As I’ve mentioned, I’ve been using MotionBased with my new GPS unit uploading each activity (dog walk, running, and in-line skating) to the website. The free version of the website only lets you see the last 10 or so activities and has a few other limitations. These include no saved reports and no totals. Well, it only took 5 days of me using the site and uploading data to convince me that I needed to subscribe so that I could separate my activities and total my activities. So far, it seems worth it and I think that I’m really going to enjoy using the website even more as I continue my training. Excellent work, MotionBased on giving me a free taste and then reeling me in!
I’m not an IT person
My dad called me today telling me that his IP phone wasn’t working (it’s hooked to my server). Well, he hadn’t restarted the phone in awhile and I had upgraded the firmware on it so that the next time it rebooted it would pull it down. What I hadn’t realized is that the phone’s firmware switched from using active FTP to using passive FTP. My server was setup to allow active FTP (not much to setup), but didn’t handle passive FTP. So after the phone got the firmware (using active FTP), it choked getting its config file via passive FTP. After a bunch of work, I figured this out and fixed my firewall to allow this. That was only part of the problem; the second problem is that I was using a non-standard SIP port (6060) for some reason that I can’t really remember. Either the phone or my dad’s router didn’t like that, so I had to reconfigure the server (Asterisk) to use port 5060 and reconfigure the phone configuration to use port 5060. I think that this got the phone working again, but it took something like 2 hours and got me very annoyed at my dad when it clearly wasn’t his fault.
I’m definitely not cut out for doing IT stuff. Luckily I don’t have to do this all the time or I’d be pulling my hair out.
Virtual Trainer is out to get me
One of the features of my Garmin Forerunner is a virtual training partner that gives you something to try to keep up with during training. I tried it out yesterday and set it to a 9 minute mile which is about what I’ve been averaging. When I was ahead of the pace, the lower half of the display was black text on a “white” background, but when I was behind, it was a black background with white text. It shows how far ahead or behind you are relative to the training partner. The problem with the training partner is that he never has to stop for stoplights, is never out of breath, and just keeps running. When I was behind, I could just hear him say (not literally) “you wimp, speed up”. There are parts of my run that I can easily beat the partner and other parts where it is hard (going uphill). Luckily, I managed to beat my virtual training partner by a few hundred feet on my 5 mile run. While it is a nice concept, I can’t say that I like that kind of competition even if it really is all in my head.
Another stupid hack attempt
I was checking the statistics on my server this evening and saw a constant CPU and bandwidth spike from 6 am to 10 am. After some research, I discovered some bozo trying to break in via SSH. Hello, if you can’t guess the username/password in the first 10 minutes, why not give up? Someone has obviously attempted to secure the system. So, I found a script called SSHBlack and then easy instructions that will blacklist an IP address after a few failed SSH attempts. I guess I’ll know soon if it all works. Geez, don’t people have better things to do with their time?
First run with Forerunner 305
Today was my first run with my Garmin Forerunner 305. I had already plotted my course using Google Earth because I didn’t expect to get the unit so soon. So I went ahead and ran that run around Mission Bay and then along the ocean. I was extremely pleased with the unit; I’ve never had anything like this before (I do have a GPS unit, but nothing I can wear). It was easy to setup and easy to read while running. The other day, MotionBased released a Mac plugin for their service. It worked great and uploaded my data without a problem. The analysis it does is great for anyone that likes statistics and such. It will prove to be more useful as I keep up my training. Next I’ll have to decide if I want to upgrade from the free service. I’m not the fastest runner in the world and have only one goal for the marathon I’m going to run; finish. You can check out my run and laugh at my results; I need to work on trying to get my heart rate down a bit. (MotionBased lets you set events to be public if you want, so that anyone can view them.)
Who designs receipts?
Yesterday, I went to RoadRunner Sports to pick up some stuff for running (in case you haven’t guessed, I’m in training for a marathon; my first marathon to prove to myself that I can do it). I had a coupon for $10 and after checking out, I walked outside, looked at the receipt and scratched my head. Normally receipts have several columns including description, quantity, unit price and extended price. In my experience they also take discounts off at the end. Not here. They had description, quantity and unit price. So if you add up the price column, it will only be correct if you bought one of each item, which I didn’t. To confuse matters, my $10 discount wasn’t taken off at the end, it was taken off the first item. My first item was PowerBar Gel stuff with a price listed as -$2.10. I had to go back in and get this explained to me. What the computer did is take the total cost of the item (3 @ $1.23) and then subtract off $10 and divide by quantity to give -$2.10 each.
That’s just not logical; I guess most people don’t look at their receipts as close as I do or this would be a bigger issue for them having to waste time explaining it to customers.
I’m impatient
I couldn’t wait to get my Garmin Forerunner 305, so as I was checking some forums, I saw that people were picking them up at REI in northern California. So, I gave it another try (I had called on Thursday and was told that I’d have to order it online as they usually don’t come to the stores until the backorders were filled). I called my local store and they said they didn’t have any, but the next closest store (30 minutes away did). I called that store and asked them to hold one for me. I went this morning to pick it up and even though I had to pay sales tax, I did get to use my REI dividend. From reading some forums, calling close to closing time may produce better results as the inventory is unpacked and people anxious to get stuff are going in the morning instead of last thing at night (I called 30 minutes before closing).
Hassle free coin counting
I’ve seen those Coinstar machines at the grocery store and always thought it is ridiculous to pay 8.9% of what’s counted for convenience. Recently I saw an ad or heard an ad indicating that there was a no-fee way to get your coins counted by the machine. I checked the website this morning and found that if you get a gift certificate to Amazon.com or some other places, there is no-fee. I figured that we regularly buy stuff from Amazon, so it just made it more convenient for me to get rid of the pile of change we had on our counter in a plastic counter. Turns out we had $92.46 of change! Now what should I get from Amazon?
Usability of ATMs
Bank of America has had the a very ugly user interface for its ATMs for years. It is text based and while usable, it just isn’t pretty. Several years back they changed it into a snazzy graphical interface and then for some reason, pulled it from the ATMs. I actually went into the bank and complained. I wasn’t the only one that complained. However, one thing that has bugged me for years is that after you put in your card, you had to select between English or Spanish. Don’t you think they could store the 1 bit of information in the system what I selected last time? While they still don’t remember the preference, they now don’t make you choose on a separate screen; instead after you enter your PIN you press the English confirmation or the Spanish confirmation button.
Would a prettier user interface help? I don’t know, but I thought the pictures were neat. Maybe they reverted in order to comply with the ADA act (the ATM do have a headset jack for visually impaired people).
I hate waiting
I ordered a Garmin Forerunner 305 from gpscity.com on Feb. 21 knowing that the units wouldn’t be shipping from Garmin until about March 1. Well, I’m now in line as they fill the backorders. The wait is killing me! I’m very impatient and can’t wait for my new toy. (I went into software as I wanted to see the results of my work quickly.) Hopefully I’ll have it in a few weeks.