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frost KTorrent, Linux's uTorrent Alternative - Subscribe
KTorrent, Linux's uTorrent Alternative
by FrosT

Introduction
Recently converting over to Linux I have found that my favorite torrent program, uTorrent, is not supported by the Linux OS. This boggled my mind, and instead of using Wine for Linux, I went hunting for a new program that can be comparable to uTorrent for the Linux operating system and well I found one. KTorrent was the exact program I was looking for. Plain and simple plus very easy to configure! Honestly, if I had to choose between uTorrent and KTorrent, I would definitely choose KTorrent over uTorrent and here's why.

KTorrent's Ease of Use
KTorrent was very easy to use and configure. It gave you just the right amount of options to have total control of your torrents. uTorrent was also very easy to use and configure except it gave you a little too much options, and at times it seemed that some options did not work the way you wanted them to. Now it could just be the user, but with KTorrent when I set the Seeding ratio, I expect the torrent to stop seeding when this ratio is reached. I could never get uTorrent to stop seeding once that ratio was reached. But with KTorrent, I set that ratio to 1.5 and once it the 1.5 ratio, what did you know? KTorrent automatically marked the torrent as finished and stopped seeding! The other options are which ports to use for transfer and where to download files etc. which uTorrent does give you access to, but the way KTorrent has the options laid out make KTorrent remarkably easier and simpler to use than uTorrent.

Transfer Speeds of Torrents
When using uTorrent I would always wonder if I was getting the best speed out of that torrent and if my settings were a little bit off that would slow the torrent down. Not with KTorrent! Since I started using KTorrent I found that my speeds remain very high all the time without doing any special configuration. I have not even installed Peer Guardian on my new Linux system yet and KTorrent still works like a champ. I download everything a lot faster than I ever did because of the way KTorrent laid out the options and gave me the way to configure each port. Basically in every comparison KTorrent runs faster, and smoother with easy configurations than uTorrent ever would.

Ending Notes
When using Linux, I would highly suggest KTorrent over uTorrent with WINE. Due to the fact that KTorrent will provide you everything uTorrent does and than some, it should be an easily selection. No use in battling with WINE when you do not have to. As for windows users, uTorrent is probably your best bet of Bit Torrent software as I do not think KTorrent runs under Windows.
17 Comments
Mood: aggressive
KeyWords: utorrent, ktorrent, bit, torrent, bittorrent, comparison, review, linux, windows

frost Converting from Windows to Linux: Hard drives NTFS to Ext3 Jan 21st, 2007 23:25 - Subscribe
Converting from Windows to Linux Tips and Tricks
by FrosT

Introduction
Recently I undertaken the task to convert over to the Linux Operating System. After searching the Internet and reading through many tutorials it became clear that the NTFS File-System is not compatible with Linux other than being Read from. At least not with Ubuntu 6.10 Edgy Release. There in created another task for me, converting all of my hard drives from Windows NTFS to Linux Ext3. Here is how it all came out.

Programs Required
There are a few programs that are required in order to convert from an NTFS file system to a Ext3. The first is Partition Magic 8.0. Very handy program for any task. Remember if you are using 64 Bit Windows, Partition Magic 8.0 may not work. So do a Google search to locate a program that will work.
The next program needed is Ext2IFS, click here to get Ext2IFS. Ext2IFS allows you to mount an Ext3 or Ext2 partition in Windows and be able to write files to that partition/hard drive. Once you have a partitioning program and Ext2IFS we are ready to get started with converting your Windows formatted NTFS hard drives to Linux formatted Ext2/3 hard drive.

Converting NTFS to Ext3
The logic behind switching from NTFS to Ext2/3 is not really complex, but requires a few items, such as free space and multiple hard drives. Starting out lets realize that one way or the other you have to copy all files that you want to keep off the hard drive and store them on a separate hard drive, or else they will get lost. There is no way to do a straight convert and save all your files from NTFS to Ext3. For me this was not too challenging of a task. I currently have 2 Western Digital Hard drives. One is a 120 gig hard drive and the other is a 160 gig hard drive. I also have a Maxtor 500 gig external hard drive and an 80 gig internal hard drive. All the drives were NTFS formated. What I did, since my 500 gig Maxtor is my static drive was copied all files I would not need to manipulate to that drive, such as music, videos and applications. Now I still had files that I needed to modify, I stored those on the main partition with Windows XP installed. As I know I will not convert that hard drive as I will use that same drive for my main Linux drive.

After copying the files from my 120 gig to either my 160 gig or my 500 gig hard drive depending on the files I started up the Partitioning program. I deleted the current partition on the 120 gig hard drive and created a new Linux Logical Ext3 partition. The next step was to hit "Apply" to make the changes. After a reboot the changes were made and I could no longer see my 120 gig hard drive in Windows. Now here is where the Ext2IFS comes into play. After installing Ext2IFS I loaded the program and mounted my 120 gig hard drive to an un-used drive letter. Now running Windows Explorer I can magically see my 120 gig ext3 hard drive and I can copy files from my 160 gig hard drive to the newly created 120 gig ext 3 hard drive. I repeated the process for creating the 160 gig to an Ext3 Linux hard drive. Make sure you copy the files that you need from your main drive to a Linux one, before moving onto the installation of Linux, or else you will lose the files.

Ending Notes
After the process above has been complete it is now time to locate a Linux distribution that is correct for you. The next tutorial will be available within the next week for installing Ubuntu Edgy 6.10 with a few tips and tricks to help making the transition from Windows to Linux a fairly easy switch.

Disclaimer
I take no responsibility for lost data. Remember to always backup data especially when trying to switch operating system as unknown obstacles can appear. Data lost as a result to following this guide is not my fault, use this guide at your own discretion, as I will not take blame for anything that you do to screw up yours or someone else's computer.
7 Comments
Mood: peachy
KeyWords: windows, linux, ntfs, ext, ext2, ext3, installing, converting, convert, ubuntu, hard drive, hdd, mount, guide

frost Isagenix is a Complete Waste of Time and Money Dec 18th, 2006 17:13 - Subscribe
Isagenix is a Complete Waste of Time and Money
by FrosT

Introduction
If you have not been keeping up with my Isagenix project please read the following blogs:
  • Life Re-Charged - Isagenix
  • Life Re-Charged with Isagenix: Day 2
  • Life Re-Charged: Isagenix Day 3 - Cleanse Day
  • Life Re-Charged Isagenix: Day 4 Cleanse
  • Life Re-Charged Isagenix: Day 5 Shake Day
  • Life Re-Charged Isagenix: Day 6 Shake Day
  • Life Re-Charged Isagenix: Day 7 Shake Day
  • Life Re-Charged Isagenix: Day 8 Shake Day
  • Life Re-Charged Isagenix: Day 9 Shake Day
  • Life Re-Charged Isagenix: Day 10 Cleanse Day
  • Life Re-Charged Isagenix: Finaly Day

    Questions EMail me at frost110 [-at-] gmail [-dot-] com or simply comment on any of my Isagenix Life Re-Charged Blogs.

    My Isagenix Experience
    As you can read from the blogs listed above I did go through the whole Isagenix process. To be honest I would have been better off drinking water on my own with a healthy shake each day. Or even going to a Head shop and buying their detoxification kits. Isagenix may work for some people; it did not work for me at all. For the price of $160 for just 1 9-day cleanse (They recommend you do 2-3 a year) I could of easily bought 2 weeks worth of health groceries. Heck on that note for the price it would cost me to do Isagenix for the whole year I could buy myself an annual Gym membership, and feed myself for the whole year and have money still left over. Let's move onto a more in-depth look at my expierence with Isagenix.

    Isagenix Caused My Sickness?
    The Pre-Cleanse days were horrible. They were just like the shake days, and all it really did was make the cleanse 11 days, which is an insanely long time to go with little food. As I stated on my last day I was completely drained of all energy and ended up getting very sick. The sickness lasted for 2 full weeks. Not as severe as I explained in the blog, but it was still there 2 weeks later. I do feel that the sickness came from the Isagenix Cleanse. Some people might say that it was the toxins coming out and it just did not come out all the way. I think that because I let my body be mal-nourished, which Isagenix claims it keep you fully nourished, and at that low point the cold kicked into high gear and hit me very hard.

    If anyone knows me, they know that I only get sick once a year for about 2 days with a cold. I do not get sick in April, it is always October. The symptoms I experienced are left on the previous post. I do know I was coughing for 2 weeks straight with a sore throat after the Cleanse.

    My Final Thoughts on Isagenix
    Well after everything I did not lose any significant weight, maybe 5 lb's but what else would you expect from not eating for a week? That and my weight usually varies 5-10 lbs any given week. No I was not perfect in following the Cleanse exactly, but I followed it pretty damn close to receive no results like I did. I will not forgo another cleanse, my wife is thinking about it but very hesitant after my results.

    Isagenix conned me out of $400 easily with their whole elaborate pyramid scheme. I am just sad I believed in Isagenix so blindly. I now realize that the only way to truly lose weight is to eat better and exercise. There is no quick fix solution like everyone wants. I know I want a quick fix bad, which it could be seen or else I would not have spent $400 on this product that did not work for me.

    One good thing did come out of Isagenix, I realized that I am in control of my body and that all I have to do is put my mind to anything and I can do it. I hope to use that as a huge motivator to get healthy and fit for the Summer of 2007 with real exercise and smart eating habits. I am going to be trying out a site called Sparkspeople.com I do not link to them only because I just started on it. Give me a month to post information and how the Sparks Diet is coming along.
    • 27 Comments
    Mood: neurotic
    KeyWords: isagenix, cleanse, day, 9-day, hoax, bad, horrible, hard, waste, money, time, complete, diary, journal, log

    frost Toledo, Ohio Neighborhood and Community Trash Problem Dec 4th, 2006 18:29 - Subscribe
    Toledo, Ohio Neighborhood and Community Trash Problem
    by FrosT

    Introduction
    A fellow member of Aeonity titled Neighbor Toledo, Ohio Blog as sparked this article entry. After viewing weeks and weeks worth of posts, it seems that no one is listening. Well I am going to help the cause by summarizing everything I have read on their blog and promote the city of Toledo, Ohio to clean up an obvious trash problem.

    Toledo, Ohio's Bus Stop Problem
    Currently in Toledo, Ohio there are many bus stops without trash cans. In return this causes many people to just throw their trash on the ground next to the bus stops in Toledo, Ohio. What are visitors suppose to think when they are touring the city of Toledo, Ohio and see trash everywhere? A simple trash can at the bus stop would clean up the surrounding bus area dramatically and make the city of Toledo, Ohio more presentable. As stated in the Bus stop trash spot light on these stops this week, Toledo Ohio, " I have written to the Solid Waste Department about most of these sites and it is really frustrating to report them time and time again. Sure, I could just forget about it, but this is where I live…" Obviously they care about the city of Toledo, Ohio where they reside. Why is the city of Toledo, Ohio not taking any actions to help their city become cleaner?

    Toledo, Ohio's Alley Way Problems
    In Toledo, Ohio Alley way's are becoming filled with people's trash, which just like the bust stop issue, does not help the morale of the city of Toledo, Ohio. Without stricter rules and consequences in place people will continue to be lazy and make the city of Toledo, Ohio look like a trash dump. After reading the Toledo, Ohio Blog titled What is the use of the trash rules, In Toledo Ohio, when they are not enforced? personally I would not want to visit a city, like Toledo, Ohio, that cannot control their own trash problem. When will the city of Toledo, Ohio take the matters away from the concerned citizens and start to clean up their city?

    Toledo, Ohio's Park Problems
    In the Polonia Park off of Dexter in Toledo, Ohio, as reported by Neighbor of the Toledo, Ohio Blog, the park as seen in the entry titled More spotlight images of trash and alley messes in the Pride Filled City of Toledo, Ohio is obviously very trashy which in return makes members of the community not want to go outside and play with their children at the park for the fear of what they may come across. Why does the city not enforce an Anti-Littering law with a fine attached to anyone caught throwing trash? Why not provide the residents of the community of Toledo, Ohio with trash cans to help prevent such catastrophes from happening?

    Ending Notes
    As a final note this blog is to help a concerned community member of Toledo, Ohio, who obviously is trying as hard as they can to bring a clean city to the dirty city of Toledo, Ohio. If you are concerned about current status of the city of Toledo, Ohio, help out Neighbor of the Toledo, Ohio Blog, and write an email of concern, linking to this blog if you must, to mayor.toledo@toledo.oh.gov regarding the un-clean status of the city. And ask the Mayor of Toledo, Ohio, why does he not help the community by helping making the city of Toledo, Ohio a clean and enjoyable city?

    Resources
    mayor.toledo@toledo.oh.gov - Mayor of Toledo, Ohio's Email.
    Toledo, Ohio Blog
    3 Comments
    Mood: glum
    KeyWords: toledo, ohio, trash, city, community, neighbor, dirty, un-clean, alley, park, bus, stop, cans

    frost Reliable Denver Colorado Mortgage Broker Nov 29th, 2006 10:53 - Subscribe
    Reliable Denver Colorado Mortgage Broker
    by FrosT

    Introduction
    Recently Lyndsey and I bought our first home. In doing this we faced many new faces and talked with many people. Out of everyone that helped us through this process it would not have been nearly as painless if we did not have the help of Rod Shuster from Clarion Mortgage Company.

    Finding a Reliable Mortgage Broker in Colorado
    When we started with our home buying process I did not know where to even start looking for a reliable and honest mortgage broker. In light I took of by googling many keywords without any success. Finally when I was talking with my Brother-in-law, Leif, he told me of Rod Shuster, which we helped him out by installing his security system. He gave Rod a call and gave me his number. Rod was more than happy to help me out and was always upfront and honest. Lucky for me I received this lucky break through my brother-in-law which meant I did not have to go with a person whom I could not trust to be honest with me.


    Colorado Mortgage Broker
    Rod is a mortgage broker located in Colorado. Rod, a Colorado Mortgage Broker, strictly works off of referrals, which also shows me that he would not try to scam anyone like so many other people have been scammed. If he did, than obviously Rod would not be in business for very long. Whether you live in Lakewood, Denver, Littleton or other many cities in Colorado, Rod, a Reliable Colorado Mortgage Broker, can help you through the painstaking process of purchasing a home. Along with being very reliable Rod was more than willing to explain any part of the mortgage that we had questions on and even gave us great tips about buying a house that we would not have known to do otherwise. For example when drafting up the contract Rod suggested that we higher a Real Estate Broker just for the paper work. A very wise suggestion which the seller, Lyndsey and I all agreed that would be better in the long run. In return to providing us with a mortgage he also made sure that Lyndsey and I would not get taken advantage of or end up kicking ourselves in the butt over the contract not being drafted up correctly.

    Rod Shuster, Reliable Colorado Mortgage Broker
    Rod Shuster, has proven to Lyndsey and I that Rod is a very reliable and trustworthy mortgage broker for the Colorado area. Through his knowledge and his actions we will definitely contact Rod Shuster, a reliable Colorado mortgage broker, for any more our home buying ventures. If you are looking for a great and reliable Colorado Mortgage Broker, I would highly recommend Rodney Shuster. Just give him a call at (303) 660-4210 or shoot him an email rod [-@-] shusterinc [-dot-] com. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed with Rod Shuster, a Reliable Colorado Mortgage Broker.

    Ending Notes
    While Lyndsey and I were at the closing yesterday signing the paperwork the lady from Security Title and Kevin White, our Real Estate broker, both made a very high statement about Rod Shuster and the way he works. Kevin stated that Rod kept him in the loop every step of the process and he was never in the dark on any part of our mortgage process. The lady from Security Title agreed and said she did not even doubt that the paperwork would be there on time and properly filled out. After all of this Lyndsey and I are very appreciative of Rod Shuster, a Reliable Colorado Mortgage Broker, for being the person he is and being upfront and honest with us every step of the way. Thank you Rod Shuster.

    Note:
    If you would like to talk with me about Rod Shuster feel free to call me at (720) 984-9780 (Jim Worthen)

    Resources
    Rodney Shuster
    rod [-@-] shusterinc [-dot-] com
    (303) 660-4210
    Reliable Colorado Mortgage Broker

    Related Articles
    Buying Our First Home in Lakewood CO
    Safehome Inspections - Quality Home Inspections in Denver CO
    1 Comments
    Mood: electric
    KeyWords: reliable, mortgage, broker, colorado, denver, lakewood, rod, shuster, clarion, broker, buying, first, home, honest, trustworthy

    frost Tracking Traffic to a Specific Link Nov 21st, 2006 13:45 - Subscribe
    Tracking Traffic to a Specific Link
    by FrosT

    Introduction
    My very first PHP script was dedicated to logging how many times a specific link has been clicked. The first version of the script the stats were logged to a flat file (text file located on the server) to avoid the need of MySQL. The LinkScript code will not immediately be available, but I will post it here in the future. Let's start with the history of LinkScript.

    History of LinkScript
    The first LinkScript was developed as a tool to count how many people have clicked on a specific link. The simplicity of this initial script allowed for all the data to be stored in a flat file on the server. This eliminated the need of MySQL for those uses that did not have access to a MySQL database on their server. The initial script would open the file, grab the line that is being accessed parse the data update the counter and than write all the lines back into the file with the newly updated count. This strategy shows a few problems, namely was errors would often be thrown due to write access and sometimes data would be over written.

    At this point I had learned MySQL in and out and was able to tie LinkScript into a MySQL database. Although the original version of parsing a text file is still accessible, the flat file is not ideal. Incorporating a MySQL database allowed room for a lot of expansion. The expansions included, anti-hotlink options, extra statistics, including referrers and IP addresses of users clicking the link. The script was fairly simple, whenever there was a link you wanted to track you simply added the link to the database, and than the database would provide you with a URL to use to track the link. On that note let's get into the logistics of LinkScript.

    Logistics of LinkScript
    Tracking links can prove to be a difficult task, but one well worth it if you want to find out how popular a link is. The steps for the LinkScript would be as follows; add a link to the database, including name, description and the actual link URL. From this information the script would store that data in the database and return you the URL to use to track the link. This URL originally was in the form of linkScript.php?linkID=3. This may be changed for ease of use by adding a track back name so instead of linkID=3 it would be link=tack-back-name. Now when a user clicked on that link they would be re-directed to the file and or link that was requested. If the link indeed was a file, the PHP script knew that and if the anti-hotlink option was on for that link it would check the referrer and verify that the user came from the website. If they did not come from the website, or it looked like headers were modified they would be denied the file.

    Future Revision to LinkScript
    I have been working on future revisions for the LinkScript which include optimizing the database and the code and incorporate Object Oriented Programming into the script. Also a factor that may be looked into is making the actual links SEO friendly and figuring out if writing that would be worth the effort. In essence the URL would from linkScript.php?linkID=3 to /link-script/file-track-back-name.ext I am not sure if that would prove to be worth the effort but is definitely something to look into for the next revision.

    Ending Notes
    As of right now the code is not available as I have not worked on this script in a few years. I am currently looking into that code and doing many revisions and some optimization of the script and once that has been completed expect to see the script available under the resources section.

    Resources
    PHP.net
    0 Comments
    Mood: starstruck
    KeyWords: tracking, count, counter, traffic, link, script, linkscript, mysql, database, text, file, write, free, code, optimized, click

    frost Add Free Movie Listing and Reviews for your Website Nov 2nd, 2006 10:17 - Subscribe
    Add Free Movie Listing and Reviews for your Website
    by FrosT

    UPDATE
    Please read EMovies Will no Longer be Supported

    The code below is free, but no longer works.


    Introduction
    Emocium and Aeonity bring you code that was just released as Open Source. EMovies Movie Listings and Reviews v3 has been in the making for 3 years and was once sold for a price of $150. We are giving you this code for free. Since I am the author of the code I can release EMovies Movie Listings and Reviews v3 to the public. Read on for some insight into EMovies Movie Listings and Reviews and how it all works. Remember PHP and Apache is required for EMovies to run.

    Webfetch Scripting
    What is a webfetch you ask? A webfetch is a script that reads a webpage of another site off your server and grabs that content for manipulation by a certain script. EMovies Movie Listings and Reviews is simply a webfetch script that uses the Yahoo Movie Listings page to pull its results. Due to this fact the more popular the script gets on your server the higher risk of Yahoo blocking your IP. At a later time I may cook up a scheme to cache results. If someone else feels prompted to create a cache for this script, which would be awesome. If the results were cached and re-cached about every day or maybe even every Tuesday this would significantly reduce the requests to Yahoo which decreases the risk of your IP address getting blocked by Yahoo's Servers.

    Does Yahoo Know?
    As far as I know Yahoo does not know. I alerted them once before I started selling the script and had an Email stating we had the authority to sell it. Since than I lost that email and because of that selling the script is no longer a viable option due to legal reasons. I will not take any responsibility for actions taken against you from Yahoo. Use at your own risk.

    EMovies Revision Histrory
    When EMovies Movie Listings and Reviews first started out it was running a template system I created. This template system was not powerful enough and very hard to code. The code for EMovies Movie Listings and Reviews was also straight parse code, no functions or classes anywhere. Later on after I learned Object Oriented Programming, I implemented EMovies Movie Listings and Reviews to run off OOP. This significantly increased the speed and efficiency of EMovies Movie Listings and Reviews. At the same time OOP was incorporated into EMovies Movie Listings and Reviews I created a Search Engine Friendly script for Search Engine Optimization.

    Currently the script provided is the SEO version of the script. This SEO version is not the same version that was deployed on Emocium.com due to a few reasons. After 1 month of the SEO script being implemented we ranked #1 on Google.com and Yahoo.com for any time of movie listing search. A person could find "Denver Movie Listings" and we would pull up #1 over any other results. We were averaging 15,000 hits a day. Well about a week after we hit this high volume of users Yahoo blocked our IP for a month. After that I figured it was not worth the risk to be banned permanently from Yahoo.com. Thus I trashed the original SEO script.

    Note the current script is optimized, just not as hardcore as the older version. Once that happened I chose to revamp the script again using a new template system. The Easy Template System (ETS), in hope to provide an easier means of modifying the EMovies Movie Listings and Reviews templates. Remember if you need help with a template search Google.com for the Easy Template System. After the new template engine was released a few copies were sold and than EMovies Movie Listings and Reviews was left un-maintained. This was about a year ago. Since than I fixed the script to work and decided to release it to the general public.

    What is Asked of Me for Using EMovies Script?
    All I will ever ask of anyone who uses my EMovies Movie Listings and Reviews is to link back to Emocium.com on the site that uses EMovies Movie Listings and Reviews, or leave the Powered By information intact.

    Ending Notes
    The EMovies Movie Listings and Reviews script has worked for a long time. Anyone who knows how to code should be able to fix any problem arises. If not please contact me at frost [-at-] aeonity [-dot-] com and I can look into the issue. Please do not mis-use my EMovies Movie Listings and Reviews and remember to be courteous and link back to Emocium.com. That is all I ask for a script that cost many people $150 a year and a half ago. I do accept donations, if you would like to donate please use the button below under resources. Thank you.

    UPDATE
    V3.2 - Fixed movie times not displaying properly and added a new feature in config.php that will allow a user to set a specific zipcode to always display. If this variable is set to false it allows the user to choose the zipcode. Files update: emovfunc.php, process.php and config.php

    Resources

    EMovies - Movie Listings and Reviews v3.1 Download
    EMovies - Movie Listings and Reviews v3.2 Download
    PHPClasses.org
    Emocium.com

    Examples
    InsideHighlandsRanch.com
    22 Comments
    Mood: indescribable
    KeyWords: emovies, movies, listings, reviews, free, add, website, emocium, free listings, free reviews

    frost Cache Basics Using PHP and Apache Oct 30th, 2006 18:45 - Subscribe
    Cache Basics Using PHP and Apache
    by FrosT

    Introduction
    Working on a new project I found a need to use caching. After searching the internet and asking a few questions on different forums I was able to get a handle on how to properly cache a document using PHP and Apache. Not only will I provide you with document information but the code to a Cache class that I created. Onto the explanation!

    Why Cache Files with PHP and Apache?
    As most people know caching is not always the best option. You have to ask yourself this questions first, "How dynamic is my content?" If your answer is extremely dynamic, chances are Caching is not for you, at least not in its entirety. Certain pages or files you may not want cached at all, that is perfectly fine. Other files it may make perfect sense to cache them. For example if you have a header and a footer inside PHP files and your header and footer files never change, those can easily be cached without caching the main part of the document. What will caching the header and footer do for you? This would mean less load time for the main page for the user. The only content that has to be generated is the main content. As appose to if the header and footer are not cached every time a call is made for that particular page the header and footer is re-created. This will increase the load time and decrease the pull on your server.

    Why Not Cache Files using PHP and Apache?
    As stated before some people caching is not a viable option. Meaning their content that is generated is small enough that it would not matter. Or the amount of incoming traffic to their website is not enough to make a difference. A lot of times people will say that it would take too much effort to cache their current site without much of a benefit. This may be true and if that is the case I would say caching is not for you. However if you even think that caching files would help, there is no harm is trying.

    The Caching Process with PHP and Apache
    The caching process using PHP and Apache is extremely easy. For some people there is a lot of confusion, which hopefully will be avoided using the class I provided. PHP uses a few functions include ob_start() which is designed to capture output before it is displayed on the users screen. The ob functions are very handy when attempting to cache file because you can have any page, whether it be your site or off site captured and cached. Basically what happens is you get all the data you need to display the page, than you call the ob_start() function. As this is happening you print out the entire page just like if you were displaying that page. Once that is completed you call the ob_get_contents() and than ob_end_clean() function which will say "Ok do not capture any more data being output." From here you have the entire page in a string from the ob_get_contents(). Now that we have the whole page in a string we can choose to start that in a text file or in a database.

    If you prefer to have all your cached files in a text file than you just use the fopen() and fwrite() functions to do so. If you are like
    me and hate having to manage text files etc another viable option is to store the cache in a database. I prefer the database as appose to a text file because a database is much easier to manipulate for me. That is just my preference. Once you have that file cached and stored the process is over, unless you want to take this a step further (which I know you do).

    Caching with gZip, PHP and Apache
    Since we are already caching the page, let's also make it smaller for storage. This is done using a remarkable function called gZip. gZip basically takes a file and reduces the size. For example at a compression level of 3 (1-9 9 being highest compression) a 48KB file is reduced to 18KB. That is a significant amount of spaced saved. I stated the compression of 3 because using that level gives you plenty of compressions without the heavy load to the server. A level 9 compression uses a lot of system resources to complete. For most people's use a level 3 compression will be sufficient. Lucky for you I included in my Cache class the gZip compression. This will automatically compress any page you cache to gZip format. When retrieving the page for displaying purposes, if the user's browser does not support the gZip format it will unzip the content and display it normally, no functionality will be lost.

    Why use gZip as a part of Caching?
    After a page is cached the time to load that page is significantly reduced. If you take this process a step further and gZip that page before sending it to the browser the time is again significantly reduced to view that file. As long as the user's browser supports the gZip compression there is no reason to be sending them a 100KB file when it can be 25KB. This will reduce the bandwidth that your site is putting out and increase the speed on the end-user's side. gZip is a major plus no matter how you look at it. With the only issue being if the user's browser does not support gZip all you have to do is code for that. As I stated before I have done this for you already. Using the class I created you will not have to worry about that logic and how to get working correctly.

    Ending Notes
    Caching with PHP and Apache is an excellent idea for almost any web developer. This will provide you with amazing speeds, lower server strain and less bandwidth used. With the use of gZip everything stated before is increased. The gZip functionality is one that is widely available but not used due to lack of information to developers. That is what I hope to change. The advantages of using gZip are clear cut without any disadvantages. I hope this guide helps you.

    Resources:
    http://www.emocium.com/files/clCache.phps
    9 Comments
    Mood: astonished
    KeyWords: cache, gzip, zip, php, apache, programming, program, basics, howto, code, file, class, speed, efficiency, server, decrease, load, increase

    frost McDonalds Monopoly Game - Who Needs Railroads Oct 20th, 2006 11:47 - Subscribe

    McDonalds Monopoly Game - Who Needs Railroads
    by FrosT

    UPDATE
    As of right now I have Pennsylvania and B&O Railroad. I also have a person who says they have Reading Railroad. If you have Shortline please contact me. This is being done in the US, I am not sure of international rules but yea. Shortline is still a key peice. Thanks everyone for the great response!

    Introduction
    I recently visited a McDonalds, not my greatest move as I almost got sick, but I found the Monopoly game was on going. Well this new variation of the game advertises, "Get 5 Rail Roads and win 5 Million Dollars". After peeling back my playing stamps I found I had the B&O Railroad. I hate McDonalds and that is the reason why I am creating this post! Read on for details.

    Let's Get Together
    I figured that why let McDonalds get away with $5 million dollars? If I have one peice and 4 other people have the other Railroads required, lets split that money. I do not have a problem with that at all. I am making a call out to anyone who has a McDonald RailRoad who wants to get together and attempt to win $1 and a 1/4 million dollars. As of right now we will need Reading Railroad, Pennsylvania Railroad and Short Line Railroad. If you are interested in this offer I am making please email me at frost [-at-] aeonity [-dot-] com for details. I am good to my word as I will always be.

    What Railroads Do You Have?
    What Railroads do you have, please contact me as you already know my card. I have the B&O RailRoad and need Reading Railrod, Pennsylvania Railroad and Short Line Railroad for the McDonalds Monopoly Game. If you want to attempt to get $1 and a 1/4 million dollars with me contact me at frost [-at-] aeonity [-dot-] com. Note: if you possess 2 of these magic Railroads, your pot increases. Like I said EMail me for details.

    Ending Notes
    I know this is a long shot blog, but hopefully someone out there shares the same interest as me. If you do contact me and we can discuss details on the Monopoly Game $5 million dollar Railroad prize! Thanks!
    18 Comments
    Mood: introspective
    KeyWords: mcdonalds, railroad, b&o, pennsylvania, reading, shortline, short, line, game, prize, split, collect, 5million, monopoly, game

    frost John Madden NFL 2006 for Xbox Gaming System Oct 16th, 2006 11:46 - Subscribe
    John Madden NFL 2006 for Xbox Gaming System
    by FrosT

    Introduction
    Madden NFL 2006 has become more mature in its older age. From Madden NFL 2002 for Xbox to Madden NFL 2006 the changes are huge. Along with a new way to pass, crisper and smoother graphics the play factor has dramatically increased. Let’s take a more in-depth look at Madden NFL 2006.

    New Passing Precision Feature
    In Madden NFL 2006 they implemented a new Passing Precision feature which allows you to single out the receive you want to throw it to. Having this feature in the game means more accurate and more realistic passing plays. The nice item about the Precision passing in Madden NFL 2006 is that you can switch receivers on the fly, no more guessing who or where the pass is going. You can now accurately know and throw the ball to any receiver.

    The main downside to the passing precision is with 2-player mode it can be difficult to hide where the ball is going after you hike it unless you are really good at switching to different receivers. The key to 2-player mode with Passing Precision on Madden NFL 2006 is to do the generic “R+A” button which does not designate a receiver straight of the hike. This way you can wait till the receiver are down field and than switch to the receiver you want o throw it to. After all is said and done the Passing Precision feature was a great addition to Madden NFL 2006.

    Smoother Game Play
    Perhaps my favorite part about Madden NFL 2006 as appose to Madden NFL 2002 is the graphics. In Madden NFL 2002 it takes about 5 seconds to tackle someone, if you can tackle them. In Madden NFL 2006, the tackles are more realistic and easier to come by. You hardly see a huge rushing play where the guy breaks 10 tackles and scores a touchdown. Also each player’s speed is realistic to their stats. For example, on Defense with the Broncos Champ Bailey can school just about any receiver and make the tackle. Where as John Lynch can get beat out if he was not in front of the receiver. With the crisper graphics which make for a smoother game play, Madden NFL 2006 went forward instead of going backwards from Madden NFL 2002.

    Cost Compared to Madden NFL 2007
    Madden NFL 2002 was one of the earlier NFL games for Xbox and its generation of gaming systems. This made room for improvement. Madden NFL 2006 was a good choice for an NFL Game to buy for many reasons, it will not have any of the bugs Madden NFL 2007 will have, it was at a milestone for new features and was only $10 from EBGames.com. Buying Madden 2006 Used from EBGames was a much better choice than buying Madden 2007 new for $49.99. Madden 2006 works just as good for $10 as I bet it would for $49.99.

    Ending Notes
    Madden NFL 2006 made for a fun game of Football on the Xbox. I would highly recommend Madden NFL 2006 to anyone especially if you are still playing Madden NFL 2002, like I was. Madden NFL 2006 has come so far since Madden NFL 2002 that it was totally worth the $10 to buy. What are you waiting for go to your nearest gaming store and pickup a copy of Madden NFL 2006 for Xbox, you will not be dissatisfied.
    1 Comments
    Mood: discombobulated
    KeyWords: madden, nfl, 2006, 2002, game, play, passing, smooth, graphics, fun, cheap, used, features, review

    frost Tv Series Become Redundant after 4th Season Oct 13th, 2006 14:00 - Subscribe
    Tv Series Become Redundant after 4th season
    by FrosT

    Introduction
    Last night I was contemplating about watching Smallville, a Television series that is on their 6th season. While I was contemplating this I realized I no longer have the urge to watch Smallville anymore. Why you ask? Well read on for an in-depth explanation.

    Smallville, Redundant
    Smallville has become extremely redundant. Every show the same situations happen, Clark has a weird run in with Lana. Chloe magically hacks into a system and gives Clark information which ultimately leads to Clark almost dieing than magically recovering and ending up saving the day. He never fly’s although he has the ability and never does anything different. This has been happening since Season 1 of the show, with a few minor twists but nothing to keep me interested.

    Basically what will end up happening is it goes on for a few more seasons slowly losing people who have lost complete interest and than ending up vanishing with it being a vague memory in people. I doubt anyone will ever want to talk about this show again, just like Louis and Clark back in 1995 (do not quote me on that year). Why do Television series have to become redundant so early in their life. Oh well I guess.

    The O.C.
    I watched this television series through the 4th season. Again same story redundancy is the key. It turned out to be a huge soap opera although grant it that is how the show started The O.C. became redundant around the 4th season. That is when you found out the boy Ryan from Chino was never going to be with Marissa from The O.C. who became a raging alcoholic. Seth was with Summer till he screwed it up and from there I stopped watching. Eventually Ryan would probably hook back up with Marissa just to break up again and Summer would take Seth back just so Seth or Summer could mess things up and break it off again. Seems like an endless loop to a horrible horror movie like The Ring. Can writers really not see this coming?

    7th Heaven, Just Plain Sucks
    I cannot think of a show that prolonged the inevitable for so long. I watched this show in the first 3 seasons before I was bored with it. After that everything just got retarded. I cannot believe they have gone on for more than 9 seasons. I honestly forgot about it after tat 3rd season until I met my wife who still watches that show. I was really amazed to find that out. I watched 1 episode with her and after the first 5 minutes realized it turned into a Soap Opera that I used to watch during the day. He was sleeping with her she’s sleeping with him but who’s sleeping with them, BS. No thank you, I hate daytime television, actually I hate television period except for NFL, which I can barely stand to watch due to commercials.

    The Shield
    Here was a very promising show; it had everything going for it. I have just got done seeing the 3rd season and starting the 4th there seems to be too many technicalities put into it. He knocked her up, she is screwing up the deal, she died and it’s his fault. All I want to see are the officers being bad asses and take down criminals without any fear and without any merit. But now they had to turn it into a Soap Opera also. That is the common theme with Television series after the 3rd or 4th season. Soap Opera time! I hate soap operas but every Television series I watch eventually turns into it.

    24 (Twenty-Four)
    24 is a great series, I do not know how they managed 4 seasons, but I hope the 4th was the last. The need to end on a good note; this dramatic Television series kept me interested with a few technicalities that helped the show move along, not killed it. However if they do venture to the 5th season I am afraid the inevitable will happen, Soap Opera mania. I hope Kiefer Sutherland, who plays Jack Bauer and the Fox Network realize this before it is too late for 24 and it goes down the tube like the other Television shows stated above.

    Seinfield - Classic
    Seinfield was a Television series with a unique twist on it. Do not have a point to any of the shows. With that twist there were no technicalities. Every episode was unique and was hilarious. The day Seinfield stopped airing was a sad day in-deed. A decent show that should have lived longer died. Although it died they went out with a bang and ended it uniquely also. Who would have thought that they would all end up in jail for their crimes! Seinfield is a prime example of how a show should live its life. Do not add too many technicalities and let it breathe. They eventually add too much into the show it changes the whole aspect of the series.

    Cartoons Live Longer Television Lifes
    Now grant it regular television shows have a lifespan of about 4 to 5 seasons. Cartoon television series, if done correctly, have a much longer life span. South Park has been going on for 10 seasons and with their newest episodes hope was brought back. Their latest involving the World of Warcraft was hilarious. Particularly to me, although I do not play WoW I do play games online and I can picture that happening in that game.

    The Simpsons are going on their 17th season. They should of stopped at Season 13. That is when the Simpsons really became redundant and boring. I can actually name 2 episodes that used the same punch line to a joke. That is not right. Although I watch them every now and than and will definitely watch the new Tree House of Horror that mistake cost them a loyal viewer.

    Finally the Flinstones, although I cannot recall how many seasons they went through but it was a lot. This cartoon series is still considered classic to this day and I believe is still renowned for the longest lasting cartoon series. Way to stay original Flinstones.

    Ending Notes
    There was never really a point to prove other than Television series become very redundant after so many seasons. The real question is why do the majority of television series end up the same in the end? I wish I had an answer but I do not. Have fun contemplating this new information!
    2 Comments
    Mood: constipated
    KeyWords: tv, television, season, series, smallville, 24, oc, redundant, old, boring, simpsons, southpark, shield

    frost The Secret to Fast Torrent Downloading Sep 29th, 2006 13:58 - Subscribe
    The Secret to Fast Torrent Downloading
    by FrosT

    This article is pretty old and outdated. Leaving it up for nostalgia reasons. Comments have been disabled on it, given the dated material.

    Introduction
    After a recent format of my computer I installed UTorrent a Bit-Torrent software package that is very light weight and works extremely well. I found out that my download speeds were extremely slow. 10KB/sec on average! Well I love to seed after I have downloaded the whole package and this has worked well for me in the past. Now that the computer was formatted and all my settings were wiped out my speeds were crap. I will describe the steps I took to go from a speed of 10KB/sec to a speed of 300KB/sec on average. Remember this is all speculation from what I noticed; I do not have any proof that any statements said here will make your speed increase. It worked for me and logically from that I will make the statements. First things first, make sure your network settings and ports etc are all correct, I will not re-invent the wheel here and tell you how to do that. Google provides lot's of great tutorials on how to setup different Bit-Torrent clients.

    Seed, Seed, Seed
    The key to getting awesome download speeds is seeding. From the looks of it UTorrent may have an internal credit system. I could be wrong, but from my extensive downloading research it seems as though there is a Credit system internally built into UTorrent. What is a Credit system you ask? Well a Credit system means that there is a record being kept at how much you download to how much you upload. A general rule is for every megabyte you download, you should at least upload 1.5 megabytes. This will get you a ratio of 1.5 which is ideal for most downloader's and uploaders.

    Having a good ratio helps boost your speeds dramatically. Remember after a torrent has finished please seed till at least a 1.5 ratio. This will help out the whole Bit-Torrent community. Do not be a jerk.

    Downloading the File First, Seeding Later
    Back to my scenario, I love to download the file first and seed later. I used to set my upload speeds to 2KB/sec so I could accomplish this. I have a cable connection of 3MBps down and 40KB/sec up. The more upload speed I use the slower I can download. This is probably the case for most people. How do you get around this little mishap? Here is how, when you first start the torrent, make sure your upload speed is above 20KB/sec. Let this setting stay for at least an hour. Once your ratio has reached something above a 1.0, lower your upload to speed to 8KB/sec or above. I recommend 10KB/sec. This will show UTorrent and the tracker that you are a good seeder and from that they will send more bandwidth your way. Give it another hour and check on the torrent, your speeds should have dramatically increased. If not chances are the torrent is either not a very popular torrent, I am completely wrong or my testing was just a spoof.

    Seeding Later
    Remember to seed after the torrent file has finished. Seeding is how Bit-Torrents are kept alive. You were able to download the torrent because someone else was seeding it for you. Remember that! It is not just a take, but a give take community. You give back 1.5 times what you take. My suggestion is after you downloaded 3 torrent files, open those torrent files up for a single night at your highest upload rate. Once you hit a 1.5 ratio or above stop the torrents and you are finished. Than repeat the process for your next 3 torrent downloads. This way you can have the full file quickly and give back to the community at the same time when your internet connection is generally idle.

    Ending Notes
    Be a good seeder and leecher. Do not just take. Give back to the torrent community what they give to you. Without that Bit-Torrent will not survive and end up in the gutter. Seeding is the key to using Bit-Torrents. Hopefully the steps outlined here to improve your torrent downloading speed will inspire you to seed more and be known to trackers as a great seeder and be able to get any file you want in no time. I just downloaded a 4.7 GB file in less than 12 hours on a Cable at 3 mbps (note the date on the blog) connection. That is proof enough for me that this works.

    Related Articles
    uTorrent: Free Bit Torrent Program and Software
    Bit Torrent Peer to Peer Files and Software Definition
    Proper Router Settings
    205 Comments
    Mood: torrent
    KeyWords: bit, torrent, bit-torrent, bittorrent, leech, seed, leecher, seeder, speed, increase, tip, fast, faster, download, downloading, utorrent, azerus, increase, speed

    frost Howto: Disable Windows Security Center Balloon Warning Sep 28th, 2006 11:26 - Subscribe
    Howto: Disable Windows Security Center Balloon Warning
    by FrosT

    Introduction
    Do you ever get annoyed with the Windows Security Center Pop-Up telling you that you are not protected because you do not have any Anti-Virus Software, or Automatic Updates is turned off? Well so was I. That is why I searched the internet for the answer and I finally found it. In light of that here are detailed instructions on how to disable those Balloon hint tips from the Windows Security Center.

    Removing Annoying Balloon Pop-Up
    In order to remove the annoying balloon pop-up from windows security center we need to follow these steps exactly. Click on the Windows Start button. Next click on either Programs or All Programs and from there click on Accessories and than to System Tools. Click on Security Center which should pull up the Windows Security Center window which shows the Anti-Virus, Windows Update and Windows Firewall.

    Look to the left hand side, you will see a Resources pane. Once you find the Resource pane in the Windows Security Center window click on the "Change the way Security Center alerts me." A Window will appear with multiple check boxes which allow you to choose what you want to be alerted on. My personal setting is un-checking all, Windows Firewall, Anti-Virus and Windows Update. If you leave any of these boxes checked Windows Security Center will alert you if you disable that item. For example, if I do not un-check Windows Firewall, and I find out that my Router has a built in firewall that works 100times better than Windows Firewall ever will and I decide that I do not need that on, the second I turn off Windows Firewall a red security shield will come up on my taskbar displaying a balloon hint that states something like I am un-protected and click here to protect yourself.

    Following those simple steps you can choose what to be notified on and what not to be notified on.

    Ending Notes
    I hate Windows telling me what to do. I am glad Windows Security Center has the option to disable these alerts, as the Security Center alerts annoy me. Whether you want to choose to have it alert you for one item instead of 3 this tutorial should help you accomplish your goal of being less annoying by Windows Security Center.

    Edit
    It is for Windows XP, (all versions). If you do not have Security Center in your System Tools folder, check under Start -> Control Panel (or Start -> My Computer -> Control Panel) and Security Center should be there.

    Related Article:
    Remove Automatic Restart After Windows Updates
    169 Comments
    Mood: disgusted
    KeyWords: windows, security, center, windows security center, firewall, windows firewall, anti-virus, update, windows update, balloon, shield, red, red shield, disable

    frost Safehome Inspection - Quality Home Inspections in Denver Colorado Sep 22nd, 2006 12:43 - Subscribe
    Safehome Inspection - Quality Home Inspections in Denver Colorado
    by FrosT

    Introduction
    Well we are in the midst of buying a house and with a contract in place it was time to do a Home Inspection to make sure there were no hidden hazards in the house that should be taken care of before we purchase the house. Well Tony Siegert of Safehome Inspections performed our home inspection, well the results were better than anticipated.

    Initial Greeting
    When Tony arrived he provided us with a packet including a survey to fill out after the inspection, candy, and mold/radon information packets. After the introductions had taken place Tony, Lyndsey and I ventured into the house to get started on the Home Inspection performed by Safehome Inspections. Tony took the time to explain the process he generally goes through when doing an inspection and gave us a detailed background of his experience and his love for the job of inspecting homes. Tony Siegert has 3 years of Home Inspections under his belt plus 8 or so years of doing remodeling/contract work on homes.

    The 8 years of remodeling gives him more credibility as he can honestly tell you items that need to be fixed and the difficulty level/seriousness of the flaw in the house. While giving building tips throughout the inspection Tony did not hesitate to thoroughly explain and answer any and all questions we provided him with. Well after that initial discussion we started with the 2nd level floor.

    2nd Level Floor
    The 2nd level floor of our new house is very important as that is the main living space where our office and the master bedroom will reside. Tony first went through all the bedrooms briefly looking for cracks and other such hazards. On the good side no major cracking had happened on the upstairs floor. Although there was a fire hazard with a light fixture in the closets, he explained the hazard and told us three separate solutions that would solve that hazard, keeping our options open. After going through each bedroom briefly we ventured into the attic. I went up there with Tony and he pointed out that there was no mold, which means the roof is in good standing condition and is not leaking. Although we needed more insulation the attic looked great.

    Now that we know the roof and attic are in good condition with no mold or signs of leak we went back to each bedroom to take pictures and do a more thorough examination. Next he inspected the window seals and vents in each bedroom. The windows were aluminum which can be undesirable as they do not keep the cold out or heat in but they were reinforced with a storm window which tells us there is no need to replace the window seals.

    Now it is onto the bathrooms. The hall bathroom looked decent with the exception of needing caulking, the linoleum replaced and needing shutoff valves installed it looked fine. The master bathroom was another story. There was a lot of water damage due to the shower door not being closed, old gaskets for the toilet that need to be replaced, which is fine as those two bathrooms are back to back we are going to plan on tearing down the dividing wall and combining the two bathrooms to make one big master bathroom. Tony agreed that it would be best due to the extensive damage in the master bathroom from that shower. Well now that we thoroughly inspected the 2nd level of the home it was time to move to the main living area.

    Main Living Area
    Walking down the stairs it was noted that we needed to provide rail guards as there were spots without them above 36" tall. After that Tony walked around the living room inspecting the vents, windows and walls. The walls had minor cracking that are not of any real concern. One window had a small crack in it that will eventually need to be replaced. Other than those minor details the living area looked decent. Now it was onto the Main area bathroom.

    This bathroom actually had a shutoff valve which was good, but needed to be tightened as it was leaking anytime it was touched. After replacing the linoleum and doing a few touchups this bathroom will be in a good working condition. Now onto the Kitchen!

    The Kitchen needs quite a bit of work done. First of all it holds the washer and dryer, which is fine and up to code but Lyndsey and I would prefer them to be downstairs in an unfinished bedroom. The cabinets are in pretty bad shape and are broken, Tony suggested we go to a spot on Wadsworth and 70th (or 77th) where people give their old cabinets away and any profits made from that goes straight to habitat for humanity. I am glad he informed us about that as that may be able to save us a lot of money. Tony than inspected the sink and noted a few links and suggested a few changes that will make the sink work a lot better. The counter tops were good and are not in need of immediate action. The floor in the kitchen was tile which was broken up in a lot of places. We are planning on replacing that with hardwood floor anyhow and Tony noted that underneath the tiles the floor is very sturdy. Now onto the Patio!

    The Patio
    Tony inspected the Patio and pointed out a few changes that need to be made. First of all the swamp cooler (which we are going to get rid of) is blocking the power box which can be very dangerous. The next was the natural gas pipe that was put there for a grill/stove. It needs to be either mounted to the house or removed completely. I think we will just remove the pipe for now until we figure out what we want to do with the patio on the house. The fence looked in good working condition and the overhang looked structurally sound also. Although the dryer vent was very dirty everything else looked good.

    The Basement
    The basement will have the 2nd most work needed to be done aside from the kitchen. In the family room area the ceiling will need to be replaced as there was extensive water damage done at some point in time. That job should not be too much work just getting the drywall and cutting out the old drywall. Cables will need to be fished through the walls because I want them that way.

    The next room was the water heater/furnace. The water heater is brand new but had a pipe that was slanted which should be sticking straight down going into the drain, a potential safety hazard. The furnace needed to be cleaned and someone to come and set the settings for proper use as there was some scorching going on. There were no gas leaks which is a huge plus. Also the current door needs to be replaced with a door that was better ventilation for the furnace to work better.

    The bedroom in the basement was recently finished and looked great; there were no real flaws with this bedroom at all. The other "bedroom" is unfinished which is good because that will be the new laundry room. While in the furnace room Tony pointed out that the dryer vent was disconnected there, which needs to be replaced. The location of where the vent comes out is very ideal especially since Lyndsey and I want to move the washer and drying into that unfinished room. It will make that processes much easier. After showing us a few tips for when we move the washer and dryer down into the basement we moved onto the basement bathroom.

    The shower will need some work. One wall has extensive water damage and will need to be replaced. The flooring is good, it just needs to be cleaned up and have some caulking done. The shower door needs to be raised a few inches instead of being level with the ground. The sink and toilet looked fine and worked fine with the same theme and fixes as the other bathrooms.

    Ending Notes
    Tony Siegert from Safehome Inspections did an awesome job for our home inspection of our first home. Should we buy another home I will definitely contact Tony from Safehome Inspections to be the man to inspect our home. I highly recommend Tony because he is very passionate about his job and it really shows in the quality of the inspection. Thanks Tony for helping us be re-assured about our new Townhome.

    Safehome Inspection
    Tony's information:
    www.safehomeinspection.com
    info [-at-] safehomeinspection [-dot-] com
    Phone: (720) 939-8669
    0 Comments
    Mood: Safe
    KeyWords: safe, safehome, inspection, inspections, quality, assurance, affordable, tony, siegert, inspector, home, buying, selling, denver, colorado, review

    frost Buying Our First Home in Lakewood Colorado Sep 14th, 2006 12:26 - Subscribe
    Buying Our First Home
    by FrosT

    Introduction
    My wife and I are buying our first home. We wanted to purchase a home in January of 2007 but while at work a co-worker mentioned that they were selling a Town home for way under market value as she needed it sold by January of 2007. Well the deal was tremendous for the house. Here are the specifics on the house:

    -2,344 SQ Ft
    -4 Bed 3.5 Bath
    -Partial Finished Basement
    -3 Stories
    -Patio
    -3 Parking Slots

    The price she was asking for is $135,500. Around $40,000 under market value! Basically just by buying it we are making around $40,000. Now the house is in pretty bad condition right now. It needs all new carpeting, paint, cabinets, and some drywall repairs. Figuring it out, if we put around $5,000-$8,000 into the house the value appreciates a lot more. Hopefully we can put that money into the house and live in it for a year or two and than turn around and sell the house and make $40,000-$60,000 to put towards another house that is a little better but needs similar work. Do the same thing to that house and have a goal within 15 years to have enough money to completely buy a house with no mortgage payments.

    The location of the house is very close to where I work, which will also save us in gas money. Although the mortgage payment is quite high, we would rather live in this house than rent an apartment for another year. We hate apartments because the only people who live there are noisy college students who do not know what being courteous is.

    For those of you who are wondering the process we took once we found the house for us I will line it out right now:

    Step One
    First things first, we had to make sure we qualified for the house. We contacted a Mortgage Broker and gave him the low-down and what we were doing and wanting to do. He told me what paperwork we had to get him so he could run the credit check and find out what type of loan we had to do. We qualified for an FHA (Federal Housing Accommodations) which is a typical loan for first time home buyers. Now that we are approved for a $140,000 loan he went over how much we had to pay at closing. Basically we are writing the contract for $4,500 over the asking amount so that I do not have to pay any closing costs. The seller will pay for all closing costs with that extra $5,000 attached to the loan. Now the FHA loan requires us to put 3% of the total loan down on the house from our own pocket. That part we were not expecting, but that is alright. Out of pocket to close and finalize the house we are only paying $4,500. Better than what it would have been if we had a Real Estate broker and agent involved.

    Step Two
    The next step was to write up the contract. The lady who is selling the house has a friend who does Real Estate on the side. He said he would write up the contract for us. Well we are not to keen on this part so after we have the contract written up we are going to hire our own lawyer to look it over basically to just make sure all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed and make sure that there is not something in the contract that was over looked that will end up biting us in the butt. The contract is suppose to be done today and I am meeting with her friend who does Real Estate. Hopefully this goes over smooth without any confusion and minimal errors.

    Step Three
    We are not on this step, but after the contract has been signed I need to send it over to my mortgage broker so he can look over it and give it to the under-writers who will then qualify us officially for the loan. After this I am not sure where to go next other than the actual closing. If there are any extra steps I will be sure to create a new blog and link it here.

    Anyhow thanks for reading, any questions feel free to comment and I will answer them as best as I can. I will also post an email address for my mortgage broker, who we are very happy with in hopes to generate a little more business for him in the Denver, Lakewood and Jefferson County area.

    Rodney Shuster
    rod [-@-] shusterinc [-dot-] com
    Denver Colorado Mortgage Broker
    0 Comments
    Mood: Great.
    KeyWords: real, estate, home, buy, FHA, first, time, buyer, mortgage, broker, denver, colorado, lakewood, shusterinc, steps, howto, tips

    frost Back to PHP, Database and Web-based Programming Sep 7th, 2006 10:54 - Subscribe
    Back to PHP and Web-based Programming
    by FrosT

    Introduction
    Well due to certain circumstances I have decided to start programming again. If you or someone you know needs a program created please contact me at frost [-at-] aeonity [-dot-] com or david [-at-] aeonity [-dot-] com or using the Contact Form. Let's go into what I can do.

    Programming Background
    I started programming when I was 13 (currently 21). I am a self-taught individual who loves to think outside the box when it comes to a job. I have a 2-year associate's degree in computer programming. While taking all programming classes in college I received a 4.0 in every class, really I was smarter than the teacher so I opted out to just take online classes and never had to read any of the lessons.

    I can currently program PHP, Java, JavaScript, AJAX, ASP, ASP .NET, VB .NET, C#, C++ and just about any other language that gets thrown at me. PHP and JavaScript are the ones I am most fluent in.

    Database Integration
    Ever wanted a website where users can login and be notified of new services, discounts or pay their balance due? Well with my knowledge of database programming and the use of PHP this can be a very real solution to you. I love working with MySQL databases and creating database schemes. All my databases are created in the 3NF (3rd Normal Form) and created for highest optimization.

    Creating and working with a database has to be my favorite part about a project, if you get the database just right than everything else will fall into place.

    Object Oriented Programming (OOP)
    Object Oriented Programming can prove to be very efficient when coding to resolve errors and easily add/remove certain features that are wanted and needed. Coding in OOP or Object Oriented Programming has been very successful for me in creating fast and efficient websites, such as Aeonity.com and various other projects that I have done over the years. My standards for when I program are to make the code so if you decide to go with someone else to modify the code after the project is said and done anyone who knows OOP can easily step in and do whatever they need to do without having to shift through messy code.

    PHP Programming
    PHP Programming is definitely my favorite language to program in. With enough power and an open help directory at PHP.net it’s the most logical choice for programming on the web. I have created many different with PHP including web-fetching movie listings, blog websites, content management system, articles, and many others. Soon I will have an example of the movie listings web-fetched I created as it will be open source in a couple of days. Check back for a link on how to download that code, I guarantee it is worth a look.

    JavaScript Programming
    JavaScript programming ties right into AJAX. I love playing with AJAX as that idea came to me years ago and I could never figure out how to make a call back to the server without refreshing the page. AJAX has provided me with the functionality I have been wanting for a long time. Aeonity is currently using AJAX for certain parts of the website, such as the chatbox and online users. I am hoping to expand the AJAX functionality further for Latest Entries, Newest Users and hopefully in the aspect of creating a blog with automatically saving drafts in intervals for those little mis-haps that can happen.

    AJAX is paving the path for the future of web based programming and is setting a high standard. Google.com has implemented AJAX and made its name popular to many with its GMail and Google Maps technology. For truly dynamic content and less page reloads for the end user AJAX is the key.

    Ending Notes
    If anyone is interested I will bill on a project to project basis. Contact me through email or the contact form and I will talk with you and get a feel for what needs to be done and quote you my price for creating that project. I always get half down up front and than the other half after the project has finished.

    Come on; let's spruce up your website with database integration for your end-users. I guarantee that will love that functionality on your website.
    0 Comments
    Mood: happy-happy-joy-joy
    KeyWords: php, program, programming, database, ajax, php, sql, mysql, javascript, asp, vb, .net, oop, object, oriented, scripts, custom, code

    frost Form Real Time Data Checks Using AJAX Aug 31st, 2006 10:51 - Subscribe
    Form Real Time Data Checks Using AJAX
    by FrosT

    Introduction
    Filling out forms has always been a pain in the butt throughout the history of the internet. I always hated filling out a form to figure out when I hit the "submit" button I had an error and whoops! The form was erased. Than you beat your computer for 5 minutes and than go back to filling out the form hopefully right this time. Well I ask you this, why do a Postback to check data when you can check it as the user fills out the form.

    In this article I will be describing ways to use AJAX for error checking purposes and putting this technology of Javascript and XML to good use.

    What Needs to be Checked?
    Before we go anywhere we need to ask ourselves, what form fields need to be checked? We may want to check all fields, including optional, or we may want to just check the required and do nothing with the optional fields. First you need to figure out what needs to be checked before being entered into a DB. For example, a date field would probably need to be checked for correct formatting and making sure it is a valid date.

    Password Form Checking Logic
    Alright here is an example, in words, on how to setup a data check using AJAX on a Password input box. First we need all the AJAX code, too bad I will not provide any. Do research. I will provide logic, you must do the code. Sorry folks. After that there are many different ways to setup the check. If JavaScript is powerful enough for you to verify a password than hey that works, simply use the onkeypress event to check it every step of the way. If that will not due for many reasons here is how AJAX would help you out.

    Create the form with the password fields. Next apply the AJAX connect code. Now create a file and call it something like ajax_passwordchk.php. Inside this file will be your logic for checking a password. Now on the input box's for the password field do an onBlur. When they leave the text field the onBlur event will call up the javascript ajax and send the field data to the PHP file. The PHP file will do the checks you define and return a string, a value or something that you can than use to either alert the user that their password is too weak, or does not match the check password field and than send them back to the password box.

    Using this logic you can create a pretty cool little check. If you wanted to you could do the onkeypress that updates a label to the side of the password box that tells the user in real-time if the password is too weak, ok, strong, or very strong. If you really go out of your way you can even make suggestions right there given the password they entered. For instance if they used "toilet" you could suggest "t0!l3T" to beef up the password.

    Ending Notes
    There is the logic that can be used to create a real-time password check on a form using AJAX and PHP. I am sorry no code is provided, there are reasons I will not provide code on blogs, the main reason is my blog is not for showing off code that is what a website is for. Sorry folks, no free code from this blog. If you would like custom code feel free to contact me for a price at frost [-at-] aeonity [-dot-] com.
    2 Comments
    Mood: unknown
    KeyWords: ajax, programming, javascript, password, code, php, technology, xml, submit, form, check, data, logic

    frost Asynchronous Javascript and XML Introduction Aug 21st, 2006 21:54 - Subscribe
    Asynchronous Javascript and XML Introduction
    by FrosT

    Introduction
    After thinking for a long time I have found a good topic to write about. AJAX or Asynchronous Javascript and XML. AJAX is a recently acknowledged language that combines Javascript and XML into one to provide us with truly dynamic content on a web page that was never though possible before. AJAX hit mainstream once Google.com the search engine giant and guru made use of AJAX inside of it's web applications. Well Aeonity.com has recently started using this technology to improve its website and allow users more ways for interaction with each other. Enough of that, lets go in to detail about how Aeonity.com uses AJAX, Asynchronous Javascript and XML.

    Web based Chat
    Web based chat has been an issue that many sites have wanted for a long time. It used to be you had to have Java, a Sun Microsystems program to run any type of chat. The Java chat would require the Java client and a connection to an IRC channel/server for the chat to be utilized by people. Well not everyone had the Java client and if they did their browser may not support the version they are using. This caused a problem with a lot of web masters wanting a chat that will work for almost anyone without having to download any extra software.

    This is where AJAX comes into play. As you can tell on the index page of Aeonity.com AJAX makes it possible for a web page to connect to a database and provide us with a chat in real time without having a page refresh. How this works is there is a Javascript file with code on the back end. When someone hits the submit button, the button does not register on the page but it accesses this Javascript file. The Javascript file than sends a query string to a particular file which in return connects to a database and does error checking etc. Once that is done data is then sent back to the web page via an httprequest, this is where the XML comes into play, which is written to the page dynamically using javascript'swonderful features. Once that is done we format the data that was returned and than display it nicely and update the page to show us what was recently added to the chat.

    Users Currently Online
    AJAX is very versatile and powerful. In this sense we can show users currently online with little to no delay unlike before. When a user comes online we can send a signal to a file to retrieve the user information and display it on the page. This combined with session data and AJAX we can show users who are currently online. With a more in depth audit trail we can show more information about the user also if desired. Like the current web page they are viewing, how long they have been on the web page, and when they leave the page. Using this logic we can show when a user has logged off and update the current users online instead of having to time them out after a certain amount of time (usually 5 minutes). This can also be seen on Aeonity.com in the Web based chat area also.

    Ending Notes
    In short AJAX has brought on a new wave for the computer and Internet guru's. It allows for them to use fairly simple code and provide users with truly dynamic content that is generated at the click of a button without a refresh of a page, and is shown to an end user without any interaction at all. Keep in tune because there may be more AJAX tips and tricks to come of what I learn in my experience coding AJAX, Asynchronous Javascript and XML.
    1 Comments
    Mood: recumbent
    KeyWords: AJAX, javascript, script, java, xml, tutorial, introduction, chat, web, based, software, coding, programming, program, application

    frost Howto: Secure Your Wireless Network Jul 10th, 2006 16:53 - Subscribe
    Howto: Secure Your Wireless Network
    by FrosT

    Introduction
    Securing your wireless network is essential to businesses and for personal use. With how easy it is to secure your wireless network there should be no excuse for your network to go un-secured. Let's start off with the essentials for securing a wireless network.

    Wireless Network Security Tools
    First off you will need a router if you do not already have one. A wireless router plays multiple roles in securing your wireless network. First it provides a hardware firewall. Hardware firewalls are great because they work a ton better than software firewalls and your computer does not have to run the extra software; which in return means you get better performance from your computer. Next, wireless routers allow you to control your wireless settings, as for wireless access points I am not sure of. Having total control of the name, whether to broadcast the SSID, or having the wireless network encrypted is essential for your personal security.

    If you chose to get a router or not you will need software to generate a WEP Encrypted 128-bit Key. I say to get the software because whether the router has the feature enabled or not, the WEP key generator software is very handy to have incase a friend says, "To get into my wireless simply use the passphrase 'duck124n0th3r0k!@'" you can gain access to his wireless network. If you want to use the passphrase download the Free WEP Key Passphrase Generator. If you need a quick WEP Key you can use this Free WEP Key Online Generator.

    Now that we have certain security tools needed to secure our wireless network, let's get started.

    Generating a WEP Encrypted Key
    Generating a WEP Encrypted Key requires certain precautions. First of all do not use a weak WEP Passphrase, such as "Duck1". The weaker the passphrase the easier it is for someone to go through with a Dictionary cracker and gain access to your wireless network. The standard I use when generating any passphrase is to make it at least 15 characters, lower and uppercase letters, 3 different numbers, 5 different letters and at least 2 special characters. For instance I would say I have a dog named Hubert who is 14 and we go Hubert in the year 2001. HuB3rT@20!01mYd0G.10-02. Where there may be a slight chance that I would remember this if I ever lost my WEP Encrypted Key.

    I would suggest before downloading any software check your router to see if the router offers a free WEP Encrypted Key Generator. If it does that generator will do just fine for encrypting our passphrase for us.

    Allowing Certain MAC Addresses
    For more security you can take another step to allow only certain MAC addresses. A Mac address is located on a modem, router, hub, Ethernet card, or wireless network card. Everyone has a different and unique MAC address that stays static. Most routers allow for you to Allow/Disallow certain MAC addresses. This step can be considered overkill. It just depends on how secure you want your Wireless Network to be. In order to only allow specified MAC Addresses you need to gather the MAC Address from any computer you want to access your Wireless Network.

    To grab the MAC Address of the Wireless Network Card simply turn on that particular computer and go to Start than to Run type "CMD" (without quotes) and hit "Ok" than on the screen that pops-up type "ipconfig" (without the quotes). You should see a list of Local Area Connections; grab the one that looks like your wireless card. Write the number/letters down and enter into the Router. This will allow that Wireless Network Card with that MAC Address to gain access to your wireless network. Repeat this step for multiple cards/computer/laptops. Once you have the entire list of wireless network cards that you need on the list simply save it.

    Ending Notes
    Securing your Wireless Network is a great idea no matter who you are. I highly suggest the WEP Key with MAC Address filtering. Just remember that hackers and crackers are out there and these steps provided are prone to be broken into. At least make them work for getting access to your wireless network. Trust me; taking these steps will eliminate 95% of people from breaking into your wireless network. Just remember I take no responsibility for any damages done or caused by these steps, use at your own risk and if the data is sensitive enough do it through a Hardwired network.
    1 Comments
    Mood: Wireless
    KeyWords: wireless, wep, key, free, generator, passphrase, encrypted, security, tools, network, mac, address, filter

    frost Backup Registry Using Windows NTBACKUP Jun 26th, 2006 19:54 - Subscribe
    Backup Registry Using Windows NTBACKUP
    by FrosT

    Introduction
    Backing up Windows Registry can prove very helpful well your system goes corrupt. The act of backing up data can be very wise and is an operation that is practiced by many. Today I will describe to you how to backup core files in a Windows XP system using programs that comes with Microsoft Windows. Particularly the software called NTBackup. Well let's dive right in to the world of Backups.

    Installing NTBackup Windows XP Pro
    NTBackup is an essential part of backing up important Window files such as Registry settings and boot settings. Since we need NTBackup let's make sure you have it. If you have Windows XP Pro, it should have been installed by default. In order to access NTBackup you must click Start > Programs (or All Programs) > Accessories > System Tools > Backup If the program loads up, great! We are one step closer. If nothing seems to happen, NTBackup does not work or NTBackup just hangs on the "Loading Devices" screen try these steps to fix the NTBackup hangs problem remember DO NOT open more instances!
    1. Navigate to %SystemRoot%/System32/NtmsData
    2. Rename the file NTMSDATA to NTMSDATA.back
    3. If you did not End Process on ntbackup, wait for a minute or two, something should happen.


    If you are still having issues with NTBackup even after renaming the ntmsdata file, try to reboot the system and follow those instructions BEFORE running Backup from the start menu. If all else fails try to re-install NTBackup by downloading ntbackup.msi. This NTBackup should work for you if everything else fails.

    Installing NTBackup on Windows XP Home
    Windows XP Home does not come with NTBackup installed by default. If you still have the Windows XP Home CD you can get the NTBackup file off that under the ValueAdd directory or you can make it easy on yourself and just download the file above and use that for the NTBackup installation. I will leave that up for you to decide.

    Using NTBackup on Windows XP
    Now that you have installed NTBackup and have the problems of NTBackup hanging up on you fixed let's Backup our Windows State. Windows State backups all important system files including Registry. Basically what I would do is wait until you have all the programs you will need installed, installed and than run the backup of Windows State, as I do not know if NTBackup will mess up any new programs installed, USE AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.

    Once the initial NTBackup screen comes up click "Advanced." Clicking Advanced should pull up a Backup Utility with 3 options. Backup Wizard, Restore Wizard, and Automated System Recovery. Click on the Backup Wizard option. A wizard screen should be viewable now, click next. Now chose the radio button to "Only back up the System State Data." Click the Browse button and find a suitable place to store the Backup of your Windows System State Data which include the Registry. When a suitable place has been selected click Next and than Finish. Now your Windows Registry and all important Windows files should start backing up. This process should only take about 5-10 minutes.

    NTBackup Process has Completed
    Now that the NTBackup process has completed I would highly suggest storing this information on a separate hard drive, CD, or USB Jump Drive. Incase you get any virus's or bugs on your computer system you have the important Windows files backed up! To restore the backed up Windows System State data simply open up the Backup Utility and click the Restore Wizard and follow the instructions.

    Ending Notes
    Now that we have our important windows files and registry backed up you can breathe easier that NTBackup helped you through this process. At least Windows provided you with a backup program. Remember that this may not be 100% fool proof. I would suggest backing up all data to a separate location before you go crazy modifying any Windows based files or Registry keys.

    DISCLAIMER: I take no responsibility for any actions you take that may harm your own system due to this tutorial. You do this at your own risk knowing that anything can happen. Basically be careful when changing settings on your computer as I am not responsible for any actions you take.
    4 Comments
    Mood: perky
    KeyWords: ntbackup, backup, windows, registry