Month: August 2004

Posted on

Dynamic Images

I have received some feedback regarding my dynamic sig that I use in forums.
It’s more like exploiting the browser bugs (Am I right to say so?). Easily done
by whoever has enough access to a webserver. So in answer to your requests,
here’s a guide on how to make yourself a dynamic sig image.


Most forums, allow you to have signatures to appear after your post. It can
contain images, URLs, text. For images, you are only allowed to use a small set
of file extensions. To name a few, .jpg, .gif and .png.


First off, you need a set of images you want to rotate. I prepared 3, same
design but different color.


elusive emotions wyredsig_anim1.gif
elusive emotions wyredsig_anim2.gif
elusive emotions wyredsig_anim3.gif


Getting dizzy? I cast a spell on them which puts anyone looking at it under
my control unconciously. Now go watch more anime! [XD]


Note the filenames next to the images, giving them a serial number makes it
easier to generate a random number and use it to determine which image to
show.


Now here’s the secret to my dynamic signature, PHP! Yes! In my humble
opinion, the best scripting language since ASP. Like I mentioned, you’ll need
enough access on your webserver to get .png files to be processed by the php
engine.


Next up, in my wyredsig.png file, is a one line code that redirects all
requests for that file, to the image files hosted on the 2MB space given to me
by my ISP.


<?php header(‘location:http://web.singnet.com.sg/~erikyang/wyredsig_anim’.rand(1,3).’.gif’); ?>

See the rand() function? Generates a random number from 1 to 3.


So far mapping the .png has not affected my other real png images. I have
tested this on Internet Explorer and Mozilla FireFox. Here’s the image in
action. Refresh the page and see it change.

elusive emotions
IMPORTANT NOTICE
You can
actually redirect users to harmful websites without them even knowing. I have
not tried this neither do I encourage this. I’m providing this tutorial solely
for educational purposes only. I am not to be held liable for whatever happens
on the net next. <- What a coward!

Update: I did some checking and yea, my
real .png files were scrambled. It’s fine because I don’t use the .png format
often. However if you wish to run dynamic images, remember to create a new
website in IIS (if allowed) and configure a mapping for .png files on that site
only. Then run your file from that site.

Posted on

Alien vs Predator

First off, congratulations to Andy for a successful lung operation. Take good care of your lungs now! Take up smoking! [XD]


Booked the AvP tickets on a Friday afternoon. The 6.50pm show and watching with 2 of my friends. I found out that I could cause a nuisance to others, for at least 15 minutes, by blocking the seats through booking online via their website.


The whole movie lasted only 90 minutes. Tickets on Friday-Sunday cost $8.50. One-time online booking fee of 70cents. $26.20 all for a lousy piece of movie!! [>(]


As a kid, even though the Aliens looked very scary to me, I loved their appeareance. Their shape and size never cease to amaze me. Vicious, fearless and perhaps bloodthirsty. On the other hand, the Predators, also fearless, also vicious, intelligent, cool looking, not to mention their highly advanced and destructive arm-strapped PDA.


Pit them both against each other and it’s a fight you don’t want to miss. A good fight scene was what I have been looking forward to. It is this anticipation that made me want to watch it despite various negative comments regarding the storyline. Yet the whole show turned out to be crap. A huge part of the fight scenes consist of a close up shot of the Predator’s fist landing on the alien. Major turnoff. I absolutely despise the scenes where the predator acted cool. They are honourable warriors and this is not supposed to be another teen flick! [:(]

Posted on

CVS

I feel it’s time to learn something new, so I chose to learn about CVS. I’ve seen it used by developers on their open-source projects. The developers of PHP are using this system to keep track of changes made by other developers.


CVS stands for Concurrent Versions System. A version control system where 2 or more developers can work on a single file without affecting one another. When both developers make changes on the same section of the file, an conflict occurs and the overlapping code is marked by the server. Either developer then has to manually resolve the conflict.


cvs also helps you if you are part of a group of people working on the same project. It is all too easy to overwrite each others’ changes unless you are extremely careful. Some editors, like gnu Emacs, try to make sure that the same file is never modified by two people at the same time. Unfortunately, if someone is using another editor, that safeguard will not work. cvs solves this problem by insulating the different developers from each other. Every developer works in his own directory, and cvs merges the work when each developer is done.

To get my own CVS, I downloaded the CVS server and client for Windows. Installed the server first, a bit of configuration, then install the client. Now, I’m using WinCVS as my CVS GUI client. You can do without a GUI but for a newbie such as myself, I guess it’s better to start off with a GUI client. Quite tough at first. Lots of options, buttons and I have no clue where to start with. But after an hour, I managed to figure things out a bit and had my first try at committing changes to the repository.

The repository, located on the server, is where all the files that you want version-controlled goes to. After setting up the server connection settings, logging in, I did an “Import Module” on the folder containing files that I want to have in the CVS. A tick appears on the folder which I assume, means it’s marked for CVS. Then I tried editing the files. Configured WinCVS to launch my favourite crimsoneditor for file editing. Added a few lines, saved, the file appeared red in WinCVS which means it was modified.

Right clicking on the file, we are presented with many options but I will only talk about the first 2, “Update Selection”, “Commit Selection”. I assume Update means to update your local copy with the latest copy on the CVS server. Commit, as I have tried, updates changes you made, to the server. The version number of the file, gets incremented each time I commit changes. You can include a comment when you commit a change, this helps you and other developers to know what has been changed.

There are other features that I have no idea, how it works, but I’m going to take this slow and steady. The above is just my experience with CVS today. There may be errors somewhere, so do feel free to point it out by posting a comment. [:)]

CVS Server -> CVSNT
CVS Client -> WinCVS
CVS Server Installation guide
CVS Manual -> HTML Cederqvist for CVS
Some good links for beginning CVS

Posted on

Why can’t Monday be a weekend too?

2 days went by in a flash. But at least I had a good level up in FFXI. I completed Doom3 on Friday night. The last stage, Tomb of the Hero, was designed in a satanic way it gives me the creeps. The last boss, was too fucking easy once I found out the strategy. It took me 8 in-game deaths to realize that I’m fighting him on a circular platform. [X(]


<spoiler>
So basically, the way to kill him is with the soulcube. As you run around the platform, monsters will creep up and all you need is to kill them. At the beginning of the stage, as you descend from the elevator, you will have a chance to stock up on lots of ammo.


For every 5 monsters killed, your soulcube activates. Then you use it on the boss for about 4 or 5 times, killing him and ending the game.
</spoiler>


Somewhere during the game, you have the choice to transmit a distress message back to Earth or not. A friend told me that the ending is the same regardless of whether it was sent or not. I have yet to do some researching on this matter. After you complete the game, Nightmare mode will be unlocked. At this mode, you start with the soulcube in possession. And if your health exceeds 25, it will drop slowly and maintains at 25. I felt slightly increased running speed.


Fun with Helium
Last Saturday was the 21st birthday of a poly classmate. She held a high tea buffet at CafeVic at Carlton Hotel. The one next to Chijmes. During the last hour, I grabbed one of the floating balloons and inhaled the helium gas in it. Took me a four tries to figure out how to get the chipmunk voice. It was sure gawd damn funny as hell!! The trick is to exhale your breath, and inhale from the balloon, and speak. You can hear the difference yourself.


There are no side-effects, and it feels just like breathing in normal air. I believe it’s not pure helium for safety reasons, because of people like me. After you use up the helium you breathed in by speaking/exhaling, your voice returns back to normal. So suggested by the rest of the classmates, I sang the birthday girl a birthday song with my “chipmunked” voice.

WARNING
Okae, I did some googling on inhaling helium. Please have fun with caution~ Do not perform this trick too many times! [:)]

However, when the lungs are filled with helium, a different process takes over. Oxygen is actually removed from the blood stream during the exchange of gases. Depending on how completely oxygen is replaced by helium, you may lose consciousness quickly and without warning—you may literally pass out while still standing. The usual result is an uncontrolled fall that can cause serious injury, even if normal breathing resumes before brain damage occurs due to lack of oxygen.

I repeat, don’t try it one too many times, don’t inhale directly from the helium tank. Only from balloons! [:)]

Posted on

There is no mouse. Is there?

Firstly, have a look at this patent by Microsoft, Method and apparatus for transmitting power and data using the human body.


FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for transmitting power and data, and more particularly, to methods of powering devices coupled to the human body and communication information between the devices.

I only skimmed through the long page, but from what I understand, we are taking steps to the realization of the Matrix, or better, Ghost in the Shell. [XD]


I imagine myself, many years from now, wires plugged into the back of my neck, lying comfortably on my armchair with a huge projector screen in front of me. Without twitching a muscle, I send electric signals to my computer to open up media player to watch anime. Play First Person Shooters with better, more responsive control. Feed myself coffee as I code websites as fast as thinking them. This is what I’ve been dreaming of, being truly wired to my computer~ [X)] (Hence the nick wyred)


I’m back to feeling a little useless recently. I have my goals but I just lack the self-discipline to keep myself focused on them. I tried to motivate myself by comparing myself with friends who are doing better. Wake up the next morning and I lose that motivation. Telling myself to take things easy, work on my own pace just makes me more lazy. Oh well, like the saying goes, “It’s all in the mind.”


It’s now time to knock off from work, and I shall enjoy my weekend completing Doom3 and playing FFXI.