Sunday, September 7, 2008

f(x) = ?

Per my post yesterday on the DVR capacity: I have discovered an oddity. It goes like this:
- only "Project Runway" on DVR (1 hr): 9% full
- "Project Runway" and two "Fox News with Brit Hume" (each 1 hr): 12% full

So we can clearly see that the DVR storage is strongly nonlinear. If the first hour is 9% and the next two are only 3% combined, well, the next hundred hours should only be some percentage where x < 1%. Thus, I should be able to get, generally estimated, about 1 million hours on this thing.

This is a prime example of how mathematicians would think and why pure math is boring, misleading, and boring. Engineers rule, others drool.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Churning along

When you have a baby on the way there is always this little countdown clock in the back of your mind. It is gently telling you that you don't get to put off things anymore. If you want to get them done, now is the time. This is mainly driving me to complete a number of the house tasks that I had been putting off, like getting someone to fix our siding or some painting.

People have attempted to tell me that life is not ending, but I think they are lying. That's also my feeling on the "kids are the greatest thing ever" line I keep getting told. There are two possibilities:
1. Kids really are the greatest thing ever.
2. The parents are lying and trying to trap you in the same place they are. That way they (1) commiserate and (2) ensure more taxpayers to fund their retirement.

Although I'm pretty sure kids are great and all I've heard plenty of curses both from my parents and others to believe there is enough of the latter item as well. Misery loves company, right?

I am also not sure how to take the "we hope your child is just like you" comment. Is this a curse in disguise? Should I be talking to these people anymore?

Other items:
- although the new 3G iPhone is faster and less slippery to drop, it still is buggy. I don't know why the address book is so ridiculously s-l-o-w. I've heard of people using the Google app to search their contact list but this feels like using the computer to turn off the light right next to you. It's unnecessary and unwanted. Version 2.1 had best be the greatest thing ever.

- Switching from DirecTV to cable: going ok now that we have a DVR that actually records. I'm a little curious as to how much content the thing will store though. We have one "Project Runway" on there and it says 9% full. This is not HD content, implying about 10-12 hours of video. That seems wrong. I'll have to watch that or figure out how to hack the unit.

- The user interface on the DVR is the pits. This appears to be another Motorola invention from the same torture group that designed the RAZR menu system and style. I am really missing my TiVo and I am considering putting a Series 3 HD TiVo on my "big ticket" wishlist.

- Caller ID is the bomb. If you are "out of area" you are getting ignored.