tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21264377858679522482024-02-19T01:05:05.727-08:00Nothing EverywhereBrill Pappinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10413269494408115777noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-25170229360986636682012-01-07T14:33:00.000-08:002012-01-07T14:35:51.407-08:00US Election Funnies"... but in our riots, people get laid."<br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BrhA0sEkuaM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Brill Pappinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10413269494408115777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-28375511832434708612011-06-03T19:04:00.000-07:002011-06-03T19:23:33.010-07:00Finding your mother's mobile phone in a large field<div>So your friend, wife, etc. <i>(or in my case mother)</i> has lost her cell phone in about 1.5 hectares<i> (~3.7 acres for you americans)</i> of field and forrest.</div><div>You happen to be 100km away... what do you do?</div><div><br /></div><div>The only way she's really going to find it before dark is to walk around and look for it... but it would be much easier to find in all that wild space if it was ringing.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is exactly what happened to my mother.</div><div>I started dialling my phone and letting it ring while she went out to walk around... this got pretty tedious after the first little while.</div><div><br /></div><div>So after all that dialling I noticed that the phone would ring for 59 seconds and then hang up <i>(likely a feature of my carrier)</i> and being the lazy and dumb programmer I am, I decided there must be a way to automate all that dialling.</div><div><br /></div><div> A quick search with google and sure enough there was! </div><div><br /></div><div>Lucky for me, I use an Android phone and I have the development tools on my computer. This allowed me to write a small script that simply dialled her over and over again every 70 seconds.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is what I did:</div><div>- I use a Mac Pro <i>(but this should work on linux with a bash shell as well, Windows users are on your own)</i>.</div><div>- You need the Android SDK installed.</div><div>- You need an android phone <i>(I am using a Nexus S currently)</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here is the quick and dirty shell script I wrote to to the job:</div><div><br /><pre>#!/bin/bash<br />echo "Calling every 70 seconds..."<br />c=1<br />while [ 1 ]<br />do<br /> adb -s 173166299F8500EC shell service call phone 2 s16 "13335554444"<br /> sleep 70s;<br /> echo "Calling again ($c) ..."<br /> (( c++ ))<br />done<br /></pre><br /></div><div>The -s ### is the identity of the phone, I have several devices connected to my computer and I needed to indicate which one I wanted to act upon.</div><div>The last number in quotes is the number to dial (redacted for security).</div><div>The 70s is 70 seconds of course.</div><div><br /></div><div>This would dial the phone and wait 70 seconds <i>(about 11 seconds longer than the phone would ring)</i>, then dial it again.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Warning:</span></b> If you use this as a prank on someone, I'm not responsible for the hole in your shorts when your ass gets kicked; or if the phone company cuts you off after your buddy complains. Besides, think about it, they are going to know who is doing it to them when your number pops up on the screen.</div><div><br /></div><div>Oh... and yes... she did find her phone in the end.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-68527797220159100922011-03-08T07:12:00.000-08:002011-03-08T07:13:17.305-08:00Gingerbread out for Nexus OneMy Nexus one that I use for development has just updated to Gingerbread.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-14883421108746641102011-01-31T21:39:00.000-08:002011-01-31T21:58:45.523-08:00Metered Internet in Canada. Say it ain't so!<div><div>More information on the Metered Internet in Canada:</div><div><ul><li>Globe & Mail - <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/opinion/a-metered-internet-is-a-regulatory-failure/article1881250/">A metered Internet is a regulatory failure</a></li><li>ZDNet - <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/blog/ou/why-metered-internet-is-a-really-bad-idea/919">Why metered Internet is a really bad idea</a></li><li><a href="http://netequalizernews.com/2010/08/31/to-quota-or-not-to-quota/">The Pros And Cons of Metered Internet Bandwidth And Quotas</a></li></ul></div></div>I don't know about you, but most of my services now come over the internet.<br />I rent movies and make telephone calls, do my banking, pay my taxes, renew my car license, interact with my city, provincial and federal governments all through network technology.<br /><br />The network service providers are aware that more and more we are going to depend on the network for our day to day lives. They want to get the rules changed now before most of us are aware of just how much things are going to change.<br /><br />What we'll end up with is a system like cell phone where you pay by the minute for every call you make and the cost can be as high as they like it to be.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6rUsRCyS6PU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /><br />This is not a good situation for us and will in fact make us a backward country in terms of our future compared to the rest of the world. Don't let this become the way things are. Help change the rules before they rules are implemented.<div><div><br /><iframe src="http://action.cwa-union.org/c/779/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1268" width="420" height="550" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0">Loading...</iframe><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-14601416882657194802011-01-24T15:10:00.000-08:002011-01-25T22:12:18.879-08:00New Android version releasedWell it appears today that that my Nexus One got an OTA update from 2.2.1 to 2.2.2.<div><br /></div><div>The notice said it was a maintenance release, which would make sense based on the version sequence.</div><div><br /></div><div>More on the update here: </div><div><br /><blockquote><a href="http://techd.in/gadgets/nexus-one-gets-android-2-2-2-update-still-no-gingerbread/">Nexus One Gets Android 2.2.2 Update, Still no Gingerbread</a></blockquote><br />Now if only Samsung would get off their asses and stop screwing their customers.<div><br /><b>I am dropping my Galaxy S Captiva as soon as I can!</b></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-32239963083521367562010-09-20T11:38:00.000-07:002010-09-20T11:39:48.738-07:00For my professional peers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWXfn-4gsFyBpcBKF4DvIw1zL30iK_8Zlx7769QLJ_ti1n2GiF7Mx0IEtYywuI8vCznEd2HaxVqwbtGYGJMqQiOR12u_THijFsnq8x7I-qwedq9JPKUgrZQCdmp9-7mYUXHABgQ0F_3n8/s1600/61893_1631448552973_1439423035_31659587_2103421_s.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWXfn-4gsFyBpcBKF4DvIw1zL30iK_8Zlx7769QLJ_ti1n2GiF7Mx0IEtYywuI8vCznEd2HaxVqwbtGYGJMqQiOR12u_THijFsnq8x7I-qwedq9JPKUgrZQCdmp9-7mYUXHABgQ0F_3n8/s400/61893_1631448552973_1439423035_31659587_2103421_s.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519067154555927186" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-56954660261381168022010-09-10T11:20:00.000-07:002010-09-10T11:49:02.067-07:00Wired Magazine: Really? The Web Is Dead?<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><u><br /></u></span></div><b>The Web Is Dead.</b><div><br /></div><div>Or so says and article in Wired Magazine: <a href="http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/08/ff_webrip/"><i>The Web Is Dead. Long Live the Internet</i></a></div><div><br /></div><div>They include a fancy graph at the top of the article as proof of the authors statements.</div><div><div>However, that graph seems to be misleading if I'm interpreting it correctly. Lets take a look.</div><div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqEKLTMIkhfqY6hm3KSupU9156Os93HIzXzzQqO74RRWBDANCpW23JqvwbvAXTtOsm-zX3L5PzjA65jSU59QuKeHAi8WKjH5mDiKXsJIi7ON7xdgJ20CK5rY5kPSNLBKL-5cGuw0cl1Jg/s400/ff_webrip_chart2.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 245px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515358584439834946" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; "><b>Sources</b><span class="Apple-style-span">: Wired Magazine per Cisco estimates based on CAIDA publications, Andrew Odlyzko</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Notice that DNS and Web are down relative to video and peer-to-peer however we know that they are not down; DNS alone still happens every time your computer needs to translate a name to a number and it happens a lot more in your computer and on more devices than it ever has... it's just a very small amount of data. If the values are a proportion of traffic, then even if Web <i>(http)</i> usage <b>was</b> increasing, the volume of a movie or p2p file transfer <i>(also most likely a movie)</i> would dilute the figures so that it looked like "the web" was dead as the author claimed.</div><div><br /></div><div>In fact all this is really showing is that the proportion of data attributed to video is rising, which we know to be true as more and more people get their content via streams <i>(Netflix, iTunes, Youtube, etc).</i> It shows that more data is video, and possibly the web has become more efficient... in no way does it actually indicate that "the web is dead".</div><div><br /></div><div>I am very surprised that Wired would make this kind of mistake, let alone that others pass it along without actually understanding what they are looking at.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>It's one of those inaccurate mumbo jumo articles that can actually define the attitudes that make it come to pass, although I very much doubt that it will in the next 15 years at least.</div><div>It actually unfortunate that the authors <i>(Chris Anderson and Michael Wolff)</i> made this mistake, because even though they did have some interesting things to say, they caused themselves to be taken les seriously using that data as a basis of their article.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>It really makes you wonder how many people are going to read that article and not actually look at the graph.</div><div>I can see it now; I'll be talking to some customer and he/she will tell me "The Web Is Dead"... at which point I'll likely <b>apply palm to face</b>.</div></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-23304415147879499562010-09-08T08:30:00.000-07:002010-09-08T08:41:30.429-07:00iPod Nano: new version is missing the features I want!Apple has just updated the iPod Nano line.<div><br /></div><div>The trouble is that they have taken out the video camera.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now I don't need an iPod, I have a phone that plays music just fine and gives me a whole lot of other features as well, however I would like to get an iPods for my kids.</div><div><br /></div><div>To the kids, the music is important, but to me the camera is important. I want the video camera, because it give a passive device and active feature.</div><div><br /></div><div>When you think of what sort of gadgetry you want your kids to have, a camera should be right up there with anything else, what better way to give them a tool so they can start building their own life record early on? What better way to encourage them to go outside and see what they can see?</div><div><br /></div><div>Since apple has changed the line and removed the camera from the Nano, I've looked around and managed to find a few left in a local Apple retailer. I'll be buying the old iPod Nano instead of the new one this week, while I can still get them, even though I had not planned to give them to the kids for another year.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now I can't believe I'm the only one disappointed that the camera is gone... so I have to wonder once again is Apple actually listening to their customers?</div><div>If I wanted an iPod that small, I could have purchased an iPod Shuffle instead... the new Nano is just a tad larger than the Shuffle... it's not the size I want, it's the features and removing a feature like the camera was a silly move.</div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-57832769835944918352010-06-28T09:19:00.001-07:002010-06-28T09:43:21.020-07:00Upgrading Nexus One from Android 2.1 to Android 2.2Well it turns out that I had version 2.1 update 1 installed (build id ERE27) and my Nexus One would not update to Froyo (build id FRFxx).<div><br /></div><div>So, I had to find out how to do it manually.</div><div><br /></div><div>I used this article to run the update:</div><div><a href="http://androidandme.com/2010/05/news/how-to-manually-install-android-2-2-on-your-nexus-one/">How to manually install Android 2.2 on your Nexus One</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Tips:</div><div><ul><li>Be patient; Ready Everything!</li><li>This will update you from ERE27 to FRF50. You can use the same instructions to get to FRF83. (download FRF50 to FRF83 update <a href="http://android.clients.google.com/packages/passion/signed-passion-FRF83-from-FRF50.38d66b26.zip">here</a>).</li><li>after step 8, you will see a box with an arrow coming out of it and a little droid. It takes a while, but don't panic. the phone is installing the update.</li><li> The phone will do a few restarts on its own. Let them run.</li></ul><div><b>Q&A For Fido Users</b></div></div><div><ul><li>Yes, the tethering option is available.</li></ul></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-33076028647030629702010-04-04T15:16:00.000-07:002010-12-06T01:59:23.291-08:00iPhone Keyboard Emulator<div><b>UPDATE:</b></div><div><b>The IKE page is no located at <a href="http://mobile.sixgreen.com/projects/iphone-keyboard">http://mobile.sixgreen.com/projects/iphone-keyboard</a></b></div><div><b>This page will no longer be updated.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>---</div><div><br /></div><div>The <b>iPhone Keyboard Emulator</b> is an "Input Method" that runs on Android 2.1 OS phones and is mainly for iPhone users that have switched from using an iPhone to an Android based phone.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you don't already have it installed, you can use this site to help find it in the Market: <a href="http://and-download.hobbyistsoftware.com/android/download?name=iPhone%20Keyboard%20Emulator&id=com.sixgreen.android.softkeyboard">iPhone Keyboard Emulator</a></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">Installation</span></b></span></b></span></b></span></b></span></b></span></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; ">Don't expect an icon to show up on the home screen; </span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; ">this is an Input Method and is essentially a modification to the system that allows you to change how it works <i>(one of the great wins of Android)</i>.</span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><div>Here are some quick instructions on enabling it:</div><div><ol><li>Go to <b>Settings</b> -> <b>Language & keyboard</b></li><li>You should see "iPhone Keyboard" listed about half way down. </li><li>Enable the new input method by selecting it <i>(check the checkbox)</i> you should get a warning that I could have logged your keys presses etc. If you don't trust me now, uninstall it and stop wasting your time reading this.</li><li>You can now exit <b>Settings</b>.</li><li>Select any application you like that you can enter text into.</li><li>Make a long-click on the text input <i>(press and hold your finder on the text box)</i>.</li><li>You should get a popup list within a few seconds and one of the options should be "Input Method". Select it.</li><li>You should see the <b>iPhone Keyboard</b> in the list of input methods. Select the <b>iPhone Keyboard</b> option.</li><li>Your keyboard will now change.</li></ol><div>Note that you can change it any time you like, but the selection will be sticky <i>(it stays selected) <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">and going back to the original Android Keyboard is as simple as doing steps 6 through 9 again</span></i>.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>For more detail on input methods, see: <b><a href="http://www.simplemobilereview.com/change-your-android-soft-keyboard-system/">Change Your Android Soft Keyboard System</a></b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">Version History</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Version 1.0.05 EA</div><div>- Reworked keyboard.<i> (Keyboard changes in <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; ">1.0.04 <i> were not helpful)</i></span></i></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Version 1.0.04 EA</div><div>- Fixed apostrophe deleting previous char.</div><div>- Added double-space = period+space</div><div>- improved key spacing & layout</div><div>- Fixed shift key preview (was popping up blank)</div></div><div><br /></div><div><i><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><div style="display: inline !important; ">Version 1.0.03 EA</div></i></span></div><div>- Fixed can't select / or : on N1</div><div><br /></div><div>Version 1.0.02 EA</div><div>- fixed layout on shift-symbol keyboard.</div><div><br /></div><div>Version 1.0.01 EA</div><div>- fixed button images</div><div>- improved layout</div><div><br /></div><div>Version 1.0.00 EA</div><div>- Initial release</div></i></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">Upcoming Features</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I actually do pay attention to the comments attached to the app in the Android Market. This is a list of features I see people asking for <i>(in no particular order, you'l get them when I get to them)</i>.</span></div><div><ul><li>(***DONE) Improved key spacing</li><li>Auto-complete</li><li>(***DONE) Space bar double-tap for a period+space.</li><li>Improvement to the key colours <i>(iPhone uses two tones of grey)</i></li><li>Landscape mode</li></ul><div>There have been a few comments about how it's "exactly like the android native keyboard" which is simply not true. I can only imagine that nobody bothered to hit the number screen, where most of the changes are... so to those people; get a clue.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>For those that can't get it to work: so far most of the comments to that effect are because someone didn't actually bother to read the instructions above. To those people; I'm sorry your having trouble, but please RTFM.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:x-large;">Known Issues</span></span></b></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The key colours are not the same as the iPhone.</span></li></ul></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:x-large;">FAQ</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Q: <b>What version of Android does this work on?</b></div><div>A: <i>It should work on any Android 2.1 OS that uses a virtual keyboard. It was specifically written for the Nexus One but I have reports that it also works on Motorola Droid (although I don't now why you'd need it on one).</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Q: <b>Does it collect my data as the warning suggests it could?</b></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; ">A:</span> No. I'm not interested in your data. I wrote this for myself and I already know my own data.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">Reasoning</span></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div>Having used an iPhone for a few years now, I am finding the Android keyboard a bit difficult to use. I think the iPhone layout is much better both in allowing my big finders to hit the tiny keys and in its visual design. I hate how the android keyboard switches from lower case to upper case letters all the time and my fingers are used to finding certain keys in certain places.<div><br /></div><div>To deal with the problem for myself, I created a new "Input Method" that emulates the iPhone layout. The app is designed to run on my Nexus One with Android OS 2.1 but should work on any 2.1 Android phone.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's working great for me, and I hope you find it useful as well.</div><div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizXtVhDxVgWQuE0Iu8L6eSk9B2s5u8F2SNz7QkYJfXWCWGFzVGReWf_8S0xTWqre2l3txOeEYaAzD-K4jvRcDnp1TG2UwjibkLXnuAjjyW7RbJdPSbQbSHAdkv5jqv-bckf7pyDGGsCmMy/s200/screenshot1.png" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456459504663180466" /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-32779965322356892212010-03-19T21:02:00.000-07:002010-07-26T06:54:48.129-07:00Getting the Nexus One working on Fido (Canada)Since the Nexus One is an unlocked phone and you can buy it without having to sign your life away, you will have to do a little bit of configuration yourself. It took me a little while to sort out what little conflicting information I could find in order to get all the bits in place. <div><br /></div><div>As far as I can tell, the phone works perfectly on the Fido network at 3G speeds (I saw a lot of people saying it would not and would only work on EDGE).</div><div><br /></div><div>Here are the steps you need to take to get the phone working on Fido's network.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Basic Phone & Voice Setup</b></div><div><ol><li>The Phone will want to configure when you first turn it on <i>(You need a gmail account or a Google Apps account for this).</i> Leave the SIM card out until the initial configuration is done. You can do it with the SIM in, but it's better to use a WiFi access point instead.</li><li>Once done and booted for the first time, shut the phone down again<i> (press and hold the button on the top left)</i>. Once the phone is off, insert your SIM <i>(give attention to the orientation of the SIM card, it's labeled in the slot). </i>Press the same button to power up the phone again.</li><li>You should now have a working cell phone. you can make and receive calls with it etc. however the data portion will not yet be working. Make a test call if you can to check that the SIM is correctly installed.</li></ol><div><b>Get the Data Setup</b></div><div>At this point the phone is working but you have no data. It will work fine on a Wifi connection (which you have already created) but as soon as you leave the house and the wifi goes out of range, you will lose the data access. All is not lost, there are just a couple of settings to add.</div><div><br /></div><div><ol><li>On the phone, go to: Settings -> Wireless & Networks -> Mobile Networks </li><li>Click on "Access Point Names" <i>(it will be an empty screen)</i>.</li><li>Click the menu button (centre left) and select "New APN".</li></ol><div>You need to do that twice as there are two APNs to add as follows:</div><div><br /></div><div><div><i></i></div><blockquote><div><i>This is the one that will show the 3G icon in the notification bar.</i></div><div>Name: <b>FidoINT</b></div><div>APN: <b>internet.fido.ca</b></div><div>Username: <b>fido</b></div><div>Password:<b> fido</b></div><div>APN Type: <b>default</b></div><div><i>leave the rest of the fields blank</i></div></blockquote><div><i></i></div><div><br /></div><div><i></i></div><blockquote><div><i>This one will enable MMS from the phone.</i></div><div>Name: <b>FidoMMS</b></div><div>APN: <b>mms.fido.ca</b></div><div>MMSC: <b>http://mms.fido.ca</b></div><div>MMS Proxy: <b>205.151.011.013</b></div><div>APN Type: <b>mms</b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">leave the rest of the fields blank</span></div></blockquote><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "></span></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div>You should now have proper 3G data access and MMS working.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Update 1:</b> It appears that MMS is <i>not</i> working. I'll see if I can sort out why and post it here.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Update 2:</b> A commentator below (<a href="http://brill.pappin.ca/2010/03/getting-nexus-one-working-on-fido.html?showComment=1280090539679#c2899559123456008866">Milo</a>) added the following to our knowledge base:</div><div></div><blockquote><div>"<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; font-size:13px;">To all those of you who are not getting 3g speeds and only edge:</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; font-size:13px;"><br />I called Nexus One support about the issue, and I figured out why it is that I too am only getting edge. There are 2 versions of the Nexus One. The AT&T version and the world version. The most recent one which became available for sale in Canada will allow for 3g on all networks around the world, however if you purchased your nexus one from the states or a third party site prior to its release in Canada then you're as boned as I am. The newer Nexus One is identical except for the fact it works in wider cellular range for data. Now this doesn't mean the phone is completely useless for 3g. For example I just got back from Europe using an Orange sim and had 3g. Sadly I don't believe any provider in Canada at the moment works on the same frequency as the older Nexus One."</span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; font-size:13px;"></span><div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-15450733812444638402010-03-19T09:43:00.000-07:002010-03-19T21:26:25.109-07:00Nexus One - First ImpressionsI've been an iPhone user for about 2 years now, but I ordered a Nexus One the same day they became availible in Canada.<br /><br />Here are my first impressions.<br /><br />- The packaging is as slick as an iPhone.<br />- The phone is a millimetere or two thinner than the iPhone, but overall its almost exactly the same size and it is going to fix in most of my iPhone holsters etc.<br />- It comes with a 4 gig microSD card already in the phone.<br />- Starts up with an animation as an indicator.<br />- The screen is much brighter than my iPhone. and faster.<br />- The onscreen keyboard is very similar to the iPhone, so I'm not having much trouble with it. It doesn't come withteh keyboardsound feedback enabled however which I'm missing right away. I may be able to turn it on once i get things going. (update: indeed you can turn on the click sounds).<br />- Battery status shows you what applications/features are taking up the most battery power... very handy.<br /><br />I'll have to explore more, but I'll post anything else I find that is particularly cool or different.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-46158480242460408212010-03-10T14:45:00.000-08:002010-03-10T15:06:41.272-08:00Disillusioned with the iPhone<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrArw24huNoyhZHaBpmFb2_Bd_E1l_E2rTfanXvv3nm2VszT4Y0BtchjEgocRKQJ1Oq0D537ZYfHA7Eh5QvZQMHQyD8hsmcmuH2-rfh3ogVEuD0dR2rda3M8dhfWllCzQEAHFoF9fgwOvm/s1600-h/android_over_iphone.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrArw24huNoyhZHaBpmFb2_Bd_E1l_E2rTfanXvv3nm2VszT4Y0BtchjEgocRKQJ1Oq0D537ZYfHA7Eh5QvZQMHQyD8hsmcmuH2-rfh3ogVEuD0dR2rda3M8dhfWllCzQEAHFoF9fgwOvm/s320/android_over_iphone.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447144747854539842" /></a>I have to admit that I've been an iPhone user for almost two years.<br /><div>I love the interface, as it mostly works and in my opinion is much better than just about anything else currently available; including <a href="http://na.blackberry.com/eng/devices/">BlackBerry</a> and <a href="http://www.android.com/">Android</a> <a href="http://www.androphones.com/all-android-phones.php">phones</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>The reason it's better has to do with the design of the user interface and the way it's controlled <i>(android does pretty well, but is stuck a bit too much in older design concepts).</i></div><div><br /></div><div>However I'm becoming more and more disgusted with Apple's goal of completely controlling the phone and <b>all</b> the content it gets. The recent move to kill iPhone apps that are competitive or are some how morally objectionable to someone at Apple <i>(such as the recent decision to </i><a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10464021-37.html"><i>remove wifi finders from the app store</i></a><i>)</i>, along with Apple's tendency to <a href="http://diveintomark.org/archives/2010/01/29/tinkerers-sunset">lock down</a> anything they do in recent years is concerning me on a usability and moral level. </div><div><br /></div><div>It only a matter of time before my disgust with Apple outweighs my desire to use the best device and I choose something else.</div><div><br /></div><div>The question becomes what else there is. Android comes closest at the moment, but I'm not complete satisfied with that one ether.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Note:</i></b><i> This image is not mine, and I don't know where it came from. If you know, let me know and I'll attribute it properly.</i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-32328671642081311372010-01-30T13:54:00.000-08:002010-01-30T14:09:16.790-08:00They are fighting for Your Future!I found a good article, <a href="http://diveintomark.org/archives/2010/01/29/tinkerers-sunset">Tinkerer’s Sunset</a> written by <a href="http://diveintomark.org/about">Mark Pilgrim</a>. <div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Gill Sans', 'Gill Sans MT', 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', 'Linux Libertine O', 'Liberation Serif', Candara, serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 28px; word-spacing: 1px; "><blockquote>Once upon a time, Apple made the machines that made me who I am. I became who I am by tinkering. Now it seems they’re doing everything in their power to stop <em>my</em> kids from <a href="http://stevenf.com/beagle/legacy.html" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: initial; color: rgb(27, 103, 201); background-position: initial initial; ">finding that sense of wonder</a>. Apple has declared war on the tinkerers of the world. With every software update, the previous generation of “jailbreaks” stop working, and people have to find new ways to break into their own computers</blockquote></span></div><div><div><br /><div>What struck me is that what he's saying is so obvious that I have trouble understanding why most people don't know what all the fuss is about. He says it well however, so I encourage you to read his article and actually think about the consequences.</div><div><br /></div><div>Wake up people! There is a war going on that will significantly impact your future and the future of your children.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-83415680944055263872009-12-22T11:25:00.000-08:002010-01-30T10:52:36.931-08:00Ubuntu Netbook Remix: Getting the Wifi and Mic working on an HP mini 110-1118 (CA)<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:11px;"><div>Ubuntu Netbook Remix works fine for this machine, except the sound drivers and wifi, but fixing them is easy:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>To get the wifi working:</b></div><div>Update the OS, then use the Drivers control panel in the system settings panel.</div><div>There is a bug in 9.10 that prevents this from working out of the box, so you need to update the OS first.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>To get the internal Mic working:</b></div><div>Sound works, all except for the internal Mic. A peer passed me a note he found in some forum that worked (sorry, I don't have the original attribution):</div><div><br /></div><div><i>(You can install the backport module using the Synaptic package manager).</i></div><div>Here is the word-for-word original note I used:</div><div><br /></div><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#663300;">Yes, that worked for me too, using the Mini 100c!<br />But you don't have to install the alsa sound package.<br />Just<br />- install linux-backports-modules-alsa-karmic-generic<br />- reboot<br />- open a terminal, enter "alsamixer", press "tab", and set both internal and front mic sliders to 100%<br />- press "esc"??</span></blockquote></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:11px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:11px;">You can now use the internal mic using whatever tool you like.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:11px;"><br /></span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-81346261510943452842009-10-23T07:11:00.000-07:002009-12-22T11:25:50.651-08:00US doesn't like Canadian copyright laws.In the Canadian Press article <i><a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hKHhpEtc-DndLRhdv6OVaN8zupJw">Canada deserves spot on U.S. naughty list due to lax copyright laws</a></i>, the author suggests that the US ambassador to Canada doesn't like Canadian copyright laws, and is not shy about saying so.<div><br /></div><div>It's not really a secret however. The US, driven by entertainment industry lobbyists, has been at us for years to make our system like theirs. </div><div>What they are missing however is that in Canada, there is less power in the Lobbyist camp and more power in the people. The People don't want US style copyright laws or at least don't want to be dictated to by a foreign country.</div><div><br /></div><div>Make no mistake, our copyright laws need revision <i>(in progress)</i> but they need to reflect the needs and wants of the People in <b>this</b> country, not the US.</div><div>So, to the US ambassador, By all means tell us about your system, we'd be happy to take the ideas from it that are useful, but we'll discard the points that we, the People, don't like about it. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you don't like it, well, we all have to suck eggs now and then.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-39709702914758444742009-10-16T09:31:00.000-07:002010-01-30T11:02:16.120-08:00Apple OSX Security FAILMore than once now, I've managed to get OSX to require me to log in, but allow me to access the machine behind the login prompt.<div><br /></div><div>I have been unable to explicitly reproduce it at will however, and so I would like help from the people out there to determine what exactly is going on, so we can get Apple to fix the problem.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here is what I know of the problem:</div><div><ul><li>Happens on Leopard and Snow Leopard <i>(I'm currently running Snow Leopard 10.6.1)</i>.</li><li>enable: Require password "immediately" after sleep or screen saver begins.</li><li>enable: Use screen saver "Word of the Day" <i>(mine is set for 5 minutes)</i>.</li><li>Allow screen saver to activate and move the mouse before the the Word of the Day screen saver is fully active.</li></ul><div>What you should get if you are able to reproduce this is that the computer pops up a dialog asking you to log in to unlock the machine, however you have mouse access to your desktop, and if you check, you will be able to change security settings as long as they don't require keyboard input. The keyboard will be captured by the login dialog.</div><div><br /></div><div>I managed to take snapshots of the last two times this has happened on my machine, showing that i was able to access the preferences dialog <i>(I have smuged out personal info in the images)</i>:</div></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH61Fb80qs517BzjsY2sLYu5AxdukWJZwanR8-_NsQeR8fyj-Ifji6tOgh110gX0rjXhPfqY9QwbzXAPKOCXMx4GBi1P53IvGzZcwAwTrbjWW8SgMWWoDpC68Id3gVzWFIWoynkG6yavZx/s1600-h/IMG_0967.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH61Fb80qs517BzjsY2sLYu5AxdukWJZwanR8-_NsQeR8fyj-Ifji6tOgh110gX0rjXhPfqY9QwbzXAPKOCXMx4GBi1P53IvGzZcwAwTrbjWW8SgMWWoDpC68Id3gVzWFIWoynkG6yavZx/s320/IMG_0967.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393240277244882946" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEaI3DZt4O96xNGSh6ThwJ4eLMNNOsoxl1w9xGMuyp7eMIOyMvjafn6VzV2YTTtIzN-2ja1KkxADZCfEudhXi8SPyYaLmPoEIX5RMRCU9FjH87hqdxS2e2QJsMmP9D5aZ_veztgRVOE-3a/s1600-h/secure+mac+wtf.jpg"></a><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEaI3DZt4O96xNGSh6ThwJ4eLMNNOsoxl1w9xGMuyp7eMIOyMvjafn6VzV2YTTtIzN-2ja1KkxADZCfEudhXi8SPyYaLmPoEIX5RMRCU9FjH87hqdxS2e2QJsMmP9D5aZ_veztgRVOE-3a/s1600-h/secure+mac+wtf.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEaI3DZt4O96xNGSh6ThwJ4eLMNNOsoxl1w9xGMuyp7eMIOyMvjafn6VzV2YTTtIzN-2ja1KkxADZCfEudhXi8SPyYaLmPoEIX5RMRCU9FjH87hqdxS2e2QJsMmP9D5aZ_veztgRVOE-3a/s320/secure+mac+wtf.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393240271420798434" /></a><br /></div><div>If you are able to reproduce this, please let me know and what you did to reproduce it, particularly is you are able to do it at will.</div><div><br /></div><div>By all means call apple about the problem if you can reproduce it. The case number I put in is: <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; font-family:Helvetica, serif;font-size:12px;">Apple Expert Case <a href="https://selfsolve.apple.com/EXPERT/GetCaseInformation.do?caseid=139146232">139146232</a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica, serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><i>Update:</i></b> This has been submitted to bugreport.apple.com as issue # 7318689</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica, serif;"><b><i>Update:</i></b> This appears to be fixed in OSX 10.6.2 as I have not seen any further occurrence.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-32383808150118265472009-10-07T07:30:00.000-07:002009-10-07T07:35:18.638-07:00Google Street view in Toronto<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9bHN616nmklucqDrr16zhHNYxe5RgNtvJEHbq-dZuSZi9OKRQmmNR8ARbZva9jv2Qa2pznF1FdBwWVBzW0fiwevUeYA_5nHQ6kEIHHURAeUW5v-353Q0MpjTKsqvyd4SSZ6yAw5pr1Msi/s1600-h/google-streetview-toronto.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9bHN616nmklucqDrr16zhHNYxe5RgNtvJEHbq-dZuSZi9OKRQmmNR8ARbZva9jv2Qa2pznF1FdBwWVBzW0fiwevUeYA_5nHQ6kEIHHURAeUW5v-353Q0MpjTKsqvyd4SSZ6yAw5pr1Msi/s320/google-streetview-toronto.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389866500474862082" /></a><br />Google street view is now live in <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=yonge+and+bloor,+toronto&sll=43.647473,-79.383366&sspn=0.012033,0.022337&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Yonge+St+&ll=43.670246,-79.386756&spn=0,359.98704&z=16&iwloc=A&layer=c&cbll=43.670397,-79.386827&panoid=JPutVeO7LxHSGQ_y3RmA_Q&cbp=12,106.39,,0,-6.47">Toronto</a>.<div>Street view was delayed in <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/09/25/tech-google-streetview.html">Canada because our privacy laws</a> have more depth than in the US.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-41122610045345466662009-10-06T08:43:00.000-07:002009-10-06T08:49:15.078-07:00Google place names in their own language<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG8MLJjTApe7_BJP54x4rf5wJV4nQyfj9zBgkXg69jo76UPmb8dadJem0AxDxwhredziXlKP-yeliheXtqTqwtZuMri85gFvX2yoRIWf8ga6xYZ2srNEihy_vX7KfvPGHFP58x-dF7gb7T/s1600-h/google-maps-multi-language.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG8MLJjTApe7_BJP54x4rf5wJV4nQyfj9zBgkXg69jo76UPmb8dadJem0AxDxwhredziXlKP-yeliheXtqTqwtZuMri85gFvX2yoRIWf8ga6xYZ2srNEihy_vX7KfvPGHFP58x-dF7gb7T/s320/google-maps-multi-language.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389513748224696626" /></a>I just noticed a very cool feature Google Maps has added to their map views.<div><br /><div>It seems the place names are now in english as well as the native language of the place.</div><div><br /></div><div>This seems like a small thing, but gathering all that data and then rendering it for display on the map has a very cool aspect and it lets the rest of the world know that Google cares about the place you come from, even if you don't speak english there.</div><div> </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-2321922552498723592009-09-30T07:01:00.000-07:002009-09-30T07:25:04.125-07:00Two incidents between cyclists and vehicles<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">It's heartbreaking to hear yet more incidents between cyclists and vehicles, particularly when someone dies. Both incidents lists here are reported by CP24.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><a href="http://www.cp24.com/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090904/090904_cyclist?hub=CP24Home"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">First reported by CP24</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, is a man who died when he cut in front of a street car. They are large and can't stop on a dime. The man is reported to have "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> went through a red turn signal while the streetcar was proceeding through the intersection on a green light.". </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; "><a href="http://www.cp24.com/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090929/090929_cyclist_struck/20090929/?hub=CP24Home"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The second reported by CP24</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, is a cyclist, specifically identified as a bike courier, who got into a fist fight with a driver. CP24 reports that the cyclist appeared to be struck by the car </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">(obviously without much damage)</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> and proceeded to start punching the driver through the car window. The driver was then reported to have to gotten out of the vehicle and punched the courier back.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: medium; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: medium; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">Both incidents are disturbing and I believe the root of the problem lies with the ability to share the road, and the lack of knowledge of what is safe and reasonable to be doing on the road.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: medium; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: medium; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">The man who died actually went through a red light right in front of a street car... there is no question that training that man to understand the rules of the road before he went out on his bike would have saved him, if he already did know the rules, he ignored them to his own final detriment. Unfortunately this is something I see happening all the time.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: medium; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: medium; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">In the second case, I have no doubt that the bike courier felt that he had been wronged and wanted to let the driver know, but in what universe is it ok to start punching someone to get a point across? In that case, the vehicle has a licence plate for a reason and it is not safe or reasonable to start punching someone. Violence of that nature is not ok in my city.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: medium; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: medium; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">What can be done after the fact to reduce the likelihood of those types of incidents from happening again?</span></span></div><div><ol><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: medium; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">Make sure the drivers and cyclists are educated on how they can and should use the road. We need a better way to <b>educate both drivers and cyclists</b> before they get on the road.</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: medium; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">In the second case, the courier and maybe the driver <b>should be charged with assault</b>. Why were they not?</span></span></li></ol><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: medium; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">An accident is an accident and they can be reduced through education. Throwing punches is not accidental, it's assault and should be treated as such.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: medium; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br /></span></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-17749665103563955682009-09-28T13:09:00.000-07:002009-09-28T13:19:06.855-07:00Java runs fine on Snow LeopardBack in February <a href="http://brill.pappin.ca/2009/02/java-on-snow-leopard-well-see.html">I wrote a quick article</a> that expressed my hope that Java would work properly on Snow Leopard. <div><br /></div><div>After Snow Leopard was released a little while ago, my site hits skyrocketed to unprecedented levels, all from people looking for information about Java on SL. I can only assume they are all wondering if they are going to have any trouble when upgrading.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Let me assure you that in terms of Java, I have had no trouble on SL!</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Just as an FYI, java -version returns:</div><div><i></i></div><blockquote><div><i>java version</i></div><div><i> "1.6.0_15"</i></div><div><i>Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_15-b03-219)</i></div><div><i>Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 14.1-b02-90, mixed mode)</i></div></blockquote><div>... and its working just fine. </div><div><br /></div><div>However, the pure volume of hits against my own unknown blog should also be an indicator to Apple that <a href="http://brill.pappin.ca/2009/01/steve-jobs-is-idiot.html">Java is not dead and gone as Mr. Jobs</a> has said.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-25510265735320535152009-09-17T08:50:00.001-07:002009-09-17T09:01:39.581-07:00Windows Media streams on Snow LeopardI recently upgraded my MacBook Pro to <a href="http://www.apple.com/macosx/">Snow Leopard</a> along with many others.<br /><br />On Leopard you used to be able to play Windows Media streams using a <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/wmcomponents.mspx">Microsoft plugin for QuickTime</a>, however when I tried to fire up the <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/listen/">CBC1 Radio steam</a> I often listen to, I discovered it no longer works with the new <a href="http://www.apple.com/macosx/what-is-macosx/quicktime.html">QuickTime X</a> that comes with Snow Leopard.<br /><br />All is not lost however, A long time Linux app called <a href="http://www.videolan.org/vlc/">VLC</a>, ported to several platforms came to the rescue, once I fired it up, it worked flawlessly. In fact it's working so well I may never bother to use QuickTime for CBC1 again.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-73976636174394850412009-09-14T07:19:00.001-07:002009-09-14T15:06:17.844-07:00Bryant & Sheppard: Security video on YouTube<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><div>There is a video on YouTube of the security video captured of the Bryant / Sheppard incident.</div><div><br /></div><div>The footage is actually posted by someone filming his television and is not very good. The poster is also obviously biased toward the Sheppard side and gets many facts wrong when he annotates the video. However it does give is an opportunity to see some of the detail ourselves.</div><div>If you want to see it, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFISP_PrhFo">take a look now</a> because it's actually in violation of YouTunes terms of service <i>(for copyright violation) </i>and may get taken down shortly.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here is my analyses of what I can see. I'm purposely ignoring the incorrect and biased annotations in the video. Note, there are two angles captured here.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">First camera angle:</span></div><div><b>Time index 0:01</b></div><div>- Bryant is stopped at a red light in the left most lane (the lane closest to the oncoming traffic).</div><div><b>Time index 0:02</b></div><div>- Sheppard enters frame behind Bryant.</div><div><b>Time index 0:04</b></div><div>- Byrant begines to accelerate as the light turns green. </div><div>- Sheppard has crossed the median and is passing Bryant on his left</div><div>- Sheppard has covered approximately 10 meters in 2 seconds (<a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&q=convert+5+meters+per+second+to+kilometers+an+hour&btnG=Search&aq=f&oq=&aqi=">about 18kmh</a>)</div><div><b>Time index 0:05</b></div><div>- Sheppard enters Bryant's peripheral vision</div><div>- Bryant begins to break suddenly as Sheppard starts to cut in front of him.</div><div><b>Time index 0:06</b></div><div>- Bryant's car has stopped again.</div><div>- Sheppard has pulled to the right, cutting in front of Bryant.</div><div><b>Time index 0:07</b></div><div>- For some reason, Sheppard stops in front of Bryant at the green light. He does not appear to be turning left because he is not signalling a turn and would also be out of frame in the intersection.</div><div><b>Time index 0:10</b></div><div>- Sheppard is still sitting at the green light, and turns around to say something to Bryant.</div><div><i>* assumption: they are yelling at each other.</i></div><div><b>Time index 0:11</b></div><div>- Bryant jerks forward, and closes on Sheppard's back tire. Sheppard does not move and it doesn't appear that Bryant hits Sheppard's back tire as there is no movement from the bike or Sheppard, which there would be if he had been hit even a small amount.</div><div><b>Time index 0:12</b></div><div>- First car going east bound <i>(opposite direction)</i> is seen at bottom right of frame. This supports the time index and Bryant's first aborted movement based on how long it takes a car to move through an intersection.</div><div>- Sheppard gets off his bike, leaving it in the intersection.</div><div><b>Time index 0:15</b></div><div>- Sheppard has walked back and is parallel to Bryant's hood (just past the headlights). </div><div><i>* opinion: I can't see it well, but it looks like Sheppard hits the car with something.</i></div><div><b>Time index 0:17</b></div><div>- Bryant attempts to extricate himself and begins to accelerate. We can see from another video appended to this video (but from another angle) that he turns the car to the right in order to go around the bicycle on the road.</div><div>- We see Sheppard "move" here, but we can't see why. He is ether pushed aside by the car or is jumping on the hood which he then falls off of.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Second camera angle:</span></div><div><div><b>Time index 0:19</b></div><div>- Bryant attempts to extricate himself by moving through the intersection, but hits the bicycle which is on the road in front of his bumper where he can't see it.</div><div><b>Time index 0:20</b></div><div>- Bryant stops his car again.</div><div>- Sheppard is still on his left, standing on the median.</div><div><b>Time index 0:24</b></div><div>- Bryant backs up to clear the bicycle.</div><div><b>Time index 0:27</b></div><div>- Bryant turns to the right to go around the bicycle on the road. </div><div><b>Time index 0:28</b></div><div>- It's hard to see and i can't be sure, but it looks as if Sheppard moves toward the car as it goes by in the right hand lane <i>(implying that he is still standing)</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>At this point the the security camera footage ends. Sheppards death is actually later and is not covered by this footage. It is reported that Sheppard then chased after Bryant's car and somehow hung on to the drivers side. </div><div><br /></div><div>In my opinion based on what I can see in the video, Bryant could not see the bicycle in the road when he hit it and it was likely because Sheppard was angry over his bike being damaged by the car<i> (the bike he left laying in the road in front of Bryant's bumper)</i> that he chased after Bryant. </div><div>Bryant may have been able to see the bike and ran it over on purpose, but we can't actually tell from this video. It's more likely that in his haste to get away from the situation and because he couldn't see it, he forgot that Sheppard had left it there. No driver wants their car damaged and running over a bike is likely to do damage.</div><div>We can also tell that Sheppard was not on the bike when it was first hit by the car.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's pretty clear that Sheppard was the aggressor here, there is no doubt about it.</div><div><br /></div><div>It bothers me that some folks feel a need to bend visual evidence to fit their political agenda in such blatant and obvious ways. In fact it's those folks screaming about murder that have prompted me to write anything about this at all.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>I want to ensure that bikes can use the roads safely. I demand it because my children will eventually be using them. Automatically blaming Bryant for this tragedy does not help make the roads safer and in fact is detrimental to doing so.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-6168383299079920182009-09-03T07:53:00.000-07:002009-09-07T19:15:31.223-07:00Darcy Sheppard may have caused his own death<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"></span><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Followup of: </span><a href="http://brill.pappin.ca/2009/09/michael-bryant-darcy-sheppard-fight-or.html">Michael Bryant & Darcy Sheppard: Fight or Flight Reflex?</a></blockquote><a href="http://brill.pappin.ca/2009/09/michael-bryant-darcy-sheppard-fight-or.html"></a></div><div><br /></div>Some new details have come to light in the Bryant / Sheppard altercation. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">It's looking to me as if Sheppard caused his own death. The Star reports:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><div></div><blockquote><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">"According to witnesses, Bryant cut the argument short by pulling away. As he headed westbound on Bloor St., Sheppard chased the car on foot. He grabbed hold of the vehicle on the driver's side. It's not clear if he was trying to get into the car, get at the driver or merely prevent him from leaving."</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">"Within seconds, the westbound car had crossed over into the eastbound lanes of Bloor St. Construction workers laying pipe on the stretch of road gaped as the car swerved toward them. It was dark. Many couldn't see Sheppard clinging to the vehicle. All of them said they could hear Bryant screaming."</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">"The car was riding right up against the sidewalk where there were trees and posts and newspaper boxes. The tires were screeching," said witness Josh Harlan.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">- <a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/689771">Michael Bryant's deadly duel , Cathal Kelly, The Star (thestar.com)</a></span></div></blockquote><div></div></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Those quotes are not the entire article and I left parts out </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">(please read it yourself for the other details).</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> However they are very telling in terms seeing what happened.</span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Sheppard was clearly the aggressor, chasing down the vehicle and grabbing onto the drivers side.</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">The vehicle moved into the oncoming lane, which in North America is the side the driver sits on, and the side that Sheppard was hanging onto.</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Shepard didn't let go of the vehicle until objects on the side of the road knocked him off.</span></span></li></ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">So essentially as Bryant pulled away from the light, Sheppard ran after the vehicle and grabbed into the drivers side </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">(the convertible's top was down)</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">. It is entirely possible that Sheppard grabbed the steering wheel of the vehicle, however until we are able to read the court documents or review the video ourselves, we don't know that. We do know that he latched onto the drivers side though, and any interference with the driver on the left side of the vehicle, would cause the driver to move away from the source of that interference and would have caused the vehicle to swerve to the left </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">(the natural instinct of a human is to push away from something)</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">, crossing into the oncoming traffic, and eventually hitting the curb on the other side of the road.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I suspect that the angry cyclists congregating downtown may end up eating crow. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Although I do not feel that anyone deserves to die in such a way, it bothers me that the cyclist can do no wrong in the eyes of other cyclists.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, sans;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;"><br /></span></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126437785867952248.post-33552710292953870682009-09-03T06:59:00.000-07:002009-09-03T06:59:00.363-07:00Apple Trademarked Glossy Chat Bubbles?<div>I just read this article on <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com">TechCrunch</a>:</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/09/01/developers-be-warned-apple-has-apparently-trademarked-those-shiny-chat-bubbles/">Developers, Be Warned: Apple Has Apparently Trademarked Those Glossy Chat Bubbles</a></span></div><div><br /></div>You have got to be kidding... there is absolutely prior art here, I've been seeing them in in apps for years before apple released the iPhone that contains them.<div><br /></div><div>This style and format belongs to other developers, some of which are under open license. There have been people doing the same thing as themes in apps for so long that I don't know how apple can get away with it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Apple is really starting to bug me with this hocus-pocus they keep spouting.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0