Finally

So I've finally come up with a new project to work on.  Its a small project and I'm not looking to generate any revenue from it, but I think it'll be a fun way to get back into developing some of my own software.  My current plan is to use the latest AIR SDK from Adobe and publish via the Adobe Labs Melrose tool.  AIR gives the ability to deploy to a wide variety of platforms, which will hopefully continue to grow.  Melrose takes the leg work out of having to deploy to each individual Marketplace.  More details to come as I start coding.

Idea percolating

You ever get that nagging feeling in the back of your head like there is some idea just waiting to crawl out.  I've been stuck in that mode for the past few days.  Hopefully it's a good one.

AT&T 3G MicroCell - 1 Week In

So far I've been very happy with the service.  I get 5 bars of signal almost entirely through my house.  Since my device is in one corner of my home, I do notice a signal drop to 2 bars when at the far opposite end.  That's not a big deal to me and could be fixed if I wanted to take some time to rework the positioning of my components.

Call quality has on average been very high.  Initially I went with Option A in the user manual, which has you plug the MicroCell directly into your router.  What I found though is you will definitely see some degradation in phone quality if you are doing just about anything on the Internet.  To get around this I went with Option C, which isn't even listed in the quick start guide, but the supplement guide.  For this you put the MicroCell between your router and cable modem.  Test calls have been very promising.  With my download nearly fully utilized and a torrent downloading (usually a likely killer of voip) I had crystal clear calls with everyone. 

Time will tell if the voice quality remains strong with the new setup.

AT&T 3G MicroCell Install

Picked up a 3G MicroCell yesterday for my home.  Before I always had to run my phone in edge mode and would at best get 2 bars.  Even on edge I'd still have problems maintaining calls in my basement office.  After the install, now I get 5 bars of 3G coverage all throughout my house.  The signal almost reaches out to my backyard, but its not as big of a deal to get 3G from a "real" tower when walls aren't in the way.

The install was very easy.  Originally I had wanted to install it right next to my cable modem and router, but the documentation recommended maintaining distance from the router to reduce interference.  Luckily I have a switch in my office, which has a basement window.  My only concern is how well the voice quality will be maintained when running an application like bittorrent.  I couldn't find anything in the documentation that recommended putting the MicroCell between the cable modem and router, though I had heard recommendations to do so on the internet.  If problems occur I'll have to figure something out.

Overall I'm very pleased with the hardware so far.  I know some people will complain about the need to buy a $150 piece of hardware to supplement AT&Ts network.  For me I look at it as a minimal cost over the life of my AT&T plan (guessing 2+ years min).  Unless your next to a cell tower you can usually never guarantee 5 bars of strength throughout your home.  Given that I telecommute it is key that I can maintain communication while at home.  Its not for everyone, but I know for some it will be a valuable addition to their mobile service.

Ruby on Rails

I'm taking my first dive into Ruby on Rails.  The 15 minute screencast to build a blog was very enlightening.  Hopefully I can quickly pick up the language and improve on my rapid prototyping skills.  The debate is whether to build my next project with a Ruby on Rails backend or stick with my tried and true Java skills.