Comments on: Sunday at the Shops http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/ Sat, 10 Jan 2009 01:27:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: E8 - Asymptotia http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/#comment-34068 E8 - Asymptotia Tue, 20 Mar 2007 01:54:14 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/#comment-34068 [...] You can find out a lot more by going to the AIM site I linked above (they’ve lots of links from there to further explanations - and I love the unexpected mention at the end of Fry’s electronics!), and also Mark Chu-Carroll’s post on Good Math, Bad Math, or for a more technical discussion (and more links) to John Baez’ post over at the n-category cafe, where you can learn (from the latter) for example that the picture above tells you about the densest lattice packing of balls in eight dimensions. [...] [...] You can find out a lot more by going to the AIM site I linked above (they’ve lots of links from there to further explanations - and I love the unexpected mention at the end of Fry’s electronics!), and also Mark Chu-Carroll’s post on Good Math, Bad Math, or for a more technical discussion (and more links) to John Baez’ post over at the n-category cafe, where you can learn (from the latter) for example that the picture above tells you about the densest lattice packing of balls in eight dimensions. [...]

]]> By: Field Testing - Asymptotia http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/#comment-21988 Field Testing - Asymptotia Wed, 20 Dec 2006 03:22:35 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/#comment-21988 [...] Well, ok, it is working well out in the field. (See here for what I’m talking about.) [...] [...] Well, ok, it is working well out in the field. (See here for what I’m talking about.) [...]

]]> By: Clifford http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/#comment-21957 Clifford Tue, 19 Dec 2006 20:16:44 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/#comment-21957 Sounds like you're ahead. Of me at least... but frankly that's not saying much since I'm not really a gadget-chaser at heart. I just like useful tools that do a good job of what I ask of them. I also carry a notebook and pen. Will never stop. -cvj Sounds like you’re ahead. Of me at least… but frankly that’s not saying much since I’m not really a gadget-chaser at heart. I just like useful tools that do a good job of what I ask of them.

I also carry a notebook and pen. Will never stop.

-cvj

]]> By: Amara http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/#comment-21955 Amara Tue, 19 Dec 2006 20:07:13 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/#comment-21955 Clifford: I'm usually behind everyone else in the technology arena, but in this case I might not be so far behind. At least we think along the same lines sometimes. I have a foldable keyboard (3 folds, 2 hinges) for my old HandSpring Visor that I've used since 2001. I'm inseparable from my Visor, but the keyboard increases the utility of my Visor 100X. I take the two together on my bicycle trips so that I can log my stories every night and not forget too much. The pair is also good for workshops/meetings when I don't have enough table/desk space for my laptop to take notes. I haven't completely given up notebook and pen when I travel, but I'm almost there. Clifford: I’m usually behind everyone else in the technology arena, but in this case I might not be so far behind. At least we think along the same lines sometimes.

I have a foldable keyboard (3 folds, 2 hinges) for my old HandSpring Visor that I’ve used since 2001. I’m inseparable from my Visor, but the keyboard increases the utility of my Visor 100X. I take the two together on my bicycle trips so that I can log my stories every night and not forget too much. The pair is also good for workshops/meetings when I don’t have enough table/desk space for my laptop to take notes. I haven’t completely given up notebook and pen when I travel, but I’m almost there.

]]> By: Alejandro Rivero http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/#comment-21912 Alejandro Rivero Tue, 19 Dec 2006 12:33:11 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/#comment-21912 If you are really going into wearable, you should try a Nokia 770. You can run pdflatex and you have X11 so you can actually network output to other screens etc. If you are really going into wearable, you should try a Nokia 770. You can run pdflatex and you have X11 so you can actually network output to other screens etc.

]]> By: Cynthia http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/#comment-21867 Cynthia Mon, 18 Dec 2006 23:46:50 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/#comment-21867 Clifford, in a weird, yet wonderful sort of way, your foldable keyboard is akin to your folding bike. Pretty soon--I suspect--they'll be selling a Clifford that you can fold-up and place in a suitcase, or whatever container strikes your fancy.;) Clifford, in a weird, yet wonderful sort of way, your foldable keyboard is akin to your folding bike. Pretty soon–I suspect–they’ll be selling a Clifford that you can fold-up and place in a suitcase, or whatever container strikes your fancy.;)

]]> By: Scott H. http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/#comment-21859 Scott H. Mon, 18 Dec 2006 21:46:59 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/#comment-21859 <i>I just heard from a friend that there’s also a Fry’s in Woodland Hills, with and Alice in Wonderland theme!</i> That's right, I forgot about that one! My mother in law used to live near there, so I used to pop in for things when we were in the neighborhood. The wikipedia page on Fry's lists all the store locations and their themes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fry's_Electronics Stores and themes near the bottom. I just heard from a friend that there’s also a Fry’s in Woodland Hills, with and Alice in Wonderland theme!

That’s right, I forgot about that one! My mother in law used to live near there, so I used to pop in for things when we were in the neighborhood.

The wikipedia page on Fry’s lists all the store locations and their themes:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fry’s_Electronics

Stores and themes near the bottom.

]]> By: Clifford http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/#comment-21382 Clifford Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:13:09 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/#comment-21382 Schrodinger:- That does seem quite marvellous. Thanks! I can't afford it though! For future reference, do you know if it works well? -cvj Schrodinger:- That does seem quite marvellous. Thanks! I can’t afford it though! For future reference, do you know if it works well?

-cvj

]]> By: Clifford http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/#comment-21380 Clifford Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:09:31 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/#comment-21380 It is still true. The stuff is just lying around on the shelves... That's all you want, really, to be told roughly where it is and to be left alone. It's all there. Yes that is the Burbank Fry's. I just heard from a friend that there's also a Fry's in Woodland Hills, with and Alice in Wonderland theme! -cvj It is still true. The stuff is just lying around on the shelves… That’s all you want, really, to be told roughly where it is and to be left alone. It’s all there.

Yes that is the Burbank Fry’s.

I just heard from a friend that there’s also a Fry’s in Woodland Hills, with and Alice in Wonderland theme!

-cvj

]]> By: Scott H. http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/#comment-21379 Scott H. Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:05:28 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/#comment-21379 Is that the Burbank Fry's? One of the small joys of living in the LA area was sampling the decor of the various Fry's Electronics in the area. Burbank and the alien invasion theme was one of my favorites. As I recall, there's another one down on Sepulveda not too far from LAX that has more of a jungle/island theme to it. Though I agree Radio Shack employees are just about useless (once tried to buy some resistors and IC sockets there when I was teaching Ph1b at Caltech years back; the kids at my local Shack just about fled in terror when I asked to find anything more complicated than a 9-volt battery), I've never been too impressed with Fry's employees. Before I went Mac, I used to build most of my home linux machines from components I got at Fry's. To their credit, Fry's employees usually know what they don't know. If I mentioned I wanted a motherboard, some CPUs, heatsinks, and memory, they generally just pointed me in the right direction and let me figure it out myself. Haven't been to a Fry's in years, though, so this all may have changed ... Is that the Burbank Fry’s? One of the small joys of living in the LA area was sampling the decor of the various Fry’s Electronics in the area. Burbank and the alien invasion theme was one of my favorites. As I recall, there’s another one down on Sepulveda not too far from LAX that has more of a jungle/island theme to it.

Though I agree Radio Shack employees are just about useless (once tried to buy some resistors and IC sockets there when I was teaching Ph1b at Caltech years back; the kids at my local Shack just about fled in terror when I asked to find anything more complicated than a 9-volt battery), I’ve never been too impressed with Fry’s employees. Before I went Mac, I used to build most of my home linux machines from components I got at Fry’s. To their credit, Fry’s employees usually know what they don’t know. If I mentioned I wanted a motherboard, some CPUs, heatsinks, and memory, they generally just pointed me in the right direction and let me figure it out myself.

Haven’t been to a Fry’s in years, though, so this all may have changed …

]]> By: Schrodinger http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/#comment-21377 Schrodinger Mon, 18 Dec 2006 16:40:44 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/#comment-21377 Hey Cliff, Here is what you really need: http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/input/8193/ Have fun! Hey Cliff,

Here is what you really need: http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/input/8193/

Have fun!

]]> By: Peter Fred http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/#comment-20884 Peter Fred Mon, 18 Dec 2006 08:56:15 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2006/12/17/sunday-at-the-shops/#comment-20884 Cliffford writes <blockquote>it has an aliens theme. They don’t do the theme in a subtle way…. it is all over the shop…. it starts with the big alien spaceship that has crashed...</blockquote> I am always glad to see a theoretical physicist, at least, mention the topic of <a href="http://www.ufocasebook.com/bestufopictures2.html" rel="nofollow" rel="nofollow" rel="nofollow" rel="nofollow">UFOs.</a> Over at <a href="http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/12/17/the-real-world/" rel="nofollow" rel="nofollow" rel="nofollow" rel="nofollow">Cosmic Variance</a> there seems to be a concern about whether or not theorists are living in a "real" world. To me if one happens to be theoretically inclined and one wants to have a view of the world that tends to be somewhat "realistic', it is at least useful, if not critical, to resolve contradictions if they happen to come to a theorist's mind especially if he or she expects to be paid for espousing viable theories. Further, from my point of view, if in fact we have been visited by UFOs, this raises some serious questions about the mass-based theories of Newton and Einstein. <em>[Rather long and off-topic remarks about theories of gravity and propulsion systems have been removed. Peter Fred may later provide a link to these longer remarks elsewhere. Update: <a href="http://infralever.wordpress.com/2006/12/18/" rel="nofollow">here</a>. -cvj] </em> Cliffford writes

it has an aliens theme. They don’t do the theme in a subtle way…. it is all over the shop…. it starts with the big alien spaceship that has crashed…

I am always glad to see a theoretical physicist, at least, mention the topic of UFOs. Over at Cosmic Variance there seems to be a concern about whether or not theorists are living in a “real” world. To me if one happens to be theoretically inclined and one wants to have a view of the world that tends to be somewhat “realistic’, it is at least useful, if not critical, to resolve contradictions if they happen to come to a theorist’s mind especially if he or she expects to be paid for espousing viable theories.

Further, from my point of view, if in fact we have been visited by UFOs, this raises some serious questions about the mass-based theories of Newton and Einstein.

[Rather long and off-topic remarks about theories of gravity and propulsion systems have been removed. Peter Fred may later provide a link to these longer remarks elsewhere. Update: here. -cvj]

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