Merry "-ber" Season... ^___^

To Oracle Database users out there!

select to_date('2512' || to_char (SYSDATE, 'yyyy'), 'ddmmyyyy') - trunc(SYSDATE) || TRANSLATE('ZKXVQZDJYSZBQFXVQZCHVWSTKJS','ZXQJWVK',' OEAIRM') as YEAH from dual

Yeah!

Featured: CKRename

There are many tools out there that enables you to rename files by batch.

Here's a simple and intuitive solution for this task:

CKRename v1.08

How to use

1. Download from this link and install.
2. Run the program.
3. 
4. The interface is quite simple so just experiment on your own. ^__^
5. That's it.

Don't forget to visit the official website at ..... uhh.. the website is down indefinitely.

^___^

Featured: CopyFilenames

Scenario:

You open a folder, then you select a list of files/folders.

Thought:

Ever wondered if you could copy the list of files/folders to the clipboard INSTEAD of copying the actual files/folders themselves?

Here's a cool explorer context menu extension which enables just this functionality.

COPYFILENAMES

How to use:

1. Select some files/folders.
2. Right-click on any one of them.
3. 
4. Click "Copy Filenames".
5. Eureka! You now have the list of files copied to your clipboard.
6. That's it.

Visit the website @ http://www.extrabit.com/copyfilenames/

^___^

Picasa Photo Viewer

Don't tell me I didn't tell you about this!

Holy crap! OMG! Cool! Bodacious!

The BEST media library program ever created!

You won't regret installing it.

DOWNLOAD IT NOW!

^___^

Turn Off LCD Screen

A few days ago, I came across this cool tool which programmatically turns off the LCD lamp.

Very useful especially for those laptops without any shortcuts / buttons to do so.

You can download the file from this link.

Experience, The Best Teacher?

Experience is not the best teacher.

The best teacher you have is yourself because learning starts...

...when you realize that you can commit mistakes.

...when you accept the fact that not everyone around you thinks and does as you do.

...when you believe without reservation that you do not know everything.

Is it wisdom to experience so many failures in life and never learn from any of them?

Can you say experience is the best teacher when you commit the same mistakes all over again?

Does being old mean you have more and are more experienced?

Experience means nothing. Age means nothing.

The endless acknowledgment of your failures, and the humility to change your ways: that is learning.

"Err and err and err again, but less and less and less..." -- Piet Hein.

OpenEditor >> Fast and Simple Text Editor

There are lots of popular text editors out there. I've tried Notepad++, UltraEdit, Crimson Editor, EditpPlus, etc.

None of which beats notepad in terms of loading times, at least in my Inter Dual Core 2.40GHz rig.

If you want a faster alternative to notepad, you might want to try this baby out.

Open Editor 0.99 Beta2

Simple Inteface:

Simple Settings:

Get the client here or get the latest one from their website.

That's it. ^__^

Windows XP Tech Tip #16 >> Defragment System Files

The standard defragmentation tool of XP does not support defragmenting system files, e.g. the registry hive, page files (virtual RAM), etc.

Here's a tool that helps to do so, and does so during system start-up.

The process is quite fast and you'll see the results immediately upon reboot, especially if you are one who encounters slow start-up (on logon) and slow shutdown times.

How to install

1. Download the tool from this link.
2. Extract and run pagedfrg.exe.
3. Configure as you see fit, but I recommend the following settings:
4. Restart.

That's it! ^__^

Windows XP TechTip #15 >> Half-Open TCP/IP Connection Limit Patch

From Windows SP2 onwards, Microsoft has implemented a patch that limits the number of half-open TCP/IP connections to 10 per second. Microsoft said that it was applied to limit the propagation speed of worms.

Nevertheless, this limit is not enough for power users, especially for those who use P2P programs, multiple browser sessions, etc.

To circumvent this limit, you may use this patch.

How to patch:

1. Download and extract the patcher from this link.
2. Run the TCPIPPatch.exe.
3. When prompted, "Do you really want to change the limit to 10?", press "C".
4. "Please enter the number of concurrent half-open connections". The setting before was set to more than 65,000. Type in 65000 then hit "Enter". (If you still find your browsing too slow while downloading something in uTorrent for example, then you may set a higher value.)
5. "Do you really want to change the limit to 65000?", press "Y".
6. "May the files be renamed until end of patching", hit "Y".
7. When prompted this dialog, choose "Cancel".
   
8. And then choose "Yes" in this dialog.
9. Done. Restart. Repair your LAN connection and then observe your browsing speed.
10. If you encounter any problems revert back to the old version by following these steps: Run the patcher again, then choose "U" (Un-install), and then restart.

That's it. ^__^

FoxChrome, ChromeFox, anyone?

I really liked the Chrome interface a lot but I didn't want to leave Firefox's streamlined internals... yet.

And so I tried to "chromify" my Firefox browser.

Here's the result:



It's not as fluid as the original Chrome interface but it's cool enough. I just hope the Firefox team can implement the "Incognito" mode as Chrome does it.

Either that or Chrome 2.0 comes and beats the hell out of Firefox, ^__^.

Go Chrome! Go Firefox!

So here's two easy steps on how I did it.

1) Install the Personal Menu add-on from this link https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3895/.
2) Install the Chromin Frame add-on from this link https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/10091/.
3) Restart Firefox.

That's it! ^__^

Pandion (Jabber Client)

Alright, Pidgin already served the purpose, but I guess Pandion is too cute to brush aside.

So here's another jabber client that is compact, feature-rich and fun to use.

Pandion 2.5

Roster View:



Chat Box:



Searchable Message History:



Conference Room:



Just download the client here or visit their website. Try it and and see for yourself.

That's it. ^__^

Firefox Add-on : FoxTab

Here's a Firefox extension that will change your browsing life. Basically, it is similar to the Quick Tab feature of Internet Explorer, but only better in some lots of ways, ^__^.

I'd rather not describe the beauty of this gem in words though. As the saying goes, pictures say a million words.

The Wall:



The Row:



The Grid:



The 3D-Stack:



The Carousel:



Well, maybe you are wondering what these pictures are for, so I guess you better try the FoxTab add-on so you would know.

That's it. ^__^

The Best Free FTP Client

So everybody's using FileZilla?

I have used it for quite some time too, till I tried WinSCP.

WinSCP supports both SFTP and FTP (and also the SCP protocol), bookmarking of paths, comprehensive hotkeys, integration with putty, drag and drop files, and lots more features I haven't tampered with yet.

Try it and see for yourself.

WinSCP 4.1.8

The startup screen:



The Explorer-like interface:



The Norton Commander interface:



Download it from this link or visit their website.

That's it. ^__^

LAN Messengers

Do you need to communicate with people across a local network either at home or in the office, but you find jabber or propriety IM clients too troublesome? Then these messaging programs might just be what you need.

If you are the type of person who opts for an IM-like interface, then TONIC is for you.

Tonic 1.0.1032



Download it from this link, and try it out. Please take note that this is a beta version. The current stable version is not that very good compared to this one.

Now, if you prefer a simpler interface and the don't mind the quirks of a not-so-conventional messaging program, then IPMsg is the way to go.

IPMsg 2.06



Download it from this link.

That's it. ^__^

Multiple YM Instance

I ceased being a fan of the Yahoo Messenger 9 client ever since I started using Pidgin a few weeks ago.

Nevertheless, just wanna share this registry tweak which allows multiple instances of YM (v8 or v9) in one login session.

1. Create an empty text file then paste the following:

---

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\yahoo\pager\Test]
"Plural"="1"

---

2. Save it as a registry file (e.g. MultipleYM.reg) or you can just download the file from this link.
3. Double-click the .reg file.



4. Click "Yes".

You can now have hundreds of YM running.

That's it. ^__^

Desktop Icons, Stay Put!

I know, I know, the frustration when you painstakingly arranged your desktop icons such so you can even close your eyes and click somewhere on the desktop, and you will know exactly what you clicked.

Then...

Windows crashes... somebody changes the screen resolution... a housemate, a son, a sibling messes up your icons. Aaarghh!

Make those desktop icons remember.

Desktop Restore 1.6.1

How to use:

1. Download from this link and install.
2. Set your desktop icons.
   
3. Right click on the desktop and click the "Save Desktop" option.
4. 
5. You have now saved your desktop icons layout. Just choose "Restore Desktop" to restore.
   
6. Custom Save/Restore lets you choose a file to save/restore the layout from.

That's it! ^__^

Visit the official website here.

Windows XP Techtip #14 >> Iconize Taskbar Items

Is your taskbar getting crowded?

Then you could do away with the text description that normally goes with the icons.

Here's a simply registry trick to do it:

1. Create an empty text file then paste the following:

---

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics]
"MinWidth"="-255"

---

2. Save it as a registry file (e.g. TaskbarIcons.reg) or you can just download the file from this link.
3. Double-click the .reg file.



4. Select "Yes". Hit Enter.
5. Restart.

Voila! All icons for your taskbar!

If you don't want the feel/look of it, just delete the tweak by running "regedit", locating the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics and deleting the MinWidth entry.

That's it. ^__^

Pidgin!

My original intent was to find a YM9 client alternative since the client available from Yahoo fails to meet my standards. So there was I again, googling till my eyes dropped out.

After trying out Yah-Too, YahELite, YaZak, CheetaChat, Y!Mlite, YAM, YahEh, JAM, El33tchat, YMSG, no5. I finally gave up on searching for a YM9 client alternative.

I realized then I was aiming for the wrong program. So why not seek a multiclient program instead that also supports YM?

There were three major candidates - Trillian, Miranda IM and Pidgin. I guess you already know which won my favor; performance, compactness and features - wise. ^__^

So here is the winner:

Pidgin 2.5.4

How to use:

1. Download from this link and install.
   
2. Run the program and add your accounts by clicking on the menu, Accounts -> Manage Accounts (Ctrl+A).
3. Explore the rich features of Pidgin, plugins, grouping cross-client contacts, and so much more!

If you have questions, comments or suggestions just visit the pidgin community. Check out this link for a quick Windows FAQ.

That's it. ^__^

P.S. Don't uninstall your default clients as pidgin doesn't support voice and video conferencing... yet.

FlashNote 3.1

I have used TurboNotes and PostIt for the past few years of my computing life.

Recently though, I came across this simple but intuitive and compact freeware program by Softvoile.

Try it out!

FlashNote v3.1

How to use:

1. Download from this link and install.
   
2. Press Alt+S. (You may change this in the program preferences later)
   
3. Start typing notes (no need to save).
4. Explore.

That's it! ^__^

Windows XP TechTip #13 >> OEM Info

Cool, eh?

You can easily change your OEM logo and info by following these simple steps:

1. Locate the files OEMINFO.INI and OEMLOGO.BMP in your system32 folder.
2. Create backup copies of the files.
   
3. Just run "system32" and you'll be taken to this folder.
4. 
5. Modify the the files to your heart's content.
   
6. Just don't forget that the OEMLOGO.BMP file should be a 180 x 114, 256 Color bitmap file.

Alternatively, do a google-search using "oem logo changer +freeware" as search keys, you should have no problems finding one.

It's up to you which method you prefer; personally I'd do simple stuff like these on my own.

That's it. ^__^

Demonoid Account

------------------------------------
Update: 5 more invites left!
------------------------------------

Demonoid.com is a good torrent site. Many a famous torrents are uploaded here; you may have noticed most torrents have the "Torrent_downloaded_from_Demonoid_com.txt" file with it.

After months of futile searching for an invitation code, I finally got one from a friend staying somewhere in Dubai.

To pay the favor forward, I could possibly give 5 more invitations to people interested in joining the demonoid community. But I should quote first the demonoid team:

------------------------------
Please note: To avoid abuse, invitations are limited. Also, if someone you invite gets warned/banned, you might get warned/banned too.

Please do not try to sell your invitation codes. It is against site policy. Thank you!
------------------------------

So I am giving you an invitation code on one condition, three actually:

• You give your word that you won't get me banned.
• You give your word that you won't sell the code.
• Pay it forward.
  

Of course, I can't be sure and I can't even trace you if you would violate any of these, so I can only virtually trust you.

That's it. Just give me a holler and I'd give you the code.

Swap X and Y...

I have been asked this programming question more times than I can remember now.

Question:

Given two variables x and y, how would you swap their values without using a third variable?

Think...

Hmm...

Umm...

Ohhh...

Answer:
------------------
x = x + y;
y = x - y;
x = x - y;
------------------

That's it... ^__^

Windows XP TechTip #12 >> Shortcuts

Hotkeys or shortcut keys increase your computing productivity tenfold.

Here's a few of them that you could definitely use for your everyday computing.

[Windows Button]+D Hides/shows the Desktop
[Windows Button]+L Locks the workstation (Thanks to ngehehe)
[Windows Button]+R Spawns a "Run" dialog (Thanks to kimo)
[Windows Button]+F Launches the Search module
[Windows Button]+E Starts the Windows Explorer
[Windows Button]+PauseBreak Shows the System Properties

Actually, I am encouraging you to use them always.

They really help a lot. ^__^

Windows XP TechTip #11 >> Disable Autoplay

Autoplay is one feature heavily exploited by USB drive virii.

So the usual scheme we deal with it is to disable the autoplay feature using the group policies, which, sadly, is NOT available to XP Home users.

Even so, simply turning off autoplay from the group policies isn't enough because explorer's "autoplay" context menu is still active.

Consequently, double-clicking the infected USB drive from My Computer still executes malicious scripts from the infected flash drive and in the end, your computer still gets infected.

Here's a fool-proof way to totally KILL the autoplay feature.

It works for XP Home users as well.

1. Create a blank text file then paste the following to it.

---

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"NoDriveTypeAutoRun"=dword:000000ff

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\Explorer]
"NoDriveTypeAutoRun"=dword:000000ff

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\IniFileMapping\Autorun.inf]
@="@SYS:DoesNotExist"

---

2. Save the file as a registry file (e.g. KillAutoPlay.reg) or you can just download the file from this link.
3. Double-click the .reg file.



4. Select "Yes". Hit Enter.

Goodbye autoplay!

That's it... ^__^

Windows XP TechTip #10 >> Cmd Here

The "cmd" shell is commonly used to execute console programs or batch files.

The irritating thing is this: more often than not, the location of these files is not that very intuitive to traverse due to the nature of the cmd console interface.

This tool can help you open a cmd shell, the initial path of which is pointed to the location of your choice:

Cmd Here



How to Use:

1. Download from the link and install.
2. Locate the folder where you put the console program.
3. Right-click on it.
   
4. Select "Open Command Window Here".
5. Eureka! The initial path is set to the folder you chose.
   

That's it... ^__^

Rapid Clicker v1.1

Update:
---------------RapidClicker v1.0 has a major bug -> the frame of the window is NOT ALWAYS transparent because I have hard-coded the transparent color. The issue has been fixed in RapidClicker v1.1.

Kindly, redownload the file from this link.
---------------

I could think of a few games that require you, the player, to rapidly pound on the left mouse button.

Your problem has just been resolved.

I've coded a tool that simulates rapid-clicking on the current mouse cursor position.

May you find this tool useful:

Rapid Clicker v1.1 (C++)



How to use

1. Run program.
2. Drag and resize the window to encapsulate the area you wish to rapid-click on.
3. Press and hold CapsLock to initiate.
4. If you have a powerful computer, you can run multiple instances of this program for an even faster clicking action.

Comments, suggestions, bug reports? Just notify me. ^___^

Windows XP TechTip #9 >> Location

Having tons of files in the same drive as the OS introduces unnecessary head reads to your physical disks; consequently leading to slower computer performance.

It is advised that you put your files in a separate partition or if possible, a separate physical drive for optimum hard disk operation.

Simply put, I highly recommend changing the default "My Documents" and "Desktop" location in your machine; guessing that the bulk of your files are commonly placed in these folders.

To change the location for "My Documents", right click the "My Documents" folder then select properties. On the screen, click Move and select the folder of your choice.



To change the desktop location, load the registry editor by running "regedit". Open the "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Explorer\User Shell Folders" key and change the "Desktop" attribute to a folder of your choice.



You can also change the location of My Documents using this method.

Personally, I put my desktop and my documents in the same folder (e.g. D:\Files) so I that's:

D:\Files\Docs
D:\Files\Desktop

(assuming XP is installed in drive C:)

That's it. ^__^

The EXE packer, UPX

This tool is mainly useful for programmers who want their releases packed to the bone.

Everyone can still use it for shrinking any executable (.exe file), though.

UPX v3.0.3



How to use:

1. Download the package from the official website or just the zipped program as provided in this link.
2. Extract the contents of upx.zip and move upx.exe to C:\Windows or any of your folders included in the PATH system variable.
3. Run a cmd shell and change path to the target EXE file.
4. Type in "upx -9 <Exe FileName>" for maximum compression.

Note: Just run upx for a list of available command parameters.

That's it.

Visit the official website here.

Windows XP TechTip #8 >> Defaults

You have already set Firefox as your default browser but clicking on web links still loads the page using IE.

This is a common problem for people using multiple browsers. Sometimes answering this prompt is not enough:



To set things straight, run "Set Program Access and Defaults" by:

• Running "appwiz.cpl" or Control Panel -> "Add or Remove Programs", then selecting "Set Program Access and Defaults"; or
• Press the Windows button, then click "Set Program Access and Defaults"

Now, click "Custom", then select the browser you want to set as default.



You can look around and tinker with other settings.

That's it. ^__^

Launchy v2.1.2

Here's a tool to launch applications quickly and intuitively.

Launchy v2.1.2



How to use:

1. Download from this link and install.
   
2. Press Alt+Space. (You may change this in the program preferences later)
   
3. Type in a substring of the application you want to launch. E.g., type in "w" and applications containing this letter should appear in a list.
   
4. Choose an application and hit Enter.

That's it. ^__^

Visit the official website here.

Windows XP TechTip #7 >> Shutdown

Shutting down windows normally doesn't always work.

Oftentimes you'd wake up in the morning wondering why your PC is still on while you can clearly remember clicking "Turn off" on this dialog:



What happened?

Some persistent programs failed to terminate during the shutdown sequence and the OS is waiting for it to do so.

That's roughly 8 hours of pointless power consumption you'd pay in your electric bill. Damn.

You can avoid this by running:

"shutdown -s -f -t 10"

This gives you 10 seconds to think if you want to abort the shutdown or not. Run this to abort the sequence:

"shutdown -a"

Note: This command is also useful for aborting the 60-second shutdown sequence initiated by the then popular Blasterworm virus.

Should you simply want a restart, this command should do:

"shutdown -r -f -t 10"

For a full description of what the parameters mean, run "shutdown" from the command shell, a.k.a. the "cmd".

Alternatively, you can create batch files placed on the desktop or the quick launch toolbar to run these commands.

Just type in any of these to a text file, then save as "Shutdown.bat" for instance.

That's it.

Unlocker v1.8.7

Select RapidClicker.exe.

Shift+Delete.



Aarrgh!

Never fear, Unlocker is here!

Unlocker v1.8.7



How to use:

1. Download the installer from here and install.
2. Right-click the magic-wand-like system tray icon.
3. Uncheck Autostart, you don't need this assistant.
   
4. Do step 2 again and click Close.
5. Now, right-click on the file or folder you can't delete and select Unlocker, this should be just right above the "Send To" item.
6. Unlocker launches and you see the list of processes and programs locking the file.
7. Select the desired action.

Note: Sometimes some files could only be deleted on system startup.

That's it. ^__^