Ubuntu 10.4 Clean-up

Today, with the help from Chad, I cleaned up my Ubuntu install. Disk space increased from about 300 MB to nearly 1.8 GB. Items removed include: Open Office, older linux-kernels, and games.

And to create a shortcut to lock my machine, it's actually the switch user command. I needed to create a new keyboard shortcut with the command gdmflexiserver. I use "window key + l" to mimic Windows Vista behavior.

I really want offline GMail back up and running on my netbook. I just installed Google Chrome, but it doesn't support offline GMail. I have Firefox 3.6 installed (Namoroka) which has a round-about way of installing Gears; I will need to investigate this further.

Left versus Right.

Democrats versus Republicans.
Apple versus PC.

Why are people so adamantly on one side? Why do people go to extremes?

With the release of the iTab, I am trying to understand the logic of it all. Right off the bat, the tech crowd rejects it because it fails to fill any void. But more surprising, I found the non-tech crowd rejects it because it fails to offer any value. Thus far, the only proponents with cause are those in the textbook industry; this device is only meant for media consumption. Does this mean Apple predicts the end of periodic publications in print? Or at least, a large departure from the print medium, and consequently a large swell towards the iTab?

When it comes to redistribution of content: I know that Google struggles with media companies, newspapers in particular. It boils down to revenue. If Google can't figure it out, how will Apple?

I will play with the iTab when it's at the Apple store, mainly to see how Google works on it. Google Docs, GMail, Google Reader, Google Calendar: all of these products fill the voids of the iTab. But I will give the iTab a shot, just as I gave the iPhone a chance. But this time, I will hopefully have the wisdom to realize whether or not the product is for me before buying it. I will admit that the idea of an Apple tablet really appeals to me. But if I must pay $650 + $30/ month for this, better alternatives exist. These alternatives allow me to not only consume, but to create.

During the Presidential address last night, Obama laid out his agenda. He opened up. He tried to reach out to the American public. I hope he reached at least one right extremist because he did all he could to be respectful, even when that courtesy was never extended to him. When he talked about citizens who had lost faith in our biggest institutions, I felt like he was talking directly to me. The right extremists need to give this guy a chance!

I understand why people have their obsessions. I understand how passion fuels debates. But after the adrenalin wears off, I hope that all of us are wise enough to concede. I hope that all of us are wise enough to compromise.

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.