Looks like the mystery is now solved about the Google plane being spotted at RDU last year. Google has bought a Chapel Hill start-up called Skia.
It’s amazing how quiet this acquisition has been in the year since it occured. I guess when you’re a search engine company, you are well aware that what you say and write gets archived somewhere.
Kudos to Fred Stutzman for his work in putting the final pieces together. Continue reading
I spent one day out of the recent holidays taking measurements of our electric power usage at near-hourly intervals. This involved going outside and walking around to the meter to read whatever number was flashing at the time. While I got good data, obviously it isn’t convenient to step outside all the time. (And before you say it, yes I’m a hopeless geek. Deal with it!)
I know the meter can be queried via from the street, so I did some research on how this works. Apparently the meter (an Itron Centron) transmits as a Part 15 (i.e., unlicensed) device on the 900MHz band. It uses spread-spectrum frequency hopping over 50 channels, a fact that makes it somewhat difficult (but not impossible) to zero in on the data stream. However, the channels are published and span 909.6 Mhz through 921.8 MHz, well within the range of my scanner.
Thus, my idea of Do It Yourself Meter Reading (also described here)may be possible, after all. I haven’t found any description of the data stream, nor if its encrypted, so I do not know what information is available nor how to decode it. One step at a time, though.
Interestingly enough, the frequencies the electric meters use are right in the middle of the amateur radio 33cm band. Being licensed operators, hams thus have priority on these frequencies. I wonder how long it will be before reports surface about interference on this band?
Warning: multiple buzzwords ahead! I don’t call this category X-Geek for nothing! 🙂
I finally got my NSLU2 running CUPS with Openslug!
I had to install the CUPS packages from the Unslung distribution. Then the battle was the SSL-fu needed to generate a certificate, since CUPS likes to use HTTPS connections for doing admin stuff.
The final hurdle, which just was overcome this morning, was adding a USB printer kernel module. I downloaded the Openslug sources last night and compiled the kernel module. Adding it this morning to my NSLU2 was all CUPS needed to see the printer.
The very, very last hurdle (actually) was adding the printer’s PPD file, so CUPS knew how to print to it. I dug that out of the printer’s install CD and installed it with little effort.
I’ve now turned my $80 Linksys NSLU2 network-attached-storage (NAS) device into not just an NAS but also a USB print server. Plus I learned a little about embedded Linux in the process, which is the best part of all. I’ve discovered you really can have a full-featured Linux server for less than 100 bucks.
Now to decide how else I can add to its usefullness. I’ve heard of an iTunes-compatible server running on the NSLU2, so maybe I need to explore that next.
While everyone else was enjoying their holidays, the Grinch … er, George W. Bush decided to expand his powers yet again, this time claiming the right to open mail without a warrant. He asserted this right with one of his dubious signing statements upon the signing of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act.
“The [Bush] signing statement claims authority to open domestic mail without a warrant, and that would be new and quite alarming,” said Kate Martin, director of the Center for National Security Studies in Washington.
“You have to be concerned,” a senior U.S. official agreed. “It takes executive-branch authority beyond anything we’ve ever known.”
Bush is acting like a spoiled brat who, when told by his parents to do something, says “that’s fine, but I’m going to do it my way, anyway.” Apparently the law does not apply to him. I’m not sure I really want to see the nation bogged down in another presidential impeachment, but someone, somewhere needs to hold this idiot accountable.
Come to think about it, isn’t that what the Supreme Court is supposed to be doing? Why isn’t it doing its job?
Watch your speed on the Outer Loop this afternoon. I counted at least 6 Raleigh Police cruisers pulling people over left and right on the westbound lanes west of U.S. 70. There were at least four unlucky drivers being ticketed as I drove by.
Buckle up and drive safely, y’all.
“To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. Number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.”
– Jim Valvano
Reynolds Coliseum
21 February 1993
I thought that the light at the end of the tunnel was seen when troubled Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong dropped rape charges in the Duke Lacrosse case. I was going to give him credit for gaining some sense. Instead I learned he was forced to when his alleged victim, ,
Today Nifong was sworn in again as Durham DA, only the weasel did it behind closed doors before the courthouse opened. When I heard that, I couldn’t help but think this is Nifong thumbing his nose at the public he serves.
Take a look at his reasoning why:
“This was not a media event. This was an event that is required for us to do our jobs,” Nifong said. “The message we’re trying to send is: This is 2007. We’re here to do our jobs. We’re not here to help you guys sell newspapers or get press coverage.”
Oh, really? Gee, Mikey, you sure didn’t mind the publicity when you were dragging these students’ names through the mud. You sure didn’t mind it when the New York Times came calling when you told the local media – the eyes and ears of your constituents – you weren’t doing any interviews. I’m starting to wonder if your apparent dishonesty in the case is just par for the course. Do you lie all the time, sir?
What’s more, he still doesn’t own up to the disaster that’s largely his own making:
“I don’t feel I’m part of the problem. I feel that I have assisted in revealing the problem,” he said, referring to the community outrage the case has stoked. “Durham has some healing to do, and I need to be part of that healing process.”
You want to start the healing process, Mike? Either step aside on this case or dismiss it.
Otherwise the State Bar will begin the healing process for you.
…is great! Yeah, I know some people might like to poke fun at it every now and then, but its all in good fun, right? After all, they sure do have an eye for fantastic stories!
So McClatchy now owns both major newspapers in the state: Raleigh’s News and Observer and the Charlotte Observer. Now that the dust has settled on the acquisition of the Observer, I’ve been curious to see what improvements subscribers would see.
I’m still waiting. N & O readers are led to believe that the world does not exist outside the borders of Wake, Durham, and Orange counties. There is scant news from the state’s largest city, Charlotte, nor much from any other significant living area. I’d be willing to bet that Observer readers are as in the dark about Raleigh as we are of them. I just don’t understand why a newspaper company with news rooms in both cities isn’t doing a better job sharing that news.
I’ve been living in North Carolina continously since 1992 and first lived here in 1983. Since then the state has grown enormously. Among other things, its become home to megabanks, lured professional sports teams (some of which are national champions), and picked up new seats in Congress as its population swells. Yet in spite of all this supposed progress the N & O still feels like a small-town newspaper. It still does a poor job covering this great state.
The quality isn’t stunning. I found it amusing to read a wire story last week about threats to John F. Kennedy’s life during his visit to Ireland. The N & O’s headline told of threats to “JKF.” Oooookay. Today’s front-page story told of -gasp- Wake Forest University not actually being in Wake Forest! Stop the presses! Throw in the paper’s bizarre obsession with influenza pandemics and you’ve got some top-rate journalism here.
If this is what passes for journalism around here its no wonder that online news sources are eating their lunch.
I spent a good portion of the holiday break catching up on house projects. First the Christmas tree and all decorations were packed up and placed back into the attic. Then more mulch was added to the side flowerbed. I turned my attention to the hole dug under the air conditioner by the varmit who visited us earlier, getting it patched up better than new. While there was a break in the rain, I realigned a downspout so it drains onto the driveway rather than the yard. This should help the new grass take better hold in that spot.
I also changed out the kitchen light fixture, something that had been bothering us for months. I also hung the flourescent shop light in the garage, providing much light there. I plugged various holes in the cabinets and other dark places with steel wool to seal out the mice. I cleaned under the fireplace and wiped all the soot off the fireplace glass. It looks worlds better now.
One thing I started but didn’t finish is putting another shelf over our washer and dryer. Hammering and drilling isn’t compatible with napping children so it will wait for another day. Part of that involves moving the existing shelf lower to make even more use of space.
On the geek side, I reflashed Linux onto my Linksys NSLU2 device and got it using the 1GB flash drive I added to it. I put Openslug on it since I didn’t need a web interface for it anymore. Instead I got a barely-usable Linux distro with no support for simple things like USB printers. It took a few hours just to get CUPS installed and working with HTTPS. When I found there was no USB printer support in the kernel (or modules) I threw in the towel. I’m not looking forward to having to recompile (and cross-compile, too) the Openslug kernel simply to get printer support, but it looks like that’s what I have to do. Linux on the NSLU2 isn’t just cutting edge, it’s bleeding cutting edge, only suitable for geek sadomasochists.
I’m sure I’m forgetting something in my list of projects but that’ll do for now.
