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Upgrading homeserver hardware

thorstenb — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:00:17 +0000

Both power consumption and imminent cease of Debian security updates for the sparc32 platform (I was running a trusty SparcStation 10 still) made me look for a worthy replacement. Some requirements: three or more ethernet ports, very low power consumption, must run Linux (platform with all-open drivers gives extra points), and a RS232/RS485 jack for the solar power inverter read-outs.

I settled for GlobalScale’s openRD-client box, an ARM kirkwood-based design, which typically takes about 6 watts, has ample interface connectors, including two gigabit ethernet ports (yeah, I wanted three. well, turns out that brings you into a completely different price range – so I’ll simply use an USB-based NIC for my 3rd). Hardware arrived some 6 weeks ago, but there was no pressing need yet.

Well, while staying at the GSoC mentor summit, things suddenly went south, the SparcStation blew its scsi controller (and the attached disk’s interface as well), I lost ~3 days worth of email, and I had to hurry things a bit.

Here’s what I did to have stock Debian stable running on the box:

I upgraded u-boot to the latest version (it’s kind of the bios on those arm machines, first thing that gets run after a reset), as I needed support for booting off of sd cards:
- grab latest image from the list at http://code.google.com/p/openrd/downloads/list (http://openrd.googlecode.com/files/openrd_uboot.zip currently)
- put on toplevel dir of a random usb stick, insert into openrd-client, reset, then at the u-boot prompt:
```
usbstart
fatload usb 0:1 0x0800000 uboot.bin / ext2load usb 0:1 0x0800000 uboot.bin
nand erase 0x0 0xa0000
nand write 0x0800000 0x0 0xa0000
```
  If that turns out to be succesful, issue a reset.
  After that, you should see this:
```
 ** MARVELL BOARD: OpenRD-Client LE 

U-Boot 1.1.4 (Oct 27 2009 - 21:57:24) Marvell version: 3.4.19
```
- Ready to actually install now. I did it as outlined here
- Most important difference: we’re not setting up a Sheevaplug (which is also quite nice), so in the above howto, issue a
```
setenv arcNumber 2361
```
  instead. Memory setup, I/O register etc. are all hard-coded on arm, so picking the correct machine magic number is paramount for having a working setup (and not accidentally frying your hardware, because some I/O pins are mapped differently. You have been warned).
- I then decided to build a custom kernel, as the existing lenny image was not supporting all the openrd-client features yet:
  - cloned repo
  - applied this patch on top of it
  - stripped down config (you want to select OpenRD client from the ARM Kirkwood section), make sure mmc drivers are built-in if you want to boot w/o initrd
  - make uImage doesn’t even take that long to build, on the actual machine (1.2GHz, FWIW)
- You can then flash your kernel image to the internal rom, like this (assuming the image is less than 4MB in size):
```
mmcinit
ext2load mmc 0:1 0x00800000 uImage
nand erase clean 0x00100000 0x00400000
nand write 0x00800000 0x00100000 0x00400000
```
  This assumes the kernel image resides on the second partition of your sd card. Since u-boot’s mmc support is still a bit flaky, and sometimes fails to properly initialize the sd card after a reset, booting from internal flash comes in extremely handy – boots kernel from flash, kernel then sets up mmc nicely & grabs everything else from there). Which ends up with the following tweaked u-boot boot setup for me:
```
setenv bootargs 'console=ttyS0,115200 root=/dev/mmcblk0p2 rw mtdparts=orion_nand:0x400000@0x100000(uImage)'
setenv bootcmd 'nand read 0x800000 0x100000 0x400000; bootm 0x800000'
saveenv
```
  (my root fs lives on the 2nd sd card partition)
Really happy with it, now that it’s working:

Chrome OS....

weirdo — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:27:51 +0000

Chrome OS would be available in mid-2010 for netbooks.

Following the launch of Chrome, the internet browser it was suspected that Google will try to push itself more into PC based applications. However, Google has taken direct challenge with Microsoft by publicizing its coming Operating System. Listing out important points from Google blog announcement:

Emphasis mainly on three aspects: speed, simplicity and security.

The Chrome OS will run both on x86 and ARM Architectures.

Will use Linux kernel with a new windowing system.

New OS is different from Android, as it was made for mobile phones and set-top boxes while Chrome OS is for netizens.

It would be open-source and light-weight operating system.

Google attention is on web application developers and they state that web-based applications is the future as they could run on Chrome OS, Windows and Mac giving them largest number of customers.

Viruses won’t bother and Chrome OS would be highly customizable (since its open-source).

Firefox could be expected as first application of Chrome OS as google accounts for 88% of Mozilla’s revenue.[source] Dont know what role chrome browser will play?

Chrome OS will have a minimalist user interface, leaving most space on the screen to applications.

Interestingly, Microsoft had also announced few months ago about MS Gazelle, a web browser as multi-principle operating System.
For coming HTML5 technology, you can expect lot more applications running at browser giving a definite advantage to web based OS. It could be considered as Linux + new windowing system + Chrome browser.

According to the video that talks about how Chrome OS will work and difference between Chrome browser and Chrome Operating system:

• Chrome OS will take only 5 to 15 seconds for booting.

• It will not have regular operating system files, which degrades with time. It will be a browser interlinked with hardware.

• All your daily computer tasks (mails, videos, docs, songs, images) will be done from the browser.

• No software installations, updates, BSOD, fix, hot patches with Chrome OS.

• Everything will be cloud operated. That means nothing (images, songs, docs etc) will be stored on your computer.

How to ease the pain of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

familychiropracticcentre — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:46:54 +0000

by Dr. Brent Lipke DC

Carpal tunnel syndrome is the occupational disease of the 21^st century. It involves numbness, weakness or pain in the wrist and hand and is caused by pressure on the nerve entering the wrist.

Traditionally it has been treated by wearing a splint, taking anti inflammatory drugs or with surgery, all having limited success.

Spinal misalignments are often found in the lower necks of patients suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. Nerve compression in the neck can block the flow of nutrients to nerves in the arm, shoulder and hand, making them susceptible to injury. Chiropractic gently restores proper nerve flow from the neck to the hand correcting the cause of the problem.

To learn more about how a safe, gentle and scientific, Chiropractic adjustment could TRANSFORM your health contact your chiropractor. If you are interested in a complimentary consultation, CALL me at The Family Chiropractic Centre, 519-837-1234.

I’m Dr. Brent Lipke, educating you to help you educate others !

Building and testing APR-util for the iPhone

pedro — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:48:06 +0000

The Apache Portable Runtime (APR) is a library that provides a common interface across multiple platforms for low-level memory management, file IO, concurrency, data structures and more. It’s used by projects such as Apache and Subversion. APR-util adds functionality such as parsing and DB access.

Building APR for the iPhone is not straightforward since the configure script requires some inconspicuous flags. Thankfully, Michael Safyan found how to do it and made his build scripts available here. With APR working, building APR-util has its own caveats. The following was tested with Snow Leopard using SDK 3.1.2 and GCC 4.2 to build APR-util 1.3.9.

Building APR-util

First, as you may have guessed, you need APR to build APR-util. I used version 1.3.8. The other required dependency is expat, which is distributed with APR-util; you just need to set --with-expat=builtin. All the necessary options for ./configure are included in a script below.

If you run make with this configuration you may notice a expected expression before ’struct’ error in apr_brigade.c. After unwinding all the macros this error can be traced to the APR_OFFSET definition. To fix this you need to edit apr_general.h located in “/include/apr-1/”.

--- apr_general.h    2009-11-19 23:11:33.000000000 +0000
+++ /Users/pedro/Downloads/apr-1.3.8/include/apr_general.h    2006-08-03 11:55:31.000000000 +0100
@@ -76,11 +76,6 @@
 * @return offset
 */

-#ifndef _Offsetof
-#include <stddef.h>
-#define _Offsetof(p_type,field) offsetof(p_type,field)
-#endif
-
 #if defined(CRAY) || (defined(__arm) && !defined(LINUX))
 #ifdef __STDC__
 #define APR_OFFSET(p_type,field) _Offsetof(p_type,field)

Now you can build APR-util. Here’s the script to build it for the device and simulator. Make sure you change the value of USER_LIB before running the script. By default the device build includes $USER_LIB/armv6 and the simulator $USER_LIB/x86_64. You should also edit INSTALL_FAT.

#!/bin/sh

# Build static libraries for iPhone (armv6) and iPhone simulator.
#
# Based on
# http://latenitesoft.blogspot.com/2008/10/
#    iphone-programming-tips-building-unix.html
#
# Last update Nov 2009. Pedro Fonseca.

# The lib name, e.g. "libz" or "libapr-1".
LIB="libaprutil-1"

# Configure default location for the build results (.libs,lib./libs,objs/,...).
LIBPATH_PATH=".libs"

# User include paths, e.g. /usr/local/lib, /opt...
USERLIB=""

# Install path for make install
CONFIG_PREFIX="--prefix=$USERLIB/armv6"

# Options used by configure for both architectures
CONFIG_ARGS="--disable-shared --enable-static"

# Flags required to build for arm
ARM_ARGS="$CONFIG_ARGS --host=arm-apple-darwin9"

# Copy the intermediate libraries to here
DEST="_fatbuild_"
rm -rfv "`pwd`/$DEST"

# Universal binary final location
INSTALL_FAT="$USERLIB/fat/lib"

# The current sdk version
SDK_="3.1.2"

export DEVROOT=/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer
export SDKROOT=$DEVROOT/SDKs/iPhoneOS$SDK_.sdk
export PATH="$DEVROOT/usr/bin:/Developer/usr/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin"

# Static library path
LIBPATH_static=$LIBPATH_PATH/$LIB.a
LIBNAME_static=`basename $LIBPATH_static`

# iphone_make(arch)
iphone_make () {
if ! make
then
 echo "Build ($1): make failed with status $?. Exiting..."
 exit 1
else
 echo "Build ($1): no errors."
fi
}

# Device
export CFLAGS="-arch armv6 -pipe -no-cpp-precomp \
 --sysroot='$SDKROOT' \
 -isystem $SDKROOT/usr/lib/gcc/arm-apple-darwin9/4.2.1/include/ \
 -isystem $SDKROOT/usr/include \
 -isystem $DEVROOT/usr/include \
 -I$USERLIB/armv6/include"
export CPPFLAGS="-arch armv6 -isysroot $SDKROOT \
 -isystem $SDKROOT/usr/lib/gcc/arm-apple-darwin9/4.2.1/include/ \
 -isystem $SDKROOT/usr/include/ \
 -isystem $DEVROOT/usr/include \
 -I$USERLIB/armv6/include"
export LDFLAGS="-arch armv6 --sysroot='$SDKROOT' \
 -L$SDKROOT/usr/lib -L$DEVROOT/usr/lib -L$USERLIB/armv6/lib"

./configure CC="$DEVROOT/usr/bin/gcc-4.2 -Os" \
 CPP="$DEVROOT/usr/bin/gcc-4.2 -E" \
 CXXCPP="$DEVROOT/usr/bin/g++-4.2 -E" \
 LD="$DEVROOT/usr/bin/ld" $ARM_ARGS $CONFIG_PREFIX \
 --with-apr="$USERLIB/armv6" --with-expat=builtin

iphone_make "armv6"

mkdir -p $DEST
cp $LIBPATH_static $DEST/$LIBNAME_static.arm
if [[ "$1" = "--install" ]]; then
 make install
fi
make distclean

# Simulator
export PATH="/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneSimulator.platform/Developer/usr/bin:/Developer/usr/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin"

CONFIG_PREFIX="--prefix=$USERLIB/x86_64"
unset CFLAGS LDFLAGS CPPFLAGS

./configure $CONFIG_ARGS $CONFIG_PREFIX --with-apr="$USERLIB/x86_64"

iphone_make "x86_64"
cp $LIBPATH_static $DEST/$LIBNAME_static.x86_64
if [[ "$1" = "--install" ]]; then
 make install
fi

# Universal
echo "Build (all): creating universal binary..."
$DEVROOT/usr/bin/lipo -arch arm $DEST/$LIBNAME_static.arm \
 -arch x86_64 $DEST/$LIBNAME_static.x86_64 \
 -create -output $DEST/$LIBNAME_static
$DEVROOT/usr/bin/lipo -info $DEST/*

if [ $? -eq 0 ] && [[ "$1" = "--install" ]]
then
 cp -v $DEST/$LIBNAME_static $INSTALL_FAT/$LIBNAME_static
fi

Testing APR-util

APR-util includes a test suite. For the simulator you just need to change directory to apr-util-1.3.9/test/, make, ./testall. To run on the device I wrapped the test suite in an iPhone App. This requires a few changes in the test code, mainly due to the application sandbox. Note that this is not the proper way to test an iPhone application; to learn about unit testing with the iPhone SDK 3.0 you should read this. In this case, I wanted to check if the library was working as expected on the device.

In Xcode create a new project. I called it TestAprUtil.

Add test/ to the project. Make sure data/billion-laughs.xml is in Targets > TestAprUtil > Copy Bundle Resources > billion_laughs.xml.

Remove dbd.c.

In TestAprUtilAppDelegate.m include abts.h and add the following code to applicationDidFinishLaunching:

// Run apr-util tests. Some tests require the existence of a "data" directory.
NSString *path = [NSTemporaryDirectory() stringByAppendingPathComponent:@"data"];
[[NSFileManager defaultManager] createDirectoryAtPath:path
                          withIntermediateDirectories:NO
                                           attributes:nil
                                                error:nil];
run_tests();

run_tests() doesn’t exist yet. In abts.c replace main() with

int run_tests(void) {
    int i;
    int rv;
    abts_suite *suite = NULL;

    initialize();

    verbose = 1;
    quiet = 1;

    char *theTests[] = {
        "teststrmatch",
        "testuri",
        "testuuid",
        "testbuckets",
        "testpass",
        "testmd4",
        "testmd5",
        "testdbd",
        "testdate",
        "testmemcache",
        "testxml",
        "testxlate",
        "testrmm",
        "testdbm",
        "testqueue",
        "testreslist"
    };

    int nTests = 16;
    testlist = calloc(nTests + 1, sizeof(char *));
    for (i = 1; i < nTests; i++) {
        testlist[i - 1] = theTests[i];
    }

    for (i = 0; i < (sizeof(alltests) / sizeof(struct testlist *)); i++) {
        suite = alltests[i].func(suite);
        apr_pool_clear(p);
    }

    rv = report(suite);
    return rv;
}

Don’t forget to add run_tests() prototype to the header.

Running the test at this point would crash the app because it attempts to create some files outside the application sandbox. The offending functions are located in testxml.c, testbuckets.c, testdbd.c and testdbm.c. To get the correct paths to read/write files create fs_wrapper.c and the respective header

/*
 *  fs_wrapper.c
 *  TestAprUtil
 *
 *  Created by Pedro Fonseca on 11/20/09.
 */
#include <CoreFoundation/CoreFoundation.h>

#include <unistd.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include "fs_wrapper.h"

#define STRSIZE 255

char* fs_sane_fname(const char *fname)
{
    char *tmp_path = (char *)calloc(STRSIZE, sizeof(char));
    int len = confstr(_CS_DARWIN_USER_TEMP_DIR, tmp_path, STRSIZE);
    if (!len)
        fprintf(stderr, "error getting temp path\n");
    else
        *(tmp_path+len-1) = '/';

    strcpy(tmp_path+len, fname);
    return tmp_path;
}

char* fs_sane_resource(const char *fname)
{
    CFStringRef cfFname = CFStringCreateWithCString(NULL, fname, kCFStringEncodingUTF8);
    CFURLRef url = CFBundleCopyResourceURL(CFBundleGetMainBundle(), cfFname, NULL, NULL);
    char *c_fs_path = (char *)calloc(STRSIZE, sizeof(char));
    CFURLGetFileSystemRepresentation(url, TRUE, (UInt8*)c_fs_path, STRSIZE);

    CFRelease(url);
    CFRelease(cfFname);
    return c_fs_path;
}

Include fs_wrapper.h in testxml.c, testbuckets.c, testdbd.c and testdbm.c (or just in testutil.h). Below, for simplicity’s sake, assume that strings created with fs_sane_* don’t need to be freed.

In testxml.c replace

rv = apr_file_open(&fd, "data/billion-laughs.xml", APR_FOPEN_READ, 0, p);

with

rv = apr_file_open(&fd, fs_sane_resource("billion-laughs.xml"), APR_FOPEN_READ, 0, p);

Still in testxml.c replace

rv = apr_file_mktemp(fd, template, APR_CREATE | APR_TRUNCATE | APR_DELONCLOSE | APR_READ | APR_WRITE | APR_EXCL, p);

with

rv = apr_file_mktemp(fd,  fs_sane_fname(template), APR_CREATE | APR_TRUNCATE | APR_DELONCLOSE | APR_READ | APR_WRITE | APR_EXCL, p);

In testbuckets.c, for calls to apr_file_open(), apr_file_remove() and make_test_file(), replace the filename argument with fs_sane_fname(filename); do the same for calls to apr_dbd_open() in testdbd.c and for apr_pstrcat() in testdbm.c.

The test suite should be ready to run. You may want to redirect stdout to stderr. Here are my test results

run
Running…
[Switching to thread 11779]
[Switching to thread 11779]
sharedlibrary apply-load-rules all
(gdb) continue
testuri              :  SUCCESS
testuuid             :  SUCCESS
testbuckets          :  Line 326: Skipped:  could not create large file
SUCCESS
testpass             :  SUCCESS
testmd4              :  SUCCESS
testmd5              :  SUCCESS
testdbd              :  SUCCESS
testdate             :  SUCCESS
testmemcache         :  SUCCESS
testxml              :  SUCCESS
testxlate            :  SUCCESS
testrmm              :  SUCCESS
testdbm              :  SUCCESS
testqueue            :  SUCCESS
testreslist          :  SUCCESS
All tests passed.

Review: mbed NXP LPC1768 microcontroller

Phil Burgess — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:19:24 +0000

mbed is a next-generation 32-bit microcontroller platform. It’s a prototyping and teaching tool somewhat along the lines of Arduino. On steroids. With claws and fangs. Other contenders in this class include the MAKE Controller, STM32 Primer and Primer 2, Freescale Tower, and Microchip’s PIC32 Starter Kit. The mbed hardware has a number of advantages (and a few disadvantages) compared to these other platforms, but what really sets it apart is the development environment: the entire system — editor, compiler, libraries and reference materials — are completely web-based. There is no software to install or maintain on the host system.

The Hardware

The mbed board is sensibly priced at $60; about middle of the road among its peers. mbed’s size (or lack thereof) is among its greatest assets, measuring only about 1″ by 2″ (26 x 52mm) in a stout 40-pin DIP package that just barely manages to fit in a breadboard…a major win.

The top of the board is dominated by the microcontroller itself: a 60MHz NXP LPC1768 based on the eminently capable 32-bit ARM Cortex-M3 core, sporting 64K of RAM and 512K flash, and rounded out with an embarrassment of peripheral riches: Ethernet, USB (host, device, and to-go), CAN bus, multiple serial, I2C and SPI buses, 12-bit A/D and even a 10-bit D/A converter and realtime clock/calendar. Also on top is the USB connector (mini-B), some power regulation circuitry (operating on 4.5 to 9 volts DC, or USB power), several indicator LEDs, and the reset button (a plain vanilla tactile switch on our purchased unit, not the candy-like blue button seen in product shots).

The underside conceals an Ethernet transceiver chip (requiring only the addition of an RJ45 jack to get the board on a network) and a DiskOnChip-style component that provides a small (about 2MB) FAT filesystem when attached to a host system through USB, much like a thumb drive.

This latter feature — the FAT filesystem — is half of the key to mbed’s software-free, cross-platform magic. Getting new code onto the device is simply a matter of copying the compiled program (as a .bin file) to this drive. Press the reset button, and the new code is copied to the MCU’s internal flash and run. No special programming hardware dongle, no special bootloader software, just drag and drop. This has some serious implications. Pretty much any system these days can mount a FAT filesystem. We’re not just talking about getting Mac and Linux users into the fold alongside Windows…there’s also the impending wave of featherweight netbooks with ARM and VIA chips running peculiar, instant-on operating systems. Or the OLPC XO-1. Or older PowerPC Macs. The computers in the school’s lab that you’re not allowed to install any software on. Game consoles.

The Software

“Cloud computing” is still the hot buzzword this week, and the mbed project has adopted the concept wholeheartedly, comprising the other half of their softwareless strategy. Everything with mbed — everything, even your own source code — resides on their servers and is accessed through a web browser. This carries with it all of the good and bad points of any other network-based service such as Google Docs. There’s the potential for this to be a fantastic tool for teaching and collaboration, and in fact they’ve created such an online community for mbed, with forums and publicly-shareable code libraries. One can move between home and office, or travel around the world, and resume editing code on any system with a solid ’net connection. No need to check for software updates; the server will always be current.

mbed programs are written in C++ (yes, thankfully it’s “programs” and “C++,” not “sketches” or “the mbed language”) using their JavaScript-based online editor. When ready, click the Compile button. The compiler and linker run on the back end, on the server at the other end of the network connection. Provided your code is all syntactically valid, a compiled .bin file will then be downloaded to your computer…save this to the mbed USB disk, press the reset button, and you’re good to go. In Arduino-like fashion, the mbed device also appears as a virtual COM port, so you can monitor a program’s serial output using any terminal program.

The Good

We were taught that you should always say something kind before criticizing, so we’ll point out that the above process does, in fact, work exceedingly well, and has proved to be both quick and reliable. Once you get into the groove, the sequence of operations is no more onerous than with Arduino or any other microcontroller-specific programmer dongle.

To their credit, unlike some microcontroller evaluation kits, there are no artificial limitations to the mbed compiler; the full code and memory space of the processor is available to your code. The editor has realtime syntax coloring and multiple undo levels. And double-clicking on an error message in the compiler output will take you directly to the offending line, as in any decent IDE. You can import existing code from your local system to the mbed “cloud,” or likewise export individual files or an entire project. All good stuff.

The real saving grace of this setup is the libraries, both the official functions in what they call the “Handbook,” and community-contributed code in the “Cookbook.” A tremendous amount of functionality has been implemented in a concise and usually object-oriented manner. It’s almost comical sometimes, after having worked with other microcontrollers and girding for some expected coding nightmare, only to find that the corresponding library handles a task in a couple of lines (browse through the Handbook and Cookbook for examples). There’s a tendency also to follow stdlib or “UNIX-like” conventions for file access, character I/O, realtime clock access, etc., so existing systems programmers new to microcontrollers will feel right at home, no weird function names or syntaxes.

The mbed’s FAT filesystem is also accessible to the microcontroller, making it useful for more than just program storage. Web pages can be served from this space, or a data logging program can store results here. If the two megabyte capacity is too limiting for your needs, have a look at the SDCard library in the Cookbook — it’s almost trivial to wire up and use. Pretty much all of the libraries are like that!

The Bad and the Ugly

Hardware-wise, there are just a few minor nitpicks:

First is with the local FAT filesystem. Even though this is one of the device’s most unique features, and the very thing that enables its platform neutrality, the implementation just seems a bit anachronistic. The aforementioned SDCard library demonstrates how readily that format can be used. It’s faster, with the potential for far greater capacity, and cards could be easily swapped out for different code or data files. Not a major disappointment, just seems like an opportunity was missed to make this product even better.

Second is with the indicator LEDs on the board. Four of them, scant millimeters apart, all blue…making them pretty much worthless as status indicators from across the room, where they all blur into a singular blob. Ten years ago, blue LEDs were novel. Five years ago, they were mainstream, festooning every last USB hub, mouse, flash drive and imported piece of crap. Today they’re just tired, let’s get over it. Different colors would indicate status at a distant glance.

Finally, not a problem with the mbed board itself, but it would be nice to see one of the Cookbook projects, the “BoB2” breakout board, made into an available product. The blank board can be ordered through BatchPCB, but after postage and handling the price for just the empty board — no components — is $33. Have this populated and mass-produced, bundle it with the mbed in a $100 package, and it sounds like a winning setup, ready to go head-to-head with the MAKE Controller.

But really, those are just nitpicks. Our real beef is with the software…the code editor specifically. If you find the Arduino editor aggravating, the mbed editor will have you seeing red (or maybe purple if you factor in all those blue LEDs). Like Arduino, there’s no true tab formatting; everything’s expanded to spaces, like it or not. Auto-indent cannot be disabled, and there’s seemingly no command to increase or decrease the indentation of a block of code. If you’re accustomed to anything more than arrow keys to move and click-and-drag to highlight text, the editor disregards a lot of system-native editing behaviors that may be deeply ingrained in your muscle memory (such as shift-clicking to select a range of text, or triple-click-and-drag for multiple contiguous lines). What’s more, the quirky behaviors are a little different across each browser and operating system. Don’t even try that triple-click-and-drag in Firefox for Mac…you won’t get your text cursor back without a complete reboot (seriously, just restarting the browser isn’t sufficient). And at present, only the most common browsers are supported; all others are currently shut out.

The closed-source nature of the tools may also be off-putting to some. If one finds the Arduino editor distasteful, there are options: get in there and change the code, or simply use a different editor and link with the Arduino libraries manually…it’s all legal and encouraged. With mbed, there are no alternatives. Access to the compiler and libraries is “free as in beer,” but not “free as in speech.” There’s little recourse should the service ever be taken down, or if they should suddenly start charging a subscription fee (there’s no indication this is planned, just a hypothetical scenario).

The good news, at least with regard to the former, is that software is of course infinitely more malleable than hardware, and it’s almost certain the tools will improve with time. The site is under active development…new “Home” and “Notebook” features were added for registered users just yesterday. Perhaps, given time, they’ll get the Command key working properly on the Mac. The selection of user-submitted code will expand regardless, making it progressively easier to do more and different things with this board.

In Summary

The mbed Tour page is frank about what the platform is good for, and what it’s not. mbed was intended as a quick prototyping and educational tool, and at that it excels. A lack of features such as a debugger or offline compiler keep this from being a professional-strength development platform, which is okay. Think of it as Arduino: The Next Generation. Although the mbed board costs more up front than Arduino, there are capabilities here that would otherwise require costly “shields” and strain every last byte and CPU cycle of the 8-bit ATmega328 processor: Ethernet, USB, SD cards…mbed handles these tasks with aplomb.

mbed is not without its flaws, and the “cloud” development approach may never sit right with some. For a product that’s just weeks out of beta testing, the results thus far are extremely encouraging. There’s immense potential here: a seriously powerful chip, easy to interface and to program. If the online tools can be improved, or if open source alternatives become available, mbed could be a major player. We expect to be seeing a lot more of this device in future hacks.

Android This Week: ARM Alliance Formed; Droids Fix Themselves?

James Kendrick — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:00:19 +0000

Android (s goog) is like a snowball rolling downhill — it won’t be long before it’s moving too fast for anything to stop it. That movement is surely going to spread from the smartphone sector, where Android has its roots, to that of smartbooks. Knowing this, ARM and the Android folks have put their heads together and formed the Solution Center for Android Alliance.

The sole aim of the group, which was unveiled this week, is to help make it easier to put Android on ARM-based devices, of which smartbooks are the emerging choice. The group of 35 companies will pool resources and make them available for developers to get Android systems going with the ARM chipset, which is particularly well-suited for the consumer electronics market.

In the meantime, the Verizon (s vz) Droid, produced by Motorola (s mot), is the hottest Android phone on the market. But early adopters of the Droid were reporting that the auto-focus feature on the device’s powerful camera wasn’t working properly, resulting in lots of fuzzy images. This week, however, many Droid owners found the focusing difficulties to be a thing of the past, prompting suspicions that Verizon had pushed a secret fix over-the-air to the phones. There seemed to be no other explanation for how such a serious bug could suddenly disappear.

In fact, the auto-focus code that Android 2.0 uses reportedly has a bug that makes for fuzzy photos in 24.5-day cycles. The camera works poorly for 24.5 days, then works properly for the next 24.5 days. This is based on the improper use of a timestamp by the focusing code, a strange cause to be sure. Hopefully Verizon will have the formal fix for this bug before the 24.5-day “good” working cycle ends.

All About Adjustable-Rate Mortgages

Erin Rose — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:59:02 +0000

Adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) differ from fixed-rate mortgages in that the interest rate and monthly payment can change over the life of the loan. ARMs also generally have lower introductory interest rates vs. fixed-rate mortgages. Before deciding on an ARM, key factors to consider include how long you plan to own the property, and how frequently your monthly payment may change.

Why choose an adjustable-rate mortgage?
The low initial interest rates offered by ARMs make them attractive during periods when interest rates are high, or when homeowners only plan to stay in their home for a relatively short period. Similarly, homebuyers may find it easier to qualify for an ARM than a traditional loan. However, ARMs are not for everyone. If you plan to stay in your home long-term or are hesitant about having loan payments that shift from year-to-year, then you may prefer the stability of a fixed-rate mortagage.

Components of adjustable-rate mortgages
Adjustable-rate mortgages have three primary components: an index, margin, and calculated interest rate.

Index
The interest rate for an ARM is based on an index that measures the lender’s ability to borrow money. While the specific index used may vary depending on the lender, some common indexes include U.S. Treasury Bills and the Federal Housing Finance Board’s Contract Mortgage Rate. One thing all indexes have in common, however, is that they cannot be controlled by the lender.
Margin
The margin (also called the “spread”) is a percentage added to the index in order to cover the lender’s administrative costs and profit. Though the index may rise and fall over time, the margin usually remains constant over the life of the loan.
Calculated interest rate
By adding the index and margin together, you arrive at the calculated interest rate, which is the rate the homeowner pays. It is also the rate to which any future rate adjustments will apply (rather than the “teaser rate,” explained below).

Adjustment periods and teaser rates
Because the interest rate for an ARM may change due to economic conditions, a key feature to ask your lender about is the adjustment period–or how often your interest rate may change. Many ARMS have one-year adjustment periods, which means the interest rate and monthly payment is recalculated (based on the index) every year. Depending on the lender, longer adjustment periods are also available.

An ARM can also have an initial adjustment period based on a “teaser rate,” which is an artificially low introductory interest rate offered by a lender to attract homebuyers. Usually, teaser rates are good for 6 months or a year, at which point the loan reverts back to the calculated interest rate. Remember, too, that most lender will not use the teaser rate to qualify you for the loan, but instead use a 7.5% interest rate (or calculated interest rate if it is lower).

Rate caps
To protect homebuyers from dramatic rises in the interest rate, most ARMs have “caps” that govern how much the interest rate may rise between adjustment periods, as well as how much the rate may rise (or fall) over the life of the loan. For example, an ARM may be said to have a 2% periodic cap, and a 6% lifetime cap. This means that the rate can rise no more than 2% during an adjustment period, and no more than 6% over the life of the loan. The lifetime cap almost always applies to the calculated interest rate and not the introductory teaser rate.

Payment caps and negative amortization
Some ARMs also have payment caps. These differ from rate caps by placing a ceiling on how much your payment may rise during an adjustment period. While this may sound like a good thing, it can sometimes lead to real trouble.

For example, if the interest rate rises during an adjustment period, the additional interest due on the loan payment may exceed the amount allowed by the payment cap–leading to negative amortization. This means the balance due on the loan is actually growing, even though the homeowner is still making the minimum monthly payment. Many lenders limit the amount of negative amortization that may occur before the loan must be restructured, but it’s always wise to speak with your lender about payment caps and how negative amortization will be handled.

The semiconductor innovator's dilemma

eschorn — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:41:45 +0000

Last week I was in Japan (re)launching the Cortex-A5, delivering a keynote entitled “Advanced ARM Pr

Refinancing

Erin Rose — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:58:08 +0000

Refinancing your home can be an excellent way to bring down your monthly mortgage payment, raise cash, or consolidate debts with high interest rates. However, you need to do your homework before deciding to refinance. One important factor is the difference between current interest rates and the rate of your original loan. You also need to take into account the amount of time it will take to recoup the costs of refinancing.

When should you refinance?
Some common reasons homeowners refinance include:

Lower monthly mortgage payments
Convert an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) to a fixed-rate mortgage
Raise funds for family expenses (i.e. college tuition)
Pay off high-interest loans
Home improvements

The old rule of thumb is that you should refinance your home if interest rates fall more than 2 points below your existing mortgage rate. That’s because refinancing usually involves most of the same closing costs (loan origination fee, prepaid interest, etc.) as the original loan. For anything less than 2 percent, the savings on your monthly mortgage payment might not be significant enough to be worth your while.

Savings vs. time
For some homeowners, though, the 2 percent rule is not as important as the time needed to break even on the refinancing. For instance, if it costs $3,000 to refinance a house, and the monthly mortgage payment is lowered by $90, it would take almost 3 years for the savings to cover the costs of refinancing.

If all the information (survey, title search, etc.) for your old loan is still current, however, the lender may be willing to waive many of the fees. In addition, you may be able to roll the closing costs of a refinance loan into the new note. In other words, you don’t avoid the closing costs, but instead pay them back over time along with the rest of the loan. If you consider this option, be sure to calculate the potential savings vs. the expense of paying off a higher principal balance.

Keep in mind that refinancing usually lengthens the time it takes to pay off your house. If you are 3 years into a 30-year mortgage and then refinance with a new 30-year loan, you’ll end up making payments on the house for 33 years. Nevertheless, if the monthly savings are substantial enough, you still could end up paying much less over the long haul with the new loan.

Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs)
Timing can also be a factor in switching from an ARM to a fixed-rate loan. For example, rising interest rates might influence you to covert your ARM into a fixed-rate loan if you plan to stay in your house for several more years.

Conversely, you may plan to movie in a year or two, and find a lender who is willing to offer you dramatic interest rate savings with an ARM. In this case (and as long as the closing costs are minimal), it might make sense to switch from a fixed-rate loan to an ARM.

Equity
Refinancing with a new loan doesn’t mean you have to give up all the money you’ve paid towards your old mortgage. With each payment, you build up a certain amount of equity in a property–which is the amount you’ve paid on the principal balance of the loan.

For example, if you have a $100,000 loan at 8 percent, you would build about $2,800 worth of equity in the first 3 years. Thus, if you refinanced, the new loan would only amount to $97,200.

Raising cash with home equity loans… use caution
If you’ve built enough equity, you can refinance in order to take cash out of the property. Perhaps you need money to pay off your credit cards, add a new bathroom, or cover the costs of braces for a child. Regardless, lenders will typically allow you to borrow against the equity you’ve built in your house, plus appreciation (often up to 75 percent of the current appraised value). These types of loans are also called home equity loans.

Be cautious, however, of lenders offering 100 percent or 125 percent home equity loans–their rates are often markedly higher than traditional lenders. In addition, any amount you borrow that is above the market value of the house is NOT tax deductible. Check with your tax professional.

Talk to your lender
With all the different types of refinancing loans available today, you should take some time to shop around and speak with several lenders before making a decision. Be sure to discuss all the expenses and benefits, as well as what will be expected of you, in advance. The more you educate yourself, the better your chances of finding the right refinancing package.

Understanding Different Types of Loans

Erin Rose — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:56:33 +0000

Understanding Different Types of Loans

Today’s homebuyer has more financing options than have ever been available before. From traditional mortgages to adjustable-rate and hybrid loans, there are financing packages designed to meet the needs of virtually anyone.

While the different choices may seem overwhelming at first, the overall goal is really quite simple: you want to find a loan that fits both your current financial situation and your future plans. Though this article discusses some of the more common loan types, you should spend time talking with different lenders before deciding on the right loan for your situation.

General categories of loans
Most loans fall into three major categories: fixed-rate, adjustable-rate, and hybrid loans that combine features of both.

Fixed-rate mortgages
As the name implies, a fixed-rate mortgage carries the same interest rate for the life of the loan. Traditionally, fixed-rate mortgages have been the most popular choice among homeowners, because the fixed monthly payment is easy to plan and budget for, and can help protect against inflation. Fixed-rate mortgages are most common in 30-year and 15-year terms, but recently more lenders have begun offering 20-year and 40-year loans.
Adjustable-rate mortgages (ARM)
Adjustable-rate mortgages differ from fixed-rate mortgages in that the interest rate and monthly payment can change over the life of the loan. This is because the interest rate for an ARM is tied to an index (such as Treasury Securities) that may rise or fall over time. In order to protect against dramatic increases in the rate, ARM loans usually have caps that limit the rate from rising above a certain amount between adjustments (i.e. no more than 2 percent a year), as well as a ceiling on how much the rate can go up during the life of the loan (i.e. no more than 6 percent). With these protections and low introductory rates, ARM loans have become the most widely accepted alternative to fixed-rate mortgages.
Hybrid loans
Hybrid loans combine features of both fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgages. Typically, a hybrid loan may start with a fixed-rate for a certain length of time, and then later convert to an adjustable-rate mortgage. However, be sure to check with your lender and find out how much the rate may increase after the conversion, as some hybrid loans do not have interest rate caps for the first adjustment period.

Other hybrid loans may start with a fixed interest rate for several years, and then later change to another (usually higher) fixed interest rate for the remainder of the loan term. Lenders frequently charge a lower introductory interest rate for hybrid loans vs. a traditional fixed-rate mortgage, which makes hybrid loans attractive to homeowners who desire the stability of a fixed-rate, but only plan to stay in their properties for a short time.

Balloon payments
A balloon payment refers to a loan that has a large, final payment due at the end of the loan. For example, there are currently fixed-rate loans which allow homeowners to make payments based on a 30-year loan, even though the entire balance of the loan may be due (the balloon payment) after 7 years. As with some hybrid loans, balloon loans may be attractive to homeowners who do not plan to stay in their house more than a short period of time.

Time as a factor in your loan choice
As has been discussed, the length of time you plan to own a property may have a strong influence on the type of loan you choose. For example, if you plan to stay in a home for 10 years or longer, a traditional fixed-rate mortgage may be your best bet. But if you plan on owning a home for a very short period (5 years or less), then the low introductory rate of an adjustable-rate mortgage may make the most financial sense. In general, ARMs have the lowest introductory interest rates, followed by hybrid loans, and then traditional fixed-rate mortgages.

FHA and VA loans
U.S. government loan programs such as those of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are designed to promote home ownership for people who might not otherwise be able to qualify for a conventional loan. Both FHA and VA loans have lower qualifying ratios than conventional loans, and often require smaller or no down payments.

Bear in mind, however, that FHA and VA loans are not issued by the government; rather, the loans are made by private lenders. FHA loans are insured to the actual lender and VA loans are guaranteed in case the borrower defaults. Remember too, that while any U.S. citizen may apply for a FHA loan, VA loans are only available to veterans or their spouses and certain government employees.

Conventional loans
A conventional loan is simply a loan offered by a traditional private lender. They may be fixed-rate, adjustable, hybrid or other types. While conventional loans may be harder to qualify for than government-backed loans, they often require less paperwork and typically do not have a maximum allowable amount.

Chrome OS Open Sourced

ARMnews — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:50:14 +0000

With the big announcement today at Google’s HQ, Chrome OS (now known as Chromium) is now avail

Kara 450 mln zwrócona J&S - nikt nie zawinił

jaronwoj — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:05:41 +0000

Agencja Rezerw Materiałowych zwróciła kwotę 450 mln zł, bez odsetek, J&S Energy.

Straciły obie strony :

*ARM odsetki jako agencja rzadowa pdoległa Ministerstwu Gospodarki
*Państwo Polskie koszty procesów zagranicznych
*J&S koszty przewalutowania i straty kursowe za dofinansowanie od akcjonariuszy

Czy w związku ze stratami jakie poniósł Skarb Państwa powinno zostać wszczęte śledztwo prokuratorskie.

Za błędną decyzję sprzed dwóch lat odpowiada ówczesny wiceminister gospodarki Piotr Naimski, osoba ściśle związana z polityką opcji PiS.

W ciągu minionych trzech lat państwo przegrało jednak ponad 160 procesów i państwo musiało wypłacić 100 mln zł odszkodowań. To stosunkowo niewielka suma biorąc pod uwagę wysokość pierwotnie żądanych odszkodowań.

źródło: Prokuratoria Generalna Skarbu Państwa

Kejow

Ps. Podziwiam spokój Ministra Gospodarki Waldemara Pawlaka PSL

Linki

http://biznes.interia.pl/news/zle-wiesci-dla-budzetu-polska-zaplaci-530-mln-zl,1385264

http://www.money.pl/gospodarka/wiadomosci/artykul/rzad;musi;oddac;js;pol;miliarda;zlotych,162,0,548770.html

http://www.rmf.fm/fakty,152691,Skarb,Panstwa,kontra,JS,Energy,Stawka,sa,miliardy.html

http://marazm.salon24.pl/137046,glowy-na-talerzu

Updated: Google Press Conference for ChromeOS

ARMnews — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:08:49 +0000

Last week, several technology web sites published stories that Google might be ready to release more

What ARM Means for Android's Future

Jens Petersen — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:24:58 +0000

Like the smartmouthed hero Dade Murphy said in the movie Hackers, RISC is good. Good for ARM’s business, that is. ARM is the chip seller that developed the RISC architecture back in the early 80’s, and luckily for their longterm shareholders these little chips now have homes in about 98% of all mobile phones.

I’m talking about iPhones, Blackberries, Android phones, Game Boys, the fun battery powered things that we all carry around today.

Because small devices love the reduced power and increased processing power gained from RISC, ARM loves these small devices. Since everything is going small and mobile these days….

Enter the ARM Solution Center for Android. “The ARM Solution Center for Android (SCA) offers developers new to Android or to ARM, the widest range of Android resources for ARM architecture. SCA members come together to share their expertise, solutions and services, including: Development tools, complete Android solutions, Android software components, Android services and Android training.” (text quoted directly from the SCA site).

That’s nice and dandy for developers, but what does this mean for us consumers? Since Android is being used for more than just smartphones, it means we’ll see a lot of great apps on a lot of great devices.

Lets follow the math and peer into the future. Take the amazing progress that Android has seen in its first year, its roots with the juggernaut Google, its enthusiastic following from techies everywhere who aren’t still too drunk with lust for the aging iPhone, and the fact that ARM is now throwing their weight into the ring.

Look into the past a little bit and think about what grew like weeds in the early days when everybody under the sun started making x86 based personal computers and servers? Microsoft. And we all know how big they are today. All those devices needed something to run them.

This SCA is the chicken and egg situation, build it and they will come. When they come, they use your chips.

Google’s egg was Android. All they need to do is keep fertilizing it with free apps like Places and Gmail, and the chickens are sprouting like weeds.

The farmers are HTC, Motorola, Samsung, anybody who is now pumping out chickens … errr, device after device with the Android OS running it.

I’m betting that Android will come out on top.

Now if only I could figure out that one stock that stands to benefit the most from this …. does anybody know of a good Android Mutual Fund?

Oh, well the answer is ARM Holdings plc of course, their stock has doubled in price since Jan 2009.

ARM shareholders: "Recession? What recession?"

ARM simulation using GDB

Ravi Teja G — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:40:10 +0000

arm-elf-GDB is the debugger that helps to simulate ARM processor.

Prerequisites:
-install arm-elf-gcc toolchain
-compile your source code with -g option turned on.

Lets us assume your output elf file is main.elf. Type the following command in the terminal to open GDB.

arm-elf-gdb main.elf

It brings up the gdb prompt. These commands initialises the gdb environment.

target sim
load

The first statement tells gdb that we are going to simulate ARM processor. Second line tells it to load the current ELF(main.elf) file into memory. Next step is to create some breakpoints and run the code.

From Wikipedia:-
(Note:- A breakpoint, in software development, is an intentional stopping or pausing place in a program, put in place for debugging purposes. More generally, a breakpoint is a means of acquiring knowledge about a program during its execution. During the interruption, the programmer inspects the test environment (logs, memory, files, etc.) to find out whether the program functions as expected. In practice, a breakpoint consists of one or more conditions that determine when a program’s execution should be interrupted.)

You can set breakpoint at a particular function, line number, address or offset.
Syntax:

break *address

sets breakpoint at particular address

break function

sets breakpoint at function

break filename:line_number

sets breakpoint at line number of a specified file

break +offset
break -offset

Set breakpoint some number of lines forward or back from the position at which execution stopped in the currently selected stack frame.

After you have set the breakpoints. Run the debugger using

run

Notice that debugger stops at the places you have set breakpoints. Now you can inspect the registers and memory using these commands.

info reg

displays register information

x /5xw 0×00000800

this displays memory starting at address(0×00000800). The /5xw instructs gdb to show 5 memory locations, each of length words and represented in hexadecimal. Use d instead of x to display in decimal. h or b instead of w to display in half-word or byte length.

After you have finished inspecting, you can either continue execution or step through each instruction or statement.

next

steps through each statement.

continue

continues debugging until next breakpoint is reached.

Android Gets Some Serious Support for Consumer Devices

Stacey Higginbotham — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:13:55 +0000

ARM (s armh) and more than 35 other companies have banded together to create an alliance dubbed the Solution Center for Android, which is aimed at increasing the resources available for developers trying to build for the relatively young OS on top of ARM hardware. Android, an open-source, Linux-based OS pioneered by Google (s goog), is the underlying operating system in several popular smartphones such as those from HTC and the Motorola (S mot) Droid. However, as computer companies plan netbooks based on the ARM architecture (known as smartbooks), ARM and several other companies, including Texas Instruments (s txn) and Mentor Graphics, determined that the Android OS needed more infrastructure to support these more complicated consumer devices.

The Solution Center will serve as a go-to place for developers to get information on development tools, as well as resources and services optimized specifically for Android on the ARM platform. The end result should be better devices that are able to get to market quickly. And because ARM is so prevalent in other consumer gadgets scattered around the home, it’s possible that the alliance will help bring Android to more devices.

ARM promotes Android Development Resources

ARMnews — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:12:20 +0000

In a move that is sure to annoy Apple and Nokia, ARM has launched a web portal that provides a vast

Rihanna Performs Live in Brixton, England....Party's afterwards...check out the pictures here

jerrybrice — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:40:20 +0000

Any opportunity to feature Rhianna here on the pages of this blog, we will take it.

If there is no reason, then we will create it.In this case on Monday November 16, 2009, Rihanna performed at the Brixton Academy with star-studded guests including guest rappers Jay-Z and the Young Jeezy along for the ride.

Rhianna’s rider included a very comfy multi-coloured arm-chair. At 11pm, on the way out the driver hadn’t closed the trunk of the van and Rhianna’s luggage spilled out all over the road.

After the luggage was locked away, Rihanna and her entourage headed for some sushi at Nozomi.

They then headed to the Royal fave Mahiki nightclub to party until 3am, where she was joined by Jay-Z and Beyoncé.

Nvidia няма нужда да навлиза в бизнеса с процесори

pcstorebg — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:47:21 +0000

В интервю президентът на ARM – Тюдор Браун е заявил, че според него Nvidia няма нужда да се пробва на пазара на x86 хардуер. Той твърди, че очаква много от тяхната Tegra, която се появява на пазара в изключително важен момент и ще предлага на най-мобилните компютри повече мощ и по-висококачествено видео.

Освен това, платформата, разработена взаимно от двете компании (Nvidia и ARM) ще бъде доста по-евтина от тази на конкурента Intel. Изглежда за момента основната и единствена цел на Nvidia е да направи графичните процесори колкото се може “по-важни” и ефективни, а както знаете, при играенето на видеоигри и гледането на висококачествени филми, по-важен елемент няма.

Още по темата:

Nvidia отрича, че ще прави процесори

Какво ще се случи с Atom на Intel в близко бъдеще?

Какво предстои за Nvidia?

ZiiLabs create powerful ARM based processor

ARMnews — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:36:13 +0000

It seems that ARM based processors are set to continue their market domination of the mobile world f

In your face Svinis!!

piewpiew — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:11:48 +0000

Som väntat så här efter vaccinet så kan jag endast förflytta mig baklänges. Men jag menar, det funkar ju så man ska inte klaga tycker jag. Det var ju trots allt gratis.

//Pang

Fixed or Variable Rate Mortgages - The Unending Debate

merc359 — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:37:21 +0000

I get calls and questions on this topic almost every week. Given the changing market, it’s time for an update as of November 15th, 2009.

In fact, I recently took a call from a real estate lawyer who was buying a place and wanted my opinion on this topic, and I went into great length as to what I thought. In the end, she ended up taking variable, and in this market, I think this is the right move, for her. Here is why:

I have written several strong articles in favour of fixed mortgages in the past. For me, personally, I just like them. Period. It’s the way I work. I want to know what my payment is going to be for the next 5 years and I don’t want anyone telling me otherwise.

Could I save money if I took a variable. Probably, but I don’t care. If you are considering fixed or variable rate mortgages there are three things you need to think about three specific questions:

1. What are the current rate offerings ?
2. What is your income and employment situation?
3. What is the reason you are buying the property?

WHAT ARE THE CURRENT RATE OFFERINGS?

Previously, when I was arguing for fixed rates for most clients it was at a time when the 5 year variable and 5 year fixed were nearly on par. This was because the capital markets were forcing banks to set their variable at prime rate PLUS 1.5% or prime rate PLUS 1.0% for a rates that were equal to (or even higher!) than fixed mortgages. In this situation, with prime rate sitting at all time lows, it made no sense to take a variable rate when there was only one way for rates to go (up) and no savings, even on day one, by taking a variable rate mortgage.

If there is no savings by taking a variable rate, why absorb the risk of the rising payment?

Well, capital markets have changed, and there are a few banks offering prime MINUS 0.10% for a net rate of 2.15% versus my best rate on a 5 year fixed of 3.85%. This is a full 1.7% difference, and this market, that is substantial. In other words, prime rate would have to rise from 2.25% up to 3.95% before you break even. With the Bank of Canada pledging to hold rates low until mid 2010 that is about 9 months of a significant savings before we see prime start to move up. If you want to save some money, this is a compelling time to take a variable rate as you can transfer to a fixed rate mortgage at any time, with no penalty.

Based on current offerings from banks, and depending on your own answers to my next two questions, variable looks like the way to go.

WHAT IS YOUR INCOME AND EMPLOYMENT SITUATION?

With a variable rate, you face a variable payment (or a variable amount that goes towards principle – which CAN result in a negatively amortizing mortgage where you owe more at the end of the term than at the beginning, if you don’t pay attention).

So, how are you paid? How often? Are you paid a salary that is set? Do you get bonuses or commissions? Are you self employed with the option of more work if you want it? These are all important things to think about.

If you are paid a salary, and especially if you need to take a variable rate to comfortably afford the property, you need to be very careful if you take a variable. You’ll need to watch interest rates and lock in at the first sniff of rising rates. This is true unless you have a mortgage payment that is very modest when compared to your salary.

If you get bonuses and commissions, do you NEED to earn those bonuses in order to make your payments? What happens if the rates rise (and your payment) and you don’t get the bonus? Will you be ok? Do you have enough “wiggle room” in your budget to absorb a higher payment, or a higher payment along with lower income?

If you are self employed, how seasoned is your client base? How confident that you can repeat last year’s success? If you are a realtor, chances are you have done very well the last five months, but what about last december through march? If your income is seasonal, or varies dramatically, do you also want a variable payment?

The bottom line is to look hard and dispassionately at your income pattern. If you have a lot of “wiggle room” to absorb a rising payment, or if your budget is sufficiently comfortable, then you can take a variable and enjoy the savings.

However, if you NEED that variable rate to afford your payment, you should not be taking it and not buying the property. People are, by their nature, myopic, and they only look at the recent past. If rates rise, are you going to be ok?

WHAT IS THE REASON YOU ARE BUYING THE PROPERTY?

This is often overlooked. People get so hung up on fixed versus variable discussions that they forget why they are buying the property. If you are buying a rental / investment property, then you likely are thinking all about cash flow. If this is the case, variable may be the way to go. If you are buying your own home, and you intend to live in it for a while (5+ years, for example) then you may want a fixed rate so you can rest assured your housing payment won’t increase.

Or maybe not.

There are lots of other reasons, and here are a few: Maybe you’d prefer to buy your house and you want to save every penny, so you plan on taking variable and watching rates like a hawk to try and capture the most savings possible. Personally, as someone IN the industry, I think this is madness unless you happen to enjoy watching interest rate and bond moves (perversely, I do, and you should take advantage of this).

Or maybe not.

Maybe you are buying a property that is a “holding property” and you simply want to minimize your carrying costs until you subdivide it, or until the subdivision or city plan reaches your property and you sell. Variable might be a good choice here as your exit plan is relatively assured and timeline clear. With savings available on variable in the short term, this might be the way to go.

Or maybe not.

Maybe you have a lot of “wiggle room” in your budget, but are so busy you don’t feel like watching rates all the time, and heck, if rates rise a point or two it won’t be the end of your financial world. Variable might be the way to go here.

Or maybe not.

Maybe you are doing an equity take out to invest, and with rates so low you want to lock in now at the fixed rates because you don’t believe they’ll be back any time soon. You plan on investing the money, and you want to know what your “cost of capital” is so you can monitor if your investments are outperforming your debt to buy them. In this case, fixed rates are likely for you.

Or maybe not…

IN SUMMARY

As you can see, a lot of the decision is very personal, and based entirely on features of your own unique financial situation and personality makeup.

There is no rule of thumb. Brokers that drone on and on that “variable is always best” are likely getting angry calls from their clients they put in variable mortgages 6 months ago when rates were prime + 1% and are now Prime – 0.10%. Good. That’s the way it should be. Advice is only as good as the person giving it, and if they don’t take the time to look at your unique situation of income, risk tolerance, budget, and property type, then they aren’t doing their job and you should be speaking to someone like me instead.

Until next time, happy house hunting!