Computing
The Corpus Callosum
Category archives for Computing
New AvantGo Feed Link
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 on January 6, 2008 I know I’ve been a bit lax with this blog lately, but just in case anyone still cares, and has a mobile device (such as a Palm Pilot, smart phone, etc.) you now can get the RSS feed for Corpus Callosum on your device. You have to use the AvantGo service. If you want,…
Fact-Checking Richard Dawkins
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 on December 1, 2007 In the book, The Blind Watchmaker, Richard Dawkins makes a statement that led one reader to feel the need to check up on him: I’ve been reading through Richard Dawkins’ books and am currently half way through The Blind Watchmaker (2006 paperback edition) and on page 119 he writes: In my computer’s ROM, location…
The Inevitable Decline of Science
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 on November 17, 2007 According to Google, we are heading into a bad season for Science: This is from Google Trends. Every December, there is a steep drop in the number of searches conducted for “science.” Plus, there has been a year-to-year decline. What could it possibly mean?
Unflattering Comparison
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 on November 13, 2007 In his article about what is wrong with Windows Vista, PC Mag’s John Dvorak unintentionally disrespects northern Michigan: Until now, Microsoft could sell code better than anyone, but it seems the company would rather sell services: software as a service, ads, search engine results—you name it. This is like the local storefront that opens as…
Open Source for K-12
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 on November 8, 2007 Neil Bush’s “COW” is probably the closest the Bush family ever has come to real ranching. Now the COW may be going the way of the Dodo This may turn out to be one of the best things that could happen to public education in the USA. The COW, for those of you not familiar,…
Electronic Jihad 2.0
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 on November 2, 2007 11/11 is to be the new 9/11, according to the jihad-watchers at DEBKAfile. DEBKAfile Exclusive: Al Qaeda declares Cyber Jihad on the West October 30, 2007, 9:23 AM (GMT+02:00)
Pico Projector
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 on October 31, 2007 This is a pico-projector from Texas Instruments. The idea is to have a device that can project an image onto a screen, using a very small device such as a PDA. Right now the usable image size is about 15 to 20 inches. They hope to scale it up to 40 inches. I suspect that…
Bizarre Dialog Box
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 on October 25, 2007 One of the occasional problems with commercial software is the need for “activation.” One problem with any software is the potential for inevitability of bugs. Both problems are illustrated in the screenshot. So I only have 12,209 years to act. I would like to be able to trust Symantec to have reliable software, but…
Guy Calling Tech Support Faces Very Long Wait
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 on October 24, 2007 Most people expect a wait when they call tech support. Knowledgeable users arrange to have something to do to kill some time: a book, magazine, something like that. This is the story of Timothy Scott Short, who is going to have to wait a very long time. Short stole a specialized printer, used to make…
Sell ScienceBlogs To Microsoft?
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 on October 20, 2007 Steve Ballmer tells reporters that Microsoft will buy 20 companies a year for the next 5 years, paying “between 50 or 100 million to a couple hundred million each.” He also gave his email address, for anyone to use if they have something to sell. So, I went out to my garage to see if…