, having just started with ubuntu after the 8.10 release, I've had to mess with it in strange ways in the last 2 months probably more than i've ever had to mess with Windows in strange ways. -Taylor
Well, With WUBI, I hear it's a pretty nice install and they can still dual boot, so if it just installed itself that way and set it as the default, people could at least see it, and then if they paid attention at boot they could pick windows instead. Heh.
Does it resize partitions? Most Windows boxes I've seen have one big partition cover the whole drive. Does it copy the home directory over to the new system? How about multiple users? And other files? How much space does it claim? What if the home directory is larger?
We need some serious thinking to make this work.
(Side note: Firefox thinks "resize" is a typo.)
Wubi doesn't need it's own partition, and it doesn't change the bootloader. It runs from one folder in the windows partition. It may only support one user, nor sure about that, but aside from that I've heard its basically identical to a clean install. It can be installed in one click too, so it would be great for this kind of thing (although i don't actually suggest we try that, it would make people think linux was just a virus or something).
But yeah, wubi is neat, I haven't tried it, but the site here explains more: http://wubi-installer.org/ -Taylor
This seems like a great thing to try to hack. 5 bucks to the first one who gets the "Fix It" button to download and fire up an Ubuntu installer.
Sounds good for irony, but realistically, it would suck. Imagine a metric shitload of fresh Ubuntu users searching for drive C:.
However, it raises an interesting question: do we have good utilities to make migration easier?
Well, With WUBI, I hear it's a pretty nice install and they can still dual boot, so if it just installed itself that way and set it as the default, people could at least see it, and then if they paid attention at boot they could pick windows instead. Heh. -Taylor
I've always thought it was strange how KB articles can get to have some really complicated actions, yet they can't just give you a script to do what they're telling you to do. That would be really helpful.
Here's an example of something i saw the other day:
1. Insert the CD into the CD drive or DVD drive.
2. Click Start, and then click Run.
3. In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.
4. At the command prompt, type the following commands, pressing ENTER after each command:
expand CD-ROM Drive Letter:\i386\config.nt_ c:\windows\system32\config.nt
expand CD-ROM Drive Letter:\i386\autoexec.nt_ c:\windows\system32\autoexec.nt
expand CD-ROM Drive Letter:\i386\command.co_ c:\windows\system32\command.com
exit
5. Start or install the program. If the issue is resolved, do not complete the remaining steps. If the issue is not resolved, go to the next step.
6. Note: The Command.com file is not edited or created in the following process. Because of this, you may have to expand it from your Windows XP CD-ROM.
Start Notepad.
7. In Notepad, type the following entries:
8. On the File menu, click Save As.
9. In the File Name box, type Config.nt, and then click Save. Close the Config.nt file.
10. On the File menu, click New.
11. In the new blank document, type the following entries:
@echo off
lh %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\mscdexnt.exe
lh %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\redir
lh %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\dosx
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 P330 T3
12. On the File menu, click Save As.
13. In the File Name box, type Autoexec.nt, and then click Save. Close the Autoexec.nt file.
14. Start Windows Explorer. Locate the Config.nt file, right-click the Config.nt file, and then click Copy.
15. Right-click the %SYSTEMROOT%\System32 folder, and then click Paste.
16. Locate the Autoexec.nt file, right-click the Autoexec.nt file, and then click Copy.
17. Right-click the %SYSTEMROOT%\System32 folder, and then click Paste.
18. Locate the Command.com file, right-click the expanded Command.com file, and then click Copy.
19. Right-click the %SYSTEMROOT%\System32 folder, and then click Paste. Restart your computer.
If the issue continues to occur, copy the Autoexec.nt and Config.nt files from the Repair folder in Windows to the System folder. To do so, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, click Run, type c:\windows\repair, and then click OK.
2. Right-click Autoexec.nt, and then click Copy.
3. Click Start, click Run, type c:\windows\system32, and then click OK.
4. Right-click anywhere in that folder, and then click Paste.
5. Right-click the Autoexec.nt file that you just copied, and then click Properties.
6. Click to select Read-Only, and then click OK.
7. Repeat steps 1 through 6 to copy the Config.nt file.
Note You must enable Read-Only permissions or the files will be removed after you restart Windows.
They can't just give me a script to run? It's simple for me to do all that, but time consuming and annoying. -Taylor
The kind that is completely impractical and stupid. I notice they didn't include any actual pictures of said device, or, more importantly, what a printout from said device looks like. I'll eat my hat if the lines are even and the color stays worth a damn and if the thing doesn't constantly jam up.
Well, it's a design contest, so naturally there isn't an actual product yet, as that's not the goal of the contest, and going that far may not have been timely to get into the contest. I think the idea in general is quite sound. Most things i print out are worthless to me in a day's time, so if the ink barely keeps, that's fine with me. I can keep a regular printer for other stuff.
And yeah, operating it by hand might not be the best idea, but it's just a concept after all. The important part of the idea is using coffee grounds as ink. -Taylor
...They have to break into a few elite markets before their career can even begin.
And with the markets dwindling in number...
But don't you get it? That's why things will change. If you need to get into three "professional" magazines, and eventually all of them go away, they will stop making that a requirement, they'll come up with something else. Like everything else, the market will react. Someone needs to make a web site professional enough that these organizations actually respect it.
Or, say screw that, and stop worrying about being published. Make a popular site for your writings that is ad and/or subsription supported, and make enough income that way to support your writing. That's tough to do, but it's possible. For those not able to make their own site, hopefully someone else will do something like that as a service to writers. I imagine a DIGG of sci/fi writing would be kinda cool.
The market will adapt though, is my point. And that's not me missing anything, i mean the ENTIRE market for writing, not just the writing part. The unions, the insurance, everything that is part of that market will adapt. -Taylor
From the summary: "This is a real problem, since short fiction is generally where new writers cut their teeth..."
A real problem my ass... I'm sure new writers can find a place on the internet all the same. In fact, anyone who really thinks it's a problem should go start a site right now. With the right business model, you could provide the same service to new writers and readers alike. There are all kinds of ways this could be done where writers even get paid.
There is no problem, chill out. Print media is dead, the internet is the new library... or something. Either way, calling this a problem is like when the RIAA thought the internet was a problem for music... but it was really the answer to better accessibility. -Taylor
Whether it's "surprising" is subjective. But since "new versions" normally cost $$$ while service packs do not, this move would make me angry if I were a Vista user. They sell me Vista, then finally get it working 2 years later but change the name so I have to pay again!?
Yeah, I have vista ultimate. It was an upgrade version and it STILL cost me like $300. If I don't get a copy of Windows 7 for mad cheap, I'm gonna be pretty upset.
I've tried to keep everything clean, but my vista install is so damn slow now that i recently decided "screw it, I'm trying XP again" and put XP on a new partition. Best part is that someone threw away an old PC at my apartment that had an XP license sticker on it, so i took it upstairs and used that license number on some random copy of XP that I had and it worked! It even activates.
This wasn't my original point, but I did notice something funny: you can find better operating systems than vista lying around a dumpster! Hah.
But no, I don't hate vista, but I'm frustrated at how slow my install has become, even after I've tried to clean up as much as possible. I even disabled Aero even though that should be a video card thing!
Anyway, I don't even care too much how much windows 7 costs because vista taught me not to upgrade immediately anymore. I'm gonna wait till it's all sorted out. -Taylor
Stanford and CMU have good programs in general, there must be some good summer programs. Plus, both have a presence in Silicon Valley (Stanford is just there, CMU has a campus at Moffett Field), so you can find a good job afterwards. You seem really talented, so you should be able to get into those places if you know how to talk to people (find a professor who wants you to attend, and the application process will be MUCH easier). -Taylor
> You don't say, "Oh well, we don't know for sure that anything bad will happen, so we'll just assume that it won't." That is voodoo science.
I say that to myself every time I put on my coat. I know I am lying to myself - with our limited understanding of the universe putting on clothes may very well trigger an unforseen event that destroys the solar system - but the snow outside has convinced me to sacrifice a little intellectual integrity in exchange for being able to wear my coat. Don't worry, I'm not taking too many risks: I'm not wearing anything underneath.
You're right, people have been building $13 Billion particle accelerators for thousands of years, and just like putting on a jacket, nothing has happened yet! I don't know why the swiss are so worried! -Taylor
Have you heard their ads? They sound like a scam just from that. Or at the very least, they use the annoying advertising tactic of making other options sound way worse than they are, like an infomercial. I hate that company just from their ads, I'm not surprised they really are shady. -Taylor
In my situation it helped, was my point. Having an official police record of what happened is ALWAYS helpful, unless you were the one breaking the law.;) -Tay;pr
Because the police and prosecutor are so likely to file and pursue a theft and vandalism charge for a $2 notebook. That'll fly like a lead balloon.
It doesn't matter, you ALWAYS file a police report, it takes an officer about two minutes to take your information and put it into writing, and then you have an official dated record of your claims.
I've suffered from three hit and runs while my car was parked, and filing the police report helped me get reimbursed for the damages on two occasions.
Erm... I call it an iTouch. It's a good name (if it wasn't already in use I'm sure apple would have used it). I and my friends have no use for the services of the company called iTouch, so we aren't going to get confused for any reason. I know iTouch is technically incorrect, but contrary to the AC that posted before me in response to this, I'm not a "moron", i just like the name iTouch better, and everyone still knows what I'm talking about. -Taylor
This is only going to become more pertinent of an issue. We might as well figure it out now. If we don't, we'll just have to figure out a system next time, as in four or eight years this will only be more common.
It's not like a system couldn't be devised that would work, they just need to look at the specific roadblocks and figure something out.
As McCain said, we should get together the smartest people in the country to solve this problem. He's a smart guy coming up with cutting edge ideas like that.;) -Taylor
It's perfectly reasonable for/.'ers to have expected this to go away with the announcement of the rest of the DRM going away. Things have changed significantly since any previous discussion about this to justify another one.
Yeah, but the story should say something along the lines of "files STILL contain info", to indicate that we already knew this, and the story is that it hasn't changed. -Taylor
Well, I'm not really against the situation, but still, i would say it is kind of hidden. At the very least, they don't make any effort to tell you, aside from maybe burying it in some EULA.
I mean, good call on finding that, but i feel like they should be more explicit. -Taylor
Slashdot Mirror
If you know xbox games (halo and mirror's edge, specifically), the renders look like The Flood from Halo took over the city in Mirror's Edge. There are alien looking structure Creepy...
-Taylor
...how can the armor know the ground terrain that the wearer has to physically negotiate? Say the person is standing in two feet of snow, or in sand in the desert, perhaps the person is in two feet of water, or they are walking down stairs? The armor requires the user to be an acrobat from what I can tell. And no matter what, unless the armor can fully mobilize the wearer and move them automatically, this system still leaves room for grave human error, meaning it's hardly reliable.
I would rather fall down a flight of stairs than get hit by a bullet.
Just sayin.
-Taylor
So my advice to the married chumps out there is to keep a separate bank account for discretionary purchases which your wives have neither control of nor access to. Life without self-respect (and gadgets) is not worth living.
Or... marry someone who isn't a total shite and respects your interests.
-Taylor
Why are they using 8.04? Shouldn't it be 8.10?
-Taylor
Amazing. This is what it takes to solve many Microsoft-related problems...
Well, not really. I've never actually had to do anything that complicated, it was just an example of things i wish they would automate, not me trying to say windows sucks. Turns out that the issue I had with that KB article was solved by rebooting (it has to do with windows giving out larger than 16 bit handles to 16 bit programs), which most users would try anyway first, and there was also a "Method 2" to the KB article (not sure why it wasn't method 1...) that was simpler:
Method 2
1. Click Start, click Run, type C:\windows\repair, and then click OK.
2. Right-click the Autoexec.nt file, and then click Copy.
3. Click Start, click Run, type %windir%\system32, and then click OK.
4. In the System32 folder, press Ctrl + V to paste the Autoexec.nt file in this folder.
My point was just that i wish that KB things could be more automated, it wasn't supposed to be an example of how terrible windows is or isn't/ And for the record, having just started with ubuntu after the 8.10 release, I've had to mess with it in strange ways in the last 2 months probably more than i've ever had to mess with Windows in strange ways.
-Taylor
Well, With WUBI, I hear it's a pretty nice install and they can still dual boot, so if it just installed itself that way and set it as the default, people could at least see it, and then if they paid attention at boot they could pick windows instead. Heh.
Does it resize partitions? Most Windows boxes I've seen have one big partition cover the whole drive. Does it copy the home directory over to the new system? How about multiple users? And other files? How much space does it claim? What if the home directory is larger?
We need some serious thinking to make this work.
(Side note: Firefox thinks "resize" is a typo.)
Wubi doesn't need it's own partition, and it doesn't change the bootloader. It runs from one folder in the windows partition. It may only support one user, nor sure about that, but aside from that I've heard its basically identical to a clean install. It can be installed in one click too, so it would be great for this kind of thing (although i don't actually suggest we try that, it would make people think linux was just a virus or something).
But yeah, wubi is neat, I haven't tried it, but the site here explains more: http://wubi-installer.org/
-Taylor
Troll the patent trolls
So we shitpost in all of their threads?
You can't, I just patented Trolling. I'll license it to you though, for a small fee...
-Taylor
This seems like a great thing to try to hack. 5 bucks to the first one who gets the "Fix It" button to download and fire up an Ubuntu installer.
Sounds good for irony, but realistically, it would suck. Imagine a metric shitload of fresh Ubuntu users searching for drive C:.
However, it raises an interesting question: do we have good utilities to make migration easier?
Well, With WUBI, I hear it's a pretty nice install and they can still dual boot, so if it just installed itself that way and set it as the default, people could at least see it, and then if they paid attention at boot they could pick windows instead. Heh.
-Taylor
I've always thought it was strange how KB articles can get to have some really complicated actions, yet they can't just give you a script to do what they're telling you to do. That would be really helpful.
Here's an example of something i saw the other day:
1. Insert the CD into the CD drive or DVD drive.
2. Click Start, and then click Run.
3. In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.
4. At the command prompt, type the following commands, pressing ENTER after each command:
expand CD-ROM Drive Letter:\i386\config.nt_ c:\windows\system32\config.nt
expand CD-ROM Drive Letter:\i386\autoexec.nt_ c:\windows\system32\autoexec.nt
expand CD-ROM Drive Letter:\i386\command.co_ c:\windows\system32\command.com
exit
5. Start or install the program. If the issue is resolved, do not complete the remaining steps. If the issue is not resolved, go to the next step.
6. Note: The Command.com file is not edited or created in the following process. Because of this, you may have to expand it from your Windows XP CD-ROM.
Start Notepad.
7. In Notepad, type the following entries:
dos=high, umb
device=%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\himem.sys
files=40
8. On the File menu, click Save As.
9. In the File Name box, type Config.nt, and then click Save. Close the Config.nt file.
10. On the File menu, click New.
11. In the new blank document, type the following entries:
@echo off
lh %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\mscdexnt.exe
lh %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\redir
lh %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\dosx
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 P330 T3
12. On the File menu, click Save As.
13. In the File Name box, type Autoexec.nt, and then click Save. Close the Autoexec.nt file.
14. Start Windows Explorer. Locate the Config.nt file, right-click the Config.nt file, and then click Copy.
15. Right-click the %SYSTEMROOT%\System32 folder, and then click Paste.
16. Locate the Autoexec.nt file, right-click the Autoexec.nt file, and then click Copy.
17. Right-click the %SYSTEMROOT%\System32 folder, and then click Paste.
18. Locate the Command.com file, right-click the expanded Command.com file, and then click Copy.
19. Right-click the %SYSTEMROOT%\System32 folder, and then click Paste. Restart your computer.
If the issue continues to occur, copy the Autoexec.nt and Config.nt files from the Repair folder in Windows to the System folder. To do so, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, click Run, type c:\windows\repair, and then click OK.
2. Right-click Autoexec.nt, and then click Copy.
3. Click Start, click Run, type c:\windows\system32, and then click OK.
4. Right-click anywhere in that folder, and then click Paste.
5. Right-click the Autoexec.nt file that you just copied, and then click Properties.
6. Click to select Read-Only, and then click OK.
7. Repeat steps 1 through 6 to copy the Config.nt file.
Note You must enable Read-Only permissions or the files will be removed after you restart Windows.
They can't just give me a script to run? It's simple for me to do all that, but time consuming and annoying.
-Taylor
The kind that is completely impractical and stupid. I notice they didn't include any actual pictures of said device, or, more importantly, what a printout from said device looks like. I'll eat my hat if the lines are even and the color stays worth a damn and if the thing doesn't constantly jam up.
Well, it's a design contest, so naturally there isn't an actual product yet, as that's not the goal of the contest, and going that far may not have been timely to get into the contest. I think the idea in general is quite sound. Most things i print out are worthless to me in a day's time, so if the ink barely keeps, that's fine with me. I can keep a regular printer for other stuff.
And yeah, operating it by hand might not be the best idea, but it's just a concept after all. The important part of the idea is using coffee grounds as ink.
-Taylor
... but who's gonna drive their car around down there to get the StreetView(tm) pictures?
The whole "TM" thing is really lame...
-Taylor
...They have to break into a few elite markets before their career can even begin.
And with the markets dwindling in number...
But don't you get it? That's why things will change. If you need to get into three "professional" magazines, and eventually all of them go away, they will stop making that a requirement, they'll come up with something else. Like everything else, the market will react. Someone needs to make a web site professional enough that these organizations actually respect it.
Or, say screw that, and stop worrying about being published. Make a popular site for your writings that is ad and/or subsription supported, and make enough income that way to support your writing. That's tough to do, but it's possible. For those not able to make their own site, hopefully someone else will do something like that as a service to writers. I imagine a DIGG of sci/fi writing would be kinda cool.
The market will adapt though, is my point. And that's not me missing anything, i mean the ENTIRE market for writing, not just the writing part. The unions, the insurance, everything that is part of that market will adapt.
-Taylor
From the summary:
"This is a real problem, since short fiction is generally where new writers cut their teeth..."
A real problem my ass... I'm sure new writers can find a place on the internet all the same. In fact, anyone who really thinks it's a problem should go start a site right now. With the right business model, you could provide the same service to new writers and readers alike. There are all kinds of ways this could be done where writers even get paid.
There is no problem, chill out. Print media is dead, the internet is the new library... or something. Either way, calling this a problem is like when the RIAA thought the internet was a problem for music... but it was really the answer to better accessibility.
-Taylor
Whether it's "surprising" is subjective. But since "new versions" normally cost $$$ while service packs do not, this move would make me angry if I were a Vista user. They sell me Vista, then finally get it working 2 years later but change the name so I have to pay again!?
Yeah, I have vista ultimate. It was an upgrade version and it STILL cost me like $300. If I don't get a copy of Windows 7 for mad cheap, I'm gonna be pretty upset.
I've tried to keep everything clean, but my vista install is so damn slow now that i recently decided "screw it, I'm trying XP again" and put XP on a new partition. Best part is that someone threw away an old PC at my apartment that had an XP license sticker on it, so i took it upstairs and used that license number on some random copy of XP that I had and it worked! It even activates.
This wasn't my original point, but I did notice something funny: you can find better operating systems than vista lying around a dumpster! Hah.
But no, I don't hate vista, but I'm frustrated at how slow my install has become, even after I've tried to clean up as much as possible. I even disabled Aero even though that should be a video card thing!
Anyway, I don't even care too much how much windows 7 costs because vista taught me not to upgrade immediately anymore. I'm gonna wait till it's all sorted out.
-Taylor
How about spending $70 on a fleshlight?
But you don't need to, they're having a 15% off sale right now!
Not that, um, i would know....
-Taylor
Stanford and CMU have good programs in general, there must be some good summer programs. Plus, both have a presence in Silicon Valley (Stanford is just there, CMU has a campus at Moffett Field), so you can find a good job afterwards. You seem really talented, so you should be able to get into those places if you know how to talk to people (find a professor who wants you to attend, and the application process will be MUCH easier).
-Taylor
> You don't say, "Oh well, we don't know for sure that anything bad will happen, so we'll just assume that it won't." That is voodoo science.
I say that to myself every time I put on my coat. I know I am lying to myself - with our limited understanding of the universe putting on clothes may very well trigger an unforseen event that destroys the solar system - but the snow outside has convinced me to sacrifice a little intellectual integrity in exchange for being able to wear my coat. Don't worry, I'm not taking too many risks: I'm not wearing anything underneath.
You're right, people have been building $13 Billion particle accelerators for thousands of years, and just like putting on a jacket, nothing has happened yet! I don't know why the swiss are so worried!
-Taylor
Or maybe you're just posting a negative review because you work for the competition? :-)
Haha, crap! Yes, you figured me out! I work for the "Build your own Damn Ubuntu RAID server, damnit!" company!
-Taylor
Have you heard their ads? They sound like a scam just from that. Or at the very least, they use the annoying advertising tactic of making other options sound way worse than they are, like an infomercial. I hate that company just from their ads, I'm not surprised they really are shady.
-Taylor
You have insurance on your $2 notebooks?
In my situation it helped, was my point. Having an official police record of what happened is ALWAYS helpful, unless you were the one breaking the law. ;)
-Tay;pr
Because the police and prosecutor are so likely to file and pursue a theft and vandalism charge for a $2 notebook. That'll fly like a lead balloon.
It doesn't matter, you ALWAYS file a police report, it takes an officer about two minutes to take your information and put it into writing, and then you have an official dated record of your claims.
I've suffered from three hit and runs while my car was parked, and filing the police report helped me get reimbursed for the damages on two occasions.
It is easy, do it.
-Taylor
Erm... I call it an iTouch. It's a good name (if it wasn't already in use I'm sure apple would have used it). I and my friends have no use for the services of the company called iTouch, so we aren't going to get confused for any reason. I know iTouch is technically incorrect, but contrary to the AC that posted before me in response to this, I'm not a "moron", i just like the name iTouch better, and everyone still knows what I'm talking about.
-Taylor
This is only going to become more pertinent of an issue. We might as well figure it out now. If we don't, we'll just have to figure out a system next time, as in four or eight years this will only be more common.
It's not like a system couldn't be devised that would work, they just need to look at the specific roadblocks and figure something out.
As McCain said, we should get together the smartest people in the country to solve this problem. He's a smart guy coming up with cutting edge ideas like that. ;)
-Taylor
It's perfectly reasonable for /.'ers to have expected this to go away with the announcement of the rest of the DRM going away. Things have changed significantly since any previous discussion about this to justify another one.
Yeah, but the story should say something along the lines of "files STILL contain info", to indicate that we already knew this, and the story is that it hasn't changed.
-Taylor
Well, I'm not really against the situation, but still, i would say it is kind of hidden. At the very least, they don't make any effort to tell you, aside from maybe burying it in some EULA.
I mean, good call on finding that, but i feel like they should be more explicit.
-Taylor