* Posts by Xris Middleton

12 publicly visible posts • joined 1 May 2008

Sony shows off PS3 motion-control magic wand

Xris Middleton
Alert

Bah

Come on el Reg you write about the PS3 magic wand but have seemed to completely bypassed Microsofts Project NATAL. Do you guys have no imagination?

And your book notes! The other comments show why those are so narrow minded.

To begin with there is not going to be a total switch from one controller method to another, a physical hand held controller will remain with us for some time, the motion capture will add another level of control. Sure there will be tons of shovelware developed for it just like the Wii but other developers will find ways of incorporating it seamlessly into our current play styles.

Imagine a FPS where you can give hand signals to your squad mates, stop, get down, flank, go or an RPG where you can manage your inventory and menu screens with a simple wave. Then think about something like Tom Clancy's EndWar and how you could control whole armies with voice commands and physically directing them around or driving games that you use your legs for accelerating and breaking.

Project NATAL could add another layer of immersion that goes far beyond what motion sensing physical controllers can.

Then consider plugging the same technology into your TV or your PC or your home, the possibilities are endless. If it actually works as well as Microsoft are saying what happens when they add it as a feature to a future Windows operating system bypassing the need for people to upgrade to touch screen monitors.

We will see.

Germans resist Street View invasion of privacy

Xris Middleton
Alert

RotM

Hang on, "the blurring technology is self-learning and needs more data to improve".

Is nobody else seriously worried about this? What happens when this "technology/sentient A.I/skynet" decides that the easiest way to improve its service is by literally blurring the faces of people in the real world.

Chip cooler launches liquid nitro at CPUs

Xris Middleton
Thumb Up

Imagine that at a LAN!!!

Hire some hot babe to keep your tank full while you game away and you would be the coolest geek in the world.

Brown red in face after blusher found in cab

Xris Middleton
IT Angle

IT Angle

One would assume that the "detailed instructions" were written and printed on a computer, maybe even one that is connected to an unsecured goverment network.

Darth Vader tops movie misquote poll

Xris Middleton
Flame

Should I complete the article for you?

1. No, I am your father. (Star Wars V)

2. Magic mirror on the wall - who is the fairest one of all? (Snow White)

3. Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya punk? (Dirty Harry)

4. Play it, Sam. (Casablanca)

5. Good evening, Clarice. (Silence of the Lambs)

6. Scotty, beam us up! (Star Trek)

7. Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. (Gone With the Wind)

8. If you build it, he will come. (Field of Dreams)

9. Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore. (Wizard of Oz)

10. Mrs. Robinson - you are trying to seduce me .... Aren't you? (The Graduate)

Courtesy of a bit of googling

Courtesy of someone else who used Wikiquote

P.S. I want the 2 mins back it took me to find this.

US lawmakers to de-silence electric cars

Xris Middleton
Alert

RE: Most

"nice quiet environments where the blind can actually listen for the quiet hiss of tires on the road,"

Not all cars are going to suddenly become electric over night; there will be a mix of electric and combustible vehicles, making plenty of noise, occupying the roads. Of course once all the oil runs out this will cease to be a problem.

"Bicycles have existed for centuries without that being a problem..."

Because if a bicycles hits you at 15ish mph the chance of it doing serious bodily harm is low. Also they have a smaller profile and I’m pretty sure the rider takes more notice of who steps in front of him giving him time to manoeuvre.

"How many blind people (if any) got run over by an electric car or an hybrid in the US"

What percentage of vehicles in the US are silent electric? As this figure grows then surely the number of auto accidents will increase as well. How many blind people are we allowed to run over before we decide to do something about it, 56?

Why is preventative action that will protect people that have a disability been shouted down?

Boffins build super-accurate atomic clock

Xris Middleton

Useful but...

"reducing the strontium atoms' temperature to a few millionths of a degree closer to absolute zero"

Am I being led to believe that the atoms are now a few millionths of a degree above absolute zero or were they originally at room temperature and they just lowered that by a few millionths of a degree closer to absolute zero.

I only ask because ıf you were to use this for improving the synchronization of telecom networks or on deep-space communications, what size is the kit necessary to reduce the temperature to near absolute zero?

I would imagine that it isn't small or cheep enough to be used that extensively.

Boeing: Raygun dreadnoughts will rule the oceans by 2019

Xris Middleton

Multi-layered Defense

When a functioning Laser weapon systems such as this does make it onto warships it is not going to solely used. It will be incorporated into a multi-layered defense system involving anti missile missles and CIWS. It is just an additonal technology to increase the percentage of suvival.

Plus it is not going to replace aircraft carriers, only make it even harder to kill them. There are many reasons why aircraft (manned or drone) are more useful than fixed firing assets during in a wartime theatre.

And 1000 missiles. If someone decides that they can afford and even have the capability to fire 1000 missiles at once they are not going to be firing it at a single ship but at a carrier battle group. So as well as fighters in the sky you have several laser and anti missle armed cruises and destroyers, asw ships and friendly submarines in the surrounding area.

YouTube a 'half billion dollar failbucket'

Xris Middleton
Stop

RE: by "not worth anything"...

I wouldn't worry about watching any movie, I can tell you exactly why that video got watched 90 gazillion times because my girlfriend has watched it enough times.

<rant>Supposedly "it's cute", now im not completely sure what that means but as soon as my girlfriend saw it she went all googlely eyed and started making strange noises and wouldn't stop talking about how sweet and cute and blah blah blah.

I watched it once, had a little laugh, agreed that indeed it was "cute" and went on my merry way. She then proceeded to watch it everyday for what seemed like several weeks and when I showed no further interest I was branded as being insensitive, unfeeling and not caring about babies/children/her. Even though it isn't my child and watching other peoples children on home videos kinda creeps me out, can they arrest you for that yet?</rant>

Where was I. Anyway, basically the reason that video has so many views is because women like babies.

Who would have thought hey.

DARPA: Give us solar cells you can use to build stuff

Xris Middleton

Hmmmm

So the "Power Bone" is used to create a "Power Skeleton" which is covered in a "Power Skin" thus unleashing on the world some sort of unstoppable solar powered cybernetic machines. If this were to happen the ony way for mankind to survive would be to block out the sun with......wait a minute.

BTW- Why has no Bond Villan ever come close to something as awesome and destructive as Project Pluto. I know what i'll be building in my volcano lair.

Every Italian's tax bill published online

Xris Middleton
Paris Hilton

RE: Why can't our government move out of the stone age?

With this government's history of implementing I.T. systems anything like this would go tit's up and actually protect our data. We would cock up the attempt to cock up.

The only reason the goverment loses the physical data is in hope that a third party will publish it.

Paris because she enjoys a "cock up".