Chances are that you'll have either an iPhone or an Android smartphone, if you do, then you can't go far wrong reading Jason Hiner's articles on TechRepublic:
The 20 best iPhone apps of 2011 for productive geeks
The 20 most useful Android smartphone apps of 2011
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Tuesday, 13 September 2011
I.T.: Raspberry Pi Wiki - Educational Links
http://elinux.org/RaspberryPiBoard/EducationalLinks
Raspberry Pi have updated the educational links on their wiki.
Not just for the Raspberry Pi, but some very useful general Linux and programming links.
Raspberry Pi have updated the educational links on their wiki.
Not just for the Raspberry Pi, but some very useful general Linux and programming links.
Monday, 5 September 2011
News: Police should commute in uniform, says think tank
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14780735
I disagree.
If the officers are getting paid for their travel to and from work, and they are considered "on duty" at that time, then fair enough, pay them for their time traveling to work.
I feel that this is just making the police more visible whilst still cutting their numbers. If an officer is off duty and in uniform, do they still have the juristiction to perform their duties? And do they have the same responsibility as an on duty officer? More to the point, if an off duty officer on their way to or from work arrests someone for mugging/burgulary or whatever, will the arrest still be legal, considering they're off duty?
As an officer, do you necessarily want to be leaving or entering your house in full uniform? I know there will be many officers out there who consider their job a vocation, and will do all they can to protect the public whilst off duty, but I don't think that they would want any criminals finding out where they live, this is ridiculous.
What next? Judges and Barristers wearing their wigs and coats on the number 54? Surgeons, strippers, butchers? All wearing their "uniform" to travel to work? It might make the commute more interesting to say the least!
I disagree.
If the officers are getting paid for their travel to and from work, and they are considered "on duty" at that time, then fair enough, pay them for their time traveling to work.
I feel that this is just making the police more visible whilst still cutting their numbers. If an officer is off duty and in uniform, do they still have the juristiction to perform their duties? And do they have the same responsibility as an on duty officer? More to the point, if an off duty officer on their way to or from work arrests someone for mugging/burgulary or whatever, will the arrest still be legal, considering they're off duty?
As an officer, do you necessarily want to be leaving or entering your house in full uniform? I know there will be many officers out there who consider their job a vocation, and will do all they can to protect the public whilst off duty, but I don't think that they would want any criminals finding out where they live, this is ridiculous.
What next? Judges and Barristers wearing their wigs and coats on the number 54? Surgeons, strippers, butchers? All wearing their "uniform" to travel to work? It might make the commute more interesting to say the least!
Thursday, 11 August 2011
I.T.: Raspberry Pi
After reading a (paper!) magazine a few weeks ago, I was excited to come across Raspberry Pi (http://www.raspberrypi.org/), a single-board computer designed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The Raspberry Pi provides an ARM processor which is suitable for running Linux for an estimated price of £15 (approx. $25) for a pre-configured system, cheap enough to give to a child to do whatever he or she wants with it.
Having read a number of articles in the past regarding OLPC (One Laptop Per Child), where companies start off saying they're going to produce a low cost laptop, cheap enough for every child to have one. Great Idea. Only to hear a couple of months down the line that the original £50 per unit is now £150 per unit, or that the idea has been scrapped. I thought that this might be another one of those. Luckily I was wrong. This actually looks like it going to be the real deal.
Having looked at their website again, they're running a design competition to produce the logo that will be used as their trademark.
They're also producing two models of the Pi, Model A (no LAN9512, 128MB)for around $25 and for another $5-$10, the Model B (incl. LAN9512, 256MB). They're planning on shipping at the end of this year, 2011. So for less than £25, you can pick up the Model B.
I have to say I am very excited about this, it takes me back to "Old School" computing, sat in front of a portable TV, banging away at a rubber keyboard, programming. The nerd in me is exposed, and I'm drafting my letter to Santa right now.
Check out Raspberry Pi on http://www.raspberrypi.org/, or follow them @Raspberry_Pi
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
Photography: Amazing Close-Up Photography
http://carenalpertfineart.com/gallery.html
Some amazing close-up photography from Caren Alpert.
Excerpt:
What’s in our food?
What’s the difference between a bird’s-eye view of a remote vegetable crop and a microscopic swath from a pineapple leaf? How distinct is a pile of table salt from miles and miles of icebergs?
As a food lover and a photographer I answer these questions visually. Using scientific laboratory photo equipment, I journey over the surfaces of both organic and processed foods: my own favorites and America’s over-indulgences. The closer the lens got, the more I saw food and consumers of food (all of us!) as part of a larger eco-system than mere sustenance.
Some amazing close-up photography from Caren Alpert.
Excerpt:
What’s in our food?
What’s the difference between a bird’s-eye view of a remote vegetable crop and a microscopic swath from a pineapple leaf? How distinct is a pile of table salt from miles and miles of icebergs?
As a food lover and a photographer I answer these questions visually. Using scientific laboratory photo equipment, I journey over the surfaces of both organic and processed foods: my own favorites and America’s over-indulgences. The closer the lens got, the more I saw food and consumers of food (all of us!) as part of a larger eco-system than mere sustenance.
Thursday, 7 July 2011
Bears: Yogi Bear, again, the usual suspect
Yellowstone National Park grizzly bear kills hiker
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14057707
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14057707
News: News of the World to close
It appears that this Sunday will be the last time the News of the World will be printed.
Will this be just a name change?
Is it just Murdock sidestepping the hacking issues?
Does this mean that the Sun will now have a Sunday edition?
Will this be just a name change?
Is it just Murdock sidestepping the hacking issues?
Does this mean that the Sun will now have a Sunday edition?
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