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3051
General Software Discussion / Re: image comparer desktop software
« Last post by 4wd on June 22, 2013, 02:01 AM »
After saying you may be out of luck, here's something I've found: Image Forensics Search System

What is IFSS?
 
Image Forensic Search System (IFSS) is free, open source software for image searching. It allows you to

  • search a target image within another image, or
  • search images that are similar to a target image.

The main motivation behind the development of the IFSS software was to assist law enforcement agencies and similar organisations when they need to find whether a particular image (which they already possess) is stored in the typically thousands of images on a hard disk. For example, the police may have an image showing illegal activity of some kind, and wish to automatically search a seized hard disk to see whether the image is on that hard disk.

The IFSS software uses a simple 'wizard' so the user can quickly choose the source image, type of search, search parameters, and which folder to start searching in.
The two types of search are

  • a search for images which are similar to the source image presented to the system, and
  • a search for the source image inside other images, commonly called image within image search.

pic_flow.png

NOTE: I haven't used it so I can't tell you how fast/slow, good/bad it is.
3052
Chapter 12:
I'm really not sure about this one but:

...here by the order of his august majesty’s royal guard...

Should it be Majesty's since we're talking about something that belongs to his Majesty?

Actually, (after doing a quick search online), should it be Majesty's Royal Guard ?

Ugh! Capitalisation of things pertaining to Royals is messy....time for an English inhabitant to join the fray.


...steward lead them through the castle to this grand room.

...steward led them through the castle to this grand room.

The steward now lead them down a richly carpeted central aisle.

The steward now led them down a richly carpeted central aisle.

And torches burned in iron sconces along the walls of the hall, adding more light.

Torches burned in iron sconces along the walls of the hall, adding more light.

Round the ceiling’s circumference ran richly ornamented crown molding of rare lacquered woods carved in intricate designs, and the walls were alternately decorated with obviously expensive tapestries and with weapons and shields that the king had taken as spoils from defeated foes, in his younger days.

Possibly:

Around the ceiling’s circumference ran a richly ornamented crown molding of rare lacquered woods carved in intricate designs. The walls were decorated with obviously expensive tapestries, interspersed with weapons and shields, spoils of foes defeated by the King in his younger days.

He wore chained mail covered in a dark, forest-green cloak. Behind his chair, leaned against the wall, was a bow and a quiver full of arrows.

He wore chain mail covered in a dark, forest-green cloak. Behind his chair, leaning against the wall, was a bow and a quiver full of arrows.

A massive scabbarded great sword leaned propped up against the back of his chair. The girth of the leather strap on which is was strung suggested to Byron that the man normally carried the huge weapon across his back.

I think that having 'propped' makes 'leaned' redundant or v.v.:

A massive scabbarded great sword was propped against the back of his chair. The girth of the leather strap on which it was strung suggested to Byron that the man normally carried the huge weapon across his back.

“Yep, tanks been tumbled, and I triple-checked the mix,” said Grant.

I'm not sure whether 'tanks' is plural for the main and pony tank or is supposed to be contraction of 'tank has' but I'll mention it since the latter was the first to spring to mind, ie:

“Yep, tank's been tumbled, and I triple-checked the mix,” said Grant.

...Jaimie said, smiling, and she helped him carry and attach an anodized aluminum...

Jaimie said, smiling, as she helped him carry and attach an anodized aluminum

...Borneo, where scan revealed no survivors.

...Borneo, where scans revealed no survivors.

Or, if their equipment is efficient:

...Borneo, where a scan revealed no survivors.

3053
Living Room / Re: Gadget WEEKENDS
« Last post by 4wd on June 20, 2013, 11:23 PM »
I was thinking more 12" of solid brass dropping on your foot.
3054
Jesse Reichler, Carol Haynes, Fred Nerd (though I'm sure Nerd isn't the actual surname)...

Aramus De Coderland  (superboyac)

Squire Ortockey (skwire) ;D
3055
Yeah, and if you wanna PM me your actual name, 4wd, I've another character that needs naming...

Thanks for the offer but I'm fine just lurking around as a non-entity  :-[
3056
Pierre Maybrow... hmmmmm...

 :D
3057
I wasn't too sure about the last one:

These triplets were then welded and bonded near the tops of pairs of massive steel stanchions, which were spaced every ten meters along the length of the cavern.

As depending on how you read it, it's either:
a) pairs of stanchions every ten meters, or
b) stanchions are ten meters apart and you use a pair of them at a time.

Do we get pictures  :)
3058
Stylistic and structural suggestions are welcomed.

Are the suggestions above OK, it might be just me but I felt like my tongue was getting tripped up on some of sentence structure.

Don't want to go trampling through your book with my big feet though.
3059
A few possibles:

Chapter 11:
The two occurrences of multi limbed - should be, (I believe): multi-limbed

....what had been dubbed Cavern Ericson

Every other occurrence is Ericson Cavern.

For this staff meeting, Administrator Mephord had summoned not only Dr. Mary Pilsner, Dr. Jaimie Ericson, and Security Chief Mark Shields. He had also requested the attendance of medical doctor and biologist Dorian Graham, one of those who’d been involved in the meticulous dissection of the alien slain in the Shaft on June 11th.

The 'not only' seems to indicate the two sentences should be one:

For this staff meeting, Administrator Mephord had summoned not only Dr. Mary Pilsner, Dr. Jaimie Ericson, and Security Chief Mark Shields, he'd also requested the attendance of medical doctor and biologist Dorian Graham, one of those who’d been involved in the meticulous dissection of the alien slain in the Shaft on June 11th.

Or remove 'not only' to keep them separate:

For this staff meeting, Administrator Mephord had summoned Dr. Mary Pilsner, Dr. Jaimie Ericson, and Security Chief Mark Shields. He had also requested the attendance of medical doctor and biologist Dorian Graham, one of those who’d been involved in the meticulous dissection of the alien slain in the Shaft on June 11th.

.... Twenty-three of our ninety androids have been given a thumbs-up by the team Dr. Pilsner has on this, to date,”

... To date, twenty-three of our ninety androids have been given a thumbs-up by the team Dr. Pilsner has on this,”

In fact, we need a live specimen that we can observe over an extended period of time while monitoring it with equipment.

In fact, we need a live specimen that we can monitor over an extended period of time with our equipment.

Or:

In fact, we need a live specimen that we can observe over an extended period of time with our monitoring equipment.

Along the wall the boring machine had penetrated, scaffolding traversed a long section of the newly discovered cavern’s length.

In the newly discovered cavern, scaffolding now traversed a long section of the wall the boring machine had penetrated.

Near the tops of pairs of massive steel stanchions, spaced every ten meters down the length of the cavern, these triplets were being welded and bonded.

These triplets were then welded and bonded near the tops of pairs of massive steel stanchions, which were spaced every ten meters along the length of the cavern.
3060
General Software Discussion / Re: image comparer desktop software
« Last post by 4wd on June 18, 2013, 09:16 PM »
out of luck is kaputt ?¿?¿?¿
 :P

Yes.

It's why people spend so many hours tagging photos in various DAMws - there's currently no easier way, (which seems crazy to me).

If you only want it for images with people in, then the facial recognition in Picasa is probably as good as it gets for free.

There is a library available that could do what you want but you'd need someone to port it to Windows and then create a program around it, Libpuzzle.
3061
Who is your favorite male character? Favorite female character?

Favorite scene so far in the book (up through end of Ch. 10)?

I'm afraid I won't be able to help you much on the favourite character aspect, I don't have any when I'm reading a book, (or watching a film).  I tend to regard them as just another "object" within the whole fictional environment.

Seeing as my preference is for authors like Alistair Maclean, Dean Koontz, Matthew Reilly, Clive Cussler, etc - the action scene in the Shaft for me :)
3062
General Software Discussion / Re: image comparer desktop software
« Last post by 4wd on June 18, 2013, 08:06 PM »
I believe what you're asking for is a Reverse Image Search for your computer: select one, find all similar.

If so, you're probably out of luck.
3063
General Software Discussion / Re: fast map
« Last post by 4wd on June 18, 2013, 08:30 AM »
I want to highlight a word (that belongs to a place in UK) and popup a window with it's point on a UK map
I use firefox
any hints?

Do you mean you want to highlight an address within a web page in Firefox ?

I use Advanced URL Builder, although it'll open in a new tab.

Or do you mean you want to highlight an address in any application and have the map open in Firefox ?

In which case go with mouser' suggestion.
3064
No. I've changed those to metric: the spaceship isn't 2 miles in diameter,  it's 3.2 km. Zuzana's staff isnt 7 foot, its (roughly) 1.75 meters.

2.1 meters would put you closer to the mark but, personally, unless the story relies upon exact measurements for something I'd be rounding to the nearest convenient whole unit.

eg. spaceship approximately 3km in diameter and staff 2 meters long.
3065
Screenshot Captor / Re: Screenshot Captor 4.5 Beta - Request for testers
« Last post by 4wd on June 17, 2013, 10:36 PM »
You need .zip on the end of your portable URL.

Portable
3066
Chapter 10:
Mephord stood at the podium and looked out over the community...

I think the above is redundant, you stated in the previous paragraph where he was standing, so:

Mephord looked out over the community...

Our overall population in A-3 has increased by two in ....

Our overall population in A-3 has increased by two in ....

“May we continue to increase in numbers, until we again swell to fill this compound. ...

The 'swell' seems to be redundant due to the preceding 'increase in numbers', but it does have a slightly more emotional overtone, so possibly:

“May our numbers continue to swell until we again fill this compound. ...

... drilled down ever further at at thirty-degree slope ...

... drilled down ever further at a thirty-degree slope ...

... and she added that task to her implant task list.

'task is possibly redundant:

... and she added that to her implant task list.
3067
Chapter 9:
One of the first things she would want to do would be to get with the top roboticists in Engineering and get a pair of robot probes prepared to travel downriver underwater, ....

Since we're already narrating w.r.t Jaimie's POV, (even though in third person), I feel the 'she' is redundant.  Substituting 'organize' makes 'prepared' redundant, perhaps:

One of the first things would be to meet with the top roboticists in Engineering and organize a pair of robot to travel downriver underwater, ....

You managed to sneak a couple more in while I wasn't looking  ;D

It was a sphere approximately two miles in diameter, a small moon of a metallic composite.

Right now, she carried the seven-foot length of wood like a walking staff, pointy end up.

Although, I'm in two minds about the last since within 'Kyrathaba', if it was to be marketed as an escapist game, they would undoubtedly have used a completely different scale of measurements so as to truly distance it from reality.  Of course, that opens up even more cans of worms trying to remember to switch back and forth depending where the story is located at that time, but it's been done before in novels.


For the convenience of proof-readers who may not want to have to keep downloading epub or mobi files, I've added a link to the entire book online, in html format.

That certainly makes my posts easier but I find it good to be able to read the epub on my phone where I can bookmark passages, (FBReader), and then when I'm sitting in front of the computer, refer back to them.

Spoiler
Although I know what you mean, ewemoa. Why don't you code it for NANY 2014?

I think it would read better like so:

I know what you mean though, ewemoa, why don't you code it for NANY 2014?



Yes, I'm being silly....

3068
Chapter 9:
“But don’t get any wild ideas about making any unauthorized jaunts into these tunnels, crevices or pools.

“But don’t get any wild ideas about making any unauthorized jaunts into these tunnels, crevices or pools.

A couple minutes later he let our a whoop of excitement.

A couple minutes later he let out a whoop of excitement.

Chapter 8:

Firm scientific evidence of wormholes was discovered in 2112, and our scientists speculate that someday wormholes may not just allow humans to traverse vast galactic distances instantaneously. They may also become doorways to other realities, other universes.

The wording seems to suggest that the two sentences should be one to me, possibly:

Firm scientific evidence of wormholes was discovered in 2112, and our scientists speculate that someday wormholes may not just allow humans to traverse vast galactic distances instantaneously but that they may also become doorways to other realities, other universes.

The same with this next one:

“The programming of this reality is geared toward embeddedness. Requiring even VR game players to exit the game entirely to interact with their typical reality. ...

Possibly:

“The programming of this reality is geared toward embeddedness, requiring even VR game players to exit the game entirely to interact with their typical reality. ...

Or to separate using slightly different wording for the start of the second:

“The programming of this reality is geared toward embeddedness.  It requires even VR game players to exit the game entirely to interact with their typical reality. ...
3069
The comment I just made regarding sight/site:

Forget it, my interpretation was wrong  :-\

It's official, I'm illiterate.
3070
Looking back at this one:

When the gun was taken apart fully, he produced eight specially made tungsten components that he would need to properly modify the casing and triggering mechanism.

I think the following flows better but that might be my accent ;)

He plugged in a soldering iron and set it carefully aside to begin heating, then took a set of folding hexagonal screwdrivers from his overalls chest pocket, and began disassembling the Taser. With the gun fully apart, he produced eight specially made tungsten components that he would need to properly modify the casing and triggering mechanism.

Just wondering, I know that Taser is used generically to refer to electroshock/stun guns much as Velcro is for hook/loop fasteners but, also like Velcro, isn't it a trademarked name and therefore needs to be capitalised?

You might have picked some of these up:

Chapter 5:
When have I ever shown anything but grace under pressure and good judgment under fire?

I believe the term is "grace under fire", so possibly:

When have I ever shown anything but grace under fire and good judgment under pressure?

“As a matter of fact, I did not authorize the ‘excursion’ to the Shaft that took place on the evening of Monday, June 11th.

“As a matter of fact, I did not authorize the ‘excursion’ to the Shaft that took place on the evening of Monday, June 11th.

But she’d had all that sort of action she wanted, and I allowed her to go into Environmental.

But she'd had enough of that sort of action, and I allowed her to go into Environmental.

We think Byron designed a two-setting pistol, powered by miniature power cell.

We think Byron designed a two-setting pistol, powered by a miniature power cell.

Judging by the corpse of the alien, the first shot was high velocity particle spray...

Probably works with or without:

Judging by the corpse of the alien, the first shot was a high velocity particle spray...

...cause them to salivate all the more at our now heightened fear.

...cause them to salivate all the more at our now heightened fear.

...so that those who come after us may benefit from foreknowledge.

...so that those who come after us may benefit from foreknowledge.

Chapter 7:
Administrator Mephord raised his eyebrows, not looking at anyone specifically, lips momentarily pooched.

??? Is this some quaint Americanism or was there really a dog in his mouth ?

I have heard of 'screwed the pooch', is this the oral sex version ?  :P

Or did you mean 'pursed' ?

Chapter 8:
“Jaimie, hello. How goes Operation Moving Deeper?

“Jaimie, hello. How goes Operation Moving Deeper?

“Understood, the administrator replied. Just make sure the robots disperse the rock far and wide once they exit the shaft. ....

“Understood, the administrator replied. Just make sure the robots disperse the rock far and wide once they exit the shaft. ....

It contained data that described it (hair color, number legs, length of its tail, etc.) and various behaviors associated with it (getting hungry, licking its owner, peeing on the carpet).

It contained data that described it, (hair color, number of legs, length of its tail, etc.), and various behaviors associated with it, (getting hungry, licking its owner, peeing on the carpet).

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

When I made the comment about imperial measurements I was joking but I've now realised what caused me to make it.

When you've referred to a persons attributes or the result of an action, they've been imperial, eg.

He was a heavy man in his late fifties, maybe five foot seven and two-hundred and fifty pounds.
...and the entire platform rang with the impact and dropped a foot,...

Which is fine for me.

Description of the structure of the compound has been in metric measurements except for a couple of inconsistencies which stuck in my head.

...contemplating plummeting headfirst into the pool of chemicals and waste materials sixty feet directly below her. The tank was large, but only about five feet deep.

If we’re able to continue at this rate, we can be at a depth of one-thousand feet below the entrance to Main Channel Two in another...

Small things and it's probably just me.
3071
Hey, 4wd: if you want, I can hold off on uploading for a couple weeks, maybe get three or four more chapters written, giving you time to get back to and finish the book you were reading. Your call  :D

As 40hz said, keep going :)

I don't have any problems switching mid-book for another book or two and then returning to what I was originally reading.

Finished up to Ch 8 now, I'll come back when I've got my lazy a**e out of bed and fired up the main machine. ;D
3072
It's a Magic Eyew (aka Autostereogramw):
 (see attachment in previous post)

I have never been able to see whatever it is that I am supposed to be able to see in that type of image. And that has always frustrated me.

I find it's just a matter of being able to de-focus your eyes, (which, I have to admit, gets easier the older I get  :-\ ), and then look beyond the flat surface.

Or sometimes going slowly cross-eyed, (bring your focal point closer), works well.

The message
ascii magic eye.jpg
My positioning is slightly inaccurate.


I do find the Random Dot versions a lot easier to view though.
3073
Urgh...I'm never going to reach the end of this book...haven't managed to get to chapter 6 yet....
Why not just read the last two chapters each time I upload? Or is it a matter of complete thoroughness, making sure the entire book hangs together from page one?

That was the main reason but now you've said you haven't made changes in earlier chapters since the last few Perry and I mentioned, I'll just read the last ones posted.

If and when you stop I'll start from scratch again, (then I can resume Who Goes There by John W. Campbell :) ).

A few more possibles:

Chapter 1:
Think about it: we’ve got bases on Io, Callisto, Mars, and Luna, as well as numerous layers of outwardly focused detectors in orbit of our planets, all the way out to Pluto and even Janus, constantly sending telemetry back to the home planet.

Think about it: we’ve got bases on Io, Callisto, Mars, and Luna, as well as numerous layers of outwardly focused detectors orbiting our planets, all the way out to Pluto and even Janus, constantly sending telemetry back to the home planet.

Chapter 2:
“The bottom line,” said Eddie, is that even if we blow this entirely and get put in confinement for questioning, we’ve not lost much. Each of our bodies is going to die in the coming weeks, regardless, so what do we have to lose by chancing this? And if our experiment fails, we won’t know it: once we go under into immersion, either Sethra’s theory proves out, or else we just lose consciousness and never know when we die.”

“The bottom line,” said Eddie, is that even if we blow this entirely and get put in confinement for questioning, we’ve not lost much. Each of our bodies is going to die in the coming weeks, regardless, so what do we have to lose by chancing this? And if our experiment fails, we won’t know it: once we go under into immersion, either Sethra’s theory proves out, or else we just lose consciousness and never know when we die.”

Chapter 3:
The positioning of some of the commas seems strange to me but after inwardly digesting commas I've decided I'm not intelligent enough to comment on them :)

But to give you an idea:

The other android (they were always assigned in pairs) was unable to produce audio or video for the killing, either.

The other android, (they were always assigned in pairs), was unable to produce audio or video for the killing either.

He wondered if Zuzana was experiencing something similar. Even the nausea hadn’t seemed as bad, today.

He wondered if Zuzana was experiencing something similar. Even the nausea hadn’t seemed as bad today.

-----------

He set the TCPI to the left of the rack of vials, and added the power cells to the same plastic wrack that held the chemical vials.

He set the TCPI to the left of the rack of vials, and added the power cells to the same plastic rack that held the chemical vials.

When the gun was taken apart fully, he produced eight special made tungsten components that he would need to properly modify the casing and triggering mechanism.

When the gun was taken apart fully, he produced eight specially made tungsten components that he would need to properly modify the casing and triggering mechanism.

He took the now empty vials and the plastic wrack,...

He took the now empty vials and the plastic rack,...

Chapter 4:
“Certainly. Beyond the base of the pole, it continues another eighty meters into the bedrock. It’s quite well-anchored. Trust me, this thing will be here for millennia after we’re gone.”

“Certainly. Beyond the base of the shaft, it continues another eighty meters into the bedrock. It’s quite well-anchored. Trust me, this thing will be here for millennia after we’re gone.”

Sethra stepped down from a railing where he’d been diagnosing the cameras. These cameras are in perfect working order, which doesn’t surprise me.”

Sethra stepped down from a railing where he’d been diagnosing the cameras. These cameras are in perfect working order, which doesn’t surprise me.”

“The same robots that service these anti-radiation grills also perform diagnostics and maintenance on the cameras. There’s only one conclusion that we can draw, from both my observations of these grills and your testing of the cameras.”

“The same robots that service these anti-radiation grills also perform diagnostics and maintenance on the cameras. There’s only one conclusion that we can draw from both my observations of these grills and your testing of the cameras.”

“They need to get finished and get back down here in the next fifteen minutes, so we can get out of here, and hosed down, and out of these itchy suits.”

“They need to get finished and get back down here in the next fifteen minutes, so we can get out of here, hosed down, and out of these itchy suits.”
3074
Original post contains new upload: a zip archive containing EPUB and MOBI versions for the book, up through the end of Chapter 8. :)

Urgh...I'm never going to reach the end of this book...haven't managed to get to chapter 6 yet....  :(
3075
It's a Magic Eyew (aka Autostereogramw):
 (see attachment in previous post)

I'll have you know I lead a very productive one.......in my dreams  :P
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