Keith Kim’s Blog

EverNote, better than Microsoft OneNote

Posted by Keith under Cool Apps

EverNote 3 Beta — it’s the coolest application I’ve seen lately. (besides Android, but it’s a dev tool.) I do a lot of reading, researching, googling, and clipping on internet. I tried many different methods for clipping articles I read, and EverNote 3 is the only tool that does everything I need. Of course, OneNote has other advantages, but for average users like myself, EverNote is more than enough, and it’s free (so far). I tried followings in the past:

1. Bookmark
   Only find out that pages and/or sites are gone. Or, site rearranged their URL structure, or article IDs changed, so can’t find them any more. I still do use bookmark, but if it’s valuable enough, I use EverNote to clipping it, and/or print them as well. By the way, I use Firefox with Foxmarks for bookmark synchronization. I tried Google’s bookmark sync, but it stopped working once my bookmark size became too big.
2. Print and/or save as full HTML doc with images.
   Way too cumbersome — difficult to organize, and find/search.
3. Copy&Paste into a wordprocessor and keep it as a file.
   Same incovenience as #2. But I still do this sometimes.
4. Google note
   Web only, and each note has size limit.  But it is pretty good with Firefox extension, and I still do this for other purposes.
5. OneNote
   Commercial software, too many features I don’t need, and copy&pasting web pages don’t work well. This is more for corporate users, IMO.

I liked EverNote v2.x also, but with this v3, I can synchronize my clippings for different PCs. I use it at work, and two PCs at home, and I can log onto EverNote site and see my notes(clippings) online too. This service is free now, may be because it’s still Beta. I’m sure they’ll release free version (no sync option?), and paid/subscription later. (EverNote 2 also had free version and commercial version.)

This is the best way to do reading/clipping web pages.

I also use:

• DocSyncer
  This is a cool service too. It synchronize “My Documents” folder (most of types of files are supported — Office files, text files, images, etc) with another computer, and log onto the site and read/get the files using browser.
• Google Calendar Sync
  To synchronize Outlook calendar, so I can view my calendar with browser, and sync the calendar with two different PCs. I also use Palm on two PCs — but if I forget my Palm, I can’t view it.
• Palm Plucker, DocToGo
  Also running it on two computers with Palm. Plucker is more of web clipping, offline reader for Palm. And for DocToGo, I can sync office docs on two PCs, and also read them on my Palm.

…and my work PC and notebook are sync’d too. I’m doing this sync’ing too much? Well, it sounds all complicated, but just install software on two computers, and that’s all. And it’s for making documents and notes available on different computers, online, and Palm, and synchronization is done at different times. When I’m at work, I use work PC, on business trip, use Notebook. At home, using my desktop PC. While I’m commuting, I use Palm to read them. If I forgot everything, but if there’s internet access, I can use the web browser.

Some day, all of these will be much simpler… I hope Android can handle all these sync’ing business with some company providing the service — store/sync office docs, emails, clippings on PCs, notebook, and on Android phone, web sites, then I can read anywhere, any time. One installation on each PC, one login (openID?). Any one?

Application Menu for Vista

Posted by Keith under Cool Apps

With Vista, it is very convenient to use the ‘Start Search’ menu in Start button (it’s not ’start’ button any more). Just press the window key and start typing — it’ll find applications, email, docs, etc. (There are many freeware programs do this in XP, by the way).

But I have too many applications, and with XP, I usually organize the “Programs” menu; put all the CD/DVD utilities in a folder, and so on. That way, I can quickly find the application I need. With the Vista’s ‘Start Search’ feature, it’s only useful if I remember at least partial name of an application to find it.

I can still go back to ‘classic’ menu and organize ‘Programs’ folder in Start menu, but then I lose this ‘Start Search’ feature of Vista. How can I keep both? I’ve found this little utility from snapfiles.com, called “TrayBar.”

This is exactly what I wanted! (The screenshot shows XP, but it supports Vista, and I run it on my Vista home premium fine.)

Just uncompress it, and run. No need to install. I usually put applications that don’t need to be installed in c:\bin\ directory, by the way.

I have added several applications in “Start Menu”, and also in sidebar’s launcher gadget.  But they can only have several apps.  With this app, I can list all of my applications, grouped by folders.

Nice job!

Importance of back up (at home)

Posted by Keith under Cool Apps

I’ve lost data several times in the past. It was may be about hundreds of mega bytes a decade ago. Then recent lost, it was hundreds of giga bytes. Not all of the data is so important that I can’t afford losing them, but about 10% is critical — that 10% (and percentage grows as time goes) — are family photos and movies, financial records, emails, documents, files for my personal projects… — these I can’t afford losing.

Using CD, DVD, and External HDD, another computer (LAN, internet)

I used to back up on floppy diskettes, and then burned CDs, DVDs, then I started to back up on external HDD, but at the same time onto DVD and another computers via home LAN, even on some compuer over internet, using encryption and compression.

…It was getting out of hand, and as I get busier, I just started to back up to an external HDD only.

And several months ago, my external HDD crashed. I tried all the S/W solutions to recover, but was able to restore only half of them. Fortunately, the most important files, were also on DVD, and another computer on LAN. But still, I couldn’t recover them all.

Online Backup

So I thought may be this is the time to try out online back up. So I did a lot of reading of professional and user reviews/complaints. I found different people have different experiences, so some prefer one service over another, but for my computer running Vista Home Premium, Mozy was the best option. It’s only $5 per month with unlimited space. Yes, it is slower than burning DVD or back up onto an external HDD, or via LAN. With my DSL connection, the maximum upload speed is 768kbps.

But I already have done remote server back up using custom batch file with encryption and compression with scheduled job, and tried using another drive or another computer, and also external HDD, and CD/DVD. All have failed or too incovenient. (Did you know that CD/DVD only last a few years to several years?) And, after witnessing the fire on a neighbor’s house, I started to worry about that kind of disasters as well.

Like many other online back up, Mozy client integrates with the system nicely, and back up while my computer is idle, and I can adjust the its resource (CPU/bandwidth) consumption. And restoring file options - free online restore, or paid service for restoring files on DVD (and send to me via express mail). And, they have big fat data center with professionals.

I first tried 2GB Free Online Backup - Mozy, (and also tested other services like, Carbonite) and decided to purchase the service. I’ve been using Mozy Unlimited Backup for several months now, and I am extremely satisfied. It’s better than using an external HDD, burning DVD or LAN — no need to worry about that back up HDD crashes, or hassle of burning DVDs. It’s also very very cheap and transparent. I currenlty backed up about 50 GB, and it’s growing fast — family digital photos and movies are big chunk! By the way, the files are encrypted, so it is safe.

Try the free service and see for yourself.

Other Methods

There are still other options — buying hosting service and copy over all your files there, since these days, many hosting service give unlimited space/bandwidth. But they too can lose your files (or pay extra money for guaranteed back up service), and back up/restore aren’t transparent.

Or, if you don’t have a lot of files, at least buy USB flash drive, and store all your important files there and carry them with you — but if you lose it… oh well. You can buy more expensive USB flash drives with security features.

You can store your digital photos using online photo services — but either they have limited space, or you can’t get back the original files, or your photos have to be “public.”

So Do Backup!

Some people asked me “how often do people lose data? and how important are they anyway?” — I lost plenty of times even I backed up using different media and methods. And it is quite painful once it happens. For me, I do everything and I keep all the records on PC. May be a decade or so ago, not many people used digital camera (or even computers) but now everyone use digital cameras. You don’t want to lose your family photos and movies. If you store other types of important files like financial records, files for your personal projects, etc, then back up is a must — however you do it.

VoIP, the winner is…

Posted by Keith under Cool Apps

MagicJack! Yup, a few % of people have some issues with setting it up and conflicts with some software such as Nero, etc. But it works extremely well for me. I have Verizon DSL (3Mb/768Kb), Vista Home Premium and it installed smoothly and works well. I did sometimes get static noise, but after playing around with my router setting for VoIP, and then no more of that. Also adjusting sound and mic volume improved things a lot.

$40 for the 1st year, and $20 per year after that, unlimited calls to US/Canada. With your own phone number, voice mail (.wav file in your email inbox) — I don’t think anyone can beat that.

MagicJack is nothing special for its technology. It seems to me, it’s all about the business — they outsourced the h/w and s/w. And instead of installation s/w on CD and use of headset, the USB device has s/w on it (as a USB drive), and the device hooks up to a regular phone. That’s very smart. Saving cost in development, and simple USB device for both s/w and headset probably save a lot of support cost. So, this company didn’t invent anything, and there is no innovation. But executing the business plan and they had a great strategy, connections, deals, marketing, etc.

…and I get this phone very cheap. I think that’s an art of business. (Techies, think of “art of programming”)

Try it. You won’t regret for $40 investment. But when you “order” 30-day trial, pay $3-$4 for expedite shipping. Otherwise it would take a long time, (like, 25 days for an example), and then you would only have 5 days for trial. I actually read some complaints about it, so I chose the expedite shipping and got the package in a few days.

I just hope the company stays in business for several years or more, and keep the price low. How about supporting conference call, and may be video conferencing as well? Hack, just throw a fax option. Then it’s a total communication solution for home and small business.

Eclipse Plug-ins

Posted by Keith under Development Tools, Java, Tips

Here is list of Ecplise Plug-ins I use:

• CDT (C++)
  http://www.eclipse.org/cdt/
• Azzurri (DB)
  http://www.azzurri.jp/eclipse/plugins/
• Perl
  http://e-p-i-c.sf.net/updates
• Maven
  http://m2eclipse.sonatype.org/update/
• PHP
  http://download.eclipse.org/tools/pdt/updates/
• PHP Debugger, Zend Debugger
  http://downloads.zend.com/pdt
• JavaScript Debugger, JSecplise
  http://download.macromedia.com/pub/labs/jseclipse/autoinstall
• Python
  http://pydev.sourceforge.net/updates/
• Scala
  http://www.scala-lang.org/downloads/scala-plugin/
• Subversion (Subclipse)
  http://subclipse.tigris.org/update_1.4.x
• Android (ADT)
  https://dl-ssl.google.com/android/eclipse/

References:

• PHP and eclipse
  http://2tbsp.com/content/getting_started_eclipse_php_development_tools_(pdt)
  http://mprobst.de/SherlockWeb/?postid=2
• Scala plug-in, demo video
  http://www.scala-lang.org/docu/movies/plugin_win.html
• Getting Started with Scala
  http://www.scala-lang.org/docu/started.html
• First Steps to Scala
  http://www.artima.com/scalazine/articles/steps.html
• php.ini in WAMP
  http://www.en.wampserver.com/faq.php#q3