I’ve been meaning to try out Ubuntu for a while now, so I decided to download 9.04 server and give it a try.  I’d been a strong Fedora (and Red Hat before that!) supporter for years, but for the most part, Linux is Linux, so how difficult could it be to switch.

Well, it was a painless process installing.  It took only about 15 minutes on my ancient AMD box.  But, I ran into a snag when I tried to boot.  All I got was the word GRUB repeating across the screen to infinity.  After some troubleshooting, I managed boot to the command line (the server version doesn’t come with a GUI).  I ended up having to remove all but the main drive from the server, and mess round with Grub to get it to boot without the install CD.

I thought everything was fine until I added in the other 4 drives. Then I had the same problem.  I figure somehow I ended up with a master boot record on a different drive (I have a PCI controller card that I think contributed to that problem).  When I added in the data drives, things got confusing.

It was then that I remember having similar issues the last time I rebuilt the server.  Enough was enough.  I was tired of managing 5 drives + 2 external drives on 8 year old hardware.  So, I went to Newegg.ca and ordered some new hardware.  I got a 2GHz dual core Celeron processor, a Gigabyte mother board with gigabit ethernet and onboard video, 4 GB ram, and 2 1TB hard drives.  I figure that ought to last me another 5 years or so.

Now I just have to make due without TV because I cancelled my satellite subscription a couple months ago.  Everything should be here by Monday though.  I guess I’ll just have to read a book, or take some pictures, or something like that.

I have a jailbroken iPhone, and I use appulo.us to download pirated apps.  I’ve downloaded dozens of pirated apps, and I don’t feel the least bit guilty.  As I write this article, there are only 2 pirated apps on my iPhone.  The others I’ve either paid for or deleted because they were terrible, or I didn’t use them.

Right now Apple is counting their way toward 1 billion apps downloaded from their app store, and a significant number of those are free apps.  But, of the paid apps, I’m willing to bet that most of those are not in use by their buyers for the same reasons I delete most of my pirated apps.

The app store thrives on the impulse-style marketing found at grocery store check-outs everywhere.  Most apps are only a buck or two, so most people don’t take the time to think about whether they really want or need that iFart Mobile app. They just buy it and delete it in a few days because they realize it’s crap (no pun).

When I download a pirated app, I do so for evaluation purposes…really, I do.  I’ll use if for a while and see if it suits my purpose.  If it doesn’t, I delete it.  If it does, I buy it.  Simple as that.  Too bad more people don’t operate that way.

Let me put this question to you:  Given my previous statement that most iPhone apps are purchased and never really used is true, does the developer lose out on revenue when his apps are pirated?  If his app wasn’t available to download as a pirated app, would it appear on as many iPhones?  I say no.  In fact I think that that developer probably sold more copies as a result.  And if not, then either the software provides no real value, or it doesn’t fit at its current price point.

As for the 2 pirated apps I have on my iPhone…I just bought one, and deleted another. I think that developers should get paid for their work, but I don’t want to buy crap, and I think a solution to appulo.us would be a 14 day trial system for apps that aren’t games.  That way I can make sure it fits my needs.

Despite all the benefits to Twitter, there are a number of things that irritate me, and take away from the ideal user experience, and I thought I’d share them with you.

First of all, and probably the most irksome of Twitter’s flaws isn’t with the service itself, but in how people use it.  Some people are obsessed about the number of followers they have.  Aston Kutcher (@aplusk) recently put out a call for more Twitter followers in a bid to reach 1 000 000 in order to surpass CNN.  So, he wants publicity.  Fine.  What about all the non-celebrity Twitter users out there who spend all there energy getting followers?  What’s the point?

And then there are the people who follow thousands of other people.  How could you possibly keep track of everything all of these people have to say?  I look at my Twitter stream, and I see that half of the tweets are replies to people I don’t know.  I follow 40 people.  I can’t imagine trying to weed through tweets from a couple hundred people, let alone a couple thousands. The signal to noise ration is just way to high on Twitter.

Next, I really can’t stand it when all people tweet about is Twitter.  I was following they guy in my area who would tweet something like this: “@soandso Thanks for the follow” every time he got a new follower.  Since he was getting quite a few new followers every day, this became essentially spam.  I had to unfollow him for my own sanity.

Then there’s #followfriday, which I think is great.  The idea here is that you both follow people and have followers with similar interests.  If this is the case, it makes sense that some of your followers might find somebody you follow to be interesting.  So, on Fridays, you recommend a person or two that you follow to your followers by tweeting something like this: “#followfriday #topic_of_interest @soandso, @someotherguy”. So, those of your followers who are interested in #topic_of_interest may want to check out @soandso and @someotherguy. Simple.

The problem comes from those obsessed people in my first point who want to follow and be followed by as many people as possible.  Sometimes you’ll see tweets from them recommending dozens of people at a time.  This kind of defeats the purpose of #followfriday.  When I see this, I just ignore it because it’s like finding a needle in a haystack.

And finally, I despise services like Mr. Tweet and Tweetmeme that flood your twitter stream with automated garbage. I also find it irritating when people automatically cross-post from other social networking services like Facebook or Blip.fm.  Why do you think that your twitter followers want to know about every song you think is great on Blip.fm?  If you want your followers to know about your newest blog post, that’s fine, but your facebook status?  I don’t get it.

Feel free to post this on all your social networks, and follow me everywhere

Sunset Over Kelly Creek

For this shot, I used the 2x teleconverter for an effective focal length of 1500mm (I have a D80 with a crop sensor).  The hardest part of taking this shot wasn’t actually the focus, although as you can see, I didn’t quite nail that either.  The most difficult thing was positioning the camera on the tripod so that the sunset was in the frame correctly.  Even the slightest movement caused the sun to jump out of frame, and as we all know the sun sets very fast.  So, that’s why I only got the tail end of this one.

I think I had to take about 20 shots to get this, and even then I had to straighten it because I couldn’t get the camera positioned properly before the sun went down.

Sunset Behind Tower

I wasn’t going to attempt another shot like this so soon, but I took this one yesterday because the clouds were just breaking at sunset and the way they were sitting before the sun was awesome.  I had to give it a try, but I knew from the other day that I didn’t have time to mess with the tripod.

Normally the rule of thumb is that you can hand-hold the camera if your shutter speed is greater than your focal length.  So in my case where the focal length was 1000mm I would need to use a 1/1000th sec shutter speed.  At sunset, with an aperture of f/6.3 – 2 stops for the 2x teleconverter, that wasn’t going to do me any good.  Because this is a mirror lens, I was able to get away with 1/200th of a second if I held my breath while shooting.

I really can’t wait for the snow to melt so I can get out there and experiment a little more with this lens.  Knowing that I can hand hold it is giving me an itchy shutter release finger.

I’d never written a template for WordPress from scratch before, but it turns out to be pretty easy. I used the Blueprint CSS framework because I’ve really come to love using it, and I added a graphical logo to the header instead of plain text.

I also made changes to the categories.  I felt there were way to many, so I consolidated them into 5 areas.  After that, I think that it’s important to utilize tags instead of categories.  As a result, those of you who subscribe to my RSS feed probably saw a lot of old posts show up.  Sorry about that.  Wordpress automatically adds an edited post to the feed.

So, let me know what you think works, or doesn’t work.  If there’s a problem in a particular browser/OS, let me know that too.

What is it with companies trying to nickel and dime people at every turn? Why do I need to subscribe to the largest possible cable package to get 3 channels? Why do I need to harvest my own kidneys to pay a whopping cell phone bill just to get the only two features that matter to me?

Bell sucks. If I want nothing but The Discovery Channel and TLC, I need to first subscribe to at least the basic package which has over 100 channels. You get the major networks like Global, CTV, NBC, Fox, etc…, and crap like OMNI and the Aboriginal Peoples Television (which I’m sure even the Aboriginal peoples don’t watch).

Now, to get those two channels I mentioned (Discovery and TLC) you need to subscribe to not one, but two theme packs. They’re not really theme packs because you only get half a theme. To get the two channels I want I need to subscribe to News & Learning 1, and News & Learning 2. That means I get 20 channels I don’t want. Crap like Book TV, and Business News Network, and VIVA (whatever the hell that is).

Now I have over 120 channels, and I’m paying about $40. Oh, and don’t forget about the service charge. Fuck me, but I though the subscription I was buying was the service. I guess I have to pay a few bucks to cover the cost of that automated infinite loop of a phone system they have. Now I pay about $50 for the 2 channels I want.

So, I canceled. I don’t need this shit. I have the internet. Do you know what Bell told me? They told me I needed to give them 30 days notice and pay a $99 cancellation fee. Do you know why they need 30 days notice? I guess they were really banking on my 50 bucks, and they have to find somebody to take my place. Right. So they got another $50 out of me. Same thing for the cancellation fee. Actually I bitched enough about how stupid that was, so they only charged me $50. Thanks ever so much Bell.

Hey! I have an idea. Why doesn’t Bell just provide a service that people actually want to pay for? Why not allow me to pay them for 2 channels? Why split up the themes so that I have to buy all this shit I don’t want?

It’s the same thing with Rogers. I have an iPhone, and if I want caller ID, I have to pay about $100/month because of all the bundling I have to do. Ridiculous.

I guess the whole point of this rant is that Value Added Services add cost, not value. Greedy companies just use this term as a way to describe the practice of adding perceivedvalue to their offerings. Go fuck yourselves.

What I did is set up a tripod about 25 feet away from a glass vase on a bookshelf.  I would have liked to use a better subject outdoors, but I won’t have the time to get out and shoot for a few days, so I did this quick and dirty.

I took a shot with the 70-300 first, then I used the Rokinon 500mm, and then I used a Rokinon 2x teleconverter to extend the focal length to 1000mm. The tripod was necessary because, even though the lens was physically shorter, it’s still subject to some nasty camera shake.  I also used a remote shutter release cable.

Here’s the Nikkor 70-300 f/4.5-f/5.6 VR at 300mm (click to enlarge):

Here’s the Rokinon 500mm f/6.3 (click to enlarge):

Here’s the Rokinon 500mm f/6.3 with a 2x teleconverter for 1000mm (click to enlarge):

The lens is Korean-made, it has an aluminum body, and it has the feel of a no-name product. It comes with a pleather case, and the warranty card doesn’t mention Rokinon anywhere. What can you expect from a $100 500mm lens?

Overall, I found the lens difficult to focus with because of the really shallow depth of field. Indoors, it was impossible to hand-hold, though I imagine outdoors on a bright day, you could manage. When you add the teleconverter, you’re definitely tied to a tripod.

Although I haven’t experienced it yet, mirror lenses are notorious for donut-shaped bokeh. This has to do with the fact that the secondary mirror in the lens is smack in the center. I’ve read that this isn’t much of a problem when shooting subjects against a relatively consistent background. We’ll see. I bought the lens expecting exactly what I got, so I think I’m going to be happy in the end.

It’s kind of funny to look at this lens when attached to my Nikon D80. The filter size for the lens is a whopping 95mm. It’s almost as wide as it is long.

Without the teleconverter (click to enlarge)

Without the teleconverter (click to enlarge)

Of course, here in New Brunswick, most retail and grocery stores are only allowed to be open from noon to 5 pm on Sundays.  This makes absolutely no sense to me.  I see no valid argument for restricting commerce in this way.  Stores of any type should be allowed to conduct business any time they please.

The Lord’s Act was the legislation that restricted shopping on Sundays.  It was found to be inconsistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and was removed back in the mid-80s.  But, we here in New Brunswick don’t seem to like too much change too quckly.  So, we now we just restrict the times that businesses can operate on Sundays.

I’ve heard lots of arguments in favour of restricting shopping on Sundays.  Everything from the obvious religious reasoning to ensuring shift workers get at least one full day off.  I don’t buy any of it. As I said…ridiculous.

My sister...thoughful

What is it about black and white photography that seems to convey a certain sense of drama or intensity that often escapes color photographs?

Calista Approaching

Often times, when you convert an image to black and white, and increase contrast, you get a level of vitality in a photograph that cannot be achieved in colour.

Window and Plank

Even the most mundane of subjects can hold the eye’s interest when in black and white.  I suppose that speaks to the power of simplicity. So often in today’s society we have to deal with so much information at any one time.  It’s no wonder that when we take the time to focus on something simple, it’s beauty and composition seem to jump out at us.

Neglected Window

Even neglected and decayed objects and settings from every-day life can take on an air of eerieness when presented in black and white.

Well, I already upgraded from the iPod Touch to the iPhone.  I couldn’t help it.  I loved the online capabilities of the iPod Touch so much that I just had to get the iPhone.

The plans from Rogers are close to extortion, but when you’re the only game in town, I guess you can charge what you want.  I just went for the $60/mo 1 GB plan for now.  We’ll see how that goes.  Most of the time that I want to use the internet on the phone, I’m within range of a wireless network, so I’m pretty sure I can keep the useage to a reasonable level.

I’m having a lot of fun with the app store too.  I’m going to have to be careful not to spend a fortune two bucks at a time.  I’ve had lots of suggestions for apps through Twitter, but if there’s an app out there that you think is a must have, just leave a comment for me.

I picked up a new toy the other day…a new 16GB iPod Touch.  This is my 5th iPod, and they keep getting better and better.  Using one convinces me that I should get an iPhone when my current contract expires.

The applications are the key to the iPod Touch.  The combination of OS X and wi-fi make this a great device to have for keeping connected when you’re away from your computer.

I’ve been reading and hearing about these ever since they came out, but the only way to really get how cool they are is to use one for a few minutes.  You’ll be hooked.

I’m telling you, Bell Express-Vu’s customer service is horrible!  Not only do you have to sit through menu after menu just to talk to somebody, when you do finally talk to a real person, they either have to transfer you, or they screw up your account in some way.

I called this giant of a company a couple of weeks ago to cancel my service.  I haven’t had my receiver connected since I got my HDTV because the receiver wasn’t HD.  So, I figured I didn’t need to pay for what I wasn’t using.  Well, after trying to cancel, the phone jockey convinced me to say with the promise of a free HD receiver and 30% off my bill for two years.

Great, right?  No.  The guy insisted he needed to send a technician out to install my HD box.  He said something about running a second line from the dish.  Fine.  Send the tech. Appointment time?  Between 8am and 5pm on Saturday.  Lovely.  Bell can bill me to the minute, but they can’t schedule an appointment any more accurately than a 9 hour span.

So, I’m waiting at home like a mindless sheep last Saturday for the Bell tech, when I get a call at about 11:30am.  The guy is in the driveway of my old house in Grand Bay (about an hour from where I live now).  He’s wondering why nobody is home.  Gee, maybe that’s because I don’t live there any more!

When I moved here 18 months ago, I had to wait on hold with Bell for an hour to tell them I moved.  They’ve been sending my bill to this address ever since then.  Funny how they only know where I live when it comes to collecting my money.

This isn’t the first time I’ve had trouble with installation.  When I moved into my last house Bell missed 4 installation appointments before finally showing up.  I should have known something like this would happen again. Anyway, Bell had to schedule another appointment a week later.

To top things off, the tech didn’t need to install another line.  He didn’t know why the phone jockey told me he would.  He just hooked up the box, called the office to activate it, said “Have a nice day, guy!”, and left.  In and out withing 30 minutes.

I spent an hour trying to get the Harmony Remote to play nice with the new box, sat down to waste some time watching some HD, and…nothing on.

</rant>

What I’ve done is aggregate these sources into one stream of information…a lifestream.  I got the idea from Sean McGrath a few months ago, and he even gave me use of his code, although in the end, I decided to write my own and avoid the use of a database.

To write the site, I used CodeIgniter, Blueprint CSS, SimplePie, and Yahoo! Pipes. I think I had to write about 300 lines of code in total to get this to work.  I have a little polishing up to do, but then I’ll be able to release it under the GPL.

I think that the best way to learn these new things is by working on personal projects.  Especially, if you’re going to learn a few new things at once.  Otherwise, you may dig yourself into a hole that will take weeks to get out of.

So, my new project.  I’m writing a web-based bit-torrent interface for linux servers.  I haven’t quite decided which torrent client to wrap it around yet though.  It’s meant as a replacement for Torrentflux which I find a bit too cumbersom.  My vision is to build something more streamlined, both functionally and visually using PHP with CodeIgniter, Blueprint, and JQuery.

I’m sure this is going to take forever because I’m so busy, but it’s meant as a learning project as much as anything.  I’ll post updates as it progresses, and eventually the source code.

Who can make money in web development if you spend so much time writing supporting code for your projects?  The folks at CodeIgnitor have already done most of the heavy lifting for you.

If I combine CodeIgnitor PHP framework with the JQuery javascript library, I can pump out some pretty impressive, functional sites in short order.

I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a web-based controller for a Bit Torrent engine to replace Torrentflux.  This might be the perfect testing ground for these two technologies.