I've noticed an unhappy correlation.
Periodically spam blogs (splogs) will start harvesting my posts.
When they do that, email from kateva.org begins to be filtered into Gmail's spam folders, my Google PageRank falls, and the site is indexed less often.
When the splogs move on to another victim, things reverse.
I'm just collateral damage.
Ouch.
What hurts the most, really, is the decreased indexing. I like being able to search my memory collection.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Friday, August 15, 2008
Palm tasks moved to iPhone ToDo - sort of
The battle was every bit as nasty as I expected.
I knew the ailing Palm E2 would not go softly into the night. It did not disappoint.
I was trying to move about 300 tasks into Toodledo. I first tried using Toodledo Sync (I don't care for the "toodle" name), but after an hour or two of meaningless error messages I gave up [1]. Toodledo Sync is very raw.
The tasks are in Outlook and the Palm, so I figured I'd use the Outlook CSV option. I knew that would mess up the notes however - CSV can't handle embedded paragraph returns.
Then I read this option:
That was a nasty mess. The Palm world is pretty decrepit. Turns out I read the wrong help file, Palm Desktop 4.1.4E allows switching between Outlook and Palm -- though it's poorly documented. Anyway, I downloaded, tried to do a repair, ran into problems, etc, etc. Two hours, eight reboots and removing several old bits of software trash I completely uninstalled Palm Desktop and reinstalled.
That worked. So now I synched the Palm to a completely fresh Palm Desktop data file.
I exported as a "To Do" (not Task) archive and loaded into Toodledo.
Miraculously it seemed to work. The notes seem to be intact. The Palm categories become ToodleDo folders. ToodleDo's priorities are reversed from Outlook/Palm, so 1 becomes low and 3 becomes high (weird).
Unfortunately To Dos without a date were assigned a 2031 date. I don't know if this is a Palm bug or a ToodleDo bug, but it's very annoying. The ToodleDo interface is very Web 1.0, I don't see a quick way to fix the date attributes. I'm also disappointed by what appears to be an inability to filter by folder, but I really haven't worked with it enough yet. (This looks like an intractable problem, so it might be a killer. It's hard to give up on Outlook's task management power.)
The priority settings on ToDo.app are yet different -- more like Outlook I think. I'm not sure I've got this quite right; I'm getting a headache!
Ok, this is really hard ...
[1] See this Apple discussion thread:
Error initializing connections...Could not initialize Outlook proxy
Log:
SynchLib:synchronizeTasks() method called
SyncApp.exe Error: 0 : Error during synchronization SyncTool not initialized at SynchLib.SyncTool.synchronizeTasks()
at SyncApp.frmOptions.backgroundWorker1_DoWork(Object sender, DoWorkEventArgs e)
I knew the ailing Palm E2 would not go softly into the night. It did not disappoint.
I was trying to move about 300 tasks into Toodledo. I first tried using Toodledo Sync (I don't care for the "toodle" name), but after an hour or two of meaningless error messages I gave up [1]. Toodledo Sync is very raw.
The tasks are in Outlook and the Palm, so I figured I'd use the Outlook CSV option. I knew that would mess up the notes however - CSV can't handle embedded paragraph returns.
Then I read this option:
Toodledo :: Import To-Do List: "Synchronize Toodledo with your Palm OS based PDA. Be sure to read the step by step instructions before you begin."You have to export as a "To Do" archive, not the more modern Task archive. So I figured I'd switch sync from Outlook to the Palm Desktop and then export from Palm.
That was a nasty mess. The Palm world is pretty decrepit. Turns out I read the wrong help file, Palm Desktop 4.1.4E allows switching between Outlook and Palm -- though it's poorly documented. Anyway, I downloaded, tried to do a repair, ran into problems, etc, etc. Two hours, eight reboots and removing several old bits of software trash I completely uninstalled Palm Desktop and reinstalled.
That worked. So now I synched the Palm to a completely fresh Palm Desktop data file.
I exported as a "To Do" (not Task) archive and loaded into Toodledo.
Miraculously it seemed to work. The notes seem to be intact. The Palm categories become ToodleDo folders. ToodleDo's priorities are reversed from Outlook/Palm, so 1 becomes low and 3 becomes high (weird).
Unfortunately To Dos without a date were assigned a 2031 date. I don't know if this is a Palm bug or a ToodleDo bug, but it's very annoying. The ToodleDo interface is very Web 1.0, I don't see a quick way to fix the date attributes. I'm also disappointed by what appears to be an inability to filter by folder, but I really haven't worked with it enough yet. (This looks like an intractable problem, so it might be a killer. It's hard to give up on Outlook's task management power.)
The priority settings on ToDo.app are yet different -- more like Outlook I think. I'm not sure I've got this quite right; I'm getting a headache!
Ok, this is really hard ...
[1] See this Apple discussion thread:
Error initializing connections...Could not initialize Outlook proxy
Log:
SynchLib:synchronizeTasks() method called
SyncApp.exe Error: 0 : Error during synchronization SyncTool not initialized at SynchLib.SyncTool.synchronizeTasks()
at SyncApp.frmOptions.backgroundWorker1_DoWork(Object sender, DoWorkEventArgs e)
Chapura KeyTasks: Sync Outlook Tasks with iPhone
I'm trying to move my Outlook tasks into Toodledo, and finding a meaningless "proxy error" (my XP firewall is off) when I try to use the Toodledo Sync Application to get my tasks to Toodledo, and thence to the iPhone ToDo.app.
This is way too cutting edge for my sleep needs.
IN the midst of the fray I find a link to an old friend/nemesis - Chapura. They're threatening to release a web service iPhone app combo "any time now" ...
Synchronize Outlook Tasks with iPhone.
Using 11 years of Microsoft Outlook synchronization experience, KeyTasks provides the most reliable wireless Outlook Tasks synchronization available for the iPhone and iPod touch.
The KeyTasks synchronization is provided through your MyChapura Account. A MyChapura account is included with your yearly subscription of KeyTasks. MyChapura is an online service that provides "cloud" synchronization of Microsoft Outlook Tasks and KeyTasks on the iPhone or iPod touch.
MyChapura stores your information on our Web servers. This is commonly referred to as the "cloud." When you make a change in Outlook or on your device and synchronize, that change is sent up to the cloud. Your iPhone or iPod touch will receive this change when you synchronize and your PC can be configured to manually or automatically synchronize. This allows you to keep your information current in multiple places no matter where you are.
We keep your information protected with a secure transfer process and encryption in your MyChapura Account. Your information is encrypted using your MyChapura Account password. Because of this, only your password can decrypt your information...
I'm getting a dawning sense of horror.
I've spent about 10 years fighting with Palm/Outlook synchronization.. It's been a greater battle than hacking WordPerfect hex files to make my printer work, or futzing with obscure Hayes commands to get my 2400 bps error-correction enabled.
I've learned a lot about synchronization from Chapura, and it's all been painful.
I must admit though, that while their Palm KeySuite is dumb and ugly, the current version does work. I regularly sync my decrepit Palm to Outlook 2003 and it hardly ever blows up.
So I can believe that Chapura might get the Outlook to iPhone connection working better than Apple, Google or anyone else. Unfortunately I'm also confident that their corresponding iPhone task app will be very ugly.
Which brings me to the sense of horror. If Chapura follows past practices, they'll create a suite of apps for the iPhone that will mirror those on Outlook. They'll be ugly but reliable. I might end up replicating what I do now on my Palm. Sync from home to native iPhone apps, and from work to Chapura's future suite.
Kafkaesque.
Qwest is not spying on me? Huh?
I was sure they’d be on the bad-guy spy list, but they’re not ..
Think Your Internet Provider Might Be Spying On You? Just Check Our List
Little or no tracking at all:
Wow. What are they waiting for?
Scanning prints - inexpensively
I have negatives for the thousands of prints sitting in a waterproof box in a protected closet in an upstairs bedroom.
At the current rate of scanning we'll scan them all by 2140.
I think I'm going to use this service Pogue reviewed (he warns of a hideous web site) ...
At the current rate of scanning we'll scan them all by 2140.
I think I'm going to use this service Pogue reviewed (he warns of a hideous web site) ...
State of the Art - Your Photos, Off the Shelf at Last - NYTimes.com:If my prints are lost, I can scan the negs.
... ScanMyPhotos.com ... says it will professionally scan 1,000 photos for you, the same day it receives them, and put them on a DVD for $50.So what’s the catch?
Actually, no catch, but lots of fine print.
ScanMyPhotos relies on a certain commercial Kodak scanning machine, which processes hundreds of photos a minute. There’s no reason other companies couldn’t buy the same machine and set up similar services. Indeed, some have, although most charge 12 to 16 cents a photo, compared with the 5-cent ScanMyPhotos rate.
Because it must feed your photos through this machine, ScanMyPhotos has set some rules. Photo sizes can range from 3 by 3 inches (Polaroids) to 11 by 14.
The photos must be put into similar-size bundles (4-by-6 prints together, for example) with rubber bands. The only way to label the batches is to write on [same sized - jf] index cards, which are scanned along with the photos like title cards. If you want the bundles scanned in a certain sequence, you can number the index cards...
There is also, however, the terror of sending away your valuable photographs. ScanMyPhotos asserts that it has scanned more than eight million customer photos, and has never lost or damaged a single one. But there’s always a first time; consider the fate of DigMyPics.com, a rival company. In May, a fire burned its headquarters to the ground, destroying almost everything inside — including some customers’ original photos.
Yet there’s a risk of doing nothing, too. Photos kept in a dry, cool and dark place don’t deteriorate nearly as quickly as audiotape, videotape and film reels. In fact, properly stored, they can last a century or more. But because photos are still susceptible to a wide variety of destructive or negligent forces, the ScanMyPhotos service could turn out to be the best $50, plus shipping and optional services, you’ll ever spend...
Gmail spam filter dysfunction
It's been a year since Gmail started marking legit emails a spam: Gordon's Tech: Gmail spam filter is running amok again. They got that under control, but now they're having serious problems again. Even names that I've marked as always approved are being sent to spam, including notifications of posts sent from blogger.
I'm back to checking my spam box for errors.
I'm back to checking my spam box for errors.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Toodledo gets it
I feel like I've been wandering in a strange country, speaking a language nobody else understands.
Suddenly, unexpectedly, I find a friend in Toodledo (awful name)
Toodledo offers an iPhone optimized web view, they have great export options, an iPhone web app view, and they integrate with ToDo (iPhone $10).
This looks promising!
Update: Note that Toodledo deletes old tasks and limits review of past task to 3 days. For $15 you get more functionality, but you have to pay $30 for unlimited storage. If it works I'll try the $15 option until I see what Apple will deliver. I can do that because of their very good import/export functionality -- otherwise I wouldn't try them at all.
Check out the connections list. These guys are definitely data geeks. Alas, their aesthetics are lousy. They really need to invest in a sexy web site expert. I bought ToDo for $10, so I'm paying bucks to get tasks working post-Palm.
Update 8/16/08: After a painful uploading of tasks to Toodledo, I realize just what a problem their backwards interface is. They're really strong on data integration, but week on UI.
For example, it wasn't clear at all how I could operate on multiple tasks.
Mercifully, they have incredibly responsive tech support. The multi-task support is related to search. Perform a search, then click multi-edit.
It's not nearly as clear as Remember the Milk's set operations but it does the trick.
iPhone ToDo.app will sync with RTM as well as Toodledo, but it cannot be used to move data between the services. It always erases data on a service change. (Do the services require that? Toodledo is big on data freedom, so I want to give them the benefit of the doubt there.)
Update 9/12/08: I'm a happy Toodledo customer. The UI is ugly, but it's powerful if you study it. So I'm fine with that, I just worry that without a prettier face they won't get enough business. I just bought Appigo's Notebook app to sync with Toodledo Notebook -- only to discover that there's no Notes import yet. Ah well ...
Update 10/14/08: I'm happy to see Toodledo has added search to Notes, but I'm surprised to realize that Task search only scans titles, not notes. If you want to search notes you go to the notes field in advanced search. There's no "notes" and "task title" option. It's like working with a very simple database table. I'll see if I get a response to a support email.
Suddenly, unexpectedly, I find a friend in Toodledo (awful name)
Toodledo :: A to-do list to organize your tasksHeck, even if it doesn't work I give them points for caring!
...If you already use a task manager, you won't want to type in your tasks all over again. Toodledo can import tasks from many sources, including your Palm OS PDA, Microsoft Outlook, Apple's iCal, and other online todo lists...
Toodledo offers an iPhone optimized web view, they have great export options, an iPhone web app view, and they integrate with ToDo (iPhone $10).
This looks promising!
Update: Note that Toodledo deletes old tasks and limits review of past task to 3 days. For $15 you get more functionality, but you have to pay $30 for unlimited storage. If it works I'll try the $15 option until I see what Apple will deliver. I can do that because of their very good import/export functionality -- otherwise I wouldn't try them at all.
Check out the connections list. These guys are definitely data geeks. Alas, their aesthetics are lousy. They really need to invest in a sexy web site expert. I bought ToDo for $10, so I'm paying bucks to get tasks working post-Palm.
Update 8/16/08: After a painful uploading of tasks to Toodledo, I realize just what a problem their backwards interface is. They're really strong on data integration, but week on UI.
For example, it wasn't clear at all how I could operate on multiple tasks.
Mercifully, they have incredibly responsive tech support. The multi-task support is related to search. Perform a search, then click multi-edit.
It's not nearly as clear as Remember the Milk's set operations but it does the trick.
iPhone ToDo.app will sync with RTM as well as Toodledo, but it cannot be used to move data between the services. It always erases data on a service change. (Do the services require that? Toodledo is big on data freedom, so I want to give them the benefit of the doubt there.)
Update 9/12/08: I'm a happy Toodledo customer. The UI is ugly, but it's powerful if you study it. So I'm fine with that, I just worry that without a prettier face they won't get enough business. I just bought Appigo's Notebook app to sync with Toodledo Notebook -- only to discover that there's no Notes import yet. Ah well ...
Update 10/14/08: I'm happy to see Toodledo has added search to Notes, but I'm surprised to realize that Task search only scans titles, not notes. If you want to search notes you go to the notes field in advanced search. There's no "notes" and "task title" option. It's like working with a very simple database table. I'll see if I get a response to a support email.
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