123a.org relaunched
Some time back, I had to remove the old 123Avatar site because my webhost no longer allowed me to use PHP’s exec() or system() functions, which was required to use ImageMagick. Instead of rewriting the site to use the gd functions, I decided to relaunch 123a.org as an image hosting service.
The site is based on Mihalism Multi Host, but with several modifications. The first allows me to track image views (the original version linked directly to the image files). This allows me to collect stats on the views as well as to implement some bandwidth controls or anti-abuse blocking in future. The second is to make use of Apache’s URL rewriting to generate nice URLs.
Yes, there are hundreds of free image hosts available now: Imageshack and Photobucket being the more popular ones. So there’s really no particular reason to use mine. But, hey, just give it a shot if you like. 
Goodbye Movable Type, Hello WordPress
When I first started my personal site, I used Movable Type as my blogging software. Back then, MT was only in its infancy, version 1 or 2. I don’t believe there was WordPress yet. I did the site myself - design, templating (a very cool feature back then) and MT was just the part that powered the blog. Since then, at least two major versions of MT were released, but my site was still running on legacy MT templates.
When MT 4 was released, I knew it was time to redo my site. Blogging software had grown to be complex content management systems, and I could do the entire site using the software, rather than just the blogging component of my site. I had planned to stick to MT. However, I felt I liked MT less and less, and my experiences with WordPress (for my church and a friend) made me like it more and more.
Since I had a bit of free time this week, I decided to migrate my site to WP. Thankfully, I don’t have many posts and pages to migrate. And so, goodbye Movable Type, and hello WordPress!
The LAMP Experience
Some months back, I was on the lookout for a cheap NAS (network attached storage). The idea was that it would be cheaper than buying a second system, and if I used a NAS instead of just adding a hard disk to my PC, I should be able to switch off my PC sometimes, and not worry about shared files being inaccessible. Plus, I just wanted to play with a new gadget.
I had two choices at that time: Planex NAS-01G or Kuro-Box (a.k.a. Kurobox, KuroBox, Kuro Box…). The Kuro-Box was about SGD40 more expensive, but it was essentially a Linux box, and highly “hackable”. The Planex NAS-01G is also a Linux box, but it is meant to work out-of-the-box, and has limited “hack-ability”.
Making the most out of non-HDTV Wii
My Nintendo Wii is connected to my TV tuner on my PC. This means I get to play my Wii in my room, on my 19″ LCD monitor. The TV tuner isn’t a HDTV one, so it only has composite (RCA) and S-Video inputs. Nintendo only bundles composite video cables, and initially, only sold component (HDTV) cables. Over the past months, third-party S-Video cables appeared.
I got hold of an S-Video cable today, and am pleased to report that there is quite an improvement in image quality over the composite cable. Of course, it won’t be HDTV-quality (which, by the way, is only 480p on the Wii), but it’s an improvement nonetheless. And, at SGD20 (~USD13), is much cheaper than buying a HDTV tuner or HDTV.
Click here to compare the image quality of composite versus S-Video cable on the Wii.
SimpleViewerAdmin Mods
I designed a website for a friend, who wanted to use SimpleViewer for his portfolio. I wanted a dynamic gallery, rather than a static one requiring him to use, for example, Picasa to manage the gallery and then upload it. Thus I searched and came upon SimpleViewerAdmin.
He requested a hidden album feature such that the album can only be accessed directly through its URL.