UK International Keyboard Layouts

After some developing I am proud to announce that I created a project in SourceForge to have open available and free software to correct the abnormalities of people who own computer bought in the UK (with UK Keyboard) and have to write in other language than English.

With this you can install the new keyboard layout in your machine and start using it like the US International version, being able to have dead-keys and to use accented letters so need to write that email in Portuguese for example.

The address is http://sourceforge.net/projects/ukikl/ andthe windows version is ready to download.

I am planning a Mac Version for the end of this month and a Linux version for the next. I will give update here.

Learning ( how to pick bike locks)

Yesterday I and Giseli went to Clare College to print some stuff she need for the language classes in the afternoon. We arrived and locked our bikes in from of the Old Court. When going out of the college, Giseli's lock was not opening anymore.

Just before leaving home we had used some oil in this lock because it was a bit difficult to open. Apparently the problem just got worst. It was turning the key very well now, but still not opening. We decided to give up, since both were late and left it to solve today.

After arriving again today and expecting for some miracle, Giseli tried the lock again and it was as yesterday. Well we had lunch and then I went to do the dirty job.

First I went to the porters lodge to try to find someone with expertise in cutting locks. The porters are responsible for taking out bikes students leave indefinitely in there.

So they told me the basics:

- Normal (non D-locks) lock can be easily cut with a big scissor to cut metal. You don't need even to do much effort. Very easy job.

- D-locks cannot be cut, but the "hammer strategy" works with them. The porters gave me a big hammer and told to punch on the straight part of the lock. No cheap (less than £50) D-lock will resist to this technique.

In the end, after just 3 tries with the hammer, the lock was open. The porters were right.

This shows why it is so easy to have you bike stolen in Cambridge. The locks that the bike shops sell together with the bikes are really bad, but keep their business in selling bikes... :)

Back to my duties

Well, after a very good and month long vacation in the sunny-sunny Brazil I am back. I have loads of things to do right now and also to write in the blog.

During this time I was in vacation I wrote some posts ideas in my mobile, but due to the lack of internet connectivity I will be feeding this during this week.