Thursday 26 October 2006

Firefox 2.0

"A web browser fully customisable to your online life"

That's the firefox marketing mantra, and I think to a certainb extent it is true.   Beyond the extensive options available in its menus and dialogs, there's a lengthy set of advanced Firefox preferences that can customize the browser to your specific needs.

Here is a good one to speed up webpage load times if you are using broadband:

1.Type "about:config" into the address bar and hit return. Scroll down and look for the following entries:

  • network.http.pipelining
  • network.http.proxy.pipelining
  • network.http.pipelining.maxrequests

Normally the browser will make one request to a web page at a time. When you enable pipelining it will make several at once, which massively speeds up page loading.

2. Alter the entries as follows:

Set "network.http.pipelining" to "true"

Set "network.http.proxy.pipelining" to "true"

Set "network.http.pipelining.maxrequests" to some number like 30. This means it will make 30 requests at once.

3. Lastly right-click anywhere and select New-> Integer. Name it "nglayout.initialpaint.delay" and set its value to "0". This value is the amount of time the browser waits before it acts on information it receives.

If you're using a broadband connection you'll load pages loads faster now.. 

 

Firefox 2.0

"A web browser fully customisable to your online life"

That's the firefox marketing mantra, and I think to a certainb extent it is true.   Beyond the extensive options available in its menus and dialogs, there's a lengthy set of advanced Firefox preferences that can customize the browser to your specific needs.

Here is a good one to speed up webpage load times if you are using broadband:

1.Type "about:config" into the address bar and hit return. Scroll down and look for the following entries:

  • network.http.pipelining
  • network.http.proxy.pipelining
  • network.http.pipelining.maxrequests

Normally the browser will make one request to a web page at a time. When you enable pipelining it will make several at once, which massively speeds up page loading.

2. Alter the entries as follows:

Set "network.http.pipelining" to "true"

Set "network.http.proxy.pipelining" to "true"

Set "network.http.pipelining.maxrequests" to some number like 30. This means it will make 30 requests at once.

3. Lastly right-click anywhere and select New-> Integer. Name it "nglayout.initialpaint.delay" and set its value to "0". This value is the amount of time the browser waits before it acts on information it receives.

If you're using a broadband connection you'll load pages loads faster now.. 

 

Sunday 22 October 2006

Rubik's Cube

How hard can it be?? UPDATE: Annoyingly hard, nearly there though.

Well, the first time i was given a cube,  after hours of dedicated puzzle-solving it ended in a surreptitious peeling off of stickers.  I've got another one recently and have been trying to crack it once and for all.  Unsuccessfully, in fact it has been driving me mad.

If you really want to learn how to solve the Rubik, then check out this step by step solver from Casey C. at the Oregon Institute of Technology.  Basically, you're solving a mathematical problem, so all you need to do is follow the steps and you'll solve the mystery that is the Rubik's Cube...   It is still easier said than done, but i'm alot closer now.

Solving the cube

Rubik's Cube

How hard can it be?? UPDATE: Annoyingly hard, nearly there though.

Well, the first time i was given a cube,  after hours of dedicated puzzle-solving it ended in a surreptitious peeling off of stickers.  I've got another one recently and have been trying to crack it once and for all.  Unsuccessfully, in fact it has been driving me mad.

If you really want to learn how to solve the Rubik, then check out this step by step solver from Casey C. at the Oregon Institute of Technology.  Basically, you're solving a mathematical problem, so all you need to do is follow the steps and you'll solve the mystery that is the Rubik's Cube...   It is still easier said than done, but i'm alot closer now.

Solving the cube

Ch-ch-ch Changing blog

 

Have made a couple of new changes to my blog, mainly layout but am also trialling out some new framework code so probably some errors.  Added a pretty basic image gallery, not sure whether to go with it or not when flickr is so good.  Some pics of Cairns up there for now.

Here is a great tool which allows you to play shoutcast  playlists from Windows Media Player.  Been looking for something like it for a long time. Actually the website Shoutcast is worth a mention itself.  I've been listening to radio stations on shoutcast for more than 5 years now - they have a selection of readio stations covering pretty much any genre of music you could possibly be interested in.  My current favourite is Root reggae - "S K Y . F M - Roots Reggae - the best of classic and modern Roots Reggae".

Just finished reading Senor Nice by Howard Marks, and Emperor by Stephen Baxter.  Apparently

Elvis was Welsh and the Romans could see into the future.

 

I'm been using skype alot more recently - my contact is matt.goodman@gmail.com for anyone who wants a chat.  Oh, does anyone know how to do a 3-way conference call with skype, not too sure how to get that one working?

Ch-ch-ch Changing blog

 

Have made a couple of new changes to my blog, mainly layout but am also trialling out some new framework code so probably some errors.  Added a pretty basic image gallery, not sure whether to go with it or not when flickr is so good.  Some pics of Cairns up there for now.

Here is a great tool which allows you to play shoutcast  playlists from Windows Media Player.  Been looking for something like it for a long time. Actually the website Shoutcast is worth a mention itself.  I've been listening to radio stations on shoutcast for more than 5 years now - they have a selection of readio stations covering pretty much any genre of music you could possibly be interested in.  My current favourite is Root reggae - "S K Y . F M - Roots Reggae - the best of classic and modern Roots Reggae".

Just finished reading Senor Nice by Howard Marks, and Emperor by Stephen Baxter.  Apparently

Elvis was Welsh and the Romans could see into the future.

 

I'm been using skype alot more recently - my contact is matt.goodman@gmail.com for anyone who wants a chat.  Oh, does anyone know how to do a 3-way conference call with skype, not too sure how to get that one working?

Wednesday 4 October 2006

Tropical North Queensland

Ingunn & I just spent six very salubrious days up in North Eastern Queensland:  Cairns, Port Douglas & Cape Tribulation.  This area is home to two world-heritage sites - the barrier reef and Daintree rainforest, and is a naturally stunning part of the world.  If you haven't been there, i'd recommend paying it a visit for sure.

So, we did some scuba-diving at Saxon Reef on the Outer barrier reef (outside Cairns). 



Spent a crazy day white-water rafting down the Tully river. 



Went treking through the Daintree rainforest, to the top of Mt Sorrow (behind Cape Tribulation)



Swam (accidentally) in crocodile infested waters



Spent time sunbathing on some of the most amazing beaches i've ever seen in my life.  The water was so warm aswell - bath temperature easily.  The pic below is of 4-mile beach beside Port Douglas.



Watching people make drinks from sugar cane - this was taken in Port Douglas market and seemed to be pretty popular with the locals.



But most of all, just marvelling at the beauty of the rainforest spilling into the beach.

 


For anyone interested, I've put the rest of the photos up here.  I think someday i'll live in that part of the world.

Tropical North Queensland

Ingunn & I just spent six very salubrious days up in North Eastern Queensland:  Cairns, Port Douglas & Cape Tribulation.  This area is home to two world-heritage sites - the barrier reef and Daintree rainforest, and is a naturally stunning part of the world.  If you haven't been there, i'd recommend paying it a visit for sure.

So, we did some scuba-diving at Saxon Reef on the Outer barrier reef (outside Cairns). 



Spent a crazy day white-water rafting down the Tully river. 



Went treking through the Daintree rainforest, to the top of Mt Sorrow (behind Cape Tribulation)



Swam (accidentally) in crocodile infested waters



Spent time sunbathing on some of the most amazing beaches i've ever seen in my life.  The water was so warm aswell - bath temperature easily.  The pic below is of 4-mile beach beside Port Douglas.



Watching people make drinks from sugar cane - this was taken in Port Douglas market and seemed to be pretty popular with the locals.



But most of all, just marvelling at the beauty of the rainforest spilling into the beach.

 


For anyone interested, I've put the rest of the photos up here.  I think someday i'll live in that part of the world.