8 April 2008, 19:07 in

Using Subversion to manage documents

There are various documents that I frequently want to access or modify from various computers, such as home or work or a friend’s house. Previously what I would do is either email files to myself, or copy them back and forth via USB flash drives. This is time consuming, insecure, and error prone (to get mixed up about which copy of a file is the most recent one). As a better solution, I decided to use a Subversion repository.

Subversion is a version control system, typically used by programmers to manage their source code, but it can be used to store all manner of things (in this case mainly Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and plain text files). The normal Subversion client is a command line utility, but various graphical user interfaces are available; I use TortoiseSVN which conveniently integrates into Windows Explorer.

Using Subversion to manage my documents has several benefits. I can now access my files over the internet from any computer (provided that it has a Subversion client such as TortoiseSVN installed which is quick, easy, and free). Subversion maintains a full history of changes to the repository, so it is possible to go back and find that bit of info you deleted the other day, or figure out at what point you changed a certain sentence in a file. The files are safely backed up on a remote server, so even if my computer dies I haven’t lost them. Finally, committing changes to the repository or getting the latest changes from the repository literally takes seconds to initiate; less clicks / keystrokes / fumbling is required compared to copying files to a USB drive or emailing them. Love it.

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7 April 2008, 12:37 in

John Carmack's dev diaries

John Carmack is one of the co-founders of iD Software and lead programmer of famous computer games including Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and Quake. It is old news by now, but his development diaries from 1997 to 2004 have been put up online. There is some interesting stuff in there, and it is worth a look if you are a programmer or a fan of his games. He also maintains a blog but it seems to be very infrequently updated.

John Romero, famous game designer and programmer and the other co-founder of iD Software, also has a blog.

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6 April 2008, 18:10 in

No-gi BJJ tournament

A few weeks ago, on Sunday 16 March 2008, there was a no-gi Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament held here in Perth, in which I and a number of people from my club competed. I was in the men’s blue belt 78kg to 88kg division. Below is a video of my fight (I am wearing the black rashie, my opponent a red one).

I ran out of steam during the fight and ended up losing but it was still a great experience. I would definitely benefit from some extra fitness. I found it hard to remain composed with all the adrenaline; it is different to normal training where it is more easy going. I also still rely too much on strength, which means that I don’t do very well once I get tired. I have to work on being a bit smoother, and work on my escapes. I missed a few opportunities for submissions in that fight.

Below is a video of Graham’s fight, in the white belt 85kg to 95kg division (Graham is wearing a black rashie, his opponent a red one).

After the tournament I had a busy week, then was away over the long weekend, and then came down with a nasty virus which put me out of action for a few days, so I’ve hardly trained since then. We are back into gi season now and I’m looking forward to getting back into it!

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6 April 2008, 13:34 in

Evo IX mods

For a while I have had some modifications in mind for my Evo IX. Over the Christmas period I finally got around to having some of the work done, which included the following:

Evo IXEvo IX

Engine

Handling

Braking

Interior & Audio

Aesthetics

In standard form the car made 199 hp (148.5 kW) at all four wheels. After engine modifications and tuning, it made 264.8 hp (197.5 kw), which is a 33% gain. Assuming that in standard form the engine made 208 kW (as per the specifications), it should now have about 277 kW. It feels like it has a lot more midrange and is really willing to go. The HKS EVC has two boost settings, 1.1 bar and 1.6 bar.

Here are two dyno sheets. The first shows power and torque in tuned form, and the second shows standard vs tuned power.

Evo IX dyno sheet (Jan 2008) - power and torqueEvo IX dyno sheet (Jan 2008) - standard vs tuned

The head unit install allows me to play MP3s from CD-Rs which is convenient, and the combination of better front speakers, more amplifier grunt, and sound deadening have improved the sound a lot. Unfortunately this is largely offset by the loud exhaust system.

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3 April 2008, 13:09 in

Summer 2008 update

Hello again! I’ve had a busy and fun summer and my blog has been neglected… Time for an update!

Summer 2008 photo collage

Some of the things I’ve been up to include the following:

I feel like there is never enough time in the day to get things done. On a typical day, after work, training, cooking, eating, chores, and maybe a bit of socialising, there’s just not enough time for me to work on my projects or do some reading or learning, and still get enough sleep. I’m trying to become more organised by keeping a diary and prioritising what I need to do, so that I can make the most of the time that I do have.

Note that I will be making some upgrades to this website, so it’s possible that parts of the site may go weird or be down for some time.

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28 January 2008, 13:12 in

Choosing a new camera

My Casio EX-Z1050 camera served me well until recently. Since it was damaged at a concert, I have been looking for a replacement ultra compact camera. If it’s too big or heavy it will end up being left at home.

The EX-Z1050 featured a 3x optical zoom and 10.1 mega pixels, and I was very happy with it. It was compact and lightweight, easy to use, had long battery life, and most importantly, it was easy to take good pictures with. The downsides were that the screen was hard to read in bright sunlight, and the flash wasn’t very powerful so it was only useful at very close range.

I think that most cameras available from reputable manufacturers are pretty decent these days; it would be pretty hard to buy a lemon. However, doing a little research before spending your money is always worthwhile. Two websites that are particularly useful for camera news and reviews are Steve’s Digicams and Digital Photography Review. I like Steve’s best cameras section, which lists some of his picks for the various categories of cameras out there (e.g. DSLR, Prosumer, entry level, ultracompact, etc), as it can save you time by narrowing down your choices.

Here are some of the models that I considered. I’ve included a link to the review at Steve’s Digicams for each, along with the approximate price they were available for on eBay (prices in Australian dollars, including shipping costs):

I ended up going for the Canon IXUS 75. It received excellent reviews and features has a 3X optical zoom, 7 mega pixels, a nice big 2.5 inch screen, and seems like good value for money. I received it today and I’m thrilled with it. It is attractive, compact, the screen is big and clear, and it is very easy to use. Recommended!

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17 December 2007, 09:46 in

Russian funnies

This seems to be a collection of pictures of various pranks (mostly office pranks). The page title translates from Russian to something like “at work, sleep is dangerous”. Some really weird ones in there!

If you have a twisted sense of humour, also check out Bunnies Suicide. The name says it all.

Thanks Ryan and Vic for sending me these.

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16 December 2007, 08:56 in

Evo X preview

I received a pass to the preview of the new Mitsubishi Evo X which was on at Burswood on Thursday evening. I snapped a few photos which was difficult because it was quite dark in the room and there were so many people in the way all the time.

Evo X preview at Burswood (13 Dec 2007)Evo X preview at Burswood (13 Dec 2007)Evo X preview at Burswood (13 Dec 2007)Evo X preview at Burswood (13 Dec 2007)Evo X preview at Burswood (13 Dec 2007)Evo X preview at Burswood (13 Dec 2007)

The Evo X will still use a 2L, four cylinder, turbocharged engine. The most significant technological additions are the new Super All Wheel Control (S-AWC), and the choice of an automated paddle shift transmission (normal manual transmission also available). I was told the Evo X will go on sale in Australia in March 2008.

I wouldn’t call any of the Evo models “beautiful” in terms of appearance, but I still like the tough and purposeful looks of the VII, VIII, and IX. The IX has a nice blend of hard and soft lines. I hated the first concept photos I saw of the Evo X, and have to admit that it looks much better in the flesh than it does in photos. I don’t like the two-tone plastic grill at the front (more evident on the red car), or the rear of the car (especially the spoiler). I think the dark grey car looks better than the red one. I noticed the interior was nicer than the IX and felt like it had more room.

It seems Evo X will be somewhat more powerful, slightly larger, more expensive, yet heavier and overall slightly slower than the IX. I guess this is likely the result of Mitsubishi trying to make the car appeal to a wider audience. I think it’s a shame because the Evo was one of the few hard edged performance cars in its price range, and now it too is being dulled for increased comfort and livability.

More information:

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