Author Archive

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, →

https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/14/nigel-stanford-automatica/ What happens when a mad scientist’s musicbots rebel against their own precision? You get “Automatica”, the latest video from Nigel Stanford →

https://www.space.com/38160-when-how-watch-cassini-saturn-dive.html Today (Sept. 15), NASA’s Cassini spacecraftwill dive into Saturn’s atmosphere and disintegrate. You can watch the action live right here on Space.com The $3.26 billion Cassini-Huygens mission — a joint effort of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency — launched toward Saturn in 1997 and arrived at the system in 2004.  “We’ll be →

https://interestingengineering.com/video/elon-musk-just-shared-this-explosive-spacex-blooper-reel-and-its-incredible “Lool, that’s not an ‘explosion,’ it’s just a rapid unscheduled disassembly.” Elon Musk just released the blooper reel to end all blooper reels. →

http://www.visualcapitalist.com/comparing-bitcoin-ethereum-cryptos/ Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’re probably aware that we’re in the middle of a cryptocurrency explosion. In one year, the value of all currencies increased a staggering 1,466% – and newer coins like Ethereum have even joined Bitcoin in gaining some mainstream acceptance. A major problem still exists for the layman: it’s →