iPhone Ring Tones: Text to Speech

I've made a few ring tones for the iPhone here and there. Then I tried to think of something cool. I thought it was funny during an episode of "The Good Wife" when the mother's ring tone blared her daughter's voice saying, "Pickup the phone!" Sadly, my friends and family wouldn't put themselves through the embarrassment of recording their voices.

Why not use a computer's voice? So, here I am, making custom ring tones using Text Edit, Automator (not sure how else to get text to speech to save to a file on Mac OSuX Tiger), and Garage Band to create ring tones. I use a brief introduction tone, then have the computer speak. "Incoming call from: ..."

And now I'm downloading the sound files of characters speaking in Portal to perhaps use them as ring tones.

Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala on Dell Mini 9

Installed Ubuntu 9.10: Karmic Koala onto the Dell Mini 9 today.

I found what I think was the Dell distro here at http://linux.dell.com/files/ubuntu/karmic/iso-images/. Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out how to install from an ISO.

Instead, I just went the Ubuntu.com route.

1. Download from Ubuntu.com
2. Burn ISO to CD (using this Freeware: http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm)
3. Boot CD on a PC.
4. Select "install to USB Drive" option.
5. Boot from USB Drive on Dell Mini 9.
6. Install (Erase and use entire disk.)
7. Setup.
8. Download and install updates.
9. Install Flash (sudo apt-get install flashplugin-nonfree).
10. Watch The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Hulu.com.

Yay! Video isn't choppy!

note: I had installed the full Ubuntu 9.10 before I saw there was a Netbook Remix (UNR) version. I installed UNR at home; it seemed to install faster (probably because there are some big apps excluded). Had to consult ubuntumini.com to get the wireless network radio up and running.

What 3rd party applications (Apple iPhone apps) do you use?

Free 3rd party applications (Apple iPhone apps)



1. Evernote (free) - Organizational software that includes OCR services. I never use this anymore.


2. Facebook (free) - I rarely use this app, but it's there for when I want it.


3. foursquare (free) - Location-based check-in app with unlockable badges.


4. Loopt (free) - I use this to Tweet my location with an image (example).


5. Mint.com (free) - After signing up online, this budgeting app keeps you up-to-date with customizable push notifications.


6. Photoshop.com (free) - Rudimentary adjustments. Installed on a whim; will uninstall soon.


7. Spell Number (free) - Enables Emoji characters (instructions).


8. Sport Lite (free) - I think it tells me my GPS location? I've never used this; but hear it's crucial for geo-caching.


9. Sportacular (free) - Game updates with customizable push notifications.


10. TweetDeck (free) - Twitter app.


11. What's On? (free) - TV Listings and movie times listing service powered by Zap2it - What to Watch. Where to Watch It.



Paid 3rd party applications (Apple iPhone apps)



12. Crosswords ($9.99) - Crosswords. I got this for my fiancee, who never plays it.


13. FotoTimer ($1.99) - Timer for the camera. The "preview before saving" feature broke in the new version, though. WTF?


14. Geo-Defense ($1.99) - Tower defense game.


15. Geo-Defense Swarm ($0.99) - Tower defense game.


16. geocaching ($9.99) - Geo-Caching. I never use this anymore.


17. Mobile Fotos ($2.99) - Upload full-resolution iPhone camera photos to Flickr. I rarely use this anymore.


18. Remember the Milk ($25/ year) - Reminder service with push notification. The app is free, but you need the Pro account with RTM.


19. StarDefense ($5.99) - Tower defense game. I've beaten it a few times and don't play anymore.


20. TaxiBall ($2.99) - Best tilt ball game in the world! There's a trial version if you just want to check it out.


21. Tweetie ($2.99) - Twitter app with landscape keyboard. v2 is out.


22. WhatsApp ($0.99) - Chat application with push notification; currently deployed to iPhone and Blackberry.


23. WordAce Pro ($0.99) - Best word game in the world! There's a free version; I chose to pay to support the programmers

Wedding Photographer

While looking for a wedding photographer, I came across Ashley's Blog. Her pictures just had an unspoken quality to them. And when I chatted on the phone, she came across as candid and real. And the best part was that she was affordable: $2900 for a great package. Unfortunately for me, her sister's wedding is around the same time as mine. She recommended a substitute, but looking at Colleen's Blog I don't have the same feelings for her shots. And talking on the phone she felt lacking in personality. I'm confident that Colleen could get the job done to a good level. I'm just not sure if I should keep looking for another diamond in the rough that Ashely seemed to be.

Free is Frustrating

I'm trying to get some free software on my Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) to auto-stitch panoramic photos. I'm finally playing around with Ryan Brenizer's shooting method. Of course, free is not exactly easy.

I found this thing called Hugin - an open source application which seemed to fit the bill. Unfortunately, it could not autostitch because it could not find something called autopano. Google helped me figure out what it is, but apparently my Mac isn't setup for these types of installations. I figured out how to install subversion from this site about autopano. But even after getting that, it would appear that I don't have C compiler. I guess I need XCode. Of course, OS X Leopard is the latest and greatest... and I have OS X Tiger. The Apple developer site did not make it apparent which version I should download, so I stupidly wasted 15 minutes downloading the Leopard version. Another Google search yields the suggestion to download either 2.5 or 2.4.1. Oh, and somewhere along the line I installed MacPorts.

Yeah. So, lots of "sudo" commands and stuff to get it all working, but I think I'm done!

Here's a stitch with only 9 photos; I semi-manually specified the control points before going down the rabbit hole of installing autopano.

Predictions for SYTYCD

Kathleen and I have set our predictions for the top 10 of So You Think You Can Dance. It's difficult to base it off of one performance (and a little bit of auditions).

Kathleen:
1 Phillip
2 Ade
3 Evan
4 Jason
5 Kupono
6 Kayla
7 Caitlin
8 Melissa
9 Janette
10 Paris

Me:
Boys...
Kupono
Phillip
Jason
Max
Evan
Girls...
Melissa
Caitlin
Janette
Paris
Ashley

Differences:
Ade/Max
Kayla/Ashley

Certified Usability Analyst

HFI-Certified Usability Analysts have a clear understanding of research-based principles of designing interfaces from the perspective of the end user. They perform data gathering, task analysis, and usability testing. They pinpoint the usability problems and offer design solutions. The usability analyst brings the critical success factor to bear throughout the development life cycle. That is, designing for the user.

I passed the certification exam. The ideas and concepts learned over the past months provide a foundation for the product development and design work I hope to accomplish in the future.

Getting Beat

Last week I felt the onset of illness, yet again. Halfway through the week I felt the same symtpoms as a month-and-a-half ago. When I returned to the clinic, the same doctor that prescribed me antibiotics last time said I probably just have a virus and the best thing to do was rest and drink plenty of fluids. I am not sure what exactly is wrong, but the uncontrollable coughing annoys me to no end. Unfortunately, I still needed to show up at work because a new design launched. Thankfully, my boss' boss allowed me to work from home on Friday. I got a ton of rest this weekend and feel better, but the coughing remains. I really hope it goes away. Otherwise, I am not sure what to do. I tried to see a specialist a year ago for a similar issue, but he was no help.

Stab in the Dark

Not sure where to start with the whole wedding stuff, so I started up a few Google Docs: list of questions, guest list, and schedule.

The list of questions includes items like, don't forget to get gifts for people in the wedding party. So I guess it's more of a "don't forget" list. A friend forgot to put stamps on RSVP envelopes before stuffing; her fiancé used tweezers to stuff stamps in through a small opening. I just added that to the list. When my sister flew from Boston (where she lived) to Los Angeles for the wedding, she arrived to the Boston airport wondering what she forgot. "Wedding dress!?!" She placed it on the back of the bedroom door for the very reason that she would not forget it, too. Not sure what else I will put on this document, but it's really a catch-all.

The initial guest list is not as overwhelming as I thought. But Kathleen may not have added everyone that she needs. My brother recommends that I clear the list with my parents since they may have input; but I pointed out that we've already had his and my sister's wedding, so everyone should already be covered. :D My brother's wedding had the most extended family and friends; people we had not seen since leaving Cerritos in 1985 (his wedding was in 1998). My sister's wedding concentrated on her friends that she kept in contact with... basically anyone she had been friends with since she was 5 years old.

The schedule is mostly blank. I filled up sheets with contact information (one for the wedding party, one for vendors) and skeleton plans (times and addresses for rehearsal and the day of the wedding).

I'm not sure what else I can do right now. Nail down a date, perhaps?

Training

Last week I attended classes for design and research. I need to review and put these classes into motion as I am taking a certification test at the end of May. While the web is the best asset for finding resources and tips; taking the classes makes me focus my attention on what is important.