I'm using Drivel 2.0.2 for posting my blogs using the Blogger Atom API. I've also tried BloGTK and the really nice Blog Entry Poster, but Drivel is what I finally ended up using. Here's why:
* Drivel doesn't store my password
* It supports the Blogger Atom API, which means I get proper titles on my Blogger blog
* Has almost everything I need (drafts, etc.)
I also did try the Emacs plug-in, but dial-up + CURL seemed not to like it. Pity.
Drivel's not perfect however, in particular, I seriously miss toggling comments per post, but it's the Blogger Atom API at fault over here. Hope they get the Atom Publishing protocol finalized soon. The Atom Syndication format is really nice, and I'm really hoping for a good API.
For reading blogposts, I prefer to use Liferea. So please enable RSS feeds on your site. Yes, UT, this means you.
Friday, June 30, 2006
DSL Line Installation experiences
My MTNL Triband DSL line was "installed" on June 19, and here's how it came to be.
First of all, while the 1500 call center is extremely quick in issuing your work order (next day), it took upto June 22 for someone to call me up and ask if I had asked for a Triband connection. On replying that my broadband connection was well and fine, he disconnected and then called back to ask if I indeed had Triband or some other connection! Talk about organizational ignorance.
Anyway, I had to go buy my own DSL "router", a D-Link 502-T, as they finally told me that modems were out of stock. Once that was done, my connection was up in 3 days. Here's the complete chronology:
May 29: Apply to 1500.
May 30: Work order issued.
June 6: Account created on MTNL's servers. 150 MB used up for testing (?)
June 12: I get back from Bangalore, and am concerned nobody's called back.
June 13,14,15: Run around on the telephone calling up everybody, and all they do is redirect me to other numbers. But they do this very helpfully :-).
June 16: Finally reach somebody who's supposed to come and deliver the modem, but that person tells me modems are out of stock, and will take another 3--4 weeks. Yikes! Go and buy modem the same day, sets me back plenty, but heck, I'm not penny wise and pound foolish. Spend hours trying to configure the modem (as they've told me that my connection is already enabled). After a midnight call to 1504, I'm told maybe the exchange hasn't enabled DSL on my line yet. Thankfully, Saturday's a working day.
June 17: Call up, and am told that work is done. But since the ADSL light on my modem is not lighting up ("DSL Carrier Down" in the logs), a double check reveals that indeed some work is remaining at their end. Not my fault then. Tell me that it will be done by end of day.
June 18: DSL is not yet up, and my phone line goes dead. My mood gets mean.
June 19: Afternoon, phone line comes back up, and hurray, ADSL light starts blinking, indicating modem is "training". However, it never turns solid (indicating connection), and I make a call to the exchange. In between the call, it connects! I quickly check out if the Net works, and it does! It's very very slow however. But I think that's a problem at my end. I do the "reset" test --- switching the modem off and trying again. Unfortunately just blinking, but no connection. Make a call again, and same results -- it's connected! Turns out that I need to pick up my phone (on a parallel line) for a few seconds to connect. And I thought I had left dial-up behind!
June 22: Some guy calls asking if I had asked for Triband, is rather surprised that it's already installed, and thankfully cancels the monthly rental.
June 30: 1500 calls back and asks if everything is done. Surprised that I bought my own modem, but said they'll not charge me the security deposit. That about wraps it up I think.
Well, the slowness I experienced was a result of a problem with the DNS forwarder on the router (host(1) complains about invalid replies), which I bypassed by connecting directly to MTNL's DNS servers. And not line length (nearly 20 feet from the wall jack), or noise as I initially thought. Indeed, it's a sweet line, with very consistent speeds. Only two disconnects so far on my watch. There does seem to be a problem with low-bandwidth apps like IM clients (which mysteriously lose connections and conversations), but maybe that's some other problem.
Now I wait for the day Indian ISPs will grow up and offer more than 256kbps without metering downloads, like say 6Mbps!
First of all, while the 1500 call center is extremely quick in issuing your work order (next day), it took upto June 22 for someone to call me up and ask if I had asked for a Triband connection. On replying that my broadband connection was well and fine, he disconnected and then called back to ask if I indeed had Triband or some other connection! Talk about organizational ignorance.
Anyway, I had to go buy my own DSL "router", a D-Link 502-T, as they finally told me that modems were out of stock. Once that was done, my connection was up in 3 days. Here's the complete chronology:
May 29: Apply to 1500.
May 30: Work order issued.
June 6: Account created on MTNL's servers. 150 MB used up for testing (?)
June 12: I get back from Bangalore, and am concerned nobody's called back.
June 13,14,15: Run around on the telephone calling up everybody, and all they do is redirect me to other numbers. But they do this very helpfully :-).
June 16: Finally reach somebody who's supposed to come and deliver the modem, but that person tells me modems are out of stock, and will take another 3--4 weeks. Yikes! Go and buy modem the same day, sets me back plenty, but heck, I'm not penny wise and pound foolish. Spend hours trying to configure the modem (as they've told me that my connection is already enabled). After a midnight call to 1504, I'm told maybe the exchange hasn't enabled DSL on my line yet. Thankfully, Saturday's a working day.
June 17: Call up, and am told that work is done. But since the ADSL light on my modem is not lighting up ("DSL Carrier Down" in the logs), a double check reveals that indeed some work is remaining at their end. Not my fault then. Tell me that it will be done by end of day.
June 18: DSL is not yet up, and my phone line goes dead. My mood gets mean.
June 19: Afternoon, phone line comes back up, and hurray, ADSL light starts blinking, indicating modem is "training". However, it never turns solid (indicating connection), and I make a call to the exchange. In between the call, it connects! I quickly check out if the Net works, and it does! It's very very slow however. But I think that's a problem at my end. I do the "reset" test --- switching the modem off and trying again. Unfortunately just blinking, but no connection. Make a call again, and same results -- it's connected! Turns out that I need to pick up my phone (on a parallel line) for a few seconds to connect. And I thought I had left dial-up behind!
June 22: Some guy calls asking if I had asked for Triband, is rather surprised that it's already installed, and thankfully cancels the monthly rental.
June 30: 1500 calls back and asks if everything is done. Surprised that I bought my own modem, but said they'll not charge me the security deposit. That about wraps it up I think.
Well, the slowness I experienced was a result of a problem with the DNS forwarder on the router (host(1) complains about invalid replies), which I bypassed by connecting directly to MTNL's DNS servers. And not line length (nearly 20 feet from the wall jack), or noise as I initially thought. Indeed, it's a sweet line, with very consistent speeds. Only two disconnects so far on my watch. There does seem to be a problem with low-bandwidth apps like IM clients (which mysteriously lose connections and conversations), but maybe that's some other problem.
Now I wait for the day Indian ISPs will grow up and offer more than 256kbps without metering downloads, like say 6Mbps!
Monday, June 19, 2006
Motorola RAZR V3i + Gtkpod
If you want to use the Motorola iTunes enabled phones, make sure:
1) You run the packaged Windows iTunes on the phone atleast once before running gtkpod.
This seems to setup the correct directory structure, and (more importantly) the correct encoding inside the iTunesDB file.
2) You're running a CVS version of GtkPod (0.99.6CVS works for me).
Then, you don't need the Windows iTunes anymore.
Enjoy!
1) You run the packaged Windows iTunes on the phone atleast once before running gtkpod.
This seems to setup the correct directory structure, and (more importantly) the correct encoding inside the iTunesDB file.
2) You're running a CVS version of GtkPod (0.99.6CVS works for me).
Then, you don't need the Windows iTunes anymore.
Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)