Random Things I Learned Today

Engine oil light

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 17:31:00 -0500

I hope I got the right kind of oil ...

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New bike

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 16:59:00 -0500

Now to learn now to ride it ...

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TVersity - Home

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 05:04:00 -0500

via tversity.com

TVersity seems to be focused less on organization of a collection and more on streaming and file format converting

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My Movies - Home

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 04:59:00 -0500

via mymovies.dk

besides the whole requiring Windows Vista/7 with Media Center and/or iPod and/or Android device thing, this thing is awesome! now if only I hadn't gotten rid of all my movies :(

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Dust Sniper (quiet extractor system)

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 13:11:00 -0500

via instructables.com

even if i never do anything workshop related this is so cool I want to make one ... except, I'd add a Snap-On power strip to both of the long sides

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Python Application Configuration - Google App Engine - Google Code

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Fri, 5 Mar 2010 13:48:00 -0500

Requiring Login or Administrator Status

Any URL handler can have a login setting to restrict visitors to only those users who have signed in, or just those users who are administrators for the application. When a URL handler with a login setting matches a URL, the handler first checks whether the user has signed in to the application with a Google account. If not, by default, the user is redirected to the Google sign-in page, and is redirected back to the application URL after signing in or creating an account. You can also configure the app to simply reject requests for a handler from users who are not properly authenticated, instead of redirecting the user to the Google Accounts interface.

If the setting is login: required, once the user has signed in, the handler proceeds normally.

If the setting is login: admin, once the user has signed in, the handler checks whether the user is an administrator for the application. If not, the user is given an error message. If the user is an administrator, the handler proceeds.

If an application needs different behavior, the application can implement the user handling itself. See the Users API for more information.

An example:
handlers:    - url: /profile/.*  script: user_profile.py  login: required    - url: /admin/.*  script: admin.py  login: admin    - url: /.*  script: welcome.py

via code.google.com

and here's now to lock my google app engine app ...

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finally, success! - struggles with google talk popout gadget ...

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Wed, 3 Mar 2010 13:08:00 -0500

javascript:window.open('https://talkgadget.google.com/talkgadget/popout','gtalkgadget','status=0,toolbar=0,menubar=0,resizeable=1,scrollbars=0,height=450,width=300')

finally found blogger gadget by daniyal (Google Talk Button) that essentially uses the google talk button code from the other day, ... I added it to my blog then used Developer's Inspector to grab this code ... still haven't figured out how to get rid of the location bar though ...

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Cross-workbook references : Functions - Google Docs Help

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Tue, 2 Mar 2010 20:54:00 -0500

Functions: Cross-workbook references

Print

Google Spreadsheets lets you reference another workbook in the spreadsheet that you're currently editing by using the ImportRange function. ImportRange lets you pull one or more cell values from one spreadsheet into another.

To create your own ImportRange formulas, enter =importRange(spreadsheet-key, range). For languages where comma is used for decimal separation, use a semicolon instead of a comma to separate arguments in your formula.

Spreadsheet-key is a STRING which is the key value from the spreadsheet URL.

Range is a STRING representing the range of cells you want to import, optionally including the sheet name (defaults to first sheet). You can also use a range name if you prefer.

Given that the two arguments are STRINGs, you need to enclose them in quotes or refer to cells which have string values in them.

For example:

=importrange("abcd123abcd123", "sheet1!A1:C10")
"abcd123abcd123" is the value in the "key=" atribute on the URL of the target spreadsheet and "sheet1!A1:C10" is the range which is desired to be imported.

=importrange(A1,B1)
Cell A1 contains the string ABCD123ABCD123 and cell B1 contains sheet1!A1:C10

Note: In order to use ImportRange, you need to have been added as a viewer or collaborator to the spreadsheet from which ImportRange is pulling the data. Otherwise, you'll get this error: "#REF! error: The requested spreadsheet key, sheet title, or cell range was not found."

via docs.google.com

oh my the possiblities ... make way pseudo-exel-like databases!

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Loading the Google Talk Gadget in its own window - Google Talk Help

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Tue, 2 Mar 2010 13:20:00 -0500

<script src="http://talkgadget.google.com/talkgadget/button"></script>

via google.com

maybe I can use this to make a proper popping out bookmarklet ...

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UsingMac.com - Mac Tricks and Tips, Wallpapers and Applications for Mac Users

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Mon, 1 Mar 2010 11:39:00 -0500

39 Cmd-Drag Arrange menu bar items

via usingmac.com

woot, perhaps now I can rearrange my gazillion menu bar applets ... I'll show you a screenshot sometime maybe ...

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Mac Mini Media Centre ° The Hickensian ° Hicksdesign

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:09:00 -0500

Relocating the Movies folder to the external hard drive was as easy as using an alias, but the iTunes library is a bit more troublesome. It should be as easy as choosing the new location in iTunes Preferences > Advanced, but I couldn’t manage to do this and retain paths. Everytime I wanted to play something, I had to select the new path to the file.

Instead, I created a folder on the hard drive, and rather than copy across everything manually, I chose this new folder as the library location in the advanced preferences, and used ‘consolidate library’. This not only copied everything across, but this time updated the paths to the media files, and everything plays as it should!

via hicksdesign.co.uk

ah ... so That's the magic method to moving your iTunes library ...

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UsingMac.com - Mac Tricks and Tips, Wallpapers and Applications for Mac Users

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:54:00 -0500

50+ Mac Applications with Great Interface

via usingmac.com

I was tempted to quote the entire page. it was way way way too long.

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Secrets

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:41:00 -0500

Check out this website I found at secrets.blacktree.com

it's a database of those command line tweaks for mac os x ... but not all of them are such gems as those webpages before

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25 Terminal Tips Every Mac User Should Know | Mac|Life

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:30:00 -0500

13. Establish A Secure Connection
SSH connections require less bandwidth and system resources than screen sharing.
SSH, or secure shell, opens a Terminal session on a remote machine, so all commands are then executed in the remote Terminal rather than the local one. The connection is encrypted, meaning none of the traffic passing between the two machines can be read if intercepted.
To get started, first make sure that SSH log-ins are enabled on the remote Mac by opening System Preferences and selecting the Sharing pane. Check the box next to Remote Login, and the SSH service will activate.
To connect to a remote computer via SSH, open the Terminal on the local machine and execute this command: ssh -l username remote-address.
Replace username with your username on the remote Mac and remote-address with the remote Mac’s IP address. (The remote IP address is listed in the remote machine’s Sharing pane when you click on Remote Login.) Press Return, and enter the remote username’s password at the prompt. SSH will connect you to the remote machine. (If you’re asked to add the remote machine to a list of known hosts, press Y for yes.)
Once you’re connected, you can execute any Terminal command remotely.

14. Freak Out Your Roommates
Your Mac’s reading voice won’t win an Oscar, but it’s plenty good for gags.
There are hundreds of useful remote commands, but let’s get you started with a good gag. If you know that someone else is using the remote computer, SSH into the machine, and execute say “Ouch. Don’t press the keys so hard.”
The remote machine’s default voice will read the statement over the speakers. This is even funnier if can do it from a laptop in the next room. (Please use this power responsibly. Impersonating deities or the Department of Homeland Security is bad form.)
Pranks aside, say can quickly create a machine-read audio book from a text file. Execute say -o savedaudio.aiff -f file-to-read.txt. Say will convert the file and save it as savedaudio.aiff in the Terminal’s current directory.

via maclife.com

had to strip the pictures out ... but still, something fun to try in the inordinate amounts of downtime that I may or may not have ...

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25 Terminal Tips Every Mac User Should Know | Mac|Life

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:10:00 -0500

When the Dashboard appears on our Desktop, it’s usually because we missed the delete key and hit F12 instead.
We’ve always liked the Dashboard in theory--on occasion, we’ve even downloaded widgets for it. Unfortunately, we never get around to using them, and our aging Mac laptop could use the extra RAM to run real apps. If you’re in the same boat, free up some system memory by terminating the Dashboard with two quick Terminal commands. First, set its default to Off by executing defaults write com.apple.dashboard mcx-disabled -boolean YES. Second, kill and restart the Dashboard and Dock with this command: killall Dock.

via maclife.com

this site's a little too wordy ... but this one could be useful ... if my laptop was aging ... well, maybe Spore'll run faster? Dunno.

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Useful Mac OS X Terminal Commands « Art Of Geek

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:06:00 -0500

Change a file’s type code to make an AAC file an iTunes/iPod audio book

/Developer/Tools/SetFile -t 'm4b ' filename.m4b
Note: You must have the Mac OS X developer tools installed for this command to work!
This gem of a command will set the type code of a file to ‘m4b ‘ (there is a space after the ‘b’), which tells iTunes it’s an audio book. This is required if you have ever ripped an audio book from CD, and want iTunes to see it as an audio book. The file must be an AAC file, and you need to change the file extension to .m4b. The truth is, this command can come in handy any time you need to implicitly set a file’s ‘type’ or ‘creator’ codes. You can view the SetFile man page for help by typing man SetFile at the terminal prompt and hitting return.

That’s all the time (and commands) we have for today folks! I’ll post more in a future article!

via artofgeek.com

from one of the linked sites ... I wonder if I'm doing the same thing by going to Track Info and setting them as type 'Audiobook' instead of type 'Music'?

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Handy Mac OSX Command Line Tricks | Snipe.Net

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:46:00 -0500

Drag Widgets Out Of Dashboard Onto Desktop
I love the widgets in the Dashboard, but being a former Windows user, I always forget they’re there. It never even occurs to me to click on my dashboard. To keep important widgets handy, drag widgets from your dashboard onto your desktop. You need to re-launch the dock for this to take effect by typing “killall Dock” and hitting enter. If you click and hold onto a widget in the dashboard and then press F12 to return to the desktop, the widget won’t disappear with the rest.
defaults write com.apple.dashboard devmode YES
type this to reverse it:
defaults write com.apple.dashboard devmode NO
Remember to type killall dock to restart your dock before the changes will take effect.

Add Spaces to Your Dock

If you’re like me and constantly mis-click and launch the wrong application (xchat instead of terminal, since they have similar icons and because I am dumb), adding spacers into your dock to visually separate the icons can be a big help. By adding spaces, you can group related icons together for ease of use, but have just enough of a visual difference to prevent you from spastically clicking on the wrong ones (like I do). For example,my dock looks something like this:

In your Terminal prompt, type:
defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-apps -array-add '{"tile-type"="spacer-tile";}'
When your dock restarts, you’ll see a spacer in the right-side. You can click and drag this spacer to wherever you need, and you can re-run that command in your Terminal window to create as many spacers as you want. And just like any other dock icon, you can right+click and remove, or just drag it off the dock to get rid of it.

Remember to type killall Dock to restart your dock before the changes will take effect.

via snipe.net

more dock and dashboard wizardry ... I might as well quote the entire site ... ^_^

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Handy Mac OSX Command Line Tricks | Snipe.Net

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:43:00 -0500

Enable half-star ratings in iTunes (via Lifehacker)
If you’re a music buff who uses iTunes, and the five-star rating system isn’t quite granular enough for you (“do I really like it, or do I really, really REALLY like it?”), this handy command will enable half-star ratings in iTunes.

To set this up, just type:
defaults write com.apple.iTunes allow-half-stars -bool TRUE

via snipe.net

oh my. I've been avoiding using stars because of my OCD, but now ... *must resist urge to re-rate EVERY SINGLE SONG IN MY COLLECTION*

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Handy Mac OSX Command Line Tricks | Snipe.Net

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:40:00 -0500

Force All Links in Safari to Open in New Tabs Instead of New Windows
If you can’t stand it when links create a new browser window and prefer them to always open in a new tab, type:
defaults write com.apple.Safari TargetedClicksCreateTabs -bool TRUE

via snipe.net

yay google docs the non-multi windowed (aka organized) way!

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How Can I Ditch Cable and Watch My TV Shows and Movies Online? - Streaming Television - Lifehacker

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:02:00 -0500

How Can I Ditch Cable and Watch My TV Shows and Movies Online?

Dear Lifehacker,
I'd love to get rid of cable and stream all my favorite TV shows right from the internet. What do I need to know before I take the plunge?

Signed,
Ready to Cut the Coaxial

Photo by sociotard.

via lifehacker.com

perhaps the first thing I'll end up trying is that antenna mentioned at the bottom ...

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Free and Easy Remote Access with VNC Reverse Connections » Raymond.CC Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:43:00 -0500

via raymond.cc

if I set this up ... might I be able to use my laptop as a redirect server? either that or it should be an easier way to help mom. But then again, we use CrossLoop now ...

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Ocean Sushi Deli in Monterey

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 09:30:00 -0500

I'm a military member, so I'm currently stationed in Monterey, California ... I just haven't changed my location info (1) for opsec (operational security) reasons, althing this blog isn't really opsec either, and (2) because my main base (family, ID, home of record, etc) are still all in Maryland ...

But in any case, I ate at Ocean Sushi Deli yesterday, and it was absolutely amazing food. There was a huge selection, the servers are nice, food came hot (yet not boiling so that you can't eat it) and very fast (we went during a normal dinner time, not some strange time mid-morning or mid-afternoon), and their food portions were excellent: generous yet do-able. I had the original ramen, which was Chashyu (oriental ham), boiled egg, bean sprouts, chinese greens, corn, and fish cake with noodle in tonkatsu (pork flavored) soup. Mmm .... absolutely delicious.

I also bought a daifuku, some mochi mango sherbert bonbons, 2 tempura shrimp onigiri, and my friend bought some red bean buns. When I got back, I put them in the freezer. Oops. The daifuku definitely did not like how cold our freezer was. The prices at this "deli" were not bad at all, about $8 for a generous bowl of ramen, definitely something affordable for a not-paid-alot-of-money marine such as myself.

Sending Posts via SMS

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 00:42:00 -0500

... Cool! I have also added posting via txt! I love discovering new features after being away for a long time ...

Edit: added title ... I wonder how I do that in the text message ...

Migrating / Merging All My Blogs

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 00:27:00 -0500

I'm finally thinking about really using my blog as its intented to be used.  As in updated frequently, not once every four years, when a particularily blue moon and a lunar eclipse both coincide and happen at the exact same time at midnight on the leap day of a leap year.  As in, never.  So, I'm importing the other two blogs: "Adventures with the Marines" and "StudyHelpers.org" ... yay!

Glokenspiels and Indonesian music

noreply@blogger.com (Mabel Xu) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 23:43:00 -0500

Did you know that ...

The Glokenspiel is kinda like a metallic xylophone ... everyone knows that ... but did you know that it is used in Indonesian music?

... well now you know!

P.S. btw, I'm not really trying to steal from Bill Nye the Science Guy, I just really really really really love his show.  Is he coming out with a new season?  Does anyone know?  Is the original or maybe this possible new season maybe coming out on DVD ... perhaps with some special features?  That would be soo cool ...