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Comment Blog post with language comparisons (Score 1) 316

There was a blog post this week (can't remember where I found the link now) that details common problems and how you'd approach them in both Obj-C and Swift. I haven't finished reading it yet but it's pretty clear that the author is sticking with Obj-C for the time being. Worth a read. http://owensd.io/2014/09/24/sw...

Comment Re:internet (Score 2) 196

I don't use a pump but the ones I've seen over here in the UK contain the insulin in cartridge form and attach to the patient's belt, with a delivery tube going to the belly. If I was wearing a pump and got an email demanding cash to save having a massive insulin dose delivered, what's to stop me physically removing the insulin delivery tube from my belly so the insulin can't be delivered, then using regular injections instead?

The fact they can be hacked is bad news bears and should be corrected but I think your hostage situation is a bit imaginary.

Comment Re:Get a dog (Score 1) 480

Totally agree. However, don't make the same mistake I did by getting a puppy (especially a Hungarian Vizsla puppy). Trying to work while crate training a puppy is just asking for trouble.

I walk the dog in the park in the morning and there's the same group of people there every morning so it's good socialisation for the pup and myself. During the day, I take a 15 minute break every couple of hours to let the dog outside, make a coffee, etc. I also walk her for 20 or 30 minutes at lunch which is usually the time I figure out most coding problems, then do the same in the evening. As Kirk says, if it wasn't for the dog I'd be glued to my office chair.

Here's a good interview with a chap who talks about how be became a data visualisation freelancer. He talks about some of the challenges of working from home so might be worth a watch: http://fellinlovewithdata.com/interviews/data-visualization-freelancin

George.

Comment Re:Yes (Score 1) 615

Exactly. I've just taken a new job working from home (along with a pay cut) because I wasn't allowed to telecommute in my old one. A third of my take-home pay used to go on just getting to and from work. The money working from home saves me more than makes up for the pay cut and I'll still be better off at the end of the month.

The downside is that, despite being a programmer, I'm quite a social creature and will need to find a new hobby where I can be with people to fill the social void left by not working in an office. Plus I'll have to have to try and define clear work/personal boundaries so probably have a dedicated office solely for work.

It's a huge lifestyle change but hopefully it'll pay off. I just love where I live, don't want to commute any more and have a permanent (with sick and holiday pay) job working from home. I'll do whatever I can to make sure it works!

Submission + - Help me get my math back 2

nwm writes: I am trying to refresh my math skills back to the point that I can take college-level statistics and calculus courses. I took everything through AP calculus in high school, had my butt kicked by college calculus, and dropped out of college shortly thereafter. Twenty+ years later, I need to take a few math courses to wrap up a degree. I've dug around some and found a few sites with useful information, but I'm hoping the /. crowd can offer some good resources (sites, books, programs, online tutors, etc.). I really don't want to have to take a series of algebra-geometry-trig "pre-college" level courses (each at full cost and each a semester long) just to warm my brain up. I'd much rather find some resources, review, cram, and take the placement test with some confidence. Any suggestions?

Comment One pancreas, please (Score 3, Insightful) 101

Being type 1 (insulin dependant) diabetic, the idea of having a new pancreas 'printed' is pretty appealing. I asked a doctor why they can't be transplanted like other organs and he said that it's because they're too fragile and would likely be damaged during the transplant process. It'd be great if printing a new one would work.

One can dream...

Comment Re:Get a fast lens (Score 1) 596

A fast lens is handy but won't always produce good shots. Because the depth of field is so incredibly narrow if the auto-focus is even slightly off you can completely miss a shot. Then there's the fact that most (budget to mid-range) lenses aren't tremendously sharp when used wide open - especially at the corners.

Low noise at high ISO is far more helpful. You're still at the mercy of the camera's auto-focus but you'd be able to stop the lens down, increase the ISO without risk of noise, and have a greater margin for error.

I have a 35mm f/2 on my Canon XSi and it's gloriously sharp between f/4 and f/8, all the way to the corners. If the auto-focus is a little off, I've got a greater depth of field and can get usable images. Unless I'm in good light, auto-focus at f/2 is a lottery.

Give me low noise images at ISO 3200 and above on a camera which doesn't cost £2k and I'll be a happy camper.

Comment Re:Quality DVDs, archival storage, repeated backup (Score 1) 669

I can't imagine a guy with 500G of personal files. It must take a month just to read the titles of his various files.

Off-topic but I thought I'd share how easy it is to accumulate 500G of personal data very quickly as I'm well on my way there: Digital photography. If you're a serious amateur and shoot in RAW format with a 14MP or so digital SLR, each photo can be around 15meg.

I can take between 250 and 400 photos on a night out with friends, still having a blast at the time, and these all add up very quickly. Throw in photos of family, holidays and such-like and you're running into hundreds of gigs of photos very quickly; I've got just over 200G of photos after having my camera for around 10 months. Software like Lightroom, iPhoto or Aperture makes organising and searching them very quick and easy, too.

The only things I'd be mortified about losing are my photos. It'd be a pain in the ass but code can be rewritten (probably quicker second time round, too). Mail is stored on the server. I can't ever again recreate the moment I pressed the shutter on the tens of thousands of photos I have, and I still haven't found a reliable way to back them all up frequently either.

G.

Role Playing (Games)

Submission + - Fallout 3 Van Buren tech demo released

gbridge writes: Over eight years since the release of Fallout 2, the original (pre-alpha) tech demo of Black Isle Studio's abandoned Fallout 3 Van Buren project has made its way into the public domain. It's obviously a long, long way from being even beta quality but fans are rejoicing that they finally have something of the cancelled project to see for themselves. Bethesda have also given Fallout fans something to look forward to by announcing that a teaser video of their own interpretation of Fallout 3 will be released in 33 days time.

Feed Maybe You Should Back Up Your Own Email; Google, AOL, Yahoo All Losing Emails (techdirt.com)

Web-based email has made quite the comeback in the past few years thanks to massive increases in email storage offerings, as well as revamped user interfaces. However, it appears that all of the big players have run into some problems actually keeping email systems online. This past week there have been stories of both AOL and Yahoo losing a ton of email (thousands of emails for AOL, millions for Yahoo Japan). This comes just a few months after Google had some problems with mass email deletions in Gmail. While the convenience these services provide is fantastic, all of these stories of lost emails should act as a reminder that you probably shouldn't trust any of these providers alone to care for your email. It's almost surprising that we haven't seen more of an effort by these or other providers to position email backup services as well, promising to keep you running, should your main account get knocked out or deleted.
Google

Submission + - Google to Hold Worldwide Developer Day

Incon writes: Google is holding a day for developers to meet and learn from Google staff at its various worldwide offices. Places at the event are sure to go quicker than hotcakes, so get in quickly. Locations that Developer Day will be held at are: Beijing, Hamburg, London, Madrid, Moscow, Paris, Sao Paulo, Sydney, Tokyo and of course at Google HQ in Mountain View.

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