Read Comics (CBR/CBZ) on Your Symbian S60v3 Phone N86

First of all, please be warned that I am not responsible if you brick your Nokia mobile. This is not exactly a hack, all you need to do is install a trialware software to read comics. So here goes.

Please note that I am using a Nokia N86 8MP phone. This kind of phone is OS 9.1 but it might as well be an S60v3 phone. For Nokia touch devices or ^3 phones, just download and Google for TouchComic 1.91. TouchComic is a great program for Nokia touch phones but it's not very ideal for non-touch phones like we have.

First thing you need to install is X-Plore. This app is a file manager with a shit ton of features. It can read text files, it can unzip, it can unrar, and it can even play some video formats quite well. This app is not free but it is trialware. However, your trial does not end. The app just has a 3 second nag when started and ended. That's not a very irritating nag, but if you have money, please buy the product and support the author.

Now that you have X-Plore installed, all you need is to download a CBR or CBZ file. Once in your phone, fire up X-Plore and locate the CBR/CBZ file. Rename the CBZ file to zip and rename the CBR file to rar. Now, after that, X-Plore will be able to read the files inside the archives.

Just click on the picture file (JPG), X-Plore will display the picture. Now this is where X-Plore comes in very handy more than the built-in Nokia picture explorer - hot keys. Once the picture (the comic page) is displayed, you can zoom in the page to read the word balloons using the number 5 on your keypad. To zoom out just press 0. To go to the next page, just press 3.

Isn't this awesome. The cool thing about X-Plore is that it will also remember the folder that you were before after you exit the app. This makes it the best comic book reader for our Nokia Symbian phone. 

Playstation Emulator ePSxe Works in Ubuntu Wine

I tried to install native Playstation One emulators for Ubuntu (in my case Jolicloud), but they are way slower. So in desperation I tried to use ePSxe for Windows in Wine. It works beautifully. I used Peops Soft Driver 1.8 for the graphics plug in and I used SPU core or Peops Sound plug in for the sound. It works great in Wine even faster than the native PSX emulator and PSXr. I may have the wrong configuration on the native emulators, but I won't bother with them for the moment because I have something that works fine now.

If you need a PSX emulator, just Google for it and you'll find a shit ton of them. 

I'm playing Final Fantasy IX in the emulator and it works great. I just can't get into the game. The truth is, after I beat Dragon Quest 3, I can't seem to get into any game anymore. Hm, video game burn out part a hundred, maybe?

Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon (Gameboy Color) English translation

This is another translation project for the Gameboy Color game Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon (GBC) that I am eagerly anticipating. This is a Tales of Phantasia game, but I honestly don't know if this game follows the Tales of Phantasia SNES gameplay. If it is the same as the SNES version, then this game is a must play along with Star Ocean: Blue Sphere.

Check out the early screenshots. The translation group is still looking for an ASM hacker. I don't know what that means but I hope a programmer finds this post and volunteer for the project.

I Made a Cool DropPages Website

Have you heard of DropPages? DropPages is a cool new website creation system hosted in your Dropbox. DropPages is great for one-shot static webpages. Sure, you can use this as a blog too, but you need to edit the HTML every time.

That said, I think that this is just the start of cool hacks using Dropbox. I'm excited to see what other crazy hacks people can create with this technology.

Internet Explorer Still My Dominant Visitor

Should I be disappointed?

The Best of My Favorite Blogs 2011

I was more a voracious reader of blogs a few years back than I am now. I used to subscribe to every productivity blog, writing blog, and freelancing blog I could get my crummy hands on. Now, I have a select few in my RSS reader. These few blogs that I read are my favorites. It means that this list of blogs are not necessarily the best in their field, but they are the best in my eyes as far as I'm concerned.

Here is my favorite blogs 2011 list.

1.) http://shawnblanc.net/

I usually associate domains named after the blogger as a vanity site. This notion couldn't be further from the truth with Shawn Blanc's site. This website is primarily an Apple blog, however, there is no reason to dismiss it as another Apple blog. Blanc usually writes about writing and how to be productive. Although I don’t own a single Apple product, I still see value in Blanc’s insights. 

2.) http://patrickrhone.com/

Patrick Rhone does not like being called a guru. Although, if there was such a thing, then the monicker guru should apply to him through and through. Rhone is a prolific blogger. He writes almost everyday about his experiences in tech and in life. He writes about freelancing, writing, and how to avoid procrastination. Above all, I like his piece about life lessons.

3.) http://www.abetterfreelancer.com/

A better freelancer is an awesome blog authored by Aaron Mahnke and Patrick Rhone. Both are, of course, successful freelancers of different trades. As an aspiring freelancer myself, I find all the links and posts in this blog very valuable.

That's pretty much all the blogs I read religiously. Notice that all three are independent blog sites. I have not listed Gawker or AOL sites because chances are you have already heard of those giant sites. I urge you to support independent writers and bloggers like me.

Testing Windows Live Writer

This is a test post for Windows Live Writer for XP. I’m now using Windows XP on my main netbook, an Asus 701. I’m still dicking around this blog posting app and trying to look at the features. It looks ok so far, but the real test is if this entry gets posted to the blog. If not then this text will be erased and you will never see this crap materialize.

The UI is easy to understand. Just type away in Live Writer and then post your entry. That’s basically it. The setup was just a matter of entering your blog platform as well as your username and password.

One immediate downside is that the app does not seem to recognize my drafts. So essentially I still need to open a browser and edit my drafts in Blogger. Maybe I made a mistake, but I can’t be sure. So email me if I’m wrong on this one point.

Edit: I just found out that you can retrieve the drafts with “open.” Dang, good thing I figured it out. I almost deleted Live Writer.