Math Genius Created by Brutal Attack

This news is fairly interesting. A man became a math genius after a brutal attack.

First, this man is extremely lucky. Most people under brutal attack die or got into coma.

But I'd like to comment on this line:

Everywhere he looks, he sees complex mathematical formulas -- like the Pythagorean theorem, for example.

Hmm, is the Pythagorean theorem all that complex? Waita minute are you talking about some Pythagorean Theorem involving complex numbers? (I don't think so...) If you look around, just about everything can be drawn by breaking things down into little triangles (and then right triangles) so the Pythagorean Theorem applies everywhere... That's how computer graphics work basically...

A visual representation of π? Here, call up your favorite pizza restaurant. Get a 24 inch pizza (do they sell that big size?) Instantly you get a visual (and edible) representation. That area of the pizza (in square feet) is 1*1*π = π. Order a 12 inch pizza, that circumference is 2*(1/2)*π inches.

A much more fascinating view of π are the infinite equations, such as the Gregory's Formula, and the Viete's Formula, and many more.

Fractals! The mysterious composition of small shapes... Some can be cranked out by a computer by iterations of complex (meaning complex numbers) equations. For instance, the Mandelbrot set is given by this relationship: z_n+1 = z_n² + c. Fractals CAN'T really be drawn by hand exactly because there are infinitely small parts. Alas, fractals don't have a lot of practical uses except drawing terrains to simulate some landscape in some video games.

So yes, this lucky man's brain is probably active now so he can perceive things not previously thought before, and creativity is needed in mathematics!

I think he should study some open problems and prove some age-old theorems and contribute to the world with his genius ability. Don't know where to start? try these million dollar problems.

Staples can do better than this

I am generally a happy customer of Staples. They generally have good products and good price. However I am a bit disappointed this time.

I played with their Android tablets and yikes they are not even connected to the internet! (What's up with their Wifi?) Yet there are signs all over the place saying "We will fix your PC".

Ok, the stuff I was looking for is... blank CDs. This is fairly common product. Yet I walked all over the store, no where to be found. Can hardly find 1 sales person. Found 1, who was talking to somebody and giving me 1 finger "just a minute", and that person never come back. Come on. Customers first, your other chores later to stay in business. I can get just about anything online you know.

The blank CDs turns out to be behind the counters. This is not some exotic DVDs ok? It should be out in the store.

Windows Phone Revisited

So I wandered into a phone store to play with Windows Phone again. No one was in line of course. Liked the thin clean font and unique paging animations. Nice vivid colors.

But the main screen's square tiles seem a bit odd. But if you use icons like everyone else I'm sure Apple will sue.

Minor complain 1: This is a PHONE, but you have to press quite a few clicks to get to the dial pad.
Minor complain 2: The calculator app has no scientific functions?

I think the best feature will be tight integration with Microsoft Office. Other phones may be able to do that but Microsoft can probably do this better.

Lack of apps is going to hurt Microsoft. Idea: someone write a code converter that convert other apps's native Java code (or Objective C) to Microsoft?

Microsoft + Nokia doesn't look like winning combo

It doesn't look like the the Microsoft+Nokia Windows Phone Lumia will be a big hit. See news here.

I wish I was at the event so I can play with it again.

Once upon a time I walked into the Microsoft store and played with it and actually think it is nice. I like the unique animation on paging.

The people with Android and iPhone with contracts are not going to drop their phone and go to Microsoft... this phone even if it is better, came too late.

I guess those with worn out basic (Symbian) phones or worn out Blackberries may be good customers candidates. But I don't see special sale price for them.

This is going to be tough battle for Microsoft and Nokia. Remember, Microsoft is a formidable company. It has won a lot of battles: Windows 3.1 vs OS/2, IE vs Netscape, Word vs Wordperfect... Its XBOX got significant market share over other gaming device. But does Microsoft have to be in every business?

Now Windows is called Windows because of the overlapping windows (actually the original Windows does NOT have overlapping windows). Now that Metro interface... should it be called Microsoft Tiles instead?

Yahoo layoffs 2000

Here is a link to yahoo news, Yahoo layoff 2000.

It is the FIRST popular search engine... I remember the days of Netscape and (extremely lame) IE 3. The first page people go to was Yahoo.

I use yahoo for a decade+. My yahoo email is still my primary email. I read news from it (I like it better than google news). I used the yahoo search engine and yahoo maps too.

But when google search gives me a clutter-free simple screen and have less ads I went to google and didn't come back. When google maps nicely use AJAX to let me scroll around I did not go back to Mapquest on yahoo, even yahoo maps can do the same now.

There is no turning back when you see something better. Have you ever seen people go back to use CRT monitor after they use LCD?

People tend to STICK with what they use until something is revolutionary better and they won't come back.

Even google isn't able to pull a lot of users from facebook. (That circle stuff is confusing and isn't revolutionary better that's why)

I would be disappointed if yahoo completely disappears. You need to come up with something completely revolutionary (new) to attract users and advertisers back. Good luck