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Google makes the really neat program Picasa 3 for managing and editing photo/image collections. Since Microsoft Windows it a travesty and I therefore use Linux as much as possible, I was in need of a better and more stable photo management software to replace the buggy unstable F-Spot program. To my glee I found that Google releases a Debian version suitable for using under Ubuntu’s flavor of Debian Linux. I love you Google. Anyway, it was still a 2-step process, which would frighten most Windows users, but this bit of work in the beginning assures that I am using reputable sources for software that can be installed without visiting a website or downloading anything from a web server, as I would have to do if using Windows. Not to mention that by being forced to the wild web in order to download all applications and software just opens up a computer to problems because the user must decide which software makers to trust, not a good situation for casual users who aren’t in touch enough with the current “scene” to be able to make an educated decision about which company’s software is trustworthy and which are not. Alas, I digress…

To install Picasa on Ubuntu:

1. Create a backup copy of your file: /etc/apt/sources.list
2. Edit /etc/apt/sources.list using “sudo” and the editor of your choice e.g. vi, vim, gedit.
3. Add the following line:
   deb http://dl.google.com/linux/deb/ testing non-free
4. Save the file.
5. Update apt-get’s repository list using: sudo apt-get update
6. Try to install Picasa now: sudo apt-get install picasa
7. If it installs, then Hooray! You’re done! However, if you get an error like the following, then proceed to the next steps:
   W: GPG error: The following signatures couldn’t be verified because the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY 1234567890123456
   W: There is no public key available for the following key IDs:  1234567890123456
8. The long number will be different for you, and you’ll need it for the next step.
9. Run the following commands, substituting 1234567890123456 with the number from your error messages:
   gpg –keyserver pgpkeys.mit.edu –recv-key  1234567890123456
   gpg -a –export 1234567890123456 | sudo apt-key add –
10. Assuming that you get success, and you should as long as there’s no typos, try again to install Picasa directly with Ubuntu apt-get:
    sudo apt-get install picasa
11. Picasa will download and install, you may be required to verify that process before it proceeds, though.

Check put these for a bit more info, and the source of the steps needed for this process:
[Debian] Apt-get : NO_PUBKEY / GPG error
Howto Install Picasa 3.5 in ubuntu

Posted under Freeware, Graphic, Linux, Software

Microsoft makes manual download of update files easily accessible at this link:

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=70631

This will download a file called Mpas-fe.exe
Try to save the file in a location that you can get to easily with a command prompt. (ie. C:\ )
Then, open a command prompt and run the program using the -q switch. It looks like this:

Mpas-fe.exe -q

The program will run quickly, and won’t give you any kind of confirmation that it has run or finished.

Open the Microsoft Windows Defender window to see what date your definition files have. This is how you can be sure that the update was successful.

IMPORTANT: The above info applies ONLY to 32-bit Operating Systems. For those of you using 64-bit platforms, see the full scoop here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923159 

Posted under Freeware, Microsoft

So, you have two or more Firefox main windows open, and you need to close Firefox, but you’ll lose Firefox’s memory of all tabs in windows that are not the last one closed. Bummer.

This process assumes that you have Firefox set to “show my tabs from last time”.
Well, there are two ways to fox this. One is easy and requires no plugins. Here is the process:

1. Pick one firefox window to be the recipient of all tabs. Maximize that window, or at least make it so you can see the tab bar, and it is near the top of your screen.
2. By clicking on its icon on the Windows taskbar, open the other window that has tabs you want to save.
3. Make sure that this second Firefox window is not maximized, and is small enough so that you can see the original Firefox window’s tab bar.
4. Now, drag tabs from the second, smaller Firefox window, and drop them above on the original, bigger Firefox’s tab bar. NOTE: Read the next step too.
5. If the original Firefox’s tab bar is full, or if it fills up as you drop tabs on it, then you can continue dropping tabs on the right-arrow button at the extreme right of the Firefox tab bar.
6. Repeat step 4 for all tabs that you want to keep.
7. Close the second, smaller Firefox window.
8. Repeat steps 2 through 7 for any other Firefox windows that you want to retrieve tabs from.
9. Make sure that only your one main Firefox window is open. Now close it. It will remember all those tabs you put into it now.

The second way to make this happen in the future is to download the Session Manager plugin for Firefox.

Posted under Browsers, Freeware

Thanks to G. Inglemo we have a really neat way to hack the registry on out Windows Mobile based devices. The check out the developer’s page for full info.

Also, you can download it from NTI.

Posted under Microsoft, Mobile