Mac +/- for Macs & Mac users, plus or minus, more or less.

In the ITC "all" meeting this morning, our newish CIO James Hilton asked us to think of our jobs and community in terms of what is possible, not in terms of why something can't be done. (I'm paraphrasing here.)
So I do believe I'm going to try to find out who has control over the SQL servers for student and people and see what can be done about upgrading them.
Or at least moving my databases off of them!
The reason this site (and student) is so slow is because the database server is completely overwhelmed–or maybe underpowered. Serving any static HTML is lightning fast, but when serving dynamic content it slows to a crawl.
While I admit this is a sore point of mine, I really believe that removing these bottlenecks could have a profound effect on the community building our CIO wants so badly. Static pages don't build community, but you have to be stubborn as I am to continue to use dynamic content on student or people with performance as bad as it is. And as bad as it has been for a year or more.

Technorati Tags: Drupal, Tech, UVa

iConcertCal is a really amazing iTunes plug in that matches the groups in your playlists to concert dates in your area. No idea how complete it is--big acts don't get to Charlottesville all that often, and my tastes run to odd groups who may not hit the small venues here.

We are not a company and this is not a commercial venture. We are just two grad students in electrical engineering. We wrote this plug-in in our spare time because we were tired of missing concerts for our favorite bands and we figured other people probably are too. We are still working to improve iConcertCal, so if you have suggestions please send them along to us.

I'm very impressed, even though it only found the two Blue Man Group shows coming up. It's probably too much to hope for that it can match up with shows at smaller venues like Starr Hill.

Nice job, o anonymous engineering students!

Here's the funniest Finnish choral performance you'll see all day. Guaranteed!

Technorati Tags: Funny

I'm reading Blindsight by Peter Watts right now. Man, is it terrific, awe-inspiring and frightening all at once:

And if the best toys do end up in the hands of those who've never forgotten that life itself is an act of war against intelligent opponents, what does that say about a race whose machines travel between the stars?

Two young female staffers walking out to lunch. One says:

"I found the whole situation very confusing....

I really didn't think he was into women."

Here I am sitting outside the Crowne Plaza hotel after attending a seminar on computer color management, logged in to the VPN on my wireless powerbook, installing PHP based photo gallery software remotely while waiting for a friend of mine to show so we can head off to SCA fight practice.

Technorati Tags: funny, Macintosh, SCA, Tech

Based on the wide variety of lackluster and hostile reviews, the Zune is heading the way of Nehru jackets, Audreys and Newtons.

Considering how poorly thought out many of the technical features of the Zune are, it is no surprise.

I imagine a time a few months from now when retailers dump their unsold Zunes for substantial discounts. Since Microsoft's margins on a consumer device must be razor thin, once the clearance discounts start, a Zune will probably be worth more as parts than as a whole device.

So, like these previous devices in search of customers, before you know it industrious hackers will be tearing Zunes apart in order to use the drive, screen and other internal parts for their own hardware projects.



I'm sure the software guys will also work hard to break into the Zune's operating system, just like they found a way to turn the Xbox into the Xbox media center. Just like hackers are already working hard to do to the Xbox 360. I can't wait to see what comes first.

Here are a few of my guesses:

• Linux (really a prerequisite for many of the following things)
• wireless-based walkie-talkie (does Zune have sound in? No specs I could find list it)
• MAME Compatibility
• Doom

What hacks do you imagine will be possible on the Zune platform?

Technorati Tags: hack, Tech, Zune

Okaaay, clearly this is a very very serious and frightening matter, but for an article about fish they had to interview a guy by what name?

Technorati Tags: Funny

The West Cafeteria in the Hospital makes some disturbingly addictive chicken fingers, but the pizza is terrible. Even when I put it in the toaster to reheat and crisp up, it tasted of bitter cheap cheese.

I miss Bambina's Pizza.

Technorati Tags: Around Grounds, UVa, Virginia

Thanks for making me a household word, George. How'd that work out for you?

Technorati Tags: Funny, Politics, macaca, UVa, Virginia