The Full Enchilada

New FireFox version release adds new features

by Admin on Jan.11, 2010, under Linux Unix Stuff, Tech and Gadgets

HTML5 new firefox 3.6 featuresSome of the new features in Firefox 3.6:

Improved browser startup time, overall more robust, JavaScript performance increase.
Can run scripts asynchronously speeding up page loads.
Support for new DOM, CSS, and HTML5 ,File API support etc.
Quick one click browser skin/style changes.
Native video supporting full screen and poster frames.
WOOF font format support.

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Dirty Harry got it right – I’m blacker than Obama. Reid, Trent Lott, and Strom Thurmond should apologize to me!

by Admin on Jan.11, 2010, under Local News

Dirty Harry Reid KKKFormer Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich tells Esquire: “It’s such a cynical business, and most of the people in the business are full of shit and phonies, but I was real, man — and am real. This guy, he was catapulted in on hope and change, what we hope the guy is. What the f—? Everything he’s saying’s on the teleprompter. I’m blacker than Barack Obama. I shined shoes. I (continue reading…)

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Arnold Schwarzenegger to ticket any speedsters blowing past his Hummer…

by Admin on Jan.09, 2010, under Local News

Governor Arnold tax speeders
Another one of his ideas (to install automated speed censors/ticketing system at intersections) for a quick $350 million from the tax payers, hopefully he’s just blowing some smoke…or perhaps he’s really feeling the harsh economy too having to ration his cigars..
Arnold smoking with Obama

It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it!
Arnold smoking cuban or nicaraguan

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Northern Ireland Minister to step down due to wife’s affair with 19-year-old, almost 40 years junior

by Admin on Jan.09, 2010, under Local News

Peter Robinsons’s wife, Iris Robinson, 60, had an adulterous affair with Kirk McCambley, 19, two years ago. Not very good news considering Robinsons’ conservative supporters.

Apparently, according to anonymous sources in Robinson’s Democratic Unionist Party, his wife Iris would step down from her position within days.

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Top Senate Democrat a racist?

by Admin on Jan.09, 2010, under Local News

Reid Racist?Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada described in private Barack Obama as “light skinned” and “with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.”, he is quoted in a yet-to-be-released book about the campaign.

“I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words. I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African-Americans for my improper comments,” Reid said in a statement released after his quotes were made public.

Reid did not support Barack Obama in his run against Hillary Clinton and was supposedly ‘neutral’. “You’re not going to go anyplace here,” Reid told Obama while in Senate. “I know that you don’t like it, doing what you’re doing.”

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From MIT-bots to FEM-bots…

by Admin on Jan.09, 2010, under The Beginning

Yep, MIT’s got bots, a lot of them. But sorry, most of them look more like this: It’s funny that when referring to Google Android’s new Nexus One phone, I jokingly called it sexy nexi, to compliment Google’s accomplishment to finally produce a nice sleeky Android phone. Well, what I found, as it turns out, Nexi happens to be one of the most famous AI robots at MIT (Mass. Institute of Technology). The Nexi Android belongs to a class of robots they call MDS, Mobile Dextrous Social, robots. MIT calls their AI, “embodied artificial intelligence”, in that it takes into consideration the functionality and limitations of its own body, much like a human.
(You can skip to the 5minute mark to go to Nexi..)

Good ol’ Nexi again:

Other MIT speaking robot:

Emotion MIT robot:

No doubt most would prefer the emotional articulation and intelligence of the MIT Androids be transplanted into ever more feminine looking fembots such as the so popular Japanese fembots:
Japanese fembot android robot
Here’s a video of the Actroid Der2 Fembot also known as the hello kitty fembot:

Here’s another MIT Nexi video (first test of facial expressions etc):

Now here’s another Japanese Fembot to compare:

NASA Robonaut Humanoid Space Android

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The truth about Cloud Computing why it’s not all its cracked up to be, and Dedicated Servers still the golden standard..

by Admin on Jan.07, 2010, under Linux Unix Stuff

Grid Computing Cloud
Cloud Computing companies
These days the web is all abuzz with the new “Cloud Computing” jargon. Seems everyone’s got their head stuck up in the Clouds! And me thinks a Reality Check is in order…

Cloud Computing I claim is pretty useless unless your Cloud technology provider is offering you some kind of heavy-duty worthy CDN close to Limelight and Akamai standards. Otherwise, for the majority of people, resisting the marketing hype may provide more ‘bang’ for the buck.
Cloud Computing?
In a sense, Cloud Computing is quite similar to the lowly Shared Hosting. You might experience a very cheap price entry point if your website does not use a lot of CPU, memory, or bandwidth. But as soon as your site actually has some traffic you will likely find that you’re spending considerably more to stay up in the clouds than you would have if you had purchased basically the same thing but under the “Xen VPS” label. Sure there are other VPS solutions that don’t isolate the virtual machines as much as Xen and VMware virtualzation and the like do (such as Parallels VPS and some others…), but if you purchase a real Virtual machine, either Xen or VMware or Hypre-V you would be getting a good part of what a Cloud usually offers and likely at a better bang for the buck!

In fact, I propose that unless you get some sweet CDN as part of the Cloud package, that you stay away and just get your own Dedicated Server that you can install and run your own little clouds on! You can run your own VMware or Xen setup.

I am an experienced consultant who has dealt with various hosting companies so here’s a secret for you that will save you much money. Whenever you look at a hosting provider, look at their prices for Dedicated Servers and bandwidth. This is the golden key to understand if their other offerings are overpriced or not. If they can not afford to give you a well priced Dedicated Server, you can be SURE you are not getting the most for your buck on any of their other deals, its as simple as that!

Now don’t get me wrong, the packaging of all the available Virtualization technologies into these Cloud or Grid networks is a beneficial thing in many ways if done right. Unfortunately, it’s really only done right at the highest levels, ie its not cheap to have an Akamai quality CDN and several virtual servers on separate dedicated boxes with redundant fiber optic connections etc…so why pay “Cloud Computing” prices for in effect what might be a simple Xen, VMware, or worse (traditional more shared resource VPS), when you can get fully dedicated hardware and build your own little cloud for less.

So if you’re a big company with LOTS of traffic and much $$$, then “Cloud Computing” might be the best for you, just check to see exactly what you’re getting for the money, its sometimes a little harder to predict overall cost.

If you’d like more details, drop me a note/comment.

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Fatal Attraction: Sexy Nexus does the iphone,

by Admin on Jan.06, 2010, under Google Voice

Google Android gets smarter and sexier, the Nexus One
Has google finally brought the iPhone to its knees? The new Nexus One phone definitely has the contours to get the blood going, and the drooling just continues when checking out the specs:
A fast 1Ghz CPU and a huge 3.7″ diagonal AMOLED no less screen that now puts the iphone to shame with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, a 100,000:1 contrast ratio and a blazing fast 1ms response time (better than any computer or TV LCD monitors out there)! Looks like the Nexus One is now “The One”.
Here’s a comparison of the iphone 3GS, the Palm Pre, Motorola Droid, and the new Google Nexus One (Nexus one comes out with lowest price of ownership, cheapest unlimited data, unlimited voice, and unlimited messaging plans):
Google Nexus One versus Iphone 3GS and Palm Pre Motorola Droid
Nexus One specs
Nexus One flash demo
Processor
Qualcomm QSD 8250 1 GHz
Operating system
Android Mobile Technology Platform 2.1 (Eclair)
Capacity
512MB Flash
512MB RAM
4GB Micro SD Card (Expandable to 32 GB)
Location
Assisted global positioning system (AGPS) receiver
Cell tower and Wi-Fi positioning
Digital compass
Accelerometer
Size and weight
Height
119mm
Width
59.8mm
Depth
11.5mm
Weight
130 grams w/battery
100g w/o battery
Display
3.7-inch (diagonal) widescreen WVGA AMOLED touchscreen
800 x 480 pixels
100,000:1 typical contrast ratio
1ms typical response rate
Camera & Flash
5 megapixels
Autofocus from 6cm to infinity
2X digital zoom
LED flash
User can include location of photos from phone’s AGPS receiver
Video captured at 720×480 pixels at 20 frames per second or higher, depending on lighting conditions
Cellular & Wireless
UMTS Band 1/4/8 (2100/AWS/900)
HSDPA 7.2Mbps
HSUPA 2Mbps
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n)
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
A2DP stereo Bluetooth
Power and battery
Removable 1400 mAH battery
Charges at 480mA from USB, at 980mA from supplied charger
Talk time
Up to 10 hours on 2G
Up to 7 hours on 3G
Standby time
Up to 290 hours on 2G Up to 250 hours on 3G
Internet use
Up to 5 hours on 3G
Up to 6.5 hours on Wi-Fi
Video playback
Up to 7 hours
Audio playback
Up to 20 hours

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End of decade marks the end of the Last Emperor’s reign? Should Fedor retire and pass the torch to a younger Red Devil?

by Admin on Jan.05, 2010, under MMA Fighters and Boxers

Unfortunately, I must confess I’m worried that Fedor’s reign as Emperor over MMA may have ended. There is NO DOUBT that Fedor reigned supremely for an entire decade is still the King but he’s not getting any younger and the Heavyweight division is turning into a Monsters’R Us division where Fedor is just a little guy not a heavyweight. At 5′11, an inch short of 6 feet and 232 lbs, Fedor is not a very big man by current heavyweight standards with fighters standing 6′5 and 265 pounds or more. How long can Fedor last against these younger and bigger fighters?
Brett Rogers says Fedor is going to sleep
Regardless of what some fighters might say, that they got better with age, honestly, its a bunch of BS. Nobody can fight the effects of age, if a fighter is actually better in ‘old age’ it means he was a major lazy ass or kind of mentally stupid in his younger days and couldn’t take advantage of his physical abilities. The fighters that rely the most on their speed and agility, their reflexes in avoiding getting hit, will be much more adversely affected by age than those ‘tough’ fighters that rely on pure strength and power and a tough chin. This is a physical law of nature, you can write it down….it has been proven many times over. Look at George Foreman, he had a comeback as an old guy because he was big and powerful and could take a shot from his opponents, but if you’re like poor Mirko Cro-Cop who relied mainly on his lightning quick reflexes which are the first to go with age, your career will be much shorter.

The truth is though, that the rule changes over the last years in the UFC, no longer allowing headbutts, kidney shots, kicking a downed opponent to the head, neck chops, and all kinds of barbarities, has tilted the sport a little more in favor of the man with a brain instead of the scary mindless brutes and maniacs. Back in those days, those naurally born ‘tough’ guys with thick skulls had a much easier time against anyone who tried to play wrestling with them, if you dove for their legs they’d just elbow you in the spine and break you in two, if your face was at any time within reach of theirs, they’d headbutt your face into a powder, or they’d pick you up and slam you on your head, you can’t really win against someone much more physically superior in a pretty much no rules fight.

Luckily for the not so tough but ’smart’ fighters out there some of these new civilized rules came to the rescue thus making grappling and ‘brains’ much more useful in a fight, but go out in the ‘real’ world and you’ll see it’s not the ’smart’ guys beating the crap out of everyone, it’s still the bigger dumber bullies. I’m not saying an mma fighter would not do great in a real street fight but what I’m saying is that they’d have a much harder time with tougher stronger opponents even if they’re more skilled. Let’s say if they’re so good they usually beat guys 30 pounds heavier than them in the ring with those rules, I’m saying that those extra 30 pounds might be a little more than they can handle in a street fight where if you get slammed once you might never get up.

Now tell me, who would you rather face in an alley, Fedor or the 35 pound heavier 265 lbs monster Brett Rogers?
Brett Rogers 265 pounder I wouldn’t want to fight either of them, but if I had to choose I’d definitely rather fight Fedor, probably since he’s such a cool guy he’d likely forgive whatever I did to tick him off so much and let me live. Well that and I’m sure I’d have a much better chance than to fight a no rules streetfight with a monster that I probably couldn’t hurt even with my strongest punch even if somehow I could reach his 6′5 high face against his 10 inch reach advantage! What the heck could you try against such a monster, tickle him to death?

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