During the transition I found Wordpress2Blogger to convert my exported Wordpress WXR file to a Blogger XML file. This tool converted my text content perfectly but stumbled on images. I was pleasantly surprised that it even imported comments. Hopefully I will have all of my posts updated in about an hour - not a bad amount of work for performing a clean transition.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Switching to Blogger
I use my server for hosting demos, testing, and other content. For quite some time I also hosted a wordpress blog for myself. I got tired of worrying about uptime and patches for my blog so I finally moved it to Blogger.
Logan has arrived.
Logan Matthew Schrier was born on Aug. 16, 2008 at 7:57 PM. I posted numerous tweets during the progress but I have been extremely busy and not had time to write about the experience.
Jenna's doctor planned to induce labor on the 15th; however, the hospital was full so we were delayed until 4am the next morning. Jenna was immediately placed on medication and her water was broken four hours later. Sadly she had to endure contractions for approximately eight hours before the doctor decided to perform a c-section.
I was allowed to stay with Jenna throughout the entire operation. I had never witnessed surgery before, especially on someone I care about as much as her. While it was difficult to watch my wife be cut open it was still very interesting and I handled myself well. It was shocking and amazing to watch Logan emerge from her body - I snapped numerous pictures but I doubt I will be posting them. It was an amazing feeling to hear Logan cry for the first time. Approximately an hour later Jenna was stitched up, Logan was doing well, and we were headed for recovery.
Once we were in the recovery room all responsibility for Logan was given to me. I'm not sure why but I expected the nurses to be slightly more involved than they were. Nurses were in the room every couple of hours checking Jenna and, to a lesser extent, Logan. We stayed in the hospital for four exhausting days. Jenna recovered better than I ever expected and was walking Tuesday and showering by Wednesday.
We were ecstatic to return home. Even though we were alone and responsible for Logan we felt much more comfortable. Our routine is improving each day and Jenna and I are enjoying the time together.
Jenna's doctor planned to induce labor on the 15th; however, the hospital was full so we were delayed until 4am the next morning. Jenna was immediately placed on medication and her water was broken four hours later. Sadly she had to endure contractions for approximately eight hours before the doctor decided to perform a c-section.
I was allowed to stay with Jenna throughout the entire operation. I had never witnessed surgery before, especially on someone I care about as much as her. While it was difficult to watch my wife be cut open it was still very interesting and I handled myself well. It was shocking and amazing to watch Logan emerge from her body - I snapped numerous pictures but I doubt I will be posting them. It was an amazing feeling to hear Logan cry for the first time. Approximately an hour later Jenna was stitched up, Logan was doing well, and we were headed for recovery.
Once we were in the recovery room all responsibility for Logan was given to me. I'm not sure why but I expected the nurses to be slightly more involved than they were. Nurses were in the room every couple of hours checking Jenna and, to a lesser extent, Logan. We stayed in the hospital for four exhausting days. Jenna recovered better than I ever expected and was walking Tuesday and showering by Wednesday.
We were ecstatic to return home. Even though we were alone and responsible for Logan we felt much more comfortable. Our routine is improving each day and Jenna and I are enjoying the time together.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Beginning Eclipse
Vim has been my editor of choice for quite some time; however, I recently started investigating Eclipse for my development. Eclipse appealed to me because of it's support for GWT and AppEngine but is still difficult to use at times.
I installed Eclipse 3.4.2 (Ganymede) and found myself rather disappointed for file types other than Java. HTML and CSS are poorly handled by the default text editor. I immediately started searching for a plugin and stumbled upon Project Amateras. Amateras provides a nice environment but I have had numerous problems with soft tabs and indentation.
I spent a bit of time fighting with formatting because of these problems; however, I was able to write nearly all of the CSS and base HTML for MealTicket. The first bit of code has been checked into my SVN repository and will hopefully improve each day.
Peter Manis pointed me to Aptana which I hope to try tomorrow. The product looks a bit more polished so I'm hopeful that it will excel past Amateras.
I installed Eclipse 3.4.2 (Ganymede) and found myself rather disappointed for file types other than Java. HTML and CSS are poorly handled by the default text editor. I immediately started searching for a plugin and stumbled upon Project Amateras. Amateras provides a nice environment but I have had numerous problems with soft tabs and indentation.
I spent a bit of time fighting with formatting because of these problems; however, I was able to write nearly all of the CSS and base HTML for MealTicket. The first bit of code has been checked into my SVN repository and will hopefully improve each day.
Peter Manis pointed me to Aptana which I hope to try tomorrow. The product looks a bit more polished so I'm hopeful that it will excel past Amateras.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
New project: MealTicket
Today I created an initial design of the user interface in photoshop. I only worked on it for a couple of hours since it's a holiday and I wanted to enjoy some time outside. There are numerous features that I have to create which may, or may not be, evident from the mock up:
- Support single day and re-occuring events
- Event invite since events will be private (maybe add public events eventually)
- Ability to mark a restaurant as visited with the option to not re-appear for X days, months, or ever
- Integration with Google Calendar
- Possible Yelp integration
- Resturant suggestions based on your history (and maybe based on other users)
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Vacation: Hilton Head Island
Last week Jenna and I went on vacation at Hilton Head Island, SC. We decided to take the trip as a last attempt to relax before the baby arrives in August. The trip was a success and very relaxing since the majority of our time was spent walking on the beach and lounging at the Mariott hotel. The island is obviously known for its array of golf courses but neither of us are interested in golf so this was not a big deal for us.
We decided to stay at the Mariott because it was one of the only hotels with a true ocean front room available on hotels.com. I think this was an excellent decision because we had a wonderful view and a near constant breeze coming from the ocean. The hotel also had hammocks and lounge chairs which we frequently used. Our only complaint was our rather pitiful air conditioning unit which was bothersome at night when we closed our patio door.
Overall the trip was fun but we had to be mindful of our budget. The liquor at the hotel was overpriced as expected; however, there was a liquor store a couple of miles away. I purchased a bottle of rum and some pineapple juice which kept my camelbak well supplied. There are several resturants to choose from on the Island including chains and unique family owned resturants. We opted to sample the family owned resturants and one resturant in our hotel, Blu.
I also used the trip as an excuse to play with the 50D some more. It seems that the more I use the camera the more I love it. I didn't take as many photos as I had expected but that was probably because I was afraid to take it onto the beach with the frequent wind gusts which left my mouth tasting like sand. I have posted a few photos on flickr but they are mostly sunrise and sunset scenes.
This is a great place to visit if you are looking for a beautiful beach, golfing, and a relaxed atmosphere and you are willing to deal with high prices of a very tourist driven economy.
Overall the trip was fun but we had to be mindful of our budget. The liquor at the hotel was overpriced as expected; however, there was a liquor store a couple of miles away. I purchased a bottle of rum and some pineapple juice which kept my camelbak well supplied. There are several resturants to choose from on the Island including chains and unique family owned resturants. We opted to sample the family owned resturants and one resturant in our hotel, Blu.
I also used the trip as an excuse to play with the 50D some more. It seems that the more I use the camera the more I love it. I didn't take as many photos as I had expected but that was probably because I was afraid to take it onto the beach with the frequent wind gusts which left my mouth tasting like sand. I have posted a few photos on flickr but they are mostly sunrise and sunset scenes.
This is a great place to visit if you are looking for a beautiful beach, golfing, and a relaxed atmosphere and you are willing to deal with high prices of a very tourist driven economy.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
New photo equipment
A couple of weeks ago I decided to sell my photography equipment and start fresh. I sold my 20D and a couple of lenses to one of my co-workers, David. After selling the 20D I ordered a Canon 50D and 17-55mm IS USM lens.
I did quite a bit of research before ordering the 50D and feel that it was the best choice for me. I was debating purchasing the Canon T1i upon its release; however, there were many features removed (or reduced) from the 50D that I wanted:
So far I absolutely love the 50D and I feel that it has rekindled my love for photography. I'm forcing myself to make time for photography; however, I also have a lot of plans such as school, the baby, and home improvements that may impact my ability to shoot as frequently as I should.
I also moved to flickr in hopes to post more photos and gain additional exposure.
I did quite a bit of research before ordering the 50D and feel that it was the best choice for me. I was debating purchasing the Canon T1i upon its release; however, there were many features removed (or reduced) from the 50D that I wanted:
- 1/8000 sec shutter speed
- 6.3 fps burst
- Pentaprism view finder
- Scroll wheel for quickly changing settings
- Top controls with LCD
- Larger body which feels better in my hand
So far I absolutely love the 50D and I feel that it has rekindled my love for photography. I'm forcing myself to make time for photography; however, I also have a lot of plans such as school, the baby, and home improvements that may impact my ability to shoot as frequently as I should.
I also moved to flickr in hopes to post more photos and gain additional exposure.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
HTC Dream Accessories
Every Googler received an HTC Dream as their 2008 holiday bonus. Officially called the Android Dev 1, these devices are very similar to the T-Mobile G1 but without many of the boundaries. I was excited to finally own an Android device and wanted to protect my shiny new toy.
I started researching and speaking with co-workers about protection and cases. I quickly focused on Zagg's invisibleSHIELD and Naztech's Gladiator II case.
invisibleSHIELD
Zagg's invisibleSHIELD has become one of the best known protective methods for cell phones and other electronics. I purchased a whole body shield on Christmas day and it arrived twelve days later. I would normally be upset with a nearly two week delivery; however, this was bearable considering it was the holidays. I read the installation instructions and spent approximately an hour installing it on my Dream. My installation went well but I could not perfect the corners using the palm or thumb techniques. A couple of the corners never made full contact to the device; looking back I wish I had used a blow dryer as well. If the corners begin to peel away I may contact Zagg and request a replacement under their lifetime warranty.
The invisibleSHIELD gave my Dream a completely new texture. When I first installed the shield my phone bordered on tacky but after a few days I realized that it had subsided to a clean and barely noticeable feel. I really like having the whole body protection but I recommend the screen protection at a minimum. The shield does not impare the visibility of the screen and, like the body, it has a wonderful feel now that it has broken in.
A few days after installing my shield Zagg released a how-to video for installing on the G1. I did not realize how liberally I should use the installation spray until after installing mine and reviewing the videos. Considering the amount of spray that comes with the kit you can be extremely liberal as long as you avoid the open ports.
Gladiator II
I ordered a Naztech Gladiator II case from onlyg1 on the same day that I ordered my invisibleSHIELD. It took nearly a month for it to be delivered. I would be more understanding of the delay if the company had contacted me to inform me of a shortage, when the package actually shipped, or anything. They charged my credit card almost immediately after I purchased the case which is unacceptable considering it didn't ship for an additional 20 days. Around this time I contacted the company by phone to learn where my case was which was successful after approximately 25 minutes of being on hold. After a bit of digging I learned that OnlyG1 is part of the onlyphonenetwork, is associated to EliteXtreme, and has horrible consumer reviews overall. Thankfully my encounter with OnlyG1 has absolutely no reflection on the Naztech case.
The case is absolutely wonderful and I would suggest it to anyone. One of my coworkers, tgrey, originally suggested it to me and I am glad that I listened. This case is one of the most durable phone cases I have ever owned. The belt clip connections are metal which is a great improvement since I have destroyed many cases at that location. The case comes with two different belt clips as well, one for clipping inside a pocket and another for fastening around a belt. I use the clip that fastens around my belt and enjoy how secure it feels. Many people have suggested to avoid cases with magnets because it can cause problems with the Dream's compass; however, I rarely use that functionality and have not encountered a problem so far. This case may be a little bulky for some people but I'm glad to finally get my phone out of my front pocket.
I started researching and speaking with co-workers about protection and cases. I quickly focused on Zagg's invisibleSHIELD and Naztech's Gladiator II case.
invisibleSHIELD
The invisibleSHIELD gave my Dream a completely new texture. When I first installed the shield my phone bordered on tacky but after a few days I realized that it had subsided to a clean and barely noticeable feel. I really like having the whole body protection but I recommend the screen protection at a minimum. The shield does not impare the visibility of the screen and, like the body, it has a wonderful feel now that it has broken in.
A few days after installing my shield Zagg released a how-to video for installing on the G1. I did not realize how liberally I should use the installation spray until after installing mine and reviewing the videos. Considering the amount of spray that comes with the kit you can be extremely liberal as long as you avoid the open ports.
Gladiator II
I ordered a Naztech Gladiator II case from onlyg1 on the same day that I ordered my invisibleSHIELD. It took nearly a month for it to be delivered. I would be more understanding of the delay if the company had contacted me to inform me of a shortage, when the package actually shipped, or anything. They charged my credit card almost immediately after I purchased the case which is unacceptable considering it didn't ship for an additional 20 days. Around this time I contacted the company by phone to learn where my case was which was successful after approximately 25 minutes of being on hold. After a bit of digging I learned that OnlyG1 is part of the onlyphonenetwork, is associated to EliteXtreme, and has horrible consumer reviews overall. Thankfully my encounter with OnlyG1 has absolutely no reflection on the Naztech case.
The case is absolutely wonderful and I would suggest it to anyone. One of my coworkers, tgrey, originally suggested it to me and I am glad that I listened. This case is one of the most durable phone cases I have ever owned. The belt clip connections are metal which is a great improvement since I have destroyed many cases at that location. The case comes with two different belt clips as well, one for clipping inside a pocket and another for fastening around a belt. I use the clip that fastens around my belt and enjoy how secure it feels. Many people have suggested to avoid cases with magnets because it can cause problems with the Dream's compass; however, I rarely use that functionality and have not encountered a problem so far. This case may be a little bulky for some people but I'm glad to finally get my phone out of my front pocket.
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