Getting an early start on her technical education

Getting an early start on her technical education, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

Get Out and Vote

Get Out and Vote, originally uploaded by videoal.

Yes - this is a real sign - no Photoshop.

This guy is running for state house on the other side of town. Drove past one of these signs a couple of weeks ago when I didn't have my camera. He even ran a couple of TV ads before the primary.

Minor Challenge results

Last week - I posted two images - one of which is above - and challenged someone to decode it. No one rose to the challenge.

This is a 2-dimensional bar code - in the QR Code format. One of the leading uses of QR Codes is to;

QR Codes storing addresses and URLs may appear in magazines, on signs, buses, business cards or just about any object that users might need information about. Users with a camera phone equipped with the correct reader software can scan the image of the QR Code causing the phone's browser to launch and redirect to the programmed URL.

If your phone isn't set-up to translate the above image - then there are on-line websites available to allow you to decode the image.

1. Save image to your computer
2. Go to Zxing decoder online site
3. Browse to the location of the saved image file (or if the image is posted on-line - you can point the web page to the URL of the image)
4. Submit query
5. Decoded text is returned to the web browser as a line of text

Performing that decode on the above QR Code should display the following information;

geo:33.635801,-112.232906

The 'geo:' denotes geographic co-ordinates. So go over and open Google Maps and enter the Co-ordinates (actual lat-long) in the search box at the top.

You should get a image/map (depending on your settings) that looks similiar to this image;


That location - denotes my local Chick-Fil-A. Where you can find me getting breakfast during the week between 9am and 9:15am MST (about 1/2 the time).

Decoding the 2nd barcode is left as an exercise to the reader.

[Next - how to create a QR code of your own]

So what is BOINC?

Down the right hand side of this blog - is the following graphic;


What this is - is the CPU workunits/progress and standings/statistics about my participation in different BOINC projects. BOINC - stands for 'Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing'.

Basically - it is a framework under which different distributed applications can be run. When SETI@Home first started - it was its own dedicated application. That would only have a single workunit in process at a time. I have been running SETI@Home since 1999. And from the table above - you can see that it is the project I have my 2nd highest total credit with.

There are a large number of projects that are available, so if searching for ET to phone home isn't your idea of a good use of spare computer cycles - there are plenty of other options.

I look for projects that are contributing to the general good, and not contributing to something that someone can patent and sell (several of the bio-sciences projects were looking for gene mappings or drug interactions - no thanks).

A couple of the newer projects have skipped the idea of a screensaver. And just have a simple logo to display instead. I like the idea of the screensaver - if it pertains to the project. LHC@Home's - just seems to put bouncing balls on the screen that changes color. But when I am running it at work - an interesting screensaver will prompt people to ask what I have running. That curiousity - could ultimately result in another computer or two working on that project.

Every time a work unit for a project is completed - the user's account gets credit for the work done. But - since the dawn of man if you give him a way to compare himself to others - he will find a way to gain an advantage for himself. For some - this can include installing BOINC 'quietly' on extra computers, writing a code module to increase the speed at which a workunit can be completed or even just buying more computers to run.

Now the credit granted to the participants - has gotten controversial. Some sites have revised the credit they grant - downwards. These 'Kredit Kops' - have been trying to get all of the projects to grant credit based on similiar work.

I don't agree with this policy. Let each project set their own limits. That would allow the less popular or mainstream projects give out more credit as a way to attract more participants.

Remember - these are all volunteer projects. The credits are the only thing that the participants get in return for donating their computer cycles (and power bills) to the project's goal.

Bored? Here's a minor challenge

Figure out what information is encoded in this graphic;



And then send your answer using the following contact information;



Explanation will be posted next week.

Urban Camoflage - Cell towers

Most people take the NIMBY ('Not in my backyard') approach - especially when it comes to the area around their homes.

• They want to have reliable electrical power, but not have a power plant in their backyard, or high voltage transmission lines.
• They want a quality TV signal, but don't want to live next to the transmission tower. Or they want a clear satellite signal, but don't want to see the dish.
• They want go get anywhere quickly, but not live right next to the highway (or an airport).
• They want to be able to get their calls all of the time - but don't want a Cell tower right next door.
  

Out here in the Phoenix area - towers in general, and cell phones specifically can be a sore subject. The Phoenix metro area - is largely flat terrain - which means cell towers pop-up on the horizon - and have nothing to blend in to.

The slide show below - is the start of a photo collection of different ways that Cell Towers are or are not disguised around Phoenix.

Remembering 9/11

I remember 9/11....

I was late going into work. The office was in Chantilly, VA - and one of the non-standard routes I would use took me along the backroads around Washington Dulles International Airport (KIAD).

Since I was on the backroad - I wasn't listening to News radio (it was WTOP's FM feed - only one I got decent signal on that far out from the city). I switched over as I got close to the airport - and I heard about the first plane hitting New York. At that point it wasn't clear from the reports about what type of plane it was - or what the weather was like.

[Just after World War 2 ended - a B-25 Mitchell bomber crashed into the Empire State Building while lost in fog. And the building (obviously) withstood it.]

At that point I was just curious for more details on the plane crash. A few minutes later - I got into the office to find everyone huddled into the boss's office watching streaming video of the scene from New York. It was obvious from that coverage - that it was a large jet - and that weather had nothing to do with it. And then the 2nd jet hit the other tower.

Now - it was pretty clear that this wasn't an accident. The talking heads w/ on the coverage were starting to talk about Hijacking's and Terrorism. Several of my co-workers decided they would rather be at home with family - or just didn't want to be in the office.

You have to realize my office was about 3 miles South of the end of the east side North-South runway at Dulles. When the weather was nice - a couple of us would take a walk around the circle and watch the planes from Europe coming in.

[there was one other item of interest within a mile of our office. An office building that didn't exist - and Congress was royally miffed when they found out how it was paid for. The planes were going after symbolic targets - and an office building wouldn't stir anyone up.]

I guess I can't blame them - especially after the Pentagon was hit. And then the panicky reports of another plane headed for DC - I didn't blame them at all.

[it wasn't until a couple of days later - that I realized that my wife and I had been on the flight that had crashed into the Pentagon - earlier in 2001. American Flight 77. We took it out to LA and then on to Vegas in January. It was a nice flight. First thing in the morning. Maybe a third full. Crew relaxed after an overnight in DC. A perfect target for a hijacking.]

After trying to do some work - and checking in with family - I finally went home. And on the way back by Dulles - as I was turning onto a backroad to go home - there was a Loudoun Co Sheriff's Deputy sitting (in his car) just about in the middle of the intersection. He wasn't doing anything - just sitting there.

Just a show of force - in a small way - to show that the world had changed.