Actually it looks like something worthwhile, if still a bit pricey (about the same price as a netbook). Still, it comes with an impressive set of features, and the capability to manage a library in your hand.


Most useful feature? That the books you order are available in the next Kindle you buy to replace the one you just ran over with your car.

Oops. Somehow, pricing in accidents, it doesn't look like a good deal.

Despite the best efforts of a concerted group of academics over the years, most people type, and want to continue typing, on a keyboard laid out in the classic QWERTY style. "Sure" was the response, "Once the market makes the mistake of selecting an inferior standard, no one wants to escape." "It's just like betamax, and Windows."

What do we find when we actually ask people to experiment?

They iterate their way out of inferior choices. They prefer QWERTY. Many probably prefer Windows. Is everybody shocked?

It's been a long time coming. An adult operating system has a built in scripting language, and can handle administrative tasks with simple text files. Check out UNIX and its clones.

And then there was Windows: a Graphic User Interface which carefully restricted what could be done, a command line that couldn't do what administrators needed, but could run on a wide range of hardware with appropriate device drivers. It was in demand, and very annoying.

Now, Windows has "powershell", which supplies the missing commands and allows scripting to do what administrators need to do. It's designed to work on networks and standalone systems. First look: not bad, not bad at all. The point for administrators: security features.

It sounds prudent, right? Get insurance for the little phone that you depend on so much, it's $4/month. Doesn't sound like much to protect a phone you paid over $100 for. But here's the thing: it means that you have to wait for the insurance company to send you a new phone, probably similar to the one you totaled, and that wait can be longer than you think.

I woke up Monday to find that the keyboard was undialable: it made two numbers appear when I dialed one. That made the phone not that useful unless I could get the bluetooth working and rely on the internal number pad, which isn't well set up. I went to Verizon, and was told how to call the insurance company and report the problem. They took my credit card over the phone for a $50 shipping fee, and said they would send me an email about it. Which meant I'd paid them over $100, partly in monthly fees, partly in shipping, to replace my phone.

That was when the trouble started: the person at the company transposed a couple of characters in the zip code, and the city was changed to a nearby one. DHL tried to reach me to tell me about the problem. Once I told them what had gone wrong, they said they needed the shipper to agree. Several phone calls later to Asurion insurance, they all saw the problem and assured me I was going to get the phone. This morning, I woke to an email from DHL saying that the phone was being shipped back to Asurion, and they would receive it next Monday. Hopefully, someone will try and get ahold of me about getting me a phone: but two weeks (so far) with the backup phone I got several years ago for emergencies is a heavier burden than you'd think. And I still don't have a replacement phone. I've been told about a lawsuit someone else filed against the company, and it strikes me as a way to fail to earn money while hoping for pennies. I do that enough accidentally without needing to do it on purpose. No thank you.

Next time? No insurance. I'll pay for whatever another phone costs, and I'll keep going. I like Verizon's service area, and I may switch to the Motorola Razr phone. Any suggestions?

UPDATE: Just got off the phone with a nice person from Asurion, who called me after they noticed the blog post (oh, the feeling of power....), and, after checking the address carefully, assured me that a replacement phone would arrive tomorrow. I'll need to tell Garo to expect it, and I'll tell you all what happens next. Who knows, maybe it will have been worth it...

IN PROGRESS: Received the next day an enV2 phone in the mail, along with instructions to mail back the phone (not the charger or anything else) in the enclosed bag, after charging up the new phone and following the smallprint instructions to activate the new phone. It's charging now, and looks pretty. Further updates as they come....

FURTHER UPDATE: The phone is up and running, smaller than the one it replaced but with a bigger keyboard, and I'm quite satisfied. Now, if I could only remember how to get the bluetooth running -- but, considering how rarely I bother answering the phone in the car, probably just as well.

Final NoteGot a bluetooth device that works with the phone, happy to finish this out.

OK, I use Google a lot. It's a shortcut that enables me to do stuff without having to remember everything about where I found things before.

And now, someone has come up with a shortcut to the shortcut: the Goosh (GOOgleSHell). Hit "h" for a list of google related shell commands, and feel free to set up shell scripts to handle them.

Quite a tool.

Sequoia Systems, a maker of voting machines, is thrashing around wildly in an effort to prevent criticism. The latest? a letter threatening a lawsuit if their system is evaluated. Evidently, they want it evaluated only under their control. They were spanked by the feds for this sort of thing before, but managed to calm down and cooperate.

To be fair, I suppose, they are probably fearful of another report like that done in California, which indicated that their security, both software and physical, could be compromised fairly quickly -- and that was without the time to analyze that would ensue after downloading their master system files from public servers it didn't belong on. For those who want simpler methods of voting circumvention, google handily turns up specific, easy recipes for monkeying with the vote (though in that particular case, Sequoia insists it's not a bug, but a feature).

A Headache?

That's my usual reaction. I've got a drawerful of the worthless things, and probably a little booklet of the newest ones. Years ago, I found out that the post office is not interested in my buying stamps with stamps so I can get the latest: no, they want to stick you with them. Helps them keep the money. And they wonder why people with any choice are using something other than the post office. It leads to embarassing moments in mathematics. It is interesting to guess when the next postage rate will apply: but the practical answer is "it will happen when you have the most stamps of inappropriate denomination."

The real advice? HOLD AS FEW AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.

There have been posts I would have expected a response to.

This one, though, isn't in that category: and a little perusal leads me to the source. Evidently, this is one way you can make an editorial comment about the links that you encode. Care to try it out?

17 hours or so to take advantage of it, but here it is, a magnifying glass for Windows (sorry, Macs- can't find the equivalent utility. Perhaps one of my faithful commenters?

What is the difference between mechanical engineers and civil engineers?

Mechanical engineers are frequently called upon to refine, or invent, new technology for weaponry.

Civil engineers are frequently called upon to reinforce, or make, new targets.

Found a way to understand where I am, and what comes next in computer terms: in the Craft of Text Editing by Finseth:

Neophyte users barely know what a computer is. They lack understanding of such "basic" terms as "file" and "file name" (the concepts behind these terms are actually quite sophisticated). This lack of understanding does not mean that they are unintelligent people, only that they have never had a reason to learn these concepts. If you are designing a program for this type of user, you may feel both blessed and cursed. Cursed because it can be so difficult, and blessed because this area of program design has such a pressing need for good designs.

Experience from the field of artificial intelligence can shed more light on this issue. AI researchers found it (comparatively) easy to write programs that can handle advanced mathematics such as freshman calculus. However, as the researchers pushed on to handle such easy (to most people) areas as filling in coloring books, the programming problems got harder and harder. Some of this difficulty is due to the fact that the task of teaching college-level courses is well understood--especially by college professors--but teaching coloring is not. For example, how many textbooks have you seen on "how to color"? More to the point, computers have been designed to process information in a certain way, one that is mathematically elegant, but not necessarily related to how people's minds work. As people write programs for more and more "basic" tasks, this difference becomes increasingly apparent.

Many programs have been (mis-)designed for neophyte users. They often offer a few simple commands, yet leave intact such difficult concepts such as that of a "file." They solve the wrong problem, sort of like travelling to a place where a foreign language is spoken, and trying to communicate by speaking your native language slowly and distinctly. As a program designer, you must understand the thought structure of your users, and design programs that match that structure. The blessing comes from designing programs that are very different from "conventional" programs and which are well-matched to their users.

Novice users have used a computer before, perhaps for text editing, word processing, spread sheet, or database applications. In any event, novice users have some familiarity with the idea of typing things into a box and seeing a response that somehow reflects their typing. They understand how a shift key works, that a lowercase letter 'l' is not the same as a digit '1', and so forth. They even have some understanding of the idea of "context:" that keys do different things at different times. Users with this amount of experience are able to operate almost any program that has a good design and a decent manual.

Basic users are like novice users, only more so. They understand such programming concepts as thread of control, variables, and statements like "A = A + 1" (in fact, many people call such users "programmers"). These users can operate any program, even one with a poor design. Given source code to the program they are able to customize and extend it, albeit in what might be an awkward fashion.


There are higher levels, but you'll have to go to the link to get to them.

What struck me, though, was that EMACS requires that you be a basic level user just to use the program. And that isn't a good idea: I have to customize it to my system, alter files, create things like "make" files to get the capabilities I need, and otherwise operate the Windows system as if it were a UNIX system just to make it go. It's been worth it: I like the capabilities that I've found. I'm starting to learn how to change them better to meet my needs. But I still have a long way to go to make it what it needs to be.

And that last statement is why EMACS, like Linux, hasn't caught on: it requires too much knowledge to get to that point, and most people just don't have the time to get there. There need to be shortcuts that work to get there.

Short fuse: for today, you can install the program at this link, called "Evernote" on your Windows machine.

And you want to. It is effectively one long note that you can classify, search, put handwritten notes on, capture web pages, and, in general, suddenly find stuff.

UPDATE: I hope some of you tried it.

I thought this idea was safely buried after Dr. Srangelove. It popped up in an episode of Eureka called "Dr. Nobel" in the form of an old computer that could destroy the planet. And, as I have learned since, the USSR evidently took the idea seriously.

But now we have two other problems. Problem 1: Computers are inherently buggy. You know, all computers have bugs. Each new version of every operating system comes with a learning curve and software becomes obsolete on all platforms. This won't be the exception to the rule. Problem 2: we now have people irrational enough to explode dirty bombs on Russian territory and cut a phone line just so they can defeat the infidels. This wasn't the scenario the creators of the device had in mind, but it mimics the one they planned for: nukes in Russia and a phone problem. And then we have problems.

And how would I suggest, ever so gently, to a government worried about its world standing that they respond to this problem?

I'm not sure I'm the right guy to talk, but if I had the chance, I'd say, "Just how comforting do you expect any exercise of this to be?

I grew up with the idea that I'd have a personal helicopter to drive around in: or maybe a jetpack, after watching the Bond flicks. So far, these have been a disappointment, though they have started to look cooler.

What's the problem?

Well, at over 100 miles an hour, I have the suspicion that the flight could last a long time.

Perhaps the rest of your life.

The power went out. It's the hot season (fall is hotter than spring and early summer in Southern Cal -- the result of several months of warming the earth), and airconditioners were going wherever available, and the power went out.

Actually, that's one of the reasons I have a laptop rather than a desktop computer: the laptop will keep running even as all the peripherals die, so I can shut down with care.

But the power dying brought up another problem: calling Edison International (used to be Southern California Edison). Here's the catch: they have those classy 800 numbers inviting you to call. THEY HAVE NO OTHER TELEPHONE NUMBERS. What does that matter? Well, if you've moved from out of area, and didn't get local telephone service because it would be another bill to pay on top of the cell phone you need these days, you won't be able to call them. The telephone company will just say, "Sorry, this number is not available in your area." You won't get through. 411 can't do it for you.

So you hope one of your neighbors has a phone installed, or doesn't have your problem. And think about gatekeepers. Unavailability. Community Service.

Be inspired.

It's time for a confession: when I was first introduced to computers, everything that went into them went in on punch cards, and there was not only a question of what computer language to use, but how to get the JCL to process the cards properly. As an undergraduate, the closest I came to seeing a screen edit were the terminals to the PDP-11, which were teletypes. Not an impressive editing medium.

It was into this mess that a friend introduced me to Unix, and the emacs editor, and I became a convert. Though I am still a novice (I have only been using it for a couple of decades, and I never program in lisp), I like the keyboard tricks that enable me to touchtype and move around the page. When the IBM PC is invented, they sensibly put the control key where it was meant to be for these tricks to work properly: they put it above the shift key next to the asdf line. Once microemacs was available, I was good to go: creating text first, then importing it into Wordperfect, and making it pretty so I could print it.

This whole process has become harder over the years on IBM PCs. First, the "caps lock" key, which belongs on typewriter keypads, not computer keypads, was introduced. Then the wordprocessing programs got more and more elaborate, trying to tempt me to do my composition in them: but they rarely accepted the emacs keystrokes. I learned the Wordperfect keystrokes, then learned the WORD keystrokes. But both of these started to use function keys and the mouse: innovations that meant that I wasn't resting with my hands on the keys.

Finally, delightfully, happiness again. Xkeymacs is a little utility to make my keystrokes work in firefox and notepad and all those other editors that don't accept emacs control codes. And, today, I came across the instructions to change the keyboard so that capslock goes back to being the control key. Result? My web browsers are suddenly emacs compliant. I can type with my hands resting comfortably on the home row, rather than getting repetitive stress injuries.

And, as evidenced by this post, I'm suddenly comfortable enough typing that I write more. Not bad for a couple of technical fixes.

For its public database, the British government wants the DNA of everybody -- including tourists. Think of it as a new spot on the entrance form. For those who want the short version, I was alerted by this comment from Pearce, who brought up the disturbing question:

"Everybody, guilty or innocent, should expect their DNA to be on file for the absolutely rigorously restricted purpose of crime detection and prevention -- and no other purpose."

"For no other purpose". Why, are there other purposes that the judge knows about?

As it turns out, we already know what the British Government does with DNA databases: it sells them to large private companies which then run amok figuring out who they can tell. Admittedly, the article was from some obscure paper called the Guardian, that the Senior Judge might not have read.

Why else might we object to it? Well, as it turns out, it encourages the already poorly run police forces and prosecutors to take shortcuts:

In fact, we have an example, easily findable, showing that DNA analysis can be spectacularly wrong:

What is also to be expected from a thorough trawl of this mammoth database would be around 100 billion attempts to match crime scenes with potential suspects, resulting in over two thousand false cold hits. More if the labs are capable of making mistakes.

The first false cold hit from a database trawl to be recognised in the UK was in 1999, though it did not become public knowledge until the following year after a UK forensic scientist addressed the USDOJ Commission on the Future of DNA Evidence.

A man with advanced Parkinsons disease who could not drive an automobile or dress himself unaided was linked to a burglary which had occured 200 miles from his home. In spite of protestations of innocence and alibi evidence police arrested him because the DNA profiles matched and 'so it had to be him'. It was several months before 10-point DNA tests were done on samples from the suspect and the crime scene. The results exonerated him.

He gained his freedom and a brief note from the prosecutor saying that charges were being dropped because "there was not enough evidence to provide a realistic chance of conviction". He still awaits an official apology. Or even an admission of error.

Read the article carefully: you'll know why it's a good idea to look for actual evidence, and treat DNA as confirmatory, rather than probative.

Fortunately, the article quoting this lunatic senior judge also contains quotes from others indicating that even though they don't know why there is a problem, they sense there might be. I must be the only one who reads the Guardian out there, or who has a memory, or they would start at the same place I did: what is government becomes corporate.

Listen and learn: the history of the Amen Break, and the tortured mile of copyright law.

Would you believe .... a toilet paper dispenser that fold it for use?


As with many inventions, this prototype shows all the weaknesses and strengths of the concept.

And the laugh at the end shows the fun.

It's just you, in the sky, a pair of wings on your back, as you soar and explore ...

Check it out.

Well, we are in Lent, the season of the year when TIME Magazine hunts down yet another crackpot to allege that Christianity was based on a tissue of lies.

I used to worry about articles like this and wonder if they were true. I don't any more: I've watched allegation after allegation about the falsity of Christian doctrine and origins disproved, and I no longer look for the latest idiotic example as "something that has to be dealt with."

This is called "learning from experience" -- in the case of TIME and Newsweek, it's learning that they will seek out particular stories to try and get discussed and bought, and declining to be part of the crowd of fools who believe that they are worth disproving. I have lived long enough to know that whatever the latest archeological find that is alleged to upset the applecart, it will be studied, understood, and properly assimilated into the narrative that exists now soon enough, and that the lies, distortions, and posturings of the ignorant are just so much hot air: and despite all the hot air, I still don't believe in global warming.

UPDATE: The claim is based on even less than usual. And what do you know, taking it apart is basically child's play.

FURTHER UPDATE: But this does make a good moment to analyze the media's stupidity:

1. Headline Contradicted by Actual Article. Headlines of most of the articles about this subject stated that Mr. Cameron had found a box with Jesus' bones in it. However, the actual articles tell us that there were no bones inside after all, and we don't have samples of Jesus' DNA. Headline Contradicted by Actual Article is either an editorial oversight or an intentional misleading of the public to draw attention to an otherwise lame article. In this case, however, the article wasn't just lame, it was inflammatory because of its close relation to our next type of bogus media article.

2. Ad Masquerading as Actual Article. Several hundred publications ran this article, so it's not likely that anyone was paid off for placement. But this isn't a news article – it's a commercial. Most articles tell us that the "startling" claim about Jesus will be examined in-depth in a documentary Cameron produced. And they helpfully remind us what channel it's on and what time to watch. That's an ad in my book.

Because they can't handle renewal. Trend Micro Anti-Spyware will become anything else. Any recommendations for a good anti-spyware application?

( Read more... )

They just don't believe that their website doesn't do it properly. And, at this rate, will wonder why their renewal business is so bad.

Sigh.