KOSH [Kommunity Orientated Software Hardware]

Weekly Summary

Week Commencing: 10th April 1999

Number: 016

Mailing List: kosh-general

In the mailing list this week, the following items were discussed. Please do
not email the scribe regarding any of these topics, it is not his job to answer
these questions but merely to report  the topics of conversation. If you have
any queries about this summary, please email ben@kosh.net, stating the Summary
Number, and Mailing List Name, and he will try to answer your queries.

a)

Subject: Keyboards (continued)

Summary of debate: Suggested that a keyboard could have an LCD on each key
                   which could be programmable by the computer. Keymaps for
                   individual games and serious applications could then be
                   made. If the LCDs were like the Mac screens that appeared a
                   few years ago and only required power when the display on
                   one of the LCDs was altered then the power consumption
                   would be low. Presumably such a keyboard would initially
                   cost a lot.


b)

Subject: General "serial controlled device" class

Summary of debate: Suggested that the above could be used to control (for
                   example) the LEGO computer chip that recently appeared on
                   the market.

                   Another suggested use for something along these lines is a
                   landmine clearance robot - something that could greatly
                   reduce the risk to clearance personnel. This was described
                   in detail and noted that the cost of the system must be low
                   enough that people in developing countries can afford to
                   build and use their own units.


c)

Subject: Eye movement recognition systems

Summary of debate: It was asked how likely an eye recognition system for a home
                   computer will be in the near future at an affordable price.
                   Such a system could be used (for example) to control a
                   pointer on screen instead of a mouse.

                   A separate computer could power the pointing device. It
                   would be a sub-$1 microcontroller. The actual devices to
                   measure the position of the eye (what it is looking at and
                   what it is doing, eg: blinking) should come in at under $5.

                   It was pointed out that the entire device could be built
                   into glasses, however not everyone wears and/or would want to
                   wear glasses while using a computer.


d)

Subject: Crashes and recovery

Summary of debate: Some discussion was held on Windows and scandisk that
                   activates if a crash results. It was pointed out that even
                   though KOSH will be much more stable we should still have
                   repair utilities -just-in-case-.

                   However, these should be more intuitive that things like
                   scandisk and should, for instance, give the option to view
                   the result of a change before that change takes place.


e)

Subject: Web site expression list

Summary of debate: It was suggested that a database on a web page (presumably
                   somewhere at http://www.kosh.net) be setup that allows
                   people to add a word and an explanation to a list just by
                   mailing them to a particular location or by filling in a
                   form on the web site.

                   It was noted that there would have to be protection against
                   certain words and phrases to prevent abuse of this. Perhaps
                   a human would have to check all submissions before they
                   could be included.


f)

Subject: kosh-terminology-o Mailing List

Summary of debate: The above ML has been created by Jason Radford.
                   Email majordomo@kosh.net with the words "subscribe
                   kosh-terminology-o" in the body to subscribe.


g)

Subject: [KOSH] email prefix

Summary of debate: The prefix [KOSH] has been added to each message for easier
                   management of messages by those using shell accounts or
                   message filters.


h)

Subject: Daylight Saving Time

Summary of debate: It was noted that the 23 hour day in April and the 25 hour
                   day in the fall need to be represented in KOSH.

                   It was further noted that not everything goes on DST and
                   that most graphic systems aren't designed to handle a
                   missing or duplicated unit on a coordinate axis.

From: wegar@amc.cube.net (Toni Guenzel-Peltner)
Newsgroups: de.comp.sys.amiga.comm,de.comp.sys.amiga.misc,
Subject: Amiga ZConnect Point TheAnswer: Update verfuegbar
Date: Wed, 21 Apr 1999 12:05:13 +0200

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                   München, am Mi 21.04.1999


Für  das ZConnect-Pointprogramm TheAnswer auf Amiga-Plattform ist ein neuer
Update verfügbar.

Er ist in der Support-Mailbox Amiga City München downloadbar:


V34        089/186469   (24h online)
X75/ISDN   089/12789031 (24h online)

Login: TA3SAUGER        (kein Passwort erforderlich)

Inhalt *                für Inhaltsverzeichnis
Lesen nr                Download der Nachricht mit der Nummer nr


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    TheAnswerIII (Aktuell: Version 3.07 BETA)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
          Alle Änderungen seit der Version 3.06 sind NICHT in der
          Dokumentation.    Bis   zur   Erstellung   einer  neuen
          Dokumentation,  gilt  dieser  Text  als  Ergänzung  zur
                                 selbigen.
               Copyrights etc. siehe Original-Dokumentation


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  WARNUNG
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dies  ist  eine  Betaversion.   Es  kann  durchaus  vorkommen,  daß  Fehler
auftreten.  Benutzung auf eigene Gefahr.

Ferner   ist  das  Paket  nur  ein  Update,  daß  lediglich  die  Programme
TheAnswerIII   und   TAConfig   enthält.    Das  TheAnswer  3.06-Paket  muß
vollständig  installiert sein, damit TheAnswer funktioniert.  Wer TheAnswer
noch  nicht  installiert  hat,  benötigt  das komplette 3.06-Paket.  Dieses
installieren  und  dann  die beiden Dateien TAConfig und TheAnswerIII durch
die  neuen  des  Updates  ersetzen.  Wer TheAnswer 3.06 bereits installiert
hat, ersetzt TAConfig und TheAnswerIII durch die neuen Dateien des Updates.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  AUFRUF
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. An alle eingetragenen Betatester und TA-Support-User:
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Bei  weiteren  Interesse,  bitte  mit aktueller E-Mail-Adresse melden.  Die
alten sind zu 70% veraltet und die Verständigungen zurückgekommen.

2. An alle Benutzer des 3.07-Pakets:
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Bitte  Fehler  und  Vorschläge  korrekt  über  das  Support-Pulldownmenü im
Sende-Menü erzeugen und versenden.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Zusammenfassung der neuen Features seit Version 3.06 R9.23:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0. Ein paar Bugs beseitigt.

1.  Reperatur eines defekten Brettes möglich:
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Im   Inhaltsverzeichnis   des   Brettes   gibts  ein  neuen  Unterpunkt  im
Pulldown-Menü  "Sicherung".   Mit dem Menüpunkt "Inhalt nach Puffer" werden
alle   Nachrichten   des   Brettes  in  ein  Puferfile  sortiert.   Defekte
Nachrichten werden entfernt und in einem seperaten File abgelegt.

Der  so  erzeugte  Puffer  kann  wieder  einsortiert  werden.   Sofern  die
Indexeinträge   zur   Nachricht   ok   waren,   werden   auch  Status-Buts,
Einsortierungsdatum    etc.     erhalten.     Original-Empfänger    bleiben
unverändert.

2. Grafische Bezugsverkettung
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Es  gibt  einen  neuen Sortiermodi, den man im Bretteditor einstellen kann:
"Bezugsverkettung".    Die   Nachrichten   werden   daraufhin   nach  Ihrer
Bezugsverkettung  sortiert  und  ein  grafischer Bezugsbaum vor dem Betreff
dargestellt.   Die  Grundsortierung von Nachrichten ohne Bezug erfolgt nach
dem  Absendedatum,  ihre Bezüge folgen in ihrer logischen Reihenfolge unter
der "Haupt-Nachricht."
Diese Sortierung ist sehr langsam, im Vergleich zu den anderen.


Ausfürliche History:    Z-NETZ/ALT/SUPPORT/THEANSWER/MELDUNGEN
Aktueller Support:      Z-NETZ/ALT/SUPPORT/THEANSWER/ALLGEMEIN





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                                                              ___
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          sysop@amc.cube.net                                /  /_/  ____/
                                                            \___   __/
TheAnswer V3.07.28  V34        089/186469   oder           ==== \_/ ======
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