Just to let you know, the actual last level happens after you go through the credits. It is on an airplane. Basically killing highjackers. Kind of neet.
Yeah I haven't seen any unhackable puzzles because I always had at least 1-2 plasmids active..BUT again, you don't have to get lucky to hack. If the first time you didn't get the first piece in place, just hack again and put it there. You have infinite tries and can re-hack LONG before any bots reach you since as soon as the hacking game kicks you out just keep tapping your hack key. Can hack many times in the space it takes the security bots to fly a couple feet.
Then you can just look at your map which also freezes the bots, and run to a deactivation panel. I usually wait until 2 get close to me so I can then hack them and make them friendly since when you deactivate the alarm, the bots don't fly back, they just fall to the ground.
They do only block certain frequencies, but with the way cell phones work, there is (currently) no way to make doctors etc exempt.
Basically, cell phones will operate in their little band of frequencies, and a jammer will block the whole band. Even if it didn't you would see degradation of the call by everyone (in cdma) or some users being disconnected and not others (in gsm).
Basically, CDMA hops around all over the place according to a 'code' so if you blocked the one portion, only some of the hops would be blocked and call quality would just decrease. In GSM uses something called TDMA, in which each call is assigned its own frequency, but many people use the same frequency by chopping up the time used into small slots (8 or 16 per channel dependant on call quality). So if 8 people can talk on a single frequency and not interfere with eachother. A little tricky to explain so I'll post some WP links to help.
I almost have to agree with the grandparent here. If you have seen the Sony reader and something like a PDA, then chose the PDA for reading, I cant imagine you are a very avid reader. Reading staring into fluorescent bulbs for hours on end is MUCH harder on the eyes than reading from e-paper. The background is a bit greyish, but I would still say, compared to a PDA or similar device, the screen is AMAZINGLY easy on the eyes. And, like a book, you can read it in any light from full sunlight to single candlelight.
Plus, having to recharge it once every 5-10 books is so bloody nice, you can take it on vacation without the charger and never have to worry about it dying on you. Its like carrying entire bookshelves of paper like goodness with you, in the form factor of a paperback of 100 pages or so length.
I'm in the EE field, specifically wireless/radio communications.
The calculation for path loss is:
Loss dB = 32.44 + 20 log (dist in km) + 20 log (freq in MHz)
Lets take absolute optimal conditions..proxima centauri is roughly 4 light years away. This is roughly 3.78x10^13 km away. One of the most common frequencies monitored is the "hydrogen line" (1420.40575 MHz) since this is the resonant frequency of hydrogen and is more likely to be used by aliens since we'd most likely be looking there.
So, lets fill in the equation:
32.44+ 20log(3.78x10^13)+20log(1420.41)= 367.038 db of loss...
So lets say they are transmitting with a million watts(90dBm), and there is a 60db dish on both ends(huuge dish)...This gives us a receive level of -157.038dBm. This is a good bit below what any normal radio will receive at. The noise floor is certainly higher than this. Now keep in mind this is the very closest star, which I don't think even has any livable planets.
Our galaxy is 70-100 thousand light years across and we are right near the edge. So if you take a star not even close to that distance, say 500 light years (still somewhat close on a galactic scale) then the calculations work out to a receive signal of -198dBm. The equipment doesn't exist to pick the signal out of the noise at levels like that.
God forbid trying to pick the signal out of another galaxy, the nearest being Andromeda. some 2.5 million light years away. Giving Rx signal levels of ~ -273dBm. Safe to say the noise floor is MUCH MUCH higher than this.
I think SETI is a hopeless pipe dream. That being said, I DO think there is intelligent life out there, probably in our galaxy. There are just too many stars with too many planets to think otherwise.
Ok your last paragraph was really the one that I wanted, dont care about comparing this part or that part, despite my post doing just that! haha
I basically just wanted to know what all the hype was about when, as I saw it, halo really had no step up on any PC FPS out at the time.
So you're saying its the fault of a outdated game because of the late port, and the fact that the port wasn't all that good anyways. That is fine since I've never played it on the console since the only use I ever had for an xbox was XMBC.
The only thing I really don't agree with is the story. I felt the story was shallow and non-immersive, but that is a total opinion thing and probably invalid to the discussion.
Thanks Osty. I was not recycling, I just hadn't seen or posted on the topic, so thought to ask.
Other than the well implemented vehicles point(Tribes 2? not sure if it came out before or after Halo), many of the other ones seem to be minor points of game mechanics. Many of the points listed were implemented in other (very popular) games.
Take counterstrike for example. There were simple throw grenade button mods which I'm sure most people used. It was a game that delivered a wonderful online experience. Unreal tournament was not the same type of game but also had many different game types and was one of the most fun online games out there.. Tribes had many of the boons you say long before halo.
The story was ok, but a masterful story, I guess I just didn't see it. Perhaps try half life or, newer, bioshock. Or even the theif games or system shock.
I also agree on the couch point, but I've been playing in 5.1 surround for years on the computer. And any gain added from the couch seems to be taken away by the fact that you're playing with a joystick rather than a single derivative device like a mouse.
Even with all this, it still seems halo is a mediocre game in comparison with other offerings, but since it was the best thing going on the console, it has a lot of hype behind it.
I hear what you're saying, different strokes for different folks, but even compared to other current console games, halo 3 seems dated and mid-level. (gears of war, et al)
I kind of got more into this than I wanted to I think. Basically it comes down to, I played halo on the computer, and it did not seem to stack up to other games on the computer in any meaningful way. Is it different in the console arena? That is basically what I'm asking.
Let me preface with the fact that this is NOT a flame on Halo.
I got Halo for the PC when it was still in a bit of hype, and was fairly disappointed. The story seemed no where near as good as half-life, the game play not as good as counterstrike or unreal tournament, etc. Graphics just on par with any FPS out at the time..
I'm not saying it is a bad game, just that I cant see what makes it good. Is that on console the coop mode is what makes it good? Or is it (my theory) that FPS isn't that good of a game type on console and the console people just don't know what they are missing w/ a game of the year type FPS?
Throw those four people on one console vs me on the internet with the kb and mouse and I bet I wouldn't take a bullet. FPS on a joystick is just horribly useless.
As my co-replier noted...whether it makes sense or not this is the law. The point of the 'one party' type law is so a third party cannot just record a call between two people without their knowledge. As long as one of the callers (whether he is recording the call or not) knows that the call is being recorded, it is legal.
If you still don't believe me, look up one-party calling laws, or if you are lazy, reply and I will post some links.
As has been mentioned before, many states, and up here in Canada, only one of the two parties on a phone call need to be aware of the fact that the call is being recorded.
Also, it was unclear, are they actually recording or listening to any calls? Or is a computer doing voice recognition and just putting context sensitive ads up. This changes things a little (though obviously they CAN listen to your call, I wouldn't say anything sensitive on there.
Also, if you dont like getting free calls in exchange for their terms, can always just not use the service!
As mentioned by others, he wasnt just some flare up author. He has won more Hugos than any other author as far as I know. Not something normally attributed to 'hype'.
Slashdot Mirror
My $60 xbox media center does all of this. In addition to upscaling dvds to HD resolution.
Actually, here is a nice little time line describing how Tesla was the first to demonstrate, patent, etc a radio.
http://www.mercury.gr/tesla/marcen.html
From other sources, it appears that Marconi directly used Tesla's inventions (patented) in his demonstration of cross Atlantic radio communication.
Other than being a good business man and furthering the use of radio, he really had very little to do with its invention.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rmgf60CI_ks
Lots of lights, and older video, but still the coolest lights I've ever seen.
Just to let you know, the actual last level happens after you go through the credits. It is on an airplane. Basically killing highjackers. Kind of neet.
Gunship level was by far the coolest.
At 100Hz, the wavelength is 3000 Km. I'd like to see an antenna focus that into directionality!
Yeah I haven't seen any unhackable puzzles because I always had at least 1-2 plasmids active..BUT again, you don't have to get lucky to hack. If the first time you didn't get the first piece in place, just hack again and put it there. You have infinite tries and can re-hack LONG before any bots reach you since as soon as the hacking game kicks you out just keep tapping your hack key. Can hack many times in the space it takes the security bots to fly a couple feet.
Then you can just look at your map which also freezes the bots, and run to a deactivation panel. I usually wait until 2 get close to me so I can then hack them and make them friendly since when you deactivate the alarm, the bots don't fly back, they just fall to the ground.
That is pretty much impossible for two reasons:
1. Big daddies done 'walk up on you' and start attacking..you have to fuck with them.
2. As SOON as you fail, you can click hack again. You can hack 8 times in the space it takes a big daddy to take one step.
Actually, it was stupidly easy because you can NOT die from hacking damage. You just keep hacking and hacking and you can always get it eventually.
They do only block certain frequencies, but with the way cell phones work, there is (currently) no way to make doctors etc exempt.
Basically, cell phones will operate in their little band of frequencies, and a jammer will block the whole band. Even if it didn't you would see degradation of the call by everyone (in cdma) or some users being disconnected and not others (in gsm).
Basically, CDMA hops around all over the place according to a 'code' so if you blocked the one portion, only some of the hops would be blocked and call quality would just decrease. In GSM uses something called TDMA, in which each call is assigned its own frequency, but many people use the same frequency by chopping up the time used into small slots (8 or 16 per channel dependant on call quality). So if 8 people can talk on a single frequency and not interfere with eachother. A little tricky to explain so I'll post some WP links to help.
Here is a list of cellular frequencies:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellular_frequencies#Frequency_bands_used_in_USA
And the two phone technologies:
GSM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gsm which uses TDMA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_division_multiple_access as its underlying method or...
CDMA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cdma
Describe this 'archive' you speak of. Do you mean just burning whatever files you want or do macs have a way of saving applications properly etc.
I almost have to agree with the grandparent here. If you have seen the Sony reader and something like a PDA, then chose the PDA for reading, I cant imagine you are a very avid reader. Reading staring into fluorescent bulbs for hours on end is MUCH harder on the eyes than reading from e-paper. The background is a bit greyish, but I would still say, compared to a PDA or similar device, the screen is AMAZINGLY easy on the eyes. And, like a book, you can read it in any light from full sunlight to single candlelight.
Plus, having to recharge it once every 5-10 books is so bloody nice, you can take it on vacation without the charger and never have to worry about it dying on you. Its like carrying entire bookshelves of paper like goodness with you, in the form factor of a paperback of 100 pages or so length.
Fairly true, but it always works out that, despite whatever gains of the receiving and transmitting antennas, this equation holds.
I dont mean to flame but...
I'm in the EE field, specifically wireless/radio communications.
The calculation for path loss is:
Loss dB = 32.44 + 20 log (dist in km) + 20 log (freq in MHz)
Lets take absolute optimal conditions..proxima centauri is roughly 4 light years away. This is roughly 3.78x10^13 km away. One of the most common frequencies monitored is the "hydrogen line" (1420.40575 MHz) since this is the resonant frequency of hydrogen and is more likely to be used by aliens since we'd most likely be looking there.
So, lets fill in the equation:
32.44+ 20log(3.78x10^13)+20log(1420.41)= 367.038 db of loss...
So lets say they are transmitting with a million watts(90dBm), and there is a 60db dish on both ends(huuge dish)...This gives us a receive level of -157.038dBm. This is a good bit below what any normal radio will receive at. The noise floor is certainly higher than this. Now keep in mind this is the very closest star, which I don't think even has any livable planets.
Our galaxy is 70-100 thousand light years across and we are right near the edge. So if you take a star not even close to that distance, say 500 light years (still somewhat close on a galactic scale) then the calculations work out to a receive signal of -198dBm. The equipment doesn't exist to pick the signal out of the noise at levels like that.
God forbid trying to pick the signal out of another galaxy, the nearest being Andromeda. some 2.5 million light years away. Giving Rx signal levels of ~ -273dBm. Safe to say the noise floor is MUCH MUCH higher than this.
I think SETI is a hopeless pipe dream. That being said, I DO think there is intelligent life out there, probably in our galaxy. There are just too many stars with too many planets to think otherwise.
Ok your last paragraph was really the one that I wanted, dont care about comparing this part or that part, despite my post doing just that! haha
I basically just wanted to know what all the hype was about when, as I saw it, halo really had no step up on any PC FPS out at the time.
So you're saying its the fault of a outdated game because of the late port, and the fact that the port wasn't all that good anyways. That is fine since I've never played it on the console since the only use I ever had for an xbox was XMBC.
The only thing I really don't agree with is the story. I felt the story was shallow and non-immersive, but that is a total opinion thing and probably invalid to the discussion.
Thanks for the replies.
Oops.
/.ers?
/.ers, mostly old friends of mine.
Know many other Okanagan
I'm a communications tech here in k-town and know a couple
Thanks Osty. I was not recycling, I just hadn't seen or posted on the topic, so thought to ask.
Other than the well implemented vehicles point(Tribes 2? not sure if it came out before or after Halo), many of the other ones seem to be minor points of game mechanics. Many of the points listed were implemented in other (very popular) games.
Take counterstrike for example. There were simple throw grenade button mods which I'm sure most people used. It was a game that delivered a wonderful online experience. Unreal tournament was not the same type of game but also had many different game types and was one of the most fun online games out there.. Tribes had many of the boons you say long before halo.
The story was ok, but a masterful story, I guess I just didn't see it. Perhaps try half life or, newer, bioshock. Or even the theif games or system shock.
I also agree on the couch point, but I've been playing in 5.1 surround for years on the computer. And any gain added from the couch seems to be taken away by the fact that you're playing with a joystick rather than a single derivative device like a mouse.
Even with all this, it still seems halo is a mediocre game in comparison with other offerings, but since it was the best thing going on the console, it has a lot of hype behind it.
I hear what you're saying, different strokes for different folks, but even compared to other current console games, halo 3 seems dated and mid-level. (gears of war, et al)
I kind of got more into this than I wanted to I think. Basically it comes down to, I played halo on the computer, and it did not seem to stack up to other games on the computer in any meaningful way. Is it different in the console arena? That is basically what I'm asking.
Let me preface with the fact that this is NOT a flame on Halo.
I got Halo for the PC when it was still in a bit of hype, and was fairly disappointed. The story seemed no where near as good as half-life, the game play not as good as counterstrike or unreal tournament, etc. Graphics just on par with any FPS out at the time..
I'm not saying it is a bad game, just that I cant see what makes it good. Is that on console the coop mode is what makes it good? Or is it (my theory) that FPS isn't that good of a game type on console and the console people just don't know what they are missing w/ a game of the year type FPS?
Anyone?
I'm in the region. Not sure if I will be there or not but it is interesting that there is one in kelowna!
BTW why is your page a placeholder site?
Throw those four people on one console vs me on the internet with the kb and mouse and I bet I wouldn't take a bullet. FPS on a joystick is just horribly useless.
As my co-replier noted...whether it makes sense or not this is the law. The point of the 'one party' type law is so a third party cannot just record a call between two people without their knowledge. As long as one of the callers (whether he is recording the call or not) knows that the call is being recorded, it is legal.
If you still don't believe me, look up one-party calling laws, or if you are lazy, reply and I will post some links.
Was that funny or am i just stupid. How does 89 mean 2.8 ?
As has been mentioned before, many states, and up here in Canada, only one of the two parties on a phone call need to be aware of the fact that the call is being recorded.
Also, it was unclear, are they actually recording or listening to any calls? Or is a computer doing voice recognition and just putting context sensitive ads up. This changes things a little (though obviously they CAN listen to your call, I wouldn't say anything sensitive on there.
Also, if you dont like getting free calls in exchange for their terms, can always just not use the service!
How the hell do you know it is 2.8 ghz without looking it up ?
I really like ye olde days where the speed is in the model number. Or the intel equiv. speed as the case may be.
As mentioned by others, he wasnt just some flare up author. He has won more Hugos than any other author as far as I know. Not something normally attributed to 'hype'.
Did you read "The Moon is a harsh mistress" ?
I just simply can not imagine someone hating it. If so, what about it did you not like? Just to help me get a point of view.