Casual Hex

Links for 2010-02-04 [del.icio.us]

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 PST

Quix
An extensible bookmarklet, that allows you to easily access all your bookmarks and bookmarklets, across all your browsers, while maintaining them in only one spot. All you have to do is remember the shortcut for the bookmarklet, so, basically, it’s like a command line for your browser!

Florence + the Machine – Cosmic Love

Geoff — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:31:26 +0000

I’m going to try to start posting entries every week mentioning music that I come across, new or old, that catches my ear. This week the band is Florence + the Machine, the song is Cosmic Love. I know I’ve listened to their Lungs album before, probably many times, but while on our trip to Birmingham this weekend, half dozed-off, I perked up when Cosmic Love started playing. I really love the harp and drums, as well as her voice, in this song so much. The official site for the band can be found here.

Florence + the Machine – Cosmic LoveClick here to listen to the embedded audio.

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Running Windows 7 Great, But Actually Using It?

Geoff — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 17:14:01 +0000

Ever since Windows 7 was released I’ve been running it on my MacPro for gaming. I have 2×1TB hard drives for my Mac side, but I’m only using 2×180GB drives for Windows. Not exactly horrible, but with all the gaming madness I’ve been stricken with I’m actually juggling drive space often and I really need to buy another TB drive for Windows eventually, I guess.

But that’s not what I’m writing about here. Windows 7 is good. I hate to admit it, but it is. I was okay with Windows XP. Like every sane person, I despised Vista. Games run AWESOME in Windows 7. The interface for the OS is nice. However, out of curiosity (I just misspelled “curiosity”, Windows told me so, but didn’t offer the correct spelling, doh! Big minus points there!), just to see how useful and comfortable Windows 7 is for me, I’ve tried to push it further by doing web dev and other things while in the Windows environment. I can’t do it.

Photoshop in Windows? Nope. It’s so close to being the same but it’s not. Notepad++ and Sublime Text are great editors, but neither compare to TextMate. Windows 7 achieves so much but yet falters with it’s little things that drive me crazy. I hate the start menu. I try to use Launchy, but it’s no QuickSilver or LaunchBar or Butler. Internet Explorer sucks. So, I tried Safari for a while. It’s not bad in Windows, but I’ve found myself using Chrome when I never use Chrome in Mac OS X. Chrome works. Well, not for Super Farkle on FaceBook, but I can forgive it that since I can open an IE tab in Chrome for gaming.

Windows 7 is awesome for gaming. It’s pretty. But it’s still no where near as nice as Mac OS X. Will Microsoft ever get me to switch back? Maybe. Windows 8? We’ll see. But it’s unlikely.

Dark Void Demo Released

Geoff — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:55:58 +0000

Publisher Capcom released today a demo of developer Airtight Games‘ upcoming action shooter Dark Void. It’s downloadable only through File Planet which is a pain but the game demo itself is an absolute thrill for anyone that enjoys first person shooters and/or flight games. The game is to be released on January 19, 2010. Just four days away!

“Dark Void’s unique combination of in-air and on-ground combat creates a thrilling new gameplay dynamic to the third-person shooter experience. Taking 3D action to a whole new level, Dark Void’s vertical combat system allows players to dangle from thousand foot drops as they take cover and drop enemies from above and below, bringing a whole new sense of vulnerability and thrill to the player. Defying gravity in vertical combat is only half the battle as, over time, Will is upgraded to a powerful rocket pack which allows for fierce in-air combat as gamers are able to fly through the void at unparallel speeds shooting down anything that gets in their path. Blasting away at massive bosses has never been this much fun as Dark Void offers a unique grip system made up of a variety of grip-based mini-games including skyjacking UFOs mid-flight.”

Aegwyn Singing

Geoff — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 16:46:20 +0000

I recorded this video of Aegwyn singing the other day with the microphone stand I made out of Tinker Toys. She had a blast playing with it for hours.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Merry Christmas!

Geoff — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:53:27 +0000

Just wanted to pop in and say Merry Christmas to all! Hope everyone enjoys their day tomorrow and of course, I wish everyone a Happy New Year as well.

Cheer!

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My New Kodak Zi6

Geoff — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 05:22:18 +0000

My sister gave me a Kodak Zi6 HD Pocket Video Camera
for Christmas today. What a great, awesome gift. Here’s a 30 second sample of me playing with it just after lunch. I can’t wait to start catching the kids with video instead of just camera stills. I tried some other recordings from the car, through the windshield as we were driving, in darker settings, etc… and it was all great! I’m gonna have a blast with this thing. My sister picked out a most excellent gift this year…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Move to Joyent Complete

Geoff — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:11:02 +0000

My move from HostGator (blech) to Joyent seems to have gone very smoothly. No more errors. No more dealing with odd server settings and strange behavior that made my sites very unstable. Here at Joyent, it just works. Woo!

Links for 2009-12-13 [del.icio.us]

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 PST

Build an OS X Friendly Linux Media Server From Your Old PC | Mac|Life

Links for 2009-12-12 [del.icio.us]

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 00:00:00 PST

Mega Roundup of Geektool scripts
A very inspirational gallery of awesome Geektool scripts.
GeekTool Scripts
Pimp your Mac with some really awesome Geektool scripts
Cattail.Nu: GeekTool Scripts
Even more!

Fluid: Remove Ads From Groove Shark

Geoff — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:40:00 +0000

I’m using Fluid with Groove Shark. It’s a great combo. Groove Shark is awesome for finding new music but the non-VIP site had a ad banner on the right side. Normally, I wouldn’t care. But with Fluid, I would like to not have that ad. I’ll probably pay for Groove Shark eventually, once it’s been around and I know it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

Here’s the script I use with Fluid. I borrowed some code from someone (credited) and then modified it for my liking. With his original code the site wasn’t centered correctly without the ad. My fix makes it look just like it should– minus the ad.

Download User Script

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Moving Soon

Geoff — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:04:21 +0000

After many months here at hostgator.com as my host I’m giving up on them and moving on– or rather, moving back to my previous host. Before, I was with TextDrive.com and while it’s gone through a name change to Joyent.com with many, many changes beyond the name, I’m hoping to have a more stable site. Too much crap to deal with here with stuff just not working as it should.

So, pre-warning. Hopefully it’ll be a smooth move but there’s always that slim chance.

Purchased: HP OfficeJet 6500 Wireless

Geoff — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:23:44 +0000

I just received, installed and configured my brand new Hewlett Packard OfficeJet 6500 Wireless. It’s replacing my old HP PSC 2175 All-in-One. As soon as I got it unpackaged, untaped, plugged in, configured, which was a snap, I printed my first batch of labels and shipping forms for my Amazon sales. Color me very impressed.

I was always happy with my HP PSC 2175 AIO but the other day the ink cartridge holder broke and I couldn’t repair it myself. I figured getting it repaired would cost enough that it wouldn’t be worth the trouble. So I started digging through reviews, and prices for a replacement. I wanted something under $150 and due to the holidays I got the HP OfficeJet 6500 Wireless for $117. Woo. Great price. Normally it’s $150+.

The inkjet printer/copier/scanner/fax has two slots for memory cards (SD, MMC, Compact Flash, Sony Memory Stick, Sony Memory Stick Duo, and XD) to print pictures directly, can print borderless 4 by 6-inch photos and does double-sided printing. The scanner is a nice, sharp 2,400 dpi, 48-bit scanner. Standard printing runs right along 32 and 31 ppm for black and color. Just as stated on the HP specs. Draft mode? 80 ppm for a 20 page video game walkthrough that I printed! The scanner also includes a 35 page automatic document feeder. Sweet.

And I love having a wireless printer. True, it’s not Bluetooth, but I don’t really care about that. Setting up the wireless printer with my Mac Pro was a snap. My Mac instantly saw the printer. I have yet to try configuring it with my wife’s Windows laptop. Hoping it’ll be just as easy.

Bravo HP! I love my new printer.

Don’t Ever Buy ANYTHING From N1 Wireless

Desired: The Apple Magic Mouse

Geoff — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:38:15 +0000

After Apple announced the Magic Mouse a fews months back, my interest was seriously piqued. I never was fond of the one-time named Mighty Mouse with its little scroll ball, but the Magic Mouse looks and sounded like it would be a great mouse. I finally had a chance a few weeks ago to try one out and yep, it’s a nifty piece of hardware. I love the shape, the weight and all the sweet features of the multi-touch Magic Mouse. Being able to click anywhere, scroll in any direction, and swipe through images on its smooth, seamless top shell really makes the mouse magical. The price is a bit much at $69.00, but it’s not ridiculous for what the mouse is capable of.

I’m currently using a Microsoft Laser Mouse 6000, which is alright, but I really am jealous of those with the Apple Magic Mouse. Soon, I tell myself, soon. Just like the ~23″ HD LCD display I want, the XBOX 360 and everything else on my want list. Soon. Yeah.

Moving Soon

Seen: Twilight: New Moon

Geoff — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 01:33:46 +0000

Christina and I went to see Twilight: New Moon, based on the Stephenie Meyer novel, yesterday. Bella and Edward for all eternity! We watched the first Twlight movie months after it was released on DVD and Christina really enjoyed it. I thought it was alright. New Moon is long– too long. But it’s still a decent movie. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys vampire movies or is a tween.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The “Pink Glove” Dance

Geoff — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:40:38 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

Employees at St Vincents Hospital put this video together to generate breast cancer awareness throughout the hospital system with the hope that it will inspire others to join in the cause. Very cool.

Aegwyn Singing

Links for 2009-11-28 [del.icio.us]

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST

Casual Hex

Links for 2009-10-29 [del.icio.us]

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PDT

Testing Internet Explorer 8: CSS3 for Web Design
CSS3 feature support in IE8
Text Embossing Technique With CSS
Lots of real world examples of text embossing
corywatilo.com - Cory Watilo
Great example of a heavily modified posterous.com blog
The Z-Index CSS Property: A Comprehensive Look
when z-index is fully understood, it is a very easy property to use, and offers an effective method for overcoming many layout challenges.
Tomato (firmware) - Wikibooks
Tomato is a firmware for the Linksys WRT54G and other wireless routers.
Tomato FAQ | polarcloud.com

Obama: Savior, Hero, Great Leader, Perfection Incarnate?

Geoff — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:06:05 +0000

What’s scares me most about Obama is not Obama himself. It’s the HATE that his followers have for those that aren’t with the program. That’s terrifying. I don’t believe in his political views what-so-ever. I didn’t care for Bush either. Okay? So I’m no blind, right-wing, crazy conservative, nor am I racist. I don’t agree with Obama. I think his true goals are far from what he talks about in public. The man is a downright nightmare as president of our United States of America. But his followers? His lemmings? Oh man… don’t get in their way or say anything against Obama or anything about him or his “goals”. He is Jesus, Buddha, Mandala, Ghandi, Mother Theresa, Muhammad, John, Paul, George and Ringo all rolled into one.

You’re either with us or against us.

What’s that statement say to you? Yet, I hear it constantly from the followers of Obama.

Frightening. Terrifying. Horrifying. It’s time for some serious time with the movie Brazil, and the books 1984, Animal Farm, Brave New World, etc, etc. Fear mongering? Me? No. I couldn’t care less for conspiracy theorists or all the bull of Obama being yet another Illuminati member in office and all that crap. I’m a patriot. I love my country. Many men and women worked hard to build this nation. And now… so many men and women want the country to work hard to take care of them. That’s not how it works. It leads to fascism. It leads to lazy idiots letting the government do all the thinking for them. It’s giving up every right and freedom this nation was founded on.

But, whatever… right? Life’s hard and what’s so wrong with the government helping out just a little here, and there… and there, and with this, and that… and oh yeah, this too, and don’t forget about this one either. Ahhhhh.

With Great Power Comes Great Gaming Possibilities

The Wizard of OZ: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road

Geoff — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:33:34 +0000

Wow! That’s was my initial impression of XSEED Games’ The Wizard of OZ: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road in just a few minutes of play-time after a friend had mentioned he’d given it a try and he was surprisingly impressed.

The Media.Vision developed title is a simple and linear turn-based RPG inspired by the tale of Dorothy and her magical journey through the Land of Oz, revealing a new perspective on what happened after reaching the end of the Yellow Brick Road. The Wizard of OZ is not really a source I’d think to use for an entertaining RPG but Media.Vision has definitely pulled off something unique and incredibly fun. The whole game is controlled entirely with the stylus using a track ball and a few buttons on the bottom screen. The graphics are bright and beautiful. Compared to traditional Japanese console RPGs it’s a bit simple, but it’s got more than enough depth to pull in hard-core fans and keep their attention.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Links for 2009-10-08 [del.icio.us]

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PDT

Combine Your CSS Files with PHP
This script lives in your CSS folder. It grabs every file, opens it up, takes the content and then mashes it all together. It also takes our new content and strips any comment and white space to create a new compressed file.
How to Include All Your Functions In 3 Lines of Code
Keep this in a init.php file that runs before any piece of code in your script. This insures that it’s included in EVERY PHP script used.

Links for 2009-09-01 [del.icio.us]

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:00:00 PDT

Snow Leopard Compatibility
Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard compatibility table