A replica of a classic Star Trek phaser, built with a blu-ray laser as the light source. I want one! For the DIYers among you, follow this link for complete instructions on how to build one yourself.
[Via [H]]
OMG: 4.2-Foot Tall Robotic Baby is a Crime Against Nature
Built by researchers from the Machine Perception Laboratory at UCSD, Diego-San is a 4.2-foot tall robotic baby, and is probably the scariest thing I’ve seen so far this year. I mean, a full scale robotic representation of an adult is already creepy enough, but I think these guys are taking things a little too far here.
[Via BotJunkie]
The Evolution of Warcraft Cinematics
Blizzard’s WOW cinematics have certainly evolved over the last two decades, but with the turn of the 21st century, the changes have become less and less significant. Check it out:
Universities drop “discriminatory” Kindle DX
Universities in four states have agreed to halt schemes to use electronic reading devices until they are fully usable by blind people. The decision concludes a Justice Department investigation over the use of Amazon’s Kindle DX.
The National Federation of the Blind and the American Council of the Blind had sued the universities for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. The groups complained that using the devices meant blind people were not getting equal opportunities in education.
Although the Kindle DX used in the universities does have a text-to-speech facility, it only applies to the book and magazine content itself. The device’s menu system is visual only, meaning a blind person can’t actually access the text-to-speech tool without assistance.
The affected universities are Case Western (Ohio), Pace (New York), Reed College (Oregon) and Arizona State. Though all four cases involved the Kindle DX, the agreement covers all makes and models of electronic reader.
Assistant attorney general Thomas Perez said “Advancing technology is systematically changing the way universities approach education, but we must be sure that emerging technologies offer individuals with disabilities the same opportunities as other students.”
The agreement doesn’t take effect until the end of this semester. That’s to make sure ongoing projects which use the Kindle can be completed without disruption.
Amazon hasn’t commented on the deal but has previously announced it is working on an audible menu system for future models in the Kindle range. It’s also adding a large print mode to help those with visual impairment.
The voluntary agreement means there’s been no legal ruling on whether the use of such devices without full accessibility features does indeed breach discrimination laws. No damage awards have been made and each party is paying their own legal fees.
Star Trek Online Launches Open Beta
As of yesterday, the open beta period for Star Trek Online is underway. There are supposedly still beta keys available, but the list of partners that are giving them away (in batches of 1000 each) seems to be largely tapped out. If you’ve missed out but have pre-ordered the game, you’ll still get a slight headstart though – starting on January 29.
The word on the street so far is that the game might be perfect for hardcore Trek fans. But this isn’t WoW-in-Space, whether you would consider that to be a good or bad thing. Most of the action takes place from the bridge of a ship, involving long-term tactical combat (though there are apparently away team missions as well).
There seem to be no plans for a Mac version of the game, which excludes the gamers/Trek fans like myself, but if the number of open beta keys snatched up so quickly are any indication, the launch is going to be a big one. Has anyone already been playing the game? If so, what do you think?
10 steps to a better IT support process
As an IT professional, you need to have a structured mind in order to think through all the possible problematic situations that can present themselves on a day to day basis. And after having worked in IT for a while, I’ve developed a certain methodology that can help you solve most problems quickly and effectively. The goal of this article is to help junior IT workers in the task of supporting users in a corporate environment. By following these ten steps, you can provide better, more effective IT support.
1. Answering the call
When users call for support, they usually feel helpless and may sound irritated over the phone. Always be polite towards them. After all, it’s because of them that you have a job. Yes, I know that some of them can be irritating to deal with, but explain that if they cannot be polite, you will not be able to help them to the best of your skills.
2. Asking the user to explain the problem
Ask the user to describe the problem to the best of their knowledge. What were they doing when the problem occurred? Did they change any settings recently? Did they install any new applications on their computer? I know that in a utopian world, no users should have administrative privileges to their computer, but the reality is that most companies give them this kind of access for reliability reasons, often resulting in users changing important settings or installing unauthorized applications on their systems.
3. Reproducing the error
Reproducing the error is an important part of the troubleshooting process as it helps you determine when and where the problem occurs. If it is possible, go to the user’s computer in person or via a remote management application to do it. If the location is inaccessible, ask the user to reproduce the problem himself to see if it is an isolated issue. Often, a simple reboot will fix most computer problems.
4. Identifying the problem
Using the gathered information from step 2 and 3, establish the cause of the problem. Is it hardware or software related? Try to think about a couple of possibilities. It is important to keep an open mind when dealing with computer problems. With all the hardware and software installed on a PC, the possibility for conflict between all the components is pretty high.
5. Gathering technical information
Gather as many technical details as possible about the issue and the user’s environment. What are the versions of their applications? Is the operating system using all the latest drivers, patches, and service packs?
6. Determine possible solutions
Establish a few possible solutions using the knowledge you’ve gained in the previous steps and your personal experience. If you can’t think of anything, the Internet is there to help you. Here are 2 resources that saved my life a couple of times. Don’t leave home without them!
* EventID.net
* Experts-Exchange (How to get free access)
7. Fixing the problem
If the problem is related to mission critical data, never forget to do a backup before applying your fix. If you are uncertain about the problem and you came up with several possible solutions, always implement them one at a time, so that if something goes wrong, you’ll be able to undo your changes easily.
8. Test and test again
Did I say test? Test again! Sometimes, a problem may seem to be resolved, but it is not. The solution may also have broken other part of the user’s system, so you need to test everything extensively to ensure everything is in working order.
9. Documenting the issue
Always write down what you did to resolve an issue. Who knows when it might happen again? I’ve made the mistake of neglecting to document some of my resolutions, then later wasted time searching for the same solutions all over again.
10. Pat yourself in the back for a job well done.
Yes, you’ve earned it after all!
After having worked in an IT support related job for a few years, you’ll eventually realize that you won’t even have to think about doing these steps anymore; they’ll come to you naturally. Sometimes, you may even skip some of them–but keep in mind that if you do, you may end up coming back to the one you forgot later in the troubleshooting process, anyway.
Science Uncovers What Cleopatra and Neanderthals Had in Common
Courtesy of BBC news this morning, two particularly interesting stories that mix science, history, and… cosmetics.
First up, let’s talk about eyeliner. Yes, eyeliner. There may be no look as timeless and as oft-copied as the Cleopatra eye, made famous in Egyptian art, culture, and mythology. And while it’s certainly aesthetically pleasing (I’m a personal fan of the cat-eye variation) French researchers have discovered a rather intriguing benefit of dark lines of kohl around the eyes: protection from certain eye diseases.
Because of the presence of lead salts in the makeup, researchers have determined that the ancient makeup recipe may have had antibacterial properties, in spite of the lead content. The research, published in Analytical Chemistry, explained further:
In stimulating nonspecific immunological defences, one may argue that these lead compounds were deliberately manufactured and used in ancient Egyptian formulations to prevent and treat eye illnesses by promoting the action of immune cells.
And while we know that the ancient Egyptians were exceptionally aesthetically inclined, it might surprise you to find out that scientists believe they’ve discovered Neanderthal make-up dating back some 50,000 years. In a report in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) a team of scientists have discovered shells containing colored pigments in two different sites in Spain. They believe these pigments may have been used as body paint, a discovery which would certainly change the way Neanderthals are viewed.
Previously, archaeologists discovered black pigments in Africa, which may also have been used as body paint, as well. And while the concept of body paint might not seem ground-breaking to some, researchers indicate that the discovery is quite monumental. According to Bristol University’s Joao Zilhao, leader of the study:
To me, it’s the smoking gun that kills the argument once and for all. The association of these findings with Neanderthals is rock-solid and people have to draw the associations and bury this view of Neanderthals as half-wits.
In both cases mentioned above, research demonstrates that our understanding of the past is ever-changing, and often more critical than needs be. I’ve heard the “lead poisoned makeup” argument over and over, for instance, but this research shows a remarkable reason for that particular ingredient. Once again, science shows us that, though we might be advanced in many respects, our ancestors and genetic cousins were far more advanced than we’d like to think.
Tags: archaeology, cosmetics, history, Science
Incredible IMAX 3D Hubble Rescue Mission Trailer
I don’t know about you guys, but as far as I’m concerned, this is going to be THE IMAX movie to see this year. Just imagine, a trip in space… to fix the Hubble telescope… in 3D!
Through the power of IMAX® 3D, Hubble 3D will enable movie-goers to journey through distant galaxies to explore the grandeur and mysteries of our celestial surroundings, and accompany space-walking astronauts as they attempt the most difficult and important tasks in NASAs history. The film will offer an inspiring and unique look into the Hubble Space Telescopes legacy and highlight its profound impact on the way we view the universe and ourselves. Hubble 3D is an IMAX and Warner Bros. Pictures production, in cooperation with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The film reunites the Space Station 3D filmmaking team, led by Producer/Director Toni Myers. Hubble 3D will blast off exclusively to IMAX and IMAX 3D theatres on March 19th, 2010. Narrated by Leonardo Dicaprio.
The Skynet Symphonic
From the creator of Upular and Expialidocious, here’s the Skynet Symphonic, a song composed entirely of sounds from Terminator 2.
[Via BuzzFeed]
Everything Old is New Again: Social Media and the Geek Connection
Geeks have been using the Internet to meet other geeks, well, since it came around. I remember logging onto the Internet the first time, and I didn’t find information: I found a person. I believe I even corresponded with someone in Australia (this would have been in ’92, I believe) via short emails on a very antiquated computer. And after a time dabbling in AOL chat rooms (hey, there weren’t a whole lot of options) I discovered Elendor, a Tolkien-based MUSH, or Multi-User Simultaneous Hallucination.
What is a MUSH, you might wonder (well, other than that long acronym)? Long before the advent of MMORPGs, MUSHes (and MOOs and MUDs) allowed you to play around in a virtual, text-based world with other people. Essentially, that gave people like me license to pretend to be in their favorite books… which made it painfully addicting. But while the primary role of Elendor was to roleplay in the style of J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, it served a very important second purpose for many of us: social interaction.
Though I’m not in contact with everyone from Elendor, there are plenty of people who I still talk with regularly, including my husband. (Yes, the geekiest of geeky love stories happened on that game… but that’s another post altogether—in fact, the reason we started talking had nothing to do with hobbits, and everything to do with They Might Be Giants). Many of my friends from the MUSH are consummate geeks, literary nuts, and generally wonderful eccentrics.
I haven’t signed on to Elendor in years. The last time I tried to log in, I discovered that my characters had been purged (every last hobbit). Honestly, Twitter has replaced MUSHing (and chat in general) for me in a variety of ways, and taking this trip down memory lane made me realize how similar both social networks are. Consider the following:
- Twitter is notorious for its downtime. Well, in the day, so was Elendor (and many other games). Since Elendor was (and continues to be) free, and hosted at a university, sometimes things just went, well, fail. The game would be down for hours and days, and we’d all be screeching at each other on ICQ until it came up again.
- Twitter can be organized by hashtags. Elendor had a way to facilitate completely non-RP conversation with a variety of chat channels. Most were public; there were places to sing lyrics, to quote movies, to just fool around and be a total idiot.
- Twitter is full of geeks. Elendor was no exception.
- Twitter has a sort of learning curve. Sure, there’s plenty of people who use Twitter that are total idiots. But on the whole, those who work to get something out of Twitter really do. The same went for Elendor. It’s a revolving door of people; someone you get on with extremely well may be gone in a month. There’s no telling.
- Twitter is really basic. It’s text, with little pictures. Most MUSHes are also extremely basic, just text on a background.
- Twitter is real-time. People laud Twitter for its immediate news capabilities, but the MUSH was the same way. I’d often find things out on Elendor as it happened. And with players from all around the world, it definitely lent an international spin to things, too.
- People on Twitter tend to exude a persona. I used to call it a MUSHPersona, back in the day. It’s a way to make a character of yourself, even while OOC. Sometimes more irascible, sometimes more flirtatious–social media of all sorts allows you to create a version of yourself, even if you are being, well, yourself. Having met people both online and IRL with Twitter and Elendor, I can safely say there’s often quite a remarkable distinction.
At any rate, my rather meandering conclusion is that really, even with the Internet, nothing is new. Twitter taps in to a way that people communicate, and have been communicating for a long time. That geeks have been doing it for decades is no surprise!
Have any pre-Twitter social media stories to share? Let us know!
Tags: MUSH, online, RP, social media