Oracle fared far better than analysts anticipated in its fiscal second quarter, easing worries that the sagging U.S. economy will curtail corporate spending on technology and drag down the business software maker.
Relieved investors drove up Oracle's (ORCL, Fortune 500) stock price by more than 6 percent late Wednesday after the results were released.
The Redwood Shores-based company it earned $1.3 billion, or 25 cents per share, for the three months ended Nov. 30, a 35 percent increase from net income of $967 million, or 18 cents per share, at the same time last year.
If not for stock option expenses and the costs incurred in recent acquisitions, Oracle said it would have earned 31 cents per share - four cents per share above the average estimate among analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial.
Revenue totaled $5.31 billion, a 28 percent improvement from $4.16 billion last year. Analysts, on average, had projected revenue of $5.04 billion.
Even more important to Wall Street, Oracle's sales of software licenses climbed by 38 percent to $1.67 billion. Analysts had predicted gains in the 20 percent range.
Software sales are closely watched because new licenses establish a pipeline for future revenue from product upgrades and maintenance.
"The strength of the quarter comes down to the fact that we are selling more products to more customers in more industries," Safra Catz, Oracle's chief financial officer, said during a conference call with analysts.
Signaling that its recent momentum will carry into 2008, Oracle forecast software sales will rise 15 percent to 25 percent in the current quarter, which ends in February. Oracle made the same projection for the second quarter and then soared well beyond it.
Excluding stock option expenses, Oracle expects to earn 29 cents or 30 cents per share in the fiscal third quarter. The average analyst estimate for the quarter was 29 cents per share.
Oracle shares fell 49 cents to finish Wednesday's regular trading at $20.76, then rebounded by $1.37, or 6.6 percent in extended trading after its quarterly results were released.
"It was a very strong quarter, based on just about every metric you can think of," said Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry.
Larry Ellison on Bill Gates, potential purchases, and the good old days
Oracle has been on a roll through most of the past two years, reaping the benefits of a shopping spree that has turned it into a one-stop shop for database software and applications that automate a wide variety of business operations.
By spending more than $25 billion snapping up its smaller rivals since 2004, Oracle has created the software industry's equivalent of a Costco warehouse, said Cowen and Company analyst Peter Goldmacher.
"Oracle looks to be better positioned than just about all its competitors," Goldmacher said. That list of rivals includes other technology heavyweights like IBM Corp., SAP AG and Microsoft Corp.
Larry Ellison, Oracle's hard-charging chief executive officer, remains on the prowl for other takeovers. In October, he offered $6.7 billion for another Silicon Valley software maker, BEA Systems (BEAS), only to be rebuffed. Echoing recent public comments, Oracle reiterated it's unlikely to buy BEA unless there's a change in the makeup of the San Jose-based company's board of directors.
Oracle's second-quarter showing and upbeat outlook may revive hopes that the technology sector will be able to overcome the threat of a looming recession and grow solidly next year.
With informal surveys indicating that a substantial number of companies plan to spend less on technology next year, some analysts are bracing for a downturn and their only question is the depth of the drop.
But there's a theory that Oracle and a few other industry leaders won't be hurt if the economic uncertainty causes businesses to concentrate their tech spending on products made by well-established vendors.
"Customers are going with proven technologies with proven value," Chowdhry said. "That bodes well for Oracle and Microsoft. It doesn't necessarily bode well for the rest of the software industry." To top of page
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Opera complains to EU about Microsoft
Web browser developer Opera Software ASA said Thursday it had complained to the European Commission about Microsoft Corp., calling on regulators to make the company give users a choice of Internet software with its Windows operating system.
The small Norwegian company also alleged that Microsoft was holding developers back from making programs that work with each other "by not following accepted Web standards."
Microsoft (Charts, Fortune 500) said its Internet Explorer browser had been a part of Windows for over a decade and supported a wide range of Web standards.
"We will of course cooperate with any inquiries into these issues, but we believe the inclusion of the browser into the operating system benefits consumers, and that consumers and PC manufacturers already are free to choose any browsers they wish," Microsoft said.
A complaint can - but does not always - trigger an antitrust investigation by EU regulators.
Some of the claims echo complaints from years ago, when Microsoft was accused of using its monopoly position to wipe out Netscape by bundling its free Explorer browser with Windows.
Google to press feds on public records
Opera said it was asking EU regulators to apply the principles of their landmark antitrust ruling against Microsoft - upheld by an EU court in September - to Internet software.
That ruling required Microsoft to market a version of Windows without its media player program, even though there were few takers when it went on sale a year after the antitrust order.
EU antitrust chief Neelie Kroes had warned Microsoft that the order set a precedent for its future behavior in other areas - such as its Office software and its new Vista operating system.
"Microsoft should bear this in mind," Kroes said. "The shop is still open, I can assure you ... there are a couple of other cases still on our desk."
EU officials last year cited possible problems with Vista's integrated security software, Internet search, and digital rights management tools used to protect copyrights and software that would create fixed-document formats comparable to Adobe Systems Inc.'s Portable Document Format, or PDF.
YouTube opens ad program to amateurs
Opera is claiming that Microsoft abused its monopoly power as the supplier of software to most of the world's personal computers by giving away its Internet Explorer with Windows and not offering alternative programs.
It "requests the Commission to obligate Microsoft to unbundle Internet Explorer from Windows and/or carry alternative browsers preinstalled on the desktop," it said in a statement.
Opera also said it was asking Microsoft to adhere to its own public pronouncements to support open Web standards. It said the European Commission should require Microsoft to follow "fundamental and open Web standards accepted by the Web-authoring communities."
"Microsoft's unilateral control over standards in some markets creates a de facto standard that is more costly to support, harder to maintain, technologically inferior and that can even expose users to security risks," Opera said.
This touches on an earlier complaint filed by a group of Microsoft rivals, the European Committee for Interoperable Systems, that alleges that Microsoft's XAML markup language - which it said was positioned to replace the current Web page language HTML - was designed "from the ground up to be dependent on Windows."
Opera CEO Jon von Tetzchner said the company was championing open Web standards and "cannot rest until we've brought fair and equitable options to consumers worldwide."
The company now focuses on making browsers for mobile devices, an area where Microsoft is not a major player.
ECIS endorsed the complaint. "Browsers are the gateway to the Internet. Microsoft seeks to control this gateway," said its legal counsel Thomas Vinje.
The group has made complaints of its own against Microsoft, alleging that the new Vista operating system is the company's attempt to extend its monopoly to the Internet and the company uses Windows to extend its market dominance into other areas, including Web-based computing.
The small Norwegian company also alleged that Microsoft was holding developers back from making programs that work with each other "by not following accepted Web standards."
Microsoft (Charts, Fortune 500) said its Internet Explorer browser had been a part of Windows for over a decade and supported a wide range of Web standards.
"We will of course cooperate with any inquiries into these issues, but we believe the inclusion of the browser into the operating system benefits consumers, and that consumers and PC manufacturers already are free to choose any browsers they wish," Microsoft said.
A complaint can - but does not always - trigger an antitrust investigation by EU regulators.
Some of the claims echo complaints from years ago, when Microsoft was accused of using its monopoly position to wipe out Netscape by bundling its free Explorer browser with Windows.
Google to press feds on public records
Opera said it was asking EU regulators to apply the principles of their landmark antitrust ruling against Microsoft - upheld by an EU court in September - to Internet software.
That ruling required Microsoft to market a version of Windows without its media player program, even though there were few takers when it went on sale a year after the antitrust order.
EU antitrust chief Neelie Kroes had warned Microsoft that the order set a precedent for its future behavior in other areas - such as its Office software and its new Vista operating system.
"Microsoft should bear this in mind," Kroes said. "The shop is still open, I can assure you ... there are a couple of other cases still on our desk."
EU officials last year cited possible problems with Vista's integrated security software, Internet search, and digital rights management tools used to protect copyrights and software that would create fixed-document formats comparable to Adobe Systems Inc.'s Portable Document Format, or PDF.
YouTube opens ad program to amateurs
Opera is claiming that Microsoft abused its monopoly power as the supplier of software to most of the world's personal computers by giving away its Internet Explorer with Windows and not offering alternative programs.
It "requests the Commission to obligate Microsoft to unbundle Internet Explorer from Windows and/or carry alternative browsers preinstalled on the desktop," it said in a statement.
Opera also said it was asking Microsoft to adhere to its own public pronouncements to support open Web standards. It said the European Commission should require Microsoft to follow "fundamental and open Web standards accepted by the Web-authoring communities."
"Microsoft's unilateral control over standards in some markets creates a de facto standard that is more costly to support, harder to maintain, technologically inferior and that can even expose users to security risks," Opera said.
This touches on an earlier complaint filed by a group of Microsoft rivals, the European Committee for Interoperable Systems, that alleges that Microsoft's XAML markup language - which it said was positioned to replace the current Web page language HTML - was designed "from the ground up to be dependent on Windows."
Opera CEO Jon von Tetzchner said the company was championing open Web standards and "cannot rest until we've brought fair and equitable options to consumers worldwide."
The company now focuses on making browsers for mobile devices, an area where Microsoft is not a major player.
ECIS endorsed the complaint. "Browsers are the gateway to the Internet. Microsoft seeks to control this gateway," said its legal counsel Thomas Vinje.
The group has made complaints of its own against Microsoft, alleging that the new Vista operating system is the company's attempt to extend its monopoly to the Internet and the company uses Windows to extend its market dominance into other areas, including Web-based computing.
Tech Predictions for 2008
Every year at this time I venture forth with my predictions for the New Year. Early in my career, I would foolishly try and predict as much as ten years out, but in a world where technology changes so fast, ten-year predictions are almost worthless these days.
I have become more pragmatic in my old age, and now I try to focus on what I think will be the key industry issues or trends for the next year or two. How accurate am I? Check out my predictions from last year or the previous year or for 2005.
If you read any of my previous predictions, you will notice that they are relatively accurate. This is not to brag, but to point out that the technologies I research typically have their biggest impact 12 to 18 months out.
With that in mind, here are my predictions for 2008:
1. Smartphones Get Smarter and Gain Market Share.
This is not a new prediction, as I have mentioned it in one form or another for the last two years. However, there are two key changes in 2008's prediction. First, we now believe smartphones will get even smarter, thanks to increased processing power, mobile operating systems that gain more functionality (including full Web browsers), and connections to faster wireless networks. Apple has already shown us that you can put the Internet in your pocket via something as small as a smartphone, and the competition is going to school on Apple—big time. In fact, when we look back at 2008, I believe one of the major industry themes will be how the creation of mobile devices that deliver the Internet in your pocket caused a paradigm shift in mobility and drove major changes in the way even mainstream consumers view personal mobility.
The second key change is that even mainstream cell phones will gain more intelligence and help expand the market share of smartphones. Thanks to Google's Android platform, as well as vendors like Palm, RIM, Motorola, and others making their mainstream cell phones more intelligent, we believe that by the end of 2008 smartphones will represent as much as 15 percent of the overall 1.2 billion cell phones sold worldwide in the course of the year, up from a market penetration of around 8 percent today. And by the end of 2009, we now believe smartphones will make up as much as 25 percent of all cell phones sold.
2. Flash-Based Laptops Arrive.
There are a lot of rumors swirling about Apple introducing a flash-based laptop at MacWorld in January. While I have no clue if that is actually going to happen, I do believe that we will see at least one flash-based laptop of some type come from each of the major PC vendors. More important, these new clamshell laptops will introduce a new concept in ultraportables. Although flash memory is coming down in price, I believe most of these new flash-based ultraportables will have only 16GB, 32GB, or, at best, 64GB hard drives on them to keep prices down. This means that people will have to use them differently, and we could see a new class of laptop computers emerge that I call mobile companions. Hard drives in most of today's laptops start at 80GB, although many now sport 120GB and even 180GB.
Given the capacities of these new flash-based clamshell laptops, it's unlikely that they will provide access to full applications or provide rich Web browsing—they'll have limitations much like those of today's BlackBerrys or smartphones. They will require some type of UI that lets you tell your main PC what files you want to take with you, and then enables syncing each time your laptop and your main PC are reconnected. To make this work, you will also need a built-in GoToMyPC-like Internet connection to your PC back home in case you need something while on the road. Look for at least five new flash-based mobile companions to be on the market by the end of 2008, and expect them to be one of the industry's hot topics in the coming year.
3. The Introduction of the "Basic PC."
Next year we will see a real push to create "basic PCs," bare-bones computers priced around $275 to $350 and targeted at emerging markets. We've already seen similar products, such as the XO-1 laptop by the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) initiative and the ASUS Eee PC 4G, but they represent the tip of the iceberg in this category. And don't be surprised if this type of PC gets serious attention as a second, third, or even fourth PC for consumer homes.
4. Social Networks Are Targeted by Botnets.
As social networks gain in popularity, I expect them to become the next major target for security threats. Botnets will find their way into these networks and inflict all kinds of new security problems, including identity theft. McAfee, Symantec, Microsoft, and even Apple are aware of these threats and are working hard to prevent them, but social networks will suffer invasion.
5. Smartphones Become Targets for Viruses and Identity Theft.
As smartphones gain market share, become more popular and powerful, and deliver greater Web access, they will attract the criminal element. I believe that in 2008 they will also become major targets for botnets, viruses, and identity theft. This will be a big problem, as there aren't a lot of great security tools for these smart mobile platforms. All of the security software vendors see this coming, but right now they're creating their tools only for use within the Windows, Linux, Unix, and Mac environments. Soon they will have to deal with at least five major smartphone OS platforms as well.
I have become more pragmatic in my old age, and now I try to focus on what I think will be the key industry issues or trends for the next year or two. How accurate am I? Check out my predictions from last year or the previous year or for 2005.
If you read any of my previous predictions, you will notice that they are relatively accurate. This is not to brag, but to point out that the technologies I research typically have their biggest impact 12 to 18 months out.
With that in mind, here are my predictions for 2008:
1. Smartphones Get Smarter and Gain Market Share.
This is not a new prediction, as I have mentioned it in one form or another for the last two years. However, there are two key changes in 2008's prediction. First, we now believe smartphones will get even smarter, thanks to increased processing power, mobile operating systems that gain more functionality (including full Web browsers), and connections to faster wireless networks. Apple has already shown us that you can put the Internet in your pocket via something as small as a smartphone, and the competition is going to school on Apple—big time. In fact, when we look back at 2008, I believe one of the major industry themes will be how the creation of mobile devices that deliver the Internet in your pocket caused a paradigm shift in mobility and drove major changes in the way even mainstream consumers view personal mobility.
The second key change is that even mainstream cell phones will gain more intelligence and help expand the market share of smartphones. Thanks to Google's Android platform, as well as vendors like Palm, RIM, Motorola, and others making their mainstream cell phones more intelligent, we believe that by the end of 2008 smartphones will represent as much as 15 percent of the overall 1.2 billion cell phones sold worldwide in the course of the year, up from a market penetration of around 8 percent today. And by the end of 2009, we now believe smartphones will make up as much as 25 percent of all cell phones sold.
2. Flash-Based Laptops Arrive.
There are a lot of rumors swirling about Apple introducing a flash-based laptop at MacWorld in January. While I have no clue if that is actually going to happen, I do believe that we will see at least one flash-based laptop of some type come from each of the major PC vendors. More important, these new clamshell laptops will introduce a new concept in ultraportables. Although flash memory is coming down in price, I believe most of these new flash-based ultraportables will have only 16GB, 32GB, or, at best, 64GB hard drives on them to keep prices down. This means that people will have to use them differently, and we could see a new class of laptop computers emerge that I call mobile companions. Hard drives in most of today's laptops start at 80GB, although many now sport 120GB and even 180GB.
Given the capacities of these new flash-based clamshell laptops, it's unlikely that they will provide access to full applications or provide rich Web browsing—they'll have limitations much like those of today's BlackBerrys or smartphones. They will require some type of UI that lets you tell your main PC what files you want to take with you, and then enables syncing each time your laptop and your main PC are reconnected. To make this work, you will also need a built-in GoToMyPC-like Internet connection to your PC back home in case you need something while on the road. Look for at least five new flash-based mobile companions to be on the market by the end of 2008, and expect them to be one of the industry's hot topics in the coming year.
3. The Introduction of the "Basic PC."
Next year we will see a real push to create "basic PCs," bare-bones computers priced around $275 to $350 and targeted at emerging markets. We've already seen similar products, such as the XO-1 laptop by the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) initiative and the ASUS Eee PC 4G, but they represent the tip of the iceberg in this category. And don't be surprised if this type of PC gets serious attention as a second, third, or even fourth PC for consumer homes.
4. Social Networks Are Targeted by Botnets.
As social networks gain in popularity, I expect them to become the next major target for security threats. Botnets will find their way into these networks and inflict all kinds of new security problems, including identity theft. McAfee, Symantec, Microsoft, and even Apple are aware of these threats and are working hard to prevent them, but social networks will suffer invasion.
5. Smartphones Become Targets for Viruses and Identity Theft.
As smartphones gain market share, become more popular and powerful, and deliver greater Web access, they will attract the criminal element. I believe that in 2008 they will also become major targets for botnets, viruses, and identity theft. This will be a big problem, as there aren't a lot of great security tools for these smart mobile platforms. All of the security software vendors see this coming, but right now they're creating their tools only for use within the Windows, Linux, Unix, and Mac environments. Soon they will have to deal with at least five major smartphone OS platforms as well.
Computer Tricks
Hide File In Image
1. Gather the file you wish to bind, and the image file, and place them in a folder. I will be using C:\New Folder
-The image will hereby be referred to in all examples as fluffy.jpg
-The file will hereby be referred to in all examples as New Text Document.txt
2. Add the file/files you will be injecting into the image into a WinRar .rar or .zip. From here on this will be referred to as (secret.rar)
3. Open command prompt by going to Start > Run > cmd
4. In Command Prompt, navigate to the folder where your two files are by typing
cd location [ex: cd C:\New Folder]
5. Type [copy /b fluffy.jpg + secret.rar fluffy.jpg] (remove the brackets)
Congrats, as far as anyone viewing is concerned, this file looks like a JPEG, acts like a JPEG, and is a JPEG, yet it now contains your file.
In order to view/extract your file, there are two options that you can take
a) Change the file extension from fluffy.jpg to fluffy.rar, then open and your file is there
b) Leave the file extension as is, right click, open with WinRar and your file is there
Speed Up Ur PC
Cleaning Ur RAM
U may recognize that ur system gets slower and slower when playing and working a lot with ur pc. That's cause ur RAM is full of remaining progress pieces u do not need any more.
So create a new text file on ur desktop and call it .. uhm.. "RAMcleaner" or something...
Type
FreeMem=Space(64000000)
in this file and save it as RAMcleaner.vbs [ You may choose the "All Files" option when u save it ]
Run the file and ur RAM may be cleaned :>
Of course u can edit the code in the file for a greater "cleaning-progress".
FreeMem=Space(128000000)
just try it out.. it worked for me
Block websites without any software
Steps
1] Browse C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc
2] Find the file named "HOSTS"
3] Open it in notepad
4] Under "127.0.0.1 localhost" Add 127.0.0.2 www.orkut.com , and that site will no longer be accessable.
5] Done!
example :
127.0.0.1 localhost
127.0.0.2 www.yahoo.com-
www.orkut.com is now unaccessable
For every site after that you want to add, just add "1" to the last number in the internal ip (127.0.0.2) and then the addy like before.
ie:
127.0.0.3 www.yahoo.com
127.0.0.4 www.msn.com
127.0.0.5 www.google.com
This also works with banner sites, just find the host name of the server with the banners and do the same thing with that addy.
Hope this small tutorial could keep you going in simple way of blocking websites..
Start a movie in paint!
Start movie in Paint!
* First start a movie in any player.
* Then open Paint.
* Now, in the player when the movie is being played, press "Print screen" button on your key board.
* Now, Press ctrl+v in Paint
* Leave the movie player open and don't minimize it.
* Open Paint now and see the movie in the Paint!
Hacking Rapidshare:
Tired of waiting for another few minutes after downloads try dis
It works
While waiting for download, type javascript:c(countdown = 0); in the browser addressbar to eliminate the rapidshare countdown (waiting) feature. If this trick doesn't work, try the alternative below:
javascript:var%20counta=0;var%20countb=0
;var%20countc=0;var%20countd=0;var%20countd=0
(Just copy and paste this code in your address bar)
another method(Works only if u hv dynamic Ip)
Then, follow the steps below to get a new IP:
1. Go to Start->Run and type in "cmd" without quotes to bring up the command prompt. Hit Enter.
2. Type in "ipconfig /flushdns" without quotes and hit Enter.
3. Type in "ipconfig /release" without quotes and hit Enter.
4. Type in "ipconfig /renew" without quotes and hit Enter. You should now have a new IP address. Check your IP address at IP Chicken again and compare it to the one you got earlier.
5. Now, erase your browser's cache and cookies.
6. Try downloading the Rapidshare
Now enjoy unlimited download from rapidShare..
Yahoo with multiple login IDs
Multiple Login in Yahoo! by regedit
Follow these steps : ->
* Go to Start ==> Run ==>> Type regedit,hit enter
* Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER -> Software -> Yahoo -> pager -> Test
* On the right pane ==>> right-click and choose new Dword value .
* Rename it as Plural.
* Double click and assign a decimal value of 1.
* Now close registry and restart yahoo messenger.
* For signing in with new id open another messenger .
See who is invisible in Yahoo:
See who is invisible in yahoo messenger.
download this[100% working]
http://
rapidshare.com/files/61785563/BuddySpySetup.exe
If you r scanning for a person be sure that he/she is in your friends list
If he/she is not in your friends list then you may not get right result
enjoy
Lock Computer
we'll make a "Lock Computer" Shortcut on your Desktop so you can lock your computer by simply double-clicking on an icon.
On an empty space on your desktop, right click and select "New" then "Shortcut".
You'll see this shortcut wizard Server.
Paste the following line into the "Type the location of this item" box. Click "Next".
%windir%\System32\rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation
This next dialog box will ask for a name for this shortcut. Type in "Lock Computer" or something that makes sense to you. Click "Finish".
Now you'll have an icon on your desktop that allows you to quickly lock your computer without having to go through the process of "control-alt-delete" -> "Lock Computer".
Useful Shortcut:
Start + M: Minimizes all open windows
Start + Shift + M: Maximizes All Windows
Start + E: Runs Windows Explorer
Start + R: Open the RUN Dialog Box
Start + F: Open the Search Results Dialog box
Start + CTRL + F: Opens the Search Results-Computer dialog Box (if the computer is connected to a network)
Start + Pause (Break): Opens the System Properties Dialog Box
Windows System Key Combinations:
F1: Help
CTRL + ESC: Open Start menu
ALT + TAB: Switch between open programs
ALT + F4: Quit program
SHIFT + DELETE: Delete item permanently
1. Gather the file you wish to bind, and the image file, and place them in a folder. I will be using C:\New Folder
-The image will hereby be referred to in all examples as fluffy.jpg
-The file will hereby be referred to in all examples as New Text Document.txt
2. Add the file/files you will be injecting into the image into a WinRar .rar or .zip. From here on this will be referred to as (secret.rar)
3. Open command prompt by going to Start > Run > cmd
4. In Command Prompt, navigate to the folder where your two files are by typing
cd location [ex: cd C:\New Folder]
5. Type [copy /b fluffy.jpg + secret.rar fluffy.jpg] (remove the brackets)
Congrats, as far as anyone viewing is concerned, this file looks like a JPEG, acts like a JPEG, and is a JPEG, yet it now contains your file.
In order to view/extract your file, there are two options that you can take
a) Change the file extension from fluffy.jpg to fluffy.rar, then open and your file is there
b) Leave the file extension as is, right click, open with WinRar and your file is there
Speed Up Ur PC
Cleaning Ur RAM
U may recognize that ur system gets slower and slower when playing and working a lot with ur pc. That's cause ur RAM is full of remaining progress pieces u do not need any more.
So create a new text file on ur desktop and call it .. uhm.. "RAMcleaner" or something...
Type
FreeMem=Space(64000000)
in this file and save it as RAMcleaner.vbs [ You may choose the "All Files" option when u save it ]
Run the file and ur RAM may be cleaned :>
Of course u can edit the code in the file for a greater "cleaning-progress".
FreeMem=Space(128000000)
just try it out.. it worked for me
Block websites without any software
Steps
1] Browse C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc
2] Find the file named "HOSTS"
3] Open it in notepad
4] Under "127.0.0.1 localhost" Add 127.0.0.2 www.orkut.com , and that site will no longer be accessable.
5] Done!
example :
127.0.0.1 localhost
127.0.0.2 www.yahoo.com-
www.orkut.com is now unaccessable
For every site after that you want to add, just add "1" to the last number in the internal ip (127.0.0.2) and then the addy like before.
ie:
127.0.0.3 www.yahoo.com
127.0.0.4 www.msn.com
127.0.0.5 www.google.com
This also works with banner sites, just find the host name of the server with the banners and do the same thing with that addy.
Hope this small tutorial could keep you going in simple way of blocking websites..
Start a movie in paint!
Start movie in Paint!
* First start a movie in any player.
* Then open Paint.
* Now, in the player when the movie is being played, press "Print screen" button on your key board.
* Now, Press ctrl+v in Paint
* Leave the movie player open and don't minimize it.
* Open Paint now and see the movie in the Paint!
Hacking Rapidshare:
Tired of waiting for another few minutes after downloads try dis
It works
While waiting for download, type javascript:c(countdown = 0); in the browser addressbar to eliminate the rapidshare countdown (waiting) feature. If this trick doesn't work, try the alternative below:
javascript:var%20counta=0;var%20countb=0
;var%20countc=0;var%20countd=0;var%20countd=0
(Just copy and paste this code in your address bar)
another method(Works only if u hv dynamic Ip)
Then, follow the steps below to get a new IP:
1. Go to Start->Run and type in "cmd" without quotes to bring up the command prompt. Hit Enter.
2. Type in "ipconfig /flushdns" without quotes and hit Enter.
3. Type in "ipconfig /release" without quotes and hit Enter.
4. Type in "ipconfig /renew" without quotes and hit Enter. You should now have a new IP address. Check your IP address at IP Chicken again and compare it to the one you got earlier.
5. Now, erase your browser's cache and cookies.
6. Try downloading the Rapidshare
Now enjoy unlimited download from rapidShare..
Yahoo with multiple login IDs
Multiple Login in Yahoo! by regedit
Follow these steps : ->
* Go to Start ==> Run ==>> Type regedit,hit enter
* Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER -> Software -> Yahoo -> pager -> Test
* On the right pane ==>> right-click and choose new Dword value .
* Rename it as Plural.
* Double click and assign a decimal value of 1.
* Now close registry and restart yahoo messenger.
* For signing in with new id open another messenger .
See who is invisible in Yahoo:
See who is invisible in yahoo messenger.
download this[100% working]
http://
rapidshare.com/files/61785563/BuddySpySetup.exe
If you r scanning for a person be sure that he/she is in your friends list
If he/she is not in your friends list then you may not get right result
enjoy
Lock Computer
we'll make a "Lock Computer" Shortcut on your Desktop so you can lock your computer by simply double-clicking on an icon.
On an empty space on your desktop, right click and select "New" then "Shortcut".
You'll see this shortcut wizard Server.
Paste the following line into the "Type the location of this item" box. Click "Next".
%windir%\System32\rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation
This next dialog box will ask for a name for this shortcut. Type in "Lock Computer" or something that makes sense to you. Click "Finish".
Now you'll have an icon on your desktop that allows you to quickly lock your computer without having to go through the process of "control-alt-delete" -> "Lock Computer".
Useful Shortcut:
Start + M: Minimizes all open windows
Start + Shift + M: Maximizes All Windows
Start + E: Runs Windows Explorer
Start + R: Open the RUN Dialog Box
Start + F: Open the Search Results Dialog box
Start + CTRL + F: Opens the Search Results-Computer dialog Box (if the computer is connected to a network)
Start + Pause (Break): Opens the System Properties Dialog Box
Windows System Key Combinations:
F1: Help
CTRL + ESC: Open Start menu
ALT + TAB: Switch between open programs
ALT + F4: Quit program
SHIFT + DELETE: Delete item permanently
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Email Templates
If you have creating email templates use this.
function Merge_template($message,$temparray) // merging function.
{
$melen=strlen($message);
$k=0;
for($j=0;$j<$melen;)
{
if($message[$j]=='#' && $message[$j+1]=='#')
{
$j=$j+2;
while($message[$j] != '#')
{
$test=$test.$message[$j];
$j++;
}
$pattern[$k]=$test;
$test='';
$k++;
}
$j++;
}
$length=count($temparray);
$i=0;
$outputtem=$message;
while($i<$length)
{
$pattern[$i];
$replacement=$temparray[$pattern[$i]];
$test= '/##'.$pattern[$i].'#/';
$outputtem=preg_replace($test,$replacement,$outputtem);
$i++;
}
return $outputtem;
}
$message = "The following account status changed by ##staffname#. Please take necessary action.
##description#
Reference No: ##ref_no#
Customer Name: ##customer_name#
Date : ##date#";
$date=date("d-m-Y");
$staffname="Thomas";
$description = " Test Description";
$ref_no = "238764";
$customer_name="Arnold";
$temparray=array("date"=>$date,"staffname"=>$staffname,
"description"=>$description,"ref_no"=>$ref_no,"customer_name"=>$customer_name);
$mail_body= Merge_template($message,$temparray);
?>
Output
The following account status changed by Thomas. Please take necessary action.
Test Description
Reference No: 238764
Customer Name: Arnold
Date : 17-12-2007
function Merge_template($message,$temparray) // merging function.
{
$melen=strlen($message);
$k=0;
for($j=0;$j<$melen;)
{
if($message[$j]=='#' && $message[$j+1]=='#')
{
$j=$j+2;
while($message[$j] != '#')
{
$test=$test.$message[$j];
$j++;
}
$pattern[$k]=$test;
$test='';
$k++;
}
$j++;
}
$length=count($temparray);
$i=0;
$outputtem=$message;
while($i<$length)
{
$pattern[$i];
$replacement=$temparray[$pattern[$i]];
$test= '/##'.$pattern[$i].'#/';
$outputtem=preg_replace($test,$replacement,$outputtem);
$i++;
}
return $outputtem;
}
$message = "The following account status changed by ##staffname#. Please take necessary action.
##description#
Reference No: ##ref_no#
Customer Name: ##customer_name#
Date : ##date#";
$date=date("d-m-Y");
$staffname="Thomas";
$description = " Test Description";
$ref_no = "238764";
$customer_name="Arnold";
$temparray=array("date"=>$date,"staffname"=>$staffname,
"description"=>$description,"ref_no"=>$ref_no,"customer_name"=>$customer_name);
$mail_body= Merge_template($message,$temparray);
?>
Output
The following account status changed by Thomas. Please take necessary action.
Test Description
Reference No: 238764
Customer Name: Arnold
Date : 17-12-2007
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Simple image resize code using PHP
if($_POST['submit'])
{
// This is the temporary file created by PHP
$uploadedfile = $_FILES['uploadfile']['tmp_name'];
// Create an Image from it so we can do the resize
$src = imagecreatefromjpeg($uploadedfile);
// Capture the original size of the uploaded image
list($width,$height)=getimagesize($uploadedfile);
// For our purposes, I have resized the image to be
// 600 pixels wide, and maintain the original aspect
// ratio. This prevents the image from being "stretched"
// or "squashed". If you prefer some max width other than
// 600, simply change the $newwidth variable
$newwidth=100;
$newheight=($height/$width)*100;
$tmp=imagecreatetruecolor($newwidth,$newheight);
// this line actually does the image resizing, copying from the original
// image into the $tmp image
imagecopyresampled($tmp,$src,0,0,0,0,$newwidth,$newheight,$width,$height);
// now write the resized image to disk. I have assumed that you want the
// resized, uploaded image file to reside in the ./images subdirectory.
$filename = "images/". $_FILES['uploadfile']['name'];
imagejpeg($tmp,$filename,100);
imagedestroy($src);
imagedestroy($tmp); // NOTE: PHP will clean up the temp file it created when the request
// has completed.
}
?>
add html code here
form
input type=file name=uploadfile
input type=submit name=submit
form close
{
// This is the temporary file created by PHP
$uploadedfile = $_FILES['uploadfile']['tmp_name'];
// Create an Image from it so we can do the resize
$src = imagecreatefromjpeg($uploadedfile);
// Capture the original size of the uploaded image
list($width,$height)=getimagesize($uploadedfile);
// For our purposes, I have resized the image to be
// 600 pixels wide, and maintain the original aspect
// ratio. This prevents the image from being "stretched"
// or "squashed". If you prefer some max width other than
// 600, simply change the $newwidth variable
$newwidth=100;
$newheight=($height/$width)*100;
$tmp=imagecreatetruecolor($newwidth,$newheight);
// this line actually does the image resizing, copying from the original
// image into the $tmp image
imagecopyresampled($tmp,$src,0,0,0,0,$newwidth,$newheight,$width,$height);
// now write the resized image to disk. I have assumed that you want the
// resized, uploaded image file to reside in the ./images subdirectory.
$filename = "images/". $_FILES['uploadfile']['name'];
imagejpeg($tmp,$filename,100);
imagedestroy($src);
imagedestroy($tmp); // NOTE: PHP will clean up the temp file it created when the request
// has completed.
}
?>
add html code here
form
input type=file name=uploadfile
input type=submit name=submit
form close
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
AJAX E-Books Links Collection
Cool AJAX tutorials
* AJAX Patterns
* AJAX :: A new approach to web applications
* Rasmus' 30 second AJAX tutorials
* AJAX Tutorial with Prototype
* AJAX on Rail
* AJAX: Usable Interactivity with Remote Scripting
* AJAX Links
* Dynamic HTML and XML: The XMLHttpRequest Object
* XMLHttpRequest Call
* On-Demand JavaScript
* Programming AJAX
Frameworks:-
* Prototype JavaScript Framework
* Script.aculo.us!!
* Rico :: JavaScript for Rich Internet Applications
* Bihaviour :: Better, Smarter Javascript
* SAJAX :: Simple AJAX Toolkit
* AJAX Frameworks page @AJAX Pattern
* AJAX Patterns
* AJAX :: A new approach to web applications
* Rasmus' 30 second AJAX tutorials
* AJAX Tutorial with Prototype
* AJAX on Rail
* AJAX: Usable Interactivity with Remote Scripting
* AJAX Links
* Dynamic HTML and XML: The XMLHttpRequest Object
* XMLHttpRequest Call
* On-Demand JavaScript
* Programming AJAX
Frameworks:-
* Prototype JavaScript Framework
* Script.aculo.us!!
* Rico :: JavaScript for Rich Internet Applications
* Bihaviour :: Better, Smarter Javascript
* SAJAX :: Simple AJAX Toolkit
* AJAX Frameworks page @AJAX Pattern
PHP E-Books Links Collection
* PHP :: Basics:-
o The PHP Manual
o Introduction to PHP3
o w3school's PHP Tutorial
o PHP Introduction and Examples
o Ben's PHP Tutorial
o Microcyb's CyberCMS PHP Tutorials
o GimpsterDotCom PHP Tutorial
o tizag.com PHP Tutorial
o Troubleshooter.com PHP Tutorial
o PHP Tutorial (From freewebmasterhelp.com)
o JuicyStudio PHP Tutorial
o PHP Knowledge Base
o Object Oriented Programming with PHP
o PHP for PDF
o Themed Website Using PHP
o PHP Tips and Tutorials
* PHP & Database:-
o MySQL
+ PHP/MySQL Tutorial
+ PHP MySQL Tutorial (From freewebmasterhelp.com)
+ Building a Database Driven Website Using PHP and MySQL
o PHP and PostgreSQL Tutorial
* PHP :: FAQs:-
o The PHP FAQs
o The PHP Manual
o Introduction to PHP3
o w3school's PHP Tutorial
o PHP Introduction and Examples
o Ben's PHP Tutorial
o Microcyb's CyberCMS PHP Tutorials
o GimpsterDotCom PHP Tutorial
o tizag.com PHP Tutorial
o Troubleshooter.com PHP Tutorial
o PHP Tutorial (From freewebmasterhelp.com)
o JuicyStudio PHP Tutorial
o PHP Knowledge Base
o Object Oriented Programming with PHP
o PHP for PDF
o Themed Website Using PHP
o PHP Tips and Tutorials
* PHP & Database:-
o MySQL
+ PHP/MySQL Tutorial
+ PHP MySQL Tutorial (From freewebmasterhelp.com)
+ Building a Database Driven Website Using PHP and MySQL
o PHP and PostgreSQL Tutorial
* PHP :: FAQs:-
o The PHP FAQs
Sunday, October 21, 2007
How to insert data using AJAX , Both GET and POST method (PHP)
Ajax - Browser Specific Code, just copy and paste below code. This code is for browser specific.
var request = false;
var xmlString;
var microsoft = true;
var updatePage;
function initAjax()
{
try
{
request = new XMLHttpRequest(); // Ajax Class for Mozilla based browsers
microsoft = false;
}
catch (trymicrosoft)
{
try
{
request = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP"); // Ajax Class for IE
}
catch (othermicrosoft)
{
try
{
request = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP"); // Ajax Class for Mozilla based browsers
}
catch (failed)
{
request = false;
}
}
}
This code is must for all AJAX based coding.
Ajax - onreadystatechange Property
Before we even think about sending data to the server, we must first write a function that will be able to receive information. This function will be used to catch the data that is returned by the server.
The XMLHttpRequest object has a special property called onreadystatechange. onreadystatechange stores the function that will process the response from the server. The following code defines an empty function and sets the onreadystatechange property at the same time!
We will be filling this function in throughout the lesson, as you learn more about the XMLHttpRequest object.
I am writing this as a function.
function updatePage()
{
if (request.readyState== 4 || request.readyState=="complete")
{
if(request.status == 200)
{
var obj = document.getElementById('success');
xmlString = request.responseText;
obj.innerHTML=xmlString;
}
else
{
alert("Error :" + request.status );
}
}
}
For GET Method
function addStaff()
{
initAjax();
var obj = document.getElementById('success');
obj.innerHTML="";
var url = "add_data.php";
var name = document.getElementById("name").value;
var password = document.getElementById("password").value;
request.open("GET", url+"?bustcache="+new Date().getTime()+"&name="+name+"&password="+password,true);
request.onreadystatechange = updatePage1;
request.send(null);
}
For POST Method
function submitForm()
{
initAjax();
var name = document.getElementById("name").value;
var password= document.getElementById("password").value;
var obj = document.getElementById('success1');
obj.innerHTML="";
var url = "ajax_output.php";
var passData = '&name='+name+'&password='+password;
request.open("POST", url, true);
request.setRequestHeader("Content-type", "application/x-www-form-urlencoded");
request.onreadystatechange = updatePage;
request.send(passData);
}
var request = false;
var xmlString;
var microsoft = true;
var updatePage;
function initAjax()
{
try
{
request = new XMLHttpRequest(); // Ajax Class for Mozilla based browsers
microsoft = false;
}
catch (trymicrosoft)
{
try
{
request = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP"); // Ajax Class for IE
}
catch (othermicrosoft)
{
try
{
request = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP"); // Ajax Class for Mozilla based browsers
}
catch (failed)
{
request = false;
}
}
}
This code is must for all AJAX based coding.
Ajax - onreadystatechange Property
Before we even think about sending data to the server, we must first write a function that will be able to receive information. This function will be used to catch the data that is returned by the server.
The XMLHttpRequest object has a special property called onreadystatechange. onreadystatechange stores the function that will process the response from the server. The following code defines an empty function and sets the onreadystatechange property at the same time!
We will be filling this function in throughout the lesson, as you learn more about the XMLHttpRequest object.
I am writing this as a function.
function updatePage()
{
if (request.readyState== 4 || request.readyState=="complete")
{
if(request.status == 200)
{
var obj = document.getElementById('success');
xmlString = request.responseText;
obj.innerHTML=xmlString;
}
else
{
alert("Error :" + request.status );
}
}
}
For GET Method
function addStaff()
{
initAjax();
var obj = document.getElementById('success');
obj.innerHTML="";
var url = "add_data.php";
var name = document.getElementById("name").value;
var password = document.getElementById("password").value;
request.open("GET", url+"?bustcache="+new Date().getTime()+"&name="+name+"&password="+password,true);
request.onreadystatechange = updatePage1;
request.send(null);
}
For POST Method
function submitForm()
{
initAjax();
var name = document.getElementById("name").value;
var password= document.getElementById("password").value;
var obj = document.getElementById('success1');
obj.innerHTML="";
var url = "ajax_output.php";
var passData = '&name='+name+'&password='+password;
request.open("POST", url, true);
request.setRequestHeader("Content-type", "application/x-www-form-urlencoded");
request.onreadystatechange = updatePage;
request.send(passData);
}
Friday, August 17, 2007
Php installation in windows/Linux etc...
These are some method to install apahe/php/mysql/phpMyadmin into your system
This is a built in web server that is automatically configured when you install it.
Go through below links
For windows
http://www.wampserver.com/en/index.php
and
http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp-windows.html
XAMPP for linux also
http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp-linux.html
and for other OS
http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html
This is a built in web server that is automatically configured when you install it.
Go through below links
For windows
http://www.wampserver.com/en/index.php
and
http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp-windows.html
XAMPP for linux also
http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp-linux.html
and for other OS
http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Some Nice Site for PHP,MySql,Ajax etc for Beginners
Php,MySql, Ajax,XML,JavaScript, etc
http://www.w3schools.com/
http://www.tizag.com/
For PHP
http://php.net/
For pear
http://pear.php.net/
For Smarty
http://smarty.php.net/
http://www.w3schools.com/
http://www.tizag.com/
For PHP
http://php.net/
For pear
http://pear.php.net/
For Smarty
http://smarty.php.net/
Image to Flash convert code using PHP
convery.php
require("class.imageconverter.php");
$img = new ImageConverter("image.jpg","swf");
?>
class.imageconverter.php
class ImageConverter {
var $imtype;
var $im;
var $imname;
var $imconvertedtype;
var $output;
function imageConverter() {
/* parse arguments */
$numargs = func_num_args();
$imagefile = func_get_arg(0);
$convertedtype = func_get_arg(1);
$output = 0;
if($numargs > 2) $this->output = func_get_arg(2);
/* ask the type of original file */
$fileinfo = pathinfo($imagefile);
$imtype = $fileinfo["extension"];
$this->imname = basename($fileinfo["basename"],".".$imtype);
$this->imtype = $imtype;
/* create the image variable of original file */
switch ($imtype) {
case "gif":
$this->im = imageCreateFromGIF($imagefile);
break;
case "jpg":
$this->im = imageCreateFromJPEG($imagefile);
break;
case "png":
$this->im = imageCreateFromPNG($imagefile);
break;
case "wbmp":
$this->im = imageCreateFromWBMP($imagefile);
break;
/*
mail me if you have/find this functionality bellow */
/*
case "swf":
$this->im = $this->imageCreateFromSWF($imagefile);
break;
*/
}
/* convert to intended type */
$this->convertImage($convertedtype);
}
function convertImage($type) {
/* check the converted image type availability,
if it is not available, it will be casted to jpeg :) */
$validtype = $this->validateType($type);
if($this->output) {
/* show the image */
switch($validtype){
case 'jpeg' :
case 'jpg' :
header("Content-type: image/jpeg");
if($this->imtype == 'gif' or $this->imtype == 'png') {
$image = $this->replaceTransparentWhite($this->im);
imageJPEG($image);
} else
imageJPEG($this->im);
break;
case 'gif' :
header("Content-type: image/gif");
imageGIF($this->im);
break;
case 'png' :
header("Content-type: image/png");
imagePNG($this->im);
break;
case 'wbmp' :
header("Content-type: image/vnd.wap.wbmp");
imageWBMP($this->im);
break;
case 'swf' :
header("Content-type: application/x-shockwave-flash");
$this->imageSWF($this->im);
break;
}
} else {
/* save the image */
switch($validtype){
case 'jpeg' :
case 'jpg' :
if($this->imtype == 'gif' or $this->imtype == 'png') {
/* replace transparent with white */
$image = $this->replaceTransparentWhite($this->im);
imageJPEG($image,$this->imname.".jpg");
} else
imageJPEG($this->im,$this->imname.".jpg");
break;
case 'gif' :
imageGIF($this->im,$this->imname.".gif");
break;
case 'png' :
imagePNG($this->im,$this->imname.".png");
break;
case 'wbmp' :
imageWBMP($this->im,$this->imname.".wbmp");
break;
case 'swf' :
$this->imageSWF($this->im,$this->imname.".swf");
break;
}
}
}
/* convert image to SWF */
function imageSWF() {
/* parse arguments */
$numargs = func_num_args();
$image = func_get_arg(0);
$swfname = "";
if($numargs > 1) $swfname = func_get_arg(1);
/* image must be in jpeg and
convert jpeg to SWFBitmap
can be done by buffering it */
ob_start();
imagejpeg($image);
$buffimg = ob_get_contents();
ob_end_clean();
$img = new SWFBitmap($buffimg);
$w = $img->getWidth();
$h = $img->getHeight();
$movie = new SWFMovie();
$movie->setDimension($w, $h);
$movie->add($img);
if($swfname)
$movie->save($swfname);
else
$movie->output;
}
/* convert SWF to image */
function imageCreateFromSWF($swffile) {
die("No SWF converter in this library");
}
function validateType($type) {
/* check image type availability*/
$is_available = FALSE;
switch($type){
case 'jpeg' :
case 'jpg' :
if(function_exists("imagejpeg"))
$is_available = TRUE;
break;
case 'gif' :
if(function_exists("imagegif"))
$is_available = TRUE;
break;
case 'png' :
if(function_exists("imagepng"))
$is_available = TRUE;
break;
case 'wbmp' :
if(function_exists("imagewbmp"))
$is_available = TRUE;
break;
case 'swf' :
if(class_exists("swfmovie"))
$is_available = TRUE;
break;
}
if(!$is_available && function_exists("imagejpeg")){
/* if not available, cast image type to jpeg*/
return "jpeg";
}
else if(!$is_available && !function_exists("imagejpeg")){
die("No image support in this PHP server");
}
else
return $type;
}
function replaceTransparentWhite($im){
$src_w = ImageSX($im);
$src_h = ImageSY($im);
$backgroundimage = imagecreatetruecolor($src_w, $src_h);
$white = ImageColorAllocate ($backgroundimage, 255, 255, 255);
ImageFill($backgroundimage,0,0,$white);
ImageAlphaBlending($backgroundimage, TRUE);
imagecopy($backgroundimage, $im, 0,0,0,0, $src_w, $src_h);
return $backgroundimage;
}
}
?>
require("class.imageconverter.php");
$img = new ImageConverter("image.jpg","swf");
?>
class.imageconverter.php
class ImageConverter {
var $imtype;
var $im;
var $imname;
var $imconvertedtype;
var $output;
function imageConverter() {
/* parse arguments */
$numargs = func_num_args();
$imagefile = func_get_arg(0);
$convertedtype = func_get_arg(1);
$output = 0;
if($numargs > 2) $this->output = func_get_arg(2);
/* ask the type of original file */
$fileinfo = pathinfo($imagefile);
$imtype = $fileinfo["extension"];
$this->imname = basename($fileinfo["basename"],".".$imtype);
$this->imtype = $imtype;
/* create the image variable of original file */
switch ($imtype) {
case "gif":
$this->im = imageCreateFromGIF($imagefile);
break;
case "jpg":
$this->im = imageCreateFromJPEG($imagefile);
break;
case "png":
$this->im = imageCreateFromPNG($imagefile);
break;
case "wbmp":
$this->im = imageCreateFromWBMP($imagefile);
break;
/*
mail me if you have/find this functionality bellow */
/*
case "swf":
$this->im = $this->imageCreateFromSWF($imagefile);
break;
*/
}
/* convert to intended type */
$this->convertImage($convertedtype);
}
function convertImage($type) {
/* check the converted image type availability,
if it is not available, it will be casted to jpeg :) */
$validtype = $this->validateType($type);
if($this->output) {
/* show the image */
switch($validtype){
case 'jpeg' :
case 'jpg' :
header("Content-type: image/jpeg");
if($this->imtype == 'gif' or $this->imtype == 'png') {
$image = $this->replaceTransparentWhite($this->im);
imageJPEG($image);
} else
imageJPEG($this->im);
break;
case 'gif' :
header("Content-type: image/gif");
imageGIF($this->im);
break;
case 'png' :
header("Content-type: image/png");
imagePNG($this->im);
break;
case 'wbmp' :
header("Content-type: image/vnd.wap.wbmp");
imageWBMP($this->im);
break;
case 'swf' :
header("Content-type: application/x-shockwave-flash");
$this->imageSWF($this->im);
break;
}
} else {
/* save the image */
switch($validtype){
case 'jpeg' :
case 'jpg' :
if($this->imtype == 'gif' or $this->imtype == 'png') {
/* replace transparent with white */
$image = $this->replaceTransparentWhite($this->im);
imageJPEG($image,$this->imname.".jpg");
} else
imageJPEG($this->im,$this->imname.".jpg");
break;
case 'gif' :
imageGIF($this->im,$this->imname.".gif");
break;
case 'png' :
imagePNG($this->im,$this->imname.".png");
break;
case 'wbmp' :
imageWBMP($this->im,$this->imname.".wbmp");
break;
case 'swf' :
$this->imageSWF($this->im,$this->imname.".swf");
break;
}
}
}
/* convert image to SWF */
function imageSWF() {
/* parse arguments */
$numargs = func_num_args();
$image = func_get_arg(0);
$swfname = "";
if($numargs > 1) $swfname = func_get_arg(1);
/* image must be in jpeg and
convert jpeg to SWFBitmap
can be done by buffering it */
ob_start();
imagejpeg($image);
$buffimg = ob_get_contents();
ob_end_clean();
$img = new SWFBitmap($buffimg);
$w = $img->getWidth();
$h = $img->getHeight();
$movie = new SWFMovie();
$movie->setDimension($w, $h);
$movie->add($img);
if($swfname)
$movie->save($swfname);
else
$movie->output;
}
/* convert SWF to image */
function imageCreateFromSWF($swffile) {
die("No SWF converter in this library");
}
function validateType($type) {
/* check image type availability*/
$is_available = FALSE;
switch($type){
case 'jpeg' :
case 'jpg' :
if(function_exists("imagejpeg"))
$is_available = TRUE;
break;
case 'gif' :
if(function_exists("imagegif"))
$is_available = TRUE;
break;
case 'png' :
if(function_exists("imagepng"))
$is_available = TRUE;
break;
case 'wbmp' :
if(function_exists("imagewbmp"))
$is_available = TRUE;
break;
case 'swf' :
if(class_exists("swfmovie"))
$is_available = TRUE;
break;
}
if(!$is_available && function_exists("imagejpeg")){
/* if not available, cast image type to jpeg*/
return "jpeg";
}
else if(!$is_available && !function_exists("imagejpeg")){
die("No image support in this PHP server");
}
else
return $type;
}
function replaceTransparentWhite($im){
$src_w = ImageSX($im);
$src_h = ImageSY($im);
$backgroundimage = imagecreatetruecolor($src_w, $src_h);
$white = ImageColorAllocate ($backgroundimage, 255, 255, 255);
ImageFill($backgroundimage,0,0,$white);
ImageAlphaBlending($backgroundimage, TRUE);
imagecopy($backgroundimage, $im, 0,0,0,0, $src_w, $src_h);
return $backgroundimage;
}
}
?>
Currency Converter Using PHP
below function used to convert one currency to another
function get_conversion($cur_from,$cur_to){
if(strlen($cur_from)==0){
$cur_from = "USD";
}
if(strlen($cur_to)==0){
$cur_from = "PHP";
}
$host="finance.yahoo.com";
$fp = @fsockopen($host, 80, $errno, $errstr, 30);
if (!$fp)
{
$errorstr="$errstr ($errno)
\n";
return false;
}
else
{
$file="/d/quotes.csv";
$str = "?s=".$cur_from.$cur_to."=X&f=sl1d1t1ba&e=.csv";
$out = "GET ".$file.$str." HTTP/1.0\r\n";
$out .= "Host: www.yahoo.com\r\n";
$out .= "Connection: Close\r\n\r\n";
@fputs($fp, $out);
while (!@feof($fp))
{
$data .= @fgets($fp, 128);
}
@fclose($fp);
@preg_match("/^(.*?)\r?\n\r?\n(.*)/s", $data, $match);
$data =$match[2];
$search = array ("']*?>.*?'si","'<[\/\!]*?[^<>]*?>'si","'([\r\n])[\s]+'","'&(quot|#34);'i","'&(amp|#38);'i","'&(lt|#60);'i","'&(gt|#62);'i","'&(nbsp|#160);'i","'&(iexcl|#161);'i","'&(cent|#162);'i","'&(pound|#163);'i","'&(copy|#169);'i","'&#(\d+);'e");
$replace = array ("","","\\1","\"","&","<",">"," ",chr(161),chr(162),chr(163),chr(169),"chr(\\1)");
$data = @preg_replace($search, $replace, $data);
$result = split(",",$data);
return $result[1];
}//else
}//end get_conversion
$value =2;
$x = get_conversion('USD','EUR');
$x = $x * $value;
echo "Conversion Result : ".$x."";
?>
$value means 1,2 etc that means 1 USD = -- EUR
etc
below are the currency names
function get_conversion($cur_from,$cur_to){
if(strlen($cur_from)==0){
$cur_from = "USD";
}
if(strlen($cur_to)==0){
$cur_from = "PHP";
}
$host="finance.yahoo.com";
$fp = @fsockopen($host, 80, $errno, $errstr, 30);
if (!$fp)
{
$errorstr="$errstr ($errno)
\n";
return false;
}
else
{
$file="/d/quotes.csv";
$str = "?s=".$cur_from.$cur_to."=X&f=sl1d1t1ba&e=.csv";
$out = "GET ".$file.$str." HTTP/1.0\r\n";
$out .= "Host: www.yahoo.com\r\n";
$out .= "Connection: Close\r\n\r\n";
@fputs($fp, $out);
while (!@feof($fp))
{
$data .= @fgets($fp, 128);
}
@fclose($fp);
@preg_match("/^(.*?)\r?\n\r?\n(.*)/s", $data, $match);
$data =$match[2];
$search = array ("'
$replace = array ("","","\\1","\"","&","<",">"," ",chr(161),chr(162),chr(163),chr(169),"chr(\\1)");
$data = @preg_replace($search, $replace, $data);
$result = split(",",$data);
return $result[1];
}//else
}//end get_conversion
$value =2;
$x = get_conversion('USD','EUR');
$x = $x * $value;
echo "Conversion Result : ".$x."";
?>
$value means 1,2 etc that means 1 USD = -- EUR
etc
below are the currency names
Installing Apache PHP and MySQL
PHP and MySQL are usually associated with LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP). However, most PHP developer ( including me ) are actually using Windows when developing the PHP application. So this page will only cover the WAMP ( Windows, Apache, MySQL, PHP ). You will learn how to install Apache, PHP, and MySQL under Windows platform.
The first step is to download the packages :
- Apache : www.apache.org
- PHP : www.php.net
- MySQL : www.mysql.com
You should get the latest version of each packages. As for the example in this tutorial i'm using Apache 2.0.50 ( apache_2.0.50-win32-x86-no_ssl.msi ), PHP 4.3.10 ( php-4.3.10-Win32.zip ) and MySQL 4.0.18 ( mysql-4.0.18-win.zip ).
Now let's start the installation process one by one.
- Installing Apache
- Installing PHP
- Modifying Apache Configuration
- Installing MySQL
- Modifying PHP Configuration File
http://www.php-mysql-tutorial.com/install-apache-php-mysql.php
Enable curl with XAMPP on Windows XP
To enable curl library with XAMPP we need to modify the php.ini files in our xampp folder.
1) Locate the following files:
C:\Program Files\xampp\apache\bin\php.ini
C:\Program Files\xampp\php\php.ini
C:\Program Files\xampp\php\php4\php.ini
2) Uncomment the following line on your php.ini file by removing the semicolon.
;extension=php_curl.dll
3) Restart your apache server.
4) Check your phpinfo if curl was properly enabled.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
YouTube user removes clip mocking Thai king
The anonymous creator of a 44-second video clip mocking Thailand's revered king removed it from the YouTube video-sharing Web site on Thursday after torrents of abuse from outraged Thai viewers.
The relevant page on YouTube said simply the video had "been removed by the user".
However, Communications Minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom said Bangkok's army-backed administration would continue to block YouTube (www.youtube.com) as two images deemed offensive remained.
"We want those photos off the site too," he told Reuters.
Earlier, Sitthichai accused YouTube, owned by Internet search engine Google Inc, of being heartless and culturally insensitive for refusing to remove the file.
"We have told them how deeply offended Thais were by the clip, but they said there was much worse ridicule of President Bush on the site and they kept that there," he said.
"I don't think they really care how we feel. Thailand is only a tiny market for them."
The video showed grainy pictures of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch whom many of Thailand's 63 million people regard as a semi-divine "father of the nation", with crude graphics superimposed on his face.
The most offensive image to Thais was the imposition of a pair of woman's feet, the lowest part of the body, on his head.
YouTube, which has dominated the user-generated online video market since it was founded in February last year, said it was disappointed by Bangkok's move and was "looking into the matter".
"YouTube reaches a wide global audience and strives to provide a community where people from around the world can express themselves by sharing videos in a safe and lawful manner," the company said in an e-mail response to Reuters.
Criticising or offending royalty is a serious crime in Thailand. Those found guilty of lese majeste can be jailed for up to 15 years.
Last week, a 57-year-old Swiss man was sentenced to 10 years in jail for spraying graffiti on pictures of the king on his birthday in December, a rare prison term for a foreigner.
However, the generals who ousted elected Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a coup last September have also used the lese majeste laws to stifle criticism of themselves or their actions.
Several Web sites calling into question the southeast Asian nation's 18th coup in 75 years of on-off democracy have been shut down by the army-installed government.
When reports of the offending royal YouTube clip emerged in Thailand, the number of views rocketed by 50,000 in less than 24 hours, according to the site's own data.
It generated a lively debate about freedom of expression although the main reaction from Thais was shock and outrage - and torrents of abuse at the clip's creator, "paddidda", who is based in the United States.
Google turns to users for online maps
Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) is calling upon its millions of users to chart a new direction for its online maps. As part of an initiative being launched Thursday, the Internet search leader will provide free tools designed to make it easy for people to share their knowledge about their neighborhoods and other favorite places by creating customized maps that can assemble information from a variety of sources. The map creators will be given the option to make the content public or keep it private. Thousands of hybrid maps, often called 'mashups,' are already available on the Web, documenting everything from local housing markets to active volcanos. But cobbling together an online map typically requires some computer coding skills. Google has tailored its tools for a mass audience, making map mashups as easy to produce as pointing and clicking a computer mouse. The Mountain View-based company is hoping the simplicity will generate millions of highly specialized maps that can be stored in its search index. Until now, Google's two-year-old maps had primarily been used for driving directions and finding local businesses. The more personal maps should open up new avenues as users share insights about their favorite vacation spots or a wide range of academic subjects, said Jessica Lee, product manager of Google maps. 'This is a big change,' Lee said. 'Even if we cut loose all our developers, we could never create maps with the same depth and quality as our users can.' While testing the new tools, Google's own engineers created maps focused on U.S. Route 66, the Hawaiian island of Kauai, Major League Baseball stadiums and voting patterns in the 2004 presidential election. If Google succeeds in its effort to build a vast storehouse of customized maps, its Web site could become an even more popular Internet destination. Achieving that goal would give Google even more opportunities to display the online ads that accounted for most of its $3.1 billion profit last year. The feature also could drive more traffic to Google's YouTube because the new toolkit also includes an option to embed video into the customized maps. Google's maps already are a big draw, with 22.2 million U.S. visitors during February, according to the most recent data available from comScore Media Metrix. That ranked Google maps third in its category, trailing AOL's Mapquest (45.1 million visitors) and Yahoo (NASDAQ:YHOO) (29.1 million visitors). The concept of mapping mashups was popularized by a computer animation engineer, Paul Rademacher, who charted apartment listings from Craigslist. Google has since hired Rademacher to work in its mapping department. Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CNN
Warming 'already changing world'
Climate change is already having major impacts on the natural world, a UN report is set to announce.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) believes there is also a discernible, though less marked, impact on human societies.
The IPCC is to release a summary of its report on Friday but talks on wording have continued late into the night.
Officials said there were differences between various countries on the strength of the language.
"The Europeans want to send a strong signal. The US does not want as much quantification," one official told the French news agency AFP.
China and Russia had also raised concerns over some passages of the 21-page summary, the official said.
The last-minute wrangling is likely to affect the degree of certainty in the final version, the BBC's Richard Black reports, but not the overall direction.
Water shortages
Draft versions seen by BBC News warn it will be hard for societies to adapt to all the likely climate impacts.
The report is set to say that a temperature rise above 1.5C from 1990 levels would put about one-third of species at risk of extinction.
More than one billion people would be at greater risk of water shortages, primarily because of the melting of mountain glaciers and ice fields which act as natural reservoirs.
The scientific work reviewed by IPCC scientists includes more than 29,000 pieces of data on observed changes in physical and biological aspects of the natural world.
Eighty-five percent of these, it believes, are consistent with a warming world.
Growing certainty
Since the IPCC's last global assessment in 2001, the amount of scientific work on observing and collating changes to the natural world has vastly increased.
In parallel, computer models which project the Earth's climatic future have grown ever more sophisticated, though there are still uncertainties in their forecasts and they remain unable to model some physical processes accurately.
The combination of more observational evidence and better models allows scientists to paint a much more detailed picture of what is happening in different regions of the world, and what they believe is likely to happen in the future.
"What we find is that evidence of the impacts of climate change is much sharper, much more reliable," said IPCC chair Rajendra Pachauri.
"Many of the uncertainties have been resolved; and they confirm that the poorest of the poor are most likely to be hit by the impacts of climate change."
Fresh water is perhaps the most serious issue for human societies.
The world's great mountain ranges, such as the Himalayas, Rockies, Andes and Alps, act as natural reservoirs, trapping winter rain and snowfall as ice, and releasing it gradually in the summer.
Evidence suggests that glaciers are shrinking in all of these ranges. One recent study predicted that 75% of Alpine glaciers would have vanished by the end of this century.
As the ice disappears, spring and autumn floods become more likely, with an increased risk of drought in summer. The IPCC is expected to say there is "very high confidence" that these trends are already occurring.
It will also project a higher risk of flooding for many major cities on or near the coast.
Carbon cuts
Some observers of climate issues have long maintained that action on climate change should focus on protecting societies and natural systems against impacts such as floods and drought, rather than on curbing greenhouse gas emissions.
Dealing with drought 
Enlarge ImageThe IPCC, however, is set to conclude that "adaptation alone is not expected to cope with all the projected effects of climate change, and especially not over the long run as most impacts increase in magnitude".
Poorer societies are likely to be hardest hit, as they lack the resources to set up protective measures and change their economic base.
Adapting to climate impacts, in the IPCC's view, should go hand in hand with reducing emissions.
This is the second in a series of IPCC reports coming out this year, together making up its fourth global climate assessment.
The first element, on the science of climate change, was released in February, concluding it is at least 90% likely that human activities are principally responsible for the warming observed since 1950.
The third part, which comes out in May, will focus on ways of curbing the rise in greenhouse gas concentrations and temperature.
BBC
Monday, February 19, 2007
1000 Hyderbad IT professionals fired!
It is sleepless nights for Hyderabad's IT employees. About a 1000 lost their jobs overnight after they failed their employers' background checks. CNBC-TV18 gives the details.
It has been a harrowing week for Satyam's staff, as 500 of their work mates have already been fired overnight. That is after the company conducted background checks on its middle and junior-level employees to curb fraud and minimise the risk of data theft.
But Satyam is not alone. HSBC too fired over 350 employees at its call centre in Hyderabad over the past week. Officials from Satyam say it is conducting checks at all its facilities in India and if an employee is found to have falsified any certification, he or she is being asked to leave immediately.
Satyam officials say they will not file criminal proceedings, but other IT and ITeS companies have begun similar checks. They hope to make their companies virtually fraud free.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Amnesty honour for Jennifer Lopez
Hollywood star Jennifer Lopez has been honoured by human rights group Amnesty International for her latest film.
Bordertown is set in the Mexican town of Ciudad Juarez, which has witnessed a grisly decade of unsolved rapes and murders of young women.
Lopez, who produced the movie, stars as an investigative journalist reporting on the serial killings.
She was awarded the Artists for Amnesty prize ahead of the film's premiere at the Berlin Film Festival on Wednesday.
The actress, 37, said she was "very humbled" as she was given the award by East Timor's Prime Minister Jose Ramos-Horta, a Nobel peace laureate.
'Shocking'
No-one knows how many murders have been committed in Ciudad Juarez since the killings began in 1993, but Amnesty says it is more than 400.
Police have made several arrests, and the murders have been variously attributed to serial killers, drug cartels and domestic violence.
Several gangs have also been mentioned as the perpetrators.
But every time the police trumpet an arrest or conviction, the murders continue.
Lopez described the situation as "one of the world's most shocking and disturbing, underreported crimes against humanity."
Also at the Amnesty ceremony in Berlin was Norma Andrade, whose 17-year-old daughter was found murdered in February 2001.
Following her daughter's death, she co-founded Our Daughters Back Home (Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa), a legal support group for victims' parents.
"She's a remarkable woman and a true inspiration," Lopez said.
Bordertown also stars Antonio Banderas and Martin Sheen. It does not yet have a release date.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Valentine's Day: The Good, The Bad, The Lovely
Once again, St. Valentine's universal day of affection has arrived. It is traditionally a day of euphoria, during which recipients of Cupid's arrows go about their day lulled by the warmth of romantic love and bubbly floating hearts that fill the air.
Reality check: It's freezing outside, and for many, Valentine's Day is not always the stereotypical love-fest it is sometimes made out to be. As these students prove, some of the most amusing stories are those of romance gone awry.
Premature proposal
Debbie Reedy's boyfriend could not wait until Valentine's Day to propose to his girlfriend of nearly a year, so he popped the question on Feb. 1 of this year.
Reedy, a sophomore early childhood education major, said she never even suspected he was going to ask her to marry him.
"I had just got out of the bath tub and he came in, and I was like wait a minute I'm not ready yet!" she said. "He was like, 'Don't make me yell at you before I propose to you.'"
Reedy's boyfriend did not have to yell, but instead told her he wanted to be her "only Valentine."
"I cried and said yes," Reedy said.
Too much love?
The men's chorus at Kent State University has traditionally provided a singing telegrams service on Valentine's Day. Sometimes members of the group practice their skills on unsuspecting victims.
Sophomore nursing major Lindsey Eble was one such victim. Two members of the chorus happened to be resident assistants in the hall she was living in.
"I got serenaded by my RAs in the middle of the Student Center," she said. "They were trying to advertise for it (singing telegrams). It was a little embarrassing."
Motherly love
Valentine's Day is known to be a day of love, but it doesn't always have to be romantic. For some, it can be about love between friends and family as well.
"My mom's always been my Valentine," said Patrice DeLeon, Kent State alumnus and volunteer for the university health center.
DeLeon said it started with a bad week she had during her senior year of high school. She failed a test, was a having problems with a guy she liked and was nervous for her brother, who was competing in an upcoming wrestling tournament — all during the week of Valentines Day.
"My mom actually bought me a half dozen roses and a Scooby Doo twin bed set that glowed in the dark," she said.
Now her mom calls her every Valentine's day, she said.
No "yolking"
Differing beliefs can be a big hurdle in relationships, but for Nik Kolenich, a freshman interior design major, and his ex-girlfriend, it was a deal breaker.
Kolenich's girlfriend of six months was a Christian who came from a Christian family. He was not.
"I took her out to this fancy Valentine's Day dinner, and I could tell there was some tension," he said.
During the dinner Kolenich' girlfriend broke up with him, citing their conflicting beliefs as their biggest problem.
"She said, 'We're not evenly yoked,'" Kolenich said. "It had something to do with religion, but all I could think about was scrambled eggs."
Bitter irony
Maddie Richards, freshman justice studies major, knows all too well that Valentine's Day can prove to be a painful experience.
"Last Valentine's Day I got a broken nose," she said.
Richards said another girl had a crush on Richards' boyfriend and was jealous of their relationship.
"She came over to his place while I was there," she said. "I told her to leave because it was my day with him."
Richards said the girl jumped on her, punched her in the face and then left.
Richards called the police, but when they arrived she was dealt another blow: Her boyfriend, who had a warrant out for his arrest, walked away from their celebration in handcuffs.
http://media.www.stateronline.com
Reality check: It's freezing outside, and for many, Valentine's Day is not always the stereotypical love-fest it is sometimes made out to be. As these students prove, some of the most amusing stories are those of romance gone awry.
Premature proposal
Debbie Reedy's boyfriend could not wait until Valentine's Day to propose to his girlfriend of nearly a year, so he popped the question on Feb. 1 of this year.
Reedy, a sophomore early childhood education major, said she never even suspected he was going to ask her to marry him.
"I had just got out of the bath tub and he came in, and I was like wait a minute I'm not ready yet!" she said. "He was like, 'Don't make me yell at you before I propose to you.'"
Reedy's boyfriend did not have to yell, but instead told her he wanted to be her "only Valentine."
"I cried and said yes," Reedy said.
Too much love?
The men's chorus at Kent State University has traditionally provided a singing telegrams service on Valentine's Day. Sometimes members of the group practice their skills on unsuspecting victims.
Sophomore nursing major Lindsey Eble was one such victim. Two members of the chorus happened to be resident assistants in the hall she was living in.
"I got serenaded by my RAs in the middle of the Student Center," she said. "They were trying to advertise for it (singing telegrams). It was a little embarrassing."
Motherly love
Valentine's Day is known to be a day of love, but it doesn't always have to be romantic. For some, it can be about love between friends and family as well.
"My mom's always been my Valentine," said Patrice DeLeon, Kent State alumnus and volunteer for the university health center.
DeLeon said it started with a bad week she had during her senior year of high school. She failed a test, was a having problems with a guy she liked and was nervous for her brother, who was competing in an upcoming wrestling tournament — all during the week of Valentines Day.
"My mom actually bought me a half dozen roses and a Scooby Doo twin bed set that glowed in the dark," she said.
Now her mom calls her every Valentine's day, she said.
No "yolking"
Differing beliefs can be a big hurdle in relationships, but for Nik Kolenich, a freshman interior design major, and his ex-girlfriend, it was a deal breaker.
Kolenich's girlfriend of six months was a Christian who came from a Christian family. He was not.
"I took her out to this fancy Valentine's Day dinner, and I could tell there was some tension," he said.
During the dinner Kolenich' girlfriend broke up with him, citing their conflicting beliefs as their biggest problem.
"She said, 'We're not evenly yoked,'" Kolenich said. "It had something to do with religion, but all I could think about was scrambled eggs."
Bitter irony
Maddie Richards, freshman justice studies major, knows all too well that Valentine's Day can prove to be a painful experience.
"Last Valentine's Day I got a broken nose," she said.
Richards said another girl had a crush on Richards' boyfriend and was jealous of their relationship.
"She came over to his place while I was there," she said. "I told her to leave because it was my day with him."
Richards said the girl jumped on her, punched her in the face and then left.
Richards called the police, but when they arrived she was dealt another blow: Her boyfriend, who had a warrant out for his arrest, walked away from their celebration in handcuffs.
http://media.www.stateronline.com
Giving Flowers This Valentine's Day? Read This First
Flowers and Valentine's Day are a cherished tradition, whether you're sending a dozen roses, an elaborate flower arrangement, or hand-delivering a bouquet of daisies. And, as if you needed additional reasons to send flowers this Valentine's Day, new research shows that the mere presence of flowers can change people's moods for the better.A behavioral study conducted at Harvard University shows people feel more compassionate toward others, have less worry and anxiety and feel less depressed when flowers are present in their home."Other research has proven that flowers make people happy when they receive them," says Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D., who conducted the study. "What we didn't know is that spending a few days with flowers in the home can affect a wide variety of feelings."
Roses To Go
Materials - for small take-out container:Sunday, February 11, 2007
Grammy Awards honour music stars
R&B singer Mary J Blige and rock band the Red Hot Chili Peppers have won three prizes each at this year's Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.
American Idol star Carrie Underwood and country band The Dixie Chicks also took home three awards apiece.
The ceremony was opened by reformed pop group The Police - one day before they are expected to announce a world tour.
Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland played their 1979 hit Roxanne to a standing ovation from 12,000 fans.
Sting began with the words: "Ladies and gentlemen, we are The Police and we are back."
The band are expected to confirm their tour at a press conference on Monday. 
Mary J Blige's awards included best R&B album
The Grammy Awards are the most prestigious honours in the global music calendar, with 108 categories ranging from pop to jazz to gospel to polka.
Blige went into the show with the most nominations, with eight, followed by the Red Hot Chili Peppers with six.
Blige's night kicked off with awards for best R&B song and best female R&B vocal performance for her track Be Without You.
And her album The Breakthrough was named best R&B album. "I thank you so much," she said, accepting her first trophy.
"For so many years I have been talked about negatively but this time I'm being talked about positively by so many people. This is a great night for me." 
The Dixie Chicks have bounced back from political controversy
But she was beaten to the best song prize by Not Ready to Make Nice by country group The Dixie Chicks.
That song was written in response to death threats the female group received after they said in 2003 they were "ashamed" the US President was from their home state of Texas.
"For the first time in my life I'm speechless," singer Natalie Maines said at the podium.
The trio also won best country album and best country performance by a duo or group.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers' single Dani California scooped both best rock song and best rock performance by a duo or group.
Carrie Underwood, who won TV talent show American Idol in 2005, was named best new artist - beating R&B prodigy Chris Brown and British singers James Blunt, Corinne Bailey Rae and Imogen Heap. 
Beyonce won best contemporary R&B album for B'Day
Underwood also took best country song and best female country vocal performance for her song Jesus, Take the Wheel.
Justin Timberlake picked up best dance recording for Sexy Back and best rap/sung collaboration for My Love, featuring TI.
TI also won best solo rap performance for What You Know, while best rap song went to Ludacris featuring Pharrell for Money Maker.
Gnarls Barkley's smash hit Crazy was named best urban/alternative performance, while their album St Elsewhere was judged best alternative album.
Bruce Springsteen also won two awards, scooping best traditional folk album for We Shall Overcome - The Seeger Sessions and best long form video for Wings For Wheels: The Making of Born To Run.
Madonna picked up best dance/electronic album for Confessions On A Dance Floor, while Christina Aguilera, John Mayer and The Black Eyed Peas took home pop prizes.
BBCShilpa wows Britain's bold and beautiful
The brouhaha over racism in the "Celebrity Big Brother" house has died down, but Indian actress Shilpa Shetty continues to make news by sashaying across Britain and holding forth on the British bold and the beautiful, including on Prime Minister Tony Blair.
After Shetty distracted the attention of MPs in the House of Commons by sitting in the visitors' gallery and meeting Blair on Thursday, she travelled to Leicester, a city in the east Midlands with a large minority of Indian origin.
By all accounts, she is clearly enjoying her post-reality show peregrinations across Britain.
For much of the time this week, she has been chaperoned by Keith Vaz, Labour MP from Leicester of Goan origin. In the process, Vaz invited snide remarks in political circles of basking in reflected glory, appearing alongside Shetty in television appearances and elsewhere.
Ratan Tata may have recently taken over Corus in a multi-billion pound deal, but ask any anyone on the streets of Britain and you will be told that Shetty is the only Indian they know of. Every news media outlet, including the mass circulation 'Sun', has been devoting blanket coverage to Shetty's interaction with leading lights in Britain's political and social circles.
In between, Shetty and her mother Sunanda grapple with the continuing stream of sponsorship and other offers, many of them running into hundreds of thousands of pounds, including to present television shows in Britain.
In Leicester, she was expected to be given a rousing welcome, not only because her treatment on the reality show touched a raw nerve among the large minority of Asians there, but also because most of them voted for her victory. And Asians there did not disappoint her.
A large number of her fans screamed for her as she made a fashionably late entrance in the Indian-dominated Belgrave area as she was whisked out of a sports car in front of the adoring crowds. Many had waited for hours in freezing temperatures before she finally arrived at the Peepul Centre.
Dozens of photographers and cameramen, including many who had flown in from India, clamoured to see Shilpa as she arrived with mother Sunanda and Vaz, who was literally on home ground and was clearly the master of ceremonies.
Sabras Radio, a popular local radio station, claimed to be the first in the UK to interview her, while a minor scuffle among fans outside the radio station had the local police all worked up. The visit raised 5,000 pounds for her new charity foundation to increase awareness of HIV and AIDS in India.
Reports from Leicester say that she "dealt with the public and media scrum with her trademark dignified calmness". Her first reaction was: "Oh my gosh. I feel like I've come to a mini-India. Can I stay in Leicester?
"Big Brother hasn't changed me, but it's taught me never to do a reality show again. Also it's taught me how important it is to be dignified in any situation."
Local resident Krita Thakrar, 42, who works at the Shenton Primary School in Spinney Hill, said pupils had learned from Shilpa's dignified behaviour. She said: "The children have just taken her on like a role model."
But not every Shilpa Shetty story in the news media is celebratory. The Sun claimed that she faced accusations in a court in India of underpaying women workers at her family's factory.
The newspaper reported: "Investigators claim staff at the bottle-top plant were paid just Rs.86 - one pound - a day. The minimum wage is Rs.110. Men were also being paid more than female workers, which breaks employment laws.
"If the Bollywood star is found guilty, she faces a fine of between Rs.500 and Rs.2,000 for each worker. Shilpa, dad Surendra and mum Sunanda are directors of Esco Closures and have been named in papers filed by investigators.
"The family has run the plant since 1982. They employ 16 staff, including 10 women, 40 miles from Mumbai. Authorities said the family had failed to reply to correspondence about the probe and could face arrest".
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