Monday, 24 October 2011
TIL about SawStop table saws
I remembered watching a movie in which a guy stopped a spinning saw with his tongue. They think it is the moisture on the tongue that triggered some sensor, which confused me as what sensor could detect moisture on his tongue that quickly. Apparently, it has nothing to do with moisture. It uses a electrical system what detects change in electrical potential or capacitance caused by contacting a part of human body. A brake mechanism is used to stop the spinning saw blade in 3-5 milliseconds.
Sunday, 23 October 2011
Friday, 21 October 2011
TIL HIV is very treatable
Apparently, there is a big difference between HIV and AIDS. AIDS is the final stage of HIV in which one's immune system is severely damaged, and he/she will die of something his/her body couldn't fight off because his/her immune system cannot handle it.
HIV on the other hand, can be managed by drugs. The medications can reduce viral load to undetectable levels and keep immune system functioning at full capacity. As long as a HIV+ person manages his medicine properly and not get into some terrible disease, it is entirely possible for him to die of something else entirely well into old age.
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
TIL to watch for Mb/s, it is not MB/s
I knew about byte and bit, in which 8 bits make 1 byte. However, I have been quite careless with Mb, which means Megabit, instead of Megabyte (MB). Of course, one can conclude 8 Mb = 1 MB.
The internet speed I currently have is 16 Mb/s, which is 2 megabytes/second. I am not sure why internet providers use a different unit system (Mb/s) from MB unit system, which computers use.
The internet speed I currently have is 16 Mb/s, which is 2 megabytes/second. I am not sure why internet providers use a different unit system (Mb/s) from MB unit system, which computers use.
Thursday, 13 October 2011
TIL if I find my students stupid, then I didn't teach well
Students would understand if i explained the materials clearly.
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
TIL a trick to build up confidence quickly
Be polite, be curteous, show professionalism, and have a plan to kill everyone in the room or at least get the perception of it.
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
TIL ant mill
Ant mill is when ants circle around and around until they die. As ants walk, they leave a trace for other ants to follow. If for some reason, a ant walk in a full circle while there is another ant follow it, the first ant would follow the trace of second ant and go another circle while the second ant follows first ant. Then, they will go on and on while more ants join. This creates a black hole effect where all nearby ants get suck in this scheme and run in circles until they die.
Sunday, 9 October 2011
TIL there was a FBI mole that was given a task to unmask the FBI mole (himself)
Robert Hassen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Hanssen
Also, a cool movie about his arrest: Breach (2007)
One thing I find fascinating is that it was not clear about his motivation to betray FBI. The movie seems to suggest he did not get anywhere with his career in FBI, and just wanted the rush to be someone important. Also, he has a double life with regard to his marriage as well. He is associated with strippers and frequently invites others to observe his sex life, which further suggests he just wanted to feel important and special.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Hanssen
Also, a cool movie about his arrest: Breach (2007)
One thing I find fascinating is that it was not clear about his motivation to betray FBI. The movie seems to suggest he did not get anywhere with his career in FBI, and just wanted the rush to be someone important. Also, he has a double life with regard to his marriage as well. He is associated with strippers and frequently invites others to observe his sex life, which further suggests he just wanted to feel important and special.
Thursday, 6 October 2011
TIL to prepare for losing my belongings
Today, a friend of mine lost his belongs at gym, including his wallet, bags, jacket, and even jeans. He has been cancelling all his credit and debt card. Unfortunately, he could cancel his SIN card unless someone else tries to use it.
Because of this, I have spent last half hour preparing a list of cards I have and the emergency number for each card to cancel. I have also removed less frequently used credit cards and SIN card from my wallet and keep them at home. I have also removed cheque book from my school bag because I hardly use it either. I have added password protection to all my electronic items so thief could not gain access to my personal information.
Although these actions does not prevent me from losing my belongs but it would minimize the damage. I learned that if my belongings are stolen, I should call the police to file a formal report, cancel my card ASAP (starting from credit card, to debit card), walk around the premise to see if thief has dump some of my belongings in a trash can nearby.
Murphy's Law: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
Because of this, I have spent last half hour preparing a list of cards I have and the emergency number for each card to cancel. I have also removed less frequently used credit cards and SIN card from my wallet and keep them at home. I have also removed cheque book from my school bag because I hardly use it either. I have added password protection to all my electronic items so thief could not gain access to my personal information.
Although these actions does not prevent me from losing my belongs but it would minimize the damage. I learned that if my belongings are stolen, I should call the police to file a formal report, cancel my card ASAP (starting from credit card, to debit card), walk around the premise to see if thief has dump some of my belongings in a trash can nearby.
Murphy's Law: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
TIL there are baiters who tries to scam internet scammers
Blogged by a user (Daveybj) on reddit:
About 4 years ago I learned of a website dedicated to trying to wipe out the internet 419 scammers. After joining the site I set about learning as much as possible about the scammers and how they operate. Our primarily objective as baiters is to waste their time emailing with us. We feel that any time wasted on us is less time they have to scam a potential victim. As a bonus it also eats’ into their internet time at the café and therefore into their funds. When talking to each other we call these scammers ‘lads’, romance scammers are known as Vlads as most are from Eastern Europe. We take on different roles as baiters depending on the scammers and what his particular ‘script’ might be. We do not involve innocent third parties or attempt to have the scammers send us money. I’ve baited them as a retired porn star, a Redneck Farmer, an Art Dealer, a Cat, a 12y/o disabled girl, and a dead person. It’s remarkable how they are willing to email anyone or anything that they hope to make a buck or two off. Their scam’s include the Prince who needs his money out of the country, the very pretty young lady who is in a refugee camp and just needs $ to leave so she can come and have your baby, the mysterious trunk box full of $$ but we need your cash to make a key and so on. We have many tools at our disposal as baiters including the ability to have their bank accounts shut down. They really hate this but it’s really easy to do and unbelievably it’s easy to do multiple times to the same lad! One of our favourite things to do is send our ‘lads’ on ‘safari. This involves convincing our lad that huge sums of money are waiting for him if he would only just go to another country to pick it up. They usually borrow from friends or family to finance the trip and rarely do they think to bring enough to return home because of the riches they will pick up. The emails you receive from one of the lads once they are good and truly stranded in another country are a thing of beauty. Any questions?"
He works for http://www.419eater.com/index.php
An sample of 419eater's work: http://www.419eater.com/html/bigman.htm (very fascinating read)
About 4 years ago I learned of a website dedicated to trying to wipe out the internet 419 scammers. After joining the site I set about learning as much as possible about the scammers and how they operate. Our primarily objective as baiters is to waste their time emailing with us. We feel that any time wasted on us is less time they have to scam a potential victim. As a bonus it also eats’ into their internet time at the café and therefore into their funds. When talking to each other we call these scammers ‘lads’, romance scammers are known as Vlads as most are from Eastern Europe. We take on different roles as baiters depending on the scammers and what his particular ‘script’ might be. We do not involve innocent third parties or attempt to have the scammers send us money. I’ve baited them as a retired porn star, a Redneck Farmer, an Art Dealer, a Cat, a 12y/o disabled girl, and a dead person. It’s remarkable how they are willing to email anyone or anything that they hope to make a buck or two off. Their scam’s include the Prince who needs his money out of the country, the very pretty young lady who is in a refugee camp and just needs $ to leave so she can come and have your baby, the mysterious trunk box full of $$ but we need your cash to make a key and so on. We have many tools at our disposal as baiters including the ability to have their bank accounts shut down. They really hate this but it’s really easy to do and unbelievably it’s easy to do multiple times to the same lad! One of our favourite things to do is send our ‘lads’ on ‘safari. This involves convincing our lad that huge sums of money are waiting for him if he would only just go to another country to pick it up. They usually borrow from friends or family to finance the trip and rarely do they think to bring enough to return home because of the riches they will pick up. The emails you receive from one of the lads once they are good and truly stranded in another country are a thing of beauty. Any questions?"
He works for http://www.419eater.com/index.php
An sample of 419eater's work: http://www.419eater.com/html/bigman.htm (very fascinating read)
Wednesday, 5 October 2011
TIL Steve Jobs just died
One of the best CEO ever, and a true leader. A lot of people say he is an innovator, I would argue since he did not invent any of Apple products, he is a great leader and a wise tech product user. I hope Apple can stay ahead of tech game without him.
Tuesday, 4 October 2011
TIL sore jaw in the morning = Bruxism
Sore jaw in the morning is probably caused by teeth grinding (Bruxism) during sleep. Other symptoms include flat teeth (ask your dentist) and a dull, constant headache. If not treated, it would result in tooth loss.
A mouth guard should be used to protect your teeth from grinding during sleep. A custom made one would cost around $300, and a generic one should be under $50 but might be less comfortable and durable.
A mouth guard should be used to protect your teeth from grinding during sleep. A custom made one would cost around $300, and a generic one should be under $50 but might be less comfortable and durable.
TIL online shopping is all about minimizing shipping cost
Online shopping has been a new trend due to its transparency in price and user experience (quality). However, what you saved online might get cancelled out with shipping and handling cost. With additional time for delivery, it is not worth the trouble to shop online sometimes.
I have spent a considerable amount of time online. A great site I use for electronic is newegg.ca, it has great review system, seems to offer lower price, and if you are lucky, has free shipping. The site ebay.ca is a close second as it offers the ability to compare total price (item + shipping cost). The sellers on ebay typically offer very cheap shipping fee in exchange for long wait for delivery.
I have spent a considerable amount of time online. A great site I use for electronic is newegg.ca, it has great review system, seems to offer lower price, and if you are lucky, has free shipping. The site ebay.ca is a close second as it offers the ability to compare total price (item + shipping cost). The sellers on ebay typically offer very cheap shipping fee in exchange for long wait for delivery.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)