scott

Quick and Dirty WordPress Development

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Jul 232010

Lately, I’ve been working on updating a few of the websites I host.

My usual style is to ssh into my remote host and edit directly, or once in a while via sFTP. Occasionally, that feels a bit too removed – I’d rather implement and test quick-and-dirty changes quickly, without having to make sure I’m still connected, sign in again, edit, test, etc.

I found myself itching to make a local copy of the site I was working on right here on my laptop, but the site uses WordPress, which also requires MySQL, plus there are some tweaks to make (see http://maestric.com/doc/mac/apache_php_mysql_snow_leopard ), and so forth.

I cheated. I went looking for a combo MySQL/WordPress installer.

What I found was a “sandbox”. Bitnami’s WordPress ‘stack’ installs all the files needed to run a full-blown WordPress, including PHP and MySQL, in a self-contained folder. One 3-click install and a quick link/shortcut/alias later, and I could just “cd” into my installation, or manipulate the files through the Finder (or on Windows, Explorer).

I can now develop to my heart’s content even when completely offline. I could of course do this anyway by installing MySQL and WordPress (PHP is already there), but there is always the possibility that system updates might break one or more interdependencies between the tools.

Added bonus? Bitnami is free.

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Posted by scott at 4:28 pm

Malware on the Mac - beware "Free" screensavers

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Jun 012010

Intego has announced another piece of Malware that affects the Macintosh. They’ve given it the moniker “OSX/OpinionSpy”. In short, it’s claimed to gather unspecified personal information and transmit it to parties unknown. It’s claims to malware fame according to Intego include the creation of a backdoor into the system, transmittal of personal information possibly including email and credit card information, scanning all files on the system, and updating itself without permission.

Of interest is the preliminary list of apps ( http://www.macworld.co.uk/digitallifestyle/news/index.cfm?newsId=3225415 ). I am not at all surprised that almost all of these apps are screensavers (all of which are produced by 7-art Screensavers). The lone exception is an app (Mishinc FLV Converter) that purports to extract the sound from FLV video files.

Intego, also not surprisingly, says their internet security application will catch this and the other couple of Mac malware items, if it has current (6/1) definitions.

Keep in mind, that these apps are all free screensavers and 1 video converter. Historically, these have been one of the most popular vectors for spyware and adware in the Windows world. Seems the authors believe Mac users are just as liable to go for the free eye-candy.

As I’ve always recommended, avoid free screensaver and free wallpaper/desktop background sites, as well as video codecs/converters that don’t come from sources you’ve vetted and trust. This applies whether you have a Mac or Windows machine.

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Posted by scott at 4:16 pm Tagged with: , , , , , ,

Al's Mower

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May 072010

Al’s Lawnmower Sales & Service

Al & Laurie just hit the busy time of year. The shop is buzzing nonstop. It seems as if half of Portland has decided it’s time to mow. If you’ve missed the sweet smell of freshly-cut grass over the long grey winter, now is the time for a tuneup.

I took my weedwhacker (all I need for our little postage stamp) in, as it had seized up. It’s had a good number of years of service, but is no more, and unfortunately would cost more to replace the motor than to replace the whole unit. Al set me up with a similar budget model at a very reasonable price. The grass is looking much better now, and I think I like the new trimmer better, despite it being less expensive than the old one.

Al’s is open seven days a week, and located on SE Division.

Al’s Lawn Mower Sales & Services‎

8828 Southeast Division Street
Portland, OR 97266

(503) 771-7202‎

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Posted by scott at 10:01 am

Tough USB drives

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Apr 022010

IronKey makes USB flash drives that automatically encrypt your data, on Macintosh and Windows systems. THe drives are also tough, and waterproof.

$109.99 –
IronKey Basic 8GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive – FIPS Hardware-based encryption

$79.99 –
IronKey Basic 4GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive – FIPS Hardware-based encryption

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Posted by scott at 12:09 pm

The People's Republic of Portland

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Feb 122010

While at TaborSpace the other day, I met Jen Forti, the mind behind the People’s Republic of Portland. In true Portland “1 degree of separation” style, she’d been referred to me by one of my clients, Marilyn Taylor, who is doing some copy-writing for Jen. It wasn’t just a “here’s his email” thing, either. Marilyn forwarded Karen’s write-up from the Sunnyside Swap Shop Co-op‘s site (which I maintain and host).

The people’s republic of portland (PROP) is a small, locally-owned and operated clothing company. More than a fashion statement, the company focuses on social awareness and political activism in a regional context. Jen is another of that wonderful breed of Portlander that likes to bring people together in community.

Jen was kind enough to provide me with a sample of her product. Here’s a shot of me, in my first stint as a T-shirt model:

That's me, blogging in the People's Republic.

That's me, blogging in the People's Republic.

Seems to me, Jen’s doing good stuff. Every sale provides tangible benefits to worthwhile causes, and the T-shirts are comfy too.

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Posted by scott at 6:59 pm

iPad - first impressions

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Jan 272010

The iPad is finally here. Specs are pretty good.

Press event still going on, but here are my impressions as the event unfolds:

It’s a tablet, runs iPhone OS, not Mac OS.
Battery life purports to be 10 hr, watching videos, with 1 month standby.

It even looks like a giant iPhone, with a 10 inch screen.

Screen shots look gorgeous, and apps seem to be improved, and functionality added to take advantage of the larger screen.

Has an Apple processor in it – not Intel or PowerPC or ARM.

Games might be interesting on this – kind of a Wii in your lap, given the accelerometer.

New York Times has developed an iPad app – it looks just like reading the paper on paper – few extraneous controls, no ads? , etc.

Best of show so far? Brushes. Painting app, seems very detailed and nuanced.

It’s looking pretty slick – I’d love one of these. It’s not quite a full-blown computer, but I think this could easily be a light-weight carry-around machine. It’s 1.5 pounds, and I think, uses the same iPhone/iPod Touch connector, so I already have the capability to charge it in-car, from a wall outlet, or even from a computer. Update: There is a 10W USB power adapter available. I believe the AC adapter for the iphone is 5W, and car adapters are also 5W. I could be wrong.

I wonder if it has the capability to load pictures directly from a camera or SD card? That would be the tip-over point, I think. That would make it a fantastic piece of kit for photographers. Update: There is indeed a camera adapter kit available. Connects via USB to the camera, or you can stick the SD card from the camera in the adapter. It appears to be two separate adapters – one for a USB cable, and one for an SD card.

Books – the iPad is an e-reader, but looks much snazzier than the Kindle. Full-screen, looks like a real page. Boos available from the iTunes store, 12.99 – 14.99. I’m not thrilled with that pricing – it’s half of a hardcover, but 3-7 more than a paperback. I’d really like to see more of a cut in price, given that paper and physical distribution costs are nil.

iBooks use a standard format – ePub, which means, I think, we can acquire books from sources other than the iTunes store.

iWork – word processing, spreadsheet, presentations, now available on the iPad. Looks pretty slick. Onscreen keyboard layouts are specialized for data entry – a numeric field gets numbers , calcs and function buttons, for instance. iWork pricing – $10 each for Pages (word processing / layout), Keynote (presentations) , Numbers (spreadsheet).

Syncing – the iPad syncs with iTunes via a USB cable, just like the iPhone and iPod.

Connectivity –
All iPads have WiFi. Some models will have 3G. Data plans are : $15 for up to 250MB of data per month, $30/month for unlimited data. Personally, I think iPhone owners should get a break, and have their plans go back down to $20/month or at least allow tethering (using the iPhone as an internet connection for a laptop).

Wow! 3G models are unlocked! no carrier lock-in, at least not in the hardware.

Pricing structure:
“So $499 for 16GB of iPad. That’s our base model. 32GB is $599, 64GB is $799. 3G models cost an extra $130. $629, 729, and 829 with 3G.”

16 GB 32 GB 64GB
WiFI 499 599 69
WiFI + 3G 629 729 829

WiFi models available in 60 days, WiFi+3G in 90 days.

Looks like some great accessories are available. Dock, case, keyboard/dock. The keyboard and dock are minimalist – not much bulk. I can’t quite tell from the pics, but the case may well be a padfoliio sort of thing – always on, just open it up to use the iPad.

With the keyboard/dock, this could be a great little internet terminal.
Pros:

  • Small and light.
  • Log battery life
  • Fast.
  • Unlocked .
  • Data plan is reasonable, NO CONTRACT and NO early termination fees. $15 or $30.AT&T is the carrier.
  • Has decent functionality.
  • Keyboard and case look like they’ll be nicely functional.

Cons?

  • Small screen.
  • No phone. Might be nice to combine with a bluetooth headset and voice control – make calls from the tablet still in its carry case.
  • Limited to apps avaiable from the iTunes store.
  • No tethering.
  • No multitasking (though for the way most of us use computers, this may not be such a bad thing)

Things I still want to know:

  • How are docs saved and accessed from other computers? iTunes sync, email, etc? Hopefully that is not functionality that would require, say, a MobileMe account.
  • Bright sunlight – I have yet to find a device that I can comfortably use in sunlight.
  • Does Mail have a spam/junk filter? This is the one reason I don’t like email on the iPhone – there is no junk filter.

I just took a look at the design of the accessories – the keyboard looks to be functionally identical to the current small aluminum Mac keyboard, but with a dock instead of USB ports.

The case is great – it is indeed a portfolio style case. Pics are here. I’m betting, though, that there aren’t pockets for papers inside the cover. Too bad.

Curiously, this appears to be entirely keyboard/gesture driven. I remember all the hype when Apple introduced Ink, its handwriting-recognition technology for the Mac. It would be fantastic with the iPad and a stylus, but there was no mention of it whatsoever. That’s disappointing – I would love to use Notes on this thing in a full-page format – scribble and doodle and take notes. That would be grand.

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Posted by scott at 11:59 am

Quick! Calculator at your fingertips

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Jan 192010

Quick tip –

I often find myself needing to make a quick calculation, but not wanting to whip out a calculator, or dig through menus or folders until I find my built-in calculator (in /Applications on a Mac, in Start->Programs->Accessories on a PC).

Since I almost always have a web page open, I’ve resorted to just using Google.

In the Google search field, or the Google search bar if you have one, or even just in the address bar if you’re using Google’s Chrome browser, type in the math problem. The first item on the list that comes back is your answer:

Google calculator in action

It does conversions too. Here’s one for temperature:

Google does conversions too

Google does conversions too

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Posted by scott at 4:34 pm

fixed - 0020.dll error

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Jan 162010

Got a call the other day from a client whose mom was completely stymied in her efforts to actually, you know, use her computer.

Everything she clicked on – internet, email, docs – refused to work. Instead, she’d get a popup message with a rather cryptic (yet more informative than most) error: “Program name Bad image C:\windows\system32\0020.DLL is not a valid windows image”.

It turns out this was a symptom of a rather badly written little piece of malware. I say this, because if a virus, spyware, or adware disables a computer, the first thing a user will do it get it fixed. Really, folks. If you want to write good viruses which actually do their jobs (usually sending masses of spam) then make them do it without visible effect.

But I digress. I did a bit of searching, and found a fix. We couldn’t just run a virus-checker, since that did nothing but produce the “not a valid windows image” error. This one required manual termination.

I fixed this one over the phone, walking the client through it step by step. Normally I try not to do registry edits over the phone, since there is a good chance of miscommunication, thus making things worse. In this case, though, they were an hour away, during rush hour, so the phone seemed the best option.

We had to do two things – remove the registry entry that caused 0020.dl to run, and remove 0020.dll itself.

First, we got rid of the file. (We couldn’t edit the registry first, since we got the error when we tried to open regedit.

To remove the errant file, we opened up “My Computer”. In “My Computer”, we opened the hard drive (“Local Drive (C:)”). At this point, Windows warns, something like this: “Do you really want to do this? The contents are normally kept hidden”. We said yes. We then continued deeper into the system, double-clicking on the Windows folder, and then on system32. You might recognize this as the path that was in the original error message – “C:\windows\system32\0020.dll”.

Once we were in the system32 folder, we looked through the list and found 0020.dll. I wanted to remove it, and any other files in this folder that were created at the same time. We found one other file called “WORK.DAT” that had the same “date created”. We threw both files away.

Now that the file was gone, we could again open programs, so we opened regedit (Click “Start”, then type “regedit” in the search box, and hit return in Vista or Windows 7, or if you’re in Windows XP, click Start, then Run, then type regedit, and hit return).

In regedit, there is a list of items on the left, all starting with “HKEY_”. We opened the HKEY_Local_Machine folder by clicking the plus sign next to it (it’s a triangle instead of a plus sign in Windows 7). Then, in the list of items under HKEY_Local_Machine, we found “Software”. We opened that one, then “Microsoft”, then looked for “Windows NT”, then for “Current Version”, then finally in “Current Version”, we looked for and found “Windows”.

Now we were here, in the registry hierarchy: HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows . In the right-hand pane of the regedit window, we could a list of items. One in particular, we needed to change. Doubleclick on “AppInit_DLLs”, and we saw that it had a value entered of “C:\windows\system32\0020.dl”. We highlighted this and hit “delete”, then clicked “ok”. Then we restarted, and all was well.

As a final step, I had them fire up their antivirus software and update it, then run a full scan.

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Posted by scott at 11:55 am

Switches and buttons

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Dec 092009

At today’s open office-hours, I had two quick questions that served as great reminders that this stuff just isn’t intuitive.

First: A laptop that couldn’t see any wireless network, though TaborSpace’s wireless was indeed up and running. Turns out, that Windows for some reason doesn’t bother to tell you that the wireless hardware is disconnected. The cure? Slide the switch on the front of the laptop to “on”. Of course, the switch is located right at the front where you’d normally find a latch to hold the cover closed. Classic example of bad hardware design meeting bad software design to leave a computer user frustrated.

Second: Another long-time computer user came to me with a pretty basic question – How to have two windows visible on screen at once. Windows has a habit, sometimes, of opening all windows in full-screen mode. (Mac OS is just the opposite – it usually doesn’t want to open windows in full-screen). A quick click on the “maximize” button to toggle out of full-screen, then drag the corner of the window to resize. Pretty simple, but certainly not intuitive.

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Posted by scott at 1:02 pm Tagged with: , ,

Reverse text (Why Cats Should Not Compute)

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Dec 092009

It seems I’ve found myself writing an unintended series of accessibility articles. ( See Your Computer Can Read to You and Make Text Larger)

For this article, I have to thank Cathy’s cat and my optometrist.

Yesterday, I had my eyes checked. As is usual for such occasions, I had my eyes dilated, and thus had trouble afterward seeing much of anything, let alone a computer screen. After an hour or so, the blurriness and light-sensitivity had diminished, but not quite enough.

I was able, though, to make a quick temporary change to my computer to make things a) darker and b) still high-contrast so I could read the screen, though still with a bit of a squint.

On the Mac, you can get a photo-negative effect by invoking “white-on-black”. Either open System Preferences ->Universal Access -> Seeing and turn on white-on-black , or use the keyboard shortcut control+option+command+8 to toggle back and forth. It doesn’t just make text come up as white-on-black – it reverses the whole color-scheme, so everything looks exactly like a photographic negative.

On Windows XP, you can get a similar effect by using the Accessibility Options control panel, then selecting the Display Tab, then the High Contrast settings.
Here, you can choose a white-on-black or a black-on-shite high-contrast scheme.
Once you turn on the keyboard shortcut here, you can toggle high-contrast by pressing left-alt + left-shift + prtscrn.

If you’re wondering where the cat comes in, read on.

I received an email from Cathy, one of my clients. It said something along the lines of “when I picked up my cat (off the keyboard), the screen was weird…” I’ve had this call enough times that I was able to guess the symptom, and provide a quick cure, right off the bat.

The moral of the story? Don’t let cats compute.

For further (rather dry) reading, Microsoft has a tutorial that has step-by-step instructions. Apple has a page detailing the accessibility tools available on OS X , and some help pages listing available accessibility keyboard shortcuts and preferences.

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Posted by scott at 12:44 pm Tagged with: , , , , ,
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