Technology

My Mediawiki

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I have been using VoodooPad for a few months (actually pushing a year now, wow) and it has been a great product. With me at a new job that requires me to use a company issued computer having all my wiki information on my Mac is not the most functional setup. If I am at work our out and about I cannot access my data. Because of that I have been trying out Google App’s Sites. It is a decent wiki like application, but I don’t like the fact that I cannot export my data easily. I am also becoming more and more wary about Google’s privacy and security policies. I tried to setup PHPWiki on my web hosting account, but ran into issues with it. I used PHPwiki at Partsearch and we had all of our department documentation on it and I loved it. More recently however I have been liking Mediawiki.

I finally sat down and tinkered around with my hosting account and got Mediawiki installed. Because this is a private wiki, I had to password protect the directory that the wiki resides in on my hosting server, but otherwise the install wasn’t so bad. I have to get used to formatting my pages for the wiki. Voodoopad spoiled me in that way. It was like writting in word when you wanted to format text in Voodoopad, but this is the price I pay for having my data availible to me anywhere I have an internet connection. I have already leaveraged that benifit of my new site by accessing it on my iPhone. I also like the fact that I can backup the DB and port it to another Mediawiki install if I ever have to. Overall I have been happy with my experience!

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Task Management

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For the past few years I have been trying to find the perfect solution for task management. I try to follow the Getting Things Done model for organizing my “stuff”. Even before I followed GTD I tried different tools for task management. For years that simply meant using the built in task functions in Outlook. When I switched to a Mac I continued to use Outlook for about a year or so for mail and tasks since I wasn’t comforatable enough with iCal, Address Book, and Mail. By 10.3 or so I switched over and began using iCal for task management. iCal is a good calendar program, but it isn’t so hot for tasks (in my opinion). I used it since it was what worked when syncing my Treo’s. I wanted to have the categories stay intact so I had problems with Entourage. That left me stuck with iCal. I tried Market Circles’s Daylite for a while. In the version 1.x days or even the early 3.x days it wasn’t the best with syncing with the Palm so I used it on and off again but I always ended up back with iCal. It wasn’t the best solution, but it was the one that worked for most of the basic functions. When Daylite 3.5/3.6 came out last summer with Sync Services support I switched back to Daylite. I had problems with my computer that forced me again back to iCal. By the time I got my iphone I knew I needed to find a new solution for task management, since the iphone didn’t support iCal tasks. Daylite is coming out with an iphone product that looked perfect, and there were a few other products out there that did similar functions, but my new job threw a kink in my plans. See next paragraph!

During this entire time using a Mac based program was not an issue since the two companies that I worked at didn’t care if I used my own Macbook. My boss at Partsearch at one point allowed my tech team to buy Mac’s when we wanted to. He even got one. My current job however requires me to use a windows PC exclusively. This poses a problem for me. If I used a desktop program to manage tasks I would have to choose between data I can only access at work or via my work laptop or data that I can access only at home or via a PDA. Neither option was appealing to me. For the first 3 weeks at my new job I was using outlook for work tasks, and continued to use iCal for personal ones. It was becoming apparent that I needed to take the plunge and choose one. I couldn’t decide! Then I remembered I signed up for Hiveminder. It is a web based task tool by Best Practical. They are the guys that make Request Tracker, a favorite issue tracking tool I have used at a few companies. I started using that site for my new tasks. It was an ok experience. I had some issues with the usability of the site so I wasn’t sure if I would continue using it.

The overall idea of a web based tool did have my curiosity. In the past I had discounted a web based tool since I wanted a full featured client. Now I needed the flexibility of accessing my data anywhere. I went to Lifehacker to see what reviews they had for web based task management or GTD tools. I found a few that looked promising. That was when I came accross Remember The Milk. I remembered reading reviews about RTM a while ago, and every review was positive. So after signing up and playing with 2 or 3 other services I signed up for an account with RTM. It has only been a few days, but I have all my active tasks in RTM. So far I have found it to offer most of what I am looking for. I can have lists, tags, due dates, & reminders. It has a good search function. Adding of notes isn’t so hard. It also has a quick entry for for tasks (Hiveminder’s is better, but you can’t have everything). I also like that I can access an iPhone optimized version of the site. It isn’t an offline client, but it is close enough. I can also view (unfortunately not edit) my tasks in iCal. I just downloaded the gmail plugin for RTM that allows me to manage my tasks in my Google Apps account. That looks very promising also. The other major feature I love is the offline mode thanks to Google Gears. If I had any doubt that I would be trying this service for a while it went out the window with the offline mode option.

Remember The Milk

For now I am exploring what I can do with RTM. As it stands now task management is now another function I can perform via a web app, and not an installed application. More about that in a later post.

So why am I rambling on for paragraphs about task management? There are a few tools (hardware or software) that I live and die by. Managing tasks is one of those critical tools and I have been in limbo for ages with mediocre options (Daylite excluded, it rocked but I was never 100% right for my situation). With Remember The Milk, it looks like I have a great tool, and I have options with how I access it. I like that. I know I am fickle. In two weeks I might be writing about some fatal flaw I found in this service that makes it not right for me, but for now this is the way to go for me!

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eee PC

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Today I got my eee PC 1000h. It is a tiny 3lbs or so mini laptop. My first impressions are mixed. It is small but feels heavier than i thought. The Vaio I have feels allot lighter but is only slightly lighter. The eee PC does feel a bit sturdier. The keyboard seems ok. The speed of the system seems pretty sluggish, but I don't plan on doing intense stuff on it. I bought it mainly tto take notes and blog like I am doing right now.

I want to plug the eee PC into a monitor and see how it performs on a big screen. From what I can tell this is a great little limited capacity computer, but by no way does it replace a full functioned laptop.

SugarSync

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I have been using .Mac on and off for a few years as a remote file storage location for my documents. The service was the only one that I found that had a workable system that kept a local cashed copy on my computer and synced the changes to a central server. The problem is that .Mac doesn't work that well. I stopped using it back in January when my annual renewal was coming up. I didn't want to keep paying it since I didn't think I was getting my money's worth. In June I changed my tune since the MobileMe functionality was coming out with the iPhone 3G. I thought those added functions were worth it the fee, and if I was already paying for the MobileMe syncing I might as well use the iDisk feature as well.

That decision hasn't worked out well for me. I constantly get sync errors when I have documents open that iDisk is trying to "automatically" sync. I have had iDisk totally corrupt two of my personal wiki's I have using VoodooPad.

I was happy to stumble upon an article that talked about among other things different file syncing and storage services. I had heard about Xdrive, and Box.net, but I looked up a new one called SugarSync. On paper it does everything I need:

  1. Price is reasonable
  2. Mac & WIndows clients
  3. Local (or multiple local) copies as well as the server copy
  4. Sync on when changes happen
  5. Plus it offered other features that I didn't think of but probibly could use.

Best of all the reviews were all really good, and from reputable people like Mossberg and Pouge (I hope I spelled their names right). With all this good "sounding" information I signed up for a 45 day trial with 10gigs of file space. I am slowly syncing my documents folder to their system now. According to their status meeter it will be about 7 more hours before the data is fully synced. I will then give it a true test drive at work tomorrow. I will also be able to install the Windows agent on my Vaio laptop at work and see if I can access everything. That was something I couldn't do with iDisk.

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Mobile Phone Savings

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Back around March / April time frame I upgraded my mobile phone plan to the new unlimited minutes option from AT&T. I was using my mobile for just about all calls and my usage on the phone shot up. Then in June I was able to make outbound calls via Skype but have my caller ID come up as my mobile #. That change allowed me to use my computer to make most of my outbound calls. In July my mobile usage peaked, but towards the end of the month I began to seriously use Skype over my mobile. I mean why use my mobile when I am sitting at my desk at work or at home where I spend most of my time on the phone anyway? Because of this huge decrease in the usage of my mobile I am switching to a cheaper plan when my billing cycle changes next week. I will save $40 a month by going to a 900 minute plan with rollover. That might even be over kill at the usage rate I am going but I don't want to chance it. The cost of Skype in and out for one year is around $61. I make that back in under two months. Now all I need to do is wait for more friends of mine to use video chat and I won't need to make any calls at all!

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Vista

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I am once again dabbling with Microsoft Vista. I installed Vista using bootcamp on my Mac Mini the other day. Now that I am using the iMac more and more, I can give the Mini a dual role of normal Mac and Vista. The iMac is much more powerful so using it for video processing and other functions I used to do on the Mini makes sense. WIth the Mini freed up I can play with it and do Vista on it. So far I haven't put any software on it. I am just tweaking the install and patching it. I don't know why I am really spending any time with Vista if I am so happy with my Mac. I guess my need to tinker outweighs common sense sometimes. Not to worry I am not abandoning my Mac any time soon. On the contrary, I am waiting for the new Macbook's or Macbook Pro's to get released so I can upgrade.

Apps That Should Be Written To Be Put On My iPhone 3G

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I know the iPhone App Store is only a few weeks old but I really would like to see some apps that I am used to on the palm. I don't miss the Palm OS, but some of the apps I had on my Treo's were very helpful or fun.

SSH Client – someone wrote a Telnet client, but lets face it if you are a decent network or systems person you really want SSH and not telnet. Or both!

FTP Client – Probably wouldn't use it that much, but a cheap or free client would be a nice to have.

Quicken or an expense program that will export inputed data into a format that Quicken will read. Am I the only one that uses Quicken that wants this? They make a Palm and Windows Mobile version!

Call Recording – This was a must have for me on all my recent phones. Until you have it, you don't realize how much you need to record calls. Especially when dealing with vendors, support people, etc. Had it on my Palm Treo's and my Nokia E61i. I actually didn't use the Treo 750 because it couldn't record calls. Not having this function was a trade off I made when getting the iPhone, but I would hope someone would write a program to do this!

Skype – probably too much to ask for since you can't use VOIP applications via the 3G network, but Skype would be nice!!!

There is probably more, but for now that is all that I can come up with.

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Apps Found on My iPhone 3G

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I have been using my iPhone 3G for a few weeks now. So far I am a fan! There are still a few things it cannot do (call recording!) but overall it is a great phone. I have downloaded a ton of free and paid apps. Some of my favorites installed on my phone now are:

GrandDialer – Basically an app that will do GrandCentral's click to dial. I haven't used it that much yet, but so far it is really cool.

Weather Bug – because I like to know the weather.

iTrans NYC – fantastic NYC subway maps, plus transit alerts

Facebook – because I got addicted to it back in May!

iDrink – You never know when you need the ingrediants to make a fantastic drink

GoContact – send contacts details quickly. It is amazing how often I need to do this

Loopt – Location based stuff is just fun. I just wish anyone I know used it

aSubnet & Instant Byte – Subnet calculator. I also have some unit converter software specifically for technology. Very helpful. I am waiting for an SSH client, and a cheap FTP program (the only one out there is $10).

iNetwork Test – runs a test of my wireless connection and keeps track of results and the locations they were taken. Very cool.

Mobile News & NY Times – my fix of the news.

1Password – website password management on my iphone. I love this on my Mac and it works great on my phone.

SplashID – I had this on my Palm for ages, and the concept is the same. My password library with me anywhere i go, but in a nice secured format.

Remote – iTunes / Apple TV remote that just works.

PwGen – random password generator. I have a program like this on my Mac, but a portable one is cool. In my job creating passwords happens all the time!

BigTipper – I hate calculating tips, this makes life easy.

Flashlight – It is just cool!

and More…

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I Cannot Stand The Blackberry Pearl

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I cannot stand the Blackberry Pearl! I know it is a really small phone, and it is a Blackberry but it drives me crazy. The only reason to have a Blackberry is to use it for email. I think all other functions of it are sub-par as smart phones go, so to have an email device without a full keyboard is driving me up the wall. My office gave me a brand new Verizon Wireless Pearl when I started and I tolerated the horrible keyboard since it was the nicest phone they had. The last straw was about two weeks ago when I was writing my boss and the dam predictive text or whatever you call it could not type out LAN, nor could I cancel out of the options it was giving me.

Early last week I had our telecom person switch me to an Blackberry 8800 that my predecessor had. That phone is huge, and kind of sucks but it has a full keyboard. I will use it until we can figure out why we cannot get the iPhone or any other Wireless Active Sync device to connect to our Exchange 2003 server.

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This Weekend

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I went to see The Dark Knight with Danny in Union Square Saturday night. We went for some food and a few drinks afterward. The movie was good, but not awesome. Until the last Batman movie I hadn’t been a huge fan of the franchise anyway, so the new ones are converting me over!

Today was more relaxing. I cleaned up my apartment, and did some reorganization on my computer. It took all week to move 1.4+ terabytes of data around on my newly upgraded Drobo. I like the unit, but performance is sucking big time after I put the 4th 1TB drive in. It stinks attached to my Mini or as a NAS. I don’t know what the deal is.

Other than that I relaxed. Having some down time since the weeks are hectic is nice!