tech thoughts

First off let me just let everyone know that unfortunately I have to discontinue my use of Vox, and thus none of my posts will be cross-posted from my new blog. I just can't agree to continue using a service that has decided to control my content. Vox has some awesome features, but in the end just not enough control for my taste. God speed to the rest of you and I will keep my account for reading my neighborhood's posts as well as commenting.

Vox Crosspost Hack
Since you can email your posts to Vox with limited options, an automatic email notifer plugin is what you need in order to bring over your posts from another blog, here I discuss my research on Wordpress(WP) to Vox.

David Chartier tells you how to use Ace's vox-crossposter plugin for WP

There is also a plugin called post-notification over on the wordpress plugin site.

New Blog
My new blog will be at http://stevetranby.com/
I have currently imported all the data, and now my friend Jen is working on a design for it.

I'm moving all my data within Vox out and into my own server, in order to gain control of it, and also to allow me to better focus my writing. The process should be automated, and I even attempted to use Dapper somewhat successfully, but there doesn't seem to exist much in the way of export from vox, and import into wordpress. I'm sure I could write a tool, and then everyone in the vox community would benefit, but I just don't feel like it, so I shall slowly and methodically copy each and every post which I want to keep around and paste it into wordpress.

I will then setup RSS feed import into Vox so that my posts will cross-post here.

So on Dec 31, I got to work, hooked up my Zune and was ready to listen to some fine podcast/music, when I noticed the loading screen was not going away. After searching all over the place I realized many other Zune 30 owners were having similar problems.  After awhile, I found out that Zuneaggedon was upon the entire population of Zune 30 owners (all 5 of us, right?!) and our Zunes were bricked, or seemingly so.  Finally I receive update that the Zune will arise from the dead, without doing anything, after seemingly hanging itself over a measly leap second.  Well I'm glad to say Microsoft responded well, but didn't show a great standard of software development (especially after events like Y2K).  I now have mixed feeling about the Zune, though I think I shall get the Zune Pass Buy 10 deal for a while and then decide whether to stick with what I previously viewed the superior music/audio listening platform.

The Zune team was very quick to respond, and gave some relief that they were at least looking into the problem, and official came out with the solution of waiting for Jan 1, 2009 to roll around (patients is a virtue I guess).

Zune Team's official update
Some great commentary about this fine New Years Event can be read on a TechFlash article

100 Things In Life
(copied from: Cori)
 
Copy the list and highlight the things you've done.
Give your readers MUCH more than they ever wanted to know about you!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon (Rollerbladed one)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run (inside the parker)
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower (and couldn’t see a thing it was too foggy)
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma
65. Gone skydiving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a mobile phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

I have a few posts hidden that I need to finish, and lots of new links and things to share.  I will be clearing the cache very soon.