It strikes me that learning to code combines a large number of skills at the same time. Each is quite specific and separate, and yet the magic of coding comes from employing them all. That’s great, but you cannot learn them that way. you need some focus and separation. Learning to code (in any language) […]
Archive | Technical
Socket.io
My new project has me looking at the use of Node.js and socket.io to send data between two (or more) independent web pages. Let’s not worry about why for now. The point is, I want to be able to have web apps receiving and sending streams of data without having any other awareness of each […]
Happy Node Year
In 2013, my first full year of UoD, and effectively the start of UoD in earnest, I wandered all over the place in terms of learning topics. November and December were not great for clocking up the hours and so I start 2014 needing to find a sense of focus and direction. Right now I […]
Code Everyday
Last month, I set myself a target to code a little bit everyday. It didn’t have to be for more that 15 minutes, and it could be anything – HTML, CSS, JavaScript and the plethora of frameworks and libraries, or my beloved Processing. The point is that I learn new concepts and techniques from my […]
Web of the Web
One of the challenges I face with UoD is the vast universe of stuff I don’t know. And, for the sake of this post, let’s just talk about web technologies, web enabled applications, users, culture, development etc – that whole sphere. Not only that but I don’t know what I don’t know, and when I […]
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence. Not just the title of a great compilation album on Warp Records cataloguing some great ambient techno and IDM tracks from the early 90’s, but also, it seems, a branch of computer science. Having had a break from learning, I though I would try another MOOC, this time through Udacity rather than Coursera. […]
The Upper Crust of Technology Enthusiasts
Raspberry Pi Bootcamp at @Bristol Just had a great day out at the Raspberry Pi bootcamp at @ Bristol with my 12 year old Son. The Raspberry Pi is the central, loose theme that brings together geeks and wannabe geeks of various persuasions. In fact there was a fair representation of Arduino, ARM controller and […]
Word Synth
For my Creative Programming Course, I have completed my final project. See it here, along with a description. For me this is quite an achievement. I am not sure the code or the result bears witness to the more critical reader
Knob Twiddling
My second Coursera MOOC course, Creative Programming for Digital Media and Mobile Apps, which I introduced in this post, is nearing the end. The final set of lectures, for week 6, went up today, and probably covered my favourite subject so far: a basic 808-style sequencer with lots of virtual knob-twiddling (actually slider-wiggling) features. It’s […]
Nand2Tetris: Expertise is Relative
It’s funny how whether you are a techy (geek/nerd/expert) is a matter of perspective between you, your audience, and those who know more than you along the particular subject at hand. To me, for example, a car is effectively a black box with a wheel on each corner. I have no interest is demystifying anything […]