Category: Journalism

Reading Material and Updates

Been slammed the last couple weeks working on personal projects, moving clients around from server to server (had one die last weekend), and doing the whole “attend every one of your kids function that you can” dad thing, and I’ve collected quite a few links here. On the bright side, I’m typing this all up on my new Sager 8150, still trying to get everything copied and setup from my other system, but boy is this thing fast.

Selection Sunday is today. Have you signed up for the NCAA Pick ’em? Why not?

OK, loads of links this time…

TSA Nude Body Scanners Made Worthless by Blog — How Anyone Can Get Anything Past The Scanners.
normalize.css is a good alternative to a traditional CSS reset file.
Splash Screens == sloth.
Spider silk spun into violin strings. I’m sure those are nice and strong, as well as nice and expensive.
A Texas Hold ’em Experiment: Ice Cold Decks.
California removes all state funding for CA libraries (read the comment that’s highlighted, as that’s really what’s worth the read).
Call of Apathy: Violent Young Men and Our Place in War.
The Camera Obscura project mapped the journey of a disposable camera that was left in the middle of a park with a note to take a picture, relocate, and leave it for the next person. The picture map is pretty fun.
If you need to test in old versions of MSIE, Microsoft has virtual images that should make it easier.
If you’re looking to pretty-up your Facebook timeline, there are some great ideas here.
Screw emoticons, Emojicons are so much better.
Ideal City Design: Optimized by Transportation Layout.
Social buttons done in CSS.
This is why you should Google something.
Awesome! YouTube and NBC Will Livestream the Entire Summer 2012 Olympics For Free.
PHP vs Perl vs Python vs Ruby reference sheet.
The world is ending, here’s what you need to pack.
Hacking Hacker News.
Frightening mashup of Toy Story and the Shining: Toy Shining.
Making a fast website. Google takes this stuff into consideration now, so it’s important.
NPR’s goal is the truth in reporting, not the “he said, she said” crap.
phpVirtualBox is a VirtualBox interface written in PHP.
Postcards Then and Now has a bunch of old postcards from the early 20th century compared to Google Street View today.
Redesigning the Windows logo.
The US is spending $120 billion per year to hunt down 50-75 terrorists.
For the Zelda fans: Saving Zelda.
Square is just a slick product, especially now that it has cash register functionality.
Stop paying the jQuery tax.
Best tips for speeding up your Windows PC.
Star Wars saga suggested viewing order (note: Episode 1 isn’t even included, which I agree with).
Apparently we don’t even need SOPA if the government can pull crap like this.
WTF QR Codes.
HP releases iLO app for Android and iPhone (that’s for the server geeks like me who have iLO on a couple servers).
Ikea launches $86,000 flat-pack DIY home.
Is antivirus software a waste of money?
How OpenStreetMap handled Apple’s unattributed switch.

March 11, 2012

9/11: The Photographers’ Stories

Well worth the read: A four-part expanded oral history of September 11, 2001, told by the photographers who documented it .

September 7, 2011

Building A Newsroom Time Machine

This sounds fun for an ol’ newsgeek like me. The FAU’s inagural All On Paper Project forces college journalists (and some seasoned pros) to get their hands dirty and produce a newspaper the old fashion way. Here’s how it went.

August 5, 2011

Reading and Watching Material

Some videos and some interesting reads for you all (videos after the jump as to not clog up the front page):

The Best of 2010 lists are tricklying out, so here are a couple: The Source’s Top 10 Local News Stories of 2010 and imgur’s Top Images of 2010.
A great list of Free and Paid SEO Tools.
Diving into the heart of Stuxnet, one of the most frightening viruses I’ve seen.
I don’t know where I came across this guy, but Engineer Guy has a bunch of great videos and whitepapers that take some high-end engineering topics and explain them to us common folk.
I may have linked to this before, but I’m doing it again, now that we have an Wii and can try it: Dolphin Emulator is an emulator for GameCube and Wii games that can run Wii games at 1080p.
Putting the Record Straight on the Lamo-Manning Chat Logs.
If you’re looking at msconfig or your startup applications list and don’t recognize something, pretty good chance you can find it here.
Adsense, no sense at all –
what it’s like being sacked by a computer.
Install Mac OS X on any Intel-based PC. Now I just need an extra PC that doesn’t suck to try this on (I have lots of old PCs, but nothing that would run OS X worth squat).
Rosetta Code aims to “present solutions to the same task in as many different languages as possible.” It’s interesting to see how a bunch of different programming language solve the same problem.
An interesting read: The Great Tax Con Job (or why the richer are getting richer and why folk like us are getting screwed).

Read on for the videos…

(more…)

December 30, 2010

I Suck

I’ve been so busy at both work and the minute I leave the office lately that I rarely want to turn on my computer when I get home. I’d rather just plop myself on the couch after going all frickin’ day and watch some TV. Even though we canceled our cable last month (we’re poor), there’s still plenty to watch with Netflix, Hulu, and the network channels (and a Windows 7 HTPC to allow us to do it all easily).

Just the same, this blog hasn’t gotten nearly the personal attention it deserves. I suck. I certainly wouldn’t deserve a Best Of Central Oregon nomination (but wouldn’t argue with you if you were to submit this site for a nomination). While uber-blogger Jon will probably get the nod (deservedly), it’d just be nice to knock that egotistical jerk off his high horse.

(Note: Before the hate mail comes in, Jon and I go way back, and anybody who knows Jon or I know that neither of us have egos, especially Jon. I just like to poke fun at him, as he would do to me.)

Anyway, back to the link dump for the evening:

How to Break Into A Windows PC (and prevent it from happening to you).
Secret button sequence bypasses iPhone security (Apple’s confirmed this, will release a patch).
Why you should make sure you never sign into your Facebook account in a public place.
Billy Joel’s coming to Rock Band 3 out of spite.
There are some dang good ideas here for the enterprise developer.
How to create a shortcut that kills every running Windows process.
Incredible 360° view of the entire sky.
Fun little toy: Complete vector graphics editor that will run in a browser.
Follow up pictures from an aforementioned little girl’s day out.
50 Powerful Time-Savers for Web Designers.
Free Content Delivery Network using DNS cache.
“Green” toilet paper? Yup: one brand is going tube-free.
A husband of wife whose unborn child had a congenital deformity with no chance for survival decided to confront abortion protesters.
Want to hide from Facebook’s various services? This will help.
If you set up things right, Google will change their logo for you on your birthday.
If you’re a Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) Junkie, this site’s for you.
Just because Google exists doesn’t mean you should stop asking people things.
Need to keep track of what time zones major cities are in and what time it is there? Every Time Zone might help.
The GOP’s doing their best to kill NPR, and NPR’s doing their best to expose the lies of the GOP.
Amazon’s AWS now has a free usage tier.
This is hardcore: Hosting backdoors in hardware that can bypass any anti-virus.
Google has open-sourced their auto-update software.
Anybody a Quickbooks and Windows 2003 Server whiz? I could use your help.

More tomorrow, as I have a bunch of videos to share…

October 27, 2010

Reading Material

Ben Heck creates another masterpiece: A Xbox 360 Slim Portable.
CC&Rs are really obnoxious. This is a great way to fight back.
In case you hadn’t seen it (watch here or here), the Banksy-created Simpsons opening http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/11/the-simpsons-explains-its-button-pushing-banksy-opening/.
TechSpaceBend is running an UnConference this week and it looks like a load of fun.
Why I love Reddit: A little girl who has a terminal disease is picked on by jackass neighbors. 4Chan makes the neighbor’s life a living hell (which I support, as the folks were jerks), but Reddit responds by spoiling the little girl rotten for which the girl was grateful.
Apple trademarks “There’s an App For That.” I guess to avoid getting sued, I should put ™ when printing that here. Or not.
Entitifier will quickly convert and escape any nasty characters that should be entities.
If you need to create a quick-and-dirty 16×16 icon, here’s a simple site to help you do it.
Subway.com had some hideous code that amazingly rendered (see the ugly HTML source here). Subway fixed the problem, thanked Reddit. It’s still ugly code, but not nearly as much as before.
Finally, a use for all those unneeded phone books: walls for a shed.
Thanks to the Army and a bunch of scientists, we may have found out why honeybees are dying.
gmapcatcher is a great little tool for offline map reading.
Do-it-Yourself Doodler produces some interesting results.
Using Photoshop channels to remove backgrounds from images.
Put this on the list of things I didn’t know Photoshop could do: Multi-object editing with Smart Objects.
A breakdown of all the various fees that airlines charge.
A site dedicated to Web Apps and how to use them: NothingToInstall.
How many computing cores is too many?
VideoEgg acquires Six Apart and creates SAY Media. Six Apart created MovableType, the software running this site. Despite this news, the product is not dead and here’s a great several part write-up as to why you should use Movable Type.
Modern gamers are pansies compared to classic hardcore gamers.
If a file exists, there’s a torrent of it. If not, Burnbit will create it.
Everything you wanted to know about computer keyboards but were afraid to ask.
I was playing with Fedora on a laptop the other day, and this installation guide came in handy.
I wasn’t aware such an event existed, but a local windshield repair guy won the Windshield Repair Olympics.
Use dropbox to trigger torrent downloads.
AES Encryption explained with simple animations.
Before Michael J. Fox was in Back to the Future, Eric Stoltz was Marty McFly.
Line Rider done entirely in HTML5.

October 12, 2010

Reading Material

Anatomy of the recent 64-bit Linux exploit.
Good selection of minimalist wallpapers, though this one might become mine soon.
In case you didn’t notice, full half-hour newscasts are back on KOHD after they killed them off earlier this year.
Speaking of local media, KTVZ’s experimenting with their own social network (I keep telling them that I’ll sell them — or anybody else — bendforum(s).com for stuff like this).
Speaking of social networks, Facebook is secretly building a phone.
What did liberals do that was so offensive to the Republicans? I’ll tell you what they did ….
Intel’s plan to put anti-virus vendors out of business.
Maps of Europe according to stereotype.
Satellites orbiting earth by country and it also shows how many are dead and how many are still functional.
The stories of the Unicorn Pegasus Kitten emerge.
Want to kill some time? Play astroids and blast any Web page.
Apparently Jesus plays for the Lakers.
Good collection of typographic sins (the PDF is really handy).
ISPConfig looks like a pretty good open source control panel software.
Google Voice comes to iPhone.
Those anti-vaccine folks need to get beaten senseless: 9th baby in California dies from whooping cough.
Great interview from 1986 with early programming pioneer Grace Hopper on David Letterman.
I’m done building Facebook apps for clients.
jQuery plugin for radical Web typography.
How to crack a forgotten Windows password (though most of the it’s easier to just reset it using something like Ultimate Boot CD).
It’s amazing (and disgusting) what can be done in Photoshop.
Free real-time continuous backup software using Genie-soft Free Timeline.
Looking for a Groupon for Bend? ZingDealz is about as close as you’re going to get.
Why I’m starting to not trust banks: Lauderdale man’s home sold out from under him in foreclosure mistake.
If you’re a fan of Dexter (I don’t have cable, let alone Showtime), you’ll probably like this reddit thread started by Masuka (aka C. S. Lee). I thought the guy was awesome in Chuck.
Why? No idea…A web server written in PostScript.
Simple way to have an automatic e-mail reminder.
AMD’s retiring the ATI brand, so here are 20 important moments in ATI’s history.
Need a simple business card idea? How about a simple “Google Me” card (with template)?
A bunch of designers redesign American currency
100 Best First Lines from Novels.
In case you needed to kill off many hours of time, here’s an Open Source clone of Transport Tycoon Deluxe.
Good to know they’re being productive with their time: UN to appoint Earth contact for aliens.
The words Google Instant doesn’t like.

OK, that’s enough for now.

September 29, 2010

Reading Material

Missle Command in 1KB of JavaScript.
How to automatically upload pictures to the ‘net as you take them (great for journalists).
I’m building a HTPC and am probably going to cancel my cable, and this wood computer case is going on my (never going to happen with my budget) wish list.
Set Bing backgrounds as automatically updating wallpaper.
Is Android surging only because Apple is letting it?
When you’ve done everything you can with Ruby On Rails, it’s time to meet the MVC web framework to end all MVC web frameworks: DOS on Dope, a modern MVC framework built on the awesome power of Batch scripts.
Charles Darwin’s ecological experiment on Ascension isle was probably his best-kept secret.
For you old-timers out there (like me): A big list of still functioning BBSs, mostly accessible via Telnet (though there are a few dial-in nodes there).
For fun weather graphs, pictures and tracking this hurricane/tornado/winter season, StormPulse is a fun little toy.
Didn’t know this: Google has a bunch of online classes, lectures and tutorials for a bunch of programming languages.
Wesley Snipes could have been Geordi, a part that ultimately went to LeVar Burton.
AMD has gotten rid of the ATI brand, making Radeon its own.
Gmail makes it easier to get through your inbox with priority inbox (somebody needs to make this a Thunderbird extension — or I just need to funnel all my accounts into Gmail).
Handy ways to make your USB sticks and Flash Cards easier to recognize in Windows.
Simplicity is highly overrated.

September 6, 2010

Post Vacation Reading Material

Since getting back, I’ve been trying to catch up on all the email and news that has been sent my way (you’re always welcome to send more using the contact form on this site or e-mail utterlyboring at gmail dot com). Here are some of the headlines I found waiting for me when I got back (some newer, some older):

An interesting look into how Xbox’s achievement system was designed and why it was done that way.
Despite Apple’s antenna research, they’ve admitted they have a problem and are giving free cases to every iPhone4 user. Steve Jobs pointed out that other companies have similar issues with their phones to which RIM, Nokia, and HTC didn’t take to kindly to. If you’d rather jump from the iPhone to an Android device, this will help.
Online retailer PlayOutdoors opened their first brick-and-morter store here in Bend.
Those hilarious Old Spice commercials that are taking the web by storm have a great back story and many good parodies.
Poor BP: They were deeply affected by the coffee spill parody.
Common products from 2010 if they were designed in 1977.
One mapping feature Bing maps that Google maps doesn’t: Napkin-sketch view.
Several different ways to give your photos a vintage look.
Science finally solves the greatest mystery mankind has ever faced: The chicken came first.
Need to learn how to train yourself reverse code engineering, buffer overflows, shellcode development, web exploitation, and SQL injection so you can fix them in your code? Damn Vulnerable Linux makes it easy.
If you’re an Apple product user, and need some friends to talk Mac with, Apple has created a Friend Bar.
Because you never know when this will come in handy: Make a paper clone of yourself.
Amazing photography of trees shot in infrared.
Common optical illusions illusions.
For future reference: Don’t argue with an ibex.
Reddit illistrates why you should never trust “experts” when it comes to traffic estimates.
The most objective and unbiased video game review I’ve ever read.
I knew I was on to something: Not making your bed may keep you healthy.
HideMyAss has a great list of free proxy servers.
Great list of free security tools for your PC which hopefully won’t bug you like this.
Top Secret America is a great Washington Post investigation that describes the huge national security buildup in the United States after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
If you’re like me and enjoy Top Gear, this fan site is a good place to get your fix.
I think I’ve seen these before, but what if Steve Jobs was part of the Calvin and Hobbes strip?
100 Greatest Movie Insults of All Time (naughty language warning).
Because some people have too much time on their hands: Mr. Steam Potato Punk Head and a ton of My Little Pony modifications.

July 19, 2010

Reading Material

A proper review of Twilight.
Can’t say I didn’t see this coming: Microsoft pulls the plug on Kin after failing miserably to sell more than a few hundred.
Apple officially responds to the iPhone4 antenna issues. If you need help translating it, this will help.
Woot takes the Associated Press to task for stealing their content, AP doesn’t think it’s funny.
Simple copy/paste of the script tags for the Javascript libraries that Google hosts.
Locate your stolen laptop with Prey.
Need some good, (mostly) clean jokes? Here ya go.
Fox News advocates shutting down public libraries.
Converting PSD to HTML.
Lose your Windows, Office, or other software keys? Find them with this.
That fancy netbook you bought doesn’t have an optical drive? You can reinstall Windows XP from a USB key.
What do experts use in the way of technology to get their jobs done? Check out their setups.
Great diary on one man’s quest to get well for $1 a day, and he’s gone a couple months now (and has some great guides for saving mega bucks with coupons).
I think I may have posted this before, but can’t remember: Enable open web technologies in Internet Explorer with Google Chrome Frame.
Everything You Need To Know About The Fragmented Mobile Developer Ecosystem.
Speaking of mobile development, the Symbian Guru has given up on Symbian.
Still speaking of mobile development, multitasking the Android way.
MenuetOS is a really powerful and usable OS considering it will fit on a single floppy.

July 7, 2010

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