And the winner (for best geek present) is...

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 20:01:58 GMT

I had a lot of interesting posts that I wanted to do, but something got in the way (besides lots of work, as usual). As you may be aware (from a previous post), my birthday was last saturday, and after a lot of consideration (i.e. getting the approval from my wife), I managed to buy myself a very nice birthday geek toy: A PSP (Playstation Portable).

I'm very impressed with what this baby can do (besides playing games, of course). With a nice and crisp screen and battery that lasts for hours, watching a movie is a really nice experience. With its wireless capabilities, you can browse the net and play other people online. Also, thanks to many enthusiasts, you can run 'homebrew' applications (apps created by individuals, not companies) that allows you to do more with your PSP (like listening to streaming audio) or even reading PDFs.

I have only one game for the console so far, but I see the potential for many other games, and I look closely at what people are creating for the PSP. I just wish there was an easier way for individuals to create apps/games for the PSP, instead of having to rely on firmware 'bugs' to be able to run applications.

Speaking of applications for the PSP, what I'd like is a way to play streamed videos on my PSP. While you can do that right now with Sony's LocationFree application (which comes with the latest firmware update for the PSP), it requires you to have a LocationFree base, which isn't cheap (~$200). I'm sure it's only a matter of time for someone to port an existing video player to the PSP, like VLC, and allow you more freedom to play whatever content you desire on your console.

The Perfect Gift For a Geek

Thu, 12 Jan 2006 15:58:02 GMT

My birthday is coming in less than one month, so I started thinking, what would be the ideal gift for geek guy like I? (There's already a special present coming my way, but that will take a little more time).

So, without further ado, here's the list of what I would consider the perfect birthday present for a Geek Guy, sorted in order of importance:

MacBook Pro. The McBook (supersized) is, in my very humble opinion, the perfect laptop for a Java developer. It looks like it's fast, it has a reliable OS, has great Java support, and it comes with all the features that a developer wants/needs, like the MagSafe connector, or the integrated webcam for those remote meetings.
iPod. OK, I give up. A year ago I was unsure if I wanted an iPod, and I ended up buying a Sony Minidisc player. At the time it looked like the best option, but after using it for a year, I really think the iPod would've been better. I chose the minidisc player because a) it had FM, b) it ran on AA batteries (which meant I could grab the minidisc, a dozen of batteries and be away from a power source for weeks) and c) I could use different discs for different type of music and switch easily (plus, I had 'unlimited' storage). Well, after a year of use, I hardly ever listen to FM, I'm always near a power source and having to convert my mp3 collection to Sony's propietary format is slow and painful. And the new iPods with video look great.
PSP. For those long trips, there's nothing better than having a Playstation to make the hours go away. Do I need to say more?
Palm LifeDrive. Would you believe I still use my Palm VX as my main PDA? I want a PDA that has wifi, so I can do a quick web search wherever I am (among all the other things I do with a PDA).

So there you have it. These are in my opinion the perfect gifts you could give to a geek like I.

Thinking about the presents also got me thinking, though... When gmail was the craze, many people (including myself) got an account by 'asking nicely' (begging) on their blogs about one. Could this work for something that required the reader to give money? It would be a nice experiment to have. Since I can't think of a clever idea like the guy who sold a million pixels on his homepage for $1 each, I have come up with the very lame alternative Buy a Birthday Present for a Geek fund.

There are several (easy ways) you can donate. You can, of course, use the link to the right to donate to my paypal account.

UPDATE: I have been politely asked by Google to remove my 'encouragement' to click on ads, even though I added a Disclaimer that it was a joke. I guess Google doesn't have a sense of humor. And no, I didn't see any difference in my google adsense stats, so I guess you people are smarter than Google (or at least understand what a joke is).

Why would you donate money to a complete stranger who wants some geek toys? I have absolutely no idea. But, as they say, it never hurts to ask.

JavaGeek.org - birthday tag

And the winner (for best geek present) is...

The Perfect Gift For a Geek