Happy Google Developer Day!!
If you are trying to reach me right now, I am playing with Google Gears. I feel like I just opened a box of new legos, and designing with Google Gears in mind is very very fun so far.
See you in a few hours…
Trying to ponder how to execute this layout. Here’s what I have so far. It is possible that maybe I should keep it as simple as possible, so that I can focus on portability. So, like I said, here’s what I have so far…
This is a possible ‘Simple View’.
This is a possible ‘Big View’.
Before you release, test, test test. 
However, testing and over-testing can lead to scope creep and some very unwelcome surprises. … As illustrated by the great philosopher Homer … Simpson.
Although I often call it Chinese practice paper, it is actually ideal for Sanskrit, Thai, Korean, Japanese, or any other language. You can download this paper and practice your characters.
Yes, I am chopping down trees everytime I print off several pages for practice, but practicing is fun, fun, fun. It tests my endurance in writing several characters and my memory of stroke order for complex characters. This gives my brain mental exercise away from writing robotics software or engineering design projects.
There is a Primezero workbook in development just for helping Chinese language learners write the characters. Characters are difficult to learn, but once you know a few hundred, the rest will seem easy.
Have fun practicing!
I have started writing a PHP5 script for quick CEDICT dictionary file installation into a MySQL 5.x database.
The intial plan is to first create a script that will install a local file into MySQL on the same server. The later features will include grabbing an automatic update from a central web server (of course, as a web service) so that connected dictionary sites will be running updated versions of the CEDICT file. Well, that’s way down the road.
Looking at today’s first development task, basically it’s the same-old, same-old cornhusking ritual that is required by any one mining data. From the data provided in the CEDICT dictionary file, I basically needed the Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Pinyin and each definition for the entry. So, the idea is to get a clean set of data where the multiple-definition entries would be broken up into multiple fields.
The problem? Well, input into the dictionary file is neither standardized or filtered YET Thus, there is no guaranteed syntax. However, there is pattern that works for the vast majority of the entries.
Chinese Chinese [pin yin] /def def/def def/defdef def/
Ok, what’s the problem? Well, 43000+ entries are a lot to check manually as they are being installed (of course, later on crowdsourcing and some nifty AJAX can be used to mitigate that issue, but that’s for another blog post).
So, how do I visualize the problem entries? I use a Dot Grid. The “x” marks the spot where I can immediately check for either syntax error. You can even create some fancy-schmancy popup-mouseover script that gives you more information about what may be going wrong. This was a handy tool for debugging on this task.
I wish I had thought of this when I was working with 2 million row installs.
I wrote the “missing solutions manual” for the AIMS Sample Math Test for 2006-2007 school year. Writing this study guide was particularly fun since it involved organizing the contents into a nice and neat PDF format.
There is such a cool feeling when you have completed a project or a document. For me, it symbolizes a way of bundling all the energies required for production into a finite package. I guess this is the thrill that comes with writing books.
The previous versions, some written as early as 2003, were online, bulky and later optimized to work well with Google Adsense placement. However, after I removed Google Adsense and focused on the actual need of teachers, parents and students, the study guide became more portable and easier to read. Before the document was online; now it can be anywhere from a desktop to a PDA.
This portability is making me think about developing math tutorials or games for Sony PSP and Sony Playstation 3. Hm, this could be interesting.
Anyways, you can download the latest version of the Arizona AIMS Sample Math Test Solutions Manual from Primezero Learning.
Danny Lipford’s video on energy efficiency is excellent. He provides a quick and simple list of practical solutions that can be performed by the average homeowner.
He starts by providing tips on “sealing the envelope” around the house (after all your house is an environment of sorts … fellow mechanical engineers most likely have at some time mentally drawn a ‘control volume’ or ‘control mass’ of their home from time to time… in fact, you are probably doing that now)… sorry, i digressed just a tad.
Well, anyways he begins with great tips including caulking air gaps around the exterior of the home and adding weather stripping to doors and windows.
Another awesome energy-saving tip he discusses is adding a gasket that fits inside the electrical outlets and switch covers along the outside walls of the house. Cheap and effective.
Danny also spends some time talking about inuslation. He shows different ways of using insulation to protect your attic space and hot water heater from energy leaks.
And, of course, one of the smartest tips is to use a compact fluorescent bulb, which uses about 75% less energy than the incandescent bulbs.
For More Great Home Improvement Tips…
This week, the national average for the price of gasoline was about $3.22 per gallon. That is about the price of a loaf of bread.
Hmm. Oh, dear.
So, here’s the conundrum:
Are you willing to drive in your car to and from work for a loaf of bread per gallon?
Furthermore, you will be able to get change for a loaf of bread when you go to buy half a gallon of gas? Well, simply put, if you cannot afford to go to work or 50% of your work day is spent paying for your transportation then you have a problem, huh.
This is the part of the post where I provide a solution or some idea to mitigate this issue.
** Clicks Publish, then runs away **
Because I program in several languages, it can be difficult to keep the list of reserved words in each language in the right bucket in my tiny little brain. So, I designed a three-minute drill while I was studying for the SCJP 1.4 Exam.
You can download it here, print it out and give it a shot!
I made several attempts to complete the drill in less than 3 minutes. Each time I encountered a mental block that prevented me from jotting down reserved words. One time I would forget “this”, another time I would forget “goto”.
After many iterations, I was finally able to find a pattern that helped me remember groups of words and before long and hours of practice, I was completing the drill in 2:40.
I know there are gurus out there who can beat that time handily, so I am making the drill available online in PDF form.
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