The Apple’s iTunes software shows notifications of updates available for apps (applications) for iPhones, iPad and iPod Touch by placing a small numeric value in a box beside “Apps” under “Library” within iTunes. As time goes by it appears this numeric value becomes inaccurate as it reports that there is updates yet when you click on “Updates Available” under “Apps” (bottom right corner) there is no updates or only a few updates that does not add up to what it is reporting is available. It should be noted that though this maybe anonying to some it is not in any way harmful to iTunes or the device.

Solution – One

This issue occurs when one or more apps are purchased using more then one iTunes account. Login to each iTunes account and check for app updates. If there are any then allow the updates to be downloaded and installed. One other option would be to delete the app in iTunes and on the device and then download and install under the preferred iTunes account. In most cases this will resolve the problem.

Solution – Two

Be warned this this step is only necessary if the above does not work. Also be aware the steps below will delete all apps (applications) in your iTunes library. Make sure to have the applications backed up before proceeding.

1. If the first solution didn’t work try going in iTunes under “Library” -> “Apps”.
2. Highligh one random application and then select all applications by pressing CTRL-A or click on the menu “Edit” -> “Select All”.
3. Right mouse click on the an application and click on “Delete” or click on the menu “Edit” -> “Delete”.
4. Click on the device under “Devices” on the left hand side and then click on “Sync” at the bottom right hand corner.

When the sync is completed all the applications installed on the device will be back in the iTunes Library and the Apps update notification should now be corrected.

Read and fully understand warnings before continuing further!

• Doing a hard reset will result in loss of personalized settings and all content stored in phone memory.
• Ensure your mobile phone has at least 75% battery life before preforming a hard reset. If battery life is too low this may result in damaging the mobile phone.
• Do not remove battery while preforming a hard reset. Doing so may result in damaging the mobile phone.

Solution

1. Start with the device turned off. If device is locked and you are not aware of the password remove the battery and then re-install the battery.
2. Hold down the * and E keys at the same time for 5 seconds while turning on the device.

At this stage you will see a message at the top of the screen and then eventually the entire screen will change while the hard reset is being completed. Be patient, this process can take some time.

I have multiple OpenBSD web servers some internal and some public (accessible via the Internet) that uses Sendmail. However on the network there is only one publicly known email server. Therefore I require to Sendmail to function as follows, route all email through an SMTP smart host and when routing mail to the SMTP smart host change the email address hostname (masquerade). For example an email sender of “root@foobar.example.com” would be changed to “root@example.com”.

I’m by no means a Sendmail expert, the steps I explain here is what I’ve learned on my own and with the assistance of Zerberus in IRC Freenode #sendmail channel.

Solution

Alter Sendmail’s configuration file adding the following lines. Refer to Sendmail Configuration Readme for further explanation and How To – Setup Sendmail as a Smart_Host for details on how this process is achieved.

FEATURE(genericstable)dnl
FEATURE(generics_entire_domain)dnl
GENERICS_DOMAIN(`example.com')dnl
MASQUERADE_AS(`example.com')dnl
FEATURE(masquerade_envelope)dnl
FEATURE(masquerade_entire_domain)dnl
MASQUERADE_DOMAIN(`foobar.example.com')dnl
define(`SMART_HOST',`[10.10.15.1]')dnl

You will also need to edit Sendmail’s genericstable as follows. On OpenBSD this is located under “/var/mail/genericstable”.

@foobar.example.com  %1@example.com

Example Configuration File (mc)

divert(-1)
#
# Copyright (c) 1998 Sendmail, Inc.  All rights reserved.
# Copyright (c) 1983 Eric P. Allman.  All rights reserved.
# Copyright (c) 1988, 1993
#       The Regents of the University of California.  All rights reserved.
#
# By using this file, you agree to the terms and conditions set
# forth in the LICENSE file which can be found at the top level of
# the sendmail distribution.
#
#

#
#  This configuration only runs sendmail on the localhost interface.
#  This allows mail on the local host to work without accepting
#  connections from the net at large.
#

divert(0)dnl
include(`/usr/share/sendmail/m4/cf.m4')dnl
VERSIONID(`@(#)openbsd-localhost-smarthost.mc $Revision: 1.4 $')
OSTYPE(openbsd)dnl
FEATURE(nouucp, `reject')dnl
FEATURE(`accept_unresolvable_domains')dnl
FEATURE(`no_default_msa')dnl
FEATURE(genericstable)dnl
FEATURE(generics_entire_domain)dnl
GENERICS_DOMAIN(`example.com')dnl
MASQUERADE_AS(`example.com')dnl
FEATURE(masquerade_envelope)dnl
FEATURE(masquerade_entire_domain)dnl
MASQUERADE_DOMAIN(`foobar.example.com')dnl
define(`SMART_HOST',`[10.10.15.1]')dnl
DAEMON_OPTIONS(`Family=inet, address=127.0.0.1, Name=MTA')dnl
DAEMON_OPTIONS(`Family=inet6, address=::1, Name=MTA6, M=O')dnl
DAEMON_OPTIONS(`Family=inet, address=127.0.0.1, Port=587, Name=MSA, M=E')dnl
DAEMON_OPTIONS(`Family=inet6, address=::1, Port=587, Name=MSA6, M=O, M=E')dnl
CLIENT_OPTIONS(`Family=inet6, Address=::')dnl
CLIENT_OPTIONS(`Family=inet, Address=0.0.0.0')dnl
dnl
dnl Some broken nameservers will return SERVFAIL (a temporary failure)
dnl on T_AAAA (IPv6) lookups.
define(`confBIND_OPTS', `WorkAroundBrokenAAAA')dnl
MAILER(local)dnl
MAILER(smtp)dnl

Source: How To – Setup Sendmail as a Smart_Host
Source: Sendmail – Masquerading and Relaying
Source: Sendmail Configuration Readme

This how to will explain how to add a radio station to the MPlayer CE application, a Wii Homebrew Channel application.

Note: How to edit the MPlayer_CE configuration files is not covered in this how to.
Note: MPlayer_CE supports the following streaming protocols, HTTP/FTP, RTP/RTSP, MMS/MMST, MPST and SDP.

Solution

1. Edit the “menu.conf” file located under /apps/mplayer_ce/ on the memory card using your favorite text editor such as Notepad, Metapad, Notepad++, etc.
2. Browse the contents of the “menu.conf” until you find the following cmdlist radio tag below.

   1 2 3

   <cmdlist name="radio" title="Radio" ptr="<>" > <e name="../" ok="menu cancel"/> </cmdlist>

   We will be adding a new line after the second line shown above and within the cmdlist tag.

3. Add a new line (radio station) in between the opening tag and closing tag like so.

   1	<e name="OldSchoolFM" ok="loadlist 'http://78.129.250.9/castcontrol/playlist.php?id=104'"/>

   Replace “OldSchoolFM” with the radio station name and then replace “http://78.129.250.9/castcontrol/playlist.php?id=104″ with the radio station stream feed.

4. Save the file and now test radio station you just added on the Nintendo Wii.

If the radio station does not play go back and ensure you have the correct station stream feed link. If indeed you have the correct stream feed link then it’s possible it is not accessible in the manner you are trying to access it or the protocol for the station is not support by MPlayer_CE.

Example

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<cmdlist name="radio" title="Radio" ptr="<>" >
          <e name="../" ok="menu cancel"/>
	  <e name="OldSchoolFM" ok="loadlist 'http://centova2.cpcustomer.com/tunein.php/janpolet/playlist.pls'"/>
	  <e name="CBC Radio 1" ok="loadlist 'http://radiostreams.cbc.ca/cbc-cbcr1reg-96.m3u'"/>
	  <e name="CBC Radio 2" ok="loadlist 'http://radiostreams.cbc.ca/cbc-cbcr2wpg-128.m3u'"/>
	  <e name="CBC Radio 3 (rock)" ok="loadlist 'http://webradio.cbcradio3.com/rock.m3u'"/>
	  <e name="CBC Radio 3 (electronica)" ok="loadlist 'http://webradio.cbcradio3.com/electronic.m3u'"/>
	  <e name="CBC Radio 3 (Pop)" ok="loadlist 'http://webradio.cbcradio3.com/pop.m3u'"/>
	  <e name="1.FM - Blues" ok="loadlist 'http://blues.1.fm/energyblues128k'"/>
	  <e name=".977 The 80s Channel" ok="loadlist 'http://scfire-ntc-aa01.stream.aol.com:80/stream/1040'"/>
	  <e name="Big R Radio - 80s Metal FM" ok="loadlist 'http://livestream2.bigrradio.com/80sMetalFM'"/>
</cmdlist>

This how to is a tribute to OldSchoolFM, “Let’s Make it Personal!” A dream, a vision, a quality radio station that never got a fair chance.

When trying to print an entire Microsoft Excel workbook to a PDF using Adobe PDF or PDF Creator multiple PDFs are created for each worksheet instead of a single PDF file. This is caused by Excel itself on how the worksheets are setup due to one or all of the following settings, print quality, print area and page orientation for each worksheet.

Applies to:

• Microsoft Excel 2007
• Microsoft Excel 2003
• Microsoft Excel 2002
• Microsoft Excel 2000

Solution

1. Set “Print Area” for each sheet under “Page Layout/Page Setup”.
2. Set the “page orientation” under “Page Layout/Page Setup” to portrait or landscape for each sheet as necessary.
3. Right click on a worksheet tab at the bottom of the screen and click on “Select All Sheets”.
4. Now under Page Layout/Page Setup set the paper size and print quality for all sheets.

Source: novaPDF Knowledge Base: Printing an entire Excel workbook to a single PDF file
Source: doPDF Forum: Trouble with Multiple Pdfs with one workbook

1. Got to the Windows Start Menu and click on “Run” or press Windows Key+R.
2. In the input field type without quotes “cmd” and click on the “Ok” button. If your are running Microsoft Windows ‘95/’98/ME replace “cmd” with “command”.
3. Now at the command prompt type without quotes “ipconfig /flushdns” and the press the “Enter” key. You will then receive a success message.
4. Close command prompt by typing without quotes “exit” or clicking on the “x” at the top right of the window.

Mac OS X

1. Open the “Terminal”.
2. Type in the “Terminal” without quotes “dscacheutil -flushcache” and press “Enter”. If you are running Mac OS X older then 10.5 you must type without quotes “lookup -flushcache”.

When opening an application one may desire to have the application maximized or minimized. The solutions listed below are the most reliable means to achieve this for all Microsoft Windows versions.

Solution #1 – Shortcut

Create a New Shortcut

1. Right mouse click on an empty area of the desktop.
2. Left mouse click on “New” -> “Shortcut”.
3. Left mouse click on the “Browse…” button and select a desired application.
4. Once you have selected your desired application, left mouse click on the “OK” button.
5. Left mouse click on the “Next” button.
6. Type in the desired name of the shortcut and left mouse click on the “Finish” button.
7. Continue on to the “Edit Existing Shortcut” instructions below.

Edit Existing Shortcut

1. Right mouse click on a shortcut and left mouse click on “Properties”.
2. Left mouse click on “Shortcut” tab.
3. Under “Run”, select desired window setting, “Normal window”, “Maximized” or ” Minimized”.
4. Left mouse click on the “OK” button.

Note: If you do not have the “Run” property on the shortcut, then follow the “Create a New Shortcut” instructions.

Solution #2 – Command Line

Maximize

1. At the command line type without double quotes, “start /max c:\Windows\notepad.exe”. Replace “c:\Windows\notepad.exe” with desired application.

Minimized

1. At the command line type without double quotes, “start /min c:\Windows\notepad.exe”. Replace “c:\Windows\notepad.exe” with desired application.

Your Nintendo Wii will no longer power on. You may also notice the light on the power button maybe lit and then turn off when pressed.

Solution #1

1. Unplug the Wii power adapter from the back of the Wii and from the outlet/source.
2. The Wii power adapter must be unplugged at both ends for 2 minutes, no less.
3. At this stage it’s best to unplug/remove all accessories including controllers, memory cards, game discs, and cables.
4. Ensure all cables/wiring all not damaged in an shape or form. If indeed there is a cable/wire that is, replace it. Also ensure your power outlet/source is operational.

5. After 2 minutes have passed, plug the power adapter back into the back of the Wii and power outlet/source.

   If the power light comes on, plug the sensor bar into the back of the Wii and press the power button to turn the system on to see if it still works. Repeat this process for each accessory. If you discover one or more accessory causes the system to not be functional have the accessory replaced or repaired.

Solution #2

If by now you have not been able to power on your Nintendo Wii system please consult the link below or contact Nintendo’s customer service.

Source: Nintendo Customer Service – Wii Power Problems

Source: Version test for Adobe Flash Player

Source: Test Adobe Shockwave & Flash Players

I have Windows Vista with Adobe Acrobat Professional v8.1.3 installed and I was trying to covert to Adobe PDF within Microsoft Publisher 2007.

Error Message

Acrobat PDFMaker reported the following error message dialog, “Adobe PDF Printer is not bound to Adobe PDF Port. Cannot proceed further. Kindly change the PDF Port to Adobe PDF Port in Adobe PDF Printer Settings”.

Solution

1. Go to Control Panel -> Printers.
2. Right mouse click on “Adobe PDF” and left click on “Properties”.
3. Left mouse click on “Ports” tab.
4. Uncheck mark the current port that is presently check marked. Place a checkmark on either “Desktop\*.pdf” or “Documents\*.pdf”. Ensure the description is “Adobe PDF Port”.
5. Left click on “Ok” button then close the printers window.

Today (2008-01-12) I loaded Pidgin and discovered that I was no longer able to connect to MSN. It appears either Microsoft is blocking the connection or a new version has been release. What the cause of the matter is I have not been able to verify with certainty at this time.

UPDATE: Pidgin v2.5.4 has been released that temporarily fixes the problem.

Error Message

“Unable to Retrieve MSN Address Book using Pidgin”. See screen shot of the error message below.

Solution

1. Close Pidgin application.
2. Download and install “msn-pecan“.
3. Run Pidgin application.
4. In Pidgin “Show Buddy List” and go to the menu “Accounts” -> “Manage Accounts”.
5. Modify your MSN account, ensure the protocol shows “MSN”.
6. Change “Protocol” to “WLM” and then click “Save”.
7. Login to your MSN account.

Source: MSN Network Service Status
Source: Pidgin : Unable to retrieve MSN address list
Source: msn-pecan

With the use of Samba we are able to share files through a local network and make it appear as if the files are on the Mac OS X locally. The instructions below will step you through step by step on how to access files from the Mac OS X to a Windows XP/Vista™ system through the network.

NOTE: Instructions to unblock network traffic through a software/hardware firewall are not provided. Refer to your software/network manual or support web site for details.

NOTE: These instructions will not allow for sharing via the Internet.

Solution

Setting up a file share in Windows XP

1. Open Windows Explorer/My Computer (press Windows Key+E) or go to the Windows Start Menu -> Programs -> Accessories -> Windows Explorer.
2. Browse to a folder you wish to share and right mouse click on it and left mouse click on “Properties”.
3. Select the “Sharing” tab at the top of the “Properties” dialog.
4. Left mouse click on “Share this folder on the network” and type in a desired “Share name”. It’s best to keep the share name no more then 12 characters to ensure the share will work. If you wish to save files from the Mac to this share left mouse click on “Allow network users to change my files”.
5. Left mouse click on the “Ok” button.

Setting up a file share in Windows Vista™

1. Open Windows Explorer/My Computer (press Windows Key+E) or go to the Windows Start Menu -> Programs -> Accessories -> Windows Explorer.
2. Browse to a folder you wish to share and right mouse click on it and left mouse click on “Share…”.
3. To the left of the “Add” button click the down arrow and select “Everyone” then left mouse click “Add” button.
4. Left mouse click on “Share”.

   Note: Make note of path showing how to access the share you just setup (ie. \\foobar\helloworld) as you will need this later so you can connect from the Mac. Only exception is that you will need to change the backslashes to slashes on the Mac.

5. Left mouse click “Done” button.

Connect to the share via the Mac

1. In Finder go to Go -> Connect to Server.
2. Under “Server Address” enter “smb://” then the Windows computer name or IP address followed by a slash and the Windows share name (ie. smb://192.168.0.103/foo or smb://foobar/myshare).

Source: Mount Windows Shared Folder on Your Mac OS X

For some unknown reason my Windows Vista™ Ultimate with service pack 1 quit mounting USB flash drives. I’ve tried multiple flash drives and none would mount as a removable drive. At first I started to use a different USB port but eventually it didn’t matter what USB port I used the USB flash drives would no longer mount. I know for a fact my USB flash drives are fine as they mounted without any problems ever on Windows 2000 with service pack 4, Windows XP with service pack 2 and Edubuntu.

Solution

Uninstall the USB device dirver(s) that you are experiencing problems with. This can be done via your Windows Vista™ device manager or what I recommend to use is “USBDeview” (freeware) software application produce by NirSoft.

WARNING: Uninstall device drivers at your own risk.

NOTE: Be cautious uninstalling USB device drivers as you may render your keyboard, mouse or other devices unusable. Rebooting the computer system or plugging the USB device back into the system should cause the device drivers to reinstall. A manual installation of the device driver maybe required.

Uninstall USB Device(s) via Windows Vista™ Device Manager

1. Go to Control Panel -> System or just press Windows Key + Pause (press and hold the Windows key then press the Pause key).
2. On the left hand side left mouse click on “Device Manager”.
3. Double left mouse click on “Universal Serial Bus controllers”.
4. Right mouse click on the USB device driver you wish to uninstall and then left mouse click on “Uninstall”. Repeat this step for each device you wish to uninstall.
5. A “Comfirm Device Uninstall” dialog will appear, left mouse click on “OK”.
6. Close “Device Manager” window.
7. Reboot (restart) computer system.

Uninstall USB Device(s) via USBDeview

1. Load the “USBDeview” software application.
2. Select the device(s) you wish to uninstall. Right mouse click on one of the device(s) and then left mouse click on “Uninstall Selected Devices”.
3. You will be prompted with a confirmation dialog, left mouse click on “Yes” to uninstall device driver(s).
4. Close “USBDeview” software application.
5. Reboot (restart) computer system.

Source: Download NirSoft’s USBDeview for Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista.

There is certain times when one needs to pad zeros to the beginning (prefix) or ending (suffix) of a integer.

Below is what I came up with for a solution in JavaScript. All one has to do is call the function with the integer value, the length (integer) of the padding and position to place the padding. Use “start” for the prefix or use “end” for the suffix. Please lets see some comments on how to improve this small block of code.

Solution

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function fnPaddingZeros(nInterger,nPaddingLength,szPaddingPos)
{
	//convert integer to string
	nInterger=nInterger.toString();
	while(nInterger.length < nPaddingLength)
	{
		if(szPaddingPos == "start") { nInterger = '0' + nInterger; }
		else if(szPaddingPos == "end") { nInterger = nInterger + '0'; }
	}
	return nInterger;
}