Breaking windows

There's been a lot of uncertainty going around the standard desktop computer model recently. More people are using smartphones, netbooks with custom interfaces, and other non-traditional interfaces than ever before. People are questioning many aspects of the desktop computing model: the typical separation between the client and server data (Google Chrome OS), the exclusive right of the browser to access internet content (Moblin), and even the traditional software distribution and installation system (iPhone App Store, Linux repositories).

All of these trends are interesting, but my favorite upcoming innovation is the disposal of the desktop metaphor UI idiom.

Desktop metaphor summary

The desktop metaphor is a method of computer interaction based on an office desk. Applications are run in windows, each one representing a document or tool lying on a desk.

A screenshot of a typical UI based on the desktop metaphor.

The windows can be moved around, minimized, and closed through keyboard shortcuts and mouse interaction.

Problems

Unfortunately, the desktop metaphor has the same shortcomings as a real desk. Just as in meatspace, I constantly have to move things around to see what I want to see, and when I run out of space, I have to move things off the desktop. Some applications take up less space by allowing me to run multiple instances in separate tabs in the same window; most web browsers and my text editor (Notepad++) have this feature. Although these tabs simplify the interface of the application, they add complexity to the desktop as a whole. Every tab-based application works slightly differently, with different keyboard shortcuts for tab management and different tab behavior. It's a mess.

Possible solutions

Right now, there are several approaches to improving application management that ditch the desktop metaphor entirely.

• 10/GUI

  10/GUI proposes a new form of interaction to replace the mouse along with a new application management system suited to the new control method. It's concept is a multitouch slate capable of registering 10 simultaneous inputs (fingers) along with pressure for each input. The new app manager places all the "windows" in a continuous horizontal band that extends beyond the left and right edges of the screen. Various combinations of finger presses allow the user to scroll within a single application or scroll the entire band to expose other applications. You really need to watch the slick concept video to understand.

  Unfortunately, the video is only a concept, and the creator doesn't appear to have any plans to actually implement the system. In addition, the system would require an entirely new interface device to work as planned. However, I believe the new app manager could be beneficial without the new input mechanism. It's still significantly simpler than the current window-based disaster.

• Chromium OS

  This revolutionary open-source OS ditches the idea of multiple applications entirely, confining all actions to a single tabbed browser (Google Chrome). Client-side applications are mostly replaced by web applications and windows are replaced by browser tabs. This OS's radical UI was designed for small-screened netbooks, so it's obviously not suitable for all computers. However, I appreciate this spartan interface's extreme efficiency.

In my opinion, a rethinking of the desktop metaphor would be the most beneficial change to the desktop computer experience. I eagerly anticipate the alternatives to this outdated model.

Origami accordion toys

One of my favorite ways to burn time is folding complex origami accordion patterns. I just uploaded an album of these paper accordions, and I've listed the different types of patterns below. I might make a tutorial on how to fold one if somebody asks nicely.

Expanded diagonal compound v-shaped

Top view

Bottom view

This pattern is a more complex version of the classic v-shaped accordion pattern.

Deep accordion

Top view

Bottom view

Curled

This is probably my favorite pattern of all time; it's an incredibly time-consuming way to turn a piece of paper into a mesmerizing paper toy. It requires folding and pleating in three dimensions simultaneously.

Collapsed triangle base

Top view

Bottom view

This is just a weird test pattern I folded with some spare time and a magazine renewal card. It's unique because it doesn't like to flex.

Collapsed diagonal compound v-shaped

Top view

Bottom view

This one is more complex than the collapsed diagonal compound v-shaped pattern, because it requires an extra pleat for each row.

Collapsed compound v-shaped

This one is the same pattern as the collapsed diagonal compound v-shaped accordion, but it originates from the middle of a side of the paper, instead of the corner. It looks like a snow monster.

That's all the accordion patterns I have folded recently. I know this has nothing to do with technology, but I still don't have the time to work on any serious development projects. With luck, I'll be rejoining the coding community soon.

Update: I just opened an Etsy shop to sell some of the textures you see above. If you want one, visit my shop and buy one before they sell out! Yeah, right...

A laughable argument against net neutrality

I don't generally stray into political topics, but some issues are too important and relevant to my future and the future of the internet. For example, I believe net neutrality is critical to protecting creative uses of the internet from the internet service providers' meddling. That's why I wrote a general summary of the net neutrality issue a couple weeks ago, and that's why I'm addressing some of net neutrality's critics today.

In the October 30 opinions section of the Wall Street Journal, I read an opinion against net neutrality that is too misguided for me to ignore. Republican senators Orrin Hatch and Jim DeMint wrote the piece, arguing that net neutrality policy will obstruct broadband investment and innovation by letting the government meddle in the affairs of the ISPs. That's simply not true.

I agree with the senators that over-regulation will prevent companies from innovating. The logic is obvious; if a company can't increase its profit by improving its services, it won't improve. However, the current regulation doesn't prevent ISPs from profiting from broadband investment. They are free to changes prices, set usage caps, and even offer higher internet speeds for higher prices. The only way in which the regulations limits ISPs network management options is by preventing them from discriminating against certain types of traffic.

I'm afraid that alarmist arguments like this one about net neutrality are obstructing important discussions on the effects of the regulations and the FCC's proper role in net neutrality enforcement.

Wanna feel smart?

Few things give me the boost of solving a difficult puzzle. Whether I've rooted out a logical flaw in one of my scripts or finally grasped an unintuitive programming concept, I always feel best when I've conquered a challenging problem. From now on, anytime I figure out satisfying puzzle, I'll pass it along to you along with my rationale for solving it. If you have a better way, feel free to tell me.

Today, I found a real stumper on my favorite blog, Coding Horror. Jeff Atwood examined a probability conundrum related to the game show "Let's Make a Deal". Here's the setup, according to Jeff's post:

Suppose the contestants on a game show are given the choice of three doors: behind one door is a car; behind the others, goats. After a contestant picks a door, the host, who knows what's behind all the doors, opens one of the unchosen doors, which reveals a goat. He then asks the contestant, "Do you want to switch doors?"

Should the contestant switch doors?

Even though you know that the answer can't be the obvious "It doesn't matter", you probably can't think of any reason that it's not. One of Jeff's links supplied this totally unsatisfying explanation:

When you first selected a door, you had a 1/3 chance of being correct. You knew the host was going to open some other door which did not contain the car, so that doesn't change this probability. Hence, when all is said and done, there is a 1/3 chance that your original selection was correct, and hence a 1/3 chance that you will win by sticking. The remaining probability, 2/3, is the chance you will win by switching.

That explanation didn't assuage my doubts, so I started thinking of the problem in different terms. I finally convinced myself that 2/3 was the right answer by breaking the problem into cases.

In the first case, the car is behind door number one and you decided not to switch. If you chose door number one, you would win, but if you chose door number two or three, you would walk away with a goat.

In the second case, the car is still behind door number one, but you decided to switch no matter what. If you pick door number one and switch, you lose the game. However, if you pick door number two or door number three, you get to drive off in a brand new car.

I don't have the expertise or patience to posit why people tend to make the wrong decision, but I'm satisfied to have figured it out for myself. If I find any more head-scratching logic puzzles, I'll make sure to pass them on. I want you to feel smart, too!

Cheap keyword-rich domain names for sale

Yes, I am actually going to try to sell some domain names through my blog. I registered these because my registrar offered a discount when you bought five or more domain names. They're unique domain names with plenty of keywords, but I simply can't use them all. Here's the list:

• ActionScriptProgramming.com
• ActionScriptWebDevelopment.com
• CrashWebDesign.com
• DuskWebDesign.com
• ElegantActionScript.com
• ElegantJavascript.com
• ErrorWebDesign.com
• EvilWebDesign.com
• GetYourStory.com
• MeteorWebsiteDesign.com
• MiniTruckWebDesign.com
• RandomWebDesign.com

They're only one hundred dollars each, and they've got plenty of valuable keywords. Why not get one for your web design, programming, or software development business?

MediaConverter.org

I consider myself a blogger, so I feel entitled to recommend services I've found useful to my reader(s). The other day, I was trying to embed a video file in a Power Point presentation, but the file was in the wrong format: .avi. I looked around for a free video conversion program, but most looked really shady and full of spyware. On a whim, I searched "online video converter" and stumbled across Media Converter.

Media Converter is a free online tool that lets you upload a video from your hard drive or off the internet, convert it to the format of your choice, and download it to your computer free, without registering. It worked perfectly for my short video, and it didn't take very long, either. I would highly recommend this site to anybody who doesn't want to take a chance on a shady freeware video converter or doesn't have the computer muscle to convert a video. Try it out for yourself at http://www.mediaconverter.org/.

Name this Object #1

Well, I've stumbled across another obscure item collecting dust in my bedroom, so it's time for round 2 of Name this Object! I know what this item is, thanks to the obvious label affixed to the side. Unfortunately for you, I've cleverly concealed the label, so you'll have to work with the object's appearance alone. Since I know what this one is, there will be no cash prize, just the recognition that you have some serious internet snooping skills. On to the thingamajig!

Side View:

Back View:

Bottom View:

Front View:

Brief video demonstration:

Name this Object #0

As I was glancing around my cluttered closet the other day, I noticed something I hadn't thought about for quite some time. It was a dohickey that I had picked up at a garage sale while I lived in Colorado. I believe it is some sort of plotting device or spirograph, but I have no idea of its origin or purpose.

If you can find the origin and purpose of this object and prove their claims with a link, I will credit five dollars to your Paypal account. Of course, speculation is welcome, too, but a prize will only be awarded for a substantiated origin. Happy hunting!

Top view:

Bottom view:

Angled view:

Video demonstration:

Random Horror Short Film

And so, the randomness continues. From an odd thought, to a fully-realized odd project, this blog has been nothing if not unpredictable. This short film was scripted, directed, filmed, and edited by me over the summer. I decided to push the limits of the B-horror genre by upping the bar on cheesy dialogue, bad acting, and cheap camera tricks. The result is positively terrifying, just not for the standard reasons. Watch it below:

Cockroaches and WoW

I have many ideas, most of which aren't to interesting to the average person. Every once in a while, I come up with something so fascinating (in my opinion), I wish I could share it with the world. Well, now I can!

As I was taking an evening walk a couple months back, I had an unusual thought: "Why doesn't a scientist hook up a roach's brain to a virtual avatar? He could wire the bug's mobility processors to the motion of its avatar and its senses directly into the game. That would be an interesting enough experiment, but what if he hooked up the bug to a massively multiplayer online game such as World of Warcraft? In theory, he wire the bug's brain to give it pleasure if it did something good for its player, like damaging another player, and pain if it did something bad, like taking damage.

This bug could become the best WoW player in the world, because it would play non-stop, with an insatiable urge to succeed. Its sole purpose in life would be to win the game, and it would keep trying and learning until it did. Of course, I don't have the means or the experience to accomplish something like this, but it is a very interest hypothetical, in my opinion.

Welcome to Obscurity!

Hello, and welcome to my blog. This blog will have no discernable theme, other than things that interest me. It will delve into my opinions and ideas about science, technology, programming, web design, and the internet as a whole. I do not expect success, so if you actually enjoy this blog and wish it to continue, you'll have to post something, or I'll probably give up eventually. Welcome to obscurity!