Category Archives: Tablet PC Thoughts

Amazing! OpenDarwin bug progress

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Wow … I just recevied an e-mail from the bugzilla system for OpenDarwin … one of the OpenDarwin bugs
that I reported has been assigned!  This particular bug is related
to a real-time clock issue when running OpenDarwin within Virtual PC.

I’m actually happy to hear this since I have stopped experimenting with
OpenDarwin for a bit while some things like this get sorted out. 
If they get this one fixed, it will make many things work much
better.  On my installation right now, every second of computer
time is somehow being stretched to be ~45 seconds of real time … so
things run REAL slow on my OpenDarwin installation.

I’m looking forward to seeing what is done … I’d love to see this resolved!

Accelerating Change 2005

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I’ll be going to my friends conference – Accelerating Change 2005
– again this year.  John Smart
has again put together a great
line-up of speakers and it looks like it’s going to be drinking from a
fire hose … I’ll be working to blog the event as best as
possible.  The Acceleration Studies Foundation
is John’s contribution to the world, and to
exploring the rapidly evolving world that we live in.

If you read through the Conference Schedule
you can get a good idea of the caliber of speakers.  If you want
to listen to last years conference for examples, go visit
ITConversations and browse through the Accelerating Change 2004 Archives.

I missed last years conference, and have to admit that some of these
ITConversations from last year just blow me away … I can’t wait for
next week.

Google Maps, cellular phones, and the adventure continues

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After reading Nat Friedmans post below, I had to start experimenting
with Google Maps.  This is too fun.  I’ve had several calls
with friends now, when their were driving someplace.  I quickly
ask them where they are, and start to zoom on Google maps … tracking
their travels as they are driving.  Too much.

As Nat describes his conversation, I have now had numerous like
it.  I called my friend Joe while on his vacation driving up the
coast of Oregon.  Once he told me he was at a drive through coffee
shop in Florence, OR I narrowed him down to this area.  As they drove north they told me they were crossing 35th street right here!

I talked with him about the golf course coming up on the left … it
was funny to hear his comments about the scenery and the various
buildings etc. that I could ask him about.  Funny … I can almost
see this as the next step for Google.  I joked with Phil Windley
and our CTO Roundtable group last week … it’s almost like my friend
Joe was getting live access to personal Google Maps … and I was
getting a virtual tour at the same time.

I’m thinking about my first Google Maps hack … I’ve got some ideas and can’t wait to play with it.

Living in the future. #

….

Later in the drive, we called Joe on the speakerphone and he gave us an aerial tour of the region using Google’s satellite maps. It went like this:

Joe: There’s a golf course on your right.
Us: Cool.
Joe: Huh, what’s that strange building coming up on your left?
Us: It’s a Marriott.
Joe: Oh. Cool.

…

[nat friedman]

New HP tc4200!

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I finally got my new Tablet PC at work … a brand new HP tc4200! 
Once I have completed getting it all configured, updated, and all of my
software installed I might even be able to use it … maybe in a few
days.  I have to admit that I like the form factor, and the
extended travel battery adds just the right amount of tilt to the unit
when sitting on a desk.

We have been far too busy here at Agilix Labs for me to spend non-stop
time on getting it ready … but I keep spinning up new tasks on it
while doing other work.  I’m thinking that I might take it home in
the next day or two and see what I can wrap up there.

As we are now thoroughly into our beta testing of GoBinder 2006, and
our new release of Backpack, I also want to get going on developing
some plug-ins for our new architecture.  I have to get Visual
Studio installed on this new machine, and then see what I can start to
experiment with.  I know that many people have started to ask
about the beta, and the SDK … please go and check out our new support
forums as http://forums.agilix.com … and if you want to get on the
potential beta list, send an e-mail to:  beta2006 at agilix.com

Heading to Singapore

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Well … I’m on my way to Singapore!  As part of my work at Agilix Labs I’m going to be attending the e-Agenda International Roundtable.  It ought to be a fun trip … I haven’t been out of the country in a while.

It looks like I’ll be taking a quick flight to LA, then on to Singapore
via Tokyo.  I’ll be flying Singapore Airlines, and so it appears
that I’ll have wireless Internet along the way!  Woo hoo!

I’ll have to see if there is any way to re-charge my laptop batteries
along the way … although Internet access is there for everyone, the
power connectors are not in “Economy Class”.  Bummer.

Longhorn Beta 1 installation update …

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Well … hours later … I almost have it working!  I was able to
get Beta 1 of Longhorn – Windows Vista – installed in Virtual PC. 
I just added the VPC Additions to get my video driver working. 
I’m going to shut down and save the image … it appears to be good
enough to have a decent installation to work with.

I’ll probably check it out further and play with it over the weekend as I have some time …

GoBinder 2006 and the SDK are in Beta!

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I almost forgot to post it here … our products have entered into a
Beta!  We have our GoBinder 2006 product, and the new GoBinder
SDK both out in the hands of users and developers, and we are getting a
lot of feedback.  It’s still early, and we are finding bugs …
but that is what Beta is all about.

I’m most excited about the SDK.  We are now going to see just how
creative the developers are our there … and what they think our first
target market – students – really want.  On top of that I am now
taking suggestions for what plug-ins people want to see developed …
you can register and chime in here on our Forums.

If you want to check it our Beta, send me an e-mail at Agilix!

Installing Longhorn Beta 1 – Windows Vista

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I downloaded the Beta 1 of Longhorn – Windows Vista – and am installing
it today.  I want to get an idea of what Microsoft has created,
and how things are coming together.  It’s funny … I don’t recall
the same for Windows XP, but this really feels like the Beta of Windows
2000 … so much hype and uproar about the whole thing.

What is funny to me is that it seems that the Linux community it giving
Microsoft and Longhorn/Windows Vista the most airplay!  They talk
about it constantly, they compare their features to it, they continue
to frame it as the “thing to beat!”

I’m installing it in Virtual PC as usual … this is now my preferred
platform for all testing, etc.  We’ll see how it goes … so far
the install is just chugging along.

New Palm Zire 72 … and new applications!

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Well … my Handspring Edge died.  I have now gone over a month
without it and I just can’t go any longer.  I have been using Palm
devices for a long time, starting with one of the original Palm
Pilots.  I find that it is just plain useful.

While growing up my father was always keeping lists.  Writing down
everything that he wanted to do each day … lists of errands … 
shopping lists.  Even to this day when I vist him at his home,
he’ll have a list of tasks, topics, and questions for us to
share.  I obviously picked up the habit from him … but I have to
admit that I moved from paper lists to the Palm.

I had to do some looking around, and although I had a lot of people telling my to go with the Treo 650,
I just really had no interest in having a larger phone.  I also
have heard a lot of complaints about the Treo devices.  In digging
around, I finally chose the Zire 72.

The Zire 72
has got a lot of nice features.  First off, it’s a Palm device
that will do everything that my old Palm did.  Plus it has a color
screen, is a digital camera, can play MP3 music, and has a SD slot for
expansion cards.  The one other feature that really hit me was the
Bluetooth wireless support.  It will actually talk to my Nokia
cell phone and allow me to send and receive SMS messages, and even dial
phone numbers from my Zire address book.

It is this last feature that really got me excited.  While
ordering I began to think about what possible applications I might
create where I have my Zire sending SMS messages for me … Hmmm. 
During the checkout process they of course pushed all of the various
accessories that I could purchase … and I did buy one – a SD
GPS!  I’m thinking that I want to create an application that
allows me to send and receive GPS data via SMS from my Zire 72.  I
can’t wait for it to arrive to begin to explore what is possible …

New Agilix Support Forums

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As we continue to accelerate towards our new release of GoBinder 2006,
and the GoBinder SDK, there are numerous new things happening around
here at Agilix.  First … I’m about to get my new Tablet PC …
the HP tc4200. 
One of the other people working here got one and loves it … he said
it was worth the wait.  I’m hoping that I’ll have it soon …

The other thing is the “birth” of the Forums @ Agilix Labs
… the new support forums for GoBinder, InfiNotes, and everything
Agilix.  I’ve been working on the installation and experimenting
with the various forums software, and we finally just got going with
something.  If you happen to visit and register, please get me
some feedback … I’m working to make this a useful place for the
exchange of information and ideas!

P.S. We’re cranking out another build of GoBinder 2006 today … it’s amazing to see the product really coming together!