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{ Category Archives } we live in interesting times

Microsoft, Github, and Zebra Stripes

The reaction to Microsoft acquiring Github says a lot about how tough it is for Microsoft to change the image it built in the 90’s. John Edwards explains Why Microsoft’s GitHub Deal Isn’t a Sign of the Apocalypse – “Fear not, developers. The open source development community will thrive, no matter who’s running the show.” […]

Sleep tracking

One thing leads to another and fitness trackers for sleep monitoring is no exception. The Simple Dollar post showed up referring to an app that tracks sleep via your phone’s accelerometer and microphone without needing additional hardware: A Simple Tactic for Improving Sleep That 84% of People Miss by  Drew Housman. The post has some good information […]

ESP32 and where we are now

Back a year ago, Hackaday found a Basic Interpreter Hidden In Esp32 Silicon (by Elliot Williams).  Documentation now exists at Read the Docs. Now, for comparison, consider the TRS 80 Model I “introduced by Radio Shack on August 3, 1977….The initial price was $599.95, which included a typewriter-style (not membrane) keyboard, monitor, and cassette recorder. … It ran […]

ten years on and a lot of small (and some big) steps

How I would explain a decade of web development to a time traveler from 2007 by Ivan Zarea  Today we have many more of them than we did 10 years ago, and that comes with new challenges. We wear computers on our wrists and faces, keep them in our pockets, and have them in our fridges and […]

Magic. What would it cost then?

Apple did their big show to sell the next iteration of improvements and enhancements. That raises the usual cheers and jeers as well as a few questions and concerns. One is: Do “THEY” Really Say: “TECHNOLOGICAL Progress Is Slowing Down”? —  Consider the 256 GB memory iPhone X: Implemented in vacuum tubes in 1957, the transistors […]

Orgs: ARRL etc.

The ARRL released its annual report and KB6NU provides an interesting commentary: ARRL annual report touts achievements, downplays membership – On a related topic, ARRL president, Rick Roderick, K5UR, in his message, tells the story of how his stump speech to a group of high school students about ham radio fell on deaf ears. He writes, […]

Bitcoin disagreements

Despite the high sounding rhetoric about preventing fraud and conflict, It appears that Bitcoin is suffering the human problem. Luboš Motl: Uro, the ultimate virtual cryptocurrency.   The Bitcoin’s ledger, tens of gigabytes, is too long and some people disagreed with each other so it’s likely that the currency will split into two, Bitcoin and Bitcoin […]

Python. Astronomy. Science. FOSS. Learning. Change.

A talk at Pycon 2017 on YouTube about Why Astronomers Love Python And Why You Should Too covers a lot of ground about how research is changing. Jake Vanderplas doesn’t get into technical detail but rather explains how the Python ecosystem and idiom fits into astronomical research. He starts with this New Yorker cartoon   One of […]

Paradigms shifting

Jim Carroll has some interesting ideas about the implications of self driving cars: “Your car is about to become your concierge. A personal robot. And so much more.” “the simplicity of design means more companies enter the car and truck industry.” “driver education will change.” “not many people realize that light poles are a big […]

‘Old’ People v Tech

Linus got himself in a bit of hot water at YouTube with Old People are the WORST at Technology – Then vs. Now Ep3. Yes, he’s poking fun at stereotypes. The likes to dislikes runs at 25k to 4k so there are are a lot who don’t see the point. The fact is that a real […]