Enigma
While struggling my way through documentation of 3DES encryption, I found a site explaining in detail about the Enigma, a typewriter like machine, used by the Nazi''s in World War II to encrypt military messages. This article is a lengthy piece which appeared originaly in Nautical Brass magazine, and reads like a book :
The Enigma could have been unbreakable, at least with the methods available at the time, had the machine been used properly. The biggest mistake the Germans made was their blind belief in the invincibility of Enigma. Procedural errors in using the machine, combined with occasional operator laziness, allowed the Poles and, subsequently the British, to crack the "unbreakable" codes.
The Enigma could have been unbreakable, at least with the methods available at the time, had the machine been used properly. The biggest mistake the Germans made was their blind belief in the invincibility of Enigma. Procedural errors in using the machine, combined with occasional operator laziness, allowed the Poles and, subsequently the British, to crack the "unbreakable" codes.
The Found Magazine
The Found Magazine is a website about the lost and found objects people find on the street : love letters, birthday cards, kids' homework, to-do lists, ... - anything that gives a glimpse into someone else's life.
The IBM songbook
We're proud of all our Engineers in I. B. M.
No problem is insolvable to these great men.
Their mastery of the technical -- mechanical -- electrical --
Behold in their accomplishments.
Each year they perfect new machines for I. B. M.
Superior products all the time for business men.
We thank and praise our Engineers,
The whole wide world unites in cheers,
To the Engineers of I. B. M.
If you have friends working at IBM, you can allways nag them about the IBM songbook, which was apparently the result of the enthusiasm of the IBM salesmen in their dark suits and white shirts who set out to sell IBM's to the world.
No problem is insolvable to these great men.
Their mastery of the technical -- mechanical -- electrical --
Behold in their accomplishments.
Each year they perfect new machines for I. B. M.
Superior products all the time for business men.
We thank and praise our Engineers,
The whole wide world unites in cheers,
To the Engineers of I. B. M.
If you have friends working at IBM, you can allways nag them about the IBM songbook, which was apparently the result of the enthusiasm of the IBM salesmen in their dark suits and white shirts who set out to sell IBM's to the world.
The Spam Letters
This guy actually replies to the spam he gets . Read some of the replies and you'll love this guy's wit. The favorites, top 20, and My Buddy Kutty sections are good places to start.
Creatures in my head
A creature a day keeps the doctor away.
Annon Edhellen edro hi ammen.
This site has the Elvish 'lyrics' if you want, of the first Lord of the Rings movie. With an English traduction, luckily (my Quenya still sucks). Never thought that Elvish could be that sexy, certainly if it comes out of the mouth of such a sweetie like Liz Taylor.
Distributing Word documents is bad for you.
One of my favourite Open Source advocates, Richard M. Stallman, explains in a NewsForge article the burden of receiving email with Word documents :
Most computer users use Microsoft Word. That is unfortunate for them, because Word is proprietary software, denying its users the freedom to study, change, copy, and redistribute it. And because Microsoft changes the Word file format with each release, its users are locked into a system that compels them to buy each upgrade whether they want a change or not. They may even find, several years from now, that the Word documents they are writing this year can no longer be read with the version of Word they use then.
Distributing documents in Word format is bad for you and for others. You can't be sure what they will look like if someone views them with a different version of Word; they may not work at all.
Receiving Word attachments is bad for you because they can carry viruses (see Symantec's article). Sending Word attachments is bad for you, because a Word document normally includes hidden information about the author, enabling those in the know to pry into the author's activities (maybe yours). Text that you think you deleted may still be embarrassingly present. See MicroSystems for more info.
But above all, sending people Word documents puts pressure on them to use Microsoft software and helps to deny them any other choice. In effect, you become a buttress of the Microsoft monopoly. This pressure is a major obstacle to the broader adoption of free software. Would you please reconsider the use of Word format for communication with other people?
Most computer users use Microsoft Word. That is unfortunate for them, because Word is proprietary software, denying its users the freedom to study, change, copy, and redistribute it. And because Microsoft changes the Word file format with each release, its users are locked into a system that compels them to buy each upgrade whether they want a change or not. They may even find, several years from now, that the Word documents they are writing this year can no longer be read with the version of Word they use then.
Distributing documents in Word format is bad for you and for others. You can't be sure what they will look like if someone views them with a different version of Word; they may not work at all.
Receiving Word attachments is bad for you because they can carry viruses (see Symantec's article). Sending Word attachments is bad for you, because a Word document normally includes hidden information about the author, enabling those in the know to pry into the author's activities (maybe yours). Text that you think you deleted may still be embarrassingly present. See MicroSystems for more info.
But above all, sending people Word documents puts pressure on them to use Microsoft software and helps to deny them any other choice. In effect, you become a buttress of the Microsoft monopoly. This pressure is a major obstacle to the broader adoption of free software. Would you please reconsider the use of Word format for communication with other people?
Mirror, mirror on the wall
Cute site : The Mirror Project.
Ahh, the joy of digital camera's. I hope one to buy -if reasonable priced- during the Xmas shoppings.
Ahh, the joy of digital camera's. I hope one to buy -if reasonable priced- during the Xmas shoppings.
A Moment of Science
Here's an entertaining site that explains in a clear manner some questions about physics and science that we experience in our daily lives. If you don't like to read, there's a RealAudio section too.
Newseum
The Newseum is a large collection of 165 news paper front pages from 28 countries, updated daily.