FOSDEM 08

I am going to my first FOSDEM this year. I am not that excited about the tracks given this year, but I am looking forward to meet a couple of XMMS2 developers. So far it seems that we are going to be 8 regulars at the FOSDEM conference. We are living at the NH Atlanta downtown. Keep in touch if you want to grab a beer with the XMMS2 guys (or even buy us a beer :-)).

Hope I will get my Macbook before I am leaving :-)

My take on Macbook Air

To each it's own. I have been holding of upgrading my current laptop to see what Jobs pulled out of his hat at the conference. I love my Blackbook with just one exception, it's a bit heavy and bulky. Since I have around 180-200 travel days a year I have long craved something smaller that still runs MacOS X.

Enter the Macbook Air. Reading peoples comments on this new laptop it seems that more people are disappointed than people who are happy about it. I just think that people are expecting wierd things. A small laptop like the Macbook Air are not for everyone. It's not a powerhouse, it will not have the latest features in terms of innovation, it's innovation will be that they have managed to fit all that silicon into a small case.

Jobs where talking about compromises, he said that all the other companies that makes subnotebooks make compromises with the screen, keyboard and size. Apple also had to compromise to get it that thin. The compromises was: non-user replaceable battery, no ethernet jack (and no firewire, mini-dvi) and just one USB 2.0. When you are buying a subnotebook you compromise yourself to get the small form factor and the light weight.

I think the Macbook Air will fit me perfectly, I don't have a problem with using a ethernet dongle, I only use ethernet when I am at customers that doesn't have wifi (which of them I know two :-)) so that won't be a big problem. The non-user-replaceable battery on the other hand is a downside that I don't like but I can live with.

I am biased, I like Apple products, but I think that in this case people are expecting something else than they got. If you don't like the small size, the underpowered cpu or the lack of connectors, go for a macbook or a macbook pro, they will make you happy.

Now if I just could get that approval :-)

Metroid Prime: Corrpution

I got my copy of Metroid Prime 3 today. Strange since the release-date for Europe is next week :) Wonder if someone did something funny!

Broken free!

I just jailbroked my ipod. It worked without a problem with the iJailbreak application. The only thing to keep in mind is that when they say "this will take a while" they are not kidding. It takes forever to retrieve and upload the new firmware, just give it some time, it will work. But now I have a working calendar (with input events feature!), mobilemail and google maps. Works just great! Thanks internet to make this available.

Update

Spent the whole week in Berlin, at the BBWF trade-show. It was pretty quiet, but still it hurts your body to stand in the booth for that long. Berlin was nice, actually nicer than I remember, last time I was there (ages ago) it was still a big construction space, now you couldn't see much of that. Otherwise pretty eventless week.

This morning I picked up my iPod touch (yes I am trading the N800 for the iPod Touch, found myself a buyer) and I must say that I am sold. It's too bad that the opensource world has so little success in attracting good graphical designers, the UI of the touch is awesome. Looking forward to hack a bit for it in the future.

Also I pre-ordered the new Mesh DVD, I am such a fan-boy. Hope the material is better than the old Live VHS, it was a ok concert but pretty boring stageshow. This time it looks better, with the back projections and the full band on scene.

Next week I will go to Frankfurt over two days, but nothing else planned for that week. Next weekend is the Apoptygma concert and then my parents arrive for a full week of hanging out. Going to be fun but crowded I guess :-)

Rabia Sorda @ Ritmo y Compas, Madrid

Rabia Sorda is the a project by the singer of Hocico, Erk Aicrag. Comparing the music to Hocico Rabia Sorda is a bit more indie like, clean vocals with real drums and more guitar sounds, but still aggressive and energetic.

The concert was great, Erk had a lot of energy as always and it sounded good. Unfortunately the audience was missing, only 70 something people attending, a shame with the quality of the music.

I had a great time in any way and I look forward to see both Rabia Sorda and Hocico soon again.

Damn you Apple.

Why do you have to introduce a product that obsoletes my N800? STFU and so on.

Working on getting the new Qtopia 4.3 to work on the N800. My plan is to create a flash image that gives you all the Qtopia neatness. Stay tuned.