Fun with Google tools

Over the past few months I've decided to be productive. I got into a few coding projects I've always wanted to get into so I could practice some languages that I didn't really know. Like my
Athletic Tracking thing (with awesome styles of course)(oh by the way, I'll be getting my broken GPS back so I can start exercising again)(3rd paren: I wonder if its a good idea to post live shipping info on a blog, probably not...). Kathy and I started working on a game which is still in the early stages in Gliffy, but that'll be fun.

Besides coding things up, I've been working with Google's free toolsets. Man they have some cool stuff. Besides the obvious Mail, Maps, Calendar, and Search, I've also gotten into Docs(awesome), Analytics, Adwords, Adsense, Dodgeball, Groups, Picasa, Reader(super awesome) and of special note is Notebook (which is super awesome because of the FF plugin supplied), and a few more.

The latest tool I started using is GWT which I think is so sweet I can't even imagine it. I've used a few frameworks in the past 2 years and I've found mostly frustrating results with them. Possibly it is because most of the tools use languages that I am not too familiar with. GWT seems to be built for Eclipse, or at least Eclipse is built to allow tools like GWT to be seamlessly integrated within. The fact that I'm back in the Java swing (nice choice of words eh?) of things is also very, not to sound cliche, refreshing (lol if you knew how java came to be).

The point of GWT is that you can write Java code and have it translated into Javascript. To me, this is a sweet gap between quasi compiled code (Java) and entirely interpreted code (Javascript). For me, development in JS is just so unstructured and difficult to deal with. I really enjoy my eclipse IDE which tells me when I do stupid things in Java, but I want to be able to do the flashy things you can do in JS. GWT feeds my hunger, and I love it.

I started working on a fun little app which so far looks a hella lot better than my Athletic Tracker. The forced organization of Java allows simpler css(ing). So I'm pleased.

In conclusion, Google has some really fun, time-saving tools.

In other news: I've been to San Diego 2x this year and I can't wait to go back, see the link for my Picasa above for pictures. We went swimming/surfing/boogie-boarding in like 50 degree water. Wet suits rule.

And I've been eating somewhat healthy again. Thats about it.

Installing Vista

I got Vista:

Here are my impressions as I'm installing...

I'm waiting forever on this start up screen....Srsly it was like 10 minutes of nothing happening. No spinning no nothing.

I just clicked install now...apparently you can't determine what partition you want to you. All it says is "Install now". I clicked it. I think I just lost all of my data. Wow that would be fun.

Waiting....While I'm waiting I'll mention how I got it. Rit Academic Alliance....Still waiting.

No really...is it erasing everything?

I guess its moving. It just takes like 15 minutes between clicks to do anything....So I gotta enter the product key.

My dashes were added automatically.

I am formatting my drive. That was pretty brainless. Admitedly, I can't imagine anyone messing this up (famous last words). Now I'm copying windows files.

I put all the cds. Then it restarted...now its just doing stuff...

Ok so I'm fooling around with it. There are some fun things. The gadgets I feel are done better than Mac's widgets. They seem more relevant and are actually visible all the time. Thats a good thing. The liquidy feel of it is a big improvement from xp. But these aren't OS things in my mind.

In terms of actual OS stuff, its rediculously better at networked FS stuff. I just xfered a 1GB file at 7MB/sec which is HELLA faster than windows used to do with SMB shares. That was nice. The expose thing is fun. But if you have too many windows open (like it was designed for), I feel like you can't see the stuff in the back of the deck. Thats a bit odd. Anyway, its still fun to deek around with with it.

I went to the games folder. Its empty. What no Solitare in 3d? F....

Oh well...

I'll write more later. I'm le tired after all that work I had to do with installing.

Wii

For some reason, Kathy and I were going into a bestbuy a few weeks ago and we
just happened to go past a demo of a wii. I really had no interest in buying it
at all. Anyway, something clicked and I had to have one. So we went out Sunday
and got one. I figured we had a $160 BestBuy card, might as well use it.

It's pretty fun. I actually found that when I got to work monday my shoulder was
hurting a bit. The wii sports are hella fun. You get to play with your mii
character and make them look like you. Its just funny because there is a tall
Rod with a perma-5-o'clock-shadow, a little asian kathy and and very short asian
Sen. Its funny.

The story about how we got it was mildly interesting. We both went to different
bestbuy's. They handed out tickets before we got there. We went to Gamestops as
they all told me they's have em at 11. So I got there at like 10 till 11 and
there were like 23 people standing in line. They had made a list. Blah blah I
was 27 out of 21 systems so I'm not getting one. Anyway, we got inside (i
figured i still had a chance) and this choad came in and cut in line. He wasn't
on the list but he snuck in. When people realized this it got heated. The cops
got called. He was a choad. The cops came and took him away under the threat of
trespassing.

Anyway, then I went to EB games in the mall and there was no line. Kathy beat me
there and was in line when I got there. She was like 2 in line. She asked for
one. She got it. End of story.

In action.

So we got Zelda and thw Wii sports. Still haven't used the gift card, so I think wii are gonna get Ultimate Alliance and Rayman Raving Rabbids. Awesome.

I don't post often enough

IPhone


Its been quite awhile since I've been so excited about a product. I got an email about 20 minutes after it was announced from my roommate Sen. We had been looking into smartphones lately. To the point where he had actually ordered one but it got canceled. He sent me the e-mail about the latest toy. Paraphrased it said: "Get the iphone".

Its been out for like 3 days now so if you haven't heard of it you've basically been locked in a cave. Its all over the internet, tv and radio. I can't believe how stunning it is. The last time I was so excited about a product was google maps. This is the type of thing that is really going to revolutionize life. Maybe that is an overstatement, but the thing is a totally fresh perspective on a pretty stale market. My old philosophy on phones was that they needed only Bluetooth capability, quasi-reliable service, must be small, and must not have restrictions set forth by the SP (Verizon). That's about it. The last phone I got, the shoddy Razr was acquired specifically because I got paid to take it.

Anyway onto the phone. Its amazing. Just amazing. I guess I won't describe it, but it'll be the best thing ever. I'm getting one. Link. It comes out in June. My 18 month upgrade option comes around in July. I think Cingular gives you ~$150 off of a phone. That brings the price down to about $450 for me. Kathy said she would go in on some of a smartphone for an Xmas present. For me its a no brainer.

I guess just thinking of the possibilities. You can switch to a wifi connection if possible and use a VOIP client and not use any of your minutes. OMG, how ridiculous is that? Its running OSX. So you can write software for it or install select COTS products. Sick. They have a graphical vmail interface. Its rediculous. It just makes more sense. Its Cingular (WAHOO). Its great


Anyway, not so boring for reader things:
I started a website. I want to see how much money you can get from ad revenue. Googles ad program doesn't tell you how much you get until you sign up. So I signed up. I'll figure it out once the site gets ramped up. I won't link to it here. And I won't have my name on there anywhere. Someday I'll link it. Its just an experiment.

San Diego
I'm going to San Diego today. That'll rule. I think I'm gonna get some surfing in this week. Its supposed to be ridiculously cold, so I got a 7 mil wetsuit. I've never had one on in cold water so I'll see how that goes. The real reason I am going is to see Meredith, George and their baby Maya.

New position
I started back in Silver Spring last week. So far the commute has been way more tolerable. Not that the metro sucked, but I have much more time to myself at the house. That's cool. Though I get less reading time in. That sucks. I feel like now I have a ton more to read too. Double suck.

New Years
The most relaxed uneventful New Years ever. I did kill a bottle of sparkling white though. That was eventful.

Wii
How could I forget. I've decided to get a Wii. I returned my PS2 to bestbuy under warranty and they sent me a $160 gift card. Why not just shell out the extra $100 and get a nice new must have system? Oh I know why not, because even God couldn't find one for sale anywhere. No worries, I'll just wait till they are more available. I have enough ish to do without worrying about that right now. But if I wanted to, there is a pretty good