Jeff Lee <j...@smylex.UUCP> writes: >In articlee <7632.1120.uu...@the-matrix.com>, tommy.us...@the-matrix.com (Tommy >Usher) writes: >> In article <1993Dec24.025824.5...@scammell.ecos.tne.oz.au>, >> p...@scammell.ecos.tne.oz.au (Peter) writes:
>>>And I really really hate it when all Aliens speak English.
>> Haven't you ever heard about the Universal Translator? They have done >> a couple of episodes that emphasized this. One involved a race that did >> not use a normal type of language, and the other they showed it slowing >> figuring it out. >1) the Universal Translator also seems to handle making the aliens' mouths >look like they're speaking the English words :-), and
Well, that is just another example of Starfleet technology. In this case, the "Appearance-of-a-Bad-Kung-Fu-Movie-Avoidance" Software in the view screen software. Granted, it seems to work face to face also. Perhaps the universal translator projects a holographic image that is superimposed over the speakers face. Then again, maybe trying to explain things like this, really is as silly as it sounds.
>2) even when the aliens *were* speaking a different kind of language (I >believe the episode was called `Darmok', or something like that), >they were still using English words (rock, river, etc.)
Well, I thing the idea there was that their language used a different basis. The computer could translate the words, but it could not figure out what they actually meant. But I was thinking of the Deep Space Nine episode a few weeks ago. --- . SLMR 2.1a . Computers aren't intelligent. They only think they are.
i...@cc.usu.edu writes: >In article <7632.1120.uu...@the-matrix.com>, tommy.us...@the-matrix.com (Tommy >sher) writes: >> In article <1993Dec24.025824.5...@scammell.ecos.tne.oz.au>, >>>And I really really hate it when all Aliens speak English.
>> Haven't you ever heard about the Universal Translator? >Sure, but then how come their lips always sync up? Watching an alien that >is speaking English through the universal translator ought to be like >watching a dubbed Asian kickflick.
Then you will probably appreciate the answer I gave to this in a previous message. ;-) --- . SLMR 2.1a . Lottery (n), A tax on people who are bad at math.
While we're on the subject of Hollywood writers screwing up computers, I recall one episode of the new "Mission: Impossible" where the data display for one computer supposedly printed out a detailed color screen's worth of data. You could see the monitor, but you could easily tell that what it displayed was matted in. Which was a good thing, because the monitor was an old-time TRS-80 Model I monochrome job.
In article <GALLJE%DFE....@pcmail.usafa.af.mil>, GALLJE%...@pcmail.usafa.af.mil (JAMES E. GALL) write:
>And who's holding the camera on those external shots of the Enterprise?
Worf, he likes to show how tough he really is.
>And why is every mission on a Saturday?
Ah, this is one of the innovations of the 24th Century. They have eliminated all the rest of the week, leaving only that one day. I mean, Saturday IS everyone's favorite day.
>And why does Picard go undercover as an actor to appear on old Earth talk >shows? :)
Well, he IS an amateur archaeologist. Where else would he go to look for ruins? --- . SLMR 2.1a . OK, OK... Right after this it's back to the topic!
>>>And I really really hate it when all Aliens speak English.
>>Haven't you ever heard about the Universal Translator?
>Sure, but then how come their lips always sync up? Watching an alien that >is speaking English through the universal translator ought to be like >watching a dubbed Asian kickflick.
Dune did the tranlator right near the beginning of the film when the giant tadpole (Guild member) came to see the emperor.
/===============================================================\ |Scott Maxwell * Has anyone noticed that CBS anchor | |sco...@cup.portal.com * Jim Jenson is starting to sound like | |Amiga 1000, 2000, 1200 * WJM anchor Ted Baxter? | |Pet, SuperPET, Vic, 64 *---------------------------------------| |128D, 800XL, TI, //e * Good nighs and good newt - Ted Baxter | \===============================================================/
In article <99...@cup.portal.com> Sco...@cup.portal.com (Scott - Maxwell) writes:
>Dune did the tranlator right near the beginning of the film when the giant >tadpole (Guild member) came to see the emperor.
It's the way there's even a lag as the thing gets up to speed and the conversation has holes in it where the alien & English are different lengths. (Quite apart from the fact that it's one of the few decent bits in the entire script.. most of the dialogue is rather formula.)
-- the SillyWiz -- -------------------------------------+------------------------------------- - The University of Warwick cares little | It is now wise to turn off your for my opinions the rest of the time so| Macintosh. it can't have these if it wants them. | (RESTART) -------------------------------------+------------------------------------- - Keith Lucas ---- silly...@dcs.warwick.ac.uk , cs...@csv.warwick.ac.uk --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -
Over Xmas in the UK, TRON was shown on TV. Has anyone noticed the bit where they break into the LASER facility, and Flynn hits the LAP/RESET button on the entry panel to get them in? My watch has one of those, I wonder if it'll do the same for me.
-- Lance S. Buckley (LSB) la...@avalon.demon.co.uk Living on the edge of the Brentford Triangle... Belay that knobkerry Neville, and make mine a pint of Large! (*sniff* Can you smell creosote?) [PGP 2.3a key available on request, and via keyserver]
In article <7997.1120.uu...@the-matrix.com>, tommy.us...@the-matrix.com (Tommy Usher) writes: > In article <719-JNEWS-...@smylex.UUCP>, Jeff Lee <j...@smylex.UUCP> writes:
>>2) even when the aliens *were* speaking a different kind of language (I >>believe the episode was called `Darmok', or something like that), >>they were still using English words (rock, river, etc.)
> Well, I thing the idea there was that their language used a different > basis. The computer could translate the words, but it could not figure > out what they actually meant.
Figuring out the words without knowing the context in which they're used? Must be some pretty good software! (trying desperately to get this back to something VAGUELY related to afc) :-)
===== Jeff Lee / j...@smylex.uucp / jlee%smylex.u...@tscs.tscs.com ===== ===== SCA: Lord Godfrey de Shipbrook, Trimaris Barque Herald ===== ===== Per pale azure and argent, a clarion counterchanged or and gules =====
"Why would a haddock kill itself? Why am I even asking that question?"
In article <724-JNEWS-...@smylex.UUCP> Jeff Lee <j...@smylex.UUCP> writes: >In article <7997.1120.uu...@the-matrix.com>, tommy.us...@the-matrix.com (Tommy Usher) writes: >> In article <719-JNEWS-...@smylex.UUCP>, Jeff Lee <j...@smylex.UUCP> writes:
>>>2) even when the aliens *were* speaking a different kind of language (I >>>believe the episode was called `Darmok', or something like that), >>>they were still using English words (rock, river, etc.)
>> Well, I thing the idea there was that their language used a different >> basis. The computer could translate the words, but it could not figure >> out what they actually meant.
>Figuring out the words without knowing the context in which they're used? >Must be some pretty good software! (trying desperately to get this back >to something VAGUELY related to afc) :-)
Not all that difficult, just do a direct translation to the target language. Now, making scense of the output is the tough part.
-spc ("What happened? Why did the alien monster fire upon us?" "All I said was 'We greet you with open arms.' It replied 'You avian belong,' turned away, cut communications, and fired. What more can I say?")
In article <2gdj7j$...@inca.gate.net>, s...@inca.gate.net (Sean 'Captain Napalm' Conner) writes:
> In article <724-JNEWS-...@smylex.UUCP> Jeff Lee <j...@smylex.UUCP> writes: >>In article <7997.1120.uu...@the-matrix.com>, tommy.us...@the-matrix.com (Tommy Usher) writes:
>>> Well, I thing the idea there was that their language used a different >>> basis. The computer could translate the words, but it could not figure >>> out what they actually meant.
>>Figuring out the words without knowing the context in which they're used? >>Must be some pretty good software! (trying desperately to get this back >>to something VAGUELY related to afc) :-)
> Not all that difficult, just do a direct translation to the target language.
The problem I have with it is that when you're dealing with an alien race you've never met before, you're not going to be *able* to do a direct translation until you know what the words mean -- and you can't figure out what the words mean until you can build some kind of contextual reference.
On Star Trek, however, it begins translating from the first word spoken.
Say you come upon an alien vessel, which transmits the phrase `blort fleeble flarp'. It could mean `identify yourself' or `we come in peace' or even `prepare to die'.* Yet the Trusty Olde Federation Equipment (well, trusty until they need an easy means of endangering the vessel) is able to magically translate it into English perfectly (and, of course, translate English into the alien language, including words that the aliens haven't even spoken yet -- an even neater trick, in my book).
* What you'd need, in that case, would be something like a Digital Betazoid circuit, so as to state the blindingly obvious:
Alien: Blort fleeble flarp! (fires photon torpedoes) Translator: I sense great hostility. Probable translation: Prepare to die.
===== Jeff Lee / j...@smylex.uucp / jlee%smylex.u...@tscs.tscs.com ===== ===== SCA: Lord Godfrey de Shipbrook, Trimaris Barque Herald ===== ===== Per pale azure and argent, a clarion counterchanged or and gules =====
"Why would a haddock kill itself? Why am I even asking that question?"
: Hmm. I never saw those. We had these boxy-LED things on both DPS8 and : L66 consoles, but it was after the DPS8 was out. CP-6 could even run : on a machine composed of both DPS8 and L66 CPUs.
I just wish modern systems have that kind of stuff. It whould be great to have a remote unix uptime metter, something that I could carry in my pocket and that shows the uptime, number of users, free disk, and so on... And that whould start beeping in case of a panic, low disk or high uptime...
The only modern machines with blinkenglights that I know are the Unisys 6000 (they have on the backside some LEDs, and 8 of them are counting in binary) and the HP Apollo 4000 witch have an heart LED pulsing (1 Hz, it looks).
Then, there is the IBM RS/6000 with the 3 digits LED that a user can access with a program (forguet the name) and making it display a flashing 888 to the joy of the sysadmin... 8-) -- Regards, .--------------------------------------------------. .-------------. | Antonio Vasconcelos at The Lisbon $tock Exchange | | sysadmin & | | "I DO NOT SPEAK FOR BVL !!!" | | perl rookie | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | ASCII: va...@bvl.pt Micro$oft Mail: Antonio_Vasconce...@bvl.pt | | SUNmail: va...@morgan.bvl.pt NeXTMail: r...@jessica.bvl.pt | `-_________________________________________________________________-' X-Tagline: "Modesty died when false modesty was born." Mark Twain
Antonio Vasconcelos <va...@bvl.pt> wrote: > The only modern machines with blinkenglights that I know are the > Unisys 6000 (they have on the backside some LEDs, and 8 of them are > counting in binary) and the HP Apollo 4000 witch have an heart LED > pulsing (1 Hz, it looks).
DPT SCSI controllers have a bank of LEDS that run in cylon mode when everythings OK.
If a single LED counts, the Amiga line of computers have a software-controlled power light that tells you (among other things) if the audio filter's cut out or it's been reset. -- Peter da Silva. <pe...@sugar.neosoft.com>. `-_-' Ja' abracas-te o teu lobo, hoje? 'U` Looks like UNIX, Feels like UNIX, works like MVS -- IBM advertisement.
In article <2govtf$...@sugar.NeoSoft.COM> pe...@sugar.NeoSoft.COM (Peter da Silva) writes:
>If a single LED counts, the Amiga line of computers have a software-controlled >power light
I know that it's considered better to do things in s/w than h/w but having a software controlled power light is ridiculous ! WTH did they do that ?
Simon. -- <"We are all standing in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."> < - Oscar Wilde. | Help me start up alt.fan.feynman ! | slav...@psy.man.ac.uk >
: In article <2govtf$...@sugar.NeoSoft.COM> pe...@sugar.NeoSoft.COM (Peter da Silva) writes: : >If a single LED counts, the Amiga line of computers have a software-controlled : >power light : I know that it's considered better to do things in s/w than h/w : but having a software controlled power light is ridiculous ! : WTH did they do that ? Because the power LED serves two functions: One, it's a power light, and two, it's an indicator as to whether or not the high-pass audio filter is turned on. It's kinda pointless to have an audio filter that's not software controllable, you can control it via software... Another fun use for it is as a CPU monitor. One of the programs I use runs at a hideously-low priority.. it's only purpose in life is to turn off the power light. When something else preempts it, the power light turns on... nice little toy, but it sucks rocks when you try to listen to a mod with it...
> If a single LED counts, the Amiga line of computers have a software-controlled > power light that tells you (among other things) if the audio filter's cut out > or it's been reset.
...the system locks, the power LED starts flashing, and there's just enough time to shout "Oh, shit!" before the pretty Guru shows up.
And then there are those programs (generally games) that think it's cute to simulate this before actually starting up. Arg.
(the lock-and-flash, not the shouting...) -- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Egocentric model of the Universe: Since the earth is circling the sun on an orbit which is quite exactly right to keep me happy, this universe must have been constructed for myself. QED. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stewart Stremler | strem...@ucssun1.sdsu.edu | FidoNet: 1:202/1111 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In article <14...@m1.cs.man.ac.uk> slav...@psy.man.ac.uk (Simon Slavin) writes: >I know that it's considered better to do things in s/w than h/w >but having a software controlled power light is ridiculous ! >WTH did they do that ?
I'm not sure why they did that either... I really don't feel like I'm at a loss when I can't tell if the audio filter is turned on. However, one of the most irritating things is when you get a GURU error (er.. Software Failure in the new Amigas).. everything locks up (this is on 1.3) for a sec and then all you see is that damn light blinking... then BOOM the whole computer crashes. It gets VERY annoying.. (I had a bad 512kRAM expander in my 500 and it did that every 10 mins..ugh..) -- Ralph A. Barbagallo III --- rbarb...@cs.uml.edu --- Only AMIGA makes it Possible... Only C O M M O D O R E stands in the way.... ZzzzzZZZzzzzzzZzzzzzzz.... .
strem...@ucssun1.sdsu.edu (Stewart Stremler) writes: >Peter da Silva (pe...@sugar.NeoSoft.COM) wrote: >> If a single LED counts, the Amiga line of computers have a software-controlled >> power light that tells you (among other things) if the audio filter's cut out >> or it's been reset. >...the system locks, the power LED starts flashing, and there's just enough >time to shout "Oh, shit!" before the pretty Guru shows up.
Actually, there is a reason for it.. On the older Amigas, there is a debugger build into the system firmware. If you have a serial terminal connected at 9600, and send a DEL (127) character while the light is flashing, you get dropped into "RomWack" (the debugger). It is theoretically possible (in some cases) to fix the problem and let the OS continue (canceling the crash...).
Newer amigas have different software that requires you to have another amiga connected to the serial port running some fancy user interface..
>And then there are those programs (generally games) that think it's cute >to simulate this before actually starting up. Arg.
Yes, bloody annoying, aren't they? I have seen people return demos as a "bad disk" because of these stupid tricks, when in fact it was the normal startup...
>(the lock-and-flash, not the shouting...) >-- >-------------------------------------------------------------------------- - > The Egocentric model of the Universe: Since the earth is circling the sun > on an orbit which is quite exactly right to keep me happy, this universe > must have been constructed for myself. QED. >-------------------------------------------------------------------------- - > Stewart Stremler | strem...@ucssun1.sdsu.edu | FidoNet: 1:202/1111 >-------------------------------------------------------------------------- -
-Peter -- Peter Wemm <pe...@DIALix.oz.au> - NIC Handle: PW65 - The keeper of "NN" "My computer is better than your computer" - Anonymous (Overheard, shortly after the creation of the second computer....)
In article <14...@m1.cs.man.ac.uk> slav...@psy.man.ac.uk (Simon Slavin) writes: >In article <2govtf$...@sugar.NeoSoft.COM> pe...@sugar.NeoSoft.COM (Peter da Silva) writes:
>>If a single LED counts, the Amiga line of computers have a software-controlled >>power light
>I know that it's considered better to do things in s/w than h/w >but having a software controlled power light is ridiculous ! >WTH did they do that ?
You can't actually turn the light off via s/w, but you can make it dimmer or brighter. You do it by turning off or on the audio high-pass filter. The power light simply dims whenever the filter is turned off, so technically the light is h/w controlled, but the filter is software controlled.
-- =======///===============================================================> /// "What for you bury me in the | Bill Bereza \\\/// cold, cold ground?" | ber...@beech.csis.gvsu.edu \\\/ -- Tazmanian Devil | ac...@leo.nmc.edu
In <2govtf$...@sugar.NeoSoft.COM> pe...@sugar.NeoSoft.COM (Peter da Silva) writes:
>In article <1994Jan7.191148.5...@bvl.pt>, >Antonio Vasconcelos <va...@bvl.pt> wrote: >> The only modern machines with blinkenglights that I know are the >> Unisys 6000 (they have on the backside some LEDs, and 8 of them are >> counting in binary) and the HP Apollo 4000 witch have an heart LED >> pulsing (1 Hz, it looks).
On the backside of all SUN 3/50's and 3/60's there are 8 (I think) LED's that move back and forth, really nifty actually.
... And on my C64 I've got several kewl LED's!
-- --------------------- FairLight - When might is right ----------------- Watch...@ludd.luth.se (130.240.160) d91-...@sm.luth.se Joachim Stroembergson Karhusvagen5:503 S-977 54 Lulea Sweden --------------------- FairLight - When might is right -----------------
va...@bvl.pt (Antonio Vasconcelos) writes: >I just wish modern systems have that kind of stuff. >It whould be great to have a remote unix uptime metter, something that >I could carry in my pocket and that shows the uptime, number of users, >free disk, and so on... And that whould start beeping in case of a >panic, low disk or high uptime...
Well with a Motorola alphanumeric pager, you could write a small program to page you every <Insert desired time interval> minutes with the status.
I have one at work, but I wrote a small windows program for home that monitors my phone and when someone leaves a message on my answering machine, the program pages me and lets me know a message is waiting.
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------- -+ | Jerry A. Jelinek ak...@cleveland.freenet.edu | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------- -+ | "Guten Tag!" - Hans | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------- -+ | Please respond to this sig address only | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------- -+
: On the backside of all SUN 3/50's and 3/60's there are 8 (I think) LED's : that move back and forth, really nifty actually. : : ... And on my C64 I've got several kewl LED's!
For me, the most usefull blinkenglight whould be a watch in the pc-alike keyboards... -- Regards, .--------------------------------------------------. .-------------. | Antonio Vasconcelos at The Lisbon $tock Exchange | | sysadmin & | | "I DO NOT SPEAK FOR BVL !!!" | | perl rookie | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | ASCII: va...@bvl.pt Micro$oft Mail: Antonio_Vasconce...@bvl.pt | | SUNmail: va...@morgan.bvl.pt NeXTMail: r...@jessica.bvl.pt | `-_________________________________________________________________-' X-Tagline: Beware of a dark-haired man with a loud tie.
: You can't actually turn the light off via s/w, but you can make it That's amazing... My 500 seems to have the strange idea that it can infact make the power light turn off... In fact, all of the 500's I've ever seen can do that...
zart...@cs1.bradley.edu Matt Simmons Bradley University, Peoria, IL Teri Polo Fan, Disney Freak, Amigoid, Movie Nut, Owned by Citibank Cool Looking Mutant Spider Thing
Bill Bereza <ber...@elm.csis.gvsu.edu> wrote: >In article <14...@m1.cs.man.ac.uk> slav...@psy.man.ac.uk (Simon Slavin) writes: >>In article <2govtf$...@sugar.NeoSoft.COM> pe...@sugar.NeoSoft.COM (Peter da Silva) writes:
>>>If a single LED counts, the Amiga line of computers have a software-controlled >>>power light
>>I know that it's considered better to do things in s/w than h/w >>but having a software controlled power light is ridiculous ! >>WTH did they do that ?
>You can't actually turn the light off via s/w, but you can make it >dimmer or brighter. You do it by turning off or on the audio >high-pass filter. The power light simply dims whenever the filter >is turned off, so technically the light is h/w controlled, but >the filter is software controlled.
Well, depends on what sort of Amiga you have, and how old it is...my 1988-vintage Amiga 500 has a power light that actually goes *off*. It's also useful to indicate that your system has just gone sky-high...it flashes on and off and on and off and on and off and on again, then the computer says "Guru meditation <long, seemingly random number>". Except in 2.0 and later, it just says "Software error <long, seemingly random number>". Boring.
Dave "still no hard drive, just upgraded to 3MB of RAM" Brown
-- Dave Brown -- dagbr...@uwaterloo.ca -- (416) 739-4888 "No vision of God and heaven ever experienced by the most exalted prophet can, in my opinion, match the vision of the universe as seen by Newton or Einstein" -- Isaac Asimov
On the old Amigas, the power light turns off when the filter is off...but on the newer ones (4000, 1200, etc.) it just dims. Just as irritating when a Guru...oh sorry.. 'Software Failure' happens though.
-- Ralph A. Barbagallo III --- rbarb...@cs.uml.edu --- Only AMIGA makes it Possible... Only C O M M O D O R E stands in the way.... ZzzzzZZZzzzzzzZzzzzzzz.... .
