Editions

The Crockford Files – June 2013

By John Crockford

GPS

“The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based satellite navigation system that provides location and time information in all weather conditions, anywhere on or near the Earth where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites. The system provides critical capabilities to military, civil and commercial users around the world. It is maintained by the United States government and is freely accessible to anyone with a GPS receiver.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gps)

According to news reports, DARPA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DARPA), an agency of the Department of Defense, and the University of …[Read the details]

June 1st, 2013 | Category: Technology | Leave a comment

A Tribute to Louis Coombs Weller Baker

Lou Baker (right) and George B. Kauffman at an American Chemical Society meeting.

Lou Baker (right) and George B. Kauffman at an American Chemical Society meeting.

By George B. Kauffman

(Author’s note: The following is a tribute to my mentor and longtime friend, Louis Coombs Weller Baker (November 24, 1921–April 15, 2003), on the 10th anniversary of his death.)

Compound α: Ode to a Complex Salt [CoCO3NH3)4]NO3.1/2H2O

“There and Back Again,” Bilbo Baggins’ original title for the Hobbit—J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

I It sits in a small, squat bottle on my office shelf, A dull, brick-red, free-flowing powder, Carefully labeled in a meticulous adolescent hand, “Compound α, May …[Read the details]

May 1st, 2013 | Category: Et Cetera, Technology | Leave a comment

The Crockford Files – April 2013

By John Crockford

A Free Phone, 250 Free Minutes and 250 Free Texts Each Month

Enrollment is available to individuals who qualify based on federal or state-specific eligibility criteria. You may qualify if you are on certain public assistance programs such as Medicaid or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). You can also qualify based on your household income. You must provide proof of program participation or proof of income. For more information, visit Assurance Wireless (http://assurancewireless.com/) or call 800-321-5880.

iPhone/iPad Developers Course

Stanford University is offering a complete (and free) online course (https://itunes.apple.com/us/course/coding-together-developing/id593208016) on …[Read the details]

April 1st, 2013 | Category: Technology | Leave a comment

The Crockford Files – March 2013

By John Crockford

Maps

Apple endured some recent bad press over its mapping software problems, so I thought we would go over some map stuff this month.

OpenStreetMap (www.openstreetmap.org/) is a free worldwide map created by its users—a free wiki world map. The data is free to download and use under its open license.

OpenStreetMap US (www.openstreetmap.us/) is the U.S. chapter of OpenStreetMap (OSM), the free, open-source map of the world created by volunteers all over the globe.

MapTools.org (www.maptools.org/) is a resource for users and developers in the open source mapping community, …[Read the details]

March 1st, 2013 | Category: Technology | Leave a comment

The Crockford Files – February 2013

Petitioning the President

The White House has a Web site called “We the People” that “provides a new way to petition the Obama administration to take action on a range of important issues facing our country.” According to the site, “If a petition gets enough support, White House staff will review it, ensure it’s sent to the appropriate policy experts, and issue an official response.” The “We the People” Web site can be found at https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/>.

Help and Information from Your Local Government

Fresno County (www.co.fresno.ca.us/) provides a basic e-mail form through its “Contact the …[Read the details]

February 1st, 2013 | Category: Technology | Leave a comment
 
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