Category: Work

Help them help me

Normally they don’t ask to install a weekly on top of a final version, but if I dare do so this time it will help they get more correct data, making sure that they continue to make a better browser for ME.
[adapted from yesterday’s Opera Desktop Team’s blog.]

The idea is that while some people tell us about their wishes and concerns in the blog and forums, thousands of people download the weeklies without giving direct feedback. By using a build with feature reporting, they will also contribute to improving the product for all of us.

I have submitted wishes and concerns in the blog in the past, but there are so many (irrelevant) comments each time the Desktop Team release a build or a final, that my wishes and concerns must have drowned in the noise. I can’t be bothered to comment what rank I am downloading their build. And I expect they are bothered that people do.

I welcome very much this experimental build.

Upgrade Java and SIMBL

I transferred my user account from Precious (a PowerPC mac) on Phoenix (an Intel mac), and when calling RDFPic (which needs Java), I got the following error:

java[1820] *** -[NSBundle load]: Error loading code /Library/InputManagers/SIMBL/SIMBL.bundle/Contents/MacOS/SIMBL for bundle /Library/InputManagers/SIMBL/SIMBL.bundle, error code 2 (link edit error code 0, error number 0 ())

The error didn’t prevent my photo RDFization, but I was bothered that there was the error in the first place.

I had the java version “1.5.0_06” (of maybe August 2005?) and found out on ACD that there had been a release on 12jan2007 for 1.5.0_07. I upgraded, but I got the SIMBL error anyway when calling RDFPic.

I located SIMBL stuff on my machine, but was none the wiser. I googled SIMBL.

SIMBL (Smart InputManager Bundle Loader) – pronounced like “symbol” or “cymbal” allows you to build hacks for Cocoa applications and apply the code selectively based on an application’s unique identifier.

I have no idea how SIMBL got installed on the Precious in the first place. But I installed the universal binary. And when I call RDFPic, not only does it keep working but also I don’t get the error message anymore.

If you look in your console.log (Applications/Utiliites/Console.app), and search “simbl”, you’ll see that a lot of applications use it and that a lot of errors are written.

One week left

One week left and then I travel back to France. Living in Boston is fun. I drank more caramel macchiatos and cafe’ mochas than I hoped I would, I didn’t have any pretzel and I didn’t post as many photos to flickr as I had hoped I would. I had very good clam chowders and got to try the Stata Center ping pong table just 2 days ago.

I really had a *wonderful* time, and I wish I can return soon.

When I think there is just one week left, I feel like diving on the bed, burying my face in a pillow, and pretend that this truth does not exist. This reference is from the movie “The Science of Sleep”. The main character breaks into his neighbour’s apartment and she shows up so unexpectedly that he just dives on her bed, hides his face in her pillow and asks her to pretend she doesn’t see him.

Thanksgiving

Happy thanksgiving, folks!

I’m off for a few days to experience my first Thanksgiving celebration. And I have to earn it by waking up at 5 am tomorrow, taking a flight, and being driven (and maybe drive) for about 3 hours.

Then I’ll travel again, for work. Next Saturday. Through Chicago and to Tokyo. I’ve been there already 3 years ago, it doesn’t seem so long ago, though.

And the week after I’m back in Boston for 10 days.

I’d like it if time just stopped, in fact. Right now would be good, since I’m going to bed in a few minutes 😉