Date: 03/02/06     Keywords: google

Nowadays I see irrelevant Google AdSense ads much more than usual and they are often pretty outrageous. Here is a glaring example (click on image for larger view): I think it is trying to over-optimize or simply running out of ads. Not even a single relevant ad!

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/google-adsense-misfiring-often/

Date: 03/02/06     Keywords: mysql, database, sql

Mambo / Joomla passwords cannot be recovered as they are set using a one-way hash function (MD5). However they can be reset to new values. The user information is stored in the MySQL database (obviously) in the mos_users (for MAMBO) or jos_users (for JOOMLA). The prefix (mos or jos) can be configured and may be named [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/mambo-joomla-password-how-to-reset-recover/

Date: 03/02/06     Keywords: no keywords

I intend to highlight several blogs that I regularly (whenever I get some time) read and wouldn't mind recommending. The list probably wouldn't be your typical A-listers but will be interesting nevertheless (or because of it). I would try to post one such article per week (time permitting) or whenever I run out [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/blogs-i-read-bona-tempora-volvantur-by-guy-kawasaki/

Date: 03/02/06     Keywords: google

In a rather sad story a Googler (Google employee) narrates his misery with paltry salary and poor chance of a raise. Apparently in Google you can get a raise (merely 5-8%) with only a promotion. You shouldn't expect promotions more than once every 18 months (and what's normal is more like once every 24 [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/unrest-in-googleplex/

Date: 03/02/06     Keywords: software

Inocom (MedBridge division) designed Multilingual Medical Receptionist software had a test run in Saint John Hospital, Canada on Tuesday, where the program translated health terminology into Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Portugese, French, Russian and other languages. Health workers can ask patients questions in different languages through the computer software, which also allows the patients to see the [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/multilingual-medical-receptionist-software/

Date: 02/27/06     Keywords: web, spam, google

Google has newly introduced Google Pages which allows you to create your webpages with AJAX interface (Web 2.0?) . It is quite a slick product, provides 100MB of space, file uploading etc. However it also exposes your GMail email address (which it requires for signup) to be harvested by spammers. Google Pages creates your home page [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/google-pages-allows-gmail-email-harvesting/

Date: 02/27/06     Keywords: no keywords

I am happy to introduce the Unofficial Animax Forum to discuss about animax channel animes and movies. It also contains sections for other popular animes and mangas. This forum was created solely based on reader suggestions on my post - TV: Animax - What I enjoy watching: Newbie guide to Animax. I am planning to [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/introducing-the-unofficial-animax-forum/

Date: 02/26/06     Keywords: java

Almost every java developer finds one fine morning that he cannot compare String with "==" as he has been doing with int or char. Then either he finds out or someone kindly tells him that objects cannot be compared with "==". He has to use equals(Object) method. However rarely, if ever, he realizes that it [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/how-to-compare-strings-with/

Date: 02/26/06     Keywords: java

One of the common questions I hear from Java newcomers is - where is a FIFO list in Java? Java does have a FIFO list capability built-in with LinkedList and ArrayList, but they are not well advertized. A FIFO interface should at least have: public interface FIFO { /** Add an object to [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/fifo-list-in-java/

Date: 02/24/06     Keywords: google

Google GMail SMS signup supports Australia, Indonesia, Malayasia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey and of-course US of A. If you belong to any of the above countries you can signup here. India and Europe continues to be ignored. Why?

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/google-gmail-continues-to-ignore-india-and-europe/

Date: 02/24/06     Keywords: web, google

Google seems to have developed a habit of introducing new services and then withdrawing them due to high demand and reintroducing them selectively later. Google Web Accelerator, Google Analytics and now Google Pages, all follow this overused pattern. So it is with (now withdrawn) Google Pages. Google Pages allows you to create Geocities style static home [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/google-pages-introduced-and-withdrawn/

Date: 02/24/06     Keywords: web, microsoft

ZDNet has compiled a list of best of breed Web 2.0 applications which includes two from my compilation. In other words Microsoft Office alternatives for Web 2.0. Here is the list in brief along with some comments and suggestions. Email - GMail (invitation) WordProcessor - Writely. Spreadsheet - NumSum, iRows (new) Calendar - 30 Boxes, CalendarHub Project management - Basecamp They [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/best-of-breed-web-20-products/

Date: 02/24/06     Keywords: java, web

Gautam Shah has written an interesting article in Javaworld where he discusses ways to use SOAP over MOM (message oriented middleware) implementations, instead of default HTTP, to build reliable web services. The premise is simple. HTTP is not reliable. Message bus is. SOAP over MOM offers the application integration capability of SOAP with the reliability [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/reliable-web-services-with-soap-over-mom/

Date: 02/24/06     Keywords: no keywords

Apple users have downloaded over 1 billion songs from the iTunes Music Store since it was launched in April 2003. The magic number was hit at roughly 12:38am EST on Thursday morning, according to TUAW. The billionth song “Speed of Sound” was purchased as part of Coldplay’s X&Y album by Alex Ostrovsky from West Bloomfield, Michigan. [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/apple-hits-one-billion-with-itunes/

Date: 02/22/06     Keywords: browser

Simple Thoughts Blog had a sporadic but consistent comment problem. On submitting comments a blank page was occasionally returned instead of the original page with the comment added. How did I debug it? First I wanted to reproduce the error consistently. I could very rarely see this error with my Firefox browser, possibly because I [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/blog-comments-problem-solved/

Date: 02/21/06     Keywords: no keywords

James Huff (MacManx) points to comprehensive set of resources on how to effectively use Photoshop's Extract filter and Photoshop in general.

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/using-photoshops-extract-filter-effectively/

Date: 02/21/06     Keywords: php, software, web

I stumbled upon Simple Machines Forum, from Simple Machines, which appears to be an excellent software and competitor to phpBB forum software which I use. It supports hierarchical representation of categories unlike phpBB. Overall it gave me a good impression looking from the website. Is there anyone with personal experience in both phpBB and SMF? Can you [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/free-forum-software-php-mysql-alternative-to-phpbb/

Date: 02/21/06     Keywords: no keywords

Industry experts at the meeting of Nasscom, India’s outsourcing alliance, said on Thursday that skills shortage was the biggest threat to the outsourcing industry’s blazing growth. From ground zero I am observing several interesting effects of this shortage. For example one lady worked for us as a trainee. I was forced to let her go for [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/indian-oursourcing-industry-facing-shortage-of-skilled-workers/

Date: 02/21/06     Keywords: no keywords

Amazon is preparing to launch its own portable digital music player in direct competition to Apple's iPod. The plan is interesting for its business model. It plans to offer unlimited download on a monthly or yearly fee. Instead of selling music at 99 cents each (iPod model) Amazon plans to allow unlimited download for a monthly [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/amazon-will-target-apples-ipod-with-its-portable-digital-music-player/

Date: 02/21/06     Keywords: no keywords

A computer worm has been found in the wild that targets Apple Computer's Mac OS X operating system. It is believed to be the first such worm aimed specifically at the Mac platform. The worm, named OSX/Leap-A by Sophos, spreads by Apple's iChat instant messaging program. Source: NYT

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/et-tu-mac/