Memoirs of a Roadie

Neon Knights

Posted on 5th March 2008

Following on from my previous post, I had two conversations recently where we got onto subjects relating to the demise of technophobia. In one instance I was discussing protection against viruses and malware, while the other was to do with just generally understanding how computers work and using them to your advantage. In both cases, I considered how DanDan (and Ethne to a degree) had reacted to getting his own laptop for Christmas. In 10 (maybe more) years time he will be looking for a job. By then if you don't have a decent level of computer understanding, you are going to find it very difficult to get a job, as computers and technology are becoming ever more prevalent in just about every industry, even where you might not think it.

Children growing up today, certainly in the UK, are being exposed to computer technology in most (if not all) primary schools. With desktop and laptop computers getting cheaper, more are getting them to help them with their homework, to play games or to send messages to friends and family. Those that do have a slightly more technically inquisitive nature are likely to want to do more and either write software to do cool stuff, or figure out how to get the machine to work even better. It's how I got started, although not until I was 15.

In 10 years or less the way we see the world, particularly through the eyes of our children, is going to be very different than it is today. My dad has no trouble working his way around a circuit board, and worked for Lyons computers (later ICL), on their LEO III among other things, whereas I have only basic knowledge of hardware. I have a good grasp of software design (and hopefully user interface design), and have been very fortunate to work on some very worthwhile projects, whereas my dad has no knowledge of any programming language. I wonder what DanDan and Ethne will be able to do in 20-30 years time, and what they will be able to do far better at than me? I'm quite looking forward to seeing them flourish, as I have been with some of my current colleagues, who often leaving me wishing I had their vision at the command line.

The world is changing, and I, for one, welcome our new 7 year old future overlords ;)

Cry Wolf

Posted on 28th February 2008

In a recent BBC news article, Microsoft set to open up software, it is reported that Microsoft plan to release the technology to some of their software in order to provide better interoperability with other rival products. It also states that they promise "not to sue open source developers for making that software available for non-commercial use."

Now some may be extremely dubious, as that just doesn't seem to fit Microsoft's business model. There has to be something unusual here for them to feel they can release something to the world for free. It wouldn't surprise me if they released their back catalogue of software that is now 10 years+ out of date. As this software is now end of life, it does make sense to release restrictions on the old file formats, so that those who have to support Win95 and Win98 machines have a chance of getting some support from the Open Source community. It benefits Microsoft in that they will likely still require credit for any software that uses their file formats, but also allows them to virtually forget about support for older formats in their newer products.

If the second statement holds true, then it will hopefully mean less of the table thumbing and general smoke clouds of threats, which never amounted to anything anyway. It might also mean older Microsoft products might get their own special Open Source security release with all the holes repaired ;)

I'll be intrigued to hear what software/technology they are releasing, but I suspect that there will be an overwhelming wave of derision from some of the more out-spoken Open Source protagonists. Pity really, as to my mind, it may well add value to the many Open Source projects. Open Source is no longer a hobby. Serious investment is made by the likes of Sun, Red Hat, Novell and many others. The future for Linux as a reliable alternative desktop is getting better and better. No doubt there will still be plenty of FUD about, but consumers are becoming more and more educated about the choices they have available to them, and Microsoft is slowly waking up to the fact that they can use the Open Source community to their advantage, and still keep their name on every desktop, just not necessarily in one of their own product releases.

Sing Blue Silver

Posted on 25th February 2008

The battle is over. For some time now there has been a competition, reminiscent of the VHS/Betamax video format war, in the high definition market for video disk encodings, between Blu-ray pioneered by Sony (pun intended) and HD DVD championed by Toshiba. As of last week, "Toshiba drops out of HD DVD war". As a consequence the HD DVD players and recorders, as well as the HD DVD disks themselves are to disappear from our shelves. I have no preference for a particular high definition format, but I am glad that an early decision has been made. Perhaps not early enough for some, but I suspect the vast majority now discovering the improved formats, will be able to buy players and disks with more security that they are going to be able to play them on equipment in the future.

I remember the war back in the 70s and 80s with the VHS and Betamax formats for videos cassette formats, and although the Betamax format was widely regarded as the better format, Philips domineered the market so much, that regular consumers were hardly given the choice between the two. In this current change of heart, it appears that Toshiba have re-evaluated their format, and with the majority film studios electing to use the Blu-ray format, have admitted it was going to be a difficult race to win. They've gracefully conceded, and allowed consumers to win.

I've only recently bought a HD Ready TV, and thankfully it has all the proposed format connection sockets. I hadn't quite got so far as thinking about the player/recorder to go with it, but now I don't have to worry about making the wrong choice ... at least not with the format.

Maps And Legends

Posted on 18th January 2008

On the Birmingham LUG mailing list recently there was an announcement about the Birmingham Mapping Party, which is being organised by some of the guys at OpenStreetMap. Previously Alex has been over to Birmingham.pm to gives up a bit of background about GPS and mapping, and seeing as round where I live there is a distinct lack of mapping data, I thought it might be a good idea to find out how to get involved.

First off was to check whether I had the right requipment. I have a Nokia N95, and although it has GPS, I had no idea whether it could record data and allow me to upload to OpenStreetMap. Reading the notes, the N95 does indeed have the capability to record the mapping data, however it needs an additional (free) app to do it. I headed off to the Nokia Research Labs website and read up on Sportstracker, an app that allows joggers, etc to monitor their progress. As a by-product it also records the route you take in the GPX format, which can then be uploaded to OpenStreetMap. Using my local Wifi network, I logged onto the website and installed the software directly onto the phone. Having only had a quick look at the app, it does look quite cool.

So now I'm ready to record. However, I've previously mentioned to JJ about the GPS connection taking ages to triangulate my position when I switched on the GPS, and he mentioned A-GPS, which is also mentioned on the Nokia website, so I figured I ought to try and upgrade that too. Another download of the latest Software Updater, this time to the PC, and I'm ready to update. When I first tried a month ago, I had problems connecting to the Nokia website, this time around it connect without a problem. It also detected the phone and detected correctly that it has the 11.0.026 version of the firmware. The lastest version listed on the website is 20.0.015, and for A-GPS support version 12.0.013 or newer is required, so I was expecting a download and upgrade. Unfortunately, it would seem the Software Updater doesn't agree, as it is claiming that the firmware is up to date with the latest version 11.0.026. This is a bit annoying and have yet to find any way to update the phone to the latest firmware. I've now email Nokia customer support to see whether they can shed any light.

JJ did mention previously that I could go into any Vodafone shop and they would upgrade for me, but I doubt they would do anything that different from what I've tried, unless they complete wipe the OS and reinstall with the latest version. Just in case I do have to take this back to the shop, I've also downloaded the Nseries PC Suite to backup my data. I don't have too much on there, but the phonebook and messages I would rather keep, but then I should back them up every so often anyway.

Although I've had the phone for several months, this is the first time I've actually looked at it from a lower level. I'm starting to look at other possible applications, such as using as a laptop input controller, and really get the most out of the phone. Seeing as it has all these gadgets installed, it would be a shame not to use them ;)

Incidentally, I'm not planning to be at the Mapping Party, but I do hope to contribute to the mapping effort once I've figured out how to use SportsTracker. And maybe I'll be able to do a bit of Gloucestershire too seeing as I work there.

Look Through Any Window

Posted on 11th January 2008

A friend recently pointed me at "Head Tracking for Desktop VR Displays using the WiiRemote", a video on YouTube. While the current headset might not be to everyones taste, the software and the idea is fantastic. It shouldn't be difficult to imagine all sorts of real world uses, never mind gaming fun. It really impresses me how some people can look at something from a completely different angle and do something which the creator never intended or expected.

And just in case you think this might be a one-off, Johnny Chung Lee has several project ideas, and a few more for the wii too. I expect Mr Lee will make quite an impact at Ninendo when they recruit him, and if they don't I'm sure there will be plenty of hi-tech companies that will be delighted to have him on their research staff.