There are many factors that drive what I carry with me to work and around town everyday. The single most important factor, for me, is portability. Until a day ago, I always carried my ultra-portable ASUS Eee PC 1000H netbook with me in an Eagle Creek shoulder bag, along with my iPhone, a recycled Moleskin notepad, a Sharpie pen, a book and a magazine, and the few necessary computing accessories to make it through a full day of work and urban life.
Unfortunately, the AC adapter for my netbook quit working the other night, so I have no way to charge the battery. Normally I would just purchase a new adapter, but surprisingly, there are none to be had for my ASUS Eee PC, that I have been able to find. This brings up an interesting situation for me. Do I purchase a new netbook, as they are extremely handy, especially when I start school in a few weeks; or do I forge a new path and really solely on my iPhone as my "mobile" computer?
After considering my needs and the situation, I've decided that I will do a two-month trial of only carrying my iPhone and it's accessories only, along with my school supplies, books, etc. But, my only portable/mobile computer will be my iPhone. Which, in turn, brings up another small choice to be made: do I finally give in and jailbreak my iPhone, or do I rely on it as is, in it's original factory condition? For now, I'm going to close this post with that option open, as I haven't decided what I will do, yet. Once I do decide, I'll update with a new post detailing my "gameplan".
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
A Hiccup In My Plan to Rule the World!
I sat down tonight, during the few minutes that I had available, with the intention of creating a Billix install on my trusty ol' Kingston 4 GB USB thumb drive. As is usual for any type of hardcore geek work in my lab, I whipped out my faithful ASUS Eee PC 1000H netbook, complete with Ubuntu Netbook Remix Edition, only to discover that the AC adapter for my beloved netbook has somehow bit the dust. What's worse is, after doing a search on Newegg and via Google, I have concluded that there is no replacement to be had for my fried AC adapter. Fail!
So, due to the circumstances, I don't get to play with Billix anytime soon, and I am now in the market for a new netbook, much sooner than I had ever desired. The question is, do I take the plunge and just buy the vanilla 13" White MacBook that I know I really want, or do I save the extra $500 I'd spend on the MacBook and buy the new ASUS Eee PC 1201N, equipped with the new NVIDIA ION graphics processor for netbooks? It is an extremely tough decision. I'll update here once I decide. If anyone has any suggestions, leave a comment!
So, due to the circumstances, I don't get to play with Billix anytime soon, and I am now in the market for a new netbook, much sooner than I had ever desired. The question is, do I take the plunge and just buy the vanilla 13" White MacBook that I know I really want, or do I save the extra $500 I'd spend on the MacBook and buy the new ASUS Eee PC 1201N, equipped with the new NVIDIA ION graphics processor for netbooks? It is an extremely tough decision. I'll update here once I decide. If anyone has any suggestions, leave a comment!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
How it really is.
This entry will serve as my first official post of real content on this blog. Thinking about it, I can't come up with a better way to kick-off this journal project, either.
When I took my first, tiny, timid steps into the world of Linux and Open Source I remember wondering to myself how I would ever build up the storehouse of knowledge in my head that some of the almighty "Linux Gurus" out there seemed to draw on at the time. Now, many years later, it has finally occurred to me that all of the gurus in the world, no matter their specialty, draw upon a vast network of references, libraries of textbooks that they've built up over time, and extensive research via advanced Google search tactics. Over time, many repeated and mundane tasks will become second-hand knowledge that is stored in your brain's precious memory cells. For everything else, use your resources!
With that in mind, this blog will make heavy use of reference to resources that I have utilized for each tutorial or article. Where necessary, I will even include specific search strings that I've used in Google searches, as well as links to sites and articles. Above all, when exploring the world of IT and Computer Science, please remember to not get discouraged, don't be afraid to ask for help if you honestly can't find the answer on your own, and, if all else fails, read the friendly manual! In fact, the "man" pages, found via the command line in any Linux distribution, are a vital resource. An example usage of the man pages is as follows:
[you@your-linux-machine you] $ man pwd
If you'd like to learn more about the Linux man pages, head over to the SuperMan Pages resource at Linux Command, found here:
http://www.linuxcommand.org/superman_pages.php
When I took my first, tiny, timid steps into the world of Linux and Open Source I remember wondering to myself how I would ever build up the storehouse of knowledge in my head that some of the almighty "Linux Gurus" out there seemed to draw on at the time. Now, many years later, it has finally occurred to me that all of the gurus in the world, no matter their specialty, draw upon a vast network of references, libraries of textbooks that they've built up over time, and extensive research via advanced Google search tactics. Over time, many repeated and mundane tasks will become second-hand knowledge that is stored in your brain's precious memory cells. For everything else, use your resources!
With that in mind, this blog will make heavy use of reference to resources that I have utilized for each tutorial or article. Where necessary, I will even include specific search strings that I've used in Google searches, as well as links to sites and articles. Above all, when exploring the world of IT and Computer Science, please remember to not get discouraged, don't be afraid to ask for help if you honestly can't find the answer on your own, and, if all else fails, read the friendly manual! In fact, the "man" pages, found via the command line in any Linux distribution, are a vital resource. An example usage of the man pages is as follows:
[you@your-linux-machine you] $ man pwd
If you'd like to learn more about the Linux man pages, head over to the SuperMan Pages resource at Linux Command, found here:
http://www.linuxcommand.org/superman_pages.php
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Welcome to Socketbrain!
Socketbrain is the online technical diary and resume of Ken Reynolds.
Follow along as I venture into the vast world of Web Design. Expect to see articles outlining my journey of learning and experimentation with web design technologies and languages such as XHTML, CSS, jQuery, and free Open Source multimedia design software.
As an UberGeek I am an avid supporter and user of Open Source Software. Being such, I have used, hacked, and tortured my fair share of Linux distributions and will continue to do so indefinitely, although I have recently gone back to my Apple roots, so don't be surprised to see some Mac OS X related stuff on here. Linux is not just an OS - it is a way of life, as is the entire Open Source movement.
When I want to kick back and have fun I hack and slash my way through my favorite vintage video games. Yes, I said vintage. I do play some modern games, but I do not own any modern game consoles, and very rarely play games on my PC notebook. So, what kind of vintage games, you ask? For starters, I am a huge fan of my Playstation 2 and Sega Dreamcast. I have many games for both systems and enjoy them all, especially the God of War games for the PS2. Of course, there's also the Splinter Cell series and Gran Turismo. For mobile gaming, besides my iPhone - which I do actually game on - I own a vintage Sega Game Gear. I don't own many games for it, yet, but plan to add Shinobi, Ms. Pac Man, and Mortal Kombat to my Game Gear lineup. I love gaming out on my Game Gear and it certainly comes in handy for late night sessions at work when the tech support calls are few and far between.
That's it in a nutshell. Thanks for stopping by!
Follow along as I venture into the vast world of Web Design. Expect to see articles outlining my journey of learning and experimentation with web design technologies and languages such as XHTML, CSS, jQuery, and free Open Source multimedia design software.
As an UberGeek I am an avid supporter and user of Open Source Software. Being such, I have used, hacked, and tortured my fair share of Linux distributions and will continue to do so indefinitely, although I have recently gone back to my Apple roots, so don't be surprised to see some Mac OS X related stuff on here. Linux is not just an OS - it is a way of life, as is the entire Open Source movement.
When I want to kick back and have fun I hack and slash my way through my favorite vintage video games. Yes, I said vintage. I do play some modern games, but I do not own any modern game consoles, and very rarely play games on my PC notebook. So, what kind of vintage games, you ask? For starters, I am a huge fan of my Playstation 2 and Sega Dreamcast. I have many games for both systems and enjoy them all, especially the God of War games for the PS2. Of course, there's also the Splinter Cell series and Gran Turismo. For mobile gaming, besides my iPhone - which I do actually game on - I own a vintage Sega Game Gear. I don't own many games for it, yet, but plan to add Shinobi, Ms. Pac Man, and Mortal Kombat to my Game Gear lineup. I love gaming out on my Game Gear and it certainly comes in handy for late night sessions at work when the tech support calls are few and far between.
That's it in a nutshell. Thanks for stopping by!
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