Sunday, July 31, 2005

Best movie mistakes

Best movie mistakes

A list and description of the most memorable movie mistakes.

Saturday, July 30, 2005

Linux and Open Source ISO Torrents

Linux and Open Source ISO Torrents

A nice collection of Linux & other open source ISO torrents.

Instructions:
- Install a BitTorrent client (Azureus is good)
- Click any .torrent link, Azureus or other will manage the download
- When download is complete, "Burn from image" in your burner software (Nero is good), select the .iso file that you just downloaded
- You now have a full CD, which Nero (or other) extracted to the CD/DVD from the .iso file

Translate Extension for FireFox

Mozilla Update :: Extensions -- More Info:Translate - All Releases

"Small extension that either translates: web pages (via toolbar button) or selected text (via context menu) from several foreign languages into English, as well as 12 other languages. Uses BabelFish and Google translation engines."

Instructions:
Tools -> Translate -> Select Source Language
OR
Select Text -> Right Click -> Translate -> Select Source Language

FireFox World Market Share

XiTi - Etude Xiti Monitor

French firm, XiTi has released an updated analysis on FireFox's market share by country and continent.

Finland still ranks at the top with 31% of the browser public using the browser.

(Site is in French - but has maps & charts that anyone can understand.)

FireFox Translation Extension - Click for details & install

Thursday, July 28, 2005

Values-mongers Going After 'SIMS'

MercuryNews.com | 07/27/2005 | 'SIMS' controversy: Altered version of game includes nudity

Well, well. It didn't take long for the self-proclaimed values police to pick up on a fresh target for their unending morallity crusade...Sims 2, you are next on their target for the "nudity" patch that is available online, and to which I posted a link in a previous post.

But this time - the game manufacturer is having none of it and sounding like they will be putting up a proper fight. Good, a company with a little backbone.

The linked article requires free registration (tip: FireFox users can use "BugMeNot" extension to avoid registration).

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Bypass Windows Genuine Advantage

Rafael Rivera : Windows Genuine Advantage Javascript = Workaround

It sure didn't take long for a workaround to come up to get around Windows Update validation...in fact it was only 1 day!

CSS - Throwing Tables Out the Window

Stopdesign | Throwing Tables Out the Window

Web designers and designer wanna'bees - here is another interesting article on CSS centered design with an emphasis on dumping the clunky HTML tables.

You Don't Know Jack About Firefox!

You Don't Know Jack About Firefox! [Software Tutorials]

A really interesting article on the "ins & outs" of FireFox. A lot of nice details and cool background factoids.

I haven't finished reading the whole article - but for anyone still using Internet Explorer...add this site's info onto the pile of good reasons to get off the IE trainwreck.

19'' LCD Monitor - $280 (AR)

Buy.com - Samsung SyncMaster 915N Black 19'' LCD Display

This is an excellent monitor for an excellent price. I know it after the $80 in rebates - but this is really a good deal.

It seems that retailers are offering this deal more and more often (almost every week). So if you miss out - it won't be long before this deal comes around again.

[I have 2 SyncMaster 912N 19" monitors...they really kick ass and for $300 apiece you can't beat it] These 915 models are very similar.

Inkscape - Illustrator's Open Source Cousin

I N K S C A P E . Draw Freely:

"Inkscape is an open source drawing tool with capabilities similar to Illustrator, Freehand, and CorelDraw that uses the W3C standard scalable vector graphics format (SVG). Some supported SVG features include basic shapes, paths, text, markers, clones, alpha blending, transforms, gradients, and grouping. In addition, Inkscape supports Creative Commons meta-data, node-editing, layers, complex path operations, text-on-path, and SVG XML editing. It also imports several formats like EPS, Postscript, JPEG, PNG, BMP, and TIFF and exports PNG as well as multiple vector-based formats.

Inkscape's main motivation is to provide the Open Source community with a fully W3C compliant XML, SVG, and CSS2 drawing tool. Additional planned work includes conversion of the codebase from C/Gtk to C /Gtkmm, emphasizing a lightweight core with powerful features added through an extension mechanism, and the establishment of a friendly, open, community-oriented development process."

Dia - Visio's Open Source Counterpart

Dia a drawing program

"Dia is designed to be much like the commercial Windows program 'Visio'. It can be used to draw many different kinds of diagrams. It currently has special objects to help draw entity relationship diagrams, UML diagrams, flowcharts, network diagrams, and simple circuits. It is also possible to add support for new shapes by writing simple XML files, using a subset of SVG to draw the shape."

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Supreme Rant over Game 'Porn' Controversy

The Founding Fathers roll over in their graves as a new witch-hunt against the First Amendment is launched

If you saw my previous post a couple days ago on what I thought about the whole Grand Theft Auto 'porn' discovery and media controversy...well you will certainly get a kick (or migraine depending on your point of view) from the article linked above.

This guy gets all 'first amendment' about it and totally takes it to the next level....woooeeee. But not a bad little rant if I do say so ;)

Tip: This little controversy over the Grand Theft Auto 'porn' has been code named "Hot Coffee" by the Internet community. It received this name in honor of the "Hot Coffee mod" which is required to unlock the content in question.

Online Guitar Lessons

Online Guitar Lessons

The site has lots of great guitary lesson 'stuff' for beginners, and it looks like it has the goods for experienced players as well.

Spread Firefox Tops 75 Million Downloads

75,000,000 - Spread Firefox

Spread Firefox is reporting that Mozilla Firefox has been downloaded 75,000,000 times. The 75 millionth download came at 11:17:10am UTC/GMT, Tuesday, July 26, 2005.

The download count does not include upgrades obtained using Firefox's built-in software update system.

CSS Transparency IE, Moz & Firefox

CSS Transparency for IE and Mozilla, Firebird and Firefox (-moz-opacity and filter: alpha)

There is no easy way to do cross browser transparancy in CSS - however, this site presents a method to get it done for the big 3, IE, Mozilla, and FireFox.

Sure the technique isn't anything new - but the presentation, code and tutorial is good to have in a single place.

How to Bypass BIOS Passwords

How to Bypass BIOS Passwords

I know I've been in a situation where a BIOS password caused nightmares. Here is a site that can help in most situations.

The site isn't a cure all, as from experience it is nearly impossible to bypass the BIOS password on a Toshiba laptop (Satellite I think) without the custom USB dongle (which their own shops don't even carry!).

However - if you are in a pinch and for some reason need to get around a BIOS pass - this site should be a very good place to start...especially with older machines.

Google Maps Selection Box

Implementing a selection box for Google Maps

Another breakthrough from Google Maps hackers - a zoom area tool has been created and released (with the code). The test now is to see how long it takes Google to implement this functionality into its core functionality - I would guess 1 month (about how long it took for the 'hybrid' view to be adopted, which was also a user-first development).

I can envision a day when Google maps is going to have the functionality of MapServer...man, should us MapServer types be worried? Not entirely - but we better pay close attention. Should ESRI be worried with ArcIMS? Well, yes - but they've got a few years left ;)

I wouldn't be suprised if in a couple years Google comes out with a standalone web mapping application.

Google Maps is turning out to be an incredible example of how turning your product over to the geeks of the world is a great thing -for so many reasons. If Google maps is doing nothing else, it is further establishing a very positive and healthy relationship between Google and its users.

FCC Geographic Information Systems

FCC Geographic Information Systems

FCC licensing data, regulated towers and market area boundaries. Download shapefiles and additional data...oooo how much fun is this dataset!

Monday, July 25, 2005

200GB Harddrive $70 (no rebate)

Outpost.com�|�MAXTOR

Now this is a very good deal - snatch it up while you can....
Maxtor 200GB L01P200 Ultra Series 8MB Buffer UATA133 - Free shipping!

Criminalizing Kids - Zero Tolerance = Crap

OVERCRIMINALIZED.COM - Case Studies

Personally I agree with this article. "Zero tolerance" for anything is simply a political catch phrase that appeals the sheep of our society...it sounds good and simple - so it must be a solution. Great - one less problem to fix.

I won't go off on a long spiel - I would recommend this article - but it might get you thinking...

Russia’s Biggest Spammer Murdered

Russia’s Biggest Spammer Brutally Murdered in Apartment - NEWS - MOSNEWS.COM:

"Vardan Kushnir, notorious for sending spam to each and every citizen of Russia who appeared to have an e-mail, was found dead in his Moscow apartment on Sunday, Interfax reported Monday. He died after suffering repeated blows to the head."

If Geeks Ran the 'War on Terrorism'

Sun Ray Blog

So here is an interesting site that helps put the war on terrorism in terms programmers can understand :)

Trick - Improve LCD Resolution

LCD Resolution Trick

I was VERY skeptical of this trick when it was first shown to me. However, holy crap it actually made a noticable difference in the resolution of my monitor (and I've got a good quality LCD monitor here, folks).

So if you have an LCD monitor - take me advice on this one and check out this site. It takes about 2 minutes - and you're eyes will thank you for it.

(The most noticable difference is with text...)

Original 'War of the Worlds' Radio Audio

The Mercury Theatre on the Air

From this site you can download the original audio of the 'War of Worlds' radio broadcast on October 30, 1938. (I can't wait to listen to it during my commute tomorrow morning.)

The site actually contains the audio from what looks like all of the original radio plays done that year. (I'll have some great stuff to listen to while in the car for the the next couple of weeks! Sorry MPR but this is some cool audio)

Note: For a little on finding out what is fact/fiction regarding the original radio play check this site.

BitTorrent Saves the Day

mininova : the ultimate bittorrent source!

Over much of the weekend I was without power due to a bad storm. Normally this would be just an inconvenience - sparing the withdrawal from not having Internet access or being able to dink around on the computer (no whining here :). However, not having power meant not having TV, which meant I missed Stage 20 (individual time trial) of the Tour. Now that is disaster! (oh, right - no whining)

So what is a guy to do with a calamity such as this? Get online when the power comes back (which it did today) and download the "lost" episode of the great epic that is the Tour. Within 5-minutes of getting online, I was able to find the episode (without commercials even!), start downloading...and 6-hours later get my full 3-hour tour fix and knowing that I didn't miss a thing. Ahh the relief. Plus, it was such a great stage.

So for those of you who ever fall into the same boat, and miss an episode of your favorite TV anything - stop by MiniNova.org and just download it.

Just remember that you will need a fast Internet connection as a typical download will be ~300-400Mb PER hour of programming. If it's a popular program though you should get it pretty fast. An added benefit is that often - the person (I mean angel) who uploaded the content has already gone through and chopped out all of the commercials.

Remember - to download using BitTorrent you need a BitTorrent program such as Azureus (free) to manage your download.

1.6M Daily Tour Viewers (OLN)

Outdoor Life Network -:

OLN (the US cable network covering the tour) has issued a press release detailing viewership...with very positive numbers. Perhaps this will mean MORE CYCLING? (let's hope!)

So 1.6 Million US viewers saw the Tour daily. That may seem like small fry to some - but to me that means there are few more cycling fans than I thought.

"With four stages left to race, OLN’s Tour de France ratings and viewership continue to pace way ahead of 2004’s ratings and viewership. After 18 days, OLN’s gross Tour ratings are up a significant 31% as compared to last year (2.06HH vs. 1.58HH) and gross viewers are up 34% (1,612,243 vs. 1,201,375)."

Lance Armstrong Retires After 7 Wins

Home - Livestrong

Well, it's the end of an era. Lance Armstrong, the greatest athlete I will likely ever know, has won his unprecedented 7th Tour de France and is officially hanging up the spandex. It's sad to see him go, but wonderful to know that now he can be a fulltime ambassador for cancer survivors and a cure...and whatever other miracles he can pull out of his helmet.

It's been inspirational to watch him battle through these Tours de France over the years. In 2000, as I rode my bike across the U.S., I remember racing to towns and spending extra layover time in places just be sure I didn't miss it. There's nothing quite like trying to find a bar in the middle of nowhere that will let some kid in spandex with a tent on his bike, walk in and change the channel to CYCLING for three hours :). Towards the end of the race, I even ended up camped in some guy's backyard in Montana for nearly a week.

And now we get to engage in the pointless (yet fun) sport of speculating on who the new champion of cycling will be...my bet is on Ullrich.

The link provided will get you to Lance's LiveStrong foundation. Spend a couple bucks and get a bracelet for yourself and friend.

Armstrong Gets Another SI Cover

Tour de France 2005: Armstrong gets another SI cover

TDFBlog.com (Tour de France) has it that Lance will get ANOTHER Sports Illustrated cover. Not that I read Sports Illustrated...I'm a dork remember...but this is what - his 9th cover?

If anyone should be on the cover of a sport magazine, it should obviously be Armstrong.

Photo - Tour de France + Booze = Fun

Tour de France 2005: Jan's drinking problem

Yes, the Tour de France is a party without the booze, but even non-cycling fans (what, you're not a cycling fan?!) will enjoy this Tour de France photo of cycling's #2 man, Jan Ullrich...

Seriously, this photo is worth a look-see.

Video - Google: A Behind-the-Scenes Look

UWTV Program: Google: A Behind-the-Scenes Look

Here is video of a Univ. of Washington presentation where a Google engineer discusses several technical, behind-the-scenes aspects of what Google does and how they do it.

It's a very interesting 1hr video.

Sunday, July 24, 2005

The Programming Language Guide

The Language Guide

Covers programming languages from Ada to XML. Describes history of each language as well as sample programs and links to tutorials.

Overall this is a very nice primer on each of the languages you hear bantered about. The only glaring omission is clearly describing how .NET plays into the whole 'mess' of things.

MN GIS/LIS Conference - Oct 3-5, '05

15th Annual Conference & Workshops, October 3-5, 2005 - St. Cloud, Minnesota

"The Minnesota GIS/LIS Consortium will hold its 15th Annual Conference and Workshops on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Land Information Systems (LIS) on October 3-5, 2005 at the Saint Cloud Civic Center in Saint Cloud, Minnesota."

It is a great GIS event to attend if you live the Minnesota region. In general I would rate this event as being excellent for nearly all in and involved with the GIS field.

The only downside to this event, and this is solely from a techy/personal perspective of years past, I don't expect that anything will be covered at the "super-geek" level or in overly technical terms. For the vast majority in the GIS field, this means a perfect event - but for those [few] of us looking for the latest and greatest...it can fall short. However, not all conferences can be the MapServer conference now can they?!

Also of note - I believe MapServer and other Web mapping topics will be covered at the event. Most likely the coverage will be more focused at the beginner level - so anyone even thinking about getting into Web mapping should watch the Site and sign up early for any MapServer offerings, as I'm sure available seats for any workshops will fill VERY fast.

Game - Save Your Mouse

OneMoreLevel.com - Avoider

Here's a simple little flash game with the objective of saving protecting your mouse from some little fat man.

It's in Japanese - but just click where you would expect to click and you will start the game. Warning - it may be addictive and kind of fun.

Microsoft Tries Hand at Web Mapping

MS Virtual Earth

Yeah, yeah - Microsoft has release Virtual Earth - their copycat version of Google Maps.

What I even bother using it - not a chance. If you're a little slow on the uptake and haven't paid attention these last 5 years, you may not have noticed that the only time Microsoft does anything creative or ground breaking is AFTER one of the competitors has already done it.

Oh - and their aerial photography is OLD, b/w orthos in my area.

The one thing that I do like is how the roads have been overlaid (partial tranparancy) with the aerial imagery. So far only major roads have been completed - but I'm sure someone is working on it already.

Listen to the Tsunami Earthquake

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory News

Scientists have been listening to the sound of last year's tsunami, causing earthwake from ocean recordings. This site has a discussion and the mp3 so you can hear what it sounded like.

Saturday, July 23, 2005

19" LCD Monitor - $287 (w/coupon code)

Dell - Software & Peripherals

Dell 1905FP Ultrasharp 19" LCD for $479 - 40% off coupon K3X3VPQ14C83W$ = $287 w/ free shipping + tax

Friday, July 22, 2005

Crack WEP in 10 steps - Video

Why is a raven like a writing-desk?

This little video shows how you can crack WEP in about 3 minutes...plus, it's got some nifty Deutsche Musik...

So if you wanted to crack your neighbors encrypted wireless connection - well just watch the video, jam to the good tunes and see what you can do.

...I have to get that music - that is some good stuff.

Programming and Signal Processing tutorials

YOV408 Programming tutorials:

"Programming and Signal Processing tutorials"

This little site/forum has some great, advanced level programming tutorials.

EquationSheet

EquationSheet.com - Create a personal Equation Sheet from a large database of science and math equations including constants, symbols, and SI units

"Equations, constants, SI units, symbols, and unit conversions are all here. Create an account and save any equation, constant, etc. to your own list."

Top 10 Web fads

Top 10 Web fads - CNET.com

Remember those Web fads that come and go every 5 minutes...well, CNET has provided us with a glance to the past with this compilation of 10 web fads.

What's sad is that most of them still make me laugh...

Sims 2 - Nude Skins

Sims 2 - Nude Skins

In the wake of the uproar over the Grand Theft Auto porno patch - I thought I would provide a link to another patch...I need to start playing more video games :)

Firefox Web Developer Extension

Web Developer Extension on chrispederick.com

"The Web Developer extension for Mozilla Firefox and Mozilla adds a menu and a toolbar to the browser with various web developer tools."

Free/OS Game - 1st Person Shooter

Nexuiz

Here is a newly released free, open source computer game. It is 1st person shooter and doesn't look to bad. (Windows, Linux, etc.). The above link will take you to the screenshots - click the download link to get the game.

"After many years of development, Nexuiz has been released to the public! Nexuiz is a fast-paced, chaotic, and intense multiplayer first person shooter, focused on providing basic, old style deathmatch. The 1.0 release weighs in at 161MB, and includes 17 maps, 28 playable characters, and 10 music tracks. It is cross-platform, and supports Windows and Linux (x86 and x86_64), with Mac support coming soon (patch to be released in the next few days)."

"All of Nexuiz is licensed under the GPL, including the core engine, the textures, maps, sounds, and models. It is extremely modder friendly. Because of its GPL license status, it can be included in any Linux distros or packages and is entirely free."

Google Maps - New Hybrid View

Google Maps

Google Maps has added a new view, "Hybrid", which is an overlay of the streets with the aerial imagery.

It was only a couple of weeks ago that this feature was created by some hackers. Now Google has already adopted the idea. It's really hard not to love a company that listens to and responds to its users. Way to go Google!

Switching to Linux - A Newbie's Journal

AviDardik.com � So I’ve decided to switch to Linux. Episode 1: Introduction

The link above will get you to a site created by a person who is journaling his account of attempting to swtich from Windows to Linux.

For anyone who hasn't attempted Linux - this is a good little series of articles to read.

Thursday, July 21, 2005

American Morality...what hooey!

Shacknews - Document

OK - so this is very much a rant in response to this whole media-made controversy over the finding of so-called pornography in the "Grand Theft Auto" video game.

I think this whole ordeal exposes one of the fundamental differences between American cultural "values" (what a meaningless phrase that is anyway) and those of pretty much the rest of the world...it boils down to this:

In American "culture", Sex is dirty and bad - Violence is OK.
Throughout the rest of the developed world I would argue that the opposite is the norm - Violence is bad - Sex is OK. (yes, that's an over simplification, but you get me drift.)

This video game is perhaps the most violent game on the market (it sure ranks near the top if it's not) - you can shoot folks, cut their heads off, etc. Yet, with all that violence - it received only a "mature" rating. Now that sex (animated) has been found in the game - you get all this "save the children" bullcrap from every camera starved interest group - and yesterday the "ratings board" slaps the game with an "adult" rating.

I'm not saying that the violence should have earned it an adult rating. What I am merely pointing out is that grotesque violence...ok. A short, crappy, animated sex scene...baaad. It's Laughable.

Only in America is violence OK and sex forbidden. What is it with our "society" that has fostered this scewed reality...oh right...the video game industry did it.

So everyone - save the children - and remember, kids, it's OK to watch someone get their head chopped off. Hell, it's even OK for you to be the one to do it in the game - but don't even bring up the subject of sex.

Save the children...save the friggin children...if only someone would start looking out for the poor children. (enough already - how about a common sense, rational justification for doing something)

And by the way - have any of these frantic, town-criers even seen this so-called pornography. I highly doubt it - because it is far less graphic than the standard R-rated movie. But that is just an inconsequential detail that would lessen the bite of the story.

OK - so that rant is over.

And for those of you who really care about this issue and disagree with me that this is a media-made story...well here are just a couple additional articles:

Game Developer's Take on the Issue

Other games that have "nudity patches" which remove censored portions and/or "expose" adult content...such as the Sims. (Don't try to use the line that this is something new...it's been around forever - so why the firestorm now?!)

Open Source BEER Project

Vores Oel - Open Source Beer Project

Yep, you heard that right - it's Open Source Beer...

Well, when someone refers to open source software and says "Free - as in Free Beer" - well, now you can quite literally mean it.

Visit the site - check out the recipe and start a batch.

Interesting Web Clock

timeline.swf (application/x-shockwave-flash Object)

The site has a very interesting flash-based clock. Check it and see what time it is.

In Vehicle, Satellite Controlled Speed Limit

StellarBay.com News:

The source of this article is a little dubious. In any case, a lot of folks are thinking about this sort of in-vehicle-GPS/big brother tech.

"A black box with a GPS device installed in your car which is monitored by a satellite with digital map of traffic speed control might be the way traffic is controlled in Europe and the U.S.

Intelligent Speed Adaptation, or ISA is a study started back in 2000 by England’s Department for Transport (DFT) calling it the “traffic spy in the sky” project. The study is about to end later this year said Leeds University spokesperson, Hannah Love."

Importing Hotmail contacts to GMail

TipMonkies � Blog Archive � Importing Hotmail contacts to GMail

If you are like me, and dumped your HotMail account for a GMail account - well, here are simple instructions on how to import your HotMail contacts into your GMail account.

If you don't have a GMail account - I have 50 invites to give away - just post a comment or email me.

Currently GMail box capacity: 2,416 MB (that's 2 Gigabytes, folks).

Oh - and GMail accounts don't automatically expire after a certain amount of time of inactivity...unlike HotMail.

Movies in 30 seconds - Reinacted by Bunnies

Angry Alien Productions, Sase and Topsie

So this first reinactment is a 30 second production of the Rocky Horror Picture Show...reinactment by bunnies of course.

Other classics are on the site as well.

The movies are quite funny and very well done.

How to fix your magnet ruined monitor!

How to fix your magnet ruined monitor!

Now this article was just brilliant.

Here's a hint: 1 CRT Monitor, 1 drill, a couple of magnets...who would have thought that would be a good combination for anything?!

If you have a CRT monitor - you really need to check this article out.
Such a simple solution to what I thought was an impossible problem.

300GB Hard Drive $127 (AR)

Western Digital Caviar SE 300GB 3.5" IDE Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive - OEM at Newegg.com

$152 - $25 (rebate) = $127

Rebates suck ... but this is a good deal.

Google Maps and ESRI's Dilemma

The Google Phenomenon and ESRI's Dilemma — Hobu, Inc.

An interesting little article/commentary on Google Maps and the continuing emergence of Web mapping.

Google Moon - Lunar Landing Sites

Google Moon - Lunar Landing Sites

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Step by Step Make RSS Feeds

Step by Step Make RSS Feeds

"Step-by-step instructions for those of us who are just now trying to bring our sites into the modern age."

SQL in 60 Seconds

GameDev.net - SQL in 60 Seconds

Well, the article isn't really going to 60 seconds for newbies - but it is a good intro.

Nasa World Wind - 3D Mapping

Nasa World Wind - Epic Empire:

"Google Earth is phenomenal but now Nasa is introducing a free 3D mapping software called World Wind. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has combined SRTM elevation data and high resolution LandSat imagery. The interface has been programmed to be the most simplistic and easy to use for everyday users. The 3D landscapes are exceptionally detailed."

Monday, July 18, 2005

Favorite Keyboard/Mouse

IOGEAR: Expand Your Connectivity

The above link will take you to the home of my absolute favorite keyboard. It's from IOGear, wireless and comes with a wireless mouse. If you are in the market for a new keyboard and/or mouse - give this set a try. ($70 directly from IOGear ; ~$40 from most other online retailers)

Here is a link that will take you to a price comparison site for the keyboard/mouse.
ePionions - IOGear Wireless Keyboard/Mouse

Saturday, July 16, 2005

Nvu - FOSS WYSIWYG Web Editor

Nvu - The Complete Web Authoring System for Linux, Macintosh

Nvu (N-view) is a WYSIWYG web development application that makes it pretty easy to create and edit web pages (and other).

It is Free and Open Source. It's based on Mozilla's Composer. I've tried it out and it seems to be pretty good.

My only major complaint: Tag view needs to expose both the opening & closing element tags for better cursor positioning and editability. However, I don't know of any FOS app that does this...

Sidebar Extension for Mozilla Firefox

All-In-One Sidebar :: Sidebar Extension for Mozilla Firefox:

"All-In-One Sidebar - a sidebar extension for Firefox!

All-In-One Sidebar is a highly configurable Opera-like sidebar. Click on the left edge of your browser window to open the sidebar and get easily access to all your sidebars."

Shrimp Band-Aids

ScienCentral: Battlefield Band-Aids

"Scientists have created a bandage that is actually able to clot a bullet wound in less than a minute. The bandages are laced with a mixture of ground shrimp shells and vinegar, a concoction that has been found to clot blood instantly.

While the bandages are currently being produced exclusively for the military, [the manufacturer] is aiming for the civilian market."

Blogger Templates

BLOGGER TEMPLATES :: A template for my blog

DIY: Science Toys

Science Toys:

This site has a lot of nerdy, which means fun :), science projects.

"Make toys at home with common household materials, often in only a few minutes, that demonstrate fascinating scientific principles."

Friday, July 15, 2005

David Rumsey Historical Map Collection

David Rumsey Historical Map Collection:

If you love maps...well, this site is a real treat.

"The David Rumsey Historical Map Collection has over 11,000 maps online. The collection focuses on rare 18th and 19th century North and South America maps and other cartographic materials. Historic maps of the World, Europe, Asia and Africa are also represented. Collection categories include antique atlas, globe, school geography, maritime chart, state, county, city, pocket, wall, childrens and manuscript maps. The collection can be used to study history, genealogy and family history."

16X DVD Burner $41 (No Rebates)

SAMSUNG Black IDE DVD Burner Model TS-H552U/BEBN BLK - OEM at Newegg.com:

NewEgg.com has a 16X DVD Burner for only $40. Get it while it is is stock.

Stats:
"SAMSUNG Black 16X DVD R 4X DVD RW 5X DVD R DL 12X DVD-R 4X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 40X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2M Cache IDE DVD Burner - OEM"

Sweet Keyboard

Optimus keyboard

Now this is a cool looking keyboard! The keys display color images and therefore allow dynamic and truly customizable configurations.

I don't believe the keyboard has hit the market yet - too bad.

We’re not Afraid!

We’re not Afraid!

I don't normally get my links from mainstream media...but ABC News actually had a decent website recommendation - We're Not Afraid.com (www.werenotafraid.com)

Launched shortly after the London Underground bombings, the site allows users to submit their own photos with a simple message - "We are not afraid."

There are a lot of great and often funny images. It is worth a look.

Thursday, July 14, 2005

Bone Marrow Update: Match Results

National Marrow Donor Program

I received a letter from the National Marrow Donor Program today. Unfortunately, I am not a match.

Below is the text from the letter:
"You recently donated blood for further testing. Your blood was tissue typed and compared with the patient's tissue typing. Results indicate that you and the patient are not a match. At this point, no further testing is required from you.

We will add your updated typing information to the computer system for other patient searches.

We appreciate your continued support for this program. Your kindness makes it possible for us to give patients a second change at life..."


I sincerely hope they are able to find a match for this person.

It's been 10-years. Yet, I still remember the sadness & helplessness that sweeps over you and your entire family when everyone must face the reality that a match...a possible cure...will not be found, and your loved one will not survive the disease.

I appreciate that this organization exists and am honored to participate in any way I can. Even though I am not a match for this patient...perhaps I will be for someone in the future. Or even better - another treatment/cure will be found.

If you haven't already, please consider joining the program and being a bone marrow donor...it could very literally save someone's life.

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Banned Books Online

Banned Books Online

A collection of books up for free download that have been widely banned at one time or another.

CSS sliding photo-gallery

stu nicholls | the CSS playground | CSS sliding photo-gallery

A nice, simple CSS implementation to create an effective image gallery/slide presentation.

How Firefox Works

Howstuffworks "How Firefox Works":

"Chances are, you're reading this article on Internet Explorer. It's the browser that comes already installed on Windows operating systems; most people use Windows, and most Windows users don't give a second thought to which browser they're using. In fact, many people aren't aware that they have an option at all."

"In this article, we'll find out what makes Firefox different, what it can do and what effect an open-source browser might have on the Internet landscape."

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Internet - The Biggest Waste of Time

Stop reading this headline and get back to work | CNET News.com:

"Traipsing around the Internet is the most popular form of loafing on the job. The insurance industry is particularly rife with goofing off, and Missouri is the top state for time-wasters.

Those are among the conclusions of a study on wasted time at work released Monday by compensation specialist Salary.com and Web portal America Online."

Computer Cooling - Nice Article

Keeping Your Computer's Case Cool--ExtremeTech How-To

The article is a comprehensive look at the considerations for keeping your system cool. Overall it is worth the read.

Free Screen Video Recorder

SourceForge.net: Project Info - CamStudio - Desktop Screen Recorder

Camstudio is an open source screen recorder that can output either to AVI or streaming Flash video.

Monday, July 11, 2005

DIY: Wind Turbine (up to 3.8kW!)

Large 17' diameter wind turbine

How about a di-it-yourself wind turbine! Now that it is an arts & crafts project. This does look like a very fun project. This kind of thing makes a geek want to go buy some tools - perfect for a high school shop and/or science classes.

"This turbine charges a 48V battery bank in 5 MPH winds, is making 400 Watts at 10 MPH, and 1500 Watts in a 16 MPH wind. This photo shows it fully furled, producing maximum power of 3800 Watts. The tail folds up and in during high winds, yawing the machine at an angle to the wind to reduce the massive, exponential, power input increase from high winds. The machine has survived 60+ MPH winds in operation."

www.OtherPower.com

Office Slacker Arts & Crafts Project

Office Bricolage2: Office Bow of Death

Here is a nice little arts & crafts project for the not-so-sane, office slacker...

Photoshop Tips & Techniques

Russell Brown Tips & Techniques

The site has several quicktime, video tutorials which offer nice tutorials on image manipulation and editing in photoshop. The same or similar techniques apply to other image editing applications (such as The GIMP, PaintShop, etc.)

Identify Theft Situation...Avoided

OK - so we all have heard about the recent credit card number thefts & such lately. A couple days ago my bank actually sent me a notice saying that one of my accounts MAY have been involved in one of these incidents (they didn't say which incident, but I highly doubt my bank was the source of the problem).

The amazing thing is that not only did they notify me of the possible issue but they also took the initiative by immediately issuing a new card number and card for the affected account...without me having to do anything or talk to anyone! The new card came only a couple days after their notice letter...talk about service!

Wow - I know my local is great...but I didn't expect a small town bank to be so on the ball.

From the recent news reports it sounded like everyone had to call their banks and credit card companies to verify if their numbers were involved and actually request a new card be issued. Of course, I didn't bother to do that, as I thought would be a waste of time. Now, I only wonder if my other card companies will be so proactive...or are they waiting for me to contact them? Having to call each of them could be a pain in the rear...

The only problem with my bank automatically reissuing a new account number was that I had to modify a couple automatic online payments. Heck, I'll take that minor hassle over a possible identity theft situation any day.

[I would mention the bank's name...but I would hate for that to somehow open me up to further identify theft issues.]

How Popular is Your Name?

Name Statistics - How popular are your first and last names?:

Ever wondered what the first thing hackers and spammers do when they get your name? They add it to the name statistics database, of course :)

This site allows you to find out how popular (or not) you are...err...your first & last names that is. It also estimates how many copy cats are out there using your name.

It's a fun little site.

Sunday, July 10, 2005

Google Earth Hacks

Google Earth Hacks - Lots of downloads, information and hacks for Google Earth.

I haven't really tried any of these so called "hacks" - but it looks like a good start...

"Welcome to Google Earth Hacks! We offer lots of great information for you, as well as a growing collection of downloads to use with your copy of Google Earth."

Sparkler Art - Photos

sparkler fun - a photoset on Flickr

These sparkler artists left their cameras' shutters open while drawing elaborate pictures in the air with their Fourth of July sparklers. The results are interesting.

Here is a fun one...

Saturday, July 09, 2005

Say Cheese! (Rated R)

В Китае секса нет

So what would happen if you took a camera to a makeout spot, snuck up on the unsuspecting 'goings on' in the cars...and starting taking pictures (with a flash)? Well, that is what happened in some asian country...and the photographer apparantly lived to post his findings online.

The expressions on these folks faces are simply priceless. (Nothing X-rated but probably not safe to look at from the office)

Celestia - 3D Space Simulator

Celestia

"Celestia is a free, interactive (real-time), 3D astronomy program. It doesn't just show you the sky as it can be seen from earth as most planetarium software does, but allows you to move to and view the universe from any point between the planets and the stars."

Celestia Motherloade - Addon Repository for Celestia

"The Celestia Motherlode hosts over 10 GB of Celestia addons by various creators, which extend or change the way Celestia renders the universe."

Friday, July 08, 2005

250GB Hard Drive $80 (AR)

ST3250823A Seagate 250GB 7200 8MB ATA-100 EIDE OEM Hard Drive at TigerDirect.com

Yep...another rebate deal.

Cancelling my Wired Mag Subscription

Wired subscriber gets a jolt

After reading this astonishing article about Wired magazine's unethical renewal policies...I will cancel my subscription tomorrow.

Honestly, I've only had the subscription for a couple months and it is a pretty crappy mag/rag. There is scant content, 3/4 of it's pages are ads, and it is just plain is boring.

With that said - I wasn't in a rush to waste my time and cancel my subscription. However, with the news regarding how they surreptitiously auto-renew your subscriptions using mailings with fine print agreements, and then sick a bill collector on you for not going along with the con...well, that motivates me to pick up the phone.

So I guess I will find out how difficult they make it to cancel my subscription...and post the results here of course.

Dover wants to charge fee for maps

PoughkeepsieJournal.com - Dover wants to charge fee for maps:

"People wanting maps of town property in Dover now have to pay a fee.

The town board at a recent meeting voted to establish a fee structure for maps printed with geographic information systems software."

(I encourage you to read the entire, short article.)

OK - If I comment again on this subject of fees for access to geographic data & maps, I will simply explode with frustration all over this blog - So in the absense of more logic and reasoned argument let me just say - AHHHHH...

Thankfully in Minnesota this practice is illegal (thank you, Data Practices Act!). In short, Minnesota law states that government agencies can't use access to data as a source of revenue. However, even with the law, many government decision makers still make a valliant effort at charging for GIS and other vital public information, which is of course already being created and maintained for the public good and at the public's expense.

If you haven't read the Minnesota Data Practices Act (Chapter 13) I encourage you to check it out. Granted it has been watered down over the last couple of years (by those who would be assessing fees of course...hmmm). However, it still offers substantial protections to the public's ability to inspect and utilize PUBLIC information.
The most important section is Section 13.03.

From my point of view, here is a brief sum of the protections the Minnesota public has been provided from its own leaders who wish to assess the hell out of them:
"Subdivision 1. Public data. All government data collected, created, received, maintained or disseminated by a state agency, political subdivision, or statewide system shall be public unless classified by statute..."

"Subd. 3. Request for access to data. (a)...If a person requests access for the purpose of inspection, the responsible authority may not assess a charge or require the requesting person to pay a fee to inspect data.

"(c) ...If a person requests copies or electronic transmittal of the data to the person, the responsible authority may require the requesting person to pay the actual costs of searching for and retrieving government data, including the cost of employee time, and for making, certifying, compiling, and electronically transmitting the copies of the data or the data, but may not charge for separating public from not public data..." [i.e. You can only charge ACTUAL costs and cannot go from charging $0.25/map to $8/map or $24/map]

(I guess I went beyond the no comment mark...but at least I don't think I pissed anyone off this time :)

Review: Web Mapping Illustrated

import cartography

Sean Gillies has posted a really good (meaning clear, honest & informed) review of the new (and arguably first ever) MapServer book, "Web Mapping Illustrated." If you are into Web mapping or any GIS discipline, I recommend you read his review...and then buy the book anyway :)

learn UNIX in 10 minutes

learn UNIX in 10 minutes:

"Learn UNIX in 10 minutes. Version 1.2"

For newbies (and more advanced users needing a review) - it's not bad...and it is right to the point. The only downside is that there are no pictures to keep the attention of the newbie crowd.

High-Res Widescreen Wallpaper

InterfaceLIFT: High-Resolution Widescreen Wallpaper 2560x1600

This site has a lot of great, high-quality wallpaper images (free) for a variety of large screen resolutions.

Linux Distro Selection Helper

Linux Distribution Chooser [� 2005 - zegenie Studios]

I thought for sure this little test would be crap. However, it really isn't that bad. Of course Linux geeks will find all kinds of flaws with it. But for someone who has never tried Linux this could be a useful little tool.

It takes about 2 minutes to answer the 20 questions. Upon completion it will list several possible distributions that may fit your needs/experience level and offers great descriptions about the pros/cons of each distro.

Glossary of Surveying & Mapping Terms

WSLS - Wisconsin Society of Land Surveyors

A very complete reference to the terminology used in surveying and land legal descriptions.

TiVo slashes price on entry-level boxes

TiVo slashes price on entry-level boxes | News.blog | CNET News.com:

Tivo Rules! So it was good to hear the following news...

"TiVo said it is cutting the cost of its 40-hour Series2 digital video recorder (DVR) in half--from $199 to $99--in an effort to drive sales this summer.

The cost on the 80-hour and 140-hour boxes will remain the same for now, but a representative with the San Jose, Calif.-based company said the dropped price on the entry-level model will stay at $99 until August 20."

Learn Morse Code...the easy way

learn morse code

I was pleasantly suprised at how useful this method was at learning morse code...

Check it out and try it. It's geek fun!

160GB Hard Drive $50 (AR)

6B160P0 Maxtor DiamondMax 10 160GB 7200 8MB ATA-133 EIDE OEM Hard Drive at TigerDirect.com

Maxtor / DiamondMax 10 / 160GB / 7200 / 8MB / ATA-133 / EIDE / OEM / Hard Drive...tigerdirect

Default Password List

Default Password List

A list of default passwords for logins for different models of devices.

DUH - Fear of Spyware Changing Online Habits

Fear of Spyware Changing Online Habits - Yahoo! News

Most of you who are reading this will understand when I say...THIS ISN'T NEWS! (then again, Yahoo! news is rarely what I would call real news) However, it does drive the malware & user idiocy needle under my fingernail a tiny bit deeper.

To those readers who either don't know what spyware is or how to prevent it...goto www.mudlabs.com/tips, click "Download" and read the newsletter. It covers the basics, along with some straight forward instructions.

This Yahoo! article tears me in two direction. First, it a bit crazy that malware is still news to most Internet users. Second, I am understanding of those same users who have no interest in becoming computer nerds and only want to play solitaire and enjoy finding whatever it is they are interested in on the Web.

With that being said, I know my irritation is misdirected when I blame the user for the entire problem. If the other major computer manufacturers would simply recognize that their customers are demanding solutions - not more preinstalled crap - then progress could be made. The computer manufacturers are themselves a source of Adware and other nasty crapware. What do you get with a new computer? Internet Explorer, AOL, Norton, McAfee, casino ads, and other nonsense that the novice user just assumes is what you have to use and will therefore themselves be a good leming by jumping over the same cliff millions of others have before him/her. There is nothing like watching an entire population make the same damn mistake over and over again. You would think that an educated public would start to learn from others' mistakes.

What is the first thing most computer geeks will do if they purchase a new preconfigured system? Format the damn thing and start from scratch. It just isn't worth the hassle of trying to identify and clean all the garbage that comes preinstalled on the average new machine. Who needs AOL on a new computer!? And Norton or McAfee crapware suites are virtually worthless considering that the vast majority of non-geeks will NOT purchase upgrades or yearly subscriptions to keep this stuff up to date. Once their free period expires, they don't know what to do...so there they sit with dozens of pop-ups and a migraine trying to use the Internet.

Well - I could go on, but that is more than enough ranting for the evening. So to conclude this little tirade, if you are using Internet Explorer to read this you are either savvy enough to prevent the problems or you need to start being a better Internet user by installing an alternative browser.

Thursday, July 07, 2005

Live 8 Video Downloads

Live 8:

"These are the AOL video clips from the Live 8 concert series from July 2nd."

Google Firefox Extensions

Google Firefox Extensions:

"Welcome to the Google Extensions for Firefox page. Extensions are small applications that you download and install into your Firefox browser to add new functionality. We hope you enjoy these extensions!"

Deal: Athlon 64 3k System $129 (AR)

Compaq Athlon 64 3000 System w/ CDRW $129 Shipped:

"CompUSA has the Compaq Presario SR1010z Athlon 64 3000 Desktop System for $360 - $50 compaq rebate - $250 CompUSA rebate = $60 $69 shipping = $129. Great deal for a solid system. No monitor."

Do Search Engines Like Your Web Site

Venturus - Internet Entrepreneur Community

"You can find out which pages on your site the search engines know about by using a special search. If you search for ‘site:’ and your Web site address, the search engine will tell you all of the pages on your Web site it knows about."

How schools can get free software

BBC NEWS | Education | How schools can get free software:

"The UK government's school computing agency, Becta, has said schools could save costs by switching to what is known as open source software."

The Word of the Day is...

RUMINATE...

OK - so I'm thinking about how to solve this database problem all yesterday and today. I think it is going to be a nightmare involving numerous additional queries. Well, I sit down to do the damn thing and what the hell...I get it on the first try and it takes all of 7 minutes.

Whaaa? How lucky is that - or perhaps I ruminated on the problem long enough that it just worked itself out.

Anyway - this is totally not worth a blog entry...but what the hell.

1 in 5 Using Alternative Browser

nearly 1 in 5 using a different browser to avoid intrusions (PDF document):

The Pew organization released a report (PDF) which says "18% of internet users say they have started using a different Web browser [not Internet Explorer] to avoid software intrusions." This was in response to the question "Have you, personally, done any of the following to avoid getting unwanted software programs on your computer?"

...

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Universe Millennium Simulation

Millennium Simulation:

"This movie shows the dark matter distribution in the universe at the present time, based on the Millennium Simulation, the largest N-body simulation carried out thus far (more than 1010 particles). By zooming in on a massive cluster of galaxies, the movie highlights the morphology of the structure on different scales, and the large dynamic range of the simulation (105 per dimension in 3D). The zoom extends from scales of several Gpc down to resolved substructures as small as ~10 kpc."

Brilliant Button Maker

Brilliant Button Maker by LucaZappa.com

"Have you ever wanted to make the small tag buttons that rss feeds have? Well now you can with the Brilliant Button Maker, it allows you to make small 80x15 buttons with your own pictures and logos."

Tom Cruise Shocks Oprah (Hilareous)

OK - I'm not much for celebrity gossip..in fact that & commercials drive me nuts.

In that bah humbug spirit...I present you with a little bit of hillarity -

http://www.mudlabs.com/blog_images/tomcruise.gif

Tour de FRance - AMAZING Stage 4!

Tour de France 2005: Zabriskie falls out of yellow jersey, Armstrong takes the lead:

Well, if you missed yeserday's team time trial - holy crap...that was one exciting stage! I won't even try to put together a decent commentary on it so read the linked article.

Ya know, I saw the stage last night...and this morning, I still feal bad for Zabriskie. What a horrible way to lose the stage...

That is one stage of the Tour that will be hard to forget.

Bikehiker

Bikehiker

What looks to be an interesting Tour de France blog...

Google Maps Widget

Google Maps Widget - Dashboard - Transportation

"The Google Maps Widget provides a simple interface for viewing maps and satellite photos of locations in the US, UK and Canada. Maps can be navigated using the mouse or keyboard."

Extra Second Will be Added to '05

Take Your Time: Extra Second Will be Added to 2005

"An extra second will be added to 2005 to make up for the slowing down of the Earth's rotation, officials said this week."

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Google Maps Transparencies

Google Maps Transparencies

"Click and drag anywhere, just like normal Google Maps, and see how the Map View matches the Satellite View (or vice-versa). Control the level of transparency with the slider control at bottom."

Monday, July 04, 2005

How to GPS Tag Digital Photos

MAKE: Blog: HOW TO GPS Tag Photos: Flickr, Mappr, Google Earth....:

"Here's the simple, non-techy way of tagging photos with the location of where you took them on planet Earth. There are lots of ways to do this, and I'll write about those later- but this is fun thing to do over the holiday weekend. As an added bonus, I'll show you how to see your photos on a cool Mapping application called Mappr, as well as Google Earth..."

Ant Species Reproduces via Cloning

New Scientist Bizarre stand-off in battle of the sexes - News

Apparantly this ant species hasn't heard that cloning is immoral and must be stopped...looks like the President needs to rethink that whole "cloning is unatural" line.

Google/Yahoo Map Hacks Review

Wired News: Map Hacks on Crack

Both Google & Yahoo have released the APIs for the web mapping applications. This article provides a little background and tries to address the state of these 2 giants' efforts...

Vehicle GPS Used for Speed Enforcement

Slashdot | Britain to Pilot GPS Speed Governors

Well, it looks as if the Brits are going to be the first to really attempt using individual vehicles' GPS to monitor and issue speeding tickets. Currently the pilot program is voluntary (today voluntary - tomorrow manditory). Participants will receive a discount off daily tolls/fees if they install the device...

Anyway - it won't be long before every new vehicle comes with a GPS unit and some kind of monitoring technology...Most likely will be the onboard computer storing GPS position/time/etc and making it availablel to police/other on inspection.

I can't wait for all of the "what about the children" arguements that will inevitably be used to justify the use of this new technology to indrude into all of our personal lives & movements.

Sunday, July 03, 2005

Understanding GIS

ONCN - Understanding GIS

This is a very nicely done site, describing what GIS is, why it is important and some of the most common implementations.

It even has nice pictures! ooooh...pictures :)

windows xp services

windows xp services

Here are 122 Windows XP services listed with descriptions on how to work with them.

Weather map - Google Weather Map

Weather map - Google Weather Map

Weather Maps lets you view real time weather information on a map. Most of the data comes from personal weather stations that are run from homes and schools. Weather Underground and Weather Bug are two of the major sites that compile this data. Incorporates webcams as well. Firefox is the preferred browser.

Saturday, July 02, 2005

See under any cap without opening it

See under any cap (like for Pepsi iTunes) without opening it!

Yeah, this is old, and you couldn't really do this in a store. However, if you work in a store...this might be a fun game after hours :)

MTV Cuts Off Pink Flloyd During Concert

MTV needs a serious ass woop'n. During the Live 8 concert - Pink Flloyd finally gets together for a performance, does 4 songs...and what the f**k does MTV do during the 4th song...cuts to commercial!!?!?

Whoever made that decision needs to have their head put in vice or some other painful thing...How could anyone working at a MUSIC station even consider such a thing.

Yeah, yeah - MTV hasn't been a music station for at least a decade. But still - you would think at least one person wouldn't have their head up their a$$ at that station.

Anyway - I just thought I would rant about that insanity.

Never Ending Fall - Hillareous Yet Creepy

Never Ending Fall

Apparantly this is a physics demonstration. A female mannequin falls through an infinite amount of floating bubbles.

If she gets stuck use your mouse to move her (or make her fly across the screen).

Larger Version:
http://www.thechump.com/neverendingfall.swf

Team Discovery Official Website

Pro Cycling :: Main

This is the site for Team Discovery (Lance Armstrong's Team in the Tour de France).

I can't believe the Discovery Channel doesn't even have a direct link to their own friggin cycling team on their homepage. WTF?!

Blog: Tour de France 2005

Tour de France 2005 - Blog

If you are into the Tour de France and/or cycling in general - check out tdfblog.com. They've got live updates...and even better, if you are using FireFox you can subscribe to the blog and create a "Live
Bookmark".

To subscribe to the live feed - visit the site - click the orange icon on the bottom-right status bar of Firefox. click "Subscribe to RSS". Add the Live Bookmark to the "Bookmarks Toolbar Folder". You will then have a live link to the contents of the blog simply by clicking the bookmark button.

Tour de France - Stage 1

Outdoor Life Network - Tour de France

Today is the start of the Tour de France (hurray!), and Lance is going for his 7th consecutive win. Thankfully, I've got my little Tivo buddy saving every minute of it.

This year, the Discovery Channel has taken over for the US Postal Service as the lead sponsor for Lance's Team.

This is the last Tour de France for Lance Armstrong...shit. I guess the positive side of that is next year's race will be a real fight to crown the next King of cycling.

Watching the Tour makes me feal guilty about not riding over these last few months, and inspires me to get off my ever fattening ass and hit the road.

www.olntv.com is again the official US site for the Tour de France. In the US, you can get daily, live & extended coverage of the Tour on the Outdoor Life Network (cable TV).

Let's go, Team Discovery! (you know that just doesn't have the same ring as "Let's go, Postal!")

Kick some ass, Lance!

Xbox Mod - Primary Info/Tut Resource

Xbox-Scene.com

If you have an Xbox and haven't modded it yet, xbox-scene.com is the place to start.

Now, there is a LOT of info on this site. Start with the tutorials and read as many as you can stand. If you are not a techno geek and haven't soldered anything in your life, give yourself some time to let things sink in. Your first time can be a bit overwhelming (wink). Anyone with patience and a willingness to READ and follow directions can modify their Xbox.

Modifying your Xbox by installing an additional chip is LEGAL, just as it is (and should be) legal to put a new engine in your car. However, the damn DMCA makes it illegal to do most things to the BIOS.

There are solderless mods that you can do. However, I have no experience with them. So I recommend that you buy a $15 (smallest) soldering iron at radio shack, and the "Xexuter3" mod chip...and read as many of the tutorials as you can find.

Why would you want to modify your Xbox?
- Make & play backup copies of your games
- Play movies WITHOUT having to buy the damn remote separately
- Use it as a computer (I installed MapServer on it and used it to host web mapping applications)
- Put a web browser on it...and surf the Web from your Xbox
- Almost anything else - it is after all a computer...

An example of how modifying your Xbox can serve a LEGITIMATE purpose:
My brother has one of the original series Xbox (version 1). It won't play ANY of the new games that have been released over the last year. However, if he puts a backup copy of the same game into his modded Xbox - he can play the game. Seriously, an original Xbox disc will NOT play in his Xbox. So the mod chip helps fix a DEFECT in the product. How's that for self-help customer support!? When he contacted Microsoft for support on the issue - the answer was to send in the Xbox to replace the DVD drive...for only $150...screw that.

$251 Million Typo

Bad keystroke leads to $251 million stock buy | CNET News.com

Talk about a bad day at work...

A Taiwan stock trader is jobless after a typo left her company looking at a paper loss of more than $12 million when what was supposed to have been a small order mistakenly resulted in a $251 million purchase. 'Something like this is difficult to explain to superiors,' a company exec explained.

Does anyone else think there is a manager out there that needs to look into a better data entry system?

Pattern Recognition - Oodles of Info

Pattern Recognition on the Web:

For any of you uber geeks/programmers/math junkies, this site is a compendium of great links & resources for information on such topics as:
- Pattern Recognition
- Statistics
- Computer Visiion & Graphics
- Information Theory
- Computational Linguistics

Contents:
# Smoothing, Approximation, Data-Compression and Fitting
# Differentiation, Sharpening, Enhancement, Caricatures and Shape Morphing
# Moment and Fourier Descriptors of Shape
# Distance, Medial Axis Transforms and Skeletons
# Shape Decomposition, Geometric and Topological Features
# Processing Line Drawings
# Detection of Structure in Noisy Pictures and Dot-Patterns
# Simple Classifiers and Neural Networks
# Bayesian Decision Theory
# Feature Selection: Independence of Measurements, Redundancy and Synergism
# Non-Parametric Learning
# Estimation of Densities, Parameters and Classifier Performance
# Nearest Neighbor Decision Rules
# Using Contextual Information in Pattern Recognition
# Cluster-Analysis and Unsupervised Learning
# Support Vector Classifiers"

How Ice Melts: Longstanding Mystery Solved

How Ice Melts: Longstanding Mystery Solved

At first I thought the article would be a bit boring...how ice melts...snooze. But as I read, I really found the whole bit interesting.

Either I'm a dork or the article & topic are worth the read - alright, how about both!

Gastrointestinal Voyage Video

Guest Plus Host Equals Ghost

A guy swallows a digital camera...the camera takes a picture every so often...the guy retrieves the camera on the other end...and puts the pictures in this very interesting timeline image.

The site & content is very well done.

Fireworks Legal Information By State

Fireworks Legal Information By State

The site has a lot of info on all the different kinds of fireworks, what is legal in your state...and the neighboring states :), and more.

Friday, July 01, 2005

creating websites with CSS and XHTML

Alsacreations, creating websites with CSS and XHTML

DIY: Wireless Internet Access Point

MAVROMATIC - DIY: Outdoor Wireless Access Point/Signal Repeater

This site gives a good tutorial, with nice pictures, on how to set up your own wireless internet access point/signal repeater. Setting it up isn't all that difficult.

Fireworks Photography Tips

New York Institute of Photography - Tips for Better Photographs - July 4th Fireworks Photos

Open Source Saves Company $97 million

Open Source Ascendant - Editorial - CIO:

"How Cendant Travel Distribution Services replaced a $100 million mainframe with 144 Linux servers and lived to tell about it."

"...A platform on the mainframe that was projected to cost $100 million now costs about $2.5 million on Linux and Intel servers."

DIY: Building a Radio in 10 Minutes

Chapter 4: Radio

This is a very nifty little article - well put together and easy to follow.

Now, If I had 10 minutes (hint, hint, Steve)...I just might try it it :)

646 Pound Catfish Caught in Thailand!

Science Blog -- Grizzly-sized catfish caught in Thailand -- (Slashdot Effect Version):

"Fishermen in northern Thailand have netted a fish as big as a grizzly bear, a 646-pound Mekong giant catfish, the heaviest recorded since Thai officials started keeping records in 1981. The behemoth was caught in the Mekong River and may be the largest freshwater fish ever found."

$100 PC - 6 hour CompUSA Sale - Don't take the bait!

CompUSA.com - Midnight Madness

This is such a shill. Ish...this sale makes me feel all dirty and violated...(expect similar desparation like this in the future from such retailers)

CompUSA is having a midnight madness sale friday, July 1 from 6pm-midnight. During the 10-11 hour they've got an eMachines E3882 for $99.99. 2.8ghz celeron, 256mb RAM, 80gb HD, CD-RW/DVD Combo.

OK - yes, this is a good deal - but I have a few BIG reservations about even blogging this "deal":
- The $100 PC is AFTER a fricken $270 rebate...damn rebates suck. (How does it take 2+ months to get a rebate? what a scam...companies should be charged late fees if you don't get your rebate in 2 weeks or less...)
- "Postage and sales tax required for mail-in rebates" - What does THAT mean? Sounds like a scam to disqualify most folks from getting their rebates.
- My guess is they have about 10 of the $100 computers at each store...of course the employees will have bought or hidden all of those for themselves, and everyone who trampled over their mothers to get one will end up buying the expensive crap they didn't want.
- It's a viral marketing gimmick to get people in the store and folks talking on the web...(folks like me )

Notice the disclaimer on their site and you'll see why I am so sceptical:
"*Not available via mail order. Offers may not be combined with any other offer. Quantities limited to stock on hand. No special orders. No rainchecks except in Connecticut, Michigan and Ohio. Free offers after rebate are not available in Michigan. Prices are not valid in Connecticut or Puerto Rico. See store for details. •Actual speed and capacity may vary. *Quantities limited. 1 per household. Not available via mail order. Postage and sales tax required for mail-in rebates."

If this isn't the most obvious, lamest scam sale ever! Ok - forget it - DON'T PARTICIPATE IN THIS SALE unless you live in CT, MI, or OH (where rainchecks are allowed). It will only encourage the company to delve deaper into the pits of rebate and hour sale hell.

Actually - don't bother if you are in CT, the prices aren't valid in CT...hah.

Book: How to Do Everything with PHP and MySQL

McGraw-Hill - How to Do Everything with PHP and MySQL:

OK - so the book looks a little flimsy and I haven't read it. But yesterday was a light blog day...and this book looks like it might be good for beginners/wannabe web developers. Plus, it's only $25. (Tip: Any computer book under $30 is definately aimed at beginners)

Description
"This new release in the popular How to Do Everything series explains how to build open source web applications with MySQL and PHP 5. Using these two tools, you’ll be able to create highly functional, interactive web sites easily. Follow along with a step-by-step sample application and, as a bonus, download three full-length case studies complete with code trees"