Yes, You Can Have Your Pie and Eat It Too

Rasberry Pi

Here’s the inside perspective from Raspberry Pi – it’s the first time engineer Pete Lomas shares details with Wired of how they did it, and what tradeoffs had to be made.

Soroban Calculator

Soroban Calculator 1979

I came across this and wanted to share it. Its from Retronaut. Yes, that really is a counting frame next to the calculator. Take a look, there’s more of them.

Thought for Friday

Is this little thing the next BIG thing?

This tiny little ‘device’ is the Rasberry pi… a very small, very cheap basic computer. Response to the launch has been huge and it will be interesting to see where this little baby goes. I for one will be watching.

This is from Wikipedia:
In 2006, early concepts of the Raspberry Pi were based on the Atmel ATmega644 microcontroller. Its schematics and PCB layout are available for public download.^[14] Foundation trustee Eben Upton assembled a group of teachers, academics and computer enthusiasts to devise a computer to inspire children.^[15] The first ARM prototype version of the computer was mounted in a package the same size as a USB memory stick.^[16] It had a USB port on one end and a HDMI port on the other. For more go here.

For more on the Rasberry pi go here.

Thank you MacAce

Last night at around 10.00pm I was browsing the net and decided to check on our own site: http://www.taylorsimons.com, and was shocked to see a Fatal Error message where our site should be.

Unsure of what the message meant, I tried to log on to our WordPress-based site and found I was unable to. Unsure of what to do next I fired off an email to our hosting company MacAce hoping they would respond with some guidance by the next morning. To my surprise and delight MacAce, or should I say Fran, responded within 15 minutes, having sorted out the problem which tuned out to be an issue with a recent upgrade of a plugin.

So thank you Fran and MacAce for your support.

Steve Jobs ‘Visionary’ 1955-2011

Steve Jobs (Photo Matt Yohe). This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons.

What can I say that others will be able to articulate far better than I ever could about Steve Jobs. I’ve been using computers inspired by his ideas and leadership since the 1980’s. To me Steve Jobs will be remembered as a genius and a visionary and the guy who enabled someone like me to understand and use computers for personal and business use with an ease that I’ve now taken for granted. Goodbye Steve, Rest In Peace.

Apple said his “brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve”.

From the Apple Computer website

Thought for Friday

Kindle 3

Library books via the Kindle in the US, will the service arrive in the UK any time soon?

Over on Wired is a report on Amazon’s April announcement that US owners of the Kindle will be able to borrow e-books from their local libraries.

Wired goes on to say:

It’s a good thing for readers, because they’ve got access to more free content. It’s a good thing (I hope) for libraries, who can reach or reconnect with a wide range of patrons in different media. (Let’s hope whatever deal they struck with Amazon doesn’t prove ruinous, or gets slashed back by budget-busting administrative and government crusaders.)

Over in The Guardian was a quote from the American Libraries Association:

A recent report revealed research showing that 72% of public libraries offer ebooks and 5% of American adults own an ebook reader. The ALA said that ebooks account for only a small percentage of borrowed items from most libraries, but they are the fastest-growing segment: the Chicago Public Library, it said, doubled its circulation of ebooks from 17,000 in 2009 to more than 36,000 in 2010.

I don’t know if Amazon has plans to introduce this facility via UK libraries and I wonder whether it would be a good thing for our libraries or not, particularly the way local libraries are currently facing such severe cuts. Maybe this is a way to provide libraries with much-needed revenue.

… and the BBC had this to say:

Nevertheless, the dominant position of Kindle in the e-book market is likely to raise the profile of library lending.

“I am in favour of anything that gives readers an opportunity to read more books via a library system,” said Phil Bradley, vice president of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals.

If any librarians reading this post have an opinion on this topic, perhaps you could respond to this post.

Happy Birthday Google!

Google Beta logo

One of the earliest Google logos. This one is from 29 October 1998.