Miscellaneous and Useless Information
James Lin’s infrequently updated blog
Not much, besides really good brand recognition. But it does show that Microsoft is starting to take another strategic shift toward emphasizing software as a service. Actually, it’s been trying to do that since .NET and the ill-fated “HailStorm” in 2001, only now there’s actually a business model to go along with it — advertising. …
Continue reading “Windows Live and Office Live — what does it have to do with Windows and Office?”
I don’t think many readers of this blog live in Cupertino, but Measures A, B, and C would have region-wide impact. These measures would set limits on building density, height, and setback from the street; only part of Vallco would be exempt. Any other exemptions would need a citywide vote, paid by the developer. Proponents …
Continue reading “Vote No on Cupertino Measures A, B, and C”
I guess I haven’t been in suburbia during Halloween for a while, because I don’t remember so many Halloween decorations on houses when I was in high school. It’s starting to rival Christmas! And then there’s one home which decided to incorporate Christmas lights into their Halloween decorations. Thinking ahead…
I think the special election called by California’s governor is a complete waste of money, but since we’re having it, we might as well vote on the propositions before us. Proposition 77, which takes the power to redraw voting districts out of the hands of the legislature and into a panel of retired judges, is …
Continue reading “Vote Yes on Prop. 77, No on everything else”
There’s no excuse for anyone getting less than perfect on this quiz (unless they’re younger than 8th grade 🙂 ): Could You Pass 8th-Grade Math?
Today was the second day of the grand opening celebration at the de Young Museum, and it was in full swing. Ben and I planned to meet at 10 AM, but when I got there, I found no parking within the park and settled for the new parking garage underneath the Music Concourse. It ended …
Normally, my taste in architecture is traditional, but I’ve been trying to broaden my range. For example, San Jose’s new City Hall, which had its grand opening today, is decidedly modernist: clean lines and an absence of ornament. This is no surprise given the architect, Richard Meier. But it is an impressive space: the all-glass …
Thanks to the San Jose Mercury News, I am tuned into the Asian music scene. Or something like that. Case in point: the 12 Girls Band (女子十二樂坊), a band of classically-trained 13 women (originally 12) from China who use classical Chinese instruments to play contemporary Chinese and Western songs, including a cover of Clocks by …
New York Times: Classes in Chinese Grow as the Language Rides a Wave of Popularity With encouragement from the Chinese and American governments, schools across the United States are expanding their language offerings to include Chinese, the world’s most spoken tongue, not to mention one of its most difficult to learn.
Yesterday IBM Research celebrated its 60th anniversary, quite a remarkable achievement when you think about the fate of other fabled labs such as Bell Labs and Xerox PARC. At Almaden, we had watched video from the main celebration at Yorktown. Fred Brooks was one of the speakers at Yorktown, and he’s a very good speaker. …