Latest News from Paul Panks

The Ubuntu Experience

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 16:00:00 EST

Ubuntu Linux is a new experience for me. Having used only Red Hat's Fedora Core, I was anxious to try out the recently released Ubuntu 5.10 (available from Ubuntu's Website at www.ubuntu.com). I was not disappointed. After waiting approximately 45 minutes to download the 617 MB ISO file, I quickly burned it to a CD and rebooted my computer. Within a mere half an hour, Ubuntu was successfully installed on my system.

Memory Is Just Like RAM...Volatile

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 14:00:00 EST

Human memory and Random Access Memory (RAM) share one thing in common: they are both very volatile. This basically means that once the power sources feeding the memories are terminated, the memories disappear forever (at least in the case of human short-term memory; more on that in a bit).

The Vanishing Bits

Wed, 28 Dec 2005 08:00:00 EST

I often wonder what happens to data when it gets erased. Just where does it go? What happens to it? Does it 'vanish' completely, or does it still exist somewhere, perhaps in the memory bank of the expanding universe?

Linux.SYS-CON.com Editorial: The Digital Photo Cornucopia

Sat, 03 Dec 2005 23:30:00 EST

My aunt and I were having an e-mail discussion about which is the easiest to use: a real photo album with pictures or a computer photo album, as on a CD-ROM. I suggested that we put all the family photos into an album rather than having them strewn all over the place in photo folders. She suggested scanning them into the computer and building a photo album that way. I tend to agree with her, as a digital photo album is easier to preserve and present than the more traditional photo album.

Linux.SYS-CON.com Feature - Silicon Embers: Making Old Technology New Again

Wed, 19 Oct 2005 11:00:00 EDT

There is a concept in computers called the 'Digital Rainbow,' an idea that describes how all digital projects eventually end at a pot of programming gold. Riding the Digital Rainbow is akin to riding the light waves of a silicon world, from everything in computers and GPS systems to Apple's iPod.

Climbing the Linux Mountain

Sat, 15 Oct 2005 12:30:00 EDT

Sometime between the years 1995 and 2004, Linux reached the mainstream of computer users the world over. No longer was it all about Microsoft or the Mac. Now there was a new sheriff in town, and it was a penguin packing some serious heat.

The Linux Rainbow

Fri, 08 Jul 2005 17:00:00 EDT

It's a little past 3 a.m. on a Tuesday morning, but I'm still wide awake (thanks to a cup of Orange Cappuccino). As the hot, misty drink invigorates me, my mind begins pondering the state of Linux as both an operating system and desktop environment for modern day computers.

The Further Adventures of HLA

Thu, 10 Mar 2005 00:00:00 EST

In April of 2003, I stumbled upon Randy Hyde's Web site for HLA (High Level Assembly). I was originally sent to the Web site via Google, a popular search engine. I wasn't searching for Assembly Language; rather, I had been searching for a freeware BASIC interpreter. Although I found 'HLA Basic' (Randy's BASIC interpreter written in HLA), I was suddenly interested in learning more about HLA itself.

Linux & Gaming: HLA Adventure - An Adventure in Learning a New Programming Language

Fri, 11 Jun 2004 00:00:00 EDT

After learning of High Level Assembly (HLA) language on Randall Hyde's Web site while searching for a freeware BASIC interpreter, Paul Panks began to create an open source text adventure game, HLA Adventure. 'I think Linux and HLA are two very positive influences in my work right now,' he says. 'I can't imagine not working with either.'