Known Element Enterprises Corporate Blog

As my readers know I’ve been working on data ownership for some time. I have reduced that concept to practice with great success. You can peruse my data ownership wiki page for infrastructure and software details.

I have moved a substantial portion of my data to a server under my control. This includes e-mails, wiki, documents, pictures etc.

I access my server via

1. Laptop running Ubuntu 10.04 with an NFS mount to my server. This allows for easy access to all of my data. My laptop is the single computer that I use. I use it for extensive content creation. Everything from writing code  and managing systems to mindmapping and knowledge management.
2. Blackberry (I pretty much live in my e-mail). I also use the blackberry browser for quick browsing sessions. It’s not as good as the laptop or Ipod touch browser but it works anywhere I have cell coverage. I also use my Blackberry to tether my laptop which allows me to access my data pretty much anywhere. The overwhelming majority of my data manipulation activities are via firefox on my laptop.
3. Jailbroken Ipod Touch (love using the browser for quickly consuming content and not needing to fire up my laptop). I also use this to consume music, videos and documents. (AirSharing is an awesome app).

So 3 devices, each with their own usage profile, all consuming data from my central server.  The laptop/blackberry is where I spend 85% to 90% of my time. The Ipod Touch is used while in transit. It’s awesome for the daily commute.

I’m very happy having the vast majority of my data under my full control. I hope others join me on this journey.

Recently I’ve decided to tackle a project in the parallel programming space, as a result of a conversation I had after the SGVLUG meeting this last Thursday.

It’s in the early stages yet. I am seeking subject matter experts in the following areas:

1. Seeking experts in llvm, grand central, protocol buffers, ptherads, boinc/gearman/<pick a distributed router type system>
2. Oh also need people who have implemented domain specific languages.
3. Also looking for people who have experience accelerating extract transform load workloads with parellel programming methods.

4. Oh yes, if you have 100 or mor hours working experience with opencl, I’m most interested in hearing from you.

5. Bonus points to folks who have educated guesses about what I’m trying to do. please reply privately.

6. By expert I mean you enjoy writing parsers by hand in ir. (If you have to google ir, don’t bother applying).

7. Do you consider stuff like porting pthreads from UNIX to Windows fun?
   

So that’s about it for now. More as it develops.

Last Saturday (February 27th 2010) I was out with my good friends @MikeFedyk and @k1059. We were seeking thermal paste so @MikeFedyk could rebuild his laptop.

We hit up three local computer stores and came up empty.There is actually 4, but we decided to not go to the one located at Santa Anita and the 10 freeway across from the 711. They had already been ruled out, as they didn’t even know what a micro sd card was. They wanted to sell @k1059 a regular SD card. Even BestBuy sales folks know the difference (of course there are certain stand out experts like my good friend @goodguymafia). I mean come on really?

Discovery 1:

We were surprised that El Monte had 3 computer stores. Before Saturday, I was only aware of two (the previously mentioned one that was full of fail, and the one near the Metrolink station).The third one is near the Valley Mall. Don’t recall exact location at the moment.  They are all essentially holes in the wall that do basic repair and light sales. We got the paste from the local radioshack.

Discovery 2:

The AT&T CO in town is two buildings. A single story structure that shares a lot with the Metrolink station, and a multi story structure across from the Chase branch. The multi story structure has doors on each floor and a bar that comes out from the side of the building. 5,000 lbs capacity.

Discovery 3:

We found fiber at Tyler and Amador ST. Right near a Service Area Interface box.

More details later, including pictures and details on a fiber deployment in town.