Using the Java Media Framework is an easy way to build java applications that can record, edit, and play videos, but the number of video codec's that it supports is limited. Unless you want to go with a quicktime format, MPEG1 is a good choice (although the files can be a bit large) for portability. When starting with digital video, you can use ffmpeg to convert and encode the video as follows: Continue reading
I received a brand new Motorola RAZR V3xx Phone that is branded by Cingular, and they have set the J2ME (JVM) environment so that 3rd party j2me/java applications (such as Google Maps) are not trusted to use the network. Unfortunately, this means that every time I move Google Maps it pop's up a dialog asking me if I want to let it use the network. This completely ruins the user experience.
One nice thing about the LG CU500 Phone is that BitPim (an application that works on Linux as well as windows) will allow you to edit it's file-system easily. This makes it relatively easy to modify some of the bad things that Cingular has done to the phone.
By default, Cingular locks the phone down so that unsigned Java Apps are forced to ask for Internet access on every single URL they load. Needless to say, this is very annoying when using a network based application such as Google maps.
I am finishing up a Ph.D. in Computer Science, and have been involved in student panels at PhD student recruiting many times. In a lot of cases, the incoming recruits are straight out of undergrad and don't even know the "right" questions to ask about a PhD program/school when evaluating where they want to go. To help people who are evaluating a CS PhD program I have developed a list of the questions that you should be asking. Many of the questions are not specific to CS, and can be useful to ask at any PhD program recruiting event. Continue reading
How to place a Motorola HS 850 bluetooth headset into paring mode:
The headset is now in pairing mode, and you can search for it using your phone. When it asks for a PIN, use 0000.
While transcribing, I wanted to use a Sony FS-85 foot control unit to pause and rewind the audio while I typed.
When plugged into linux it appears as a keyboard and gives various key-press codes when you hit the left or right petal. (The right side gives F10 when you press down, F11 when you release, etc). I was able to make this control Mplayer by adding a ~/.mplayer/input.conf file with the following lines in it:
GeekMafia is self published by Rick Dakan. Right now, you can buy a paperback for 5 USD or download the PDF for free.
I really enjoyed this e-book (aside from reading it on my laptop, time to get an e-ink reader…). It's not a work of great literature, it's a geek escapist beach book. If they made a movie out of it, it would be Sneakers crossed with Ocean's 11. The book follows a group of underground geeks who use their technical powers to pull off cons.
But isn't this evil you might ask? And there is the basis for most of the plot, as the protagonist attempts to reconcile his overall sense of morals with the lifestyle he has found thrust upon him (while still getting the girl). Did I mention that the girl is pulling a con on him?
It's a great read, and well worth the $5 to hold a physical copy, go buy one.
Literary Quality: 4/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
PaperBackSwap.com is a website for people who want to trade paperback (and other) books. It allows you to post the list of books you have available to send. When somebody sees a book they want, they send you a "credit" to mail it to them. You can then use the credit to order a different book from any other member. (You also get a few free credits when you sign up and post your first nine books.)
I've been using this service for two months and have been quite happy with the process. They make sending books very easy with ready-to-print address labels (that double as book mailers). They will soon be adding the ability to print postage directly on the address labels, which will make sending books even easier.
The Li-Ion battery in my IBM Thinkpad X31 laptop has been getting a bit long in the tooth. Rated at a 4.4 AH capacity new, /proc/acpi/battery/BAT0/info told me that it was only holding 1.8 AH now that it was a few years old. (This is normal for Li-Ion batteries, which degrade over time, even without multiple charge-discharge cycles.)
A brand new IBM (or Lenovo now) battery costs over a hundred dollars, but by shopping around I was able to find a "compatible" battery for as low as $50. It was only rated at 4.4AH, but that is relatively close to the 2nd generation 4.8AH batteries that IBM/Lenovo sell for twice as much. I started to wonder if it might be cheaper to buy OEM li-ion cells and simply replace the cells (keeping the case, and charge/discharge electronics). The first step would be to determine what type of Li-Ion cells I'd need to buy, so I decided to open up my old battery.
www.chrisyates.net has a very nice image of the interstate highway system map simplified like a subway system.
