Raspberry PI as Google Cloudprint Connector for Older Printers

Google Clouldprint is a great tool that allows you to print content to directly to your printer from anywhere, even if your printer is at home on the other side of the world!  Also, it will queue up the print jobs until your printer is turned on.   You can also share your printer with others, allowing them to print to it also, from anywhere.

However, only newer printers are Google Cloudprint ready.  This means that older printers need to have some other way to become Google Cloudprint devices... This is where Raspberry PI comes in.  For 40euro you can turn pretty much any printer into a Google Cloudprint device.  Regardless of whether your existing printer is connected via Wifi, LAN or even USB!

This is especially handy if you have just started using a Chromebook and just realised you cannot connect to your existing printer!  So, follow the various guides to get your new Raspberry Pi online, then follow these steps to set it up as a Google Couldprinter Connector for your old printer!  (RPi v3 is the best for this as it has wifi built in!)

FYI, Rasbian is the OS of choice for this howto!

Raspberry Pi setup guides:
https://www.howtoforge.com/tutorial/howto-install-raspbian-on-raspberry-pi/
https://www.raspbian.org/RaspbianStartHere

Here are the steps to turn your Raspberry Pi into a Goole Cloudprint Connector:
From the command line, via either ssh or directly connected, run the following commands to install some required base software:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get install cups libcups2 libavahi-client3 avahi-daemon libsnmp30
wget https://github.com/google/cups-connector/releases/download/2016.01.02/gcp-cups-connector-rpi-jessie-2016.01.02.tar.gz
tar xvzf gcp-cups-connector-rpi-jessie-2016.01.02.tar.gz 
sudo mv cups-connector /opt/gcp-cups-connector
sudo chmod 755 /opt/gcp-cups-connector/gcp-cups-connector* 
sudo chown -R gcp:gcp /opt/gcp-cups-connector 
sudo useradd -s /usr/sbin/nologin -r -M gcpcd /opt/gcp-cups-connector

Next step is to run the gcp-cups-connector-util script to initiate the connector on your raspberry pi:

"Contactless Payment" wont be a replacement for carrying cash

30euro max now in Ireland

Just saying.... "Contactless Payment" wont be a replacement for carrying cash unless it remains free per transaction.

What the banks aren't actively saying about it now, is that after August 2016 it will cost 20c per transaction at home (AIB), but already costs 45c per transaction minimum in non-eurozone (upto 11euro max, based on 1.75% of transaction)!

Here is a round up of some of the Irish Bank's details on Contactless Payments charges:

http://personal.aib.ie/content/dam/aib/personal/docs/fees-and-charges/a-guide-to-fees-and-charges-for-personal-accounts.pdf
https://personalbanking.bankofireland.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/OMI005651-PCA-Fees-Charges-Brochure-March-2016-FINAL-DIGITAL.pdf

Note: the charges aren't that easy to find!


UPDATE 20160806

Installing Oracle Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel (UEK) on CentOS / RHEL

This page describes the process of how to install Oracle's Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel (UEK or kernel-uek) on Centos or RHEL.

Why use UEK?

Why would you want to install the Oracle UEK on CentOS or RHEL?  If you're planning to run Oracle RAC on CentOS/RHEL 6.3 virtual machine (under RHEV/oVirt), you're gonna need it!*  Since RHEL v6.1 Oracle are no longer providing oracleasm drivers for the newer kernels.  They have instead decided to bundle the oracleasm drivers into their Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel.  This actually makes installing Oracle RAC a little easier as you don't have to go searching for the oracleasm driver specific to your kernel!  Just do a yum install! Yes, even on CentOS or RHEL!

Instagram... Conflicting Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

If you have an Instagram account, you may want to delete it BEFORE January 16th 2013....

I'm not a lawyer nor a litigator, but I do read the Terms & Conditions of services like Facebook and Instagram.   The current changes to Instragram's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy bring it closely in line with that of it's now parent company, Facebook. However, there is one difference, from what I can see....
The Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions are in conflict. Have a read for yourself...

The Green Army is coming your way... London 2012 Paralympics, watch out!

It's been a long journey for many, if not all of these athletes, but the London 2012 Paralympics is just around the corner!  It has taken many hours of dedication, training, perseverance, patience, pain, heart ache and exhilaration, excitement and encouragement.  The wait is nearly over and their moment to shine is coming on August 29th....

The Perfect Steak by Niall Harbison

Here is a quick video tutorial from Niall Harbison, showing you just how easy it actually is to cook the perfect steak! Try it... you wont be disappointed!  Try T-bone too!

Perfect Steak - Less than 20 minutes - Jamie Oliver

In this video, love him or hate him, Jamie Oliver shows you just how easy it is to cook the "Perfect Steak"... and in less than 20 minutes. Cooking it anything longer than that is just CRAZY! Makes me wanna head down to the local butcher and get some good steak for dinner tonight!  

Having said that, best steak I've had in ages was in The Old Arch, Claremorris, Co. Mayo, Ireland... Great steak at a great price too!
[Jamie's video was removed by Channel4 for some reason, here is one of his mates instead]

Don't hold back girl... Tell us what you really think!

A member of the audience of RTE's Frontline, hosted by Pat Kenny, tells us what she thinks of one of RTE's main presenters..... Don't hold back girl... Tell us what you really think!? Classic.

Aisling from Ashbourne, you are legend!

Google Drive goes live!

Google Drive is now live.... http://drive.google.com

Go beyond storage. Collaborate.

Google Drive lets you do more than just store your files. Share files with exactly who you want and edit them together, from any device.
Google Drive gives you instant access to Google Docs, a suite of editing tools that makes working together better – even when your teammates are miles away.

via drive.google.com

Google Drive.... Getting a step closer!

Not sure when it actually happened, but while uploading a PDF into my corporate Google Docs account, I noticed that the amount of storage available had jumped from 1GB* to 5GB approx.  See image below:
Google Apps for Business account

This is an indication that Google Drive is only around the corner and, more importantly, it seems that Google Apps for Business users will be amoung the first to get it.  I say this becuase my own personal Google Apps (formerly Google Apps for Domains) account, the free variety, still only lists 1G* as the total space:
Google Apps the free account

Eitherway, Google Drive will be welcome addition to the Google family of apps, especially if it offers the features of other cloud storage providers!
Here's hoping at least!

What is Google Drive gonna be?

Well, this promo video gives you an insight...



*NOTE: Google Docs only uses this space for non-google doc formatted files.  You have unlimited space for any google docs formatted or converted documents.

ReadyNAS Ultra 6... what a machine!

Our media files, photos, data stores, etc., have until recently been stored on a trusty custom-built, low power, low noise server sitting in the home office.  This machine was the main server on the home LAN running all our services, from fileshare, SqueezeBox Server, Plex Server to essential backend services like DNS, DHCP, WPAD, etc.  Running 24x7, it was a true workhorse.  However, over the last few months the system started to become increasingly noisy, through both disks and fans.  Not only that, having also ripped our entire DVD collection over a few months, space was at a premium too....

Steve Jobs - What a legacy - R.I.P.

Drive safely in winter conditions

As the weather continues to move closer to what we experienced last winter, it is important to get yourself ready... So, here are my first few tips... Driving in winter conditions:

Mo's Chocolate Wonder - Simple Dairy Free Cake

This recipe comes from Maureen. It's her amazing chocolate cake that is, unbelievably, dairy free. Shocker!  Best chocolate cake I've ever tasted.... Maureen, bake on!

Cake Ingredients

• 8 oz caster sugar
• 8 oz Pure Soya butter
• 7 oz Self raising flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 15 g baking cocoa powder ( Mo prefers M&S Organic Fair Trade Cocoa Powder, but Aldi do a good one too)

Great video for a quick intro into QR Codes...

via revision3.com

QR Codes are becoming more and more popular. They are going to start popping up everywhere. Therefore, it is important that you know what to do with them!
The video above from appJudgement is a great introduction to what QR Codes are and how to read them.

Periodic Table of QR codes.... of Element videos

I came across this gem while clicking on related videos on YouTube.... They've taken the universal Periodic Table of Elemets and given it a modern twist..... Videos on YouTube explaining the elements one by one... With some great demonstrations and explosions.... Nice!

Last Space Shuttle Launch today @ 1620hrs BST....

As Space Shuttle Atlantis sits on the stand at Kennedy Space Center this morning, it brings with its launch, the end of an era. Today is the last launch of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.  You can watch the launch live on NASA TV here: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html   In HD here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/6540154

Mary Byrne was voted out for this trash?

via youtube.com

Regardless if you liked Mary Byrne or not, you must admit she could sing and belt 'em out.... But, back in the in December 2010 her X-Factor journey ended over a controversial judges decision despite the start of the show declaring the final places would be decided by public vote only.... So, Mary found herself in the bottom two against Cher Llyod.
Now, Cher also gave it socks, but it was becoming apparent that there was no originality to her. She was even declaring the "raps" as her own, despite them being clearly ripped off from actual artists.
Anyhow, my point is this.... Mary Byrne was ejected from X-Factor to make way for Cher Llyod who was going to be a superstar.... Apparently.... But, not with this trash! Swagger Jagger my arse!

This is not Mission: Difficult, Mr Hunt. It's Mission: Impossible...

Tom Cruise posted a link to a trailer for Mission: impossible - Ghost Protocol, via his website: tomcruise.com (Great site... well worth a visit!)....
The fourth in the series is set to be as good, if not better than the ones that came before it, is due out in December 2011. One of my favourite lines from the series so far is in MI2:

This is not Mission: Difficult, Mr Hunt. It's Mission: Impossible.  Difficult should be a walk in the park for you....

Just one more thing.... Peter Falk, Legend! R.I.P

June 24th 2011, aged 83, legendary screen detective Peter Falk, aka Columbo, passes away at his home.  

So many clips on youtube, here are just a few.

This is one of the funniest clips I've found.... Peter Falk as Lt. Columbo on a Celebrity Roast from 1977.  Peter Falk was a true legend... and funny too! :-)

Another one....