Articles
Pages |
Wabuf is now Folding@Home!posted by: Matthew Morris » Wednesday December 15th, 2010 I am excited to announce Wabuf's entry into the world of protein folding! Folding@Home is a distributed computing network aimed at developing better treatments and cures to many diseases. These include: cancer, alzheimer's, parkinson's, huntington's, ALS, etc. The process of folding is first simulated by this world-wide network, then analyzed by scientists at Stanford University. Any resulting data is studied in efforts to reveal the unknown side of diseases; what happens within a millisecond on the submicroscopic scale of irregular protein development. It is these irregularities that cause mutation and eventually what we recognize as disease. Why Should You Fold?Though my intentions are primarily to support disease research, I have another reason for starting this campaign. The group that created this system built in the ability to work as an individual earning points calculated by your number of completed work units (WU). They also built in the ability to start groups. I believe they did this to promote a competitive, yet team-oriented spirit; competition being fuelled by the leaderboards. Many companies such as video game developers, software engineers and technology enthusiasts have started folding groups. So this is another reason I feel we should promote this research. How to Get StartedFolding is easy! You can fold on your computer (Windows, Linux or Mac) and on your Playstation 3... sorry Xbox and Wii fans. You can download the application here: Basic Download: http://folding.stanford.edu/English/Download If you wish to dig a little deeper into the science behind this process, Stanford's site does a much better job of explaining than I do: Folding@Home Science Page. Join Us!In order to join the Wabuf Folding@Home Team, you must use our Team ID: 198256. 
Timelessposted by: Nicholas Begnaud » Sunday November 14th, 2010 Lost time is never found
Timeless is a simple non-dialogue short comedy based around a small graveyard run by a lone gravedigger. His attachment to his pocket watch and the little time he has left on this earth is what gets him through his routine until the day comes where he misplaces his watch in a fresh grave of a recent funeral. The only thing standing between the gravedigger and his buried watch is a weeping widow who can't quite move on from her late husband in the time following her loss. He needs to figure out just how far he'll go to get his watch back. We're hoping to instill a light sense of humor for the audience that makes this film worth remembering. Audiences can read into the film further than the witty situational humor from the theme. In a way, we're redefining the word timeless to mean exactly what the base word and suffix combination should really mean: without time. Timeless was a story I needed to write to remind me of how important time is. If that same meaning can be taken by a single person who watches this, it'll have been worth every resource filming it. Whether people laugh or think or relate to the character, this will be fun to film and watch for anyone. We're fortunate to have an entire crew of trusted people to get the work necessary done when production comes up and all essential work up to initial photography. Our director of photography, Christopher Scott, has worked on several of my short films before along with my editor Kendall Rumph. We have two amazing producers, Jenna Harcher and Lia Towers helping guide the project along at a reasonable pace for the shooting dates that will be February 5-7 and 12-14. A small tightly-knit crew like we have will be relatively easy to keep in good communication in the months leading up to production and plenty has yet to be done, but there's no doubt it'll be ready. What We Need & What You GetThis is a thesis project being developed and produced at the Savannah College of Art and Design so we're fortunate to have the perks of free equipment, cameras and help from crew at our disposal. All donations within the $3000 goal will help funding production design needs from costumes to materials for set dressing to all the various props, along with transportation of equipment costs and food to keep actors and crew from any mutiny on set. Production value is one factor we don't want to leave to chance, and that's really all it'll take to make this the best project it can possibly be. The rest is up to a good team which we have in every department. Of course, I don't like receiving help without offering something in return and so I should probably explain what the perks mean exactly. I encourage anyone interested to check out my deviantart page here: http://dead-beat-nick.deviantart.com/ just to get an idea of what else I do besides filmmaking. I've done traditional art commissions for a matter of years now, but through these years I've amassed a collection of work that I never bothered selling. Throughout school I've held onto these drawings like the gravedigger does with his watch so in the spirit of letting these possessions go, I've decided to finally sell them as fundraising for this project which means more to me than those relics. Other Ways You Can HelpIf you can't offer money, that's fine, but you can still help either by spreading the word about the project or simply staying tuned to our progress and showing your support of the idea in words. I want to keep anyone updated with progress in whatever way possible. Also, I draw commissions of original work if interested. Email me at nbegna20@student.scad.edu with questions. Contribute to TimelessUbuntu Invasionposted by: Matthew Morris » Saturday September 4th, 2010
New Lookposted by: Matthew Morris » Thursday August 26th, 2010
|
Happy Folding!
When most, normal people think of computers, they think of problems, blue screens and wasted time. This is likely the reason most people make the switch from Windows to Mac. For the last 3 years, I have used a different operating system: Ubuntu Linux. All the way back from the first release Hardy Heron, I loved the different look and feel of the Linux distribution. After exploring different software and features, I realized how powerful Ubuntu really was. When the newer distribution alphas and betas came out, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the new designs and latest technology. When it comes to new releases for Windows and Mac like 7 and Snow Leopard, there are little to no changes made to the user interface design. No real, tangible features. Yes, maybe optimized background processes and a new button here or there but when it comes to new features and customization ability, Ubuntu has had the most groundbreaking updates to date. Of course, with every good thing, there are going to be spin-offs and in Ubuntu's case, there are plenty of imitators. I have tried many of these Ubuntu imitators such as Mint, Manhattan and Sabayon. The biggest problem with them is that they improve on one area but neglect others; Such as driver support, which can deter most people.
So I finally found some time away from freelance web-work to redesign my own stuff. It's been over a year since the last visual update, which I personally consider a little past due. I gave up the darkroom color scheme and went a little lighter (at least for the content styling). As per usual, the page border and background remain dark and restrained. The idea behind this design was originally clutter and disorganization, but after running into a few minor dislikes, I realized that I am actually a very organized person, especially with code. I was trying to do a messy-looking Flash website, but it just wasn't able to keep things as organized as a normal XHTML & CSS site. Don't get me wrong, I love Flash! I just want a really low-maintenance site where I can make quick posts, almost like a blog.