Posts by Mage

PHP, ASP, or ColdFusion flunked kindergarten security

No surprise.

As I have banged on in these pages many times:

1) We see the same old stupid flaws

2) We see a huge proliferation in poor languages, though good programmers can write good programs in them.

3) We see learning a language confused with learning programming (see points 1 & 2)/

Pascal -> Modula-2 -> Oberon

Pascal was only meant to be a language to learn Programming, not to learn Pascal.

Colleges destroyed the development and deploying of Modula-2 in the 1980s to 1990s by simply teaching Modula-2 as if it was pascal. Modula-2 didn't explicitly have C++ class syntax, you could use opaque modules, separate compilation, typed procedures passed as parameters.

It had parallelism and multicore support as part of the language via co-routines and mutexes.

Compilers in 1990s could do much compile time array bound checking foreign to C or C++

Types even STRONGER than Pascal, so anonymous Array types are not compatible.

But MAGIC types for device drivers (Array of Byte) with ability within a procedure to call to find array bounds!

Oberon is MUCH better.

Sadly the rest of the world is mostly stuck at 1976 levels of programming and I've lost count of how many C++ projects that simply "reused objects" (or even no objects) and otherwise no lessons from Strustrupp and C++, practically compilable with a C compiler.

PHP, Javascript, coldfusion, python etc make VB6 with "Option Explicit" look good.

It's a pity it doesn't have HDMI as well as VGA and isn't half the price. It's a brilliant idea.

Scratch on Rasberry Pi allows teaching programming. Python on Pi to turn LEDS on / off is worse than JAL, BASIC or C on a bare metal 18Fxxx family PIC with a USB port to connect to PC or Tablet.

Blasts Off

Maybe delayed ...

"During the final step of VV06 launch campaign, a technical issue on the Vega launch vehicle required additional analysis. The launch initially scheduled for December 2, 2015 is postponed.

ESA’s LISA Pathfinder spacecraft is in stable and safe conditions and the launcher teams are currently working on this technical issue.

A review of the results will take place tomorrow [2nd], leading to a decision for a possible launch on December 3."

Azure, Office

No interest in those.

Can it be used to develop for Android, Linux, Embedded Microprocessors?

Is it more than code editor and project file manager? What is advantage over Eclipse, Netbeans, Sharp Develop, Notepad++ etc?

How is it different to the VS for VB6, or the newer Visual Studios for VB.net and C# ?

When is it likely to leave Beta?

I didn't get much out this review.

Icon as I'm obviously clueless as to why I'd download and install this on Linux

Mobile

Inherently MOBILE can't be broadband. Unless every street light is a femto cell.

Mobile should not have 700MHz and even 800MHz will prove in the end to be regulator greed, and damaging for future of Terrestrial Broadcast. None of 700MHz, 800MHz, 900MHz, 1800Hz, 2100MHz can deliver broadband. Fibre is cheaper and 200x the speed/real capacity and 1/1000th of the electricity of decent density cell deployment.

Cells are just too big at 700MHz and 800MHz.

Fail

Both networked and remote controlled plugs have been around for ever, more than 20 years.

Time operated kettles since 1930s! You can only use them once without a reset because of the WATER. (the power switch can be left on).

Zanussi or such does a nice mounted in the wall plumbed in coffee maker. So you don't have to refill the water. You DO have to refill the coffee.

The "teasmade" timed "kettles" are still made. A £10 timer plug and £10 kettle will do the same, but doesn't pour automatically into the cups.

There is a niche market for this late to market product. Or less, as the competition is more flexible. This is a 0 out of 5 product.

before 1927 it was not even possible

I'm not sure that's actually true.

a) Scarcity of car Radios. Almost all radios before 1930 used batteries, 2V, 4V or 6V Lead Acid for filaments. 60 x 2V small lead acid or 90 x Dry cells for HT! Cars rarely had a battery other than maybe a 1.5V ignition cell for spark while cranking, then the magneto powered ignition. The ignition was easily "suppressed" by suppressor spark plug caps etc. The radio was't powered of the car, being basically a repackaged home unit.

Interference has got VERY severe since 1990s:

PC SMPSUs that NEVER had filters or got them taken out later to save money after CE approval.

Powerline Ethernet. Illegal period if tested properly.

Electronic "Ballasts" replacing passive interference free chokes on Tube lamps and on CFLs (early CFLs used a choke in the special ceiling unit).

Phone chargers etc as per PC SMPSUs

LED lamp PSUs

Flashing christmas tree controllers (any type lamp)

LED lamps on Christmas trees even if not flashing.

Dishwashers, Dryers, Washing Machines changed from Mechanical sync motor programmers to CPU (issue partly PSU, but CPU leaking RF)

Shielding abandoned on PCs, Laptops, etc.

LCD and Plasma screen matrix drive (screen radiates unless transparent tin coated)

Screen back light PSUs

etc ...

But the IoT uses up the WiFi channels faster as well as the PSUs and motors making interference, but most homes AM Radio is already usless and VHF-FM is increasingly getting home generated interference.

"Real" Car radios did exist from early 1930s, but still rare till 1950s. They used MECHANICAL switch mode PSUs at 40Hz to 120Hz (Vibrator packs) to get HT. Very well shieilded separate PSU boxes, often with speaker driver amp. From late 1950s they started adding a pair of Germanium transistors as a SMPSU, then as audio Out and running the rest of the valves off 12V. Then from about 1958 the first all transistor car radios appeared.

The Sky Q boxes will apparently also be able to connect over electric wiring.

So blocking any radio listening except via the Sky Box.

Even for people next door (or two doors up). The Electricity meter and/or switch box has negligible effect on powerline signalling

When are regulators going to test power line networking properly?

Complements an earlier study

Too much Phones / Tablets / Computers holds back academic achievement generally. They are poorly integrated to teaching materials, distracting and without proper training and disciple even the "library / research" aspect is underused. Most people go to their favourite sites and have no idea how to search.

Tablets and esp. Phones make it harder to copy and paste any found info into documents.

You have work at it to have more than a text editor on Tablets / Phones.

Smartphones are largely communication and entertainment devices. Tablets are largely media browsing and entertainment.

Yes, I know you can install apps to create content, add keyboard etc, but dammed painful compared to netbook / laptop / notebook with OS X/ Windows /Linux. Even then in most schools a laptop/netbook is going to be a distraction, not an aid because kids have not been taught how to use one properly as a tool to aid study.

You still need good teachers, working out examples, attention to teaching, not being in an LCD illuminated enhanced personal internet bubble.

Amazon's trail of using Kindles (DX and DXG) for university was a complete fail not because eInk eBooks is a bad thing, but because even the Keyboard Kindle is garbage for annotation and overall ALL eBook devices have appalling GUI/software only good for reading short stories and novels. I've used 5 Kindles and Kobo Aura H20. The Kobo has a better home screen and access to list of books in use, but otherwise the SW is like a bad copy of Kindle.

I was doing better document management software 20 years ago!