Mac Dock!

Getting all the external I/O connections hooked up to your MacBook can be a daunting task! This nice tethered dock by Henge Docks provides a nice all-in-one solution via USB 3.1 for around $199 MSRP. When you consider that a single Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet adapter goes for around $30, the price tag to "Solve Everything" may not be that bad.

Top 'bots!

Here's an interesting on-line article in DesignBoom, showcasing some of the top robots of 2017.

Network TV's disruption

Are we seeing the sunset of conventional network TV programming? It seems more obvious each year, as Netflix and Amazon's content continues to eclipse conventional programming! 😮

Chip off the ol' blockchain

OK, the blockchain hype has gotten totally out-of-hand!

Tea ~= "distributed crypto-chained data";

Firefox Quantum, Smokin!

Initial impressions on Firefox Quantum... Two thumbs up! 👍👍

Smokin' Enterprise SAS SSDs!

According to the following story in Computer World, Western Digital is releasing some awesome UltraStar SS300 SAS SSD devices in the 400GB - 3.2TB capacity ranges. Impressive e-storage technology!

Better on-line photos!

A little photo juju for folks who like to post pictures: Use your phone or computer's built-in photo-editing features before posting that picture! Fix it up for better results:

• Use the "Auto-enhance" feature for starters.
• Too dark? Use the "Light, Shadows" control to bring the subjects and background out from the shadows. Or use the "Light, Brightness" to increase the overall lighting.
• Dull look? Use the "Light, Contrast" control to increase the separation between lights and darks.
• More pop? Use the "Color, Intensity" to add more color and the "Color, Saturation" control to increase the wash.
• Zoom in on the subject or straighten the picture? Use the "Crop" or "Rotate" controls.
• When posting a picture on-line, it's usually better to brighten it up rather than posting it "as is". This is because most cameras expose for prints, not monitors.

With just a little attention, you'll see the difference - and so will your friends!

AutoML - or "Deep Learning for Dummies!"

I'm always intrigued by all the myriad "{Subject} for Dummies!" books, because they allude to the idea that mere mortals can accomplish most any complicated task given some basic training. Now, Google is leveraging that approach with AutoML, a new framework for putting Deep Learning expertise into the hands of everyday engineers and programmers. Stand back and Pay no Attention To That Man Behind the Curtain! 😮

Cory Doctorow explains why FLOSS matters

A worthwhile video presentation by Cory Doctorow about why Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) matters, "How you got here". Thanks to O'Reilly for making this OSCON presentation available online.

Shades of HAL-9000 (maybe Clarke got it right!)

Here's an interesting article written by Will Knight, the Senior Editor for AI, MIT Technology Review. Regardless of your point of view on the philosophical underpinnings concerning Deep Learning and Cognitive AI, it's a worthwhile read (Caveat: It's a long article, but you can pick up the salient points pretty quickly).