There are a number of lightbox tools are available. Until I discovered ColorBox JQuery plugin, I wasn't completely comfortable using any of them.

Why ColorBox? Well, it is easy to use, lightweight and it supports all kinds of different content like photos, photo groups, slideshow, ajax, inline, and iframed content.

I am using ColorBox JQuery plugin on one of my sites but I wish it was as easy as the thumbnail viewer plugin when using on a WordPress site. With thumbnail viewer plugin all you need to do is add rel=thumbnail to any link tag surrounding your thumbnail. You'll see an example below.

There are a couple of WordPress ColorBox plugins available. I haven't tried the LightBox Plus yet. I haven't been able to get the JQuery ColorBox WordPress plugin to work. I'd rather use ColorBox JQuery plugin on my WordPress site without a plugin. I am still experimenting with that. Including JQuery functions on WordPress header is a little different. I will soon update you on that. Stay tuned...

Here is the Thumbnail Viewer Plugin example:

This is an update on the previous post How I Upgraded My Sony Laptop to Windows 7 Ultimate.

I am happy to report that Windows 7 is still running flawlessly.

I am also happy to report that Sony has changed its stance to "If your computer meets the system requirements to run the Windows® 7 operating system, your model should be able install and run Windows® 7." Sony still does not provide drivers or support for Windows® 7 for this model but this new stance is much better than "Don't upgrade, just go buy a new laptop if you want to run Windows 7."

As far as the drivers concerned, I have had two issues so far: Vaio update crashes anytime the customer starts. I just get a 'Close this program' notice. Second issue is that I was not able to get audio when I used the HDMI out. This is not something I do often but it would be nice to get it fixed. I have not had time to research solutions to these issues but as soon as I find new information, I'll post it here. It would be nice to hear from you if you know any way to solve these issues.

Well, there is one more thing: Running Windows XP on Windows 7!

I have another copy of Windows 7 installed on my desktop. I have downloaded and installed Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP mode. It is way cool to have your Virtual Windows XP PC running in its own window. Well, it is not possible to do that on Sony VGN-FZ180 because..., surprise surprise, Sony turned of the Intel Virtualization Technology and there is no way to turn it back on. According to Intel Processor ID Utility the CPU supports Virtualization Technology. There is no BIOS option to enable it though. Again, this is not a pressing concern at this time and I have not taking the time to find an updated BIOS or any other solution. If you know a way to enable it, please do so.

Aside from these issues, I can honestly say that Sony Vaio VGN-FZ180E is running much better and faster with windows 7.

It sure would be nice to get a new Sony Vaio Laptop with Windows 7 like the ones below, but sorry Sony, this laptop is still doing a great job and I wish you supported the Windows 7 upgrade.

NIB SONY VAIO VG FW140E H 164 Laptop 226GHz 250GB US $899.99

Sony Vaio Laptop model VGN FW375J Brand new in box US $1,900.00

NIB Sony Vaio VGN SR220J H Laptop SR220 133 Case US $850.00

NIB SONY VAIO VPCS111FM S Laptop Intel Core i5 430M NEW US $979.00

NIB Sony VAIO P LIFESTYLE VGN P530H Q Laptop LK US $624.99

Sony VAIO VPC-CW13FX/B 14-Inch Black Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium)

Sony, Personal Computers, $799.99

Sony VAIO VGN-NW240F/P 15.5-Inch Pink Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium)

Sony, Personal Computers, $679.00

Sony VAIO VGN-AW350J/B 18.4-Inch Laptop - Black

Sony, Personal Computers, $1,599.99

After I upgraded to Windows 7, I noticed my Quick Launch Bar disappeared. I like my Quick Launch Bar and the easy access to my favorite programs/documents it provides.

Quick Launch Bar works a little differently on Windows 7 so before creating a folder and adding it on the Taskbar, make sure to read the following thread on Windows Seven Forums: Quick Launch - Enable or Disable

Just in case, I am posting the short version here:

1. Right click on a empty space on the taskbar and click on New Tool.

2. In the Folder line, type or copy:
%userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

3. Click on the Select Folder button.

4. You now have a Quick Launch toolbar on the taskbar.
NOTE: Click on the arrow to see your Quick Launch shortcuts.

After you have your Quick Launch Bar, you can make changes to the way it is displayed.

Yesterday I received my Windows 7 Launch Home Party package. I posted the photos of the package on our House Party home page.

Yes, the Windows 7 Ultimate Signature Edition was in the party package.

I have a Sony Vaio VGN-FZ180E Laptop. Sony's eSupport site indicates:

Information about upgrade and support for Windows® 7 for the VGNFZ180E VAIO® model will be available when Windows® 7 is officially released by Microsoft. Please check back then for further information.

Hey, I will be hosting a Windows 7 Launch Party on the day Windows 7 is officially released. I need to be able install it way before then.

I am posting this using my Sony Vaio Laptop that is running the Windows 7 Ultimate I received in my House Party package. Here is how I upgraded my Sony laptop to Windows 7:

I really did not want to take the chance of losing my Vista setup and decided to first clone my hard drive and install the Windows 7 upgrade on the new hard drive. I have been thinking about upgrading my laptop's hard drive anyway. Sony laptop owners take note though: You may void your warranty if you replace your laptop's hard drive. Read your warranty first. If you follow the steps I followed, you will preserve your current hard drive in its current condition and you can swap it back in if something goes wrong.

I had already purchased a Fujitsu MHZ2320BJ-G2 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Notebook Hard Drive and a APRICORN EZ-UP-UNIVERSAL 2.5" USB 2.0 Hard Drive Upgrade Kit from my favorite online shopping site:

Everything you want for your computer and more at Newegg.com.

APRICORN EZ-UP-UNIVERSAL Hard Drive Upgrade Kit Offer by: Newegg.com The EZ-UP-Universal kit from Apricorn lets you upgrade your notebook's SATA or PATA hard drive then use the old drive as an external storage device in three easy steps. Or if you already have an extra 2.5" drive just install it in the case and go. Either way you now have convenient external storage device. The EZ Gig II software can create a clone of your drive for disaster recovery or upgrade purposes. Or you use it to make periodic backups of your system. Whichever you choose you can password protect the files and make comments for easy identification. AC Adapter: No Internal Interface: SATA & IDE Specifications: Hardware Requirements: Pentium II CPU, Apple G3 or later, 32MBs RAM, CD-ROM or CD-R/RW drive Software Requirements: Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Mac OS 9.2 or later and Mac OS X 10.2 or later Features: Upgrade your notebook in three simple steps Upgrades any SATA or PATA 2.5" 9mm notebook hard drive Includes Cloning and Backup Software After upgrade is complete, use your old drive in the EZ Upgrade enclosure as a backup system for your notebook Package Contents: 2.5" External Enclosure USB Cable USB Aux Power Cable Floppy Disk Driver Disk User Manual

Apricorn Gift- External Enclosure Offer by: Newegg.com Specifications: Size : 2.5" Internal Interface : SATA & IDE External Interface : USB 2.0 Features: Upgrade your notebook in three simple steps Upgrades any SATA or PATA 2.5" 9mm notebook hard drive Includes Cloning and Backup Software After upgrade is complete, use your old drive in the EZ Upgrade enclosure as a backup system for your notebook

Here are the simple steps I followed:

1. Deactivate any DRM software like iTunes.
2. Turn off the computer.
3. Take the old hard drive out.
4. Put the new hard drive in the laptop.
5. Put the old hard drive in the Apricorn's external enclosure and connect enclosure to the computer's USB port.
6. Turn the computer on, put Apricorn EZ Gig II CD in the DVD Drive and boot from CD.
7. Select the Clone Hard Drive option and follow the prompts. Make sure to check Typical Upgrade and clone your hard drive as is even if your new hard drive is larger than the old one. You can resize the partitions later. Be carefull in checking source and destination drives. Remember: Your source drive is your old drive that is connected to the USB.
8. The process, in my case, took about three hours. At the end I disconnected the Apricorn external drive and took the EZ Gig CD out and rebooted to my new hard drive.
9. Final step is to put the Windows 7 DVD and start the upgrade process.

I am happy to report that the Windows 7 upgrade process is painless. My computer did not freeze in the process and it did not take long.

All my programs, including Lotus SmartSuite which supposedly had compatibility issues in Vista, are working without any problems so far. All my settings, documents, pictures and favorites are intact. Wireless connection did not require any adjustments.

I have a better laptop with a larger and faster hard drive and a much better operating system.

NEW Apricorn EZ Upgrade Universal Notebook Hard Driv US $36.24

LAPTOP HARD DRIVE SATA 25 500GB NOTEBOOK PS3 NEW US $84.95

LAPTOP HARD DRIVE SATA 25 500 GB NOTEBOOK Drives New US $85.95

NEW 500GB SATA SAMSUNG LAPTOP NOTEBOOK HARD DRIVE DISK US $84.50

500GB SAMSUNG LAPTOP NOTEBOOK HARD DRIVE SATA 25 NEW US $84.50

500GB Sony Vaio VGN Laptop Notebook Hard Drive NEW US $80.00

500GB SATA 25 Notebook Laptop Hard Drive 500 GB NEW US $100.99

500GB Samsung 25 SATA Notebook Laptop Hard Drive NEW US $84.50

NEW 500GB 25 SATA HDD Hard Disk Drive Laptop Notebook US $118.42

SAMSUNG 500GB LAPTOP NOTEBOOK HARD DRIVE DISK SATA NEW US $84.50

This is exciting!

Official launch day for Windows 7 is October 22, 2009.

Thousands of people will be hosting Windows 7 Launch House parties starting October 22, 2009. I am one of them.

I am a confirmed party host. As a guy who declared Windows 7 Rocks after trying the Release Candidate back in May, I am excited.

Still working on the details of the party. This is going to be good!

Here is the link to my party site: http://houseparty.com/party/188530

Last week I joined the ElegantThemes theme club.

It is a steal at $19.95 per year. You get immediate access to 14 WordPress themes. The theme you are seeing on this blog is one of these 14 themes. As Nick summarizes:

Each WordPress theme comes expertly coded in valid XHTML and CSS, and all are made compatible with the latest version of WordPress. I make sure that each template performs flawlessly in each of the most widely used browsers to insure maximum functionality. Furthermore, all sidebars are made widget ready for your convenience.

Elegant Themes also has a very reasonable licensing agreement. You are allowed to make modifications and remove credit links. As long as you don't claim to own the themes and/or try tell or distribute them and use them on the websites you own you won't be violating terms of use.

Why I did I decide to join the Elegant Themes?

There are hundreds maybe thousands of free WordPress themes available online. Some of them are great themes and supported and updated by the authors who should be praised for their contributions. During the past year and a half as I started using WordPress, I found great free themes I still use.

I also dabbled in modifying these themes and even making my own theme by reading "WordPress Theme Design: A complete guide to creating professional WordPress themes" by Tessa Blakeley Silver. I recommed the book to anyone who wants to create his/her own theme.

WordPress Theme Design

Tessa Blakeley Silver. Packt Publishing 2008, Paperback, 224 pages, $31.57

I found that it is a lot easier and faster to start with a theme and then modify it to my needs and desires. This is the number one reason I joined the Elegant Themes. I got an immediate access to 14 themes to do just that.

Even if you are not interested in doing any modifications, having 14 different themes to choose for your website / blog for only $19,95 is a steal. There are premium WordPress themes available for $79 plus. Yes that is $79 + for one theme. Most themes you get at Elegant Themes have options to change color scheme and look easily. This is great for newbies who still want to have a blog with a unique look.

Resource management is better than before, with hogging all but eliminated. It provides a smorgasbord of information and options for advanced users, but it's simple enough for beginners, and runs smoothly and silently in the background. The version 3 interface utilizes a plain white color scheme and replaces old terminology with more intuitive terms such as Summary, Firewall, Defense, and Miscellaneous. In each, there are links to relevant security issues so users can drill down to learn more about how the firewall is performing. The firewall rears its head most often when Security Alerts ask about new Internet connections as the program "learns" your computer's behavior.

CNET editors' review by: Seth Rosenblatt on June 22, 2009

Try Comodo Internet Security Pro for 30 Days, FREE

Microsoft made Windows 7 RC available for download. You can get it here.

Way back when Windows Vista Beta became available, I did write a blog post titled "Vista Sucks". It was a huge hassle to install Windows Vista. Although it improved a lot with a lot of tinkering and Service Pack updates, Vista is not my favorite operating system. After I downloaded, burned on a DVD and installed on my trusty desktop computer in less than 40 minutes without a single error message and test-drove it a few hours, I do believe Microsoft Windows 7 deserves the "Windows 7 Rocks!" headline. It may still to early for the final judgment but so far I am impressed with Windows 7.

This is an interesting one that certainly deserves its own post here. It took me a while to find this solution. Here goes:

So you set your development environment in Windows Vista by installing apache, php, perl and mysql. You point your browser to your php script that uses mysql connection and this is what you get:

Call to undefined function mysql_connect()

What a disappointment!

Go to your php directory and open your php.ini file. If you followed my previous post about installing php, your directory should be located in C:\PHP. Here are the changes you need to make in php.ini file:

1)Set the extension directory by finding the line that starts with "extension_dir" and changing to
extension_dir = "C:\php\ext"

2)Uncomment the following line by removing ";" at the start of the line.
extension=php_mysql.dll

Restart apache and go back to your script.

There is a possibility you will get a cryptic Windows Vista Error telling you that the server stopped working and Windows Vista will inform you when a solution found. Nice!

Here is the solution when php and mysql crash apache server in Vista:

1) Go to your mysql installation directory and rename libmysql.dll to libmysql.dll.bak just in case something else goes wrong. libmysql.dll is located in BIN directory in your mysql installation directory.

2) Go to your php installation directory -- C:\PHP in my case -- and copy libmysql.dll located here to your-mysql-install-dir\bin where the one we renamed was.

3) Restart apache.

Hopefully your php script with mysql connection will work now.

PERL:

Use LWP::Simple and the head function.

use LWP::Simple;

my $url = 'http://some.server.com/file.gif';

if (head($url)) {
# file is there
} else {
# file is missing
}

Credit goes to perlmonks.org.

PHP:

Use get_headers

$fileUrl = 'http://some.server.com/file.gif';
$AgetHeaders = @get_headers($fileUrl);
if (preg_match("|200|", $AgetHeaders[0])) {
# file is there
} else {
# file is missing
}

Credit goes to php.net.