Dwayne Phillips ' Day Book

Items I happen to view each day. Science, Techonology, Management, Culture, and of course Writing

This is my day book for this week. I have modeled this after science fiction and computer writer Jerry Pournelle's view, or as he calls it, his Day Book. I encourage you to see Jerry Pournelle's site and subscribe to his services.

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This week: August 31-September 6, 2015

Summary of this week:

Monday - Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday - Friday - Saturday - Sunday

Monday August 31, 2015

The Solar Sunflower combines several existing technologies to make power. There is a good chance this will work. It looks like a 5meter satellite dish, so I could put it in my backyard if I didn't live in a planned, i.e., regulated community.

I don't get it. Big news about a font that makes it easier for programmers to tell the difference between the number 1 and the letter l. Haven't we fixed this by now?

NVIDIA introduces Grid 2.0: their next generation of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) GPU technology.

Stronger rumors about the coming 4th edition of Apple TV.

If you play video games, you must see this 2001 PC image.

A call for the super-rich of Silicon Valley to do something super with higher education.

A detailed review of the Google OnHub wireless router.

The Linux 4.2 kernel is released.

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Tuesday September 1, 2015

So much for our economic recovery. HP employees switched to contractor status with no benefits or be fired with no severance.

Google's Chrome browser now blocks Flash ads.

After some recovery, China's stocks are crashing again.

Apple about to start producing its own "TV shows" and movies. You don't need to open facilities, just help finance others.

It seems that Ashley Madison had 10,000s of robots impersonating mostly women.

Our government is now building the world's largest digital camera. I expect someone else to build something better for 1/10th the cost before this machine is finished.

The endearing affects of Windows 95.

Our FAA signs a deal with CSC to move from data centers to cloud services. Is anyone thinking about security?

The government of India is on Google's case regarding search results and antitrust violations. How can a free service violate antitrust laws?

A look inside the IRS hack and how it affects persons.

PayPal launches paypal.me/with-my-name for person-to-person transfers.

More Hillary Clinton emails with more security violations and all that. Don't expect any jail time.

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Wednesday September 2, 2015

The Intel Skylake processors are out today.

With Intel's new processors, Lenovo updates it line of portable computers.

One of Lenovo's new portables is a sub-$200 Windows 10 laptop. Look out Chromebooks.

Here is the Apple perspective of the new processors.

Apple will show redesigned retail stores real soon now.

The GoPro app on the iPad iPhone now has more editing features for the videos. Here come the grandkids.

Wikipedia has deleted hundreds of accounts for paid editing—something that violates terms of service.

Google uses a different font for its logo.

This photo might change the world: a young girl immigrant is caught in concertina wire trying to get into Hungary.

The Alliance for Open Media—really big names in tech—cooperate to create new video formats.

A US District Judge grants Uber drivers class action status. If the appeal loses, look for layoffs. How do you layoff volunteer workers?

Western civilization has new hope: McDonald's will serve breakfast all day!

Carbon dating shows the Qoran predates Muhammad. Something isn't right here.

Microsoft teams with VMWare for virtualization.

College students (and all others): Learn how to read, think, and communicate well.

Mozilla re-introduces the Thimble online editor.

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Thursday September 3, 2015

A psychologists considers the differences between the mobile phone and the tablet.

These guys didn't get the study: Lenovo shows several new phablets.

The Chinese government is holding a end-of-WWII parade for invitation only subjects.

The Chinese government is cutting its military by 300,000 persons.

A new study claims that planet earth has 8x more trees than previously claimed.

The newest Intel processors allow making super thin laptops which may kill the tablet market.

Strong rumors that Apple will introduce a really big tablet next week.

Hackers continue to hack into baby monitors and no one in the industry does anything about it. All hail the Internet of (insecure) Things.

This is the most crowd-funded clothing item in the history of crowd funding. Cool stuff.

Driverless cars are in accidents because they drive perfectly. Human drivers are in shock at such courteous driving.

The Asus VivoStick: $129 PC-on-a-stick that runs Windows 10. Plug it into your TV, bring a keyboard and mouse, and viola.

US tech companies believe that the US government should not have access to data held outside the US. Where did they get such a radical idea? How is it that they believe that US jurisdiction ends at US borders? And how did our government come to think differently?

Another example of the problems with discriminating to end discriminating.

Shock (not): US doctors are incorrectly telling parents that their kids are ADHD.

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Friday September 4, 2015

This is what we should be doing with all this technology—enabling bodies that don't work to work again.

This seems to be Google's answer to StumbleUpon—I'm feeling curious.

If you want fast broadband, move to Salisbury, North Carolina where the city provides 10Gig service.

Our Dept of Justice has declared that it must get a warrant before using cell-site simulators against itself (us, the citizens).

Will the photos of dead immigrant children plague the Obama Administration? Recall Vietnam photos?

Google updates the Chrome browser to be better all around as updates usually promise.

Thoughts on the world of continous partial employment. It looks bad for people who want to work and support a family.

A look at a large group of tech volunteers who work on the Bernie Sanders campaign.

Must see video—an easy-to-use 360-degree video camera. $350, a bit expensive.

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Saturday September 5, 2015

The strongest rumors yet about all the great stuff Apple will show on 9 September.

Best Buy cuts $100 off iPad mini 3 in anticipation of new models coming this month.

Apple acquires Faceshift—a motion-capture company with advanced technology. Perhaps this will help Apple make its own movies etc.

Don't buy that TV yet. OLED models will be "affordable" in 2 to 3 years.

Stanford and Silicon Valley: the rich and the richer and how they support one another.

Our infatuation with Steve Jobs now rivals that of the Kennedy clan.

Drone owners: you can't put your personal property inside other persons' personal property. You don't have the right to invade.

TeachersPayTeachers: a site where teachers buy and SELL lesson plans. I trust those who sell own that Intellectual Property.

Uber is to expand its product delivery business this fall. What could possibly go wrong with an unmarked car and a non-uniformed person walking up to the doors of houses in your neighborhood?

Most popular apps in the US: (1) Facebook, (2) Facebook Messenger. Note the trend.

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Sunday September 6, 2015

A look at Africa as the boom center for the next 50 years. Either that or the too-fast rise in popuation will cause pandemic starvation.

IFA was held this past week in Berlin. A look at some of the trends. We still love TV televisors.

Someone has learned how to fool the sensors on Google's self-driving cars with lasers and mirrors and the like. It is the high-tech equivalent of kids moving the surveyor's stakes.

Seth Godin summarizes our frustration with customer (dis)service—they don't take it personally.

BlueSmart re-invents the carry-on bag. Good ideas here.

This year, Alaska’s Permanent Fund paid each resident $1800+. That is how all those Alaskans can spend their days floating on the Yukon and panning for gold.

The tech community keeps trying to fix education for the benefit of the tech community. The latest is Facebook's dashboard for individual learning.

PHP 7.0 is released.

SpaceX has a plan for global broadband with a constellation of 4,000 satellites.

The practice of "publishing" (it is not what you imagine) and how that helps you to write more. GOOD POST.

Yet another post on trying to find the time to write. Try to find the time to breathe and have your heart beat. It is there.

A few ways for a writer to relax. Breathe a while.

Writing from home has its risks. Here are a few.

Some helpful habits for writers. Exercise.

Yes, if you can find someone to help you with your writing you are better off.

Kurt Vonnegut on how to write with style. Excellent post.

Learning how to do cold calling as a freelance writer.

The use of writing to work through difficult times. Get a blank book and a pencil.

Learning how to take care of yourself as a freelance writer.

CreateSpace: print paperback books for free. Must investigate.

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