The Unreasonable Efficiency of Black Holes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-O-Qdh7VvQ&feature=share

I was going to do an image search for SIGNS for reference, but mistyped SGNS.

I was going to do an image search for SIGNS for reference, but mistyped SGNS. All of a sudden hundreds of images of flatbed railway wagons appeared! Seems it's a brand of rolling stock. Cool. Also see http://www.tosh-railways.com/keyword/Sgns/
https://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?428131-Wagon-Sgns

Build your own TARDIS console?

Build your own TARDIS console?
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Custom-Control-Panel-for-Elite-Dange/

You'd probably need a manual handy with some of these.

You'd probably need a manual handy with some of these.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/g2129/best-control-panels-list/

doesn't surprise me if it's true.

doesn't surprise me if it's true.
http://www.startribune.com/suit-iphones-slowed-by-apple-forced-owners-to-by-new-phones/465967213/

How the future looked in 1958.

Seems ironic sharing this here.

Seems ironic sharing this here.

Originally shared by AlternativeTo

A little gift from us just before Christmas. 🙂 🎄
A detailed and interesting article on how to live without Google and its many services:
http://altrn.tv/2D2D2QX #OpenSource #Privacy
http://altrn.tv/2D2D2QX

Why am I not surprised?

Why am I not surprised? This seems an awful lot like the taking down of accounts that didn't use "real names" on the assumption that only dishonest people wouldn't use them. That was flawed as well, because it was oblivious to situations like drag queens who are mostly known in their communities by their stage names, and others may use an alias for safety reasons (like stalking, identity theft, and so on).

In other words, this was a half-arsed idea that wasn't thought through. Regardless of what gets posted, Facebook isn't concerned with truth, but with opinion.
http://mashable.com/2017/12/21/facebook-fake-news-abandon-disputed-flag-related-articles/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-news-link#tJLDj76VEaqk

No surprises here.

No surprises here.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/worst-passwords-of-2017-from-123456-to-starwars/ar-BBH7XHr

Google+ is rewriting its code.

Google+ is rewriting its code. Doesn't do that as often as Facebook, but have you noticed that REPLY is now a separate option on a comment?
#googleplus

Hey, "Chuck D" got it right.

Hey, "Chuck D" got it right.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-AqCaavUfQ&feature=share

This is very clear, but having epilepsy isn't much fun.

This is very clear, but having epilepsy isn't much fun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0XqL2I35n8&feature=share

"What is Net Neutrality? And how it could affect you."

"What is Net Neutrality? And how it could affect you."
The BBC News explains this plainly and clearly inside of five minutes. If you're online, if you're on the Internet, please do take a bit of time to have a look & listen to this video.

#NetNeutrality #BBCNews
#SAVENETNEUTRALITY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq-2Yk5OgKc&feature=share

There's a newish browser version of Sketchup. Try it at http://sketchup.com/free #browser

There's a newish browser version of Sketchup. Try it at http://sketchup.com/free
#browser

A 1939 model, so this would have been developed just before WWII?

A 1939 model, so this would have been developed just before WWII?
https://www.wired.com/2014/09/german-aerodynamic/

While we don’t yet know which states will be joining New York in the legal action, it’s safe to assume that we’ll...

While we don’t yet know which states will be joining New York in the legal action, it’s safe to assume that we’ll see overlap with those that joined a letter calling for a delay of the vote due to revelations around faked comments during the public feedback process. The letter included 18 attorneys general from the states of Virginia, Delaware, Hawaii, California, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, Maine, Mississippi, Oregon, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Washington, Vermont and the District of Columbia.
https://techcrunch.com/2017/12/14/new-york-attorney-general-announces-a-multi-state-lawsuit-challenging-the-net-neutrality-vote/

Pleased to see that Clemantine updated, last year that is.

Pleased to see that Clemantine updated, last year that is. Last updated on April 19, 2016, but the previous version stopped working on my PC due to some Java mismatch.
#windows #linux #android
https://www.clementine-player.org/about

S4SL is an easy way to add behaviors and interactivity to your objects in Second Life.

S4SL is an easy way to add behaviors and interactivity to your objects in Second Life. S4SL is based on Scratch, a graphical programming language that lets you construct programs by snapping together graphical blocks.
#secondlife #opensim
http://web.mit.edu/~eric_r/Public/S4SL/

Scratch is a free visual programming language and online community used by millions of children around the world.

Scratch is a free visual programming language and online community used by millions of children around the world. With Scratch, children can create their own interactive stories, then share and discuss their creations with one another.
#online #flash
https://scratch.mit.edu/

Still relevant.

Still relevant.
http://www.flamewarriorsguide.com/

Skyscraper 2.0 Alpha 2 Demo - Part 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah6P_j2BAN8

This may explain why the sky isn't full of lighter than air craft.

This may explain why the sky isn't full of lighter than air craft.
http://www.openculture.com/2017/12/the-periodic-table-of-endangered-elements.html

From Nedroid at http://nedroid.com/

From Nedroid at http://nedroid.com/

I did not know you could paint with EXCEL!!!!

I did not know you could paint with EXCEL!!!!
http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2017/12/tatsuo-horiuchi-excel-artist/

Rosegarden is a music composition and editing environment based around a MIDI sequencer that features a rich...

Rosegarden is a music composition and editing environment based around a MIDI sequencer that features a rich understanding of music notation and includes basic support for digital audio.

I'd be very lost with this, but it looks impressive!
#linux
http://www.rosegardenmusic.com/

Good heavens, just look at this GUI!

Good heavens, just look at this GUI!
#linux

https://qtractor.sourceforge.io/qtractor-index.html

Sigil is a multi-platform EPUB ebook editor. You'll find it at https://sigil-ebook.com/ #windows #macOS #linux

Sigil is a multi-platform EPUB ebook editor. You'll find it at https://sigil-ebook.com/
#windows #macOS #linux

Sigil is a multi-platform EPUB ebook editor.

Sigil is a multi-platform EPUB ebook editor.
#windows #macOS #linux

A free, multiplatform, feature-rich screenwriting program.

A free, multiplatform, feature-rich screenwriting program.
#windows #linux
http://www.trelby.org/

This is a subsection of a larger site of images, but it contains lots of seamless textures to download.

This is a subsection of a larger site of images, but it contains lots of seamless textures to download.
http://www.commentnation.com/backgrounds/index.htm

Got problems with you Windows boot.

Got problems with you Windows boot. This might help, but read the instructions first or you could get into a LOT of trouble! For the less bold, you can just use Dual-boot Repair (also found on the same site).
#windows
https://www.boyans.net/

Well that turned out to be easier then expected.

Well that turned out to be easier then expected. Why couldn't I share to the HomeGroup? Because this that didn't appear in the context menu, because this option was unticked. D'Oh!
#windows #sharing
http://ccm.net/faq/11247-windows-7-add-the-share-with-option-to-the-context-menu

I'm Programmer

http://www.improgrammer.net/free-algorithm-books-for-download/

Baby and daddy programmer 😂

Originally shared by Programming

Baby and daddy programmer 😂

Is Moose, without Squirrel!!!!

Is Moose, without Squirrel!!!!
#apple #mac
http://www.like2do.com/learn?s=Talking_Moose

#windows #microsoft

#windows #microsoft
http://steve-lovelace.com/the-ghosts-of-microsoft-bob/

#microsoft #assistants

A Clippy simulator!

A Clippy simulator!
#javascript
https://www.smore.com/clippy-js

Well, today's one of those days when books have turn ups!

Well, today's one of those days when books have turn ups! Remember that NUC I was having trouble with? Well while I was reinstalling Mint KDE on the RecRoom PC, I thought I'd turn on the NUC, which had been sitting dormant in the RecRoom for the last 3 weeks. Turned it on, and it connected to the Internet. Not only that, it was connected to my HomeGroup as well!!!!

Those were the two things that weren't working before. I hadn't changed anything. But, in the last week the house had blacked out twice (due I think to a short in the hot water system). Perhaps the problem was with the Modem. Golly, it all works now! :D
Fred Beckhusen

There are more reasons than you realise.

There are more reasons than you realise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkF73zv8qas&feature=share

Truth is stranger than fiction.

Truth is stranger than fiction.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzjdcPbjaR4&feature=share

Those damn scientists want to make up their minds!

Those damn scientists want to make up their minds!
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/balls-pyramid-lord-howe-island-stick-insects-genetics-extinction

Another overview of GRAVIT DESIGNER.

Another overview of GRAVIT DESIGNER.
#macOS #windows #linux #chromeOS #ipad #android #web
https://medium.com/gravitdesigner/vector-illustration-with-gravit-designer-930a1e5622bd

This is actually a review of GRAVIT.

This is actually a review of GRAVIT.

Ivel long been looking for a replacement for Adobe Fireworks (long discontinued). I know that they have some sort of CC replacement, but I don't do a subscription model. The thing is, that I used Fireworks to finish off webcomics. The feature set of Fireworks was great for doing placement, panel division, and adding text and thought bubbles.

Illustrator (I have CS5 and CS6 version) was a bit of overkill, since most of the artwork was already done by the time it got to that stage. Photshop is always good for compisiting, but lacked making text balloons is more complicated. Maybe I should look at GRAVIT again. It's free!
https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2016/04/exploring-a-new-illustration-ui-design-app-gravit/

Free Science: NASA Just Opened Its Entire Research Library to the Public

https://futurism.com/free-science-nasa-just-opened-its-entire-research-library-to-the-public/

!!!

!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgE4RSwh1_4

I probably can't leave things alone, but - there was only 5gb left on the Recroom Win7 system partition!

I probably can't leave things alone, but - there was only 5gb left on the Recroom Win7 system partition! When I'd installed things originally I may have underestimated just how many games and applications I might install on it. So, I thought the obvious thing was use Clonezilla again (after my success on the Studio PC) and move stuff from a 1 TB drive to a 2 TB drive.

The clone went OK, though Win7 wanted to check everything, gave me TWO Windows options to boot from! Now it's just a matter of using GParted to more and resize partitions on the new drive. No issues, but it takes a l-o-n-g t-i-m-e to move things around. By the end of the process the Win partion will be double the size, there'll be a video partition, and a games one as well - for stand-alone / steam stuff installed.

And then - all things going properly - it's back to business as usual.

The Amazing Heptadecagon (17-gon) - Numberphile

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87uo2TPrsl8&feature=share

United States of Voronoi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_uvofsYl9s&feature=share

This appears to be a serious campaign.

This appears to be a serious campaign.
https://www.stopkillerrobots.org/

How accurate!

How accurate!
http://publicdomainreview.org/collections/france-in-the-year-2000-1899-1910/?utm_content=bufferc5e11&utm_medium=social&utm_source=plus.google.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Huh?

Huh?
https://irlpodcast.org/bonus1/

A free (non-commercial) Clearview like font for road signs, includes arrows!

A free (non-commercial) Clearview like font for road signs, includes arrows!
http://www.fontspace.com/michael-d-adams/roadgeek-2005

Important, if you don't want your Airport project to look WRONG.

Important, if you don't want your Airport project to look WRONG.
https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/06/why-the-same-three-typefaces-are-used-in-almost-every-airport/

Well, that'd be be one way to do it.

Well, that'd be be one way to do it.

Not sure why, but this computer from the 80s looks very cool to me.

Not sure why, but this computer from the 80s looks very cool to me.

Originally shared by Musée Bolo

Today is the first national Digital Day Switzerland.
Talk about the future, do not forget the past.
https://digitaltag.swiss/
#digitalday #digitaltag

Is Space a Thing?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQsplQW7KGw

A Digital Archive of 1,800+ Children’s Books from UCLA

http://www.openculture.com/2017/11/a-digital-archive-of-1800-childrens-books-from-ucla.html

This looks like mainly a USA issue, but even if that's "only" the case, they'll be a knock-on effect I'm sure.

This looks like mainly a USA issue, but even if that's "only" the case, they'll be a knock-on effect I'm sure.
http://www.iflscience.com/policy/fcc-set-destroy-net-neutrality-america-before-christmas/

While I was researching heliports for the SECONDS Webcomic, I found this document for VERTIPORTS -...

While I was researching heliports for the SECONDS Webcomic, I found this document for VERTIPORTS - https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/advisory_circular/150-5390-3/150_5390_3.PDF. I'd never heard the term before but it seems they've been around for a while. The artwork in that document made me think of a Frank. R. Paul illustration.

The future's a bit like that I guess. You think something's coming soon but it's been around for years. Take flying cars and jet packs for example. Every so often you see some story in the media claiming that they're now here, when really both have been around in various forms for the last 50-60 years. It's just, like the electric light before Edison, they're not terribly practical, safe or affordable!
http://www.dallasobserver.com/news/quick-robin-to-the-vertiport-sixteen-years-later-city-finds-use-for-24-mil-landing-pad-7119411

WebReaper is web crawler or spider, which can work its way through a website, downloading pages, pictures and...

WebReaper is web crawler or spider, which can work its way through a website, downloading pages, pictures and objects that it finds so that they can be viewed locally, without needing to be connected to the internet.

I've used this in the previous decade, partly because a website I liked was about to go down (it reappeared SIX YEARS LATER). According to the creator he... "...wanted to read Internet Web Page content using my laptop on the way to work. Not wanting to run up massive bills using a mobile phone and GSM modem, I decided the best idea was to download a few entire websites 'en masse' and then use IE4's Offline Mode to view them".
#windows #internet
http://www.webreaper.net/

The doomed planet almost skims the surface of its star before heading out almost twice the distance as Earth is from...

The doomed planet almost skims the surface of its star before heading out almost twice the distance as Earth is from our Sun before heading back in again.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2017-11-23/alien-planet-has-most-eccentric-orbit-around-giant-star/9181110?smid=Page:+ABC+Science-Facebook_Organic&WT.tsrc=Facebook_Organic&sf174089423=1

Everything is an ultra fast file searcher for Windows. It indexes drives.

Everything is an ultra fast file searcher for Windows. It indexes drives.
#windows
https://www.voidtools.com/

Er, all very nice, but imaginary animals are not the same.

Er, all very nice, but imaginary animals are not the same.
https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/20/internet-of-elephants/

See if you can find an "About page". It was unclear to me what they were promoting here.

See if you can find an "About page". It was unclear to me what they were promoting here.
https://www.blend4web.com/en/

A powerful tool.

A powerful tool. I've been hacking my computer's OSs since, well since I used to own a TRS-80 clone in the late 70s! The golden rule if you use this is - backup everything important first, and create a restore point just in case!
#windows
http://www.angusj.com/resourcehacker/

Still using Windows Explorer?

Still using Windows Explorer? Install this free application to extend its usefulness, such as adding tabs, dual panes and others. Works with Win 7 and later.
#windows
http://qttabbar.wikidot.com/

British Library publishes treasure trove of Hebrew manuscripts...

Originally shared by Rob Jongschaap

British Library publishes treasure trove of Hebrew manuscripts https://www.timesofisrael.com/british-library-publishes-treasure-trove-of-hebrew-manuscripts/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/british-library-publishes-treasure-trove-of-hebrew-manuscripts/

Not so sure about this one however.

Not so sure about this one however.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0khUGNfCIE

The more robots get developed, the more they'll interact with humans and their symbiotes.

The more robots get developed, the more they'll interact with humans and their symbiotes.

Originally shared by Rob Jongschaap
https://youtu.be/rEg6oeazTNY

Looks handy.

Looks handy.

https://www.askvg.com/

After the Firefox 57 update, this was the one thing that constantly annoyed me.

After the Firefox 57 update, this was the one thing that constantly annoyed me. If you selected a bookmark it would open in the current window. Yes, you can now just click it while pressing CTRL, or use the middle mouse button, but you have to make a conscious choice to do that. Easy to forget, and also what if you don't have a middle mouse button, only have one usable hand and can't press CTRL while making a selection?

So this fix - which still works - forces a bookmark to open in a new tab. Hurray!!! I'm saving a copy of this page for next time.
#firefox #annoyances #firefox57
https://www.askvg.com/tip-how-to-always-open-bookmarks-in-new-tabs-in-mozilla-firefox/

Interesting idea.

Interesting idea.

Originally shared by Ward Plunet

AI Blocks

A powerfull and intuitive WYSIWYG interface that allows anyone to create Machine Learning models! The concept of AI-Blocs is to have a simple scene with draggable objects that have scripts attached to them. The model can be run directly on the editor or be exported to a standalone script that runs on Tensorflow.
https://github.com/MrNothing/AI-Blocks

AutoHotkey is a free, open-source scripting language for Windows that allows users to easily create small to complex...

AutoHotkey is a free, open-source scripting language for Windows that allows users to easily create small to complex scripts for all kinds of tasks such as: form fillers, auto-clicking, macros, etc.

On one of my PAINT TOOL SAI tutorials over at DeviantArt someone asked me if it was possible to set up the program to use WASD keys instead of the arrow keys (it wasn't). However I suggested a (fairly drastic) workaround of reassigning the keys using a utility program first. I found this utility program, and it there's even a page at https://autohotkey.com/board/topic/51687-toggle-wasd-keys-to-arrow-keys-help/ that tells you how to do that!
#windows
https://autohotkey.com/

If it ain't broken, don't fix it.

If it ain't broken, don't fix it.

Originally shared by Dewet Diener

"The fact that the world now relies on one single capsule, developed in the 1960s, to ferry astronauts into space is striking. For some it suggests that manned spaceflight no longer commands its former interest."
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/science/2016/dec/11/soyuz-space-fifty-years-old

Would be better to actually see this move.

Would be better to actually see this move.

Originally shared by Dewet Diener

"The cephalopod-inspired, tentacle-twitching machine is the first as its kind, as the only self-powering, non-tethered robot to be made entirely out of soft components. The octobot doesn’t need to be connected to an external power source, nor does it include any internal batteries or hard parts. Instead, it runs entirely on hydrogen peroxide, which breaks down in the presence of a platinum catalyst to produce gas that powers its movements."
https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/chemical-powered-robot-octopus-is-a-real-softie/1017324.article

I've only been posting to Facebook via a Firefox addon called AddtoAny, rather than going to Facebook itself.

I've only been posting to Facebook via a Firefox addon called AddtoAny, rather than going to Facebook itself. A lot simpler for me that way, as I can share serendipity stuff I find, without breaking my focus.

It also allows you to post a link to: Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Email, LinkedIn, Reddit, Tumblr, WordPress, Google Gmail, WhatsApp, StumbleUpon, AIM, Amazon Wish List, AOL Mail, Balatarin, BibSonomy, Bitty Browser, Blinklist, Blogger Post, BlogMarks, Bookmarks.fr, Box.net, BuddyMarks, Buffer, Care2 News, CiteULike, Delicious, Design Float, Diary.Ru, Diaspora, Digg, diHITT, Diigo, Douban, Draugiem, DZone, Evernote, Facebook Messenger, Fark, Flipboard, Folkd, Google Bookmarks, Google Classroom, Hacker News, Hatena, Houzz, Instapaper, Jamespot, Kakao, Kik, Kindle It, Known, Line, LiveJournal, Mail.Ru, Mendeley, Meneame, Mixi, MySpace, Netlog, Netvouz, NewsVine, NUjij, Odnoklassniki, Oknotizie, Outlook.com, Papaly, Pinboard, Plurk, Pocket, Polyvore, Print, PrintFriendly, Protopage Bookmarks, Pusha, Qzone, Rediff MyPage, Refind, Renren, Segnalo, Sina Weibo, SiteJot, Skype, Slashdot, StockTwits, Stumpedia, Svejo, Symbaloo Feeds, Telegram, Threema, Trello, Tuenti, Twiddla, TypePad Post, Viadeo, Viber, VK, Wanelo, WeChat, Wykop, XING, Yahoo Bookmarks, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Messenger, Yoolink, YouMob, and Yummly.

I never knew there were so many social media thingamies that you can post to before!
#Firefox #addon
https://www.addtoany.com/

Hurray! Kids "get it"!

Hurray! Kids "get it"!

Originally shared by Takayuki Yamazaki

What happens if Kids meet a quadruped robot?
Video: https://youtu.be/tpip9P58bp4

#robotic #ANYmal #quadrupedrobot

The manifesto of Singularity net.

The manifesto of Singularity net.
https://blog.singularitynet.io/how-decentralized-ai-can-change-the-lives-of-millions-4ac76da2aafe

Watching this, I have no problems with either Albert or Sophie, but the presenter? Um...

Watching this, I have no problems with either Albert or Sophie, but the presenter? Um...

Originally shared by Danièle Mordmardok

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLzbsIS2Xto&feature=share
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLzbsIS2Xto&feature=share

I've spent most of the day fiddling with Firefox, finding replacement addons for ones that no longer work.

I've spent most of the day fiddling with Firefox, finding replacement addons for ones that no longer work. The two biggest gaps are proper replacements for TAB MIX PLUS and THEME & FONT CHANGER.

I found a couple of addons that do some of the things the first does (bring up a list of recently closed tabs, and save sets of tabs to bookmarks), but the big thing about the Font & Theme changer was being able to change the size of the fonts on the menu (yes, I still prefer a menu) and the toolbars. The workaround I found does that, but damnit, why don't they have a UI SCALE slider, like they do in SecondLife/Opensim viewers?!
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1184537

Firefox has updated to version 57, also known as "Quantum".

Firefox has updated to version 57, also known as "Quantum". Apparently everything's changed, and about half of my addons are either gone or no longer work. Therational behind this is that there's a "budding addon standard" which is all very good, but half the reason I've stayed with Firefox was the useful addons. Of course most - in time - will be updated but it's just plain annoying.

A while back Thunderbird was updated and unlike their usual updates, it automatically added a mandatory calendar addon with the update. I almost left using Thunderbird at that point, but the alternatives I was perpared to entertain - Evolution, Claws, and The Bat, all had issues. Instead I removed the addon and continued to use Google Calendar instead.

I've been tempted to swap to Opera again, but I'll wait and see just which addons get updated soon. In the meantime, the Firefox version on my other two PCs will be staying at version 56, until I get that sorted. Most of the web browsers of late are looking a lot more like Chrome. I'm yet to determine if that's a good thing or not.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/

I think in 10 or 20 years this will be very common, especially if maintaining and feeding cats and dogs becomes...

I think in 10 or 20 years this will be very common, especially if maintaining and feeding cats and dogs becomes prohibitively expense.

Originally shared by Wayne Radinsky

"Should children form emotional bonds with robots?" "Anki has hired animators from Pixar and DreamWorks to design some 1,200 little movements for the robot to make. Their animation software is hooked up directly to sample robots: The animators create new ways to show that Cozmo is, say, frustrated, and play them back through its body to see how people interpret the robot's actions. The goal is to choreograph movements and expressions that will induce genuine emotions in the toy's owner."

"It seemed almost cruel to design a robot that could play on a young kid's emotions. And I had never considered that, in the coming human -- robot conflagration, robots might take over simply by expertly manipulating us into letting them win."

"Pretend empathy does not do the job. If relationships with smart toys crowd out those with friends or family, even partially, we might see children growing up without the equipment for empathic connection."
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/12/my-sons-first-robot/544137/?single_page=true

Hello spot, good dog! Go do your stuff round that corner!

Hello spot, good dog! Go do your stuff round that corner!

Originally shared by Antonio Vieira

Boston Dynamics' SpotMini robot dog looked right at us, and it was downright creepy https://buff.ly/2AIUdXm

A freemium email server.

A freemium email server. The free account gets you basic services - 500MB storage, 150 messages per day, and limited support. You can also pay 4 € or more a month for more features.
https://protonmail.com/

Speaking of which...

Speaking of which...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPZwnc_Lk2M&feature=share

ROBOTIC mailmen will be rolling the footpaths in Brisbane next month as Australia Post trials an autonomous parcel...

ROBOTIC mailmen will be rolling the footpaths in Brisbane next month as Australia Post trials an autonomous parcel delivery service.

I just saw this on TV, puttering around Brisbane. It would struggle done my street!
#Australia

Impressive.

Impressive.
https://vimeo.com/192180842

I've shared this before, but it's still good value.

I've shared this before, but it's still good value. An open-source version of Toonz, which was used by Studio Ghibli to make a number of animated films.
https://opentoonz.github.io/e/

There were some of these in ancient times, but they were mostly for show.

There were some of these in ancient times, but they were mostly for show.

Originally shared by The Public Domain Review

“With pinned cylinders, beginning in the early part of the eighteenth century, people began to design automata that actually enacted the tasks they appeared to perform. The first simulative automata were designed in the 1730s by a Frenchman named Jacques Vaucanson, and quickly became the talk of Europe. Two were musicians, a 'Piper' and a 'Flutist'. The flutist had lips that flexed in four directions, delicate jointed fingers, and lungs made of bellows that gave three different blowing pressures. It was the first automaton musician actually to play an instrument, rather than being a music box with a decorative figure. It played a real flute: you could even bring it your own. Vaucanson’s third automaton was the notorious 'Defecating Duck'. While it flapped its wings and cavorted duckishly, its main attraction was that it swallowed bits of corn or grain and excreted them at the other end in a changed form.”

From Jessica Riskin’s “Frolicsome Engines: The Long Prehistory of Artificial Intelligence”, featured in our new book of Selected Essays: https://buff.ly/2ysKd2O

(Order before midnight on 14th November for special discount price and Christmas delivery!!!)

I finally had to recharge my phone (I use a pre-paid account) and I noticed stupid adverts from Touchpal.

I finally had to recharge my phone (I use a pre-paid account) and I noticed stupid adverts from Touchpal. in the notifications. Now I can't remember ever installing Touchpal, but maybe they come with a HUWAEI phone preinstalled. Anyway, I uninstalled it after installing GBOARD. Looks a lot more helpful, and easier to use, like adding an extra numbers row and resizing the keyboard. Apparently there's an iPhone version as well.
#android #iphone
https://www.cnet.com/au/how-to/heres-how-to-use-gboards-features/

Here's a survey for you, especially if you've been a a customer of theirs.

Here's a survey for you, especially if you've been a a customer of theirs. I made three piles: WTF?, Vaguely Familiar, and Gaming. The WTF? pile had the most selections.
https://037r7w6h.optimalworkshop.com/optimalsort/5kf50pse?utm_source=all+updates&utm_campaign=e8f5912ea0-Card_Sorting_Survey_09_11_17&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c970747b22-e8f5912ea0-164554341&mc_cid=e8f5912ea0&mc_eid=c93766cbf7

xkcd: Height

https://xkcd.com/482/

There's precious metals in them there asteroids!

There's precious metals in them there asteroids!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydgrFa3_MCs&feature=share

A cool idea, documenting a reconstruction of this.

A cool idea, documenting a reconstruction of this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML4tw_UzqZE&feature=share

More than a hundred experts in artificial intelligence have signed an open letter calling on Prime Minister Malcolm...

More than a hundred experts in artificial intelligence have signed an open letter calling on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to push for a worldwide ban on autonomous lethal weapons.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-07/ai-experts-urge-turnbull-to-push-for-autonomous-weapon-ban/9127300?smid=Page:+ABC+Science-Facebook_Organic&WT.tsrc=Facebook_Organic&sf152330763=1

Clippings » AE Creations » cool, useful software

Quite pleased to read this. The Clippings Addon is one reason I've stuck with Firefox.
#firefox
http://aecreations.sourceforge.net/clippings/clippings6.php

Looks interesting, though do you actually need a media cataloger?

Looks interesting, though do you actually need a media cataloger? Most #windows, byt supports #linux, #macOS, and #server.
http://www.datacrow.net/#!prettyPhoto

AlfaRomeo Aerodinamica 1914. for details see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ALFA_40/60_HP

AlfaRomeo Aerodinamica 1914. for details see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ALFA_40/60_HP

BLOODY RUDE!

BLOODY RUDE!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2017/10/13/are-you-phubbing-right-now-what-it-is-and-why-science-says-its-bad-for-your-relationships/?utm_term=.21aa612635c2

Do you really want to know the answer?

Do you really want to know the answer?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqno7K2zXi4&feature=share

This is quite funny!

This is quite funny!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EUy_82IChY&feature=share

Does My Dog Know What I'm Thinking?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnMULQDHIjk&feature=share

Handy subtitles in the lower right.

Handy subtitles in the lower right.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4DuqEL0ChQ&feature=share

Around 30 engineers have been testing the mammoth machine and lead designer Vitaly Bulgarov drew inspiration from...

Around 30 engineers have been testing the mammoth machine and lead designer Vitaly Bulgarov drew inspiration from his previous work on the fantasy films, Transformers and Terminator.

I suspect it'll be a while before we see a final product. Also, there's something wrong with those legs. They look more like CGI to me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcO8Cegk_ZU&feature=share

Professional wrestling by other means?

Professional wrestling by other means?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-ouLX8Q9UM&feature=share

More a promo for these lasb than anything else, but...

More a promo for these lasb than anything else, but...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ_-yb-TN9M&feature=share

Magic AI: these are the optical illusions that trick, fool, and flummox computers

https://www.theverge.com/2017/4/12/15271874/ai-adversarial-images-fooling-attacks-artificial-intelligence

I don't usually use GIMP, but it's good with effects and textures.

I don't usually use GIMP, but it's good with effects and textures.

Originally shared by Vbinnia Radek

Just found a rare thing! a series of tutorials on producing metal textures in Gimp called Metal Wurks by Draconian. This is a texture I made after reading Part-1 it's seamless so will tile easily. Take a copy it if it's any use, it's a CC BY-NC 4.0 licence so credit me Vbinnia Radek please if you use it on a build you distribute. As I'm crap at textures I will jump on anything that helps me in Blender and Gimp and these tutorials are good. Go to this page to find links to, all, the tutorials. Three page of links in reverse order,

http://gimpchat.com/search.php?st=0&sk=t&sd=d&sr=posts&keywords=Metal+Wurx&author=Draconian&fid%5B%5D=10&sf=titleonly&start=20

P.S. copying from google may be difficult so try from here. https://www.dropbox.com/s/hex5dvw3ye3nf4k/vb-chromeNbrass.png?dl=0

Sigh...

Sigh...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyFPwOjSWII

Robomania #2

Robomania #2
And no, it's NOT Bender.
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/meet-the-first-robot-citizen-sophia-animatronic-humanoid-2017-10

Robomania #1. Seems nice enough.

Robomania #1. Seems nice enough.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/sciencetech/video-1098363/Meet-Pepper-friendly-robot-designed-live-humans.html

Just so long as they're well indexed and searchable.

Just so long as they're well indexed and searchable.
http://www.openculture.com/2017/11/25-million-images-from-14-art-institutions-to-be-digitized-put-online-in-one-huge-scholarly-archive.html

BENDING, BREAKING and BLENDING!

BENDING, BREAKING and BLENDING!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQQJP6mqHC4&feature=share

Nice collection of free textures.

Nice collection of free textures.
http://www.myfreetextures.com/

Your plastic friend who's fun to be with.

Your plastic friend who's fun to be with.
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-41831695

The case of the missing fractals - Alex Rosenthal and George Zaidan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C75vRVL5lE&feature=share

Neuroscientists Discover A Song That Reduces Anxiety By 65 Percent (Listen) – Awareness Act

http://awarenessact.com/neuroscientistss-discover-a-song-that-reduces-anxiety-by-65-percent-listen/?utm_source=sciencedump&utm_medium=Facebook

From the unpopular science section.

From the unpopular science section.

John Bolton – father of radio astronomy

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/scienceshow/john-bolton-%E2%80%93-father-of-radio-astronomy/9092714?smid=Page:+ABC+Science-Facebook_Organic&WT.tsrc=Facebook_Organic&sf128207055=1

Sit down lawnmowers have been around for a while.

Sit down lawnmowers have been around for a while.

Originally shared by Peter Weger

No hanging out the doorways.

No hanging out the doorways.

Originally shared by Peter Weger

I could easily use something like this.

I could easily use something like this.
#windows #linux
http://www.areca-backup.org/index.php

It's a database, and?...

It's a database, and?...
#linux
http://kexi-project.org/about.html

The open source Firebird® relational database management system performs excellently and scales impressively, from...

The open source Firebird® relational database management system performs excellently and scales impressively, from an embedded, single-user model to enterprise-wide deployments with multiple 2Tb+Gb databases running with hundreds of simultaneous clients.

Never heard of this before - perhaps because it may be aimed at a different type of end user.
#windows #macOS #linux #android
http://www.firebirdsql.org/en/features/

GrafX2 is a bitmap paint program inspired by the Amiga programs ​Deluxe Paint and Brilliance.

GrafX2 is a bitmap paint program inspired by the Amiga programs ​Deluxe Paint and Brilliance. Specialized in 256-color drawing, it includes a very large number of tools and effects that make it particularly suitable for pixel art, game graphics, and generally any detailed graphics painted with a mouse.

I love that style of graphic image, has become a genre.
#android #linux #freeBSD #raspberrypi #windows #amigaOS


http://pulkomandy.tk/projects/GrafX2

Tile Studio is a complete development utility for graphics of tile-based games.

Tile Studio is a complete development utility for graphics of tile-based games. The application contains a bitmap editor for creating tiles and sprites and a map editor for designing level maps. Tile Studio can be used together with ANY programming language, since the output is completely programmable! You can program Tile Studio to output your maps, animation sequences, bitmaps, palettes, etc. in any format and include the output directly into your source code!

This seems to be the most developed application I found when checking out alternatives to Aseprite. Looks perfect for classic platformers.
#windows
http://tilestudio.sourceforge.net/

A commercial sprite editor and animator.

A commercial sprite editor and animator. Costs about $US 15. I don't think I've come across an open source sprite editor. Must be a niche market.
#windows #macOS #linux
https://www.aseprite.org/#buy

according to Ping Gao and Daniel Jafferis of Harvard University and Aron Wall of Stanford University, the repulsive...

according to Ping Gao and Daniel Jafferis of Harvard University and Aron Wall of Stanford University, the repulsive negative energy in the wormhole’s throat can be generated from the outside by a special quantum connection between the pair of black holes that form the wormhole’s two mouths.
https://www.quantamagazine.org/newfound-wormhole-allows-information-to-escape-black-holes-20171023/?utm_content=buffer4237c&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Winans Steam Gun

Winans Steam Gun

The Winans Steam Gun was a steam-powered centrifugal gun used during the American Civil War, which used centrifugal forces (rather than gunpowder) to propel projectiles.Similar in size to a steam-powered fire engine of the day, the gun had a menacing appearance thanks to a large curved shield covering its inner workings. Its mechanism involved a shielded barrel that rotated up to 250 times per minute. Shot dumped into the top of the barrel rolled down into it, and were held back by a spring-loaded gate that opened to allow one shot to be flung out per revolution of the barrel. Despite the effort invested in the project, it was unable to match the accuracy or power of the gunpowder weaponry of the time, and thus the steam gun project was abandoned

You mean Win10 didn't add this functionality? Tsk!

You mean Win10 didn't add this functionality? Tsk!
#windows
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/make-a-window-stay-always-on-top-windows

PureRef was created to be a simple and lightweight tool for artists to organize and view their reference images.

PureRef was created to be a simple and lightweight tool for artists to organize and view their reference images.

It says it's free, but you get a "donation by paypal" screen before you can download.
#linux #macOS #windows
https://www.pureref.com/index.php

Below is a listed email from Renderosity.

Below is a listed email from Renderosity. Golly, I knew Mozilla Thunderbird was good, but I didn't realise it was this good!

The implication of these observations is pretty astounding.

The implication of these observations is pretty astounding. “Unless there are serious problems with much of the astronomy listed below,” the astronomers wrote, “…this object may be the first clear case of an interstellar comet”—a comet that came for a visit from outside our own solar system.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/interstellar-comet-c2017u1

Still, appearing in this sharp image just above and to the left of Mirach, Mirach's Ghost is cataloged as galaxy NGC...

Still, appearing in this sharp image just above and to the left of Mirach, Mirach's Ghost is cataloged as galaxy NGC 404 and is estimated to be some 10 million light-years away.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap171027.html

I mostly eat muesli now.

I mostly eat muesli now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbKAwk-OG_w&feature=share

I got those wall clips up for the LAN cables today.

I got those wall clips up for the LAN cables today. I used a mixture of screwed-in U clips (on the wood) and sticky pop-out clips on the plaster. This removes the last artifact of Kevin, who was a boarder her until early 2011. He'd carefully mounted a LAN cable into the corners of the wall and ceiling into the Study. Looked nice but really the plugs and cable havd been damaged in the process.

It still looks a bit ad hoc seeing blue LAN cables winding around the walls above door height, but that's convenient when I have to replace them. Each 30m cable has about 5m spare, but with that I can place PCs anywhere in the room, and 20m was just too short. So it goes.

And following on from the Dynasphere - which this clip starts with - some more vehicle you want see to often any...

And following on from the Dynasphere - which this clip starts with - some more vehicle you want see to often any more! The Flying platform looks like "engineering for the shear hell of it". I bet you it wouldn't be passed by the RTA today!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOVwc8_PSZ0&feature=share

Someone's always got to GO TOO FAR with a good idea! :P

Someone's always got to GO TOO FAR with a good idea! :P
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvA7hDh_vhY&feature=share

You can still sometimes find versions of these at various events.

You can still sometimes find versions of these at various events.
https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2010/11/22/m-goventosas-one-wheel-to-obscurity/

We are pleased to announce that our good partner, CELSYS, is now expanding their capabilities beyond software...

We are pleased to announce that our good partner, CELSYS, is now expanding their capabilities beyond software developer. For Smith Micro customers of CLIP STUDIO PAINT / Manga Studio 5, as of October 28, 2017 you can now look to CELSYS for download licenses, support and technical inquiries.

I use CSP, which I originally bought as Manga Studio, and like it a lot for a drawing application. This transition to support by the original makers should be a good thing, except that they're Japanese based. Sometimes the manuals are not quite obvious in what they're saying, and LOTS OF FIDDLING is required to figure features out.
http://blog.smithmicro.com/clip-studio-paints-next-chapter

Canada's 'super secret spy agency' is releasing a malware-fighting tool to the public

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/cse-canada-cyber-spy-malware-assemblyline-open-source-1.4361728

Dubai has certainly done a lot this year to maintain its “City of the Future” status.

Dubai has certainly done a lot this year to maintain its “City of the Future” status. The city will become the home of the first 3D printed skyscraper, wants robots to comprise 25 percent of its police force, is developing a flying taxi, and has introduced a new cryptocurrency known as EmCash.

I guess they liked what they saw on Coruscant in the Star Wars films.


Originally shared by Futurism 1.0

It's completely electric, and can travel at a top speed of 69 km/h (43 mph).
https://futurism.com/a-city-of-the-future-reveals-the-hoversurf-flying-bike/?utm_content=bufferc35b3&utm_medium=social&utm_source=plus.google.com&utm_campaign=buffer

The studio PC is finally restored.

The studio PC is finally restored. I almost stumbled at the last hurdle. Grub couldn't boot, but that's because there was a "BBS" HDD order in the bios, and the boot HD had to be first on that list - something I hope I remember next time! Tomorrow I'm escaping to Bunnings to get some wall clips for the new cables.

APOD: 2017 October 24 - Where Your Elements Came From

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap171024.html

Everything's gone according to plan so far today.

Everything's gone according to plan so far today. I used GPartEd to redo the old System disk. I re-lettered the new partitions and am slowly copying stuff back on to the PC. S-l-o-w process.

After that, I'm reinstalling Mint as the dual boot.

A open-source editor from Adobe!

A open-source editor from Adobe!
#windows #macOS #linux
http://brackets.io/

Well I'd forgotten how atrocious the KDE partition manager was.

Well I'd forgotten how atrocious the KDE partition manager was. I downloaded and burned a new live version of GPartEd, which has always been the most reliable and capable of the open-source partition editors.

The KDE partition editor couldn't see the free space on the disk, whereas GPartEd could. I'm adding space for some things (especially the Windows system partition) and adding a logical partition at the end, where I'll relocate stuff like the Extras drive and the Music collection.

But, it take s-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o to move and resize partitions - I'll get back to it later. Once it's all done I need to reboot both Windows (which will automatically do a CHKDISK) and Mint. I might reinstall Mint anyway, after backing up the /Home partition. I don't use Mint much, but it does come in handy every so often, and some software runs better on it.

Ultimately I want the Studio PC to be the one I do 3D building and Videos on, so more space is essential.
https://gparted.org/livecd.php

The cloning worked!

The cloning worked!

I swapped out the old system disk, and swapped in the cloned one to disk 1 / sda position, and it booted to Windows! Then Windows adjusted itself to the Toshiba drive and asked me to reboot afterwards, which I did. All went correctly. And now I've booted to Mint, which seems to work fine (though a little slow, since it can't find the swap partition).

Next I'll carefully look at the System drive using KDEPartition Editor. There should be an extra 1TB (roughly) that I can now allocate to Windows and other things. I won't touch the old System drive until I know that everything's set up the way I want it, and working, and I may need to reinstall Mint in that process.

Old computers don't fade away, they just get smaller!

Old computers don't fade away, they just get smaller!
https://learn.adafruit.com/mini-commodore-pet-with-charlieplexed-led-matrix?view=all

Having backed up the dodgy disk (with only one file that couldn't be copied), I'm now using CloneZilla to do a disk...

Having backed up the dodgy disk (with only one file that couldn't be copied), I'm now using CloneZilla to do a disk -> disk copy of of my system/boot disk.

Why do this? The replacement disk is 2 TB, whereas my original system drive is 1 TB, which is all used. By swapping them over I can then use the 1 TB drive to replace the drive I lost, which was full of support stuff like a music collection and utility programs that didn't need to be installed. What I backed up was less than 1 TB, so this should work well.

Or maybe I just like complicating things.

Backup is working!

Take three - I discovered this morning that the power cable on the dodge drive was disconnected!

Take three - I discovered this morning that the power cable on the dodge drive was disconnected! Not sure how or when that happened, but it must have been after I started the backups yesterday. But how? Then again, I still have two cats here, so maybe the issue was "when" while I have the cover off! :P

The drive still has S.M.A.R.T. issues though, so backup and replacement is still needed.

The workaround was to boot to Mint and backup the files in that.

The workaround was to boot to Mint and backup the files in that. My one regret was an inability to install Krusader first to do that. Two panel file manager with lots of tweaks, would have been easier to follow than (also sometimes dual panel) silly Dolphin!
https://krusader.org/

Copy failed. Disk went offline in the middle of it. Take 2, but only after I finish watching Discovery.

Copy failed. Disk went offline in the middle of it. Take 2, but only after I finish watching Discovery.

It seems - at least for the moment - to access the dodgy disk I have to do a cold boot.

It seems - at least for the moment - to access the dodgy disk I have to do a cold boot.

I then get some advice to back it up, but all the drives are accessible (more or less). If I do a warm reboot, no message, and no disk attached. I'm currently backing up everything I can from that. I have no idea how long that'll take. The last time I tried this was on the disk with my Masters on, and I'd left that too late. But best to attempt the backup RIGHT NOW (I just happen to have a spare external drive), and worry about replacing it later.

At least this is a (dare I tempt fate) simple procedure. I can set it in motion and come back later. Time for lunch.

Well, this morning's going "as I expected".

Well, this morning's going "as I expected".

It transpires that I needed to replace both LAN cables in the Studio. I discovered that the one that had seemed to work actually had a broken plug at one end. It'd been sitting in this one position on the Ethernet Switch for a L-O-N-G time, and I'd unplugged that one to test the spare LAN cable to the RecRoom. Luckily I remembered that I had a spare 30m LAN cable after all. Had I remembered this earlier I probably wouldn't have gone out and bought a new one, but it's just as well I did. A bit of cable rearranging still required.

When it came to the Studio PC, I was able to boot it again and it checked a message at boot about S.M.A.R.T. errors on that drive and advising me to backup and throw out! Gosh, that's what I've been trying to do! It's a good job the axe is in the garden shed. I'll see how "plan A" goes before using "plan Z" (the axe)!!! 😵

I drilled a hole in a wall today and fed a LAN cable through it.

I drilled a hole in a wall today and fed a LAN cable through it. I moved the laptop back into the Studio and hooked it up to the home network today. And that was it for the day. It's cold and wet today and I didn't want to go out or do much at all. This'll do for today.

Tomorrow morning I'll tackle Clonezilla and/or the Black Box. Too "not in the zone" to do either today now.

Not just Bees, then.

Not just Bees, then.
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/10/oh-no/543390/

I intend to use this to backup a dying drive and swap drives around on the Studio PC.

I intend to use this to backup a dying drive and swap drives around on the Studio PC. I need to study the documentation carefully before I do anything rash.
http://clonezilla.org/clonezilla-live.php

One way of looking at it, but from a particular assumption.

One way of looking at it, but from a particular assumption.
https://xkcd.com/435/

"Although the question of why our universe has exactly three (large) spatial dimensions is one of the most profound...

"Although the question of why our universe has exactly three (large) spatial dimensions is one of the most profound puzzles in cosmology … it is actually only occasionally addressed in the [scientific] literature," the article begins.

I would have thought that if we are only one of many multiversas, that the there would also be ones with 1, 2, 4, 5 [et al] large spatial dimensions as well. Perhaps also, if we live in 11 dimensions, the number of large spacial dimensions is arbitrary as well, anywhere between 0-11 large dimensions. The unique combinations would come to 11! , or 39,916,800 possible ones. But this is of course is merely wild speculation.
https://phys.org/news/2017-10-early-universe-world-three-dimensional.html

Gah, most of what I found on the net says the same thing - power everything down, wait 20-30 minutes, then try again.

Gah, most of what I found on the net says the same thing - power everything down, wait 20-30 minutes, then try again. This will drive me nuts. To add insult to injury the UPS emailed me a bill for an "international surcharge" this morning. WTF?

I have to walk away from this for the rest of the day now, or I really will freakout.
http://ccm.net/forum/affich-100254-network-cable-unplugged-but-isn-t

And the NUC can now access the net! Perhaps I should google missing sound as well.

And the NUC can now access the net! Perhaps I should google missing sound as well.

UPDATE: Urk! It has access but Windows can't find it. It keeps saying PLUG IN THE ETHERNET PLUG. Arrrgh!!!

I have been attempting to wrangle the NUC today. It's been an issue that really been stressing me out.

I have been attempting to wrangle the NUC today. It's been an issue that really been stressing me out.

I've had an on again off again struggle to get it to connect to the net and my home group (and a minor issue of connecting to a pair of speakers). The trouble I thought was a dodgy cable, but I had exactly the same problem in the RecRoom. I'd plug it into the spare LAN cable here and it would would show "Please plug in the LAN cable". So, I went and got the Laptop and tried plugging that in (both Win and Mint) and that had similar issues to the NUC - claimed the LAN cable wasn't plugged in.

So I went and check the modem. That particular cable was plugged into a router plugged into the modem. I unplugged the Studio LAN cable from the modem (not currently being used) and plugged the spare cable in. Now it worked fine on the Laptop, so there's issues with that Router. :( Anyway, plugged the NUC back into the LAN and... ....nothing. Said it wasn't connected. Finally I googled the issue and find this web page. I've download the Intel® Ethernet Adapter Connections CD onto a memory stick, and see if that will fix it!

Have no idea why it won't connect to the speakers, but that's hardly a major issue. And once I get it connected I can look for a solution much easier. Mind you, if the CD stuff works I'll be happy again!
https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/no-internet-connection-after-upgrading-to-windows-10.2441198/

Just in case you didn't get it.

Just in case you didn't get it.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2017-10-17/gravitational-waves-and-neutron-stars:-why-this-discovery-is-big/9053756

Lucky scientists.

Lucky scientists.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2017-10-17/colliding-stars-revealed-by-gravitational-waves-and-light/9053750

This comes from a "proper" news source, the ABC. So I can only assume, as it's not 1st April, that this is genuine!

This comes from a "proper" news source, the ABC. So I can only assume, as it's not 1st April, that this is genuine!
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-14/dubai-police-announce-star-wars-style-hoverbikes-for-officers/9049860

Ultimately what matters is whether mathematics is successful in helping us to make predictions, in science, or...

Ultimately what matters is whether mathematics is successful in helping us to make predictions, in science, or elsewhere (like engineering).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EGDCh75SpQ&feature=share

Title

I think I'll be moving the NUC into my RecRoom for a while.

I think I'll be moving the NUC into my RecRoom for a while. I've got it working but while Sophie was here didn't do anything with it. When I was texting land cable Sophie came running in and accidentally ripped the plug off one and over-tipped a few things as well. I didn't want to risk damage to either the NUC or the monitor while she was here.

As it is, I need to repair the studio PC, by backing up a failing drive, and also replace a LAN cable was was originally a bit faulty and now has a missing plug. I know I could replace the plug (maybe) but arguably it's better to replace the whole dodgy cable. So, it's better to have the NUC away from all of that. Also, I've currently got the Seconds grid on the RecRoom PC and I might try copying it over to the NUC and see how it runs. Could be fun. :D

This would make smartphones more like a fold out wallet. Imagine a tablet like this.

This would make smartphones more like a fold out wallet. Imagine a tablet like this.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/sep/12/samsung-galaxy-note-foldable-screen-2018-smartphones

Although drones and security robots designed to detect and prevent threats, and even take autonomous action to...

Although drones and security robots designed to detect and prevent threats, and even take autonomous action to neutralize them, have been developed, they have yet to be deployed and doing so is likely to provoke widespread public condemnation.

All very well, but it's likely that use of semi-autonomous will increase, resulting in very unbalanced between sides. Military Drones show us that one side will use a weapon on an opponent - regardless of collateral damage - when they have little chance of retaliation.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/wellsfargo/2017/10/02/wealth-vs-health-take-a-balanced-approach/#363704f32739

They seem so certain of this.

They seem so certain of this.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2017/10/12/the-multiverse-is-inevitable-and-were-living-in-it/amp/

When they use the phrase "Scientific Romance", they may inadvertently be describing this.

When they use the phrase "Scientific Romance", they may inadvertently be describing this.

Originally shared by The Public Domain Review

"Aspiring to a Higher Plane", on the 'mathematical fiction’ of Edwin Abbott Abbott, who died #onthisday in 1926: https://buff.ly/2yi3Opg

A chart from 1746 by Jacques-Fabien Gautier illustrating his theory that the primary colours are black and white,...

Originally shared by The Public Domain Review

A chart from 1746 by Jacques-Fabien Gautier illustrating his theory that the primary colours are black and white, with red, yellow, and blue being secondary. In his system, colours were thought to be drawn out of the shadows by the presence of light. Featured in our visual history of colour wheels, charts, and tables: from simple circles to multi-layered pyramids, from scientific systems to those based on the hues of human emotion: https://buff.ly/2yi7fw6

You can create a story idea without actually making a full-blown movie and see how it looks.

You can create a story idea without actually making a full-blown movie and see how it looks. Storyboarder is free. It's open source. It's available for Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Looks cool, though I couldn't find where this is open source.
#windows #linux #macOS

Originally shared by Open Culture

Download New Storyboarding Software That’s Free & Open Source.
http://www.openculture.com/2017/10/download-new-storyboarding-software-thats-free-open-source.html

Neat.

Neat.

Originally shared by Wim Mulder

1926 Foden Steam Trucks (UK).
Greetz.
Wim.

6 not talked about senses | Visual.ly

https://visual.ly/community/infographic/health/6-not-talked-about-senses#sthash.b0BPIYAH.hpvt

"Sorry to rain on your `Brain Parade`..."

"Sorry to rain on your `Brain Parade`..."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxIS3XxfFS0

And just in case you haven't got it???!!!!

And just in case you haven't got it???!!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPObpCoVlAo

With few clicks in Blender 3D now you can

With few clicks in Blender 3D now you can
* create human characters
* set the phenotypes
* modify physical parameters
* assign expression
* choose the pose


Everything, it seems, got updated this year.
#Blender
http://www.manuelbastioni.com/index.php

Art of Illusion, like Anim8or, has been around since 1999.

Art of Illusion, like Anim8or, has been around since 1999. Imports only .OBJ, and exports only OBJ, VRML or _Povray v3.5. The last update was December 2016. You can get it from http://www.artofillusion.org/index.
#java

I was sure I'd posted about this before, but apparently not.

I was sure I'd posted about this before, but apparently not. Seemless is to me a lot like Anim8or, a unique looking editor/animator. The interface dropve me crazy, but it's cute! Last updated 25 January , 2017.
#windows
http://www.seamless3d.com/

Actualy a game engine, but it's debatable how "ultimate" it is when the last news update was from 3rd of January...

Actualy a game engine, but it's debatable how "ultimate" it is when the last news update was from 3rd of January 2009:
#windows#
http://ultimate3d.org/?Categorie=Home&SubCategorie=News&Style=Classic

A game made using Anim80r.

A game made using Anim80r.
#windows#
http://www.codevikings.com/

Anim8or v1.0 is now available with many new features including updated user interface, new modeling tools, inverse...

Anim8or v1.0 is now available with many new features including updated user interface, new modeling tools, inverse kinematics to speed up animation, STL support for 3D printing, and more.

Always thought this was a cute little editor and animator with a different style, something for students to play on. They finally got to version 1.0, after sitting on 0.98 since November 2013. Available at http://www.anim8or.com/index.html
#windows

You see a lot of Desire Lines at a university campus, at least you do at mine!

You see a lot of Desire Lines at a university campus, at least you do at mine! Of course there comes a point when whomever designs pathways (which are not just physical ones) has to reassess the purpose of the design. For example, if the point is to "keep people off the grass", then clearly it failed! Adding a fence might help, but maybe not.

I've seen folk deliberately jump pedestrian fences in the middle of busy roads. Those fences are meant to stop accidents between pedestrians and cars, but clearly theu didn't care. Or maybe they got away with that behaviour enough times that they think they're immune to consequences.

There's a roundabout near where I live near another intersection. When I used to walk Pegasus sometimes I saw a car that instead of going around the roundabout and turning left, would cut into the wrong lane and turn right instead. And then iit stopped. Later I found that the driver had tried it once too often, and drove directly into an oncoming bus (which couldn't be seen making the illegal turn). The desire line drove them on, literally.
https://99percentinvisible.org/article/least-resistance-desire-paths-can-lead-better-design/

MikuMikuDance is a free 3D animation software… but, more than that, MikuMikuDance (MMD) is a modern DirectX video...

MikuMikuDance is a free 3D animation software… but, more than that, MikuMikuDance (MMD) is a modern DirectX video game, WITHOUT the game!

Er, still none the wiser!
#windows
https://learnmmd.com/what-is-mikumikudance/

Oooh!

Oooh!
#blender
https://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/42591/how-to-aproach-the-modeling-of-duct-work-piping-wiring

The Sketchup Texture Club?

The Sketchup Texture Club? If you sign up with a free a/c, you can download `5 medium small textures a day (and any number of 3D models). Club members (a 12 EURO annual donation) gives you 50 downloads a day, and large images.
https://www.sketchuptextureclub.com/

"Woof, Master!"

"Woof, Master!"

Originally shared by Eloy Canto

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-10-15/this-brilliant-tinkerer-is-building-a-doctor-who-k9-with-a-raspberry-pi-for-a-brain/
http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-10-15/this-brilliant-tinkerer-is-building-a-doctor-who-k9-with-a-raspberry-pi-for-a-brain/

This is really cool.

This is really cool.
#Blender

Originally shared by Francois Schnell

Made a quick test/tutorial of this addon "Destructive Extrude" (Push/Pull like Sketchup)
https://youtu.be/beZau_wpR-U
https://youtu.be/beZau_wpR-U

A more comprehensive explanation of these do-hickeys.

A more comprehensive explanation of these do-hickeys.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memristor

I was reading about Memristors in a recent issue of New Scientist.

I was reading about Memristors in a recent issue of New Scientist. Apparently they have properties similar to that of a neuron, so that they should be able to form impressive neural nets that should recognise patterns and objects in an environment easily.

But I notice this WIRED article was from 2012, predicting that memristors will revolutionize computing by 2014. Gosh, what happened?
https://www.wired.com/2012/07/hp-memristors/

Your metal friends who're fun to be with.

Your metal friends who're fun to be with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irIoLIAy9n4&feature=share

Don't know about MUST see. If they become popular you WILL see them on the roads.

Don't know about MUST see. If they become popular you WILL see them on the roads.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhj4-pwi0sg&feature=share

but does it reduce traffic accidents?

but does it reduce traffic accidents?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GNGfse9ZK8

http://the-dresden-files.tumblr.com/image/165932566156

Originally shared by aggressively mediocre

http://the-dresden-files.tumblr.com/image/165932566156

Honda has a new bipedal robot, which isn’t perhaps as charismatic as Asimo, but which could be a lot more useful.

Honda has a new bipedal robot, which isn’t perhaps as charismatic as Asimo, but which could be a lot more useful. The robot is a disaster relief model, dubbed E2-DR (very Star Wars) which has flexible, articulating joints, a waterproof design and a 2km/h walking rate. The robot can climb ladders, crawl over debris, work in extreme temperatures and has a range of sensors that let it see in almost any lighting conditions – including through depth sensing cameras embedded into its hands.

Originally shared by Rob Jongschaap

Honda’s new robot prototype could help mitigate future disasters https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/03/hondas-new-robot-prototype-could-help-mitigate-future-disasters/amp/

Honda has a new bipedal robot, which isn’t perhaps as charismatic as Asimo, but which could be a lot more useful. The robot is a disaster relief model, dubbed E2-DR (very Star Wars) which has flexible, articulating joints, a waterproof design and a 2km/h walking rate. The robot can climb ladders, crawl over debris, work in extreme temperatures and has a range of sensors that let it see… 
https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/03/hondas-new-robot-prototype-could-help-mitigate-future-disasters/amp/

Darktable is an open source photography workflow application and raw developer.

Darktable is an open source photography workflow application and raw developer. A virtual lighttable and darkroom for photographers. It manages your digital negatives in a database, lets you view them through a zoomable lighttable and enables you to develop raw images and enhance them.

Seems a good idea, though could you get a more derivative program name? Not-for-windoze.
#linux #macOS
http://www.darktable.org/about/