For many years, Mozilla Firefox has been my primary web browser. It began with pre-version 1.0 release where I remembered admiring the browser so much for its simplicity and extensibility. Over the years, I collected a list of add-ons that I couldn’t live without. I continued to use Firefox until lately with version 8 when I discovered that it was eating up a lot more memory and becoming slower. I downgraded to v3.26.x release upon hearing it being the last version without memory leak. That only lasted for a few weeks because of its slow rendering of most javascript-intensive websites. I began searching for alternatives and was very pleased to discover how grown up Google Chrome has become since its early release.

The experience in switching web browser is similar to the time when I first made the transition from PC to Mac. It took time to find alternatives to what I’ve gotten used to with the new platform. From the first look, Google Chrome has met two out of three requirements I set, speed and simplicity. I consider availability of extensions to be a highly crucial ingredient, just as comparable to third-party apps for mobile platforms, or various software for different operating systems. Surprised to see a huge list of extensions available in Chrome Web Store, I’m also very pleased to find most of the alternative add-ons that were on Firefox.

NoScript in Firefox is to ScriptNo in Chrome.
AdBlock Plus in Firefox is AdBlock Plus (Beta) in Chrome.
HTTPS Everywhere in Firefox is HTTPS Enforcer in Chrome.
LastPass in Firefox is available for Chrome.
Xmarks in Firefox is available for Chrome.
NoSquint in Firefox has no similar extension for Chrome, but go to Preferences -> Under the Hood and set “Page zoom” to 120%.

Back when Google Chrome browser was first announced, I thought there was no way it could gain as much market share as Firefox. Turned out I was dead wrong as Chrome has since gathered more usage than Firefox. As technology improves, existing platform has to play well around it, and the product that can best adapt the current landscape will win.

When I first moved to California in May of 2005, I had literally nothing. After graduating from Western Michigan University, I packed as little things as I could into two big boxes for Fedex ground shipping. Then I disassembled the motherboard from the PC, unplug the DDR, hard disks, DVD writer, VGA card, power supply, monitor, keyboard, mouse and even the front-panel of the casing for the power on/off switch. I packed them into my baggage so that I have instant access to computer as soon as I got there.

The pictures below show the first week or so after my arrival. I didn’t have a casing yet. All the computer parts were assembled on the carpet. I also didn’t have mattress, but thankfully I carried a blanket which I used as a cushion. At the time, I was renting a cheap 500-square-feet studio apartment located near my work place.

I was young. I was energetic. I was naive. But it was fun.

Today, many of these capabilities are being integrated into handheld devices, replacing the physical items we used to depend on into digital format. Content providers such as Netflix and Hulu, are integrated into set-up boxes (Roku, Boxee Box, Apple TV, etc). There is no doubt that more and more televisions in the near future will have these functionalities built-in. Cars on the market today sometimes have GPS, voice activation and MP3 players. Integrating technologies into daily life is a wonderful thing. It saves us time and money, and improve the quality of life.

Life itself is more or less the same deal. Couple are brought together to bring better lives and happiness. A community consists of a group of people interacting with one another. A family is like a successful startup in life. Bringing people together is another form of integration.

It is clear that when it comes to convenience, there is no better way than to combine all into one. Successful unification proves that each of the functionalities have reached its own point of maturity.

The idea of social networking stems from individuals getting together to exchange information. In fact, this is what Internet is all about. However these information are scattered all around and we see tools arise from it trying to sort these information in a more organized way. What happens when one company has all the information from everyone who uses the web, and is able to control these data? As much as it is more convenient to input all information for one entity, one can certainly become dependent upon it. There will be severe consequences should that entity lose or misuse those information.

Thankfully, the benefit of the current state of social networking is that for every mature feature integrated, there usually tends to be an alternative. I, for one, prefer to use multiple services that place importance on one particular area. For instance, Flickr for photos, Twitter for status updates and Octopress for blogging. Putting everything in one basket maybe convenient for me and my intended audience, but it greatly reduces control over my own data.

I’m a big believer in sleep. I need to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep. Any less will affect my mood and productivity. So, how do I feel at work if I get only 5 hours of sleep? One word: Crap. I don’t feel like doing actual work. Absorbing information will be 10 times harder.

Exercise

These days, combined with daily 30 minutes exercise on treadmill and swimming during the weekends, I’m starting to feel better. The one thing I’m struggling to take control over with is diet. Sometimes I imagine that I can be healthier if I’m a vegan. But that’s a little too much to ask.

Working Environment

At work, I have one area in my cubicle where I stacked up boxes and placed the monitor, keyboard, mouse, laptop so that I can actually stand while working. I don’t think that it’s a good idea to stand for long when working on something that requires a lot of thinking and brain power. So, I have another area in the cube with Macbook Air, where I can sit down to write code and brainstorm ideas.

While I believe that I’m physically fine, I’m starting to feel mentally burn out. But that’s another story for another day to write about.

The temporary solution is to downgrade the server’s Synergy to v1.3.4 Mac OS X Intel 32-bit and the client to v1.3.4 Windows 32-bit. On Mac, I also used QSynergy as the front-end UI and set it to automatically start after login.

Not long after I got home from gym earlier, I came across an article on How to be Interesting. I’m not sure if I have too much time on hand during this Thanksgiving weekend, but I’m presently inspired and looking forward to try some of the recommendations, starting with blogging at least every week.

1. Remove any previous libnet (sudo apt-get remove libnet1).
2. Download the source for libnet-1.0.2a (Google it out).
3. Install gcc-4.1 (sudo apt-get install gcc-4.1).
4. Change the CC line in the Makefile of libnet-1.0.2a to be “CC = gcc-4.1” and compile.
5. Download nemesis-1.4 source code (Google it out).
6. Perform “./configure –with-libnet-includes=/usr/include/ –with-libnet-libraries=/usr/lib/ –enable-debug” and compile.

Solving Incoming Calls Expenses

There are a number of VoIP services out there, but I chose to use the free ones. Gizmo5 is a well-known service, but new registration has been disabled since Google acquired it. I was thankful to have an account before that. But there is another free service called sipgate. A phone number is assigned to the account once it’s registered. What I like about these services is that even though outgoing calls are still charged, incoming calls are essentially free! So, that pretty much solves the incoming calls side of expenses.

Outgoing Calls are Trickier

Thankfully there’s the free Google Voice. Again, a phone number is assigned after registration. What’s great about Google Voice, even though it does not provide VoIP service, is that it acts as a great phone forwarding system. For those who don’t know how Google Voice works, say if you want to make a phone call to someone, Google Voice forward that request to your phone first, before it automatically dial out to the person. So the idea is to have Google Voice dial sipgate number first before it actually dial out to the person you wanted to call. Sipgate incoming calls are free, Google Voice act as a free forwarding system, and combining those two made outgoing calls anywhere within the US free.

Integration with iDevices

The next step is to make life simpler. I sure don’t want to spend my time in front of the computer every time I make a phone call. Since I have iPhone and iPad, those two could potentially be very useful.

Sipgate has its own iPad app which is great. But it has its flaw. For example, I can’t pick up an incoming call if a call comes in if the app is running on the background because the “accept call” button cannot be viewed on the screen. Thankfully there’s another app called iSip, which allows integration with any VoIP services or devices. One trick when setting sipgate on iSip is to turn off NAT Detect, otherwise an incoming call will not get alerted.

Having a VoIP app on iDevices is great. The problem now is with wifi constantly turning itself off after few minutes in sleep mode. An app from Cydia called “Insomnia” and “KeepAwake” is available to solve this issue. However, it only works with iPhone. With iPad, it reboots itself few minutes after the screen is turned off. Even Insomnia Pro v4.0 seems to have this problem. Nevertheless, all is well with iPhone.

And Then …

I do not have data plan on an iPhone. So, this probably kills the “anywhere, anytime” characteristics as a cell phone. But I will be looking to see if there is a cheap, simple solution from LEiMobile.

For downloading the YouTube video, Firefox has a really nice plugin called Video DownloadHelper. For streaming to iOS devices, I look for no other than Air Video app. Air Video helps to perform live conversion of flash video (flv) file downloaded by Video DownloadHelper so that it can be played on any iOS devices.

Sure it takes extra time and effort, but that’s the trade-off for convenience vs quality of experience.

I was excited despite already owning an iPad Wi-Fi 16GB. I rushed to Apple Store (Oakridge), charged $695 to the credit card, and went home in joy, hoping to turn this into my primary device.

I compared the two iPads and found them to be identical except the sound coming out from the speaker. I tested both devices using the same music, tuning the volume control and discovered that iPad Wi-Fi sound quality is actually better, louder and clearer than iPad 3G. To some, this is slightly unnoticeable, but I’m able to sense the difference.

On an iPad 3G, it was also a hassle to switch between 3G and Wi-Fi. At one point, I noticed that after switching back and forth, the 3G was either low or has no signal.

These two weaknesses are sufficient to make me return the iPad 3G today. There’s 10% restocking fee; a small price to pay for being itchy with iPads.

Enter ILUV iCC1191 Anti-glare Type Protective Film for iPad.

I first heard this from a well-known trusted source. True to his words, it really makes a difference. The screen prevents scratches, and no longer collects fingerprints. Reading on it is now a pleasant experience as the reflection is no longer visible. Even touching the screen feels real good.

One setback is the bubbles that appear on the screen after applying this film. The instruction claimed that the bubble will disappear within a day. True, but be careful of dirt. Just a tiny dust that sticks into this film will leave a patch that will be visible on an iPad especially when it’s turned off.

This is how the screen looks like when the film is first applied.

The next day, some of the bubbles have disappeared. The rest of the patches are from the dust collected during the application of the film.

May 3: I passed my iPad Wi-Fi 16GB to dad.

May 6: I went to the Apple Store in ValleyFair Mall, but all the iPads were out-of-stock. The staff pointed me to an online reservation website so that I can pick it up as soon as it’s available in-store. I proceeded to reserve iPad 3G 16GB to be picked up at Oakridge Mall.

May 10: Four days passed as I anxiously waited to hear from Apple. I knew I needed some sort of assurance, so I ordered an iPad Wi-Fi 16GB from Apple Online Store. Truth be told, I was conflicted in the decision to purchase iPad W-Fi only or iPad 3G.

May 16: I went to Oakridge Mall to inquire the stock of iPad 3G and informed them that I made a reservation 10 days ago. I was basically told to continue waiting and that Apple has not forgotten my reservation.

May 17: iPad Wi-Fi 16GB shipped from Shenzhen, CN.

May 20: Received iPad Wi-Fi 16GB after having go through HK and Alaska before arriving here.

Cooking has never been more fun with NBC news playing on the background. I can almost see the 32” LCD TV in the living room going extinct soon. I can read books on the side while lying on the bed. Although this thing is cheap, it definitely plays a critical role in everyday use of iPad. Thinking of buying another one for use at work.

All rumors were put to rest in January this year when Apple announced iPad, signaling its intention to jump into tablet and e-book markets. Consumers had to wait for over 60 days to own one of these.

Well, today, the waiting game is officially over. After having made a reservation two weeks ago, I picked up an iPad this morning to complete joy and excitement. Although I’ve only owned this device for less than an hour, I must admit that I’m blown away by what I’ve seen so far. I’ll try to tweet my thoughts on this device in the coming days, but for now, allow me to show my first memorable unboxing pictures ~ :)

Problem: Clean install of Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6 shows the following error message:

Install Failed The installer could not copy the necessary support files

Information / History: The Macbook model number is A1181. The install DVD is 22691-6558-A. Upgraded the memory to a single PNY 2GB DDR2 SODIMM two months ago.

Solution: Replaced the SODIMM with the ones that originally came with Macbook which were 2 pieces of NANYA 512MB PC2-5300 SODIMM.

Update: Memory test failed on PNY 2GB DDR2 SODIMM which I purchased two months ago at Fry’s at discounted price. A lesson learned to always do memory test on a newly purchased DDR. Same goes with HDD.

I’ve been playing with it for about a week before having the time to single-handedly upgrade the ram.

Performance wise, it feels snappier and there’s room for virtualization now.

Hard drive is 120gb. I’m going to use external usb hard drive for now. I may upgrade it in the future.