7 Mar
2010

ridik: qt4-multilib

centOS user: freakin' the Qt4 rpm was everywhere in January but now it's gone

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ridik | No Comments | Tags: , , ,
20 Feb
2010

Depressurizing the EC155 Portafilter

EC155 Portafilter

The DeLonghi EC155 is a fairly well-built consumer pump espresso machine. It ships with a pressurized portafilter of a non-standard diameter, so finding a non-pressurized replacement is challenging. Instead of purchasing a new portafilter, depressurizing the EC-155’s portafilter is extremely easy.

This post is one of a series of posts regarding mods I have done to my EC155

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Espresso Mods | 43 Comments | Tags: , ,
13 Dec
2009

Insurgency: Access your linux box from anywhere

Routers :: Credit: flicr user stars6

The problem: you have a computer sitting behind a firewall. You want to access it from a different location, but you don’t have the ability to forward any ports to it. The answer: SSH tunneling.
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Linux, Quick Tips | 1 Comment | Tags: , , , ,
13 Dec
2009

Quick and Easy Passwordless public-key auth

Need passwordless auth with ssh? Need it really really fast? 3 steps and you’re done.

  1. ssh-keygen -t rsa      (don’t enter a passphrase)
  2. ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa user@remotehost
  3. ssh user@remotehost

Wasn’t that easy?

Linux | 1 Comment | Tags: ,
9 Oct
2009

Multitouch: Fundamental Feature or Fad?

Popularized with the ever-present  iPhone and expanding into the tablet and desktop sector by companies such as Dell and HP, multitouch is becoming an interesting addition to today’s user interfaces. Overseas companies, such as Asus, are also taking advantage of the technology in new inexpensive tablets; even Gateway is offering a mulititouch tablet these days. Despite the popularity of multitouch, especially on the mobile platform, it seems like a technology with stunted growth and limited applications.

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Technology | No Comments | Tags: , , ,
21 Sep
2009

Arduino Mobile Connectivity

arduinoboost_transparent_fixed

Many DIY projects that people attempt these days include internet connectivity, logging, gps tracking, sensor data storage, and remote control. People have used xBee, GPS modules, and extra hardware to integrate all of these features, but there is a much simpler way–using an iDen pay-as-you-go phone. Read more »

Arduino, Projects | 2 Comments | Tags: , ,
17 Sep
2009

The Virtues of Circumcensoring

censoredwht

Throughout the history of the internet, chat rooms and forums have grown exponentially. Many people in these chat rooms were annoyed at the use of explicit language, so administrators implemented censoring of inappropriate words.Censoring, as originally implemented, resulted in a lack of emotion from a user’s censored statement while allowing the conveyance of meaning. Circumcensoring does just the opposite, it allows the expression of emotion without allowing much meaning to be conveyed. Due to the obvious uniqueness of circumcensoring and the virtues that must be obvious to the reader, I am planning on implementing circumcensoring in an unrealircd plugin, aptly named CircumCensor. Although this plugin is bound to remain undeveloped for a while, it may eventually be developed whenever I have free time.

Web | 5 Comments | Tags: , , , ,
8 Sep
2009

Ramblings: The Complacency of Modern Education

The time is fall. Students anxiously return to out-of-home dwellings to obtain instruction on various topics dependent upon the nature of the student. Despite the subject’s probable interest to a student, their educations rarely motivate them. This lack of motivation stems not only from the need for “entertainment” in education but from an overall lack of interest in the topic at hand.
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Education, Ramblings | No Comments | Tags: , , , ,
6 Sep
2009

Physics Resources

physicsSheet

Taking a high school physics course? Check out our collaborative physics formula sheet. It includes most formulas covered by a Physics I level class, and fits them onto a single (2-sided) sheet of 8.5×11 paper. If you see any problems with the sheet, or if you want to edit the sheet, please leave a comment below.

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Education | 2 Comments | Tags: , , ,
3 Sep
2009

Idea: Powerline-networked Outlets/Switches

Power Outlet Cropped

With the advent of powerline LAN from various manufacturers for a steadily decreasing price, designing network-connected products becomes much easier. Once the price of hardware for powerline networking drops due to wide acceptance, some standard “dumb” appliances and pieces of hardware could be easily and cheaply networked, allowing for a “home automation” of sorts, such as lightswitches and power outlets. Read more »

Ideas | No Comments | Tags: , , ,