Category: Geekdom

Just a few geek links that need to be bookmarked for my future reference.

• The Trouble With PDFs. Interesting article, though I’d have to say that a few of the biggest reasons that folks (me included) still use PDF is that it’s very easy to maintain page and print layout with a PDF, very easy to embed fonts with a PDF, easy to secure copying with a PDF, easy to embed high-res imagry in a PDF, among other things that are just not as easy to do in an HTML editor or on a Web page. Just because it can be done in HTML doesn’t always mean it should, especially if I’m emailing something to someone who I know doesn’t have a newer browser but I wan the layout and print out to be maintained. I can create a fully functional PDF in just about any program with CutePDF, but if I use the program’s built-in functions to export to HTML, the output leaves quite a bit to be desired.
• Are you an expert user trying to get around in Vista? Vista4Experts turns off the annoying crap that is built in for computer novices.
• Selecting text vertically in MS Word. Boy am I stupidly glad to have seen this, as I was just needing this the other day and was sick of pasting back and forth between a text editor that can do this and MS Word.
• Integrating Gmail and Google Calendar with the Enhance Gmail Greasemonkey script. Now if this would just get added into the Better Gmail Firefox extension, I wouldn’t have to install Greasemonkey to do it.
• If you need a great way to better your typing skills, try this great little Flash game — I was up to about averaging 65 words per minute (got 85 on one) before I had to get back to work. Though I just tried it again and only averaged 50 words per minute.

Starting yesterday, spare lithium batteries are banned from checked airline luggage. However, it’s not the end of the world.

In an attempt to start out the New Year fresh with an empty pending links folder (and hopefully a better committment to this blog which I haven’t spent nearly as much time with as I’d like), expect a few of these types of Link Dumps over the next 48-72 hours or so.

• For my reference: a simple script to e-mail LayeredTech’s reboot request e-mail address.
• Falling leaves wallpaper for Ubuntu (the leaves actually fall).
• This Star Trek fan has probably never had a girlfriend before, nor has he ever brought one into his Star Trek-themed home theater.
• Great source for high-res wallpaper (this one is my current Wallpaper).
• Great little freeware Spy Hunter-esque game called Highway Pursuit.
• Scene completion using millions of Photographs.
• Supercharge your Scheduling with GCal.
• VLC Media Player can use Winamp classic skins, if you so desire.
• Installing SPF Records on a cPanel server.
• Logo Rediscovered (oh come on, I know I’m not the only one that remembers the Turtle?).
• Make Your XP Computer Look like OSX.
• Virtual RAID 5 Internet Storage.
• Turning an old hard drive into a storage case.
• Lifehacker’s 2007 Guide to Free Software and Web Apps (their 2005 list is still relevant).
• myFairTunes for removing DRM from iTunes-purchased tracks.
• Twenty Best iPod utilities.
• Post Blogger comments using your own domain (I really need to get OpenID setup on my site).
• Power your home with a mini nuclear reactor.
• Minimalist explorer breadcrumbs for XP.
• Deskview for those of us who want more space on our Windows desktop (basically makes the icons smaller and lays out the icons differently).
• Raiding the abandoned Sun Microsystems building.
• Using a robot to push a reset button on a dead server.
• How to see if Apache on cPanel is under a DOS attack.
• MovableType scheduled tasks writeup.
• The craziest Star-Wars tattoos (slightly NSFW).
• Use a Wallet to Keep Passwords Safe.
• DNS-o-Matic from the same guys that gave us OpenDNS.
• Halo 3 Cheat Codes as explained by a neglected girlfriend of a Halo 3 gamer.
• Removing filenames in Unix that start with strange characters.
• What the Google Intranet looks like.
• I wish I had one of these on my wall.
• Creating disposable/template servers with VMWare.
• If you use Gmail, you need the Better Gmail firefox extension.
• What usually happens when I work geek projects at home.
• A Hot-tub sized nuclear reactor could power a 25,000 home community for at least five years.
• Detecting duplicating IP addresses with arping command under Linux.
• Windows Vista Incapable stickers.
• Open Source alternatives to commercial software (pretty sure I’ve mentioned this before, too lazy to look).
• Ditch your Windows taskbar with an OSX-esque minimized thumbnails with miniMIZE.
• Setup the Asterisk PBX in 30 Minutes with AsteriskNOW.
• Make the mouse pointer stay away while your typing with MouseAway.
• Don’t forget to lock your computer, otherwise folks might mess with it (as I know very well).

That got rid of a few links. More coming once I catch my breath.

I named 45 HTML 4.0 elements in five minutes. I probably could’ve done more had my head not been stuffed up and my body full of DayQuil (as I forgot some really obvious ones that I use all the time). How did you do?

Here is a good collection of gift guides.

As I’ve mentioned several times before, there is no reason whatsoever to have Vista right now, especially if you value the performance of your PC. And now, with beta version of SP3 for XP and SP1 for Vista, XP is still kicking Vista’s butt.

No matter what you do, fight for XP when you buy a new system. Microsoft has committed to sell Windows XP until at least June so the systems are still available.