A Phenomenal Handheld Electronic Device

There’s been a lot of talk about incredible new portable computing devices recently. Well, the rumors are true – the TI-92 is a great machine. The hardware is solid, the software is sophisticated and extensible (lots of apps; the graphics were ahead of its time), and for all practical purposes the batteries never die.

Posted on Saturday, April 10th, 2010 in Uncategorized. No Comments

Comment Improvements

Recent traffic has revealed some kinks in the comment system here. Specifically, line breaks were getting lost, so nicely-formatted replies appeared as dense blocks of text. It turns out that this was a result of the overzealous action of HTML Tidy in the comment spam filter. Those responsible have been sacked. Now you plebeians can use whitespace, too!

You can subscribe to an RSS feed for the comments to a specific post by appending /feed/ to the post URL. Most browsers should detect this option and list it wherever news feeds are normally sold. Void where prohibited.

Posted on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 in Uncategorized. No Comments

Workspaces

Amar Sagoo (author of Namely) finds that a tabletop whiteboard is a useful tool for planning and discussion:

We’ve found ourselves using it virtually every day, illustrating explanations, walking through calculations and brainstorming design ideas. Visitors will intuitively pick up a pen and start using the whiteboard when explaining things. It somehow seems to invite people to use it more than most whiteboards. However, it’s not only a collaborative tool: it also makes a great scratch-pad when you’re brainstorming on your own. To ensure that it stays useful, we make an effort to keep the board clean; nothing tends to stay on there for longer than a day or so.

I’ve got a large roll of packing paper which I use for a similar purpose at my desk. It’s great to be able to jot down a note or a doodle without pausing to search for paper or an appropriate notebook. As the sheet fills up, I pull it down to reveal a clean area. I’ve yet to devise an effective spool, but the scroll nevertheless contains an interesting record of spontaneous notes and drawings.

Now that I’m studying mechanical drawing, I’ve developed an interest in drafting equipment and techniques. Perhaps in the future my desk will receive further augmentation. In the meantime, a fine set of parallel rules can be made from surplus LEGO:

LDraw File

Lastly, I’ve fiddled with some of my shelving to make a nice standing work area for my laptop:

It may not be the best arrangement for long sessions, but I’ve found it surprisingly practical for many tasks. I think that standing up helps me to stay focused. When my mind wanders (as it is wont to do) it is easier to step back and tend to other things than when seated.

The kitchen table is a good place to get things done, too.

Posted on Tuesday, January 29th, 2008 in Uncategorized. No Comments

Mariano Who?

In Afton’s first little league game of the season, visiting Afton beat Greene 8 to 7 in three innings of play (ended early on account of it being a school night). After two innings at second base, closer Joe DeVona was called to the mound, where he recorded two strikeouts and the save in his pitching debut. Afton remains on the road this weekend, when they hope to carry their winning momentum into an afternoon game against Hancock.

Posted on Wednesday, May 9th, 2007 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment

I pick up secret transmissions when I crouch under the table

The other day I attached a pair of cheap old speakers to the underside of my desk. It’s a nice, clutter-free way to get some more volume out of my laptop when I’m working there.

I was fiddling around with the volume today when I thought I heard some static that I hadn’t noticed before. So I leaned under the desk, and the instant I touched the volume knob, the noise resolved into a faint voice. Eureka! I have discovered radio.

Presumably the volume potentiometer is so poorly insulated that it acts as a radio coil. I pick up ESPN talk radio (AM 1330) around 50% volume, but haven’t found any other stations yet. It is not a very practical arrangement for casual listening, since it is barely audible and so difficult to tune, but I am inordinately pleased with this serendipitous receiver. Radio is such a straightforward technology that it happens spontaneously. Chew on that, internet!

Posted on Tuesday, March 6th, 2007 in Uncategorized. 2 Comments