Software Trenches

Get Perpendicular

Very funny introduction to perpendicular magnetic recording from Hitachi: Get Perpendicular.

By 2009, Hitachi predicts that 345 Gbits/sq. in. would result in a 2 TB, 3.5-inch desktop drive; a 400 GB, 2.5-inch notebook drive or a 200 GB 1.8-inch drive.

Removing Java Templates from Xcode

After reading It's All Too Much by Peter Walsh and making progress in clutter management of the house, I decided it is worth to do the same in my laptop.

Now that Java is officially (and for good reasons) retired from OS X application development it is time to send it out of sight. Apple's Xcode offers an option to skip Java documentation during the install. Sadly, there are still quite a few Java-related features remaining. For example, the New Project assistant contains a lot of Java projects:

Fortunately, it is easy to get rid of them — simply delete the following folders, restart Xcode and get your productivity soar to the new heights:

/Library/Application Support/Apple/Developer Tools/File Templates/Pure Java
/Library/Application Support/Apple/Developer Tools/Project Templates/Java
/Library/Application Support/Apple/Developer Tools/Target Templates/Java
/Library/Application Support/Apple/Developer Tools/Target Templates/Legacy/Java

New 1Passwd Video

New 1Passwd video is now available:

Corporate Ipsum

If you ever get that "lucrative" Enterprise Application Architect position, you will need the help of Corporate Ipsum. This fantastic widget will help you prepare pages of professionally looking "enterprise wisdom" :)

For example:

Authoritatively facilitate enterprise markets through backward-compatible web-readiness. Seamlessly productize web-enabled potentialities whereas diverse meta-services. Efficiently reinvent market positioning solutions before effective infomediaries.

Enthusiastically grow distributed e-business with progressive applications. Collaboratively disintermediate quality resources through business synergy.

Found via: 43 Folders

AirPort Extreme Base Station

I never understood how one could spend $200 on a wireless router when there so many inexpensive products from NetGear or Linksys. Until now that is...

After watching David Pogue's Router Diaries a few days ago and then spending another 20 minutes this morning trying to fix the connection on the PowerBook which apparently was too far away from the old router I went to Apple Store and purchased AirPort Extreme Base Station.

First impressions:

• Great signal strength — AirPort indicator shows maximum signal level in any spot in my house. Even in the basement.
• Configuration via AirPort Utility application is more convenient compared to HTTP-based setup on my old router.
• Utilities folder now has programs for both old and new AirPort Base Station which makes it confusing in the beginning. I deleted the old version.
• When you install new AirPort Extreme software from the CD included with the router it automatically unlocks the 802.11n features on your Mac (if you have one of the later Core 2 Duo models). Being an old-time Windows user, I expected to have another CD (or another utility, or two) I have to run and even contacted Apple support to ask where it is.
  
  NOTE: The easiest way to check the network card model is by running Network Utility. It shows Model: Wireless Network Adapter (802.11 a/b/g/n) when the network card was enabled to operate in 802.11n mode.

I like it. Is it worth $199 CDN? If it will save (20 * 52 * 2) minutes of my time in the next couple of years then definitely YES.

CocoaCamino

What can be better than Cocoa? better than Camino? CocoaCamino!

I just had to buy one:

Host-Tracker Saves The Day

A few months ago I was looking for the website monitoring services and registered at Host-Tracker. Today, thanks to its notification, within 5 minutes we found that our server is down and fixed the problem.

The service is free and you can configure multiple servers and test them every 1, 5, 15, 30, 45, or 60 minutes. You can test individual URLs using HEAD, GET, or POST methods.

Host-Tracker uses servers in different locations to perform testing, including

• Dallas, TX, US
• Moscow, Russia
• Brisbane, Australia
• Scranton, PA, US
• Atlanta, GA, US
• Portland, OR, US

You can choose to be notified about the problems via e-mail and SMS. The website also lists Google Talk and ICQ but I couldn't get them to work with Adium.

Overall it is a great service. Recommended.

http://host-tracker.com/

Encyclopedia of Life

Many of the world’s leading scientific institutions today announced the launch of the Encyclopedia of Life, an unprecedented global effort to document all 1.8 million named species of animals, plants, and other forms of life on Earth. For the first time in the history of the planet, scientists, students, and citizens will have multi-media access to all known living species, even those that have just been discovered.

More information on Encyclopedia of Life and E.O. Wilson: TED Prize wish: Help build the Encyclopedia of Life.

OmniFocus — It does not scream "Look at me!"

Ethan Schoonover's video presentation of OmniFocus, the Getting Things Done application from OmniGroup:
http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/omnifocus/

Video overview of Google Desktop for Mac

Mike Pinkerton posted a great overview of Google Desktop features: Google Desktop for Mac Video.

Among other things he shows how to use Google Desktop as an application launcher, include your Gmail mail messages and web browsing history in search results, use keywords like "subject:", "from:", "filename:", "filetype:".

Latest version of Google Desktop fixed quite a few issues and you may want to give it another try.