I don't often do recommendations but I just started using DropBox for online storage. I am really impressed with it and usage is free!
Basically, DropBox gives you an online storage space that synchronises automatically to a folder on any machine you use.
I am currently using it to synchronise files between my Mac and my PC for when I do iPhone and Windows Phone 7 development. I am using Monotouch for the iPhone part and so all the common .Net code gets synchronised via my DropBox.
Check it out here for a free no-strings-attached account !!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
3D and Quantum Physics
It is said that Albert Einstien had an advanced spacial awareness and a sense of three dimensions that enabled him to imagine the structure of the universe. He also had the mathematical chops to prove this thought experiments afterwards which certainly helped his credibility.
Extending that idea a bit, and supposing that both matter and antimatter were created in equal measure in the first billionths of a second of the early universe, one could also imagine that the properties of the antimatter were all diametrically opposed to the properties of ordinary matter. The theroretical gravitational carrier particle, the Higgs Boson, would have it's antimatter counterpart and, theoretically, its effects would be reversed.
A common line of thought in physics is that gravity is attractive over short distances and repulsive over large ones. Correspondingly, anti-gravity would be repulsive over short distances and attractive over large ones.
Going back to the idea of three dimensional space then, we could imagine that at the moment of the big bang and for some time after, as the matter and antimatter were near to one another the antimatter would form a sort of shell around the matter. This would repulse to continue to maintain a sort of container around the early universe and the antimatter would all remain on the outside and expand space in front of it as it went.
As the universe aged and the distances became large enough, the antimatter began to attract and so is even now pulling the universe apart in all directions. This would explain both the lack of antimatter and the expanding state of the universe.
Technically, that expansion should continue to acellerate and spread the universe thinly. This accounts for entropic heat death.
As to the rest of the missing universe. the dark matter, it is inside the black holes which are more numerous and larger than was once thought,
Now, if only I could do the math. I might get a Nobel!
I wonder if Stephen Hawking reads my blog?
Extending that idea a bit, and supposing that both matter and antimatter were created in equal measure in the first billionths of a second of the early universe, one could also imagine that the properties of the antimatter were all diametrically opposed to the properties of ordinary matter. The theroretical gravitational carrier particle, the Higgs Boson, would have it's antimatter counterpart and, theoretically, its effects would be reversed.
A common line of thought in physics is that gravity is attractive over short distances and repulsive over large ones. Correspondingly, anti-gravity would be repulsive over short distances and attractive over large ones.
Going back to the idea of three dimensional space then, we could imagine that at the moment of the big bang and for some time after, as the matter and antimatter were near to one another the antimatter would form a sort of shell around the matter. This would repulse to continue to maintain a sort of container around the early universe and the antimatter would all remain on the outside and expand space in front of it as it went.
As the universe aged and the distances became large enough, the antimatter began to attract and so is even now pulling the universe apart in all directions. This would explain both the lack of antimatter and the expanding state of the universe.
Technically, that expansion should continue to acellerate and spread the universe thinly. This accounts for entropic heat death.
As to the rest of the missing universe. the dark matter, it is inside the black holes which are more numerous and larger than was once thought,
Now, if only I could do the math. I might get a Nobel!
I wonder if Stephen Hawking reads my blog?
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Windows Phone 7 keyboard
My experience with Windows Phone 7 continues with some thoughts on the quality of The on-screen keyboard.
Maybe my thumbs have taken on some motor programming thanks to the iPhone keyboard but I find the Microsoft OSK layout to be very hard to use. Fatfingering the wrong character is too easy and the cash register feedback that pops up like whack-a-rat is too lrge and unsubtle enough to make me want to position my finger lower on the key which seems to exascerbate the situation.
Maybe my thumbs have taken on some motor programming thanks to the iPhone keyboard but I find the Microsoft OSK layout to be very hard to use. Fatfingering the wrong character is too easy and the cash register feedback that pops up like whack-a-rat is too lrge and unsubtle enough to make me want to position my finger lower on the key which seems to exascerbate the situation.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Arduino and android, a match made in heaven?
As an electronics designer from aincient times and having been playing with arduino systems for some time I find myself hugely inspired by the news of Google's open hardware accessory initiative based on arduino designs .
I am currently working on two arduino projects. A power control system for an autonomous house and a cruise control for my Land Rover. Sadly project 2 is on hold as the Landis needs a new clutch. The ease of programming and simplicity of the ATMega microcontroller design makes this an almost perfect match for a smart accessory choice.
I was looking for a way to return to my hardware roots and this seems to be an ideal opportunity .
I am currently working on two arduino projects. A power control system for an autonomous house and a cruise control for my Land Rover. Sadly project 2 is on hold as the Landis needs a new clutch. The ease of programming and simplicity of the ATMega microcontroller design makes this an almost perfect match for a smart accessory choice.
I was looking for a way to return to my hardware roots and this seems to be an ideal opportunity .
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)