Over the past couple weeks more and more often I’ve felt the need to just post random tidbits of information, interesting links or other random things, and I always forget. So in an effort to better make use of my R29pm I’m going to try do a post a month with something in it.

Obviously by now I’ve forgotten everything I had intended to post, but such is life.

Last week I started work for Silas Valley Innovations, a mainly Electronic Engineering focused firm. I’m doing a 4 week stint with them for some work experience and as is required for my studies. The work they’re doing is very interesting, and it’s all very new to me, to be in part of the development process of a product, although i feel that I sometimes get in the way.

I’ve had a list of things I’ve been wanting to do for ages, but never seem to get around to it. It seems that I’m always busy doing something, which is usually something I’ve just added to the list and it never seems to get any shorter.

One thing I’ve finally got completed is to get a second computer up and running and I’ll be running them in series back at varsity, connecting through my “server” onto the network. The “server” is a newish Intel D510mo. It’s a motherboard which comes with the Dual Core Atom Processor built in already. Completely quiet, and draws very little power.

So I decided to build a case for it. This comprised of taking an old ATX case that used to run a P2, and modifying it. I’ve knocked off about 10cm from the front, and 10cm from the top as well and am in the process of making nic eside panels for it. It’s not the prettiest looking thing ever, and I have one or two logistical issues to sort out, but I think it will be a good start into my modding “career”. Will post some pics once it’s finished.

I’ve recently ordered myself a Wacom Bamboo Pen. I found it nice and cheap on Expansys. I hadn’t used them previously, but their price worked out at almost R100 cheaper so decided to give them a try. So it turns out they have a bunch of branches all over the world and source the cheapest product and then ship it to wherever it’s been ordered. So it’s been 15 days, and I am still waiting for it to arrive in South Africa, sent them an email today, and am waiting for a reply.

Hackaday is one of my favourite websites to look through, so many amazing things being designed and thought up there. Pretty cool design and everything that one guy went through to build himself a 16TB netowrk storage device.

I’ve also started twittering, well I started a few months ago, but haven’t really got into it. I have however gone like 8 months without a facebook update.

Shortly after I got my camera I started buying the monthly publication, SACM (South African Computer Magazine), they were runnign a monthly photo competition and helped me keep motivated. I eventually got round to subscribing, but alas, several months later tehy ran out of money and stopped publishing. Their licence was handed over to “Combustion Publishing”, who now offer it as a free e-zine. They’ve so far released only 2 issues, of which I scanned through. It’s definitely not as smooth as the old SACM, but the content is solid and for a free magazine I can’t really complain.

However I did. They have no contact details anywhere, but run a WP based blog, so I commented on their latest issue. Almost 3 weeks down the line my comment is still “awaiting moderation”, yet 5 subsequent comments by other people have been publsihed, and I’ve received no feedback. My message goes as follows:
I just have several comments about the website. Firstly if you’re not going to have any reviews/columns.news etc, remove the buttons from the page. Also update the “About” section so it actually says something. All of it makes the website appear very sloppy.
Anothe rthing is hte hordes of fake comments on the April Issue’s post, even last 3 comment on this post are obviously fakes.
As an avid reader of the previous SACM, I’m disapointed to see things like this happening to the brand. For everyone, especially a web-only publication, first appearances are what capture audiences.
There are also no e-mail addresses available to contact you guys. I was forced to comment here, whereas I would much rather have emailed this to someone, in a less public manner.
Apart from that the content in the magazine looks fairly solid which I’m glad to see, still waiting for June’s issue though.

My biggest issue was that their previous issues post had 133 comments on it. 90% of which were blatant bot posts, and which they clearly did not moderate. Someone called “Russel” (who I assume is staff) actually replied to a bot’s comment (the name was Nadia, and linked to Victoria’s Secrets website…). I jsut read through majority of the posts on the first iussue. And it seems like the staff are answering many of the comments thinking they are genuine replies to their magazine. I’ve recently noticed that they have removed all the unused buttons/links on the website.

Anyway, I think that’s enough for now. Something to indicate this is still used.

ciao.

PS: I despise Vuvuzelas

I was sitting around today thinking about the way we run our lives, the way we make decision, even the most simple of decision.

Now the literal way to look at this is to say no. Very few people haven structured training in stats as a subject/topic, and surely no one looks at the pure statistics behind each decision they make. But everything we do, we do by weighing up the pros and cons of the result of our topic. Some would say, so what, that’s not stats, it’s just common sense. But what I’m saying is that sure, when I make a decision to cross the road, I don’t think , hey, I have a 5% chance to get hit by a car crossing this road. A. Because I don’t know that and B. common sense.

Aha, you say, I just admitted to common sense, and yes I do, but isn’t common sense just a kind of informal stats. We know the risks associated with crossing the road, sure I may not know it’s 5% exactly, but I know it’s low enough, that the time saved by crossing the road will be worth more than the risk of crossing it. And this counts for every choice we make. It’s why I decide to bunk a class every now and then, because I’m assuming that I can catch up that work at a later stage, because according to the stats I’ve built up by previous experience, I should quite easily be able to achieve it. And again the advantage of sleeping late will be of more benefit to me than if I were to attend the class and sleep through it.

Again I’m stating that I’m talking about the average person, whose choices are based mainly on emotion and experience, not a bunch of actuaries in their air-conditioned offices on the 50th floor where they set my insurance premiums and sort out the order that the traffic lights must change. Although, to a point that might seem a more literal way of our lives being influenced by stats.

Edit—-

If this article seems disjointed, it’s because I wrote different parts at different times and kinda chucked it together.

Also, I still need to add a picture or something to this website to make it look prettier :)

Was chatting to a friend earlier this evening and realised that I have a bunch of private “projects” I want to do. This website was certainly one of them, so I figured I’d add another page to the site with a list of “current projects” and update them periodically. I think making a list of them will also be helpful to me. Firstly so that I don’t forget about them and secondly so I can cross them off a list and feel like I’ve accomplished something :D

Well, as far as today is concerned, got myself another early Christmas present, a Logitech X-230 2.1 channel sound system I picked up second hand. Very nice, and a huge upgrade on my Genius stereo speakers which are probably close to 10 years old, they’ve done me well though. My other present was a Samsung 2333SW 23″ wide HD monitor. Again, a huge upgrade on my previous 17″ CRT, I am however holding onto my CRT and using them in a Dual Screen setup, I used to use the 17″ with another 15″ CRT. If the speakers have taught me anything though, it’s that bass accentuates music so nicely, and car crashes in Burnout Paradise too. I really feel like I’m in that car when it does it’s 5th barrel roll before it slams into another oncoming vehicle.

The new speakers reminded me just how much I hate 2 prong plugs. I always have, and imagine always will, hate these things with a passion. The only good thing about them, in my opinion, is that they take up less space, but I couldn’t give a damn. 90% of the time they end up being plugged into multiplugs where they live their life in a dangerous balance between making contact and annoying the hell out of me. I’ll probably chop the plug off and replace it with a more sensible, stable 3 prong plug when I get round to buying one.

On the topic of new things, I’ve also finally ditched my favourite 9 year old OS for the new, shiny Windows 7. Impart because my PC needed a restart, in part because I found a fully functional 250GB HDD lying around and impart because I needed an excuse to do some reading for a change. So I’ve started reading a book by local satirist Ben Trovato, have always enjoyed his work, and still do. But to Windows 7. It’s new, it’s shiny, it’s Windows XP. There are new features, new pretty buttons, and they’ve tried to make things easier I guess. I started off hating it as much as Vista, but have started to make peace with it, I figured I might as well. If I can learn to live with Office ’07, I can put up with it’s friend.

I think I’ve just about got rid of all the built in security features that shout at me when I try and open Notepad, but we’ll see how I get on with it. Microsoft, being the people that despise me, have in their all knowing wisdom, once again given us an “upgraded” Start menu. Another start menu that I hate! So I figured, hey, they were clever enough in XP and Vista to offer us the option to use the Classic Menu, which I love, so right-click properties, nothing… A quick Google search returned the truth of the matter that Ms have decided that we need to grow up, so I have. I did find these two nifty apps that allows one to hide the normal Start Menu and run a copy of the Classic Menu. It was also comforting to know that other people hate the new one so much that htey would go and write on forums about it. But after some contemplation I decided my PC didn’t need the extra strain caused by these apps, and have decided to vasbyt.

So for the moment it’s back to my list of projects, flying up to Durban on Saturday with my parents where they’re going to attend a wedding, before we go on with my gran to my uncle’s farm for christmas, back home for new years, although plans still need to be made for that.