Welcome to Argalax

Hi

Hi, my name is Alexander and this is my website.

It describes my work, hobbies, various projects, intellectual pursuits, current interests, and whatever else seems important and/or interesting at the moment.

I live in Canada, just east of Toronto, and work as technical team leader in the IT industry.

In spare time I enjoy writing some code, developing web applications, working on my robot, and FreeBSD/Linux projects, reading sci-fi, finance and technical books, building my cabin in the wilderness and travel when I can.

Here are some technical news to read...

Technology

Game sharers face legal crackdown [Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:05:19 GMT]
Thousands of video game pirates could face legal action after a developer wins damages from a file-sharer.
Reports of iPod Nanos overheating [Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:08:55 GMT]
Reports of two iPods which have overheated in Tokyo are being investigated by Japanese government officials.
A thermostat for mini-spacecraft [Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:41:56 GMT]
A new technology has been demonstrated that can regulate the temperature of miniature satellites and spacecraft
Apple launches iPhone bug fix [Tue, 19 Aug 2008 03:45:42 GMT]
Apple releases an update to fix problems with the much-hyped 3G iPhone, following complaints from some users.
US to back 21st century learning [Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:51:13 GMT]
Congress approves a bill for a new centre that will bring technological advances from business into the classroom.
Clipboards hijacked in web attack [Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:29:06 GMT]
Security firms are warning about a novel attack that inserts a malicious weblink in the clipboard where text is copied and stored.
Archives aided by anti-spam tools [Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:07:07 GMT]
Widely used anti-spam tools are helping to convert crumbling books and other documents into accurate digital copies.
Perfect return flight for Proton [Tue, 19 Aug 2008 08:40:44 GMT]
A Russian Proton rocket successfully launches one of the biggest commercial satellites ever built - the Inmarsat-4 (I4-F3).
Exploring the virtual ant colony [Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:09:12 GMT]
For the first time researchers using radar to map out an ant colony and put it in the virtual world for exploration.
Teddy camera catches carer thief [Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:20:18 GMT]
A forensic science student and her father catch a carer stealing from an elderly relative by hiding a camera in a teddy bear's eye.

Science

Wild dolphins tail-walk on water [Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:57:07 GMT]
In what is thought to be a world first, a wild dolphin is apparently teaching others to tail-walk.
Magpie 'recognises its reflection' [Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:00:38 GMT]
Magpies can recognise themselves in a mirror, scientists find, making them the first non-mammal known to do so.
Coal's toxic legacy to the Arctic [Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:52:12 GMT]
Data from a Greenland ice core indicates that coal burning is the prime source of heavy metal pollution in the Arctic.
Brain's counting skill 'built-in' [Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:21:08 GMT]
Humans have an innate ability to do maths even if they do not have the language to express it, research suggests.
China jumps Olympics air hurdle [Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:43:07 GMT]
Despite fears in the run-up to the Olympic Games, the skies above Beijing have met clean-air standards, officials say.
Perfect return flight for Proton [Tue, 19 Aug 2008 08:40:44 GMT]
A Russian Proton rocket successfully launches one of the biggest commercial satellites ever built - the Inmarsat-4 (I4-F3).
Peru moves to end Amazon protests [Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:03:56 GMT]
Peru declares a state of emergency as indigenous Amazon tribes block pipelines in a row over a land law.
Wastewater fears for urban farms [Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:22:34 GMT]
Urgent action is needed to remove pollutants from wastewater used in cities to grow food, a study warns.
Why a history of inbreeding spells trouble for pedigree dogs [Tue, 19 Aug 2008 03:15:36 GMT]
Pedigree dogs suffer from debilitating genetic diseases due to inbreeding, a BBC inquiry concludes.
Why reforming the economics of food could bring environmental and social benefits [Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:16:45 GMT]
Why reforming the economics of food production and supply would be beneficial for a number of environmental and social ills.

App Development

WaveMaker, Genuitec cite AJAX focus [Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:20:00 GMT]
Developing with the popular AJAX technique for Web applications is the focus of product releases Monday from both WaveMaker and Genuitec.
Google solves long Gmail outage, but questions remain [Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:25:40 GMT]
Late Friday night Google solved the third Gmail outage of the past two weeks, but questions remain about the stability of the Webmail service, which is affecting the Google Apps hosted software suite.
Jitterbit reveals open source data integration tool [Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:59:54 GMT]
Data-integration vendor Jitterbit is releasing the 2.0 version of its platform on Monday, adding another entry to a growing group of open source alternatives to proprietary offerings from the likes of IBM, SAS, and Informatica.
Gmail leaves Google Apps admins nervous [Fri, 15 Aug 2008 22:29:28 GMT]
When Gmail crashed on Monday, affecting many organizations that depend on it for work e-mail via the Google Apps suite, widespread gnashing of teeth ensued.
Update: Gmail users report yet another outage [Fri, 15 Aug 2008 22:25:08 GMT]
Gmail users, including those who use it for work as part of the Google Apps hosted suite, are again reporting problems accessing the service.
IBM Gives a Mobile Voice to Developers []
Big Blue extends speech engine to developers to spur mobile device applications.
Inadequate Tools Send Software Down the Drain []
It's all about requirements definition, but antiquated tools and methodologies see money wasted.
USB 3.0 One Step Closer to Reality []
Intel releases a near-final spec that all USB vendors can use to make products that can run 10 times faster than USB 2.0.
Would-Be Linux Contributors May Get a Leg Up []
To better the OS and grow participation, Linux's backers want to help developers negotiate what's become a complex community of people and processes.
SAP, Oracle Holding Out on Ubuntu? []
As Canonical grows its Ubuntu partners, at least two important software vendors still do not support its version of Linux.

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