Majors

So i finally got off my rear and applied for federal aid. i've narrowed my schools down to three. and majors also to three. one could become a minor, but what of the third?

on the table is mechanical engineering. on that side, all i want to do is research and design. i don't want to build anything, nor do i want to repair it, just to design.

the next choice i embedded systems engineering. low power, high capacity systems have long been an interest of mine. i would love to build a low cost, low power consumption Desktop that could be powered by alterative means.

the third choice is unix system administration. i've been administering my own boxes for a while and helping to maintain others. plus with paul about to get his network admin certs from SLCC, we've discussed starting a consulting firm together.

so i've got to decide. comments? i'm leaning towards engineering as that is my passion, whereas computers are only my hobby.

Couple updates

Not much this morning. i've been playing around with layouts and widgets on the blog, so things might look a little weird around here.

the other thing is, pending phone verification, i is now the owner of the domain insane-concepts.net. i'll be buying the .com and .org sister domains later this month.

mac has agreed to co-lo host my sun ultra 10, so i'll be setting up my web site(s) in the next couple months.

Homebuilt or store bought?

So i've had an idea for a low cost laptop with a long battery life.

there's that "new" UMPC classification, but the models out now aren't mobile, unless you are only looking at weight.

imo, a true portable should be able to be completely untethered for no less than 8 hours, 12 would be better.

the issue is three fold as i see it. first, we have the processor. the x86 was never designed for portable use. there's some offshoots, pentium m, AMD geode, transmeta, but those just hide the problems. while the compatibility of the geode attracts me, and i dislike intel, i think arm is the answer. Mips looks good also, but arm already has a strong following, so most of the software is already written. even windows variants if one wishes to in that way.

the second issue is accessories. a true UMPC should not have any extras. i'd include one (1) each: type II pcmcia slot, flush SD reader, usb 2.0, internal compact flash, bluetooth and wireless. also mic in and stereo out. No speakers. if one wants to listen to music, plug in external speakers.

a true UMPC should have no moving parts. even the keyboard should be solid state. one idea is to use a touch screen as the keyboard area. the image could be shown, and respond to finger touch. custom layouts would become a software issue. you could even have per program layouts.

but why use a physical part? why not use a laser to project the image onto a surface? an interagal stand and transmitter(s) wouldn't take up much weight nor power. but why a stand? i'm not saying that we must get rid of it, but most people visualize a computer as a keyboard in front of a monitor. why? imagine instead a split layout with a monitor in the middle. i belive the pepper pad has this layout. but instead what if when you wanted to use a keyboard, you placed the tablet on a flat surface, perhaps a lap stand, and activated the lasers. you could type what you needed, press a button, and no more keyboard. Nothing to tote around.

Another thing is the monitor. i watched <a href=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0280674/>The first $20 million</a>. while their holographic display is cool, it's still too far out to see them irl.

however it got me thinking about alternatives to conventional monitors, and a search found <a href=http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/06/scalar-corp-intros-7-gram-lcd-glasses/>these</a>. i'd like to see the price closer to $100, and a screen a bit bigger not to mention wireless or bluetooth, but it looks promising.

Lets see if this works

Video taken with cell phone, and sent with same.

here is my newest knife. $25, making it the most expensive of my recent toys. if i could only have one tool, i'd take a good knife.

Vote for a change in oregon

Vote for freedom. vote for Ron Paul.

McCain may have gotten all the delagates he needs, but we can still send a message in support of freedom. i'll be voting republican for the first time in my life in the primary. i ask that you join me in voting to be free.

and remember, "Ron Paul doesn't act like a patriot. A patriot acts like Ron Paul."

http://www.ronpaulfacts.com

Abrahamic sects worship other gods:
amen: a primeval Egyptian personification of air & breath; worshipped @ Thebes
Source: princeton.edu

So I've been looking at compact flash in replacement of a hard drive. Right
now a 16gb card plus 2gb microdrive is ~$90. Or $5 per gb.

Well, I sat down & estimated what It's going to take to build my scout. Look
like a low of $7k and a high of $30k. could always be worse

Looks like Bobby Fischer has been checkmated by death at age 64. his next
tournament will be against all the masters who came before.

Bah. All the computers at oit are busy. I should have gone to kcc.

I've got an idea for a distro fork. Tentativly named MARsco, or Mips ARM freesco.
Basically port to the above, update (usb), trim excess.

Christians seem to suffer from 'stockholm syndrome' not sure about others,
but suspect all abrahamic sects suffer likewise.

So i learned something new while tweaking firefox portable: 5 mb is not enough
memory to run firefox.

Are preachers failed used car salesmen, or are used car salesmen failed preachers?
Both seen to want to be drama stars

Is there anything as annoying as extensive hold times?

So i finished 'variable star' by robinson & heinlein. if you haven't, go
read it. I see why robinson is called the new heinlein

So king george supports the dc gun ban. No surprise there. But I wonder
how 9 amendments are for individuals, but one is for government

So I've started posting from the cell phone. Hard to be expressive with only
140 characters. Too bad i don't have a camera phone. Yet.

I really hate people who use deception to get their way. Especially when
they think It's funny afterwards

Updates are coming

I haven't posted in forever, been months since i had regular net access.
but I'm working on a major revamp of my web site and also moving my
blog off Google.

why leave Google?

This was the straw that "broke the camels back":

http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-427212-highlight-china+google.html

as I've said before, my Asian fetish has a Chinese fetish. I've met
and interacted with dozens of Chinese, they are intelligent and
resourceful people, and there is little that repulses me as much as
censorship. one cannot change if one does not know what needs changing.