f i g i t a l

Firefox 3 Goodness

It appears as though the bookmarks functionality in Firefox 3 is being integrated with the del.icio.us API.

I'm also thinking they've started to build the CustomButtons2 add-on directly into the browser which would allow you to easily Javascript all of the various buttons and "chrome" in your toolbars and menus (and load 'em up over the wire).

This is very good news and is a major step in the Firefox browser morphing into the network-driven "Firefox desktop shell".

I'm also even starting to love that new funky back button !!

PGN Format

BabasChess had a FICS server option to send results using the standard PGN format so I can probably just find something already written in Java.

PGNParser looks easy enough and even has an XML converter.

LT-PGN-Viewer has a Javascript parser and a web interface.

Aprodonus will even output a gameboard through a URL.

Another beating ... this time in PGN for your viewing pleasure :

[Event "FICS rated standard game"]
[Site "FICS, San Jose, California USA"]
[Date "2008.03.15"]
[Time "19:07:54"]
[Round "-"]
[White "CoyoteOH"]
[Black "figital"]
[WhiteElo "1349"]
[BlackElo "1257"]
[TimeControl "600+10"]
[Mode "ICS"]
[Result "1-0"] 

1. e4 e5 2. f3 d5 3. Bd3 dxe4 4. Bxe4 f5 5. Bd3 f4 6. Be4 Nf6 7. Qe2 Bc5 8. Qb5+ Nbd7 9. Bxb7 Bxb7 10. Qxb7 Qc8 11. Qc6 O-O 12. Qe6+ Kh8 13. Nc3 Qe8 14. Qc6 a5 15. Nd5 Nxd5 16. Qxd5 Bxg1 17. Rxg1 Nf6 18. Qc4 e4 19. Kf2 Qe7 20. d3 Rfe8 21. Bxf4 exd3 22. cxd3 Qe2+ 23. Kg3 Nh5+ 24. Kh4 Nxf4 25. Qxf4 Qxd3 26. Rad1 Qb5 27. Qg4 Qxb2 28. Rd7 Qf2+ 29. g3 Qxg1 30. Qxg7#
{Black checkmated} 1-0

Say what?

This is pretty freaky. You'd think Stephen Hawking would want one of these instead of blinking into that Speak & Spell.

I would love to see them visualize which EEG hotspots are noticibly active during the "talking".

Time to break out the Brainmaster again !?!

Thanks, PMARCA.

( on a related note check out The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, my favorite movie from 2007 )

Syndicating FICS Results

The Free Internet Chess Server (FICS) is the best place to play chess on the Internet. Past results haven't been available outside of their system for historical analysis. They've got an option now to e-mail you nicely delimited results as soon the game is over.

I'll try to to schedule a POP checker and then parse the data into a simple database ("game" and "move" tables are probably all that would be necessary). Then it would be interesting to see over time what my winning (actually losing) percentage was based on things like starting off with e4, time control settings, etc. It also probably wouldn't be too difficult to do pattern matching based on openings like the Ruy Lopez.

My ranking has been so bad lately there's no place to go but up anyway. Here's the beating I took this evening :

roshir (1244) vs. figital (1178)
Fri Feb 29, 16:44 PST 2008
Rated standard match
initial time: 10 minutes
increment: 10 seconds.
move  roshir                  figital            
----  ---------------------   ---------------------
  1.  e4      (0:00.000)      e5      (0:00.000)   
  2.  f4      (0:02.168)      exf4    (0:13.720)   
  3.  Nf3     (0:04.110)      g5      (0:08.392)   
  4.  Nc3     (0:08.066)      Bb4     (0:08.362)   
  5.  a3      (0:04.788)      Bxc3    (0:01.892)   
  6.  dxc3    (0:02.605)      Nf6     (0:15.892)   
  7.  Bd3     (0:03.810)      Ng4     (0:13.800)   
  8.  g3      (0:10.793)      Nh6     (0:09.484)   
  9.  gxf4    (0:03.649)      g4      (0:15.753)   
 10.  Ng5     (0:14.484)      f6      (0:23.924)   
 11.  Nxh7    (0:08.830)      Rxh7    (0:06.539)   
 12.  f5      (0:04.895)      Nc6     (0:12.869)   
 13.  Bxh6    (0:03.841)      Rxh6    (0:04.536)   
 14.  Qxg4    (0:01.724)      Ne5     (0:07.060)   
 15.  Qg8+    (0:08.661)      Ke7     (0:37.914)   
 16.  Qg7+    (0:03.392)      Kd6     (0:03.515)   
 17.  Qxh6    (0:02.636)      a5      (0:18.437)   
 18.  O-O-O   (0:04.725)      Ng4     (0:12.648)   
 19.  Qf4+    (0:08.786)      Ne5     (0:12.038)   
 20.  Bb5+    (0:10.277)      Ke7     (0:36.803)   
 21.  Rhg1    (0:12.143)      Qh8     (0:16.323)   
 22.  Rd5     (0:17.466)      d6      (0:16.234)   
 23.  c4      (0:16.166)      c6      (0:28.321)   
 24.  Rxd6    (0:08.888)      Kxd6    (0:11.347)   
 25.  Rd1+    (0:04.444)      Ke7     (0:22.702)   
 26.  c5      (0:08.758)      cxb5    (0:40.168)   
 27.  Qd2     (0:05.106)      b4      (0:26.478)   
 28.  Qd6+    (0:05.403)      Kf7     (0:57.323)   
 29.  Qc7+    (0:07.330)      Nd7     (0:21.330)   
 30.  Rxd7+   (0:05.211)      Bxd7    (0:03.115)   
 31.  Qxd7+   (0:03.414)      Kg8     (0:25.587)   
 32.  Qxb7    (0:04.014)      Rf8     (0:16.865)   
 33.  c6      (0:02.824)      Qxh2    (0:35.561)   
 34.  c7      (0:10.884)      Qg1+    (1:12.324)   
 35.  Kd2     (0:03.711)      Qf2+    (0:26.168)   
 36.  Kd3     (0:03.901)      Qf1+    (0:34.450)   
 37.  Kd4     (0:04.186)      Qd1+    (0:11.026)   
 38.  Kc4     (0:01.940)      Qxc2+   (0:15.062)   
 39.  Kb5     (0:01.849)      bxa3    (0:21.311)   
 40.  bxa3    (0:08.274)      Qb3+    (0:15.913)   
 41.  Kc6     (0:01.786)      Qa4+    (0:47.128)   
 42.  Kb6     (0:10.525)      Qd4+    (0:17.165)   
 43.  Kxa5    (0:12.310)      Qc3+    (0:09.413)   
 44.  Kb6     (0:25.371)      Qe3+    (0:21.842) 
 45.  Ka6     (0:29.046)      Qxa3+   (0:12.868)  
 46.  Kb6     (0:01.725)      Qb3+    (0:05.668)   
 47.  Kc6     (0:04.117)      Qa4+    (0:12.017)   
 48.  Kb6     (0:05.383)      Qa8     (0:18.086)   
 49.  Qxa8    (0:23.270)      Rxa8    (0:03.805)   
 50.  Kb7     (0:01.455)      Re8     (0:19.959)   
 51.  c8=Q    (0:05.200)      Rxc8    (0:07.200)   
 52.  Kxc8    (0:01.263)      Kf7     (0:07.862)   
 53.  Kd7     (0:01.306)      Kg7     (0:15.282)   
 54.  Ke8     (0:05.959)      Kh6     (0:07.181)   
 55.  Kf7     (0:02.173)      Kg5     (0:03.305)   
 56.  Ke6     (0:10.580)      Kf4     (0:08.352)   
 57.  Kxf6    (0:08.966)      Kxe4    (0:00.912)   
 58.  Ke6     (0:03.173)      Kf4     (0:09.263)   
 59.  f6      (0:01.544)      Kg5     (0:04.426)    
 60.  f7      (0:01.154)   
      {Black resigns} 1-0

iTouch Update

I've since hosed my iTouch again with the 1.1.4 update but for a few days was able to play around with a jailbroken version. Once cracked you can easily install ssh, Apache or lighthttpd, PureFTPD, perl/python/ruby, an RDBMS, etc. Then you can broadcast & map a remote Samba drive over Wi-Fi and run web apps using your MP3s, synch with remote web services like last.fm or del.icio.us, or connect to an OPML server. Anxious to see Shoutcast or a light version of Firefox running on this thing! COOL.

Trackback Smack !

While you're at it Dubner just get rid of odd numbers too.

That way you only have to count on one of your hands! ;)

( I am attempting my first "trackback" )

Happy (Belated) Folic Acid Awareness Week

Folic acid is a B vitamin. It is used in our bodies to make new cells.

   [ LINK ]

" YUM ! "

iTouch Stinks

The new iTouch is a dud.

i was expecting — like previous iPods — that I would be able to:

• syncronize the device from other programs like WinAmp or SongBird
• have access via a Windows drive mapping whereby I could use the extra space to save files
• install new third party applications

Since the device is technically running a flavor of OSX I was hoping that i could:

• telnet into the device
• possibly run web services over the wifi network device like http or a SQL daemon

No such luck on any of the above.

In fact, it seems as though the point of each successive software update is to cripple the device even further. I recently paid 20 bucks for update 1.1.3 which was packaged with a bunch of near-useless widgets (save Google Maps which was a free download for my Treo 650).

This is essentially my first experience with owning a modern Apple product and I'd have to say it's been a disappointment. The touch screen and web browser are fantastic but the "keyboard" stinks, there's no hardware volume controls, no bluetooth or infrared, and the synchronization is clumsy. I'll be hoping that next time I have the option of purchasing a more open platform.

:(

Bobby Fischer Goes To War

Bobby Fischer Goes To War is one of the best books I have ever read. I'm into chess but this one's more about politics, showmanship, ego, and madness.

[ LINK ]

Schemas For Dummies

Favorite recent quote-of-the-day from Bocephus' recent "Weekend at Bernie's" rant:

"The interface designer's critical task is to support and reinforce the user's understanding of the data model."