22 June 2009

Google IO videos 0

Well, even though i wasn't able to attend the Google IO conference this year (turns out i could have if i'd found out about it earlier ... oh well; next year!), the folks at theconference were nice enough to record many of the sessions and put them online! I'm going through all of the Android presentations now.

Google IO videos

Read More
16 June 2009

The Aquarius from Mattel 1

Oh this brings back some memories ... :) The very first computer that my parents bought back in the early 80's was one of these. It was awesome! (and horrible now that i look back on it 25 years later). I had a lot of fun typing in the sample programs, making a little guy run across the screen and playing the one or two silly little games that came with it. If nothing else, it started my interest in computers.

here is an article which talks about early computers (including the Aquarius) and some of their many flaws.

Read More
9 June 2009

Warbreaker 0

Brandon Sanderson has just released his latest book called "Warbreaker". On his website he's also releasing a free pdf of the book that you can download and read if you like. I grabbed it and stuck it on my kindle. I'm looking forward to reading it. So far i've been quite impressed with what i have read of his works (Elantris and Mistborn).

Here's the official synopsis:

The capital of Hallandren is T'telir, a beautiful city by the sea, a center of the dyeing trade where colorfully-dressed crowds mill through the bustling streets, and living gods rule in splendor, confined to the gilded cage known as the Court of Gods. Under the rule of the remote, all-powerful God King, they live in the lap of luxury, basking in the worship of the people, accepting in tribute the gifts of freely-given breath, the life-force that keeps them alive and eternally youthful.

But Hallendren did not reach this halcyon state without a struggle, a revolution that left those who rejected it living in austere exile in the mountain realm of Idris. To keep the peace, the exiled royal family agreed in this generation to the betrothal of a daughter of the royal line to the God King. Vivenna, the eldest daughter, was raised from birth to fulfill this commitment, but at the last minute, her wily father, King Dedelin, sends his youngest daughter, Siri, instead. Vivenna is furious about losing the role that terrified her and yet defined her life, and baffled that her father expects poor Siri to cope with the monstrous God King with no training and less warning. So Vivenna secretly flees their small mountain realm to follow her sister.

Siri, in whom the blood of the old kings runs strong, is no weakling herself, but she is shocked to find the city, the people, and even the royal marriage itself are not at all what she expected. Unaware of Vivenna's arrival in T'telir, she is forced to take matters into her own hands.

And while this royal drama plays out, another newcomer to the city, Vasher, arrives with a sentient sword named Nightblood, and ambitious plans of his own, plans dependent on the unique BioChromatic magic of Hallandren, which uses color to focus the power of breath, plans which will change the world.

In the tradition of his own acclaimed debut novel, Elantris, in Warbreaker Brandon Sanderson has written a supremely entertaining and endlessly surprising epic fantasy in one volume. It is an adventure, a romance, a witty tale of political intrigue, and even an examination of the ethics of divinity and the power of religion. Like all his novels, Warbreaker breaks the mold of conventional fantasy to create a reading experience you will never forget.

Check it out here.

Read More
2 June 2009

Digital Smog 0

Digital Smog: A jumble of public digital information that follows one around in the online world. The smog comes from many sources, including (but certainly not limited to) social network profiles, blog posts, wiki edits, newsgroup posts, search histories, tweets, text messages, and emails.

Read More
22 May 2009

The flying car future 0

I just recently listened to an interview with John Smart (which you can find on the http://accelerating.org website if you're interested in seeing more). He talked about six things coming in the near future as we progress towards the singularity, including the humbot, the metaverse, and the cybertwin. All of which are very interesting.

But one thing that really struck me was when we mentioned a term he called the flying car future. By this he means that oftentimes when predicting the future, people are way off. It's not that in the future the predicted technologies aren't possible, but that they're not really practical or useful. Think of jet packs or flying cars or just about anything else people in the 1930's - 1950's were predicting about the future. Many of those things can be done today, but very few of them are. There are simply better alternatives. His point is that even today, many people are making wild predictions that probably could happen in a few decades. But in a few decades ... who will care? The technology of the future will be far better than anything we predict.

Read More
20 May 2009

Some good advice 1

My mom just asked everyone why they haven't written any blog entries recently. I think it's because everyone is updating their facebook status and sending tweets instead. But it's good to still write blog entries now and then.

So here's some good advice that i heard many years ago that can apply to a wide variety of things. It's the cryptic kind of thing some zen teacher might tell you and that doesn't make sense ... until it makes sense, and then it makes perfect sense and will change your life :)

The best time to plant a tree is 50 years ago. The second best time to plant a tree is right now.

Read More
17 May 2009

My thumb is NOT green 4

After several hours of yard work yesterday, it suddenly dawned on me that i'm not a gardener. I'm sure it has dawned on most of the neighborhood too. The day started out good enough. I set up some cages for the tomato plants. I set out a trap for the wasps. I even dug some trenches so that the water in the garden would flow down to the end. Then my wife asked me to trim back the bushes in front of the house.

When i got the trimmers out, i noticed they wouldn't trim more than an inch or two. But we needed a foot or more trimmed back. Well ... i guess i should have realized the chainsaw probably wasn't the best solution. It seemed like a good idea at the time. It got the job done - the bushes are trimmed way back now.

Unfortunately, they're also UGLY as #@$. so basically i took about 2 minutes to ruin a 60 year old bush, that might recover in about 5 years. sorry! :(

Read More
13 May 2009

Star Trek 5

Now that Star Trek has been out long enough for anyone to see it who cares to, i thought i'd write some of my thoughts and impressions. Let me just start off by saying that the movie was amazing in every respect. The storyline, the acting, the visual effects, the music. All top notch. Whether you're a Star Trek fan or not, this is a great show.

I've seen it multiple times and have several more showings lined up. Each time i've gone in looking at it from a different angle, trying to spot different things. And each time i've come away quite satisfied. From the very first scene where the bad guys come through the rift in a ship that just looks like evil incarnate, and Kirk sr. saves his wife and newborn child (Kirk) by sacrificing himself and his ship, you just know the movie is gonna be good.

This is definitely a series "reboot". The essence of the original show is there - you've got all the main characters and the setting of a futuristic world with a federation of planets. You've got Vulcans and Romulans. There's time travel, humor, tragedy, love, explosions, technobabble, and even a red-shirt. How do you reboot a franchise that has 40 years of television shows, movies, multiple series, and a rabid fanbase? You create an alternate timeline! That way, even though it's still Star Trek, you're not bound by all that canon. You have creative freedom to take the story and characters in new directions. And i, as an avid fan, think this is wonderful. I'm excited to see what happens next. More movies? Another television series that starts up where the movie[s] left off? Bring it on! Just don't forget to explain what happens to the admirals dog. That's all i ask :)

Now granted, many of the major events that occurred in the original timeline can be avoided now. For example, who's to say we'll ever meet Khan? I mean, the Enterprise just randomly bumped into him in the original series. The universe if different, the timing is different. It's almost certain that Khan will just continue to float in space forever until the life pods eventually give out. Khan will never get stranded on seti-alpha five, Spock won't have to die saving the ship, and Kirk and crew won't have to go rogue to get him back (which may or may not work anyway since Vulcan is npw destroyed and who knows if they even still have the ability to reuinite body and spirit?).

But there are two events that i think are still going to happen, regardless. Things that were set in motion long before the timeline was altered, and would be completely unaffected by the changes to the timeline. One: VGER. Yes, everyone's favorite probe that got sucked into a black hole and emerged on the far side of the galaxy. It's still slowly traveling back to earth, assimilating all the knowledge it can. Eventually the big spoiled brat arrive looking for the creator, and if the Enterprise isn't there to greet it .. who knows what might happen? Two: The wales are still extinct. The super whale ship from deep space is still gonna come knocking on earth's door looking to find out what happened. And someone's gonna still have to go back in time to save the wales. Right? Right? Of course, those events are still 30 years in the future from where we're at now in the reboot, so there's plenty of time to think about how to resolve them.

I can't wait to see it again. I can't wait to see the next movie. I can't wait for a television series. My trek geek is alive and well once more. Bravo to all involved.

Read More
7 May 2009

Indiana Jones and the Intellectual Liquidity 0

As I read the latest Academic Evolution blog post "Intellectual Liquidity and Academic Impedence", i was struck by the following paragraph:

It appears that one of the primary roles of academic institutions is to prevent people from exchanging knowledge quickly and publicly. Overwhelmed by the exacting nature of a school schedule, degree requirements, or tenure review, students and scholars are made to feel that they have neither the time nor the right to explore or share outside of the approved genres and locations of intellectual communication that academia has approved.
Going in the way back machine a few years, i can relate to this. I didn't ever seem to have enough time for my assignments and lab activities, let alone anything related to my field of study that wasn't directly tied to my grade! And yet if had scaled back the number of credits i was taking to a more manageable level, the university itself would have said "you're taking too long". Not to mention i just wanted to get my paper and get out of there :)

But i digress. The real reason i wanted to talk about this snippet is because as i read it i immediately thought about Indiana Jones. How geek of me. He's a great scholar and teacher. We see him in the classroom several times, but that's not where the action is. That's not where the "real" learning occurs. To be sure, it's important to read the books, do the homework, and know the material. But the real learning and excitement is out in the world where you can apply the knowledge and share/interact with others (or use it to find fabulous treasure and not get yourself killed. either way...).

Read More
3 May 2009

Shatnerquake 0

Wow ... must.resist.buing.this.book. ... ok, i just can't imagine how horribly crazy insane and probably really cool (in a trainwreck kind of way) this book has got to be: Shatnerquake.

after a failed terrorist attack by Campbellians, a crazy terrorist cult that worships Bruce Campbell, all of the characters ever played by William Shatner are suddenly sucked into our world. Their mission: hunt down and destroy the real William Shatner.
Shatnerquake

Read More