Clone of HP15C RPN Calculator

There was a time when every physics and engineering student aspired to own a Hewlett-Packard calculator.  The calculators that HP "makes" today are a pale shadow of the great calculators that they made in the past.  Well, they still make the 12C for the finance, but the scientific calculators aren't as good.  The current scientific calculators from HP can switch between algebraic and RPN modes.  I like my HP50G, but it doesn't have the robust presence of the 15C (I currently own a Limited Edition from a limited run a few years ago.  The Limited Edition feels like the original but is much faster.  Since 2003 HP calculator design has been outsourced to Kinpo Electronics and the division responsible for the great calculators of the past has long since disappeared.  I don't use most of the features of my 50G - I use a computer instead.  But the HP15C is the perfect scientific calculator.

Until recently, I kept my 15C at home as it was irreplaceable.  Not anymore SwissMicros is making an excellent clone.  They have had the DM15 for a while, but it was credit card sized.  The DM15L is the same size and works just like my limited edition.  So if you don't have an HP RPN scientific calculator you can get one  - and it is a copy of the best one that was ever made.  There are other RPN calculators on the page that clone other HP RPN calculators.

Never used an RPN calculator - its probably best not to start - once you've learned how to use one, you will never want to go back to a regular calculator.  I have HP15C emulators on my iPhone and on all my computers.  If you want to try one, you might want to download this simulator.  Don't blame me if you discover the need to own a physical model - but at least you know where to find one!

Extract data from graphs - Webplotdigitizer

I have used several tools to extract date from graphs in journals.  Datathief is/was good, but its shareware.  I have started using WebPlotDigitzer.  WebPlotDigitizer work within a browser - it's also free, though donations are accepted.  I prefer to determine how much software is worth to me.  This gets the job done.

Tabula - Extract Data from tables in PDFs

A useful tool.  Everyone sometimes has to use data that is in a table in a PDF.  This little tool will extract that data into a CSV file.  It beats retyping - and as you probably know pasting from a pdf can be a problem!  Take a look here, OS X and Windows versions are available.

LTspice

If you do any work in electronics you will have some familiarity with SPICE.  There are a variety of versions, LTspice is maintained by Linear Technologies.  You can find it here.  I use this in my research simulating chaotic electric circuits.  This version is particularly useful for op amp circuits.

Continuum Analytics Anacoda Cheat Sheet

There isn't much to say about this - if you are using the Anaconda Python distribution then you need this cheat sheet.

DiscMaker X

This one will be short and to the point.  If you are a Mac user and you want to install an operating system that you own, you can build a bootable USB drive using DiskMaker X.  You could go through the steps yourself - this makes it easy.

R - The statistical exploration language

I don't know why I've never posted anything about R - if you use statistics, use R - if you want good quality graphs use R.  R is available for all major platforms, allows you to use Bayesian or classical methods, and has packages for most things that you might be interested in.  Easy to use, even easier if you use RStudio as an IDE.

Collaborative writing and LaTeX in the cloud revisited

Since I last commented on this there have been some changes. WriteLaTeX has relaunched as Overleaf.  It now emphasizes online collaboration using rich text - though you can still work directly in LaTeX if you prefer.  There is still a free version.

As to the others ShareLaTeX still offers free personal accounts, but is more expensive than Overleaf for paid accounts (there is a good discount for students.)  ScribTeX seems to no longer exist, the website has a redirect to a ShareLaTeX page - but the page no longer exists. Verbosus is still an ongoing project, I've used it on my mobile devices.

Other entrants to this market include Papeeria and Authorea, I am sure that there are others.  All are useful and have free options - but there is no substitute for having a full TeX Live distribution on your own computer.

Another integrated Python Environment - Anaconda

I am now using the Anaconda Python integrated package , currently Python 3.4.2.  This environment is available from Continuum Analytics.  The environment contains Spyder, iPython and Python notebooks.  I have found that the Python Notebook environment is a great way to develop code for both research and class notes.  I document code better in Notebooks.  The Notebooks enable you to run code segments separately.  When the code works as you want, you can export the Python code.  It is then a simple matter to comment out the test lines and to end up with the code that you want.

An advantage of this method is that you still have the Notebook, you can use it to remind you of what you did.  It can also be used to teach others about your code.  I am now publishing my code on GitHub.

Another integrated Python environment - Spyder

Spyder  (previously known as Pydee) is another integrated Python environment that allows you to install almost everything you need to get a scientific Python environment up and running.  I'm currently using it along with Enthought's Canopy distribution.  They don't get in each other's way.

Researcher Identity

Most of us do not have a unique name, as an example there are several people named Stephen Addison, more than one of the others is a faculty member.  In order to ensure that people find your work you can use a unique researcher id number.  You can register for these numbers at ORCID and/or RESEARCHERID.  I recommend that you sign up for both - you can easily transfer information between them.  My public profiles are here and here.

You can also post information at ResearchGate and Academia.  Academia has an interesting feature - you get reports of when someone looks at your papers, it doesn't tell you who they are, but it does tell you what country they are from.  ORCID and ResearcherID are easier to add information to.

LaTeX in the cloud

It is now possible to use online systems to create LaTeX documents.  This allows sharing, collaboration, and the ability to use LaTeX on iPads and other devices with a browser.  It is no longer necessary to have a LaTeX installation on your computer.

Examples include WriteLaTeX, ShareLaTeX, ScribTex, and Verbosus,    These services offer free and paid options, what is available free varies.  To date, I have played with the first two.  I have found WriteLaTeX to be particularly friendly.

CleanPrint

I have been frustrated many times by printouts and PDFs from web pages.  CleanPrint is a tool that I have wanted for years - it captures the article, allows you to delete pieces that you don't want, allows you to add notes and interfaces with Dropbox and other tools.  CleanPrint can be installed in your browser or you can add it to your website.

Install a working Python Environment

Enthought Scientific Computing Solutions produce a bundled Python installer that installs compatible versions of Python and assorted tools.  It can save lots of time  in sorting out which versions of other packages to install (NumPy etc.)  Academic users can install the entire package at no cost - just go to the downloads page and select "Downloads", then scroll to the bottom of the page to find out how to download the academic version.  You will need an academic e-mail address.

Is your DNS server slow - the key to your answer is Nambench

If you are frustrated with your ISP's DNS, Namebench  will find the fastest DNS for you.  This ended my frustration changing through trial and error.  My ISP turned out to have the fastest DNS - Namebench found servers that were much faster the the default.  Google and Open DNS were much slower.  Namebench is available for many platforms including OS X and Windows.