Author Topic: Somewhat Useful Facts Thread (Read 204749 times)

Armondikov · « **Reply #200 on:** January 22, 2008, 10:22:54 AM »

Quote from: Senator on January 20, 2008, 08:47:49 PM

There is a flight simulator hidden within Google Earth. Ctrl+Alt+A to play!

(Page Up for throttle)

Its the different control method you can use, rather than just scan it like a map, you can switch and fly around instead. It's pretty difficult to control but still fun to fly around the grand canyon, proving that you really can't do it unless you're Will Smith.

Senator · « **Reply #201 on:** January 22, 2008, 12:40:20 PM »

Well, the option doesn't become available until you enter it this way once, so it is considered an easter egg.

I don't know if that's what you mean but I don't talk about "lowering" the map in 3d mind you, in this you get a HUD with numbers, elevator/rudder control, can do a loop and has collision detection.

I'd try grand canyon if I could find it, doesn't give you many runway to start from though.

EDIT: Silly me, You can select your current view as a start point.

Viper · « **Reply #202 on:** January 22, 2008, 02:13:46 PM »

I never knew that....Cool!!! I love flight simulators!!!

Armondikov · « **Reply #203 on:** January 22, 2008, 08:03:13 PM »

In that case, no, it's not what I thought it was. Possibly the next version up to the old "flying" mode.

Senator · « **Reply #204 on:** January 23, 2008, 05:35:31 AM »

You can also use a joystick.

If you joystick is an old but trusty sidewinder btw.
And if you find out that your throttle lever and rudder axis have each other functions, the fix is:

You go to C\Program File\Google\Google Earth\res\flightsim\controller

You open the "generic.ini" with notepad

And where it says:

A1 set(DE, 1.0, 0.0)
A0 set(DA, 1.0, 0.0)
A2 set(DP_0, -0.5, 0.5)
A3 set(DR, 1.0, 0.0)

You replace it with:

A1 set(DE, 1.0, 0.0)
A0 set(DA, 1.0, 0.0)
A3 set(DP_0, -0.5, 0.5)
A2 set(DR, 1.0, 0.0)

(save)

Armondikov · « **Reply #205 on:** January 23, 2008, 04:03:26 PM »

That reminds me, I downloaded the latest version last night but didn't install it! Time to play...

Senator · « **Reply #206 on:** January 23, 2008, 10:15:00 PM »

Soon the last piece of puzzle to my (minimalist) informatic home will fall in place:

...in which, a single, shiny black cube of a central computer will contain* and serve all Video/Pictures/Music/Books/Games/~~Radio/TV~~** & Internet.

Magnetic Tapes, Vinyl Disks, CDs, DVDs, Film and Paper? Inferior, inflexible mediums.

Long live the information age!

* mirrored raid disk array, I thought of what you might be thinking already. It's only until Holographic memory anyway.
** Technically yes, but I have hardly noticed the lack of a TV the last 3 years, any show I like I can get off the internet when I like it and any news instantly.

P.S. The thing on the image is an e-book reader. It uses e-ink which has the texture and quality of printed paper aka it is not backlit, it does not have a refresh rate, and uses battery only when it changes state, also light and cuddly.
P.P.S Technically there is still one piece to go but that wacom tablet is a wee expensive...

Senator · « **Reply #207 on:** January 24, 2008, 04:49:59 PM »

The NASA Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity are still operational. They landed on 2004 and the official mission was for 90 days.

As a side note, they are powered by solar panels. Stick that in your non-renewable pipe and smoke it. And after you do try to find a gas station on Mars.

MLeo · « **Reply #208 on:** January 24, 2008, 05:01:27 PM »

Damn you Senator!
Now I want to burn my hard earned money on it!
Although, at 425 euro's, it's rather reasonably priced, especially when compared to others.

But I do wonder one thing, can I program on it? That would simply be the best.

Quote from: Senator on January 23, 2008, 10:15:00 PM

Soon the last piece of puzzle to my (minimalist) informatic home will fall in place:

...in which, a single, shiny black cube of a central computer will contain* and serve all Video/Pictures/Music/Books/Games/~~Radio/TV~~** & Internet.

Magnetic Tapes, Vinyl Disks, CDs, DVDs, Film and Paper? Inferior, inflexible mediums.

Long live the information age!

* mirrored raid disk array, I thought of what you might be thinking already. It's only until Holographic memory anyway.
** Technically yes, but I have hardly noticed the lack of a TV the last 3 years, any show I like I can get off the internet when I like it and any news instantly.

P.S. The thing on the image is an e-book reader. It uses e-ink which has the texture and quality of printed paper aka it is not backlit, it does not have a refresh rate, and uses battery only when it changes state, also light and cuddly.
P.P.S Technically there is still one piece to go but that wacom tablet is a wee expensive...

Senator · « **Reply #209 on:** January 24, 2008, 05:27:15 PM »

Quote

But I do wonder one thing, can I program on it? That would simply be the best.

No.

P.S. It's not an ultraportable or a PDA, you might want to see the HTC shift, or Asus Eee PC or something.
The whole point of these devices is the e-ink which is easy on the eyes. E-ink in itself, when it does refresh, has a terrible refresh rate, about the time it would take you to turn a page, but unacceptable for video. It is also just black & white.

captain_obvious · « **Reply #210 on:** January 25, 2008, 10:12:49 AM »

Quote from: Senator on January 24, 2008, 05:27:15 PM

Quote
But I do wonder one thing, can I program on it? That would simply be the best.
No.

P.S. It's not an ultraportable or a PDA, you might want to see the HTC shift, or Asus Eee PC or something.
The whole point of these devices is the e-ink which is easy on the eyes. E-ink in itself, when it does refresh, has a terrible refresh rate, about the time it would take you to turn a page, but unacceptable for video. It is also just black & white.

give it 20 years mate ;)

Senator · « **Reply #211 on:** January 25, 2008, 10:44:04 AM »

20 years? I knew you were conservative but, hoa, what's this, the pre-millenium? :P
Only goverment uses decades as timescales, Dubai decided the first of its artificial planetary surface area project, the first of which will be adding 78km to its coastline, in 2004 and has now practically finished it, and the project is considered grossly delayed.

I say 2.

And I say that, because I know colour e-ink readers already exist (they begin sale, about now, and they cost 1200 dollars).
And video color e-paper has already been demonstrated (as in constructed and working).

Armondikov · « **Reply #212 on:** January 25, 2008, 10:49:02 AM »

I remember e-ink when it was at the start of R&D and had to be plugged into something the size of a fridge to work properly. They said it would be, like, decades away but I'm sure it's barely been two years.

Senator · « **Reply #213 on:** January 25, 2008, 01:12:23 PM »

'tis the accelerated future. The Singularity is Coming, etc etc. :arms:

limey BSc. · « **Reply #214 on:** January 25, 2008, 01:29:28 PM »

2:10 - 2:20. Take that America

!

I don't quite beleive the predictions towards the end though (about computers exceeding the human brain computationally).

Senator · « **Reply #215 on:** January 25, 2008, 04:02:47 PM »

The Brain processor power is estimated to be about 100 teraflops.

Well, by quickly checking the Top 10 supercomputers, 7 of them already exceed that. Keep in mind that these computers are not trying to simulate intelligence, rather than get through data quickly. The fastest is one at 400 Teraflops.

The Blue Gene/P supercomputer will be designed to run continuously at 1 Petaflops
The Blue Gene/Q supercomputer is aiming at 10 Petaflops by 2011
(1 PFLOP = 1000 Teraflops)

Now, since we are on the subject, a computer with the objective to "simulate a brain", is planned if not well under construction already.
That is a project to actually simulate "virtual neurons" as well as their reposition and synapse forming. That's project blue brain.

Quote

Mission to build a simulated brain begins - title, New Scientist 2005
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7470
Project Blue Brain: http://bluebrain.epfl.ch/

Keep also in mind that these are pretty much done with current technology. These supercomputers could, strechably be said that they use the same processors with desktop computers, they simply have a ton of them.
Any future predictions are usually chicky-ly done with Moore's law. There are developments however "in the corner", like optical/photonic computing that could shatter Moore's law many times over and are not taken into account.

Senator · « **Reply #216 on:** January 25, 2008, 10:25:25 PM »

I cannot resist to post btw:

And a laptop:

lint · « **Reply #217 on:** January 26, 2008, 06:17:53 AM »

dude,
how fucking old is that ad?
:lol:

Senator · « **Reply #218 on:** January 26, 2008, 11:35:31 AM »

I don't know. Here we complain for not having video colour e-paper and back then apparently they didn't have colour printing on normal paper.

B.G in other words (Before Google). Ancient.

BTW. News are that World of Warcraft just hit 10 million subscribers. This makes it larger than 154 out of the 237 nations listed in the CIA factbook.

Norway's population is 4600000
Israel's population is 6400000

Each subscriber pays 13$ monthly fee.
Ergo, ergo Blizzard has a monthly income of 130 million dollars per month.
This means that yearly, it has an income of 1.56 billion.

Armondikov · « **Reply #219 on:** January 26, 2008, 03:37:48 PM »

Quote from: lint on January 26, 2008, 06:17:53 AM

dude,
how fucking old is that ad?
:lol:

It's practically Steampunk!

News:

Author Topic: Somewhat Useful Facts Thread (Read 204749 times)