QSK Netcast

New Content Coming Soon

russ — Sat, 14 May 2011 01:15:16 +0000

Sorry for the delay, everyone. I just wanted to let you know that new content will be coming out soon. Some of the time pressures that have kept me away from the microphone have gone away and I am feeling like I need to podcast. Stay tuned, it won’t be long now…

Russ

Episode 7: What Privacy?

russ — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 06:01:57 +0000

I did a guest appearance on an episode of a podcast hosted by Steve Cherubino which shall remain nameless for…purposes. But since the topic of discussion was both interesting and in some cases me, I couldn’t let the audio go to waste. So here is the interview. We talked about my computing past, the concepts of cloud computing, and where our privacy has gone and is going as we proceed into our technological future. Thanks for downloading and listening. Don’t forget to send in your feedback. I promise I’ll respond to it in an upcoming QSK episode. I just can’t promise which one.

OGG File MS5SUM: f3205516b44540842aa8b5d4e92f32bc

Russ

Episode 6: Show Notes

russ — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 01:00:00 +0000

My talk at the Ohio Linux Fest 2010 entitled “The Origin of Open Source.” You can find the slide deck here.

Episode 6: “The Origin of Open Source”

russ — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 00:53:50 +0000

This episode of the QSK Netcast is the audio recording of my talk at Ohio Linux Fest 2010 entitled “The Origin of Open Source.” The talk turned into a strange but, I think, interesting melange of Open Source philosophy, history, sociology and religion. The biggest problem was the poor audio recording equipment used in a very large room so the audio many be difficult to understand in a few places. I did what I could to clean it up using Audacity, but it’s simply not great. Hope everyone enjoys it, though. I’m going to attempt to put up written transcripts of all my episodes starting very soon.

OGG File MD5SUM: 8b7d81defd24e1db25abdefb7ab7f91b

Russ

Episode 5: Show Notes

russ — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 07:52:05 +0000

No show notes for this one, all. The content is pretty self explanatory.

Episode 5: You’re Driving Me Crazy

russ — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 07:51:04 +0000

In this episode of the QSK Netcast, your hero takes his road rage into the netcast arena. With a top-ten list of bad driving buffoonery to choose from, I stand on my soapbox for an entire episode and spout off to my heart’s content. Be warned, the explicit tag on this episode means EXPLICIT. No two ways about it. It just so happens that when I’m passionate about something, I don’t hold anything back. Please enjoy this latest episode and tell all your friends about the show. Don’t forget to send feedback, too. I’d love to hear what you think.

OGG File MD5SUM: e3b91a548562670d7afe628461ee790f

Russ

Episode 4: AM vs. FM

russ — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:26:09 +0000

After a discussion on IRC that I’ve had several times before over the past few years, I decided to put my thoughts on the difference between AM and FM radio into a podcast. This talk gets a little bit technical but I think it’s easy enough for the average listener to follow. Thank you, Linux Basement, for mentioning . . . → Read More: Episode 4: AM vs. FM

Episode 4: Show Notes

russ — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:17:25 +0000

AM vs. FM

Carrier Wave (Carrier)
In telecommunications, a carrier wave, or carrier is a waveform (usually sinusoidal) that is modulated (modified) with an input signal for the purpose of conveying information. This carrier wave is usually of much higher frequency than the input signal. The purpose of the carrier is to transmit the information through space as an electromagnetic wave.

Amplitude Modulation
Carrier Wave is modified by varying amplitude based on the volume and pitch of the input signal
Power inefficient (2/3rds lost to Carrier Wave)
Transmits two sidebands of equal bandwidth, which are mirror images of each other
Power can be enhanced by eliminating one sideband (SSB)
Power can further be enhanced by suppressing carrier power
When the carrier is missing, a BFO (beat frequency oscillator) must be used to recreate it on the receiving end

Frequency Modulation
Carrier Wave is modified by varying frequency based on the volume and pitch of the input signal
Requires wider signal bandwidth than AM
More resistant to noise and interference
Better sound reproduction

Because FM has wider bandwidth it was used for high fidelity FM radio (really VHF radio)
Lower frequency AM radio signals may propagate at night due to F-layer skip
Frequency and transmission mode do not correlate
Other modes are possible: SSB, F (or P) SK, CW (Morse Code)
Communication proven from below 9kHz to above 10GHz

Episode 3: Show Notes

russ — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:13:15 +0000

Handicapped Parking

Scope (Missouri)
Benefits
Problems
Stairs, Landings, Ledges, Curbs
Ramps (Placement, Missing)
Door Width (36″+)
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and Grandfathering
Abuses
Teenagers at the Mall
Evil Eyes of the Elderly
Ramps and Crosshatches
Vehicle Spacing
Confrontations
Enforcement
Legalities

Relevant Missouri Statutes

301.141. 1. Fraudulent procurement or use of disabled-person license plates or windshield placards shall be a class B misdemeanor.

2. Any physician or other health care practitioner authorized to issue a physician’s statement or certificate to enable persons to obtain disabled license plates or windshield hanging placards pursuant to section 301.142 who issues, signs, or furnishes such statement or certificate to any person who does not meet one or more of the conditions set forth in subsection 1 of section 301.142, if there is no basis for the diagnosis given, or who issues, signs, or furnishes such statement for a condition, the diagnosis of which is outside the scope of such health care provider’s license, is guilty of a class B misdemeanor.

301.142. 1. As used in sections 301.141 to 301.143, the following terms mean:

(4) “Physically disabled”, a natural person who is blind, as defined in section 8.700, RSMo, or a natural person with medical disabilities which prohibits, limits, or severely impairs one’s ability to ambulate or walk, as determined by a licensed physician or other authorized health care practitioner as follows:

(a) The person cannot ambulate or walk fifty or less feet without stopping to rest due to a severe and disabling arthritic, neurological, orthopedic condition, or other severe and disabling condition; or

(b) The person cannot ambulate or walk without the use of, or assistance from, a brace, cane, crutch, another person, prosthetic device, wheelchair, or other assistive device; or

(c) Is restricted by a respiratory or other disease to such an extent that the person’s forced respiratory expiratory volume for one second, when measured by spirometry, is less than one liter, or the arterial oxygen tension is less than sixty mm/hg on room air at rest; or

(d) Uses portable oxygen; or

(e) Has a cardiac condition to the extent that the person’s functional limitations are classified in severity as class III or class IV according to standards set by the American Heart Association; or

(f) A person’s age, in and of itself, shall not be a factor in determining whether such person is physically disabled or is otherwise entitled to disabled license plates and/or disabled windshield hanging placards within the meaning of sections 301.141 to 301.143;

15. At the time the disabled plates or windshield hanging placards are issued, the director shall issue a registration certificate which shall include the applicant’s name, address, and other identifying information as prescribed by the director, or if issued to an agency, such agency’s name and address. This certificate shall further contain the disabled license plate number or, for windshield hanging placards, the registration or identifying number stamped on the placard. The validated registration receipt given to the applicant shall serve as the registration certificate.

14. The placard shall be renewable only by the person or entity to which the placard was originally issued. Any placard issued pursuant to this section shall only be used when the physically disabled occupant for whom the disabled plate or placard was issued is in the motor vehicle at the time of parking or when a physically disabled person is being delivered or collected. A disabled license plate and/or a removable windshield hanging placard are not transferable and may not be used by any other person whether disabled or not.

27. Fraudulent application, renewal, issuance, procurement or use of disabled person license plates or windshield placards shall be a class A misdemeanor. It is a class B misdemeanor for a physician, chiropractor, podiatrist or optometrist to certify that an individual or family member is qualified for a license plate or windshield placard based on a disability, the diagnosis of which is outside their scope of practice or if there is no basis for the diagnosis.

301.143.

4. Any person who parks in a space reserved for physically disabled persons and is not displaying distinguishing license plates or a card is guilty of an infraction and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than fifty dollars nor more than three hundred dollars.

6. Any person who, without authorization, uses a distinguishing license plate or card issued pursuant to section 301.071 or 301.142 to park in a parking space reserved under authority of this section shall be guilty of a class B misdemeanor.

American Heart Association Cardiac Guidelines

Class I. Patients with cardiac disease but without resulting limitation of physical activity. Ordinary physical activity does not cause undue fatigue, palpitation, dyspnea or anginal pain.

Class II. Patients with cardiac disease resulting in slight limitation of physical activity. They are comfortable at rest. Ordinary physical activity results in fatigue, palpitation, dyspnea or anginal pain.

Class III. Patients with cardiac disease resulting in marked limitation of physical activity. They are comfortable at rest. Less than ordinary activity causes fatigue, palpitation, dyspnea or anginal pain.

Class IV. Patients with cardiac disease resulting in inability to carry on any physical activity without discomfort. Symptoms of heart failure or the anginal syndrome may be present even at rest. If any physical activity is undertaken, discomfort increases.

Punishment for Crimes by Missouri Statute

Class A Misdemeanor: Up to $1000 fine and 6-12 months in prison

Class B Misdemeanor: Up to $500 fine and 30 days to 6 months in prison

Episode 3: Old and in the Way

russ — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 07:51:34 +0000

Episode 3 of QSK is a rantcast. Cheryl, my significant other, and I ruminate on the state of motor vehicle licensing in the world, how ridiculous the situation has gotten and what we’re planning on doing about it. This one is a fun ride, so sit back and enjoy the total lack of political . . . → Read More: Episode 3: Old and in the Way

Episode 2: Show Notes

russ — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 05:33:43 +0000

MP3 vs. OGG

Software Patents
Individual countries where patents apply:
Japan, China, India, United States
Group countries with patent offices:
European Union
Questions occur when the definition of “non-obviousness” is questioned
PNG developed to avoid GIF patents
OGG developed to avoid MP3 patents
Patent Pledges (agreements to not enforce patents on free/open source projects)
Royalty-free patents (Apple, Nokia, Novell, Red Hat, etc.)
150,000+ software patents
Patent Trolls (Intellectual Ventures, Acacia Technologies)
Anti Patent-Troll Troll (Open Innovation Network)

OGG

Started in 1994 by Chris Montgomery
Founder of Xiphophorus and Xiph.Org
Allegedly patent free
BSD Licensed

* Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
* Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

* Neither the name of the nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS “AS IS” AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

Container format
Vorbis is audio codec (.oga or .ogg)
Theora is video codec (.ogv)
Multiplexed audio/video (.ogx)
Speex -> Highly lossy speech compression codec
FLAC -> Free Lossless Audio Codec (Josh Coalson)
OggPCM -> Lossless, Pulse Code Modulation (Alec Reeves, 1937) in OGG container

MP3

MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer 3
Moving Picture Experts Group
Finalized in 1993
Fraunhofer Society, University of Hannover, AT&T-Bell Labs, Thomas Brandt, CCETT
Thomson Multimedia claims current patents
Alcatel-Lucent claims ownership of previous AT&T-Bell Labs patents
MP3 should be patent free sometime between 2012 and 2017
Lossy

Decoding:

Additionally, patent holders declined to enforce license fees on free and open source decoders, which allows many free MP3 decoders to develop. Thus, while patent fees have been an issue for companies that attempt to use MP3, they have not meaningfully impacted personal use.

Encoding:

http://www.mp3-tech.org/patents.html
http://www.mp3licensing.com/
http://www.mp3licensing.com/royalty/emd.html

Episode 2: MP3 v. OGG

russ — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 05:24:34 +0000

Thanks to Klaatu for coming on board tonight to talk about the debate over software patents and the MP3 format vs. Open Source audio codecs like OGG. The audio leaves a little bit to be desired but everything is understandable. Please tell everyone about the netcast. Thanks for listening and hope to have you back . . . → Read More: Episode 2: MP3 v. OGG

Episode 1: Show Notes

russ — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 08:28:49 +0000

Attached to this post you will find two of the pictures I took that show how the movie windows look when Devil’s Pie is applied. Sorry that they are a little bit grainy as they were taken with my iPhone (no flash) in a darkened room.

You can find the Devil’s Pie application in many distributions. For Debian, Ubuntu and other .deb based distributions, you may install using:

apt-get install devilspie

For Red Hat, Fedora, OpenSuSE and other .rpm based distributions:

yum install devilspie

Find the source code and revision history for Devil’s Pie here:

http://burtonini.com/blog/computers/devilspie

Find the GTK GUI configuration tools here:

```
http://code.google.com/p/gdevilspie
```

You may run Devil’s Pie at the command line, but the recommended way is to put it as a startup application. In Ubuntu, use the System menu, go to Preferences and then Startup Applications. Use /usr/bin/devilspie as the application. Call it something meaningful.

Here is the s-expression code for my xmbc.ds file which is located on my system in /etc/devilspie. You can also use ~/.devilspie as a directory for your .ds files if you just want them to work for your specific login.

/etc/devilspie/xmbc.ds:

(if
  (contans (application_name) "xbmc")
     (geometry 1180x720+49+49)
     (undecorate)
  )
)

There are many other options you can specify in Devil’s Pie. You can have any number of combinations based on single applications, or you can use a globalized configuration if you have a .ds file which excludes (if) statements.

Other Devil’s Pie Options

(center) - Center a window in your desktop

(focus) - Give a window focus upon initial draw

(below) - Open a window below other windows

```
(fullscreen) - Make a window fullscreen
```

(opacity x) - Set opacity to x (0 - 100)

```
(pin) - Pin a window to all workspaces
```

(set_workspace x) - Open window on workspace x

```
(maximize) - Maximize
```
```
(minimize) - Minimize
```
```
(debug) - Enable debugging
```

Episode 1: Devil in the Details

russ — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 07:01:36 +0000

This is the very first episode of the QSK Netcast. I want to thank everyone who supports podcasting, netcasting, Internet broadcasting or whatever you want to call it. I also want to thank all those who believe in Open Source, who strive to mentor with every breath and who believe the world is a better place with more knowledge in it. Please have a listen to my latest effort and send me feedback using the contact form or by leaving comments on the Web site. You can also call the show at 417-200-4811 and press the option for QSK Netcast. I really want to hear from you: Your likes, your dislikes, your requests, your questions–whatever. Just remember, it can only get better from here.

OGG File MD5SUM: a13a70fe0eeaec7282dd214edaa2dea7

Russ

And They’re Off

russ — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 07:15:34 +0000

Thank you for stopping by to check out my new project. If you’re wondering who I am, please have a look at the “About Me” page. You can click on the link up near the header.

Sometimes there are things in this life that amuse me, that bother me, that interest me or that simply need to be said. That’s what this Internet broadcast is all about. Topics will be widely varied. The schedule may not be regular but it will be constant. Hopefully everything discussed will be worth someone’s time to listen to.