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Comment What the....? (Score 0) 545

by Apagador-Man (#36433554) Attached to: Ask Slashdot: Web Site Editing Software For the Long Haul?

Emacs is the way to go! And as a matter of fact, I wrote a Lisp Script that just creates the webpage for me!

It's pretty slick. See, in my client meetings, I record what they want, I then transfer the mp3 to the machine and the script listens to it and Viola! creates the website exactly the way the customer describes it! I then get a fat check and take off in the Ferrari with my porn star of the day and we shag like Tasmanian Devils - without the cancer - Poor Devils!

At least that's what I remember after I take these cool looking pills and downing them with Scotch while viewing porn ....

For some time I've had this nagging doubt... WHY do so may people from English speaking countries use "Viola!"? Is it cheer ignorance that makes then write that instead of the french "Voila!"? I mean if it is sarcasm directed at those who actually make that mistake, a sarcasm that has grown into common online usage, I find it funny. If it really is a mistake.. well, I find that sad. The "triumphant", "in your face" sounding remark just turns into something that is vaguely reminiscent of a young child that keeps biting his own tongue, trying to speak. LOL-worthy, if in a sad way.

Comment Meltdown menace (Score 0) 497

by Apagador-Man (#35171894) Attached to: Maximum Items You've Powered From a Single Outlet
From a single outlet I have, often all on at the same time:
2 Desktop PCs
1 Laptop
1 Fan
1 Printer
1 Creative Subwoofer + speakers
1 Screen
1 USB Hubs
1 External HDD


At times I also add
1 second External HDD
1 Shaving machine


On the outlet besides it:
1 big ass crt TV
1 vcr
1 blueray reader
1 wii
1 ps2
1 cable tv box
1 5.1 surround sound system
1 Desktop
1 Screen
1 External HDD
3 x Christmas lights
1 Lamp

Comment Re:Let me see if I understand (Score 0) 106

by Apagador-Man (#31919646) Attached to: EA Launches <em>Ultima</em>-Based Browser Game
Travian?

UUuuhh... another shiny browser based game... The cheer quantity of web based games with similar rules/mechanisms is just mind bogging.

For over a decade now there have been such games. Calling it Ultima doesn't make it better than all the other crapfest around.

They are defecating on the memories of those that were fond of the ultima franchise, and hoping to gain frm it, too.
First Person Shooters (Games)

Code Review of Doom For the iPhone 161

Posted by Soulskill from the old-dogs-new-tricks dept.
Developer Fabien Sanglard has written a code review for id Software's iPhone port of Doom. It's an interesting look into how the original 1993 game (which he also reviewed to understand its rendering process) was adapted to a modern platform. "Just like Wolfenstein 3D, Doom was rendering a screenframe pixel per pixel. The only way to do this on iPhone with an acceptable framerate would be to use CoreSurface/CoreSurface.h framework. But it is unfortunately restricted and using it would prevent distribution on the AppStore. The only solution is to use OpenGL, but this comes with a few challenges: Doom was faking 3D with a 2D map. OpenGL needs real 3D vertices. More than 3D vertices, OpenGL needs data to be sent as triangles (among other things because they are easy to rasterize). But Doom sectors were made of arbitrary forms. Doom 1993's perspective was also faked, it was actually closer to an orthogonal projection than a perspective projection. Doom was using VGA palette indexing to perform special effect (red for damage, silver for invulnerable...)."

Comment Re:Management Types... (Score 0) 323

by Apagador-Man (#30831190) Attached to: CBS Refuses To Preserve Jack Benny Footage
Are you on some bad crack or just living in your own little version of reality?

To me, what GP seems to be saying is that CBS is a corporation that exists for the sole purpose of making money. Let us suppose, even if for a moment, that whatever media CBS owns is seen as something to make money with, which is CBS's main goal.

If some dudes make a copy of their media and delivers it to the general public, CBS won't be getting as much money as they might otherwise.

We live amidst cut-throat capitalism. What matters most to a stockholder in this tanking economy? A cultural icon, or some money to fill his pockets with?

Because of course, a corporation's objective will be to deprive it's stockholders from some immediate financial gain, just to preserve a cultural icon.
Cellphones

iPhone-Controlled Helicopter With AR Games 51

Posted by Soulskill from the get-to-da-ichoppa dept.
andylim writes "Parrot has unveiled a remote-controlled helicopter that boasts augmented reality games. The helicopter is controlled using an iPhone or iPod Touch's accelerometer and touchscreen. There's a camera on the front of the helicopter, which you can use to navigate and to play augmented reality games, including a game that involves fighting a gigantic robot."
PlayStation (Games)

US Air Force Buying Another 2,200 PS3s 144

Posted by Soulskill from the quick-who-knows-a-good-ps3-flight-sim dept.
bleedingpegasus sends word that the US Air Force will be grabbing up 2,200 new PlayStation 3 consoles for research into supercomputing. They already have a cluster made from 336 of the old-style (non-Slim) consoles, which they've used for a variety of purposes, including "processing multiple radar images into higher resolution composite images (known as synthetic aperture radar image formation), high-def video processing, and 'neuromorphic computing.'" According to the Justification Review Document (DOC), "Once the hardware configuration is implemented, software code will be developed in-house for cluster implementation utilizing a Linux-based operating software."
Education

Computer Games and Traditional CS Courses 173

Posted by Soulskill from the terrible-terrible-games dept.
drroman22 writes "Schools are working to put real-world relevance into computer science education by integrating video game development into traditional CS courses. Quoting: 'Many CS educators recognized and took advantage of younger generations' familiarity and interests for computer video games and integrate related contents into their introductory programming courses. Because these are the first courses students encounter, they build excitement and enthusiasm for our discipline. ... Much of this work reported resounding successes with drastically increased enrollments and student successes. Based on these results, it is well recognized that integrating computer gaming into CS1 and CS2 (CS1/2) courses, the first programming courses students encounter, is a promising strategy for recruiting and retaining potential students." While a focus on games may help stir interest, it seems as though game development studios are as yet unimpressed by most game-related college courses. To those who have taken such courses or considered hiring those who have: what has your experience been?
Image

Scientists Say a Dirty Child Is a Healthy Child 331

Posted by samzenpus from the snack-is-going-to-be-on-the-floor-today dept.
Researchers from the School of Medicine at the University of California have shown that the more germs a child is exposed to, the better their immune system in later life. Their study found that keeping a child's skin too clean impaired the skin's ability to heal itself. From the article: "'These germs are actually good for us,' said Professor Richard Gallo, who led the research. Common bacterial species, known as staphylococci, which can cause inflammation when under the skin, are 'good bacteria' when on the surface, where they can reduce inflammation."
The Almighty Buck

Apple Allegedly Sought Non-Poaching Deal With Palm 181

Posted by kdawson from the hands-off-or-at-least-palms-off dept.
theodp writes "A Bloomberg report that Apple CEO Steve Jobs proposed a possibly illegal truce with Palm against poaching their respective employees is sure to pique the interest of the US Department of Justice, which already is investigating whether Google, Yahoo, Apple, Genentech and other tech companies conspired to keep others from stealing their top talent. 'Your proposal that we agree that neither company will hire the other's employees, regardless of the individual's desires, is not only wrong, it is likely illegal,' former Palm CEO Ed Colligan reportedly told Jobs in August 2007." The article notes that Apple was probably reacting to Palm's hiring of Jon Rubenstein, who had been instrumental in developing the iPod and went on to spearhead the Pre for Palm (and has now become Palm's chairman and CEO). "It's the story about the importance of charismatic engineers," said veteran Silicon Valley forecaster Paul Saffo. "People don't work for Palm. They work for Jon Rubinstein. One has to wonder how Steve Jobs ever let Jon Rubinstein leave."

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