Google Home websites and resources

Amazon Alexa recently hit 10,000 skills and there is talk around what will drive adoption for the next 10,000. I won’t be diving into specifics and discussing issues like retention. Now back to the subject, even if Google Home is coming late in the party, it is growing fast and thanks to Google vast amount of data and resources, it is poised for success!

• IFTT Applets for voice assistants
• Medium – Google Home
• Reddit – Google Home
• TechCrunch – Google Home
• All Github repositories with tag google-home
• Google Home Help Forum
• Google Home XDA Developers

How to use

• The complete list of Google Home commands so far
• 40 fun Google Home Easter eggs to try
• How to use third-party Actions on Google Home

Mobile Action i-gotU GT-200E GPS Data logger review

i-gotU is a GPS Device that can record the trace of your journey, auto-add GPS information on the photos taken on your journey, present it in 3rd dimension and export in multiple sharable file formats. i-gotU not only is compatible with all digital cameras & camera phones available in the market, providing you the coolest GPS tracking gadget while saving you extra expenses on other equipments

Forewords

I was greatly surprised to be contacted by Mobile Action.I would like to thank them for having send me a free sample for that review and of course, I encourage all companies around the world to do the same ;-))

Tux Droid Plugin for Atlassian Bamboo continuous integration server

Tux Droid is a #Linux wireless Tux mascot (210mm x 180mm x 140mm – with lowered wings) with a programmable interface, allowing it to announce events by its gestures and by ALSA driven sound. The events are detected by specific gadgets, which are handled by the Tux Gadget Manager. The Tux Droid supports #Linux kernel 2.4 or later and needs a 800 MHz CPU and 128 MB RAM. It communicates by infrared to the USB port (1.1 or 2.0) and for media detection it needs an internet connection. The mascot is driven by Atmel AVR RISC microcontrollers. From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tux_Droid

 

Bamboo is a continuous integration server from Atlassian Software Systems, the makers of JIRA, Confluence and Crowd. Bamboo is free for philanthropic and open-source projects. Academic and commercial organizations are charged based on type of license. Some other features of Bamboo are its unlimited build plans and unlimited projects that provide instant feedback and a platform to collaborate with other team members for build projects, and its ability to run distributed builds. It integrates with existing development tools, and it can be integrated with popular source code systems.

With this plugin

You can notify your Tux Droid with your TeamCity build results!

After login you can find the new notificator Tux Droid in your notification settings. You need your Tux Droid server IP and port  to connect your Tux to Bamboo. After you have saved the parameters you can configure your individual notification settings for just all projects/specific projects/build failures/…

Each registered User can customize Tux Droid messages or choose different Attitunes.

 

Some useful resource how to develop a Bamboo plugin with #Maven 2

• http://confluence.atlassian.com/display/DEVNET/How+to+Build+an+Atlassian+Plugin
• http://confluence.atlassian.com/display/DEVNET/Releasing+your+plugin
• http://confluence.atlassian.com/display/BAMEXT/Home

Plugin will appear soon at

http://tuxdroid-bamboo.waltercedric.com/

Note you may be interested by the TeamCity continuous integration server version at http://tuxdroid.waltercedric.com/

Tux Droid Plugin for Jet Brains TeamCity 4.0

Tux Droid is a #Linux wireless Tux mascot (210mm x 180mm x 140mm – with lowered wings) with a programmable interface, allowing it to announce events by its gestures and by ALSA driven sound. The events are detected by specific gadgets, which are handled by the Tux Gadget Manager. The Tux Droid supports #Linux kernel 2.4 or later and needs a 800 MHz CPU and 128 MB RAM. It communicates by infrared to the USB port (1.1 or 2.0) and for media detection it needs an internet connection. The mascot is driven by Atmel AVR RISC microcontrollers. From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tux_Droid

TeamCity is a #Java-based build management and continuous integration server from JetBrains, creators of IntelliJ IDEA and ReSharper.

 

 

 

 

Event_logger an impressive GPS data logger

There is a trend on the camera market, people want now to tag their photo, not only by adding sound (micro can be found now on point and shot consumer camera), or letting the camera add EXIF embeded data ( Exchangeable Image File Format) into each pictures.
Consumer always want more!, and with the arrival of Google Maps on the market, some years ago, It has not taken much time till users decide to add geoposition (with a GPS) to their pictures. While this feature can be found on some high end camera model (camera body > $10000, as an option it is quite pricey too), TomTom, Garmin and other consumer GPS are now able to provide a cheap and ready to go alternative.  A data logger is a device able to record periodically  latidutes, longitudes, altitude, date and time while yyou are on the road. It is now possible with some tools to merge pictures and files produced by GPS ad save new meta informations in EXIF data.

Click Here for a live example

Why use a data logger?

• What itinerary did I travel yesterday?
• When did I start driving today?
• How long did It take to go from A to B and C in between?
• Which is the current altitude and speed?
• How can I remind precise positions?
• When exactly I traveled there? 

Combined with your favorite DSLR or point and shot camera

• You take pictures but now can’t remember the exact place of some of the  photos
• With a software, you can then match the coordinates with the picture and you  like to see your pictures on a map. (Google map, Google Earth)

Make your own light objects using …bulblamps

Bulbs Unlimited is a system, which transforms European standard light bulbs into various, spectacular light objects. Therefore light bulbs were linked together, like Lego® bricks, by simple snap buttons (press buttons). A custom-built positioning device, “the Inkubator” maintains to fix the snap buttons on defined positions on bulbs surfaces, by using a unique adhesive. The chance to locate snap buttons on several different positions on bulbs surfaces, guaranteed a unlimited number of potential light objects

Sony SR8 camcorder ordered today

I’ve ordered 3 hours ago a Sony HDR-SR8 AVCHD 6MP 100GB High Definition Hard Disk Drive Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom. Since I ve already provided some links before, and here about viewing AVCHD and editing.
I can not wait any longer for camcorderinfo.com review, as I will be in hollidays in 18 days for my 7 weeks Australian trip. 

Why Did I choose the SR8?

• Size factor and hard disk, 100GB is luxus, I agree  60GB (SR7) would have done the job… 
• I have a PS3 so HD playback on a 4 meters screens is not an issue
• PC playback is also not an issue, even on moderated single core cpu, if you use the right codec (coreAVCHD or Elecard converter)
• Sony Vegas 8.0 is the best editor, I was able to cut and move part of video without efforts/reading a tutorial.
• The Sony docking station is great  for keeping cable  in place. (canon HG 10 has none)
•  QUALITY of fabrication, handling compared to Canon HG10
• Not reviewed yet by CamcorderInfo (even if camcorder is since 4 months available) but I suspect that It will blow th HG10, Ive seen a too many Canon Ads recently on CCinfo…hum

Some words about

Batteries:  NP-FH70 (134CHF) is in the same size as NP-FH60 (99CHF), but has a 1800mA capacity versus 1000mA of NP-FH60. They both are 33mm ‘long’. But the NP-FH100 (190CHF) is 55mm long, with about 3980mA battery power.

NP-FH50	NP-FH70
NP-FH100

Bandwidth: The Sony SR8 record at max 15 Mbps, AVCHD being able to go as far as 24Mbps, (no camcorder on the market is able to sustain that bandwidth). More bandwidth, means less compression. Less compression means fewer artifacts, less fast motion jumpiness and higher resolutions of video with less ‘graininess’..

Canon HG10 or Sony SR7/SR8?

I can’t review camcorder, a lot of site are doing it in a professional way. Like always I propose You some links that You can use to gain a loooooot of time.

Video Playback

Attention:
you must deinterlace video to have the best experience! I use Elecard Converter Studio to view them (free for viewing, use De interlacing:option  best for speed),
You have to deinterlace because computer monitor are not interlaced!
1080i30(60 fields) or 720p60 or 1080p30 have the same raw data rate, while 1080p60 has twice more data!

I’ve tried

• Videolan: crash with AVCHD version 0.8.6c)
• Power dvd ultra  mixed quality output result, some freeze.
• Sony Vegas 8.0 Platinum edition with no success, image not great at all or with artifacts
• CoreAVC is the best software decoder out there, install it and any windows application must be able to play AVCHD or H264 (for $8)

AVCHD survival guide – SR7/SR8 video samples

AVCHD (Advanced Video Codec High Definition) is a new high-definition recording format introduced by Sony and Panasonic. It can use various storage media, including 8 cm (3") recordable DVD discs, a hard disk, or flash memory cards. The format is to compete with other handheld video camera recording formats, particularly HDV and MiniDV. [from WikiPedia]

The major complain when it come to reviewing Sony SR7/SR8, panasonic SD5 or any previous model is the lack of editing tools for AVCHD (beside low light performances, but that is common on consumer camcorder). That’s why I propose You some links now:

3rd day with my Canon G9 camera

I’ve decide to wait a bit before buying a gigantic Reflex (DSLR) camera like the Canon EOS 40D or Nikon D300, mainly since I will never be able to use these formula 1 camera in a so short period of time (I am leaving switzerland in 1.5 months). I’ve read a lot of forums entries at dpreview.com and found that this camera is a good compromise. So I order a Canon G9. This camera is able to work in full auto mode and has as many manual settings as a DSLR. I am in no way a professionnal photographer, that’s why I will just publish here some links and ideas that may help new buyers.

I’ve paid
664 CHF for the body , 141 CHF for the Sandisk Ultra 2 8GB memory card and 44CHF for a Joby tripod = total cost 877CHF (570€). Order at 9 o’clock, delivered at 18:00 (thanks to www.digitec.ch)

Reviews:
Dpreview : Canon PowerShot G9  read user reviews
TheOnlinePhotographer Canon PowerShot G9  review
LetsGoDigital Canon PowerShot G9 review