Final Year Dissertation

iPhone App Dev

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John Rowley iPhone Development
 

must have apps for new or formatted pc

On September 2, 2010 in Development, General.
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Old PCAfter eventually grinding to an almost stop due to a C-Drive bursting at the sesames with unnecessary programs, today I decided to bite the bullet and format. It was a hard decision, with over 6 years (that’s 18 years in computer years) of old programs hidden away in the registry. After formatting and installing a fresh and shiny version of Windows 7 (which is a gem to install, by the way) I got to work installing a couple of must-have essentials for any self-respecting computer literate. Here’s a couple of the best.

First things first, security. I decided that to give the PC a fighting chance against all the inter-nasties out there, good Firewall and Antivirus protection was a must. For a Firewall, I went with PC Tools Internet Protection. This software and I go way back, and I used to use it back when it was JUST a firewall. (PC Tools Firewall Plus). Oh, how times have changed. This latest version comes as an all-in-one security gold-mine! Firewall, Anti-spyware, Anti-virus and Anti-spam all under one roof! It also comes with IntelliGuard which protects anything and everything internet related such as your cookies, browser and network. Best of all, there is a freeware version, meaning you can get all this for free (with a few more advanced features disabled, granted).

To back up the brilliant PC Tools suite I decided to go with a dedicated Anti-virus app. For this, I decided on AntiVIR by Lavasoft. Again, this software and I have a deep and long history, but it’s never once let me down, and acts promptly whenever a worm, trojan or virus somehow got onto the system. It’s also free and is a brilliant program. The only annoying thing about AntiVIR is the annoying splash screen which appears from time to time. However this can be disabled quite quickly and simply by delving into the registry a little. Or just Google it.

That was the security sorted, and after a quick reboot I got a grip on the social side of things. First up, Google Chrome to browse the internet, knowing I was safe and secure. Spotify was next, so I could install the rest of my programs while singing along to my favourite tunes, followed by Vuze (formally Azureus) and DropBox to transfer files from an online repository I had made with all my files and folders. MagicISO and MagicDisk completed the set (in order to mount virtual disks I had created containing more files) and I was well on my way.

Finally was the working man’s tools. The obvious was Microsoft Office, so I took the opportunity to try out my university allocated Office 2010 student edition. This install took a while, and was the perfect break required to grab something to eat (If you’ve ever formatted a PC before you’ll understand the burden of looking blankly at loading bar after loading bar). Last but not least was the Adobe Suite, containing Photoshop, Dreamweaver and the other’s, which any serious website designer designer and computer scientist should invest in.

New PC

So there you have it folks. There are always a couple of additional programs worth installing (Adobe PDF Reader for one) but that’s my run down of the apps I installed on day one. I must say, it feels good to see the amount of space on my C:/ Drive again, and the PC feels as sharp and responsive as the day I built her.

It, I mean it.

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Google Chrome integrates new ‘down for everyone?’ feature

On September 1, 2010 in #60SecondShout, Development, Internet.
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Ever gone to a popular website like Facebook, Twitter, Apple or even Google to find it’s down? And then have you ever wondered if it’s a problem with their server or your connection? I know I have, and it’s really frustrating, especially when you start ranting (“It’s down AGAIN!“) on Facebook (Or Twitter if Facebook is down!).

There is a simple solution. http://downforeveryoneorjustme.com is a superbly simple web 2.0 styled page that checks out a domain to see if the issue is global, or if you have just been impatient. This solves the problem, but requires going to a whole other website and copy/pasting the web URL.

Google Chrome has reportedly shortened the whole process even further, by integrating the server check function right into it’s ‘cannot find the requested page’ message. A small peice of text may now appear under the main and usual body of text which reads: “Other users are also experiencing difficulties connecting to this site, so you may have to wait a few minutes”.

A quick and nifty improvement to, in my opinion, the best browser on the market today. Way to go Chrome!

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IF statement for Internet Explorer and Chrome

On August 30, 2010 in #60SecondShout, Website Design.
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Iv’e been stuck the last few days with a seemingly simple problem to do with my big green banner on the homepage of www.JohnAlexanderRowley.com. The problem is that in Internet Explorer the fade animation causes .PNG’s to loose there alpha levels (transparency) and aquire ugly black borders for a few seconds while the animation completes.

To solve this, I wanted to use a set of IF statements (iv’e covered these previously in other IE-rant articles, but couldn’t figure why it wasn’t working this time. The soltion came after a fair while of googling and head scratching.

Rather than the simple <!--[if IE]>code if in Internet Explorer here<![endif]--> and then <!--[if !IE]>code if not in Internet Explorer here<![endif]-->. I had to use an extended version for the NOT IE (!IE). Here is what I used:

<!--[if !IE]><!-->code if not in Internet Explorer here<!--<![endif]-->.

It makes sence really, but took me ages to get my head around after I found it. Hope this helps someone as much as it helped me!

p.s. You’re NOT viewing in Internet Explorer!

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Great laptops and deals for 2010 students

On August 20, 2010 in Affiliate Marketing, General, New Technology.
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SO, laptop deals are forever changing and seemingly getting cheaper, while at the same time advancing in technology. As every student will know, a laptop can be a godsend when it comes to lectures, whether you intend to spend your time typing up lecture notes or playing tetris! Either way, here are a couple of handy tips for freshers when looking into a new purchase.

Firstly, consider its use. Will this be a workhorse laptop, a desktop replacement if you will. This is most likely the case if you are embarking on a computer based degree such as Graphic Design or Software Engineering. For that, I would recommend something with a decent Quad Core or I3 processor, 4Gb of RAM (minimum) and a decent (preferably solid state) hard-drive to quickly compile code fragments and hold them in storage. Something like the Sony VAIO F12 Core i7 Laptop (VPCF12S1EB) is a good bet, with 6Gb of RAM and an I7 Intel processor, coupled with a dedicated NVIDIA 330M graphics card. Add a 16″ screen and 500Gb of storage and you’ll be set to compile your code, model your new characters or simply watch Star-Trek via Sony’s built-in BluRay player.

Of cause not everyone needs something quite so powerful (and expensive!). A more mid-ranged laptop for those more concerned with storage for their music and photos, as well as Microsoft Office and a bunch of other freebies to boot may want to consider the Acer Aspire Timeline 3810T (LX.PCR02.021). This mid-range laptop boasts an impressive 4Gb DDR3 RAM, coupled with a core 2 Duo processor which guarantees a fast start-up time and a moderate performance throughout. It’s got pleanty of storage too, with an identical hard-drive (320Gb SATA) to the 5741 mentioned above. On top of all that, it comes with a beautiful High-Definition 13″ screen (perfect for transport) and an integrated webcam (for Skype calls to “back home”). The price of this should be a reasonable £499.97, but for a limited time UCAS are offering promotional codes giving a £100 discount on this model. (See Here)

My final choice is the Acer Aspire Timeline 5810TG (LX.PDU0X.085), a similar (improved storage and screensize) laptop to the 3810G described above. This laptop would suit most students, with a dedicated graphics card for moderate performance, as well as a 500GB SATA drive (the largest one of the three) which will ensure all your videos and photos from freshers week will be stored no problem. It’s only downside is that it doesn’t come with Windows 7. However, Laptops Direct are offering an upgrade disk which any self-respecting student could install themselves for only £50. This takes the total to £499.97, which is still £250.00 cheaper than the recommended retail price. The beautiful 15.4″ screen and built in card reader is any university student’s dream. If your a bit geeky like me, at least!

It’s an important decision; The seemingly heartless machine will become your best friend as you spend countless nights together typing up essays in the dying minutes. To make life a little easier, Laptops Direct have listed their top selections, all of which UCAS are backing. Some even have UCAS discounts! You can see their choices Here. I would personally go for the Acer Aspire Timeline 5810TG as described in the previous paragraph. It’s a lightweight, stunning and good performance laptop.

Last but not least, you want to kit out your laptop with all the goodies you can. My recommendations would be to grab yourself a security lock cable, which will fit into almost any laptop on the market today using a generally un-noticed hole on the side of the case. I’d also get a wireless mouse, as long hours using a track-pad can be uncomfortable. Finally, a case with several compartments to carry the laptop, mouse and any paper based notes / books you may want to transport all in one bag.

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Make money online: Affiliate Marketing

On August 17, 2010 in Affiliate Marketing, Internet, Website Design.
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Affiliate Marketing. Iv’e heard this word tossed around all year, but never really delved into it that much. It was only last week when writing my previous article about student laptop deals that I found myself wondering why I was sending my hard-earned traffic to another site with nothing to show, I mean, not even a friendly thank you! This, coupled with a wise word from my old manager, was enough to get my heart racing and mind into gear. “What is Affiliate marketing?” I asked myself, “and how can I use it with MY website?”.

I started by heading over to AffiliateWindow, a site all about affiliate marketing. Here it described how I could be making money online, quickly, simply and with relatively little effort. Now, to make big bucks everyone knows you need to do more than sit back and watch the money roll in (unless your Google!), but I was after a relatively small amount! It is a small venture, but a venture none-the-less!

After paying £5.00 to AffiliateWindow which has now been credited back into my bank, I started linking to merchants. Let’s go back a step to stage one for a minute: Affiliate Marketing is, in essence, using other websites (affiliates) to send traffic (customers) to eCommerce websites (merchants). If you do this and it results in a sale, you get a commission of the sale (usually about 2% – 10%). The customers can often get special discounts too. Everyone’s a winner!

There are other methods of doing Affiliate Marketing (using banners, discount codes etc) but I think this is the most popular method. It means JohnAlexanderRowley.com is officially classed as a ‘content website’ aka A website that reviews and discussed items that it is affiliated with.

Anyway, I’m already affiliated with PC World, Laptop Direct, Play, Maplin and LoveFilm – and there is more to come! Check out some of my articles which make use of this handy money making tip!

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Base SDK Missing fix for latest Xcode

On August 8, 2010 in Apple, Final Year Dissertation, iPhone.
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So, after taking Saturday off to recover from Friday night’s leaving do, I got to work first thing Sunday morning on some application development trials. However, when I went to compile and run some projects I had previously worked on there was 1 build error, despite no flags being displayed in any of the project files.

The problem was a missing base SDK, the file required to debug and run the application. To fix this was relatively simple. Go to Project > Edit project settings > Build > Base SDK and change that value to iPhone Device 4.0. Next, go to the dropdown box in the top left corner in the main window and select ‘simulator’ below device. Also make sure that ‘Debug’ is selected over ‘Release’.

This should allow the project to run in the iPhone simulator, simulating iOS 4.0. Don’t forget however, that if you want full functionality for your app, it’s worth debugging on an older version of the OS too (I’m going back to 3.2 which is what Xcode recommends) in order to make sure it works across all platforms! It’s worth also mentioning that this issue should only occur with projects created before upgrading Xcode, as the new Xcode will point to the new SDK’s by default, where as older projects will still be looking for the old (now non-existant 3.1.3). Now all I have to do is build this killer app!

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how to generate and use QR Codes effectively

On August 1, 2010 in Internet, New Technology.
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Just read a fantastic blog by Neil Smith about QR codes, and it inspired me to add a couple to my blog.

Barcodes have been around for a while, and technology is certainly moving on. Using QR codes (2 dimensional matrix barcodes) allows for a lot more information to be stored such as website addresses, phone numbers, digital signatures and other information compared to the simple number sequences of old.

To generate a QR code is simple. Just Google it. A good website is Kaywa which will let you enter a variety of information before generating a specific size QR code. There is lots of readers out there for tons of different smart phones, but my personal favorite is QuickMark which reads a variety of codes (Code 39 included!). It also has a generate option (under the ‘share’ tab) which allows you to select text, contact info and other data to be displayed on the device, ready to be scanned by another phone!

As these QR Codes start to become more and more popular we will start seeing them everywhere! I saw one just last night on ‘Big Brother’s Little Brother’, and another on an advert for some sort of beer! It’s almost like the transition from vinyl to CD (digitalization) all over again! Anyone will say they are shutting down analogue radio stations next. Oh wait…

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Final week as placement student at Fisher Scientific

On July 28, 2010 in Final Year Dissertation, Website Design.
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Ok so this isn’t a technical post, and is probably not entirely suited to the blog as a whole, but I thought I’d write a short piece on my time at Fisher Scientific as a placement student from Nottingham Trent University over the last year.

My 52nd (final) week will be commencing next week, and it’s been invaluable to be able to put previously existing skills into practise, expanding on them to reach new levels. My Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Flash, Coding and many other techniques have been greatly built upon, not to mention the professional skill-sets I have picked up along the way. It’s hard to take on board the enthusiasm of lecturers and peers alike when they talk about a year in the industry, but it has been so SO worth it!

Apart from all the brilliant new skills I have acquired, I have also gained a group of amazing friends! Ones who I hope to keep in touch with over the years. Neil, Eve, Lee, Emma, Bek and all the others at Fisher, you have made my year at Fisher educational, enjoyable and most of all fun! Thank you. Thats what is so great about a placement – It’s the whole package!

If your indecisive about a placement, please take my advice and apply! It could be one of the best things you have ever done. I know it will be one of my life long memories!

*Wipes away a fake tear, just like Neil would*

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Belkin ADSL Modem-Router internet icon blinking orange

On July 23, 2010 in General, Internet.
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Late last night I got a phonecall from my girlfriend complaining (surprise surprise!) about the internet not working. I went over to discover a ‘Belkin N Wireless ADSL Modem-Router’ with a flashing internet icon blinking orange.

After a while, searching for the solution on my iPhone, I decided to flush the IP using CMD. To do this, I opened CMD with administrator privileges, and entered the following:

> ipconfig /all
> [results returned]
> ipconfig /release
> [action completed]
> ipconfig /renew
> [action completed]

However, this didn’t work. After that, and a few other tests (changed the PPPoA to Dynamic/Static, changed subnet masks and updated firmware etc) I decided to restore the router to factory settings. SAME PROBLEM! The flashing orange icon continued to annoyingly wink at me.

This led me to believe that it was an issue before the router/modem, and an issue with the ISP. I rang them (excellent support team – Virgin Media!) and told them the issue. Although they couldn’t tell me why it had occurred in the first place, they did inform me that restoring the ADSL modem would require me to re-enter the PPPoA username and password, which he gave me.

Hay presto! It worked!

The orange blinking internet light was because the connection to the exchange servers were active, but not connected. This could be told as the ADSL light was a solid blue (showing a connection) but not logged in (orange blinking internet light!)

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Apple Lawsuit in US begins over iPhone 4 signal

On July 1, 2010 in Apple, iPhone.
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It seems Apple have been presented with what can only be imagined as the first of many lawsuits regarding the signal issues of the iPhone 4. The suit claims two american iPhone users have claimed Apple demonstrated negligence and misrepresentation with their latest version of the phone. Although I have not seen any signal issues personally, there are thousands of complaints (as well as thousands of people saying their phone is fine! – Perhaps a product line fault?).Apple Lawsuit form

Either way, Apple have responded by claiming there was a glitch in the original software regarding the signal bars, and that an update to come soon will make the signal bars more accurate and representative of the actual signal strength. To be honest it all seems a little suspect!

But all the blame can’t be put on Apple, as mobile reception can easily be boosted by carriers. For example, back when Chris Moyles was climbing kilimanjaro back in 2008 he reportedly called O2 to moan about his signal to his iPhone. O2 responded by ‘Boosting’ the signal, allowing him to have a flawless conversation with the BBC radio 1 team! Now, obviously O2 and other carriers can’t be expected to do this for every customer, but surely something should be said to the carriers as well as Apple? Scratch that, it seems AT&T are being sued too!

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