sacha chua :: enterprise 2.0 consultant, storyteller, geek » laptop

Getting sound to work again

Sacha Chua — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 05:20:00 +0000

Things to remember when setting up sound in Ubuntu Linux on a Sony Vaio U1:

modprobe trident
modprobe snd_trident
Be very very thorough with alsamixer settings. For some brain-dead reason, all the important stuff is muted.

The great laptop ad campaign

Sacha Chua — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 14:03:00 +0000

BarCampEarthToronto was a blast, and so was my laptop ad campaign.

It didn't generate any qualified leads, but it did get Orange & Bronze and Wordpress.org some warm-and-fuzzy feelings, and now it's a good story.

It's about time that we stopped advertising just Apple or Dell. ;) Do something creative with your laptop cover! Double-sided tape peels off quite cleanly, so go do something funky with it! =)

On Technorati: advertising, marketing, laptop

Livening up your laptop lid: self-adhesive reusable surface

Sacha Chua — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 07:20:00 +0000

All you need to transform your laptop lid into a reusable surface where you can display your latest doodles are: one photo album with self-adhesive pages, a knife, and double-sided tape. Get a photo album that uses plastic and a sticky(ish) surface. Life is easier and neater if the strip that keeps the plastic attached to the book is on the outside edge. You'll see what I mean.

Step 1. Position the laptop face-down on one page of the photo album so that the strip that keeps the plastic attached to the book is along the top edge of the laptop lid. Trace laptop outline onto one page of the photo album. (If you feel particularly diligent, you can measure it instead.)

Step 2. Cut the photo album page to size. Trim a bit off the bottom part to avoid hitting the laptop hinge.

Step 3. Attach double-sided adhesive tape to the laptop.

Step 4. Mount photo album piece on laptop.

Step 5. Peel back plastic and put in stuff.

I like this approach because it doesn't require me to bring any special supplies in order to add to the display. For example, I can add fortunes from fortune cookies, Post-it notes, or even business cards.

This is handy for my wild idea about selling advertising on laptop. This laptop hack's primarily about creatively expressing yourself, though. =)

Good stuff.

I came up with a terrific plan B: a whiteboard with a plastic protector to keep it from being erased in one's backpack. That one's pretty cool, too. I'll blog about it more on Sunday, Aug 27. In the meantime... enjoy!

On Technorati: craft, laptop, advertising, laptop-ads, howto, tutorial, marketing, hack, creativity

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Sweeeet! Wordpress.org bought ad space on my laptop!

Sacha Chua — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 05:51:00 +0000

Remember my crazy idea to sell advertising space on my laptop during BarCampEarthToronto? Well, Matt Mullenweg of Wordpress.org - *WORDPRESS.ORG!* My favorite blogging platform! (Okay, my *second-favorite* - nothing beats Emacs Planner)

They are *uber*cool. Another thing I really, really, really, really like. Whenever I need to set up a blog for someone else, the very first thing I do is download the latest version of Wordpress, unpack it, and set it up. I like it a lot.

So here's what's going to happen. I am going to make the logos for Orange & Bronze and Wordpress.org as large as I can. I don't mind potentially wasting space. It'll be a *fantastic* story.

I'll blog more from BarCamp tomorrow, and I'll post my D*I*Y tutorial on Sunday. =) Or today, if I feel particularly diligent...

Anyway. Wordpress.org. They are totally, totally cool.

On Technorati: advertising, marketing, crazy, idea, barcampearthtoronto, barcamp, laptop, geek, business, entrepreneurship

Advertise on my laptop! Webpage up

Sacha Chua — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 05:26:00 +0000

Okay, we're open for business! Buy adspace on my laptop for USD 1.00 / 0.5"x0.5" (basic) or USD 2.00 / 0.5"x0.5" (premium, includes elevator pitch). Hurry! BarCampEarthToronto is just a few days away!

Props to Gabriel Mansour for helping me work things out!

Whoa, onto something cool here: advertising on the back of my laptop

Sacha Chua — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 03:52:00 +0000

UPDATE: See http://sachachua.com/advertise-on-my-laptop.html

Want to grab the eyeballs of every geek at BarCampEarthToronto and the other tech events I go to? Advertise on the back of my laptop. Even better: tell me enough about your stuff so that I can enthusiastically talk about it.

I'm an evangelist. Give me something cool to talk about.

The back of an 8.9" laptop screen *really* doesn't seem like much space to advertise on, but *everyone* looks, believe me. It's the irresistable combination of cute geek girl _and_ insanely tiny laptop.

And it happens *every* *single* *time.* It helps that I have small hands. Most people just can't deal with something that small. Sure, black Macbooks are trendy, but they're not as rare as a *teensy* little laptop that a geek girl is happily typing away on. (In Emacs, no less.)

Amber MacArthur (TechTV) called attention to the sticker I had on my laptop ("The geek shall inherit the earth") and the pins I have on my backpack ("No, you can't just explain it in the manual" - Human Factors International). Random strangers cross the street to compliment me on my outfit, ask about the stickers on my skateboard, or wonder out loud if that's a *real* computer I'm typing away on. (Yes, as I walk.) And that happens both in geek-heavy get-togethers and while just walking in cosmopolitan, blase downtown Toronto.

I can't help it. I get attention. I might as well make use of it.

More to the point: _you_ might as well make use of it.

So here's what's going to happen:

TONIGHT: I'll decide on a pricing scheme. E-mail me or leave a comment if you want to hear about it as soon as I've come up with it (probably later tonight).
TONIGHT: I'll set up a static page, blog about it, and tell people.
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY: I'll accept orders.
THURSDAY: I'll figure out exactly how to mount it. Don't worry, I have several plans.
FRIDAY: I'll select and confirm orders, and print out and mount the final thing on Friday afternoon.

My skateboard's also open for advertising.

E-mail me at sacha@sachachua.com or leave a comment using the form below to find out about the next step as soon as possible.

On Technorati: advertising, marketing, crazy, idea, barcampearthtoronto, barcamp, laptop, geek, business, entrepreneurship

Networking for Geeks: Advertise with your laptop!

Sacha Chua — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 04:17:00 +0000

UPDATE: See http://sachachua.com/advertise-on-my-laptop.html

Want to meet interesting but don't want to have to make the first move? Use the back of your laptop to get people to talk to you. ;) Stickers are a great way to do that. My laptop reads "The geek shall inherit the earth." I can't count the smiles, chuckles, and conversations I've gotten out of it—and all I have to do is open my laptop! It helps that I have an eyecatching ridiculously small laptop, of course, but this technique would work even for regular laptops.

LapLooks goes one better. They sell a frame that attaches to your laptop and allows you to slip in a photo. I don't think I'll ever find something in my size, but maybe I can cobble something together with duct tape. Actually, you know what this reminds me of? Those little reusable drawing pads. I could so totally rig up a better system.

I'm going to have that up and running before BarCampEarthToronto this Saturday, for sure. I have *just* enough space for a 3x5 index card and part of a business card. So: laminate-style cover, or clear plastic and duct tape? ;)

Which reminds me, I need to get business cards printed. Another thing to take care of tomorrow. =) Good stuff.

I'm so tempted to sell advertising space on my laptop. ;) After all, Stowe Boyd sold his T-shirt rights...

LapLooks link via Solo Business Marketing, via Business Opportunities Weblog.

On Technorati: laptop, advertising, marketing, networking, networkingforgeeks