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Comment Fatigue will be a problem (Score 1) 65

When I started working for an imaging lab in a midwest medical institution in 1984, we were exploring the utility of a vibrating mirror display, which provided a real 3D image (you could move your head to see behind things). Part of my work involved support software for point, line and plane cursors to segment and refine the image. The cursors were driven by a freespace mouse (we called it a "bat") which you held in one hand. Given poor response times, it was difficult to control the device for more than a few minutes with your hand in the air, especially as you waited for the cursor to catch up with your movement. Modern technology could eliminate the slow response, but keeping a hand motionless in the air for extended periods can be a problem.

Comment A bit of (relevant) history (Score 2) 130

In 1984-85 I helped develop a 3D mouse (I called it "the bat, a mouse that flew") for use with a real 3D display we had running to explore 3D images from our real time 3D CT image scanner. The bat could control point cursors as well as line and plane cursors. Hardware limitations made it slow, but beyond that, fatigue soon set in while using the device, making it unrealistic for use in practical applications. I'm not surprised that Kinect seems to be suffering from a fate that I perceive as similar.

Comment Re:Mobile Home or Trailer? (Score 1) 237

Our early retired life was spent moving a lot, we traveled in 45 states in 4 years, including Alaska. In that case, a motor home was imminently practical, as it's much easier to park and set up than a trailer (built in leveling jacks, back-up cameras, etc). Nowadays, our traveling is somewhat constrained by the cost of fuel, we don't travel as often, and your idea makes good sense. Many folks do just what you suggest.

Comment Re:Too high (Score 2) 237

Thanks for the on-target comments. My anecdotal experience here agrees with your research. Given the canopy of trees here, I don't think a 70 foot tower will improve things, but the concept sounds perfect. I have done some strength charting using stumbler, but only outdoors. Last year, I personally used an external USB WIFI dongle to get above other RVs and outside my own walls, and given that we were about 5 rows away form the nearest AP, it worked OK. There are still areas in this park without any signal. I'm thinking that a mesh system will allow us to fill those in.

Submission + - Difficult campground wifi design

MahlonS writes: "I am a retired network hack wintering in my RV in a campground in southern GA. 3 years ago I reconfigured the wifi system to a marginal working ability, It's now ready for a serious upgrade prompted by a new cable net connection replacing a weak DSL. 5 dual radio HP Curve access points connect to a 6th via single or double radio hops (effectively a Wireless Distribution System) in heavily wooded space. Unidirectional antennas at the APs are placed on poles above the RVs, about 15 feet above ground. Primary hops are about 300 feet to 3 of the APs, secondary hops about the same. Signal measurements indicate that there is adequate RF between the access points. In 2008, average user count averaged about 30 users; newer devices (smart phones, etc) will likely increase that number (winter population total is about 80 RVs). While the old design worked OK when lightly loaded, I suspect that the single DSL line generated so many packet resends that the APs were flooded. APs are in water resistant enclosures. This is a quasi-State Park, so money is always an issue, but there is enough squawk from the user community that a modest budget might be approved
The main AP connects to an old Cisco router. Burying wire is frowned upon, due to shallow utilities, and campfire rings that float around the campsites sometimes melting TV cables. Since I'm not up on current wifi tech, are there solutions out there that would make this system work much better? (Resubmitted from https://slashdot.org/submission/1853742/difficult-campground-wifi-design )"
Piracy

Sony Joins the Offensive Against Pre-Owned Games 461

BanjoTed writes "In a move to counter sales of pre-owned games, EA recently revealed DLC perks for those who buy new copies of Mass Effect 2 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Now, PlayStation platform holder Sony has jumped on the bandwagon with similar plans for the PSP's SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3. '[Players] will need to register their game online before they are able to access the multiplayer component of the title. UMD copies will use a redeemable code while the digital version will authenticate automatically in the background. Furthermore ... anyone buying a pre-owned copy of the game will be forced to cough up $20 to obtain a code to play online."
Image

Bark Beetles Hate Rush Limbaugh and Heavy Metal 220

Aryabhata writes "According to scientists, climate change and human activity have allowed bark beetle populations to soar. They decided to fight the beetles by using the 'nastiest, most offensive sounds' that they could think of. These sounds included recordings of Guns & Roses, Queen, Rush Limbaugh and manipulated versions of the insects' own sounds. The research project titled 'Beetle Mania' has concluded that acoustic stress can disrupt their feeding and even cause the beetles to kill each other."
Image

Seinfeld's Good Samaritan Law Now Reality? 735

e3m4n writes "The fictitious 'good samaritan' law from the final episode of Seinfeld (the one that landed them in jail for a year) appears to be headed toward reality for California residents after the house passed this bill. There are some differences, such as direct action is not required, but the concept of guilt by association for not doing the right thing is still on the face of the bill."
Debian

FreeNAS Switching From FreeBSD To Debian Linux 206

dnaumov writes "FreeNAS, a popular, free NAS solution, is moving away from using FreeBSD as its underlying core OS and switching to Debian Linux. Version 0.8 of FreeNAS as well as all further releases are going to be based on Linux, while the FreeBSD-based 0.7 branch of FreeNAS is going into maintenance-only mode, according to main developer Volker Theile. A discussion about the switch, including comments from the developers, can be found on the FreeNAS SourceForge discussion forum. Some users applaud the change, which promises improved hardware compatibility, while others voice concerns regarding the future of their existing setups and lack of ZFS support in Linux."

Submission + - AT&T sues Verizon over "Map for that" ads

MahlonS writes: AP is reporting on a suit filed in Northern Georgia in which AT&T claims that Verizon's "There's a Map for That" ads are misleading and amount to deceptive trade practices. AP's article is available here: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ATT_VERIZON_LAWSUIT?SITE=KVUE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Verizon had already agreed to modify their original ad to include a tag line that voice and data services are available outside 3G coverage areas. Personally, I have my own evidence that Verizon's ad is misleading. At our summer home in Maine, Verizon's map claims full 3G coverage, but we rarely have voice coverage, even outdoors.

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