Samsung EVO 64 GB Micro SD and the 128 GB Memory Stick Pro Duo Adapter

⌚ September 30, 2014
A while back I gave my impressions about using two SanDisk 64 GB microSD cards in a dual-micro SD adapter to produce a single 128 GB Memory Stick Duo for Sony devices.

This 128 GB arrangement continues to work superbly despite the slow transfer rates limited by the dual-micro SD adapter.

Since then, Samsung has introduced the Samsung 64 GB EVO microSDXC card that is supposed to offer faster transfer rates and increased durability.

Does it? Here are my thoughts based upon my usage.

Binary Lesson 11 – Binary Multiplication

⌚ September 25, 2014
Binary multiplication is performed the same as decimal multiplication. The numbers we are multiplying together are called factors, and the result of multiplication is called the product.

The only challenge comes from multi-row addition, which is facilitated if we perform the addition two rows at a time.

Binary Lesson 10 – Binary Subtraction: Longhand

⌚ September 22, 2014

We can subtract one number from another in binary to obtain a binary difference. Numbers are subtracted in the same way as in decimal, though borrowing requires some explanation.

There is more than one way to perform binary subtraction, and in this lesson, we will focus on the longhand method in order to understand the process.

Unable to Update Linux Due to Problem With MergeList Error

⌚ September 18, 2014

During a recent attempt to update Linux Mint and Xubuntu, I ran into an issue that I had never seen before.

Ubuntu Software System and Synaptic would both close immediately. No system updates or software installations or removals could be performed even though the system ran fine.

Attempting to update from the terminal also returned a wealth of errors that always reported a Problem with MergeList error.

Update September 24, 2014: This issue has apparently been fixed after performing a recent system update. Several programs, including apt-utils, have been updated in the repository, and the MergeList and Hash Sum mismatch problems no longer occur. The cause of this problem was most likely a software issue that has now been corrected.

Binary Lesson 9 – Binary Addition

⌚ September 17, 2014

Just as we can perform arithmetic in decimal, we can also perform arithmetic in binary. We will see how to add two binary numbers together.

Though multiple numbers can be added, we will focus on two in order to demonstrate the concept.

Binary Lesson 8 – Binary Fractions

⌚ September 10, 2014

We can express fractional values in binary just as we can in decimal. A radix point separates the whole number portion from the fractional portion in binary just as a decimal point separates the whole number portion from the fractional portion in decimal.

Binary Lesson 7 – Bits and Bytes

⌚ September 5, 2014

Each binary digit is called a bit. In the number 11000000b, each 1 is a bit, and each 0 is a bit. The number of bits present is what is referred to when we say things like “8-bit,” “16-bit,” or “64-bit.”

A bit is a binary digit that represents a value. This works well for computers and digital devices because the bits 0 and 1 can represent the states on and off, which corresponds to the on or off flow of electrical current through the computer’s hardware.

Binary Lesson 6 – Notating Base

⌚ September 4, 2014

If we see the numbers,

• 100
• 100
• 100

how do we know which is decimal, which is binary, and which is hexadecimal? All three numbers look alike because they use the same digits, 0 and 1, but all three represent different values in different number systems. Surely, there must be a way to avoid ambiguity, right?

Indeed there is.

Binary Lesson 5 – Hexadecimal

⌚ September 3, 2014
Computers love strings of bits, such as 10001001 01100111 10101110, but they can be difficult for humans to read and write accurately.

To facilitate readability and conserve space when viewed in a monitor or in print, we use the hexadecimal (base 16) system as a shorthand to represent binary.

 

Binary Lesson 4 – Converting Binary to Decimal

⌚ September 2, 2014

If we can convert from decimal (base 10) to binary (base 2), is it possible to to convert in the other direction from binary to decimal?

Yes, it is, and we will see that this is a much easier conversion to perform since it only involves addition.