Life Tech

When I was looking for a hosting company to put my files, blog and basically start a web site online presence, it took me a while to find the best deals out there.

The problem is, you don’t want to have the cheapest hosting package to realise they will charge you more for each feature you need. Nor do you want to pay for the most expensive package but have bad customer service and problems with your site.

For us in Singapore, the only reason why you want to pick a local hosting company because of the local bandwidth and speed they can offer as compared to the overseas companies.

However, if you are not doing loads of streaming and big files downloading/ uploading, I believe US hosting companies offer some of the best deals out there.

So I narrowed down my criteria to these points

1. Good customer service (Frankly, I done a fair bit of reading and no one top hosting company has totally good reviews or feedback. I guess the important thing is to read what people are not happy with and to ask yourself is that reasonable to your needs or not?)
2. Upgrades to the latest PHP/MySQL…. programs constantly (You never know when your program may just need the latest PHP 5 and you don’t want to be stuck with a host that says, they can’t help you unless you move to a dedicated server!)
3. Free tools and programs – Gives you loads of free tools and programs and help via forums or their website. Being able to install Wordpress and other programs in a single click is just a life and time saver (and even the upgrades will be done easily when they alert you it’s ready!)
4. Value for money! – Bandwidth needs to be at least double for your uses and space? Well the more the better!

So after careful research, I settled for Lunarpages. And since I joined, they have given me a free upgrade of 100gb more (now 350gb) web space and 1 terabyte (3.5 terabyte) of bandwidth. This may still grow! Which hosting company you heard gives you 100gb of space.. for free?!

With them putting in PHP5 as an optional (free) feature. Did I mention they give out a whole suite of tools from the CoffeeCup series worth $700 (they include FTP programs/ Web html editors.. it’s a long list! Click here to find out!)

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Just a quick update for all. There’s been some updates over the last few days.

1. Kagu Media Player – is now version 1.06
   • Ability to view album covers seperately (i.e. zoom in)
   • Editable playlist support: Enqueue whole album, individual song, and clear playlist buttons
   • Improved album seperation logic: Support compilation albums
   • Filename parser as a fallback to the ID3 parser
   • Initial OGG support (requires ogg support in the system, upstream ogg on n800 may be broken)
   • Fix installation/run problems on Nokia 770
   • On screen Volume button
   • Plenty of bugfixes
   • Performance and UI enhancements
   • Updated theme
2. FM Radio – version 1.4.6
   • The most visible new feature is to download all the radio stations inform(frequency and names) direct to your n800.
     [I tried for Singapore but wasn't successful... yet....]

Milhouse has done a great job simplifying the steps for getting A2dp working on the n800. I just copied his posting here for easy reference.

Thanks Milhouse! Great work!

–
Credits to MilHouse

Full instructions for downloading and installing A2DP software can be found here. The instructions listed here offer a simplified and largely automated installation methodology that should work every time.

Jump to step 5 if you have xterm and wget installed, root access and have already paired your Bluetooth headset.

Pre-requisites to be satisfied before installing A2DP

1. xterm must be installed

• Install xterm via the one-click install file on this page: http://maemo.org/downloads/product/osso-xterm-advanced

2. “Becomeroot” package must be installed or device in R&D mode

• Install the Becomeroot package by adding the following repository to application manager:

   

  Quote:

  Web Address: http://eko.one.pl/maemo Distribution: bora Components: user

• Alternatively see the maemo.org wiki for details on how to enable R&D mode.

3. wget installed for downloading web-based files from the command line

• Open xterm and execute the following commands in xterm (you must have satisfied pre-requisite #2 before continuing):

   

  Code:

  sudo gainroot
  apt-get install wget
  exit

4. Pair your Bluetooth headset with your N800

• Pairing instructions will vary from device to device. A pairing code of 0000 will typically allow the headset to pair automatically once set into pairing mode.

Once all of the above pre-requisites are satisfied continue at step 5.

Installing the A2DP software

5. Download and execute the A2DP software installation scripts

• The following commands will create a temporary working directory, download two shell scripts using wget then execute those two scripts in turn.

As user “user”

• The first script, btscan.sh, will attempt to identify the Bluetooth address for the Bluetooth headset paired with your N800.
• Execute the second script, install.sh, and pass the address of your Bluetooth headset (identified after running the first script, including colons) as a parameter. This step will download the A2DP software packages and generate configuration scripts specific to your Bluetooth headset.

   

  Code:

  mkdir ~/a2dp
  cd ~/a2dp
  wget http://www.nmacleod.com/a2dp/btscan.sh
  wget http://www.nmacleod.com/a2dp/install.sh
  chmod +x btscan.sh install.sh
  ./btscan.sh
  ./install.sh 00:11:22:33:44:55

  where 00:11:22:33:44:55 must be replaced by YOUR Bluetooth Headset address as identified by btscan.sh.

As user “root”

• Switch to the root superuser and again execute the second script install.sh. This step will install the A2DP packages and finalise the configuration. Reboot.

   

  Code:

  sudo gainroot
  ./install.sh
  reboot

• Optionally remove the temporary directory ~/a2dp with the following command as the directory and it’s contents are no longer required:

   

  Code:

  rm -fr ~/a2dp

• Enjoy A2DP audio when using the Kagu audio player.

EDIT:

18 August 2007: Updated install.sh script to support repository based installation of the latest mplayer (currently 1.0rc1-maemo.18.n800)

Over the last 2 weeks or so, much as happened… things can only get better!

Mozilla Browser on n800

There has been a new update for the MicroB (based on the Mozilla platform) browser. Basically, once you install this, Opera can be switched to use the Mozilla rendering engine instead.

Below are some of the updates I feel are more important..

• Change code to only trigger vkb/fkb for hardware select key up instead of any key up (from any source, including bluetooth, random hardware keys, terminals in emulators, …) when focus ends on an text input. Also make sure not to randomly close the vkb if you press a key on a bluetooth keyboard pressing any key will trigger vkb if at keyup the focus is a text input
• Fix browser ui to allow the vkb to remain open if the toolbars are hidden vkb Keyboard will not stay open/up with toolbar hidden
• Fixed CSS3 opacity spreadsheets.google.com
• Improved support for zooming out
• Fixed Authentication dialog to stored password corrections. EmbedPasswordMgr::AddUser didn’t call WritePasswords
• Fixed bug with complicated links with no width (<a><div>…)
• Fixed Scroll and setup first focus
• Resuming paused downloads should now work
• Fixed Crashes

Here’s the complete list.

To update,

1. Goto Tools/Applications Manager
2. Click “Check for updates” Button
3. If nothing happens, goto the menu and select Tools/Refresh Application list

Kagu Media Player (The only player with Bluetooth A2dp support now)

Since I last mentioned Kagu, it has gone on to release, not just the version 1.0 but as of a couple of hours ago, version 1.05!

Now you can install it easily with this link! http://maemo.org/downloads/product/kagu/

And it keeps getting faster and better! Here are some of the new fixes for version 1.04 and 1.05.

* Many performance enhancements (including faster AVRCP commands!)
* New theme
* Playback modes (repeat/repeat one/shuffle/normal)
* SongPositionView for seeking in songs and audio books.
* No more OK button in Album/Song/NowPlaying views.
* Fix postinst script permission problems
* Support exec loops back and forth between kagu and kagu-scanner
* NowPlayingButton not visible if the playlist is empty
* Faster scrolling
* Performance enhancements

Hey.. I apologise for the lack of updates. I have been under the weather and finally saw the doctor. Down with a “cold with secondary viral infection” … whatever that means…

Anyways, here’s an update for the n800 users.

miniSync™ is the single cable that will simultaneously charge and synchronize your Nokia N800, all in an ultra-portable form factor! It is designed with a charging dongle that allows you to charge a wireless Bluetooth headset or another device at the same time!

Basically, this allows you to charge the n800 using your computer or if you have a USB car charger, you can plug this into it.

Though this is useful, however, I personally feel, that since there are so many Nokia users out there (I use an n73 myself), you can just plug in those chargers to fill up the battery for your n800. Less 1 more charger/cable to carry.

Thanks Nokia for deciding NOT to have another special charger connector the n800!

Singapore has been getting ready to offer WiMax to the public since 2005 with base stations already set up over the Orchard Road / CBD area.

And of course the lack of devices has held back some of the testings.

Well, it seems the n800 is on its way to be WiMaxed with this news.

NEWS: WiMax on n800

In the report, they mentioned something about interference from bluetooth and Wifi on the WiMax.. is that why the technology is moving slowly now? Hmmm…

These days, almost every cafe / library and MacDonalds, you can see people with their laptops surfing or just working on them.

Sometimes we take our security for granted and forget how easy it is to steal our precious machines.
Imagine how much emails /bookmarks /music /videos /documents /pictures will be lost if it was really gone!

Well, instead of lugging around those laptop cable chains, you can try this free simple laptop alarm.

It activates the alarm on these 3 circumstances if your password is not keyed in;

1. It is plugged out of the power supply
2. Shutdown/Logged off and
3. USB mouse pulled out.

While, it’s not foolproof and not stopping the theft from just running with it, at least it will give you a head start to begin the chase.

http://www.syfer.nl/

The Nokia n800 is finally arriving in Singapore!

Its retail price has been placed at SGD$708.00 while there are places like Mobile Square retailing it for SGD$628.00 (inclusive of 7% GST).

The US price had been USD$399.00 which is approximate SGD$605.92 (the US dollar is at its lowest for years… as of this blog post) You can get it cheaper from some of the US online shops, of course you’ll need to factor in tax and shipping charges.

So before you rush out and buy one. Let me help you decide if you really need one or you just want one to have the latest and greatest toy…

The Nokia n800.

What it is NOT :

1. It is NOT a phone.
Well, technically, speaking as you cannot put in a SIM card and start dialing to M1 / Singtel or Starhub (if you are in Singapore) or any other mobile carrier in the world!

2. It is NOT (really) a PDA nor UMPC to replace your Blackberry / Treo / Clie / Ipaq.
Why? It is not built to replace these devices. It belongs to a niche by itself. It lack its own PIM – Personal Information Managers, programs. Like syncing to Calendar/To Dos / Contacts. It doesn’t do push mail natively.That being said, there are 3rd party programs trying to fill the gap.

What it CAN DO :

1. It is an internet tablet : Made to surf the net thru wifi or thru your mobile phone’s bluetooth modem. (no ethernet port)
2. The 800×480 screen resolution : is what makes it different from surfing the net on your PSP (320×340). So most sites appear how they should without much scrolling.
3. It runs on a special version of Linux – uses open source programs.
   So what this means?
   • Not many applications are available (as compared to palm/windows mobile) but this is being worked on by the numerous talented people in the open source community.
   • Your normal Linux programs need to be re-compiled/re-fitted for use.
   • If you are a programmer and love linux, this is a great device to flex your skills on. Nokia is putting in a fair bit of resources to realise the full potential of this device.
4. Play some media files -> music/photos/videos from either one of the 2 SD card slots (yes, 2!) or direct from your UPnP server. The new firmware update now allows you to use the new SDHC cards. Up to 8gb per card so it’s a total of 16gb for all your media needs! These SD card slots, of course allows you to use MiniSD/ MMC cards.
   (I’ll have a special tutorial on how to set up TVersity which encodes divx/avi videos on the fly, to watch on your n800!)
5. Use as your internet Radio player AND FM radio player (like most Nokia phones, you need to attach a pair of earphones/headphones for this to work. It works as an antenna.)
6. Built-in RSS feed reader : It can automatically (you can set the timing) pull news for you.
7. Skype / Video conference / Instant Messenging : With the latest firmware, you can use Skype on the n800 with software from Skype/Nokia’s collaboration.
   And with third party programs like Pidgin – you can use your favourite IM program, MSN/Yahoo/ICQ/GoogleTalk… depending on the plugin you install.
   The built-in webcam will allow you to do video conferencing with their Nokia Conference call. Rumours that in the future Skype should support video too.
8. Email : There is a built-in email application. Not highly rated and I don’t use it. It uses POP3 and IMAP.
9. Great E-book reader : You can read .pdf files with the built-in reader, however I highly recommend using Evince Document Reader instead with the faster and better zooming/rotation features.
   I use this feature a lot. The text and pictures look really nice and crisp. The touch screen is really easy and smooth to do scrolling. (Looks cool doing the scrolling too! Like the iPhone..haha!)
10. Calculator/Clock/Notes/Games : are standard built-in applications.
11. Surf the NET! : YES! You can surf the net with this! Ok, I left this last because this one needs to be a little more attention.
    The n800 comes with the Opera browser built-in, however about 2 weeks ago, they release the Mozilla browser engine. It’s still in beta.
    So things work but not always as expected.Limitations with the Opera browser is a few of the AJAX/Web 2.0 sites don’t work well. (e.g. Gooogle.com/reader) While the Mozilla engine version handles it much better. Google Docs works fine as reports have it.However, if you think you want to do some internet banking or stock trading, you are out of luck if the sites uses JAVA (not Javascript, that works fine.). Again, there are rumours of porting over a version of Java for the n800, none is ready yet nor confirmed.

    One of the biggest complain for the n800 or Nokia 770 is how slow or unwatchable Flash videos are. Youtube and google videos don’t play nice with low refresh rates and jerkiness.
    With the latest firmware, the n800 is handling most Flash videos better now, though there’s still room for improvement.
    There are a few work arounds for this problem if you are Youtube/Google Video junkie. Like using orb.com or the UK Tube program.

12. 3.5 hours or more of battery life : Depending on your usage pattern it has been reported that this can go to more than 5 hours of online usage… and since it shares the same charging plug (the new mini one) you can charge it almost anywhere using the normal Nokia phone chargers.

======

In conclusion, I love my n800. It’s one of the most useful gadget/toy/multimedia/productivity device I ever got. I have been playing with this for 7 months already and things just keeps getting better with more and more applications being added and new features released.

Like the FM radio, the plug-in is only released months after it’s launch. Bluetooth is version 2.0 so A2DP is supposed to be supported natively too. (Currently Kagu with the BT instructions here, allows you to use this feature already.)

Coupled with my Stowaway Bluetooth keyboard, I will leave my tabletpc, a HP TC1100, behind and still surf the net for free using the Wireless SG around parts of our little red dot island. The enlarged touchscreen keyboard works great too!

I hope this post will help you decide if you want the 2nd generation of Nokia’s bold step forward. It’s not for everyone… just for those who know what they want.

LunarPages, my hosting company, recently announced that they are upgrading all their basic customers from 250gb of space and 2.5 terabytes of traffic to 350gb of space and 3.5 terabytes of traffc! with no additional cost! (Woo-hoo!)

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