Blog restart

It's about time - I've started a PhD so will be regularly posting in this blog again. Please be aware that this is a personal blog and will contain a mix of personal observations and research notes. I might be retro-blogging based on my experiences so far in 2017 and 2018 so some blogs might be jumping around the place!!

So be temporal-spatially warned!!!

Google Shared Calendars not showing in iphone or ipad

We normally manage the kids schedules on my wifes google calendar but today we decided that it was time they managed their own calendars - so we shared their calendars on our own calendars.

But it didnt sync on the iphone.

Further investigation revealed that you need to enable sync on your own calendar to allowed shared calendars to appear on your iphone

Use  https://calendar.google.com/calendar/syncselect  and choose the calendars to show.. then go into your IOS calendar app, choose the Calendars button, and press the refresh (circle-arrow) button.

For some reason this only affects the iphone - you dont need to do this for android or shared calendars!

The Future of Networking and the Network Engineer - Jason Edelman's Blog

The Future of Networking and the Network Engineer - Jason Edelman's Blog



What really gets me is this paragraph:



This was just a glimpse of what McKeown spoke about and is one of the industries that he thinks will significantly increase as SDN adoption begins to gain wheels.  Unfortunately, this isn’t good news for me and who I will call “traditional” network folks.  When asked by a participant if this type of automation for testing, development, and debugging will “wack” us, you heard a light chuckle from the audience, but believe me, everyone wanted to know Nick McKeown’s thoughts.  He answered honestly saying he sees an overall increase in jobs in the network industry, BUT, there will be less admins/engineers needed to maintain and operate networks.  

The large surplus of jobs will be in software and application development for network systems.  This is of no surprise for those who have been following these trends.  It will be interesting though to see how it plays over the coming years (don’t worry, it’s not weeks or months!).  The network engineer of yesterday could very well become the PBX phone guy of the late 90s early 2000s.  These network guys will adapt new skills such as programming and system administration or find the company that won’t adopt new technologies to try and stay in their comfort zone.  

OpenWrt and Open vSwitch Integration � Plvision

At last - someone has integrated openWRT and OpenVswitch. Supports Atheros 71xx Broadcom 47xx and 63xx chipsets



OpenWrt and Open vSwitch Integration 

Update 13 NOVEMBER 2015:

Wonderful! someone has actually integrated openWRT and Openflow on the low-end TP-Link WR1043ND v2 home wifi router/switch.

Turning TP-LINK WR1043NDv2.1 router into OpenFlow-enabled switchhttp://ljdelight.com/turning-tp-link-wr1043ndv2-1-router-into-openflow-enabled-switch/

Mininet: An Instant Virtual Network on your Laptop (or other PC) - Mininet

Mininet: An Instant Virtual Network on your Laptop (or other PC) - Mininet



Also see this with openflow and open vswitch

VMware security flaw

Oops. Vmware has a security flaw.

http://www.insinuator.net/2012/05/vmdk-has-left-the-building/

Seems that if you point vmx file on a hosting service you can hack other files.

Bit tenuous though from microsoft gloating - which hosting service would ever give VMX access to a customer??

Installing Centos 6.3 under vmware workstation 7

If you plan to install VMware Tools under Centos 6.3, ensure that you use the latest iso (vmware tools 9.0.0 for linux) . This can be extracted from the free version of vmware player/workstation 9.

The issue with VMware workstation 7 is that it doesn't support kernels later than 2.6.18, and has problems re-building under centos 6.3 (gets confused about kernel versions).

Much simpler this way!

Step 1: do not use the default VM > Install vmtools
Instead mount the iso as a cd/dvd drive

Step 2: Unpack the tar file from the iso disk into /tmp

Step 3: Run vmware-tools-distrib/vmware-install.pl

Step 4: Just accept the defaults. Let the new initrd be built. Don't say yes to automatic modules

Step 5:  reboot

Step 6: If you want seamless advanced X;
start /usr/bin/vmware-user
restart your desktop session & X (simplest to logout and logon)

If you want to use vmxnet (more efficient) restart network:
/etc/init.d/network stop
rmmod pcnet32
rmmod vmxnet
modprobe vmxnet
/etc/init.d/network start

Abi jigsaw #2

Abigail doing another jigsaw while at gymnastics - waiting for pascale to complete her session. I have to admit that I helped a bit, since she only had about 45minutes to complete it!

Abi Jigsaw puzzle

A rightly pleased abigail who did the 300 piece jigsaw herself. Took her AGES to do this one...

Gmail wont open eml files

Curse gmail. Unresponsive knaves.

It seems that if someone sends you attachments as '.eml' filetypes, gmail won't read it as anything else but plain text. C'mon, this is just a simple mime file.

So how to read it?

1. Download the file as a .mht file eg: so  photos1.eml becomes photos1.mht
2. Open the file with IE9 or Opera 11. Nope chrome, firefox don't work. 

[dataists] Ranking the popularity of programming languages

Ranking the popularity of programming languages

Correlates Stackoverflow vs Github projects.

Turns out that the most popular are: javascript, python, php, ruby,java, c, perl, shell, objectiveC, c++, c#

R seems like a good data mining language. Might learn that asap.

the four agreements, don miguel ruiz book - a code for life and personal development

the four agreements, don miguel ruiz book - a code for life and personal development

I would love to do this, but is it possible to live by the 4 arguments:

the four agreements - don miguel ruiz's code for life

1. Be impeccable with your word
   
2. Don’t take anything personally
   
3. Don’t make assumptions
   
4. Always do your best
   

The 20 most useful Android smartphone apps of 2011 | TechRepublic

The 20 most useful Android smartphone apps of 2011 | TechRepublic

Summary:
1. google voice  ** got it - but dont use it **
2. advanced task killer (rechild) ** samsung has a good built in one
3. dropbox ** I live on this for work
4. evernote  ** great for a while, but I like to share. Try Springpad, it's better
5. taskos
6. droidanalytics
7. documents2go  ** desperately in love with this. Best on my ipad though :-(

See also the Hackers Keyboard: http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/smartphones/the-hackers-keyboard-will-become-one-of-your-top-10-android-apps/3551

I personally use the swype keyboard on my samsung galaxy S2, it's way fast "typing" for me.
But hey, when I hack the operating system of my smartphone, I need a Linux compatible keyboard and this is the perfect one for me

Eclipse and ctrl-space

I've been plagued by this problem for years now. And it has been a pain in the neck.

Basically, windows XP chinese IME had a bug where you couldn't switch off the ctrl-space code assist button regardless of what you set the control panel settings to be.

I used to stop the chinese input method when I coded, and enabled it when writing chinese (not that I really know what I'm typing!)

Solution? Registry hack:

• open "regedit.exe" in run dialog
  
• Browse the registry editor to the location: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Input Method\Hot Keys\
• Now delete registry entries that with the name: 0000007x (x indicates any number)

HK Life: Disable ctrl space for language bar switch

The worst decision Google ever made | ZDNet

The worst decision Google ever made | ZDNet

Agreed. Google should have bought Sun. Then all the Sun java team wouldn't have left Oracle and left java in a big hole.
Then all the android.* api's will eventually become javax.* instead :-)
Would google android then implement Java ME? LOL.

Five Word tips that could change your life | TechRepublic

Five Word tips that could change your life | TechRepublic

Wow, I love these tips!
1. vertical text selection: hold alt key down
2. Use ctrl-z to remove autocorrect stuff
3. Use --- for horizontal line. See also ~~~, ___, ***, ===, ### for other styles. Again, use ctrl-z to remove if accidentally created
4. Move text (in table, a row, else a block of text). Click, then Hold alt-shift then use the arrow keys
5. Save All. Hold shift. Then pull down File menu. Save All appears.

More quickies:

Keystroke	Function
Ctrl + Shift + D	Double underline the selected text
Ctrl + ]	Increase the size of selected text by 1 point
Ctrl + [	Decrease the size of selected text by 1 point
Ctrl + Shift + A	Make selected text all caps
Ctrl + =	Toggle subscripting for selected text
Ctrl + +	Toggle superscripting for selected text
Ctrl + Shift + Q	Apply Symbol font to selected text
Ctrl + Shift + N	Apply Normal style to current paragraph
Ctrl + Alt + 1	Apply Heading 1 style to current paragraph
Ctrl + Alt + 2	Apply Heading 2 style to current paragraph
Ctrl + Alt + 3	Apply Heading 3 style to current paragraph
Ctrl + Shift + L	Apply List Bullet style
Ctrl + 0 (zero)	Apply or remove space above current paragraph
A line break	Shift+Enter
A page break	Ctrl+Enter
A column break	Ctrl+Shift+Enter
An optional hyphen	Ctrl+- (hyphen)
A nonbreaking hyphen	Ctrl+Shift+- (hyphen)
A nonbreaking space	Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar
A copyright symbol	Alt+Ctrl+C
A registered trademark symbol	Alt+Ctrl+R
A trademark symbol	Alt+Ctrl+T
An ellipsis	Alt+Ctrl+. (period)
An em dash	Alt+Ctrl+\
An en dash	Ctrl+- (on numeric keypad)
The page number	Alt+Shift+P
The current date	Alt+Shift+D
The current time	Alt+Shift+T

Keystroke	Function	Notes
Shift + F3	Toggles through capitalization options.	This one isn’t perfect — for instance, it insists on capitalizing articles and prepositions in Title Case mode — but it’s still a big timesaver.
Ctrl + Shift + N	Applies the Normal style.	If you work with documents that are riddled with obscure and specialized styles (typically other people’s), it’s handy to turn them into Normal paragraphs on the fly.
Ctrl + Shift + C	Copies the formatting of selected text.	Once you’ve copied the format, you can press Ctrl + Shift + V to paste the formatting onto a new selection. Yeah, I know — Format Painter does this, too. But Format Painter forgets the formatting as soon as you’re finished with it. This shortcut remembers what you copied until you close out of Word.
Alt + F9	Toggles the display of field codes on and off.	Unless you work with field shading turned on — and I don’t know many users who do — you can’t necessarily tell what’s literal text and what’s being generated by an underlying field code. A quick peek using this shortcut can prevent the headache of inexplicable changes and unwanted editing consequences.
F4	Repeats your most recent action.	This might be the all-time best shortcut (except for Undo, which I’m not including in this list because for me, at least, it’s like breathing and requires no conscious thought). The F4 shortcut will repeat nearly all the actions you take on document text: typing: formatting, deleting.It will also let you repeat the action of adding or removing table rows, but it isn’t well implemented with tables overall. For instance, changing table properties is not replicable via this shortcut.
Ctrl + H	Opens the Find And Replace dialog box with the Replace tab selected.	Replace functionality is my constant companion, so this one is essential for me. Ctrl + F opens to the Find tab if you just want to locate something in a document (or make sure something isn’t in there).
Ctrl + drag text or an object	Creates a copy of the text or object.	Apologies to the keyboard purists, but this useful trick does require mouse action. It’s handy when you need to copy an object and control where that copy ends up. For example, a picture or other object that has certain positioning attributes may land in some unpredictable location if you use the standard copy and paste functions. This shortcut lets you drag it exactly where you want it.Just make sure you drop the text or object before you release the Ctrl key or Word will move the original instead of copying it. BONUS: If you hold down Shift along with Ctrl as you drag, Word will keep the copy aligned with the original.
Ctrl + Q	Removes paragraph formatting that isn’t part of the style assigned to a selected paragraph.	When you want to strip out manually applied formats and return to only those characteristics defined by a paragraph style, this is the quickest way to get there. Ctrl + Spacebar works the same way for character formatting.
Ctrl + 0 (zero)	Applies or removes 12 points of space above the current paragraph.	This sounds a little lame, but you can improve readability of selected text in about two seconds using this trick. For instance, table text is often jammed up against top borders. Select the table and hit Ctrl + 0 and you’ll get an instant improvement.
Alt + drag the mouse vertically	Make a vertical text selection.	Another keyboard/mouse hybrid, this one is obscure but useful. Some users have trouble making it work, but the problem is usually sequence. Just make sure you press Alt before you press the mouse button and drag. Then, release Alt before you release the mouse button.

Security or convenience: Does it have to be a choice? | TechRepublic

Security or convenience: Does it have to be a choice? | TechRepublic

Parno's thesis "Trust Extension as a Mechanism for Secure Code Execution on Commodity Computers "is that we can make security more convenient by leveraging the security possessions we have - the Trusted Computing Module in my thinkpad, the new Flicker architecture in the latest x86 architecture, a USB keyfob.
We specifically ask for elevations of security when we need it, not the all-in-one approach of logging in.
Finally, remote execution via Yao’s Garbled Circuits and homomorphic encryption.

nice thesis

Eclipse Helios vs Netbeans 7 for PHP development

I'm currently trying to install PDT on top of Eclipse WTP Helios SR2 for university. Pain trying to set up minimal configurations.
This guy's blog has a very good compare and contrast between them!

xkcd: Fairy Tales

xkcd: Fairy Tales

I like the "Inductive White and the (n-1) dwarfs"
or the "lim[x->infinity] (x) Little pigs" fairy tails seem a bit weird...

or the time management comic: http://xkcd.com/874/

The dead grandmother syndrome

being an academic, I get to see bright and enthusiastic students every day who cheer me up with their joy, their views of life and wonder at the future. .... except...

now I am also the course coordinator for the BSc(Information Technology) and academic advisor for the faculty of engineering and IT for IT undergraduates. This means, apart from my normal teaching and research workload, I have the additional joy of dealing with special considerations, misconduct appeals, exclusion "suspension" appeals, heaps of paperwork and administrivia and ... blarghhh!!!

Normally it's great. But one thing I have noticed (and my fellow coordinators and directors) is the dreaded .... drumroll ... DEAD GRANDMOTHER SYNDROME.

It seems that for some unknown reason, grandmothers start to get sick just before the final assignments are due at the end of semester, then die just before the exam. In fact, sometimes students claim all 5 grandmothers   have died over their past 3 years at uni. Oh, wait, was that the other grandma? Oh, sorry, we don't have death notices or records in vietnam. Oh, I meant my girlfriend's grandmother.

But seriously, here is a paper on the dead grandmother syndrome, also called the "The Toadstool Waxing Plan" in bulgaria. See http://www.cis.gsu.edu/~dstraub/Courses/Grandma.htm


Further research is needed over why grandfathers don't have the same problem...