5.18.2009

Mac OSX: Leopard 10.5 Enable Root User

For Mac users especially for UNIX savvy, enabling root user is essential. This will allow better management of your system and have a separate password whenever you run "sudo" in terminal or X11 app.

To enable root user in Leopard go to Application>Utilities>Directory Utility from there go to Edit>Enable Root User which will then prompt you with a new password to enter. Once completed, now running "sudo" or "su" will work only with the given password. Have fun!

Mac OSX: Personalize your login window

I've been a mac user since a very long time. Currently, my main machine is an aged Black MacBook 1st generation. For some, whenever you leave your mac, you will of course leave it to your login window (in Windows, it is known as lock user by pressing Window+L) so that your computer is safe from the wrong hands meaning that nobody can access your computer (your session at least) without your user authentication.

In mac, the only way to allow this is by enabling fast user switching first, from there you click on your fast user switching icon (usually on the top right) and select "Login Window...".

If you want to add more personalized message in the login window such as "This computer is mine", go to the terminal and type the following:

sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow LoginwindowText "This computer is mine"

Then try to go to the login window and voila, you will see the text just above the user list. Have fun!

5.08.2009

Facebook: Street Racing Shortcuts

Here are some collection of url shortcuts for Znga's Street Racing on Facebook:
General:
Perform races directly (1-24): http://apps.facebook.com/streetracinggame/jobs.php?action=Do+Job&job=1
Heal: http://apps.facebook.com/streetracinggame/stats.php?&cost=1

Shops:
Buy Properties (Modify from 1 to 7 for standard items and change amount, 7 is island - last property at the moment): http://apps.facebook.com/streetracinggame/properties.php?action=buy&property_id=7&amount=10

Stats Increase (Whenever available):
Offensive: http://apps.facebook.com/streetracinggame/stats.php?type=attack&action=Increase
Defensive: http://apps.facebook.com/streetracinggame/stats.php?type=defense&action=Increase
Max Gas: http://apps.facebook.com/streetracinggame/stats.php?type=max_energy&action=Increase
Max health: http://apps.facebook.com/streetracinggame/stats.php?type=max_health&action=Increase
Max Adrenaline: http://apps.facebook.com/streetracinggame/stats.php?type=max_stamina&action=Increase

Challenges:
One on One: http://apps.facebook.com/streetracinggame/fight.php?action=attack&one_on_one=true&opponent_id=
Crew vs Crew: http://apps.facebook.com/streetracinggame/fight.php?action=attack&opponent_id=
Bounty: http://apps.facebook.com/streetracinggame/hits.php?action=hit_attack&target_id=

Miscellaneous:
Clear news:
http://apps.facebook.com/streetracinggame/index.php?news=delete

Actually, for high level racer, all you need is the Perform races directly and heal. Well if you need anymore links do let me know in the comments. Happy racing!

Facebook: Street Racing

Facebook Street Racing Game by Zynga is addictive, people from all around the world joins the fun in this game which includes me. This text-based click game is a real treat to kill time or even working hours hehe... . This very popular game is without glitches. I found out several glitches and you may also call it cheats. Well first off, you need to sign in and allow the Street Racing Game to access your Facebook account, from there on be careful don't rush to play just yet.

Here i present you some of the glitches:
Extra Stats
In your home screen you will see a box allowing you to take quiz for a free 5 point stat, take it! once completed (you can skip the publishing etc) at the end you will find a "race" button. Click there and you will be directed back to the home screen. See the stat on the top-right of the home screen you will see a little +5 stat. Don't click anywhere just yet, click on the "Race" menu. Now see your stat, voila! +26 points.
This glitch has been recently fixed.

Extra 5 Favor Points
Secondly, type the url http://apps.facebook.com/streetracinggame/index.php?action=newbreward and you are granted 5 free favor points other than your first one once you begin.
This glitch has been recently fixed.

Extra Stat and Extra 5 Favor Points can be repeated once the server resets (Zynga regularly updates the server, so make sure you check the "take quiz" part, if it tells you to take a quiz for free 5 point stat then be sure to follow both of the above steps. This glitch has been recently fixed.

Directly Recruit Facebook Friends
Some properties, bonus cars and even some races (for new players) requires a certain number of crews you have. This works only on players which is also your facebook friends. Go to the "Friends" menu, from there you can race your friends which may or may not be on your crew. Right click on their name and you will see a link something like http://apps.facebook.com/streetracinggame/stats.php?user=655041xxxx which means that this is a player although he is not in your crew. To recruit them officially, you must first add them to your invitation list and they are to approve your request. Well to save time, type this into your url http://apps.facebook.com/streetracinggame/index.php?action=statusrecruit&from=655041xxx and your friend will automatically be added in your crew. Neat eh?

Free XP without Gas
Now here's another trick to get you some free XP without spending your gas. Through this you are "supposedly" helping your friend in completing certain races. There are 24 races to complete in Street Racing in which you are allowed to help 1 friend to complete 1 race. Type in url http://apps.facebook.com/streetracinggame/jobs.php?uid=655041xxxx&jcode=1 in which 655041xxxx is any user id number (which can be retrieved from the above way but is not limited to your friends, so it can be anyone's id but do make sure the id is from a valid player otherwise an error will occur). For the last digit (from jcode=1) you can type in the race number valid from 1-24. So 1 user id can get you 24 races which gets you up to 5 free XP without sacrificing any gas.

Quick Race/Challenge
To repeatedly race or challenge a person or event, click on the even button (for example 1v1 or race) repeatedly allowing you to save wait time for the loading.

Autoplay Script
Well smart people are lazy people. If you play Street Racing using Firefox or any other browser supporting the Greasemonkey plug-in which can be downloaded here can download StreetRacing for Greasemonkey script from here. Once installed, refresh your browser and go directly to Street Racing app for Facebook. Ensure that the monkey face on the bottom-right of your browser is on. A hidden menu just under the top banner can be clicked and configure. From here you can configure it to auto-fuel, auto-race, auto-challenge and set numerous parameters. The current version 1.7.0 is still buggy but working and saves you a lot of time but do check it from time-to-time as it sometimes stops working.

Free XP without Gas Script
Well for those feeling lazy to repetetively on getting free XPs, I created my own script which you can use. There are 2 scripts in total, the srautoxp.user.js allows the script to get user id automatically from challenges. Another script loopautoxp.user.js is to loop the race once the id is obtained. The last script loopautoxp.user.js is optional which allows redirection the the challenge page if anything goes wrong. Download your scripts here. Please note that only one type of script is supported at a time. So either you choose the Autoplay Script or Free XP without Gas Script.

Before running the scripts it would be wise if you save your username and password of your facebook.

Please do post any other findings you found and let me know how this article helped you in the comments! I came from level 22 to 53 by just leaving the Free XP without Gas Script overnight. Thanks and happy racing!

EDIT: UPDATES, TUTORIAL

5.01.2009

Blackberry: Pip-Boy Theme for Pearl

The recent Pip-Boy 3000 theme created by crackberry forum member sadosdemetrios was a hit, broadcasted on numerous blogs and dubbed as the most unique theme created made lots of user are demanding the theme ported for their specific devices.

While I personally never actually tried the theme as the pearl version of the theme is unavailable (I highly doubt that it will be available), I decided to create a version for pearl 81xx. What I plan to do is to create a community-created pipboy theme and to prove that I am perhaps capable of creating, I attached a draft version of the theme which can be installed on your 81xx version 4.5. Special thanks to sadosdemetrios for his fantastic idea and design. This draft was created by screenshots of sadosdemetrios' version for curve and storm so it may appear a little rough on the edges. Feel free to give thoughts and comments on the theme and suggestions are most welcomed.


Below are some sample screenshots of the draft theme:



What I would appreciate most is your submitted graphics, mock ups or especially icons which if possible in an editable psd file (upload to any free or paid image host and post the link in the comments) and I will try to create our dream pip-boy theme from the best submitted image free for the community. Oh, and the usual donations are most welcomed, Thanks and stay tuned!

Download the theme here (contains .alx and .cod for desktop install) I don't know how to create and OTA link and I also lack of resource for it so if you could create one for me and host it, I would really appreciate it.


EDIT: The theme is actually available. Well lets just keep this as an alternative version.