programs to try - distributed P2P IM

http://retroshare.sourceforge.net/downloads.html

Converting Garmin FIT to GPX

Garmin has a (relatively) new file format for saving GPS and other related information used in a variety of devices.  Flexible and Interoperable Data Transfer (FIT) is a binary file format that can be converted by GPSBabel.  It contains things beyond basic coordinate information usually found in a GPX file.  Things such as heart rate, temperature, cadence, sport type are included.

In the GPSBabel GUI, the format is listed as "Flexible and Interoperable Data Transfer (FIT) Activity filefit".

The command line options are as follows:
gpsbabel -i garmin_fit -f  <input file name> -o gpx -F <output file name>

Exmaple:
gpsbabel -i garmin_fit -f /Volumes/GARMIN/Garmin/Activity/2014-08-24-09-02-57-Bike.fit -o gpx -F zzz.gpx

There is a way to save/convert to GPX on the Fenix 2 itself:

After you have ended an activity, hold down the menu button, then go to History, and that will show you your recent activities. Select one, then scroll down to and select "Save as Track", and when you connect it to your computer it will be a GPX file.

Geographing the UK

A project to get a photograph from every square kilometer of the UK: Geograph.  At the date of this posting, it looks as if central Ireland needs some attention.

Paronella Park

For the return trip to Australia, Paronella Park

Glass Hotel

A place to view the Northern Lights in luxury, a glass hotel.

Mountain Biking: Oregon

The McKenzie River Trail claims to be the number 1 biking trail in the US.  Time to check it out.

Telecom Resources

All sorts of information on the old Bell System

Cooper's Law

Much like Moore's Law deals with the growth curve of transistors and integrated circuits, Cooper's Law, named after Martin Cooper, discusses the performance curve wireless communications.  Specifically, the capacity of usable spectrum doubles every two and a half years.

However, there are indications what new mobile technologies (LTE) are approaching the Shannon limit (pdf link, page 10, section 4.3).

What happens when that limit is reached: smaller cells and more spectrum are needed to meet the demand.

FCC Law & Regulation blog

http://www.telecommediatechlaw.com/broadband/

Archive of FCC outage reports

This site has archived the previously publicly available FCC wireline outage reports.

Things we need in DC

DC could definitely use moveable bollards like in Manchester, England.

Existential Risk

Interesting site out of Cambridge looking to the future on things that endanger our existance:
The Center for the Study of Existential Risk.

It's a multidisciplinary center that studies, among other things, system risks and network fragility.

Deserted hotel in Columbia

Looks like a great spot.  I wonder why it was shuttered and abandoned.

The LIRR and Penn Station

More information that you know what to do with about the Long Island Railroad and it's terminal at Penn Station: Long Island Rail Road Today has it all.

For example, why do certain trains show up on certain tracks at Penn Station, this article and the below diagram explain and show the Venn Diagram of tracks, tunnels, and power systems.

On the frontiers of biology: plant communications

It's often assumed that plants boring, sedentary, and solitary organisms, but new research (or old research reexamined) changes that.  Plants communicate, the mount defenses against predators;  they seemingly act in concert with one another, though other hypotheses call into question the intentionality of such communication.

Quanta magazine has a recent article titled "The Secret Language of Plants" detailing some new research.

PBS's Nature has a full episode online- What Plants Talk About.

Both provide a fascinating look into a normally overlooked part of our world.

Data rate technology comparrisons

A useful Wikipedia article on various data technologies and their transmission rates, some with year of introduction

Long trek for tea

Not sure if it's worth it, but this looks like one hell of a trip to get a cup of tea