Just found out an incredible little python library to plot very nice looking graphics: CairoPlot.

Let's do a brief quick tutorial:

• First install bazaar version control system (if you don't have it)

sudo aptitude install bzr

• Go fetch the cairoplot version 1.1

bzr branch lp:cairoplot/1.1

• Now in python import the libraries

import CairoPlot
import cairo

• Create some data

data = [1,3,3,2,4,5,6,7,12,7,3,1,2,3,4,6,7,8]

• Draw the graphic

CairoPlot.dot_line_plot('example.png', data, 400, 399, axis=True, grid=True, dots='true')

• Now check out the image at example.png

For my academic research I will still continue to use gnuplot, but I must admit CairoPlot images look a loot prettier. A great kudos to the authors.

If you want gnome's top to be completely invisible (height=0) when it is hidden just:

1. Run gconf-editor
2. Go to apps -> panel -> toplevels -> top_panel_screen0
3. Change the auto_hide_size key from the default value of 6 to 0

Just to explain the differences, here's before:

Here's the top panel completely invisible after:

Banshee is great! Unfortunately if you want to change the order of musics in a playlist it is really non intuitive.

What happens is that banshee sorts the playlist rigidly according to a column. If you want to be able to sort the musics in the playlist manually just proceed as indicated in the banshee online guide:

"
You can manually order any playlist or the Play Queue by turning column sorting off and then dragging tracks to where you want them. To turn column sorting off, click the sorted column header until the sort-direction arrow goes away.
"

I lost almost two hours until i found this. :-(

I've just fallen in love with a site (I really mean it!). Sixty Symbols is a collection of videos about physics and astronomy presented by experts from The University of Nottingham.

They explain in a clear, simple symbols in diverse scientific disciplines. Great site, you really have to check it out:

http://www.sixtysymbols.com/

Here's one of the movies:

Lately, I'm always blogging about Google, but this one is so cool that I had to share.

Explore the various missions on the moon with Google Earth.