I'm a big fan of at-home network storage- similar to what other posters have written about. It sounds like 2TB should be fine for you, and you can get an external 2TB hard drive to backup to and put in a fireproof box. If you set up a VPN router, you could access anything at home or away.
It sounds like you wanted a more direct notebook - based solution. I haven't used them myself, but it sounds like 1TB notebook internal drives are available, e.g.: http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/wd-ships-industrys-first-2-5-inch-1tb-hard-drive/ and soon, 2 TB should be available.
Even if you have some limitations on your boot disk, you should be able to run 500GB on your primary internal drive, and many notebooks will support a second hard drive. You might be happy with this approach - you can carry all your photos on your notebook, keep a backup on another drive on your notebook, and leave a 2TB at home for backup purposes should anything bad happen to your system or it gets stolen.
Also, you might want to do a post later to let us all know what decision you ultimately come to and how you like it.
There is a show in the UK, and some stations used to get it here (in the US) called "Tiny Planets."
For kids, this is / was a great show - it centered around two nice aliens and their experiences with objects (spacial and music-related), playing nicely, taking care of oneself, etc.
There was also a website with Tiny-Planets related games online (please take a look for it), downloadable coloring pages, and more. You can also get Tiny Planets DVDs.
Anyway, anything associated with Tiny Planets I'd strongly recommend, and I think you child is at about the right age to enjoy it.
Best regards,
Sam
PS - I only have a minute or I'd dig up the links. My apologies for not providing more details.
One thing I'd add is to create a good set of documentation, and if necessary let the powers that be know that you want the time to document the systems operation either as it develops or once it's stable. However, for security purposes I tend to prefer either storing data on a server in-house (with VPN access), or being very careful about the choice of an outside hosting service provider.
Document how to perform all key operations, and leave a paper copy in a company-owned safe (in case of network or system failure). It can also help you when you need to perform a rarely - performed operation - perhaps reloading RAID or other drivers. I'd also save and backup a library of all essential sw and systems images in case they are needed for recovery.
This will help down the road not just in case you "are hit by a bus," in the worst sense of those words, but if you have an outside emergency to tend to, or just need to take a day off. This can provide more flexibility for you and your schedule. Also, if you should leave the company one day, this is the sort of thing that does (my opinion) tend to be appreciated.
It's not going to be used all day, every day --- but, I'm a big fan of open-source, graphically vivid astronomy software. Programs like Winstar and Celestia -- they are free, and you can use it to not only show stars and planets, but to show "travels" from one to the other, relative distance, follow orbits of planets and objects, see surface details on planets and asteroids...
Combine this with a decent projector, and you've got a great (additional) tool for many aspects of astronomy - how planets formed, what they look like, man-made satellite objects, etc.
Actually, I'd encourage anyone to play with these just for fun on their own systems.
-- Sam
PS - No, I didn't RTFA, so some of this may be off-topic. I don't know.
If a device is not properly grounded or has problems where it provides a small electrical shock, can this be a potential health hazard for people who may have certain types of medical implants - e.g. implanted pacemakers, defibrillators, or other devices?
I suppose any potential threat could be worse if the current were conducted for example - from one hand across the body to the other, so that it would travel across the chest or implant while seeking ground...
But also worth mentioning is that the software is "free" with a stipulation - usually that you follow the license for distribution (or other specified) rights. That's the "cost."
For most organizations, I think that once the decision to use open-source software that meets their needs and mission is made, they can do it without too much difficulty.
If there is a direct conflict between a corporation's desire in the manner to use the open-source software and the license, then maybe that "free" software isn't appropriate to that firms use. The license is part of the deal.
One angle you might want to look at (I haven't looked into this unit specifically) - is what is the basis for its functioning? I understand a number of units don't actually measure alcohol levels, but byproducts of the alcohol. Also, I don't believe that the systems necessarily measure all levels of these componds at equal strength, and may be programmed/calibrated/designed to compensate for these at different levels. I think it would be reasonable to expect any aspect of the units function to be explained to a jury.
I would be curious regarding just how rigorous the units were tested, as well as under what circumstances they could misreport, and to what degree they misreport if and when they do...
I understand that similar issues came up not too long ago in Florida.
Yes, I am a software engineer, but I am not an expert in computer-based instruments of this nature.
BTW - If the state did not expect or require the vendor to be able to send an expert to court or make its designs available upon court demands, I would be curious regarding the basis of how the device was selected, and why the state didn't see the natural implications of relying upon a device where you can't examine the basis of its actions...
Isn't anything generated by an author (typically) copyright of that author- even if the author didn't file for copyright protection - unless otherwise assiged? Accessing almost any web site or page would result in a technical violation.
Here's my recommendation (or at least thoughts)...
You hopefully have an assigned advisor within your department, who - hopefully - really understands your curriculum, can understand your position, your school's or others graduate curricula, and has a feel (ideally) for industry needs.
If this is the case, here's what I would do.......
Talk to this advisor or someone appropriate with some of the above awareness within your department's staff.
Since many schools will (I believe) allow you to take certain graduate level courses as an undergrad (or some undergrad high-level 400 courses may be allowed for grad credit - I'm not 100% sure),
I'd consider taking courses -related to- what you didn't get good grades in, but not exactly the same. For example, if you only did so-so in an undergrad "advanced data structures course," and now can take a "non-numeric programming" or equivalent, there may be an opportunity here...
You can potentially take classes which will (if you work hard) raise your average (although not as much as repacing earlier lower grades with higher ones since these new grades will average-in with your current ones - instead of replacing outright weaker grades).
However, you will now : - earn additional credits - which may immediately be applicable towards a masters if you want to go this route - will teach you new fundamentally new material while you still raise your GPA. Anyone looking at your transcript will see that instead of just retaking a bunch of courses, you earned new credits in new classes - At interviews, you will be able to discuss your additional classes in terms of taking an opportunity to learn new material (which was not required/mandated) instead of discussing in in terms of taking courses to pull up an average.
There may be a little more risk in this approach if not carefully considered. Plese think about it and discuss it with a staff or faculty member you can trust. Nothing against the slashdotters - but just also talk to someone you can bounce this approach off of from within the school.
Also, are you in a situation where you can work on a part-time basis, and put the bulk of your time into your studies? If so, you can concentrate on just a few classes at a time, and still build your professional career.
So, if my camcorder writes direct-to-dvd, I can't use off-the-shelf software to make copies?
What if I take my mini-dv format digital camcorder tapes, and VHS (home-made) tapes and convert these over to dvd-format - I can't then image these and put them up on my filserver or make copies of these?
Direct test for a quantum computer: Solve any problem polynomially reducable to SAT/3-SAT (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boolean_satisfiabili ty_problem) without the use of heuristic algorithms. Further, show it being done in polynomial-time with respect to the problem size.
Naturally, the machine and program would also have to be subject to inspection to show that it wasn't just spitting out a canned response to a problem already worked on and answered by a team of supercomputers elsewhere....
Fortunately, checking the result won't take too long. The check should be calculable on a conventional computer in polynomial-time.
I remember some time back a comparison of a number of universities by their computer-access and use policies. Some were very open and permissive for students, others were severely limiting. This sort of thing could be one more factor in helping prospective students determine which school is right for them. I think this also sends a message about what students may expect on the network. At many universities, students will expect (and have) almost total freedom as long as their actions are benign. Included in this is a recognition that they may largely utilize the Internet without unnecessary restriction or undue scrutiny. I suspect at this university, they can't assume a right to privacy on their transactions, or even a presumption of anonymity should they desire it. Some universities provide this - as long as students don't interfere with the basic function of the network, or necessary operations don't require inspection of their network traffic. I also think this uniersity might be taking the easist approach. A thoughtful approach to network security incorporating network sensors and intrusion detection packages could very well largely mitigate risks they are concerned about, especially with an appropriate overall security architecture - which their campus may - or may very well not - have in place.
I tend to like "zero-knowledge proof" based systems. Here, you don't exchange an item (e.g. password) directly. For example, a server can challenge you (your smart card by proxy) with a randomized value / set of values. Your card performs a function, and returns a value. If the value doesn't match the accepted value, the challenge has failed. Only your card should return the correct value. However, someone else's might by chance succeed, or there may be an attack. So, this type of set of exchanges can be repeated until a (probabalisticly satisfactory threshold is reached). If all the answers are acceptable, you have passed. I forget the names of the people who were key in such mechanisms years ago. The name quisqatuer (forgive my spelling) was one of them. I think he was French.
A nice part of such schemes is that (properly implemented), they are highly resistant to a number of forms of attack including sniffers and man-in-the-middle attacks.
This might be kind of on the "obvious" side, but for the Computer-side of things, I'd recommend:
One or more computers for data acqusition...
Also, make sure you have a good quality backup, or a bootable spare hard drive. Should the computer fail or something break, you've got a better chance of getting up-and-running quickly, without losing time on your projects.
If you've got any vital data acquisition or oscilliscope systems or cards, I'd make sure you did not rely on one of any item. Try to have at least two systems, or spare parts/cards on hand.
Could someone give me their thoughts - for a high-school student Junior / Senior leve, what would they recommend between C++ and Java? Someone I know is interested in C++, but I'm thinking of pointing him to Java.
I like the idea of starting with an OO mindset, but haven't myself thought through decisively which I prefer.
Let the Theaters build-in Faraday cages. It would cost a little something extra, but won't interfere with people outside the theaters wanting to make legitimate cell phone calls.
The police, theaters, and anyone else will not be able to effectively precisely define the area to be jammed. Also, other communications could potentially be affected. Lots of people share spectrum, and jamming devices are not things that I would trust too loosely.
Slashdot Mirror
I'm a big fan of at-home network storage- similar to what other posters have written about.
It sounds like 2TB should be fine for you, and you can get an external 2TB hard drive to backup to and put in a fireproof box.
If you set up a VPN router, you could access anything at home or away.
It sounds like you wanted a more direct notebook - based solution.
I haven't used them myself, but it sounds like 1TB notebook internal drives are available, e.g.:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/wd-ships-industrys-first-2-5-inch-1tb-hard-drive/
and soon, 2 TB should be available.
Even if you have some limitations on your boot disk, you should be able to run 500GB on your primary internal drive, and many notebooks will support a second hard drive. You might be happy with this approach - you can carry all your photos on your notebook, keep a backup on another drive on your notebook, and leave a 2TB at home for backup purposes should anything bad happen to your system or it gets stolen.
Also, you might want to do a post later to let us all know what decision you ultimately come to and how you like it.
Good luck-
Sam
"Rouge"
Maybe it just likes to wear makeup :-)
"My favorite part about this story is that they are burning the house down without due process of law. "
I'm already queuing the Talking Heads song in my own head.... you know the song....
-- Sam
There is a show in the UK, and some stations used to get it here (in the US) called "Tiny Planets."
For kids, this is / was a great show - it centered around two nice aliens and their experiences with objects (spacial and music-related), playing nicely, taking care of oneself, etc.
There was also a website with Tiny-Planets related games online (please take a look for it), downloadable coloring pages, and more.
You can also get Tiny Planets DVDs.
Anyway, anything associated with Tiny Planets I'd strongly recommend, and I think you child is at about the right age to enjoy it.
Best regards,
Sam
PS - I only have a minute or I'd dig up the links. My apologies for not providing more details.
One thing I'd add is to create a good set of documentation, and if necessary let the powers that be know that you want the time to document the systems operation either as it develops or once it's stable. However, for security purposes I tend to prefer either storing data on a server in-house (with VPN access), or being very careful about the choice of an outside hosting service provider.
Document how to perform all key operations, and leave a paper copy in a company-owned safe (in case of network or system failure). It can also help you when you need to perform a rarely - performed operation - perhaps reloading RAID or other drivers. I'd also save and backup a library of all essential sw and systems images in case they are needed for recovery.
This will help down the road not just in case you "are hit by a bus," in the worst sense of those words, but if you have an outside emergency to tend to, or just need to take a day off. This can provide more flexibility for you and your schedule. Also, if you should leave the company one day, this is the sort of thing that does (my opinion) tend to be appreciated.
Regards,
Sam
Schmaltzy !
It's not going to be used all day, every day --- but, I'm a big fan of open-source, graphically vivid astronomy software.
Programs like Winstar and Celestia -- they are free, and you can use it to not only show stars and planets, but to show
"travels" from one to the other, relative distance, follow orbits of planets and objects, see surface details on planets and asteroids...
Combine this with a decent projector, and you've got a great (additional) tool for many aspects of astronomy - how planets formed, what they look like, man-made satellite objects, etc.
Actually, I'd encourage anyone to play with these just for fun on their own systems.
-- Sam
PS - No, I didn't RTFA, so some of this may be off-topic. I don't know.
If a device is not properly grounded or has problems where it provides a small electrical shock, can this be a potential health hazard for people who may have certain types of medical implants - e.g. implanted pacemakers, defibrillators, or other devices?
I suppose any potential threat could be worse if the current were conducted for example - from one hand across the body to the other, so that it would travel across the chest or implant while seeking ground...
I agree...
But also worth mentioning is that the software is "free" with a stipulation - usually that you follow the license for distribution (or other specified) rights. That's the "cost."
For most organizations, I think that once the decision to use open-source software that meets their needs and mission is made, they can do it without too much difficulty.
If there is a direct conflict between a corporation's desire in the manner to use the open-source software and the license, then maybe that "free" software isn't appropriate to that firms use. The license is part of the deal.
Regards,
Sam
One angle you might want to look at (I haven't looked into this unit specifically) - is what is the basis for its functioning?
I understand a number of units don't actually measure alcohol levels, but byproducts of the alcohol. Also, I don't believe that the systems necessarily measure all levels of these componds at equal strength, and may be programmed/calibrated/designed to compensate for these at different levels. I think it would be reasonable to expect any aspect of the units function to be explained to a jury.
I would be curious regarding just how rigorous the units were tested, as well as under what circumstances they could misreport, and to what degree they misreport if and when they do...
I understand that similar issues came up not too long ago in Florida.
Yes, I am a software engineer, but I am not an expert in computer-based instruments of this nature.
BTW - If the state did not expect or require the vendor to be able to send an expert to court or make its designs available upon court demands, I would be curious regarding the basis of how the device was selected, and why the state didn't see the natural implications of relying upon a device where you can't examine the basis of its actions...
Regards,
Sam
Isn't anything generated by an author (typically) copyright of that author- even if the author didn't file for copyright protection - unless otherwise assiged?
Accessing almost any web site or page would result in a technical violation.
Here's my recommendation (or at least thoughts)...
You hopefully have an assigned advisor within your department, who - hopefully - really understands your curriculum, can understand your position, your school's or others graduate curricula, and has a feel (ideally) for industry needs.
If this is the case, here's what I would do.......
Talk to this advisor or someone appropriate with some of the above awareness within your department's staff.
Since many schools will (I believe) allow you to take certain graduate level courses as an undergrad (or some undergrad high-level 400 courses may be allowed for grad credit - I'm not 100% sure),
I'd consider taking courses -related to- what you didn't get good grades in, but not exactly the same. For example, if you only did so-so in an undergrad "advanced data structures course," and now can take a "non-numeric programming" or equivalent, there may be an opportunity here...
You can potentially take classes which will (if you work hard) raise your average (although not as much as repacing earlier lower grades with higher ones since these new grades will average-in with your current ones - instead of replacing outright weaker grades).
However, you will now :
- earn additional credits - which may immediately be applicable towards a masters if you want to go this route
- will teach you new fundamentally new material while you still raise your GPA. Anyone looking at your transcript will see that instead of just retaking a bunch of courses, you earned new credits in new classes
- At interviews, you will be able to discuss your additional classes in terms of taking an opportunity to learn new material (which was not required/mandated) instead of discussing in in terms of taking courses to pull up an average.
There may be a little more risk in this approach if not carefully considered. Plese think about it and discuss it with a staff or faculty member you can trust. Nothing against the slashdotters - but just also talk to someone you can bounce this approach off of from within the school.
Also, are you in a situation where you can work on a part-time basis, and put the bulk of your time into your studies? If so, you can concentrate on just a few classes at a time, and still build your professional career.
I hope this helps.
Best regards and good luck,
Sam
So, if my camcorder writes direct-to-dvd, I can't use off-the-shelf software to make copies?
What if I take my mini-dv format digital camcorder tapes, and VHS (home-made) tapes and convert these over to dvd-format - I can't then image these and put them up on my filserver or make copies of these?
Hayden was great !
Sargon, Sargon II, and Sargon III !
Direct test for a quantum computer:i ty_problem)
Solve any problem polynomially reducable to SAT/3-SAT (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boolean_satisfiabil
without the use of heuristic algorithms. Further, show it being done in polynomial-time with respect to the problem size.
Naturally, the machine and program would also have to be subject to inspection to show that it wasn't just spitting out a canned response to a problem already worked on and answered by a team of supercomputers elsewhere....
Fortunately, checking the result won't take too long. The check should be calculable on a conventional computer in polynomial-time.
I remember some time back a comparison of a number of universities by their computer-access and use policies. Some were very open and permissive for students, others were severely limiting. This sort of thing could be one more factor in helping prospective students determine which school is right for them.
I think this also sends a message about what students may expect on the network. At many universities, students will expect (and have) almost total freedom as long as their actions are benign. Included in this is a recognition that they may largely utilize the Internet without unnecessary restriction or undue scrutiny. I suspect at this university, they can't assume a right to privacy on their transactions, or even a presumption of anonymity should they desire it. Some universities provide this - as long as students don't interfere with the basic function of the network, or necessary operations don't require inspection of their network traffic.
I also think this uniersity might be taking the easist approach. A thoughtful approach to network security incorporating network sensors and intrusion detection packages could very well largely mitigate risks they are concerned about, especially with an appropriate overall security architecture - which their campus may - or may very well not - have in place.
Hello -
I tend to like "zero-knowledge proof" based systems.
Here, you don't exchange an item (e.g. password) directly.
For example, a server can challenge you (your smart card by proxy) with a randomized value / set of values.
Your card performs a function, and returns a value.
If the value doesn't match the accepted value, the challenge has failed. Only your card should return the correct value. However, someone else's might by chance succeed, or there may be an attack.
So, this type of set of exchanges can be repeated until a (probabalisticly satisfactory threshold is reached). If all the answers are acceptable, you have passed.
I forget the names of the people who were key in such mechanisms years ago.
The name quisqatuer (forgive my spelling) was one of them. I think he was French.
A nice part of such schemes is that (properly implemented), they are highly resistant to a number of forms of attack including sniffers and man-in-the-middle attacks.
36 24 366 -24-36.html
http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/Violent-Femmes/3
This might be kind of on the "obvious" side, but for the Computer-side of things, I'd recommend:
One or more computers for data acqusition...
Also, make sure you have a good quality backup, or a bootable spare hard drive.
Should the computer fail or something break, you've got a better chance of getting up-and-running quickly, without losing time on your projects.
If you've got any vital data acquisition or oscilliscope systems or cards, I'd make sure you did not rely on one of any item. Try to have at least two systems, or spare parts/cards on hand.
Could someone give me their thoughts - for a high-school student Junior / Senior leve, what would they recommend between C++ and Java? Someone I know is interested in C++, but I'm thinking of pointing him to Java.
I like the idea of starting with an OO mindset, but haven't myself thought through decisively which I prefer.
Thanks...
Sam
TSP has solutions. Plenty of them. ;-)
But it's more challenging if someone asks for one in Polynomial-Order time
I don't know, but I've heard that in France some kids actually eat snails! Some adults, too !! Agghhhh!
If you think that anticipating undesirable behavior is bad, you could write a paper on it... ;-)
We could call it a "Minority Report"
P.S.: Which movie was that???
Open with a Nuclear Pumped Laser...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_pumped_laser
OK -
Let the Theaters build-in Faraday cages. It would cost a little something extra, but won't interfere with people outside the theaters wanting to make legitimate cell phone calls.
The police, theaters, and anyone else will not be able to effectively precisely define the area to be jammed. Also, other communications could potentially be affected. Lots of people share spectrum, and jamming devices are not things that I would trust too loosely.
-- Sam