Random Ideas

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-01-23

cfgt — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:15:00 +0000

Time to build a new function for dealing with time censored information. DATA! Y U NO EASY TO MANAGE?! #
RT @NathanFillion: Pop. Pop. Pop. http://t.co/SzYXF4Sj #
@roguejs BUY ALL THE GAMES! http://t.co/gHhcvWaU #goodoldgames #

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-01-16

cfgt — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:15:00 +0000

How to waste time: spend half a day parallelizing and abstracting code – find code runs slower than if it were just run in serial. #FML #
@roguejs Or when Android loses the "back" button. The fact that the Up button is now standard might spell doom for the Back Button. #
@roguejs iOS users know it as the back button. (to go back one screen in an iOS app or in the case of Android, up one level in hierarchy) #

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-01-09

cfgt — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:15:00 +0000

@roguejs Darn font. *old man voice* http://t.co/K0umvXV6 #
They give out numbers for orders at MOS Burger — no prizes for guessing what number I tend to get… http://t.co/4ZYTWT2b #

2012: What Now?

cfgt — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 12:45:53 +0000

My blogging has become very sporadic. In 2011, I made 5 blog posts total. 2 of which were merely photos, 1 was a reflection of the past year, 1 was a random idea and 1 was just a blurb about how things were supposed to change — and didn't. Hell, even this post – the mandatory New Year post is a week late. It seems my life is simply too mundane – too difficult for me to find things to blog about that's unique. I've been setting standards that are probably too high.

Why should I talk about iOS vs Android? What about the last 3 movies I actually went to the cinema to watch? What about my last few new gadgets? It might be time to throw caution to the wind and simply blog about everything. Who cares if I start blogging about things that don't matter?

But first, I've got to reflect on the previous year:

I bought a car, it's not strictly speaking the first car I've owned, but it's the first one which I've bought in Australia. It doesn't look like much, but it fits 4 people and runs well.
I need to work harder on those exams. The single remaining paper remains elusive. Perhaps – it's time to try something new.
I've returned to buying Apple products. In addition to the iPad I bought in 2010, I now own a Mac Mini and an iPhone 4S. There's a tale to be told behind the acquisitions, especially why I decided to abandon my Android phone.
My motivation to play video games is drying up. However, I'm not sure I'm the cause. I've played many games in StarCraft II, gone through Deus Ex: Human Revolution, finished Portal 2′s single player and co-op campaigns. I'm begining to think it's not my interest in games that's waning; it's that most games are no longer worth my interest, and my ever decreasing free time (despite not having a social life) is making my standards possibly higher.
I've finally acquired some new cubes from V-Cube – I haven't learned how to solve the newer sizes and the new quirks I have to deal with, but it's going to happen one day.
I'm quitting Magic… again. Maybe. I started again during the year for a short while, but I realized the expense was just too high – hell, I even went as far as to build a deck for Grand Prix Brisbane. That's a tale for another day.

There's probably a lot more I haven't mentioned. It's not coming to mind at the moment.

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-12-26

cfgt — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 11:15:00 +0000

I was doing a survey today, and realized now I have to tick 25-29 instead of 20-24 for age. #feelingold #
@roguejs The part where the BioWare logo is displayed. #
I tried Quake Live today – it is so awesome. #
More than one year later – we've finally got a new chapter of Liar Game to read! #
We want something clean. But…. http://t.co/Nv3YWrFN #
RT @roguejs: "A 30fps engine that never drops a frame is always smoother than 60fps" So true, so true. #gamedev #
The constant presence of clouds is making me feel gloomy. #
RT @roguejs: Oh my god. I just realize I am a medically confirmed Indie Games hoarder (I buy shit but never have time to play) #humblebundle #
The constant presence of clouds is making me feel gloomy. #
RT @roguejs: Oh my god. I just realize I am a medically confirmed Indie Games hoarder (I buy shit but never have time to play) #humblebundle #
Clouds make for a fine day. #
Why do so many threads on AskReddit today seem like they are meant to make me feel old? #
I have this bad habit of trying a lot of operating systems. The list so far: Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Palm OS, Windows Mobile, Android, iOS #
Is it me… or are there a lot more "last-minute deals" e-mails this year? #
I really need to start blogging again. I keep spending year after year promising myself to blog more often… and I don't. #

Theory of Roundabouts – Part 1

cfgt — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:26:16 +0000

It's been quite a while since I last wrote a blog post – so let's start off with a post about something that comes up in everyday life – roundabouts.

Why roundabouts? As you may or may not know, I moved to the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia last year. Queensland loves its roundabouts – there are roundabouts everywhere. There is a roundabout wherever in other places would simply be a 4-way junction.

What does this mean for us? It means that you run into roundabouts all the time – and roundabouts are useful because they slow down traffic. I walk to work everyday – so having cars move slower because of a roundabout is fantastic for me. It means I can cross roads with a little more safety than usually.

Now, being a statistician, there's always the tendency to look at things with a little more analysis than usual. For example, here's a 4-way roundabout, not unlike the one near the office I work at.

Now – there are interesting observations we can make from something as simple as this – the path I labeled number 1 actually leads to an outdoor car park for the office workers and park visitors that are nearby.

Why is this important information? It means cars won't be coming from that direction very often until it comes time for people to leave the office. It also means very few cars will be going into that exit since it doesn't really lead anywhere.

Let's go on to the other paths. Path no. 2 leads towards a main highway, path no. 3 leads towards another main road, and path no. 4 leads to a shopping centre.

Why is this useful information? It tells you which trajectories of the roundabout are the most likely. The most likely paths given the source of the car:

Unfortunately, I am too sleepy to continue for now… more on how to use this information in Part 2!

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-11-28

cfgt — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:15:00 +0000

@chewxy All hail the efficiency of the USPS! #sarcasm #
It's easier to download source code from my website than to turn on my other computer. #firstworldproblems #

Photos: Apple Remote

cfgt — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 12:03:45 +0000

Recently, I bought an Apple Remote – it looked so nice, small and simple. It's also surprisingly not as flat as some photos would suggest.

Front of the Apple Remote

The black 4-way button is actually a slightly bumped up – and the button in the middle of the ring and the Menu button is actually curve inwards. This makes it a lot easier to know whether or not you are pressing the correct button.

Back of the Apple Remote

The back holds the battery cover, which appears to require a coin to turn.

As for a quick review, the signal is received very easily, it feels thin, and cold if you kept your air conditioning on for too long (since it's made out of metal). Whether it's worth it or not – depends on you. I've got plenty of uses for a remote control for my computer's media – do you?

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-11-21

cfgt — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:15:00 +0000

@roguejs @chewxy Use something more related to magic, like Nearly Flawless Conjuration. =P #
Two Angelic Destinies on a Doomed Traveler – sweet sweet victory. #mtg #
I've gotta say that Codify for iPad looks mighty interesting. #
BlackBerry development sounds really scary. http://t.co/DVNsHUmC #
Anyone else think this much about hand usage? http://t.co/17oX9Lke #
@roguejs It makes my Mac Mini run at 90ºC. Well that's if I'm playing 1080p video on twitch.tv. #
RT @day9tv: I now know what it feels like to be trolled simultaneously by 18,000 people. Hats off to all of you. Jackasses #
@roguejs @chewxy Just be happy they actually have a site. And Google is still ugly. New look in Reader is terrible. #
Overcomplicate ALL THE THINGS! http://t.co/CNUrLR4s #
@chewxy And I shall make sure that never happens when we're in the Pressyo office. #EvilLaugh #
How many people know what USSD on a mobile phone is? No going to Google or Wikipedia to find out. #
RT @day9tv: RT @cgenevier: just found out my good friend uses Internet explorer. I mean "ex-good-friend" #

Revamping ALL The Things!

cfgt — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:37:52 +0000

While the Twitter update posts are here to stay (for now), I've neatened them up for now – no longer are they just for very week, most of them are for longer periods of time so that they hold more stuff to read rather than one line short tweets.

I've also updated WordPress… again – no surprise there. What has changed, however, is the mobile theme. It is now catered towards newer iOS and Android browsers rather than older mobile ones – not like I have any visitors on those old mobile browsers anyway.

While I can't say there'll be a new blog post on any kind of schedule while my brain is still permanently in some kind of transition – I think it's time for a new interest or two to start leeching its way back onto my blog.