If you have a web browser that supports Greasemonkey (for Firefox) or script importation (Opera natively supported; for IE; NinjaKit on Chrome; GreaseKit or NinjaKit on Safari), make sure that it is installed and activated.

Next, go to Userscripts.org and install the ‘facebook Photo Theatre Killer’ script and you are done! Wasn’t that easy? Now, revisit a photo gallery via your Facebook account and the annoying “theatre mode” should be gone.

Here is how it looks before applying the script…

Facebook image with theatre mode activated.

…and after.

Facebook image with theatre mode deactivated.

If you’re very observant, you will notice that all the script is essentially doing is removing the ‘&theater’ parameter from the URL string for the image. You can manually remove the parameter for each image being loaded without need of the script, but this does all of the hard work for you in the background so you can spend more time stalking your friends’ photo galleries!

Locate your theme’s functions.php file and open it in a simple text editor. Append with the following lines of code and modify depending on which fields you want to add or remove. Save and visit your profile to test.

// Add extra contact info to user profile page
function extra_contact_info($contactmethods) {
    unset($contactmethods['aim']);
    unset($contactmethods['yim']);
    unset($contactmethods['jabber']);
    $contactmethods['facebook'] = 'Facebook';
    $contactmethods['twitter'] = 'Twitter';
    $contactmethods['linkedin'] = 'LinkedIn';

    return $contactmethods;
}
add_filter('user_contactmethods', 'extra_contact_info');

The code is pretty simple to understand. Fields that you want to remove are preceded with unset; those that you want to add are not.

Continuing with the recent posts on adding functionality to WordPress via functions.php, navigate to your theme’s files and, with a simple text editor, open the functions.php file. If one does not exist, create one and save it to your theme’s directory. Add the following lines of code and modify the domain reference to suit your setup and the location of your favicon. Save and re-enter your Dashboard to see the effects.

// Specify favicon for Dashboard
function favicon4admin() {
 echo '<link rel="Shortcut Icon" type="image/x-icon" href="http://www.mydomain.tld/favicon.ico" />';
}
add_action( 'admin_head', 'favicon4admin' );

As usual, this is a per-theme modification, so you will need to reapply if you automatically update your theme or switch to another theme.

Locate your theme’s functions.php file in a simple text editor and append with the following lines.

// Disable all RSS feeds
function disable_our_feeds() {
	wp_die( __('<strong>ERROR:</strong> We are sorry, but RSS feeds have been disabled on this website for privacy purposes. Please click <a href="http://mydomain.tld/" >this link</a> to return to the homepage.') );
}
add_action('do_feed', 'disable_our_feeds', 1);
add_action('do_feed_rdf', 'disable_our_feeds', 1);
add_action('do_feed_rss', 'disable_our_feeds', 1);
add_action('do_feed_rss2', 'disable_our_feeds', 1);
add_action('do_feed_atom', 'disable_our_feeds', 1);

Because you are editing the functions.php file, this modification needs to be applied to each WordPress theme for which disabling RSS feeds is required.

This modification does not automatically remove RSS feed links within your theme, so manually removing them from your page/post templates might be necessary if you want to be thorough.

Finally, should you prefer to retain feed access, but restrict to subscribers only, take a look at the Feed Key plugin.

You will only be able to implement this modification if you are using WordPress 3.1+. The Admin Bar is not present in versions 3.0.5 and below. Furthermore, the modification can only be applied to themes, so you will have to apply to new themes when they are added.

Locate the functions.php file within your theme’s subdirectory and open within a simple text editor. Append with the following code ensuring not to interfere with what is already present. Save and revisit your blog.

// Hide WordPress Admin Bar
add_filter( 'show_admin_bar', '__return_false' );

add_action( 'admin_print_scripts-profile.php', 'hide_admin_bar_prefs' );
function hide_admin_bar_prefs() { ?>
<style type="text/css">
	.show-admin-bar { display: none; }
</style>
<?php
}

The WordPress Admin Bar should now be absent both on your blog’s pages and within the dashboard. Awesome!

I like to keep Firefox lean and fast, so tacking on another extension to the ones I already use was not my first solution. Thankfully, someone over at userstyles.org, a great site for Stylish custom scripts, had a simple fix for both Greasemonkey and Stylish users. Whichever method you choose, the fix works by simply overriding Facebook’s current font-size CSS. Nothing else is modified.

After applying the Greasemonkey user script, Facebook text was once again comfortable to read. Give it a try and you will immediately notice the difference.

Get Full Ashampoo Software for Free

Please note that I am in no way affiliated with Ashampoo or any of their partners and do not gain anything from this promotion. However, I am aware that a lot of people like getting free stuff and had to share this. Having used Ashampoo’s Burning Studio 2010 Advanced, I can say that it is one of the better media burning suites out there minus all the bloat that you would find in paid alternatives such as Nero and Roxio. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the other products since there has never been any personal necessity for them. Even if you may not be interested, pass this on to your friends and family members who might be. Enjoy!

Requirements

Obviously, this is geared for those running Ubuntu, so some flavour of Linux is involved. Additionally, you will need to have MEncoder installed. If you have already set up Ubuntu for multimedia playback, then there should be nothing to stop you from immediately jumping in to the fix. However, if MEncoder is not installed something has to be done about it. For multimedia playback I like to execute the following 2 commands. They will take care of installing VLC, MEncoder and a lot of codecs.

Instructions

1. Launch a command terminal by going to Applications > Accessories > Terminal.
2. Locate the folder containing the AVI file you want fixed. In my case it was located in the Videos directory, so I entered:
   cd Videos
3. Once there, enter the following command. Modify the file names to match the file names you are using:
   mencoder -forceidx -oac copy -ovc copy corruptvideo.avi -o fixedvideo.avi
4. Press ENTER and watch the magic take place! The entire process should not take more than a minute to complete.

Once complete, you can retry playing the video through your favourite media player to see if the file was fixed.

Alternative for Windows

If you are a Windows user, on the other hand, and prefer something with a graphical interface, give DivFix++ a try.

First of all, congratulations on taking the first step on this journey to seek higher education. You are doing something that will further develop your mind in preparation for the working world. Not many are fortunate to receive such an opportunity. Realize that this journey is going to be different than the one you experienced during your high school days. It will be somewhat more difficult, but you will grow and mature.

The following are a few of my tips for new college and university students. After reading them you will probably agree that they are pretty much common sense knowledge.

1. Know your deadlines
   You are an adult and expected to be responsible. Be aware of your university’s calendar of events and any other deadlines that are important to you. Plan ahead to meet those deadlines.
2. Get your payments sorted out early
   Obtain from the institution the exact breakdown of fees you must pay. If you are on a scholarship/sponsorship, know the difference you must contribute. Get payments and deposits sorted out early so as to avoid the frustration of long lines. Keep receipts organized and in a easy-to-access location because you never know when there might be a scenario where proof of payment is demanded.
3. Scope out the campus
   If you feel that a visit to the campus will benefit you, then arrange for a tour with your family or friends ahead of time. Touring the campus during the summer or out-of-semester periods can be less intimidating for prospective students.
4. Take advantage of orientation
   Every university has an orientation week for new students before classes begin. Plan to attend so you can take advantage of the help you will need in order to register for your courses, among other things. Social events will also occur during this time when you can make new friends.
5. Do not panic
   New students will find that course registration is a confusing task. Which courses do you need? How do you arrange them? You are not alone. Talk with a faculty advisor preferably from your program’s department and spend time delineating which courses must be done. Freshman are normally encouraged to take a wide variety of courses in their first year. However, slot in some of your program-specific courses because they may become prerequisites for future courses.
6. Join campus organizations
   Most universities have a clubs and groups day during orientation week where students can learn about the many organizations on campus. Visit the booths. Join groups that interest you.
7. Manage money wisely
   Just because you have access to your parents’ credit card does not mean that you should spend their money foolishly. Purchase what you need and try to develop a budget. Get a part-time job later if you want extra pocket money, but only do so if it will not distract you from your studies.
8. Eat healthy and exercise
   Many young college and university students usually gain a noticeable amount of weight after their first semester because they do not regulate what they eat. Cafeteria food is convenient, but if it is all you have access to ensure that you choose healthy foods. Also, get the heart pumping by exercising regularly.
9. Get to know your instructors
   Talking with instructors from your department not only facilitates better learning, but also makes it easier in the future when you need an academic favour or letter of recommendation.
10. Make new friends
    You probably do not need to be told this. Keep in touch with your friends from high school, but do not be afraid to make new friends. They will be with you for the next 4 years at university and will more than likely be friends you will have for the rest of your life.
11. Know yourself and your limitsDo not be forced into doing anything that you feel is uncomfortable because everyone else is pressuring you. Do not end up doing something that you will live to regret later. Your primary purpose for going to college or university is to get an higher level of education after all.
12. Got questions? Ask!You are bound to have questions that need answers. Find a contact list or campus directory at your university’s website and start communicating. A faster response will be gained from a call, but e-mail is a good alternative.

This is not, by far, an exhaustive list. You may have a few tips of your own. Feel free to post them in the comments. All the best for the new academic year!

1. While logged in to Ubuntu, press ALT+F2 to call the Run Application command window.
   
   

   Ubuntu's Run Application window

2. Enter the following two commands in succession and press Run after each entry.
   metacity --replace
   compiz --replace

The problem might be fixed immediately after entering the first command, but execute the second as well to restore control to Compiz. You can then proceed to configure the Compiz effects just the way you like them.