Learn Objective–C on the Mac (Learn Series)

I consider myself to be an intermediate to upper level programmer. My expertise has been in Java and C++, doing mostly Windows applications. I decided to try to pick up Objective-C and later iPhone programming after buying a new mac.

I absolutely loved this book.

It plays very well to the intermediate level programmers who have done a lot with object oriented programming and object oriented languages. It gives fantastic detail about the Objective-C framework and really walks you through it. I just finished this book about 30 minutes ago and already feel very empowered. I also loved that this book explains a lot of the Xcode features, as they're very helpful.

If you're a programmer looking to start out into the Mac world, I would highly recommend this as a good starting place. It's a pretty quick read and will teach you a lot.

Canon PowerShot SX20IS 12.1MP Digital Camera with 20x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch Articulating LCD

I received the Canon PowerShot SX20IS 12.1MP Digital Camera a few days ago. I wanted a good quality camera for all-around, basic shooting. The main features that attracted me were the wide angle/zoom lens and the video option.

I am not an expert, or even an experienced amateur. I just want to be able to point, shoot, and take decent pics and some occasional video, so I was thrilled when Canon PowerShot SX20IS 12.1MP Digital Camera arrived this week.

In my opinion, the best eye-pleasing pictures are those that show the vibrant colors and color variations - all other things being equal. I've experimented with various settings and taken the same shots with those various settings, and compared shots taken with Auto, Landscape, Portrait, etc. against the Foilage setting [SCN/Foilage], and the Foilage setting is by far the best for bringing out the colors (which it is meant to do anyway). Compared to those pics taken using the Foilage setting, the ones taken in the other settings are dull - not that they aren't decent pictures in the other settings, just compared to the Foilage pictures they are dull(er). So for basic shots, I will probably use the Foilage setting most of the time for all-around shooting - the pictures are beautiful.

One problem I expect with this, is to get to the Foilage setting, you must use the top dial set to SCN, then using the free-spinning dial on the back, select foilage. Problem is, after taking shots and letting the camera hang against your body, the free-spinning dial may be prone to be moved to select another setting...

One of the issues I do have, is not being able to choose to set the Auto-Focus frame to the center of the screen for many settings - such as Auto... I'm not crazy about the "smart focus" which chooses which subject(s) that it thinks is the main subject(s) - in my case of shooting mostly non-people so far, this "smart-focus" has been wrong. I think most of us non-pro photographers usually center our subject anyway, and even if we don't, we should still have the option of keeping the AF frame in the center...

One other thing that hasn't worked for me is connecting it to HDMI on my TV. I'm going to take it to Best Buy and try it there. If it still isn't working, I hate to send it back because it is a good camera, but I would like the HDMI feature to work to see my videos in true HD.

In summary, the wide-to-zoom feature is great, takes very good pictures (especially in Foilage), takes excellent video. The video option is excellent - you can take pics while filming, and you can simply press the video button in the back to start taking video even if you're in a picture-taking setting - very nice feature. See here for a sample of pictures taken with Canon PowerShot SX20IS 12.1MP Digital Camera.

If you're not a pro photographer and want to have a great all-around camera, this is definitely a good buy. I hope I can get my HDMI/TV feature to work so I can keep my camera...

highlights of the literary year

Start your reading: The organizers of the Tournament of Books, one of the highlights of the literary year, have for the first time announced their long list, the 50 books they are considering for their 16-book bracket in January. They have most of our favorite fiction of the year covered, with some intriguing wild cards too, but among those from our own list that didn't make the cut: Cutting for Stone, Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It, Too Much Happiness, The Magicians, Blood's a Rover, and The Vagrants.

"Read across rather than down": Milorad Pavic, the game-playing Serbian novelist best known for his first novel, Dictionary of the Khazars, died recently in Belgrade at the age of 80 (the Times obituary just appeared today). The Dictionary, you may recall, was released in "male" and "female" editions that differed by a single, hidden paragraph. Dorkily, I of course have both versions on my shelf (not that I've read either), but only now I find that Pavic himself considered that owning both was "like incest."

Room for one more Teen Wolf reference: Bill Simmons, whose Book of Basketball our own Dave Callanan pretty much single-handedly made into a #1 bestseller, gets 2,200 words in his ESPN column to run his deleted scenes from what was already the fattest sports book since, well, you know Simmons would make a joke about Wilt's little black book here... [P.S. After posting, I just ran across New York mag's roundtable on The Book of Basketball, featuring Jonathan Lethem, Sherman Alexie, FreeDarko's Bethlehem Shoals, among others, which is worth a post of its own but probably won't get one.]

Moving & shaking: An appearance on Ellen this morning raises Lewis Blackwell's lovely coffee-table book, The Life & Love of Trees, into our Top 100 and up to the top spot in today's Movers & Shakers list.

Apple iMac MB950LL/A 21.5-Inch Desktop

I will never go back to a PC again. I love my new Mac. Its sleek and very awesome. lol. Its very fast and quiet. I love the new magic mouse. Nothing like the plan old mouse. I love everything about my computer.

At first I was afraid of buying a computer online. But I got a great deal. I didn't get charged for tax and buying on Amazon was cheaper then buying in a store. Plus I saved an extra $50 buying off of Amazon. Get product and great service!!! Once you go Mac you wont go back!!

Amazon Associates and Google Blogger Now Integrated

Today Amazon announced Amazon Associates for Blogger, a direct integration between Amazon Associates and Blogger.  This new collaboration enables Bloggers to monetize their content by adding relevant Amazon products to their blog posts without interrupting the blog editing process.  Amazon Associates for Blogger is available now at http://affiliate-program.amazon.com/blogger. Amazon Associates who don’t have a Google Blogger account can set up a free Blogger account with their Associates ID and start earning right away.

How does it work?
 
The new tool allows Bloggers to add links and images to their blog posts in just 2 easy steps: 
1.Bloggers highlight the relevant text and the Amazon Product Finder will search Amazon’s millions of products and recommend the ones that are most closely associated with the text

2.Bloggers can then insert a link or image to that product which includes their Associates ID, enabling them to earn up to 15% in referral fees from Amazon e.g.
Vodafone Stakes Leadership with DRM-free, Dual-downloadable Music (Competitive Update)

Bloggers will also be able to show dynamic content in their blog sidebar using a new set of integrated Sidebar gadgets, such as gadgets for MP3 clips from the Amazon DRM-free music store, an Amazon Deals gadget, and an Amazon Search box.

Also as part of this new integration, Bloggers who don’t have a free Amazon Associates account can create one directly within Blogger so tell your friends that use Blogger how they can start earning with Amazon Associates today.

The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown

I had never before read a Dan Brown book when I read the lost symbol. I had seen the Da Vinci code film and that was enough to put me off ever even picking his book up in a book shop. My boyfriend bought it for his mum and as a passing comment it said, ooh that looks interesting.

The next thing I know, its arriving on my door step! I read it in a very short space of time, due to the fact I have my nose glued between the pages, unable to put it down. Its the hardcover version and I've got a very bad back, but I still thought it was worth lugging it around in return for the chance to enter the amazing world the book offers.

I was very interested in the information it contains on the free masons and other organisation in the book. I found it very interesting and very exciting! Since reading this book i have read the Da vinci code and angels and daemons and have just started on digital fortress. I have a new found love for the writings of Dan Brown. Don't let the films put you off!

They miss out all the elegant descriptions and writings of Dan Brown and just shred the story! I definitely recommend this book!

Free Assassin's Creed II

I was maybe one of the few who loved Assassin's Creed I regardless of the repetitive nature of the game. I could spend hours just exploring the cities, admiring the architecture and pointlessly romping around. So I was concerned at the trailers for Assassin's Creed II - it looked like it might be a more regimented storyline. Would AC2 limit your ability to just goof when ever you wanted off for the benefit of a plot? Would the missions be too long and be too convoluted? Would it lose the soul of the first which was exploration first, storyline second? Thankfully all of my fears were unfounded. Assassin's Creed II is quite possibly the best sequel in any art media. They've taken the budding roots of AC1 and built a tree - not just any tree but a huge redwood full of branches and interesting knots, twists and turns. And you can explore it however and whenever you want. Missions are short and sweet and reward your character with just enough growth to make continuing with the story preferable, despite the OCD collector in me desperately trying to get out.

There's simply so much to do and see and learn about, and such a varied way to do it all. From attacking to defending, stealth-play to exploring, everything is bigger and better. Even load times are faster despite the much more massive cities on offer, and there's no more forced listening to a god-awful cutscene before you can jump-in. Plus avid in-game item collectors such as myself are in heaven - I'd say I haven't seen this much to find in a game since Donkey Kong 64. Thankfully for the most part it's not just a case of randomly stumbling on flags either; now you can buy treasure chest maps for every part of the cities which pinpoint an item's location... and yet still finding some of the chests is still a challenge.

Ubisoft have made such a vast game that there's little point in highlighting the features and fun stuff, I'm bound to leave something out. We're talking a 30+ hour single player game here folks. I applaud that duration heartily especially after washing the bitter taste of COD4:MW2's 5 hour SP campaign. So it's clearly it's hard to fault AC2 but it's not impossible... the opening sequence and build up to going back in the Animus is far, far too long and tedious and the mandatory timed missions are the bane of the game (ugh), but that doesn't mean that AC2 is not absolutely THE game of the year and the sequel of the decade.

If you were put off by the first not quite working for you then don't hesitate to get this - it completely fulfils the promises of the first game and manages surpasses them beautifully.

Free Amazon Kindle Leather Cover

I read several positive reviews about Kindle2 before I purchased it and my expectations have been exceeded. It's easy to hold, read, turn pages, make notes, access the dictionary, move between books, change type size, search using google, and look for and buy Kindle books. Downloads are almost immediate.

Free books are available at the Kindle store. Free downloads of samples of books I'm considering purchasing is a great feature. There is enough to make an informed decision to buy or not so the samples have saved me money. I highly recommend the leather case. It protects the Kindle2 and makes it easier to hold.

The search feature is very useful in locating information to help my clients. I use it when I remember reading something that is relevant and want the actual passage. My only disappointment so far is having to turn it off for take off & landing when I'm travelling so I bring articles to read when my Kindle2 isn't available.

I am pleased I decided to purchase the leather case. I'm very particular about the condition of my books so obviously I wanted to protect my Kindle. It's pleasing on the eye, is made from good quality leather and it gives you the feel of holding a book as opposed to a mini computer. It's reasonably priced and arrived much faster than I anticipated.

I'd recommend that when you purchase your new Kindle, purchase the leather protection case at the same time.

Here's a movie clip in various colours.

Make a Fortune Promoting Other People's Stuff Online: How Affiliate Marketing Can Make You Rich

One thing that makes this book different from her "Affiliate Program Handbook" is that in the digital title she does two things: it's more step by step, and she teaches you how she does her pay per click campaigns.

This book isn't so much a step by step guide as it is a blueprint. What Rosalind does is explain in great detail what affiliate marketing is, what you need to get started, and where to go to find good affiliate programs related to what you want to sell. In other words, you get an outline of the process that's involved, and the steps you need to take.

One thing I've learned over the last 7+ years that I've been in business is that most of those who are new to online business just want to jump in and start making money immediately. Usually they have some kind of bill they need to pay quickly, or they need extra money. The problem here is that although online business will get you started more quickly, it still takes a little time to start making money.

That's why Rosalind's system works so well. It helps you lay a strong foundation for affiliate business success by introducing you to the key principles and showing you how to get started. She will also introduce you to the basics of internet marketing, outline the most effective techniques, and show you how to start marketing your business once you've built your first website.

For those who are interested in getting started in affiliate marketing (it is the easiest business to start), or for those who need a good refresher course, start here. This is pretty straightforward stuff, and it will help you understand the basics pretty well.

Unlike a lot of internet marketing information out there, this is pretty hype free, and the information she offers is solid.

Make a Fortune Promoting Other People's Stuff Online: How Affiliate Marketing Can Make You Rich

The 2009 National Book Award Winners

You can follow Jeff's account of the National Book Awards gala from press row in his running comments to his post earlier tonight, but here's a quick wrapup of the winners, which include, we're thrilled to say, our own choice for the Best Book of 2009, Let the Great World Spin, Colum McCann's tender ensemble novel of New York City at the moment of Philippe Petit's tightrope walk between the Twin Towers. The #nba09 Twitter thread was very long, and the news reports of the awards are rather short so far tonight, but Jeff will be back in the daylight hours with a lengthier first-hand account of the evening.

The winners:

* Fiction: Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
* Nonfiction: The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by T.J. Stiles
* Poetry: Transcendental Studies: A Trilogy by Keith Waldrop
* Young People's Literature: Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose

Also, as previously announced, Gore Vidal was honored for his Distinguished Contribution to American Letters (and apparently stole the show with his riffs on FDR and the state of modern publishing) and Dave Eggers won the 2009 Literarian Award. And the results of the public voting for the 60th anniversary Best of the National Book Awards Fiction prize were revealed, with Flannery O'Connor's Complete Stories finishing ahead of five other finalists from the original field of all 77 previous NBA fiction winners.

CandyGirl Video: Sweet Satisfaction Jasmine Grey Special Edition

Sometimes a girl doesn't need to be over-the-top explicit - to be sexy. Sometimes a simple peek will be as sweet - as an entire view!

That's what makes these `Candy Girl' videos so satisfying. And even though I'm probably not the intended audience -- this episode is definitely my favorite.

Unlike later releases -- which focus on just one girl - this original issue offers a much wider variety of babes, situations, and types of sexual encounters to enjoy.

A lithe blonde - wearing a micro-bikini - pretends to be asleep in bed. Her tossing and turning provides us with an array of tantalizing views.

A buxom Britney Spears-style blonde relaxes on a sofa - while trying on different dental floss-sized bikinis, and sometimes hiking her t-shirt (to temptingly show us what's underneath).

A cute brunette stands, bends, sits, and walks up stairs - while letting the camera move in as closely (underneath her skirt) as it wants. Some of Candy Girl's nicest (and most original) work is their outdoor upskirt segments - where young women wear short billowy dresses (with string panties underneath) while traipsing or strolling in public - on a very windy day. (How smart is that?)

In a type of scene unique to this episode (but shouldn't be) - two young women practice kissing while clothed -- and later while almost nude and lying together on a bed. The camera lingers over every inch, and the audio nicely relays the smacking sounds of their gently parting lips.

For guys, this video will bring many (adolescent) fantasies vividly to life - using women who are obviously well past adolescence. For girls (who want to learn how to be sexy), it's sometimes fun - to see how the other-male-half lives. (It may not take as much as you'd think.) Enjoy.

Free - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

I never bought Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. I was just not that into it when I was already dug in deep with Halo 3 and couldn't care much for any other FPS shooter for a while after that. Eventually though the game lost its appeal and I started renting video games just about every weekend between school work and other activities.

I rented COD 4 and played through the campaign. I liked it a lot and thought that the graphics were rather impressive compared to what I had seen in COD 3. I never touched the multi-player because I basically figured it would be the same as any other shooter just with modern weapons (which I got to experience in 2006 with Rainbow Six: Vegas). I knew the game was good and I very much liked the franchise, so I ended up purchasing Call of Duty: World at War last November. I didn't find anything bad about this game at all because I love World War II games. I can switch from modern or past and it doesn't matter to me. I levelled up to 10th prestige 65 and edged off of that once this past summer was over with.

The hype eventually reached out to me and brought me in, so I bought the game earlier today and played straight through the campaign. I don't like how there isn't co-op. It would truly make this game much more enjoyable when you have an experience to share with your friends. It's like sharing and living in a whole other world and being active participants in these dangerous, death-defying missions beyond most of our capabilities we find ourselves thrust into doing.

I thought the campaign trailer was stunning and it was very gripping. There are many touches to realism and well, you'd just have to play it. The ending or cliffhanger was awesome. I'll probably pre-order Modern Warfare 3 right away.

The multi-player for me wasn't that big of a jump from Call of Duty: World at War. Like I said, it's basically everything changed but the basic structure of the play style is the same. Coming from playing a World War II game with those weapons, I'm not facing much difficulty holding my own in a modern setting. The transition is very easy, almost transparent. I guess that might depend though on your ability to adapt to new environments, so it might not be. It was though for me. I'm going to say though that from all the levels I've played they were really great and I'm looking forward to playing some more tomorrow.

See the whole games here >>

Introducing Amazon's Denim Shop with Free Shipping & Free Returns on Jeans

I love this, Amazon have just launched a new Denim Shop with free shipping and free returns on jeans. Just like all major retailers,they made it unbelievably easy to search and find an impressive lineup of premium denim brands such as 7 for All Mankind, Lucky Brand, Joe’s Jeans, plus all-American classics such as Levi’s. It’s everything customers love about jeans, now right here at Amazon.com.

I don't know about you guys but I think this is a new direction for Amazon. In a recent move, the ...

Continue >>

Googled: The End of the World As We Know It

This book is all about Google from garage to cell phones, in chronological order, the good and the not-so good story. Perfect for a student bookworm dealing with websites, there are lessons to be learned by studying the trials, tribulations, and successes of this company. What I am into is creating successes for myself professionally. Whenever a book like this comes up in the Vine Program, I order it.

I haven't read this author's other books, but I have read studies like them. By reading books like these, and particularly books about big businesses like Google, Microsoft, or Apple, I get a bird's-eye-view of what makes failures and successes. This helps me very much in my current job dealing with customers, and management.

This book is particularly good because it starts at the beginning of Google's story, and ends now. And in this financial climate, the book takes an honest look at what could be around the bend.

I haven't read a book on Google before, so the first few chapters provided a useful history of the company and background of the founders. The author paints a picture of a somewhat arrogant persona in the engineers who believe in the art of the possible, who use a combination of their intellects and technology to pry open the covers of various industries and essentially rewire them completely. This impression is useful in conveying not only the unprecedented changes being fostered on the world by Google, but also leading in the major part of the book, assessing its impact on everybody else.

I'm a huge fan of open source, open standards, etc etc so I'll be the last one to sing the praises of Microsoft or Apple - but where we've bashed these companies to death with questions about their monopolistic ambitions, this book raises similar questions about Google. Yes, pretty much everything Google offers is free - at least for you - but 100% of the cost is being shouldered by advertisers. Is this fair? To what extent does the company have the right to kill traditional media, and is this really Google's fault at all? Is Google's approach an abuse of privacy and copyright laws or not?

The author delves into a range of different areas - some of which have been discussed in the media, and others are ambitious and thought provoking. I'd recommend this for anyone who has an interest in pop-tech or web 2.0 - while I don't necessarily agree with the authors conclusions, he raises some excellent questions.

May Referral Payment $3,697. 78 - My Biggest Payment From Amazon

I have been making some cool cash since I changed my method of promoting my affiliate programmes. For example here's a screenshot of the amount I made in May this year. This was a few months after I followed some of the tips in this book. I have 8 blogs so that should give you an idea of the amount of effort required to keep them relevant and fresh with content. I won't be discussing what product niche these blogs target for now as I'm currently trying to build and nurture it. But I will be prepared to discuss a few of them if anyone is interested.

I must stress that this currently works for me because of the number of Twitter followers I have. The methods and tips used assumes that you already have at least 1000 Twitter followers.That way your chances of click-throughs are greater.

I would also like to point out that depending on your campaign, your earning may vary compare to mine. But one thing you should not let get in the way is doubt. If you have doubts about how much you could make and the time to put into promoting your programmes, then this is definitely not for you. So, if you are serious about making money just like the rest of us, keep reading and follow the simple steps described below.

Finally, if anyone wants the modified copy of the Python script I use for promoting mine on Twitter and other social networking sites, please leave a comment in the comments area and I will get back to you.

Altec Lansing inMotion COMPACT iM310 Portable Speakers for iPod and MP3 Players

I like this dock and use it a lot. Friends have also commented that they are impressed with the sound from such a compact unit. One of the cool features is that it runs for a very long time on 3 AA batteries, which makes it perfect for taking along on a camping or beach trip, or just out in the backyard for BBQ music. On a camping trip I don't have to worry about it running out of charge.

Just pop in a set of fresh batteries if I need to. But I don't need to do that very often because it seems to play forever on 3 batteries.

When I'm at home I keep it in the kitchen plugged into AC power. I think it sounds darn good for it's size, and I'm fairly picky about that sort of thing. I would buy it again and would recommend it to friends.

perfect product for the price . sounds awesome works with ipod. batteries last longer than most rechargeables. runs on three double a batteries and plugs into the wall. easy to use. looks like it costs hundreds but was only fifty.

The General's Book Club: What's Petraeus Reading?

I love spotting books in the background of photos, and here's today's mystery. I've spent a fair amount of time tracking the reading habits of candidate and president Obama, and we've seen some of his favorites get a boost into our top 100. But he's not the only member of the government who can sell a book. I'm not sure if General David Petraeus, the cerebral CentCom commander, has released any reading lists, but no doubt his influence (or at least his example) has helped a book like The Accidental Guerrilla, by his Australian advisor David Kilcullen, become an unlikely bestseller on Amazon.

So my question for today, based on this AFP/Getty photograph of the general at this week's Marine counterinsurgency conference, which I came across on Tom Ricks's Best Defense blog: what book does he have on the table next to him? The title clearly is "Wildcat", but I can't decipher the author name. I thought my Amazon search skills were pretty good, but I can't find a book that matches the cover. (This is the closest I came.) I'm guessing the subtitle is not "The Joe B. Hall Story."

Anybody better versed in the subject, or in data extraction, who can help me out? --Tom

Update: In the comments, Lauren solved the puzzle with better sleuthing skills than mine--thanks! And the answer is even more interesting than I'd hoped: the book is Wildcat: Irak 1991/2003 : Carnets de guerre d'un journaliste rebelle by the Belgian soldier-turned-war correspondent Yves Debay. It's not available on Amazon.com or Amazon.ca, but we do have it on Amazon.fr. I'm not sure if he was reading the book or was given it at the conference, but to be reading a book by a "rebel journalist"--in the original French--certainly would be consistent with the Petraeus mystique...

Top Tips for Protecting Your Linux Servers

Unless you have been living in a strange planet somewhere outside out universe, you will have noticed that more and more companies are now making that transition from Microsoft Windows based server to Unix/Linux platforms for various reasons ranging from cost to security concerns.

If you or your company are part of that trend, the question is how do you ensure that your setup is as secure and robust as possible? It's one thing to move to a more trusted and secure platform, it's another when it comes to keep a tight lid on it to ensure that you do not leave your system to unauthorised access from just about anyone.

In this post, I will try and list a few of the vital steps you should take to ensure that your system is not porous.

• Make sure no one can browse the directories
• Make sure only root has write privileges to everything, and only root has read privileges to certain config files
• Run mod_security

One of the most important things you should decide on is what ports should be open to the outside world. For most people, the only port necessary is the default HTTP port 80. Only root should have write access to the system. It is almost impossible to find a company without database of some sort these days, so if you have one, make sure that the root account details is changed.

If you must connect remotely to your server, make sure you open SSH port 22, disable you root account on your server, create a user on your MySQL database with limited privileges and review those privileges for those not required.

As crazy as it may sound, you should not announce to the world that you run your own server on your home or office connection. You never know you might come after your setup - that's another reason why you should not run your apps on root account. It also helps if you have a dynamic IP - this way you can't be endlessly getting hammered. A simple restart gets you a new IP.

Finally, bear in mind you're opening up a can of worms as soon as you start opening anything up to external traffic. Remember what you consider an experimental server, almost like a sacrificial lamb, is also easy pickings for people looking to do bad things with your network and resources.

Programming in Objective-C 2.0

Completely unlike any other programming book I've read. I would have gotten more seriously into programming alot sooner had I read Programming in Objective-C earlier.

The Programming in Objective-C came in good time considering I was outside the UK. I have to say it suffered a bit due to it being a paperback. The binding was good and the paper quality good.

The printed material is the most important part and I have to say that right from the start, I was learning alot about the language and the introduction was so clear, I could understand on the first sitting. On getting into the next chapter and starting to learn the language itself, I was surprised to find how easy it was to get through.

You really don't need a computer in front of you to actually understand what Programming in Objective-C really is.
The best part was the Q & A section at the end of the chapter. It makes you feel that you are taking a course in the language and also helps you evaluate how much you have actually learned.

I would recommend Programming in Objective-C to anyone who wishes to learn a language for the first time.

5 Days of Wicket

Following nicely from where we left off last time, I just wanted to show you a nice link to another smashing article on how to get well and truly into Wicket development. This is a 5 Days of free Wicket training.

With almost 3 dozens of Java web application frameworks out there, it can sometimes seem very daunting to decide which framework to concentrate on and specialise. So, if you're one of those still struggling, I would suggest you take a minute to check out this one.

As always, its entirely up to you to make up your own mind and decide if it's your kind of thing. Of course, there are other competing Java frameworks like Struts 2, JSF and the likes, so do make sure to check those out too.

Continuous Integration with Subversion and Hudson

It's interesting what you can find online. I was going through some of my newsletter emails and stumbled upon this simple yet nice article on how to set up a local continuous integration server with Subversion and Hudson.

The article is divided into 2 parts - the first one walks you through installing and setting up the system including downloading and unpacking to running the commands needed to install. It then moves on to showing you how to check out a project with Subversion to get you running.

In the second part of this article, it quickly continues from where it left off in the first part. Tackling running Hubson and dealing with errors and compiling the build file needed to run the server.

If you have never used a continuous integration before, I'd suggest you take a minute to check it out. In fact, one of our recent recruit having gone through the article is now tasked with setting up a sample build system for us.

This is a nice and harmless way to get your junior team members to get their hands dirty and learn something in the process. You never know when something like this might come in useful.

Setting up a Subversion Server on Ubuntu

Having just decided that we would be bringing in all our SCM in-house, I delegated the task to one of our most recent developers.

His task was to configure one of the computers gathering dust and turn it into a mean machine for all our source code repository. First, we started off by getting a copy of Pragmatic Version Control Using Subversion. This book has just about everything you need to get you running quickly without any long winded story.

Beside that book, another resource we referenced heavily was this excellent resource: Setting up a Subversion Server on Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon server. If you're looking to get into setting up something in house, make sure you check out the tutorial.

Now, we're left with managing access and secure and efficient back up plans.

I will update this blog once we have a stable backup plan in place.

Managing Datastore in Google App Engine

Working with Google App Engine has its ups and downs - one of which was the ability to delete and manipulate your data in the datastore.

As initially suggested by this excellent reply to a question in Stackoverflow website. The original poster wanted to know if it was possible to delete all the data in the datastore that he had entered for testing purpose. As it turned out, there was no obvious was to run the usual Create/Drop/Delete commands that we're all used to on a normal web application.

So, it was nice to see that Google has finally included the options to browse your datastore from the admin page. This, ofcourse also provides the facilities to create/update/delete.

So, if you have been finding it hard to clean out your data, it should be a breeze with this latest feature addition. Thanks Google for listening to your users.

One last thing that I have been working to address is running into timeout whilst my request is being processed. So, a workaround is to minimize the time/cycle for which my request lasts.

Flex 3 in Action

I was very excited when I got an email to review the excellent Flex 3 In Action book from Manning. If like most developers looking to venture into the world of rich internet applications, then this is a must-have book.

Started off looking at the table of contents to see how and where to begin or have a sneak peek, it turned out that no matter where you looked, you would definitely find it quite easy to approach. Flex 3 In Action was written from a stand point of a tutorial - meaning that most of the sections have been thought out quite well making it easy follow. Unlike most technical books, this one shows you how to develop each of the sample app in tutorial format - taking you through each step as you go along. You can't get anything much simpler than that.

Coming in at 579 pages, Flex 3 In Action has 24 chapters divided into 3 parts. The first part starts by introducing you to the technologies and platform behind Flex and Actionscript development. This covers everything from getting started, working with forms, to layouts, getting user input, trees and other components - all with extensive and complete examples.

The second section takes a much deeper step tackling topics such as working with event handlers, dealing with network connections and XML Web Services; Pop ups, classes and reuse-abilities. The final section covers every other things you'd need to know about skinning Flex 3 applications, testing, debugging and building & deploying.

To give you a taste of what to expect in Flex 3 In Action, Manning is making 2 chapters available for download [pdf]...These are Flex Layout and Navigation and Testing and Debugging Flex Apps.

I highly recommend this book, if you are serious and looking to get into Flex 3 programming, I would suggest you get a copy. But if you'd like to wet you appetite first, then go ahead and download the free sample chapters.

Created new sub-domain for my Utility Files

With the free time I have this week(which I rarely get), I thought I would use the time to tidy up my computer by moving a few files and documents and filing them away beautifully. So this morning, I decided to move all my files scattered around my computer to one sub-domain making it much easier to locate and work with.

Before I start on a project, I normally try things out to see how it plays out before fully implementing it. Sometimes, if not most of the times, the prototype normally end up becoming the core of the application. But in some cases, I just abandon it for something more polished. This normally results in half completed hacks around - and funnily enough I find myself coming back for inspiration from those files.

Over the years, I have accumulated many of such utility programs in half a dozen programming languages from Perl to Python, from Java to Ruby. Moving them to a sub-domain would mean that I can easily move into any relevant folder for a hack I've knocked together before.

Following the coding convention we use at work, I've called it http://garage.domain.com. Garage, as the name suggests is where we carry out everything from car repairs to DIY. So, this appropriately describes what my intention is with the sub-domain.

I would be happy to know how and where you maintain all the little hacks you accumulated over the years. If you have a suggestion or comments, please leave them in the comments.

Finally Moved Project To SCM

Believe it or not, I have been working on 3 different open source projects in the last couple of months beside holding down a full-time job; and this has been keeping me quite too busy to enjoy other things outside software development and computers in general.

If you read my last blog, you will have noticed that I just bought myself a new top of the range Nikon D3 camera. This of course is what I have been indulging in lately to give myself the much needed break from open source and software development. Although, I still find time to code in the evenings, but at least I get to spend the day outdoors having fun.

Now, today's blog post is a note to myself to remind me of when I finally imported one of my pet projects onto a version control system. I'd planned to finish one of my longest running projects, but didn't get round to working on it - partly because it wasn't on a version system and couldn't be seen on my project list.

So, this afternoon, I finally decided that the only way I could get it finished was to move to where I could see it amongst other projects.

My aim now is to spend a few hours each month and it should be enough to get it complete. Another reason I have not finished it is because I started working on it on my old Windows XP laptop; but didn't get to move it since all my current development is done on Ubuntu and Mac.

But with it now finally in the same place as other projects I'm working on, it should and will be getting the same attention and effort that I put into other projects.

Getting New Camera - An Excuse to Experience The Outdoor

Sometimes it makes sense to just let your hair down and let it all hang out. So, I thought I'd go and spend the week hunting for a nice Nikon D3 camera that I hope to use for the rest of the summer experiencing and enjoying the awesome weather that we currently have.

If you are like me, you will notice that it does help to step out now and again from the computer and not code all the time. At least one needs to have human interactions more often than just sitting in front of a computer screen for hours on end.

With that in mind, I decided to buy myself a very powerful Nikon D3 camera that I will be using to indulge in one of my hobbies that I've relegated to the back of my priorities for too long. This is something I should have been doing more often, but as lazy as I am, I find it quite hard to step away from my computer once I fire up my beloved IDE - Eclipse.

But with the new camera now around, that would be a very good excuse to get out more and experience the beautiful and wonderful country that we have. One should do more touristy thing - finding out more about important places we have and photograph them.

With so many different makes and models of cameras out there, it was almost impossible for me to pick which to buy until Sebastien recommended the amazing Nikon D3. This is a cool baby...I'm still trying to get it to fly though, once I get it rolling, be certain that there will be photos here.

Wish me luck as I struggle with it.

London Android Developers Meetup

Today, I thought I would stop by the London Android Developers meetup to see the latest in handset technology and developments. It actually went quite well - only that I was a bit late so missed the first half of the talk. Otherwise it was a packed and interesting presentation.

As usual, more in depth discussions carried on in the pub across the street, so I had to tag along just to make sure that I not only get to hear all the gossips, the next killer project, and some awesome complex demos, I also get to swap business cards and bitch around too. What else could I do at the pub - I don't drink.

In general, it was a good talk and will definitely try to make it much earlier next time and bring even more business cards. Oh, I forgot my camera at the office so didn't manage to take any pictures. But I will make sure that I don't forget next time.

That's it for now, I have to go now...have to be up early in the morning for an appointment with a client. Stay tight, don't drink and drive...love one another and be happy.

Twitter App for NetBeans

Ok, I know that there are already thousands of Twitter apps out there on the internet, but as self-respecting hacker and Engineer, I thought I would give it another quick jab and knock up one more app just for kick :)

So, this evening, I quickly out together a small proof-of-concept app that has been running riot in my head for sometime. This app plugs directly into NetBeans. Although it works quite well, it lacks most of the bells and whistles you'd expect in a fully fledge desktop version. Actually, what this small app does is nothing more than allow you to send tweets, see your timeline and retweet. Just like the web version, you will have to manually copy/paste the tweet and add the 'RT' for your retweets.

The features that are not implemented are notifications - there's no way of knowing when you have a @replies, DM works just like a normal tweet so that does not need implementing. Another feature currently missing is the picture that identifies each of people you are following. What you currently get is just their userIDs and updates.

In the coming days and weeks, I will try and implement the rest of the missing features above; and clean up the code.

Finally, as some of the features rely on some third party library, I will have to re write it to ensure that it uses on the standard Java API. Only then will I be ready to put it on the world stage. In the meantime, if you want to take it for a spin and don't mind letting it all hangout, then holla at me :)

That's it for now. Please remember to be nice, be good, love one another, code everyday and God bless Marcus Garvey!

Scala Servlet HowTo

Following on very nicely with the theme of software engineering and software development, I thought I would show you a very good tutorial for those who are looking to explore the possibilities of taking up Scala programming.

In this tutorial, the author discusses how to miss Scala and Servlet; and how to deploy them on a Tomcat server. Though, the tutorial does not go deep well enough into how to go about dealing with errors and installations, but assumes that you already have the necessary installations and how to run Servlet applications.

One other thing I like about the tutorial is that it also answers one of the questions that new developers always ask: If you package library jars with every web app, then you will potentially have hundreds of the same .jar file on your system - each with every web app you deploy. The answer to that is that you place a common jar that your apps will depend on in ${tomcat}/shared/lib instead of putting it in each WEB-INF/lib. In fact, one of our new developers asked the same question when we did a pair programming together.

Free SVN Hosting Project - CVS Hosting

A friend was looking around for ideas on where to host a project they will be working on with other developers and thought it would make sense to use a good source code management system.

Although there are lots of project hosting sites out there, but almost all require that you register an open source project with them to get your source hosted free or you'd have to pay for a pro account. But because this is not going to be an open source project, they had to look around for something that fits their need. A few promising sites were suggested including xp-dev.

I have not used it myself, but I will definitely look into it when I have the time. For me, I have a server at home that I use for all my hosting needs. Infact,I have a static IP for the last 2 years, as such, I host some of my applications and pet project sites on my server at home.

However, I was able to install, configure and get an SVN running in under 30 minutes. You may also want to invest in Practical Subversion, Second Edition if you want to learn to run your on SVN. I can't recommend that book enough, it has just about everything you'd need to run a successful SCM from a one man project to a truly complex development setup. Here's another good review on Pragmatic Version Control Using Subversion, check it out and see if the material is for you. This is particularly useful because -

1. I can organise my own back up
2. run my own continuous integration on it
3. choose and change my tooling needs without getting stuck with whatever a
   provider supplies

What makes this very good is that it does not have to run on a powerful computer - infact, just about any computer would do.

So, having discussed the benefits for hosting oneself, he was convinced it was a good idea to go with that.

One other thing most people do not realise is that with no incentive for the hosting company to back or even keep the service running, you are likely to lose all your valuable source code in a flash. But why would you risk it when a small fee would give you the same level of service, but with added sense of reliability.

So, if you are looking for a free SVH Hosting, you may want to consider paying for it or get a cheap dedicated VPS server and have your very own free SVN Hosting there for yourself and your friends too. Don't rely on free services, instead pay for the cheapest and expect it to be reliable.

That's it. Get out more, enjoy life, make love not war, help the needy and God bless Marcus Garvey.

Computer PC Repair in The UK

With the economy this bad, it's not surprising people are finding ways to not only make ends meet, but to make sure that bills are paid and kids fed. It would be a bad idea to believe that wages alone can sustain a family with all the mountain of bills that come through the door every other day.

For some, Computer Repair during the weekends have become another attractive way to make extra cash every week. My friend Ken was one of those who didn't think he could make extra cash to help with the odd payments here and there. Now, having read what people were making, he quickly joined the guys at London's Computer and PC Repair. That way, he can be assured of something at the end of the weekend.

In fact, he's not unique to this trend - more and more software developers have also started signing up for freelancing jobs online. According to a recent survey, over 70 percent of IT related companies now use remote software developers, PC Repair and Computer repairs in a bid to save of running cost.

What makes this particularly attractive is that you don't have to pay for what you do not need. For every piece of specialized software application you need, you call up your remote developer with the details which they quickly knock up. Another plus to using this sort of service is that the cost is almost always reduced.

So, if you are into any sort of IT industry and have not thought of taking up freelancing jobs in your spare time, I'd suggest you give it a try and see if it's for you. It doesn't matter if you have experience inComputer Repair or PC Repair, what counts is the amount you could potentially make at the end of every job.

Learning Scala

In the last few weeks, I have seen lots of discussions on many blogs and forums on using Scala in anger. Although I have been using it on and of in the last couple of months, I have not really thought about using it on a real life project.

So, to take up the challenge and seriously immerse myself in it, I decided to get the Programming Scala: Tackle Multi-Core Complexity on the Java Virtual Machine. If you have not seen this book, I'd suggest you read the review here to give you an idea of the positive reviews it has been getting.

However, I will be blogging about my progress as I meticulously work my way through the book and my project. Due to the nature of the project, I won't be disclosing the details, but I efforts will be made to discuss and reference various aspect of the project as it progresses.

So, please follow this blog or leave your thoughts in the comments below if you would like to join the discussions. And please remember, you can also share your tips and tricks too.

How I manage all my affiliate accounts

This story is so humorous I just had to post it because I’m sure a lot of you can relate. As affiliate marketers, we have accounts with Commission Junction, ClickBank, Share-a-sale, Linkshare, PepperJam, Copeac, ClickBooth, PayPal, Adwords, Adsense, Azoogle, Chitika, InLinks, NetKlix, Webmaster tools, hosting accounts, domain accounts, site logins, blog feed accounts, Digg, Technorati, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, YouTube, WordPress, and I could go on and on and on.

I have so many logins there would be no way to keep them all straight so I use this login management software that keeps my logins all nicely organized and can be easily transferred from desktop to laptop so your logins are always handy.

Almost all my affiliate payments are via PayPal or ACH, but one company had made payment via mailed check up until last fall when I switched from a DBA to a corporation. I had completed all the ACH paperwork, faxed it in to the company and my rep said he would take care of it.

This was a decent CPC affiliate program that I had integrated into about six different sites. Traffic has grown on all the sites since last fall, and so had the earnings. I hadn’t thought anything about it until the other day when I went to my PO box to check my mail. I got to thinking that I hadn’t seen a payment from this company for quite awhile, despite having decent monthly earnings.

So I logged into my different bank accounts to see if I just missed the ACH, and couldn’t find anything for that company. I checked my PayPal account just to make sure I didn’t direct payments there. I finally realized that I hadn’t seen a single payment from them since I switched my paperwork over last fall.

After talking with the VP (and feeling like a moron for not catching this sooner), they tracked down the error on their end which turned out to be the wrong routing info for my bank account and payments weren’t being made. He said they’d catch up on the payments with the next month’s payment.

The worst part wasn’t necessarily that I wasn’t getting paid, but rather the fact that I didn’t miss the money from not getting paid! $6,400 is a decent amount of money, especially back when I was first getting started in affiliate marketing. I still remember the first affiliate sale I made online, and it was that virtual ‘clink’ in the bank that got me hooked on making a living online.

So I’ll take this as a sign that 1) I’m doing alright as an internet marketer 2) I need to get more organized, and 3) I need to always remember that first sale and appreciate every dollar that I generate online.

Using Newsletter Software

There is this trend that I see everywhere these days and that is - starting one's newsletter. I was reading one of my favourite blogs last week when I came across another post on managing and having a subscription form on one's blog.

Of course I would love to do that too, but as you may have noticed, I don't spend much time on this blog, so that would be a waste of time. That said, you may want to see this blog and if possible, subscribe to his newsletter. In fact, I spend just about the little free time I have on his blog and newsletters. It makes no sense to start reinventing the wheels when there's already a superb source out there.

But what I would say to you is that I now make a few bit of money through this service. I didn't know I could make enough monthly to cover some of my book purchases and my occasional wines.

If you are interested, here are some of the links, so, give them a try. They are very easy to use and you don't have to do much really to start earning. In fact, all it takes is a few links on your blog and you start getting paid monthly for those link placements. It's that simple.

Go ahead and start earning right away!

Free Satellite TV on your Computer

This is one of the main money maker for me right now. I have seen my cheque increase since signing up to this programme. If you're an affiliate marketeer and entrepreneur and not making enough, I'd suggest you check out this video to see if you can learn one thing or another.

The tips and tricks that most super affiliates use to make huge income every month is explained in there.

Check it out.

http://helensoft.ipodpsp.hop.clickbank.net

PC Repair for Slow Computers

Are you as fed up with tech support as I was?

I'm sure most people are. One of my computers has caused me nothing but trouble for a long time and in the past 6 months, I decided it was enough and finally took it to a certified PC repair to get the thing fixed right.

These guys are cool, they replaced all necessary parts that needed replacements and helped scan it for virus and spywares. These are the most common things that turn your once supersonic fast computer into a slow coach that never starts up properly or runs half the speed of it's former self. Now the computer works like a charm!

I would like to say a massive thank you to the PC Repair guys! With this sorted, I can now focus on my learning of Flex Programming.

How do you make money online?

Everyone I know these days wants to make money online, but how do you go about finding out where to start and how to go about it correctly without wasting valuable time on useless affiliate programmes and multi-level marketing rubbish?

Luckily, the whole internet is awash with sites and blogs all talking about how to make money online. But first, you need to weed through all these sites before you can really see the germ.

However, it's worth noting that most of these sites are all talk and no action -
What this means is that all these sites are quick to tell you how much you can make money online. But if you dig a little through their site, you will soon realise that they don't make as much as they claim. In fact, only roughly 20% of them actually make money online.

Don't get me wrong, there are some who are making a real amount of money online. For example, this guy makes some cash because he has a network of blogs that run into their ten's. So, my advice is that if you're really serious about making money online, it is important that you checkout this link to see if there's something in there that you can learn from.

In this first part of my how to 'Make Money Online', I just quickly introduce things, I will carry on from here on my next installation.

For now, have fun and start thinking about how you too can make more online.

Free Adobe Flex 3 Book

My free copy of Adobe Flex 3 Book courtesy of Adobe arrived this morning. This is going to be another excellent addition to my knowledge as a newbie in Flex and Python. I had even forgotten that I requested a free copy three weeks ago. What I got was a pocket guide, really small but packed with newbie information to get me started and most of all get me up to speed on Adobe Flex 3.


This is a nice progression following the amazing talk by James Ward earlier last month on Sexier Software with Java and Flex. If you missed it, you can find the aftermath report here, kindly provided by Dave Snowdon.


If interested, go here to apply for your own free copy of Getting Started with Flex 3 courtesy of Adobe™.

Regaining your Ranking Position

Continuing from where I left off last time, am going to show you how to get that much needed ranking back.


One of the steps most people take when trying to regain their initial position is to revert to the earlier version. This is a very good idea only if you have a version control system in place. Or you have multiple copies saved for situations like these. But this is not an option for most people. So, the first solution would be to check your alt tags for keywords. Google really frowns upon stuffing your image alt attributes with keywords.

Once that is done, the next step is to review your content for those keyword. The good thing about using Google is that it highlights the keywords for your searches. So, search your site for the keywords and on the result page on Google, select the 'Cached' under your result to see the keywords highlighted. This should give you an idea of what google sees when users search for those keywords.

Finally for today, its important that you know how long it will take the crawler to visit your site and index the next improved changes you've just made.

In my next blog entry, I hope to show you more was to alert Google crawler to new or updated contents on your site.

That's it for now folks!

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Ranking lower than before on Google???

Ok, your site was ranking very high on Google results, and all of a sudden your site is pushed back to somewhere around page 10 or more in the search results. This is something most people don't want to happen to their sites especially if you rely on search results to drive traffic to your site.

Well, there are changes you can make to help you regain your 'thrown' and even move much further up than before. In the next few articles, I will show you simple tricks that I've personally used to increase my own ranking without having to worry about sliding down the ranking slopes ever again.

Don't worry, you wouldn't have to pay a penny. This is so simple that most people ignore it every time they put up a page on their sites. I will also try and show you how to drive those needed traffic to your site or blog without having to pay for it.

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

Ever wondered how those other sites manage to have tens of thousands of traffic on a weekly basis? Well, wonder now more. An example of such sites is this, they allow you to use their services and tools to increase site profile without paying an arm and a leg for it.

But I will make time over the weekend to compile all the steps you need to a much higher ranking on Google.

The Affiliate Program Launches

I’ve been meaning to do this for quite a while, and I’ve finally gotten things in place for the Affiliate Program. If you’ve been looking for a way to earn some extra income from your site, this is an opportunity to help you do just that.

It could help to even Increase traffic to your website. Get Google AdWords.if you have the money, but if you don't have tons of cash to spend and would like an affiliate that both increases your site ranking by driving traffic to your site and making money at the same time, then check it out.

The Link Worth site has everything to get you started.

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

But if you have all the money to Bring targeted traffic to your site with Google AdWords, then you shouldn't be reading this.

Free telephone calls

I will be replacing this information later.

But for now, I would like to bring your attention to the fact that most companies that supply free text messaging services in the UK have now resort to charging more than what other country's network charge.

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

A come back!

I have been away from this blog for over a year. This has been to the fact that most of my time has been on the Jroller site.

I have a blog there and it seems more vibrant and informative to use that site. My project, Anylabs is done with the help of tester from the site. However, I will be making a full come back as I've found jroller to be having problems. Most of the time, the site goes offline and this is not good enough for me. Some of the notable guys have left too.

Until JRoller gets its hosting together, people will be leaving in huge numbers

Project Harmony has a Blog

This is the unofficial blog for the Harmony project. Though most of the project discussions are done through the mailing list, but its often too hard and cumbersome to keep track of those important points in the project future; hence the blog.

Most of the vital discussions are archived here, so, this should serve as the first 'point of call' before requesting further info as to what the project is currently looking to achieve.

You can get involved with the project by contributing your ideas and thoughts, and you can even suggest some trivial but effective and efficient solutions to some problems. I work on documentation and testing - if you have a few hours a week to spend and would like to help out, please by all means join the project. We would love to have you on the development team

Be counted!

Completed First Phase

What a sigh of relief we've just finished a module as part of the application we are developing for a client, and the testing seemed ok.

Having spent the last few days writing the final code and documentation for this module, I think its time we let our hair down and have a beer or two... This module has been the most challanging so far. The reason being that it involved us changing alot of the original design as specified by the client; I know this is always the case with most projects, but this was different because the design required us to use a low-level system call and we could not achieve this with Java alone. So, we ended up writing C/C++ DLLs to help achieve this.

But anyway, it seemed ok after the initial testing. They are happy with the result and we are embarking on the remaining phase Monday next week.

So guys, get your tools ready