Take 2

I just got done setting up my joystick similar to a mouse in OS X.
That’s not all though. The app I used was controllermate
http://www.orderedbytes.com/controllermate/ , it allows for logical
combinations of various physical device inputs. For example, I can
press up on the joystick and have it move the mouse cursor up.

One can also combine devices into virtual devices. I could make a
virtual mouse that uses the x and y access input from my real mouse, but
then uses some keys on the keyboard as the actual mouse buttons. On the
joystick I set up, I used the analog control to be like a mouse. I then
set up a couple of the top buttons to scroll up and down like a mouse
wheel.

Very very cool stuff. Check it out if you’ve got a mac handy.

I’m gonna set up a Wiimote as an input device next.
http://blog.hiroaki.jp/2006/12/000433.html

I like movies. Expecially good ones. Rotten tomatoes has just ranked Ratatouille as the best movie of this year so far. Here’s why it’s not.

1. Waaay too much of the “We’re gonna die!!!!!!!! We’re ok now!!!!! We’re gonna die!!!!!” type of excitement. See Finding Nemo for a really good example of this annoyance.

2. Over reactions. A good example of this is when Grandma decided to shoot the rats with a shotgun while indoors. Also, why was everyone sooo mad when they found out that a rat was cooking?
3. Suspention of belief. I’m ok with talking rats. I’m ok with a guy who can serve really well when he’s never done it before. Where I draw the line is controlling a person through pulling their hair.

My pick for the summer is Transformers . Ratatouille just isn’t that good.

I had some influence on the last release of gnome-rsync.  The new version includes a command line client that I requested.  This will allow for syncing on login and logout or from cron.  Excellent.

There was a time when the open source community was abuzz with the news of a new colaboration suite called Hula.  That time appears to be over.  Novell yanked its developers off of the project a few months ago and has since sold the rights to the source.  This area remains a huge hole in the open source toolkit.   All we need is a good calandering server and groupware is covered, but it’s just not happening.