Creating an External Windows Volume

This process I took while trying to create a imaging and restore procedure for our MacBook Pro lab for both Windows and Mac bootable partitions.  The technique will be geared to the Mac side of things, but can potentially be applied to any OS using UNIX and has access to the dd command.  

The dd command is a very powerful tool.  You can make a bit by bit copy of data from one media to another without any problems by using this technique.  The only drawback is the time it takes to make the copy and the backup, which is why I have ultimately chosen to not use this method.  But, as a side effect, it made it possible to restore a bootable Windows image to an external hard drive. 

##CAUTION!!  Any misstep in this process can destroy your drive completely, making it difficult to restore back again.  That's why I don't recommend it as a restoration process.  I'd highly recommend you use another process for backing up your Bootcamp volume.  You can use Winclone 2.3, though only if you turn just about everything off, or CloneZilla Live (which I am still testing, though they say it can be done).

1. First, start with a prepared computer/drive.  In this case, I had a MacBook Pro with OS X Lion on one partition and Windows 7 on another.  
2. Mount the computer/drive as an external drive.  Macs are able to boot into Target Disk Mode, which turns it into a very expensive Firewire or Thunderbolt drive.
3. Open Terminal (or your command line) and run the command to identify your hard drives on the computer.  For the Mac, this command is: 
   diskutil list
4.  Identify your drive.  Most often drives on a UNIX system would be in the /dev/ directory.  On the Mac, they are identified as /dev/disk1.  For other UNIX computers, you will probably see them as /dev/hda. 
5. Run this command to back up your drive to an ISO file:
    sudo dd if=/dev/disk1 of=image.iso conv=noerror
   
   1. sudo is for super user do (run it as root)
   2. dd is the command
   3. if is the input file, or the drive (or partition) you are going to copy
   4. of is the output file, or the location the copy will go.  In this case, we are copying the drive as an ISO file in the current working directory
   5. conv=noerror will check for errors
   6. Expect this command to run for a long time.   It took 9 hours for a 100 GB drive with two partitions for me!
6. Mount your new drive.  For me, I unmounted the MacBook Pro, and mounted an external hard drive.  The new drive needs to be equal or greater than the previous drive in order for this process to work. 
7. Wipe the drive, for convenience sake.  I'm not sure if this is required, but I would still recommend it.  To do so, run the following command: 
   sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/disk1 conv=noerror
   Again, expect it to take a long time to run.  
8.  Once finished, you can restore the image using the following command:
   sudo dd if=image.iso of=/dev/disk1 conv=error

After a long imaging process, about as long as it took to copy and wipe out, you should have a fully restored system to an external drive that will boot to Mac or Windows.  

So, what I learned from this was finding a great way to back up and restore a hard drive using an ISO.  What I also learned from this is that bit by bit copying takes forever, and is not time effective enough for mass deployment.  So the search continues for a usable deployment system for a Mac with a Bootcamp partition. 

Two Weeks with iOS 5

It's been two weeks since iOS 5 had been officially released to the public as a free upgrade for all compatible iOS devices.  Since I upgraded my iPhone, iPad, and children's iPod Touch devices, I've come to really appreciate the new features that come with iOS.  Here is my list of favorite features: 

1. Notifications:  Both the Notification center and the new way notifications are managed in iOS 5 are a huge upgrade for the OS.  I can see why it was so popular in the Android platform, and I'm glad to see it on my phone.  Features like the stock app and weather app are more useful as they are published to the notification center, and I can view them regardless of the app I am using.  For instance, one game I like to play while commuting on the train is Civilization Revolution.  But I also need to know the time.  Previously, I would need to either check my watch or close the app to view the time (just to make sure I don't have to run to catch the train).  Now, with two swipes from the top of my game, the notification center will tell me what I want to know.  I can also see current emails waiting for me, and texts I may have gotten that are waiting, etc.  I look forward to more apps using the notification center instead of badges, as the latter are very annoying to see on the screen.
2. Personalized Texting Tones:  It's a minor thing, but now you can personalize your text tones per person with ringtones, instead of using the default text notification.  Very handy when identifying who sent you the text, and how important it may be. 
3. iCloud:  This is huge for me, because I have a bad habit of wiping computers and repartitioning them to test theories.  As such, I don't always backup my data properly, like pictures, much to my wife's annoyance.  With iCoud, those documents I want to keep get backed up and synced to all my devices, so I always have a copy of them somewhere.  It works well with Photo Stream and the iWork suite.  I'm looking forward to more apps using iCloud, like, say, an iOS version of Office?
4. Find my Mac/iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch:  Last month, my youngest, in his excitement, managed to misplace both of the boys' iPod Touch devices.  We took the house apart looking for them, and was unable to find them until recently when we had our carpet replaced and they took the grill off of the return vents in the hallway.  There were both of the iPod Touch devices, none the worse for wear other than having completely drained batteries.  I immediately upgraded them, synced them to my iTunes account, and turned on Find my iPod Touch.  Now, should they go missing, I can quickly an easily find them using the wireless network by sending a loud tone.  While this feature was available for the iPod Touch in iOS 4, it's easier to enable in iOS 5.  I also will be getting any pictures my sons take with their devices in my Photo Stream, which will then be shown on the Apple TV.  That's just cool. 
5. Newsstand:  I've never been a huge fan of newspapers and magazines, mostly because they take up a lot of space when you save them, and even more space when you try to get rid of them.  And digital copies on an iOS device using apps was cumbersome.  Newsstand does simplify the process of getting and reading your subscription media, and though not all subscription apps support Newsstand, many do, and that has got me actually thinking about getting subscriptions.  If only The Highlander would create an iOS app for Newsstand..
6. Increase Volume Button for Taking Pictures:  It's just awesome to use the native camera app and take pictures with the increase volume button. 

So those are six things that I have enjoyed since I started working with iOS 5.  There are other features, of course, that are just as awesome, but some I can't take advantage of without having newer hardware, and others I haven't discovered.  There was one issue I experienced after upgrading though:  my battery on my iPhone 4 drained faster than ever before, until I let it drain completely and then recharged it completely.  After that, the battery has worked as well as ever, and sometimes even performed better. 

How do you find iOS 5? 

Imaging a Mac Computer with Bootcamp using Clonezilla

Creating an image for a Macintosh computer that includes both a Macintosh partition and a Bootcamp partition for Windows is complicated at best with the release of Lion and the demise of the old standby: Winclone.  Since twocanoes stopped developing Winclone, I've been looking for another method to create an image that will be, well, reliable.  While it is possible to use Winclone 2.3, it's not supported and it's very buggy.  And that's just the Windows partition, not the entire drive, and I want the entire drive.  So, based on some suggestions I got with previous posts and lots of online research, I decided to give Clonezilla a try.  

Clonezilla is akin to Norton Ghost, as it grabs a complete image of a hard drive, partitions and all, and will restore it.  Unlike other ghosting software though, Clonezilla supports HFS+, the Mac OS X Extended filesystem, as provided by the core utility, Partclone.  That means it can image both a standard NTFS partition with the Mac partition.  It sounds great, assuming it would work, so I thought I would test it out and see if it were a viable option for mass deployment of Mac with Bootcamp.  Going through the motions, I was impressed with the repository settings that were available.  Much like Acronis, the Clonezilla Live CD boots up into it's own OS platform.  With Clonezilla, though, it's Linux, and it shows.  There are a lot of options to select, and it doesn't have a very friendly UI.  But, really, UI is secondary to performance in my case (because I'm used to a command line UI that it presents), so that wasn't much of a consideration.  

The first neat experience I saw with Clonezilla was it's flexibility.  You can select just about every language and keyboard setup that Linux supports, which makes it handy to deploy.  Unfortunely, you need to do it every single time you boot.  Perhaps there is a way to build a custom CD, or perhaps settings would be kept with the USB boot, but I didn't see it off hand.  The other flexibility option that impressed me was the method of finding your repository.  It's actually very easy to find a connection method that will work for you.  I really liked the idea of having an SSH repository, making images easy to deploy to and from a remote server if necessary.  The only thing to change performance at that point would be the speed of your connection.  Internally, if you are on a Gigibit switched network, it will come as close to that speed as possible.

Then we get to the image tool.  I only used the beginner options, which probably has a lot of settings that are defaulted, but I wanted to make this as easy as possible.  That, and after spending a good 5 minutes on choosing my keyboard and setting up the repository information, I wasn't much interested in spending more time configuring when default settings should work just fine.  Apparently you can back up just partitions, or the entire disk.  I chose the entire disk because that was what I am looking for, but I kept the partition idea in mind for future projects (assuming it worked, of course). 

Below are the steps I took while creating an image, and deploying that image to a computer. 

Steps: Booting from the CD

1. Boot to Clonezilla Live CD
2. Select boot option for Clonezilla.  The default works great at 800 x 600.
3. Select Language (default is US English)
4. If you are not using a USB keyboard, select the keymap from the arch list, otherwise continue with "Don't tuch keymap"
   1. If you selected to select the keymap, select your keyboard type (default is most common, QWERTY)
   2. Select the Keyboard layout (starts with Brazillian)
   3. Select your keyboard variant, either Apple USB or Standard

Now you are ready to set up the repository for your image. 

1. Select Start_Clonezilla
2. Select Device-Image, as you would want to create an image from a device.  
3. Select your repository method. 
   1. If you have a local device, like a USB drive or internal drive, you can use Local_dev
   2. If you have an SSH server you want to publish the image to, use ssh_server
   3. If you have an SMB server (Samba, or Windows server), this will be best for you
   4. If you have an NFS server (common in UNIX networks), nsf_server will work for you
4. Depending on what you selected before, you need to verify your network connection (or not if it's local).  I selected the Ethernet network (for speed), and then used DHCP.  This will probably be the most common setup for everyone. 
5. Since I chose SSH, I entered in my SSH server IP (can use DNS name too), confirmed the port number, and entered in the user ID for the login.
6. Then enter in the absolute path for the repository.  I put it on my Desktop, so I put in  /Users/userid/Desktop.
7. It will then ask you for authentication information to mount the connection.  Follow directions (hopefully you already know all this information).

You are now ready to start the image.

1. Select Beginner mode.  It's easy to use, and you don't have to mess with the expert stuff.  If you already know what you are doing, then expert would be great.  But then, if you already know what you are doing, why are you reading this?
2. Select Action
   1. savedisk:  Will image the entire hard drive as an image, with all partitions.  This is what I chose for creating the image of my Mac with the bootcamp drive.
   2. saveparts:  Will image partitions of the drive for restoration.  If you don't need everything, just a single partition (like your Bootcamp partition), this will back up just the partition.  Obviously this will save you time over the entire disk if you have more than one partition.
   3. restoredisk: Will restore the drive from an image.
   4. restoreparts: Will restore individual partitions.
   5. recovery-iso-zip: Will create a recovery disk of Clonezilla Live for either CD or as a zip for a bootable USB drive.
   6. chk-img-restorable:  will check to see if an image is restorable or not.  This is an option you can turn on while creating the image, so it will be checked after the image has been created.
3. Input the name you want for your image.
4. Select the disk or partition you want to back up
5. Choose to either check the image as it's saved, or skip the check.  I recommend letting it check the image (increased my image time by 15 minutes, but well worth piece of mind)
6. Press enter to continue. 

At this point, you are all set!  Clonezilla will create an image of each partition in the hard drive (or just the one you selected), and notify you how long for each partition it will take to back up and restore.  It took, for my two images, a total of about an hour and a half to back up and restore the image using SSH and the options I selected above on a Gigabit network.  

To restore, it's much the same process.  Boot to the drive, select your language, etc., and set up your device repository. To restore, you would use these steps:

1. Select Beginner mode.
2. Select restoredisk (or restoreparts, if you backed up a partition)
3. Select your archive as displayed
4. Select the drive you wish to image.
5. Press Enter to continue. 
6. It will then ask you if you want your hard drive partitions overwritten, type Y to continue.  It will then verify that you are wanting to replace your hard drive partitions, type y.
7. The system will not restore.

The restoration process is done partition by partition, with each partition taking less time to reimage than it took to create the image in the first place.  And the results?  Success!  The restore booted without a problem, with all settings in tact.  That is better than could be said for the previous imaging tools I have tried.  

So it looks like I have found a useful cloning tool for imaging my Macintosh computer lab, and pretty much any lab for that matter.  

Parenting a Child with Autism

Article first published as Parenting a Child with Autism on Technorati.

Early this morning, at about 2:00 AM, my son climbed into bed with us. Unlike other mornings, I was aware of this because I was awake, though normally I don't notice him climbing into bed with us. There was no sound, no crying, just a quick jump, flip under the covers, and he was out like a light on my pillow.

Later this morning, as my son woke up earlier than usual, he started to dance around and play with the dog. After a few calls for him to get dressed, he looked into my eyes for a second and smiled, his giggle infectious and infuriating, as he doesn't do as I ask for the fourth time this morning. I help him on with his shirt, hand him his pants, and he gets dressed.

While I'm still trying to get ready for work myself, I savor the eye contact. That shining moment that acknowledges my son's affection for me, and his acceptance of me in his life. It's fleeting, because of my son's Autism. It's savored because I'm one of a handful of adults with whom he will share eye contact.

Parenting is a scary business. It's full of stress as you worry about how your child will grow up and impact the world. Some parents take it easy and just expect their children to do well. When they don't, they look for scapegoats for causes and blame the world (or at least their teachers). Other parents are the diligent type, dedicated to giving their children the best of everything so they will excel in the world and bring honor and glory to the family name. Either way, there is stress, and it's put some people off having children at all, let alone more than one.

Autism is also very scary, in that no one knows what causes it or how it impacts the child's learning. Children can range on the Spectrum from very low functional (highly autistic with low IQ) to very high functioning (often Aspergers, with high IQ and mild Autism), so advice from parenting doesn't work. Generalities can be given, but the devil is truly in the details as you as a parent work to find a way to connect with your child consistently.

Other parents don't really know what to say when you explain the head-butting, hand flapping behaviors as ways your child expresses his emotions. Many offer suggestions, help, criticisms, and even sympathy, but only you as a parent can really connect with your own child. Parents who are truly interested look for the rules you govern your child, and try to emulate them. Some parents in an educational or religious environment, will attempt to apply their own methods in contrast to yours, causing confusion and regression in some behaviors.

To be a parent of a child with Autism is to parent from day to day, looking for every possible sign of success, and expecting regression when it comes. Instead of focusing on long-term plans like financial success or brilliant educational or recreational accomplishments for your child, you look for a successful day without spilling food or drink on the floor on purpose, dumping the dog's water into his food bowl, or pulling out all the marshmallows from the cereal box.

To parent a child with Autism is to place all the anxious future planning of traditional parenting into your daily routine. Effort cannot be diluted with incidentals about which Ivy League schools you want your child to attend when you are still focused on their using utensils while eating. Athletic scholarships are the furthest from your mind while trying to teach your child the necessary hand-eye coordination to write his name. It's too much effort to think beyond the day, the daily successes, and looking after the little things while hoping beyond hope it's true that the big things will actually take care of themselves.

It's scary, not having a well-planned life. I'm the type that likes to have things planned out in sequence in order to provide a smooth transition between two states. With Autism, you don't have that luxury. Development depends to so many variables that having future plans beyond perhaps special things like vacations have too many variables to make a successful plan.

I've voiced some of these frustrations before, so why bring them up now? Well, I read Notes from a Dragon Mom in the New York Times this morning about a mother with a child who has Tay-Sachs, a genetic disorder that will slowly kill her infant child. I found myself identifying with her descriptions of a lot of things, though my son will not pass away because of Autism. But the same loss of concern about the future and focus on the day to day is vary similar to what I experience with my son on the Spectrum. I have the same disconnect between the son carrying that degree from Harvard she had, though for completely different reasons. My heart went out to her because I could, in some ways, to her situation. Dragon parents are amazing, and deserve the admiration of us all.

I'll never be a tiger dad, nor would I think of considering myself a dragon father. I'm just a father of a child with Autism. I see the bark of the tree, and perhaps the tree, but I can't afford to look at the forest because it's changing too drastically to be relevant to what I'm doing. But some times, in those strange moments when I connect with my son, I can see a bright, glorious wooded mountain that is just waiting to be discovered.

Autism Insurance Coverage

Article first published as Autism Insurance Coverage on Technorati.

California recently passed, and Governor Brown recently signed, SB 946, a bill requiring health insurance companies to cover behavioral, vocational, and occupational therapies for those diagnosed with Autism. The Insurance companies were firmly against it, as they claimed it would increase insurance costs in California by more then $850 million a year (an independent commission estimated the increase at only $98 million a year). David Lazarus, from whose article I received these numbers, sees it as a good argument for a national healthcare system where risk is more evenly divided amongst all tax-payers, thereby lowering costs even more.

Government intervention in the healthcare system is a huge political hot topic right now, with the "Obamacare" issue for the Republicans, the single public "Medicare Plus" plan issue for Democrats, and in the middle are patients that are in need. Right now children on the Spectrum are struggling in schools to learn, not just their three R's, but how to be social. They learn things like why it's important to brush your teeth, look someone in the eye, reply when a question is asked, and how others are reacting based on body language queues with which children who are neurotypical have no problems. In some States, such as my home State of Utah, Autism is not covered at all as a diagnosis. So even getting your child screened for Autism is an expensive proposition if schools are not willing to provide that service themselves through a school psychologist.

There have been numerous genetic links to Autism, showing that Autism is more than just a result of poor parenting as was originally believed. The idea that Autism is anything but a physiological issue has been ruled out. The argument still rages on between genetics and environmental triggers, but cause doesn't invalidate treatment. Regardless of the cause, these children are in need of help. And as such, we as parents are doing everything we can with the meager resources provided.

As a parent of a child on the Spectrum, I spend as much time as I can trying to prepare him for the world. At a tender age of 6 I'm trying to teach him things he would normally have picked up naturally by 4. Things like brushing his teeth, using the toilet appropriately, keeping clean, and using utensils when eating. On top of that are his academic needs, which he tends to excel at when prompted, but still needs prompting in order to keep him on task. All the while I worry about his social skills, and work to help him focus on eye contact and social rituals like shaking hands and high-fives.

The problem is, I'm not there all day to instruct him because of work. My wife isn't either because she works as well. He is currently in school all day (which is very nice), but even then his classroom has other children that are in need. Some have even more need than does my son. That, and with meager resources as well, the school is doing the best they can with what they have.

I'm not complaining about the school, as our school district is better equipped than many others in the State to assist children on the Spectrum, but rather I am concerned about the lack of funds. Governments cannot afford to provide the funds for the needs of those children and adults with Autism, particularly in this economic climate. Parents generally are not in a financial position to fit all of the bill either, for the same reasons. It's become an impasse that few are willing to address, because no one wants to take the burden of cost, leaving individual families to bear the heavy weight for therapies.

We talk so much about research, causes, cures, etc., that we often forget the human aspect of Autism. Parents are struggling and siblings feel neglected because of the attention their sibling with Autism currently receives through family-based therapy. But eventually Governments will start to feel the pinch as parents pass away and siblings (if there are any) are unable to care for an adult on the Spectrum that didn't have the opportunity to receive the important therapy now available. It's no wonder both parents and government entities are looking to Insurance, now mandated because of the recent Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, to provide funds for therapy for this biological condition.

The Passing of Steve Jobs

Last night I heard the news that Steve Jobs, the co-founder and former CEO of Apple, had passed away after finally succumbing to his long battle with cancer. The news was a shock and very sad, though I didn't fear for Apple. Having met many people at the Cupertino based hardware and software company, I'm firmly convinced that the company is in very good hands and will continue to innovate for years to come. But the passing of Steve Jobs is a sad milestone.

Steve and company developed some of the most innovative technology advancements that have changed the way those on the Autism Spectrum learn. With the introduction of the iPhone, iPod Touch, and finally the iPad, many parents have had affordable tools with which their children can communicate. Their dedication to those with disabilities has made devices that are accessible to the blind, deaf, and those with mental conditions that make communication difficult. And for that, Mr. Jobs, I salute you.

While he was known to be very opinionated, brisk, and abrasive at times, I have always found that the culture he fostered to be very open to all with ability. The campus was always busy with those who sought to improve the experience at every level for the user, and with their broad proliferation within the consumer market, they have succeeded. I had never met the man personally, though I had seen him once before the launch of the iPhone with the men who brought us that very unique and game-changing device. He was focused, determined, and seemed in a hurry. From all accounts of those closest to him this first impression I had of him was a very telling one, and very true to his nature and his drive.

My heart goes out to the family of Steve Jobs, as they mourn his passing. Know that we mourn with you.

Thank you again Steve, for all that you have done for a growing, often confused Autism community. You will be greatly missed, and remembered as one who, whether intentionally or not, enabled so many of us to help our children.

Autism and Siblings

Article first published as Autism and Siblings on Technorati.
It seems these days everyone is looking for fault in the behavior of children. I hear complaints about "learned" behaviors, mimicking, and lamenting that the behaviors are difficult to "undo" in the best of families. I hear it even more so with my son, who, as part of his Autism, vents his frustration and excitement by head-butting. As such, I get complaints about potentially hurting others, or even worse, others mimicking his behavior.

I can understand how frustrating it is when your child starts to behave in a way that is deemed socially unacceptable. It's a constant vigil for most parents of children on the Spectrum as they try to help their children overcome these behaviors to better assist them in their social development. But nothing is more frustrating than having a sibling mimic the older child with Autism.

My youngest of two boys is almost 3, and therefore is about the right age to start to see signs of the Spectrum. He has some signs, such as avoiding eye contact, ignoring his name when called, and seems to be between 6 months to a year behind in his speech development. He also head-buts when frustrated or excited. The problem is, we can't tell if this is a learned behavior from his older brother, or if it is a genuine sign of Autism.

If it is Autism, then he most likely will fall under the Asperger's syndrome umbrella, and will be very high functioning. But he seems to be so high functioning that he may not have Autism at all, which merely adds to the conundrum. The only real solution is to have him tested by a specialist to be certain one way or another. The numbers don't look to be in his favor, with recent reports showing siblings of older children on the Spectrum are more likely to be on the spectrum themselves. Not that it will change much, other than give him a head start with preschool Applied Behavior Analysis (and his brother's preschool teacher will get him, which will thrill her).

The thing is, another diagnosis in the family doesn't have the same impact as the first diagnosis. We have since learned a lot about the Autism Spectrum, developed a routine that caters to the spectrum while still demanding appropriate social behaviors, and in general have a good knowledge of what is needed. Basically, as we have already been through this once, we are prepared the second time around. The question is, are we prepared for a neuro-typical child?

Apple iPhone Announcement: The Anticipation

Tommorrow, October 4th, 2011, Apple will be making their iPhone announcement.  Much anticipated is the new iPhone, the iOS 5, and iCloud as fit for release. There are some other rumors about some features, and that's what I want to talk about.  Why?  Because it's fun to speculate, and fun to dream.  And who knows?  Perhaps one day some of these wishes will make it into a future iOS release.  

First and foremost is iCloud.  Not a lot has been mentioned here, as most people tend to write off iCloud as a file sharing/email/contacts service that lets you download stuff you have already purchased from iTunes at any time.  Doesn't sound too exciting, does it?  But there is a whole lot more.  First, there are backups of your phone, allowing for quick and easy restoration should something happen to your phone.  That alone is a great feature, and well worth the new iOS release (which is expected to be free, I might add).  Backups are in general rarely made, particularly photos and documents.  We as computer users have been lulled into a false sense of security with better performing software and hardware.  Hard drive journaling with Mac OS Extended (Journaled), ext3 and NTFS for Mac, Linux and Windows respectively, have all presented us with fewer corrupted files.  The death of the floppy drive and the prolific use of the USB thumb drive have given us more storage that takes up less space.  We think our data is secure.  That is, until we have a hard drive failure.  Then we curse ourselves for not backing up our data. With iCloud, at least for iOS devices, photos, and documents, backups are happening automatically for us.  We still need to burn purchased movies and various other applications, PDFs and Downloads, but all in all iCloud will take care of our precious memories and important documents. That is a feature worth talking about.

For iOS 5, there are lots of rumors that voice control and voice activation will become deeply ingrained into the OS.  This is huge, because for right now most voice activated apps are narrowed down to taking quick dictation and needing a copy/paste procedure to keep it. While I don't know the depth of the integration, knowing what I do know about the development team I would speculate that voice acivation and dictation could very well be in the cards.  And I'm not talking just speech to SMS as Android has, or even speech to text for documents.  I'm talking voice control for apps.  This may yet be a pipe dream, but I can see a whole host of Assistive apps growing from a core module that allows for voice control.  For instance, suppose you wanted to help a child learn to speak clearly?  How nice it would be to have an app that would use speech recognition and translation to help them focus on their pronounciation, word usage, and speech.  Speech therapists would love to have something like that to help augment their teaching, and parents would injoy it just as much.  Not to mention language practice!  That would be huge.  Yes, that kind of depth would be fabulous.  Do I expect it?  Not really, I'm expecting some common voice commands and speech to text/SMS.  But that is just a stepping stone, in my mind. 

Specs for the iPhone have been bandied around, and I'm all for a faster processor when it's necessary or needed, but for right now I don't see that need for the iPhone.  I also don't see the need for a more powerful camera, etc.  Hardware for me, as the iPhone already has a display that is so highly resolute that the naked eye cannot identify the pixels, is more just icing on the cake.  Until the software demands a better phone, I don't see me upgrading the hardware.  The software, on the otherhand, is what will drive upgrades for me.  Luckily, from the declaration at WWDC, iOS 5 will be supported on the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 as well as the new model.  

But specs for the new iPod Touch could be interesting.  If, as according to some rumors I have heard, Apple places a 3G/4G chip in with the WiFi chipset, effectively making the iPod Touch a mini iPad, then that will be an amazing upgrade.  It will effectively broaden the number of devices that can be truely used anywhere and anywhen, allowing for those who do not see the need of a phone to use their web-enabled device for anything they want.  And suppose they don't want a cell phone and all the texting/minutes/data issues that carriers tend to add to accounts, yet still want to have mobile phone access?  the iPod Touch will support Skype, as well as a number of other VoIP apps (many for free) for calls over the 3G/4G network as well as WiFi.  Carriers, instead of being phone companies, could quickly just become mobile Internet companies, providing data usage.  I wonder if the carriers would be happy with that?  

Another rumor that has since been dismissed is the release of the iPad 3.  It's really soon after the iPad 2 had been released, so I don't imagine the iPad 3 will be coming out now.  But if it did, the one and only thing I would really be looking for is a retina display.  That's what held me off from purchasing an iPad 2 when it came out, and sticking it out with my iPad.  I want to see the iPad with a retina display, thereby making it easier to read whatever app is on the screen.  For now, the display is still great, and the old iPad still does exactly what I want it to do, when I want.  

Finally, there is the rumor of the Assistant, which is a combination of a lot of speech control.  The demo circulating the Internet looks really cool, allowing for speech control in a number of OS-level functions (voice calling, searching, web searching, Twitter, etc.).  But the rumor also said it will only be available on the new iPhone model, and not any of the previous models.  That is disheartening, as I've had my iPhone 4 for over a year (has it really been that long?), and I can't imagine having to give it over to upgrade to the new phone.  I'll have to see which way this goes, and whether or not it's a feature I could or could not live without.  

So, lots of exciting things to expect from Apple tomorrow.  I think it's pretty safe to assume iOS 5 and a new upgrade to Lion (and possibly Snow Leopard) to support iCloud will be available tomorrow after the presentation, and I think there will probably be a new iPhone getting released.  I would also expect that a new iPod Touch will be announced with similar iPhone specs, and we may even see the final demise/retirement of the iPod Classic.  With iCloud, you no longer really need to have that much storage space, so I think it's pretty clear what's going to happen.  As for the other aspects of iCloud and iOS, that's what will keep my attention tomorrow. 

Kindle Fire: Amazon Gets It Right

Since the first Android tablets came out, the world has been waiting for Apple to take a back seat to Google's mighty tablet regime.  Unfortunately for Google, it hasn't happened, and all their tablets have been somewhat less impressive than one had hoped based on the Android smartphone presence.  And this even after tablets with the Android platform have been provided across several makers with very diverse price points.  And then the infamous failure of the HP Touchpad and lackluster sales of the RIM Playbook seemed to cement Apple's dominance in the tablet market.  Instead, the industry turned to Microsoft to see their release of Windows 8 Preview in hopes to find a platform to compete with Apple.  

Now, I really like Apple, but I also like healthy competition in a market to drive innovation.  Apple, having competed in the computer market for years found a way to drive innovation when they introduced Mac OS X and the iPod.  They then moved naturally into the mobile device arena by building on the success of the iPod with the iPhone and the iPod Touch, then the iPad and the Apple TV.  And why where they so successful?  Because they have innovative products that are backed by a very powerful ecosystem of apps and media for these devices.  The very walled garden that tech pundits had condemned when comparing the open Android platform has provided a seemless experience of adding media, accessing the apps you want, and protecting the iOS devices from security threats and software piracy that seem to be rampant in the Android platform.  

Many of those same tech pundits who doomed Apple to a slow, tortured death because of their walled garden, now were calling on Google to do much of the same things:  have more control over the Android Marketplace, provide more user friendly media options, etc.  And they wanted Android tablet makers to provide tablets at a price lower than Apple was offering.  The makers couldn't see their way to doing that because they didn't have the media sales to help recoup potential losses, or they couldn't build a tablet at the same quality level as Apple.  Because they were just the hardware makers, and not the software and media providers, they had little control, little say, and ultimately little ability to compete.  

And then Amazon came along with their Kindle Fire.  The Amazon Kindle has proven that a dedicated eReader without apps can be hugely successful if priced right.  They also have proven that taking a loss on the hardware can be recouped by media sales.  They have the infrastructure for their devices, including their own Android Marketplace that can be (I'm not sure if it is) tightly controlled for quality.  Essentially, they had the walled garden in place, they just needed the device to put that garden into effect.  

Now, I have yet to play with a Kindle Fire, but I would guess the platform is very solid.  From what I can read, it's very simple and is geared completely and totally to consumption of media from Amazon.  This isn't a bad thing, as a large majority of people out there may just want a consumption tool.  For those looking for a little more, such as apps for content creation (I'm thinking primarily documents, worksbooks and presentations here), the Fire may not be your best choice.  The screen is too small to type comfortably (if it compares to the Samsung 7-inch tab), so you would be relegated to having to use an external keyboard, and it looks like the Fire doesn't do Bluetooth (someone correct me if I'm wrong).  

So, overall, I think Amazon has the right idea.  If you have a tablet and a marketplace that can provide the ecosystem that is safe and secure for something as personal as a tablet, then the tablet can succeed. Do I think it will beat out the iPad?  No, but not because it's not great, but because the iPad can do more content creation with the iWorks suite, iMovie, and GarageBand.  Should Amazon create apps that can compete directly with those, then I think the price point will become an issue.  But I don't think Amazon will, because it doesn't make sense.  Apple is in the business of building hardware with a great customer experience.  Amazon is in the business to make it as easy as possible to consume their content they provide.  While both business models overlap at times, they are not the same.  Ultimately I see Amazon's Fire taking the wind out of the Android tablet market.  And if they move to WebOS as rumored, then Android will be in trouble.  

Those are, at least, my first impressions.  Perhaps one day I'll get to use a Kindle Fire (hint, hint, Amazon, should you want to send me one!), and I'll have a more comprehensive view of where the Fire will fit in the tablet ecosystem.  For now, I see it as a valuable addition, though not the market-dominant device.  

Windows 8 Preview: A Review

While I am an Apple user, and love my Apple products, I love to work with new concepts and new ideas.  That's why I was excited to see that the Windows 8 Developer Preview was available for testing. I downloaded it, and once some classes were done and out of the way I installed it into Virtual Box to give it a try. 

First of, let me say that I'm a big supporter of Tablets.  I have an iPad, love what Android is doing, and was really impressed with the HP TouchPad (and sad to see it go).  Tablets fulfill most of your average user's computing needs, in my opinion, as you can create documents, use the web, and interface with your Social Media (oh, and play games too).  Most users do not need anything more, so talk about horse power, processor speed, RAM, storage, etc. is no longer the stick by which your computing needs are being measured.  Those that do need more, those that use Adobe's Creative Suite, or perhaps do video production, will still need a standard desktop, but most of us will not. 

That being said, Microsoft seems to have thrown it's lot in with the tablet.  The interface screams touch screen, and I found myself more interested in getting the OS working on a tablet than working with it on a desktop environment.  I found it difficult to imagine using a standard keyboard and mouse configuration with this OS.  

So how did the experience go?  Not well.  I couldn't get any of the Metro applications to load with the exception of the Control Panel.  And once in, I couldn't get out again.  If I loaded it to the Desktop, then it worked great and everything was as expected with the one application available: Internet Explorer 10.  It worked as expected, so that was nice.  Now, I'm not blaming the problems with the OS on the OS, but rather on (most likely) the use of Virtual Box as the virtual machine.  I'm sure if I installed the OS on a desktop directly it would respond better.  At least I would hope so.  But, I don't think I would ever want to install the OS on a desktop, because it looks like it would only be at home on a tablet.  So I found myself looking for a cheap tablet that I could drop the OS on, if only because it would feel more natural. 

You would think that you could drag the Start window back and forth, as it has a very touch-based look to it.  And I'm sure you can with a tablet, but with a mouse you need to drag the slide bar at the bottom to get to other apps.  Or you can use your arrow keys to navigate through the apps, and that's a good thing.  But I really wanted to be able to drag the window, because it begs to be dragged.  Perhaps that's a UI feature that will be coming in the final product.  I would hope it would come in the next Beta release. 

The start page was, well, busy.  I'm the type that likes my desktop as uncluttered as possible, and having my start window absorb the entire screen is, well, a little annoying.  That being said, it's just a quick click into a Metro application and you are absorbed in the task of the day.  You don't have other windows that are taking up space, which is really nice for productivity (less distraction).  That I like, as I use it with my Mac OS X Lion install.  But when a window is open, you don't have any way to close it, or close the application you are in (that I could see), unless the application was on the standard desktop.  I assume this will not be an issue, as either Windows 8 will suspend the application or close it when it's not in use (remains to be seen).  It would also be nice to have something like Folders on iOS for your apps, so you don't have to scroll as much back and forth to find the app you need. 

So, in the end, I have mixed feelings about Windows 8.  I really want to test it on a tablet, and would welcome a developer tablet from Microsoft (in case anyone is reading), because I see Windows 8 making it big in the Tablet world.  They have a useable UI that, in spite of some problems I saw, is a fresh look at how a tablet should work.  And for desktop users?  It feels like you are being forced into the Tablet world, whether you like it or not.  There may be, eventually, a solution that will return the user to the Windows 7 user interface, but for right now I don't see a compelling reason for a Windows 7 desktop user to upgrade to Windows 8.  At least, at this stage, I would not recommend my labs be upgraded to Windows 8 if that basic start page isn't made optional during initial setup (so it can be turned off while imaging). 

Have you reviewed Windows 8?  What do you think about it? Do you agree, or disagree?  Why?  

Why I'm Skeptical of Google Wallet (and all RFID Communication) For Now

Computerworld is reporting that Google Wallet is now live. Google Wallet, if you are not aware, is Google's Near-Field communication tool for payments.  Essentially turning your phone into a credit card.  While it's a great idea in concept, there are some security risks when dealing with NFC (Near Field Communication) technologies:  the signal can be intercepted and utilized for what it was not intended.  Google has addressed this issue by requiring a PIN to be entered in in order to authorize payment, which is a real concern and a leap forward for NFC payments, but there is another concern I have with the technology:  Is it really needed?

As with any invention, you need to fill a need.  Right now there are two types of payments:  hand out cash to the teller, or use a card to swipe and enter in a pin number (or signature).  Both take moments, rarely longer than a minute.  With Google Wallet, you touch your NFC enabled phone (currently only the Nexus S 4G supports NFC), enter in a PIN (a security measure), and make your payment.  Again, it would take moments, and rarely longer than a minute.  So where is the benefit?  Some might say it reduces your need to have a wallet to begin with, but I don't buy that.  You still need your ID with you, and other cards should Google Wallet not be accepted.  So you still have a wallet, and you are taking about the same amount of time to take out your phone from your pocket vs. taking out your wallet from your pocket.  So I'm not seeing a time-based benefit here. 

Another benefit might be that you have full control over the payment in that you enter your PIN number on your phone, as opposed to an easily viewable panel by the teller.  That could be, and if so that would increase your security for your payments.  So there is a benefit. 

But what about battery life?  For anyone who has ever had their battery die on them while talking, texting, or playing a game, it's frustrating.  And if that is the only source you have for payment, you are kind of in a spot.  Granted, if you are a true prepper, you would probably have a solar panel ready for your phone (and who wouldn't?), but it still takes time to charge.  

So, ultimately, I don't see a benefit for Google Wallet in the short term.  That, of course, may change if governments of the world agree to a single method of identification that is computer-based, and any device could access it using some special method of authentication.  At that point your ID would be on your phone along with your credit card.  Companies that offer cards to provide membership (such as Costco) could follow along, and eventually you would only need a mobile device for all your connections.  It's just not there yet.  

So am I saying Google Wallet is a bad idea?  Not in the least!  I think, in principle, it's a great idea, Google just has a lot of hurdles that need to be overcome before Google Wallet can be a success.  So for now, don't expect people to flock to Google Wallet as a method of payment, and expect slow growth and adoption.  Like other digital technologies, it will have a large amount of inertia to overcome before it will become a power in the marketplace.  Hopefully that will give everyone a chance to work through all the security issues and concerns that will come up.  

And no, I'm not planning on adopting it anytime soon. 

Wandering: The Fear of Every Parent

Article first published as Wandering: The Fear of Every Parent on Technorati.
I just read that the 8 year old boy with Autism in Southern California, Joshua Robb, was found in good health. The news made an interesting deal about the fact the boy loved Ozzy Osbourne CD's and rescuers were able to use that to their advantage. But for me, it was a flash back to the pain and anguish that I fear every day: my child with Autism running away.

Wandering, where a child takes off without anyone knowing where he is, is a common problem with children on the Spectrum. They tend to just get it into their heads that they need to go somewhere, and take off. They don't tell anyone where they are going, and sometimes they don't even know where they are going themselves, they just go. Children have been lost for hours, some in dangerous locales, in treacherous weather, and the fear is they will not make it. It's a very real danger.

The boy's last name, Robb, is what really caught my attention. I have a cousin in Southern California, and I didn't know if perhaps they were a relation. It turns out they are not, but I'm still very shaken with the possibility that my cousin could have gone through that ordeal.

You see, Autism in my family is rampant, with most members of my extended family having children on the Spectrum. Some are well known for running, hence my concern. And we all have managed to find ways to make our families more secure.

In my own case, I have placed security doors with double-locking deadbolts on my house. Not to keep burglars out, but to keep my son (and dog) from running loose in the neighborhood. It's not that I'm afraid he will get lost, as he follows the same route when he does run, but I'm afraid he will get hit by a car because he doesn't look when he crosses the street. Of course, this doesn't keep him from running when he is at school, or when getting on or off the bus, or even when getting into the car for a trip. But it keeps him from running at night, or when others are distracted during the day.

I feel for the family in California, both for the fear they had experienced, and the relief they must be feeling that their son has been returned to them safe and sound. It's a fear we parents of children on the Spectrum experience every day.

2011 Utah Autumn Carnival for Autism

Article first published as 2011 Utah Autumn Carnival for Autism on Technorati.

The Utah Autumn Carnival for Autism will be happening this weekend, September 17th from 11 AM to 2 PM at Historic Wheeler Farm. Registration for the event needed to happen by August 25th, but even if you are not registered it is an event of which you should be aware. Why? Because it is specifically for children on the spectrum.

Sahara Cares puts on the carnival every year, and for the now three years we have been attending it has been hosted by Historic Wheeler Farm. The venue is well organized, though there tends to be too much noise for many of the participants. So, if your child is sensitive to loud noises, be prepared with noise-cancelling head gear.

But other than the noise, the carnival is awesome. There are plenty of bounce houses for the kids, giant inflatable slides that my son enjoys the most, and a "train" that the kids can ride. There are plenty of games that focus on sensory stimulation, and my sons both enjoy splashing in the water. The parking is incredibly well organized, or at least has been in the past, making the event a joy to attend, and easy to leave when your child has had enough. There is also a free lunch for registered children and their immediate family members.

There are some potential dangers though. The farm is by a creek, and all water has been running very high this year (thanks to large amounts of snow this last winter, and a late spring). There are also live farm animals and duck ponds that could be problematic. At least, if the carnival was not well staffed with volunteers! That is the most impressive part of the carnival, as children who "run" are quickly searched for and found by scores of staff members. Every game, every ride, every bounce house is staffed with more than one volunteer.

And another great part of the carnival is the presence of the vendors. Autism schools are present every year to talk about how their school programs benefit children on the spectrum. Some are private, some are Charter schools, and both provide great information about their programs. Also on hand are various healthcare representatives. The University of Utah has been there to talk about their music therapy which has seen some success in helping children on the spectrum. Other health professionals have been there in the past as well.

It's a great event for all children, and the fact that it is "Autism-Friendly", even by my own standards, makes it a great event for children on the Spectrum. If you were not able to register this year, look for it next year about this same time. You will be glad you did.

What I Remember from September 11th, 2001

I had been married for almost a full year.  I was on my way to the University of Utah for my second third semester in Ancient Greek and an Ancient Greek studies class, when I turned on NPR and heard the news.  A plane had hit one of the towers at the World Trade Center.  I immediately thought it was a terrorist group, but didn't immediately think about which one it could have been.  Then I heard about the second plane, and one that hit the Pentagon.  I was speechless.  We took some time to talk about it, then got back to work translating our material.  Now, I didn't have any friends or family at Ground Zero at the time, but I was still devistated.  I felt for my fellow Americans in New York as much as I would have if it happened here in Salt Lake City.  Because I knew there would be families impacted dramatically.  And I got angry.

Days after I heard about dancing in the streets in Palestinian cities.  I hadn't been partial to one side or the other on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, but that engraged me.  But then I heard Yasser Arafat send his condolences, and talk about how terrible it was that so many innocent people had lost their lives.  Immediately I had respect for that man, and appreciated his comments.  But I was still angry, and more angry that I didn't have an outlet:  someone on whom to focus my desire for justice.

The Red Cross started petitioning for donations and blood.  Thousands were lining up to help.  Canada hosted many Americans that were delayed on their borders do to the no fly zone.  A fellow student in my Ancient Greek prose class mentioned a call she fielded at Morgan Stanley about a gentleman who was upset that the New York Stock Exchange was not trading.  She had to tell him to turn on the news to explain why.  

As the days went by, we as a nation found someone to blame:  Osama bin Laden, now buried at sea after his positive identification.  We then went through a period of unity, unlike anything I could remember.  Both sides of the political spectrum started working together.  President George W. Bush, who I had almost written off as a one term president for his lack of action, all of a sudden became animated and took the helm and rode this unity into a war against the Taliban, and eventually against Iraq.  Right or wrong (and I'm not saying either), we found an outlet.  

Things have changed since that day, and right or wrong, our lives are not the same.  Sure, we still go to work, we still eat lunch, go to movies, watch TV at night, or play with the kids, but we do so with the knowledge that someone hates us all so much that they would do anything to try and kill as many of us as possible.  Aniversary days, like this decade from the September 11th attacks, become a time of baited breath, as more attacks are expected.  

What's interesting is that these feelings never seem to go away, though I don't walk about with the same anger that I did.  I found that out when London suffered their July 7th attacks in 2005.  Again, I don't have family (at least not close family) in London, or even in England, nor do I have any friends that live there.  But they were people who just wanted to go to work, and they were attacked.  Britain had their September 11th experience that day, and we in the US knew exactly what they were feeling.  

I don't think I will ever forget that day.  The feel of the car as I turned onto the freeway, right when I heard the news.  I don't think I will forget my shock.  And I don't think I'll forget, nor do I want to forget, the overwhelming feeling of goodwill I had for everyone in the United States on that day.  

Groundbreaking Autism Research: Biological Identifications

Article first published as Groundbreaking Autism Research: Biological Identifications on Technorati.

The West.com.au reported a groundbreaking Autism study as announced at the 3-day Asia Pacific Autism Conference.  The University of California's MIND Institute has performed the most comprehensive medical examination of children on the Spectrum, finding that there are clear subsets of Autism that can almost be documented.  Essentially, this is like breaking down cancer into it's various strains as opposed to treating all cancers the same.  And, once you can isolate a type of Autism, you can start to treat it, or even prevent it.  

This is huge, this is bigger than huge.  This places Autism as a specific medical disorder linked closely with the amygdala, a small mass of nuclei found in the temporal lobe of the brain.  It, interestingly enough, controls a person's emotional and mental state.  Small wonder, when you look at the behavior that is caused by Autism.  And how did they arrive at this conclusion?  Genome research and MRI scans of over 300 children on the Spectrum.  It's a huge step forward in identifying types of Autism based on biological and medical research, as opposed to just behavior observances. 

So what does this mean for parents short-term?  Not a lot, other than the knowledge that Autism is not the result of bad parenting but rather a biological disorder.  In the near-term, it will mean diagnosis of Autism will start to come from identifying first the type of Autism one has, and then a treatment method that best addresses that type of Autism.  I don't imagine it will be anything other than ABA, but I can definitely see differences in focus with modifications being made to address specific types of Autism directly.  And the long-term result?  Insurance companies can no longer claim that Autism is not a biological condition, and therefore refuse to cover diagnosis and treatment.  I consider this long-term because it will take some time for the results to be confirmed and generally adopted by the medical profession, and even then it will take longer for the Insurance industry to recognize Autism as a medical condition and therefore requiring them to shell out cash for diagnosis, testing, and treatment. But it will be coming, and that's very important. 

Another side-effect that should come from this news is the slow but steady weeding out of "Autism-like" conditions from the Autism spectrum, and getting them treated properly.  An example would be various allergies to food that can cause swelling in the brain, causing Autism-like symptoms.  Some rare individuals are unable to process cassein and gluten properly, resulting in a toxin that gets into the brain and causes Autism-like symptoms.  They go away when cassein and gluten are removed from the diet, but those with Autism do not experience the same clarity.  Removing or reclassifying these disorders away from the Autism Spectrum will give Autism a stronger foundation to work it's way into the covered disorders by Insurance companies.  

Frankly, the results presented by the University of California's MIND Institute could be the turning point in Autism research.  I'm excited.. are you?

Vaccines and Autism: No Link Found

Article first published as Vaccines and Autism: No Link Found on Technorati.

Yet again, vaccines have been discounted as a direct cause of Autism, as reported by the New York Times. And this isn't a panel of lawyers, a group of activists, this is a report that came from a panel of experts assembled by the Institute of Medicine. The report does site some side-effects and potential risks to vaccines, but nothing suggests that vaccines directly cause Autism, type 1 diabetes, etc.

Why is this so important? Because vaccines are necessary to stave off some of the most deadly and disfiguring diseases of our time. Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Polio, Whooping Cough, etc. were deadly in the United States for years, decimating schools when one child came to school sick. Vaccines have given us a way to protect all our children, both at school and really young children at home, by giving them a defense without the illness.

Some parents talk about the need to remove vaccines as a requirement for attending school. Others say we just need to rethink the schedule of vaccinations for our children. Personally, I'm inclined to say as long as your children are vaccinated, it doesn't really matter. The rise of these highly preventable diseases is reason enough to make sure your children are protected. The fact that vaccines do not directly cause Autism should be seen as a relief for those who are vaccinating their children, and no longer a reason to avoid vaccination.

So what causes Autism? That's a whole different discussion, as Autism is diagnosed through behavioral traits and not medical conditions. So while a number of conditions, both genetic and potentially environmental, can cause Autism or Autism-like traits, vaccines, at least, are not a cause.

Thank You Steve, Thank You

I was on my way home from work when my wife sent me a text, asking me about my opinion about the resignation of Steve Jobs as CEO from Apple.  I nearly fell out of my seat (fortunately I was on the bus at the time).  I didn't think it was possible, as I have always equated Steve Jobs with Apple, and vice versa.  I quickly looked for the headlines (it didn't take long), and read the article in the San Jose Mercury News.  I never once thought about the Company, as I have always said if Steve Jobs left Apple there would be plenty of skilled, talented geniuses working at Apple to take his place.  Instead, knowing that he has battled cancer for years, I was concerned for Steve. 

But why would I care so much about a CEO of a company that I've never met, and only seen at a distance once (he was surrounded by his entourage, as it was just before Apple announced the iPhone).  I don't work for Apple, so he doesn't directly effect me.  No, I was concerned because of the impact he has made on my life.  Not just because I'm an Apple user, but because of why I'm an Apple user.  

I used to hate Macs.  I couldn't stand using OS 9 and all it's buggy quirks.  Nope, I was a Linux user, quite used to having to compile the software myself if I wanted it, or writing a script that would do the job for me.  Then Mac OS X was announced, and we got a copy in our Mac lab for the new G3 iMac.  I opened it, immediately found Terminal, and was hooked.  Here was a platform that gave me my UNIX console and commands, but I could buy commercial software (i.e., games like Warcraft 3) and not have to worry about hacking it to get it to work.  This, for me, was a huge turning point.  

Since then I have been an advocate for the Mac, and I've loved it's user-friendly concepts.  Everyone I've encountered that has been intimidated by the Mac has been won over (with a few stubborn people who like to wrestle with their chosen OS).  Either it's because of the ease of use iPhoto makes of scrapbooking (which converted my wife), or the simple way Garageband provides music mixing and composing.  Sure, there are other programs out there, but none as simple or easy to use.  And when Apple started this road, I had always wanted them to do one thing: release a PDA.

At the time I had put up with the Pocket PC, and even flirted with Familar OS and other Embedded Linux distributions, but nothing that felt right.  In fact, I often found myself leaving the platform regularly, or leaving the Pocket PC sitting at home, quietly charging.  Then I would stop using it, and look for other answers.  Why?  Because it was so complicated to use.  It didn't feel like a useful tool.  That's why I wanted Apple to release something the minute I heard the rumor of the iWalk.  I wanted to see what Apple would do with it.  Unfortunately, it was just a rumor and the product never came out, but something even better came later that literally changed my life:  the iPhone.  

While I never owned the first iPhone, but once apps were being developed, and I learned that my son was diagnosed with Autism, it quickly became the device I had wanted in a long time.  It let the app take over the screen, it let my finger be the stylus (replacing the often broken or lost stylus of my Pocket PC), and it was very easy to use.  Soon the Autism community started releasing tons of apps for those on the Spectrum, and the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad have all found a place in my home.  My kids love it, my 2 year old learned to spell with it, and my son with Autism uses it to explore his education in a new and exciting way.

I had a chance to thank one of the masterminds, Scott Forstall, for the iPhone and it's sister products.  But I've never had a chance to thank Steve or the others involved in the product.  So Steve, I hope you get this, but from a father of children on the Spectrum, thank you for having the vision that has brought so much to so many.  You will be missed, and I hope all is well.  

Dual-Boot Imaging for Mac OS X Lion and Windows 7

One of the benefits of having a new Mac lab is setting it up for all the classes we teach.  Of course, most of them are taught on PC software, meaning I need to have a dual-boot image with Windows booting as the default OS.  Not a problem really with a Macintosh computer, though it takes a little bit of tweaking to get it working right as I found out. 

I started out by planning how the images would need to be built.  The Mac image was not a problem, as it was pretty much the same image that I've been using for years (just upgraded to Lion).  The Windows image took some doing and quite a lot of googling as I don't often install Windows, let alone create images.  But that was the easy bit.  The hard part was looking for an image process that would work for free.

There are quite a few Windows image tools out there that are free and work on a PC hard drive (i.e., MBR partitions).  For our PC labs we have used Acronis because of it's simplicity and ease of use.  And it works great for the PC installations, but as the Macintosh uses a GUID partition table instead of the Master Boot Record Acronis isn't able to see it and therefore cannot perform a restore.  So I needed another tool. 

Winclone is perhaps the best known friend of the dual-boot image community, as it makes a cloned image of the existing Windows partition on a Mac and does the restore.  It would be a no-brainer to use Winclone, but for one issue:  Two Canoes no longer develops Winclone, and the last official version (2.2) barely worked on Snow Leopard and will not work on Lion.  Fortunately a hacked version has been released, 2.3, and it will work on Lion with some preference changes.  

When you install Winclone, do so on a Mac partition that you intend to use as a NetRestore image.  Why?  Well, it makes it easier to deploy your Winclone image once you are done (install once, image, and deploy to multiple computers as you go along).  It also works better in a NetRestore image rather than a NetBoot image because of the amount of data that needs to be cached and transfered during the image.  I have tried both, and find the NetRestore to have far superior restore performance on a single Mac than the NetBoot image.  

Once installed, open Winclone and in the Winclone menu select Preferences.  Once there, click on all options to deselect them, and select the compressed image (as opposed to the dmg image).  The Winclone image process will not work without this step (as the logs will show). Then start your image process.  I saved it to the Desktop for convenience, but as long as you know where to expect the image to be, any place is fine.  After a while (30 minutes to several hours depending on the size of your Windows install), you should be ready to deploy.  You may get an error telling you it wasn't able to complete correctly after running through the whole process, but the restore has seemed to work for me so I have ignored this error.  

Once finished with Winclone, you now need to make your deployment image.  You can use something like DeployStudio if you have it, but I've always been happy with the NetBoot service for Mac OS X Server.  Granted, DeployStudio is great for large deployments because of it's multicast method of restoration, but with a small lab of 16 computers, NetBoot works just fine (and doesn't take a lot of configuration or port management).  If you are going to use NetBoot, you will need to use the System Image Utility as part of the 10.7 Server Admin Tools.  You don't have to host the new image on a Lion Server, but you need the Lion version of Server Admin Tools to create a Lion NetRestore image.  I also like making an autoinstall image using the Custom NetRestore Automator tools that System Image Utility provides.  At any rate, build your image and upload it to your NetBoot server.  In addition to the image with Winclone, I also have a NetInstall image for Lion, so I can partition.

Now I start by booting to the Lion NetInstall image and partitioning the computers.  I have 4 partitions, but really you only need 2:  One for the Mac, and one for Windows.  For the Windows partition, I used exFAT, though I suppose you could use FAT-32 if you needed.  In the end it doesn't matter, because Winclone will replace it with an NTFS partition, so it's all good.  Once the partition is complete, I restart to my NetRestore image, and let it run.  For my configurations, it took a good 3 hours for all 16 computers to image, but the time will vary based on what you have installed on both the Mac side and in your Windows image. 

Once finished, I started Winclone and restored to the Windows partition.  This took another hour per computer, but then it's running locally and not on the network, so that makes sense.  Once finished, I downloaded rEFIt and installed it for managing the boot process.  Technically I could do this with the built in EFI booter, but I like the flexibility that rEFIt gives me.  Once finished, I needed to configure it.  This is all done in the refit.conf file (located at /efi/refit/refit.conf).  I just opened the file in vi and edited the timeout from 20 to 5 seconds, and set the default image to Windows.  Once done, I save, and run the enable script (/efi/refit/enable.sh), authenticate for sudo, and it's done!  Now I just needed to reboot..

And the install is broken.  It seems the virtual MBR that EFI keeps didn't get updated with the Winclone image.  There are two ways around this:  either I do a fresh install of Windows and then restore the Winclone image, or I can boot off a Windows Recovery CD (or install DVD) and repair the MBR to get it to work.  That takes significantly less time, and once done I shouldn't need to worry about doing it again.  So I ran the repair and it worked!  Everything booted up correctly, the image was done.  

In total it took me a full day of imaging for a lab of 16.  Add on to that a full day of tearing down the old lab and placing the new lab, it's been a fun week so far.  The good news is that now the hard part is over, and I just need to bind the new computers to the Directory, and all will be running smoothly. Though in future, I may think of other ways to run a deployment, either by running a dd backup and restore, or using the Windows Backup tech to deploy the Windows image.  It shouldn't be that difficult this next time around, because the initial work is all done.  I'll keep you posted on the process as I get it worked out. 

Being Autism-Friendly

Article first published as Being Autism-Friendly on Technorati.

The New York Times posted an article on the Lion King being the first Broadway play to host an Autism-Friendly performance. The idea isn't that shocking, as Disney's The Lion King has a huge appeal to children and families, including those with children on the Spectrum. So catering to the Autism community is one way to build interest in the theatre for those who generally do not participate.

But how do you make something "Autism-Friendly", particularly when those on the Spectrum react to different events in different ways? What makes your event Autism-Friendly? It's something I'm starting to see more and more, and yet it hasn't been defined for me completely. So, in the absence of any clear definition, I've come up with my own:

Distractions

Distractions need to be set at a minimum. If there are lots of flashing lights or colors, lots of background noise, anything that flickers, then it's not Autism-Friendly. Visual and auditory stimulation are the most common ways to set off a reaction in a child with Autism. When I look for a place, such as a place to eat, I look for low background noise. It's getting harder and harder to find a good family restaurant that doesn't have a lot of background noise, but when I do, it makes one point in being considered an Autism-Friendly restaurant.

Staff Understanding

The last thing we as parents want to worry about are staff members that judge us for the behavior of our child on the Spectrum. Yes, parents need to take responsibility for their children, but Autism throws an added level of behavior issues into a situation that can frustrate staff members and parents alike. So the staff need to be understanding. A good example would be the experiences I had with my son at SeaWorld in San Diego and Disneyland. At SeaWorld, my son was often on edge, particularly while waiting to get food. It was a terrible experience, and almost eclipsed the enjoyment my son had at all the exhibits. Disneyland, on the other hand, was such a great experience with all the staff members and their willingness to understand that we had little trouble. Staff make a huge difference in Autism-Friendly designations.

Crowds

I hate crowded places. I've never done well with them, and often walk around the edge of a crowd if I can. My son is much the same way. If a crowd is not well managed, or if people in the crowd are not polite and understanding, the whole experience can become a nightmare. If there are long lines without relief, loud people in enclosed places, or the feeling of having to scrunch up as small as possible just to stand, then it's not going to be Autism-Friendly. That also goes for seating at sporting events, restaurants, theaters, etc.

That, at least, is my list. I have a high opinion of Disney and their dedication to providing a quality experience to everyone, including those who are on the Spectrum, so I am sure The Lion King will be successful. it's a good trend that I would like to see continue everywhere.

A Huge Loss to Mobile: HP is Dropping WebOS

I'm an iOS user.  I love the platform, and I like the stability it gives me when I work with it.  But I also like other platforms for their innovation and attention to detail.  And today, one of those platforms is being halted.  HP announced that, in addition to looking to spin off their PC business, they are going to stop production on their WebOS devices.  This announcement comes at a time when Google purchased Motorolla Moblility, the mobile phone arm of Motorolla, and Apple has enjoyed being the single largest hardware smartphone seller in the world.  HP had pinned their hopes on the WebOS platform as a way to jump back into the mobile device market (think HP iPaq).  But, it looks like they have decided it was not meant to be, and are now going to move it out. 

So what does this mean to the mobile ecosystem?  Apple is looking pretty good, having pretty much reinvented the smartphone with iOS.  Google has saturated the market with a lot of devices of varying capabilities and releases, so they are doing well too.  But I had a lot of hopes for WebOS.  They get what mobile devices should be, and how they should work.  Their idea of a tablet falls well in line with the same concepts that make iOS and Google successful, and it would have been nice to see them succeed and bring their level of innovation into the ring.  In fact, it's thought that WebOS could become the darling of another maker with more persistance and deeper pockets, like say Samsung or HTC.  It would stave off the tension of buying a competitor's OS (even if it's technically open source) to use on their platform, now that Google has Motorolla (or will have, after anti-trust investigations are done and all goes well for Google).  

So WebOS may not be produced for a little bit, but I don't think it will ultimately die.  The real strength that HP gave WebOS (and Palm before it) was the optimization of the platform to the hardware.  Much like Apple's model, it allows for a much more fluid customer experience.  Those that I have spoken to that had a WebOS device absolutely loved it.  I would hope, should another company like HTC purchase WebOS, they take that into consideration and keep that same fidelity instead of trying to peddle out the OS to multiple platform developers.  

But why invest in a platform that wasn't popular?  Well, to be perfectly frank, the failure of WebOS wasn't really in the platform, but more in the way it was introduced.  It was released before it was ready, and had no development for it beyond the inhouse apps.  And that's to be expected from any new platform. So where do you go with it?  Well, whoever buys WebOS (if anyone does) needs to invest a lot of development time into providing a strong ecosystem of apps for the users.  If you don't have the app ecosystem, you won't get the users, or even the developers as it will be seen as a weak platform.  And that ecosystem needs to be reliable and trustworthy, not riddled with malware, viruses, etc.  There is a reason why Microsoft was so hated in the 90's, and it wasn't because they were everywhere.  It was because viruses were so common, and they didn't seem to do much to protect themselves.  On a computer, that's one thing, but on something as personal as a phone, you can't do that and expect to keep customers. So, HTC, if you are listening and are thinking of purchasing WebOS, keep that in mind.  

Anyway, I hope something happens with WebOS that brings it back into the realm of a serious competitor for the smartphone market.