• Install OpenSSH from Cydia
• Mount the iPod’s filesystem: mkdir -p ~/touch && sshfs -o allow_other root@192.168.1.7:/ ~/touch/
• Then, in Amarok 2, go to the collection browser, and find all the songs that match your criteria (I use ratings):

• Highlight them and right-click drag them into the Dolphin/Nautilus window showing the directory ~/touch/private/var/mobile/Media/Music/
• You may have to create the above directory.
• When you drop them, choose Copy. Then, wait, and they’ll all copy over the wireless to the device. It’s awesome.
• Get PwnPlayer from Cydia and enjoy!

Geet asked me what inspired me to switch to Canon after my devotion to Nikon and coveting of his D90.  I was intrigued by the D90 and other Nikon offerings, but I preferred to stay in the $500 camera territory (D90 bodies start around $700 used).  True, I would not have had to buy new lenses, but my current lens situation isn’t really to die for (kit lens, 55-200mm VR lens, and 50mm 1.4 manual focus prime lens).  I’ve had the most fun with the prime lens, and I’ll probably spend some real money this time on a Canon version with auto-focus.

The real selling points for me for the Canon XSI over the Nikon D40x were the following:

• Auto-exposure bracketing (for HDR mainly)
• Shot Rate: 3.5 fps vs. the D40x 3fps.  Minor, but still better.
• Image stabilization in the kit lens (a bit gimmicky since it’s a low focal length, but still nice)
• Automatic Sensor cleaning (D40x doesn’t have it)
• More stuff in the viewfinder, like ISO settings.
• Better menu, more features to configure
• Larger screen (I usually use the viewfinder though)
• Live View (very minor advantage, see previous comment).  It will be nice when I’m taking a picture away from my face.
• Weight with the kit lens seems lighter than the D40x (I could be imagining things)
• Auto-focus metering is better, and the up-close performance is better
• Low-light performance seems to be better at ISO 800, but there are so many factors here that it could just be settings away.

The cons exist though:

• The D40x has configurable hardware buttons, which is cool.  I don’t see this on the Canon
• None of my filters will fit the funky 58mm format!  I have quite a few :(
• The SD card slot door isn’t spring loaded – the Nikon’s is.  Very very minor.
• After taking a picture or a set of them, it shows on the screen, but you have to hit the play button to activate review mode before hitting a directional button.  On the Nikon, if you hit a directional button when a picture is showing, you’re magically in review mode.
• The sound!  The squeaky nasty gear-driven shutter sound is rather awful, while the mechanical-sounding Nikon shutter sound is totally awesome.
• The feel of the adjustment wheel is better on the Nikon.  It seems cheaper on the Canon.
• Deleting pictures on the camera is more cumbersome.

Overall, I’m still happy.

• Get bdtools. I got Version 1.4. You can find it here.
• ./configure && make && sudo make install
• Try running mpls_dump. I got this error when running:

  mpls_dump: error while loading shared libraries: libbd-1.0.so.1: cannot open shared object file:
  No such file or directory

• To fix it, do this:

  echo "/usr/local/lib" | sudo tee -a /etc/ld.so.conf
  sudo ldconfig

James Cameron’s completely immersive spectacle “Avatar” may have been a little too real for some fans who say they have experienced depression and suicidal thoughts after seeing the film because they long to enjoy the beauty of the alien world Pandora.

“…The movie was so beautiful and it showed something we don’t have here on Earth. I think people saw we could be living in a completely different world and that caused them to be depressed.”

Wait, we don’t have native tribes in a jungle living here on Earth? Really? Or maybe you’re talking about the color of their skin… it’s true we don’t have real Smurfs. Yet, I think this is just a case of people being really confused about what they want out of life. Maybe the depressed should go into the wild and live their dream, like Henry David Thoreau did. Just go to South America, which is replete with tribes living in the Jungle fighting the evil environmental antagonists who log the rainforest.

I’ll have to watch the movie when it comes out on video.

sudo zypper ar ftp://ftp5.gwdg.de/pub/opensuse/repositories/home:/mkng:/science/openSUSE_11.1/ PARI
sudo zypper in pari-gp

1. unzip ebook.epub -d tmpbook
2. cd tmpbook
3. perl -i.bak -pe 's/([\s-,.;\'?:]+)\/(.+?)\/([\s-,.;\'?:]+)/$1<i>$2<\/i>$3/sg;' *html
4. That will create.bak files just in case anything went wrong.  To revert the changes, do this:
   for i in *.bak; do mv $i ${i%.bak}; done
5. zip -r ebook.zip * && mv ebook.zip ebook.epub

Then, I found out Calibre works beautifully with the Nook, so I just popped it on there and it worked.

1. Download Version 1.8 source from here.
2. unzip clit18src.zip -d convertlit
3. sudo apt-get install libtommath-dev
4. Download this to the convertlit directory.
5. patch -p1 -i clit18.source.patch
6. You should see the clit18/Makefile was patched
7. cd lib && make && cd ../clit18 && make
8. the clit binary should be available in the clit18 directory
9. sudo cp clit18/clit /usr/local/bin/
10. Use it!

Now I just have to figure out how to convert it to epub.

I downloaded version 2.80 of the firmware from here.  I’ve also posted it here just in case.  I found some instructions here to upgrade the firmware, and I’ve reposted them here for posterity:

How to Download the Upgraded Firmware

Make sure the power supply is fully secured during the whole process of Firmware Upgrade. We recommend to use as fully charged batteries and AC Power Supply together for un-interrupted power supply during the Firmware Upgrade.

1. Download and save the firmware to your hard-drive. Unzip it to find the .HEX file.
2. Make an Upgrade CD by burning iMP-350.hex onto a blank disc.
3. Connect iMP-350 to AC adapter.
4. Insert Upgrade CD into iMP-350.
5. Press Play Button to permit Power Supply to iMP-350. LCD display will show the iRiver Logo and Loading during the course of firmware upgrading. Blinking display is normal during upgrading. *DO NOT TURN THE MACHINE OFF DURING UPGRADE* *IF NEEDED CHARGE BATTERIES FULLY BEFORE UPGRADE SO THE MACHINE WILL NOT TURN OFF DURING UPGRADE*
6. After completion, power will shut down automatically.
7. Remove Upgrade CD from iMP-350.
8. Insert a music CD and turn it back on.

Conclusion

Overall, it’s a really great player.  I think I’m going to enjoy using it thoroughly!