jQfashion

MySQL Updating Index Statistics

2011-02-01T22:21:00.000-08:00

The MySQL query optimizer uses two API calls to ask the storage engines how index values are distributed when deciding how to use indexes. The first is the records_in_ range( ) call, which accepts range end points and returns the (possibly estimated) number of records in that range. The second is info( ), which can return various types of data, including index cardinality (how many records there are for each key value).

When the storage engine doesn’t provide the optimizer with accurate information about the number of rows a query will examine, the optimizer uses the index statistics,which you can regenerate by running ANALYZE TABLE, to estimate the number of rows. MySQL’s optimizer is cost-based, and the main cost metric is how much data the query will access. If the statistics were never generated, or if they are out of date,the optimizer can make bad decisions. The solution is to run ANALYZE TABLE.

Each storage engine implements index statistics differently, so the frequency with which you’ll need to run ANALYZE TABLE differs, as does the cost of running the statement:

- The Memory storage engine does not store index statistics at all.
- MyISAM stores statistics on disk, and ANALYZE TABLE performs a full index scan to compute cardinality. The entire table is locked during this process.
- InnoDB does not store statistics on disk, but rather estimates them with random index dives the first time a table is opened. ANALYZE TABLE uses random dives for InnoDB, so InnoDB statistics are less accurate, but they may not need manual updates unless you keep your server running for a very long time. Also, ANALYZE TABLE is nonblocking and relatively inexpensive in InnoDB, so you can update the statistics online without affecting the server much.

You can examine the cardinality of your indexes with the SHOW INDEX FROM command. For example:

mysql> SHOW INDEX FROM albums

*************************** 1. row ***************************
Table: albums
Non_unique: 0
Key_name: PRIMARY
Seq_in_index: 1
Column_name: id
Collation: A
Cardinality: 250
Sub_part: NULL
Packed: NULL
Null:
Index_type: BTREE
Comment:

*************************** 2. row ***************************
Table: albums
Non_unique: 1
Key_name: reg_id
Seq_in_index: 1
Column_name: last_name
Collation: A
Cardinality: 250
Sub_part: NULL
Packed: NULL
Null:
Index_type: BTREE
Comment:

This command gives quite a lot of index information, which the MySQL manual explains in detail. We do want to call your attention to the Cardinality column,though. This shows how many distinct values the storage engine estimates are in the index. You can also get this data from the INFORMATION_SCHEMA.STATISTICS table in MySQL 5.0 and newer, which can be quite handy. For example, you can write queries against the INFORMATION_SCHEMA tables to find indexes with very low electivity.

A simple slideshow using mouse wheel

2010-06-10T02:26:00.000-07:00

A JavaScript event for developers to take advantage of that- the "onmousewheel" event. As its name suggests, this event fires whenever the user rotate the mouse wheel either upwards or downwards, most commonly to scroll a webpage, "onmousewheel" is supported in IE6, Opera9+, Safari2+, and Firefox1+, though in FF (as of FF3.x), the equivalent "DOMMouseScroll" should be used, as "onmousewheel" as an event name isn't yet recognized.
Lets start a tour with onmusewheel event:



<img id="slideshow" src="1.jpg" />



<script type="text/javascript">

    var myimages=["1.jpg","2.jpg", "3.jpg"];

    var slideshow=document.getElementById("slideshow");

    var nextslideindex=0;



    function rotateimage(e)

   {

        //equalize event object

        var evt=window.event || e;

      

       //delta returns +120 when wheel is scrolled up, -120 when scrolled down 

        var delta=evt.detail? evt.detail*(-120) : evt.wheelDelta;

       

       //move image index forward or back, depending on whether wheel is  scrolled down or up 

        nextslideindex = (delta<=-120)? nextslideindex+1 : nextslideindex-1;

       

        //wrap image index around when it goes beyond lower and upper  boundaries

        nextslideindex = (nextslideindex<0)? myimages.length-1 : (nextslideindex>myimages.length-1)? 0 : nextslideindex;



        slideshow.src=myimages[nextslideindex];

        if (evt.preventDefault)

        {//disable default wheel action of scrolling page

            evt.preventDefault();

        } 

       else

      { 

         return false;

       } 



   }



//FF doesn't recognize mousewheel as of FF3.x

var mousewheelevt=(/Firefox/i.test(navigator.userAgent))? "DOMMouseScroll" : "mousewheel";



if (slideshow.attachEvent) //if IE (and Opera depending on user setting)

    slideshow.attachEvent("on"+mousewheelevt, rotateimage)

else if (slideshow.addEventListener) //WC3 browsers

    slideshow.addEventListener(mousewheelevt, rotateimage, false)

</script>

Note the use of preventDefault() and return false to disable the default mouse wheel action when the cursor is over the image, which is to scroll the page.

Encryption algorithms

2010-06-04T00:56:00.000-07:00

Encryption is the process of converting a plaintext message into ciphertext which can be decoded back into the original message. An encryption algorithm along with a key is used in the encryption and decryption of data. There are several types of data encryptions which form the basis of network security. Encryption schemes are based on block or stream ciphers.

The type and length of the keys utilized depend upon the encryption algorithm and the amount of security needed. In conventional symmetric encryption a single key is used. With this key, the sender can encrypt a message and a recipient can decrypt the message but the security of the key becomes problematic. In asymmetric encryption, the encryption key and the decryption key are different. One is a public key by which the sender can encrypt the message and the other is a private key by which a recipient can decrypt the message.

The main purpose of encryption algorithms is to provide the following:

Authentication - Proving one's identity before granting access.
Privacy and confidentiality - Ensuring that outsiders cannot read data intended for specific parties.
Integrity - Ensuring that the message has not be modified in any way before it arrives to the intended recipient.
Non-repudiation - Ensuring that a message is truly originated from the sender.

Asymmetric encryption algorithm:
These types of encryption algorithms involve a pair of relative keys that encode and decode messages. One key is used to encrypt data into ciphertext while the other key decrypts it back into plaintext. Asymmetric algorithms are more commonly known as Public-key cryptography, first introduced in 1978 with RSA encryption. These schemes work by multiplying two large prime numbers to generate a larger number that is incredibly difficult to revert to the original form.

Asymmetric algorithms tend to be slower than their symmetric counterparts. Because of this, they aren't recommended for encrypting large amounts of data. The biggest advantage to such a scheme lies in the utilization of two keys. Hence the name, the public key can be made publicly available, enabling anyone to encrypt private messages. However, the message can only be decrypted by the party that owns the relative private key. This type of encryption algorithm also provides proof of origin to ensure to overall integrity of communications.

Symmetric Algorithms:
Symmetric algorithms use a single key to encrypt and decrypt data. These encryption algorithms typically work fast and are well suited for encrypting blocks of messages at once. The most known example is the DEA (Data Encryption Algorithm) which is specified within the DES (Data Encryption Standard). Triple DES is a more reliable version while AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) has become new the government standard. Other popular symmetric algorithms include the Japanese developed FEAL and the more recently developed U.S. scheme known as SKIPJACK.

Hash Algorithms:
Hash algorithms function by transforming data of arbitrary length into a smaller fixed length, more commonly known as a message digest. These types of algorithms are considered one-way functions. The generated output varies, making them very efficient when it comes to detecting alterations that might have been made to a message. Hash algorithms are often generated by the DES algorithm to encrypt online banking transactions and other communications where messages can't afford to be corrupted.

Key Management:
One significant issue with traditional symmetric algorithms is the requirement to distribute keys to multiple users. This generally involves establishing a system where the keys are manually distributed and accounted for, resulting in more overhead from and administrative and physical security aspect. Additionally, the keys remain vulnerable to unauthorized disclosure and potential abuse. Asymmetric encryption algorithms tend to be easier to employ and manage and ultimately more secure.

Here are some details about some of these encryption.

RSA:
In 1977, shortly after the idea of a public key system was proposed, three mathematicians, Ron Rivest, Adi Shamir and Len Adleman gave a concrete example of how such a method could be implemented. To honour them, the method was referred to as the RSA Scheme. The system uses a private and a public key. To start two large prime numbers are selected and then multiplied together; n=p*q.

If we let f(n) = (p-1) (q-1), and e>1 such that GCD(e, f(n))=1. Here e will have a fairly large probability of being co-prime to f(n), if n is large enough and e will be part of the encryption key. If we solve the Linear Diophantine equation; ed congruent 1 (mod f(n)), for d. The pair of integers (e, n) are the public key and (d, n) form the private key. Encryption of M can be accomplished by the following expression; Me = qn + C where 0<= C < n. Decryption would be the inverse of the encryption and could be expressed as; Cd congruent R (mod n) where 0<= R < n. RSA is the most popular method for public key encryption and digital signatures today.

DES/3DES:
The Data Encryption Standard (DES) was developed and endorsed by the U.S. government in 1977 as an official standard and forms the basis not only for the Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) PIN authentication but a variant is also utilized in UNIX password encryption. DES is a block cipher with 64-bit block size that uses 56-bit keys. Due to recent advances in computer technology, some experts no longer consider DES secure against all attacks; since then Triple-DES (3DES) has emerged as a stronger method. Using standard DES encryption, Triple-DES encrypts data three times and uses a different key for at least one of the three passes giving it a cumulative key size of 112-168 bits.

BLOWFISH:
Blowfish is a symmetric block cipher just like DES or IDEA. It takes a variable-length key, from 32 to 448 bits, making it ideal for both domestic and exportable use. Bruce Schneier designed Blowfish in 1993 as a fast, free alternative to the then existing encryption algorithms. Since then Blowfish has been analyzed considerably, and is gaining acceptance as a strong encryption algorithm.

IDEA:
International Data Encryption Algorithm (IDEA) is an algorithm that was developed by Dr. X. Lai and Prof. J. Massey in Switzerland in the early 1990s to replace the DES standard. It uses the same key for encryption and decryption, like DES operating on 8 bytes at a time. Unlike DES though it uses a 128 bit key. This key length makes it impossible to break by simply trying every key, and no other means of attack is known. It is a fast algorighm, and has also been implemented in hardware chipsets, making it even faster.

SEAL:
Rogaway and Coppersmith designed the Software-optimized Encryption Algorithm (SEAL) in 1993. It is a Stream-Cipher, i.e., data to be encrypted is continuously encrypted. Stream Ciphers are much faster than block ciphers (Blowfish, IDEA, DES) but have a longer initialization phase during which a large set of tables is done using the Secure Hash Algorithm. SEAL uses a 160 bit key for encryption and is considered very safe.

RC4:
RC4 is a cipher invented by Ron Rivest, co-inventor of the RSA Scheme. It is used in a number of commercial systems like Lotus Notes and Netscape. It is a cipher with a key size of up to 2048 bits (256 bytes), which on the brief examination given it over the past year or so seems to be a relatively fast and strong cypher. It creates a stream of random bytes and 'XORing' those bytes with the text. It is useful in situations in which a new key can be chosen for each message.

AES (Rijndael):
The algorithm was invented by Joan Daemen and Vincent Rijmen. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (http://www.nist.gov) has recently selected the algorithm as an Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).

The cipher has a variable block length and key length. Authors of the algorithm currently specify how to use keys with a length of 128, 192, or 256 bits to encrypt blocks with a length of 128 bits.

BestCrypt uses Rijndael with a 256-bit key in LRW mode.

To get more information on the algorithm, visit the Rijndael Home Page: http://www.esat.kuleuven.ac.be/~rijmen/rijndael/.

GOST 28147-89:
The Government Standard of the USSR 28147-89, Cryptographic protection for Data Protection Systems, appears to have played the role in the former Soviet Union (not only in Russia) similar to that played by the US Data Encryption Standard (FIPS 46). When issued, GOST bore the minimal classification 'For Official Use,' but is now said to be widely available in software both in the former Soviet Union and elsewhere. The introduction to GOST 28147-89 contains an intriguing remark that the cryptographic transformation algorithm "does not put any limitations on the secrecy level of the protected information."

The GOST 28147-89 standard includes output feedback and cipher feedback modes of operation, both limited to 64-bit blocks, and a mode for producing message authentication codes. Additional information about the GOST 28147-89 algorithm is also available at the Jetico Web site: http://www.jetico.com/gost.htm
BestCrypt uses GOST 28147-89 with 256-bit key in LRW mode.

RC-6:
RC6 block cipher was designed by Ron Rivest in collaboration with Matt Robshaw, Ray Sidney, and Yiqun Lisa Yin from RSA Laboratories. RSA's RC6 encryption algorithm was selected among the other finalists to become the new federal Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). Visit RSA Laboratories WWW-site (http://www.rsasecurity.com/rsalabs/node.asp?id=2512) to get more information on the algorithm.
BestCrypt uses the RC6 with 256-bit key and 128-bit blocks in LRW mode.

SERPENT:
Serpent is a block cipher developed by Ross Anderson, Eli Biham and Lars Knudsen. Serpent can work with different combinations of key lengths. Serpent was also selected among other five finalists to become the new federal Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).
BestCrypt uses Serpent in LRW mode with a 256-bit key, 128-bits blocks and 32 rounds.
Additional information about the Serpent algorithm is also available on World-Wide-Web from: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/serpent.html

TWOFISH:
The Twofish encryption algorithm was designed by Bruce Schneier, John Kelsey, Chris Hall, Niels Ferguson, David Wagner and Doug Whiting.
Twofish is a symmetric block cipher; a single key is used for encryption and decryption. Twofish has a block size of 128 bits and accepts keys of any length up to 256 bits.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) investigated Twofish as one of the candidates for the replacement of the DES encryption algorithm. As the authors of the algorithm state, "we have spent over one thousand hours cryptanalyzing Twofish, and have found no attacks that go anywhere near breaking the full 16-round version of the cipher".
BestCrypt uses a full 16-round version of Twofish and a maximum possible 256-bit encryption key length in LRW mode.
Additional information about the Twofish algorithm is available also on the World-Wide-Web from: http://www.counterpane.com/twofish.html

Checking valid URL using javascript Regular Expressions

2010-05-13T04:09:00.000-07:00

Using this function you can check is given URL valid or not. If url is valid this function will return true otherwise false



function validateUrl(url)

{

var regexp = /^(([\w]+:)?\/\/)?(([\d\w]|%[a-fA-f\d]{2,2})+(:([\d\w]|%[a-fA-f\d]{2,2})+)?@)?([\d\w][-\d\w]{0,253}[\d\w]\.)+[\w]{2,4}(:[\d]+)?(\/([-+_~.\d\w]|%[a-fA-f\d]{2,2})*)*(\?(&?([-+_~.\d\w]|%[a-fA-f\d]{2,2})=?)*)?(#([-+_~.\d\w]|%[a-fA-f\d]{2,2})*)?$/

return regexp.test(url);

}

//Usage
var is_valid = validateUrl('http://google.com');

In this case "is_valid" is true

What is the Pseudo Class in CSS ?

2010-03-03T00:04:00.000-08:00

Pseudo classes are those things with colons(:) in them, you know, like :hover or :link. They let you control the CSS of stuff in different forms, states and places easily and efficiently, without taking up too much room. CSS3 is going to introduce a ton of new pseudo classes, and they’re going to make our lives a lot easier (if you take browser compatibility out of the equation). They help both aesthetics and usability, and can make things that were once hard easier than ever before.
Read more at www.impressivewebs.com

Difference between visibitily: hidden and display: none CSS property

2010-03-02T23:51:00.000-08:00

Using visibility: hidden is easily confused with display: none, but the difference between then is very important. 99% of the time, when we want to hide an element on our page, we'll use display: none, Using display: none will ensure that the space occupied by the "invisible" element disappears along with the element itself. But there are some rare instances when we don't want this to happen. Instead, we want the space that the element occupies to remain exactly the same. So in this case, the correct CSS would be visibility: hidden.

Thus, display: none affects the flow of the document; visibility: hidden doesn't.

Image preloading techniques deeply

2010-02-22T02:27:00.000-08:00

For better display and visitor interaction, image preloading must be implemented in some cases. We can preload image following two techniques:

1.Using JavaScript
2.Using CSS

Using JavaScript :

The simplest way to preload an image is to instantiate a new Image() object in JavaScript and pass the URL of the image you want to preload.

For example, if you want to preload an image, simply create a new JavaScript Image() object and place the script in the head section of the page to ensure it runs as soon as the page loads.

<script type="text/javascript">
Image= new Image();
Image.src = "pic1.jpg";
</script>

Preloading Image with JavaScript array

In practice, you will need to preload more than just one image to smooth effect on image rollovers. A JavaScript array of images can be preloaded as:
<script type="text/javascript">
     images = new Array();
     images[0]="pic1.jpg";
     images[1]="pic2.jpg";
     images[2]="pic3.jpg";
    imageObj = new Image();
     // start preloading
     for(i=0; i<images.length; i++)
     {
          imageObj.src=images[i];
     }
</script>

Preloading Image with jQuery

Image preloading which is pretty simple with jQuery is the solution. The code snippet that is around the Internet for some time provides image preloading:

jQuery.preloadImages = function() {
   for(var i = 0; i<arguments.length; i++)
   {
   jQuery("<img>").attr("src", arguments[i]);
   }
}
In order to use the above function, an array of image urls should be provided:
$.preloadImages("image.gif", "/themes/images/BD/image2.png", "/themes/images/BD/flicker.jpg");

Using CSS :

Image preloading with CSS can be achieved by a simple <div> with style "display:none;" containing all <img> tags of images to be preloaded.

<div style="display:none;">
  <img src="/images/imageA.jpg" >
  <img src="/images/imageB.jpg" >
</div>

The CSS preloading code must be in the BODY area of the HTML code. It will not work in the HEAD section. The optimum position depends on how the preloaded images will be used. If the images will be used sometime after the web page has finished loading, the preload <div> can be placed below the page content. If the images will be used immediately, such as automatic background image change, the preload <div> should be placed on the top section of the BODY area.

Now compare these two methods to understand the safest and easiest method for preloading images:

Preloading with JavaScript

In order to preload images with JavaScript, browsers should support JavaScript and it should be turned on. Without JavaScript, the preloading will not happen and each time the image is needed, it will be fetched. If the preloaded images will be used on image effects such as rollovers or other effects that require JavaScript, preloading with JavaScript is the best choice. That way, for browsers that are not supporting JavaScript, the images will not be preloaded.

The JavaScript preloading code can be placed anywhere in the page including the HEAD area of the page. If all preloading is done with JS, most of the search engine spiders won’t index the images.

Preloading with CSS

Preloading with CSS will work even if the browser’s JavaScript is turned off. The CSS preloading section should be placed in the BODY of the HTML.

Search engine spiders index the images when they are preloaded with CSS.

Notes on Image Preloading:

Users with slow Internet connection speeds will navigate away if you preload too many or too large images before page content is displayed.

The JavaScript and the CSS/HTML image preloading code can be used on the same web page at the same time.

Both techniques can be used more than once on the same web page to preload additional images at different points.

Fully Understanding $.grep()

2010-02-16T21:03:00.000-08:00

At its core, $.grep is a simple little method that will filter through an array and sift out any items that don't pass a particular control. For example, if we have an array of the numbers 1-10, and want to filter out any values that are below 5, we can do:

var nums = '1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10'.split(',');

nums = $.grep(nums, function(num, index) {
  // num = the current value for the item in the array
  // index = the index of the item in the array
  return num > 5; // returns a boolean
});

console.log(nums) // 6,7,8,9,10

Or let's say that you have an array of numbers and strings, and you want to sift out all of the strings, leaving just an array of numbers. One way that we can accomplish this task is with $.grep.

var arr = '1,2,3,4,five,six,seven,8,9,ten'.split(',');

arr = $.grep(arr, function(item, index) {
  // simply find if the current item, when passed to the isNaN, 
  // returns true or false. If false, get rid of it!
  return !isNaN(item); 
});

console.log(arr); // 1,2,3,4,8,9

live demo

Get query string using javascript

2010-02-16T06:10:00.000-08:00

The following javascript code snippet facilitates Javascript's built in regular expressions to retrieve value of the key. Optionally, you can specify a default value to return when key does not exist.

function getQuerystring(key, default_)
{
  if (default_==null) default_=""; 
  key = key.replace(/[\[]/,"\\\[").replace(/[\]]/,"\\\]");
  var regex = new RegExp("[\\?&]"+key+"=([^&#]*)");
  var qs = regex.exec(window.location.href);
  if(qs == null)
    return default_;
  else
    return qs[1];
}

The getQuerystring function is simple to use. Let's say you have the following URL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ywyw2YeOOPk&feature=featured

and you want to get the "v" querystring's value:

var id = getQuerystring('v');

The output of id will be Ywyw2YeOOPk

DIsable Right Click with jQuery

2010-02-13T05:33:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of examples of javascript code snippets to disable right click on web pages. However, jQuery makes it a lot easier:

$(document).ready(function()
{ 
       $(document).bind("contextmenu",function(e){
              return false;
       }); 
});

Smarty : Variable Modifiers ( count_words )

2010-01-21T06:34:00.000-08:00

This is used to count the number of words in a variable.
Example : count_words

<?php
$smarty->assign('articleTitle', 'Dealers Will Hear Car Talk at Noon.');
?>

Where template is:

{$articleTitle}
{$articleTitle|count_words}

This will output:

Dealers Will Hear Car Talk at Noon.
7

Smarty : Variable Modifiers ( count_sentences )

2010-01-21T06:31:00.000-08:00

This is used to count the number of sentences in a variable.
Example : count_sentences

<?php
$smarty->assign('articleTitle','Two Soviet Ships Collide - One Dies. Enraged Cow Injures Farmer with Axe.'
);
?>

Where template is:

{$articleTitle}
{$articleTitle|count_sentences}

Will output:

Two Soviet Ships Collide - One Dies. Enraged Cow Injures Farmer with Axe.
2

How to check if a program has spyware?

2010-01-19T10:25:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of PC users that know little about "Spyware", "Mal-ware", "hijackers", "Dialers" & many more. This will help you avoid pop-ups, spammers and all those baddies.

What is spy-ware?
Spy-ware is Internet jargon for Advertising Supported software (Ad-ware). It is a way for shareware authors to make money from a product, other than by selling it to the users. There are several large media companies that offer them to place banner ads in their products in exchange for a portion of the revenue from banner sales. This way, you don't have to pay for the software and the developers are still getting paid. If you find the banners annoying, there is usually an option to remove them, by paying the regular licensing fee.

Known spywares
There are thousands out there, new ones are added to the list everyday. But here are a few:
Alexa, Aureate/Radiate, BargainBuddy, ClickTillUWin, Conducent Timesink, Cydoor, Comet Cursor, eZula/KaZaa Toptext, Flashpoint/Flashtrack, Flyswat, Gator, GoHip, Hotbar, ISTbar, Lions Pride Enterprises/Blazing Logic/Trek Blue, Lop (C2Media), Mattel Brodcast, Morpheus, NewDotNet, Realplayer, Songspy, Xupiter, Web3000, WebHancer, Windows Messenger Service.

How to check if a program has spyware?
The is this Little site that keeps a database of programs that are known to install spyware.

Check Here: http://www.spywareguide.com/product_search.php

If you would like to block pop-ups (IE Pop-ups).
There tons of different types out there, but these are the 2 best, i think.

Try: Google Toolbar (http://toolbar.google.com/) This program is Free
Try: AdMuncher (http://www.admuncher.com) This program is Shareware

If you want to remove the "spyware" try these.
Try: Lavasoft Ad-Aware (http://www.lavasoftusa.com/) This program is Free
Info: Ad-aware is a multi spyware removal utility, that scans your memory, registry and hard drives for known spyware components and lets you remove them. The included backup-manager lets you reinstall a backup, offers and multi language support.

Try: Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/) This program is Free
Info: Detects and removes spyware of different kinds (dialers, loggers, trojans, user tracks) from your computer. Blocks ActiveX downloads, tracking cookies and other threats. Over 10,000 detection files and entries. Provides detailed information about found problems.

Try: BPS Spyware and Adware Remover (http://www.bulletproofsoft.com/spyware-remover.html) This program is Shareware
Info: Adware, spyware, trackware and big brotherware removal utility with multi-language support. It scans your memory, registry and drives for known spyware and lets you remove them. Displays a list and lets you select the items you'd like to remove.

Try: Spy Sweeper v2.2 (http://www.webroot.com/wb/products/spysweeper/index.php) This program is Shareware
Info: Detects and removes spyware of different kinds (dialers, loggers, trojans, user tracks) from your computer. The best scanner out there, and updated all the time.

Try: HijackThis 1.97.7 (http://www.spywareinfo.com/) This program is Freeware
Info: HijackThis is a tool, that lists all installed browser add-on, buttons, startup items and allows you to inspect them, and optionally remove selected items.

If you would like to prevent "spyware" being install.
Try: SpywareBlaster 2.6.1 (http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareblaster.html) This program is Free
Info: SpywareBlaster doesn`t scan and clean for so-called spyware, but prevents it from being installed in the first place. It achieves this by disabling the CLSIDs of popular spyware ActiveX controls, and also prevents the installation of any of them via a webpage.

Try: SpywareGuard 2.2 (http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareguard.html) This program is Free
Info: SpywareGuard provides a real-time protection solution against so-called spyware. It works similar to an anti-virus program, by scanning EXE and CAB files on access and alerting you if known spyware is detected.

Try: XP-AntiSpy (http://www.xp-antispy.org/) This program is Free
Info: XP-AntiSpy is a small utility to quickly disable some built-in update and authentication features in WindowsXP that may rise security or privacy concerns in some people.

Try: SpySites (http://camtech2000.net/) This program is Free
Info: SpySites allows you to manage the Internet Explorer Restricted Zone settings and easily add entries from a database of 1500+ sites that are known to use advertising tracking methods or attempt to install third party software.

If you would like more Information about "spyware".
Check these sites.
http://www.spychecker.com/
http://www.spywareguide.com/
http://www.cexx.org/adware.htm
http://www.theinfomaniac.net/infomaniac/
http://www.thiefware.com/links/
http://simplythebest.net/info/spyware.html

Usefull tools...
Try: Stop Windows Messenger Spam 1.10 (http://www.jester2k.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/j...r2ksoftware.htm) This program is Free
Info: "Stop Windows Messenger Spam" stops this Service from running and halts the spammers ability to send you these messages.

All these softwares will help remove and prevent evil spammers and spywares attacking your PC. I myself recommend getting "spyblaster" "s&d spybot" "spy sweeper" & "admuncher" to protect your PC. A weekly scan is also recommended

Free Virus Scan
Scan for spyware, malware and keyloggers in addition to viruses, worms and trojans. New threats and annoyances are created faster than any individual can keep up with.
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All About Movie Tags (what Is A DivX / XviD or CVD etc.)

2010-01-19T09:56:00.000-08:00

CAM -
A cam is a theater rip usually done with a digital video camera. A mini tripod is sometimes used, but a lot of the time this wont be possible, so the camera make shake. Also seating placement isn't always idle, and it might be filmed from an angle. If cropped properly, this is hard to tell unless there's text on the screen, but a lot of times these are left with triangular borders on the top and bottom of the screen. Sound is taken from the onboard microphone of the camera, and especially in comedies, laughter can often be heard during the film. Due to these factors picture and sound quality are usually quite poor, but sometimes we're lucky, and the theater will be fairly empty and a fairly clear signal will be heard.

TELESYNC (TS) -
A telesync is the same spec as a CAM except it uses an external audio source (most likely an audio jack in the chair for hard of hearing people). A direct audio source does not ensure a good quality audio source, as a lot of background noise can interfere. A lot of the times a telesync is filmed in an empty cinema or from the projection booth with a professional camera, giving a better picture quality. Quality ranges drastically, check the sample before downloading the full release. A high percentage of Telesyncs are CAMs that have been mislabeled.

TELECINE (TC) -
A telecine machine copies the film digitally from the reels. Sound and picture should be very good, but due to the equipment involved and cost telecines are fairly uncommon. Generally the film will be in correct aspect ratio, although 4:3 telecines have existed. A great example is the JURASSIC PARK 3 TC done last year. TC should not be confused with TimeCode , which is a visible counter on screen throughout the film.

SCREENER (SCR) -
A pre VHS tape, sent to rental stores, and various other places for promotional use. A screener is supplied on a VHS tape, and is usually in a 4:3 (full screen) a/r, although letterboxed screeners are sometimes found. The main draw back is a "ticker" (a message that scrolls past at the bottom of the screen, with the copyright and anti-copy telephone number). Also, if the tape contains any serial numbers, or any other markings that could lead to the source of the tape, these will have to be blocked, usually with a black mark over the section. This is sometimes only for a few seconds, but unfortunately on some copies this will last for the entire film, and some can be quite big. Depending on the equipment used, screener quality can range from excellent if done from a MASTER copy, to very poor if done on an old VHS recorder thru poor capture equipment on a copied tape. Most screeners are transferred to VCD, but a few attempts at SVCD have occurred, some looking better than others.

DVD-SCREENER (DVDscr) -
Same premise as a screener, but transferred off a DVD. Usually letterbox , but without the extras that a DVD retail would contain. The ticker is not usually in the black bars, and will disrupt the viewing. If the ripper has any skill, a DVDscr should be very good. Usually transferred to SVCD or DivX/XviD.

DVDRip -
A copy of the final released DVD. If possible this is released PRE retail (for example, Star Wars episode 2) again, should be excellent quality. DVDrips are released in SVCD and DivX/XviD.

VHSRip -
Transferred off a retail VHS, mainly skating/sports videos and XXX releases.

TVRip -
TV episode that is either from Network (capped using digital cable/satellite boxes are preferable) or PRE-AIR from satellite feeds sending the program around to networks a few days earlier (do not contain "dogs" but sometimes have flickers etc) Some programs such as WWF Raw Is War contain extra parts, and the "dark matches" and camera/commentary tests are included on the rips. PDTV is capped from a digital TV PCI card, generally giving the best results, and groups tend to release in SVCD for these. VCD/SVCD/DivX/XviD rips are all supported by the TV scene.

WORKPRINT (WP) -
A workprint is a copy of the film that has not been finished. It can be missing scenes, music, and quality can range from excellent to very poor. Some WPs are very different from the final print (Men In Black is missing all the aliens, and has actors in their places) and others can contain extra scenes (Jay and Silent Bob) . WPs can be nice additions to the collection once a good quality final has been obtained.

DivX Re-Enc -
A DivX re-enc is a film that has been taken from its original VCD source, and re-encoded into a small DivX file. Most commonly found on file sharers, these are usually labeled something like Film.Name.Group(1of2) etc. Common groups are SMR and TND. These aren't really worth downloading, unless you're that unsure about a film u only want a 200mb copy of it. Generally avoid.

Watermarks -
A lot of films come from Asian Silvers/PDVD (see below) and these are tagged by the people responsible. Usually with a letter/initials or a little logo, generally in one of the corners. Most famous are the "Z" "A" and "Globe" watermarks.

Asian Silvers / PDVD -
These are films put out by eastern bootleggers, and these are usually bought by some groups to put out as their own. Silvers are very cheap and easily available in a lot of countries, and its easy to put out a release, which is why there are so many in the scene at the moment, mainly from smaller groups who don't last more than a few releases. PDVDs are the same thing pressed onto a DVD. They have removable subtitles, and the quality is usually better than the silvers. These are ripped like a normal DVD, but usually released as VCD.

Formats

VCD -
VCD is an mpeg1 based format, with a constant bitrate of 1150kbit at a resolution of 352x240 (NTCS). VCDs are generally used for lower quality transfers (CAM/TS/TC/Screener(VHS)/TVrip(analogue) in order to make smaller file sizes, and fit as much on a single disc as possible. Both VCDs and SVCDs are timed in minutes, rather than MB, so when looking at an mpeg, it may appear larger than the disc capacity, and in reality u can fit 74min on a CDR74.

SVCD -
SVCD is an mpeg2 based (same as DVD) which allows variable bit-rates of up to 2500kbits at a resolution of 480x480 (NTSC) which is then decompressed into a 4:3 aspect ratio when played back. Due to the variable bit-rate, the length you can fit on a single CDR is not fixed, but generally between 35-60 Mins are the most common. To get a better SVCD encode using variable bit-rates, it is important to use multiple "passes". this takes a lot longer, but the results are far clearer.

XVCD/XSVCD -
These are basically VCD/SVCD that don't obey the "rules". They are both capable of much higher resolutions and bit-rates, but it all depends on the player to whether the disc can be played. X(S)VCD are total non-standards, and are usually for home-ripping by people who don't intend to release them.

KVCD (Thanks for lardo4life for the info)
KVCD is a modification to the standard MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 GOP structure and Quantization Matrix. It enables you to create over 120 minutes of near DVD quality video, depending on your material, on a single 80 minute CD-R/CD-RW. We have published these specifications as KVCDx3, our official resolution, which produce 528x480 (NTSC) and 528x576 (PAL) MPEG-1 variable bit rate video, from 64Kbps to 3,000Kbps. Using a resolution of 352x240 (NTSC) or 352x288 (PAL), it's possible to encode video up to ~360 minutes of near VCD quality on a single 80 minute CD-R. The mpeg files created will play back in most modern standalone DVD players. You must burn the KVCD MPEG files as non-standard VCD or non-standard SVCD (depends on your player) with Nero or VCDEasy.

DivX / XviD -
DivX is a format designed for multimedia platforms. It uses two codecs, one low motion, one high motion. most older films were encoded in low motion only, and they have problems with high motion too. A method known as SBC (Smart Bit-rate Control) was developed which switches codecs at the encoding stage, making a much better print. The format is Ana orphic and the bit-rate/resolution are interchangeable. Due to the higher processing power required, and the different codecs for playback, its unlikely we'll see a DVD player capable of play DivX for quite a while, if at all. There have been players in development which are supposedly capable, but nothing has ever arisen. The majority of PROPER DivX rips (not Re-Encs) are taken from DVDs, and generally up to 2hours in good quality is possible per disc. Various codecs exist, most popular being the original Divx3.11a and the new XviD codecs.

CVD -
CVD is a combination of VCD and SVCD formats, and is generally supported by a majority of DVD players. It supports MPEG2 bit-rates of SVCD, but uses a resolution of 352x480(ntsc) as the horizontal resolution is generally less important. Currently no groups release in CVD.

DVD-R -
Is the recordable DVD solution that seems to be the most popular (out of DVD-RAM, DVD-R and DVD+R). it holds 4.7gb of data per side, and double sided discs are available, so discs can hold nearly 10gb in some circumstances. SVCD mpeg2 images must be converted before they can be burnt to DVD-R and played successfully. DVD>DVDR copies are possible, but sometimes extras/languages have to be removed to stick within the available 4.7gb.

MiniDVD -
MiniDVD/cDVD is the same format as DVD but on a standard CDR/CDRW. Because of the high resolution/bit-rates, its only possible to fit about 18-21 mins of footage per disc, and the format is only compatible with a few players.

Misc Info

Regional Coding -
This was designed to stop people buying American DVDs and watching them earlier in other countries, or for older films where world distribution is handled by different companies. A lot of players can either be hacked with a chip, or via a remote to disable this.

RCE -
RCE (Regional Coding Enhancement) was designed to overcome "Multiregion" players, but it had a lot of faults and was overcome. Very few titles are RCE encoded now, and it was very unpopular.

Macrovision -
Macrovision is the copy protection employed on most commercial DVDs. Its a system that will display lines and darken the images of copies that are made by sending the VHS signals it can't understand. Certain DVD players (for example the Dansai 852 from Tescos) have a secret menu where you can disable the macrovision, or a "video stabaliser" costs about 30UKP from Maplin (www.maplin.co.uk)

NTSC/PAL -
NTSC and PAL are the two main standards used across the world. NTSC has a higher frame rate than pal (29fps compared to 25fps) but PAL has an increased resolution, and gives off a generally sharper picture. Playing NTSC discs on PAL systems seems a lot easier than vice-versa, which is good news for the Brits An RGB enabled scart lead will play an NTSC picture in full colour on most modern tv sets, but to record this to a VHS tape, you will need to convert it to PAL50 (not PAL60 as the majority of DVD players do.) This is either achieved by an expensive converter box (in the regions of £200+) an onboard converter (such as the Dansai 852 / certain Daewoos / Samsung 709 ) or using a World Standards VCR which can record in any format.

News Sites -
There are generally 2 news sites for film release for p2p and they are:

nforce - VCD Help
Code:
http://www.vcdhelp.com/

Code:
http://www.nforce.nl.

About Release Files

RARset -
The movies are all supplied in RAR form, whether its v2 (rar>.rxx) or v3 (part01.rar > partxx.rar) form.

BIN/CUE -
VCD and SVCD films will extract to give a BIN/CUE. Load the .CUE into notepad and make sure the first line contains only a filename, and no path information. Then load the cue into Nero/CDRWin etc and this will burn the VCD/SVCD correctly. TV rips are released as MPEG. DivX files are just the plain DivX - .AVI

NFO -
An NFO file is supplied with each movie to promote the group, and give general iNFOrmation about the release, such as format, source, size, and any notes that may be of use. They are also used to recruit members and acquire hardware for the group.

SFV -
Also supplied for each disc is an SFV file. These are mainly used on site level to check each file has been uploaded correctly, but are also handy for people downloading to check they have all the files, and the CRC is correct. A program such as pdSFV or hkSFV is required to use these files.

Usenet Information

Access -
To get onto newsgroups, you will need a news server. Most ISPs supply one, but this is usually of poor retention (the amount of time the files are on server for) and poor completition (the amount of files that make it there). For the best service, a premium news server should be paid for, and these will often have bandwidth restrictions in place.

Software -
You will need a newsreader to access the files in the binary newsgroups. There are many different readers, and its usually down to personal opinion which is best. Xnews / Forte Agent / BNR 1 / BNR 2 are amongst the popular choices. Outlook has the ability to read newsgroups, but its recommended to not use that.

Format -
Usenet posts are often the same as those listed on VCDQUALiTY (i.e., untouched group releases) but you have to check the filenames and the description to make sure you get what you think you are getting. Generally releases should come down in .RAR sets. Posts will usually take more than one day to be uploaded, and can be spread out as far as a week.

PAR files -
As well as the .rxx files, you will also see files listed as .pxx/.par . These are PARITY files. Parity files are common in usenet posts, as a lot of times, there will be at least one or two damaged files on some servers. A parity file can be used to replace ANY ONE file that is missing from the rar set. The more PAR files you have, the more files you can replace. You will need a program called SMARTPAR for this.

Scene Tags

PROPER -
Due to scene rules, whoever releases the first Telesync has won that race (for example). But if the quality of that release is fairly poor, if another group has another telesync (or the same source in higher quality) then the tag PROPER is added to the folder to avoid being duped. PROPER is the most subjective tag in the scene, and a lot of people will generally argue whether the PROPER is better than the original release. A lot of groups release PROPERS just out of desperation due to losing the race. A reason for the PROPER should always be included in the NFO.

SUBBED -
In the case of a VCD, if a release is subbed, it usually means it has hard encoded subtitles burnt throughout the movie. These are generally in malaysian/chinese/thai etc, and sometimes there are two different languages, which can take up quite a large amount of the screen. SVCD supports switch able subtitles, so some DVDRips are released with switch able subs. This will be mentioned in the NFO file if included.

UNSUBBED -
When a film has had a subbed release in the past, an Unsubbed release may be released

LIMITED -
A limited movie means it has had a limited theater run, generally opening in less than 250 theaters, generally smaller films (such as art house films) are released as limited.

INTERNAL -
An internal release is done for several reasons. Classic DVD groups do a lot of .INTERNAL. releases, as they wont be dupe'd on it. Also lower quality theater rips are done INTERNAL so not to lower the reputation of the group, or due to the amount of rips done already. An INTERNAL release is available as normal on the groups affiliate sites, but they can't be traded to other sites without request from the site ops. Some INTERNAL releases still trickle down to IRC/Newsgroups, it usually depends on the title and the popularity. Earlier in the year people referred to Centropy going "internal". This meant the group were only releasing the movies to their members and site ops. This is in a different context to the usual definition.

STV -
Straight To Video. Was never released in theaters, and therefore a lot of sites do not allow these.

OTHER TAGS -
*WS* for widescreen (letterbox)
*FS* for Fullscreen.

RECODE -
A recode is a previously released version, usually filtered through TMPGenc to remove subtitles, fix color etc. Whilst they can look better, its not looked upon highly as groups are expected to obtain their own sources.

REPACK -
If a group releases a bad rip, they will release a Repack which will fix the problems.

NUKED -
A film can be nuked for various reasons. Individual sites will nuke for breaking their rules (such as "No Telesyncs") but if the film has something extremely wrong with it (no soundtrack for 20mins, CD2 is incorrect film/game etc) then a global nuke will occur, and people trading it across sites will lose their credits. Nuked films can still reach other sources such as p2p/usenet, but its a good idea to check why it was nuked first in case. If a group realise there is something wrong, they can request a nuke.

NUKE REASONS :: this is a list of common reasons a film can be nuked for (generally DVDRip)

** BAD A/R ** :: bad aspect ratio, ie people appear too fat/thin
** BAD IVTC ** :: bad inverse telecine. process of converting framerates was incorrect.
** INTERLACED ** :: black lines on movement as the field order is incorrect.

DUPE -
Dupe is quite simply, if something exists already, then theres no reason for it to exist again without proper reason.

10 Fast and Free Security Enhancements.

2010-01-19T04:40:00.000-08:00

Before you spend a dime on security, there are many precautions you can take that will protect you against the most common threats.

1. Check Windows Update and Office Update regularly (http://office.microsoft.com/productupdates) have your Office CD ready. Windows Me, 2000, and XP users can configure automatic updates. Click on the Automatic Updates tab in the System control panel and choose the appropriate options.

2. Install a personal firewall. Both SyGate (www.sygate.com) and ZoneAlarm (www.zonelabs.com) offer free versions.

3. Install a free spyware blocker. SpyBot Search & Destroy (http://security.kolla.de). SpyBot is also paranoid and ruthless in hunting out tracking cookies.

4. Block pop-up spam messages in Windows NT, 2000, or XP by disabling the Windows Messenger service (this is unrelated to the instant messaging program). Open Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Services and you'll see Messenger. Right-click and go to Properties. Set Start-up Type to Disabled and press the Stop button. Bye-bye, spam pop-ups! Any good firewall will also stop them.

5. Use strong passwords and change them periodically. Passwords should have at least seven characters; use letters and numbers and have at least one symbol. A decent example would be f8izKro@l. This will make it much harder for anyone to gain access to your accounts.

6. If you're using Outlook or Outlook Express, use the current version or one with the Outlook Security Update installed. The update and current versions patch numerous vulnerabilities.

7. Buy antivirus software and keep it up to date. If you're not willing to pay, try Grisoft AVG Free Edition (Grisoft Inc., www.grisoft.com). And doublecheck your AV with the free, online-only scanners available at www.pandasoftware.com/activescan and http://housecall.trendmicro.com.

8. If you have a wireless network, turn on the security features: Use MAC filtering, turn off SSID broadcast, and even use WEP with the biggest key you can get. For more, check out our wireless section or see the expanded coverage in Your Unwired World in our next issue.

9. Join a respectable e-mail security list (http://seclists.org/).

10. Be skeptical of things on the Internet. Don't assume that e-mail "From:" a particular person is actually from that person until you have further reason to believe it's that person. Don't assume that an attachment is what it says it is. Don't give out your password to anyone, even if that person claims to be from "support."

23 Ways To Speed WinXP, Not only Defrag

2010-01-19T04:12:00.000-08:00

Since defragging the disk won't do much to improve Windows XP performance, here are 23 suggestions that will. Each can enhance the performance and reliability of your customers' PCs. Best of all, most of them will cost you nothing.

1.) To decrease a system's boot time and increase system performance, use the money you save by not buying defragmentation software -- the built-in Windows defragmenter works just fine -- and instead equip the computer with an Ultra-133 or Serial ATA hard drive with 8-MB cache buffer.

2.) If a PC has less than 512 MB of RAM, add more memory. This is a relatively inexpensive and easy upgrade that can dramatically improve system performance.

3.) Ensure that Windows XP is utilizing the NTFS file system. If you're not sure, here's how to check: First, double-click the My Computer icon, right-click on the C: Drive, then select Properties. Next, examine the File System type; if it says FAT32, then back-up any important data. Next, click Start, click Run, type CMD, and then click OK. At the prompt, type CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS and press the Enter key. This process may take a while; it's important that the computer be uninterrupted and virus-free. The file system used by the bootable drive will be either FAT32 or NTFS. I highly recommend NTFS for its superior security, reliability, and efficiency with larger disk drives.

4.) Disable file indexing. The indexing service extracts information from documents and other files on the hard drive and creates a "searchable keyword index." As you can imagine, this process can be quite taxing on any system.

The idea is that the user can search for a word, phrase, or property inside a document, should they have hundreds or thousands of documents and not know the file name of the document they want. Windows XP's built-in search functionality can still perform these kinds of searches without the Indexing service. It just takes longer. The OS has to open each file at the time of the request to help find what the user is looking for.

Most people never need this feature of search. Those who do are typically in a large corporate environment where thousands of documents are located on at least one server. But if you're a typical system builder, most of your clients are small and medium businesses. And if your clients have no need for this search feature, I recommend disabling it.

Here's how: First, double-click the My Computer icon. Next, right-click on the C: Drive, then select Properties. Uncheck "Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching." Next, apply changes to "C: subfolders and files," and click OK. If a warning or error message appears (such as "Access is denied"), click the Ignore All button.

5.) Update the PC's video and motherboard chipset drivers. Also, update and configure the BIOS. For more information on how to configure your BIOS properly, see this article on my site.

6.) Empty the Windows Prefetch folder every three months or so. Windows XP can "prefetch" portions of data and applications that are used frequently. This makes processes appear to load faster when called upon by the user. That's fine. But over time, the prefetch folder may become overloaded with references to files and applications no longer in use. When that happens, Windows XP is wasting time, and slowing system performance, by pre-loading them. Nothing critical is in this folder, and the entire contents are safe to delete.

7.) Once a month, run a disk cleanup. Here's how: Double-click the My Computer icon. Then right-click on the C: drive and select Properties. Click the Disk Cleanup button -- it's just to the right of the Capacity pie graph -- and delete all temporary files.

8.) In your Device Manager, double-click on the IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers device, and ensure that DMA is enabled for each drive you have connected to the Primary and Secondary controller. Do this by double-clicking on Primary IDE Channel. Then click the Advanced Settings tab. Ensure the Transfer Mode is set to "DMA if available" for both Device 0 and Device 1. Then repeat this process with the Secondary IDE Channel.

9.) Upgrade the cabling. As hard-drive technology improves, the cabling requirements to achieve these performance boosts have become more stringent. Be sure to use 80-wire Ultra-133 cables on all of your IDE devices with the connectors properly assigned to the matching Master/Slave/Motherboard sockets. A single device must be at the end of the cable; connecting a single drive to the middle connector on a ribbon cable will cause signaling problems. With Ultra DMA hard drives, these signaling problems will prevent the drive from performing at its maximum potential. Also, because these cables inherently support "cable select," the location of each drive on the cable is important. For these reasons, the cable is designed so drive positioning is explicitly clear.

10.) Remove all spyware from the computer. Use free programs such as AdAware by Lavasoft or SpyBot Search & Destroy. Once these programs are installed, be sure to check for and download any updates before starting your search. Anything either program finds can be safely removed. Any free software that requires spyware to run will no longer function once the spyware portion has been removed; if your customer really wants the program even though it contains spyware, simply reinstall it. For more information on removing Spyware visit this Web Pro News page.

11.) Remove any unnecessary programs and/or items from Windows Startup routine using the MSCONFIG utility. Here's how: First, click Start, click Run, type MSCONFIG, and click OK. Click the StartUp tab, then uncheck any items you don't want to start when Windows starts. Unsure what some items are? Visit the WinTasks Process Library. It contains known system processes, applications, as well as spyware references and explanations. Or quickly identify them by searching for the filenames using Google or another Web search engine.

12.) Remove any unnecessary or unused programs from the Add/Remove Programs section of the Control Panel.

13.) Turn off any and all unnecessary animations, and disable active desktop. In fact, for optimal performance, turn off all animations. Windows XP offers many different settings in this area. Here's how to do it: First click on the System icon in the Control Panel. Next, click on the Advanced tab. Select the Settings button located under Performance. Feel free to play around with the options offered here, as nothing you can change will alter the reliability of the computer -- only its responsiveness.

14.) If your customer is an advanced user who is comfortable editing their registry, try some of the performance registry tweaks offered at Tweak XP.

15.) Visit Microsoft's Windows update site regularly, and download all updates labeled Critical. Download any optional updates at your discretion.

16.) Update the customer's anti-virus software on a weekly, even daily, basis. Make sure they have only one anti-virus software package installed. Mixing anti-virus software is a sure way to spell disaster for performance and reliability.

17.) Make sure the customer has fewer than 500 type fonts installed on their computer. The more fonts they have, the slower the system will become. While Windows XP handles fonts much more efficiently than did the previous versions of Windows, too many fonts -- that is, anything over 500 -- will noticeably tax the system.

18.) Do not partition the hard drive. Windows XP's NTFS file system runs more efficiently on one large partition. The data is no safer on a separate partition, and a reformat is never necessary to reinstall an operating system. The same excuses people offer for using partitions apply to using a folder instead. For example, instead of putting all your data on the D: drive, put it in a folder called "D drive." You'll achieve the same organizational benefits that a separate partition offers, but without the degradation in system performance. Also, your free space won't be limited by the size of the partition; instead, it will be limited by the size of the entire hard drive. This means you won't need to resize any partitions, ever. That task can be time-consuming and also can result in lost data.

19.) Check the system's RAM to ensure it is operating properly. I recommend using a free program called MemTest86. The download will make a bootable CD or diskette (your choice), which will run 10 extensive tests on the PC's memory automatically after you boot to the disk you created. Allow all tests to run until at least three passes of the 10 tests are completed. If the program encounters any errors, turn off and unplug the computer, remove a stick of memory (assuming you have more than one), and run the test again. Remember, bad memory cannot be repaired, but only replaced.

20.) If the PC has a CD or DVD recorder, check the drive manufacturer's Web site for updated firmware. In some cases you'll be able to upgrade the recorder to a faster speed. Best of all, it's free.

21.) Disable unnecessary services. Windows XP loads a lot of services that your customer most likely does not need. To determine which services you can disable for your client, visit the Black Viper site for Windows XP configurations.

22.) If you're sick of a single Windows Explorer window crashing and then taking the rest of your OS down with it, then follow this tip: open My Computer, click on Tools, then Folder Options. Now click on the View tab. Scroll down to "Launch folder windows in a separate process," and enable this option. You'll have to reboot your machine for this option to take effect.

23.) At least once a year, open the computer's cases and blow out all the dust and debris. While you're in there, check that all the fans are turning properly. Also inspect the motherboard capacitors for bulging or leaks. For more information on this leaking-capacitor phenomena, you can read numerous articles on my site.

Following any of these suggestions should result in noticeable improvements to the performance and reliability of your customers' computers. If you still want to defrag a disk, remember that the main benefit will be to make your data more retrievable in the event of a crashed drive.

Smarty : Variable Modifiers (count_paragraphs)

2010-01-18T21:25:00.000-08:00

This is used to count the number of paragraphs in a variable.

Example : count_paragraphs

<?php
$smarty->assign('articleTitle', "War Dims Hope for Peace. Child's Death Ruins Couple's Holiday.\n\n Man is Fatally Slain. Death Causes Loneliness, Feeling of Isolation."
);
?>

Where template is:

{$articleTitle}
{$articleTitle|count_paragraphs}

Will output:

War Dims Hope for Peace. Child's Death Ruins Couple's Holiday.

Man is Fatally Slain. Death Causes Loneliness, Feeling of Isolation.

Smarty : Variable Modifiers (count_characters)

2010-01-18T21:20:00.000-08:00

This is used to count the number of characters in a variable.

Parameter Position : 1
Type : boolean
Required : No
Default : FALSE
Description : This determines whether or not to include whitespace characters in the count.

Example : count_characters

<?php
$smarty->assign('articleTitle', 'Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures.');
?>

Where template is:

{$articleTitle}
{$articleTitle|count_characters}
{$articleTitle|count_characters:true}

Will output:

Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures.
29
33

Change WindowsXP Key

2010-01-18T10:05:00.000-08:00

Instructions:

1-Copy the file named "ChangeWinXPKey.vbs" to drive c:\.

2-Copy this line below and Paste it in the Run Dialog Box in Start menu then Press ok.

c:\ChangeWinXPKey.vbs RRPRW-V9GTD-8YV6K-KP64X-VM9MG

3-Finally go to Microsoft Site to update your WinXP System Normally and install IE7 without any problem.

Note:

-You can change the "Serial Number" in the line above with any Valid Serial Number like following:

BQB7T-3C4FF-393QD-RF3W4-GBRQ3
Q3GQT-XQTVB-FKWKT-MH779-XPKBW
D36RK-QDFFD-BTWWY-BT7KK-43MGM
GTB2P-D8CPJ-4TFWF-YCVTC-XYR9M
W9VCJ-74DXW-JDDBV-PW777-WXD2T

-This method works with WinXP Home & Pro.
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Smarty : Variable Modifiers

2010-01-18T02:47:00.000-08:00

Here list of all Smarty Variable Modifiers

capitalize
cat
count_characters
count_paragraphs
count_sentences
count_words
date_format
default
escape
indent
lower
nl2br
regex_replace
replace
spacify
string_format
strip
strip_tags
truncate
upper
wordwrap

Variable modifiers can be applied to variables, custom functions or strings. To apply a modifier, specify the value followed by a | (pipe) and the modifier name. A modifier may accept additional parameters that affect its behavior. These parameters follow the modifer name and are separated by a : (colon). Also, all php-functions can be used as modifiers implicitly (more below) and modifiers can be combined.

Modifier examples

{* apply modifier to a variable *}
{$title|upper}
{* modifier with parameters *}
{$title|truncate:40:'...'}
{* apply modifier to a function parameter *}
{html_table loop=$myvar|upper}
{* with parameters *}
{html_table loop=$myvar|truncate:40:'...'}
{* apply modifier to literal string *}
{'foobar'|upper}
{* using date_format to format the current date *}
{$smarty.now|date_format:"%Y/%m/%d"}
{* apply modifier to a custom function *}
{mailto|upper address='smarty@example.com'}
{* using php's str_repeat *}
{'='|str_repeat:80}
{* php's count *}
{$myArray|@count}
{* php's shuffle on servers's ip *}
{$smarty.server.SERVER_ADDR|shuffle}
(* this will uppercase and truncate the whole array *}
<select name="name_id">
{html_options output=$myArray|upper|truncate:20}
</select>

If you apply a modifier to an array variable instead of a single value variable, the modifier will be applied to every value in that array. If you really want the modifier to work on an entire array as a value, you must prepend the modifier name with a @ symbol.
Example: {$articleTitle|@count} - will print out the number of elements in the $articleTitle array using the php count() [http://php.net/count] function as a modifier.
Modifiers are autoloaded from the $plugins_dir or can be registered explicitly with the register_modifier() function. The later is useful for sharing a function between php scripts and smarty templates.
All php-functions can be used as modifiers implicitly, as demonstrated in the example above. However, using phpfunctions as modifiers has two little pitfalls:
- First - sometimes the order of the function-parameters is not the desirable one. Formatting $foo with {"%2.f"|sprintf:$foo} actually works, but asks for the more intuitive, like $foo|string_format:"%2.f"} that is provided by the Smarty distribution.
- Secondly - if $security is enabled, all php-functions that are to be used as modifiers have to be declared trusted in the MODIFIER_FUNCS element of the $security_settings array.

See also register_modifier(), combining modifiers. and extending smarty with plugins

capitalize
This is used to capitalize the first letter of all words in a variable. This is similar to the PHP ucfirst() [http://php.net/ucfirst] function.
Parameter Position : 1
Type : boolean
Required : no
Default : FALSE
Description : This determines whether or not words with digits will be uppercased
Example : capitalize

<?
assign('articleTitle', 'next x-men film, x3, delayed.');
?>

Where the template is:

{$articleTitle}
{$articleTitle|capitalize}
{$articleTitle|capitalize:true}

Will output:

next x-men film, x3, delayed.
Next X-Men Film, x3, Delayed.
Next X-Men Film, X3, Delayed.

cat

This value is concatenated to the given variable.

Parameter Position : 1
Type : string
Required : No
Default : empty
Description : This value to catenate to the given variable.

Example : cat

<?php
$smarty->assign('articleTitle', "Psychics predict world didn't end");
?>

Where template is:

{$articleTitle|cat:' yesterday.'}

Will output:

Psychics predict world didn't end yesterday.

JavaScript: The difference between null and undefined

2010-01-17T21:47:00.000-08:00

JavaScript is different from other programming languages by containin both undefined and null values, which may cause confusion.

null is a special value meaning "no value". null is a special object because typeof null returns 'object'.

On the other hand, undefined means that the variable has not been declared, or has not been given a value.

Following snippets display 'undefined':



// x is not declared anywhere in code 

alert(typeof x);



var x; 

alert(typeof x);

Although null and undefined are slightly different, the == (equality) operator considers them equal, but the === (identity) operator doesn't.

Flex Level Drop Down Menu With jQuery

2010-01-16T10:31:00.000-08:00

Flex Level Drop Down Menu is a jQuery plugin that lets you add a multi level drop down menu to any link on the page. You can use this plugin to create both horizontal or vertical menu bars, since drop down menu can appear below or to the right of the anchor element.

Structure wise Flex Level Drop Down Menu is simply defined as a regular nested UL on the page, making it very intuitive to set up. By default menu will appear beneath the anchor link, with no additional x or y offset. You can modify both of these aspects using configuration options.
Features

Lets you associate a multi level drop down menu to any link on the page, by inserting the custom attribute "data-flexmenu" inside the link.
Control whether the menu drops down or to the right of the anchor link, through the use of the custom attribute "data-dir".
Ability to fine tune the position of the drop down menu relative to the anchor link, by specifying a custom x and y offset using the attribute "data-offsets".
Each drop down menu is simply defined as a regular, hidden nested UL on the page.
Main and sub menus repositions themselves when too close to the right or bottom edges of the browser window so they remain in view
Ability to customize the expand animation speed
Ability to specify the delay before each menu and its sub menus appear/ disappear when the mouse rolls over and out of them.

Developed by Dynamic Drive; Flex Level Drop Down Menu is available for download for Free. You can find further information, demo & download on Dynamic Drive Website.

Amazing jQuery Image Gallery/Slideshow Plugins and Tutorials

2010-01-11T05:17:00.000-08:00

Here are some jQuery plugins and tutorials, really awesome

1. Galleriffic jQuery Plugin
2. Supersized – Full Screen Background/Slideshow jQuery Plugin
3. Building a jQuery Image Scroller
4. Sliding Boxes and Captions with jQuery Tutorial
5. Create a Resizable Image Grid with jQuery
6. jQuery quickSearch plug-in

Creating a plugin for jQuery ( Macros in jQuery)

2010-01-10T06:45:00.000-08:00

Creating a plugin for jQuery is incredibly simple and is a very useful way to abstract complex behaviours so that they can be used repeatedly as part of your jQuery "chains".

But, when the time comes, and you’re faced with the decision to either create a jQuery plugin or to simply create a regular function, everything suddenly becomes quite complicated. First, you'll wonder whether the piece of behaviour you want to abstract is best kept under the jQuery namespace, and then you'll doubt its applicability to the DOM-centred jQuery chain, and then sometimes you’ll recede to something you’re much more comfortable with, a regular ol' JavaScript function.

If we forget about the plugins available online, and we simply focus on your plugins, made and used within a specific project, then the question of whether a plugin is really the right route becomes all the more difficult to answer. Are you going to benefit from extending jQuery’s API? Will the readability of your code benefit?

For example:

function applyColors(elems) {
    $(elems).css({
        color: config.color,
        backgroundColor: config.bgColor,
        borderColor: config.bdColor
    });
}
 
// Call it:
var myElems = $('div.something');
applyColors(myElems);

applyColors encapsulates some behaviour that is needed frequently, and that’s why it’s been abstracted into a function. To some, this approach is lacking in that it doesn’t harness the full power of jQuery, and more specifically, jQuery’s plugin mechanism. How about this:

jQuery.fn.applyColors = function( {
    return this.css({
        color: config.color,
        backgroundColor: config.bgColor,
        borderColor: config.bdColor
    });
};
 
// Call it:
$('div.something').applyColors();

Cleaner? More readable? I think so.
Many developers are not prepared to extend jQuery’s API with their own simple abstractions. I don’t know why. But, I hope, that jQuery macros can help in lowering the barrier to extending jQuery. For Details

jQuery Captify Plugin v1.1.3

2010-01-10T05:20:00.000-08:00

Captify is a plugin for jQuery written by Brian Reavis (@brianreavis) to display simple, pretty image captions that appear on rollover. It has been tested on Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and the wretched Internet Explorer. Captify was inspired by ImageCaptions, another jQuery plugin for displaying captions like these.

The goal of Captify is to be easy to use, small/simple, and completely ready for use in production environments (unlike ImageCaptions at the moment). Also, it's only 2.3kb!

What do you think? Feel free to drop by my blog and/or follow me on twitter!

For details