The first image shows the view from our house. The second and third images show two lightnings. The third image is quite interesting, because the closest building on that image is around 20 meters away from where I was standing; and the lightning trajectory appears all the way to the bottom of the picture. It’s been ages since I last studied physics, so even if I knew how to explain how this happened, I have now forgotten! My thoughts so far:

• either the lightning struck less than 20 meters away from where I was. It doesn’t seem likely, because I assume I would have felt it striking so close. Moreover the clouds where the lightning started its trip [sic] appear to be far away close to the mountains.
• or the camera was able to capture the trajectory of the lightning behind the trees and buildings!
• or…

Image1

Image2

Image3

…?


Exception in thread "main" java.lang.AbstractMethodError: org.apache.xerces.dom.DocumentImpl.getXmlStandalone()Z
at com.sun.org.apache.xalan.internal.xsltc.trax.DOM2TO.setDocumentInfo(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.org.apache.xalan.internal.xsltc.trax.DOM2TO.parse(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.org.apache.xalan.internal.xsltc.trax.DOM2TO.parse(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.org.apache.xalan.internal.xsltc.trax.TransformerImpl.transformIdentity(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.org.apache.xalan.internal.xsltc.trax.TransformerImpl.transform(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.org.apache.xalan.internal.xsltc.trax.TransformerImpl.transform(Unknown Source)
at org.apache.commons.configuration.XMLConfiguration.save(XMLConfiguration.java:880)
at org.apache.commons.configuration.AbstractHierarchicalFileConfiguration$FileConfigurationDelegate.save(AbstractHierarchicalFileConfiguration.java:454)
at org.apache.commons.configuration.AbstractFileConfiguration.save(AbstractFileConfiguration.java:546)
at org.apache.commons.configuration.AbstractFileConfiguration.save(AbstractFileConfiguration.java:513)
at org.apache.commons.configuration.AbstractFileConfiguration.save(AbstractFileConfiguration.java:491)
at org.apache.commons.configuration.AbstractFileConfiguration.save(AbstractFileConfiguration.java:403)
at org.apache.commons.configuration.AbstractHierarchicalFileConfiguration.save(AbstractHierarchicalFileConfiguration.java:199)


After doing some search on google I found that this can be a problem with the xerces XML library (xercesImpl.jar). Checking the 3rd party libraries I am using in my project, I found a library that was using and distributing an earlier version of xercesImpl.jar.

I downloaded the latest version (2.91) of xercesImpl.jar from the Apache xerces project (http://xerces.apache.org/mirrors.cgi#binary) and replaced in the 3rd party library I was using the xercesImpl.jar file with the one I downloaded. Now everything seems to work fine, even in Java 1.6. 

A couple of months ago I decided to become the proud owner of an iphone. The one I got is the UK version with the 1.1.4 firmware. I am also still using my old (really old) nokia 6210, which is an (almost) 8-year old phone. I became annoyed that my 8-year old phone has certain simple features the iphone doesn’t have. So:

Things nokia 6210 can do, but the current version of Iphone (firmware 1.1.4) can’t (at least without installing any additional packages):

1. View how many characters you have typed in your SMS message. This is really important.. I tend to send 2 or 3 sms messages just for having one or two characters more. If I knew, I could have deleted a space or omitted a comma/dot,etc…
2. Forwarding SMS messages.
3. View a specific SMS message, without the whole conversation (the conversation mode that Iphone shows SMS by default is really nice, but if I need to show a specific SMS message to a friend, (s)he needs to see the whole conversation!). Not very convenient..
4. Turn on SMS delivery reports (certain carriers provide the ability to obtain a report by entering a special character sequence at the beginning of the SMS, but it’s a pain to type it in every time).
5. File SMS messages under different folders.
6. Specify the voicemail number. It does not automatically pick up the voicemail number of my Greek carrier (yes… I know iphone wasn’t supposed to work in Greece in the first place, but still) and I have to dial the number of my voicemail every time I want to check for new voicemail.
7. By default when you receive an SMS, a preview of the text appears automatically on the screen. So, if you are out for lunch or whatever and you leave your phone on the table, all your friends (well… not only friends) can see a preview of the message you have received. It is possible to disable the preview, but that means that you have to enter a 4 digit keycode every time your phone locks. What’s more even with the preview disabled, it still shows automatically the number of the person who texted you!
8. List of incoming/outgoing/missed calls, with the duration of each call and more details… A solution is to install the iLog application.
9. No voice dial. The VoiceDial application can be installed to enable this functionality.
10. Lack of ring profiles. Nokia had a nice “pager” profile, which means that even though the phone was on, both the ring volume and the vibration were off.  So when I go to bed I set it to the “pager” profile and even if someone calls me at 3am, it doesn’t vibrate to wake me up (don’t laugh!).  I also have different profiles. One for a meetings (the ring volume is off), one for the office (where the ring volume is on, but very low and one for outdoors when the ring volume is on maximum). But with the iphone, I always need to play with the volume control from place to place.
11. The alarm does not work when the iphone is switched off! (Yes, I discovered this one the hard way! Luckily it wasn’t an important meeting.)
12. (Added on 13-Jun-08). When I am on the move (i.e. walking) I can easily type on the nokia 6210.  The phone fits in my palm nicely and since it has an actual keyboard, after a while you are used to it and can type without even having to look at the screen after each letter you type. On the other hand, when I want to type an sms on the iphone I need both hands (maybe my palm is too small!) and I need to look on the screen all the time, because -obviously- there’s no way to tell which letter you are typing, unless you actually see it.

I will be updating the list… I am sure it will get quite lengthy…

Now, for more annoyances, which are not so much related to the main phone functionality (i.e. making/receiving calls, contacts management, sms), but to the functionality of the other features of the phone.

1. The build in camera application is too primitive (no zoom, no nothing). A solution is to get the CameraPro application.
2. The usual complaint: No GPS. Even though the LocateMe application can be considered as a substitute, it needs Wifi to operate and is quite buggy (when I am in Greece it shows I am right in the middle of the Atlantic ocean!)
3. No built-in application for video recording.  The VideoRecorder application is a nice alternative.
4. No built-in application for IM.  Fring is an excellent alternative.
5. No bluetooth sync.
6. By default EDGE is enabled. If your carrier (as in my case) does not require any credentials to connect to the EDGE network and there’s no wifi coverage in the area, when you try to access the internet iphone will shamelessly (instead of seamlessly as advertised), make sure to add a few pounds on your phone bill without notifying you.
7. I bought the iphone when I started migrating to linux. Well… officially no linux application is supported. To use iphone as a PDA (i.e. for calendar and contacts management), not only did I have to keep windows and itunes, I also had to buy office 2007! (thank god I am still considered a student and paid only ~£40).  Yes, I have PAID and installed office JUST to be able to sync my pc with the iphone, since I normally use thuderbird and openoffice!

The feature I liked so far the best? VPN support… My e-mail password is transferred encrypted over the wifi network, which means less chances for someone to intercept the password.

Initial post: 13/06/2008

Updates to follow for sure

The list of artists which you may see on an artist page as being “similar” is based exactly on our user’s listening habits. If a lot of users listen to Artist X, but also Artist Y and Z – Y and Z artists will become similar to X.

With a few added constants and other functions thrown into the equation to help make it more accurate, you’ll find that’s how Similar Artists are made.

The screencap follows:

So… I found a small linux shell script  that individually compiles every java file in a directory and all its subdirectories. The code is:

#!/bin/bash

done

The text file can be found here:  batchcompile

It currently works by checking the whole history of the repository, finding how many lines have been added/removed in each file by using the “svn diff” command and creating an HTML report.
A sample of the report can be found here: http://www.freewebs.com/subvstats/samplereport.html

The program should work for relatively small repositories. As soon as I have time I will document it more and generate more statistics. And yes, I am thinking of making it opensource, but not in its current state. I first need to find some time to document the code properly and have a stable version.

Keywords: Subversion, statistics, package, tool, program, software, java, subvstats.

Now, I downloaded a trial version of Ashampoo Uninstaller platinum to see the changes the installation made to my system. I installed Ashampoo and run the “screensaver” installer again. This time I noticed that somewhere in the text of the terms and conditions a company named “ADVERTISMEN.COM” appeared. Tried to google it but wasn’t lucky. I also did a DSN lookup of the url and found out that the domain name was registered on the 5th of April of 2006. Is it a new spyware?

Well, after the installation was finished, Ashampoo generated a log file, which showed that the install.exe had installed two files in the windows/system32 folder. The files were called pushow67.dll and pushow55.dll. I used DLL Export Viewer to find out that they exposed one interface called “Uninstall”. It also created a registry key under: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\ called “UninstallString” with value: rundll32.exe C:\WINNT\system32\pushow55.dll Uninstall

It also created another key under: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows called AppInit_DLLs. The value was pushow55.dll.

All this is weird! I deleted the files and the registry entries, run ad-aware and spybot and they didn’t find anything. Finally I logged to my online banking system (didn’t enter my real credentials though) running Etheral. After inspecting the packets I didn’t find anything alarming.

Well… I am not sure if it is a new spyware, Trojan or something, but I know I should have thought twice before running that bloody exe file. Now I just hope I have cleaned my system from whatever it was!

My laptop’s lcd screen got completely screwed up over the last days. It’s full of blank horizontal lines. After a quick market research it seems that a new one (even a used one) would have cost me around £200, which is quite a lot for a 15” lcd screen. So… I decided to get a new external 19” monitor to use with my laptop for £175.

I got a Yusmart 198QP LCD monitor. It’s… big! It’s a wonder how both the monitor and the laptop fit on my tiny desk. I got two pictures, one of the desk and one of the monitor. The quality of the picture is acceptable and I can now have 1280×1024 resolution, which means I can see more text while I type (or program).

At last I can now work from home! (Well… the desk is still too small and the house does not inspire me to study, but I have that option when I want to program, check or type emails etc).

My desk with both the monitor and the laptop.

The new monitor!

The only problem I am having is that it has around 20 cm depth, which means that it’s too close to my eyes when I sit on the chair to type. I will see if I find a solution to that problem soon.Regarding the rest of the news these days… I will post an update!

Yesterday we were supposed to play basketball for the IMS league but the medics did not even show up, so we just trained for a while! It was really fun!

I also established a rough timetable for each day of the week and try to follow it. It seemed to work well today, though I had a rather big break after 16:00. Tomorrow the whole day is assigned to demonstrating tasks. We have a meeting at 10 in the morning and then lab sessions. I am planning to go to the city centre to watch Panathinaikos against Barcelona. It should be a nice game and if we lose by less than 5 goals… I am happy!

Researchwise I have started writing rigorous transformation rules from OCL to Alloy in the ATL language. I am going to define the rules for a very small subset of OCL initially and then implement them to a tool. Right now I am just too tired to write about anything! Going home to relax.