All the more reason to have 'sunset clauses' on legislation related to technology. The technology becomes obsolete or evolves into something else. The legislation never changes or expires. Doesn't make sense.
I've owned my TIVO for 2 years. I've quit preaching about TIVO. Every so often someone asks me about TIVO and I tell them I don't watch TV any other way.
Point 1. Many people in the video/movie industry are looking forward to the day when video on demand becomes a reality. TIVO actually produces video on demand for video streams.
But the video on demand is not exactly like what the "experts" are looking for. They expect a certain scenario to occur for the "consumer" to get his/her video. TIVO doesn't work this way.
TIVO searches the various video streams you have access to and provides video on demand at a later time.
It's still video on demand, but not what the "experts" have envisioned.
Point 2. I love the TIVO company for what they have given me, but their marketing department SUCKS.
Instead of pitching the "VCR on steroids" idea, they need to sell the idea of "video on demand".
There are other areas where they need to improve but I won't go into them here.
o Genetic engineering will allow creation of a vast array of new
lifeforms. By 2015 a new species will be created. By 2045 a new
family branch will be created.
o Humans will be engineered with both animal, plant, and totally new
genes. Some of these humans will become successful.
o Human engineering will become accepted at first with prejudice.
Later, engineered humans will be finally become fully accepted
after several engineered humans make famous contributions.
o The large increase in genetic creations comes at a good time because
a rogue country or organization releases a plague which causes
a large decrease in bio-diveristy for an extended number of years.
But enough organisms and humans survive to repopulate the planet.
It will be a close call.
o Micro-machines will also play a significant part, though not as large
a part, as initially expected. Genetic lifeforms will establish
their superiority through natural selection.
o After a consolidation period of 150 years (starting from 1969 - first
lunar landing), humans and bio-engineered homo-sapiens (BIOEHS)
(BIOS for short) begin in ernest to permanently inhabit the moon,
asteroids, Mars, and Jupiter's moons. Lifeforms, but not humans,
will be sent to the nearest star. The name of the ship will be The Ark.
o All the above will enabled by the global communications provided
by the Internet which will become as ubiquious as pencil and paper
are in 2001. Paper and pencil will still exist but will become
expensive.
o Computers will continue to get faster allowing us to play better and
more realistic computer games.
o Global corporations will become more important than many smaller
countries. Corporations will begin making their own laws and
will use economic sanctions to enfore those laws. Corporations
will begin to resemble medieval feudal states.
o The United States, much as Rome, will continue to dominate world
politics for several hundred years. The rise and fall of the
United States will roughly parallel the history of the Roman Empire.
o The limits of the seeable universe will continue to be pushed out
at the same the the limits of the atom are dissected.
It will be discovered that the universe is, for all practical purposes,
infinite as is the composition of the atom.
o Within the next 150 years, the energy source powering quasars, black
holes, and X-ray bursts will be understood. This energy source
will become irrestible to scientists. But it will pose a threat of
destruction of the planet greater than from nuclear fission.
It will be another close call.
o Larger airplanes and ships will be built. There will be a few
disasters greater than the Hindenburg and Titanic.
o Human lifespans will be extended 1 year for every 2 years time.
A baby born in 150 years can expect to live to 190, barring accidents.
o Many more false prophets appear. The true Messiah does not return
in the next 150 years.
o People in 150 years think of this period in history as quaint.
But they continue to make our same dumb mistakes.
Agree - device drivers or their specifications
are always welcome. Getting device specifications
has always been a struggle. Lately this situation
has eased.
I watched the shuttle liftoff on Real Video from the Houston
Chronicle site:
http://www.chron.com/content/interactive/space/ind ex.html
Broadcast.com screwed me by not offering Real Video anymore:(
I'm in Charleston, SC, on the coast. Actually I live 40 miles inland.
Charleston is about 300 miles north of Canaveral.
After liftoff, we went outside and looked southeast. After 3-5
minutes we saw a bright white light low in the southeast
through the trees. The light slowly climbed above the trees.
It moved from southeast to east; from 20 degrees above the horizon
to 45 degrees above the horizon. It changed from a brillant white color
to dim red. The white light was as bright as Venus is when it's
at it's brightest. The orange-red light was similar to Mars when
it's brightest.
We watched it a total of 3 minutes. It moved as fast as a jet
moves when it's way up high. But it had no flashing beacon light.
I put the binoculars on it and saw the prettiest red flame.
It was totally awesome!
It's obvious AOL needs a product to compete with
WinCE. How about a palm device preloaded with
AIM. Boots into Linux to bypass the WinCE
licensing fees. AOL sells them for $150
to get get them in people's hands and build
market share. AOL did a similar thing before
with their $9.95 internet offer. Makes sense
to me. I might even consider buying one.
The TV program NOVA on the public broadcasting network has aired several programs lately about archeology. It seems to me Galileo is a prime example of an archeological artifact and should be preserved by being 'parked' in some safe orbit for future generations. Hopefully, we humans will survive long enough to go out there again, pick up Galileo, and bring it back for study.
NASA is chartered to learn new things. Why should NASA deny future generations the opportunity to learn new things about us?
I made up a small web page in html. http://home.earthlink.net/~mail11325/simpsons.ht ml I e-mailed the link to my son. He doesn't live with me. His mother and I are divorced.
Kids like games and funny sounds.
If he's interested, I'll work with him to change the page using his ideas.
I only use GNU Emacs, ftp, and Netscape.
It's not much, but there's a hugh learning gap just to post a simple webpage.
Not sure if this has already been done but I think a lot of good science can be done if the Hubble surveys the following sections of the sky twice a year. The sections are the milky way looking in towards the galactic center.
Reasons include: Some of these stars are our neighbors (relatively). Distant galaxies are interesting but unreachable.
Density goes up are you look inwards. More interesting things may be observed according to the principle of serendipity (POS).
A periodic survey may be used to compare changes from one period to another. Again using POS, some discoveries may be made.
Slashdot Mirror
All the more reason to have 'sunset clauses'
on legislation related to technology.
The technology becomes obsolete or evolves
into something else. The legislation never
changes or expires. Doesn't make sense.
I've owned my TIVO for 2 years. I've quit preaching about TIVO. Every so often someone asks me about TIVO and I tell them I don't watch TV any other way.
Point 1.
Many people in the video/movie industry are looking forward to the day when video on demand becomes a reality. TIVO actually produces video on demand for video streams.
But the video on demand is not exactly like what the "experts" are looking for. They expect a certain scenario to occur for the "consumer" to get his/her video. TIVO doesn't work this way.
TIVO searches the various video streams you have access to and provides video on demand
at a later time.
It's still video on demand, but not what the "experts" have envisioned.
Point 2.
I love the TIVO company for what they have given me, but their marketing department SUCKS.
Instead of pitching the "VCR on steroids" idea, they need to sell the idea of "video on demand".
There are other areas where they need to improve but I won't go into them here.
o Genetic engineering will allow creation of a vast array of new
lifeforms. By 2015 a new species will be created. By 2045 a new
family branch will be created.
o Humans will be engineered with both animal, plant, and totally new
genes. Some of these humans will become successful.
o Human engineering will become accepted at first with prejudice.
Later, engineered humans will be finally become fully accepted
after several engineered humans make famous contributions.
o The large increase in genetic creations comes at a good time because
a rogue country or organization releases a plague which causes
a large decrease in bio-diveristy for an extended number of years.
But enough organisms and humans survive to repopulate the planet.
It will be a close call.
o Micro-machines will also play a significant part, though not as large
a part, as initially expected. Genetic lifeforms will establish
their superiority through natural selection.
o After a consolidation period of 150 years (starting from 1969 - first
lunar landing), humans and bio-engineered homo-sapiens (BIOEHS)
(BIOS for short) begin in ernest to permanently inhabit the moon,
asteroids, Mars, and Jupiter's moons. Lifeforms, but not humans,
will be sent to the nearest star. The name of the ship will be The Ark.
o All the above will enabled by the global communications provided
by the Internet which will become as ubiquious as pencil and paper
are in 2001. Paper and pencil will still exist but will become
expensive.
o Computers will continue to get faster allowing us to play better and
more realistic computer games.
o Global corporations will become more important than many smaller
countries. Corporations will begin making their own laws and
will use economic sanctions to enfore those laws. Corporations
will begin to resemble medieval feudal states.
o The United States, much as Rome, will continue to dominate world
politics for several hundred years. The rise and fall of the
United States will roughly parallel the history of the Roman Empire.
o The limits of the seeable universe will continue to be pushed out
at the same the the limits of the atom are dissected.
It will be discovered that the universe is, for all practical purposes,
infinite as is the composition of the atom.
o Within the next 150 years, the energy source powering quasars, black
holes, and X-ray bursts will be understood. This energy source
will become irrestible to scientists. But it will pose a threat of
destruction of the planet greater than from nuclear fission.
It will be another close call.
o Larger airplanes and ships will be built. There will be a few
disasters greater than the Hindenburg and Titanic.
o Human lifespans will be extended 1 year for every 2 years time.
A baby born in 150 years can expect to live to 190, barring accidents.
o Many more false prophets appear. The true Messiah does not return
in the next 150 years.
o People in 150 years think of this period in history as quaint.
But they continue to make our same dumb mistakes.
o And the beat goes on.
Agree - device drivers or their specifications
are always welcome. Getting device specifications
has always been a struggle. Lately this situation
has eased.
Gold and silver prices are at historical lows
for the past 10-20 years. Gold and silver mining
companies are just barely hanging on at these
prices.
I think it's ridiculous to speculate about
asteroid mining when metal prices are EXTREMELY
depressed here on earth. IMHO.
I watched the shuttle liftoff on Real Video from the Houstond ex.html
:(
Chronicle site:
http://www.chron.com/content/interactive/space/in
Broadcast.com screwed me by not offering Real Video anymore
I'm in Charleston, SC, on the coast. Actually I live 40 miles inland.
Charleston is about 300 miles north of Canaveral.
After liftoff, we went outside and looked southeast. After 3-5
minutes we saw a bright white light low in the southeast
through the trees. The light slowly climbed above the trees.
It moved from southeast to east; from 20 degrees above the horizon
to 45 degrees above the horizon. It changed from a brillant white color
to dim red. The white light was as bright as Venus is when it's
at it's brightest. The orange-red light was similar to Mars when
it's brightest.
We watched it a total of 3 minutes. It moved as fast as a jet
moves when it's way up high. But it had no flashing beacon light.
I put the binoculars on it and saw the prettiest red flame.
It was totally awesome!
It's obvious AOL needs a product to compete with
WinCE. How about a palm device preloaded with
AIM. Boots into Linux to bypass the WinCE
licensing fees. AOL sells them for $150
to get get them in people's hands and build
market share. AOL did a similar thing before
with their $9.95 internet offer. Makes sense
to me. I might even consider buying one.
The TV program NOVA on the public broadcasting
network has aired several programs lately about
archeology. It seems to me Galileo is a
prime example of an archeological artifact
and should be preserved by being 'parked'
in some safe orbit for future generations.
Hopefully, we humans will survive long enough
to go out there again, pick up Galileo, and
bring it back for study.
NASA is chartered to learn new things.
Why should NASA deny future generations the
opportunity to learn new things about us?
I made up a small web page in html.t ml
http://home.earthlink.net/~mail11325/simpsons.h
I e-mailed the link to my son. He doesn't live with me. His mother and I are divorced.
Kids like games and funny sounds.
If he's interested, I'll work with him to change the page using his ideas.
I only use GNU Emacs, ftp, and Netscape.
It's not much, but there's a hugh learning gap
just to post a simple webpage.
Not sure if this has already been done but I think
a lot of good science can be done if the Hubble
surveys the following sections of the sky twice
a year. The sections are the milky way looking
in towards the galactic center.
Reasons include:
Some of these stars are our neighbors (relatively).
Distant galaxies are interesting but unreachable.
Density goes up are you look inwards. More
interesting things may be observed according
to the principle of serendipity (POS).
A periodic survey may be used to compare changes from one period to another. Again using POS,
some discoveries may be made.
At my site, I bought one copy of RedHat last fall. I just finished my 4th install using that same CD. That's pretty good value for the buck!
I protect my privacy by linking my Netscape /dev/null (the infamous bit-
cookies files to
bucket). Netscape never knows the difference!
Works great!
I also refrain from shopping at grocery stores
which encourage membership cards. I hate people
keeping files on me.