http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/ Assistant Professor, Dept. of Computer Science, Brigham Young U., 801 422-2217, jones@cs.byu.edu Copyright 2008 Thu, 15 Mar 2007 19:30:32 -0700 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.11 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss I've created a new blog at which I regularly post updates on our research in natural phenomena: cgnp.blogspot.com. I switched to a blogspot/blogger blog for two reasons. First, it is much easier to post images using Picassa and blogspot. Second,... http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2007/03/new_research_di.html http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2007/03/new_research_di.html Research Thu, 15 Mar 2007 19:30:32 -0700 This image is our first fully rendered terrain generated using our model of surface erosion that admits concave surfaces. It obviously needs some serious smoothing, but it looks more like a Goblin than our last one. (Algorithm: Matthew Beardall,... http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2007/02/first_image_a_m.html http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2007/02/first_image_a_m.html Research Sat, 24 Feb 2007 19:07:24 -0700 When we do have the first general purpose quantum computer and the computing world is re-invented, this quote by Herb Martin will be famous: "A general purpose quantum computer is a waste of time. You could spend hundreds of billions... http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2007/02/mark_this_quote.html http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2007/02/mark_this_quote.html Misc. Thu, 15 Feb 2007 11:45:14 -0700 Matthew Beardall developed an erosion simulation algorithm which created the following hoodoo-like shape. If you look at it long enough, you can perhaps convince yourself that the algorithm is on the way to generating Goblin Valley Hoodoos (link goes... http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2007/02/our_first_artif.html http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2007/02/our_first_artif.html Research Tue, 13 Feb 2007 14:55:45 -0700 This image is the average image created by compositing 43 images of Mt. Timpanogos taken at 99.6% of the lit day over the course of the last 2 months. As such, it represents the average sunset over that time... http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2007/02/average_sunset_1.html http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2007/02/average_sunset_1.html Research Fri, 09 Feb 2007 10:16:50 -0700 Phil's got a great article on Mac laptop experiences. I have a PowerBook G4 that I've been using for about 3 years. I don't think I should have to take special care of my laptop so I don't. Even with... http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2007/01/the_ups_and_dow.html http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2007/01/the_ups_and_dow.html Misc. Mon, 01 Jan 2007 13:58:01 -0700 Merry Christmas to everyone, I hope yours was as good as mine. We had a great time at home with our 3 year old twins. The next technical challenge was importing from a self-made DLL (created in C++) in a... http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2006/12/finding_entry_p.html http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2006/12/finding_entry_p.html Tech Support Tue, 26 Dec 2006 07:56:39 -0700 As a professor, I have an uncanny ability to overlook details when I write code. I tend to look at the big picture, and that's a good thing most of the time when writing proposals, designing classes etc. I just... http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2006/12/building_and_us.html http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2006/12/building_and_us.html Tech Support Sat, 23 Dec 2006 22:50:56 -0700 My new lab is the "Computer Generated Natural Phenomena" Lab. I am working with a grad student (co-adivising with Parris Egbert) and two undergrads. We even made a lab webpage to increase our visibility. Natural Phenomena isn't a hugely hot... http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2006/12/cgnp_my_new_lab.html http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2006/12/cgnp_my_new_lab.html Research Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:31:55 -0700 I just got my Core 2 Duo windows desktop. When apple makes a core 2 duo 12 inch power book that can drive a 30 inch cinema flat panel, I'll buy one of those--and run windows on it. Until, then,... http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2006/10/making_a_window.html http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2006/10/making_a_window.html Tech Support Mon, 30 Oct 2006 11:46:07 -0700 I've decided to use two desktop machines (one at school and one at home) until someone makes a laptop that I actually want to buy (that would be a 12 inch laptop with a core 2 duo in it and... http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2006/10/laptops_lazines.html http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2006/10/laptops_lazines.html Misc. Fri, 06 Oct 2006 07:28:48 -0700 The process is somewhat painful, but in the end, you get right-click access to CVS. I assume that you have an CVS server running with ssh. 1. Get some software. TortoiseCVS, putty. 2. Set up your key pairs. There are... http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2006/09/configuring_tor.html http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2006/09/configuring_tor.html Tech Support Fri, 15 Sep 2006 09:57:59 -0700 Not sure what I might use it for, but this is very cool. [Earth Observatory Newsroom: Blue Marble Next Generation Monthly Global Images]... http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2006/08/the_color_of_th.html http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2006/08/the_color_of_th.html Research Tue, 22 Aug 2006 21:19:03 -0700 Parris Egbert and I are pondering some work on sandstone. This appears to be one of the original geology papers on the subject. Probably not the best one, but perhaps the first one. A reverse bibliography search should be useful.... http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2006/08/sandstone_fract.html http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2006/08/sandstone_fract.html Research Tue, 22 Aug 2006 20:55:35 -0700 I was perusing the ATI an Nvidia booths at siggraph looking for the portable laptop with the coolest graphics card. The ATI booth had a couple that I could heft. The guy at the Nvidia booth had the Dell XPS... http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2006/08/sweet_laptops_f.html http://vv.cs.byu.edu/~jones/blog/archives/2006/08/sweet_laptops_f.html Research Wed, 02 Aug 2006 14:59:10 -0700