Posts Tagged Linux
British Airways In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) Video on Demand (VOD)
Posted by saif in Uncategorized on 10/08/2009
I am a frequent flyer of British Airways. I like the service and the timing of their flight so I make sure I travel with them.
Many airlines offer In-flight entertainment (IFE) with video-on-demand (VOD). It seems most of which run Linux (look here and here for examples). those IFEs are usually based on touch-screens that allow direct interaction.
The system on BA allows the variety of choice of what to watch: new releases, comedy, action, shows, kids .. etc. After several attempts to “complete a task” I noticed a problem with the interface design, unfortunately I was too lazy to stand up, grab my bag, take out the camera, and snap a photo, so I suppose an illustration will suffice.
British Airways VOD Interface Design
As can be noticed from my high-tech illustration, even though the listing has enough spacing between them to be able to click on each easily without much concentration, there is a problem when trying to click the “next” button located on the bottom of the screen. Clicking on the “next” button requires a high level of concentration and because of various issues such as the turbulence and the condition of the touch-screen (being used by so many different people) the accuracy is low. I actually tried clicking on it several times before I go it right. A simple solution might be to move the bottom row buttons a bit lower; if I remember correctly there is enough space for that. However, the reason of not moving them lower might have to do with the quality of the touch-screen; not being that responsive on the edges.
An alternative solution would be to redesign the listing to better utilize the area and allow for easy clicking. One way of doing it would be like this second illustration. This allows for a larger clickable area without decreasing the amount of information displayed.
Video-on-Demand Redesign Alternative
A third and final alternative could be like the following illustration. This second alternative layout places the movie titles the same as the current design, however, it moves the context buttons (back, next, main menu) buttons to the right of the screen which allows greater space for the movie titles and separates context buttons.
Video-on-Demand Redesign Alternative 2
Now I really wish I did take that photo so that I can have some more insight for a redesign. Maybe next time.
SUSE Studio: An Easy “Build Your Own Live CD” Service
Posted by saif in Uncategorized on 03/08/2009
I’ve always thought that Linux, in general, had the advantage over Microsoft and Apple when it comes to operating systems (OS) because of the “Try before you install” approach, commonly known as “Live CD“. This allows you to actually run the OS through the CD and check that everything is working before actually installing the OS. Novell now offers a service called SUSE Studio 1.0 which allows you to configure the Live CD and add the software you want before you actually install it. I will not go into details here but think about what you do when you first install a new OS: you spend a lot of time installing software you actually need. Now what if you can configure the OS to actually include the software before burning it to the CD? Especially when you manage several computers with the same hardware, like a class. I know there is ways to do that on Windows and Linux, but I believe this is a much easier way to do it. Don’t take my word for it though, go check it out yourself.
Arabic on Android
Posted by saif in Uncategorized on 15/07/2009
A thing that bothers me with the T-Mobile’s G1, aka HTC Dream, is the lack of Arabic support. I thought it wouldn’t be a problem considering the fact that I’ve been using Arabic for a very long time on computers with several different Linux distributions. Furthermore, rumors came out that the Android OS update 1.5 (Cupcake) will have built-in support for Arabic including localization. This, unfortunately, did not happen. However, this is Android after all, and as is the tradition with Linux, “if it is not available, build it. If you can’t build it, wait for someone else to and use that.. ” or so it goes.
There is a good effort regarding getting Arabic to work Android. This is not completely easy though. First, you should have your phone rooted (another link to get root). Afterwards, you need to install fonts that allow you to see Arabic, this was harder before, but thanks to Aman Alshurafa, you are able to install the fonts using the regular “copy to your memory card, rename to update.zip, restart phone holding down home+power, press ALT-s to install update.zip”. This does not really give you total Arabic support but it is a step forward. I should mention that Ahmed Essam was the first to write the Arabic reshaper class, and Amr Gawish updated it and wrote the first Arabic SMS reader.
After this start, many other Arabic programs started to show up on Android. Abdullah Bahitham made Arabic soft keyboard for Android 1.5 (Cupcake). He also made an Arabic Notepad. There are several other programs that you could find in the Android market.
Thank you everyone for the effort you put in so that the rest of us can actually use Android and enjoy it.
NOTE: There is a related post called Arabic on Android – Take 2 that is relevant.
Ubuntu 8.10: The Intrepid Ibex First Impressions
Posted by saif in Uncategorized on 04/11/2008
I downloaded and installed Ubuntu 8.10 (codenamed the Intrepid Ibex) when it was first available for download on the 30th of October. The install was a breeze and there were no special additions that I could see, but then I didn’t look too closely.
I usually backup my data and then format my harddisk to install the new OS on my laptop, and just do an “upgrade” on my server. I like to know how the OS will detect my laptop’s (now moderatly old) hardware. I run Ubuntu on a Thinkpad T60p which I bought before Lenovo offered a Linux option.
There were several things I was happy about. Most the hardware worked properly (kinda: more on that later), and I had no problem connecting to my wireless network nor connect to my bluetooth mouse and phones. Installing all the software I wanted wasn’t a problem at all. When I downloaded Flash (flashplugin-nonfree) I was pleasantly surprised to see the new version of Flash installed (10.0 r12). It is more stable than the previous version and it is yet to crash Firefox. Compiz is on by default with moderate animation. Also, encryption seems seamless and easy-to-do; an additional plus for people who want to keep their data private. Finally, the new version of ATI display driver also comes with the mighty 8.10 which is apparently a big deal.
Now with the problems. When compiz is on, video playback is terrible, especially in fullscreen mode. It is like watching a slideshow rather than a video clip. I have to disable Compiz to be able to watch video properly, which is cumbersome. Another thing currently driving me crazy is the fingerprint reader: It just does not want to work, and I have tried it with all available drivers (both open-source and proprietary) with no success. Keep in mind that it worked flawlessly in Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron). Another thing that bothers me is that the bluetooth mouse seems to take forever to come back from sleep mode, the mouse’s performance degraded in 8.10.
I’m sure the majority of those problems will eventually go away. The only thing that worries me is the ATI driver which I was hoping to fix whatever problem I have since Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon).
Ubuntu 8.10 countdown
Posted by saif in Uncategorized on 18/10/2008
I use Ubuntu as my major OS (the only OS on my laptop). It needs a bit of getting used to. Some things I learned how to do differently, some things the same, and some things I had to give up or find a different way to do
Even though my field of study and work is IT, I do not believe it is that important, only as a means to an end. The thing I really like about open source OSes is that they are highly customizable. I can change it to suite my needs and more importantly my wants. It might take a bit of work but I believe it is worth it. Ubuntu makes everything I do relatively easier than other open source OSes I’ve used.
Anyway, Ubuntu 8.10 is out soon keep tuned for a lame review.
EDIT: The final Ubuntu 8.10 iso is available here. Make sure you use bit torrent so that you help with the load.
Windows vs Linux (yes I have to go into it)
Posted by saif in Uncategorized on 25/01/2008
I’m not posting this to actually compare between Linux and Windows; there are tons of articles and posts that do that. I however, like to look at it from a different perspective. I believe that at the end operating systems, software running on it, and anything related to those are means to an end; whichever help you reach that goal is fine by me. There are one factor that I think to be most crucial because of my usability analysis background: satisfaction. Some people are happy to go through the tedious installation of Gentoo and quite satisfied doing so. Some people are happy the their drivers and virus protection are up to date and they actually go through the process of updating each and every software on the computer to stay up to date. The thought of using free and open source software and help develop an alternative is the source of satisfaction for others.
Follow-up: I found a post at 91courtstreet entitled “What I Learned using Linux over the last 10 years” that goes into a similar discussion, just better 
Nokia N810
Posted by saif in Uncategorized on 20/01/2008
So I played with the iPhone for a while and I have an iPod Touch but am not entirely happy with those devices. I not arguing the user experience aspect of the Apple devices in general, is great. However, I hate the “closed” and “you have to do it our way” mentality it is built on. For instance, the iPod Touch should have included an email client, or at least allowed for one to be installed. I do not believe people that say “well you can always use online based services to check your email”. I have several emails with different online access which makes an email client is the best solution for me. Furthermore, it is my device and I should be able to do whatever I please with it. Here is where the Nokia N810 comes in: It is based on a flavor of Linux (maemo Linux OS2008 to be exact), plays most of the video and audio formats on the face of this planet, has built-in GPS and VoIP applications (Skype and Gizmo), has an email client, and an RSS reader among other things. You can learn more at the Nokia N810 Site.
I have not used the N810 yet but I have already ordered one so stay tuned for a lame review. Keep in mind that the N810 is not a phone, so comparing it to the iPhone is not entirely fair, but I believe the comparison between it and the iPod Touch is fair to a certain extent.
First Things First
Posted by saif in Uncategorized on 22/12/2007
In general all my posts will be regarding what I use and how to make things work. I use Ubuntu Linux as my main operating system. I like photography, graphic design, and a fan of Japanese Anime (among other things).
So first of all, I would recommend getting Ubuntu; it is a free operating system that will actually work without spending most of your time troubleshooting what should of made your life easier. An operating system is something you should not know is there, something like expecting your car or your phone to work all of the time. If the main use of the computer is web surfing and email then Ubuntu is for you. Even if that is not the case, it wouldn’t hurt to check it out. Best of all, ITS FREE. Before installing you can check if everything is working before installing anything on your computer via the liveCD. You pop in the CD in your computer and boot up Ubuntu through the CD and check if everything is working to your satisfaction. If you like it, you click on the small “install” icon on the desktop.
The main source of information will be Ubuntu Forums, which is a community of people just like you that are very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. You get answers quick and 99% of the time it is the right one.
Eye candy is what sold me to tell you the truth. I love how Ubuntu looks and work, look at this video for an example.