HandyAndE

Using SearchMash instead of Google in Safari on OSX

andy@handyande.org (Andrew Williams) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 23:13:04 +0000

OK, so having played around with SearchMash for a while I decided to set it as my search engine for Safari.

Not an easy task indeed, but here is the answer, just follow the following simple steps:

open a Terminal
run "vim /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/MacOS/Safari" (without the quotes)
hit the ":" key to enter command mode
paste in "%s/http:\/\/%@.google.com\/%@?q=%@&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8/http:\/\/%@%@@searchmash.com\/search\/%@?ua=safari/" (again without the quotes) and hit enter
save and quit by typing ":wq"
restart safari

Enjoy! of course, I cannot guarantee you will not run into any problems - do the above at your own risk - but it worked for me :)

Maven talk accepted by Developer Day Scotland

andy@handyande.org (Andrew Williams) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 22:06:13 +0000

A talk on the introduction to Maven that I proposed has been accepted for the preliminary agenda for Developer! Developer! Developer!'s Scotland conference this year!

If you would like to hear it, or think it would be useful to others then please vote for it :)

Sure I'm nervous - but somehow we have to spread the good news around the country.

I am Charlie Pace from Lost

andy@handyande.org (Andrew Williams) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 19:04:29 +0000

It's funny that these quizzes are usually nonsense - but this one totally matches me, freaked me out a little!

You are: Charlie Pace

You almost have two different personalities. You are a good person but have some issues you've been struggling with. You aren't one of the bravest people in the world but you defend what is closest to you. You are willing to fight for what you believe in, no matter the cost. You are also a smooth operator and your charm and honesty make people like you. You can be a bit cocky at times but definitely have the right to be. You feel the need to take care of people because of guilt from your past. Ultimately, you are a courageous soul and want to be everyone's friend.

First impressions of the iPhone

andy@handyande.org (Andrew Williams) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:05:06 +0000

OK, so the iPhone is not really new news as it has been out in the 'States for 4 months now but that did not stop UK Apple fanatics from being excited about the UK iPhone launch.

The queue at the official Scottish launch in Edinburgh was only around 30 people at 6:02 when the store opened, and some of them were just there to buy normal mobile phones. Nevertheless there was still a buzz in the atmosphere, a calm sophisticated excitement which I have learned to associate with Apple launches. The promotional goodies at the main Edinburgh O2 store included free chocolates, muffins, water and hand warmers. However, in London there were giving away sweatshirts, coffee and pizza! The London queue probably deserved it though as some of them had been there for over 24 hours whereas in Edinburgh the queue only started to form at about 4.30pm.

Apart from the selection of goodies packed in the O2 bag the iPhone box looked like any other well designed phone box such as that of the XDA Orbit. However, when I went to the till to pay that was all I had to do! There was no contract to sign, no monthly rate haggling, no sales banter. All you had to do was pay your £269 and then you could wander out of the shop with your shiny new iPhone. It was more like buying an iPod than a mobile phone.

It is not until you get home that you start the activation process (or rather when you plug it into your MacBook Pro on the move!). This is a pain-free process which took around 15 minutes of my time and about 30 minutes to sync my data and music to the new device. And that includes the time it took to transfer my current number to my new iPhone. So, in around an hour the iPhone was entirely ready to use. That's impressive in my book - last time I tried to transfer a number it took a week!

However, after I had completed the activation process I noticed a problem. The EDGE network had not been discovered. It was most confusing, annoying and disappointing for a device that seemed to work perfectly in every other way. I followed the advice on the Apple site and did a post-activation reboot (aka turn-it-off-and-back-on-again) which seemed to sort the problem.

Since then playing (sorry working productively) with my iPhone has been a breeze. It's a joy to use and a wonder to behold :) I'm not surprised that O2 is reporting over 8000 activations on launch day!

Link returns in the Phantom Hourglass

andy@handyande.org (Andrew Williams) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 18:09:23 +0000

The long awaited Zelda title for the game boy DS has finally arrived. With the combination of a new method of game play and a renowned game genre it already looks set to be a classic.

Link's latest adventure continues where the "Wind Waker" (for GameCube) left off. Link's pirate friends are merrily sailing the high seas and Zelda has once again renounced her title and returned to her former life as Tetra the pirate. The adventure begins when they are attacked by the mysterious Ghost Ship and (surprise surprise) our beloved Zelda is kidnapped once more. The game player is thrown into a world of pirates, sailing and swashbuckling.

Although true to it's Zelda roots in many respects, including the music, there are a number differences from previous Zelda titles.

Firstly, and probably most obviously, is the method of game play. Nintendo have made the most of their DS console, utilising the tall split-screen, microphone, hinge and responsive touch screen during gameplay. The control is almost entirely through the touch screen which is a very peculiar sensation for those used to the previous portable titles. However, it becomes second nature within minutes. Scribbling on maps could be seen as a gimmick but it does become useful later in the game.

Secondly, the Phantom Hourglass is remarkably easy to play for a significant proportion of the game. Admittedly it does get rather complex further into the game but for the first few hours of game play there is little to challenge the hardened Zelda fanatic. Although newcomers may love this some die-hard Zelda fans have been less than amused. The in-game world is also much smaller than in previous Zelda titles, mirroring the compact nature of the portable device it runs on. This is actually one of my favourite points of the game as even lengthy journeys are reasonably rapid.

The most notable feature of the Phantom Hourglass is it's remarkable charm and playability. It feels similar to playing on the Wii for the first time. At first the strange controls and new ideas seem peculiar but very soon you realise that you have been playing for 5 hours and have forgotten about the beer sitting next to you!

Esudoku goes global with a competitive edge

andy@handyande.org (Andrew Williams) — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 16:55:19 +0000

Sudoku is now a global phenomenon. The logical 9x9 numerical puzzle was initially developed by an American before gaining popularity in Japan. Now the whole world has taken notice. And so has Retang.com...

eSudoku is the fastest open source logical sudoku solver available. It uses logical algorithms to calculate the sudoku answers. It also helps users learn sudoku as it explains each step it takes to find the answers. It can run on linux, unix, osx and there is an online version available at http://dev.rectang.com/esudoku.php.

... and now eSudoku has made a leap for freedom ...

Rectang.com's eSudoku is backing a new competitive daily sudoku game on Facebook. The Facebook application has daily sudoku puzzles varying from easy to diabolical. There is an unlimited time limit on each puzzle (up to one day!) and you gain points for completing each puzzle. More difficult puzzles are awarded more points and the leaderboard keeps track of the scores and rankings. The puzzles will get more difficult towards the end of each week giving new users a chance to get started. Esudoku is already proving popular. Check it out at facebook.com.

The next stage for eSudoku is developing a logical, equally rapid generation algorithm. Watch this space ...

DRM is annoying but not new!

andy@handyande.org (Andrew Williams) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 22:41:49 +0000

Amazon's new music store has stirred up the DRM arguments again. Sigh …

In the absence of DRM software music can be copied as many times as you wish. Obviously, this should be done within the terms of your contract. This normally means that you can copy it onto CD’s/mini disk/MP3/(or even tape!) for your own use and your own computers.

DRM at its essence is simply a method to ensure that these usage restrictions are followed. If DRM were correctly implemented it would not hinder your legal use of software you have purchased. However, as yet we lack such a perfect implementation. For example, ITunes, the current dominant music store only lets you copy (the majority of) its music to 5 different computers. This is totally useless if you replace your computer more than five times (currently that will only take me 4 years!)

At the present time the majority of an individuals music collection is ripped from your own CDs. Something that very few people are aware of is that according to UK law you may not make copies of a CD for use at all. You are merely permitted one backup copy which is subject to silly restrictions which make it only useful stored in a cupboard. The point here is that you are not actually permitted to copy your CD on to a portable device (such as iPod) under UK law.

So, sure, Apple restrictions are a pain and Amazon may be on to something with it’s new music store, but what is to stop the recording companies chasing after you for the manipulation of your private music libraries?

Apple iPhone... NOT any day now

andy@handyande.org (Andrew Williams) — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:29:34 +0000

So, today Apple had their fancy press release and yes, as everyone suspected, it was regarding the iPhone. Are we all psyched? Hardly.

All week they kept us on tender hooks about what was going to be announced. The Apple store in London was going to be kept open late. The store windows had been draped in black. The staff were being given advanced training about an exciting release. Rumors on the internet were flying far and wide: apple TV pay-per-view movies, UK starbucks ipod touch integration or even the release of the iPhone.

And what were we left with? They told us the iPhone release date. But not the “iPhone” that we had hoped for, not any time soon ...

So what's wrong with the new iPhone?

Firstly there is the problem of the mobile broadband. The new iPhone uses EDGE which O2 are actually pushing to support. Wait a minute – isn't EDGE old news in the UK? Someone needs to tell the Apple guys in the states that we've moved on. In the UK the faster slicker better 3G is used not the outdated EDGE technology.

Secondly there is the price. Price was always going to be an issue with the new iPhone as it is with any new techology release from apple. But the cost of the new iPhone is staggering. The tariffs start in the high £35/month bracket and spiral to the heights of £55/month. But what is even amazing is that you have to buy the phone on top of this. At a whopping £269 - practically unheard of for a high street phone. For those of you who haven't checked out the price of the iPhone in the states this is a cool 30% extra for the privalege of owning an iPhone in Britain.

Thirdly there was the other “privilege” of buying an iPhone in Britain – we have our own unique TV advert. Well not exactly unique. Did no one notice that the advert was simply the American advert dubbed with a British voice? How dumb do they think we are?

Fourthly, why do we have to wait another two months? It's out in America. They have the technology to support it here? So why do I have to wait till November. The obvious answer is the crass comercialism of Christmas shopping which Apple and O2 are determined to cash in on as much as possible. I remember the days when companies announced products that you could actually buy, not ones you still had to wait for.

I feel a bit sorry for the O2 guys really. On top of having to re-invest in old technology there is the cruel twist of the iPod Touch. No-one told O2 before they signed of the impending Apple announcement of the new iPod Touch which has as most of the iPhone features (except the phone part obviously). I bet O2 were not happy that they had not been told about that one!

So will I be rushing out to buy an iPhone on the 9th of November. Hmm, probably not, but I do want an iPhone - I will likely be importing mine for the US, unlocking it with now widely available software and use it with my current contract. This way will I not only save a fortune, I will get my I phone 6 whole weeks earlier!

JavaOne Celebrities

andy@handyande.org (Andrew Williams) — Sun, 13 May 2007 03:50:27 +0100

Hello from San Francisco!

The JavaOne conference went very well indeed. Sonatype managed to meet with all those we had planned and as a bonus we all got a day pass into the pavillion. There was a lot of crazyness there including Java powered robots and submarines but the rest was rather as expected. I got given a cool tshirt from one of the stands that reads "Phuck 0xFF, I'm coding" tee hee.

A complete shock was when Kenney, Eirik and I were shown on the front page of the JavaOne Today paper (Thursday edition) how cool is that? :) Picture here is approximately the same.

More excititing things to come in our SanFran trip I'm sure, today we are working with some other developers (Brett, Carlos and Edwin) so that should be fun.

Better Builds with "Maven: The Definitive Guide"

andy@handyande.org (Andrew Williams) — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 23:28:42 +0100

Thats right, there is a new guide out there to help all those interested in Maven (or already using it) to get the most out of their build lifecycle. It is indeed the definitive guide and will be regularly updated so it stays that way. This book is produced by my colleges at Sonatype and is a free gift to the Maven community - no registration, no catches. From the front of our site:

Maven: The Definitive Guide
We have produced a free Maven guide for users that is updated and released on a weekly basis.
We are working with the founder of the Maven project, and core Maven committers to produce an unrivaled technical resource for Maven users.