More wallpaperz linkage of the weekezz.

The Wallpapers

Relativitas

Infernal blight

Fall

Contained

The Name Of The Rose

Eyes Of The Vortex

Guard

Horseshoe Band

WP Art

Have A Seat, Enjoy The View

Hearty

Extra Stuff

Found this Zune HD Wallpaper pack, Zune is not probably something a lot of people have, specially because it only sells in the USA, but are so gorgeous that I couldn’t ignore them just like that.

I like to fiddle around with Linux quite often. In fact it had permanent residence in my Laptop (till it broke a while ago). Ubuntu is what I usually go for, since it’s one of the friendliest distros out there. In Linux like in any OS that I install one of the first things I do is to change the default look of it. If it’s Windows, specially our old friend XP, there was many things to change in order to make it minimally attractive (I showed you how I did it in my Windows XP Customization Guide). Windows Vista and now 7 on the other hand have a much more modern look, despite the fact that I’m not the biggest Glass look, so changing visual style in Windows Vista was something I regularly did.

Concerning Linux, if you use a distro like Ubuntu you’ll have a decent looking GUI to start with. I’m a fan of dark interfaces (if you haven’t figured that out already by the look of this website), so I prefer the new Ubuntu dark theme. There is a lot of Windows themes compilations, but there is general lack of the same for Linux users, variety is everything, so here I am with another list of themes, this time, for a change, for Linux! Grab a new theme for your Linux OS, a new wallpaper, activate Compiz-Fusion and make your Windows friends jealous.

Linux Themes

1. Khali

2. Zeka mod

3. Minimum

4. Capriccio

5. Fawn

6. Gaia

7. Vorta Suite

8. Kupo Finale

9. Fresh Dark Gnome Theme

10. Mira

11. Cole

12. Mire v2

13. Black

14. Calla

15. Shiftie July

16. Lithium

17. Tuxido

18. Hyo o9o8

19. Espresso

20. Elfin2

More Linux Themes

• DeviantArt
• GnomeLook
• Customize

I’ve been following James Cameron’s new film, Avatar for quite awhile. James Cameron have directed some of best 7th art in the late 80’s early 90’s. Aliens and Terminator 2 comes to mind. I’m not a big fan of Titanic, not a bad movie but had so much wipe surrounding it that kinda killed it for me.

Anyway Avatar its his most recent big hit. This movie started a wave of interested throughout ze Interwebs because it’s a James Cameron movie in the first place, a game is being developed by Ubisoft at the same time and I think it will raise the CGI WoW factor by a few levels. It has everything to be an epic movie and judging from the new trailer I think it will be a major hit. Looking forward for December!

IMDB: Avatar

Avatar Trailer

Checkout this awesome video showcasing Google’s achievments and milestone over the last 14 years.

Link: Google UK

I just added a new page with my World of Warcraft User Interface (UI). I had several requests to upload it after I showed it around in some websites, so after some effort of writing a post listing all the addons, here it is.

I know this will target only a niche of you reading this, but I thought it would be interesting to share it nonetheless. If you’re interested in seeing it, head to the KreUI page for further details and a download link.

In the last days I’ve been occasionally playing a game called Machinarium. Machinarium is the revival of a lost gaming genre, the point and click adventure. As odd as it might seem, there are still place for this kind of games in the market. Machinarium proves that.

It’s a wonderful looking game, with superb details, awesome sounding, easy to use interface, nice background story, simple but effective and it’s addicting. It shows you how a simple game can keep you occupied and entertained for hours.

Machinarium comes from an independent producer, Amanita Design, a fairly unknown game producer (still known by the great Flash Game Samorost) but that stroke gold with this title. It kind of reminds me World of Goo, another game I bought and that was worth every euro.

The game tells you the story of an adorable robot, trying to find his way into the city he was cast out from. Just like any good story, he must find his love and defeat the bad guys.

The most striking aspect of the game, its the visual art. It’s stunning, every little detail it’s marvelous. I’m a fan of this type of game and I haven’t seen one so detail in years. If you played games like Broken Sword, Indiana Jones, Syberia, The Longest Journey, you know what you will find here. Machinarium focus a bit more on Inventory Puzzles where you have to use something you collected to solve the situation you’re on in order to progress than anything else, but commonly you will find other puzzles that are not straightforward, like 5 in a Row challenges and other logical puzzles. The game is very logical, everything you do doesn’t feel random or without a purpose.

The only thing I have against the game it’s its short duration. I haven’t finished it yet, but I’ve read that it’s fairly short. Well, one thing I can say to you, even short, every screen is worthwhile! Try out the Demo, you will not regret it!

WoWmagz issue 7 was recently released and I’ve been reading it in the last couple of days. To be honest I hadn’t read more than one issue of this magazine (from when I posted a compilation of some great Digital Art eZines), but this issue is quite great. WoW Magazine features Indonesian artists, artwork showcase, interviews, special guests and lot more stuff. The presentation is not the best I’ve been so far (Bak for example is sublime on that), but it comes in a simple but well designed pagination.

Anyway, I think it’s a really worthwhile magazine to spend some of your time, specially if you are searching for new inspiration.

More eZine releases

If you’re looking for some more eZines, these magazines recently updated their issue number or check more eZines publications here.

Bak

Revolution Art

Moloko+

This week decided to “dig a little deeper” to bring some extra wallpapers. The result was a selection of 17 wallpapers. Hope you enjoy them… I do!

Sonnet

Midnight Sonata

Krump It

Route to Castle Mountain

A Mind of my Own

Blown To Bits

The Forbidden City

Morning Mist

Aerostream

Rainy Day

Paper Swans

No Place

Colony 47

Jellyfish

Sunrise

Dream Bliss

Love Music

If you use Google Chrome as your browser, know that Google updated their theme gallery with a bunch of new themes made by several artists.

While Firefox still has my preference, I already use Chrome for “fast browsing”. It only lacks on the addon support department, but even there things are changing.

I’ve been using MSE since the Beta and I have to say I’m fairly impressed. It works very well, it’s lightweight, something I overly look upon on an security suit application. It has a good integration into the security center of Windows 7 and in conjunction with the new Windows firewall (that can now block outgoing connections) it’s a awesome combination, since both are free (regarding you have a Genuine copy of Windows of course) and light on the system. The User Interface is super simple but it works. Knowing the major target of this application one should easily understand why Microsoft designed it with simplicity in mind.

Finding a trustful and free application to guarantee the security of my computer is something I never overshadow every time I install a Windows Operating System. If you use Vista or anything above you shouldn’t be too worried as this systems prove to be more secure. But if you’re still running Windows XP or below, this is something I strongly advise you to install. I’ve used the free applications from Comodo, Outpost or even AVG, but they’ve all showed not be that reliable and heavier on resources than MSE. So my long run choice is made. Microsoft have made another happy customer.

Download: Windows XP (32 bit)

Download: Windows Vista & Windows 7 (32 bit)

Download: Windows Vista & Windows 7 (64 bit)

Link: Microsoft Security Essentials

In the News: Neowin

Review by Paul Thurrott: WinSupersite

Windows 7 is a very complete operating system. I’m using it currently and I have to say it’s most probably the best release of Microsoft so far. It’s Vista without the “bad parts”. It’s smarter and faster than Vista, it’s the perfect OS if you can afford it, if not, well you always have Linux!

Anyway, although W7 is a great OS there is always space for little additions, little programs that can make your life easier, funnier or simply prettier. I found a small collection of applications, where you will surely find something you were looking for but you didn’t know till you’re read this post!

7 Windows 7 Free Applications

1. Image Resizer Powertoy Clone

An image resizer for W7 that clones the functionality of the old Image Resizer Powertoy for Windows XP. Both available for 32 bit and 64 bit users. It makes batch image resizing so much easier. No need for any expensive program to do that, just this little app.

Download: Image Resizer

2. VistaSwitcher

VistaSwitcher is an Alt-Tab replacement that works on Vista and Windows 7. It has a very nice interface, live window previews, it’s fast and it comes packed with a bunch of advance features. Despite the name this works on Windows 7 and it’s way better than the default alt-tab interface. If you find yourself tabbing a lot along the day, this might be the perfect tool for you.

Download: VistaSwitcher

3. Gmail Notifier Plus

Gmail Notifier Plus it’s exactly what his name implies, it’s a Gmail (a.k.a Google e-Mail) notifier. It sits on your taskbar, it supports jumplists, e-mail preview and quick access to tasks such as Compose mail or Go to inbox. It plays a sound every time you receive a new e-mail. It also allows you to set more than one Gmail account for tracking several e-mails simultaniusly.

Download: Gmail Notifier Plus

4. 7Stacks

7stacks is a free Windows 7 app (Vista and XP also) that lets you create “stacks” in your taskbar. It’s similar to how stacks work on Mac OS X (a list of shortcuts). Other applications such as RocketDock support stacks, but this way you have them natively integrated into your taskbar.

Download: 7Stacks

5. Jumplist Launcher

Jumplist Launcher is a little program for Windows 7 that allows you to add your favorite programs in a single jumplist so that you can access them easily. It basically allows you to create your personalized jumplists.

Download: Jumplist Launcher

6. Logon Background Changer

Windows 7 Logon Background Changer is a free open source software that let you change the wallpaper of the Windows 7 logon screen (also known as “welcome screen” or “login screen”).

Download: Windows 7 Logon Background Changer

7. Zune Player

Zune is not a little application, nor it adds any extra functionality to your operating system. You don’t get anything more than what you can get with Windows Media Player 12 that comes by default with Windows 7. But Zune has a really nice interface, it supports jumplists, aero peak preview, Smart DJ function (works a bit like iTunes Genious). But what I really liked about it was the awesome, minimalistic interface, that and the mini player, no need to use CD Art Display anymore! The best part of course is that it’s free. I prefer it over iTunes and Windows Media Player 12, at least for audio.

Download: Zune Player

If you have any other suggestion, feel free to add it to your comment.

After last week’s wallpaper compilation, here I am for a few more wallpaper features. For a change, I didn’t find that much decent wallpapers in Deviantart this week, so had to go to other sources.
Enjoy.

Still Waters

Motorway Life Stream

Untitled

.drp

Super Green

See Sea

Lonely Nature

Morning on the Field

Mackenzie Country

Fly Wallpaper

WoOdboard

Winter love

Mazda Furai

Since the beginning of mankind that we feel the need to measure things. Internet bandwidth is no different. Since the beginning of the Internet, when ISDN was a luxury and downloading an X-Rated picture took more time than a DivX movie nowadays, that we need to know “How much do we have“.

Now more seriously, it’s legit to know, because at the end of the day we pay our ISP for the connection we have, well at least here in Portugal we pay.

This takes me to Speedtest. Speedtest is your convention page to measure your bandwidth. It tests your BW by making you download and upload a specific file. The coolness about this website is the interface and the fact that it allows you to choose from a broad selection of places, servers, in the world. I usually choose the one closest to my home, in my case that is Lisbon.

I have contract for a 24 Mbit/s connection. The catch is that they don’t guarantee 24Mbps, it’s a UP TO 24Mbps, so I have a lot less than that. My measure in the Lisbon server is:

Link: Speedtest

So, what’s your speed?

One of the things I wanted to implement in my new website theme, was the display of the blog statistics. After the code snippet to display recent comments without a plugin, I really wanted to give something new to my footer.

There are several reasons why you should want to display your website statistics. First you might have a page where you display your blog statistics, like feed readers, total posts, comments, etc. Instead of updating it manually every couple of months you can have it automated. Or like me, you can display your statistics in the footer or even in your sidebar, for curiosity and/or to show your readers your blog history / performance. Whichever is your reason, having something automated in providing more info to your readers, enriches your blog.

The code was very simple to implement, just took me a few visits to the wordpress codex and to my Wordpress database to get the variables I needed. This code is capable of displaying the Post Count, Page Count, the Comment Count, the Comments Ratio per Post (Comments / Total Posts) and the Number of Registered Users.

To display the number of your RSS Readers, you will need first to write some PHP functions to your wordpress theme file. The file is called functions.php. This was copied from WPRecepies.

Just insert the code into your functions.php file. Replace Paintbits to your feedburner account name.

function RSScount()
{
$fburl="https://feedburner.google.com/api/awareness/1.0/GetFeedData?uri=Paintbits";
$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, 1);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $fburl);
$stored = curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);
$grid = new SimpleXMLElement($stored);
$rsscount = $grid->feed->entry['circulation'];
return $rsscount;
}

Whenever you want to make a call to your RSS Feed count, just write: RSScount(); inside PHP code tags of course. You’ll see how in the final code. Alternatively to use this code, you can use a plugin like Feedburner Circulation. The advantage is that with a plugin like this you will have cache and error protection on your Feed Count text display.

Download Feedburner Circulation

So, now that we can display our Feed Count in full text, we just need to write the other variables assigns to get the rest of our website statistics.

< ?php
$count_posts = wp_count_posts();
$posts = $count_posts->publish; /* Gets the post count */
$count_pages = wp_count_posts('page');
$pages = $count_pages->publish; /* Gets the page count */
$count_comments = get_comment_count();
$comments = $count_comments['approved']; /* Gets the approved comment count */
$rss_readers = RSScount(); /* Calls the RSScount function to display your Feed Count */
$user_count = $wpdb->get_var("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM $wpdb->users;"); /* Gets the number of registered users*/
?>

In order to display your statistics, you just call and print your variables. This is how I did it in my footer:

<ul>
<li><a href="/archives/" title="Written posts">Articles</a>< ?php echo ": ".$posts."" ?></li>
<li><span class="footer_comm_author" title="Pages published">Pages</span>< ?php echo ": ".$pages."" ?></li>
<li><span class="footer_comm_author" title="User comments">Comments</span>< ?php echo ": ".$comments."" ?></li>
<li><span class="footer_comm_author" title="Comments per Post Ratio">Comments Ratio</span>< ?php echo ": ".round($comments/$posts)."" ?></li> /* Calculates the Comment Ratio */
<li><a href="http://www.paintbits.com/feed" title="Feed readers">Readers</a>< ?php echo ": ".$rss_readers."" ?></li>
<li><span class="footer_comm_author" title="Registered users">Members</span>< ?php echo ": ".$user_count."" ?></li>
</ul>

All put together, this is what I’ve used in my footer (don’t forget the RSScount function you need to add to your functions.php theme file):

<div class="footer_stats">
<h2>Statistics</h2>
< ?php
$count_posts = wp_count_posts();
$posts = $count_posts->publish;
$count_pages = wp_count_posts('page');
$pages = $count_pages->publish;
$count_comments = get_comment_count();
$comments = $count_comments['approved'];
$rss_readers = RSScount();
$user_count = $wpdb->get_var("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM $wpdb->users;");
?>

<ul>
<li><a href="/archives/" title="Written posts">Articles</a>< ?php echo ": ".$posts."" ?></li>
<li><span class="footer_comm_author" title="Pages published">Pages</span>< ?php echo ": ".$pages."" ?></li>
<li><span class="footer_comm_author" title="User comments">Comments</span>< ?php echo ": ".$comments."" ?></li>
<li><span class="footer_comm_author" title="Comments per Post Ratio">Comments Ratio</span>< ?php echo ": ".round($comments/$posts)."" ?></li>
<li><a href="http://www.paintbits.com/feed" title="Feed readers">Readers</a>< ?php echo ": ".$rss_readers."" ?></li>
<li><span class="footer_comm_author" title="Registered users">Members</span>< ?php echo ": ".$user_count."" ?></li>
</ul>
</div>

I can’t say this enough, Wordpress Codex Funtion Reference is one of the best tools you can have when developing new code for your Wordpress blog. Explore it a bit and you’ll probably find what you are looking for. Wordpress is amazing and saves you a lot of PHP coding to a lot of commonly used tasks. This is why we all love Wordpress.

Hope this is useful to you in some way.