Looking at reader referers can be fun sometimes

Looks like my simple little osm map download script has been useful for someone, great!

Qt SDK upgrade

So there is an update for the SDK now. Should I just do it ? I've had too many problems with previous upgrades that I'm just a tiny bit skeptical that it-will-just-work.

More Arduino toys

I ordered some stuff from DealExtreme to play with. An Ethernet Shield and a very tiny bluetooth transceiver module. It's going to be a challenge to solder something to it :)

Ethernet Shield and Bluetooth module

It's the cheaper version of the network shield, so no TCP/IP stack included on any chip, just an Ethernet over SPI chip (the ENC28J60), but still an easy to use chip over SPI from the Arduino. And of course there exists a library for it so using it is very easy and there is nice example code available, I made a quick test just to check that the shield works using the DHCP example.

The bluetooth module should be extremely easy to use, after somehow soldering some wires to the tiny thing. I'll let you know how it goes.

Garmins OpenCaching geocache service

I've been a semi-active geocacher for 2-3 years now, using geocaching.com, but I've been trying Garmins OpenCaching now for awhile.
I must say it is much nicer in many ways, they offer an open API, with data under the Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 3.0 License. And the best part, no payments to get more features (who the hell pays for anything on the Internet ? Not me).

OpenCaching caches in Turku area

The API especially is interesting, I might do something with that soon. I even got off my ass and asked for an API key a couple of days ago.


I have only two caches hidden right now, but I'm planning on adding more soon.

•  OX1WECM
•  OXZTQCD

The service is not very popular yet here in Europe but I do see new caches popping up now and then, even here in Turku.

OpenCaching

QML DatePicker giving a headache ?

More as a note-to-self but maybe someone else has the same problem. I was trying out the QML DatePicker from com.nokia.extras and it just didn't like to work in the Simulator. After some random clicking around I found the solution, make sure you have selected "Harmattan" as the com.nokia.extras platform in the Simulators "Application" configuration tab.

I was given a laptop as it was "broken"

I was given an old laptop by a co-worker last week as it had broke down according to him and he was about to throw it away. As a computer enthusiast and collector I wanted to check it out first, even just for parts. I assumed that probably the memory was faulty and ran memtest86 for a while, no problems there. Well, what the hell, let's see if it boots... It wasn't that broken after all.
The only problem was Windows XP didn't start properly, just bluescreened and instantly rebooted. Boot into rescue mode from the XP install disk and a chkdsk run fixed that problem and the laptop "works" just fine again.
And if that wouldn't have fixed it a "simple" re-install would have been the other option.

This started me thinking, how many computers are considered broken by normal computer users just because it won't boot ? And how many of these computers are thrown away ?

The Smurf got its name(s)

Yep, I'm an Uncle, "again". My sister got a small boy a couple of months ago, the temporary name they use (used? let's see how it goes :) was Smurffi. He got a proper name yesterday. The event was different, neither parent belongs the church, so no traditional Ristiäiset this time. We had to guess the names given, using pices of paper with letters. It was actually much more fun event than a traditional one.

Oh, the name ?

Linus Frans Mikael

Let's hope the name leads to something big :)