Discontinued Google Pinyin IME

Been using Google Pinyin IME in Windows for years. Love it or so use to its functionality (can type both simplified & traditional Chinese characters), compatibility (so far no system halt issue) and customisability (use your own established phases).

Thought it will be uneventful to install and set up Google Pinyin IME in my new Windows 7 x64 SP1, only to find out the same nagging "network error" message keep popping up whenever I try to logging with my Google account to retrieve my own established phrases data.

It seems Google has shut down or change the particular host for Pinyin IME synchronisation, as stated in Google Pinyin wiki under "synchronization failure". The official forum has been taken down, left the Chinese group staying stagnant.

Despite being unable to synchronise, the 64-bit version of the installation file is still available here (15.6MB). Well how I know? Guess it is provided even since the very beginning but the page has also been taken off.

New Year New System, Yet Another Success of Core2Duo E8400 in SR5222d

After I had been using Windows XP Pro x64 SP2 for more than a decade, I decided to sell my ten-year-old Compaq (does any new netizen never heard of this?) Presario together with the old OS. It took me a few weeks before "taming" down yet another Compaq Presario that was used by my brother. Speaking of this "taming down" process is clueless. In fact I thought it was either power supply unit, main board, CPU, even RAM to be blamed that causing the new system not being able to show POST screen after boot.

Note that I'm trying to fix an Intel Core2Duo E8400 into the old MSI main board in this SR5222d, which according to the official website is only support up to E7xxx. Even there are numbers of successful trials claimed by netizens.

The only medicine is, time. So I just got myself distracted by other things, and it just come back, getting steadier each boot.

Installing Zune in Windows XP Pro x64

Microsoft is ceasing despite its old glory.

I am rather busybody to offer my help to update the firmware & software of a Nokia Lumia 710.

Prior to this I though it would be as easy as connecting the Windows Phone to a PC to transfer files. No! My Windows XP Pro SP2 64-bit just not able to process this toy! Upon unsuccessful installation of USB driver I downloaded and installed Windows USB driver but in vain -- there is a proper icon showing a USB device is plugged in and how to safely remove, but it just failed to show itself in Windows Explorer.

So I thought it is time to install Zune Setup Package (101MB).

And of course another failure.
"The Zune Music + Video software won't work on versions of Windows earlier than Windows XP SP3, any 64-bit version of Windows XP, or any version of Windows Server." --Zune Support
Think I'm just too rigid in persisting in Windows XP 64-bit.

Inspired by a thread in ZuneBoards titled Install Zune 4.0 on Windows XP x64, as there'll be quite a journey to be fruitful, I modified the step-by-step guide as follow:
Note: I have Windows Media Player 11 installed much earlier so I skipped installing WMP11 of course.
1. Extract the only 2 folders from ZuneSetupPkg.exe, namely x64 & x86, using 7-zip or any compression software;
2. Install straight with x64\packages\zune-x64.msi;
3. Backup C:\Program Files\Zune\Drivers for later use;
4. Uninstall Zune x64 with x64\packages\zune-x64.msi;
1-4 is to get Zune x64 drivers because I could not get them by simply extract from the .msi file.
5. Use SuperOrca MSI Editor (mentioned in my earlier article iPhone with box of Windows XP x64) to edit x86\packages\zune-x86.msi:
 a. Select "InstallExecuteSequence" from the left pane, drop the rows with sequences 3487 to 3499 and 5885 to 5898.

 b. Select "LaunchCondition" from the left pane, drop the row with the Condition "Msix64".

6. Install with x86\packages\zune-x86.msi;
7. Overwrite the whole C:\Program Files (x86)\Zune\Drivers folder with the one backup in step 3;
8. Plug in Windows Phone and install driver from C:\Program Files (x86)\Zune\Drivers\Zune if being asked;

Then you'll see the window with black theme:

When I thought all's fine, I found out I could not update the firmware, but only to synchronise photos.
And this nag screen may come at times, just ignore it.

Updating NVIDIA GeForce 335.28

While I still could not find the reason why my LCD turning off or going to standby mode automatically after around ten seconds of various format of movie played by MPC-HC, followed by audio off & irresponsive system (i.e. keyboard Caps Lock LED not responding to pressing Caps Lock) recently, I decided to update the ASUS branded NVIDIA GeForce display card driver since ASUS does not providing any update driver.

After downloaded the latest official GeForce 335.28 package launcher I executed it and decompressed the setup files into a folder away from the system partition to avoid fragmentation. Upon setting up I encounter some hiccups:

Tried simply installing with 64-bit Windows Imaging Component works!

Then I chose custom install, unchecked .Net Framework 4 since I already have version 2 (just trying my luck if it works), unchecked GeForce Experience since it is cater for serious gamer not "game watcher" like me, and unchecked nView as well as it is just an extra desktop management bundle. 

I leave HD Audio because it only consumes a few MB. Lastly checked "Perform a clean installation".

Now I'm gonna shut my system down. No update to this if I enjoy it. Wish me luck!

Chatting For Decades - Review My Instant Messaging Software Used

Two decades ago people thought personal computer (PC) is for fun, as Multimedia is just having its bloom, followed by Internet, that came with Instant Messaging (IM). ICQ was my first IM start-up, that I used to contact family members and friends far away. Still remember the tiny green bloom with little yellow dot at the centre?

Since then netizen spends hours using PC to communicate.

As the mainstream IM software is filled with contacts, I found it hard to concentrate on my chat with the special one. I found SIM a.k.a Secure IM from saturngirl.net more than a decade ago.

"A simple one-on-one chat that uses encryption to provide a more secure conversation. You can choose the font and color of the text, and a sound button is included for when you want to get the other users attention and they are not replying. With one person as the server and one as the client, using the same password of course, you'll be up and chatting in no time. For the client, the IP address of the server is also needed."

SIM was as small as 80kb, customisable and secure, but needed some manual connecting tricks: server IP address & password. With the fixed IP addresses, we were chatting from dormitories in different universities. But chatting with SIM did not last longer than 3 years.

Then came MSN Messenger with even more functions and fun including inviting the other party to remote control and fix your PC. The significant charms featured imoticons and MSN games. However its fate was volatile, changing names and services from time to time.

Before MSN Messenger changed its name to Live Messenger, and died few years later, there was once I tried to use software legally by killing Microsoft (MS) Windows, installing and setting up free operating system Ubuntu:

I picked the cross-platform multi-protocol IM, Pidgin to continue chatting using MSN protocol, with some glitches as it was still in developmental stage.

And since MS Live refused to be installed into Windows XP x64 platform I quit using it. This marks an end to my PC chatting experience.

Since there was sensitive info sharing using IM, there were both sniffing and encrypting software in the market. These all were in my software collection.

Before majority IM goes mobile, Google introduced GTalk, which later on turned into a much comprehensive Hangouts. It did not draw my attention much as I am satisfied with LINE, then Whatsapp, then WeChat.

Chatting continues on mobile...

iOS7's Broken!

I don't think this gotta happen so soon before Christmas until I see evad3rs' evasi0n7, this indeed a great xmas gift for those who waited for long.

I'm not going to brake the jail soon as I have little time for myself to fully customize my iPhone4, and that many great apps are free, even paid apps are free for limited time at times.

Just be sure to backup despite the extended time needed.

iPhone with box of Windows XP x64

26th Sep added screenshots
19th Sep updated w/ iTunes 11.1 update.

I am not an Apple fan, not fancy to i-products, and ever since I received a secondhand iPhone4, I was amazed by its simplicity, and lazidity (yup, rigidity + laziness).

Usually I'll set my own ringtones but this time with iPhone I was stucked as I could not perform as I wish within iPhone settings (unless a jail-broken one).

So after few months using a plain tone iPhone, finally I decided to connect it to my old box of 64bit Windows XP, thought to modify the ringtone with iTunes. And yet another quest on looking for the way to get software installed into a x64 system went on, as iTunes is not designed to even install into the abandoned x64.

I found Dan's Skunk Werks' awesome article to inspire me to install the minimalist SuperOrca MSI Editor rather than MS's big fat GB-level SDK.

After officially downloaded iTunes setup .msi .exe I opened it using 7-zip to extract the following files: iTunes.msi, Bonjour.msi & AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi all files into a folder.

Next I opened each of them iTunes64.msi & AppleApplicationSupport.msi with SuperOrca, and change "VersionNT64>=600" to "VersionNT64>=501" in table "LaunchCondition". The .msi files will immediately changed without the need to save. Then I executed each of the altered .msi files iTunes64, AppleMobileDeviceSupport64, AppleApplicationSupport & Bonjour64 in order.

Should AppleMobileDeviceSupport64.msi pops up with:
"[ProductName] requires that your computer is running Windows XP SP2 or newer."
kindly edit the .msi file with SuperOrca, locate the same "LaunchCondition", change the *Condition to:
"Installed OR (VersionNT=501 AND ServicePackLevel>=2) OR VersionNT>501"

You might get this for the first time running iTunes:

x64 iTunes

Just ignore and you'll get the real thing:

iTunes get started!

Apple Mobile Device failed

Retry or Ignore

With all the above mentioned steps you supposed to get ready to connect your iPhone to your Windows XP x64. But few weeks then until now guess what, lazy me still using the plain tone iPhone, thinking to jail-break straight my old iPhone4.

Free Up Some Space After Windows Update

Windows users used to be quite aware of hard disk space consumed, not after having increasing availability of half terabyte hard drives.

Here why I particularly mention Windows Update is because during & after updates Windows will store both the backups & updates files which in turn consume much disk space, making my used to be spacious 10GB system partition a short dull, sluggish with pop-up reminders of insufficient disk space.

Take a look or even analyse with software how your system partition C: is piled up with files and folders, you will find some blue highlight folders with $ prefix, full of unused junk which might cost gigabytes.

Found ways for this but personally prefer this:
Is it safe to delete the $NtUninstallKBxxxxxx$ folders

...but still my pathetic 10GB C: is very low in free space, until I added another old 60GB Maxtor and move my entire system partition to 1st active partition of this oldie. Sadly to say then that to buy for more disk space is still the best hassle free way.

Trivia
Tried uninstalled Windows Security Essential, free up 300MB.

Windows Eight To Be Tested

As high hardware specs demanding and sluggish performance of Vista from MS Windows I remained in Windows XP Pro, shifted to Ubuntu 7, then went back to Windows XP x64. While weight-loss Windows 7 has successfully reclaimed OS market, alleged to be the best seller in Windows family, still not convincing for me to try out, until its successor, Windows 8 is out for consumer preview.

I have downloaded and burnt the English x64 iso, to be tried out only after backups & partitioning done.

Microsoft Security Essentials x64

Finally after a few years my WinXPx64 left unprotected, I installed an antivirus software, Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE).

I thought there might be some malwares after I discovered that a few programmes just not showing up after executed.

But as soon as I installed this thought to be more system integrated stuff, I lost around 200MB of space.
How greedy this tiny anti-whatever, oh, x64 version.

Lastly, I came across there is an executable being quarantined silently: PPS, only after I checked from History log, wonder it will popup a box to alert me.

I thought such branded anti-whatever will be foe with these software less aware of piracy, so I just restored the quarantined file.

Check out playpcesor on Microsoft Security Essentials 4.0 Beta.

Learning To Learn

Just got rehearsed by my colleague regarding neurofeedback with a cover story titled "The Alphalearning Revolution" in the magazine Calibre.

The main idea is to achieve the balance or harmonious state physically & mentally, in a damn fast way.

It is rather costly for average families but the market demands are incredibly huge, that there are now a few profit-making private schools lining up crunching for the local big cake.

External links:
Alphalearning Institute in Switzerland (You'll be shocked by the price list)

OpenEEG (What we'll like, open-sourced)

Superuser@Foursquare

Just came across a Superusers section in Foursquare Support FAQ when I attempt to learn if they finally willing to clarify the users about their apps version by putting on version numbers.

I am so into it despite they disappoint me in this particular issue. So I'm in, no, just to apply and see, as I keep on updating details of venues and flagging mislocated or duplicate venues.

I really hope they care of Symbian users a bit more, or until I jump into Droid. See, so despair being a small user.

Foursquare Rocks...My X6

Foursquare is a mainstream geo-social mobile apps for mobile users to get to know where are those hot spots around, along with users' feedback, tips & tricks.

Few months back I was using official Foursquare for Symbian 6 on my Nokia X6.
The version 1.0.6 kept crashing my X6 when it has difficulty with the WiFi connection.
I had to disconnect the battery to off and restart my X6.
The slowish executing and closing the app is annoying too.

I thought I would get a better experience with Sym4square, but ended up with its unfamiliar UI.

When I desperately removed Foursquare, and try to re-install from Ovi Store, I get an upgraded version: v1.0.8.

With its improved executing speed, less flaw, I finally enjoy the fun of exploring the world!

New Microsoft Encoder

Well, perhaps not a "new" one as it is released  few months ago.

What I'm talking about is Microsoft Expression Encoder 4, an element in MS Expression Web, is a successor of the well-acclaimed Windows Media Encoder, which helped me much more than 5 years ago in compressing videos just within a few clicks.

It simply recalls my nostalgic memories.


However, think I won't try this out so soon, it's requirement to install .Net 4 is a monster already.

Don't Mess With My C:, Chrome!

Years back when we PC DIY geeks split hard disk partitions, we allocate <10GB for OS.
Things changed when one can easily get 1TB HDD without burning a hole in pocket.
Most of the time people just skipped the partitioning chores, leaving a whole big hard disk into 1 partition.
As such, they mix system & personal stuffs into a big bowl, and lost both when disaster comes.

In my case, I have 10GB as my system partition since years ago and still practise it without problem.

After switching Firefox to Firefox Portable, from my much space-limited system partition to other much spacious hard disk partition, I managed to recover much space to be utilised, although it's then being consuming by MS updates patches.

Not sooner after installing Google Chrome 4, I wondered what eats up my system partition till 0kb.
I cleared up other temp files, temporary freed up some space, but quickly I faced with the same situation.
After months I spared Google Chrome, finally I decided to switch Google Chrome to Google Chrome Portable.
To my surprise, this frees up >300MB in my poor system partition!

So I would really suggest to Go Green - go Portable, and that the new age programmers would kindly consider much in making of their ever-growing big fat applications, to be much aware of the what they might consumed.

MS Virtual PC 2007

I've been using this for months to experience the notorious Vista.

Virtual PC is a platform that allows you to use an guest OS right inside your existing OS.
For instance, you can use Windows Vista right inside your existing Windows XP without having to mess up with the partitioning or re-installation. What's more, you can use and switch between several OSes at the same time.
This implies a great saving in cost & time as no need to prepare a testing kluge as well.

Official intro: If you are running Windows Vista or Windows XP on your physical machine, you can still use Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 to run multiple operating systems at the same time on the same physical computer. Switch between virtual machines with the click of a button. Use virtual machines to run legacy applications, provide support, train users, and enhance quality assurance.

Oh! Forget to mentioned VPC is just like other great software acquired by MS. It's been purchased from Connectix Corporation more than 5 years back.

Sealed this up.
Let's take a glimpse:

Upon executing, there's a main console where you can choose guest OSes.
For this instance, I have only Vista added.



However, the list is empty by default.
You have to create a virtual machine with the step-by-step wizard:



After a few dummy-proof steps, you'll stuck here:
{I'll explain this later}



{I'll explain this later}




DOWNLOAD:
MS VPC 2007
There's also a hacked Chinese Simplified version around the internet which no installation is needed.

Windows Live Messenger in x64 WinXP

For more than a month my Windows Live Messenger BETA refused to function properly.
It pops up an error message telling that it can't connect then closed automatically with error report.
I didn't pay much attention on it until I really need to use it.
There's an easy way to solve this, which is only to delete folders with random numbers,
under Application Data\Microsoft\MSN Messenger (or Windows Messenger),
or under Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows Live Contacts.
Just soon after trying to delete a few folders with the oldest date,
my WLM functions normally like it was before.

Since I've been using this BETA version in my 64-bit environment for over a year,
guess there's a more updated version to grab for from WLM.
However, it ended up with this:



As far as I remember there was no problem while installing WLM 2009 Beta in Win XP x64.
Seems that they didn't like x64 geeks to chat with each other.
There's one of the ways to have it done:
Windows Live Messenger 2009 on Windows XP 64bit

But I'll stick with the Beta one since it's functioning well now.

Microsoft Popfly

To create a webpage without writing any code is nothing since there're so many choices of WYSIWYG webpage editing software.

But ever imagined creating a game without writing any code?

I saw my housemate Aaron head spinning for writing and debugging codes, and I think I won't be the same, until I found Microsoft Popfly, which is released a while ago.





You can create mashup(kinda mix of infomation pieces), webpages and even games, and can even integrate them into your blog.


Try it!

As I haven't. ;-p


UPDATE

Google has its own now with Google Mushup with AJAX.

Minefield - x64 Firefox 3

Right after my successful drivers installation for x64 system, I looked for the 64-bit web browser, and the 1st came into my list is x64 version of Firefox - Minefield, which just still in its very alpha stage.

Mozilla x64

Before you can use Minefield in 64-bit OS, you have to manually install Microsoft Visual C + + 2005 SP1 Redistributable (x64)

Installing MSVC2008 doesn't work.




Immediately after several browsing sessions I find it cannot show flash at all.

The reason is the Adobe staff not being able to port the 32bit flash support to the 64bit web browsers:
Flash Player support on 64-bit operating systems

Here's one of the webpages where people blamming on Adobe:
http://taupter.blogspot.com/2007/08/flashy-32bit-diehards.html

Even the NCBI website is not accepting Minefield:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/corehtml/query/static/unsupported-browser.html

Checking for the latest version of Minefield is not helpful:

Last but not the least, the Google Pinyin Chinese input compatibility issue.

It's still hot:

http://groups.google.com/group/google-labs-pinyin/topics

UPDATE:

Google is providing x64 Pinyin now:

http://dl.google.com/pinyin/v2/GooglePinyinInstaller_x64.exe

Recently I found a newly release 3.1 alpha version of Minefield, which is even worse for not supporting 2 of my favourite add-ons: Download Statusbar & Downloadhelper.

Eventually, I decided to dump Minefield as the incompatible issue with flash makes it useless at all particularly when browsing Youtube.

Compaq Presario SR5350AP with WinXP x64 Drivers Solved!

I still remember the very early & hard moment I looked around & waited the driver programmers to write & compile a workable 64-bit chipset drivers for my 740-pin AMD Athlon 64 (the first & cheap x64 CPU) + nForce mobo years ago.

After finished setting up my first dual core box, I took several days roaming within the unfamiliar MS Vista Starter installed. Finally I decided to install 64-bit Windows XP for the second time, without knowing that disaster's awaiting.

First, non-immediate relief from official support.

Rather fast response from HP support (replied the next day):

I have verified the specifications of Compaq Presario SR5350AP Desktop PC. This PC is preinstalled with Windows Vista Starter (32-bit) Operating System. This is the reason the PC is not bundled with XP drivers. As the PC is preinstalled with the Vista Operating System, Recovery discs also available for Vista Operating System only which includes drivers for Vista. Also, I wish to inform you that Pavilion PC's that ship with Windows Vista do not include a set of recovery CDs (Operating System, drivers and preinstalled softwares). Instead, they use a hidden space (partition) on the hard drive to store the recovery information......if you wish to install the XP Operating System in your PC, then you need to contact the device manufacturer for drivers for XP 64bit Operating System.

You can refer the below HP Document for more detailed description about this scenario:
Changing the Operating System from Windows Vista to Windows XP

Luckily I've created the only Recovery DVD before I put the pre-installed 80GB HDD into rest.

Before proceeding, here's the spec. listed on HP Customer Care web pages:
Product Spec.
Mobo. Spec.

Search & rescue task for ECS 945GCT-HM (Livermore 8)

Unfortunately this OEM product is not listed in the ECS official website.
See their reply.

Fine, another search & rescue task.
Initially I made google searches which all turn out to be unsolved 64-bit driver requests.

Lastly, I went to Intel for 945 Express Chipset & GMA;
Realtek for RTL8201E network & ALC888 HD audio.

All in x64, viola!


But the on board RTL8201E is recognised as cheap RTL8139.


Oh wait! How about my legacy 3Com NIC?



Guess what, totally no official x64 driver found in the Internet!

So, I use a cheap RTL8139D NIC instead, as I would like to set up a dual-NIC box to share my network with my backup kludge.

Up to here, the 64-bit WinXP is up and functionally running.