Archive for January, 2006
January 5th, 2006
Microsoft MVP Phil Weber is running a competition with licences for VS 2005 combined with one year of MSDN Premium as the prizes. My now student status rather rules out a purchase of the VS magnitude (espcially not Team System!) and whilst the express editions are nice, the features missing cut rather close to home (why, oh why, is unit testing only in the top of the range release?). “Well”, I thought “why not give this a go?”.
He’s after 100 words on why an entrant is a worthy winner. So, without further ado, here’s a poem. Hah! How many people saw that coming?
A Short Ode to the Trials of an Programmers Outmoded Toolkit
Whilst coding one day, to my great dismay,
I found myself growing nonplussed.
In mounting frustration,
I grabbed my workstation
and hurled it away in disgust!
“How much better”, I cried,
“could my work be inside
if my tools weren’t so covered with rust!”
“With version control, I could go take a stroll,
whilst continuous builds catch my quirks.
With more unit testing,
I could spend time investing
in specifications that work!
I might again feel
full of programming zeal
and less like a mechanical turk!”
Traditionalists (well, those even more traditional than myself) will note that this is a pretty poor “ode”, and it’s missing an entire stanza that should sit on the end (I had to cut it to get it into 100 words, you’ll be pleased to hear). I didn’t want to spend hours on it, so it also lacks some of the refinement I’d normally like to include (such as “quality” 
). Nonetheless, a fun exercise; if one can’t be eminently silly sometimes, real gravitas is much harder to reach.
January 5th, 2006
I spent a lot more time at home over the holidays than I do normally, and so my trusty iBook has become less of a laptop and more of a desk ornament. After a few days of sitting there, plugged in permanently, it started giving me shocks via the metal components on the case. Nothing serious, just a small tingling, so I wired up my multi-meter and sure enough, there was a small current flowing whenever the machine was connected to the mains.
I guess I’d never noticed before because it spent most of the unplugged, and being curious more than worried I decided to give Apple a ring. Apple support is still some of the best in the industry and after a minimal amount of time on the phone, they said they’d contact me with a resolution. Well, true to form, they called back two days later with the following interesting snippet.
The power adaptor that Apple ships supported two methods of wall connection. There’s an AC power lead (e.g. a long cable with the plug in the end) as well as a wall plug that slips right onto the adaptor. Because my desk is well supplied with sockets, I’d just slipped the wall plug (the Apple support person called it a “docket” [sic]) onto the adaptor and into the wall. It transpires, however, that this plug is ungrounded.
Sceptical and surprised, I said I’d try it and sure enough, my laptop no longer shocks me when plugged in via the longer AC lead. Not being an electrician, I can’t say why they didn’t connect the ground for the small plug, but it certain seems to be the case. I’d also been experiencing trackpad problems (it was getting stuck in scroll mode), and these problems also went away when the unit was grounded. I understand the trackpads work on a capacitance difference between fingers and surface, so perhaps this also cured that problem (though this just speculation).
Anyway, issue resolved. Hopefully this information can filter through Google and save someone else a call to technical support.
January 3rd, 2006
Well, it transpires I’m terrible at keeping this thing up to date. All it takes is the equivalent of a full time job simultaneously with a full time degree course, social life and family ties to make me stop writing a weblog. Who’d have thought it?
I’m not going to subscribe to the cliché of posting any New Years Resolutions here; such an indulgence would be a waste of time for all concerned. However, in my original spirit of keeping only things people would actually be interested in, I shall reveal one: For several years now I’ve wanted to learn Latin, and now I actually intend to.
I did make a start a couple of years ago and progressed a little way, until the real life gremlins appeared to foil my attempt. This time, I’m resolved to make a better effort. Additionally, rather than signing onto a Latin course at university, I’ve decided to “go it alone”. Armed with suitable textbooks, dictionaries, audio guides and an inexhaustible well of new years resoluteness, I’m going to complete the equivalent of a high school Latin course. Oh, and I’m going to write about it here. Look forward to part one shortly, or unsubscribe now!
I don’t want to carry baggage into 2006 with me, so consider all currently unfinished article series dead – I suspect they were of little interest or value anyway. If anyone has any questions regarding anything that’s now hanging in literary limbo, just drop me an e-mail.
