henryranch.net

I recently installed Ubuntu Linux 12.04 on my HPDV5000 laptop and ran into a snag when the OS would not recognize the wireless card.  But, thanks to some research and a bit of patience, I got it running.  Check out the simple tutorial here: http://henryranch.net/tutorials/hp-dv5000-and-ubuntu-12-04-wireless-card-issues-solved/

We have just posted a new review of 3 brands of Instant Yerba Mate!  If you have only done the brewed Mate and never tried the instant mixes, then you are in for a treat.  Instant Mate is great for backpacking trips, sporting events or an emergency kit!  Take a look at the new reviews here: http://henryranch.net/reviews/yerba-mate-reviews/

HenryRanchLLC is proud to announce the release of Syndicate Press version 1.0.16.  This release fixes a couple of small bugs and contains a new feature which allows you to customize the format of the time-stamp.  Syndicate Press, the best feed aggregation plugin for WordPress.  Join more than 10,000 Syndicate Press users around the world by installing Syndicate Press today.  See the Syndicate Press home page here: http://henryranch.net/software/syndicate-press/

Henryranch.net is pleased to announce the release of Syndicate Press version 1.0.15.  This version contains a performance enhancement that makes the plugin admin page a little faster.  Syndicate Press, the best feed aggregation plugin for WordPress.  Join more than 10,000 Syndicate Press users around the world by installing Syndicate Press today.  See the Syndicate Press home page here: http://henryranch.net/software/syndicate-press/

Ken McConnell, of Tyrmia fame, and one of the best up and coming science fiction authors has just completed a two part review of Scrivener, the quintessential book authoring program for Mac and Windows.  In his review, Ken leads the reader through a detailed overview of the Scrivener application from the authors perspective.   With plenty of screen-shots and examples using his latest science fiction work-in-progress, Ken digs in and reveals how the Scrivener tool-set makes authoring more efficient and more enjoyable.  Check out Kens review here: http://ken-mcconnell.com/2012/05/16/how-i-use-scrivener-to-write-a-novel-part-one/

AirsoftRanch.com, the internets fastest growing airsoft storefront, now has upgrade parts for your airsoft gun including pistons, piston and cylinder heads, springs and full tune-up kits. AirsoftRanch.com: great gear at great prices!  

Syndicate Press version 1.0.10 was released this evening with several bug-fixes that resolve a formatting issue and a filtering issue.  Be sure to update your installation soon in order to take advantage of these fixes!  If you haven’t already installed 1.0.9, you can jump to 1.0.10 without a problem and get access to the new showImages custom override feature found in 1.0.9. Syndicate Press, the best feed aggregation plugin for WordPress.  Join more than 6900 Syndicate Press users around the world by installing Syndicate Press today.  See the Syndicate Press home page here: http://henryranch.net/software/syndicate-press/

With internet crime rampant and advertisers creating huge databases of our online behavior, it’s time that every online subscriber adds a little more protection to their internet use.  AceVPN.com provides trusted VPN services at affordable rates.  Take a look at our review of AceVPN.com here: http://henryranch.net/reviews/ace-vpn-provides-secure-internet-use/

Syndicate Press version 1.0.8 has been released this evening with a highly requested new feature!  Many of you have asked for the ability to define filters within the page or post.  This version provides the WordPress author with the ability to define inclusive and exclusive filters targeted directly at a given feed on a given page!  Be sure to update your installation soon in order to take advantage of this great new feature!  Syndicate Press, the best feed aggregation plugin for WordPress.  Join more than 5700 Syndicate Press users around the world by installing Syndicate Press today.  See the Syndicate Press home page here: http://henryranch.net/software/syndicate-press/

We have just released version 1.0.7 as a rapid follow-on to the 1.0.6 version.  Syndicate Press 1.0.7 fixes an image display bug and moves the cache control buttons in the admin page in-line with the update button.  This simple change significantly eases use of the admin page.  Be sure to update your installation soon in order to take advantage of these changes!  😉  Syndicate Press, the best feed aggregation plugin for WordPress.  Join more than 5500 Syndicate Press users around the world by installing Syndicate Press today.  See the Syndicate Press home page here: http://henryranch.net/software/syndicate-press/

After a lot of UI work, we are pleased to announce the release of Syndicate Press 1.0.6.  This version features a completely redesigned admin UI using embedded tabs.  The new tabbed admin page is much easier to use and far more user friendly.  Join more than 5500 Syndicate Press users around the world by installing Syndicate Press today.  Syndicate Press, the best feed aggregation plugin for WordPress.  See the Syndicate Press home page here: http://henryranch.net/software/syndicate-press/

With a new year comes new reviews at one of the most viewed Yerba Mate review pages on the net!  We have added reviews of Itapua La Potente, Cachamate and Campesino with more information on the special blend of herbs that make these Mate products unique and wonderful.  Additionally, we have updated all of our links to take you directly to the best deals on the net for each product!  Lastly, we have added a section about the recent Dr. Oz show where he discusses the amazing Yerba Mate “miracle drink”.  To read the latest updates and reviews please see our article here: http://henryranch.net/reviews/yerba-mate-reviews/

Take a look at the new products at AirsoftRanch.com! We have added a new radio section including FRS, MURS, HAM and CB radios. We have also created a new Picatinny and Weaver rail accessory section featuring UTG and Magpul.

Light-boxing is a technique for cleanly popping up  information in a web-page while simultaneously darkening the main page to provide focus to the popup content.  All of the major javascript libraries provide very nice light-box implementations, but they come at the cost of large memory footprints that may not work in an embedded application where memory resources are constrained.  In this tutorial, we present a simple, yet elegant light-box implementation using CSS and minimal JavaScript: http://henryranch.net/tutorials/simple-small-fast-css-lightboxing-for-embedded-web-servers/

Syndicate Press lets you include RSS feeds directly in your WordPress Posts or Pages at a location YOU choose. This plugin provides a very easy to use administration page and includes great features such as feed caching, filters and several display options.  The 1.0.5 version removed some hard coded formatting enabling the user to further customize the look of the article titles!

Syndicate Press version 1.0.4 has been released.  This version contains a minor enhancement to help reduce errors in the configuration page.

AirsoftRanch.com is now offering a newly expanded range of radios including FRS, MURS, CB, GMRS and HAM models.  For great deals on airsoft, tactical training and emergency preparedness, visit AirsoftRanch.com today!

Syndicate Press version 1.0.3 has been released!  This version contains a small fix which enables you to insert advertisements between news feeds.  If you are running a WordPress site and you would like to incorporate news feeds from around the world, give Syndicate Press a try.  Syndicate Press supports RSS, Atom and RDF feeds and even works with Twitter feeds!  For more information, see the Syndicate Press homepage at: http://henryranch.net/software/syndicate-press/

The traditional CB (Citizens Band) channels have been clogged for many years.  The FRS (Family Radio Service) bands are becoming increasingly noisy and clogged as more people buy FRS radios.  The MURS (Multiple Use Radio Service) band is still relatively clear and can be used by any US Citizen without a license.  For more information on the MURS band and some great radio recommendations, see the new article: http://henryranch.net/radio-communication/murs-citizens-band-radio-service/

The Syndicate Press development team would like to extend a sincere thank you to our latest donors! One donor chose to remain anonymous.  The other donor hosts her website at http://saillwhite.com/.  Please take a moment to visit her site.  If you are using syndicate Press and have not yet donated, please consider doing so.  Donations encourage ongoing development and help cover hosting costs.

Syndicate Press 1.0.2 was released this evening with 1 bug-fix and 1 enhancement.  Join the more than 700 WordPress users who have installed Syndicate Press during the first week of publication!  See the Syndicate Press homepage here: http://henryranch.net/software/syndicate-press/

If you have seen the wimpy pop bottle rocket videos on YouTube, you might want to take a look at this tutorial where we have ramped up the good ‘ol pop bottle rocket into a honcho pop bottle missile with ballistic flight characteristics.  It’s seriously awesome and perfect for airsoft games or some mad scientist experiments.  Check out the tutorial here: http://henryranch.net/airsoft/airsoft-pop-bottle-rocket-tactical-mortor-or-battlefield-missile/

Syndicate Press 1.0.1 was released this week with 1 bug fix and 1 feature enhancement.  For details, see the Syndicate Press homepage at http://henryranch.net/software/syndicate-press/

After nearly a year in release candidate status, Syndicate Press has been released into the WordPress Plugin repository.  Users may now download the latest Syndicate Press version directly through their WordPress admin page.  For details see: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/syndicate-press/.  The Syndicate Press homepage with documentation and FAQs can be found here: http://henryranch.net/software/syndicate-press/.  If you are not already using Syndicate Press to add RSS feeds to your blog, you should!  Syndicate Press is already powering more than 600 feed aggregation sites across the world!

Join us for a multi-part series in which we explore the powerful Selenium tool-chain.  If you have been looking for an alternative to the expensive automation tools from the big vendors or you are just starting to research automated web application testing, this serialized tutorial is for you! http://henryranch.net/software/automated-web-testing-with-selenium-part-1/

Wow, this is some good stuff, enjoy: http://www.kernairsoft.org/forum/random-quotes/view-random-quotes.asp

I recently bought my first RC airplane and I am learning how to fly it.  What an adventure! Back in the day, an RC airplane cost hundreds of dollars, but NitroPlanes.com is changing all of that.  With an excellent mix of high-quality and low-prices, NitroPlanes.com is making it very easy to get into RC flying. There is a major sale going on right now, so get your new plane or servos before the sale ends! Here is the link: HUGE SALE on R/C Planes! Electric and Gas! 50- 70% OFF!

If you are interested in following real-time earthquake related news and receiving immediate notification of when an earthquake occurs, take a look at the new feed provided by the USGS and made available to you by henryranch.net: http://henryranch.net/news/real-time-earthquake-news/

Great science fiction with a fresh, action packed storyline doesn’t come along that often.  If you are looking for a new author with some fantastic new plots and technology, take a look at this review of Ken McConnells latest three books: http://henryranch.net/reviews/starstrikers-tyrmia-and-the-tales-from-ocherva/

Henryranch.net reviews one of the best low-cost ham radio’s to hit the market. From it’s sleek, feature rich design, to the lovable Shanghai Shelly voice, this radio is sure to make every ham happy! Check out the review here: http://henryranch.net/reviews/wouxun-kg-uvd1p-kg-uvd2-kg-uvd3-review/

Planning to upgrade to WordPress 3.2 on a shared host such as 1and1?  If so, you might want to give yourself a little more time to do the upgrade.  On many shared hosts, the default PHP memory is limited.  Take a look at this tutorial for instructions on how to increase your available PHP memory: http://henryranch.net/tutorials/fixing-wordpress-upgrade-out-of-memory-error/

Looking for a great bombilla style filter straw for Yerba Mate, loose coffee or loose leaf tea?  Take a look at this review for the best bombilla ever: http://henryranch.net/reviews/the-best-yerba-mate-bombilla-filtered-drinking-straw/

Airsoftranch.com is a new site which showcases the best in airsoft and tactical training equipment.  With a simple to navigate storefront and the ordering, payment and shipping power of Amazon, Airsoftranch.com enables you to find the best in airsoft and tactical training equipment.  Airsoftranch.com: Gear up.  Get out.  Get it done.

This is the season for huge sales on Yerba Mate!  Order now to take advantage of these great deals! Get great deals on the following products: Organic Salante Strawberry Taragui Traditional Yerba Mate La Merced Yerba Mate Tea Bags And don’t forget that all Yerba Mate and health products are discounted when you buy a certain amount of product. Quantity Discounts: $25 or more: 10% off $50 or more: 15% off $100 or more: 20% off 2-13-2011: Free mate with every purchase this week!   If you order this week, you will receive a free 1/4 lb bag of Premio Erva Mate!  Premio Erva Mate is one of Brazil’s premium large leaf mates.  With little dust and wonderful flavor, Premio Erva Mate is a mate lovers paradise.  Use promo code premio.  Even if you miss out of the free deal, the sale on Salante’s Strawberry flavored mate is sure to make you smile.

If you have just tried to activate a new plugin in your WordPress installation and received a strange “Fatal Error: unexpected {” message, don’t worry!  There is an easy fix. For details, see this tutorial: http://henryranch.net/fixing-wordpress-3-x-y-plugin-fatal-error/

I recently attempted to update my wordpress installation from 3.0.4 to 3.0.5 via the automatic update feature when I encountered an ugly error: “Fatal error: Out of Memory”.  This error will prevent the update from completing.  Fortunately, the fix is pretty simple.  For details see this tutorial: http://henryranch.net/tutorials/fixing-wordpress-upgrade-out-of-memory-error/

Occasionally, a WordPress update will fail for one reason or another.  If your WordPress site is stuck in “maintenance” mode, or will not upgrade automatically, this tutorial will show you how to clean up your WordPress installation and get your site running again.  So let’s get your site fixed!  Follow this link for the tutorial: http://henryranch.net/tutorials/how-to-recover-from-a-failed-wordpress-update/

If you are starting to develop open source software on the Windows platform, you may not be aware of all of the great tools available to you.  Henryranch.net has put together a list of the best free and open-source tools available for office productivity, source control, debugging, decompiling, editing, merging, diff’ing, and even graphic design.  Get your project off to a great start by reviewing the best open source development tool list for Windows: http://henryranch.net/reviews/open-source-development-tools/

If you work on airsoft guns or host airsoft games, then you need a shooting chronograph to measure the muzzle velocity of the bb’s.  In this article, I review the newly updated XCorTech X3200 shooting chronograph: http://henryranch.net/airsoft/airsoft-shooting-chronograph-review-xcortech-x3200

Did you know that you can make WMI (Windows Management Interface) queries directly from Java? In this tutorial, I present the jWMI library which provides access to the WMI in pure java. With jWMI, you no longer need JNI, COM, or other libraries to query the Windows registry, system services or other Windows information. Take a look at the article here: http://henryranch.net/software/jwmi-query-windows-wmi-from-java/. Join nearly 1000 other developers who are already using jWMI!

If you are looking for a an inexpensive pair of ballistic, mil-spec rated goggles for airsoft or other sports, you need to take a look at this review of the Pyramex XSG Ballistic goggle: http://henryranch.net/reviews/airsoft-goggle-review-pyramex-xsg-ballistic-goggles/.

If you are looking for a small profile video camera to attach to your airsoft rifle, hunting rifle or shotgun, you need to take a look at this review: http://henryranch.net/reviews/flashlight-camera-review/

It has been almost a year since we purchased and installed the Ooma Telo and we have recently added a couple of “vintage” cord-style phones to our home phone system.  So far, they are working great with the Ooma Telo.  Take a look at this review for an unvarnished perspective on the Ooma Telo VOIP phone system: http://henryranch.net/reviews/ooma-review-a-real-look-at-the-ooma-voip-phone-system/.

With a new season, comes new features in Syndicate Press.  This version allows the admin to preserve or remove the formatting in a feed article.  Additionally, a customized message can now be displayed when a feed is not available.  If you are looking for a great news aggregation plugin for WordPress, look no further than Syndicate Press:  http://henryranch.net/software/syndicate-press/.

If you recently updated your WordPress installation, you may see the following error when trying to post a comment: “The requested URL ‘/$’ was not found on this server. “ If  you see this error, relax… it is likely just a plugin that is not compatible with your new version of WordPress.  To fix the problem, simply update all of your plugins to their latest versions, then try posting a comment again.  The problem should be resolved.

Backing up your website does not have to be a difficult thing to do.  If you have a static website, the easiest way to make a backup is by using the open-source tool ‘wget’. To recursively back up your site, including all of the images, execute the following at a command line: wget -r -k -p yourWebsiteURL After the application completes, your website will be replicated locally on your system, with all relative links converted to work from your filesystem.

Did you know that a bombilla makes a great coffee filter?   The bombilla is a traditional South American drinking straw with a filter on the bottom and is typically used to filter yerba mate.   While the bombilla has a long history as a yerba mate filter, it also works great as a coffee filter. To use a bombilla with coffee, simply fill your cup with hot water and pour in a few teaspoons of coffee grounds.  Let the coffee steep for a few minutes and give it a stir with your bombilla.  Then drop your bombilla in the brew and enjoy your fresh, hot cup of coffee.  One of the best bombillas available right now is the Ultimate Bombilla.  It only costs a couple of dollars and is perfect for yerba mate, coffee and loose-leaf tea!  Get yours today!  For a deeper discussion of the bombilla and some of the great yerba mate brands, check out this review: http://henryranch.net/reviews/yerba-mate-reviews/

What is better on a brisk fall evening than a hot cup of yerba mate?  Not much compares to a cup full of strawberry or vanilla yerba mate on a chilly fall evening.  If you are looking for some good flavors of yerba mate and an honest review of some of the brands, then checkout my reviews here: http://henryranch.net/reviews/yerba-mate-reviews/

In the market for a LiPo battery that works in your airsoft AEG gun, model airplane, helicopter or RC car and won’t cost an arm and a leg?  Hopefully you are looking for just the right balance of price and performance.  If so, then I think I have found the perfect candidate for you.  Take a look at my new review of the Blue LiPo branded Lithium Polymer battery here: http://henryranch.net/reviews/blue-lipo-battery-review/

Syndicate Press has been receiving a lot of new users lately.  In this release, we have added a new feature that displays the feed item publication time-stamp.  See the Syndicate Press homepage here: http://henryranch.net/software/syndicate-press/.   If you have not yet donated, please show your support for Syndicate Press by donating via the Paypal link.

Cool summer mornings, hot summer days and beautiful summer evenings… What better way to enjoy the summer than with a cup of iced yerba mate! Take a look at this review for some great summer mate recommendations: http://henryranch.net/reviews/yerba-mate-reviews/.   If you are a fan of iced tea and you have not yet tried iced yerba mate, then you are missing out on a great experience.  Yerba mate is a South American drink similar to tea, but much smoother and less acidic.  There are numerous flavored mate’s and my three favorites are mint, strawberry and vanilla.

Have you ever been working on some java code, when all of the sudden it appears that the app is NOT doing what you expect and the code clearly does something different than the compiled app?  You probably have an old version of the compiled class lurking somewhere in your classpath!  Check out this new tutorial that puts the power back in your hands when it comes to sniffing out that sneaky class: http://henryranch.net/tutorials/how-to-determine-where-a-java-class-is-being-loaded-from/

Looking for a great programmer for PIC Microcontrollers including the 16F and 18F series of chips?  The KIT150 is a versatile programmer that supports a wide variety of chips and can program standalone chips via a ZIF socket or in-circuit chips via the ICSP port.  While the programmer sports a compact and robust design, it can be damaged if you insert a chip backward!  Read the article for a general review of the programmer and how to fix the it if you blow out the TR2 or TR3 transistor. http://henryranch.net/hardware/kit150-usb-pic-programmer/

There is a new version of Syndicate Press available.  This release adds a Syndicate Press news feed to the Admin page so that the site admin can stay up to date on the latest Syndicate Press releases.  If you are looking for a very clean and easy to use RSS, Atom or RDF feed plugin, give Syndicate Press a try!  http://henryranch.net/software/syndicate-press/

Just posted a review of the Behringer UCA202 stereo audio I/O device. If you need a quality converter that does both analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog audio conversion and need to stay within a small budget, then this device is for you! Take a look at my review here: http://henryranch.net/reviews/behringer-uca202-stereo-usb-analog-to-digital-audio-converter/

Including props in an airsoft game can add a bit more enjoyment and challenge to the scenario.  Check out this new article about a man portable satellite dish with an embedded electronics package that I have been working on: http://henryranch.net/airsoft/airsoft-prop-satellite-communication-dish/

Just posted a review of my recently purchased Pyramex XSG ballistic goggles.  If you are in the market for a great Airsoft or general safety goggle at an excellent price, you have to read this review: http://henryranch.net/reviews/airsoft-goggle-review-pyramex-xsg-ballistic-goggles/

Need a charger for your high performance Airsoft or RC battery?  Looking for a great Lipo battery charger with integrated cell balancing?  In this article I review my recently purchased Lipo/NiCd/NiMH/Pb battery charger.  If you are in the market for a battery charger, read this article first: http://henryranch.net/reviews/lipo-battery-charger-review/

Syndicate Press is moving along.  This latest release includes a number of error handling, security and administration page updates.  If you are looking for a great news feed aggregator for your WordPress site, give Syndicate Press a try: http://henryranch.net/software/syndicate-press/

I just got my hands on some of the Salante Mint Madness flavored yerba mate.  What a treat!  With deep mint flavors and a subtle mate foundation, this blend is sure to please the most discerning of mate drinkers.  Take a look at my review here: http://henryranch.net/reviews/yerba-mate-reviews/.

Stevia is a completely natural, sugar free sweetener that you can add to your hot and cold drinks without it becoming bitter like the more popular sugar free sweeteners on the market.  Take a look at the new review of the Salante strawberry teabags and the new section about stevia sweetener.  The review is available here: http://henryranch.net/reviews/yerba-mate-reviews/

I just got into airsoft and like any newbie I have been learning as much as I can about all the gear I need. As a result of all this research I have been compiling quite a list of links to articles, tutorials and products. Take a look at my airsoft article here: http://henryranch.net/airsoft/

FRS and GMRS radios can make use of privacy tones to reduce the audio chatter that can sometimes make a channel nearly unusable.  This article provides some more detail about what privacy tones really are and what frequency each privacy code number maps to.  For more info, read the article: http://henryranch.net/reviews/frs-radio-privacy-tone-list/

Just added a new review of the Ooma Telo VOIP phone system. If you have broadband internet access and would like to stop paying for a home phone line, then you should take a serious look at the Ooma and read my review http://henryranch.net/reviews/ooma-review-a-real-look-at-the-ooma-voip-phone-system/

Check out this quick reference chart that shows FRS/GMRS channels and frequencies: http://henryranch.net/reviews/frs-radio-frequency-list/

Ever encountered the following error from svn when trying to checkout (or checkin) to a wordpress plugin repository: svn: OPTIONS of ‘http://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/yourPlugin’: 200 OK (http://plugins.svn.wordpress.org) Unfortunately, that error message makes almost no sense and is a bit frustrating, especially when you are in a hurry to get working on your repository… After a bit of testing and trying various things, it turns out that the problem is that the WordPress SVN plugin developer instructions provide the incorrect protocol for the URL.  Rather than using ‘http‘, try using ‘https‘.  This should get you going again.

These tequila shrimp are nothing short of awesome and if you like shrimp, then you need to try this.  All you need are some simple ingredients and about 15 minutes including prep and cooking time. Ingredients: 1/2 to 1 pound of raw or cooked shrimp that have been peeled, de-veined, thawed and gently rinsed. I prefer raw shrimp as it gives me more control over the ‘done-ness’ of the shrimp and helps avoid over-cooking them The shrimp should be completely thawed. I like to thaw my shrimp on a metal cookie sheet as the metal appears to help them thaw faster by dissipating the cold temperature. Don’t force thaw shrimp under running water as the water will damage the flesh Cilantro: 1/2 cup of washed, chopped, fresh cilantro Cream or half-and-half: 1/2 pint Butter: about 1/2 stick Salt: 1/4 tablespoon Pepper: 1/8 tablespoon of pepper Garlic: about 1/8 tablespoon of garlic powder or 1 freshly minced clove Tequila: 1 tablespoon of medium to high quality golden or white tequila. Cook ’em up… Mix all the ingredients, except for the shrimp, in a deep sided frying pan.  Bring the sauce to a gentle boil while stirring often.  You don’t want to scorch the butter or cream, so be careful.  You will want to let the sauce gently boil/steam for a while to thicken it up a bit.  If you like really thick sauce you can add rice flour as a thickener.  Rice flour is a perfect thickener because it does not impart flavor like flour or cornstarch. Once the sauce is at the desired consistency, and while it is still ‘cooking’, you can add the shrimp.  If you used raw shrimp, be sure to cook the shrimp in the sauce until they are completely pink.  If you used pre-cooked shrimp, you goal here is not to cook them, but to heat them up. Serve ’em up… You can serve the shrimp as an appetizer or a main course.  The sauce can be used as either a dipping sauce for the shrimp, or as a fantastic complement to thin, angel hair style noodles.

The Syndicate Press RSS/Atom/RDF syndication plugin for WordPress got one step closer to it’s initial release today with the cleanup of code, testing of features and optimization of the formatted output cache.  See http://henryranch.net/software/syndicate-press/ for more information. If you would like to be a beta tester, please request the beta release access information by leaving a comment on the Syndicate Press page.

The Syndicate Press plugin for wordpress took a major step forward this week with the release of Version 0.6 for beta testers.  This release uses a completely redesigned feed parser implemented from the ground up. See http://henryranch.net/software/syndicate-press/ for more information