Author Archive

Bespoke Processors: Cheap, Low-Power Chips That Only Do What’s Needed – IEEE Spectrum

http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/semiconductors/design/bespoke-processors-cheap-lowpower-chips-that-only-do-whats-needed This article tells about interesting approach to processor design: Starting with a Texas Instruments openMSP430, they produced bespoke designs. “Our approach was to figure out all the hardware that an application is guaranteed not to use irrespective of the input,” says Kumar. What’s left is “a union, or superset, of all possible paths that data →

5 totally inappropriate ways to exit Vim

https://opensource.com/article/17/6/5-totally-incorrect-ways-exit-vim?sc_cid=7016000000127ECAAY Vim can be a challenge to learn. But for many first-time users, just exiting the program can be a problem. This article gives solutions to this serious problem that many Linux/Unix users face every day. →

​How to use Linux’s built-in USB attack protection | ZDNet

http://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-use-linuxs-built-in-usb-attack-protection/ USB is insecure. There are USB sticks that will destroy your computer, USB sticks loaded with spyware, and even official enterprise USB sticks infected with malware. Windows and Macs are easy to crack with USB-borne tools. There are devices like the USG USB stick firewall, which can protect you. Linux users can stop attackers armed with USB sticks with USBGuard software. →

Europe joins forces to create largest ever shared data repository for researchers

https://horizon-magazine.eu/article/europe-joins-forces-create-largest-shared-data-folder-history_en.html World-leading research institutes have agreed to join forces with funding agencies and policymakers to create the European Open Science Cloud, the largest shared data repository in history. The idea is to give every scientific user access to the data resulting from research carried out with public funding, using a single login. ‘Science has outgrown →

Finnish demo plant produces renewable fuel from carbon dioxide captured from the air

http://www.vttresearch.com/media/news/finnish-demo-plant-produces-renewable-fuel-from-carbon-dioxide-captured-from-the-air The unique Soletair demo plant developed by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) uses carbon dioxide to produce renewable fuels and chemicals. The pilot plant is coupled to LUT’s solar power plant in Lappeenranta. →

You Cannot Learn What You Think You Already Know

http://lifehacker.com/you-cannot-learn-what-you-think-you-already-know-1796095391?utm_campaign=socialflow_lifehacker_facebook&utm_source=lifehacker_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow “It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.” -Epictetus, Discourses, Book II, ch. 17 What It Means Be it a skill, craft, or just general knowledge, to improve yourself is to learn. But you cannot learn if you believe there is nothing left for you to learn. What if →

An introduction to parameter expansion in Bash

https://opensource.com/article/17/6/bash-parameter-expansion?sc_cid=7016000000127ECAAY In Bash, entities that store values are known as parameters.  The wealth of parameter expansion modifiers transforms Bash variables and other parameters into powerful tools beyond simple value stores. →

LED current regulator has low dropout | EDN

http://www.edn.com/design/led/4442091/LED-current-regulator-has-low-dropout?utm_content=buffer1967d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer This article has an intetesting LED current regulator circuit idea built using transistors. The voltage drop on the current sensing resistor r is less than 40mV.  The nominal LED current here is 7.2 mA at 9V. Increasing to 20V causes a current change of +15%, giving a dynamic resistance of about 10kΩ. →