Owner: gayuh hikmawan in a blog URL:http://gayuh.hikmawan.com Join Date: Fri, 08 Feb 2008 22:23:18 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: personal blog of gayuh hikmawan. posts include thoughts, ideas, comment on recent events, and other interesting topics. Site statistics:Click here
80th Annual Academy Awards (and the Oscar goes to...) 2008-02-25 21:13:28 80th AnnualAcademyAwards
(image courtesy of oscar.org)
The 80th Annual Academy Awards (more popularly known as Oscar
) ceremony is over. And here is the list of all Oscar winners this year.
Best costume design - Elizabeth: The Golden Age, received by Alexandra Byrne
Best makeup - La Vie en Rose, received by Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald
Best sound mixing - The Bourne Ultimatum, received by Scott Millan, David Parker and Kirk Francis
Best sound editing - The Bourne Ultimatum, received by Karen Baker Landers and Per Hallberg
Best film editing - The Bourne Ultimatum, received by Christopher Rouse
Best art direction - Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, received by Dante Ferretti (for art direction) and Francesca Lo Schiavo (for set decoration)
Close encounter with a leap year 2008-02-23 21:20:30 This year, 2008, is a leap year. Check out the calendar, and you'll find this year's February has 29 days!
Even though I had pretty clear understanding on what a leap year is, and how to determine whether a particular year should be or should not be a leap year, still it is very interesting for my ever-curious mind to study a little more on this subject.
Today's calendar system is Gregorian calendar, introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII. It was based on the Julian calendar, introduced by Julius Caesar in 45 BC. The Julian calendar had been used for 1,627 years, before it was found that the Julian calendar needed an adjustment of 10 days. So, in Julian calendar, after October 4, 1582, the next date was October 15,1582. And then it became the Gregorian calendar.
Where was the 10 days e Read more:Close
Dubai's Super Bridge 2008-02-19 20:45:21 In recent years, Dubai
starts many amazing engineering projects, such as the Burj Dubai (to become world's tallest skyscraper). Here is another one, a super bridge.
Dubai's super bridge (image courtesy of popularmechanics.com)
The bridge, designed by Fxfowle International of New York, will have 1.7km span and 205m in height. It is scheduled for construction starting March 2008, and estimated to be completed in 2012.
Source: Popular Mechanics (www.popularmechanics.com) Read more:Super
Joe Satriani, the maestro with 15 Grammy nominations without a single win 2008-02-15 00:18:41 Joe Satriani
(image courtesy of foreverjoe.com)
One of my favourite music is the works of Joe Satriani
. For you people who haven't heard of him or his music, he is a guitar instrumentalist. Rock guitar instrumentalist, to be more presice, even though dubbing his music style as 'rock' seems too simplistic.
I became engaged with his music when I listened to his breakthrough 2nd album 'Surfing With The Alien' about 16 or 17 years ago. Arguably he is one of the best rock instrumentalist. He helped shape the sound of rock music during late '80s and '90s with his style of guitar playing that influences many guitarists after him. His records highly acclaimed by critics.
However, when it comes to the most celebrated award in music industry, the Grammy Award, Joe Satriani has never considered go Read more:single
Banjir di Situbondo, dan lumpur Lapindo yang terus mengamuk 2008-02-10 19:16:32 Banjir terus mengancam di Jawa Timur. Setelah Pasuruan, Situbondo juga dilanda banjir. Bukan hanya harta benda, bahkan beberapa jiwa melayang.
Sementara itu, bencana lumpur di Porong, terus mengganas. Kemarin (Minggu, 10 Feb) sore tanggul penahan lumpur ada yang jebol, akibatnya lumpur & air menggenangi beberapa wilayah sekitar. Tentu saja warga harus mengungsi dan terancam kehilangan tempat tinggal serta harta benda mereka.
Sudah hampir 2 tahun bencana lumpur Lapindo
berlangsung, sampai hari ini belum juga ada solusinya. Berbagai cara, teknik dan akal telah dicoba, hasilnya nihil. Sementara kerugian materi terus bertambah. Namun yang paling mengenaskan adalah kehidupan sosial masyarakat sekitar Porong yang tercabik-cabik.
Terakhir aku lewat daerah Porong pada Desember 2007 kemarin. Wil Read more:Banjir
A Hidden Fact on Iraq & Afghanistan War 2008-03-22 05:23:40 At least three Marines who served in Anbar during that period said that their platoons carried "drop weapons" or tools that Iraq
is were not permitted to possess, to plant on the bodies of Iraqi noncombatant corpses in case of a wrongful killing.
Full story: Soldiers Testify at Second Winter Soldier
Spread this if you are against the US's War on Terror. Read more:Hidden
, Afghanistan
Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) Has Been Released 2008-04-03 17:36:32 After a long, long list of updates & patches since releasing Service
Pack 2 (SP2) in August 2004, finally on April 1, 2008 Microsoft released Service Pack
3 (SP3) for Microsoft Windows
.
According to the whitepaper released by Microsoft on SP3, there are no new functionality introduced in SP3 that will change user's experience with Windows XP. All the added or enhanced functionalities are background stuffs that rarely caught the eyes of regular users. Among those stuffs are WPA2 for Wi-Fi and Network Access Protection (NAP).
Service Pack 3 for Windows XP is available for download here. As a network installation (a single file that can be transfered to other computers for deployment), its size is 315 MB. If you have a high-speed Internet connection, or if you do not want to download the me
Windows XP SP3 Has NOT Yet Released 2008-04-09 19:09:45 Turned out that I was misinformed. Microsoft has not yet released XP Service Pack 3. It is still in RC (Release Candidate) state, which means it is not the final release. The plan for official release is first half of 2008, and it may be different in content than the RC2 version currently available for public. In fact, on April 8 Microsoft still release 'patch Tuesday' bulletin & updates (available here, read the summaries here). This month's updates surely will be included in the final official release of SP3.
Microsoft currently offers the 'XP SP3 RC2 Refresh' here. Read more:Windows
Adding Widescreen Resolution in VMware 2008-05-02 04:54:28 For some time I've been using VMware for my virtual machine needs. When I bought a notebook with a widescreen LCD, I made sure it has enough RAM to run at least a virtual machine.
I ran my Windows VMs on the notebook without any problem. Everything ran as it used to be. By 'used to be', I mean that the VMs still present its display in 4:3 aspect ratio. I couldn't find any setting in VMware that provide the widescreen resolution for the guest (virtual) OS. The VMware's SVGA display driver for Windows doesn't have the option neither.
As usual, I Google for the answer. And after some link-chasings, I finally able to set my Windows VMs's screen resolution to 1280x800, the native resolution of the notebook.
Here is the simplified steps. I performed this on VMware Workstation 5.5.3 under Wind Read more:Resolution
Music of the Spheres : Mike Oldfield's new album 2008-02-07 10:23:03 Mike Oldfield
will release his new album on March 17, 2008, titled 'Music
of the Spheres'.
Music of the Spheres album cover (image courtesy of tubular.net)
The concept of the new album is mainly based on an ancient philosophical theory called 'Musica Universalis'. This concept regards the movement of the Sun, Moon and planets in the solar system as a form music.
Mike views the concept and interprets it in his artistic way. Using an orchestra, Mike portrays the concept in a blend between classical composition and his own style of instrumental rock. Here is the track listing.
1. Harbinger 04:08
2. Animus 03:09
3. Silhouette 03:19
4. Shabda 04:00
5. The Tempest 05:48
6. Harbinger (reprise) 01.30
7. On My Heart 02:27 (feat. Hayley Westenra)
8. Aurora 03:42
9. Prophecy 02:54
10. On My Heart Read more:Mike Oldfield
Musashi 2008-05-03 06:45:14 I just finished reading Musashi, a novel by Eiji Yoshikawa.
I've been wanting to have this novel since I was 10 years old. At that time, Gramedia, the publisher of the Indonesian edition of the novel, published it in seven-books edition. In 2001, they published it in a single-book edition. And, after almost 25 years, I finally got this novel in December 2007.
Book cover of the Indonesian edition published by Gramedia Pustaka Utama (image courtesy of gramedia.com)
This novel tells the story that takes place in a period of Musashi's life, when he transformed from a failed youth into a follower of 'The Way of the Sword'. Most of the story was fiction, but some of the events and persons are true. And this is not a sword-fighting tales. It tells the story of love, friendship, dedication, and
Windows XP Service Pack 3 Officially Released 2008-05-08 19:18:59 Microsoft has officially released Windows
XP Service
Pack 3 on May 6, 2008. SP3 is now available for download via Windows Update and Microsoft Download Center.
Here is the link to US-English version of SP3 Network Installation Package (for installation in multiple computers). It is a 317 MB download.
The Microsoft Download Center page of the above link can be found here. Read more:Service Pack
GMail improves its loading speed 2008-05-24 06:01:07 I wasn't really notice the faster loading speed to GMail, until I logged out and saw a little info on the login page with a link to official GMail blog:
A need for speed: the path to a faster loading sequence
So, naturally, I logged in again and see that the loading time is indeed faster. Way to go, GMail!!
Now, I can start a higher expectation: a nicer UI, as nice as (or even nicer than) Yahoo
NASA's Phoenix has landed on Mars 2008-05-25 19:47:05 NASA's spacecraft named Phoenix
Mars Lander has landed
on its destination: planet Mars. Phoenix's mission is to collect data to find out whether a Mars's ice-covered region contains traces to any form of life.
Yahoo! News link: Read more:NASA
Upgraded to b2evolution version 2.4.2 2008-05-31 03:41:49 Finally it's done!
I upgraded the blog engine from version
1.10.3 to 2.4.2. Upgrade process was far from complicated, and all data preserved perfectly.
Learn more about b2evolution in their site: post blogged on b2evolution. Read more:Upgraded
NASA's Phoenix has landed on Mars 2008-05-25 19:47:05 NASA's spacecraft named Phoenix
Mars Lander has landed
on its destination: planet Mars. Phoenix's mission is to collect data to find out whether a Mars's ice-covered region contains traces to any form of life.
Yahoo! News link: post blogged on b2evolution. Read more:NASA
GMail improves its loading speed 2008-05-24 06:01:07 I wasn't really notice the faster loading speed to GMail, until I logged out and saw a little info on the login page with a link to official GMail blog:
A need for speed: the path to a faster loading sequence
So, naturally, I logged in again and see that the loading time is indeed faster. Way to go, GMail!!
Now, I can start a higher expectation: a nicer UI, as nice as (or even nicer than) Yahoo
Windows XP Service Pack 3 Officially Released 2008-05-08 19:18:59 Microsoft has officially released Windows
XP Service
Pack 3 on May 6, 2008. SP3 is now available for download via Windows Update and Microsoft Download Center.
Here is the link to US-English version of SP3 Network Installation Package (for installation in multiple computers). It is a 317 MB download.
The Microsoft Download Center page of the above link can be found here.Original post blogged o Read more:Service Pack
Musashi 2008-05-03 06:45:14 I just finished reading Musashi, a novel by Eiji Yoshikawa.
I've been wanting to have this novel since I was 10 years old. At that time, Gramedia, the publisher of the Indonesian edition of the novel, published it in seven-books edition. In 2001, they published it in a single-book edition. And, after almost 25 years, I finally got this novel in December 2007.
Book cover of the Indonesian edition
Adding Widescreen Resolution in VMware 2008-05-02 04:54:28 For some time I've been using VMware for my virtual machine needs. When I bought a notebook with a widescreen LCD, I made sure it has enough RAM to run at least a virtual machine.
I ran my Windows VMs on the notebook without any problem. Everything ran as it used to be. By 'used to be', I mean that the VMs still present its display in 4:3 aspect ratio. I couldn't find any setting in VMware that p Read more:Resolution
Windows XP SP3 Has NOT Yet Released 2008-04-09 20:09:45 Turned out that I was misinformed. Microsoft has not yet released XP Service Pack 3. It is still in RC (Release Candidate) state, which means it is not the final release. The plan for official release is first half of 2008, and it may be different in content than the RC2 version currently available for public. In fact, on April 8 Microsoft still release 'patch Tuesday' bulletin & updates (avai Read more:Windows
Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) Has Been Released 2008-04-03 18:36:32 After a long, long list of updates & patches since releasing Service
Pack 2 (SP2) in August 2004, finally on April 1, 2008 Microsoft released Service Pack
3 (SP3) for Microsoft Windows
.
According to the whitepaper released by Microsoft on SP3, there are no new functionality introduced in SP3 that will change user's experience with Windows XP. All the added or enhanced functionalities are back
Firefox 3 Download Day 2008 2008-06-04 03:32:56 As you might already know, Mozilla Firefox
3 will soon be released. To celebrate the event, Mozilla is organizing an effort to set the record for most software downloads in 24 hours.
Dubbed 'Download
Day 2008', we can be part of the event by downloading Firefox 3 during the first 24 hours since its release. Right now, you can pledge to take part in the Download Day by visiting Mozilla's Spread Fi
Firefox 3 Download Day on June 17th, 2008 2008-06-12 20:35:17 According to Mozilla's blog, Firefox
3 will be available for download on Tuesday, June 17th, 2008.
June 17th may be a reasonable date to release the final version of Firefox 3, since it is now already in Release Candidate 3 stage. Mozilla states in this blog that FF3 RC3 only has a single update for Mac OS platform, and that means a good enough state of a software to be released, IMHO. The blog a Read more:Download
Death Magnetic (On Metallica and my life) 2008-06-15 14:11:52 Metallica has announced the title of their new album, due out this September: 'Death Magnetic'.
Five years after 'St. Anger', and for the first time featuring Rob Trujillo on bass guitar, and also for the first time (since the black album in 1991) with a new producer, this is the album I've been longing for over a decade.
I first listened to Metallica in 1989, when my brother (who introduced me Read more:Metallica
Firefox 3 Download Day on June 17th, 2008 2008-06-12 20:35:17 According to Mozilla's blog, Firefox
3 will be available for download on Tuesday, June 17th, 2008.
June 17th may be a reasonable date to release the final version of Firefox 3, since it is now already in Release Candidate 3 stage. Mozilla states in this blog that FF3 RC3 only has a single update for Mac OS platform, and that means a good enough state of a software to be released, IMHO. The blog a Read more:Download
Firefox 3 Download Day 2008 2008-06-04 03:32:56 As you might already know, Mozilla Firefox
3 will soon be released. To celebrate the event, Mozilla is organizing an effort to set the record for most software downloads in 24 hours.
Dubbed 'Download
Day 2008', we can be part of the event by downloading Firefox 3 during the first 24 hours since its release. Right now, you can pledge to take part in the Download Day by visiting Mozilla's Spread Fi
Upgraded to b2evolution version 2.4.2 2008-05-31 03:41:49 Finally it's done!
I upgraded the blog engine from version
1.10.3 to 2.4.2. Upgrade process was far from complicated, and all data preserved perfectly.
Learn more about b2evolution in their site: post blogged on b2evolution. Read more:Upgraded
NASA's Phoenix has landed on Mars 2008-05-25 19:47:05 NASA's spacecraft named Phoenix
Mars Lander has landed
on its destination: planet Mars. Phoenix's mission is to collect data to find out whether a Mars's ice-covered region contains traces to any form of life.
Yahoo! News link: post blogged on b2evolution. Read more:NASA
GMail improves its loading speed 2008-05-24 06:01:07 I wasn't really notice the faster loading speed to GMail, until I logged out and saw a little info on the login page with a link to official GMail blog:
A need for speed: the path to a faster loading sequence
So, naturally, I logged in again and see that the loading time is indeed faster. Way to go, GMail!!
Now, I can start a higher expectation: a nicer UI, as nice as (or even nicer than) Yahoo
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