Desktop Notes 3.0

Learning on the web

26 June 2008

Being an on-off amateur photographer, one of the first things I installed on my MacBook Pro was Aperture. Since I'm new to Aperture, I decided to check out the tutorials link.

Clicking the link opened up my browser and navigated me to the Aperture Tutorial website with numerous videos about 1 to 3 minutes long. After watching a couple of videos, I realized how easy it is to learn from this website.

Now I've seen many webcast/video tutorials before, especially Microsoft ones. What makes the Apple one different, and better than the Microsoft ones?

The tutorial website is really well designed. True to Apple's design, there is no clutter on the website and it is clear where you go and how to select videos to watch. Compare this with Microsoft's Office website:

Seriously, how long will it take you to find the tutorials link on that page? There's even advertisements on the Office homepage!

Another important factor to easy web learning is short and to the point videos. There is no marketing fluff in Apple's tutorial videos. When you click on a video, you know exactly what you are watching. Each video shows you what the feature is and how to perform it and quickly ends.

Once again, let's compare to Microsoft's Office website. After 20-30 seconds of hunting, I finally find the Training link. From there I click on the "Popular" link showing a video on "SharePoint document libraries". Now being on a Mac, I don't have Windows Media Player to play the video, but just looking at that page with the "20-30 minutes" timer makes me want to close the browser. This is actually pretty good for a Microsoft video as normally Microsoft videos that I've watched in the past are over an hour long minimum!

Why are long videos useless? First of all, everyone is busy so no one has the time nor the patience to sit through an hour-long lecture. Second, long videos are long typically because it's jam packed with lots of information. Thus it's really easy to get overwhelmed and forget most of what was discussed in the video.

Another nice feature of Apple's tutorial website is this:

Since there are numerous videos, Apple's website helps you keep track of videos you have seen, have not seen. Wow, nice touch! These check marks even persist after you close the browser (through cookie's I'm assuming). Come back to the website a few days later and you'll see your check marks still there! Good luck trying to remember which videos you've seen/not seen on Microsoft's website.

I used to dread watching video tutorials based on bad past experiences. Apple's Aperture tutorial website has completely changed my perception. Now, I rather enjoy watching Apple's video clip tutorials: I don't have to waste time finding the videos and I get to control how much time I want to spend. And if i decide to take a break and come back the next day, I won't have to waste time watching the same videos because I forgot I had already watched them!

How to setup up an IT infrastructure from scratch

24 June 2008

Working at a startup, you literally start with nothing. NOTHING! The full effect of "nothing-ness" doesn't hit you until you sit down and start to plan out what you'll need. Since I'm the tech guy, this post will focus on the technical side of starting up a company. If you're here looking for information on operations, well... better find another blog.

Once you realize you have nothing, that's when when you realize how much work the IT department of a company does to setup an IT infrastructure. Luckily if this is something you're interested in, as I am, then it's also quite fun to pick and choose your new toys.

So what kind of IT resources does a start up need? Let's see...

• Web Server
• Email Server
• File Server
• Backup Resources
• Test Servers
• Production Servers
• Network Services
• Hosting Services
• Networking Equipment.
• Source Control System
• Issue Tracking System
• Workstations
• Laptops
• Wireless Communication

Of course whether you need all these resources depends on your company. For my start up, we definitely needed all of these. Technology is so essential in any modern-day business, you'll most likely need at least one or two of these items no matter what kind of company you're starting.

Now that you have a list of technologies you'll need, it's time to take the next step: cut as much as you can! Yep, you read that right. Since a start up starts with very limited funds, you'll need to do your best to save on everything. Thus it's crucial that you save, scrimp, clip, do whatever it takes to get by with the bare minimum, even with technology. Ideally, you want to save as much as you can now, while also picking the right technology that will allow you to easily scale down the road. Stay tuned as that will be the topic of the next post.

LINQ to SQL in SQL Server

20 June 2008

I'm writing some code that will be in a .NET 3.5 assembly running in SQL Server 2005. Since I'll need to retrieve data from the database, I figured I might as well try out LINQ to SQL running inside SQL Server while I'm at it. The good news is that it will work, however you will have to add a couple more assemblies into SQL Server than just your assembly.

This post won't go through the basics of SQLCLR integration. You can read about SQLCLR in this super long MSDN article or these 2 short and succinct articles instead (TIP: take the 2 short articles :P).

So to get LINQ to SQL working inside SQL Server 2005, you'll need to add the following assemblies first (shown in hierarchical dependence order):

• System.Core
• System.Data.Linq
• • System.Runtime.Serialization
  • • SMDiagnostics

Run the following script to register these assemblies (assuming default installation locations):

 
CREATE ASSEMBLY [SMDiagnostics]
AUTHORIZATION dbo
FROM 'C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v3.0\Windows Communication Foundation\SMDiagnostics.dll'
WITH permission_set = unsafe
 
CREATE ASSEMBLY [System.Runtime.Serialization]
AUTHORIZATION dbo
FROM 'C:\Program Files\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\v3.0\System.Runtime.Serialization.dll'
WITH permission_set = unsafe
 
CREATE ASSEMBLY [System.DATA.Linq]
AUTHORIZATION dbo
FROM 'C:\Program Files\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\v3.5\System.Data.Linq.dll'
WITH permission_set = unsafe
 
CREATE ASSEMBLY [System.Core]
AUTHORIZATION dbo
FROM 'C:\Program Files\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\v3.5\system.core.dll'
WITH permission_set = unsafe
 

Once these assemblies are in SQL Server, you'll be able to add your LINQ-ified assembly into SQL Server.

With all those assembly registrations, is it worth it? I don't think so. After I tested it out, I got rid of all those assemblies and replaced my LINQ code with a few simple calls to SqlCommand to get my small piece of data. This just goes to show you: the newest technology is not necessarily the best technology. Don't just blindly follow whatever is the latest that Microsoft pitches to you!

Firefox 3

17 June 2008

Just installed Firefox 3 and so far I'm impressed. I opened up a bunch of tabs (28 to be exact) right away just to test out the speed and memory usage. I'm glad to say all the tabs loaded really quick and used about ~100mb of RAM. Not too shabby!

Only one addon that I regularly use didn't make it past the upgrade: CTC. That's not too bad and hopefully an update will be on the way.

One thing I noticed with FF3 for Windows is that it will hijack your default browser. Um.. where's my dialog box that disables this? I thought we were over this browser-war-hijack-default-browser-stuff? FF3 for Mac doesn't have this problem. Whoever created the Windows installer needs to be fired (that is if he's being paid)!

All in all, my first impression of FF3 is that it's a great upgrade for everyone who uses Firefox. Too bad the Windows version is marred by the setup faux pas. Remember to download your copy today to help Mozilla's attempt at the world record!

EDIT: Just downloaded FF3 again and noticed a default checkbox that would let me disable default functionality. Much better!

Homecoming

14 June 2008

See what life changing emails do to you? After hitting the pause button on my blog for the last few months, I've decided it's time to hit play again.

So what's new? Here's some of the things that I've been working on these past few months which I'll be posting about:

• Moving from California to Taiwan to Utah.
• Setting up an IT infrastructure from scratch.
• Setting up an IT infrastructure on the cheap (being a start up after all...).
• Life in a start up.

And of course, I'm typing this post on a brand new computer.

More to come!

[Image from graphicstyles.org]

The Power of 13KB

17 December 2007

Amazing how a few bytes* can change a person's life.

A couple of weeks ago, a colleague of mine from the states emailed me about an opportunity to join him in starting up a company. Now how many times in a lifetime does this happen? On the one hand, I'm having the time of my life in a foreign country achieving some of my personal goals. On the other hand, I now have an opportunity to do something big for my career. Which do I choose? Why are choices in life so hard?!?

So after receiving the email and taking a week to decide, I finally came to the decision to work with my friend.

And this is why there hasn't been any updates lately. I spent my last remaining days in Taiwan as a nomad traveling around the country trying to soak up as much as possible. I then traveled to Thailand to explore a totally foreign country. Finally, I said my farewells to all my family and new friends here in Taiwan before catching a plane back to the states arriving only a few days ago.

And, sorry to sound cheesy, but now that I'm back home, I can fully appreciate what the experience of living outside of your own country bestows. Reflecting upon my lifestyle at home, I no longer take for granted my every day life compared to the daily life of others in other (less fortunate) countries. I also feel much better having accomplished (even though partly) some of my goals that I've set out to accomplish 4 months ago in taking my trip.

I will miss what I left behind, but the future is brimming with opportunity. The twists in life are sure unpredictable. Whether advancing my career or achieving personal goals is more important, I don't know, but having made my decision, I will pursue it with utmost passion and hope for the best.

 

* OK, so Outlook says the email is 13 KB, but ignoring the overhead and the included previous email, the email is actually 1.3 KB.

Nokia’s Crappy Warranty

8 November 2007

Nokia makes one of the best phones in the world. However I wish I could say the same about Nokia's support division. My recent experience with Nokia's customer service has proven to me that a consumer company is not just about products. The experience of how the company treats its customers is also a big part of the overall "product".

A couple of weeks ago, my expensive Nokia N95's backlight battery decided to die on me. Why, I have no idea. Just one day it stopped working. Since I am currently traveling and not at home (in the U.S. where I purchased the phone), I wanted to find a local Nokia support center in order to get my phone fixed. Since Nokia is a global company, I didn't think this was a problem. However, as it turns out, I walked up to the counter and the person told me that since my phone was purchased in the states, they would not honor the 1 year warranty BY NOKIA. "Aren't you Nokia?!?" I said. "Yes, but we are Taiwan's division and we don't support the warranty by the U.S. You will have to ship your phone to the U.S. if you want to use the warranty."

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but a company that markets GLOBAL phones does not have a GLOBAL WARRANTY policy?!? A company that wants you to travel with their phones won't support the phone if it breaks outside of the country you purchased the phone?!? Does anyone else besides me think there's something wrong with this concept?

So I tried contacting Nokia U.S.A. to get support. My first attempt at calling, no one picked up. So I tried to send an email. I got the typical response that Nokia received my email and would respond in 24 hours. A day later, no response, a week later, still no response.

Finally I gave up and just decided to pay for the fix locally here. Since the time and effort, not to mention the shipping, will cost just as much, if not more to ship back to the states.

Companies need to get it straight. If you're going to market yourself as a global company and create a global device, you better support your own product globally! Nokia gets an A grade for technological superiority, but an F for one of the worst support I've ever experienced.

Holy Crashes Batman

5 November 2007

Taiwan has a lot of public signs that depend on XP machines to drive the displays. Here's some public computer signs that crashed which I just so happened to be next to take an embarrassing picture of.

There are many of this type of signage along a very popular road in Taipei. I just happened to be walking by this one when it was malfunctioning. You can tell it's Windows as the error says something in Chinese followed by Windows\System32\Drivers\Ntfs.sys

 

Taipei's rapid transit is called the MRT. All the MRT stations have plasma widescreens to show the status of the next train along with some promotional material. Unfortunately this one doesn't seem to be cooperating. You can clearly see the XP desktop here. Looks to be the English version of Windows too. This sign crashed at the Taipei Main Station, the central hub for all transportation in Taipei.

 

Last but not least, it can't get more embarrassing than this. This is a gargantuan sign at a very busy street intersection. Instead of showing the normal advertisement, it's showing some application that drives the huge display. I watched it for a few seconds while the operator was clicking around trying to get the sign up and running again. Here's a picture of application the operator was clicking around around while trying to fix the display.

 

Gotta love these public computer crashes!

Overcoming Shyness

31 October 2007

After reading this excellent article, I was inspired to reflect upon my own recent experiences on this topic. I used to be known as the shy person. Normally I would shy away from social gatherings and stay at home to work on my computer. However, recent changes in my life have inspired me to change my ways after recognizing the fallacy of my ways.

First off let me say I am by no means an expert on this topic. I am also not saying I'm completely "cured" either. This post is only my reflection upon my recent experiences in trying to overcome this "problem".

The first step is to recognize by yourself that being shy is a problem. Having other people tell you will not work. You need the inspiration to come from within. Personally, I knew being shy was a problem for many years and many people have urged me to change, but it was only the last few weeks that I came to the conclusion that I must change myself in order to transcend to the next level of life.

Once you've realized that being shy is a problem, here's what I consider are the most important factors to overcoming shyness:

1. Have an encouraging set of friends. This might be a challenge for a shy person since this involves getting to know people. You can look internally within your family/relatives. If no one there can help you, then you can try meeting new friends at places where people congregate: the gym, church, and school to name a few. For me, I was lucky that fate led me to the group of classmates here at NTNU. My classmates here have taken on this role for me, and they were the ones who kick started my recent transformation. For this I'm eternally grateful to them.
2. Let your guard down. When among friends, it's OK to let your guard down. You must do this in order to try new things. If you're stubborn on your refusing to try new things, you will never get to experience new things. Never drank before? Do it when you're with friends. Never danced before? Let your friends show you the moves. Part of overcoming shyness is trying out new things and doing this with friends is the best and safest way to do it. Your friends will take care of you and will support you so it's OK to let your guard down to try out new stuff.
3. On your quest to become more social, you will make mistakes along the way. As the article says, don't fixate on your blunders. After you realize something went wrong, consider the cause, consider how not to make the same mistake again, then move on. Shy people tend to be introverted, and introverted people tend to think about everything too much. So it's natural for you to think way too much about something. Thinking about your mistakes too much will only exacerbate the feeling and make you feel worse, eventually causing you to give up your quest and cause you to lose everything that you've gained.

With these tips in mind, I've been successfully transforming myself into a more social person and meeting lots of new people. So far I'm having lots of success and with friends who support me, it's been a lot of fun. Even though I missed out on so many years in the past, with another new year ahead, I'm enthusiastically looking forward to what's upcoming. 

Happy Birthday to Me

22 October 2007

Normally I ignore my birthdays. When I was younger, I wanted to get older. Now that I'm older, I want to be younger. Sigh.. will we ever be happy in life?

Well this has been a significant year to me because of the recent changes in my life. If you've seen any of my past entries, you might have read about a small trip I took to Taiwan. Lately I've been experiencing a personality change as well (upcoming in a future post). Collectively, all these experiences have changed me in the last few months making me look forward toward the next year with eager anticipation. I haven't felt this way in a long time so I wanted to mark this occasion here.

So what's the lesson I learned? The adage of the day is "change is good" in your life. If you feel like you're in a rut, do something different. It will make you feel a lot better.

So, Happy Birthday to Me!

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