Last week I ordered some Additional Ram for our iMac 8 Gigs.  I run Lion in 64 bit mode because that gives me nearly an extra gig of ram (the full 4 gigs) to use.

The Windows PC first;
Now on the PC before I re-installed windows as 64 bit I had tried for weeks to avoid it.  I downloaded Advanced System Optimizer, I bought it, ran it a few times. It did help somewhat with making it “feel” faster.  I even downloaded on the PC Cache Man XP, and other utilities.  Cache man I uninstalled.

ASO Advanced System Optimizer for Windows -> yes it does help windows Performance feel faster.  The largest speed increase came from using Ready Boost on a USB 8 Gig stick!   This speed increase is noticeable in how Windows Redraws its desktop icons when something changes on the system.  The USB Cache made this nearly instantaneous!

So ASO is a Yes! Though only marginal upgrades to the feel of speed. Some had to do with installed services, I think the rest for Windows 7 had to do with running 32 bit mode and being cramped into 3.12 GB of ram out of 4! The re-install to Windows 7 64Bit made a huge difference! Of course everyone experiences this, it feels faster at first, and then over time it seems to bog down.

I have obtained an un-installer for windows, which should help with removing software that bogs down the system coming up in the next 3 months. We shall see! I plan a memory upgrade there too!

Back to the iMac;
On the iMac (its a 2 year old model) I obtained “Mac Keeper” last week. I decided to purchase it because the iMac became dismally slow this year with a recent upgrade to Lion, running Skype, Xcode, Firefox, Thunderbird, and tons of other apps that are memory hungry at the same time, I noticed lots of slow down.

“Mac Keeper” helped with some of it, un-installs of unused software helped with getting rid of the rest.  The iMac felt better daily. Still running Skype and Xcode together its slow.

With a 8 GB ram upgrade just 56$ including shipping, and its Kingston Ram! Wow!  Good timing.

That’s now installed.  The good news is it added with the 4 Gigs, because there are 4 memory slots, I just slide these in, and it all is working together so far (I come from a generation of “DON’T MIX RAM” including across brands etc.).

What remains to be seen is how well it performs here on out.

Mac Keeper = Yes worth it, for those who cannot afford the ram, or don’t have the system to support it!

(ASO) Advanced System Optimizer for Windows = Yes, helps clean up old software that doesn’t need to be on the system, helps unbog the system in services if they are running for no reason.

Ram Upgrade = Definitely YES if you can do it, you should!  Don’t overestimate that just Adding Ram will make a system faster, sometimes you have to clean up, and sometimes only a re-install will do it!  And finally, sometimes its bloat ware! Things get bigger with time, Look at Windows XP.  10 Years adds a LOT of size to the OS.

The big guns;  Also nothing beats going in with a fine tooth comb and removing things that are unneeded yourself.  A self optimization is sometimes necessary, not everyone is capable of this, and if you don’t KNOW what your DOING! DON’T DO IT!  Self optimizations like removing unnecessary programs with their un-installer or a good un-installer program may be in order.  I used Mac Keeper and ASO due to time constraints between projects, and really these companies make it their Duty to ensure a system is stable after optimization. Don’t underestimate the geeks hard at work for you with these programs!  They’ve tested out the best options for stability and ensured a working order machine after the fact!

Windows Common Tools -> Disk cleanup -> yup use it!  Check Disk is also important.  SFC /scannow is too!

Mac -> Disk Check and backup (Time machine).  its a unix os, so don’t forget run levels, services, and things of those nature at the command line.

CloneZilla -> honorable mention!

Keeping an Eye on things;
I have mixed RAM on the iMac, but each bank has its own Matched RAM, so long as only bank switching occurs and the memory controller can deal with it, everything will work fine! NO issues. If I have issues look forward to another post about this in another week. No post = no problems!

Ram type = DDR3-1066.  Originally installed = 4 Gigs DDR3-1066 in slots 1/2,  Added 8 Gigs DDR4-1066 in slots3/4

- eSpecialized

The retain property is probably the best example I can think of.  Some objects when alloc’d and init’d, create a retained object.  Some other + functions create autorelease objects in the iOS library.  I still have problems with these at times, due to the learning curve, and finding other peoples library’s do not follow the same conventions or template that the iOS libraries do.

 
 
#import <Foundation/Foundation.h>
 
@interface Properties : NSObject {
NSMutableArray *myArray; //optional, properties now create the class object from the synthesize statement in xcode 4 and later.
}
 
@property (nonatomic, retain) NSMutableArray *myArray;
 
@end
 
#import "Properties.h"
 
@implementation Properties
 
@synthesize myArray;
 
-(id)init
{
self = [super init];
 
if (self) {
//here we assign the class object myArray the new alloc/init'd instance.  This alloc/init'd instance comes with a retain value of 1
myArray = [[NSMutableArray alloc] init];
}
 
return self;
}
 
-(void)dealloc
{
//here we use the accessors to release the contents.
self.myArray = nil;
 
[super dealloc];
}
 
@end

And that my friends is how to use a retain property.  If you set it = to anything else,  use the class object if what is returned is already retained (mutablecopy, copy, alloc/init).  If what you use is autoreleased (+ methods),  use the self.myArray to obtain the object and set a retain value on it.

I realize I don’t show assign for objects or others. Assigns you can always use the accessor methods, you must retain or release objects as needed with assigns and watch them just as tho you were using a class object.

If your App Delegate has your music, sound effects, graphics, opengl context etc retained. All subclasses (main menu, game, prefs etc) should only reference those retained objects with an assign.

Specifying autorelease;
You can change a retained object into an autorelease object. Once all objects no longer retain it, it is dealloc’d.
1. Do not add an object to a autorelease pool twice.
a. Any object that comes from foundation which has a +shared by it, returns an autoreleased object. Read the documentation to ensure this is the case. Adding such an object to autorelease pool will introduce bugs and cause untraceable crashes.
b. For libraries made by other people, double check their code if its available, sometimes people do not return an autorelease object for their +shared methods.

2. Do not set a property that is retained, self.myarray = to a [[NSArray allc] init] retain]; this will result in improper retain counts. Count those retains, one by the property, one from alloc/init, and an additional one at the end with retain. 3 retains there.

I hope this helps you out, always use leak detector AND analyzer to help flush out bugs introduced using properties, and your retain counts.  Hold down on the Run button, and you will get profile and analyze.  Run analyzer first to fix the code problems directly,  and then use profiler to get extra retain bugs you missed.

At current I have a few devices that cannot be updated, and have no interface to do so. At least 2 more sophisticated devices that run off nuclear decay time, and their date systems are hard set.

So I am throwing this out there, if you plan on releasing a device designed with any kind of real time clock (RTC) that has DST support in it, ensure to allow adjusting the dates for fall back, spring forward.

It would be far easier to just allow the consumer to adjust the hour + or – by one hour, than to include a DST setting.

My home thermostat has a old DST setting in it. No interface is included either by menu, or usb to update the device. It is quickly becoming obsolete.

Besides all those things.. I believe that the bCandied update is ready at last to go out. I had to re-port half the updates to ensure no bugs appeared. I got the most important ones done for now.

SudokuGeek -> making it harder. Now this may be a challenge. I think I have a way figured out of inserting xwings, triplets, twins, into the puzzles to make a “Very Difficult” category.

Getting back to the Robot >> wow when I cracked open the code to work on it, I found I was a bit muddy minded to work on it. I have a new AVR32 bit controller, and a Venus GPS module. I will build the RC Rover into my Traxxas Summit. Now that should be an excellent robot rover! All terrain, way point capable. I’ll be writing it entirely in C if any one asks. Assembler resources for the AVR32 MCU’s is limited.

Before I realized it I was wanting to develop the bot into a mini sumo bot. I lost focus on my vision of just getting the bot to move around and dance.  Its neat how hobby’s change and morph with desire to do more.

The idea of some competition, of building my own sumo ring, and of forming both robot chassis’s into sumo bots won’t be forgotten any time soon. Still I had a task to finish, and here are my results;

Tasks;
1. Finish the bot build I had begun a long time ago.
2. Get the robot to move around, sort of like a dance,  as much as a wheeled robot could be made to do so.
3. All code to be made in Assembler for the AVR
4. Movement would utilize counts from the quadrature encoders. The counts would use two interrupt pins as input to count up a distance.

After much pouring over documentation, assembler how-to and work. I came up with a working robot that does just these tasks.  My list is far longer but this is a good checkpoint before I make improvements.

Image Showing the AVR Mega32

Right Profile

Left Profile

Future of the design;
1. Get weight limit to within 500 grams for the sumo bot competition.
2. The servo wheels are a little too wide at the moment, I need to put the servo’s on the inside of the bot to meet the 10CM width and length of the bot.
3. The back with the caster wheel has to change in length to fit the 10 CM length limit.
So this all means that the batteries have to be repositioned. The servo’s instead of mounting on the outside, have to be on the inside. The batteries will have to fit above the servo’s.
Additional parts needed to add are the line detectors so the bot won’t roll off the table.

Lessons learned;
Controlling servo’s is nothing simple or easy, but requires thinking about what is really happening with the timers and when/how to adjust the PWM out to them in the AVR.

The “center” no roll setting for these continuous rotation servo (aka Gear boxes) floats. So the bot will have to be smart about it, and that requires some extra coding.  Since the quadrature encoders have a direction output, I can utilize that to make adjustments on the fly to the standing still code, to ensure the robot stays stationary.

Finally roll speed, the speed needs to be equal on both sides to more or less move in a straight line. Some extra code for this will be needed too.

Finally the movie;
http://youtu.be/3k2yxaxhIGs

Well I’ve found a hack around so to speak.

Lets go with dimensions of the touch and phone devices.  320×480 is their screen display size.

Assumptions; your UIScrollView is all wired up to your class file.

1. UIView is set to the dimensions you want to edit at first (say 320×520)

2. Scrollview -> same as UIView, but all autosizing items enabled locked to each edge.

3. Edit the Scrollview the way in which you want it.  Now in the UIScrollview attribute inspector, deselect “Autoresize Subviews”

4. Now comes the time to change the size of the UIView. so select it, and set it to the screen dimensions.

5. Now in your viewWill/DidAppear method, use these lines

        CGRect newFrame = self.view.frame;
        CGSize newSize = CGSizeMake(self.view.frame.size.width, scrollView.frame.size.height);
        [scrollView setContentSize:newSize];
 
        [scrollView setFrame:newFrame];

This accomplishes 2 things;
It grabs the frame height and sets it into the contentSize. This will allow scrolling.
The UIScrollView’s Frame is set to be the UIView’s frame.

Debug;
If you fail to deselect “Autoresize Subviews” in IB for the UIScrollView. When the Frame Size adjusts, so will the content, which is not the desired effect. So Just remember, autoresize can be a disaster for UIScrollView in some cases, and an advantage in others.

Posted on Stack over flow, how to connect the delegate to the files owner in the dock.
Since the Xcode 4 dock is usually hidden, this much needed part, to connect a delegate of a view to a file, is very needed. And probably asked about and has people frustrated to an end.

So basically, select an XIB file, the Dock appears second pane from the left.
open up the Xcode 4 dock, which has a small triangle pointing to the right in it on the lower part of the bar.
You will see “Files Owner” pop up, and you can open up the view and make connections there.

Concerning this recipe; http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/the-once-and-future-beans-recipe/index.html

This has me wondering what happened the first round making this recipe of beans?

Well we made the recipe of beans differently.  We used White Great Northern Beans from Walmart.  We used low sodium bacon in the first batch from Costco. Also at the very end of cooking, is when I added the Cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt.  And I only use the sea salt while my wife used kosher salt in our 2nd batch.

We have obtained a 20 lb bag of Great Northern white beans from Cash and Carry.  We plan to stick to the beans.  I am hopeful that these Great Northern white beans are the same as what we got for the first batch. Soon all will be told.  There are so many sub species of beans, it would be hard to believe that it may just be the first bag of white beans we got that caused such dramatic results.

Is it the beans, or low sodium bacon that makes all the difference?  Could salty food prevent weight loss?  It doesn’t appear to be in the list of causes, maybe just water retention issues? http://www.water-retention.net/causes-of-water-retention/

So on to more testing with the recipe.  Fortunately it is not boring to eat it once a day, and just for bfast.

I also recall adding in lots of cans of beans here and there to add variety.  So I will be sure to do that.

Yesterday, Beans in the AM

And the weight in has me at 255.6lbs

Lunch was left over food from eating out, a few nacho’s with steak and some flauta’s.

Dinner was home made mixed pork, potatoes, and carrots, white basmati rice.

My thoughts during today’s walk were; stick to the beans.  So I am going to forgo most other foods in favor of beans strictly.

If this is a bean diet, lets do it that way!  I think in a prior post I was stating to adopt this ideal too.

For the past week I have eaten beans once daily, if not twice.  The decline did not start occurring till we started in on the White Great Northern baked beans Sunday June 26th.  Since then, each day we have seen about 0.3lbs disappear daily.

Why the bounce back up then now climbing steadily down?
1. Exercise builds muscle mass which is heavier than fat.
2. We changed to other beans to try it out, see if the losses continued.  This was at about the same time. We found with other beans you could get hungry again much sooner, and could eat much more than on the white baked beans.

So going back on my word earlier, I walked to McD’s and got myself an Egg McMuffin. 300 calories – 275. so just +25 calories,  + coffee cream and sugar = 35 more calories.  only drank half (they changed their coffee, its not tasty any longer).

So 60 calories this AM left to burn!  Beans is on the menu for Lunch.. I have an old DOS program from the 90′s that lets you combine ingredients and measure the calories better, so I will use that and post later the info on calories more accurately per cup of beans.

Finally todays lowest weight seen;
Seems I cannot get a good image of the scale lately.  So a few times before this I saw 256 several times, then 255 several times.  We will just call it 255.5 lbs then.