This is pretty amazing.
A self-controlled swimming robot has completed a journey from San Francisco to Australia.
The record-breaking 9,000 nautical mile (16,668km) trip took the PacX Wave Glider just over a year to achieve.
Liquid Robotics, the US company behind the project, collected data about the Pacific Ocean’s temperature, salinity and ecosystem from the drone.
via BBC News – Swimming robot reaches Australia after record-breaking trip.
N.C. Council of State discusses Dix Park lease
I went back to work after this but tuned into today’s Council session to hear how it would deal with the lease. After about a 30 minute closed session, the council emerged to vote 7-1 to accept the lease. Councilor John Odom was the lone no vote, saying later that he wasn’t against the park but hasn’t had time to review the lease.
I had my monthly Parks board chair/vice-chair meeting today and met with Parks Director Diane Sauer. Needless to say, she was beaming from ear to ear! So were other Parks staff members. It’s been a long journey to get to this point and to have it suddenly a reality is truly surreal.
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Being Raleigh’s Parks board chair, I have a great interest in making Dix Campus into a park. This morning I learned of an afternoon news conference by Dix Visionaries and wrote my friend Bill Padgett to get the details so I could attend.
The presser was on the Dix campus and I arrived in a suit. A gaggle of press were there setting up and I began to chat with the assembled dignitaries. There were big names there: Jim Goodmon, Anne Goodnight, Greg Poole, Bill Padgett, Jay Spain, Susan Bowers. I was there just a supporter but these folks had done a lot of work to get where we are today.
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The Norbert Thiemann fold-up Christmas tree
A quick search on The Google tells me some enterprising chap patented just what I was thinking back in 1974. Norbert Thiemann came up with a collapsible Christmas tree and was granted U.S. patent 3846213. I’m not aware of Mr. Thiemann’s invention actually being used anywhere.
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I get a surprising number of fake Facebook users trying to sign up for a Facebook page I administer called “Bring Google Fiber to Raleigh!” It’s given me some practice in spotting fake accounts which I’d like to share here with a look at the latest fake user I’ve found, “Amanda Watts.”
Here’s how to spot a fake Facebook account:
1. The account tries to join a dormant Facebook page. It’s like the Groucho Marx line about not joining any club that would have him as a member: if someone is signing up for a dead page something is usually fishy. Because the issue that my page was created to address was settled almost two years ago it’s very unusual for anyone to be signing up for my page. Thus, I’m on guard right from the start. Only about 20% of the users who request to join my page turn out to be legitimate users.
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I learned yesterday that rPath’s assets have been sold to SAS, essentially bringing rPath to an end, it seems.
Business analytics software company SAS is acquiring the assets of Raleigh-based startup rPath.
RPath, which was founded in 2005 by former Red Hat employees, is in the process of shutting down. Some of its staff – 19 employees – will accompany the technology and join SAS, forming the Platform Deployment Technologies group within SAS’ research and development operations.
I interviewed there more than once for a sales engineer position last year. I also set up rPath’s first phone system, based on Asterisk. For a while there I was sure rPath would be the next VMWare. Instead it’s been chopped up. It’s a shame, but I’m glad I didn’t sign up there only to be looking for work now.
via SAS buying Raleigh startup’s assets – Triangle Business Journal.
Yesterday, the Federal Communications Commission cleared the way for new LPFM stations to apply for licenses. This “window” is scheduled to open in October 2013.
Little Raleigh Radio is on its way!
The FCC has just announced that it is prepared to implement the Local Community Radio Act — a bill that aims to give local community groups the opportunity to broadcast on low-power FM stations beyond small rural areas. The bill was signed into law in January, 2011 by President Obama after a decade of advocacy from supporters, and allows low-power stations to be created within three radio dial clicks of a major station.
via FCC order enables creation of thousands of new non-commercial local radio stations | The Verge.
It was August 1992. I had been in school at N.C. State for about two months, allegedly studying computer science but really spending time in the computer labs downloading commercial software like IBM’s OS/2 operating system. One day I saw a posting on the university’s job board for a part-time computer operator at State Employees Credit Union. The pay was pretty good and I knew the credit union would have some interesting “big iron,” so I went for an interview and was soon hired.
The job entailed monitoring the credit union’s statewide network of ATMs in case … what … I don’t know. I’m not sure we were trained much on how to identify or fix problems, though we could reset an ATM machine if a member called in to report a jam or malfunction. Rumor had it that the prior pair of ATM operators had used their positions to embezzle $250,000 from the credit union. I never found out if that was true or not but I do know that the display in front of us listed every transaction as it took place and included bank account balances, too. Having been bonded before from a prior job selling jewelry and being fresh from holding a security clearance, there was no question about my trustworthiness.
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This is probably the coolest thing I’ve ever seen printed in the News and Observer:
For the DIYer
Getting Started with Arduino Kit v3.0: $65
www.makershed.com/Getting_Started_with_Arduino_Kit_V3_0_p/msgsa.htm
The Arduino Starter Kit from Maker Shed is a gift beginners and pros both can appreciate. The kit opens the door to the popular microcontroller lauded by DIY computing geeks, and is designed as a companion to the “Getting Started with Arduino” book by Massimo Banzi, founder of the open source Arduino project. Some minor soldering is required for the power supply, but the other components plug into the board. This should make for some great parent-child team projects. Look out science fair.
BoingBoing also linked to a video made by Arduino cofounder Massimo Banzi explaining basic electronics. Arduino is one project I need to explore further!
via Holiday Gift Guide: Ideal gifts for the techie on your list – Life – NewsObserver.com.
I had a job recruiter call me yesterday. I get about one of these calls a week, often from different recruiters pitching the same job. These recruiters are often young people just starting out. Frequently they don’t know much about the industry. This call was different though.
“Hello?”
“Hi, may I speak to Mark Turner?”
“This is he.”
“I’m Ashley from Blah Inc. recruiting. Is this a good time?”
“Sure,” I said.
“I have this great opportunity for a sysadmin position and think you’d be a perfect fit!”
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