The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) made the inaugural online version of its popular Communications of the ACM a freebie. As a member for the past few years, I have to say that I enjoy the publication quite a bit. Check it out. If you like what you read, why not join? The issue linked here is the only free one, I’m afraid.
Posts Tagged ‘technology’
ACM and the Communications of the ACM (for FREE!)
Tuesday, February 12th, 2008So you think you can spot a phishing attempt?
Thursday, July 26th, 2007Phishing, or using a seemingly-real web site or email message to gather personal information, appears to be causing people quite a bit of trouble. The folks at McAfee have put together a quiz to test your skills at distinguishing the real from the fake. Take the test yourself and see how you do. I scored a 9 out of 10. No hints on the one I missed… 
Steve and Bill Meet Again
Tuesday, June 5th, 2007Here’s a great video of our favorite tech guys. Stay until the end; you won’t be disappointed! Enjoy!
‘Level Up’ Your Firefox Techniques
Monday, May 21st, 2007The folks over at Lifehack.org have put together a cool list of tips and hacks you can use to speed things up when you’re using the browser Firefox. The tips include both keyboard and mouse shortcuts, managing your bookmarks, and reducing how much memory the browser burns up. The hacks (please be sure you know what you’re doing) include accessing the about:config page and opening up more pipes for quicker downloads with broadband connections.
An American Cell Phone in Paris (or wherever)
Thursday, March 15th, 2007The New York Times put together a useful primer on using your CDMA or GSM cell phone in other countries. It gives carrier-specific tips on how to connect and/or save money after you get off the plane in foreign lands.
Can you imagine 35-36km/liter? It may be on the way…
Thursday, February 23rd, 2006I really want to get a hybrid for my next car. The gas prices I’m seeing in the U.S. and Japan are just too high. Using a pre-paid card at a place around the corner here in Kumamoto, I paid ¥119 for a liter of gas the other day. That’s a discount price! I saw some places selling gas for ¥129 a liter! If you need a North American-centric reference, the discount price is about $US3.80 a gallon.
Back to hybrid’s: Honda’s Civic is winning all kinds of praise, and it is high on my list. Now rumor has it that they are developing a new hybrid version of the Honda Fit. Using the technology that is available now, analysts are predicting that a hybrid version of such a small car could get as much as 35 to 36 kilometers on a liter of gas (that’s 82-84 miles a gallon)!
Call for Submissions at the Journal of Instruction Delivery Systems
Saturday, November 19th, 2005The Journal of Instruction Delivery Systems is seeking high-quality papers on teaching and learning through online modalities. Here are the guidelines to give you an idea of what is expected. An online version is available here. If you have questions, you can contact the editor or me through the usual channels.
News: ‘Take Control of Switching to the Mac’ eBook released
Saturday, November 19th, 2005News: ‘Take Control of Switching to the Mac’ eBook released: “TidBITS publishers, Adam and Tonya Engst, have released a new book in their popular “Take Control” series, which is aimed at helping users with specific tasks. The newest eBook, “Take Control of Switching to the Mac,” was written by Scott Knaster and guides switchers through the process of switching.”
(Via MacCentral.)
Goodbye Endnote, Hello Bookends
Wednesday, November 9th, 2005Well it’s been a long three long of doctoral coursework. I finished the courses for a Ph.D. in educational technology in June, and now it’s time for the dissertation. The topic today is that for three years I have been using the same version of the same bibliography tool: Endnote, version 6. I thought I would treat myself to an upgrade to take advantage of better Internet tools and other features. One thing that has changed since I started using Endnote is that the company now has an online store (I had to buy it from a vendor the first time). Apparently, since I live in Japan, I am required to order from the Japanese distributor of Endnote, USACO. The problem is USACO wants ¥20,790 for an upgrade, while the U.S. company is asking $89.95. At current exchange rates, that is double the price! After several email exchanges with “Customer Technical Support” (notice the section lacks the word ‘service’), I have learned that there is nothing to do but suck it up and pay the inflated price.
So guess what? I am no longer an Endnote customer. As of today, I am making the change to Bookends, a Mac-only package by the folks at sonnysoftware. I have played with version 7.7.5.5 for awhile. I mailed in the check for an upgrade (that’s another story itself), so we’ll see how this transition goes…
