Computers

Coputer topics

Take advantage of open-source hardware

It does not always pay to design everything from ground up. Basing your product on a reference design or demo board can speed time to market. And on hobby projects using ready designs can help you so that you can concentrate using your time on the most interesting parts instead spending most of the time

Electrolytic capacitor failures

The most common reasons that modern digital electronics devices fail seem to be a bad electrolytic capacitors. Bad electrolytic capacitors cause frequent failures of switch mode power supplies. It seems power supplies are often the weakest link in many modern electronics devices. Since there is tremendous price pressure on PC’s and other consumer electronics devices,

Problems with old Java applications

The main selling points of Java is that it can actually be used on any computer. All that the computer needs is an interpreter for Java bytecode. Such an interpreter simulates the Java virtual machine in the same way that Virtual PC simulates a PC computer. Theoretically if you write a Java program well, it

Acceleration of program execution

Current design methodologies, whether for software or hardware, are in constant pursuit of making applications faster. In the office PC environment there is more than enough power for typical business applications, and they can be written using tools that are not the most optimized for execution speed (for example Java, .NET, scripting languages, web application

PC is not irrelevant

Google says desktop PC is three years from ‘irrelevance’. Google Europe boss John Herlihy told a “baffled” conference audience that very soon the smartphone will completely eclipse the desktop. “In three years time, desktops will be irrelevant,” he said. “In Japan, most research is done today on smart phones, not PCs.” Herlihy was trying to

How low can 32 bits processors go?

Moore’s Law observes that the number of transistors doubles for the same area every two years. Strange that this law has hold for a long time. This has made some people to predict that that 32-bit processors will replace 8-bit processors. The argument starts with the fact that the relative size difference between an 8-

One in Three Laptops Fail Within 3 Years

Shocking news: 1 in 3 laptops fail in the first three years of ownership! So run, don’t walk, to purchase your warranty if you believe the figures! Generally extra warranty the on electronics the shops try to sell are virtually never worth the price (according to almost ever consumer organization). Could the situation be different

Web technologies for mobile applications

I visited yeasterday Mobile Dev Camp. Mobile Dev Camp is a one day event devoted to developing mobile applications on the latest mobile platforms such as iPhone, Android, Maemo. It is held in Helsinki Finland. The end result waht I got from the presentations I followed that web techniologies are coming more and more into

Walk and Code

Here is an interesting idea how you can walk and code at the same time. I just saw this at 8th light Walk and Code blog posting. The idea comes from WalkStation, an adjustable height desk with a treadmill underneath. The solution presented on the blog is cheaper is more DIY model based on treadmill