domingo, 17 de julio de 2011

Games from the past

I still remembering the time I spent playing some games in my 1st computer, in fact that was an 8086 from Olivetti, with a Nec CPU running at 10Mhz, even it was much cheaper computer than a IBM or Inves(PC Compatible Spanish brand) it had a VGA card instead the CGA,EGA cards included with the most of personal computers in that date, and even better was the price which was lower than the most of models in the market including CGA/EGA and 5,25" floppy disk.

Old graphic PC BIOS


Anyway for me the Amiga 500 or even the more expensive A1200 had be perfect, good machines for games and cheaper than PC, but my parents thought a PC was a better tool to do homework or learn computing. Perhaps it was a correct decision.

My first games were a original 4 games pack including "California Games", "Ballistix", "Sub Battle" and "Billiards" and I could enjoy enough time playing the first two until I met people to who share software. In In fact I paid few times more for software ;)



After that time I managed to copy in diskettes as many games as I could.

I feel nostalgia from that old times when Spanish software companies, such as Dinamic, Opera, Topo... were as proficient as foreigner software industry. These companies developed games with very good quality.

In fact, I enjoyed a lot playing with some of them. i.e Madmix, Madmix2, Army moves, Phantis, Freddy Hardest, La abadía del crimen or Mundiales de futbol. Even I tried the newer hammerboy,


I would recommend the next games:

-Barbarian (Psygnosis 1987)
-Stunt Car Racer (1989)
-Madmix2 (Spanish game)
-Indiana Jones and the last crusade(Arcade)
-Xenon 1 and 2 (1989)
-Centurion (1990)
-Ikari Warriors 3
-Cobra Mission (1991)
-4x4 supper off road
-Metal Mutant(1991)
-Wizball (1987- Atari St)
-SimCity(1989)

jueves, 28 de abril de 2011

Lotus Notes/Domino

Contents:

Lotus Notes/sametime Client
...Tips
Lotus Domino Designer
...LotusScript functions
...LotusScript Methods
Lotus Domino/Admin
References

---Lotus Notes/Sametime Client---
Sametime Client (Palm OS)
IM+ Sametime

***Webmail:

Keyboard shortcuts
Insert key Toggle read/unread
ctrl-W close tab
ctrl-shift-L List available key shortcuts
Alt Show numbers in tool bar menus
Alt+(number) Access to functions in tool bar menus
ctrl-shift-t mosaic view with all tabs
F2 (Message-Edit mode)increase font size
Shift+F2(Message-Edit mode) decrease font size

Tips:

Attach text or images in an outlined section (hide/unhide)
Menu, Create, Section
tip write one line of text as title, select and create section, such as
">>>>attached text>>>"

Standard (Java/Eclipse)



Different versions:
v8.5.2 Standard (notes.exe)


v8.5.2 Legacy (nlnotes.exe)
Legacy





-Java
Notes have dependecy of Java.
Be careful with new Java Updates

-Folders:
C:\IBM\Lotus\Notes\Data [configuration files: id file, notes.ini, *.nsf,
C:\IBM\Lotus\Notes\Data\IBM_TECHNICAL_SUPPORT [error logs: console.log, ...

C:\IBM\Lotus\Notes\Data\mail [NSF Mail file
C:\IBM\Lotus\Notes\Data\archive [Archived mail files



--- Sametime ---
Sametime Connect(Eclipse )
No java dependency

Conversation history
-SameTime v 8.5.1
C:\Users\xxx\Documents\SametimeTranscripts
-SameTime v8.0.2
C:\Users\xxx\SametimeTranscripts

-Sametime launched from Notes legacy
In General "History" icon
(history stored in notes databases)

see history en Sametime legacy


-Widgets-
Activate Widgets:
"Preferences","Show Widget toolbar and the My Widgets Sidebar panel"


---Lotus Domino Designer---

-LotusScript functions-

** @If
@If( condition1 ; action1 ; condition2 ; action2 ; ... ; condition99 ; action99 ; else_action )

Evaluates a condition; if the condition is True, Lotus Notes/Domino performs the action appearing immediately after that condition, and stops. If the condition is False, Lotus Notes/Domino skips to the next condition and tests it, and so on. If none of the conditions is True, Lotus Notes/Domino performs the else_action.

**@Text
@Text( value ; format­string )
Converts any value to a text string.

**@Explode. Extrae de una cadena elementos (palabras) separados por determinado “carácter” pasado como argumento.
**Ubound. Extrae la upper posicion de un array
**Instr() Devuelve la posición del primer carácter de una cadena dentro de otra.
**Cstr(). Convierte de x tipo a tipo string
**@Word. Extrae una palabra de un string, se puede especificar la palabra con un número que designa un número consecutivo a cada palabra por orden de aparición.
**Now(). Time-date or time-date list. The current time-date of the local computer, the server containing the current database, or one or more specified servers. See the "Usage" section that follows
@Date(@Year(timeNow);@Month(timeNow);@Day(timeNow);@Hour(timeNow);@Minute(timeNow);@Sec(timeNow))

-LotusScript Methods-

**GetDocumentByUNID. Finds a document in a database, given the document universal ID (UNID).
**Evaluate().Evaluates a Domino formula.

---Lotus Domino/Admin---

---References---
https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/lotus/
http://www.notesiscool.com/

jueves, 3 de marzo de 2011

Dictionaries and language reference on the road

(updated on 2013)

Best of reference and translation dictionaries for some of the following operating systems:
PalmOS, Android, MacOSX, Windows and  Linux

PalmOS
Slovoed En deluxe

Although I always used my Maemo "PDA" to read reference information, in the last weeks I have been doing an intensive use of languages dictionaries in my PalmOS phone, and I realized that the applications/databases I was using had lacks in some aspects, I decided to found solution for my requirements, specifically phonetic symbols and pronunciation sound.

mobipocket OALD7

On the other hand, is possible to have and read Wikipedia in your device, there is no price for this free(as freedom as well) encyclopaedia, but your its utility is incalculable.





.
.





 DictionaryForMids (Android v0.92.2)
(MID=Mobile Information Device)

Amazing open source and multiplatform dictionary software.

Available for platforms supporting JAVA ME or SE such as Nokia, Blackberry, SymbianOS or PalmOS (with IBM MIDP SW)


-Supports phonetic symbols
-Colored dictionaries

 Recognize:
.jar (dictionaries in jar files)

 http://dictionarymid.sourceforge.net
 http://dictionarymid.sourceforge.net/android.html




Colordict  4.1.8 (Android)
Compatible with:
Dictd .index/.dict(.dz)



No compatible with:
Stardict format using (.idx, .oft files)
lingoes (.ld2)
aar files

Copy dictionaries in folder:

internal SD/dictdata

to force reindex, delete dict folder in   /dictdata
Delete:
Phone\Android\obb\com.socialnmobile.colordict




Stardict (Maemo/Window/Linux/MacOS 10.5)
****Windows Stardict 3.0.4 **
Grouped dicts Stardict

****Windows Stardict 3.0.3 **Technical info:
-Dictionary folders inside:
\StarDictPortable303\App\StarDict\dic\stardict-dict
or (unzip/installed version)
C:\Users\xx\AppData\Local\StarDict

-Config file with dictionaries info:
.\StarDictPortable303\Data\settings\stardict\stardict.cfg (ver. portable)
or
C:\Users\xxxxx\AppData\Roaming\StarDict\stardict.cfg (No portable - Window)
-Dictionary description inside xxxxx.ifo
-Prerecorded Sound for some words using WybdcRealTTS (version 3.0.2 is not working for me)


GoldenDict (Maemo/Window/Linux/Android ) gpl
The evolution of Stardict, supports Babylon dictionaries, ABBYY Lingvo LSA audio files.
Recognize:
Babylon .BGL
Dictd .index/.dict(.dz)


Notes on Maemo:
madplay (to play WybdcRealTTS audio files)
mplayer (to play Lingvo LSA audio files)


Notes on Windows:
  v100, v101
  Not works with Stardict format using (.idx, .oft files)

  Portable version: Dictionaries under ./content/ directory
  Installed version. Config files in   C:\Users\xxx\AppData\Roaming\GoldenDict


Notes on Android (v1.4.1):
   Default folder: \goldendict (db will be indexed)
   Free version max 5 dictionaries at same time
   Folder(additional) for dictionaries can be specified in preferences (i.e  \dictdata)
   Supported formats:

QuickDic (Android -free -f-droid)
own format;extension .quickdic
Default Path: /mnt/sdcard/Android/data/de.reimardoeffinger.quickdic/files

My CustomPath: ¿working?
/mnt/sdcard/external_sd/SD_DATOS/quickdic/files




Qdict (Android)
Stardict format files
/mnt/sdcard/Qdict
(BB10 Android RT) Custom folder is not working but default folder works
/misc/Android/Qdict


MDict (Android)
Read .mdx file format

From:
Default Path:  /mnt/sdcard/mdict/
(BB10 Android RT) /misc/Android/mdict/

My CustomPath: /mnt/sdcard/external_sd/SD_DATOS/mdict




Kiwix
 .zim files (wikipedia, wikivoyage,...)
 folder is detected (i.e /kiwix_sd)



Aard (Android/Maemo/Windows)
Just aar and html.aar formats (support big files as wikipedia, wikivoyage,...)

Any folder in SD, open the dictionary file from an file browser and Aar will detect and save the locations.

Aard1 uses .aard files

Aard2  Android/BB10 runtime
Select a folder with contents

Aard2 uses .slob files







Tabla Stardict




Dictionaries and databases



Download dictionaries from:

XDXF
and dictionaries with phonetic can be downloaded from http://code.google.com/p/ppdict/downloads/list

In desktop OS such as Linux, MacOS, or Windows, compatibility with database format is an important feature since there are many free language databases in different formats such as:
DICT (filenames .index and .dict (.dict.dz =compressed)
Startdict (filenames xx.if, xx.idx, xx.idx.gz, xx.dict or xx.dict.dz, xx.syn(optional)
)
XDXF (XML Dictionary eXchange Format)
Babylon, SDICT,...






We have other interesting applications for MacOSX

Dict OS X
Translate it

jueves, 6 de enero de 2011

Improve Maemo step by step

Firmware

Settings, Control panel, About Product
(N800/810 last ver. v5.2008.43-7)

Download from:
http://bb5firmware.blogspot.se/2011/04/n800-rx-34.html


Add repositories 
Settings, Application manager, Tools, Application catalogue


Install repositories from
http://www.gronmayer.com/it/


or create by hand

Maemo Chinook
http://repository.maemo.org/
chinook | free non-free

diablo tools
http://repository.maemo.org
diablo/tools
free non-free
 
Maemo Hackers
http://maemo-hackers.org/apt

I hope they continue available in the future...


Install tools

rootsh (with application manager closed -deprecated method) 
or 
sudo gainroot  (new method)
apt-get update
apt-get install wget
apt-get update
apt-get install e2fsprogs



Note for file downloads
Internet browser downloads to
/home/user/MyDocs/.documents
(hidden folder from commandline)


Gparted
Download and install Gparted - Hacked
Manage partitions from a graphical interface

gparted-hack.deb (for N800/N810)
Open and install with Application manager or save to local folder( i.e Documents) and install with dpkg -i 

http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=24679&page=3


Install important packages
apt-get install python2.5-runtime

EmelFM2 (file explorer and file editor)


Install console-tools

http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=25714 (links console-tools.deb offline!!)
This installs also: fdisk - parted - cfdisk - wget - tar - bzip2 - e2fsprogs
Use with command 'pbeasy', or 'pb' advanced mode.


Backup Firmware (0pen Free Fiasco Firmware Flasher)


DOwnload "0xffff" v0.3.9 from
http://talk.maemo.org/showpost.php?p=654646&postcount=3

0xFFFF.static.gz

(in order to execute the file 0xFFFF.static, you must copy it to a folder in the main partition (Not FAT/FAT32))


cp 0xFFFF.static.gz /usr/local/sbin
cd /usr/local/sbin
gunzip 0xFFFF.static.gz
chmod +x 0xFFFF.static
mkdir /media/mmc2/mybackup0xfff
sudo ./0xFFFF.static -e /media/mmc2/mybackup0xfff/




Now you have some new files in /media/mmc2/mybackup0xfff
config.bin
initfs.jffs2
rootfs.jffs2
secondary.bin
xloader.bin
zImage

you can put in one tar file.

tar -cf /media/mmc2/myN810backup.tar .
(for me it is a 262Mb file)
And I copied the file to my PC

Notes:
To extract from tar file
tar -xvf myN810backup.tar

Partioning SD
sfdisk /dev/mmcblk0 -uM
0, 1900,06
,,,

0=begin
1900=end (MB)
06=fat
default=linux

verify with  sfdisk -l

format fat: mkdosfs /dev/mmcblk0

Add boot from SD
Download  initfs_flasher.tgz 
mkdir bin
and copy in /home/user/bin
tar zxvf initfs_flasher.tgz
cd  initfs_flasher
edit bootmenu.conf

./initfs_flasher
remove extra staff?: yes
install telnet for recovery? : yes
dropbear ssh for recovery? yes
(automatic reboot loading from flash )

Clone to SD

download script nupgrade.sh
and copy in /home/user/bin
grant execution rights with: chmod -x nupgrade.sh
( As script requires to find tar app file in same folder,
cp /bin/tar /home/user/bin )

sudo gainroot
./nupgrade.sh wipe

target p2? yes
reboot

if error "Unable to locate mbcache.ko - aborting"
copy /mnt/initfs/lib/modules/2.6.21-omap1/mbcache.ko  /lib/modules/2.6.21-omap1


Useful Links
repositories
http://www.gronmayer.com/it/