Comment Re:Kids these days! (Score 1) 493
In the article, the students' computers were issuing a "File Not Found" error
Everything is a file.
Submission + - How do you use vintage computing hardware on modern displays?
50000BTU_barbecue writes: I like using computers from the 1980s and early 1990s "in the flesh" as it were. Real hardware with all the weirdness that goes with it. We still use the same electrical plugs and keyboards and joysticks are still similar-looking but display devices have become these enormous high-resolution devices with fewer and fewer analog inputs. Old CRTs are starting to lose sharpness and brightness and may get tossed or damaged when moving.
The solution is to use some sort of video upscaler. There are many devices offered from cheap Chinese units for about 10$ to old professional studio scalers from 10-20 years ago. The Chinese units have no controls and are quite variable in the results obtained. But they're cheap. The old scalers would deliver professional results but are not guaranteed to work with consumer monitors or lock onto the non-standard timings of the non-interlaced "240p" video common on 8-bit computers.
What device do you use?
The solution is to use some sort of video upscaler. There are many devices offered from cheap Chinese units for about 10$ to old professional studio scalers from 10-20 years ago. The Chinese units have no controls and are quite variable in the results obtained. But they're cheap. The old scalers would deliver professional results but are not guaranteed to work with consumer monitors or lock onto the non-standard timings of the non-interlaced "240p" video common on 8-bit computers.
What device do you use?
Comment Re: I suspect they have seeded the galaxy with (Score 1) 135
Or see Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds (among many others)
Comment Re:Screaming (Score 1) 320
I was home sick from High School too listening to the launch on the Voice of America on my shortwave radio in my room. The announcers initially sounded hopeful that the crew compartment somehow made it to the water in a way that may have been survivable. Then I went downstairs and saw the video on CNN and that hope was gone.
Comment Re:A slashdot favorite! (Score 1) 349
Comment Re:Usual answer to a headline question (Score 1) 461
I also migrated to AOL from Prodigy - in 1991 I think - when Prodigy raised their prices. I still have that AOL e-mail address although it's only been a spam-sink for 15 years or so.
Comment Re:X-Files vs. Bab-5 - ouch! (Score 1) 480
I was prime demographic early teen geek when TNG started but gave up on it after about the third episode. After sitting through a 45 minute majestic saucer separation and recognizing Q as the ultimate writer's device to be able to place the characters in any possible scenario (as if the future and a big section of the galaxy wasn't enough) I couldn't take it anymore. I've only seen sporadic episodes of any of the series since and haven't felt driven to watch any of the full series. I suppose in my dotage when free time may not be in such tight supply I'll sit through the lot. I haven't seen any TOS in 25 years but feel like I still have them memorized from the time before TNG.
Lacking the MST3K option, x-files got my vote although I find books are still generally the best delivery method for sci-fi.
Comment Re:Plant Recognition (Score 1) 421
I'd by happy with being able to take a photo of a trail, field, or camping site and having poison ivy/oak/etc pointed out to me.
Comment Re:What a nightmare (Score 1) 332
relying on "magical" things and/or super tech to achieve the desired story line
Can't get much better than having Q and the holodeck for arranging any scenario needed to let the writers off the hook from coming up with stories set in it the ST time frame.
One might think that being in the future with a galaxy of worlds and species to explore would result in sufficient stories to be told, but apparently not...
Comment Re:Something is missing (Score 2, Informative) 94
A) There is not that much Martian atmosphere to slow the "meteorite" to the point a "soft landing" and I can see no re-entry rockets on said rock; so your reasoning is bollocks.
In the BBC series Wonders of the Solar System, this type of non-crater-producing Martian meteorite is used as possible evidence that Mars had a thicker atmosphere in the distant past when these meteorites impacted. It was in the Thin Blue Line episode if I remember correctly.
Artist Photoshops Scenes From WWII Into Present Day 150
Russian photographer Sergey Larenkov has taken old World War II photos and photoshopped them over the locations in present day. The scenes from places like Prague, Vienna, and Moscow are incredibly well done and a neat way to appreciate history.
The Big Technical Mistakes of History 244
An anonymous reader tips a PC Authority review of some of the biggest technical goofs of all time. "As any computer programmer will tell you, some of the most confusing and complex issues can stem from the simplest of errors. This article looking back at history's big technical mistakes includes some interesting trivia, such as NASA's failure to convert measurements to metric, resulting in the Mars Climate Orbiter being torn apart by the Martian atmosphere. Then there is the infamous Intel Pentium floating point fiasco, which cost the company $450m in direct costs, a battering on the world's stock exchanges, and a huge black mark on its reputation. Also on the list is Iridium, the global satellite phone network that promised to make phones work anywhere on the planet, but required 77 satellites to be launched into space."
4G iPhone Misplacer Invited To Germany For Beer 164
eldavojohn writes "You may recall the hapless engineer who left a fairly sensitive iPhone at a bar recently. Well, in a PR stunt, Lufthansa has invited him to visit Germany on their dime after citing his latest Facebook status, 'I underestimated how good German beer is' as well as his obvious passion for German beer and culture. It's not clear if Gray Powell has decided to 'pick up where he last left off' (as the letter puts it). I know what my decision would be."
How Do I Create a Spiritual Game Successor? 125
An anonymous reader writes "I've recently been on a legacy video game binge, reliving the nostalgic days, when I realized that one of my favorite old games can be vastly improved with a few tweaks. This game is pretty much made for a controller, so I would love to get it done on Xbox Live, but doing it on the PC is just as viable. Unfortunately, I am pretty sure the game is not in the public domain yet. Based on previous stories covered here, some companies are all for community made successors while others choose to give them the crushing blow from the start. My question is: how far is too far when one is trying to make a spiritual successor? I do not intend to copy any materials, but it would be lovely if I could incorporate some game design ideas (very general level design, movement, and just one or two game features)."
Apple Patches Massive Holes In OS X 246
Trailrunner7 writes with this snippet from ThreatPost: "Apple's first Mac OS X security update for 2010 is out, providing cover for at least 12 serious vulnerabilities. The update, rated critical, plugs security holes that could lead to code execution vulnerabilities if a Mac user is tricked into opening audio files or surfing to a rigged Web site." Hit the link for a list of the highlights among these fixes.
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Biology is the only science in which multiplication means the same thing as division.
