Check your Internet Broadband Connection Speed

If you want to know whether the connection speed your internet broadband service provider promised is correct or not, you can check it here at Broadband Speed test. The website automatically decides where you live and suggest the server for you to test. Just click the suggested server and the program will test the connection speed. It takes just a few seconds. It test both the upload and the download speeds, and display the answer. For me, my upload speed is always around 750 kbps while my download speed is always around half my upload speed, that is, around 400 – 450 kbps. What my internet service provider promises is 1.5 mbps for download and 512 kbps for upload. So, while the upload speed is not much different, the download speed is only half what they promised. I think it also depends on the internet usage at the time of my test. Let me know if your speed is the same as what your service provider promised.

My Speed Test Result

How to insert images and pictures in Gmail

Gmail is cool, really cool and I use it as my primary mail. I used to use other emails before but now I use gmail as my sole email. I even assess my office pop mail using gmail's pop collector. However, there are a few things that I like to see in gmail.

1. You cannot insert images and pictures into gmail message. You can send them as an attachment but you cannot insert them into the message body.

2. You cannot format the message using html. That is too bad.

OK, they are too bad but you can still do these, and it is not difficult. Very easy indeed.

To so these, first, open a google document. Write your message with message in it. Just write anything you want and insert any picture or image anywhere you want in the message. After you finish, just select the whole page and copy. Then go to gmail, open the compose window, and paste. Done! It is that easy.

Now what if you want to do some html formatting? Go to google pages, create a new web page (no, you don't need to publish it), and do what ever you want. Then select all, copy and paste in gmail. Bingo!

Hope you find it useful.

Microsoft Office Live - what is it?

A few weeks ago, I sign up for Microsoft office live. I thought it was something like Google docs or Zoho where users can create and edit office documents like words, excels and power point. I was wrong. All Office Live let me do is to store my office documents online and share with other. That is still OK although I have not many people to share my documents. However, a few days later, Microsoft started sending promotional mails into my gmail account. It send almost every day, sometimes more than a mail a day. That is too much. I never read them, and I have to tell my gmail that they are spams. It sucks. Never register for Live if you don't have any thing to do with file sharing. (And with Live, you can share only the Microsoft Office documents, not other documents).

Technorati Tags: Office, Live

Connecting two computers using USB bridge cable

If you ever wonder whether you could connect two computers using a USB cable, the answer is yes. But have you ever tried to connect two computers using a USB cable, or tried to find a correct USB cable to connect two computers?

To connect two computers using a USB cable, you will need a special USB cable called USB bridge. It is a USB to USB cable with a hub in between. It is not expensive and can be bought from any computer store. But setting up it is a bit tricky as you need to install a software before you connect the cable to the computers. And the software need to be installed on each computer you intend to use. After correctly installing the software, there is no problem connecting two computers. Just connect the two computers using the USB bridge, open the software on both computers and drag and drop the files and folders from one computer to another.

You can find out about how to set up the USB bridge to connect two computers using USB port see at www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/248.

Technorati Tags: USB bridge

Burglish

Everybody knows that typing Burmese (Myanmar) is a difficult job. You cannot deny it. It takes a lot of practice and patience to be able to type in Myanmar quickly and efficiently. Moreover, you also have the frustration of having to familiarize yourself with a different keyboard layout whenever you change the font system. Many Burmese people out there cannot type Burmese well. Most of us even don't know how to type in Myanmar. That is how we have developed Burglish. This is a writing system where user use the English alphabets to spell Burmese words. You cannot get the correct pronunciation although you get as close to the correct sound as possible. Although this system is far from perfect, at least you have a basic communicability on the internet. It allows Burmese chatters to use Burmese in online communications.

Now, here comes a big improvement. Some Burmese computer genius invented a system of converting these Burglish words into a meaningful Myanmar words using real Myanmar alphabets. That may be a small step for these people but actually a big leap for the Burmese online netizens. You can check it out the Burglish online. Alternatively, you can download Burglish too and use it off line on your computer. You can also see the development of Burglish at their Burglish blog.

By the way, if you are interested in other Myanmar (Burmese) language projects, check out at Myanmar Language Technology Portal (MMLT).

Technorati Tags: Myanmar, Burma, Burmese, Language, Burglish

A Myanmar Blogging guide by Nyi Lynn Seck

Here is the much awaited pdf book from Nyi Lynn Seck. The book is about "How to make Myanmar Blog?" It is weitten in Myanmar, with detailed explanation in every step involved. He explained the steps involved in setting up and blog in Blooger, setting up to use Myanmar (Burmese) fonts, and posting. This is a must book for all Myanmar bloggers, whether you are a new comer or an experienced blogger. You can download this pdf book here at How to make Myanmar Blog?

Zoho Writer

Zoho Writer - A Web Based Word Processor

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I am just testing the Zoho writer from www.zoho.com. It is a web based writer whrere you do the simple word processing on your web browser. It seems the application has some powerful features, although not as powerful as Microsoft word. However, on the other hand, Microsoft Word cost a lot of money while Zoho writer is free of charge. And you can save your documents online free of charge and later retrive back from any computer with online assess. This is particularly useful if you are travelling and you want to write some letter or document, but forget to bring a laptop or a thumb drive. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend Zoho writer, as you can get Open Office free of charge, which is as powerful as Microsoft Word. And one problem I encounter while using Zoho writer is that whenever I tried to resize images, it stuck. I don't know why.

However, if you use online alot at internet cafes, this writer is a very useful application, as you can simply save all your documents online. And you can also use it to post the documents to your blog. You can reach Zoho writer at www.zoho.com.

Something about Internet Cafes in Myanmar

Well, a few weeks ago, I wrote about blooming of internet cafes in Yangon. Well, there are now many new internet cafes in Yangon, and it is easier for the users to use internet at cheaper price. However, the problme with all of them is that, as there are frequent electricity outbreaks, they have to use their own generators for most of the time. Some of the internet cafes cannot keep up with the fuel price so they have to close when the electricity is cut off. Today when I was using at one internet cafe, they said they were going to close the shop as the generator was very hot because it had been running non stop for nearly 6 hours. Another one near by was also closed. The one I am using now is also running with the generator. They said it is not very profitable so they had to raise the fee now.

Uncyclopedia

Well, looks like another wikipedia, with user edited contents. Not really. This is actually a mock replica of famous online encyclopedia - wiki. All articles in this uncyclopedia are jokes. Although they are all false articles, these articles will surely make your dull day colorful.

Technorati Tag : Uncyclopedia

Down Them All Firefox Extension

I think, of all the firefox extensions out there, for me Down Them All download manager is the most useful one. There is a little bug in firefox where it hangs for a couple of seconds while you started downloading a file. With this download manager, you can avoid this problem. Moreover, you can pool your downloads and then download afterwards. You can decide how many simultaneous downloads you want too. Very convenient for a download junky like me.

Technorati Tag : Firefox, Internet, Download Manager, Extension

Mini poll on your webpage

If you would like to have a mini poll on your web page or blog, there is a nice gadget for you, absolutely free of charge. You can choose between different skins and have your poll ready in a minute. You can view the results of your poll, and configure to show or hide your poll results to the visitors. You can also set up multiple polls on your website. And registration takes only a few seconds.

Technorati Tag : Poll, Internet

Watch Music Videos on You Tube Free

Do you know that you can watch a lot of music videos on You Tube? US, western, Korean, Chinese, Asian, as well as many Burmese (Myanmar) MTVs are there. Have you ever tried it before? Just search by the name of the singer, or simply type MTV or MV into the search box. You will be amazed at how many free music videos are there in You Tube.

Here is one of my favourite: Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake

Fads in the town - Internet Cyber Culture in Myanmar

There are now many new internet cafes opened recently in Yangon as well as in Mandalay. When I first used internet three years ago, it used to cost 1500 to 2000 kyats an hour, and all I got was a very slow internet connection, sometimes as low as 0.5 kbps! And I had to took a bus about half an hour to get to the nearest internet cafe.

Now, I just walked to the internet cafe near my house, and I get a decent connection speed at a price as low as 300 kyats. Most of the internet cafes in Yangon charges 400 kyats an hour. I can even download and upload video files from the internet cafes.

In Mandalay too, the price is more or less the same with many youngstars using the internet for many long hours.

However, the trend is only in Yangon and Mandalay. In most other cities, the price charged by the internet cafes are still high, as high as 1500 kyats in Kalay and 2000 kyats in Hakha. And the connection speed is not as fast as in Yangon and Mandalay.

Another thing is that, although many young people use internet, they use it mainly for chatting and voice mail. Most of them do not look at other educational or news website, and most do not know how to make a decent search. For them, internet is just chatting and voice mailing.

Anyway, because of the low price and ready availability of internet cafes, more and more people have now access to internet and I believe that is a good thing all Myanmar citizens.

Technorati Tag : Internet, Myanmar, Burma