OSX in AD Environment - Server Time and Slow Network Issues

Are you running OSX in an AD environment
do you find slow network performance
does your directoryservice process max out to 100%

then you probably have a timesync issue.

If your mac's clock is out by too much compared to your MS server then you will have trouble binding to the AD.
This is a security measure in AD.

I found that my Macbook Pro had time set to update automatically from the web
whereas the Microsoft server was set to a different time.
so there was a time difference of about 8 mins


The best way to fix this is to setup your MS server NTP to update from a trusted server on the web.
then get all your clients to update from the internal server.

i just set my mac's clock to be the same as the server.

howto install vmware .bundle

easy
open terminal
cd Downloads dir

sudo sh VMware-Workstation-*.bundle

Excel : Remove internal excel passwords

Great tool to recover/hack excel password protection

McGimpsey & Associates : Excel : Remove internal XL passwords

Google Chrome & Chrome Extensions

i am loving google chrome

• Its fast
• its not a resource hog like firefox
• and now it has most of the plugins/extensions that I need

Google Chrome Extensions

How to Use Active Directory Users and Computers to Give a User the Ability to Send Mail on Behalf of Another User

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa995819(EXCHG.65).aspx

Using Outlook - Leave e-mail messages on your e-mail server

From Microsoft's Website

When you retrieve e-mail messages from a POP3 e-mail account, the messages are deleted from the e-mail server by default after they are downloaded to your computer. For many people, this works great.

However, if you want to check your e-mail from multiple computers, you must configure Outlook to not delete the messages on your e-mail server. This scenario is most common for people who want to check their home Internet service provider (ISP) e-mail account from work and download the messages for permanent storage on their home computer.

When you leave messages on your e-mail server, you can choose from several options to delete your messages. To make your choice, you need to consider several factors about your e-mail usage, such as how long you want the messages to be accessible from multiple computers and the storage limits imposed by your e-mail server administrator. If you exceed your storage limit, you might be unable to receive new messages or might be charged additional fees. Typically, it is best to have one computer set to the default setting that doesn't leave e-mail messages on the e-mail server. When you use the computer to retrieve your e-mail messages, they are downloaded and deleted from the e-mail server. If you choose not to do this, Outlook allows you to select a time duration for leaving e-mail messages on the server.

1. On the Tools menu, click E-mail Accounts.
2. Click View or change existing e-mail accounts, and then click Next.
3. Select your ISP account, and then click Change.
4. Click More Settings.
5. Click the Advanced tab, and under Delivery, select the Leave a copy of messages on the server check box.
   
   
6. Select one of the following options:
   • Remove from server after x days   E-mail messages are downloaded to your computer but remain on the e-mail server for the number of days that you specify. This is the most common setting for people who want to read their messages at work but also download them for permanent storage on their home computer. We recommend that you choose the smallest number of days that suits your needs. The longer you leave messages on your e-mail server, the greater the risk of exceeding your mailbox size quota.
   • Remove from server when deleted from 'Deleted Items'   E-mail messages are downloaded to your computer but also remain on the e-mail server indefinitely until you delete the e-mail message in Outlook and empty the Deleted Items folder. Just deleting the message doesn't remove the message from the e-mail server.
   If you do not select either check box, messages are left on the server indefinitely. You can eventually exceed your mailbox quota, unless you connect to the e-mail server from another computer that has Outlook configured to remove messages from the e-mail server.
   
7. Click OK, and then click Finish.

Create an audiobook with chapter marks

http://lodensoftware.com/chapter-and-verse/
This program works a treat
and its FREE!

Chapter and Verse

Audiobook Chapters tool for Windows

iTunes / iPod / iPhone Audiobooks - howto create audiobooks with chapter marks

I just found this site that explains howto do it.
Currently trying it out
http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/itunsabk.htm

Hirens Boot CD

Handy tool to have
howto use it on a usb drive
http://www.hirensbootcd.net/usb-booting.html

Windows 7 > All Programs = BLANK / Missing / Empty

To Fix:
Open C:\Users\ [...] \App Data\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu 


right click on the programs folder > properties. 
then i checked the 'hidden' check box to make the folder (and all subfolders) hidden. 
then click apply.





After doing that everything shows up when I go to start menu -> all programs like it should.

Nimbuzz - Free international mobile call chat messaging with skype, msn & yahoo messenger, Icq

you can use this app on your iphone and use a SIP (voip) account
so you can make calls from your iphone over wifi using voip
Nimbuzz - Free international mobile call chat messaging with skype, msn & yahoo messenger, Icq

Safe Mail - Protect your email address, make it an image! - Free tool to make your own email image.

Use this to safely put your email address on your website
Safe Mail - Protect your email address, make it an image! - Free tool to make your own email image.

IT Professionals

The economic rewards that an IT professional will enjoy is governed by a few basic economic principles. The most important of them all is the effects of supply and demand.

Any commodity such as your wage is goverened by demand.  Thus you would like to be in high demand.
So how do you get yourself in a position where you will be in more demand? - find where there are high barriers to entry.
e.g. The tougher it is to get a certification, the higher the barrier is and thus the higher the rewards (wage).
A great way to earn a higher wage is to earn a certification that is in high demand such as the Cisco CCIE.
(This is all well and good if you are after a higher wage, but what if you want more time? a better lifestyle, work less and earn more, stop trading hours for $$$, etc)

However there are always upper limits to earning a wage, you can only work so many hours in a day to earn $$$.

No matter how hard you work, there is still a limit to your earning power.

However, if you look at a software vendor, they can release a product to market and sell thousands of copies, (and each copy has very little to no extra effort to sell once the system is setup).  Thus the limit to earning is only limited by the demand or how many people require that product.  The initial work is all at the beginning - creating the product, but one that system is setup - it can be duplicated to be a cash machine.

Applying this to the IT Professional, get yourself in a position where you are raising the upper limits to your income:

1. If you are working for a wage, work on contract instead.
2. If you are selling your labor, try to leverage this by getting multiple sources of revenue for the same labor. For example, if you have a contract to install Linux on 100 different machines, do it by getting paid per machine. Then set up one machine (your hours of labor) and then use a utility like Norton's Ghost to replicate this to all the other machines. The more machines you do this to the bigger your rewards.
3. If you are selling your knowledge, sell to many for a small amount each as compared to selling to one for a lot. For example, if you are an Exchange expert, write a book where you could earn $5 per copy as compared to doing one large install contract that pays a flat fee.

What are you selling to earn your income? - if you sell your labor, you will never get as far as someone selling a "thing" a.k.a. renting your capital.

Being in IT, you have opportunities to see how new technologies can impact and solve problems for clients.  There may be a more efficient way to do something, a new product that is more efficient, a better way to achieve a goal, etc.  Look for these opportunities!  If you can provide a way of doing something even 10% better then currently implemented, then you are solving a problem that can save $$$.  The initial returns may be low, but the long term potential is unlimited.

Modified from: http://www.cramsession.com

Atassian - Aust software co. - Check out this video

Atlassian - an AUS software co - check out this video -http://bit.ly/465Or5

I really like their values - sounds like a really cool place to work.

The video is awesome too.

This is how Australian software company Atlassian present their values on their web site’s about page:

What we stand for

Atlassian is an Australian software company specialising in collaboration and development tools.

Our mission is to build a different kind of software company — one that listens to client needs, values innovation in development and solves customer problems with brilliant simplicity.

What we value

Open company, no bullshit

Atlassian embraces transparency wherever at all practical, and sometimes where impractical. All information, both internal and external, is public by default. We are not afraid of being honest with ourselves, our staff and our customers.

Build with heart and balance

Everyday we try to build products that are useful and that people lust after. Building with heart means really caring about what we're making and doing — it's a mission, not just a job. When we build with balance we take into account how initiatives and decisions will affect our colleagues, our customers and our stakeholders.

Don't #@!% the customer

When we make internal decisions we ask ourselves “how will this affect our customers?” If the answer is that it would 'screw' them, or make life more difficult, then we need to find a better way. We want the customer to respect us in the morning.

Play, as a team

We want all Atlassians to feel like they work with Atlassian, not for Atlassian. We think it's important to have fun with your workmates while working and contributing to the Atlassian team.

Be the change you seek

We think Gandhi had it pretty right when he said “We need to be the change we wish to see in the world”. At Atlassian we encourage everyone to create positive change — we're constantly looking for ways to improve our company, our products and our environment.

MSN Messenger Bot

LOL
I got added by a bot called
elizabethzurama@hotmail.com

conversation:
hi
me: hi

how are you?
me: how are you?

my name is paris blah blah blah....

me: block user

How to remove joomla 1.5 copyright info

First:
in cpanel > filemanager

Go to the root folder Of Joomla > languages > en-GB/ en-GB.mod_footer.ini

FOOTER=Footer
FOOTER_LINE1=Copyright © %date% %sitename%. All Rights Reserved.
FOOTER_LINE2=Joomla! is Free Software released under the GNU/GPL License.
MOD_FOOTER=mod_footer
THIS MODULE SHOWS THE JOOMLA! COPYRIGHT INFORMATION=This Module shows the Joomla! Copyright information

Second:
Go to yourtemplate/index.php > bottom of page

Joomla!.
XHTML CSS

Joomla - Changing the main title "welcome to the frontpage"

This will guide you on howto change the 'Welcome to the Frontpage' title on your Frontpage.

Go to your Joomla! 1.5 Administration site and login. In your administration site go to:

• Menus - Main Menu
• Click on 'Home' link to edit this link.
• Click on Parameters System and change or delete the Page title.
• Click SAVE.

Joomla - SEF not working (404 - Component not found)

Joomla - Search Engine Friendly URLs in the Global Configuration of Joomla 1.5.2 and tested and verified to be true for 1.5.3 as well.

" ... edit configuration.php as var $live_site = 'http://www.mysite.com' "

Note that default configuration.php is var $live_site = ''

Wave hello to the future

WOW google wave is looking awesome.  I never really took notice until recently.  but wow!
http://wave.google.com

Webmaster guidelines - Webmasters/Site owners Help

Webmaster guidelines - Webmasters/Site owners Help