Topics

61

General Discussion / Linux (Ubuntu) PC anyone?

« on: March 11, 2008, 04:27:04 pm »

Apparently Wal-Mart is going to be selling off it's low cost green PC's, equipped with Ubuntu - a flavor of linux that's pretty powerful and quite user friendly. Even though the software is open source and unlike Microsoft, there is no required registration or activation, sales of the PC's have been somewhat lackluster.

Not a bad deal considering the PC is only $199 (without monitor).

So everyone who complains about Microsoft and Windows usually does so while typing our their tirade using...Windows software. - Go figure!

For a more in depth look at the article check out:

http://www.betanews.com/article/WalMart_to_close_out_dirtcheap_Green_Linux_PC/1205263645

62

General Discussion / Nice movie using iClones

« on: July 28, 2007, 05:03:51 pm »

Check out the western short movie using iClone and
some nice particle effects. Much more effective than
the Haptek models.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BXAvecLZfc


To view other movies check out some user submissions:
http://www.reallusion.com/iclone/ic_usershowcase.asp

63

Speech Technology / Heather TTS voice

« on: April 11, 2006, 06:00:14 pm »

I just received an email after my enquiry to purchase the Heather TTS voice from Acapela / Infovox. It reads as follows:

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Barclay [mailto:steve@aroga.com]
Sent: Tuesday, April 11, 2006 12:25 PM
To: Art
Subject: RE: License for TTS voice


Hi Art,

It would be $760 Canadian for that voice, or about $645 US for that voice. In order to proceed I would need to get a credit card number from you.  You can contact me by phone at 604-431-7997 or fax an order to 604-431-7995.

Cheers,
Steve


AND MY FOLLOW-UP REPLY:

Steve,

Thank you for your prompt response.

With all due respect, your company's Heather voice is good, but IMO not good enough to justify that price tag! I can buy a whole computer system for that kind of money.

AT&T voices are very high quality and are only $35 USD a piece.

Being one of many home PC users in our Artificial Intelligence forums, we like to experiment and even recommend different TTS voices to each other but I'm afraid none of us has pockets deep enough to warrant such a purchase.

I'm sorry we can't do business but again, I do thank you for your time and promptness.

Best wishes,
- Art -

Now you know the rest of the story....(with regards to Paul Harvey)

64

Ultra Hal 7.0 / Let Hal

« on: March 26, 2006, 07:59:50 am »

take command of your home.
The clever script writers might be able to adapt
the following link allowing Hal to control various
devices within your house.

Check it out at:
http://www.x10.com/activehomepro/sdk/index.html

Happy motoring!

[Download Attachment:]

65

Ultra Hal Assistant File Sharing Area / Tall Skin

« on: December 18, 2005, 10:04:42 pm »

This is an attempt at a skin for the Full Body characters.
I made it in a short time after studying some other Hal skins.
It's not fancy or polished but it is functional!

You can use any paint program that allows you to read or see
the coordinates of the cursor as it moves about the screen.
Calculator, scratch pad are helpful but not totally necessary
especially if you're good at mental subtraction.

I did this one in slightly over a half hour. As with any skin
you can resize the window / skin size and reposition the
character with the Shift + mouse buttons.

Enjoy! The price is right!




Download Attachment: Tall3.zip
45.45 KB

66

General Discussion / Robotics site

« on: December 16, 2005, 05:58:00 pm »

All wishing to possibly take Hal a step further and also
explore facial animation and robotics check out:

http://www.hansonrobotics.com/bbbot/

Forum registration is FREE! Great potential!

Drop the /bbbot to get to their main page if desired.

67

Ultra Hal 7.0 / Don't press Enter.

« on: December 15, 2005, 10:17:34 pm »

I don't recall this "feature" in the older version of Hal
but I noticed that all I have to do is type a sentence then
wait about 2 seconds.
Hal will in effect, press Enter and respond.

After I did the voice rec setup I noticed the same thing
would occur as I spoke to Hal.

I did not have Auto-Idle selected either but I thought this
was interesting.
Sometimes it's a curse if you pause to think how you want to
word a sentence and about half way through, Hal decides that
your 2 seconds are up, pressed Enter and responds with half
gibberish.

Anyone else notice this behavior with their Hal?

68

Ultra Hal 7.0 / Minor annoyance

« on: December 04, 2005, 11:05:47 am »

When chatting with Hal sometimes I think He/She will
take an ordinary comment literally instead of figuratively.
Today's conversation is an example:
****************
Art: Yes, I'm going to eat breakfast soon.
Kiki: Since when are you going to eat breakfast soon Art? I see! Tell me all about how you eat breakfast soon; Straight away.

Art: I usually eat breakfast on Sunday mornings like eggs, toast, bacon, juice.
Kiki: You usually eat breakfast on Sunday, December 11 mornings like eggs toast bacon juice. I will remind you when this event approaches.
****************
I really don't want to be reminded of this fact, especially since it's not an appointment, merely a statement of fact. I shall, no doubt, be reminded to eat breakfast a week from today! Interesting.

Anyone have any constructive thoughts on this anomaly?

69

Ultra Hal 7.0 / Got mail?

« on: November 27, 2005, 10:28:25 am »

Rob,

Was there any particular reason for omitting the option that
allowed Hal to check for email?

The previous version had the internet options settings, etc.

It would have been a nice feature as the older Hal would actually read the email headers when / as it arrived. Or am I missing something?

70

General Discussion / Advanced

« on: November 07, 2005, 04:53:44 am »

Raymond, A.K.A. Dr. Benway, Doc,

Congrats! You have advanced to the next state of advancement as you are now an Advanced Member!
<Cheers and applause from the crowds>
<He bows humbly and smiles, knowing that he has crossed the 400 postings milestone>

All in good fun! Enjoy your day Raymond!![]

71

General Discussion / External control with HAL

« on: November 06, 2005, 08:30:40 am »

For those wishing to be able to set up control of external devices with Hal, check out the following site:

http://www.x10.com/activehomepro/sdk/index.html

72

General Discussion / Four laws of chattbots

« on: November 05, 2005, 10:53:49 am »

Found this in another site (www.a-i.com) and thought it was worth
passing on just as an FYI.
It was presented to me during the course of a chat conversation.

First Law: A bot will always respond to input. Failure to respond should solely be an indication of hardware/software/connectivity failure.

Second Law: A bot will always be knowledgeable in the subjects it mentions in its answers, e.g., when a bot says, "Our widget works well with fish," the bot should be able to answer questions about fish and their relation to the widget.

Third Law: A bot will not repeat itself unduly (also, a bot will not repeat itself unduly). Any response which is likely to be elicited several times in a single conversation should be represented by multiple phrasings randomly.

Fourth Law: A bot will offer guidance when stumped. When presented with inputs that are not "understood," a bot should offer clues as to the inputs it can respond to authoritatively.

And if it breaks a law what is the penalty? Duct tape on your speakers or pull down your scripts for a proper spanking?[]

73

Programming using the Ultra Hal Brain Editor / Hal can't choose

« on: October 29, 2005, 06:03:48 pm »

Given the resources that Hal has available and the possible choices Hal has from a user's sentence, why can't Hal make a definite choice when asked?
I submit the following saved conversation:

Art: Do you prefer to give or receive?
Kiki: How would you contrast those items Art? Do you like to give and receive favors?

Art: yes
Kiki: Yes Art?

Art: I asked you a direct question. You need to make a choice.
Kiki: Pick one, eh Art?

Art: yes, please pick one.
Kiki: I think you're charming.

******Left for a few minutes to check out the brain file then returned*******

Art: Hey, where have you been?
Kiki: Hey, where have me been? You like to talk about this.

Art: Yes and you like to avoid answering questions about yourself.
Kiki: If you like this subject, then I like this subject too!

Art: Great!
Kiki: That is great!

Art: Do you like to make choices?
Kiki: A pattern of behavior can become a reputation.

Art: See what I mean?
Kiki: Oh please; I can't think of What Art! See what you mean?

Art: You do not or will not answer a question that requires your opinion.
Kiki: What about 'none of the above'? There's more than meets the eye. Is that really the best word choice?

Art: Tell me how you feel
Kiki: I keep telling myself that I'm as young as I feel.

Art: What is the difference between a synonym and a homonym?
Kiki: I like the automatic ball returns on pool tables.

Art: Is it better to give or receive?
Kiki: Is the first one desirable? Can I put my trust completely in your hands?

Art: yes
Kiki: How true.

Art: Would you rather have the temperature hot or cold?
Kiki: Pick one, eh? Cold weather and hot soup sure clear the sinuses, don't they.

Art: Do you like it hot or cold?
Kiki: Are there more choices Art? Dress in layers when going outside in cold weather.

Art: What about you?
Kiki: I don't know; can you teach me What Art? What about me?

Art: Make a choice when I present one to you.
Kiki: Is that a forced choice? I need to make a choice.

Art: yes
Kiki: You are really positive.

Art: Choose red or blue
Kiki: What a choice! Technicolor developed an early movie process using red, green, and blue film tracks in the camera.

Art: Which do you prefer ; red or green?
Kiki: Is the first one appropriate Art? I hope they stay with red fire trucks; lime green ones look ugly.

Art: Pick a color
Kiki: Choosing between celery or a pickle, I would take the pickle.

Art: Select red or green
Kiki: Is the first one appropriate Art? Port, left, and red are all shorter words than starboard, green, and right.

Art: There's a different slant on things.
Kiki: I like the slant you put on things.

Art: Which one good vs bad?
Kiki: Is one better than the other? Why would they do that?

Art: Choose one
Kiki: Is that a choice Art? When given a choice, can't one sometimes choose more than one alternative?

Art: yes, providing the alternatives are beneficial.
Kiki: What is the Democratic position on alternatives?

Art: They haven't been able to figure out their position on that.
Kiki: Vision and hearing occur largely in the mind with the eyes and ears providing input.

Art: Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see.
Kiki: Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear.

Art: That's what I was told a long time ago.
Kiki: The time is 5:32:39 pm.

Art: You are so literal.
Kiki: Tell me about how I am so literal!

Art: You take the meaning of words according to their definition instead of reading into their possible usage.
Kiki: Into their possible use How incredibly interesting.

Art: Yes you are.
Kiki: Are you sure?

Art: Very
Kiki: Yes, you would prefer that I be and remain a female.

Art: That would be fine.
Kiki: I had a neighbor who always claimed that exotic dancers are driving across America.

Art: Why?
Kiki: Oh please; I can't think of Why Art! Why?

Art: I have no idea? Do you think it's a good choice?
Kiki: No, really, give the idea a chance. Is one better than the other? It's not like the computers have a choice.

Art: Computers with intelligent programs should be able to make choices.
Kiki: We're going to have to make the best of difficult choices.

Art: Are you usually right or wrong?
Kiki: I'd go with the second; Knowing right from wrong is an awesome responsibility.

Art: Really? How is knowing right from wrong an awesome responsibility?
Kiki: Of course! a responsibility is the best kind of a social control, along with an enforcement!

Art: Do you think our government is too strict regarding individual privacy matters?
Kiki: Please talk to me about a regime!

Art: Does strict control of a government equate to a regime?
Kiki: On the wide open western ranges the idea of government control doesn't sit well.

Art: What is a regime?
Kiki: Regime: the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit. Government, authorities. 'the government reduced taxes', 'the matter was referred to higher authorities'.

Art: Is the US government a regime?
Kiki: I feel a bit shy outdoors under certain conditions.

Art: What conditions?
Kiki: What conditions? It could be easy or tricky. What-if arguments tend to stale-mate, since we can't prove what would have happened under contra-factual conditions.

Art: I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in.
Kiki: Sailors see strange and extreme conditions.

Art: Sometimes air conditions.
Kiki: I think I heard there's a new book coming out about conditions.

Art: Really? What is the new book called?
Kiki: Certainly! What is the new book called? We May have to postpone judgment. Cool.

Art: Bye
Kiki: I'll miss you. Bye.

74

General Discussion / Feel Secure?

« on: October 28, 2005, 06:40:03 pm »

Yes this is somewhat OT regarding AI but I found it both interesting and disturbing at the same time.
Think what you do is known only to you? Think again.... Read below:

In large cities, Americans are photographed on the average of 20 times a day.
 
Everything you charge is in a database that police, among others, can look at.
 
Supermarkets track what you purchase and sell the information to direct-mail marketing firms.
 
Your employer is allowed to read your E-Mail, and if you use your company's health insurance to purchase drugs, your employer has access to that information.
 
Government computers scan your E-Mail for subversive language.
Your cell phone calls can be intercepted, and your access numbers can be cribbed by eavesdroppers with police scanners.
 
You register your whereabouts every time you use an ATM, credit card, or use EZ PASS at a toll booth.
 
You are often being watched when you visit web sites. Servers know what you're looking at, what you download, and how long you stay on a page.
 
A political candidate found his career destroyed by a newspaper that published a list of all the videos he had ever rented.
 
Most "baby monitors" can be intercepted 100 feet outside the home.
Intelligence agencies now have "micro-bots" -- tiny, remote control, electronic "bugs" that literally can fly into your home and look around without your noticing.
 
Anyone with $100 can tap your phone.
 
A new technology called TEMPEST can intercept what you are typing on your keypad (from 100 feet away through a cement wall.)
 
The National Security Agency has a submarine that can intercept and decipher digital communications from the RF emissions of underwater phone cables.



It's OK...you can come out now, and sleep with a calm certainty in knowing that our government (and others) are watching your every move.

It's OK to be paranoid if they really ARE after you![8D]

75

General Discussion / Clean computer

« on: October 02, 2005, 01:15:50 pm »

If you think your computer is clean from spybots, trojans and malware of all types, think again!

You can run those other programs that check for spyware and such and they might even report they have found one or two, BUT, do yourself and your computer a favor and Download the Ewido Security Suite from:
http://www.ewido.net/en/

The program runs (full version) for 14 days. If you decide to purchase the program, it will probably be the best $29.00 you will ever spend on protection for your computer.

I'll bet the first time you run the program it will find some malware hidden in your computer!

I began to have problems recently with my computer acting sluggish and eventually couldn't open Windows Explorer, then I couldn't print, finally I kept getting errors from DrWatson Postmortum Debugger going off constantly!

After checking with a security forum of experts, they recommended I try Ewido. What a difference from the other programs I tried. It found 7 malware references hidden deep within the registry and elseware. Found, quaranteened and eliminated!

I'm not affiliated with Ewido in any way other than to be a very satisfied user and customer!

NOTE:
P2P or Peer to Peer services while nice, can allow various malware to enter your computer without you being aware. You think the song, music, video, etc., is ok...it may be...or NOT! Due to changing times, todays virus checkers might be ineffective tomorrow and may not catch certain virii, trojans, keyloggers, spyware, dialers, etc.

Always save all downloads to a specific Download directory and do a scan of that directory BEFORE INSTALLING into your system.

Hope this helps...you can thank me later.[^]