Printing with Windows shared printers

If you want to print to a printer connected on a Windows machine, you need to have samba-client installed. This will add an extra option onto the printer configuration which allows you browse and connect to a Windows shared printer!

Chinese ... another step closer to ditching Windows

Today I have found a little Java utility, called HanziLookup which can do Chinese handwriting recognitions. Windows comes with a utility which can recognize Chinese handwritings. This is very handy for people like myself who cannot type Chinese. I have been looking for something similar in Linux world and this discovery means I am another step closer to leave Windows world.

Windows 7 and my VirtualBox

I have just installed Windows 7 RC on VirtualBox to see how it compares with XP on the same setup. Well, it isn't doing so well. System monitor reported it used more CPU and more memory. If you are thinking of replacing XP on your Netbook with Windows 7, you may want to hold your thought. At least I will after this experience. I guess this explains why Microsoft has extended XP license for Netbook again.

Another negative aspect of Windows 7 is its footprint. Windows XP consumes about 3GB with minimal installation, i.e. Windows itself and AV software. Whereas Windows 7 takes over 6GB as it stands now with minimal installation. Again, this isn't something good for Netbooks which tends to have relatively small hard drive.

Virtualbox and Linux

Just tried Virtualbox on Jaunty. What a surprise, the performance is a lot better than I expected. The machine I am running is a bit dated, a 2.66GHz P4. Windows is running a lot smoother than Windows running natively on my IBM Thinkpad. Okay, the Thinkpad is only with 2.0GHz Celeron, not a record breaking machine. But, come on, after all, it is running on emulation. I am more than impressed.

Virtualbox and Graphics Acceleration

Wow, just found out Compiz works now on VirtualBox setup ... cool

name of display: :0.0
display: :0 screen: 0
direct rendering: Yes
server glx vendor string: Chromium
server glx version string: 1.2 Chromium

Jaunty

I have just upgrade from 8.04 LTS to 9.04. I have two desktop, a laptop and two virtual machines, and they all have gone through the upgrade without a problem! The new version seems a bit faster.

Joining MTS files

I have this video which come in as MTS files. I have been looking for software that I can join them together into a single HD video file so I can convert it to a more standard SD video (it is a SD TV program taped in HD. Since the film wasn't a recent TV program, it is just one of these SD program recorded in HD) Today, I finally found one, and it is called tsMuxeR from SmartLabs. I have successfully joint 90 MTS files into a single ts file, so I can use Handbrake to convert it into a MKV file.