Rune of spellbreaking on multiple runelords

Question: If I have rune of spellbreaking on multiple rune smiths can I use it once on each of them? It says one use only, does that mean one use only on that character or for the entire army?
Answer: I believe this is intended to mean "one use only" per rune item which has the rune.
I cannot find anywhere this is stated outright in the 8th ed rules, but this is how such items have always been played, at least in my personal and tournament experience.
It would be odd for them to let you take more than one  and then limit you to only using one of the Runes you paid for.
The term has been used in numerous previous editions, and in those cases you could buy multiple "one use only" Dispel Scrolls etc in your army and each scroll could be used "once", not one scroll despite how many you had.
Comment: You're not allowed to have more than one dispell scroll anymore in 8th edition btw :)  (Unless maybe there's still a book or two with the old rules in the army book.  Brets?)
Comment: @Affe Good point, all Magic Items are unique now. So technically you only get to use the scroll once per army, but that is because it is unqiue, not because "one use only" means the army may only use the ability once.


process of acquiring tenure

Question: When the time has passed (5 years I think) and a faculty is being evaluated for tenure what aspects play a role for anyone getting tenure or not? do comments from current students play a role in it?
Comment: If I were you, I would word the last question more strongly: _Are there are known instances where adverse/favorable student feedback has reduced/enhanced a candidates prospects of landing tenure_? I'm sure you are looking for concrete instances, or any _official_ word (maybe from some Academia.SE member higher up in the ranks) regarding whether this happens at all. :)
Answer: Applications for tenure are typically evaluated based on

Research
Teaching
Service

Some institutions will solicit comments from students when they are evaluating teaching.  Commonly students' teaching evaluations are considered as well.  How strongly different factors are weighted depends on the institution.
Answer: Depending on the area of study, the most common university-level factors for tenure are how much you've published, and with whom, and evaluations from your peers.  Those are primary, though other things can come into play.  Consistently awful student evaluations can be a factor.
Answer: It depends on the school and how important teaching quality is for the tenure. But even at an R1 (doctoral/research-focused school), my experience is that students writing letters won't hurt. Thought they probably won't have a major impact and are unlikely to be persuasive in urging a particular decision, student letters (sent early to appropriate people in the department) can tell anecdotes and stories about the professor that can help her or his peers craft a story about them as a person that can affect their chances.
However, do know that these are likely to affect only the most borderline of cases: As much as you have the knowledge to do so objectively, look at your favorite professor's research profile compared to the profile that the university or college generally expects for tenure; if your professor's publications (or art production, etc.) are significantly below the mean, all the testimonies that he or she is the greatest teacher on earth probably won't keep them around. (If they do leave though, it's likely that they'll be picked up by a school that has research and teaching expectations more in line with their own desires and talents, so it is not always a bad thing for their happiness or future).

process of acquiring tenure


We have used Filter sand for construction , Is there a problem in this sand?

Question: We have used filter sand to construct our home and for mold we have used trichy sand, The building is almost completer just final Flor is pending, Now many people come to me and say that we are using wrong sand this sand is not so good for construction. Is there anything I can do about this Please do let me know if there is anything.
Comment: I don't understand, how did you use sand to construct a building? Are you referring to the sand used in concrete?
Comment: If you have already cast the concrete, there's nothing you can do to change the sand within the concrete. I don't know whether there's a problem or not; the questions would seem to be what size the sand grains are, what mineral they're made of, possibly their shape (though I think that's unlikely to be an issue).
Comment: I used filter sand, which is a high silica sand with very round particles, the cement ended up being very flaky since there was not a good bond to the sand particles. i definitely think, if your sand is the same it will affect the strength
Comment: Thanks for the reply sir but I dont know how to test the sand and those size i think i could send u some pic's. Yes we already have concrete just final floor is pending. it will be done in few weeks too I am just holding it and asking some experts if there is anything I can do.
Comment: I am feeling the same but the building has come up with a good and is strong all I am scared if about feature and the contractor says it is not a filter sand is there any way i can test the sand?
Comment: @srikanath bhatt I think that You can take a sample of this sand and try to contact some academics (technical iniversities got laboratories for that). I bet they would happily answer Your question, and some students may we willing to do some work with it.
Comment: Sharp sand, completely washed of all organic content. Anything else and you have weak concrete. If you didn't spec it before the concrete mix, you just have to accept the consequences, except in countries with building standards, at which point you will be getting in equipment to rip out everything where the substandard concrete pour happened. Try being the idiot contractor that did this to Walmart locally, one less concrete company in the area as remediation bankrupted them.
Answer: I had to Google Trichy and filter sand to try to decipher your question.
I'm guessing you mean you are using river sand from the Trichy area (Bangalore, India).  For structural concrete, you should have sand (about 1 mm), gravel (5 to 20 mm), and cement.
If you have sand but no gravel, that is not good.  Gravel but no sand, also not good.
Some sand is dirty, with clay or organic material, and that is not good...but you say filter sand so that should be clean.  Some sand is too round/smooth to make a good bond and some, like crushed coral or pumice, is too soft.
In US we have very specific mix designs, test the sand and gravel, and we break samples of cured concrete to make sure it is as strong as advertised before removing formwork or shoring.
Good luck!
Comment: Is there any way we can test the sand that I am using now? If there is any please do let me know about it I will be very much thankful.
Comment: @srikanth bhatt Look at my comment to Your question. Technical universities can test it and describe its value. As for 'concrete' with Your sand, read _scolier_'s answer, gravel is mandatory ingredient for that, so You need to take a sample of gravel for anyone to test Your concrete.
Comment: @MarekOleszczuk Why is aggregate mandatory? I was under the impression that is used for fill. Without it you just have 'super-crete'. Sand composition *is* very important though.
Answer: From what I understand when sand prices went high certain unscrupulous elements dug out mud and repeatedly washed it, to produce what is called as filter sand, near Herbal Bangalore a school girl was killed when a wall collapsed which was made of filter sand. Ever since the govt has banned use of this sand. Finally you can do a test yourself take some sand and put it in water you will find a lot if silt and mud which does not provide good bonding, if you still want to use it Pls increase proportion of cement,  and never use for concrete and building foundations.
It could be used for plastering? Pls consult experts.


Why did impact with the Bozeman cause a warp core breach in TNG: Cause and Effect?

Question: Something always bothered me about that episode. The Bozeman didn't hit the Enterprise anywhere near the warp core, it hit in one of the nacelles. How did that collision cause a warp core breach?
Comment: Hi guys....  Listen, uh they're telling me that the generators won't take it.  [The ship's breaking apart and all that.](https://clip.cafe/galaxy-quest-1999/the-ship-breaking-apart-all-that/)  Just FYI.
Answer: The script gives us a pretty good overview of the order of events. A physical strike to the nacelle damaged the warp plasma system. The ship vented warp plasma and this destabilised the warp core, which then exploded.

DATA: The starboard nacelle has sustained a direct impact. We are venting drive plasma.
GEORDI: Initiating emergency core shutdown.
The starboard nacelle FLARES, throwing the ship into a SPINNING MOTION, out of control...
DATA: The core shutdown was unsuccessful. We are losing antimatter containment.
GEORDI: We've gotta eject the engine core!
DATA: The ejection systems are off-line. A core breach is imminent...
EXT. SPACE - THE ENTERPRISE (OPTICAL)
as it EXPLODES in a blast of fire and debris. Completely destroyed.

This aligns with what we know about the warp drive system from the TNG Technical Manual. Warp plasma is energised in the warp engine, gets channelled along tubes to the nacelles and returns spent once it's done its work. Uncontrolled venting apparently isn't good for the warp core, hence why they tend to explode when there's a containment breach.

The energetic plasma created by the M/ARC [Matter/Anti-matter Reaction
Chamber], and passed along the power transfer conduits, quickly
arrives at the termination point, the warp engine nacelles. This is
where the actual propulsion work is done. Each nacelle consists of a
number of major assemblies, including the warp field coils (WFC),
plasma injection system (PIS), emergency separation system (ESS), and
maintenance docking port.
Comment: I never knew there were so many British Star Trek fans, but this explains _so_ much! I always hear them talking about taking the PIS out of someone, and, well, now that I know what that is, it makes a lot of sense.
Comment: @Mazura - Hush now. Your science facts and logical deduction have no place here.
Comment: They make the bubble. "The warp coils in [warp nacelles](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Nacelle) created a subspace displacement field, which "warped" the space around the vessel allowing it to "ride" on a spatial distortion, and travel faster than the speed of light." .... (*"actual propulsion"* um, that's not how warp works....) *returns spent plasma* - possibly acts as the coolant, which would explain randomly having to vent it intentionally. I want to compare it to a runaway diesel but it's not ingesting anything; more like removing the control rods of a reactor.
Answer: In addition to the events of the impact itself, it's important to note something else in play

LAFORGE: All main systems just went down. Power levels are dropping rapidly.

The ship was clearly in trouble before they were hit by the Bozeman. It's very possible that the systems that went down that would help limit that sort of damage (i.e. shields, containment fields, etc.).
Comment: Just commenting on trek not your answer... It seems to me the Warp core is the least of the warp drive's problems - despite what a tech manual may say.  It's a bit like ejecting an engine to keep a car from exploding and expecting the viewer to forget the gasoline tank is the part that goes boom.  Now I'm sure million degree plasma in a warp core will mess up a ship too if the core ruptured. But what the show implies is a mega antimatter bomb.  And if the power to the antimatter tanks went off that's a problem.  Maybe they do it Simpsons style where the antimatter pods are powered by the drive
Comment: Oooh. I didn't spot that. I'm wondering if "main systems" includes the warp containment field. The fact that the emergency lighting still works would suggest otherwise, though. It's not *all* electrical systems, just a few that are easily disrupted by a distortion field.
Comment: @lucasbachmann -  Ejecting the warp core also triggers the venting of the warp plasma system.
Comment: Long story short, @lucasbachmann, if antimatter containment goes out, then a reaction will occur.  But when the warp core is operational, a matter/antimatter operation is _already_ occuring in the core, and this reaction will continue for as long as the core remains operational.  And if the core is damaged, that reaction can go out of control, and take the entire ship with it.  Which means that if antimatter containment is a gas tank that can go boom, then the engine _is_ a boom, wrapped in a fragile case that shatters if you sneeze too hard at it.
Comment: (Continued)  So, yeah, it's not wrong to think of the warp core as a "mega antimatter bomb", since it effectively _is_ a mega antimatter bomb that explodes forever (or until it runs out of fuel).  And if it's breached, then the explosion gets out of the core and into the rest of the ship, and nobody wants that! xD  (It's also possible that the antimatter containment system is part of the warp core, and thus ejecting the core ejects the antimatter, too.  It'd probably be the smartest way to design it, really, so you don't need to worry about the ship blowing up if aux power goes too.)
Comment: @lucasbachmann Ejecting the engine ejects the gasoline tank as well. See [this drawing from the technical manual](https://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/43193/frequency-of-warp-core-ejections/46833#46833).


Tag-Editor badge bug detected

Question: So, I edited the satan tag wiki, but was awarded the Tag Editor badge for christian-living  Stack Exchange has been lying to me, or maybe its just demon possessed!
Comment: I should also mention my reputation was 6666 when I did this.  Coincidence?
Comment: It [looks like](http://christianity.stackexchange.com/posts/5711/revisions) you edited the [tag:christian-living] tag wiki at Feb 1 at 13:57.  Is that not true?  Maybe the badge just showed up late?  Does editing the excerpt, but no the body, count for the badge?  It is strange in any case.
Answer: There was a bug in the badge granting logic that excluded tag wiki excerpts when they were your first edit, but they were caught after you edited a main wiki.
This fix will be pushed out in the next build (rev > 2012.2.16.1102).

Tag-Editor badge bug detected


How to create an Android Activity and Service that use separate processes

Question: I have an Android app that consists of an activity and a service. Currently they both exist in the same process and use the same heap but I want have to separate process/heap for the service. Ie. I want the service to be completely independent of the activity so that if the activity crashes it won't affect the service. I do, however, want them to be installable as a single application. Is this possible?
Answer: Definitely possible. See the process attribute for service in AndroidManifest.xml
http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/manifest/service-element.html
To quote:

The name of the process where the service is to run. Normally, all components of an application run in the default process created for the application. It has the same name as the application package. The  element's process attribute can set a different default for all components. But component can override the default with its own process attribute, allowing you to spread your application across multiple processes.
If the name assigned to this attribute begins with a colon (':'), a new process, private to the application, is created when it's needed and the service runs in that process. If the process name begins with a lowercase character, the service will run in a global process of that name, provided that it has permission to do so. This allows components in different applications to share a process, reducing resource usage.
Comment: Nice. @lyricsboy but a Question: in OP´s scenario, when Android kills the Activity (hence the app), will it also have killed the running Service if it is on the same process?
Comment: It depends on how the service is started (which mode) and other factors related to memory. You can find more specifics at: http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/fundamentals/processes-and-threads.html
Comment: By element do you mean **application**?. Which permission is required by service to run globally?
Answer: IPC for services is IMHO only required if the service should be consumed by other applications.
Running a service in its own process has the small advantages that the garbage collector for the service does not affect your application and that the memory footprint of the service is a bit smaller if it runs alone.
If consumption of the service by other applications is not a requirement for you, prefer a local service. Alternatively you can still run the service in its own process and use different communication with your application, e.g. via a broadcast receiver. I tried to describe the different approaches in my Android service tutorial under the following link: Activity and service communication.
Comment: Another advantage of running a service in its own process is that if user explicitly ends the application process the service will still keeps on running.
Comment: isn't the (service in separated process)the only way to prevent the service from call its own onDestroy when calling activity destroyed??
Comment: Hello Vogella, can you please explain me any scenerio in which we neet to "consumption of the service by other applications" , i am not getting this term. thanks
Comment: Running a service in a separate process helps ensure that, should the process of the main app be terminated, the service can continue.  So this is quite useful.


Magento 2: How to remove price decimal

Question: How to remove the price decimal from Front end price display only on the category and product pages ?
Comment: For the front end price display on the category and product pages? or are you asking about another part of the site?
Answer: If you turn on the template hints for your site you will see the price is set in this template:
/vendor/magento/module-catalog/view/base/templates/product/price/amount/default.phtml

Copy this file into your theme
(app/design/frontend/{{namespace}}/{{theme_name}}/Magento_Catalog/templates/product/price/amount/default.phtml).

Take note of the class that this file is defined from
\Magento\Framework\Pricing\Render\Amount

The price itself is coming from this call:
<?php /* @escapeNotVerified */ echo $block->formatCurrency($block->getDisplayValue(), (bool)$block->getIncludeContainer()) ?>

If we take a look at the file that this method is created based on the class it's inheriting (/vendor/magento/framework/Pricing/Render/Amount.php) you will see this method:
/**
 * Format price value
 *
 * @param float $amount
 * @param bool $includeContainer
 * @param int $precision
 * @return float
 */
public function formatCurrency(
    $amount,
    $includeContainer = true,
    $precision = PriceCurrencyInterface::DEFAULT_PRECISION
) {
    return $this->priceCurrency->format($amount, $includeContainer, $precision);
}

Taking note of the perams in the method, we can see from the template that is displaying the price that we have the definition for the $amount and the $includeContainer but not for the last one $precision which defaults to the constant PriceCurrencyInterface::DEFAULT_PRECISION. This constant is defined in the file /vendor/magento/framework/Pricing/PriceCurrencyInterface.php. Looking in this file we see at the top of the file just after the interface is defined const DEFAULT_PRECISION = 2;. So in the templale we just have to redefine this constant and it will change the default precision based on this value. Setting the value to 0 will do the trick for the category page and for the product page.
Change:
<?php /* @escapeNotVerified */ echo $block->formatCurrency($block->getDisplayValue(), (bool)$block->getIncludeContainer()) ?>

to:
<?php /* @escapeNotVerified */ echo $block->formatCurrency($block->getDisplayValue(), (bool)$block->getIncludeContainer(), 0) ?>

Note
This works on the site that I tested on, using USDs. Because Magento supports international currencies and different translations, this method might not work exactly as it does for me. But I don't have any international site set up right now, so I'm not able to test.
Comment: this is awesome answer.. can you tell me how to remove decimal from product details page
Comment: That is perfect working fine wherever there is a price except in product page
Comment: Yeah, i just saw that. The price get reloaded and changed with some JS in this file `/vendor/magento/module-catalog/view/base/web/js/price-box.js`. I just need to look into how to override this behavior.
Comment: I found this while looking around, it's not an answer to the question, but might get you down the right path. http://magento.stackexchange.com/questions/112102/magento2-how-can-i-override-core-js-module-price-box-js
Comment: I think this in combination with the JS solution is the right answer to the question. PHP handles rendering the prices from the server, whereas JS handles rendering the dynamically written prices (like in the minicart or when switching between options for configurable products).
Answer: To correct the product page you also should modify next javascript:
/vendor/magento/module-catalog/view/base/web/js/price-utils.js

on line 38 change
var precision = isNaN(format.requiredPrecision = Math.abs(format.requiredPrecision)) ? 2 : format.requiredPrecision,

for
var precision = 0,

Hope this help.
I found this in: Magento 2 : How to remove decimal points from the price
Comment: Don't modify core files, since they will be overwritten when you upgrade or re-install your installation. Rather use an override in your own design like where the article links to suggests.
Comment: Therefore you would have to add a requirejs-config.js file to some module (/app/code/VENDOR/MODULE/view/frontend/requirejs-config.js) with content var config = {

    map: {

        '*': {

            "Magento_Catalog/js/price-utils": "VENDOR_MODULE/js/price-utils"

        }

    }

}; Then create a file price-utils.js like /app/code/VENDOR/MODULE/view/frontend/web/js/price-utils.js. For German explanation please see [here](https://www.econcess.de/blog/onlineshop-erstellung-magento/247-onlineshop-magento-2-preise-ohne-nachkommastellen)
Answer: The price-utils.js solution did not work for me.
But this worked in Magento 2.1: Look in
/vendor/magento/framework/Pricing/PriceCurrencyInterface.php
Change
const DEFAULT_PRECISION = 2;
To
const DEFAULT_PRECISION = 0;
Then flush cache.
Comment: its work for me but edit vendor file not good practices
Comment: Hi, I tried this answer and changed price in frontend only. how to change in backend also ?
Comment: you can find proper override of PriceCurrencyInterface using custom module in that answer https://magento.stackexchange.com/a/211894/23264
Answer: You can use this module

https://github.com/lillik/magento2-price-decimal

if you are using composer, just run
composer require lillik/magento2-price-decimal

Comment: This module caused several issues for us, product prices was corrupted
Comment: While you create new product it mess up all product prices,  if a product price is 2,500 it will become 2 as it will remove all digits which come after comma (,) in price.
Comment: Its not working , product price getting corrupted totally..........
Answer: Change this in the file price-utils.js
from
            (precision ? decimalSymbol + am.toFixed(2).replace(/-/, 0).slice(2) : '');

to
            (precision ? decimalSymbol + am.toFixed(format.requiredPrecision).replace(/-/, 0).slice(2) : '');

It will dynamically load price precision and you don't have to do anything in js file.Just change in php file and will reflect here :)
Answer: I fixed method formatPrecision in vendor/magento/module-directory/Model/Currency.php on line ~301
there was code:
if (!isset($options['precision'])) {
    $options['precision'] = $precision;
}

I fixed so
if (!isset($options['precision'])) {
    $options['precision'] = ( (floatval($price) - intval($price)) != 0 ? $precision : 0);
}

Answer: To get desired result you have to edit this file
/pub/static/frontend/Theme-Package/Theme-Name/en_US/Magento_Catalog/js/price-utils.js

at line 38
var precision = isNaN(format.requiredPrecision = Math.abs(format.requiredPrecision)) ? 2 : format.requiredPrecision,

replace this with
var precision = 0,

This is for magento2.1.3
this will remove decimals from price digits. This solution helped me
Comment: Realize that static generated files (the files in `pub/static`) are overwritten every time you run `setup:static-content:deploy`. So I wouldn't make this modification here, but rather override `/vendor/magento/module-catalog/view/base/web/js/price-utils.js`, like Diego suggested.
Comment: don't modify pub/static as mentioned by Giel already.

Magento 2: How to remove price decimal


How can I make non-Strange weapons count kills?

Question: I would like to know how can I make my "not strange weapon" to count kills. Do I have to use any "strange module" or something like that? If so, where do I get this module from?
Comment: Have you tried looking at the team fortress wiki? I don't have time myself but I think you may find something.
Comment: Yes i have been looking there, did find anything. for example: http://steamcommunity.com/market/listings/440/Strange%20Festive%20Specialized%20Killstreak%20Smalltown%20Bringdown%20Rocket%20Launcher%20%28Factory%20New%29 I am talking about the strange module right under the name and quality of the weapon
Answer: Strange weapons count kills. No other quality of weapon does. If you want a strange weapon, there are a few possibilities:

If you want to acquire a new strange weapon, open crates, trade for them, or buy them on the market.
If you want to make an existing weapon strange, you need a specific Strangifier. Note however two problems:

Only a select few weapons have Strangifiers available. The reason Strangifiers exist for these weapons is usually because they cannot be uncrated (and so can't be found as strange). The list is this:

Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol
Cow Mangler 5000
Air Strike
Righteous Bison
Phlogistinator
Manmelter
Third Degree
Horseless Headless Horsemann's Headtaker
Widowmaker
Pomson 6000
Vaccinator
Classic
Cleaner's Carbine
Necro Smasher

Strangifiers are super-rare and consequently super-expensive. For example, last I checked on the market, the Strangifier for the Widowmaker was three times as expensive as an already-strange Widowmaker.

If you're trying to get a strange decorated weapon (i.e. skins), you need a Civilian Grade Stat Clock item, which can make Civilian-grade (rank 1) weapons strange. Note that the clock itself can only be obtained by sacrificing 5 Freelance (rank 2) weapons or strange items, and can only be applied to Cilivian weapons; you can't add a clock to an existing weapon of higher grade.

Finally, note that some weapons just aren't available as strange at the moment.


How do I disable the OneNote 2013 "Win+Shift+S" hotkey?

Question: I use OneNote nearly every day and just upgraded to the (free!) 2013 version. This version registers both the Windows+S and Windows+Shift+S keyboard combinations. Unfortunately, this conflicts with a custom internal application that registers (and requires)Windows+Shift+S. I have found some instructions for changing the Windows+S hotkey, but nothing for the Windows+Shift+S hotkey combination. Is there any way to disable the conflicting shortcut in OneNote?
Comment: You can better change the short cut keys in windows
Answer: I discovered that changing the registry entry mentioned in the linked answer also changes the key for the Windows+Shift+S hotkey. That is, changing the "ScreenClippingShortcutKey" value to "5A" changes the mappings to Windows+Z and Windows+Shift+Z. Lucky for me!


Is there a "Live" Ubuntu version for Android phone?

Question: I would like to know that if Ubuntu can be installed on an Android phone without wiping out the current installation. Something like the Live CD for desktops?
Answer: Ubuntu can't be installed on an Android phone without wiping out the current installation.Please check that your phone supports Ubuntu or not.
If you want to try  Ubuntu  for phones,then install Ubuntu touch Emulator on your Ubuntu PC.
Answer: Depends on the app. Go to Google Play store and search under "Linux" and "Ubuntu". As an example "Linux Deploy" seems to be a good app.
If you have a Galaxy Nexus you can go to http://www.ubuntu.com/phone/install  but this will replace your Android OS
If your just interested in testing things out try an Ubuntu Phone emulator: http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2013/11/ubuntu-touch-emulator-released


Debugging .NET / WP7 applications - should I write my own framework?

Question:
I am currently developing for .NET and WP7, and I always run into the same problems. Little things like:

Using wrong strings in databinding
Forget to set visibility correctly
Raise properties not at the right time

You get the idea, small stuff which is not essential but annoying. Especially when it comes to Windows Phone 7, because there you only got the small emulator, and can't just fire up a big windows to show the status of all your objects.
So my idea was the following:

Use a basic helper classes which can e.g. list all properties
Monitor list counts (empty list vs. data binding error)
etc...

Now I need a way to monitor these objects in a "big window", my idea was to use WCF for that. Basically you have a MonitorService in your application which you can pass any objects (Services, ViewModels, etc) and which will transfer these objects (or their state) over the wire to a host application, showing a tree-like representation of you currently running application.
I already have logging which can be configured very nicely, but this is not really suitable for monitoring object states. So now my question is:
Are there any frameworks who e.g. hook into the monitoring and trace functionality of Visual Studio, and still allow to "design" the UI myself. Basically getting rid of the need for a WCF service to communicate between the running debug app and the "host window".
Any keywords for search are welcome, debugging and visual studio are not very google friendly :-)
Answer: So how is the debugging functionality within VS not sufficient?


How can I convert an AVI file to a Blackberry-compatible format?

Question: I need a program to convert an AVI file to a format compatible with my Blackberry. On Windows, I've tried format factory and converted the .avi file to .3gp, but the output is of very bad quality.
Answer: You can use Avidemux. It also provides good editing features.

WinFF is another option, only for video conversions. As the app site says:

WinFF is a GUI for the command line video converter, FFMPEG. It will convert most any video file that FFmpeg will convert. WinFF does multiple files in multiple formats at one time. You can for example convert mpeg's, flv's, and mov's, all into avi's all at once. WinFF is available for Windows 95, 98 , ME, NT, XP, VISTA, and Debian, Ubuntu, Redhat based GNU/Linux distributions.

ffmpeg is really powerful but it might be tricky to use for many users. WinFF provides a GUI for it and makes it easier to use.

Edit:
Mobile Media Converter is another good option.
Application descriptions:

The Mobile Media Converter is a free video and audio converter for converting between popular desktop media formats like MP3, Windows Media Audio (wma), Ogg Vorbis Audio (ogg), Wave Audio (wav), MPEG video, AVI, Windows Media Video (wmv), Flash Video (flv), QuickTime Video (mov) and commonly used mobile devices/phones formats like AMR audio (amr) and 3GP video. iPod/iPhone and PSP compatible MP4 video are supported. Moreover, you can remove and add new formats or devices through the internet.
An integrated YoutTube downloader is available for direct downloading and converting to any of these formats. You can trim your clips for ringtone creation or any other purpose and crop your videos for removing up/down black bars or other unwanted parts of the image. Additionally, embedded subtitles can be encoded onto the video for watching movies or shows with subtitles on devices that does not supports them.
The program has a very easy-to-use and simple GUI (Graphical User Interface) that helps even the most amateur user. Most of the times, the only data that you must enter is the input file(s) or just drag 'n' drop the input file(s)! The 3GP and AMR formats are used by mobile phones for MMS, video and sound recordings, etc.
Comment: i cant seem to find a way to convert the avi into any video format using winff.when i select blackberry,the only preset available is mp3(mono).but i need a video.
Comment: What video formats does it support?
Comment: I mean your blackberry.
Comment: it supports 3gp
Comment: I updated the answer.Please try Mobile Media Converter. P.S: Please remove my answer as best answer and just vote it up until you get your answer.I'll lose the reputation but it may help to find better answers.Some users which know the answer won't open the question when it's answered.
Comment: it works :)i made it the answer again.
Comment: Happy to hear that :)
Answer: Convert AVI to 3gp using ffmpeg
ffmpeg is an excellent application on video conversion. It supports most of the file formats.
ffmpeg [[infile options][-i infile]]… {[outfile options] outfile}…

Convert from MPG to 3GP
ffmpeg -i inputfile.mpg -s qcif -vcodec h263 -acodec aac -ac 1 -ar 8000 -r 25 -ab 32 -y outputfile.3gp

Convert from AVI to 3GP
ffmpeg -i inputfile.avi -s qcif -vcodec h263 -acodec aac -ac 1 -ar 8000 -r 25 -ab 32 -y outputfile.3gp

Convert from 3GP to AVI
ffmpeg -i clip.3gp -f avi -vcodec xvid -acodec mp3 -ar 22050 file.avi


Some documents not showing in All Documents View

Question: I have a problem with the All Documents view - the "(more items...)" link at the bottom of the list of documents is not allowing all the documetns to be viewed on one page. I know the documents are in the folder as the explorer view shows them. Please can anyone let me know if there is a setting I have missed?
Answer: You can customize the All Documents view to show any number of documents you specific using the Item Limit setting. I believe the maximum number of items that a library can display is 5,000 (unless this setting is increased in Central Administration).
On the Ribbon in your library, click Library > Modify View to bring up the Edit View page. Scroll down and under the Item Limit setting, enter how many documents to display under the Number of items to display.
If you're using a web part to display the All Documents view of your library, you'll need to edit the web part properties and select the All Documents view again under the Selected View property. Also, you can customize this view directly in the web part by clicking Edit the current view in the web part properties. However, if you do this, this customized view will only be available for that particular web part.


Recaptcha: An internal error occurred

Question: I'm using Recaptcha within Django. I was using the following tutorial to integrate it in my web application: http://www.marcofucci.com/tumblelog/26/jul/2009/integrating-recaptcha-with-django/
The captcha doesn't show up on my machine. Instead of the captcha the following error message is displayed:

An internal error occurred: 4A6376441D250.ADE1949.3546A435

(I get a different code each time).
Answer: To which domain did you sign the recaptcha? If you entered "127.0.0.1" in the registration make sure you use this one and not "localhost".
Answer: Today, I got this error on one of my client's website.
It was working great but  suddenly it stop working. Then upon googling I find  this link and renewed my API key.
But after I switched to Secure (SSL Enabled) side of my website then It stops working again.
Then, In I got this function there

recaptcha_get_html(PUBLIC_KEY, $error, true);

The third argumentation use the SSL Server, I've to enable it.
This fixed everything for me.
Comment: Deleting and recreating my key fixed this problem. Thanks!

Recaptcha: An internal error occurred


If I start earning again, does my USA SS income get reduced?

Question: I have not shown any income for the past seven years, and receive about $900/month in Social Security.  This year I will earn about $30,000.  Will this affect my SS income, and if so by how much (approximately)?
Comment: Is the social security retirement, survivors,  or disability?
Answer: It depends.  It's complicated: if you are under your Full Retirement Age (FRA), then benefits are reduced by $1 for every $2 earned over $17,640. In the year you reach FRA, they're reduced by $1 for every $3 earned. And if you're over FRA, they're not reduced at all.  At least if I have correctly interpreted the SS web page: https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/whileworking.html
PS: As Dilip Sarwate notes in a comment, your $30K earnings this year will almost certainly (given that your current benefit is only $900) increase your benefit in future years.  The benefit is calculated using your highest 30/35 (don't remember exactly which) earnings years, indexed for inflation.  So the $30K will replace your lowest earning year, giving a higher benefit amount.
(If I've understood the SS material, something similar is also the case if benefits are reduced due to earnings: the reduction factors into an increased benefit after FRA.)
Comment: Thanks!  Since posting the question I have indeed confirmed that this is correct:  you can earn as much as you want after retirement age with no impact on the SS pension.
Comment: @PeterBloch Actually earnings _after_ FRA can affect your _future_ SS benefits positively because the new earnings are used in computing _next_ year's SS benefits and so your SS benefits might go up more than they would otherwise have had you not gotten that $30K in earnings.  If you have already maxed out your SS benefits (earned more than the maximum SS wages in each of 35 different years thus far) then the additional earnings will not increase your SS benefit (and SS will not return the tax withheld either).


Sharepoint Integration - Distributing Sharepoint DLLs

Question: Am a sharepoint newbie. Couldn't find a post that addresses my questions. If this is a duplicate please point me to an existing question.
I have to implement a simple document upload integration from existing asp.net mvc 2 site to a sharepoint site for one our clients.
At this point am not sure what version of Sharepoint client uses (2010/2007).
Couple of questions in this regard:
1) For 2010: I have tried to understand the licensing of Sharepoint Client Model Redistributable and could not understand if I can just provide Microsoft.SharePoint.Client/Runtime.dll along with my web application package or should I have to install the reditributable package on client's server?
2) For 2007: I think I can use WSS 3.0 to access Sharepoint Web Services (I could be totally wrong and haven't even tried this yet). If that's the case, can I just distribute the dll's along with my web application package (if that's feasible)?
Update-1:
Found this SO post for my first question: SharePoint Client Object Model Assembly Distribution
Update-2:
@bsimser was kind enough to shed some light on the questions I had and the @jabbr chat is @ https://jabbr.net/#/rooms/sharepoint , will keep this question open any possible inputs from other experts.
Comment: Do not leave this hanging. If you have answers (even just one liners) post them here. These links posted here can/will go stale over time and others that come across this page will be forever left without an answer.
Answer: Why not just open the unc path to the document library and save the file. You would not need any Sharepoint Client object.
\sharepointsite\sites\sitename\libraryname


how important is the pre-emphasis stage in MFCC?

Question: I wrote a simple MFCC routine, using all the steps usually suggested in the literature with the exception of the pre-emphasis stage. How important is this stage?
 Also, some authors suggest that using rectangular windows instead of triangular doesn't degrade MFCC performance (as long as the windows are overlapping) so any ideas regarding this particular subject are welcome.
Answer: Pre-emphasis is a way of compensating for the rapid decaying spectrum of speech. The experiment is worth trying on real data - you will find that the DCT basis is better at extracting a set of decorrelated coefficients when the spectrum has been whitened by the pre-emphasis filter.
This justification does not really apply in the case of music where the spectrum is more slowly decaying - it is not uncommon in MIR papers to see MFCC computed without the pre-emphasis filter. In the case of music, an argument for pre-emphasis is that it provides a very crude approximation of the outer ear filtering. Some feature extraction modules are indeed using MFCC-like features with a proper outer ear filter (response given by Terhard's formula) in place of pre-emphasis - For example, it looks like this is what is used by the Echo Nest analyzer.
Comment: Thanks. I'll give pre-emphasis a try. Would you care to comment on my second question regarding the use of rectangular windows instead of triangular ones?


C# JIT compiling and .NET

Question: I've become a bit confused about the details of how the JIT compiler works. I know that C# compiles down to IL. The first time it is run it is JIT'd. Does this involve it getting translated into native code? Is the .NET runtime (as a Virtual Machine?) interact with the JIT'd code? I know this is naive, but I've really confused myself. My impression has always been that the assemblies are not interpreted by the .NET Runtime but I don't understand the details of the interaction.
Answer: Yes, JIT'ing IL code involves translating the IL into native machine instructions.
Yes, the .NET runtime interacts with the JIT'ed native machine code, in the sense that the runtime owns the memory blocks occupied by the native machine code, the runtime calls into the native machine code, etc.
You are correct that the .NET runtime does not interpret the IL code in your assemblies.
What happens is when execution reaches a function or code block (like, an else clause of an if block) that has not yet been JIT compiled into native machine code, the JIT'r is invoked to compile that block of IL into native machine code.  When that's done, program execution enters the freshly emitted machine code to execute it's program logic.  If while executing that native machine code execution reaches a function call to a function that has not yet been compiled to machine code, the JIT'r is invoked to compile that function "just in time".  And so on.
The JIT'r doesn't necessarily compile all the logic of a function body into machine code at once.  If the function has if statements, the statement blocks of the if or else clauses may not be JIT compiled until execution actually passes through that block.  Code paths that have not executed remain in IL form until they do execute.
The compiled native machine code is kept in memory so that it can be used again the next time that section of code executes.  The second time you call a function it will run faster than the first time you call it because no JIT step is necessary the second time around.
In desktop .NET, the native machine code is kept in memory for the lifetime of the appdomain.  In .NET CF, the native machine code may be thrown away if the application is running low on memory.  It will be JIT compiled again from the original IL code the next time execution passes through that code.
Comment: As to the *why* this is done, it is primarily because a non-jit compiler cannot assume that certain optimizations are available on any given target platform.  The only options are to either compile to the lowest common denominator, or more commonly, to compile multiple versions, each targeted at it's own platform. JIT eliminates that disadvantage because the final translation to machine code is done on the target machine, where the compiler knows what optimizations are available.
Comment: Minor pedantic correction - 'The JIT'r doesn't necessarily compile all the logic of a function body' - In a theoretical implementation that may be the case, but in the existing implementations of the .NET runtime, the JIT compiler will compile whole methods all at once.
Comment: @Grigory Yes, NGEN has the luxury of time that the JIT compiler does not, but there are plenty of codegen decisions that the JIT can make  to improve the performance of the compiled code that don't take a lot of time to figure out. For example, the JIT compiler can select instruction sets to best match the available hardware found at runtime without adding significant time to the JIT compile step. I don't think the .NET JITter does this in any significant fashion, but it is possible.
Comment: Chris, even thought JIT knows what optimizations are available, it has not time to apply any significant optimizations. Probably NGEN is more powerfull.
Answer: Code is "compiled" into the Microsoft Intermediate Language, which is similar to assembly format.
When you double-click an executable, Windows loads mscoree.dll which then sets up the CLR environment and starts your program's code. The JIT compiler starts reading the MSIL code in your program and dynamically compiles the code into x86 instructions, which the CPU can execute.
Answer: I will describe compilling IL code into native CPU instructions via example below.
public class Example
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Hey IL!!!");
    }
}

Primarily CLR knows every details about  type and what method being called from that type this is due to metadata .
When CLR starting to execute IL into native CPU instruction, that time CLR allocate internal data structures for every type referenced by Main's code.
In our case we have only one type Console, thus CLR will allocate one internal data structure. Via that internal structure, we will manage access to the  referenced types.
Inside that data structure, CLR has entries about all methods defined by that type. Each entry holds the address where the method's implementation can be found.
When initializing this structure, CLR sets each entry in undocumented FUNCTION contained inside in CLR itself. And as you can guess, this FUNCTION is what we call JIT Compiler.
Overall you could consider JIT Compiler as a CLR function, which compilling IL into native CPU instructions. Let me show you in details how this process will be in our example.
1.When Main's make his first call to WriteLine, the JITCompiler function is called.
2.JIT Compiler function knows what method is being called and what type defines this method.
3.Then Jit Compiler searches the assembly where defined that type  and  get IL code for the method defined  by that type  in our case IL code  of WriteLine method.
4.JIT compiler allocate DYNAMIC memory block, after that JIT verify and compile IL code into native CPU code and save that CPU code in that memory block.
5.Then JIT compiler goes back to the internal data structure entry, and replaces the address(which primarily reference to the IL code implementation of  WriteLine) with  address new dynamically created memory block, which contain native CPU instructions of WriteLine.
6.Finally, the JIT Compiler function jumps to the code in the memory block and execute native code of writeline method.
7.After execution of the WriteLine, code returns to the Mains'code which continues execution  as normal.
Answer: .NET uses an intermediate language called MSIL, sometimes abbreviated as IL. The compiler reads your source code and produces MSIL. When you run the program, the .NET Just In Time (JIT) compiler reads your MSIL code and produces an executable application in memory. You won't see any of this happen, but it's a good idea to know what's going on behind the scenes.
Answer: .NET Framework uses CLR Environment to produce the MSIL(Microsoft Intermediate Language), also called as IL.
The compiler reads your source code and when you build/compile your project, It generates MSIL.
Now, when you finally run your project, The .NET JIT(Just-in-time Compiler) comes in action.
JIT reads your MSIL code and produces native code(which are x86 instructions) which  can be easily executed by the CPU.JIT reads all the MSIL instructions and executes them Line by Line.
If you're interested to see, what happens behind the scenes , it has been already answered. Please follow - Here

C# JIT compiling and .NET


In 2016, can $1000.00 buy enough operations per second to be approximately equal to the computational power of a human brain?

Question: In The Age of Spiritual Machines (1999), Ray Kurzweil predicted that in 2009, a \$1000 computing device would be able to perform a trillion operations per second. Additionally, he claimed that in 2019, a \$1000 computing device would be approximately equal to the computational ability of the human brain (due to Moore's Law and exponential growth.)
Did Kurzweil's first prediction come true? Are we on pace for his second prediction to come true? If not, how many years off are we?

Edit (12.19.2020)
According to the answer here, estimates of the processing power of the human brain range at least as widely as from $10^{17}$ flops to $10^{28}$ flops.
Comment: Who says that the problem is quantitative ?
Answer: The development of CPUs didn't quite keep up with Kurzweil's predictions. But if you also allow for GPUs, his prediction for 2009 is pretty accurate.
I think Moore's law slowed down recently and has now been pretty much abandoned by the industry. How much that will affect the 2019 prediction remains to be seen. Maybe the industry will hit its stride again with non-silicon based chips, maybe not.
And, of course, whether hitting Kurzweil's estimate of the computing power of the human brain will make an appreciable difference for the development of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is another question altogether.
Answer:
Yes, we do have computing systems that do fall in the teraFLOPS range (where 1 teraflop = 1 trillion FLOPS = $10^{12}$ FLOPS)

The human brain is a biological system and saying it has some sort of FLOPS ability is just plain dumb because there is no way to take a human brain and measure its FLOPS. You could say "hey, by looking at the neurons activity using fMRI we can reach some sort of approximation", but comparing the result of this approach with the way FLOPS are measured in computers will be comparing apples with oranges, which again is dumb.
Comment: @DJG it's not a currently useful measure, because the "heat being generated by useful computation" (e.g. Landauer limit) is many orders of magnitude smaller than the waste heat of even the most efficient computing devices that we can build. For both modern electronic computers and biological neurons, despite their enormous efficiency differences, they still effectively are 100% waste heat, spending millions of times more power than theoretically necessary for that computation.
Comment: Why don't we measure it in energy consumed instead, with some sort of efficiency factor that denotes how much of the heat is being generated by useful computation (as opposed to supportive biological processes?)
Comment: Heat is just another factor to optimise. You want to maximise the FLOPS and minimise heat generation (aka energy consumption of the system). People, in high performance computing, first focus to maximise FLOPS generally as they want their algorithms to run fast and later focus on heat depending on the requirements.
Comment: Perhaps this indicates a flaw in or incompletion of the theory.
Comment: @DJG Given a list of 100 numbers, who would be fast to compute their sum, a computer or a human? This simple example shows that what human brain does and what computers does are completely different things. We built computers to perform a given sequence of arithmetic and logic operations as fast as possible because human brains are very very slow to do this task.
Comment: The average person would be slower than a computer. Certain autistic individuals might be faster.


QGIS Plugin for creating Quality information

Question: I am planning to create a plugin to create quality information. The plugin should do following actions: 1)  To add Dataset for which the quality information is to be added. 2)  View the quality info if available. 3) Create a new one or edit existing. 4)   Save it to the Database along with the dataset. I need to know whether all the tasks mentioned above is possible to create or not. If possible send me the links where I can get ideas.
Answer: Given that you know how to code in python:

Look at the pygis developer cookbook
Look at existing plugins how other people coded their plugins. You can access them in your QGIS profile folder after download or get them here as zip-file
Look in the QGIS API if you can not find the method/function/class you are looking for. (Tip: Search Bar ;) )
If they are very specific questions, try to ask a question here and please (!!!) give a code-example. However note that you should only ask questions directly related to PyQGIS and not general python issues. Those belong to Stackoverflow or other websites.


How to keep stamina for intense long duration workouts

Question: I am a hard core gymer. I work out 2hrs a day at a single stretch. However I am unable to keep the intensity of the workouts halfway. I mean not being able to maintain the vigour and stamina with which I began. Currently I am working out for weight gain and lifting heavyweights so I warmup for 8 -10 minutes. Its  cold winters here in haryana,  india. Can you suggest ways in improving my stamina? Is there some thing I should do to improve stamina or take certain supplements before working out? Will taking lot of carbs before working out really help??
Comment: You do realize that you don't need to workout for two hours, right? There's no "rule" that says you must workout for 'x' hours to fulfill your goal(s). Cutting back would certainly help with your stamina.
Answer: Train smarter not harder™.
On a serious note, most workouts plans can be finished within an hour. Even bodybuilding workouts generally don't take that long. Mostly because if you have enough energy to go two hours, then you probably aren't challenging yourself enough in the first hour. Also there is a period of diminishing returns in which more work doesn't necessarily mean more gains.
Having said all that, the question is about energy. Some workouts you just feel sluggish and need a boost. Energy can be best derived from fat and carbs. Carbs will give you a quicker, faster boost. Simple carbs (sugar) will give you a much quicker boost of energy that goes away quicker. Complex carbs (vegetables, potatoes, grains, oats, beans, etc.) will give you a longer, more sustained energy. While fat can give you even more prolonged, sustained energy.
So, before a workout, it would be beneficial to have a bit of both complex carbs and/or fat. I'm not sure what is easily available in India or what kind of dietary restrictions you have. I personally like eggs and oats. Eggs are a very good source of healthy fats and proteins. Oats are a very fibrous, complex carbohydrates which is great for a sustained energy. During more intense workouts, I will eat jellybeans which are basically pure sugar which is a simple carb for a much faster energy boost. About 30 grams spread throughout the workout is enough.
You can substitute for whatever food you like/have access to which follow similar macro-nutrients. Also use this advice as a guideline rather than a strict rule to follow. Not everyone responds the same so you should experiment with different variations to know what works best for you. (Some people workout better on a completely empty stomach for example.)
Answer: If you are able to maintain the intensity till half-time of your workout, you, then you are almost done with what you are doing. Pushing a little further till failure would help, but pushing yourself more is only going to have negative effect on strength and mass. Have a look at the graph of strength/mass vs workout duration.
This is the site http://scoobysworkshop.com/.
Credits for the image goes to Scooby and the site above and not me. The person is a qualified engineer and always uses science in all his workouts.
Now as you see in the image, after a period of time( which is usually between 30 minutes to an hour for strength training depending on the person), anything done in excess only fetches you negative returns. Your muscles crave for energy and they break beyond repair.So, stick to a time that suits you. There's no reason to push yourself for 2 hours and look for stamina, if your goal is purely strength and mass.


Is there a keilim mikvah in Williamsburg

Question: I have few items I need to toivel. Where can I find a keilim mikvah in Williamsburg?
Unfortunately I couldn't find any good resources online. Google maps didn't help either.
Much appreciated!
Comment: how about the river?
Comment: I did a Google search for the terms "Williamsburg new york city mikveh" (or "mikvah") and got a list of hits. I don't actually know where Williamsburg is, so I cannot comment on whether all of these Brooklyn addresses would satisfy you. If you know what zip code you will be in, it might be easier to find a suitable address. The next step, I think, would be to phone the suitable Mikva'os to ask when (or whether) you can bring dishes there.
Comment: https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/77574/where-are-the-24-hour-keilim-mikvaot-in-nyc?r=SearchResults
Comment: Most maps such as mikvah.org/directory will show regular mikvaos and not keilim mikvaos
Comment: Your best bet in that neighborhood is to ask any religiously identifiable person in the street.
Answer: Osso Hardware / 38 Lee Ave & Homery Store / 34 Franklin Ave have a Keilim Mikva


Disable samba encrytion on OpenElec

Question: I finally got my Pi. The last days I tried a lot of MediaCenter-Distros and yesterday I decided to stay with OpenElec since it seems to be the fastest.
Without any further configurations OpenElec seems to have enabled samba and even already shared my usb-stick in the Pi.
I am able to send data from my Win8-Computer to the usb-stick on my Pi. But this process is pretty slow. I read a lot that this is kind of normal but I try to get as much speed as possible.
So I first switched from WLAN to LAN on the Pi, so that the usb doesn't have to share its power. Then I formatted the usb-stick from NTFS to ext4. Still pretty slow.
The last thing I can think of is the samba-encryption. Some people say that you can disable the encryption to get a little speed boost. I want to try that too but I have no idea how. I don't even know yet how to open a terminal, since until everything was kind of out-of-the-box in the options of OpenElec.
Thank you in advance!
Answer: I only get 3-4 MB/s transferring data to the pi (B or B+) over ethernet using ssl encryption, even though writing directly to an attached drive is much faster than that (40-45 MB/s).  Max throughput on the USB 2.0 bus (which includes the ethernet jack) would be 60 MB/s (i.e., it would be impossible to transfer over ethernet to an attached drive faster than 30 MB/s).
I don't do a lot of GB magnitude transfers (when I do, it is easier to just connect the drive to something else) so I have never been bothered enough to diagnose this.  Quick test of an unencrypted transfer looked to be more like 8-10 MB/s, which is still slow.
According to this, you would forbid encryption with samba by setting:
smb encrypt = disabled

in /etc/samba/smb.conf (presuming that is the correct path on openELEC).  Probably you then have to restart the server.
Keep in mind it may be the windows box enforcing encryption, so you may have to reconfigure something there too.

Disable samba encrytion on OpenElec


What happens to Thom Merrilin?

Question: In The Eye of the World, Thom attacks a fade, Rand and Matt both assume he dies. We learn later that he indeed lives through this, but the fight itself is a mystery. They see Thom jump at the fade and then a blue light, or blue fire explodes around him and the fade and they here him screaming. Later when Moiraine, Lan, and Nynaeve come to Whitebridge they see the town has buildings burned randomly through the city. As far as I know Fades don't use any form of the true-source, or any powers that would allow them to cast blue fire, or lightning. What caused this, was it Rand subconsciously using the one power, or was it something else?
Answer: There's no canon on this, but I've always assumed that one or more of the knives secreted about Thom's person were Power-wrought.  You know that he's the kind of guy that would pick something special like that up when he had a chance.  There are other scenes in which power-wrought blades, such as Lan's and Mat's, generate blue sparking when clashing with Thakan'dar-wrought blades.
Here are a couple of the cites I was thinking of:
From The Eye of the World:

[The Fade's] hand swept toward the hilt of the black sword hanging at
  its waist, but the gleeman's long legs covered the distance quickly.
  Thom crashed into the Myrddraal before the black blade was half drawn,
  and both went down in a thrashing heap.  The few people still in the
  square fled.
"RUN!"  The air in the square flashed an eye-searing blue, and Thom
  began to scream, but even in the middle of the scream he managed a
  word.  "RUN!"

From The Fires of Heaven:

The Myrddraal's blade flickered like a serpent's tongue, darted like
  black lightning, but to counter Mat's attack.  When raven-marked
  Power-wrought steel met Thakan'dar-made metal, blue light flashed
  around them, a crackle of sheet lightning.
Comment: There's a quote by Robert Jordan somewhere in an interview in reference to this where he says that "Thom's best knives are very special knives", implying that they are power-wrought.
Comment: thats a good thought. Its really weird when i read it its almost as if jordan wants to give fades some more powers, but then after this book when they talk to thom they sort of just ignore that their was blue sparks/fire. Like he decided ... never mind i dont want them to be able to do this.
Answer: When Thom Merrilin fought the Fade at Whitebridge, no one is sure about (i) where the blue lightning came from and (ii) how Thom survived the fight. Below is one explanation that no one else seems to have considered.  I can't say it is the best explanation, but I think it is worth considering.
I have often speculated that Thom has a very weak ability to channel saidin, e.g., along the lines of how much Queen Morgase can channel saidar, but somewhat stronger than that. Let's not forget that Thom's nephew Owen had the ability to channel saidin, and that the ability does tend to manifest in the same bloodlines.  Furthermore, Thom seemed even more upset over Owen's fate than is reasonable. It seemed as though Thom intended to help Owen.  How could he do that unless Thom himself could channel?
A very weak ability to channel saidin might also help to explain Thom's uncanny accuracy and effectiveness with his knives and daggers.
Finally, in the very last book, "A Memory of Light", Thom also played a role that seemed beyond his abilities, when he was guarding a cave at the Last Battle.
The above explanation does not mean that other explanations are invalid. For example, even if my explanation is correct, it might also be true, at the same time, that Thom's blades were power-wrought, or that Rand unconsciously channeled.

What happens to Thom Merrilin?


Why are clicks in query keywords and pages inconsistent?

Question: In google search console/performance, I see zero click under query keywords section, but some clicks under pages section(some pages got clicked). I think the number of clicks should be the same. Why does this happen?
Answer: There could potentially be several reasons, but the most likely one was written up by Ahrefs earlier this year. Apparently, they found that keywords were hidden for 46% of Google Search Console clicks.
Here's some of the relevant info:
"Google gives a few reasons for this discrepancy:

Privacy
Queries made a small number of times

I doubt that many are for privacy, so that leaves a lot of long-tail queries that Google isn't exposing to website owners and SEOs."
With privacy being a popular conversation going on in the industry right now, I would not be surprised if it actually is one of the reasons, though.
They also found that the hidden data is very likely to be the case with lowest (as well as highest) traffic websites. Your question says that "some pages got clicked," so I'm guessing your website traffic might fall into this category.


Blender Subsurface Scattering on Certain Area

Question: Is there a way to increase the Subsurf Scatteringjust for certain areas like Vertex Groups?
Answer: One option is to use Vertex Colors:

Go to Object Data in the Properties panel and add a new slot for Vertex Colors. You can then go to Vertex Paint mode and paint wherever you want the subsurface to be.
Unlike Vertex Groups, Vertex Colors can be brought into materials with the Vertex Color node. (Shift+A > Vertex Colors > YourVertexColors).
Comment: Great tip, thanks!


Could a raspberry pi pico power a PC fan

Question: I have recently soldered a 90mm PC fan to a USB cable and it works great. I was wondering if it would be possible to power said fan off of the 5v output pin on the pico, and solder the black wire to ground. I would do it so I could run a script to power the fan on and off.
Answer: Seeing as the Pico does not have a 5V output pin the answer is No.
The VBUS pin will have whatever voltage you put on it, which may be 5V if powered by USB and this depends on what it is connected to.
See https://raspberrypi.stackexchange.com/a/127865/8697
This will NOT control the fan and Pico GPIO pins are 3.3V low current.
Comment: Hello, Thanks a ton for the answer. Assuming the pico is powered off of 5v USB, would it power the fan. (off of the VBUS pin) If so, could it be programmed to turn on and off? Sorry if it is a stupid question I'm really new to this lol
Comment: @SamHaydock it depends on how much current the fan uses and how much whatever it is connected to can supply. I don't know what current the Pico would negotiate from a compliant USB source - I would assume 500mA as my iMac shows. You could control with a transistor, similar to the Pi, but there seems little point in a fan as the Pi doesn't need cooling
Answer: You can achieve what you want but not as you are suggesting. It does not matter if the fan is 5V 12V or 24V use a seperate power supply for it, do not power it with the Pi that is asking for destruction. Get yourself some MOSFETs or MOSFET modules that will turn on with 3V. The ones I use are opto coupled. With a MOSFET (N-Channel) connect the drain to the - or ground output of the power supply which is also connected to the ground of the Pi. Connect the + terminal of the fan to the + of the power supply, the - to the MOSFET drain. Now connect the gate to whatever port pin you want to use. When you turn that port pin on the MOSFET will turn on causing the drain to go to ground potential causing the fan to run. If you use the opto isolated switch you connect the (ground or 3V3 depending on how you want it to work) of the Pi to it and a Port pin. the other side  of the isolated switch you connect the fan power supply and the fan there is no need to connect the grounds. This is based on the Pi's ability to sink or source current via its port pin. The connection is the same as a LED which the optocoupler input side is.


Is bosonization possible in any number of dimensions?

Question: Is bosonization applicable to an arbitrary number of spacetime dimensions?
Comment: If you mean the Cooper pairs then yes.
Comment: I don't know any examples of bosonization in 3+1d, but exist very famous examples in 1+1d and 2+1d.
Answer: Exact bosonization exists in all dimensions, i.e., mapping from even fermionic operators to Pauli matrices (with certain constraints on Hilbert space) in arbitrary triangulation which preserves the algebra. The simplest example should be Bravyi-Kitaev superfast simulation of fermions mentioned in https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0003137. Their construction preserves the locality of operators and is valid for any graph.
We have a more formal way to derive the exact bosonization in
2d: https://arxiv.org/abs/1711.00515
3d: https://arxiv.org/abs/1807.07081
All dimensions: https://arxiv.org/abs/1911.00017
In (2+1)D, the exact bosonization is described by flux attachment. For example, given a toric code, we combine both charge excitation $e$ and flux excitation $m$ to form an emergent fermion $\epsilon = em$. This can help us to define an isomorphism between the fermionic operators and logical operators in the toric code subspace where only $\epsilon$ excitations are allowed. In other words, any fermionic theory in two dimensions is dual to a 1-form $\mathbb{Z}_2$ lattice gauge symmetry. If we go to spacetime picture, the above flux attachment approach can be described by the Chern-Simon term in spacetime action: $$\int A \cup \delta A$$ where $A$ is the 1-cochain representing the $\mathbb{Z}_2$ fields living on edges.
In (3+1)D, we used higher cup products to formulate the bosonization map in Hamiltonian level. The formula is analogous to flux attachment in (2+1)D. We found that the spacetime action (after Euclidean path integral) is:
 $$\int B\cup B + B \cup_1 \delta B$$
where B is the 2-cochain representing the $\mathbb{Z}_2$ fields living on faces. This action is called Steenrod square, which is used for the classification of fermionic SPT phases: https://arxiv.org/abs/1809.01112.
The statement above can be generalized to all dimensions easily.
Comment: so is this proves the conjectured duality between abelian higgs  model with CS term at its wilson fisher fixed point and massless dirac fermions.
Answer: The technique normally referred to as Bosonization only works in 1 spatial dimension. The technique is a mapping between the the Fock space of fermions (with linear dispersion) and the Fock space of Bosons.
The proof that the mapping is an isomorphism was given by Haldane who computed the grandcanonic partition function in the two cases (and obtained the same result).
In practice (part of) the success of this technique is that some Hamiltonians that look interacting in the fermionic picture become non-interacting after Bosonization (i.e. in the bosonic picture) and so can be solved exactly. This was done by Tomonaga, Luttinger and others.
Comment: @vadim I think there could be a terminology issue. The constructions in the other answers are generalizations of the Jordan-Wigner transformation in D dimensions. So strictly speaking they are mappings from fermions to spins, not bosons. This holds at least for the paper by Kitaev Bravyi and   the 2D by Yu an Chen and Kaputsin paper. Let's just say that my answer is the standard one. The mapping between Fock spaces, per se is independent of dimension but I think the result is local only in 1D. Again people tried various generalizations, but let's just say that the standard result holds in 1D.
Comment: Your answer seems at odds with the other one given here. I wonder whether the 2D and 3D cases referred to there can be shown to be effectively one-dimensional.
Comment: I guess the terminology may be a little different. In the 1d system, Jordan-Wigner and the "standard" 1d bosonization are for discrete lattices and continuous fields, respectively. These two approaches are equivalent. In higher dimensions, the Jordan-Wigner can be generalized using $\mathbb{Z}_2$ lattice gauge theory. However, the continuous analogy is unclear since the Steenrod square action is only well-defined for $\mathbb{Z}_2$ cohomology. Tsui and Wen (https://arxiv.org/abs/1908.02613) seem to have defined the Steenrod square for $\mathbb{Z}_n$. That may help to generalize the story.


L293d, Input Voltage Specification

Question: I have made project " DTMF Based Land Rover ".
The whole circuit is working in usual manner. The voltage at arduino output pins is 3.46 volts.
And pin no 16 and 8 are Vcc of L293d respectively
So they are connected to 6V.
When arduino output is driven into motor drive ic L293d, motors connected at output of ic is not rotating. So can anyone tell me why the motor is not rotating.
( According to me  it can be because of low voltage at input pins of L293d. So can anyone suggest how can i increase the voltage at input pins )
If this is due to some different reason, kindly please help me with solution.
Comment: sorry, neither the Circuit "name" nor "working in usual manner" tell us anything – without a detailed schematic, we can't help you.
Comment: And tell us what motors you're using.  You are aware that the L293 can only drive its pins to within 1.2V and 1.8V of the rails, so you're basically powering your motor with 3V, not 6.
Comment: Possible duplicate of [L293, L298 and SN754410 H-bridge drivers on low voltage power supply](https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/108686/l293-l298-and-sn754410-h-bridge-drivers-on-low-voltage-power-supply)
Comment: As many existing questions here will indicate, the L293 and L298 are horrible, extremely lossy chips.  They are not suited to low voltage operation at all.
Answer: Make sure that you set the enable pins (pins 1 and 9 on the IC) to the correct logic levels to enable the PWM output for the direction you want to turn in.
The datasheet has a lot of information on how to properly use this IC (http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/l293.pdf)
It sounds like you might be working on a project as a beginner, so here's an instructable that I found online that you can use for reference: https://www.instructables.com/id/L293D-Motor-Driver/
Comment: The fundamental issue is that the asker has chosen the wrong bridge chip for the task.  An FET bridge is required, at these voltages a Darlington bridge would at best barely work.

L293d, Input Voltage Specification


Watch the WWDC replay stream

Question: The live link is at http://www.apple.com/apple-events/june-2013/ should have a replay version posted in a bit. The replay will also be posted under Apple TV's Apple Events section for quite some time.
Comment: but no one's hanging out in chat to discuss it. alas.
Answer: This was posted so that we could have an announcement on the community bulletin. We can edit and reuse this next year unless it causes grief to anyone.
Comment: Well, Community◆ bumping this might be a form of grief. I'm upvoting to keep that from happening again. :-(

Watch the WWDC replay stream


File encryption program for all platforms

Question: I need to encrypt files and folders in Ubuntu. I know there are lots of programs that can do that, but I would like to be able to open the encrypted files on other platforms too.
I should be possible to open the files on Linux, Windows, Android and so on.
Is there a encryption program that exists on all these platforms or at least a method to open decrypt the file on other platforms?
Comment: Possible duplicate: http://askubuntu.com/questions/137828/how-to-encrypt-files-using-a-cross-platform-solution
Answer: Truecrypt is (was?) probably the most well known cross platform, open source encryption tool, but unfortunately the project was mysteriously shut down by its anonymous developers just a few months ago, when the website was replaced with a message stating that it's "no longer safe."
However, the general consensus in the security community seems to be that Truecrypt is still safe to use; it's just that it will no longer be updated by the original authors.  Some Truecrypt enthusiasts are attempting to pick up on the project, and are providing downloads here.  Personally I think it's still a viable encryption tool, as an ongoing, crowd-funded effort to do comprehensive audit of Truecrypt's code has not turned up any major problems after Phase 1.  It is supported on all major platforms, including Windows, Mac, and Linux.  Android support is provided by 3rd party apps.  Of course it's up to you to decide whether it's secure enough for your needs, but I think it's worth a try.
(PS, Ed Snowden was a big fan of Truecrypt, if that means anything to you.)
Answer: GPG, the Gnu Privacy Guard, is available for Linux, Windows and Android (and others).
You'll lose some comfort though, as you would first have to decrypt manually and then open the desired file(s)...
Answer: Download veracrypt... it is a branch of the truecrypt project from other developers. It's compatible with your existing truecrypt volumes.
https://veracrypt.codeplex.com/
Comment: You could improve this answer by providing some detail about what veracrypt is, who's developing it, and perhaps any first hand experience you've had with it. If the link goes down the information is lost along with the link.
Answer: I would suggest Kruptos 2 Pro encryption software for cross platform (Windows/Mac OS/Android/USB) file encryption


chain reorged during section processing

Question: Previously i was to start my geth network but suddenly i m getting  error="chain reorged during section processing".
Answer: There is a high likelyhood that you are running a go-ethereum v1.9.0 or below as your base. Well the issue seems to have been resolved with the release of v1.9.0.
The problem which is a chain indexing issue immediately after some reorgs is addressed here: https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/pull/19748
Tests fix: https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/issues/20497
Comment: I'm getting this error with geth version 1.9.10 on private network.
Comment: Have you tried the above fix?
Comment: If this issue fixed in v1.9.0, then I should not see the issue in v1.9.10. Could you please explain more about the fix that I can apply?

chain reorged during section processing


redundant output pins from MCU

Question: I am analyzing a board with safety considerations. In one part of the circuit, PB0 and PB1 of MCU have been logical anded using an IC (PB0 && PB1). Does anyone have faced with such configuration? It is weired, because we can make a logical and (&&) inside the MCU and place the output one just one pin not two pins. Thanks.
Comment: To meaningfully analyze this, you'll have to consider the software as well - not the least of reasons being that it configures the pins.  Failing that, you'll have to re-assign that part of the task by asking them for a written description of how the pins are used, and make your analysis explicitly depend on that description.
Answer: Not everything can be easily AND'ed within MCU. For example two PWM outputs can be used for carrier frequency and modulation and the easiest way to apply modulation would be with external AND.
Answer: Safety rated electronics is rather specialised and would require a lot more than relying on a logical AND even with two redundant outputs. For redundant safety you typically need:

Dual channel safety. If one channel fails to switch off then the other one renders the system safe.
A monitoring system that prevents reset of the system in the event of one channel failing.

What you have described fails both criteria. (1) The AND gate could fail 'on'. Now all the rest of the protection is lost. (2) If the AND gate was working but one of the safety outputs got stuck on there is no means of detecting this (as far as we know).
Typically for a safety rated electronic system the outputs would need to be strobed periodically and failure of the strobe monitor to detect the strobe at the right time would result in a system shutdown. (Note that for a line normally held high the strobe would be a brief 'low' output on the line.)
Another good method is to output a square-wave from the MCU when safe. This can be transformer coupled to the next stage and followed by a rectifier and capacitor. Failure of the MCU in either ON or OFF would result in a DC signal and no output from the AC coupling stage.
I would probe further and see if you can figure out their strategy.

redundant output pins from MCU


Does Soraka's heal CD get reduced per champ when hitting with Starcall?

Question: Starcall says that hitting at least one champ will reduce the CD on Astral Blessing. Does it reduce by that percent only once per Starcall, or that percent * champs hit with it?
Answer: If Starcall hits at least one enemy champion, Astral Blessing's cooldown is reduced by 5 / 6.25 / 7.5 / 8.75 / 10% of its base cooldown (after factoring in cooldown reduction).
You answered your own question yourself.
If it hits one or more champions, the cooldown is reduced.
So it is reduced only once per starcall.
Comment: The part I was unsure about was if it reduced the CD by 10% no matter how many champs you hit, or up to 50% if you hit all 5 enemy champs. Maybe I just worded it wrong but either way this answers it.


How to do field audit in org?

Question: I have few unnecessary fields in Account and contact and Lead Objects. I want to remove those fields. But before that, I need to check where these fields are using in entire org. How to check every field. Is there any tool to check all fields?
Comment: why not just create a project in eclipse IDE and do a search?
Comment: Take a look at `Field Trip`, as well.
Answer: You can use Field Trip to determine the use of given fields by percentage/raw values. I'm pretty sure other solutions are out there as well.
Alternatively, just delete the field; if Salesforce stops you, you'll get a list of references (workflows, code, pages, etc) that you need to remove references from.
Comment: Field Trip is good to see what is getting used by the end users for data quality too.
Answer: There are a couple of options.  You can pull your WSDL (https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.api_meta.meta/api_meta/meta_quickstart_get_WSDLs.htm) and search for all instances of a field.  But Salesforce is pretty good about preventing you from killing a field if it is referenced anywhere.  I know it will identify references to Apex Classes, Triggers, and VF pages.  Most likely, Salesforce won't let you delete it if it is used eleswhere.
Answer: There is no easy way to do that. You will have to either check your code and validation rules to see which fields are being used or not. If you want to try to automate this task, you can have a look at the Tooling API objects ApexClassMember and SymbolTable, and how to perform a query using the Tooling API.
Also, keep in mind that if a field is being used in code, Salesforce won't let you delete it.

How to do field audit in org?


Stacked features not helping

Question: I am wondering why my stacked features do not help me to improve against my loss metric. Here's what I'm doing: I am adding new features which are simple the predictions originated from train, predict of other   models to the original train/test features. Every time I have tried this method, it has failed. I am curious  what the issue could be the with this. Can anyone give me some advice?
Comment: What do you mean by 'the predictions originated from train'. Can you set an example? I don't really understand your problem
Answer: As far as I understood stacking does not add features to the original data set. The point is to train several models on the training data and use their predictions on training data as input features to another model.
First such kind of construction used logistic regression as a final ensemble and and class probabilities from each base learner as input features. Now, what I have described is a technical layout, the intuition behind is the following: considering that there are no models which are good over all joint probability space of features, one can combine their results in order to get the best from each one. In other words we can state the we explore the richness of models (seen as function spaces) to get a combined thing. This strategy does not work always but often it works.
I think you do something wrong. I think is better to use original features only for base learners. Be careful to use scores or probabilities if possible, instead of final classifications from base learners, it gives more space for improvements. Often is better to stack learners from different families, not the same model with different parameters (better to use a gradient boost and random forest than two gradient boosts). All of those advices are not rules which cannot be broken, and even if you take them all there is no guarantee that there will be improvements.
Comment: Tnks for this   importand and usefull clarification

Stacked features not helping


Early detection of ambushes?

Question: In my current fortress Goblin ambushes are more of a threat than goblin sieges.  The ambushes often are on or across my short drawbridge before I detect them.  How can I detect these attacks earlier (and preferably on the other side of my bridge)?
Answer: Standard tactics involve placing spare animals at strategic points near (but not too near) your fortress entrance. Animals have a chance to detect, so that's better than nothing! An animal in a restraint will likely be attacked by goblins, so if you don't have that many to spare, you can build a square wall around the animal and carve fortifications into it. This will still subject it to archer attacks, but it's safer from melee ambushes. More info on guard animals.
Another trickier option is pressure plates: hidden ambushers will trigger them. The idea is to get creative in funneling any ambushers through one or a few narrow points where they have no option but to cross your pressure plates. This could trigger some kind of trap: water, magma, spikes, etc. Or you could simply drop a bunch of cats on their heads. A sneaking goblin suddenly finding himself with an enraged kitten latched to his face is sure to break their cover. (Actually, the cats will probably just detect them and then be spitted on spears, but hey you have plenty of cats.) Here's some inspiration.
Answer: Cage traps are probably the easiest way, especially if you set up walls or other constructions that limit the path the gobs have to take to get to your bridge.  Of course, traps are less effective if you have to cover a large area.  (Also, if using traps, note that stonefall and weapon traps do work on ambushers, but do not display the ambush warning to alert you.  Cage traps do.)
Another option is to chain up animals around the area you want to cover.  War animals are preferred since they might actually do some damage, but any tame animal will trigger the warning when the ambushers come into its view.
A more ambitious alternative is to lock up your animals in towers.  You can then access them by tunnel and need not worry about losing your animals.
Comment: Note that thieves can bypass your cage traps until they are detected. I thought hidden ambushers could as well, but I could be wrong on that point.
Comment: Yes, thieves are tricksy.  However, in my experience they usually sneak through the traps, head for the children/swag, get seen, and flee directly into the cage traps again, getting caught.

I think I have caught hidden ambushers with cage traps, but I'm not 100% sure they weren't seen first.
Comment: This 40d article seems to suggest that traps *are* triggered by hidden ambushers (not thieves). Couldn't find any definite info on whether this is still true, but that'd be my bet. http://df.magmawiki.com/index.php/40d_Talk:Ambush

Early detection of ambushes?


My back right wheel drum is smoking and smells

Question: I was wondering on a brake system that uses brake pads,  how do I tell if this is my brake pads needing to be replaced or a bad caliper?
Comment: Welcome to the site @BrianM. I'm  confused, you say your wheel drum is smoking, but then talk about pads and calipers. Drum brakes and disk brakes are very different, which are you having a problem with?
Answer: Almost certainly both.
If it is smoking and smells, that suggests that the brakes are being held on - does the wheel get hot as well? (feel it gently with the back of your hand, being very careful as they can get VERY hot).
If so, that means that either the caliper is sticking, or the hoses are clogged - either way the brakes are being applied, but then cannot release. This will have also caused the pads to wear significantly, so you'll need to replace them after fixing the cause of the sticking brake - remember to change the pads on the other side as well.
Comment: also check your emergency brake cable that goes into the drum ..ive seen them get stuck ,usually its dirt or its to dry[needs small amount of oil in cable]
Answer: The brakes are the first place to check. If your car is equipped with disc breaks on the rear axle and you've driven with blocked breaks for a while, you may notice the disc changing to a blackish or blueish color from the heat. The disc may also look much more worn, having scores and scratches.
Either way: In case of an overheated disc break you have to change both the disc and the pads. Especially the disc will be deformed by the heat and unusable.
However, if your breaks are checked and fine, another less likely option can cause smoke and heat: The wheel bearing. If it is worn out, it will cause a lot of friction, generating a lot of heat.
Damaged wheel bearings can usually be heard while driving. They make a clicking sound that also may get louder during curves as the particular wheel bearing will have more load on it.


What does "God is subtle, but He is not malicious" mean?

Question: What does the phrase "God is subtle, but He is not malicious" mean?
I've read an answer here, but it doesn't seem to be clear enough.
Comment: You should not ask what is meant here by "subtle" but instead you should as what is meant here by "raffiniert".
Comment: The answer given in your link seems pretty thorough. Specifically what aspect is not clear enough?
Comment: btw subtle has many meanings which meaning is employed here?
Answer: This is a quote attributed to Albert Einstein.
(The following quotes are taken from above wikipedia article.)
His actual words were:

"Raffiniert ist der Herrgott, aber boshaft ist er nicht".

Translations include:

God is subtle but he is not malicious. (stated above)
Subtle is the Lord, but malicious He is not.
God is slick, but He ain't mean.

Einstein's own explanation of his statement was:

"Nature hides her secret because of her essential loftiness, but not by
  means of ruse".

The context:

Originally said to Princeton University mathematics professor Oscar
  Veblen, May 1921, while Einstein was in Princeton for a series of
  lectures, upon hearing that an experimental result by Dayton C. Miller
  of Cleveland, if true, would contradict his theory of gravitation.

Summary:

Some say by this remark Einstein meant that Nature hides her secrets
  by being subtle, while others say he meant that nature is mischievous but not bent on trickery.
Comment: Here's the dictionary entry. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/subtle. Pick a definition. I think "elusive" is probably most likely what he was getting at.
Comment: The German word *raffiniert* might also be translated as "cunning" or "devious".
Comment: by *subtle* you do mean "difficult to analyze" right?
Answer: I believe Einstein's meaning was that God can make the universe work in complex and subtle ways, but not with the intention of deceiving us.
Quantum physics might seem like a practical joke on God's part, but Einstein says that the failure to understand is ours, and not an attempt to trick us.
Answer: Einstein seemed to have an unbending faith in a 'God' who determined the laws of Nature.
His statements about 'God', however, refer not to a Biblical character or a man with a white beard, but to something inherent to Nature's laws which is 'good and divine' but beyond our understanding.
His statements about God are, in my opinion as a physicist, expressions that there are some reasons why — although we don't properly understand them yet — that the laws of Nature are particularly simple and understandable.
His references to 'everything should be as simple as possible, but not simpler' is a statement of this, followed by a joke!
'God is subtle but not malicious' is a way to urge people to continue to look for simple explanations of apparently complicated phenomenon, but not to try too hard; that is, not to look for over-complicated explanations.
Einstein's expressions of his philosophy are, in common with Newton's, simply a
desire to express that they have done nothing particularly clever, but that Nature is simple — and that the rest of us can discover her secrets, too!
Answer: Since Einstein was almost certainly agnostic, but too humble to be atheist and crow about it (no names mentioned!) his use of the word Gott or Herrgott must perhaps be understood metaphorically. I imagine he simply meant that the laws governing the universe happen to hide simplicity within apparent complexity. It is most probably his own poetic way of restating Occam's razor -- don't look for complexity, look for the simplicity hidden within apparent complexity, the order hidden in apparent chaos. Had he been alive today, I think he would have been horrified by the nonsense spewed by some cosmologists who are versed in building mathematical models of infinite complexity that represent nothing and refer to nothing but themselves, and have a poor grip on philosophical fundamentals -- even something as basic as epistemology: the theory of what we know, how we know it and how certain we can be of it. In fact the only thing we (strictly speaking "I") can be 100% certain of is "cogito ergo sum". Beyond absolutely certain knowledge of our (my) consciousness, careful probing by logical and strictly empirical methods can extend our knowledge with ever decreasing certitude until we reach the absurd certitude of theologians with their generally rather absurd God (who pulls Rabbits out of His Hat)-- and cosmologists who invent as many "dimensions" as mathematics permits, or magically bring matter into existence out of what they call "Nothingness" by means of what they call "virtual particles" sneaking into existence despite the absence of the quantum field for which these highly hypothetical little things have been postulated. Such circular and nonsensical reasoning on the Internet is wildly applauded by undergraduates with no background in basic philosophical methods and with an embarrassing enthusiasm that Einstein would probably have have dismissed as Schwärmerei. (I mention no names.)
Einstein is merely saying (I think) don't look for complexity in simplicity, rather look for simplicity in apparent complexity. Find the refined simplicity and the "boshafte" chaos of appearances.
"The reciprocal relationship of epistemology and science is of noteworthy kind. They are dependent upon each other. Epistemology without contact with science becomes an empty scheme. Science without epistemology is -- insofar as it is thinkable at all -- primitive and muddled." [Einstein]
Our only source of knowledge about anything outside our own consciousness, comes to us in the form of simple electrical pulses, mostly binary zeroes and ones which mind interprets according to the way the brain has been "wired" by three billion years of evolution to interpret them (cf. Immanuel Kant), which we cannot change, and by the fundamentally mysterious nature of consciousness itself. Try to develop a language in which to describe the primary colours to a colour-blind person, and you'll see what I mean by "fundamentally mysterious". And I'm not referring to a purely operational definition, such as a reference to frequencies of electromagnetic energy. I mean, try to tell a colour-blind person precisely what red looks like.
Answer: Einstein meant it would cruel if such an elegant theory as his theory of general relativity turned out to be false.
Answer: It means that god does all the things that are meant to be done but only in his own style/fashion.
Comment: I'm not sure I understand how that means 'subtle' or 'malicious'. Myabe that is your interpretation of the phrase? Can you provide any sources to support your answer?
Answer: What he meant was that you cannot apply anthropomorphic concepts to things outside the human sphere, such as god.  Nature('god') as revealed to us through the laws of science is what it is.  Kindness,  malice etc are human qualities. Einstein did not believe in an anthropomorphic god as described in the three major monotheisms. He thought such ideas of god were childish and naive.   That is why her refers to  nature as subtle and complex but nature does not "hide her" secrets" as a person or the god of Moses might.