NOTE: When you see < enter >, hit the enter key, do not actually type it.

A starting note: By default, this device will NOT use full EVDO revA speeds. You need to edit a file to increase the limit in order to take advantage of it:

1) Use a text editor to edit the file located: /etc/ppp/peers/cdma

2) Change the number in the file from 115200 to 921600.

=====================

NOTE: This device MUST be activated prior to following these instructions. If it is NOT activated, you MUST activate it beforehand.

NOTE: This guide will ONLY work with the Sprint Novatel u727, as the vendor and product ID are hard coded into the file you will download.

Now, to get your Novatel u727 working on Xandros Linux with your EEE PC:

1) Download the attached file, airprime.ko

2) Save the file to your Desktop, and make sure you know the case-sensitive path: /home/user/Desktop

3) Hit CTRL + ALT + T to open a terminal.

4) Plug the Novatel u727 into a USB port.

5) Type: sudo cd /lib/modules/2.6.21.4-eeepc/kernel/drivers/usb/serial < enter >

5) Type: sudo mv airprime.ko airprime.ko.old < enter >
NOTE: This backs up your old airprime.ko file.

6) Type: sudo cp /home/user/Desktop/airprime.ko airprime.ko < enter >
NOTE: This will copy the airprime.ko file to the correct directory where the modprobe command will look for it.

7) Type: sudo eject /dev/sr0 < enter >

8) Type: sudo modprobe -r airprime < enter >
NOTE: This will remove the old airprime.ko if it was loaded before you copied the new one.

9: Type: sudo modprobe airprime < enter >
NOTE: This will load the airprime driver.

10: Type: sudo pon cdma < enter >
NOTE: This will start the connection.

NOTE: Hitting CTRL+C will terminate the connection.

h/t to Diane Ellen for the original instructions and Zaurus6k for compiling the module.

I've been wanting to do this for awhile, but I kept putting it off. I finally decided I'd work on it while I still have some free time before classes start again.

While I think Wordpress is a fantastic piece of software, I've come to really enjoy working with Drupal. It's much more than a simple blogging platform, it's a true content management system.

I'm still working on converting all of my old posts and content. The 24 screensavers and ringtones collection will be back online sometime in the next week or so.

I have to say it was completely worth standing in line for 6 hours to get one on opening day so I could take it with me on my trip (was leaving the next day). I got there around 4:30 in the morning, figuring I’d beat all the people who would try to get there around 5.. It ended up being the perfect time to get there, after all the folks who had decided to spend the night, but before almost anyone else who wanted to get there early.

It was a pretty interesting experience. You definitely build a camaraderie with the people around you in line.. I was next to several business owners, one guy who runs some multi-million dollar online social networking thing that has a base of operations in GSO, another one who paid his secretary to hold his spot in line until he got there, and then bring coffee and breakfast, and another guy about my age going to college.. We had some pretty interesting conversations about Apple, Microsoft, Linux, technology in general, and all sorts of stuff. I think I’d definitely go again for a new product release, but probably not if the weather was horrible or it was really cold out like for Black Friday with the people standing outside Best Buy or whatever..

I was actually lucky to get the one I wanted (let alone one at all) even though I was something like 15-20th in line, the store only got 40 units in total, which was stunning to me and pretty much everyone else in line. We expected them to have at least 100 at the minimum.

The store opened at 8, but the manager and a few employees didn’t come out until about 7:30, and by that time there were already around 150-200 people standing in line. They told those of us at the front that they had only gotten 40 in total, and said they’d come out and speak to the other people after they opened the store.. and by the time they did, many who didn’t get one that day had already been standing around for more than 2 hours..

As you can expect, they weren’t happy.

I halfway expected there to be a geek revolt, but everyone was pretty chill. The line definitely thinned out at the back after that, but some hardcore people stood around to be among the first to have their orders placed for the next units they’d get in.

It actually took a bit longer than I expected it would to get people in and out of the store, they were having massive problems “activating” the phone through their special version of iTunes.. (which I used to get the $36 activation fee waived a few weeks later when I called AT&T support over questions in my bill, I’d recommend doing the same if you’re one of the people who were forced to go home without an activated phone, or you just want to get out of paying it), so I didn’t get into the store until about 10:30 despite my prime spot in line.

It took longer for me than most other people in the store, because they had problems porting my number from Sprint. First they kept getting an error saying that it required a country to be entered, even though they had no such field in the form they used. The guy who was checking me out was pretty frustrated, he’d been having similarly stupid issues all morning, so I don’t blame him. He restarted the process by rebooting their system entirely, somehow clearing the error, and then Sprint denied it for an incorrect password. I later found out that when I had called to change my PIN awhile back, the person at Sprint reversed the last two digits. They decided to give me a temporary number, but after the guy let me pick one of the ones specifically, their system froze up and he had to start over, this time just picking a random one.. which was a shame, because the last 4 digits of the one I picked were something like 4455.. which was really nice, and I thought I might just keep.

I wound up with either the last (or second to last, depending on who actually checked out first) black 16gb model.. They had got 20 8gb models (black), 10 16gb (white) models, and 10 16gb (black) models.

Things I’d do differently next time:

For starters, bring a chair. My legs started to cramp a bit at around 10. If I’m moving around I don’t have any problem being on my feet, but your knees lock up standing in one spot and not moving for long periods of time.

I’d also not bring a book, I didn’t think there’d be as much talking as there was, and I’d be able to read.. but I never even opened the cover because of all the interesting conversations happening around me.

I’d probably bring a snack and something to drink, something that could fit into my pocket and not be a hassle. One of the business people shared coffee, which was amazing.

As far as the phone, it definitely exceeded my expectations and certainly lives up to the hype I had heard prior to buying one.

I’m continually amazed at how well everything works together without any hassle.. Some of the third party applications are just fantastic, and I only see it getting better as they have time to refine and update their code to fix bugs and add more features.

I have been contemplating getting a GPS for awhile now, but now there’s no need. I can find whatever I need to with ease, and if for some reason one of the applications for finding food, gas stations, hotels, or google maps can’t find it, I can always just open up Safari and look to the internets for guidance.

I also no longer have to lug my iPod around with me, since this works with all iPod car accessories, headphones, etc.. and instead of having to use one of the not all that nice organizational devices, this thing does that too.

There are a few disappointments, though. The battery life seems to go really fast for me, even though I’ve read that it’s on par or superior to other smart phones out there.. However, when I consider how much better this is than the other smart phones I played around with, including that horrendous thing Sprint is selling, the Instinct), I’d say it’s well worth it to have to charge it as often as I do.

And really, how often are you away from your car, your computer, or a wall socket for longer than a day nowadays?

I know it’s been awhile since I’ve posted, been massively busy with school and trying to get the other site up and running. But I’m back, for now!

With the revelation that McCain has traded in his maverick badge for a rubber stamp, and will be allowing the torture to continue, I thought it would be a good time to write something.

The bad news is that Mr. Bush, as he made clear yesterday, intends to continue using the CIA to secretly detain and abuse certain terrorist suspects. He will do so by issuing his own interpretation of the Geneva Conventions in an executive order and by relying on questionable Justice Department opinions that authorize such practices as exposing prisoners to hypothermia and prolonged sleep deprivation. Under the compromise agreed to yesterday, Congress would recognize his authority to take these steps and prevent prisoners from appealing them to U.S. courts. The bill would also immunize CIA personel from prosecution for all but the most serious abuses and protect those who in the past violated U.S. law against war crimes.

It really bothers me that these people will simply be suspects. What happened to a uniquely American principle of “Innocent until proven guilty”? If we’re so sure these people are terrorists, why are we afraid to try them in a full and open court — whether military or civilian?

Why do we feel the need to deny them access to evidence, and allow things like hearsay and other things that we’d NEVER approve of being used against our soldiers in order to attempt to get a conviction?

I’m also incredibly dissapointed in McCain, who I believe for purely political reasons, has been abandoning more and more his principles in hopes of increasing his support amongst neocons who generally find him too “liberal”. I don’t believe for a second he actually thinks this upholds Geneva, or that torture is an acceptable method, morally or practically, of obtaining reliable intelligence information from prisoners. However, with the White House being willing to brand those who oppose them as wanting to protect the rights of terrorists more than the lives of Americans, it’s not suprising he was willing to fold like a house of cards.

It’s also really quite extrordinary that Bush feels America, as but one signatory to the Geneva Conventions, have some right to once again take unilateral action in interpreting them. Everyone knows that over the last few years our reputation in the world has sharply declined. European countries in particular have been unwilling to take a more active role in Iraq or stay strong and back up American foreign policy decisions.. and yet, instead of making an effort to bring them on board with our desire to have “clarification” (as if it’s needed) by say, holding an international summit with the rest of the signatories and coming to more strict conclusions about what Common Article 3 says, once again we brush them aside as though they’re somehow unworthy of active participation in something that will negatively impact captured soldiers for generations to come.

That arrogance, combined with yet another example of short sightedness on the part of the Bush Administration about the implications for soldiers on the battlefield who are captured is really the problem. Colin Powell and others feel we’re beginning to lose the moral high ground to continue this fight. To terrorists.. and unfortunately, I’m in agreement with them. While I do not equate ourselves morally with the terrorists, there is no good reason that America should even begin heading down that road.

I’m reminded of a quote that I feel puts succinctly why I feel the way I do about where Bush is dragging America:

“He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”

- Nietzsche

We would do well to abide by it.