LogIt!

Unbeatable advantages of Nationwide credit card

2008-07-22T22:24:00.003+01:00

Just got a brand new set of Nationwide credit cards. For me and Julia. Interestingly, unlike HSBC's, these two are exactly the same, the only difference is the name on the card. HSBC cards had different numbers, CVC codes etc. A bit less secure I think... Anyway, this is what's good about them:

Extended 12 months warranty on electrical items + protection against loss or damage on any personal items for 100 days. But what's more important,
the account is accessible via Nationwide internet banking, which means automatic sync with MS Money! This was the primary reason for applying and it's really, really convenient. All your transactions just appear in Money by themselves. On top of that,
there is no commission for using card abroad, albeit this is not as valuable as it sounds: it would only save you around £15 on a £600 purchase (as they claim).

Application process was cumbersome though. Not because it's difficult, on the contrary, it's designed to be easy and I am sure not really different to the one of any other credit card company. It's just it was slow, took me long and they kept losing my signed agreement.

HSMP extensions: any age of the English test is good!

2008-06-10T21:31:00.003+01:00

I've just received a reply from Work Permits UK to my question on whether my IELTS test that I sat in 2004 is still acceptable. Note that when they first introduced English Language requirement for HSMP they were accepting only IELTS and only up to 2 years old for new applications and any age for extensions. I was good as I had my 2004 IELTS. Later they removed this exception for extensions and required only the valid IELTS certificate (that is no older than 2 years) for both extensions and new applications. I specifically called them and asked.

Now the good news is, now that Tier system is officially fully live, the English Language requirements have changed again. They now accept a whole bunch of various tests but the best news is, quoting

Please Note: All approved English language tests meet the requirements regardless of the date of the award.
Note: an IELTS test result can be more than 2 years old.

Whoohoo! I better apply for extension fast before they change their minds. However I'll have to wait until Polina's birth certificate is ready to apply for her passport and only then apply for Tier 1. Anyway, congratulations to you all, HSMP people!

Why I am disappointed with o2

2008-01-29T19:26:00.000Z

I've recently got an O2 contract as a side effect of buying a phone I wanted as a present for Julia. I was on T-Mobile pay as you go before. What can I say? I am generally disappointed in many ways. Namely:

You can't get SMS delivery notifications in a standard way. "Require delivery notification" flag is ignored. But you still can receive them - in a very awkward O2 way. You must begin your message with "*0# " (not forgetting the trailing space). Nice, isn't it? And I won't be surprised that my message character limit is now 4 characters less.
Texts sent to my mom's Russian mobile (Beeline) are not delivered. I had no problems sending texts abroad with T-Mobile. O2's customer support suggested that they had no agreement with the target network. But I have a friend on Beeline who receives my texts with no problems! Yesterday mom's changed her operator to MTS so we could text.
Recent charges (detailed call list) is available online but despite their promise that it gets updates within 24 hours, it's 3rd of Feb today and latest calls I can see are from 30 Jan. This will be less important later when my spending stabilises and I won't need to watch it closely.
If I were on O2 pay as you go... I wouldn't be on O2 pay as you go. Their PAYG call charges are higher than anywhere else. 40p/min on calls to non-O2 mobiles while Virgin and T-Mobile offer 15p/min, and on 3 it's 12p/min. Ridiculous.

Activesync via Bluetooth using Toshiba bluetooth stack

2008-01-03T18:02:00.000Z

After spending too much time trying to set this up, here is the recipe (taken from many sources, for example from comments to this article):

First of all, check (on your PC) from Start -> Control Panel -> Bluetooth Local COM which Com port the "LocalCOM-Server[SerialPort]" is assigned to (in my case COM7)
Set SerialPort in "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows CE Services" to the assigned COM port you found before (for example, "COM7")
Make sure in ActiveSync settings on your PC "Allow connections to one of the following" is checked and "COM7" is selected in the dropdown.
Pair your Windows Mobile device with your PC (I've done it from mobile device).
While mobile device is discovering services on your PC, you should be able to see ActiveSync activity on the PC as the BT serial port is probed for ActiveSync.
The Serial Port profile, which was displayed before as available profile type should appear now as ActiveSync.
Depending on Windows Mobile bluetooth stack, you now should be able to initiate sync by either

starting ActiveSync on the device and going to Menu->Connect via Bluetooth, or

if Broadcom stack is installed on the device (all iPAQs go with it AFAIK), going to Bluetooth Manager, finding "ActiveSync with <your PC name>" shortcut and tapping connect on it. You create this shortcut by going to Bluetooth Connection Wizard and selecting "ActiveSync via Bluetooth".

XSLT: output an XML escaped copy of the source tree fragment

2007-11-29T14:12:00.000Z

I've assembled the following hack after gathering some ideas from the net. It allows to have a copy of the source tree in the output, but unlike <xsl:copy>, it outputs the copy as text with XML escaping. Limitation is that it only supports elements, text nodes and attributes. But this can easily be extended if need arises.


   <!-- the hack below outputs escaped copy of the current node set -->
    <xsl:template match="*|@*" mode="verb">
        <xsl:variable name="node-type">
            <xsl:call-template name="node-type"/>
        </xsl:variable>
        <xsl:choose>
            <xsl:when test="$node-type='element'"> <!-- element -->
                <xsl:text>&lt;</xsl:text>
                <xsl:value-of select="name()"/>
                <xsl:apply-templates select="@*" mode="verb"/>
                <xsl:text>&gt;</xsl:text>
                <xsl:apply-templates mode="verb"/>
                <xsl:text>&lt;/</xsl:text>
                <xsl:value-of select="name()"/>
                <xsl:text>&gt;</xsl:text>
            </xsl:when>
            <xsl:when test="$node-type='text'"> <!-- text -->
                <xsl:value-of select="self::text()"/>
            </xsl:when>
            <xsl:when test="$node-type='attribute'"> <!--any attribute-->
                <xsl:text> </xsl:text>
                <xsl:value-of select="name()"/>
                <xsl:text>="</xsl:text>
                <xsl:value-of select="."/>
                <xsl:text>"</xsl:text>
            </xsl:when>
        </xsl:choose>
    </xsl:template>

    <xsl:template name="node-type">
        <xsl:param name="node" select="."/>
        <xsl:apply-templates mode="nodetype" select="$node"/>
    </xsl:template>
    <xsl:template mode="nodetype" match="*">element</xsl:template>
    <xsl:template mode="nodetype" match="@*">attribute</xsl:template>
    <xsl:template mode="nodetype" match="text()">text</xsl:template>

On VoIP, SIP and phones

2007-09-21T23:33:00.001+01:00

There have been several developments in the world during my home decoration and furnishing related hibernation. In fact many of these developments occurred long before in the area of VoIP and its application at home.

My ISP Plus.net started to provide fixed telephony services with prices a bit more attractive than cheapest BT option for the same price. Will not go for it just yet to avoid potential customer service trouble as the service has not potentially yet stabilised.
The same Plus.net started to offer SIP based VoIP services. Having Plus.net as an ISP gives you bandwidth advantage (read: voice quality). Moreover, some UK land line calls allowance (240 mins) is included in most of their internet packages. Will definitely use it.
The very same Plus.net (oh no, not again!) is offering Broadband Your Way Pro package with allegedly prioritised VoIP and gaming traffic. I've already switched!
There are DECT SIP phones on the market, such as VoIP phone Siemens Gigaset S450. This particular one offers standard land line connection, VoIP SIP service (up to 6 accounts and 3 calls in parallel) through ethernet connection on the base, Outlook contacts sync, web admin interface, jabber messaging (this means gmail's gtalk and all other IM systems!) and it checks for your email too. I'd gladly swap email and IM for an ability to connect bluetooth headset though. Currently costs around £95 - that's for a base and one handset. If I live it through without it until January I know what is going to be my birthday present!

All these yummy developments combined together can lead to a convenience of:

having a very good cordless home phone installation with all contacts up to date
cheap local and international calls without a need to dialling any prefix numbers and then keying in full international number
potentially multiple external numbers each assigned to different handset
handsfree operation with headset
freedom in VoIP provider choice (unlike similar Skype based phones)
and god knows what else.

I want it all and I want it now!

2007-09-10T16:24:00.000+01:00

Every time I change job I always tend to spend too much time remembering how to search for "pre-1.4 style" custom exceptions that try to store their root causes in a field. So here is the IDEA custom template for that:


class $Class$ extends $Parent$ {
    $Throwable$ $varName$;
}

Variables $Parent$ and $Throwable$ should be constrained with "text/regular expression" set to "Throwable" and "apply within type hierarchy" checkbox checked.

Fishing in North East Thames Region

2007-09-03T20:17:00.000+01:00

There is a very good guide and maps for fisheries in the North East Thames Region, including Watford and surroundings:
Map (pdf)
Guide (pdf)
Through this guide I found the web address of the secret Watford Piscators club (just look at those carps!) that manages fishing permissions on most of the waters around Watford.

Picasaweb: album/photo location feature and language settings

2007-09-02T15:36:00.000+01:00

Just found out that Picasa Web will not show you a nice mini map with album and photo locations if it thinks that your language preference is not English (US). If you're logged in with your google account, you should go to picasaweb settings and choose English (United States) as you language preference. If you are not logged in, ensure that in your browser's language preferences "en-us" is on top of the language list. Other languages may do the job too but English (US) is known to work.
After you've made the changes you should see a map of album locations in my photo album home page.

Final static fields can be initialised in static initialiser

2007-07-30T10:24:00.000+01:00

Continuing my list of Things that I still discover about Java I anticipate a loud "feeww" from most of you java programmers. I nevertheless confess that I never used it before and just now discovered that it is at all possible. That is, just as final instance fields can be initialised in the constructor (which I use a lot), static final fields can be initialised in the static intialiser, a "static class constructor". I really like this language feature as it adds compiler checks on potential encapsulation violations:

private final static File someFile;
static {
  someFile = ...;
}

Tax free shopping at Tesco: frustrating

2007-07-09T08:26:00.000+01:00

In January my friend from Russia was visiting me here in Watford. One day he felt an urgent need for a photo camera by next morning :). It was 10pm so we went to Tesco Extra Watford, an 24hr supermarket, to buy one. While at the checkout I remembered that my friend could claim the V.A.T. back as he lived outside the EU. So we asked for it at the customer services. The lady searched the drawers and found the tax return form which he proudly handed to us asking to fill it. We filled it, then she added some purchase specific info and signed. She advised us to claim the money at the airport's customs desk. So far so good.

At the Heathrow airport the tax refund desk was in the duty free area so we parted with my friend and headed home. Couple of days after we spoke with him and he told me that the officer at the tax refund desk stamped the form and asked to take it back to the retailer for the refund. Things started to get more complicated. OK my friend posted the form back to me and I posted it to Tesco Watford and in just three weeks got it back with the cover letter saying that Tesco do not do tax refunds and I should go to customs to claim my money. OK I phoned the relevant department in HMRC just to find out that it is always the retailer that does tax refunds and that Tax-Free Shopping is the voluntary scheme and they can't force the retailer into it. I made couple more phone calls to both parties to make sure they still cross reference each other.

I went then directly to the Tesco store where I was initially given the form and heard the same story again with the addition that I should probably come to the customs desk at Heathrow as a last resort. Which I never did as was getting very busy with home renovations. Besides, the amount to be refunded was not actually worth the efforts I had already spent on it.

The story is a bit frustrating. I would not expect so much hassle from what should have been an established routine task. Has anybody ever had any experience getting a tax refund from the Tax Free Shopping scheme in Britain?

ICQ/MSN and more over google talk!

2007-04-26T22:35:00.000+01:00

It's been my little dream since I started using gmail as my main email system. I do not need any software and any specific setup to fully access all my email accounts. Moreover, there is even a nice chat integrated right into web client - GTalk. Apparently you can download and use any jabber compatible IM software to use GTalk for chat. However there is even more. I am not 100% confident in terms used but essentially jabber clients and servers support "service discovery": you supply a third party server name, client discovers additional services available on this node and lets you use them. Service subscription is saved on the server so that no matter what jabber client you use they will be available.
Among these service nodes there are "transport" nodes, like for example jabber.org.by, that provide you with gateways to other IM systems such as ICQ and MSN.
So now we are getting closer to the main point. In order to use ICQ and MSN via GTalk web interface or standalone program, do the following:

Download and install a good jabber client. I used http://gajim.org/.
Run it, connect to GTalk server by supplying your gmail username/password and gmail.com as the jabber server.
Discover services of jabber.org.by, in gajim it is done by selecting Action->Discover services, entering jabber.org.by and clicking Go. You may find and use any other transport server but I've been told that this one is one of the most stable ones.
Subscribe to MSN and ICQ services supplying your login credentials when asked.
Quit jabber client.

That's it - now login to gmail/gtalk and enjoy chatting with your ICQ and MSN contacts! They are even added to your gmail address book as for example 12345678@icq.jabber.org.by which corresponds to an ICQ user with UIN 12345678.
Note: gmail web interface will display a contact chat invitation for each of your ICQ/MSN contacts. Just ignore that - the dialog will disappear by itself.

Many thanks to Rinat and svyatogor for opening my eyes!

AccuRev experience anyone?

2007-04-19T11:12:00.000+01:00

For couple of days I have been evaluating AccuRev SCM software - it is a modern commercial version control system based on their unusual concepts of streams. Streams hierarchy is supposed to reflect stages in development process. The version control part of it looks solid with all necessary boxes ticked and even more. Atomic commits, native support for directory moves/renames, support for links, speed etc. But as always nothing can tell you whether the beast worth the money until you have some long term experience with it. Just by chance have anyone used AccuRev? Any pitfalls? How does this stream concept with hierarchical promotions work for you?

Welcome

2007-04-19T00:09:00.000+01:00

Hi everybody. This is my attempt to start an English only blog. I tend to think about it as mostly IT related (hence the name) but I reserve the right to post about anything else too. So welcome and here is the feed URL for the blog.