Personal

RescueTime and Toggl

April 27, 2012 – 4:41 pm

I am constantly joggling a million projects at the same time and I can find it really difficult at times to focus on doing a single task at a time without being distracted by something else. So I decided to go back to use some of the techniques I used to rely on in the past to get things done that involve time tracking. I used to use Klok in the past, but the free version of it is no longer offered or updated and I don’t really like it anymore.

So I am currently using two apps at the same time instead of Klok, the first is RescueTime which automatically tracks how much time I spend on my computer and tells me exactly what my time was spent on. This helps give me perspective on how my time is being wasted and helps me think of new ways for becoming more efficient.

The other program I use is Toggl, which is basically a timer application that I manually start and stop. This helps me record how much time I spend doing any specific task regardless of what application I use. I like Toggle become it forces me to focus on one specific task because when I see the timer running I know that I am meant to do that one thing only at this time, it also pushes me to continue working on the thing I am focusing on to reach a good round number of minutes, like 30 minutes or 1 hour. It is also quite gratifying when I can look at the end of the day at my time reports and see that I actually spent 3 hours today working on a specific project!

I’m really enjoying these two apps and I hope I continue using them to properly focus on my targets! Check them out if you are interested in time tracking applications.

Tags , | Permalink | Comment (0)
Events Intellectual Property Oman

CC Salon Muscat

April 19, 2012 – 10:31 am

The Free and Open Source Software Society at SQU is hosting the first CC Salon in Muscat next month to introduce people to the Creative Commons and the benefits that can be gained by sharing your creative works using the CC licenses.

The following video by Creative Commons Qatar gives a quick explanation of what CC aims to achieve:

I have also previously written about the Creative Commons on Muscat Daily a while ago.

I use CC licenses for this blog and the Omani Cuisine, too. This means that I do not mind having other people remixing my work or using it for any non-commercial purpose as long as they attribute me as the source. I think that the tools provided by the Creative Commons are great for promoting creativity on the basis of a sharing culture in a manner that reflects the reality of how creative content is created in today’s world.

Those interested in learning more about the Creative Commons should come to this event. You can RSVP here.

Permalink | Comments (2)
Books

Book: Gods Without Men – Hari Kunzru

April 12, 2012 – 9:15 am

I finished reading “Gods Without Men” by Hari Kunzu last night. I have never heard of this author before, but because Douglas Coupland tweeted about it I had to read it.

The story of the book is hard to explain because there are multiple story lines taking place across different timelines in the past and the future, but the premis is about the existence of secret alien life on this planet and the experience of some people across history of this alien life. I did not enjoy reading these interwinding tales that were told in parallel across different chapters as I found them too confusing and not fun to read. I wasn’t a fan of the writing style itself as the author seemed to enjoy using fancy vocabulary and being way too descriptive of surrounding environment which did not add to my reading experience at all. I still enjoyed what seemed to be the main storyline in the book which is the story of a couple who lose their child in the middle of the desert, especially when it addressed issues of ethnicity, identity, and the part where they had to deal with the media and the issue of being judged by society. I still wouldn’t recommend this book though.

Permalink | Comment (0)
Law Oman

Status of VoIP in Oman

April 12, 2012 – 8:43 am


(photo credits shushicam)

The TRA has not come out with any official statement regarding its decision to finally unblock some VoIP services in Oman. What is being said is that the TRA has ordered Omantel and Nawras to unblock the following services only:

  1. Viber
  2. Google Talk
  3. Paltalk
  4. Windows Live Messenger
  5. Yahoo Messenger

FaceTime is also accessible even though it was ordered to be unblocked by the TRA.

Unfortunately, even though Skype was accessible on the very first day on which the order came out from the TRA, it has not been unblocked and cannot be used at all anymore.

There doesn’t seem to be any logic behind the TRA’s decision to unblock the services mentioned above and continue to ban Skype, because you can make PC to telephone calls from some of these services. None of these services have acquired a license from the TRA to offer VoIP service, so it is not clear why the TRA decided to do this now. I have written a million times about why I think it is ridiculous of the TRA to block VoIP services and I still believe that the TRA does not have any right to block VoIP services which are operated from outside the country.

Tags , | Permalink | Comments (2)
Law Omani Websites

VoIP Finally Unblocked in Oman

April 4, 2012 – 8:14 pm

So the biggest story of the day is that VoIP is rumored to be finally unblocked in Oman. I managed to use Skype a few times today, but it keeps on going off and on. Viber on the other hand seems to work perfectly with me. Other people reported that they can use Google Talk video chat with no problems, too. I have heard from good sources that the TRA has ordered telecom operators to unblock VoIP services today, not sure if we will hear anything official anytime soon.

Skype.com remains blocked at this moment, but you MIGHT be able to connect if you have the client installed on your computer or phone.

Will keep you updated if anything new comes up.

Tags , , | Permalink | Comments (2)
Oman

Omani Mobile Phone Usage

March 7, 2012 – 7:04 pm

I am doing a research on mobile phone usage these days and need to collect some data from users of mobile phones in Oman. If you happen to be in Oman it would really help if you can fill this super short online survey to assist me with the research. Thanks in advance!

Permalink | Comment (0)
Books Random

Death And All His Friends

January 22, 2012 – 7:53 pm

I just finished reading “The World With Us” and it suddenly hit me that I have recently watched and read a group of things that somehow all revolved around death in one way or another, but yet in totally completely different ways.

I recently finished watching Caprica, the failed prequel series to the reimagined Battlestar Galactica. After watching the only season made of this canceled show, I am really bummed about it being not having any more of it. I don’t think that Caprica is better or even as good as Battlestar Galactica, but I still really enjoyed it and loved the way it explored the future of gaming, simulated reality and the religious and political aspects of the show and was totally blown away by the season’s finale. What connected Caprica for me with The Fountain and The World With Us is that a big part of Caprica seems to be about an attempt of some characters in the show in enabling the human mind to transcend death because of how these characters could not accept the death of a loved one, so they did everything they could to overcome death, and succeeded.

Aronofsky’s “The Fountain” on the hand is the total opposite, it tells the story of how a man who could not accept the death of his wife goes through this journey that teaches him how death should not be fought and should not be feared, but should be looked at as a fundamental part of the cycle of life that we need to acknowledge, accept and be in peace with in order for the cycle of life to continue. I thought that The Fountain was breathtaking and magical in the way that the story was told and how the whole thing came at the end to a closure.

Finally The World With Us  is a non-fiction book that explores how nature could take over the planet Earth  from an environmental scientific point of view and how in essence the easiest way for this planet to survive would be for humans to just die off.

I thought it was a cool coincidence how all these things I’ve been watching and reading somehow connected to each other through the theme of death in a non-morbid or dark way at all.

Tags , , | Permalink | Comment (0)
Books

Highly Inappropriate Tales For Young People

December 19, 2011 – 4:52 pm

“Highly Inappropriate Tales For Young People” is the latest book written by my all time favorite author Douglas Coupland. This book is a collection of short stories written in the format of colorfully illustrated children tales, but all of which are extremely inappropriate in a dark and hilariously evil way that is totally unpredictable. The book has seven extremely short tales and can be read in one single go. I really enjoyed this book and  I cannot seem to get enough of the way Douglas captures the essence of contemporary pop culture. Highly recommended for ADULTS looking for a humorous read.

Tags | Permalink | Comment (0)
Books

Habibi – Craig Thompson

December 2, 2011 – 1:47 pm

I finished reading the graphic novel “Habibi” by Craig Thompson today. I picked this book because I was intrigued by the artwork on the cover and how potentially blasphemous it seemed. The book turned out to be a heavy 650+ graphic novel that told the story of two Arab slaves in a current imaginary modern world where there are still villages in the Arab world where slaves are publicly traded and a Sultan rules over the country from his ancient palace with harem full of women. To my surprise the book wasn’t blasphemous at all, instead it seemed to explore Islam through a fantastical lens that focuses on the charm of the stories mentioned in the Quran, all done through breathtaking illustrations and Arabic calligraphy. The story wasn’t exactly epic, but it was amazing how it wasn’t only told through actual words, but also through the delicate transformations of the characters of the Arabic script. The attention to detail in this book is unreal with amazing artwork and background references to Quranic phrases and Arabic poetry written both in Arabic and English. It made me feel special for being able to understand such a beautiful script that is so full of mystique.

Permalink | Comments (2)
Books Music

Love is a Mix Tape – Rob Sheffield

December 1, 2011 – 2:49 pm

I just finished reading “Love is a Mix Tape” by Rob Sheffield – it’s a book telling his personal journey of finding love and losing it. The experiences he has gone through are somehow reflected in a collection of mix tapes he made with his wife throughout the years. The book is a combination of a love tragedy and an exploration of the evolution of rock and roll through the last quarter of the last decade. It explores how music plays a big role in the psyche of some people that somehow it transcends being just a form of pop entertainment.

I could not relate to the book much because I am not a fan of rock and roll and I did not recognize the majority of artists and songs the author was talking about, yet I still managed to connect with the concept of how an old song can somehow transport you into an old experience or a feeling that you used to have while listening to that same song before.

I remember buying Alicia Keys album “As I Am” at the airport before traveling to Egypt and how I listened to it during the three days I spent in Cairo. I hated Cairo, it’s people, and everything about, but somehow I have this amazing memory of walking by the Nile at sunset alone and listening to the song “Tell You Something” and how beautiful the place seemed amidst all the chaos of Cairo. I still have that seem tingly feeling whenever I listen to this song and I can almost smell the polluted air of Cairo while looking at this canvas of orange and purple sky,

I also remember listening to Mya’s cover of “After The Rain” in Cardiff while walking under actual rain and how the background sound of rain drops in the song mixed with the real sound of rain drops, how cold and dark it was, and yet really felt good.

Another one that really gets to me is OneRepublic’s “Say (All I Need)” which I used to listen to all the time when I was in Southampton on the 20 minutes bus ride from the university campus to downtown Southampton, passing by the dorms, the university campus, and the parks, before getting off at the town hall bus stop. I remember how Ryan Tedder’s voice sounded haunting and add to the song have this dream-like quality, it was amazing.

I don’t think really cared much for Love is a Mix Tape as a novel with a storyline, but I guess I’m happy I read it because it made me go back to listen to my own old music and got  transported into all these experiences I’ve been before.

Permalink | Comment (0)

Next Page »

Next Page »