Messages

26

Developer's Corner / Re: How to Share Your Programs with the World (PAD Files, installers, etc.)

« on: March 03, 2011, 09:42 AM »

I would like to make a proposal here.

I do follow since several years both the DonationCoder environment and the Zero Install project. Call me a shameless connector or whatever bad word you can think of, I don't mind, but I want to say I'm confident that some kind of partnership, in a direction or the other, would really benefit both. Zero Install works on Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, UNIX. Awesome would be if every piece of software, coming from DC developers, even the most little one, could be packaged providing a "Zero Install feed"; dreaming a bit, but not that much, that would also make flowless and easier to accomplish an interoperability between various DC apps (see how ZI manages dependencies), and the software index would include all the DonationCoder apps, so they would be easier to find and explore (and immediately run! Thinking forward, a donation system in DC style could eventually be integrated in the service and/or the project itself. With Zero Install would be very easy for users e.g. to try DC apps (easy as clicking a "Launch!" button), eventually fall in love with them, and donate for a lifetime unlock.

Really, I see a lot of potential here for both the ecosystems, and I could write a lot about that - but I'll let you use your own imagination while here and now I'll just prefer begging to stop for a moment, and take a serious look to the Zero Install project for the possibilities that your contributions would bring; what I'm asking here is to make your tiny/little/big/huge/whatever apps available as Zero Install feeds (if they work on the supported platforms); of course you can continue using your usual way of packaging and distributing stuff, but I'm asking to make a Zero Install version *too* - it's easy and well explained:
http://0install.net/...ector-packagers.html

If you want to explore the possibility, please join the mailing list that is the main place for discussions; also for any trouble in making the feeds, there will be always someone capable and willing to help there:
http://0install.net/support.html


Zero Install for Linux:
http://0install.net/install-linux.html

Zero Install for Windows:
http://0install.de/downloads/?lang=en

Zero Install for MAC OS X:
http://0install.net/install-mac.html

Zero Install for UNIX:
http://0install.net/install-unix.html


Let me know what you think!

27

Living Room / Re: The March 2011 6th Anniversary Fundraiser Has Begun! Cheer for Victory Thread

« on: March 03, 2011, 08:27 AM »

Cheers! And what a *awesome* prize is the "10-25 hours Custom Coding Time" on anything we design!

...uh, it has to be legal, now that I read better... D'oh!

28

Webcam Video Diary / Re: Feature request: in-video notes

« on: January 03, 2011, 07:01 PM »

Sure. In Tab "Project Options" you let the user define a current "Identifier" label, imagine it is "my-dreams", because the user wants to start a video-log of her dreams.
She wakes up, and starts the app, with "my-dreams" as current identifier. In the "Live Camera Video" she eventually writes something into the "Optional Recording Label" field, that is a title for the dream she's going to record - but this has not to be considered as part of the "identifier", i.e. the identifier is still "my-dreams".
While recording, she can pause and insert tags, then resume. Also, she'll be able to add tags when the recording will end. And also, when she'll have a video selected into the "Media File Viewer" Tab.
The process of tags insertion is done by viewing a list of all the tags defined for videos with the same identifier (in this example, "my-dreams"), sorted by descending number of total occurrencies, and writing something into an input field; while writing, the list dynamically changes on every keypress, filtering out tags that don't contain the written string. On the right of the input field there is a [ADD] button, that when pressed clears the field and puts that string into the bucket of tags for the current video. Also, hovering on the tags in the dynamic list retrieved from the videos with same identifier, a [ADD] button appears, that when pressed puts that tag into the bucket of tags for the current video. Hovering on the tags in the bucket of tags defined for the current video, a [DEL] button appears, that when pressed deletes that tag for the current video.

Note that if the user defines also e.g. a "startup-ideas" identifier, and records videos with it, the list of tags for that identifier of course won't include those added to videos of "my-dreams" identifier, but only those added to videos of "startup-ideas" identifier.

If it's not clear, or if you want/can do it in some other way, let me know.

EDIT: errata corrige: "dreams" -> "my-dreams"
EDIT: [TAG] button -> [ADD] button

29

Webcam Video Diary / Re: Feature request: in-video notes

« on: January 02, 2011, 05:08 PM »

Yes, that way I think it won't be as effective as it could, but probably somehow very useful anyway, and a good starting point. I can't estimate how much difference in efforts/time it would be to support standard (one-dimensional) tags instead of multidimensional ones (i.e. in-video notes), but if the marginal cost is high I'd go with the former too, while if it's low I'd definitely go with the latter.
By the way, when specifying tags for a video/image, it would be important to let the user see all the tags specified for that %IDENTIFIER%, sorted by occurrence (in descending order), and pick from them, or add new ones. (In case of multi-dimensional tags, the "immediately visible" coordinate of course would be the title).

30

Webcam Video Diary / Feature request: in-video notes

« on: January 02, 2011, 01:01 PM »

The following would be useful for lucid dreaming purposes (by using Webcam Video Diary to record dreams):

- when recording or playing a video, it's possible to pause and define a "in-video note", that is made by a "title" (input line field) and a "free text" (textarea field);

- the in-video notes are stored into a sqlite database, or whatever (text file?): a record (or text-file line) is an identifier (name?) of the video they belong to, the timestamp in that video, the note's title, and the note's free text;

- possibly, when you insert a in-video note, typing the title it autocompletes using the other in-video notes' titles of every video with the same identifier label (I mean, "%IDENTIFIER%"); and also show the entries somewhere (a popup?) in a sorted-by-occurrence list, where you can click one of those titles and it gets copied into the title input field, together with the associated free-text into the textarea field (but you can still edit both, of course).

Besides, in some tab of the app or wherever you want:

- for a selected %IDENTIFIER%, show the in-video notes' titles sorted by occurrence, and through filters on the free text;

- by clicking them, jump to the corresponding video and timestamp (and play the video from there).

So, for lucid dreaming purposes, for instance one could use the titles for simple descriptions of the hooks (e.g. "pink elephant"), and the free text for some conventional string, e.g. "__IMPOSSIBLE__".
The software could allow to filter notes containing (or not) the string "__IMPOSSIBLE__" into the free text; and eventually also more complex queries (e.g. notes not containing string "__IMPOSSIBLE__" and containing string "stairs").

31

Webcam Video Diary / Re: WebcamVideoDiary: First Beta Release v1.02.01 - Dec 22, 2010

« on: January 02, 2011, 12:37 PM »

All of my programs can be used portably.  Just unzip the setup program with any unzip program (rename extension from .exe to .zip if you like).  Then edit the ConfigDir.ini file (rename ConfigDir_Sample.ini to ConfigDir.ini) and make the first line: PORTABLE=TRUE

-mouser (January 02, 2011, 12:16 PM)

Awesome, uninstalled and using it in portable mode now.
I see the mouse pointer changing into a cross that I can drag on videos and pictures to make a rectangle, that can be moved and resized: what is it for? It seems that it is not saved...

32

Webcam Video Diary / Re: WebcamVideoDiary: First Beta Release v1.02.01 - Dec 22, 2010

« on: January 02, 2011, 12:11 PM »

mouser, 1.02.01 works for me too! It's a great app, with some more features how nice it would be for those lucid dreaming purposes that I wrote about before :) Also, the same features would be useful to take quick but effective notes about ideas when they pop into mind (and I can think a lot of other possible uses too...)

PS: could you post a notification in this thread whenever you update the software? (I didn't notice the availability of the 1.02.01 version).

33

Webcam Video Diary / Re: WebcamVideoDiary: First Beta Release v1.02.01 - Dec 22, 2010

« on: December 22, 2010, 10:13 PM »

No way: in Program Options -> Hardware -> Video Device Settings -> Video Source -> Video Input Device, I have the following options:

Google Camera Adapter 1
Google Camera Adapter 0
USB Video Device

Unfortunately none of them works, even if I am on the Live Camera Video tab.

34

Webcam Video Diary / Re: WebcamVideoDiary: First Beta Release v1.02.01 - Dec 22, 2010

« on: December 22, 2010, 08:16 PM »

I won't be able to give other feedback before December 28, but I've quickly tried it and I can say that the camera doesn't work (I get no video, just black). It's a built-in webcam into an Acer notebook, usually it just works (e.g. with flash apps/websites).

35

N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY 2011 Pledge: Mouser App - Webcam Diary

« on: December 22, 2010, 09:38 AM »

Wow, sounds like an unexpected Christmas gift.

36

N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY 2011 Pledge: Mouser App - Webcam Diary

« on: November 07, 2010, 06:03 PM »

Ok, that's quite close to what would be ok for that purpose - let's give up on the visual thing (attaching words/sentences on the video), but here it is a simpler version of the same feature:

- you set the context for the session; e.g. "dream journals" will take into account only the videos that are marked as "dream journals" (the "mark" is a user-defined attribute in a sqlite database associated with the path of video and other properties like title, etc.)

- when you record or play a video, it's possible to pause and define a note, that is done by "title + free text";

- you save the note in a sqlite database, storing which video it belongs, which time in the video, the title, and the free text;

- possibly, when you type the title of the note, it autocompletes from the other notes' titles of the chosen context (dream journals)

This way, you could use the titles of the notes as the words/sentences I was speaking of in my previous post, show them sorted by occurrence, and through filters on the free text.
So, for lucid dreaming purposes, for instance one could use the titles for simple descriptions of the hooks (e.g. "pink elephant"), and the free text for some conventional string, e.g. "__IMPOSSIBLE__".
The tool, will allow to filter notes containing (or not) the string "__IMPOSSIBLE__" into the free text; and eventually also more complex queries (e.g. notes not containing string "__IMPOSSIBLE__" and containing string "stairs").

37

N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY 2011 Pledge: Mouser App - Webcam Diary

« on: November 07, 2010, 09:34 AM »

Mouser, I've created a (public) Bettermeans space for this app:

https://secure.bette...ojects/283/dashboard

38

N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY 2011 Pledge: Mouser App - Webcam Diary

« on: November 06, 2010, 12:36 PM »

A webcam diary would be great for lucid dreaming learning. I would love some features tailored to that. Here it is an important one (that actually is a set of features ;)

While recording or playing a video, you can pause and input a word/sentence clicking on the frame. The input is an input field with autocomplete, or you can switch directly selecting it from a list, sorted by occurrence. The word/sentence will be stored, associated to that video and to that time and (x,y) position in the video.

The entries of the list/autocomplete are words/sentences previously inserted in all the videos of a category (e.g.: dreams).

Immediately after you type a new word/sentence (and also later in another screen), you can mark it as "impossible" (default is unchecked).

When you select from the autocomplete/list an already existing word/sentence that is marked as "impossible", the app notifies it in some way (e.g. rendering it in a different color, or blinking, or whatever).

When you play a video, you see the words/sentences appearing for a few seconds at the positions they where created at.

When a word/sentence is marked as "impossible", it is rendered in a different way from the "possible" ones.

So, the app can show a list of the words/sentences, sorted by occurrence, and with filters (by typing chars, and selecting impossible yes/no).
Clicking on them, you get the list of dream videos that contain the selected word/sentence; clicking a video from this list, you jump playing it directly where the word/sentence is.

This would be powerful in making the unconscious mind learn some frequently dreamed "impossible" triggers (e.g. "pink elephant talking to me") that will help the dreaming self in realizing he/she is in a dream, and so starting the lucid experience. And also to learn some frequently dreamed "possible" triggers (e.g. "me running into a grass field") that could be used as hooks for reality checks into the dreams (e.g. jumping and flying, looking at your own hands, turning on/off light with a switch, reading a digital clock, etc.).

PS: storing the position of the words/sentences in the videos is useful because you could draw a picture, show it to the webcam, and then attach the words/sentences to the items on the picture; imagine e.g. if you draw an oneiric scenery that you can remember while logging your last dream, and there you sketch a shape with the pencil, and attach the sentence "pink elephant", and on the sky you attach "purple sky".

PPS: the autocomplete must work on every piece of the sentence; e.g. typing "sky" should make the "purple sky" sentence appear in the selection list.

On the same topic, if you're interested I've also proposed a web service idea here.

39

N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY 2011 :: Entry Ideas & Requests

« on: November 06, 2010, 06:37 AM »

Here's my proposal for the NANY challenge. Only expert developers should try this, it's not an easy thing to do - but it would be a very useful and powerful tool, good as a web service, and as an iPhone app.

"Stuffind": find your stuff.

Read this document where I've explained the project and also designed (with words) how the UI/UX should be:
https://docs.google....=ddb43z89_52d8sntxwk

I've seen other apps for this need, but they're not as effective as this one.

UPDATE: I've posted the idea here too.

UPDATE: I've created a (public) BetterMeans space for this project, here.

40

N.A.N.Y. 2010 / Re: NANY 2010 Program Idea Suggestion Thread

« on: December 20, 2009, 07:22 PM »

If there is anyone out there, who might have a good idea, unique, one that is useful and would be popular...  and would like to form a PARTNERSHIP and we'll create something together?  i.e. you come up with the idea(s) and I'll do the coding... Then I am up for that!

It'll be a partnership effort (assuming thats allowed????)

Probably best to PM me if anyone is interested???

-awopbamboo (December 03, 2009, 01:49 AM)

Someone here does know what happened to user "awopbamboo"? I did PM him for a partnership like he asked in the above post (and he replied ok), then I wrote him a pretty detailed writeup of the software on google docs (which he read) but after about 5 days I'm still not hearing from him anymore... Wondering if you know why he's suddenly disappeared while he declared to be interested in developing my proposed app: PM'ing him does not work for me...

41

General Software Discussion / Re: Looking for a good project time tracking application

« on: December 10, 2009, 09:43 AM »

I think you may find useful the free AbstractSpoon's ToDoList.

42

General Software Discussion / Porting Zero Install to Windows: anyone?

« on: May 31, 2009, 03:28 PM »

Zero Install staff is searching for some brave coder who's capable of porting the system to Windows. So I'm asking here:

1) if someone reading feels being the one;

2) a suggestion to find someone (besides posting a call on donationcoder.com's forum ;)

Note: see also the Windows related page.

43

Older Newsletters / Re: --> Newsletter for December 21st, 2008 - Codename "Tree Ornaments"

« on: December 23, 2008, 08:32 AM »

Thanks for it.

44

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: synch local/remote folder on demand, with rt monitor

« on: November 29, 2008, 05:35 AM »

Any news on this topic?

45

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: synch local/remote folder on demand, with rt monitor

« on: October 13, 2008, 06:07 AM »

I hope you'll succeed finding that larger chunk of time (I do know this is the hardest task ;)

Just to let you know, your eventual efforts on this side will be part of a wider "synch method for web developers", involving synching of both the filesystem and the database side. By now we're focused on the cool MODx cmf (so that we touch both sites' and web apps' development):

http://modxcms.com/forums/index.php/topic,29169.msg179482.html#msg179482

Some day, when all the pieces will be in place, I'd like to create and update a website proposing the method with all the explanations, detailed tutorial, the tools, and of course the names of the contributors.

46

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: synch local/remote folder on demand, with rt monitor

« on: October 08, 2008, 04:50 AM »

Feedback from author is that he's no longer touching that code, but he will be glad to update the project at sourceforge if any contributes will be done, giving the credit for them.
Do you are interested in looking a bit through the code to see if you can enhance it a bit?
If yes, no necessity for a quick reply, just have a look and then let me know if you think the things I've written above can be done. Take your time, bye.
PS: I have other good ideas for it to become a very very nice and useful tool for alone or team development (especially when SVN is not an option, i.e. on shared hosting), but I'll write them only if someone is interested in taking that codebase and work a bit on the project.

47

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: synch local/remote folder on demand, with rt monitor

« on: October 07, 2008, 01:02 PM »

That's very good! Yes, I'm writing to them now, I'll let you know here.

-insert_nick (October 07, 2008, 06:34 AM)

Btw, mail sent. I'll give here news about eventual reply.

48

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: synch local/remote folder on demand, with rt monitor

« on: October 07, 2008, 01:00 PM »

Uhm, it seems my quick test of the app was not so good.
I tested it creating a file, and instantly appeared in the list with the "to push" icon, ready to be sent to server, and it seemed ok.

But when I modify the content of an existing file, or even if I just rename it, the tool doesn't keep track of it. I'm unsure if I'm doing something wrong.

Moreover, clicking on table headers should definetely order the rows accordingly.

And, it should be possible to hide in the list everything that doesn't need to be synchronized, so showing only added/changed/deleted stuff.

49

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: synch local/remote folder on demand, with rt monitor

« on: October 07, 2008, 06:34 AM »

That's very good! Yes, I'm writing to them now, I'll let you know here.

50

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: synch local/remote folder on demand, with rt monitor

« on: October 07, 2008, 06:18 AM »

Tried. It's a very nice tool, just exactly what I suggested.
I'd need only one more thing: it should synch also the stuff I delete locally, i.e. if I delete something it should delete it also on the remote server, while now it does not. Of course a confirmation prompt for every file going to be deleted would be a good thing.