Universal Rule

Book Reviews

Friday, April 29, 2005

-- Comment()
New US legislation will give researchers unprecedented access to federally-owned supercomputers: "We cannot imagine the kinds of problems that the supercomputers of tomorrow will be able to solve, but we can imagine the kind of problems we will have if we fail to provide researchers in the US with the best computing resources."

The global competition in supercomputing is heating up!

-- Comment()
Scientists Make Bacteria Behave Like Computers: "Bacteria have been programmed to behave like computers, assembling themselves into complex shapes based on instructions stuffed into their genes. [...] Eventually, the process might be used to direct the construction of useful devices or the growth of new tissue, perhaps restoring function to a severed spinal cord."

Tightening the belt -- Comment()
I have been commuting by bicycle for a month now. I haven't lost any weight, but have had to tighten the trouser belt by one notch. Probably some of the weight around the middle has gone somewhere else. At least I have managed to cut the commute time from 45 minutes to under 35 minutes for the 12 kilometer ride.

-- Comment()
A Digital Crime Wave: "So for consumers and small businesses - everyone without a large IT department to manage security - the Windows computers they use have become huge burdens instead of helpful tools. [...] And prevention is almost as painful as the disease, because the computer industry has so far come up with only half-baked and piecemeal solutions to these threats. You have to watch every move you make online and install a bunch of security programs, which require monitoring, constant updating and, often, annual fees."