Works with WINE on Linux (which others couldn’t) and is FOSS!

THe good news is that this doesn’t matter with Ubuntu and if you use Synaptic. let’s say I’m running GNOME and want Kivio which is like MS Visio and only runs under KDE (supposedly). If you install it via Synaptic, Ubuntu will install Kivio + some of the KDE libraries it needs to run Kivio – and this under GNOME nogal.

I can’t believe how useless the GNOME vs KDE debate is. BTW, I prefer XFCE, it’s faster, and I like Thunar over Galeon

Before giving you the solution, I’m going to note this experience given my inclination for usability, and as a personal lesson on how NOT to do thing.

On their website, they say: You can download the source, or the pre-compiled Java applets. I don’t know how to compile, so I choose pre-compiled.

But look what this gives you:
cortado-mmjs-0.0.1.jar 30-Nov-2004 13:50 34K
cortado-mmjs-0.1.0.jar 24-Dec-2004 18:15 43K
cortado-mmjs-0.1.2.jar 22-Apr-2005 16:08 46K
cortado-mmjs-debug-0.2.0.1.jar 14-Sep-2006 16:55 104K
cortado-mmjs-debug-0.2.0.jar 19-May-2006 15:38 103K
cortado-mmjs-debug-0.2.1.jar 14-Sep-2006 16:55 104K
cortado-mmjs-debug-0.2.2.jar 26-Oct-2006 17:28 113K
cortado-mmjs-stripped-0.2.0.jar 19-May-2006 15:38 103K
cortado-mmjs-stripped-0.2.1.jar 14-Sep-2006 16:55 104K
cortado-mmjs-stripped-0.2.2.jar 26-Oct-2006 18:10 88K
cortado-ot-0.1.0.jar 28-Dec-2004 12:59 93K
cortado-ot-0.1.2.jar 22-Apr-2005 20:01 97K
cortado-ov-debug-0.2.0.1.jar 14-Sep-2006 16:55 198K
cortado-ov-debug-0.2.0.jar 19-May-2006 15:38 197K
cortado-ov-debug-0.2.1.jar 14-Sep-2006 16:55 198K
cortado-ov-debug-0.2.2.jar 26-Oct-2006 17:28 208K
cortado-ov-stripped-0.2.0.jar 19-May-2006 15:38 197K
cortado-ov-stripped-0.2.1.jar 14-Sep-2006 16:55 198K
cortado-ov-stripped-0.2.2.jar 26-Oct-2006 18:10 151K
cortado-ovt-0.0.1.jar 30-Nov-2004 13:50 163K
cortado-ovt-0.1.0.jar 24-Dec-2004 18:15 172K
cortado-ovt-0.1.2.jar 22-Apr-2005 16:08 175K
cortado-ovt-debug-0.2.0.1.jar 14-Sep-2006 16:56 254K
cortado-ovt-debug-0.2.0.jar 19-May-2006 15:38 253K
cortado-ovt-debug-0.2.1.jar 14-Sep-2006 16:56 254K
cortado-ovt-debug-0.2.2.jar 26-Oct-2006 17:28 264K
cortado-ovt-stripped-0.2.0.jar 19-May-2006 15:38 253K
cortado-ovt-stripped-0.2.1.jar 14-Sep-2006 16:56 254K
cortado-ovt-stripped-0.2.2.jar 26-Oct-2006 18:10 193K

Now WTF. Do I download ALL of these, or am I supposed to choose one. Which one?

So my next step is to search the Internet for examples, and see what others are using. I came across this site, which came me another dillema:

< archive=”cortado.jar” code=”com.fluendo.player.Cortado.class”>

Here again, it only refers to cortado.jar, doesn’t tell me which one to download. BTW, this site does not allow you to copy and paste (JavaScript), just to give me more grief and delay progress.

It is also at this point that I realise that apart from this site, there is NO other documentation on how to USE the APPLET – - TOTALLY DISGUSTING!!

So the next step is to get hold of the applet code (remember the site wouldn’t allow me to copy), and download one of the applets (cortado-ot-0.1.2.jar) – which still didn’t work – which led me to search for a new applet – which led me to JOrbis – which also still didn’t work

Finding Answers:

Just see how ‘brilliant’ Open Source Developers can be:

The website says: Cortado currently include Java decoders for Ogg Theora, Ogg Vorbis, Mulaw audio, MJPEG and our own Smoke codec.

Once I re-read this and start to think about it, I realised that there are different applets for different decoders/formats. Why didn’t they tell me that in the first place AND tell me which applet to use. The cortado-ot-0.1.2.jar was for Ogg Theora which is audio (learnt something new).

The one we should be using is: cortado-ovt-0.1.2.jar. Cool, first step solved.

Now comes an even more atrocious part. Where is an example of the applet code and parameters, the one on top clearly didn’t work. And don’t expect the code to be in the demos, because the applet is in an iframe. Another classic example of Open Source Brilliance.

Back on the page that didn’t allow me to copy from it, it says: Documentation taken from current Read Me file contained within the Cortado source code. This isn’t brilliant. It is F*CKING F*CKING F*CKING BRILLIANT. To learn how to use it, you should download the entire source code as well, which you won’t use or know how to use, but you just need one file in the archive!

The Solution:

To use the Cortado applet to present Ogg Vorbis Video files:

1. Go to the pre-compiled applets page at http://www.flumotion.net/jar/cortado/, and download the latest cortado-ovt-###.jar applet. The latest one for me was cortado-ovt-0.1.2.jar.Avoid the debug or stripped version. I don’t know that this means, and don’t have the time to find out.
2. To embed the applet in your page, add the following code:< code=”com.fluendo.player.Cortado.class” archive=”cortado-ovt-0.1.2.jar” width=”352″ height=”288″>
   < name=”url” value=”http://localhost/tests/ogg/tuesday_1150_gaming.ogg”>
   < name=”local” value=”false”> < name=”keepAspect” value=”true”>
   < name=”video” value=”true”>
   < name=”audio” value=”true”>
   < name=”bufferSize” value=”200″>
   < /applet>

   Note: There are spaces between the <>

The entire Readme.txt file on how to use the applet can be found here: http://www.tohir.co.za/Cortado_README.txt

There are lots of wonderful brush sets for photoshop in the web… too many to install them all just to see what they look like! now you can have the preview of a set without having to install it… without having to run photoshop! You can even adjust thumbnails size and you can have the preview of the actual size of the brush… you can also try it out!

people who publish brush sets on their personal websites need to provide users with previews. This software is able to generate images for every single brush and can also generate the general image from the panel of the thumbnails you have visualised. I think it’s great, don’t you?

Download at: http://abrviewer.sourceforge.net/. BTW, it is free.

I was using my Groupwise account at UWC web based interface, and when I was finished with the email, I pressed [Escape] without much thought. But presto, the window automatically closed, which I thought was not a standard web browser behaviour, but probably standard user behaviour.?

It’s probably a cool feature to add, using JavaScript in pop windows. But as usual, here are some of my considerations:

• It should only be for pop up windows
• It should not be for main windows (window.opener’s)
• It should not be used when the user is busy entering a form or something.

Nice one Novell!

Example: Determining whether a function exists

You can determine whether a function exists by using the typeof operator. In the following example, a test is peformed to determine if the window object has a property called noFunc that is a function. If so, it is used; otherwise some other action is taken.

 if ('function' == typeof window.noFunc) {  // use noFunc()} else {  // do something else}

Note that in the if test, a reference to noFunc is used—there are no brackets “()” after the function name so the actual function is not called.

Fair enough, the internet wasn’t yet a major hit that time, online things were still in their infancy. But I thought, what on earth is so wrong with the South African press.

Well, whether there is bias or not is speculative. But one thing for sure – they are deeeeelaayeeddd!

Take for example a story making headlines on IOL as well as the Mail and Guardian website.

• ‘Torture in Egypt is just routine’

• Police brutality video stirs debate

I mentioned this on this blog 12 days ago, and even my post wasn’t timely. M&G calls their story ‘breaking news’. On the topic, I need to say that Yahoo! News is always a good source for latest news or topics that don’t make the news.

My other confidential sources are the Information Clearing House and Common Dreams.

Time Magazine’s recognition of the contribution of ordinary users through channels such as blogs, wikis and photo/video sharing is a great achievement for all of us. It has shown various things, which I’ll note:

• We can create extraordinary software. In fact we have move software paradigms. Wikis would probably be considered a crazy idea a few years ago

• Given access to this extraordinary software, users have found extraordinary ways to use them – whether for education, business or social purposes.
• Users have also made extraordinary use of the resources available to them, notably mobile phones.
• Contributors have been given greater accord, partly because they have:
1. Opened up their work – without any possible economic incentives
2. Presented their work as is – no ulterior motives, and also without fear
3. They are presenting what they experience first hand
4. Other users have been able to corroborate or relate to contributors
• Media have been exposed as shortcoming or self-imposed restrictions

The Saddam Hussain Execution Videos (Part 1 and Part 2) is another testimony to this. Contrast to the ‘official video’, it proved that the affair is not as solemn as depicted.

Another story that captured my eye “Egypt orders probe into new torture video“. Nothing new, though it is despicable the way the official line has to go. This video is probably available on YouTube or Google Video. But here’s the scary part:

1. Do a search on these two sites for ‘Police Brutality‘ or ‘Torture’. The results are by no means little.
2. How many of these cases are ever taken up? Or can be taken up?

Seems like it is possible to create your own License Agreement when buying software from Wimpy MP3 (http://www.wimpyplayer.com/purchase/purchase_loader.php?product=wp_standard_php).

Technically, I’d say users should be allowed to ‘get away’ with this for various reasons:

1. The license is in a textarea which you can edit. If you don’t like the agreement, feel free to change it.
2. The license textarea is part of the form you are submitting, so they do get a copy. Whether they choose to save it is their problem. (I wonder if they record that you clicked on “I accept…”)
3. And most importantly: Because there is a way to overcome that problem using CSS!

Heres what I used:

<div style=”border: 1px solid black; padding: 5px; height: 100px; overflow:scroll;”>
<pre>

</pre>
</div>

Now will they give me a free copy. If yes, probably with a License Agreement I can’t edit

WIMPY LICENSE

This Agreement, hereafter referred to as the "Agreement," is made by and between Mike Gieson, Plaino, Inc., hereafter referred to as the "Owner," and you on your own behalf or on behalf of any corporate or private entity which employs you or which you represent, hereafter referred to as the "Licensee."

-- SNIP --

------------------------

Wimpy license version 1.4