Yesterday I got to spend my day with other members of my department at work in downtown San Francisco participating in a scavenger hunt. They let us know about the event a month ago and when I told my kids, they decided I work for the coolest company ever. I have to admit it was a lot of fun and the organizers should be commended for creating a fun activity that helped to foster teamwork.
We all arrived at the office before 10am and then boarded buses to head to downtown San Francisco. Some of my coworkers were less enthusiastic about the event and planned on finding a bar where they could wait out the activity in relative comfort. However once we arrived at the starting point, everyone seemed to get into the event. We were given a list of about 50 clues and set loose on San Francisco. There was no way that we would be able to get everything in the 90 minutes and so some organization was required. To further complicate things, not all clues had equivalent point values.
My group ran to a hotel and got a map where we could locate where we believed all the clues to be. Those of us with smart phones used them to look up clues we weren't too sure about and put everything on the map. Then we started running around the city in a somewhat optimized manner taking pictures of the clues and e-mailing them into the referees for the event.
At first we stayed together because certain members of the group had to be in specific pictures. With only a half hour to go, we broke up into two groups and went after the high-point clues. Then we all congregated back at a restaurant for lunch. It was a lot of fun and I think I got my workout for the day.
This morning the referees are still tabulating the results. I think my team did pretty good but in the end it doesn't really matter. I got to spend a day running around San Francisco like a tourist. Furthermore I was paid to do it. I guess my kids are correct, I do work for a pretty cool company.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The High Price of College Text Books
My oldest son just left for college and it has been interesting to hear about his adventures. While he is only eighteen, he finished his Associates degree this summer and entered college as a Junior. That means he has completed all of his general requirements and can focus on the fun classes. He is in the Computer Engineering program and has a few programming classes that he really enjoys.
One of his classes is an introductory programming class where he is learning Java. For the record, I think Java is a horrible language, but that is a topic for another day. However I am interested in what my son thinks of Java and so I was asking him about it. He was able to complete his first programming assignment even though his text book had not arrived. I was surprised that he didn't have his text book until he told me how much it cost: $110.
My first question was, "How could a book to teach someone Java cost $110?" There are hundreds of books on the market and most of the good ones are less than $50. Furthermore, the best references for Java are online and only a troglodyte would require a textbook. I mentioned the cost of the Java textbook at lunch last week with some of my work associates and they all agreed with my assessment. To say we were outraged would be an understatement. Considering we all work with computers on a daily basis and most of the group were programmers, it should say something about the disconnect between our University system and real-world programming.
My son had purchased his textbook from Amazon.com in the hopes of saving some money. Instead of $110, it was only $50. The only problem was that it took 10 days for him to get the book (the book arrived yesterday). Having written and published a computer-related book in the past, I started doing a little research to discover why it cost so much. It turns out that the book uses 4-color printing on every page. At 500 pages, that makes it an expensive book. While color is nice, if you need pretty pictures to understand a concept, you are an idiot. If you are an author and can't convey your message without 4-color pictures, you are a super-idiot. Finally, if you are computer science professor at a major university and require your students to purchase a $110 text book that uses 4-color printing, then it is obvious that you are too stupid to make it in the real world and had to resort to being a professor. I guess there is a lot of truth to the old cliche that, "Those that can't do, teach."
One of his classes is an introductory programming class where he is learning Java. For the record, I think Java is a horrible language, but that is a topic for another day. However I am interested in what my son thinks of Java and so I was asking him about it. He was able to complete his first programming assignment even though his text book had not arrived. I was surprised that he didn't have his text book until he told me how much it cost: $110.
My first question was, "How could a book to teach someone Java cost $110?" There are hundreds of books on the market and most of the good ones are less than $50. Furthermore, the best references for Java are online and only a troglodyte would require a textbook. I mentioned the cost of the Java textbook at lunch last week with some of my work associates and they all agreed with my assessment. To say we were outraged would be an understatement. Considering we all work with computers on a daily basis and most of the group were programmers, it should say something about the disconnect between our University system and real-world programming.
My son had purchased his textbook from Amazon.com in the hopes of saving some money. Instead of $110, it was only $50. The only problem was that it took 10 days for him to get the book (the book arrived yesterday). Having written and published a computer-related book in the past, I started doing a little research to discover why it cost so much. It turns out that the book uses 4-color printing on every page. At 500 pages, that makes it an expensive book. While color is nice, if you need pretty pictures to understand a concept, you are an idiot. If you are an author and can't convey your message without 4-color pictures, you are a super-idiot. Finally, if you are computer science professor at a major university and require your students to purchase a $110 text book that uses 4-color printing, then it is obvious that you are too stupid to make it in the real world and had to resort to being a professor. I guess there is a lot of truth to the old cliche that, "Those that can't do, teach."
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
It's About Time
Last night I was watching the news and saw a story about how Google is making it possible to retract e-mails sent erroneously. I was amazed that such a feature was worthy of a prime-time television news coverage. I know a lot of people use Google for e-mail but the ability to retract sent messages has been available in other mail systems for over a decade. All I could think of was how it was about time that Google finally stepped up and added a feature that other programs thought was important enough to add a long time ago.
The story highlighted the infatuation the media has with certain companies. In the 80's, it was Microsoft. Then it was Netscape followed closely by all of the Dot-Coms. There are other companies out there that are truly innovating but can't get the media's attention. That is too bad because it allows companies like Google to get free publicity for substandard products while really cool stuff has to fight for the slightest hint of recognition.
Don't get me wrong. I think Google has done some great things and there is a reason that their search engine is used as much as it is. However now is the time to expect more. Otherwise it won't be long before Google gives us another fiasco like Windows Vista.
The story highlighted the infatuation the media has with certain companies. In the 80's, it was Microsoft. Then it was Netscape followed closely by all of the Dot-Coms. There are other companies out there that are truly innovating but can't get the media's attention. That is too bad because it allows companies like Google to get free publicity for substandard products while really cool stuff has to fight for the slightest hint of recognition.
Don't get me wrong. I think Google has done some great things and there is a reason that their search engine is used as much as it is. However now is the time to expect more. Otherwise it won't be long before Google gives us another fiasco like Windows Vista.
Monday, August 16, 2010
The Sprinkler Paradox
This morning before I got on the plane, I noticed that my sprinklers were not working. I quickly discovered the cause and started them on a cycle to help ensure my lawn stays somewhat green. This got me thinking about "The Sprinkler Paradox."
When I was studying Electrical Engineering in college, I had to take a microprocessor design class. One of the major areas of study was on performance. We looked at how long it took to execute all of the basic steps in any computer or microprocessor. Then we would look at how to speed them up. The first step was to identify the single process that took the longest and optimize it. While it may be obvious how to take a few milliseconds off execution time in a short section, if there are significantly slower ones, it won't make much of a difference. I had a hard time grasping that concept because I thought any speed-up was good. Then I did the math for the performance equations and realized how futile it was to concentrate on short execution steps and how important it was to concentrate on the longer ones.
This brings me to the Sprinkler Paradox. It seems that everyone is concerned about water conservation and so it is common practice of not letting the water run while brushing teeth. Instead you should only turn on the water to rinse your toothbrush or mouth. However, the water used while brushing your teeth pales in comparison to the amount of water used to water your lawn. Thus if you really want to make an environmental impact, you should be less concerned with the water you use brushing your teeth, rip out your lawn, and put cacti in your front yard. Oh and while you are at it, don't let the water run when you brush your teeth. That is the "Sprinkler Paradox."
Another example of the Sprinkler Paradox has to do with cell phone chargers. Recently energy companies have asked everyone to unplug their cell phone chargers when not in use. The idea is that there will be huge energy savings throughout the country. Never mind that some electrical meters spin faster than a buzz saw when an air conditioner is running and more energy can be saved simply by turning up the thermostat a degree or two.
While we all have good intentions to be green and conserve water or energy, let's do all we can and not just make token efforts. Not letting the water run while you brush your teeth is a good start, but it doesn't mean a thing if you're over watering your lawn.
When I was studying Electrical Engineering in college, I had to take a microprocessor design class. One of the major areas of study was on performance. We looked at how long it took to execute all of the basic steps in any computer or microprocessor. Then we would look at how to speed them up. The first step was to identify the single process that took the longest and optimize it. While it may be obvious how to take a few milliseconds off execution time in a short section, if there are significantly slower ones, it won't make much of a difference. I had a hard time grasping that concept because I thought any speed-up was good. Then I did the math for the performance equations and realized how futile it was to concentrate on short execution steps and how important it was to concentrate on the longer ones.
This brings me to the Sprinkler Paradox. It seems that everyone is concerned about water conservation and so it is common practice of not letting the water run while brushing teeth. Instead you should only turn on the water to rinse your toothbrush or mouth. However, the water used while brushing your teeth pales in comparison to the amount of water used to water your lawn. Thus if you really want to make an environmental impact, you should be less concerned with the water you use brushing your teeth, rip out your lawn, and put cacti in your front yard. Oh and while you are at it, don't let the water run when you brush your teeth. That is the "Sprinkler Paradox."
Another example of the Sprinkler Paradox has to do with cell phone chargers. Recently energy companies have asked everyone to unplug their cell phone chargers when not in use. The idea is that there will be huge energy savings throughout the country. Never mind that some electrical meters spin faster than a buzz saw when an air conditioner is running and more energy can be saved simply by turning up the thermostat a degree or two.
While we all have good intentions to be green and conserve water or energy, let's do all we can and not just make token efforts. Not letting the water run while you brush your teeth is a good start, but it doesn't mean a thing if you're over watering your lawn.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Where are all the Hobbyists?
There is not much to do in the evenings on a sailboat once the sun goes down. I really only have 3 choices: go out, watch TV, or read. Lately I have been studying electrical engineering. While I was in school getting my degree, I took a lot of different courses and was presented with a lot of information without any context. I remember having one class on feedback systems and kept trying to get the instructor to explain a real-world application for this information. It is only since I have gotten my amateur radio (ham) license that I have seen useful applications for all the stuff I learned in school. Why couldn't one of my professors just drawn a block diagram of a radio receiver and showed us a practical application for what we were learning? My gut tells me that they didn't have a clue either.
While I was going to school, I had a good friend that had gotten his ham radio license while in the Boy Scouts. He seemed to understand all of the principles being taught every day and had the best grades in all of his classes. Now it makes sense, he had a practical application for everything he was learning. While the rest of us were just trying to get the math right, he knew where the circuit would be useful and why we were designing it that way. Getting my ham radio license when I was in the Boy Scouts really would have helped my college career.
All of this studying combined with Lance Armstrong's bad luck in the Tour de France this year has gotten me thinking about the old Radio Shack store. If you don't know, Lance rides for team Radio Shack, which is trying to shake off 20 years of declining popularity. When I was a boy, I used to go to Radio Shack and look at all of their neat electronics kits. You could buy things like resistors, diodes, and capacitors. Even though I had no clue what they did, I wanted some. I had visions of creating wonderful electronic devices in my garage, as did many other visitors to the store at that time.
Now when you walk into a Radio Shack, it is like a ghost town. I don't know how they stay in business because nobody is ever there. Sure they sell things like mobile phones, but so does every other store. I'm just waiting for Starbucks to add them to their list of goods. If you go to the back of your nearest Radio Shack, they still have individual electronic components but I never see anyone back there.
This has me asking the question: Where are all of the hobbyists? Have they disappeared or are they still out there?
While I was going to school, I had a good friend that had gotten his ham radio license while in the Boy Scouts. He seemed to understand all of the principles being taught every day and had the best grades in all of his classes. Now it makes sense, he had a practical application for everything he was learning. While the rest of us were just trying to get the math right, he knew where the circuit would be useful and why we were designing it that way. Getting my ham radio license when I was in the Boy Scouts really would have helped my college career.
All of this studying combined with Lance Armstrong's bad luck in the Tour de France this year has gotten me thinking about the old Radio Shack store. If you don't know, Lance rides for team Radio Shack, which is trying to shake off 20 years of declining popularity. When I was a boy, I used to go to Radio Shack and look at all of their neat electronics kits. You could buy things like resistors, diodes, and capacitors. Even though I had no clue what they did, I wanted some. I had visions of creating wonderful electronic devices in my garage, as did many other visitors to the store at that time.
Now when you walk into a Radio Shack, it is like a ghost town. I don't know how they stay in business because nobody is ever there. Sure they sell things like mobile phones, but so does every other store. I'm just waiting for Starbucks to add them to their list of goods. If you go to the back of your nearest Radio Shack, they still have individual electronic components but I never see anyone back there.
This has me asking the question: Where are all of the hobbyists? Have they disappeared or are they still out there?
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Low Tide
This morning I was riding my bike to work on the path shown in the picture above and it was very low tide (unlike in the picture). Along the bike path are several piers that go out into the water. They are not much more than a couple of planks of wood and are used mainly by kids doing a bit of fishing. I have often thought about stopping on the way home and taking a walk out on one of the piers. After my ride today, I don't think that is a good idea.At low tide, it is about a quarter of a mile walk from the bike path to the water. This leaves the piers totally exposed and you can see their supports. Salt water is a very corrosive environment and some of the supports have been eaten away to the point that they are little more than toothpicks. One or two are completely gone. At high-tide it is impossible to see the decay that has taken place and it is easy to assume the pier is safe.
Computers can sometimes be like those piers at high tide: it is tough to see what is going on underneath. Most of the time, that is fine because computers are fairly reliable. However sometimes things go wrong. Computers can easily pick up a virus and so a scan should be done on a regular basis. Hardware can also fail and so it is important to pay attention to errors you get. Hard disks are the most common component to fail and should be replaced at the slightest hint of a problem. Cooling fans and power supplies are also components that can fail. While it is rare to have memory go bad, it can happen.
Unless some maintenance is done, someday soon, one of the piers I ride by on my way to and from work is going to fail. If someone is on it when it does, then he or she is going to get wet and/or muddy. Don't neglect your computer and let the same thing happen to you. While you may not get wet, you may lose some cherished pictures from your digital camera or important documents. If your computer is getting old, be sure to make a backup of your irreplaceable files. Most importantly, pay attention to any error messages you get. It could save you some grief in the future.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Patience
Every morning I ride my bike into the office. When I get there, I am a little hungry as I wait to have breakfast until after my ride. The office has an instant-hot-water tap from the coffee machine and so I use it on a couple packages of instant oatmeal. That makes for a great way to start my day.
When I first started eating oatmeal in the office, I would mix the water with the oatmeal and then immediately start eating. After all, I was hungry and didn't want to wait any longer than reasonable. Then I discovered a trick: wait a minute or two. I was amazed at how much better my breakfast tastes after letting the oatmeal absorb some of the water. I don't get that gritty texture as everything is soft like oatmeal is supposed to be. My breakfast experience has risen above sustenance and is now tasty as well.
The Internet is similar to my breakfast in that sometimes you have to be a bit patient. It is not uncommon for my kids to complain about how something on the computer isn't working. The problem is simply a matter of patience. Rather clicking around and hoping something will happen, the offending child just needs to wait a moment or two for the website to catch up. There are a number of areas where a slowdown can occur (i.e. automatic system updates on the local computer, lots of internet traffic, lots of people accessing the website, etc.) and so while it may have been fast yesterday, today it is slow.
If waiting a couple of seconds doesn't resolve your Internet problems, then you might want to go get a drink of water or make a sandwich. If you come back and the computer still seems stuck, then there really might be a problem. Until then, just give it some time.
When I first started eating oatmeal in the office, I would mix the water with the oatmeal and then immediately start eating. After all, I was hungry and didn't want to wait any longer than reasonable. Then I discovered a trick: wait a minute or two. I was amazed at how much better my breakfast tastes after letting the oatmeal absorb some of the water. I don't get that gritty texture as everything is soft like oatmeal is supposed to be. My breakfast experience has risen above sustenance and is now tasty as well.
The Internet is similar to my breakfast in that sometimes you have to be a bit patient. It is not uncommon for my kids to complain about how something on the computer isn't working. The problem is simply a matter of patience. Rather clicking around and hoping something will happen, the offending child just needs to wait a moment or two for the website to catch up. There are a number of areas where a slowdown can occur (i.e. automatic system updates on the local computer, lots of internet traffic, lots of people accessing the website, etc.) and so while it may have been fast yesterday, today it is slow.
If waiting a couple of seconds doesn't resolve your Internet problems, then you might want to go get a drink of water or make a sandwich. If you come back and the computer still seems stuck, then there really might be a problem. Until then, just give it some time.
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