The imminent

Posted on April 13, 2008 by Arthur

The CBC has an article about the prediction that Windows is about to ‘collapse’, because of Microsoft’s inaction towards the marked after the introduction of Windows Vista. Other industry experts say that Microsoft knows it’s Windows days are dwindling, which is why it’s pulling so hard at Yahoo so that it can refocus efforts to reclaim the territory lost on the Internet (services and advertisements, that is).

So, just earlier, I decided to go ahead with the installation of Ubuntu on one of the spare computers: I have my share of experience with Debian and Ubuntu (as a virtual machine, for example), so generally, I didn’t encounter problems I couldn’t fix: for example, every piece of hardware was detected correctly. Mind the following notes:

  • If you’re used to vi, you probably still want to install ‘vim’. The default vi version that comes with Gutsy sucks so hard that, well, if you thought vi already sucked… (so, yes, go ahead and apt-get install vim)
  • KeePass, the password manager that I use, is available too: apt-get install keepassx. I haven’t tested if it’s completely compatible with the Windows variant.
  • Skype is also available: you can download the Debian deb file from Skype.com itself and install it right from your favourite browser.
  • Maybe it’s just me, but I like my terminal session to be white letters on a black background and not the other way around.
  • You still have to go through hoops to get DVD to play, but then, this is basically because this is Linux: after all, on your Mac and Windows PC, someone has already paid for being allowed to play DVDs on those computers.

So, yes: if you have a spare computer in your house and you think you may want to give Linux a try, you can’t go wrong with Ubuntu “Gutsy Gibbon”.

Update 1: C|Net article about Microsoft Windows and Gartner analysis on the future of Windows.

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Words to watch for

Posted on April 10, 2008 by Arthur

TheA Synchrotron words (or rather terms) to watch for in the next coming years are:

  • Gravitational Lensing: I’ve mentioned this topic before, and trust me, it’s the most discussed topic in my neighbourhood. Better yet, every morning, I wake up to the tune of the Gravitational Lensing-nettes. On the serious side, gravity appears to be one of the most successful methods to detect exoplanets: Just recently, astronomers found the first ever mirror solar system using this technique.
  • Synchrotron: The first time I read about this machine was on April the first and that, sir, is no joke (Slashdot thread). Actually, I’ve been planning to build one of those things in my backyard (what backyard, muhahaha), but like all things “cirque scientifique”1, these things just take time to build. That being said: A synchrotron is literally a particle accelerator that (in the end) produces high-intensity X-rays. I mention this word here, because, just today, thanks to the synchrotron, we’ve finally found the very first snake with legs.

In any case, if you were thinking about starting a barbershop quartet or something, I hear that the name “The Synchrotronnettes” is still available. That is, if you can actually pronounce it flawlessly.

1 If I think of ‘cirque scientifique’, I keep thinking of this video, “Breaking Down Science”, brought to you by the Everett Dance Theatre.

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What definition?

Posted on April 6, 2008 by Arthur

Yesterday, while watching Dream Warriors’ “My Definition of a boombastic jazz style” video-clip, I was amazed about the visuals used in that video. The clip prominently features (besides a lot of colours and pantomime) the (artistic) use of a focal depth of field. I didn’t have to look too long to find the director’s name: Tarsem Singh. Apparently, he also directed R.E.M.’s “Losing my religion”, which features similar used techniques as the one made for the Dream Warriors. Like it or not, both video clips are amazing and compelling works.

I also found out that Tarsem Singh is the man behind the movie “The Fall” (2006), a movie which video trailer was just recently released and (I believe) the movie will probably be showing in a theatre near you really soon now. As expected, “The Fall” has all those features that made the previously mentioned videoclips stand out. Reviews are mixed: from good to bad.

Posted in The Chest Desire | Tagged , | 2 Comments

You asked: Windows+applications+laptop

Posted on March 30, 2008 by Arthur

Obviously, a lot of people prefer buying laptops nowadays and the question ‘Which+applications+install+laptop+windows’ pops up regularly in the Apache logs at this domain. I’m not providing links to the applications (or will use links sparingly, I guess). I assume you know how to use Google.

Internet

  • Email – Thunderbird (and RoundAbout): Thunderbird is the logical choice for your POP3 and IMAP addiction. RoundAbout I still use to read all my older archived mails and may (or may not) work for you. Disclaimer: I was a member of the RoundAbout developers team. (open-source)
  • Web – Firefox, Opera and Safari (in that order): Firefox 2 is currently my default browser. Opera and Safari I regularly use to check for errors in CSS.
  • SSH, SCP and FTP: There’s only one good SSH client and that is PuTTy. This is actually one of the first applications I install on new computers. And while you’re at it: you may just as well download WinSCP. I think Alfons introduced me to SCP, like in, a long time ago. Currently, I don’t use any FTP client except for the command-line ones that come with either your Windows (ftp) and Unix system. I’m quite comfortable with the command line, thank you very much.
  • Communciation: I’m not a big fan of messenging and online communication, but yes, I do install Skype on my computers.

Media

  • ISO/CD/DVD: I use ImgBurn extensively. If I’m not wrong, the program uses some open/sourced/infamous/legendary applications underneath the screens.
  • Video: Because most AVIs I have are encoded in Div-X format, I install the DivX encoder/player, grudgingly. I have an aversion for Windows Media Player and I generally use Media Player Classic.
  • Audio: Audacity for editing and converting audiofiles to MP3 or OGG formats. As a reminder, if you download Audacity, don’t forget to download the LAME encoder.
  • Graphics: The GIMP (which is open-sourced, as you may have already found out). There are a lot of people who are impressed with Paint.Net. I haven’t tried it, really. For conversion to different (graphic) formats, you may consider Irfanview (freeware). I also use Picasa for (simple) management of my JPG photos.

Tools

  • Development: This ranges from the C# Express edition to SharpDevelop. Also, WinCVS comes to mind. Yes, I know a lot of people shudder at the thought of WinCVS. I use HelioSQL.Net for my SQL stuff. If you need to test and install test databases, you may consider installing SQLite and Postgres. Also, NSIS. TinyHexer (Hex-editor).
  • Office: OpenOffice, hands down.
  • Password management: I use KeePass, which is a great application with an unfortunate name.

I guess, that’s most of it.

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A stump

Posted on March 30, 2008 by Arthur

Earlier, A Tree stumpI upgraded this blog to the latest WordPress version and found out that it’s not entirely bugless (that is, besides the validation problems of some portions of the generated output, as pointed out by Shelley). Some general notes follow:

The Media Library is indeed a welcome change: in previous WP versions, managing your files was a pain in the rear-end. However, the upload “dialog” (which is a JavaScript ‘modal’ screen) has ‘update/refresh/invalidate’ issues. Many times, the screen shows garbage1. File uploads don’t appear to be working on Opera, at all, showing cryptic errors like ‘Specified file failed upload test’. Before you upload any images, be aware that you may wish to change the default width/height for generating thumbnails, particularly the checkbox, obscurely named ‘Crop thumbnail to exact dimensions (normally thumbnails are proportional)’. [You want to uncheck this option if you don’t want ugly re-sized thumbnails].

The admin interface overhaul, purportedly done to make it easier to find your posts and settings, is still as unfriendly as it was before. For example, it makes no sense to save the ‘visual editor’ setting in a user’s profile (you should be able to set it in the general Writing settings and then allow users to override it in their own profile). The same is true for settings for some of the Media Library stuff: the option to use link ‘URL’ vs. ‘Page/Post’ for images and that, should definitely somewhere in the Writing section (You may notice that all my mp3 samples and images redirect to a page/post first). And while we’re at it, I can’t stand the ‘autosave’ of posts and of course, you can’t turn it off in the settings.

On the overall, the release feels ‘patchy’ and rough at the edges: from what it appears, the only good change that this release brings is an excellent media-manager. Things still look unorganized: for example, how come you (still) can’t tag images and pages? I have the impression that this will require a rewrite of the codebase. Meh.

1 That is, using Firefox 3. On FF2 things seem to go OK.

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Are you using?

Posted on March 29, 2008 by Arthur

It seems like ‘Are you using FF3?’ has become the most important Internet question today. The general response falls in between ‘IE7 rocks/FF SUXORS’ and ‘I’ve been using Firefox since beta 0.0.0.1’. If you know what I mean. Yes, I’m using one of the betas too, but now, lets return to the regular schedule for today.

I finally discovered what this programmer does nowadays, that is, after he left AOL. Why, he’s been working on REAPER, which is a DAW that literally kicks Sony’s Acid Pro out of the water. The evaluation version is fully working: a non-commercial license is 50 USD.

People who do photography know that the software that helps you develop those raw digital images into more pleasurable photos is quite expensive. On the Windows platform, I’ve resorted to UFRaw and The GIMP. UFRaw does an excellent job if you’re looking for an open-source photo development work-flow program: it comes with the usual glitches like options that are there but you can’t find at the first glance (like rotation and cropping). Obviously, since UFRaw is (both) a GIMP plugin and a stand-alone application, you can send images directly to GIMP.

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Djed

Posted on March 21, 2008 by Arthur

About ten The band Tortoiseyears ago, I discovered the band Tortoise by accident while looking for new records (or rather CDs) in the (I dare say) legendary Amsterdam music store Boudisque. For the Dutch speaking, the recordstore is prominently and frequently on display on the YouTube channel ‘OndergrondsTV’ (Underground TV), a channel dedicated to “sub-culture in Amsterdam”. Anyway, during that particular visit on that particular day of 1996, ‘Djed’ blared over the soundsystem and since then, it became part of my (then) extensive CD collection.

Before I wade into personal anecdotes: I uploaded a fragment of ‘Djed’ (in you know how many seconds+) for your listening pleasure. The original piece is exactly 20 minutes long and can be described as ‘experimental music’: the band’s website and its Wikipedia entry list their music as ‘Post-Rock Instrumental’, which is about correct too. The band itself has gone through several line-ups, but over time, their music has stayed pretty consistent. Let me say it this way: you can either sit through the band’s music or it cringes your toes. I see that someone uploaded a concert of them on Google Video, so, here’s your chance to sit through it, that is, for 30 minutes long. It will probably come to no surprise that their music was quite popular with mixers and DJs, as you can witness in this Djed video/remix (warning: noise ahead).

Yeah, so, one of the reasons to attend Roskilde Fest’96 was this band. To anyone I ran into during the pre-concert days, I proudly mentioned I was going to see this band, which generally was answered with ‘Who are they?’ or ‘What?’. In one case, a British punker thought I had called her a ‘turt-ass’. After explaining I was talking about the turtle-like animal, she quickly corrected my pronunciation (I obviously pronounced Tortoise the French way). The concert itself was held late at night (probably around 9 or 10 PM, on the second day of the Fest) and as expected, there was hardly anyone attending: which was good, because at least it allowed everybody, fans and accidental bystanders, to sit down on the grass and listen to music.

And maybe, that’s why I remember the band these days: after all, there was nothing remarkable about the band’s performance itself, except for that they were playing good music, and most importantly, I guess, it was music you had to sit through.

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The language

Posted on March 21, 2008 by Arthur

I watch Are you experiencedsome (video)clips online at the regular websites (Crooks and Liars and Onegoodmove, as you may have already known), most of time just to view the best parts of ‘The Colbert Report’ and ‘Jon Stewart’s Daily Show’.

Obviously, both shows have gained a lot of popularity in the last couple of years, which is proof of the talents of both show’s hosts. What I find interesting is that both shows target all sides of politics, not just left or just right: the last 8 years their focus was reporting on the current Republican administration’s failures and I have no doubt that they’ll continue the same thing when the Democratic party takes over power. I think the best part of both shows is that they’ve raised the standards of good comedy writing. Take for example this quote from a ‘The word’ segment from The Colbert Report, where Stephen Colbert takes Republican presidential candidate McCain to the task about his comments about decisions in the past and living in the future (OneGoodMove video):

We are where we are. This is where McCain says where we can question him. We can only question him in the pastless and futureless present. This infinitesimal slice of existence, the zero-dimensional theoretical plot point of the now, where eternity intersects time. And if that’s what he’s saying, the question is not, senator, how did you vote or, senator, when will we withdraw, but senator McCain, are you high?

Who wrote this brilliant monologue?

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Temporal timelines

Posted on March 21, 2008 by Arthur

Some off the record remarks:

  • There’s an obvious correlation between the price of gas, the amounts of snow and distance from sea. There’s a special place in hell (or heaven, depending on your particular religous beliefs) for people who discover that correlation too, I believe.
  • I have heard the remarks about the upcoming WordPress 2.5 release, and I’m proud to announce that AHCommentCentral is compatible. But then, that’s what you may have already figured out too.
  • Via Kottke, I found this absolutely hilarious ‘International Association of Time Travelers: Members’ Forum Subforum: Europe – Twentieth Century – Second World War’, written by Desmond Warzel. I’m going to make a bold prediction here: in the next 10 years, writing IRC-style is going to be extremely fashionable. I can’t wait for the first Martin Amis book in this style.
  • Talking about early and upcoming releases, Reuters reports that Firefox 3’s release is imminent. Uh:
    “Mozilla is in a battle with Microsoft, which unveiled an experimental version of its Internet Explorer 8 in Las Vegas earlier this month and is looking to expand its presence on the Web through its bid to acquire Yahoo Inc.”
    Oh. OK. I see, that’s all the Tech news condensed in one paragraph.
  • And yes, a boomerang returns all the time, even in space.
Posted in Hyperlinks | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Chances?

Posted on March 6, 2008 by Arthur

CBC had their documentary ‘Winning for a Living’ on tonight, which featured people who are obsessed with filling out contest ballots. The Internet, of course, has been the Great Leap Forward for these kind of contests. Ironically, most contestors use regular mathematical skills to ensure their win:

Mike Smith of Toronto has been contesting for over 30 years, winning an estimated $250,000 in free stuff, including seven TVs! He spent all of one weekend filling out 2,000 ballots in hopes of winning TV #8

In a way, I guess, you also need to have a talent to read the fine print before you start stuffing 2000 ballots with your name in a ballet box. I need to mention that I rarely commit myself to enter contests or even lotteries: if you do the math, you’ll find out the chances to win are generally too small. I did have a couple of wins in my lifetime, most notably, a Playmobil pirateship, which I (looking at the circumstances and my young age) obviously didn’t deserve to win because, well: that’s probably a separate story for another day.

As mentioned, I made a couple of recordings of the Yo La Tengo show last Sunday. The complete setlist can be found at Blog.WMFU. I missed a couple of sets: Set 3 didn’t work out because my stream connection was more or less flaky causing Audacity to flunk out a couple of times. One of the sets was interrupted because the WMFU crew had to restart one of the servers which, from what I gather, was to make room for more online music listeners.

Snipping through the Audacity audio recordings, I noticed that the recorded setlists (unsurprisingly) take up quite some space. Audacity stores project files in AU format (see history).

You may have noticed that Microsoft released their first IE8 Beta, which has caused quite a stir (or acclaim) among standards proponents, web designers and developers (I briefly touched on this before). I highly doubt that IE8 will beat out Firefox, Opera or Safari (Or Konqueror) if you look at it from the standards perspective.

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A disturbance in the force

Posted on March 2, 2008 by Arthur

Via Metafilter (thread), I found out that Yo La Tengo’s “Murdering The Classics” session is happening today. WMFU will have a livestream, starting at 5PM EST (pls/MP3). If you need a different output stream, the WMFU blog has other types of formats, including RealAudio and Windows Media [Note: below a sample of the session].

Slashdot (and other news sites) reported that the American Institute of Physics released a study that shows that other spacecraft have experienced velocity anomalies, much like the ones detected by the Pioneer 10. The comments over at Slashdot are hilarious:

I’m sorry officer; I was experiencing a velocity anomaly.

That’s too bad, son, I’m still writing you a ticket. From now on keep it under 299,792,458 meters per second. The law is the law!

I’m not sure why I would bring it up here but the big news yesterday was about that Belgian lady who wrote up a book about her experiences during the Second World War: the book was even made into a movie. It was all fake (she isn’t even Jewish) and she explains her motives:

“This story is mine. It is not actually reality, but my reality, my way of surviving”

Wikipedia has a good background story about the hoax, which includes several references to the original publisher Jane Daniel (blog), who apparently suspected her story to be a fake.

Update 1: Good stuff: though, Georgia Hubley of Yo La Tengo is apparently missing today. I’ll try to get a small sample up tonight.

Update 2: It looks like the 128 KBS streams are ‘full’. I was kicked out a couple of times but was able to connect back within seconds.

Update 3: And as promised a soundbite from the session “Yo La Tengo is murdering the classics” – Jefferson Airplane’s ‘White Rabbit’ (30+ second sample).

Update 4: WMFU has more: a video of YLT’s (hilarious) ‘The Passenger’, which indeed ended up with lyrics about Jack Nicholson.

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Around the news

Posted on March 1, 2008 by Arthur

According Hey, I like Int64s!to the Dutch online news site Nu.NL, Flemish kids (as in “Dutch-speaking Belgians”1) are the worst bullies in Europe (Dutch language-alert). The original article (at the Belgian paper ‘De Morgen’) quotes a survey done by the British Council. Unfortunately, I’m unable to find the actual (English) survey on that site, so you have to believe my amazing Dutch translation skills:

Fifty-five percent of (Flemish) teenagers between the age of 12 and 18, say that physical appearance, like height, weight and clothing are the main reasons for bullying other kids.

Via the BBC, I read that a research suggests that vitamin E can increase the risk of lung cancer: unsurprisingly, the results of the research suggest that the risk increases with smoking (original article).

If you’ve followed the (technology) news the last couple of days, you’ve probably read that Microsoft unveiled Windows Server 2008, which now comes with a minimalist installation (Windows Core Server) for admins who wish to assign specific roles to their Windows server: no GUI, just the plain command-line [Slashdot thread]. There’s also an interesting article at (Microsoft infamous Open source portal) Port 25, titled ‘How Open Source has influenced Windows Server 2008’. More XML settings files, more modularization and well, more Unix-like stuff. Personally, I can’t wait for Microsoft to adopt and embrace the best-ever editor, vi (or rather Vim).

1 The term “Dutch-speaking Belgians” refers to an extraterrestrial race called the ‘Flemish’ who in and or around 1800 landed close to the city borders of Brussels and started their own country which we now know as ‘Belgium’.

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I didn’t but then I did

Posted on February 27, 2008 by Arthur

I remember a time, a pre-internet time, when chain-letters were the rage: I’m not sure what attracted people to send these ones out to others, classmates and relatives. I always thought it was an innocent concept, that is until those letters came out that urged you to continue the chain because otherwise bad luck would become part of your life and afterlife. These ones, of course, ended up in the garbage bin, just like those Internet forwards-forwards in my e-mail box end up in the trash (or spam) folder.

This also reminds me of ‘poesie albums’, a popular Dutch thing where a girl invites other people (preferably from the other gender) to write something nice (a poem, lyric or whatever) in a fancy-looking notebook (a scrap book, so you will). I never understood the significance, but nowadays, with the popularity of E-Bay, maybe people might be able to make money of whatever you wrote when you were just a kid. Look Mom, I’m really famous now.

Alan tagged me for a meme and guess what, I’ll write my stuff but won’t pass the meme to others therefore, risking a total ban from the Internet, if not worse. The Meme? Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.

  • In the final game of a chess competition, I gave up a winning game just so that I could get the train back home (I had a 5-game winning streak or something).
  • I can eat my sandwiches without margarine or butter.
  • I used to drink 5 to 6 cups of coffee a day.
  • Libraries have always fascinated me.
  • I cut my spaghetti.
  • I hardly watch TV and if I watch TV, the first channel that pops up is CNN.
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