I noticed the other day, that people pay little attention to the future none the less the next decision they should make. I sometimes think about what runs in the minds of these people. I mean do they wake up in the morning and decide I should quit school and flip burgers for the rest of their lives or is there more to it than that. I’ve seen it first hand what forces them into those sort of decisions. Whether it’s the unexpected kid, difficulty, or just simply loss of interest it bugs me that people don’t have the determination to keep going even if it seems like an uphill battle. That battle I am talking about is just simple life choices everyone has to make on a daily basis the good and bad ones. We’ve all made those decisions since we were born into this world. I can not grasp an understanding of why folks immediately assume all is lost after their “bad decisions” and think it is truly a total loss. When in reality the only loss that has happened is your decision to give up.
Since, I am on the topic of the future and now specifically my future. I am quite content with the education at UNCC and feel that if I had went else where it would have been a disservice to myself. I also would like to note the semester has been going pretty well with some minor hiccups which I’m sure will be sorted out before the end of the semester but it’s to be expected since I am at a new school of course.
I found it a bit entertaining one of my friends has opened up a blog (probably with little choice on the matter) but still entertaining nonetheless, called “Tech in the Complex Plain.” Which you can visit here.
It’s a bit late, but this is rather important to mention, a good friend of mine passed away recently under some bizarre circumstances. Quite a few people in the community are upset and saddened, but it seems there is nothing anyone knew about the events that lead to her death. It’s quite a sad thought that my friend was motivated enough to climb out of a pile of bad decisions, and was almost in the clear, but this had to happen…
Well more importantly A real news update, I have been tracking the efforts of openpandora.org and the Pandora Handheld it looks like they didn’t make their July 20th date so the wait goes on there ( to be expected as there is a lot for them to do ). I’ve been investigating OpenSim Engine for doing something similar to WireMod and Garry’s Mod. Since the Source Engine carries quite a few limitations but that is to be expected since overriding it’s limits generates massive problems. Then again I’m not too sure if OpenSim can handle what I am looking for in a “game engine” at least for my idea.
On to other topics, I actually managed to hose my Netbook firmware and the recovery method is no longer functioning. I am going to gamble it is completely shot now since it does not even accept any flash images or even cycle properly. The laptop is a Acer Aspire One but all attempts to use the Fn + Esc while powering to flash have failed so far. Also for your information I have tried using both FAT and FAT32 formats on the flash drives, used multiple cases for naming, and thumb drives to restore it, all of which have failed. So I am forced to send the laptop back via RMA.
I have added some GFC Integration to my site for the moment to do some testing with it, but so far it’s not the integration I was looking for and I believe it needs more work. The individual who wrote the plug-in doesn’t seem to be available anymore or his site at least isn’t so that is kind of bothersome. However it doesn’t seem to take much to improve it but it is more of a question of time.
Interestingly enough I had fun watching some old zombie flicks, hence the title, it’s quite amazing how low budget those films were and manage to stand the test of time as far as being entertaining.
So it seems I need to make an update, the Pandora is getting ever so close to release since they are pretty much done with all the hiccups barring the case design which they are finalizing. I think that’s good news since it’s about time we seen some activity from them. I’ve been keeping myself busy this summer with programming projects and helping around the house. Other than that maybe next week I’ll get caught up on the blog, until next time, bye!
Well first thing on the agenda is the Yubi Key it is rather important since it brings a RSA SecurID or Vasco style key into the consumer market. It is quite affordable compared to other solutions since other solutions require a certificate server and numerous other hurdles just to get the thing implemented. It is not completely secure but it’s better than not bothering to secure the system at all. I did see there were efforts to read the yubi key and some folks are making progress in that department which is slightly scary. I do not know if they have had any success but it is worth noting. I am grabbing the SDK or Software Development Kit, for the less savvy, for it and looking at possible options for portable devices and whether these options would be worth it. It would be nice if you could lock down the device you have completely to deter thieves from grabbing a device using a Yubi Key but currently that would require the device to have some functions to stop usage completely if it did not have a Yubi Key plugged in. I thought about implementing something at boot time, but that is limited by the bios technology we have. If we had Unified Extensible Firmware Interface we might be able to put a dent into those who think they can simply wipe or reset the bios via CMOS battery to make the device functional again. We’ve seen bios solutions like what IBM and Toshiba do with their hardware and how excessive they go to protect their devices from both data theft and just plain thievery. I know there are some modules you can add to BIOSes out there to fix that issue but I don’t think that is a complete solution. It is not exactly the best idea to completely lock out access to the bios or firmware, but it should stop the common crook. Overall the best defense is simply making the device as impossible to use and make functional also since your assumed to use encryption anyway your data would be quite safe. However, I do not know of many device manufacturers that ensure there is a way to make the device into a paper-weight beyond a laptop.
I am also investigating OpenCL as a option for future projects, particularly on Linux. Seems the open API and the fact there are state trackers being implemented for it in Gallium3D are making it quite attractive to develop on.
Also, I may going to start adding pages but then again this site is a bit informal for that purpose even though I speak about topics I do not tend to acknowledge anyone on the site specifcally due to the methods at which spam and phishers work I cannot post too much on myself otherwise I become a target for that madness.
A small note on the Open Pandora seems they have started really moving on the progress meter at least with getting it out the door, maybe in a month or two we will see it for real.
I’m definitely taking the break off but I am looking for reading material for Linear Algebra, and I doubt anyone pays attention to my site. I found quite a few books that relate it to Computer Science and Engineering which might be good options, again I’m still searching. If anyone wants to help me there just forward me an email with the author and title.
Well it looks like we’re approaching the release of the Open Pandora. I hope everything works out and I get it in one peice should be interesting to actually get to test and use one of these devices, once and for all. I’d like to note that the device is steam rolling toward completion and if I do not see it, the first 500 probably will for the rest of us who preordered one. We’ll see the final kinks worked out either way.
I would to point out to the internet community and the politically blind, deaf-mutes, and just pure ignorant to the facts that there is a agenda being pushed whether it’s nice or not. If your not aware they are proposing that the Infrastructure is to be controlled, which I would recommend you read on here.
I should get more lively here over the summer but we’ll see…
The slow updates are due to school and the time it consumes and prevents me from maintaining the site in proper and consistent manor. This does not mean, I will not update the site at all. I have some important topics to bring up that are going on in different areas of technology.
It’s worth mentioning that the squabbles that Nvidia and Intel are having are apparently dealing with the use of the on-board memory controllers that Intel has built onto their processors versus an external one that most manufacturers of chipsets will have to deal with. Nvidia apparently is out of their arena making the chipset utilise this feature thus causing this lawsuit to occur. In an interesting turn of events the rumour mills have been pushing out that Nvidia may have a contract with Apple to be used as a chipset for newer Macs this presents another reason the whole issue cropped up. I don’t know if information was leaked to the Intel camp but it seems this wasn’t in Intel’s best interest to allow Nvidia to profit from Apple as they have been since the processor transition. I am curious to see if Nvidia is going to get hurt even though I am running their products it doesn’t mean I like or dislike the company. I was driven by a decision to cut cost on my computer and not fork out cash for a larger powersupply unless until power management is improved for ATI.
Debian 5.0 or Lenny has been out for quite a bit, and I’ve am running it as my primary OS at the moment with a tainted kernel as I am using Nvidia’s blob driver, so I have 3d functionality. I have been investigating the nouveau and possible future options for the card assuming I get my system completely working right. What has impressed me so far is the massive update it has made to the entire OS overall along with adding newer versions of stable software to the repository finally among other things. I moved away from Gentoo to Debian Lenny when emerging the world took more than 12 hours I decided recompiling everything might not have been the best plan.
This comes as a interesting surprise but it looks like heavy development is going on with wayland in the redhat camp. I think it could become a serious X server and possibly more when it becomes mature. But this remains to be seen. The push to implement this on Ubuntu and Fedora mainly, and others probably to come is important to regain speed loses due to the bloat in the current implementation of X. It’s to be seen how this will fair with the one graphics manufacturer that has failed to open up their drivers to support what is needed to get this working. But ATI and Intel have both made efforts and had success with implementation on the platform. I am curious to see if Nvidia will follow suit if it becomes more successful or will the nouveau folks beat nvidia to implementation who knows. It’s like Nvidia is stuck in some awkward position that opening specifications would be some violation of a agreement which it could be.
Until next update…
Well it seems that I have neglected this blog again, while trying to keep things maintained in college. I again hope that I can provide more updates in the next few weeks on projects that I have going on. Currently, I am drowning in Calculus and Physics work trying to keep up and maintain the grade in those classes. I haven’t completely thrown every project to stop status as things are going on in the world regardless of whether I have time for them or not.
First bit of news, I’d like to point out the Open Pandora Project (http://www.openpandora.org) has faced some delays. I was expecting it, but I was hoping to have a Pandora as a Nokia N800 replacement, at least before 2009. I don’t think that’ll happen unless a miracle occurs, especially with the issues with limited components particularly the screens. I am playing around a bit with Angstrom OS (http://www.angstrom-distribution.org/) and I’ve setup a development environment. I have a friend who wants to create a game for the platform, depending on how complex it is I’ll work on it. The small MMO he was fiddling with for PC might be a good option for it. I’ll post more if it comes up as a real project.
What has gotten some of my attention lately is Left4Dead, with its great use of AI and particularly with the way it has multiple layers of Intelligence. It has potential for modification through Sourcemod (http://www.sourcemod.net) and along with the other source games. I am currently picking up Source Pawn language used in Sourcemod. It’s actually quite easy to use and has some similarities with C and SMALL. I am assisting a group of friends with their servers to create a system specific to their servers and maybe later extending it out to the Sourcemod community if the system works well. If not I’ll probably sweep it under a rug, I don’t particularly like to be embarassed by poorly designed tools.
The car project has made a bit of progress but not much as I have not had time to finish cutting the steel to create the frame. I also am in need of a welder capable of putting the frame together since I’ve found out that a 110 Wire welder can’t penetrate the metal to provide the strength a car chassis would need to stay together. I don’t intend to make this vehicle a failure; I want it to go together the right way.
I am going to write up more often and try keeping the blog active assuming any horrible events do not interfere with it. The biggest issue right now is school and it seems it’s around the corner literally. I don’t imagine it interfering with my writing it should keep it more consistent than usual. To everyone, I think between getting robbed and hit by a car I don’t need anymore drama.
The wreck, was a more recent event that was not discussed on this site. I am fortunately fine after all the events and I am going to settle with the insurance company since it was not my fault being rear-ended. I slowed down for a vehicle coming into my lane and then I got hit. I’m going to gamble the person who caused the chain reaction was not paying attention.
In other news, I notice that Golden-Shellback is probably going to be a killer product when it comes out it should be something worth investigating. The video should be enough proof to show that the product is indeed working and real although the electrolysis was a minor issue. I think that will be a company worth watching in the future.
To more local news, Now I definitely know that the previous get together was a failure because someone decided not to show. I did say that it was the last one and it is and that is final unless some of the horrible issues get sorted out. I mean honestly how can you do that, get friends to organize an event and then give us the cold shoulder and then do it again for something smaller. Then some people there were being idiotic in their own right about other people and their troubles. But who cares when it’s just your problem right? I guess it is normal for people to be inconsiderate over things especially when they do not want to see them. The people involved probably wont read this but who cares it’s just a rant.
I am going to point out that I am going to play catchup with the blog for the next several days.
At around 1:00~2:00 AM my possessions were taken out of my vehicle. This entails the following items which one is most important to my life. The person has taken off with my Asus Bookbag, which contains my calculus notes and notes for classes I have previously taken and this is important. The Cellphone they stole has been paperweighted as of 4:00 AM and it is indeed cut off it contains the last four digits of 3666 this is a very memorable number folks. Also my N800 Internet Tablet has a MAC ID of 00194FD5918A this is unique to this device if you have come accross it, this is stolen. I am not seeking to charge for the stolen goods to whom have taken it. If you wish to return it please send a Email to Fang64 (At) Gmail (dot) com. The bookbag is what I am seeking it is the only bookbag in North Carolina most likely that has the emblem Asus on the back of it. I am pointing out to whomever this thief is I am going to make pawning these goods a living hell. The other nice thing is that firmware upgrades may be impossible at this point once it connects to the internet. To whomever comes accross this N800 it has one owner alone and will refuse to accept any firmware updates. I would like to see you bypass what’s been done to it. I would like to note the SD memory cards in the device contain wallpapers of a Wolf with Russian letters of the word Fang with the number 64 next to it. It also has a wolf image in a tan color depicting a wolf behind a moon. It contains 2 SD Cards, at 4Gb. To anyone in the Gastonia, North Carolina area that wants to help me I have given this information out.
The chances of you keeping both devices working for long is low. Also the N800 most likely is a paperweight by now also. You might as well return my bookbag since I know trying to pawn off the books will be futile as you will probably receive around 40 bucks for the sum of the books.
I’ve restored my page on a free host and this is temporary. I need to retrieve a backup of my database from my previous host which is still unavailable since I do not have access. I am also searching for a new host eventually to replace this one. The worst case scenerio I will take efforts to move it to Super Dimensional Fortress since it may be better in the long run since this host may be unstable.
I am going to start making regular updates again as soon as I get time to, anyway Have a great holiday today on July 4th!
