Jas Dhaliwal’s Blog

Type “about:config” in your firefox address bar.

Search for the following settings:

1. network.http.pipelining  -  Set to TRUE
2. network.http.pipelining.firstrequest  -  Set to TRUE
3. network.http.pipelining.maxrequests -  Set to 32
4. network.http.proxy.pipelining  -  Set to TRUE
5. nglayout.initialpaint.delay  -  Set to 0

Its very likely that you won’t have an entry for network.http.pipelining.firstrequest. Thats ok. Just add one.

Right-click on the preferences list, select ‘New’ then select ‘Boolean’

On the first prompt, type:
network.http.pipelining.firstrequest

On the second prompt, set it to TRUE

Its also likely that you won’t have an entry for nglayout.initialpaint.delay

Right-click on the preferences list, select ‘New’ then select ‘Integer’

On the first prompt, type:
nglayout.initialpaint.delay

On the second prompt, set it to ‘0?

Originally posted by Geeks Are Sexy.

Here is a little guide that will help you install and run Wordpress locally on your Windows XP/Vista machine in less then 5 minutes:

1- Get XAMPP lite for Windows. Choose the EXE version, and install it at the root of your C drive.

2- Browse to C:\xampplite and double click setup_xampp.bat

3- Once that is done, double click xampp-control.exe and start the Apache and Mysql services.

4- Open your browser and go to this address: http://localhost/. From the menu on the left column, choose your preferred language.

5- Now that the interface displays a language that you can understand, click on phpMyAdmin (on the left column once again)

6- Enter "wordpress" (without quotes) in the "Create New Database" Field, and select utf8_unicode_ci in the drop down box in the next field (as shown in the picture below). Click on Create. The Xampp setup is now complete.

7- Download Wordpress and unzip it under c:\xampplite\htdocs.

8- You should now have a wordpress folder under c:\xampplite\htdocs. Browse to the folder, and you will see a file named wp-config-sample.php. Open it in your favourite text editor and replace the default values by the ones you see under this paragraph. Save the file as wp-config.php (under the same folder).

Download wp-config.php here

9- Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost/wordpress/wp-admin/install.php , follow the instructions, and voila, you are done.

Update: If you already have a web server (IIS, etc.) running on your box while trying to set up XAMPP, be sure to follow the instructions provided here. If you don’t, you won’t be able to access the XAMPP config page as described in step #4.

Via MSNBC

Want that aisle seat? There’s no guarantee but here’s tips to help you get it

 What makes a great seat?
Exit rows, aisle or window seats, and seats close to the front of the plane are typically considered the best. On a short business trip, you probably want an aisle seat near the front of the plane. On an overnight flight, you’ll want a window seat so you can rest your head. Nervous fliers may want to sit over the wing, where there is less turbulence.

Exit row seats usually offer a bit more legroom, but they’re not appropriate if you’re traveling as a family. By federal law, no one under 15 may sit in an exit row, and infants are not permitted in the rows immediately behind or in front of an exit row either.

Many fliers also like “bulkhead seats,” which are the seats directly behind the physical barriers (such as walls, curtains or screens) that separate different parts of the plane. Because there are no seats in front of you, you won’t get stuck with another passenger reclining into your lap — and you often get some extra legroom as well.

But be careful: Not all “bulkhead” rows are created equal. On some planes, the first bulkhead row may be cramped and uncomfortable. For more information, go to SeatGuru.com, where you can check out seat maps for nearly every type of plane on every major airline.

Keep an eye on seat pitch, especially if you’re tall. This is a measure of how much space there is between a seat and the one immediately behind or in front of it — so the higher the number, the more legroom you will have. SeatGuru lists both seat pitch and width (when available) for most airlines.

The middle seat in any row is generally undesirable. Rows near flight attendant areas and restrooms may be noisier and experience more traffic, and seats very close to cabin movie screens can be uncomfortable, or bright if you are trying to sleep. SeatGuru.com also identifies other potential problems on its seat maps, such as limited recline or reduced seat width.

10 ways to get a better seat

1. Join a frequent flier program
This is the most reliable tactic you can use. Providing your frequent flier number at the time of reservation goes a long way toward netting you a good seat, especially if you are a loyal, high-ranking member. If you don’t already have your seat assignment when you arrive at the airport, present your number at check-in.

2. Buy your tickets early
The number of seats available for pre-assignment dwindles as the travel date approaches. If you can’t buy your tickets at least several weeks in advance, be sure to check in online as soon as possible before your flight to select a seat, or arrive at the airport early if online check-in isn’t available.

3. Consider purchasing a better seat
Several airlines now offer economy-class seats with extra legroom for an additional fee. JetBlue has just introduced “Even More Legroom” seats on all its flights, allowing passengers to pay $10 — $20 each way for an exit row seat with 38 inches of seat pitch (instead of 34 — 36 inches on its regular seats). United offers Economy Plus Access to high-ranking frequent fliers and to any travelers who pay the annual fee of $349; this entitles travelers to five more inches of seat pitch in the coach cabin. (If any Economy Plus seats are still available at flight time, they can be purchased for $25 to $30 one way.)

4. Select your seat when you book
Most airline Web sites and major booking engines allow you to choose a seat when you purchase your ticket, or to return to your reservation after your initial purchase and make your seat selection later. In most cases this process is free, but AirTran charges $6 per person, per one-way trip to select your seat in advance if you’re traveling on a sale or discount coach fare.

5. Confirm your seat at check-in
Most airlines allow passengers to check in online 24 hours before their flight departs. At that point you can confirm the seat you’ve already chosen or even choose a better one.

6. Get to the airport early
If you arrive too late at your gate, you may lose your seat.

7. When in doubt, ask
Once you reach your gate, ask whether any new seats have opened up. If other passengers upgrade to business class or don’t show up for the flight, you may get lucky and grab a better assignment.

8. Be specific
If you know exactly what seat you’re interested in, it can be easier for agents to get it for you. Instead of asking for an exit row or “a good seat,” try asking for “12A” — you’ll be more likely to get what you want (or an acceptable substitute).

9. Keep the agent informed
If you have a medical condition, let the agent know. Most will do their best to accommodate you.

10. Kindness counts
Approach agents in a spirit of understanding. They hear complaints and demands all day. Treat them like human beings, and they may surprise you.

Hat Tip to the Geek in Disguise

“Everything has been figured out, except how to live.” - Jean-Paul Sartre

I’m nearly near my mid thirties, and I’ve made my share of mistakes in my life. I’m not a big believer in regrets … and I have learned tremendously from every single mistake … and my life is pretty great.

However, there are a few things I wish I had known when I was graduating from high school and starting out as an adult in life.

Would I change things? I’m not so sure. I might never have gotten into a mountain of debt, but then I wouldn’t have learned the amazing satisfaction of getting out of it. I might have made better career choices, but then I wouldn’t have all the work experience that makes me the blogger that I am today.

However, looking back, there are some lessons I’ve learned that I would probably tell my 18-year-old self. Do I share them now to share my regrets? No, I share them in hopes that younger men and women, just starting out in life, can benefit from my mistakes and my lessons.

What follows isn’t an exhaustive list, but it’s one that I hope proves useful to at least a few people.

“I hope life isn’t a big joke, because I don’t get it.” - Jack Handey

1. How to control impulse spending. If there’s anything that got me in trouble financially, it’s impulse spending. Buying clothes when I don’t need them. Buying gadgets because I got to have them. Ordering stuff online because it’s so easy. Buying that new shiny SUV because … well, because it was going to help me with women. I’m not proud of any of that. I’ve learned to control my impulses, at least a little better. Now, I give myself some time to breathe. I think over my purchases, see if I’ve got the money, think about whether it’s a need or a want. That would have been a useful tool 15 years ago.
2. You got to stay active. I was in track, cross country and basketball in high school, but once I started college, the running and basketball began to slowly fade away. Not right away — I played pick-up basketball for years after high school. But even that went away, until I became sedentary. Playing with my kids outdoors winded me. And I began to get fat. I’ve reversed that trend, and am very active now, but I’m still trying to burn the fat I gained in those inactive years.
3. How to plan finances. I always knew that I was supposed to budget and track my spending, when I became an adult. I just was too lazy to do it. And I didn’t have a good idea of how to actually do it. Now, I’ve learned how to plan, and how to stick to that plan. Sure, I deviate from my plan, but I’ve learned how to handle that too. Maybe that’s not a skill you can learn from book reading. You just gotta practice. Well, I hope to teach it to my children before they go out on their own.
4. Junk food will come back to bite you in the butt. Yeah, it wasn’t just the sedentary lifestyle that got me fat. It was all the damn junk food too. I would eat pizza and burgers and Twinkies and sugar cereal and desserts and donuts and … well, you get the picture. As someone used to being able to eat whatever I wanted, it never seemed like it would be a problem. Bad health was something to worry about when you got old. Well, my jeans began to get way too tight, and to my horror, I climbed several pants sizes and developed a gut that only now is going away. I wish someone had shown me an “after” picture when I was young and downing the Big Gulp sodas.
5. Smoking is just dumb. I didn’t start smoking until I was well into my adult years. I won’t go into why I started, but it didn’t seem like a problem, because I knew I could quit anytime I wanted. Or I thought I could, at least, until several years later I gave it a go and couldn’t do it. Five failed quits later and I realized with horror that my addiction was stronger than I was. Sure, I eventually beat the habit (quit date: Nov. 18, 2005) but it took a piece of my soul to do it.
6. Fund your retirement, son. And don’t withdraw it. This piece of wisdom, and probably all the ones above, might seem blisteringly obvious. And they are. Don’t think I didn’t know this when I was 18. I did. I just didn’t pay it serious attention. Retirement was something I could worry about when I was in my 30s. Well, I’m in my 30s now and I wish I could slap that little 18-year-old Leo around a bit. What money I could have invested by now! I had a retirement plan, but on the 3 occasions when I changed jobs, I withdrew that and spent it frivolous.                        
7. All the stuff you’re doing that seems hard — it will be of use. This is the first one that might not be as obvious. There were times in my life when work was hard, and I did it anyway, but hated it. I did it because I had to, but boy did it stress me out and leave me exhausted. Hard work isn’t as easy as I wanted it to be. But you know what? Every bit of hard work I did without knowing why I was doing it … it’s paid off for me in the long run. Maybe not right away, but I’m using skills and habits I learned during those times of high stress and long hours and tedious work — I use them all the time, and they’ve made me into the person I am today. Thank you, younger Leo!
8. Don’t buy that used van without checking it out closely. I thought I was being smart by buying used, but I didn’t check it out carefully enough. That dang van had loads of engine problems, a door that nearly fell off when I was driving, a door handle that snapped off, a side mirror that fell off, no spare tire despite three tires that were ready to blow (and did), windows that didn’t roll up, rattling noises, an eventual blown radiator … I could go on and on, but let’s just say that it wasn’t my best purchase. I still think buying used is smart, but check things out closely first.
9. That guy you’re going to sell your car to? On a gentleman’s agreement? He’s not gonna pay you. I sold another car to a friend of a friend, who I was sure would pay me even if I had nothing in writing. That was smart. I still see the guy once in awhile on the road, but I don’t have the energy to do a U-turn and chase after him.
10. Make time to pursue your passion, no matter how busy you are. I’ve always wanted to be a writer, and get a book published. I just never had time to write. With a family and school and a full-time job, there just weren’t enough hours in the day. Well, I’ve learned that you have to make those hours. Set aside a block of time to do what you love, cut out other stuff from your life that take up your time, and don’t let anything interfere with that work. If I had done that 15 years ago, I could have 15 books written by now. Not all would be great, but still.
11. All that stuff that’s stressing you out — it won’t matter in 5 years, let alone 15. When things are happening to you right now, they mean all the world. I had deadlines and projects and people breathing down my neck, and my stress levels went through the roof. I don’t regret the hard work (see above) but I think I would have been less stressed if I could have just realized that it wouldn’t matter a single bit just a few years down the road. Perspective is a good thing to learn.
12. The people you make friends with are so much more important than your job or the things you buy. I’ve had a few jobs, I’ve bought a lot of things, and I’ve made a few friends over these last 15 years. Of those, the only thing that still matter to me are the friends. And I wish I could have spent more time with friends (and family) than on the other things.
13. All that time you spend watching TV is a huge, huge waste of time. I don’t know how much TV I’ve watched over the years, but it’s a crapload. Hours and days and weeks I’ll never have back. Who cares what happens on reality TV, when reality is slipping by outside? Time is something you’ll never get back — don’t waste it on TV.
14. Your kids are going to grow up way faster than you think. Don’t waste a minute. I just had an Oh My God moment recently. My oldest daughter, Chloe, is 14 going on 15 next month. I have 3 years left with her before she leaves my house and becomes an adult. Three years! I am floored by that single fact, because it really doesn’t seem anywhere near enough time. I want to go back to my younger self and whack that younger Leo on the head and say Stop working so hard! Stop watching TV! Spend more time with your kids! These last 15 years with Chloe (and my other wonderful kids) have gone by much, much too fast.
15. Forget the drama. Focus on being happy. There have been many things that have happened to me, professionally and personally, that seem like the end of the world. And while these things were bad, they get blown up in our heads so that they become major drama. They caused me to be depressed from time to time. What a waste of time. If I realized that it was all in my head, and that I could be happy instead if I focused on the positive, on what I did have, and what I could be doing … I could have skipped all the moping about.
16. Pay more attention to blogs when you first hear about them. They’re more than just journals. I first read about blogs 7-8 years ago, but when I took a look at them they didn’t seem like anything of interest. Just some people’s journals about stuff they read on the web. Why would I want to read those? I have my own thoughts about the web, but I don’t need to share them with the world. I spent a lot of time on the Internet, on various sites and forums, but every time I happened upon a blog I would brush past it without interest. It wasn’t until a couple years ago that I discovered what wonderful things they could be (I mentioned some of my early favorites in my list of influences). If I had gotten into blogging years ago … well, I wouldn’t have been wasting all that time.
17. Speaking of which, keep a journal. Seriously. Your memory is extremely faulty. I forget things really easily. Not short-term stuff, but long-term. I don’t remember things about my kids’ early years, because I didn’t record any of it. I don’t remember things about my life. It’s like a lot of foggy memories that I’ll never have access to. I wish I had kept a journal.
18. Tequila is seriously evil. I won’t go into details, but it should suffice to say that I had some bad experiences, and I’m not sure I learned very much from them or benefited in any way except to learn that tequila is the drink of the Devil.
19. Yes, you can do a marathon. Don’t put this goal off — it’s extremely rewarding. Running a marathon had always been a dream of mine, since high school … something I wanted to do but thought was out of reach. Or if I ever did it, it would be years and years later. Well, I learned that it’s not only achievable, it’s incredibly rewarding. I wish I had started training when I was young and light and fit … I could have had some good finishing times!
20. All these mistakes you’re going to make, despite this advice? They’re worth it. My 18-year-old self would probably have read this post and said, “Good advice!” And then he would have proceeded to make the same mistakes, despite good intentions. I was a good kid, but I wasn’t good at following advice. I had to make my own mistakes, and live my own life. And that’s what I did, and I don’t regret a minute of it. Every experience I’ve had (even the tequila ones) have led me down the path of life to where I am today. I love where I am today, and wouldn’t trade it for another life for all the world. The pain, the stress, the drama, the hard work, the mistakes, the depression, the hangovers, the debt, the fat … it was all worth it.

Twitter is fast becoming a way of life. It’s living with an active “publicity policy”. It’s friends, Romans and country people the world over, engaged in timely snippet conversations that fit into 140 character chunks. Those great people at CommonCraft have released a video which explains what Twitter is and how it can be used. Great Stuff!

The BBC’s Rory Cellan-Jones has posted a video request to Steve Jobs, in a hope to make the iPhone better. Rory is spot on and describes many of the areas where the iPhone still needs improving. Apple’s recent announcement of the iPhone soon supporting  ActiveSync and Exchange, will rock the corporate world. However, what I really want is more GB capacity and 3G.

In other news, the BBC’s iPlayer comes to the iPhone.

Photo by Kathryn Yu

During a recent discuss with some colleagues, we remarked on how our computing needs had changed in recent years. Gone were the days of large and heavy laptops which were lugged around from place to place. Today, computer OEM’s provide a variety of small and slim laptops. However, recently Apple released the Macbook Air. A new breed of ultra slim laptop that can fit into a manilla envelope.

Indeed, the laptop is an engineering masterpiece. However, as many have already found, the tradeoff between super thin and a machine you can be productive with, is a big one. The image below is Guy Kawasaki’s Macbook Air. As you can see, today’s laptop user needs more than one USB port and occasionally needs an Ethernet connection.  The Macbook Air, is superb laptop, though born a before its time I feel

Ray Ozzie has just kicked off Mix 2008 at Las Vegas.

Watch the Mix ‘08 Keynote: Ray Ozzie, Dean Hachamovitch, and Scott Guthrie

The streaming links for the keynote are now live!  Just click on the following links to watch the keynote

• 750 kbps
• 300 kbps
• 100 kbps

Download the IE8 beta now.

• Internet Explorer 8 Beta (For Developers and Designers)

Then browse on over to  http://ie8.ebay.com once you have installed IE8 to see eBay Web Slices in action

(Picture Credit: Long Zheng - www.istartedsomething.com)

• Silverlight 2.0 Beta 1

It’s my pleasure to announce my first podcast entitled Stephen Fry’s PODGRAMS, a new series with the first twenty-five minute Podgram (podcast) disclosing the stories behind my working life of the past two years and journeying through the trials and tribulations of breaking my arm whilst filming on the Amazon river in January.

Technorati Tags: Stephen Fry, Podcasting

 Other Media: Download

Via Diggnation

The Pirate Bay Captain is interviewed by Russia today. An interesting interview, though I suspect leaders of Bittorrent sites shouldn’t really be conducting interviews if they don’t want to get caught!