The First Manila.js Meetup

Last March 8, Leo and I walked our way to Eastwood. LOL. Well that's not really it. We went to the Manila.JS meetup held at the ProudCloud offices in Eastwood City, Libis. This is an event organized for all the Javascript enthusiasts to learn more about the technology and share their experiences with one another. This is also a day of reunion for my PUP-BSIT batchmates, Donn and Zey which I haven't seen for two years straight, as well as Ben and Michelle who I'm seeing for two years straight since we're officemates.

There were three speakers for this event: Jason Torres, James Florentino and Rico Sta. Cruz, the organizer of this gathering. Jason discussed the history of Javascript and how it is used and will be used. It was really interesting since I was just introduced to Javascript by force. LOL. Well, what really happened is that I was asked at work to use asynchronous calls using AJAX and create pretty UIs. But as the speaker said, Javascript is not for user interface or JUST the client side of development. It has features for server-side programming as well. Too bad it was not discussed further.

The next speaker James, explained the use of Javascript in prototyping. I wasn't able to understand what he speaks of but I was able to follow using the code he's been typing as he talks. Generally, what I understood was about inheritance from the parent class to the extended one using the prototype attribute. There was a lot of func-ceptions (function within a function within a function) in Javascript, and this part proved it. The talk was done before I knew it.

I wasn't able to listen to Rico's talk but according to the event website, he'll be sharing about Javascript as a server-side language since I need to go early for my undone Japanese assignment. Despite that, the event was cool. It has a laid back feel with its house party aura: snacks on the side and people mingling. Things to improve on may include live examples and some getting-to-know-each-other activities. Overall, the event's awesome. You can visit the Manila.JS website for more information.

Cheers to the Manila.js community!

The Gadget Story

I don't know if it's because I'm in a technology-oriented career that I have gained so much interest in gadgets. Back then, it was my mobile phone which I consider as the only gadget I own. It was not much back then since it is only used for calling, texting and free internet surfing via GPRS. But when I had my hands on an iPod Video last 2007 to which I call Ivysaur, my interest grew bigger.

Since Ivysaur, I convinced my dad to buy me a netbook, Aspire (because it is an Acer Aspire One), for my programming class in which I tweaked and optimized to my preferences. Thanks to my major, Information Technology. I am always into games so I bought a second-hand PSP to which I named NeoN-G as my Christmas present last 2010. Well, hello to PSP modding, I was able to play arcade and role-playing games even I'm in the van to the office where I had my on-the-job training. Then as a present for my graduation last 2011, I was given an iPod Touch 4G. By August of the same year, I bought an Olympus E-PL2 camera which I named Olee.

Now the yearning doesn't seem to fade. I wanted the apps, so I learned jailbreaking for RAIJIN, my iPod. I downloaded all the apps that suited my tastes like productivity, social, photography and of course, games. I also bought a new phone in December 2011, a Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini to experience the Android platform. The camera was superb. But my gadgets don't seem to last. Aspire died (the display malfunctioned), NeoN-G had a power failure and my Xperia Mini was having touch problems. So it was just RAIJIN and me. To make up for Aspire's loss, I bought Phoenix last April; an AMD-based desktop computer. I brought NeoN-G to a repair service but after a few weeks it malfunctioned again. Up to this time, it's still dead. As for my Xperia Mini, I sold it since I can't keep up with its problems and replaced it with a basic Nokia phone. For now, it is me, RAIJIN, Olee and Phoenix.

I still have needs though. I want to take pictures but I can't bring Olee along all the time. I want internet on the go but RAIJIN doesn't have a cellular capability for mobile internet. I want to update my social media accounts, but my phone is so basic. I found the answer for the internet and social media dilemmas with my Blackberry 9320. It was a plan under Globe Telecom and it has unlimited internet and a wifi hotspot. Undeniably, it sustained my needs. There's only one dilemma left: the camera. There's no solution up to now, but I guess I just have to bear bringing Olee along all the time.

The desire for new gadgets is still on fire. Especially now, when there are new releases that catch my eye. I guess I need to settle the budget and the need now since the list of wants is piling up fast. I plan on upgrading RAIJIN with the new Ipod Touch 5th Generation, buying a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 for reading e-books, NFC and camera and getting a new Aspire One for a handy PC. I'm also having thoughts on an Asus Nexus 7 or an iPad Mini.

Oh well. These are all plans anyway. Let the budget talk!

Day 1: MVC 4 Highlights

For the last 2 hours what we did was discuss how ASP.NET MVC 4 works. There was no coding yet since our Visual Studio solutions has no MVC 4 template. Our trainor created a sample MVC project and we explored how the structure of MVC differ from that of ASP.NET web forms. And gosh, there was a lot.

MVC 4 does not contain physical files. Unlike in ASP.NET web forms, the codes locate the .aspx files. Let's say I'm at the home page, I want to go to the About page. Therefore, I must have a page called Home.aspx and About.aspx. In MVC 4, these are not needed anymore. The pages are represented by methods in a specific controller. If you notice in a MVC website, there is no .aspx extension in the url. Instead of http://localhost:1111/Home.aspx, you have http://localhost:1111.

We also created a CRUD (create, retrieve, update, delete) functions for the sample project. MVC 4 provides a quick way in generating a form view for the model by using the @Html.EditorForModel() helper. What you need to add is the save button for the transaction.

Tomorrow, we will be creating a project from scratch. Let's see how it will work out. Gladly, we have pork barbecue for lunch! Yippee!

ASP.NET MVC 4: It Is So On!!!

Photo courtesy of Google Images
Our office announced last week that the training department will be conducting a week-long training for ASP.NET MVC 4. Well, being one of those who are hungry for new technologies (when I say hungry, I am really into learning new stuff especially if it concerns my expertise) I am one of those people who signed up. It is also stated that there will only be 8 slots for the said training. Even if I am currently engaged in a web-based project, we're not using MVC 4. That aspect may minimize my chance of being engaged in that activity.

But God is really good. He granted me the opportunity of attending those 5 sessions starting today. Being the only girl in the room, I didn't feel awkward at all. What I'm after is the knowledge I'll be having after a week that will definitely be a great addition to my skill set. From this day forth, I shall inject MVC ideas in my little programming repository.

Every session starts at 11 in the morning and ends at 1 in the afternoon. Free lunch is served but it doesn't necessarily mean we're studying while eating. A break is graciously given to us trainees. Before and after our training session, we are back to our usual developer lives. As for me, I will be working on our project's release this week.

In a separate blog post, I shall give my IT readers some of the things I learned in every session for the whole training. Yes, you will also learn what I learned in there.

For the developers and aspiring ones out there, happy reading! :)

SPIRE: Enable Siri on non-iPhone 4S Devices

To start the morning right, I decided to check my business ad in a group in Facebook. Luckily, it's still there. I browsed through the ads posted selling secondhand iPhones, Blackberry phones, laptops, etc. What caught my eye is a certain ad that says: "Selling iPhone 3GS iOS 5 with Siri." Did I read it right? I wondered if once you installed iOS 5, in which I did a month ago with a high unmitigated risk on my iPod Touch 4G, the device will also have a Siri capability. There was no Siri in mine, so I decided to ask Google about it.



It's true then. There is this Cydia package called Spire which is addressed as the legal Siri port for non-iPhone4S devices like iPod Touch 4G, iPhone 4 and iPad, even iPhone 3GS. With this list of devices, it clearly states that the device should be running on iOS 5. However, to make Siri work, you need a proxy server which is available only in iPhone 4S. Various "free proxies" are already around the net but most of them of course are scam and the working ones are paid. It is suggested though that if you own an iPhone 4S, you can share its authentication token to your other non-Siri devices. The catch is the token is regenerated every 24 hours.

If you are one of us who wants to experience Siri in our non-Siri devices, then I believe it is worth a try. Upon learning this new tweak, I'll definitely give you an update on how this works.

jQuery Mobile - The Mobility Framework

Another breakthrough for today's technology is the importance of accessibility and portability. That is why nowadays, lots of gadgets are produced to promote these two factors mainly in the image of mobile devices. To link it with the current norms of doing business, this kind of technology targeted large companies, consultants and even freelancers. Apple provided it this need in the form of the iPhone followed by the iPad. Android made it possible through Samsung and Sony Ericsson devices while Windows is on its way for the Windows Phone, giving the market access to what is in the computer to the device. Blackberry, being one of the early sought-after business phones, made it clear from the start what doing business "handheld" is all about.

Little did the people know about how do the apps they buy in the Store or the Market are made. For these apps' developers, they are using different kinds of framework to make the people touch and feel it. jQuery is a famous Javascript library which is used to simplify HTML scripting. It is commonly used in websites, mostly to create animations and plugins and provide an appealing user interface to the user. jQuery had their mobile version which is called jQuery Mobile to extend the features of jQuery to the mobile devices.

jQuery Mobile is compatible with the majority of mobile devices today. That is why it is easier for developers to create a website that is readable not only in the computer but also in their own devices. HTML5 and CSS3 is also used in coding with jQuery Mobile which offers new functionalities and extensive design enhancements.

PageRank 1

Little did I know about search engine optimization (SEO) and Google PageRank until today. I was eager to push my blog to be one of which are searchable and contains relevant content. I asked my colleague, Jay, who has a background on SEO, tips on how I can rank my site. He suggested to install a PageRank detector in my browser's toolbar to check my current rank. When I did, I found out that my blog has a rank of 1. I told Jay that I only had a 1 rank and he was amazed about that. He said that it's already a big deal if I ranked even 1 since it is a tough job.

When I knew about that, I can't believe that The Geek Repository is already on its way to be something relevant. I'm really happy with my blog's achievement, knowing that I only started writing again this January. However, I believe that it's still a long way to go. Cheers still!

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

I just bought the PC game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim lately after lunch. Yes, I am smelling addiction again. But as I've read from reviews, the system requirements were quite too high. I am pretty fortunate though that my computer at home met the minimum requirements. The thing is, Ray met the recommended requirements. *yes, rage face meme right here* Because of that, he will be the first to try the game. Tomorrow, it will be mine. *evil laugh* Here are the system requirements I am talking about:

Minimum System Requirements
* OS: 7/Vista/XP PC (32 or 64 bit)
* CPU: Dual Core 2.0GHz or equivalent processor
* RAM: 2 GB
* HDD: 6 GB
* Graphics: 512 MB card
* Sound Card: DirectX 9 Compatible
* DirectX: Version 9.0c
* Internet for Steam activation

Recommended System Requirements
* OS: Windows 7/Vista/XP (32 or 64 bit)
* CPU: Quad-core Intel or AMD CPU
* RAM: 4 GB
* HDD: 6 GB free disk space
* Graphics: 1 GB Graphics Memory
* Sound Card: DirectX 9 Compatible
* DirectX: Version 9.0c
* Internet for Steam activation

This motivated me to buy a new computer. And I will, because of this game.

Programming: Disable All Breakpoints

Have you debugged a program using a breakpoint? It is pretty helpful right? You get to determine the bugs you have in your code by stepping into the program's methods and see if it worked the way you want them to. But isn't it annoying when you are so confident with your code fix and you forget to remove the breakpoint and you test your program and it moves back to Visual Studio because of that red dot?

During one of my programming tasks within this week, I am assigned to refactor codes to make the system work faster. Part of my task is to determine the frequency of the method calls. For this task, I used breakpoints and placed them in each method. During the testing phase, some codes didn't work because it was being barred by the breakpoint. I removed the breakpoint and it worked. But still, I need to know the frequency so I added the breakpoint again. As expected, it was barred once more.

To solve this issue since it is pretty annoying to the programmer to add and remove breakpoints, I used the Disable All Breakpoints command from the Debug menu. As the name implies, it disables all breakpoints but it still stays where it was placed. With this, the program can be tested smoothly. If there is a need to use the breakpoints again, just hit the Enable All Breakpoints from the same menu.

Photo from MSDN Blogs