Author Archive

https://blog.acolyer.org/2017/09/19/to-type-or-not-to-type-quantifying-detectable-bugs-in-javascript/ Very interesting scientific analysis of using Flow/TypeScript annotations to autodetect 15% of bugs in JavaScript  To type or not to type: quantifying detectable bugs in JavaScript Gao et al., ICSE 2017 Is it worth the extra effort to add static type annotations to a JavaScript project? Should I use Facebook’s Flow or Microsoft’s TypeScript if so? →

Why do cheap key feel so bad when typing. Let’s take a tear-down of one HP keyboard. Let’s open it Rubber makes the “keyboard bad feel”. I remenber rubber keyboard feel from Sinclair Spectrum (at 1983)… Flexible circuit board material is used for switches Circuit board Not much to see on the other side of →

http://charleshughsmith.blogspot.fi/2017/09/are-facebook-and-google-new-colonial.html?m=1 To qualify as colonial powers, Facebook and Google must effectively limit the choices and power of users, and punish or coerce those who question or resist their power. The phrase that captures this broad narrative is: When an online service is free, you’re not the customer. You’re the product. In other words, if you’re not →

http://www.iflscience.com/technology/scientists-have-managed-to-store-light-as-sound-for-the-first-time/ A team of researchers from the University of Sydney has managed to convert the digital information carried by light waves into sound waves inside a microchip. As reported in Nature Communications, the researchers were able to build a chip that slows down light by turning it into sound waves. “The information in our chip in acoustic →

https://boingboing.net/2017/09/18/antifeatures-for-all.html In July, the Director of the World Wide Web Consortium overruled dozens of members’ objections to publishing a DRM standard without a compromise to protect accessibility, security research, archiving, and competition. EFF appealed the decision, the first-ever appeal in W3C history. 58.4% of the group voted to go on with publication, and the W3C did so today. It →

https://makezine.com/2017/09/07/secure-your-raspberry-pi-against-attackers/ Raspberry Pi boards are fantastic for any project — they’re cheap, easy to use, can run a wide range of possible operating systems, and provide programmable GPIO pins as well as multi-core CPU availability and multiple USB ports. You can use Raspberry Pi boards for all kinds of automation and information gathering projects. But, →

https://opensource.com/life/15/2/five-specialized-linux-distributions-computer-repair?sc_cid=7016000000127ECAAY There are specialized tools that can aid you in fixing problems with a computer or help you be prepared for when something bad does happen. Many of these tools are actually highly-specialized Linux distributions.  This article takes look at five different Linux distributions designed to make your life easier when computers start giving you →

https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/04/kristoffer-lawson-talks-about-a-future-where-you-zoom-into-work/ Kristoffer Lawson created Solu, the social computer. His tiny device uses a unique UI and UX to allow you to connect with friends and collaborate using an icon-based OS that lets you zoom in and out of work. Lawson speaks about the future of computing and how his ideas – and the ideas of other →

http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/plasticeating-fungus-found-at-a-landfill-site-in-pakistan/ Researchers have found a species of fungus, known as Aspergillus tubingensis, that is able to feed off of plastic. In lab experiments, published in Environmental Pollution, scientists found that the mycelium of the fungus colonizes polyester polyurethane plastic, causing surface degradation and scarring. This is not the first time that organisms have been found to be able to feed →

Fifer optics power meter is an important tool for debugging fiber optics networks. I have earlier tested a cheap commercial fiber optic power meter a at Fiber optics power meter posting. Hardware hackers ares famous for building their own test equipment. The basic operation of optical power meter is quite simple: take a suitable detector, →