User: The Doyen

Re:Or become real reporters.

On: Pay-Per-View Journalism Is Burning Out Reporters Young

NPR, available through your browser, by podcast, or even over the radio. Donation driven, so you really can set your own price of $200 a year.

Local affiliates actually track local news. Good coverage nationally and globally as well.

Re:Things have changed since I tinkered long ago..

On: Methods of Learning to Build Electronic Circuitry?

I would argue it's worth the extra few bucks to get the best chip out there in the series. For example, if you go PIC, get the best PIC you can handle. It is very frustrating to find out you can't extend your project to include FLASH memory just be cause you skimped on the memory or number of ports.

The practical limit I tend to draw is with pin numbers- if I need 28-pins for the initial project, I get the best 28-pin device I can. It's not like you're going to production where every dollar counts, and for the extra $10 if you can save one hour of frustration you're ahead.

Cheers,
Greg

"Soldering on the kitchen table"

On: Methods of Learning to Build Electronic Circuitry?

While many solders out there do not contain lead, most do; even the ones that don't contain lead have flux which is pretty unhealthy.

So, don't solder on your kitchen table. And always always always wash your hands after you solder.

Re:Goto isn't necessary evil (at least in C)

On: Google Code Search Reveals Dark Corners

One way to break out of nested loops is with a boolean. I find I have to spend less time justifying the following than using a goto- to myself and others.

bool bBreak = false;
for(;;) {
      for(;;) {
            for(;;) {
                  bBreak = true;
            }
            if(bBreak)
                  break;
      }
      if(bBreak)
            break;
}

Re:more info

On: HP CEO Carly Fiorina to Step Down

This sounds like what happens when you get two AI bots in the same chat room.