Technology – Page 4

QR Codes

November 11, 2010 by rickety 2 Comments

Stake Conference Calendar Event QR Code

A QR Code is a matrix barcode readable by mobile phones with a camera, and smartphones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. QR is the acronym for Quick Response, as the code allows its contents to be decoded at high speed.

QR Code Uses

QR Codes can be used to display text to the user, to add a vCard contact to the user’s device, to open a URI or to compose a text message or email. Users can also generate and print their own QR Code for others to scan and use by visiting one of several free QR Code generating sites.

Creating A QR Code

I tried experimenting with QR Codes by creating a QR Code Calendar Event for our Stake Conference General Session. In the top right is the QR code I created using the QR Code Generator from the ZXing Project. I selected a Calendar event, entered the details, and chose a medium (M) barcode size. The screenshot below shows the results. Click on the image to enlarge.

Generate your own QR codes at the ZXing Project.

Nexus One displays data from QR Code scan

Displaying data from a QR Code scan

Reading A QR Code

To read the QR code on my smartphone I used ShopSavvy that I already had installed. I selected “Search for a product”, and held up the camera to my QR Code at the top right of this post. ShopSavvy immediately recognized the code as a Google Calendar Event. To add the event to my calendar I scrolled down and selected “Done.”

The results were less than satisfactory. I found that ShopSavvy did not add the location and the description of the event to Google Calendar. By using Barcode Scanner by ZXing Team I got much better results. As you can see from the Google calendar screenshot below, all the information was captured and saved.

QR Code Readers

Many Android phones come with QR code readers already installed, as do most Nokia phones running S60 3rd Edition or newer. Blackberry phones running Blackberry Messenger 5.0 (or more recent versions) can also scan QR codes using the “Scan A Group Barcode” option in the BBM menu. Both the Android Market and the iTunes App Store offer several free applications that can decode QR matrices. Similar software can be downloaded and installed onto S60 phones.

See if your cell phone camera will recognize my QR code.

Work On The Jeep Is Winding Down

October 16, 2010 by rickety 6 Comments

Paul wanted to have gauges instead of idiot lights on the instrument panel of his Jeep. The upgrade was supplied by A Howell’s Auto Wrecking in Ogden. In the photograph above you can see that the odometer is missing — and for good reason. Paul has to rollback the miles to match the odometer that is being replaced.

Why not just switch the odometers? Because the replacement has a trip meter. The odometer has to be rolled back 108,866 miles (256,673.9 minus 147,807.9) and Paul explains how it is to be done.

The odometer is driven by a small unipolar stepper motor. The motor is so small it can be driven directly by the Arduino using the example code found here at Arduino. The four pins on the motor were wired to the Arduino and swapped until the motor started turning.

Unfortunately the odometer’s maximum speed appears to be only 600 mph (10 miles a minute) and so it will take about seven and a half days to rollback to the original mileage.

The trip meter has to be disabled as it will eventually halt all backwards progress.

At the equivalent of driving in reverse at 600 mph it will take 7.5 days to rewind back 108,866 miles.

This video is a little out of focus but you can see the general idea.

Everything is under control, typical of one of Paul’s projects. But he’s forgotten one important event to watch for. What is it?

Update

Paul put together this live odometer streaming video which will rollback to the required mileage (147,807.9) some time on Sunday 24th October 2010. See if you can estimate the time, assuming it is running continuously.

Since last week additional mileage has been driven to bring the mileage to 147,950. The time this was reached was 10:48am on Sunday. Live stream discontinued.

Free Scrap Metal — NOT!

July 10, 2010 by rickety 14 Comments

This classified ad offering free scrap metal appeared in KSL.com today with my cell phone number listed. This is how the ad was worded:

I have some heavy scrap meta [sic] that I need to give away asap. please come and pick it up call for address. First come First service no holds. Thanks!

At first I assumed the callers had the wrong number (which they did). After the calls kept coming I asked the callers who they wanted. Of course they wanted “V”, the person with the free scrap metal. For a moment I thought it was maybe one of Paul’s many projects, like his microwaves to arc welder undertaking.

Eventually one of the callers mentioned KSL so I searched their classifieds for “free metal”. I found the ad and clicked on the handy big red “Report Abuse” button. A few hours later, and after receiving several more calls, the ad was taken off the air. I’m glad KSL got it ironed out.

I bet you won’t hear about this on the KSL Channel 5 Eye Witness News at 10 in HD.

Update

The irony in all this is that I have earned AdSense revenue from this post.
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Responding to the Official LDS Call for Photos

June 14, 2010 by rickety 1 Comment

After reading about the Official LDS Call for Photos in Mormon Times (now the faith section of Deseret News) I responded. After all, what use are great photographs of temples, families, and church history sites if no-one sees them? Sure, I can put them on my blog, and I have, but who reads my blog, apart from you?

The Church needs all kinds of photographs — there is a list on their Official LDS Call for Photos Flickr page (submit photographs now through The Vineyard.) Your submitted photographs will be used by the Church and Church members for Church-related purposes. You still retain the copyright of your images though there will be no attribution.

I already had a Flickr account but if you don’t, join Flickr for free and give it your best shots. After uploading six photographs, join the group, Official LDS Call for Photos. Now add your photographs to the Church’s site. You can upload six a day. With a free account I found that my photographs were limited to 1200 pixels wide. The full resolution has been uploaded, you just can’t see it with the free account. You don’t need to because you will be contacted via Flickrmail with instructions to submit your originals to a separate Church site. This may take a few weeks.

Christus in the Oakland Temple Visitors Center

If you have a tough time with rejection the safest route is to submit temple photographs. If there are people or private property in your photographs you will have to deal with model and/or property releases. All recognizable individuals need to sign a model release. Participants under the age of 18 will need a signature from a parent or legal guardian. You do not need a release for LDS Church-owned buildings. Before you share your photographs read the Church’s Flickr site thoroughly.

To date I have submitted 18 photographs and had one rejected, the one with the Christus. It is not a very good photograph to begin with and I guess it depicts a sculpture, which we are specifically told not to submit. However, when you run your own blog you can post as many bad photos as you want. And remember, when it comes to photographs Many are called but few are chosen.

With a limit of 100 MB per month, the 24 photographs uploaded in June have used 69% of my allotment. However, a Pro account ($24.95 a year) allows unlimited uploads.

To give you some idea of what is being accepted, if you don’t want to head over to Flickr, here are my seventeen photographs. You probably have photographs that are just as good or much better. On the Church’s Flickr site they have more than just temples. If you do upload some photos, let me know so that I can check out what a real photographer’s work looks like.

Eco-Friendly Green Paper Shredder

June 6, 2010 by rickety 8 Comments

My eco-friendly green paper shredder was converted from a normal everyday paper shredder you buy at Target. I fed too much paper into it and stripped the gears. My son Paul repaired it by connecting a handle to the shredding mechanism from parts lying around in the garage.

Now I can save the planet by not having to use any electricity when I shred my private papers. I do have to remember to turn the crank counter-clockwise when I shred. It would be more intuitive to crank clockwise but that is not the way it works.

A small price to pay to go green.
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All Is Well In Kaysville Again

June 1, 2010 by rickety 2 Comments

Jake and Rachel at the Kaysville City Budget Hearing

All is well in Kaysville again for me but maybe not for many others. I went to the Kaysville City budget hearing this evening, as suggested by Mayor Steve Hiatt, to request that the electricity billing be improved. Jake and Rachel came with me to lend support. We arrived early before most people showed up. Eventually there were around 80 people in attendance, three-quarters of them Kaysville City employees. Several of them spoke about salaries (there are no raises this year) and some requested newer equipment. The Mayor made sure everyone who wanted to had a opportunity to speak, just like he said he would do during his campaign.

As I pondered what they were saying it reminded me of the 5% pay cut I took three years ago, along with many other engineers at Hill Air Force Base. It wasn’t until this year that my wages finally caught up. Cuts in wages and/or benefits are not easily forgotten and when circumstances change in favor of the employees one shouldn’t be surprised when they leave for better prospects.

Speak Before The Council

When it was my turn to get up and speak to the Council I found it a different experience than speaking in Church. At Church there are maybe 300 to 400 in the congregation but most of them I know. The Council on the other hand, I do not know and have only spoken to Mayor Hiatt once when he wasn’t the mayor but wanted to be. At Church a good number of the congregation is being distracted by children, or are talking to each other, looking around, not listening, or have fallen asleep, some with their eyes open. And once I start speaking a few more will fall asleep. However, there are several in the congregation giving smiles of encouragement and many others that look like they might be interested in what I have say.

As I stood before the Council they were all paying close attention, looking at me intently, and not a smile on any of their faces. It was somewhat intimidating but I pressed on. Fortunately I felt I was well versed in the facts of my request.

A Redesign

One of the city employees, the Finance Director, Dean Storey, told the Council that the utility bill was being redesigned and would make it clear at what rate(s) electricity was being paid. Dean also explained about Demand Charges for commercial customers. If a customer demands a lot of power in a short time period they have to pay extra power charges. This does not apply to residences.

So all is well in Kaysville again. At least for me. For now.

External Articles

Davis County Clipper: Employees raise serious concerns with Kaysville budget
Kaysville City Public Hearing held June 1, 2010: Minutes

Updates

7 February 2011 — I have changed the post to improve clarity by adding headings and replacing “Budget Man” with “Finance Director, Dean Storey.”
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A Kaysville City Annoyance

May 27, 2010 by rickety 6 Comments

There are some annoyances in life that are minor enough to be ignored. They don’t bother me at all unless I am reminded of them, and even then I forget about them quickly. One such annoyance is my Kaysville City Utilities Service Bill.

Although my utility bill arrives promptly each month it is just four times a year that the aggravation arises. To be specific it is the billing for the December, June, July and August electricity use that is the source of irritation. Not the cost of the power but the way the power is billed.

I will explain.

The first 1,000 kilowatt hours of residential electricity is priced at 9 cents per kilowatt hour (kwh). Thereafter the price rises to 10.85 cents per kwh. That is an increase of 20.6% in the unit price cost. Take a look at my January bill:

There is no indication that the usage of 1,265 kilowatt hours for a cost of $118.75 is any different than last month, except it is higher. Yet the numbers do not add up, unless you know of the two-tier rate. To demonstrate:

Kaysville City Residential Energy Rates
Single tier — 1,265 x $0.09 = $113.85
Two-tier — 1,000 x $0.09 + 265 x $0.1085 = $90.00 + $28.75 = $118.75

Perhaps the biggest disapprobation is that there is no indication on the bill that an additional charge is being added.

In a Good Cause

Well, you say, the additional fee is for a good cause. Probably to reduce global warming by encouraging conservation. Or perhaps to offset the same tiered charges the city pays on the open market. Very unlikely I reply. This is because the commercial rates are tiered, but in reverse. In other words, commercial users obtain a discount the more energy they use, which of course is how many products are sold. Consider:

Kaysville City Commercial Energy Rates
First 1,000 kwh — 9 cents per kwh.
Next 9,000 kwh — 6.5 cents per kwh.
All additional kwh — 4.75 cents per kwh.

Perhaps I am missing something here and my readers have an explanation. In the meantime Kaysville City has proposed an increase to power rates of around 7.5 to 8 percent. The last increase was 7.5% in May 2007.

These increases cause me no irascibility. But the hidden tier is reason for vexation. But only a little, and not for long — and soon forgotten.

Electricity rate source: Consolidated Fee Schedule 2009 (PDF), see page 8. If no longer available at the source, try this link.
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