Check it out. Over in the UK, supposedly, a group of hackers is holding a
satellite for blackmail. A military satellite, at that! And if you've been
living under a rock lately, you may not have noticed the onslaught of Y2K
articles. I think for the rest of this year there should be a NEW
news section in the paper... You've got the front page, news2, sports, living...
not we've got Y2K! Anyway...
And if I'm wrong and they're right and the network is in it's infancy, then I can't wait for puberty...!
ANYWAY... Back to reality. I've done some testing with my Phantom security software. It's pretty awesome, it's scalabilty is just huge. Not only can be it scaled in terms of additional machines, but any device that can be related to security or surveillance can be hooked in! I've sent a message to the GNU to see if I can put it somewhere anyone can get it!
I tell ya, I thought I had heard it all. But I was wrong. I was about happily half way through the book I'm reading about robots, ( Robots: Mere Machine To Transcendent Mind), and it took a tangent that brought down my mood for an entire day. It's not often that you read something that so makes you angry that it affects everything you do for a day... In any case, the author Hans Moravec, starts the first half of the book detailing the history of the robotics past. It then goes on predicting whats going to happen in robots in the next fifty years... all of which I think are pretty accurate (admitting that I'm not even in the field...). But then it goes on to a hundred or so years in the future. Now, I'm sci-fi fan, and I enjoy reading stories involving the future of the human race. In any case... the author goes on and devotes the rest of his book on humans that download (err.. upload?) themselves into ultra-advanced robots. He calls these beings Exes (and is probably right in stating that he coined the term). Now, the idea has been used in sci-fi in the past, but he devoted roughly the last half of his book to it! I don't know why it made me so upset, but it really did. Perhaps (and I will write a long detailed essay and post it here when I get the time) it conflicts with my own ideas of what the future of humanity holds... In any case, I loved the first half of the book, but I think I'll have to re-read the last half again some time with a more open-minded approach.
Robotz! I've been reading this book on robots, and the more I read, the more
I want to be in the game. I tell you, it's going to be very crazy in the next
millennium. I've found and modified a C (not C++) program for Linux (maybe
for all POSIX Unix systems...) which outputs a bit to each of the 8 main
output bits. My main focus for this is a security system project for my
company, but I'm happy I've got this, because it will be a driving force for
focusing on Linux in the Robot project.
Did I say security system? Yes! Think about it. I could use a standalone DOS machine using BASIC and magnets and movement sensors to create a neat security system, but it would be just that, standalone. If I create one in a networked enviornment using a Network Operating System, then the security machine could communicate to the whole network! As an example, my SprintPCS phone can receive E-mail. If any important machine on my network goes down, then I get an e-mail stating so. Now, if there is a security breach in the building, then I will know via e-mail! Not only that, but if there is a user on the network at another location, then they can be alerted immediately, and the appropriate people called.
I send an e-mail to a friend last night after taking the pictures of my car. I made an advertisement for the 1999 Jizzo Pimpmobile. I quite amused myself (it doesn't take much!), so I think I'll post it. In fact (becuase I have no life and too much time on my hands) I'm going to create similar ads for the '98 and '97 models (my '64 Impala and '85 Park Avenue, respectively). Hey! What can I say???
Ahh! I found my notes for the Surround Sound stuff. This table should be used as a sort of 'guide' for creating semi-precise sound in a surround-sound system.
| Sound placed at | Pro-Logic Mode Sound Goes To: | Non Pro-Logic Mode Sound Goes To: |
|---|---|---|
| Center (40h) | L, R, C, S | C |
| Left (00h) | L, C, S | L, 1/2C, 1/4S |
| Right (80h) | R, C, S | R, 1/2C, 1/4S |
| Surround (A4h) | S | S |
| L & R | L, R, C, S | C |
So, following this, it isn't possible (using ModPlug alone) to put a sound encompasing the full room, and a sound coming from the L&R (but not center). Nor is it possible to have a sound go from the front three speakers, and fade it to the rear speaker (In Pro-Logic mode, sound comes from all speakers, and fades to the rear. In Non Pro-Logic mode, sound comes from center only, and fades to rear.). However, it is possible to make a wave of the mod of a sound in a specific sound field, and mix it with another wave file using MS Sound Recorder, and have it come out real precise. Enjoy! I know I will...
In any case... I jumping around the web today, and ran across some interesting
info. All info was accumulated from the following websites:
Star Wars,
Dolby, and
THX.
From these sources I've found that an updated sound format is emerging: Dolby Digital - Surround Ex. It's an addition to Dolby Digital (AKA "5.1"). It adds
a center surround channel to the layout of the speakers in a home theater. And
it doesn't necessarily mean throwing out the existing receiver (or decoder).
According to Dolby/THX, all that's required is the addition of a new component
to existing Dolby Digital/5.1 systems. It's the Dolby SA10. After I read
this I was frantically searching the web for one of these. However, the only
thing I came up with was the
Circle Surround EX Surround Adapter
from SMART Devices, Inc. But they want $895 for it, and, apparently, it's more
for real movie theaters, although it's touted as being available for any
existing Dolby Digital/5.1 setup. DAMN. Oh well. I'll just have
to live with one less toy for now. Hell, I can't do anything 'till I get my
DVD player back :)
IN ANY CASE... I've made a number of modifications to my car in the week
that I've had it. I've already put the rims and stereo system in it, and I've
now added GTS headlight covers to it. The final step... Window Tint! I've
got a friend who "knows" someone who does it, and I'm trying to get that hooked
up... who knows??? Schweet... check me out...
I'M FRUSTRATED
Anyway, that's what brought me up. Now let's see how long the interim lasts!
Good News? Sure, there's got to be, right? Well, OK. I still have part of a warranty covering the parts for my DVD player. However, I have to pay for labor (which, I was told, should not be more than 1 hour). In that light, I was told it may be three weeks before I see it again :(!
In other news, It's Groundhogs Day. I love the irony in it all. Here, we got every weather man/woman anxiously awaiting the outcome of an animal and its shadow! I don't have much respect for weather people in any case, but I find this very amusing (it doesn't take much!). Did he see is shadow? Who gives a fuck? We got an army of men and women with billion-dollar computers who couldn't tell you accurately what the weather will be like TOMORROW, let alone the rest of winter...
Oh, I almost forgot. I painted my car. Not with spraypaint, but a brush! I had some left over from painting my basement, so my brother and I did it. I used a bit of chrome spraypaint, though, just to touch it up :). It looked pretty cool Sunday. But now, after two days of rain, it's bubbling up and peeling off :(.
Anyway, let me get off that derailing train of thought and jump
on another set of tracks. You know, there are disadvantages of being an
early adopter of technology. A year ago I bought my DVD player. And in that
year (and the last two weeks, really), I've created one hell of an entertainment
center. With the creation of my basement room, it's a borderline home
theater. And in that last year I've become very accustomed to watching
theater-quality movies as they come out on DVD. Well, last week my
DVD died. And in the past few days I've begun to realize just how much I
depend on new technologies. I've been watching VHS tapes for the past few days,
and I'll tell you what, they just don't compare!. Now I'm caught
in a bind. Buy a new one, or have my old one fixed? My old one is one of
the first generation, so the new ones should be even better than mine. But
a new one is expensive! And with the money I just dished out for my room
(which, by the way, came to roughly $1000, not $800), I'm strapped. Should
I get mine fixed? How much will that cost? How long will it take? I've
a pitiful life. :)
I've changed the look of the site a 'lil. I've learned some JavaScript tricks with the Site Menu stuff. It's pretty cool. I really want to get back on the robot project, but I love my current status quo in reading books. But as things develop, so shall the site!
Well, I came really close to buying a 1989 Cadillac Brougham here. I wanted
it bad, too. However, my Thunderbird got fixed. So I'm kind of figuring
out what I want to do now... I don't know if I want to get a new car after I
get all my bills paid off, or throw mad money at my Impala... Who knows what
to do...
Well, it 1999. M2 Played Prince's 1999 for 24 hours straight on
New Years Day. It was one of the craziest things I've seen in my life. Very,
VERY weird. And the Year 2000 Problem is starting to dominate the
press. Well, dominate might not be the right word at this point in time...
BUT IT WILL BE SOON... So what do you do to prepare??? Well, don't
take all your money out of the bank... that's just going to add to the problem.
But be sure and stash some flashlights and canned food, just to be safe.
BUT ENOUGH OF THE NAYSAYING...
In the various conversations I've had with people on the number of cars I've been through this year, I've prepared a list here for everyone. These are the cars that I've been through in 1998/1999 SO FAR...:
I've got all that need to start on the basic frame of Robot J1 Alpha 0.10. So, provided some doesn't sidetrack me, I'm going to get some work done!