Francis Spufford once said that Bletchley Park was an attempt to build a computer out of human beings so the credit for this metaphor belongs to him. But it can be generalised to any bureaucracy. They are all attempts to impose an algorithmic order on the messiness of the world, and to extract from it … Continue reading The Vatican is the Oldest Computer in the World
Tag: computers
How to Add a Directory to Your PATH
Step by step instructions for adding a PATH to your directory.
Note: Add To New Laptop
An ongoing note of what to add to a new laptop, should I ever buy one. Suggestions welcomed. Will add to over time. Add Whiteboard Contact Paper as bottom layer sticker for cover.
Creative Immiseration
"These tools represent the complete corporate capture of the imagination, that most private and unpredictable part of the human mind. Professional artists aren’t a cause for worry. They’ll likely soon lose interest in a tool that makes all the important decisions for them. The concern is for everyone else. When tinkerers and hobbyists, doodlers and … Continue reading Creative Immiseration
Metaphorical Apes & Gorillas
https://youtu.be/R4TO7nay37Y?t=880 Apes & Gorillas is another little gem from Joe Armeanio. It closely mirrors the idea two computing revolutions talked about in this post that talks about: Apps with easy to use interfaces designed for casual users Application layers, that provide tools that allow new ways of using a computer that were previously impossible There's … Continue reading Metaphorical Apes & Gorillas
How-to: Be a Darknet Drug Lord
"[The advice in this article can be adapted to suit the needs of other hidden services, including ones which are legal in your jurisdiction. The threat model in mind is that of a drug market. The tone is that of a grandfather who is always annoyingly right, who can't help but give a stream-of-consciousness schooling … Continue reading How-to: Be a Darknet Drug Lord
Algolia: A Custom Search Engine for Hacker News
Algolia has a custom search for Hacker News, https://hn.algolia.com/
Questions About Technology Investment: CharaCorder
"The CharaChorder is a new kind of typing peripheral that promises to let people type at superhuman speeds. It’s so fast that the website Monkeytype, which lets users participate in typing challenges and maintains its own leaderboard, automatically flagged CharaChorder’s CEO as a cheater when he attempted to post his 500 WPM score on the … Continue reading Questions About Technology Investment: CharaCorder
A Boring Dystopia: Mouse Movers
"“The pandemic has proved to be a catalyst to saying no to the ‘9-to-5’ schedule. The tables have turned in favor of the Worker,” Rodriguez told me. “They are in power today. They value work flexibility. They are ambitious. They value work-life balance and are not afraid of saying no to employers who don’t share … Continue reading A Boring Dystopia: Mouse Movers
The Computers Are Out of Their Boxes
"What does that mean? Well, computers haven’t changed much in 40 or 50 years. They’re smaller and faster, but they’re still boxes with processors that run instructions from humans. AI changes that on at least three fronts: how computers are made, how they’re programmed, and how they’re used. Ultimately, it will change what they are … Continue reading The Computers Are Out of Their Boxes
Try This One Weird Trick Russian Hackers Hate – Krebs on Security
"In a Twitter discussion last week on ransomware attacks, KrebsOnSecurity noted that virtually all ransomware strains have a built-in failsafe designed to cover the backsides of the malware purveyors: They simply will not install on a Microsoft Windows computer that already has one of many types of virtual keyboards installed — such as Russian or … Continue reading Try This One Weird Trick Russian Hackers Hate – Krebs on Security
The Bit Player: Claude Shannon
"The film tells the story of an overlooked genius: Claude Shannon. In a blockbuster paper in 1948, Claude Shannon introduced the notion of a 'bit' and laid the foundation for the information age. His ideas ripple through nearly every aspect of modern life, influencing such diverse fields as communication, computing, cryptography, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, cosmology, … Continue reading The Bit Player: Claude Shannon
How to Become a Hacker
"Learning something new that’s complicated often feels difficult at first - if it feels easy it may be something you already know or you may not really be testing your knowledge (it’s a lot easier to read about how to solve a physics problem and think ‘this makes sense’ than it is to solve a … Continue reading How to Become a Hacker
How to Properly Clean Your Laptop
"Cleaning a laptop is arguably more tedious than cleaning a desktop. You have to clean the keyboard, the internals, the screen, and the case itself. Still, you can easily give your laptop a makeover in under one hour, provided you have canned air, some 90%-100% isopropyl alcohol, cotton swabs, and a microfiber cloth."-Andrew Heinzman, "How to … Continue reading How to Properly Clean Your Laptop
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