Shiromi’s Diary

I've finally updated the look of my homepage, which was getting kind of old fashioned, although I'm not sure I can qualify the new one as fashionable!

I went for brighter colors, used the picture of the sunflower I took a few months ago, played a little with Photoshop... et voila!

I'm quite happy with the effect of the petals smoothly fading away, but I'm sure there are still things that I will want to change in the next few days...

Oh, and I've made this change available for Windows IE users: the last change already included brighter colors but was still a temporary one, so I did not bother updating the CSS for IE.

I'm still using the same trick to make he most of the browsers: two parts in the css, one for IE which cannot understand all features, and a more complete one for W3C compliant browsers (all except Windows IE!).

You've probably noticed that Google's logo changes on certain days, like anniversaries, national holidays, Christmas even, etc.

Did you know that Google also has some hidden pages, with different flavours like the Easter eggs, Microsoft, Mac, Linux, Uncle Sam, in latin, in klingon (the language in Star Trek), the hacker's version ?

Slashdot reports that Microsoft has acknowledged that portions of Windows 2000 and Windows NT source code were illegally made available on the Internet

The leak would allegedly come from some third party groups, which were participating to the Microsoft Shared Source Initiative, a program launched by Microsoft to provide portions of the source code of its (hardly) operating system in the scope of some business partnerships.

I'm wondering what's really new in that, since we know the core of Windows was already available a few years back.
I can't resist but to make it available again in this weblog, at the risk of being tracked down by Microsoft...

 /* Source Code Windows 2000 */  #include "win31.h" #include "win95.h" #include "win98.h" #include "workst~1.h" #include "evenmore.h" #include "oldstuff.h" #include "billrulz.h" #include "monopoly.h" #include "backdoor.h" #define INSTALL = HARD  char make_prog_look_big(16000000); void main() {   while(!CRASHED)   {     display_copyright_message();     display_bill_rules_message();     do_nothing_loop();      if (first_time_installation)       {       make_100_megabyte_swapfile();       do_nothing_loop();       totally_screw_up_HPFS_file_system();       search_and_destroy_the_rest_of-OS2();       make_futile_attempt_to_damage_Linux();       disable_Netscape();       disable_RealPlayer();       disable_Lotus_Products();       hang_system();       } //if     write_something(anything);     display_copyright_message();     do_nothing_loop();     do_some_stuff();      if (still_not_crashed)     {     display_copyright_message();     do_nothing_loop();     basically_run_windows_31();     do_nothing_loop();     } // if   } //while    if (detect_cache())     disable_cache();    if (fast_cpu())     {     set_wait_states(lots);     set_mouse(speed,very_slow);     set_mouse(action,jumpy);     set_mouse(reaction,sometimes);     } //if    /* printf("Welcome to Windows 3.1");    */   /* printf("Welcome to Windows 3.11");   */   /* printf("Welcome to Windows 95");     */   /* printf("Welcome to Windows NT 3.0"); */   /* printf("Welcome to Windows 98");     */   /* printf("Welcome to Windows NT 4.0"); */   printf("Welcome to Windows 2000");    if (system_ok())     crash(to_dos_prompt)   else     system_memory = open("a:\swp0001.swp",O_CREATE);    while(something)     {     sleep(5);     get_user_input();     sleep(5);     act_on_user_input();     sleep(5);     } // while   create_general_protection_fault();  } // main 

If you're looking for a DVD player, whatever OS you are running, have a look at VLC.

Not only this piece of software will read any DVD, regardless of the region code, but it also runs on all sorts of OS like Windows, Mac, Linux, BeOS, Solaris, Zaurus, etc..
Even better: it's not only a player, it can also be used as a source to broadcast video over the LAN (or at least a network with large bandwidth capabilities) via multicast!

Oh, and did I tell you that everything is free?...

Check out the video gallery on Discovery Channel's site, about the Xtreme Martial Arts.

The moves are quite impressive and the digital effects are especially nice, as always with Discovery Channel.

It's been a while since the last time I posted a message here...
I was about to do so last week for setsubun, when I noticed that Fred had already told the story I wanted to tell in its finest details!

Actually, for the last few weeks, Eiko and I have been pretty busy preparing the wedding: picking the kimono, finding a place for the second party (nijikai), making the invitations, etc.
There's still so much to be done and the actual date is coming so quickly!

Anyway, I thought I could take out my camera out for a change, just in case there would be something to snap.
The results are not great pictures but I kind of like them, especially the one taken on the escalator: the camera being still compared to the escalator and using a long exposure time, I like the contrast between the moving shadows and Eiko remaining still.

The other one is a picture of the huge Takashimaya Building, shared together with Tokyu Hands.
I like the monotony of the repeating square cells and the faceless shapes of the people going in and out, contrasting again with the green and almost amusing hands of the "Tokyu Hands" neon sign.

Hopefully, when we have more time after the wedding, I'll be able to go and take some pictures in daylight again.