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Artificial Life Simulator (in VB6)

Here you have it: the largest, most complex programming project now available on tannerhelland.com. Originally a final project for a university bioinformatics course, this artificial life simulator has now been completely retooled as a full-blown lesson in evolution and population genetics. As with most artificial life simulators, a set of simple artificial creatures compete for limited resources. Each creature has a strand of pseudo-DNA that determines three basic attributes: size, speed, and range (how far it can see)...

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The Only Feature Ubuntu 10.04 Needs

Why am I talking about Ubuntu 10.04 when the 9.10 release (Karmic Koala) is still months away? I've picked 10.04 because there's still time for us, as an Ubuntu community, to have some say on what happens to it. The feature set for 9.10 has been mostly laid out, but 10.04 is still an open slate - and I think two significant things need to happen between 9.10 and 10.04 if Ubuntu wants to stay relevant on the desktop.

Scraps

• Whew!  With God of War and Uncharted 2 out of the way, I suppose I can finally get back to blogging.  :)  Stay tuned this month for my largest VB project yet and maybe - just maybe - a new piece of music! <permalink>
• Interesting observation: despite today being the day after Windows 7 launched, I just finished reading a Linux-centric news article in each of USA Today, the BBC, and Forbes.  Is Linux actually becoming... <gasp> ...mainstream? <permalink>
• http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/174221/mccain_moves_to_block_fcc_net_neutrality.html (Anyone who listens to John McCain's input on technology gets what they deserves.)  The real irony of the whole matter is contrasting McCain's view on net neutrality with the following quote (from his 1999 candidacy speech): "The blessings of technology give us the means to breach the walls of ignorance and isolation. We [can reach] our founding ideal that all men are created equal by giving all Americans access to information and knowledge, and an equal opportunity not only to pursue, but to attain happiness. Education is the great equalizer and used wisely, the information revolution will hasten the end of a two-tiered society of haves and have nots, and advance human freedom into the even the darkest corners of tyranny." <permalink>
• “Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself; but talent instantly recognizes genius…” -Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Valley of Fear) <permalink>
• I've been unhappy with Hulu ever since it was coerced into blocking PS3 access, but today they've earned my love back with a Hulu Desktop Client for Linux.  Fedora 9+ and Ubuntu 8.04+ (both 32 and 64-bit!) are currently supported, with more on the way.  Kudos to Hulu for stepping up and recognizing that Linux users are an important part their viewership. (Hey Netflix: I hope you're paying attention...) <permalink>