guh guh guh GEEK!

I've been running an extreme beta of Google's Chromium OS on my Acer Aspire One [aao] for the last day or two, and I have to say apart from a few niggles it's actually pretty decent...

You see, I bought this netbook for 3 reasons: web stuff while sat on the sofa, light tinkering with USB connected things (arduino, beagle, etc) and light media stuff...It's been great at all of these things, except the arduino thing since the upgrade to Ubuntu Karmic (of course, I have workarounds)...but...The main thing I use it for is web stuff...for this, Chromium seems ideal!

Booting off a 4Gb USB drive takes about 10 seconds, time to desktop is about 3 more...The Atheros wifi worked OOB (Broadcom doesn't apparently), it's uber simple (a chromium start page and time/date, network manager, power indicator and options icons up top)...annoyingly it's set my keyboard layout to US, has Hulu & Pandora (only work in US) on the home page and no way to customise that page...but I've not really gone under-the-hood yet....that's what I'm about to do....

Anyway. The current plan is to partition the SSD into 2 4gigish partitions, stick this on one and rethink my linux install on the other....hmmm.

Oh yea, didn't get killed by piglung....all is cool...

[EDIT] Oh yeah...HIBERNATE WORKED OOB!!! This is a new one on me!

Legacy

Just did that Freeskilling thing about FOSS/Linux. It went very well...

...but...

...the 1st thing (apart from "Hello") said to me was "I saw you in purple spandex and green y-fronts the other week...dancing like a loon".

This may be my legacy.

A What Goes Here?

I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself this evening (yeh...boo-fuckin-hoo; what have I got to worry about comparatively?!) and after I whinged about hip pain on twitter (sue me) I got spammed with a billion adverts for girdles...I won't whinge more here...

Perhaps Newsnight on Beeb1 & testing out Moblin (looking good for the acer (as i use it)) will help.

Ooooh, it's about thieving cunts.

Sorted.

SNAFU

From BoingBoing:

"Windows 7 allows application developers to write DRM that bypasses your firewall, refuses to let you modify or disable DLLs, and to block you from mixing your audio inputs (to prevent you from recapturing DRM'ed music, presumably)."

I came this close . to recommending it to someone the other day...should've known it'd actually be a skanked-up pile of shit.

More...

Source...

Also, if anyone has any tips on getting a cracked version of Spore to run under Wine (other than here, which seems my best bet so far)...let me know.

The Mind...

...goggles!


Also, I'm seriously considering getting one of these and building my own "laptop"...hey, I've done geekier things in the past!

Yay Coke!...Wait....WTF?!

Seen in the work canteen....they should add a strapline: "May not work with Broadcom Wifi chipsets" :)

No, I didn't buy one....a quid for a coke?

Fuck that!

OK. Gutsy does not "just work" especially with Broadcom Wifi chipsets. This is annoying, but easily fixable (from experience) , and is only a minor gripe with the "bonobo" machine that is easily made up by the general orson-ness of Ubuntu 7.1, still'n'all nothing's perfect and I'm sure I'll document my grievances here or elsewhere. And besides, I have previously had to use a floppy-drive to load SATA drivers during a Windows install....floppy-drive?! It was only a few years ago and I think it was the last time I used one!!

I'm even thinking of adding the Mac to the Ubuntu loop (either VM or multi-boot)....just need some re-assurance on the wifi front.

Debian (Etch) tried....but failed to win me over. Vista didn't get a look in....Leopard? Meh, I have Tiger and it's, well, OK but now I've played I realise I am in fact limited on the hardware front. Yes this problem exists with Linux. Yes, Mac OS X is (essentially) *nix. But my big ol' box running XP is OK but annoyingly crufty, under Feisty it's pretty good, but with a slightly tweaked Gibbon (way less tweaking than was needed with Feisty) it's pretty much all I want (and for free).

There was about to be a very cute picture of Flo and some fatherly type stuff about now, but I am being failed by Mobile Bill Gates and I must vicariously fulfill my desires for quiz shows.

PS. Never confuse a merkin with a jerkin or your toddler could embarrass you

You are a geek when...

...you *could* go out to play on a Friday night but...

• You have decided to rename all the machines on your network after hominoids. You do not know this word, but...you can phone someone and describe what you mean rather than GTMF! [ cheers bruv*!...sorry I called all apes monkeys ;) ]
• You now have "bonobo" (laptop, about to get Gutsy), a server running same but server version (having previously been a feisty "fatbox") called "gibbon" a mac called "chimp", a tiny Gumstix machine called "utan" (because it will fucking crush you with orson tiny) and an as yet still bricked Neo1973 (just time constraints, nearly there!) which I will rename "siamang" as soon as I can...how fucking cool are they! The arboreal thing appealed to the mobile thing (yes I know) and the "throat pouch that can be inflated to the size of its head" swung it!
• Keyboard shortcuts beat mice (except for drawing "freehand" natch)
• You are writing a How-To called "Restoring Neo1973 GTA01v4 From Scratch with a Debug Board using JTAG on your Ubuntu/Debian system" (subtitle...."trust me and see!")
• You're thinking of upgrading to a gas soldering iron
• Because you want to make a new taser and mod the Buddha Machine
• There are robots to be made for Christmas
  
• You understood any of that.
  

On the other hand it's fucking freezing, I have a cold, I really want my bed and I have (oh noez!!) a ready-meal pizza in the freezer I could eat...
*He's gonna be a doctor don't you know!

Where will it end....

....no idea...but it starts here....

I Dood It!

As the Flopsy One would say.

I bit the bullet (as Chidsy would say).

You twat (as Buck would reply).

You GEEK! (everybody else has said).

I bought one....oh yes I have. Strictly speaking, it's pre-ordered due to slightly more orders than they thought...But, I've entered sooperseekrit numbers, confirmed the deets and am afearing Customs Charges and delays due to too many other idiots.

The exchange rate is good right now though and let's face it, after all this time I should have a phone that I can hack the fuck out of!

I might fork-off (ooer) a blog with stuff on this, depends how good my skillz turn out to be...or whether I just bought an expensive "talking-point" paperweight (i.e. brick), and I just sheep along with people actually doing worthy things with it. Or shlep...I'm not sure.

I have plans though: Google's a target...all those lovely open API. Synch'd, editable documents publishable to the web Sir?....thanks! Google Maps overlays using the AGPS? Nice.

Lordy, there's a lot of core broken things in there which I am in no way qualified to submit even a comment on the code, but I do so love the prospect of writing something *I* (at least) find useful....

Think I need to look at Python too!

The Tubez Are My Biotch!

This post is mainly dedicated to Rosie, apropos of a chiding I ranted the other day. I'll try not to geek out too bad:

So. Essentially it's a tips & tricks guide. Little things I've learned...some of it will work on most platforms, some of it will be limited to Mac, some to Linux. Most of it is based around doing "internet stuff"...I'm trying to link loads of stuff - so if you follow my advice....use the "open in new tab" option with Firefox ;)

• Use Firefox
• Except on Mac...Camino is better
  
• It's insanely customisable and has some extremely useful plugins/features, of which more later....
• I have my RSS reader (see below) as my homepage
  
• I only have a couple of bookmarks stored and they're stored with keywords ("work" takes me to work Exchange webmail, "blog" takes me straight to a new blog post...you get the idea).
• Use Linux
  
• I use Ubuntu...hey, I want the easy life dammit!
  
• It! Just! Makes! Sense!...but you will need to know a little more than just "click icon"...that said, something like Ubuntu (of any flavour) or if all else fails Knoppix will easily suit most.
• I should point out that I'm working on a separate "how and why my home network is cooler than yours" post, so for all/many/some of my customisations for Ubuntu Linux and OS X you'll just have to wait sorry.
  
• Firefox Extensions and Add-ons
• AdBlock Plus
• Greasemonkey
• Lifehacker BetterGMail
• ChatZilla
• Google Toolbar
• Use RSS
• OK, you can accuse me of being a Googlewhore now...I use Google Reader as well as GMail
• I have something like 100 subscribed feeds...what can I say? A bonus feature is that by looking at the "trends" option I can soon see what needs trimming or which feeds need to better organised by folders etc.
  
• I really, really appreciate shortcut keys here; much easier to navigate and less "growling" from my mouse wheel as I scroll past the dross. My RSI and Dupuytrens is thanking me on a daily basis.
  
• I'll probably post some select sites here soon, but if you use the "Read More..." link on my Dump Bucket over there on the right you'll probably get a good idea of what sites I think are worth sharing with people
  
• Use GMail
• I'm even beginning to bore myself with the googledom now. So? I can't help it if they are actually doing some cool stuff.
  
• Use Keyboard Shortcuts
• Reader
• GMail
• Firefox
• Mac
  
• Windows XP

That's your lot for now, I'm all geeked out...and if anyone's seen the power cable for my laptop I'd be grateful if they can tell me where the fuck I put it!

Fuck You Bill Gates!

OK. Granted...I'm sure he's not personally to blame, but Windows sure does suck as an OS.

Oooh la-de-da hark at the Linux/Mac fanboy larfing it up with his geeky "I know all about computers me" attitude and many, many nights weeping over obscure configuration files and not even able to play 'proper' games like Far Cry and WoW!!

Well, fuck you too!

I have to use Windows for work (though I'm planning a workaround of sorts....more on this later maybe). It pains me dearly to know that I'm struggling to get my supposedly OK-spec, supposedly 900-notes-plus laptop to do something mundane like move an email from one folder to another while at the same time (on another monitor) displaying a couple of webpages, a document or two and a project timeline...much of this is probably down to the shiteness of MobilePhoneOperatorInsertedHere's ability to manage its own IT systems...but the blame lies equally in the laps (heaven forfend) of Teh Windoze D00dz!

My 'half-the-spec' 300 quid laptop running Ubuntu Feisty is shitting on it! Right on it!!!

People ask me what I do. I've stopped explaining, but when they learn that it involves 'computers' I inevitably get asked about Viruses and Trojans and BSOD...I have to admit that I don't know why, now, these things are causing gip. A few years ago yeah; I'd've (heh, apostrophe nightmare!) maybe known or been able to bungle through....Probably. I would have seen the advisory, or had the issue and found a fix....Nowadays?...Don't even get me started on the: "so, I have this 18 month contract...", "what's the best phone right now?"...or better yet: "Can you get me a phone for free?" questions.

I do (but have no need real need to) run a firewall. I do have (but have no real need for) advert & script blocking plugins. I run (to no real purpose) virus/trojan checkers...what's wasting your resources?

Oh yes, the point!

The point of this post is that:

- Using a Beta of Ubuntu Feisty I've migrated 2 people from Windows 2000/XP, with all their settings (wallpaper, My Documents, IM and email settings, bookmarks etc...) intact. TMWNN (the man with no name...he chose the nick) says 'Fuck that paying shit. This is mad!'
- I spent 12 hours upgrading 4 PCs while downloading new Heroes episodes and ripping such exciting DVDs as Andromeda Strain and Chorlton & The Wheelies...
- And burnt a CD about Tigers (or Tie-gull in lilspeak)
- Am now sitting on the sofa with wireless working on my cheapo laptop which is way more than my work laptop could do. Ever.
- Did I mention the restricted driver and codec detection?
- NTFS support I added a few days too late to get the (apparently) classic "Joo wanna muffin?" clip from a disk off T'Ex...

FTP and then Rosie are my next targets...Then M&D....Then Dunkle Doe...then...the world!!!

Eggs Perry Mental

Right. I'm knackered, a bit fed-up of feeling guilty (for no reason) for not posting quite as often or in quite the same rantageous (yes it is a word...if I say so) way as I have in the past. I blame Missman (joke). Actually, because I told Missman of the site I suddenly thought I'd better re-read some of my older posts to see if I came across as some kind of mentalist. What I mean is, a different type of mental from my mental....ya get me?

Also, Ricola better phone me soon or they're in trouble!

By the way, I don't want an iPhone (which you may have inferred from the last post), but that interface does look awesome. If I'm a fanboy at all, I'm a Mac OS X fanboy and possibly not even that as I'd rather it was all free...I'm still running a Debian machine as a server and using the Daptop regularly now I sorted out some of the wireless issues. Somehow though, my Mac Mini has become my machine of choice rather than just the media machine I'd intended.

I'll also admit to heaving several huge sighs of relief at work today; just before I went on Yuletime holiday I realised I might have 'over sold' something to Belgium and that I'd possibly fucked Belgium (ugh!) and thus probably a very, very expensive project right up. I couldn't do anything about it other than worry (not that I do that much) about it a bit over the last few weeks. Anyway, long story short we finally caught up on the matter today and it turns out I'd just twisted it round in my head (and so had one of the Belgo's which was why I was worrying) because their techie guy is definitely on the ball and had also noticed my cunning 'call per service' (too long a story) plan...it just wasn't flow-charted correctly. Also, Maggie is back which is really good and I'll be working with her now.

The paragraph above has been written suspecting that Teh Bo55 still has this thing RSS'd or bookmarked. But it's true...and cannot be submitted as evidence for my next Performance Review ;-)

Flo has some seriously sore nappy-area issues, but is happy enough despite being a bit pasty and under-the-weather-looking. She ate loads of Fishcake, Rice, Brocolli and Sweetcorn and was sooo tired she wanted her bed at 6:30 right after her bath (lots of shouting and splashing...and bubbles)...let's hope she sleeps through as I've another killer 2 days at work coming up followed by (hopefully) some debauchery and then a full Saturday...Flo's staying a bit later than usual on Sunday.

O.O

Seems I can rant when I have it in me...except now I'm definitely going to bed before 9!

You thought I'd forgotten....haha!