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Computer

New IBM UltraNav Keyboard

IBM UltraNav

Since I started using HP laptop, which has a imitative trackpoint, but a blue one, I love the way to control the cursor, especially when I needed to change between a lot of windows. I had been looking for this kind of keyboard on Yahoo!Bid, and found some of IBM's products. But they exceeded my budget.

Today I bought one. Although I like Space Saver II more, I still could not wait and bought the UltraNav, which has a TouchPad, and I thought it's not useful and because of that, I couldn't put it into my keyboard drawer. But it's my second choice. Without the part of numbers, it is similar to a laptop’s keyboard, but the only disadvantage is the ESC’s place. It is not like a normal keyboard, which usually puts the ESC at the left side of F1. Its ESC is juct above the F1. For several times, when I tried to cancel some wrong typing, I always triggered the help window.

Well… I still have to get used of it. Besides that, it is really a good thing.

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Start Using Portable Apps

SV306002

After beginning my clerk course, I have been in the hospital for long time a day. I couldn't take my notebook because of its weight and the posibility of being stolen. Some of my classmates bought USB flash drives. I remembered Portable Firefox and thought maybe it is a good solution for me.

For several days trying, it's convenient. I had many good extensions installed and made the library’s computer just like what I am accustomed to. But there is a new problem. I found the startup is very slow. I always had to wait more than 2 minutes before I started using it. I don't know why. There is no discussion on the forum. I thought it may because the low speed of the SD card or the USB drive. The speed test (by HD Tune) shows the average is 3.5 MB/s. But strangely, Portable OOo and Portable Gaim work well.

Before I find the solution, I can copy the whole directory of PFF to the hard disc before using, but it's a little inconvenient. >_<

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New IBM Mouse

SV303027

I don't know whether it was another episode of mania, I bought a new IBM optical mouse (31P7410) from Yahoo! Bid. Because the postage is a little bit high, I persuaded another 4 people to buy one.

Oh… the leather-like texture on the cover makes me feel very very satisfied. But now, I have desire to buy a new IBM keyboard with Trackpoint (Space Saver II), again. @_@

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Use UrMap API in YMChmusic’s Blog

UrMap Logo
Using With Permission From UrMap.
Copyrighted by UrMap.

UrMap is a web service which is just alike Google Maps and can show the map online. Besides these, it’s featured in the detailed street information and high-resolution satellite images of Taiwan, where I live. The API had been released for several days, but at first, I wasn’t very interested in it. After reading this post, I thought it may be fun to use the API displaying the address of some activities. Therefore, I tried it in the YMChmusic’s Blog.

But, WordPress has a feature that will add paragraph tags automatically to the content. When I tried to use javascript in the content, it didn’t work. The auto-paragraph mechanism is activated in the core of WordPress, and I couldn’t find any option to deactivate it. So, I gave it up.

Today, during the rest at noon, I tried again to search the documents of WordPress and found how to use javascript in the content. I had to install a plugin called Text Control, which can control the formatting behavior for a single post or globally. And then, I inserted the code into the post I’d like to show a map. Wow, I succeeded. Thanks, Jeff.

The second problem was that I had to find out the longitude and latitude of the place I wanted to display. The problem was resolved by a greasemonkey script called UrMap Plus 2.0. It can hybridize UrMap with Google Maps, and the most important is, the longitude and latitude information will be displayed. Thanks, CK.

With these two tools, I can show the map. But because the place I marked is a little remote, Map Mode doesn’t indicate it, although it’s very clear in the satellite image. Therefore, I’d like to change the default mode to Hybrid Mode, but there’s no documentation about this. The final method is to hack the source code, and fortunately I found a function called setMapType which is what I wanted. Thanks, myself. XD

Ok, this is the first time I use APIs. Maybe someday when I have more free time, I can investigate other APIs, such as Flickr’s and Google’s. It may be more fun. ^^

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My ID by Cool Text

My ID by Cool Text

I found a web service called Cool Text, which can generate logos online. I chose a style without thinking too much, and then the logo of my userid had been generated. It looks fine, isn’t it? But it may be a little mismatch with my current theme. :p

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Displaying Wretch’s Photos in Bloglines

Wretch sets a referer policy in order to deny connection from other sites. That really diminishes unnecessary traffic for them, but it’ll make us inconvenient to use a blog aggregator, such as Bloglines, to browse the blogs powered by Wretch.

Someone supplied a method: use a firefox extension called RefControl and set a customized referer with the Bloglines site.

It really works. Haha… since now, I don’t need to click the link of the Wretch blogs additionally. ^^

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Going Mad With Voip Phone

Since I found VoipStunt, which can make free regular landline calls, I always used it. But just now, I was going mad with it. I called the Payroll Section of NCKU for checking the record of my brother‘s tuition. Firstly, I cautiously used Skype to avoid the delay problem, but it always told me it couldn’t switch to the extension. After several tries, I gave it up and used the VoipStunt. That’s when nightmare began.

It switched to the extension correctly, but the other side seemed unable to hear my voice. I tried to shout more loudly, and then she found the delay problem and was very confused. Finally, we finished the conversation with impatience.

How can these voip softwares suck like that!? Skype can’t make a switch, and VoipStunt has delays. Hu… they almostly spoilt my good mood even when today just began. =.=凸

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FindBook.tw

findbook.tw
From: FindBook.tw

What a wonderful service it supplies!

This morning, I read the China Times and found out a book Taiwan, During Japan Colonization (日本統治下的台灣; ISBN: 9867375548). I’m interested in it and decided to buy one in the upcoming book exhibition. In fact, going to visit the exhibition to buy one will take me more time and more money, so I search it online first. What amazed me was that there’s a large gap of the price between each bookstores. The price gap between the cheapest and the most expensive is 60 NTD. Wow!!

If I buy one online, I may spend the transportation charges. So, I went on the web site of the cheapest for details. I found I have not to pay the transportation charges if I choose a convenience-store transportation. How wonderful it is. So I bought one at once.

Another book I’d like to buy is Brokeback Mountain (ISBD: 1857029402), but there’s no stock of the older version, which is cheaper than the latest one. So I gave up. Maybe I’ll accidentally find one in one of the Eslite Bookstore someday.

Haha … It’s so happy to buy something cheaper. :p