130 posts tagged “geeky”

I received an invitation to the beta of Google Wave. I discovered something rather interesting. While the Big Three alternative browsers are represented (Firefox, Safari, and Chrome), it does not include Microsoft Internet Explore on its lists of browsers supported without question. A rather curious state of affairs. 

No IE for Wave

Earlier this week, the chairman of the FCC, Julius Genachowski, gave a speech affirming network neutrality. Network Neutrality is the concept that carriers (such as your ISP) will carry traffic equality, without blocking sites, or limiting how much bandwidth they can take up. Absent network neutrality, an cable company could, for instance, limit how Hulu would perform for their ISP customers, because it interferes with their cable business.

It is because we have an open internet that many of the innovations we use everyday have come to us and proven full utility. Things like Twitter, Hulu, or eCommerce may not have grown as quickly, or been able to provide a solid value proposition.

Historically, the FCC has held four principles for network neutrality. In this speech, a fifth and sixth principle were added:

1. Consumers are entitled to access the lawful Internet content of their choice.
2. Consumers are entitled to run applications and services of their choice, subject to the needs of law enforcement
3. Consumers are entitled to connect their choice of legal devices that do not harm the network.
4. Consumers are entitled to competition among network providers, application and service providers, and content providers.
5. The fifth principle is one of non-discrimination -- stating that broadband providers cannot discriminate against particular Internet content or applications.
6. The sixth principle is a transparency principle -- stating that providers of broadband Internet access must be transparent about their network management practices.

I was quite happy to see the FCC make such a commitment to an Open Internet. One where anyone can innovate and build applications, whether you are a corporation, or a geek in a garage.

The full speech is worth a read. 

Preserving a Free and Open Internet: A Platform for Innovation, Opportunity, and Prosperity

http://openinternet.gov/read-speech.html

Why has the Internet proved to be such a powerful engine for creativity, innovation, and economic growth? A big part of the answer traces back to one key decision by the Internet’s original architects: to make the Internet an open system.

I have a task, but not the right tools.

A large data set was presented to me, full of network addresses. Network addresses look like this:

192.168.125.211
10.1.23.8

They are always four sets of numbers, typically separated by a period. Part of this refers to the network the computer is on; the other part, the specific device. Think of it as the street and house number of your address. In the first example, 192.168.125 would be the network; .211 would be the specific device*

I need to relate each line to which network it is on, by cross-referencing another spreadsheet. The thing I need to do is split out the network of each host. Excel has several text formulas, but for them to work well, the data set has to be of fixed length. As you can see from the two examples, this could range from seven to fifteen characters. I needed to pull everything up to the last period. There is a search function. So, if I assume my data is in A1, I put in:

LEFT(A1,FIND(".",A1,5))

This would search for a period after the fifth character. It would work for the second example, but not the first. So, I had to put a bit more logic into it:

IF(LEN(A1)>11,LEFT(A1,FIND(".",A1,10)),LEFT(A1,FIND(".",A1,5)))

This variation first looks at the overall length of the address, and begins the search at different points. This got me closer, though there was still a fair bit of manual clean-up (cases where my 11-character line doesn't quite work right).

Several computer languages, such as Perl, support regular expressions. Thick books have been written about them. If you master them, they can be quite powerful. It's like mastering the Force. My dilemma was much simpler. I could do something like this:

A1=~ /(\d+\.\d+\.\d+)\.\d+/

The "\d" says to match a digit. Followed by the plus, it will match one or more digit. The "\." says to match a period (a period has another meaning in regular expressions). As the first three sets of digits are encased in parenthesis, meaning to treat that as a group. I could then refer to that chunk. A Perl script for this would look like this:

open(INFILE,"dataset.txt");
while($line=<INFILE>) {
     $line=~ /(\d+\.\d+\.\d+)\.\d+/;
     print $1;
}
close(INFILE)

My Perl is a bit rusty, but you get the gist. It will print my addresses. Note that was done in about a minute off the top of my head.

A quick Google, and there is some VB code you can use to execute this, but I don't know it. Most people who would have my exact task probably wouldn't. So, round-about ways are required. Anyone have better ideas?

*This is a very simplistic explanation of subnetting, intended for those who do not get into the bowels of networks too often. I know there are a lot more nuances than this. However, please bare in mind I my audience has a substantial non-technical component, and, given the task and data set I'm working with, not completely relevant.

What computer accessories and peripherals can't you live without?
Sponsored by WePC.com. Help us make your Dream PC a reality.

At the risk of sounding like a fanboy, out of the box, my MacBook as pretty much everything I need. In contrast. I find the trackpad quite useful. In contrast, for the work-issued BlinkPad, an external mouse is pretty much a must. By definition, it gives my WiFi, a camera, etc.

That said, I pretty much take having a secondary monitor for a given. At work, I have once connected all the time, keeping data on both screens. At home, if I am doing work at my desk, I often have one running. This is handy when trying to refer to data on a web page while working with another program, dedicating a monitor to an e-mail client, or other task.

I find I'm quite fond of USB in general, and hard drives in particular. It's quite handy to be able to pop on a hard drive to do a back up prior to an OS upgrade, archive off some data, or otherwise grab extra space. I wish we had those back when I was doing desktop support for a living.

photo.jpg

Many of you know I'm a fan of Chipotle. Not only do they make the most excellent burritos, they sponsor a bike team. So, I was quite excited when they released an ordering application for the iPhone. I don't do take-out from there too often, but, with the addition of one to Fountain Square, it happens a bit more. Plus, it shows where you can find their restaurants while on the road.

I was nosing around preferences for something else, I noticed there was a section for Chipotle. The application was fairly straight-forward, so I was curious what options could be set.

A Best Practice for Information Technology is to fix bugs and create functionality on development ("dev") servers. The changes are migrated to a staging environment, which should be the exact same configuration as its final resting place, production. The end users (consumers in the case of eCommerce) would usually only interact with "Prod."

Why is there an option to "Use dev. server?" The default is set to yes--why are we doing that? Also, why would my orders go to a lab? Are they going to turn me into a mutant.

My guess is that they were developer options that were left in by mistake. Or, they are planning for the next release. At the end of the day, so long as I get burrito goodness, I'm happy.

One of the "clients" of my office happens to be our internal e-mail system. Today, in a fit of frustration, I went to the account manager for that group with a 1 GB USB flash drive.

"Can we plug this into the mail server, and increase my mail quota?"

Set the WABAC machine to 1992. Micro Center hand just opened,  and the lost leader of the day was a box of 10 3.5", 1.44 MB floppy disks for $1. that was a crazy low price.* I took one, walked up to one of the SysAdmins at Miami, and asked, "Can we stick this in the VAX and increase my quota?"

Oddly, the increase (a quadrupling) was about the same in both cases.

*Putting this in today's terms: a 2GB flash drive runs $7 at Microcenter, or $0.003/MB (3/10 of a cent). My box of disks would run a bit over two cents. 

This morning's XKCD describes what I find frustrating about open source operating systems. There is a tendency to hit some particular interest (which may expand the ability of computers), but to the detriment of broader usability.

From the design to the features, what should the perfect kid-friendly laptop include? What would you leave out?

Sponsored by WePC.You dream it. ASUS builds it. Intel Inside®

This is a hard one. "Kid-friendly" could mean friendly to a toddler, or to a pre-teen. It's going to be something they will play on, communicate with the world on, and do school work. I suppose some common features to both would be:

• Intel-based, so it can run either Windows, UNIX, or a UNIX-based operating system.
  
• I would rather it be UNIX (specifically OS X), as it is generally less prone to malware, viruses, etc. Right now, however, compatibility with Windows is probably needed for a lot of things (from school work to games that come with Chick-Fil-A). An acceptable compromise, for me, would be dual-booting or virtualization. It should be a mostly-mainstream operating system, rather than something limited (i.e. LINUX rather than Plan 9). The fact is, while they will be using the computer to learn "reading and writing," they will become familiar with the practical application of a tool they will use when they get out into the real world.
  
• A fair degree of toughness. I would anticipate this beast to be dropped once or twice, or have something spilled on it, etc.
• Either a very low cost, or enough capacity to be viable for at least four years.
• To that end, components such as batteries, hard drives, and RAM that can be upgraded painlessly. Other components (such as screens) should be able to be replaced (for repairs) with relative ease and minimal unavailability.
  
• Plenty of USB ports (at least three)
• In an ideal world, all of these devices---regardless of manufacture--would have a common AC adapter. Odds are, someone is going to leave it at home.
• A good keyboard. The one on the ThinkPad I was just issued at work is aweful.
• Some degree of parental controls. While I would not want to be totally draconian*, I would want the ability to exercise controls as required. This can include ensuring the child is not playing when there is homework to be done, to keeping the kid safe online.
• Relative to the "last four years" notion, I could see multiple sizes, at least for things like keyboards. I bought my daughter a kid-specific keyboard. The spacing of the keys is smaller--I can't touch-type on it easily, but it is perfect for her.
• Make it look fun (cool colors!) but not branded (i.e. I would not buy a Disney Princess or Transformers laptop). I want this to last four years, so I don't want someone to object because they've fallen in love with a new character. Stickers can bridge the gap between a pink laptop and a pink Hello Kitty laptop.
  
• I want to pick it, and ideally determine some of the core software (operating system most notably). If it is going to be on my network at some point, I don't want the school district putting the network I communicate with the office at risk.
• There would need to be some way to hard-set some settings. For instance, I would want the ability to set some sort of volume limitation on the headphone jack. 
• The original iBook had a handle. This seems like a good idea.
• Perhaps I'm a bit of a retro-grouch, but I think it would need an optical drive.
• While I don't see it being a full-on tablet, the ability to flip the screen around (like the OLPC) strikes me as a good idea. Put a couple of buttons on the front, and it can be an eBook reader (think textbooks).
  
• Stupid little thing: my prior laptop for work had a slot on the bottom where I could slip a business card. This pleased me, as I could just flip over the laptop to see which one was mine. I would like to see this.
• Thoughtful arrangement of ports. I would rather the laptop not be prescriptive as to how I arrange my desk.
  
• Minimal use of dongles and pigtails (little cables that convert one port type to another (think the Mini-DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter I had to get for my MacBook). Most of the time, it should be good-to-go with only the laptop and the AC adapter in the bag. In other words, minimize the amount of things that can be lost.

Truth be told, most of this would be on my personal wish-list (or at least appreciated). Truth be told, I'd rather get a good laptop than a less-good-but-kid-optimized one. I'm a bit of a Mac zealot right now, and I would rather get that. In fact, of the things on my list that are truly important, a MacBook would fit quite nicely (fitting about half of what I list, and about 80% of what I would regard as key requirements). 

*My personal approach would be to block sites on an very limited and selective basis, and with good reason. I also would not trust some of the services that create a blocking list, but don't share the blocking list.

1. Properly secure a wireless router.
2. Crack the WEP key on a wireless router.
3. Leech Wifi from your neighbor.
4. Screw with Wifi leeches.
5. Setup and use a VPN.
6. Work from home or a coffee shop as effectively as you do at the office.
7. Wire your own home with Ethernet cable.
8. Turn a web camera into security camera.
9. Use your 3G phone as a Wi-Fi access point.
10. Understand what “There’s no Place Like 127.0.0.1″ means.
11. Identify key-loggers.
12. Properly connect a TV, Tivo, XBox, Wii, and Apple TV so they all work together with the one remote.
13. Program a universal remote.
14. Swap out the battery on your iPod/iPhone.
15. Benchmark Your Computer
16. Identify all computer components on sight.
17. Know which parts to order from NewEgg.com, and how to assemble them into a working PC.
18. Troubleshoot any computer/gadget problem, over the phone.
19. Use any piece of technology intuitively, without instruction or prior knowledge.
20. How to irrecoverably protect data.
21. Recover data from a dead hard drive.
22. Share a printer between a Mac and a PC on a network.
23. Install a Linux distribution. (Hint: Ubuntu 9.04 is easier than installing Windows)
24. Remove a virus from a computer.
25. Dual (or more) boot a computer.
26. Boot a computer off a thumb drive.
27. Boot a computer off a network drive.
28. Replace or repair a laptop keyboard.
29. Run more than two monitors on a single computer.
30. Successfully disassemble and reassemble a laptop.
31. Know at least 10 software easter eggs off the top of your head.
32. Bypass a computer password on all major operating systems
33. Carrying a computer cleaning arsenal on your USB drive floppy disks.
34. Bypass content filters on public computers.
35. Protect your privacy when using a public computer.
36. Surf the web anonymously from home.
37. Buy a domain, configure bind, apache, MySQL, php, and Wordpress without Googling a how-to.
38. Basic *nix command shell knowledge with the ability to edit and save a file with vi. EMACS
    
39. Create a web site using vi. EMACS
    
40. Transcode a DVD to play on a portable device.
41. Hide a File Behind a JPEG.
42. Share a single keyboard and mouse between multiple computers without a KVM switch.
43. Google obscure facts in under 3 searches. Bonus point if you can use I Feel Lucky.
44. Build amazing structures with LEGO and invent a compelling back story for the creation.
45. Understand that it is LEGO, not Lego, Legos, or Lego’s.
46. Build a two story house out of LEGO, in monochrome, with a balcony.
47. Construct a costume for you or your kid out of scraps, duct tape, paper mâché, and imagination.
48. Be able to pick a lock.
49. Determine the combination of a Master combination padlock in under 10 minutes.
50. Assemble IKEA furniture without looking at the instructions. Bonus point if you don’t have to backtrack.
51. Use a digital SLR in full manual mode.
52. Do cool things to Altoids tins.
53. Be able to construct paper craft versions of space ships.
54. Origami! Bonus point for duct tape origami. (Ductigami)
55. Fix anything with duct tape, chewing gum and wire.
56. Knowing how to avoid being eaten by a grue.
57. Know what a grue is.
58. Understand wherre XYZZY came from, and have used it.
59. Play any SNES Commodore 64 game on your computer through an emulator.
60. Burn the rope.
61. Know the Konami code, and where to use it.
62. Whistle, hum, or play on an iPhone, the Cantina song.
63. Learning to play the theme songs to the kids favorite TV shows.
64. Solve a Rubik’s Cube.
65. Calculate THAC0.
66. Know the difference between skills and traits.
67. Explain special relativity in terms an eight-year-old can grasp.
68. Recite pi to 10 places or more.
69. Be able to calculate tip and split the check, all in your head.
70. Explain that the colours in a rainbow are roygbiv.
71. Understand the electromagnetic spectrum - xray, uv, visible, infrared, microwave, radio.
72. Know the difference between radiation and radioactive contamination.
73. Understand basic electronics components like resistors, capacitors, inductors and transistors.
74. Solder a circuit while bottle feeding an infant. (lead free solder please.)
75. The meaning of technical acronyms.
76. The coffee dash, blindfolded (or blurry eyed). Coffee <brew> [cream] [sugar]. In under a minute.
77. Build a fighting robot.
78. Program a fighting robot.
79. Build a failsafe into a fighting robot so it doesn’t kill you.
80. Be able to trace the Fellowship’s journey on a map of Middle Earth.
81. Know all the names of the Dwarves in The Hobbit.
82. Understand the difference between a comic book and a graphic novel.
83. Know where your towel is and why it is important.
84. Knowing the answer to life, the universe and everything.
85. Re-enact the parrot sketch.
86. Know the words to The Lumberjack Song.
87. Reciting key scenes from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
88. Be able to recite at least one Geek Movie word for word.
89. Know what the 8th Chevron does on a Stargate and how much power is required to get a lock.
90. Be able to explain why it’s important that Han shot first.
91. Know why it is just wrong for Luke and Leia to kiss.
92. Stop talking Star Wars long enough to get laid.
93. The ability to name actors, characters and plotlines from the majority of sci-fi movies produced since 1968.
94. Cite Mythbusters when debunking a myth or urban legend.
95. Sleep with a Cricket bat next to your bed.
96. Have a documented plan on what to do during a zombie or robot uprising.
97. Identify evil alternate universe versions of friends, family, co-workers or self.
98. Be able to convince TSA that the electronic parts you are carrying are really not a threat to passengers.
99. Talk about things that aren’t tech related.
100. Get something on the front page of Digg.