PLEASE READ:

If you have a problem with the add-on, please contact the guys over at http://groups.google.com/group/thunderbird-webmail-extension They will be able to help you more than I can. They’re the developers of this add-on.

Microsoft has an amazing way of wasting my time. See Microsoft Atlas Cheats on Online Reach Prediction Research Paper and Wow, My Windows Vista Self-Destructed.

It took me a full hour to configure my Microsoft Exchange/OWA email account for Thunderbird and lucky for you I wrote a set of easy instructions for you to follow!

1) First download the WebMail Thunderbird add-on (ex. Web-Mail-x.x.x) which will help you connect your Thunderbird to your web-based email accounts (ex. Gmail)

Note: If you’re new to installing add-on’s for Thunderbird, simply right-click the link that leads to the add-on and select “Save Link As…” Then, go to Tools in Thunderbird followed by a visit to Add-Ons, then to Install on the bottom.

2) After installing it, you’ll need an add-on for the add-on. Sounds funny doesn’t it? You can download it here. There will be a list of add-on’s that you can choose from (there’s even one for Gmail), but for our purposes download and install the file that starts with ‘owa’. The installation should be the same as for any Thunderbird add-on. This time, you will need to restart your Thunderbird for the add-on’s to initiate.

3) We now need to configure the Webmail add-on’s add-on. Go to Tools -> Add-ons, select Webmail-OWA and click Options. Visit the Domains tab and click Add.

In the Domain field, enter whatever follows at the end of the @ symbol of your email address (ex. gmail.com)

In the URI field, enter the URI of the Outlook Web Access address (ex. http://www.yourwebsite.com/exchange or http://mail.yourwebsite.com)

4) Now you’re ready to start creating your account (Tools -> Account Settings -> Add Account) . When presented with the new window, select Webmail as the account type and set youremail@yourwebsite.com as the Incoming User Name. Hit Finish when you’re done.

5) Go back to the Webmail add-on’s add-on option screen (Tools -> Add-ons, select Webmail-OWA and click Options) and now access the Accounts tab. If you had set up everything correctly in the step above, you should see your recently created account. There are additional settings there that might need tinkering and depending on how your Microsoft Exchange was set up you might not need to change anything at all. If your account can’t connect to the server, then just come back and select some of the options. Unfortunately, trial-and-error is the only way here.

6) At this point, you should be able to read emails. In order to write emails, go to Account Settings again (Tools -> Account Setting) and click Outgoing Server (SMTP). On the top right-side, hit Add…

In the Description field: Enter the name that will describe this account. (ex. Gmail Account)

In the Server Name field: Enter ‘localhost’

Port should be set to the default of ’25′

Check the User name and password box, and type in your User Name in full (ex. youremail@yourwebsite.com)

Leave the rest alone and hit OK.

7) Last step! With the Account Settings window still open. Click on your Web Mail account and in the Outgoing Server (SMTP) drop-down, select the description name you provided in the step above and voila! You’re done!

A little bit complicated if you ask me, but it’s all worth it. You can now use Microsoft Exchange or your Outlook Web Access account on Thunderbird!

How’s that for my first tutorial?

Peter Kao

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… I: wait… L: wait… C: wait… SD: wait…

I was browsing through a fellow UW undergrad’s blog when I stumbled upon his “Endless Google Search”.

The first thing that went through my mind as I was using it was, “Holy shit. This is awesome.” This just comes to prove that opening up API’s is a really good thing for the world. It allows creative programmers such as Paul (his blog here) the tools and resources to building something as ingenious as his “Endless Google Search.”

Basically, Paul used one of Google’s API’s to create his own search tool, one that uses the Google Search Engine but lists the results in such a way that you don’t need to click on any link to see more results. The mod uses AJAX to load search results, which allows you to simply scroll down to view more. This is a great tool if you are doing research!

Check his tool out here

However, as someone mentioned in the comments for the post, the ‘endlessness’ of the page may incur depression in some people…LET THIS BE A WARNING TO THE WEAK-MINDED

- Peter Kao

Just an update on my operating system problem, I had installed Ubuntu over Vista since I was fed up with it self-destructing (who knows when it will do it again).

Ubuntu is currently the most popular Linux distribution out there and I had always loved it. After spending countless hours (2 days straight FYI) configuring and setting up the system to get it to feel and work exactly the way I want, the system was waiting for a priority upgrade. So, this is when I was reminded why I had quit Ubuntu before. When I upgraded my system, everything went kaput. I had to re-install EVERYTHING, but since I prefer the operating system over Windows any day, I reinstalled it again. Got everything working again, then I decided to neglect the priority upgrade and upgraded my hardware drivers. Then, kaput! AGAIN. This time my sound card went dead. This was the last draw. Ironically, I installed Vista over Ubuntu and am re-doing my configurations on that.

Ubuntu is truly remarkable if you haven’t used it before. You can see an example here:

I really think that Ubuntu has a chance to go mainstream, but before that, it has to have better hardware support and a more stable upgrading process (one that doesn’t involve constant destruction to the system files), not to mention more support for 64-bit systems.

All in all,  I have wasted a lot of time on computers lately, mainly trying to get them to work the way they should. I am even starting to feel a bit annoyed with them…oh noes! My nerdy side is slowly diminishing! (the fact that I just said that proves to be on the contrary).

- Peter Kao

I was running a routine CHKDSK on my laptop last week and according to the Vista there were some files that required moving. So, Vista moved them around for me to “solve the problem” but instead of optimizing my laptop, it self-destructed by moving BOOT records to weird places which means that my computer can’t boot up anymore!

[Read more]

My apologies to my peers who were volunteers at the Canadian Undergraduate Technology Conference ’08, but the conference was really really bad. The atmosphere of the event felt very “last minute.” The delegates were rude, clique-y and anti-social. Presenters, who are the main attractions and contributors to the conference, were only given t-shirts as prizes. This made me feel both embarrassed and a bit ticked off. Also, the TechExpo blew too. It was suppose to showcase emerging technologies, but instead was an open-floor for companies to promote themselves or recruit undergrads.

Well, that was my one minute rant. Any longer might be considered to be offensive (not that it hasn’t ticked off the volunteers already.

- Peter Kao