Tweets of the month

Celebrating Thanksgiving in New York 5:36 AM Nov 27th, 2008

Computer (finally) up-and-running. 5:29 AM Nov 26th, 2008

My old computer is back in business! I'm just finishing reconfiguration and implemention of new security and backup policies. 10:19 PM Nov 25th, 2008

Finished defining and implementing my new password scheme: "Casa roubada, trancas MAIORES na porta" / "Stolen house, BIGGER locks on doors" 8:14 PM Nov 19th, 2008

Turning 31 today. Thanks to everybody who sent me congratulations. You have a special place in my heart. 11:20 PM Nov 18th, 2008

My apartment was broken into... 2 laptops, 1 iPod and 1 Canon camera were stolen. It's awful... 8:16 PM Nov 17th, 2008

First impressions were positive. Feedback meeting will resume on Monday. 9:47 PM Nov 14th, 2008

Feedback meeting in 30 minutes. Summarizing key-points of written paper in index cards. 7:56 PM Nov 14th, 2008

I'll get feedback tomorrow. Now I'm improving what I've written so far. 6:24 PM Nov 13th, 2008

Sorted 20 index cards... Wrote draft for first part of thesis proposal. Now I need expert feedback. 11:15 PM Nov 12th, 2008

Finished writing ideas to 40+ index cards. Next, pick and sort! 5:41 AM Nov 12th, 2008

Writing down ideas on index cards... 8:36 PM Nov 11th, 2008

Looking at Japanese RFID technology. Interesting! 1:35 AM Nov 10th, 2008

Looking at MSc students' work proposals... Good evaluation is critical for good science! And also is good feedback! 5:05 PM Nov 8th, 2008

the paper backlog is finally clear! And in between I had some neat ideas for my PhD, with some help from Joana! 11:35 PM Nov 4th, 2008

is back to work, clearing the backlog for interesting papers and research stuff 9:41 PM Nov 3rd, 2008

Computer protection policy

One thing is to teach computer security; another thing is living it! Due to the recent theft, I had to practice more of what I "preach".

I redesigned my identity management policy, using a multi-tier approach, to balance usability and overall security.

I upgraded the use of data security mechanisms. Consider Windows file encryption capabilities (don't forget to backup your certificate, though). If you're using a Mac, consider FileVault. TrueCrypt is also highly recommended, for the most sensitive files.

The data backup procedures were also revised. I finally finished a batch file script, relying on Windows robocopy. The easier it is to backup, the more often you can do it. This decreases the chances of data loss. However, remember to find an alternate, safe physical location for your backup disks. They won't be of any use if they're stolen along with your computer. You can also use an on-line backup service, for less sensitive data.

Currently I'm looking at GadgetTrak or similar service, to enhance the chances of recovering a stolen computer.

In short, take good care of your computer, and prepare for worst case scenarios. It can happen to you!

Birthday present

What more could I wish for my birthday?

Being with the person I love,
In a warm place,
A fun game of Mancala,
A very tasty NY sirloin steak with a green salad,
an ice cream cake with two candles - a three and a one,
and a glimpse of the decisive shot of a Celtics vs Knicks game.

Thank you for the present, but most of all, thank you for being present!

Photo credit: Matthew West, Boston Herald

Turning 31

Today. Under pressure. But, "under pressure, diamonds are forged". With God's grace and a "little" help from my family and friends, of course ;-)

Theft

My apartment was broken into... 2 laptops, 1 iPod and 1 photo camera were stolen. It's awful...

Too bad James Bond isn't around to find whoever did it! Cambridge Police will have to do. Thanks for the effort!

Quantum of Solace

Quantum of Solace

M: "I'm glad you're back."
Bond: "I never left!"

SAPO Codebits 2008

SAPO Codebits, a Google Summer of Code-style gathering of programmers, in Portugal.

As for ideas, it's better to have crazy ones rather than few! / No que toca a ideias, antes loucas que poucas!

However there are some elements of geek culture I don't like very much, like the likening of people to machines, that can also be chemically hacked. It's a way to objectify i.e. treat as an object. A little bit doesn't hurt, as long as things are kept under control, and you don't forget a person is much more than the sum of its "parts".

Using index cards to help you write

Photo credits to Dustin Wax

I wrote down the ideas for the paper, one per index card.
Next I sorted them, and placed small post-its on the corner with a sequence (#) number (e.g. 1, 2, 2.1, 2.2, 3, ...).
Next I wrote the paper using the index card sequence. I didn't concentrate on the sentence connections that much. I left this for later rewriting.
I reread the paper and rewrote it several times, but the general structure was stable. It allowed me to focus on what I meant at the paragraph level rather than on the order of the paragraphs.
Finally, I wrote a new set of index cards, to summarize the paper contents and help me present the ideas on a meeting.
I felt very productive!

Thanks to Joana for the suggestion!

LyX

LyX is an open-source software for document editing. It's a hybrid between Word and LaTeX.

I'm giving it a try. Still not sure if it is good enough to replace Word in everyday use.

MITSO lite

MITSO


William Boyce: Symphony #3 in C major: Allegro, Vivace, Tempo di Minuetto
HK Gruber: 3 MOB Pieces: Patrol, After Heine, Verse
Evan Ziporyn: Frog's Eye
G. van Swieten: Symphony in F major: Allegro assai, Andante, Presto