jforman - Slashdot User

Simpler "Hello World" Demonstrated In C 582

Posted by kdawson on Tuesday March 16, 2010 @10:03PM from the non-obfuscated dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Wondering where all that bloat comes from, causing even the classic 'Hello world' to weigh in at 11 KB? An MIT programmer decided to make a Linux C program so simple, she could explain every byte of the assembly. She found that gcc was including libc even when you don't ask for it. The blog shows how to compile a much simpler 'Hello world,' using no libraries at all. This takes me back to the days of programming bare-metal on DOS!"

Man Charges Phone Using a Solar Panel and His Dog 2

Posted by samzenpus on Monday January 11, 2010 @11:53AM from the 101-conversations dept.

andylim writes "It's really annoying when your phone runs out of battery power but what if you could charge it up using your dog? According to recombu.com, a Swiss man called Erik Schiegg has created a "solar dog" charger that combines a solar panel with a dog for the ultimate portable charging solution. Shiegg explains that the charger works in cloudy weather conditions and it's at a better angle to the sun than if he was wearing it, 'My Android phone is charged in no time.' He also adds that it would be interesting if farmers used this idea and put solar panels on their animals."

Comment You will still be faced with the chicken and egg p (Score 1) 834

by jforman on Monday May 11, 2009 @06:31AM (#27904107) Attached to: Go For a Masters, Or Not?

Speaking from experience here as a recent grad (BS in Math/CS in 2000, MS in Telecom in 2004), I was faced with that decision for a while, and seeing it in hindsight there is one thing you need to realize. The Masters is only going to get you into the door a little bit easier. It might get you to the top of the pile for interviews, but it by no means makes you a shoe in.

After that, you must deal with the fact that it's hard finding an IT company who wants to hire someone as 'green' as a new grad. Use your masters to get contacts in the industry, work your tail off to get a great summer internship if your program is two years long. I was lucky enough to go full time for two years, and wrote freelance for a well-known computer security magazine. Bolster your resume.

Use the masters to bolster your chances of convincing future employers that you are more than just a naive college grad.

Comment Motivation (Score 1) 168

by jforman on Sunday March 27, 2005 @12:31PM (#12060197) Attached to: Making the Transition to University?

College is all about motivation. You have to want to go, and want to kick ass and take names. I was a mathematics undergrad (now getting my masters in telecommunications), and you have to want to do well. I got burnt out from math by my 3rd year, but I still struggled through it. Didn't graduate with a stellar GPA, but still got into grad school, in a program that I know have a 3.8/4.0 average.

Take the harder classes, the more difficult major. I see friends of mine who were advertising and marketing majors, who are living at home with their parents unable to find a job. And these are people who graduated with academic honors and went out every weekend to get plastered. Don't get me wrong, I still had my fun on weekends, but I made sure my work was done.

Swallow your pride and get to know your professors. Email them to chat about homework in their office hours. Shoot off an email if you find an interesting article that pertains to research they are doing. Get yourself known around the professor community, it will help more than you can even imagine.

But most of all, have fun. Explore topics that interest you, audit a course if you just want to sit in on it. Get involved with campus activities and things around the University community. College is all about making connections...the people you meet might be able to get you a job one day.

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