Category: Tech Blog

Is Yahoo relevant or useful?

admin Tech Blog

My first email address was a Yahoo one – My sister helped me set it up when I was younger, I think it was begreen4eva@yahoo.com hahaha~

After that, in high school, I made some HTML websites using Geocities, using many hideous flashing animated gifs and bright colours…

after that, I pretty much never saw Yahoo again, hooray Google ~

But there is actually one thing I love that came from Yahoo – Yahoo Widgets.

Google and Microsoft had their versions, but I found them both to be alike, and displeasing.

But I only like 3 of the Yahoo widgets (and a specific older version of one of them)

Click here to download Yahoo Widgets

Click here to download a ZIP of my favourite 3 widgets

Settings changes:

  • Calendar change to outline current day, change to white outline
  • Time make maximum size, and glow size, hide animation, alarm, date, etc. white font, black glow
  • Weather set location, change to metric
  • Set all to “below windows” and “prevent dragging”

yahoo-widgets

If only they were available on Linux, but they are under some strict licence by Yahoo…

Tablet OS Android Chrome OS

admin Google

It seems that this year is the year of tablets, cloud and mobile.

I was excited about tablets before (though I wasn’t planning to get one, I can do so many things on my phone, and I really don’t need one…) but I really would have wanted one which was a bit more powerful that what IOS and Android can offer.

I would love a cloud based Chrome OS tablet, with full HTML 5 support for offline databases (Gmail, Docs, Google+ etc.)

That way it would not need huge processing or space (becuase the cloud could process and store), but would be easily accessible and portable. It would be able to do more powerful desktop processes in a compact form factor…

What do you think about tablets/ notebooks/ etc.?

Since Google Docs, I’ve been loving the cloud, storing all my Microsoft Office files in Docs.
and then when G+ came out with unlimited photos at 2,000 pixel resolution ` I uploaded all photos on my destop~ Then theres YouTube, Gmail, etc.etc. ~

Just a few things to go and we’ll be 100% in the cloud ~

Google Plus G+ New awesome Social Network

admin Google

I was so excited when I heard about G+,

I had already slowed my use of Facebook, and was being irritated by the cluttered, ever changing, dated style of it, and the way it did things…

Things I love about G+:

  • You can send things to groups of people “circles” – semi-public, but restricted by you
  • You can share videos with groups of people (driven by YouTube architecture) – where as on YouTube it’s public, private, or to 5 people…
  • Unlimited HD 2,000 pixel photos, unlike compressed FB photos… So I uploaded every image I owned ~ and all facebook images
  • It’s easy to upload stuff
    • When I get home, and connect to WIFI, all my photos/ videos from my phone get pushed into G+
    • Other photos on your computer can just be dragged into G+ albums and uploaded, and while uploaded, you can drag more photos in ~
  • Video chat, better than Skype.
    You can video chat with 10 people, while chatting and sharing YouTube videos together ~
  • It’s clean, fast, made by Google, and only just beginning ~

Adventures with Android Happiness <3

admin Google

It may or may not be shameful to say – but in Australia, since the iPhone 3G came out (2nd iPhone) – I have gotten a new iPhone every year – 3G, 3GS, 4.

I did need to change my contracts – so I have some excuse.. I would sell the phone and upgrade.. –_–;;;

Anyway – I won a competition with Google, and got a Nexus S from them ^__^

It is so good – but I guess many smartphones will be similar in many ways.. just details..

Here are some big things for me:

  • There is an app called ES File Explorer, which lets you see your phone’s file system, and also FTP, LAN and Bluetooth network file systems.
    O___________O
    This is so amazing !!! you’d never be able to do this on an iPhone!!
    So Android phones (that are not locked with carriers), are like computers ^__^..more and more…
    So pretty much – no more iTunes – I never need to plug my phone into a computer… transferring images from the web, Google Music Beta-Like sync with SugarSync (wireless syncing of music with shared folders, playing music with Winamp) and you can download files from FTP servers, backup files, download files from the Internet etc.
  • Home screen widgets ~ yayy~ 
    there is a list of all apps, but on the homescreens, you can have anything – 
    My favorite are the time/date/weather/etc. and settings widgets.
  • My desktop’s Ethernet plug died, so – no internet for a while – but Android saved the day – PDAnet – sharing WIFI with computer (like 3G tethering, but faster)
    again – would never happen with iPhone unless you had some dirty hack..
  • Real turn-by-turn audio GPS for free ^__^
  • You can set other 3rd party applications as default apps – 
    SMS Go pro (free) scheduling SMS, Firefox browser, WinAmp

CONS X__X I wish there were none… /ok, there are none/

  • Camera: no touch to focus yet? /fixed/ 
  • Was freezing up on homescreens – that would (almost) never hapen on an iPhone) /fixed/
  • No easy screenshot? /fixed/
  • No easy Japanese keyboard..? /fixed/
  • No Emoji system wide u_u,, /fixed/

Since the time of publishing, I have gotten a Nexus 4 which was the top of the line phone end of 2012 and half the price of an iPhone. It is shiny beautiful and runs wonderfully, many more features and apps. 

Basic Black Windows 7 – no Aero, dark.

admin Linux Nuxlin

(slightly off topic on linux, but if you are using Win7:)

Save on system rescources, use old graphics cards, and keep Aero off Win 7 and use this dark theme.

May need some reset(s) to make it all function ~

And say goodbye to pale washed out blue ~ ~ 
(why is linux the only OS that lets you chose a theme without hacking the system??? *facepalm***)

Easy file manipulations in locked folders

admin Linux Nuxlin

Sometimes you want to delete/ insert/ edit files that are in some locked location – like – outside your Home folder, in the system somewhere in Ubuntu. You could use the terminal to gain admin privileges and access the files, or copy/ move folders, but there is an easier way. You can do it through the GUI by typing this into the terminal:

  • gksudo nautilus

Then a new finder window will open in which you will be running in SUDO – Admin. Nautilus is the file manager used in Ubuntu Unity. If you use Kubuntu it would be “kdesudo dolphin” for example. This is an add-on which adds an “Open as administrator” dialogue to right click.

Right click on image – press resize – Easy!

admin Linux Nuxlin

Sometimes we need to resize some images to email or use as a thumbnail – now you can right click in ubuntu and click resize. simple ~

  • open the terminal
  • copy this: 
    sudo apt-get install nautilus-image-converter
  • paste it into the terminal by pressing Ctrl + Shift + V
  • enter + password, and it will install
  • on next login/reboot, there will be a new item when you right click on images ~

Extract here when double click

admin Linux Nuxlin

Mac computers save a bit of time with extracting for simple people that just want to always extract to current folder – just double click, and it loads.. no menus, no semi-extracted file browsers. Simple.

In ubuntu: do this:

  • right click on a ZIP file (etc.)
  • select: “open with other application”
  • click “use custom command”
  • paste in ”/usr/bin/file-roller -h”
  • check “remember this application”

And that’s it  ~ ZIP files will always extract on double click.

(you need to repeat this process for different types of archives)

Adding Microsoft Fonts to Ubuntu System

admin Linux Nuxlin

To add Windows fonts to Ubuntu:

  • go into the file viewer, and go to your home directory
  • in the menu go to View -> “Show hidden files”
  • find the hidden folder called “.fonts” – if it doesn’t exist, make it
  • put all Windows fonts in this directory
  • you may need to restart programs to access new fonts in them

Share your mouse between two computers – Ubunt, Mac – SynergyShare

admin Tech Blog

I saw some posts and tutorials about using Synergy to connect Ubuntu/Mac – but after following a few, I couldn’t get it to work, then trial and error, more tutorials, and I got it, so I’ll share – Ubuntu having the mouse/ keyboard, and sharing them with Mac – (client)

This makes it as if it’s dual-screen – but with different operating systems.

  • Ubuntu – search software center for “synergy” – install QuickSynergy
  • Mac – SynergyKM – I used version 1.3.1
  • I don’t know if this file has anything to do with getting it to work, but:
    download this file, edit it replacing “pushka” with your main computer name that has the keyboard and mouse to share, and “sda” with the extra computer.
  • Install these on the separate machines
  • Then move the file to /etc (in Filesystem, Root.) But you need to have Admin privileges.
    Open up Terminal, type in:
    “sudo mv “
    Then drag into the terminal the file you just downloaded (it will write in the link to it)
    Then press space
    Then type “/etc” (or again, drag in the folder into the terminal.)
  • On ubuntu open up the preferences -> share, and type in the computer name in the box where you want the computer mouse to switch to the mac.
    EG: I have my MacBook next to my desktop on the left, so I type “sda” (the name of my Mac Computer into the left box)
  • On Mac – Prefrences -> use, type in the computer name and .local (like, “pushka.local”)
  • Then run the two apps on both computers, and it should be done ~ ~

If you find it’s the same on other opperating systems, leave a comment below ~
If you don’t need that file – comment, and I’ll remove those steps ~