abRANDOM

Justin Allard dot com

2008-11-27T08:01:00.000-08:00

Justin Allard dot com is my new website and that is where all of my new content is going, so go check it out!

I've made a decision

2007-06-05T15:41:00.000-07:00

I've decided to just leave abRANDOM where it is, and use Justin Allard dot com for all of my future posts. I will continue to upload the podcast to Gcast, and I will upload an enhanced AAC version at Justin Allard dot com slash blog for download that will feature pictures of whatever Bryan and I are talking about at the given time. So, for now on, I will be making all future posts Justin Allard dot com slash blog, but I will maintain the old podcast feed.

EDIT 11.27.08: Scratch the podcast. I haven't made an episode in over two years. Scratch the whole slash blog. It's just my blog now. Speaking of my blog go check it out over at Justin Allard dot com!

Moving

2007-05-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

I am moving to my new site Justin Allard dot com, so sit tight.

Last.fm

2007-05-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

Last.fm has introduced some new flash widgets, and I have embeded two of them in my blog's sidebar. Here they are as well.

mandolux

2007-05-11T22:58:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for some nice dual monitor wallpaper you should definitely check out mandolux. Even if dual monitors aren't your thing they have some nice single monitor wallpaper as well as wallpaper for 3 to 4 plus monitors. Just click the archive link on the page linked to to browse a bunch of the wallpaper, and click a different year for even more.

NeXT: A successful boot

2007-05-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

Let me give you a little history lesson: When Steve Jobs left Apple, he went and created the company NeXT. The developed NeXT Step, later changed the name to OpenStep. During this time, the Sculley era, Apple had dug itself a deep hole. The went from dominating the PC industry to a failure, almost having to declare bankruptcy. Then Apple bought NeXT and therefore Steve Jobs, and the NeXT code became part of OS X. So, in a sense, OpenStep is OS X version 10.-3.

So, I have gotten my hands on a copy of OpenStep and was able to get it running in Parallels. Here's some screenshots of it. Be sure to follow the links on the pictures to their Flickr pages to see some notes on the pics.

Flickr Page

Flickr Page

3 Weeks Left!

2007-04-29T20:42:00.000-07:00

Only 3 more weeks of actual instruction of school left! And then one week of finals, but that doesn't really count because those are half days. I sure can't wait until summer! I'm really looking forward to doing tech with James for Vacation Bible School at my church this year. I'm also looking forward to going to camp with my youth group this summer. It should be a lot of fun. Also, for the Fourth of July we are going to be at Pismo Beach for about a week, that should be a lot of fun as well. It seems like I have a fun summer ahead, I sure can't wait!

Oh, by the way, I know this post has nothing to do with technology, but it does involve happenings around town ;)

An Unfortunate Placement of a Yahoo Ad

2007-04-27T23:07:00.000-07:00

The picture is all you really need to get a good laugh. (For those that don't know a 404 is an error that you get when your web browser can't find a specific page on a website). Flickr Photo Page

Transmisison 0.71 Fixes Announce Issue

2007-04-24T20:07:00.000-07:00

The new update to the Macintosh Bit Torrent client Transmission got an update that fixes the announce issue that had it banned from many private trackers. Now I finally have a light-weight client to use on my Mac. I had been previously using Azureus 2.5. It has a lot of features, but it is just very heavy ,so to speak, as an Apple app.

Domain Names

2007-04-19T16:01:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to registering a domain name. It is justinallard.com. You won't find anything there just yet. I haven't set up any hosting service, I just registered the domain mostly for future use. By fear not! Hopefully by this summer I will get some hosting and do some mucking around in DreamWeaver.

Tweaks

2007-04-16T21:40:00.000-07:00

I made a few tweaks to the sidebar of my blog. I'm bored, so I thought it was worth mentioning.

The Saga Continues

2007-04-15T15:52:00.000-07:00

abRANDOM episode 6 is up for download. You can listen to it in the flash player to the right of this post. You can also subscribe in iTunes. Or, if you prefer to download the episode, I've got you covered. I hope you enjoy this random episode with myself, Justin, and my good friend Bryan. Happy listening!

Leopard delayed over iPhone

2007-04-12T16:08:00.000-07:00

Well, Apple announced that Mac OS 10.5 is delayed until October due to the shifting of resources to the iPhone development. Personally, I would rather have a new OS than a $600 phone with only 8GB of flash memory. And I can't even have the iPhone due to the fact that it is locked down to AT&T, and I have Verizon.

So, to me Apple is screwing their loyal fan base and putting a lot of risk on a phone that is an overpriced hunk of metal and plastic, though very cool, it is way to overpriced.

On the plus side, I now have more time to sell my MacBook.

Splinter Cell Double Agent - Xbox 360/Playstation 3 Comparison Shots

2007-04-10T20:24:00.001-07:00

The key difference between the two platforms seems to be in the lighting, amazing how much of a difference a little bit of dynamic lighting will affect the visual quality of a game.

This is a very interesting little comparison of the two consoles. Click Read More to see the article.

read more | digg story

Linux on Apple TV with pictures!

2007-04-10T19:38:00.001-07:00

Over at the #awkwardtv IRC channel, poster "Beyond" just announced that he's gotten Gentoo installed and running on his Apple TV. He used the mach_linux_kernel maker from mactel_linux (aka Gimli's loader). The OS (2.6.20.6 with the AppleTV patch) seems to be up and working after a few initial problems (now solved) with repeating characters.

I personally think that is pretty cool. I sure wish I had $300 lying around for an AppleTV. Those things sure seem to be hacktastic!

read more | digg story

Terminal Tip: "Now Playing" info from the command line

2007-04-02T12:35:00.001-07:00

Have you ever wondered whether there was a command line way to check iTunes and determine which song is currently playing. With this short how to on TUAW you can create a simple script that will display in Terminal what song is currently playing in iTunes when you type ./nowplaying.

read more | digg story

Custom Computer est fini

2007-03-21T18:36:00.000-07:00

In case you don't speak French, that last part says 'is finished.'

I finished up that custom computer that I was building for my brothers friend, and he picked it up today. I just hope he doesn't screw it up. Oh well, that's why I Ghosted it before I gave it to him.

Custom Computers

2007-03-14T20:32:00.000-07:00

Well, first off, long time no post.

I get to build a custom computer for one of my little brother's friends. It is going to be pretty sweet. Yesterday, we went and picked out all of the components from CompUSA. Here is a specs list even though it isn't built yet, I forgot to get an optical drive (silly me) and the case is damaged, so that needs to be exchanged. That's why I haven't built the computer yet. So, without further ado, here are the specs:

Case: Standard CompUSA case, not bad for $40

Mobo: MSI K8N Neo4-F $80

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 4200 2.4Ghz per core $230

GPU: ATi Radeon X1300PRO 256mb RAM Crossfire ready $130

PSU: 500 Watt Antec EarthWatts $90

RAM: 2x 512mb PNY PC3200 $80 a piece

HDD: 300GB SATA Seagate $120

Monitor: AOC 19"LCD $199

Keyboard & Mouse: Micro innovations wireless desktop set $20

OS: Windows XP Pro Sp 2 CE $0 (let's just say I have a very nice friend;)

I know I could have gotten most of this stuff a lot cheaper, but they want it asap so they pay the price.

Optimized Firefox v. 2.0.0.2 is out

2007-02-25T07:26:00.000-08:00

Firefox 2.0.0.2 is now available, and so are optimized builds for the G4, G5, and Intel Macs. As usual there are two different versions available - one with “Firefoxy” form widgets applied, and one with the more OS X-looking aqua form widgets. The default user agent has also been tweaked to identify these builds correctly as Firefox.

So, if you want to get your hand on an optimized build, hop on over to BeatnikPad to download one.

If Different Operating Systems Ran The Airlines

2007-02-24T12:51:00.000-08:00

I found this on digg today and I just couldn't resist posting it.

Different operating systems. Different styles. But what if the quirks and styles of the different operating systems were applied to AIRLINES? What if airlines ran things the way operating systems do? This humorous analogy, applying operating system philosophies as if they were airlines, is a long-standing much-circulated amusing story, and we'd credit the author if we knew who wrote it!

If Operating Systems Ran The Airlines...

UNIX Airways

Everyone brings one piece of the plane along when they come to the airport. They all go out on the runway and put the plane together piece by piece, arguing non-stop about what kind of plane they are supposed to be building.

Air DOS

Everybody pushes the airplane until it glides, then they jump on and let the plane coast until it hits the ground again. Then they push again, jump on again, and so on...

Mac Airlines

All the stewards, captains, baggage handlers, and ticket agents look and act exactly the same. Every time you ask questions about details, you are gently but firmly told that you don't need to know, don't want to know, and everything will be done for you without your ever having to know, so just shut up.

Windows Air

The terminal is pretty and colourful, with friendly stewards, easy baggage check and boarding, and a smooth take-off. After about 10 minutes in the air, the plane explodes with no warning whatsoever.

Windows NT Air

Just like Windows Air, but costs more, uses much bigger planes, and takes out all the other aircraft within a 40-mile radius when it explodes.

Windows XP Air

You turn up at the airport,which is under contract to only allow XP Air planes. All the aircraft are identical, brightly coloured and three times as big as they need to be. The signs are huge and all point the same way. Whichever way you go, someone pops up dressed in a cloak and pointed hat insisting you follow him. Your luggage and clothes are taken off you and replaced with an XP Air suit and suitcase identical to everyone around you as this is included in the exorbitant ticket cost. The aircraft will not take off until you have signed a contract. The inflight entertainment promised turns out to be the same Mickey Mouse cartoon repeated over and over again. You have to phone your travel agent before you can have a meal or drink. You are searched regularly throughout the flight. If you go to the toilet twice or more you get charged for a new ticket. No matter what destination you booked you will always end up crash landing at Whistler in Canada.
Linux Air

Disgruntled employees of all the other OS airlines decide to start their own airline. They build the planes, ticket counters, and pave the runways themselves. They charge a small fee to cover the cost of printing the ticket, but you can also download and print the ticket yourself.

When you board the plane, you are given a seat, four bolts, a wrench and a copy of the seat-HOWTO.html. Once settled, the fully adjustable seat is very comfortable, the plane leaves and arrives on time without a single problem, the in-flight meal is wonderful. You try to tell customers of the other airlines about the great trip, but all they can say is, "You had to do what with the seat?"

souce

Shutdown Day

2007-02-19T15:02:00.000-08:00

Shutdown Day is on March 24. It is a day to shut down your computer and see if you can last with out it for 24 hours. So, in honor of Shutdown Day, I made a widget to count down to the day. You can get the widget on the widget page of my website, or via this direct download link. For more information on Shutdown Day go to shutdownday.com

How-To make a Lego flash drive

2007-02-18T16:07:00.000-08:00

Basically, I took a PNY 1GB flash drive and put it in a Lego, and I put together a little how-to video, so... here it is!

Brenthaven & AmaroK

2007-02-12T18:25:00.000-08:00

I finally got a case for my MacBook. I got the Brenthaven Edge I Black case. It's really nice and it fits my MacBook like a glove. I love how small it is compared to the old Targus case I had that was made for a 15" notebook.

In other news, Amarok will soon be found on OS X. I think that is really cool, because it could be a real competitor to iTunes. It also has some cool features that iTunes doesn't have: such as grabbing lyrics, and putting some info of the currently playing band (from Wikipedia) right at your fingertips. When the port is finished I will probably use Amarok.

Vista BSOD

2007-02-12T00:06:00.000-08:00

I sure have been post happy lately haven't I? Well, here's the story behind this video. I was at BestBuy with my brother and I spotted a laptop with Vista BSODing. So naturally, I had to get pictures or film of that, so I did. Also, in Wal-Mart the Xbox 360 that they had in there had a Black Screen of Death. I had a lot of fun editing that movie in iMovie HD and putting the music to it in GarageBand. I love the iLife application suite. Anyway, here's the video.

Best Buy + Apple = Nice

2007-02-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

Best Buy is selling Macs now, or at least mine is.

I was looking through their add this morning and I saw an Incase 13" notebook case on sale for $40, and I'm like, "Cool. That would fit my MacBook." Then I glanced to the left of the page and I see a Bluetooth Mighty Mouse, and I'm like, "Wow, since when does Best Buy sell those?" Then I look at the top of the page and right in front of me is a 24" iMac, a MacBook and a MacBook Pro. I'm like "Cool, Best Buy is finally selling Macs again!"

I had heard about Best Buy starting to sell the again about 3 months ago, and that they were testing their selling status in their So, Cal. stores. I guess things worked out and now Best Buy is selling Macs. Now I won't have to beg my parents to take me all the way to CompUSA.

EDIT: Link to a MacBook on BestBuy.com

Another widget update

2007-02-09T21:09:00.000-08:00

It's a new version of my abRANDOM rss widget. In this version I have redone the UI to complement the new layout of my blog. Also, I have redesigned the icons for the widget to better distinguish between the tall and wide version. You can download the widget with a direct download link, or visit my widget page on my website to download this, and any previous versions of the abRANDOM rss widget. Hope you guys enjoy this new version! As always you can send comments and/or suggestions to me a abRANDOM at gmail dot com.

iPod Disk

2007-02-06T20:53:00.000-08:00

iPod Disk is a cool little Mac app (or mApp as I like to call them) that allows you to easily get music off of your iPod via the Finder. iPod Disk basically mounts your iPod like a network drive and makes it easy to get music off your iPod by organizing it by Album, Artist, Genre, and Playlists. iPod Disk is free, but it is still a PPC app. I would definitely recommend checking it out!

iPod Disk website

Blog Fixed

2007-02-05T21:34:00.000-08:00

Well, I got my blog all fixed. Tell me how you like the new UI!

Blog hosed

2007-02-04T20:12:00.000-08:00

I was trying to upload a new template and basically blogger is giving me an error. So you may notices that my sidebar is messed up. I'll try to get it fixed as soon as I can.

Also, there will be no podcast this week. Hopefully I'll get one together next week!

Widget Update

2007-01-29T20:39:00.000-08:00

Here's a updated version to my abRANDOM rss widget. In version 2.1.x I fixed a minor UI blemish, and I am now bundling a wide and a tall version to suite everyone's taste. You can either get it from the abRANDOM widgets page on my website, or you can use this direct download link.

New Podcast Episode!

2007-01-28T15:52:00.000-08:00

Just put up our latest podcast episode that I recorded with Bryan earlier today. We talked about some tech stuff, but mostly just fun chatting. I also got a small 4 channel sound board to do the mic mixing with. It worked quite well, it was able to boost the mic enough to where we could comfortably sit back and use the same mic.

Download 38:17 minutes @ 17.6mb

Story Links
Magic Water Harvesting Machine
Jeep Waterfall Video
Google is the new http://
P2P, if not for profit, is not illegal in Italy
Vista Comic
Xbox 360 Cooler King add on
Where's your pet beaver? video

abRANDOM rss Version 2 out!

2007-01-26T22:59:00.000-08:00

I did a little UI tweaking on my rss widget. I think it looks nicer. Hop on over to my website to download it.

Massive Debate

2007-01-22T21:09:00.000-08:00

Well, I have a decision to make. Either I buy the Girffin iMic to make my .Audio 350 Plantronics headset work properly with my MacBook, or a buy the Blue Snowball. If I bought both the iMic and the .Audio 350 headset that would total of about $73. The Blue Snowball would be about a total of $107. So that would be a difference of about $34.

Also, I really want to record multiple people for a podcast, I may be able to use two mics with the Griffin iMic (one through the iMic, and another through the line in on my MacBook) but that is not guaranteed to work. With the Snowball recording multiple people would definitely work and it is supposed to have studio quality recording. So, what you you guys think?

New podcast episode

2007-01-20T20:29:00.000-08:00

Hey, sorry about the delay of getting a podcast episode up. I finally got one done and it is up and running in the flash player to the right. It's one of my shorter ones, about 10 minutes.

Download Episode 4 5.2mb at 11:12 minutes

Anyway, here are the stories that are covered in the podcast.
Worlds most dangerous roads
Video Game Covers
HD DVD Pirating
QuickSilver UserGuide
Game Wallpapers
Pirates of Silicon Valley
Mac OS Screenshots
Quinn
Firefox Cheat Sheet
Sweet Mac Setups

My take on the iPhone

2007-01-09T17:58:00.000-08:00

First of all, it looks like an awesome device. However, I probably will never own one myself.

The reasons for me not owning one are as follows:

1. Only for Cingular. I have Verizon and as far as I know Verizon isn't Cingular.

2. Hella expensive $499 for a 4GB model and $599 for an 8GB model? I don't think so. Apple wants this to be an iPod replacement, an that just won't work for me. I have a 9.63GB of music, about a GB of podcasts that I would sync to my iPod, and about 6GB of video.

The only really cool feature that I love the best is the web browsing. I love how the iPhone doesn't cripple the internet, and how you can zoom in on the pages. The only way that I would probably ever own an iPhone is if someone gave it to me and paid for the contract including internet access, which I know isn't cheap, at least for Verizon. But other than that, the iPhone is a pretty cool phone.

iPhone website

abRANDOM rss Widget

2007-01-04T15:57:00.000-08:00

I just made a widget for Mac OS X 10.4 or later that displays the articles of abRANDOM.

Here is a screen grab of it.

Download

My Macish

2007-01-03T18:01:00.000-08:00

After a few days of editing my website I am pleased to say that I have completed a new section called Macish. In my new section I have a collection of my favorite apps for OS X. So, if you're a Mac owner and have nothing better to do, go check out Macish on my website.

The new digg.com

2006-12-19T14:40:00.001-08:00

I have to say I am quite happy with the new digg. The new version was implemented very well. So, let's go over what's new.

The biggest difference that I think everyone will notice first is that the navigation between sections of digg is now at the top of the page instead of the previous left hand side. At first I didn't care for that change much, but after about 2 days of using it, the top navigation works very well. However, I am not a big fan of the blue and green menu bar at the top. It just seems like an odd color combination, but it is beginning to grow on me.

Another big change that has been made is that digg no longer has a static width. I love this improvement, because on my widescreen monitor digg can now stretch to fill my browser. This is a feature most of us have been waiting for.

Also, another thing that you will notice is that digg has now separated the news from the videos. I know the reason behind this is because there are now so many videos on digg, but I for one, am not a big fan of this new feature. Now, instead of seeing all of my tech news and videos on one page, I have to switch between pages to see both my news and videos. I believe that there should be an option to have both news and videos combined into one page.

Another addition to digg is the podcast section. I think that this is a cool idea, and a great way for people to discover new podcasts.

Top 10 in All Topics is also a new feature to digg. I am enjoying this feature for the most part. It's a great way to see what's hot right now.

Now in the videos section of digg, videos from supported sites, such as YouTube, can now be viewed without ever leaving digg. I feel that this is a great feature. It makes watching quick videos even quicker since you never have to leave digg.

Over all, I am very happy with the latest digg update. The only thing that I wasn't to pleased with was the blue and green menu bar, but again that should grow on me. So, I will leave you with a couple of screen grabs compareing digg v.4 to digg v.3 along with the updating screen.

digg out of service (before implementation of digg v.4)

digg v.4 (current version)

digg v.3

abRANDOM episode 3

2006-12-17T19:30:00.000-08:00

It's up! I now have an embedded player (located in the sidebar) that you can use as well. You can also subscribe the the podcast rss feed in the sidebar as well. In this episode I discuss a bunch of Apple news, the 3rd party wireless Wii sensor bar, and a 5mb hard drive from 1956 and a few other things.

Story Links
DiggDong
iTV Remote
Halo 3 beta sign ups
Illuminous
Wireless Wii Sensor Bar
iTude
Orbicule's Undercover
5mb Hard Drive

Download abRANDOM 003 17:18 minutes at 11.9mb

The Wireless Wii Sensor Bar Has Arrived!

2006-12-11T20:14:00.000-08:00

Just as I had guessed in the first episode of abRANDOM, there is now a wireless Wii sensor bar. Although I hadn't guessed that a third party company would be making it, I had guessed that one would surface shortly. It claims to have a 48 hour battery life with a 9 volt battery, and you can buy one now through PayPal for $24.99 plus $5.99 for s&h. It looks pretty cool, and I will probably pick one up when I get my Wii.

No Podcast This Week

2006-12-10T16:10:00.000-08:00

As the title of this post states, there will be no podcast episode this week. Hopefully Bryan and I will be able to get together next weekend for another episode, but we may not be able to due to the fact that finals are in two weeks. So, sorry for not having an episode of abRANDOM for you guys this week, but hopefully we can get one up for next week. Take care everyone!

abRANDOM 002

2006-12-02T16:27:00.000-08:00

It's up! In this episode I have my friend Bryan (DrFowl on RvB) on the show. On it We discus the following stories.

Apple's Mac OS Market Rises to 5.39 Percent
Top 10 features Digg doesn't have
Hour Linux & Open Source Documentary - The Linux Code
What to Expect at MacWorld San Francisco January 2007
Cheat Code Wiki
Apple Posts 3 New Get a Mac Ads
Wii Skins
Wine 0.9.6
Own this Playstation 3 and earn it!

Download abRANDOM 002 16:04 minutes at 11.1mb

Also, I finally have a feed put together.
Subscribe in a rss reader
Also, I will be getting a feed into iTunes soon. Enjoy the episode guys!

abRANDOM Episode 1

2006-11-25T18:11:00.001-08:00

I finally got abRANDOM Episode 1 up. In this episode I talk about how not to start a fire, the wii sensor bar, console screens of death, and hosting on googlepages.

Download Episode 1

Story links
How not to start a fire
Wii sensor bar is not a sensor bar
Console screens of death

Digg. Moving Away From the Small Community that it Once was.

2006-11-19T23:17:00.000-08:00

I recently noticed that now the digg logo at the top of the Digg.com website now has the small little ™ trademark symbol next to it. Here is a screen capture of it.

And here is a screen capture that I took when when I wrote a little rant about Digg v3.

My Google is Cooler Than Yours!

2006-11-19T22:23:00.000-08:00

Well, I have to say that I really dig this sexy style for Google.com. You too have have a cool Google like mine. All you need the the worlds most customizable web browser, aka Firefox, the extension that makes unbearable web sites bearable, Stylish, and these cool little Stylish scripts. To install those scripts all you have to do is click the (for example) GoogleWebSearch.css link, highlight the code, and copy it to the clipboard. Then click the Stylish icon in the status bar, click Manage Styles, then click Write. Now all you have to do is paste the code in the large text box, and enter a description (or name) for the style. See, easy as pie! Enjoy your new sexier Google! If you want even more styles for the Stylish extension you can visit UserStyles.org.

iPods

2006-11-09T22:50:00.000-08:00

I just got the new 5.5 Generation iPod. It's really nice. I love the improved batter life, brighter screen, and the new search feature is killer!

However, I am having a problem. The reason I got a new iPod was because I thought that it would solve my problem.

So, here's the deal: When I try to sync my photos with my iPod I get this lovely error dialouge.

Nice isn't it? Well, I have created a thread in Apple's iTunes support forum. Hopefully I'll get a solution to my problem. I've tried everything to fix this except re-installing Tiger, and hopefully I don't have to re-install Tiger. So, if any of you guys that read my blog (I don't think anyone reads my blog) think you may have a solution, go ahead and post it in my thread. If you don't have an Apple ID you could post the answer in the comments of this entry.

Dell Customer Gets Windows Refunded

2006-11-08T21:51:00.000-08:00

Dell today gave freelance programmer and sysadmin Dave Mitchell, of Sheffield, UK, a refund of 47 pounds ($89) for the unused copy of Microsoft Windows XP Home SP2 bundled with his new Dell Inspiron 640m laptop, Mitchell says. Dell also refunded the tax, for a total of £55.23 ($105).

This is an interesting little article about how Dave Mitchell was refunded the full price of Windows, because he did not agree with the EULA, and was going to install Linux instead.

Digg it

Here To Stay

2006-11-07T20:12:00.000-08:00

I am here to stay! I am not moving my blog after all.

Digg Down

2006-11-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

Interesting. Digg.com is down. I wander if this is just some routine maintenance or if this is a major upgrade?

Moving

2006-11-05T08:06:00.000-08:00

I am in the process of moving this blog from blogspot over to my new blog at wordpress.

Tangerine

2006-10-19T15:42:00.000-07:00

An awesome little Mac App that analyzes your iTunes library, and allows you to create playlists based on the Beats Per Minute (BPM) in a song.

Now you may think this process would take a while, but it doesn't. It has taken about 15 minutes to analyze my library of 1210 tracks on my 2.0 Ghz Intel Core Duo MacBook with 512mb of RAM.

Right now, Tangerine is in Beta, so it is currently free. So if you want to pick up a copy hop on over to the Potion Factory, and download Tangerine.

My Top 'Must Have' Ad-ons for Firefox 2 RC 2

2006-10-14T21:53:00.000-07:00

1. Adblock Plus - This is a must have extension for every Firefox user, but is not complete without...

2. Adblock Filterset.G Updater - This handy little extension automatically downloads the latest version of Filterset.G every 4-7 days. Filterset.G is an excellent set of filters maintained by G for Adblock that blocks most ads on the internet.

3. Foxmarks - This extension is great if you have Firefox on multiple computers. It stores your bookmarks on the Foxmarks server, and allows you to sync your bookmarks across multiple computers.

4. RTSE - The Rooster Teeth Site Extender, this is a must have for anyone that is an active member of the Rooster Teeth comunity.

5. Pinstripe for Firefox - If you are on a Mac, this is the theme for you. The theme still has a few rough edges, but is very usable, one of my favorites.

6. Aqua Firefox Set - This really isn't an extension or theme, but it is a must for any Mac user running Firefox. What it does is replaces Firefox's standard radio buttons, check boxes, ect. and makes them more 'Macish'. Even though it says it only works with Firefox 1.5.0.7 and above, it does work with Firefox 2 RC 2.

7. Nightly Tester Tools - This extension is great if you love to jump onto the newest versions of Firefox, that aren't the 'world standard'. Nightly Tester Tools, basically forces 'incompatible' extensions to work with the current build of Firefox you are running.

Those are my favorite Ad-ons for Firefox 2 RC 2. If you have any others that are worth checking out, feel free to leave a link to them in the comments!

Formatting is Fun!

2006-10-13T17:28:00.000-07:00

No, not really. Anyway, on the topic of formatting, I just reformatted my Windows Box. Fun stuff.

So right now I am in the process of copying all of my data from my backup hard drive to my computer. Right now it is about halfway done, and has about an hour left. After that folder is copied I have two more to restore, but those are much smaller than this current one.

After all of my data is restored, I need to install about 50 Windows Updates, then I'll install my games. Hopefully I'll get it finished soon!

GParted

2006-09-24T17:19:00.000-07:00

This is perhaps one of the best partition editing tools in the world! GParted offers non destructive partitioning and resizing, supporting all of these file system formats: ntfs, ext2, ext3, Fat16, Fat32, hfs, hfs+, jfs, Linux-swap, reiserfs, reiser4, ufs, and xfs. By now you are probably thinking, "This software must cost a fortune!" Well, I have good news for you! GParted is an open source program and free of cost. You can download GParted to install on your Linux box. You can also get a Live CD, and a Live USB version.

Here are some screen shots of GParted courtesy of http://gparted.sourceforge.net.

This is a screen shot of the main window.

This is a screen shot of detailed information of a hard disk.

This is a screen shot of progress dialogue.

This is a screen shot of the flagging options GParted gives you.

I just love GParted! I have re sized partitions myself with no problems at all. I really don't think that partition editing can get much better or easier than GParted.

Vienna: Free RSS & Atom Newsreader for Mac OS X

2006-09-16T23:25:00.000-07:00

All I can say is wow! This is an amazing RSS reader!

To put it simply, Vienna is a free, open source RSS/Atom newsreader for the Mac OS X. It provides features comparable to commercial newsreaders, but both it and the source code are freely available for download. Some features are a simple and intuitive user interface, built-in tabbed browser, smart folders, custom article display styles, & full AppleScript support. Vienna also has a beautiful and clean user interface, which is a breeze to learn to navigate.

Vienna's webpage | digg story

Mac Update

2006-09-10T12:27:00.000-07:00

I finally got my my MacBook! It's one sexy laptop!

Mac Update

2006-09-08T21:07:00.000-07:00

I got my MacBook. I am really enjoying it so far. I've gotten Firefox installed. One of my dads employees at work is getting me Photoshop and Final Cut. Also one of my friends at church is getting me Office for Mac, and a copy of Windows! I can't wait till I'm all settled in!

New to Bittorrent?

2006-09-04T18:22:00.000-07:00

No problem!

Recently I came accross a great collection of 9 Bittorrent How-To's. If you're new to the torrenting world I recomend you go check the article out. The how-to's range from improving dowload speeds to encrypting bittorrent traffic.

MacBook Update

2006-09-03T21:56:00.000-07:00

I have gotten the first part of my order. I recieved my iPod nano. I am in the process of looking to sell it to someone.

I hope to get my MacBook some time this week. It should be in by Friday if I'm lucky. If not it should come next Monday. One of my dad's employees out at work is going to give me a copy of Photoshop, Final Cut, and some other software, so that'll save me a few bucks!

MacBook

2006-08-27T13:59:00.000-07:00

Ordered.

I just ordered my MacBook for school.

Specs
2.0GHz Intel Core Duo
60GB Serial ATA drive
512MB 667 DDR2 SDRAM - 2x256 (I might add a 1GB stick down the road)
SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW)

I also got...
Apple Mini-DVI to DVI Adapter
Free 2GB iPod Nano (I'll probally sell it)
AppleCare Protection Plan for my MacBook

I should get it around Wednesday or Thursday. I have a friend that is getting me a copy of Windows XP Corperate Edition SP2 so I can run BootCamp. I can't wait till I get my MacBook!

The Linux Desktp Myth

2006-08-19T22:43:00.000-07:00

It's entirely possible that you may not have heard of Linux. Maybe you own a Mac or Windows computer and don't read technology news. You may have a TiVo, but it doesn't have a huge sticker on the box that reads "Powered by Linux" (even though it is).

read more | digg story

Quad-core is On the Way

2006-08-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

Thought Two Cores was enough? It isn ’t. Really. Intel confirmed today that they will be releasing a 2.67 GHz quad-core Core 2 Extreme this holiday season. Drooling, yet?

read more | digg story

First "HDMI Certified" Graphics Card

2006-08-16T23:07:00.000-07:00

MSI has successfully passed the inspection test of the HDMI ATC in July 2006 and received the world's first certification for HDMI VGA card.

read more | digg story

Terabyte hard drives before the end of 2006?

2006-08-16T21:45:00.000-07:00

This is big news. Looks like the people over at Hitachi are going to cross the 1TB barrier before 2006 ends. This could be good news of the Torrent users out there.

read more | digg story

NVIDIA Releases Quad SLI for the Masses

2006-08-09T13:10:00.000-07:00

If you've got the cash to wrangle your very own Quad SLI setup, you're probably not far off from one of those snazz Alienware or Voodoo PC boxes, which give you all that graphic muscle with none of the hassle. But if it's DIY or bust, NVIDIA has just released the necessary Quad SLI drivers to the public, meaning you can finally have the joy of putting four horrendously expensive graphics cards into that trusty homebrewed box of yours.

read more | digg story

Extreme Office Prank: Office Constructed of Cardboard

2006-08-08T21:24:00.000-07:00

"A few of us at work have been pranked one too many times by a certain coworker by the name of Mike. He was out of town for a few days and we had some extra cardboard laying around. This is what happens when you push creative IT workers too far! Enjoy your new office Mike!"

read more | digg story

Gatesville

2006-08-02T00:25:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back in Windows. I have to say, I really enjoyed my stay in Linux, but I could never manage to install any programs :(. Hopefully I don't mess Windows up too much.

On a lighter note, I just got a new Logitech keyboard and mouse combo. It's really nice compared to my old Microsoft keyboard and mouse combo. The media controls on the Logitech keyboard are very low profile, which I love! And, I finally have a mouse with horizontal scrolling, which should come in handy in Photoshop. I hope to get a new monitor when I get back from SWC.

Meh

2006-07-31T11:24:00.000-07:00

I hate to say it, but I think I will be moving back to Windows. I have really enjoyed LInux except the installing software part, and not being able to Samba with my shared printeer. And, I miss my iTunes. Don't get me wrong AmaroK has great iPod support, just drag and drop, but I had my library organized just right in iTunes. If I had the money, I'd just say screw Windows, and get myselft a MacBook and use my Windows box scrictly for gaming, and maybe a Linux file server. I just don't know. I really hate to go back to Windows world, but I just don't know what to do. I miss just playing my games. At least I have a backup of all my data on my external hard drive, so I won't have lost anything. Oh well, a fresh install of Windows should be good for about 6 months untill I fuck it up. So, I guess all I can say is googbuy liinux, I will miss your awesome stableness.

LINUX: the debate

2006-07-30T20:47:00.000-07:00

Well with Suse installed, I am really enjoying the stabability that it has to offer. But I am not entirely satified. For one thing, I cannot connect to a shared printer on my network. Another thing, not as big of a deal, I cannot rip a cd as an mp3 file. I hate to say this, but I might end up switching back to Windows.

LINUX PROS
+extremly stable
+open source
+free in both senses of the word
+virtualy security issues
+it's cool to be different

LINUX CONS
-not mainstream
-networking isn't the easiest
-not media oriented

WINDOWS PROS
+mainstream
+very compatible

WINDOWS CONS
-you have to re-install about every 6 months
-extremly unstable
-has huge security holes
-made by M$

I just want to find a happy medium. Maybe OS X would do the trick for me?

The Mighty Mouse Loses its Tail

2006-07-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

Apple has cut the tail on the Mighty Mouse. You can now pick up the wireless blue-tooth version for $20 more than the wired Mighty Mouse.

read more | digg story

Pondering SUSE

2006-07-21T14:09:00.000-07:00

I have been pondering this idea of mine to put SUSE Linux on my old Win 98 machine. I really don't feel like partitioning my hard drive and setting up a dual boot system on my XP machine, because, it's just such a hassle to set up a dual boot unless I use a third hard drive for SUSE. So, I think I will just install over my existing Windows 98 machine, that is just sitting in the corner of my room acting as a shelf collecting dust.

Digg v3; Another Review

2006-07-01T21:58:00.000-07:00

Well, I have to say I have warmed up to Digg v3. At first I just couldn't stand it, but now with a week of using the new Digg under my belt, I have to say I do like some of the changes.

One thing that I really like is the new layout for the My Profile page. It has everything right in front of you. I also like the ability to customize what you see on the front page. Right now I have my front page set to view gaming news, and all of Tehcnology. Another added feature that is pretty cool is the friends Agreed On section. Also, the new ability to undigg stories that you have dugg is another nice feature.

However, everything good has a bad side. One thing that I don't like is the fact that there are more adds on the site. Now, if the adds were not full color like in Digg v2 I wouldn't complain much, but some of the adds are just too distracting from the actual site content. Another thing that I am not too happy about is that the ability to report a story as old news is now missing. Also, I don't like how that when you veiw a stories comments they are all smashed together, and this can be blamed on the extra adds.

Now that I have warmed up to the new version of Digg.com, I can say that I am pretty happy with the update.

Digg it

Debunking the Debunking of Mac's New Ad Campaign

2006-06-30T15:24:00.000-07:00

"When I read Christopher Null's headline, Debunking Mac's Self-Created Hype I actually expected a somewhat honest look at Apple's new ad campaign. The problem is, his "debunking" is done with vast inaccuracies and innuendo that leads readers to believe that these ads are based on utter nonsense. I'll take his points one at a time."

read more | digg story

How to Clean an Optical Mouse

2006-06-29T22:19:00.000-07:00

The only issue associated with LED based Optical Mice is that they tend to get sticky over time because surface dust collects on the soft pads located near the light emitter. This can result in erratic cursor movement like it suddenly jumps to a different location on the screen or move very slowly or even worse, the mouse may not work at all.

read more | digg story

Wii lookin' wee next to PS3

2006-06-29T21:58:00.000-07:00

Remember that dude DocCRP, who made a cardboard representation of the Wii and put it next to a bunch of junk to show off the real size of the little guy? Well, he's back at it again. This time, he stacks up the Wii next to the monster truck-sized PlayStation 3.

read more | digg story

Digg V3

2006-06-26T20:54:00.000-07:00

Well, Digg Version 3 has finally been implemented, and sadly, I have to say, I am not too happy with the upgrade.

First of all, Is it just me or does the left panel navigation seem to make the site a little cramped? In my own opinion the right panel navigation seemed so open.
Another thing That I don't like are the colored advertisements that you see when you want to view a submitted story's comments. I was fine with plain text ads, but now the color ads just make the website look horrible.

All in all, I am not too pleased with the version of Digg.com. The one thing that upset me the most was when I first saw the color ads.

Podcasting

2006-06-26T20:28:00.000-07:00

This will be the future home of my Podcast