Computers and Tyranny

I don't like tyranny. If there is just exactly one way to write programs for your system I don't like. Like if you must have a Mac to write a iPhone app I don't like that. You can use Android JDK and whatever machine you have for Android app. I like that better.

If there is exactly one manufacturer that builds your machine I don't like that. Macs are made by Apple only. I prefer openness like the PC. You can pick your motherboard, memory, hard disks etc and build your own system. But I think nowadays people are going for very affordable laptops and don't bother building own systems.

Windows is not the only thing that runs on your PC either. You can run flavors of Linux. I like that. I like freedom. Can Macs run an OS made by someone else? (Yes, by clumsily running some Windows emulator)

Requiring an OS specific key on your keyboard is also tyranny. You mean I cannot shut off machine without calling the Charm Bar with Windows-C? Not like.

.NET Programming. Nearly impossible without Visual Studios. and you have to learn a new version every couple years? Tyranny.

Java programming. Use any IDE you can find, some are free, all sorts of plugin available for free, all you need is a JDK freely downloadable. I like that.

Surface 3 vs Macbook air

Microsoft's homepage features head-to-head comparison between its Surface 3 and Macbook Air. And of course Microsoft's site will declare its product victorious.

Microsoft claims its snapping of idiot Metro apps as multi-tasking. But other than that... the comparison is somewhat valid. Yes, Surface gives you a pen, yes, the Surface give you touch screen and the Mac doesn't. Not everyone needs the Pen... in fact, unless you are a cartoon artist or some sort of designer you don't need that pen? I have yet to find a reason to touch screen, really... But yes, the Surface 3 is a LOT of improvement over its predecessors. It is great that the aspect ratio is now not as oddly long. It is now lighter too.. a product now actually worth considering. But waita minute, why are you not getting a laptop for less money? and... why are there crowds and crowds of people at the Apple Store and nearly no one at the Microsoft Store?

I've read some Surface reviews... there is simply no way to open it up to change/fix anything. The battery is being glued and hard to unscrew it to change any component within. So after you buy it hope all goes well. (But I am not sure how to upgrade/change/fix anything in Macs either)

If the Surface 1 is as good as 3 then Surface has a chance to win. See, people already turned their back on you given the poor RT device and previous Surfaces

To the people who came up of Windows 8. Admit it. You blew it. You messed up. Do you admit you are a LOSER now? that Metro thing didn't catch on and that Start button is needed to come back in Windows 10. Do you admit you are a loser now? the idiot long aspect ratio is being fixed. Just look at what 8.1 gives reveals how idiot 8 was. 8.1 now give you a way to turn off at the Start page... now it has essential things like clock and calculator like Windows 3.1 had (even Windows 1.0 had those I believe).

My Windows 8 begs me to upgrade to 8.1. First it wasn't at the Windows Store when it was supposed to be there months ago. Now a blue bar begged me to upgrade every now and then. I tried. I downloaded but it can't run. Windows 8 frustration continues.

Unpleasant Experience with Apple TV

I am glad my previous company uses Mac... so I get to know what Macs can do, otherwise I live under a carpet. So there is the Apple TV product. No it is NOT an actual TV but a little box that you connect to your TV show you can theoretically show stuff on your mac devices onto your TV. It can even hook up to the store where you can buy movies and songs online (pretty expensive if you ask me).

Setting up is a breeze. 2 wires. 1 for power and 1 for HDMI cable. Can't get easier than that. Good.

Now, how do you show things there. Ok, set up your Wifi password so you are on same network as your device. Ok, the remote control is a bit hard to select the letters but still barely usable (thanks to the idiot design of the enter button in middle, so close to the direction buttons). I hope I don't lose this small thing. So far so good.

Now how do I make things show? On the mac, System Properties -> Displays. Where the heck is the AirPlay monitoring option that I am supposed to have. Oh ok, perhaps my mac is too old.. Ok, what about the IPad 2? It isn't that old. It is running on IOS6 but so what. It is supposed to work.

Google search for answer of course. EVERY google search end up in this unhelpful doc. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5209.

The ridiculous option is inside ITunes, where you would expect it to be somewhere in System Properties. And it is already idiotic to double tap on the home button to switch task thanks to the idiotic one-button-simply-is-not-enough design.

Dude I DO NOT see that Mirroring On Off switch there.

LOOK! I can send ITunes music onto the TV (so I can use the TV's speaker to listen, that's good). LOOK! there is even an icon on youtube that let me send video into Apple TV. (however, not all site's videos can be sent to Apple TV)

But where is my Mirroring option on the Ipad?

I want to HOLLER to Apple

I just don't think I'll ever find out in my life. What, you want me to bring the Ipad to a "genius" bar at an Apple Store? What if it can connect to Apple TV there but not my house? I need to invite these blue shirt people to my house? Toss it, let's see if there is anything else I can do on the mac. The goal is use the TV to watch things and use its speaker, ok? This is not a demanding request now that I paid $100.

Somewhere I read a help doc that says use Air Parrot for older macs. This is not free... but it worked INSTANTLY. The Mac without the AirPlay option can use Air Parrot! Mission achieved. Waita minute is it because the Mac is old that it doesn't have such technical capability? Simply a lie. Then how come Air Parrot can?

It asked for just $9.99. for a working product I don't hesitate to pay the money it deserved.

It is extremely unfriendly to put that option on ITunes and only if you are lucky you get to see the icon. If not? then you are just out of luck. No explanation. It freaking SHOULD be in System Properties, and let me see an error message or two if something don't work.

I really am not an apple fan.

Hea

You may have seen this term "hea" floating in Hong Kong describing someone who is lazy, relaxing and not so enthusiastic.

It feels weird that this term seems have no written form. But there is. See the Wiki Dictionary for this term here.

Of course, I look forward to finish watching this very interesting TV series: 老表，你好hea！.

"Hea" is exactly the behavior we do not want as a student.

Is this today's students general overall learning attitude? It is quite sad if that is so. And is this today's teacher's attitude toward teaching too?

Students, in order to succeed in anything, this "hea" attitude needs to be out.

The Only Numbers You Need To Do Math - Business Insider

Great, another math related article from Business Insider. See http://www.businessinsider.com/numbers-you-need-to-do-math-2014-9?op=1.

8 special numbers to do math? Ooh what are they?

Oh they are: 0, 1, -1, 1/10, sqrt(2), π, e, i

The author simply introduce the number sets... why doesn't the author bring out a Venn diagram or the Russian dolls? He even got the natural numbers wrong. Look, the natural numbers are 1,2,3,... counting the natural way. Have you seen a baby start counting with 0? 0,1,2,3,... are non-negative whole numbers.

Natural numbers, then add 0 to it, the negative numbers, fractions, irrational, transcendental, imaginary.

That's high school student knowledge rehashed as some business article?

And the author didn't bother to show the glamorous Euler identity linking 5 of the numbers above? I am a bit disappointed.

Hong Kong political protests

Hong Kong is in the spotlight... it is in middle of protest... demanding selecting their chief by popular vote and not the 1200 member committee.

This was part of the agreement when China taking over the Hong Kong... this is that "2 systems" part.

Now, please, please re-watch those Tiannamen Square massacre video tapes. Tanks! Bullets! The government can crush you.

Hot blood is not afraid of tanks... give me liberty or give me death you say?

I'd like to remind you. Even the US President is not by popular vote. You can win popular vote and lose electoral vote and still lose. This is a wacky system that no Americans are protesting (they probably should). Even the founding fathers were not in favor of popular votes... why? (go ask a good US history teacher you may get some possible answers).

Now, is a popular elected chief going to make everyone happy, solve all of Hong Kong's problems? I am afraid... not.

Now... do the countries with popular vote elected presidents all run perfectly? Waita minute, over the 100+ years of British rule how come no one demanded electing their own governor?

That housing market need to be more affordable... and if the price ever comes down the poor guys who paid for expensive house will complain... Someone will always complain.

Why has Hong Kong be so successful economically? It's got that freedom, low tax, and all that... (ask someone who knows a thing or two about why a free economy works well) It also has an education system that make kids need to work hard...

So Hong Kong should be preserved... keep that lassez-faire, keep that traditional Chinese (I'm flying back to Hong Kong to protest on the streets if they force simplified Chinese onto it).

I do not want to see Tinannamen Square in Hong Kong, but look, it CAN HAPPEN. The kids won't go away. The government won't back down. Think... "ha, what the government going to do about it?" I was exactly thinking that in 1989. Then comes the tanks.