Escape from PDF

Posted on September 11, 2010 by michael

PDFescapeMy second least favorite file format on the internet is .pdf.  Just so happens that it is from the same creator of my least favorite file format, .swf, Adobe.

I avoid the two file formats as much as I can, however, a client approached me about a problem they were having filling out PDF files to bid construction jobs.

If a PDF file is created properly, they can be filled out using Adobe Reader (for free).  They can use forms to allow the user to type in the areas of the PDF file that need input.

However, when PDF files are not created properly, there is no easy way to edit them.  I started researching the problem and found quite a few options available to allow a user to fill in the blanks of a PDF file that wasn’t formatted properly.  Some were very expensive and some were very sketchy.

By far the best solution I found was PDFescape.

It is in beta (and free), but provides a very simple interface for users to type on a PDF file.  It is a Web Application that uses a javascript to edit the files.  Nothing to download (no spam, trojans, or viruses) and works in any good browser.

Try it out if you find yourself wanting to type on a PDF.

(thanks to Vivek Gite @ nixCraft for the tip)

Posted in WeUse | Tagged | Comments Off

Google Mechanical?

Posted on August 4, 2010 by michael

Google PowerMeterWhile working on a project to monitor energy use in a commercial office building, I was researching some of the current products in the space.  I looked at some very compelling solutions for energy metering and monitoring.

TED 5000-G software

The basic idea is that a device is connected to the building’s electric supply to record the amount of electricity being used.  Said device then logs the data which can then be made into pretty little graphs.

However, some of the companies that quoted my job were looking for $350 (and up) a month to just log and present the data for me.  It was really neat, but $350/month is like a tenant for the commercial office building I was assisting…so I started to research what was involved….and came across Google PowerMeter.

I’m used to Google showing up in the solutions to software needs of my clients, but energy metering?  Turns out google has partnered with some utilities and device makers to offer the logging and display of power usage.

For about $200 – $500 for the hardware, some moderate install work, you can be monitoring your power usage.

Add BitFog and the Google PowerMeter API and the fun really begins.

Posted in WeLike, WeUse | Tagged | Comments Off

Ubiquitous Computing

Posted on July 19, 2010 by michael

I am on a job site this week working on a few projects. Preparing for the trip, I realized how all of the workstations I usually work on are desktops. My systems are so synchronized that I simply never used my old tablet anymore.

Android, Ubuntu, Eclipse, Geany, and Dropbox have made every computer I work on interchangeable with the others. Additionally, I can throw any or all of them into a lake, and be computing again within 30 minutes on any internet ready computer.

On my trip this week however, I was not sure if I was going to have dependable access to a computer, so I dusted off the old Averatec C3500 tablet computer. I upgraded the Ubuntu install to 10.04 and threw in 1GB so-dimm and it came back to life.

I am now writing mounds of Java code from all over the campus of William & Mary. Not only have I not missed any development time, I may actually be writing better code due to the inspirational setting of one of our country’s oldest colleges.

Posted in WeDo | Tagged | Comments Off

CAPTCHA reCAPTCHA!

Posted on July 8, 2010 by michael

As I was putting a CAPTCHA on a web application I am developing, I realized what a pain spammers are to the rest of society.  I try to make signing up as easy as possible for the web applications I build.

The problem is the easier it is for a human to sign up, the easier it is for a spambot to sign up.

In general, I think everyone dislikes CAPTCHA’s.  Those funny looking words you are supposed to type into a web page to prove that you aren’t a computer program.  Just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy doesn’t it?

Well, reCAPTCHA changes things a little.  The words are still a bit hard to read, and typing them in adds a whole extra step (and verification) to the log in process, however, the reCAPTCHA system actually helps to digitize books, newspapers and old time radio shows.

Huh?

That’s right, reCAPTCHA sends you words that computer’s can’t decipher and puts them in that little box with a known word.  When you enter the pair, the unknown word is then given back to the computer program that is digitizing the old media so that it learns the word.  The word is given out to many people to improve the confidence that the word you provided is correct.

So think about that next time you are grabbing your glasses to try and read the funny words in the reCAPTCHA box.

You are making society better.

Posted in WeUse | Tagged , | Comments Off

To OpenID or not to OpenID

Posted on July 7, 2010 by michael

I have always been a fan of OpenID, the decentralized authentication servcie for single log on.  Keeping up with multiple usernames and multiple passwords for the sites I access can be a hassle.

OpenID allows you to have one username and password work for multiple websites.  It’s now used by most of the big websites on the internet.  Several free email providers (and others) have even created an OpenID’s out of your existing credentials for their site (i.e. your gmail username and password can be your OpenID identity).

OpenID really makes logging into different sites a breeze.  On the big sites, this isn’t a problem.

On small (or new) websites that are just starting out, I have found that I no longer feel comfortable logging in with my OpenID identity.  This is probably just me being overly cautious, however, the big negative for OpenID is that is can be used quite effectively for phishing attacks.

An untrusted website could act as if they use OpenID for authentication.  When you follow the link, they could take you to a fake authentication site, where you would enter your OpenID credentials, thus compromising all of the sites you use OpenID to access.

While not likely, it’s possible, especially if you aren’t paying attention to the webpage on which you are directed to authenticate.

Lately when trying out websites, I just create a new username/password combination to set up an account.  On the websites I write, I’m not initially offering OpenID either.

I instead make the signup as painless as possible.  When the site picks up traffic (and trust), I will then go back and add OpenID (it’s really kind of easy these days).

Posted in Advice | Tagged | Comments Off

Motorola Droid vs. UT Starcom XV6700?

Posted on July 3, 2010 by michael


Ok, it sounds like an odd comparison, but it is actually quite interesting. I’ve had my XV6700 since early 2006. It served me quite well until the 4th quarter of 2009 when it was replaced by the Motorola Droid (the original). I couldn’t part with it though, so it stayed around the house living happily on my home wireless lan.

The XV6700 is a solid smart phone that run Windows Mobile. Obviously the Droid is going to win a head-to-head comparison, so let’s look at where the XV6700 wins.

Where the XV6700 Wins:

  1. Easier to hold:  The XV6700 is quite a bit thicker, heavier and narrower than the Droid, but it is much easier to hold.  Just fits into my hand better.
  2. XV6700 Mini Joy Stick crushes the Droid…the eraser pad has actually worn off of my XV6700, but it’s still better to navigate with the mini joy stick.
  3. Keyboard.  Not even close.  I hadn’t finished typing the first few characters on the Droid before I realized the keyboard was no match for the XV6700.  I thought at first that I was just being old and that I was resisting the new feel of the keyboard.  I was wrong.  I’m now used to the Droid keyboard and the XV6700 is still much better.  Now I useSwype on the Droid just so I don’t angry at my keyboard.  See full size image

The big improvement on the Droid was the WebKit browser.  Figured I’d never use my XV6700 much because I’d always end up needing the browser.

However, what makes this comparison even possible is Opera Mini.  I’m running Mini 5.0.3 and it has saved my XV6700.  It is a fast browser that makes browsing regular webpages useful.

I now use my XV6700 almost everyday.  Opera, Google Reader and Google for Domains keeps it a very useful tool…plus Google Reader on the XV6700 has no ads in my feed.  Nice.

Posted in WeUse | Tagged , | Comments Off

It’s all coming together.

Posted on June 30, 2010 by michael

ServiceU: Return HomeI was researching Event Management software for a client.  Event Management software generally handles things like ticketing, reservations, and registration for a Conference or Event.  One vendor, ServiceU, had
this feature:

EventU Green™ is an add-on package to our popular EventU online event management software that allows you to coordinate heating and air conditioning online based on your event schedule.

EventU Green interfaces with your HVAC system to get your room cooled or heated to the perfect temperature for every event. It turns the system on in time to reach the right temperature before the event starts–and it turns the system off automatically when the event is over.

It’s an add-on to their event management software that controls the
heating and air conditioning online based on your event schedule.

EventU connects to a product called Network Thermostat to make the connection between their software and the HVAC hardware.

Now that’s business development.

Posted in WeLike | Tagged , | Comments Off

Google Voice Open For Business

Posted on June 28, 2010 by michael

Google VoiceThe transition from GrandCentral to Google Voice is now complete.  GrandCentral was founded in 2005 as a way to use one phone number to connect many different devices.  Google purchased GrandCentral in 2007 and finally opened the project back up to an invitation only beta in 2009 and now have opened it up to the public.

Google Voice has added SMS (text messaging / managing) and (really bad) voice mail transcriptions, but really doesn’t add anything new to services such as UReach, that was started in 1998, and offered you free (back then) 800 telephone numbers you could manage and forward as needed.

The original concept of “One Phone Number” is a useful one though, it frees you from your phone company the same way owning your own domain name frees you from your ISP & email provider.

Freedom is a good thing.

Google Voice is free, so sign up, select a number (a vanity number even) and try it out.  If you need a more professional solution, check out UReach.

Positives

  1. One number frees you from your phone company (porting numbers is a pain)
  2. Nice integration into the chrome browser and android platform
  3. Managing SMS (text) messages from anywhere is nice
  4. Free

Negatives

  1. Some noticeable voice lag time when using your Google Voice number on your cell phone when talking to someone on a cell phone (not a problem on land lines).
  2. Using your Google Voice number to navigate a phone tree is painful and doesn’t work in some cases (some numbers are used as commands to Google Voice so when you need to “Press 1 for Support”, the “1″ might not work).
  3. Free, but once you start using your number and they start charging a fee, you might be stuck.

Also Try

  1. UReach
Posted in WeUse | Tagged , | Comments Off

OpenDNS Defends The Family

Posted on June 26, 2010 by michael

We’ve been long time users of OpenDNS. For many years they have been saving us from really bad DNS servers from Verizon, Comcast, et al.

Their CacheCheck has saved us many hours debugging servers.

However, their latest offering is clearly their most important to me.

FamilyShield Parental Controls.

FamilyShield keeps the sketchy internet underworld away from your computers, gaming systems (Xbox, Wii, DS), iPads, and smart phones.  Any device that uses your router to reach the internet.  OpenDNS blocks sites by using an ever updating list of sketchy websites as a blacklist.  If a website is on the list, the request will be blocked with a screen telling you why.

My oldest son is turning into quite a Scratch programmer.  That means he’s spending more time on the computer and more time on the web.  With FamilyShield enabled on his computer, I don’t have to worry about him ending up on creepy sites.

Update your DNS IP’s now.  (note you don’t have to give your email address)

Posted in WeUse | Tagged , , | Comments Off

Scratch Programming

Posted on June 2, 2010 by michael

It saddens me when I see the younger generations using technology, but not understanding it.  They were raised with computers, cell phones, Droids, iPads, and every gaming system you can think of, but most of them don’t really grasp how it all works.

Enter Scratch, a computer application that targets kids and lets them delve into the world of computer programming.  Introduced in 2007, Scratch now integrates with the Lego WeDo robotics system.  Scratchcat.svg

Kids can gain experience with programming and logical thought through controlling ‘Sprites’ on the Scratch application in virtuality.  With WeDo integration, the kids can control their Lego Robots in meatspace.

But, the best part about Scratch is that it is available for any Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux computer.  Scratch projects can also be viewed in a Java applet called Scratch Player.

Kids can freely build, share, and download projects with other developers around the world.  I’m waiting to come across the first startup built on Scratch technology…it’s only a matter of time.

Posted in WeUse | Tagged , , | Comments Off