#Ethernet Channel

[techdriveplay]

How Can I Improve My Home Wi-Fi Network?

In today’s connected world, a reliable home Wi-Fi network is essential. Whether you’re working from home, streaming your favourite shows, or simply browsing the internet, a strong and stable Wi-Fi connection is crucial. So, how can you improve your home Wi-Fi network? Let’s explore some effective strategies and solutions. Statistics to Consider: 74% of households experience Wi-Fi issues at…

[govindhtech]

Tech Breakdown: What Is a SuperNIC? Get the Inside Scoop!

The most recent development in the rapidly evolving digital realm is generative AI. A relatively new phrase, SuperNIC, is one of the revolutionary inventions that makes it feasible.

Describe a SuperNIC

On order to accelerate hyperscale AI workloads on Ethernet-based clouds, a new family of network accelerators called SuperNIC was created. With remote direct memory access (RDMA) over converged Ethernet (RoCE) technology, it offers extremely rapid network connectivity for GPU-to-GPU communication, with throughputs of up to 400Gb/s.

SuperNICs incorporate the following special qualities:

Ensuring that data packets are received and processed in the same sequence as they were originally delivered through high-speed packet reordering. This keeps the data flow’s sequential integrity intact.

In order to regulate and prevent congestion in AI networks, advanced congestion management uses network-aware algorithms and real-time telemetry data.

In AI cloud data centers, programmable computation on the input/output (I/O) channel facilitates network architecture adaptation and extension.

Low-profile, power-efficient architecture that effectively handles AI workloads under power-constrained budgets.

Optimization for full-stack AI, encompassing system software, communication libraries, application frameworks, networking, computing, and storage.

Recently, NVIDIA revealed the first SuperNIC in the world designed specifically for AI computing, built on the BlueField-3 networking architecture. It is a component of the NVIDIA Spectrum-X platform, which allows for smooth integration with the Ethernet switch system Spectrum-4.

The NVIDIA Spectrum-4 switch system and BlueField-3 SuperNIC work together to provide an accelerated computing fabric that is optimized for AI applications. Spectrum-X outperforms conventional Ethernet settings by continuously delivering high levels of network efficiency.

Yael Shenhav, vice president of DPU and NIC products at NVIDIA, stated, “In a world where AI is driving the next wave of technological innovation, the BlueField-3 SuperNIC is a vital cog in the machinery.” “SuperNICs are essential components for enabling the future of AI computing because they guarantee that your AI workloads are executed with efficiency and speed.”

The Changing Environment of Networking and AI

Large language models and generative AI are causing a seismic change in the area of artificial intelligence. These potent technologies have opened up new avenues and made it possible for computers to perform new functions.

GPU-accelerated computing plays a critical role in the development of AI by processing massive amounts of data, training huge AI models, and enabling real-time inference. While this increased computing capacity has created opportunities, Ethernet cloud networks have also been put to the test.

The internet’s foundational technology, traditional Ethernet, was designed to link loosely connected applications and provide wide compatibility. The complex computational requirements of contemporary AI workloads, which include quickly transferring large amounts of data, closely linked parallel processing, and unusual communication patterns all of which call for optimal network connectivity were not intended for it.

Basic network interface cards (NICs) were created with interoperability, universal data transfer, and general-purpose computing in mind. They were never intended to handle the special difficulties brought on by the high processing demands of AI applications.

The necessary characteristics and capabilities for effective data transmission, low latency, and the predictable performance required for AI activities are absent from standard NICs. In contrast, SuperNICs are designed specifically for contemporary AI workloads.

Benefits of SuperNICs in AI Computing Environments

Data processing units (DPUs) are capable of high throughput, low latency network connectivity, and many other sophisticated characteristics. DPUs have become more and more common in the field of cloud computing since its launch in 2020, mostly because of their ability to separate, speed up, and offload computation from data center hardware.

SuperNICs and DPUs both have many characteristics and functions in common, however SuperNICs are specially designed to speed up networks for artificial intelligence.

The performance of distributed AI training and inference communication flows is highly dependent on the availability of network capacity. Known for their elegant designs, SuperNICs scale better than DPUs and may provide an astounding 400Gb/s of network bandwidth per GPU.

When GPUs and SuperNICs are matched 1:1 in a system, AI workload efficiency may be greatly increased, resulting in higher productivity and better business outcomes.

SuperNICs are only intended to speed up networking for cloud computing with artificial intelligence. As a result, it uses less processing power than a DPU, which needs a lot of processing power to offload programs from a host CPU.

Less power usage results from the decreased computation needs, which is especially important in systems with up to eight SuperNICs.

One of the SuperNIC’s other unique selling points is its specialized AI networking capabilities. It provides optimal congestion control, adaptive routing, and out-of-order packet handling when tightly connected with an AI-optimized NVIDIA Spectrum-4 switch. Ethernet AI cloud settings are accelerated by these cutting-edge technologies.

Transforming cloud computing with AI

The NVIDIA BlueField-3 SuperNIC is essential for AI-ready infrastructure because of its many advantages.

Maximum efficiency for AI workloads: The BlueField-3 SuperNIC is perfect for AI workloads since it was designed specifically for network-intensive, massively parallel computing. It guarantees bottleneck-free, efficient operation of AI activities.

Performance that is consistent and predictable: The BlueField-3 SuperNIC makes sure that each job and tenant in multi-tenant data centers, where many jobs are executed concurrently, is isolated, predictable, and unaffected by other network operations.

Secure multi-tenant cloud infrastructure: Data centers that handle sensitive data place a high premium on security. High security levels are maintained by the BlueField-3 SuperNIC, allowing different tenants to cohabit with separate data and processing.

Broad network infrastructure: The BlueField-3 SuperNIC is very versatile and can be easily adjusted to meet a wide range of different network infrastructure requirements.

Wide compatibility with server manufacturers: The BlueField-3 SuperNIC integrates easily with the majority of enterprise-class servers without using an excessive amount of power in data centers.

[weirdrtvscomments]

in case anyone is struggling with deciding who they want to vote for in the RTVStan/RTVS Nation/RTVSia/RTVS Topia/RTVS Topia-Ville presidential election, i have compiled a list:

Log

Representing the Ethernet Party: “A people with 5 ping to the main server is a people that prospers.”

Will change the name to RTVS Nation

Comic books are a part of the platform

Everybody gets a free moat

Eyes that are twice as big for everyone that wants them

Offload cost to Wifi users

Working on a battery charged snack

Hypnotist is a protected class

Robloxia war veteran

Defenses are proven

Will take your ants and import more

Endorsed by: Soulja Boy, Ken Masters, Stitch 

Signature move when President: Snake Trick (no weaknesses)

Punishment for other candidates: Follow him out & about like an RPG party

Mike

Representing the Sweets & Treats Party: “I was just outside eating a sandwich.”

Orange creamsicles will be available in every store

Free Steam Deck for every American citizen

Will lower tariffs and imports on all types of sweets and treats from Canada, while raising tariffs on everything else

Most important snack is Wasabi Peas

Not very good against zoners

Why are ants so bad?

Endorsed by: 2 (anonymous), Trap Snax

Signature gimmick when President: Whenever he eats a yummy piece of candy he gets an install, which gets its own theme

Special move when President: A cool punch like Marissa from Street Fighter 6

Punishment for other candidates: Have to reach into a bin of Bean Boozled that's 90% gross ones and eat it in public in front of cameras and the press. After, push into the alligator moat. Also, Mira’s idea

Mira

Representing the Drinks & Eats party: “I was rooting around in a dumpster out back.”

Will change the name to RTVSia

One of every food and drink, free of charge

Will develop a chemical compound called “Ketracel White,” will genetically engineer ants to be dependent on it 

Endorsed by: IceFrog, Yoshi, Yoshi (from Mario), baby Yoshi (might be one and the same), Chun Lee

Signature move(s) when President: Level up system (up to 3), if she gets knocked down she loses a charge of it, gets it when she does some power up move (or something), negative edge inputs (landmine, fireball, that one thing Bison does in Street Fighter 5), install where she gets a command grab, 8-way air dash, guard impact, levels reset between rounds, invincible super (can do it on wakeup)

Punishment for other candidates: Detractors rounded up and taken into woods where they are given a knife, camera, and laptop to make a Youtube channel of them living in the woods (Ethernet in the trees)

Trog

Representing the People’s Choice Freedom Integrity Liberty Justice Prosperity Sovereign Citizen’s Ethical Governance Democratic Renewal Global Sustainability Citizens for Unity (may be part of the Lego Star Wars Party): “We’re all part of God’s nation in my eyes.”

All breakfast restaurants have to be open for lunch & dinner in addition to breakfast

THEY HAVE TO GIVE YOU A LARGE WATER WHEN YOU ASK FOR IT

Desegregate PornHub and GayTube

Everybody gets a free castle

Immediately cease all snack exports 

Will start war with Canada

Will mail a bomb if you want him to

Will double your ants and give them to the next guy OR will turn them all into 1 big ant

New category on PornHub for ants

Will build death robots and a spaceship

Will be inventing gorgons, griffins, vampires, Frankenstiens, zombies, mummies, insects, gorgon ants (small)

Endorsed by: The Sims, Captain Video, Half Life 2: Lost Coast (demo), Tobuscus

Super move when President: 1 Sphinx on every tile surrounding, +1 food, +1 culture (if next to a river, +2 food, +2 culture instead)

Theme song: Steppin’ Out by Joe Jackson

Punishment for other candidates: All other candidates have to do an embarrassing pose and gaze into Medusa’s eyes, which will turn them into stone. The statues will be put in front of the White House, where during a nation-wide celebration they will be knocked down with a wrecking ball/individually destroyed with dirty bombs

Wayneradiotv/Wayne John 

Representing the California Milk Processors Board: “Enjoy DOGh.”

Every gallon of milk will have $2,000 in it

Free PornHub premium

Any dairy product you want whenever you want it

Will attract more ants

Will rename it to Milk Nation

Pig milk Iron Fist

Endorsed by: Britney Spears, Beyonce, Rhianna, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Shaquille O’Neal, Harrison Ford (all branded with Permanent Milk Mustache & committed their eternal lives), Batman, Mario, Spongebob

Signature move when President: Cow army that walks on their hind legs and shoot milk as projectiles

Punishment for other candidates: Mulched into feed for his cows

Things you need to rememer for the ONLY ELECTION THAT MATTERS!!!!

[mikeluigi64]

Thoughts and opinion on Switch 2

Before I start, do know I really like tech and generally, I like interesting implemtations of it, so I do have a bias towards handheld consoles in general because they have much more interesting limitations to start with. I'll get all my thoughts, up and down, on the switch 2.

I know the bigger screen does mean more internal area to work with, but how the hell did they manage to keep the thickness nearly identical to the switch 1? Actually impressive, I desperately want to see inside if it is all just because of smaller chip size.

Ok, so where do I properly begin excluding the shock that they pulled off the same thickness? Oh, the screen!

This screen is just a welcome addition overall. 1080p, better brightness and better panel tech that allows for HDR (Microsoft fix your god damn hdr implementation even nintendo has it) while being 120hz and VRR (Nvidia confirmed that it's using their implementation of g-sync via a blog post, here: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/nintendo-switch-2-leveled-up-with-nvidia-ai-powered-dlss-and-4k-gaming/). It now matches and slightly exceeds a lot of displays on handhelds now, which funnily enough makes puts it in a similar position as the og switch screen back in 2017, but at least the baseline is much higher so I think this will make the eventual OLED either be more meh, or more better in comparison. It may be closer to the meh side, at least with the first impressions I'm seeing on youtube and seen through my 2013 gaming monitor with clear faded pixels which is it's own issue if I do end up deciding to get a switch 2. Still +$100 I'm calling it. However, the fact it's 120hz natively means that you can now run games at 40fps without screen tearing because it's a clean divisable number of 120, with it looking noticably better then 30fps but not as draining as 60fps or above, which is going to help with more title's battery life. Speaking of Nvidia, let's talk a bit about that blog post.

I do not know how much people like this or not (See recent RTX 40xx and 50xx launches to see how happy people are with Nvidia), but I think they are very much the ideal partners in crime with Nintendo this time around. As long as the Tensor hardware is power efficient enough as they claim, this will just be a boon for handheld gaming times, even if they're stuck at the same 2-6.5 hours as the launch model og switch. It also means it can be updated with time to improve games potentially, so if developers decide to take advantage of it and nvidia/nintendo makes it easy to just update the codebase of a game to get to a never version, we may actually have a case of games becoming more performant and/or better looking with time, assuming they are not running at native 4k already. That's neglecting the processing offloading for stuff like that goofy camera, microphone quality and other stuff

(seriously, if you got a recent enough Nvidia GPU try the Nvidia Broadcast app, it's does basically all the audio/video stuff nintendo showed recently, but now with a focused platform I think this is going to become excellent)

oh ya, it is odd that the stream from friend's framerate is like 12 fps, best guess there is because it uses the on board video encoder and decoded to handle it, and if each is a seperate channel, along with one for background recording/screenshots, plus whatever the games may need for their own dedicated use, I am not too surprised it got the cut on such a slim package. Suck though.

That leads into the dock.

I think the dock is fine. Does the job, has USB ports on the side to connect controllers and charge them (USB 2 tho, so I guess the camera attachement had to go to the top USB C port CORRECTION, I just saw MKBHD's recent switch 2 impression video, it can actually be attached elsewhere maybe. That's interesting, Photo attached below). I think it's as inoffensive as the Switch Oled dock, which does all it needed to do too plus ethernet. It's fine.

I guess while I'm here, let's touch upon the Microsd Express card slot.

Let me preface this by saying, I knew that the standard was compatible with SD cards of prior so I found it odd they didn't make it clear if it could be used to at least get video/screenshots off, but they did!

Talking about the microSD express cards themselves, I may be in the minority here, but I am very very happy to see this get adopted. For those who are not in the know, it's basically much faster flash (that can be made for slightly more then an normal SD card) that runs off of the reader's PCIe Gen 4, allowing up to 2gb/s of read/write. Which is Crazy, and if they're mandating it to be required for games, that means the current 800mb/s read ones on the market right now is what the console will be using and games will finally load up so much faster. And, unlike the original SD cards, higher capacities like a terabyte already exist AND are not insanely more expensive over base sd cards.(I mean $20-25 for 256gb sd cards to $60 for same but microsd express is still a jump, but do you guys remember how fucking much 256gb sd cards costed originally? It was like $150, and I think 256gb storage will get further milage then the original 32gb storage the og switch had. And 1tb already cost $200 for when it comes out with the switch 2. Those prices will drop unless, uh... not within the scope of what I want to talk about)

Since we're on storage, 256gb of UFS storage? Like on phones, that can go multiple gigabytes per second read/write? Hell ya, we bout to get load times not much worse then other modern consoles.

Let's touch upon the joycons now.

I like them, but as more in a sense of improvment over og switch joycons. Which, honestly, that's all they needed to do. The standout weird feature is the mouse on both, but I only see this as a plus. I want more of my PC games on portable systems, and as much as I want the steamdeck too, the switch form factor is still more portable. Just... please let the bigger joysticks be actually good and resistant to stick drift, I do not want to open them up just to replace the sticks with hall effect ones again. As a plus, I can't wait to see what insanity warioware is going to become now.

Oh ya, chat.

Surprised it took them 2 decades to finally do it, but they seem to have a lot of restraint there still, with extensive parent controls to help metigate any issues, so I'll only give them slightly less shit. Slightly. I'm going to call it though, there is going to be controversy about what eventually will occur over the gamechat. Can't wait!

Switch online services

I mean, it was inevitable. This, with the Wii games that's almost absolutely coming later, is going to be good. I suspect a pricebump is going to occur with the NSO that's going to make it cost almost a full game per year, but at least the retro selection is going to start going from crazy to insane, making it probably worth it. I just hope that the voucher program (shown below) gets expanded to more third parties, because as much as I like nintendo games for $50 a piece with this program, it needs to be way more expansive to make the $20 cost at this time to be online, let alone get the 2 vouchers for $100, worth it. If they do that, and keep on adding new actually fun (looking at you Zelda Notes... what the fuck are you) and nice to have to the service, I think it could become worth it in the near future.

I ALMOST FORGOT ONLINE DOWNLOAD PLAY, seriously that alone may be worth it because with both local and online, it means you do not have to force your friends to buy games they may otherwise never touch outside of playing with you. This is straight up a good, pro-consumer thing if others don't ignore it 24/7. I just hope the streaming quality will not be dogshit ahhaha....

(Shout out to nintendo actuallly using this a part to prevent scalpers, I don't like it much because I didn't pay for NSO on the og switch but at least this is a verifiable way to prevent scalpers. I just wish acconts from the Wii U/3ds era got special treatment :^) )

Since we're getting more into software, shout out to how sad the UI is still.

Nintendo, the literal bare minimun here is not just black and white customizable themes. You haven't done that for a generation. I would have much rather had the UI present from the DSi/Wii to Wii U/3ds era then this bland nothing soup. God. Now, onto the most devicive one, and the one that makes or breaks it for me. The games, and their prices.

Let's get a few things clear, the $90 physical switch 2 game thing (which I had fallen for too) is in europe. If you're a suffering US citizen, the price is $80 for what seems to be big, high budget nintendo games, with everything else being $70, at least from the list of prices I've seen online.

About Game key cards, ya it's just the 'download play' games on the switch, but instead of a piece of paper that's one time, it's a re-usable cartridge that allows multiple downloads on other switches and acts like a physical one otherwise. This, in my opinion, is objectively better, and is not the default option. Other games will be on the Cartidge like og switch, see Cyberpunk 2077 on a 64gb one (seriously how the fuck they did that).

This switch 2 edition is on a case by case basis, so if it is just an fps/resolution bump, it is likely to be free. If it has a bit more, like some added extras and they know people would pay for the fps/resolution, see botw and totk will be $10, and if the content has basically DLC + all of the above, it's $20. Also, lol at welcome tour.

Seeing all of that, I'm iffy. I'm worried that the panic and reactions from everyone will lock the prices for everyone else at $80 since the publishers will take any chance to push prices up further, but if $70 stays I would reluctantly accept it. Unlike some people on the other platforms may say, in the past before $60 standardization, we had other options to play games like with rental stores, actually being around friends, and frequent discounts and bundles to get inventory moving. That does mean nowadays, especially with no sale nintendo, this price is here to stay, and if this is the cost to actually keep games good and not need astronomical sales to make back development costs, so be it. I am just not happy knowing that a lot of publishers will be using machine created/generated stuff each year for that price or $80 and expect no issues with it. The only thing I am very curious about is the capabilities of the switch 2 being somewhere between a PS4 and PS5, but able to handle PS5 ports, potentially making it the best way to play a lot of newer games on the go until valve decides in 2030 to make the steam deck 2.

Now everyone's favorite issues, price. I think it's reasonable, sucks a bit but reasonable. We're now dealing in a world where Nvidia has their focus on AI stuff, and knows that Nintendo wants backward compat + better stuff, so Nvidia likely is changing way more on parts. This world also includes inflation (seriously, $300 in 2017 is now closer to $400, and now there's all the extra nicer stuff slapped on top to justify a next gen). This world also includes ungodly uncertienty because of a a group in the wrong place in the wrong time. Considering all of this, honestly, $450 is fine. It sucks, I know it has pushed a few friends out from buying it w/o someone assisting them in the purchase, but it's fine. It's going to be a great refinement, which is all a sequel console had to be. The thing you have to know, nintendo is doing the thing again with previous controllers being compatible with the current system, so in reality (especially with me and my hall-effect modded controllers) the price to play with others will not be much more. I touched upon this already, but the game prices are iffy for me, and it's absolutely going to prevent me from buying as many games as I had for the og switch, but it's an dampener.

I will need more time to simmer (and see how my finacial situation is going to be), but I am currently leaning to I will try to get it. I'm on the fence, and I have a good chance of flipping to waiting later, or just not getting.

I may add more thoughts as I think them and remember I can use tumblr like this, but I think this is everything I wanted to get out that has been simmering in my head for a bit. Oh ya I almost forgot the most important thing, Homebrew. I love homebrew, it has given me extra life and enjoyment out of my og switch. If there is another launch edition vuln that allows homebrew, I want in.

[yuurivoice]

hai there!! how are you doing today? :3

Exhausted, but about to be productive. Gotta film a few Vtuber things, get some writing done, and build a little table at the office. I need to do some posting on socials for the Alphonse plushie. Busy afternoon coming up.

Aside from that, I'm good. I've started doing my 3 weekly gym sessions without my trainer and I think I enjoy the experience a lot better when I can just vibe out listening to music so that's fun.

Got some blood test results and things are looking good there.

I've been cooking a lot more lately, and really enjoy grilled chicken thighs with salt/pepper/garlic + chipotle + garlic butter seasonings. Juicy af and gets a good crisp on it. That's nice.

Uhhhhhhh...how else am I doing?

Very thrilled about the Alphonse plushie so far, we crushed our early launch numbers from Charlie and I feel good about how the longevity will work out. We'll be running a BitterSweet marathon stream on the channel over the weekend and I hope that'll help raise awareness for the plushie as well! (This is what I'm recording some stuff for)

Gonna do some fiddling with a type of video sometimes soon, which is essentially a Talking Head video but it's either the MeTuber, Alphonse, etc telling a story or discussing something related to the channel. FAQs, the literal YuuriVoice backstory, that sort of thing. Types of stuff that won't be BANGERS, but will be really cool to have on the channel in general over time.

I got a goddamn ethernet cable plugged into the PC so we shouldn't have anyyyyy stream issues again. Ever. Not even once. That's good.

I do have some bangers lined up for spooky season, though it wasn't quite what I had wanted it to be when I was brainstorming half a year ago. That's life.

Gonna fuck around and record the BitterSweet Director's cut lines...again. Looking forward to that.

Extremely excited about Dragon Age at the end of the month, though I won't really get to play much of it because I'll be going to a Ren Faire that weekend! But the following week? I'll be locked the fuck in.

Back in relation to YuuriVoice things, I've started taking a serious look at Wiki solutions for the fandom, and think I've settled on one that I'm excited about firing up. I will be doing my best to get that up and running BEFORE Echoes of Evalas. The tool I have in mind is way more impactful than a simple Fandom Wiki, and should involve no annoy ads, a great browsing experience and....uh, info. Lots of info, I guess. This spawned from the need to have a visible timeline for the fandom to visualize when and where things were happening, and I went down a rabbit hole.

Also, maps...I need to...find a map maker...

I can't think of anything else I've really got going on right now. The big focus now is consistency. I need to keep this up through the rest of the year and end it strong, so we go into 2025 rocking and rolling.

[glassesfreekjr]

(Oxygen Tank and its members belong to and were created by @twipsai. Used with permission — thanks for letting me borrow them!)

Retraction: We at Hikara Walker would like to apologize to Oxygen Tank and its fans for insinuating, due to insufficient research, that their origins lay in pirate radio. Unlicensed radio broadcasts, if set on frequencies close enough to licensed ones, can cause interference which screws with radio reception. This is prevalent in the Splatlands and has been known to disrupt Big Run early warning systems — infamously resulting in the sacking of Inkblot Art Academy during March of last year. Rather, Oxygen Tank aired their first performances over the Ethernet radio channels of the Deep Sea Metro before spreading their reach topside. These transmissions were inadvertently picked up by underground Octarian domes via faulty electronic cables, resulting in repetitious illegal broadcasting therein. If the heavenly melody of the Inkantation sparked the downfall of a regime, then others, including Oxygen Tank's Ral-Hula-Loo (first rec. Museum d'Alfonsino), served to fan the fire by complete happenstance. (Reportedly it's rather embarrassing for them and they'd rather not talk about it. But that's journalism, baby — eat our shorts.)

Hikara Walker, Mar. 122024 issue

(Sample source list can be found on my YouTube.)

[sl33py-g4m3r]

Linix-Unix-BSD Laptop Journey~~ (and some questions again)

yet another question~~ tho up to my own musings and uncertainty at this point~~

I'm too afraid to try to install FreeBSD cause I'm worried I won't be able to dig up some needed internet info and that makes me feel dumb~~ is the Domain Name not the Hostname or name of the wifi? or would it be my ISP's website or something?

I like tech but not knowing this makes me feel stupid lol even though I'm probably not~~~ and that's just anxiety lying to me~~~

also is there any point in moving from Linux Mint Debian Edition 6 to Debian 11 disks that I have burned?

the only one with the zoom feature (unless I install something if I can find it) is the Cinnamon Desktop, and at that point I see no point on dropping Mint for pure Debian in that case....

need accessibility for my blind butt (despite also being stubborn and not using it half the time anyway lol)

ALSO none of the debian live CDs that I tried saw my WIFI and idk why~~ and they're all debian 11...

might need to download newer versions and burn them to disk I guess~~

or maybe if I installed one of them anyway, and actually hooked it to ethernet, then installed updates whether it would see my wifi then? idk

found a distro that doesn't use SystemD called PCLinuxOS and thought about giving that a try, but idk if it's good for someone like me, but I got a handle sort of on fedora back in the day.

So currently stuck on linux mint debian edition cause I'm afraid to give freebsd a try due to maybe not having the network information requited and idk where to find it~~ and cause debian just straight up wouldn't see my wifi~~ tho I've also said before in this post that idk if it's a good idea or not to go from linux mint debian, to straight debian.... cause I'm going to be stuck with the Cinnamon desktop anyway~~

like yesterday I spent all morning booting into all the debian live CDs that I had; except for the standard which I think is GNOME, and none of them could even SEE my wifi or ANY wifi

now I hate that I seem like the person that just wants things to work instead of tinker w stuff to get it to work, cause that's part of the fun and frustration of being on linux I suppose~~~ and I really hope I'm smart enough to figure stuff out~~

would be happy to eventually jump to a more unix like OS cause I believe the backbone of the internet is UNIX anyway~~ :)

I like to think I'm a nerd and a techie but at the same time think I'm stupid and don't know anything~~ if I'm being brutally honest w myself~~ but I guess you got to be feeling stupid to learn huh?

tldr; and making the questions more easily found~~ my journey through linux/bsd computer systems so far, and where I'm at....

Is it worth it to install pure debian if I'm already using linux mint debian (and the wifi actually works), should I get away from SystemD and try to install PCLinuxOS? or FreeBSD? am I smart enough to install FreeBSD? What network information do I need and where can I find it?

and yet another random question at the bottom cause I remembered a linux youtube channel where they talked about a bunch of stuff way back in the 2010s I think called "Jupiter Broadcasting" what happened to them?

wanted to go eventually to FreeBSD cause it's more unix like than linux, and i think more cohesive as a whole as opposed to bits and pieces mossaic'd together in linux.... also if it is more unix based, unix as far as I'm aware is the backbone of the internet if I'm remembering correctly~~ and I'd be happy to use it~~~

so idk what I'm doing~~ lol, stay on linux mint debian cause it works? try to get FreeBSD installed, try to find out how to fix debian not seeing my WIFI (I'd hoped that if I installed it and connected it to ethernet that updates would fix that), or install PCLinuxOS that I found? cause it looks neat~~~

more history about myself~~ as dumb as it sounds, or maybe not, my dad was into tech, he'd built his first computer and if it wasn't for him pirating some version of windows, we never would've had it, lol. but ye he was a techie, and he showed me the 1995 movie "hackers". I watched that on repeat through my teenage years for some reason~~ the music was good, and now I learnt that that's not actually bow hacking works, lol it's a cheesy film.... but that sparked an interest in technology and eventually led me to finding linux to begin with. and Unix~~ cause I thought it was something that my dad and I could do together~~~ but we never did...... but the techie interest stuck~~~~ I need to rewatch that film and find the soundtrack CDs I have~~~ been a while~~~~

second guessing it am I even smart enough to run anything other than linux mint anyway? probably yes but I doubt my own intelligence, lol. especially I think anyone irl I've shown my writing to or talked to say that I'm "smart as a whip" but I don't see it.... :(

[johndjwan]

What is a Transceiver in a Data Center? | Fibrecross

A transceiver in a data center is a device that combines the functions of transmitting and receiving data signals, playing a critical role in the networking infrastructure. Data centers are facilities that house servers, storage systems, and networking equipment to manage and process large amounts of data. To enable communication between these devices and with external networks, transceivers are used in networking equipment such as switches, routers, and servers.

Function and Purpose

Transceivers serve as the interface between networking devices and the physical medium over which data is transmitted, such as fiber optic cables or copper cables. They convert electrical signals from the equipment into optical signals for fiber optic transmission, or they adapt signals for copper-based connections, depending on the type of transceiver and network requirements.

Types of Transceivers

In data centers, transceivers come in various forms, including:

SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable): Commonly used for 1G or 10G Ethernet connections.

QSFP (Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable): Supports higher speeds like 40G or 100G, ideal for modern data centers with high bandwidth demands.

CFP (C Form-factor Pluggable): Used for very high-speed applications, such as 100G and beyond.

These pluggable modules allow flexibility, as they can be swapped or upgraded to support different speeds, protocols (e.g., Ethernet, Fibre Channel), or media types without replacing the entire networking device.

Importance in Data Centers

Transceivers are essential for establishing physical layer connectivity—the foundation of data communication in a data center. They ensure reliable, high-speed data transfer between servers, storage systems, and external networks, which is vital for applications like cloud computing, web hosting, and data processing. In modern data centers, where scalability and performance are key, transceivers are designed to meet stringent requirements for speed, reliability, and energy efficiency.

Conclusion

In summary, a transceiver in a data center is a device that transmits and receives data signals in networking equipment, enabling communication over various network connections like fiber optics or copper cables. It is a fundamental component that supports the data center’s ability to process and share information efficiently.

Regarding the second part of the query about Tumblr blogs, it appears unrelated to the concept of a transceiver in a data center and may be a mistake or a separate statement. If you meant to ask something different, please clarify!

[houndsofbalthazar]

I got a television recently. I feel like not having a tv might not be as unusual on tumblr, but I think it is quite unusual for society in general. I've not had one since I moved away from my parents' house over a decade ago, and at that time we still had a big chunky CRT, so we weren't exactly on the cutting edge. This is to say that I've been catching up on changes in TV tech over recent years. I knew about the big things of course, I knew about smart TVs and I knew I didn't want one of those (I had an old netbook with a broken screen lying about to repurpose as a streaming box to access all the on-demand services and youtube but with an ad blocker). What I was surprised to find was that my non-smart TV also had an ethernet jack! At first I figured it was just for updating firmware and maybe some sort of future-proofing* or a case of different models using the same circuit boards, but as I explored the list of channels available to me, there were channels marked as data channels which refused to play unless I plugged it into my router. Turns out there's this whole standard of TV over IP that even non-smart TVs can just do? I had never heard about this at all, and going off a single comment made by a guy in a youtube video this may not be something that they use in the USA, so perhaps my dear american followers may not know about these either? Anyway I just had a proper good explore of them and they're quite impressive. There are actually on-demand services built into these channels where you can pick a programme to watch, which is pretty amazing to me given I'm doing this via a non-smart tv and remembering that having a button for subtitles instead of having to go to a specific ceefax page to turn them on still feels quite futuristic. Anyway these on-demand things are not very useful to me because a large part of the appeal of watching television is the curated nature of the programming and constrained choice.

I will finish this post by listing some of the data channels that I thought were interesting. There was a video gaming one that didn't work (I think I need a fancier tv or maybe just one that uses a different standard for that one); several arabic news channels and one french one; a channel that seemed to play only recordings of rock concerts; many many christianity themed channels with programme names like "amazing facts" which trick you into thinking they might be some light trivia-based entertainment; an african drama channel which said it showed a lot of nollywood stuff (nigerian film industry, one of the biggest in the world!) and finally one channel on the tv which had a menu to pick from several other channels, most of which seemed to be music video based but one of which was called "out & proud" and I looked to see what was on that one and it seemed to be a courtroom show like judge judy but with a leather pup on trial. It was lit and shot like it could have been porn but I think it was just using kinky aesthetics.

* almost totally unrelated but I really enjoy the future-proofing on guitar hero controllers, they have a little phone jack on them and it's a strange connector to see on a video game controller. never got used but was planned for maybe adding a pedal peripheral or something.

[mariacallous]

“They’re Fresh and They’re More Interesting”

After Barack Obama finished his prime-time DNC address Tuesday night, influencers and content creators streamed their way into what was expected to be one of the week’s largest convention after-parties.

Hundreds of guests were greeted by bright neon lights that read “Hotties for Harris,” before entering what honestly felt like the Museum of Ice Cream but for liberals living out their 2008 fantasy with a 2024 twist. Content creation opportunities abounded: There was a couch that took a jab at JD Vance, a “wall of weirdos” with portraits of Republican leaders, a wall of Dem “Hotties” that include Kamala Harris and Travis Kelce, a dance floor, an arcade room featuring “abortion access Skee-Ball,” and a feminist mini golf course.

For hours, creators danced and mingled in front of a stage flashing the faces of Harris and Tim Walz with Charli XCX and Taylor Swift songs ringing out from the DJ booth. There were also two signature cocktails called the “Madam President’s Spicy ‘Rita” and “A Walz on the Beach,” for “folks who can’t handle the spice.”

I watched as Claudia Conway, daughter of former Donald Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, tried to snag a plushie from a “grab them by the pussy”–themed claw game while other attendees filmed themselves breakdancing in the arcade. Some of the older creators, like Pearlmania500, spent a lot of time outside the venue chatting up people they’ve met this week.

“This wouldn’t have happened with Joe Biden as the nominee,” Emma Mont, an admin of the OrganizerMemes X account, said about the palpable excitement at the Hotties for Harris party.

The night was hosted by a handful of creators and funded by Investing in US, an investment firm funded by LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman, with the goal of encouraging difficult-to-reach audiences and young people to vote.

The DNC marks the first time that creators were credentialed to cover the convention as part of the Democratic Party’s overall strategy for reaching young voters. Two hundred creators received credentials, and the Hotties for Harris event was only one of the many happy hours and after-parties set up for creators to hang out, and most importantly, make content.

“This is the future. It's not just the future because this is how you reach a lot of young voters. It's the future because they're fresh and they're more interesting, and they don't just want to talk about the horse race, and they don't just want to talk about who insulted who,” says Representative Ro Khanna, who spoke to me about his interviews with creators. “They want to talk about actual issues and actual vision.”

Khanna is all in on the creators. On Tuesday afternoon, I followed the congressman around as he spoke with some of them. At first, Khanna went up to “Video 24” the broadcast studio, similar to the ones belonging to CNN or Fox News, dedicated to creators. He was greeted there by Phillip DeFranco, an OG news YouTuber, who was filming videos and interviews that would run on his channel later this week. He then spoke with Hasan Piker, both in the studio and during a “walk and talk” as the congressman made his way to the convention floor.

After the interview, I spoke with Piker about his experience covering the convention thus far. Though I reported earlier this week on how some journalists were upset over the access and amenities provided to creators, some influencers also faced their own logistical challenges at the beginning of the week.

“They were very accommodating after I was able to communicate to them what I'm trying to do. This morning, we had to literally pull a direct line of Ethernet cables into the creator lounge upstairs,” says Piker. “I basically took over. I'm occupying the creator lounge right now and doing like an eight- to 10-hour livestream from there.”

But while a handful of creators are scoring interviews with political leaders, some members of the press fear they’re being replaced, especially as Harris critics call her out for not yet sitting down for a full media interview.

“I think you need to have both. I think there's very smart, responsible journalism on television and in print that have deep knowledge and challenge people,” says Khanna. “That's important. And I think that there are people on podcasts and content creators who also challenge people in different ways, and that's important.”

For now, though, as the Harris campaign takes its DNC-fueled victory lap around Chicago, it’s obvious that while this was only the first creator-focused convention, it likely won’t be the last.

[rahilatach]

The Essential Guide to HDMI Cables

In today's digitally connected world, HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) cables are a ubiquitous component of our home entertainment systems, gaming setups, and even professional audio-visual equipment. Understanding what HDMI cables are, how they work, and how to choose the right one for your needs is essential for optimizing your viewing and listening experience. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about HDMI cables.

What is an HDMI Cable?

An HDMI cable is a type of connector used for transmitting high-definition video and audio signals between devices. Introduced in 2003, HDMI has become the standard for connecting a wide range of devices, including televisions, monitors, gaming consoles, Blu-ray players, and sound systems. The primary advantage of HDMI over older connection standards is its ability to transmit both audio and video through a single cable, reducing clutter and simplifying the setup process.

Key Features and Specifications

Resolution and Bandwidth:

HDMI cables come in various versions, each supporting different maximum resolutions and bandwidths. For instance, HDMI 1.4 supports up to 1080p resolution and 4K at 30Hz, while HDMI 2.0 and 2.0a support 4K at 60Hz with a bandwidth of 18 Gbps. The latest version, HDMI 2.1, supports 8K resolution at 60Hz and 4K at 120Hz, with a bandwidth of 48 Gbps.

Audio Support:

HDMI cables can carry multi-channel audio signals, including formats like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. HDMI 2.1 introduces support for enhanced audio return channel (eARC), allowing high-quality audio signals to be sent from your TV to a sound system.

Compatibility:

HDMI cables are backward compatible, meaning newer cables will work with older HDMI ports. However, to take full advantage of new features and higher resolutions, both the cable and the connected devices need to support the same HDMI version.

Cable Length and Quality:

The quality and length of an HDMI cable can affect signal transmission. Standard HDMI cables are typically effective up to 15 feet without signal degradation, while high-speed HDMI cables can extend this range. For longer distances, active HDMI cables, which include signal boosters, or HDMI over Ethernet solutions might be necessary.

Choosing the Right HDMI Cable

Selecting the right HDMI cable depends on your specific needs and the devices you are connecting. Here are some factors to consider:

Resolution Requirements:

If you have a 4K TV or plan to get one, choose a high-speed HDMI cable that supports at least HDMI 2.0. For 8K or higher refresh rates, look for HDMI 2.1 cables.

Audio Needs:

If you have a sophisticated sound system, ensure your HDMI cable supports the necessary audio formats and features, such as eARC for high-quality audio return.

Cable Length:

For setups where the devices are far apart, consider active HDMI cables or HDMI over Ethernet to maintain signal integrity over longer distances.

Build Quality:

While HDMI cables are generally robust, investing in a well-built cable with good shielding can reduce the risk of interference and improve durability, especially in environments with lots of electronic devices.

Common Myths About HDMI Cables

There are several misconceptions about HDMI cables, particularly regarding price and performance:

Expensive vs. Cheap Cables:

For most users, a mid-priced HDMI cable will perform just as well as a high-end one. The key is ensuring the cable meets the necessary specifications for your devices.

Gold-Plated Connectors:

While gold-plated connectors can resist corrosion better, they do not necessarily provide a better signal. The cable's internal construction is more critical for performance.

Future of HDMI

The HDMI standard continues to evolve, with future versions expected to support even higher resolutions, faster refresh rates, and improved audio and video features. As technology advances, HDMI will likely remain a crucial element of our digital connectivity landscape, adapting to the growing demands for higher quality and more immersive audio-visual experiences.

conclusion

In conclusion, HDMI cables are a vital part of modern digital setups, offering a convenient and efficient way to connect high-definition devices. By understanding the different specifications and choosing the right cable for your needs, you can ensure optimal performance and enjoy the best possible experience from your audio-visual equipment.

[spectraspecs-writes]

alright Specs give me a lesson on WiFi Standards

I can't wait to see the brilliance you'll share<3

-anon

Interesting choice, as this is the less interesting option. But if you insist /nm

You've most likely heard of Wifi 5 or Wifi 6, maybe even wondered about Wifis 1, 2, 3, and 4. In the fancy IT speak, these are lumped together with the number 802.11 (eight oh two dot eleven). There are a lot of them, but the ones that made the press are 802.11a, b, g, n, ac, and ax. All but n, ac, and ax are out of date, with n on the way out.

802.11a and 802.11b are sister standards. But I suppose first I need to say that Wifi communicates on a frequency of either 2.4 gigahertz or 5 GHz. The best way to think of these frequencies is like radio stations - each station is called a channel. There are a lot more non-overlapping channels at the 5 GHz range (non overlapping reduces noise and signal degradation), but the US government uses them so your signal gets less priority over, say, air traffic controllers. 2.4 GHz has fewer overlapping channels, but you're not fighting the government. As I recall, 5 GHz travels farther, but that isn't always necessary. If you're sitting right next to the router, for example, you don't need such a strong signal to get to your internet box.

802.11b was released shortly before 802.11a, and it is b that took hold. Once I give the numbers, you may find that confusing. 802.11a can transmit at a speed of 54 megabits per second in the 5 GHz frequency. 802.11b transmitted at 11 mbps in the 2.4 GHz frequency. Slower, but at a different frequency. So why did b win out? Because it got there first and was a lot cheaper than 802.11a.

5 years later, in 2003, 802.11g was ratified. It transmits at 54 mbps on the 2.4 GHz frequency. Because it's at that frequency, a device that is set for 802.11b - an older device, by definition - can communicate on an 802.11g network, and vice versa. The only problem is that the slowest device sets the speed, so it doesn't matter how great your network is - if your device can't take the speed, you're not going to get it. 802.11g also uses a different "language" to encode signals, in addition to the one that 802.11b uses. Since b can't understand the one that g uses, b devices can't tell if the router is busy, so the signals could get mixed up. This is solved again by, the slowest device sets the speed. The access point will revert to the language b understands, and ALL devices connected to it won't go any faster than 11 mbps. Not ideal, but reduces costs when a network is updated. So network administrators can choose either faster devices at a greater upfront cost, or spread that cost over a few years but suffer overall slow speed across the network.

We stuck with g for a good long while before 802.11n was introduced, under the name Wifi 4. 802.11n transmits at 600 mbps in theory, 300-450 in practice, at both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, which means it's backwards compatible with 802.11a, b, and g. It gets that speed by being able to transmit more than one signal at a time, through a thing called MIMO (multiple in, multiple out - I say "meemo" but "my mo" is also acceptable.) That's mostly a fancy way of saying there are more antenna on an access point than just one. An 802.11n device can support up to eight antennas, with four going in and four going out.

In 2014, 802.11ac, or Wifi 5, was released, and was the first standard that used Gigabit ethernet. 802.11ac transmits at 6.9 gigabits per second (nice) in theory, 1.3 in practice, at 5 GHz. ac doubles the amount of antenna, and also lets up to four devices transmit on each antenna at a time. It also has a fancy little thing called beamforming, which means the signal goes in a straight line to the device, instead of being broadcast everywhich way.

Wifi 6, or 802.11ax, was released in 2019, and is still making its way across the world. 802.11ax goes at a max speed of 9.6 gbps at both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. It also uses another encoding language, which means any devices on 802.11b, if those senior citizens are still around, are SOL. Which is fine - let grandpa rest. 802.11ax lets more devices connect to the router at once, and lets more devices transmit at once.

You regret choosing this one now, don't you. I much would have preferred to talk about motherboard connections - I don't have to have a textbook next to me for that.

[fibermarts]

QSFP28 Technology is The Most In-Demand Fiber Optics Technology

One technology in particular sticks out as a real game-changer in the rapidly changing world of data centers, where speed, efficiency, and scalability are paramount: QSFP28. QSFP28, short for Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable 28, is a powerful mix of speed and adaptability that is altering the industry. It has been quietly revolutionizing the way data is transported, processed, and stored.

Fundamentally, QSFP28 is a hot-pluggable, high-speed transceiver module that may be utilized for data and voice transmission. The amazing 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) per port data transmission rate of QSFP28 is what differentiates it from its predecessors. Because of its lightning-fast speed, QSFP28 is now the preferred option for network engineers and data center architects trying to keep up with the constantly rising needs of contemporary computing.

The capacity of QSFP28 technology to manage enormous volumes of data with ease is one of its biggest benefits. With the amount of data created at an unprecedented rate in today's data-driven society, having a dependable and fast data transmission infrastructure is crucial. This is where QSFP28 modules shine; they enable data centers to process and transfer data at blazingly high speeds, cutting down on latency and enhancing system performance in general.

Furthermore, QSFP+ Cable are available in many form factors, such as QSFP28-DD (Double Density), which improves scalability and flexibility by double the port density over standard QSFP28 modules. Because of its adaptability, data center operators may tailor the architecture and performance of their infrastructure to the demands of certain workloads, such as cloud-based apps, artificial intelligence, or high-performance computing.

The energy efficiency of QSFP28 technology is another important aspect. Optimizing power usage has become a top priority for data centers as they continue to struggle with growing energy prices and environmental concerns. Data centers may lower their operational expenses and carbon impact by utilizing QSFP28 modules, which are engineered to maximize performance while minimizing power consumption.

Furthermore, QSFP28 modules are compatible with a broad range of networking devices and protocols since they support many transmission protocols, such as Ethernet, InfiniBand, and Fibre Channel. In the long run, QSFP28 technology seems to have a very promising future. 

Follow our Facebook and Twitter for more information about our product.

[quaranmine]

Do you know the write speed of your work laptops hard drive? Because that could be part of the reason it's slower than your personal.

So I can look at write speed in task manager and it fluctuates all the time, but they look like they're fluctuating within the same range. Like it goes 0 kb/s > 70-80 kb/s > 120 - 135 kb/s > 200/300/400 kb/s > 1.4 mb/s and then repeats. Actually my personal laptop seems to hit 600-700 kb/s more often than the work laptop. You may be able to tell from this answer that this means nothing to me cause idk what write speed means LOL

Let me just list my specs lmao

Personal Laptop

Dell Inspiron 14 5410 (i'm never buying dell again i have had nothing but bad experiences in the last 3 years with multiple laptops lol)

Processor: 11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-11370H @ 3.30GHz 3.00 GHz

Installed RAM: 16 GB

OS: Windows 11 Home (had the issue on Win 10 as well, clean installs were performed, did not fix)

Network Adapter: Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz

Wifi protocol: Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)

Link speed: 58/30 Mbps

Network band and network channel: 5 GHz / 44

Work Laptop

Dell Latitude 5320 (dont let this post fool you this laptop sucks too, i know like a dozen people at work including myself who had to have our "brand new" laptops replaced within a year)

Processor: 11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-1185G7 @ 3.00 GHz 1.80 GHz

Installed RAM: 16 GB

OS: Windows 11 Enterprise

Network Adapter: Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz

Wifi protocol: Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)

Link speed: 1560/1560 mbps (this is the only major difference I can see between the two of them? why is it so much higher?)

Network band and network channel: 5 GHz / 44

It also has a much higher signlat strength in general when I look at it.

---

help a girlie out i did environmental science not IT and i've been barely able to play games or be in discord calls for like two years now and it's painful 😭😭😭😭

A note: I do not have an ethernet connection and currently no way to put one in. I understand that wireless connections are inherently slower but it should be THIS slow if our internet package has up to 300 mbps (iirc)? I am in a room far from the router, but as aforementioned, it's pretty slow even by the router and I would assume all devices would struggle if it was Only the distance that was the problem. I had multiple Dell support people stumped with this laptop before and the wifi card was replaced once already.

[ericvanderburg]

Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE)

http://i.securitythinkingcap.com/T0sXL1

[tea-with-eleni]

Visiting family for Thanksgiving is hard.

Not because of politics. I'm incredibly grateful for that. My whole family, both sides, everyone that's living that we have any regular contact with, is a dedicated liberal. My great-grandparents were too, apparently.

No, it's because my grandfather on my mom's side used to be a rocket scientist. He literally worked on some of the computer systems for the Saturn V rocket back in the day. But... he has parkinson's disease. And he's had it for a while. And it's taken his memory.

It's zapped most of his short term memory and scrambled a lot of the long term memory for about the last twenty years - so far as I can tell.

My grandmother is still sharp as a tack. She has arthritis and had hip replacement surgery and is clearly annoyed that she isn't as mobile as she'd like, but she's mentally completely present. She learned how to use an iPhone three years ago, because she wanted to learn how to text. Mostly, she was totally capable of figuring it out herself, she was just very anxious because her experience with technology includes things like "My husband found that the best place to ground his HAM Radio in our apartment was the metal shower (which keeps shocking me now)". Upon learning that it's really hard to permanently damage an iPhone, she has overcome much of her anxiety and is at least as tech savvy as my mother. She likes texting.

My grandfather though. He somehow managed to mess up their television system, his desktop computer, his bedroom television, and their wifi.

Here is what was wrong:

The surge protector for the cable box, blu ray player, and apple TV was off.

The cable box was not plugged in.

His bedroom TV had been reset somehow, likely by accident. It needed to be re-synced to the cable channels.

His computer was plugged in, as were two mice. The monitor and keyboard were not plugged in.

The wifi router had an ethernet cable coming out of one ethernet port that then plugged back into the other ethernet port. That may or may not have caused the problem but it definitely didn't help.

He'd forgotten his computer password and god only knows what happened to the paper where he wrote them all down.

It's fixed now. It's all, as best I can tell, currently functional. And I got him to let me put the side of his computer box back on. It looked like it had been pried off with a crow bar. Probably the crow bar inexplicably sitting on his desk. He was about to start pulling away at the circuitry, made extra concerning by the way he had misidentified the CD-rom drive as the hard drive.