GPUSVM-0.1 and invalid memory accesses

GPUSVM is a CUDA implementation of SVM which uses the SMO algorithm. This library supports two primary functionalities: training and classification.

The code is written in C++, and the source tar-ball contains an example of how to call performTraining() function once. My woe started when calling performTraining() more than once. This gave me a crash:

*** glibc detected *** bin/linux/release/svmTrain: double free or corruption (out): 0x000000000b6e4820 ***

This was apparently triggered by the second performTraining(). After some (ok, ok, 2 days including CUDA crash course actually) huntings, it turned out that there really are two invalid memory accesses:

• one is during memcpy-ing from device to host memory (occur in the second-order heuristic function);
• another is due to the absence of boundary check in a cache object, which leads to accessing a non-existing object;

in addition to a memory leak (alpha array in performTraining()).

(i) napping is a trainable skill, & (ii) nap proudly

[Original Post at my Blogs | My Blogs]

Sara Mednick visited Google's Mountain View, CA headquarters to discuss her book, “Take a Nap! Change Your Life.” This event took place on October 15, 2007 as part of the Authors@Google series.

An old gem

[Original Post at my Blogs | My Blogs]

Just digging out my old bookmarks, and look at what I found...

An interview with Brian Kernighan (http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~mihaib/kernighan-interview)

A Nice Fact

[Original Post at my Blogs | My Blogs]

Changi airport is one of the top-class airports globally, as evidence from a series of high-profile awards.

Therefore, it must mean something when its website offers a version in Indonesian, apart from English, Mandarin, and Japanese.

Notice from the picture below, the language selections in top-right of the webpage, and the content in Indonesian language.

Obviously, there are many possible explanations for the inclusion of this language. For a simpleton like me, I can only think that (based on the economic logic) Indonesians must be making up a significant portion of the human traffic in this world-class airport.

Thumbs up for Incheon Intl. Airport, Big Boo for Google's Language Auto-Detection

[My return flight will be departing in about 1.5 hours. Not surprisingly, there're some time to spend on, and here're the outcome...]

:)
There's a free wifi in the airport. It's one of the few airports with such a service. Most airports I've visited provides only paid wifi.


X(
Google's language auto-detect sucks.

Oh well, to clarify (now I'm a bit calmer), the idea is good. But, the execution is not perfect.

See the following screenshot. The blogger.com by default displays Korean characters. There's absolutely no clue for a layman on how to change the displayed language to English.


After a-couple-of-second's screaming within my head, I somehow became curious enough to click the top-right drop-down box. Luckily, it was what I looked for.

Btw., notice how the Flash ads are still in English?

Idealism vs Realism

Sometimes, just sometimes, idealism must give ways to realism.

As much as I like the idealism of KHTML, I've to be realistic that many Javascript-heavy websites such as “fb.c” work better with Webkit. Well, it shouldn't be surprising since Webkit (which is a derivative of KHTML) is THE engine that powers up Apple's Safari and Google's Chrome. Therefore, it's expected to have a better compatibility with many websites out there.

And the combination of Konqueror+Webkit in KDE-4.3 (beta-1) seems promising enough --- apart from the occasional benign crashes due to “nsplugginwrapper”. In KDE-4.2 (or before), I didn't use this combo because (i) it's unstable, and (ii) Webkit ignored all my settings particularly the font size.

Still, it shows that idealism is not for nothing. In fact, it arguably occupies a significant place in society & history. Without KHTML, would Safari and Chrome be born? In a way, this reminds me to scientific research, where theories and their applications can be separated by decades.

Yet Another Game Sound Track

[Original Post at my Blogs | My Blogs]

Super Mario Bros, the classic. If you don't see any youtube video embedded below, then please visit it directly at youtube.



This piece is performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra in their Orchestral Game Concert 4 (the 3rd track). Though the sound quality is not very high, it is still enough to bring back certain memories.

For those who're curious how an orchestra performs a piece of musical work, take a look at this one. The arrangement is nearly the same (well, I put “nearly” just in case I'm wrong) as the one performed in the OGC.

Demolition...

Good things and bad things happen.

The good thing is, 1-4 at OT :D. Ha, beat that! Even if LFC don't finish as the league champion, this is definitely another step forward. Imagine if the manager is allowed to operate with a full authority, not undermined by some PHB (pointy-haired bosses).

And the bad new is that it happened while I'm suffering a gastric pain.

Yeah, because of my gastric, since yesterday (Fri) I've been living on porridge only (plus a bit of other soft food). And, I've to repeatedly told myself to calm down during the match: don't get excited, and don't be nervous when the opponents had freekicks/corners. Not to mention the need to get another round of antacid during the half-time!

Anyway, I need to savour this rare victory against the arch nemesis on their own den. And probably, another spoon of antacid in two hours one hour later.

Aiyoh, ...

... title challenge is over. 0-2 as of now, and could've been even worse.

A beautiful...

[Original Post at my Blogs | My Blogs]

... song — Fear of the Angels, the theme song of the Secret of Mana series. [Your volume may need to be turned up a bit.]. If you don't see the youtube video embedded below, then please try your luck directly at youtube.



This version was performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra during the Orchestral Game Concert 3 (the 10th piece). [PS. I think there's a higher-quality version (200+ kbps) somewhere in the internet.]

I especially love the first-half solo which is played in the mp to mf range of dynamics (I think) — started with a violin which creates a sad feeling, then followed by a oboe and a flute which project a sense of calming. After the solo(s) is a short “loud” section (trumpets); and then, the song is re-played with violins. Finally, the closing part is in the form of, not surprising, a violin solo.

The melody is the main point why I enjoyed this song. Frankly, this is the second (orchestral) musical piece that can send a chill down my spine, apart from the Beethoven violin concerto (somewhere during the 1st movement, on the second page in the musical sheet). Ok, I lied abit, it's arguably the third, since one of the Mahler's symphony also makes me feel extremely uneasy and depressed when listening to it.