Author: admin

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Outlook Folder List View

It’s a real annoyance when you have a really bad memory. Yesterday for example, I forgot how to switch to Folder List View in Outlook. It is an option that I can’t live without, so  it is pretty important. And it took me over half an hour to find it again. Why is that? Well, it’s because the view isn’t in an obvious place, under the “View” tab. It actually isn’t under any of the tabs. It resides in an icon, the little folder icon on the bottom, left or of the corner! Someone…  should really fix this problem. It shouldnt be so hard to find… bad memory or not!

Okay, I feel better now. 🙂

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Windows Security Essentials

I have been using Windows Security Essentials to see how I will work versus Avast Home Edition. And so far Window Security Essentials is my preferred antivirus. Both of course are free. And both work equally well, but I am sticking with Windows Security Essentials because it uses fewer resources. Try it out… click here.

microsoftsecurityessentials

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Firefox Spell Checker

Why isn’t it more obvious? I just literally spent 10min looking to turn Firefox’s spell checking abilities on then remembered that all you need to do was install a dictionary of the language I wanted to have it spell check. Duh? No, because if you look through Firefox’s options, there is no reference to it’s spell checker. Also if you googled: firefox spell checker, you’ll get links going to outdated spell checker prototypes and tutorials. Granted that I am a computer geek, we do get old and forget things. 🙂 Additionally, if Firefox’s spell checker is intuitively integrated, shouldn’t the default language’s dictionary be intuitively integrated as well? I think so!

I hope this post is useful to someone somewhere.

Here’s the link to the English Dictionary… click me.

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Vista and Toolbars

Since XP, I have come to depend an autohide toolbar to access programs quickly and easily. But after switching to Vista, that easily made toolbar took a little work to make. If you are looking to make a toolbar in Vista, here are the steps:

1) Make a folder (it can’t be deleted)
2) Put all your shortcuts into it
3) Drag the folder to the edge of your screen where you want the toolbar to go
4) Customize it

Hope that helps,
Thuan

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HTML Back-A-Page

Programming to have your HTML go back a page isn’t hard. It’s simple Javascript that you can use in a link or a form’s button…

<form method="post">
<input type="button" value="Back" OnClick="history.go(-1 );return true;">
</form>

<a href="javascript:history.go(-1)">Back</a>

Hope that helps,
Thuan

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HTML Tags Converter

For some reason I couldn’t find a HTML Tags Converter on the web at all, so I wrote one…

It’s really simple Javascript, but a very useful tool when you need it… if you find it useful, leave a comment. 🙂
-Thuan

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Removing MS SQL Full Text Search

This week I had to move one of my sites from web host to another. Full Text Search, though useful, turned out to be a nuance because the new host doesn’t not allow it and the old host wanted to charge me $20 to remove it.

Why didn’t I just remove it myself? Well, I assumed I didn’t have the privileges because it was grayed out in Enterprise Manager. But hope was not lost, I fired up Query Analyzer and found that I was able to manage full text search functionality without any issues. Here’s the code if someone needs it…

Step 1, Drop the table (or tables if you have multiple)

USE DB_NAME;
GO
EXEC sp_fulltext_table 'TABLE_NAME', 'drop';
GO

Step 2,  Drop the Full Text Search Catalog

USE DB_NAME;
GO
EXEC sp_fulltext_catalog 'CATALOG_NAME', 'drop';
GO

In summary, working on a shared hosting environment can have its disadvantages but with a little Transact-SQL know-how it isn’t all that bad.

BTW, here’s a good reference for MS SQL Full Text Search Stored Procedures… linky.

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Using BitTorrent

Before you read on, please note that to understand this article you must have some knowledge about peer to peer (P2P) file sharing and/or have used some sort of P2P file sharing program. In this article I will compare the steps needed to start/use/download while using these types of programs.

Why use BitTorrent? The advantage with using BitTorrent is our downloads can (and for the most part will) reach much higher speeds resulting in faster downloads.

Using torrents is like using any other P2P programs. If you have used any programs such as LimeWire, then you are 90% of the way there. How’s that?

Lets start by reviewing how we would use a program such as LimeWire:

bt_limewire

1. Start the program
2. Search for your desired files
3. Select and start downloading

Simple? Yes. Well using BitTorrent software is almost exactly the same. The only difference is the manner in which you do step 1. Here’s a breakdown of the steps for BitTorrenting:

bt_utorrent1

1a. Open your favorite web browser
1b. Go to your favorite bit torrents site
2. Search for your desired files
3. Select and start downloading

What? That’s it?! Yes, do you see the difference?

The only thing different is programs like LimeWire automatically connects to the file sharing network for you. This way all you have to do is start searching for what you need. BitTorrent software doesn’t work in that manner. Instead of starting the BitTorrent software you start up your browser then visit your favorite torrent sites. I say your favorite torrents site because there are many of them.

Once you click download this using torrent… your torrents software should start automatically for you. If you don’t know which torrent software to use, then take my advice and use uTorrent. I have used many and IMHO it is the best in regards to speed, usability, and configuring.

As with all related “downloading” off the internet. Be sure to filter through the search results for virus spreading fakes. And to be really sure, scan for viruses after downloading your desired files before opening them. This is probably the #1 reason why everyone gets those “I don’t know what happen?” to my computer viruses and spyware. 🙂

Oh, BTW, LimeWire has BitTorrent software built into it… however, I don’t suggest using it.

Also, if it isn’t so obvious… when you are on a BitTorrent website you’ll see unfamiliar terms such as “seeds and leechers”:

*Seeds, the number of people that are sharing the complete file.
*Leechers, the number of people downloading and sharing some of the file… you share what you downloaded thus far.

Hope this helps.

-Thuan

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Reflection.js

I have been using a fancy snippet of JavaScript ever since I ran into it a few months back.  After giving it some time to prove itself, it’s time to thank Cow for making my blog, reflective.

What is it?
Reflection.js

What does it do?
Reflection.js allows you to add reflections to the images on your web pages using CSS. All you have to do is give the desired images a “reflect” CSS class. Simple as that.

I have used it numerous times, but here are a few more examples…

happy-halloween heart-day ice-cream-day

Whatcha think? Pretty cool right? If you want it? You can download it here… http://cow.neondragon.net/stuff/reflection/

-Thuan

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Mind Wide Open by Steven Johnson

mind-wide-open

This is a magnificent book. I am lucky to have been able to listen to it via audiobook.

There were a few “dry” spots in the book, but for the most part I couldn’t stop listening to it. Dry because the topics mentioned were complex and in depth; nevertheless, Steven Johnson’s superb writing ability was able to make it enjoyable and entertaining.

This is a book about you, me, everyone… with a brain. It explains how we act and why, using modern neuroscience and psychology. He even references and sometimes challenges theories created by the father of Psychoanalytic Psychology, Sigmund Freud.

It’s more evident to me that we are nurtured nature, but that’s a whole different story/debate.

Final Thoughts: It’s a good read/listen. I give it a 4.5/5.