Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Build Done
My machine is built! Aside from discovering that the aftermarket CPU heatsink/fan (arctic cooling freezer 13 pro) required the purchase of a 76 cent mounting bracket (only available via direct purchase from the company based in Hong-Kong) there were no problems with the build!
The thing is fast... and it is running pretty cool. I've done a slight overclock on the GPU, but nothing yet on the CPU or RAM; I'm waiting until I have the aftermarket CPU cooler installed.
There is still some work to do on cable management. The case is a little tough to do this in because it has this pretty novel HD mounting system in which 4 of the 6 possible drives can be mounted vertically to improve airflow. However, the SATA power cables that came with the PSU really aren't made for this sort of orientation so the thing is a little awkward. I might have to get some SATA power cables specifically for this purpose.
On that note, I discovered that there is a Micro Center about 10 minutes from my house. They have everything a home builder could want. Had I realized that it was right down the road, I might have bought all my parts there...
Right now I get pretty high scores on WEI (windows experience index) although I'm currently limited by the processor, which I don't exactly understand. This is an 8 core 3.1 mhz cpu!! Hopefully some improved cooling and subsequent overclocking will improve the processor performance. This compliant is really purely from a bench marking perspective, in everyday use, the thing feels super quick.
I've also run novabench and got a score of 1319. I don't really have anything to compare this too... but I get the sense that it is a good score but not a great score.
I ran prime95 for about 5.5 hours and had no problems. I guess that is to be expected with stock CPU settings.
The thing is fast... and it is running pretty cool. I've done a slight overclock on the GPU, but nothing yet on the CPU or RAM; I'm waiting until I have the aftermarket CPU cooler installed.
There is still some work to do on cable management. The case is a little tough to do this in because it has this pretty novel HD mounting system in which 4 of the 6 possible drives can be mounted vertically to improve airflow. However, the SATA power cables that came with the PSU really aren't made for this sort of orientation so the thing is a little awkward. I might have to get some SATA power cables specifically for this purpose.
On that note, I discovered that there is a Micro Center about 10 minutes from my house. They have everything a home builder could want. Had I realized that it was right down the road, I might have bought all my parts there...
Right now I get pretty high scores on WEI (windows experience index) although I'm currently limited by the processor, which I don't exactly understand. This is an 8 core 3.1 mhz cpu!! Hopefully some improved cooling and subsequent overclocking will improve the processor performance. This compliant is really purely from a bench marking perspective, in everyday use, the thing feels super quick.
I've also run novabench and got a score of 1319. I don't really have anything to compare this too... but I get the sense that it is a good score but not a great score.
I ran prime95 for about 5.5 hours and had no problems. I guess that is to be expected with stock CPU settings.
For overclocking the GPU I've been using MSI Afterburner, and when I start overclocking the CPU and memory I will likely use T-overclocker which I think is biostar's overclocking utility, or maybe it is made by AMD... I'm not sure.
But, this thing plays WoW like you wouldn't believe. And internet browsing is great. As new versisons of my most commonly used software comes out (photoshop, lightroom, primere pro, and so on...) I'll be installing and gradually moving away from my imac. Right now I'm still running the imac in a two screen setup, and this PC has a 27" LED LCD display, so yeah, my desk looks pretty awesome. Especially when I add my two laptops to the mix! Perhaps a picture is in order.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Prepping the build area
Finally all my parts are in!!
I'm still having to do lots of other prep before I start building. Lila got a laptop, so I need to move files around between her old HP slimline and the new Vaio, then, I'm going to take her old 22" acer lcd and pair it up with my imac. Then, my current second display, a 27" LED LCD Viewsonic will become the main display for the new build. But to accommodate 3 screens at my desk, I have to add the "L" back to my desk. I have a desk from crate and barrel and then I added a sideboard, also from crate and barrel to create the "L." But then, when we moved, we actually used the sideboard as a side board! So I have to clean up my curent desk area so I can bring the sideboard back in. Then... I've got to clean up the imac setup, which is fairly complicated, lots of external drives and such. Hopefully by Monday, I'll be ready to build.
Additionally, I have to write a paper on the curricular effects of the Force Concept Inventory. Fun.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
And perhaps libby should have worn this today
But wait. She teaches english.
May I remind us that...
Pi Day!!
Today was Pi day... Why was it Pi day? Well, Pi can be approximated as 3.14 and the date is March 14th, or 3/14, hence Pi day. But is it Pi day in the UK where today is not 3/14 but 14/3? A resounding NO!
In the UK the nerdy math teachers (cousins of course) celebrate Pi approximation day, 22 of July, rather 22/7. In some ways that makes more sense since the fractional equivalent of 3.14 is 22/7 and the use of the slash in the date convention matches the use of the slash to represent division.
Today, March 14th, however, is also Albert Einstein's birthday, a nice geeky coincidence.
Happily, I was teaching math today, March 14th, at 1:59pm, and at the 26th second we cheered very loudly! We celebrated Pi day with precision to the 10 millionths place (3.1415926...)! The ensuing discussion revolved around how the irrational constant, when thought of with units of time, must largely exist between the 26th and 27th second and due to the infinite divisibility of time and the random repeating nature of pi and thus one can celebrate Pi day with infinite precision.
Personally, I've become a tau man myself, so there was a fair amount of discussion of tau, particuarly the pi vs. tau comparison of the Feynman point (look it up).
All in all a good day.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
SSD added to the mix
The only question remaining is have I bitten off more than I can chew? Luckily Maxwell can go to the daycare while I'm on spring break, so I'll have a good amount of uninterrupted time.
I'll need a new name for this machine (I have an Ironman, Atom, and Squeak...) Any suggestions?
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Good on my word
Made the purchase today - bought all the components for my new pc build:
Lila's getting a new computer too, a Sony Vaio:
I guess maxwell will grow up in a PC household! (I'm still keeping my imac, macbook air, and powerbook though... The powerbook is so he can someday discover the joy of playing caesar III)
Lila's getting a new computer too, a Sony Vaio:
I guess maxwell will grow up in a PC household! (I'm still keeping my imac, macbook air, and powerbook though... The powerbook is so he can someday discover the joy of playing caesar III)
Thursday, March 08, 2012
Inquiry Science is great but exhausting
Howdy all - just finished up Science expo - a science fair like event. All the kids come up with their projects and their own procedures to answer those questions and their own data analysis (and so on...). But let me tell you, supporting all that is really really tiring. But not as tiring as waking up at 3:30 with a baby who wants to play. The barenaked ladies have a song that goes, "who needs sleep? Well... you're never going to get it. Who needs sleep? Can you tell me what's that for? Who needs sleep? Well you're never going to get it... there are guys that have been awake since the second world war." That guy is me. javascript:void(0)
Thursday, March 01, 2012
Forecasting the Apple Downfall
Sign 1: Mac Pro hasn't been updated in about two years. The graphics card it ships with is 3 generations old.
Sign 2: Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro are no longer industry standards in their respective fields.
Sign 3: Progression to iOS desktop interface. Don't they know they don't manufacture a touch screen computer?
Conclusion: Professional users are slowly but surely being dropped.
IMO, Apple's success is rooted in the fact that they produced well designed products for professionals, which were also usable by average consumers. If they stop supporting the needs of the professional user, slowly but surely, the quality of the product will erode.
Couple the release of the poorly reviewed Mountain Lion against the release of the well reviewed Windows 8 and reality comes into view.
My next machine will be a PC.
Sign 2: Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro are no longer industry standards in their respective fields.
Sign 3: Progression to iOS desktop interface. Don't they know they don't manufacture a touch screen computer?
Conclusion: Professional users are slowly but surely being dropped.
IMO, Apple's success is rooted in the fact that they produced well designed products for professionals, which were also usable by average consumers. If they stop supporting the needs of the professional user, slowly but surely, the quality of the product will erode.
Couple the release of the poorly reviewed Mountain Lion against the release of the well reviewed Windows 8 and reality comes into view.
My next machine will be a PC.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Monday, August 08, 2011
Victory over japan day.... What?!?
Victory over japan day is the day formally recognized as the day we defeated Japan during world war 2. Its on September second. However, for some reason, Today is victory over japan day in Rhode Island. A state holiday. Nobody works. No other state celebrates this holiday either. What?
Perhaps other states could celebrate another day that we, as a country, massacred a bunch of people. Just dumb. And ignorant. Rhode Island, if you want the second Monday in August off every summer, just declare "Three day weekend day," or perhaps, "Fun in the sun day," or maybe, "We finally wised up Day."
Here's an article on the subject from the Sacramento Bee...
People want to remember the sacrifice of service men during world war II? Isn't that what memorial day is for? This holiday just seems like an excuse to leverage history over a competitor nation.
Perhaps other states could celebrate another day that we, as a country, massacred a bunch of people. Just dumb. And ignorant. Rhode Island, if you want the second Monday in August off every summer, just declare "Three day weekend day," or perhaps, "Fun in the sun day," or maybe, "We finally wised up Day."
Here's an article on the subject from the Sacramento Bee...
People want to remember the sacrifice of service men during world war II? Isn't that what memorial day is for? This holiday just seems like an excuse to leverage history over a competitor nation.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Things that I find Irratating or Annoying or Dumb
I know posts have been few and far between (other than the lens review which was so easy to post here by clicking some boxes on adorama's website) and I need some new topics to jumpstart mortysworld again.
The first new, occasionally recurring topic, will be Things that I find Irritating, Annoying, or Dumb.
And first off is this dumb measuring cup from pyrex:
Did Pyrex hire a marketing design team who told them that new shape would attract a more "youthful clientele?" I'm pretty sure the only thing this will accomplish is lots of middle aged people walking into bed bath and beyond, taking one look at this weird flared shaped measuring cup (which is needlessly different from the old measuring cup) and then walking back out of the store to go to a yard sale, where invariably, they would find the old measuring cup.
Or how about this. Perhaps pyrex makes such solid, durable, and long lasting products, that people who bought the original measuring cub 30 years ago have no need to replace it unless there is some new marketing gimmick. Hence the new shape! Either way, I, who am looking to buy the normally shaped pyrex measuring cup for my mother in law (don't ask) find the new shape irritating, annoying, and dumb.
The first new, occasionally recurring topic, will be Things that I find Irritating, Annoying, or Dumb.
And first off is this dumb measuring cup from pyrex:
Did Pyrex hire a marketing design team who told them that new shape would attract a more "youthful clientele?" I'm pretty sure the only thing this will accomplish is lots of middle aged people walking into bed bath and beyond, taking one look at this weird flared shaped measuring cup (which is needlessly different from the old measuring cup) and then walking back out of the store to go to a yard sale, where invariably, they would find the old measuring cup.
Or how about this. Perhaps pyrex makes such solid, durable, and long lasting products, that people who bought the original measuring cub 30 years ago have no need to replace it unless there is some new marketing gimmick. Hence the new shape! Either way, I, who am looking to buy the normally shaped pyrex measuring cup for my mother in law (don't ask) find the new shape irritating, annoying, and dumb.
Sunday, July 03, 2011
My Review of Pentax SMCP-FA 43mm f/1.9 Standard Auto Focus Limited Edition Black Lens - Refurbished by Pentax
Originally submitted at Adorama
Pentax SMCP-FA 43mm f/1.9 Standard Auto Focus Limited Edition Black Lens - Refurbished by Pentax
Fantastic Lens - superb results
By Dmort from Bronx, NY on 7/3/2011
Pros: Strong Construction, Rugged, Nice Bokeh, Durable
Best Uses: Landscape/Scenery, Weddings/Events, Wildlife Photos, Indoors/Low Light
Describe Yourself: Photo Enthusiast
Was this a gift?: No
A superb lens!! It is a little quirky with the auto focus - but once you get used to it (and this is definitely a lens you have to get used to...) you will be able to take incredibly pictures. Sometimes I look at the results and they are otherworldly! The manual focusing is very smooth. If you aren't a manual focuser this lens might make you into one!
(legalese)
Friday, January 21, 2011
A Blues in A Minor
I'm trying to find things to do to occupy the time I have right now. Waiting for the baby is hard. This minor blues should transmit some of the "waiting feelings" I've been experiencing.
Click here to watch the video at youtube (you can access it in HD!!)
Click here to watch the video at youtube (you can access it in HD!!)
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
10 Android Tips
Hey all,
I know some of you out there are sensible and didn't buy a phone that was obsolete the moment it was released (cough, iphone 4, cough, cough).
Here are some tips that I have for getting more out of your android device. Most of them are true for iphone as well though.
1. Cycle the battery. Makes a huge difference. Huge.
2. Buy an otterbox case. I have the commuter. Great protection without adding too much bulk but still maintaining some cool factor. The Otterbox impact skin is really well liked and is only 11 bucks on amazon.
3. Use a different UI. I'm using Dev Team Go Launcher. Its really great, smooth and easy to run. This interface has allowed me to cut down to three screens, instead of the standard 7. It is super customizable and it is easier to work with than the stock UI. My brother runs launcher pro and really likes it as well.
4. Go to Gelaskins.com and browse through their phone skins. If you find one you like, download the free wallpaper version of the skin and you can have that wallpaper on your phone. There are some really cool wallpapers there.
5. Use mint.com on your phone. If you don't use mint already, I suggest you check it out. It is really convenient to always know how much money you have across all accounts. Unless you have a massive student loan debt, in which case it may just be depressing.
6. Download the app, extended controls. It allows you to create customizable control widgets for managing things like connections (wifi, 4g, bluetooth, gps) and other phone settings (vibrate, silent, brightness, airplane mode, and many others). I hardly ever have to go into settings to manipulate settings any more.
7. For those that live in cities, I highly recommend the open table app. Opentable lets you make reservations, but the app also has menus and reviews built into it. When you use the app in map view, you can see restaurants around you, that have open tables, and you can review menu and reviews in one place. I use this way more than I use yelp, urban spoon, or any other social restaurant app.
8. Play pokemon. Seriously, this is the perfect game for a phone. Android lets you download a variety of nintendo emulators. I like the gameboy emulators because they have fewer buttons. Then you download an app called ROM buddy which lets you browse the games easily and quickly. I am playing pokemon red and it is great!! You have to pay for each emulator so you might want to buy rom buddy first, check out the games you might actually be interested in, then buy the emulator that matches the games. You can't do this on an iphone. insert sad face here.
9. Expand your messaging world. There are a lot of other messaging apps you can use with an android phone. Meebo for aim and gchat, kik for bbm style messaging, qik for video chat, google talk, and others. Its nice to be connected!
10. Widgets! Don't load up your home screens with apps. Leave them in the apps folder. Instead, use widgets! Microsoft claims their new os is great because it "gets you in and out quickly!" Thats because it is setup around widgets. You can do the same with an android phone. Many popular apps include widget interfaces. The nytimes app has a rss widget, springpad (which I only just got but so far really like for all note taking tasks) includes many widget options. Widgets make it so you interact with apps directly as opposed to having to navigate to the app, open it, then use it. Paired up with a different UI, like Go Launcher, my phone is super efficent now with widgets and the new UI
I know some of you out there are sensible and didn't buy a phone that was obsolete the moment it was released (cough, iphone 4, cough, cough).
Here are some tips that I have for getting more out of your android device. Most of them are true for iphone as well though.
1. Cycle the battery. Makes a huge difference. Huge.
2. Buy an otterbox case. I have the commuter. Great protection without adding too much bulk but still maintaining some cool factor. The Otterbox impact skin is really well liked and is only 11 bucks on amazon.
3. Use a different UI. I'm using Dev Team Go Launcher. Its really great, smooth and easy to run. This interface has allowed me to cut down to three screens, instead of the standard 7. It is super customizable and it is easier to work with than the stock UI. My brother runs launcher pro and really likes it as well.
4. Go to Gelaskins.com and browse through their phone skins. If you find one you like, download the free wallpaper version of the skin and you can have that wallpaper on your phone. There are some really cool wallpapers there.
5. Use mint.com on your phone. If you don't use mint already, I suggest you check it out. It is really convenient to always know how much money you have across all accounts. Unless you have a massive student loan debt, in which case it may just be depressing.
6. Download the app, extended controls. It allows you to create customizable control widgets for managing things like connections (wifi, 4g, bluetooth, gps) and other phone settings (vibrate, silent, brightness, airplane mode, and many others). I hardly ever have to go into settings to manipulate settings any more.
7. For those that live in cities, I highly recommend the open table app. Opentable lets you make reservations, but the app also has menus and reviews built into it. When you use the app in map view, you can see restaurants around you, that have open tables, and you can review menu and reviews in one place. I use this way more than I use yelp, urban spoon, or any other social restaurant app.
8. Play pokemon. Seriously, this is the perfect game for a phone. Android lets you download a variety of nintendo emulators. I like the gameboy emulators because they have fewer buttons. Then you download an app called ROM buddy which lets you browse the games easily and quickly. I am playing pokemon red and it is great!! You have to pay for each emulator so you might want to buy rom buddy first, check out the games you might actually be interested in, then buy the emulator that matches the games. You can't do this on an iphone. insert sad face here.
9. Expand your messaging world. There are a lot of other messaging apps you can use with an android phone. Meebo for aim and gchat, kik for bbm style messaging, qik for video chat, google talk, and others. Its nice to be connected!
10. Widgets! Don't load up your home screens with apps. Leave them in the apps folder. Instead, use widgets! Microsoft claims their new os is great because it "gets you in and out quickly!" Thats because it is setup around widgets. You can do the same with an android phone. Many popular apps include widget interfaces. The nytimes app has a rss widget, springpad (which I only just got but so far really like for all note taking tasks) includes many widget options. Widgets make it so you interact with apps directly as opposed to having to navigate to the app, open it, then use it. Paired up with a different UI, like Go Launcher, my phone is super efficent now with widgets and the new UI
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Baby is coming Soon!!
SO!! Recently we had a "scare," we were in the hospital overnight!! Lila was having light contractions, she couldn't feel them, but the hospital monitor was reporting them regular and constant so they kept us for observation.
No baby yet, but our OB thinks the baby will come early, right around 37 weeks. That's three weeks earlier than our due date of Jan. 20th.
We've kicked preparations into gear, we've got clothes, a dresser, a crib, a changing table, a porta-crib changing table combo, a regular sized bed, a rocking chair, a stroller, a car seat, an adapter that allows our car seat to be locked onto our stroller and a bunch of other paraphernalia.
We are both now on parental leave, I don't go back to work until April 4th. Lila won't go back until September 1st of next year!!
We're pretty nervous and excited!
No baby yet, but our OB thinks the baby will come early, right around 37 weeks. That's three weeks earlier than our due date of Jan. 20th.
We've kicked preparations into gear, we've got clothes, a dresser, a crib, a changing table, a porta-crib changing table combo, a regular sized bed, a rocking chair, a stroller, a car seat, an adapter that allows our car seat to be locked onto our stroller and a bunch of other paraphernalia.
We are both now on parental leave, I don't go back to work until April 4th. Lila won't go back until September 1st of next year!!
We're pretty nervous and excited!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Thursday, September 09, 2010
The Girl from Ipanema
This is my first video that I've uploaded to YouTube of me playing solo guitar. Enjoy!!
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