4 Uses For My G1 Android Phone I hadn’t Planned On
So, I took the plunge and got a T-Mobile GI phone with Googles Android operating system. I really like it – I am a big Google tools user, so it integrates well with what I am already doing day-to-day. I expected PDA functionality and the maps seems cool, but I hadn’t planned on some of the strange and wonderful little uses developers have found for it.
1. Bubble Level
I actually had a change to use this nifty little app while hanging a whiteboard in my office. The level automatically switches orientation with the phone, even becoming a bull’s eye level when you lay the phone flat. The app can even be calibrated against a “real” level (maybe I should have done that before hanging the whiteboard?)
2. Flash Light
I have used my previous cellphone for a light numerous times, but this is way cooler. This app provides a ful range of colors ( a red light is handy when you don’t want to be your night vision to be effected ) and a range of strobe effects.
3. Compass
With GPS and Google Maps are your finger tips, a compass seem passé, but it has actually come in handy a couple time – once to find the north wall on a building and once to take a better guess at where sunset would happen that day.
4. Tune a Guitar 
This was the first app where I had a need, my son’s guitar tuner was missing, and I figured figured my G1 might be capable doing the job so someone must have written it. Sure enough, a few moments at the Android Market and this gem was downloading.
It did it’s job for my son’s guitar, than doubled as the judge for a game of “How Off Key Can Dad Sing?”
StumbleUpon Alternatives for Your Firefox Bookmarks Toolbar
If your a StumbleUpon addict like myself, chances are, you have gotten “You have seen all your topic here pages. Explore others…” as a result of pecking at the “Stumble!” button like a demented, tic-tac-toe playing chicken.
While reviewing more sites can add a little spark back into your stumbles, it’s a bit of a “cart and horse” problem if the main way you find interesting sites is through StumbleUpon. It seems some alternatives are in order. If you are using Firefox, drag any of the following links to your Bookmarks Toolbar:
- Random Wikipedia – Wikipedia provides a special link that will pick an interesting article for you to read – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
- Random Del.icio.us – Del.icio.us provides a link redirecting you to one of it’s more recently added links.
- Random Google – If you have Google Web History turned on, this link, http://www.google.com/searchhistory/items?op=rec_rd&cd=ifb&hl=en, will take you to a random link related to your previous surfing history. Google provides the same functionality through recent version of their Google Toolbar.
There are also StumbleUpon-like services out there, like SpinSnap and Youlicit, but I like keeping the above links around for a quick, random-link fix.
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Dugg up – When old blog posts come back from the Dead
I am on the tail end of the effects of appearing on the front page of Digg. I hadn’t posted in a while (major new job, new church building, new home group, etc., etc.) so I was a bit off guard when I got an email from my shared hosting company, saying they had disabled my front page due to excessive CPU usage (load average of 70, mostly my fault).
Like a good programmer, my first thought was “What has changed?” quickly followed by the recollection that Wordpress 2.6.3 had released a few days ago and I updated it last night.
I would now like to take a moment to ask for forgiveness from the anonymous Wordpress developers who’s names I took in vain and accused of being far less talented than they actually are. I am deeply sorry and it won’t happen again. I hope…
It wasn’t until I got WP-Super-Cache installed and the site back up, that I took time to look at the stats. Over 8000 hit in a few hours and rising quickly!
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Posted in Learning, linux Leave a comment
Frankendesktop – Ubuntu 9.10 and Windows XP SP3 via VirtualBox
As a web developer, I have to bow to the reality that some folks really do use Internet Explorer and need to test my sites using several versions. While I have used IE4Linux in the past to test IE 5.5 and 6.0, and even IE4Linux beta version with IE7 support, the release of IE8 has forced me to try something different.
VirtualBox, in this case, VirtualBox OSE ( Open Source Edition ) 3.0.8. Using a legit copy of XP ( No pirates here – Arrrrr, me Matey! ) I created a small virtual disk, installed and updated Windows to current patch level including IE8, then downloaded IECollection to add stand-alone installs of IE6 and IE7. Out of curiosity, I clicked the “Seemless Mode” menu option and ended up with this monstrosity.
I am beginning to understand why people protest against GMOs – this just ain’t natural!
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