IEEE SBC 2012, Madrid

Christian M. Schmid,

Looking at the amazing amount of blog posts that I’ve written so far (can you hear the sarcasm?), I guess I’ll just have to admit it: I’m not much of a blog writer. So the best I can do right now is to refer you to other blogs.

One that is definitely in my top 10 list of blogs right now is the blog by the IEEE SB Ljubljana on the IEEE SBC 2012! Most of you will probably ask what is IEEE, what is an SBC? The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE, read I-Triple-E) is a professional association … well you can look that up on wikipedia yourself. Basically it’s a worldwide network / non-profit organization for engineers of all ages, colors, … and they have Student Branch Congresses (SBCs) every year, where students from all over the world meet to discuss the latest trends in EE and to … well … just meet each other. And that is what the IEEE SB Ljubljana blog is about.

So here’s what I suggest you should do: If you are an engineer and not an IEEE member yet, get a membership NOW and try to get to the next SBC. You can thank me later. What is in it for you is meeting some of the brightest, most inspired, open-minded, innovative people you will find out there, a mix of great minds with cultural backgrounds as diverse as the cities where these events are being held and memories and experiences that you won’t forget too quickly.

I was fortunate to write one blog post for my friends from Ljubljana, which you can find at http://sbcmadrid2012.ieee.si/?p=296.

Lenovo Thinkpad X121e + Ubuntu 12.04 x64

Christian M. Schmid,
,

I have already blogged about how cool my new Thinkpad X121e setup running on Ubuntu 12.04 x64 is. I’d like to get a little bit more technical in this post. First of all, as so many have asked before: AMD E-450s (but also E-350s) can play Full-HD videos in Linux!!!

So here’s my setup

Lenovo Thinkpad X121e
Processor: AMD E-450
Graphics: Radeon HD 6320
8GB RAM
WIFI: … see below

Installing Ubuntu 12.04 is really easy, just download the *.iso from ubuntu.com, create a bootable flash drive using the Universal USB Installer from www.pendrivelinux.com and boot from it.

Everything should work out of the box but these three things:

1.) Full-HD video acceleration

First of all: Yes I can watch Full-HD videos on my machine! Here’s what you have to do:

The standard open source driver that comes with Ubuntu can’t do it and you need additional software to really get it working. First you need to install the proprietary driver from AMD. Right now it seems that only Catalyst 12.4 is working for the E-450. (I tried the 12.6 version just yesterday, AMD did not sign it for the E-450, so leave your hands from this one). Although Ubuntu offers you to install the proprietary driver, I would do it manually. Here’s how to

1.1.1 Get the 12.4 driver for Linux x64 from AMD’s website (Not the 12.06 version!!!!!)
1.1.2 Follow the steps from https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BinaryDriverHowto/ATI, scroll down to the “Manually installing Catalyst” section and do everything as stated there, except replace the version number with 12.4.

So far so good, now reboot your machine. To play Full-HD movies you’ll have two options
1.2.1 Use the XBMC that plays along with XvBA (see http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=116996 for how to install it) for watching Full-HD stuff
1.2.2 Open a terminal and use “sudo apt-get install xvba-va-driver libva-glx1 vainfo” to install a kind of wrapper for AMD’s XvBA needed. Also install VLC, open it and select “Use GPU accelerated decoding” under Tools -> Preferences -> Input & Codecs. After restarting VLC you should be able to watch Full-HD properly. If you are having problems search the web for “AMD vaapi xvba-va-driver” or similar terms. It worked for me out of the box.

2.) WIFI

The Wifi card that comes with the machine, is a real horror for Ubuntu. I even tried to download the driver from Realtek (which is the manufacturer of the card) directly and compile it myself. Even with that I did not get a stable connection when the signal was weak or when I was in a WIFI crowded area. What solved my problem was buying an Intel 6200 WIFI card and a half-> full size PCI card adapter, which was 15€  for both on ebay. – Remove your Realtek card, plug the WIFI card + adapter into the spare port of your PC and you’re good to go. The Linux kernel 3.2 supports the Intel 6200 out of the box.  Some might ask why not to use the port where I removed the Realtek WIFI card. Well that is because the Lenovo BIOS won’t let you use it there (Unless you modify the bios which is really tricky and dangerous)

3.) The trackpoint

I’ve never had a trackpoint before, but I really love it now. It is a shame that  one out of 10 time when I start the computer it does not work. The following commands make it work again:

>> sudo modprobe -r psmouse
>> sudo modprobe psmouse

It takes a few seconds for psmouse to load, but then everything should work again. I am thinking about putting this code into /etc/rc.local or something, but right now I just type it every time I have problems.

I hope this guide is helpful. Let me know if you’re having problems or suggestions!

I am the Master of my own …

Christian M. Schmid,
, ,

bladder – that’s what Sheldon want’s to be

PC – me. That’s why I started playing again with Linux. I have to admit, the whole Linux thing is with me for more than 10 years now. I have installed at least one Linux distribution every year and after some time found it: unusable to put it mildly. Most importantly: it never really supported my hardware. I should mention that I am talking about the two laptop computers that I’ve owned.

Which were both bulky 15 inch machines and I decided to go for a smaller computer about a month ago. So here I was with my brand new Lenovo ThinkPad x121e (AMD-450 Version), no operating system. In other words: Another round of Linux tryouts. I decided to try Ubuntu.

It was a lot of work and it involved things that my mother would totally not be capable off, but shit, I gotta say: It has convinced me this time!!! I got everything working!!!

The Making of Haraldbaumgartner.com

Christian M. Schmid,
,

Being creative is about building stuff and it’s even more challenging and fun when it involves building something for an artist like Harald Baumgartner. Yesterday we finished working on his website www.haraldbaumgartner.com. His music: really great stuff, interpreted in German (or should I say Austrian?) with great guests. Here’s a video about his new album

Working on the page was a real pleasure. Of course as an engineer I always have to think about the under the hood stuff, like Joomla which is behind the page and CSS and HTML and PHP. But what also counts, probably more than anything, is the design – the way the information is presented. There was a lot of trying different photos, styles, optimizing, font chosing (no we never considered Comic Sans), which is especially fun with an artist like Harald, because he simply cares. About details as well as about the big picture.

Anyway if you like his music find out more at www.haraldbaumgartner.com, or on his facebook page

ACT(A) now!

Christian M. Schmid,
,

Everybody is talking about it right now, and I’d like to share a personal story about something that has happened to me recently. But first of all the video:

So here’s my story: I love doing “DIY” projects. I create my own music, I build things (see the projects page), and I also like designing my own clothes. About 4 months ago I created a T-shirt with a piano keyboard and the word “play!” written below it:

I thought it would be fun and tried to have it manufactured by an online shop. My design got rejected – twice! You know why: “Because using the word “play” on any kind of clothing is registered to a company called playtex”: http://register.dpma.de/DPMAregister/marke/register/800248/DE

Yes, it is true, you can register a single, common English word, so that nobody, absolutely nobody else, is allowed to put it on any kind of clothing – no matter in what context, no matter in what size or font. Isn’t that horrible. I surely don’t want the same thing to happen in too many other parts of my life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you have any personal stories? What do you think about ACTA? Post a comment, twitter, chat, talk about it!

By the way: The design slipped through at another online shop ;) So you can order it at http://www.spreadshirt.at/play-C4408A17629509

A Truely Magical Time

Christian M. Schmid,

Every year on Advent Sunday, one of the most magical times in the year gets kick off. And it gets kicked off properly. We have this wonderful market where all the groups from my village, such as the firefighters, the farmers, the sports teams sell x-masy foods and stuff to people. In addition we, from the wind band, play x-mas tunes

and craftsmen show how they build stuff using ancient and traditional ways. My father is a blacksmith and he really brings that special feel, with fire and the sound of the hammer to the market.

The day ended with the KHJ night mass which concluded a really spiritual start into one of the most magical times of the year. So get yourself an advent wreath and enjoy it!

Clutter

Christian M. Schmid,

In radar systems the term clutter refers to unwanted components in a radar signal that usually come from unwanted reflections. Say, if you want to track a ship reflections from the sea or from rain are unwanted as they obscure your ability to see what you actually want to see – the ship. The problem is still subject to research and there is even people who devote most of their time to reducing the effects of clutter.

While the problem is so easy to describe and so easy to see in radar systems, I think most of us, including me, have the same problem in different forms in our own lives. Too much stuff around that obscures our view on the things that we actually want or should focus on. On top of that we usually do not devote most of our time to how to resolve these issues. These days it even seems luxurious to think about that kind of things, let alone to let go off the stuff that we don’t even have time to identify as clutter.

From time to time I take a day off, just like today, to clean out a little part of my life. Today it was parts of my appartment. The rule: “Don’t think too long before you throw stuff out”. While it might seem a little bit rigorous at first glance, I can say, it has not failed me yet. To show you what I mean. Here’s my table before and after de-cluttering.

Decluttering

Interestingly enough I did even add something during the process of de-cluttering – a bottle of water, we never get enough water they say …

I think I should be doing more de-cluttering, and I am not only talking about my table. After all you can only write on a blank page, not on a full one, right? What do you think about clutter, how much do you have in your life. Does it obstruct you, or is it what makes life more lifelike?

A Sad Certainty

Christian M. Schmid,

So I had this setup where I would get these occasional top-news messages from CNN. Like ten years ago, on the first day of my last year of high school, the phone would not stop ringing until the last byte of its memory was filled. A sad certainty began to besiege us all.

New York is “far away” from a European perspective. If it is too remote for you to empathize, take the 9/11 memorial tour, which is what I did a year ago. A married couple with very close connections to the events of September 11, 2001 shared some historical facts as well as their personal story. A very emotional trip. Ever since I am in awe of how gracefully many people have tried to deal with the mean hand they had been dealt. Today is a day to feel sad and a day to understand our duty to learn from what has happend.

I am IEEE …

Christian M. Schmid,
,

Finally I have found some time to finish the video editing. So I proudly present:

A big thank you goes to Karl Zeilhofer who did a tremendous job shooting the videos and doing some preliminary editing! Also thank you to all who stepped in front of the camera! – Great job!

Baltimore / Washington DC

Christian M. Schmid,

Actually I’ve been back for over a week now, but there was so much to do – I just couldn’t find the time to blog about what turned out to be a really great trip! What was it all about?

1 week of work at the IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium 2011 in Baltimore. It totally overwhelmed me. Waaaay too much information. While I usually tend to end up in a deadlock when there’s too much to do I’m glad I was there. One of the greatest parts was seeing my old UCLA friend Darren again! It’s always good to see him and I really enjoy his company having a talk over some coffee or at the free-beer-industry-reception.

My talk went well I guess, another highlight was that Reinhard, on of my closes colleagues here in Austria got the Microwave Prize 2o11, which really is an amazing thing and one of the highest honors the IEEE MTT-S has to offer! Congrats Reini!

Apart from that it was aaaalll crazy. I was a student volunteer guarding doors and helping people wherever I could for two days, I was hopping sessions, raiding the exhibition, talking to old friends, meeting new ones … … Too much information for a small man like myself.

The 4-days Washington trip that followed Baltimore was the necessary vacation I needed. The great thing: We were a group of three EEs from my university and one from the company that we work with. As for Florian, I already knew that he would be great company from our trip to Singapore, but Herbert’s and Reini’s company turned out to be just as enjoyable! What a great trip.

Apart from all the things that you certainly have to do and see when you’re in DC I enjoyed the Smithsonian Air and Space the most. Actually Becca, a cool-all-crazy nerd girl I met at the IMS told me we would have to go there! I can still feel the goose bumps that I got when I was standing right next to the command module of the Apollo 11 mission. – I could not help it, I was just awestruck.

So long and thanks for all the fish.