IraceBLOG

See that “miniblog” thingie from Google on the right side of the main page? I use Google Reader to keep up with my favorite sites. Cool entries get a star. And starred entries show up automatically in the MiniBlog!

Today’s feature: ruminations on some of the entries I’ve “starred” lately. Blame it on hotel insomnia.

• Chumby - Can’t wait for these to be available. Geeky, somewhat useful, hackable, educational…WANT!
• Do-It-Yourself Robotics - Picocricket! another edutational opportunity!
• UltraVNC SingleClick - Gotta remember this next time Nonni or Gaga needs tech support.
• Map Ransom - USGS topo maps were meant to be free. Now they are.
• Poker Driving Artificial Intelligence Research - I am fascinated by the fact that “AI” (such as it is) has different capabilities when it comes to different games. Computers devastate humans when it comes to backgammon and chess, but are relatively hopeless when it comes to poker and (the game of) go. In the case of Poker, it’s largely because computers aren’t good at making decisions on the basis of incomplete information. In the case of Go, I’m not sure. Perhaps you’d like to speculate in the comments?
• Stick figure fights creator using Flash authoring UI - I loved this. Most amusing flash cartoon since Trogdor and XiaoXiao 3.
• Jill Carroll’s Story - I still need to finish reading this.
• Wonderfully bizarre Folger’s commercial - Can’t get enough bizarre TV commercials.

Want to make your brain hurt?

Click here to learn about a 4-dimensional version of Rubik’s cube. Then download the simulation and try to solve it. Or at least play with it for awhile.

The original 3D cube has more possibilities than the age of the universe in seconds.

This 4D cube has more possibilities than the number of atoms in the universe.

Ow.

Fyodor wrote Nmap, a world-class network scanning tool (which was subtly featured in a scene in Matrix Reloaded). Here is an amazingly insightful interview he did on Slashdot.

I just installed a great new Spam filter (TMDA) that forces you to prove you’re human before it will deliver your e-mail to me. For now, spammers don’t bother to reply to these confirmation requests, so I have instantly gone from receiving over 100 spams per day to zero. It’s amazing! When the spammers catch on and start replying to my confirmations, I’ll be ready, with a technology like those covered by The CAPTCHA Project.

Is this what I’ll end up doing with all my extra floppy drives?