Friday, January 30

Fun with The_Rose!  

Permanent link posted by bytehead @ 1/30/2004 10:32:00 PM    Links to this post

Syndication  

Permanent link posted by bytehead @ 1/28/2004 02:29:00 AM    0 comments Links to this post

Monday, January 26

Ars Technica: Foldable e-newspapers coming from Philips  

Philips has announced that they will be mass producing foldable digital monochrome screens that could be used to display all kinds of downloaded information, including the day's news. The screens will be approximately 'book sized,' and will be rollable in most formats to such an extent that it will be possible to easily store such displays on a persons mobile belongings (briefcases, bags, etc). Some formats will be able to be rolled so tightly that they can fit inside a pen.

Based on years of groundbreaking work on polymer electronics, Philips is capable of producing prototypes of ultra-thin, large-area, rollable displays on a routine basis and intends to rapidly move towards an industrially feasible production process. The displays combine active-matrix polymer driving electronics with a reflective 'electronic ink' front plane on an extremely thin sheet of plastic. Philips publishes the current status of its technology in the 1 February issue of the scientific magazine Nature Materials.

Permanent link posted by bytehead @ 1/26/2004 10:19:00 PM    0 comments Links to this post

Administrivia  

Update

<!-- Place for the sticky box (placeholder only for now -->

<?php

$stickyinput="./insert.html";

	if(is_file($stickyinput)) { ?>

		<script type="text/javascript">document.write("<div class='" + LightAndDark[whichbox] + "'>"); whichbox^=1</script>

		<noscript><div class="boxedLight"></noscript>

		<h2>The sticky notes at the front of the page</h2>

<?php

		@readfile($stickyinput);

		print "</div>";

	}

?>

Permanent link posted by bytehead @ 1/26/2004 01:52:00 AM    0 comments Links to this post

ABCNEWS.com : Stossel on the Top 10 Media-Fed Myths  

Can going out in the cold give you a cold? Is life getting worse? Can money buy happiness?

You may be among the many who would answer yes to these questions. You'd be wrong. There are a lot of popularly held beliefs out there that simply aren't true. Yet the media tend to report on many of them as though they were hard facts.

Permanent link posted by bytehead @ 1/25/2004 11:19:00 AM    0 comments Links to this post

Thursday, January 22

LOOSE wire: The Charting Of An Urban Myth? Or A Double Bluff?  

Here's a cautionary tale from Vmyths, the virus myths website, on how urban legends are born.

Vmyths says that Reuters News Agency filed a report from Singapore last week quoting anti-virus manufacturer Trend Micro (makers of PC-cillin) as saying computer virus attacks cost global businesses an estimated $55 billion in damages in 2003. That's a lot of damage. Two spokesmen at Trend Micro have since called Vmyths to correct the report. One said it was wrong. Another said Trend Micro cannot gauge a damage value -- because they simply don't collect the required data.

Permanent link posted by bytehead @ 1/22/2004 12:28:00 AM    0 comments Links to this post

Background on color glass condensate  

"Color" in the name "color glass condensate" refers to a type of charge that quarks and gluons carry as a result of the strong force. The word glass is borrowed from the term for silica and other materials that are disordered and act like solids on short time scales but liquids on long time scales.

Relevant Link

Permanent link posted by bytehead @ 1/18/2004 12:31:00 PM    Links to this post

Friday, January 16

Mars Scorecard  

Welcome Space Sports fans! As you are well aware, Earth is currently the underdog in the solar system division in the Expensive Hardware Lob. For every piece of hardware that returns useful information from the Lobbee's planet, the Lobber scores a point. For every piece of hardware sucessfully thwarted by the Lobbee, they score a point.

Currently we are monitoring the Mars-Earth game which began in late 1960 and is still in progress. As far as we can tell, Earth has been the only Lobber, with scattered reports of a possibly thwarted Mars invasion of Earth in 1938.

For those of you just tuning in, here is the play-by-play.

Permanent link posted by bytehead @ 1/16/2004 12:10:00 PM    0 comments Links to this post

Thursday, January 15

Speed test.  

Permanent link posted by bytehead @ 1/15/2004 10:54:00 AM    Links to this post

Bush Proposes Return to the Moon by 2015 (washingtonpost.com)  

President Bush challenged the nation today to return to the moon as early as 2015 and to use it as a stepping stone to human exploration of Mars and worlds beyond.

Speaking from the Washington headquarters of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Bush outlined an ambitious program of space exploration aimed at recapturing the glory of the first lunar landing in 1969 and reaping untold technological benefits from exceeding that achievement.

Permanent link posted by bytehead @ 1/14/2004 08:49:00 PM    0 comments Links to this post

Collections  

@echo off

setlocal

call :processscifi "c:\binaries\alt.binaries.e-book.palm\"

call :processscifi "c:\binaries\alt.binaries.e-book.flood\"

call :processscifi "c:\binaries\alt.binaries.e-books\"

call :processfantasy "c:\binaries\alt.binaries.e-book.palm\"

call :processfantasy "c:\binaries\alt.binaries.e-book.flood\"

call :processfantasy "c:\binaries\alt.binaries.e-books\"

call :processhorror "c:\binaries\alt.binaries.e-book.palm\"

call :processhorror "c:\binaries\alt.binaries.e-book.flood\"

call :processhorror "c:\binaries\alt.binaries.e-books\"

endlocal

goto :eof

:processscifi

for /f "delims=" %%I in ("*adams*douglas*") do call :moveit "%~1%%I"

for /f "delims=" %%I in ("*douglas*adams*") do call :moveit "%~1%%I"

for /f "delims=" %%I in ("*anthony*piers*") do call :moveit "%~1%%I"

for /f "delims=" %%I in ("*piers*anthony*") do call :moveit "%~1%%I"

for /f "delims=" %%I in ("*asimov*isaac*") do call :moveit "%~1%%I"

for /f "delims=" %%I in ("*isaac*asimov*") do call :moveit "%~1%%I"

for /f "delims=" %%I in ("*clarke*arthur*") do call :moveit "%~1%%I"

for /f "delims=" %%I in ("*arthur*clarke*") do call :moveit "%~1%%I"

for /f "delims=" %%I in ("*heinlein*") do call :moveit "%~1%%I"

for /f "delims=" %%I in ("*larry*niven*") do call :moveit "%~1%%I"

for /f "delims=" %%I in ("*niven*larry*") do call :moveit "%~1%%I"

for /f "delims=" %%I in ("*zelazny*") do call :moveit "%~1%%I"

for /f "delims=" %%I in ("*phil*dick*") do call :moveit "%~1%%I"

for /f "delims=" %%I in ("*dick*phil*") do call :moveit "%~1%%I"

for /f "delims=" %%I in ("*jerry*pournelle*") do call :moveit "%~1%%I"

for /f "delims=" %%I in ("*pournelle*jerry*") do call :moveit "%~1%%I"

for /f "delims=" %%I in ("*brian*aldiss*") do call :moveit "%~1%%I"

for /f "delims=" %%I in ("*aldiss*brian*") do call :moveit "%~1%%I"

for /f "delims=" %%I in ("*orson*card*") do call :moveit "%~1%%I"

for /f "delims=" %%I in ("*card*orson*") do call :moveit "%~1%%I"

goto :eof

:processfantasy

for /f "delims=" %%I in ("*mccaffrey*") do call :moveit "%~1%%I"

goto :eof

:processhorror

for /f "delims=" %%I in ("*anne*rice*") do call :moveit "%~1%%I"

for /f "delims=" %%I in ("*rice*anne*") do call :moveit "%~1%%I"

goto :eof

:moveit

if not exist %1 goto :eof

echo move %1 "C:\binaries\e-books - by Genre"

move %1 "C:\binaries\e-books - by Genre"

goto :eof

Permanent link posted by bytehead @ 1/13/2004 12:06:00 AM    0 comments Links to this post

Saturday, January 10

Forbes.com: SCO approached Google about Linux license  

Certainly if they're using 10,000 Linux servers that include our intellectual property as part of Unix, we would want them to license, said Blake Stowell, a SCO spokesman.

Permanent link posted by bytehead @ 1/10/2004 06:15:00 PM    Links to this post

Thursday, January 8

Wired News: Rants & Raves  

Date: 01/06/2004 04:13 PM
From: Sari Kadison-Shapiro (sari(at)nospam.sarigraphics.com)
Subject: Bush Grabs New Power for FBI

I was under the impression that it was the legislative branch of government that made the laws, not the executive ("Bush Grabs New Power for FBI," Jan. 6, 2004).

This was such a bald grab at power by the executive branch, it's difficult to understand how any member of Congress could vote for it. Those who did most surely abdicated their responsibilities to the Constitution and to their constituents.

Relevant Link

Permanent link posted by bytehead @ 1/08/2004 01:54:00 PM    Links to this post

My issues with Blogger  

Permanent link posted by bytehead @ 1/07/2004 01:01:00 AM    Links to this post

Tuesday, January 6

TCP/IP - How to start DHCP client service after renew lease failed  

OISA (TechnicalUser) Feb 20, 2003
I cam across this very same issue twice in the last week (1st time I had to re-install complete new WinXP), but I think I got it now. I was able to re-establish the connection to the Internet.

I had all the issues describes above (IP=0.0.0.0, 'netsh' failed, etc). I have combined some partial Win2K methods(there you can uninstall TCP/IP), which then changed my problem to the famous 169.254.x.x problem (where DHCP cannot be connected), then I re-installed XP - and it works!

These are the steps I've used (mybe not everything is necessary:

01. Use Regedit.exe to navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock.

02. Export the Winsock key to a Winsock.reg file, to save it.

03. Delete the Winsock key.

04. Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock2.

05. Export the Winsock2 key to a Winsock2.reg file, to save it.

06. Delete the Winsock2 key.

07. Exit Regedit.exe.

08. Execute in a Command window: 'netsh int ip reset c:\resetlog.txt'. This time it ends successfully, the IP is now '169.254.x.x' (which is another problem).

09. Re-install WinXP with the installation CD (use the 'upgrade' option).

After the re-installation completed, I got everything back.

Let us know does it work to you too.

BTW: I had this problem twice after using Ad-Aware 6.0 (the spyware cleaner) which deleted some files and registries off my computer. I am still using it and 'usually' there is no harm.

Permanent link posted by bytehead @ 1/06/2004 07:45:00 PM    0 comments Links to this post

Marshall Brain's Blog  

Prepare to Upgrade!

It would appear that, about a year from now, it will be time to upgrade in a big way. Some of the things coming down the pipe and converging in 2005 include:

• 64-bit chips for the masses - About a year from now, inexpensive 64-bit chips and motherboards should be commonplace. AMD and Intel will be fighting for dominance. The performance boost should be impressive. The last time we had a major change like this, it was when we moved from the 16-bit 8088 and 80286 chips of the old IBM PC and AT to the 32-bit Pentium.

• 64-bit Windows XP - Windows XP will be available in a 64-bit version in late 2004 or early 2005, opening the doors for software that can really take advantage of the 64-bit platform.

• High speed RAM - RAM will see a major (factor of 5 to 10) speed boost in 2005. For example, Toshiba plans to ship XDR memory running at 3.2GHz in about a year. Attach 2 gigabytes of it to a 64-bit processor and that should be a decent gaming and video editing platform.

• New DVD format - The new DVD format will be appearing, able to put 20GB or so on a single disk. See also this.

• Terabyte hard drives - 2005 will probably be the year of the terabyte hard drive. Running on the high-speed buses of the new 64-bit motherboards, performance should be improved as well.

Having all of this happen at about the same time should make for some impressive performance improvements.

• 64 bits - Who cares? I don't see demand for 64 bit chips other than servers building much until at the earliest 2006, and probably more into 2007. The only positive for current 64 bit chips is the bigger memory, and that's why I can see a demand for servers. General computing? The demand for >4 gigs of memory isn't there yet in that category. And good 64 bit software is still somewhere in the pipeline. Recompiling an existing program for 64 bit code might get a little extra performance out of it, but just to go faster? When we're past 3GHZ in CPU speed now?
  
  Also, we don't have a standardized bus that allows us to do everything we need to do with the 64 bit chips. SATA-2 might go along and help some of this out. That still won't help out the SCSI crowd (mostly affecting servers), or other expansion cards.
  
  
• 64 bit XP - See above. Although it is a start in the 64 bit direction (but notice I'm not saying that it's the right direction...)
  
  
• High speed RAM - Ever since the P3 came out (let alone the P4), the speed of the CPU versus the speed of everything else has been problematic (with the possible exception of video cards). From memory, hard drives, CD/DVD drives, USB, Firewire, and so on, they are always much slower than the CPU. High speed RAM is going to help.
  
  
• New DVD format - As long as there are DVD±R and DVD±RW drives, that's a good thing. Only DVD-ROM would be a bad thing. It's still not big enough though. To back up that terabyte hard drive that is described next, you would still need 50 DVD discs to back it up (assuming it was full). Even at 50%, that's still 25 discs.
  
  
• Terabyte hard drives - No duh. 500MG-1TB drives should be out by 2005. Damn the consequences, full speed ahead!

Permanent link posted by bytehead @ 1/04/2004 11:09:00 AM    Links to this post

Friday, January 2

Updates  

Car

Aministrivia

Permanent link posted by bytehead @ 1/02/2004 01:41:00 PM    Links to this post

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