(Tonada de la cançó antiga de Batman) Nanananananananana Gooogleeeee!

Aquesta paranoia bé a que avui, mentres m’esperava en un semàfor del carrer Marina a Barcelona, m’ha passat per davant un cotxe negre amb un pal al sostre, al qual hi havia el que semblaven quatre càmeres, enfocades en totes direccions. I a la porta, hi havia un petit requadre blanc… amb el logotip de Google! Ha estat tot molt ràpid i no m’ha donat temps de fer-li una foto, però he estat buscant per internet i ja he trobat que era: explicació i foto.

A topic that has attracted me these days are the codes that, someday, could replace the typical barcodes. Nowadays, barcodes are data codified on a single direction (1D), with the form of consecutive black and white lines. But its successor use 2D (width and height), increasing its capacity and complexity. Have a look at the images to understand it better.

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I have soon several tutorials about how to install GNU/Linux on a Mac, usually the MacBook and the MacBook Pro. I even know people how would buy a Mac to install a Linux on it… Why? I don’t understand them.

The advantage of Macs (and the disadvantage) is that they are sold as a complete unit, theoretically perfectly integrating the hardware and the software. The software has been optimized (theoretically) to run on a specified hardware, and viceversa. Therefore, an Apple computer always is shipped with the corresponding operating system, you cannot buy a “virgin” Mac. Then, the question is: why do you replace the Apple OS?

The simple answer is: I prefer Linux.

Ok, but if you prefer Linux… why don’t you get a laptop from another brand? Nowadays, Macs use Intel processors and other hardware components that can be found in other laptops, they have no exclusive parts. Additionally, due to the fact that it is a hardware+software product, the price is higher than on a virgin laptop of any other manufacturer.

Maybe you like Macs because they are cool? I bet that for the same price, you can get laptops also cool. No the same type of coolness, but very sweet to eyes, slim and elegant. I hope that this last sentence can be understand by more people apart from me XD.

So, with these arguments on the table… why you would install a Linux on a Mac?

I think that it is not more on the shops’ shelves, but just in case: do not buy a WAG54G from Linksys. It is a router with ADSL model and wifi, and from the beginning it has just given me problems. Random hangs, poor wireless performance, and the ethernet part is broken and now only works at 10 Mbps. In conclusion, it’s a great shit. And AFAIK, I’m not the only one experiencing these problems.

Linksys has some good products, even some routers and APs can be hacked to install Linux on it, but the WAG54G was a big mistake that has produced a very bad impression on lots of customers.

Per posar-vos les dents llargues :)

Imatge Iphone 1

Imatge Iphone 2 < --- Imatge censurada, perque es veia el IMEI i coses que no mola ensenyar per internet :P

Imatge Iphone 3

Estic investigant el tema, i he descobert que és relativament senzill fer funciona un iPhone fora del Estats Units, sense veure’s obligat a utilitzar-lo amb AT&T (companyia que no opera al nostre país). Ja s’estan distribuint iPhones “d’estranquis” via internet, fins i tot es poden comprar a Andorra, però el preu que cobren a canvi d’alliberar-lo és excessiu. En breu potser m’animo i faig una guia recopilatoria de com fer funcionar aquest aparatet, si aconsegueix caure a les meves mans. Com diuen els anglessos: stay tunned to our channel.

Ah, i tots el que pensin comprar-ne una remesa i vendre’ls posteriorment, han de saber que Apple ha creat una “llei pels venedors” de manera que només es poden vendre 2 iPhones a cada persona, i només es poden pagar amb targeta de crèdit.

Fua, vale que treballar amb edició de video li fum canya al processador, però tant com per overclockejar-lo… Mireu la sortida del top, i fixeu-vos en la CPU consumida per l’Avidemux XD.

A long time ago, I had access to a Pocket PC with mobile phone capabilities (a HP h6300 series) . Its was as big as a PDA, with a little antenna on the top. After a few days using it (maybe some weeks), I realized that I was not comfortable using it. It was extremely big compared to my previous mobile phone, and I was not using at all the task lists or the calendar. So I returned the PDA and continued using my “simple” phone.

But about 5 months ago, I recovered it and started to use it again. This time, I looked at it different. The WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities, combined with a external 512 MB SD card, let me add a lot of functionalities. I was wrong using it as mobile phone with extras. It is, instead, a portable computer, with phone capabilities added. With this idea in mind, a Pocket PC based smartphone can be a good investment. See how I am using it, with the help of some applications (most of them free!):

• Weather forecast. Information about today, and next days, of several cities (in my case, Manresa and Barcelona) using ADBWeather. It can be updated using and Internet connection.
• Podcast player: Subscribe to, download, and listen podcasts with Lastpod (a.k.a. Audipod).
• PDF reader: with the included software, or installing Acrobat Reader.
• Power Point, Word and Excel (ouch x3) editor.
• Txt editor. Even vim can be used :D.
• IM Messenger: MSN, jabber, gtalk… using imov Messenger.
• Image editor/viewer. Very useful combined with maps! It can substitute in some cases a GPS!
• eBook reader.
• VoIP terminal. Skype people has developed it.
• Music Player, with GSPlayer. Not so cool as an Ipod, but works well enough :).
• Video Player. TCPMP is very good doing this. Watch divx at anyplace, at anytime. Nice when travelling by bus or underground ;).
• Flashlight / lantern. Yes, you read right. pLamp uses the PDA illuminated screen to accomplish it.
• RSS reader. I love it as a substitute for the web navigator. I use pRSSreader.
• The bluetooth connection can be used to connect to an external GPS receiver. There are several programs available, mos of them not free. A free (but simple) solution is RichesseGPS. I only recommend it for Geocaching application. It is more and intelligent compass that a mapping application.
• The typical TODO list, calendar, contacts list…
• And, of course, mobile phone (calling and SMS/MMS).
• And games! :D

So, not bad for “big and not so cool design” mobile phone, duh? If you are propietary of a toy like this, I recommend you to take a look at PDA@jasnapaka.com. He developed some useful applications, such as an improved task manager, ruler (using the screen again!) or improved battery monitor.

I think that, on the future, everybody will carry a portable computer with himself, as today everybody is carrying a mobile phone. And Smartphones could be the first step.

Estava escrivint el meu anterior post, quan m’he adonat que trobava a faltar un corrector ortogràfic que m’ajudés a escriure de forma més correcte. No és que sigui d’aquells que escriu de qualsevol manera, i després deixa que una màquina li solucioni totes les errades, però he de reconèixer que una cosa o altre sempre se m’escapa (sobretot els accents :\). I buscant una mica, he trobat una extensió del Firefox molt útil, i no només per escriure en el blog.

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The more days I spend with it, the more I like it. I am talking of my relatively recent mobile phone, the Motorola RAZR V3x. In this post I’m going to compare it with its predecessor, the V3, and the main points that have turned me into a follower of this brand.

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