gNewSense

Two posts in one day: starting to feel a little dizzy!

Well just a quick note to remind people to visit and download my podcast :-p and to give gNewSense a try. It's a completely free GNU/Linux distribution (free as in freedom) that is based on Ubuntu Dapper Drake. I'm just about to try it myself so I can't comment how smoothly it will go, but I think it will be at the very least a good thing to try.

Good luck,

The speed of light *IS* fast!

I'm writing this after an article that made it to the digg front page explaining why the speed of light really isn't that fast at all: he took the distance to various objects in our solar system and told us just how long it would take light to reach them. Admitidly the times weren't that quick, but wait until you consider the distances. This time around I'm going to put down how long it takes light, and how long it would take you to reach the destination driving at 60mph in your Volvo!

Earth to the moon: at 60mph it will take you approximately 167 days, driving 24 hours a day with no stops for dinner! It takes light 1.3 seconds; Seems pretty quick to me! And incase you were wondering 167 days is 14.5 million seconds.

I'm just going to skip on to the Voyager space probe example now...

Earth to voyager space probe (assuming a distance of 87 AU - approx 8*10^9miles): at 60mph, again with no breaks for dinner will take you 15600 years! Light? 30 days. Again, seems pretty quick to me!

Space is big, really big; light is quick.

Jon

Episode released!

Wooo!! The first episode has been released and I think it's a good one! Go check it out at questionsplease.org and enjoy either the ogg or mp3 file - the choice is yours...

Thanks,

Jon

New Podcast

I'm starting a new podcast. I don't know how many times I've written a description of it now because I'm trying so hard to get the word out!

The idea is that ordinary chaps like you and me ask questions to people who have made significant contributions to their communities. The first episode is featuring guests from the Free Software world (Richard Stallman, Jeremy Allison and Jeff Waugh) answering questions. Obviously we need questions to make this a real success so please visit the site and submit your questions to yourquestions@questionsplease.org.

It's being recorded on Thursday so if you could send them in soon that would be great!

Thanks all,

Jon

SIP conference calling...

I'm trying to hold a conference call on a linux system using the sip protocol but there really are a lot of options out there and no decent tutorials on how to do it so after I get it all set up and figured it out, unless someone can point me in the direction of an existing tutorial, I'm going to write one! It will be clear as day light and anyone will be able to follow it, or so goes my plan...


Jon

Not the norm.

I don't usually post stuff like this but it did make me laugh and hopefully it will make a few other people chuckle too...infact this isn't even really a proper post, just a link.

Enjoy.

Actually, incase you want to know what it is before visiting, it's a page that has various quotations from famous people about their opinions on sex and love. It's funny.

Commit to stop climate change...

This is pretty quickly becoming a photographic blog really isn't it!! Well, I've been spending quite a bit of time with photos lately and this is another one that I've taken which I think is fantabulous (any one else like Van Morrison?)...

I hope anyone who sees this likes it!

Just so this isn't a total photographic blog my next post will be something a bit more geeky and Linux related - will have to try and get my Mum's school to at least try some Free Software on their systems I think :-) 

Ooops...

Ooops, spot the silly spelling mistake in my last post!

Hear should read here! Hides in shame...

I took this picture today and although the quality isn't brilliant and the exposures aren't quite right on the different images that make it up it's still pretty cool - how lucky am I to live hear! I'll be heading back down to get it perfect next time the weather's good, which according to the forecast is tommorrow so I'm looking forward to it already!

Not just a blog for wingeing now! Enjoy, and visit Cornwall if you ever get a chance, there's no where quite like it in the world!

Jon 

Broadband in the C20th...?

We're currently in the process of moving our broadband service from one company to another and we received a letter informing us of our connection date to the new service provider. The letter read:

We are pleased to inform you that you will be connected to our broadband service on the 01/01/1900.

According to this I should have been connected long ago rather than the 3 weeks + that I've had to wait for my service to be switched over! Still...apparently I'm going with a company who are well ahead of the rest of the field ;-)