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2851

Living Room / Re: Recommend some music videos to me!

« Last post by 40hz on September 05, 2013, 12:52 PM »

@40hz, do you remember that book 'Supernature' - it claimed plants responded to people just *thinking* about cutting the plant. No idea if true. Would be interesting to see the same experiment (as in the video!) tried with humans or other animals.

-tomos (September 05, 2013, 06:09 AM)

@tomos - indeed I do remember that book. I had several friends who were big Lyall Watson fans. They were also into the whole Findhorn community thing plus some other stuff I've since forgotten about. Their current fav is What the Bleep do We know? video - which they believe lock stock and barrel.

I'm not disputing there may well be plant 'intelligence.' But I also think:

     (a) it hasn't been conclusively 'proven' one way or another

     (b) a lot of what is ultimately 'proven' will depend on what you accept as 'intelligence.'

I'd personally like it to be true. But not so much that I'm willing to accept it on faith as most people I hear advocating for it do.

Just because something "seems to be" doesn't mean it is. Same goes for "looks like" or "is virtually identical to" or "behaves in much the same manner as."

From what I can gather, their devices are measuring changes in galvanic response which are then converted to midi data and passed to a very nice synth module. It's a pretty big leap going from that to calling it "communicating" in my book. But maybe that's just me.

Truth is, whenever you're using one of those 'celestial' sounding 'pad' patches, it's going to sound pretty good. You can turn a two year old kid loose on one of those settings (I have btw) and what comes out will sound very musical in most cases.
 

2852

Developer's Corner / Re: Free Online Educational Offering: Major or Minor in Computer Science at Saylor

« Last post by 40hz on September 04, 2013, 03:33 PM »

The best thing to do would be to take your newly-acquired knowledge that came with the sheepskin and do something with it.  Do lots of things.  Code something for NANY.  Contribute to some Open-Source projects.  Apply for every appropriate job you can think of on places like Odesk,eLance, or Guru.com.  Take all those things and keep details of every single one of them and whip it all into a spanky new CV/Résumé.  

THEN it won't matter if it's from Saylor, Harvard, or the local Public Library; you've got EXPERIENCE to back up your fancy certificate, which is worth much, much more.

-Edvard (September 03, 2013, 10:32 PM)

That advice is some of  the best advice you'll ever receive.

In tech careers, it isn't so much the degree (except maybe to get past some HR blockhead as Vurbal noted) as it is having the proven ability to do something with it.

I've interviewed MCSEs who passed muster with Microsoft in fine color (thanks to some cram course) who couldn't troubleshoot or fix a network problem in the real world if their own children's lives were riding on it.

I've also interviewed people whose 'formal' education consisted of reading a lot of books while trying things out in a home computer lab they cobbled together out of whatever hardware they could beg, borrow, or repurpose following a dumpster dive.

Two guesses who IMHO had the better education.

Two guesses who got the job.

I'm a big believer in formal training. I think everyone should be given the opportunity to earn a degree. But I'm an even bigger believer in the ability to get the task done. And I never held the lack of an academic credential against somebody - although I've generally had better luck hiring when the person did have some college level background.

2853

Living Room / Re: Short Sell Nokia NOW! :P

« Last post by 40hz on September 04, 2013, 10:50 AM »

Maybe the board decided Ballmer needed to pursue the patent troll strategy a little more aggressively than he had.

Who needs real innovation when you can just claim everybody else's work as your own through the generosity of some clueless USPTO examiner?

From ArsTechinica:

Nokia confirms: Patent attacks may continue after Microsoft purchase
Patents remain with Nokia, meaning Android handset makers may get sued twice.

by Joe Mullin - Sept 3 2013, 10:52pm EDT

    

There's something notable missing from Microsoft's $7.1 billion purchase of Nokia's phone business yesterday—the company's giant patent portfolio.

As Nokia's cell phone business declined, it started filing patent lawsuits. Nokia was unafraid to sue giant competitors like RIM and Apple. The Finnish company's aggression was one of the key factors that ended the detente between tech companies who used to avoid patent spats for fear it would only lead to "mutually assured destruction."

Microsoft paid billions for a license to Nokia's patents, but the company has made explicit that Nokia still owns the patents. The genius of this move is that it allows Microsoft to double down on its patent war with Android. Microsoft boasts that the majority of Android phones sold worldwide have already paid for a license to Microsoft patents. By 2011, patent licensing revenue exceeded Microsoft's revenue from Windows Phone.

Same old same old...but now it's even 'better.'

2854

Living Room / Re: Recommend some music videos to me!

« Last post by 40hz on September 02, 2013, 08:56 PM »

My GF found this one in [in a  write-up over at a rather odd (to my mind) site. Link here.

One other fascinating laboratory that studies plant vibrational energies is Damanhur, an intentional community in Italy. In this peaceful and spiritual ecovillage there is a laboratory in the woods that offers a beautiful choir of singing trees. Yeah, you read that right... singing trees. Since 1976, researchers at Damanhur have invented and developed equipment that can capture electromagnetic changes on the surface of leaves and roots, transforming them into actual sounds. The best part is, these trees seem to control their electrical responses via a feedback mechanism, and demonstrate a kind of awareness and preference for types of music. The singing plants and trees of Damanhur have sparked off such a worldwide fascination that the people began organizing “Plant Concerts”, where musicians perform to the music created by the trees.

Watch this 15-minute video of a beautiful demonstration singing plants while one of Damanhur’s researchers explain the phenomenon.

From what I've seen, I can't 100% buy into the conclusions these folks are reaching since I've heard many other musical sequences generated by natural phenomena or random processes that the human mind tends to interpret as conscious musical composition.  (ex: see Charles Dodge's album Earth's Magnetic Field (1970) for one well known example.)

That said, the music is quite beautiful regardless of whether the claims of "plant consciousness" being made in the video are scientifically valid or not. Give it a listen and see what you think:

2855

Non-Windows Software / Re: A new section for Linux, cross-platform code, embedded, mac, android, ios, etc.

« Last post by 40hz on August 31, 2013, 10:00 PM »

I'm not quite convinced, sorry.

-Tuxman (August 31, 2013, 09:45 PM)

It still stands whether you're convinced or not. Your personal agreement is neither relevant nor required for the purposes of this particular sub-board. Or any other, really. And that just about wraps it up for me. Please feel free to continue on by yourself if you like. Good-night.
 

2856

Non-Windows Software / Re: A new section for Linux, cross-platform code, embedded, mac, android, ios, etc.

« Last post by 40hz on August 31, 2013, 09:43 PM »

"General conventions" are fine, but they need refinements to be applicable. Non-applicable conventions are bullshit.

-Tuxman (August 31, 2013, 09:37 PM)

Ditto non-applicable comments.

2857

Non-Windows Software / Re: A new section for Linux, cross-platform code, embedded, mac, android, ios, etc.

« Last post by 40hz on August 31, 2013, 09:39 PM »

Here we go again folks!

(And BTW, this forum doesn't support filtering the posts of specific members - just their PMs.)

2858

Non-Windows Software / Re: A new section for Linux, cross-platform code, embedded, mac, android, ios, etc.

« Last post by 40hz on August 31, 2013, 09:35 PM »

^There aren't rules so much as there general conventions which almost everybody here seems to understand without the need to have them spelled out in extreme detail.

in this sacred Linux-friendly area (seriously, did we actually need this?!

Most of us here just see Linux as another OS - not some religious battle that you seem to see it as.

Seriously, does anybody here really need you when you get like this?

2859

Non-Windows Software / Re: A new section for Linux, cross-platform code, embedded, mac, android, ios, etc.

« Last post by 40hz on August 31, 2013, 09:27 PM »

quit trolling

-barney (August 31, 2013, 09:24 PM)

+1

2860

Non-Windows Software / Re: A new section for Linux, cross-platform code, embedded, mac, android, ios, etc.

« Last post by 40hz on August 31, 2013, 06:53 PM »

There are times when I sincerely wonder why I bother posting anything here at all.

2861

Non-Windows Software / Re: A new section for Linux, cross-platform code, embedded, mac, android, ios, etc.

« Last post by 40hz on August 31, 2013, 02:25 PM »

Cross-platform (in my world) means something available for more than one OS (e.g. Filezilla, which has versions available for Linux, Mac and Windows); or something like NASA's World Wind which is not OS dependent since it runs under Java.

2862

Non-Windows Software / Re: A new section for Linux, cross-platform code, embedded, mac, android, ios, etc.

« Last post by 40hz on August 31, 2013, 11:17 AM »

"Linux" and "minor Linux rip-offs"?

-Tuxman (August 31, 2013, 11:16 AM)

I'm still looking for a solid informational post about Linux here.

-Tuxman (August 31, 2013, 11:10 AM)

And I'm still hoping for some actual content - and a few less snarky comebacks - from some folks.

Guess we all have a dream...

2863

Non-Windows Software / Re: A new section for Linux, cross-platform code, embedded, mac, android, ios, etc.

« Last post by 40hz on August 31, 2013, 11:12 AM »

Suggestion:

Since this is a potpourri section right now, how about if we prefix all threads with a tag in all caps?

Something like: ANDROID, BSD, FOSS, IOS, LINUX, MAC, MULTI (for multi-platform), SOLARIS, etc.

Example: LINUX: Remmina - superb remote access client

That should let people to quickly zero in on what interests them, and allow for easier searches down the road.

 

2864

Non-Windows Software / Re: A new section for Linux, cross-platform code, embedded, mac, android, ios, etc.

« Last post by 40hz on August 31, 2013, 11:03 AM »

I want a FreeBSD section.

-Tuxman (August 31, 2013, 10:07 AM)

Start making solid informational posts on a regular basis about BSD and maybe Mouser will give one.

(Ditto to everybody else who wants their own special sections. )

2865

Non-Windows Software / Re: A new section for Linux, cross-platform code, embedded, mac, android, ios, etc.

« Last post by 40hz on August 30, 2013, 01:57 PM »

Come on gothic, there's plenty of room for everyone.

Actually, as it stands now on most of the unmoderated internet, there isn't.
Postings related to popular technologies and platforms drive out the more obscure things (which is logical because they are popular).
The problem with this is that there is no place for people who are actually interested in these obscure things.
When anything is allowed, the "wisdom" of crowds governs, which in practice drives everything towards monoculture.

-Gothi[c] (August 30, 2013, 01:28 PM)

Agree. The gravity well generated by the appearance of the "most mediocre choice" rivals that of a black hole.  

2866

Non-Windows Software / Re: Screenshot thread!

« Last post by 40hz on August 30, 2013, 01:46 PM »

I'm Mr. Boring!



Linux Mint 15 Cinnamon running on a 'field' laptop with me "sitting in the lobby" and ditzing around while waiting for my appointment to come get me.

(Note the live wireless connection in the taskbar. I already cracked one of their poorly secured access points - which is what I've been asked to help them with. )

2867

Non-Windows Software / LINUX: Remmina - superb remote access client

« Last post by 40hz on August 30, 2013, 01:27 PM »

Remmina! My current favorite multiprotocol remote desktop client, regardless of platform. Especially useful if you're primarily a Linux user that needs a reliable desktop client for accessing remote Windows servers. IMHO, Remmina works even better in that capacity than Microsoft's own RDP client.

Homepage here.

About the Remmina Project

Remmina is a remote desktop client written in GTK+, aiming to be useful for system administrators and travellers, who need to work with lots of remote computers in front of either large monitors or tiny netbooks. Remmina supports multiple network protocols in an integrated and consistent user interface. Currently RDP, VNC, NX, XDMCP and SSH are supported.

Remmina is released in separated source packages:

    

• "remmina", the main GTK+ application
• "remmina-plugins", a set of plugins

Remmina is free and open-source software, released under GNU GPL license.

Some screenshots:

           

 

2868

Non-Windows Software / Re: A new section for Linux, cross-platform code, embedded, mac, android, ios, etc.

« Last post by 40hz on August 30, 2013, 01:15 PM »

Is that w

I'm kind of hoping this forum section doesn't get hijacked by the tablet/phone crowd

-Gothi[c] (August 30, 2013, 01:12 PM)

Amen.

Come on gothic, there's plenty of room for everyone.

-mouser (August 30, 2013, 01:13 PM)

Also true.

2869

Non-Windows Software / Re: A new section for Linux, cross-platform code, embedded, mac, android, ios, etc.

« Last post by 40hz on August 30, 2013, 01:13 PM »

Ok...no +1.

How about:

ThankYou!ThankYou!ThankYou!ThankYou!
ThankYou!ThankYou!ThankYou!ThankYou!
ThankYou!ThankYou!ThankYou!ThankYou!
ThankYou!ThankYou!ThankYou!ThankYou!

 

2870

Adventures of Baby Cody / Re: Baby Cody is in Los Angeles

« Last post by 40hz on August 30, 2013, 10:06 AM »

At least have him lay down a track or two with you guys playing the Herbie Mann or Sonny Stitt version of Harlem Nocturne or Ellington's Caravan.

I understand Baby Cody plays a mean kazoo. He even covers some early Coltrane with it.

2871

General Software Discussion / Re: Microsoft demands default email be Outlook. I can't change this.

« Last post by 40hz on August 29, 2013, 05:51 PM »

If you don't have an eligible replacement program installed - or Windows can't find it - it won't appear as a choice for default app.

AOL isn't recognized as a standalone e-mail app as skwire hinted earlier.

If you had something like Thunderbird or similar installed, you should be allowed to switch to it.

I don't think "none" is an option for the defaults. If you don't pick something, Microsoft will use its own products as the defaults.
 

2872

Living Room / Re: The fun of installing custom router firmware (tomato, dd-wrt) - an introduction

« Last post by 40hz on August 29, 2013, 12:40 PM »

Do you think its nearing time for me to upgrade if it's working fine right now?

-wraith808 (August 29, 2013, 11:53 AM)

It's already paid for. So if it's doing what you want it to, there's no need to upgrade IMO.

About the only folks that might arguably need to stay on the bleeding edge of PC tech are the super-serious PC gamers.

2873

Living Room / Re: The fun of installing custom router firmware (tomato, dd-wrt) - an introduction

« Last post by 40hz on August 29, 2013, 11:35 AM »

Thoughts on http://www.amazon.co...ess-N-Router-RT-N56U ?

-mouser (August 29, 2013, 11:09 AM)

Never owned and have only seen one so far. It was working and nobody was complaining about it - so that's a plus!

Most reviews I've read said it was great. A few reviewers said they liked it at short range but saw the performance drop off with 2.4Ghz and drastically for 5Ghz at longer distances. Not a complaint I've seen in most reviews however. That said, the reviewers were quite positive overall.

 

Certainly a looker with all those pretty blue LEDs and that diamond patterned case it's in..

Maybe Carol has some input on it? She probably sees a bigger variety of hardware than many of us do.

2874

Post New Requests Here / Re: May I introduce myself?

« Last post by 40hz on August 29, 2013, 11:17 AM »

I think there's a lot of domestic outrage brewing over the US government's behavior during the last ten or so years. And in the end, I think you'll see a reaction to the NSA and the whole post-911 mindset that strongly resembles what happened when the American people became disgusted en masse with the excesses of McCarthyism back in the 50s.

Big issues like this tend to percolate here rather than ramp up in a linear fashion. But when an issue does come to a boil (and this one surely will) it only seems to happen overnight.

Right now I think it's slowly coming to a boil.

Part of what makes the USA so hard to understand for so many people outside of it's borders is that the United States is not a monoculture. So if you ask what "The American People" think, you need to be aware of which American People you're asking. Because we have marked attitudinal differences and political predilections based of our geographic region, degree of wealth and education, race, gender, and ethnic affinity - to say nothing of sexual orientation, political party, occupation, religious affiliation (if any), and our overall personal level of tolerance towards others.

I know it sounds confusing. But it can be confusing at times. Even for us.

2875

Living Room / Re: The fun of installing custom router firmware (tomato, dd-wrt) - an introduction

« Last post by 40hz on August 29, 2013, 10:57 AM »

@mouser - Buying an upgraded unit is not a bad idea. The newer routers have come a long way since the WRT-54GL. And they now have the 802.11n and (in some models) the newer 802.11ac(draft). You'll need new wireless adapters to take advantage of those. But almost everything in the last year or so comes stock with 'n' support so that's usually not an issue. The difference in range and throughput can be substantial.

802.11ac is still in draft so I wouldn't be too quick to adopt it at this point.

I'm partial to the TEW-812DRU aka Trendnet AC1750 at this point - which has support for WDS - so if you ever do need a second WAP for better coverage, integrating a second unit (that also supports WDS) into the wireless backbone the AC1750 creates is a piece of cake.

The Netgear 750 is also a good choice despite my long standing reservations about Netgear products in general. I have several of these at client sites, and they've been very reliable so far.