Tip: CPU Scaling Performance October 20th, 2009

CPU ScalingThere is a GNOME Applet included by default in Ubuntu that allows you to adjust your CPU scaling frequency, which most hardware supports. You can right click any panel and select Add to Panel, then select the CPU Frequency Scaling Monitor applet.

This is a misleading name because it does more than just monitor the scaling, it allows you to change it easily. Most people disregard these settings because many settings like this don’t make a huge difference in other applications. There is one place it makes a big difference, which is the mother of all CPU users: Web Flash-based video. This thing basically physically abuses your processor. You can use flash little performance tests to get an idea of how CPU scaling affects your hardware.

In the same way, I find that actually making use of the Powersave and other options when on battery. On desktop systems where power consumption isn’t an issue, this setting will always be set at Performance. While Ondemand is rather good for typical use, some users find that it degrades response-time for things like Compiz.

Also remember that IOWait is typically the bottleneck for a lot of applications. I chose to use Flash as an example because it does a poor job of accomplishing it’s job and as a result requires a magnitude of additional computational power. You can easily compare the amount of processor usage to anything like VLC, Totem, or Mplayer and they will be a fraction of the usage.

Nintendo Kids Obviously Make Technology Today October 20th, 2009

Laser keyboard by I-Tech

Laser keyboard by I-Tech

Cyberglove Motion Capture

I was on the Compiz Forums looking for an area so that I can get onto their Planet Compiz, since I’ve been doing a little bit of development in that area. Then I saw this post titled Creating your own Iron Man (Tony Stark) Desktop and I had to “investigate.”

3D Projection by Liminvision

That led me to these really awesome keyboards from I-Tech. I had heard random rumblings of such things, and the picture here is awesome! I thought Sony or IBM was cooking up something to do with this and a laser tracking system, but this looks really cool, and appears to be available for a modest price ($150).

Cybergloves seem to be a adult version of the Power Glove, whatever difference that is. I don’t think anyone is going to put a glove on and look like a jackass for another 10 years, but it might happen. In all seriousness I’ve seen these systems before and they are kinda neat. Power, Cyber, whatever. Good luck finding drivers for any glove!

Virtual Boy (eww)

The horrible VirtualBoy console. Now with more than one way to cause a headache!

PowerGloveI had already seen the 3D projection thing that Luminvision is providing (or at least technology very similar) in Portland at the mall. I saw some kids playing with it and it seemed like it could be interesting. I think most of us adults are too lazy to do anything like that. It’s not much of a stretch to say that the jackasses wearing those gloves will probably be the ones kicking these pixels on the floor like a dog attacking a laser projector.

Which reminds me, are lasers the best thing to be typing with? What happends if you put a CD down on top of where your keyboard (which is now lasers) was? Does the reflection somehow register sudo rm -rf / ? If you use that thing for a long time are you going to get typing lines?

All this stuff kinds reminds me of the Nintendo gadgets coming out in the 80’s, like the Power Glove, then in the 90’s the super-failed VirtualBoy. Not to be confused with the super-awesome VirtualBox. I waited in line for hours in the freezing cold (you know your getting old when you start stories like that) to get my nefews a Wii a few years ago, and from what I can tell those games are heavily restricted. It’s interesting that Nintendo is trying to go with a new direction, but I think they ended up like this SNL skit.