Technoblog

Since I’ve missed the last SCIG meeting, there was a need to complete the gap.

Last weekend I did my first two coding katas.
The most surprising thing is that even if you’re alone, but concentrated enough, performing code kata is no less enjoyable than performing the Shotokan kata.

Both key speakers gave a quite interesting lectures: the first – about the future of search vision and the second – about TV ads auctions.
I only wish there were more time for technical sessions and networking. Hope Google will adopt this kind of event at least on yearly basis.

Earlier or later it happens to everyone – my PC main HD crashed before two days, ruining OS partition. It was a good idea to store all the data on another HD and external drive.
The only good thing in the crash – it is the final reason for system upgrade decision. And until my new PC arrives – viva Ubuntu LiveCD!

Installed WPtouch plugin. Now the visitors arriving from mobile devices will see mobile-adopted version.
With almost zero config the site looks perfectly on iPhone Safari.

Some screenshots:

Homepage appearance

Long post (vertical orientation)

Wide post with code snippets (horizontal orientation)

By default, iPhone will only push “Inbox” from your MS Exchange account. This is definitely uncomfortable, especially if you use server rules to organize our mailbox.

Making iPhone to push additional folders is simple:
Settings → Mail, Contacts and Calendars → Select your MS Exchange account → Mail folders to push

From now on, iPhone will push those additional folders for you. Unfortunately, the notifications are not satisfactory: there will be sound notification each time new message is pushed, but no badge indicator appears on mail application icon unless the message is pushed into “Inbox”. Also this issue is discussed again and again, nothing happens. Hope Apple will be more responsive the their users problems.

After not cleaning up spam comments for a while, I reached more than a 18000 spam comments. At this point WordPress built-in “Empty Spam” function is no helpful, as it only succeeds to delete about 300 comments before the connection to web server is timed out.

Googling immediately brings the way to remove all the spam comments directly from MySQL:

DELETE FROM wp_comments WHERE comment_approved = '0';

Good trick, but it does not work anymore.

SELECT DISTINCT comment_approved FROM wp_comments;

returns 1, spam. So, the proper query would be

DELETE FROM wp_comments WHERE comment_approved = 'spam';

Before running the DELETE query, you may run the following to make sure you get exactly the same number of span comments in db and in WordPress admin console:

SELECT COUNT(*) FROM wp_comments WHERE comment_approved = 'spam';

Hooray, no spam anymore!

Trying to enable automatic LJ crossposting with Live+Press plugin.

UPD. It does not work out-of the box, let’s see if it works with wp-admin posting.

Upgrading from version 2.2.3 to 2.9.2 was smooth like a silk. Wow! Plugin automatic update rules.

The only concern now is whether LJ-crosspost may be enabled for iPhone WordPress app posting.

Overall appearance and size
Before owning one of my own I never had an opportunity to use any of Sony readers (holding friend’s reader for 2 minutes does not count). The real surprise for me was the device size: since most of the «official» review pictures show the device with very small font settings, I was sure for some reason that the device is almost as big as A4 paper. Actually it is barely the size of a standard pocket, much less than, say, an average magazine.

Things I really love
PDF support. PDF reformatting rules. Though you still sometimes get unexpected empty page or page number in the middle of the text, the reading of PDF documents is smooth like a silk.

Portability. The only place the reader will not fit is probably your wallet. It will fix any side bag (as small as reasonable handbag may be) or a belt pouch. Actually, it fits any place a pocket books fits and the smaller ones too, since the reader is thinner that most of the pocket books.

Outdoor reading. Reading outdoors with the direct sunlight is very comfortable once you sit down with the sun neither diretly behind you not diectly in front of you. Actually it is even more comfortable than reading in the outdoor shadowed areas. But, for the reason unknown to me, the device users manual recommends to avoid exposing the reader to the direct sunlight.

Things I hate
Reflections. Reflections, reflections, reflections. This is the most annoying thing for me. I used to read books while holding the book straight in front of me, i.e. look at it at 90º. But if you hold the reader exactly this way, you start getting a lot of reflections: if the light source either behind or above you, you get the light source reflections on the screen; if the light source is on front of you, you get your own face reflection (except the case you’re wearing one of those full-body black ninja suits).

Surprisingly good things
Text quality. The text is clean, sharp and very comfortable to read (after you get rid of the annoying reflections, of course).

Integrated cover. The integrated front cover is very nice to touch. It has some kind of magnetic clip inside, so once you close the reader cover, it will not suddenly open inside your bag. Cover can be folded behind the reader — and it is very comfortable if you put the reader on the horizontal surface like table or bed, since the screen will not be completely opposite to your eyes, but will reside at slight angle — and this helps to get rid of reflections and provides a comfortable reading. In additional, it is very comfortable to hold the reader with the left hand with cover folded.

Things that could be done better
Usability. Both power button and stylus are located at the top left, so accessing them is extremely uncomfortable if you hold the reader with a left hand — you need either to cross the reader screen with the right hand, interrupting yourself from the reading or start performing a really complex flexibility exercise wrapping your hand behind or around the reader. The paging buttons access is not comfortable too — the only way to push on them with the same hand you’re holding the reader (a propos, trivial task for Kindle owners) is to hold the reader like a playing card — on its bottom. This is not the way a reasonable human will act. So, also reader is light and small enough to hold in one hand, it still requires both hands to operate.

Totally useless stuff
3G and Sony Store. As announced, the whole 3G thing is only working in the US, so I have nothing to do with it. The integrated SIM card can probably be replaced by local one, but getting 3G to work will require and additional hacking and, in my eyes, it just doesn’t worth it — the Sony Reader Store is not yet offering any of the books I’d like to read.

Text notes. Entering text is uncomfortable since it takes about half a second for tapped character to apear n the screen, which makes folowing the entered text very hard. You literally need to stop at least once in a couple of words toke sue erytin you just typed ly pears on the screen. In addition, if you start tapping too fast, some of the tapped symbols are lost. Editing previously entered text is not so comfortable since you have to tap the exact symbol you want to be edited (there are no buttons or controls for moving the cursor). Finally I ended up with understanding that marking the whole word and reentering it again is faster that fixing the single symbol. I’m really missing some kind of T9 alternative.

Google Docs is a fantastic (and free) collaboration platform. Microsoft Outlook is the best Email/Calendar application ever.
Now, with Mainsoft Harmony for GoogleDocs you can enjoy the best of both worlds – see, manage, share and send you GoogleDocs items directly from Outlook.