kaputnik

Hi all.. Just woke up this morning and decided all the presentations I've been making are just too darned drab.. although there's a lot of creative work that goes into all my presentations, the kind of clients I actually approach to sell my 'below the line' advertising solutions, are not really impressed.. To give you an understanding of what I do would be simple.. it's any kind of promotional activity, ground events and contact promotions which is not mass media (TV, Radio, News or Print).. My requirement is to put prospective clients through an experience where they may visualize a scenario.. something like Sim City or Sim Party.. - The presentations need to be graphic, and animated- Require some sort of preset configurations, so its easy to select what I want and just place objects, and where they have to move, some sort of pointing system- Should be some kind of simple to use archetectural S/W which also supports scenarios.. like outdoor locations, moving vehicles etc...- Ideally - everything should be drag and drop.... so that there are quick turnover times between projects.. I'm looking at a day max.. If you're aware of any S/W that I can get my hands on (and if its free of cost, all the better).. I'd really appreciate your letting me know.. Will look out for posts on this..

It may take a while.. I actually do see the beginings of a sort of revolution where Firefox is concerned. There's a whole bunch of interest across all verticals in industry commerce and personal usage in products - 'other then microsoft'... but as usual, there's always a big BUT involved.. The trend so far for most businesses, is to utilize supported hardware and software.. this is beacuse there's always someone to pass the buck on, to fix the problem should one arise. Due to this, microsoft and software manufacturers like it, have actually created a captive market that is fixated in a 'single' solution with multiple products all supported by a single vendor.. and although its a more expensive business model to work with, for a big business, it sort of makes sence. Firefox is the begining of an eye-opening experience to business users of software products (other than the masses of private users)... from here.. users will slowly migrate to open licence software products.. especially Linux. The confidence in free software will come about as soon as there are a bunch of companies that aggressively sell themselves as Linux (and other open lisence products) support guys.. at a low cost.. it's only then that the insecurity of 'Support' will begin to be erased.As of now.. Firefox rocks...!!

Well just as a multiple redundency .. I'm also getting ahold of Mandrake... lol.. its soon getting to the point where I'll be taking the leap.. and I'm making very sure there'll be no looking back.. What I really did want to know is that.. is it possible to format my HDD before I install Linux.. ie.. to remove the windows installation as well as all the junk I've accumulated on my drive over the last 3 years...?? Also... is it very difficult getting hold of drivers for the more older products.. like my IBM 8 GB external HDD ...

am currently downloading Debian which is a 7 CD download.. its currently on CD5 .. I'm going to be installing it on a Toshiba 3000 X11 .. I've been doing a load of research into this for the past week.. and the only conflicts I've come across is having to type in 'something' when the first prompt appears to allow me to load a better kernel than the default .. this is to avoid conflicts with the monitor.. Other than that there seem to be not too many headaches (according to various users who have installed Linux on their laptops)... Down here in India.. Acer, Dell, and a few local manufacturers have an option to selet Linux as the installed OS.. Linux is rapidly gaining popularity.. Now to wait for another week of downloading.. on a 144 KPBS connection that allows between 5 & 10 KPBS . .. but I've had times when the system's shown DL sppeds as good as 80 KPBS.. Fingers crossed .. hope all goes well

I'm aware of Russia having used Neutron bombs during their occupation of Afghanistan (during the soviet rule), and their having used the warheads launched from artillery positions well out of range for any damaging effect to their own troops. There was an article a long while back in the magazine 'Firepower' about this and an insight into the ways Neutron Bombs may be used. Also back in 2001 there was an article about Russia and the US agreeing to allow each other to utilize tactical nuclear armaments in conflicts of an ongoing nature - the US to be allowed to utilize Neutron shells and bombs becides atomic mines, while Russia would be allowed to use the same in Chechnia. Really really disturbing. But much more interesting, even more so than Neutron wepons is HAARP (High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program) - its a program well into its gestation period that is aimed at militarily using weather and planet function methods to inflict damage or prevent damage caused by (supposidly) natural events. A very interesting article I found here explains this in more detail. Some excerpts of what HAARP can actually accomplish are: I guess its time to say holy wow and look out for another planet to settle on.. Rashid

I recently came across a show on the Discovery Channel.. about how obesity is caused by some sort of virus.. people infected with the virus develop an urge to eat uncontrollably and then store the energy as fat... It seems clinical tests were run spanning a few decades and across the Americas and europe.. and scientists have found conclusive evidence in numerous cases (although not all) of the virus causing obesity.. most of the people interviewed were actually relieved to hear that they were obese because of a virus - a reason beyond their control. .. and other's who came up negative in the test were dissapointed that their being obese was not caused by a virus but some other reason - most likely a geneome problem...It seems the virus that causes obesity infects the system, makes irreversable changes to the genes within our cells (or somehting like that) and then expire.. leaving the host body (the person who is /was infected) with a condition that propells them to eat a lot and then store the food as fat... I do hope they come up with some sort of vaccene for this after they manage to identify how the virus goes about doing its horrible work..

It all depends on how you'd go about describing a Robot.. When one asks a question like are robots considered himan.. one can also flip the coin and ask.. are humans considered robots... instead of looking at robots as humans.. let us look at humans as robots for a bit.. First the making of a human - viz-a-viz a robot... Human beings (after mating) are produced in a womb - through rapid cell division. Form and control is left to a blueprint called the genome sequence.. so whatever is printen on your genes - made out various bits (somewhat like bianary). After about a week, there's a few hundred stem cells - akin to metal sheets, silicon etc used to build a robot (as we see one today) wthich are moulded to form various parts of the body and the organs.. in 9 months of all this a baby is born. in comparasion - take a simple learning computer - one that stores information when confronted with a given situation, takes an action to solve a situational problem, probably gets it wrong a few times, tries a few other solutions and finally 'remembers' the correct solution. a child in the growing stage if left to its own resources will do very much the same things.. its mind (memory) is quite blank - although its genes (the blueprint for the body and auto reflexes - something like a ROM) provides it with basic functioning capability, the child will use its basic abilities to solve problems, store solutions, mix and match successful solutions to attack new problems and then store these solutions and so on. Coming back to our learning computer - the robot.. if given enough memory, to be able to access positive and negative records over long periods of time so as to lead to simpler solutions to more complex problems - we'll be looking at a ver human like robot. Now comes the scairy bit.. how intellegent will robots get...?? Lets start with technologies that we do know about (various new technologies do not come into public light till well entrentched in military use) The internet... it is an autonomous network of linked computers across the globe. Already there are numerous programs which allow for unused CPU capacity to be utilized by various organizations so as to gain super-computing ability - end result - massive computing power.. now we all know about various malacious people who use programs (viruses and trojans) to hijack or insert code into our systems - what happens when someone develops a trojan that automatically detects and stores information on one's usage and redirects spare CPU and computing power - including memory to a central location - or even a distributed system - which may have its own preset adgenda to make calculations on the fly for malacious purposes.. NOW - how about is the code is written to access the worldwide computing ability in a grid or hive to create an autonomous - self thinking, learning computing system, that blindly uses the resources it requires. Robots .. are everyday fashion .. the ones available today are not yet ready for star wars but manage to execute every day home processess like making and serving a cup of coffee.. most have wireless control through a central computer that guides its actions through a set schedule... How about - an autonomous decentralised network controling your home robot wirelessly.. even worse.. how about it controling wirelessly controlled production robots... - is a robot factory anything very much different from a womb?? Quantum computing - its in its early stages - will enable through wireless modes to seamlessly transfer data and communications to packs /implants to actually enable us to become more productive and to live more fulfilling lives.. we'll be able to harness information as ans when we need it (and if the research into reading the brains pulses begin to work out by the time little quantum computers become available then we can harvest any information we require from any of our fellow humans' brains , or off the vast global computing network). BUT - having unlimited information available to every human being - we as a human society will most likely be able to come up with solutions to most problems, where ever we are in the world, at any time.. so if there's a robot that is more intellegent than us - its probably just another human - or is it the human that is nothing but a biological robot... IS it all the same??? Rashid Ahmed

I'm using PHPNuke on my Xisto site and have not come across any security issues.. you need to keep in mind not to allow robots into your admin folder as well as set the CHMOD settings according to your security requirements in all your folders (by default they are read only). Other than that I've yet to come across enough flaws to make me consider deleting and switching... If you have any installation problems, I'll try and help out as best as possible.

Excellent.. like wow. you actually made it sound so easy.. gives me a great confidence boost.. As of now - the JigDo app which I'm using to get ahold of the Debian Distro has downloaded 1.3 GB of data - that's nearly 2 CD's full.. and its taken about 24 hours to get this far.. so my take on it is that I'll be looking at about 5 days of continous downloading to get the entire package. Once its all done.. hell - I'm definately going to go through a nervous phase.. will then install it. What I'm most worried about is not being able to install after I've formatted my HDD.. that'l really take the cake.. then I'll probably have to go out and get myself (buy) a distribution from a vendor.. but fingers crossed.. hoping for the best.. R.A.

This will indeed get me off to a good start after I've made out my installation disks. I'll probably head back to add a few apps that I frequently use too.. there's one question I'd like answered.. when installing applications under Linux.. is it an automated process like in Windows or does one have to run commands and follow defined procedures with a bit of coding to get applications to work.. Also.. I've read that there a bunch of applications that come in bare code that needs to be configured and compiled before it can be used on a machine running Linux.. especially those available under GPL.. Is there some sort of compiling engine within various Linux releases or does one have to go about somehow making the code executable.. This looks like its going to be exciting times ahead.. well adventurous any how.. If you've information that will point me in the right direction.. I'd really appreciate the hand holding.. Now to back-up and burn all the data on my computer..

I've been using Windows in a verity of versions through a number of laptops.. and I've always cried bloody murder every time I have to upgrade.. It costs a bomb.. BUT.. more importantly.. there are a lot of products out there that are supposed to be plug and play.. but arn't recognized by Windows OS.. I've just recieved an IrDA dongle attachable through a USB for my laptop and even though I've gone to the supplier's website and downloaded the latest drivers for XP.. the computer still doesn't recognize the hardware.. and its the same deal for my USB multi-card reader.. HORROR... So at the moment... I've got all 7 ISO images for Debian Linux downloading (which should take a bit of a while... BUT, I've finally decided to switch to Linux.. So now I'm desperately locating various config settings etc for my Modems.. drivers for my various peripherals.. and keeping my fingers crossed that all goes well.. I do suppose I'll be the most frequent visitor to the Linux Forum over the next 2-3 months while I get used to managing my computer.. Wish me luck.. !!

This is the kind of developmet that will bring on the age of 'small is big' poewr machines. Its increadable that an OS can be configured to use very low CPU resources. When you look at OS like Microsoft that is GUI frontended - OS usually take up a large chunk of Memory and CPU. Will look forward to a time when an implant in my molars and a VDU implanted in my eye is all I require to access the internet, communicate with people worldwide and do complex computing processess in my mouth..

Sahara was the first Clive Cussler book I read.. I found it so thrilling that I've since read and have in my collection all Cusslers books.. this is a lovely piece of information.. really do want to get my hands on the movie... i guess its - Amazon - here I come.. Rashid

Move your entire current website under a folder.. eg: 'current' and under your root directory replace your index file (either index.html; index.htm; index.php etc) with index.html with the following code to redirect your visitors to the index page in the 'current' folder <html><head><script>var browser_type=navigator.appNamevar browser_version=parseInt(navigator.appVersion)//if NS 6if (browser_type=="Netscape"&&browser_version>=5)window.location.replace("http://yoursite.com/current/")//if IE 4+else if (browser_type=="Microsoft Internet Explorer"&&browser_version>=4)window.location.replace("http://yoursite.com/current/")//if NS4+else if (browser_type=="Netscape"&&browser_version>=4)window.location.replace("http://yoursite.com/current/")//Default goto page (NOT NS 4+ and NOT IE 4+)elsewindow.location="http://yoursite.com/current/"</script><title>.:yoursite.com:.</title></head><body text="#FFFFFF" bgcolor="#000000"><p align="center"> </p><p align="center"> </p><p align="center"> </p><p align="center"><b><font color="#FFFFFF" size="5">Opening... </font></b></p><p align="center"><font color="#FF0000">If you're still seeing this after 10 seconds...</font> <a target="_top" href="http://yoursite.com/current/">CLICK HERE</a></p></body></html> Now, upload your PHP Nuke (all files and folders as required) to your root folder, and rename your index.php file to something like 01index.php so that it is not automatically loaded. Then you go about configuring your config.php file setting your database correctly as well as your password. If you're using an image management gallery module you'll need to set the folder read/write properties to 777. As soon as all your files are uploaded go to http:// yoursite.com/admin.php and set yourself as the superuser along with password - YOU MUST DO THIS FIRST - otherwise you risk allowing any other visitor to your site access to your admin files. Then you go about sorting out your content and feel/look issues... and when you're ready to let visitors view your new site.. delete the index.html file and rename to 01index.php to index.php A word of caution - most ready to use PHP scripts come with an option of many languages - go about deleting all language files from all folders including the language images (like flags) keeping only the languages you require.. that way you can save up to 40% space that is taken up by these files.. remember to check ALL your folders for language files. With regard to templates - go to http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ where you can find loads of professional - free to use templates.. the only requirement is that you register at the download site.. and then use your username and password to download as many templates as you like.. Areamike.com allows you to view each template on the main areamike site by selecting the template through a dropdown menu which will switch the current template to the chosen one. This makes it easy for you to get an understanding of what your site will end up looking like.. of course.. you will want to make a few modifications of your own to any template.. If you require any further help on this.. let me know.. All the best... Rashid

well you can use WMEnc (Windows Media Encoder 9 Series) which you can download from here. Its a 9.5 MB download so it may take a bit of a while if you're on a slow connection. But the functionality is great, so its worth the while. The encoder has its own GUI so it doesn't have to rely on any other software to actually do its thing. Some of the basic features of the encoder are: Video: Record A/V while it is streaming (as it appears on your desktop monitor) Broadcast Video over the internet/intranet, of 'currently playing video' Audio: Reord audio directly off the default audio handler - that means - anything that goes through your sound card can be recorded Record audio off alternate audio handlers - you can select from any of your installed audio handlers Broadcast live audio over the internet/intranet Record audio from a line-in These of course are only the basic features, while the full functionality can only be appreciated after having used the encoder a few times. The drawback to this is that it will record only to Windows Media formats - but this is easily resolved using converts to change file formats to most available on the internet. Hope this helped

Hi, just a quick note to all admin that my post appearing here - http://forums.xisto.com/topic/82333-topic/?findpost=& has appeared in triplicate. The final post, presently appearing as #4 post time 4:57 pm which has 3 images and various smilies is the one I want on the forum. Post #2 & post #3 require to be deleted Unfortunately I never realized that the post was duplicating itself and only saw the 3 copies (each one from each of the 3 images I uploaded for the post), after I'd hit the submit button and the page loaded back to the forum from the editor section. I'd appreciate it if the approproate deletions of posts #2 are carried out so I'm not called up for spamming or other misbehaviour. Thanks. Rashid

Notice from vujsa: Deleted two previous posts which were accidentally posted. On kaputnik's request. Please proof-read your posts in the future using the preview option. Just came across this very interesting article at the National Geographic website, about using cultured amoeba and diatoms (very small organizms) to create prematerial with understood properties. An idea I've had is based on the formation and durability of coral reefs. Based on the way polyps ( the tiny creatures that inhabit and of whose skeletal remains form corals) eat and their diet, it would in our day of modern bio-tech and bio engineering, be possible to create organizms very similar to polyps; which would consume a pre-mixed feed of essentials as well as other feed items aimed at froming specificly strong skeletons. The breeding and reproductive cycles and nature of polyps are astounding. Most polyps have cells of both sexes and these little organizms can reproduce sexually (winthin the body of the creature) as well as asexually (without the body of the creature). So, based on the conditions of the environment polyps will syncronize the release of sperm and eggs to grow rapidly in population. Now, how does all this apply to humanity as a whole?? People have bred various creatures over eons for many practical reasons - most commonly for food (such as poultry for eggs and meat; ranch farming for milk and meat etc..) So, by reflection, and noting 'human' (and this is bound to cause an uproar) behavior; it seems reasonable that we can cultivate various 'farms' of creatures that may be bred in vast populations - towards the common human good. Humans require as essentials - food, water, shelter (clothes and roofs) etc... Visualize this - when you inflate a baloon, it creates a pretty vast space of 'mass' of air within it. It would be a similar situation if you inflate the baloon with water. Some baloons are made out of slightly tougher materials, that may be zipped at the seams and be inflated with air/water to attain predetermined shapes (there's a bunch of furniture you can buy at shops and off the internet that you can inflate and safely use for extended periods of time). Inflatable furniture could be mass produced (and it is ) cheaply - in the shape of houses, or modular structures... Polyps modified with the aid of bio-tech science to utilize as food materials that will result in creating for themselves, super hardened shells (posibally carbon composites or graphite, possibly even diamond); and modified to reproduce under controlled conditions- rapidly will be cultured in farms as 'seed' "constructors. At building sites, modular baloons are inflated with factory produced high quality food (for polyps) mixed in water as required by the polyps to grow at the most exponential rate. Small sections of farm cultured 'live' coral is introduced within the confines of the modular structure. A slow stream of the quality food especially rich in the materials required for polyp reproduction and formation of super hardened skeletons is fed continously through the inflated modular structure. The coral begins to grow and will continue to grow at a geometric rate (2 polyps creating 500 - 500 polyps creating 10000...) and very soon, the entire modular structure, of stiffened material contains a shaped coral of superhardened material (from the skeletal structure of the polyps). The modular covering is drained off 'food' materials and is continously rinsed to clean the coral of the now decaying organic matter (the rinse water is continually scrubbed to recycle the water as well as to get nutrients from the cleaning liquid to be sent to factories that manufacture the polyp 'food' liquid. Then the created structure is bathed in chemicals that will retard any growth of any other creatures (like mice at home, cocoroaches burrowing in etc). Next, warm air will be introduced to dry out the structure. In very short periods, there'll be blocks of usable buildings which will only need a coating of primer and paint; some wiring and piping - and viola..!! Cheap, mass produced housing for the billions of people around the world. The advantages of using a system such as this is that the modular inflatable units are reusable and easily transportable to remote locations. What is required off the emerging bio-tech industry is to concentrate on engineering and creating minute creatures, that, through their cultivation, bring about dramatic lifestyle changes for humanity as a whole. For it is only when the basics are easily and cheaply provided for every single of the worlds humans, that there'll be absolute peace.

Hi... I use Splitter & Merger 4.0 .. I got this very useful tool back when I was using floppies and had to split files between floppies and then rejoin them.. the application does not have any reserve by way of splitting files as long as they are 'contained in a single file' ( I once helped out someone who wanted to split multiple files over multiple cd's in as equal parts as possible - well to do something like that - you'll want to zip all the files into one .zip [or other format] file and then split the file. The handiness of this file is that its a small handy package.. so small that it's readily smaller than most image files so it is easy to e-mail to your friends should they want to use it. At present though there is hardly any support for this app. and the support website is 'Under construction', but with all the core functionality well tried and tested, even a novice can make do. Under GPL and distribution as allowed by the owner; I'm putting the application (zipped) up for download.. here (splitter40_uk.zip) for a limited period of 1 month form today. To further understand the application's abilitues (as core and simple as they are.. ) here's the author's discription: Hope this has been of help. If anyone requires any support with this, please PM me. Rashid Ahmed

I'd read about grid computing the time I was doing some personal research into 'hive' networks.. the concept is the same only differing with the kind of S/W used in each client machine, the learning abilities of the computers and the dynamic shifting of the 'server/s' from one to many as may be required to solve problems. There is millions of unused hours of computer time, bandwidth and CPU power that can be harnesssed by commercial, scientific and research establishments; should enough awareness be spread about the 'need' and the waste from shutting down a computer when it could be used for a common goal/ good. The idea of having a focal point for registering computers that will communicate with a server to subcontract computing work as and when needed and when free is fantastic. It is also the wave of the future, since increasingly complex methods and massive computing resources will be required in the years to come - especially by university students delving into developing learning networks, and even understanding the manufacture and dynamics of quantum computing. I believe - everyone who has a computer should devote wasted time and resources towards helping out in developing common goals that will be beneficial to the world as a whole. Rashid Ahmed

mmm... I just checked my Yahoo.. and I'm still on the old 250 MB.. oh horror and horrible days.. .. somehow.. eventhough it'd hardly make too much of an impact.. I feel i'm missing out on my 1 GB.. lols.. Rashid

Most likely all you need to do is refresh your browser.. most browsers store pages and load the stored pages for quick reloads.. especially when you hit Back.. most likely , by the time you read this, Your problem would have gone away.. Rashid

This has got to be the craziest of neat ideas.. while I was at university, I had to shell out about 6 pounds (that's brit currency) for one round at the shooting range.. all using .22 shells.. not much of a kick, but keeps the ol' shooting finger in shape.. now when I think about it.. I may not fancy the idea of shooting anything with my mouse.. game, target or skeet.. but to a lot of people, this may just be a fab idea.. like my dad for instance.. he's an avid game hunter.. or rather used to be one.. the situation in India and especially the North-East is such that it's neigh impossible to get out with one's rifle and do some blood sport.. now a guy like my dad has absolutely no idea about what to do with a computer.. this somehow seems like the perfect idea to get him to use a computer and enjoy it too.. becides .. since he's soon to retire.. perhaps he can sort out a system for people this side of the world to actually get some online shooting done.. the way this could really kick off around the world is if various service providers (shooting services) would provide, virtual reality systems, with a mock up plastic or other material rifle, that will actually peovide the feedback to the user... a person then just has to sprawl out on one's carpet and use this system to visit any location of his/her choice around the world (assuming this becomes popular enough) and do varied shooting, without all the noise, and without the hassle of leaving one's home.. hurrah..!!Rashid Ahmed

I first staarted off with a 'hotmail' account when I began using e-mail services.. i found the servers a bit slow and switched to Yahoo.. with the yahoo account - I began using all the allied services and experemented with html (on geocities) and chat etc.. all in all a very good package... when they increased the allocated mailbox size, I was thrilled.. I use a gmail account (or rather have one which I infrequently use) The thing about e-mail, is that most of the time, a simple 10 MB account is more than sufficient to carry out day to day operations.. But once you're hooked onto a perticular interface.. you tend to get stuck to it.. The bit where Google has made an impact is that they utilized the 'social network' phenomena to capture new accounts.. they used a dual system of refferals as well as poaching other users' accounts (since anyone you wanted to invite would already have had to have an email account). Also, since most of the worlds countries are just entering a stage of high-tech communicaitons + youth populations - Google has followed a policy that has suited its agenda to a high degree.. Rashid Ahmed

Hey.. :)I've often had that problem.. most often than not .. its because of incomplete transfers of files due to lost packets while you FTP. As a solution to this, I do the following:1. re-upload the concerned file causing the problem as dictated by the error message (preferably re-upload the entire folder)2. Check all files for consistancy with the files on your local system. I do this using the Compare Directories function in LeechFTP although I do all my file transfers using WSFTP. 3. Check and recheck your config files to make sure you've got all the settings correct. Especially the settings that connect you to the DB.Usually, these steps should get you up and running. if it doesn't, then you may have a problem with your DB.. To cure any problems with that.. I'd suggest you Backup the tables with user data, as well as post data and dump your entire DB, drop all tables in your DB, run the SQL file that came with your installation of bb. .. and then re-populate the tables as required with all the user and post data... (DO all this only if you feel you've exhausted all other solutions, and feel compitent to do it)Hope this helped.. :(Rashid

With the kind of work I do, researching a wide verity of verticals is what I do on a continous basis.. Google's what I use most of the time.. many times, it so happens that even if you do put in the 'just right' set of key-words - your search results - and especially the ones YOU want or are looking out for; will not appear up untill after the 4th page.. I find Google an excellent tool towards locating the correct - and relevant information - stuff that needs to go into presentations and proposals.. If you need help with your research, do post (or PM) the kind of results you're looking out for.. do hope to be able to help you out here.. Rashid