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2401

Living Room / Alternate Reality Gaming

« Last post by Edvard on November 02, 2007, 01:07 PM »

So I was checking up on Admit-One.net and checked out a site called Red-Monday. It opened a flash window with a prompt for me to enter a code.
I followed the directions on Admit-one and peeked at the page source code. There I found this cryptic bit:

[Select]

So I entered the code and I saw a bash script go by and then...

A counter of sorts counting back from 24 days and some hours....
Basically November 26 at midnight.
Then it asked if I wanted to be notified of the event.
No way, I thought. Nobody's getting my email without a fight.
So I entered "no" and it said:

[Select]

>> Your loss. Godspeed
CONNECTION TERMINATED

To make a long story short, I googled red-monday thinking it was either just a strange website, a movie or game promotional thing, or...
I found a reference to a term handed down from McCarthyism, and caught a suggestion from a blog post and a forum post that it may be a rabbithole for a new ARG.

I googled ARG and was introduced to a whole new world:

Alternate Reality Gaming is, according to CNET, "...an obsession-inspiring genre that blends real-life treasure hunting, interactive storytelling, video games and online community...

"These games are an intensely complicated series of puzzles involving coded Web sites, real-world clues like the newspaper advertisements, phone calls in the middle of the night from game characters and more. That blend of real-world activities and a dramatic storyline has proven irresistible to many."

http://en.wikipedia....ternate_reality_game
http://www.unfiction.com/welcome/
http://www.argn.com/

I am continually amazed at what an overwhelming communications system like the internet is capable of spawning, and this is the latest thing that has got me saying "Well, looky there... that's very interesting..."
As I'm a sucker for the conspiracy/story/mystery type of thing, I knew then that I should either walk away now or get immersed in something bigger than I have room in my life for.
But some other folks I know might be intrigued...

2402

Living Room / Re: Coders' Watches

« Last post by Edvard on October 30, 2007, 01:14 PM »

Real watch geeks should go here as well...

http://watchismo.blogspot.com/

2403

Living Room / Re: Tourettes extension for FireFox

« Last post by Edvard on October 30, 2007, 11:08 AM »

bottom line, if you can't laugh about it you end up crying all the time.

Hear, hear!!

2404

Living Room / Re: Tourettes extension for FireFox

« Last post by Edvard on October 30, 2007, 10:26 AM »

OK, let me bring a little sanity here...
This extension is ACTUALLY trying to mimic Coprolalia which is a less-common-but-widely-publicized subset of symptoms of Tourette Syndrome, which is actually a serious disorder.
I'm not trying to damp anyone's fun, just that some people might not find it funny for very different reasons...

2405

General Software Discussion / Re: Freedom from Microsoft Day!

« Last post by Edvard on October 29, 2007, 02:10 PM »

I'm with you Zaine, been MS-free for a while now, but what I wouldn't do for a Linux equivalent of xplorer^2...

I've been wondering though, why would MS release an OS that is so (for lack of better terms...) BAD?
From everything I read, reactions range from "it looks so perty, how come it's so annoying?" to "god-awful trainwreck of an OS".
Perhaps this is all a big conspiracy.

Ideas?

2406

Living Room / Re: Coders' Watches

« Last post by Edvard on October 29, 2007, 01:00 PM »

*sigh*

The geek part? It uses a battery

Oh, and I hacked it.
That is, I took off the lame necklace clip thingamajig and replaced it with a leather snap belt loop.

2407

Living Room / Re: Help with translating a video from Deutsch

« Last post by Edvard on October 19, 2007, 01:51 PM »

Abterix that was great!!

It was funny because I could imagine what people were saying by their faces, but I didn't expect what was actually said.
Thank You!

(DonationCredits are coming your way...)

2408

Living Room / Help with translating a video from Deutsch

« Last post by Edvard on October 18, 2007, 06:43 PM »

This is very funny, but I don't speak the language.
Any takers?

One of the best pranks I have ever seen. It’s in German so I’ll explain first. A restroom, a mirror, and a young woman putting on make-up. Only the mirror is not a real mirror, but a sheet of glass.
The restroom on the other side is exactly the same but built in reflection. And the young lady has a twin sister on the other side of the glass. Then other people come in...

http://www.youtube.c.../watch?v=5lv0-ftyMKE

from The Weird Daily

2409

General Software Discussion / Ubuntu 7.10 Released today

« Last post by Edvard on October 18, 2007, 02:16 PM »

Because whether you care or not, a lot of people are very excited, and somebody's servers are getting hammered...

http://www.ubuntu.com

The Ubuntu team is excited to bring you the absolute latest and greatest software that the open source and free software communities have to offer. This is Ubuntu 7.10, which brings a host of excellent new features.
New features since Ubuntu 7.04
1. GNOME 2.20
2. Desktop 3D effects
3. Desktop search
4. Fast user switching
5. Firefox plugins in Ubuntu
6. Dynamic screen configuration
7. Graphical configuration tool for X
8. Fully automatic printer installation
9. Handling of non-free device drivers
10. NTFS writing
11. Power consumption
12. Encrypted hard disks
13. AppArmor security framework
14. Additional installation profiles for Ubuntu Server
15. Profile-based Authentication Configuration
16. Improved thin-client support

Sounds sweet...

2410

Living Room / Re: FOUND: Free Internet Dial-Up Access

« Last post by Edvard on October 18, 2007, 01:13 PM »

I've used NoCharge for about 5 years now. No account needed, just "guest", "password" and you're on. I thought I had the best-kept secret on the internet there for a while...

There are a few caveats I have discovered...
1- the numbers posted on their website are hit-or-miss. Some friends of mine gave them the nickname "NoChance" because of this. Download the dialer program and you'll get some numbers that actually work.
2- When connected using their dialer, I would get disconnected every half hour or so. When using one of their numbers with Windows' native dialer, I got disconnected every 45 minutes to an hour. When connected with Linux, almost never.
3- MUCH faster using a 3rd party DNS like OpenDNS.

2411

Living Room / Re: More uses for old stuff

« Last post by Edvard on October 17, 2007, 11:09 AM »

Well, ummm...
It's not an invention, really, it's a hack. Who you gonna sue? The guy in the picture? The flyswatter manufacturer? I dunno.
BTW- I don't see how in the heck a thingamabob on your glasses is going to make you cross-eyed. I call gold-digger!!

EDIT- All right, I fell for it. You guys are too much...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jerk

2412

Living Room / Re: ASUS bring out motherboard with built in Linux and Firefox - 15s boot time!

« Last post by Edvard on October 17, 2007, 10:48 AM »

I don't think they are trying to deliver a full computing solution here. I think what they're trying to do is help you help yourself.
As in, if you bork your OS you can still get on the internet and do a little searching around for solutions, not necessarily so you can test drive the newest FF eye-candy.

2413

Living Room / More uses for old stuff

« Last post by Edvard on October 16, 2007, 02:47 PM »

You know all those things on instructables.com and the DIY network, etc. about recycling old stuff?
Here's some that are amazingly creative, if not downright goofy...

Top 17 Most Creative Uses For Old Stuff

2414

Living Room / Re: The Ugliest Products in Tech History

« Last post by Edvard on October 16, 2007, 01:15 PM »

wonder when they going to start producing retro computers like the way you can get 50's style radios...

Yeah, that would be SWEET! I could just see me now...
*edvard at the coffee shop walks past the dweeb with the Dell notebook
*snorts derisively*...
*clunk*
"Dude, get a REAL laptop"
*unlatches keyboard from Osborne case*

Seriously, I wonder what the Osborne case looks like inside. No doubt there's enough room, but you'd have to securely strap all that stuff in there somehow.
But instead of a wide screen, I'd get two mini lcd screens for a dual-monitor setup (that second floppy bay can go...)

2415

General Software Discussion / Re: Less Than Worthless Reply From Take 2 Interactive

« Last post by Edvard on October 15, 2007, 12:51 PM »

I know a landscape designer lady who has given me great advice when it's obvious someone is having a bad day (or week) and who does not want to deal with you, but you really need answers.

It's called a "Sh!t Sandwich" and this is how it works:

Bread- Thank the person for what they have done, assure them you understand the difficulty of what you are asking, praise them for something inconsequential, etc. ad nauseum...
Sh!t- Restate your question, problem, whatever and (gently now...) your disappointment at having gotten a much-less-than-satisfactory answer from such exemplary human beings you know they usually are.
Bread- Thank them for their patience in reading your email, re-considering your request, etc, ad nauseum... and a sincere "looking forward to your reply" signoff.

She tells me they will be eating out of your hand the next time...

2416

Living Room / Re: ASUS bring out motherboard with built in Linux and Firefox - 15s boot time!

« Last post by Edvard on October 15, 2007, 12:00 PM »

Man, this is what the LinuxBIOS folks have been drooling about for a while now, I wonder if they had a hand in it or if ASUS were inspired by them...

BTW- Looks like that project has come a long way- look at all the mobo's supported:
http://linuxbios.org/index.php/News

2417

Living Room / Re: The worst thing about Macs

« Last post by Edvard on October 11, 2007, 07:32 PM »

I was going to simply re-post the image I posted the link to rather than go to the ad-filled page there, but I noticed that the "I'm a Sun" girl looked a bit (ahem) "chilly" so decided against it.

To get back on topic, my only real (personal) gripe about Macs is I haven't a clue how to get around the system. Having one menu strip at the top of the screen is probably a good idea, but it is VERY hard to get used to. And calling it the "Finder"? I thought at first it was how you "found" things but, well...
And not knowing what the app is called that does the thing you need to do once you DO find the Mac equivalent of a Start Menu is rather frustrating.
Having been a Windows and Linux user for so long has spoiled me, I guess.

And that damn one-button mouse, I mean what the...?

2418

Living Room / Re: The worst thing about Macs

« Last post by Edvard on October 11, 2007, 02:25 PM »

what was the point of the page - just the image comparisons?

Yes.

Strange, I didn't even notice the video.
Don't worry, it had nothing to do with apple. Just a random tasteless video.

2419

Living Room / Re: The worst thing about Macs

« Last post by Edvard on October 11, 2007, 11:14 AM »

There are worse things...

Hello, I'm a Mac, what are you?

2420

Living Room / Re: When you make your 100'th Post

« Last post by Edvard on October 11, 2007, 11:08 AM »

dang.
off by two

2421

DonationCoder Projects / Re: RPG on the forum

« Last post by Edvard on October 10, 2007, 11:48 AM »

and then the bugs come out...

2422

General Software Discussion / Re: What linux needs?

« Last post by Edvard on October 03, 2007, 12:23 PM »

Steeladept: You mean HaikuOS?

Haiku is an open source operating system currently in development designed from the ground up for desktop computing. Inspired by the Be Operating System, Haiku aims to provide users of all levels with a personal computing experience that is simple yet powerful, and void of any unnecessary complexities.

http://haiku-os.org/

"Inspired by the Be operating system" means a microkernel written by a former Be dev and API-level compatibility with existing BeOS applications. If you recall, some folks circulated a petition about 5 years ago for Palm to release the BeOS 5 source so an open-source group could maintain it.
Palm said no.

2423

General Software Discussion / Re: Wanted: Simple drum machine program!

« Last post by Edvard on October 02, 2007, 11:50 AM »

Tekzel:
I was going to go into where to find drum loops and software to play them in, and then I found this:

Practice with style! A drum machine for non-scientists
Red Devil-groove box is designed with goal to give musicians a simple, yet effective way to practice.
Red Devil-groove box is loaded with quality sounds and drum patterns to make your practice sessions less mundane and more musical.
With Red Devil-groove box, guitar and bass players can instantly jam along to high-quality drum accompaniments.

http://www.desktopme...vebox/groove_box.htm

It's not freeware (25 usd, 20 eur) but I think it fits the bill nicely, eh?
If you still want freeware, I can post what I was originally going to say.

2424

Living Room / Re: Bored to death and amusing myself with stupid program :)

« Last post by Edvard on September 27, 2007, 07:25 PM »

Any other Iron Maiden fans here?

Oh, a long, long time ago in a small town far, far away...

"I left alone... My mind was blank... I needed time to think to get the memories from my mind..."

ah... memories

2425

General Software Discussion / Re: What linux needs?

« Last post by Edvard on September 19, 2007, 01:19 PM »

I love Linux and answering these questions makes my stomach feel funny, but I do it for the good of the community...

mahesh2k:
1- Game design software? What did you have in mind?
A casual peruse through Ubuntu's repositories turns up more 3D/MUD/FPS/TM engines than you can shake a stick at. I guess there's more to games than that, but that's where the money comes from...
The point is, f0dder's right. Drag 'n drop game software is fun and has its uses, but REAL games get done where the function call meets the stack pointer...

2- Once again, more of these than you can shake a stick at, but none of them are 100% complete. They should be written by the guys who have their hands wet with the environment you're in (KDE tools should come from the KDE team, etc. IMO it's their responsibility...), follow the standards where they apply, and have an intuitive interface.
3- If you're using C++ and GTK+, try Glade. Also, look into Lazarus if you're into Pascal.
4- Autohotkey came about because Windows fell far short of what was needed in this area. Linux is constantly lauded for the power of it's shell scripting and many equivalents of Autohotkey's functions can be found in the average distro's /bin and /sbin directories, but I agree there's not a simple tool for writing simple scripts. Kommander looks promising, and Zenity is nice for adding handy pop-up dialogs to your shell scripts. A feature-for-feature Linux equivalent of Autohotkey would be exciting, but until then you could always learn Ruby.

f0dder:
1- You're right, and the community would go ballistic at the proposition of being 'forced' to use one look anyways. Personally, I like Windows' consistency, although the skinning community exists because they DON'T.
IMO, Differing environments/distros/window managers are only half the problem. What's happening is that Linux is always being evolved and a lot of very useful apps are written (and still being written) with ancient toolkits (xforms, tk, pre-1.0 gtk, etc.) and since it 'just works' we all live with a GUI that looks more like Windows 3.1 than KDE, Gnome, etc. I don't think a consistent interface is an impossible goal, but some things have to be set straight. The different elements which make up the 'look-n-feel' should be separate objects, each one completely responsible for it's job. The toolkit should call the theme engine, which should be part of the environment but autonomous so whichever one you prefer can respond to whatever window manager/environment you're using. For example, the toolkit says "context menu", the theme engine should say "blue with white edges, a gradient on the title block and Helvetica for the font", and the environment should say "snappable to the screen edge, and on top of the root window using the Foobar icon set."
2- I disagree, to a point. Sure, new users shouldn't have to know or even think about what the heck /dev is, but I think if there is ONE hurdle new Linux users should understand is that Linux is not Windows, My Documents/Computer/Pictures doesn't exist (there's no place like '/home'...) and it's not profitable to go snarfing around the filesystem looking for goodies. Give them a manual that tells them what everything is, skipping the details, but enough that when someones mentions it they don't panic.
3- Grrr... I HATE that. Man pages are useful IF they have real-world examples, but carefully commented code does NOT equal documentation. EVAR!!!
4- I couldn't agree more. Although the reason for the cry for open source drivers is BECAUSE of the poor Linux support most hardware companies have given. If they made decent drivers, I don't think too many folks would care...

Now for my own 2 cents.

1- Make simple things simple. I shouldn't have to hand-write a .desktop file with root privilege just to stick something in the Applications menu. Really. And I second f0dder's vote on hand editing xorg.conf. Even though I know how to do it blindfolded, I shouldn't have to jump through that hoop for 1024x768, let alone dual monitors.
2- Second vote for a consistent interface. Use whatever toolkit you want, I don't care, just let the environment's theme engine take care of the chrome.
3- Seconds on the startup scripts. Although they should never have to be touched by human hands, they should at the very least be logical and humanly understandable JUST IN CASE I need to get at them in an emergency. A GUI would be nice, but that's up to the distro to provide. I don't mind hand-editing if something is really wrong and that's the only way to go about it, and I could count on one hand the times I have HAD to do that, but it was never pleasant. Geez guys, I understand shell script kung-fu is necessary, and the comments are helpful, but don't make me paw through 17 different files just trying to figure out how my $PATH got set.
4- Consistent printing interface. Don't even get me started...

My printer works beautifully, mind you, and CUPS is very good at getting things to work, but... If I want to do more than set the papersize...

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