Date: 09/24/05     Keywords: security, linux

Firefox 1.0.7 is a security and stability release. It is strongly recommend that all users upgrade to this latest version. This version includes several security and stability fixes, including a fix for a reported buffer overflow vulnerability and a fix for a Linux shell command vulnerability. Details below. Specific changes in Firefox 1.0.7 Fix for a potential buffer [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/firefox-107-fixes-several-critical-vulnerabilities-recommended-upgrade/

Date: 09/24/05     Keywords: browser

Opera was once a popular browser and still is within a selected group of people. It came with better features than Internet Explorer and preceded Firefox. It was always available for free but it came with annoying integrated ad banners which may have ultimately contributed to its decreased market-share. There was also a paid-for ad-free [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/opera-browser-is-fully-free-no-ads/

Date: 09/24/05     Keywords: software

I used to work for Extensity Inc., now part of GEAC. Extensity Expense Report Software was the key product of Extensity. I was project lead for Entensity's Expense Report Software product. I have knowledge about this domain and strong interest. So with keen interest I looked into AdiSoft's Enterprise Expense Reporting Software - Expense [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/free-expense-report-software-a-review/

Date: 09/23/05     Keywords: no keywords

SaveMyAss is a personal assistant that keeps your girlfriend or wife happy by sending her flowers on your behalf. We make sure you never miss Valentines day, her birthday, or your anniversary (again), and you will surprise her with "just because" flowers on a regular but semi-random basis. It's DotCom days once again. How does it work? You [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/saving-marriage-through-savemyass/

Date: 09/21/05     Keywords: google

The Authors Guild and a Lincoln biographer, a children's book author, and a former Poet Laureate of the United States filed a class action suit today in federal court in Manhattan against Google over its unauthorized scanning and copying of books through its Google Library program. The suit alleges that Google is engaging in massive [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/authors-guild-files-class-action-lawsuit-against-google/

Date: 09/20/05     Keywords: software

Today is one of those days. I am designing a new software and in a reflective mood. I realized how many of our popular frameworks and software are simply stupid designs with no concerns for usability and aesthetics. Patterns are blindly followed. Anywhere you read blurbs about a software / framework having x or y [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/ruminating-on-design/

Date: 09/18/05     Keywords: no keywords

I posted earlier about my inability to use Sysdeo Tomcat Plugin with Eclipse 3.1. I found the solution. The problem was that no Tomcat related menu or options would appear. It is as if the plugin was not installed. And yet I had dutifully unzipped the plugin in the plugins directory as instructed. The solution is so [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/mystery-of-vanishing-sysdeo-tomcat-plugin-for-eclipse/

Date: 09/18/05     Keywords: web

Wp-Cache2 is a WordPress Plugin to cache WordPress generated pages. However it doesn't work with in-built gzip compression. Lets see how we can solve it. Wp-Cache 2 significantly increases performance of WordPress enabled websites. Additionally it drastically reduces the processing load on the machine. It is intelligent to understand when to refresh the cache based on [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/compressing-php-output-with-wp-cache2-wordpress-plugin/

Date: 09/18/05     Keywords: php

In PHP you can register a function to be executed when script processing is complete using register_shutdown_function. In PHP 4.0.6 and below the registered shutdown functions are called after the request has been completed, including sending any output buffers. So a long running function can execute without affecting user experience. However in PHP 4.1 and above the [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/post-processing-limitations-in-php/

Date: 09/17/05     Keywords: java, web

I am trying to develop (java) web applications (running on Tomcat 5.5) with Eclipse 3.1. The obvious choice - Sysdeo Tomcat plugin doesn't work even with 3.1beta version. After extracting the zip file and starting Eclipse, as instructed, further instructions cannot be followed as Tomcat doesn't show up anywhere. Anyone got it working on Eclipse 3.1? Any [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/eclipse-31-tomcat-55-integration-solution/

Date: 09/17/05     Keywords: no keywords

Mathematics students have good cause to celebrate. University of New South Wales academic, Dr Norman Wildberger, has rewritten the arcane rules of trigonometry and eliminated sines, cosines and tangents from the trigonometric toolkit. His simple framework means calculations can be done without trigonometric tables or calculators, yet often with greater accuracy. Dr Wildberger has replaced traditional [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/trigonometry-through-algebra-no-more-sine-and-cosine-or-tangent/

Date: 09/16/05     Keywords: php, java

In PHP, unlike Java or C++, $this has to be explicitly used to refer to variables within a class. The value of $this is determined by the context in which it is called. In certain situations $this may actually refer to the invoking class rather then the current class. This breaks object encapsulation. $this pseudo-variable is [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/php-encapsulation-surprises/

Date: 09/14/05     Keywords: no keywords

Indian cricket is again hounded by match fixing allegations. At least three cricketers(one batsman and two bowlers) are under the scanner according to The Times of India. It doesn't surprise me the least. I have watched significant portions of the two final matches (India versus Sri Lanka and India versus New Zealand). Both of these matches [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/match-fixing-allegations-dogs-indian-cricket/

Date: 09/14/05     Keywords: no keywords

According to NCAER survery Delhi and Mumbai continue to be the major centres of wealth in India, accounting for half of the roughly 20,000 crorepati (owner of 10 million Rs. or more) households in India. Kolkata, often thought as a has-been city, has more crorepati households than Bangalore and Hyderabad put together. 180 households of [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/india-rising-rural-india-has-more-crorepati10m-density-than-urban-india-kolkata-beats-bangalore-hyderabad-put-together/

Date: 09/13/05     Keywords: no keywords

University of Utah researchers have determined tingling in the feet (neuropathy) could be an early warning indicator for impaired glucose tolerance, or prediabetes. 67 patients underwent nerve conduction studies as well as a series of other neuropathy testing. They were compared to 52 patients with diabetic neuropathy and 42 with diabetes but no neuropathy. The findings [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/tingling-feet-may-lead-up-to-diabetes/

Date: 09/13/05     Keywords: web, google

Google has put up an interesting audio-visual presentation (read Flash) explaining how to use and troubleshoot AdSense in your webpages. After completing the demo you should be able to: Locate the ad code in your account Copy and paste your ad code Determine where to paste the ad code Implement the ad code using two different types of WYSIWYG [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/googles-guide-to-adsense-html-troubleshooting-for-webmasters/

Date: 09/13/05     Keywords: microsoft

Register has a hilarious piece about Steve Balmer's alleged chair throwing and vulgar cussing incident. You can read it here. I don't think his antics as CEO is helping to revise Microsoft's "Vulture Central" image. My advice to Microsoft employees planning to leave Microsoft is to consider taking a micro-cassette recorder to parting meetings. Of course only if [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/balmer-denies-throwing-chair-not-so-sure-about-cussing/

Date: 09/13/05     Keywords: no keywords

According to an investigative report by The Guardian a Chinese cosmetics company is using skin harvested from the corpses of executed convicts to develop beauty products for sale in Europe. Agents for the firm told would-be customers (Guardian reporters posing as Hong Kong businessman) it is developing collagen for lip and wrinkle treatments from skin taken [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/executed-chinese-prisoners-skinned-for-making-beauty-products/

Date: 09/13/05     Keywords: no keywords

“The company conveyed to the government last week that it would not be able to make the investment as the project would not be viable without the tax concessions. The company, however, said it would explore opportunities in the future,” an unnamed Intel official told Business Standard. Intel had sought tax concessions from the Indian government [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/intel-puts-700m-wafer-testing-unit-on-hold-as-indian-government-declines-tax-concessions-for-15-years/

Date: 09/13/05     Keywords: technology, java

"We are actively promoting Java in China as well as the rest of Asia-Pacific," said Scott McNealy, chairman and chief executive of Sun, in an interview with China Daily. "We are working with the (Chinese) government and other key players to establish Java as the industry standard for delivering open and secure services." Java technology is being [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/sun-targets-java-for-chinese-market/