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Today, Ubuntu version 9.10 “Karmic Koala” was officially released. I have been running the beta, and the release client on my office workstation and my mini9 for some time now. In my opinion, this is the best version of Ubuntu to date. It is streamlined, and very easy to use. The operating system boots very fast, even on my Intel Atom powered mini9, and has been compatible with pretty much all my hardware out of the box. If you’ve never used Ubuntu Linux, I encourage you to download the CD (which is totally free) and give it a try. You can demo the software on you PC by simply rebooting your PC with the CD in the drive. Ubuntu can also be installed easily alongside Windows XP/Vista/7 so that you can experiment with the software. To get your CD image, head over to Get Ubuntu – Download . I recommend using the BitTorrent version if you have a BitTorrent client installed. The mirrors hosting .iso files may be a little overwhelmed today. Once you install it, OMG! UBUNTU! blog has a great write up about 10 useful things to do to further improve your experience. 10 Useful Things To Do After Installing Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala

For those already running the Beta/RC of 9.10. Just use apt-get or the package manager up bring all your packages up to date and you’re good to go.

The new blackberry messenger that was released last week has added the ability to decode QR codes using the phone’s camera. I’m about 98% sure there’s an app for the iPhone and for Android that’ll do the same thing. QR codes are 2 dimensional bar codes that can hold a variety of data, from URLs to phone numbers to plain text.

Here’s one for my website

I have a feeling these codes are going to start popping up on advertisements and other promotional things in the near future.

To generate your own QR Codes, head over to http://qrcode.kaywa.com/

So after last night’s meet, I decided to take surface streets home instead of the highway. To get to my neighborhood, I usually take Sahara to Rancho to Decatur.

I’m driving down Sahara, when I get to the light to turn on to Rancho. A cop pulls up behind the car next to me, and the light turns green. I slowly make my turn, so the exhaust doesn’t make too much noise, and he pulls behind me and hits the lights.

Great.

There’s a bus stop a few feet ahead of me so I head that direction, and as he’s pulling me over I roll down my windows and turn off my car. I hopes that he doesn’t hassle me for tint or for the exhaust. My headlights are still on. After a minute or so he comes up to my window. Its a younger cop, maybe a couple years older than me. He says he pulled me over because the light above my license plate was out. He then mentions that I could be sited for modifying the exhaust, but he probably won’t do that tonight. He asks for my info, so I start digging around in the glove box. Its been a while since I’ve been pulled over so I’m not sure where all my stuff is. As I’m digging he says “So, have you ever been arrested?” “Um…No”. I find all my docs and hand them over. As he goes back to his car, another Metro car flips a U-Turn and pulls up behind him with his lights on.

After a while the original cop comes back to the window and hands my docs back and tells me to have a good night. I ask him if I can check out the burnt out light, and he turns off his headlights to show me. Sure enough, its out, shame on me. So I tell them good night and I get back in the car. I flip the key to the on position as I buckle my seat belt, as I always do to prime the pump, and try to turn it over. “Click Click Click Click”. The damn PC680 died from having my headlights on while he was doing his thing. I wave and tell them the car is dead, and the first cop informs me that he can’t jump me from the cruiser. As I’m taking my phone out to try and get a hold of someone to give me a jump the other cop suggests we push start the car.

So here we are, at the corner of Sahara and Rancho, and two Metro cops are pushing my car up to a jogging pace. I pop the clutch as I try and turn it over and it fires up. At the next traffic light I give them both a thank you wave and they wave back.