Category: Geeky Pursuits

Editing Reality

Books, Geeky Pursuits

DTRave_Cartoon_Computer_and_Desktop_smallYesterday, I wrote about a great book I read titled Off To Be The Wizard by Scott Meyer.  In it, the main character, Martin Banks finds that he can edit a computer file and alter reality.  A bigger bank account, taller height, and different location are just a quick file change away.

This got me to thinking what I would do if I found such a computer file.  Changing my bank account balance is the obvious choice.  However, like Martin, I might run into problems if I abused that.  After all, banks tend to get suspicious if large sums of money just appear in your account for no good reason.  I could change physical attributes like my weight or height, but those could have unforeseen consequences as well.  (Such as making me weigh less by removing organs from my body that I need to live.)

In the end, I think that the thing I’d edit the most would be location.  Imagine being able to take a trip anywhere by merely finding your location on a map and clicking.  I could take a trip to Disney World without needing airfare and, when the day was over, could teleport back to my own house and my own bed (saving money on hotels).  My daily commute to work would involve popping out of my house and immediately being by my desk.  A trip to my parents would be as easy as point and click.  Of course, my photography vistas would expand infinitely as I could quickly appear in a location, take some photos, and then disappear to go back home.

If you could edit any aspect of reality by simply editing a computer file, what would you do?

The Joys of Debugging

Computers, Geeky Pursuits

debug_computerOver the past month, I’ve had a problem.  Every morning, at around 9am, my server would slow down to a crawl.  I didn’t know what was causing it, but I must admit I was a bit excited.  You see, I could tell that I was going to have a fun time debugging.

Maybe it’s the geek in me, but I LOVE a good debugging session.  It’s like computer detective work.  There’s a problem somewhere and you need to uncover it.  You round up some suspects, test them out, and narrow down the culprit.

Sometimes, your first round of suspects reveals the guilty party, but sometimes you need to dig deeper.  When this happens, you start searching the Internet.  Maybe someone else has had this problem.  Perhaps there is information on how to uncover more clues.  Either way, you are bound to learn something new.

Finally, the root cause is discovered and a fix is devised.  It is put into place and the problem goes away.  Another solution discovered and your skillset is expanded.

At the time of this writing, I’m not sure if I’ve found the problem.  I’ll need to wait at least one more day to find out if the daily slowdowns continue.  If they have, I’ll have found the answer to a very complicated riddle.  If not, I’ll keep at it.  A degree a stubbornness is essential to debugging, but it helps when you enjoy the process.

NOTE: The image above is a combination of Ant by Andy and Cartoon Computer and Desktop by DTRave.  Both images are available from OpenClipArt.org.

Addicted To MathDuko

Geeky Pursuits, Review, Smartphone/Tablet Apps

mathdukoI have a new addiction and it is all GeekDad’s fault.  Last week, GeekDad posted about how math teachers are using KenKen as a educational tool.  Knowing that NHL loves math almost as much as I do (sometimes I think more than I do), I decided to try it out to see if it would be good for him.

I found an Android app called MathDuko.  MathDuko follows the same rules as KenKen so I figured it would be a good app to try.

Big mistake.  Now I’m hooked.

In many ways, KenKen and MathDuko follow the same rules as Sudoku.  In both, you must use the given numbers only once in each row and column.  However, whereas Sudoku has groups of 9 blocks (3×3) that must contain one of each number, MathDuko has a veritable jigsaw puzzle setup.

Each piece of the MathDuko puzzle has the result of a math equation and how it was obtained.  For example, in the image above, a three square piece says "12x".  This means that the three numbers, when multiplied together, total 12.  You are limited in numbers from one to the width/height of the board.  In this case, this means that the available numbers are one to seven.  In the example above, this means that the numbers in the "12x" piece could be 1, 3, 4 or 2, 3, 2.  (The puzzle spans multiple rows and columns.  MathDuko doesn’t have Sudoku’s one-number-per-block limit.  In addition, the numbers can be in any order.  In the "2-" puzzle block, the answer could be 5, 3 just as easily as it could be 3, 5.

So how does the app fare?  Amazingly well.  You can select puzzles from easy (4 squares by 4 squares) all the way up to "ultimate" (9 by 9).  A clock keeps track of how long your puzzle solving is taking.  (This is a feature that can be turned off for those who don’t wish to race the clock.)  You can also mark potential values as "maybe" to keep track of the many possibilities.  Of course, the price is also right: The app is free.

I’d definitely recommend the app to anyone with a love of math be they in elementary school or long since graduated from college.  I see much time spent figuring out MathDuko boards in my future.

Enjoying a Slice of Pi Day

Food, Geeky Pursuits

pie_and_ice_creamYesterday was Pi Day, March 14th (aka 3/14).  To celebrate, I went out with JSL and purchased an apple pie.  We also got a carton of vanilla ice cream.  Once we got home, the pie was sliced and served with the ice cream and generous helpings of whipped cream.

The boys might be too young to realize just what Pi means, but they enjoy any "holiday" where the celebrating takes the form of eating dessert.  NHL even made me proud by realizing that we get "Ultimate Pi Day" (his terminology) in 2 years: 3/14/15.

What is your favorite kind of pie?

The Ringtone Hunt

Geeky Pursuits, Music, Smartphones/Tablets

SmartphoneWay back in the day, the sound that a cellphone made when it rang was set by the manufacturer.  You had the option of listening to it or turning it off.  Then, someone got the bright idea that cellphones should play bits of music when they rang. 

Fast forward to the present day and your average smart phone can play any MP3 file you throw at it as a ringtone.  This means your favorite song can announce that your spouse is calling you or Darth Vader’s theme song can declare that your in-laws are on the line.  (Not that I’d do that, of course!)

I’ve bounced from ringtone to ringtone over the years.  From Star Wars to the Muppets, each of them reflected some aspect of my geekiness.  My latest declared my love of Doctor Who.  In fact, it was the Doctor Who theme song.

Unfortunately, while the Doctor Who theme makes for a great song, it can be a bit grating as a ringtone.  Especially to B’s ears.  So I’m on the hunt for a new ringtone.  One that will express my geekiness but without causing B auditory discomfort.

I’ve already gone through the TARDIS sound (also annoying), a Dalek (B said that she’d EXTERMINATE me if I used it), and the sonic screwdriver (worse than the theme song).  For now, I’ve settled on "I Am The Doctor" which is the song that plays in some Doctor Who episodes as the peril comes to a head and The Doctor heads into the fray.  We’ll see if I keep this one or if it winds up replaced with something else.

What do you have set as your ringtone?  What geeky ringtone would you recommend?

Note: The "smartphone" image above is by zorro and is available from OpenClipArt.org.

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