Yes, I know Google is my friend, but I'd rather ask you.

[Dr. Mobius]

Have it use the accelerometer to make wiping sound effects while you simulate wiping your butt.

ETA: Lol, this is a great way to start a new page.

[Wil]

What exactly is the sound of "wiping"? lol

[Dr. Mobius]

I don't know, it's just an idea and the accelerometer should throw a monkey wrench in your otherwise simple coding.

[Eaquae Legit]

A small cat paw that reaches up and rips off half a roll? Set to happen at random?

[locke]

sometimes simpler is better, sounds good. I want a commission if you actually put it in the app store.

playing on the 'sounds of wiping your butt'you could customize a wiping sound with various other wiping sounds. Like the squeaky sound of wiping a window clean.

I agree that a kitty needs to be added because kitty's make everything better.

The photo to the TP is a brilliant idea.

[Wil]

Teacher really got a laugh out of my project and approved it. Now, to make a toilet paper animation and track down sufficient sound effects.

[Eaquae Legit]

On this one, I've already asked google and wikipedia, but they're not really idealised for this question.

I'm thinking of making my sister a necklace for Christmas. She's a chemical engineer, so I was thinking that doing a model of a chemical in beads and wire would be pretty cool, and a fun in-joke for her. I'm just having trouble with picking a molecule.

I want something more or less symmetrical, with maybe 3 or 4 different atoms involved (each would be a different colour bead), and something fairly common. Isopropyl alcohol is looking like a possible contender, as is something involving benzene. But I'm just not sure.

Perhaps one of our resident nerds could help me out? Jason? Ollie? Anybody?

[neo-dragon]

How about Kevlar to keep her safe?

[Eaquae Legit]

Possibly that could work. I need to go see what sizes I can find at the bead store. The double bonds have puzzled me for days, as to how to execute them.

[Paul]

caffeine maybe?

[LilBee91]

Chocolate is also pretty simple. Double bonds are tricky though. Maybe you could find a wider bead to go between them?

[Eaquae Legit]

Ethylamine is currently the top contender. For a non-chemist, I'd want something fun for sure, like chocolate or caffeine or booze, but I think since my sister is a chem geek and all her coworkers are chem geeks, ethylamine should be "common" enough. I hope she wears it to work!

[Jayelle]

Can someone find out for me what the deal is with ceiling fans and turning in either direction? There's a switch on ours that changes the direction - does it make a difference? Why is that switch there?
I thought I heard once that one way is for winter and the other is for summer, but I'm not sure that makes any sense.

[Young Val]

Jan, the summer/winter thing is supposedly true.

In the winter the fan should go clockwise to push the hot air gathering on the ceiling down in to the room. In the summer it should go counter-clockwise to pull the air up.

I don't know how well it works, but that's the rational.

[Wil]

In the summer you're supposed to have the fan spinning in the direction (clockwise) which pushes air down so the moving air cools you, and in the winter you're supposed to change the direction so that the warmer air is recirculated through the room (sucks cold air up, basically). In practice, having the fan suck air up makes no difference and really only results in a nasty dark ceiling above your fan from dust.

[Wil]

In the winter the fan should go clockwise to push the hot air gathering on the ceiling down in to the room. In the summer it should go counter-clockwise to pull the air up.

You have it backwards. You don't want air moving across your skin in the winter because it helps facilitate the transfer of heat from your body (though perspiration, for example) to the air.

[VelvetElvis]

In practice, having the fan suck air up makes no difference and really only results in a nasty dark ceiling above your fan from dust.

This part is all you really need to know.

[neo-dragon]

This is exactly the kind of thing I usually consult google and other online sources about, but hey, since we have this thread now, why not use it?

Does anyone own or know anything about good netbook computers? I'm looking to maybe get one in the near future. Nothing fancy. $300-$400 range perhaps. I'm currently looking into HP, Acer, and Compaq models. Any suggestions?

Also, if you own one, do you find the lack of an optical drive to be a major hindrance?

[Jayelle]

We have an Asus Eee PC Seashell. It is fantastic. I have never had any problems with it - we've had it for almost a year. The speakers are louder then our laptop and the battery lasts for about 8 hours.

...I don't know what an optical drive is.

[neo-dragon]

...I don't know what an optical drive is.

CD/DVD/Blu-ray drive. Anything with a laser for reading spinning discs.

[Jayelle]

Ah. I am stupid.

I don't miss it, I just put any information on a USB drive and use that in the same way. I would miss it if we didn't have the other computer to watch our DVDs on.

ETA: Hilariously, our netbook came with an installation CD.

[neo-dragon]

That's what I figured. My main concern in that regard is being unable to install software that requires a CD, but I rarely have to do that anyway.

[wizzard]

All I know about netbooks is that we ordered a couple from Dell for our sales team, and they came with Windows 7 Starter. It absolutely sucked. There's almost no functionality or customizability to it, and it was buggy as hell. I would stay as far away from it as possible.

[neo-dragon]

Yes, I've heard about the Windows 7 Starter issues. There are actually ways to work around some of the customization limitations, like being able to change the wallpaper. In terms of functionality, I don't need it to do much. I just want it to do the basics well.

I'm not prepared to venture into Mac land, so I will probably take my chances with Windows 7. Right now I have my eye on a Samsung model that's on sale. The decision is now coming down to technical details. I'm confused about how a dual-core Atom N550 processor clocks in at 1.5 GHz but a supposedly slower and cheaper N450 clocks in at 1.66 GHz. Which is actually better? Is the difference significant either way? I don't suppose anyone can help with with that.

And I've learned that there are relatively cheap external optical drives if I decide that I do need one.

ETA
Wait, I'm dumb. The processor thing is the speed per processor.

[zeroguy]

ETA
Wait, I'm dumb. The processor thing is the speed per processor.

...and just in general, processor clock speed tends to have very little to do with performance in the grand scheme of things. Unless you're talking about just different clock speeds for effectively the same processor model, of course.

[Wil]

I whole-heartedly support the Samsung model. I have the Samsung NC10, which is just an older version of the one you mentioned. I picked it instead of one of the other makes of Netbooks because of the keyboard. It's a great keyboard, full size, and responsive.

The processor speed isn't as important as they would lead you to believe. At those two speeds it isn't a noticeable increase. Most things you would be doing on a netbook wouldn't even reach the potential most likely.

Unfortunately one of the things that bug me the most about my netbook now is the screen. I very much dislike how the screen is usually squished vertically. Next time I buy a portable computer, it'll be a lighter full sized laptop instead of a netbook.

[neo-dragon]

You guys have been very helpful. Thanks!

I'm just about settled on the Samsung NF210. It normally goes for $399.99 but right now it's on sale for $279.99. That seems like an awesome price for a machine with its specs.

ETA
I wish it came in more colours than just white though...

[Wil]

I don't blame you there. Mine is white, but the outer shell is matte not glossy. Whoever it was that decided that glossy would be more attractive should be dragged through the streets and beaten with stones, as they obviously didn't realize how fingerprint and scratch prone glossy finishes are.

[Eaquae Legit]

I don't blame you there. Mine is white, but the outer shell is matte not glossy. Whoever it was that decided that glossy would be more attractive should be dragged through the streets and beaten with stones, as they obviously didn't realize how fingerprint and scratch prone glossy finishes are.

Oi, yeah. I just try not to look to closely.

[neo-dragon]

Small price to pay, I guess.

I put in an order for the Samsung model yesterday. Unfortunately it's not in stock so I have no idea when I'll actually get it. Before Christmas would be nice. I can't wait to make my first post on it.

[Eaquae Legit]

So, this weird feeling in the back of my neck. It's exactly like you would imagine fizzy pop bubbles would feel and sound like, if they were just under the skin at the base of your neck. Happens semi-frequently.

Anyone have the same experience, or know what it is?

[Luet]

It's never happened to me but a friend of mine used to get this occasionally, in the same area you described. The closest she ever found to it was paresthesia. This is technically the term for when your foot falls asleep, but can also describe any "sensation of tingling, pricking, or numbness of a person's skin with no apparent long-term physical effect." I'm guessing it's from a pinched nerve or something. Does the feeling go away if you press on the area and then come back if you stop pressing?

[mr_thebrain]

with limewire shut down does anyone know of a good p2p program?

i have used a few in the past, but for whatever reason i liked limewire's functionality the best. i hated emule. dunno why.

[jotabe]

What exactly is the sound of "wiping"? lol

This is what "wiping" sounds like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtvIYRrgZ04

NSFW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[v-girl]

So, this weird feeling in the back of my neck. It's exactly like you would imagine fizzy pop bubbles would feel and sound like, if they were just under the skin at the base of your neck. Happens semi-frequently.

Anyone have the same experience, or know what it is?

The way you're describing it makes me think it's something called subcutaneous emphysema. Do you cough a lot, or cough particularly hard? You may find you also have it on your anterior or lateral chest wall as well. Basically it's small air bubbles under your skin that can be popped like you are describing. It almost feels like rice krispies. There are some more ominous causes if you had some trauma, like an MVC or penetrating wound (stab or gunshot). But I've also seen it in people with asthma or COPD who have been coughing a lot. High intra-thoracic pressure can rupture alveoli putting air out into your pleural space, which can track up your mediastinum and under your skin. Free air can also rise up to the highest part of your lungs (like the base on your neck).

Just a thought.