jerryr

The Hex-Rays Decompiler attempts to do this for analysis purposes (that is, the resulting code is intended to be human-readable, but not necessarily compiled): https://www.hex-rays.com/products/decompiler

Unfortunately, I've not sprung for a license, so I can't comment on its efficacy.

I really enjoyed your post. I actually know x86 better than ARM & I'd love to read a similar patterns post targeted at x86_64. Do you have a reference for the "lowering" term? I did a quick search & couldn't find anything--but it's a hard term to search for. Thanks!

Edit: Finally found a few references for "lowering" in the context of compilers. Here's a SO reference: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/20252876/wanted-good-defi...

OP here. Hah! I was totally planning to follow up with a vtable example soon. :)

I have a Vita, but the only game I've played that uses it is Tearaway. This game doesn't use it for precision navigation or selection, so it's hard to say how well a rear touchpad would work for that. Tearaway employs the rear touchpad for tapping to jump and pushing objects around. For that, it's surprisingly effective and adds a fun--if gimmicky--element to the gameplay. The Vita is quite a bit larger than most smartphones, and I could see problems with differing hand sizes requiring people to adjust their grips to use its entire surface--probably not as much of a problem on a phone. The Vita is played two-handed. I think a one-handed grip while using the rear touchpad on a smartphone would be more difficult as your finger's range of motion is limited. The OP article seems to anticipate this by focusing on small gestures rather than ones that would take your finger across a large surface.

On a tangent [Tearaway Spoiler Alert]...when beginning the game, Tearaway asks you to select your skin tone from a few presets. Knowing nothing about the game at that point, I thought that was really strange. I recall thinking, "I don't really care whether my character has my skin tone...and it's really odd that they'd presume that I would." But it turns out, that's not what the skin tone selection was for. In Tearaway, you use the rear touchpad to punch your fingers through the paper backdrops of the game to manipulate things. The first time I did this and they showed "my" fingers in the game, I was startled for a split second and then laughed out loud. Screenshot of the effect: http://media.officialplaystationmagazine.co.uk/files/2013/11...

It's more magical live as your virtual in-game fingers track the position and angle (angle presumably by extrapolating based upon the current finger position and average hand size/grip) of your actual fingers surprisingly well.

I completely agree with that idea. I'd be all in favor of separating a legal partnership from a religious marriage.

Okay, let's take the facts in question off the table and say that there are absolutely no differences between marriage and domestic partnerships besides the name. At best then, Prop 8 kept us "separate but equal". History has shown that doctrine to be discriminatory and oppressive. There's an inherent inequality in my inability to say that I'm married.

I'm gay, and I would classify my feelings towards Eich more as fear than hatred. Eich very directly donated towards a cause that was bent on restricting my rights. Though fear often breeds hatred, I truly don't bear Eich ill will. I'm not happy to see him lose his job--on the contrary, I share your sadness that a talented, qualified man lost his job. However, I am relieved that a man who feels that I should not be allowed to marry is no longer in a very influential position at an influential company.

Now, whether or not OkCupid should have been casting stones is another matter. But that seems to have been thoroughly discussed, so I'll end this here.

Well, that's a pretty cheap/MVP way to implement an H-bridge. I have a more expensive standing desk at home that has a giant control box mounted under it (it oddly looks like an old Snap! NAS server actually). I don't think the value of 1-switch control was worth the extra expense and the huge wart under the desk. I'd rather have the cheapo 2-switch option and an opportunity to hack.

Here's the relevant section from Getty Images' Terms of Use:

  Embedded Viewer
  Where enabled, you may embed Getty Images Content on a website, blog or
  social media platform using the embedded viewer (the “Embedded Viewer”).
  Not all Getty Images Content will be available for embedded use, and
  availability may change without notice. Getty Images reserves the right
  in its sole discretion to remove Getty Images Content from the Embedded
  Viewer. Upon request, you agree to take prompt action to stop using the
  Embedded Viewer and/or Getty Images Content. You may only use embedded
  Getty Images Content for editorial purposes (meaning relating to events
  that are newsworthy or of public interest). Embedded Getty Images
  Content may not be used: (a) for any commercial purpose (for example,
  in advertising, promotions or merchandising) or to suggest endorsement
  or sponsorship; (b) in violation of any stated restriction; (c) in a
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  Getty Images (or third parties acting on its behalf) may collect data
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  and reserves the right to place advertisements in the Embedded Viewer or
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Full terms here: http://www.gettyimages.com/Corporate/Terms.aspx

So, if you don't want your images to possibly disappear at some point in the future or be replaced by ads, you might just pay or find a free alternative. But this move seems like a pretty fair way to let bloggers/tumblrs use the images with attribution.

I was envisioning less destruction and more standing around eating things. But goat-based destruction's good too I guess. I'd just hope that everything in the environment is edible.

Agreed. I'd love a command-line version for both Mac and Linux that I can use for embedded C work. $250/year for this would be a no-brainer.

Yeah, I can see how the cost argument is borderline--it really depends upon what you value & connectivity is pretty important nowadays. But, unless the primary application is specifically "connected robots", I do think it makes sense to omit it for the first rev and get a cheaper product out faster. Don't forget that the $10 is the cost of the part itself.* You still need some support circuitry, hardware development time, software development time, testing time, etc. And then there's markup. Assuming absolute minimal costs for all of those--and direct sales with an aggressively minimal margin, I'd still expect a $10 part cost to translate to at least a $20 product cost.

* Admittedly, that $10 is budgetary pricing and would probably come down with negotiation (and there might be cheaper low-volume options--that's just one I knew of offhand). But that's likely still the order of magnitude for the quantities of the Rex.

It's probably omitted to keep the base cost down. WiFi modules that you can get for low-quantity applications are expensive[1]. Cheaper modules generally require higher-volume consumer electronics applications--not to mention volumes of NDAs simply to get module documentation. Adding WiFi (or wireless comms of any type) also makes you an intentional radiator[2], which potentially complicates your FCC testing, adding cost and delay. So, from an MVP perspective, it makes sense to leave WiFi off if it's not critical to the base application--at least for your first revision.

[1] TI's budgetary pricing for one such module--the CC3000--is about $10: http://www.ti.com/product/cc3000

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Title_47_CFR_Part_15#C_-_Intent...

IO expansion and power handling is one differentiator from the Raspberry Pi. The Raspberry Pi has a limited GPIO breakout (useful for many applications, but not tailored for robotics). And, besides not being designed to drive peripherals, the RPi's power system has some issues[1] that even make hosting USB devices a pain.

It does seem like they could target the Beagle Bone Black and focus on the software, but they probably wanted more control over the power and peripheral connect strategy than the BBB provides.

The processor they chose includes an integrated DSP, which could be useful for sensor data processing--or even motor control. The original BeagleBoard offered an OMAP with a DSP, but TI is discontinuing the OMAP line[2] and the newer BBB uses a Sitara A8 processor without the DSP. I didn't see the Rex's processor choice listed on the kickstarter page, but I'd guess it's something like TI's DM3730[3].

In summary, they seem to want to design a board specifically for robotics rather than building upon an existing general-purpose platform. This will give them more control over the power and peripheral strategy that will allow them to achieve a higher level of integration. This could also simplify software by limiting the number of busses and "tacked on" peripherals.

The founders come from Carnegie Mellon University, which has a first class robotics program. Also check out the CMUcam[4] project--an open source, computer vision module. The Pixy (CMUcam5) was funded[5] in September and looks really cool.

Edit: Check out the Rex page on the Alphalem site[6] too. It says that the "Rex can supply up to 20A directly from a 6-12V Ni-MH battery to connected devices. That's more than enough to power a couple servo drivers, Arduinos, rangefinders, and full servo load on an 18-servo hexapod robot!"

[1]: http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=23205

[2]: http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1262580

[3]: http://www.ti.com/product/dm3730

[4]: http://www.cmucam.org

[5]: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/254449872/pixy-cmucam5-a...

[6]: http://alphalem.com/pages/rex

I don't actually have one, but I think the Silhouette allows you to convert stuff from Illustrator format. I think it also appears as a printer. So, you should be able to create cuttable content in Inkscape.

http://blog.concertkatie.com/2011/04/tutorial-for-creating-c...

http://enchantart.com/blog/?p=827

Some things that came quickly to mind.

=Computing=

* Clacky keyboards and clacky keyboard accessories: http://shop.daskeyboard.com, http://elitekeyboards.com

* Liquid cooling kits: http://koolance.com

* Lattice ECP3 Versa (PCI-E FPGA kit): http://www.latticesemi.com/en/Products/DevelopmentBoardsAndK...

=Tools=

* Stuff from Jetbrains: http://www.jetbrains.com

* Sublime Text: http://www.sublimetext.com

* Reveal and/or Spark Inspector: http://revealapp.com, http://sparkinspector.com

* Fluid: http://fluidapp.com

* Several months of Linode, Rackspace, Heroku, etc.

=Hardware=

* Rascal Micro (Web-enabled, python-driven microcontroller platform): http://rascalmicro.com

* Arduino (because Arduino): http://arduino.cc/en/ArduinoCertified/IntelGalileo

* Phidgets (USB physical interface components kit): http://www.phidgets.com/products.php?category=18&product_id=...

* TI TIVA launchpad (learn C the really hard way): http://www.ti.com/ww/en/launchpad/tiva_c_head.html

* Makey Makey (Turn anything into a touch input): http://www.makeymakey.com/

* Misc wearable stuff: http://www.adafruit.com/category/65

* FPGA development board (Learn HDL): http://www.altera.com/education/univ/materials/boards/de0-na...

* USB Logic Analyzer: http://www.saleae.com/logic

* Lego MindStorms: http://mindstorms.lego.com and hacking links: http://andrew.ghost.io/hacking-lego-mindstorms-ev3-with-java...

* Sparkfun gift certificate: https://www.sparkfun.com/gift_certificates

* Adafruit gift certificate: http://www.adafruit.com/category/14

* A trip to Halted (bummer, no gift certificates): http://www.halted.com

=Food=

* PolyScience Sous Vide: http://cuisinetechnology.com/sousvide-creative.php (or this link: http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Sous-Vide-Machines)

* PolyScience Anti-Griddle: http://cuisinetechnology.com/the-anti-griddle.php

* PolyScience Sonic Prep: http://cuisinetechnology.com/sonicprep.php

* Actually, anything from PolyScience

* Chemicals: http://www.biozoon.de/shop, http://molecule-r.com, http://www.modernistpantry.com

* Breville Smart Oven (also great for solder paste reflow): http://www.brevilleusa.com/the-smart-oven-r.html

* iSi Thermo Whip: http://www.isi.com/us/culinary/for-professionals/products/th... and injector tips: http://www.isi.com/us/culinary/for-professionals/products/ac...

* Pacojet (I would like one, please): http://www.pacojet.com/en

* Gastrovac: http://www.cookingconcepts.com/en/appliances/Gastrovac/51

=Other=

* A Dremel: http://www.dremel.com

* Digital Cutter: http://www.silhouetteamerica.com

* Sugru: http://sugru.com

* Aerogel: http://www.buyaerogel.com

* An investment account at etrade, scottrade, vanguard, fidelity, etc.

* Skill badges: http://www.adafruit.com/category/70

* A TechShop membership: https://secure.techshop.ws/memberships.cfm

* Anything from United Nuclear or Information Unlimited (at your own risk): http://www.unitednuclear.com, http://www.amazing1.com

* DJI Phantom 2 Vision (assuming aerial photog appeals more than quadcopter hacking): http://www.dji.com/product/phantom-2-vision

* AeroQuad, APM:Copter, or Crazyflie (assuming quadcopter hacking appeals more than functioning quadcopter): http://www.aeroquadstore.com, http://copter.ardupilot.com, http://www.bitcraze.se

* One bitcoin (but, for etiquette's sake, be sure to remove the price tag)

Edit: adding more

I have the name problem to an extreme. I have excellent face recall, but I can't remember names--and of course it worsens in social situations. I've pretty much given up on trying to introduce people to one another after repeatedly introducing my best friend as "my best friend"...awkwardly leaving it at that because I'd temporarily forgotten his name. Furthermore, I have a hard time discussing books with friends because I can't recall characters' names--despite having seen them hundreds of times throughout the course of a story. In such conversations, I have to denote characters by their identifying traits or actions. Since I don't seem to suffer from other non-visual recall issues (for example, my working vocabulary seems normal and I can remember past conversations in detail), I find the problem particularly strange.

I avoid slighting people by letting them know up front that I'm terrible with names. But I think it helps that mildly-poor name recall is common enough that people can empathize and excuse it. Also, I can quickly recognize and greet people I know--even if I can't acknowledge them by name. I'd imagine that most would find the effects of prosopagnosia more jarring and harder to dismiss without much more explanation than my bad name memory requires.

I like the intent of this, but I'm not sure I'd ask "who", specifically. I personally would not feel comfortable answering that part of the question. Instead maybe, "How do you motivate your favorite employee?" If the answer is vague or too broad, the manager probably hasn't identified a favorite employee.

Thank you for kicking off the youtubes. I really, really needed to post this here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up863eQKGUI (don't copy that floppy)

And an older one that's simply less organized: http://www.weirdstuff.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=sunn...

Totally agree. One more thing I'd add is: tell your candidates up front what to expect of the process. An overview after first contact is nice, but interview-day schedules specifically seem to help alleviate the jitters. We've started giving candidates a schedule with names and rough content before they arrive: 10a-11a - pair programming on a TI Launchpad with Jerry; 11a-12p - planning and organization exercise with Sam; 12p - group lunch; etc.

I tried it directly from Edible[1] (which, I think, was the ThinkGeek supplier for Civet Coffee and Monkey-picked tea--though ThinkGeek seems to no longer carry either). I thought it tasted only slightly better than Folgers. Several of my coworkers also independently arrived at the Folgers conclusion. Except for the novelty, there doesn't seem to be any reason to buy this stuff. Even more so given the animal cruelty angle.

I suppose if you must try it, Animal Coffee[2] claims that they do not farm civets. They also offer a stick of the "raw" coffee encased in Lucite[3], which I find a better novelty than mediocre coffee.

[1] http://www.edible-shop.com [2] http://animalcoffee.com [3] http://animalcoffee.com/proddetail.php?prod=Souvpw

Throwing around "OS" used to bug me too. Even Android runs on top of Linux. So, is Android really an OS? A distribution? It seems like something more than a distribution--Android contributes drivers and patches to the kernel. But it's still Linux under there.

I finally stopped caring and accepted that "OS" has evolved for most end users to mean a user experience, an ecosystem of applications, a hardware support list, and a technical support strategy. For many developers, it's now the set of tools, services, and paradigms available for development along with an understanding of the number and types of users that can be reached by supporting it. These definitions span the classical distinctions between Operating System, distribution, and even sometimes application. In my line of work, I can communicate clearly with the majority of my customers by referring to things like Android and eOS as "OSes". It's what they expect and I'm okay with that.

Congrats on the launch of Luna.

According to the site, "Quickly and easily connect a receipt printer, kitchen printer, cash drawer, and barcode scanner. Get your hardware up and running in minutes."

So, I'd assume you print the receipt to a receipt printer that you connect to the stand.

Hey, do you happen to know of any authoritative tutorials or references for color balance? Exposure gets a ton of attention, but I only ever seem to find mechanical posts on color--like step-by-step instructions on using Photoshop's color tools, but without explanation of what you're trying to achieve. I think I have a terrible understanding of color balance and I'd like to improve it.

These are beautiful, inspiring, and--for me at least--serendipitous. Just yesterday, I resolved to start a daily journal for personal retrospection. This post motivated me to actually write my first entry today. Thank you.

Aww. Don't cry. It's not a process tool. It's a prioritized to-do list that can track your velocity. Despite being opinionated, it doesn't enforce a process. Though you'll find that if you don't embrace those 6 lines, you'll quickly make a mess inside Pivotal and it will happily let you do so.

Pivotal is an agile planning tool; JIRA is an issue tracking and classical project management tool. While each can be coerced to the other's function, it's really comparing apples and oranges. I'll admit that JIRA and Pivotal continue to muddy the differentiation with afterthought additions like JIRA's Greenhopper and Pivotal's time tracking. But JIRA is a good tool for issue tracking and Pivotal is a good tool for agile planning. If you're trying to use either tool for the other's purpose, you'll hate it.

I enjoyed these books on the history of that question:

Charles Seife's "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" (http://www.amazon.com/Zero-Biography-Dangerous-Idea-ebook/dp...)

Robert Kaplan's "The Nothing That Is: A Natural History of Zero" (http://www.amazon.com/Nothing-that-Natural-History-ebook/dp/...)

As I understand it, the vending machines were actually introduced as a way to track employee consumption of equipment[1] (at Facebook anyways). They were a response to an open kiosk where you could swing by and pick up hardware at will without any externally-enforced tracking of what you've taken. Assuming you use your own badge to dispense equipment, the vending machines are able to track your equipment usage. This allows IT departments to respond to consumption problems as needed, rather than putting a process in place that keeps you from being productive when your keyboard dies & the requisition personnel have gone home for the day.

I work at a small company--we don't have vending machines or IT departments. Instead, each employee has a company credit card and we submit receipts for our IT purchases. I'll admit that, knowing I can buy new stuff as needed, I'm less careful about my equipment. However, I also know that someone's looking at the receipts I submit & that knowledge has kept me from being wasteful. I'd imagine that the vending machine tracking motivates similarly.

[1] http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/07/06/facebooks-vending-mac...