Journals
I keep coming up with all these ideas on how a certain game could be so much better. Game mechanics, GUI, anything. I kept thinking there had to be a way to somehow hack the game and throw in all that stuff. Then I realised it was almost like a new version of the game, rather than just a handful of fixes. Then I realised I never did anything resembling game coding and I have no idea how to actually do any of it.
How lame.
How lame.
I have an old phone. It's not very old, just old enough for updates to mess with it. On its own, it's a very good phone. It's robust and well-built, and it does what it has to do just fine. But throw software updates into the mix, and everything gets screwed up. Software updates are made for newer phones with much greater processing power, but they are too much for an oldish phone like this to keep up with. As a result, it can't do the number of things the apps expect it to do in a reasonable time and it freezes, hangs, or generally slows down so much that I want to throw it against the wall. Which I do, and I find it highly therapeutic when I've spent five minutes trying to text someone while seeing little more than a blank screen.
It's not that I use a lot of apps either, I'd say the only app I ever use is WhatsApp. But lately they've been making every update mandatory or else WhatsApp won't run, and with that update I also receive non-optional OS updates that take up a lot of space and a lot of processor time.
Today I wasn't feeling particularly patient so I threw it against the wall. This time, though, I watched it fall apart in pieces. It felt good for a minute until OH SHIT I STILL NEED TO TALK TO CLASSMATES AND I DON'T HAVE THEIR NUMBERS ELSEWHERE. So I had to pick up the phone, battery, back cover from the floor, take it apart and remove the broken pieces of its metal frame and then put it back together. It still works. All it has is a small scrape on the side.
I do feel it's a bit of a shame to mistreat it like that. It's a good, sturdy, robust, well-built phone, victim of inconsiderate software updates. If it weren't for apps and software updates, it could live for a lot longer than it will. It doesn't deserve this destiny, but this destiny has been forced upon it by the app devs.
Sorry, I just had to rant.
TL;DR: Software updates make smartass phone slow. I get frustrated and throw it against wall. Still works.
It's not that I use a lot of apps either, I'd say the only app I ever use is WhatsApp. But lately they've been making every update mandatory or else WhatsApp won't run, and with that update I also receive non-optional OS updates that take up a lot of space and a lot of processor time.
Today I wasn't feeling particularly patient so I threw it against the wall. This time, though, I watched it fall apart in pieces. It felt good for a minute until OH SHIT I STILL NEED TO TALK TO CLASSMATES AND I DON'T HAVE THEIR NUMBERS ELSEWHERE. So I had to pick up the phone, battery, back cover from the floor, take it apart and remove the broken pieces of its metal frame and then put it back together. It still works. All it has is a small scrape on the side.
I do feel it's a bit of a shame to mistreat it like that. It's a good, sturdy, robust, well-built phone, victim of inconsiderate software updates. If it weren't for apps and software updates, it could live for a lot longer than it will. It doesn't deserve this destiny, but this destiny has been forced upon it by the app devs.
Sorry, I just had to rant.
TL;DR: Software updates make smartass phone slow. I get frustrated and throw it against wall. Still works.
Marketing. I may not be great at it, but I think this gets the point across.
Am I doing it right?
26.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, TWHLers!
Let's all group hug and have a fantastic 2014 together.
Let's all group hug and have a fantastic 2014 together.
Posting so I can say "I told you" when it happens.
First you have this:
Google has acquired the engineering company that developed Cheetah, the world's fastest-running robot and other animal-based mobile research machines.
Boston Dynamics, which contracts for the US military, is the eighth robotics company snapped up by Google this year.
[...]
Google has said it would honour the existing military contracts with Darpa.
Then you have this:
Instead of every robot building up its own idiosyncratic catalogue of how to deal with the objects and situations it encounters, Rapyuta would be the place they ask for help when confronted with a novel situation, place or thing.
In addition, the web-based service is able to do complicated computation on behalf of a robot - for example if it needs to work out how to navigate a room, fold an item of clothing or understand human speech.
Throw in a bit of this, which Google has been doing with everyone's Android phones for years already:
Computers have been such a prominent, dazzling force in our lives for the past few decades that it’s easy to forget that subsequent generations might not even consider them to be technology. Today, screens draw constant attention to themselves and these high-visibility machines are a demanding, delightful pit into which we pour our waking hours. Yet we are on the cusp of the moment when computing finally slips beneath our awareness – and this development will bring both dangers and benefits.
[...]
Our relationships with computers, in this context, may come to feel more like companionship than sitting down to “use” a device: a lifelong conversation with systems that know many things about us more intimately than most mere people.
[...]
Such invisibility begs several questions. If our computers provide such firm answers, but keep their workings and presence below our awareness, will we be too quick to trust the information that they provide – or too willing to take their models of the world for the real thing? As motorists already know to their cost, even a sat-nav’s suggestions can be hopelessly wrong.
[...]
Yet as computers slip ever further beneath our awareness, it is important that we continue to ask certain questions. What should an unseen machine be permitted to hear and see of our own, and others’, lives? Can we trust what they tell us? And how do we switch them off?
And while we're at it, look at this:
Meet Atlas, a humanoid robot capable of crossing rough terrain and maintaining its balance on one leg even when hit from the side.
[...]
And WildCat, the four-legged robot that can gallop untethered at up to 16mph (26km/h).
[...]
"We do not know what military purpose it will serve but certainly it is a step towards a high-speed ground robot that could be weaponised to hunt and kill."
If this isn't Skynet going beta, I don't know what is.
First you have this:
Google has acquired the engineering company that developed Cheetah, the world's fastest-running robot and other animal-based mobile research machines.
Boston Dynamics, which contracts for the US military, is the eighth robotics company snapped up by Google this year.
[...]
Google has said it would honour the existing military contracts with Darpa.
Then you have this:
Instead of every robot building up its own idiosyncratic catalogue of how to deal with the objects and situations it encounters, Rapyuta would be the place they ask for help when confronted with a novel situation, place or thing.
In addition, the web-based service is able to do complicated computation on behalf of a robot - for example if it needs to work out how to navigate a room, fold an item of clothing or understand human speech.
Throw in a bit of this, which Google has been doing with everyone's Android phones for years already:
Computers have been such a prominent, dazzling force in our lives for the past few decades that it’s easy to forget that subsequent generations might not even consider them to be technology. Today, screens draw constant attention to themselves and these high-visibility machines are a demanding, delightful pit into which we pour our waking hours. Yet we are on the cusp of the moment when computing finally slips beneath our awareness – and this development will bring both dangers and benefits.
[...]
Our relationships with computers, in this context, may come to feel more like companionship than sitting down to “use” a device: a lifelong conversation with systems that know many things about us more intimately than most mere people.
[...]
Such invisibility begs several questions. If our computers provide such firm answers, but keep their workings and presence below our awareness, will we be too quick to trust the information that they provide – or too willing to take their models of the world for the real thing? As motorists already know to their cost, even a sat-nav’s suggestions can be hopelessly wrong.
[...]
Yet as computers slip ever further beneath our awareness, it is important that we continue to ask certain questions. What should an unseen machine be permitted to hear and see of our own, and others’, lives? Can we trust what they tell us? And how do we switch them off?
And while we're at it, look at this:
Meet Atlas, a humanoid robot capable of crossing rough terrain and maintaining its balance on one leg even when hit from the side.
[...]
And WildCat, the four-legged robot that can gallop untethered at up to 16mph (26km/h).
[...]
"We do not know what military purpose it will serve but certainly it is a step towards a high-speed ground robot that could be weaponised to hunt and kill."
If this isn't Skynet going beta, I don't know what is.
//update: Meh. It ran out of battery and the charger didn't work. I suspect it might be the reason she gave it to me. No time to go buy a new one, so I'm back to the old phone while I'm busy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
My sister got a new phone, and gave me the old one. My mother had used it before her, and after seeing it I'm guessing neither of them ever cleaned it. It's bloody filthy.
No box, no manual, no earplugs, nothing except that also filthy pouch (which I'll probably ditch) and a cheap aftermarket charger (that apparently messes up the screen when charging, I'm told) because who knows where the original charger is.
But, it's a Samsung 5500something, so if the battery lasts more than a day, it could be an interesting upgrade from my old phone.
And yes, the battery is about my only concern. I don't care about the fancy gimmicks, I just want it to make and receive calls - which the old one did just fine.
[edit] definitely looks better now.
[edit2] I think this is an additional reason to set up that wireless network. Got the router months ago and never had time to set it up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
My sister got a new phone, and gave me the old one. My mother had used it before her, and after seeing it I'm guessing neither of them ever cleaned it. It's bloody filthy.
No box, no manual, no earplugs, nothing except that also filthy pouch (which I'll probably ditch) and a cheap aftermarket charger (that apparently messes up the screen when charging, I'm told) because who knows where the original charger is.
And yes, the battery is about my only concern. I don't care about the fancy gimmicks, I just want it to make and receive calls - which the old one did just fine.
[edit] definitely looks better now.
Does anybody here know how to use AutoCad? I've been learning from online material and I think I'm getting the hang of it but there's one thing I still can't get right: scale.
I start up a new drawing, set UNITS to use Metres. Draw everything in Model space by the premise that "1" means 1 metre. All looks good and pretty until I move over to Paper space, where it looks TINY. If I set it to 1:1, it seems to take up the space on paper I'd expect it to take if I set it to 1:100 or something. It would seem that what I used as "1" wasn't interpreted as 1m but maybe 1mm or something. Hence the drawing needs to be set to a much larger scale to take up about the space I expected it to take relative to the printable page.
I've looked online but it doesn't seem to be clear ANYWHERE. I've asked people but haven't gotten a straight answer. Does anybody here know how to get it right?
I need to draw buildings, floor plans. This is one of the things I'm supposed to know if I intend to be an Architect
I start up a new drawing, set UNITS to use Metres. Draw everything in Model space by the premise that "1" means 1 metre. All looks good and pretty until I move over to Paper space, where it looks TINY. If I set it to 1:1, it seems to take up the space on paper I'd expect it to take if I set it to 1:100 or something. It would seem that what I used as "1" wasn't interpreted as 1m but maybe 1mm or something. Hence the drawing needs to be set to a much larger scale to take up about the space I expected it to take relative to the printable page.
I've looked online but it doesn't seem to be clear ANYWHERE. I've asked people but haven't gotten a straight answer. Does anybody here know how to get it right?
I need to draw buildings, floor plans. This is one of the things I'm supposed to know if I intend to be an Architect
My friend has taken up Tarot. As an scientifically educated person, I tend to think such things are, for lack of a better word, bullshit. He agrees with me. But he also told me things about things that happen in my life (or my other friend's lives) that I never told him, or anyone.
Truth or superstition? Discuss.
Truth or superstition? Discuss.
Meet a nice girl > Go out a few times > "We can't be together. You're too perfect for me."
25.
Yep.
Yep.
If anyone wondered where I've been (or even noticed I hadn't been around) I came back from my visit to the US to exams and finals and stuff, and I've been pretty busy with that. I intended to post about my trip when I was done with finals (last one was today). More news to come soon.
Sorry about journal spam, but I felt my previous journal deserved its own post.
Sorry about journal spam, but I felt my previous journal deserved its own post.
My dog Brownie had to be put to sleep this afternoon, at 14 years old.
My little sister chose the name because she said she looked like made of chocolate. Goodbye, my chocolate dog.
My little sister chose the name because she said she looked like made of chocolate. Goodbye, my chocolate dog.
*LIVE FROM NEW YORK CITY!*
Hi all TWHLers! I've just read your comments in my last journal. Here's a small update.
Here I am, broadcasting live from New York City itself. In a few hours, I believe our friend Tetsu0 will be arriving and will probably join me for breakfast tomorrow.
To those who said there's a public computer in every corner: I don't know which way to look when I get to a corner, because I haven't seen any. Even working payphones are hard to find (fortunately there are a lot more in NYC than in FL). But, amongst a few other things, I got me this beauty on monday. Haven't had much time to use it, but I have some time in between walks now that my father went away to do the laundry. So, HI!
To Captain Terror: No, I have nothing but a seven year old desktop at home. But I found a pretty good notebook for a very good price so I am no longer computerless.
So yeah. Just stopped by to say hi. Half past five here in the US and I'm already so tired I want to sleep right now. I'm having a pretty good time despite some inconveniences I will detail later. Will stay in NYC until sunday. Then I'll be somewhere upstate for a few days. I'll be back home next thursday with a full account of my adventure including pictures (not featuring me).
Hi all TWHLers! I've just read your comments in my last journal. Here's a small update.
Here I am, broadcasting live from New York City itself. In a few hours, I believe our friend Tetsu0 will be arriving and will probably join me for breakfast tomorrow.
To those who said there's a public computer in every corner: I don't know which way to look when I get to a corner, because I haven't seen any. Even working payphones are hard to find (fortunately there are a lot more in NYC than in FL). But, amongst a few other things, I got me this beauty on monday. Haven't had much time to use it, but I have some time in between walks now that my father went away to do the laundry. So, HI!
To Captain Terror: No, I have nothing but a seven year old desktop at home. But I found a pretty good notebook for a very good price so I am no longer computerless.
So yeah. Just stopped by to say hi. Half past five here in the US and I'm already so tired I want to sleep right now. I'm having a pretty good time despite some inconveniences I will detail later. Will stay in NYC until sunday. Then I'll be somewhere upstate for a few days. I'll be back home next thursday with a full account of my adventure including pictures (not featuring me).