One of the neat new applications I am getting the opportuniyt to play with (thanks to one of my clients), is OpenLaszlo. OpenLaszlo is a web application framework that provides an asynchronous web application framework which is not based on AJAX. OpenLaszlo is a Tomcat based Java app, which provides a very rich XML based (looks like html) programming language, which allows you to generate Flash based "Asynchronous Flash and XML" (AFAX?) applications. Some of the bonuses are better animation and graphical capabilities.

The drawback is the need to support a Tomcat install on top of your Apache instance, but that is not so bad, since the OpenLaszlo package is SO GOOD. There is even a beta quality IDE for eclipse! My current job is writing an embedded video player which will play movies described in an RSS feed. I have already written a bridge to allow Typo3 to generate and compile Laszlo scripts.

So we finally bit the bullet and purchased a "real" espresso machine. We had been suffering through far too many Tim Hortons (which are admittedly the best of the drip coffee purveyors), and decided that enough was enough.

The Silvia is a craftsperson's machine, one which I have to admit I do not really know how to use yet. It is unforgiving of poor technique, and requires a high quality grinder (which I do not have yet either) to get decent results. It does however generate some of the best coffee I have ever had when used correctly. We ran off several dozen shots over the last couple of days in order to test it, and practice. We learned some hard lessons about tamping and grind consistency.

The local coffee shop (Coffee King) was very helpful in supplying "throwaway" beans that we could use for practice roasting, as well as some really good house blend for the actual keeper espressos.

Now that I have the base equipment, I suppose that my geek side is going to take over. I am already contemplating a PID Loop modification...

Update: Helen and I have both gotten some pretty amazing shots out of the machine tonight. The timing and volume seem to be the issue. To be short, the perfect espresso shot seems to be a light tamp on slightly finely ground coffee, and 25-28 seconds to pour the full 2 oz shot.

Isn't it strange how your time seems to slip away on you? I had really planned on keeping this blog updated on a regular basis after getting back from Defcon, but I ended up going on several more business trips, and never really had the time.

Todo list for the next few days:

• Torrent server for RantMedia
• Fly to Toronto
• Build a massive CMS system
• Build a (potentially) even more massive POSTFIX install
• Fly to Dallas to deliver on the previous two projects
• "Learn some folks" about LDAP
• Update Cthuugle
• Finalize my "embedded CAN bus project"
• Go to someplace in the carribean and turn the brain OFF

P.S. Hello to Buck, Radek, Jason, and anybody else who thought I was dead ;)

Unfortunately, the hotel mistakenly billed me for $757US in room charges, which I will have to fight over.

I did however get some cool pix. The gallery is chock full of Defcon alumnus.

Maybe I should ask Major to give me a hand with my troubles ;)

I leave for Vegas in the morning, to run video/cable/networking stuff for Defcon. I am betting that I will have a blast. Going with me is Sparky, who will be handling some video tasks. Hopefully I will bring back a ton of good pics, and maybe and interview or two.

Just a quick set of updates:

• The Mini-itx board combo server for the channel scroller at defcon is working. Now I can use my laptop while I am there
• The avr-gcc crossdev AVR GCC package on gentoo is fux0r3d, but you can copy the avr-gcc binaries into /usr/bin to fix the problem. Done
• THe belligerator's accelerometer is now connected. See previous.
• I am working on a giant form generation project for a local client

The poor little belligerator has not made much progress as of late, but I have finally attached the head, and the rate sensor is connected. There is a little drift (around 1%) which I have been able to remove with a little clever code, but I have yet to set up the tilt sensor, or to code the kalmann filter.

I am also using a boot loader on this project, since I have finally tired of detonating avrisp programmers.

Next on the plan is setting up the PID loop, extending the torso (the mass moment of inertia is way too low right now)

Once this device is balancing, I will re-evaluate whether to continue with this small scale robot, or build something larger. Paradoxically, it is often cheaper to build big than small, and big allows for more interesting mistakes ;)

PyChannels now has a complete set of features. I am going to fix a couple of things so that the correct channel info displays, but the paragraph rendering and vertical scrolling is now completely debugged. Memory loss (the scourge of Python server coding) is also manageable right now.

Feel free to download the existing code and give it a try.

So... I am just taking a few moments to post that I HATE WORKING LATE.

In related news, I am working on a new charge pump design, which is improving testing my analog design skills yet again. This one has a less stinky and explosive more, um, graceful failure mode than the last one.

I can remember a time not long hence where the most important thing I was worried about was whether my design would work in the first place. Now the thing I worry about most is whether I will get sued when some redneck idiot hooks the power up backwards while installing the device nude, and lights his dangly parts on fire.

In other related news, I am getting really tired of freebies. So many coding projects that are effectively giving my life away one small morsel at a time.

Finally, I think I have a vitamin deficiency or something. Can you believe how negative I am being? Sheesh!

One of my responsibilities for Defcon this year is going to be a channel information "ticker" for the TV feeds at the hotel. Channel 2 will be replaced with this neat little app, which should be completed fairly soon. I am posting this test release just so that everybody can get a quick feel for it.

More news follows...