Robert A. Uhl

The problems of driver-downloaded firmware

Jem Matzan has an article regarding driver-downloaded firmware and the issues this causes for free operating systems. The root of the problem is that hardware vendors don’t just deal in hardware: they also write software for their products, and they don’t make this software free — this is a little absurd, since you’d think they’d want their products used as widely as possible. 06 February 2018: updated URL Read more →

The problems of driver-downloaded firmware

Jem Matzan has an article regarding driver-downloaded firmware and the issues this causes for free operating systems. The root of the problem is that hardware vendors don’t just deal in hardware: they also write software for their products, and they don’t make this software free — this is a little absurd, since you’d think they’d want their products used as widely as possible. 06 February 2018: updated URL Read more →

Goodbye root canals

It appears that many root canals will be avoidable, as a new technique can be used to regrow dentin. Anything which prevents dental pain is good in my book. Read more →

Goodbye root canals

It appears that many root canals will be avoidable, as a new technique can be used to regrow dentin. Anything which prevents dental pain is good in my book. Read more →

Hedy Lamarr

I’d just like to point out that this is the woman who invented frequency-hopping spread-spectrum radio: Now she’s a geek’s dream girl! 3 February 2018: reformatted, linked to Wikipedia Read more →

Hedy Lamarr

I’d just like to point out that this is the woman who invented frequency-hopping spread-spectrum radio: Now she’s a geek’s dream girl! 3 February 2018: reformatted, linked to Wikipedia Read more →

The Parable of the Two Programmers

Presenting a short parable: The Parable of the two Programmers Neil W. Rickert Dept. of Math, Stat., and Computer Science, University of Illinois at Chicago. Once upon a time, unbeknownst to each other, the ‘Automated Accounting Applications Association’ and the ‘Consolidated Computerized Capital Corporation’ decided that they needed the identical program to perform a certain service. Automated hired a programmer-analyst, Alan, to solve their problem. Meanwhile, Consolidated decided to ask a newly hired entry-level programmer, Charles, to tackle the job, to see if he was as good as he pretended. Read more →

The Parable of the Two Programmers

Presenting a short parable: The Parable of the two Programmers Neil W. Rickert Dept. of Math, Stat., and Computer Science, University of Illinois at Chicago. Once upon a time, unbeknownst to each other, the ‘Automated Accounting Applications Association’ and the ‘Consolidated Computerized Capital Corporation’ decided that they needed the identical program to perform a certain service. Automated hired a programmer-analyst, Alan, to solve their problem. Meanwhile, Consolidated decided to ask a newly hired entry-level programmer, Charles, to tackle the job, to see if he was as good as he pretended. Read more →