Comments disabled

I have disabled comments in this blog.

All of the action is now at my new blog:

http://bkhome.org/news/

Tags: general

New blog

I have installed a new blog, that supersedes this one.

Here it is:

http://bkhome.org/news/

Anyone can post to the new blog, be sure to get in early to claim your preferred username!

The new blog will be much wider ranging, Puppy Linux related posts will be just one of many topics -- whatever takes my fancy.

Something very interesting is in the pipeline.

Note, "blog2" will become read-only very soon.

Tags: general

Testing SJPPLOG

I have been testing sc0ttman's SJPPLOG, which is a derivative of PPLOG, with many enhancements.

SJPPLOG Forum pages:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=65482

I installed version 1.6 at my bkhome.org site (hosted by Hostgator), and it works, however there is a disconcerting flicker when rendering -- first the page renders without the stylesheet being applied, then it flips to a view with stylesheet applied.

Whenever I refresh the window or go to a new page in the blog, I get this flipping effect.

So, I tried SJPPLOG 1.5, then went right back to 1.2a, still get it.

I am using SeaMonkey.

So, the problem goes back to how the original stylesheets changes are implemented in SJPPLOG relative to PPLOG.

Next I'll try pe_pplog, which is another enhancement of PPLOG.

Read more...

"About Barry Kauler"

My personal "About" page was last updated in 2010. Many things have happened since then!

Updated:
http://bkhome.org/bkauler/

Read more...

5-pin MHL to HDMI cable

I have ordered one of these:
http://ubercable.com.au/product_info.php/pin-mhl-hdmi-adapter-p-283


I searched 5-6 shops this morning, no one sells this, so I ordered it online. Curiously, the company is based in Perth (where I am).

I know that some TVs support NFC, for wireless display from the smartphone, but not my TV.

Notice, it has a micro-USB socket so the phone can be charged at the same time. I am extremely curious about what kind of usability experience this is going to be, along with a Bluetooth keyboard.

Read more...

WiFi or USB tethering

This is a new area for me, using my mobile (cell) phone for my laptop to have Internet access.

I was going to get Optus prepaid, however, it seems that things are not so simple. According to this site, Optus prepaid does not support tethering:
https://community.optus.com.au/t5/Mobile/No-WiFi-tethering-on-Optus-Prepaid/td-p/35110

...though, it is unclear whether that is only WiFi tethering that is dis-allowed. Hmmm, it seems not:
https://community.optus.com.au/t5/Mobile/Prepaid-plan-using-tethering/td-p/4141

...Woolworths have a nice prepaid deal, $29 per 45 days, with $250 calls and 5GB data, but strangely disallow tethering -- they use the Optus network.

Optus has this info for USB tethering for the Sony Xperia Z (more advanced model than my SP):
https://devicehelp.optus.com.au/web/sony-xperia-z/functions/connectivity/using-tethering-on-my-mobile-phone/

...apparently, from a hardware perspective, the SP also allows USB tethering.

I didn't really want to go to a post-paid plan. Prepaid, with longer expiry time than 30-days and high data allowance, and cheap, is hard to find!

Read more...

Sony Xperia SP smartphone

I bought one of these! Great specs, and it only cost AU$297, from Harvey Norman. Manufacturer's pages:
http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en/products/phones/xperia-sp/


I want to set it up to display on my TV, using a MHL connector:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsV-zJ1pav0

In a day or, two, I plan to go shopping for a MHL connector, a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, microSD card, and microSIM.

In my extended family, middle-class Aussies, just about everyone has a smartphone, even the kids. Even my Luddite eldest sister, who declared that she would never ever use a PC, is now surfing the web on her iPhone.

Except me, I have used my trusty Samsung keyboard-driven "dumb" phone for many years.

So, I decided to take the step, get hands-on and up-to-speed with this technology.

Read more...