Associative Disarray

links for 2006-10-29

Oct 30, 2006

links for 2006-10-28

Oct 29, 2006

links for 2006-10-27

Oct 28, 2006

Catalyst mailing list in German

Oct 28, 2006

German speakers that are interested in the Catalyst framework for development of web applications in Perl can now subscribe to a Catalyst mailing list in german language.

As use perl; states, Matt S. Trout created the mailing list after some discussion in two of the german Perl mongers mailing lists.

Live again!

Oct 28, 2006

Today is a happy day! My 1&1 3DSL got connected, my router has arrived and I'm online with 16 MBit/s downstream and 1 MBit/s upstream. The weekend is saved!

It was a huge test of my patience, but the timing is perfect since I have to migrate my web server in the next few days. My hosting provider Alturo closes shop and I have to move all my websites and email services to a new server before the end of the month. I was prepared to go back to Philippsburg tomorrow night to use my brother's DSL connection, but now I can do the work from home when it fits best.

Additionally, I have to answer a lot of emails that I had to queue because I didn't find the time to respond at work. And of course there's the second episode of Radio Perl that waits to be recorded.

The weekend will not be boring, I guess.

links for 2006-10-26

Oct 27, 2006

Skype for Symbian is official

Oct 25, 2006

Finally, according to the german news site Golem, Skype officially announced a software version of their VOIP client for Symbian-based cell phones until end of the year.

Skype hasn't disclosed yet what Symbian platform exactly the client is being developed for, but since it is meant to be available on some Nokia phones first, we can assume that it'll be the S60 3rd edition that the recent N-series and E-series models run on.

Needless to say that Mobile operators are reluctant to support Skype on their networks, but I guess I can at least stop looking for a wireless home phone now.

Switched IT-Dojo from Joomla to Serendipity

Oct 25, 2006

IT-Dojo is my new website where I publish IT content like training materials and my netcast "Radio Perl".

First, I built the site with Joomla, mainly out of curiousity regarding the CMS's features. But I quickly found out that Joomla follows the "feature richness means complexity" rule, too.

Yesterday, while updating my and Carolins blog to the current Serendipity version, I read through the extensive list of S9Y plugins and realized that IT-Dojo will also mainly be a blog. So I decided to get rid of the complexity of Joomla and built the site new, now based on Serendipity. Installation was as easy as always and it took me only some more minutes to modify the default template with the IT-Dojo banner.

Simplicity rules. As does Serendipity. :-)

Backpack gets an overhaul

Oct 24, 2006

37signals announced new goodies in Backpack, their online organization tool for to-do and idea lists, notes, pictures, texts and appointments. There are no big new features, but the existing parts get quite an improvement:

Up until now, on every Backpack page, you had one block of lists, one block of notes, and so on. Lists could only be reordered inside their block, likewise with notes etc. Now, you can mix all different information types at your liking: a list, followed by some notes, then another list, some photos -- you get the picture. In summary: page layout in Backpack gets a lot more flexible.

For a video demonstration, see the preview of the new reorganization possibilities.

I've been using a paid Backpack account for over half a year now, and seeing how 37signals gradually improve their products with sensible additions, I'll gladly prolong that subscription.

Nokia search application for download

Oct 24, 2006

On one of my recent train rides, I transferred all the contacts from my Time/System paper planner to my Nokia E61. Since it also automatically syncs with my Exchange account via the WLAN at work, I now have all my important up to date calendar and contact information on my smartphone. But with a growing amount of data on my smartphone there came a new problem: finding information. Searching for contacts is no challenge, of course, but what I've been missing, for example, was a search function for calendar events: "When was that certain anniversary in 2007 again?"

Thrilled by a post on the E61Life blog, I just downloaded and installed the Nokia search application that obviously already is pre-installed on the new Nokia E50. It enables you to search messages, email, calendar, contacts and other files.

Nokia, keep up the good work! My E61 gets more useful by the day.

Linux on the PS3

Oct 24, 2006

Oh yeah, Sony, you really want me to get your new console, don't you? First, my PS2 stops playing my newer game DVDs, and now there'll be a Linux for the Playstation 3

Well, I'm not falling for that, you know! No, I'll definitely not buy your huge block of graphical goodness!

At least not before christmas.

I'm online everywhere but at home

Oct 24, 2006

I still got no DSL at home. Deutsche Telekom really sucks bricks.

So, I'm using the opportunity of at least having WLAN access in my room at the Hotel Global Inn in Wolfsburg where I'm staying until Wednesday teaching Perl. Material for blog entries queueing up, so much stuff to read...

How am I supposed to live my online life while having no broadband for weeks? Man, I'll so celebrate when the first bytes come down my DSL line in Freiburg.

SGI starts new, into mainstream

Oct 24, 2006

After filing for bankruptcy earlier this year, SGI reorganized and laid off 250 people. Now they're out of Chapter 11 and start with a new management and new money.

The times of big honkin' graphics workstations with MIPS CPUs and IRIX operating system are definitely over, though. Their new computer systems use Intel Xeon and Itanium CPUs and Linux as operating system.

In other words: Nothing to see here, please move along.

This world needs more hugs

Oct 18, 2006

YouTube is more than a billion dollar acquisition, and it certainly is more than a tool of illegally distributing copyrighted movies. For example, it makes available many inspirational movies that I wouldn't have seen otherwise. Movies like Free Hugs

It's a video of Australian Juan Mann offering free hugs in a Sydney street mall. It's interesting and touching to see how different the people around him react to his simple offer.
[youtube=[www.youtube.com/watch](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn0AVpGNhOs])

news.com.au says it well in its column Free hugs priceless in a culture of violence,23599,20522769-5007146,00.html:

We live in a world where violence and violent acts are becoming normalised. The producers of the new James Bond film see fit to cut the superspy smoking a cigar but not images of him killing people with a smoking gun. We are shocked and appalled at sexual imagery and intimacy (Margaret Whitlam's comments about Janette and John Howard holding hands, for example), but take death, pain and the destruction of human life in our stride.
[...] But just as you begin to despair, along comes a young man with a big heart and YouTube, technology that spreads goodwill like a virus and gives us what we need in these dark times a hug and a smile.

I guess I'd hesitate myself when confronted with such an offer. What have we become? We're talking such much about love and goodwill to all humankind (especially in church), but hesitate to return a simple hug?

Give me back my Google

Oct 18, 2006

Give me back my Google is one of those genius ideas: small, effective, and it makes you think "I should have come up with that myself earlier".

GmbmG offers you a Google search box and automatically adds excludes for all those annoying affiliate websites that normally clutter your search results.

(via ThinkVitamin)

LinuxWorld Expo in Cologne

Oct 17, 2006

Since I'll be attending the LinuxWorld Conference & Expo on 14th and 15th of November, I added an entry on upcoming.org

So, if you're going to be there, too, please add yourself to the event entry. It would be great to meet in Cologne!

I really don't want to be a Telekom customer

Oct 11, 2006

But I don't have much choice. Because I'd like to get the new 1&1 3DSL (broadband including a flat fee for data volume and VOIP-to-landline time as well as Maxdome movie downloads), I had to get at least a basic analog landline connection from German Telekom for my new flat.

Of course, you can't order a landline connection online (what a strange thought!). So I went to the "T-Punkt" shop last Monday. I had to wait in line for 25 minutes, thus having the opportunity to watch the "service promise" promo on a big screen for five times that assured me that I won't have to wait for more than 5 minutes.

After a whole week now, I don't even have an order confirmation. (Oh, I almost forgot to mention that delivery date is Wednesday.) I still don't know which phone number I'll get -- an information necessary to order my DSL connection. Seems like I won't be online immediately after moving over the coming weekend.

It really makes me angry that my money might help Telekom in keeping up their crappy service. High time their almost complete monopoly on the german phone and broadband infrastructure comes to an end.

(Originally from 2006-10-02 19:35)

Update 1 (2006-10-05): Of course, my order is FUBAR. This is gonna be a looong story... It's been almost two weeks and not until now they told me that they couldn't locate the right line to our flat. I gave them the apartment number and was promised that I'll get called back ASAP.

Update 2 (2006-10-06): Of course, they didn't call back. So, when I called the "customer service" (ha!) line for the fifth time, I asked what god I had to sacrificy a chicken to if I wanted to get a telephone line from Telekom (well, that was actually not my literal question, but something in that sense). And -- tadaa -- after a few hours, a technician actually called me telling me that he'll activate the line immediately. Should that be the happy end? Tune in next time to find out!

Update 3 (2006-10-11): As expected, it wasn't the happy ending. When we plugged in our phone, all we could hear was crackling and humming. So I called the service hotline on Sunday afternoon. A very nice agent did a connection analysis and concluded that technical service would be necessary. We arranged that the technician should come by between 8 and 12 the next day and call us 30 minutes in advance. Which he did, no complaints here. Finally, after he rewired the phone line to our appartment, we had a working connection. So, in the end, it took Telekom 2 weeks and me 7 calls to different call centers just to get a normal analogue phone line. What's left is the impression that Deutsche Telekom is much better in fixing technical difficulties than in getting new and satisfied customers.

Off (line) to Freiburg

Oct 7, 2006

Okay! Now I’ve only got to disassemble the bed and put the computer into a packing case and I’m ready to go.

Obviously, there’ll be no broadband connection waiting for me in Freiburg, so it may get a bit silent around here over the next days. But I promise to give you a life sign as soon as I get my internet connection back.

See you folks soon!

PS: From what film (that just comes to my mind) does that line come from:

I gave him the wrong finger! I gave him the wrong finger!

Southpark of Warcraft

Oct 6, 2006

Ah, yes! Now I know what WoW is all about!

And I guess that, when SouthPark dedicates a whole episode to World of Warcraft, it's become mainstream.

Now I really have to try it myself. As soon as when I get my DSL connection. Thanks to Deutsche Telekom, that could very well be already this year.

A picture does say more

Oct 4, 2006

"Explaining" something doesn't have to mean filling sheets of paper or presentation slides with text. Setting words aside helps preventing language problems. It spares the author from making necessary translations (and the subsequent corrections) and the reader the effort of comprehending a written description.

The wordless pancake recipe@N00 is a good example. I'll give it a try as soon as our new kitchen is ready.

(via Signal vs. Noise)

Thank god for SessionSaver

Oct 4, 2006

I'm so glad that rue" made the "SessionSaver Firefox extension

SessionSaver restores your browser exactly as you left it, every startup, every time. Not even a crash will phase it. Windows, tabs, even things you were typing -- they're all saved. Use the menu to add + remove sessions; right, shift, or middle-clicking will delete. "Simple mode" for peace of mind, or "Expert mode" for advanced flexibility. Just Click. Install. Rad.

Rad indeed! The plugin not only allows me to start the day with exactly the same browser tabs I left off with the day before, but it particularly saves my nerves when Firefox crashes every second time Javascript closes a popup window.

Big Iron

Sep 30, 2006

Today, our new midrange server got delivered: an IBM p570 with an initial configuration of 6 Power 5+ CPUs (2.2 GHz) and 128 GB of RAM. (Play back Tim Taylor grunting.)

The storage unit will be delivered not until next week. Initial storage capacity will be 4 TB of production space (SCSI FC harddisks) and 6 TB of backup space (SATA). And there's still a lot of room to grow.

Media_httpstaticflick_nmlfg

(Click the picture for more photos.)

The long way to a mobile Skype connection

Sep 30, 2006

A Skype client for mobile phones is eagerly awaited, especially since phones able to connect to UMTS (3G) and WiFi networks like my Nokia E61 are entering the market. But the only mobile version of Skype currently available is one for Windows Mobile, and even that isn't widely adopted. Skype announced a version of Skype for Symbian-based mobile phones a while ago now, but it seems we'll have to keep being patient for another while.

According to CNet+most%2C+mobile+Skype+still+a+long+distance+away/2100-7352_3-6120610.html?tag=nefd.top, Niklas Zennstrom, Skype chief executive and co-founder, admitted unexpected difficulties implementing the mobile Skype client:

When we began developing the mobile-phone version, we didn't realize the number of technical obstacles. It is challenging and is taking much longer than expected. We have no publicly available products yet to offer, and I can't give you a timetable.

In the United States, where phones are tightly tied to mobile operators, there are additional political issues: no operator likes to see people switching from their cell network to cheap WiFi connections available at a growing number of hotspots. In Europe, where customers can get their mobile phone separately from the operator's SIM card, Skype may find it easier to push a cell/Skype hybrid solution to the market. Could it be that we old-worlders actually have an advantage here as an exception?

My first netcast: Radio Perl

Sep 24, 2006

Since I started listening to netcasts[1], they've been giving me a lot of fun as well as things to learn and think about. As always, it didn't take long until I wanted to give netcasting a try myself. Recording music and other audio content was one of the bigger reasons I bought the Mac, after all.

So, after a week of fiddling with GarageBand, I now proudly present to you:

Radio Perl, episode 1

It's a netcast in german language and directed towards Perl developers. I plan to pick one central topic that I'd like to talk about in every episode. Alternatively, I could invite someone else to do the talking here. So, if you'd like to be interviewed, contact me! Other fixed segments will be "Perl news" and "Interesting new Perl modules".

I'd like to make Radio Perl a weekly netcast, but only time will tell if I really can go at that pace.

At the same time, this is the premiere of IT-Dojo, my new website for IT know-how and training.

Please tell me what you think about Radio Perl! You'll find the netcast's email address as well as a telephone number for audio comments on the page linked above.

fn1. Since "podcast" seems to suggest that you need an iPod to listen to it and since Apple is starting to make suspicious legal moves regarding the word, I prefer to call them "netcasts".

Virtual bank offers virtual safety deposit box

Sep 22, 2006

According to the article Mysterious Paypal Secure Storage on TechCrunch, Paypal is in the process of building a service that allows customers to safely transfer and store files on the payment provider's servers. So far, though, it's unclear to whom the service will be offered -- only to merchants or to all the users.

What's remarkable is that files will be transferred via SFTP(Secure File Transfer Protocol), a protocol offered by the SSH(Secure Shell) software suite, even though Windows has no default SFTP application (of course there are offers from 3rd party vendors). SSH and SFTP are widely used on Unix systems where they are available as command line applications. As open source software, the SSH suite offers mature tools for secure data transfer.

It's an interesting move for a payment provider to offer such a service, but maybe it'll be just the basis for future fulfilment services.