TMobile G1 = Debian + Android

As I just read, now it is possible (and quite easy) to install debian on the TMobile G1! All you need to know:

UPDATED VERSION!!!I have created and installer and bootloader fo getting Debian running on your Android (G1 at the moment) device, the whole install process will take you about 30 mins, and leave you with access to the full plethora of programs available in Debian and let's you continue using your phone as it was intended to be: as an Android device with all the capabilities thereof.

(Quote from http://www.androidfanatic.com)

I use the Android Dev Phone since one week now and for now I'm happy with it....but I miss some essential parts (VPN Client). I think I know what I'll do this weekend ;)

Cheese - Integration - Call for help/feedback/ideas

Some weeks ago I met Daniel and had a nice talk with him about Cheese. It was kind of a "whats done, whats next" talk while sipping on a hot cup of punch.

One of the topics we discussed was the integration of Cheese. I've worked on that during last years summer of code and wrote some code which was not fully integrated for Cheese 2.24 because it would have needed a feature freeze break. Over the last months not really much happened from my side (I've been busy with other things), but now the release of Gnome 2.26 is coming close and we need to have a decision here.

About the idea I had:
Integrate Cheese across gnome would be great! Thats quite simple with a dbus-backend. Apps like empathy, pidgin, evolution, gnome-about-me and so on could use the backend and implement some cool features (empathy: take a new avatar picture with cheese). Then I came across social networks like facebook and thought: "Hey, it would be so cool to have the possibility to go to facebook and set the avatar picture directly by choosing "take a new one with cheese" somehow!" That was the point. Why not having one single interface which can be used by both parties: desktop apps and web apps (browser). The key part of the story is the gtk-file-chooser. The idea was to make some kind of plugin system for gtk-file-chooser that makes cheese part of the "places" bar on the left, just like search.

Decisions:
During Guadec in Istanbul I've talked with some people and there the decision was made to use the upcoming media-manager (gsoc project of Cosimo) to integrate cheese into gtk-file-chooser. But now it looks like media-manager is not going to be used any more. That means I would have to make my own plugin-structure for gtk-file-chooser to achieve my goal! The other possibilty would be: forget about file-chooser, browser and web-apps. This would mean: integrate cheese over dbus in some of the applications I mentioned above.

The question:
My question now is: how much people would like to see this implemented? Is this feature wanted or do you think this is nonsense and people should use the normal way of making new pictures, saving them and open them as avatar in empathy? Are there some ideas to have a plugin structure in gtk-file-chooser?

Please help me deciding whats best: give me your feedback! New ideas are wanted as well. Either write a comment or write to the cheese mailing list.

Cheers
Felix

EDIT: PS: For those of you who have some spare time and want to look into the (cheese-dbus)code, contact me! I have it on my computer and would need some time to bring it into a "lookable" version.

Announcing gnome-format 0.1.0

I have the honor to announce the first release of the new gnome-format. gnome-format is a tool to format devices such as sd-cards, usb-sticks and so on. I know, we already have such a tool: gparted. But the idea of gnome-format is to provide a *simple* formatting tool for small devices. gparted is really good to format hard disks and make partitions and so on, but if I have a *non-formatted* usb stick and plug it into my system, the system usually does nothing at all! And thats the field for gnome-format! It's easy to use, simple and small. For bigger tasks such as making partitions there is gparted!

gnome-format is written in vala and the idea (and name) comes from Paul Betts. A friend of mine, Michael Kanis, began to work on gnome-format because Paul was too busy to continue this project. Thats when I came into play. He knew I've been doing some stuff for gnome and he needed some help.

This release is the first one and we must expect some bugs. We've done our best but as you know, there are always some bugs. We hope a lot of people will try it and give us their feedback. The plan is to make a module proposal and get gnome-format into gnome. At the moment the repository is on http://geoclipse.org/svn/gnome-format, it would be great to have a gnome-svn (or git or bzr or whatever) repository and a bug tracker for the project.

Questions, ideas, feedback, critique and everything else to Michael or me per mail or something else.

PS: The website is only a first draft, I would like to rewrite Paul Betts old gnome-format page if he agrees ;)

Giro d'Italia 2008 Joke

Jonas Rass, a friend of mine, is a quite famous runner (orienteering) who participated at various big orienteering events all over the world (e.g. O-Ringen, JWOC, ...). He's also a big fan of the Giro and joins thousands of other spectators at one of the most exciting mountain stages. Thats where he got filmed during one of his well known jokes! It was a spontaneuos action which brought his images all around the world! A guy of the Belgium national orienteering team recognized him on TV and called the local news. They reported the whole thing in the evening news, probably someone has heard it. Now we finally have the possibility to watch Jonas "run" during last years Giro on "Eurosport Watts Best of 2008" (for everyone who missed the live coverage).

Enjoy it