I've got a Pontiac G6. There's no way you could replace the stereo in that. First, it doesn't seem to be a unit that you can just slip out (at least that's how the front bezel appears, it's probably a self-contained unit behind that). But, most importantly, it's not just a stereo. It's also the interface to the car's computer which can adjust settings like automatic headlight activity, keyless entry and keyless start options and a hell of a lot more. Serves as the tripometer too. When I bought the car I initially had the intention of replacing the stereo until I discovered all that it did. It turns out to be a fantastic stereo anyway, so it wasn't a problem. Still, mp3 capabilities or at least an aux input would have been nice.
I worked with a guy from Nigeria. According to him there was no such thing as a driver's license. There, once you're tall enough to see over the dashboard and still reach the pedals with your foot you're old enough and qualified to drive. he was dumbstruck (and frustrated) when he moved to the US that he had to actually take classes and pass tests to be able to drive.
Re:That's some bookshop!
on
DIY Laptop
·
· Score: 1
All of them do, actually. It's usually found in sheets of about 8.5x11 inches or smaller and.1mm thick. I hear they carry a lot of it, often conveniently packaged, usually between pieces of stiff cardboard and bound together on one side.
The "unexpected" part is that it was supposed to be kept under wraps until it was ready. Were you expecting to hear about this site before the/. article? No? I wasn't expecting to hear about it either. So its leak was unexpected.
Were you amused by it being leaked? I was. I thought it was very amusing.
Have you considered using Nero? I don't know if you have all the stuff you'd need for this, but if you do it's fantastic.
Here's what I do:
1: Install the system however I want and with whatever software and options I want.
2: Remove the hard drive and place it into an external usb hard drive bay of another computer that has Nero on it.
3: Open Nero and run the hard drive backup utility. (You can run it on the computer you're trying to back up, but they don't guarantee that it'll work with an active filesystem.)
4: If you have a DVD burner you'll want to use that.
5: The CD's or DVD's will be bootable and will restore the original computer's hard drive perfectly. And don't mind the slightly-broken English in the restore program; Nero is German afterall.
I bought one a few years ago specifically without Windows installed. The drive came blank and they shipped a driver cd. Saved about $80 by taking the OS off. They also replaced the defective monitor that only had a single dead (bright green) pixel which was actually within manufacturer spec. It also happens to be a fantastic machine, in my opinion. Extremely reliable.
That's it. That's just freaking it. I've used Windows since I first got a computer in '95. I was a MS zealot for years. Not that I'm one of the uninformed; far from it. Hell, I'm starting my own computer repair business. I've never cared for Linux but you know what? Once XP ceases being useful to me I'm making the switch. God damn it just let me use my freaking computer!
I dunno. Maybe I'm splitting a very fine hair here, but I slightly disagree. OK, yes it was developed during WWII (my mistake for making it sound like I was arguing that point) and for the war effort, but was never really used during the war. In fact, that same article says that nobody could find a use for it for a while.
At least I expressed my opinion in a public forum using my actual login. Or are you the *real* Anonymous Coward?
Where did I say to ignore WWII? My family is actually of heavy German heritage yet I'm horribly appalled at what Hitler et. al. did. He had a couple of good ideas (autobahn, anyone?) but overall, he was the real asshat. I was merely pointing out the non sequitur Nazi reference.
Additionally, before labelling me a Nazi for being German (not that you have yet, but you've called me several other things without provocation so one can't be too careful) may I point out that my family was already in the U.S. for WWII and none sympathized with Hitler.
But how do you know? It seems to me that the cat exists simultaneously in that box and any other area which you cannot directly observe. Until you open the box, of course.
Tech: "I'll need the copier password."
Secretary: "Ok. It's 1 2 3 4 5."
T: "1 2 3 4 5?"
S: "Right. 1 2 3 4 5"
T: *shaking his head* "Amazing. That's what an idiot would have as the combination to his luggage." *Mutters 1 2 3 4 5 while typing it in and department head walks by.*
DH: "1 2 3 4 5? That's the combination to my luggage!"
Glue you say? For bills that stack, you say? In automated machines, you say? What could go wrong?
Seriously, though, you might be on the right track. You mentioned 'grit'. What about fine-grit sandpaper? As in, apply small strips (or squares, circles, dodecahedrons, whatever) to a part of the bill that will denote the denomination. Say, one strip for a 1, two for a 5, 3 for a 10, 4 for a 20, so on. Or at least a pattern.
I started to mention something in an earlier post that I didn't really explain well. Since the bills already have a small nylon strip (which does NOTHING to track the bill, take off the tinfoil hats. Seriously, I've seen the contract with the company that makes them, they're exactly what the government says they are. The little blue and red fibers, on the other hand... ahem...)
Anyway, the nylon strip... it seems that they could use small dots of nylon, thicker than that used for the strip, and embed that inside the paper in a Braille pattern. in this case the system relies on two real-world-proven technologies and simply combines them in a simple fashion (the nylon, proven to be durable in current bills and Braille, proven an adequate alternative to printed text).
It has. There's a problem though. The paper that's used for currency (OK, it's not really paper exactly...) won't hold the dots long enough. Just being put through a dollar slot in a vending machine could press the bumps right out. They could, however, embed something into the paper that would cause a raised bump. As for holes, sure, it's possible but would it be easily-readable by the blind and visually-impaired? I honestly don't know.
As for requiring banks to do anything with currency as far as modifying it, you're pressing pretty hard against certain laws against defacing currency. Yeah, if it's backed by a government program that could be circumvented. But then you have the problem of quality control. Essentially, the BEP would have almost none, if any at all. That's a Bad Thing. Currency in the U.S. is made to excruciating tollerences. That's why its production hasn't been outsourced to a company yet (making the components, i.e. paper, ink, etc. has).
Yes, I agree with you that it needs to be implemented. No argument there. The thing is that it can be done easily and within budget if it's done at the right time. Now is, unfortunately, not the right time. It's good that the judge wants this appealed. That will hopefully either, due to the speed of our judicial system delay the process until it can be done easily and within the normal cycle or bring to everyone's attention how hard it would be to implement it now and have an ordered delay.
Sorry about the lack of line breaks. Very. I was typing in a hurry, hit -enter- without thinking and didn't realize my mistake until after the post was submitted. That's what the preview button is for, right?
I have mod points but had to reply. *sigh*
IUTWBEP (I Used To Work for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing)
There are several reasons why the Treasury Department would resist this change:
1. There has just been a recent currency redesign. Each one usually takes ~10 years from start to finish.
2. The time it takes has little to do with "retooling" the machines. In fact, during the last changeover there was no gap in production. That is, the old 20's were printed right up until the time the new ones started. The reason? The new currency is printed on new machines.
3. Instead the time is taken by the actual design and preparation process. It takes years to actually get a design that everybody involved (more than you think) will accept. There are always minute details that get changed or massaged until all of the needs and wants are satisfied. Many special groups (in this case, for the blind) will be called in to consult. That frightens federal workers because a. most federal employees don't really care for contractors, despite what they tell you and b. it always takes longer when a consultant is involved, in the federal government or not.
4. The cost of changing the currency is astronomical. It's figured into the budget (my uncle is the chief of budget there... I didn't work for him though, no nepotism) over the course of that ~10 years. To mandate a change in the middle of a cycle will cause serious budget issues.
5. The vending machine industry will vehemently protest because every machine that accepts a bill will need to be changed. Sure, you could propose that we keep the $1 bill the same so that the vast majority of machines won't have to be updated and you're probably right. Unfortunately the vending machine companies will still protest.
6. Assuming this does get passed it will still take years to have it implemented, especially without specific instructions as to how to proceed.
7. If the project is rushed by court order or Treasury mandate the job will not be done well, or will blow the roof off of the budget. Oh yeah, by the way, BEP is NOT funded by Congress. The Federal Reserve buys the currency from them. Therefore, if the budget skyrockets Congress can't just step in and add more cash, unless there's... well an act of Congress. And quit it with the "they can just print more money" lines. Nobody who works for Treasury has ever though that was funny or clever.
8. If it's ordered to be done quickly and there is no budget increase it will be done poorly. Keep in mind that BEP employees, especially those working the presses are some of the finest in their field in the world. However, as anybody in IT will know, it doesn't matter how good you are at your job; if you're rushed and not properly-funded to meet the rush the job suffers.
That's what I came up with off the top of my head. There are probably more problems. Maybe this can be worked into the next redesign but that should be a few years underway already. It's hard to change gears in the middle of a long-term project.
Don't get me wrong though, I'm all for accessability. I think that it should be done, but now is not the time.
Actually, before flinging the trash into space they created a giant trash barge. It sailed around the world for years but no country would take it. Now they're hurling the garbage into space. It might come back, but there's no need to worry about that because it wouldn't happen for another thousand years or so...
Slashdot Mirror
So then, O Wise One, just who IS that on the crucifix?
I've got a Pontiac G6. There's no way you could replace the stereo in that. First, it doesn't seem to be a unit that you can just slip out (at least that's how the front bezel appears, it's probably a self-contained unit behind that). But, most importantly, it's not just a stereo. It's also the interface to the car's computer which can adjust settings like automatic headlight activity, keyless entry and keyless start options and a hell of a lot more. Serves as the tripometer too. When I bought the car I initially had the intention of replacing the stereo until I discovered all that it did. It turns out to be a fantastic stereo anyway, so it wasn't a problem. Still, mp3 capabilities or at least an aux input would have been nice.
I thought it was starting to feel chilly down here
I worked with a guy from Nigeria. According to him there was no such thing as a driver's license. There, once you're tall enough to see over the dashboard and still reach the pedals with your foot you're old enough and qualified to drive. he was dumbstruck (and frustrated) when he moved to the US that he had to actually take classes and pass tests to be able to drive.
"Resistance is futile"?
All of them do, actually. It's usually found in sheets of about 8.5x11 inches or smaller and .1mm thick. I hear they carry a lot of it, often conveniently packaged, usually between pieces of stiff cardboard and bound together on one side.
May I submit http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/irony
/. article? No? I wasn't expecting to hear about it either. So its leak was unexpected.
The "unexpected" part is that it was supposed to be kept under wraps until it was ready. Were you expecting to hear about this site before the
Were you amused by it being leaked? I was. I thought it was very amusing.
QED.
I love the irony... the existence of a site about leaks was... yes... leaked. Fantastic.
Have you considered using Nero? I don't know if you have all the stuff you'd need for this, but if you do it's fantastic.
Here's what I do:
1: Install the system however I want and with whatever software and options I want.
2: Remove the hard drive and place it into an external usb hard drive bay of another computer that has Nero on it.
3: Open Nero and run the hard drive backup utility. (You can run it on the computer you're trying to back up, but they don't guarantee that it'll work with an active filesystem.)
4: If you have a DVD burner you'll want to use that.
5: The CD's or DVD's will be bootable and will restore the original computer's hard drive perfectly. And don't mind the slightly-broken English in the restore program; Nero is German afterall.
http://www.jetta.com/
I bought one a few years ago specifically without Windows installed. The drive came blank and they shipped a driver cd. Saved about $80 by taking the OS off. They also replaced the defective monitor that only had a single dead (bright green) pixel which was actually within manufacturer spec. It also happens to be a fantastic machine, in my opinion. Extremely reliable.
That's it. That's just freaking it. I've used Windows since I first got a computer in '95. I was a MS zealot for years. Not that I'm one of the uninformed; far from it. Hell, I'm starting my own computer repair business. I've never cared for Linux but you know what? Once XP ceases being useful to me I'm making the switch. God damn it just let me use my freaking computer!
Sorry, wrong article. I wanted Geico, not Gekko.
I dunno. Maybe I'm splitting a very fine hair here, but I slightly disagree. OK, yes it was developed during WWII (my mistake for making it sound like I was arguing that point) and for the war effort, but was never really used during the war. In fact, that same article says that nobody could find a use for it for a while.
Eh. Probably not enough to argue over.
At least I expressed my opinion in a public forum using my actual login. Or are you the *real* Anonymous Coward?
Where did I say to ignore WWII? My family is actually of heavy German heritage yet I'm horribly appalled at what Hitler et. al. did. He had a couple of good ideas (autobahn, anyone?) but overall, he was the real asshat. I was merely pointing out the non sequitur Nazi reference.
Additionally, before labelling me a Nazi for being German (not that you have yet, but you've called me several other things without provocation so one can't be too careful) may I point out that my family was already in the U.S. for WWII and none sympathized with Hitler.
21 minutes for Godwin's law. Incredible.
Silly putty, also, was not invented during WWII as an explosive. See article. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silly_putty
But how do you know? It seems to me that the cat exists simultaneously in that box and any other area which you cannot directly observe. Until you open the box, of course.
Tech: "I'll need the copier password."
Secretary: "Ok. It's 1 2 3 4 5."
T: "1 2 3 4 5?"
S: "Right. 1 2 3 4 5"
T: *shaking his head* "Amazing. That's what an idiot would have as the combination to his luggage." *Mutters 1 2 3 4 5 while typing it in and department head walks by.*
DH: "1 2 3 4 5? That's the combination to my luggage!"
Glue you say? For bills that stack, you say? In automated machines, you say? What could go wrong?
Seriously, though, you might be on the right track. You mentioned 'grit'. What about fine-grit sandpaper? As in, apply small strips (or squares, circles, dodecahedrons, whatever) to a part of the bill that will denote the denomination. Say, one strip for a 1, two for a 5, 3 for a 10, 4 for a 20, so on. Or at least a pattern.
I started to mention something in an earlier post that I didn't really explain well. Since the bills already have a small nylon strip (which does NOTHING to track the bill, take off the tinfoil hats. Seriously, I've seen the contract with the company that makes them, they're exactly what the government says they are. The little blue and red fibers, on the other hand... ahem...)
Anyway, the nylon strip... it seems that they could use small dots of nylon, thicker than that used for the strip, and embed that inside the paper in a Braille pattern. in this case the system relies on two real-world-proven technologies and simply combines them in a simple fashion (the nylon, proven to be durable in current bills and Braille, proven an adequate alternative to printed text).
It has. There's a problem though. The paper that's used for currency (OK, it's not really paper exactly...) won't hold the dots long enough. Just being put through a dollar slot in a vending machine could press the bumps right out. They could, however, embed something into the paper that would cause a raised bump. As for holes, sure, it's possible but would it be easily-readable by the blind and visually-impaired? I honestly don't know.
As for requiring banks to do anything with currency as far as modifying it, you're pressing pretty hard against certain laws against defacing currency. Yeah, if it's backed by a government program that could be circumvented. But then you have the problem of quality control. Essentially, the BEP would have almost none, if any at all. That's a Bad Thing. Currency in the U.S. is made to excruciating tollerences. That's why its production hasn't been outsourced to a company yet (making the components, i.e. paper, ink, etc. has).
And you can have your toys back once you put up the nuclear* missiles.
*Pronounced nuke-yuh-ler
Yes, I agree with you that it needs to be implemented. No argument there. The thing is that it can be done easily and within budget if it's done at the right time. Now is, unfortunately, not the right time. It's good that the judge wants this appealed. That will hopefully either, due to the speed of our judicial system delay the process until it can be done easily and within the normal cycle or bring to everyone's attention how hard it would be to implement it now and have an ordered delay.
Sorry about the lack of line breaks. Very. I was typing in a hurry, hit -enter- without thinking and didn't realize my mistake until after the post was submitted. That's what the preview button is for, right?
Will do better next time.
I have mod points but had to reply. *sigh* IUTWBEP (I Used To Work for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing) There are several reasons why the Treasury Department would resist this change: 1. There has just been a recent currency redesign. Each one usually takes ~10 years from start to finish. 2. The time it takes has little to do with "retooling" the machines. In fact, during the last changeover there was no gap in production. That is, the old 20's were printed right up until the time the new ones started. The reason? The new currency is printed on new machines. 3. Instead the time is taken by the actual design and preparation process. It takes years to actually get a design that everybody involved (more than you think) will accept. There are always minute details that get changed or massaged until all of the needs and wants are satisfied. Many special groups (in this case, for the blind) will be called in to consult. That frightens federal workers because a. most federal employees don't really care for contractors, despite what they tell you and b. it always takes longer when a consultant is involved, in the federal government or not. 4. The cost of changing the currency is astronomical. It's figured into the budget (my uncle is the chief of budget there... I didn't work for him though, no nepotism) over the course of that ~10 years. To mandate a change in the middle of a cycle will cause serious budget issues. 5. The vending machine industry will vehemently protest because every machine that accepts a bill will need to be changed. Sure, you could propose that we keep the $1 bill the same so that the vast majority of machines won't have to be updated and you're probably right. Unfortunately the vending machine companies will still protest. 6. Assuming this does get passed it will still take years to have it implemented, especially without specific instructions as to how to proceed. 7. If the project is rushed by court order or Treasury mandate the job will not be done well, or will blow the roof off of the budget. Oh yeah, by the way, BEP is NOT funded by Congress. The Federal Reserve buys the currency from them. Therefore, if the budget skyrockets Congress can't just step in and add more cash, unless there's... well an act of Congress. And quit it with the "they can just print more money" lines. Nobody who works for Treasury has ever though that was funny or clever. 8. If it's ordered to be done quickly and there is no budget increase it will be done poorly. Keep in mind that BEP employees, especially those working the presses are some of the finest in their field in the world. However, as anybody in IT will know, it doesn't matter how good you are at your job; if you're rushed and not properly-funded to meet the rush the job suffers. That's what I came up with off the top of my head. There are probably more problems. Maybe this can be worked into the next redesign but that should be a few years underway already. It's hard to change gears in the middle of a long-term project. Don't get me wrong though, I'm all for accessability. I think that it should be done, but now is not the time.
Actually, before flinging the trash into space they created a giant trash barge. It sailed around the world for years but no country would take it. Now they're hurling the garbage into space. It might come back, but there's no need to worry about that because it wouldn't happen for another thousand years or so...
Assume Windows. Then we can hate him more.