How awesome is MacGyver?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_problems_solved_by_MacGyver

MacGyver used to be my hero - who else "defuses a highly advanced nuclear warhead using a paper clip to short circuit the timing device" in their pilot episode? He also made "a thermite torch using aluminium filed from a racing cycle frame and rust held in a long tube and lit with a roadside signal flare. "

What a guy!

I can has iPhone?

My pal upgraded his iPhone to a 3G, and his carrier nicely left him the old handset. Not only that, they unlocked it for him - rather decent.

That mean that I got my greedy little paws on a first generation iPhone for a super good price.

Aside from the annoying recessed headphone jack, I really love it. I could grumble about the lack of support for Linux (unless I roll back to the V1 firmware) but I won't, and heres why.

I got a BSD toolchain and ssh server running on it! Also, I have a terminal app on it. This means that I can ssh from my iPhone to any ssh box on the network (internet), and also ssh the other way into my iPhone. I can scp files to my iPhone. I also have an ebook reader on it and really liking that. Oh and anyone who hasn't tried shazam really should - thats a great app!

The phone is in good condition, just a little gnawing on the edges. Maybe the previous owner liked to chew it?



Zing: NZ wallpaper.

Things I thought would were in the "too hard" basket:

First up; check this video analysis and enhancement link:

http://grail.cs.washington.edu/projects/videoenhancement/videoEnhancement.htm

That shows a system that can take pictures and map them to moving video to upscale the resolution of videos. The processing can also do other depth based interpretation and correction. Amazing stuff there!

Also, Echonest audio analysis:

http://the.echonest.com/analyze/

It can take an audio sample (eg. MP3) and spit out a comprehensive XML giving you beat, timings, spectral and timbre quantities and timings (== separate instrument musical notes). It really is listening and transcribing audio with impressive precision.

Hardcore awesome.

Slingshots technical difficulties:

Via Stuff: http://www.stuff.co.nz/4657074a28.html

An error ... left the TradeMe, Bebo and Facebook accounts of its customers open to strangers for a time.

The error meant some Slingshot customers were randomly able to view other people's accounts when accessing these websites ...

TradeMe ... said the fault didn't allow people to bid on auctions, change details, or view passwords or financial details.

Slingshot ... said the problem ... was the result of a new caching configuration ...

Abridged for brevity. So that sounds like a pretty crap cache if its mixing up its end users! Guess maybe it just had NO discrimination so everyone got the single last cache item for a given URL. Maybe it was not considering the parameters at the end of URLs, to tardme.com/home.rar?IGNOREDID=dontMatter

Anyways, LOL !

My home cheapo mods:

Our flat is full of cheap mods that I have busted out. Example 1:

My Logitech x230s sound really good, but the sub control doesn't go low enough. Its quite boomy sometimes, so ...



Stuff it with a sock! The port looses its resonance and the cutoff is effectively brought above the (tuned) frequency (which is so boomy) - much better :)

My hackjob at fixing the laptop power has me worried because there is not much in the way of cable tug-proofing sensitive the laptops' tail.



I got a tug resistant know going so the tail doesn't get any rugged tugs.



I also managed to aquire a nice (free) USB light that was obviously a giveaway from Rabobank; (example shown)



Used to look like this, but unfortunately as its a lampshade, you couldn't point the light very easy. I didn't want it that way, so I did a few "mods":




I chopped and ghetto-glued it to point like a desk lamp should, and it is much better !




Blammo! it goes!