I have a bunch of web servers, for which I receive monitoring alerts by email. I discovered I can get these as RSS, so I thought, "Perfect! I'll watch these from my Windows 7 desktop. I know there's a feed widget."
Not so fast!!
When you first add the Feeds Gadget to Windows 7, it may appear as if Microsoft only wanted you to be able to view THEIR feeds in the gadget. Clicking on Options just allows you to choose All or a particular MS feed to view (as well as how many items to display.) There is no mention of how to add new feeds, so at first I gave up.
The next day I Googled it. Turns out the wonderful Paul Thurrott had my answer (btw his Podcast on Twit.tv is awesome.) The Feeds Gadget 'feeds' off the RSS subscriptions you've set up in Internet Explorer. So all you do is:
1. Open the feed address in IE
2. IE will bring up a subscription box in yellow at the top of the page.
3. Click subscribe.
4. Now go back to the Feeds gadget and right-click, then on Options.
5. You will see your feed. Choose it!
So there you go - now I can see my servers go down right from my desktop!
Nice tip on extracting downloaded Youtube videos from your Firefox cache
This guy says it all - http://xp-rience.blogspot.com/2008/01/copy-flv-file-from-firefox-cache.html
Basically you monitor your Firefox cache directory and look for the file being created. Then simply rename the file as an .flv
Basically you monitor your Firefox cache directory and look for the file being created. Then simply rename the file as an .flv
How to open ODT files when you don't have Open Office
Before we get started, none of the following options will retain the ODT document formatting perfectly, so if this is important to you, get OpenOffice: http://download.openoffice.org/
If you just need to quickly open an ODT/ODF document and you don't want OpenOffice, read on!
Option 1: Gmail (Google Docs)
1. Send yourself an email with the ODT file
2. Click on "Open as a Google document" next the attachment.
Option 2: Google Docs directly
1. Open Google Docs at http://docs.google.com/
2. Click Upload
3. Follow the instructions
Option 3: To open in Word 2003
This is the preferred option as your formatting will be retained more than in Google Docs.
Don't bother using the Sun ODF plugin - I could not get it to work.
Instead try the following:
1. Get this Office Add-In: http://sourceforge.net/projects/odf-converter/files/ODF%20Add-in%20for%20Office/
2. Close Office programmes as well as Outlook
2. Install Add-In
2a. Optionally associate ODT files with MS Office.
3. Open the document in the usual way from Explorer or Word
4. The Add-In will convert the document in around 30 seconds
Option 4: To open in Word 2007
I noticed formatting was better retained using Word 2007.
- No steps! Seems to just work :)
If you just need to quickly open an ODT/ODF document and you don't want OpenOffice, read on!
Option 1: Gmail (Google Docs)
1. Send yourself an email with the ODT file
2. Click on "Open as a Google document" next the attachment.
Option 2: Google Docs directly
1. Open Google Docs at http://docs.google.com/
2. Click Upload
3. Follow the instructions
Option 3: To open in Word 2003
This is the preferred option as your formatting will be retained more than in Google Docs.
Don't bother using the Sun ODF plugin - I could not get it to work.
Instead try the following:
1. Get this Office Add-In: http://sourceforge.net/projects/odf-converter/files/ODF%20Add-in%20for%20Office/
2. Close Office programmes as well as Outlook
2. Install Add-In
2a. Optionally associate ODT files with MS Office.
3. Open the document in the usual way from Explorer or Word
4. The Add-In will convert the document in around 30 seconds
Option 4: To open in Word 2007
I noticed formatting was better retained using Word 2007.
- No steps! Seems to just work :)
iPod Touch and Case Magnets Do Not Mix!
I recently got an iPod Touch 16GB 2G/G2. It is a fantastic device. You can do so much from the palm of your hand. Unfortunately, the first time I took it out on the road it shut itself off 30 seconds into playing music. I could reset it (DFU mode I think it's called?) but it kept happening. I tried restoring, removing all apps, switching off WIFI, and everything else I could think of, but nothing fixed the seemingly random shut-off behaviour.
Finally I went to the Apple Store Genius Bar and explained it to them. They couldn't reproduce the issue but they kindly provided me with a brand new iPod. [Clue: they tested it OUT of the case.] Kudos to Apple.
So I got home, charged it for 3 hours as recommended, put it BACK in the case and started to listen to music. It shut off right on cue! OK, I thought, it's just a coincidence. I reset it and started playing music again. This time it worked all the way to work on the bus and then shut down when I put it in my pocket to walk up to work.
I had had a suspicion that something to do with shutting the (magnetic) case lid was to blame but had never properly tested it. So I removed the iPod Touch from the case and put it in my pocket without any case on it. And... just like that - the music kept playing all the way on the rest of my walk to work. Now we're getting somewhere!
Very frustrating! I Googled for the problem (why didn't I think of this before? Who knows!) and found somone on MacRumors who had the exact same problem! And furthermore, they had a case with a magnet for keeping the lid shut. I got one of these Cygnett cases when I bought the device and had it in there the whole time. This morning I have been testing the device with the case FAR, far away and no problems at all. I will keep testing when I walk home tonight, but I feel that it is solved. It's a shame as the case is quite nice, although now that I think about it, the fit is not great and typing on the keyboard at the edge of the screen is irritating.
BTW I did discuss this in the Apple forum, but it seems Apple still sell these types of cases in their own store!
Next step: buy a nice NON-MAGNETIC ipod touch case and screen protector from Amazon
. Or maybe i'll get one of these leather folio ipod cases
with a clip instead of a magnet.
Moral of the Story: do not buy an iPod Touch case containing a magnet!
UPDATE! (Jan 2010)
I noticed that I've been getting quite a few visitors to this post, presumably those with the same issue. I wanted to tell you that since buying one of these rubber cases
(can't believe how cheap it was!) I have had zero issues with the iPod Touch. It works perfectly, and I've even dropped it. The case did its job and protected my iPod.
I also got a pack of screen protectors like these
, because the screen is not covered by the case, which can be a problem when it's in your pocket or bag. Like the other day, I put the iPod in my pocket with my keys and it scratched the screen protector. No problem! Just peel off the protector and put on another one - no damage to screen.
I definitely recommend steering clear of the cases with magnets. While it's a shame, because the magnets are cool, it's cooler to actually be able to listen to music properly!
BTW, if by the time you read this, the case above is not available, I suggest looking here to find more
.
Finally I went to the Apple Store Genius Bar and explained it to them. They couldn't reproduce the issue but they kindly provided me with a brand new iPod. [Clue: they tested it OUT of the case.] Kudos to Apple.
So I got home, charged it for 3 hours as recommended, put it BACK in the case and started to listen to music. It shut off right on cue! OK, I thought, it's just a coincidence. I reset it and started playing music again. This time it worked all the way to work on the bus and then shut down when I put it in my pocket to walk up to work.
I had had a suspicion that something to do with shutting the (magnetic) case lid was to blame but had never properly tested it. So I removed the iPod Touch from the case and put it in my pocket without any case on it. And... just like that - the music kept playing all the way on the rest of my walk to work. Now we're getting somewhere!
Very frustrating! I Googled for the problem (why didn't I think of this before? Who knows!) and found somone on MacRumors who had the exact same problem! And furthermore, they had a case with a magnet for keeping the lid shut. I got one of these Cygnett cases when I bought the device and had it in there the whole time. This morning I have been testing the device with the case FAR, far away and no problems at all. I will keep testing when I walk home tonight, but I feel that it is solved. It's a shame as the case is quite nice, although now that I think about it, the fit is not great and typing on the keyboard at the edge of the screen is irritating.
BTW I did discuss this in the Apple forum, but it seems Apple still sell these types of cases in their own store!
Next step: buy a nice NON-MAGNETIC ipod touch case and screen protector from Amazon
. Or maybe i'll get one of these leather folio ipod cases with a clip instead of a magnet.Moral of the Story: do not buy an iPod Touch case containing a magnet!
UPDATE! (Jan 2010)
I noticed that I've been getting quite a few visitors to this post, presumably those with the same issue. I wanted to tell you that since buying one of these rubber cases
I also got a pack of screen protectors like these
I definitely recommend steering clear of the cases with magnets. While it's a shame, because the magnets are cool, it's cooler to actually be able to listen to music properly!
BTW, if by the time you read this, the case above is not available, I suggest looking here to find more
How to install Google Chrome version 2.0
1. Download Google Chrome if you don't have it - http://www.google.com/chrome/ and install it.
2. Download the Google Chrome Channel Changer - http://dev.chromium.org/getting-involved/dev-channel from the Chromium Dev site.
3. Run the Channel Changed and select Dev.
4. Open Chrome, click on the little spanner icon and choose About Google Chrome. You will see a button in the bottom left saying Update. Click it.
5. Restart Chrome - now you have the latest Dev version - 2.0!
6. To check that it's working - hit F11 - you will have a frameless browser window!
2. Download the Google Chrome Channel Changer - http://dev.chromium.org/getting-involved/dev-channel from the Chromium Dev site.
3. Run the Channel Changed and select Dev.
4. Open Chrome, click on the little spanner icon and choose About Google Chrome. You will see a button in the bottom left saying Update. Click it.
5. Restart Chrome - now you have the latest Dev version - 2.0!
6. To check that it's working - hit F11 - you will have a frameless browser window!
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