s.h.a.d.o.w's blog

i have moved

2006-03-02T14:24:00.000+08:00

i have moved to another url: http://mobile247.blogspot.com

see you there! =)

GetJar.com

2005-09-08T02:50:00.000+08:00

just found a great resource for free java games and applications for java enabled phones, it's called GetJar. they have shareware, demos and full versions of lots of java applications! one great thing about this site is that it offers the option to download the software to your pc or directly to your phone (using gprs/wap). oh and did it tell you that it's free? :D check it out! i'm sure you'll find lots of applications you can use :)

clonespy

2005-09-02T22:37:00.000+08:00

someone asked me recently, "how often do you do back-ups? i'm asking 'coz i've never done a back-up." with a smile, i replied, "as often as i need to."

so how often to i back-up? well, for this post that's neither here nor there, what is important is that i do back up although in very unorganized way. and as a result of my poor back up methodology, i end up with lots of duplicates of my files stored in who knows how many folders!

i was trying to get myself organized yesteday and realized just what a pain those duplicates could be. imagine going through dozens of folders that are 2 or 3 folders deep just to check if you already have a copy of that file somewhere in there. it's a total nightmare, i tell you.

i decided to get some help. i thought, someone probably had a similar problem and wrote some application to help solve it. i did a bit of googling and finally ended up with clonespy from snapfiles. it's a great piece of freeware! you just specifiy the folders you want to scan, and it can check for files with duplicate filenames, duplicate contents, or even files with similar sizes. and did i mention that it was freeware :D it's perfect for checking for duplicate pictures or downloads.

from the site:

Do you often download files from the internet? Is your hard drive crowded with these files? Have you ever asked yourself which files you already downloaded more than one time? CloneSpy can help you saving hard drive space by detecting and removing duplicate files. CloneSpy can find files that have exactly the same contents regardless of their name, date, time and location. Moreover Clonespy is able to find files that are not exactly identical, but have the same filename. Perhaps you have different versions of a file and you want to find all of them and remove the older versions. In addition, the program can also find zero lenght files. You have the option to decide what you want to do with the found duplicates, CloneSpy shows you the details of each file (and it`s proposed duplicate) and allows you to either keep, move or delete.

if you're like me who works with multiple workstations, i'm sure you probably have duplicate files somewhere. go check out clonespy and see how much of a God send it is :)

the ipod rocks!

2005-08-10T20:35:00.000+08:00

i recently got my hands on an ipod mini (1st gen) and i'm loving it so far :) it's so sleek, compact, and easy to use, practically idiot proof! (and as a software engineer, that's saying a lot!) there is a down side, of course, battery life is just not too good (a measly five hours). it's a good thing it comes with both a usb and a firewire cable so i can charge anywhere there is a usb (or firewire) port. maybe after my warranty expires i can build up enough courage to open up my mini and do a diy battery replacement.

that's about all i'm going to say about my ipod, this is after all not a review about the ipod. if you're looking for one, just google for it, you'll probably get millions of hits :)

so what have i done with my ipod? created playlists and then filled it with songs of course! during the first week or so my ipod was filled to the brim (less than 10mb free i think) with mp3s. i just had to put everything i could squeeze into it! i figured i'd want to have every type of music to match my current mood. i ended up having too many unplayed songs taking up valuable disk space (the 1g ipod mini only has 4 gigs of hard disk space)

i initially set itunes to manual sync because i wanted complete control over my ipod. but then i realized that doing a manual sync means that the play statistics of the songs in my ipod aren't synced back into itunes. what a bother! after all, these statistics are important, they tell me which songs should stay and which songs should go. i googled for a while to look for some tool or method to bring these information back into itunes but the only solutions i found where for macs (you lucky bastards!) i finally decided to meet itunes half way and set it to sync only my selected playlists automatically. this way before it replaces any songs from my ipod with my changes in itunes, it first downloads all the song information and updates the itunes database. i guess this will have to do for now :)

that's it for now, more on my next ipod related post...

my ipod...

gmail smart-delete button

2005-06-05T02:18:00.000+08:00

wow, i can't believe i haven't posted since january! i guess i must have been busier than i thought :) anyway, here's a little quickie for you gmail+firefox users out there.

i've been using gmail as my main account now so i get tons (well maybe not tons =P) of emails every day. most of them are automatically archived and applied their respective labels while some are captured by gmail's built-in spam filter. every so often i get some junk email (to me at least) that isn't caught by the filters. so what do i do? move it to trash, of course.

this two click process (click on the more actions drop down and then click on move to trash) is not too annoying if it's just one item. it starts to get irritating when there are a lots of them. i mean, it's probably fine if i can immediately tell from the subject that an email is junk but more often than not, i'd have to open the email first to be able to tell. it gets worse, of course, sometimes these messages span several pages (i know, i know, my fault for not cleaning up my inbox more often :D)! that's when it gets downright irritating!

i'm probably whining about something you don't mind at all. unlike me, you can probably spare the extra second to make that second click. but if the convenience were available, why not take advantage if it, right?

first of all you have to be using firefox. (what do you mean you don't know what firefox is? are you from the dark ages or something? :D) if you're not using firefox then i'm sorry but i can't help you, but if you are, here's what you need to do:
1. install greasemonkey
2. restart firefox
3. visit paul's blog
4. right click on the script and select install user script*

*sometimes this step doesn't work right. as an alternative, you can just click on the link to open the script in your browser and then go to tools (the menu on top, the item beside help) and click on install user script.

it's a great script my only problem with it is that it places the delete button right before the archive button. i'm a creature of habit so and i'm so used to the archive button being the first one that i'm sure i'll accidentally click delete (all the time!). here's a little modification i did to paul's script to address this:

changed line 101 to: if (0==id || 1==id) insert_point=insert_point.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling; added the following right after line 102 if (2==id || 3==id) insert_point=insert_point.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling;

google suggest beta

2005-01-26T19:13:00.000+08:00

something cool from google: google suggest. it's still in beta but it seems to work pretty well. it's works just like the original google except now, as you type, you get a dropdown of 10 suggestions with their corresponding number of results. could be handy when you get bored =p

some interesting things i've noticed:

sex doesn't come up as one of the suggestions for "se"

"lesb" shows lesbien and lesb but not lesbian

"shi" gives shit but "fuc" doesn't give any swear words

using "www", www.google.com only comes out at number 3

kewl huh? check it out, and let me know if you find anything interesting =)

bt surfing with the ux50 and your t610/t68i (using globe)

2004-11-18T17:52:00.000+08:00

a little caveat before i start: the settings i will post here are for for globe. if you have another provider you will have to change the init string in the connection details.

t610 configuration:

navigate to the connectivity menu
select data comm.
select data accounts
select new account
select gprs data
enter a name for your data account, e.g., myGlobe GRPS inet
select save (no need to enter other any other info)
select your newly created data account
note down the cid, eg. cid=4

ux50 configuration:

launch the preferences app and go to connections:
create a new connection with the following settings:

* you can name it any name you want
** the configuration works using either the built-in t68i driver or the t610 drivers that can be downloaded from palmone
click on the details button and enter the following values (you may use a lower connection speed, but why?):

* make sure to use the cid number you got from the new data account, i.e., if the cid you got was 5, your init string should contain cgdcont=5
when prompted if you would like this to be your default connection for phone applications, click on no
go to the network tab of the preferences app:
create a new network service with the following details:

* you may specify your own network service name
** you may leave the password blank or just enter a space
*** make sure to select the connection you created earlier
**** use the cid number as the last number in the phone field, i.e., if your cid number was 5 then the number should be *99***5#
tap on the details button and enter the following details:

follow the steps above and you'll be surfing on the road in no time =)

pesky adware/spyware

2004-09-24T17:55:00.000+08:00

don't you just hate them pesky little things? hijacking your browser's homepage, or launching those darn ad pages at random times. i'm usually very careful about installing stuff on my machine. plus, i use firefox as my browser so have even more protection! but just recently, i slipped. i wasn't as careful as i should have been and got hit.

using firefox, i went to download.35mb.com to check it out. it said i needed to use ie to access the site. i didn't think and immediately, right clicked on the page and selected 'View The Page in IE' (a firefox plugin that automatically opens the current page in ie). it then launched some active x stuff, and even told me to please click yes to install the app. this was when i realized my mistake. i immediately said no and closed the browser. unfortunately, the damage has already been done. i don't know exactly what the site did but after that visit, i started to get random popups ads.

after banging my head on the wall for a few minutes, i decided to remedy the problem. i launched ad-aware and scanned my system. it found some of the usual stuff (tracker cookies) but it didn't find what i was looking for. next, i tried spybot but still no luck. i decided time to get my hands dirty and go fiddling around the registry.

i knew there were only a few places where it could hide:

the most obvious one is of course the startup folder in the start menu.
in the registry, it could be in one of the Run keys
e.g.
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
[HKEY_USERS\\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
in the win.ini file: in the lines containing RUN= and LOAD=
and of course in the task scheduler

this is by no means an exhaustive list but more often than not these are the areas exploited (except maybe the task scheduler, i've yet to encounter something that automatically attaches itself to the scheduler)

after some digging, i found it in one of the Run entries in my registery. there was an entry that launches internet explorer. i just deleted the line and voila, goodbye popups =)

lesson learned? don't trust sites that require you to use a particular browser =) i already knew that but i guess experience is still the best teacher =D

emerge desktop v1.0

2004-08-26T19:43:00.000+08:00

tired of boring old windows? why not try emerge desktop. emerge desktop is an opensource alternative windows 2000/xp shell. here's the about section of emerge's help documentation:

Emerge Desktop is a replacement windows "shell" (the destop environment normally provided by Windows Explorer). In order to replace Windows Explorer as a shell, it provides a system tray (the area that collects the icons collected at the lower right corner in Explorer), called emergeTray. It will also provide access to the users programs (normally accessed with the windows "start" button) via a right-click on the desktop, via emergeCore. 

Emerge Desktop is implemented with MinGW which is an OpenSource implementation of the GNU C compiler and utilitied. Up to this point, closed source commercial projects have mainly been used (Microsoft Visual C++, Borland Delphi) to develop alternate shells as they use proprietary Microsoft API features. With Microsoft releasing more detailed information about these API calls, the MinGW win32api is now quite complete. Additionally, several web sites on the internet have started to include documentation and code that illustrate how to access and use these functions. 

Emerge Desktop has an open API, which allows for applets to be coded with compilers other than MinGW if someone wishes to do so. In fact Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 project and workspace files are available in CVS in case someone wants to use them. 

From a design point of view, Emerge Desktop applets are capable of being run as both standalone as well as being integrated. In order for Emerge Desktop applets to communicate with each other, emergeCore must be running. With out emergeCore, each applet will run indepandantly (if, for example, you wish to use them in conjunction with another desktop shell). 

With the facilities provided by SourceForge, there are forums, a mailing list and all the source is released under the GPL and is available in CVS. Please feel free to try Emerge Desktop, and provide feedback!

here are some things i like about emerge desktop:

i love the fact that you can place the applets anywhere on the screen. i'm a bit of a control freak at times and i want my desktop to behave the way i tell it to. emerge desktop provides enough configurability for me to be able to take control of my desktop effectively. =)

the virtual window manager is also a great bonus. it brings the multiple desktop functionality of xwindows to windows. it's one of my favorite applets because i have a tendency to have too many windows open =D

and my favorite applet? its... hehe... the weather applet! =D i mean, who doesn't want 24/7 access to weather =p

it's not yet perfect, there are still some bugs here and there but i think v1.0 is a pretty good release. if you're feeling a little adventurous, download emerge now and give it a spin =) it's just around 800K, a surprisingly small download for desktop replacement.

ps - just in case you're interested, here's a screenshot of my desktop:

create a shortcut to lock your computer

2004-08-13T15:59:00.000+08:00

if you're paranoid like me then you probably never leave your workstation without locking it first. i usally just do a <ctrl>+<alt>+<del>, press enter (i use windows 2000) and voila, my machine is now safe from those prying eyes =) but not all the time, sometimes i'm in too much of a hurry to actually check if my workstation has indeed been locked. i only find out when i get back that the windows security pop-up is still on screen, meaning the enter key wasn't processed (probably because the machine was too busy), thus leaving my pc open to the world. don't you just hate it when that happens? well, this no longer happens to me, i've found a way to lock my computer in just one step. =) here's a quick how-to:

right click on your desktop
go to new and then shortcut to luanch the create shortcut wizard
on the textbox type, rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation
click on next
name the shortcut
click finish

you can also add a keyboard shortcut so that you can lock your computer without using the mouse =)

saving windows updates for future use

2004-07-13T08:52:00.000+08:00

i recently had my pc give up on me (yet again). Apprently, I installed some hardware that it wasn't happy with and caused the some other drivers to go haywire. *sigh* reboot, get a blue screen. Reboot in safe mode. Get a blue screen. Reboot in command prompt, get a blue screen. *sigh* windows strikes again! Time to reinstall windows... But i don't fret, i have, after all installed windows 2000 countless of times already (i can do yours for a cup of coffee and some dessert). Reinstalling windows is not the problem, it's haveing to reinstall all those windows updates again that is such a pain! If i had a broadband connection to the internet i probably wouldn't mind but with a 56k modem and an isp that gives me a measely 33.6 (on some rare occassions i get lucky and get 52k connection) connection instead of the promised 56k it's trully a pain! Which brings me to the point of this entry (yes, i do have a point). Don't you just wish there was a way to download those updates just once and use them everytime you do a reinstallation? Well there is =) and here's what you have to do:

go to http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/catalog (make sure to use internet explorer)
click on Find updates for Microsoft Windows operating systems or Find driver updates for hardware devices
for windows updates
- select your operating system and language and then click on search
- click on a sub-category
for driver updates,
- click on a hardware category
- select your hardware manufacturer, operating system, language, and date posted and the click on the search button. (you can also specify keywords to use in the search)
select the updates you want to download by clicking on the Add button
click on Go to Download Basket
specify your download directory and click on the Download Now button
accept the License Agreement

so you've got a gmail account, now what?

2004-06-24T14:03:00.000+08:00

now that we finally have gmail accounts, whats next?

use it (duh?)

update all your list, forums, groups subscriptions to use gmail
update all your email forwarding services to forward to gmail

use PGtG (Pop Goes the GMail) to download your mail using a pop3 client

use GTray to know when you have new email without keeping a browser open

use GML (Mbox & Maildir to Gmail Loader) to move (more like forward) your mbox and maildir format mails into gmail

use G-Mailto to associate web mailto links to gmail

and most importantly, remember how it felt like to want a gmail account so bad, so when you get the chance, GIVE away your invites!

update:
seems pgtg no longer works with gmail =( i hear it's because gmail changed their login process. dang! there is an alternative, but it's no longer free. check out psgmail, you have 14 days to see if it works for you.

more updates:
pgtgm has come back from the dead! (albeit with another name). it is now known as gPopper. thanks to izzy (author of gNotify), for picking up where jaybe left off =)

even more updates:
gmail just provided pop access! woohoo! i guess i can now say goodbye to gpopper and psgmail =)

yahoo messenger filtering blogspot urls?

2004-06-11T14:17:00.000+08:00

there's something funky going with yahoo messenger 6. any message i send containing a blogspot url doesn't get through. what's up with that yahoo??? you doing some funky filtering??? is this some sort of censorshit??? er, pardon my french, i meant censorship. =D

as an expirement, i sent out four messages to a contact (numbering each message) to see what would happen:

1 test
2 test
3 lolomoblog.blogspot.com
4 test

and here's what she got:

xxxxx: 1 test
xxxxx: 2 test
xxxxx: 4 test

weird, huh?

got a gmail account?

2004-06-10T18:42:00.000+08:00

I WANT A GMAIL ACCOUNT! *sigh* won't anyone give me a gmail account... pretty please =D no one? oh well... i guess i'll just have to wait for them to make it public...

anyways, for those of you who haven't heard of gmail, it's a web-based e-mail service that will be offered by google (soon?). here are some key features:
- since it's google, you don't need to sort your email to find something, you search for it
- 1G of storage. yes, 1 gigabyte!!! (now are you beginning to see why i want one)
- messages are displayed with their replies. (kewl huh?)
- NO POP-UP ADS or untargetted banner ads.

did you just say "huh?" on that last one? well, here's what they say about that:

8. Are there ads in Gmail?

There are no pop-ups or untargeted banner ads in Gmail. Like Google search results pages, Gmail does include relevant text ads on the right side of the page. The matching of ads to content is a completely automated process performed by computers. No humans read your email to target the ads, and no email content or other personally identifiable information is ever provided to advertisers.

Ads are matched using the same technology that powers the Google AdSense program, which already places targeted ads on thousands of sites across the web by quickly analyzing the content of pages and determining which ads are most relevant to them. Here's a sneak peek of how ads look in Gmail.

interestingly enough, a lot of people thought this was an april fools joke, i though so too at first. i mean 1G of email storage? for free??? and the announcement being so close to april 1? well, it's not an april fools joke, the actual april fool joke was about some weird job opening (i forget the details), and I WANT ONE!!! *sigh*

anyone have an extra invite? =D

get more info here.

UPDATE: i got invited!!! woohoo!!! don't sort, search =D

playing mpg files on your ux50 using movieplayer

2004-06-08T07:59:00.000+08:00

i keep forgetting how to play mpg files on my ux using movieplayer and i keep having to google to be able to do it. well, i will google no more. i've decided to post it on my blog for easy access =) so, here i go...

in order for movie player to "see" your mpg files, they need to follow this naming convention: MOVnnnnn.mpg (where nnnnn is a 5-digit number, e.g. MOV00001.mpg)

after renaming your file, you now have 2 options. you can either copy the file into your /DCIM/100MSDCF (i.e. /DCIM/100MSCDEF/MOV00001.mpg) or you can create a folder called /MSSONY and in it another folder called MOML0001 and then place the file there (i.e. /MSSONY/MOML0001/MOV00001.mpg)

bt surfing with the ux50 and your pc

2004-06-07T14:29:00.000+08:00

it seems i've been getting quite a bit of pms on bt surfing with a pda lately so i've decided to make a little howto on how i got it to work on my ux50.

here's what i did on my pc (i have win2k installed on my machine, i think this also works for winxp):

1. enabled internet sharing - on the sharing tab of my dial networking connection properties, i checked enable internet connection sharing for this connection (notice that my screen capture shows lan instead of dial-up networking, don't worry, they have similar internet sharing tabs =)

2. set the ip of my bluetooth network - i set it to 192.168.0.1

just to clarify, this screen shot is not connected to the previous screen shot. the previous screen shot was for my local area/dial-up connection while this screen shot is for my bluetooth network connection.

3. configured my bt to "Allow other devices to access the Internet/LAN via this computer"

here's what i did on my ux50:

1. created a connection to my pc

2. created a network service using the connection in #1 (make sure to specify your dns server on the details screen)

if you're still having problems, drop me a line =)

exim carrying case for clie ux40/50 handhelds: a summary

2004-06-07T10:25:00.000+08:00

<- previous page

the transaction:
not as smooth as i had hoped but i guess that was just my luck =). the guys at pda-now are pretty decent folks. if you have a problem with the transaction, just let them know and they're sure to respond immediately. =)

pros:
+ great protection against scratches
+ good fit, easily snaps onto the ux
+ camera view is unobstructed
+ lots of pockets
+ charges the ux via usb!

cons:
- doesn't really offer much protection when dropped
- the reset hole is a bit to small
- using the usb port takes a bit of getting used to
- lumps at the back of the case
- adds a bit of bulk to the ux

conclusion:
a great case, even if i do say so myself =)

ps - i did start this review a week after i got the case, unfortunately, i've been busy so i've only completed it today. anyways, i hope this review helps people out there looking for a good case for their ux50 =)

pps - btw, more pictures at http://shadow.mysnaps.org.uk/c191405.html

exim carrying case for clie ux40/50 handhelds: the review (3/3)

2004-06-07T10:02:00.000+08:00

<- previous page

well, it can't all be good, now can it? =) as with anything, there is always room for improvement.

first one i noticed was the reset hole. although it was perfectly aligned with the ux's reset hole, it was a bit small. normally (ie, without the case), i would only need to pull out my stylus and poke my ux at the back. easy right? now it's a bit of a struggle, i need to get it in real good (=D) in order to do a reset. the hole is a wee bit too tight (=D). of course, after having gone in and out a few times (=D) it's now a bit more loose (=D). maybe after a few more resets, it will be much less of a struggle (where's the fun in that, eh guys? =D).

second is the usb port. once again it's a bit of a struggle getting it in the first time. i guess it just takes a little getting used to. after doing it everyday for a week, it gets pretty easy =)

hmm... better get on to the last one before this goes over the pg rating =p

the next two are more aesthetic rather than functional.

the third one you will see when you turn the case over. at the base of the case, there are some lumps. one on the reset hole, and another on the opposite side of the battery connectors. you won't see these lumps if you look at the pictures on their website. tsk. tsk.

here's another look:

last, it's the added bulk on my ux. but like i said earlier, although i don't really mind the bulk, it can be a point of consideration for some other people.

here's a picture of my ux, with some stuff in the pockets. i've placed my t610 beside it to provide a basis for comparison.

next page ->

exim carrying case for clie ux40/50 handhelds: the review (2/3)

2004-06-07T09:24:00.000+08:00

<- previous page

my favorite feature is its ability to charge my ux via usb =) unlike the brando case which just copied the hooks from the ux cradle, exim also brought the battery connectors along =) the case receives power from the usb port near the base and passes it on to the ux via the 4 tiny connectors.

you can also see from the picture that the exim case has holes that correspond to the ux's reset hole and speaker. you can't see it from the picture but they are perfectly aligned to the ux's corresponding holes.

another good feature of the exim case is, for lack of a better term, "the space for the camera". the exim case provides enough space so that the camera's view is not obstructed. but then again, if you really want space, you can always fold the flap over =)

next page ->

exim carrying case for clie ux40/50 handhelds: the review (1/3)

2004-06-07T09:14:00.000+08:00

<- previous page

now on to the actual review =)

the exim case is actually a pretty good case. i like that its hooks easily snap onto the base of my ux. it does add a bit of bulk but i think it's well worth the value it also adds.

unlike the brando case which only has pockets for the memory sticks, this has 2 memory stick slots, 2 card slots, a slot for an extra stylus, a slot where you can put a picture (at least that's what i put in it) and another pocket where you can put some bills. (you can't see the it in the picture, it's behind the flap)

next page ->

my word is law!

2004-05-28T08:19:00.000+08:00

here's something an officemate of mine sent me. it's a bit long but worth the read. =)

My Word is Law
by Chris Caines

Today I am someone else; today I am the mind of the worst kind of
Internet user. Today I am the voice of no-one and the opinion of
everyone. Today, my word is law.

Firstly you already know me, I’ve always been around and I started out
bragging about how I had owned the same computer equipment as you, just
several months before you did and believe me I’ve had every single one,
from a PDP-11 to custom made X-Box. Whatever kit you’ve owned, I’ve
owned and if I didn’t own it, I’ll still forget more about it than
you’ll ever know. I’ve written software, I’ve worked on websites, I was
the first person to use an Animated Background and, as soon as they
become unpopular, I was the first person to tell you how lame they were.
Why didn’t you listen to me in the first place? PNGs are where it’s at,
although there’s no reason to be using graphics anyway. I was on the
development team for Lynx and it’s still the best browser out there, if
your site doesn’t support Lynx, it’s not worth visiting. Have you seen
my site? I did it all in Flash, I learnt it over a weekend from a book.
Flash sucks anyway, it’s all about DHTML.

orums give me a presence, they let me come into your world and tell you
how experienced I am at your subject. My car does 50 BHP more than
yours, my sex life is more interesting and varied and my grass ALWAYS
grows greener. Talking of Grass, I’ve taken the lot… I’ve smoked weed at
Woodstock, done E’s at Evolution and taken speed with the stars at the
Viper Lounge. I’ve done it all and I’m going to tell you about it until
you’re sick of me, because the best thing is that I never go away. Oh,
you can argue with me, but I’m always right. That’s because I’m well
versed in the art of second accounts and Chinese whispers, if I’m not
right, I’ll make myself right until you start to doubt yourself. By the
end of the thread, I’ll tell you Black is White and you’ll wonder why
you keep losing at Chess.

Bear in mind, I don’t limit myself to knowing more than you. I also hate
everything you like, disagree with everything you stand for and destroy
any beauty you create. Your taste in music is childish, a product of
sycophantic marketers who deserve to listen to something raw, gritty and
real, unless you like something eclectic, in which case you’re a freak,
an outsider who only likes it because it’s cool to be different. Either
way, I don’t care; I’ll argue with you anyway, personal taste is a
buzzing gnat which needs to be swatted.

I don’t play games, because games are for losers who need to get out
more, but did I mention I’m also the best player you’ve ever lost to at
CounterStrike and will own you at the first opportunity? I played solo
against team SK with just a knife and beat them all; I didn’t join them
though because I don’t really play it. I’ve played to 60 on Everquest
before the beta finished (They let me play to 60 to test how ‘Uber’ a
character could become) and completed Half Life II. I play test for
Valve, but they asked me not to tell anyone. Have you seen Doom 3 yet? I
have, it sucks; but it’ll be the greatest game ever.

’ve got so much money; I can buy all the stuff you don’t have. I made it
in the dot.com boom of the late 90s, then did my Doctorate in Computing
Science but gave it all up to live on a beach in Cornwall. I don’t have
ADSL because the exchange doesn’t reach that far, so BT gave me an E3 to
my house. Don’t talk to me about being poor, I’ve seen it all and lived
to tell the tale.

I have three machines with top of the range graphics cards in them,
running to twin 21” LCD monitors. My desktop runs in a resolution which
would make an Eagle squint, yet I don’t visit sites which don’t conform
to 640x480. All my games run at 200FPS in 1600x1200 with all the
settings up to max, although why you need to run a game over 26FPS
anyway is pointless because everyone knows that’s the highest rate your
eyes need to see a moving picture. I get 3DMark Scores in number ranges
that look like phone numbers, but I think synthetic benchmarks are
flawed and it’s the gaming performance that matters. I only put it in my
Signature so you know how pathetic your card is. You want to overclock
it, volt mod it and bios update it, THEN you might get a score like
mine. It’s all a waste of time anyway because anyone in their right mind
owns a Mac, did I say I watercool my GPU RAM?

I am everywhere. I’m in every forum, I’m in every chatroom. I’m a
simmering pot of misinformation and arrogant, opinionated verbal
diarrhoea. I’m never going to change, why should I? My word is Law.

source: bit-tech.net

don't you just hate these kinds of people? no? well, you're a more tolerant person than i am...

exim carrying case for clie ux40/50 handhelds: my first impressions

2004-05-27T09:04:00.000+08:00

<- previous page

like a kid on christmas morning, i opened the envelope and brought out my new toy

i immediately ripped open the plastic, pulled out the case and gave it a quick once over. it didn't look as bulky as i expected it to be and it looked just like it did on the site. my ux easily snapped onto the hooks and it was an excellent fit. pleased by what i've seen so far, i took a picture with my t610 and sent it over to a friend who was also thinking of buying one =) it doesn't look like it will offer much protection if i drop my ux (i have no plans of testing this =p) but then again, i didn't really buy it for that. i bought it specifically for protection against scrathes and it's compact fit looks like it will provide just that =)

here's a picture of my ux that shows the scratch =( i've adjusted the gamma levels to make the scratch more prominent.

next page ->

exim carrying case for clie ux40/50 handhelds: the transaction

2004-05-27T08:27:00.000+08:00

the transaction
i went to pda-now.com and placed my order for the case on friday, 23.04.2004. immediately after, i received the following email:

-----Original Message-----

From: sales@pda-now.com [mailto:sales@pda-now.com]

Sent: 23 April 2004 14:08

To: xxx@xxx.xxx

Subject: Order Confirmation

 

 

Dear xxxxx,



Your order of the following item(s) has been received



World Pay Transaction ID:

xxxxx



Date / Time of Purchase:

23 Apr 2004 06:08 GMT 



Item(s) descriptions:

1 EXiM Carrying Case for Clie UX40/50 Handhelds;



Delivery Address:

xxxxx

xxxxx

xxxxx

xxxxx

PH



Sale value:

USD39.99



You will be notified when we ship your item. For any 

questions and inquiries regarding this purchase, please send 

to: sales@pda-now.com

Thank you for your purchase!



Online Shop PDA-NOW.COM

on monday 26.04.2004 i got the following confirmation:

-----Original Message-----

From: PDA-Now.com [mailto:sales@pda-now.com]

Sent: 26 April 2004 12:53

To: xxx@xxx.xxx

Subject: Shipping Nptice





Dear xxxxx,

 

 

Your order for:

 

1 EXiM Carrying Case for Clie UX40/50 Handhelds;

 

 

is confirmed and will be shipped on Apr 26, 2004 GMT+8 to the following address:

 

xxxxx

xxxxx

xxxxx

Philippines

 

Please allow 7-10 business days for your order to arrive.

 

Thank you for your purchase!

 

Best regards,

Sales Department

PDA-Now.com

i waited patiently for 10 business days to pass. i even tried to completely forget about it so that i'll be pleasantly surprised when it finally gets here. unfortunately after 10 days, there was still no case! =/ i decided to stay patient, i figured maybe the national elections had caused deliveries to be delayed. so i waited another day... and another... and another... i am a patient person, but 14 days is just about all i could take! i decided to take action and email them. i decided i'd take a more diplomatic tone, after all, it could be the local post office's fault and not theirs.

-----Original Message-----

From: xxxxx

Sent: 13 May 2004 11:14

To: 'sales@pda-now.com'

Subject: RE: Shipping Nptice





is there a way to verify or check where the package is? it's been more than 10 business days and still no word.

a very polite anna li responded with:

-----Original Message-----

From: PDA-Now Sales [mailto:sales@pda-now.com]

Sent: 16 May 2004 16:51

To: xxx@xxx.xxx

Subject: Shipping Notice Update

Dear xxxxx,

Your Order has been sent on 24,April, unfortunately, we lost the registered receive so we can’t do any follow up.

According to that case, we’ll resent your order by 3 days speed post.

Hope you can accept our apologies for make you any inconvenience, and thanks for your purchased our product again.

Your Truly,

ANNA LI

PDA-NOW.com

Tel: (852) 2493-5811 Fax: (852) 2498-5334

Email: annali@pda-now.com

and true enough, after 3 days, wednesday 19.05.2004. i got a notice from the post office that i had a package to pick up! i was really excited but i had no time to go to the post office =( so on friday, i decided to have my brother-in-law pick it up for me. i couldn't wait to get home =)

next page ->

exim carrying case for clie ux40/50 handhelds

2004-05-27T08:16:00.000+08:00

it's been almost a week now since i got my new case and i've been quite satisfied with it so far. of course there are pros and cons but overall i think it 's a great case. read on to find out more about it...

the transaction

my first impressions

the review (3 pages)

a summary

brando ultra clear protector plus

2004-05-20T10:08:00.000+08:00

brando workshop screen protectors have always been my preferred screen protectors. i used them on both my visor prism and my t665, and they offered great protection. what was great about them was that they were washable, reusable, and easily (well relatively =)) applied or removed. i also liked them because of their paper like texture, it was just like writing on paper =) i didn't really mind that it was a bit cloudy. i just set the brightness to a higher setting and it more or less compensated.

then came martin fields. i read a review somewhere on the web and was very impressed by how clear it looked. but pictures can be deceiving, as a dabbler in photoshop i know that a little retouching can make a picture look much better than it actually is. the proof, as they say, is in the pudding. so i bought one, well, two actually, i decided to give the other one to a friend who was having a birthday. i was really surprised at how clear it was! i mean, the review said that it was, and i was hoping that it was, but to actually see it was really something else. of course the paper like texture was no longer there nor was the anti glare, but i think the clarity more than compensates for these other features. (that is of course just my humble opinion, your mileage may vary =))

so now i'm really excited about brando's new screen protector. i'm this close -><- to buying one. i'll post a mini review when i finally do get one =)

missing 'my documents' folder

2004-05-14T17:24:00.000+08:00

a month ago i did something silly on my desktop. i don't remember exactly what i did, but the end result was that i lost my 'my documents' folder shortcut on my desktop. i know, i know, silly me. the weird thing was that, not only was it missing from my desktop, but also from explorer and the open and save dialog boxes of most apps. i ran across an application called TweakUI a few years back and thought that maybe it could help (it allows you to hide some icons that are on your desktop by default). i did a quick install only to find out that even it couldn't see the folder =( i decided i couldn't be bothered and just created a folder shortcut on my desktop. this worked for a couple of weeks, but i eventually got tired of having to navigate to the folder everytime i needed to do a save or open a file. (ahehe, lazy me =D)

after some serious googling, i found out that the display behavior of the my documents icon on the desktop was controlled by some value in the registry. to resolve the problem, all i had to do was fire up regedit and navigate to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER
'- Software
   '- Microsoft
      '- Windows
         '- CurrentVersion
            '- Explorer
               '- CLSID
                  '- {450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}
                     '- ShellFolder

i then needed to change the REG_DWORD value of Attributes from 0xf0500174 (hides the icon) to 0xf0400174 (displays the icon).

i hope you don't lose your my documents folder icon like i did, but if you do, then at least you'll have the benefit of my experience to bring it back =)

sony-ericsson (and ericsson) phone diagnostics

2004-05-14T17:09:00.000+08:00

have you ever tried having your sony-ericsson phone checked at semicon? ever wonder what it is they do to find out information like software version and the like without you telling them? well, wonder no more =) here is the series of joystick (left and right buttons for older phones) movements and key presses that will display the diagnostics menu.

> * < < * < *

just in case you're look for the '>' button, you won't find find it 'coz it's not a button but a joystick direction =D

wifi hotspots in the philippines

2004-05-14T16:23:00.000+08:00

one thing great about the ux50 is that it is wifi ready =) just fire up the ux, go into network settings, scan, connect and voila! you are online =) of course you'll have to keep those wifi prepaid cards handy unless you're lucky enough to find an open hotspot. so for those who aren't into wardriving or warchalking i thought i'd come up with a list hotspots you can try out. btw, this is by no means a definitive list, it's just a list i've put together for myself.

globewiz hotspots as of 14.05.2004

ncr
allegro cafe, wynsum bldg., pasig city
cafea, greenbelt 3, makati city
greenbelt 3, makati city
greenhills theater mall, san juan
legend hotel, mandaluyong city
kimchi, pioneer highlands ug level
rcbc eat food court
the coffee bean and tea leaf, makati city
holiday inn, clark pampanga
mekeni restaurant, clark pampanga

cebu
ayala center cebu
bo's coffee club, ayala center
cebu city sports club
marcelo fernan press center
mactan international airport cebu
cebu waterfront hotel

davao
basti's brew, victoria's mall
grand regal hotel

upcoming hotspots :
kaya restaurant, rockwell
the hub, podium mall
university of asia and the pacific
greenbelt 2
bo’s coffee davao
national sports grill greenbelt 1
paseo de santa rosa
e-lounge, glorietta 1

support info:
manila: 730-1357, vismin: 1-8008-730-1357, or helpdesk@globequest.com.ph

airborne access hotspots as of 14.05.2004

alabang
seattle's best coffee - alabang town center, alabang town center mall
netopia - alabang town center, alabang town center mall
tequila joe's - alabang town center, alabang town center mall

baguio city
seattle's best coffee - session road baguio, sm baguio
netopia - abanao square, abanao square baguio city
netopia - sm baguio, sm baguio
netopia - session road, piltel building session road
the filling station - camp john hay, camp john hay baguio city

makati city
seattle's best coffee - greenbelt 3, 1st level greenbelt mall 3
seattle's best coffee - the paseo center, 1st level paseo center (ibm plaza) paseo de roxas
seattle's best coffee - powerplant mall rockwell, rockwell center
mobile 1 greenbelt, 2nd level greenbelt 1 mall
mobile 1 park square, gr. level park square ayala center
cheesecake etc., 2nd level greenbelt 1 mall
netopia - greenbelt 1, legaspi st. greenbelt mall
netopia (universe café) - park square, gr. level park square ayala center
tequila joe's - glorietta 4, ayala center
california pizza kitchen - glorietta 3, ayala center
true value - powerplant mall rockwell, rockwell center
powerplant mall - concourse level, concourse level powerplant mall rockwell center
papermart greenbelt 1 mall, greenbelt telecom center greenbelt 1 mall
enterprise center - lobby, ayala avenue corner paseo de roxas
makati 1 hotzone, makati ave. cor. de la rosa street

mandaluyong city
seattle's best coffee - sm megastrip, sm megamall
seattle's best coffee - emerald avenue, emerald avenue
netopia - sm megamall, ortigas center
california pizza kitchen - shangrila mall, shangrila mall
struan and tang's - shangrila mall, shangrila mall
villman-netopia cyberzone, cyberzone sm megamall

manila city
westin philippine plaza , roxas boulevard
netopia - university mall (dlsu), taft avenue
netopia - robinson's place manila, padre faura st. ermita
tubbies café - taft tower, taft tower taft avenue (beside dlsu)

pasay city
club manila lounge, departure terminal ninoy aquino international airport 1
pagstop, departure terminal ninoy aquino international airport 1
hari-raya restaurant, departure terminal ninoy aquino international airport 1
cathay pacific lounge, departure terminal ninoy aquino international airport 1
korean airlines lounge, departure terminal ninoy aquino international airport 1
ba/qantas lounge, departure terminal ninoy aquino international airport 1
singapore airlines lounge, departure terminal ninoy aquino international airport 1

pasig city
mobile 1 podium, basement 1 the podium san miguel ave. ortigas
cheesecake etc. - the podium, gr. level the podium san miguel ave. ortigas
tequila joe's - el pueblo, el pueblo ortigas
coffee california - pearl drive, pearl drive ortigas center
ortigas 1 hotzone, julia vargas cor. meralco ave.

quezon city
seattle's best coffee - eastwood, citywalk eastwood city libis
seattle's best coffee - e. rodriguez sr., e. rodriguez sr. avenue
seattle's best coffee - tomas morato, tomas morato st.
seattle's best coffee - katipunan, katipunan avenue fronting ateneo
melange crepes & pasta, sgt. esguerra (formerly bohol ave.)
ateneo de manila loyola campus, edsa walk college quadrangle

san fernando la union
netopia - san fernando la union, pldt building san fernando la union

support info:
call the support hotline at 633-wifi
10am to 10pm mondays to fridays
10am to 7pm saturdays & sundays
or e-mail customer support department at support@airborneaccess.net

t68/t61x as bt remote for winamp :)

2004-05-14T14:31:00.000+08:00

what you'll need:

a bluetooth dongle (i have an InstantPAN Bluetooth USB Dongle)

PCControl from christersson.org

how-to:

configure your bluetooth connection (more on this next time)

using explorer, navigate into My Bluetooth Places and find your phone.

double click on your phone.

right click on your the serial port icon you want to connect to and select connect (alternatively, you can just double click on the serial port)

if so configured you will be asked to pair your devices. pair your devices.

once you have successfully connected to your phone's serial port, right click on the serial port icon and click properties.

make a note of the com port being used, mine uses com 3. (this is actually defined in your bt's software configuration)

right click on the serial port again and click disconnect.

install PCControl

launch PCControl

specify the port you wish to connect to (in my case, 3)

click on the settings button

specify the path to your winamp executable (and change any other setting you wish)

click on the close button

click on the connect button (the button's label will change to connected)

on your phone navigate to accessories (main menu > connectivity > accessories )

select Pc Control

select WinAMP

select a song from the playlist =)

PCControl is actually more than just a winamp remote control. you can also control your mouse (among other things). kudos to christersson.org for such a nifty little app =)

look ma, i'm a blogger!

2004-05-14T10:51:00.001+08:00

so this is blogging... hmmm... interesting... i wonder how often i'll get to post in this thing. anyways, feel free to look around =) if you're here because you want to get to know me better then you're in the wrong place. i'm an extremely paranoid person so as much as possible i won't be posting any personal stuff. of course you can always try to find out more about my personality through my writing, but why bother? i'm as uninteresting as uninteresting can be! heck, i'll probably just use this as a repository of "tech" and other interesting things i come across so i'll have easy access to them in the future. so if you intend to read on, prepare to get bored outta your wits =p