7-Zip – Free open source program to open zip, tar, gz, tgz files

I use WinZip to open most zip files. But it does not work with Linux compressed files like tar, gz and tgz. For those, I have been using WinRAR. However, I am not a big fan of WinRAR and above that, it only comes with a 40 day trial version. So, I was searching for an open source replacement. It appears that 7-Zip is a great file compression software. I just tested and it works great with gz and tgz files.
Download 7-Zip 4.65: http://download.cnet.com/7-Zip/3000-2250_4-10045185.html
Official website: www.7-zip.org/

How to transfer domain name from OfficeLive.com

OfficeLive.com was offering free domains with their OfficeLive package in 2006. They were renewing the domain names for free every year. However, they have recently changed their policy and are not renewing the domain names anymore (effective Oct 1, 2009). If you are an OfficeLive customer and have a custom domain name, you have the option of paying $15 per year to keep the domain name active. On the other hand, if you want to transfer your domain name from OfficeLive.com to another registrar, say GoDaddy, follow the instructions below. The instructions are lengthy but they work.
Notes:
– IMPORTANT: Transferring your domain name to another registrar cancels your OfficeLive account and you will lose all your webpages, email etc.
– The Domain Registration Key (DRK) provided initially is different from the Domain Name password required later during domain name transfer. MelbourneIT calls it Domain Name Password/authinfo (see step 19 below) while GoDaddy calls it an Authorization Code.
– The cancellation confirmation email from OfficeLive comes in a couple of minutes and does not take 48 hours as mentioned below
– Make sure the domain name is unlocked at MelbourneIT before attempting a transfer to another registrar

 

 

Procedure to transfer your domain name from OfficeLive (i.e. from Melbourne IT)
Please note down your Domain Registration Key (DRK) to unlock your domain name at Melbourne IT, by following below mentioned instructions:
1. Go to http://www.officelive.com/
2. Login into your Microsoft Office Live account using administrator Windows Live ID and password.
3. On the Home page, at the top of the page click on ‘More’ option.
4. In the drop down menu, select Domain manager.
5. Click on the link ‘Learn about saving your information’.
6. Note down your domain name and Domain Registration Key.
When you retrieve the DRK for your domain, please follow below mentioned instructions to cancel your Microsoft Office Live account:
1. Sign in to your Microsoft Office Live account using your Windows Live ID and the associated password.
2. On the Home Page click on “Account Management” under “Manage Your Office Live Account”.
3. Now, click on “Cancel your account” on the middle of the page.
4. Click on Next.
5. Select the reason for cancelling the account.
6. Click on Next and enter your alternate email address where you want the cancellation confirmation email.
7. Now, click on “Cancel this account”.
Note: You will receive a cancellation confirmation email within 48 hours along with the Domain Registry Key (DRK) details associated with your domain.
Once you cancel your account with Microsoft Office Live, if you want to transfer your domain name to another web host provider, please follow the below steps on how to unlock and manage your domain name:
1. Go to http://www.melbourneit.com.au/cc/godirect/
2. Enter your domain name and registry key and click on continue.
3. Click on ‘create a new account’ below the text box where you are prompted for My account password.
3.1. Fill up all the information needed:
3.1.1. Contact Information
3.1.2. Login Information
3.1.3. Other Information:
3.2. The Country Code is “1” for United States (for UK it is 44)
3.3. The email address you enter must not be related to the domain you are attempting to transfer/manage.
4. After filling up all the information, check the box that says I have read and understood the Sign Up Terms and Conditions. I agree to abide by the terms and conditions, as stated there in.
5. Click Create. Now your account is created.
6. On the My Account Console page, click Logout on the right side of the page.
7. Now you will be redirected to the Melbourne IT web site.
8. Click Manage Domain Name on the right side of the page.
9. Type your domain and registry key.
10. Click Enter Management.
11. Click Transfer management to Melbourne IT.
12. Sign in using the username and password for your Melbourne IT account using the username and password, which you created for your Melbourne IT account.
13. Click Continue after you have verified all the information on the page.
14. Click on My Account console.
15. Click on the link “View/Manage domain name” under the Domain Names.
16. Click on your domain name (customer domain name) under the Domain Name section.
17. Click on the Unlock Domain Name.
18. To change name server, click on Change Delegation Details under Name Server Details on the right side of the page. Here, you can change the domain name server settings for your new service provider.
19. To obtain new authorization code in order to transfer your domain, click Retrieve Domain Name (authinfo) Password (on the same page on point 17).
Upon cancellation, you will no longer have access to email accounts created through your Microsoft Office Live account. If you still want to cancel your Microsoft Office Live account, then please reply to us with the confirmation along with the requested details.
Additionally, please note that DRK is the authorization code needed to transfer your domain name. With the DRK you will be able to manage your domain with other host and change the name servers.

 

 

Instructions to transfer your domain name from Melbourne IT to GoDaddy
Instructions on how to transfer the domain name from MelbourneIT to GoDaddy is available via the following links:
http://help.godaddy.com/topic/160/article/1592?prog_id=GoDaddy&isc=gdbb2
http://products.secureserver.net/products/domain_transfers/transfer_domain_melbourne_it_reseller.pdf (PDF)
Note: The Domain Registration Key (DRK) provided initially is different from the Domain Name password required later during domain name transfer. MelbourneIT calls it Domain Name Password/authinfo (see step 19 above) while GoDaddy calls it an Authorization Code.

 

 

Useful Links:
– http://office.microsoft.com/client/helppreview.aspx?AssetID=HA102829191033&ns=OFLV20
– http://smallbusiness.officelive.com/en-US/DomainPolicyChange
– http://www.peter-v.com/how-to-cancel-office-live-and-transfer-domain-to-another-registrar/
– http://www.kartik.info/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=19
– http://ask.officelive.com/smallbusiness/wiki/support/cancel-a-custom-domain-name.aspx
– http://products.secureserver.net/products/domain_transfers/transfer_domain_melbourne_it.pdf

Vista Disk Management Console (diskmgmt.msc)

To launch Disk Management Console in Windows Vista, use Start > Run > type “cmd” > type “diskmgmt.msc”
I added a new internal IDE hard drive as an external hard drive using an IDE hard drive enclosure. Previously, I have been using Partition Magic but it appears that it does not work on Windows Vista. I researched a bit and found that Windows Vista comes with a disk partition utility called “Disk Management Console”. I was however, unable to find it in the Vista Control Panel. I finally figured out that you can launch the Disk Management Console in Windows Vista by typing “diskmgmt.msc” in the command line. Disk Management Console is also known as Logical Disk Manager.
Related Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_disk_partitioning_software
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logical_Disk_Manager

NPR by phone – dial 202-609-7549

I found this out a couple of days back. If you missed the daily NPR news update and have only access to a phone at the moment (ex: on the road), you can get the latest NPR hourly news update by calling 202-609-7549.
Related websites:
www.npr.org/services/mobile/mobilewebandmobilevoice.html
www.npr.org/services/mobile/blackberry.html
Note: This is NOT a toll free number and long distance charges / your mobile minutes will apply. I usually call this number on weekends or between 9 PM to 7 AM (so that I do not use my daytime minutes).

(Kill) Bill is dead

Bill (David Carradine) of the “Kill Bill” movie series died today at the Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel in central Bangkok, Thailand. He was in Bangkok to shoot his latest movie – “Stretch”. He was 72.
David Carradine as Bill in Kill Bill 2
David Carradine as Bill in “Kill Bill 2”. Courtesy: Yahoo! Movies
From the New York Times:

“David Carradine, an enigmatic actor who never outran the identity he earned in “Kung Fu,” the 1970s Chinese-western television series that made him an unlikely cult hero — even though he also starred as Woody Guthrie in Hal Ashby’s 1976 film biography “Bound for Glory” and, more than a quarter-century later, played the title character, a cunning assassin who becomes a murder target, in Quentin Tarantino’s twin thrillers, “Kill Bill” Volumes I and II — was found dead on Thursday in a hotel room in Bangkok, where he was filming a new movie. He was 72.”

First 50 Manipur related Domain Names

I have compiled a list of the first 50 domain names which are related to Manipur, or are owned by Manipuris. The emphasis here is on WHEN the domain name was registered. Hence, the list is ordered by domain registration date and not by relevance of content. This is a work in progress. So, there are not 50 domain names yet :). If you wish to add an entry to this list, please post a comment to this blog entry or email me at bobby AT maisnam.com.

First 50 Manipur related Domain Names (Last updated: 9/23/2009)
Rank Date Registered Domain Name Notes
1 2000-01-04 e-pao.net Manipur News Portal
2 2000-05-04 manipuronline.com Manipur Portal
3 2000-05-15 coremanipur.org CORE Manipur – NGO Organization
4 2000-07-09 kanglaonline.com Manipur News Portal
5 2000-11-13 bobbymaisnam.com Bobby Maisnam’s website
6 2001-06-11 brajeshwar.com Brajeshwar Oinam’s blog
7 2001-09-10 sanaleibak.com Sachi Sharma’s website
8 2002-10-07 elangbam.com Elangbam Family website
9 2002-11-05 chorusimphal.com Ratan Thiyam’s Chorus Repertory Theatre
10 2003-01-03 ema-europe.org European Manipuri Association (EMA)
11 2003-03-30 haobam.com Martin Haobam’s website
12 2003-07-13 oinam.com Owned by Brajeshwar
13 2003-08-11 thesangaiexpress.com Sangai Express newspaper
14 2003-08-18 maisnam.com Owned by Bobby maisnam
15 2003-09-18 imphal.net Redirects to manipur.org
16 2004-08-29 manipur.org Info about Manipur
17 2005-01-10 radiomanipur.org Streaming audio of Manipuri Radio programs
18 2005-04-16 ifp.co.in Imphal Free Press newspaper
19 2005-07-06 dhaniweb.com Dhani Computers Imphal
20 2006-02-04 e-paolive.net E-Pao.net’s media website
21 2006-03-12 meyamgi.com Dynamic AJAX based Manipur phonebook
22 2006-07-21 namaonline.org North American Manipuri Association (NAMA)
23 2006-08-23 duranthiyam.com Duran Thiyam’s website
24 2006-10-31 ocricket.com Owned by Brajeshwar
25 2007-03-31 manipurpolice.org Manipur Police official website
26 2007-04-17 linux-manipur.org Linux Manipur
27 2007-05-22 huirem.com Owned by Brajeshwar
28 2007-05-22 nongmaithem.com Owned by Brajeshwar
29 2007-06-02 chabungbam.com Chabungbam’s blog
30 2007-07-16 sekmai.com Owned by Brajeshwar
31 2007-10-22 manipurpage.com Manipur Portal
32 2007-11-08 tongbram.com Anthony Tongbram’s blog
33 2008-01-18 northeasterner.in NE India articles
34 2008-04-05 poknapham.in Poknapham Manipuri newspaper
35 2008-08-16 istvimphal.com ISTV Cable TV Network
36 2008-09-12 msadmanipur.com Manipur Students’ Association Delhi (MSAD)
37 2008-09-21 thabal.com Social Networking Site
38 2009-04-18 manipurcomments.com Collective blog by Manipuris

Importing waypoints from Garmin 650 GPS

You can import your waypoints from the Garmin 650 GPS using Google Earth.
Import GPS waypoints using Google Earth - click to enlarge (24 kb).
[1] Connect your Garmin 650 GPS to your computer via the USB cable
[2] Turn on your Garmin 650 GPS
[3] Go to Tools > GPS in Google Earth
[4] Click on “Garmin”
[5] Click the “Import” button
Detailed instructions: http://earth.google.com/userguide/v4/ug_gps.html#import
Waypoints current.gpx file
Note: The waypoints are stored in a current.gpx file. The location is F:\Garmin\gpx\current.gpx. In this case, the GPS shows up on my computer as the “F” drive. It is an XML file and you can read it using Notepad/Wordpad or drag/drop into Google Earth.
GPS coordinates in Google Maps
If you know want to send a GPS coordinate link in Google Maps by email, you can use the following syntax.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=38.89767,-77.03655
In this case, 38.89767 is the longitude and -77.03655 is the latitude. This is similar to entering 38.89767,-77.03655 in Google Maps.

Order Dell backup Windows and Driver CDs

If you have a Dell computer, you can order 1 (one) copy of your Windows and Driver CDs using the following form.
[1] Dell “Request Backup Discs” form
https://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dellcare/en/backupcd_form
[2] Reinstall Options
The different reinstall options (System Restore, PC Restore, Manual Restore) are available here:
http://tinyurl.com/restore-reinstall-windows
[3] PC Restore
Note that most newer Dell computers come with feature called “Dell PC Restore”. You can restore the original configuration of your computer from an unmounted partition on the hard drive. Do not forget to BACK UP all your data before you use this option. Details below:
http://tinyurl.com/yph34j
I started getting blue screens on my Dell XPS M1330 yesterday. I spent half a day trying to restore and repair my Windows installation. But I was not able to fix the problem. I could not use the “Dell PC Restore” option because I had not backed up my data yet. I finally fixed the problem by inserting the Windows Vista disc and then choosing the “Repair” option (instead of the “Install” option). That fixed my problems. I then quickly backed up all my important data.

Jay Leno’s last Tonight Show

Today (May 29, 2009 at 11:35 PM Eastern) is the last show of Jay Leno’s “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”. As announced earlier in 2004, Conan O’Brien will take over the “Tonight Show”, and the Tonight Show will be renamed “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien”. Jay will start a new primetime show (at 10 PM Eastern) tentatively titled “The Jay Leno Show”. The “Tonight Show” has been running since 1954. Jay started as the 4th host in 1992 and Conan will be the 5th. Aptly, Conan will be the final guest on Jay’s last Tonight Show.
The last (May 29, 2009) “Tonight” show:

Watch directly on www.hulu.com

“That O’Brien was to be Leno’s final “Tonight Show” guest, crowning a week that focused on longtime friends, including Leno’s first guest, Billy Crystal; Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who had announced his candidacy on the show and whom Leno has imitated broadly and often; and Gibson, whose ongoing divorce and pregnant girlfriend gave Leno a last Hugh Grant moment: “Can I ask you, what happened?”

Perhaps it is just the performer’s fear that every gig is potentially the last, but Leno — who didn’t take a sick day from his show until this April and who, to the displeasure of the Writers Guild of America, wrote his own monologues when “The Tonight Show” returned to the air during last year’s writers strike — is not about to relax. He’ll be onstage tonight in Atlantic City, N.J., with June dates in Las Vegas and Rancho Mirage. And there is a new show to make.”

Related Links:
CNN article
LA Times article
Ent Weekly Slide Show
– http://www.nbc.com/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/
– http://www.thetonightshowwithconanobrien.com/
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tonight_Show
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tonight_Show_with_Conan_O%27Brien
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Leno
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conan_O%27Brien

How to scroll left and right on a Blackberry 8703e

To scroll left and right on the Blackberry 8703e, press ALT and the scroll key at the same time. Stop pressing the ALT key when want to scroll up and down.
Note: Not able to scroll left and right would drive me crazy. Couple of months back, I found out the ALT method. Today, I was talking to some other Blackberry users and they did not know about the ALT method. So, I decided to post this to share with others. If this is useful to you, then my time was well spent 🙂
Blackberry 8703e - click to enlarge (372 kb).
Image courtesy: Blackberry 8703e Getting Started Guide. www.blackberry.com
More info:
http://forums.crackberry.com/f34/scroll-left-right-2528/
http://na.blackberry.com/eng/devices/device-detail.jsp?navId=H0,C63,P204