Recently I have been looking at getting back into playing World of Warcraft (WoW).  Alright, have you stopped chuckling now? Yes I play and I quite enjoy playing the game occasionally when I have some free time. I’m not a hard-core gamer, nor would I ever call in sick to play a game such as Warcraft but it is nice way to relax with after working on programming problems.

Recently with the release of the newest expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, Blizzard sent out free 10-day trial invites and I thought I would try it out and see what it was like. I activated the trial on my account and logged in. I felt like an eBay’d player, a player who has a high level character but has no idea what to do. A couple of buddies of mine were online and told me that I would probably get back into it pretty quick and I did.

After playing for a couple of hours I got back into the groove and thought that perhaps it would be good to continue my account but instead of using my credit card for the monthly payment, I would go and buy a 60-day game card.

When I arrived at EBGames and asked for a WoW Game card they handed me a box. My first thought was like, wow (no pun intended) that is an awfully large box for such a small item.

Does anyone see anything wrong with the packaging that Blizzard has gone with in regards to these 60-day game cards? It’s the same “DVD” boxes that games come in nowadays but all it holds is a small plastic card. The same size as a gift card or credit card.

Could Blizzard not set up a re-loadable card system like various retailers have now? When my 60-day time is up I would have to go back in and buy yet another box with a small plastic card inside. Sure I can recycle the cardboard box and plastic card but why would I have to go out and buy yet another cardboard box and plastic card? Wouldn’t Blizzard also save money on their packaging costs if they went with a refillable card?

Kids could go to their local EBGame store and use cash to top up their card like people do with Starbucks cards.

Yes I probably could alleviate my issue of having to keep buying these cards and their packaging by using my credit card but I have decide to stop using my credit card for anything other than travel reservations and/or emergency uses. I could look at using a pre-paid Visa card too I suppose, but shouldn’t Blizzard look at options for reducing the amount of packaging for their items such as these game cards?

What do you buy that the packaging is oversized and really pointless?

I have always enjoyed music and even if I have never been to a concert prior to being with Robyn. The first concerts that I have even been to were both at the local venue called the Commodore on Vancouver’s entertainment district Granville Street. Robyn and I watched Daniel Wesley one evening and then John Butler Trio another evening later in the year. My first large venue concert was to be Jack Johnson and it was to be at Thunderbird Stadium at the University of British Columbia.

Being that I am into photography and owning a digital SLR I was pretty excited on using my 75-300mm lens at this outdoor venue and getting some pretty good shots of the bands and including Jack Johnson but prior to getting to the entrance I was denied.

Walking down the boulevard towards the stadium I noticed Security personal walking opposite to the rest of the crowd heading towards Robyn and I so I stepped over to the right a bit and noticed he made the move to line up with me still. I thought, oh great I know what this is about.

The Security personal asked to see my camera. I showed it to him and told me that I could not bring that into the stadium as it was considered ‘Professional’. Would you consider the Canon EOS 450D as being ‘Professional’? Anyway I informed him I was not professional but he stated that at the entrance they were not allowing anyone into the venue that had a camera with removable lenses. He asked to see my camera closer and said: “Yea sorry, you can remove you lens. I cannot allow you to bring that in so you might as well return it to the car and save yourself a trip.”

I was stunned, though Robyn did tell me that I probably could not get into the concert with it and I left my compact digital camera (Canon SD750) at home thinking I would not need it. I made the trip back to the car while Robyn waited and put the camera into the car. Come on, an outdoor (public) venue and I cannot take my camera? I am not selling the photos I take (though they don’t know that right?) and I would probably not bring it to a larger venue like GM Place, or BC Place. I would not bring it into a smaller venue like the Commodore. That’s what my compact digital camera is for!

When we got to the entrance and they searched Robyn’s purse which had my 18-55mm IS lens in it. They asked us what it was for and Robyn replied “It’s a lens to my boyfriend’s camera”. I stated that I previously had my camera confiscated and they said, “Oh you’re the one who had their camera confiscated”. I was like huh? I guess someone else had they camera taken from them. Anyway they let us into the venue among the large crowd.

Thunderbird Stadium is home to the UBC Thunderbirds and it is used all year round for various activities, sporting events and other events. The stands were slowly filling with people as was the grass field and hill across from the stands. The stage was set in the north and the first band was being set up. I did not catch the names of the two bands prior to Jack Johnson.

Jack Johnson played majority of his larger hits (like Banana Pancakes, If I Had Eyes, Staple it Together, Bubble Toes etc) as well as did some duos with friends. Overall I found it to be a great concert though after being at my first large venue and outside, I still prefer the more private, small crowd venues such as the Commodore, or Roxy.

After the crowd began to disperse from the 30 minute encore Jack Johnson performed I started to take note on how messy the grass area had become with garbage. I guess it could have been worse. The beer garden was littered with white plastic cups which looked like a grassy area filled with white confetti.

My next test is to figure out how I can get media access to local concerts and venues to take photos of said events. That would be great fun and a hobby/career I would like to follow! Anyone out there able to hook me up with media passes to various local Vancouver events?

]]> http://www.tyleringram.com/blog/jack-johnson-outdoor-concert-at-ubc/feed 8 http://www.tyleringram.com/blog/living-in-a-box-in-the-sky-in-vancouvers-west-end http://www.tyleringram.com/blog/living-in-a-box-in-the-sky-in-vancouvers-west-end#comments Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:03:37 +0000 Tyler Ingram http://www.tyleringram.com/?p=478 Ever wonder what sort of apartment you can purchase in the West End of Vancouver? Perhaps you are a bit curious to see the view from a lofty apartment which sits in one of the higher apartment buildings in Vancouver’s quieter neighbourhood of the Downtown West End? Robyn and I had an appointment to check out a living space 18 storeys up above the majority of the neighbourhood.

The building we looked at might seem a bit small to people who own houses but at 651 square feet it would fit Robyn and I quite well. In fact I became almost giddy when I first saw the view that the corner unit had and new exactly where I would set up my desk, a desk with a view of English Bay!

The suite unfortunately was part of an estate being dealt with for a lady who recently was moved into a home. The suite was not in great condition but me being the extremely handy variety I would take the challenge to renovate it and make it look good. The place was pretty much left to the birds (quite literally too).

The main things that would have to be done would be definitely new paint, and the carpet would need to be ripped up and either new carpet to replace, or wood flooring.

The bathroom would need an overhaul as well as it is very out dated and just not something I would personally like to use. It is also a bit dark. The plumbing in the entire building was redone recently, this particular suite had brand new windows installed not too long ago (within the past year) and the roof of the building is currently being upgraded. The elevators to be upgraded were next on the agenda.

The views are amazing and give you a perspective not many people get to see of the surrounding Vancouver area. The dining area offers a view of Stanley Park, the living room and bedroom offer a view of English Bay and beyond.

If you were to go up to the top floor (27 floors) there is a common area with 360 degree view of Vancouver. You can see the Downtown core, English Bay as well as Kitsilano, and over to the local North Shore Mountains such as Cypress and Grouse.

But due to the popularity of the showings unfortunately if we didn’t get a bid in by today we probably will not see that particular suite again, but who knows. Nonetheless it was enjoyable to see what Vancouver has to offer in the West End without having to break the bank!

]]> http://www.tyleringram.com/blog/living-in-a-box-in-the-sky-in-vancouvers-west-end/feed 5 http://www.tyleringram.com/blog/salary-calculator-for-2008 http://www.tyleringram.com/blog/salary-calculator-for-2008#comments Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:21:43 +0000 Tyler Ingram http://www.tyleringram.com/?p=420

Now some people do not believe that the online salary calculators are justifiable or accurate but when they predict an annual salary which is much higher than what I am currently making I start to wonder: Am I being short-changed, or are these salary calculators fake and misleading?

I’ve used a couple of these online salary calculators which usually show you the mid, average and max range for an annual salary for a particular job. Most of the time my job description falls between many titles; Webmaster, IT Specialist, Web Developer etc etc but I always try to pick the one more relevant to what I am currently working on.

Currently IT Business released their new 2008 Salary Calculator and I tried it out. I still fall below what they expect me to be paid. Well at least what they say is the National Average. Perhaps I am with the wrong employer? Who knows, but the following is what they calculated for what I do. Their description is pretty close to what I do too, though I would add on a bunch of more responsibilities which they do not list. As I said before in previous posts I have my hand in a lot of different aspects of my employer.

Now looking at this chart I am well below the ‘National Average’ but the description is pretty much bang on for what I do. Well i do a bunch more things than that but it gives me something to work with right?

If you take the 2008 Salary Calculator how does your current salary compare to the National Average? Granted this calculator is for Canadians though I am sure if you take it and you live outside Canada it will give you a sense of what you might be able to make up here in Canada be it less or more. I’d like to hear what it calculates for you!

After a little while at looking at the various auctions for Nintendo Wii consoles and out bid in the last seconds of the various auctions we found one that allowed us to out bid the other people.  The transaction was smooth and the seller was quick to respond.

Seems pretty typical right? Well not in this case. Canadian Customs decided to hold the product at the Vancouver location after being shipped from Jamaica, New York.  According to US Postal’s tracking system (which to me is a piece of crap)it was being held by customs. Canada Post told me that it had safely arrived in Vancouver but Canada Customs is holding it for some reason. This was 1 week after it should have been delivered to my front door. Oh did I mention I spent $70 on shipping? Why must people gouge you in shipping prices on eBay! I could have shipped the item to Russia in 2 business days for less money!

Now the amount of money that was being spent was now weighing on my brother since we’ve been waiting 2 weeks for this item that should have taken 3-5 business days. I phone call to Canada Post said that the Seller would have to call US Post and have them start an investigation. Well the Seller got back to me and said it would take 1 to 5 business days!! Why can they not just called Canada Customs and ask why the package is being held? After 5 business days and nothing from the Seller I escalate the issue by starting a case with PayPal to get out money back. My brother says to give it till the following Monday (3 weeks at this time) for an answer from the Seller after the need to escalate the issue.

Checking the tracking number on Monday shows that the item was released and being delivered the following morning to my residence. Yay! No word from the Seller until I sent them an email stating that Customs has released it and I will be able to pick it up on the next day. I asked why Canada Customs held it but he did not give me any reason.

After getting it home I set up the Nintendo Wii and started playing it with my little Sister.

This has been my worse experience with eBay and having an item I’ve won shipped to me. I normally sell things on eBay and have never had such an issue like this before. I hope not to have any more issues even though I am now a bit more skeptical about purchasing items from eBay.

MyTechnorati is a plugin for WordPress that will display your Technorati rank in a nice neat badge anywhere you decide to place it. Most people will probably put it in the side navigation. Such as the location in the screen shot below.

Requirements:

You must have a Technorati API key.

WordPress 2.0+

Obtaining your Technorati API key is fairly easy to do; all you need to do is go to their Development Section on their website and it will be generated for you. Free of Charge!

Instructions for Installation:

1. Unzip ‘MyTechnorati’ folder into /wp-content/plugins/
2. Activate the MyTechnorati plugin via the Admin panel in your WordPress Blog
3. From Plugins -> MyTechnorati enter your Technorati API Key and the Full URL for your blog
4. Click ‘Update Options’
5. Locate where you want to the badge to show up. The above screenshot has it inserted in /wp-content/themes/default/sidebar.php with the following code:  
   

[code]
<li>
<?php
  if(function_exists('MyTechnorati')) {
     MyTechnorati();
   }
?>
</li>
[/code]

Notes:

MyTechnorati is based on Doug Karr’s version but uses the WordPress database to cache your Technorati Rank for easier implementation and retrieval. No need to write to an external file where file permissions can be an issue.

Please do not edit the files within the MyTechnorati folder; I will look at making it viable for either changing the Font (ttf) file or the graphic file itself.

If you cannot get the plugin to work please contact me via my Contact page and I will try and help as quickly as possible.

Download:

Version: 0.1 – MyTechnorati

As a recent birthday present to himself (yes it was his Birthday yesterday) and was given the opportunity to purchase a fancy Epson projector for mere pennies of the retail price! What is one of the first things he does with it? That’s right! He loads up World of Warcraft and takes it for a test spin on his new big screen (or should I say wall?).

Now if you have ever played World of Warcraft (WoW) one thing that I have personally found is that the bigger the screen the better the gaming experience, though this is usually true for all other video games too. It is a little hard to judge the size of the items on the screen so we got Chris to actually model himself in front of the screen.

Yes Chris decided to go change his shirt to ‘become one’ with the World of Warcraft. He was also able to put his character in the palm of his hand! How interactive is that?

Now I didn’t get to see movies being played but I have never seen Chris so giddy before so I will take it from his expressions and jumping around like a schoolgirl that the movie experience and TV experience is just simply too hard to express in words!

Chris, Happy 26^th Birthday! Just remember, there is an outside world… yes outside from the WoW as well!

It is loosely based on the Technorati widget that Doug Karr created and that Bobby Matthis modified. Instead of writing all of the information to a cache file my little badge currently only writes the Technorati Rank to a text file that is then read into PHP and has the above image created.

Possible future version might include both Technorati Rank and the Authority Rank, but for now I think it looks neat and creating dynamic images with PHP (utilizing the GD2 Library) is actually pretty fun.

If there is enough interest in the badge I created I could look at distributing it in a small package that is easily deployable across any blog that uses PHP and has support for the GD2 library.

Related Posts:

Display Your Technorati Rank To Everyone

Technorati Come Find Me!

The basic way to send an email with PHP is utilizing the mail() function like so:

[code]
<?php

if (mail($to, $subject, $message)) {

  echo "Mail Sent Successfully";

} else {

  echo "Error: Mail could not be sent";

}
?>

[/code]

Now that seems fairly basic right? What if you want to get a little more advanced by added multiple people or even attachments in your email? Well you need to use the optional, additional headers that the mail() function can accept. This also allows you to send plain text, html based emails, or even both. The following is how to set up an email in PHP for a single file attachment.

First off we need to create a boundary. The boundary is a separator that tells the email program that the message should be handled differently for a particular section: text, html, inline image or an attachment.

Using MD5 for its hash with the date as a seed we can generate a somewhat random string of characters for use in the boundary. The boundary needs to be something that will not have a chance of showing up in any part of the email message.

[code]
<?php

$semi_rand = md5(date('r'));

$mime_boundary = "x{$semi_rand}x";

?>
[/code]

Now we set up the email’s headers first by specifying the MIME version and then telling the client that it is a mixed message so it should handle it differently. What is MIME? Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions – allows for more than just plain text emails.

[code]
<?php

$headers = "MIME-Version: 1.0\\r\\n ";

$headers .= "Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary=\"{$mime_boundary}\"\\r\\n";

$headers .= "To: Me <me@me.com>\\r\\n";

$headers .= "From: You <you@you.com>\\r\\n";

?>
[/code]

So you want to add a message body to this email prior to attaching the file right? This is the easiest way to do it.

[code]
<?php
$BODY = "--{$mime_boundary}\\r\\n".

        "Content-Type: text/plain; charset=\"iso-8859-1\"\\n".

        "Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit\\r\\n". 

        "You can put whatever you want here as long as it is plain text\\r\\n";
?>
[/code]

Notice how there are 2 dashes before the $mime_boundary, this is needed so that the client knows the string of characters after it is a boundary and parse it correctly.

Now it is time to read in the file you wish to attach to the email.

[code]
<?php

$FILE = fopen('path/to/file.txt', 'rb');

$FILETYPE  = mime_content_type('path/to/file.txt');

$DATA = fread($FILE, filesize('path/to/file.txt');

fclose($FILE);
?>

[/code]

The file is opened and the contents are read into the $DATA variable for later usage. Next we need to encode the data into a binary format that can go along with the email.

[code]
<?php

$DATA = chunk_split(base64_encode($DATA));

?>
[/code]

Now we attach the file to the body of the email

[code]
<?php

$BODY .= "--{$mime_boundary}\\r\\n".

       "Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64\\r\\n".

       "Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=\"MyFileName\"\\r\\n".

       "{$DATA}\\r\\n".

       "--{$mime_boundary}--\\r\\n";

?>
[/code]

So far so good? We tell the email client that the next set of data has been encoded in base64 and that it is to be an attachment by the filename we specified. Then we close the email message with the boundary with 2 dashes at the end as well.

Then we just send the email

[code]
<?php

if (!mail('toMyFriend@someplace.com', 'Your File', $BODY, $HEADERS)) {

    echo "Error in sending email";

} else {

   echo "Mail was sent successfully!";

}

?>
[/code]

And there we have it, a somewhat easy and hopefully understandable way of sending an email with some text and include an attachment. The above code can also be slightly modified for adding multiple attachments; you would just need to add in a loop to do so.

One thing I noticed while I was doing this was that when you are creating your headers you MUST make sure you do not leave ANY whitespace between the right margin and the text. If the headers do have whitespace before them, the email client will not read them properly and the email will be send all inline. Meaning that you will see the base64 encoding of the file attachment in the body of the email message!

I hope this has been helpful for those who are curious about how to get PHP’s mail function to send file attachments.

What have I been working on?

Well I’ve been working on some mock up websites for myself and for a local club. I am to have a meeting with the local club’s GM and go over what he wants for the new site. The old site is once flash file at around 1.5Mb. It’s not ugly or anything, just not what the GM wants for his club (I personally hate flash sites). I asked him what he likes about it and he said absolutely nothing but paid for it anyway. When talking to other people about the site (www.tommysclub.com) the first thing they tell me is that they really dislike the music that loads once the page is done loading. Buck Cherry’s Crazy Bitch. Now what I have mocked up is a non-flash, pure CSS web site that hopefully is easier to navigate and looks a little better: www.tyleringram.com/tommys

Now I mentioned I am working on a site for myself. If I could dedicate a bit more time to it, the site will be for what I’ve always wanted to get fully into: Web Design & Development. Now the site (www.tyleringram.com/New) is also a mockup as I get used to splicing things in Photoshop and gluing it back together using CSS only. The layout and design is simple and that is what I am aiming for. My previous attempt was all dark, a bit too dark after looking at it and I thought I would try and brighten it up a bit. Though you’re feedback is always welcome! For those who are curious, the filler text is Latin; mainly it is Lorem Ipsum and has been used for a long time as dummy text when it comes to publishing. When you don’t have content but need to see what content would look like in a layout it is a great thing to use.

At work I have been also working on a new layout and design for our corporate website. I have been playing around with Suckerfish Dropdown menus which are nearly pure CSS except when it comes to functioning with Internet Explorer. The thing that I love about it is that it only takes roughly 7 lines of JavaScript code to make it work with IE. In all the other browsers though it is pure CSS and works wonderfully. When with IE play with nicely with all the other browsers? I mean IE7 does a better job than IE6 but the World Wide Web Consortium is the standards and all the other browsers follow it (more than IE anyway). I will be looking at doing a closer look on how you can create your own CSS dropdown menus utilizing the Suckerfish Theory at a later time.