Two months with Swype

I’m writing this review on my Android powered HTC Desire using a new, custom keyboard called Swype.

Swype allows you to type whilst barely lifting your finger from the screen. As the name suggests, you swype your finger from letter to letter instead of tapping. This constructs a sort of letter trail which, once you lift your finger is inspected and the top ranking word from the letters you swyped is inserted. If there is more than one match, it will offer up a list of suggested words.

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The HTC Desire

htc desire

It took over at least two years, but I finally got a smart phone. An HTC Desire.

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Using JacksonJson @JsonSerialiser annotation for a single property

When using Spring MVC and the Jackson JSON processor recently, I needed to only expose one property from a referenced object when serialising.

Rather than have a new object defined with the single property, I used the @JsonSerialiser annotation to serialise only the property I was interested in.

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Mac Mini Server NAS

I’ve been pretty unimpressed with Apple’s recent hardware upgrades. I’ve not found myself the slightest bit excited by anything since the iPhone (which I still can’t justify).

Until now.

The new Mac Mini Server is totally sweet.

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Maximizing Javascript Minimization and Readability

By using a combination of the YUI Compressor and the Revealing Module Pattern you can maximise the effect of minimisation and, as a bonus, improve code readability.

The YUI Compressor renames local variable names and references to a single character. It can do this as it knows these variables cannot be accessed outside their function. On the other hand, it does not rename window level variables or any variable or function reference using dot notation.

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Recipe: Tortillas

A simple recipe for a quick dinner.

Tortilas are a very basic type of bread. They are made by poor people in poor countries by the tonne every day. However in the first world, Tortillas are bloody expensive. At industrial scales these things should cost 10c each, but you’ll pay a damn-sight more than that if you go to the super market to buy them. Maybe it’s the plastic packaging and/or the transport, but in 2009 a packet of 6 can cost as much as $4!

Ingredients (10-12 Tortillas):

  • 1 Cup water
  • 3 Cups flour (Substitute 1 cup for corn meal if you have some)
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • 2 tsp baking soda.
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Recipe: Fresh pasta the easy way.

I battled for years to make fresh pasta by hand, until Jamie Oliver showed me the easy way. Up until that point I thought he was just an empty celebrity chef!

Ingredients per person

  • 1 x egg at room temperature
  • 100g plain white flour
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837 billion australian dollars

The US federal reserve bank has decided to put together a ‘package’ of $USD700 billion to help prevent the greed of stock brokers destroying the modern world. That is, of course, with special clauses which will ensure that they have a controlling hold on it’s future.

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Google Chrome – First Impressions

Google Chrome has hit the ground running. I’m totally blown away with how fast it is in comparison to Firefox. That said, though, it’s not yet lumbered down with plugins.

User Interface

The user interface, whilst remaining familiar, is revolutionary. I feel that it reflects the programatical approach taken in it’s construction. The way the tabs rule over the buttons and URL bar says to me that this tab is another instance of Chrome within the Chrome Controller window. Better yet, the total lack of any user interface with the use of an ‘application shortcut’ is fantastic. It allows the web-app developer to create true web based applications without being lumbered with needless controls. Gmail and Reader feel like real applications now.

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Leucopogon microphyllus

I took this photo whilst attending my girlfriends Hockey match in Pennant Hills. It’s a Leucopogon microphyllus, a flower my sister helped me identify with her copy of Flora of New South Wales. Thanks to her I’ll know what I’m taking photos of from now on. Thanks Lel!

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