I’ve used Qtopia SDK in the past to write software for embedded Linux devices such as the Sharp Zaurus PDA. I was always impressed with the simplicity of their development tools.

TrollTech the company behind Qtopia has been working on a Linux development phone (GSM/GPRS). The phone will be loaded with Qtopia Phone Edition.

This phone should be perfect for developers and entrepreneurs who like their phones to do more advanced things than just making phone calls and playing songs.

Your Linux phone could run a web server or SSH or even control your home appliances.. the possibilities are unlimited.

I am expecting this phone to ignite innovative ideas in the mobile devices industry..

Can we say mobile 2.0 madness is about to start?

According to CNet, The basic package—consisting of a phone, cables and source code will cost around $700

So do you want this phone or iPhone??

TagMyCity.com is officially live.

TagMyCity (TMC) gives a unique twist to social networking. Unlike other social networks that focus on people, TMC casts the focus on events and places.
This list highlights some of TMC features:

• Search places such as restaurants, bars, clubs, spas, etc.
• Get place information: address, rating, price range, payment options, dress code, parking, etc
• Create user profile
• Rate and review places
• Upload pictures of places and users
• Create events calendar or attend existig events
• SMS notification of events (coming soon)
• Create groups and social networking (coming soon)

TMC’s calendar shows the event’s name, date, time, and address. It also gives a description and category. And it provides a list of all the users that plan to attend the event.

As of now, TMC services the Dallas (DFW) area. More cities will be available in the near future. Dallas area residents or people planning to visit Dallas can get the scoop on BigD. Users can search Dallas restaurants, clubs, bars, spas, art galleries, shops, hotels, etc. Users are encouraged to upload photos and stories from these locations. TMC lets users share their experiences with the rest of the world.

TMC also provides users with maps and driving directions using Google maps. All the activities are real time which means when a user review a place or add an event, the information will be available on the website right away with no moderation.

More features are in the works, and the TMC crew is always thinking of ways to improve the website. Please sign up and let us know what you like, what you don’t like…let us know anything we can do to maximize your(the user’s) experience.

I just started a new google group called Dallas on Rails

My first post there ..

Hi guys,

I am starting this group to be a place for exchanging Ruby on Rails
development experience in Dallas, TX.

Developers, entrepreneurs and Rails fans will find here good
information about how to build web applications or start up businesses
around Rails and web 2.0 in general.

Members should be able to discuss new and exciting technologies such as
AJAX, Microformats, PodCasting, RSS etc.

I am working on developing DallasOnRails.org to be the home of this
group .. stay tuned

If you are in Dallas and you have interests in Ruby on Rails or Web2.0, then this group is perfect for you .

I was riding today with my friend who is a Java developer and we were having some geek chat about the current IT market (bubble). He asked, “Is there anything you can do in Ruby on Rails that you can’t do in Java?” My answer was “not really”. Of course that wasn’t the answer he was expecting from me especially that I am always bragging about RoR.

I explained to him that he could do much more things in Java due to its maturity and integration capabilities but these functionalities come at expensive price. Java/J2EE skills are hard to master and Java projects take more time to implement compared to projects written in newer languages such as Ruby.

Every once in a while I find a “Java vs Ruby on Rails” online post and I realize that there is a big confusion about the differences and similarities between the two languages. In fact, I think RoR is more likely to be adopted by Java programmers than PHP programmers because they both adhere to the same standards and practices from OO to MVC to Active Records, etc..

Java is more suited for corporate environments with legacy and heterogeneous systems. Java also is backed by big companies such as IBM, Oracle, BEA, Sun, etc.
So if you are seeking a corporate job, then probably Java/J2EE skills are more likely to get you one than RoR.
Unlike Java RoR is still young and is not yet accepted in big traditional companies.

For the rest of us, RoR is much better fit especially in agile environments with short Software Life Cycles and with web2.0 focus.

After all, learning another programming language is easy and fun. And the more languages you know the more valuable you are.

I am heading tomorrow to BarCamp Texas in Austin. I am leaving Dallas around 10:00am and will be driving with both Callie and Cade.

We will be posting some pictures to Tactic@flickr and TMC@flickr live from Thistle Cafe

We are getting closer and closer to launch TMC (Tag My City) website. We’ve been doing a lot of last minute fixes and enhancements before we go live on Sept 1, 2006.

We are also getting ready for BarCamp Texas in Austin.

I guess that’s it for now I gotta go write some code..

If you work in the HR business, you probably know that finding talented and qualified people is not an easy task. Typical job boards such as monster and dice were designed to provide an electronic searchable resumes. But they didn’t introduce innovative ways to find talented people.

The current resume format is outdated and strict. It doesn’t allow candidates to freely represent themselves and showcase their talent.

I tried to find a solution for this problem by creating Things I Can Do, the website uses tagging and weblog-like profiles to provide users with the right tools to express their skills and knowledge.

Users can create profiles, upload pictures, add skills and tag them with keywords.
They can also rate and add comments to each other�s skills.

The website is still in beta version and It’s due to a major makeover release.

Cade and I are planning on taking this website to the next level by creating a better resume structure. The new release will support more functionalities such as Pod-Casting, RSS feed, Skype integration and Microformats support.

Feedback is appreciated…