Saturday, October 29, 2016

Tesla + SolarCity Solar Shingles (!)


Elon Musk Wants To Amp Up Solar Adoption With Tesla-SolarCity Roof Tiles

Tesla + SolarCity Solar Shingles (+ Video) | CleanTechnica

"between 4 and 5 million new roofs are installed in America every year and many times more than that are installed worldwide. If the cost of a solar roof was less than what a homeowner would spend for a conventional roof plus utility bills that wouldn’t have to be paid over the roof’s 30 year useful life, “Why wouldn’t you?” Musk asked.
...
The secret sauce in all this is a series of micro-louvers built into each tile, technology developed in cooperation with 3M Corporation. The louvers allow sunlight to shine directly on the solar cells below but hide them from view from the street. The result is the best of both worlds — solar panels that generate electricity and a roof that generates compliments and adds value to any home."

Tesla/SolarCity launches multiple styled solar roof tiles replicating original tile aesthetics | PV-Tech

Tesla/SolarCity launches multiple styled solar roof tiles replicating original tile aesthetics

Tesla solar roof tiles




Solar Shingles are not new concept, same as electric cars ware not new before Tesla Motors
and mobile phones ware not new before iPhone...

Solar Shingles: An Alternative to Solar Panels

Sun Roof: Solar Panel Shingles Come Down in Price, Gain in Popularity - Scientific American

Elon Musk Says Tesla's New Solar Tiles Can Defrost Themselves | Inverse



Oracle Cloud (vs. AWS) ?

Oracle Openworld 2016 keynote by Larry Ellison: Complete, Integrated Cloud - YouTube

Larry Ellison on Oracle cloud and Amazon Web Services - Business Insider

oracle cloud faster for analytics

Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison on the Future of Cloud Database.At Oracle OpenWorld 2016 - YouTube

Larry Ellison on Oracle Cloud vs. Amazon Web Services - Business Insider

Gartner: Amazon’s cloud is 10x bigger than its next 14 competitors, combined | Network World




Flutter: Angular2 + Dart, for iOS & Android

Flutter is an interesting cross-platform mobile development tool.
In this case it is simulating iOS and Android GUI "pixel by pixel"
by using Skia graphics engine of Chrome and Dart programming language. Very clever.
Skia is also used by Xamarin for portable graphics,
and could be used by .NET Core as substitute for WinForms.
So technically this could be alternative for Java on Android.

And all this "pain" is just to avoid using simple mobile-ready portable Web.
There is clearly a need for a better "web", with concept of "portable apps".
Xamarin, React native, NativeScript, Appcelerator Titanium...

Dart News: Angular 2 Dart and Flutter @ InfoQ

"Flutter is Google’s tool for writing cross-platform applications for Android and iOS in Dart. With a single codebase developers can target both mobile platforms. Unlike other tools, Flutter does not rely on native rendering but it uses the Skia graphics engine, also used by Android, Chrome and Firefox, to mimic the native interface including fonts and hand gestures.

A key benefit of using Flutter is its extremely fast development cycle, thanks to the Dart VM and Flutter's functional-reactive framework. For both iOS and Android, hardware and emulators, developers using Flutter can experience sub-second dev cycles as they add and debug app UIs. The app's state is maintained during the reloads, which means developers can iterate very quickly without restarting their app for every change"

"Dart has seen major support within Google, two of their most important products, AdSense and AdWords being built with it"


.


Flutter System Architecture

Friday, October 28, 2016

Angular 2 Docs

Angular 2 documentation is managed as code,
with unit tests that are included main software release acceptance tests.
This way documentation is always in sync with framework.

Angular Docs - index

angular.js/docs at master · angular/angular.js · GitHub

Angular 2 Docs with Ward Bell @ .NET Rocks! vNext
"Ward Bell is serving as editor in chief for Angular docs. After complaining about the quality problems with the Angular documentation, Ward found himself in charge of the problem - and has taken it on in a big way. The docs themselves are developed in GitHub, so anyone can contribute. The challenge is making sure they're good - everything is driven by coding samples that are as simple as they need to be and follow strict standards. The result is docs you can trust - first and foremost they are correct, and hopefully effective at getting you productive with Angular"

security: IoT DDoS Attack & Mirai malware

2016 Dyn cyberattack - Wikipedia

"The 2016 Dyn cyberattack took place on October 21, 2016, and involved multiple denial-of-service (DoS) attacks targeting systems operated by Domain Name System (DNS) provider Dyn which made major internet platforms and services unavailable to large swaths of users in Europe and North America. The groups Anonymous and New World Hackers claimed responsibility for the attack.

The activities are believed to involve a botnet coordinated through a large number of internet-connected devices—such as printers, cameras, home routers and baby monitors—that had been infected with the Mirai malware."


"Mirai (Japanese for "the future") is malware that turns computer systems running Linux into remotely controlled "bots", that can be used as part of a botnet in large-scale network attacks."

Level3 Outage Map (US) - 21 October 2016.png


Friday's East Coast Internet Outage Is a Major DDOS Attack | WIRED

"Dyn offers Domain Name System (DNS) services, essentially acting as an address book for the Internet. DNS is a system that resolves the web addresses we see every day, like https://www.WIRED.com, into the IP addresses needed to find and connect with the right servers so browsers can deliver requested content"

An IoT botnet is partly behind Friday's massive DDOS attack | PCWorld

"Some of that traffic has been observed coming from botnets created with the Mirai malware that is estimated to have infected over 500,000 devices"

The Dyn Attack on the Internet and Who to Blame For It @ Fortune

"A list of alleged culprits, compiled by security researcher Brian Krebs, include familiar names like Panasonic, Samsung and Xerox printers. The names also include lesser known makers of routers and cameras, which reportedly made up the bulk of the bot-net army."

Who Makes the IoT Things Under Attack? — Krebs on Security

"The malware, dubbed “Mirai,” spreads to vulnerable devices by continuously scanning the Internet for IoT systems protected by factory default usernames and passwords."


Major DDoS attack on Dyn DNS knocks Spotify, Twitter, Github, PayPal, and more offline | PCWorld

Episode 150 - DDOS Discussion @ The Azure Podcast | Short podcasts on Microsoft Azure by Cale Teeter, Evan Basalik & Sujit D'Mello

Last Week’s DDoS Attack Might Only Be The First Volley | On Point

Everything We Know About the Cyber Attack That Crippled America's Internet

The Dyn DDoS Attack: Two Key Lessons for Cyber Security | Satyamoorthy Kabilan | Pulse | LinkedIn

National Cyber Security Awareness Month | Homeland Security

10 Best Free DNS Hosting Providers

How Domain Name Servers Work | HowStuffWorks

When you enter a URL into your Web browser, your DNS server uses its resources to resolve the name into the IP address for the appropriate Web server. See more computer networking pictures.

IoT Device Maker Vows Product Recall, Legal Action Against Western Accusers — Krebs on Security

Microsoft Launches Azure-Based Security Program For Internet Of Things - ARC - ARC


So what actually happened?
Network connected devices, in this case running basic Linux, with default passwords, get exposed on Internet (or on local network with other infected machines). Malware scans networks for such machines and configures them to frequently access selected addresses. When too many of infected machines start accessing selected addresses, servers and network capacity becomes limited for serving normal traffic, such as network address resolution in this case. Resolving this requires complex adjustments of network traffic.
Simple solution: change password on devices, and don't expose them (via NAT) on internet. 

Thursday, October 27, 2016

book: Rethinking Positive Thinking (idea: WOOP)


Rethinking Positive Thinking by Gabriele Oettingen | PhilosophersNotes - OPTIMIZE with Brian Johnson

Rethinking Positive Thinking by Gabriele Oettingen - YouTube

Rethinking Positive Thinking: Inside the New Science of Motivation - Kindle edition by Gabriele Oettingen. Health, Fitness & Dieting Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Gabriele Oettingen Turns Her Mind to Motivation in ‘Rethinking Positive Thinking’ - The New York Times

"...principle of ‘Dream it. Wish it. Do it.’ does not hold true, and now we know why: in dreaming it, you undercut the energy you need to do it. You put yourself in a temporary state of bliss, calmness—and lethargy.  
...
By fooling our brains into thinking we’re already successful, we lose motivation and energy to do what it takes to actually become successful.  
...
solution: "mental contrasting": the best way to get people up and moving was to ask them to dream and then to confront them right away with the realities that stood in the way of their dreams.  
...
Our wish needs to be feasible. We need to think we can actually achieve it.  
If we don’t think we can achieve it, our motivation actually drops, and that is a good thing because sometimes we need to disengage from a unrealistic dream

technique: "implementation intention:" ‘if-then’ statement:
'If situation
x arises, then I will perform response y.’ 


WOOP: Wish + Outcome + Obstacle + Plan. 

  • Wish: What do you want to see in your life personally or professionally? Imagine something challenging yet feasible you can achieve in a year, month, week or day.
  • Outcome: What is the #1 benefit you would experience as a result?
  • Obstacle: What obstacle within you stands in the way of achieving that wish? 
  • Plan: What can you do to get around that obstacle? What’s the #1 most effective thing you could do? "
WOOP ... or Rethinking Positive Thinking | Karin Sebelin | Pulse | LinkedIn

HOME — WOOP my life

WOOP Goal-setting

MacBook Pro "touch strip" instead of function keys

The 7 biggest announcements from Apple's MacBook event - The Verge
"As previously leaked, the new MacBook Pro has made the function keys defunct with a OLED touch strip that Apple is calling the Touch Bar."

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

book: The Path to Purpose

William Damon Defines Purpose - YouTube
purpose: meaningful + valuable contribution to the world

The Path to Purpose by William Damon | PhilosophersNotes - OPTIMIZE with Brian Johnson  William Damon | Brian Johnson

William Damon - Wikipedia

The Path to Purpose: How Young People Find Their Calling in Life: William Damon: 9781416537243: Amazon.com: Books

William Damon | The Path to Purpose

The Path to Purpose by William Damon - YouTube
("purpose = sustained passion")


“The purposeful are those who have found something meaningful to dedicate themselves to, who have sustained this interest over a period of time, and who express a clear sense of what they are trying to accomplish in the world and why. They have found a cause or ultimate goal that inspires their efforts from day to day and helps them fashion a coherent future agenda. They know what they want to accomplish and why, and they have taken concerted steps to achieve their ambitions.”
"The alternative?
  • The disengaged drift. They’re not passionate about anything beyond themselves
    and 
    their own enjoyment.
  • The dreamers may aspire to create a life of meaning
    but they haven’t grounded those 
  • dreams into a practical, realistic plan to bring it to fruition.
  • The dabblers jump from thing to thing without sustained commitment
    an essential aspect 
  • of being on purpose."
Biggest obstacle: "short horizons" 


"Parenting for Purpose:

  • Listen closely for the spark, then fan the flames. 
  • Take advantage of regular opportunities to open a dialogue
  • Be open-minded and supportive of the sparks of interest expressed. 
  • Convey your own sense of purpose and the meaning you derive from your work. 
  • Impart wisdom about the practicalities in life. 
  • Introduce children to potential mentors
  • Encourage an entrepreneurial attitude. 
  • Nurture a positive outlook
  • Instill in children a feeling of agency, linked to responsibility."

"Entrepreneurial spirit:
  • clear goals and realistic plans to accomplish them 
  • optimistic, can-do attitude
  • persistence in the face of obstacles and difficulties 
  • tolerance for risk 
  • resilience in the face of failure 
  • determination to achieve measurable results. 
  • resourcefulness and inventiveness in devising the means to achieve those results"
Mantra: "You can do it!"




This is a great analysis, and would be great if there was a simple "formula" how to establish "purpose". Cal Newport has a solution for that in his book:
So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love - Cal Newport

The formula is simple: focus on doing well in what you are doing, not on what you would like to do.
By having good results, you start liking what you are doing, and have more options to chose how to improve. So that is aligned with "Entrepreneurial spirit", but more actionable.

Microsoft HW: Surface Studio, VR



No upgrade for Surface 4 (yet).

The eight biggest announcements from today’s Microsoft event | The Verge

 "Windows VR headsets: In addition to the HoloLens platform, Microsoft announced its first foray into virtual reality with VR headsets for Windows 10. The headsets will start at $299 and run the same Windows Holographic platform as the HoloLens. While no concrete release date has been announced yet, Microsoft did say that HP, Dell, Lenovo, Asus, and Acer will all be making headsets."


Microsoft Surface Studio Release Date, Price and Specs - CNET
28" touchscreen, i7, $3000

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

futurist book: Technology vs Humanity

Gerd Leonhard on Technology vs Humanity: The Future Belongs to Those Who Can Hear It Coming
technology-vs-humanity


first 31 pages from the book:
Technology-vs.-Humanity-Ch-1-Prologue-to-the-Future Gerd Leonhard Pre… @ SlideShare

Technology Vs. Human - Who Is Going To Win? An Interview With Gerd Leonhard

My new book "Technology vs Humanity" is now available for pre-reading and pre-ordering! - Futurist Gerd Leonhard


cloud: Everything as a Service (XaaS)

Everything as a Service (XaaS) - Daniel Burrus - YouTube

The Cloud-Enabled Transformation of Enterprise IT - Daniel Burrus

Everything as a service - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Everything as a service (EaaS,[1] XaaS,[2] *aaS[3]) is a concept of being able to call up re-usable, fine-grained software components across a network.[4] It is a subset of cloud computing. The most common and successful example is software as a service (SaaS), but the term as a service has been associated and used with many core components of cloud computing including communication, infrastructure, data and platforms.



big data: Facebook vs. you

Why What Facebook Knows About You Could Matter Offline | On Point


ProPublica: What Facebook Knows About You
 "Facebook has a particularly comprehensive set of dossiers on its more than 2 billion members. "

(book) NPR News: 'Weapons Of Math Destruction' Outlines Dangers Of Relying On Data Analytics

The Wall Street Journal: A Primer on the Facebook Measurement Wars

Monday, October 24, 2016

optimize: keyboard vs mouse

Using keyboard is often more efficient than using mouse. Great podcast

Your Mouse is Stealing Your Time - MS Dev Show Podcast

Your Mouse is Stealing Your Time.pptx - Microsoft PowerPoint Online
by Jeremy Foster @ codefoster

Going Commando - Put Down The Mouse @ Coding Horror

No Mouse Allowed

Typing Test · Create your own test

Editing Evolved
"Visual Studio Code has a high productivity code editor which, when combined with programming language services, gives you the power of an IDE and the speed of a text editor."