E-Scribe News : a programmer’s blog

About Me

PBX I'm Paul Bissex. I build web applications using open source software, especially Django. In the '90s I did graphic design for newspapers and magazines. Then I wrote technology commentary and reviews for Wired, Salon.com, Chicago Tribune, and lots of little places you've never heard of. Then I taught photographers how to create good websites. I co-wrote a book along the way. Now I am helping turn a giant media corporation into a digital enterprise. Feel free to email me.

Book

I'm co-author of "Python Web Development with Django", an excellent guide to my favorite web framework. Published by Addison-Wesley, it is available from Amazon and your favorite technical bookstore as well.

Colophon

Built using Django, served by Apache and mod_wsgi. The database is SQLite. The operating system is FreeBSD, on a VPS hosted at Johncompanies.com. Comment-spam protection by Akismet. Vintage topo imagery from the Maptech archive. The markup engine is Markdown.

Pile o'Tags

ajax apple blogs browsers business design django ebay fp fun google hardware haskell intellectual property iphone javascript linux media mercurial mobile open source os x oscon oscon2007 palm php programming python rails rants reading risks ruby site spam textmate the well tips tools unix vcs web development web frameworks webservers wmassdevs writing

Stuff I Use

Akismet, bitbucket, del.icio.us, Django, Emacs, FreeBSD, Git, jQuery, LaunchBar, Markdown, Mercurial, OS X, Postfix, Python, Review Board, S3, SQLite, TextMate, Ubuntu Linux

Spam Report

At least 184720 pieces of comment spam killed since January 2008, mostly via Akismet.

Palm/Mac sync woes

I have little to add to this but I'm sure glad it's being said somewhere as visible as The Washington Post:

Either Palm should -- finally! -- update its Mac software so it talks directly to Address Book and iCal, instead of relying on the obsolete Palm Desktop for contacts and calendar management, or Apple should put some more effort into iSync so it doesn't have this habit of dropping data on the floor at random times.

Or taking 15 minutes to do a simple sync, or duplicating records, or dropping categories, or being a damned CPU hog...

And what about Memo Pad? It would be dandy if iSync could bring Memo Pad content into Stickies or NoteTaker-style text files.

Tuesday, August 16th, 2005
+ +
1 comment

Some related posts: Mac OS Forge • A different kind of switching • Which PalmOS is really next? • AppleWorks, R.I.P. • Great open source apps for the Mac • PowerBook "Safe Sleep" • Google wants Mac developers • Gruber on AppleScript • Mac troubleshooting tips + bonus rant • PyObjC in, Cocoa-Java out
• Comment from Paul , 4 days later

Ah, I forgot about The Missing Sync. Apple should buy it!

Post a comment

Thanks for reading! Please note: Your comment will not appear until approved, which may take a few hours or more. Spammers will be torpedoed.


(Will not be shared)

(Optional)