Why I like my Tmobile G1

I bought a T-Mobile G1 just about over a month ago and I love it. I have not regret the purchase what so ever. Now why do I like my Tmobile G1 so much? Well because the phone OS (Android) is an open platform to an extent considering the cell network providers have set a few limits. I really have had no problems with any of the limitations that have been set. The market allows you to download a pay for app for 24 hours and within those 24 hours you have the option to return it for a full refund. That has to be one of the coolest things that they have given you that option unlike other markets that do not offer a refund at least android give you a time period to try it.

I have a bunch of app suggestions for all the Tmobile G1/Android users out there, check it out. I will be linking them all to Cyrket which is a site that mirrors the Android Market and that way you have a browser friendly representation of the application description and comments. If by chance Cyrket goes down just do a search in the market place for the apps. My linking is just to help you have a better view of things.

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I love Sugar in my Espresso

Earlier today I added a bunch of sugar packs to Espresso and I was lucky enough to find most of them at Github.

http://github.com/search?type=Repositories&language=&q=.sugar&repo=&langOverride=&x=28&y=6&start_value=1

Super easy to add Sugars to your Espresso. Let’s take installing the Ruby on Rails.sugar as an example and just do this in Terminal:

mkdir -p ~/Library/Application\ Support/Espresso/Sugars (One time deal after this you won't have to do it again!)
cd ~/Library/Application\ Support/Espresso/Sugars
git clone git://github.com/grzegorzkazulak/rails.sugar.git ./Rails.sugar

That’s it! What you just did is create the Sugars directory where your Sugars will go, next you changed into the Sugars directory, and the last step grabs the Rails.sugar files from the clone URL and places them in to the Rails.sugar folder.

Once you reload Espresso it will have the features from that Rails.sugar. Now just a heads up the Rails.sugar is just starting to be worked on and if you know what’s up you should fork it and help develop it.

About upgrading your sugars all you would have to do is this(Once again we are working with the Rails.sugar):

cd ~/Library/Application\ Support/Espresso/Sugars/Rails.sugar
git pull

Yup that easy! Just going to the the Rails.sugar directory and typing in “git pull” will update all the new files. It can not be any easier.

If you run into problems like git unknown command then you need to install Git just visit http://code.google.com/p/git-osx-installer/

You can also get Sugars and Themes at http://fileability.net/coffee/

I recommend checking out this for themes http://github.com/atinypixel/espresso-theme-library/tree/master

Making Espresso Terminal Friendly

So thanks to Macheist and all the people who paid for the Macheist bundle I got myself a copy of Espresso. I been a happy user of CSSEdit for a very long time and it’s part of my web dev tool belt. Another tool I use on a daily basis is TextMate. TextMate is the swiss army knife of text editors but that has it’s cons and pros. Quick example is there is no visual presentation for CSS which would be great when you are trying for quick constant updates … that’s where CSSEdit came in play but with Espresso now in my tool belt TextMate will be use less for web dev I am thinking.

I love both TextMate and Espresso and with Espresso being so young it is a great editor already but it is missing one of the key features that I dug about Textmate … being able to open files and folders from the terminal well I found a quick solution for that and for any of the terminal geeks out there I am sure they have already figured this out but for the one that haven’t do this and you can do the same thing with Espresso now.

In Terminal type

cd ~ (that makes sure you are in your home folder)
open -e .bash_profile (Will open TextEdit with the .bash_profile file)

With the file open add this line to it

alias esp="open -a Espresso"

Save it and quit TextEdit.

If you get a message saying “.bash_profile does not exist” then type in this command

vi ~/.bash_profile
(On your keyboard press the I key once)
(Add this line)
alias esp="open -a Espresso"
(Press the ESC key on your keyboard once and type in :wq)

Close your terminal and open it up again. You should know be able to type “esp” in terminal alone Espresso will load up and if you type something like any of these in your terminal window:

esp Filename.txt
esp ~/Sites/Folder
esp ~/.bash_profile
esp FolderName

It shall open it all within Espresso just like TextMate would. So you get the idea I hope.

Good Luck and Thanks to MacRabbit for creating such beautiful and useful applications!

WordPress 2.7 in the house!

Well I went ahead and upgraded my Wordpress install to the latest Release Cadinate available which is Version 2. So far I like it. The User interface is totally different and something people will either like or not like. I am pretty sure there will be no middle people with this major interface lift.

I have gone with a new look which I am like 99.9% that I am going to stick with and have disabled a bunch of plugins that I just know I will no longer be using.

If you haven’t made the move to version 2.7 make sure to back up EVERYTHING, because like I mentione you will either like or dislike the new interface. Word of advice give the interface some time to sink in before you make your judgement though, took me a few hours to get it to sink in and I like it.

Books I am reading November Edition

So I have gotten back into reading again and I am reading like crazy. This is where the Amazon Kindle comes in handy, cause I can now ready more then one book and not have to carry them all over the place.

I got 3 books I can suggest.

Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging, and Outmarketing Your Competition
This is the book I am currently  reading and it’s great. Necessary for anyone that needs that advice on helping getting a start up going. Guy Kawasaki has done a great job writing the book. He knows what he is talking about and the people he has had write guest chapters in it are just awesome.

A Technique for Producing Ideas
This book I read in a few hours, actually Denise and I were coming home from visiting her grandfather when I started the book; by the time I got home I finished it. This book is short but packs such a good amount of information that should last you for a life time. The techniques dicussed in the book come across really simple, so simple that I wouldn’t doubt that you will stop and think “hey I have used this before” when you get to a certain step in the book. The point of the book is to help you realize the full technique to producing an idea or ideas. If you are a thinker this book is HIGHLY recommended.

Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School
Very cool book! Reading this has actually helped me understand more how my brain works and what I have to do to make it work harder and more efficient. The results haven’t been instant but I have seen an improvement of how I do certain things. Hopefully by the time I complete this book, my brain will be much happier with me then it has been .

Once again I could only read all these pretty much at the same time because of the Amazon Kindle. If you don’t have one it’s on my top 5 devices to own.

If you have any books you could recommend please let me know especially if they are available in Kindle format. I am always looking for a good book to read.