Academic Computing Blog

Why Not Python?, Part 1:

http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/8794 — After 20 years of working with C, Collin Park decided it might be time to see what the “new” programming languages had to offer. So he took Python out for a spin, and now he’s sharing his experiences and his thoughts on modern languages in a three-part series for LJ.com.

Why Not Python?, Part 2:

http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/8729 — In Part 2 of his series, Collin Park gets deeper into Python by trying to write a program to solve Sudoku puzzles.

Why Not Python?, Part 3:

http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/8858 — The old C hacker is back to share what he learned about writing a short-and-sweet Python program that solves Sudoko puzzles. This time out, he’s working on the algorithm that fills in the puzzle blanks.

Why Not Python?, Part 4:

http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/8859 — In his final installment, Collin Park demonstrates how he got his Python program to make “guesses”. More importantly, he learned that when you’re coding in Python, “simply assigning a list doesn’t copy it”.

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Software for Starving Students (http://www.softwarefor.org/)

What is SSS?

The Software for Starving Students CD enhances the Windows and Mac desktop computing experiences by providing an easy way to install free, high-quality software titles via a user-friendly interface. It includes popular open source programs like Firefox and OpenOffice, intended to help students learn about and benefit from open source and free software programs. The SSS team put all the most commonly used free programs onto one CD to make it easier for students to install useful software (including fully-featured office suites, 3D graphic editors and much more) for free. To preview the new SSS interface, check out some screenshots of the latest release.

New packages with this version

This version includes many programs not available in previous versions. These include Azureus, Juice, DeepBurner Free, Inkscape, Paint.Net, VUPlayer, winLame, NVU, EAC (Exact Audio Copy), Spybot Search & Destroy, and Wink. A full list of included packages is also available.

[BitTorrent download site]

[Macintosh OSX download site]

My World is being developed at Northwestern University as part of a research program in the adaptation of expert data visualization and analysis tools to support inquiry-based learning. It is a Geographic Information System (GIS) designed specifically for use in middle school through college classrooms.

My World provides a carefully selected subset of the features of a professional GIS environment. These features include multiple geographic projections, table and map views of data, distance-measurement tools, buffering and query operations, customizable map display. They have been selected to provide the greatest value to students without overwhelming them with complexity The features are accessed through a supportive interface designed with the needs of students and teachers in mind.

My World can import data from the industry-standard shapefile format, as well as from tab and comma-delimited text files. In the future, it will be able to communicate directly with GPS-enabled handheld devices.

Requirements

My World GIS runs under under Windows 95/98/NT/2000, Macintosh OS X, Linux, and Solaris. My World requires Java 1.2 or later.

My World GIS requires a mimimum of 128MB of RAM. 256MB is the recommended minimum, particularly for uses involving large data sets or spatial analyses.

U.S. pricing for educational use of My World, as of May 2005, is:

Single machine: $59
Classroom license: $99
School/University site license: $399

45 day trial download available at …

http://wwfmpserver.sesp.northwestern.edu/FMPro?-db=myworlddownload.fp5&-format=myworldreg.htm&-view

College Students’ Latest Obsession
University Business
Published: Thursday, February 9, 2006
http://www.universitybusiness.com/page.cfm?p=607&news_date=2006-02-09&news_id=8787#top

Forget parties and hanging out at Starbucks. Today college students are clicking on to networking sites like MySpace.com and Facebook.com to socialize.

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), there are over 15 million undergraduate college students in the US, and they are a strong, active online audience.

The complete article is available at: eMarketer (may require login)
http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?1003820

To understand this complex group more deeply, eMarketer went back to campus to interview students. The picture that emerged is of a college student population that:

+ Is adept at multitasking

+ Is collaborative and group-oriented, whether doing schoolwork or participating in online communities

+ Moves seamlessly between multiple communications platforms

+ Believes in their right to express themselves online

+ Is unfazed by the idea that the online environment may not be as safe as they think

+ Wants to participate in the media they consume

“I’m online all the time,” Nick, 22, a senior majoring in international studies and religion, told eMarketer. “I’ve got it on my cellphone; I go on in between classes. It’s always on.”

The Penguin Personal Cluster(TM) is a high performance Linux cluster to-go that delivers powerful, scalable and easy to use supercomputing resources to project teams, departmental computing and highly-productive individual contributors. This unique cluster family packs up to 200 Gflops and 48 CPU cores in a tiny package, and provides a budget friendly answer to your most computationally intensive projects. And these clusters go anywhere – no computer room or system administrator needed. With a patent pending package design and world class Scyld Beowulf R Linux clustering software, you get workstation-like simplicity with unmatched scalability, reliability and performance. Whether your project is on land, sea or in the air, the Penguin Personal Cluster delivers all the freedom and productivity you need in one small and convenient package.

http://www.penguincomputing.com/hpcpersonal