Author Archives: Donncha

WP Super Cache 1.2

UPDATE! I have just updated the plugin version number to 1.2. Thanks to everyone who tested it!

A new version of WP Super Cache is almost out and here are the changes in this full page caching plugin for WordPress.

OH! Hang on. Almost out? Yeah. I’m going to release it tomorrow but I would love a couple of hardy folks to try it first. People on the forums have been using the development version for several weeks without incident but I would really appreciate it if a few more tried it before the general public gets it. You know what to do, I don’t need to explain. Here’s wp-super-cache.zip. This is the version running on this very site right now and it’s very stable. Go at it! I’ll update this post in the morning, UTC. Thanks.

So, those changes eh?

  • Garbage collection of old cache files is significantly improved. I added a scheduled job that keeps an eye on things and restarts the job if necessary. Also, if you enable caching from the Easy page garbage collection will be enabled too.
  • Editors can delete single cached files from the admin bar now. (thread)
  • Fixed the cached page counter on the settings page (thread)
  • Some sites that updated to 1.0 experienced too much garbage collection. There are still stragglers out there who haven’t upgraded but that’s fixed now! (thread)
  • Supercached mobile files are now used as there was a tiny little typo that needed fixing. (thread)
  • If your site is in a directory and you saw problems updating a page then that should be fixed now. (thread)
  • The deactivate hook has been changed so your configuration isn’t hosed when you upgrade. Unfortunately this will only happen after you do this upgrade.
  • Some sites use custom cookies with the LOGGED_IN_COOKIE constant. Added support for that.
  • Added support for WPTouch Pro, but it appears to be flaky still. Anyone have time to work on that? I don’t.
  • Some sites had problems with scheduled posts. For some reason the plugin thought the post was in draft mode and then because it only checked the same post once, when the post magically became published the cache wasn’t cleared. That’s fixed, thanks to the debug logging of several patient users.
  • And more bug fixes and translation updates.

If you have problems the first place to look should be the forums (or try here too where things lived for a long time). Chances are someone else had the same issue before you and maybe they fixed it.

Commodore 64: 8 Bit Legend

Impressive video showing off some of the most popular games of the C64 and the biggest or most famous groups in the C64 demoscene. Must have taken ages to make.

Skip forward to 10:00 into the video for a message from Jim Butterfield. Though recorded in the 80’s I presume, the message still applies. Programming can be fun.

(via Jaz)

C64 fans will like this theme

If you’re a fan of that strikingly handsome and powerful computer, the Commodore 64, you will no doubt be itching to try this Commodore theme for WordPress. It turns your blog into what every C64 owner saw when they powered on the computer. I’m disappointed it doesn’t retain the 40 character line but I guess some exceptions had to be made “in the name of progress”. We didn’t have Youtube back then either but if we did you can be sure it would be full of dodgy VHS copies of Glenroe and Cheers.

Of much more interest to a certain demographic would be a WordPress theme that embeds blog posts in an Amiga intro or C64 intro using HTML5? Someone will read a DYCP version of this post, right?

(Thanks Ian for the link!)

Control your Android phone with a PS3 controller

Now, this isn’t going to work on all phones but the Sixaxis Controller Android app allows you to replicate touch, keyboard and mouse controls on your Android phone. I used it briefly with a profile from here to control Minecraft. The profile is for the SGS3 so I need to adjust it slightly for the smaller screen of my Galaxy S 2 but it worked reasonably well.

Check if your phone is compatible by using this free compatibility checker first. You pair the controller with your phone by using your PC first to set the “master MAC address”, then hope the phone pairs. It’s not for the faint hearted but it does work.

Also keep an eye on this Reddit thread.

Deep in her Eyes

I knew this song was familiar when I first heard it. It’s the theme tune to the game Uplink which I haven’t actually played at all but I had the OST from some game bundle.

Turns out it was used in a party invite for Assembly ’94. It was a favourite of mine from back then. You can download the brilliant .s3m version here.

Anyone else have fond memories of the MOD scene? The top favourites on modarchives.org will help!

US and Canadian Area Codes

So, I needed a list of US telephone area codes for a project I’m working on but it turned out to be harder than I thought to find such a list. I did find one here but then had to create an account there to download it. Bah!

To save your fingers from extra typing I created a pastebin of the list which you can find here.

It’s interesting to note that Wikipedia has a page for each area code. I had a look at a few in my attempts to verify the list was good and 985 caught my attention:

Area code 985 is the telephone area code for southeastern Louisiana, excluding New Orleans and St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes. The area code was created in 2001 when it was split off from area code 504.
Area code 985 also originally included areas southeast of New Orleans. However, after Hurricane Katrina in late August 2005, much of this area switched back to 504. These communities are now being served with dialtone from telephone switching facilities in New Orleans following near-total destruction of local switching facilities due to flooding from Katrina. Permissive use of 504 alongside 985 to reach these downriver communities began on July 29, 2007. Mandatory use of 504 to “again” reach these communities began on May 1, 2008. These communities are on both sides of the Mississippi River in “lower” Plaquemines Parish, including Pointe à la Hache on the east bank, with Port Sulphur, Buras, and Boothville on the west bank.

The list of Irish area codes is much shorter and 021, the area code for Cork shares it’s page with a number of other regions.

Step back into the past on the Irish Mail train

Following on from the time travelling theme in my Back to the Future post comes this documentary about the Irish Mail route from London to Dublin that operated from 1848. The documentary was originally broadcast in 1954. It has this lovely old fashioned feel to it.

It’s amazing that it took up to 2 days to travel between those cities but that was quick before regular flights were a reality.

Also be sure to read about the Chester and Holyhead Railway and this page about tunnel crossings across the Irish Sea. Who knew Irish trains didn’t use standard guage tracks eh? Whose bright idea was that then?

Gary Connery, wingsuit landing without a parachute

Gary Connery, a 42-year-old daredevil, plunged from a helicopter in a death-defying jump before landing in an area containing 18,600 cardboard boxes.

That’s a lot of boxes but when you see how small they are from the height he jumped from you’ll see how dangerous the stunt was and get an idea how crazy brave he is. Wow!

Thanks Matt for the link!

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