Wobble Blog

Updates: PowerDesk

An update was added to my "Helpdesk: PowerDesk" article. Ontrack Data International, the new owners of PowerDesk, have just released version 4 and there's now a free version available for use. Nice.

Updates: Speeding Up Internet Access

An update was added to my "Speeding Up Internet Access" article. Nikorn Viravatandej emailed me re: problems he's experienced with NetSonic and I've added a few observations of my own.

Random Ramblings: Golden Oldies Computers

Just for the hell of it, I put together a photo gallery of some "golden oldie" computers which I've been saving ("Golden Oldies: Yesteryear Computers"). If your computing days pre-date the PC, you might want to take a walk down memory lane and check it out.

Wobble: Other Writings Link, Hit Counter

In case you haven't noticed, I've removed the "Other Writings" link in the left column. I'll put it back up when I actually post something under that category. I DO have something I want to write by the way (mainly music stuff), but the computer stuff just keeps getting in the way.

Another "by-the-way": There's a hit counter near the bottom of the page, tacked onto the end of the date. This gets incremented when you load Wobble's home page (to be precise, when the file "index.html" gets loaded). However, if you click the "Home Page" link on any other page, the file "/index.htm" will be loaded instead. This file doesn't contain the hit counter any more. Thus, the hit counter gives a reasonably good estimate of the # of session-visits that's made to Wobble. Just thought you'd like to know (boring, boring ...).

Post Database: Thai/English Menus, Updating DUN

Just posted two pieces which were in reply to Post Database Helpdesk queries (on switching Thai/English menus under Microsoft Office 97 and upgrading to Microsoft's Dial-Up Networking v1.3). The former was emailed directly to the person who made the query, while the latter was submitted to PDB. Naturally, you get to read it here first.

Random Ramblings: Linux Distros on Thai CD

Yo, Linuxites! The latest IT.Soft CD #32 has ZipSlack (35mb), DragonLinux (46mb), VMWare v2.0 (11mb) and a few other stuff. I take it these are not numbers you'd prefer to download. ZipSlack and DragonLinux are of course Linux distributions that can be installed onto DOS/Windows FAT partitions. To visit their home pages, go to Linux Weekly News' distribution page (https://www.lwn.net/2000/0330/dists.phtml) and click ZipSlack's and DragonLinux's links on the right side. May as well ogle all the other distributions while you're there.

Article: Notes on Linux Training

A new article, "Notes on Linux Training", has just been posted. This deals with my 5 days of Linux training by Kaiwal Software at NECTEC.

Updates Opera Revisited

An update was added to my "Opera Revisited" article today, re: the release of Opera's v4.0 beta 1 and some problem workarounds, courtesy of David Fox.

Updates: Launchmate and Switching Video Modes

An update was added to my "LaunchMate and Switching Video Modes" article today, re: using PowerDesk's toolbar utility instead of LaunchMate.

Random Ramblings: Sake Mail

Looking for a free web browser interface to your POP3 mailbox? Check out Endymion Corporation's Saké Mail at https://www.sakemail.com. Saké Mail is a mail product sold by Endymion, but they're making it available as a free, live demo for the time being. Try it while it lasts.

Article: Japanese Networking Hardware

I just posted a short piece ("Affordable Japanese Networking Hardware") on inexpensive networking equipment made by a Japanese company called Planex Communications. The stuff is available at Challenger SuperStore or check out Planex's Thai website.

Article: Some Classic Reads

Courtesy of some spring cleaning at the Khoman hovel, a mini-review of some old classics: "Some Classic Reads".

Post Database: Re: Wanda Sloan's Shutdown

A preview of a letter to the Post Database regarding Wanda Sloan's shutdown tip. Wobble folk can preview it here.

Updates: CD-R, CD-RW

An update was added to my "CD-R, CD-RW" article today, re: flaky Hewlett Packard CD-Writers.

Updates: Non-Printer Printer Drivers

An update was added to my "Non-Printer Printer Drivers" article today, re: Adobe Acrobat's academic pricing.

Article: Avoid Real Email Addresses

A new article, "Avoid Real Email Addresses", has been posted. This warns against giving out your real email address. A safer strategy is to use and distribute aliases instead.

Post Database: Loose Use of "Hacker"

I just wrote a letter to the Post Database regarding the loose use of the term "hacker". The letter also talks about intrusion detection software called BlackIce Defender. Wobble folk can preview it here.

Updates: Game Classics Redux

An update was added to my "Game Classics Redux" article today, re: a dxball.org website.

Updates: Free Web and POP Email

An update was added to my "Free Web and POP Email" article today, re: mail.ru, a free mail hosting site in Mother Rusia.

Random Ramblings: Latest Browsers on CD

The latest issue of Multimedia Magazine is out and its accompanying CD, as with previous issues, comes with the latest versions of Netscape Communicator, Internet Explorer, Opera and NeoPlanet (for Windows only, sorry). Do yourself a favour and NEVER download any of these browsers from the internet ever again. It's a whole lot easier to get it from the latest Multimedia Magazine (95 Baht cheap).

Article: An Ever Changing Password

A new article, "An Ever Changing Password", has been posted. This contains thoughts on how to create a password that changes daily.

Random Ramblings: Cloth Patterns on CD

If you read my HelpMe! link you'll notice my asking if anyone has any scans of Thai cloth. During a trip to Hong Kong last week, I happen to pick up some CD's of Japanese cloth patterns at Sham Shui Po. Apparently, a Japanese company called Pacific Production (no URL, just a telephone/fax #) makes these, a lot of them in fact. Alas, no Thai cloth patterns.

Article: History of the Internet in Thailand

A new article, "The History of the Internet in Thailand", has been posted. If you use the internet, you should read this - if not my article, then the book which it reviews.

Wobble: New Look and Feel

All wobble pages now sport a new "look and feel" (no fondling!). Hopefully, this will make it look a bit less amateurish. Also, all articles have been reviewed, corrected, and now contain supporting graphics where appropriate. Damn, that took a long time! Back to writing and R&D.;

Random Ramblings: Two More Linuxes

Two more Linuxes are available locally on the cheap: IT.Soft #31 bundles Corel Linux (100 Baht), while a new Thai Linux dubbed "ZiiF Linux v0.99 (cover) is available from Se-Ed book stores (119 Baht).

Updates: CD-Bundled Magazines

An update was added to my "CD-Bundled Magazines" article today.

Updates: Joys of Dynamic DNS

An update was added to my "Joys of Dynamic DNS" article today.

Random Ramblings: More on Phat Linux

I'm still working on Part 2 of my Phat Linux review (don't hold your breath). Meanwhile, here's an interesting companion review of Phat from: https://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/reviews/1458/1/. Also, I'm starting to prune the "news" on wobble's home page. For a complete history, click the "Home Page Log" link at the left.

Article: WinLinux

A review of the WinLinux 2000 distribution has been posted. Incidentally, I've been asked to provide some graphics/screen dumps to make the articles easier to understand (grumble, grumble). This is the first article to include such graphics, although they're not displayed in the article itself, but must be clicked to be viewed. I prefer this approach since those who want fast displays (e.g. me!) get what they want, while those who want a bit more visual help can get what they want by clicking a link or two. Past articles will be gradually graphicized in the coming weeks.

Random Ramblings: Magazines at Challenger

There are a few magazines that I enjoy reading (Maximum PC, Linux Journal and Linux Magazine) that don't seem to be available in Bangkok. I should subscribe to these, but procrastination and I are good friends. Anyway, during a visit to Challenger SuperStore at Ploenchit Center (Sukhumvit Soi 2) today, I noticed Maximum PC and Linux Journal for sale. My guess is that these are non-current issues from their Singapore stores. Granted, they're not the absolute latest issues, but they're probably no older than what you'd get if you had a surface mail subscription. Thought you'd like to know.

Article: KRUD

An informational piece (not a review!) of the KRUD Linux distribution has been posted. Also, if you found my "Space-Efficient CD Storage" article interesting, I suggest you read the update notes that were posted today. It may save you some money.

Wobble: Accessing Wobble As a Sub-Domain

Thanks to Khun Nikorn Viravatandej of One Systems, wobble is now running as a sub-domain. You can access it the old way via https://www.tprthai.com/wobble or the newer https://www.wobble.tprthai.com. The latter is shorter and ends in a de rigeur dot-com, but both work. Whichever turns you on.

Article: Phat Linux, Part 1

Part 1 of my Phat Linux v3.2 review has been posted.

Wobble: Added a "Hit" Counter

I've added a "hit counter" Perl script just for the hell of it. It's not very obvious but it's there. More interesting and definitely more useful is a "search engine" Perl script to make searching for articles by keyword easier. It works but the formatting needs to be adjusted a bit, especially with Internet Explorer. Bear with me, these are my first CGI's.

Article: Non-Printer Printer Drivers

Another article has been posted: "Non-Printer Printer Drivers". Also, the Glossary section is starting to roll now.

Article: CD-Bundled Magazines

This ugly first page is being improved and today it looks a bit different (I won't say it looks better). This middle section is now being used for "news", while the links have been moved to the left panel where they belong.

And the news today is that a new article has been posted: "CD-Bundled Magazines". After spending so much time putting this website together, I'm anxious to get back to some serious writing. More to come.

Wobble: Online for Beta Testers

Wobble goes on-line to a few beta testers. Of course, they weren't TOLD they were beta testers ...

Backlogged Articles and Updates

New articles written or updated in a major way in December 1999 and January 2000:

ASCII Art Greeting Cards
Debugging a Shared LaserJet 6L
Internet Sharing Solutions (Part 1)
Internet Sharing Solutions (Part 2)
Internet Sharing Solutions (Part 3)
Internet Sharing Solutions (Part 4)
Launchmate and Switching Video Modes
Random Mac Disconnects
Some Uses for Old 486's