LibreOffice Mail Merge Printing

This is how to print a document which has had the mail merge fields put into it and already had the database created from a spreadsheet.  I'll document that part someday, but this is what I did today.

I did it on LibreOffice, but I'm guessing it also applies to old OpenOffice too.

I got all this stuff from this 10 minute video, but sometimes you can't wait 10 minutes!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prZJ4w-q9AA

1. Open document you've already put the database fields into.
2. Print to a file:
   File/Print - pop up should appear "Your document contains address database fields.  Do you want to print a form letter?" You do so press 'Yes'
   *Possible Warning Popup see Check Connection Settings Below*Output/File (not the printer default) / Save as single document / OK
3. Save as Type 'pdf'/ enter filename / save
4. You now have a PDF that you can print.

Job done.

Check Connection Settings

But what if you had a popup with the option to 'Check Connection Settings' with the text:

"The data source "PresentsDB" was not found. Thus the connection to the data source could not be established.  Please check the connection settings"

This means that LibreOffice does not know where to get the data from.  So you need to register the database on this machine.  To do this:

1. Press the 'Check Connection Settings' button on the popup.
2. Register the database:
   New... / Browse to your .odb file /open
   The registered name should appear, hit OK
   The db should now be registered, hit OK.
3. Now try printing again :-)

My Book World Edition File Copy

If you want to copy or move some files on a Western Digital My Book World edition NAS (network attached storage), then you could copy and paste from your PC, but this takes forever if there is much data since all of the files have to come over the network to the PC and then come back.

However, I've successfully used the "Copy Manager" to do this.  This function is supposed to be used for copying from the NAS to an external USB storage device, but you can get it to copy within the My Book itself.

You access the 'Copy Manager' in a similar way to when you logging into the 'Network Storage Manager'.  I.e. through a web browser pointing to your device.  You might have to put something like http://192.168.10.24 into your browser.  You will then get to the login screen which will allow you to select the 'Administrator Name', 'Password', 'Tool' and 'Language'.  Change tool from 'Network Storage Manager' to 'Copy Manager' to get into the tool.

When there:

1. select the destination address in the source window
2. do not press 'next' button.  The destination address appears in the box in the bottom.  
3. Copy the destination by selecting it and ctrl-c ing it (or just remember what it says)
4. Now select the source address in the source window.
5. This time press the 'next' button.
6. The copy manager now prevents you from selecting the NAS for the destination, expecting only a USB destination.
7. Now paste (or type) the destination address from stage 3 into the box.
8. Press 'next'
9. Press 'start'

Bingo

Parental Control on Sony Bravia TV

To change the parental lock on my Sony Bravia TV you need to know/setup a PIN.  Then to access parental control do this:

1. Home Button
2. Settings
3. System Settings
4. Parental Lock
5. PIN
6. Parental Rating

This menu system is called the XMB or XrossMediaBar.

Enabling Lovefilm on Bravia TV

This seems really complicated.

1. Get a lovefilm account that includes streaming of films.
2. Setup a 'Sony Essentials' account online here: https://internet.sony.tv . You'll need to register your Bravia TV, giving the registration code (the 'where is this' link explains how to get this code from your TV).
3. Within Sony Essentials, Navigate to 'Personalised Services', and link to Lovefilm.  This should take you to your lovefilm account (on your PC) where you need to confirm you want to link to that account.

To change the account linked to the TV, you need to access the Sony Essentials account, then unlink Lovefilm, then link to Lovefilm using the new account

Celebrating the Solstice at Stonehenge on the Wrong Day

Why is everyone celebrating the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge on the wrong day?

Today is Tuesday 21st June 2011. According to Wikipedia, the summer solstice occured today at 17:16 UTC. That's basically 17:16 GMT which is 18:16 BST, the time currently used at Stonehenge.

Why do people go to Stonehenge to celebrate the summer solstice? Well, they go there to see the sun rise at its most northerly position of the year. And here's the thing: sunrise tomorrow morning at 04:43 BST (according to this website) is 10 hours 27 minutes after the astronomical time of the solstice, which is actually closer to the solstice than today's sunrise which also occured at 04:43 some 13 hours 33 minutes before the exact time of the solstice. That means that the sun will rise tomorrow slightly further north tomorrow than it did today! Then on Thursday it will start to recede.

So who decides which day to celebrate? I'm going to find out ...

Britax Isofix Duo Plus Installation Problem

I've got a Britax Isofix Duo Plus, which I have occasionally had a problem with. To install it you:

• pull the big green handle at the base on the back (OK so far)
• guide the two catch arms into the insertion guides until the system latches and the locks engage (still OK)
• Now you're supposed to turn the little green handle on the front and push the child seat back whilst the catch arms click to lock it into place (problem here)

The problem is that the the little green handle will not turn, and the child seat will not push back to fix the child seat firmly and safely into the car seat.

To fix this problem I put the seat into it's fully tilted position to give maximum visibility of the internal workings. Then I used a torch to look at the problem. I saw that there are two bolt heads on both sides to stop the big green handle from pulling too far either way. What was happening was that the tray attached to the big green handle had somehow pulled past the bolt head that should have stopped it from going any further. The fix was simple I just pushed a the plastic tray attached to the big green handle down so that it was released, free to go back between the two bolt heads. I used a broom handle for this.

Disclaimer: Note that I am not suggesting that you do this on your Britax car seat. You should get someone qualified to look at your seat if there's a problem with it. Certainly don't come to me if you decide to fix a problem on your Britax car seat and end up damaging it. Just want to be clear on that.

Installing XP on Asus an K8S-MX

I've got an Asus K8S-MX motherboard and I needed to reinstall windows xp onto my Maxtor 6L160M0 HDD. So I tried to use the nlite slipstream again (see T105 post). This disc didn't work: I guess the driver for the T105 sATA is different to the K8S-MX. So I made another nlite slipstream XP installation disc, using the old one (with SP3) as the basis, but adding the driver from here. This time I needed to select the PNP option. During installation I had to remember to not press F6.