GranneBlog » personal

A solution to two-way task list syncing on a Mac & iPhone

Scott Granneman — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:10:34 +0000

I just published a page on my website about a solution I’ve found to an important issue: how to keep task lists on my Mac & my iPhone that are synced. I used to use The Hit List, but the developer’s failure to come up with an iPhone solution has led me to abandon it. To read about my solution, check out “Two-way Syncing Task List Software on a Mac”, at http://dev.granneman.com/techinfo/tools/tasklistsoftware.

Linux Phrasebook in Russian

Scott Granneman — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:04:00 +0000

My book, Linux Phrasebook, which is still selling well & still just as useful today as when it came out in 2006 (& will be for another decade or two, given how consistent the Linux command line is), has been translated into Russian. You can find it at this Russian website, where I found out that it’s translated title is Linux Карманный справочник, which looks pretty cool. The other cool thing I found out from going to the page is how to display my name in Russian: Скотт Граннеман.

Outline for an Unpublished Linux Textbook

Scott Granneman — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:35:36 +0000

Back in 2004 or so, I was asked to write an outline for a college textbook that would be used in courses on Linux. I happily complied, producing the outline you can see on my website. The editor on the project loved the outline & showed it several professors to get their reactions, which were uniformly positive, with one prof reporting back that (& I’m paraphrasing here) “It was like this author read my mind, as this is exactly the book I’d like to use in my course!” Sadly, the book was never written, because the editor’s boss didn’t like the fact that I didn’t have a PhD in Computer Science. I thought that to be a silly reason then, & I think it’s a silly reason to reject the book now.

However, their loss is your gain. Here’s the outline for the book. Yes, it’s sadly outdated. Yes, it focuses quite a bit on SUSE, but that was what the publisher wanted. Yes, Linux has come a LONG way since I wrote this outline. But I still think it’s a damn good outline, and you may find it interesting for historical reasons. So, enjoy!

Interviewed for an article about mis-uses of Twitter

Scott Granneman — Mon, 04 May 2009 04:11:13 +0000

The Saint Louis Beacon published an article on 27 April 2009 titled “Tweets from the jury box aren’t amusing“, about legal “cases across the country where jurors have used cell phones, BlackBerrys and other devices to comment – sometimes minute by minute or second by second on Twitter, for instance – on what they are doing, hearing and seeing during jury duty.” In it, I was quoted as follows:

The small mobile devices so prevalent today can encourage a talkative habit that some people may find hard to break.

“People get so used to doing it all the time,” said Scott Granneman, an adjunct professor of communications and journalism at Washington University. “They don’t stop to think that being on a jury means they should stop. It’s an etiquette thing.”

Moreover, he added, the habit can become so ingrained in some people – even those on juries who are warned repeatedly they should not Tweet or text or talk about they case they are on – that they make excuses.

“It’s habitual,” Granneman said. “They say ‘It’s just my friends and family reading this.’ They don’t know the whole world is following this.

“Anybody can go to any Twitter page. There may be only eight people following you, but anybody can go anyone’s page and anybody can reTweet – forward someone’s page: ‘Oh my God, the defense attorney is so stupid.’ That can go on and on and on.”

My new book – Google Apps Deciphered – is out!

Scott Granneman — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:55:10 +0000

I’m really proud to announce that my 5th book is now out & available for purchase: Google Apps Deciphered: Compute in the Cloud to Streamline Your Desktop. My other books include:

(I’ve also contributed to two others: Ubuntu Hacks: Tips & Tools for Exploring, Using, and Tuning Linux and Microsoft Vista for IT Security Professionals.)

Google Apps Deciphered is a guide to setting up Google Apps, migrating to it, customizing it, and using it to improve productivity, communications, and collaboration. I walk you through each leading component of Google Apps individually, and then show my readers exactly how to make them work together for you on the Web or by integrating them with your favorite desktop apps. I provide practical insights on Google Apps programs for email, calendaring, contacts, wikis, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, video, and even Google’s new web browser Chrome. My aim was to collect together and present tips and tricks I’ve gained by using and setting up Google Apps for clients, family, and friends.

Here’s the table of contents:

1: Choosing an Edition of Google Apps
2: Setting Up Google Apps
3: Migrating Email to Google Apps
4: Migrating Contacts to Google Apps
5: Migrating Calendars to Google Apps
6: Managing Google Apps Services
7: Setting Up Gmail
8: Things to Know About Using Gmail
9: Integrating Gmail with Other Software and Services
10: Integrating Google Contacts with Other Software and Services
11: Setting Up Google Calendar
12: Things to Know About Using Google Calendar
13: Integrating Google Calendar with Other Software and Services
14: Things to Know About Using Google Docs
15: Integrating Google Docs with Other Software and Services
16: Setting Up Google Sites
17: Things to Know About Using Google Sites
18: Things to Know About Using Google Talk
19: Things to Know About Using Start Page
20: Things to Know About Using Message Security and Recovery
21: Things to Know About Using Google Video
Appendix A: Backing Up Google Apps
Appendix B: Dealing with Multiple Accounts
Appendix C: Google Chrome: A Browser Built for Cloud Computing

If you want to know more about Google Apps and how to use it, then I know you’ll enjoy and learn from Google Apps Deciphered. You can read about and buy the book at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Google-Apps-Deciphered-Compute-Streamline/dp/0137004702) for $26.39. If you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to contact me at scott at granneman dot com.

My new book – Podcasting with Audacity – is out!

Scott Granneman — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 04:58:07 +0000

Audacity is universally recognized as the number one software program for creating podcasts. Hundreds of thousands of amateurs and professionals alike have created podcasts using Audacity.

Podcasting with Audacity: Creating a Podcast With Free Audio Software is designed to get you podcasting as quickly as possible. The first few chapters show you how to install Audacity, plug in your microphone, record your first podcast, and get it online as quickly as possible. The following chapters cover podcasting-specific topics, such as adding background music or conducting interviews. Finally, the remaining chapters focus on how Audacity works, with lots of tips and tricks to make complicated editing even easier.

Read an excerpt: "Edit Your Podcast" is available on the Web or download a 950 KB PDF. An unedited version of the book is available under as a wiki under a Creative Commons license at the Audacity website.

2007 Summer Vacation, Day 5: 3 July 2007

Scott Granneman — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 20:07:37 +0000

Today encompassed both a disappointment and an amazing surprise where we least expected it. It’s all there – with humor, pathos, and pictures – at Tuesday, 3 July 2007.

2007 Summer Vacation, Day 4: 2 July 2007

Scott Granneman — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 20:11:41 +0000

Today’s big event was our tour of the Battlefield of Little Big Horn. We did other interesting things today as well, but we spent over 5 hours learning about Custer’s Last Stand, and I think you’ll find it fascinating. Find out about Custer and more by reading what we did on Monday, 2 July 2007.

2007 Summer Vacation, Day 3: 1 July 2007

Scott Granneman — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 20:11:32 +0000

Day 3 of our trip involved huge statues on mountains, lots and lots of bears, an old frontier town, an abandoned gold mine, and a famous cemetery. Sounds like an episode of Scooby Doo! Read all about our adventures on Sunday, 1 July 2007.

2007 Summer Vacation, Day 2: 30 June 2007

Scott Granneman — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 20:11:35 +0000

Gus and I had a busy busy busy day in South Dakota. From the Badlands to Wounded Knee to the Mammoth Site, and from Crazy Horse to Custer. It’s all there on Saturday, 30 June 2007.