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Installing the IBM "Active" World Time Wallpaper

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 8:05 pm
by ArtShapiro
Presumably many people here are familiar with the Active IBM Wallpaper which consists of a flattened world map with timezone lines superimposed, along with several cities with the constantly updated current time in each city.

I just unsuccessfully tried to install it on my XP Pro 1680x1050 T61.

If I direct the "browse" in the Display Properties / Desktop tab to the folder into which I unzipped the files (from the Russian site), and select the WOLRDTIME.HTML as called for in the instructions, I get a solid blue background with the cities in the little .js file.

If I direct the browse to the world.time.1680x1050.png file, I get the world map with timezone lines - this is the way I received the laptop in the first place.

The only really unexpected behavior is that the instructions state: change file type filter combobox to “Foreground images” in “Open” dialog and I don't have that option. My dropdown list consists of "background files", "all picture files", and "HTML Documents".

Guess I'm at a loss why the first file, the .html file, didn't "do its thing" and superimpose the cities and the appropriate daylight.trace file out of that same directory.

Any advice out there? Could I have a security issue?

Art

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 8:26 pm
by sarbin
when you unzipped the package, did the image files end up in an 'opt' subdir one level below the dir containing worldtime.html and .js files?

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 9:47 pm
by ArtShapiro
sarbin wrote:when you unzipped the package, did the image files end up in an 'opt' subdir one level below the dir containing worldtime.html and .js files?
Negative. Everything "flat" in the one folder.

I hadn't knowingly done anything weird with PkZip (v.11), but I'll try again and move the .png files manually to an opt subdirectory if need be.

I'm in the middle of making dinner, but will report back pro or con in a little bit. Thanks for the input.

Art

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 9:52 pm
by sarbin
you're welcome. :)
the javascript in the html and js files build the url to all of the images (jpg, png, gif) one dir below, in 'opt'. hope it works for you.

Sacre Bleu!

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 9:52 pm
by ArtShapiro
Worked like a champ this time. Thanks, Sarbin!

Art

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 9:53 pm
by sarbin
alrighty then! 8) 8)

Adventurous

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 10:01 pm
by ArtShapiro
Now to try adding my own city. Can't believe "they" would leave out Lake Forest. Is there any logical way of deducing the coordinates, or does one just "wing it" based on the closest existing city?

Art

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 10:05 pm
by sarbin
wing it, reload, check it, adjust it, reload, check it...
:wink:

Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 1:50 am
by LB_BlueVue
Can anyone direct me to where I could download this package?

Thanks!

Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 2:21 am
by Nick Y
LB_BlueVue wrote:Can anyone direct me to where I could download this package?

Thanks!
www.mocom.ru/Wallpapers/ibm.htm -at the bottom of the page.

Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 5:09 am
by sarbin

Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 12:52 pm
by andrw
I like what Laptop Magazine has on the desktop of their X200 review:

http://www.laptopmag.com/review/laptops ... -x200.aspx

Is that one active? And how do I get it? I hope it comes pre-loaded on my T400.

Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 12:55 pm
by ArtShapiro
andrw wrote: Is that one active? And how do I get it? I hope it comes pre-loaded on my T400.
As that's obviously a Vista desktop, and Vista doesn't support active backgrounds, one can hypothesize...

Art

Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 3:56 pm
by returnzer0
I've been looking for the darker-themed wallpapers that seem to be showing up on the new thinkpads everywhere, but I just can't seem to find them. Has anyone run into them and know of a place I might be able to download it from?

Thank you.

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 5:29 am
by Alejandro Audisio
Just caught this thread... does this mean that the original wallpaper was "non active" and the updated version is "active"...? If so I guess I have the old version on my T30....

??

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 3:38 pm
by suba
Like this a lot - very cool!

A further possible security option is to use the co-ordinates to discreetly add your initials somewhere on the wallpaper as your ID.....

Please could we consider making this thread a STICKY?

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 7:11 pm
by Radioguy
I dug around on some Japanese TP sites, and even they don't have the new world wallpapers up. I thought for sure someone would have zipped those up for others.