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I'm Elliot, a computer engineering and computer science undergraduate at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Read my blog, subscribe to my feeds, visit my websites, and finally, if you know in person, add me on Facebook.
Blog
Cheapest New Mac
Now that my (still awesome) 15″ MacBook Pro is 2 generations behind the latest and greatest, I wonder:
What would be the cheapest way for me to get a new Mac?

Would it be with my ADC student membership? Or would it be with the standard student discount?
The Coelacanth a Dinosaur?
I just saw a program on TV that said scientists are puzzled about the Coelacanth, a creature they thought was extinct. It has been found to be alive in the deep sea. They compared this to dinosaurs, saying that this discovery was even more surprising than if a dinosaur walked out of the woods. Well, who knows if small dinosaurs aren’t living in the unexplored forests? How do you define a dinosaur?
Did humans and dinosaurs live at the same time? Why or why not?
Evolutionary biologists supposedly are debating how the Coelacanth fits into the evolutionary chain. Seems like a tight fit. They can always figure out a way to make it work, but it seems like it might be a stretch…
SVN Letter Codes
It’s surprisingly hard to find these defined anywhere, so here they are.
SVN Letter Codes
U
Working file was updated
G
Changes on the repo were automatically merged into the working copy
M
Working copy is modified
C
This file conflicts with the version in the repo (see Conflicts below)
?
This file is not under version control
!
This file is under version control but is missing or incomplete
A
This file will be added to version control (after commit)
A +
This file will be moved (after commit)
D
This file will be deleted (after commit)
Localizable.strings file changes into gibberish
For the iPhone programmers out there:
If you copy a Localizable.strings file from one project to another and it turns into gibberish (lots of question marks), change the File Encoding to Unicode (UTF-16).
Also, if you’re using Core Location and you get an error about CLLocationManagerDelegate not being found, add this line to your ProjectName_Prefix.pch file:
#import <CoreLocation/CoreLocation.h>
Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 09
I’m here in San Francisco for the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. Lots of stuff is hidden behind an NDA, but the keynote is public, as are my photos of the preparations around Moscone West, the convention center where the conference will be held.
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| Pre WWDC 09 |
Elliot’s Short Updates for 2009-06-06 via Twitter
- Google Chrome for Mac is stunningly fast
#
Elliot’s Short Updates for 2009-06-01 via Twitter
- Packing for my flight to OAK - Oakland Airport. I’m going to the Bay Area for the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference from June 8-12. #
- Arrived in OAK, now staying with relatives in Alameda. It’s comfy here. I’m about to try a CALPICO drink. #
- Signature line of an email I just received: “Sent from my iPhone. Sorry about typpos.” [sic] #
Elliot’s Short Updates for 2009-05-30 via Twitter
- “Making Work Pay Tax Credit”? If the government REALLY wanted to make work pay, they’d eliminate the income tax. #
- I love Microsoft’s Laptop Hunters comls. So far, they’ve shopped in Fry’s Electronics & Best Buy. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/choosepc/ #
People Better Than You
“It’s better to hang out with people better than you. Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you’ll drift in that direction.”
—Warren Buffett
One of my favorite blogs to read is The Simple Dollar. Today I downloaded his free eBook, verbosely titled Everything You Ever Really Needed to Know About Personal Finance On Just One Page. He makes many great points, but one I really like is: “Improve yourself in your spare time.”
“If you have a job that requires some speci?c skills, ?nd ways to improve those in your spare time as well. Keep up to date on your speci?c area of knowledge. Learn what you would need to know to take the next step in your career.”
I have so much to learn. What’s holding me back? I just need to focus and do more.
My sister hadn’t seen Iron Man yet, so we watched it yesterday. Yinsen is one of my favorite characters. One inspiring part of the movie comes when Yinsen is about to die. His last words are:
“Don’t waste it. Don’t waste your life, Stark.”
Every minute counts. Even (or especially) when you’re unemployed. The present moment is your best opportunity.
Make it happen.
Elliot’s Short Updates for 2009-05-29 via Twitter
- Dell Latitude 2100: Netbook for Education with a Touch screen. Sliding the netbooks into a rack is a great idea. http://tinyurl.com/kj9vlg #
- Interview with Chris Costello, creator of the Papyrus font - http://bit.ly/nn1rv #
- The Onion video: Police Slog Through 40,000 Insipid Party Pics To Find Cause Of Dorm Fire - http://preview.tinyurl.com/pq62xd #
