Virtual disk images in Windows XP

What you need:

• Windows XP (Either edition will work)
• FileDisk (free, http://www.acc.umu.se/~bosse/, direct link http://www.acc.umu.se/~bosse/filedisk.zip)
• A computer (duh)

What to do:

1. Download and install FileDisk from the website above.
2. Open a command prompt (Start>Run>type cmd)
3. Type the following text into the command prompt at C:\

fsutil file createnew example.img 1000000000
filedisk /mount 0 c:\example.img x:

Replace the parameters like this:

• example.img >> Whatever you want the image file to be called
• 1000000000 >> The size of your drive
• 0 >> The filedisk drive ID (starts at 0, must be the lowest integer available)
• c:\example.img >> The name of your image (note: path must be specified even if in current directory)
• x: >> The drive letter (must not be in use) followed by a colon (:)
  

To unmount the drive: filedisk /umount x:

Note that you will need to format the new drive. You can then access it like any other drive until you reboot.

MediaFire: The best file upload service

Now, when I say it's the best, you may think: "Well that's his opinion." Well I'm sure it will be your opinion too!
I quote from the site:

• 100% Free
• Unlimited File Size
• Unlimited Uploads
• No Sign Up Required

Check that out! Sweet...

MediaFire is at http://www.mediafire.com, surprise, surprise. Check it out!

Weird glitch on my camera!

You saw that post about my camera right? Well I just found a weird glitch in it! Take a look!

Yes, that's multiple folders (and a file, IMPOSSIBLE to delete without deleting all the folders as well :-S ) with the same name!
Basically I noticed that every time I turn on my camera a folder is created called DCIM if it doesn't exist. If it does exist, it doesn't create it. So I wondered: What if DCIM does exist...as a file rather than a folder? Well, I created a file called DCIM, and turned on my camera. I then turned it back off and reconnected the USB cable to find that that file was blank (it wasn't before) and there was not one, but TWO folders called DCIM. Opening one gave the following error:

G:\DCIM is not accessible.

The directory name is invalid.

Weird...
Each time I unplug it and plug it back in again it gives me two more folders called DCIM! In case you don't know (you probably do) no two folders or files in the same folder can have the same name, and neither can a file and a folder have the same name. The camera somehow broke that rule

VistaQuest VQ1005

A while back I went to my local Wal*Mart and I saw a shelf of small keychain digital cameras there. Not thinking I could afford one, and purely out of curiosity, I looked at the price tag expecting it to be from $50-$100 or so. However, to my surprise, it read $19.96. I could afford it after all!
I purchased it and went home to try it out. It connects via USB, supports SD memory, and can also take short videos without audio. However, the downside is there is no picture-viewing display, there is no flash, and the battery runs out fairly quickly. Also there is a maximum of 40 seconds for each video clip.
In the long run however it is a pretty good camera, and I suggest you buy one. As you can tell from the title of this post, it's called the VistaQuest VQ1005.

Eval.c mod for dc

Have you ever heard of dc? No, not Washington, DC! I'm talking about the RPN (reverse Polish notation) based calculator program for UNIX. It's open source, so therefore you can mod it. Well, I added a little extra feature into it: a clear-screen function. Whenever you type j as a command, it will clear the screen!


Download it at: http://www.paste-it.net/505/c

To use this mod, replace the contents of dc/eval.c in your bc (another calculator program that dc comes with) source directory with that code. Oh, and then recompile and move the new copy of dc created to your /usr/bin directory.

Route 666

I've had this photo for a while, and finally decided to share it with you. It is of a sign on Monroe St. in Herndon, VA:


Look at the number on the top. Yes, you read correctly, it says 666, the Number of the Beast. I'm neither superstitious nor Christian however, so I don't believe in any of that stuff, but still, it's kind of funny! There's also something ironic about it: there is a church on that street. Oh, the irony! :-) lol

RSS feeds in Excel

Here's a little something for you. It lets you create RSS feeds in Excel. To save an RSS feed, simply go to File->Save As... and then choose XML Data from the type list. Make sure you pick XML Data, and NOT XML Spreadsheet. Enjoy!

xlrss.zip

EDIT: I have switched to MediaFire, the best online file upload service, so if the link wasn't working before, try again!