SIVO Python Distribution (SIVO-PyD)

IVO-PyD (from NASA) is a self-contained Python distribution that includes a set of Python related packages for scientific computing. It attempts to provide a simple and but robust alternative to the Enthought Python Distribution.  Find it @ https://modelingguru.nasa.gov/docs/DOC-2109.

Measuring Cyber-security Success at the Summit

From Center for Strategic and International Studies:


http://csis.org/publication/measuring-cybersecurity-success-summit

  

"If press reports are accurate, it is a welcome development that the United States and China (in response to the threat of sanctions) have begun ..."

NetLogo

NetLogo is a multi-agent programmable modeling environment. It is used by tens of thousands of students, teachers and researchers worldwide. It also powers HubNet participatory simulations. It is authored by Uri Wilensky and developed at the CCL. You can download it free of charge.   Find it @ https://ccl.northwestern.edu/netlogo/ 


The book "An Introduction to Agent-Based Modeling: Modeling Natural, Social, and Engineered Complex Systems with NetLogo" provides an introduction to one of the primary methodologies for research in this new field of knowledge and uses NetLogo in its exercises.

Military Applications of the Internet-of-Things

From the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

http://csis.org/publication/leveraging-internet-things-more-efficient-and-effective-military

4 Habits of Highly Employable Developers

http://sdtimes.com/code-watch-the-first-four-habits-of-highly-employable-developers/

Intimate robots on the march

BBC -- They do what you want, and they don't talk back

The idea that it will be possible to stop the development of sex robots seems fanciful, given the explosion in so-called 'adult' content on the internet, and all the rest of it.


Next week: Japanese company develops My Perfect Girlfriend, a robot that does not do sex and small talk, but irons her man's shirts, hoovers his flat, does the cooking/ washing, and never complains. If you get bored, you can re-programme My Perfect Girlfriend so that she may start arguments and cry at given times (e.g.: once every 12 hours). When it gets too much, unplug the machine and re-set it.

---------------------

A campaign has been launched calling for a ban on the development of robots that can be used for sex. Such a use of the technology is unnecessary and undesirable, said campaign leader Dr Kathleen Richardson. Sex dolls already on the market are becoming more sophisticated and some are now hoping to build artificial intelligence into their products.

 

Those working in the field say that there is a need for such robots.

Dr Richardson, a robot ethicist at De Montfort University in Leicester, wants to raise awareness of the issue and persuade those developing sex robots to rethink how their technology is used. [...]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-34118482

Humanoid robots falling over

BBC

In the video-clip, one robot struggles to open a door and a few others fall over, which is somewhat reassuring: they are not quite there yet.
 
____________________
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-33041149


Robots have been competing on a Pentagon obstacle course at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds.

Team Kaist of South Korea defeated 22 others to win the top $2m (£1.3m) prize from the US Department of Defense's Darpa research unit with its DRC-Hubo humanoid robot. Just keeping upright seemed a challenge in itself for some of the metallic competitors, as BBC World TV reports.
 

3D-Printed Jumping Robot

http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/robotics-hardware/harvard-3d-printed-explosive-jumping-robot


and the paper:


http://bertoldi.seas.harvard.edu/files/bertoldi/files/science_bas.pdf

Causes of Ice Ages

Two publications on ice ages that establishes why "Deniers" - such as myself - are right.


http://www.amazon.com/Ice-Ages-Astronomical-Causes-mechanisms/dp/3540437797/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1439917131&sr=1-1&keywords=ice+ages+and+astronomical+causes


and


http://climate.fas.harvard.edu/files/climate/files/abeouchi_nature_2013.pdf

Open-Source Development Platforms for Drones

If you are looking for mature open-source software development tools for drones , look no further than OpenPilot and Dronecode.


Check them out!


Please note that a commercial pilot's license is required to control a drone.

Exercises in Programming Styles

In this book the author, Cristina Vidiera Lopes, presents 33 different programming styles by solving  a single programming problem, that of identifying the most common words in a text file and sorting them by frequency, using Python.


The code for the book is available @ https://github.com/crista/exercises-in-programming-style.


There is PowerPoint version (in .pdf format) also available @ http://gotocon.com/dl/goto-aar-2013/slides/CristinaVideiraLopes_ExercisesInStyle.pdf

NASA Global Climate Change Projections

https://cds.nccs.nasa.gov/nex-gddp/

Robot Operating System (ROS)

The Robot Operating System (ROS) is a set of software libraries and tools that help one build robot applications.  Find it @ http://www.ros.org/

Tools for Constraint Programming

http://jacop.osolpro.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46&Itemid=28

 

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff524509(v=vs.93).aspx


http://www.visual-prolog.com/


http://www.amzi.com/

Top 10 Free Tools - Change Auditing and Password Management

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/top-10-free-tools-change-auditing-password-bandeira-de-oliveira

Cool App.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1ONXea0mXg

What's wrong with Agile?

A few contrarian views - picked up from the public Internet:

"The biggest failure with "Agile" teams is a result of what is called Cargo Culting. Essentially, teams want the effects of successful agile teams so they mimic the visible actions

1. Daily standups (that run for an hour or so)
2. Breaking work into sprints
3. User stories (that are usually little more than a sentence but an estimate is expected)

Those are the three that you'll see consistently "applied" in these environments but very little commitment to actually being agile. In fact you'll hear management say we're "doing agile." (Run away at those two words it's a bad sign.)
You'll also hear a lot about technical debt but their definition of technical debt is "do it quick and dirty and maybe we'll get around to making it better later." (Translation: we are going to make it sound like we're concerned with maintainability but in reality we will keep the same boiler room mentality because that's what's worked for us in the past).
Other key phrases: "I know these stories aren't fully defined but we're doing agile so we can fix them as we go."
"We're doing agile development so you should be able to accommodate what I need within the sprint as I identify it."
"We're not able to lock down our committed stories at the beginning of the sprint because needs keep changing mid-sprint."
The key indicator on whether an Agile project will be successful is if the project lead (scrum master or whatever role) has had experience or formal training on leading an agile project. Too often I've seen people read about Agile in a book or take a two day course on being a scrum master and think they've got the chops to successfully implement it. Sorry it ain't happening captain."

 

and

"I can't take this Agile..."

 

and

 

"What's wrong with agile development..."

 

and

 

"Seven Things I Hate About Agile"

Using MS LYNV without a cable

The Jabra Link 360 MS LYNC-Optimized USB Adapter is a USB dongle which presents itself as an audio card to the computer and connects to up to 8 Bluetooth headsets.


Once configured you can plug it into any other computer and it just works, or you can use the software for additional call management. It even works with gaming boxes such as the PS4. And it works for all audio not just LYNC.

 

The Amazon price is $53 with free shipping:

http://www.amazon.com/Jabra-LINK-Lync-Optimized-Adapter/dp/B00FDL3J9A/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1432061859&sr=8-3&keywords=jabra+lync+360

Free Application for Cloning Drives

This is an application for cloning drives that is free.


http://www.hddguru.com/software/HDD-Raw-Copy-Tool/

Staircases Around the World

.  Portugal -  staircase at Lello Bookshop.  - This interesting grand staircase in a bookshop in Portugal looks quite intimidating to climb, but it has a great view of the book store. The steps are like two channels of red wine pouring and swirling down to a single point.       Belgium-- Buren Mountain-  altho this is not a real mountain, it's the name of the stairs, probably because it just looks like a mountain to climb. It is located in the city of Liege and has 374 stone stairs.  The staircase was built in 1881 but the handrails were added later.  It was first built to allow soldiers to have access to the city center.         Hawaii   - Haiku Stairs, also known as the 'stairway to heaven'.   It is a steep hiking trail on the island of Oahu. The trail starts as a wooden staircase leading to the cliff on the south side of the Valley of Haiku . The staircase was installed in 1942 to stretch a cable from one side of the hill to the other side. This was necessary in order to provide a continuous link to the naval station during the war.  In 2003, the staircase was restored at a cost of $875,000. , but due to current legal issues of land use, the city and county of Honolulu said there is no current plan to open the stairs for public use.       Switzerland   -- Bridge staircase over one of the deep gorges at the Via Mala. Engineers solved the problem of connecting two different heights of this gorge by creating a hanging, ladder bridge. This staircase replaces a rope bridge for travelers to get across the river because the old one was destroyed by a landslide. This new pedestrian bridge covers a distance of 56 meters in height with a vertical drop of 22 meters between the two slopes.  Quite an engineering feat, but a little scary to cross when it's windy.       India -- Chand Baori Well,   This unusual staircase at Chand Baori structure is located in a village near Jaipur Abaneri, India. The well was built in the year 800, with 3500 steps descending 13 floors and 20 meters to the bottom. Shand Baori structure was designed to save as much water as possible. At the bottom of the well the air is 6.5 degrees cooler than at the surface. This place was used as a resting place for local residents during heat waves.  The top structures look like Roman architecture with all the arches.       Scotland - Cascade universe, located on the hillside along the gardens of Dumfries in Scotland, consists of a series of many steep steps. Large areas with viewing benches were installed on each flight. You can simply enjoy the beauty of nature, or relax while climbing.  The               . Staircase begins at the pond and leads to a beautiful pavilion upstairs. Although the gardens are private, they open to the public several times a year.    Notice there are no hand rails.       Greece --- Stairs Santorini  - In 1715 the island residents built a steep staircase on the hillside so they could get from the sea to the summit and back. They had to use donkeys to help carry cargo and passengers from ships up to the city. In 1930, the stairs were improved, but donkeys were still the most reliable carriers.  Finally, in 1979, a ropeway was installed to automate the process, but for tourists, the most interesting trip to the top, is still the donkeys.  There are a total of 657 carved, stone steps to climb to the large town on the top.         Japan --- Awaji Yumebutai (Ladder of Dreams) is a complex area of buildings and other structures located on the               island of Awaji.   There are many different tier gardens, consisting of 100 beds of plants and stairs. The complex was built as a memorial to the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995. Construction was carried out on the side of the mountain, which was half demolished in the early 90'.       Germany -- Tiger Turtle Stairs --This unusual sculpture is 21 meters tall and was named Tiger Turtle.    It is located on a hillside in Duisburg, Germany.  Steps meander along the steel frame in a spiral structure, which includes a full loop. Visitors can climb through this staircase, but are not allowed to enter the center loop where the steps go upside down .         Ukraine  -- Potemkin Stairs in Odessa - It is the formal entrance into the city from the sea and the most famous symbol of Odessa . It was originally known as the ladder Richelieu . The top step is 12.5 meters wide, and the lowest step widens to 21.7 meters. Because of the different widths above and below, the stairs create the illusion of greater length.  The beautiful landscaping along the sides provides a little shade for the challenging climb.       Germany  -- Steel Sculpture Art - This interesting piece of art merges art and architecture in a 9 meter-high walk that is a double spiral of steel at the entrance of the KPMG office building (a global accounting firm) in Munic, Germany . The staircase was added to the front of their building in 2004 and is quite the conversation piece since the stairs end up where they start..       New Mexico -- a Miraculous Staircase located in Saint Joseph church at Loretto Chapel in Santa Fé ,.   136 years after  it was built in 1878, it still confounds architects, engineers, and master craftsmen in the physics of its construction and remains inexplicable in view of its baffling design. The unusual helix shaped spiral staircase has two complete 360° turns, stands 20 feet high up to the choir loft and has no center pole to support it as most circular stairways have. Its entire weight rests solely on its base and against the choir loft - a mystery that defies all laws of gravity, it should have crashed to the floor the moment anyone stepped on it.  Yet it is still in daily use for over a hundred years. The risers of the 33 steps are all of the same height.  Made of an apparently extinct wood species, it was constructed with only square wooden pegs without glue or nails.  At the time it was built, the stairway had no banisters. These were added 10 years later in 1888 by Phillip A. Hesch at the Sisters' request for safety sake.       Nederland  -- Moses Bridge - In the early 17th century, Fort de Ruver was surrounded by a moat and was originally built withouta bridge, which was added later.   But during a restoration program centuries later, it necessitated the construction of a new bridge. The original sunken bridge literally merged with the water line, so the new construction became an almost invisible bridge from a distance, with a staircase down to a partially submerged walkway.           China - Spiral Stairs-- this staircase was installed along the mountainside in Tyayhan Linchzhou, China.  At 91 meters tall , it offers the thrill of climbing without any ropes. You will feel the full force of the wind, birds will fly past, and steps will creak.  It's much more interesting than taking the elevator to the top.  However, due to safety and health issues, you must agree to a number of conditions first if you climb.  Climbers must be under 60 years of age and complete a form confirming that they have no heart or lung problems.  Notice that once you get off the spiral staircase, there's more stairs.        Austria-- Schlossberg -  The main attraction in Schlossberg is the Clock Tower.     It has stood proudly for many years and is visible from all points in the city.  People climb to the top to enjoy the incredible views of the surrounding area.  This impressive staircase carved into the rock leads to the top of the hill where the clock tower is located.  260 steps to climb is not considered difficult by locals, but anyone can use the elevator "lift" instead.   Beautiful, but challenging.       California -- The 16th Avenue Steps, in San Francisco -  At the corner of Moraga Street and 16th Avenue, in the Golden Gate Heights neighborhood of San Fran is the base of the most beautiful staircase in this city. A brightly-tiled panel covers the front of each of the 163 steps, and as the stairs stretch up the hill toward 15th Avenue, the individual panels blend together to form a massive, mosaic picture. Stunning in its entirety, yet intricate and detailed enough to be captivating when viewed up close.  More beautiful when seen in person.         Ecuador --  Steps in a Canyon - This famous staircase in the canyon is located near the waterfall Pailon del Diablo in Ecuador.      It is quite a large waterfall and just 30 minutes from the city of Banos. This is one of the most popular attractions in the area when visiting that country.   It's  quite the challenge since the stairs are so steep.         Australia ------ Spiral Staircase in Sydney - This amazing spiral staircase is located at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney.   It is five stories high and makes your body turn about 6.5 revolutions when you climb to the top, but there's an exit on each floor.           France ---  Museum Musée Gustave Moreau, in Paris  -   This is how you make a spectacular entrance to an art museum. It is named after the famous painter Docteur Moreau.   Gorgeous to see, exhilarating to climb.