I really don't get some web design people

"yes, lets use a white background, and for the font color...hmm...perhaps a light gray? 12 pt font? perfect."

Sideload Wonder Machine - Device not found (Samsung Galaxy S i897)

In short, get the android sdk then add it to your PC's paths.  Got it from here.

http://www.android.net/forum/sony-xperia-x10/83069-victory-got-sideload-wonder-machine-working.html#post160798

I found a solution to the problem of Windows using its own drivers for my phone, now I never have any problem getting ADB apps to find my device - props to Nephron over at XDA -. Assuming you have already installed Android SDK :Take the "android-sdk-windows" folder and move it to the root of your hard drive (C:\)
Right click on My Computer and click propertiesSelect the Advanced Tab or Advanced System Setting (Vista/Windows 7)Select Environment Variables...Press New
For Variable Name type: adbFor Variable Value type: C:\android-sdk-windows\tools
Worked perfectly for me.
There's nothing wrong with Extro's suggestion above.. just saying this is what worked for me 

Chrome : Make omnibox search Google over https

- open chrome
- go to preferences
- manage search engines
- scroll to end
- add this

1st field : gs
2nd field : encrypted.google.com
3rd field : https://encrypted.google.com/search?&q=%s

- save it then hover the entry and click make default

From now on your omnibox searches should go through google https.

Ubuntu Unity can't see Pidgin buddy list

So you got your shiny new Ubuntu Unity going, maybe even on the newest 12.04 Ubuntu release.  Good stuff right?  But oh no what's this, sad face - you just closed the Pidgin buddy list and you can't find it / unminimize / unhide it.  Tragedy.  Well good news friend, the fix is easy.  Click the little envelope icon in the upper right corner and there should be an entry for Pidgin Instant Messenger.  All is well with the world.

Ubuntu Linux can't adjust Acer / brightness with function (FN) keys

So my Acer uses the "Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller" aka Intel GMA 4500m.  Alas I can not adjust the brightness via the cool ass function (Fn) keys on the keyboard.  A little meter pops up and tells me the brightness is adjusting, yet it is not.  There are a few fixes out there for this, modifying your grub, etc etc.  But the one I like the most goes something like this.

max bright :

sudo setpci -s "00:02.0" F4.B=00

mediumish bright :

sudo setpci -s "00:02.0" F4.B=C1

screen off :

sudo setpci -s "00:02.0" F4.B=FF

Changing the last two numbers/letters (hex) gently scales the brightness up and down.

Solved : Suse slow / sluggish mouse

Problem : Just installed Suse and my USB mouse is jumpy / slow / sluggish.  The track pad is fine, but the mouse is balls.

Solution : Unplug the mouse and plug it into a different slot.

After I did this my mouse feels exactly as it should.

There is at least one thread at the suse forums on this issue.

HOWTO : Securely search from the address bar in Firefox (without addons)

1. browse to about:config
2. search for keyword
3. set "keyword.enabled" to true
4. set "keyword.URL" to https://encrypted.google.com/search?&q=
5. search for "browser.fixup.alternate.enabled", set to false

You are now searching from the address bar in Firefox securely over https/ssl.

(source : http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Location%20bar%20search)

ps. you can toggled from true to false (etc) by simply double clicking the entry.

I use opendns, for some reason 1 word searches = opendns search, two word searches = google.

Intel GMA 4500m blank screen / black screen / monitor off

In case you were wondering the intel driver for the GMA 4500m doesn't work with some of the 2.6.18 based kernels aka whatever comes with centos 5.5 and 5.6.  This seems to affect a lot of linux distros (suse, ubunut, etc).


The workaround I use is to boot with the option acpi=off

Symptoms : 

- run startx (using default intel drivers)
- screen flashes, gnome is visible for .5 seconds
- monitor turns *off*
- switching workspaces shows the desktop for .5 seconds
- nothing is visible. ctrl+alt+backspace = display still off

I found no solution for this problem.  Plugging in an external monitor + using the hot keys to activate it doesn't work, using a different driver failed (i810).

This isn't limited to centos.  During my google I found other distros with similar kernels with the same issue.

2.6.35 + intel driver + GMA 4500m = works perfect.

centos forum convo here

Linksys WRT54GS2 slow wifi speeds - router locks up

I've had the WRT54GS2 for some time now and absolutely hated it. Over wifi the speeds are slow, the router can sometimes be unresponsive. The only thing that seems to help (and only temporarily) is resetting it.  So I just got comcast setup and over wifi the speed was crap, barely .5 megabit down, high ping, everything was very slow. Connected directly to the router life is great, 30megabits down - very low ping, life is good. Time to google.

Luckily thanks to sandman879 this problem is now fixed - my wifi speeds are *way* faster (12megabits). The solution is really simple.

1. login to the router (192.168.1.1)
2. click on Administration
3. change "Wireless Access Web" from Disable to Enable
4. click Save Changes

That's it, this is exactly what fixed my problems. Thanks again Sandman879!

ps.  I tried updating the Firmware previously and that didn't help at all :(

Look of Disapproval Wallpaper

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