Encrypt the zipped file might able to bypass the attachment filtering system, but Gmail doesn’t allow an encrypted zipped file, as outlined in this section.

A trick to send program files as attachment in Gmail

If you’ve a useful program (like SWF-Exporter) to share over email, it should be a tiny program (Gmail allows email not greater than 20 MB) and “green” software (i.e. no virus, malicious code, Trojan, etc).

For example, the open-source HoboCopy.exe for my buddies who are interested to extract FLV movie cached by Google Chrome in Windows temp folder.

Next, use the trick of Microsoft Office embedded object to send the document as attachment in Gmail:

1. Compress the program files into zip file format. Indeed, any compression format will do, but .zip is the common compression format and thus is preferred.
    
2. Open up Microsoft Word 2007 (any Microsoft Office version that support embedded object, preferable Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel),

   

   1. Access to Insert menu,
   2. Click the “Object” button under the “Text” ribbon,
   3. Go to “Create From File” tab,
   4. Uncheck the two check-boxes that related to “link to file” and “display as icon”,
   5. Use the browse button to select the zipped program file,
   6. Click OK button to insert it as an embedded object in Word document.
       
3. Send the Word document (that already embed the zipped program file) as a normal attachment in Gmail

I’ve just tested this trick again, and it’s still working in machine that running Vista Ultimate SP1, Power Archiver 2007 and Microsoft Word 2007.

Unlike New Blogger image uploader, the WordPress 2.5+ “select files to upload” dialog box works exactly a standard Windows file selection dialog box - press CTRL+A to select all images files; CTRL+Mouse-click to select multiple files; highlight first picture file and press SHIFT key while selecting the last picture file to select all files in between, inclusively.

It’s cool, isn’t it? Not only that. With WordPress 2.5+, you could also use “WordPress Gallery Shortcode” to insert multiple images to the post editor!

As the name suggest, the WordPress Gallery Shortcode is like Linux alias command but it’s pre-defined in WordPress core files (i.e. general user couldn’t redefine the shortcode in the plain/default WordPress admin pages).

However, some WordPress fans is not really keen on the image shortcode for some reasons, e.g. it can’t define which image of the gallery to display or not to display, the sequence of displaying each image in the gallery, etc.

How to insert multiple images in WordPress 2.6.1?

I am using WordPress version 2.6.1 for this topic, but the original trick I’m referring to was suggested by beardedknight in WordPress forum for WordPress 2.5 (so, it supports to work fine for version 2.5+).

1. Edit the wp-admin/includes/media.php file (read carefully the path specified here, it’s not wp-includes/media.php or elsewhere - there are at least 3 media.php files in WordPress 2.6.1. installation directory):

   function media_send_to_editor($html) {
           ?>
   <script type="text/javascript">
   /* <![CDATA[ */
   var win = window.dialogArguments || opener || parent || top;
   win.send_to_editor('<?php echo addslashes($html); ?>');
   /* ]]> */
   </script>
           <?php
           //exit;
           return;
   }

   As shown here, look for the media_send_to_editor($html) function and make little changes, as those highlighted in “blue colour” PHP code:

   • remark the original exit; line
   • add one single PHP code return;
      
2. Edit wp-admin/js/media-upload.js:

   function send_to_editor(h) {
           if ( typeof tinyMCE != 'undefined' && ( ed = tinyMCE.activeEditor ) && !ed.isHidden() ) {
                   ed.focus();
                   if (tinymce.isIE)
                         ed.selection.moveToBookmark(tinymce.EditorManager.activeEditor.windowManager.bookmark);
   
                   if ( h.indexOf('[caption') != -1 )
                           h = ed.plugins.wpeditimage._do_shcode(h);
   
                   ed.execCommand('mceInsertContent', false, h);
           } else
                   edInsertContent(edCanvas, h);
   
           //tb_remove();
   }

   As shown here, look for the send_to_editor(h) function and remark the original tb_remove(); function call (the “blue colour” JavaScript code).

If you’re not comfortable with this simple PHP code modification (PHP mod), then just stick to the default behaviour or look for some good WordPress gallery plugin. Good luck.

Take note of the GNU date output that appears in “blue color” text (will be explained later):

GNU Date: Convert date to Unix Epoch time / Julian time

UK, London, BST time zone at this time of writing:

walker@walkernews.net # date -d "2008-08-08 20:08:08" +%s
1218222488
walker@walkernews.net # date -u -d "2008-08-08 20:08:08" +%s
1218226088
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "2008-08-08 20:08:08 UTC" +%s
1218226088

US, Utah, MTD time zone at this time of writing:

walker@walkernews.net # date -d "2008-08-08 20:08:08" +%s
1218247688
walker@walkernews.net # date -u -d "2008-08-08 20:08:08" +%s
1218226088
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "2008-08-08 20:08:08 UTC" +%s
1218226088

GNU Date: Convert Unix Epoch time / Julian time to date

UK, London, BST time zone at this time of writing:

walker@walkernews.net # date -u -d "1970-01-01 1218226088 secs"
Fri Aug  8 20:08:08 UTC 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "UTC 1970-01-01 1218226088 secs"
Fri Aug  8 21:08:08 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "UTC 1970-01-01 1218226088 secs" +"%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S %z"
2008-08-08 21:08:08 +0100
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "1970-01-01 1218226088 secs"
Fri Aug  8 20:08:08 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "1970-01-01 1218222488 secs"
Fri Aug  8 19:08:08 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -u -d "1970-01-01 1218222488 secs"
Fri Aug  8 19:08:08 UTC 2008

US, Utah, with MTD time zone at this time of writing:

walker@walkernews.net # date -u -d "1970-01-01 1218226088 secs"
Fri Aug  8 20:08:08 UTC 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "UTC 1970-01-01 1218226088 secs"
Fri Aug  8 14:08:08 MDT 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "UTC 1970-01-01 1218226088 secs" +"%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S %z"
2008-08-08 14:08:08 -0600
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "1970-01-01 1218226088 secs"
Fri Aug  8 21:08:08 MDT 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "1970-01-01 1218247688 secs"
Sat Aug  9 03:08:08 MDT 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -u -d "1970-01-01 1218247688 secs"
Sat Aug  9 02:08:08 UTC 2008

Have the GNU date to display/output consistent Unix Epoch time at different time zones

So, the question now is about how to have GNU date directly output a portable and consistent Julian-to-date or date-to-Julian conversion, especially when date calculation shell script is running on multiple servers that distributed at different time zones?

As you can see from the GNU date examples with “blue text” of output, the -u can directly produces a portable and consistent result of:

• Unix Epoch time/Julian time of the given date “8 Aug 2008 8:08PM and 8 seconds”
• Date converted from the Julian time of “8 Aug 2008 8:08PM and 8 seconds”

Although specify UTC in the date string given to -d option switch produces the same Unix Epoch time/Julian time, the Julian-to-date conversion results are not consistent.

There is nothing wrong with GNU date. It’s not a GNU date bug that causes it to produce different result at different time zones. Indeed, it’s the behaviour of the GNU date option switches!

For example, when the -u is not used, GNU date produces output that requires additional conversion from the given time zones offset.

So, the output of

date -d "UTC 1970-01-01 1218226088 secs" +"%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S %z"

indicates the converted time is displayed as “21:08:08 +0100″, meaning that the “correct” time should be “21:08:08 minus 1 hour”.

In Linux command prompt, type info date and browse to the GNU date examples section, the difference between -u and UTC is mentioned.

You can also access to these examples at the official GNU Coreutils online documentation.

Verdict

Specify the -u option switch when executing GNU date for “date to Unix Epoch time” or “Unix Epoch time to date” conversion, e.g.

date -u -d "2008-12-25 12:25:08" +%s
date -u -d "1970-01-01 1230207908 secs"

These two GNU date commands generate same output in UTC time, regardless of the local time zone where the GNU date is executed.

First of all, GNU date is one of the many Linux programs that grouped in a great package, with a given name GNU Coreutils.

GNU Coreutils is bundled with Red Hat Linux distribution, and is believed being a ubiquitous GNU package among Linux distributions.

For example, in my RHEL4 machine, ls -laSh /bin/date shows it’s only 47KB in size and the rpm -qf /bin/date shows it’s part of the coreutils-5.2.1-31 package.

This GNU date can either set or change the current system date/time or to display date/time format according to user queries. For those serious programmers who use Julian time, you should happy to know that GNU date understands UNIX Epoch time too!

What is that Epoch Time exactly?

The computer times are represented as a count of seconds since an epoch, i.e. a well-defined point of time (hence, it’s called Epoch time).

On GNU and POSIX systems, the epoch time is defined as 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC. Thus, it’s also known as UNIX time, POSIX time, or some simply calls it Julian time.

Here are some GNU date arithmetic and time calculation examples, which I’ve referred to the official GNU date documentation (also appears in info date):

walker@walkernews.net # date
Thu Aug 28 17:10:38 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "3 hours ago"
Thu Aug 28 14:10:41 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "+3 hours"
Thu Aug 28 20:12:01 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "last month"
Mon Jul 28 17:13:11 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "next month"
Sun Sep 28 17:14:15 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "+2 months"
Tue Oct 28 17:14:56 GMT 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "2 months ago"
Sat Jun 28 17:16:44 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "yesterday"
Wed Aug 27 17:13:35 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "tomorrow"
Fri Aug 29 17:13:55 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "3 days ago"
Mon Aug 25 17:22:42 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "+3 days"
Sun Aug 31 17:23:08 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "last friday"
Fri Aug 22 00:00:00 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "2008-08-22 +3 days"
Mon Aug 25 00:00:00 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "2008-08-22 -5 days"
Sun Aug 17 00:00:00 BST 2008

How to format the GNU date output format? For example, to get the day, weekday, month, year of 23 days ago can be coded as such:

walker@walkernews.net # date -d "23 days ago"
Tue Aug  5 18:23:24 BST 2008
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "23 days ago" +%e
 5
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "23 days ago" +%d
05
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "23 days ago" +%m
08
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "23 days ago" +%-m
8
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "23 days ago" +%b
Aug
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "23 days ago" +%B
August
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "23 days ago" +"%e-%-m-%Y, %B"
 5-8-2008, August
walker@walkernews.net # date -d "23 days ago" +"%e-%m-%Y, %B"
 5-08-2008, August

You may refer to man date for detail list of GNU date output format modifiers. Also, take note the difference of +%m and +%-m is that the later remove the zero padding.

The zero-padding looks neatly when display in string format. However, zero-padded numeric is not valid in Bash shell script arithmetic interpretation, i.e. 08 - 05 will fail as the valid syntax is 8 - 5.

Unix Epoch time calculation examples with GNU date

The +%s is another GNU date output modifier, i.e. to output number of seconds since Unix Epoch. And, the date/time format for -d option switch is close to ISO 8601 date/time format, i.e. YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS (it’s not a strict ISO 8601 Date/Time format, but close to it).

For example, the UNIX time of 25th of December 2008 at 12:25PM 08 seconds is given as this:

walker@walkernews.net # date -u -d "2008-12-25 12:25:08" +%s
1230207908

So, the Julian time of 2008-08-08 20:08:08 (the date and time of Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremony) is as such:

walker@walkernews.net # date -u -d "2008-08-08 20:08:08" +%s
1218226088

That’s 1218226088 seconds elapsed since Unix Epoch time at 2008-08-08 20:08:08.

To convert UNIX Epoch time or Julian time to human readable date/time format:

walker@walkernews.net # date -u -d "1970-01-01 1218226088 secs"
Fri Aug  8 20:08:08 UTC 2008

If there is no Favicon for a webpage, Internet Explorer substitute it with the standard IE icon while Firefox 3.0.x merely display a “blank canvas”.

So, as a webmaster or blog owner, why don’t try to enrich its appearance with a dedicated web icon, like a branded logo to represent the site/blog?

Is it very technical or do you need special tools to create a Favicon? As of today, create and add a Favicon is just simple.

How to create a Favicon for a blog / website?

1. Find an image, preferable a picture with equal pixel (e.g. same width and height) and the picture content is still visible after resize to 32×32 or 16×16 pixel (i.e. the size of Favicon that’s fit to appear in Address bar, Bookmark, Favorite, tab).
    
2. Ask Google Search to get a list of “Favicon maker” or “Favicon generator“. For example, you may use one of these online Favicon makers to automatically resize and generate a Favicon from the picture you’ve selected in previous step:
   • FaviconR.com
   • Favicon.co.uk
      
3. Download the generated Favicon to local hard disk and proceed to add the Favicon to a blog/website.

How to add a Favicon to a blog / website?

Now, upload the Favicon you’ve generated from online Favicon maker to the root directory of blog/website, i.e. the directory where the index file usually exists (e.g. index.php, index.html, index.htm, etc).

For WordPress powered blog, the blog root directory is where you extract the WordPress core files, i.e. the directory where you see index.php, wp-config.phg, etc.

Now, the Favicon should have been automatically picked up by Internet Explorer when you force IE to reload the blog (by pressing CTRL+F5 hotkey).

Some other web browsers, however, might not automatically retrieve the Favicon in root directory. Thus, you need to refer the following template code:

<link rel="shortcut icon" type="image/x-icon" href="http://www.walkernews.net/favicon.ico"/>

Update the red color text with the URL of your Favicon, copy the updated template code and insert it to HTML source file, right before the <head/>.

Again, for WordPress powered blog, you should only update the header.php source file by inserting the template code just before the <head/> tag, e.g.:

<link rel="shortcut icon" type="image/x-icon" href="http://www.YOUR_OWN_URL/favicon.ico"/>
<head/>

That’s all you’ve to do with Favicon of a blog/website. Is it easy?

Embedded image/video VS Inline image/video

In brief, “embedded image/video” present an URL or HTML link to the media file that might invoke a download process for the target file, a new browser window to display the media file, or invoke a third party program (non-browser application) to open the media file.

Then, “inline image/video” means web browser understand how to open and display the media file inside the same browser window, in line of the text surrounding it.

How to embed Windows Media Video/WMV file in HTML code and stream the video content inline on a webpage?

Windows Media Video/WMV file sample:
http://walkernewsdownload.googlepages.com/HP-iPaq-614.wmv

Embedded WMV file:

The code:

<a href="http://walkernewsdownload.googlepages.com/HP-iPaq-614.wmv">HP iPAQ Business Navigator</a>

The result:
HP iPAQ Business Navigator

Inline WMV file:

The sample of code:

<object classid="clsid:22D6F312-B0F6-11D0-94AB-0080C74C7E95" width="480" height="360" codebase="http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/MediaPlayer/">
<param name="Filename" value="http://walkernewsdownload.googlepages.com/HP-iPaq-614.wmv">
<param name="AutoStart" value="true">
<param name="ShowControls" value="true">
<param name="BufferingTime" value="2">
<param name="ShowStatusBar" value="true">
<param name="AutoSize" value="true">
<param name="InvokeURLs" value="false">
<embed src="http://walkernewsdownload.googlepages.com/HP-iPaq-614.wmv" type="application/x-mplayer2" autostart="1" enabled="1" showstatusbar="1" showdisplay="1" showcontrols="1" pluginspage="http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/MediaPlayer/" CODEBASE="http://activex.microsoft.com/activex/controls/mplayer/en/nsmp2inf.cab#Version=6,0,0,0" width="480" height="360"></embed>
</object>

The result of the sample code:

Note: You might need to download and install Windows Media Player plugin/add-on to play inline Windows Media Player files.

1. Select Show hidden files and folders
2. Deselect Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)

Once you’ve turn on these two options, you will see the hidden files with their icons appear with a lighter color in Windows Explorer, e.g. the $Recycle.bin hidden system folder:

Turn on Windows Explorer option to view Windows Vista hidden system files