Kev's Development Toolbox

October 14, 2007

Jnode – a Java operating system?

I remember seeing one of Sun’s Java-based Network Computers several years back, which never caught on and disappeared (where they ahead of their time?). I noticed this website for Jnode where they are building a new Java-based operating system – very interesting – have to keep an eye on this one.

I wonder how long it will be before low cost internet access terminals will be available – since the only thing most people use a computer for at home is to access the internet, it makes more sense now than ever to start offering basic, dumbed down internet appliances that do nothing more than run a web browser. I know several companies have tried selling devices like this over the past few years, but is the time now right? Or is family internet access going to find it’s way into the center of your entertainment center in your family room, like on your Wii or PS3 (which have integrated web browsers)?

October 14, 2007

Java app – large file finder

Once in a while I write an app out of necessity because I need a utility to do something very specific. I’ve been getting low drive space warnings on my c: drive and since I install all my apps and keep my files on other partitions other than c: where XP is, I was wondering what was taking up all the space.

I wrote this app (see top in the list) in about 30mins to recursively search through all files beneath a given starting directory, and build a sorted list of the largest files, largest first. If you run it from the command line specifying a starting directory it will run from the command line, but if you leave off the starting directory it will bring up a Swing UI (built in Matisse) so you can pick the starting directory from a File Dialog.

October 13, 2007

Incredible demo download sizes on PS3 (equivalent to 119 days of load time for a ZX Spectrum…)

The Ratchet and Clank downloadable demo on the PS3 store this week was 1609MB. Not a big deal for todays broadband connections, but think back just a few years ago and it would have been unheard of to attempt to download such a large file from the Internet, plus to think that a ‘demo’ is over 1.5GB. Here’s a few stats to put that in perspective – 1609MB would be:

2.3 700MB CDs
1117 1.44M floppies
2288 720k floppies
4576 360k floppies
160 times larger than the 10MB hard disk in an IBM PC XT
2,860 hours (119 days) of load time from a cassette for a 48k Sinclair ZX Spectrum (assuming 5 minutes per 48k)

In more recent terms though, this is only:

0.19 of a 8.5GB dual-layer DVD
0.032 of a 50GB dual-layer Blu-ray disk

… kind of puts things in perspective.

October 10, 2007

TiVo on Comcast behind schedule

I’ve been following the eventual rollout of TiVo to Comcast users recently since we’ve been stuck with a DirecTivo box for a number of years now and I’m looking for an HD upgrade path. I say ‘stuck’ loosely, since we love TiVo. TiVo is awesome – there is no going back, and nothing else will do. The problem with the DirecTV Tivo box is that we can’t upgrade to DirecTV’s HD service because we’d lose our TiVo box (with paidup lifetime subscription – we’ve had free service for something like 5+ years now) since DirecTV broke their relationship with TiVo sometime back, and their own ‘homegrown’ DVR is just not any good in comparision with TiVo, according to existing owners.

So moving to Comcast is one option open, and I think even now it would be possible to buy a standalone HD TiVo unit and use it in conjunction with a Comcast cable box, or wait until they get the integrated boxes available.