Notes

After struggling with my iPod shuffle listening to Audible books, and having to give back the 2nd generation iPod that I was using, I finally found a 5G for sale in portugal today.

I went to FNAC at the Colombo shopping center, and they had 4 on display on top of a desk. They didn't even bother to put them on shelfs. About thirty minutes after I picked up my own, I understood why: there where none left.

BTW, I'm a long time FNAC customer, and I like their service very much, so it's my preferred point of purchase for this kind of gear.

It's small. Very very small. When I was in london, last November, I saw the one pfig won (bastard...) and I took some pictures of his 5G in comparison with my 2G. But even after seeing them, I'm still amazed how small it really is.

This new iPod is USB-only and my powerbook only has USB1.1, so the speed would be very very bad, on each sync. So I also bought a USB2 PC Card (a D-Link DUB-C2). Connecting the PC Card and then the iPod with the sync cable was, in good old apple tradition, just a physical experience: 10 seconds after the cable connection, iTunes was telling me that there was a new version of the software. And after the update, it started the sync procedure.

I have around 2800 music files (including books and radio programs), and 2400 photos. I suspect it will take this powerbook some 1 or 2 hours to sync. It has to convert a lot of pictures, and for a 800Mhz G4, that is a lot of work.

Next step is to buy a dock of some kind. I saw Apple docks for sale at FNAC, costing €50, but I don't know. If I could find a good set of dock and speakers, like these from JBL or (pfig recomendation) these, I might buy that instead. Some research is required. I would like a set of speakers with sync, charge and some sort of remote control. I'll have to see if I can find such a beast. I know about TuneCenter but I don't know if I can sync with it. It has a ethernet port and wifi, but I don't know exactly what for. Maybe the internet radio stations part.

So, not much to say about the experience of using one 5G, given that its still syncing, but very happy to able to listen to my books again.

Update: 1:20 minutes to Sync. Final stats:

Good enough.

Technorati Tags: apple, audible, ipod

Posted by Pedro Melo at 11:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (view)

I'm looking for an iPod 5G, in Portugal. If you see any for sale in Lisbon, can you leave me a comment? I searched two FNACs in Porto and they didn't have any on stock.

People temporarily inhabiting london should not apply, BTW.

I've been listening a lot of Audible content, and yesterday I had to fast-foward 4 hours with an iPod shuffle because the damn thing lost the place where I was listening. No more.

Update: Got one today. More about it on my next post. Thanks for all the comments.

Technorati Tags: apple, audible, ipod

Posted by Pedro Melo at 01:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (view)

From a Ars.Technica article:

Google Talk may have a spartan user interface and a small user base, but sometime in the near future, ICQ and AIM will be able to communicate directly with GTalk servers as well. That means that all the XMPP networks can mingle with the millions of ICQ/AIM users, and the federated love-in I was hoping for is one step closer to reality.

Oahh there... Just because AIM/AOL will open up federation to Google Talk, that federation is not transitive. I cannot route my XMPP traffic from my personal domain via Google Talk network.

AIM already has federation deals that you can sign with them, but they are pretty expensive.

Having said that, I would love to see the XMPP world gaining 50+ million new JIDs...

Technorati Tags: aol, google, aim, googletalk

Posted by Pedro Melo at 08:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (view)

Ok, I was able to subscribe several buddies @gmail.com just now, and talk to them, all of this from my @sapo.pt account.

Server-to-server is now open with GTalk.

Let the games begin.

(kudos to Rusty Shackleford who pointed this to me)

update: it seems that ralphm beat me to it. Behold the power of mimir (speaking of which, I got to resubscribe to it...).

update 2: Official announcement via GoogleTalk blog.

Technorati Tags: google, googletalk, jabber, xmpp

Posted by Pedro Melo at 05:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (view)

After using CVS for the last 10 years, the cvs sequence is hardwired between my brain and my hands when I think about source control.

So for the time being, I'll use this:

melo@roadrunner(~)$ cat ~/bin/cvs
#!/bin/sh
#
# cvs wrapper: old habits die hard, and don't remember which VCS I'm using most of the time
#

if [ -d CVS ] ; then
  /usr/bin/cvs $@
elif [ -d .svn ] ; then
  svn $@
else
  darcs $@
fi

That covers the three source control systems I use on a regular basis.

Technorati Tags: cvs, darcs, subversion

Posted by Pedro Melo at 05:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (view)

I picked up an article about FastCGI, SCGI, and Apache by Mark Mayo.

I found interesting and insightful, but some of the conclusions or opinions diverge from my own, enough to make me write them down.

First, let me say that I'm sure I don't have as much experience as Mark with FastCGI, and none with SCGI. I do have 5 or 6 years experience with mod_perl. Also, I've recently switched from Apache to Lighttpd due to the lack of a good FastCGI implementation on Apache (something that is probably going to change).

I do agree with Mark on most issues:

• FastCGI has been considered abandoned technology for quite some time;
• The new frameworks require some sort of application server-mode to avoid being reloaded per request;
• We need a protocol to communicate between the front-end web server, and the application instances, running in a different process space;
• mod_p* is a memory hog, been there done that. Also security-wyse, not that good;
• mod_* are not a viable way forward. Mark's reasons are very good on that one, and cover most of my issues with them.

One particular sentence summarizes our common ground:

A generic solution for persistent out-of-process page generation/handling is needed

But then the question arises: should we continue with [FS]CGI and friends or use basic HTTP between the front-end web server and the back-end application servers? Zope and Java app servers went the HTTP route, for example.

Here we start to diverge. Mark seems to think that HTTP is the way forward. I don't. I don't know if FastCGI or SCGI are the way forward, not yet, too little time with the technology, but I feel that using HTTP is the wrong way to do it. I feel we need a simple protocol, and push the server-side implementation of that protocol to current web servers. That way, we can reuse all the HTTP stack and all the code to manage multiple child process already inside most web servers today.

Let me try and tackle the several points made for using HTTP.

Configuration must be simple. Yes, it must. But what is more simple than what the sysadmin already knows? He's been living with Apache (or his own other web server) for last few years now, so configuring a couple of parameters about where the application is and number of instances to start should be trivial for him.

If you need to isolate your app servers on some sort of jail that makes starting the instances from the main front-end web server impossible, then use the same server, Apache for example, inside the jail as a instance manager, and use tried and true mod_proxy from the first set of front-end web servers to the second set.

Bottom line, my answer to Marks question 'why the current darlings haven’t also taken the same approach' is to point out the beginning of the previous paragraph (emphasis mine):

What Java and Zope app servers do (for the unfamiliar) is run their own solid HTTP servers

Writing a solid HTTP server is not easy. and more its no longer required, and that's the reason we should use a simpler protocol, and leave all the decisions of dealing with simultaneous requests and multiplexing several instances of the app to already existing and tested code.

The point is we don't need another HTTP stack or another application server, we already have a good one in Apache or Zeus or lighhtp. Let's not rewrite an Apache on each MVC framework.

Thanks for a great article, Mark.

Technorati Tags: apache, fastcgi, lighttpd

Posted by Pedro Melo at 01:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (view)

If you need to see WMV files on Mac OS X, until recently you had to use the Windows Media for Mac.

If you knew that and used it, you know that it wasn't that good.

Recently, there where some mentions about Flip4Mac on Mac OS X Hints, and this week, Microsoft said that it would stop developing the Media Player, and made and agreement with Flip4Mac to distribute their WMV Quicktime plugin and standalone player software for free.

I've downloaded a version last week, and installed. In the next few days, I experience crashes in both Mail.app and Safari, something that I hadn't before. I decided to reinstall and yesterday I downloaded again. I don't remember which version I downloaded the first time, but yesterday I picked up 2.0.1 and since then the crashes have stopped.

I don't know if they released a minor upgrade due to some problems, but if you are having random crashes since installing Flip4mac, try uninstalling (there is an uninstaller in the /Applications/Flip4Mac folder), download the 2.0.1 release and install again.

Technorati Tags: wmv, microsoft, apple, flip4mac

Posted by Pedro Melo at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (view)

One of the tools I miss in my day-to-day work is a good project management tool for Mac OS X.

There are some attempts out there, but never I saw a application that integrates with the rest of the system.

This might be about to change. Project X (I just hate flash intros...) seems to fit the bill quite well, but at $199 is a bit more that the usual software I purchase. So, although I don't have a problem dropping $199 if it reduces my stress level at work, I do hope they give us a trial version.

Technorati Tags: apache

Posted by Pedro Melo at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (view)

Saft is a plugin for Safari. Some days it seems the other way around. Safari is an Saft extension because Saft adds more useful features to Safari than the other way around.

I was wondering what feature I find the most useful, the most "I can't live without this". Its not the way it allows you to reorder tabs, and not even the type-ahed search (similar to the Firefox incremental search). It could be the session restoring features, that kick in to restore all your open tabs in case of a crash (giving you an opportunity to pick and choose which tabs to restore).

For me, the $12 feature (yes, it just costs $12...) its Cmd-Z. In those situations where you get Cmd-W-happy, and close that tab holding some important page you had visited, Cmd-Z will restore the tab just closed. And more: keep hitting Cmd-Z and all your closed tabs will come back to life.

That alone, makes it worth the registration fee.

Technorati Tags: apple, safari, saft

Posted by Pedro Melo at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (view)

The Flickr group of the day is this: Stick Figures in Peril. Amazing stuff. For example:

Already joined. You should do to.

Technorati Tags: flickr

Posted by Pedro Melo at 09:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (view)

I've moved MT to a new site, shared with other people, and took cleaned up some settings on my blog.

Everything seems to be working, but if you notice something strange, please complain to me via SMTP or XMPP (prefered).

BTW, I'm also moving to Lighttpd in the next couple of days. I'll try to be gentle.

Posted by Pedro Melo at 01:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (view)

Some months ago, I bought a external firewire DVD burner to use with my Mac. Today, I was browsing for something in System Profiler, and I discover this:

_NEC DVD_RW ND-3520A:

Firmware Revision:  1.04
Interconnect:   FireWire
Burn Support:   Yes (Vendor Supported)
Profile Path:   VendorSupport.drprofile
Cache:  2048 KB
Reads DVD:  Yes
CD-Write:   -R, -RW
DVD-Write:  -R, -RW, +R, +RW, +R *DL*
Burn Underrun Protection CD:    Yes
Burn Underrun Protection DVD:   Yes
Write Strategies:   CD-TAO, CD-SAO, CD-Raw, DVD-DAO
Media:  No

Notice the DL under DVD-Write. Apparently this drive supports double-layer writing, and according to the NEC product page and a review at CDRLabs.com, it really does support it.

I did not know that. I don't remember buying this drive as a DL drive. Cool! I can now backup my Audible files to DVD.

Posted by Pedro Melo at 12:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (view)

Ok, I lied, two reasons:

• Griffin TuneCenter: a very cool-looking dock for the iPod (found it via TUAW);
• my iPod 2G cannot play Harry Potter books from iTMS.

Yeah, lousy excuses, how low can you get to mentally justify a new toy.

Technorati Tags: apple, ipod

Posted by Pedro Melo at 10:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (view)

I usually do a regular full backup once a week (it will be today, in fact), but this time I've also decided to burn a DVD with all my iTMS purchases.

It weighs in at 3.77Gb, so it still fits a single DVD.

I followed this article: Backing up your music in iTunes 4. The only modification I did was ignoring Audible files. With those, my backup would jump to 8.3Gb and would not fit in a single DVD.

Technorati Tags: apple, itms

Posted by Pedro Melo at 09:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (view)

I don't have time right now to write all I want to write about yesterday Apple keynote, but I'll just leave you with two items, the ones that had for me the Wow! factor:

• in 2006, 40% of all cars shipped in the US will have iPod integration: it's not iPod exclusive integration, but even then, it's an impressive feat, and probably one that will last for some years. Getting this bite of a market as important as that one in the US, is an almost sure guarantee of success (if you needed another one) for the iPod family;
• the Apple/Intel commercial. It's thinks like these that make me an Apple admirer. Thanks to André for pointing out that the voice is Kiefer Sutherland.

Technorati Tags: apple, intel

Posted by Pedro Melo at 12:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (view)

The server-to-server port of the google.com domain is now open via XMPP. You should be able to talk to all your friends working at Google.

Gmail server is still not open. If we assume that they are using the same code at google.com and gmail.com, it should be safe to assume that this is a external interop test, to prepare the full opening.

Cool.

Update: thanks to Rusty Shackleford (see his comment below) for pointing out that GTalk is now open.

Technorati Tags: google, googletalk, xmpp

Posted by Pedro Melo at 07:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (view)

Yahoo keynote has Ellen DeGeneres and Tom Cruise.

Google keynote has Robin Williams...

It's not even a fare fight. Robin Williams blows them out-of-the-water.

I laughed out loud with this part of the Q&A section:

Reporter from Screen Actor's Guild SAG magazine: "What parameters are in place to prevent the unauthorized downloading of actors' images from the Internet?" Robin Williams mocks him savagely. "Nice to see a union man in the house! Good to see your hands are still in someone's pocket."

The next two Q&A are also beautiful. But this one takes the cake:

Robin: "We have an English-English translation for the President that's working very well."

Technorati Tags: google, ces2006, yahoo

Posted by Pedro Melo at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (view)

The subtitle should be: Put your network where your mouth is.

Endgadget covered the Yahoo keynote. At the end of the Engadget post, we can read:

Terry: "What we've shown you today are only the first steps. You can be sure we will continue to innvoate right alongside you. I'll go back to the first question about why Yahoo was here (at CES) for the first time today. Here's what I hope you take away:

• Yahoo is not going to make gadgets. We're here to partner with you
• We have 400 million users who have spent a lot of time setting up their world
• Personally I think walled gardens are a thing of the past

"Thank you all for joining us today."

Regarding bullet no. 3, then can we have XMPP federation with Yahoo Messenger network? Thanks.

On a more funny note, just bellow that quote, you have this pearl:

10:40 Outside, a guy talking into his phone: "Well Steve Jobs is a fucking Jedi Master of this shit compared to these other clowns."

RTOFL! Thanks, Rui.

Technorati Tags: yahoo, ces2006, xmpp

Posted by Pedro Melo at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (view)

Well, after three weeks inside TextMate, I must say I'm hooked.

I knew it existed and it was cool and stuff, but until you read the TextMate manual, you don't know half of the power it packs. If you want to see if it is for you, I would recommend that you try and read through the fine manual.

Around our corner of the world, I count five converts already, and given that we had abused the local mac users group mailing list with TextMate stuff in the last couple of days, I went ahead and created a TextMate Portuguese User mailing list.

To subscribe to the mailing list, send an empty message to tm-subscribe@lists.simplicidade.org. You'll get a confirmation back that you must reply to.

Version 1.5 was announced yesterday, and although not mentioned anywhere I could find, it comes with an Input Manager that allows you to edit any text field (therefore including Safari text areas) from any Cocoa application in TextMate. I've been using this to edit my posts from inside ecto.

Some applications, even ecto, already had a feature like this, but this strategy makes it available on any application. Also, the update is instantaneous on each Save, and that gives me a sensation that my work is always safe in two different apps (Tip: set TextMate to Save your work when it looses focus, and it becomes even more magical).

To install it, use the command Install "Edit in TextMate..." available at Automation > Run Command > TextMate, and follow the instructions.

Technorati Tags: apple, ecto, safari, textmate

Posted by Pedro Melo at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (view)

Due to lack of time (wife, 1.5 kids and a dog, and some hobbies), Audible.com is almost my only source of books (apart from technical ones).

In the last month I listened to three books: Enders Shadow, The Fifth Elephant, and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

I listened to Enders Game one or two years ago, and The Speaker of the Dead last year, and I wanted to continue exploring that story a bit more. I found Enders Shadow a very good book. Although I felt Bean's capabilities stretched a bit in some places, the story is a nice complement to Enders Game, and if you liked that one, this will not disappoint you. Recommended.

I had already listened to The Fifth Elephant beginning of last year, but I felt like doing it again because I picked up another Pratchett book while staying with Pedro in November during LPW. I would love to see more Terry Pratchett books at Audible.com, but for now, this is the only one there.

But all is not lost. The UK Audible site has 35 Terry Pratchett books! So I'll be trying to figure out if I can move my account from the Audible US to the Audible UK site, or if I close the US account, will I lose my 100+ books and audio shows I already own from the US store.

The last one, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, I read it on carbon-based-medium last summer, both adult english and portuguese versions. It's by far my favorite book of the six. I was curious to see if the Audiobook was nicely done or a letdown, so I pre-ordered via iTMS. It was not available on Audible, only iTMS.

First things first: I wasn't able to play it on my 2G iPod, I would start on the first part, and it would skip until the last one, don't know why. I had to listen to it with the Shuffle I own, and listening to audiobooks with a Shuffle is not something I would recommend to anyone. If, for some bizarre reason, the Shuffle forgets where you left off (and it does, several times), you are stuck and have to fast forward patiently to the place where it left off. Not good. And yes, for more than one occasion, I was tempted to go out and buy a Nano or a iPod Video. Fortunately (for me) this is Portugal, there is a magical barrier worthy of the late Dumbledore that prevents Apple stuff to appear in the stores.

The reading was done by Stephen Fry, whom is also the narrator of other Audible.com books that I have (like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), and with its nice british accent, slow and clear voice, the book really comes to life, and I think that anybody who likes HP will not be disappointed with the result.

One of the things I liked the most was that he doesn't rush to the end of the book. The pace is very nice and slow, giving you time to create a mental picture of the environments and situations that arise. This is the most important part about audiobooks and the cabon-based counterparts: with the latter you can lift your eyes and imagine what you just read and savour it for a bit before moving on. With a audiobook, unless you actively pause the stream of words, you don't usually get much time to picture the scene. I sometimes have to go back in the recording to re-listen to some segment that I missed because my mind wandered someplace else. It takes a bit getting used to it.

I wont buy the other 5 books, also available on iTMS, because I already own them in various paper editions, and they are not my favorite. But if you like HP, I would recommend that you pick the one you like the most from iTMS and give it a try.

Next steps: try and change my Audible account to the UK store, I have 35 books waiting for me there. Also read a couple more from the Ender saga.

Technorati Tags: audible, ender, harrypotter, jkrowling, pratchett, discworld

Posted by Pedro Melo at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (view)

I've been following the CES 2006 in the news, specially AnandTech coverage.

From the latest article, I'll like to point out some things that I found interesting:

• the Motorola In-Ear Bluetooth Headset: this is interesting because the microphone listens to vibrations from you jaw, so it will muffle the noise around you;
• the Hitachi's OLED Tech Demo: notice the thinness of the display, amazing;
• and for me the most impressive demonstration Philips Rollable Display Demo: the first time I see something near what electronic paper should be like. I was dumb-struck by the fact that the display will retain the last image written to it for several months without needing any power...

Technorati Tags: ces2006

Posted by Pedro Melo at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (view)