Pluto flyby

Wow, such great human achievement for New Horizons to go all the way out to Pluto... the last of the original 9 planets. Those great pictures taken would entertain the scientists and enthusiasts for a long time. Now do we have some vivid pictures from stars and galaxies even further away? Saw some of those in over-sized books at bookstores that no one buy.

It is so remarkable to be able to send a little spacecraft that far away to a moving target. Such awesome calculations, who says math is useless? I am not so sure why the Hubble Telescope can't take a good look at Pluto when it can look at things even further away. (Ok, I need to read this, plenty of (basic) math in this explanation, again who says math is useless).

This little planet has 5 little moons... travel in a radically different path than other planets... and now we know there is a heart shaped thing on Pluto. Now this little spacecraft is also quite remarkable. It's got a nuclear battery! Wow it can convert decaying plutoninum into electricity!

This is such incredible milestone of space exploration. I am glad it didn't crash into something in the Asteroid belt. How far can it go? Will it ever lose contact?

New York - revisited

I rarely ever travel, but a decade or so ago I traveled to New York and it was winter time, meaning can't stay out for too long and I vowed to come back in a summer and I did this time.

First time ever on American Airline and its got an Android pad on each seat on one flight... There is the 3D World map app that is fun to play with which even give you a cockpit view.

New York is still the big walk-able city and a car is really not so recommended in Manhattan. Yes, its subway is complex and dark but they aren't that bad. They don't use smart card Ventra like Chicago, still magnetic stripes but you have to swipe it (not insert it). Good thing is it tells you balance and the smarter Ventra doesn't until you get the red x for insufficient funds. Yes, traffic jam everywhere in New York. So don't let that ruin vacation mood. Many street musicians there, probably broadway musicians wanting extra cash.

This time I do not see as many graffiti as was a decade+ ago. Still crowded in many places. Still bags of garbage on streets. Its Canal Street Chinatown has shrinked a bit, not many interesting stores, just many grocery stores with live seafood lying around just like Hong Kong. Not that many exciting Chinese restaurants there and still kinda busy. Mandarin Chinese seems to be more mainstream than Cantonese over there. Yes, There are other Chinatowns in Flushing and Brooklyn too worth checking out. Since the fire destruction of Penang restaurant in Chicago Chinatown I just never can find another Malaysian one, there is a couple in the Little Italy. Good food. Chicago need those! Chnatowns have only restaurants, toy shops and ladies clothing shops. Not much else. Not a single men's clothing shop where do they expect men to find clothes?

Time Square and its many interesting stores surrounding that area are worth checking out. The 9/11 memorial is worth checking out. Gosh how I wish I can visit the Museum of Mathematics. Wish have time to revisit the big Central Park too.

Angular - a closer look

Got a bit of time to go through the AngularJS tutorial. See https://docs.angularjs.org/tutorial

This thing moves MVC all into client side... for those who don't want to mess with compiling java and go through pain of configuring Spring. It's got data bind.

Here is my little test app (changed some stuff from the tutorial with Street Fighter chars)... ooh search your data on the fly, not even ajax is needed.

Angular got google in its back. But not everyone like it... and they may actually have a point. See here for example.

Search:

Sort by: Alphabetical Youngest

• {{fighter.name}}

  Country: {{fighter.country}}

  Age: {{fighter.age}}

Saving McDonald's

Though billions and billions served... McDonald's sales are falling. (Yea you can easily find some reference article on that).

Now McDonald's has been trying many new things... yet can't easily change it reputation as junk food. Yes, that food is high fat, high calories, high sugar, high salt. (But so are many other restaurants). Think Chipotle is healthier? but that huge portion is going to give you large number of calories too. Chipotle is just too big for lunch. Dinner maybe.

Now back to McDonald's... many people give various ideas to save it... including breakfast all day (?!). Now I am not so sure if you want to really eat breakfast items all day. (I really would like something easier to chew on than that gosh tough-as-steel muffin and less fat like things like that biscuit and McGriddle.).

You got to give them some credit for trying out things... one day I walked in and tried to order a quarter pounder and the cashier suggested some Sirolin sandwiches instead. Big portion! But unfortunately it seems like not taste as good as those made in a grill. How do they make sandwiches? microwave? if microwave then i'm-not-lovin'-it.

Some people suggested vegetarian meals: excellent idea. But that salad they used to make didn't work so well? But I think things like veggie burger may be interesting. They already serve fried potato burger in another country?

I got some suggestions to make it a bit healthier: 1. Get light on that salt. See that salt machine like cranks out salt like watering your lawn? Give customers little salt packs. 2. Offer less sugar drinks. How about carbonated water with some lemon?

Taking out Ronald Mcdonald and add McCafe didn't seem to work... that coffee is too light! Need a darker roast... and some good snacks that goes well with coffee (such as coffee cake?) Hamurger isn't it.

But here is one thing that McDonald's beat everyone else: the price. (Ok except 7-11 hotdogs) For ~$6 I am well fed, with drinks and fries. You need at least $8 just to get food without side or drink in other places.

Singapore Prime Minister can write a program to solve Sudoku

You gotta be impressed. A prime minister not only know how to run a country but write code: http://www.itworld.com/article/2917587/open-source-tools/singapores-prime-minister-shares-his-c-sudoku-solver-code.html to solve Sudoku.

You can see his source too. See that link above.

I ensure you not too many people can actually do this despite their degrees in computer science and having inflated titles like "architect" or "software director".

I did this years ago, first a text version, then a GUI version on Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.optimal.solutions.sudokusolver..

Nobody cared because I am no prime minister. There are much better sudoku solvers out there. Some can even take a picture of puzzle and solve for you. Sudoku however seems to lose its magic... haven't seen people play with one on the train lately. I guess phone games are lot more fun.

But this Sudoku problem really should interest computer science students. Something that involves systematic trial and error deserves a programmatic solution.

So I am impressed, Prime Minister.

Lately, the US is much obsessed of being like Singapore. "Singapore Math" is now a buzzword for teaching math... they are the top of chart, Americans are much more behind. But if I take a brief look at it here... I actually don't see anything too special with it?

But look, math knows no political boundary. There isn't Singapore math or American math... It is just... math. If the media focus less on mocking students who knows a thing or two as nerds, have an environment that encourage learning, of course Americans can do better. If the environment is: football players are cool, math students are uncool nerds, Americans can remain the bottom of the bottom. Gotta lift the status of matheletes! You test test test them and declare them failure... how about telling them right answers. Standardized tests should have a follow up explanation session! That will alone transform education: so kids know what they do wrong and know how to do better next time.

Now another thing about Singapore... The delicious Singapore noodles is actually a Hong Kong invention.