www.danlemire.com

Family Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Mon, 04 May 2009 20:43:55 PDT

Family photos are not on my list of favorite things to do, but, sometimes, everything comes together at once. Big smiles, bright blue sky, picture perfect background and a person who knows how to use a camera. They all came together to make a great family photo.

3D-based Captchas become reality | Crave - CNET

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 08:58:25 PDT

3D-based Captchas become reality | Crave - CNET

I'm fascinated by the idea of the CAPTCHA. Not the least of which, is the fact the CAPTCHA is an acronym. Because of the continuing risk/reward systems that all humans operate under, this convention is most probably here to stay.

What's funny to me regarding this 3D addition, is that in order to work around the system one of two things will need to happen.

1.) Spammers hire a person to do the work (and in that case, the CAPTCHA actually does exactly what it is intended to do: ensure a human is using the system.

2.) Computers are programmed to better recognize three dimensional objects from virtually any angle.

Option 2 is what intrigues me. I have to believe that someone is already working on this problem. Allbeit for use in robotics applications. If the spammers and hackers of the world decide to spend their time on option 2, the system will need to evolve again. Only this time we will have added the concept of computers recognizing three dimensional objects in the process. A process that we will need to have at somepoint in the future.

This has got me thinking, what other kinds of difficult computer recognition problems are out there? The best I can come up with at the moment is idiomatic expressions. The other problems I can come up with are already being worked on, or they've been solved (voice recognition and facial expressions recognition).

As a society we need to find ways to put value to the problems that we may hackers work on more valuable. These people spend loads of time working on a problem, so, let's give them a problem that really needs to be solved.

There are no new ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 14:55:39 PST

If you spend any time around me, you’ll hear me say this phrase somewhat regularly. As I have now been working in the IT industry for 10 full years, obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Computer Information Systems and a Master’s degree in Information Technology, it becomes more and more clear to me that there are no new ideas, only a new way to implement the same old ones.

For instance, take ERP system such as SAP and PeopleSoft. There is absolutely nothing new about putting your business information into a computer. In fact, the only new about the an ERP system is that is has more information available, in a shorter period of time, and in a way that people can understand. Hmm, that sounds a bit like a chart… more information available, short time, more people can understand…. exactly.

The same goes for the various kinds of computers systems that run today corporations and small business. 30 years ago we talked about virtualization on the mainframe, and now we talk about on mid-range or mini-computers. Still virtualization, still the same old making one computer look like or act like many computers at the same time.

I find that extraordinary. So, really, the big ideas are not new, only new ways to implement the same old ideas that have already been proven successful decades, centuries or millennia ago.

Master of Information Technologies

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 21:08:26 PST

After completing my Master of IT in May of 2008, I’ve now had some time to reflect back on both the experience and it’s implication for my daily work as an IT professional.

Probably the most startling revelation that I take away from the experience is that most IT people are IT because of the technical interest. That IT is any help at all to the BUSINESS, is only coincidental. As IT people, struggling with the bits and bytes, we sometimes loose sight of what all our efforts are for.

If IT people fail to see how IT can help the business, we’re all doomed to failure. We must, as individuals, departments, divisions and companies understand how IT is critical to the business (whatever business that may be) and strive to find how IT can serve and not be served.

Lego Secret Vault Contains All Sets In History (VIDEO)

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:51:35 PDT

Amazing look into the Lego secret vault.

read more | digg story

Building Websites - Screen Resolution

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 15:35:26 PDT

Why does my site look like X when I view it on one computer, and like Y when I view it on another computer?

The answer is likely to be screen resolution.

Many times when I get the opportunity to sit down with a client and discuss their website, screen resolution is discussed more often than not. Screen resolution is so frequently discussed in meetings that it's time for me to do a write up, so that I can use it as a reference later. I figured that if I'm going to write it up, that I might as well put it on the blog so that perhaps someone else could benefit from it as well.

What is Screen Resolution?

Screen resolution is usually a user controlled setting that controls how may pixels can be represented on a screen at any given time. The most common misconception I see with screen resolution is that it has something to do with the physical size of the monitor. Let me be clear, monitor size has nothing to do with the screen resolution.

Why is Screen Resolution an issue?

Screen Resolution affects how much area a website will fill on a given screen. If you are using a low resolution (e.g. 800 x 600), you will only see about 800 pixels horizontally on your screen. Many websites are built to fit horizontally into an 800 x 600 resolution screen. If you are using a resolution higher than 800 x 600, and the site is built to horizontally fit into an 800 x 600 resolution screen, there will be extra space on either or both sides of the website. In some cases, a site has been constructed to fill the screen regardless of the screen resolution. This is the ultimate goal with any site design, however, not every design can be made to function this way.

For example, obchinc.com, is made to fill the screen regardless of resolution, in contrast, fredlemire.com, is built to fit in the browser window of an 800 x 600 pixel resolution display.

There are many ways to deal with the screen resolution issue. Many technology related sites has elected to build their sites to fill up the screen real estate on a much larger display. This is a problem if you are using a display with lower resolution. If your display is using a lower resolution than the one the site was intended for, you will see horizontal scroll bar appear on the screen, so that you will be able to see the whole site.

SeeDragon/Photosynth demo

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:54:33 PDT

This is incredible. Amazing. The conglomeration of social interaction and exploration accessible to anyone. This is web 3.0, the semantic web in the making. Thanks to Tim Fehlmen (DailyCupofTech.com) for posting this one his blog for me to find!

How Online Criminals Make Themselves Tough to Find, Near Impossible to Nab - CIO.com - Business Technology Leadership

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 15:15:55 PDT

How Online Criminals Make Themselves Tough to Find, Near Impossible to Nab - CIO.com - Business Technology Leadership

This is a really great article about online crime. Today, identity theft is a major problem, and law enforcement lacks the resources, tools, manpower and time to deal wit identity theft properly. This is just more indication that identity theft or data that is really a matter of time... not if, but when.

Optimus Maximus keyboard

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Wed, 16 May 2007 08:22:41 PDT

Optimus Maximus keyboard

Wildly Expensive. Amazingly Functional. The future of keyboard evolution. The Optimius Maximus keyboard has a very appropriate name. It's a work of art, but, just like great art, you pay a high price. This keyboard weighs in a about $1500. What's so different about it that makes it work $1500? Every key on this keyboard is a small OLED screen. You can change the keys display. Say you want to type in chinese. No problem. A new keyboard layout? sure.

Many people have seen and used keyboards on touch screens. You may have even seen the infrared keyboard projector for a palm or handheld device. But this is different. For me, it's all about tactile feedback. I want a button that depresses so that I can tell I have actually activated the key. Software keys just don't offer the kind of touch feedback I need.

Perhaps not now, but someday in the future, I can definitely see more and more new and innovative interface products. Because, the reality is, not everything can be done with voice commands, somethings are just meant for the keyboard.

What Ultra Mobile PCs look like to Intel

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 08:19:10 PDT

It's always an interesting thing to see what's in store for tomorrow consumer electronics. I am especially excited about this video intel has put out about the future of mobile computing. Take a look for yourself.

The truth is, that computing is everywhere, GPS, DVD, digital audio, cell phones, watches. Just about everything has some form of computer chip to assist it's functionality in some way. Intel has these multifunction devices laid out for our future, and so far it looks pretty cool. Only time will tell.

YouTube - NY Drift - Google Earth 3D

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 18:32:33 PDT

I was enjoying a Google Earth video earlier today and it got me thinking. What kinds of new things will become of this kind of software? With the new availability of 3d building and rendering software in a short period of time we will have built a virtual world quite literally. You'll be asking yourself.... "Is it real, or is it Memorex?" But seriously, we're well on our way to world tourism at your desk. As the video demonstrates, the possibilities just for architecture are huge. You can build you house and see it in 3d inside and out before the foundation is laid. Just last week I found a website that will let you track a commercial flight in Google Earth, in near real time.

Another Flying Car

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 10:14:17 PDT

Well, they're at it again. This time it comes from Texas.

Friends fashioning flying car | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News

Honestly, somebody is going to figure it out. It may take another 20 years, but someone is going to get it right, and when they do, the sky will seem not big anymore.

Video: New Edge 2.0: Robotic parking garage - CNET Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 14:16:26 PST

Video: New Edge 2.0: Robotic parking garage - CNET Reviews

The new way to park your car!

Building instructions for EVERY LEGO SET EVER

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 11:24:40 PST

This site has complete instructions for building every lego set EVER. Break your box out of the closet and get building! This was a great toy when I was a kid, and it's fun to look back through these and remember some of the sets I had and some of the sets I really wanted. I wonder if they still sell any of these...

read more | digg story

Berkeley Data Systems: Unlimited Online Storage

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 08:57:06 PST

Introducing Mozy Unlimited Backup, a new service that individuals can use to back up an unlimited amount of digital files, for $4.95/month. They also offer 2GB of storage for free. If you're looking for an easy and inexpensive way to setup offsite storage, this is a great place to start. For those of you who are ultra paranoid, they even support encryption, so you don't even have to worry about someone else getting to your files.

read more | digg story

YouTube - Flashback 1981

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 18:40:50 PDT

YouTube - Flashback 1981
I was born in 1981, and based on this "Flashback", so was my destiny as a computer geek. It seems that sometimes even CBS can get in a story that's accurate, to the point and even prophetic... at least in 1981.

Wired 14.10: The Information Factories

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 09:00:39 PDT

Wired 14.10: The Information Factories

From mainframe to pc, from pc to datacenter from datacenter to ...

This extensive article discusses the current evolution of computing power and what new tricks the big players are using to keep up with an every growing demand for computer power, storage, memory access and later the ability of the network to keep everything tied together efficiently. It looks like in another 10 years, the pendulum of computing will swing again, as the phases of the pendulum grow shorter upon each swing.

A loud and long Sunday night

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Sun, 16 Jul 2006 21:08:31 PDT

We've had a typically busy Sunday for our time in Mexico. The typical church service followed by VBS planning so that things can move along nicely during the week. It was pretty normal for the remainder of the afternoon, lunch immediately following arrival back at the hotel, followed by a puppet meeting followed by music, followed by a group meeting where we exchange names for prayer partners and make final announcemnts for how Monday will be for the first day of VBS.

A little different was a dinner buffet (because the hotel didn't and in my opionion kind of still doesn't have their act together) that included desert. Desert after dinner in mexico was a bit different, but certainly not bad and certainly not longer than usual.

The strange part came when it was time for the film. We arrived at the church about 7:50, fairly normal for a sunday. They already had the music roaring and were planning on starting the film inside the church at 8pm! This was wierd, standing outside the church waiting was a different experience in the day light. Even more so, we were'nt able to do music because the church has already settled with their music and there just wasn't time for us to do anything before they planned to begin the film.

But then it gets loud. really realy loud. Apparently, a neighbor of the church was either nearly deaf, had a bone to pick with the church, or just had a need to be obnoxious. He had had both speakers of his sound system facing out of his front window, toward the church at as high a volume as possible without having the sound be totally distorted. This went on pretty much all night long. It was difficult, for two reasons... 1.) Really frustrating to have someone act in such a belligerent manner and 2.) really hard on the ears. Hard to think... hard to hear and to be honest I really feel a bit dizzy from the whole thing.

Anyway, we finished up the film and headed home and we were back at the hotel by an early 10:00. Now it's time to get ready for another full day of interesting sights, sounds, people and hopefully fun.

P.S. See my previous entry for a link to my Flickr Mexico 2006 photoset.

Mexico 2006

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Sun, 16 Jul 2006 08:07:55 PDT

Arrival and Day 1 in Mexico! I'll be posting pics to flickr as I have a chance to come back to the hotel and download.

Go here to view the mexico 2006 photo set, where I'll posting all my images.

Photos: Airships on the fly | CNET News.com

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Tue, 04 Jul 2006 17:01:06 PDT

Photos: Airships on the fly | CNET News.com

I've always been fascinated by the idea of taking a zeppelin ride anywhere. Like a cruise, only in the air instead. Visually more interesting and faster. Take a look at all the evolving ideas that surround the resurgence of Airships.

The Top 10 weirdest keyboards ever - Fosfor Gadgets

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 22:49:25 PDT

The Top 10 weirdest keyboards ever - Fosfor Gadgets

If you're in the market for a new keyboard, check these out. My personal favorite is the laser projected keyboard. I think we will see more like this in the future. The most difficult thing about this keyboard is that absence of tactile feel when typing, but that's only because weve become so used to tapping a key. Most sci-fi keyboards you see deal with tapping on a window of some kind, so this doesn't really seem to far out there.

The other keyboard that interests me is the frogpad. I actually found myself searching for all the letters of the alphabet on the keyboard. I can see a good application of this keyboard on aircraft. The new model Airbus has a glass cockpit with a joystick instead of a flight yoke to make room for a keyboard. If you used a frogpad, you wouldn't need to do this because you would only need one had to do the typing (this could also work well for a fighter jet also).

Most of the other incarnations of the keyboard we know deal with ergonomic designs for those who are having trouble with a repetetive stress disorder or disability. Here's to hoping it won't come to that for me sometime in the future.

digg - Submit Item

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 16:06:05 PST

Oracle tried to acquire open-source database maker MySQL. I don't belive it, I think Oracle is trying to take out a competitor. The article, however, discusses how this is "an indication of the profound changes the software giant is willing to make as it adapts to the increasingly significant collaborative programming philosophy"

read more | digg story

Windows .wmf Vulnerability - Patch

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 11:56:16 PST

Windows WMF vulnerability temporary patch

If you haven't heard about this and you are browsing the web right now, click the link above to get the patch for the recent 0-day .wmf windows vulnerability.

Star of Bethlehem

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Fri, 30 Dec 2005 10:51:49 PST

My brother and father recently attended a presentation about the "Star of Bethlehem". In this presentation, Rick Larson gives profound discussion and evidence to support that not only was there unique astrological events surround the birth of Jesus Christ, but also surrounding his death. These astrological events are impressively presented and using documentation from other facts Rick is able to present an astounding case that you cannot simply deny at face value.

The simple way to foil identity theft

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Lemire) — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 12:31:43 PST

Fingerprints... yeah, low tech, simple, easy. This guys adds a statement to his credit report stating that extending credit will require a thumbprint for authorization.

This is so effective, because anyone fraudulently using his identity, will have to reveal their identity by submitting their fingerprint. This is great!

read more | digg story