Just Plain Obvious

How to Disable Overlay Scrollbars in Ubuntu

2011-12-05T08:02:00.000-06:00

Looking back, I don't know why I put up with Ubuntu's overlay scrollbars for so long... they're just that awful. Your mouse must be in just the right spot to catch the scrollbar, and forget about paging down click by click.

So this morning I decided to just get rid of them. Turns out it's easy. Just add this line of code:

export LIBOVERLAY_SCROLLBAR=0

to the file

/etc/X11/Xsession.d/99disable-overlay-scrollbars

for global removal (you may need to create that file). To disable only on a user-by-user basis, enter the same text in the user's file:

~/.xprofile

Ubuntu Wired Ethernet Connection Not Working

2011-12-04T11:25:00.000-06:00

I recently upgraded my home internet connection to 50 mbps. Shaw (ISP) ~~gave~~ loaned me a new Cisco DPC3825 cable modem. The Cisco DPC3825 also functions as a gateway, router, and wireless router, so I pulled the plug on my old Trendnet TEW-432BRP. In doing this, I started to notice multiple failures between my PS3 and my Ubuntu 11.04 machine (running PS3 Media Server, both wired) in the form of frequent DLNA errors. On top of this, Ubuntu sometimes wouldn't recognise the wired ethernet connection (even though the hardware lights activated).

Fixing/resetting this was simple:

sudo service network-manager stop
sudo ifconfig eth0 up
sudo dhclient eth0
sudo service network-manager start

These commands stop network manager, ensure the wired ethernet device (eth0 in my case) is being monitored, renew its DHCP lease, and restart network manager. So far, it's worked for me every time.

After a little more digging, I believe the problem lies with my Cisco SPA2102 VOIP phone adapter. It was running under the gateway and also assigning DHCP. I've since turned this feature off and am hoping for ~~less~~ no more communication errors.

Explanation of the Linux (Ubuntu) file system

2011-11-15T09:49:00.001-06:00

The linux filesystem is simple and intuitive - much more so than that of Windows. But sometimes those abbreviations are unclear. Here's an explanation of the folder you should see in the root of your drive ("/"):

/bin – binary applications (most of your executable files)
/boot – files required to boot (such as the kernel, etc)
/dev – your devices (everything from drives to displays)
/etc – just about every configuration file for your system
/home – locally stored user files and folders
/lib – system libraries (similar to Program Files)
/lost+found – lost and found for lost files
/media – mounted (or loaded) devices such as cdroms, digital cameras, etc.
/mnt – mounted file systems
/opt – location for “optionally” installed programs
/proc – dynamic directory including information about and listing of processes
/root – “home” folder for the root user
/sbin – system-only binaries (see /bin)
/sys – contains information about the system
/tmp – temporary files
/usr – applications mainly for regular users
/var – mainly logs, databases, etc.

Note that to the beginner/regular user, most of these folders will remain untouched, with the exception of /home. The /home directory contains folders for each user, in which _your_ specific documents, photos, video, etc. will be. This is similar to C:/Documents and Settings/USERNAME/ you see in Windows.

How to fix /opt/google/chrome/libgcflashplayer.so crash

2011-11-08T21:09:00.000-06:00

I keep getting a /opt/google/chrome/libgcflashplayer.so has crashed error when clicking "fullscreen" on any flash video in Ubuntu. I'm on Ubuntu natty 11.04 and using Chrome 7.0.517.44 (I know it's old, but I have a number of issues with the newer versions).

Solution? At least temporarily...

about:plugins

Expand the "Details" box in the upper right-hand corner and you will notice the "Shockwave" plugin has two entries. I have 10.1 r103 and 11.0 r1.

Disable the older version in location /opt/google/chrome/libgcflashplayer.so. Flash objects now fullscreen without problem.

How to Add a Thesaurus in LibreOffice (OpenOffice)

2011-09-24T14:08:00.000-05:00

I just started using LibreOffice 3.3.3 and am astounded to learn that there isn't a working thesaurus. At least not for English (UK) or English (Canada). The Thesaurus menu option is greyed out when using either of these languages, and CTRL + F7 doesn't do a thing.

Some Googling brought me to the Weekly Whinge and a UK language thesaurus extension. It looks like it's old (March 2009) but it works great. Just install via Tools > Extensions Manager and you are good to go.

The New Look

2011-08-10T20:53:00.007-05:00

Unless you're reading the RSS/Email version of this post, you've likely noticed that the JustPlainObvious blog has a new (pronounced better) look.

My old blogger template was a mishmash of about a dozen or so templates, from which I had picked and chosen the best (and sometimes not-so-best) features. It was getting pretty difficult to maintain that template...just remembering all my minor adjustments was a headache. Make one little change, and I'd spent the next 15 minutes searching for the offending code that had broken my blog.

Suffice to say, the old is gone; the new has come. The folks at http://www.ourblogtemplates.com/ kindly made available the design you see today (called Isolation), and it's ~~a complete~~ an almost complete turn-key solution. I think it's a nice modern, clean, solution and hope that you enjoy it too.

Just to make sure the old site isn't forgotten, here's a last look at what the JustPlainObvious banner used to look like...

Gmail-type Labels in Outlook 2003

2011-06-15T13:38:00.000-05:00

Gmail-type labels are very useful for organising and categorising messages. This is important for search, especially if your network admin doesn't allow you to install nifty search plugins like Xobni or Lookout.

Background: Why is this relevant? Because too many people are in the habit of using folders to organise their email in Outlook. This looks like a good idea on the surface, but somewhere down the road it becomes apparent that Outlook's default search tool only lets you search in one folder. Sure, you can do an Advanced Find and select multiple folders, but then you will realise that Outlook can only search 1 data file at a time. E.g. either messages on your main "Inbox" server, or messages in your archive (.pst) folders.... not both together! By doing away with folder organisation, dumping all messages into a single "archive" folder and applying labels, searching your mail will be a less cumbersome process.

This tutorial will show you how to make gmail-type labels in Outlook and use a one-click tool button to apply said label. This is accomplished using macros, so make sure you have enabled macros in outlook.

Our "labels" are going to be Outlook's Categories. To see Categories, right-click on any message and select Categories. You'll see a list of available Categories such as Business, Personal, etc. You can either use these, leave them be, or get rid of them. I chose to delete all default categories and start fresh. Next, add all the labels you wish to use as new categories using the Master Category List. The names of your folders might be a good place to start. In the example below, I have created two labels: OMess and Reference.

You'll notice you can now right click on any message, select Categories and put a check in one (or more) of the boxes. Apply the appropriate categories to your messages (you can select multiple) and, once done, get rid of all your folders and put your messages in one general folder.

You can now create search folders to quickly pull up those messages. They will work the same way as the old Folder system and will eilminate the need to drag each message into its proper folder. As mentioned before, you will also gain search functionality. To create a search folder, go to File > New > Search Folder. Go to the bottom and select Create a custom Search Folder. You'll then want to name it (choose a label name), click Criteria, tab to More Choices and click the Categories button. Then select the category/label you desire, and OK all the windows (see "Reference" example below). You should now have a new Search Folder that pulls up your labelled messages.....just like a folder.

You're already better off now than when we started.

To make things even better, consider adding buttons that will label a message with the click of a mouse. The macro code is below... see my Archive It post to turn it into one (or more) buttons.

Note that Subs MarkA and MarkB just call the MarkWithCategory function. You can make as many of these as you like (one for each label) and just make sure you replace "A" and "B" with 'label_1' and 'label_2', respectively.

' usage examples setting category A or B
Sub MarkA()
Call MarkWithCategory("A")
End Sub
Sub MarkB()
Call MarkWithCategory("B")
End Sub
' This is the main procedure
Sub MarkWithCategory(strCat As String)
Dim objItem As Object
Set objItem = GetCurrentItem()
If Not objItem Is Nothing Then
objItem.Categories = objItem.Categories & "," & strCat
objItem.Save
End If
Set objItem = Nothing
End Sub
' Returns the currently selected or open item
Function GetCurrentItem() As Object
Dim objApp As Outlook.Application
Set objApp = CreateObject("Outlook.Application")
On Error Resume Next
Select Case TypeName(objApp.ActiveWindow)
Case "Explorer"
Set GetCurrentItem = objApp.ActiveExplorer.Selection.Item(1)
Case "Inspector"
Set GetCurrentItem = objApp.ActiveInspector.CurrentItem
Case Else
' anything else will result in an error, which is
' why we have the error handler above
End Select
Set objApp = Nothing
End Function

The end result: buttons in your toolbar that automatically label your messages!

Disclaimer: I didn't write this macro; I found it on here.

How to Install Netflix on Wii (softmodded)

2011-03-26T13:54:00.000-05:00

I just signed up for a 30 day Netflix.ca free trial... $8/mo thereafter. I'm not at all sold on Netflix yet as it doesn't appear to have any of the movies or shows I want to watch. As a case in point, check out these search terms I ran this afternoon: Big Bang Theory [any season] (not available), Inception (not available), Sgt. Bilko (not available), The Social Network (not available), House MD (not available) and so on. Don't get me wrong, Netflix does have a fair collection of titles. But an ongoing subscription does not seem useful if their collection does not include new releases on film or current tv shows.

But enough about that. I want to watch Netflix via my 4.2u softmodded Nintendo Wii. There used to be a Netflix disc which one would insert, load, and log in to Netflix. The first thing I tried was downloading the disc image and loading on the wii. Loads fine, but an error message pops up saying the disc application is unsupported and the newer version must be downloaded from the wii Shopping Channel.

Enter problem two: my softmodded wii won't load the Shopping Channel because it's out of date. I'm prompted to perform a wii system update to get the new Shopping Channel. Bad idea. Doing so would render my softmod (and all applications, games, etc.) useless. The solution to this problem is to manually update only the Shopping Channel. Below are two methods, though only method 2 worked for me:

*Note: These methods assume your wii is softmodded a la homebrew channel. If not, see this guide.*

Method 1 - Internet Update (Easier)

This method uses the Multi Mod Manager to perform a network update of the shopping channel. Your wii must be connected to the internet for this to work. I tried this method first as it seems easier, but in the end it didn't work for me (not sure why). A quick internet search shows hundreds of other happy customers.

Open Multi Mod Manager from the Homebrew Channel. If you don't have it, download from link below and copy the MMM folder inside your /apps directory on SD card or USB stick:

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?l6r9y96rh9y6c2e

In MMM, select "Load another IOS" and choose 249. Now go to "Manage Wii Channels" and ensure the Shopping Channel and your wii's region are selected properly. Install, and return to MMM main menu.

From "IOS Manager" install IOS56, and say no to all patches. Then, load IOS56-64--v5662 from the Nintendo Servers. After everything has installed, exit MMM and restart wii.

Method 2 - Manual Offline Update

For this method you will need a WAD manager such as WAD-Manager_v1.7.

First, download these files and place them in the /wad directory on your SD card or USB stick:

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?4zxhye4xh46y3gw

Load your WAD manager from the homebrew channel and use IOS249 for a new install. Say no to NAND emulation and select the source for your /wad directory. Install IOS56-64-v5662 and then Shopping Channel-NUS-v20.

After either of these methods, exit the installer, reboot the wii and look for the new Shopping Channel icon in place of your old one. Load, search for Netflix and download!

Ubuntu: Make SIP Calls Using Empathy

2011-03-15T15:29:00.000-05:00

Ubuntu's default chat client, Empathy, supports a myriad of instant messaging protocols. Unfortunately, SIP isn't included in this list. If you have an SIP VOIP account (almost any home phone VOIP product) you can get it working in this application in less than 10 minutes.

First, you must install the sofiasip package (it's in the universe repository). In terminal, type:

sudo apt-get install telepathy-sofiasip

You should now see a new option in the drop-down Accounts list in Empathy, titled SIP. Simply enter your SIP username and password and you're good to go.

To make a call, it's just CTRL + M under the Chat file menu, select your SIP account and enter the number in the Contact ID box.

You'll get a window that looks something like the screenshot below, and you're good to go.

Ubuntu: How to Add Gmail to Indicator Applet

2011-03-11T07:17:00.001-06:00

Ubuntu's indicator applet is a relatively new, nifty tool for getting rid of all the system bar clutter and organising it in one drop-down menu. I'd say it's received mixed reviews... But I like it. By default, it integrates with instant messaging, email, social broadcast and audio programs BUT its email integration only goes so far as Evolution.

I don't use Evolution. I find it too clunky and prefer my web-based gmail client. But the indicator applet menu doesn't allow for web-based gmail noitification by default. To enable, we must install the gm-notify package. The good news is that it's contained within the universe repository and installation is a piece of cake.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install gm-notify

You will see a new menu item called GMail Notifier Configuration under System > Preferences. Open it and configure your account:

Once saved, you need only to restart your menubar and all will be well:

killall gnome-panel

Based on my settings, clicking Inbox will open a Google Chrome browser and take me to new mail.

Ubuntu: How to Change Computer Name

2011-03-10T10:59:00.002-06:00

My Ubuntu computer used to be named laptop and my other machine was desktop. That was all fine and dandy until I installed Ubuntu on my wife's laptop. Now we run into a situation where names are no longer clearly defined. You may run into a similar situation. Or you may regret initially naming your system Darth-gr8-hax0r and the like. Here's how to change your system name:

From terminal, run:

gksudo gedit /etc/hostname

This will open a text file with your system's current name. Simply replace the old name with a new one, save, close and log out/in or restart your system to show the name name.

How to Configure Google Chrome for Tor

2011-03-05T10:53:00.097-06:00

(This article supposes you already have tor installed on your Ubuntu system. If not, see How to Install Tor in Ubuntu)

With firefox practically pioneering open source browser technology, it's no surprise that there's a turn-key package for tor browsing in firefox. But I like google chrome or chromium and there's no tor add-on. Not to worry, it's fairly easy to make yourself. Below are 3 completely different ways to get chrome working with tor:

Method 1 - Configure on Launch (best)

This is the best option for a couple reasons: it's easy to setup and it protects the most data. All you need to do is run the following command from terminal:

google-chrome --proxy-server="127.0.0.1:8118;https=127.0.0.1:8118;socks=127.0.0.1:8118;sock4=127.0.0.1:8118;sock5=127.0.0.1:8118,ftp=127.0.0.1:8118" --incognito check.torproject.org

This command line:
- tells chrome to load using proxy settings
- ensures http, https, socks, socksv4 and sockv5 all use localhost port 8118 (127.0.0.1:8118)
- loads incognito
- goes to http://check.torproject.org for verification

You can substitute any homepage you wish for check.torproject.org but it's nice to have positive verification on load. You may also remove the --incognito option but I recommend you do not. Incognito ensures your cookies are not seen by visited websites (cookies easily show the website who you are).

If you don't want to remember that command, simply create a launcher and stick it in the Applications > Internet menu next to chrome:

Just remember that, using this method, you must close all instances of chrome before launching with tor. If you already have chrome open, the open application's settings will override the tor launch.

Method 2 - Switchy! extension (ok)

This method involves adding the Proxy Switchy! extension to chrome and configuring it for tor/non-tor browsing. It's good because it allows you to turn tor on and off with the push of a button, but is bad because it doesn't hide your cookie data.

To configure, visit the Proxy Switchy! extension page and install to chrome. After install, open the extension's settings page and configure to speak with tor/polipo.

Create a profile and name it tor. Configure this profile to use proxy 127.0.0.1 port 8118 for all protocols. Your settings should look like the image above when finished. Now move to the General tab and enable Quick Switch and Binary Switch. I have my default settings as Profile 1 and my Tor settings as Profile 2. Just hit the extension image in your toolbar to switch back and forth.

Make sure you visit check.torproject.org to ensure it's working!

Method 3 - Proxy Location (worst)

This is another easy method but not my favourite, as it requires a manual switch from non-tor to tor (each time) and it doesn't protect your cookie information. For this method, we will create two profiles (or "locations" as chrome calls them) and tell one to use tor, and the other to use a direct connection.

Tools > Preferences > Under the Hood will get you to the Network settings. Open Change Proxy Settings and select New Location from the Location drop-down menu.

Select Manual proxy and add proxy 127.0.0.1 and port 8118. Select the checkbox asking if you want to use the proxy for all protocols, and you're finished (screen should look like above image). Now you must switch from default to tor profile whenever you wish to browse the net over the tor network. This is a good option for someone who wants to use tor all the time and doesn't keep saved cookie data.

Happy anonymous browsing!

How to Install Tor in Ubuntu

2011-03-05T09:25:00.004-06:00

(This article shows you how to install tor in ubuntu. If you're trying to use tor with Google Chrome, see How to Configure Google Chrome for Tor)

This morning I read an article about a German judge who recently awarded a Subpoena to Sony for hacker geohot's website. This means that Sony will soon have in its hands a list of IPs who have visited (and downloaded) geohot's PS3 hack. Sony may even be able to link web traffic IPs with PS3 IPs and take action against PS3 online gamers. Of course, this is a very bad move by Sony since it attacks users who haven't broken any laws. But I digress.... this got me thinking about the need for internet privacy. If you're thinking the same thing, Tor may be for you.

Simply put, the tor project allows users to mask their identity and internet habits by bouncing their web traffic over a number of random nodes located all over the planet. These nodes are sustained by tor volunteers who donate their spare cpu and bandwidth to the network. You can read more about it here. This guide will show you how to install the tor client (not server) on your Ubuntu linux machine. If you're using another OS, check out these other installation guides.

Step 1 - Download tor

Add the tor repository to your sources list:

sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

And add the following code to the file. Save and exit.

#### Tor project - http://www.torproject.org
deb http://deb.torproject.org/torproject.org maverick main

(You may substitute lucid, karmic, jaunty, etc. for maverick if you're running a different version). Add the necessary keys:

gpg --keyserver keys.gnupg.net --recv 886DDD89
gpg --export A3C4F0F979CAA22CDBA8F512EE8CBC9E886DDD89 | sudo apt-key add -

Install tor via terminal:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install tor tor-geoipdb

Step 2 - Configure Polipo

If downloading tor didn't also download polipo (it likely did), you must get it manually as it is required for proper proxy:

sudo apt-get install polipo

Now get rid of the default polipo settings and configure for use with tor. Open the polipo config file:

sudo gedit /etc/polipo/config

and replace its entire contents with this substitute configuration. Save, exit, and restart polipo:

/etc/init.d/polipo restart

Step 3 - Use Tor

Now you can configure any application to route its internet traffic through tor. Just go to proxy settings, and configure HTTP/HTTPS/SOCKS to point to localhost port 8118 (127.0.0.1:8118). Remember that you can visit http://check.torproject.org anytime to see if you've configured correctly.

Some applications allow proxy on/proxy off configuration. Some require you to manually set the proxy each time you wish to use it. Have a look at Torbutton for Firefox. It's probably the easiest turn-key solution. But I use Google Chrome and torbutton doesn't work. For great detail on this, see my guide on How to Configure Google Chrome for Tor.

Enabling USB Support in VirtualBox for Ubuntu

2011-02-23T15:27:00.000-06:00

Unfortunately, I still need Windows. There are a few applications that won't work properly on WINE in Ubuntu (iTunes and Rosetta Stone to name two)... So I use VirtualBox to boot Windows XP inside Ubuntu.

Here's the problem: there's no native USB support in VirtualBox. This makes the whole virtual system just useless. If you install the virtualbox-ose package from the Ubuntu repositories you will face this problem. The solution is to install virtualbox-4.0 from www.virtualbox.org. Here's how:

This procedure was tested on Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick using a Windows XP Pro SP3 virtual machine. The virtualbox started out as virtualbox-ose 3.2.8-dfsg-2ubuntu1 and ended up as Oracle virtualbox-4.0.4-70112~Ubuntu~Maverick.

*Don't worry about your existing virtualbox machines. The install procedure outlined below is turnkey and your machines will roll over unharmed to the upgraded application.*

1. Add the virtualbox.org repository

sudo gedit /etc/apt/source.list

Add the appropriate repository relative to your linux distribution

deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian maverick contrib

deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian lucid contrib

deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian karmic contrib

deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian jaunty contrib

deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian intrepid contrib

deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian hardy contrib

Get the Oracle public key:

wget -q http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian/oracle_vbox.asc -O- | sudo apt-key add -

Upgrade virtualbox:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install virtualbox-4.0

2. Install the VirtualBox Extension Pack

You can grab it here or from the VirtualBox.org downloads page if the address has changed. Virtualbox manager will open and ask if you wish to install the extension pack (yes).

3. Enable USB support

Add the current user (or whichever user will be running the virtual machine) to the vboxusers group. You can do this graphically by System > Administration > Users and Groups. Select the desired user and click Manage Groups. Scroll to vboxusers, select Properties and add the desired user.

Next, open virtualbox manager if not already open. You should be able to do this via Gnome Menu > System Tools > Oracle VirtualBox Manager or by launching virtualbox. Select the machine in question, scroll to USB and enable. You may need to install a generic usb driver to get the ball rolling.

Next time you boot the virtual machine, simply right click the USB icon in the lower right hand corner to enable.

Finally, USB support for Windows programs in Ubuntu... now that wasn't so hard lol.

How to Manage WBFS Partitions in Ubuntu Linux

2010-06-25T12:36:00.000-05:00

A previous post of mine, How To Play Nintendo Wii Games from a USB HD, deals only with the Windows OS. Suppose you'd like to load Wii games from a USB HD, but you're using, say, Ubuntu Linux? Well then you would need an alternative WBFS partition manager.

Enter Wiithon.

Wiithon is python-based GUI linux application for managing WBFS partitions. It's clean, simple to use, and even supports remote updates of game info, pictures, etc. If your external HD doesn't already have a WBFS partition, Wiithon can create one. The application can even copy wii games from one partition to another...

The current stable version is 1.1 and I believe development might be at a standstill (the latest repo is Karmic), but it works great on Lucid. To install, simply run the following commands from Terminal:

grep "deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/wii.sceners.linux/wiithon-1.1/ubuntu karmic main" /etc/apt/sources.list || echo deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/wii.sceners.linux/wiithon-1.1/ubuntu karmic main | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list && sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 1F882273 && sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install wiithon && sudo gpasswd -a $USER disk

This will add the Wiithon repository to your /etc/apt/source.list, and download and install the program. Once installed, you can launch from the Applications > Games > Wiithon menu, but you must be in sudo mode to do so!

If you'd like to give the current user permission to launch (recommended), simply run

sudo gpasswd -a $USER disk

You can now launch Wiithon from the Applications menu using your current user profile!

How to Convert MTS to AVI in Linux

2010-06-22T07:40:00.000-05:00

I played in an Ultimate tournament yesterday and thought it would be great to take some team video and create a highlights/bloopers reel. However, this requires some editing on the computer and I was filming with my Sony HDR-SR10, which records in full HD 1080 AVCHD. This results in an bunch of .MTS files on your computer, and though some media players will play these files, they video quality is chopping and full of weird horizontal lines.

Clearly these video files must be converted to a more workable format....

I've tried many different scripts and packages, including m2tstoavi and handbrake without success. After some fiddling, it seems that the best option is a customised ffmpeg. Here's how it worked for me:

1. Download the Necessary Packages

sudo apt-get install build-essential libxvidcore4-dev libfaad-dev libfaac-dev libmp3lame-dev subversion

2. Grab Most Recent FFMPEG

svn checkout svn://svn.ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg/trunk ffmpeg

3. Compile the Source Code

cd ffmpeg
./configure --enable-gpl --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libxvid --enable-libfaac --enable-nonfree
make
sudo make install

This will probably take a little while...

4. Configure FFMPEG to Your Camera

Run ffmpeg and pass it one of your .MTS video files to the program. This will allow you to see some basic info about the video/audio formats your camera uses. Then, tailor ffmpeg to your camera (assuming you only have one of these super-hd video cameras). I'm using a sample video called 00451.MTS.

ffmpeg -i 00451.MTS

The important output will be near the bottom:

Input #0, mpegts, from '00451.MTS':
  Duration: 00:00:24.54, start: 1.000033, bitrate: 5510 kb/s
  Program 1
   Stream #0.0[0x1011]: Video: h264, yuv420p, 1440x1080 [PAR 4:3 DAR 16:9], 59.96 fps, 59.94 tbr, 90k tbn, 59.94 tbc
   Stream #0.1[0x1100]: Audio: ac3, 48000 Hz, 5.1, s16, 448 kb/s
   Stream #0.2[0x1200]: Subtitle: pgssub

There are 3 streams: video, audio, and subtitle. I'm not sure what subtitle is, but let's ignore it for now. Video is in 1440x1080 resolution, pixel aspect ratio is 4:3, display aspect ratio is 16:9, and 59.96 frames per second, at 5510 kb/s. Audio is in ac3 at 448 kb/s.

5. Use FFMPEG

Now ffmpeg can be used to convert video. If you only have one or two files to convert, simply navigate to the proper directory, and enter the following comand in your terminal:

ffmpeg -i InputFile.MTS -vcodec libxvid -b 18000k -acodec libmp3lame -ac 2-ab 320k -deinterlace -s 1440x1080 OutputFile.AVI

But if you have many files you may want to use a batch conversion script. Create a gedit file in your favourite scripts directory... /usr/share/myscripts will do fine. Save the following text file to the directory:

#!/bin/bash
for a in `ls *.MTS` ; do ffmpeg -i $a -vcodec libxvid -b 18000k -acodec libmp3lame -ac 2 -ab 320k -deinterlace -s 1440x1080 `echo "$a" | cut -d'.' -f1`.avi ; done
exit

Call it ConvertMTS or something. When run, this script will convert any .MTS files in the current directory to .AVI and save the new files in the same directory. To use the script, navigate to your MTS folder in terminal:

bash /usr/share/myscripts/ConvertMTS

.... Sit back and wait :-)

How to Play DVDs in Ubuntu Linux

2010-06-17T11:24:00.000-05:00

Ubuntu linux comes ready to do many things out of the box, but DVD playback isn't one of them. However, it's quite easy to enable this feature by following the steps below.

To play DVDs in a movie player like VLC or Totem Movie Player (Ubuntu default) you require a package called libdvdcss2. You can't get this package directly from the repositories, probably for legal reasons, but it can be downloaded via the libdvdread4 package.

sudo apt-get install libdvdread4

Now run the libdvdcss2 install script:

sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread4/install-css.sh

This is all you need to play DVDs....Just open via Totem, VLC, or your favourite movie player. I had to restart the system before it would take effect.

Guayadeque: Great Linux Music Player

2010-06-14T09:09:00.000-05:00

Yeah, we all know about Rhythmbox, Banshee, Exaile and Amarok... some may even be familiar with Helix, MPlayer, and VLC as music players. None of them quite had what I was looking for in a music player. In fact, I've been on a mini-quest for a good gnome music player for some time now. I believe that quest has ended with Guayadeque.

Guayadeque is a simple, well-organised GUI music player for gnome. It's performs well with large libraries (30,000+ files) and satisfies all my music playing criteria. Anonbeat, the developer of Guayadeque, is a Gran Canaria native and I believe the project is named for a nature reserve valley on the island. Features include:

Support for mp3, flac, ogg, wma, aac and other common formats
Auto-lyrics pull from lyricwiki.org or 5 or 6 other sites
AudioScrobble compatibility (last.fm and/or libre.fm)
Internet radio station support (e.g. Shoutcast)
Static/Dynamic playlist
Custom label support (in addition to normal tags)
Musicbrainz tags
Smart Playlist mode (suggests music based on your style)
Minimize to tray/song change alert
Automatic album art cover fetching
Search functionality
Overall easy-to-use gui

You can see more screenshots of Guayadeque here.

Installing Guayadeque

You can install the stable .deb installer package from the Guayadeque homepage (v0.2.5), but there are a few cool features that only exist in the 0.2.6 builds. To install...

Add the Guayadeque repository:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:anonbeat/guayadeque
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install guayadeque-svn

Launch from Applications > Sound & Video > Guayadeque! You can update to new builds using:

cd guayadeque
svn update
sudo make install

Happy listening!

How To Install Java (JRE) in Ubuntu Linux

2010-06-10T13:46:00.001-05:00

Java is an object-oriented programming language developed by Sun. Java is used by a large number of websites and you will likely require it for an optimal web browsing experience. Ubuntu doesn't come with Java, but it is incredibly easy to install (note: make sure you have previously enabled the multiverse repository).

A quick search for "sun-java" in Synaptic Package Manager results in the following main packages:

sun-java6-bin
sun-java6-demo
sun-java6-fonts
sun-java6-javadb
sun-java6-jdk
sun-java6-jre
sun-java6-plugin
sun-java6-source

If you only require java for your internet experience (99% of users), you only require sun-java6-fonts, sun-java6-jre, and sun-java6-plugin. Mark the packages for installation via Synaptic Package Manager or install via terminal:

sudo apt-get install sun-java6-fonts sun-java6-jre sun-java6-plugin

After going through the install prompts, you may verify the install via terminal with the command:

java -version

You should see output that looks something like this:

java version "1.6.0_20"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_20-b02)
Java HotSpot(TM) Server VM (build 16.3-b01, mixed mode)

Lastly, you can check that java is working in your favourite internet browser by visiting this test page. You have now successfully installed java in Ubuntu!

How to Enable Multiverse Repository in Ubuntu

2010-06-10T12:02:00.000-05:00

Ubuntu comes by default with Multiverse repositories installed by not enabled. There are many useful packages in multiverse that won't appear unless you enable the repository. What is multiverse? It's basically a repository of software packages not supported by ubuntu proper. This includes non-free and restricted-use packages. Don't let that scare you. For the most part, it just means that you may be using some closed-sourced software. Many of this software is quite common (e.g. Java).

You can enable this repository simply by selecting the multiverse checkbox under System > Administration > Software Sources. You might also want to check universe and restricted while you're in there. This can also be accomplished via terminal:

sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list (backup first if squeamish)

The # or ## character(s) represent a line that's commented out. Removing these characters from the beginning of a line will make it live. Simply find the lines beginning with deb and ending in multiverse and remove the #.

sudo apt-get update

Finish off with an update, and you're finished! Multiverse is now enabled.

How to Make Ubuntu Linux Look Like Windows 7

2010-06-10T07:40:00.002-05:00

This post will show you how to modify your Ubuntu linux OS to look like Windows 7.

After displaying some pretty annoying warning messages for the last 3 months, my wife's Win7 eval copy has finally expired. Now, I'm not spending $100 to upgrade to a new win7 system... apart from the fact that I don't like win7, it's definitely not a necessity when most time on the computer is spent in a browser or word processor.

Enter Ubuntu. v10.04 (Lucid Lynx) is the most current and easiest-to-use distribution of linux yet. If you're not yet on the Linux wagon take a look at this post. But what if you don't want to learn a new operating system? Or if you've gotten used to the look and feel of Windows? No problem. Among ubuntu's many benefits is its ability to customise its appearance - even to the likes of Windows7.

Step 1: Put Your Best Foot Forward

Make sure that your system is fully updated and that you are able to run normal Visual Effects. You can do this by running:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

You can confirm that you are running normal Visual Effects by right-clicking anywhere on the desktop, selecting Change Desktop Background, selecting the Visual Effects tab and selecting Normal.

Step 2: Install Emerald

Emerald is a handy tool that allows you to install non-standard themes in Ubuntu. We'll use Emerald to install the Windows7 theme. Install emerald & libemeraldengine0 via Synaptic Package Manager or terminal:

sudo apt-get install emerald libemeraldengine0

You should now be able to access Emerald via System > Preferences > Emerald Theme Manager or via terminal:

from this link and save to a temp directory. Run Emerald Theme Manager and load your newly downloaded theme by clicking in the Import button and navigating to the theme file in temp directory. The theme details and imagery should now be seen in Emerald. Close Emerald and open a window, say nautilus... you should see changes. If there are no changes, hit Run Application (alt + F2 by default) and type:

emerald --replace

You should now see new Win7-like windows with transparent borders (as in first image in this post). If you had to do this, chances are you'll need to do it each time you start your system. To keep yourself from going insane, add the command to your startup procedure. Go to System > Preferences > Startup Applications and add the above command.

You can also grab the default Windows 7 desktop wallpaper from below if you so desire (click to open).

Step 3: Install GnoMenu

The Windows Start menu doesn't exist in Ubuntu, but the gnomenu package does a pretty good job of replicating it. Obviously it's not 100% the same.... probably not even 80% the same but I think it's good enough.

Install the gnomenu dependencies via terminal:

sudo apt-get install python python-xdg python-cairo python-gconf python-xlib deskbar-applet

Download the gnomenu .deb installer from this link and install with Package Installer. After installation, simply add the menu to your bottom panel by right-clicking a free space on the bottom panel > Add to Panel > GnoMenu. Note: If GnoMenu does not show up in this list you may need a quick restart.

Step 4: Some Visual Housekeeping

Now, of course you're free to keep your panels and menus however you desire. But to adopt a truly Windows look and feel a few changes must be made.

Get rid of your top panel altogether by clicking on free space and selecting Delete This Panel. Remove everything you no longer want on your lower panel (in my case I got rid of everything except GnoMenu, a couple launch icons, the Window List and the Time/Date).

Right-click on the bottom panel, select Properties and change the size to 38 and the background to "solid." You can also add Window Selector to replace Window List, but this is a matter of personal preference.

Right-click on GnoMenu and select Properties. Play around with the settings until you get a look and feel that works for you. I recommend XP for Button Selection and Vista for Menu & Icon Selection. I also made the Windows icon (Super L) as the menu launch button on the Preferences tab.

Lastly, add the Computer, Home and Trash icons to the desktop. In terminal, run:

gconf-editor

Check computer_icon_visible, home_icon_visible, and trash_icon_visible in the apps > nautilus > desktop key. You should now see all three icons on your desktop.

Whew -- that's it. As with any customisation, you may need to play around a little bit to make it work for you. But you should now have a desktop that looks like this:

Note: I found a particularly good set of Win7 icons that you can download from this link (password: justplainobvious. You can use these items with any theme by customising the theme under Appearance Preferences.

How to Add a Code Box in Blogger

2010-06-09T07:51:00.000-05:00

This has been nagging at me for some time... why, oh why, does Blogger not have a code box built into the editing interface??? In the past I've used adjustable text boxes and other weird presentation formats to simulate code boxes but they are lengthy and cumbersome. Here's how to create an easy-to-use, stylish code box for your blogger articles.

From your Blogger account, click Layout in the top menubar and select Edit HTML on the resulting page. You may want to save a copy of this template if you have previously modified it in any way. Find the text ]]></b:skin> and add the following code immediately before it

.code {color: #006AB0; border : 1px solid #DADADA;padding : 5px 5px;font-family : Consolas, "Courier New", Courier, mono, serif;font-size : 12px;background-color : #fAfAfA; width : 90%;overflow : auto;margin : 10px 0 10px 10px; border-left : 20px solid #DADADA;max-height : 500px;min-height : 16px;line-height : 16px;}
.code:hover {background-color : #f3f3f3;

Make sure you added this code BEFORE the red text above. Save your template.

Now you're finished! To create a code box in a Blogger post, just insert your "code" like so:

<div class="code">
INSERT CODE HERE
</div>

Note that the code box shown above is not my design, but was taken from Bariski.

How to Play Nintendo Wii Games from a USB HD

2010-01-28T19:19:00.001-06:00

This guide will show you how to play wii games from an external USB HD. Note that for this to work, you will need to have Hacked Your Wii to Play Burnt Games.

You will need:

Hacked Nintedo Wii with Softmod (guide here)
SD card or USB stick with Homebrew Apps (same guide as above)
Computer with Windows XP/Vista/7 and SD card reader or USB slot
External hd (with own power supply)

Step 1: Partition the USB HD

The Wii can't read games from a normal FAT, FAT32, or NTFS drive. It needs an active drive formatted via WBFS.

1a - Select an external USB hd. You will lose all data on the hd during the format, so make sure that everything is backed up beforehand. Also, you may need to use a hd with an external power supply, though I'm not 100% sure.... I originally started with a 500GB Western Digital My Passport Essential, but the Wii wouldn't detect it properly. I switched to a cheap, generic 250 GB white box type with an external power supply and it worked fine.

1b - Connect your hd to an XP/Vista/7 computer and load Disk Management. You can do this in XP by right-clicking on My Computer, and selecting Manage > Storage > Disk Management, and on Vista/7 by going to Control Panels > Administrative Tools > Computer Manager > Disk.

1c - Right click on the external hd and delete all partitions/the entire volume. Then, right click on the empty volume below and create a new partition. Make it a Primary partition and assign a letter to the drive (like Z:/) and do not format. When choosing the size of the partition, remember that wii games will be between 0.5 GB and 6GB depending on the game. You may also want to leave some space for a FAT/32 or NTFS partition on the drive, since windows will not be able to recognise the WBFS partition after formatting. The above image shows an initial WBFS partition of 230 GB with a FAT partition of 3.4 GB on Disk 1 (external hd).

1d - Right click on the new partition, mark as active, and close Disk Manager.

Step 2: Format USB HD & Copy Games

2a - In order to complete this step, you will need WBFS Manager and .NET Framework on your computer. You probably already have .NET Framework from a Windows Update, but if not you can download it here. Next, download this package (password: justplainobvious), which contains WBFS Manager 3.0 and USB Loader GX 1.0. Install WBFS Manager to your PC, and keep USB Loader GX for later.

2b - Run WBFS Manager from the Start Menu or Desktop, and select your new external drive letter in the top left hand corner (you may need to press Refresh once or twice). Click Format and allow WBFS Manager to format the external hd.

2c - Once finished formatting, you can copy any ISO files from your local hd to the external drive by clicking Browse in the right windows of WBFS Manager. Click the Add button to copy the selected ISO, and repeat this step for multiple files. Note that WBFS Manager filters out junk material on the CD, so your game will probably be a lot smaller on the external hd than the 4.37 GB on your local hd. Once finished copying, remove the ISOs from the right hand window by clicking Remove From List.

2d - Note that you cannot rip ISO files from a Wii disc on your computer like you would a normal dvd/cd. There are only a handful of LG dvd-rom drives that can read wii discs and if you don't have this drive you're out of luck. However, you can rip wii games directly to your external hd from the wii itself! Just load up USB Loader GX (see below), and press the + button to copy.

Step 3: Play USB HD Games on Your Wii

3a - Start off by inserting your USB key or SD card into the PC and copying the USB Loader GX folder into the /apps/ directory. If you don't have an /apps/ directory, see this guide. (Note: I'm no longer recommending USB Loader GX and am now using NeoGamma) Boot up your Wii and insert the USB key or SD card into the slot (Note: if using a USB key, you must insert it into the top-most/right-most slot and must not plug in the external hd yet). Load the Homebrew Channel (if you don't have the Homebrew Channel, again, see this guide).

3b - Once your Homebrew Channel has loaded, plug in the external hd to the left-most/bottom-most USB slot. Run USB Loader GX (Note: or NeoGamma) and simply select your game from the menu! You should download and run games from your coding region (i.e. NTSC for North America and PAL for Europe/Asia), but you should be able to run any region game using the Force option. Just Force to your region (I haven't tested this).

Done. You're all set !!

How to Hack Your Nintendo Wii to Play Burnt Games (homebrew)

2010-01-26T21:27:00.011-06:00

This guide will show you how to:

Install the Homebrew channel on your Wii
Hack your IOS packages
Load & Play Burnt discs

You will need:

Nintedo wii
SD card
Computer with SD card reader
Internet connection for wii and computer
DVD burner (optional - only to burn games)....and if so, blank DVDs.

Preface -- Read This!!!

The Wii is a beautiful little piece of hardware, and with a little modification, is capable of doing much, much more than when purchased off the shelf. Some important points before we begin:

1- Read every part of this guide. Each point is important.

2 - I did not invent this method of hacking the wii. There are numerous guides online; some very similar to the text below. This guide is my modified version of ShadowSonic2's Softmod for ANY 4.2 Wii! guide found on www.wiihacks.com. Full credit goes to ShadowSonic2 for many of the steps... I've just made it more user friendly.

3 - This guide works for consoles on system 4.2. It is not recommended that you upgrade your console if currently on a system lower than 4.2. In that case, see Dogegg's guide for systems 3.1 to 4.1 (untested). If you are unsure what system your console is running, see this short guide on How to Determine Your Wii's System.

4 - Illegally gained wii games are illegal. I do not condone the use of this guide for such activity. Downloading wii games that you have not purchased may be illegal in your country. However, it is perfectly legal to burn a copy of your legally purchased games.

5 - I have tested this guide on my wii, running system 4.2u, with no hardware mods, serial no.LU5163xxxx and received positive results.

6 - This is a softmod, meaning that there is no need to open up your wii and change any hardware. It is relatively safe and shouldn't void your warranty.

I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE CAUSED TO YOUR CONSOLE. ATTEMPTING THESE MODIFICATIONS COULD TURN YOUR WII INTO A BRICK!

Step 1: Install the Homebrew Channel

1a - Get an SD card and a computer that can read it. MMC cards will not work and neither will USB keys, but a MicroSD + adapter will. Format the SD card to FAT32 or FAT/FAT16 via the Windows menu (right-click) or by using the free SD Formatter tool.

1b - Download this archive (password is justplainobvious) and unpack using either WinRAR (free trial) or 7Zip (free to keep). Copy the entire contents of the archvie to your newly formatted SD card. The root of the SD card should look like:

X:\apps\
X:\00000001
X:\wad
X:\private\
X:\boot.elf
X:\IOS38-64-v3610.wad

1c - Remove all wii discs, gamecube controllers, and other memory cards.

1d - Power on the wii and in the main menu, click the SD card icon on the lower left-hand corner.

1e - Insert the SD card into the wii. Accept the loading of boot.dol/elf from the card (if the pop-up doesn't appear, you may need to navigate load boot.dol/elf manually via Data Management > Channels > SD Card).

1f - Accept the warning, and proceed to the installer options (Note: it may take some time for the hackmii installer to continue....be patient, it's working).

1g - After continuing, you will have the option of installing 3 packages: The Homebrew Channel, DVDX and BootMii. You must install the first two, and may need to install BootMii (many guides recommend installing BootMii, but I never did and everything worked for me). After these installs are finished, you will see a new channel in your main menu: The Homebrew Channel. This channel will allow you to launch homemade and internet-downloaded applications, which will launch from the \apps\ folder on a USB key or SD card.

1h - As an aside, you can get applications for the Homebrew Channel on the web or by using the homebrew browser (password: justplainobvious). If you're using the browser, try both downloads. v0.3.3 worked fine on both a USB key and an SD card but v0.2.3 only worked from the SD card. NOTE THAT ANY APPLICATIONS YOU LAUNCH VIA HOMEBREW CHANNEL MAY BE MALICIOUS!)

Step 2: Hack Your IOS Packages

2a - Ensure that your SD card is still in the wii. From the wii main menu, select the Homebrew Channel and open the DOP-IOS MOD application.

At the welcome screen, press A on the wii remote to continue.... on the next screen press down and then A to select "Install an IOS that accepts fakesigning." Load IOS36 (press A) and on the next menu select "Downgrade to IOS 15." When asked where to get the files from (SD Card, etc.) always select "Download from NUS." (Note: you will need a working internet connection to the wii in order to do this. If it doesn't work, make sure your internet works by launching the Internet Channel or the Homebrew browser.) After finishing the install (with no errors) exit to the Homebrew Channel main menu.

2b - Run DOP-IOS MOD again:

Install an IOS that accepts fake signing
Load IOS15 by pressing the left arrow
Choose "IOS36 menu"
Install the patched IOS36 with the following configuration:
- Install IOS to slot (36)
- Hash Check (trucha): Yes
- ED_Identify: Yes
- NAND Permissions: Yes
Press A to install, and choose "Download from NUS"
Exit to Homebrew Channel main menu

2c - Run DOP-IOS MOD again:

Install an IOS that accepts fake signing
Press B for "No IOS Reload"
Select "Restore IOS15"
Keep selecting "Download from NUS"
Once finished, exit to the Homebrew Channel main menu

2d - From the Homebrew Channel, run "Any Title Deleter DB." You may get some errors on start, but that's fine... just press A. Press the RIGHT button to get to the Titles menu and select "System Titles."

2e - Navigate to IOS222 and press A to delete. Once deleted, do the same thing (i.e. delete) for IOS223, IOS249, and IOS250. Press HOME to exit to the Homebrew Channel main menu.

2f - From the Homebrew Channel, run cIOS38-rev14 Installer. You'll hear some rockin' music...but don't let that distract you from the task at hand! Navigate to IOS36 by pressing the LEFT button. Press A and select "Network Install." (you may be able to do a WAD install from the SD card if you don't have a network connection....but I haven't tried. Once installed, exit to the Homebrew Channel.

2g - Run DOP-IOS MOD from the Homebrew Channel. This time, don't select the fakesigning... Load IOS36 (or IOS249 may work), press A to continue, and select the "IOS" option in the menu. Use the RIGHT button to navigate to IOS53 and Press A to dop (say Yes to Sig Hash Check (trucha bug)). Repeat procedure for IOS55. Once both have been done, exit to Homebrew Channel.

2h - From the Homebrew Channel, run WAD Manager (there may not be any image for this application). Press A to agree, and A again to load IOS 249. Navigate to the WAD folder (it's probably already there) and select IOS60patched.wad. Ensure that the action is set to INSTALL, NOT UNINSTALL, and go for it. Once done, press HOME to exit to the Homebrew Channel. Repeat for IOS70patched.wad.

2i - From the Homebrew Channel, run WAD Manager. Use the IOS 249 and SD Card default settings, and browse for cIOS202[38+60].wad. Press A to install, and repeat for cIOS222[38].wad and cIOS[38+37].wad

2j - Go to this site and copy the code for your box under the Ready-Made Hack.inis. In my case, it is USA 4.2 (below). Copy this code (or your code from the site) to notepad, and save as "hacks.ini" on the root folder of your SD Card.

[Disable HAXX,DVDX,RZDx Checks]

version=481

offset=0x813345A0

value=0x60000000

[Block Disc Updates]

version=481

offset=0x8137F5BC,0x8137F5C0,0x8137F564,0x8137F568,0x8137F4BC,0x8137F4C0

value=0x60000000,0x60000000,0x60000000,0x60000000,0x60000000,0x60000000

[Block Online Updates]

version=481

offset=0x8168FDB0

value=0x6E756C6C

[Remove NoCopy Save File Protection]

version=481

offset=0x813C55EC,0x813C55F0,0x8134E260,0x815C2624,0x81353F5C,0x8134E270,0x8134E274,0x8134E278,0x8134E27C

value=0x7C000000,0x4182001C,0x7C000000,0x38600001,0x3BE00000,0x801C0024,0x5400003C,0x901C0024,0x48000018

[Move Disc Channel]

version=481

offset=0x813AFC00

value=0x60000000

[No System Menu Background Music]

version=481

offset=0x8136B224

value=0x4E800020

[No System Menu Sounds at all]

version=481

offset=0x8136B1F8

value=0x4E800020

[No System Menu Sounds (Channel BGM)]

version=481

offset=0x8136B270

value=0x4E800020

[Recovery Mode (D-Pad Up 4th GC)]

version=481

offset=0x8137ACCC,0x81379900

value=0x2C000008,0x60000000

[Force Standard Recovery Mode]

version=481

offset=0x8137ACB4

value=0x48000020

[Remove Diagnostic Disc Check]

version=481

offset=0x81379900

value=0x60000000

[Auto-Press A at Health Screen]

version=481

offset=0x813BD524

value=0x48000034

[Replace Health Screen with Backmenu]

version=481

offset=0x81656FF4

value=0x81409C9C

[Force Disc Games to run under IOS249]

version=481

offset=0x8137BD7C,0x8137BD80

value=0x3B200001,0x3B0000F9

[Region Free Wii Games]

version=481

offset=0x8137DBE8,0x8137DBC8,0x8137D904,0x8137FC84,0x8137E43C

value=0x4800001C,0x38000001,0x38000001,0x38600001,0x60000000

[Region Free GC Games (No VM Patch)]

version=481

offset=0x8137D90C,0x8137D910

value=0x900DA5D8,0x38000032

[Region Free Channels]

version=481

offset=0x8152DA88,0x81530F34,0x8152DF70,0x813B68AC

value=0x60000000,0x4E800020,0x38000001,0x48000028

[Lock out System Menu with Black Screen]

version=481

offset=0x8137ACDC

value=0x60000000

2k - From the Homebrew Channel, run Priiloader v0.3 or v0.2 (it might not have an launcher image in the menu either). Press + to install. Theoretically, the wii should reboot into Priiloader after this install (I received an error during this install process and, after waiting a minute or two for good measure, just hard rebooted my wii and continued to Step 3). However, if this worked for you:

Priiloader should load automatically after the installation
Go to System Menu Hacks and enable "Skip Disc update Checking" and any other desired hacks
Click "Save Settings" and press B to return to the main menu
Go to Settings and set Autoboot: System Menu
Click "Save Settings" and press B to return to the main menu

Step 3: Load & Play Burnt Discs

3a - Now that the wii can recognise the discs, you need some software to actually load them. From the Homebrew Channel, load the WAD Manager. Navigate to Neogamma_r8b7.wad and press A to install the package. Make sure you give it time to load, with no errors. Do the same for USB_Loader_GX_r815.wad. Neogamma will load burnt discs and USB Loader will load digital files (discs via a USB harddrive). (Note: Actually, NeoGamma will do both these and more and I now use it exclusively)

3b - You are now set up to play burnt discs. Simply insert the disc into the wii and launch Neogamma from the Homebrew Channel. You should be able to play both NTSC and PAL discs from any wii region.... however, I haven't tried any PAL discs yet (my wii is NTSC).

3c - For more discs, you can copy your wii games via your optical DVD drive on your computer, or can download copies from a variety of websites (e.g. www.wiiiso.com). A full iso file should be exactly 4.37 GB (4,699,979,776 bytes), however, a download might be archived, thereby smaller. Once downloaded, simply burn the iso file using an application like ImgBurn (free). Note: most of the guides I've read mandate the use of super high quality DVD-Rs, burned at a max rate of 4x. However, the first disc I tried was an inexpensive DVD+R, burned at max speed and it worked fine.

That's it -- enjoy!

How to Determine Your Wii's System

2010-01-26T18:42:00.000-06:00

This short guide will show you how to determine what operating system your Nintendo Wii is currently running. This information is very important if you plan to perform any modifications, because the steps for modifying will be different depending on the system.

After powering on you wii, select the "wii" button in the bottom left hand corner of the main menu screen. This will take you to the Data Management/ Settings page.

Select Settings, and on the next page you will be able to see you system version in the upper right hand corner of the screen. As seen below, my wii is running 4.2u.

What can you do with this data? Well you can hack your nintedo wii to play burnt games, for starters.

How to Sync Cellphone Gmail Contacts for Free

2010-01-11T18:48:00.000-06:00

Easy process for syncing Gmail/Google contacts to your cellphone for free! Worked on my Nokia e51 (and should work with any Symbian phone)

http://thesymbianblog.com/2009/02/10/how-to-sync-your-mobile-contacts-with-your-google-account-for-free/

How to install Google Chrome in Ubuntu Linux (Guide)

2009-11-27T13:34:00.005-06:00

Note: This blog entry is an instruction guide for my own records. The text was taken practically verbatim from this UbuntuGeek.com article. Also, please note that Chrome on Linux does not support plugins or flash video content!

There are lots of resources available for using Chrome on Linux via WINE. But what if you want to run it natively? Google Chrome is based on the open source Chromium project. Here are instructions for installing Chromium on your Ubuntu Linux computer:

First you need to edit the /etc/apt/sources.list file

Add one of the following

For ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic) Users add the following two lines

For ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty) Users add the following two lines

Save and exit the file

Add the Google key:

Update

Install Chromium

You're set! Now just launch from the Applications > Internet > Chromium Web Browser menu. Note that you can also install by downloading the .deb package from the Chromium Dev Channel. As stated, this will automatically add Google's repositories to your machine.

IE Tab in Google Chrome

2009-11-23T08:47:00.012-06:00

[Edit: Since the time of this post, a Google-chrome IE Tab has been released and can be found here.]

Firefox has a great plugin called IE Tab. It basically allows you to open any link, URL, etc. in a new tab emulating IE. This is convenient for running web apps such as OWA, where functionality is significantly decreased when using Chrome or FF. Google's Chrome doesn't have this plugin, and it's extremely annoying!

Here's a way to (manually) emulate IE Tab in Chrome:

Go to http://www.meadroid.com/neptune/ and install MeadCo's Neptune
Copy npmeadax.dll from C:\Program Files\MeadCo Neptune\ to your Chrome \plugins directory (usually C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\plugins\)
Select this text and drag to bookmarks bar:

Give it a name, such as "convert to IE"
Click this bookmark whenever you open a page that requires IE emulation.

I realise that this procedure isn't as pretty as IE Tab. You can't pre-program select URLs or domains to automatically open in IE, and there's no support for the context menu. But, hey, at least it works!

How to Add Your Google Calendar to Outlook 2007

2009-11-22T21:24:00.001-06:00

I am now an employee on contract to another organization, and must manage a couple different email addresses on different virtual boxes. The network security settings are such that I cannot easily share calendar information back and forth...thus I'm trying to use my Google Calendar as a go between:

Start Outlook 2007. Make sure you have configured an active account.
Identify a compatible Internet calendar. Check with your calendar provider to determine if they support the webcal protocol and can provide iCal files ending in ".ics." If not, select a provider that supports the protocol. Make sure any public sharing settings you need for remote calendar access are configured.
In the Internet calendar configuration, locate the iCal Web address, which includes a file ending in ".ics." Copy this URL to the clipboard.
Insert the iCal link into Outlook 2007. In Outlook 2007, select "File," and then "Data File Management." Select the "Internet Calendars" tab. Click "New," and then paste the iCal URL into the field. Hit "Add."
Configure the subscription. The name of the calendar file displays next to "Folder Name." Change it if necessary. Add a description to make the calendar easy to identify if you install additional calendars. Check whether you want attachments to download from the Internet calendar under "Attachments." Finally, select whether you want the subscription according to the publisher's recommendations. Checking this option ensures that you will not exceed the publisher's limitations and risk having your calendar account suspended. Click "OK" when finished.
Utilize your Internet Calendar. Click "Close" to return to Outlook 2007. After the Internet calendar is updated, it will display under "Other Calendars" in the Calendars section of Outlook 2007. Select it to manage your activities as you want them displayed on the Internet. You can use your Internet Calendar as you would internal Outlook 2007 calendars, such as displaying them side-by-side for easy copying of items from one to another.

Note: this was taken verbatim from an eHow.com article

19 Great Movies

2009-11-22T15:23:00.000-06:00

This blog entry has been written purely to save a list I made some months ago. I'm cleaning the home this afternoon and want to throw out all my scraps of paper...including this one. These lists are American, so I'm not sure how well they rank in terms of great movies.

10 Top Sports Movies
10 - Jerry Maguire
09 - National Velvet
08 - Breaking Away
07 - Caddyshack
06 - The Hustler
05 - Bull Durham
04 - Hoosiers
03 - Pride of Yankees
02 - Rudy
01 - Raging Bull

9 Gangster Movies
9 - Little Caesar
8 - The Public Enemy
7 - Pulp Fiction
6 - Scarface
5 - Bonnie & Clyde
4 - White Heat
3 - The Godfather II
2 - Goodfellas
1 - The Godfather

Moving to Google Reader for RSS Feeds

2009-11-08T20:43:00.001-06:00

I've moved over to Google Reader. I have about 25 RSS feeds that I follow regularly - some for work and some for personal pleasure. I used to use the RSS Feeds Outlook Plugin and monitor most of these from Microsoft Outlook 2007. However, it's starting to get slow and complicated and I'd rather not manage everything locally on my computer.

The latest Google Chrome version 4.0.237.0 finally supports Google Reader and so I'm moving over. No more local hassle, let Google take care of it in the cloud.

Picasa 3.5 face recognition tips

2009-10-30T13:06:00.005-05:00

Picasa 3.5 is here! I realise that it's been here for quite some time....but I'm just jumping on board now.

The top feature of 3.5 (and the reason I upgraded) is face recognition. Turning on face recognition prompts Picasa to scan your photos and identify faces. Once the face has been identified, the application will suggest other photos with similar features and auto-tag them appropriately (BTW, the face tagging syncs with your gmail contacts!).

However, after the scan I still had around 3,000 photos that remained for manual tagging. I.E. Picasa couldn't match them with a previously identified face. Here's a tip I picked up from cronoklee in the Google Support Forums:

A low suggestion threshold suggests more faces (less accurate matches) for each person.
A high suggestion threshold suggests only faces Picasa is pretty certain about.
A low cluster threshold groups more faces together on the naming page. (but obviously may get some wrong)
A high cluster threshold means that only very similar photos are grouped together on the naming page.

You can access these options from the menu using Tools > Options > Name Tags (tab)

What Google Chrome needs before I give up FireFox

2009-10-20T19:31:00.002-05:00

I spent some time this afternoon thinking about migrating my browser experience from FireFox to Google's Chrome. Why? Chrome is lightning fast, and always has been. But previous releases of Chrome have been unstable, and in my own beta testing I found numerous websites that were not formatted properly.

It seems that Chrome has come a long way and I'd like to switch... However, I have my FireFox exactly the way I want it. If there were a way to speed up FF I wouldn't even consider switching. Here's what I'd like to be able to do in Chrome:

Use custom search operators from the omnibar *SOLVED* (e.g. "youtube STRING" is equivalent to typing http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=STRING&search_type=&aq=f)
Allow me to change my bookmark icons (similar to the FireFox Favicon Picker extension). Apparently there is a way to do this, but it's long and complicated. I have about 20 bookmarks in my toolbar and do not have room to give each a name. I distinguish between them by their icon.
Search the page automatically (i.e. as soon as I start typing, similar to the feature in FF via Tools > Options > Advanced > General). Chrome allows you to search the page, but you need to press CTRL + F or F3 first. As simple as it sounds, this is a great feature to have when quickly browsing pages with lots of text.
Customizable proxy settings. My workplace is fairly strict in filtering our web content. I use the FireFox extension FoxyProxy to route certain webpages through a company-approved proxy. FoxyProxy allows me to specify which domains go through the proxy (e.g. *youtube.com*) and which do not. So far I haven't seen anything like this in Chrome.
Another workplace necessity: a mechanism that allows me to view my current web page in IE. In FireFox, I use the IE Tab extension which reloads the current tab in IE (within the current FF tab) with the click of a button. No one likes IE, but unfortunately we still need to test in it.
Show current weather in the browser. This isn't as important as items 1-5, but would still be nice. My FF version is the Forecast Fox extension
Another one for the would-be-nice category: the ability to shorten a URL directly from the right-click context menu. My FF version, the Shorten URL extension, creates a short URL and saves it to my clipboard with one click of the mouse. It is configurable and can use many services - from bit.ly to ping.fm. *SOLVED* There is a chrome extension called bit.ly shorten URL that basically does the same thing. Not from the context menu... available here.

If you have answers to any of these questions PLEASE don't keep them to yourself. I'm hoping to switch soon :-)

How To Sync Facebook Events with Google Calendar

2009-10-09T15:05:00.003-05:00

Super simple, and extraordinarily useful:

Click on the "Events" link found in the left menu of your Facebook account.
On the top of the page you'll find a link called "Export Events". Click on it, and copy the URL that appears in the pop-up window.
Go to Google Calendar, and press on the "Add" button, found in the "Manage Calendars" box there. Then select "Add by URL".
Enter the URL you've just got from Facebook there, and click on the "Add" button.

Done! You may need to refresh your Google Calendar to see the update.

How To Remove Windows Search (WDS)

2009-10-06T13:28:00.001-05:00

I decided to switch from Windows Search to Google Desktop this morning... the microsoft search application was simply to slow and heavy.

Unfortunately, the application doesn't show up in Add/Remove Programs and there is no uninstall option from the Start Menu. After wracking my brain for a few minutes, I found this handy step-by-step guide by David Arno: http://www.davidarno.org/2008/08/22/how-to-remove-windows-desktop-search-...-revisited/

Works like a charm.

How to wrestle free from an alligator

2009-07-13T06:17:00.005-05:00

I'm on my way to New Orleans for the Microsoft WPC. Microsoft always puts on a great show and I'm looking forward to this year's event. That said, this will be my first time in New Orleans (and in Louisiana in general) so I thought it prudent to do some preliminary research prior to my arrival. The following excerpt is taken from Piven & Borgenicht's Complete Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook (only $20 CAD):

How to wrestle free from an alligator

If you are on land, try to get on the alligator's back and put downward pressure on its neck. This will force its head and jaws down.

Cover the alligator's eyes. This will usually make it more sedate.

If you are attacked, go for the eyes and the nose. Use any weapon you have or your fists.

If its jaws are closed on something you want to remove (for example, a limb), tap it or punch it on the snout. Alligators often open their mouths when tapped lightly. They may drop whatever it is they have taken hold of, and back off.

If the alligator gets you in the jaws, you must prevent it from shaking you or rolling over - these instinctual actions cause severe tissue damage. Try to keep the mouth clamped shut so the alligator does not begin shaking.

Seek medical attention immediately, even for a small cut or bruise, to treat infection. Alligators have a huge number of pathogens in their mouths.

And now I'm all prepared for my trip to New Orleans. Come and get me, alligators!

Combine your facebook and twitter updates

2009-07-10T07:36:00.000-05:00

Having recently created a facebook account, I ran into the problem of too many social media networks. Think about it - there's twitter, facebook, trigga, linkedin, and a bunch of others that I don't subscribe to. I really don't want to have to update my status separately on all these different networks... luckily, you don't have to!

Here's how to combine your facebook and twitter updates (note: this will post your twitter updates to facebook, but not the other way around):

Make sure you have an active twit ter account and an active facebook account
Log into your facebook account
Search for "twitter" in the upper right-hand corner
Click on the Applications tab and select the official Twitter application (probably the 1st result)
Select "Go to application" and allow it access to your twitter profile (you will need to provide your twitter account's username and password)

Now, all tweets you post via twitter will appear as facebook status updates. Pretty nifty right? Keep in mind that if you retweet something, the "RT @twittername" will show up in your facebook profile... but that's not such a big deal, is it?

Now you're all set to go. If you'd like to tweet/update facebook on the go (e.g. from your BlackBerry) try using some mobile integration like TwitterMail.

Add 3rd column to Blogger template

2009-07-07T15:27:00.005-05:00

Want to add 3 columns to your Blogger template? This post will show you how to update your Blogger layout a to WidgetSidebar - Main Post - WidgetSidebar format (based on Blogger's "Minima" template). Here's how:

Backup your current template
You can do this by logging into your Blogger account and selecting Layout > Edit HTML. Check the Expand Widget Templates box and then click the Download Full Template link. Save a copy to your desktop just in case this doesn't work :-) I also recommend writing down a list of all your sidebar widgets.

Download this template
Right click here, select Save Link As... and save the file to your desktop. This is the minibox template, courtesy of www.2600degrees.com.

Update your code
Open the saved .xml template file with a text editor like Wordpad and copy the entire body of code. Go back to your Blogger browser window and replace all current code with the copied portion from Wordpad. Preview before saving, and if all looks good Save Template (WARNING: you may lose all your Widget data by saving your template). You may have to do some minor adjustments to make everything fit (I had to adjust the widths of each sidebar wrapper). If you lost Widget data, go back to Layout and add your widgets again. You will notice that you now have 3 columns!

Firefox 3.5 Released! Download now

2009-06-30T13:30:00.011-05:00

You've probably heard the news. Firefox 3.5, Mozilla's fastest and coolest browser has now shipped and is available to download. So what are you waiting for? Upon opening the new browser I was immediately drawn to the new "open a new tab" button conveniently placed in the tab bar. Now I can get rid of an add-on I had doing the same thing! Also, any bookmarks you're holding in the toolbar have become noticeably smaller...

Mozilla has even set up a website to track the number of live downloads. Here's a sample photo of the stats (as of 2009-06-30 14:33)

I'll bet this version of Firefox will go a long way in promoting the use of the Mozilla browser worldwide (which currently holds about 22.5% of the worldwide market share)

5 plugins that will change your outlook on Outlook

2009-06-25T16:11:00.007-05:00

My love affair with Outlook only started when our company upgraded to Microsoft Office 2007. Before the 2007 suite I really disliked Outlook. Heck, I disliked most of the Office suite (I was a big OpenOffice + Thunderbird user for a time). But the cool integration and new layout started to grow on me. I became more and more involved in customising my experience with Outlook.

Now, I've compiled a list of the 5 "must-have" plugins for Outlook 2007. If you're a business user and you work out of Outlook, get these 5 plugins now (they're all FREE). They'll change the way you work.

SpamBayes - Do you work from an Exchange Server? Yeah, me too. Does your network admin have non-cutomisable spam filtering rules? Yeah, mine too. Do you still get spam? ....Yeah, me too! SpamBayes is a semi-intelligent plugin that filters your spam. It moves suspected spam into a Junk Suspects folder and allows you to mark it Spam/Not Spam. Based on your characterisation, the program learns what sort of email you get and adapts its spam-filtering rules accordingly. The downside? This only filters spam once it reaches Outlook, which means anything that you access off of say, a BlackBerry, is still plagued.
RSS Popper - This tool allows for absolute control of RSS feeds. I have more than a dozen RSS feeds that are updated constantly throughout the workday. RSS Popper allows me to receive these posts in custom Outlook folders according to a customised schedule. *note: our network admin has disabled the native Outlook RSS client, so I have no idea how it compares
LinkedIn Toolbar - If you use LinkedIn (and really, who doesn't these days?), the LinkedIn Toolbar for Outlook will cut the time you spend on LinkedIn in half while still providing you with the same results. Before this toolbar, I would have to take a contact's name, open a web browser, hit linkedin.com and do a search. The toolbar allows me to do this directly in Outlook! It also allows for automatic creation of Outlook contacts from your LinkedIn contacts (and vice versa) and displays an icon on every email that you may mouse-over to see the sender's LinkedIn profile.
WebEx Integration - The only tool I use more than Outlook is WebEx (maybe Excel...). WebEx is an online meeting tool that I use daily. It allows me to hold virtual meetings with teleconferencing & screensharing. The problem is, many people use Outlook for their scheduling (myself included). The WebEx Integration plugin allows you to seamlessly add a WebEx meeting to an Outlook Meeting Request. The Meeting Request goes out, WebEx auto-adds the virtual meeting info, and you're good to go! All done from your Outlook Calendar.
Xobni - Xobni is an all-in-one contact manager and email search tool. It gives you detailed stats on every sender in your inbox, and can pull up past conversations, files exchanged, or contact info with the greatest of ease. It even pulls the sender's photo from Facebook/LinkedIn so you can see who's emailing you! BUT, there is a downside with Xobni: all the contact information it gathers does not sync with Outlook contacts. This means that if you use a portable device (like a BlackBerry), you need to also create all of your contacts in Outlook (and add photos, etc.)

There you have it! The 5 plugins that will change your outlook on Outlook.

taming a non-existent Outlook Express

2009-06-08T16:49:00.004-05:00

A quick Google search tells me that I'm not the only person experiencing this problem. For some unknown reason, every time I boot Windows XP I get the following pop-up:

"To free up disk space, Outlook Express can compact messages. This may take some up to a few minutes"

What the heck? I don't even have Outlook Express installed on my laptop...it's usually one of the first things I remove after installing Office. Now, I just click cancel, go on my way, and I'm good until the next reboot. However, some users report seeing this pop-up every few minutes. What a nuisance!

Turns out that this friendly little bugger appears after installing Windows Search. Windows Search is a great little tool for indexing your email - I highly recommend it. However, by default it also indexes Outlook Express...even if it's not installed on your machine. In order to index, Search has to run the program. Apparently OE keeps a counter and prompts the user to compact messages after 100 runs of the program (the counter exists even though the program does not...go figure).

Steps to solve:

Right-click on Windows Search in the system tray (magnifying class in the bottom-right corner)
Select "Windows Search Options"
Click "Modify" and un-check Outlook Express

This will stop Search from indexing (and running) OE. BUT, since the counter has already opened 100 times, it must be reset or the pop-ups will continue:

Start > Run > "regedit"
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\{GUID}\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0
Open "Compact Check Count"
Change value to zero
Reboot

Finito!

The BlackBerry Helmet

2009-05-15T09:36:00.001-05:00

As I start to use my BlackBerry more and more it seems that I might be in need of a few accessories to help me out...

Finally, the perfect BlackBerry accessory! Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to present to you... the BlackBerry Helmet:

blackberry user community

2009-05-14T07:39:00.002-05:00

Sooner or later you'll find that you can't figure out all the things you want to know about your BlackBerry on your own. Well, at least not in a timely fashion. I also figured out that my carrier's (Rogers') tech support isn't half as knowledgeable as they claim to be. For this reason, I recommend finding a good online forum to learn the tricks of the trade (and to help others with your newfound knowledge).

The best I've found is CrackBerry.com. They have over 13,000 users and almost 2.5 million posts. The forums are cleverly divided into General discussion, Device-Specific discussion, Software discussion, a media corner (themes, wallpapers, ringtones, etc.) and even a spot for talking about North American carriers. Of course, there's also an area for social discussion, etc. but you'll probably never get that far :-)

Oh, and I should explain the name. CrackBerry.com termed so to reflect the actions of BlackBerry users. The argument is that a BlackBerry is as addictive as crack, and you'll never be able to give it up.... I'm not sure about that, but it's a great forum!

dressing up your blackberry

2009-05-13T18:57:00.005-05:00

As I started to play around with this BlackBerry I realised that something was horribly wrong...this device was butt ugly! The look and feel was all wrong, and navigation was definitely not intuitive. The icons were so similar that I couldn't really recognise different applications at first glance.

A quick google of "blackberry 8120 themes" provided a few promising results:

But none of these sites really had what I was looking for. I was looking for something cleaner, with more colour. Actually, I've really come to admire the look and feel of the iPhone and was hoping for an imitation. Well, good things come to those who...look the bPhone theme from rogersmj.com is a 100% free download (though donations are encouraged), and it looks GREAT!

Before:

After:

Any questions? :-)

going mobile with the BlackBerry 8120

2009-05-12T20:42:00.006-05:00

I was already pretty mobile. I have a work laptop, a work cellphone and I feel comfortable working pretty much everywhere. However, last week I took my mobility a step further with the BlackBerry 8120. Now, keep in mind that I'm not an experienced BB user. I've never had a BB before, nor any other SmartPhone device with email functionality. I've been a fairly avid cellphone user for the past who-knows-how-many years...but this is my first look at email on the go.
I knew that I didn't want to pay for some ridiculous data plan. I also can't stand being locked down to one specific carrier because I have big plans to travel the world and want to be able to swap out my SIM card. So, I went online to ebay and purchased the unlocked 8120 from ready2call's store. I looked at a bunch of other phones, but settled on the 8120 because of its slim design and 802.11 b/g wifi functionality. Within a few days the item had arrived (no customs duties!) and I was tearing open the packaging to play with my new toy. More on this in subsequent posts...

making your laptop shine

2009-04-11T14:45:00.003-05:00

I just received a new travel laptop from work... the amazing Compaq nx6325. Alright, so she's not the youngest gal at the ball anymore, but a old, functional laptop is better than no laptop at all. The problem with this laptop has nothing to do with memory or speed; the problem is the screen brightness.

While this laptop screen isn't too dark to use, it's definitely not up there with lcd monitor quality. Futhermore, the brightness function keys are already at 100%. What to do? I'm using Compaq's ATI Radeon video driver, which doesn't seem to have much in the way of configurability.

The answer is ATI Catalyst Control Centre. This baby allows me to adjust all aspects of my screen, including brightness and gamma. If you are using an ATI Radeon driver, you need to get this application. Period.

firefox won't delete cookies

2009-03-28T19:49:00.003-05:00

This morning I could not log into my Gmail account. I would type my username, password, and be returned to the very same page with NO error message. Soon, I discovered that I couldn't log into anything Google - blogger, docs, groups, calendar, picasa, reader... you get the point. After doing some quasi-research I was frustrated that I couldn't fix the Google error. Fortunately, I could access my Gmail account using IE. I started to wonder if perhaps it was a Firefox error...

Turns out that there was a cookie problem with Firefox. I tried to wipe clean all my cookies from the Delete Private Data option, but they re-appeared again on restart. I manually deleted all the cookies from the Tools > Options > Privacy menu, but those sneaky little guys appeared yet again on restart. I've had some cookie problems in Firefox in the past, but I'm using the latest version (3.0.8), and I thought this wouldn't be an issue anymore. It's always surprising, but it turns out I was wrong.

The solution? Get rid of cookies.sqlite:

Start > Run
Type "%APPDATA%"
Open Mozilla > Firefox > Profiles > (your profile)
Delete cookies.sqlite.
** Note that this will permanently delete ALL your hard-earned cookies! **

Ah, basking in sweet success...

automatically BCC in Outlook 2007

2009-03-19T16:09:00.001-05:00

Have you ever wanted to automatically bcc all your outbound mail to a specific email address? I wanted to send a copy of ALL sent mail from Outlook at work to my Gmail address. You could try to do this via Outlook's Rules and Alerts, but there's no option to bcc...only cc. I'd prefer that all my work contacts not know my personal Gmail address, and it's not very professional. I also don't want to manually enter my Gmail address in the bcc field of every outgoing message... the solution? Visual Basic Scripting.

The steps (MS Outlook 2007):

Open MS Outlook 2007
Under the Tools menu, select Macro > Visual Basic Editor (or Alt+F11)
In the left menu bar, expand Project1, Microsoft Outlook Session, and open ThisOutlookSession
Enter copy & paste this code, making sure to substitute youremailaddress@domain.com with your real email address:

Private Sub Application_ItemSend(ByVal Item As Object, _
Cancel As Boolean)
Dim objRecip As Recipient
Dim strMsg As String
Dim res As Integer
Dim strBcc As String
On Error Resume Next

' #### USER OPTIONS ####
' address for Bcc -- must be SMTP address or resolvable
' to a name in the address book
strBcc = "youremailaddress@domain.com"

Set objRecip = Item.Recipients.Add(strBcc)
objRecip.Type = olBCC
If Not objRecip.Resolve Then
strMsg = "Could not resolve the Bcc recipient. " & _
"Do you want still to send the message?"
res = MsgBox(strMsg, vbYesNo + vbDefaultButton1, _
"Could Not Resolve Bcc Recipient")
If res = vbNo Then
Cancel = True
End If
End If

Set objRecip = Nothing
End Sub

Save the session, close the Visual Basic Editor, restart Outlook, and you're good to go! (make sure that you've allowed Outlook to run macros) You can verify that your emails are being cc'd by (1) checking your alternate email address or (2) looking at the bcc field of one of your messages in the Sent Items folder.

Outlook: archive it!

2009-03-18T19:24:00.022-05:00

I'm a huge fan of gmail. Although it takes some getting used to, I'm sure everyone who uses gmail loves it after some time, and would have a hard time going back to other clients. My problem is that I must use MS Outlook at work...it's inescapable. One feature I've grown quite fond of in gmail is the ability to Archive messages instantly. This allows you to get more work done by leaving only the action items in your inbox (which is what an "inbox" really is, isn't it?).

Here's how you can accomplish this in Outlook (2007):

Open MS Outlook 2007
Create a new sub-folder inside the Inbox named Pre Archive
Under the Tools menu, select Macro > Visual Basic Editor (or Alt+F11)
In the left menu bar, expand Project1, Microsoft Outlook Session, and open ThisOutlookSession
Enter the following code:

Option Explicit
Public Sub ArchiveSelectedItems()
MoveSelectedItemsToFolder "Pre Archive"
End Sub
Private Sub MoveSelectedItemsToFolder(FolderName As String)
On Error GoTo ErrorHandler
Dim Namespace As Outlook.Namespace
Set Namespace = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI")
Dim Inbox As Outlook.MAPIFolder
Set Inbox = Namespace.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderInbox)
Dim Folder As Outlook.MAPIFolder
Set Folder = Inbox.Folders(FolderName)
If Folder Is Nothing Then
MsgBox "The '" & FolderName & "' folder doesn't exist!", _
vbOKOnly + vbExclamation, "Invalid Folder"
End If
Dim Item As Object
For Each Item In Application.ActiveExplorer.Selection
If Item.UnRead Then Item.UnRead = False
Item.Move Folder
Next
Exit Sub
ErrorHandler:
MsgBox Error(Err)
End Sub

Now:

Save the code and exit the Visual Basic Editor
Under View > Toolbars > Customize, select the Commands tab
Click on Macros
Drag Project1.ArchiveSelected command to any toolbar above
Rename your button to Archive by right-clicking
From the right-click, you can also Change Button Image
Click Close

Optional:

Open any message in the Inbox folder
Click the Customize Quick Access Toolbar button on the title bar
Select More Commands
Add the Project1.ArchiveSelected command and configure the same way as above
Make sure you have allowed Outlook to run macros.

Done! You now have an Archive button that archives unwanted messages from your inbox. I also recommend modifying your AutoArchive settings to no longer archive anything from your Inbox. Instead try archiving your Pre Archive folder every couple of days.

(click to enlarge)

Enable macros in Outlook

2009-03-15T12:35:00.000-05:00

So you've decided that Outlook out-of-the-box isn't exactly productive software and you'd like to start making a few changes here and there. If you want to customise Outlook and boost efficiency, you probably need to start using macros.

Writing macros allows you to do almost anything in Outlook, so long as you can code it :-). You can add an Archive button or automatically bcc all outgoing mail, and much, much, much more.

This post doesn't teach you how to write macros, you can try Googling "outlook macros" for that. In this post, I'm simply showing you how to set up Outlook to accept macro commands.

From the menu bar, select Tools > Trust Centre
In the Trust Centre's left navigation menu, click on Macro Security
Select either Warnings for all macros or No security checks for macros (the first option requires you to enable macros every time Outlook starts, the second option enables macros automatically).

You're now ready to go! You can start customising Outlook today and make up for Microsoft's mistakes :-)

trigga.me - cool!

2009-03-09T14:19:00.014-05:00

I'm sure you've encountered this before...Facebook asks "what are you doing right now?" LinkedIn asks "what are you working on?" and Twitter asks "what are you doing?" How do you keep track of it all?

Here are 14 popular social media services, all of which continually ask you for a status update:

Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
Plurk
brightkite
TwitterMonitor
Plaxo

Friendfeed
Bleeper
Xing
Frazr
niimo
identi.ca
Rejaw

If you subscribe to even 3 or 4 of these services, you know that updating your status in all the applications simultaneously is pretty tricky and time consuming. That's where trigga.me comes in. Trigga.me is a one-stop-shop that synchronises all of your social media statuses. One dashboard, from which you can update and track the status of all 14 services!

I'm only a recent trigga.me user - but so far, so good! As always, there's a down side. trigga.me is in closed beta, meaning you can only use it if you receive an invite. The good news? You can request one here (as I did), and it doesn't take long to get approved.

Webmaster: what's got that I don't got?

2009-03-06T10:56:00.006-06:00

Have you even stopped to consider the title bestowed upon those who manage our websites? Webmaster. Web-master.

As I spoke with my company's webmaster yesterday I couldn't help but think that he must be a superb individual. A super guy. After all, he's the webMASTER isn't he? Not the Web Manager or the Web Supervisor, but Web Master. This begs the question: what's he got that I don't got?

Why do we have Sales Managers, but not Sales Masters? Or Project Managers but no Project Masters... Floor Supervisors but no Floor Masters. He manages the website, he hasn't mastered it...has he? I want my position to be revered and idolised.

I'm going to pitch a title change to my boss. You're looking at the first ever "Project Master" :-)

Too legit to quit: MC Hammer on twitter

2009-03-03T20:43:00.004-06:00

Break it down, MC Hammer's on twitter!

MC Hammer (or "Hammer" in this decade) joins many other current & former celebrities online via the miracle of twitter. And boy is he using it! As of today, he has 166,686 followers, is following 25,026 people, and has posted over 2,600 updates. Want to reach out and make some new, high-profile friends? They're only a tweet away... so take a few minutes and browse, your favourite celebrity may be in the list below:

Al Gore
Ashton Kutcher
Barack Obama
Britney Spears (beware, there are other impersonators!)
Dave Matthews
Elijah Wood
Hillary Clinton
Jimmy Carr
Jimmy Fallon
John Cleese ("Yes, I am indeed still alive, contrary to rumour")
Lance Armstrong
MC Hammer
Michael Phelps
Oprah
Snoop Dogg
Shaquille O'Neil
Stephen Harper (he followed me first, I swear)
William Shatner

So be bold, reach out! Maybe you're only a few days of sore thumbs away from instant celebrity. Maybe not, but c'mon, who doesn't want to tweet back and forth with MC Hammer :-)

(do you have a celebrity twitter profile that I missed? email me and I'll be sure to add it)

Google execs get paid how much ??

2009-03-03T20:15:00.002-06:00

What do most of us want from our average job? 80k? 90k? Six figures? How about seven :-)

This may come as no surprise to most of you well-informed hi-tech readers...but I'm astonished to learn that Google's top 4 execs just received 7 figure bonuses! That's right, bonuses. Not salaries, not commission, but flat out end-of-the-year bonuses. We're all familiar with Google's unique working environment, fun-loving culture, and impressive perks... now there's proof of Google's true blue American roots: rewards and performance incentives!

To be fair, these execs at Google have practically reinvented the way we communicate online. Take a look at this article from 2007 listing the many projects Google was involved in then. Over the last year or two the organisation has solidified its position as internet guru/ king of the technological world. Who knows, maybe they deserve it...

Is it time to ditch your old laptop?

2009-03-02T15:47:00.008-06:00

As I type away the thought occurs to me that you and I are looking at the exact same thing....my current laptop: the rip roarin' Gateway MX6958. I bought this factory refurbished laptop on ebay in July 2007, and I'm wondering if it isn't time to start looking again. With 1.6 GHz dual core and 1Gb of RAM, this baby isn't exactly the youngest girl at the ball. However, she's not the oldest either, and this laptop has been performing quite well for the last couple years.

But recently I've had to perform a few fixer-upper maneuvers. In the autumn of '08 I replaced a SATA hd. In the past I've had to flash the BIOS to get the OS to boot, and now I'm dealing with a failing CMOS battery. End result = my laptop doesn't always boot, and I'm constantly backing up my data to external disks.

"But Andrew" you say, "just replace the CMOS battery and all will be forgiven." It's not so easy. Do you know just how many CMOS batteries exist for a laptop that's no longer in production or supported? Not too many. I found one on ebay a couple weeks ago but can't seem to reconcile the $20. Besides, who trusts a guy selling used CMOS batteries on ebay? As wasteful as it may be, I'm closer to just buying a new laptop.

I'm always told that technology is changes too rapidly for someone to keep the same computer for more than a couple of years. This is a facade. The truth is that they just don't make 'em like they used to ...

Songbird sings a different tune

2009-02-28T18:50:00.012-06:00

Songbird is at it again. The 1.1 beta 2 release has hit the market and nightly builds are available for your testing pleasure.

Songbird is funky audio player with classic mozilla look and feel. If you're a Firefox or Thunderbird user, my bet is you'll love Songbird.

the good: plug and play support for USB media players (incl. ipod), automatic album art downloads, great support community and thus great add-ons.

the bad: still quite slow loading (takes over 30 seconds on my dual core 1.6 MHz laptop), I'm having trouble playing Vorbis .ogg files, and most of my favourite add-ons don't work (notably LyricsMaster, MinTrayR, and Song Notifier). Oh, and the application crashes uncontrollably :-)

Still a work in progress...

Twitter gives Canada the shaft

2009-02-28T12:29:00.003-06:00

The twitter blog recently announced the new Twitter/ Bell Canada SMS deal: 2-way SMS for Bell canada mobile customers! What these two partners in crime forgot to mention is that this service comes with a hefty price tag... $0.15 CAD/ tweet! This very important fact was very absent from twitter's announcement:

Today we're super excited to be activating full, two-way SMS service for Canadian Twitter-ers who are also customers of Bell Mobility. If you're a Bell Mobility customer, you can update Twitter via SMS and receive updates from Twitter via SMS. There are no limits and no added fees (beyond your normal texting plan). If you haven't already, you can activate your phone to Twitter over SMS. Special thanks to Bell's enthusiasm and eagerness to make this happen.

What my bolding above highlights is an obvious cover-up :-) The Twitter-Bell negotiated deal means that mobility users pick up the tab for each and every tweet - even if you already have an unlimited texting plan. Why? Because Bell labels twitter texts as "premium texts".... go figure.

The Old iGoogle is back !

2008-12-11T10:08:00.004-06:00

Well, to my surprise, Google has not switched its homepage interface back to the old iGoogle. The new one is just plain awful and I've since moved away from Google because of this very reason. You can try www.netvibes.com, it's rather nice...

However, a little trick I discovered entirely by accident can get you back to the old iGoogle UI: simply use www.google.ca/ig instead of www.google.com/ig ! Why this works, I have no idea.... but it works :)

New iGoogle is the New Vista

2008-10-22T15:23:00.004-05:00

As I write this message from my Google Mail account, I can't help but feeling bad for lamenting over the new iGoogle. I consider myself a pretty loyal Googler, using their Search, Mail, Docs, Calendar, YouTube, Blogger, Picasa etc. etc. etc. I've often joked that I probably occupy the hard disks of several google servers in California. So, while it is not my intention to give Google a bad rep...it seems that they deserve one.

The new iGoogle homepage is just plan awful. The side-tab design is a colossal waste of web real estate and makes navigation near impossible. The new page is cluttered and going against everything Google originally stood for (clean cut and minimalist). I have since deleted all gadgets and ceased to use iGoogle.

Fortunately I've found an amazing substitute. NetVibes (www.netvibes.com) is a phenomenal tool that does every Google did and more! NetVibes is not as minimalist as Google, but definitely serves my purpose. It integrates Google Mail, Calendar, News and many more customisable widgets (see here).

Goodbye iGoogle, hello NetVibes !!

First Look at OpenOffice 3

2008-10-22T11:45:00.002-05:00

Like many others, I downloaded the new v3.0 OpenOffice recently. There are some things I like....some I don't like but all in all it doesn't seem that different than v2.4. For example, there are newer, more modern icon sets - but I thought the old ones were fine. Looking at the configuration panel, I can change my icons back to the old sets. In fact, there are 4 old sets and only 1 new set. Other minor changes include modern highlighting in Calc, a better looking progress bar during "Save." All in all, not much is different.

I like the fact that v3 has MS Office 2007 support. I can't begin to describe how many files I am sent in Open XML 2007 format (.docx .xlsx .pptx etc.) and now I can finally get rid of that 3^rd party converter tool. It would, however, be nice to save in this format...though I suppose it is not necessary.

I really dislike that my custom settings did not transfer to the new update. My name, company name, address etc. all went over fine, as did my updated memory settings. But, ALL of my keyboard shortcuts, toolbar configurations and custom styles did NOT transfer! This was extremely annoying, especially since OpenOffice and the open-source community in general are strong proponents of customisation. They should most definitely have been transferred to the new application.

All in all, nothing to write home about, they could have called this v2.5 or something comparable. It probably didn't even deserve a blog entry :)

Google Chrome

2008-09-06T00:10:00.003-05:00

Like everyone else in the IT world, I downloaded a copy of Chrome -- Google's slick new browser -- earlier this week. After some fairly surface-level testing (just putting it through my rigorous everyday use really) I believe I can sum up my feelings in one short phrase...... Google ain't got nothing on Firefox!!!

Apart from Chrome's load time, which was INCREDIBLY fast, and its memory consumption, which is quite low compared to other browsers, I can't see what all the fuss is about. I fell in love with Firefox a couple of years ago when it dazzled me with its incredible customisation. I have added numerous plug-ins and extensions....the browser is at my beck and call. It has come to the point where I've customised Firefox so much that it's painful to use another browser (i.e. Chrome) where my shortcuts, key commands, and other andrew-isms are missing.

Chrome is nice..it's fast and responsive. It may be good as on a terminal or browsing-only workstation. But when it comes to a browser that works for its living, Chrome does not measure up. Not to mention Section 11 of the EULA (yikes!).

i like that old time rock n roll

2008-05-11T23:01:00.002-05:00

This afternoon I noticed that my laptop was infected with a few viruses/spyware etc..... and not just a little infected but a lot infected.
I found:

vundo
virtumonde
pandex
goldun
smitfraud
and a handful of other rogue cleaners and trojans

The worst part is that I brought this upon myself. I'm a firm believer that you really don't need a whole lot of sophisticated antivirus antispam etc. applications running. Just don't open rogue executables and stay away from untrusted sites. Whenever I follow my own advice my laptop is clean as a whistle. That said, today I had the urge to play some classic Starcraft (fun!), but the constant whirring of the game's cd was really annoying (not fun). I decided to go searching for a no-cd crack online.... I own the game, I have a valid license key...what's the harm in getting a no-cd crack to stop that annoying whirring of my cd drive????

Well, plenty. Unfortunately I didn't follow my own advice and downloaded and ran half a dozen [useless] patches before realising the obvious -- my computer was infected.

Now, to get to the point of this little story.... none of my stinking antivirus/antispam programs work! I tried clamwin, kaspersky labs, panda, Spyware Doctor (endorsed by Google), virtumundobegone, vundofix.... none of them worked. period. Sure, they were great at detecting the malware, but they all seemed to be lacking in the removal of the malware.

After numerous scans and restarts I came across a program called SUPERantispyware (www.superantispyware.com). It's AMAZING. It doesn't do your taxes or anything, but it actually does what is advertised: detection AND removal of malware. wonderful, A+++.

out with the old, in with...

2008-02-21T01:38:00.002-06:00

Two days ago, I decided to delete my facebook account. Delete, as in wipe all pertinent information off facebook's servers and forget my profile existed. Having recently read Steve Mansour's 2504 steps to closing your facebook account (http://www.stevenmansour.com/), I was a bit worried at what might follow.

Here's a bit of quick background information...I deactivated my facebook account some months ago (see previous post) because I didn't like how our social lives were moving online. At that point I had no idea if you could delete your account or not, but I figured deactivating it was the safest way to go in the short run. Thinking of what facebook still might be doing with my data (their explanation of keeping it just in case I ever wanted to reactivate seemed to leave something to be desired..) I took the plunge and asked them what must be done to completely erase my profile.

Steve in Montreal wrote that his facebook rep asked him to delete every individual wall post, personal message, picture, comment etc. before they could delete his account itself. My rep (Clive) was a bit more understanding :) Here's a snippet of our email conversation:

Clive: "If you do not think you will use Facebook again and would like your account deleted, let us know, and we will take care of this for you. Keep in mind that you will not be able to reactivate your account or retrieve any of the content or information you have added."

Me: "I would like you to completely delete my entire account. I understand that I will not be able to reactivate it or access any of its information."

Clive: "We have deleted your profile information and removed your email address from our login database. Please let me know if you have further questions or concerns."

Done. This wasn't at all what I was expecting....I had my heels dug in and was ready for a good argument, yet was pleasantly surprised with the efficiency that facebook came out with on this one. Looks like they're learning.

the prodigal son has returned...

2008-02-19T16:33:00.004-06:00

No, I'm not talking about the words of Christ in the fifteenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke, I'm talking about Ubunto's new Gutsy Gibbon 7.10 distribution! I know, parable of the prodigal son in Luke would have been a more worthy topic...

You can get Ubuntu's Gutsy Gibbon from their main download page (http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu) absolutely free of charge. It was released on the 18th of October, 2007...so why am I writing about it now? Well, it's pretty simple actually, I just downloaded and installed it last week :O

Here's what happened: I had Windows XP running nice and tight, configured just the way I wanted it on my stupendously superb Gateway MX9658 laptop. For some reason or another my laptop's HD decided that it wanted to crash... IE froze, I rebooted the machine, and presto! Windows XP won't load. No problem, I thought...I'll just boot from XP install CD and reinstall the system. No deal, Windows XP can't locate any HD on the computer (awful drivers). OK, I'll just try to boot from CD and hit F6 to manually install the drivers. I have an OEM cd that came with the laptop...I know it has the drivers on it somewhere. Again, no deal. The bright engineers at Microsoft allow XP to only load drives during the install from a floppy A: drive.

Genius.

Take a moment and think about how many computers you know of with a 3.5" A drive floppy. That's right, zero! No one uses floppy drives any more, and if they do it's on an external USB drive, not an onboard A.

To make a long story slightly shorter, I fixed my problem by installing Ubuntu Gutsy from CD bootable (yes, it could detect my HD no problem). Gutsy is easy on the eyes, easy to configure and best of all 100% free, open source software.

Having been brought up on Macs from a young age, the switch to Windows was almost sacrilege. The switch to linux has made me the laughing stock of my oh-so-small circle of friends...but I don't care. It's a great system!

I realise that I cannot possibly attempt to explain the wonders of this OS in such a tiny post, but let it be known: linux, that slightly dodgy somewhat scary little brother of an OS is back...and he's all grown up!

another one bites the dust

2007-11-14T22:33:00.002-06:00

A few days ago I read that american-owned tech giant IBM purchased Cognos (http://tinyurl.com/3y8hfd) for $5 billion.

Disappointed? Yes. Surprised? *sigh* no.

It seems that every time I look at the financial section of the papers or read the news feeds or blogs another Canadian company has been swallowed up by a US corporate conglomerate. Cognos, for those of you unfamiliar with the name, was an Ottawa-based technology company employing thousands of individuals in the city's hi-tech sector. Their specialty has always been business intelligence and performance management technologies, and they pull in just under $1 billion in annual revenue. Cognos was a solid Canadian corporation which, sadly, is now part of IBM, Inc. a corporate owned by our friendly neighbours to the south, doing just over $90 billion in annual revenue.

Week after week, month after month, and year after year solid Canadian corporations are being steadily acquired by larger, more ruthless american companies with deeper pockets larger spending budgets....let's talk a (somewhat depressing) walk down memory lane:

Remember Eatons? They were once the biggest and the best dept. store in Canada - selling everything from socks to stovetops. They were acquired just a few years back by Sears, and I haven't heard of them since...have you?

Those of us in Ottawa remember how the current Scotiabank Place used to be known as the Corel Centre (or even earlier, the Paladium). Corel was purchased back in 2003 by Venture Capital, a company whose name exists solely to acquire coroporations.

Want something a bit more recent? I can think of Stelco, the last Canadian independent steel manufacturer (all previous steel producers have already been sold out) acquired by US firm United States Steel just this year; or PrimeWest Energy out in Alberta who was acquired by Taqa (Abu Dhabi National Energy) just a couple months ago. Granted this last company wasn't american, but that's not the main point. The main point is that Canadian business owners are giving control of our most basic industries away to foreign individuals or governments.

Even the companies that instill a sense of national pride are no longer Canadian companies.

Hockey equipment manufacturers Bauer and Cooper were both acquired by Nike in 1994, with CCM bought out by Reebok a decade later. Even the Montreal Canadiens (habs) are now owned by Mr. George Gillett Jr., an american businessman.

At least we still have our trustworthy Canadian breweries...Labatt & Molson ("I am Canadian" marketing slogan). Sorry to disappoint, but Labatt was purchased a Belgian brewery over a decade ago, and Molson "Canadian" was recently acquired by US-based Coors in 2005!

Hudsons Bay Company ("the Bay"), Canada's -- no, North America's -- oldest retailer and a symbol of Canadian entreprenurial ability was purchased by Mr. Jerry Zucker, a US investor, back in 2006.

Good grief even Tim Hortons was acquired by american fast-food chain Wendy's back in 1995 (didn't you notice the doughnuts getting smaller?).

My point is this: it's not good enough for Canada to achieve social independence from our overly-friendly neighbours to the south. We may be more pleasant, more polite, better at hockey, and more diplomatic with the rest of the world, BUT they are looking at Canada's vast resources with dollar signs in their pupils. Canada needs to stick up for itself and take some pride in our nationality. This means economically just as much as anything else.

The noblest motive is the public good - William Kirby

google pushes

2007-11-05T11:14:00.001-06:00

Has anyone read this BBC internet article: Google Pushes into Mobile Phones (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7078921.stm)?

This may or may not be exciting to you, but as an avid Google user I am thrilled. I believe somewhat sarcastically that Google is well on its way to world domination.

Don't believe me? Just google "google."

Here are some quick facts about Google Inc:
- based in Mountain View, CA
- approx 10.6 billion annual revenue (30% profit)
- no. 241 on Fortune 500 (2007)
- started as search engine, now has hand in variety of industries
--- AdSense / Adwords
-- - dMarc (radio ads)
--- Blogger/Blogspot
--- Picasa (photo)
--- Writley (Docs & Spreadsheets) / Apps
--- YouTube (video.google)
--- JotSpot (wiki)
--- DoubleClick (ads)
--- Postini (email filteraton & security)
--- Gmail
--- Google Earth
--- Desktop
--- Toolbar
--- News
--- Calendar
--- Reader
--- Froogle (ebay-like ecommerce)
--- Orkut (facebook-like social networking)
--- Goobuntu (linux desktop, $200)
--- **now, Android (cellular)**

Now, Google will be creating an OS to run on cellular phones. Working with Samsung, HTC, Motorola, LG, they will not be offering their own cellular device, but instead running their software on mobile handsets worldwide - leaving the manufacture to the pros.

We all know how effective and efficient Google has become, and I can only imagine how well a Google OS would work.

Some interesting points:
- linux-based
- free OS
- direct competition with Palm, RIM, Microsoft, Symbian etc.

I think there is no question that the Google cellular OS will be stellar. With the vast experience Google has in almost every technological market, a Google OS (either Goobuntu or cellular) will move ahead, stunning users and decimating all others.

The real question is "do I want to give yet another piece of my life to Google?"

Let's face it. Google is free, its great, AND it's easy.... these are generally contradictory adjectives.

I can't believe that the only reason Google is moving ahead with such things is for its AdSense hand, which is the only obvious revenue-generating component of the vast Google economy. This means that there is some underlying objective that the general public has failed to notice. I'm sure there is some large database holding everything Google knows about me (and with my use of Google, we're probably talking terrabytes).

Is it worth it? Ah.. but it's so appealing.

Facebook: the glue is falling apart

2007-10-01T15:37:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure if you have had the opportunity to watch Penn Masala's brilliant Facebook Skit...If not, please take 3:56 of your time and go take a peek (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FahBBnfHAQ). I'm not sure if the video was Penn Masala's idea or if they were just contracted to sing the vocals, but I don't mind telling you it is a superb bit of work.

I bring this up to ask you, what is the purpose of facebook? Does facebook contribute in any way toward social networking as it claims to? I myself have been a facebook user for the past year or so, and upon looking back I cannot tell you why. I realise that this very blurb is full of irony. As soon as I send this email, it will be forwarded to blogger, which will in turn create a post on my facebook wall....or page.....or whatever you call it. You may, in fact, be reading this on facebook.

I have restricted my use of facebook to two functions: the marketplace tool, and the exchange of photos. Even so I am inundated with invitations from someone asking to be my friend, to join this cause, or to support some new important application, allowing me to publish globally how much alcohol I consume between 1800h and 2000h on the 2nd Friday of each month....or some other equally useless piece of data.

Last month I was invited to a party through facebook, and facebook alone. Since I don't bother checking my invitations and requests every minute of the day, the invitation did not catch my eye and the party came and went without my knowledge. Whatever happened to picking up the phone and calling your friends?? I'm fine with an email also, or even a face-to-face conversation, heaven forbid.

I've watched some of my friends spend minute after minute scrolling through unbelievably useless groups, photos, surveys, and information of “friends” they may or may not know in real life. I would like to put forth a simple proposition....bring back the art of conversation! If I were to take half of the people one facebook at random and stick them in a large room together, will one even know another? Does all the time spent going through someone's relationships, hobbies, interests and friends-in-my-network serve any purpose? I think not.

Let's go back to calling on the phone, driving to someone's house, getting together to look through photos. Relationships and communities are said to be the glue that keeps society together, and when we trade in our interpersonal skills we're killing the infrastructure of our society. My prediction, however far-fetched it may seem, is that GDP and production will fall in the next 10 years due to facebook (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070911.WBmingram20070911173306/WBStory/WBmingram).

All you facebook users, you've been warned; stop killing your social skills! You're fast becoming dollar signs in the eyes of new companies like www.gk2gk.com – where it's ok to be g33k.

As a final remark, I know that not many people will actually get around to reading this article, and thus I will be creating a facebook cause to support my beliefs. Please consider joining.

The CUPE Strike at Carleton University: A Student's View

2007-09-10T16:10:00.003-05:00

If you ask an honest student, they will tell you they don't enjoy school very much. Homework, tests, assignments, presentations, final exams...and I have to PAY for it? Nevertheless we all grit our teeth, drain our wallets, and study our brains out because we know our schooling is only a temporary displeasure that will help us significantly in the long run. A temporary displeasure that is, until CUPE 2424 started their strike on the 5th of Sept last week.

On this day school turned from a temporary displeasure into a throbbing headache. Simple services taken for granted such as IT support, librarians, lab workers, admin/office assistants, and TAs have been suspended indefinitely pending a favouring outcome in the bargaining process. Although the absence of these services has not been extremely detrimental to the student body as a whole, our tuition (which was required paid by the first day of classes) should ensure these facilities are available. It would be nice, for instance, to have TAs (teaching assistants), librarians, or tech support. CUPE 2424 states that its staff touch almost every part of a student's day on the university campus, and I wholeheartedly agree. I cannot begin to describe how painful it is to call the Registrar with an important question or academic alteration only to find out the entire support staff is on strike, leaving one manager to service the entire undergraduate population; or to email tech support asking for assistance...the printer in the Library still won't print the research data for my 1^st presentation.

I know also I am not the only student affected by this strike. While standing in line for some time this morning for a new student ID card (the length of lines on campus now call to mind images of former USSR citizens waiting to buy bread) I was approached by a member of CUSA (Carleton University Student's Association). She was systematically traversing the line, handing out information pamphlets, and ensuring each individual in the line understood the position of CUPE 2424 and the purpose of the strike. When she came to me I mentioned I was surprised to see a student so cheerfully siding with the support staff who deserted students during the second most important time of the year (the first being final exams).

This CUSA member explained to me that she sided with CUPE mainly because, by not adhering to the union's demands and forcing its members to strike, the Carleton University administration was denying student's access to services our tuition has already paid for. She went on (and on) about how the professors and other employees had received 4%, 4% and 4% wage increase over 3 years and the CUPE workers were only offered 3%, 3% and 3%. “This is not about money,” she insisted, “it's about respect, and about Carleton University ensuring that students are provided with the services they have paid for.” She went on to say how Carleton University's employment offer even withheld vacation pay from the workers!

Surely this is a catastrophe! I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing at her. I had no idea that the Carleton Administration had threatened to break the law and defy the ESA and the Ontario government by withholding vacation pay to their employees (last time I checked, CUPE members are not Crown workers, farmers, or fishermen). Upon questioning her further, I was astonished to see how vehemently she defended the actions of a group she evidently knew very little about.

Upon visiting cupe.ca I learned that the rally on campus this morning was attended by over 200 people – including 100 students! I am again astonished by the support of students in this strike and upon questioning them further I can only conclude they have notions of “sticking it to the man” and “defying the establishment.” This attitude closely resembles the tactics the striking CUPE members have been taking over the past week – schoolyard bullying. Under the guise of presenting both sides fairly, CUPE members have been bullying the student population into supporting their cause.

Their tactics, which include everything from underhanded internet posts to the disruption of traffic along both the Colonel By Pkwy and Bronson Ave are nothing more than a pathetic attempt to gain support for a lost cause. Susan Arab, CUPE national representative puts it best when she says “We regret the inconvenience to students and the campus community, and encourage students and their families to put pressure on the university administration to return to the table with an equitable contract offer, so we can resolve this conflict.”

This method of bargaining was called bullying back when I was in elementary school, and I fail to see how it can be called anything else at the present time.

CUPE 2424 lost my support the moment they added 40 minutes to my daily driving time, and annoyed the heck out of me in hopes that I would cave and pressure the university to meet their demands. While I do sincerely hope that an agreement is reached soon and that services on campus are restored, this is one student from whom CUPE will never see support.