Remove the QuickTime Annoyance (Internet Explorer IE Firefox)

Did you install QuickTime or iTunes, and then realised that your browser, be it Internet Explorer (IE) or Mozilla Firefox, now automatically launches QuickTime as the default plugin player whenever you try to play mp3s or video files?

Well, for iTunes lovers, it all started with iTunes 6. From that version onwards, we were also forced into an Apple QuickTime installation as well.

The problem is that the QuickTime Player is really annoying! Once installed, your system is immediately hijacked by QuickTime! QuickTime associates itself with mp3 files, becoming the default player and browser plugin. Most of you know - even editing the preferences in QuickTime itself doesn’t change anything.

So now whenever you come across a sound file online, QuickTime grabs control of your browser and stops you from downloading the sound file (sure, there’s an option to download it - after paying for the premium version of QuickTime, that is!).

Well, if you ever wondered how to remove QuickTime or disable QuickTime in your browser, here’s the solution!

---

Set Your Default Player/Plugin Back To Windows Media Player

To set your default player/plugin back to Windows Media Player, run Windows Media Player first. Next, from the Windows Media Player menu, select Tools > Options > “File Types” tab. Look for the box labelled “MP3 Audio File.”

If it is unchecked, check it.

If it is checked, uncheck it and then check it again.

Now click “Apply.”

Note: You can open Windows Media Player by clicking Start > All Programs > Accessories > Entertainment > Windows Media Player.

In the future if QuickTime prompts you with the message: “Some of the MIME types previously associated with the QuickTime plugin are currently associated with other applications. Should I restore these MIME type associations to QuickTime?”

Choose “No”, and check the “Do not prompt in the future” box, so that QuickTime doesn’t ask you this anymore.

---

Disable QuickTime in Mozilla Firefox

Great news to Mozilla Firefox users too! It is possible to disable QuickTime and still keep iTunes - so here’s how to disable QuickTime in your Mozilla Firefox browser!

Simply go to Tools > Options > “Content” tab and click on the “Manage” button under the “File Types” category. Look around the list for “mp3″ and then click on “Change Action”. From the list provided, you can change the default action (which is QuickTime) to whatever you want! For me, I chose to have Firefox download the file.

Subscribe to my blog: RSS reader    Email

Installing and Running IIS on Windows Vista

Internet Information Services, or IIS, is Microsoft’s suite of Internet-related software included with the Windows 2000 and above operating system software. IIS provides both FTP server and web server capability. With IIS, you can run FTP, ASP.Net pages, etc, on your Windows computer.

On Windows Vista, IIS is included, but is not installed by default. Once IIS is installed, your Windows Vista computer will be able to function as a web server.

However, there is a limit on the maximum number of concurrent connections that Windows Vista can accept. Vista Home Editions support a maximum of 5 connections, while all other editions support a maximum of 10 connections.

You can install IIS on Vista using the following steps:

1. Open the Programs option by clicking Start > Control Panel > Programs
2. Under Programs and Features, click Turn Windows features on or off (left-hand menu)
3. Click Internet Information Services
4. Click OK

Do note that running IIS puts an extra load on your computer’s resources, so a decrease in overall performance (boot-up time, RAM and CPU usage, etc) should be expected. Therefore, try to turn off all IIS-related services whenever you’re not using IIS.

Subscribe to my blog: RSS reader    Email

Good Laptop / Notebook Battery Usage

One of the easiest things to kill is the battery of a laptop/notebook. In fact, it is common that some people may notice their laptop battery life growing shorter as the weeks go by.

One reason why this is so is because of the way the battery is being used. To ensure that batteries last for the long term, they need to be used properly. Most people keep their notebooks plugged in all day, and whenever they can find a power socket.

They may unplug them to move around, i.e. to go to school, home, or work. But once they arrive, the first thing they do is take out their AC adapters and plug in again. This means that on most days the notebook battery is going from 100% charged to 97% or 98%, and then being recharged to 100% again. This makes the batteries wear out prematurely, as each time you do this, you add another charge cycle to the battery.

Batteries have lifespan determined by the number of charge cycles they can take, and with each charge cycle, the battery’s lifespan is affected.

This is especially true for users who put their laptops on ’stand-by’ mode, as ’stand-by’ mode consumes minute amounts of battery, and once plugged in, the battery will charge again.

Lenovo users won’t have this problem though, as Thinkpads (I’m not sure about the other models), provide options to change battery charging behaviour. For instance, I can set my battery to charge only when it’s below 80% - so unless it’s below 80%, the battery will never be charged. And once it drops below 80%, the battery will continue to charge until it is at full 100% capacity.

Of course, I can also change the options so that no matter what, my battery will always charge to 100%.

With proper battery usage, you can expect to see your battery’s lifespan to be prolonged, and reap the maximum from your battery.

Subscribe to my blog: RSS reader    Email

300 - This is Spartaaaaaaaaaaa

Something funny

See the whole gallery of spoofs here: http://www.alvinpoh.com/spgm/index.php?spgmGal=300_Spartaaaaa

Subscribe to my blog: RSS reader    Email

My New Computer Workspace (External Keyboard + Mouse)

I use a Lenovo (IBM) Thinkpad X60s, and I love it, mostly for its excellence durability, reliability, and mobility. The problem comes when I use it for prolonged periods of time, especially since I code and write tons of reports.

That’s when I feel that things can be improved somewhat. Read my post on Ergonomic Tips on Healthy Laptop Usage and Ideal Typing Postures.

First thing I did was to elevate my laptop by using a makeshift stand. It costs much less than the $30-$50 computer stands that the shops sell, plus it has really good airflow as well.

Then I went out and got myself an external keyboard and mouse. Apparently though, a USB keyboard is as hard to find as an interesting and humourous professor. I wanted to get a Logitech keyboard at first, as the classic design really appeals to me:

Just look at that - an understated, minimalistic, classic keyboard. Sadly though, I found out that most of Logitech’s cheaper keyboards only support PS/2. My Thinkpad laptop only has USB ports, so I can’t use anything except a USB keyboard.

After some searching, I found an Anyzen (it’s Korean) basic black keyboard that came with USB. Great thing was that it cost less than $10! So now my computer workspace looks like this, and it’s so much more comfortable.

If only I could get rid of all the wires.

Subscribe to my blog: RSS reader    Email

Vbulletin Can’t Login - Solve the Login Problem

Some Vbulletin users and owners may have experienced that some users face a problem logging in, especially with Internet Explorer (IE).

Does your problem sound like this: When the user logs in, the page shows the “Thank you for logging in” message, then refreshes, and the user is shown that he is not yet logged in. No error message is shown.

Well, the following 3 steps may help in solving this Vbulletin log in problem:

1. Close all open browser windows and clear all cookies. Then load your browser and try logging in again. If that does not help, continue with the next suggestions.
2. Login to your Admin CP, click on “vBulletin Options” in the left frame, and then select “Cookies and HTTP Header Options”. Once there, make sure that your “Path to Save Cookies” setting is set to “/” (without the quotes). If it is not, change it to “/”, save your settings, close your browser, clear your cookies, and try logging in again. If that still does not help, continue to step #3.
3. Go back to your Admin CP, click on “vBulletin Options” in the left frame, and select “Cookies and HTTP Header Options” again. Check your “Cookie Domain” setting and make sure it is set to “(blank)”. If it is not, change it to “(blank)”, save your settings, close your browser, clear your cookies, and try logging in again.

   If that still does not help, or the setting is already set to “(blank)”, change the setting to “.yoursite.com” (note the 2 dots!). Save your settings, close your browser, clear your cookies, and then try logging in again.

Note: By changing your “Cookie Domain” setting, it is possible to lock yourself out of the Admin CP if this is changed to an incorrect value. If this happens, upload the tools.php script (located in the ‘do_not_upload’ folder of the vBulletin zip file) to your admincp directory. Load the file in your browser and select the option to reset the cookie domain and path back to the defaults.

Subscribe to my blog: RSS reader    Email

Get Random Colour in PHP

Ever wanted to get random colours for your PHP scripts? This easy randomise script does just that - It randomly picks a few colours for you!

<?
//randomise the RGB colours
$r = rand(128,255);
$g = rand(128,255);
$b = rand(128,255);
//sets the colour code in 000000 format
$colour = dechex($r) . dechex($g) . dechex($b);
?>

That’s it! Then just use $colour in your PHP code. The dechex() method just converts the number to the hexadecimal format that you need.

I used half the colour spectrum (from 128 to 255) so that only the brighter colours will be generated. If you’d prefer, you can use the full spectrum (from 0 to 255) or the darker spectrum (from 0 to 128).

Have fun!

Subscribe to my blog: RSS reader    Email