Snapshots

I just upgraded my Thunderbird email client to version 3. This version offers several enhancements including tabs, search, message archiving, among others. Emails are now loaded in separate tabs (just like Firefox) instead of windows, enabling users to quickly jump between them. It also now offers email search with search results displayed in a tab. It contains filtering and timeline tools to pinpoint exactly what email you’re looking for. Message archiving is also now supported. Instead of deleting emails you no longer need, you can now archive them into the new archive folder system. There is also the Smart Folders feature which merge special folders, like Inbox, from different accounts into a single Inbox folder. Of course, if you want to view these special folders separately, you can simply select the All Folders view and the folders are again split according to accounts automatically.

Unfortunately, the new version does not yet support Lightning, a calendar extension for thunderbird. After I upgraded, the Lightning add-on was disabled. This is one of the most important add-ons for me so without it I would have to stick with version 2. After searching the web for possible work around, I read that the nightly build of Lightning already worked without problem with version 3. When I tried it, I was also able to install the add-on and it worked without any problem. You can download the release I used from here. The page also contains the Google data provider add-on which you’ll need if you are using Lightning with your Google calendar.

Google Wave has been making a lot of buzz in the online world recently. According to Wikipedia, “it is a web-based service, computing platform, and communication protocol designed to merge email, instant messaging, wikis and social networking.” It’s an all-in-one application touted to change the way we communicate on the web.

Currently, it is only in limited preview and you need an invite to be able to use it. Curious that I am, I requested an invitation. I got one last Nov. 30. Using my existing Google account, I signed up immediately. It was quite easy and I was done in no time at all. After viewing some introductory videos, I got one big problem – I have no one to ‘wave’ to! No one in my contact list has Google wave! Well, Google allows you to invite 8 people so that you can start ‘waving’. But for now, I have to wait for my friends to signup.

I have been using VMware Player for sometime now. I used it to run Linux virtual machines on my Windows PC. It is really convenient. Instead of dual-booting the PC with Linux, you can just used VMware player to run Linux in a virtual machine. You then have two operating systems running at the same time.

Unlike Virtual PC, the previous version of VMware player doesn’t allow you to create a virtual machine without resorting to any work around. You need to have VMware workstation to create one, although the player can also run virtual machines created by other vendors. So I was really surprised when I upgraded to version 3.0, the most recent version. With version 3.0, you can now create new virtual machines, even without VMware workstation. Moreover, VMware tools are also now available. You can install these tools into the virtual machine to enhance the integration with the host OS.  It has also a feature called Unity, but I have not tried this yet. Here is a snapshot of a running VMware player.

We were visiting Kanagawa last weekend. Kathy attended a research meeting in Yokosuka City and Aya and I tagged along. Yokosuka is along the coast and we did have a wonderful view of the Yokohama Bay. The hotel is facing the dark blue sea. Nearby is a ‘boardwalk’ where you can stroll along the seashore. Aya collected a couple of seashells as we walked along. We were also able to visit the lighthouse, which is just a short distance from the hotel. On our way back, we dropped by Hakkeijima aqua museum, one of the major attractions of Yokohama sea paradise. See some photos below.

Its getting colder these days. The trees are shedding off their leaves. Leaves scattered all over the ground. Brown, red, orange, and yellow colors engulfed the mountains. Even trees in the park are changing. Night arrives early and sunrise is a bit late. Noon time is cool and the night colder. Fall is here and soon winter.

Okay, I still don’t have the device, which now costs USD 259.00 from Amazon. But Amazon just released Kindle for PC, a free application for Windows 7, Vista, and XP. You can download it from here. It is around 5.17MB and the installation is really fast. After installation, you can run the application, which will then ask your Amazon account (email and password). You can start browsing the Kindle Store for books you like. Since I don’t have a book in mind yet, I just sample a couple of books. You can try some of the books for free. The sample only contains the first few pages. If you’re interested, there is a Buy button, which you can click to buy the kindle version of the book. The interface is also very simple. Well, this is still a beta version.

We are currently visiting the Ibaraki flower park. Unfortunately, the weather is not cooperating. Its cold and overcast and I think it will rain later. The first thing that greats us is the rose garden. There are many roses with different colors and they are in full bloom. Red, yellow, pink, blue, etc. There are also huge dahlias. Some are as big as my face. What a wonder. Kathy and Aya are now taking pictures of the flowers. Got to join them.

Meet Blacky and Photon, current residents of our newly revived aquarium. This is not really the original Photon as the first one died just a couple of days after placing them in the aquarium. I didn’t know why. Kathy just discovered it one night. Maybe it was the water quality. Two days earlier, the water started to turn cloudy that I had to apply some treatment before the water returned to normal. Or maybe the fish was just sick. But it looked healthy and there was no sign whatsoever that it was sick. Anyway, we bought another one as a replacement. Same color but a little bit bigger than the first. So far, so good.

iPhone has a new version – the 3Gs. It is faster than the 3G, includes video, and has a higher image resolution, among other enhanced features. It is also cheaper compared to what I am currently paying with my 3G. Unfortunately, I still have a year in my current contract with Softbank so I cannot upgrade without paying a penalty. I therefore have no option but to wait for another year before upgrading. But by then, I think a newer version will become available, which will be definitely better than the current one. There is wisdom in waiting.

Windows 7 will be released on October 22. The reviews are mostly positive. I have computers running in Vista and Xp. Should I upgrade? Windows 7 home premium is ¥12,994, home premium family pack is ¥25,199 (good for 3 computers), professional is ¥18,601 and ultimate is ¥24,690. One problem is that only Japanese version is available in Japan. I can buy the ultimate version, which will allow you to switch to several languages. But it is the most expensive and I think I don’t need all the extra features. My current setup is still working fine. So I think I can wait a little longer before upgrading.

And there is Amazon Kindle. The list is growing.

Amazon Kindle is one of the gadgets I would love to have. It is a reader for ebooks and sold by Amazon. Unfortunately, I am living in Japan and it is sold only in the US. But not anymore. Recently, Amazon announced the availability of an international version of Kindle, starting October 19. Customers outside the US can now order the Kindle from amazon.com.

When I first came here in Japan more than a decade ago, finding English books in local bookstores was impossible. Only big bookstores such as Kinokuniya or the Yaesu bookstore near Tokyo station have English books. I still remember ordering books from BOMC (book of the month club) from the US. I don’t know if BOMC is still around today. Then came amazon.com. But ordering from the US still takes a long time. When Amazon opened in Japan, ordering books became a lot easier. Usually, you can have the books delivered the next day.

So when I heard of Kindle the first time, I was somewhat excited. Imagine having the books you ordered in seconds after payment. No more waiting time. Unfortunately, it was only made available in the US when it was first released. It was only a couple of days ago that Amazon announced an international version of kindle, making it available to over 100 countries. Moreover, Amazon also lowers the price, making it more attractive to those with interests but still undecided like me.

Now that is something to think about.