Virtual Computer Talk

Someone was calling this website "Hikaru's blog", and "it is" and "it isn't". It was never meant to have one fixed topic. So maybe I should change the topic to "computers"...

One common question that I receive is, "What kind of computer do I use?" By "computer", people often refer to the operating system software (OS) environment (usually Windows or Macintosh). The answer for me is Windows, Macintosh, and Linux.

Many people don't realize it, but a shift in personal computer thinking has happened over the past few years. In the old days, you might be running Windows only on a "PC" (Intel machine) or the Macintosh operating system only on a "Mac" (PowerPC machine). There were reasons for computer companies to stick with a certain OS for their hardware.

But these days, the operating system is beginning to detach from the personal computer hardware. In 2005, the first Intel-based Macs emerged which made it possible to run Windows XP as well as Mac OS X. The computer I currently use at home is a Mac mini where I can run Mac OS X, Windows XP, and Linux simultaneously (yes, all at the same time) using a product called VMware Fusion.

For a "computer guy" this is really nice. I don't need a closet full of old junk computers (which I have) to test out different PC setups. And when I'm done with it, I can just "delete" the virtual computer. I can have a Linux server running on the same machine where I'm editing Hikaru's video (which I also do). The Linux server is serving web pages from my home ADSL connection.

But where this approach makes more sense is in the area of energy conservation. Computers can use a lot of electrical power. A typical PC doing nothing (no applications running) can consume close to 180 watts. So you can imagine how much power a typical data center server room can consume running 24/7. But what if you can consolidate all the different servers into one (hardware) machine? That's a lot of energy savings.

So I can run virtual Linux, Windows, and Macintosh servers on my Mac mini that uses only 20 watts of power, instead of using 500 watts. But why would I want to? I don't know -- that's more of a "computer geek" issue. And that's technology...

Little Tokyo Unplugged

There was a "wire cutting" today. We launched a community project called "Little Tokyo Unplugged" to provide free wireless (WiFi) Internet access in the Little Tokyo district of Los Angeles. The project was in a "testing" phase for the past couple years, but now it's "official".



So if you visit Little Tokyo, make sure to bring your wireless-enabled laptop computer or device, and look for the SSID "Little Tokyo Unplugged". When you open your web browser, you'll be redirected to a website with Little Tokyo information. One hope for this project is to aid community development by connecting visitors and residents to local information.

Unfortunately, I was recovering from a bad cold/flu today, so I wasn't able to attend the festivities (but my co-workers say that everything went very well). It was a busy week for the LTSC tech team, as we were performing some last minute network troubleshooting, configuration changes, and deploying wireless mesh nodes on rooftops around Little Tokyo. I'm glad we were able to pull it off.

By the way, if you have problems with the WiFi access, please don't complain to me, but good feedback is appreciated. Keep in mind that the service is "free" (and you're getting more than what you're paying for :-) ). More information about this project (and if you wish to get involved) is at this website. There's a Little Tokyo wireless community advisory committee if you wish to be involved.

A Micro Encounter with PC History

The other day, I had an encounter with history of the microcomputer kind. David, who had a part in designing this computer below, pulled out this electronic relic from his storage room/office (called the "inner sanctum").



What you see in the photo above is the first battery-powered portable (laptop) computer with a clamshell case and LCD display. It is called the "Athena 1" that was built in 1983 and runs under the CP/M operating system (Z80 CPU). Perhaps only meaningful to computer geeks, I had the great honor and privilege to touch the keyboard.

Global Consciousness Project

There are some research projects out there to make you go "hmm..."

I came across the following website during one of my random (or maybe not so random) walks in cyberspace. It's called the "Global Consciousness Project" being conducted at Princeton University and directed by Roger Nelson.

Basically, the research looks at the output of many random number generators (computers) placed around the world. They are networked together, and the data is transmitted and stored on a centralized server. The question being investigated is whether the collected data have deviations from "randomness" that correlate with human events that happen in the world, especially events that have a global impact.

Some of the results of this study suggest that there might actually be a global mind and matter "link". Some of the published papers suggest that there might even be correlations with the events surrounding September 11, 2001.

Yes, there's plenty of material to make you go "hmm..."