最近，當我想從MegaUpload下載，碰到下面的注意。注意說『你國家（台灣）全部的位子都用掉了』，我不相信，而且我並不要安裝它們的toolbar。有簡單解決的辦法，安裝Firefox的Megaupload SX.3.2功能。安裝後選Tools->Megaupload->Enabled，然後會用megaupload下載沒問題。

I’ve been learning Chinese for just over a year now, and along the way picked up a few habits that might prove useful for other learners. I don’t claim to be any sort of authority on this, and everyone learns differently, although had I started some of these things earlier it would have helped me progress at a faster rate.

1. Enroll on a Chinese Programme

In order to be properly motivated to learn Chinese I had to join a Chinese class at the local University’s language centre here in Kaohsiung. When I first arrived in Taiwan I tried to start learning by myself, and although this might work for some people, my progress was slow and unorganised. You also need to be speaking and thinking in Chinese for a few hours every day, and a Chinese class provides the perfect opportunity for this, in addition to making new friends!

2. Buy an electronic dictionary

One of the hardest things for westerners is Chinese characters. Not knowing how to pronounce a word from looking at it can be very frustrating, and due to this learning new words from street signs and advertisements is difficult. When I started learning Chinese I immediately learnt the Zhuyin phonetic alphabet, which is something else I would advise learning as Zhuyin provides new symbols to go with the new sounds you’ll be learning. This is opposed to using Pinyin, which uses the English alphabet to create the new sounds, something I found confusing and inaccurate, but use whatever you feel comfortable with.

Anyway, with an electronic dictionary you can actually draw the characters onto the screen and in return receive the translation and pronunciation for the character (in Zhuyin/Pinyin). I waited until I had already learnt Chinese for 7 or so months before buying one and this is one of my biggest regrets as it is so useful. No longer am I thumbing a dictionary for five minutes to find the translation of a single character.

3. Write every day

Get yourself a Chinese homework book, the ones with squared paper inside that you can use as guide to writing Chinese characters. When you learn new characters use this paper to write and then repeat the characters. I find that if I write a characters 8 times in a column, then write a sentence relating to that word, then finish the column (repeating the character 16 times in total), that this helps me to memorise the new word. Also, while you are writing, make a note in a separate notebook of the character’s Zhuyin or Pinyin, then after you have learnt the new characters try to write them from memory using only the Pinyin/Zhuyin as a guide. I do this before exams and find it helps me greatly in remembering new words.

You should also keep a diary. In the beginning It will be full of pointless one-liners about visits to the supermarket or eating dinner. Although, the more you write the more you will be able to write. If you can’t think of anything worth writing then write of past experiences.

Very recently I’ve become interested in Calligraphy. Sometimes I find it hard to get started on writing some Chinese homework (I find I need to be in the right frame of mind or I just can’t get anything to stick). I’ve found that writing half an hour of Chinese characters into a Calligraphy guide book helps to clear my mind of any other work or things I might have been thinking about. You can buy these guide books, some ink, and a brush for quite cheap at most stationary shops in Taiwan.

4. Read and watch telly

When I first started learning Chinese I used to watch television and couldn’t pick up any words whatsoever, but gradually this gets easier. Taiwanese telly has subtitles by default, which makes it perfect for learning the language. If you can find a cartoon or programme that you have seen before, or are used to watching in your native language, that has been translated into Chinese then this is perfect. I find just generally watching television helps, even if I have the telly on in the background while I write my homework.

If you have any of your own tips or experiences from learning Chinese or any language please post them in the comments section below!

I’ve just had to configure a VPS server’s Pure-FTP and APF firewall installation to allow for passive FTP connections after getting the following error when trying to connect via FTP:

I won’t open a connection to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx (only to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx)

This error was caused by Pure-FTP not being set up to allow for passive connections, so here’s what I had to do to properly configure Pure-FTP and the firewall.

SSH into your server and open the /etc/apf/conf.apf in Vi (using the command: ‘vi /etc/apf/conf.apf’. Find the entry for IG_TCP_CPORTS and add a port as: ‘40000_50000′. Restart your firewall (in the case of APF the command is: ‘apf -r’).

Next you need to set the passive port range for Pure-FTP, in the pure-ftpd.conf file, open this file by running ‘vi /etc/pure-ftpd.conf’. In thi file uncomment out the ‘PassivePortRange’ entry by removing the ‘#’ and then change the listed value to the port range we just set, 40000 50000, so your entry for passive ports will now look like ‘PassivePortRange 40000 50000′. Now restart Pure-FTP by running ’service pure-ftpd restart’, and then run ‘iptables -F’ and you should now be able to FTP into your server using passive mode.

for help with Vi/Vim there is a cheatsheet available here.

蘋果電腦的Mac World剛剛發表，這次包括它們新的MacBook Air, 是一台很薄的筆記計型電腦。但如果你不想看90分鐘的影片，那你就可以看下面的影片，它是Mahalo Daily做的『The Steve Jobs 90 Minute Keynote (in 60 Seconds)』。

HowToForge有一篇新文章關於把Linux作業系統做成蘋果OS X Leopard的樣子。雖然OSX用戶當然知道是假的, 我還是覺得很厲害。他們解釋怎麼換很多軟體的樣子, 像Firefox(Safari)、Pidgin(iChat)、xmms(iTunes)… …什麼的, 連OSX的聲音也有。我買Asus Eee的話, 覺得要安裝Ubuntu然後做這樣, Eee跟Macbook比起來, 好像都有Intel的GMA910, 所以我希望沒有問題。

這裡有很多圖片、這裡也有ㄧ部Youtube影片。

昨天蘋果電腦推出了OS X的新版本，10.5 Leopard。因為我還沒用過:(，所以我不能給你我的感想。雖然我想快點買， 但是在那之前可以看看這裡我找到的Leopard新聞跟評論。當我剛看到 Leopard時，我覺得好像沒有那麼多新功能，但是我越來越覺得值得升級。如果 你在用Leopard，請告訴我你覺得怎麼樣。

• 蘋果自己的Leopard網站
• 台灣OIKOS的Leopard討論
• Engadget： All about leopard
• Cnet Crave，Leopard：四個我們愛的Web2.0功能(影片) ～ Web Clips看起來不錯！
• Apple Insider：Leopard Review
• Apple Insider: Screenshot Gallery

關於Chumby，我今天接了封email，現在有些人可以訂一台 Chumby。Chumby是個小上網器，它不是電腦，可是可以讓你執行 網路應用。實際上，Chumby有很多用法，像RSS、Flickr、 Facebook、照片、Ebay、讓你用它的揚聲器聽著iPod……什麼的。它也有Flash功能，所以如果你會 設計，你可以做自己的Flash軟體(widgets)，或下載別人做的widgets。Chumby好像是適合放在客廳裡或是在床邊的一台，當然在有電腦的地方可能 就用不著了。

Chumby的重要功能是這樣：

• 3.5英吋 LCD colour 觸控螢幕
• 無線網路
• 兩個USB 2.0
• 350 Mhz ARM processor, 64 MB SDRAM, 64MB NAND flash ROM
• Accelerometer (motion sensor)
• 兩個2W的揚聲器

我覺得很有趣的功能是motion sensor跟觸控螢幕，你覺得呢？

我今天去看了台灣Asus的新”Eee”筆記型電腦。Eee是個真小的電腦，不但僅僅22.5cmx16.5cm，而且也很輕（<1Kg）。雖然不是那麼強，可是我覺的很方便。現在我有一個蘋果電腦Macbook，可是因為又有點大又有點貴，所以我大部分的時間不要帶出門。Eee的解析度是800x400, 就只有7吋顯示而論，只要你在戶外或用得不太久大概沒問題。

Eee的意思是：”Easy to work, Easy to learn, Easy to play”。

這個圖片是個Eee在ㄧ個髒(哈哈)Macbook的上面。

Eee沒有普通的硬碟，代替有2~8GB的固態硬碟。雖然4~8GB不太大，但是你可以加ㄧ個SD卡或是外置的硬碟(Eee有三個USB)。

這裡有更多資料跟圖片。

我想快要買，那個時後我再寫一個文章。你們覺得怎麼樣？Eee值得去買？

第一次我聽到Wakoopa的用法，我自己想”為什麼我要用這樣的軟體”。但是我想一下覺得可能有用，Wakoopa監視你在用什麼軟體，然後放在Wakoopa的網站。這樣有用，因為你跟朋友可以看彼此的Wakoopa網頁。如果你在Wakoopa有幾個朋友你可以創造一個團體，或把現在的很多團體加入。Wakoopa也會給你推薦，所以你可以找新的軟體。

下載Wakoopa

這裡是我的Wakoopa網頁。我的常用的軟體是在這個blog的右邊。如果你把Wakoopa參加，請你在下面留ㄧ項意見。

英國的Wil Harris最近把他的新科技的影片播客的聯播(Video Podcast)發行了。他的聯播叫Channel Flip，現在有三個節目：Unwired (高技術), Play Digital (電動遊戲) 和 Discuss (電影新聞)。你這裡可以讀wil Harris的blog，他平常也加入TWiT(This Week in Tech)的播客。

下面的影片是第ㄧ個Unwired，是Wil Haris的iPhone評論：

除了Channel Flip以外，還有別的英國播客新聞。第118個Diggnation是在倫敦的FOWA(Future of Web Apps)。看這個影片以前，我不知道在英國Diggnation那麼有名！有很多人去看他們，你看下面的照片：

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