Month: December 2008

General

Hamachi

By on Saturday, December 27, 2008

My brothers are out of town but that won’t stop us from playing DOTA :P This morning, we played against each other as if we were on the same network. Well, not really since there was a slight latency delay due to the generally poor quality (and expensive at that!) of Internet connection in this country. But it definitely was playable.

So how did we do it? We used Hamachi, an almost zero-configuration virtual private networking (VPN) utility. It was such a breeze to use: We set it up, I created a VPN (along with an access password), and we all joined the VPN. It’s not your heavy metal, ultra-robust, super secure VPN solution but it’s enough for most needs and, as I said, almost zero-configuration*.

*We did encounter a snag when we couldn’t find games in DOTA but we found the solution here. Basically it means going to Control Panel->Network Connections->Advanced->Advanced Settings and putting Hamachi to the top of the list of connections.

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General

Foxit Reader Firefox Plugin

By on Friday, December 26, 2008

Foxit Reader is a leaner and meaner alternative to Acrobat Reader for reading Portable Document Format (PDF) files. I’ve been using it for some time but disliked the fact that PDF files opened outside of Firefox. Finally, while trying to view my credit card statement online and having it complain about needing to install Acrobat Reader, I decided I’ve had enough.

I googled for a solution and found out about the Foxit Reader Firefox Plugin. I looked for it at the Foxit Software website to no avail. Finally I found instructions on how to install it: After downloading and installing Foxit Reader, run it then click Help->Check for Updates Now. On the tree view, you will see the plugin. Select, add, and install it. You may need to restart Firefox but once you’re done, you can now view PDF files from within Firefox. Problem solved!

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General

Collision

By on Tuesday, December 23, 2008

I’ve just gotten my car back from Fusion R for starter motor repairs when I smacked by another huge repair problem. Michelle and I were just leaving Mall of Asia after some last minute shopping. We were crossing an intersection and I have already cleared the left incoming lane when a speeding taxi suddenly appeared on my right. I hit the brakes but before  I can completely stop, he has clipped me.

The damage to the cab: A dented rear fender. The damage to me: 2 front fenders, 2 headlights, 2 turn lights, and 1 bumper. Christmas suddenly is so much less bright. It’s a good thing that nobody got hurt.

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General

Starter Motor Problem

By on Monday, December 22, 2008

Michelle and I were at Tagaytay scouting potential spots yesterday. On our way home, we stopped by a shop to buy some pasalubong. When we were about to leave, I turned the key and there was just the sound of a relay clicking and nothing else. I tried to think of a possible reasons why it won’t start but couldn’t find any. So I got out of the car and looked for a mechanic.

Luckily, I found one just a few shops back up the road. The mechanic and I walked back to the car and checked it out. He eventually found the supposed  culprit: a loose plug from the ignition switch to the starter motor. He cleaned it up a bit and then plugged it back in. I turned the key and the engine started.

We proceeded back to Manila and even stopped by for lunch at a Shell station along SLEX. When we reached Manila, we went to Chocolate Lovers and bought some chocolate making implement and ingredients. And then it happened:  I turned the key and there was nothing. I tried to find the plug under the hood  but couldn’t find it. So I looked around for a mechanic again. It was harder going this time around. I finally found a tricycle driver who recommended a mechanic. We went to fetch the mechanic. Once we got back to the car, the mechanic did the same routine and I was able to drive off.

I stopped by the first auto electrical shop I saw and had the problem checked. The mechanic said it looks like the starter motor but I was still hoping it’s just a plug problem so I just had it replaced. When I got home, I tried if it will start again. It didn’t. It definitely looked like the starter motor.

This morning, I went to Fusion R and they confirmed that it is indeed the starter motor. Repair time again. They removed the old starter motor, looked for a replacement, and installed it. Pretty straightforward.

(Car repairs by Fusion R, E. Rodriguez, Q.C. Call them at +632-724-3921 or +63922-853-2700 and ask for Jona)

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General

Blizzard Games Online Store

By on Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Since I’ve been playing DOTA quite frequently, I decided to buy Warcraft III and Warcraft III: Frozen Throne. I checked out the prices at the local shops but I was turned off by the price. So I decided to check out Blizzard’s online store. Ordering was easy and soon I was downloading the installers via Blizzard’s custom Bit Torrent client. You also get a personal page where all the games you bought, whether online or boxed, from Blizzard are listed. Since I already have Starcraft and Starcraft: Brood War, I simply registered them and now I have four Blizzard games in my collection which I can retrieve and download any time. Best of all, you can download either the PC or Mac version. I’m loving Blizzard! Maybe I’ll get Diablo II next. Hmmmm.

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