Boston Dynamics PETMAN
Microsoft Security Essentials
Microsoft has released a free, lite security suite called "Microsoft Security Essentials". It has gotten good reviews from the security world and is based on their Forefront enterprise security product. Anyone looking for a good, free Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware product should check this out.
http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials
Extreme Sheep LED Art
Google Wave Developer Preview at Google I/O 2009
Robert Full: Learning from the gecko's tail
Carl Sagan - A Glorious Dawn ft Stephen Hawking (Cosmos Remixed)
World’s first flying car prepares for take-off
World’s first flying car prepares for take-off
Asperger's and IT: Dark secret or open secret?
Interesting article about the apparently high number of people with Asperger's in the IT industry. Since individuals with this condition relate better to "things" than "people", they are a perfect fit for highly technical fields.
Asperger's and IT: Dark secret or open secret?
Empty Try Blocks
Oscar has no feathers
Trapped in an Elevator
World's Smallest Bodybuilder
ManBabies.com
I hope you find this site as disturbing as I do.
Legal Rights of Photographers
A clear explanation of what it's legal to shoot and publish.
http://www.kantor.com/useful/Legal-Rights-of-Photographers.pdf
DLR Pad - Home
Project Description
DLR Pad gives you the expressiveness of dynamic languages at your finger tips, while developing WPF based application. Using DLR Pad you can define a sample UI using XAML and then script against it using IronPython or IronRuby. DLR Pad is ideal for rapid testing of some functionality or for early experimental and proof-of-concept applications.
DLR Pad features Xaml Pad like functionalities plus Dynamic Language Runtime support (currently only IronPython and IronRuby are implemented) for writing code against the defined XAML. Simple IntelliSense is provided as well.
Doug Engelbart: The Demo
Programming for Idiots
Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning.
CodeProject: The Lounge. Free source code and programming help
Fool-Proof Programming
Several well-known quotes:
"A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools."
Douglas Adams (Mostly Harmless)“Foolproof systems don't take into account the ingenuity of fools”
Gene Brown"There's no system foolproof enough to defeat a sufficiently great fool."
Edward Teller
CodeProject: The Lounge. Free source code and programming help
Beyond Test Driven Development: Behaviour Driven Development
Beyond Test Driven Development: Behaviour Driven Development
YOUTUBE HACK: How to watch ANY VIDEO in HD on YouTube!
YouTube - YOUTUBE HACK: How to watch ANY VIDEO in HD on YouTube!
Twitterholic: Who are these people?
The Twitterholic.com Top 100 Twitterholics based on Followers
Twitterholic: Who are these people?
"Time Management" by Randy Pausch, November 2007
Lifehacker Page: http://lifehacker.com/377112/randy-pauschs-time-management-tricks
"Time Management" by Randy Pausch, November 2007
snopes.com: White Wilderness Lemmings Suicide
http://www.snopes.com/disney/films/lemmings.asp
Claim: During the filming of the 1958 Disney nature documentary White Wilderness, the film crew induced lemmings into jumping off a cliff and into the sea in order to document their supposedly suicidal behavior.
Status: True
Origins: Lemming suicide is fiction. Contrary to popular belief, lemmings do not periodically hurl themselves off of cliffs and into the sea. Cyclical explosions in population do occasionally induce lemmings to attempt to migrate to areas of lesser population density. When such a migration occurs, some lemmings die by falling over cliffs or drowning in lakes or rivers. These deaths are not deliberate "suicide" attempts, however, but accidental deaths resulting from the lemmings' venturing into unfamiliar territories and being crowded and pushed over dangerous ledges. In fact, when the competition for food, space, or mates becomes too intense, lemmings are much more likely to kill each other than to kill themselves.
snopes.com: White Wilderness Lemmings Suicide
SuperGenPass: A Free Bookmarklet Password Generator.
SuperGenPass allows you to remember just one password (your “master password”), which is used to generate unique, complex passwords for the Web sites you visit. SuperGenPass is a bookmarklet, so there’s no software to install. It works right from your Web browser and integrates with login forms. SuperGenPass never stores or transmits your passwords, so it’s easy and safe to use on multiple computers—even while traveling. It’s also completely free.
SuperGenPass: A Free Bookmarklet Password Generator.
YouTube - Developing and deploying an application on Google App Engine
YouTube - Developing and deploying an application on Google App Engine
Make your own icons, Vista Icon Editor, XP Icon Editor, Macintosh Icon Editor, Windows Icon - Axialis IconWorkshop™
Create hi-quality icons for Windows®, Mac OS®, Unix®
Axialis IconWorkshop™ is the first icon editor to create Windows®, Macintosh® and Unix® icons. You can easily create icons all major operating systems. IconWorkshop™ creates Windows® icons up to 256x256 for Windows Vista™ and Macintosh® icons up to 512x512 for Leopard (Mac OS® 10.5). Unix® uses PNG icons. Axialis IconWorkshop creates PNG images with alpha channel in a few clicks including from exising Windows® and MacOS® icons.
The new generation of icons uses variable transparency (a.k.a alpha channel). This feature permits to create beautiful icons with smooth borders and shadows. You need a professional tool to create such icons. Axialis IconWorkshop™ has been designed with one goal in mind: "Icon Quality".
Enjoy the powerful editor which permits to create the various image formats of an icon from an original drawing without quality loss.
Microsoft's plans for post-Windows OS revealed
July 29, 2008 — Microsoft is incubating a componentized non-Windows operating system known as Midori, which is being architected from the ground up to tackle challenges that Redmond has determined cannot be met by simply evolving its existing technology.
Microsoft's plans for post-Windows OS revealed
Freeware Genius
http://www.freewaregenius.com/
A pretty exhaustive list of freeware programs he has reviewed:
Scott Hanselman's 2007 Ultimate Developer and Power Users Tool List for Windows
Everyone collects utilities, and most folks have a list of a few that they feel are indispensable. Here's mine. Each has a distinct purpose, and I probably touch each at least a few times a week. For me, util means utilitarian and it means don't clutter my tray. If it saves me time, and seamlessly integrates with my life, it's the bomb. Many/most are free some aren't. Those that aren't free are very likely worth your 30-day trial, and perhaps your money.
The satellite that helps power Google Earth
Landsat 7, launched on April 15, 1999, is the latest satellite of the Landsat program. Landsat 7's primary goal is to refresh the global archive of satellite photos, providing up-to-date and cloud free images. Although the Landsat Program is managed by NASA, data from Landsat 7 is collected and distributed by the USGS. The NASA World Wind project allows 3D images from Landsat 7 and other sources to be freely navigated and viewed from any angle.
Landsat 7 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
JiWire Wi-Fi Advertising Network, Wi-Fi Finder and Hotspot Directory
Search JiWire's registry of 224,370 free and pay Wi-Fi locations in 135 countries.
JiWire Wi-Fi Advertising Network, Wi-Fi Finder and Hotspot Directory
NSF and the Birth of the Internet
Awesome flash site about the Birth of the Internet
nsf.gov - NSF and the Birth of the Internet - Special Report
8 of the World’s Fastest Shredders
Ever since the electric guitar has existed, so has the desire to play it as fast as humanly possible. While shredding seemed to have reached its pinnacle in the ’80s, in recent years bands like Avenged Sevenfold and Dragonforce have unironically picked up where their high-speed predecessors left off. Here are some of our favorite shredders from the past and today.
8 of the World’s Fastest Shredders
7 Open Source Version Control Systems Reviewed | Developer's Toolbox | Smashing Magazine
If you’ve ever collaborated with other people on a project, you know the frustration of constantly swapping files. Some do it by email, some through file upload services and some by other methods. It’s a pain in the neck, and every designer and developer knows it. Revision control is an excellent way to combat the problem of sharing files between workers.
Most web-developers have probably worked with some sort of revision control system, but designers may find it a foreign concept. The most obvious benefit of using revision control is the ability to have an unlimited number of people working on the same code base, without having to constantly send files back and forth.
But designers and developers can both benefit from using revision control systems to keep copies of their files and designs. You can instantly browse previous “commits” to your repository and revert to earlier versions if something happens.
This article reviews some of the top open-source version control systems and tools that make setting up a version control system easy.
7 Open Source Version Control Systems Reviewed | Developer's Toolbox | Smashing Magazine
Amazon adds Windows, SQL Server to cloud computing service
Amazon Thursday announced that after two years in beta mode, its Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) cloud computing service is now generally available. At the same time, the company said the hosted service is adding beta-level support for Microsoft Windows and SQL Server.
The beta-level support for Microsoft Windows on EC2 is in the form of 32 and 64-bit AMI (Amazon Machine Images) starting at $0.125 per hour. Microsoft SQL Server is also available in 64-bit form.
FormatFactory - File format convert tools (http://www.formatoz.com)
FormatFactory is a multifunctional media converter.
Provides functions below:
All to MP4/3GP/MPG/AVI/WMV/FLV/SWF.
All to MP3//WMA/MMF/AMR/OGG/M4A/WAV.
All to JPG/BMP/PNG/TIF/ICO/....
Rip DVD to video file , Rip Music CD to audio file.
MP4 files support iPod/iPhone/PSP/BlackBerry format.
Source files support RMVB.FormatFactory's Feature:
1 support converting all popular video,audio,picture formats to others.
2 Repair damaged video and audio file.
3 Reducing Multimedia file size.
4 Support iphone,ipod multimedia file formats.
5 Picture converting supports Zoom,Rotate/Flip,tags.
6 DVD Ripper.
7 Supports 35 languagesOS requirements: All 32 windows OS
FormatFactory - File format convert tools (http://www.formatoz.com)&referrer=)
MODELS remixed.
A funny video from Microsoft that tracks man’s attempt at modeling over the ages.
Amazon Windowshop Beta
Now you can visually browser Amazon products with a cool new interface (flash required).
"All Marketers are Liars" - Seth Godin speaks at Google
"All Marketers are Liars" - Seth Godin speaks at Google
.NET Reflector: Soup to Nuts
Nobody could accuse .NET Reflector of being over-documented. The information is around, but has never, up until now, been pulled together into one place. We decided to try to make a start! This article supplements the demonstration video by Jason Crease, which comprehensively covers the basics of how to use .NET Reflector, and which should be seen first if you are new to NET Reflector.
Script#
Script# brings productivity to Ajax and JavaScript development. Script# is a free tool that enables developers to author C# source code that can be subsequently compiled into regular script that works across all browsers, and to leverage the productivity and power of .NET tools as well as Visual Studio, in that process. Script# empowers you with a development methodology that brings software engineering and long term maintainability of your Ajax applications and frameworks.
Your Daily Cup of WTF - Enter The Matrix - Alex Papadimoulis' .NET Blog
Your Daily Cup of WTF - Enter The Matrix
From TheDailyWTF:
No, not the the uburbulous deprodication errebelously conceived by "The Architect". I'm talking about the other matrix - The FileMatrix. Agent "G. Nickerson" was kind enough to send in a link to this UI where "simplicity" and "ease of use" seem to have gone the way of the telegraph. Take a gander for yourself:
Your Daily Cup of WTF - Enter The Matrix - Alex Papadimoulis' .NET Blog
Coding Horror: This Is What Happens When You Let Developers Create UI
This Is What Happens When You Let Developers Create UI
Deep down inside every software developer, there's a budding graphic designer waiting to get out. And if you let that happen, you're in trouble. Or at least your users will be, anyway:
Joseph Cooney calls this The Dialog
Coding Horror: This Is What Happens When You Let Developers Create UI
BrowserPlus™ Developers
The BrowserPlus Developer APIs
BrowserPlus™ is a dynamic plugin framework that makes it possible to rapidly extend the browser programming environment with new javascript APIs that afford secure access to desktop facilities. This site contains code samples, tutorials, and formal documentation for the platform.
Once you have an understanding of the basic usage of the platform, the Service Explorer allows you to explore and execute the APIs of all services available today: A continually evolving feature set.
How's it work?
The BrowserPlus platform is a couple web browser plugins and some supporting programs. The end-user installs the platform as they would any client software. Once BrowserPlus is installed, web page authors can detect its presence, and require the specific services that they would like to leverage in their site. If services are not installed on the client machine, the end user is prompted for their installation. On the fly, plugins are "activated" (downloaded and installed), and are immediately available in the browser without a restart.
Adobe accommodates Visual Studio, Eclipse | InfoWorld | News | November 18, 2008 | By Paul Krill, IDG News Service
In addition, two developments pertaining to Flex development support for Microsoft's .Net software development technology were unveiled.
"A partner of ours, called Ensemble, out of Vancouver, has created a Visual Studio plug-in called Tofino, which gives you Flex and MXML support," said Ben Forta, director of platform evangelism at Adobe, in an interview after the morning keynote presentation. Also, Adobe itself is working on a project to boost Flex development in .Net, featuring data services capabilities. That project is with Adobe Labs.
Specifically, Adobe is porting BlazeDS, which has been a Java open-source technology for communicating between Java and Flex/AIR clients, to .Net. Thusly, .Net developers can use Flash Remoting and messaging, Adobe said.
Silverlight Manic Miner
One of the first silverlight games I’ve seen. Rumor has it they’ll be releasing the source code.
Bad Technology: A Call for Revolution Against Beta Culture
I'm tired of this. This sense of permanent discomfort with the technology around me. The bugs. The compromises. The firmware upgrades. The "This will work in the next version." The "It's in our roadmap." The "Buy now and upgrade later." The patches. The new low development standards that make technology fail because it wasn't tested enough before reaching our hands. The feeling now extends to hardware: Everything is built to end up in the trash a year later, still half-baked, to make room for the next hardware revision. I'm tired of this beta culture that has spread like metastatic cancer in the last few years, starting with software from Google and others and ending up in almost every gadget and computer system around. We need a change.
Bad Technology: A Call for Revolution Against Beta Culture
Quote
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects!" -- Robert A. Heinlein
Evernote + Eye-Fi = Instant Photographic Memory
Evernote + Eye-Fi = Instant
Photographic Memory
December 10th, 2008
Does this sound familiar: you dropped a few hundred bucks on a new digital camera and you’re using it once a month to snap photos of vacations, friends, and family. It sure sounds familiar to me, because that’s how I use my camera: rarely. That’s all about to change.
Evernote and Eye-Fi have teamed up and the results are, well, amazing. It’s now dead simple to get photos into Evernote. You’re about to get much, much more out of your digital camera.
Evernote + Eye-Fi = Instant Photographic Memory
Canon Digital Learning Center - EOS 5D Mark II: Laforet on Reverie
Explorer of Light Vincent Laforet was one of the first photographers in the United States to shoot with a prototype EOS 5D Mark II. With no notice, no funding, no crew, and less than 72 hours to complete his shooting, Vincent seized the opportunity to direct his first-ever short video. The result is Reverie (click to watch), a hauntingly beautiful work of art.
In this exclusive Making-Of Video, go behind the scenes with Vincent -- see how shots were lit, how the camera was rigged, why certain lenses were used, and how the film was edited. In his narration, Vincent discusses the experience of production, and how it felt to shoot HD video with Canon's latest EOS SLR.
Canon Digital Learning Center - EOS 5D Mark II: Laforet on Reverie
Lenovo W700ds struts its stuff on film - Engadget
We'll freely admit that Lenovo's ThinkPad W700ds is, shall we say... intriguing. So sure, we're a little envious that GottaBeMobile's gotten their hands on one, but they've kindly shared what they know with the rest of the world. The model they've got boasts a 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme CPU, 64 GB of RAM, and NVIDIA Quadro FX3700M graphics. As for those displays, the primary is a 17-inch WUXGA with a 1920 x 1200, and the secondary panel is a 10.6-inch WXGA with a 768 x 1200 resolution. It all looks mighty interesting to us, but you're going to want to check the video after the break to see for yourself.
Lenovo W700ds struts its stuff on film - Engadget
Malka Meaning of Numbers
The numbers we all use (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) are known as "arabic" numbers to distinguish them from the "Roman Numerals" (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, etc). Actually the arabs popularized these numbers but they were originally used by the early phonecian traders to count and keep track of their trading accounts.
Have you ever thought why ........ 1 means "one", and 2 means "two"? The roman numerals are easy to understand but what was the logic behind the phonecian numbers?
It's all about angles !
It's the number of angles. If one writes the numbers down (see below) on a piece of paper in their older forms, one quickly sees why. I have marked the angles with "o"s.No 1 has one angle.
No 2 has two angles.
No 3 has three angles.
etc.
and "O" has no angles
Interesting, isn't it?
An ancient phonecian manuscript explains this and I thought it to be fascinating <g>.
Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-067 – Critical: Vulnerability in Server Service Could Allow Remote Code Execution (958644)
Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-067 – Critical
Vulnerability in Server Service Could Allow Remote Code Execution (958644)
Published: October 23, 2008
Version: 1.0
General Information
Executive Summary
This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in the Server service. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if an affected system received a specially crafted RPC request. On Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 systems, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability without authentication to run arbitrary code. It is possible that this vulnerability could be used in the crafting of a wormable exploit. Firewall best practices and standard default firewall configurations can help protect network resources from attacks that originate outside the enterprise perimeter.
This security update is rated Critical for all supported editions of Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and rated Important for all supported editions of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. For more information, see the subsection, Affected and Non-Affected Software, in this section.
The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting the way that the Server service handles RPC requests. For more information about the vulnerability, see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) subsection for the specific vulnerability entry under the next section, Vulnerability Information.
Recommendation. Microsoft recommends that customers apply the update immediately.
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Ghandi’s Seven Deadly Social Sins
Gandhi’s seven deadly social sins:
“politics without principle, wealth without work, commerce without morality, pleasure without conscience, education without character, science without humanity, and worship without sacrifice.”
Naturally 7 on Tavis Smiley Show
