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Twitter feed URL

Did you know that all of the twitter accounts you follow already have an RSS URL(I didn't)?!

I spent some time awhile or so ago trying to get some Twitter accounts aggregated into one page for reading and ended up at paper.li, hootsuite and other locations, and in essence had to proxy everything from twitter to "something else" to get it to an RSS feed....until now.

After some slick googling, I found that the folks at twitter via their API already have a way to send tweets to an RSS feed..(thanks to http://seo-alien.com/tips-and-tricks/find-twitter-rss-feed/).

Here is the short of it:

Suppose we have a twitter user named @TwitterUser

TwitterUser's rss feed=http://api.twitter.com/1/statuses/user_timeline.rss?screen_name=TwitterUser

#twitter #rss

GMail search: "before" date in search

Gmail's before search command is very helpful in getting rid of some unwanted email and cleaning up your inbox.

the syntax for before is:

before:yyyy/mm/dd

Example: "Show me all emails with the label: junk mail, without the label bills, received before 5/7/2012"

Enter In the Gmail search field:

before:2012/5/7 label:inboxes-junk-mail -label:bills

#gmail #filter #search #before

Quick tip: get computer serial number at windows command line

No. You don't need to check the sticker on the back of your (windows) 'box anymore.

If you want to know the serial number, run the following command at the prompt:

wmic bios get serialnumber

#windows command line #windows #serial number

Server 2008: Network Path not found when trying to map a network drive

I recently came across an issue in windows server 2008 when I was trying to map a network drive. After ruling out firewall rules and verifying that the correct ports were open using a telnet client, I turned to the windows server configuration for a solution.

After some googling I found a breadcrumb in a thread that solved my problem.

The answer is the Desktop Experience Feature. If this feature is not present, you will be missing some key services or background apps that allow you to brows netbios(smb)shares, namely the WebClient Service.

Adding the Desktop Experience Feature as described below adds the service, and therefore fixes the issue.

I would imagine doing something similar, such as enabling the webclient service on server 2003 would lead to success as well.

1. Open server manager 2. Click features--> add feature 3. Click on Desktop Experience and click next. You will also be asked to add Ink and Handwriting services After a reboot you will be good to go!

#server 2008 #network path not found #network drive #file sharing #desktop experience

Protect cells in excel

You may find a need someday to protect some cells in excel, but NOT the whole worksheet. It's not TOO difficult but may also not be completely intuitive the first time you try it..

Here is the quick overview, but for full instructions with screenshots, check out http://www.lytebyte.com/2009/06/15/how-to-protect-only-certain-cells-columns-or-rows-in-excel/

Select all cells, format cells and uncheck Locked

Select the Cells or cell ranges you want to protect, format and check lock

Protect the worksheet and select worksheet protection options

#microsoft office #excel #protect cells

Add Outlook Calendar entry (ICS) to Lotus Notes calendar

So the world you communicate with uses outlook. And your company doesn't.

You get a response from a webinar sign up with an outlook calendar file. You want to add it to your notes calendar..FAIL!

Heres how, courtesy of this Linux hacks blog entry : http://linux-hacks.blogspot.com/2009/06/importing-ics-into-lotus-notes-8.html

Compose a mail inside notes

Attach the .ics file to it

Right click the attachment, and click on "View"

The calendar view will open, with the meeting details. Now accept/decline the invite, save and exit

#lotus notes #outlook calendar entry #microsoft #ibm

Copy Office 2007 settings from one PC to another

If you live in Office '07 chances are you've made some customizations..maybe some shortcuts in ribbon bar, maybe some macros,etc. Now you're getting a new PC, but don't want to lose what you've trained Office to do. After all, you'd have to google it , browse through 11 forum posts and 10 bad links until you finally figured it out..only to find someone wants you to pay for a utility to help you out since Microsoft no longer offers such a tool..

Here's the quick and easy answer thanks to the crazy engineers over at crazyengineers.com (article available here)

First, you'll need hidden files and folders visible. Go to Tools-->Folder options and make it happen!

Browse to the folders listed below depending on your operating system. Copy the OFFICE folder to a (whatever you will use to transfer your files--thumb drive?.) and then paste the OFFICE folder from your backup drive to the same location on your new pc.

Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\(User Name)\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Office Vista/7: C:\Users\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office

Also,

Open regedit and browse to the following location:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0

Right click the 12.0 "folder" and export. Save this to your backup drive as well. To restore it on your new pc, just doubleclick the reg file you just created.

Then..open office..and mostly all should be well :)

#microsoft office #office 2007 #2007 #copy settings #backup settings #restore settings

Optimize Excel sheet calculation

If you're in a position where excel has slowly become a tool, or really a programming api in itself, you are likely about as excited about hitting the save or calculate buttons as you would be to hear your dog ate your ipad.

Likely, you've trolled googled and are well versed in VLOOKUP, Sumif, Sumproduct, Array formulas, and countifs..

If you have excel 2007 and up, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Excel 2007+ contains some new functions, including SUMIFS and COUNTIFS!

Remember why you had to use array formulas (that look like {=(Sum... )to begin with? Because countif on it's own couldn't handle multiple conditions.

So if you do counts or sums across values and want multiple conditions Replace your array formulas sums and counts with SUMIFS and COUNTIFS

Ex: Sum all values in ColA where ColB=Georgia and ColC=Yes translates to =SUMIFS(A:A,B:B,"Georgia",C:C,"Yes")

Ex2: count all occurences where ColB=Pennsylvania and ColD=Booked translates to =COUNTIFS(B:B,"Pennsylvania",D:D,"Booked")

Simple huh?

It get's better...you can get rid of those pesky named ranges you had to create for your array formulas to work..

You're welcome.

Credit my awareness of these new functions to http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa730921.aspx

Ok OK I'm not done yet.. So you hate those #N/A's but even more you hate typing out..if(ISNA(Vlookup......

I do too.

You can start using the IFERROR function instead of IF(ISNA(vlookup in some cases!! You do not need to set a true condition for IFERROR, only a false condition.

The true condition will return the value of the formula.

Ex.

If(ISNA(Vlookup(G1,'OtherSheet'!D:D,1,FALSE)),"No",Vlookup(G1,'OtherSheet'!D:D,1,FALSE)) changes to

Iferror(Vlookup(G1,'OtherSheet'!D:D,1,FALSE),"No")

#excel #microsoft #office #sumif #countif #isna #iserror #sumifs #countifs

Synergy: A "virtual" KVM

Technically an inverted KVM...Allows you to share the keyboard and mouse connected to one pc with one or more PCs.

One good use is an office setup with laptop and a desktop with monitor.

Download Synergy here

#kvm #keyboard sharing #mouse sharing #synergy

Server 2003: Manually remove a windows service

Did an install fail and leave a service behind?

This link references two methods of removing a Windows service

[1] using the SC Delete command

[2] Manual deletion from the registry [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Services\

Link-->http://www.cxliv.org/2005/02/03/manually_remove_a_windows_service.php

#windows #server 2003 #xp #remove a service

Verizon: Get the gingerdoid! [Bonus: root the little guy]

I have a droid 2 global. Like every Droid user we assume open source means open source, and that we are entitled to remove all the junk that comes with the phone. Among this junk amazon mp3, need for speed shift, CityID And more.Well, along comes a gingerbread update. All good right? WRONG! The problem with this update is that it expects all the junk apps to be there. So in line with common sense, I try to reinstall all the apps. This reinstall goes smoothly UNTIL...I have to install the CityID app. Good luck. fail fail fail. So the question still remained: How to I install Ginger and NOT lose all my apps? The answer lies below. Click "Read More" below to try at your own risk, but it worked for me!

Disclaimer: remember, try at your own risk. I wouldn't intentionally steer you wrong, but things happen.

This may or may not work for you...I know how frustrating it is to spend a day an a half trying to get this going. Take a deep breath, take a break, everything is going to be OK! Instructions for Droid 2 Global 1. Download and install RSDLite 4.9 and motorola usb droid drivers 2. google for your SLP file and download. Example search term : Droid 2 Global verizon factory SLP. Your SLP file is your recovery file to flash. I used (DROID2WE_X6_2.4.29_FULL.sbf) 3. login as administrator. In windows 7 this account may be disabled by default. You'll need to enable it to use rsd correctly and login as admin. You may google how to do this as well. "Ex: Windows home premium enable admin account" Run RSDLite 4.Power off your droid. 5.Power on your droid by holding the up key on your keybord. You should see the device appear in rsdlite 6. Select your slp file that you downloaded in step 2 and push to the device 7. When the device boots up, activate your phone. On verizon it's *228 in the dialer and hit send 8. Go to settings-> about Phone-> system updates and hit check for update. It should prompt you to download. Do it! 9. Turn on wifi if it's available. The update will download faster! The download wait time can be grueling! 10. If the device finishes updating and reboots. This is REALLY GOOD NEWS. If not, this is REALLY BAD NEWS :'( 11.You may need to catch up on some updates..so have no fear! Wash, rinse, and repeat(from step 8)

Note that as is, your GingerDROIDDDDDDD is not rooted. This means you can't...say...take a smarter approach and freeze the bloatware/apps.

Enter Pete:

If you would like your GingerDroid rooted, Pete is your Dude. I don't know much of anything about Pete, but I DO know that Pete is a damn cool dude. Why, you ask?

Because Pete made a utility that will root your Gingerdroid For you.

Actually Pete aka Peter Souza, is a software engineer from Idaho. Peter has a pretty impressive resume style site at http://www.petersouza.com/ . So Hire him.

Just follow Pete's instructions here to turn your GingerDroid into a Rooted Gingerdroid-->http://www.psouza4.com/Droid3/

(YES I know it says DROID 3..just do it!)

[Gingerdroid" image courtesy of roottheworld.com]

#bloat #bloatware #droid 2 #droid 2 global #froyo #gingerbread #OTA #root #update

SQL Server-move a system database or log file.

Help! My temp transaction log is eating up my storage space!

Ok, at least that's why I needed to figure out how to move the tempdb log.

Thanks to google being the vehicle that dropped me off at this site's doorstep:

http://www.databasejournal.com/features/mssql/article.php/3379901/Moving-the-Tempdb-and-Master-Database-in-SQL-Server.htm

To move a system database(example using tempdb)

use master go Alter database tempdb modify file (name = tempdev, filename = 'PathToNewDBLocationf') go

To move a system database transaction log(example using tempdb's log:

use master go Alter database tempdb modify file (name = templog, filename = 'PathToNewDBLogLocationf') Go

#SQL Server #microsoft #move database #move transaction log

Useful: AIX 6 Command reference

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/aix/v6r1/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.ibm.aix.cmds%2Fdoc%2Faixcmds4%2Frlogind.htm

#ibm #aix #commands #unix

Nix Beginners: Configure networking in Ubuntu

In case youre not an every day Unix dude, sick of getting flamed on boards or not able to find exactly what you're looking for when you're trying to setup your ubutnu vm or anything else: http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/howto-ubuntu-linux-convert-dhcp-network-configuration-to-static-ip-configuration.html

Also, as a bonus..

Since everyone that isn't a robot HATES vi, but sometimes it's all there is...

http://www.cs.colostate.edu/helpdocs/vi.html

#ubuntu #linux #networking #vi #static address #dhcp

Excel Fu- Dynamic named range based on a column

Excel issue: search and calculate. Sounds akin to divide and conquer.

I encountered a need within excel to create some calculations based on potential values in two columns. In this example, lets say that the columns are in sheet 1, column A and sheet 1 column B. Originally I needed to shed light on how to create a calculation to count the occurrences when Sheet 1 column A = 5 and sheet 1 column B = Yes.

Enter the Array sum and product...which I won't get into because ultimately thats not what this post is about...so the resultant formula was:

{=SUM((Sheet1!A2:A100=5)*(Sheet1!B2:B100='Yes'))} The curved brackets indicate an array formula. Look it up!

in the calculation above when this formula needs to be reused...copied down, etc.. any common sense googling recommends you to create a named range. All is well, sunny day at the beach..and the formula became...

{=SUM((AllAs=5)*(AllBs='Yes'))}

Until it rains. All of a sudden you're doing a sum and product and BAM, the #N/A storm cloud moves in.

That's right..all of a sudden you realize that every time you work with this formula, the number of entries in the A or B column may vary..

What now? Manual update?! OHH NOOOOOOO :O

Have no fear, more good weather is here! Use the following formula, credit http://www.contextures.com/xlnames01.html. Define your named range as the formula below,Replacing the sheet name with your sheet name and the column letter S with whatever column you are using for your info..

=OFFSET(SHEETNAME!$S$1,0,0,COUNTA(SHEETNAME!$S:$S),COUNTA(SHEETNAME!$1:$1))

#Excel #formula #dynamic named range #columns

Excel-Fu: Column to comma separated

Bla bla bla nmap so on and so forth..

So here you are...a port scan result list. One column of data, and there's nothing between you plugging this info into your vuln scanner besides the fact that your vuln scanner needs a comma separated list.

If Laziness prevails, skip the script writing and turn to Excel.

if Column A contains your ports(or anything else you want to craft into a list separated by commas..or whatever)...

Insert this function into cell B1 =A1

Insert this function into cell B2

=B1&","&A2

And then drag the formula in B2 down to fill the rest of the B columns until there is no more data to match in column A.

The value in the last nonblank cell in column B will be your separated one line list.

Credit:Superuser.com: http://superuser.com/questions/240858/convert-a-column-into-a-comma-separated-list

#excel #column to list #nmap #portscan

Excel Outside of the Box: Random Number Genrator

So, the need arose to randomize a list of IP addresses.

Of course, a few different approaches come to mind:

Write a vbscript, find a utility app, pick and hope...web app...

But low and behold there's a quick and easy way to do it in Excel.

1. Copy IPs into new excel sheet in column A.

2. in Column b, use =rand() for each cell, pull down to the entire length of the list

3. Sort column b A->B or B->A

Quick and easy..not so sophisticated, but who cares, lighten up :)

For a more general explanation, check out ehow's article! -->http://www.ehow.com/how_2272795_get-random-sample-excel.html

#excel #microsoft #random number generator #random

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