All 7 entries tagged Computers

Bandwidth trading via BitTorrent

Writing about web page http://technology.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn12565&feedId=online-news_rss20

As part of my subscription to New Scientist, I get a free online subscription too, which I choose to manage via their RSS feeds and Google Reader.  One of the articles I saw today was an interesting modification to the BitTorrent protocol that has come out of Harvard, and is encapsulated in the Tribler program. 

The modification itself is quite interesting; taking the BitTorrent etiquette of giving back to the swarm what you download (i.e., maintaining a share ratio of 1.0), and the practice of blocking leechers (who have a share ratio far below 1.0) carried out by some private torrents, the Tribler guys have created a bandwidth credit system.  You actually trade bandwidth: uploading "earns" your bandwidth, and downloading is classed as "spending" your bandwidth.  Thus, if you don't upload, you can't download.  The creators hope that content can be distributed as fairly and efficiently as possible (cf. the ISPs' current issues with high-bandwidth applications such as video). 

Not only this, but looking briefly into the client program's features, it has collided head-on with the socially-networked world of "Web 2.0".  A recommendation system based on a "collaborative filtering algorithm" highlights torrents that you are likely to enjoy.  It also provides you with a one-stop shop for everything required to use your torrents - no more hunting the 'net for the right codec, Tribler has got it covered.  

Sounds good, but I'm not sure I'm ready to switch from Azureus yet.   Not on my PC, at least, which has enough power to cope with Azureus' memory-hogging antics, but Tribler might be worth investigating on my now-rather-underpowered G4 iBook...

: 30 Aug 2007 21:38 |  Tags: Computers Internet Open Source |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Last day

This comment appeared at the top of a code file I generated from one of Visual Studio’s handy Web Service programs:

This code was generated by a tool.

Story of my life, really :)

On a slightly more sombre note, this is my last day at Citrix, where I have spent my summer. It’s been a fantastic three months, working on a really interesting project. I’ve met some great people, and found a company I would really like to work for post-University. In many respects, I don’t want to leave (typically, the work is just getting to be really interesting), but equally I can’t wait to get back to Leamington, to see my friends and my lovely girlfriend regularly again, and to throw myself into next year.

The whole experience has raised some questions with uncomfortable and unsatisfactory answers with regards to next year, but I’m only too aware that I can’t stick my head in the sand and hope it all goes away. I’ve got a fantastic opportunity here that I need to grab by the balls and make work for me, but being so far away from everyone this summer has been hard enough; I can’t imagine how hard a year or more may be.

Anyways, the regular Friday morning cakes have arrived, so I must be off to collect my sticky bun :)

: 22 Sep 2006 10:08 |  Tags: Computers Internship Work |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

It's not a bug, it's a feature

My mouse wheel seems to be on the blink. Instead of scrolling up when I, erm, scroll the wheel up, it will do something entirely random, depending on the program I am using at the time.

In Firefox (2.0b), it scrolls the tabs I have open. In Visual Studio, it used to scroll the tabs I have open; now it randomly opens a tab I closed about 30 minutes ago. In Internet Exploder, a piece of toast comes out of the floppy drive, and canaries tweet as they take flight from the ejected DVD tray.

On the plus side, Smail now seems to be working at an acceptable speed. I wonder what the problem (that wasn't there, apparently) was.

It's actually good to be back at work. The benefit of having a job you enjoy, I guess.

: 07 Aug 2006 14:14 |  Tags: Computers ITS |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Smail Web Interface

Ok, so I've been having some problems with accessing Smail recently; the redirect page (the page that just says "Enter") takes a very long time to redirect me to my inbox — in the range of 1 minute or so.

I emailed the ITS helpdesk regarding this issue, and after 5 or 6 emails, they were not able to track down the cause of the problem at their end, and suggested it was a problem with my connection.

I'm not entirely convinced, but was satisfied enough to not press the matter further — it could be a connection problem, after all. I am interested to know, however, if other people are suffering the same problem.

: 07 Jul 2006 17:43 |  Tags: Computers Email ITS Smail Warwick |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Phew

Follow-up to What rotten luck! :| from SOAPBox v2.0

Fixed the computer again. That was all a bit much.

I don't appear to have lost any data; the mirror re-creation and duplication went smoothly (even if it did take 3 hours); and it's all generally ok again. I hope.

: 07 Jan 2006 17:46 |  Tags: Computers |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

What rotten luck! :|

Oh, the joy. No less than 2 days since I fixed my computer, it appears to be broken again. Tonight we suffered not one, but two mini power cuts that seemingly knocked out most of the bottom of Tachbrook Road and the surrounding area that have had an adverse effect on my seemingly fragile Linux box.

As such, I'm now investigating the process required to rebuild my RAID array (configured for mirroring) so that I don't lose the data stored on these particular hard disks. Luckily the system drive seems to be intact (saving myself the headache of setting up Fedora again), but I can't afford to lose the data stored in the RAID array: this is all my work in the world, ever.

Looks like I will have to dig out the manual for the RAID controller and review the process thoroughly. This is not what I need right now.

: 05 Jan 2006 21:51 |  Tags: Computers |  Comments (6) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Sigh

So, after 3 days of pain and misery, my Linux box is finally up and running again! As always, the hardest part was the Samba (Windows <--> Linux file and printer sharing) set up – I always have problems with that.

Having struggled to get Movable Type set up previously, I'm not bothering again – it was too much hard work! Thus, my blog is now located here, at Warwick Blogs.

As it says at the previous location of my blog, if you happen to have any of my blog entries, please email them to me via the form on the "Contact Me" page (link above). I'm particularly keen on getting my hands on the entries about my third year project again, as this was acting as both my project website and my notebook for my final report (due in April).

: 03 Jan 2006 10:01 |  Tags: Computers |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem