Posts by Skizz
126 posts • joined Wednesday 13th August 2008 15:42 GMT
iPads in Schools
I remember a year or so back my sons' school (state primary) handed out leaflets about the future of the IT in the school. "Our Apple Vision" was the headline and it extolled the virtues of the device. Needless to say, most of the use cases for the device involved going to the iTunes store for apps and (Apple authorised, American) text books, admittedly most of it was advertised as being free. There was a very biased questionnaire attached, questions like "Which iPad/iPod would you buy", no suggestion that there were non-Apple alternatives available.
So I and my wife wrote very lengthy replies, she took the social angle (kids as mugging targets, breakages, cost, etc) and I took a tech angle (consumer device, no scope for CompSci work, networking, etc). Needless to say, there's been no word on the subject since and the teacher that was the main driving force behind the plan has since left.
Oh, and did I mention the all expenses paid Apple-in-Education junket the head and IT teacher went on at St Pancras?
Finally, one use for an iPod touch - use the stopwatch app to time races. Good grief.
Re: Oh, well...
And just enough time to sanitize your telephone too. Or make a documentary about the trials of living with impending doom!
A possible solution?
Well, there have been many amendments to the US constitution, some as recent as 1992, so why not add a new one to clarify the right to bear arms since the ambiguity of the original is often used by groups like the NRA to justify gun ownership. Perhaps a clause to only allow "the security of a free state" as a reason to own a gun. So unless the "security of the free state" is at risk, there'd be no reason to carry or own a gun! I fear, though, that the lawyers would still find a good way around it.
Of course, the current amendments do allow a US citizen, if they feel that the government is a threat to the free state, can storm the White House / Congress / whatever it's called, with a gun a shoot members of the government!
Re: @Alpha
"Personally I prefer knock down targets and paper targets with scoring rings to improve my accuracy as I go to the range for a relaxing shoot. Something I find very good at relieving stress."
Well, if that's all you want to do, then why not leave the gun at the range? No need to take it home with you. You get to keep the right to let off a few rounds, everyone else gets the right to stay alive - sorted!
Agree
"...when hiring people we probably cared more about our assessment of their ability to learn new stuff than their ability to do things when they come in the door."
Of course, the problem with looking for work is that many recruitment agencies just do keyword matches and miss the important element of being able to learn and adapt. I'd much rather have a great programmer with no experience in the specific areas the job requires than a poor programmer with lots of experience. A great programmer can learn new languages and systems quickly and start producing quality code within a short time.
There must be a better way than what we've currently got in the recruitment agencies. StackOverflow careers is possibly a step in the right direction.
Well, the graphics have certainly got better but...
...the gameplay hasn't changed much.
Obvious really...
...there's an island populated with scientist, artists and clairvoyants where they're genetically engineering a bug eyed monster and this is one of the early attempts.
Obvious Indeed
1. Get a MAC address / SSID
2. Look up in database
3. If found, read location
4. Else, if current location is known, save information to database
Go on then, sue me!
For a laugh...
...I partially read the AnswersInGenesis page the article linked to. If there ever was a case to prove how bad science and maths education has got, that is surely it.
What!
"In fact the Chinese government is actively encouraging families to have more children as it's begun to realise, in a much bigger way than say Europe, that their population is ageing very rapidly"
Is time running faster in China? Maybe they're just trying to get to the future first so than can patent everything before anyone else.
Nothing to say really...
...just raise a pint to those profs at Southampton Uni (from the Hobbit pub). Excellent.
Perhaps the Pi can be used as the standard unit of super-computing performance?
Re: Can more people
So, you don't support the Royal Mail / US Postal service (or whatever) as they can be used in that way as well, without any of the tracking that this bill is suggesting and a requirement of a Judge to oversee interceptions.
You gotta love it!
"Let the innovators compete,"
Isn't this trial about protecting one's innovations? And why did no one point out that all cars have similar features, all washing machines, microwaves, TVs, etc, etc.
It's not just Google
Video game makers have a similar problem. How to deal with unsolicited e-mails and post containing so-called great game ideas. They all just put them into the bin unopened. They need to protect themselves from the "you stole my idea" brigade. Same thing here. The idea itself is worthless, it's the implementation that's important. It's like me going to MS/whoever and saying I've got a great way for a program to be able to remember what the user was doing between sessions - I call it "Save File" - now I'll sue you for copying my idea!
Re: What came first the computer or the coder?
Ada Lovelace settled that argument a long time ago.
Distressing?
"was misrepresenting her school dinners and distressing the canteen staff"
I think the distress was caused by the council forcing the canteen staff to serve up the food rather than the blog (which, from what I've read, never criticised the staff). I think that, deep down, those canteen staff would prefer to serve up better food (as seen in Mr Oliver's school food series if I remember correctly).
It's such a shame that now the school food campaign is no longer headline news (as it was when the TV series was on) they think it's OK to go back to the easy, old ways.
Doesn't Really Help
"This just turned up: http://www.opendns.com/technology/dnscrypt/"
Since the IP address is enough and all the DNS lookup does is turn a string into an IP address and going from IP address to web site is easy. I'd be surprised if the information recorded didn't contain the IP address since that's all the information that's sent when accessing a web-site (you don't send the web-sites name to the web-site you're accessing, you send it a DNS server). So, web-sites with constantly changing IP addresses would defeat this as it would be really hard to go back in time to see what was at a given IP address.
Utopia
What I currently have:
A remote and UI for my TV, a remote/UI for my STB and a remote/UI of my BD player. Each UI behaves differently and are all a bit rubbish. I have a 8 or so cables (VCR!, consoles, BD, STB, power, etc) hanging off my TV which is pain if ever one comes loose (the TV is wall mounted - large, free standing flat panels and children do not mix).
What I want:
A TV with just one AV input and one power input (I don't like seeing the cables so they're all encased in trunking, which, at the moment is quite wide). An STB with multiple AV inputs and is the one input to the TV. One remote which controls the STB and the devices connected to it with a touch screen on it with a useful UI*.
We've sent men to the moon, why is it so hard to have a coherent TV experience? Actually, I know the answer to that one, they're designed by marketing departments.
* It just occurred to me as an example of stupid UI that the TV displays a big bar graphic when I press the up/down volume buttons to show me the volume setting (positioned perfectly to obscure any subtitles on the screen) - like I couldn't work it out from the noise that's coming out of the speakers!
Re: Breaking up something large is PATENTED?
@Neill Barnes: Unless you're German, in which case you try to make every sentence just one big long word.
Steps required to prevent "cyber attacks"
1. Don't connect important stuff to the internet
2. Stuff that is connected to the internet, make sure you have a non-connected backup system (you know, like there used to be before the internet was invented)
3. That's it.
OK, so when there's an "attack" things happen a bit slower and more inconveniently but it's not going to hurt anyone.
And who cares if FaceTwitterTube+ goes offline. Oh, wait, the sheeple will have to face "real life" TM.
Re: Before anyone says "here comes big brother"...
@AC 12:49
"What about those police jobs where 'silent response' with no blue lights or sirens is called for?"
Then they are not allowed to speed. If arriving unnoticed is required, arriving at speed would defeat the objective: " 'ang on, what's all these cars screeching to a halt outside all about then?"
It's amazing!
Why do so many supposedly intelligent people get so worked up when talking about driving and speeding? Have we been infiltrated by a bunch of Daily Fail readers?
As for the article, the system cannot determine the quality of driving - bad drivers don't all break the speed limit but may drive too fast for wet conditions for example. All the system can do is give the insurance companies another way to avoid paying out since all the box can tell the insurers is whether or not you were breaking the speed limit and if you were, you won't be covered since breaking the limit is illegal.
Of course, the insurance companies will try to make it sound good, pay-as-you-go insurance for example (pay less for quiet times, etc) but it'll still end up as expensive as normal insurance (they'll make sure it does to keep profits up).
Re: Before anyone says "here comes big brother"...
@AC 12:49
"which specific law of physics is changed by flashing blue lights, sirens, driver training etc?"
I didn't say that the laws of physics changed. When they speed they do so in a way that alerts everyone around them such that there is a clear, unobstructed path for them. There will be no pedestrians, cars, whatever in their way. Breaking the speed limit without the sirens / lights means there's a good chance you'll hit someone / something that wasn't expecting you to be going that fast. Going at 60mph, you'd travel over 100m in the time it takes for someone to cross a road (much further if they're shepherding children / aged / etc). If the crossing is not visible from 100m away, should you be doing 60? And how would you know that it's not OK to do 60? A speed limit perhaps?
The point is...
...as citizens we agree to abide by the law of the land and the speed limit is part of the law. We do not get to choose which laws apply to us and when (there do appear to be some politicians that have trouble understanding this...).
If you think a speed limit is too low or too high, contact your local council - they have people whose job it is to review roads and make improvements, this also includes junction layouts and anything else you can do to a road.
Re: Decades of road safety research
Motorways are safe because that's how they have been designed. For example:
* There is a barrier between you and oncoming traffic
* There are no pedestrians, cyclists, horses or underpowered motorbikes
* Traffic joins and leaves the motorway at the speed of the traffic on the motorway (i.e. traffic filters onto / off the motorway)
* Relative speeds are quite small
Having condition-dependent limits is a stupid idea as it requires common sense and an amount of judgement not seen in the average driver. Plus, it becomes a subjective limit - what would happen if you think it's safe to do 90 but a police officer thinks the 80 is the most you should be doing?
Re: Before anyone says "here comes big brother"...
"If speed is so dangerous then we must stop all police, fire and ambulance vehicles from exceeding any limit as they are endangering the public"
But when they are speeding, there's those bright flashing blue lights and really loud sirens to warn everyone for miles around that they are there.
Speeding without those lights and sirens should rightly be punishes - lead by example after all.
Re: Before anyone says "here comes big brother"...
"If you're overtaking a car you want to get past as fast as possible and if that means breaking the speed limit for a few seconds so be it."
That is illegal. You should not start a maneuver that you cannot complete safely. The correct thing to do when overtaking and there's a vehicle in front of you is to brake and pull in behind the thing you were overtaking. Speeding up just increases your chances of hitting the oncoming vehicle, slowing down gives you more time to avoid collisions.
Re: Before anyone says "here comes big brother"...
But a functioning speedometer is a requirement of a motorised vehicle so you can't use "no [working] speedometer" as an excuse for speeding. Non-motorised vehicles do not need a speedometer.
It's all so depressing...
Is it mandatory for cabinet ministers to have the common sense and intelligence removed upon entering office? So what, exactly, is wrong with Sea Harriers? OK, they're not the latest sexy kit but they work and are cheap. Buy some and with the money saved develop them to address their shortfalls. Of course, when they get the new kit, they'll then dream up reasons to show it off - Olympics Security Theatre anyone? because it'll be so easy to take out that lone terrorist with a backpack bomb with a Eurofighter!
"I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!"
Re: When I were a lad .....
Any simpleton can take stuff apart and put it all back together again! When I were a lad, I had to dig all the parts out of the ground (geology) from the cemetery (with my bare hands!) and then work out how to stick 'em all together (anatomy) timing it with the local weather system (meterology) to get a good lightening storm at just the right point. There were extra marks available for the quality of the gothic architecture (art) in the lab and for the artistic merit of the maniacal laughter (drama).
Why are they doing this?
Obvious - tax avoidance! All the money they plow into this can easily be reclaimed as R&D expense and thus get the tax benefits for it (current 225% in UK, i.e. for eavy £100 R&D you can reduce your taxable income by £225). The fact it's a cool project, would create/sustain hi-tech jobs and might actually work in some way is just a big bonus.
Aarrrgghhhhh
It's bad enough verbing the noun, now they're nouning the verb: "here's the announce from..."
Keeping it topical...
Is Windows 8 the iceberg that'll sink Microsoft?
Probably not.
Re: i am amazed
"Thank god for our education system here in the UK, something that appears to be lacking in the US where maybe they need lessons on common sense."
Well, my kids primary school (age 5-11) is now "An Apple School" and they want all the parents to buy their kids iPads.
Posted in So, what IS the worst film ever made?
My nomination...
"Sex Lives of the Potato Men"
I did watch it all. But only in the hope that there might be some redeeming scene that made it all worth the torment. There wasn't. Started low, went downhill rapidly from there.
Posted in Carmageddon
This had...
...the best multiplayer gamed ever invented. Checkpoint Stampede! How many hours were wasted on that!
It's easy...
...all Apple needs to do is address the following points:-
1. Integrate STB and TV and make the software fast and responsive - I'm frequently being greeted with "Please Wait..." messages or very slow redraw times.
2. Make the UI intuitive. Most UIs I've seen have "designed by programmers" written all over them - on my STB it takes four or more clicks to record a program (click V+, select set new recording, select record from TV guide, select All channels, scroll to find program - slow, click to record)
3. Get rid of almost all the buttons on my remote control - really, why are we typing in channel numbers? I'm sure a controller with a click-wheel and a good UI could do everything my 30 button controller could do.
It amazes my that no other TV / STB maker has taken the Apple UI ideas and produced something that has Apple's quality to it.
I did see one remote control many years back that just had a central clickable scroll wheel with a volume rocker to the left and channel change rocker and the right. It was so easy to use.
How long...
...before we get gaming chairs based on those in Idiocracy (i.e. built in pan)? Probably an iPatent for it somewhere.
Posted in Apple wants to OWN YOUR VERY SOLE
Weren't patents...
...supposed to be for non-obvious inventions? Nothing here that a six year old couldn't dream up.
Patents need to die!
Breaking news.....
I've just eaten a banana!
Posted in Apple telly may sport Sharp screen tech
All Apple needs to do is...
...make a TV system that doesn't require a remote control that has far too many buttons on it.
I mean, why do I have to look up in the TV guide the number for a given channel and then type that number in order to view something.
And why is the UI on STBs so damned slow?
It didn't happen...
...unless we see the Playmobile reconstruction!
E=mc2
That equation does not mean that mass increases when there's more energy! It means that the energy in a thing is equal to its mass times c squared. It's one or the other, not both. Energising a flash ram does not increase the mass. The electrons don't get more mass, they just get more energetic (more speed, higher orbit, etc). When I climb some stairs my mass doesn't go up, even though I've gained a whole lot of energy. What do they teach the kids these days!
A great quote on the BBC site...
"Security blogger Graham Cluley grabbed several screenshots of the offending content before it was removed."
Mr Cluley can't be that good if he doesn't know where to get some pr0n on the internet!
Degree != Quality Coder
I've seen many rubbish coders, some had degrees, some PhDs and some didn't have any higher qualifications at all. I've seen some great coders, again, some had degrees and some didn't. From my experience, having a degree is no indication of coding ability. Either you get it or you don't. There's an interesting paper at http://www.eis.mdx.ac.uk/research/PhDArea/saeed/paper1.pdf.
The Reg Comments. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.
Metal Cylinders
For added strength, use corrugated cyclinders - smaller version of what you get in a steam engine. I'm sure you could find a group of grey beardy types loosely grouped as a modelling society to knock one up for you for the price of a few pints of real ale. Saw that on WDYTYA last week.
That sums it up
"Now all we need to do is come up with reasonably efficient software that doesn’t waste processor cycles doing not much."
From what I've seen, most graduates have trouble writing a "Hello World" program in less the 50K. Youngsters these days never think about performance since they're used to super fast PCs with lots of RAM. Give them all ZX80s I say.
We need fusion!
And to get there we need the best scientists and engineers at the best universities pushing the frontiers towards that goal without the burden of long term debt, heck, let's pay the best to go to university and help solve our future energy needs.
*Looks at current education*
Oh bugger.
If other manufacturers copied Apple's lead...
...then there'd only be one car manufacturer (four wheels and moves from A to B), one washing machine machufacturer (box that cleans clothes), one microwave oven manufacturer (box to heat food), etc....
This whole thing is just stupid. Not to mention the stifling of innovation.
