Friday, September 29, 2006

Mobile connection for your Mac

"The current version of OS X 10.4 (Tiger) does not support many of the latest GPRS/EDGE/3G phone models. So after setting up your phone to work with your operator's services, you'll need to download the Modem Scripts to allow your Mac to access the internet. There are scripts for Nokia, Sony Ericsson, and Motorolla brands and setting it up is fairly easy:
  1. Read the instructions that come with the scripts!

  2. Move the scripts into the Library/Modem Scripts folder.

  3. Pair your phone with your Mac and select: Use a direct higher speed... (GPRS) as the connection type.

  4. Select the script that best works with your phone.

  5. Open Internet Connect and connect via bluetooth.
Note: Some scripts already include the *99# CID string so leave the field blank in the dialog."
*

* Originally posted by 3BAID

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Downloading Flash Videos

Ok, so you want to download flash videos from sites such as YouTube, iFilm, Google Video, MetaCafe ...etc. Right? Well, search no more because here's what you have to do to download flash videos from almost any site.
1- Copy the link of the page where the video you want is on.
Example: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1260/amazing_breakdance/

2- Go to Javimoya.com, paste the link in the bar and choose from which site then click submit.

3- You will see a new "Download link" button in the middle of the page, ctrl-click and download the link to your desktop. It will download a file with ~~.flv extention. Note that in some cases the file will download with the extention of ~~.flv.txt (note the .TXT at the end), when this happens simply rename the file by removing the (.txt), you'll be permitted to change the file extention, choose (.flv).

4- Now that you have the file on your desktop, download Wimpy FLV Player, it's a free application that can run FLV and SWF files directly from your computer.

5- Run the application then drag and drop the .FLV file in it.

Simple? Yes indeed.

DivX for Mac

DivX 6.5 has been out for a while now and it's pretty cool. With its Web Player you can view and save DivX videos instantly to your computer. Something to never regret not having MetaCafe for Mac. :P

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Upgrading their Network

I got a message this morning from United Networks saying their internet service will be down from 4:00AM to 7:00AM for a couple of days due to network upgrades. As I mentioned earlier, I think they're going for fiber network which will improve their connection speed and quality.

4am to 7am wouldn't bother anyone I guess.

Monday, September 25, 2006

iAlertU | Never Hijack a Mac!

When I first read about it here I couldn't believe it but then I saw the video and I tell you, even if it's not really useful, it is a cool application to have. Just think about the look on your friends faces when you arm it! I cracked up giggling when I heard its activation/deactivation alarm which sounds like car alarm system.

  • The good side:
  • Very smart idea and hilarious to have.

  • The bad side:
  • It only works on MacBook and MacBook Pro with SMS*.

    So all of you MacBooks/Pros out there, have fun!
    iAlertU (v 0.18 Beta) [site] [download] (153KB)

    * Sudden Motion Sensor

    Sunday, September 24, 2006

    Console Emulators for OS X

    If you're a video game junky then I bet you'll love this one, I have found some console emulators for OS X that can run Atari, Nintendo, SEGA and other late generations of those consoles so I hope you find this useful.

  • Atari800MacX 3.4 [site] [download] [size: 4.2MB]
  • - For running Atari 800 ROMs.


  • Boycott Advance 0.3.8 [site] [download] [size: 1.4MB]
  • - Can run the majority of existing Gameboy Advance ROMs.


  • KiGB 2.0.3 [site] [download] [size: 2MB]
  • - Runs Nintindo Gameboy ROMs.


  • SMS Plus 1.2.3 [site] [download] [size: 1.5MB]
  • - Runs Sega Master System and Sega Game Gear ROMs.


  • VisualBoyAdvance 1.7.4 [site] [download] [size: 730KB]
  • - The ultimate GameBoy emulator! Can run Gameboy, Gameboy Color and Gameboy Advance ROMs.


  • Generator 0.4.1 [site] [download] [size: 1.6MB]
  • Genesis Plus 1.2.8 [site] [download] [size: 1.7MB]
  • - Both emulators run Sega Genisis and Megadrive ROMs.


  • Mupen64 0.5 [site] [download] [size: 1.9MB]
  • sixtyforce 0.8.5b3 [site] [download] [size: 1MB] (shareware)
  • - Runs Nintindo N64 ROMs.


  • Nestopia 1.3.4 [site] [download] [size: 2.6MB]
  • RockNES 3.1.3 [site] [download] [size: 802MB]
  • - Runs Nintindo NES ROMs.


  • SNES9X 1.5 [site] [download] [size: 2.7MB]
  • - Runs Super Nintindo ROMs.


  • Stella 2.2 [site] [download] [size: 2.2MB]
  • - Runs the classic Atari 2600 ROMs.


  • Gcube 0.3b [site] [download] [size: 498KB]
  • - GameCube emulator for Mac. Unfortunately this project had been called off but it still does the job quite well.
    "Sad but true :(. Monk no longer has the means to continue developing this great emulator so the project is over."


  • PCSX [site] [download] [size: 1.3MB]
  • - "PCSX is a Sony Playstation™ (PSX) emulator which will allow you to play many PSOne game titles on a Macintosh Computer System. PCSX is not an original emulator but is ported from the Linux emulator of the same name. Since PCSX relies on plugins for core functionality several plugins have been ported and / or written from scratch. For simplicity these plugins are bundled with the main emulator download."


  • Flarestorm [site] [download] [size: ---]
  • - "Flarestorm is a new Playstation emulator made by 2510. It's in early state of development, but has advanced unbelievably quickly, the quickest I've seen any Playstation emulator development. It already supports many 2D games and some are playable, many main menu's also show. 3-D implimatation has just begun and is at a early stage, 2510 has also done much work on MDEC scenes which is most likly the hardest to code. It was originally coded for MacOS 9 but has now been rewritten for MacOS X (10) once and is being rewritten again."


    That's about all for now. I'm looking for Amiga OS emulators to run Amiga games. I sooo want to play Skid Marks and Cannon Fodder but unfortunately I couldn't find any emulators, yet. Also I still couldn't find any possible ways or applications to run Play Station, Game Cube, XBOX games though I guess if you have Intel Mac with Boot Camp and WinSh!t XP installed then it wouldn't be a hard thing to get.

    LAST UPDATE: (Nov. 23, '06)
    PS1 and GameCube emulators added.

    Saturday, September 23, 2006

    O'Reilly's "Learning the UNIX OS"



    Earlier this month I have posted that I'm willing to learn the basics of the Unix system [link] and I have ordered a book from Amazon to get me started. Well, the book arrived yesterday and it looks nice. I have skimmed through chapters to check my mood if I would go through this book or not and now I'm sure I will end it in a matter of days though hopefully I would come out with something good.

    The book is called "Learning the UNIX Operating System" by Jerry Peek, Grace Todino-Gonguet and John Strang. It is published by O'Reilly Media, Inc. and it's the fifth and latest edition of its series. With less than 160 pages of simple examples, explicated commands and a quick reference guide, this book offers more than what I could ask for.

    Now I know this book won't make me a professional Unix user but at least it will enlighten me about a lot of things regarding my Mac and its applications, it also contains useful command lines and exercises to help with troubleshooting some of the common problems so it's all good.

    Crazy? No.

    Friday, September 22, 2006

    SYSTRAN Translation Widget | Fix

    If you're having trouble trying to fix SYSTRAN translation widget, which just sits there and won't let you pull down languages, then here's how to fix it:-

  • Download Pref Setter

  • In your computer, search for the file:-
    widget-com.apple.widget.translation.plist
    either in Spotlight, or in the folder: Home/Library/Prefrences.

  • Open that file using Pref Setter
    Change the "fromlanguage" value to 3, and the "tolanguage" value to 4.

  • Save changes.

  • Go into Dashboard, if the Translator widget is running, remove it from your dashboard then add it back on.

  • Now it should be working properly.

    Thursday, September 21, 2006

    iFixit | Do It Yourself


    If you have any hardware problems regarding your Mac or iPod and you don't want to keep it in a workshop for a couple of days or the problem isn't worthy of keeping it there or better yet if you're willing to fix it yourself then try iFixit.com Guide.
    This site offers step-by-step disassembly/reassembly guides for all generations of Mac & iPod and on the main site it offers cheap genuine accessories to replace damaged parts.

    Monday, September 18, 2006

    My iTunes Top 25 Most Played

  • In Loving Memory -by- Alter Bridge (211)
  • Zoe Jane -by- Staind (203)
  • Broken Wings -by- Alter Bridge (201)
  • Here Without You -by- 3 Doors Down (198)
  • Open Your Eyes -by- Alter Bridge (192)
  • Imaginary -by- Evanescence (189)
  • What Will be (Ma Yihye) -by- Zehava Ben (176)
  • Six Days ( feat. Mos Def) -by- DJ Shadow (164)
  • My Immortal (rock version) -by- Evanescence (160)
  • Nothing Else Matters -by- Metallica (157)
  • Photograph -by- 12 Stones (153)
  • Silent Words -by- Scars of Life (151)
  • How You Remind Me (live) -by- Nickelback (144)
  • Eyes Never Dry -by- Outlandish (143)
  • Shook Ones -by- Mobb Depp (139)
  • So Far Away by Staind (138)
  • Kryptonite (acoustic) by 3 Doors Down (126)
  • Cold -by- Crossfade (121)
  • Pegao De Que -by- Juan Bautista (110)
  • Play Dead -by- H.I.M. (107)
  • Fields of Innocence -by- Evanescence (104)
  • Listen To Your Heart (Edmee's) -by- D.H.T. (102)
  • Mad World -by- Gary Jules (102)
  • Bring Me To Life -by- Evanescence (101)
  • Going Under -by- Evanescence (98)

  • --- Currently stuck in my head ---
  • Six Days ( feat. Mos Def ) -by- DJ Shadow
  • Sunday, September 17, 2006

    Xtorrent | The Best

    This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

    Saturday, September 16, 2006

    Tornado problem = Solved, maybe.

    I went to United Networks workshop (Showtime workshop) at Al-Thajeej area this morning and it's official, they have numerous Tornado modems that have the same malfunction. It looks like it has an overheating problem that causes it to disconnect. They offered to replace my Tornado modem with a new one of the same brand but I insisted they give me another brand so they gave me Linksys Wireless-G (WAG200G) ADSL home gateway. Now I'm not going to rush on anything, but at least this one's smaller in size, has better signal coverage around the house and it doesn't make much noises when you lift the phone like the Tornado did.

    Happy? Hell yes I am.
    Satisfied? Not yet because I want to make sure I won't have to pay them another visit. Ohh and one last thing, hoping someone of United Networks would see this message...

    One phone line for testing internet connectivity in your workshop?! Pffffftttt... Even my house has three phone lines and your workshop doesn't. =/

    Friday, September 15, 2006

    Tornado ADSL modem = Rip off!



    Few days ago I have posted my first impression[*] on United Network and mentioned that they gave me "Tornado 2440 ADSL modem & router", it turned out to be a total rip off. It keeps disconnecting off the internet and never connects again until I turn it off for more than 30 minutes! It's been one week and now sh!t like that start to happen? I called their customer service and the guy said there might be something wrong with the configuration, how in hell would that happen if it had been working without any problems for five days straight? I think it disconnects because it overheats. *curses* I will have take it on Saturday and ask for replacement.

    If you're willing to go for United Networks internet service just make sure you don't get this retarded modem.

    Thursday, September 14, 2006

    Your page's DNA!


    My blog's DNA


    Something to waste another 15 sec. of your life online. [link*]

    * Originally posted by Dilli O Milli

    Semi-Spaces


    If you have seen the sneak peak of OS X 10.5 Leopard on Apple.com then you probably know what Spaces is. It's their new alternative to Exposé on OS X 10.4 Tiger. If you want to experience something close to what Apple is promising then check out You Control:Desktops. Unfortunately, it's not for free but if you really want to have this Semi-Spaces feature (with less benefits) then try VirtueDesktops. Both are menubar items that can be controlled with hotkeys. Have fun flipping pages till Leopard arrives! ;)

    Wednesday, September 13, 2006

    Amiri Grant | 200 KD

    The amiri grant had been sent to all kuwaitis on their main bank accounts. Others who don't have bank accounts have to go to Gulf Bank and collect their grant in person but it would take a while because they're going on alphabetical order.

    As for me, my grant has vanished due to my installments.
    "Easy come, easy go!"

    What did you do with yours? =/

    Apple News


    - iPod Shuffle instead of earrings.
    - iPod Nano went gay.
    - iPod got better.
    - iTunes 7 = Pure hotness.

    Tuesday, September 12, 2006

    First Impression | United Networks


    I have recently subscribed with United Networks, part of KIPCO Media & Telecommunication services, for 256mbps (Kbps*) DSL account. One year subscription costed me 200KD for wireless setup. Their service was a little bit slow lately due to blackouts and some upgrades on their networks (going for fiber-optics?).

    I called for inquiry on Saturday, paid on Sunday and had everything installed the next week on Wednesday. That's after a week and a couple of days, which doesn't count as a good thing for a big company. Their so-called network engineer jammed when he had to configure the network using my Mac (he even started Flash thinking it's a web-browser! xD ) then, after about 15min, he got the hang of it and set everything properly for the ADSL router to work.

    They gave me Tornado 2440 ADSL router. So far so good, it's wroking properly and the signal is good. Do not, and I mean Do NOT even think about accepting this stupid modem.

    Overall rating:-



    * EDIT: Thanks to CyberRowdy.

    Monday, September 11, 2006

    Customized Mercedes-Benz with iMac G5



    German custom car shop Mattes-Interieurtechnik has customized a Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class with leather-trimmed 17" iMac G5 complete with wireless keyboard and mouse. Although the iMac G5 is out of date with the arrival of the new Intel-based iMac, it is still one hell of a machine to be fitted in the back of your car.

    Too bad they don't customize american cars otherwise I would've asked for a custom made Mac Pro with 30" flat screen in the back of my TB! (yeah, right.) =P

    Sunday, September 10, 2006

    Review: Puma | Future Cat Low


    Future Cat Low is my newest pair of Puma's, it's very sleek in looks, very comfortable for walking and comes in large variety of colors. All Puma foot wear are good and this one's exceptionally great. All Puma's are a little bit overpriced compared to other brands, however, the down side of this one (this color to be exact) is that it gets dirty pretty quick. You can easily notice any dirt spots or scratches on its white surface but then again, if you take good care of it, it'll remain as new.

    Style:
    Comfort:
    Overall:
    Price: 35.000 KD

    Saturday, September 09, 2006

    Traffic in Kuwait



    I found this on a hasher site for foreigners who intend to know Kuwait before they come over for work or visit... Check this out, it's quite amusing but ALL true, unfortunately.

    "Traffic Rules in Kuwait:-

    1. Right of way

    Right of way belongs to the vehicle which has it’s bumper 5cm ahead of another, irrespective of whether approaching from the left or right.

    2. The Kuwait scissors

    When in 3 lanes of traffic, all traffic wishing to turn right should occupy the left hand lane and vice versa. One must then wait until the last possible moment before crossing the other two lanes at right angles to the traffic flow, to do so too early is to lose face.

    3. Overtaking

    There are four ways to get past the car in front; to the left, to the right, over the top and underneath, also known as undertaking.

    4. The weave

    Never hold a steady speed in one lane. You can gain as much as 20 meters over a distance of 10 kilometers by continuously swerving from one lane to another whilst invoking rules 1 and 10. The minimum speed for this maneuver is 150kph.

    5. Right of way (buses)

    Buses do not have right of way; they just take it. Bus horns are frighteningly louder than any others. There are some official boarding and alighting points but the buses will drop off and/or pick up passengers at any place, any time, in traffic, provided that the passenger is sufficiently fleet of foot and oblivious to the threat of traffic flowing around him.

    6. Pedestrians

    These may cross the road when, where, and however they wish. Be they old, young, agile or decrepit, they have the right to step into the traffic and dodge, dance or merely stolidly move across. However, motorists are encouraged to do their best to hit them, preferably at speed. (Even on the pavement) Motorist should note that most motorway bridges are 1000m apart and that pedestrians will cross at 500m intervals.

    7. Traffic lights

    There are nine possible combinations of traffic lights in use in Kuwait, they being; red, amber, green, red plus amber, red plus green, green plus amber, red plus green plus amber, flashing amber, and all off. Any selection of these can be found on any one set of traffic lights. The meanings of the various arrangements are not known, but if crossing when the lights are red (or any other combination) and you see a car crossing in front of you, make sure you hit it squarely in the side, if possible, at speed.

    8. U-turns

    These are used for changing direction and carriageway. If possible try not to pull out if a car is going past in the outside lane of the carriageway you want to pull into. If you are in a hurry, the somersault and roll method is a quicker way of achieving the same result, but avoid the lamp posts in the central reservation.

    9. Parking
    a) Short term: If you need to, just double or treble park, after all the traffic CAN get around you.

    b) Long term: Park alongside a yellow and black curb. If you are lucky the police will fit the car with an anti-theft device or tow it to a secure car park. There is however a standard charge for these services.

    10. Mirrors

    These are not, contrary to popular belief, for looking for vehicles behind you, but are for grooming, adjusting gutrah’s & seeing where the parsley is stuck to your teeth."
    [link]


    Too bad we gave them that impression. =/

    Desktopple | Just hide it!



    Desktopple is a quick desktop-hider. With HotKey preference now available, this application can be very helpful.
    "Ever needed to take a screenshot and had to remove all of those icons from your Desktop before you do? Or maybe you needed to make a presentation and had to tidy up before hooking into the projector? If you did, then Desktopple is for you!"

    Friday, September 08, 2006

    TigerLaunch


    Here's a simple application launcher called TigerLaunch.
    "TigerLaunch is an easy-to-use and easy-to-configure application launcher for OS X.

    It displays an Apps menu at the top of your screen listing all your applications in alphabetical order—no matter what folder they appear in.

    You can easily configure it to exclude applications you rarely or never launch.

    This allows you to be more selective about what apps are dock-worthy, so your dock doesn’t get so cluttered. It also makes it easier to launch apps that are buried in sub-folders, such as in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder."

    Quick download: TigerLaunch v1.0.3 (120k)

    OS X Planet



    Check out this cool live desktop application called OSXplanet. The amazing thing is all about the creator of this application, he started this project when he was only 15! Now he's a "self-taught" 17 years old programmer which I find really amazing.

    Thursday, September 07, 2006

    Exposed by Adium!

    If you have set your status to invisible mode on Adium X make sure you sign out before you close the program because if you don't it will expose you to your active contacts (they recieve a message that you have signed in on their instant messenger*) then it signs you out. This happened to me several times with my MSN Messenger account.

    * Citation needed on other instant messengers supported by Adium.

    Current playlist

    Broken Wings - Alter Bridge
    Open Your Eyes - Alter Bridge
    In Loving Memory - Alter Bridge
    So Far Away - Staind
    Zoe Jane - Staind
    Right Here - Staind
    Here Without You (acoustic) - 3 Doors Down
    Kryptonite (acoustic) - 3 Doors Down
    Photograph - 12 Stones
    How You Remind Me ( Live ) - Nickelback
    Cold - Crossfade
    Gravity - A Perfect Circle
    Be Yourself - AudioSlave

    Review: Alcatel Speed Touch ADSL modem



    I went to my friend's place today to watch the match between France vs Italy [3-1!!] (and Kuwait won vs Australia [2-0!]) but that's not the story. My friend's younger brother has two Macs, iMac G5 and MacBook 2.0GHz (white), he uses Alcatel Speed Touch modem for his ADSL connection and it connects via USB 2.0 link. His MacBook was connected to his ADSL modem and he wanted to connect it on the iMac to play online games (C&C: Zero Hour) so he had to disconnect the modem, as soon as he pulled of the USB link, his MacBook crashed! When I asked what's wrong he said he doesn't know and this happens everytime he disconnects the USB link. He said this happens to his iMac as well!

    I went home, grabbed my PowerBook G4 and came back to try his modem on my Mac and guess what, it also crashed as soon as I unplugged the USB link! It is impossible, in my opinion, to find the problem in our Macs, so I'm quite sure the problem is something with the modem itself.

    As for its connectivity speeds, with 1mbps connection it is amazingly fast. It comes with a CD to install drivers on Windows and Mac plus some other applications (that don't work on Mac even though they're made for OS X 10.3+).

    Now that I know about this awful downside, I do not recommend it for any Mac users. Besides, I'd rather connect through either Wireless or Ethernet. Why waste USB hub on something like this?



    Overall rating

    Wednesday, September 06, 2006

    Learning Unix



    Yepp, I'm trying to learn the Unix operating system. I've already ordered this book from Amazon.com but until it gets delivered I will stick with this useful site @ OSXFAQ.com

    Tuesday, September 05, 2006

    Videos for iPod

    I have been searching for programs to convert videos to .mp4 for my iPod and I found HandBrake & iSquint. Handbrake has more options and can rip DVDs instantly to mp4, while iSquint is easier to use and can convert almost any kind of video files to mp4 to best fit your iPod screen.

    Latest versions:-
    * HandBrake v0.7.1 4MB
    * iSquint v1.4.3 4.6MB

    iPod to Mac

    This is by far the easiest way to copy data from your iPod to your Mac. [link]

    Courtesy of Kirk McElhearn @ www.McElhearn.com

    Music Genome Project?

    I've always heard about Pandora.com & Music Genome Project but never actually tried it and now that I did, it is pure awesome! Just type in the name of your favourite song or singer and you'll get a close-to-your-taste music broadcasting live from the internet.

    Check it out @ Pandora.com