Just Uber

Yes folks, it’s the craze that’s sweeping the nation (well the ‘tinterweb), it’s fun, it’s funky, it’s Spotify!

It’s like a version of Last.FM that plays the actual songs you want to hear and what’s more, the app works with Ubuntu.

OK, so it’s not a native app, but at least the developers haven’t totally omitted the good old Linux user. Until they see the error of their ways and release a Linux client, they have at least bothered to provide some pretty lengthy instructions here.

Want the simple version?

1. Download the setup file

2. Install Wine

sudo apt-get install wine

3. Run Wine Config wincfg

4. Click the audio tab in Wine Config

5. Click OK

6. Open a terminal and type

wine “Spotify Installer.exe”

Easy as pie.

An interesting Slashdot article about high altitude balloon photography just sparked my interest.

The first article tells the story of a group of students launching a balloon to a height of 20 miles, for just under $150 USD, using only off-the-shelf components. Using a cheap pre-pay mobile phone with GPS, a cheap camera, some hand-warmers, batteries and other odds and ends, these guys actually managed to get some pretty good pictures.

A little Googling brings up another project, this time by some Canadian folk who managed to do the same thing with a bit more tech, and which resulted in some pretty spectacular pictures. Check it out.

So, what’s the chance of this sort of thing happening in the UK?

I guess we’ve got some problems with overcrowding (i.e is the payload going to end up on someones head, in the North Sea, or knocking off a chimney pot in Milton Keynes?) and there would have to be some careful planning, but has anyone done this in Blighty?

Time for the first Ubuntu powered space project?

Answers on a postcard (or in the comments thread probably!) please.

Just logged into a Jaunty desktop machine over ssh and got a reminder to update:

8 packages can be updated.
16 updates are security updates.

Is this feature new? Has it been around for ages and I missed it? Whichever, nice one!