Monday, October 26, 2009

MyPOD is released

After a lot of work, I am proud to announce the release of MyPOD(My Programmes Onn Demand) a new android app that makes podcast management simple.

More info can be found on the MyPOD homepage :
http://www.my-pod.org/

Saturday, August 01, 2009

Demoniak freeware

Just found this very nice 3d engine using GLSL, lua based animation. It's a windows binary but seems to run fine on wine (ha ha) and the format is in XMLl so you can see all the code. There are also some very good tutorials on the site - the have a lot of useful GLSL code there in tutorials with explanations of the physical processes they copy. Very nice for learning GLSL.

http://www.ozone3d.net/demoniak3d/

http://www.ozone3d.net/tutorials/index_glsl.php

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Why the MPs Expeses fiasco is bad for us ...

There is unending reports of MP's expenses anomalies in the press in the UK lately. While it is truly shocking to see claims for moat cleaning, there are a lot of problems arent being addressed and i think there are more important issues to look at:-
  • Why would one become an MP (or a minister) when the pay is only 60K? you aren't going to do it for the money because it's a lot of stress and work.
  • What other benefits are MP's geting via industry/companies? It is well known that MP's are lobbied by industry to maintain their interests, but what remuneration is happening there? It is known that remuneration id occuring but it will never be openly disclosed.
These issues combine to shift the balance away from government power - at a time when government power should be increased because of the failure of companies to regulate themselves. The motivations and timings for the 'news break' should be looked at since it's it is pretty obvious in my opinion that these expense claims have been happening not just for years, but for decades, centuries even. Look at how directors of companies use company expenses, will this ever be reported? (no!!).

The case to change the system is strong at the moment - but what changes do we need? We need honest politicians, that is the ideal. Politicians have, and probably will be, always be suspected for thier motives for getting into politics.

Do we look at the minimum changes to resolve the expenses problem? To take away as much expense privileges as possible? This would be the worst solution in my opinion as it will push MP's to seek alternative sources of remuneration (e.g. from industry/lobbyists). Either this, ... or we provide extra incentive, i.e. to raise MP's pay to circa 100k. Hopefully this would attract more talented people as well.

Do we look at the maximum changes? Well what do we want? The system seems to work ok. (Apparently) The worst financial disaster for six decades is happening now but people arent too unhappy - there are no riots, there are no other big groups forming to form an alternative solution. In my opinion, a large scale solution cannot be formulated - it must evolve.

So what changes do we make? I am in favour of devolved government, and also a diverse government. I think diversity in our MP's is the most important thing. It is becoming more and more inadequate to just vote for a party because they have some large overseeing motivation and goal (e.g. Labour, Tory), but to strike a balance between what an MP can do for their local constituency and and MP's larger goals. In my opinion the cabinet should be voted for by the people, and cabinet ministers should run for their positions in an election.

This would be true democracy - for a while.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Android apps on ubuntu = good

There is an article on engadget detailing a plan to be able to run androind apps on ubuntu, (atricle here).

This would be very good for all linux distros and could even go so far as to breathe new life into java-based desktop apps since the plethora of new android apps will give a wealth of new open-source software apps to the linux user. As the android platform matures we will likely see more UI capabilities being introduced.

I really hope this move pans out as it will be good for android and linux in a big way.

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

OpenLab 5




Openlab are providing a day of workshops & presentations about opensource software, and performances in the evening at Cafe OTO, Dalston. There is a venerable lineup of OpenLab members providing some in depth knowledge during the day and some great performances at night. The preliminary line up goes like this:

DAY: Workshops & Presentations : 12-5pm (free entry).


Presentations

  • Arduino + PD (Ryan Jordan) : Using Aurdrino and PureData
  • SC + Processing (Daniel Jones) : Using Supercollider with Processing
  • Pd/Gem + ergates (Chris McCormick) : PureData audiovisual software
  • Groworld (Dave Griffiths) : Permaculture meets online games via guerilla gardening (http://www.pawfal.org/dave/index.cgi?Projects/Groworld)
  • Processing/Java/Eclipse/JOGL/GLSL(Rob Munro) : Techniquies for using Processsing with the Eclipse IDE.(http://robmunro.net/video)
  • Din (S Jagannathan) (http://code.google.com/p/din), Boxar (http://www.poojyum.com/boxar) : A free software musical instrument for performing indian classical music live (but not just)

    Workshops

  • Fluxus (Dave Griffiths) : (free, 1-2hrs, max 10) The venerable OpenGL/scheme environment. (http://www.pawfal.org/dave/index.cgi?Projects/Fluxus)
  • APODIO (Julien Ottavi) : (1hrs, max 20) Gnu/Linux multimedia distribution LiveDVD
  • Introducing Processing for Visual Artists (Evan Raskob) : (£10, 2hrs, max 20)

    NIGHT: Performances : 7:30pm-12:30am (£5 entry) - doors 7pm

  • dskg - Uses circuit bended machines altogether with open sources (http://www.myspace.com/dskg)
  • Jeremah - pixelated landscapes of techno beats, music box melodies and processed street noise (http://www.jeremah.co.uk/)
  • Rob Munro - audiovisual work exploring the world between (http://robmunro.net/video)
  • TheNoiser - The Noiser use noise as musicality, combined to an approaches of programmatic composition (http://www.noiser.org)
  • PixelPusher - video and sound pieces; interactive art including new musical instruments (http://pixelist.info/)
  • Ryan Jordan - Body-sensor-noise-strobe-hypnosis (http://ryanjordan.org/)
  • Daniel Jones - generative audio-visual works (http://www.erase.net)
  • S Jagannathan - a free software musical instrument for performing indian classical music live (but not just) (http://code.google.com/p/din)
  • Robert Atwood - experiments with the sound created by feedback (http://variseq.nongnu.org/)
  • Chris McCormick - uses Free Software to make bleepy crunchy music (http://mccormick.cx)

    see you there …
  • What if ...

    Friday, February 27, 2009

    The value of privacy ...

    These essays by Bruce Schneier really describe the the threat to our basic right to privacy very accurately.Legislation that protects privacy will not happen at all if we do not act, and soon we will have very little control over the level and data that is stored about us in an ouvert and also a clandestine way.
    BBC: "Privacy please"
    Schnieder: "Your Vanishing Privacy"
    Schnieder: "The Eternal Value of Privacy"