Scribbles of Insight

+/- Review of Tecra M7

2006-12-19T02:18:00.000-05:00

I was going to do a lengthy review of my new tablet, but if anyone needed to know more about it, they would've already found it via Google. So, I'm going to cut right to the chase and give you a simple summary of my likes and dislikes from using the Tecra M7 over the past 2-3 months. You can get sick of the lengthy indepth reviews, but straight-up, no BS opinions are always gold.

For the purposes of this review, assume that any laptop starts at 50% on the basis that it will function adequately for most jobs that you throw at it. I spent a fair chunk of change on this laptop, so without modifiers, I would expect it to have a near-failing grade!

Let's begin...

Keyboard Layout (-5%) - Seems cramped and some keys are in non-standard or awkward positions. e.g., Tilde is to the left of the Spacebar, the Tab key is too small, and the PgUp/PgDn keys are way too close to the Enter key.

Pen & Pen input (+20%) - The most important feature of any tablet is the pen input. The pen given is light, easy to hold, and has an eraser style button on the end. It also houses a button that can be used for right-clicking or other options. Pen input onto the tablet and into various applications is smooth and the response is quick.

The picture isn't all rosy though. Pen-to-text can be frustrating, considering that the input panel assumes that whatever you're writing is part of its dictionary. If not, that unique acronym or term that you just wrote might be replaced by some sort of nonsense word. Another common problem is that if your style of printing doesn't conform to what the input panel expects, you're going to be doing a lot of correcting. It's unfortunate that the input panel isn't more adaptive to this sort of thing. There are some corrective measures, such as being able to add your words to the dictionary, but I still have many problems with this. As such, I generally use the keyboard for most of my input, unless I'm in tablet mode. If Microsoft managed to improve this, the score here would be beyond 30%.

Out-of-box functionality (-5%) - In this age, no one should have to put up with any preloaded, memory hogging crap. Unfortunately, Toshiba still hasn't gotten the message. My desktop, which was bought over a year ago, loaded twice as fast as the Tecra M7 after the first or second bootup. This should never happen. After the first screen you're bombarded with all kinds of registration forms and dialogs that no one should have to worry about. Remember when registrations actually meant something more than more advertising? Not only that but you have about 30 extra processes eating up a few hundred MBs of RAM. I feel sorry for those stuck with the base model's 512MB of RAM.

After some quick searches on Google and a dash of common sense, you should be able to eliminate more than half of the memory hogging programs. After that, it's a matter of priorities... do I keep that Toshiba power manager or do I ditch it? It's entirely your choice, although I found a handful of the processes to be very useful.

Fingerprint reader (+10%) - This was just icing on the cake for me. There's something about fingerprint authentication that just feels so futuristic and cool! Unfortunately, a little creative magic with fingerprint dust could probably fool it (it's especially bad with quality fingerprints sitting all over the outside of the machine), but I still like the convenience factor.

Screen (+5%) - The 14" screen is bright and extra wide, but it has a screen protector over it that leaves a crystal-like shimmer over images. That aspect certainly bothered me at first, but I've gotten used to it. The width is extremely useful for programming or reading ebooks.

Performance (+10%) - Now that I've cleaned up the process list, the performance of my tablet is excellent. When I refer to performance, I'm not talking about playing games. Actually, while I'm at it, let me be absolutely clear: this tablet is not marketed or targeted towards gamers! Business applications and graphics rendering are the name of the game, and that's part of the reason why I bought it. From my experience, even though the graphics card is not meant for games, it can still pump out decent performance on most games that debuted up to Q1 2006.

Audio (-10%) - It's almost expected that any laptop or tablet has crappy sound from the internal speakers, but I expected a little more quality in this case. Not only are the speakers tucked under the screen, where they emit muffled sound, but the quality of sound is lacking even when unobstructed. This isn't a big deal for me, since the headphones are never far away, but it is disappointing.

Speaking of audio, the internal microphone is just plain awful. I would rather listen to fingernails rubbing against a chalkboard than record lectures or sounds using that junk. For a business-geared tablet, this is simply unacceptable.

Tablet applications and productivity (+10%) - Whether you use Microsoft OneNote or GoBinder or even Windows Journal, you'll have a blast writing notes, drawing pictures, and anything else you can imagine. The greatest joy for me is to see a typed document with hand-drawn diagrams or pictures and embedded voice synchronized to the text. You get the benefits of searchable notes, plus the neatness of type, with the customizability and easy layout of a pen on paper. Simply astounding! :)

Ports and extensibility (+5%) - Nothing beats having plenty of USB ports all around like the Tecra M7 does - 2 on the back, and one on each side. In addition, you have the standard mic & earphone ports, multicard reader, dvd-rw/cd-rw drive, and plenty of other useful stuff.

Physical toughness and portability (-10%) - I've never seen a scratched up iPod Nano, but the finish on that couldn't have been any worse than the Tecra M7. It may look shiny and resistant to wear, but the slightest grain of sand or dirt can leave a nasty scratch that you'll never be able to remove. After two days of having the tablet in my possession, I noticed 3 distinct marks on the top finish. In response, I left the plastic packaging sheet on the back of the screen, simply to preserve the new look for as long as possible.

In addition to the finish, the latch for the screen is weak and the screen hinge is wobbly. The hinge issue is fairly common on tablets but Toshiba should've spent some extra dough to put a sturdier latch into the tablet.

The case is solid, but a little heavy for tablet use. Then again, I don't expect to be carrying it around in one hand for any significant length of time.

***

With that, I conclude my simple review. Add up the scores and we're left with a final rating for the Toshiba Tecra M7: 80%

It's on its way

2006-10-10T22:23:00.001-04:00

Finally, after weeks and weeks of waiting, my Tablet PC is on its way. I should've had it in my arms last week if the order hadn't been bungled up by Toshiba. By bungled I mean... they cancelled it without asking or telling anyone. Wonderful, huh?

That unpleasant fact aside however, I fully expect to be posting more often than during the previous two months. I'm also receiving a Thinkpad for work, which I hope will allow me to avoid having to trek into work on the weekends. That alone is not very pleasant, especially considering the transit trip is more than one and a half hours each way.

All in all, I'll have more opportunities to get work WORK done and spend some much needed time on activities that I've been wanting to tackle, but haven't gotten the chance to do recently.

I also have to keep my eyes open for Fall & Winter gifts before the insane mobs roll in, but that's an entirely different story.

Why a tablet PC?

2006-09-19T23:48:00.000-04:00

With work draining my previously plentiful hours, I haven't had much time to add something back here. However, I've been itching to put a certain question to rest...

Why a tablet PC?

That's right, I'm finally buying something portable, and not only that but it's currently on its way. They're more expensive than traditional notebooks or laptops, and they have more restrictive hardware options, but they're becoming more popular, especially in the education and business fields. Before I go into my reasons for getting a tablet PC, here is what I'm getting:

Toshiba Tecra M7 (Custom)

Windows XP Tablet PC edition
Core Duo Processor: Intel Core Duo T2600 2.16GHz
Disk Drive: 100GB 7200rpm
Display: 14.1" WXGA+ High Brightness Display (1440x900)
Graphics Controller: nVIDIA Quadro NVS 110M with 128MB DDR SDRAM
Memory: 2048MB - 1024MBx2 DDR2 667MHz
Optical Drive: 8x DVD SuperMulti (Double Layer)
Wireless 802.11: Integrated Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG 802.11a/b/g
Wireless Bluetooth: Bluetooth Version 2.0
Extra: Toshiba Slice Expansion 6-Cell Li-Ion Battery Pack

I think the specs are very reasonable and enough to last me at least as long as the 3 year warranty. Now that you have an idea of what I'm getting myself into, let's go over the 'why':

1) Swivel screen
This is something fairly unique to tablet PCs - the ability to rotate the screen around without revolving the base.

Why is this important? I can swivel it around, clamp it down over the keyboard and all that I'm looking at is the screen. This is great for portability since I am able to carry it around fairly easily and use the pen at the same time. Pretty hard to do that with a laptop.

I also have far more flexibility in terms of how I want to read a document or ebook. Some people are perfectly fine with reading on a laptop, however I tend to find it cumbersome during the times when I'm not sitting upright at a desk.

2) Expanded input
In the past, the main inputs to the laptop were the keyboard and mouse/pointer device (including those small pads for cursor movement with your finger). While great for writing an essay, or just general browsing, they lack a certain control that a pen & paper provides. By control, I'm referring to both the style and accuracy of the input.

Let's take an example. I'm sitting in a lecture for one of my courses, when the prof starts sketching a very complicated diagram on the board that I need to copy down, along with any annotations or descriptions residing in or near it. With a pen & paper, this is easily done - just sketch whatever the prof is drawing on the board.

However, let's assume that you've ditched paper and are only using a laptop. You could try and maneuver well enough to draw an accurate diagram in a graphics program and then paste it within your document. Or you might try describing the diagram, hoping to picture it later with acute accuracy. Or you might try your hand at some ASCII art. While these options might seem reasonable to some, I'm on a different spectrum. I want the flexibility of the pen & paper, while retaining the laptop. With a tablet PC, I can just sketch it right on my screen and into the document. Easy enough.

What if you want crisp, clean equations from physics or math in your document? There just so happen to be special tools out there for the Tablet PC edition of Windows XP for you to draw the equation, and then have it accurately converted into a very nice looking equation (using TeX, I believe).

Also, I just love the look of notes on paper. There's something about being able to easily provide a custom layout, write anywhere, and organize my information how I want with few limitations, that I don't get with a standard notebook.

3) Scribble
The word scribble usually conjures up an image of haphazard drawing, and that is probably the best way to describe what I'm referring to. You've got a quick note to add to your document? Just scribble it in. Special case or reminder that you don't want to get mixed in the text of your document? Scribble it in the margin. This leads partially back to my last point, but I think it's a good one to make. It also makes it very easy for creating quick diagrams without resorting to the mouse.

4) (Nearly) Paperless
Combined with a scanner, you can pretty much go paperless as either a college/university student or a working individual. This was one of the most intriguing options for me. Not only can I create all of my documents directly on the tablet, but the writing is searchable in many applications. Far less shuffling papers or reorganizing notebooks. Everything I need will be right at my fingertips. I can finally get rid of the piles of accumulated papers, strewn about my house.

5) Power
Until recently, getting a tablet for a 'power' user just wasn't all that possible, but with the onset of Core Duo processors, reasonably sized screens, and a fair chunk of memory, it's very easy. For my tablet, up-time should be a non-issue - with the slice pack attached, the Tecra M7 has a great battery life of approximately one working day (~8 hours). It's no slouch in the memory department, either.

I decided to upgrade the graphics option in order to avoid any issues with the integrated Intel 950. That also opened quite a few doors, previously closed with the pre-built setup of other M7 models.

Overall, this baby can handle a shitload and keep on coming, which is exactly what I need.

6) Portability
One of my final reasons for getting a tablet, which isn't specific to having a tablet over a notebook, is the portability of it. Doing an assignment at university without logging onto a computer in a noisy lab, or being trapped in a dark basement, is a HUGE plus for me. I'm a victim of both cases all too often and it wouldn't hurt me to get a little more Vitamin D, especially during the stressful times.

This was the first and most important reason why I looked into portable computers in the first place. I just so happen to have decided that the custom Tecra M7, a tablet PC, was the best fit for me.

------------

I ordered my custom Tecra M7 through a retailer in the US called Allegiance Technology Partners (AllTP). According to them, custom tablets are shipped out within 5-10 business days of order confirmation. Considering that it first goes to them, and is then shipped internationally (to Toronto), I'm taking this figure with a grain of salt. I figure that I'll receive the tablet during the first week of October.

Unfortunately, I had to take that route since Toshiba refuses to send custom tablet PCs to Canada. It's a shame really... not everyone wants the low-end base models and there shouldn't be any problem with the shipping custom models into Canada, other than an extra cost applied to the customer.

Nevertheless, I highly recommend AllTP to anyone looking for a tablet PC that they could otherwise never receive in their present location. I spoke back and forth with John Hill, who was probably the single most helpful person I've ever had the pleasure of doing business with. Cudos to him... he got his sale.

Transit: Viva answers

2006-08-29T22:08:00.000-04:00

Viva is a transit system, part of the York Region Transit authority, that runs buses north of Toronto. The bus fleet of Viva consist of some of the newest buses to run in Canada. They set themselves apart from your average transit buses with their LED schedule displays at each stop (which are 90% accurate to the minute), clean buses and shelters, honour system ticketing (no need to display a ticket unless a ticket agent checks), and voice announcements in the buses.

Just to put this into perspective, the newest TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) buses have none of those qualities, except perhaps the odd clean bus in the morning.

The most interesting item for me was the voice announcer - although very close, it didn't sound human. I wasn't quite sure that it wasn't a recording until it bumbled on "...York Region Transitt Routes." It raced through "Transit" and the 't' was emphasized too much.

I wanted to know more about this system. How was the TTS system implemented? Was it based on VoiceXML (a perfect application for it, by the way). Given that the Viva website didn't explain the process, and I wanted to know more about the Viva system in general, I sent the following questions (responses lie underneath):

1) The voice in the VIVA bus sounds like it is generated dynamically using some kind of TTS (Text-To-Speech) engine. Is it VoiceXML based? Who developed it for VIVA?

The voice used on the Viva buses is TTS and was developed by INIT (Innovation and Technology) out of Germany.

2) How do the VIVA stops know that the bus is no longer 'Due' and has passed? Is there a wireless receiver that obtains a signal from the bus?

Viva buses are equipped with a transmitter that sends departure information to the Control Centre after leaving a Viva stop. Control
Centre then sends converted information to the VMS display at the Viva stop.

3) I noticed that the VIVA system along Highway 7 crashed last week, and the displays went blank for the whole day. What happened?

A bug during a software upgrade caused this problem. It was subsequently repaired over the weekend.

4) Why are the metal benches in VIVA shelters sloped? They are uncomfortable to sit on.

The benches in Viva shelters were sloped to prevent people from loitering in the shelters.

5) Why were VIVA bus shelters not covered in tinted glass? Not only do they provide no shelter at all from the sun, but the glass design doesn't seem to be able to provide any shelter during cold winter months.

Unlike other transit shelters, the new Viva shelters contain a fare vending machine. The fare machine is inside the shelter so that passengers can use it under cover. The large opening in the front of the shelters is intended to make it easier for people to use the fare machine while others are moving into and out of the shelter.

Tinted glass was not considered for safety reasons.

Since when did sloped benches deter loiters? No wonder no one sits on them... they're more uncomfortable than the vertical cement posts that protect the shelters from vehicles. Give me a break!

As for the shelter design, you can take a look at a Viva shelter from this album.

The trick with creating structures for public use is to balance design and utility, creating a useful yet attractive space. These shelters were not built with the public in mind, that's for sure.

Just look at the positioning of those glass panes. If the wind is blowing towards the front of the shelter in winter, the snow may hit the glass panes, but the huge gaps and slope will funnel it right into the shelter. That, combined with the angled steel benches, and you're standing in the worst structure around. Even the TTC bus shelters, of which the newest batch are advertising hubs, shield you better from the elements. I wouldn't sleep in those if I was homeless.

Next are the glass panes themselves. This time, picture a hot sunny day, with no clouds in the sky and the sun beating down on you. Again, Viva bus shelters offer no shelter at all, with crystal clear glass being all that stands between you and the summer glare. Go to any shelter and I can almost guarantee that the people there are actually hiding behind the metal ticket machine, rather than cooking themselves in those glass terrariums.

The Viva folks seem concerned about safety, but I don't think they have tried hard enough to cater to their customers in this case. Surely, adding a strong tint to the upper half of the windows would not compromise the safety of those inside the shelter. You can still see the person's feet and you can damn well hear any screams or yelling from the giant openings, if it ever came to that. Tinting barely affects visibility from the inside-out, so the excuse that people's field of view would be compromised is just weak.

I wasn't expecting such a timely and detailed response in the first place, so I guess I have to give Viva praise for that. They could stand for some improvement in their other areas though.

If you're interested in learning more about the brains behind much of Viva's transit innovations, take a look at INIT's website.

VoiceXML: The Beginning

2006-08-28T22:31:00.000-04:00

VoiceXML is my newest focus these days simply because it's so different than anything else I've tried before. You may recognize it as the technology behind those Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems that commonly greet you when you call your bank or before you reach customer service. Many people become frustrated when presented with a non-human voice belting out ordered options over the phone, but I believe that the technology is capable of much more user friendly applications than have so far been introduced.

VoiceXML is a W3C standard markup language for voice-driven audio applications, featuring digitized speech, recorded dialogs, DTMF signaling, and speech recognition. Traditionally, previous IVR systems hosting voice applications were difficult to program, with vendor-specific languages and proprietary technologies. A new system was needed to provide developers with the tools that they needed to transfer applications from one platform to another, and to reduce the costs associated with IVR's. That's when VoiceXML was developed.

Well-implemented VXML based systems can be very efficient and beneficial to us - but only in the correct circumstances. Telephone banking, weather reports, and status updates about events like concerts and services, are all good candidates for a voice based application. These services can be easily automated and do not generally require human intervention, however it's always a good idea to present the option of talking to a person just in-case. Frustrations with these systems are generally few and far between.

When you have many complicated options or near-endless possibility of customer questions, it's better to focus on a mostly human operated system. That's not to say VoiceXML can't be useful in these types of situations, but it's not a good idea to over-do it. A few options at the start of a call to forward it to the correct department, or even to provide a responder with basic details of a particular call, are acceptable.

Although many IVR style systems require servers and telephony hardware, they're not necessary to develop VXML applications - you can find many free development environments or online services that can be accessed to suit your needs. Personally, I use VoiceGenie, which is based in Toronto and provides multiple extensions to call to test VoiceXML applications. It has multiple ASR and TTS engines to support your application.

If VoiceXML interests you, as it did with me, dive right into some tutorials. I'm betting you'll have a blast with the TTS engines, especially over at VoiceGenie. Happy developing :).

September reading

2006-08-26T00:48:00.001-04:00

I find myself getting more and more behind on my learning of new (and old) technologies, with work taking up the majority of my day and the transit trips sucking my energy away. I'm hoping I'll have better luck managing my time in September, despite looming deadlines at work (IBM Canada). Here are a few book titles that I have in my sights for next month:

C in a Nutshell
Publisher: O'Reilly
Pages: 599
With courses under my belt covering introductory C, UNIX, data structures, and operating systems, I figured that a book such as this wouldn't be needed. C programs aren't generally an issue for me, but you never know when a book can surprise you with new and interesting facts, and that's why I grabbed it. It covers the basics, the explanations, and the advanced, both quickly and painlessly.

Professional Java User Interfaces
Publisher: Wiley
Pages: 632
I can see this book as being part of some sort of GUI design course, given its abundant helpful tips for creating GUIs in Java applications. It's a little light on code and heavy on explanations, so sometimes the text becomes a blurry mess that could've been easier demonstrated through examples. However, many of the suggestions offered in the text, especially related to creating well-organized, object-oriented GUIs, are quite helpful if you dig deep enough.

Firefox Hacks
Publisher: O'Reilly
Pages: 365
Quick, easy to digest 'hacks' are the name of this book. This was probably the most interesting read that I've had in a while, and I even worked out my own tutorial on Firefox search plug-ins (posted in July) based on a few of the hacks. I learned a lot from this book, which is more than I can say about some of the other books in this series.

Definitive VoiceXML
Publisher: Prentice Hall
Pages: 454
The first time I saw this book on the shelf, I knew I had to take it out. Two and a half months later, I still have it, even after multiple library renewals. That's a testament to both the writers and the engaging realm of VXML. Expect to see a set of tutorials from me soon, geared towards voice/web applications that utilize VoiceXML and related technologies.

The Mythical Man-Month
Publisher: Addison Wesley
Pages: 322
I had heard of this book before, and I was in a reading mood rather than a studying mood, so I grabbed it. I admit though, that I haven't had the chance to look very far beyond the front cover.

XPath and XPointer
Publisher: O'Reilly
Pages: 195
This is the only book on this list that specifically deals with part of my job. I think that the best way of detailing the behaviors of certain technologies is to use them myself, at least for a few days. I'm hoping that this book will give me that extra understanding to improve the quality of my work.

Pragmatic Project Automation: How to Build, Deploy, and Monitor Java Applications
Publisher: The Pragmatic Bookshelf
Pages: 161
I was a fan of this series way back when I received The Pragmatic Programmer as a gift. Simplifying what I do on a daily basis is always great, especially when the info I need to do so is compacted into just 161 pages. This book has a strong Java slant to it (hence the title), but the processes explained could probably be applied just as effectively to other languages. It seems to be a good read thus far.

Science: And then there were 8

2006-08-24T20:04:00.000-04:00

The International Astronomical Union decided to do a complete 180 in their latest view of our solar system. There are now 8, not 12, planets! Pluto got the boot and is now classified as a 'dwarf planet', while the remaining 8 are the classical planets.

The general consensus is that if we start calling Xena, Charon, and all other 'ice balls' out there planets, we'll soon be considering the entry of dozens upon dozens of planets into our neck of the woods. Not only that, but many of the 'dwarf planets' are in fact larger and more massive than Pluto. So if Pluto was a planet, they would have to be considered planets too.

Be sure to check the headlines tomorrow... we might be the last planet left soon!

You know your neighbourhood is in the shitter when...

2006-08-23T21:03:00.000-04:00

...loads of instant-money or check-cashing services pop up in your area. Weston, my area of Toronto is becoming poorer and poorer, and you can see it creep in. First it's the big chain like Money Mart... then it's the smaller ones you've never even heard of. Fees, fees, more fees. Less money in the hands of residents leads to fewer purchases, increasing numbers of dollar stores, and a crappier neighbourhood.

People don't even go NEXT DOOR to the bank and open an account, which will save them loads of money in the long run.

Wonderful.

Politics: Arctic Sovereignty

2006-08-20T19:09:00.000-04:00

I'll say it right now... I don't like Canada's Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, and I like most of his policies even less.

But when he agreed to attend to his previous commitment of traveling to the Canadian arctic instead of going to the international AIDS conference in Toronto, I was pleased. While AIDS is certainly a very significant problem for the world and I support its elimination, I feel that Harper did the right thing.

The issue of Canadian arctic sovereignty was one of Harper's primary campaign points, and it should be expected that he come through on his promises, rather than suddenly go AWOL and fly back to do something he wasn't born to do (I'm of course referring to Harper making speeches, both cold and rehearsed, about things he doesn't care much about). He threw billions of dollars into the military so just let him do his thing.

With Global Warming opening up shipping lanes through the arctic and peaked international interest, it's only a matter of time until other northern countries start to really understand how insignificant the current Canadian arctic presence truly is. Once that happens (if it hasn't already), any small chance that Canada once had to demonstrate that the waters surrounding our northern islands are truly ours would be lost, and along with it possibly billions of dollars related to fishing, oil, and gas revenues. Is that what we want?

Harper is actually the first Prime Minister in the post-Cold War years (to my knowledge) to truly recognize the threat to Canada's territory and identity that is present. The Liberals under Chretien and Martin barked a lot, but didn't have much bite. Whether Prime Minister Harper's resolve is truly genuine or not has yet to be seen. It's one thing to stand up to the Dutch over the tiny rock called Hans Island and claim it for our own, but it's an entirely different matter to tell an American nuclear submarine to get lost.

Most other countries don't even recognize our territorial rights in the arctic, claiming that our northern waters are international waters. They reject any claim that we have over those arctic waterways. Inuit have recorded sightings of strange objects in those waters before, possibly even nuclear submarines from both the U.S. and Russia. If they're up there and don't see any red and white flags flapping in the wind, it's no surprise that their countries don't give a rat's ass about whatever we claim.

As it stands, Canada's military presence in the North is pitiful at best. A volunteer band of mostly Inuit reserve soldiers compose the Canadian Rangers, overwhelmingly tasked with patrolling the huge Canadian arctic coastline. They do this partly on snowmobiles with WW-II era rifles. I feel my confidence drifting away already.

The navy stands only slightly better, with icebreakers arriving during the summer for mostly resupply missions. Occasionally, you get a frigate to head north, such as when the Hans Island operation took place, but even those vessels are easily stranded in thick ice.

Long-range, all-weather aircraft are so few and far between that even if a ship was discovered in the north that shouldn't be there, it'd be too late to scramble any sort of response.

As you can see, Canada's hold over its arctic waters is weak at best. Canada needs the three all-season polar icebreakers that Harper had promised in his military budget, early in 2006. Unfortunately, those ships have yet to be officially announced, let alone constructed. Harper also described an arctic sensor net, which could possibly work, although shifting ice flows and weather would certainly make such a system a nightmare to maintain. Despite those flaws, I believe that our Prime Minister is on the right path to securing our northern region from interlopers.

Given that the land and waters are so treacherous within the Arctic circle, I would say that a satellite or two to assist in monitoring efforts would be worthwhile, especially if global warming continues to melt polar ice. I also don't see why Canada couldn't develop its own all-weather semi-autonomous drone aircraft to identify naval vessels - the technology and brain power is certainly available.

Science: 12 Planets!

2006-08-19T23:52:00.000-04:00

Not since Pluto was discovered has any event changed the outlook of the solar system so much. The picture above, courtesy of the IAU, is certainly one that you'd better get used to. With the newest draft definition of a planet developed by the IAU, our solar system has gained a minimum of 3 new planets; Charon, Ceres, and 2003 UB313 (Xena). A dozen or so other planet-like objects may also join the orbiting bandwagon around our sun in the near future. Welcome to 2006 - when we started having 12 planets.

Here is the new draft definition of a planet:

A planet is a celestial body that (a) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (b) is in orbit around a star, and is neither a star nor a satellite of a planet.

Heh. Astronomy textbook publishers are probably wetting their pants as we speak, eager to replace the now millions of books that have suddenly become obsolete.

I'm just glad that they've finally come to their senses and pumped out a definition. An object in the black of space is now either a planet or not. No more "ummm..uhh..yea..maybe..." from astronomers.

The fact that Charon was classified as a planet baffled me at first. After all, wasn't it always considered as Pluto's moon? However, given that Charon has a mass that is significant enough to be considered a planet, and that it is gravitationally linked to pluto, it is counted as a "double-planet". (http://www.iau2006.org/mirror/www.iau.org/iau0601/iau0601_Q_A.html)

Also with the planet definition is the new "pluton" definition. This group includes all planets that require 200 years to orbit their sun, of which Pluto, Charon, and Ceres are part of. Because of their generally high-tilted, elliptical orbits, these planets are thought to be different enough to be classified in a collection of their own. The "planets" currently under consideration would be plutons.

What a wonderful universe that we live in.

Dating a developer

2006-08-02T00:47:00.000-04:00

There are certainly some common traits that many developers have obtained through years of pounding away at the keyboard, and although I don't consider myself a true developer (yet), I also see these traits in myself. They include: an obsession about technology, very late nights of work, and cursing wildly at the monitor with the occasional urge to throw something that will shatter into a thousand pieces. These aren't particularly bad things in themselves (unless you start throwing expensive electronics around), but they can be tough to live with sometimes.

Women courageous enough to date developers may not realize how common these attributes are, and there are a few things that these women should know. The original post is no longer functional, so I've linked to the google cache.

I personally found a lot of truth in that post, although I can't see myself purchasing hordes of geeky t-shirts that few people could ever understand. Nor can I ever imagine #2 being true... I mean, when was the last time you saw a processor with boobs, ass, and personality to boot? ;)

Firefox: Foxmarks

2006-08-02T00:34:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I was playing with the idea of hacking together a script that would painlessly export my current Firefox bookmarks to my USB thumb drive, since occasionally I'll find a bunch of great sites while at work and I would like to be able to return to them when I get home.

After looking into the issue further I discovered a neat plugin called Foxmarks that will act as a bookmark repository and automatically synchronize your bookmarks as you browse. Not only can I forget about the scripting, but I can also leave the USB drive in my backpack for when I really need it.

Foxmarks is especially useful if you're one of the people who constantly switch back and forth between different computers at home, but don't want the hassle of maintaining two sets of bookmarks. In fact, it has become so ingrained in my Firefox usage, it's hard to imagine browsing without it.

Firefox: Create your own search plugin

2006-07-10T22:53:00.000-04:00

Firefox comes bundled with a small search box where you can type in any query and you'll instantly search using the selected engine. There are several engines already in the list: Google, Yahoo, Answers.com... but what if your favourite site isn't listed there or isn't available through the Mozilla addons site?

That's where this trick comes in handy. You can easily add whatever search engine you wish to that list by following a few steps.

The Engine
First, find a site that you commonly execute a search on and then perform a test search with their engine. Some sites are easier to create plugins from than others, but for demonstration purposes, I've chosen the CBC website at http://www.cbc.ca. The format of their search queries is really long, but you'll be ready in case you find something more challenging.

Once I've typed in my term in their search box (I'm using "TEST" this time), and pressed Enter, I arrive at the results page with the address bar of my browser showing this:

http://search.cbc.ca/search?ie=&site=CBC&output=xml_no_dtd&
client=CBC&lr=&getfields=description&proxystylesheet=CBC&oe=&
amp;searchWeb=cbc&q=TEST

Ouch! In this case, the action parameter should be http://search.cbc.ca/search (everything before the question mark), but not in this case (see below). The only parameter you're truly worried about is q, which is clearly set as "TEST". All of the other parameters do serve a function, but let's shove them aside for the moment.

<search> tag
Search plugins rely on a source file (plain text). They are described by a tag that has the following attributes:

version - Describes the plug-in version, although for some strange reason it is set to the current Netscape release, which is now "7.1".
name - The name of your search plug-in
description - A simple description
method - The search method used, which is always "GET"
action - The URL of the search site. Usually, this is everything before the "?" in the test search, but some websites will go nuts when you try to execute a no term search, including CBC.ca. If you know an alternate search URL, use that instead, as I have in the text below.

Now that we have some information, we can start to create the markup that will form the basis of the plugin functionality. First, open a text editor and enter the following tag, which is based on what we've gathered so far.

<search
version="7.1"
name="CBC News"
description="Search CBC.ca"
method="GET"
action="http://www.cbc.ca/search"
>
</search>

Add the content
Now that we have our foot in the door, we can add some data to our search element. Each query has various parameters that we have to consider. The CBC search happens to have a ton of them, each separated with an ampersand (&). These constitute the "meat" of our plug-in and follow this format:
<input name="" value="">
Easy enough, right? For that special parameter that holds our search term, you have to replace the value attribute with the user attribute:
<input name="" user="">
Great, now we have the information we need to complete our plug-in. Fill in the details of the tag, like so:

<search
version="7.1"
name="CBC News"
description="Search CBC.ca"
method="GET"
action="http://www.cbc.ca/search"
>

<input name="ie" value="">
<input name="site" value="CBC">
<input name="output" value="xml_no_dtd">
<input name="client" value="CBC">
<input name="lr" value="">
<input name="getfields" value="description">
<input name="proxystylesheet" value="CBC">
<input name="oe" value="">
<input name="searchWeb" value="cbc">
<input name="q" user="">
<input name="sourceid" value="Mozilla-search">

</search>

You may be wondering what that tag at the bottom does. Well, it's there to inform the website admins that you're performing a search using your plug-in. Simple enough.

Save your text file in <firefoxpath>/searchplugins (commonly C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\searchplugins) with any name and the extension .src.

Favourites Icon
Your plug-in will work if you restart Firefox, but we're not quite finished. Currently, there's no icon associated with your search, so it won't stand out if you make several of them. One trick to snag the icon is to go to the search site in question, and point to the favicon.ico icon. For CBC, it's at http://www.cbc.ca/favicon.ico. Download this file and convert it to .gif or .png, then save the new image in the searchplugins folder under the same name as your .src file. Now you have an icon for your search!

For more information about search plug-ins, consult the Mycroft Project.

Biking around Toronto cont'd

2006-07-10T22:17:00.000-04:00

Although I have yet to try it out, it seems as though the newest change to the Martin-Goodman trail has been completed. Check it out.

Biking around Toronto

2006-07-09T21:24:00.000-04:00

It's that time of the year when you should... no, you must get out to enjoy the summer. What better way to do so than to ride through the trails and paths of Toronto on a bike?

One of the most valuable tools to exploring the city on two wheels is the Toronto Bike Map, which is available free at any Toronto civic centre and also most bike shops. You can also call the city to request a copy of it. For a few cycling tips and an online copy of the map, you can visit the City of Toronto Cycling page.

I urge you in your travels to check out the Martin-Goodman Trail that stretches across the waterfront, view the gardens along the hilly Humber Trail, and wind your way through the scenic Don Valley Trail. Catching a trip on the ferry across to Toronto Island is also a good bet, but be sure to avoid it during the spring when the eastern cottonwood (poplar) trees litter the island with their characteristic white fluff. It's like riding your bike through a summer snowstorm :).

One of my favourite trails (which I rarely get to see) begins above Eglinton West station next to Allan Road, starts east and then curves to the south. It's a long dirt trail flanked by two almost never-ending rows of mature maples and oaks, eventually leading through one of the largest and most peaceful cemetaries in the city, and deep into the heart of Toronto. If the far end of the trail hadn't been closed this year, you'd be able to follow it right down to the lakefront, and then continue east back up the Don Valley River. However, it's also a good starting point to exploring the downtown routes that grace many of Toronto's tourist attractions.

For those wishing to take a long trip along these trails, I have a few words of advice:

Bring plenty of water and stay hydrated. The water fountains in any of Toronto's parks are, from my experience, damaged or unusable if they're not already broken.
Bring a tire kit or a spare inner tube, and also the tools necessary to repair any leaks or tears. This includes an air pump.
Wear loose clothing and bring sunscreen.
Make sure you're fit enough to make it through the trails and back without killing yourself. There's nothing worse than getting downtown and being too exhausted to climb back up the tall hills to get home. If all else fails, bring enough for a TTC fare. You're allowed to take your bike on the buses, streetcars, or subways anytime outside of rush hour (7-10AM, 3-6PM if I recall correctly).

Good luck and happy riding.

Environment: Do you drink from your toilet?

2006-07-05T21:52:00.000-04:00

I sure don't... nor do I know any people that do.

However, that's what the health crusaders at Brita would like you to believe you do every single day!

I'm sure you're picturing it right now. Now that was refreshing, wasn't it?

The fact is, our tap water is completely safe for consumption. Sure, those water molecules were probably in someone's toilet at one point, or inside someone's body, or perhaps flowing over the dirtiest sludge you've ever had the pleasure of encountering, but that applies to just about every other bunch of atoms out there. Simply put, unless there is something wrong with your plumbing, you're not about to get sick from the water flowing out of your tap. For the time being, Brita will probably stick to their tired marketing campaign for months to come, preying on those of us vulnerable to their FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt).

On a similar note, this is the same argument that bottled water producers use on consumers all of the time. "Oh, just look at what happened in Walkterton. Your public water is too dangerous and full of nasty bacteria!". On the contrary, tap water is subject to even stricter health standards than bottled water ever was:

A regulation (O. Reg.169/03) under Ontario 's new Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002 sets numerical limits on contaminants in drinking water. Under this regulation, maximum levels of chemical, bacterial and radiological parameters are set for municipal drinking water supplies. All drinking water in Ontario must meet these standards. However, bottled water is not legally required to meet these same standards.

Source: Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA)

Not only is the bottled water more costly than the gas in your car (several times more in some cases) but it's not even held to the same standards as tap water (which costs you pennies). In addition, tap water contains fluoride to help your teeth resist cavities and decay.

Even more revolting than the masses of consumers who are gullible enough to take bottled water marketer's claims at face value, is the fact that much of that bottled water comes from the exact same set of pipes that your tap water does!:

Some is cleaned by adding ozone. Some is passed through high-tech filters. And a quarter of all bottled water comes originally from a municipal water source -- a tap.

Source: CBC Marketplace

So, for all of the people who can't go anywhere without buying overpriced, overrated H2O, enjoy your $1 plastic bottle because it's the only special thing you're going to get.

Environment: Going nuclear

2006-07-04T02:46:00.001-04:00

For those of us in Ontario, you may recall several Canadian Nuclear Association ads during the winter and spring of this year that essentially painted nuclear energy as the rosy solution to all of our power woes. The second I saw those ads, I knew that the Liberals, who had been struggling with their promise of eliminating coal-fired power from Ontario by 2007, were going to announce new nuclear facilities in the upcoming months. It was an attempt to cozy us up to the thought of clean, efficient power, and away from those nasty memories of Chernobyl. Lo and behold, just a few weeks ago the provincial government declared that they were the first in North America to invest in building new nuclear power plants in the last 30 years. I really can't say that I'm surprised.

The fact is, Ontario is a very power hungry place. With one of the largest commercial and urban centres in North America, we're bound to be tapping heavily into the grid to quench our insatiable thirst. Deviating from my previous views, I think nuclear is not only the best solution for us, but the only solution in our current situatuon.

Let's consider the alternatives. First, there's coal. It's cheap, it's plentiful, but it's a very dirty fossil fuel to burn. You can thank part of that smog you breathe in everyday to the coal power plants that surround us. We've used it for the past, oh, two centuries? Developing nations such as India or China practically eat it for breakfast and look how their air quality is. Personally, I think it's about time to give it a rest.

Second, we have 'green power', which no one wants. Yep, you heard me. Sure, we all talk like we want to have 100% of our power from renewable, green power, but when that power bill comes in and it's higher than it used to be, do you think people will continue supporting green energy? Not likely.

However, some citizen's attacks against green energy are, frankly, really stupid. I think the most amusing argument I've heard against wind or solar power is that "It's an eye-sore". Hello? As if smokestacks and summer haze aren't?

On the other hand, I think that clean, renewable energy is definitely within our grasp, but only if it's given the investment it deserves. Even aiming to have 5-10% of our power seems like such a hard thing for politicians to handle, that I wonder why they even bother. If you've seen the wind turbine in downtown Toronto, you'll have all of the proof you need to know that it's only a half-hearted effort. They must only turn it on when nobody's looking.

Third, you have hydro-electric [dams]. I don't really lump this in with green power since it's anything but green. To dam a river is to essentially kill any natural balance that it once had. Fish can't return to their natural spawning grounds, so they die. Anything that depends on the fish or the river's wildlife also vanishes. Land up stream from the dam is flooded, harmful chemicals or elements such as mercury accumulate and poison the water... the list goes on. Hydro-electric dams are a modern environmental disaster in themselves. Just look at the destruction reaped by China's new Three-Gorges Dam.

Last, you end up with nuclear. The accidents at Chernobyl and Three-Mile Island, although they are important lessons about what devastation nuclear energy can bring, both lie in the past. Advancements in both reactor design and safety have virtually eliminated the chance of such mistakes occurring in the future. Plus, nuclear plants are clean in that they don't contribute to the smog sitting over our urban centres and low lying areas. They're also far more efficient than coal, more centralized than wind, solar, or tidal power, and also less damaging to local ecosystems than the majority of our other energy sources.

I know many Ontarians have a bitter taste in their mouth from the frequent problems in our old nuclear plants - I was, and still am, one of those people. I'm hoping just as much as you are that the new plants will be efficiently run, reliable, and provide us with the energy that we desperately need and crave.

Yikes

2006-06-02T15:45:00.000-04:00

What does it say about a blogging site when the spellchecker flags "blog" as a mistake? :o