Achieve
What’s the thing you most want to achieve next year? How do you imagine you’ll feel when you get it? Free? Happy? Complete? Blissful? Write that feeling down. Then, brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today.
A sense of happy blissfulness: happy blissfulness. Brainstorm? No. Not gonna happen.
Possibly Related Posts:
Ordinary Joy
Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year?
My most joyful ordinary moments are when I’m writing code, listening to music, and hit a groove in my work.
Possibly Related Posts:
Soul Food
What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth & touched your soul?
My first meal at Harvest Vine’s little brother, Txori, was a revelation. Tragically, it’s gone now.
Possibly Related Posts:
Photo
December 25 – Photo – a present to yourself. Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be. Find the shot of you that is worth a thousand words. Share the image, who shot it, where, and what it best reveals about you.
Normally, I’m on the other side of the camera.
Possibly Related Posts:
In response to a request for help on how to get the Android SDK up and running on a Mac, I thought it might be worthwhile to go back through the process and see how simple and fast I could make it. As it works out, I was able to get the Android emulator running on my Mac in about 5 minutes.
Here’s what this (abbreviated) guide covers: getting the Android emulator running with Gingerbread.
Here’s what it doesn’t cover: everything else, including Eclipse installation, because—quite frankly—Eclipse is a hairy, scary beast.
Step 1: Download the Android SDK
Go to the Android Developers website, and choose the appropriate package for your platform. In my case, it was the zip file entitled android-sdk_r08-mac_86.zip. Download the file. The package is about 28MB in size.
Step 2: Stick it Somewhere Memorable
I dragged the Android SDK folder into my /Applications folder, but you can put it wherever you want to.
Step 3: Launch the AVD Manager
Navigate into the Android SDK’s tools folder, and double click on the Unix executable called android. A window entitled Android SDK and AVD Manager will appear.
Step 4: Install the Gingerbread SDK
For whatever reason, Google decided to designate the components of each Android OS with three separate names. Gingerbread = 2.3 = API 9 (don’t ask, I have no idea). We’re going to install Gingerbread: choose Available Packages from the table on the left and click the disclosure triangle next to Android Repository.
You’ll see an item right near the top called “SDK Platform Android 2.3, API 9, revision 1″. Check the checkbox next to it and then click the Install Selected button in the lower right corner of the window.
A window entitled Choose Packages to Install will appear. Click the Accept All radio button button and then press the Install button. The Gingerbread SDK will now begin downloading.
Once complete, you can click the Close button (formerly labeled Cancel) on the Installing Archives window. Make sure you watch carefully as the dialog doesn’t provide any other meaningful feedback.
Step 5: Create an AVD
I think AVD stands for Android Virtual Device, but I could be horribly mistaken. Long story short, it’s the virtual hardware/software combination that the emulator will run to let you play with Android. Select Virtual devices from the left-hand table and click the New button.
Give your AVD a name; I called mine “Gingerbread.” Next, choose a target: the only option available will be Android 2.3 – API Level 9. Finally, click Create AVD.
Step 6: Fire it Up!
Select your new AVD in the Virtual devices list, and click the Start… button on the right hand side. A Launch Options dialog will appear. Ignore it, and click the Launch button. The Android emulator will appear and launch. Note that it takes a couple minutes for the emulator to boot. Congratulations! You’re all set!
Possibly Related Posts:
- Best Cocoa Controls
- Windows Phone 7 Series Looks Beautiful and Unusable
- Mike’s Two Minute Mobile Web Hack
Find gas stations near airports
I was in Maui with my girlfriend over Christmas, and I had a problem you might have encountered before. We’re taking our rental car (a Ford Mustang convertible, incidentally) back to the airport, and we have absolutely no idea where to get gas.
When I picked up the car, I opted to fill up the car’s tank before taking it back to Hertz in order to avoid paying their exorbitant fees. But, of course, I’ve never been to Maui before, and so I had no idea where to fill up the tank. So, I hoped for the best, and—as luck would have it—there are several gas stations within a couple blocks of the airport. But still, this can be a serious problem at times.
And so, while driving to the airport, I realized this was a problem worth solving. So, I took a couple spare hours and built a web application to help you find gas stations near the airport to gas up your rental car and avoid exorbitant fees.
There are desktop and mobile versions: the mobile app is built using jQuery Mobile, so it should run on any fairly modern web browser. I’ve tested it on Android and iOS and it works great on both.
Bear in mind, I literally wrote this in a handful of hours, so it’s not terribly feature-rich, but I think it fills a woefully underserved niche.
Try it out, and see for yourself!
Possibly Related Posts:
Everything’s OK
What was the best moment that could serve as proof that everything is going to be alright? And how will you incorporate that discovery into the year ahead?
When my business started paying my bills. Full speed ahead!
Possibly Related Posts:
New Name
Let’s meet again, for the first time. If you could introduce yourself to strangers by another name for just one day, what would it be and why?
Well, that’s a dumb question. I’m rather fond of who I am. Why would I want to change it?
Possibly Related Posts:
Travel
How did you travel in 2010? How and/or where would you like to travel next year?
Well, I took three trips this year: Minneapolis for a full month in July, Boston and Washington DC in October, and Maui right now. Planes were the way to go each time, of course.
I’d love to spend another month in Minneapolis next summer. It was a good way to see family and friends without feeling pressured on time. Beyond that, I’d love to go back to Japan or see Spain for the first time.
Possibly Related Posts:
Future Self
Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?)
33 year old me to 29 year old me: Never give in to fear. 28 year old me to 18 year old me: never give in to fear.
Possibly Related Posts:
