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  • Pidgin replacement for my aMSN ?

    I wish i could say i have been running aMSN for years. It feels like it, and it is almost true. However it has only been about 1 year since i discovered this delightfull alternative to MSN Messenger. Why ? Well i liked the MSN features but disliked the advertisements, extras, games and bloat i didnt need. Also i needed an alternative to use on my Ubuntu Box.

    My first experience with messenger on Linux was using Gaim. It worked but lacked some fundamental MSN features since it was multiple protocol based. So i never really liked it as much as using something messenger like.

    Finally i stumpled upon aMSN and i liked it. Was a bit buggy but worked for most cases. Back then nothing like offline messages and live spaces was in use mind you. Since then i have steadily been using aMSN for a long time since. Using it exclusively in fact. However i have had my frustrated moments. Mostly with file transfers failing and webcam crashing the application 🙁 But it worked and i was (for more features) using the svn edition which tends to break once in a while.

    Gaim become Pidgin

    Gaim later changes (Due to several legal issues with AOL and their AOL instant messenger AIM)) its name to Pidgin. I rediscover the application and test it out again. I like the simplistic feel and look of Pidgin and it performs without crashing and seems extremely stable and great. However i quickly find several small but usefull features missing; Personal Message, Offline Messages.

    Wanting to use this for my windows box i start searching for ways, or plans, to implement this into pidgin. Much to my despair i find that there either (conflicting statements) isn’t a practical way, nor any way, to implement a feature like the personal (highly used) messages into Pidgin. After long searches i find that apparently this feature is in an upcoming version of Pidgin but that doest do me any good now. I finally find a solution.

    MSN Pecan

    I discover MSN pecan which is basically an alternative MSN protocal for use with Pidgin that enables the personal messages, offline messages and much more. Im happy!. MSN-Pecan.
    I decide to test it out, and low and behold it works great!

    Featurelist:

    • Support for personal messages
    • Server-side storage for display names (private alias)
    • Partial direct connection support
    • Improved network IO
    • Improved error handling
    • Network issues tested with netem
    • GObject usage

    Conclusion:

    MSN-Pecan is a nice alternative (easy install) to recompiling pidgin from source just to get some of the most used MSN features in what is an amawing IM Client. So if you feel (little) adventurous give Pidgin + MSN-pecan a whirl!

    Links:

    Pidgin – a multi-protocol Instant Messaging client that allows you to use all of your IM accounts at once.

    MSN-Pecan – Alternative MSN protocol plugin for libpurple

  • NextGEN Gallery for WordPress

    Today I discovered an amazing gallery plugin for WordPress. Simply amazing. It is simple, does everything i need and does it with flair! NextGEN Gallery.

    Features:

    • Sortable Albums : Create your own sets of images
    • Upload a Zip-File with pictures : Upload pictures in a zip-file (Not in Safe-mode)
    • Watermark function : You can add a watermark image or text
    • JavaScript Effect : Use any available popular image effect : Thickbox, Lightbox or Highslide
    • Multiple CSS Stylesheet : Use a nice shadow effect for your thumbnails with your own CSS file
    • Slideshow : Full integrated flash slideshow
    • TinyMCE : Button integration for easy adding the gallery tags
    • Sidebar Widget : Show a slideshow, random or recent picture at your sidebar
    • Language support : Translated in more than 15 languages
    • Upload tab integration : You have access to all pictures via the upload tab
    • Tag support for images : Append related images to your post
    • Meta data support : Import EXIF, IPTC or XMP meta data
    • Sort images feature

    Installation:

    1. Upload the files to /wp-content/plugins/nextgen-gallery/
    2. Go to the web page JW Image rotator and download the JW Image Rotator and unpack the conent
    3. Upload the file imagerotator.swf to the /wp-content/plugins/nextgen-gallery/ folder
    4. Activate the plugin
    5. Create a /wp-content/gallery/ folder and CHMOD to 777 or 775
    6. Add a gallery and upload some images (the main gallery folder must have write permission, thus the 775 or 777 chmod)
    7. Go to your post/page and use the gallery quickbutton to add content

    Comments:

    Personally i love this plugin. Easy install. Works right away with options to upload images from zip files as well as single uploads. Meta tags, sorting thumbnail generation. Fluid transistions and lightbox showing.
    I particularly love the slidewhow transistion effects. So if you need even a simple gallery on your website try out NextGEN Gallery!

    Links:

    NextGEN Gallery WordPress Plugin

    JW Image rotator (needed download)

  • Randy Pausch dvd bought!

    Tonght I bought the Randy Pausch DVD on The Last Lecture.
    Nothing much more to day exept were to buy it. I wanted to support the cause, and own this inspirational lecture on a medium so i can watch and re-watch as needed 😀

    The Links:

    Buy the Last Lecture DVD

    The Book (went on sale april 8th)
    Randys Peronal Update Page
    Other Lectures + download information

    Lectures:

    “Time Management” by Randy Pausch – Nov 2007
    The “Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch – Sept 2007

  • The morning is heeeeeeeeere!!

    It’s morning.. and I’m singing. Could be the fewer than 4 hours sleep i got last night. Could be that i watched Hitch last night and decided to heed his advice about Starting each morning as if it were on purpose!

    No matter because Morning is Here and i am singing to much torment of my fellow workers this fine Saturday morning 😉

    Morning’s Here
    The Morning is Here
    Sunshine is Here
    The Sky is Clear
    The Morning’s here
    Get into Gear
    Breakfast is near
    The Dark of Night Has Disappeared

  • New Gmail with English

    Okay there has been talk about a new Gmail version lately. I was kinda bummed when i didnt get to colorcode my labels like everybody else.
    However the word is not all grey since i found a way to get the new version out quickly; Switch to english languaged Gmail!

    1. Open your settings
    2. Change the language of Gmail to ‘English US’
    3. Colored labels !!

    Worked fine for me. Apparently the ‘new’ version has a link to the older version on the top right, as well as colored labels. Look for the colors closely on the right side of the labels box.
    Source: Lifehacker – What version of Gmail are you using ? 

  • New pages

    Okay been a few weeks now since the last post. What happened there ?

    Well been a nice Easter holiday. Relaxing and achieving way too little as pr usual.  Funny how i usually get more stuff done on regular days than the days were i have a whole week off :p Anyhow back to business. Tomorrow is a boring Tuesday 🙁

    Today i added a little notes section to the site. Primarily to keep small commands, programs and useful tidbits handy. Stuff like creating a SVN repository, common LaTeX commands and stuff like that. Mostly what i use regularly at the university. I will be adding to this collection all the time, so it will probably grow a little life of its own :p

    Other than that i established a solid backup solution on my machine at home, and currently waiting for my new hard-drive to arrive so that i can make easy monthly backup of all my data. Cant wait to have yet another problem into the automated things box :p Really love to have stuff automated :p

    Other than that nothing fancy happened except in the personal life section, of which im not writing any here. Its just not the place 😉 However i DID get to perform for some audiences with magic during the Holiday. We went (the guys from the magic club) to the local Mall and performed for whomever would stop to see us perform a few tricks :p

    Oh yeah i also uploaded my Python Pong game, but i password protected it :p Just for the tease of it 😀

  • Speedpainting, Pong and paper :p

    Okay last saturday i had a great day! Woke up late and joined some friends from the University for a game development day.
    In short it was awsome! First i finished my Python Pong game. Basically a game of Pong using Python and PyGame for development. Added some “fancy” graphics and decided that was that small game project, so check out the screens of it running :p

    python pong 1 python pong 2

    Afterwards i helped some of the other guys getting some graphics work done. It was great fun and i really got back into my old workflow in Painter. Funny how little i used Photoshop, but rather painting simply because im used to the shortcuts :p

    Anyhow afterwards i finished off the day with a quick ½ hour speedpainting before heading to a crazy party, so enjoy this new speedpainting as well 😀

    Rocky Landscape Speedpaint

  • What are we doing today ?

    Sorry for the lack of updates on the site. Been really busy seems as good an excuse as anything else, so lets just say thats why 😉 Today i got a good laugh from my daily Garfield cartoon, and thought it was worth posting here :p

    garfield-today

    Whats currently going on?

    Well I’m finished with the current round of exams at the University. Didn’t go quite as expected.. but nevertheless I’m finished. So whats going on now ? Well i re-started my programming in XNA. Of course im currently studying hard for once, and really keeping up in all my classes.

    So aside from XNA programming and studying i have been working on getting my laptop really really souped up. Been scripting to do my trivial tasks, and also help my bored everyday a little. Getting things pretty nice on the Ubuntu box if only i could get the remaining few applications i want working. Also im serious about my workout right now, and though it may sound cliche I’m eating right, and working hard and its showing!

    Programming, painting and magic!

    So thats programming, working out and studying. What else ? Oh yeah this week I’m beginning to paint/draw again to help some friends making graphics for games. Also tonight i have my first meeting with the local magicians club 😀 Cant wait. Been exited about my magic again ever since i met a famous comedian/magician a few weeks back 😀

    So whats in the future of the blog. Well more pictures are comming. I’m aiming for a weekly update with images, good AND bad alike. They may vary greatly in size, so no promises yet. Video recordings will wait until i have a good work flow in Painter again.
    Also I’m going to be making a lot more tutorials/articles on Linux and Ubuntu from now on. Have been making many changes on my laptop and have tons of tips and tutorials that might, or might not help you. But i write them mostly for myself, so use if you like 😉

    Old posts gone missing

    had two drafts lying around that i wanted to post. But upon  further inspection only one of them were worth posting for now.

    It is about an extremely motivating lecture a professor gave at Carnegie Mellon university. Its really worth the watch for everybody in all walks of life. Watch it and be inspired!

    Inspirational lecture – old post:

    Direct link to streaming video

    Digg article

    More from swoop later. It has also been medically proven that swoop is part of a nutritional orgasm for hot women! :p

  • Charisma as Natural as Gravity

    The following is a copy of a statement Christopher Nolan, director of The Dark Knight, made about the death of Heath Ledger

    Best known for his haunting, Oscar-nominated performance as Ennis Del Mar, one of the gay cowboys in 2005 s Brokeback Mountain, Ledger was a massive young talent on the cusp of greatness when he died last week in New York. The native Australian, who is survived by his 2-year-old daughter, Matilda, had recently finished work on this summers Batman sequel, The Dark Knight, in which he plays a villain, the Joker. Christopher Nolan, the films director, shared these memories:

    One night, as I’m standing on LaSalle Street in Chicago, trying to line up a shot for “The Dark Knight,” a production assistant skateboards into my line of sight. Silently, I curse the moment that Heath first skated onto our set in full character makeup. I’d fretted about the reaction of Batman fans to a skateboarding Joker, but the actual result was a proliferation of skateboards among the younger crew members. If you’d asked those kids why they had chosen to bring their boards to work, they would have answered honestly that they didn’t know. That’s real charisma—as invisible and natural as gravity. That’s what Heath had.

    Heath was bursting with creativity. It was in his every gesture. He once told me that he liked to wait between jobs until he was creatively hungry. Until he needed it again. He brought that attitude to our set every day. There aren’t many actors who can make you feel ashamed of how often you complain about doing the best job in the world. Heath was one of them.

    One time he and another actor were shooting a complex scene. We had two days to shoot it, and at the end of the first day, they’d really found something and Heath was worried that he might not have it if we stopped. He wanted to carry on and finish. It’s tough to ask the crew to work late when we all know there’s plenty of time to finish the next day. But everyone seemed to understand that Heath had something special and that we had to capture it before it disappeared. Months later, I learned that as Heath left the set that night, he quietly thanked each crew member for working late. Quietly. Not trying to make a point, just grateful for the chance to create that they’d given him.

    Those nights on the streets of Chicago were filled with stunts. These can be boring times for an actor, but Heath was fascinated, eagerly accepting our invitation to ride in the camera car as we chased vehicles through movie traffic—not just for the thrill ride, but to be a part of it. Of everything. He’d brought his laptop along in the car, and we had a high-speed screening of two of his works-in-progress: short films he’d made that were exciting and haunting. Their exuberance made me feel jaded and leaden. I’ve never felt as old as I did watching Heath explore his talents. That night I made him an offer—knowing he wouldn’t take me up on it—that he should feel free to come by the set when he had a night off so he could see what we were up to.

    When you get into the edit suite after shooting a movie, you feel a responsibility to an actor who has trusted you, and Heath gave us everything. As we started my cut, I would wonder about each take we chose, each trim we made. I would visualize the screening where we’d have to show him the finished film—sitting three or four rows behind him, watching the movements of his head for clues to what he was thinking about what we’d done with all that he’d given us. Now that screening will never be real. I see him every day in my edit suite. I study his face, his voice. And I miss him terribly.

    Back on LaSalle Street, I turn to my assistant director and I tell him to clear the skateboarding kid out of my line of sight when I realize—it’s Heath, woolly hat pulled low over his eyes, here on his night off to take me up on my offer. I can’t help but smile.

    Thought it was extremely well written and a worthy tribute to Ledger.

  • Spam 😉

    Okay so from i started using Akismet to catch comment spam the following number of spam messages have been deleted before being posted.

     Akismet has caught 42,300 spam for you since you first installed it.

    Just think its funny that even a minor blog like my own will get this many spam messages. Luckily for me Akismet catches them all and i never get a single one of them posted here 😀