 |
|||
HomeGraffitiWebCamAboutSiteVisualDevGPG Key |
Welcome to Orb Graffiti, a place for me to write daily about life and computers. Contrary to popular belief, the two are not interchangeable. EMAIL - I publish email sometimes. If you send me an email and you want privacy or anonymity, please say so clearly at the beginning of your message.. |
MONDAY
Tues
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
February 25, 2001 - Updates at 0730
Good morning... Jack and I are heading over to Sony this morning to put the wraps on a few tests of a product with some specialized equipment. Color bar testing, and perhaps some audio channel data to be collected make up our morning. Since the Sony site is in San Jose, I'm not even thinking of heading into work first. If I drive up to Newark (which would take me 25 minutes), then I'd have to leave again at 8:30 to have any chance of making San Jose by 10:00, and at that I'd probably be late. That's right, if you're going the wrong direction here in the Bay Area, then you're not going anywhere.
Here's some entirely unsurprising news: According to the German news site Heise (tracked into via Slashdot), Sun Microsystems is going to be charging for StarOffice 6.0 on all platforms except Solaris. That's right, Linux, too. I'm sorry, aren't these the people that last week announced that they were going to be supporting Linux on "low-end" Intel hardware? Sun is absolutely schizophrenic on the topic of Linux - They love it because it attacks Microsoft from the High Road, yet they hate it because it attacks them from the low road. Every HPC Linux cluster is a perceived lost sale for Sun (and for IBM and Cray). The problem here for Sun is that corporations hearing voices in public tend to freeze their customer base.. what the heck are they going to do, say, recommend and/or support next???
Meantime, the OpenOffice.org software, which is a big hunk of the codebase for StarOffice, keeps plugging along. What's the difference? There are a number of features that StarOffice will have that OpenOffice won't because they're licensed third party components. These include some fonts, templates, clip art, file filters, and the database component. I've worked already with both the StarOffice 6 Beta and the latest version of OpenOffice (641b). From my perspective, they're equivalent. The StarOffice version seems a tad more "polished", but countering that, there were sticky spots there that I didn't have problems with on OO.
Both programs are reasonably competent at export and import of MS Office document formats. And for those that need it, you can have the .doc and .xls formats as your defaults. The trick is in the high end features and all of the scripted/macro laden stuff that's out there, forcing documents to be computational objects. Sure there's a lot of efficiency in that, but since MS doesn't use portable open formats, it's stifling and nasty. My understanding is that the document formats for SO/OO are open and published. That's a good thing. But the transition is likely to have hard-to-quantify costs assosciated with it.
Also, remember that real support costs real money, and for Sun to offer StarOffice into the corporate market, they need to have a support organization in place. It'll be a money loser at first, because they'll have to be staffed and ready on day one, regardless if one copy sells, or a hundred thousand. All mumbling and grumbling aside, I think there's a place for both a for-pay StarOffice and and Open Source OpenOffice. They meet different needs, and address different markets, even starting from the same code base. A small or medium sized company with someone like me around may be perfectly content with the OpenOffice product. A large company, with hundreds or thousands of desktops wants enterprise level training and support, and they'll pay for that, especially if it's still significantly less than the incremental cost of upgrading MS products.
There's both more and less to this announcement than meets the eye. But my little gray cells have done with it what they will and no more for the time being - I was up late keeping an ear on the almost sick-to-her-stomach Sally. I think a shower should help perk me up, eh? Don't forget to review or hand out my resume, OK?Thanks for spending a bit of your morning with me. I'll see you back here soon.
Mon
TUESDAY
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
February 26, 2002 - Updates at 0630
Good morning. No, I'm still not used to this hump-backed keyboard, especially at this hour of the day. I am becoming intimately familiar with the position of the backspace key, however. And that's not all. We finally found out the Gryphon the Acer Travelmate can fly, although he doesn't do landings with any particular grace. The dog jumped, the chair rotated, smacking the little table that Gryphon lives on here at home. The table went ass over teakettle, and Gryphon along with. Whack up against the closet door, then sliding down to land on his connector laden and loaded backside, just like my buddy Wiley E. Coyote (click here to get the sound) in a particularly bad and sickening way.
Surprisingly, Gryphon has come through with... ahem... Flying Colours! Only one casualty - one of the two USB ports has gone loose and wonky, so I'll probably open the case up and have a gander at that, as I'm quite sure the warantee on wee beastie is long gone. But the real surprise is that, living around me, that this laptop has never ever hit the deck before today.
Now isn't this the oddest thing to find at the top of an OSDN (Open Source Developers Network) Update:
THE OSDN UPDATE February 25, 2002 ==================================================== Power tools from Microsoft? Microsoft? Visual Studio? .NET is the most capable, comprehensive, and limitless programming tool for application development available. Click to find out why: http://www.msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/ ===================================================
Thank you so much. Oh, yeah, I know, ad dollars are ad dollars, but really... So, back to Linux. The 2.4.18 kernel has been released, and apparently due to some form of oddity, it's fubar'd. There were four release candidates, then Marcello issued the -rc3 as 2.4.18. Silly boy, but mistakes will happen, no matter who's in charge. If you're on x86 machines, 2.4.18 is fine, but for Sparc architectures, take the 2.4.17 sources and patch up to -rc4, or wait for 2.4.19.
If you haven't, go over and look at Jerry's site - at the bottom of the Monday page (under Current View, what will become View 194, later), you'll see that Chaos Manor isn't, anymore!!! He's gone and cleaned it up. Stunning difference. I'll have to make mention of it when I see him this weekend at the Contact 2002 conference.
Now, since Marcia's gotten in the shower first, I'll go pour myself a cup of mud, and spend some time scouring the Job boards. Keep your ears and eyes open for me, please - the resume is here. Y'all have a lovely day.
Mon
Tues
WEDNESDAY
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
February 27, 2002 - Updates at 0700
And this is really going to be on-time. Good morning. Marcia and I are headed up to Stanford for here appointment with an ear specialist. Marcia's been deaf in one ear for many years, and resigned to that fact. But after hearing about friend of a friend Lynn's experience with these people up in Stanford, we figured it was worth a shot. There's been many advances in imaging and micro-surgery since they were first unable to diagnose Marcia's problem, way back when. Now they do all this work through the ear canal, as an outpatient surgery. Stunning. Anyway, we can only hope that there's something that can be done. If not, then well, we tried. If so, it sure will be nice not to go out to dinner, and hear "You sit over here, on my deaf side..." Heh.
I tracked into the RIAA Press Release via Slashdot. And for a rare case, the commentary (not necessarily the comments, but the story itself) on Slashdot is coherent and interesting. Whaddaya mean, RIAA profits are tracking with the rise and fall of Napster... do you mean that maybe the RIAA is wrong? Whatever. Don't support the bastards. Tell them whatever you want, but put Hilary Rosen out of a job will ya? And pay attention to that Heinlein quote in the Slashdot story, it applies to more than one situation in today's economic world.
Now I really must run. Have a lovely day.
Mon
Tues
Wed
THURSDAY
Fri
Sat
Sun
February 28, 2002 - Updates at 0710
Good morning. And it's even a better morning because it would appear that the deal is done to write an Emacs tutorial for IBM DevWorks. There's still actual ink to put on a contract, but the details are bashed out and I've started on some plotting and character development already. What??? Well, you must not know Emacs. More details on this as the days go by (although the actual tutorial will not be up here, but on IBM DevWorks, Linux zone, in probably 3 months.
Before I go hop in the shower (yeah, my schedule's rolling about a bit), I'll share with you this tidbit from Rick Hellewell...
From: Rick Hellewell
Subject: USB Keychain drive
Date: 27 Feb 2002 14:53:06 -0800Brian:
I just got a 128MB USB keychain memory disk at work. Works transparent through USB port, no drivers/special software for Win2K/XP systems, comes with drivers for Win98/SP2 systems. Plug it into your USB port (comes with a USB extension cable), and it is automatically seen as a removable hard disk in Explorer ("My Computer"). Has faster read/write than USB ZIP drives (4-7MB/sec), very acceptable for moving files from computer to computer ... no network setup, just plug and go.
You can find them on many web sites; they seem to be a lot more expensive at retail stores. Here's a link to the place where I got mine: http://www.meritline.com/usbflasdriv1.html , there are sizes from 32MB to 512MB (although I have also seen a 1GB product). Cost seems to be about $0.70-$1.10 per MB on the web. Comes with USB software (if you need it) and a necklace cord (geek chic?).
I was going to get a USB ZIP drive for personal use, but not now.
(Note: have no association with any of these companies...just an end user.)
...Rick...
Looks like Microsoft is heating things up again too, but I haven't time at the moment to see what's up. Have a happy Thursday and I'll catch you later.
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thu
FRIDAY
Sat
Sun
March 01, 2002 - Updates at 0700
Happy Friday. While everyone else (or most everyone else) heads off to work today, I'm off to the Contact conference, joining such luminaries as Marvin Minsky, Frank Drake, Jerry Pournelle, Greg Bear and others. Looks to be a lot of fun. Something else that's a lot of fun - Bob Walder's posting regularly again, quite by accident he assures us on the backchannel. Nothing to do with whole grains or anything else that naturally cures irregular ... behaviour. He's still full of as many cryptic "Wow, that word seems to be in English...?" utterings, too. Delightful! (You do know I'm just having fun at your expence [a former British penny, right?] Bob...)
In honor of the events and of Friday, I'll first grace you with this missive on Mathematics eduaction by decade over the last 50 years...
"A History of Teaching Math" and the bitter truth is that this is no joke. Teaching Math in 1950: A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit? Teaching Math in 1960: A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit? Teaching Math in 1970: A logger exchanges a set "L" of lumber for a set "M" of money. The cardinality of set "M" is 100. Each element is worth one dollar. Make 100 dots representing the elements of the set "M." The set "C", the cost of production, contains 20 fewer points than set "M." Represent the set "C" as a subset of set "M" and answer the following question: What is the cardinality of the set "P" of profits? Teaching Math in 1980: A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20. Teaching Math in 1990: By cutting down beautiful forest trees, the logger makes $20. What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the forest birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down the trees? There are no wrong answers. Teaching Math in 2000: A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $120. How does Arthur Andersen determine that his profit margin is $60?
Now, the highlight (or low point, as some might have it) of the week - The Skin-A-Cat Finals. Here are all the entries, few enough that each one is a finalist:
Here's the very first, from Daynoter Dave Markowitz.
Btw, nice job on the YaST2 review. It looks like SuSE's added some more functionality to it in v7.3; I'm running v7.2. Maybe I'll upgrade one of these days.
Next out, we have an entry from that moving guy, John Dominik
Kernel hacker and all-around busy guy Moshe Bar put a lot of effort into the following, as you can tell.
Brian Cheesman, an astute fellow, tied in the contest to other current events.
One entry wasn't enough for John Dominik...
Here's the second to last, from my friend down under, Don Armstrong.
Finally, just to give you a sense of perspective, here's this submission from Someone Nameless, not a proper entry at all really, but sent to me with the correct subject line to get filtered into the Skin-A-Cat folder...
OK. That's it. Enough of this touchy subject (which is odd phrasing, when you think about it. I mean, after all, who really wants to touch a skinned cat?) Send in your votes between now and when I decide to announce the winner. See ya around!
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thu
Fri
SATURDAY
Sun
March 02, 2002 - Updates at 0745
I'm back off to Contact 2002 in a few minutes. The first day, at Nasa Ames, was great. We heard about biology all morning, and protocols we will use to recognized life in unfamiliar environs. In the afternoon session, among others, we were thrilled to have Frank Drake join us and talk about the new Allen Array, an radio telescope that's going online in 2005 to do full time SETI. Right now, we only get 20 days a year at Arecibo, so this is cool - more, bettter data. Always a good thing. At the end of the afternoon, we got to gander at Roger Arno's Space Art. Very good stuff - Roger's just retired from decades of doing those artist's renditions from NASA, and he's very, very good at visualizing that stuff and bringing it to life!
There's a neat blend of people - I had some time with Jerry Pournelle, Larry Niven, Karen Anderson and others - as a group it ranges from SciFi to Planetary Science to Teachers to Astrobiology (shades of the Jetsons) to interested bystanders (like myself to Anthropologists and on and on. Very intense and exciting. I'll have some pictures tomorrow or Monday (depending on when I get a round tuit).
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
SUNDAY
March 03, 2002 - Updates at 0745
It's just past 0730 now, and the dog took her little stroll outside, wandered right back in, headed into the cave under my desk, and has fallen back to sleep, making northwest sawmill noises like that industry had never had a single problem. That my sub-woofer Sally!
Good morning. I have one more day of Contact 2002 today. Yesterday was educational, and a real joy. I've got a bunch of pictures, and I'll take a few more today, then put them together late this afternoon, as the conference winds up at about three. Fundamentally, from 8 AM to after 10 PM, I've been there, for the last two days. I popped home for dinner last night, but that's about it. It's much more tiring than I would have expected. But then I'm learning lots and being challenged, too. That's a good thing. Report shortly.
Skin-A-Cat update... The voting is going badly. On Friday I posted the finalist entries (well, all of the entries) and put out a call for votes. I've gotten one vote, and something frightening from Bo Leuf's cat, Salem:
Reply-To: [email protected]
Subject: Skin-A-Cat Votes
Date: 01 Mar 2002 21:28:09 +0100wooof indeed
reminds me of my third life, when i was living in london -- very upper-crust, rich owners... one night a cat burglar broke in and stepped on my tail. boy was he sorry. i went over to the open fire and nudged open the gas main. then when the burglar came back into the parlor, i just rubbed against his legs until he put down his hand to shoo me away -- spark, and he was wooof
salem
However, no one had mentioned to me that the mailto link in the call for votes was broken because I sometimes can't type in the mornings. Now it is fixed, here and there, so if you get a chance, vote. That's part two, of course - we've got a primary this week, and I've still to read my voters handbook. I will do that, rather than rely on unreliable commercials that use weird imagery rather than talk about the actual issues to sway me.
I've got to get ready, so have a lovely day. See you soon.
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Last Week
<-- * -->
Next Week
Visit the rest of the DAYNOTES GANG, a collection of bright minds and sharp wits. Really, I don't know why they tolerate me <grin>. My personal inspiration for these pages is Dr. Jerry Pournelle. I am also indebted to Bob Thompson and Tom Syroid for their patience, guidance and feedback. Of course, I am sustained by and beholden to my lovely wife, Marcia. You can find her online too, at http://www.dutchgirl.net/. Thanks for dropping by.
All Content Copyright © 1999-2002 Brian P. Bilbrey.
