At first it seemed simple, even trivial...
...until I tried to do it. I needed a simple script that could produce the complete list of unique combinations for a set of objects. After exhausting every simple approach the end result was a fiendish script that I even battle to understand - but it works!
Did you know...
The anagram for "Lenovo" is "no love"!
Will Apple's Ping pong?
Probably!
Commodore 64 Lives Again?
I pulled this blog because of legal action against OSNews, now I would not touch the new so called Commodores with a barge pole!
[link]
You think the Gates Foundation is a Charity?
GM crops are an insidious evil - I have nothing against the science but you need to be aware that as soon as you start using GM crops you are no longer self sufficient. You have to buy all seeds from the company who then have a strangle hold over you and your food productions costs. The GM seed provider can even have your crops burnt at will if they suspect you are acting outside of their license. The Gates Foundation have bought a huge chunk of Monsanto the worst of the GM companies - no charity would do that! [link]
Motorola disappoints yet again
You would have thought that Motorola would be happy that they have been pulled back into profit thanks to the Android operating system but that doesn't seem to stop them behaving just like typical American Corporate Bully (ACB), i.e. when in doubt just sue someone. See story below - [link]
Not good for much apparently
Having just purchased a new Cisco Linksys WiFi router I was amazed at how little faith Cisco have in their products. On the box was an interesting graphic that pretty much suggested that this router (even though it was a high speed N type) was not even good enough for email.
I hate this sort of nonsense that is only meant to confuse the customer in the hope of up selling to a more expensive unit.
For information: even a humble G rated router is more then good enough for email, streaming radio and music; supporting multiple computers and HD video.
Guardian pushing Internet Explorer
I was seriously disappointed at how the Guardian website (which is usually unbiased and sensible ) is pushing people to use Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Now I absolutely avoid this browser for security reasons so I wonder if the Guardian will compensate me if my machine becomes infected because of their suggestion?
Production line in your front room
See this amazing video of people actually making Pandora games consoles in their own home! This is the beauty of the principle of open source - you don't have to be a mega corp to make a difference in IT! [link]
Java - the annoying Internet language becomes Google's Achilles heel!
One of my first memories of the Internet were those applets that took such a long time to load and when they did start up they would freeze your machine and in most cases crash your browser. Yes these were Java applets. It doesn't come as a big surprise that this useless programming language died on the internet and gained a reputation of being slow, clunky and downright rubbish only to be taken over by Flash. However for reasons beyond me Java continued on the server side of things and most unfortunately gained a foothold on mobile phones which probably explained why most early apps for phones were a bit naff in the first place. It is important to appreciate that Apple's iPhone does not use Java at all which is a VERY good thing!
However Google's Android operating system does use Java but Google built a really good implementation of the language that actually runs properly and FAST, you know like taking an old Lada car and fitting rocket engines to it. I was amazed how fast Java apps run on Android you hardly notice the Java turdpile layer at all with Google's implementation of the language. Sadly for Google it now transpires that they will be sued for their trouble as Oracle the new unscrupulous (my opinion) owner of the language has set their lawyers upon them.
In my opinion Java must die, it is a bad idea, badly implemented and if it's only use is to allow lawyers to get rich then as a technology it should be killed off. If I were Google I would start removing stinking Java from the Android specification right now.
You might want to know who invented the irritating language in the first place - the culprit can be found at the link below. perhaps he should wake up and smell the coffee - Java is rubbish, was rubbish and will always be rubbish except to Lawyers, thanks James Gosling - for nothing!
One interesting thing about this lawsuit is that it was so unsuspected it makes me and many other people wonder if there are serious problems with Oracle itself. If you are running an Oracle site you should start hedging your bets, possibly by looking at how you are tied in and how easy it would be to move to Microsoft SQL server or IBM. [link]
HTC Windows 7 Phone maybe announced in September...
..but this graphic on the invitation is a bit alarming, are they expecting the phone to crash and burn? [link]
Boris's bikes sabotaged already!
No sooner has Boris's bike hire scheme for London gone live and already they are a target for guerilla message campaigns!
I walked past this bike on Friday 6th August and noticed something weird with the Barclays logo. On closer inspection I saw that someone has carefully added their own message, cool!
Avoid D-Link WiFi routers - do they have dainty power adapters?
I have now had the third D-Link router fail on me because of a faulty power adapter. Three units failed - two at home and one at work, so it has nothing to do with the mains supply at all but more to do with fragile power adapters I suspect. In many cases good old wound transformers are being replaced with solid state electronics thus making the power adapter the weakest link and from my experience this seems to be the case with D-LINK. I wont be buying another D-LINK - my new WiFi router is a Belkin!
Obama crushed?
People in the US are beginning to lose confidence in their new president, they don't seem to appreciate that the poor fellow is feeling the squeeze!
Softies to be used as Windows Phone 7 developer slaves!
When you have a staff of almost 100 000 people you have a lot of "free" developers and "marketing" resources on your hands.
Microsoft are going to give all their workers a "free" windows 7 phone in the hope that they will "evangelise" and develop for the platform - but will they get paid overtime for all this??
"The package includes everything you need to start building apps. In addition, we've introduced a new employee developer program which makes it much easier for you to develop apps for Marketplace in your spare time. And if you need some help jumpstarting your development, check out the Windows Phone Developer Training Kit." - Andy Lees from Microsoft.
Beautiful on the outside gutted on the inside!
I just hate it when architects take a beautiful old building and totally gut it's interior. I have always believed that part of the charm of a building is its inside and the promise of a delicate charming old world interior is completely dashed by the architects of the Ashmolean museum in Oxford who have created the typical dull sterile white "clean space" driven design so common of proponents of minimalist architecture. [link]
Huge Windows meltdown immanent?
You could not even make it up - apparently there is a serious flaw in the Windows operating system that can infect the machine if a folder is opened. According to the Guardian - "The vulnerability could pose a serious threat to a wide range of industrial, commercial and consumer systems which rely on Windows, including those used by the military". What makes it more troubling is that Microsoft have no fix date. [link]
Cooler reader goes cold
The highly competitive e-book reader market has claimed yet another victim. The maker of the Cooler reader the cute colourful iPod like readers has gone bust according to the link below. The strange thing is that even with all these e-book makers I am yet to see people really use them. A few iPad users on the train and the odd Sony reader user I have seen does not a revolution make. [link]
Is Firefox on the way out?
As much as I hate admitting it I fear that the Firefox browser may be losing ground very quickly. As a previous long standing Firefox user I have found myself using Chrome more often then not these days. It just feels more efficient and Firefox seems to have that aged chunkiness typical of projects that have lost their way somewhat. I have been a Mozilla foundation fan for years and am really sad to see their two flagship products Firefox and Thunderbird overcome with middle aged bloat. Creating really good software is almost an artform - in a post Microsoft age where people are discerning if you don't get it just right you lose your grip!
Try out Android without a phone.
This emulation software let me see Android in action and now I want a real Android phone!
Lifehacker has published step by step instructions on how to download the free development system from Google and run your own Android phone in emulation!
If only Apple were this open and friendly!
[link]
...until I tried to do it. I needed a simple script that could produce the complete list of unique combinations for a set of objects. After exhausting every simple approach the end result was a fiendish script that I even battle to understand - but it works!
Did you know...
The anagram for "Lenovo" is "no love"!
Will Apple's Ping pong?
Probably!
Commodore 64 Lives Again?
I pulled this blog because of legal action against OSNews, now I would not touch the new so called Commodores with a barge pole!
[link]
You think the Gates Foundation is a Charity?
GM crops are an insidious evil - I have nothing against the science but you need to be aware that as soon as you start using GM crops you are no longer self sufficient. You have to buy all seeds from the company who then have a strangle hold over you and your food productions costs. The GM seed provider can even have your crops burnt at will if they suspect you are acting outside of their license. The Gates Foundation have bought a huge chunk of Monsanto the worst of the GM companies - no charity would do that! [link]
Motorola disappoints yet again
You would have thought that Motorola would be happy that they have been pulled back into profit thanks to the Android operating system but that doesn't seem to stop them behaving just like typical American Corporate Bully (ACB), i.e. when in doubt just sue someone. See story below - [link]
Not good for much apparently
Having just purchased a new Cisco Linksys WiFi router I was amazed at how little faith Cisco have in their products. On the box was an interesting graphic that pretty much suggested that this router (even though it was a high speed N type) was not even good enough for email.
I hate this sort of nonsense that is only meant to confuse the customer in the hope of up selling to a more expensive unit.
For information: even a humble G rated router is more then good enough for email, streaming radio and music; supporting multiple computers and HD video.
Guardian pushing Internet Explorer
I was seriously disappointed at how the Guardian website (which is usually unbiased and sensible ) is pushing people to use Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Now I absolutely avoid this browser for security reasons so I wonder if the Guardian will compensate me if my machine becomes infected because of their suggestion?
Production line in your front room
See this amazing video of people actually making Pandora games consoles in their own home! This is the beauty of the principle of open source - you don't have to be a mega corp to make a difference in IT! [link]
Java - the annoying Internet language becomes Google's Achilles heel!
One of my first memories of the Internet were those applets that took such a long time to load and when they did start up they would freeze your machine and in most cases crash your browser. Yes these were Java applets. It doesn't come as a big surprise that this useless programming language died on the internet and gained a reputation of being slow, clunky and downright rubbish only to be taken over by Flash. However for reasons beyond me Java continued on the server side of things and most unfortunately gained a foothold on mobile phones which probably explained why most early apps for phones were a bit naff in the first place. It is important to appreciate that Apple's iPhone does not use Java at all which is a VERY good thing!
However Google's Android operating system does use Java but Google built a really good implementation of the language that actually runs properly and FAST, you know like taking an old Lada car and fitting rocket engines to it. I was amazed how fast Java apps run on Android you hardly notice the Java turdpile layer at all with Google's implementation of the language. Sadly for Google it now transpires that they will be sued for their trouble as Oracle the new unscrupulous (my opinion) owner of the language has set their lawyers upon them.
In my opinion Java must die, it is a bad idea, badly implemented and if it's only use is to allow lawyers to get rich then as a technology it should be killed off. If I were Google I would start removing stinking Java from the Android specification right now.
You might want to know who invented the irritating language in the first place - the culprit can be found at the link below. perhaps he should wake up and smell the coffee - Java is rubbish, was rubbish and will always be rubbish except to Lawyers, thanks James Gosling - for nothing!
One interesting thing about this lawsuit is that it was so unsuspected it makes me and many other people wonder if there are serious problems with Oracle itself. If you are running an Oracle site you should start hedging your bets, possibly by looking at how you are tied in and how easy it would be to move to Microsoft SQL server or IBM. [link]
HTC Windows 7 Phone maybe announced in September...
..but this graphic on the invitation is a bit alarming, are they expecting the phone to crash and burn? [link]
Boris's bikes sabotaged already!
No sooner has Boris's bike hire scheme for London gone live and already they are a target for guerilla message campaigns!
I walked past this bike on Friday 6th August and noticed something weird with the Barclays logo. On closer inspection I saw that someone has carefully added their own message, cool!
Avoid D-Link WiFi routers - do they have dainty power adapters?
I have now had the third D-Link router fail on me because of a faulty power adapter. Three units failed - two at home and one at work, so it has nothing to do with the mains supply at all but more to do with fragile power adapters I suspect. In many cases good old wound transformers are being replaced with solid state electronics thus making the power adapter the weakest link and from my experience this seems to be the case with D-LINK. I wont be buying another D-LINK - my new WiFi router is a Belkin!
Obama crushed?
People in the US are beginning to lose confidence in their new president, they don't seem to appreciate that the poor fellow is feeling the squeeze!
Softies to be used as Windows Phone 7 developer slaves!
When you have a staff of almost 100 000 people you have a lot of "free" developers and "marketing" resources on your hands.
Microsoft are going to give all their workers a "free" windows 7 phone in the hope that they will "evangelise" and develop for the platform - but will they get paid overtime for all this??
"The package includes everything you need to start building apps. In addition, we've introduced a new employee developer program which makes it much easier for you to develop apps for Marketplace in your spare time. And if you need some help jumpstarting your development, check out the Windows Phone Developer Training Kit." - Andy Lees from Microsoft.
Beautiful on the outside gutted on the inside!
I just hate it when architects take a beautiful old building and totally gut it's interior. I have always believed that part of the charm of a building is its inside and the promise of a delicate charming old world interior is completely dashed by the architects of the Ashmolean museum in Oxford who have created the typical dull sterile white "clean space" driven design so common of proponents of minimalist architecture. [link]
Huge Windows meltdown immanent?
You could not even make it up - apparently there is a serious flaw in the Windows operating system that can infect the machine if a folder is opened. According to the Guardian - "The vulnerability could pose a serious threat to a wide range of industrial, commercial and consumer systems which rely on Windows, including those used by the military". What makes it more troubling is that Microsoft have no fix date. [link]
Cooler reader goes cold
The highly competitive e-book reader market has claimed yet another victim. The maker of the Cooler reader the cute colourful iPod like readers has gone bust according to the link below. The strange thing is that even with all these e-book makers I am yet to see people really use them. A few iPad users on the train and the odd Sony reader user I have seen does not a revolution make. [link]
Is Firefox on the way out?
As much as I hate admitting it I fear that the Firefox browser may be losing ground very quickly. As a previous long standing Firefox user I have found myself using Chrome more often then not these days. It just feels more efficient and Firefox seems to have that aged chunkiness typical of projects that have lost their way somewhat. I have been a Mozilla foundation fan for years and am really sad to see their two flagship products Firefox and Thunderbird overcome with middle aged bloat. Creating really good software is almost an artform - in a post Microsoft age where people are discerning if you don't get it just right you lose your grip!
Try out Android without a phone.
This emulation software let me see Android in action and now I want a real Android phone!
Lifehacker has published step by step instructions on how to download the free development system from Google and run your own Android phone in emulation!
If only Apple were this open and friendly!
[link]
Contact and Disclaimer
This site is just my opinion and I cannot guarantee the validity of anything published here.
This site is just my opinion and I cannot guarantee the validity of anything published here.
