04.09.08
Movies from PC to PSP
Well, this is just the simple procedure, ill-documented, on how to pass movies from the PC to the PSP. Given the movies have to be in a specific format of video/audio, I would recommend you to get Handbrake (available for Linux, MacOSX, and Windows). This software has a profile specific for PSP encoding.
After the encoding connect the PSP to the PC through USB and activate the USB connection on the PSP by going to System -> USB connection [this may vary with firmware] and open the drive that shows up on your PC. Create a VIDEO folder [no other name is supported] and move the file there [there are places misguiding you to create a MP_ROOT directory... don't do this, it won't work, at least not in current 3.95 firmware].
You can watch the video by accessing it in you PSP through the Movies selection menu.
Have fun!
PSP
After months of pondering between the DS and the PSP, I finally got myself a PSP Slim. Even though the DS has the nice touch-sensitive screens (which is in fact the only thing going for it), PSP just outgrew from a simple portable gaming device to a full-featured portable device.
Some of the amazing features already available or coming soon are:
- The access to a wide range of games; [gladly it is also a gaming device]
- A beautiful screen… one of the best hardware features;
- Access to Skype, also for sale a beautiful Skype 4 PSP Headset
;
- Access to Messenger with video and voice calls [by the way, skype also allows video... don't forget you need the camera
- Access to the internet through Wifi;
- Access to the GPS network and a full featured software with 3D imaging;
- With the camera you can also make videos and shoot photo;
- Connection to your TV so you can display anything directly on the TV in case you are at home;
- You can easily move videos from your PC as well as music to hear anywhere you are;
And given that I have a PS3, I also enjoy of the following features:
- Access to my PS3 files through remote play;
- Use of the PSP as an auxiliary gaming device for the PS3 [like a rear-view mirror in a GT5 for example], rumoured in PS3 Official Forums;
- TV Stream directly to your PSP from your PS3 coupled with PlayTV
And isn’t it beautiful…
Run for your lives
Guess what? Running is a very popular activity around here [like coffee drinking], however, running seems to be healthy [errr, that's what the doctors say] and you can do it for a cause [besides your health].
Two of the brilliant people around here, Jeniffer Sorge and Noura Abbas, are organizing a run at the Winchester for AAIR 10K Road Race and we are all participating. We are ECS runs like the wind and we are running for Action Against Hunger cause. It can’t get better! :)
We are training every tuesday and thursday at 8am, usually with freezing cold which although can make your hands numb, provides some great photos opportunities [some will be shown soon].
It would, however, be lovely to raise some money for the cause, so a page is set up to receive your donations at http://www.justgiving.com/ecsrunslikethewind
Remember, every cent/penny counts and every amount it worth it! :)
If we can run faster than others, it’s because we are being helped by the wind.
– ECS runs like the wind
04.07.08
Dell is going for it…
If Apple is good in one thing is Design. However, it won’t take long at other companies to catch up…
Imagine Linux running on this beauty… Impressive, isn’t it?!?
Leopard…
DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!
I am really pissed off… What do Leopard lovers say (and yet, I am an animal lover) when …
THERE’S NO F*CKING SUPPORT FOR ANY GENERALLY GOOD AND OPEN FILE SYSTEM?!?!?!
How is it possible that there’s no support for ReiserFS?!? Ok, maybe reiserfs this and that but not even to Ext2/3. And no, the god damn project at http://sf.net/projects/ext2fsx doesn’t work for Leopard. So either I stick to Apple’s HFS+ or I stick to M$ FAT32… I am so soooooooo pissed off at Apple that I will use FAT32 for all my external HDs and run away from Apple soon!
AND DON’T TELL ME APPLE IS GOOD…. EVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER AGAIN!
04.06.08
Ubuntu & Leopard
As a Gentoo user, all my Gentoo / XPTO OS comparison will always be biased, so I will refrain from that… still…
Ubuntu impresses… Leopard disappoints.
A dry sentence like this might cause panic and cardiac arrests to some so let me try to find an excuse on why I might be feeling this. For long I have been using Linux and I had never tried Ubuntu and I never thought they could make a Linux installation so simple and user-friendly, I never thought they could design such nice buttons, backgrounds, etc. I was really impressed with the overall feeling… On the other hand, for years, I have been fed by promises that Apple will save the world from 3rd world OSes and “find the cure for cancer”, if you know what I mean… However, I am using Leopard… the champion, the OS ruler, the king of good design, the elite of simplicity… and I just feel the need to cry!
Leopard after 48 Hours
Forty Eight hours have passed since I started to use a Macbook with Leopard for my everyday task.
Do you know the feeling of living in a friends house, eating their food, sleeping on their coach, peeing on their WC? Well, that’s somewhat how I feel with Mac. Very uncomfortable!!! But let’s try to go into some detail.
The working environment is nice, there are some funny things but nothing impressive or spectacular for someone used to Compiz-Fusion. Many things do work differently than a Linux OS and those do really annoy me since I have been using Linux in both my work/home PC and laptop for about 10 years. I have been seeing nothing else than different distros of Linux… and even about that, I’ve been feeding of Gentoo for the last 6 years. So, please do not expect an unbiased opinion. This is the perspective of a Linux user…
Software installation is simple… too simple… just makes you want install all the shitty stuff you find online and then here’s we are back again on to shareware and friends. I still remember my days of starting windows, finding a shareware, finding a crack, cracking the shareware and using the application. Then my glory days of Linux, now I am back to finding loads of shareware which I need to filter through in order to find some decent freeware.
The terminal… oh the terminal… It’s for some reason as bad as the xterm which is as basic as it gets in Linux, besides, I couldn’t get Home, End, etc working as they should. I just hate it. Moreover, even Gentoo comes with some decent colors configuration for the terminal. Leopard is black and white.
Window management is as terrible as I can find. I can’t fit into my head into why the hell the X button doesn’t close the god damn application. It just sits there waiting to what?!? CMD-Q?
Fink is trying to make a good job into turning Leopard with some decent open-source applications into the Mac world but it is ridden terrible placing of software and lacking support for multiple version installation. I have XCode gcc installed, and I have Fink gcc 4.2 installed… and hey, where’s the simple support for me to choose which one to choose?
Yes, it’s true… Leopard brings some Unix flavour to it… Unix flavour which is 5 years old… gcc 4.0.1?!? Come on…
Now, the most serious stuff… I am imprisioned inside this coffin with a pretty dock, a bar and a pretty background. Ok, ok, I can do some minor tweakings… but hey… I want configuration, flexibility, I want to have a different dock, I want to have a different layout. I HATE the buttons on the left side of the top of window… and can someone tell me the difference between the Close and Minimizing buttons given that the Close doesn’t seem to close anything?!?
I think it is enough for now… :) Don’t worry, I am still breathing!
P.S. The skype version for leopard is excellent! Hey, Skype Linux Team… START WORKING!
04.04.08
The Linux… the Freedom!
Regarding my last post on Ubuntu and the next on Leopard [MacOS X 10.5] here’s something…
Ubuntu is for U
Yes, I know… It’s good… why? I tested it for a couple of weeks. I just came from a longer than usual stay in Portugal and since Euler, my laptop, went dead my girlfriend kindly game gave me a PC to work on. Since I had no time to compile Gentoo from scratch I gave Ubuntu 7.10 a try.
The hype around Ubuntu has in fact its reasons. The installation is fast, straightforward and flawless. You can grab the CD ISO from the web or request a CD to be shipped to you for free. In an hour or so, everything is set up. The design/colours etc, are extremelly appealing and everything seems to fit together nicely.
Network, Cameras, Disks, Display, etc… everything seems to be supported out of the box. The work environment is great without any hassles. If you need a security update, you’re warned about it. If you want some new software, you can install it using a simple package manager. If there’s no package for your software, you’re on linux so you just configure and make the source and install it to usr local, or something similar.
The weeks I spent working on it were very good… however, there are some hassles for those of us who want to have several versions of software installed. Like for example GCC… however, that’s not the common use.
So, let me tell you, dump your Windows, Leopard, SuSE, Fedora, <insert your OS version/distro here> and switch to Ubuntu because most probably Ubuntu is for you.
I… well, I still use Gentoo!
