Here is a small php script which will grab Mega Video download link and is able to stream it to JW Player. Streaming uses server bandwidth due to MV same IP restriction. The script supports paid accounts for bypassing Megavideo time limit and showing streams to your users ( Technique used by many Anim sites ).

Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

Using Webcam on windows should be easy, that is what i thought when i started out and wasted three days trying to get thing to work reliably. Most people used Video for Windows (VFW) in tutorials , but i found it very unreliable and crashing often, also when debugging it threw wired errors. Then I made up my mind to use the DirectX based DirectShow methods, Its needs DirectX SDK to build it and on downloading it and finally looking for the files i found that functionality have been moved to platform SDK. Anyhow i was not downloading another 4.5 GB of SDK to test if it worked. So after some Googling i found about the VideoInput library (uses DirectShow methods) which people sometimes use for OpenCV. I wished i had found it earlier , here is a small tutorial on hot to get started using it , since the original files which came with it did not work for me.There are a whole host of features supported so you can explore the documentation for more .

VideoInput Library homepage

How to use webcam/tv tuner/capture cards in VC++ to capture video and take pictures –

1. Create simple Dialog based MFC project.

2. In the dialog make a Picture control and a Button , Picture control will Display the Video stream and the button will be used to capture a snapshot.Change Picture control to type Bitmap and attach a CStatic variable to it.

3. Now we will use a simple timer ( WM_TIMER ) to update the image being captured there are better way but this should do for a tutorial. In OnInitDialog() set the timer to refresh at say 10 times a second,

SetTimer(NULL,100,NULL)

4. Include the video videoInput.h header file. Also add the videoinput.lib in the linker input and for ignore library atlthunk.lib ( if it causes errors ).

5. Initialize the device using VideoInput API .

// in header
int device,width,height,size;
videoInput VI;
unsigned char * captureBuffer;

// in InitDoalog
device = 0; // first webcam
VI.setupDevice(device,320,240); // 320 x 240 resolution

width = VI.getWidth(device);
height = VI.getHeight(device);
size = VI.getSize(device); // size to initialize buffer

captureBuffer = new unsigned char[size]; // our capturebuffer

6. Now lets capture video and display frame in the OnTimer

if(VI.isFrameNew(device))
{
VI.getPixels(device,captureBuffer, false, true);
DisplayImage(&m_webcam,height,width,captureBuffer);
}

7. There is also example of how to capture image using libjpeg, please download the source and check it out.

Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

This is a simple google pagerank script which can be used to show a graphic pagerank on your website. Or use it in your traffic stats script. Calling is very simple –

pr.php?prurl=http://www.ngcoders.com

It will show the small famous pagerank graphic with a bar graph and numeric page rank.

Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

Though it would seem pretty simple, but as soon as you try to add a JavaScript to your Wordpress post which is more than few lines of code. Wordpress somehow messes up the code and the script will not work due to wordpress formatting it. You can disable formatting but then other old posts also loose formatting. The other solution provided is to add them to template / make JS files and include them. Both require more work.

Here is my little solution , Basically pack the script and make it as a one line of code which can be added to the html editor –

Go to the following link paste your JavaScript code and embed the Wordpress embed in your wordpress …

Wordpress JavaScript Packer

Buying a AC is no easy task, With so many brands to choose from and varied reviews of each if you ask the Dealers or check online.

But more than the Initial Cost the Electricity Bill(running cost) associated with the AC is what actually hurts. So recently I had to make the same decision in buying a second AC. I already own a Hitachi Window AC. Here are some points that I found out and a little JavaScript calculator which I wrote which helped make up my mind -

Try to go for Split AC , they are much quieter and more efficient though come at a higher Initial Cost. The Hitachi window I have makes me feel like sleeping next to a running vehicle !!!

The Total ownership cost difference over 5 Star rated and 3 Star Rated AC over a course of 5 years is almost same usually. But 5 star rated AC’s are about 20 % more expensive than 3 Star ones when buying the AC ( but this 20 % is paid back over 5 years in most cases). You can check using the calculator below.

More expensive does not mean itll recover its cost in Electricity Bill as some companies state. Do the calculations yourself and you will see.

Avoid the Cheapest ones out there, there is a reason they are cheap !

Most big terms like AntiBacterial filters, Night mode,Ion Purifiers etc are nothing but terms to attract you. You should just look at appropriate cooling capacity and running costs. As most of us just Switch them on and forget about them.

Here is a small calculator I wrote based on a Thread from TechEnclave which will help you check running cost of an AC and the total ownerships cost over a period, use the calculator below to decide if the AC is worth the extra money or which one is better -

Lately all major download sites have shifted to using Java applet based downloaders. This is due to the new IP locking introduced by Youtube.

So i was asked by a few clients to do the same, Here is the theory behind it if you want to build your own.

Here is my version using FreeDown template which support a few more site including Youtube. -

Java Applet Downloader Demo

If you wish to Buy just use the form below –

Supported sites : Youtube, Vimeo, videoweed, tudou, trilulilu, ted, megavideo, metacafe, google, facebook, ehow, dailymotion.

Basic version is the one you see in the demo ( the Popup will contain FreeDownApplet and Vikas Patial as Publisher).
Custom versions will be signed for your site and will be more convincing. The template will be modified for your site.
Custom version and Setup is for those who cannot set it up or dont have the time.

After Payment i would get back to you with the required details and within 24 hours have you up and running.

Youtube has now started to have ip locking for its videos around March 18 2010. This is on the same lines as being done by some other sites like MegaVideo for Example. Now to allow user download from such sites there are two ways –

• Your Server streams the files to users – This method uses 2x bandwidth and can make most shared hosting servers crawl. Though is more transparent. But as soon as your site becomes popular , high probability your server IP address facing a ban.
• Use supplies supplies source code of vieweing page – Simple and effective , User has to paste source code of page he is viewing. Approach being followed by other grabbers. But unlike other sites i have also attached a bookmarklet which streamlines the whole process to one click.

Update [2010-4-19]

Fixed again 3gp , mp4 , HD support added.

Update [2010-3-31]

Both methods are supported now , use config.php to choose whatever you want.

Download New version here –

FreeDown

PS: This is not a public forum to sell your scripts , you can offer fixes but sale is not allowed.

A lot of people asked and requested a theme for the Youtube download script on my site , So here is an upgrade to it. This is a simple script which allows you to run a small site around it. Something like a keepvid clone.

Requirements –

• PHP 5

License –

• Creative Commons – Attribution 3.0 Unported (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ )
• In one line , you have to link back to this site.

Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

Latest Java Applet Version

FAQ -

• I get “Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_CONST, expecting T_OLD_FUNCTION or T_FUNCTION or T_VAR or ‘}’ in /membri/verdehouse/videopian.php on line 25″.
  Please upgrade to php5 , or modify it to work with php4.

Site has been restored back to original owners

I had built VideoSwiper long time back for Jason . You can read about it here http://www.ngcoders.com/php/videoswiper-mass-video-embedding-application, you can also check it out in my portfolio site.

But i have to come to learn that the hackers taking advantage of the holidays hacked the main server and have stolen the domain also. So basically now they are running a site which is a less featured clone on videoswiper.com . They reset all the accounts by redirecting the email which was admin[AT]videoswiper.com. Also they have the balls to say that the original owner is doing phishing . They also have stolen downloadMod.php code from my site Videoswiperplus and saying that they have written it.

I hope jason gets his sites back soon.

You can read more about it here – http://www.jasontaylor.me.uk/2010/01/04/videoswiper-hacked-dont-be-fooled/

Hackers should be dealt swiftly , i did have a soft side for these guys when i was a kid. But now i think they should be treated like common criminals , and maybe some should be made an example out of to stop the damage they cause.
Lesson learned – Avoid having emails for hosting and other important accounts like email@yoursite.com , if yoursite.com DNS record gets hacked all emails are redirected by hackers to reset everything and you will never come to know what happened. I believe sites like gmail , yahoo are much safer in this case. Also keep diffrent password for every single account , atleast the important ones.

Ive updated the FreeDown script , mainly added exception handling when something went wrong while fetching download Link.

Download New version here –

FreeDown

I was recently banned by rapidshare due to “Account Sharing“. It was actually due to my dynamic IP and me moving around using it from multiple places. Though they enabled my Account they warned me of further problems when using Dynamic IP are possible.

So here is a solution i made for myself it resides on one of the hosting servers so that my IP always remains one. It stream files to me from rapidshare , something like those premium link generators but simpler.

Here are the requirements –

• PHP 5
• CURL Enabled
• One Rapidhsare Premium Account

After Install Please fill up username and password in config.php .

Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

Currently i am working on a ARM9 based platform and found out that in India its really hard to get by ARM9 which is above 500 Mhz and costs < Rs 10k. ARM7 TDMI is whats easily available and after having some fun with it , it was found to be highly underpowered.

So if anyone looking for a ARM9 Based Platform in India get a Beagle Board ... Its what i call Awesome for the price and performance. To get it you can go through either Indian vendors who overcharge and fleece as usual or Get it from Sparkfun(Awesome Service) where i got it from. Digikey also sells it but charges a hell of a lot of shipping. So if you are looking around source from US and dont waste time like i did looking locally and getting frustrated.

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=9444

149 USD + 9 USD USPS = 160 USD ( approx Rs 7500 as of the time of posting ). The cables , SD card etc all can be bought for < Rs 500 locally.

While Indian vendors like Cranes etc are charging like Rs 13000. Why dont we have shops like spark fun in India .

You can also buy from IDA Systems for Rs 9000 http://www.idasystems.net/beagle_board.

If you have one of the Netbooks which has a Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 500 (GMA 500) then you cant play old games like Age of Empires 2, Diablo, Warcraft , Starcraft etc due to direct draw/OpenGL issues with the default driver. The Default driver is really bad and buggy.

So here is a driver which will allow you to play these games and more on your netbook. Its just that i still play AOE i had to find a solution and not disable GMA 500 to play it.

This applies to most 11.6″ notebooks being powered by GMA 500. Some examples are Acer Aspire One 751,Asus Eee PC 1101HA,Benq Joybook Lite U121 Eco,Dell Inspiron 11z, MSI Wind U115 etc etc . For a complete list visit http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Graphics-Media-Accelerator-500-GMA-500.12614.0.html.

Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

PS: GMA 500 is a really underpowered Video Chipset, With Drivers which make it even worse. Avoid it at all costs.

Here is something which might be useful to people who program Ardunio not using the IDE , like me. I use AVG GCC to develop code and use this to upload to Arduino.

Some features over the default Gui available on the Arduino.cc site.

• AutoReset – RTS AND DTR are reset ( No more pressing reset )
• AutoDetect Arduino when connected and removed ( USB COM port )
• Remembers Last Settings
• Very easy to use

Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

Any Bugs or features you find or want let me know…

Here is a Arduino Boot loader for ATMega8 with about 2 Second Reset Timeout ( Since all boards now support autoreset ) . Well the source code comes with arduino but you have to use a gcc < 4.0 to get it compiled under 1 KB.

Some how i found it a headache to compile under windows , so here is the compiled version so that you dont have to go though that.

So you can just download here …

External Crystal 16 Mhz , 2 Second Timeout with 19200 as Baud.
Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

My old paypal script which is being used a quite a lot will be getting an upgrade soon. It will now be a full fledged digital store yet simple to use. For not i can say it will be somewhat like Shopify and Bigcartel mixed up and digital file handling added and some other cool neat features. Will also be capable of handling normal goods.

It will be called BaseApp Digisell and will be dual licensed ( Like MySql ).

If you guys have any ideas which you wuold like to see in a simple flexible shopping cart please let me know.

BaseApp Framework is aimed at individual commercial developers or small web application builders who need a starting point.Also if you are a CakePHP User you will find yourself at home with the API. BaseApp was inspired by CakePHP And Codeigniter but tries to do everything under 50 kb.

It has support for most common features available in frameworks these days but achieves all this in under 50 Kb of compressed Code and not MBs of it.

Some Non Technical Feature

• Really really LightWeight( < 50 Kb compressed , around 100 k uncompressed)
• Really really Fast ( cause its Damn Small )
• Almost 0 Configuration
• Short Learning Curve
• Easy to extend
• Nonrestrictive MIT License

Some Technical Features

• PHP 5 with support for new features like autoloading etc
• Fully MVC ( But can be used as a library also )
• CakePHP API ( 80 % ) and Layout
• Active Records and Object Relation Ship Mapping (ORM)
• Model Validation with complementing form helpers
• Data Abstraction Layer with Adodb Support ( Almost all databases supported )
• Extensive Debugging and Exception Handling facilities ( FireBug Support Built in )
• Extendable Cookie and Session Handling
• Search engine friendly and url routing features.
• Ajax Support through Jquery.

You can checkout the project on Google Code .

http://code.google.com/p/baseappframework/

Here is a small utility i wrote which helps me remain connected, gives vocal notification when i disconnect and is capable of resetting my router in case the router needs restart.

Some reasons i wrote it

• Bad MTNL ADSL Connection , disconnects every few minutes.
• Using Ping was not really helping, ping worked but when http request was sent Internet disconnected.
• Could not find any utility giving Vocal Notifications.
• Could not find any utility capable of executing applications in case of disconnection/connection. I needed my router to be reset when i disconnect due to some XBOX Live issues.

Anyhow it was written in a weekend , and am using it now and some of you guys might also find it useful so am releasing it for free. This requires .net 2.0 + .

Some features -

• Configurable fetch sites and fetch timeouts.Uses HTTP fetch.
• Vocal Notification of connection and disconnection.
• Execute application when connection or disconnection takes place. Usefull when you need to reset router etc.
• Sits idle in status bar , with notification icon and Baloon Tips.

Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

In-case of ideas or bugs post them here .

I had been thinking of updating my site theme for a long time to support new features provided by Wordpress. But since i could not get much time i asked one of my friend to do it. Here are some of the new features , according to him -

• Ajax Comments
• Threaded Comments
• Gravatar
• Comment Paging
• Comment Cookies

It is bascically the k2 modified to look this way.There might be more features , but the above one would i think allow me to get back to people better.

Jtemplate is the first step towards Joodr,It aims at allowing usage of vast number of premium joomla templates with drupal with minimal effort. It is basically a set of Drupal Module and a templating Engine based on phptemplate. The idea is to allow the use of Joomla templates on Drupal as good templates for drupal are missing, drupal templating is expensive and few premium template providers who are there charge really high.Currently you just need to upload the template to the themes directory and just create a dummy template_name.infofile in the directory and the rest everything is taken care by Jtemplate.

Currently a lot of work is still remaining but here are a few features -

• Drupal 6 supported
• Joomla 1.5 templates compatible
• Little to no changes required to Joomla templates
• Support for Template params and Template styes from admin
• Effects and Suckerfish menus supported
• Tested with premium templates from some providers.

Anyhow will be releasing the download soon , am looking for people to help me improve it for now.As everything does not work .

You can check a demo here - http://joodr.org/demo/ . The demo is running plain Drupal 6.5 with Jtemplate installed. The template is from rocketheme , with no changes or editing done .

Here is an alpha release as im not getting time to work on it , this is meant for people comfortable with drupal and know what they are doing.

Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

Upload the site structure in the zip file and enable jtemplate module in the admin. To create menus use joomla like names mainmenu,footer,usermenu etc for drupal menu name. Also make the default drupal theme as admin theme from settings.