The beauty of shortcut

For the sake of efficiency, I do really like shortcut. I've been extensively using shortcuts in Ms Office and browser (Opera). Actually, these shortcuts are really fun. Using keyboard shortcut is often faster than mouse clicking (especially if you have a cheap-troublesome mouse on your desk :p).

Song of the day..

Ello, with "Masih Ada".
Local taste, but its really a nice song
(i like it very much :D)

Enjoy the karaoke version
(lets sing along!)

Everything's covered in all white

Only one day after my autumn posting, yesterday on my trip to Nagoya, something white and small fell and struck the bus window.

Ouw yeahhh..!
Snow had fallen in my town ;)
It was SOOO beautiful..
I guess that was the first time I feel soo happy in Japan..

You can called me "kampungan", ehehehe.
I'm sorry for being too excited :D

Hey autumn!

December is a semi-freezing month. Even though the average temperature is still in positive degree, but its only in one digit :D

Actually, in the middle of December, snow starts to fall on some places in Japan (so I guess that means december is no longer autumn, but winter!)

Well, because snow haven't fall in my town (maybe next week?), here's my autumn pose in Nagoya castle :p (kind of weird pose, as usual)
Hope u like it. Kekekeke..

Chocolate Fondue at home

After visiting Café du Chocolat near Regent, Bandung, I tried to make chocolate fondue at home.
Well as you guess, making fondue is very very simple. You just need to melt a block of chocolate (such as dark cooking chocolate), and tadaaa…
You can dip almost anything, any food, into the melted chocolate.

Yuk_Miskol Application

Miskol is an indonesian pronounciation for the word "missed call". It is also a term for calling (dialing) someone and terminating the call before the receiver takes up the call. 

I made this application, just for fun. Yuk_Miskol is an application to "miskol" a defined phone number periodically. Maybe you will think, it is a kind of simple (and useless? :p) program. But hey.. I enjoy making it! :D

Specification:
- made using Visual Basic 2008
- has a fixed missed calls frequency: 2 calls/minute

You know, Of course I wont give you the binary program nor the source code, because there's a huge possibility that you're gonna use it for something bad (e.g. giving a terror to somebody :D), kekekeke.

So just enjoy the screenshot, ok? 
(Except if you have special offer, we'll talk about it later.. :D Hahahaha..)

Viva Sardines!

I like sardines, but there's a common sense that preserved food is not good for our health.

Well, this is my first sardines with home-made sauce. I guess this is healthier than the original sauce. You just need garlic, onion, (one or two) tomatoes, and salt.

Ow.. and a little water!

Yeah, that easy.. but it taste great :D
Delicious..

Automatic detect COM Port List

This is for you (and for me, as my personal note :D) who are using Visual Basic 2008.

Get in touch with Serial Programming?
Maybe you are wondering how to detect list of communication port so that the user wouldn’t have to type it manually in the text box anymore.

Step 1:
Drag and drop Combo Box from Toolbox.
If you don't see your Toolbox panel, just press Ctrl+Alt+x, or go find it in View-Toolbox.
Go to the properties, and name it, such as "COMPortsBox".

Step 2:
Add these lines to the top of source code.
Imports System
Imports System.IO.Ports
Imports System.Threading.Thread

Step 3:
When load the main form, add these lines
  Private Sub MaxiTester_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Load
  For Each COMString As String In My.Computer.Ports.SerialPortNames ' Load all available COM ports.
  COMPortsBox.Items.Add(COMString)
  Next
  End Sub

Ps: MaxiTester is the name of main form.

Last step:
Try to run it, and smile :)

Reference: here.

Finding a pair of supported network operators to run CSD in Indonesia

First of all, let me tell you my main mistake in searching information about CSD (Circuit Switched Data). The popular word is not CSD. The network operator (such us XL and Indosat) usually called CSD as a facsimile (fax) data service. Therefore, if you are looking information about CSD from your operator's website, I suggest you to google using the word "layanan data fax", instead of CSD.

You will probably have to activate you CSD service. You can do this by visiting the customer service of your network operator. But then, to really make sure that your SIM card is working on CSD, the only way is that you should try it out, one by one.

As my experience, I activated two cards (XL and Indosat) but unfortunately, they can't dial the ATD (AT Command for data calls). I tried randomly but it just led me to desperate.

After a quite long time in desperation, I succeed in finding the supported card. I'll share it here (hope this will be useful for you):
1. Option #1: a prepaid number of XL (to dial) and a post paid number of XL
2. Option #2: a postpaid number of Halo Telkomsel (to dial) and a post paid number of XL

Fight-oh!

ATMega128 has arrived!

I transfered on Friday, and this Sunday (about 11 am) I've already received the evaluation board.
Nice service, prasimax..

Now, lets try the hardware..

Sushi for breakfast

Here it is. A pack of Nori (thin, dried seaweed sheets) + rice + abon (shredded meat that has been boiled and fried). It looks messy (haha, as usual..)

But, no problem. I think we agree that practices make perfect ;D

Stupid mistakes, but nice progress. Fight!

Here is a documentation of my progress. There's a lot of troubleshooting. I hope the information below could help anyone who need it.

SIM300's evaluation board.
Status = solved.
I bought it from Jaya Plaza, Bandung, in a shop named "iwant".
Price: evaluation board = about Rp 800,000 
SIM300 = about Rp 450,000 

ATMega128's minimum system.
Status = couldn't find it in Anam or JP (Jaya Plaza).
Now I'm using ATMega32 (bought it from Anam, for about Rp 200,000)
FYI, the ATMega32 has a same minimum system with ATMega8535.

Another problem is how to download the program to the microcontroller.
I need STK200 Dongle downloader.

Status = subtituted by STK500 USB Dongle.This is great. The dongle is a USB version of programmer so I could continue using my laptop (which have no parallel port needed for STK200) to code.I bought this DT-HiQ AVR USB ISP from Anam (about Rp 200,000)

But this dongle leads me to another problem. When i try it using CodeVisionAVR 1.24.7e, it always give me an "AVRISP error leaving programming mode".
I wrote an email to the support system of innovative electronics (the one who produced this dongle), and have a suggestion not to use CVAVR version 1.24.7, because it has a bug in programmer STK500/AVRISP.

I browsed and googled, found Prasimax Mikron 123, located in Depok, near Jakarta.
Nice. I found ATMega128 + System Minimum / Development Board (Rp 350,000 + Rp 38,000 for the mailing cost).

I also found a link to download CodeVisionAVR 2.04.3a Evaluation version in Prasimax Mikron. And guess what? It works. There is no "AVRISP error leaving programming mode" error anymore.

Err, actually, while downloading the program, I found another error.
"The FLASH buffer is empty. Do you want to load a file?"

But it was happened just because I haven't compiled my source file before download it to the microcontroller :D Stupid mistake.

=

Well, that's my progress.Now I'm in process of ordering ATMega128 + Development Board from Prasimax.
Hope it will be fine at all.

Amin..

AT Command for fun

What is AT Commands?

Computers use AT commands to communicate with modems. Most communications applications, however, have a user interface that hides the AT commands from the user. [1]

AT commands can be issued via a communications application. When the software in the Nokia product has received an AT command, it responds with a message that is displayed on the screen of the used device, which can also be the mobile phone. [1]

Some AT commands are not supported by all Nokia products or by all operators. Giving a command that is not supported by the product causes an error response. Some Nokia products do not necessarily support all command parameters and using the unsupported parameters causes an error response. [1]

Simple AT Command for fun ;)
Let's play a bit using your phone! I'm using my Nokia 6120 classic, connect it with bluetooth, open a Hyperterminal. Try to type the green command on your hyperterminal.
1. To call/dial, for example phone number 085612345678
ATD085612345678;
Note: Actually, the reference said to dial ATD085612345678 (without using the semicolon ; ) but somehow my cellphone always give me a "NO CARRIER" response.
So I tried to google, and.. Tadaaa…
Just add a simple semicolon (;) and it's working. I guess the previous one tried to dial using data mode, because when it dialed the number, I saw a "phone-with-letter-D" icon on the upper right corner.
2. To send sms to phone number 085612345678
AT+CMGF=1
OK
AT+CSCS=”GSM”
OK
AT+CMGS=”085612345678”
> Hello world
// end the message by press Ctrl+Z, and then "Enter"

The AT commands above are successfully tested.

Just try it..
This is a basic knowledge for making sms gateway. And, believe me, there are so much more to try! Now you can imagine.. There's a lot of applications that you can make using the AT Commands.
Happy coding!

References:
[1] FORUM NOKIA; AT Command Set For Nokia GSM And WCDMA Products, Version 1.2; July 1, 2005
[2] Charley Yang; SIM300 Software Application Note V2.0

Are you sure this is really a STRAWBERRY pie?

Tadaaaa…..


Ahahahaha. Another weekend project. Maybe you would ask the same question…
Should strawberry pie have the color of red?

Yeah, you are right!
This is a very big mistake :p

I dunno why, but yesterday, the jelly's would not get thickened.
So as my auntie's suggestion, we agreed to give some amount of seaweed powder..
Well, I had not prepared for this. It was really an emergency situation.. 
And guess what?
At that moment, we only had a GREEN seaweed powder at home :P
That's why the color become green 
X-P

How about its taste? Mm..  
The crust is ok ^___^ a big success for me. 
But the jelly is too sweet. I prefer the previous apple pie :(

Here is the recipe.

Next time will be better?
Err.. I guess, next time will be the other kind of dessert :p
No more pie this month.

Maybe pudding or cheesecake? ;D 
Any idea?

Posting blog from my 6120 classic

At last! I found a way to photoblog via my mobile phone. Its quite
simple, more simple than i thought.
Now i'm using:
- nokia 6120 classic
- opera mini web browser
- gmail account, and
- (of course) blogspot account

I guess i also can use a wordpress account for this :)

Now i'm ready for a great holiday :D

Apple Pie Mission: Failed

So..
let me remind u that yesterday is a public holiday yesterday..
what's new for this week?

As planned before, this is the time for…
PIE!
:D
Ahahaha..

I've read couples of recipes and decide to use the apple pie's recipe. I've also watched a step-by-step video of how to make a home made pie crust. Actually, this recipe and video really help me to get a clue of what will I do.

Oh I do really love internet :)
But why… why…????
Why still I failed?? T_T

This is the result.. It taste quite good (for me :p) but.. I think everybody agree that these cups of cake are not pies.
X-P

It's okay. This is the first try. Next time should be better..

Weekend and pancake

Yesterday was just another weekend.. but in the morning, my father wasn't at home (hurray!!). That's why my auntie and I, went out from our room (not like our usual habit :p) and spent our morning by watching tv together in the living room.
Ooh, that's what I call weekend..

A peaceful morning, watching Bondan Winarno and Bara Pattiradjawane.. They always give me some extra spirit to start my day.

Inspired by Bara, somehow I decided to make pancakeee!  ^___^ not so narpen, isnt it? (actually, Bara didn't make pancake yesterday,, but watching him tells us that "cooking is fun" inspired me to make something simple and sweet)

For the topping, I bought 3 cups of ice cream (from a Walls ice cream bike passed by my house), 2 sachets of condensed milk (susu kental manis), a pack of strawberry, and a pack of raisin. That was too much for the pancake, so when there's no pancake leftover, we still have a lot of strawberries (etc) to eat. However, decorating pancakes was not as easy as I thought..

Here is the picture of our pancakes..

The first one is mine.. (I know, mine is so messy, i pilled up 4 pancakes so its harder to be decorated..)

The second is my auntie's.. After frustating looking at my pancake, I asked her to show me how to decorate pancake. I admit that hers are better.. -.-

And how about the rest of pancakes? We couldn't resist it,, hahaha. They went to our tummy before we had a chance to take any picture of them :p

Next time will be better, coz we all know that practices make perfect.. :D
ps: I got the basic recipe from here, a very nice one