John's Random Thoughts and Discussions
Honoring Those Who Gave Their All
I decided to give all of the other posts that are running around in my head a break today to talk about Memorial Day. I would imagine that many people are already starting their holiday, or if they haven't, they will soon. Time off from work is always a good thing and I would certainly never dissuade anyone from spending time with friends and family. However, along with whatever celebration you have in mind, I would encourage you to spend a little time thinking about the terrible price of our freedom—the price paid by our sailors, marines, soldiers, and airmen. You don't have to make an event of it—a few moments will do.
The idea behind Memorial Day (originally called Decoration Day because people decorated the tombs of the fallen) is to remember those who died in battle. The holiday began sometime around the Civil War as a means of remembering those who died in that war (both North and South) and to provide a time of healing for the country. After World War I, Memorial Day became a time to remember all those who died in service to our country and their fellow man in any war. There are many rituals associated with Memorial Day today, but really, all that anyone would ask is that you think on the cost of your freedom and who paid that price.
There is an official time to spend a moment thinking about Memorial Day. President Bill Clinton created a memorandum asking all Americans to pause for a moment at 3:00 local time to commemorate those who died. There are some suggestions on how to do this (such as playing taps), but any act of reverence—even a moment of silence is more than sufficient. If you feel so inclined, you might want to participate in a Memorial Day activity of some sort. In fact, it's especially important to teach your children about the day because these service members died for their freedom too.
I'll also be taking a special personal day off on Tuesday, 29 May. So, my next post will be on the 30th. See you then. In the meantime, thank you so much for taking the time to read my posts and to send comments on them.
The idea behind Memorial Day (originally called Decoration Day because people decorated the tombs of the fallen) is to remember those who died in battle. The holiday began sometime around the Civil War as a means of remembering those who died in that war (both North and South) and to provide a time of healing for the country. After World War I, Memorial Day became a time to remember all those who died in service to our country and their fellow man in any war. There are many rituals associated with Memorial Day today, but really, all that anyone would ask is that you think on the cost of your freedom and who paid that price.
There is an official time to spend a moment thinking about Memorial Day. President Bill Clinton created a memorandum asking all Americans to pause for a moment at 3:00 local time to commemorate those who died. There are some suggestions on how to do this (such as playing taps), but any act of reverence—even a moment of silence is more than sufficient. If you feel so inclined, you might want to participate in a Memorial Day activity of some sort. In fact, it's especially important to teach your children about the day because these service members died for their freedom too.
I'll also be taking a special personal day off on Tuesday, 29 May. So, my next post will be on the 30th. See you then. In the meantime, thank you so much for taking the time to read my posts and to send comments on them.
Enjoying My Own Personal Flower Garden
Every year Rebecca works out a new arrangement and adds plants to her gift to me, a personal flower garden. Every morning I wake to the scene below our bedroom window of Rebecca's hard work. I know it's an effort because getting into that rock garden is hard. It's on a slope that's taxing even for me; I can't even imagine how hard Rebecca must have to work to maintain it for me. I talked about my garden a little last year in the Making Self-Sufficiency Relationships Work post.
One of Rebecca's goals is to make sure that something is always blooming in my rock garden. It's a little difficult to accomplish, but I know that people in the past performed the same task to ensure that there would always be something pretty to see. I really respect her efforts to make the garden as pretty as possible and to keep it that way all summer. So, the pictures you see in this post are a mere snapshot of my rock garden. Later in the summer, the scene will change and then it will change again for fall.
A favorite new plant is a pincushion flower. The exquisite blue flowers are really hard to capture, but I managed to get a passable picture of them. The real world flower is even more beautiful than the one shown here.
One of the flowers that came back from last year is the blanket flower. It's a favorite of mine because the colors change slightly over time and I love the fact that the flowers are bi-colored. This year the blanket flower is paired up with fiber-optic grass. As you can see from the following picture, the combination is really nice.
A few of the rock garden elements are edible. For example, the chives have some beautiful flowers that are also edible (as are the chives). I've always found chives to be a nice addition because they combine color and texture so well.
Some of the flowers are quite bright. One of the flowers in this category is the coreopsis. Rebecca has them placed where their profusion of bright flowers will show up best. This is another holdover from last year. Immediately below the coreopsis in this picture is bugleweed 'metallica crispa', which has already bloomed for the year, but will continue to add its deeply colored foliage to the garden.
Most of the pictures that I've found of wild strawberries online show white flowers. I've been assured that the plants in the rock garden are wild strawberries, but they have these dramatic pink flowers. As with many other plants, they've come up from last year.
Another bright pink flower in the garden is seathrift (armeria). This year the seathrift is nestled in with some ferns and a happy looking frog.
As I said last year, the view from our bedroom is for me alone. When I go out my back door though, I see some amazing beauty—the rock garden, our herb garden, the woods, and bushes surrounding our patio. Most importantly, I see the love my wife has for me in producing something so quiet and peaceful for me to enjoy.
One of Rebecca's goals is to make sure that something is always blooming in my rock garden. It's a little difficult to accomplish, but I know that people in the past performed the same task to ensure that there would always be something pretty to see. I really respect her efforts to make the garden as pretty as possible and to keep it that way all summer. So, the pictures you see in this post are a mere snapshot of my rock garden. Later in the summer, the scene will change and then it will change again for fall.
A favorite new plant is a pincushion flower. The exquisite blue flowers are really hard to capture, but I managed to get a passable picture of them. The real world flower is even more beautiful than the one shown here.
One of the flowers that came back from last year is the blanket flower. It's a favorite of mine because the colors change slightly over time and I love the fact that the flowers are bi-colored. This year the blanket flower is paired up with fiber-optic grass. As you can see from the following picture, the combination is really nice.
A few of the rock garden elements are edible. For example, the chives have some beautiful flowers that are also edible (as are the chives). I've always found chives to be a nice addition because they combine color and texture so well.
Some of the flowers are quite bright. One of the flowers in this category is the coreopsis. Rebecca has them placed where their profusion of bright flowers will show up best. This is another holdover from last year. Immediately below the coreopsis in this picture is bugleweed 'metallica crispa', which has already bloomed for the year, but will continue to add its deeply colored foliage to the garden.
Most of the pictures that I've found of wild strawberries online show white flowers. I've been assured that the plants in the rock garden are wild strawberries, but they have these dramatic pink flowers. As with many other plants, they've come up from last year.
Another bright pink flower in the garden is seathrift (armeria). This year the seathrift is nestled in with some ferns and a happy looking frog.
As I said last year, the view from our bedroom is for me alone. When I go out my back door though, I see some amazing beauty—the rock garden, our herb garden, the woods, and bushes surrounding our patio. Most importantly, I see the love my wife has for me in producing something so quiet and peaceful for me to enjoy.
Pogoplug, Your Own Personal Cloud
Everyone is talking about the cloud it seems—the cloud being an Internet presence for offering services, storing data, or otherwise conducting business as if working on a network. However, one of the main concerns about using the cloud, especially for data storage, is the risks it poses. Of course, there are two kinds of clouds. There is the public sort that people use to communicate with just about anyone else, and then there is the private sort that companies used for internal communications or for data sharing with partners. The problem with the cloud is that it often requires a huge investment for anyone to get started. Well, that was true until Pogoplug.
There are actually three kinds of Pogoplug and each serves a specific need. All forms of Pogoplug provide a private cloud environment, but they vary in audience size.
I find Pogoplug intriguing because it offers a low cost solution for cloud computing that gets rid of some of the more significant objections that I've heard about using the cloud. For me, the main risk factor that Pogoplug addresses is having your data controlled by someone else. You provide the equipment, so your data remains firmly in your possession. If Pogoplug is even moderately successful, you can expect to see others enter the field with similar solutions. What do you think about a solution like Pogoplug? Let me know at John@JohnMuellerBooks.com.
There are actually three kinds of Pogoplug and each serves a specific need. All forms of Pogoplug provide a private cloud environment, but they vary in audience size.
- Pogoplug PC: This option is for a single user who needs to access data on a PC from anywhere. The software is installed on your system and lets you do things like access any file on your system or stream data to any device. You'll also be able to use this option to put data on public social media sites such as Facebook.
- Pogoplug Devices: If you don't want to expose your PC to possible damage from an online source, you can buy a Pogoplug device that provides everything needed to share data online. The Pogoplug Series 4 seems to be attracting the most attention. The point is that the device provides a safe way to create a personal, private cloud for accessing data through an Internet connection from anywhere. Essentially, using a Pogoplug device provides all of the advantages of personal cloud computing, with very few of the risks, and at a great price.
- Pogoplug Team: Sometimes you need more than a personal private cloud solution. When you need to share data through a cloud connection with a number of people, you need Pogoplug Team. For a mere $45.00 per year service charge ($15.00 per person), three users can share data in a private cloud setup that relies on your equipment. All you really need is a cheap PC with lots of storage space to accomplish your goal. A number of media sources have discussed this form of Pogoplug, including ComputerWorld and IT World.
I find Pogoplug intriguing because it offers a low cost solution for cloud computing that gets rid of some of the more significant objections that I've heard about using the cloud. For me, the main risk factor that Pogoplug addresses is having your data controlled by someone else. You provide the equipment, so your data remains firmly in your possession. If Pogoplug is even moderately successful, you can expect to see others enter the field with similar solutions. What do you think about a solution like Pogoplug? Let me know at John@JohnMuellerBooks.com.
Enjoying the Flowered Woods
I always find the springtime woods inviting. All of the flowers are amazing! Unfortunately, I don't know the names of every flower out there, even though I'm sure that someone has named them at some point. Every spring does bring back a few friends, such as the cranesbill geranium:
The berry brambles produce a riot of flowers too. The gooseberries, black caps (black raspberries), and red raspberries have already bloomed and set fruit. However, the blackberries are only now putting out blossoms and the initial burst of flowers portends a wonderful summer of berry picking.
I can taste the berries now. Our entire woods is packed with berry brambles. There are times when I can pick two or three gallons of berries in a single day. In fact, the limiting factor is usually the amount of time I have to pick, rather than the number of available berries. Everyone eats the berries during the summer months, including both birds and squirrels (oddly enough). There is no doubt in my mind that other forest creatures benefit from the berries too.
Sometimes the woods offers up something special. In times past, I've encountered bloodwort (bloodroot) and mayapples. Both plants were used for medicinal purposes in the past. The mayapple fruit is edible in small quantities as long as you know when to pick it. The fruit must ripen on the plant and must be completely yellow. The leaves can be used to make an effective insecticide when boiled, allowed to cool, and then sprayed.
This year we were treated to something special, a jack-in-the-pulpit. It showed up right above the rock garden at the very edge of the woods, so Rebecca was the first to spot it. I must admit that it's a bit hard to see. We're fortunate that this one came up so close that we can enjoy it each year. In fact, Rebecca plans to extend the rock garden to include our new addition.
Of course, there is a lot more to see in the woods and I hope to be able to take time to enjoy it all. Do you have a woods near to you? If so, do you ever get to enjoy all of the beauty it contains? Let me know at John@JohnMuellerBooks.com.
The berry brambles produce a riot of flowers too. The gooseberries, black caps (black raspberries), and red raspberries have already bloomed and set fruit. However, the blackberries are only now putting out blossoms and the initial burst of flowers portends a wonderful summer of berry picking.
I can taste the berries now. Our entire woods is packed with berry brambles. There are times when I can pick two or three gallons of berries in a single day. In fact, the limiting factor is usually the amount of time I have to pick, rather than the number of available berries. Everyone eats the berries during the summer months, including both birds and squirrels (oddly enough). There is no doubt in my mind that other forest creatures benefit from the berries too.
Sometimes the woods offers up something special. In times past, I've encountered bloodwort (bloodroot) and mayapples. Both plants were used for medicinal purposes in the past. The mayapple fruit is edible in small quantities as long as you know when to pick it. The fruit must ripen on the plant and must be completely yellow. The leaves can be used to make an effective insecticide when boiled, allowed to cool, and then sprayed.
This year we were treated to something special, a jack-in-the-pulpit. It showed up right above the rock garden at the very edge of the woods, so Rebecca was the first to spot it. I must admit that it's a bit hard to see. We're fortunate that this one came up so close that we can enjoy it each year. In fact, Rebecca plans to extend the rock garden to include our new addition.
Of course, there is a lot more to see in the woods and I hope to be able to take time to enjoy it all. Do you have a woods near to you? If so, do you ever get to enjoy all of the beauty it contains? Let me know at John@JohnMuellerBooks.com.
Visual Studio 11 Updates
Microsoft plans to release the next update for Windows 8 during the first week in June. Most developers are also looking forward to an update of Visual Studio 11 about the same time. Visual Studio 11 contains a number of modest, but important, feature updates. As a result, I've been reading everything I can find on these new features and doing a little testing myself. So far, I haven't seen much mention of the new debugging features or the new/updated tools provided with the new release. These changes are important nonetheless.
Of course, the most important of these updates is the ability to create Metro applications. Visual Studio 11 provides a complete set of templates you can use to create Metro applications using a combination of HTML5 and JavaScript. From the confusing assortment of posts that I've read, I'm not really clear as to whether the main download site provides you with a copy of Visual Studio 11 that includes full support for developing Metro applications. It turns out that you need the SDK in order to build these applications. In order to play with Metro applications, I downloaded the Visual Studio 11 beta from the Metro-style applications site, which definitely includes the SDK. This download only installs on a Windows 8 system. The Metro-style applications site also includes a number of other helpful downloads.
The feature that seems to be garnering the most attention though is the appearance of the new IDE. Many developers find the new IDE incredibly depressing to use. According to a number of sources, the beta team has heard the pleas of testers and decided to do something about it. Essentially, the changes are limited to a difference in colors. The updated IDE will be lighter gray and use some brighter colors in the icons. Of course, having a tool that's fun, or at least interesting, to use is a requirement. No one wants to work with a depressingly dark gray tool all day. Still, I have to wonder why this particular feature is receiving so much press.
Of the features I've tried so far, I'm finding the C++ language additions the most tempting. For example, the IDE now makes it a lot easier to see various C++ elements through the use of color coding. A feature called Reference Highlighting is also interesting because it makes it easy to move between instances of a keyword within a source code file with greater ease. There is also built-in support now for the C++ 11 specification version of the Standard Template Library (STL). If you want, you can even build Metro-style applications using C++. The IDE also makes it a whole lot easier to work with code snippets. These new additions do make the IDE faster and more efficient, but also add complexity. Readers of C++ All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies will be happy to know that I'll continue using the GNU C++ compiler for the reasons stated in my Choosing the GNU C++ Compiler post.
Because I know I'll eventually need to provide some level of Metro application support, I have been playing around with the Metro functionality. As part of my reading, I checked out the information on the Metro-Style Design Applications site. From a developer perspective, there are some pros and cons about these new requirements. For example, some developers see them as actually limiting application functionality and making applications less useful. I'm sure that what will happen is that developers will find new ways of adding functionality to applications that fit within the Microsoft guidelines and still offer a great application experience. Undoubtedly, Microsoft will also be tweaking those Metro design documents.
Have you done anything with Visual Studio 11? If so, let me know about the features you like best and which features you wish Microsoft would change. One of the most important questions for me is whether you see yourself using Visual Studio 11 for serious application development anytime soon. Knowing these answers will help me create better blog posts for you in the future. Contact me at John@JohnMuellerBooks.com.
Of course, the most important of these updates is the ability to create Metro applications. Visual Studio 11 provides a complete set of templates you can use to create Metro applications using a combination of HTML5 and JavaScript. From the confusing assortment of posts that I've read, I'm not really clear as to whether the main download site provides you with a copy of Visual Studio 11 that includes full support for developing Metro applications. It turns out that you need the SDK in order to build these applications. In order to play with Metro applications, I downloaded the Visual Studio 11 beta from the Metro-style applications site, which definitely includes the SDK. This download only installs on a Windows 8 system. The Metro-style applications site also includes a number of other helpful downloads.
The feature that seems to be garnering the most attention though is the appearance of the new IDE. Many developers find the new IDE incredibly depressing to use. According to a number of sources, the beta team has heard the pleas of testers and decided to do something about it. Essentially, the changes are limited to a difference in colors. The updated IDE will be lighter gray and use some brighter colors in the icons. Of course, having a tool that's fun, or at least interesting, to use is a requirement. No one wants to work with a depressingly dark gray tool all day. Still, I have to wonder why this particular feature is receiving so much press.
Of the features I've tried so far, I'm finding the C++ language additions the most tempting. For example, the IDE now makes it a lot easier to see various C++ elements through the use of color coding. A feature called Reference Highlighting is also interesting because it makes it easy to move between instances of a keyword within a source code file with greater ease. There is also built-in support now for the C++ 11 specification version of the Standard Template Library (STL). If you want, you can even build Metro-style applications using C++. The IDE also makes it a whole lot easier to work with code snippets. These new additions do make the IDE faster and more efficient, but also add complexity. Readers of C++ All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies will be happy to know that I'll continue using the GNU C++ compiler for the reasons stated in my Choosing the GNU C++ Compiler post.
Because I know I'll eventually need to provide some level of Metro application support, I have been playing around with the Metro functionality. As part of my reading, I checked out the information on the Metro-Style Design Applications site. From a developer perspective, there are some pros and cons about these new requirements. For example, some developers see them as actually limiting application functionality and making applications less useful. I'm sure that what will happen is that developers will find new ways of adding functionality to applications that fit within the Microsoft guidelines and still offer a great application experience. Undoubtedly, Microsoft will also be tweaking those Metro design documents.
Have you done anything with Visual Studio 11? If so, let me know about the features you like best and which features you wish Microsoft would change. One of the most important questions for me is whether you see yourself using Visual Studio 11 for serious application development anytime soon. Knowing these answers will help me create better blog posts for you in the future. Contact me at John@JohnMuellerBooks.com.
Exploring the TimeCheck Application (Part 2)
Last week, in the Exploring the TimeCheck Application (Part 1) post, you saw an overview of what the TimeCheck application will do. Essentially, it's a time management application that works by recording how you spend your time. Knowing how you spend your time has all sorts of benefits. To start this application, the user needs a method for signing into and out of the system. The main form (frmMain) is displayed when Windows starts. The user chooses a project from the list or types in a custom project, then chooses or types in an activity using this form.
As you can see, this simple form provides the means to sign in or sign out (as needed). It also provides the means necessary to configure the application and to generate reports about activities. If the user clicks Exit when the application begins, the application records an entry in the event log and then exits. For now, let's look at what you need to do to configure this form.
Both frmMain and ThisNotifyIcon have Icon properties that you must fill out. In this case, the application uses a red clock face with the hands set to 3:00. The icon is created using precisely the same technique as described for the GrabAPicture application in the "Exploring the GrabAPicture Application (Part 4)" post.
The NotificationMenu also requires special configuration. In this case, you see a context menu added to frmMain when you select the object. Here's the entries you need to add to the ContextMenuStrip control.
There isn't anything fancy about this menu. It simply allows you to perform the tasks that you'd normally perform at the main dialog box. The special Open Window option displays frmMain when you need it (otherwise, the user simply sees an icon in the Notification Area).
You may wonder why NotificationMenu doesn't include an option for signing out. Generally, the user will sign back into another project when signing out of the first one, except when ending the Windows session, in which case, the application automatically logs the user out. Leaving the Sign Out option off makes it less likely that a user will sign out of a project and then forget to sign into a new one as needed. Of course, you can always add the option when desired.
Next week you'll see the form used to configure the application, frmConfigure. This form is actually going to appear in two different ways. Administrators will see the full set of configuration options we'll discuss, while standard users will see a subset of the configuration options designed to meet their specific needs. Because of the duality of this form, you need to spend additional time designing it so that it works equally well for either user type. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact me at John@JohnMuellerBooks.com.
As you can see, this simple form provides the means to sign in or sign out (as needed). It also provides the means necessary to configure the application and to generate reports about activities. If the user clicks Exit when the application begins, the application records an entry in the event log and then exits. For now, let's look at what you need to do to configure this form.
| Control | Property | Value |
| Form1 | (Name) | frmMain |
|
| AcceptButton | btnSignIn |
|
| CancelButton | btnExit |
|
| FormBorderStyle | FixedDialog |
|
| MaximizeBox | False |
|
| MinimizeBox | False |
|
| ShowInTaskbar | False |
|
| Size | 300, 165 |
|
| Text | TimeCheck |
|
| Topmost | True |
| ContextMenuStrip1 | (Name) | NotificationMenu |
| NotifyIcon1 | (Name) | ThisNotifyIcon |
|
| ContextMenuStrip | NotificationMenu |
|
| Visible | True |
| ToolTip1 | (Name) | toolTip1 |
| Button1 | (Name) | btnSignIn |
|
| AccessibleDescription | Sign Into a Project |
|
| Location | 207, 12 |
|
| Size | 75, 23 |
|
| TabIndex | 0 |
|
| Text | &Sign In |
|
| ToolTip on toolTip1 | Sign Into a Project |
| Button2 | (Name) | btnConfigure |
|
| AccessibleDescription | Configure the Application Features |
|
| Location | 207, 41 |
|
| Size | 75, 23 |
|
| TabIndex | 1 |
|
| Text | &Configure |
|
| ToolTip on toolTip1 | Configure the Application Features |
| Button3 | (Name) | btnReport |
|
| AccessibleDescription | Request a Time Usage Report |
|
| Location | 207, 70 |
|
| Size | 75, 23 |
|
| TabIndex | 2 |
|
| Text | &Report |
|
| ToolTip on toolTip1 | Request a Time Usage Report |
| Button4 | (Name) | btnExit |
|
| AccessibleDescription | Exit Without Signing In |
|
| Location | 207, 99 |
|
| Size | 75, 23 |
|
| TabIndex | 3 |
|
| Text | &Exit |
|
| ToolTip on toolTip1 | Exit Without Signing In |
| Label1 | (Name) | lblProjectName |
|
| AccessibleDescription | Supply the Name of the Project |
|
| Location | 12, 9 |
|
| Size | 71, 13 |
|
| TabIndex | 4 |
|
| Text | &Project Name |
|
| ToolTip on toolTip1 | Supply the Name of the Project |
| ComboBox1 | (Name) | cbProjectName |
|
| Location | 12, 25 |
|
| Size | 189, 21 |
|
| TabIndex | 5 |
| Label2 | (Name) | lblWorkType |
|
| AccessibleDescription | Choose the Type of Task Performed |
|
| Location | 12, 49 |
|
| Size | 72, 13 |
|
| TabIndex | 6 |
|
| Text | &Type of Work |
|
| ToolTip on toolTip1 | Choose the Type of Task Performed |
| ComboBox2 | (Name) | cbWorkType |
|
| Location | 12, 66 |
|
| Size | 189, 21 |
|
| TabIndex | 7 |
Both frmMain and ThisNotifyIcon have Icon properties that you must fill out. In this case, the application uses a red clock face with the hands set to 3:00. The icon is created using precisely the same technique as described for the GrabAPicture application in the "Exploring the GrabAPicture Application (Part 4)" post.
The NotificationMenu also requires special configuration. In this case, you see a context menu added to frmMain when you select the object. Here's the entries you need to add to the ContextMenuStrip control.
There isn't anything fancy about this menu. It simply allows you to perform the tasks that you'd normally perform at the main dialog box. The special Open Window option displays frmMain when you need it (otherwise, the user simply sees an icon in the Notification Area).
You may wonder why NotificationMenu doesn't include an option for signing out. Generally, the user will sign back into another project when signing out of the first one, except when ending the Windows session, in which case, the application automatically logs the user out. Leaving the Sign Out option off makes it less likely that a user will sign out of a project and then forget to sign into a new one as needed. Of course, you can always add the option when desired.
Next week you'll see the form used to configure the application, frmConfigure. This form is actually going to appear in two different ways. Administrators will see the full set of configuration options we'll discuss, while standard users will see a subset of the configuration options designed to meet their specific needs. Because of the duality of this form, you need to spend additional time designing it so that it works equally well for either user type. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact me at John@JohnMuellerBooks.com.
New Technique for Tracking Gestures
An interesting new technique is being explored for tracking gestures. This technique is of special interest to me because, at one time, I worked with SONAR in the Navy. At the time I worked with SONAR, it never occurred to me that the techniques I was using, would also have so many civilian applications. However, things like Doppler effect have had a huge affect on sciences such as predicting the weather. Now there is a new use of the Doppler effect in sensing gestures. When someone moves their hand in a specific way, a system can sense the hand movement and use it to perform a task. Right now the technique is more of an experiment than something that's useful. The current technology can sense five gestures, but the inventor says that it will eventually be able to sense up to ten gestures. Personally, I think the technology will become refined enough to do a lot more.
My interest in this technology is as a means of providing one more form of accessibility aid for those who need it. Using the Doppler effect in this way has the advantage of making it possible to sense gestures in any light and under most conditions. In other words, even though the range of gestures is limited, once refined, the technology should prove extremely reliable. If you have some special need, reliability is always a primary concern. You need to know that the technology you're using is always going to work as expected, even if that technology is a little less flexible than you'd like it to be. Someone who has some type of movement or speech need could use hand gestures to better communicate with the computer.
More importantly, for me, seeing this technology coming out tells me that science fiction often becomes science fact. Cinematic presentations such as TekWar have emphasized the use of hand gestures for years now. I remember being quite engrossed in the four made-for-television movies when they came out. One of the technologies that grabbed my attention was how people were manipulating computer input in a 3D space using gestures. This sort of technology seemed like complete fantasy at the time, but now it seems a lot closer to reality.
One of the questions that has occupied my mind for years is whether the mouse and keyboard will eventually go away. Voice technology gets close, but not close enough. I certainly couldn't use something like Dragon Naturally Speaking to write my books, but some people do use it to create less technical documents. (In fact, I've reviewed this product several times—the last time on DevSource, but the article is no longer available.) Human speech is so complex that we really do need something to augment technologies used to understand it. Perhaps gesture technologies will fulfill this role.
How do you see the future of computing? Will gesture technology, coupled with some for of spoken input, eventually replace the keyboard and mouse? How do you think this technology will serve as an accessibility aid? Let me know at John@JohnMuellerBooks.com.
My interest in this technology is as a means of providing one more form of accessibility aid for those who need it. Using the Doppler effect in this way has the advantage of making it possible to sense gestures in any light and under most conditions. In other words, even though the range of gestures is limited, once refined, the technology should prove extremely reliable. If you have some special need, reliability is always a primary concern. You need to know that the technology you're using is always going to work as expected, even if that technology is a little less flexible than you'd like it to be. Someone who has some type of movement or speech need could use hand gestures to better communicate with the computer.
More importantly, for me, seeing this technology coming out tells me that science fiction often becomes science fact. Cinematic presentations such as TekWar have emphasized the use of hand gestures for years now. I remember being quite engrossed in the four made-for-television movies when they came out. One of the technologies that grabbed my attention was how people were manipulating computer input in a 3D space using gestures. This sort of technology seemed like complete fantasy at the time, but now it seems a lot closer to reality.
One of the questions that has occupied my mind for years is whether the mouse and keyboard will eventually go away. Voice technology gets close, but not close enough. I certainly couldn't use something like Dragon Naturally Speaking to write my books, but some people do use it to create less technical documents. (In fact, I've reviewed this product several times—the last time on DevSource, but the article is no longer available.) Human speech is so complex that we really do need something to augment technologies used to understand it. Perhaps gesture technologies will fulfill this role.
How do you see the future of computing? Will gesture technology, coupled with some for of spoken input, eventually replace the keyboard and mouse? How do you think this technology will serve as an accessibility aid? Let me know at John@JohnMuellerBooks.com.
Adding Chickens to the Coop
The coop is essentially finished. You saw the finishing touches in the Covering and Completing the Chicken Coop post. However, there are still some things to do. For one thing, I need to level out the ground on the side of the coop to make it easier to get inside on winter days. The inside still needs to be wired and I have to paint the outside. Still, the coop is ready for occupancy.
I also need to provide some sort of shelter for the chicken food, so that it doesn't get wet. The food is currently in a 32 gallon trash can (which performs remarkably well). We've found that we need to use the brute strength trash cans to keep animals at bay. The domed lid works best in this case because it sheds the water really well. It's a mistake to get a trash can with wheels because dumping the 100 pound bags of feed into them is nearly impossible without dumping at least some of it on the ground. (Even though our chickens will feast on grass, bugs, and other sources of food outside, we still need to provide a certain amount of feed consisting of oyster shell, grains, and grass hay.)
As I previously mentioned, we'll get chicks for the coop on June 25th. Until then, it would still be nice to get something for our efforts, so we bought two laying hens from a friend of ours. Both produce nice brown eggs. The first is a Rhode Island Red (Rose) and the second is a Black Australorp (Violet). A rooster had picked at the two birds a bit before we got them, but except for missing a few feathers, they're really nice birds.
Our chickens started laying eggs almost immediately. In fact, we received our first egg from Violet the first evening we had her.
Both of our ladies have been raised in the free-range manner, so we're already receiving the benefits of free-range eggs. There is some discussion on precisely what these benefits are, but most of the places I've researched agree that you get these benefits over eggs raised using production methods (chickens in a cage):
Some sites also say there is a potential calcium and vitamin D benefit. Whether all of these benefits are real or not remains to be seen. However, the egg yolks are significantly more orange than the eggs we've purchased from the store and the eggs taste better, so there is some difference.
In addition to these two chickens, we'll get a mix of chickens that we'll raise from chicks. Our brood will include:
You might wonder why we didn't get any Leghorns. After all, the production places use this sort of chicken. The problem with the Leghorn is that its comb will freeze during the winter months and the small weight size makes it necessary to heat the coop. We were warned away from this particular breed by more than a few people who raise chickens in the same way that we intend to raise chickens. Sometimes too much help from technology isn't a good thing.
You may also wonder why we didn't get just one breed. There are several reasons. First, having multiple breeds makes the chickens more fun. We want a colorful coop. Second, each of the chicken breeds has different qualities to recommend it. For example, we don't want all jumbo eggs, but we do want a few for eating purposes. In addition, we don't like a mono-culture of anything, including animals. Mono-culture environments invite disease and other problems. So, we have a colorful coop that should serve us well. I'll post updates as time permits to tell you how our new coop is doing. Please let me know if you have any questions at John@JohnMuellerBooks.com.
I also need to provide some sort of shelter for the chicken food, so that it doesn't get wet. The food is currently in a 32 gallon trash can (which performs remarkably well). We've found that we need to use the brute strength trash cans to keep animals at bay. The domed lid works best in this case because it sheds the water really well. It's a mistake to get a trash can with wheels because dumping the 100 pound bags of feed into them is nearly impossible without dumping at least some of it on the ground. (Even though our chickens will feast on grass, bugs, and other sources of food outside, we still need to provide a certain amount of feed consisting of oyster shell, grains, and grass hay.)
As I previously mentioned, we'll get chicks for the coop on June 25th. Until then, it would still be nice to get something for our efforts, so we bought two laying hens from a friend of ours. Both produce nice brown eggs. The first is a Rhode Island Red (Rose) and the second is a Black Australorp (Violet). A rooster had picked at the two birds a bit before we got them, but except for missing a few feathers, they're really nice birds.
Our chickens started laying eggs almost immediately. In fact, we received our first egg from Violet the first evening we had her.
Both of our ladies have been raised in the free-range manner, so we're already receiving the benefits of free-range eggs. There is some discussion on precisely what these benefits are, but most of the places I've researched agree that you get these benefits over eggs raised using production methods (chickens in a cage):
- 1/3 less cholesterol
- 1/4 less saturated fat
- 2/3 more vitamin A
- Two times more omega-3 fatty acids
- Three times more vitamin E
- Seven times more beta carotene
Some sites also say there is a potential calcium and vitamin D benefit. Whether all of these benefits are real or not remains to be seen. However, the egg yolks are significantly more orange than the eggs we've purchased from the store and the eggs taste better, so there is some difference.
In addition to these two chickens, we'll get a mix of chickens that we'll raise from chicks. Our brood will include:
- Four Buff Orpington (great meat birds, cold hearty, and produce copious large eggs)
- Four Delaware (even better meat birds, cold hearty, lay well during the winter, and produce jumbo eggs)
- Two Americana (smaller food requirement, extremely cold hearty, produce copious colorful medium size eggs)
You might wonder why we didn't get any Leghorns. After all, the production places use this sort of chicken. The problem with the Leghorn is that its comb will freeze during the winter months and the small weight size makes it necessary to heat the coop. We were warned away from this particular breed by more than a few people who raise chickens in the same way that we intend to raise chickens. Sometimes too much help from technology isn't a good thing.
You may also wonder why we didn't get just one breed. There are several reasons. First, having multiple breeds makes the chickens more fun. We want a colorful coop. Second, each of the chicken breeds has different qualities to recommend it. For example, we don't want all jumbo eggs, but we do want a few for eating purposes. In addition, we don't like a mono-culture of anything, including animals. Mono-culture environments invite disease and other problems. So, we have a colorful coop that should serve us well. I'll post updates as time permits to tell you how our new coop is doing. Please let me know if you have any questions at John@JohnMuellerBooks.com.
Java 7 Released for General Use
Developers have been using Java 7 for quite some time now for creating and testing applications with additional functionality. However, until May 2nd, Java 7 wasn't made generally available for users. Oracle plans to upgrade the entire user base at this point, so now is the time to start thinking about deploying those applications you've been developing. Just in case you're new to Java programming, you can use my latest book, Java eLearning Kit for Dummies to learn how to work with Java quickly using the Windows, Linux, or Macintosh operating systems. The accompanying CD provides a fully interactive environment that includes impromptu tests and animation, to make learning a lot more fun. You can read the Java eLearning Kit for Dummies Manuscript Finished to get more information about the book. Be sure to contact me at John@JohnMuellerBooks.com if you have any questions about this new offering.
This new version of Java has a lot to offer. For example, it's the first time Oracle has provided both the Java Development Kit (JDK) and JavaFX Software Development Kit (SDK) for the Macintosh OS X. You can find a quick overview of why you should upgrade to Java 7 on the Oracle site. A more complete, developer friendly, list of changes appears on the OpenJDK site. Long time Java developers say there is nothing earth shattering in the upgrade, but there are a wealth of welcome enhancements. Just which enhancement is most important depends on which developer you talk to. Java eLearning Kit for Dummies discusses which of these enhancements are most important to beginning developers—those targeted by my book. I would say that the feature that intrigues me most is the improved support for dynamic languages—a feature I may try out soon. You can find the official Oracle feature list on their site at http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/jdk7-relnotes-418459.html.
Of course, now that Java 7 is out everyone is already starting to discuss Java 8. (In fact, some people are already talking about Java 9.) As with any new project, there are a lot of ideas and vaporware right now, with a true lack of any substance. You can be sure that I'll keep you updated on the progress of Java 8. In the meantime, if you choose to get my book, I'd love to hear from you. Let me know what you like and what you'd like to see improved in the next edition. However, whatever you do, don't keep silent if you have a question. I really do want to help you get the most out of everything I write.
This new version of Java has a lot to offer. For example, it's the first time Oracle has provided both the Java Development Kit (JDK) and JavaFX Software Development Kit (SDK) for the Macintosh OS X. You can find a quick overview of why you should upgrade to Java 7 on the Oracle site. A more complete, developer friendly, list of changes appears on the OpenJDK site. Long time Java developers say there is nothing earth shattering in the upgrade, but there are a wealth of welcome enhancements. Just which enhancement is most important depends on which developer you talk to. Java eLearning Kit for Dummies discusses which of these enhancements are most important to beginning developers—those targeted by my book. I would say that the feature that intrigues me most is the improved support for dynamic languages—a feature I may try out soon. You can find the official Oracle feature list on their site at http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/jdk7-relnotes-418459.html.
Of course, now that Java 7 is out everyone is already starting to discuss Java 8. (In fact, some people are already talking about Java 9.) As with any new project, there are a lot of ideas and vaporware right now, with a true lack of any substance. You can be sure that I'll keep you updated on the progress of Java 8. In the meantime, if you choose to get my book, I'd love to hear from you. Let me know what you like and what you'd like to see improved in the next edition. However, whatever you do, don't keep silent if you have a question. I really do want to help you get the most out of everything I write.
Alarming New Obesity Statistics
I monitor statistics related to the overall health of Americans because I'm concerned about how my fellow Americans are faring. It's one of the reasons I include self-sufficiency posts in my blog—to help others gain insights into making their health better and to get paid for doing it. One article I read recently tells me outright that there is a long way to go. According to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 42 percent of Americans will become obese by 2030. There is a price tag associated with this statistic—an increase in health care costs of $550 billion dollars—that's billion, with a B.
The increase in weight will cause problems with diabetes, a particularly nasty disease that isn't given nearly enough respect. Imagine the sugar in your bloodstream becoming akin to ground glass. That's the effect of diabetes on your system. Diabetes slowly, mercilessly, destroys your heart, kidneys, nervous system, eyes, and other organs. Of course, there are other behaviors that can affect your heart, but of all of the things that can go wrong, diabetes is possibly the worst. So, losing weight isn't about fitting into nicer clothes or impressing your friends—it's about living a happier, more productive, life.
More than a few people have asked me why I'm so concerned (other than the monetary amounts involved). At one point in time, I looked at myself in the mirror and decided that there really was too much of me to love. Not only that, but I was starting to suffer some of the health problems associated with being overweight and decided I really couldn't live like that anymore—I was right, I really couldn't live like that. It's not that I'm even sort of skinny today, but I have lost 165 pounds since Rebecca and I started our drive to become self-sufficient (all without dieting). That means I've gone from being morbidly obese to simply overweight. I feel better now, but I remember how I felt with the additional weight and I know that it wasn't the nicest way to feel. For many people, it seems as if there is no way out, but the approach I've taken does help.
It's the easiest thing in the world to say that someone should do something because it's good for them. Doctors do it all the time (because we pay them to do it). It's quite another thing to admit to yourself that your quality of life has diminished and you really need to do something about it. However, even after you decide to do something about it, succeeding is harder still because there are so many conflicting sources of information online. I'm not going to say that my method will work for you. In fact, I imagine that many people would find my approach outrageously difficult. However, I followed these principles to lose the weight that I have.
Nowhere do I mention doing anything weird or uncomfortable in this list. I tried more than a few diets and none of them worked because none of them are lifestyle changes. They're all cheats designed to lose a little weight, fast. The only way to effectively lose weight and keep it off is to make some sort of lifestyle change. You need to decide that you're tired of your old self and that you want something better before any change you try will work. Let me know your thoughts about the plight of the American waistline at John@JohnMuellerBooks.com.
The increase in weight will cause problems with diabetes, a particularly nasty disease that isn't given nearly enough respect. Imagine the sugar in your bloodstream becoming akin to ground glass. That's the effect of diabetes on your system. Diabetes slowly, mercilessly, destroys your heart, kidneys, nervous system, eyes, and other organs. Of course, there are other behaviors that can affect your heart, but of all of the things that can go wrong, diabetes is possibly the worst. So, losing weight isn't about fitting into nicer clothes or impressing your friends—it's about living a happier, more productive, life.
More than a few people have asked me why I'm so concerned (other than the monetary amounts involved). At one point in time, I looked at myself in the mirror and decided that there really was too much of me to love. Not only that, but I was starting to suffer some of the health problems associated with being overweight and decided I really couldn't live like that anymore—I was right, I really couldn't live like that. It's not that I'm even sort of skinny today, but I have lost 165 pounds since Rebecca and I started our drive to become self-sufficient (all without dieting). That means I've gone from being morbidly obese to simply overweight. I feel better now, but I remember how I felt with the additional weight and I know that it wasn't the nicest way to feel. For many people, it seems as if there is no way out, but the approach I've taken does help.
It's the easiest thing in the world to say that someone should do something because it's good for them. Doctors do it all the time (because we pay them to do it). It's quite another thing to admit to yourself that your quality of life has diminished and you really need to do something about it. However, even after you decide to do something about it, succeeding is harder still because there are so many conflicting sources of information online. I'm not going to say that my method will work for you. In fact, I imagine that many people would find my approach outrageously difficult. However, I followed these principles to lose the weight that I have.
- Exercise every day by growing my own food and cutting my own wood. Workouts at the gym are boring and non-productive. Growing my own food is interesting and nothing beats the heat from a wood stove.
- Eat a higher quality of food. Growing my own food means that I can avoid pesticides and other contaminants more often. I can also pick my food at the right time, rather than when it's best for marketing purposes. Plus, growing my own food pays me to spend time to grow the food, rather than buy it from the store where it costs quite a bit.
- Eat a wide variety of food. Rebecca and I don't eat just meat and potatoes. It seems as if we're always trying something different. During a typical week we'll eat broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green beans, corn, kohlrabi, cabbage, beets, spinach, tomatoes, okra, carrots, apples, pears, cherries, plums, and many other items—all grown in our garden and orchard. For meat, we eat rabbit and chicken we raise, deer that a friend shoots for us, and fish we catch at a local lake.
- Reduce my stress level. Living as I do helps me deal with stress better. If I'm having a stressful day, I get rid of the stress by chopping wood. Believe me, after a few hours in the woods, there is no more stress.
- Eat smaller meals more often. I replaced my plate with a smaller plate. The rule is that if it doesn't fit on the plate, it doesn't go in my mouth. There are no seconds and since I've been eating better, I seldom crave them.
Nowhere do I mention doing anything weird or uncomfortable in this list. I tried more than a few diets and none of them worked because none of them are lifestyle changes. They're all cheats designed to lose a little weight, fast. The only way to effectively lose weight and keep it off is to make some sort of lifestyle change. You need to decide that you're tired of your old self and that you want something better before any change you try will work. Let me know your thoughts about the plight of the American waistline at John@JohnMuellerBooks.com.
