Some facts and news

Programing for a console is known as Homebrew
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_ds_homebrew

Use a DS, and storage device, such as a R4.

Download all of these (for linux):
devkitarm, libNds, DSwifi::
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=114505

and PAlib
http://www.palib.info/wiki/doku.php

Decompress them, each on on its own folder, in:
/user/local/devkitpro

It should looks something like this:

/
|--user
       |--local	
	     |--devkitpro
		|-devkitARM
		|-libnds
		|-PAlib
		|-PAlibDoc Eng
		|-PAlibDoc Fr
		|-PAlibExamples
		|-PAlibTemplate

add these Path modifig the /etc/environment with a text editor
$ gksudo gedit /etc/environment

DEVKITPRO="/user/local/devkitpro"
DEVKITARM="/user/local/devkitpro/devkitARM"
PAPATH="/user/local/devkitpro/PAlib"

It is possible to use an emulator for tests
NO$GBA
It has a version for DOS but it can be run with the DOS emulator (hehe), for example dosbox.

There is another emulator called Desmume but I got an error when trying to use it.

The T5 has a different configuration that all other palm models. To use it:

gksudo gedit /etc/udev/rules.d/10-custom.rulesa

The followinf is for all palm devices except T5:

BUS="usb", SYSFS{product}="Palm Handheld*", KERNEL="ttyUSB*", NAME{ignore_remove}="pilot", MODE="666"

For the T5 use instead:
BUS="usb", SYSFS{product}="palmOne Handheld*", KERNEL="ttyUSB[13579]", SYMLINK="pilot

Save and add the pilot-applet

In Devices, check to be USB and

/dev/pilot (not: /dev/ttyUSB1)
57600



To install .prc files use gpilot-install-fole -later filename.prc
and synchonize

sometimes errors occur (kill the gpilotd processes). 
ps -A | grep gpilotd

kill processidnumbrer

some pictures of Ice
http://ice-photo.y7.net/gallery.htm

An intereting site about Halos, Rainbows, Scattering and othe phenomena in the skies:
http://www.atoptics.co.uk/

This site has scientific explanations easy to understand and is available in spanish as well... good job
http://www.visionlearning.com/

I found this applet that makes tiles.  I am having fun making some interesting designs http://www.angelfire.com/mn3/anisohedral/tile/Tile.html

I found this applet that makes tiles.  I am having fun making some interesting designs http://www.angelfire.com/mn3/anisohedral/tile/Tile.html

Finally worldcup finished.  Italy surprised this time.  The mexican team was not good nor bad.  I have discovered that when they wear green t-shirt, they are powerfull, but in white they dont play good. Hopefully FIFA wold arrange this problem of changing uniforms. 

In past tournaments, the mexican team had reached the second phase of the tournament so it is spected in this time to get further than that.  The team has confidence, but this can be a double sided sword if it is turned into over-confidence.  This is not the case since even to weak oponents, the tempo was never down (getting victories of 10-0 and 8-0 over Dominica).  D.T. La  Volpe had been critizised but overall has shown good results.  The team has grown so straight that even one of the best players in mexico will not be needed.   Mexico was allready world champion in sub 17, so it showed that it is not impossible. 

It has been some years from now when first Napster opened a window for a new way of using the internet.  Using Peer-to-Peet technology it is possible to share any kinf of files including music and video, creating problems with some companies that claimed copyright infrigment.

The same technology can be used to watch TV channels from around the world.  Although the ame copyright problems have raised, it is possible to watch many channels, specially from china. 

Some open channels from Mexico include, Noticieros televisa, Once TV and Azteca 13.  Anyway I have not find fun programs on those channels, so I will keep watching Chinese TV, even I can't understand a word.

Some people think that a Palm can be used only for writting phone numbers and appointments, but the truth is that it can do a lot more tht that, as explained in "La PDA de Tungsteno"

Learning a new language requires time(patience), practice, self-dicipline and most of all motivation. In the area of practice, technology can be used to make more practical our study using some programs in the Palm. For the other aspects, the Palm can not help, in other words, having this programs installed will not be usefull if you don't use them.

In case of the japanese language, there are some tools that make worth investing on a Palm. Here are the ones I use:

PAdict - A free software that combines efforts of many people by merging various together. It makes it possible to write a kanji, hiragana and katakana and search for words and compounds (using Edict free dictionary). very neat. also includes pocketkanji wich shows the way the kanjis are written and their individual meaning, and sounds (onyomi and kunyomi). You can look a kanji by radical (very usefull if you dont know how to write it). Search in english. a must have!


Super Memo - This software can be used to learn anything, not only japanese. I find it very nice. every day it gives you an exam and you evaluate your self. Depending on how much you know, it prepares the exam of next day, so you will always know what do you need to study, and stop wasting time studing what you allready know. There are some free databases, including the one of 2000 kanji from Todd Rudick (rikai.com), but you can make your own directly or by notepad, world, excel... Recomended to all students that have a palm.

J-OS - Makes your palm able to use japanese characters (reading and writting in roman alphabet -romaji-, for writting in kana or kanji PAdict can be used). This software is not needed for PAdict (because it has its own fonts) but it is needed for the Super Memo database and the following dictionary. The downside it cost 40 dollars (wich in Japan is not so expensive but anyway I think it is over priced). Anyway, as I told before, is a must have for using the SuperMemo 2000 Kanji Database and the following dictionary and also for reading japanese documents.
UPDATE: i found an alternative software called JaPon but I have not tested it

WDIC - Is a software for reading dictionaries written in the PDICT (.dic) format (a format developed in japan for electronic dictionaries -I don't know if it has been used in other countries-). So there are some diccionares that are sold in CD (and some free to download) with this format that you can use in your PC, but with this you can use them also in the palm. The ultimate English<>Japanese Diccionary is Eijiro, that can be used for free in this website www.alc.co.jp but it is not free for having it on the PDICT format, the price is 1980 yen and can be purchased here. It takes 214Mb so a memory card is needed... But wait, you can also use de free Edict Dictionary (same as in PAdict) for English->Japanese and its counterpart Waeiji for Japanese->English, Peter Rivard explains this. I still have not purchase Eijiro, but the sample sentences are very good, i will purchase it in the near future.
So, why use WDICT and not just use PAdict? Installing also WdicDA and DALauncher (from same guy of J-OS but free), you can look for japanese meanings and readings from any other application. Very usefull when studing the 2000 kanji database in supermemo. If you don't know how it is readed (most of the time) you can look for it at the moment without exiting the application (a popup window cames on top). Also Peter Rivard explains this. Other reason is that there are 2 little spanish->japanese dictionaries as well here and here.


Learn Alphabets - Very usefull to paractice and test your understanding of kanji (Todd Rudick (rikai.com) has databeses for this). Also very good for begginers learning Hiragana and Katakana.

PalmPDF - there are some usefull PDF in the web. Here is an example. This reader is much better than the one of Adobe. There others are also but not free. I tried the one of DocumentsToGo and it crashes wen opening a pdf. In PalmPDF I opened a PDF of 600 pages with no problem (took some time but less than 1 minute).

Pocket Tunes (or any MP3 Player) - Usually language learning books come with a CD, so listening to them oftenly can improve comprehension. Pocket Tunes is good because it lets you do other tasks while listening to the MP3.

King kanji is other usefull software but I have not tried out (I installed it and the demo version expired but i never used it). But with these software allready installed I dont feel like needing it.

Note: In Japan it is difficult to buy a Palm, so it is better to bring one before if you are going to there.

Thanks to:
-all developers involved in PAdict.
-Todd David Rudick for Rikaichan plugin for firefox, and "2000 kanji database"
-Peter Rivard for his Edict files for wdict and his explanation of how to instal Eijiro (and Edict) in the palm.
-Jim Breen for starting the Edict Project. It is also the base of PAdict.
-Marcos Gonzalez Troyas, his blog inspired me to write about this.

Just when we where thinking that DVD will provide us the best of video experience, we found that we wher wrong.  High Definition has been developed from many many years before, but it has been until recently that LCD televisions are making possible to have big screen TVs without having to dedicate half of a room to it.  Conventional video on those big screens dont look good (or could look better) depending on the distance from where it is watched.  If looked from far enough, the human eye doesn't distinguish between HD or not.  Also is the same in small screens.  HD is not necesary unleess looked from very near.  

This year the 2 competidors are HD-DVD (supported by Toshiba, Universal Studios, Warner Bros, Intel, Microsoft) and Blu-Ray(supported by Sony, Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Panasonic, Dell, Apple).  HD-DVD  is now in the market and Blu-Ray has suffered a delay, giving some advantage to the first one. Playstation3 will boost Blu-Ray but not before November.      

Toshiba offers now a Qosmio laptop with HD-DVD at 400,000yen.  As I said, there is no need of HD only if the screen is looked from near, so it is not worth having this drive if it is planned for watching movies.  

Is this technology worth? yes, more information can be written in the disk, including more extras, all languages (or many of them), and finally there will be an application for the HD TVs.  

Is it necesary? only if you want to recreate a cinema in your home.  (not usefull for small screens or middle size screens looked from far away).

Will be something with more resolution after? Only if can be pluged directly into your brain. Limit of human eye has been reached for this size of screen.

A new sequel of final fantasy is almost here (12).  The only think that links all of them is that always there is a character named Cid (also in the Spirits Within movie).  Some times it is a playable character and sometimes not.  Some of them are: Cid Previa from FFV (has a nephew MID, and when he dies he transmits his power to him, so you change characters);  Cid Highwind from FFVII (he is the most cool looking cid, pilot of the ship and good fighter).  Cid Kramer (He is headmaster of Balam Garden). Cid Fabool IX fom FFIX (He is the ruler of Lablun, good at constructing ships, but he is tranformed into an oglop -something like an insect- and a frog).  Cid in FFVI and FFX is also a ship pilot. In FFXII he will not be a main character.  This time looks like he will be a follower of bad fashion and will take away the cool and intelligent reputation that gained from the other games.  We'll see.

100 days left for world cup to begin