Author: Lorin Olsen

Mozilla Firefox 1.5 Beta 1 Available

Lorin Olsen


Raucous applause was heard from the team. Someone mentioned a crazy man running about shouting something like “The new phone book’s here! The new phone book’s here!” No, that was Steve Martin who said that. But Asa has announced the news that Firefox 1.5 Beta 1 is now available. Downloads are available at the Mozilla site. But links to downloads can be found here: win32, mac, and linux. You can read the highlights with the release notes. But all the things I’ve been writing about in Deer Park are part of this build. Man, it’s exciting to see the new bits poised for public consumption! I think I am most excited about native svg support. A new era of web graphics is about ready to dawn on us!
At the same time, the lovable Greasemonkey team has released a new version of its work. Better said, Aaron has released the current branch with new version checking that works for Firefox 1.5 Beta 1. Since this is not a public beta of Greasemonkey, I won’t link to a download site. But you can check out the monkey business at the Greaseblog.
With both Firefox and Greasemonkey in alignment again, there is harmony in the universe – or my universe, at least.
-CyclingRoo-

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Apple’s Big Splash – But How Much Water Displaced?

Lorin Olsen

Apple made their big announcement today. Here are the short highlights:

  • The iTunes phone was released. It is a Moto ROKR. It has a fixed memory size. And a sizable price tag. And it is only available from Cingular. Drats! I wonder if it will be a big seller. Somehow, I don’t think so. The price tag is too high and the memory is too limited. Most folks will see this price point and lust for the Nano instead. Strangely enough, it’s not called the iPhone or even the iTunes Phone. It is iTunes on a mobile device. They are leaving the branding to Cingular and Moto. So we will all call it the ROKR.
  • The iPod Nano was released. It will hold 1,000 songs (4GB of storage). It is ultra-sleek. And its price starts at $199. This will force the Shuffle price down even further. Boy, the iPod product line is getting rather crowded. BTW, I used the Nano photo because I think the Nano is such a sleek, sweet design – and the phone is just what everyone predicted anyway.
  • There is a new version of iTunes (v5.0). Most of the changes are to support the new iPod models (phone and Nano). But there are some nice visual touches and eye candy for existing users. I wonder if they’ve revamped the DRM scheme again. I’ll research and let you know.

There will be a whole lot more to write tomorrow. In the meantime, I’ve got to run off and finish some chores…

-CyclingRoo-

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Apple's Big Splash – But How Much Water Displaced?

Lorin Olsen

Apple made their big announcement today. Here are the short highlights:

  • The iTunes phone was released. It is a Moto ROKR. It has a fixed memory size. And a sizable price tag. And it is only available from Cingular. Drats! I wonder if it will be a big seller. Somehow, I don’t think so. The price tag is too high and the memory is too limited. Most folks will see this price point and lust for the Nano instead. Strangely enough, it’s not called the iPhone or even the iTunes Phone. It is iTunes on a mobile device. They are leaving the branding to Cingular and Moto. So we will all call it the ROKR.
  • The iPod Nano was released. It will hold 1,000 songs (4GB of storage). It is ultra-sleek. And its price starts at $199. This will force the Shuffle price down even further. Boy, the iPod product line is getting rather crowded. BTW, I used the Nano photo because I think the Nano is such a sleek, sweet design – and the phone is just what everyone predicted anyway.
  • There is a new version of iTunes (v5.0). Most of the changes are to support the new iPod models (phone and Nano). But there are some nice visual touches and eye candy for existing users. I wonder if they’ve revamped the DRM scheme again. I’ll research and let you know.

There will be a whole lot more to write tomorrow. In the meantime, I’ve got to run off and finish some chores…
-CyclingRoo-

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Doctor Who 2005

Lorin Olsen


This has been an interesting holiday weekend for me. I’ve had a lot to do. And I have a lot left to do. But I decided to also spend a few hours and catch up on the BBC’s new Doctor Who series. After seeing all of the chatter on the web for the last few months, I thought I’d dip in and sample the series. I have only one word for Mr. Davies’ new series: Wow! And that is followed by a few more words: when can we Yanks see the episodes broadcast here?
I have watched Doctor Who for many years. In the seventies, I saw some of Jon Pertwee’s episodes. In the eighties, the local PBS affiliate played the entire Tom Baker series. And in the nineties, I was able to see some of the Colin Baker episodes. So I’ve seen many episodes of many Doctors. And my love of the series has spanned three decades.
But when the BBC announced the new Doctor, I was thrilled – and saddened. I was thrilled to know that the Doctor would once again travel through space and time. But I was saddened that Doctor Who fans in the U.S. would not see these episodes for several years. I was thrilled that we would see a ninth Doctor – but saddened that the Daleks had been destroyed in the great Time War.
But I have been fortunate enough to see the ninth Doctor in action. And this series has been overwhelming! Every Doctor has had his own unique mannerisms. And each Doctor has had a great story arc. Well, the ninth Doctor is no exception. This season was primarily written and produced by Russell Davies. And the new Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) has been wonderful. His latest companion, Rose (played by Billie Piper), has been both beautiful and engaging. And this companion has been given unprecedented “access” to the heart of the TARDIS itself.
I will not do a complete season review. Great web sites (like Outpost Gallifrey) have already done that. But my comments are simple. I loved this series. The actors were marvellous, the story was crisp and well planned. And I really loved the entire Bad Wolf theme carried out throughout the season. And, as much as I hate to admit it, I really liked the Captain Jack subplot. It put a strange (and new) spin on an old series. I sure hope Rose and the Doctor go back for Jack. Leaving him behind would be like leaving K9 behind!
Finally, I have one question for the BBC: when can we Yanks buy the DVD’s for this season? If I can’t get the broadcast, I’d buy the DVD.
-CyclingRoo-
P.S. For those interest in next year’s series, the secret word just might be “Torchwood.” And one enterprising fan has laid out a script premise whereby Adam ends up working at the Torchwood Institute and is responsible for the rebirth of the Cybermen.

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A Time To Be Humble

Lorin Olsen

“if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

I am devastated. I am bereft of the words that can describe the agony of what is happening. We have been humbled. We have been reminded. We are not invincible.

  • Could our armies defeat the tribal chieftains that rained terror upon us? It seemed so.
  • Could we once again travel into space? We have done so. We have sent rovers to Mars. They have lasted for months. And we have sent impactors to comets. And we are learning much. And we have sent surveyors to Titan. And the data we have seen has astonished us.
  • Could we forecast the hurricanes that aimed for our coastlines? Absolutely. We saw the storms and we warned the people.
  • But could we control the weather or convince those who would not leave? We did not. And we must always remember what we could not do. It must chasten us.

These scenes must always remind us of how frail and powerless we truly are. These scenes must remind us that even when disaster strikes, we are called to humble ourselves and then aid those in need.
We should always seek ways to avert these tragedies in the future. And the future will arrive with increased abilities and capabilities. Future storms will not result in the same number of deaths and the same breadth of devastation. But until then, we must focus on the challenge before us today. There are simple things we must do.
We must pray. Does God need our prayers to learn of the need? Of course not. He knows of the need. But it has been said that prayer is the act of allowing God to change (and use) the penitent petitioner. So we must pray. We must ask God to forgive us for resting in comfort while our neighbors are suffering. We must ask God to inspire us to action. And we must ask God to use us.
We must open our purses. God has said that where our treasure is, our heart will be there also. So let us send our treasures to those in need.
We must open our homes. Franklin Graham has sent out a call for the churches of America to open their homes to destitute families. While this burden will be accepted by local churches in the South, the churches throughout America must accept this challenge as well.
We must open our hearts. We must pray for the lives of our neighbors. We must set aside our petty selfish desires and ambitions. We must open our eyes and see the pain and allow our hearts to become softened once again. My God, forgive me for my seflishness. God, forgive me for my lack of gratitude for what you have given me. I have so much. May I commit all of it to your service.
God bless those who need your mercy. God, revive this land. We need to soften our hearts, open our eyes and start to work. God use me however you can.
-CyclingRoo-

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WinFS: Is Cairo Finally Arriving?

Lorin Olsen

Sorry about the Cairo joke. But there sure is a lot of stuff starting to appear regarding WinFS. And for those not following WinFS, it is the “object-oriented” filesystem that Microsoft has dropped from the upcoming Windows Vista release – yet it is seeing the light of day already. This filesystem has been a design point for Windows for almost a decade. But despite the redefinition and repeated delays, it is great to begin to see WinFS. So here is the current scoop…

I am debating whether or not to attempt WinFS on any existing systems. I think I’ll wait until I get some early feedback from the field. Nevertheless, I am excited that such a long-standing vision is finally finding its way into the hands of the customer community.
-CyclingRoo-

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If the NYT Prints Something, It Must be True

Lorin Olsen


“All the news that’s fit to print.” That’s the motto. And while some folks want to trash the grand maiden of journalism, I hope that she is right – at least, this time. Yesterday, the NYT published a report stating that Apple will be releasing its “iPod phone” sometime next week. The Chicago-Tribune repeated the story in today’s paper. Roger Entner, an analyst with Ovum, has indicated that the phone will be be sold through Cingular and its network.
BTW, current rumors still consider the Motorola E790 (aka, the ROKR E1 pictured above) as the most likely candidate for the handset.
-CyclingRoo-

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[Note: I work for a US wireless carrier. However, any comments on this subject reflect my opinion and not the opinion of my employer.]

Morning Grind #11

Lorin Olsen

Short takes for Friday, August 26, 2005

  • Lance Armstrong had a very good interviewon Larry King Live. Unfortunately, we will never know the truth about Lance Armstrong. Only Lance Armstrong knows the truth. And he is saying that he is innocent of any blood doping allegations. Everyone else (including the French journalists) is seeing through a lens of speculation. The journalists believe Lance is guilty. So everything they see “proves” their assertions of guilt. Every LA supporter (myself included) assumes that Lance is being framed by an over-zealous and highly jealous brood of “journalists.” So everything we see “proves” that folks are out to smear a good man.But all of us must come to the point where we have to accept the unkwown. No matter what happens from this point forward, Lance will always have a question mark on his career. He can never “prove” his innocence – no matter how hard he tries. As Americans, we must learn to live with the fact that all people are innocent until proven guilty. So let’s start acting that way. Lance is innocent. No one has proven that he has done anything wrong. Until proof is available, Lance is innocent.
  • I added an external USB hard disk to the main computer in our house. It’s nice to have an additional 160GB to exploit! But, it’s not enough. Actually, it is enough – but it won’t solve my nagging problems. Every year, we get copies of Dana’s basketball games. And we convert these video tapes into DVD disks (for ourselves and Dana’s coaches). But it is really hard to work with these files. An average game results in ~10GB of video footage. And our internal hard disk can’t handle more than a handful of such files at any given point in time. That’s generally not a porblem. I can keep a few active and “archive” the rest to the external disk, right?Uh, no. Not really. Apparently, it’s not so easy to move +10GB files from one disk to another. I’m not certain whether the problem is the number of extents or what. But I can’t move them to the external USB drive. So it’s time to select what’s behind Door #2. And the tool of choice is DivX. I’ve used DivX for quite some time. But I have always used a DivX player – not the encoder itself. But I downloaded the trial version of the encoder from DivX.com. Wow. My +13GB file is now a +475MB DivX file. The quality is pretty darned good. I am sure that I will lose something when projecting it on a typical TV. But it is more than enough for long-term storage. I can store every game this season with room to spare. And I can then import any part of the saved files into the end-of-year video I build. Man, technology sure is grand.
  • I finally finished caulking the shower stall in my daughter’s room. So once everything cures, we’ll be a three and 1/2 bath house!
  • Google Talk on GAIM is working well. It’s good to have a client that supports file transfer. Now I just have to fix the trouble with Gaim through our corporate firewall. Oh well. That’s for another time

-CyclingRoo-

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