This multitouch / touchscreen set of cartoon icons is supposed to help people which have a project of application for kids on tablet. With it, it will be easy to prepare and show some screen demo.
Since that the Ubuntu team decided to switch to PulseAudio, many users have got audio problems. It's still true with the last Ubuntu 11.04 One of them is the audio delay with the video player, VLC.
There are many solutions to fix it, more or less easy, like replacing the PulseAudio by the (old but good) ALSA. But this solution brake a lot of native things in Ubuntu.Recently, I discovered that's not need to remove PulseAudio for using ALSA.Follow this steps to achieve it and definitively say bye-bye to the audio delay! 1. start VLC2. go to the preferences: Tools > Preferences3. tick the full view (left-bottom) > ALL4. click on Output module entry and choose the menu: Alsa audio output
5. in the same part, click on the Alsa entry and choose the ALSA Device Name: HDA NVidia: ALC662 rev1 Analog (hw:0,0) (in my case)
6. SaveFinally restart VLC and try a movie, good show!
Few weeks ago, I found a very impressive tool for consulting a mediawiki without Internet, in offline mode: Kiwix This client is currently available for Windows and Linux. A Mac OS version is on intensive development.
To use it, you need a ZIM file (specific format) which contains a static copy of Mediawiki and allowing to make searches. The generation a ZIM file is not really trivial but after some tries, I have been able to make one by myself with my personal wiki data. Yes, that could become a sort of backup solution for a personal wiki.In the same time, I offered to the creator to make a new skin for Kiwix. He was happy with the idea to get a new design and finally integrated the new skin called "Evolution" (based on the Gnome icons set and the Tango icons set). Today, I had the chance to test the preview version of Kiwix for MAC OX. And what I can tell you, that's the developers have made a very good work on this port! Except some small visual problems, the client is working exactly like in the other OS, well done ! Below, some snapshots of the tests:
Apparently, it's the fashion to fork. Some people think that the great and normal life of Open Source projects, I believe it too.. not in all cases but for this time, I think so.
But what is the name of the project? Mageia, the new fork of the Linux distribution Mandriva. I won't explain why the folk exists, to know more about the project, go to http://mageia.org/ As a new project, Mageia doens't have a visual identity, even a logo. Some designers started to upload their creation on a Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/groups/mageia-art/pool/ To celebrate the birth of Mageia, I decided to join them and to design some logos, here you are:
Notion ink is the company which will provide to us the Adam tablet, the more promising tablet of the year.
Why promising? First of all, because it will be the first pad to provide a 10.1" screen technology with 2 modes: passive and active. It should be possible to watch the screen outside even in sunny day. It will come with Nvidia Tegra2, SSD 16/32Go, 3.2 Mp swivel camera and more… For the rest of specifications, go to http://www.notionink.in/ Last Friday (10.15), a contest has been launched on the official blog (http://notionink.wordpress.com/2010/10/15/the-case-of-the-changing-logo/) to design the company logo. For the winner: $1,000 and (particularly) a ADAM tablet only if a logo is retained! Designing a company logo is really challenging and stimulating. In the same time, I'd like to get a ADAM tablet. Then I decide to try one's luck.! Let me share with you some designs made for the contest (and already sent).
World cup 2010, 3 easy steps to mute the VUVUZELA noise
to celebrate the come back home of the French team, I'd like to share with you the easiest way to cut the annoying buzzing of vuvuzela in Ubuntu (compatible with all Gnome system).
Sometime, I don't understand the software choice made by the Ubuntu team!
We have a good example with the default video recording software Cheese. Maybe, it's a good tool if you have a laptop or desktop but with the poor cpu included in our netbook (Intel Atom) and the limited memory, that's not the right choice.
So, what is the problem, I only have to remove Cheese and install WXcam?
Well, not exactly because Ubuntu not more provides .DEB of this soft.
Again, it's not a problem, I can go to the official website (http://wxcam.sourceforge.net/) and download the .DEB available there!
So, I went there, downloaded the package and tried to install it on my eeePC 901 witht the new Ubuntu 10.04. But unfortunately during the installation, a lot of required dependencies were not installable!
The final solution to get WXcam on my netbook is to compile it by myself.
I've recently added to OpenClipart.org, 2 news SVG images: iPhone and iPad in realistic style. Today, I've finished the 1st version of the UI elements set.
With this set, you can design the visual of your own app (or webapp) in Inkscape or SVG compatible software.
As already said in the title, all of the elements are in pure SVG. Enjoy!
Cheap and easy DIY iPhone steering wheel for fantastic driving sensations
The intro story
The brother of Alice (Thanks Math) given to me a 2G iPhone 2 years ago.
I used it a lot but 6 months later, the Home button stopped to work (it's a well known problem with iPhone).
I tried to fix it but without success and finally bought a 3G iPhone.
Last week, I decided to retry to fix the first generation iPhone. After some solderings (flex cable of the Home button broken), the iPhone has resuscitated (the back cover is a bit damaged, it's very hard to open).
Well, what to do with 2 iPhones, a car game and a little boy?
Yes, of course, a multiplayer race. But for my 4 years old boy, the iPhone is not really ideal to hold, specially to play a car game.
Ok, no problem, I decide to transform the iPhone in a real car simulation experience.
And what you need to achieve this ambitious project? a steering wheel, of course!
Question: How to build a DIY iPhone steering wheel for next to nothing? See bellow..
What you need:
- Hardware:
- a 2G iPhone (can work with 3G)
- a steering wheel toy
- an original iPhone packing (here first generation)
- a bit of scotch-tape
- 4 screws (for plastic)
- Tools:
- an electric drill (like Dremel)
- a screwdriver
- Duration:
- between 1 and 2 hours depends how you are good with your hands!
Howto:
1. Find an unused toy with a steering wheel. In this case, annoying and very noisy toy for the parents.
2. Pull out the wheel (4 screws to remove) and put the iPhone on the center to get to an overall view.
3. Find the original box of the iPhone (again thanks to Math to have given to me the full package) and get the transparent plastic packing.
Put it in the middle of the wheel, check the alignment and mark with a pen the position of the plastic piece to the wheel.
4. Use a Dremel tool to cut the unwanted bits of the wheel.
5. See the result, around 3 millimetres of plastic has been removed.
Now, the plastic packing takes place naturally in the middle of the wheel.
6. Keep the plastic piece with pieces of scotch-tape and mark 4 circles with a pen. They will be used to attach firmly the piece to the wheel.
7. First, use a small drill bit to drill the 4 marks to the 2 pieces (packaging and wheel) and make a larger holes to the packaging.
The diameter of the drill bits must match with your screws (here, 2 millimetres and 3 millimetres). The screws come from a old plastic radio.
Before to mount the packaging to the wheel, put 2 rubber bands in each end of the packaging.
8. Now screw the packaging on the wheel.
The iPhone attach with the 4 rubber bands on the middle of the steering wheel.
9. Now, a little video to show how it's cool to drive with the iPhone.. ok, I'm not really good in game but I'm better with the wheel than without.
New illustration: La MOOouette Pirate for a French article on the website AFUL
Last week, someone sent to me a request for an illustration with La MOOouette (mascot of the French OpenOffice.org project) for a (French) article. The subject was why it's better to use alternatives solutions instead the pirated copies of MS Office in the companies or associations.
Convert a PDF to Epub for reading with your iPhone
It's a bit frustrating to read a PDF file with an iPhone.
Why ? Not only because the screen is too small (ok.. it could be is) but really because the PDF format doesn't offer the needed functionalities for this type of device (no zoom, fixed page width..). It' why the formats of eBook exist, of course!Good but what to do if you have like me some PDF impossible to find in eBook format? It's not more a problem since I found this very useful online tool called epub2go (http://epub2go.com/). In 3 clicks, your PDF file will be converted. And more, the website offers the possibility to import easily the eBook in your iPhone via your email. Let's go for the (unneeded) howto:1- Choose if the PDF file is on your computer or online. 2a- if it's online, click on the bottom button and insert the URL 2b- if the file is on your computer, click on the top button and choose where it is (Browse) 3- After the processing screen, insert your email address and click on "Send to my iPhone" That's it for the conversion part.Now to install the eBook on your Iphone: 1- go to Apple Store and install Stanza. It's a free eBook reader. 2- check your email on your iPhone and open the message from ePUB2Go 3- click (tap) on the link inside the message 4- now the ePUB2Go website is automatically open and in the second after a black screen appears with an icon of a book in the middle of the screen. 5- finally, Stanza is open with your new book in the list!
A good read!
Update: If you want to read your ePub on your desktop, have a look on this list (from fileinfo.com):
Today is the migration day for the netbook of my wife, Alice. After a long time with pleasure and some annoying things , we've decided to migrate the eeePC 901 from Xandros to Ubuntu Remix. And to be honest, it hasn't been really painful to achieve this job.
Find here the steps to do the same with your netbook:1- download the last release from the Ubuntu server: http://releases.ubuntu.com/9.04/ubuntu-9.04-netbook-remix-i386.img 2- install ImageWriter: sudo apt-get install usb-imagewriter3- use ImageWriter to put ubuntu-9.04-netbook-remix-i386.img in the USB key (need a mini. 1Gb usb stick)4- insert the usb key to the eeePC, start the PC and tape on ESC touch to view the boot menu. Select the USB key in the list. 5- in the boot menu, choose the right language (F2) and the right keyboard map (F3) and Enter You'll start the live distribution.6- when the system is ready, click on the Install shorcut.7- after the firsts easy steps, you arrive to the screen of partitioning. Here, you have some choices to make. I chose to make 3 partitions: 1 partition on the first SSD (root "/"), 2 on the second SSD (10Gb for"/usr" and ~5Gb for "/home") all with the new format Ext4 (better results than Ext3). You have noticed that I didn't add swap partition, why? First of all, because the netbook has 2Gb of RAM and secondly because after some reads, the writings in the swap seems bad for the life of the SSD (not all people are agree with that but I had to take a decision). 8- after this important step, the installer copies the OS on the netbook.9- reboot when it's asked (don't forget to remove the usb key).As you can see, the boot is quite quick, under 40 seconds to go to the desktop with the wifi connexion. Alice uses her eeePC for 4 main usages: - to stay in touch with our family (in Spain, France, ), - in the kitchen as a (luxury) webradio - to make videos of our children or take a picture during cookery. - to record her voice for her French lessons.So, I had to install some softs: - for the video, wxCam (sudo apt-get install wxcam). It has better perfomances than Cheese in video recording mode. - for the webradio, Rhythmbox with a customized list of French webradios. - for the webphone, Skype for linux (works better than on Xandros even the webcam). You must specify the sound device to get sound. Go to Options / Sound Devices and choose in the 3 lists, "HDA Intel (hw:Intel,0)", then Apply. - finally, nothing to do for the voice, Sound Recorder is already installed on Ubuntu Remix.To finish the job: - remove unused stuff like Evolution - add plugins like Flash (nonfree), Jre (SUN). You can do this job with the Synaptic Package Manager (in Administration tab). - remove unused applications started with the system: go to Preferences tab / Startup Applications and unselect "Bluetooth Manager", "Check for new hardware drivers", "Remove Desktop", "Visual Assistance". Of course it depends of your specifi hardware or preferences. - add shortcuts in the Favourites tab: simply selecting the shortcut (from its tab for example, Internet) and to glide it into the Favourites tab.Here you can see the result.
Update (2009.06.13): Wifi WPA authentication is impossible with the current rt2860 driver. To solve this problem, we have to downgrade the driver.
If it doesn't retrieve the right packages, makesure "build-essential", "linux-header-generic" and "dkms" is installed. Let it run and it should complete without a problem.
4) Restart. The new driver should work automatically.
Auto updating security packages with Ubuntu (Debian) system
It's a bit hard to maintain manually a lot of servers but it's really
important to keep them updated. It's why I looked for an automatic
solution and it has been pretty easy to find a good and simple one.
I propose to you to use an utility called apt-cron.
installing it on our system:
sudo apt-get install apt-cron
creating a new security list:
sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list.d/security.sources.list
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy-security maindeb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy-security universe
Need a third screen for a better productivity? try this, it's not a real one but GEQ solution!
As a real geek, I'm working with two screens on my desktop computer. But sometime, I'd like to have another one to keep an eye on Twitter for example! I found a GEQ solution to my problem! I discovered recently a software called Synergy. It's quite old (last release April 2006) but it works fine.
What is Synergy? Synergy offers to share the keyboard, the mouse and the clipboard between multi computers!
How it works? Simply to install: - a server on the master computer (with the mouse/keyboard) - a client on the other computers (without mouse/keyboard).
How to install it? You have two ways to install Synergy on Linux system: 1- console mode
install the software on each computer, in Ubuntu with the followed command: sudo apt-get install synergy
configure the server sudo nano /etc/synergy.conf
section: screens my_laptop: my_desktop:endsection: links my_desktop: left = my_laptop my_laptop: right = my_desktopend
Here, we have the desktop screen on the right of the laptop. You have to insert the hostname (my_laptop and my_desktop here). To know it, put in console "hostname" (or cat $HOSTNAME).
Now, run the Synergy server on the desktop: synergys the process is automatically loaded as daemon.
Finally, on the client side, run by the command: synergyc server_ip
Move you mouse on the left border of your desktop screen and your pointer is going to jump to the laptop screen, magical isn't it!
2- with a GUI client:
Install a new package called QuickSynergy in all computers: sudo apt-get install quicksynergy (on Ubuntu system)
Run the soft, in gnome: Applications Menu > Accessories > QuickSynergy
In the server (computer with mouse/keyboard), choose the first tab "Share" (pict.1)
Insert in the left field, the hostname of your client (ex. my_laptop)
Click on the Start button
Run the soft (see below)
In the client, choose the second tab "Use" (pict.2)
Fusion Man is selected in the pictures of the year 2008 by Boston.com
You are invited to see the year 2008 by a pictures tour on the Boston.com website. And of course, you will refind one of the hero of the year, Iron Man!
Unfortunately, lot of the pictures are linked with terrible events. I prefer to keep, the better things like Iron Man crossing the Channel. What do you think?
OpenOffice.org Education - let's go with A3 posters and laptop stickers
Little break on my web dev to make some OpenOffice.org Education project visual elements! Here we have 2 A3 posters to complete with any text you want and 4 differents stickers for laptop or anywhere else. I'll provide the SVG source to everyone who ask me.
OpenOffice.org 3.0 on native MAC OS-X hits better than Linux!
A great news for all developers of the OpenOffice.org port to native Mac OS-X system,the number of downloads is higher than for Linux system (according with this source: http://www.solidoffice.com/archives/893).
"221,230 GNU/Linux users
an impressive 320,622 Mac OS X users
a staggering 2,449,863 Microsoft Windows users."
Well done guys, I'm happy for you specially for Eric.
OpenOffice.org Education mascot ready for the Foss.In in Bangalore
Rakesh Pandit (http://rakesh.gnulinuxcentar.org/?p=107) will normally go to the Foss.In event in Bangalore (India) on Nov 25-29, 2008. So, to go with him, the mascot has take a picture just behind the Taj Mahal..
At the moment, we don't know if Eric Bachard (http://eric.bachard.free.fr/news/) will join Rakesh to the Foss.In, he's waiting an answer from the organizers! Good luck guys.
Adobe Digital Editions
