How to create Ogg videos in Linux

Ogg Theora is the codec most supported by modern HTML5-capable browsers, so how can you convert your videos to it? Pretty easily, it seems. There’s a cross-platform command-line application called ffmpeg2theora which does a good job of converting videos to Ogg Theora. Usage couldn’t be simpler: ffmpeg2theora input.mpeg If the audio is out of sync with the video, … Continue reading How to create Ogg videos in Linux →

How to Install Truecrypt on Fedora

I’ve tried on several versions of Fedora but never really been able to install Truecrypt. Either it’s resulted in lots of errors or I’ve given up after getting tired of fruitless searching and reading. At last I’ve found a guide that’s not too long and works! It’s written for Truecrypt 6.2 on Fedora 11 but … Continue reading How to Install Truecrypt on Fedora →

How to watch videos on a Nokia smartphone

My new Nokia N96 (yes, and then they immediately released the N97!) may not be as intuitive as the iPhone but is packed with far more features and is so much more open to exploration that it’s a keeper. Not only that but clever @LonelyBob gave me some help last night to fix a problem … Continue reading How to watch videos on a Nokia smartphone →

How to do alphanumeric validation with PHP

Hardly worth a whole blog post but it may help somebody… is_numeric() is the function to use for validating numeric-only user input with PHP but unfortunately there is no is_alphanumeric(). Or so I thought. Meet ctype_alnum() Here’s an example of its usage: if (ctype_alnum($_POST['username'])) { echo "Thanks - that's a good username."; } else { … Continue reading How to do alphanumeric validation with PHP →

How to input Japanese in Opera on Linux

UPDATE: As of 2010, Ubuntu and Fedora both use iBus and I must say this is a great addition to the IME landscape. This is my new recommendation. Like many Linux users I’ve never really had much luck with SCIM and Opera but I’m pleased to say I’ve finally found a solution: use UIM. I’ve … Continue reading How to input Japanese in Opera on Linux →