Migrating from one google account to another

Some years ago, when Google's e-mail service was not available for everyone, but for those, who had an invitation to join, I was stuck with an Yahoo e-mail account. No, I don't like Yahoo, and no I don't know what the hell made me have an account by Yahoo. The most shaming fact is however, that I still use my two Yahoo accounts for registering to forums, sites etc. that I suppose will spam me.
Last words about Yahoo, because they don't deserve more attention: First of all, it's 2012 and they still have their POP3/IMAP payed. And second of all...they still make you pay them to get your e-mails!!!

Back to the main topic. Because Google allows non-google e-mail addresses for acquiring a google account, I had my first google account tied to an Yahoo e-mail address. So, how can one migrate things to another Google account, before deleting the old one.

First I wanted to have my RSS subscriptions from google reader transferred to the other account. It turns out, that this is very very easy. Settings button (upper right corner)->Reader settings->Import/Export tab. It works like a charm.

What about Google Drive (known as Google Docs before)? To be honest I didn't need to transfer anything but I see that one has the option to download the whole "drive". That should do the trick :)

Next is Google Calendar. As one could suppose, there is an Import/Export option. Right from "My calendars" there is a small dropdown menu. Just select "Settings" and you'll see the Import calendar and Export calendars options.

If you've made the mistake to run a blog from the old account, then you have a slight problem. Long story made short, yes, you can keep your blog with all the posts/comments etc. after deleting the old account, BUT the posts will still appear as written from your old account. If that is no problem, then ok. For me such a thing will be a problem, because it would annoy me. I just like everything to be perfect. Here is the article, where all the steps for the blog transfer are good explained. Click

After dealing with all this, it is a huge pleasure to get rid of the old account. Especially, when it's associated with an Yahoo e-mail.

Despite being straightforward, here is a video I found on YouTube, explaining how to change the e-mail address, associated with your Windows Live Id.

 

Well, that was all. I doubt it, but I hope that that was helpful for someone.

Back after more than 2 years

Wow, more than 2 years have passed without a new post on my blog. Well, actually no excuse could be made for such a long period but I'll try my best in the following lines.
The truth is, that my life has changed drastically. Two years ago I was working as a software developer in Sofia, Bulgaria, married without children. Now, two years after that, I'm a second year master student in Bochum, Germany. I'm studying applied computer sciences at the Ruhr university. And I'm still married to my lovely wife with that difference, that I have a sweet daughter now :)

But how did all this happen?
Well, it's a long story, but I'll try to tell it as short as possible. I was not happy with my life in Sofia and the professional and personal perspectives that were for me and my family there. After 5 years as a software developer at OmegaSoft I didn't see what I could learn more and I was not so happy with how our project was going in general. Nevertheless I was loyal to my company until the end, despite some job offers for no less than 150% of what I was payed at my company. However the main reason for the "all-in" Germany move was not related with my job, but with the personal and social aspect of such a change. We decided to have a child and Sofia was not the place where we wanted to raise a one. So we started to learn german and we wanted to start a "new" life in Germany. I hope I will soon have my family here by me.

That whole change and the activity going with that, I mean the learning of german and the university were the reasons to not write for such a long time. Now I will try to write regularly, not only technical stuff but everything I find worth sharing and reading.

Extending the US keyboard layout with some German symbols

Have you ever missed some symbol on your keyboard layout? I have.
I learn now german and I miss the symbols that are not part of the english alphabet.
They are as follows:
ä - U+00e4
Ä - U+00c4
ö - U+00f6
Ö - U+00d6
ü - U+00fc
Ü - U+00dc
ß - U+00df

For generating a keyboard layout you need to download the Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator.

Start the application and open an existing keyboard that you want to inherit, or create one from scratch. Don't be worry, there is no chance that you screw some of the existing layouts. When you double click on a particular key from the keyboard preview, a form for editing will appear. There you should make the changes.
For the german symbols you should use the codes above. I guess these codes are the Unicode representation of the symbols.
The software gives you the ability to simulate that some of the special (ctrl,shift,caps lock) keys or a combination of them is pressed. Also you can test the keyboard layout that you've just created(Project->Test keyboard layout) by manually writing some of the "new" symbols. Then it is a good thing to Validate the layout(Project->Validate layout). After the validation make sure to fill the properties of your layout(Project->Properties). Finally again from the 'Project' menu build the new layout. A setup will be generated. I've tested a layout on W7, Vista and Windows XP. It works just fine. Except the fact that on Windows XP the combination Left Ctrl + Left Alt + symbol worked only for ä. But this may be due to the specific PC, I don't know. However instead of Left Ctrl + Left Alt you can use AltGr that worked perfect even on XP.

Just to mention: If you don't have a well-grounded reason for checking the last 2 checkboxes on the properties form, my advice is DON'T!

I hope this will be useful for somebody except me.
Enjoy.

Here are some screenshots:

Добре е да си знаеш родата :)

Нещо, което отдавна исках да споделя, един уникално як пост от блога на Георги Кременлиев.
Enjoy

My first paragliding experience

This Sunday me and my wife went to a village near Sopot to see an ex-colleague of mine named Christo. He is keen on paragliding and along with other people like him get together almost every weekend to conquer the clouds. This time I used the chance to join him and take a ride with him. It was great to feel the wind and also to see the land with a hawk eye. Thank you Christo for the wonderful ride.
Here is some multimedia from the event:

Do not buy yourself a Renault...really don't.

I've heard lots of stories about how awful Renault cars are. And I believe those stories. So I'm proud with my "Made in Germany" car which is a crap too, but at least is a German crap :) So enough for my ride and lets go back on the Renaults. Not so far ago while driving to work I managed to take the following photos. They are Photoshop free and absolutely genuine.



Can't see anything strange??? Look closer :)

Configuring a wireless router for dummies ... like me :)

Not so far ago (one week) I purchased a wireless router for home usage, because I wanted to make my wife stop using my notebook, but her own PC. Her excuse till now was that her PC is not connected to the Internet. So for me the decision was clear. Before the introduction of the router I had a static IP address set on my notebook's ethernet adapter. With the router, this static IP address should be given to the router itself, and all other members of the network should be given dynamic IP addresses by router's DHCP server.



But first... the hardware. Except the router, some cables are needed too. You need a cable for each PC that doesn't have a wireless network adapter. This cable should not be a cross-over but a straight one. (see the scheme below)



After done that it is time to configure the router. You should do that from a computer that is wired to the router. Routers are accessed by their IP address. Different manufacturers give their routers different default IP address and you should contact check this before you start configuring. The main IP addresses that are used are as follows:
-192.168.0.1
-192.168.1.1
-192.168.2.1

After successfully accessing your router you will probably see its GUI configuration.
Configuration is straightforward even for a dummy like me :).
Let me divide configuration in 4 sections: LAN configuration, WAN configuration, Wireless configuration and Security configuration.

1) LAN configuration

You should give your router IP address, Gateway and Mask. This IP address is not the static one, but the one the router will use in our home network. For example 192.168.0.100.

There should be a section for configuring DHCP server settings.
First of all you should enable DHCP server. Then you should set the start IP address and the end IP address, Mask and Gateway. Gateway should be the IP of the router. DHCP server will now give other members of the network (wired or wireless) IP addresses in the range between start and end IP.

Reservations - This section is for reserving an IP address to a particular network adapter in the LAN. For example if you want your notebook to be known always as 192.168.0.23 in your private network you should reserve this IP address to your notebook's network adapter by associating it with network adapter's MAC address.
Reserving an IP for a MAC is vital for configuring port forwarding.

Port forwarding - this is a very helpful feature of most of the routers. By configuring a port forwarding you expose some LAN member port to the WAN. For me it is helpful because doing this I can still use a remote desktop connection to my PC, which doesn't need a static IP address.

EDIT: For using a remote desktop you need to forward 1723 and 3389 ports.

2) WAN configuration

If you want your private network to access Internet through the router you should enable WAN connection. Then you should choose the WAN connection type: Dynamic, Static IP, PPPoE, PPTP. First two doesn't need an explanation and for the other 2 you can read those:
PPPoE
PPTP
Choose Static IP and fill in the static IP, Mask and Gateway provided for you by your ISP.

3) Wireless configuration

Here you can give your wireless network a meaningful name, known as SSID. My advice is don't give your network name like Simsons (if your family name is Simson) cause if you do so everyone will know this network belongs to you. In my opinion it is a potential vulnerability. Also you should choose to broadcast your SSID.

4) Security configuration.

Firewall - enable it.
Router access password - you should have a default password for your router. Something like 'admin' or 'password'. My advice is to change this password.

Wireless Security Settings - this is the main part. Your main choices here are WEP or WPA.

I chose WEP for me even though WPA is newer and more secure.
Here important are the encryption strength and the pass phrase. You don't need to memorize your Pass phrase. It is needed just for generating the WEP key.
You should carefully write down your WEP key. It is used to connect to your wireless network.
Other important setting before generating the key is the encryption strength. If present you should choose 128 bits.

If you want your wireless network to be safer you may want to configure an Access control list (ACL) too. This list gives you the ability to allow wireless connections only from specific wireless network adapters, presented in the list by their MAC addresses.

That's all I managed to describe from my experience with my router's configuration.
Now I can use my notebook under the shower in my bathroom yoooohoooo :)

Now it is so easy to chose a password :)

I just came across of that interesting article about the top 100 most popular password used across the world. Enjoy :)

Worst password choice - top 100

To all hot women in the world: Sorry, I got married :(

Yes it is true. I got married to my lovely girlfriend Tania and it was a great party.
So if you are above 18 and under 25 years old, woman, hot and you have at least 2 of these: big tits, long legs, tough ass and still want to go out with me, please don't tell me, cause I'm married now ;).

Here is the proof:

Wedding photos:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8

Honey weekend photos:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

The best spiritual song ever. Enjoy :)

Here are the lyrics.

- Къде бе, брато?
- А бе нали ще правим купон довечера
и събрахме пари да купим за ядене и
пиене, а пък аз трябва да отида до магазина
да купя това онова и цигари, нали
разбираш.
- По-добре иди в денонoщния на ъгъла.
- Ама там продават ли цигари, щото...
- Продават абсолютно всичко. А бе
всичко има в тоя....

Припев:
Магазин, денонощен магазин,
пролет, лято есен, зима,
в магазина всичко има.
Само в този магазин!
Денонощен магазин.

Тръгвам аз за този денонощен магазин,
касите са пълни с бира, рафтовете с джин,
чесън, бамя, сини сливи, зеле, баклава,
шарена сланина, гъби, изворна вода.
Чубрица, дафинов лист, спагети, създарма,
кревирши, филе елена козя пастърма.

Зрял фасул, зелен фасул, юфка, червен пипер,
ябълки, домати, карантия бакпулвер,
мащерка, босилек, копър, кър и джинджифил,
целина, канела, ригън, джоджън, карамфил,
сирене, лимонов сок, салам, оцет, зехтин,
магазин, магазин, магазин.

Припев:
Магазин, денонощен магазин,
пролет, лято есен, зима,
в магазина всичко има.
Само в този магазин!
Денонощен магазин.

Ягоди, череши, дюли, тиквички, яйца,
бърбън, ром, уиски, сода, плодов сок, боза,
попчета, акула, паламуд, лефер, калкан,
херинга, моруна, карагьос, кефал, шаран,
риба тон, калмари, миди, хрян и розмарин,

магазин, магазин, магазин.

Припев:
Магазин,
(Егати магазина.)
ах, магазин,
(Направо се изкорах в тоя магазин)
пролет, лято есен, зима,
в магазина всичко има.
(Абсолютно всичко има)
Само в този магазин!
(Йеа, само в тоя магазин)
Денонощен магазин.

Царевица, соя, леща, грах, бакла, ориз,
сладко от смокини, лапад, гьозум, керевиз,
камби, круши, дини, макарони, карфиол,
щипки, веро, чаши, дъвки в лъскав станиол,
ряпа, захар, мляко, бахур, краставици, ким,
магазин, магазин, магазин.

Припев (х2):
Магазин, денонощен магазин,
пролет, лято есен, зима,
в магазина всичко има.
Само в този магазин!
Денонощен магазин.

Всичко има в този денонощен магазин.

Destitute animals at Sofia ZOO

Two days ago I went to the Sofia Zoo to have a nice stroll among nature. It was nice like every time I go there. There were plenty of children with their parents, sun was shining, grass was green :) etc. One thing made bad impression on me howsoever.
Some of the animals were very miserable. They were looking hungry and missing elementary necessities. That is unpleasant of course, but that is the situation in Bulgaria in all aspects of life.

The prices of entrance ticketsfor Sofia Zoo are as follows:
1BGN(50 euro cent) for adults;
0.5BGN(25 euro cent) for children above 7 years of age,students,military etc.
Free for children below 7 years of age

These prices are hilarious. I think they should be 3 times more. And the money should be spent for food and improvements.
It is a good practice companies to adopt animals at the zoo. This is good for them as a marketing strategy but is good for the animals too.

Here are some pictures I took. Pictures of thirsty brown bear, risking her life for some drops of water, bald camel, begging racoons/lama,dirty pond and skinny tiger. I couldn't take a shot of the lion, cause the king does not deserve to be seen in such a pitiful condition.

Class reunion :)

On August,4th my class assembled at last. We were neither more nor less than 16, which is a great success by the way. There was even international participation from the distant Republic of Ireland. Here are some pictures from my camera.