My technolust is raging for the Neo1973 from FIC and OpenMoko. It’s a Linux based smartphone with a retardedly high resolution screen, coming out in October. The developer version is already out (this isn’t vapourware), but it lacks a few features like WiFi.

I’m just really, really excited for a completely open phone. I’m currently using a Sony Ericsson k800i, which is a great phone, but it’s loaded with this goddamned Optus My Zoo Now java app that can’t be removed. The shortcut to it is located on the same softkey as the hang up button, meaning that if someone I’m talking to hangs up a call before I do, it loads. This wouldn’t be too much of a problem, except that it’s really, really poorly written and takes a good few minutes to load, during which time you can’t do anything else on the phone. If you try and kill it early, it usually crashes the phone. This is very frustrating behaviour.

Having a completely open phone will mean that crap like this doesn’t happen. Having a phone that runs on Linux will mean that I can use tools like cron. My dream is to have the phone set to automatically mirror smh.com.au/text every morning while it’s at home on my home WiFi network. That’s the main thing I use my data connection for anyway, and it doesn’t change throughout the day. I could have the entire newspaper sitting locally on my phone, loading lightning fast, and it wouldn’t cost me a cent. If I could get that set up the lack of UMTS wouldn’t even bother me.

Also, it would support SyncML meaning I could sync it up with whatever I please. No vendor lock-in like with ActiveSync, gah.

All in all, October is going to be a great month for geekery. Gutsy Gibbon drops and the consumer version of the Neo1973 is released to market. Glee!

I was in my local newsagent today buying a bus ticket when I spied this little fellow peering out at me from behind the counter.

Tux has been popping up in an awful lot of places that are completely unrelated to Linux lately. I wonder if there’s an undercover geek hidden away at Woman’s Day somewhere?

Clare and I played golf yesterday, which was fancy, but is not the point of this story. The point of the story is that I hit a 200m drive. (There was a bit of an elevation advantage, but it wasn’t massive). It went fairly straight, sliced to the right a bit as my shots are wont to do and ended up on the fringe of the fairway about 50 metres from the hole. The fact that I then completely muffshanked my chip and all subsequent shots is also not the point of the story.

Later in the game, on the 9th and last hole I hit a 5 wood 150m uphill onto the freaking green.

Bear in mind when reading this that I am a truly rubbish golfer, and am bloody proud of those two shots. We were playing at the local course down at Castle Cove.

I haven’t updated in a while and I feel bad. I had electricians in my house for most of the day  today. They were nice chaps, but with the amount of time they spent here I’m really worried about the amount of money it’s going to end up costing. I haven’t been sent the bill yet and I’m worried. Owing a house really sucks at times.

Also, I went to the dentist the other day for the first time in about 8 years. It reminded me why I waited 8 years between trips. All he really did was check me out and clean off the tartar buildup, but that sucked. Now my teeth are constantly cold and it hurts. I think that tartar was like my mouth’s warm wooly winter blankey that the mean dentist man stole. Now they’re sad. I have to go back and get one filling in one of my wisdom teeth and a couple of fissure seals on my other teeth. I made him give me drugs since there’ll be drills involved.

Also, I’m going to go and testride a bike I’ve had my eye on for ages tomorrow. It’s the Sachs MadAss 125. Stupid name, but looks like a great little ride that fits my criteria of cheap, small and cheap. I just want something that’s going to be dirt cheap to run, that will get me from work to uni and back with the odd trip into the city and to the shops, and that will be small enough to park anywhere, filter easily and throw through corners. The bike is basically a postie with a big bore kit and a manual gearbox, so it should be a bit quicker than the standard CT110. That should mean it’ll cruise comfortably at 80 and get up to 90 when pushed. Fine for my needs. I just need to make sure that it’ll do it while carting my carcass up a hill. Thus, the test ride. I was going to go on Monday, but it rained all damn day. Tuesday I was at work so of course the weather was magnificent. Wednesday I had work in the morning then by the time I was done with the dentist there was no time. Today I had the sparkies in all morning then work in the arvo, weather again was glorious. So tomorrow morning, before work, should finally be the day, barring torrential downpour. I know I could go and ride it even if it rains a bit, but I’m wary of riding an unfamiliar bike in the wet, especially when my riding experience is pretty damned limited anyway.