Monthly Archives: May 2008

Taking the C++ Challenge

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This week I’ve decided to roll up my programming sleeves and finally learn how to program in C++. I’ve been avoiding it for over a decade, so cracking open my copy of the C++ Primer took some courage.

To my surprise, my recent forays into Python and Java have prepared me pretty well for what I’ve encountered so far. I’m 250 pages into the book, and though some elements of the language seem strange to me (why would you use arrays and pointers when you’ve got vectors?), nothing has flown over my head.

That could change as I get deeper into the language.

If any of you are familiar with C++, is there anything I should look out for, or pay special attention to?

Balticon 08: Thursday

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arrived in baltimore. wondered why i didn’t pack a jacket when i know they turn the a.c. on as soon as it hits 60 outside. bbbrrrr.

had dinner with ken and shari :) then said goodbye to lora for the night :( and took the light rail to the hotel, which was clean and mostly empty and really cheap.

after checking in, had drinks with cmar, burns, lafferty, hutchins, and others (b*tch). actually referred to these photos of Cmar with his 30th birthday cake as ‘not as sexy as they sound,’ thus proving i was at least somewhat drunk. good times.

Sound Fix for MacBook with Ubuntu 8.04

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After upgrading to 8.04, I found a strange bug: my sound worked normally from the internal speakers, but when I plugged in a set of headphones, no sound came out.

I scratched my head for a while trying to work this out till I found the workaround recommended here.

Basically all you need to do is right-click on the Volume Control applet, select Open Volume Control, then Edit -> Preferences. Check the box for “Surround,” then close the Preferences window and unmute the track marked “Surround.” That should do it.

I’m a-Twitter!

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I’ve hopped on yet another Web 2.0 bandwagon by joining Twitter.

My username’s mindbat (of course). Join up, and let’s Follow each other about all day (it’s not as creepy as it sounds, I promise).

Scary Reading: Adobe’s AIR EULA

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I was all set to install an application built using Adobe’s AIR platform when I took a minute to actually read the End-User License Agreement. What I read made me cancel the install, rather than agree to the EULA.

What was so bad? Well, for a development platform that’s supposed to let users run web apps from their desktop, regardless of their operating system, AIR can apparently only be used once:

2.1 General Use. Subject to the terms of this agreement, including the important restrictions in Section 3, you may install and use a copy of the Software on one compatible computer. The Software may not be shared, installed or used concurrently on different computers

Did you catch that? They’ll let you install it once, on one computer, and that’s it. How useful is that? I migrate between a Mac computer at work and a Linux computer at home; this EULA means I can only have use AIR programs on one or the other, but not both.

As if that weren’t crazy enough, Adobe still has the balls to claim they offer AIR with no warranty and no guarantees. So not only do they restrict where I can install and use their “free” software, but they also won’t take responsibility for any damage it causes.

I was excited when I first heard about Adobe AIR. No more. AIR’s EULA places Adobe firmly in the doesn’t-care-about-user-freedom-at-all camp, and that’s a camp I’ve left behind.