Latest version of Google Chrome now supports MathML for presenting math expressions.
(Firefox also supports MathML, IE10 does not yet)
It is nice that some sites offer "fallback" to using HTML+CSS or SVG,
and that works even in browsers that do not support "native" MathML.
MathML Samples
The Quadratic Formula
How does MathML looks like?
It is based on XML, and relatively compact.
But like with any XML, it is better to use tools for editing...
<math display="block"><mrow><mi>x</mi><mo>=</mo><mfrac><mrow><mo>−</mo><mi>b</mi><mo>±</mo><msqrt><mrow><msup><mi>b</mi><mn>2</mn></msup><mo>−</mo><mn>4</mn><mi>a</mi><mi>c</mi></mrow></msqrt></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn><mi>a</mi></mrow></mfrac></mrow></math><br />
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Flash updated by Chrome, IE10
Google revs up Chrome, crushes bugs - Computerworld:
"Google updates Flash because it's responsible for maintaining the bundled copy of Flash Player inside Chrome. Google has baked Flash into Chrome since March 2010. Last year, Microsoft mimicked the practice by including Flash in Internet Explorer 10 (IE10)"
"Google updates Flash because it's responsible for maintaining the bundled copy of Flash Player inside Chrome. Google has baked Flash into Chrome since March 2010. Last year, Microsoft mimicked the practice by including Flash in Internet Explorer 10 (IE10)"
Essentially Flash is packaged with the browser, and included in updates.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Big Data: A Planetary Nervous System
Preview
other projects of the same author
“the DVR in an average American living room uses 11% of the household’s total power each month. So instead of drilling another oil well, we could reduce our power bill as a nation -- by 5% -- just by redesigning the DVR”
Chromebook: Amazon's top selling laptop
Another Google/Samsung best-seller...
Amazon's top selling laptop doesn't run Windows or Mac OS, it runs Linux | ZDNet:
The list price for $249. On Amazon, it's currently going for more than that: $317.
top selling laptops @Amazon
Google is offering a pi--that's $3.14159 million--in prizes for cracking Chrome OS
So, Chromebooks are "Netbooks 2.0". The first wave started by ASUS EEE devices based on Linux,
and thank to Microsoft quick reaction to cut price of XP, most of netbooks ware running Windows.
Amazon's top selling laptop doesn't run Windows or Mac OS, it runs Linux | ZDNet:
The list price for $249. On Amazon, it's currently going for more than that: $317.
top selling laptops @Amazon
For schools: The new Lenovo ThinkPad Chromebook $429 specs Designed with specialized classroom features like reinforced hinges and a rubber casing, students and teachers can work hard and play hard.
Google is offering a pi--that's $3.14159 million--in prizes for cracking Chrome OS
So, Chromebooks are "Netbooks 2.0". The first wave started by ASUS EEE devices based on Linux,
and thank to Microsoft quick reaction to cut price of XP, most of netbooks ware running Windows.
Could Microsoft come again with a "Ultra Lite" version of Windows (RT)?
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Faster HTML Tables with CSS table-layout
Using HTML tables nowdays is "so passe",
"real" web designers are now using only CSS :)
Anyway, here is a simple "trick" to make rendering good old HTML tables faster:
<table style="table-layout: fixed;"
CSS Table-layout: "
"
When you set the table-layout algorithm to fixed, it only needs
to look at the first row before rendering the whole table.
This means that your table will need to have fixed column widths and row heights.
Ok, but how to simulate HTML table without using actual <table element anyway?
Here is the explanation how it works
by using CSS display:table and classes table, table-row, and table-cell
And here is explanation way that may not be such a good idea :)
Conclusion: if data are tabular, real table element makes sense.
If objective is to create layout of web page, div + css is better.
Right tool for the job. Keep it simple.
Most recent version of jQuery Mobile (1.3 beta) has introduced fancy new "responsive web" tables that take a "classic" html table and adjust as needed for smaller screens on mobile devices. In fact it works well on desktop web browsers, too.
"real" web designers are now using only CSS :)
Anyway, here is a simple "trick" to make rendering good old HTML tables faster:
<table style="table-layout: fixed;"
CSS Table-layout: "
| Cell Contents | Cell Contents |
| Cell Contents | Cell Contents |
When you set the table-layout algorithm to fixed, it only needs
to look at the first row before rendering the whole table.
This means that your table will need to have fixed column widths and row heights.
Ok, but how to simulate HTML table without using actual <table element anyway?
Here is the explanation how it works
by using CSS display:table and classes table, table-row, and table-cell
And here is explanation way that may not be such a good idea :)
Conclusion: if data are tabular, real table element makes sense.
If objective is to create layout of web page, div + css is better.
Right tool for the job. Keep it simple.
Most recent version of jQuery Mobile (1.3 beta) has introduced fancy new "responsive web" tables that take a "classic" html table and adjust as needed for smaller screens on mobile devices. In fact it works well on desktop web browsers, too.
big think
Big Think is a knowledge forum.
Blogs, Articles and Videos from the World's Top Thinkers and Leaders | Big Think:
"WE ARE BIG IDEA HUNTERS…
We live in a time of information abundance, which far too many of us see as information overload.
With the sum total of human knowledge, past and present, at our fingertips,
we’re faced with a crisis of attention: which ideas should we engage with, and why?
Big Think is an evolving roadmap to the best thinking on the planet
— the ideas that can help you think flexibly and act decisively in a multivariate world."
Certainty in an Uncertain World
How to Find Certainty in an Uncertain World | Daniel Burrus | Big Think:
"Daniel Burrus says there are clear ways to predict the future in an uncertain world. You need to unplug yourself from the present and look at examples of linear change -- things that will not go backward and will definitely happen in the future."
"Daniel Burrus says there are clear ways to predict the future in an uncertain world. You need to unplug yourself from the present and look at examples of linear change -- things that will not go backward and will definitely happen in the future."
Google Flu Map Visualization
Google - Google+ - Google Flu Trends, which estimates flu levels based on what…
Besides a useful and apparently quite accurate "big data" service,
Google engineers created a nice visualization, too...
www.google.org/flutrends/us/
Besides a useful and apparently quite accurate "big data" service,
Google engineers created a nice visualization, too...
www.google.org/flutrends/us/
Monday, January 28, 2013
Multi-column layout with CSS3
Multi-column layout with CSS3 (and some JavaScript) | CVW Web Design
-moz-column-count: 3; /*for mozilla-based browsers like Firefox*/ -webkit-column-count: 3; /*for webkit-based browsers like Safari or Chrome*/ column-count: 3; /*for any browsers that support the multi-column rule officially without resorting to prefixes like -moz- or -webkit-*/
jQuery Mobile: Themes
Script Junkie | A Deeper Dive into jQuery Mobile: Themes
"Output from Applying Theme Dynamically Based on Device.
Top left: Windows Phone; top right: Android;
bottom left: iPhone; bottom right: generic device in Internet Explorer"
"Output from Applying Theme Dynamically Based on Device.
Top left: Windows Phone; top right: Android;
bottom left: iPhone; bottom right: generic device in Internet Explorer"
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Many online learning choices
Tekpub Content Library
One more web site with training screencasts...
The authors are presentations are well known experts.
Are they also the best teachers?
One more web site with training screencasts...
The authors are presentations are well known experts.
Are they also the best teachers?
And one more:
LearnVisualStudio.net
So along with SafariBooksOnline, Pluralsight, Linda, CodeSchool, LearnDevNow...
there is plenty of commercial learning choices,
besides "free university startups" ...
"Massive Open Online Classes are getting it wrong"
Kio Stark » Massive Open Online Classes are getting it wrong.
She wrote a book "Don't go Back to School" (financed over Kickstarter)
by interviewing those who learn independently...
She wrote a book "Don't go Back to School" (financed over Kickstarter)by interviewing those who learn independently...
In her opinion, focus of MOOCs should be on non-linear process of learning,
and creating common context and community,
instead of just publishing materials online...
Friday, January 25, 2013
Enyo JS
About | Enyo JS
Once an essential part of Palm/HP WebOS,
Enyo is now a (free open source) JavaScript tool/library.
"Object Oriented JS Application Framework"
While it produces HTML, that is done by API, not markup.
Is anybody using it?
Apparently it is being used...
Surprisingly, it is listed on appMobi.com besides their own jqMobi tool
There are also presentations about Enyo on infoq.com
And HP is still a sponsor...
There is even many open job positions in HP for WebOS
Once an essential part of Palm/HP WebOS,
Enyo is now a (free open source) JavaScript tool/library.
"Object Oriented JS Application Framework"
While it produces HTML, that is done by API, not markup.
Is anybody using it?
Apparently it is being used...
Surprisingly, it is listed on appMobi.com besides their own jqMobi tool
There are also presentations about Enyo on infoq.com
And HP is still a sponsor...
There is even many open job positions in HP for WebOS
What is going on with HP? Likely answer: "Cloud", whatever it means...
There is a similar "framework" for long time, called Laszlo Original goal was easy creating Flash apps, that evolved to "DHTML" apps. (They didn't change terminology, no HTML5, just DHTML...)
Anyway, diversity is good...
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Shakespeare Encoded In DNA
DNA contains a lot of information (3GB), encoded in specific way.
In theory, and in practice, it could be any information. Even your photo.
Shall I Encode Thee In DNA? Sonnets Stored On Double Helix : NPR:
"They started with a text file of one of Shakespeare's sonnets. In the computer's most basic language, it existed as a series of zeroes and ones. With a simple cipher, the scientists translated these zeroes and ones into the letters of DNA.
And then they did the same for the rest of Shakespeare's sonnets, an audio clip of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, and a picture of their office. They sent that code off to Agilent Technologies, a biotech company. Agilent synthesized the DNA and mailed it back to Goldman.
"My first reaction was that they hadn't done it properly, because they sent me these little tiny test tubes that were quite clearly empty," Goldman says.
But the DNA was there — tiny specks at the bottom of the tubes. To read the sonnets, they simply sequenced the DNA and ran their cipher backward. All the files were 100 percent intact and accurate."
( 'Agilent Technologies' is in fact HP spinoff, a electronics instruments technology company,
and can apparently also do biotech! )
In theory, and in practice, it could be any information. Even your photo.
Shall I Encode Thee In DNA? Sonnets Stored On Double Helix : NPR:
"They started with a text file of one of Shakespeare's sonnets. In the computer's most basic language, it existed as a series of zeroes and ones. With a simple cipher, the scientists translated these zeroes and ones into the letters of DNA.
And then they did the same for the rest of Shakespeare's sonnets, an audio clip of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, and a picture of their office. They sent that code off to Agilent Technologies, a biotech company. Agilent synthesized the DNA and mailed it back to Goldman.
"My first reaction was that they hadn't done it properly, because they sent me these little tiny test tubes that were quite clearly empty," Goldman says.
But the DNA was there — tiny specks at the bottom of the tubes. To read the sonnets, they simply sequenced the DNA and ran their cipher backward. All the files were 100 percent intact and accurate."
( 'Agilent Technologies' is in fact HP spinoff, a electronics instruments technology company,
and can apparently also do biotech! )
If you took everything human beings have ever written — an estimated 50 billion megabytes of text — and stored it in DNA, that DNA would still weigh less than a granola bar.
"There's no problem with holding a lot of information in DNA," Goldman says. "The problem is paying for doing that."
Agilent waived the cost of DNA synthesis for this project, but the researchers estimate it would normally cost about $12,400 per megabyte.
Scientists encode Shakespeare sonnets, MP3 and more into glitch-free DNA @ engadget
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Nancy - Lightweight Web Framework for .net
nancyfx.org
Nancy - Lightweight Web Framework for .net
Inspired by super-simple to use Sinatra web framework in Ruby,
Nancy is a simple .net web platform. How simple?
This is a complete "web app". And no dependencies!
Nancy - Lightweight Web Framework for .net
Inspired by super-simple to use Sinatra web framework in Ruby,
Nancy is a simple .net web platform. How simple?
This is a complete "web app". And no dependencies!
public class SampleModule : Nancy.NancyModule {
public SampleModule() {
Get["/"] = _ => "Hello World!";
}
}
podcast interviews:
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Microsoft's Surface Pro: February 9
Microsoft's Intel-powered Surface Pro to launch in February • The Register
Surface Pro runs on a third-generation Intel Core i5 processor with Intel HD Graphics 4000,
rather than the Surface RT's Tegra 3.
Surface Pro has 4GB of RAM, up from Surface RT's 2GB.
Surface RT's 1366x768 display, Surface Pro's screen is full HD at 1920x1080,
and it supports 10-point multitouch, compared to Surface RT's 5-point.
Surface Pro has a USB 3.0 port; Surface RT only supports USB 2.0.
Surface Pro has a beefier at 42 Watt-hours compared to Surface RT's 31.5,
Surface Pro is 2 pounds (0.91kg) versus Surface RT's 1.5 pounds (0.68kg).
Unlike Surface RT, the Pro version comes with a pen for drawing and handwriting input.
Surface Pro with 64GB SSD: $899, with 128GB: $999.
Surface RT with 32GB SSD: $499, with 64GB: $599.
Monday, January 21, 2013
D3.js - Data-Driven Documents
D3.js - Data-Driven Documents
"D3.js is a JavaScript library for manipulating documents based on data. D3 helps you bring data to life using HTML, SVG and CSS. D3’s emphasis on web standards gives you the full capabilities of modern browsers without tying yourself to a proprietary framework, combining powerful visualization components and a data-driven approach to DOM manipulation."
"D3.js is a JavaScript library for manipulating documents based on data. D3 helps you bring data to life using HTML, SVG and CSS. D3’s emphasis on web standards gives you the full capabilities of modern browsers without tying yourself to a proprietary framework, combining powerful visualization components and a data-driven approach to DOM manipulation."
Processing.js
Processing.js
"Processing.js is the sister project of the popular Processing visual programming language, designed for the web. Processing.js makes your data visualizations, digital art, interactive animations, educational graphs, video games, etc. work using web standards and without any plug-ins. You write code using the Processing language, include it in your web page, and Processing.js does the rest. It's not magic, but almost."
It is a real multi-media platform, including animation and audio, running in web browser!
Check out this: videos.mozilla.org/serv/mozhacks/flight-of-the-navigator/
"Processing.js is the sister project of the popular Processing visual programming language, designed for the web. Processing.js makes your data visualizations, digital art, interactive animations, educational graphs, video games, etc. work using web standards and without any plug-ins. You write code using the Processing language, include it in your web page, and Processing.js does the rest. It's not magic, but almost."
It is a real multi-media platform, including animation and audio, running in web browser!
Check out this: videos.mozilla.org/serv/mozhacks/flight-of-the-navigator/
Multi-tier ASP.NET MVC 4 Web Site Tutorial
Multi-tier ASP.NET MVC 4 Web Site Tutorial - Step 1: Overview
"This tutorial series shows how to create a multi-tier ASP.NET MVC 4 web application that uses Windows Azure Storage tables, queues, and blobs, and how to deploy the application to a Windows Azure Cloud Service. "
"This tutorial series shows how to create a multi-tier ASP.NET MVC 4 web application that uses Windows Azure Storage tables, queues, and blobs, and how to deploy the application to a Windows Azure Cloud Service. "
Sunday, January 20, 2013
SQL - SEQUEL
SQL - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
SQL is usually pronounced /ˈsēkwəl/
(like follow-on or follow-up)
There is a historical reason for this!
SQL is usually pronounced /ˈsēkwəl/
There is a historical reason for this!
"SQL was initially developed at IBM by Donald D. Chamberlin and Raymond F. Boyce in the early 1970s. This version, initially called SEQUEL (Structured English Query Language), was designed to manipulate and retrieve data stored in IBM's original quasi-relational database management system, System R, which a group at IBM San Jose Research Laboratory had developed during the 1970s.
The acronym SEQUEL was later changed to SQL because "SEQUEL" was a trademark of the UK-based Hawker Siddeley aircraft company."
A strange thing how common unmodified words from language could be "trademarked"...
Apple, Windows, ... But they can, and there is a reason!
Trademark Registration of Common Words or Phrases
Apple Inc. had no problem trademarking the term APPLE for computers and computer programs. Why was this allowed? Because the word “apple” is an arbitrary word when used in connection with the manufacture and sale of computers and computer programs. That is, there is nothing about computers or computer programs that relates to apples. Accordingly, the term APPLE is actually a pretty strong trademark, as is the case when you apply a completely arbitrary term (however common it may be) to promote your products or services.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
2013 Tesla Model S (Motor Trend)
2013 Tesla Model S - The Quickest Sedan Built in America - Ignition Episode 38 - YouTube:
Tesla Models S is often compered to Ford Model T,
but there is a difference: "Model S" has options to choose from
(not "can have any color you want as long as it is black" with Model T :)
Most of the test drives are done with "Performance" Model S,
that is double size of battery pack (85 KWh vs 40 KWh)
almost double engine power (416 hp vs 235)
and almost double the price ($87,400 vs $52,400, both after $7,500 Federal
Tax Credit)
But they are all nice cars...
Online Education: Videos or Screencasts?
Pluralsight just received $27.5M Series A Funding
It will be interesting to see how the online education trend evolves,
both from free-University side (Udacity, Coursera, edX etc...)
and from commercial books/training side (O'Reilly Safari Books Online, Pluralsight , Linda, etc...)
or even public education (Khan Academy etc...)
or recorded events (Ted, InfoQ, etc...)
It will be interesting to see how the online education trend evolves,
both from free-University side (Udacity, Coursera, edX etc...)
and from commercial books/training side (O'Reilly Safari Books Online, Pluralsight , Linda, etc...)
or even public education (Khan Academy etc...)
or recorded events (Ted, InfoQ, etc...)
Most of those "edu videos" sites have already received some investment...
While video is currently preferred delivery medium,
that is in my opinion a less than optimal choice.
For most classes "enhanced screen-cast" would be better, I think.
Actual screens and content delivered by HTML5 (or Mobile/Flash/Silverlight) apps
rather than or in addition to "plain" videos.
Screens could be "bound" to related content: slides, code, annotations, notes, comments, ratings, etc.
For example, many edu videos for developers are already screencasts,
but not linked to code samples or related data, web pages, other videos, etc...
Ted.com has so far the best example of what can be done, and InfoQ is nice too.
On Ted there is a synchronized text, including transaltion in many languages,
and click on text leads to matching section of video.
A year ago I have experimented little bit with AI-class and Udacity Robotics,
but as YouTube API changes, that stops working..
Free: Video: Drill Into Semantic Zoom in Windows 8 with XAML and C# | the pluralsight blog
Free ebook: Programming Windows 8 Apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
Free ebook: Programming Windows 8 Apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript - Microsoft Press - Site Home - MSDN Blogs
Microsoft is determined to help people make Web-native apps for Windows (8) store...
Microsoft is determined to help people make Web-native apps for Windows (8) store...
Friday, January 18, 2013
Thursday, January 17, 2013
960 Grid on jQuery-Mobile
960 Grid on jQuery-Mobile - merge 960.gs flexibility with jquery-mobile ease:
A tool to enable splitting width to cells of non-equal size.
Useful for using jQuery Mobile for tablets and larger screens.
A tool to enable splitting width to cells of non-equal size.
Useful for using jQuery Mobile for tablets and larger screens.
Free phone calls from Android tablets: GrooVe IP Lite
GrooVe IP Lite - Android Apps on Google Play:
"GrooVe IP Lite is an android app that that connects to Google Voice using Voice over IP (VoIP). What this means for you is you can make free unlimited calls to any phone in the US or Canada without using your voice minutes. GrooVe IP Lite works on any android device, phone or tablet, and allows you to make calls using a WiFi data connection."
"GrooVe IP Lite is an android app that that connects to Google Voice using Voice over IP (VoIP). What this means for you is you can make free unlimited calls to any phone in the US or Canada without using your voice minutes. GrooVe IP Lite works on any android device, phone or tablet, and allows you to make calls using a WiFi data connection."
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
jQuery Mobile 1.3.0 Beta
Announcing jQuery Mobile 1.3.0 Beta | jQuery Mobile
Responsive Web Design
Panels
Responsive Tables
Responsive Grids
etc...
Responsive Web Design
Panels
Responsive Tables
Responsive Grids
etc...
Monday, January 14, 2013
AAPL < $500
Apple Stock Drops On IPhone 5 Demand Concerns:
"Although Apple hailed the iPhone 5 as the best version yet of a product
that has revolutionized the telecommunications and computing industry,
the company's stock has wilted since the device hit the market.
After peaking at $705.07 on the day of the iPhone 5's Sept. 21 release,
Apple's stock has plunged nearly 30 percent...
to below $500 for the first time in 11
"Although Apple hailed the iPhone 5 as the best version yet of a product
that has revolutionized the telecommunications and computing industry,
the company's stock has wilted since the device hit the market.
After peaking at $705.07 on the day of the iPhone 5's Sept. 21 release,
Apple's stock has plunged nearly 30 percent...
to below $500 for the first time in 11
jQuery Fundamentals site
http://jqfundamentals.com/
jQuery Fundamentals :: A guide to the basics of jQuery:
A site with info and examples of JavaScript and jQuery,
with nice interactive editor and 'run' tool.
by bocoup training
jQuery Fundamentals :: A guide to the basics of jQuery:
A site with info and examples of JavaScript and jQuery,
with nice interactive editor and 'run' tool.
by bocoup training
apache friends - xampp
apache friends - xampp
"XAMPP is an easy to install Apache distribution containing MySQL, PHP and Perl. XAMPP is really very easy to install and to use - just download, extract and start."
For: Windows, Mac, Linux
"XAMPP is an easy to install Apache distribution containing MySQL, PHP and Perl. XAMPP is really very easy to install and to use - just download, extract and start."
For: Windows, Mac, Linux
Sublime Text 2
Sublime Text: The text editor you'll fall in love with
"Sublime Text is a sophisticated text editor for code, markup and prose.
You'll love the slick user interface, extraordinary features and amazing performance."
For: Windows, Mac, Linux $59, unlimited trial
"Sublime Text is a sophisticated text editor for code, markup and prose.
You'll love the slick user interface, extraordinary features and amazing performance."
For: Windows, Mac, Linux $59, unlimited trial
RIP: Aaron Swartz
Aaron Swartz was a wunderkind
who at age of 14 co-developed RSS protocol
that is still used by almost web every site that supports a blog or a podcast feed.
Here is a blog post of MIT professor Philip Greenspun Here is what he says:
that is still used by almost web every site that supports a blog or a podcast feed.
Recently he got (unpaid) access to many JSTOR scientific articles at MIT.
Swartz, if convicted, faced a maximum of $1 million in fines
and more than 35 years in prison... and he killed himself.
JSTOR announced the same week as Swartz's death it would make "more than 4.5 million articles" available to the public limitedly for free.
Here is a blog post of MIT professor Philip Greenspun Here is what he says:
I asked the lawyers “Suppose that the government’s case is completely frivolous and Swartz is guaranteed to be acquitted. What would he expect to spend in legal fees to defend the case?” They didn’t want to reveal anything particular to Aaron’s case but said “Generally the minimum cost to defend a federal criminal lawsuit is $1.5 million.”
Tim O'Reilly suggest to read this article by Larry Lessig
Sunday, January 13, 2013
XML vs JSON performance @ jsPerf
xml vs json · jsPerf:
A very interesting online browser comparison tool.
Same data are processed in XML and in JSON format,
and results from various browsers are compared on the server.
JSON is consistently much faster,
except with latest Chrome where XML is slightly faster than JSON.
Usually, using JSON is about 20 times faster than XML.
In addition to performance, data in JSON format have less security
limitations compared to XML and HTML formatted data...
The AJAX response: XML, HTML, or JSON?
A very interesting online browser comparison tool.
Same data are processed in XML and in JSON format,
and results from various browsers are compared on the server.
JSON is consistently much faster,
except with latest Chrome where XML is slightly faster than JSON.
Usually, using JSON is about 20 times faster than XML.
In addition to performance, data in JSON format have less security
limitations compared to XML and HTML formatted data...
The AJAX response: XML, HTML, or JSON?
The 2012 Countries Prosperity Index (Legatum)
A nice (HTML) visualization with the world map...
Legatum Prosperity Index
Legatum Prosperity Index
How good/reliable are the data?
Who knows, people make analysis like this for a reason...
So take statistics with caution... it just looks nice.
The 2012 Legatum Prosperity Index
US is #12
Norway is #1, Denmark #2, Sweden #3 (that used to be one kingdom :)
Saturday, January 12, 2013
"Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish" - Whole Earth Catalog
Whole Earth Catalog - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
- Steve Jobs
On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
- Steve Jobs
NASA Photo of Lurar Eclipse
Touch Screens that Curve, Bend, and Even Touch Back
Touch Screens that Curve, Bend, and Even Touch Back | MIT Technology Review
PaperTab, an early prototype of a tablet computer flexible enough to roll up like a newspaper.
PaperTab, an early prototype of a tablet computer flexible enough to roll up like a newspaper.
PopularitY of Programming Language, C#
PYPL PopularitY of Programming Language index - pyDatalog
C# Named Top Programming Language of 2012
It is interesting how people (and politicians :)
always find a way to read what they like from statistics.
In another rating or search popularity (based on Google's search data),
C# is #4 (at 10%) vs Java #1 (with 30%),
but the trend for C# is positive (+1.8%), so it is "most popular".
With this trend, it would take 30 years to reach Java!
C# is a good and popular prog. language,
but don't ever blindly trust statistics...
By the way, the language of the future is JavaScript :)
Why? Because some most prominent developers of C# and Java are now working on JavaScript and related web languages that compile to JavaScript (TypeScript, Dart...)
C# Named Top Programming Language of 2012
It is interesting how people (and politicians :)
always find a way to read what they like from statistics.
In another rating or search popularity (based on Google's search data),
C# is #4 (at 10%) vs Java #1 (with 30%),
but the trend for C# is positive (+1.8%), so it is "most popular".
With this trend, it would take 30 years to reach Java!
C# is a good and popular prog. language,
but don't ever blindly trust statistics...
By the way, the language of the future is JavaScript :)
Why? Because some most prominent developers of C# and Java are now working on JavaScript and related web languages that compile to JavaScript (TypeScript, Dart...)
SmartWatch
Will 2013 be the year of the smartwatch? | Mobile - CNET News
The average price needs to come below $100,
and battery life to about a week.
A hand watch has a unique opportunity to re-charge on movement (kinetic)
While Bluetooh is usually spending much less power than WiFi,
having WiFi in a watch option would be a really nice feature.
The average price needs to come below $100,
and battery life to about a week.
A hand watch has a unique opportunity to re-charge on movement (kinetic)
While Bluetooh is usually spending much less power than WiFi,
having WiFi in a watch option would be a really nice feature.
As usual, if this can be done well, Apple will be the first to do it...
In a way they have already done this with iPod Nano + Watch Band
Friday, January 11, 2013
60 Seconds With Pogue: All-in-Ones
60 Seconds With Pogue: All-in-Ones:
David Pogue, The New York Times personal-tech columnist, has many dynamic 60-second videos about modern technology
David Pogue, The New York Times personal-tech columnist, has many dynamic 60-second videos about modern technology
Samsung Flexible Displays at CES 2013
Glimpses Of Flexible Displays Shown By Samsung At CES 2013
Skip to about 4:30 to see bending thin screen.
"The concept of the flexible screen has been around for some time, but it finally looks as if Samsung is really going to deliver on that technology,"
Wednesday, January 09, 2013
OAuth & OpenID
OAuth - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
"OAuth is an open standard for authorization. OAuth provides a method for clients to access server resources on behalf of a resource owner (such as a different client or an end-user). It also provides a process for end-users to authorize third-party access to their server resources without sharing their credentials (typically, a username and password pair), using user-agent redirections.
OAuth is a service that is complementary to, and therefore distinct from, OpenID."
"OAuth is an open standard for authorization. OAuth provides a method for clients to access server resources on behalf of a resource owner (such as a different client or an end-user). It also provides a process for end-users to authorize third-party access to their server resources without sharing their credentials (typically, a username and password pair), using user-agent redirections.
OAuth is a service that is complementary to, and therefore distinct from, OpenID."
OpenID is an open standard that describes how users can be authenticated in a decentralized manner, eliminating the need for services to provide their own ad hoc systems and allowing users to consolidate their digital identities.[1] Users may create accounts with their preferred OpenID identity providers, and then use those accounts as the basis for signing on to any website which accepts OpenID authentication.
Integrate OpenAuth/OpenID with your existing ASP.NET application using Universal Providers
Complex network security
This Week in Cybercrime: Danger May Not Come from What You Do As Much as Where You Go - IEEE Spectrum
Instead of attacking the desired victims directly, the hacker profiles the individuals or companies, finding out what websites they frequent. The attacker scans those sites for vulnerabilities. Having found one or more whose defenses can be penetrated, the attacker injects code at those sites that causes the victim’s computer to automatically redirect to a separate site. The site to which the victim is diverted hosts a zero-day exploit that is lying in wait—like a lion at a watering hole—to give the attacker access to the victim’s computer so he or she can install more malware, steal data, or monitor the victim’s activities.
Instead of attacking the desired victims directly, the hacker profiles the individuals or companies, finding out what websites they frequent. The attacker scans those sites for vulnerabilities. Having found one or more whose defenses can be penetrated, the attacker injects code at those sites that causes the victim’s computer to automatically redirect to a separate site. The site to which the victim is diverted hosts a zero-day exploit that is lying in wait—like a lion at a watering hole—to give the attacker access to the victim’s computer so he or she can install more malware, steal data, or monitor the victim’s activities.
Tuesday, January 08, 2013
QR code
QR code - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Originally designed for industrial uses, QR codes have become common in consumer advertising. Smartphone users can install an app with a QR-code scanner that can read a displayed code and convert it to a URL directing the smartphone's browser to the website of a company, store, or product associated with that code providing specific information.
Here is QR code link to this blog site: http://dragansr.blogspot.com
Originally designed for industrial uses, QR codes have become common in consumer advertising. Smartphone users can install an app with a QR-code scanner that can read a displayed code and convert it to a URL directing the smartphone's browser to the website of a company, store, or product associated with that code providing specific information.
Maximum character storage capacity (40-L):
Alphanumeric 4,296 5½ 0–9, A–Z (upper-case only), space, $, %, *, +, -, ., /, :
qrcode.kaywa.com
Online URL => QR Code generator
www.the-qrcode-generator.com another one
program libraries for QR code generators @ stackoverflow
Here is QR code link to this blog site: http://dragansr.blogspot.com
The $300 Million (Web Form) Button
Example from book 
Web Forms Design
The $300 Million Button:
"It's hard to imagine a (user registration) form that could be simpler:
two fields, two buttons, and one link.
Yet, it turns out this form was preventing customers from purchasing products
from a major e-commerce site, to the tune of $300,000,000 a year.
What was even worse: the designers of the site had no clue there was even a problem."
...
The designers fixed the problem simply. They took away the Register button. In its place, they put a Continue button with a simple message: "You do not need to create an account to make purchases on our site. Simply click Continue to proceed to checkout. To make your future purchases even faster, you can create an account during checkout."
Web Forms Design
The $300 Million Button:
"It's hard to imagine a (user registration) form that could be simpler:
two fields, two buttons, and one link.
Yet, it turns out this form was preventing customers from purchasing products
from a major e-commerce site, to the tune of $300,000,000 a year.
What was even worse: the designers of the site had no clue there was even a problem."
...
The designers fixed the problem simply. They took away the Register button. In its place, they put a Continue button with a simple message: "You do not need to create an account to make purchases on our site. Simply click Continue to proceed to checkout. To make your future purchases even faster, you can create an account during checkout."
The results: The number of customers purchasing went up by 45%. The extra purchases resulted in an extra $15 million the first month. For the first year, the site saw an additional $300,000,000.
Mobile First
LukeW | Mobile First -a mobile strategy & design book by Luke Wroblewski
Mobile First is a short but information-packed book that makes the case for why Web sites and applications should increasingly be designed for mobile first and outlines how Web design teams can make the transition from designing for desktops/laptops to designing for mobile by specifying unique design considerations for mobile Web organization, actions, input, and layout.
Podcast interview with the author @ The Tablet Show
JavaScript InfoVis Toolkit
JavaScript InfoVis Toolkit
The JavaScript InfoVis Toolkit provides tools for creating Interactive Data Visualizations for the Web."
There are so many great examples!
The library is now owned by Sencha, and apparently BSD style open source.
The JavaScript InfoVis Toolkit provides tools for creating Interactive Data Visualizations for the Web."
There are so many great examples!
The library is now owned by Sencha, and apparently BSD style open source.
World Flights (using WebGL)
Monday, January 07, 2013
lorempixel - placeholder images for every case
lorempixel - placeholder images for every case:
A web site that generates random "placeholder" free images
in desired size and theme... quite usable...
in particular for illustrating blog posts...
http://lorempixel.com/output/technics-q-c-346-270-1.jpg
A web site that generates random "placeholder" free images
in desired size and theme... quite usable...
in particular for illustrating blog posts...
http://lorempixel.com/output/technics-q-c-346-270-1.jpg
JavaScript Animation and Windows 8 Games
Introduction to JavaScript Animation and Windows 8 Games - Chris Bowen's Blog - Site Home - MSDN Blogs
JavaScript-based games in Windows 8 can take advantage of many different options:
- Animate DOM elements with JavaScript and CSS
- Animate DOM elements with new CSS3 features
- Animate what’s drawn in SVG
- Animate what’s drawn to a element
- Use the WinJS.UI.Animations library
- Use one of many animation frameworks
Teaches you game development for the Open Web.
The techniques we teach are cutting edge, cross-browser, and cross-device
Sunday, January 06, 2013
Code School
Code School
Code School teaches web technologies in the comfort of your browser
with video lessons, coding challenges, and screencasts.
Mostly modern web development classes... really good...
Learning by Doing
No setup. No hassle. Just learning.Code School teaches web technologies in the comfort of your browser
with video lessons, coding challenges, and screencasts.
Mostly modern web development classes... really good...
Some classes are also free, for example:
Try Git
BMW i3, i8: Carbon-Fiber Electric Cars
Carbon-Fiber Cars - IEEE Spectrum
BMW i3, an electric city car, expected in 2013,
for $40 000 to $50 000.
Later, there will be BMW i8, a hybrid-electric sports car
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)