http://www.smiffysplace.com/technical RSS Feed for Smiffy's Place: posts filed under category technical en (C) Copyright 2001-2010 Matthew Steven Smith All Rights Reserved dc.blog v1.0b http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Mon, 28 Jun 2010 04:58:53 GMT Mon, 28 Jun 2010 04:58:53 GMT http://www.smiffysplace.com/finding-ada-2010-kate-lundy http://www.smiffysplace.com/finding-ada-2010-kate-lundy A slightly belated post for Ada Lovelace Day, highlighting Senator Kate Lundy, Open Government and IT advocate. Thu, 25 Mar 2010 13:30:00 GMT ALD10 Social Networking Technical social media social networking http://www.smiffysplace.com/technology-business-asset-or-business-risk http://www.smiffysplace.com/technology-business-asset-or-business-risk Do you consider technology an asset to your business? Are there technologies that you cannot work without? If so, your assets may be exposing you to risk. This article gives a simple guide on how to identify and minimise those risks to help protect your business and that of your clients who rely on it. Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:30:00 GMT Technical http://www.smiffysplace.com/extensible-metadata-for-your-cms http://www.smiffysplace.com/extensible-metadata-for-your-cms How many Open Source Content Management Systems (CMS) have an extensible system that can allow the creation, maintenance and display of metadata such as Dublin Core? Very few, if any. Now over 2 years in the making, this article explains concepts that may be used to extend CMS to accommodate this. Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:30:00 GMT Software Technical http://www.smiffysplace.com/base-conversions-in-mysql http://www.smiffysplace.com/base-conversions-in-mysql Want to convert between number bases in MySQL? Here are a couple of stored procedures to let you convert to/from any base you fancy. Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:30:00 GMT SQL Software Technical http://www.smiffysplace.com/vodafone-australia-mobile-broadband-on-linux http://www.smiffysplace.com/vodafone-australia-mobile-broadband-on-linux What it takes to get a Vodafone Australia prepaid mobile broadband connection working on Linux. Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:30:00 GMT BSD Linux Solaris Technical Unix operating systems http://www.smiffysplace.com/in-and-out-of-svg http://www.smiffysplace.com/in-and-out-of-svg Whilst SVG is a great graphics format to work with, sometimes there is a need to import other formats into it or to export it to the likes of PDF. This article details a real-life application and techniques I used to import to and export from SVG. Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:30:00 GMT SVG Scalable Vector Graphics Software Technical raster graphics rasterizer http://www.smiffysplace.com/dear-oracle http://www.smiffysplace.com/dear-oracle Oracle to buy Sun Microsystems. Smiffy wants stuff. Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:30:00 GMT JAVA ORCL Software Technical http://www.smiffysplace.com/smiffys-random-tech-tips http://www.smiffysplace.com/smiffys-random-tech-tips The first in a series of irregular and infrequent collections of tips relating to (X)HTML, Perl, MySQL, Un*x and other technologies. Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:30:00 GMT Software Technical http://www.smiffysplace.com/follow-u-tron http://www.smiffysplace.com/follow-u-tron Smiffy's answer for Twitter #followfriday nominations. Fri, 13 Mar 2009 13:30:00 GMT API Social Networking Software Technical Twitter social media social networking http://www.smiffysplace.com/at-smiffytech-the-twitter-and-i http://www.smiffysplace.com/at-smiffytech-the-twitter-and-i Smiffy has joined the Twitter crowd. Twitter is a powerful social networking tool, not the silly gimmick that first impressions might make it. Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:30:00 GMT Personal Social Networking Technical blogging social media social networking social networks http://www.smiffysplace.com/ada-lovelace-day-women-in-technology-whom-i-admire http://www.smiffysplace.com/ada-lovelace-day-women-in-technology-whom-i-admire It started with - I will publish a blog post on Tuesday 24th March about a woman in technology whom I admire but only if 1,000 other people will do the same. - These are my nominations. Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:30:00 GMT ALD09post AdaLovelaceDay09 Social Inclusion Software Technical computing female technical technology woman women http://www.smiffysplace.com/the-solstice-clock-part-3 http://www.smiffysplace.com/the-solstice-clock-part-3 What is a clock? What is a calendar? How can one do the job of the other? In this series of articles, Smiffy describes a project in which an everyday quartz clock is converted into a solar calendar - the Solstice Clock. Part 3 presents the circuit schematic and board layout of the prototype Solstice Clock. Tue, 03 Feb 2009 13:30:00 GMT Autumn Autumnal CMOS Fall Flash Microcontrollers Moon Seasons Software Solstice Spring Summer Technical Vernal Winter astrolabe calendar digital embedded equinox equinoxes hora horologia horologium horology hour kalendar logic lunar microcontroller microprocessor moonphase solstices time timekeeping year http://www.smiffysplace.com/the-solstice-clock-part-2 http://www.smiffysplace.com/the-solstice-clock-part-2 What is a clock? What is a calendar? How can one do the job of the other? In this series of articles, Smiffy describes a project in which an everyday quartz clock is converted into a solar calendar - the Solstice Clock. Part 2 tells of a simplification of the original concept, more things that the clock can do, and choosing a microcontroller and clock crystal to drive it. Mon, 02 Feb 2009 13:30:00 GMT Autumn Autumnal CMOS Fall Flash Microcontrollers Moon Seasons Software Solstice Spring Summer Technical Vernal Winter astrolabe calendar digital embedded equinox equinoxes hora horologia horologium horology hour kalendar logic lunar microcontroller microprocessor moonphase solstices time timekeeping year http://www.smiffysplace.com/all-change-on-the-desktop-again http://www.smiffysplace.com/all-change-on-the-desktop-again Smiffy starts preparing to migrate to a new Linux distribution. This article explains how and why. Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:30:00 GMT BSD Debian Gentoo Linux Software Solaris Technical ThinkPad Unix VMware operating systems virtual machine http://www.smiffysplace.com/open-source-midi-control-surface http://www.smiffysplace.com/open-source-midi-control-surface I am in the process of designing a simple MIDI control surface, all design information to be released under a Creative Commons license. Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:30:00 GMT CMOS Flash MIDI Microcontrollers Music Software Technical arts controller digital embedded logic microcontroller microprocessor music http://www.smiffysplace.com/web-accessibility-techniques-workshop-in-adelaide-on-20-november-2008 http://www.smiffysplace.com/web-accessibility-techniques-workshop-in-adelaide-on-20-november-2008 Vision Australia is running their popular Web Accessibility Techniques workshop in Adelaide on 20 November 2008. Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:30:00 GMT Accessibility Social Inclusion Software Technical adaptability http://www.smiffysplace.com/sql-o-matic http://www.smiffysplace.com/sql-o-matic This is about the fourth generation of this programme that I have been using over the last few years to generate SQL and Perl code based on a MySQL database schema. The idea behind this is much repetitive coding can be eliminated - the ouput of this programme can be tweaked/corrected and then cut and pasted into an application. Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:30:00 GMT BSD Linux MySQL Perl Software Solaris Technical Unix operating systems stored procedures http://www.smiffysplace.com/nixie-kitchen-timer http://www.smiffysplace.com/nixie-kitchen-timer Smiffy designs a retro-look kitchen timer to suit his needs. Mon, 12 May 2008 14:30:00 GMT Food & Drink Nixie Technical alimentation clock clocks cooking drink epicure epicurean food gourmandisme gourmet interval kitchen neon nutrition timekeeping timer timers http://www.smiffysplace.com/enter-the-eyeprod http://www.smiffysplace.com/enter-the-eyeprod Smiffy meets the eyeProd, er, iPod Nano. Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:30:00 GMT Apple Music Sennheiser Technical Walkman arts cans headphones hi-fi hifi high fidelity mp3 music personal hifi player recording stereo http://www.smiffysplace.com/foxy-add-ons-tab-mix-plus http://www.smiffysplace.com/foxy-add-ons-tab-mix-plus Tab Mix Plus is a Firefox extension that allows enhanced control over tabbed browsing. Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:30:00 GMT Firefox Mozilla Software Technical Thunderbird http://www.smiffysplace.com/the-solstice-clock-part-1 http://www.smiffysplace.com/the-solstice-clock-part-1 What is a clock? What is a calendar? How can one do the job of the other? In this series of articles, Smiffy describes a project in which an everyday quartz clock is converted into a solar calendar - the Solstice Clock. Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:30:00 GMT Autumn Autumnal CMOS Fall Flash Microcontrollers Seasons Software Solstice Spring Summer Technical Vernal Winter astrolabe calendar digital embedded equinox equinoxes hora horologia horologium horology hour kalendar logic microcontroller microprocessor solstices time timekeeping year http://www.smiffysplace.com/vmware-no-developer-should-be-without-it http://www.smiffysplace.com/vmware-no-developer-should-be-without-it After some ten years since being told about the joys of VMware virtualisation, Smiffy finally gives it a go and wonders how he ever coped before. Sun, 30 Mar 2008 13:30:00 GMT BSD Linux Software Solaris Technical Unix operating systems virtual machine virtualisation virtualise virtualization virtualize vm http://www.smiffysplace.com/am-i-too-slow http://www.smiffysplace.com/am-i-too-slow This article tells how the accessibility and usability of web content may be impacted by speed issue from various causes. The article goes on to explain how speed may be measured or estimated and how the various causes may be addressed. Presented as content for the February Newsletter of the Guild of Accessible Web Designers (GAWDS). Thu, 07 Feb 2008 13:30:00 GMT Accept-Encoding Accessibility Apache C PHP Perl Technical adaptability bandwidth cache caching compress data compression gzip mobile devices mobile web rich media scripting languages speed web content http://www.smiffysplace.com/project-honeypot-is-back-sort-of http://www.smiffysplace.com/project-honeypot-is-back-sort-of The Project Honeypot site appears to be back in operation - with bugs. Mon, 14 Jan 2008 13:30:00 GMT Spam & Other Internet Pests Technical annoyances nuisance spam ucbe http://www.smiffysplace.com/project-honeypot-closed-for-maintenance http://www.smiffysplace.com/project-honeypot-closed-for-maintenance The Project Honeypot web site is closed for maintenance - for at least a month. Smiffy is less than amused. Thu, 27 Dec 2007 13:30:00 GMT Blogathon07 Spam & Other Internet Pests Technical annoyances nuisance spam ucbe