one ring - part two

So, in doing some investigation, it's clear that there are two ways that I can get my phone to give me the information that I need.

As always, one of these ways is more open to generalization and requires more effort - the other way is a quick hack that will probably work and will only work for this particular application.

As usual, I'm going to code both methods, starting with the hack.

So - the hack: I connect to WiFi networks in both my home and workplace automatically when my phone gets in range. Once this connection occurs, I'll set a bit on my home webserver that tells it what SSID I'm connected to, then I'll issue the appropriate GET and POST commands, and do some XML magic (which I haven't figured out yet) to tell Google Voice where I am, and have it ring the appropriate number.

Sounds easy - now I just need to learn PHP and Cocoa and Objective C.

The more complicated and more generalizable method will involve more HTTP server code to create an interface to geotag locations and have the phone let it know when I get within a certain distance of the them - either by automatically running as a background process - by pushing requests to the phone via APC, or by invoking it manually.. that part will be fun. :)

one ring to rule them all!

Unfortunately, no, I don't mean the One Ring.

I'm talking about Google Voice. I have a GV number and it's great! I can give out one phone number and receive calls on whatever phone I happen to be nearest, but to do so requires either a bit of monkeying with a webUI, or knowing what days and times I'll be at certain locations.

Seems a bit, well, low tech to me.

I have an iPhone that is pretty much with me all the time, but my cell reception is terrible in my house. I could still use my SIP account and my WiFi to make/take calls on my iPhone, but mostly I just use my landline. It would be nifty if GV knew I was at home (I know, a little creepy too, but bear with me) and automagically routed calls my way.

Such a thing is possible, I'm sure, but it'll require some code, and a few hacks that are likely to be specific to my GV account - unless there is a GV API that I'm unaware of.

This blog doesn't get a lot of readers, but if you happen to know, drop me a line, I'll send some interesting code your way when I get it working.

FWIW, I've already found some bits here: http://posttopic.com/topic/

google-voice-add-on-development - but that's not really suitable to my needs. It still might help you if you're trying to do something similar, but different.

brewing again

Okay - so I've moved to a new place.

I have a yard, which means I have some outdoor space to do constructive and destructive things.

It's time to get serious about brewing. Really serious.

Over the course of the past 7 years (gees, has it been that long?) I've been content with stovetop partial mash brewing. My fitful attempts at full mash brewing have been less than adequate. Hell - even in my most recent partial mash brew I achieved less than total conversion of the grain component. I had no extra extract to throw in, so I had to adjust the gravity by adding less than the total 5 gallons of water that my recipe originally called for... tragic, but probably better than risking a really weak beer. As it is, this is an Irish red ale, which will be considerably lower gravity than the Belgian style ales that I've been brewing most recently.

Assuming I get close to perfect attenuation for the yeast strain I got (which isn't guaranteed - I didn't cultivate this strain) I'll end up with an ABV around 5.2%. Good enough for beer, but nowhere near the 9-15% that I've been cooking up with the past few batches.

But beer isn't all about the alcohol..

So - I'm designing a HERMS (Heat Exchanged Recirculating Mash System) - but find myself wondering if I should be investing in a brewery, or just get a burner and do some 10 gallon full mash brews in the yard first and invest in a kegerator instead..

practicalbeer.com

One of my other domain names forwards here now. I intended to do something different with practicalbeer.com at one point, but I've not got around to it, and I intend to blog about beer a lot more this year, so this seemed like as good a place to start as any.

I've got ingredients on order for 10 gallons of Belgian Dubble Dubbel, minus the Belgian candy, which it seems they don't supply any more at 7 Bridges, at least not through the website, so I'm going to make it myself this time. That should be interesting, and another thing to blog about!!

This time, I'll take pictures.

Terrified

link

I'm terrified of what my future holds..

strong in you, Thanatos is

Sigmund Freud was a pathological wacko. He was also an unmitigated genius. Finding which bits of his theories were genius and which were insane is a difficult exercise for experts, which I am not. Therefore, this is a pop-psychology opinion of mine and nothing more, but I think that Thanatos has ruled my life for far, far too long, and it's time for Eros to take hold.

How do I accomplish this?

I don't know. But discovery is a journey, not a destination.

bye bye AdSense

I was horrified to find out that there was a big Yes on Prop 8 banner on my blog. Turns out someone is paying google to put that on blogs with AdSense enabled. So.. I could configure AdSense to filter this from my blog, but since I get no money from them anyway, I just removed it.

Bye bye AdSense.

If you'd like to know how I really feel - go here or here or here.