Nick_C

39 ms·

1. 331.▲
   by Nick_C 16y ago

   I had hardware acceleration switched on, but I turned it off. I run Linux on a laptop and, from what I've read, xorg's EXA and 2D/3D through OpenGL is problematic for things like minimum power and P states. Heat is already a problem and
2. 332.▲
   by Nick_C 16y ago

   > BYTE (badly missed) Coming back apparently: http://technologizer.com/2010/12/22/good-grief-byte-is-comin...
3. 333.▲
   by Nick_C 16y ago

   Agreed. I suspect this notion that you incur mental cost from screen-switching comes from those who have not used a tiling window manager. Once you get used to this, a desktop is clumsy/painful to use. I have the same layout every day:
4. 334.▲
   by Nick_C 16y ago

   PDF link for those unable to view Powerpoint: http://terrytao.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/cosmic-distance-... It is good stuff, worth a read.
5. 335.▲
   by Nick_C 16y ago

   I also say, 'Wow'. Pretty much everyone in Australia in my age bracket knows him too. Funny that Terrence Hill was always cast as the smart guy and Bud as the dumb companion.
6. 336.▲
   by Nick_C 16y ago

   I have trouble believing this is the case. Perhaps only in a very limited set of circumstances. Can you give us some references? The reason I doubt it is that it opens a huge can of worms about how I could entrap a third-party into a cont
7. 337.▲
   by Nick_C 16y ago

   I remember it was sold to the world as being because it exceeded human hearing. I remember it very clearly because I was into high-end hi-fi at the time and didn't believe it.
8. 338.▲
   by Nick_C 16y ago

   If you want introductory, see Bertrand Myer and the Eiffel programming language. http://www.eiffel.com/developers/design_by_contract.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_by_contract http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_(programming_
9. 339.▲
   by Nick_C 16y ago

   > men didn't do so until like 10k years ago This get quoted quite a bit here, so let me point out that in itself it is not a supporting argument. We adults were not able to metabolise lactose either until we evolved the ability about 8,
10. 340.▲
    by Nick_C 16y ago

    Just to digress slightly, if I can ask a question. Does the x86 still use a page-based memory model? I was under the impression it went to a full range addressing model with the P6. Page-based memory was what stopped me learning x86 assemb
11. 341.▲
    by Nick_C 16y ago

    Interestingly, the psychometric profiles for music and engineering share quite a few characteristics. It's common for engineers to be polymaths, esp with music.
12. 342.▲
    by Nick_C 16y ago

    Select CS. I haven't actually finished mine yet either.
13. 343.▲
    Poll: Do you have a formal CS or a general computing degree?

    27 points by Nick_C 16y ago|43 comments
14. 344.▲
    by Nick_C 16y ago

    Computer Science degree
15. 345.▲
    by Nick_C 16y ago

    General computing degree
16. 346.▲
    by Nick_C 16y ago

    Other degree involving some computing knowledge
17. 347.▲
    by Nick_C 16y ago

    Unrelated degree
18. 348.▲
    by Nick_C 16y ago

    Picked it up on the job
19. 349.▲
    by Nick_C 16y ago

    Self-taught
20. 350.▲
    by Nick_C 16y ago

    None
21. 351.▲
    by Nick_C 16y ago

    I'm having a lot of fun with this MSP430 microprocessor that cost $4.30, delivered to Australia(!). Great way to teach/refresh some skills in simple assembly or C. Here's the original HN article where it was mentioned: http://news.ycombin
22. 352.▲
    by Nick_C 16y ago

    You have the additional rule that everything gives way to traffic already on the roundabout, which (in practice) means that particular timing event doesn't occur. The downstream car cannot enter the roundabout until the upstream car has go
23. 353.▲
    by Nick_C 16y ago

    I got bitten with symlinks for bookmarks. They don't change the PWD to the correct one. For example: cd /home/nick ln -s /var/www www cd www echo $PWD ---> /home/nick/www which will break scripts.
24. 354.▲
    by Nick_C 16y ago

    Very interesting. I always had a very accurate sense of direction, to the point of not needing a compass when bushwalking to a map. Yet, when I moved to the other side of the continent, I was completely thrown. I wondered to myself whethe
25. 355.▲
    by Nick_C 16y ago

    Australia is very stable geologically, apart from a bit on the S.E. corner, which is why it is flat. It is very old and hasn't had the evolutionary disruptions caused by mountain raising and flattening. The animals have evolved quite dist
26. 356.▲
    by Nick_C 16y ago

    For anyone who comes back and reads this later, the package arrived two business days after placing the order. I'm still pretty amazed I got it, delivered to Australia, for $4.30.
27. 357.▲
    by Nick_C 16y ago

    >Without altitude and temperature a Mach number is rather useless Actually, no, it's the most important number. See http://womanpilot.com/?p=61 (near the end) for why.
28. 358.▲
    by Nick_C 16y ago

    I won't talk about left and right because I'll get confused. If you want to exit after 90 degrees, outer lane. If you want to exit after 180 degrees (straight through), either lane. If you want to exit after 270 degress, inner lane at fir
29. 359.▲
    by Nick_C 16y ago

    Yeah. Helicopters in flight use less power because of "free" translational lift, the lift provided by air flowing over the rotor because of the helicopter's forward speed. It uses much more power to lift off when stationary because there i
30. 360.▲
    by Nick_C 16y ago

    You always learn something new when you see it through someone else's eyes. I didn't know the range operator "," could take regexes.