Walt's Basement

A friend asked me to recommend a GUI interface to help with MySQL database tasks. I started using MySQL Control Center on some old version of Fedora long ago and really haven’t had the need to find something better.

There is a Windows port ready to download, and it is real easy to compile from source for Ubuntu. I only needed to add qt3-apps-dev along with the standard build-essential package for it to work.

So with all the talk about the PlayStation Vita release I took the time to dust off my old PSP and run some updates. There are still a few games I haven’t played that IGN put in their top 25 list, and a couple others that need to be finished.

For those following along, I actually did get a deal on a white PSPgo that I carried in my pocket for a while. For me that was it’s only advantage, so when at home I still use the PSP-3000.

So it seems Oracle is doing pretty good after taking over VirutalBox. I was for the first time able to make a guest OS X machine from a retail DVD which runs on both a Linux and Windows host. The only modification was to the .vbox XML file as follows:

<ExtraData>
<ExtraDataItem name=”GUI/LastCloseAction” value=”powerOff”/>
<ExtraDataItem name=”GUI/LastGuestSizeHint” value=”1024,768″/>
<ExtraDataItem name=”GUI/LastNormalWindowPosition” value=”119,101,1024,810″/>
<ExtraDataItem name=”VBoxInternal2/SmcDeviceKey” value=”ourhardworkbythesewordsguardedpleasedontsteal(c)AppleComputerInc”/>
</ExtraData>

The original guide I used can be found here.

Wow, the “inevitable replacement with some Android based device” happened a lot sooner than expected. I came across a deal that was too good to pass up on this Unlocked HTC Vision (T-Mobile G2) phone. What a difference from the N900, allow me expand on that a little.

This isn’t my first Android device. The Archos 5 Internet Tablet was a nice glimpse into what was possible on the platform, but running firmware 1.6 and no access to the official market (without hack) didn’t create much draw to Android for me.

A little history. Back in the late 90’s I was inseparable from my Palm devices. Calendar, Contacts, Mail (off-line), Photos, Data, and a few Games all conveniently in my pocket. As my job roles changed, I realized having this portability for even more tasks was very desirable. So as my needs continued to expand, I began purchasing devices that fall under the UMPC category. Keeping a long product list aside, I eventually ended up with the Nokia N900. A Linux based Pocket PC that happened to make phone calls. It ran all the programs I needed … except somehow none for keeping track of my Calendar, Contacts, Mail, well you get the idea.

The above is exaggerated a little. I am a Google user, not just the search engine but all their on-line branded products. Everything was accessible via a web browser from the N900, which I thought was adequate. However, I can not describe the pleasure of signing into my Google account, and having every application be instantaneously synced to my “life” on the G2. To quote Prince, time to party like it’s 1999.

Everything is easily available at my fingertips once again. Easily being the key word. I have no doubt I could have gotten along with the N900 for another year. I have no plans to sell it. In fact I can now test newer updates from my fellow enthusiasts without risk of taking my main phone off-line for any extended period of time. But for daily use Android and the HTC Vision are here to stay.

I have been using a Nokia N900 cell phone since April of last year. Paid the unsubsidized price so I could use a T-Mobile pay-as-you-go SIM for phone and text. My older N810 only had Wi-Fi, and I couldn’t justify the cost of a data plan for the rare occasion I’m not near a hotspot. So far I have been very pleased with this setup, with an average monthly cell phone cost of $8 I am now ahead of the game.

The N900 was marketed as a flagship device for the new Nokia OS, so the disappointing news of support for Meego being dropped in favor of Windows Mobile 7 had me discouraged. A reoccurring theme with Nokia that I should have learned from by now. Lucky, as with past devices, the community stepped up and is rolling out regular Community Seamless Software Updates (SSU). While this trend continues, my N900 will have use … until the inevitable replacement with some Android based device.

Ever wonder what happened to all the gadgets mentioned here last year? I didn’t think so, but I’ll write about it anyway.

Fit-PC Slim: Still running strong. Been on 24/7 since purchase, hidden behind a Batman action figure. Convenient headless Linux box, and possibly the best ‘NAS’ device I’ve ever owned. Love it.

Dell Mini 9: Mostly sits on a shelf. Updated the RAM to 2gig. Still running OSX, iLife, etc. No real complaints, just haven’t really needed a netbook lately but considering its resale value, I’ll keep it for coolness factor.

Nokia N810: Boxed. Been meaning to sell it for a while now, just haven’t gotten around to it. Last few attempts a new project would catch my eye, but then dwindle like so many others before. It is still a very useful device, just not for me (reason why will be clear in a future post).

Sony PSP: Still my favorite handheld game system. It gets used when games I am interested in come out. Didn’t feel the need to upgrade to the newer Go version, I have plenty of other stuff in my pockets.

ZipIT2: At some point I updated to another custom userland and got a few apps running on it (DosBox for example). However, development seemed to have slowed and it now sits on a shelf. The initial $25 investment was worth the learning experience.

Archos 5IT: I used this a lot over the last year as my bedside media consumption device. Watched videos, RSS feeds, Twitter, email, web, digital comics. Even without Google Market access it turned out being a good purchase. Currently it sits on my desk (for reasons which will be clear on a future post) occasionally used to play Angry Birds. And finally …

Ultima Online: Yup, still on the UO. 13 years. I need help. Updates to follow.