Krip's Items of Note

'Error with Windows installer package' upgrading iTunes

2011-10-13T15:55:00.000-07:00

If you're trying to install iTunes (in my case 64-bit version on Windows 7) and get an error to the effect of 'There is an error with the Windows Installer package...', try these steps.

First you'll get more details in the Windows Event Log - the Application Event Log.

Here's what mine read:

Product: Apple Software Update -- Error 1721. There is a problem with this Windows Installer package. A program required for this install to complete could not be run. Contact your support personnel or package vendor. Action: SoftwareUpdate_UnregServer, location: C:\Program Files (x86)\Apple Software Update\SoftwareUpdate.exe, command: /UnregServer

So that means it could not uninstall the "Apple Software Update" program. To verify that open up the Programs list and try to uninstall it. If you get the same error, then instead do a REPAIR on it.
That should clean the problem. Then manually uninstall it to prove the problem is fixed.

Voila you can now install iTunes without error.

-Krip

P.S. got the tip here.

How to set favorite channels in Windows Media Center

2011-05-27T06:35:00.000-07:00

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Use-the-Guide-in-Windows-Media-Center

No "2" on iPad 2 Box Cover

2011-04-16T06:36:00.001-07:00

If you receive your iPad 2 and notice that there's no mention of "2" on the box, don't worry. Apple isn't labeling that way. The picture on the cover will tip you off. It's a profile view of the device to show its slimness (rather than a full on face view that fills the entire box cover as was the case with the original iPad). Personally I think it's a mistake not to complete the branding with "2". -Krip

HOW TO work around not being able to Publish Blogger post

2011-04-04T06:43:00.001-07:00

If you press the "publish post" button and nothing happens then try clicking the compatibility button just to right of address in Internet Explorer (in my case IE9). Should work then. Got tip here. -Krip

Getting around "Saving changes is not permitted" in SSMS

2011-04-04T06:28:00.000-07:00

Surprised to get message in SQL Server Management Studio 2008 R2: "Saving changes is not permitted. The changes you have made require the following tables to be dropped and re-created. You have either made changes to a table that can't be re-created or enabled the option Prevent saving changes that require the table to be re-created." That's a new "safety" on certain types of changes (like inserting fields in the middle of table definitions). To turn off this safety, go to Tools-->Options-->Designers, and untick the box "Prevent saving changes that require table re-creation". Thanks to Deem for the tip. -Krip

My Favourite Movies

2011-02-04T14:04:00.000-08:00

1953: The Glenn Miller Story
1955: Oklahoma!
1956: The Ten Commandments
1965: The Sound of Music
1968: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
1990: Awakenings New!
1993: Jurassic Park
1994: IQ
1997: Dante's Peak
1997: Titanic
1999: Anna and the King
2000: For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story
2001: A Beautiful Mind (A+!)
2001: Lagaan
2001: Pearl Harbor New!
2004: National Treasure
2005: Cheaper by the Dozen 2
2007: National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets
2007: Dan in Real Life
2009: Tum Mile

-Krip

Categories: Video_

HOW TO get iphone to sync photos again

2011-01-15T07:37:00.000-08:00

If you're iPhone suddenly stops sending new photos to your PC, try the following (Windows 7):

Control Panel
Devices and Printers
right click Apple iPhone
select Troubleshoot

Got tip from here: http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistapictures/thread/94f5c656-c1d9-48e6-9b6f-796ae048b75e

-Krip

HOW TO Rotate Pages with Epson Scan

2011-01-14T22:59:00.000-08:00

When creating a PDF from a set of scanned pages via Epson Scan you may find that the pages are not in the orientation you expect, particularly when scanning from a book. It's not immediately obvious how to rotate them particularly since it's not a setting made before scanning but one done just after.

Continue to "add" pages until you've scanned them all, but when the last dialog appears, select the middle button labeled "edit". From there you can rotate each page.

More directions here: http://files.support.epson.com/htmldocs/prv1ph/prv1phug/projs_5.htm

-Krip

Can't Publish from Word

2010-12-18T02:31:00.001-08:00

Ok Word publishing to Blogger is broken. Get error "Word cannot publish this post" even with a simple post with no formatting. Shift-Ctrl-I reveals error code as 701797. Aarg.

-Krip

Getting AirPlay to work with Apple TV

2010-11-23T23:27:00.000-08:00

If you find AirPlay is not working between Apple TV and iPhone, try updating the Apple TV firmware. Go to Settings, General, Update Software.

Got the tip here.

-Krip

HOW TO get Apple TV Home Sharing to Work

2010-11-23T14:14:00.000-08:00

If Home Sharing on Apple's new TV (second generation) device isn't working and you've verified that you have latest iTunes and enabled Home Sharing, check your firewall settings.

You need the following incoming ports open: TCP 3689 and UDP 5353. More info here.

-Krip

Getting Freeview channels on Samsung TV

2010-11-19T10:50:00.001-08:00

To get Freeview channels to display on your Samsung TV you need to run through the process that discovers them (channel numbers and frequency). Here are the steps:

1) Make sure to connect coax cable from wall "TV" plug direct to your TV
2) Using remote, select "Menu"
3) Then scroll down to the satellite dish icon entitled "Channel"
4) Then hit the right arrow key
5) Then scroll down to "Auto Store" and press Enter
6) For select the source to memorise, select "Air" and press Enter
7) Then select the option for both analogue and digital channels
8) That will take a few minutes and get your channels all lined up!

-Krip

Connecting Epson Wifi Printer

2010-08-22T03:37:00.000-07:00

Struggled for a little bit trying to connect an Epson wifi printer to my network. Shouldn't be that hard. The printer was seeing the network by SSID. The router was even seeing the printer's MAC address.

The printer was reporting "Signal Condition" of "No Good" and "Link Status" of "Searching". Together those values just mean it hasn't connected yet.

Turns out I was entering the WPA passphrase in all uppercase when it's not! I just figured that there wasn't an option when entering the key but there is. You can switch out of 'caps-lock'.

Got the tip from Epson's help page here.

-Krip

Top 8 iPad Apps

2010-08-22T00:49:00.000-07:00

In priority order (excluding built-in apps):

1) Twittelator (for twitter)
2) Flipboard
3) The New York Times Editor's Choice
4) Rightmove
5) NetNewsWire (for blog / RSS feed reading)
6) Remote Desktop Lite - RDP
7) The Wall Street Journal
8) Pages (Apple's word processor)

Games:

Air Hockey (2 player)
Angry Birds HD
Dizzypad HD (2 player game can be purchased in-app)
Flight Control HD
Game Table (chess, checkers, othello)

-Krip

My Favourite iPad Apps

2010-07-24T00:33:00.001-07:00

In priority order (excluding built-in apps):

Twittelator (for twitter)
The New York Times Editor's Choice
NetNewsWire (for blog / RSS feed reading)
WSJ (The Wall Street Journal)
Pages (Apple's counterpart to Microsoft Word)

Games in no particular order:

Air Hockey (2 player)
Angry Birds HD
Dizzypad HD (2 player game can be purchased in-app)
Game Table (chess, checkers, othello)

And finally, still waiting for access to Flipboard so I can see what the hype's about!

-Krip

My Favourite Movies

2010-01-24T04:29:00.000-08:00

My favourite movies:

1953: The Glenn Miller Story
1955: Oklahoma!
1956: The Ten Commandments
1965: The Sound of Music
1968: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
1993: Jurassic Park
1994: IQ
1997: Dante's Peak
1997: Titanic New!
1999: Anna and the King
2000: For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story
2001: A Beautiful Mind (A+!)
2001: Lagaan
2004: National Treasure
2005: Cheaper by the Dozen 2
2007: National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets
2007: Dan in Real Life
2009: Tum Mile New!

-Krip

Categories: Video_

Notable Paintings at the Old National Gallery

2009-12-13T06:29:00.000-08:00

Crown Prince Fredrick at the Court Ball 1878 - 1895, By Anton von Werner
A Billet outside Paris - 1894, By Anton von Werner

Parade on Opernplatz in 1822 - 1824 - 1830, By Franz Kruger

Parade on Opernplatz in 1822 (2) - 1824 - 1830, By Franz Kruger

The Isle of the Dead - 1883, By Arnold Bocklin

The House at Rueil - 1882, By Edouard Manet

Grace before the meal - 1885, By Fritz von Uhde

Country House in Hilversum - 1901, By Max Liebemann

Spring in Oberweimar - 1868, By Karl Buchholz

Children's Afternoon at Wargemont - 1884, By Auguste Renoir

U.K. English to U.S. English Translation

2009-09-28T18:11:00.001-07:00

Yes the U.K. and U.S. really do have different languages! Here's a translation of some common U.K. words and phrases:

Updated 28 September 2009

U.K.	U.S.
A-Level	Advanced Level [during optional final 2 yrs: yrs 12 & 13]
Aluminum	Aluminium
Answer up (New)	Comment
Aubergine	Eggplant
Bangers	Sausages
Bank holiday	(National) holiday
bee's knee's, the	Excellent
Best mate	Best friend
Bin [n., v.]	Trash
Biscuit	Cookie
Blimey	Express surprise
block of flats	Apartment building
Bloke	Guy
Bobby	Policeman
Bonnet	Automobile hood
Boot	Automobile trunk
Brolly	Umbrella
Bungalow	Ranch [single level house]
Butty [e.g. bacon butty]	Sandwich
Car park	Parking lot
Carrier bag (New)	Plastic bag
Certificate 12A (New)	PG or PG-13
Certificate 15 (New)	PG-13 or R
Certificate 18 (New)	R or X
Cheers	Thanks / goodbye
Chemist	Pharmacy
Chips	French fries
Cinema	Movie theater
the city	Square mile financial district in London
Competition (New)	Sweepstakes / contest
Cooker (New)	Stove
Courgette	Zucchini
Cracking	Excellent
Crisps	(Potato) chips
Cross (New)	Mad
CV (New)	Résumé
Daft	Foolish
Eggy bread (New)	French toast
Engineering works (New)	Construction
Equally (New)	At the same time
Estate	Station wagon
Fag [slang]	Cigarette
Farside (lane)	Outside (lane)
Fitted (New)	Installed
Fiver	Five pounds [monetary]
Flat	Apartment
Football	Soccer
Footie (New)	Soccer (slang)
GCSE	Like high school (diploma) yrs 10 & 11, ages 14-16
Gherkins (New)	Pickles
Give way	Yield
Ground floor	First floor
Having a laugh (New)	Joking
Headmaster / headmistress	Principal
Holiday	Vacation
Hoover	Vacuum
Hospital	"the" hospital
Item (New)	Part
Jam	Jam, jelly
Jelly	Jell-o
Knackered	Exhausted
Lads	Boys
Lift	Elevator
Loads (New)	Lots
Loft	Attic
Loo (New)	Bathroom
Lorry	Truck or van
Maplin (New)	Radio Shack
Mash	Mashed (potatoes)
Mate	Friend
Maths	Math
Midday	Noon
Mind the gap (New)	Watch your step
Mobile (phone)	Cell (phone)
MOT	Motor vehicle inspection
Motorway (New)	Highway
MP	Member of Parliament [like senator or congressman]
Mum	Mom
Nan	Grandma
Nappies	Diapers
Naught	Zero
Nearside (lane)	Inside (lane)
Nick	To steal
No worries (New)	No problem
Nutter	insane
Off Licence	Liquor store
PA (New)	Secretary
Palaver	Fiasco
Pants	1. Underpants; underwear 2. Poor quality
Pay rise	(Pay) raise
Petrol	Gas; gasoline
Plaster (New)	Band-aid
Porridge (New)	Oatmeal
Posh (New)	Classy
Profit	Net profit
Pudding	Dessert
Queue [n.]	Line
Quid	Pound [monetary]
Quite (New)	Exactly
Redundant	Laid off
Rough (New)	Under the weather / unwell
Rounders	Baseball (similar)
Row	Dispute
Saloon [auto body style]	Sedan
Solicitor	Attorney
Sorted	Fixed
Starter	Appetizer
Straightaway	Right away
Surgery	Doctor's office
Ta [slang]	Thanks
Takeaway	Takeout
Taking the mickey (New)	Teasing
Tenner	Ten pounds [monetary]
Tick	Check
Till	(Cash) register
Told off (tell off) (New)	Scolded, yelled, disciplined
Tourer [auto body style]	(Station) wagon
Turnover	(Gross) Revenue
Underground	Subway
Uni (New)	College or University
Wellingtons	Rubber boots
What are you like (New)
Whilst	While
Windscreen	Windshield
Yob [slang]	Hooligan
Zimmer frame (New)	Walking frame

-Krip

Categories: UK_, US_, Languages_

Notable Paintings at the Getty Museum

2009-06-26T00:46:00.000-07:00

Head of Christ, 1525-30, by Correggio
Portrait of a Woman with a Book of Music, 1540s, Bacchiacca
Irises, 1889, Vincent van Gogh
Portrait of the...
Portrait of Princess Leonilla of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, 1843, by Franz Xaver Winterhalter
Portrait of Jeanne Kefer, 1885, by Fernand Khnopff
Landscape with the Castle of Massa di Carrara, 1837, by Leo von Klenze
Gabriel Bernard de Rieux, 1739-41, by Maurice-Quentin de La Tour
A View of the Grand Canal: Santa Maria della Salute and the Dogana from Campo Santa Maria Zobenigo, 1740, by Bernardo Bellotto
Still Life: Tea Set, 1781-83, by Jean-Etienne Liotard
Demolition of the Chateau of Meudon, 1806, by Hubert Robert
Christ with the Crown of Thorns, 1636-37, by Guido Reni
John, Fourteenth Lord Willoughby de Broke, and His Family in the Breakfast Room at Compton Verney, 1766, by Johann Zoffany

-Krip

San Diego County Requiring Permit for Home Bible Study

2009-05-30T04:59:00.000-07:00

Fox News is reporting that San Diego County has ordered a couple to stop holding bible studies in their home for a small group of friends, without first obtaining a permit costing thousands of dollars.

Hmm, that smacks of first amendment violation to me. Reminds me of 2001 when the little town of Stratton Ohio required permits be obtained before spreading the Word. The Supreme Court had something to say about that in 2002 in an 8 to 1 decision!

-Krip

2009-05-24T14:23:00.000-07:00

My favourite movies:

1953: The Glenn Miller Story
1955: Oklahoma! New!
1956: The Ten Commandments
1965: The Sound of Music
1968: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
1993: Jurassic Park
1994: IQ
1997: Dante's Peak
1999: Anna and the King
2000: For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story
2001: A Beautiful Mind (A+!)
2001: Lagaan
2004: National Treasure
2005: Cheaper by the Dozen 2
2007: National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets
2007: Dan in Real Life New!

-Krip

Categories: Video_

Enabling Single Feed Mode on Sky

2009-05-23T00:47:00.000-07:00

If you've got the new menu installed on Sky, you may start to experience intermittent problems where picture doesn't display and message "No satellite signal is being received" message. If you have only one dish input, you need to change a setting and that should solve the problem.

Here are the steps:

Make sure that the satellite cable is connected to "Dish Input 1" on the back of your Sky+HD box.
Press services on your Sky remote control. "Options" in the Top Menu will be highlighted in orange.
Press the right arrow once to highlight "Settings" in the Top Menu.
Now press the down arrow once to highlight the "Picture" tab in the Middle Menu.
Press 0, 1, select on your Sky remote in quick succession. The "Setup" tab will then be highlighted within a hidden menu.
Press the down arrow five times to highlight "Single Feed Mode" at the bottom of the list.
Press the right arrow once to turn "Single Feed Mode" from "OFF" to "ON." Then press the green button to "Save Settings."
The "Single Feed Mode - Caution" message will be displayed. Your Sky+HD box is now ready to be rebooted – to do this, press select. Please allow a few minutes for your Sky+HD box to reboot.

Kudos to Sky phone support that solved this problem right away.

Obviously others are experiencing the issue too.

-Krip

Cool Windows 7 Features

2009-04-25T13:59:00.000-07:00

http://gizmodo.com/5226696/windows-7-release-candidate-1s-best-surprise-new-features

1. Stream your library over Internet via Windows Media Player

2. XP mode (Virtual PC)

3. Funky backgrounds

Well if you get Virtual PC you can always do #2 but I suppose the free license with Pro, Enterprise, or Ultimate is good news (though not available with Home Premium).

#1 is a cool feature.

-Krip

How To Enter Smiley Face in Blog Entry

2009-04-24T14:12:00.000-07:00

To insert a smiley face into your blogger.com blog post, switch to Html mode (click "Edit Html" above and to right of post) and insert the following text:

<span style="font-family:Wingdings;">J</span>

You get this: J

-Krip

Zune HD Built on NVIDIA's Tegra

2009-04-23T10:48:00.001-07:00

I've seen NVIDIA's Tegra platform. It's kick butt. Rumour has it that the upcoming Microsoft Zune HD is built on it. Neowin broke the news here. If rumour is to be believed it has everything but a phone.

-Krip

OS GUIs Through the Years

2009-04-20T00:33:00.001-07:00

http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/03/operating-system-interface-design-between-1981-2009/

-Krip

U.K. English to U.S. English Translation

2009-04-17T12:21:00.001-07:00

Yes the U.K. and U.S. really do have different languages! Here's a translation of some common U.K. words and phrases:

Updated 17 April 2009

U.K.	U.S.
A-Level	Advanced Level [during optional final 2 yrs: yrs 12 & 13]
Aluminum	Aluminium
Aubergine	Eggplant
Bangers	Sausages
Bank holiday	(National) holiday
bee's knee's, the	Excellent
Best mate	Best friend
Bin [n., v.]	Trash
Biscuit	Cookie
Blimey	Express surprise
block of flats	Apartment building
Bloke	Guy
Bobby	Policeman
Bonnet	Automobile hood
Boot	Automobile trunk
Brolly	Umbrella
Bungalow	Ranch [single level house]
Butty [e.g. bacon butty]	Sandwich
Car park	Parking lot
Cheers	Thanks / goodbye
Chemist	Pharmacy
Chips	French fries
Cinema	Movie theater
the city	Square mile financial district in London
Courgette	Zucchini
Cracking	Excellent
Crisps	(Potato) chips
Daft	Foolish
Estate	Station wagon
Fag [slang]	Cigarette
Farside (lane)	Outside (lane)
Fiver	Five pounds [monetary]
Flat	Apartment
Football	Soccer
GCSE	Like high school (diploma) yrs 10 & 11, ages 14-16
Give way	Yield
Ground floor	First floor
Headmaster / headmistress	Principal
Holiday	Vacation
Hoover	Vacuum
Hospital	"the" hospital
Jam	Jam, jelly
Jelly	Jell-o
Knackered	Exhausted
Lads	Boys
Lift	Elevator
Loft	Attic
Lorry	Truck or van
Mash	Mashed (potatoes)
Mate	Friend
Maths	Math
Midday	Noon
Mobile (phone)	Cell (phone)
MOT	Motor vehicle inspection
MP	Member of Parliament [like senator or congressman]
Mum	Mom
Nan	Grandma
Nappies	Diapers
Naught	Zero
Nearside (lane)	Inside (lane)
Nick	To steal
Nutter	insane
Off Licence	Liquor store
Palaver	Fiasco
Pants	1. Underpants; underwear 2. Poor quality
Pay rise	(Pay) raise
Petrol	Gas; gasoline
Profit	Net profit
Pudding	Dessert
Queue [n.]	Line
Quid	Pound [monetary]
Redundant	Laid off
Rounders	Baseball (similar)
Row	Dispute
Saloon [auto body style]	Sedan
Solicitor	Attorney
Sorted	Fixed
Starter	Appetizer
Straightaway	Right away
Surgery	Doctor's office
Ta [slang]	Thanks
Takeaway	Takeout
Tenner	Ten pounds [monetary]
Tick	Check
Till	(Cash) register
Tourer [auto body style]	(Station) wagon
Turnover	(Gross) Revenue
Underground	Subway
Wellingtons	Rubber boots
Whilst	While
Windscreen	Windshield
Yob [slang]	Hooligan

-Krip

Categories: UK_, US_, Languages_

I Wrote Twitter 20 Years Ago!

2009-04-13T05:43:00.001-07:00

Twenty years ago, I wrote a FoxPro app where you log notes. It was a multi-user database app designed to facilitate communication between the developers and testers on the team. I called it COLT (an acronym for Come on, let's talk!). A "browse" window would update and show you new messages. You could even reply to messages (threads).

So I wrote Twitter 20 years ago! Great ideas take a while to catch on I guess.

-Krip

30 Minutes is an Eternity!

2009-04-10T01:19:00.001-07:00

Using Outlook to get your Hotmail? By default Send / Receive is done every 30 minutes...yikes! To get closer to realtime, do the following:

1) Tools-->Send/Receive-->Send/Receive Settings-->Define Send/Receive Groups...

2) If you haven't customized you probably have just one group with Name "All Accounts" - so leave that selected, otherwise pick the appropriate group

3) Next to checkbox "Schedule an automatic send/receive every", change spinner from 30 minutes to 1 minute!

-Krip

U.K. English to U.S. English Translation

2009-03-21T10:58:00.001-07:00

Yes the U.K. and U.S. really do have different languages! Here's a translation of some common U.K. words and phrases:

Updated 21 March 2009

U.K.	U.S.
A-Level	Advanced Level [during optional final 2 yrs: yrs 12 & 13]
Aubergine	Eggplant
Bangers	Sausages
Bank holiday	(National) holiday
bee's knee's, the	Excellent
Best mate	Best friend
Biscuit	Cookie
Blimey	Express surprise
block of flats	Apartment building
Bloke	Guy
Bobby	Policeman
Bonnet	Automobile hood
Boot	Automobile trunk
Brolly	Umbrella
Bungalow	Ranch [single level house]
Butty [e.g. bacon butty]	Sandwich
Car park	Parking lot
Chemist	Pharmacy
Chips	French fries
Cinema	Movie theater
the city	Square mile financial district in London
Courgette	Zucchini
Crisps	(Potato) chips
Daft	Foolish
Fag [slang]	Cigarette
Farside (lane)	Outside (lane)
Fiver	Five pounds [monetary]
Flat	Apartment
Football	Soccer
GCSE	Like high school (diploma) yrs 10 & 11, ages 14-16
Give way	Yield
Holiday	Vacation
Hoover	Vacuum
Hospital	"the" hospital
Jam	Jam, jelly
Jelly	Jell-o
Lorry	Truck or van
Mash	Mashed (potatoes)
Mate	Friend
Midday	Noon
Mobile (phone)	Cell (phone)
MOT	Motor vehicle inspection
MP	Member of Parliament [like senator or congressman]
Mum	Mom
Nan	Grandma
Nappies	Diapers
Naught	Zero
Nearside (lane)	Inside (lane)
Off Licence	Liquor store
Palaver	Fiasco
Pants	1. Underpants; underwear 2. Poor quality
Pay rise	(Pay) raise
Petrol	Gas; gasoline
Pudding	Dessert
Queue [n.]	Line
Quid	Pound [monetary]
Row	Dispute
Saloon [auto body style]	Sedan
Solicitor	Attorney
Sorted	Fixed
Starter	Appetizer
Straightaway	Right away
Surgery	Doctor's office
Ta [slang]	Thanks
Takeaway	Takeout
Tenner	Ten pounds [monetary]
Till	(Cash) register
Tourer [auto body style]	(Station) wagon
Underground	Subway
Wellingtons	Rubber boots
Whilst	While
Yob [slang]	Hooligan

-Krip

Categories: UK_, US_, Languages_

Notable Paintings at the Babylon Exhibit

2009-03-15T05:50:00.001-07:00

Notable paintings at the Babylon exhibit at the British Museum (closing today):

1. Daniel in the Lion's Den, by Briton Reviere (1872)
(that image doesn't do it justice - got to see it close up - e.g. lions' eyes)

2. Belshazzar's Feast, by John Martin (1821)
(again need to see this huge painting up close to really appreciate it)

3. Tower of Babel, Michael Lassel (2001)
(this oil painting could pass as a photograph!!)

4. Babel Revisited, by Julee Holcombe (2004)
(you can see more of her work on her own site)

-Krip

P.S. Also see the Times' photo gallery of this exhibition.

Remember to Remove the Tips

2009-03-12T15:11:00.000-07:00

Ok, let's say you're trying to plug in an optical audio cable and you're finding the cable doesn't quite fit in snugly and firmly. You may be making the same mistake I was. I got a cable from Cambridge Audio and didn't notice that there are little white caps at either end that need to be removed before plugging in!

It wasn't until I got another cable from another manufacturer (where the tips had independent fasteners attached to them to keep them on the main cable when detached) that I realized this.

-Krip

Places to Visit in London

2009-03-09T12:57:00.000-07:00

Here are some suggestions on what to see when in London:

1) British museum (http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/): There's quite a bit here on the Ancient Near East - of particular interest to Bible readers. There's a section with relief walls from Assyria where you can see the Assyrians depict how they treat their captives. Also the reliefs are charred indicating a fire. Also watch out for a whole section on Lachish where Hezekiah paid tribute to Sennacherib. Also, right off the Great Court (where you enter) is a long room that contains lots of ancient artifacts in glass cases (I think it's called Enlightenment).

2) Ah, number two on my list is the National Gallery (http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/) - In my opinion one of the greatest art collections in the world. If you like art, don't miss it. The museum is located right at Trafalgar Square. Most of the museums are free here (just donate if you want). Other than that everything is VERY expensive, but I digress! Back to the museum. One of the my favourites is a large painting called The Ambassadors (If you want to peek then here's the link: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/cgi-bin/WebObjects.dll/CollectionPublisher.woa/wa/work?workNumber=ng1314). There's a lot more than meets the eye in this piece so hopefully you can catch a tour group at this painting and eavesdrop while the guide hits the highlights!

3) Science museum (http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk): This is a great museum too (located in Kensington). I think it depends on weather. If it's rainy and you need "indoor" things to do, this is a good one.

4) The standard tourist spots: Walk along Regent Street and Oxford Street. Hamleys is a 5 story toy shop right on Regent street (http://www.hamleys.com/).

5) Harrods is quite a posh department store right off Oxford street (http://www.harrods.com). Pop in if you want to see how the other half shops. But beware you can get many of the same goods cheaper elsewhere. Another spot I recommend is the Food Hall at Selfridges. Selfridges is a department store - attached to it is a Food Hall that is unique.

6) Pubs: Of course the English pub! You'll find them everywhere. It's unlike anywhere else. More of a social place. Most pubs have food too and it's pretty decent! For example Fish & Chips or Chicken Tikka Masala (The national dish borrowed from the great Indians - yah!). Order everything including food at the bar, and give them you're table number. Then someone will bring it to your table. Don't forget to have a pint of Guinness!

7) English castles: These have many hundreds of years of history, and are usually decked out with ornate furnishings and art work. Some of them have tea rooms and/or restaurants attached. Windsor is a nice town so Windsor Castle is one option. There are a couple of sites that list all the castles and "houses" open for visiting, English Heritage (http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/) and National Trust (http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/) so check those out and see if anything's near to the routes you're traveling.

-Krip

My Favourite Movies

2009-02-23T12:00:00.000-08:00

My favourite movies:

1953: The Glenn Miller Story
1956: The Ten Commandments
1965: The Sound of Music
1968: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
1993: Jurassic Park
1994: IQ
1997: Dante's Peak
1999: Anna and the King
2000: For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story
2001: A Beautiful Mind (A+!)
2001: Lagaan
2004: National Treasure
2005: Cheaper by the Dozen 2
2007: National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets

-Krip

Categories: Video_

Notable Paintings at the Picasso Museum

2009-02-19T10:55:00.001-08:00

Some notable paintings at the Museu Picasso (absolutely no photos are allowed) - all of these are by Picasso except the two by Gris:

1) Science and Charity, 1897 (Notice the woman's right hand is green near the bed - but left hand is white closer to her face which is also white. Perhaps this signifies the change from health to sickness.)

2) Painter Working, 1965

3) Bottle Anis del Mono, 1915 (even the signature is a work of art on this one)

4) Alcova Dues Habitacions

5) Balco Tancat

6) Cafe 4 Gats

7) Els Colomins

8) Las Meninas (Conjunt), 1957 (this one is very interesting as it's Picasso's interpretation of Velazquez's Las Meninas, 1656)

And a couple of ceramics:

9) Plata Espanola Escena de Cursa Amb Peix

10) Plat Arrodonit Mascara Negra

And finally a couple by Juan Gris (They're known as "visual rhymes"):

11) Guitar and Fruit Bowl, 1926

12) Pierrot, 1919

-Krip

Mompou's Notable Paintings

2009-02-19T10:41:00.001-08:00

An exhibition of paintings by Josep Mompou is running at La Pedrera now through 14 June 2009. Some notable paintings:

1) Instrumentos Musicales
2) Dancing
3) Plaza de Catalunya
4) Water view out door (not sure of exact name!)

-Krip

Notable Technologies from GSMA Mobile World Congress 2009

2009-02-18T13:19:00.000-08:00

A few things that stood out to me:

1) Comverse's Social Address Book - integrates presence into your contacts list. So doesn't matter if your contact is on Facebook, Second Life, IM, etc. - you can find out and communicate with them. What a concept!

2) Nvidia's Tegra APX platform - Nvidia has their own handheld cooked up to demo this platform. And man is it performant!! Multiple videos running simultaneously and can scroll the carousel with your finger with zero lag! I want one! It's only a reference architecture so companies have yet to frame devices around the platform. Let's hope the OS that sits on top doesn't detract from the slickness of this puppy. (Demo video here).

3) Computamaps - Really well done 3D mapping. The videos on the website don't do this product justice. George was demo'ing a thick-client GUI that could fly around a city like nobody's business. The textures are wrapped around the buildings which are true wireframe 3D models. Really sexy stuff. Apparently they have their own crews and planes that are photographing. Power to them.

-Krip

The Bible in Literature

2009-02-18T12:52:00.001-08:00

Many a great writer have quoted or otherwise alluded to passages from the Bible. Test your knowledge to see how well you know scripture in this 10 point quiz posted on the BBC website.

I scored a 7 out of 10, but was close on one, so I'll say 7.5!

-Krip

"My Aircraft"...check..."Your Aircraft"

2009-02-09T14:11:00.000-08:00

Earlier I blogged about captain Sully's heroism in safely bringing down flight 1549 on the water.

CBS' News 60 Minutes last night aired an interview with Sully. You can catch it here.

Sully knew what he had to do and focused on the job at hand. He took control of the aircraft. He then went through standard operating procedure for that kind of incident. Next he considered options of landing at various nearby airports including receiving clearance for such. Then he made the call to ditch into the Hudson. He knew exactly the various conditions under which he must hit the water to make a successful landing and executed that plan.

Fast thinking. Controlled thinking. Calm thinking. Right thinking.

A lesson for all of us. At any time we may be called upon (by virtue of circumstance) to help with an emergency. Sully, well done, you're a god.

-Krip

A Shout Out to hungryhouse

2009-02-08T05:04:00.000-08:00

Just like to give mention to a website named hungryhouse where you can order your takeaway. They list restaurants near you, by cuisine if you wish. You see restaurant opening times along with complete menus from which you can order online. You can pay with any method the restaurant supports including cash. The part I think they do well is keeping you abreast of status. You get an immediate confirmation email detailing your order, and then a follow-up one when the restaurant has accepted it. Well done hungryhouse!

-Krip

End of the Tarmac

2009-02-08T04:43:00.000-08:00

Well Microsoft has laid off the entire Flight Simulator development team. Ah what a great game with a dedicated fan base. I remember playing subLOGIC's version in the early 80's on the Commodore 64, and of course various PC versions since.

Why I still have the Flight Physics & Aircraft Control book that came with it, and used it as the basis for my research paper in 11th grade Physics class! Stu Moment wrote the book and headed subLOGIC. You can read some notes on aerodynamics by Stu here.

Well we'll see what happens as it looks like Microsoft is keeping the IP.

-Krip

Super Bowl Viewing in the UK

2009-02-01T13:43:00.000-08:00

If you're in the UK, the Super Bowl is due to be broadcast on BBC1 at 11pm. Not sure if any free HD channels will be carrying it but I doubt it.

-Krip

Cute Silverlight Demo

2009-01-29T12:26:00.000-08:00

For a chuckle, check out the Resolution Randomizer.

Thanks to James Kovacs for pointing it out.

-Krip

Nicholas Cage Improvises and Goes British

2009-01-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

There's a hilarious scene in National Treasure 2 where Nicholas Cage engages his costar in a fake argument. He improvises as he goes along - for example, grabbing one of the bystanders. It ends in his speaking with a British accent and using british terms. Very funny!

Clip here: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=d0yGzuoXwRY&feature=related

-Krip

Academy Award Nominations

2009-01-22T11:02:00.000-08:00

The Academy Award Nominations are now out. You can watch a clip of the announcement here: http://www.oscar.com/

A complete list can be found here.

Movies that catch my eye:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (this opens in the U.K. on 6 Feb)
The Visitor (available in U.K. on DVD on 9 Feb; interestingly it's rated PG-13 in U.S. but Certificate 15 in U.K.!)

-Krip

Dancing Breaks Out at UK Railway Station

2009-01-18T15:09:00.000-08:00

Check this out: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mUZrrbgCdYc

-Krip

Congratulations Sully

2009-01-18T00:32:00.001-08:00

Unless you've been living under a rock this past week, you've heard of Captain Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger's successfully ditching of US Airways flight 1549 in New York City's Hudson river.

The Airbus A320 hit a flock of birds that took out both engines. An extremely rare event. Sully acted quickly by ditching the plane into the Hudson. The "landing" was flawless. The fuselage stayed in tact while the engines dislodged and dropped to the river floor. Passengers got out onto the wings via emergency exits and ferries and other emergency personnel were at the scene in minutes. There were no fatalities.

Apparently the A320 has a "Ditching" button that completely seals all holes in the underbelly of the aircraft to help it stay afloat on water. More details here. Once again, apparently, you can do this on a Boeing as well, but it's not one button, but a procedure to hit several.

Sully is a hero. He has decades of flying experience and is a participant in airline safety training and accident investigations. Go look at his CV. A true and faithful 'captain of the ship', Sully twice walked the aisles to make sure everyone was off the plane before disembarking himself. I only have one thing to say: As much as I want Sully to captain my next flight, can someone at US Airways or the FAA, get this man off of flying routine flights and onto an executive board managing flight safety?

-Krip

P.S. Here's a 10 minute clip capturing the event complete with the plane hitting the water and a ferry coming to assist. It's posted by the US Coast Guard Vessel Travel Service.

True Friends

2009-01-03T13:59:00.001-08:00

sometimes you find life throws you a curve

and just to survive you need to swerve

yes we all face it at times

it comes at us as if we are blind

but alas there's hope

in darkness we need not grope

look long and hard and there you'll see

true friends that quickly do not leave

a precious few even stick closer than a brother

they come to our aid when we're in trouble

they ask for nothing in return

what a Godsend on life's sojourn

our only wish is to be

a true friend in return for those in need

-----

Poem: a Krip original

Clip art: courtesy of Microsoft

Funniest 8 Minutes of TV

2009-01-01T11:42:00.000-08:00

The Honeymooners is a sitcom in the U.S. from the 50's and 60's

Here's an 8 minute excerpt from an episode where Ralph comes home to find his wife and other women from the building learning the Mambo from a dance instructor who moved in next door:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=R7bYLgfM96M&feature=related

-Krip

Notable Paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

2009-01-01T00:17:00.001-08:00

Some notable paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan, NYC:

1. The Rocky Mountains, Lander's Peak, Albert Bierstadt, 1863

2. Ancient Rome, Giovanni Paolo Panini, 1757

3. Modern Rome, Giovanni Paolo Panini, 1757

4. Saints Peter and John Healing the Lame Man, Nicolas Poussin, 1655

-Krip

An Interview with Jai Pausch

2008-12-31T23:13:00.000-08:00

Earlier I blogged about Randy Pausch's last lecture. Some updates since then:

1) Randy also wrote a book after the lecture. Much of the content is the same. But there are some additional messages in there. You can get it on Amazon in either hardcover or paperback.

2) The book mentions two charities Randy worked with:

a) The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network: www.pancan.org

b) The Lustgarten Foundation: www.lustgarten.org

3) CBS did an interview with Jai that aired November 24th. Watch the 5 minute clip here.

-Krip

Notable Paintings at the Dulwich Picture Gallery (ver 2)

2008-12-13T15:23:00.000-08:00

This is an update to a post in summer of 2007 (broken links have been fixed):

Paintings I especially enjoyed at the Dulwich Picture Gallery:

New! Moses and the Ten Commandments, by Champaigne
It's a shame I can't find a link to this painting as it contains all 10 commandments written in Latin it looks like
New! James VI and I, by De Critz (The Elder), John
Isaac Blessing Jacob, by Horst, Gerrit Willemsz
That's the best image I could find!
Scullery Maid, by Dutch School
Joseph Receiving Pharoah's Ring, by Tiepolo
Triumph of David, by Poussin
A Lady Playing a Clavichord, by Dou, Gerrit
Les Plaisirs du Bal, by Watteau, Jean-Antoine
The Bucintoro at the Molo on Ascension Day, by Canaletto
Unknown Man, by Nason, Pieter

-Krip

Mp3's on amazon.co.uk

2008-12-03T22:43:00.001-08:00

Supposedly amazon.co.uk now has MP3's for sale! These are DRM free and cost 59p. Finally just like the US had already years ago.

msnmsgr.exe Taking 100% CPU: Solved!

2008-11-23T15:20:00.000-08:00

Today I noticed my Windows Live Messenger (msnmsngr.exe) start to take up all CPU. I didn't install or uninstall anything! A reboot of my XP Professional SP3 machine didn't change things.

I googled a bit and saw the suggestion to uninstall all Adobe Readers and re-install latest. Then it dawned on my I did see the "Acrobat 5.0" message earlier and thought that was strange as it's a real old version.

Then I checked and I had both "Adobe Acrobat 5" (which is an old reader) and Adobe Reader 8 installed! So I uninstalled Adobe Acrobat 5 and rebooted and that fixed the problem!

-Krip

In Memory of Randy Pausch

2008-11-22T12:24:00.000-08:00

Randy Pausch was a lecturer at Carnegie Mellon University. He died a few months ago of cancer. His last lecture is very inspirational and highly recommended. You can watch it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo

More info on Randy's work here: www.cmu.edu/randyslecture

-Krip

One Sad Picture

2008-11-10T07:16:00.000-08:00

Check out this sad picture: http://i35.tinypic.com/15s57c4.jpg

Nice sneakers!

-Krip

Thief Returns Money 7 Years Later

2008-11-09T12:24:00.000-08:00

Very interesting article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/7717336.stm

Shows some can be moved to repentance - and lengths one can go to in order to make amends.

-Krip