How I First Learned To Program

I been asked many times, is computer programming hard?  My answer is always no, anyone can learn.  I taught myself my first programming language in early in the 9th grade after randomly finding this BASIC Games Book in the used bookstore in Downtown Wheaton, Maryland.  On the family old 286 PC, I would sit there an type out programs and run them on the MS-DOS BASIC Interpreter.  I never learn how to save the files so I would have to retype the programs every time I got on.  It wasn't just about playing the games, it was the correlation of what I typed and how it translated in to actions on the computer.  And with further understanding, I would be able to write programs that do what I want them to do, like those in the book.

At night, I would lay in the bed and study the programs...relating what one line might mean to another.  And that's how I learned BASIC.  I didn't have anyone to teach me or any idea of what it was I was looking at, but I liked it.  I was able to figure out what the keywords meant through mostly trial and error and relational analyst.  Now that I'm older, I don't think it was a process too different from someone learning another speaking language through immersion.  Learning is learning no matter what the subject is.  You can learn the laws of physics by using and observing them.

Today, I know several more programming language and have a Computer Science degree.  Also, I am doing what I learned to love years ago for a living.  It feels good.  But the bottom line, it wasn't hard to learn; it only took one book, and it wasn't even a how to book.

*Disclaimer* Learning a computer language is not difficult at all but being good at writing computer software is mainly the reason why you paid what you are paid.  Just like a writer, knowing how to put words together will only get you so far, the talent is how well you put the words together to achieve your goal.

Heads Up Alert!!!

Shout out to Damelia for this one.  There is  a website that is collecting and giving away your personal information like age with pictures, home info with pictures, location, and how many people living in it, your credit score, profession, social networks you belong to and hosts of other info like how much you make.  Spokeo.com is a partially free online phonebook and reverse info look up site…great for bounty hunters and STALKERS!!

I know we live in the modern times with your information is everywhere but we all should be careful.  Thankfully, I have a very common name so finding me will require some effort. But to remove yourself from the free searches, look yourself up and copy the URL, then click the privacy link at the bottom and paste your URL.  *Note* This only removes that page from the free searches and only on that particular site…they still got ya!

Another Reason Amazon Rules

As I mention before I got an iPad for my birthday, one major feature is the ebook reader call iBook.  I tried it out and it was nice and all but there wasn’t any books in the Apple iBookstore that I wanted to read, so I was still buying real books on Amazon.com and at Borders.  I get recommendations for stuff to read all the time and so one day my friend Ingo suggests a money book to read.  Having the new iPad, first I look for it on iBookstore but it doesn’t have it.  Then I look on Amazon and of course it’s there but they also have a electronic version (Kindle version) for half of the paper book cost.  And FTW Amazon has now released a iPad app of the Kindle software and Kindle software for a bunch of other Operating Systems...all free!  Including iPhone, Windows, Mac, and BlackBerry with more on the way.  Along with many free e-books.

So I was like what the hell, let me compare the Apple book reading to the Amazon.  Apple’s software is slightly nicer, I like the highlighting text feature but good Lord, Amazon has so many books available.  I got a couple of technical programming books for half the cost of off the self that are close to existing in iBookstore yet also some random books ranging from free unheard of novels to how to books.

But here is what caused me to post this and share.  Last night I was reading on the iPad and placed a bookmark and then flipped some pages ahead to see how far I had to go for the chapter and turn it off.  This morning I’m at my work computer, I install and open the Kindle Software for windows because I want to look at the book I was reading and try some of the exercises. One the book share unlike iTunes and shit where it’s linked to a device.  Instead it’s linked to my Amazon log in. So I see all my purchases, when I open the book in particular it jumps straight to the page I left off at which was the pages ahead.  I click bookmarks and all my bookmarks are there.  Everything is synced. I love it.  Now i just need a Kindle Software version for my Windows Mobile cell phone which I think I saw as set for release on April 29th. This will make books easily available in boring moments and no more lugging around my big programming books.

I Got An iPad!

I don’t think I have felt more pressure to write than I have today, so I present…my impressions of the new Apple iPad.  Let me first start off by saying thanks to Susan for the awesome birthday present (Wayne’s World voice, “I’m not worthy!”).  Second, this device is a the start of a new generation of mobile devices.  This son of a bitch is pretty, fast, light, and as smooth as watery shit.  The interface is  surprise responsive.  And so easy and simple to a fault at least for me.

This is probably the finest piece of technology I have had the pleasure of playing with since the xbox 360...not Playstation 3 though (it wasn’t ground breaking).  I can’t help but think this is the future of computing because it works so well.  There are small minor problems like the glare on the screen, no multitasking, no usb ports, and expensive 3G but the biggest problem is that it a toy.  It’s not a tool for me.  It’s not for everyone.  Let me see if I can explain this…It can be used by anyone but it’s not for everyone.  After an hour of playing with it, loading apps, I’m left holding it wondering what am I going to do with this.  All the things that’s it’s good at doing I have stuff that does it better or I don’t need it.  Right now the ebook reader is what excites me most, but the types of books I read are not available in the ebook from yet (mostly technical programming books).  Web browsing is good, but I prefer a computers, the whole right-click and saving thing; also I like multiple windows when I surf the web.  I lost my ipod and didn’t notice for 9 months so I’m not looking for a 9 inch ipod.  Netflix and videos are better seen on the big ass tvs I love dearly.  I don’t travel enough to need the 3G version and when I am home I don’t need the wifi device because i am at home and have the access and the device is not an improvement on my already existing setup.  Maybe if I didn’t already have the stuff I have, this would be a godsend.  Basically, to get the most out this device you need to look at your lifestyle and see if you can use it.  Because it’s not an laptop you can’t install just anything on it.  If there is something you want to use it for then you would need either an app or an web app for it.  That’s what I will use it for to test for make my own apps.  But don’t let the hype fool you into thinking it’s just a bigger iphone, it kind of is but it kicks the phones ass with it’s eyes close.  This bitch is several times bigger and 60% faster.  Browsing the web on your cellphone after using this is some caveman shit. This device will make most new phones look like flip phones after the smart phones came out.

Missing I would like to see:

• OS sandbox to install software outside of the app store.
• Lower the owning cost, from the $30 per month for 3G to $9-$15 books, $5-$15 apps, $2 comics, $3-$15 games.  It’s setup to make you buy everything from the overpriced iTunes Store.
• I would greatly like a webcam
• get rid of the glare and fingerprints, I mean we can put a man on the moon but we ain’t got fingerprint proof screens yet.
• I need a way to program and write software on it.

I’m not done yet, only had it for a day…might change my mind on some things.

E-40 is $16 on itunes and $8 on Amazon…

 

Internet Browsing is so pretty on the iPad.

And there is a bunch of news apps for the news junkies.

Excellent E-Reader

And tons of apps for whatever you like…

Save a Tree, Read an E-Book

I don’t like reading on the PC or on my cell phone or anywhere for that matter but there are times when it is useful.  So for this How To, I’m show you Microsoft Reader and the underground world of e-books.

*disclaimer* you should pay for paid books.  If you download a book and like it or find it useful, pay the author.

First to view e-books, you need an electronic device, huh?  There are standalone readers like Amazon’s Kindle (who just had a price drop).  But you can also you a PC/Laptop, your cell phone, or ipod.

Microsoft Reader is a e-book software that is available on PCs and Mobile devices.  The importance of a Reader is that it improves the visibility of the display to make reading easier.  They try to get the print type quality.  Also they have features like bookmarks, highlighting text, and Text to Speech for lazy eyed people like me.

After you install the reader, you just need books.  Like the real world there is large supply of book available electronically.  The easiest is to just buy them online. But you can also find a lot books for free or for “free.” There are websites.  Here’s a site with free classic literature: http://www.planetebook.com/ In a previous blog I showed you how to use torrents, that’s one way.  But you can also find free books through Google Reader and blogs.

To use Google Reader select “Browse for stuff.”  Then click “View all” from Bundles from Google.

then scroll down to ebooks and subscribe.

Once you subscribe you will now have access to thousands of E-Books.

Here’s a book to get you started: World War Z
and the entire Stephen King Collection via torrent (learn to use torrents).

Auto Photo Face Tagging

FYI Picasa just implemented auto face recognition in the software and website.  Meaning… it can auto tag the people in your pictures.  I just finished playing with it and it is really, really cool.

More info here: http://picasa-readme.blogspot.com/2009/09/picasa-35-now-with-name-tags-build-7967.html

To Enable or Disable the new feature:

The name tags feature, which uses face-matching technology to organize your photos by face, is available in both the Picasa software and Picasa Web Albums. To enable or disable name tags, follow these steps:

Picasa

Name tags are enabled by default in Picasa. You can toggle name tags on and off by following these steps:

1. In Picasa, click Tools > Options (PC) or Picasa > Preferences (Mac).
2. Click the Face Detection tab.
3. Toggle the box next to 'Enable Face Detection.'
4. Click OK.

Picasa Web Albums

Name tags in Picasa Web Albums are disabled by default. Follow these steps to enable or disable name tags in Picasa Web Albums:

1. Sign in to your account at http://picasaweb.google.com
2. Click Settings at the top right of the page.
3. Click on the Privacy and Permissions tab.
4. Toggle the box next to 'Use name tags to name people in my photos.'
5. Click the Save changes button.

You can also delete name tags for specific people in your gallery or request removal of a photo or name tag on other people's albums.

Help for the Blog Writers

For those blog writers that hate to use the online editors, you have other options. 
 
I introduce Microsoft Live Writer (unless you already met it…)! 
 
It’s pretty easy and slick.  And you can add plug-ins like Insert IMDb info, Amazon Book linker, or Snagit plug-in to insert screenshots directly.  Even a smiley plug-in for the “bitches.”  Because bitches love smiley faces.

The Netbook Hook Up

Anyone who follows me on Twitter knows I picked up a Netbook this week. It's the tiny 3lbs laptop for under $400. I plan on using it on my trip to Germany next week. And as a computer guy I needed to pimp the weak mini laptop to my liking. Let's be honest, for $300-$400 you are not getting a top of the line notebook, but they have their purpose and make excellent supliments when used correctly. Basically surfing the web on the go and blogging.

What attracted me to this piece of hardware? It had what I needed out of the other netbooks I looked at. Samsung N120. Bluetooth for linking with my cell phone. I can surf the web on my laptop using the internet on my phone in my pocket. SD memory card reader, for my digital camera while on vacation. I don't need to lug around a usb cable. 6 cell battery. That means up to 7 hrs of cableless power. And my flight is 8 hrs.

So to get my notebook to run at it's potential, you have to tweak it. It's like a 5 year old PC powerwise but extremely portable, the size of a slim paperback book. So I made a video of some of the things I have done to improve the performance of my netbook and optimize my productive while using it. Focus is on speed, battery life, and keeping memory usage low. Some stuff is basic like diming the light of the display and removing the battery when plugged in the wall to preserve the life of the battery. On key thing is not falling in to the trap of installing a lot software, so you will see a heavy focus on Google services because it hosted online and not my PC.

Do You Tweet?

So yesterday I was telling Travis, despite how much Twitter is growing it has a terrible retention rate after a month of usage. Then Travis (a long time user) showed me some of the stuff you can do, it was pretty cool. So I'm giving Twitter another chance, but doing it right this time. Now for the ignorant people (not in the dumbass way, but in the lack of real knowledge way), Twitter for the most part is not people giving a minute by minute account of their daily life. Actually I haven't seen one of those people [that do that] yet. Twitter is just micro-blogging. 140 character blog entries. Also the entries could be photos, video, links, or even audio (just found that out from Ashton Kutcher's). First the back story. I signed up for Twitter a while back for the same reasons I sign up for most things...to reserve my user name. lol But Twitter was weak to me. It was just status updates and I had to keep refreshing the page and shit. I just set up my cell phone to send updates, added it to my Outlook RSS reader, and then let it fall to the way side. Now after speaking to Travis, it was time to upgrade. My biggest complaint was the browser refreshing. To fix that he said I should try a Twitter client. These clients do most of the work for you and add additional features that make using Twitter easy. Travis suggested Tweetie, but that was for the Mac. So I looked at the clients my friends were using to post updates. This was easy, just look at what someone said and then there would be the phrase "via something" and that "something" would be their client. Click the link and it took me to the software homepage. I found two good ones, TweetDeck and Seesmic Desktop. Both allow you to link your Twitter and Facebook account so you get all the status updates in one place. Now this programs are all well and good, but I also wanted a simpler option. I did some more research and found a gadget for Gmail that added Twitter to my Gmail window. It's called TwitterGadget. This is a huge convince that means any browser I use for Gmail, I can also use for Twitter updates and posting. I keep Gmail open 90% of my day for emails and google chatting. Also an *Extreme Goodness Warning* for all the people that have jobs with limited internet access, like no Facebook. If you get Gmail at work, you will have Twitter too. Finally I needed a way to get the updated and more importantly post pictures from my cell phone. There is a bunch of programs for the iPhone and Blackberry. But I have a Fuze which is Windows Mobile. So I hit the forums and found one for my phone that works amazingly well. It's called PockeTwit. So now that I have all the programs that I need, what's next? Two things, follow people and micro-blog for my followers. I just posted a picture of a guy with a bald head and a struggling rat tail that I seen in Silver Spring. Twitters of Interest: CNN Breaking New (#1 on Twitter) Ashton Kutcher (#3 on Twitter after Brittney Spears) Me!! John Mayer (Twitter broke up his relationship) Erykah Badu Quest Love from the Roots Alyssa Milano Jesse Jane (porn star) Lance Armstrong Tila Tequila Travis You can find/stalk your favorite celebrity here on CelebrityTweet. By the way Celebs post pictures too. Ashton has nice ones of his wife Demi Moore in the granny panties. lol