http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/ A collection of techniques, code snippets and information relating to PLSQL, Javascript and APEX en-us MattHawkins CMS v2.0 Copyright 2009-2010 Weblog http://backend.userland.com/rss http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/ http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/ http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-45.html
This might ring some bells with the guys at Cardell Media.

Cardell Media were told off by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to stop using a particular style of mailshot (aka junk mail) because it was misleading to UK consumers.

However UK regulations obviously don't mean much to US companies and it has been reported that they are still using the marketing technique. It involves trying to persuade people to visit a website by using a fake newspaper clipping and a fake post-it note.]]> General Sat, 10 Jul 2010 09:03:00 +0000 http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-45.html http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-44.html
You can view them on the screen but what if you want an electronic copy for your records?

It would be great if HSBC allowed you to download your statements as PDF files every month as American Express do.

So what can you do instead?]]> VBScript Fri, 02 Jul 2010 19:41:00 +0000 http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-44.html http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-41.html Multimedia Wed, 23 Jun 2010 21:24:00 +0000 http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-41.html http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-43.html
It is quite simple to do and you only have to paste a simple piece of JavaScript into the Button's "Button Display Attributes".]]> APEX Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:35:00 +0000 http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-43.html http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-42.html
Here's a list of domains that send unsolicited junk email that you can delete without even bothering to think about.

Is your company listed? Want it removed from my list? Tough shit. Sue me.]]> General Sun, 06 Jun 2010 20:11:00 +0000 http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-42.html http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-40.html
It supports 3GP, 3G2, MP4 and WMV video formats and AAC, AMR, OGG, M4A, MID, MP3, WAV and WMA audio formats.

The following guide will explain how to encode video to playback on the HTC Desire.]]> Multimedia Mon, 17 May 2010 20:56:00 +0000 http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-40.html http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-39.html
The function below allows you to split a string separated by a specified character. It returns the chunk that you request.

[pre]
myStr := SPLIT_STRING_BY_TOKEN('red:blue:green',':',2)
[/pre]

This function call above returns the 2nd chunk in the string which results in 'blue'.]]> Oracle Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:00 +0000 http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-39.html http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-36.html
I decided to try an online backup service in order to better protect my really important data. This mainly consisted of my photo collection.

I was already using a set of hard drives to create backups some of which I kept at another location but it was difficult to keep these up to date.

Mozy and Carbonite seemed to be mentioned whenever the topic of online backup came up so I decided to give them a try.

I've tried both of them and here are my conclusions :]]> General Sat, 17 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-36.html http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-38.html
This allows you to display remaining characters to your users as they type inside the text area. This technique can also be used with HTML text boxes.

When the character count reaches 0 the text turns red.]]> JavaScript Fri, 09 Apr 2010 09:12:00 +0000 http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-38.html http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-37.html
The function requires two parameters. The first is the value of the option to remove and the second is the select list reference.]]> JavaScript Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:12:00 +0000 http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-37.html http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-35.html
[pre]l_ip := owa_util.get_cgi_env('REMOTE_ADDR');[/pre]]]> Oracle Thu, 25 Mar 2010 09:07:00 +0000 http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-35.html http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-34.html
You can provide custom messages in this area using the apex_application package.]]> APEX Thu, 25 Mar 2010 09:00:00 +0000 http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-34.html http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-33.html
http://virb.com/unlockiphone3g is a front for http://unlockiphone22.com/

These sites are likely to be loaded with spyware and malware. They are operated by scum who will happily steal your money.

They are not interested in unlocking your Apple iPhone 3G. They are interested in stealing your money.]]> General Mon, 22 Mar 2010 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-33.html http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-32.html
I will update this article every time I receive an unacceptable level of service.

<b>City Link, Bristol</b> - Once I collected a flat screen monitor from them only for them to drop it at my feet. Luckily for them it survived the fall. Their staff were so rude that I didn't even get an apology. Last year they claimed to have attempted a delivery while I was out. I wasn't. They simply lied. This week they claim to have made two deliveries but mysteriously failed to leave a calling card. How difficult is it to drop a piece of card board through a letterbox? Beware.]]> General Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:12:00 +0000 http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-32.html http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-31.html
I had never heard of this "legal high" drug. It is legal in the UK and is referred to as Mephedrone, Methylone, MCAT, MEOW and 4MMC. I did some academic research.

One supplier of this drug is Arran Mahony based in Leeds. Apparently Mephedrone, Methylone, MCAT, MEOW and 4MMC aren't party drugs after all. They are simply plant food. Arran really must like his plants because he claims to offer this stuff at unbeatable prices ... and he sells it by the gram.]]> General Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:38:00 +0000 http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-31.html http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-30.html
The following templates allow you to easy print and create inserts for MiniDV (Digital Video Cassette), Video8 (8mm) and Hi8 camcorder tapes. The first file was created in Open Office Draw and the other two are Microsoft Word :

<a href="http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/mod_files/minidv_video8_insert_template.odg">MiniDV & video8 Insert Template (A4, Open Office Draw)</a>

<a href="http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/mod_files/minidv_insert_template.doc">MiniDV Insert Template (A4, MS Word)</a>

<a href="http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/mod_files/video8_hi8_insert_template.doc">Video8 & Hi8 Insert Template (A4, MS Word)</a>]]> Multimedia Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:02:00 +0000 http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-30.html http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-29.html
If the wizard creates the chart you want then you are lucky. Modifying the chart or doing any customisation usually involves editing the raw XML definition. However, there is almost no decent documentation available for tweaking the XML and is something of a black art.

So I created the <a href="http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/webtools/bi_chart_generator/">Oracle BI Publisher Chart Generator</a>.]]> Oracle Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:17:00 +0000 http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-29.html http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-28.html
Really? I found it to be the most dull film set in the Middle East I've seen since Jarhead. It's better than Jarhead but only just.

Some of the scenes were interesting but the story was plain boring. Nothing happens.]]> Multimedia Sat, 09 Jan 2010 13:37:00 +0000 http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-28.html http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-27.html
The trailers made me worry Avatar was going to look like a computer game but that fear was washed away in the first five minutes. The effects are flawless.

A film can't rely on 3D. It still needs to be a good film but 3D is allowed to actually enhance a film just like colour and sound do. A good film is a good film but how many films have you bothered watching recently in black & white with mono sound? There are plenty out there with good plots. If you've still got your own teeth the answer is probably none.]]> Multimedia Thu, 31 Dec 2009 11:44:00 +0000 http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-27.html http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-26.html
Unfortunately Microsoft don't appear to have provided any easy way of editing, trimming, cutting or converting these files. If you record a TV programme and want to remove the junk at the start and end or want to remove commercial breaks you are stuffed.

So can it be done?]]> Multimedia Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:28:00 +0000 http://www.mattsbits.co.uk/item-26.html