HARDWARE: $100 Linux wall-wart launches

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

http://linuxdevices.com/news/NS9634061300.html

$100 Linux wall-wart launches

Feb. 24, 2009

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Marvell Semiconductor is shipping a hardware/software development kit suitable for always-on home automation devices and service gateways. Resembling a “wall-wart” power adapter, the SheevaPlug draws 5 Watts, comes with Linux, and boasts completely open hardware and software designs, Marvell says.

In typical use, the SheevaPlug draws about as much power as a night-light. Yet, with 512MB each of RAM and Flash, and a 1.2GHz CPU, the unobtrusive device approaches the computing power found in the servers of only a decade ago.

Furthermore, the platform is available in single quantities, and is priced within reach of students, hobbyists, and tinkerers. Its hardware design is completely open — everything from schematics to Gerber files will be available on a website, Marvell said. For those that do wish to build products on the platform, volume pricing could fall to $50, Marvell expects.

On the software side, the company says ARM ports of several popular Linux distributions are already running, and included. More importantly, Marvell has committed to do everything it can to ensure the best Linux support for SheevaPlug going forward. Raja Mukhopadhyay, product marketing manager, commented, “Whatever the community needs to facilitate development, we will provide the critical resources needed to facilitate that.”

Mukhopadhyay calls the SheevaPlug an “ideal platform for in-home service delivery,” and adds that he is looking forward to seeing what kinds of products and services are built on top of the device. He said, “We believe that for the consumer and the service provider in the home, it’s the right time for some disruptive application delivery. We believe that having a completely open hardware platform will be key in letting people productize it however they want.”

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If it supports “power line networking” or wifi, then you have a server on your wall.

Fantastic!

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SERVICE: WIKIPEDIA the sum of flawed human efforts

Saturday, February 28, 2009

http://en.wikipedia.org

There’s no doubt that I like this. I recently spent some time editing pages about my fellow alums. (Hey, you can’t always be seeking that elusive CTO08824!)

It’s a great resource. At best, I’d call it uneven. When you consider it’s the sum of many people each moving a pebble to create the great pyramid, it’s astonishing.

So go move a pebble! I am.

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WRITING: Need to redo my book; splitting into two

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Readers here know some of this already. But let me recap.

I’ve used Lulu, a Print On Demand vendor, that will allow any book to be ordered on Amazon and such. The upfront cost is zero. Which, of course, why I liked it. Lulu offers an e-book option. The printed copy will be ~$40+ and the download is 5$.

In a prior effort, for example, I printed 35 copies of my blog book last year. It was a book of all my blog posts for a year.

(It was a vanity effort. I gave the first copy to my Mom for mother’s day. She was tickled. I sent friends copies. I’m told it made a great doorstop! LOL!!)

(One friend gave his two kids each a copy in lieu of a Christmas present. He had me write a personal note and sign it as a “first edition” of a future famous writer. He tells me that you had to see their expressions. He later relented and gave “real presents”. He goes into spasms of laughter every time we talk about it.)

In my spare time, I wrote a novel: “It Started In Church – October 19, 1962”. 700 pages; just under a half million words. An hour a day every morning for a year. It’s an alternative future history of what I might have been, if the Cuban Missle Crisis had ended differently. Khrushchev pushes the button, bad things happen, and, children practiced, I and my classmates wind up in a shelter. And, stuff happens from there. All that illustrates how we have “low expectations” for children. Yeah, I know corney. It’s a story I have had in my head for 50 years. Better late than never. I wrote the novel more as a goof, but I got tremendous feedback on the Frugal Squirrels web site. The more I got into it, the more it took on a life of its own. I’m very pleased with it. Now, it’s my opus.

“It Started In Church – October 19th, 1962”, or more simply “CHURCH 10●19●62” will have a link through http://www.itstartedinchurch.com/ into Lulu.

The novel on Lulu is about 600+ pages which has to cost more than $40.

That wouldn’t be SOOOO bad, BUT, (there is always a big butt), the print is too small.

I printed it at Kinkos for 50 bucks, and the result was very readable. Two iterations thru Lulu are much smaller. The first iteration was very light and barely readable. (Right Wacki?) The second iteration was better but, based on feedback from our “Rutgers Basketball Game” friends, it’s STILL too light and small. So Lulu is a little cheaper, produces a better “finished product”, and can get it into Amazon. BUT, Lulu is not without it’s challenges. Lulu has an absolute page limit of 700 pages for the size I’d like to use and 740 for the size I tried.

Argh!

So kicking and screaming, I’m forced to split the book into tow volumes. Bump up the font size and try some more.

Thus far, I’ve spent $150 and don’t have a great result.

ARGH!

Lessons Learned: What I have learned is that for “specialty texts”, like IT specialty topics, where you could sell copies at 50$+, that you could have a working business model. I think that it would be possible to “produce” topical texts that the big publishing houses couldn’t address.

Just learning about a different kind of “technology”. Next I’ll be consulting on scribes and amanuensises.

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JOBSEARCH: Two minutes of inspirational speeches

Saturday, February 21, 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6wRkzCW5qI&eurl=http://blogs.jobdig.com/wwds/2009/02/09/inspiration-motivation-just-the-way-i-like-it-short-sweet-2-minutes/&feature=player_embedded

Inspiration, Motivation Just the Way I Like It: Short & Sweet 2 Minutes

Posted in February 9th, 2009

Hat Tips: eppsnet.com, http://blogs.jobdig.com, “What would Dad say”

Two minutes of inspirational speeches.

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Excellent for turkeys who are down in the dumps.

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PRODUCTIVITY: Keep a “day book”. Start now!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

*** begin quote ***

As a member of the class of ‘XX, my recollections may be as unreliable as a deposition from Rod Blagojevich, but this is my recollection.

*** and ***

Most of this I am fairly confident I have right as to the essence.

Where I am fuzzy is how it unraveled. My recollection is that part of the deal with

*** and ***

Where I am most uncertain is how the deal unraveled.

*** and ***

What I do recall is that some of us were very suspicious/cynical that shortly afterwards

*** and ***

Now that I have written this all down, I am beginning to suspect my memory, because in 1970 when this would have unraveled

*** and ***

Anyway, that’s my story, open to revisions of those with clearer memories.

*** end quote ***

Interesting the human mind.
So vivid, yet so frail. Perhaps social networking and blogging will allow people to remember better.
Clearly, I’d urge all young people to start a diary and keep a “day book” to document their progress thru life day by day. Then when they reach the end of life’s road, they wouldn’t be struggling to remember.
I can only imagine all the good ideas, acquaintances, and stuff that are lost forever by a failure to remember.
All very sad!
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TECHNOLOGY: QR codes

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

200902171740.jpg

200902171742.jpg

Anyone reading them?

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Posted by reinkefj

SERVICE: FREETEXTHOST, a inet scratch pad?

Monday, February 16, 2009

http://freetexthost.com/d46tdyaqri

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The site allows visitors to host text without having to sign up or give any personal information. One possible usage for this is to host code snippets, but it can be used for just about anything really. Options include the ability to enter a password to allow you to edit or delete your text, and the choice to use preformatted text and make links clickable.

*** end quote ***

Now what can one use this for?

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Posted by reinkefj

JOBSEARCH: An interesting “job search” “social networking” site

Saturday, February 7, 2009

http://www.zumeo.com

Interesting approach to start. Should weed out the zombies and other strange people.

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Posted by reinkefj

SERVICE: JIBBERJOBBER as a Ventine’s Day gift? Sure!!!

Friday, February 6, 2009

Now this may sound dumb or unromantic but in these tough economic times, how about something that can help their significant other keep their earning power — Jibber Jobber. http://www.jibberjobber.com

(Disclaimer: I have no financial interest in Jibber Jobber. I’m not even an active user. I did alpha testing for Jason Alba the owner developer. But, I do help a lot of out of work folks who have no clue about networking. An, think this would be a very valuable gift.)

Assuming that the relationship is heading towards marriage or whatever today’s equivalent is, a gift subscription might make real sense. The couple could even cuddle up in front of a warm computer screen as the couple works to get all the significant others contacts into the Jibber Jobber database.

If both are yuppies, it could be a mutual gift and each could help motivate the other’s data collection and networking activities.

It may sound goofy, but it’s an off-beat cheap gift that can pay big dividends by next Valentine’s Day. Other than working on each other’s income taxes, I can’t think of a better couple building activity. After the flowers, chocolate, expensive dinner, and jewelry are long forgotten, JibberJobber will be paying big dividends.

Yeah, I know, I’m a real romantic. But romance ain’t going to keep the paychecks rolling in. Networking, assisted by the focus that JibberJobber gives, will pay off handsomely.

And, I bet you won’t see that suggestion in any other Valentine’s Day story!

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QUOTES: Impossibe!

Friday, January 30, 2009

http://www.plaxo.com/events/show/133143714

If someone says: “That’s impossible!”

You should understand it as: “According to my limited experience and narrow understanding of reality, that’s very unlikely.”

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