johncole

Read the NY Times article a week or two ago that was up here on HN. This seems like a much more productive way to approach people that owe money.

Totally second this comment. The best advice for this sort of thing: hop in. I started by trying to read a few books. I don't think I learned nearly as fast as when I just tried to think of something I wanted to make, and devoted a few hours/days to building it.

The best part about the Model B+ is the better power management. One of the huge issues with the older model is that it was super inefficient with power. Based on our initial tests (and covered in this article) they made some huge improvements in the power. This makes it much easier to power by alternate means (IE stick in a robot or power with batteries or solar). Pretty awesome step forward!

BrickPi, an open source LEGO robotics system for the Raspberry Pi. We have had some great contributions so far and we really need help. The BrickPi is being used in classrooms but because of our limited programming skills it is still lacking in user friendliness.

The first repo is our main python project. https://github.com/DexterInd/BrickPi_Python. This repo could really use some help with: - Better motor control. Including a robust pid controller for speed. -Vision analysis with the raspberry pi camera (so much potential for robotics!) - A way better way to program with Scratch.

Tufts University is also working on a project called blockytalky that's sort of a souped up hybrid of Google coder and Scratch. The project is mostly in Python and uses a more complex version of daemons to control software and make a really beautiful programming environment for kids! They need some help and their project is here: https://github.com/tufts-LPC/blockytalky.

The hardware is easy to get, its on Sparkfun here https://www.sparkfun.com/products/12732

If hardware is a problem for you send me a pm.

The only problem with that is that it can tough to introduce a new or non-advanced user to torrents .. . they've got to get special software.

Yeah, I think the paths are blocked. One more reason to use the above options given. I tested a path out and it worked on http://www.websitepulse.com/help/testtools.china-test.html

"Silicon is Perishable": With all of the computing power perishing, I wonder if outdated hardware could be bought on the cheap and used for some non-financial projects. Could this become a boon for malaria research, SETI, or some of the other non-profit research programs out there?

Also having at least one day off has helped me keep my friends, some sanity, my hair, and my wife.

For me, it is 6 days per week, starting promptly at 7, ending between 6pm and 11 pm. I found that getting in early I can get organized and drive through priorities easier. The first two hours are golden, where I am fresh and focused. I also found after my first startup that regular, patterned, reliable sleep is incredibly important for your brain and mood. Mood being the biggest surprise, it matters a lot to the people you work with and customers that you're not a jerk. Go figure.

I thought the author made a good point though, actually said what you're saying. This is just if you are in a pinch or need to pivot. I thought it was a good article, wish he had written a little more,

I wonder if they're taking this approach because it's modular. You can add more barges and shipping containers a lot easier than another cruise liner.

I actually think this is a pretty substantial find, not just gossip. They're moving on a really cool concept.