XBMC Addons (finding the bloody things)

After wasting too much time trying to find an addon I'd just installed.  


Go to the type of media, eg video, and navigate up !

Visio Vertices

Because literately everytime I go to do this I forget, its my Visio black hole ..

Vertices appear when you select the Line or Pencil tool !

Humax IR problem, BlueEye to the rescue !

Replacing my Sky service with a Humax receiver has only been a good thing but the IR 'issue' was bugging me. It just wasn't up to the job in the way my room is laid out.

I settled on an IR extended from BlueEye, ordered, arrived, excelled service.

I tested it for a few days and it solved the problem. I made the final install by routing the cable through the case and tucking the IR sender into the back of the IR component on the front facing board. Its a few screws and the front pops off, all pretty simple.

Getting the cute profile picture in Google search results

Looking for something this morning and I noticed peoples picture appearing next to some searches :

Some random person

Apparently easy. Well the first part was, getting a full sign off on the webmaster snippets testing tool took a fair amount of reading.

You need :

1. Website, Blog, or I think pretty much anything online would work as long as you can edit the code
2. Google profile

Your going to create a link between those two things which Google magic uses to look you up in searches that hit your content.

On your site/blog create a link to your Google profile :

Your profile url will be something like : https://plus.google.com/102726977217362443519

NB// the rel="author" is the super important bit.

I already had a Google+ link (top left) on my blog so just added the rel="author"




Next step is to edit your Google profile so that it includes a link to the site you just added the link on.


Running the snippet test tool against this blog gave me a single error :

Warning: Missing required field "updated".

4 hours later and much reading I came across this which talks about enabling your blog for hatom, part of the microformats initiative - and way out of the scope for this post.



The pertinent part for me was the class='timestamp-link' section with the class 'updated'. And the part missing from my blogger template.


Edit the design of your template and go into raw edit HTML, enable the widget check box and then search for the text 'timestamp-link'.


In my template there were two entries. Add 'updated' to the class. Save and re-run the snippet test, you should be good.

<a class='timestamp-link updated' expr:href='data:post.url' rel='bookmark' title='permanent link'><abbr class='published' expr:title='data:post.timestampISO8601'><data:post.timestamp/></abbr></a>

So now you wait <insert Google time> until they get around to crawling the site and updated the index.

Enabling Cisco Call Manager (6.1) Music on Hold (MOH) Multistreaming

Enable Multicast :

global switch/router commands (VRF)

ip multicast-routing
ip pim send-rp-announce Loopback0 scope 10

ip pim send-rp-discovery scope 10

ip multicast-routing vrf

ip pim vrf INTERNAL send-rp-announce scope 100 -- Best practice is Loopback rather than interface

ip pim vrf send-rp-discovery scope 100

Add ip pim sparse-dense-mode to all Interfaces that need to participate in the multicast stream or pass traffic

Show commands :

sh ip mroute
sh ip mroute vrf INTERNAL

Output :
*Snip*
(*, 239.1.1.1), 01:35:57/stopped, RP 10.2.70.253, flags: SP
Incoming interface: , RPF nbr 10.2.70.253, RPF-MFD
Outgoing interface list: Null
*Snip*


Call Manager Config :

Enable Multicast on MOH Audio Source
Enable Multicast on MOH Server - default IP is 239.1.1.1:16384
- enable increment port
Enable Multicast on Media Resource Group

NB//Enabling Multicast on the MRG requires endpoints to be reset to pick up the new settings, including gateways.

Something aaS

Nice article : http://www.katescomment.com/iaas-paas-saas-definition/

A way/hack to use your own domain with Google Picasa

Assumes you already have :

a - domain
b - it being hosted somewhere with some space
c - access to create/edit .htaccess file.

Open up one of your galleries and we're looking for the part of the URL after google.com.

eg: http://picasaweb.google.com/paulregan73/GalleryName

In that URL paulregan73 is my Picasa user name and will remain on the new URL we'll create.

Now add the following to the .htaccess file, replace picasauser with your specific account name.

RewriteRule ^picasauser(.*) http://picasaweb.google.com/picasauser$1 [NC,P,L] #Rev proxy picasa
RewriteRule ^m(.*) http://picasaweb.google.com/m$1 [NC,P,L] #Rev proxy mobile picasa

The first rule means you can now hit the Picasa files using :

http://your_domain/picasauser/gallery

NB// Of course this only works for public galleries and not private/https - the google.com cert will fail for private.

eg: www.paulregan.co.uk/paulregan73/LondonPleasureGardensDocklands

The second rule takes care of mobile users. Google will redirect them to /m. Having this rule seems to take care of that.

EDIT : 24/8/2011 - Google seem to be switching the user id part of the URL from the name to a numerical representation of you google id.

https://picasaweb.google.com/102726977217362443519

So a new line in My .htaccess :

RewriteRule ^102726977217362443519(.*) http://picasaweb.google.com/102726977217362443519$1 [NC,P,L] #Rev proxy picasa url to paulregan.co.uk


It also looks like Google are redirecting all mobile access to https. So the ^m(.*) above still works if you specify the full mobile url, eg something like :
http://www.paulregan.co.uk/m/viewAlbum?uname=paulregan73&aid=5635917397624685905&start=0&fgl=true&pli=1

but when you use a regular link and hit it with a mobile client the https gets in the way and your dumped on the picasa login screen ... booooo. I'll keep playing with this but I don't see a way around it, which kind makes the whole thing worthless now. Maybe Google will let us use our own domains in the future, a-la blogger ..

Adding CoolIris embed to PhpBB

 Under the 'posting' section in the ACP.

Create a new BBCode :

BBCode :

[cooliris]http{SIMPLETEXT}://picasaweb.google.com/{INTTEXT}/{IDENTIFIER2}[/cooliris]

HTML replacement :

<script type="text/javascript"         src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/swfobject/2.2/swfobject.js">

    </script>

  <div id="wall{INTTEXT}{IDENTIFIER2}">    <script>

        var flashvars = {

            feed: encodeURIComponent("api://picasaweb.google.com/?user={INTTEXT}&album={IDENTIFIER2}")

        };

        var params = {

             allowFullScreen: "true",

             allowscriptaccess: "always"

        };

        swfobject.embedSWF("http://apps.cooliris.com/embed/cooliris.swf",

            "wall{INTTEXT}{IDENTIFIER2}", "600", "450", "9.0.0", "",

            flashvars, params);

    </script>

</div>

NB// This JS code is from http://lysergo.blogspot.com/2010/05/bbcode-picasa.html.  I made two changes from the original blog post.  '#' dropped and {SIMPLETEXT} added to the BBCode.

Assuming it saves OK you can now test this by manually adding a URL between the [cooliris][/cooliris] tags.  If it all works OK you can go back to the code edit and enable the 'Display on posting page' and add a little help text.

Adding Web Picasa Slide show to PhpBB

Under the 'posting' section in the ACP.


Create a new BBCode :


BBCode :
[picasa]http{SIMPLETEXT}://picasaweb.google.com/{INTTEXT}/{IDENTIFIER2}[/picasa]


HTML replacement :


<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/swfobject/2.2/swfobject.js">
</script>
<div id="piks{INTTEXT}{IDENTIFIER2}"> <script>
var flashvars = {
feed: "http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2F{INTTEXT}%2Falbum%2F{IDENTIFIER2}%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US",
RGB: "0x000000"
};
var params = {
pluginspage: "http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer",
allowscriptaccess: "always"
};
swfobject.embedSWF("http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf",
"piks{INTTEXT}{IDENTIFIER2}", "600", "450", "9.0.0", "",
flashvars, params);
</script>
</div>



NB// This JS code is from http://lysergo.blogspot.com/2010/05/bbcode-picasa.html.  I made two changes from the original blog post.  '#' dropped and {SIMPLETEXT} added to the BBCode.

Assuming it saves OK you can now test this by manually adding a URL between the [picasa][/picasa] tags.  If it all works OK you can go back to the code edit and enable the 'Display on posting page' and add a little help text.

Adding YouTube embed to PhpBB

Under the 'posting' section in the ACP.


Create a new BBCode :


BBCode :
[youtube]http://{SIMPLETEXT1}.youtube.com/watch?v={SIMPLETEXT2}[/youtube]


HTML replacement :
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://{SIMPLETEXT1}.youtube.com/embed/{SIMPLETEXT2}?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>






Assuming it saves OK you can now test this by manually adding a URL between the [youtube][/youtube] tags.  If it all works OK you can go back to the code edit and enable the 'Display on posting page' and add a little help text.

IBM Lotus Notes 8.5.2 running on Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal) under WINE

In my other blog post I talk about the display\graphic problems using the native debian/ubuntu IBM Domino client.

Seeing as I also use the admin client, and occasional designer I thought I'd have a crack at installing under Wine v 1.2.2.

I'm going to blog this exactly as it happened, theres a point in which the gremlins get in and make something do something which is good (ish) but I'm not exactly sure when and what. I'll be sure to point that bit out.

Once Wine is installed use the Wine utils to run setup.exe. All appears well until about 90% on the install bar when you then receive a notes.ini error. I suspect the install procedure can't write it and so barfs.

I cancelled the error and then the install (had to use force quit). This actually left the Domino application files in .wine/drive_c/Program Files/IBM/Lotus/Notes (or your chosen path).

For all Dominos bad points its portability across systems and OS is a massive plus. So wondering if I could cheat I copied a notes.ini (paths were the same), names.nsf, bookmarks.nsf from my Windows install, right click notes.exe and open with Wine. Close, splash screen and the status bar just kept getting 100% and then starting again.

At this time Wine started to also play up, very slow to launch, like minutes. No config etc. I pushed through and tried to install Domino over the top of the existing install, you have a good .ini so use it. This seemed to fail, again couldn't launch.

So I slept on it and wondered about the Wine slow problems.

This morning a quick google and I ran :

wineboot --update

Bingo, Domino icons appeared on the desktop and applications menu. Excitement +1
Launched the app, password, desktop. +2

Opened an email -5
Opened a db -5

Exactly the same display problems as when I run the native Linux client. Certainly seems to point more to a graphics issue now though .. But on the plus side I got to play with Wine which is a new app for me, office 2010 and a h.323 client might be next !

So the gremlins. My hunch is that after the first Domino install I started to have Wine problems (hic). The second Domino install when there was a working notes.ini probable worked and had I run --update it would have got me to a working(ish) install.

If I were to do it again create the full domino path and plonk a good notes.ini in there prior to installing. If I get time/motivation I'll test this theory out. Please comment if you do ..

IBM Lotus Notes 8.5.2 Linux client on Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal)

I've set myself the task of switching my desktop OS from Windows 7 to Ubuntu. No particular reason other than the challenge it sets.

Something thats not working great, when I say great I mean at all is the IBM Lotus Notes client. Having eventually found the Ubuntu download. No small effort when confronted with the IBM download site.

notes.net led me to a post with the part number - CZIF5EN. Which a search on the passport site found.

Install went pretty seamlessly. Extract the .tar and run the install which launched software centre. Ran through the regular first time client setup, server name, id file etc and launched the client - IT WORKS !

Amazing, I was expecting a fight. Open inbox, open message, oh .. some serious display issues. Not so much artefacts but empty tabs and big grey boxes.

I suspect its graphics related but so far Domino is the only application to exhibit any issues. I plan on opening a TAC with IBM.

UPDATE 15/7/2011 - IBM have confirmed that support for the native client is currently restricted to Ubuntu 8 - https://www-304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27019218#Ubuntu Desktop

First play with Amazon Web Services

and I'm impressed, very impressed.

Created an S3 (storage) bucket and copied part of my personal website content. Click the enable website option, set the permission 'everyone' and list. It shows the URL the buckets available at and your done, files are available to browse, or in my case link to. All very easy.

I used Gladinet Cloud Desktop to move files back and forth. Throw your user details at it and it creates a drive mapping (Windows) straight to your S3 buckets.

As something else to try I also created an EC2 (server) instance (Linux, free) which was also painless. During the instance setup you have the opportunity to create an key pair which you then use with an SSH client to connect to the public interface, a DNS entry created on the fly by AWS. Its a Linux server with all the normal Linux functions you'd expect.

Updating Photoshop RAW Plugin - OSX

Recent purchase of a Canon 60D meant I needed to be on plugin version 6.4.1 in order to read the CR2 file format. Never previously having to upgrade from 6.1 I jumped straight in.
Downloaded the .dmg, ran, fail ... error : updates not available.

After lots of trial and error I found installing each update sequentially, 1-3 and then finally .4 solved the problem. 

Adding Console to Windows 7 Context Menu

Windows 7 has the menu item 'open command here' when you shift, right click a folder.  As a Console user  I wanted to open this rather than the generic windows cmd.


In trying to actually find out about something else I stumbled across :


Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\cmd\command


Change (Default) to :


"\Console.exe" /s /k pushd "%V"
eg
"C:\Program Files\Console2\Console.exe" /s /k pushd "%V"


You can also put a pretty little icon on the menu :


Create string value :


Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\cmd\Icon and make data the path of the exe, dll with the icon.

JIRA Regex mail handler and Domino

I've been building a JIRA project to consolidate a number of tickets systems that we use. As a previous JIRA hater I started the project with some trepidation. After a month I've actually come right around. I've managed to build something which now has pretty much the same functions as the other bespoke domino systems we use/used and extra. Including some nice workflows for ops work which would impact dev and production.

Something thats bugged us all is the email reply into comments. Our primary mail client, Domino, really wants you to use reply with history, its top of all the menu's, its hard not to pick it. But doing this with JIRA means ALL the email, including history goes into the comment. When a few people get going on email the ticket very quickly becomes un-readable.

Using just 'reply' or 'reply internet style' can be made to work, but both require a conscious decision.

Looking for a way around this the regex mail handler looked promising. My initial attempt :

project=NAME, issuetype=##, createusers=false, splitregex=/From:/gi

Failed, the regex looks OK to me. A ticket with Atlassian came back with the suggestion :

project=NAME, issuetype=##, createusers=false, splitregex=/From:*/

Which works fine .. no more email junk even if the user replies with history.

Facebook privacy debate, face recognition.

I use Facebook, and I of course have obligatory 'friends' who actually aren't really friends at all. Some I have an interest in (see below) and some I just said yes to in the furor of Facebooks release and growth. Most are people I know, or did know, some I work with, some family, and then there are some real friends.

But nearly all the regular Facebook contributors I come across use it for two things:

1. How am I doing versus x ?
2. A replacement of sending junk email links to everyone in your address book*

* Notice how your inbox is no longer full of emails from 'friends', or in my case my mother, telling you to look at this link, watch out for this virus when you make a coffee and stir the spoon the wrong way which will allow access to all your bank accounts, credit cards and library membership. All stopped. Facebook, thank you !

I guess #1 is really social media feeding the basic human instinct of survival. Look at me I did this, I own this, I went here. Therefor I must be more intelligent than you as I have a better job, earn more money, and so I will survive, and you will not.

Maybe I'm being cynical and people just want to 'share'. Which is fine, but if your going to share or use social media to keep a score then please don't think that ticking that little box makes your data private.

What do you think the motivation is behind these companies ? Its to make money. How ? By having the most data and doing shit with it. Everything you do will be tracked. Pictures, links, status updates, wall posts. ALL will all be analyzed to the nth degree and used in a way to make money.

Face recognition is the latest headline news to hit the Daily Mail spin machine. How long do you think Facebook have been doing this privately ? .. Google already do it with Picasa. You chose to put your pictures on the web. A public place, with two billion users (correct at date of writing, 2 billion and 1, 2 billion and 5, I can't keep up !). And then you want privacy and protection ? - good luck, welcome to the future.

No, I'm the computer man !

Sending IBM/Lotus Domino eMails from Excel

Heres your macro :

Public Sub emailme()
Dim noSession As Object, noDatabase As Object, noDocument As Object
   Dim vaRecipient As Variant
   Dim rnbody As Range
   Dim rnbody1 As Range
   Dim Data As DataObject
   Const stSubject As String = "P.O. Issues" ****
   Const stMsg As String = "Do you have an update on the following:"****  
   Const stPrompt As String = "Please select the range:"****
   vaRecipient = VBA.Array("your email address.com")****A MUST****
    On Error Resume Next
    Set rnbody = Application.InputBox("Please choose the range", Type:=8)
    On Error GoTo 0
    If rnbody Is Nothing _
    Then MsgBox "RNG is nothing" _
Else 'MsgBox rnbody.Address
rnbody.Select
Set rnbody1 = Range(rnbody, rnbody.Offset(0, 3))************
rnbody1.Select
   Set noSession = CreateObject("Notes.NotesSession")
   Set noDatabase = noSession.GETDATABASE("", "")
   If noDatabase.IsOpen = False Then noDatabase.OPENMAIL
   Set noDocument = noDatabase.CreateDocument
   rnbody1.Copy
   Set Data = New DataObject
   Data.GetFromClipboard
   With noDocument
      .Form = "Memo"
      .SendTo = vaRecipient
      .Subject = stSubject
      .body = stMsg & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & Data.GetText
      .SaveMessageOnSend = True
   End With
   With noDocument
      .PostedDate = Now()
      .Send 0, vaRecipient
   Set noDocument = Nothing
   Set noDatabase = Nothing
   Set noSession = Nothing
   'Activate Excel for the user.
   AppActivate "Microsoft Excel"
   Application.CutCopyMode = False
   MsgBox "The e-mail has successfully been created and distributed.", vbInformation
End With
End Sub

Replace the ***** parts with your particular details.


You may need to change the following line :

Set rnbody1 = Range(rnbody, rnbody.Offset(0, 3))************


This by default will use the first cell plus the 3 cells to the right.


I then applied that to a button, but another way I found was to put the following code in your worksheet {copy code,right click sheet tab name, select view code, & paste}


Any cell with the words 'Send Me' in can then be double clicked to invoke the macro.

Private Sub Worksheet_BeforeDoubleClick(ByVal Target As Excel.Range, Cancel As Boolean)
Select Case Target.Column
Case 1
If ActiveCell.Value = "Send Me" Then
ActiveCell.Offset(1, 0).Select
Call emailme
End If
End Sub

One gotcha I found was my installation of Excel didn't have the DataObject available.


From the Visual Basic editor, Tools, References.  
NB// If References is greyed out then Run, Reset and try again.

• Enable MS Forms 2.0

MonkeyTunes and Subsonic

Never an iTunes fan, in fact I'm a complete hater, I've always used MediaMonkey for local music management, and iPod/iPhone music sync.  Today in my never ending quest for home AV utopia I just took two more steps.  I think forward, but actually maybe not.

Wanting to control my music from the garden (yes I know iTunes has this) I found MonkeyTunes & SubSonic.

MonkeyTunes adds a plugin into MM which then uses the iTunes (irony) bonjour service so you can control your music from the regular iPhone iTunes remote.

Subsonic installs a web service which displays, and streams your music via the browser.

I'll probably use them both once.  But there you go.