@Hieru
It seems you pretty know what I was talking about. CDs
A 16 bit 44.1, and 16 bits should be enough for dynamics. The theory says so.
However, this theory isn't quite right. Some 6 bits are needed for headroom. Algorithms/filters/calculations need it.
Some 4 bits in the lower band of dynamics is also a bit useless. It sounds like the old PCM synthesizers.
So what left?
Now, add this well known compression/maximizers, music up to 16 bits (0 db). Then, Digital to audio converters having trouble handling this information.
CDs don't sound well, whatever player you use. After extracting to a PC hard drive, this machine (VIA a USB or firewire or anything new) becomes a perfect transport (via a perfect bit app player)
Newer D to A DAC chips can add a 3-4 db headroom, great to hear these compressed maximized productions. (see benchmark DAC 2) . Miracles never happen though. The musical information already distorted in the studios (mastering).
It isn't the appropriate forum to add more details about it. I worked (and still working as freelancer) on the mastering and remixing procedure. I'm also experienced on how to deceive listeners. Pitty.
So far away from the days of vinyl, of real to real tapes…
High Definition audio stream is another matter of course.
We bought vinyls, cassettes, CDs, DSDs, now we have to pay again… not fair, not quite if I may.

At home
Speakers : ATC SCM100 active
DAC (Pre) : benchmark DAC2
A tricord research CD transport to play my 2000 cds
MAC pro, via USB, High Definition downloads, AudirvanaPlus for perfectbit output. Alternatively, a PC with foobar player

In my studio
similar hi def digital
3 home made valve amps (2A3 direct heated triods)
Line and phono valve preamps
A home made (DIY) active crossover (valves again)
An old and expensive Luxman turntable, MØRCH tonearm, clearaudio cartridge
Woofer Altec 416Z, mid : axiom goomans 201 tw : tad 2001
And, this is my favorite system

Vinyls sound beautifully, hi def audio (from a perfect bit pc) also sound great, CDs not so.

@oli
ha ha
@david_h
I read it as lol (LOL)

@unknownuser said:

Why are beekeepers responsible for what is shown in the image?

Some google search needed. Example:

@unknownuser said:

The pine scale (Marchalina hellenica) has been introduced to Attica … beekeepers have contributed substantially to the colonisa- tion of conifer forests … attracts other insects, mainly ants, which protect and/or transport the ..... woolly aphid (Adelges piceae, Hemiptera, Adelgidae)

It isn't just my opinion. I've talked with lot of greek beekeepers. They do it purposely.
BTW, honey from pine trees is of lower quality compared to other honeys like thyme, Erica manipuliflora (the best) , still brings lot of money. A huge production unfortunately.
See my friends? There are more points of view on this matter.

@unknownuser said:

to get to the bottom of why the bee population is in serious decline.

Not in greece.
We're facing a different problem though. Beekeepers are responsible for this.
See these pine trees?
http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Florida-Forest-Service/Our-Forests/Forest-Health/Forest-Health-Publications/Insects-and-Diseases/Woolly-Pine-Scale

Shadow catcher.

It's this narrow path between them, consider this water as well.
Anyway, I give up.
On such situations, what a riot police doing there? It's ridiculous at least.
After all, 300 was another bizarre movie, based on greek antiquity or whatever , some funny scenes. "Thirsty, give them something to drink" LOL
However, I did enjoy it (the movie I mean)

"300"
The Hot Gates
Venice

Please Oli,
My message was, be like a hairy huge guy. It works. Give them something to thing about.

@unknownuser said:

They said trees in my area must have increased the humidity causing screen to steam up?!!

For my apple display, they said, I was smoking. They replaced the screen panel three times. They replaced power supply the fourth time and now it perfectly works. The power supply was the problem, costed them 4 displays. Nice
The other story with my macpro and the heat sink of the northbridge was funnier though.
When they realized I was right and fixed it, they had to say something…
"we found some hair" they said. Do you have a pet?
"No" I replayed, "these are mine, I'm a huge and hairy guy, and I'm coming to take it back right now"
I'm not huge or hairy but the trick worked.

@unknownuser said:

Buy a PC. Build a PC.

Click render.

Which one will be quicker?

Mine, a ~ six years old dual xeon macpro. You gonna bet? ( a pc ~ 1500 euros, right?)
Click render. A CPU based render, right?
GPU renders are depended on the GPU card and nothing else. I can install any commercial GPU you like.

Talking about Oli's new PC.
sorry… lol
Any advices about a new decent mouse? A decent desktop mouse, not these gamer's mice with 40 buttons, I mean.
My Logitech old (from 2006) G5 is almost dead. This USB wired with the weights you know. Loved it.

@unknownuser said:

I can't just repair an Apple if anything goes wrong

I know. However my macpro had some trouble a year ago.
They (apple) kept it for a week, waiting for a motherboard.
They didn't follow the instructions by apple.
They did nothing. But, I did. Found it was the heatsink of the northbridge chip. Replaced it (cost >30 euros) and the machine works perfectly. I mean, these older macpros are typical PC like constructions (more or less). I will never visit apple services again. Don't need them.

@Mike Lucey
Open Shirt?

He can't do much, not this time.

@unknownuser said:

But that's the beauty of a PC. If I ever need more, just take it out and bang another in! I'm not concerned, I probably won't even use half that SSD anyway.

Excuse me?
Oh I see, you never learned Oli, to keep a distance from anything starts with an "i". (iMacs, itunes, ipods, ipads, i anything)
I upgraded my Macpro so many times. Far away from apple stores.
A six years old dualXeon (16 threads), still on top on many benchmark tests among blender - (cycles rendering) users.
Much more ram (and faster) costing 10% of what apple was asking for), much better GPU (I won't comment the cost LOL)
Never used an apple mouse (logitech G**** always, the extended mac keyboard is great though)
Dell displays … and of course boot camp, not an emulator for Windows.

Now, the only you could do, go for a Hacintosh scenario, in case you gonna miss OSX. It perfectly works, you know.
Or, for a Linux install, you may wish to have three OSs on your system. Serious renderers run 30% faster under LInux and OSX, you know. See benchmarks.

Well, you have a new machine, with an SSD, of course it runs faster.
Don't come close to a new macpro though. It will give you something to thing about. (really expensive, as all the hi end Xeon machines like HP etc)

I also noticed some talks about heat-sinks etc. Well, Xeons are very cool. No need for ridiculous solutions. (max ~ 58ºC, greek summer, after 6 hours animation rendering)

BTW, talking about the greek summer, do we have a funny thread specialized on what's happening in greece? LOOOOOL

Laughing is good for the health.

What is faster than light?
To the bathroom, sometimes you don't have the time to turn on the light. You don't have the time to think anyway.

Joyeux Noël Pilou
Le meilleur troll que j'aie jamais connu.

Box modeling first. You know, all the push pull stuff.
However, try to keep topology into quads (avoiding too many Ngons).
This is helpful.
Then, enter artisan.
BTW, my avatar image is still an artisan result.

Thank you !

SculptGL gets an update
http://stephaneginier.com/sculptgl/

Amazing

Try it under chrome (better)

@unknownuser said:

Germany vs Argentina final

And my *5 goes to Pete