Fabián Rodríguez

It’s been a few weeks already that I joined the Maemo contributor program, which entitled me to a good discount to get a Nokia N810 Internet Tablet.

While I’m proud I was chosen among 500 other contributors-to-be, it really was an ordeal to just get the device. I imagine it’s not easy to set this kind of program up, including coordinating discounts in differents currencies, inventory, shipping, etc. But this being Nokia and their third time running this kind of program, it’s very sad they chose not to tell when problems and delays occured, letalone the fact those happened in the first place.

Unfortunately the holidays came and went and the devices were available at full price for a good time before any contributor got their device. Combine that with dog-slow online stores filled with hungry Flash animations, rude customer service reps and it’s almost a miracle the N810 made it my door. I can’t see what the greater plan is in terms of building a contributor community. Maybe this is some kind of “Amazing Race” obstacle course, for sure the few remaining are the bravest.

Some of you will hunt me down and spam me with threaths and “die, ungrateful spoiled kid” messages, but in the end this won’t change my opinion that this is the worse consumer experience I’ve had in a long time, and I think it is unfair to just go about it like it doesn’t matter. I reminds me of the OpenMoko debuts. Who cares if a product is a precursor in technological freedom if it can’t even be delivered to developers on time ?

Now, going back to the topic of blogging about the N810…

As a full-time Ubuntu user at work and home, I am planning to report about everyday use with an emphasis on VoIP, free media formats use and support (or lack thereof) and generally its “level of freedom” in terms of applications and sync’ing. I don’t intend to write a single line of code - instead I chose to help with bug reports, documentation and some blogging.

For now I am just putting together any links directly related to Ubuntu or LInux in general at the Mobile Devices / Nokia page on the Ubuntu community docs wiki, and trying some of them. If anyone’s interested in contributing to that resource or just finding out about its updates, consider registering to the Ubuntu docs wiki site and subscribing to that resource.

I’d love to see Ubuntu installed and working on the Nokia devices, but just to be clear, I don’t intend to work on that nor do I have any personal or professional plans to do so. To be super-extra clear, I just want to see how well the open Internet tablet scores with Ubuntu - while making it better at it, hopefully. And no, this has nothing to do with Ubuntu Mobile.

Sad as it sounds, there may never be a “year of the Linux Desktop. Linux world domination by 2008 as Eric S. Raymond described it will most probably happen with mobile and embedded devices.

OpenMoko a officiellement annoncé leur nouvel appareil open-source Neo FreeRunner. Le Neo FreeRunner pourrait avoir un air familier - mais peut-être parce que c’est une version grand public du Moko 1973 à base de Linux. Le Neo FreeRunner a gardé l’ensemble du design, bien qu’il y ait eu des améliorations : un processeur 500Mhz, le support graphisme 3D, ainsi qu’une nouvelle collection d’applications mobiles open-source. Les autres caractéristiques comprennent le support tribande GSM, connectivité WiFi et technologie à base de gestes. Le prix et la disponibilité ne sont pas connus pour le moment. Pour en savoir plus, voyez le communiqué de presse ici.

Étrangement, je ne retrouve pas le communiqué sur le site officiel d’OpenMoko. Le CES 2008 a lieu la semaine prochaine, donc on ne tardera pas à avoir plus de détails! Ça tombe bien, mon téléphone mobile a passé dans la laveuse la semaine dernière!

via Ubergizmo

Dear Lazy Web: for some reason these days several people are asking me the same question - What Webcam is the cheapest and best to use in Ubuntu ? Of course, it HAS to work with Cheese and video in Skype.

I’d love to know if anyone has suggestions from FutureShop.ca or BestBuy.com or NewEgg.com, in that order

The Logitech Quickcam Communicate STX seemed like a good candidate but it’s out of stock.

Perhaps what we need is some mashup of this, this and this.

A few weeks ago I applied to the Nokia N810 maemo device program, as I’ ve become more and more interested in mobile devices. I thought my profile would fit their description of candidates fit for the program.

My close friends know a thing or two about my obsession with mobility (and, consequently, VoIP). I often have enough in my backpack to set up shop (or office) most anywhere and colleagues often come to me with unusual requests for adapters, connectors or accessories that I locate quickly among my desktop chaos. Unless you have lots of free time you don’t want my advice on the subject (including what kind of backpack best carries it all).

Last week I got an email announcing I had been accepted in the program, which means I’ll be able to buy a (discounted) device! Living in Montreal will no doubt help as we have a large free wireless network provided by Ile sans Fil.

My application basically proposed to work and contribute in the following areas, from a non-developer, end-user point of view:

• Making the N810 work flawlessly with Ubuntu: syncing, access to data, etc.
• Look for language support problems
• Abuse the device’s VoIP and video capabilities
• Obsessively use and abuse Ogg Vorbis and Ogg Theora content
• Share the device with colleagues & friends and collect input about all the above
• Report bugs, document and review this device on my blog based on all the above

I was clear in my application I won’ t be doing any dev work, and I have never contributed to the maemo project before, so I am happy I got accepeted and hope I will make the best of it.

A few days ago a friend asked me “How come Dell PCs with Ubuntu are only 50$ less than Windows ?”. I was actually suprised by his question and I thought I would share my answer.

If I apply the closed, non-free business models around proprietary software, I really think Ubuntu PCs should be much more expensive (like U$1000 more) than any Windows comparable machine. After explaining all you would need to add to a Windows install in order to make it comparable to Gnu/Linux, we actually agreed… I was then wondering what would happen if a tiny portion of Ubuntu users would contribute a portion of the U$1000 saved towards local development and advocacy efforts. Well, “finders, keepers” also works for me.

Think about it, I am sure you can come with more than this short list but… since being an Ubuntu user at home and at work,

1. I don’t need antivirus, firewall, cleanup, anti-spyware or other such ” security” software. This may require a bit more explanation, but what can I say. I my personal experience, I really don’t need any of this.
2. As a result of #1, I don’t actually need to waste a dual-core’s machine power so I can be “running a virus scan and management agent in the background“. I’d rather put that to good video transcoding use
3. As a result of #1, current sub U$500 cheap Celeron based laptops run just fine with only 512MB of RAM - they’re not ” useless” as I was told at the store
4. I can choose and download a healthy few thousands applications (including many servers like web, voip, etc.) from one central package/repository management application. Like, say, Windows update but for all applications. Multi-lingual, and including security updates, unlike Windows Marketplace. I do happen to work in spanish and french too.
5. I can have my systems (and all included applications) available in several languages at once.
6. I don’t worry about manual security updates, except for software I have decided to manually download and install from other sites (a rarity, but happens)
7. I don’t reinstall! Well, my work consists of advocacy and consulting / coaching / providing tech support so my main laptop does get reinstalled often. Home PC hasn’t had a reinstall for 3 years though.
8. I can keep using the oldest, crapiest hardware I love, like that PCMCIA reader or the “Windows 98-only” webcam, along the newer one
9. When I come across a missing feature / problem / documentation omission or translation problem I take the opportunity to contribute back and learn in the process
10. I can copy all this to any amount of people around me, without restrictions or underground illegal activities - the only limit being my bandwidth, and ability to give out CDs or other media. In fact I am often asked if the software I used is legal, as I seem to have a little or big app for most any use.

So how much is that worth to you ? I was thinking I would need to talk about the freedom, the formats, the licences, patent problems, etc., I guess that’s for another afternoon when I chat again with my friend.

As previously announced, the open phone has started shipping its developer preview model. OpenMoko has also become a division of FIC, their OEM provider, who restructured their mobile division so it became OpenMoko, a commercial entity by itself.

From Wikipedia:

OpenMoko is a project to create a smartphone platform using free software. It uses the Linux kernel, together with a graphical user environment built using the X.Org Server and the Matchbox window manager. The OpenEmbedded build framework and ipkg package system are used to create and maintain software packages.

OpenMoko was announced in 2006 by founders First International Computer (FIC). The initial hardware product supporting OpenMoko is the FIC GSM Neo1973 device.

A few links to get you started:

• More about the Neo1973, the first product from OpenMoko
• OpenMoko online shop - order one
• OpenMoko’s new website
• OpenMoko online development portal, including links to their wiki, mailing lists, planet, etc.
• OpenMoko planet
• Fan videos (mirror), in Ogg Theora format - also available on YouTube.

Since I joined Canonical as a support analyst last November this is going to be my first Ubuntu Developer Summit as an “insider”. We’re going to Spain! I am all excited because this reminds me of Ubuntu Below Zero which took place in Montreal… 2 years ago! Etienne Goyer and I will be representing the brave souls from support, hopefully I’ll be useful in other areas than spanish translation

Here are a few specs we may be participating in:

• WinModem support
• Increase participation in the Ubuntu Hardware Database
• More robust configuration of the X server
• Simple X mode selection
• Provide simple PABX / VOIP capabilities with Asterisk
• Make it easy to use file/partition/disk encryption

I’d be interested in hearing any feedback anyone would have in terms of support for us to bring there and work on. We’ll be primarily attending to share our experience when providing support to actual customers, learn about and contribute to specs related to different aspects of support, and if time permits some other pet peeves Asterisk support is something I’d really love to contribute to, and Etienne’s rapidly improving packaging skills may help a lot in getting this further - he packaged SugarCRM and participated in the review process for VMWare server, Opera and DB2.

Check out the UDS-Sevilla Ubuntu Wiki for more (upcoming) details.

Recu par courriel, car je suis client d’Unlimitel. Si vous appliquez n’oubliez pas d’indiquer que c’est par moi que vous avez vu l’annonce

Got this in my email today, as I am an Unlimitel customer. If you apply, don’t forget to say I am sending you

Hey Asterisk lovers!

We have an opened positions at Unlimitel that could
interest some of you:

1- VoIP Technical support (Asterisk)

Job description:

The VoIP technical support position will require the
technician to handle all trouble ticket for VoIP customers
(about 50%) and will also need to maintain the lab systems
and configuration for specific test needs (10%). He
will also assist in accounts provisioning (10%), 911 VoIP
registration reports (5%), LNP reports and 411 directory
reports (5%). And finally, the technician will monitor
and acknowledge any alarms on the operational VoIP
network (20%).

The technician needs to be agile with FreePBX/Trixbox. He
will need to have a very good understanding of IP networks
and VoIP networks. He also need to be very comfortable
with Linux OS (CentOS) and MySQL servers.

We will train the technician on maintaining our CarrierClass
telephone switch and how to maintain our Ethernet switches.

Cisco switches knowledge is a plus, but not necessary.
Billingual (english/french) technician is a plus, but not necessary.

The position will require pager duties outside normal working
hours in rotation with the other geek (me!).

We work in a very quiet environment in a rural village in
eastern Ontario (Casselman) where cost of living is much
lower than big cities.

We’ve been in business for 10 years and are one of the top
VoIP providers for IP-PBX servers in Canada with T1 links
from Quebec City to Vancouver.

I hope this description will give you a good idea of what
we’re looking for.

If one of you refer a candidate to us and we hire that
candidate, we will give you $500.00 in VoIP services free
as a token of our appreciation!

Send your resumes to monetteh@unlimitel.ca

Thank you,

Stephan Monette
Unlimitel Inc.
Tel.: 1-877-464-6638, x221

********************************************************************

Salut les utilisateurs Asterisk!

Nous avons une position d’ouverte chez Unlimitel qui pourrait vous
interesse:

Technicien support technique VoIP.

Description:

Le technicien VoIP sera en charge de repondre a tous les rapports
d’incidents (50% du temps) et maintenir nos systemes dans notre
laboratoire (10%). Il devra aussi aider avec la creation des comptes
VoIP (10%), les demandes d’enregistrement 911 (10%), les rapports
LNP et 411 (10%). Finalement, il devra aussi surveiller et traiter
les alarmes sur notre réau VoIP opétionel (20%).

Le technicien doit etre habile avec les logiciels FreePBX/Trixbox.
Il devra aussi avoir une tres bonne connaissance des resaux IP et
VoIP. Il doit aussi etre comfortable avec les serveurs Linux (CentOS)
et MySQL.

Nous allons aussi entrainer le technicien sur tous nos systemes de
telephones VoIP (carrier class) et nos commutateurs (switch) ethernet.

La connaissance des switch Cisco est un plus, mais pas necessaire.
Le parler/ecrire Anglais est necessaire et le francais est un atout.

Cette position necessite aussi des quart de “pager duty” en rotation
avec l’autre “geek” (moi!).

Unlimitel est une entreprise en pleine expansion et en affaire
depuis 10 ans.

Nous travaillons dans un environnement tres calme dans un village
rurale de l’Est de l’Ontario la ou les impots et l’essence sont
10% moins chers qu’au Quebec!

La personne qui nous refere un candidat et que nous engageons ce candidat,
recevera $500 de services VoIP Unlimitel gratuitement comme cadeau
d’appreciation de notre part.

Envoyes-nous vos resume a monetteh@unlimitel.ca.

Merci.

Stephan Monette
Unlimitel Inc.
tel.: 1-877-464-6638, x221

So it seems some technical glitch is affecting VoIP service for Primus Canada customers. Nothing to see, really, except I now need a giant push pin to restore my service I wonder what technical support call prompted that hilarious how-to. I really need to finish my Asterisk setup!

C’est la quantité de nouvelles possibilités pour avoir un numéro de téléphone “entrant” en utilisant la téléphonie sur IP avec GizmoProject depuis hier, incluant Montréal (514), Toronto (416) et Québec (819). Les prix varient de U$88 à u$133 pour nos indicatifs, mais sont aussi bas que U$32 pour un an de service téléphonique. Il me reste quelques DVG-1402S si ca intéresse qq’un Ce n’est pas encore annoncé sur le site mais si vous avez un compte et que vous demandez un “Call-in number”, les choix seront là.