Hardware on Lin's Blog

My Kindle Ebook Management Workflow

Sat, 18 May 2019 00:56:28 +0000

Every Kindle user probably has their own routine for managing e-books: buying books, organizing them, sending them to the Kindle reader, and backing them up. Over time, you develop a routine you're used to. At first, like most people, I used Calibre to manage my e-book files. But once I got a second Kindle reader, I started to notice many inconveniences in relying only on Calibre and transferring files to the reader over USB, such as:

Darling, Did You Know Kindle Can Take Screenshots?

Fri, 17 May 2019 23:46:41 +0000

Didn't expect that, right? Kindle actually has a built-in screenshot feature. It has never appeared in any documentation. I stumbled on it by accident while looking for Kindle tips. Just tap the top-left and bottom-right corners of the screen with your finger, and the screen flashes briefly. At that point the screenshot has been taken. The file is saved on the Kindle. Connect a USB cable and you can view the screenshots on your computer. This method works the same on the Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, and Kindle Oasis. You can take screenshots while reading, or on other screens such as Settings or the home page.

How to Turn Off Ads on a Special Offer Kindle Without Hacking It

Fri, 17 May 2019 23:34:20 +0000

Every time I recommend a Kindle to a friend, they hesitate on the purchase page for ages. Should they get 8GB or 32GB? Should they get the Special Offer version with ads, or the ad-free version? A $20 difference is not huge, but compared with the $129 price of the Kindle Paperwhite, it's not small either. So here's my advice, no more hesitation: buy the Kindle with ads, the Special Offer version! Why? Because Amazon quietly put an option to turn off ads in the settings page! Even if you buy the Special Offer version with ads, you can turn them off without hacking or flashing the firmware, and easily remove the ad shown on the screen when the device is off. There is also a nice bonus: from then on, pressing the power button no longer requires swiping right to unlock the screen!

Fixing Google Drive on macOS Defaulting to Simplified Chinese

Sun, 17 Sep 2017 13:36:54 +0000

After installing Google Drive on macOS, I suspected it was a bug in the program. Even though my system language is set to Traditional Chinese, Google Drive displayed Simplified Chinese. It looked really unfamiliar, so I researched it and found a fix to share with everyone.

Just open Terminal and enter the following command, then restart Google Drive, and it will switch to Traditional Chinese:

defaults write com.google.GoogleDrive AppleLanguages '("zh-TW")'

Using Command to Display Notification on macOS

Thu, 19 Jan 2017 01:32:57 +0000

macOS has a handy Notification Center. You can write a program to send messages to it, and they’ll appear on screen just like on iOS. But if all you want to do is send a message, you can do it with a single command in Terminal! You don’t need to learn Objective-C or Swift to use macOS’s notification feature. For example, while you wait for tests to run, you might want to make good use of the time by reading some documentation. In that case, you can use Notification to tell you when the tests have finished. You don’t have to worry about getting so absorbed in your reading that you forget the tests are still running, and when they finish, you’ll get a notification right away, so not a moment is wasted! Of course, tests aren’t the only use. Because this Notification works as a command, any program run in Terminal can do the same thing!

macOS Screenshot Shortcuts, File Format, and Save Location Settings

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 10:00:26 +0000

One of the reasons I like the Mac is that it comes with many useful built-in features, such as screenshots and image editing. Windows has these features too, but they’re pretty much useless, so you end up installing a bunch of apps anyway. Today I’ll show you that Mac OS already has a very powerful screenshot feature! You can even set where screenshots are saved, their format, and more!

How to Install Unverified Apps on macOS Sierra

Sat, 31 Dec 2016 00:49:12 +0000

Sometimes when we install apps on Mac OS, the system shows the message ““OOO” cannot be opened because it is from an unidentified developer.” In the past, we all knew that you only had to go to the Security & Privacy settings in System Preferences and allow apps downloaded from anywhere. But after macOS Sierra, the “Anywhere” option mysteriously disappeared! In fact, Apple hid this option to keep users from installing malicious programs. But an unverified app isn’t necessarily malicious. Many useful apps aren’t certified by Apple for various reasons. For example, some apps use system permissions, or the developer hasn’t bought a developer program (because it costs money!!!), so they can’t get Apple’s certification. It’s hard to justify not letting us use them just for that, right!

macOS: How to Show Keystrokes on Screen for Recording and Live Streaming

Sat, 24 Dec 2016 01:11:49 +0000

Online courses are very popular now, and many people record their courses as videos to share online. Whenever I record this kind of “computer tutorial video,” I always wonder how to show the keys you press. Sometimes you’re used to pressing Ctrl + C to copy a piece of text, but viewers can’t tell what you did when they watch the video. Some recording software can capture keystrokes too, by building a virtual keyboard into the recording whenever you press a key. But besides recording software itself, there are also apps that can display the keys you press directly on screen! Besides live streaming and online courses, it’s also very handy for in-person lectures and talks!

Roost Laptop Stand: Unboxing a Portable Laptop Stand

Tue, 20 Dec 2016 00:59:13 +0000

A while ago I got a real scare from a herniated disc. It made me look into how I use my computer, and I found that most of my posture had been wrong all along. This time it was caused by sitting for long periods, but sitting isn’t the only problem. Looking down at your phone, hunching over your laptop, or having your monitor at the wrong height can all lead to even harder-to-treat herniated discs in the neck! Laptops in particular: most people don’t notice that they use them with the wrong posture. Because laptops are small, using one on a desk means you have to hunch your head down, which puts stress on your neck. Using one for long periods can cause a herniated disc in the neck or other problems.

Besides neck herniated discs, I’m sure you’ve also felt your shoulders and neck getting very uncomfortable while hunching over a laptop. In fact, all you need is a suitable laptop stand at a comfortable height, so you don’t have to look down at the screen. That helps a lot with these problems.

Quickly Moving the Cursor in Terminal on macOS

Wed, 14 Dec 2016 01:14:21 +0000

Since I’m really sleepy, let’s keep it simple and share something small today! Whenever I use vim or Terminal and run into a super long command, I find it annoying to press the arrow keys forever just to get to the position I want. Today I’ll share three ways to quickly move the cursor to a specific spot.

Get File MD5, SHA1 Checksum on Mac OS

Sun, 11 Dec 2016 10:00:03 +0000

On Windows, I was used to installing a separate program for everything: one to view images, one to browse PDFs, and another to calculate a file’s MD5 or SHA1. On Mac OS X, you don’t have to go through all that trouble! If you want to calculate the MD5 or SHA1 checksum of a file, there is a built-in tool for it.

[Sold] Used Lenovo G570 Laptop, About Two Years Old, Everything Works Fine

Thu, 25 Jul 2013 22:00:05 +0000

I recently bought a new laptop, so I want to sell this G570. I originally bought it for a skills competition, because the laptop the school provided didn’t perform well, so I got one for myself. I use it mainly for programming, and not very often, so it has no hardware problems. The exterior has no scratches or damage either. Here’s the information about this laptop:

MacBook Air 2013 Unboxing: Claimed to Have the World's Longest 12-Hour Battery Life

Fri, 12 Jul 2013 22:20:59 +0000

Since I was about to start university, and Apple had just released the new-generation MacBook Air, I couldn’t resist and splurged on one. The biggest highlight of this year’s MacBook Air is its 12-hour battery life. When I saw that line at the launch event, I thought they were joking. But later reviews from overseas confirmed it’s real, and that’s what made me really want to buy it. With such long battery life, I don’t need to bring the power adapter when I go out, and I don’t have to worry about running out of power halfway through. For someone like me who goes out often, that’s very convenient. Besides the long battery life, it has many other updates, such as 802.11ac wireless networking, a super-fast SSD, and the new-generation Intel Haswell processor, among others.

Amazon Kindle Touch Unboxing & Who Should Buy a Kindle?

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:55:58 +0000

Right after New Year’s, I bought a Kindle Touch from Amazon in the US. I had read lots of articles online, both praise and criticism. The most common complaints are these three: it has a black-and-white screen, it has too few features, and the e-paper responds too slowly. These three were also my biggest worries XD. But once the device actually arrived in Taiwan, I realized my worries were unnecessary!

TinyUmbrella Helps You Back Up the SHSH of Your iPad and iPhone for Downgrading

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 16:09:12 +0000

Sometimes when you want to downgrade your iPad or iPhone (hereafter iOS Device), you find that the downgrade keeps failing. This is because newer iOS devices have a built-in protection mechanism that blocks you from downgrading the device. This design exists to prevent users from jailbreaking. When a new iOS version comes out, some people accidentally tap update… Usually the latest iOS version cannot be jailbroken, so users who have updated can only downgrade in order to jailbreak. This is when a big problem appears: you cannot downgrade…… The TinyUmbrella introduced today is software that can help you downgrade successfully. It can back up something called SHSH for you. Once you have backed up the SHSH, you can downgrade successfully~

Unboxing a Bluetooth Keyboard and an iPad Stand~

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 17:33:02 +0000

Actually, this post was supposed to go up on 7/4. That day I went with some netizen friends to visit the multimedia expo at the World Trade Center in Taipei, and I saw a few things and…. ended up buying them without really planning to. I felt a little heartbroken, but I didn’t feel I’d lost out, since the things are really practical and I didn’t overpay. So what did I buy? The answer: a Bluetooth keyboard and a stand for the iPad.

iOS 5 Preview: iMessage, the New Notification Center, Free PC, and Over a Hundred Changes!

Sun, 12 Jun 2011 01:52:28 +0000

If I remember correctly, around 1 AM this Sunday (6/7), Apple held WWDC and announced three of the most important things: Mac OS X Lion, iOS 5, and iCloud. I happened to be free that day, so I stayed up to read AppleLife’s live text coverage (Apple prohibits live video broadcasts). My impression after reading it: iOS 5 has improved so much that it might even stop you from wanting to jailbreak. iCloud is also very good, because it can save you a lot of time when updating iOS by pulling your music, photos, and other data straight down from the internet.

Some Tricks You Probably Didn't Know That Make Using Your Computer Faster!

Sat, 21 May 2011 01:26:16 +0000

Actually, I first learned these tricks while studying vi, a plain-text editor under Linux. Later, when I tried them in other text editors (basically anywhere you can type text~), I found they worked the same way. These little tricks can speed up how quickly you process documents a lot. Also, I’ve recently been preparing for the TQC Chinese-English typing test, and practicing these tricks has helped my typing to some extent.

ASUS RT-N13U Wireless Router Unboxing – Besides Wi-Fi, It Also Works as an FTP Server!

Tue, 17 May 2011 22:57:51 +0000

I had some spare money lying around, and I’d put up with my old D-Link wireless router for a long time. It kept dropping the connection, and especially whenever my iPad opened the App Store, it would disconnect immediately = = So with both the motive and the budget in place, I decided to buy a new wireless router~ At first I thought about going to Guanghua (Taipei’s electronics market), but then I figured it’s easy to get ripped off there, and Guanghua generally doesn’t accept returns. If the router I bought didn’t meet my needs, I’d be furious. So I went browsing on PChome instead xD

Two Days Late: iPad 1 Unboxing, 16GB WiFi Model

Sat, 12 Mar 2011 12:01:42 +0000

As the title says, this unboxing post is two days late. I bought this iPad on Thursday night (3/10), but then I got so busy that I didn’t have time to write the unboxing post… Actually, I’ve wanted one since the iPad first came out, and I kept saving money until now, when there was a special offer~ So I went for it. Some people asked why I didn’t buy the iPad 2, since it’s cheaper and faster, right? I think the news media may have spread the wrong idea. As soon as the iPad 2 was announced, Apple cut the price of the iPad to a minimum of NT$12,900, while the iPad 2 was expected to cost around NT$16,000. Yes, the iPad 2 does perform better, but my own experience with the iPad 1 is that its performance is already good, and you rarely run into lag or crashes. If only you could turn off iOS multitasking…

OpenHardwareMonitor: Check the Temperature of Your Hard Drive, Graphics Card, and CPU

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 08:30:51 +0000

After a painful experience where my graphics card gave off a burning smell and I found out it had died, I realized the hardware temperature program I was using wasn't enough. It could only detect CPU temperature. So I went looking for something else and found OpenHardwareMonitor. It can read the temperatures of many components in your computer, such as the hard drive, graphics card, CPU, and motherboard, and it can also plot temperature changes as a chart or export them to a file.

How to Install and Uninstall Android Apps (Android Market Tutorial)

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 10:00:17 +0000

Most of the well-known smartphones today have a built-in market. For example, iOS has the App Store and Cydia, and Android has the Android Market. A market makes it easy to install programs on your phone or tablet, and the process is simple: installing an app takes little more than a tap of a finger. Today I'll introduce the market built into the Android operating system. Recently, the Android Market released a new version that changed the trial period for apps to 15 minutes. The interface was also completely overhauled and looks much better than before.

[Unboxing] WEICHO Webcam WA-306, 8-Megapixel Still Images, Autofocus

Sat, 18 Dec 2010 21:01:36 +0000

Today I went to Guanghua Market with a classmate to buy a webcam, and I couldn't resist buying one. Orz. I had wanted one for a long time, but I kept deciding against it and saving the money instead. Then today at Guanghua I unexpectedly came across the WEICHO WA-306. The price wasn't high, and the picture quality was decent. The WA-306 doesn't have any special features. Like an ordinary webcam, it can take photos and record video. But it supports autofocus, has a built-in mic (the built-in mic's sound quality isn't great...), and has 8-megapixel still images. The video resolution wasn't listed, but the shop owner said it's around 3 megapixels. I bought it at Guanghua for 550 NT dollars, but I felt I could bargain it down to 500, because when I asked the owner whether 550 was OK, he agreed very readily...

[Ubuntu] ADSL (PPPoE) Internet Setup Guide - pppoeconf

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 08:00:40 +0000

Nowadays almost every household uses PPPoE to connect to the internet. If you signed up for ADSL, or if you need a modem to get online, you have to set up PPPoE before Ubuntu can connect. If I remember correctly, setting up PPPoE used to be a real hassle in older versions of Ubuntu. But after I came back to Ubuntu 10.04 recently, I found that the newer Ubuntu already includes a command called pppoeconf that lets you set up PPPoE quickly.

Addendum: I’ve heard that pppoeconf is still slow and there are faster ways to do it, orz… But compared with the version I used before, pppoeconf is actually pretty fast XD

ViewPad 7, Galaxy Tab, and iPad: The Big Comparison

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:29:01 +0000

P.S. Image from the Apple iPad official site

The most common tablets on the market right now are the ViewPad (there are the ViewPad 7 and 10; this post covers the ViewPad 7), the Galaxy Tab, and the iPad. The ViewPad and Galaxy Tab both run Android 2.2, and only the iPad runs iOS. Recently the iPad finally went on sale in Taiwan (so exciting!). On launch day I rushed to Apple’s store to try an iPad. Since I still can’t afford one, I could only play with it, lol. I expected the place to be packed, but it was only a bit busier than usual, and I got my turn with the iPad right away.

Having played with the iPad today and comparing it with my earlier experience with the ViewPad and Galaxy Tab, I think the iPad will be a long-lasting product, while the ViewPad and Galaxy Tab may fade from people’s attention by next year. Many more tablets will come out next year, so my advice to anyone who wants a tablet is to wait a year or two for more choices and better prices. Personally, I think the iPad will not disappear even if many tablets come out next year, because of Apple’s brand reputation and its customer service. The ViewPad and Galaxy Tab, however, are just short-lived products. I expect everyone will have forgotten about them by next year.

Ubuntu 10.10 Installation Guide (New Installer Interface)

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 22:54:10 +0000

This ubuntu 10.10 update doesn't add many new features. It mainly fixes some problems from the earlier 10.4 release, and it replaces the photo manager with Shotwell. Apart from that, I didn't notice any added features. I also noticed that the installer interface has changed at some point, so I'm covering installation again in this post. What impressed me most is that Ubuntu 10.10 automatically downloads the language packs and the programs you need during installation, so you don't have to wait to download them after the install. The downside is that installation takes much longer.

IDEOS (Little Elf) Android 2.2 Unboxing

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 20:10:02 +0000

Recently I needed a new phone. This is actually my first mobile phone. To pay for it, I even sold the iPod Touch I bought last year. I had bought the iPod Touch because the school had a rule against phones. But now that I’ve moved on to vocational high school, the school doesn’t really care about phones, and it even has WiFi. My mom also set up a phone plan for me, so I saved up and bought this little IDEOS phone～ To be honest, the story is pretty funny… Buying an HTC Hero would have meant waiting until December, when I’d have NT$4,000 in income. But since I had sold the iPod Touch, I had nothing to get online with, and that was really hard to put up with…… I’m used to pulling the iPod Touch out of my pocket to go online whenever I want, so I couldn’t stand it and rushed to the phone shop to buy the cheapest IDEOS. I’ll save next month’s NT$4,000 instead～

Won't Boot After Installing a Dual-Boot System? Let's Repair the MBR~

Sat, 11 Sep 2010 22:19:31 +0000

Recently, while playing with Ubuntu, I ran into something: if you manually format the hard drive that Ubuntu is installed on, your computer will no longer be able to enter the operating system. This happens because the system’s MBR file has been damaged. Formatting Ubuntu directly isn’t the only way to hit this; sometimes it happens when installing a dual-boot system as well. When it does, don’t panic, because the MBR file can be repaired, and the steps aren’t very difficult. First, prepare a Windows installation disc, then set the computer to boot from the disc….

Super Easy: Jailbreak iOS 4 Just by Opening a Web Page on Your iPhone! (Reportedly No Longer Working)

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 01:25:49 +0000

No joke, this time it's a real one-click jailbreak. From start to finish, you only need to press one button to complete the jailbreak. You don't even need to download any jailbreak program. All you have to do is open a web page on your iPhone or iPod Touch. It's really amazing. When I saw the news this morning about this magical jailbreak method, I didn't believe it. But just now I tested it on my own iPod Touch (sweating nervously the whole time...), and the result is real!! However, this web-based jailbreak method currently only works on iOS 4, and it may stop working very soon. Also, don't worry that this web jailbreak program will sneak a Trojan horse onto your iPhone. I had that concern too at first, but then I saw that it's a product of the famous iPhone Dev Team, so I felt better~

My iPod Touch Experience and Tips: Saving Battery, Speeding Up iOS 4, and Using the Timer

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 01:23:54 +0000

Let me count: it has been about half a year since I bought my iPod Touch (it's August now, and I bought it in February, so 8 - 2 = 6). My feelings about it have changed a lot. When I first bought it, I was simply drawn to how cool and flashy it looked and the fact that I could play games on it. Now I find the iPod Touch really handy. It helps me get everything done and makes use of the small gaps in my day. A big reason for this change is that my home switched to a wireless network, so I can easily go online with the iPod Touch at home. As soon as I wake up in the morning, I can check my email. I can't remember which Song dynasty figure said it, but there's a saying about getting things done "right away, on the toilet, and on the pillow." I've already put the toilet and pillow parts into practice. When I go to the bathroom, I usually bring the iPod Touch along to chat on Plurk or look things up. I also use the iPod Touch as my calendar. Before I bought it, I mostly kept my schedule on paper notes, writing down what I had to do each day. Now that I have the iPod Touch, I don't have to waste paper anymore XD

Google Chrome OS: Google's Cloud Operating System (Installation Tutorial)

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 18:11:31 +0000

Google Chrome OS (hereafter Chrome OS) is an operating system from Google that mainly targets the netbook market. Chrome OS is known for its super-fast boot speed, very low power consumption, and very low hardware requirements. Google claims it boots in seven seconds (according to Google, that seven seconds assumes a solid-state drive). It uses Linux as its kernel, and its overall interface looks almost identical to the trendy Chrome browser.

Turning a Laptop into a Wireless Hotspot

Sat, 03 Apr 2010 10:21:01 +0000

Remember the iPod Touch I bought a while ago? The iPod Touch has to be slim and light, so it only supports wireless networking, not the Ethernet connections (such as ADSL) that are more common. So I’d been looking for a way to turn my home ADSL into a wireless signal. I originally planned to buy a broadband router, but the price was a bit high, so I held off. Then I did some research of my own and found that Vista (XP and Windows 7 work too) can use a wireless network adapter to turn the ADSL connection directly into a wireless signal, with an effective range of 30 feet. For someone like me who needs wireless internet, that’s really convenient.

iPod Touch 8GB with a Protective Back Cover: Unboxing, and Glossy vs. Matte Screen Protectors

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:55:15 +0000

Image source: Apple's official website

Remember how I bought a Korean-brand netbook last time? I've already returned it, because I simply couldn't stand how slow netbooks are. Maybe I'm just too used to fast computers (there's a pun here: "Kansai" is pronounced the same as the Chinese word for "relationship"). After returning the netbook, I bought an iPod Touch. Anyone who doesn't know much about the iPod Touch might think I'm silly for buying an iPod. But the iPod Touch = iPhone, get it?? Apart from lacking the built-in camera and phone functions, the iPod Touch is exactly the same as the iPhone. It can also download apps from the iTunes App Store, so it's not like a regular iPod. And with Skype installed, the iPod Touch can even make phone calls!

Would You Want to Buy the Apple iPad?

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:01:56 +0000

A few days ago, the Apple tablet that had been making a lot of noise finally came out! I just read some news about it, and I think the iPad is pretty good: it's cheap, and its battery is said to last ten hours. But I think the iPad has a few drawbacks:

No Flash support
No support for Traditional Chinese
No multitasking (running many programs at the same time)

Windows 7 (Win7) Overview and Installation Tutorial

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:50:19 +0000

There are already many nearly identical introductions to Windows 7 (Win7) online, so I'll keep this brief. Windows 7 is Microsoft's recent operating system. In many ways it's better than Vista (after all, Windows 7 was basically made to rescue Vista). It doesn't use many resources, either. For example, when I installed Windows 7 in a virtual machine (VirtualBox), I only gave it 1 GB of memory and it still ran without any lag. That said, even though Windows 7 doesn't consume much, I still recommend not installing it on a really old computer XD. Windows 7 (Win7) also fixes many of the shortcomings of XP and Vista, and file search is much faster too.

Windows 7 Features:

Supports DirectX 11
Full support for 64-bit CPUs
Supports more Aero effects without consuming too many resources
Better UAC protection
Built-in Windows XP compatibility mode

How to Set the BIOS to Boot from CD (Essential for Reinstalling Windows)

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 08:32:53 +0000

Booting from a CD is the most important step when learning to reinstall a computer. Once the CD boot is set up, installing the operating system is not that hard, since it is almost always just clicking Next. So in this article, I will teach you how to change the boot settings in the BIOS.

What is the BIOS? Basic Input/Output System (BIOS, Basic Input/Output System) is the most basic software code loaded onto a computer’s hardware system. The BIOS can be thought of as a tiny operating system that specializes in communicating with the hardware. It is usually written in assembly language for compatible CPUs. (This section is based on Wikipedia.)

Is Fiber Really Faster Than ADSL? Busting Common Myths About Fiber

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 09:43:54 +0000

Is fiber really faster than regular broadband? Actually, at the same speed rating, fiber and broadband are no different. For example, say you currently have a 2M/56K broadband connection, and you ask Chunghwa Telecom to upgrade you to a 2M/56K fiber connection. You might think it’s faster, but it’s actually the same as before.

But you might ask: if upgrading to fiber doesn’t make things faster, why does everyone say fiber is better? The truth is that fiber really is better than the networks most people use today, just not in speed. Here are the three most obvious advantages of fiber!

CPU-Z: Quickly Check Your Computer's Hardware

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:47:39 +0000

CPU-ZI think most people have heard of it. It is a small program that quickly shows you information about your computer. CPU-Z tells you basic details such as your CPU model, your memory size, and your motherboard's manufacturer and model. It even shows the CPU's manufacturing process clearly. You can check all kinds of hardware details without opening the case. CPU-Z can also export the data to txt or htm files.

Official website: http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html
Download page: Official download| 4Shared | Box.net

Changing Keyboard Mapping

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:26:41 +0000

Sometimes when you’re using a computer, you’ll notice the input method starting to act strangely, like pressing the A key and getting a B. What’s going on? It might be that the “mapping” setting of your input method has been messed with! Who would do that? Maybe someone else who uses the same computer, or maybe a virus playing a prank on the PC. Either way, this problem is actually easy to fix.

Emergency Measures When Your Computer Freezes

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:55:40 +0000

My computer froze. What do I do? Surely I’ll have to restart again……………

Here’s a method for you that clears a freeze without restarting.

The only requirement is that your keyboard works and your mouse can move XD

P.S. You can press Num Lock on your keyboard to check whether the keyboard is working.

To clear the freeze, first open Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Delete).

Make Your USB Drive Last: How to Safely Remove It

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:10:46 +0000

Did you know that USB drives break down easily? If you always pull them out without ejecting (hot-unplugging, like I do, XD), your drive may not last very long. If you remove a drive while it’s still reading or writing data, the data on it can easily be damaged. You might not notice right away, but after a while you’ll suddenly see strange files, such as filenames turning into gibberish or files that can’t be deleted… When that happens, be careful, because the drive is warning you. I’m the kind of person who loves hot-unplugging, because it’s really convenient. But yesterday, while using a USB drive, I suddenly found a pile of garbled files = =

Windows Handwriting Input - Typing Without Knowing Zhuyin

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:50:01 +0000

Honestly, I rarely use the handwriting input method built into XP anymore, because I can already type XD. I was reminded of it because our science teacher once ran into a character whose pronunciation they didn’t know and went to ask the Chinese teacher, and that made me remember this fun handwriting input method.

So what’s the benefit of handwriting input? Of course there is! Otherwise, why would I write a whole post about it ^^. Handwriting is slow for typing, but it lets you enter “a character you can recognize but whose pronunciation you don’t know.” Some characters are rarely seen, so you might come across one somewhere and have no idea how to read it. In that case, you can draw it into the computer to use this feature~~~ (Very few people actually use it to type. Most people use it to look up characters.)

How to Add Programs to Windows Startup

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:01:39 +0000

Plenty of computer experts will tell you not to set too many startup programs, because it makes the computer slow. That may have been true in the past, but with today’s much more powerful hardware, having a few programs launch at startup is actually convenient. Just don’t go overboard. It depends on your hardware XD

In this post, I want to show everyone how to add programs to startup on Windows XP. It’s really simple. Just follow the pictures below and you’ll definitely get it :)

Ubuntu 9.04 Review and Installation Guide

Wed, 27 May 2009 19:49:14 +0000

Ubuntu 9.04 looks like this update is aimed squarely at Windows 7. Ubuntu was updated not long after Windows 7 came out, and many of its features are very similar to Windows 7, maybe even better!! If not for the small number of programs that support Ubuntu, it might be the most famous operating system by now~~

A quick introduction to Ubuntu: it’s a Linux operating system, which means its source code is public, so you can modify its contents yourself. It’s also free, and its stability far exceeds the Windows family. On Ubuntu, seeing a crash even once is rare XD However, few programs on the market support Ubuntu, especially games. There are almost no games that support Ubuntu, so Ubuntu hasn’t been able to attract a huge user base like Windows does. Also, Ubuntu releases a new version about every six months, so its updates come quickly. And this Ubuntu 9.0.4 release adds a rather attractive interface that can compete with W7!!

Note: Thanks to Kgame for the correction. In fact, Ubuntu’s visual effects come from installing GNOME, not from the base system.

Ubuntu Features

Free
Multiple languages (including Traditional Chinese)
A new version every 6 months
Includes common free software (OpenOffice, etc.)
Supports 64-bit computers
Live mode (just burn it to a CD and you can use it without installing)
Four built-in virtual desktops
An interface that rivals W7

Official website http://www.ubuntu-tw.org/

Download page: http://www.ubuntu-tw.org/modules/tinyd0/index.php?id=7

My Experience with Windows Vista

Mon, 25 May 2009 19:49:52 +0000

I’ve always heard people say Vista is terrible.

Today Mom bought a new laptop, and now I finally see where Vista falls short!

The speed is fine, though my computer was already fast to begin with.

But there’s one thing that’s really annoying.

Every time I install a program, it pops up and bugs me. It’s something called UAC, I think. And I’m not used to the new operating system at all.

How to Defragment a Windows Hard Drive

Fri, 15 May 2009 18:05:25 +0000

I think anyone who has used a computer for a long time has noticed that it gets slower the more it’s used.

Here’s a method I recommend that can make your computer a bit faster.

It can also extend the life of your hard drive.

First, click “Start” - “All Programs” - “Accessories” - “System Tools” - “Disk Defragmenter.”

Or click “Start” - “Run,” type dfrg.msc

How to Set the Screen Resolution in Windows XP?

Fri, 08 May 2009 11:01:00 +0000

Today I’ll teach you how to change the screen resolution.

It can also be described as the screen size.

I’m not very good at explaining, so…

Anyway, changing this changes what’s shown on your screen (bigger or smaller)

It’s useful for people who find the screen hard to read.

Fixing Hidden Files That Won't Open

Sun, 03 May 2009 05:38:00 +0000

If you’ve ever been infected by a USB virus, some of them make your hidden files stop showing up.
This post shows you how to fix the problem of hidden files not appearing, which covers most cases.

First: “Start” –> “Run” –> type “regedit” –>
“HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Folder\Hidden\SHOWALL”
I’ll expand these one level at a time so beginners don’t get lost.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER → SOFTWARE → Microsoft → Windows → CurrentVersion → Explorer → Advanced → Folder →
Hidden → SHOWALL

Once expanded, do you see “CheckedValue” on the right? Double-click it, choose hexadecimal, and enter 1 in the box.

Next, either restart the computer, or open Task Manager –> Processes tab –> end “explorer.exe” –> at this point the desktop and taskbar will disappear.

Then, on the Applications tab, right-click on a blank area –> “New Task (Run)” –> enter “explorer.exe” and you’re done.

How to Fix the "0x000000 Memory Cannot Be Read" Error

Sat, 07 Feb 2009 09:24:00 +0000

Recently I keep running into a problem while playing games.

Programs sometimes show an error.

The message says “0x000000 memory cannot be Read”.

I saw in a book that it indicates the memory read error location.

But the book didn’t say what to do about it.

So I looked online.

One method I found online is to use a cmd command to re-register the DLL files.