General

A Quick Intro to AC Motors and Generators

August 6, 2015
Jacob
General

Earlier today I was looking around the web for some basic information on AC generators. I am a Computer Engineering major, so my courses only very briefly cover electro-mechanical systems. I’ve been wanting to create a windmill generator, mainly just to see if I can make something useful. I came upon this 1961 US Army training video on AC motors and generators and found it to be extremely informational. It also has a quick review at the end in case…

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Useful Linux Commands

July 8, 2015
Jacob
General

I have been compiling a list of some Linux commands that I find most useful. Some of these are the basic run-of-the-mill commands that any intro to Linux class will teach, but some of them are a little more obscure, yet useful. They are listed below in alphabetical order. apropos This utility is related to the man utility. You can use it to find references within manual pages simply by providing an argument that is close to or exactly what you are…

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July Update

July 2, 2015
Jacob
General

I’ve not written for a while because I’ve been crazy busy recently. I have started a new internship and moved cities to work. But I’ve also been working on a ton of other things as well. Recently, I have been reading the OSDev Wiki and trying my hand at OS development. I am slightly cheating by using an i686 emulator from QEMU and GRUB to boot me into real mode, but I am writing everything else from scratch. I’ve found the most…

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The Power of Drawing Pictures

March 9, 2015
Jacob
General

I recently watched a TED Talk on dealing with large, complex, and as the speaker calls them, ‘wicked’ design problems. The speaker pointed out several things that at first glance seem trivial, but upon a deeper investigation, reveal some pretty powerful insight into the way the human brain organizes ideas and complex problems. The speaker adheres to a visual and tangible design approach wherein the designer physically draws a picture of the desired systems. From there the designer refines this…

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Besiege: killer physics based building game

March 2, 2015
Jacob
General

I haven’t posted in a while, but here’s something to talk about! I don’t own a video game console and don’t consider myself a gamer, however, I recently purchased a game on Steam that is an Early Access game and I am totally addicted. The game is only $6.99 and is only at version V0.04 but it’s amazing. The game is called Besiege. It’s a physics game set in medieval style where you construct these siege engines to destroy the fortresses…

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Happy New Year!!!

January 1, 2015
Jacob
General

Happy New Year!! Every new year we make resolutions to try new things, quit other things, better ourselves, and a host of other determined decisions. I wish you all a Happy New Year and the best of luck with your resolutions. I’ll leave you with a quote from one of the United States’ most quoted founding fathers: Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man – Benjamin…

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My favorite tales from Halloween

November 3, 2014
Jacob
General

I usually don’t repost articles but this ArsTechnica article was just too good. The article has many tales of IT horror, from physical anomalies, to demonic possession of a netbook. It’s a great read, and you’ll get a few chuckles out of it. “The Devil had possessed his netbook” – and other tales of IT terror  

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WordPress and WooCommerce, a winning combo

October 27, 2014
Jacob
General

I’ve been working on a website for a customer for the past month or so that is built on WordPress and WooCommerce. I have decided that I really like the WooCommerce plugins, and highly suggest it for anyone who wants a simple, quick way to take payments on their site. The WooCommerce plugin makes payments extremely simple, even for the least technically inclined people. For example, a store-owner does not need to worry about credit card information security, SSL certifications…

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