Official Developer Build of Google Chrome Mac

Finally an official developer build of Google Chrome from Google. Apparently it’s still incomplete, but it should suffice for my quick browsing needs.

How incomplete? So incomplete that, among other things , you won’t yet be able to view YouTube videos, change your privacy settings, set your default search provider, or even print.
(via The Chromium Blog)

A Mac Software List

After switching to the Mac, I had to find software that would help me do stuff I like doing.  So far, the following are the software I’ve tried and that survived in my Applications folder.

VMWare Fusion – Since I switched from Windows, there are still a handful of apps I use on Windows. I also use it for browser testing (specially IE6). It’s the first OS X app I paid for and I think it’s worth it with all the things I am able to do with it around.

TextMate – Now my primary text editor. The bundles just make it easy for me to code in just about any language I need to code on. I’m still discovering a lot of things about it but so far it has helped me to code faster and keep my code cleaner and more organized. There’s also a certain magic I feel when I’m writing code on it.

Transmit – I tried FileZilla since it was my main FTP program in Windows, but it just didn’t feel right on OS X, so I tried Transmit and it fell just right into place. After learning new and adding custom keyboard shortcuts it fits perfectly with how I work. I especially like being able to edit stuff on the server seamlessly.

Yojimbo – Currently it serves as my password repository. Hopefully I’ll use it more as a repository of other things that I need to take down.

DestroyTwitter and Tweetie – After trying out a host of desktop Twitter clients (like EventBox, TweetDeck, Twhirl, Nambu, etc.), I’ve settled with the two. I use DestroyTwitter if I want to keep Twitter less intrusive (i.e. when I’m in The Zone). I use Tweetie when I’m actively exploring the Twitterverse.

Continue reading ‘A Mac Software List’

Google Sync for S60

Finally, there’s official support for Google Sync in S60 via Mail for Exchange. I haven’t been syncing my calendar on the E71 as much since it required me to manually sync via GooSync after NuevaSync stopped working for me. Now I can have calendar sync automated again. Good times.

(via Google Mobile Blog)

The Joy of Origami

When I was rather small, we used to have an origami booklet and I’ve always found the whole process of making an origami enjoyable — from trying to figure out what the diagrams mean to actually finishing the piece. So when I saw a pack of origami paper at Muji, I immediately got one. Below is the first one I made.

And the joy has never left.

Some Benefits of Virtualization and Cloud Computing

A side effect of “the switch” is that I am now reaping more and more benefits from virtualization. One of the first things I had to do when I switched was get virtualization software. This is so I can run Windows programs (mostly browsers) inside OS X as opposed to rebooting into a Windows install through Boot Camp.

I went for VMWare Fusion because of their Virtual Appliances. I was thinking that if I wanted to play with Linux in the future, I’d do away having to install and configure a whole operating system that I’m not very familiar with. However, after reading some very informative articles at Slicehost on how to install and configure things like Apache, PHP, MySQL, Nginx and Django on a naked Linux install, I forewent the Virtual Appliance route. I decided that If I am to learn more about Linux I have to go through the whole install and configure process and just create my own virtual appliances.

I think the advent of virtualization and cloud computing is a good thing for the industry I’m currently in (which has many names, mostly with the following keywords jumbled up – digital, interactive, marketing, advertising). This is specially beneficial for smaller shops who have less resources to invest in hosting infrastructure. Continue reading ‘Some Benefits of Virtualization and Cloud Computing’

My Photo’s on JsMag May 2009

js3_200

JsMag just released its latest issue and my photo is on the cover :) Hopefully I can write an article about JavaScript and contribute more than a photo soon enough.

The issue contains pieces on:

  • Mashups from the Ground Up
  • Flex/AJAX Bridge Gotchas
  • Demystifying Custom Events in jQuery
  • Web Testing with Windmill
  • RIA Revolution
  • Book excerpt from “JavaScript for Beginners”
  • Community News

The Switch – Barely Touching the Surface

It’s been a year since I made the “switch” and I’m slowly and gradually moving the way I work with computers from a Windows to a Mac paradigm. With regards to normal computer use, I’d like to think I’ve done a lot already — organized my stuff, installed several applications, setup a backup strategy among other things.

However, for productivity and development, I think I’ve barely touched the surface. I’m still learning about Folder Actions and AppleScript. I’m remembering how much I loved doing things on the command line (during the DOS days) when I use Terminal. I’m still figuring out how to customize TextMate (which I’m starting to really love) with the way I think about code. I’m also picking a whole lot of things from the community of indie Mac developers, which I want to be part of really really soon.

I’m still learning and I guess sometimes it’s harder for me to learn how to do things in another way after being so used to Windows for most of my life. But, I’m enjoying the process and I’m still happy that I did make the switch.

Hello 28. Nice to meet You.

A year older, hopefully wiser.

Nokia’s Developer Push

A few days back I went to Nokia’s Code Camp. They seem to be making a push to make sure developers create more apps on their platform, which is understandable with the advent of iPhone and Android. They’re launching their own version of of Apple’s AppStore — the Ovi Store,  which will house all content and applications available for S60 device. One of their selling points is they have a more attractive and flexible revenue framework for developers.

Also, I learned that my E71 can apparently run WRT (Web Runtime) widgets. WRT makes it possible to run JavaScript apps separately from the native browser. This is probably the answer to my long-running quest for a more usable Twitter client on the E71 (I’m gonna have to make my own).

What’s interesting though is version 1.1 of WRT (which unfortunaltey for me, will only be available on S60 5th edition devices like the 5800 and N97). It offers an API that provides access to device functions like GPS, Bluetooth, Messaging, Vibrate, Imaging. This effectively lowers the barriers to entry of mobile app development for the web developer. One doesn’t need to know C++ just to create applications that can interact with the phone system. Web developers can use their existing knowledge of JavaScript (and also ActionScript on Flash Lite) to create mobile applications that go beyond just pull information from the web.

jQuery Links

Some jQuery links I found that I’d probably make use of one of these days, got them mostly via twitter.