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Quorten Blog 1

First blog for all Quorten's blog-like writings

How to stroke a cat and tree planting can be detrimental

quorten

2019-11-05

Categories: random  
Tags: random  

Interesting article on how to stroke a cat. Reading body language for cats? Yep, this article has some of it.

20191104/https://qz.com/1672668/how-to-stroke-a-cat-according-to-science/

This is an interesting article how tree planting may be harmful, namely in savanna areas where additional trees would be detrimental to the existing ecosystem. Unfortunately, it has become semi-popular to do so, and it will take some time to set the records straight on this.

20191104/https://qz.com/africa/1676424/tree-planting-can-actually-damages-ecosystems/

Attach a serial device as Xorg keyboard

quorten

2019-11-04

Categories: unix   raspberry-pi  
Tags: unix   raspberry-pi  

Suppose you have the really odd idea that you have some primitive computer device with a keyboard that outputs data via a serial communications line, and you want to route that to an Xorg keyboard input device. Actually, this isn’t that bad of an idea, old fashioned barcode readers and smart scales used this trick before the advent of USB and Bluetooth. Well, here’s the long story short of the easy way to do this.

inputattach --baud 2400 --sunkbd /dev/ttyUSB0

There are a variety of different devices supported through different drivers, if you have a matching such device (unlikely), then pick that one. Otherwise, simply pick whichever device you can find the best documentation on for the protocol and develop your peripheral to support that. Sun keyboard, Sun mouse, and Microsoft mouse are all pretty well documented.

Now, here is the lowdown of my twisted search. In the end, beyond merely being able to find information on the Internet, some lateral thinking was required to make things work out.

Read on →

Polish acrylic plastic to a glass-like shine

quorten

2019-11-03

Categories: raspberry-pi   3d-printing   mat-sci  
Tags: raspberry-pi   3d-printing   mat-sci  

How do polish acrylic (PMMA) plastic to a glass-like shine? If you use fine-grit sandpaper, you can improve the shininess of acrylic quite a bit, but to get a glass-like shine, you must use careful technique with a propane torch. Quickly pass a propane torch from edge-to-edge of the acrylic taking care not to melt or burn your material, or else it will be ruined. See the wikihow article for full details.

20191103/DuckDuckGo how to polish acrylic
20191103/https://www.wikihow.com/Polish-Acrylic

So, armed with knowledge of this technique, you can proceed to finish 3D printed acrylic parts, provided that you have good solid formation in the middle of the material. 100% infill, without interior layering boundaries.

Please note that pure acrylic plastic is brittle and scratches/chips more easily than glass, so your shined material is vulnerable to damage and you may feel the need to re-shine in the future. You may consider using other plastics that are tougher but come at the expense of less shine.

20191103/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poly%28methyl_methacrylate%29

Interesting article on body language

quorten

2019-11-02

Categories: random  
Tags: random  

This is an interesting article on body language. Well, it’s a table of contents that links to a lot of interesting aricles on body language.

20191102/https://www.scienceofpeople.com/body-language/

Oh wow, now this is an interesting article on body language and AI. This time, it’s not written by Vanessa Van Edwards herself, but by her husband, even though it still credits the author as Vanessa Van Edwards! Nonetheless, it is a great interesting read from the standpoint of explaining the computer technology in a way that the more mainstream target reader of this particular site would understand.

20191102/https://www.scienceofpeople.com/body-language-ai/

Barber's pole history

quorten

2019-10-31

Categories: random  
Tags: random  

The striped throbber indicator in user interfaces kind of looks like a “barber pole.”

What is the history of the barber pole? I heard an interesting “campfire story” that the barber pole was red from the blood of the patients that were previously served, due to the use of razors in old fashioned barbershops. Well, this actually isn’t too far off from the truth. Alas, the barber pole is symbolic of the profession rather than literal, and barbershops previously also did surgeries.

The original pole had a brass wash basin at the top (representing the vessel in which leeches were kept) and bottom (representing the basin that received the blood). The pole itself represents the staff that the patient gripped during the procedure to encourage blood flow.[3]

20191030/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barber%27s_pole

Where non-technical people get innovation

quorten

2019-10-31

Categories: tour-de-force   twitter  
Tags: tour-de-force   twitter  

Somehow I wasn’t fully conscious of this before, but nowadays I am aware that holidays (and retirement) are where non-tech people slow down in innovation. School and work is where non-tech people are kept in the loop with innovation. By contrast, it is considered somewhat normal for tech people to not take a break from innovation during the holidays. Off work, yeah, but off innovation, heck no.

Inventory of 3D printable materials in 2019

quorten

2019-10-30

Categories: 3d-printing   mat-sci  
Tags: 3d-printing   mat-sci  

Can you 3D print silicone? Indeed, you can. So you can build your own computer keyboard entirely via 3D printing and circuit board printing.

20191030/DuckDuckGo 3d print sillicone domes
20191030/https://all3dp.com/2/silicone-3d-printer-all-you-need-to-know/

How about glass? Indeed, that is 3D printable too. It’s possible, though the tech may be rather expensive and beyond the reach of the typical hobbyist due to the high temperatures involved. What do you expect for glass? It’s going to be a similar challenge as 3D printing metal is.

20191030/DuckDuckGo 3d print glass
20191030/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/you-can-now-3d-print-glass-180962951/
20191030/https://3dprint.com/187824/glass-3d-printing-evolution/

Can you 3D print fiberglass? Yes, looks like you can run it straight through standard FDM plastic 3D printers.

20191030/DuckDuckGo 3d print fiberglass
20191030/https://markforged.com/materials/fiberglass/

Also interesting is that Onyx can be 3D printed, which is a form of silica.

20191030/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onyx
20191030/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalcedony

Read on →

What happened to Steve Jobs' net worth?

quorten

2019-10-30

Categories: misc  
Tags: misc  

Back around the year 2010, when Steve Jobs was still alive, the Wikipedia page on him listed his net worth, and I think that indeed was also how I first learned about net worth. Now, I wonder, has the Wikipedia page been updated to note this modern omission? Well, the net worth has been removed, but the Wikipedia page says nothing about what happened to it. It says in every other way what his legacy has been, though.

20191029/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs

So I go looking elsewhere. And here I find some information. Some of it, a few millions, was given away to his children, split equally. $21 billion went to Ms. Powell Jobs, his second wife, which then when to philanthropy and she launched the “launched the Emerson Collective, an organization that pursues liberal political activism and for-profit investments, and owns a majority stake in the Atlantic magazine.” So there you go, that covers at least most of it.

Read on →

MMM updates: stock index funds and safety illusion

quorten

2019-10-30

Categories: personal-finance  
Tags: personal-finance  

So, what’s been going on with the Mr. Money Mustache blog? I presume not too much interesting. But, hold on, this is a noteworthy article to read. Stock index funds might not be a good way to invest? No, don’t worry, it’s not happening yet, we’ve just had some warnings from a notable economist that it might happen.

20191029/https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2019/09/12/michael-burry-index-funds/

Safety is an expensive illusion? Surely there’s got to be some sense in safety, right? Oh, yes, there is. But what this article goes into is a debunking of the vernacular viewpoint on safety, and why it is not good for your life in general to take such a hyper-sensitized approach to it.

20191029/http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/06/07/safety-is-an-expensive-illusion/