Pictures & Bytes

Tak3Tik® Version 1.3

2011-11-14T23:30:00.000+01:00

A new version of my iPad/iPhone app Tak3Tik® is available in the app store. I added a new "sky" design which looks quite pretty.

Get it here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tak3tik/id395502265?mt=8

See the app in action:

How to export Rhythmbox radio stations?

2011-05-02T20:01:00.002+01:00

Rhythmbox is currently my favorite audio player. I often listen to internet radio stations.

Now I wanted to export the stations which I added to Rhythmbox. Unfortunately you can't do this with Rhythmbox itself. It's possible to export normal playlists, but it's not possible to export your radio stations.

Rhythmbox stores meta information of your media library in an XML file which is located at
~/.local/share/rhythmbox/rhythmdb.xml

You will probably see that most of the elements starts with <entry type="ignore"> or <entry type="song">

The type of internet radio stations is "iradio". E.g.:

<entry type="iradio">
    <title>Radio Swiss Jazz</title>
    <genre>Jazz Music</genre>
    <artist></artist>
    <album></album>
    <location>http://www.radioswissjazz.ch/live/mp3.m3u</location>
    <rating>5</rating>
    <play-count>14</play-count>
    <last-played>1304359817</last-played>
    <bitrate>128</bitrate>
    <date>0</date>
    <mimetype>application/octet-stream</mimetype>
  </entry>

What we need is a way to extract all titles and locations of xml entries of type iradio. This can easily done with a XPath query. I use XMLStarlet for this purpose (I like to work in the command line). You can install it with

sudo apt-get install xmlstarlet

Now we have the tool to work with and we know what we are looking for. Here comes the magic:



xmlstarlet sel -t -m "/rhythmdb/entry[@type='iradio']" -v title -n -v location -n ~/.local/share/rhythmbox/rhythmdb.xml

This will give you a list of you stations with their names and addresses. In my case it looks like this:

Rockland
http://www.rockland.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Streams/rockland.m3u
Rock Antenne
http://www.rockantenne.de/webradio/rockantenne.m3u
WDR2
http://www.wdr.de/wdrlive/media/wdr2.m3u
Bremen 1
http://gffstream.ic.llnwd.net/stream/gffstream_mp3_w48a
DRS3
http://stream.srg-ssr.ch/drs3/mp3_128.m3u
Radio Swiss Jazz
http://www.radioswissjazz.ch/live/mp3.m3u
SWR3
http://swr.ic.llnwd.net/stream/swr_mp3_m_swr3a
hr1
http://metafiles.gl-systemhaus.de/hr/hr1_2.m3u
hr3
http://metafiles.gl-systemhaus.de/hr/hr3_2.m3u
hr2
http://metafiles.gl-systemhaus.de/hr/hr2_2.m3u
WDR3
http://www.wdr.de/wdrlive/media/wdr3_hq.m3u
Radio Stephansdom
http://srvhost24.serverhosting.apa.net:8000/rsdstream128.m3u
OE1 ORF.at
http://mp3stream3.apasf.apa.at:8000/
hr-iNfo
http://metafiles.gl-systemhaus.de/hr/hrinfo_2.m3u

Enjoy!

Ogg Dateien mit VLC nach mp3 konvertieren

2011-04-14T22:04:00.002+01:00

Der VLC Media Player ist hauptsächlich als hervorragendes Freeware Tool zum Abspielen der verschiedensten Medien bekannt. Man kann ihn aber auch zum Konvertieren von Audio Dateien verwenden.

Nachfolgend wird erklärt wie man mit dem VLC eine Ogg Audiodatei in eine mp3 Datei umwandeln kann.

1. VLC starten

2. In dem Menü "Medien" den Punkt "Konvertieren/Speichern" auswählen.

3. Den Reiter "Datei" auswählen und auf "Hinzufügen" clicken. Dann die Ogg Datei, die konvertiert werden soll, auswählen.

4. Auf "Konvertieren/Speichern" clicken.

5. Nun muss der Name der Zieldatei angegeben werden. Da wir nach mp3 konvertieren wollen, muss diese mit ".mp3" enden. Danach aus der Liste der Profile "Audio - MP3" auswählen.

6. Weitere Einstellungen für die Konvertierung können vorgenommen werden, in dem man auf das Werkzeug Icon neben der Profil Liste clickt und danach den Reiter "Audiocodec" auswählt.

7. Die Konvertierung wird nun mit "Start" gestartet.

8. Im Hauptfenster des VLCs sieht man nun den Fortschritt der Konvertierung.

Fertig!

Tak3Tik®

2010-10-15T09:44:00.002+01:00

My iPhone app Tak3Tik® is now available in the iTunes App store. There is a Lite version which supports the "Human vs. Human" mode and a full version which provides a computer opponent. Check it out!

Lite: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tak3tik-lite/id395252350?mt=8
Full: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tak3tik/id395502265?mt=8

Future plans for the full version are iPad HD support and game center support.

Breakpoints are not working in Xcode

2010-03-18T12:18:00.007+01:00

You defined breakpoints in your code, your active configuration is "Debug" but still Xcode refuses to stop when it reaches a breakpoint.

Most likely this will help:

Go to "Xcode -> Preferences" and click on "Debugging". Now make sure that "Load symbols lazily" is not checked. Voilà!

Chess Puzzle #1

2010-02-05T10:09:00.003+01:00

FEN: 1r2r1k1/n1q2Npp/3pPbb1/1p1B4/pP6/2N3P1/3QP1KP/3R1R2 w - -

A position from an analysis. White to move. How can he win quickly?

Generalized Dudeney Numbers

2010-01-05T14:42:00.001+01:00

I wrote a page about Generalized Dudeney Numbers. I also provide a Java Applet there for searching big GDNs.

1/2 Angel

2010-01-02T11:04:00.002+01:00

The upper part of the angel statue which I posted yesterday.

2/3 Angel

2010-01-01T21:46:00.000+01:00

Taken at the Zentralfriedhof in Vienna.

ɹoʇɐʇoᴚ ʇxǝ⊥ s,υǝɟɟǝʇS

2009-12-31T08:36:00.000+01:00

lɯʇɥ˙ǝʇɐʇoɹ/υǝɟɟǝʇs/ʇɐ˙qoʞɐɾ˙ʍʍʍ//:dʇʇɥ :ǝɹǝɥ ʇı ρυıɟ llıʍ no⅄ ˙sǝǝɹ6ǝρ 08⇂ ɥ6noɹɥʇ ʇı sǝʇɐʇoɹ ρυɐ ʇxǝʇ λɹɐυıρɹo υɐ sǝʞɐʇ ɥɔıɥʍ looʇ υnɟ ǝlʇʇıl ɐ ǝʇoɹʍ I

Gasometer Vienna

2009-12-27T12:08:00.000+01:00

Pictures from the Gasometer in Vienna (Wikipedia).

After The Windows Upgrade

2009-12-19T18:59:00.003+01:00

I liked the old look & feel better.

Seen in Mödling, a lovely city next to Vienna.

The Lonely Tree

2009-12-18T06:50:00.003+01:00

This lonely tree already attracted a lot of photographers. It can be found at the Üetliberg next to Zürich.

More pictures from the same tree from other photographers:

Golden Praterstern

2009-12-16T00:02:00.000+01:00

Golden light seen at the Praterstern.

The Pedestrian Zone In Heppenheim

2009-12-15T10:20:00.002+01:00

The pedestrian zone in Heppenheim.

Big? Small?

2009-12-14T09:24:00.001+01:00

Big? Small?

Prater Hauptallee in Vienna

2009-12-13T19:26:00.003+01:00

Looks best large on black.

Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna

2009-12-13T17:27:00.002+01:00

The Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna. 2008 the final match of the european soccer championship was played here.

Greasemonkey Script: Configurable Flickr Homepage

2009-12-13T00:30:00.000+01:00

This is an announcement for a greasemonkey script named "Configurable Flickr Homepage".

The purpose of this greasemonkey script is to provide a set of modifications of the layout from the flickr homepage. Several modifications are available. All of them can be enabled or disabled by the user.

You need to have Firefox and the Greasmonkey add-on installed.

If you use this script and think that it is helpful, then I kindly ask you to visit my photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/steffenj/) and leave some comments on my photos.

The script is available under the GPL license (which implies that I publish it without any warranty!).

The script can be downloaded from userscripts.org: http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/36347

The screenshot shows the script in action. Click with the right mouse button on the greasemonkey icon and select the command "Configuration of the flickr homepage" in the menu "User Script Commands" to open the configuration dialog where the layout modifications can be enabled and disabled.

After this the following dialog will be displayed:

Select the modifications which you like and then click on "Ok". The flickr homepage will automatically be reloaded and displayed with the new settings. Here is a description of all options:

Adjust homepage width to size of browser: The original layout uses a fixed width of 800 pixels and therefore wastes a lot of space from the browser. If this option is checked then the whole browser width will be used. Moreover the contents of the flickr page resizes if the size of the browser changes.

Enable drag & drop: When you are happy with your layout you can uncheck this option. Now drag&drop is disabled. So it's e.g. no longer possible that you change the layout by mistake. If you want to modify the positions again you have to enable this option again.

Use customized module positions: Unchecking this option disabled the usage of the customized layout. The positions of the modules from the original flickr layout will be used instead.

Use gray background for modules: Checking this option will add a light gray border around modules from the flickr page.

Show rounded borders around modules: Checking this option will add rounded border around modules.

Show upload link in menubar: The original flickr page shows a big "Upload Photos & Videos" link on the same level as modules like "Your Photostream". By checking this option this link will move to the menu bar next to the "Explore" menu. This saves valuable space.

Show images in recent activities: The recent activities module shows the latest comments. Theses comments may include images (e.g. awards). If this configuration option is selected then these images will not be displayed.

Show buddy icon: Unchecking this option removes the buddy icon from the flickr homepage.

Show flickr blog: Unchecking this option removes the flickr blog from the flickr homepage.

Link group images to group pool: Checking this option modifies the links to images in the groups module. Now they will link to the pictures within the group context.

Show tips: Unchecking this option removes the tips section from the flickr homepage.

A main feature which was introduced in version 0.12 is the possibility to customize the layout by draggin&dropping the modules of the flickr homepage.

Not only the well known homepage but also the brand new sneak preview homepage (see also this announcement) is supported.

History:
2009-12-12 0.18 Fixed a bug in saving module positions caused by a new greasemonkey version
2008-12-14 0.17 Load jquery libraries from ajax.googleapis.com
2008-11-11 0.16 Bugfix for removing tips.
2008-11-11 0.15 Bugfix for moving upload to menubar
2008-11-11 0.14
Added option to show rounded borders
Adapted script to markup changes of the flickr homepage
2008-11-06 0.13
Show images in recent activities by default.
2008-11-06 0.12
Modules can now be positioned by using drag&drop
Use the jQuery framework
2008-11-01 0.11
Group images will now link in the group pool
It's possible to move the photostream to the right column
2008-11-01 0.10 Resize width of comments in recent activities
2008-10-31 0.09 First public version.

Statues in Vienna

2009-12-10T09:23:00.003+01:00

A collection of statues in Vienna.

Father Christmas

2009-12-07T17:36:00.001+01:00

I saw father christmas yesterday. He looked very tired already.

Beppo

2009-12-05T09:59:00.000+01:00

Chrilly's cat.

An aged dandelion

2009-12-04T09:14:00.001+01:00

Orton Autumn

2009-11-21T00:56:00.001+01:00

Karl-Borromäus-Kirche / Zentralfriedhof Vienna

2009-11-07T16:19:00.000+01:00