December 2005 Archives

testing...if you see this...migration to Dreamhost is complete!

[update]

Spoke too soon.  Seems that bisonium.com DNS took right away, but www.bisonium.com is still pointing to the old server.  So if all goes well, this entry won't exist soon!  :-)

[update 2]

Using another DNS server with updated routing tables.  Now I can see everything, but moving the blog created some path problems I didn't realize until trying to do some rebuilds.  Now comes the debuggin part.  Oh joy...

[update 3]

Well that was pretty painless.  The paths on the new server just needed to be updated in Movable Type's database and we came right back up.  Bet ya didn't even notice we had a glitch?! ;-)

Hello everyone.  Just a quick note to let everyone know that we are going to be taking a little time off during the upcoming week while we go on holiday.  I may blog a few things and have them ready to publish at a later date, but don't count on anything much for the rest of 2005.  We are also taking this opportunity to xfer to a new web hosting company.  Things may be a little out of whack, if so - you know why.  Hopefully things won't be too hard to port to the new servers.  I wish everyone a happy holiday and new year.  2006 is going to be great...I can just feel it!

Time to go loopy on those projects for the new year!  Sony Media Software has a limited time offer where you can grab yourself a FREE Loop Sampler and bonus 2006 Music Trivia Calendar.  The loops are in .wav format and should work with almost any commercial audio editing or looping software.  Apple users, that means Garage Band, Logic and Soundtrack Pro!  Offer available in the US only.

It's official folks, my buddy Scott's Sony Aibo, Tron, is now blogging by itself on his very own TypePad blog.  I wasn't aware you could even get an Aibo to do this, but it is pretty damn slick if I do say so myself.  Apparently the AI on this thing is pretty advanced and can do everything from blogging, emailing you pics, to being able to email the pooch with specific commands and logging in to his "brain" via a web browser.  Now THAT is some cool stuff.  Just when you think you've seen it all...in comes a blogging robotic dog.  Make sure to visit TRON's Blog!

Boy am I going to miss this plane.  I remember my days aboard the USS John F. Kennedy (I worked on A6 Intruders) and watching Tomcats being shot and trapped off the deck, what an amazing experience.  It will be a sad day in US Naval Aviation.  The newer, sexier F-18's are great, but in my book, just the shear intimidation of the F-14's looks are enough reason to keep it around.  I guess that's why I am not working at the Pentagon making those "executive" decisions huh?

[ via Military.com ]

Aging F-14 Makes Final Bombing Runs :

The U.S. Navy's F-14 Tomcat fighter, built as a Cold War defense against Soviet bombers and emblazoned on popular imagination as Tom Cruise's plane in the 1986 movie Top Gun, is just weeks away from making its final combat sorties over Iraq before being retired for good.

Now this looks pretty interesting, but I have one question...why WHITE?  HELLO?  How about making it BLACK like the PSP?  Sometimes you just have to wonder what people are smoking...

[ via Engadget ]

Neo 4-in-1 Pad for PSP:

Besides the Datel 4GB PSP drive, there have been  few options to add non-MemoryStick memory to your Sony portable besides those awkward flash adapters that dangle from  the device with flat PCB cables. Well soon a new product will hit the market (from Neo, the same company that brought  us the MS converter tethered adapter) called the 4-in-1  Pad, an ergonomic PSP handgrip that doubles as an SD/MMC/CF/MicroDrive reader and triples as a battery pack that  accepts regular or rechargeable AAs and more than doubles the console’s playtime. Even better, the Pad features two USB  ports, which can either be used for charging the batteries or connecting to a PC to act as a standalone card  reader—plus, the bundled MemoryStick Duo won’t go to waste, as the 4-in-1’s adapter allows for MS passthrough. Neo is  still putting the final touches on this model, and it should be available in a few weeks for about $100—read on to  scope out the Pad’s profile.

WOW...just when you think you * might * have some talent, something like this pops out and kicks your humbled ass...

[ via CreativeGuy ]

Cool Web sites:

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted a "Cool Web Site" so I thought I would drop this recent find on you. HybridWorks fits the bill.

I’m not a fan of Flash-based Web sites, in fact I usually hate them. But every once in a while I come across one that really is well done. HybridWorks is one of those sites. Not only is the design EXTREMELY nice, but the use of sound is great and the site offers some nice content.

Be sure to check out the downloads (icons and wallpapers) as they are quite good.

This take the reigns as best integration of a Mac Mini in a ride...beat out the Audi from last week for sure...

[ via MacVroom ]

Mac'd Ride: 2006 Infiniti M45:

Here's another slick install that features Apple's Front Row and a concealed Mac mini driving the show. Brooks Weisblat Mac'd out his new 2006 Infiniti M45 Sport with a Mac mini stashed in the center console. The "Tech" package on the M45 comes with an auxiliary RCA input for audio/video hookup, so Brooks simply jacked the Mac mini's video through the two factory 8" displays - sweet! A Kensington bluetooth mouse with VirtualKeyboard X, and a Palm Treo 650 running Salling Clicker provide input and control for the entire system.

This is a few months old, but pretty insane, so why not post it right?  In what has to be one of the most grand examples of why there should be stricter birth control in the world, this idiot takes the cake, errrrr, should I say the donughts....

[ via Ch. 6 News - Orlando, FL ]

Man Caught On Tape Sprinkling Fecal Matter On Pastries

A cab driver in Dallas, Texas, was allegedly caught on surveillance video sprinkling dried fecal matter on cookies and pastries at a grocery store.

Behrouz Nahidmobarekeh, 49, is on trial for allegedly throwing the feces on pastries at a Fiesta grocery store.  Police said that during an investigation, they found a pile of human feces by his bed. Investigators believe Nahidmobarekeh would dry the feces, either by microwave or just letting it sit out, grate it up with a cheese grater and then sprinkle it at the store.

"(We are) unable to identify him; just a young boy, maybe 3 years old, on the surveillance tape you can see him eating one of the cookies and that's the worst part about it ,I think."

Attorneys in the case were unclear about a motive in the case. Prosecutors will show a surveillance videotape of the defendant, which shows him sprinkling a substance on the food. The FBI arrested Nahidmobarekeh but turned the case over to local prosecutors after they determined it was not a national security issue.

There are just some times in life when you have to acknowledge that there IS such a thing as a vulgar display of wealth.  If owning this vehicle doesn't qualify you as having FU money, nothing will...

[ via Leftlane News ]

Bugatti Veyron video with driving, 0-130 mph footage:

This morning we got our hands on a new video of the $1.4 million Bugatti Veyron, shot during its launch in October. The video shows two Veyrons being delivered, followed by some driving footage on public roads. At the end, comes the most exciting part: the driver of the Veyron sees how long it takes to reach 210km/h — about 131 mph. The Veyron is capable of speeds in excess of 250 miles per hour (that’s about 400km/h!). (See also: our recent list of the 10 coolest things about the Veyron). The video is available after the jump…

It's not often you get free legal advice from some competent attorneys.  AIGA has worked for over a year putting together a great resource for any small to medium sized design firm.  Head over to the AIGA site and grab your free copy!

[ via Creativepro.com ]

The Art of Business: Finally, a Design Contract for the Little Guy:

Client contracts are essential, but if you're a small to mid-sized business, hiring a lawyer to create them may be beyond your means. The new "Standard Form of Agreement for Graphic Design Services" published by the American Institute of Graphic Arts can help -- and it's free!

Way cool...best integration I have seen yet.

[ via Foursprung ]

Apple Front Row: Integrated into an Audi A6!:

A lucky guy succeeded to integrate Apple`s Front Row into the in-dash display of his Audi A6 with some help of an Audi technician.

A French owner of an Audi A6 (Elie) has managed to connect his Apple Powerbook laptop to the in-dash GPS Navigation display (with a little bit of help from an Audi technician). At the moment, the Powerbook hands in a net back in the trunk where it should (mostly) be safe from road bumps. The best part is that he uses a Sony Ericsson K750i as a Bluetooth remote control for the whole system…

We are jealous! Great car, great integration!

Foursprung, Apple, Front Row, Audi A6

Source: MacBidouille via Ubergizmo

This gives a whole new meaning to bringing out the James Bond and Mario Andretti in you.  All I can say is that these crazy Brits got something right and I want one of these so bad it hurts.  Lets see....LOTTO jackpot is sitting at a cool $30M for Wednesday's drawing.  I'd say it's time to play.

[ via Left Lane News ]

Aston Martin V8 Vantage promotional video:

A promotional video for the Aston Martin V8 Vantage is now available online. We’re sure you’ve all seen the car before — which debuted earlier this year — but you might not have seen this entertaining video. There’s lots of fun snow drifting, as well as some hard Nürburgring track time. Enjoy!

Well if this doesn't nail it on the head, I don't know what does.  Attention all you male nerds reading this!  The following link is of the utmost importance if you are to continue interfacing with a female unit.  Whether it be a spousal unit or otherwise, this is required reading for them!  You can thank Emily Hambidge for deciphering this phenomenon and putting it into terms a chick can understand...

Dating an Apple Developer

All you Mac fans, sit down and buckle your seat belts.  One of the most wanted apps on the Mac is Google Earth and it's release for the Mac is imminent.  As you can see from the screen grab, it is VERY real and VERY slick.  This is going to make a HUGE impact on the way we use our computers folks.  I can already see this becoming an indispensable tool.  For being a beta, it is extremely stable and the graphics are simply unbelievable.  This is absolutely smoking fast on my PowerMac G5 Dual 2.5 with the Ultra 6800 video card.  I hear the performance is excellent even on a Powerbook, which I haven't tested as of yet.  Make no bones about it, this is one app you will definitely want to grab when it's released to the public.

[ via Leftlane News ]

In the category of idiotic beyond belief, the Seattle po po has surpassed how low a cop can stoop to get a ticket...

State trooper poses as panhandler to ticket drivers

Seattle police were busy serving and protecting this weekend by posing as the homeless in an effort to catch motorists not wearing their seat-belts. On Saturday, a trooper stood on a street corner in Spanaway, Pierce County, and helped bust 30 people for not wearing their seat belts. The trooper, wearing plain clothes and a cardboard sign around his neck that read “Happy Holidays Buckle Up,” was able to keep a close eye on passing traffic. Some motorists, seeing a man on the roadside wearing a sign, offered him money, apparently figuring he was a panhandler, the State Patrol said. The trooper refused the money and issued tickets to drivers who hadn’t buckled up. John Strait, a law professor at Seattle University, said while he didn’t think the tactic was a violation of privacy rights, but he aptly pointed out that the operation “sounds tacky.” “I’m not sure it’s great public policy,” he said. [Via The Newspaper]

Never played this.  Anyone think this will be good?

[ via PSPMagazines.com ]

Killzone For PSP Coming:

PSPWorld.com
Sony Computer Entertainment today announced that it has acquired Guerrilla Games to further expand its development capability as part of Worldwide Studios (SCE WWS). In the announcement, the two companies confirmed that a Killzone game for the PSP is being developed.

"Guerrilla B.V., based in Amsterdam, Netherlands is the award winning developer of the Killzone game for PS2, which has shipped close to 2 Million units worldwide. The studio is currently working on a new Killzone title for PS3, early scenes of which were shown to wide acclaim when revealed at E3 earlier this year. The studio is also developing a further game within the Killzone universe for the PSP. Guerrilla signed an exclusive development agreement with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe in March 2004 and the acquisition will help the team grow as a key creative element of the SCE Worldwide Studios network."

Let me add to this by stating that this is a MUST HAVE game for the PSP.  A PSP without GTA and SOCOM 3 is useless, those 2 games are THAT good.

[ via PSPworld ]

SOCOM: US Navy Seals Fireteam Bravo Review:

After the release of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (PSPworld Rating: A), we had serious doubts as to whether or not another game would come along before x-mas to take its semi-permanent...

[ via Astronomy Pic of the Day ]

Europe at Night:

Europe at Night

Can you find your favorite European city?

The above digital fantasy of Europe at Night is a digital composite of archived satellite images taken both during the day and night. This image is different from what an astronaut would see for reasons including a complete lack of clouds and an unrealistic exaggeration of lights and contrasts.  Even so, the geography underlying the image is captivating.  Nighttime light patterns have been accumulated from the USAF Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System.

This is going to be one SICK ride.  Take that BMW!

[ via Leftlane News ]

Audi S6 to use 420hp Lambo V10

The forthcoming Audi S6 will come with a Lamborghini-sourced V10 engine, according to AutoTelegraaf. The engine, a de-tuned version of the powerplant used in the Lamborghini Gallardo, is already being used in the recently-introduced Audi S8. The engine has slightly more displacement that the Lambo version — up to 5.2 liters — but less horsepower: around 420 to be exact. The report says Audi had originally planned to use a 4.2-liter V8 with around 380 horses, but has since changed its plans.

In the past few weeks there have been an enormous amount of stories about the tech boom that has been happening in India.  As someone who works in IT, this is obviously a huge concern.  I can honestly say that I have been a huge advocate against outsourcing and placing the blame on the wrong people.  These articles should serve as a WAKE UP CALL for America.  Our jobs are leaving the US and heading east due to nothing more than corporate GREED.  The folks in India are merely taking advantage of an opportunity that has been literally handed to them on a silver platter.  The formula is quite simple: Go to school, excel at your chosen major, walk out with a degree AND an education, get paid a ton of money (at least it is for them) to do what you love.  Perform well and you will be rewarded.  Unfortunately that formula no longer works in the USA.  Corporate America is simply concerned about their bottom line and nothing else.  Loyalty is a word that no longer exists in ANY form when it comes to dealing with American corporations.

All too often here in the US there is no recognition for hard work.  The harder you work, the more they expect out of you.  And as I have been a victim of myself, if you do your job TOO WELL, then you are too valuable to promote and your opportunities to advance up the corporate ladder will pass you by as some less than qualified idiot takes your position, all thanks to the fear of litigation involved in letting someone go (ie FIRING THEM) for simply being incompetent.  This is today's corporate mantra.

Corporate executives expect that you will work for wages that would have been considered "fair" over 10 years ago.  It seems like we cant get past that mentality these days, even though our economy and cost of living has skyrocketed over the same period of time.  In south Florida for example, the price of real estate has more than tripled in the last 5 years.  Yet the average salary for the very people living in this area has stayed the same or declined.  So tell me this corporate geniuses, how can we afford to buy a new home if you are still paying us wages from 10 years ago in today's economy?  The answer is simple.  The average person CANNOT.  Now lets take a look at India.  If you follow the link to this multimedia flash presentation, it will seriously open your eyes.  Here are the very same folks taking our jobs, getting paid 1/10th or LESS than what we get here in the states, yet they are living the life with beautiful homes, chauffeured cars, maids and cooks.  Their education system is significantly better and their wireless infrastructure leaves us looking like amateurs in the almighty US of A.  How is this possible?  CORPORATE GREED and a corrupt political system.

Folks, you can either be part of the problem or part of the solution.  If you vote for officials that support outsourcing, you are part of the problem.  If you do business with companies that outsource labor overseas, you are part of the problem.  If you are lazy and try to skate by at work by doing as little as possible, you are part of the problem.  The money ship has set sail and it's on its way to India.  It's going to be hard to turn that ship back, but not impossible.  It's up to you...just don't complain later when it's too late and say nobody told you so or that you didn't see it coming.

[via Silicon Beat ]

Bangalore boom:

Matt already mentioned the stories that colleague John Boureau has written about the Bangalore tech boom. But I'll call special attention to the multimedia Flash presentation that our crack photo staff produced. It really brings the story to life with photos and narration by the people at the center of the stories. One slide show features an upscale Bangalore neighborhood that's become home for many Indians returning from the U.S. One person in the piece says that 80 percent of his neighbors are from the Bay Area. And then there's the contingent of young Americans who went to work for Ifosys in India to jumpstart their careers, and found many slices of America. "I never imagined I would move to India and be able to order Dominos,'' says one.

Sena makes some of the sexiest cases for your digital gadgets on the market.  This one is no exception.  I have the exact same case for my Treo 650 and couldn't be happier.  The quality is superb and the case has help up well over the past year.  I am sure this case for the iPod will be no exception.  You can pre-order your now on their website.

Pre-order Special

Sena Cases is happy to give an opportunity to its customers who have been anxiously waiting to order a new Sena case for their PDAs. Customers who place an order before their cases are ready for distribution, will be able to receive a discount and will receive their cases relatively earlier than other customers.  Please read the details of the offer carefully:

Sena Cases plans to start shipping pre-ordered cases on December 15th, 2005. Although, it is our intention to continue 'pre-order special period' until this date, Sena Cases reserves the right to end this offer any time.  Customers who place an order during the 'pre-order special period' will receive a 20% discount from the original purchase price of the product.  The credit card accounts will be charged automatically for the discounted amount, shipping costs, and the applicable tax when the pre-order is placed, NOT when the product is shipped. 

These products will be shipped in the order we receive pre-orders unless there is a problem in our stocks of a certain model.

[ via TUAW ]

Adobe offers Adobe-Macromedia software bundles:

Hot on the heels of completing its acquisition of Macromedia, Adobe is offering bundles of Adobe and Macromedia software. The first two bundles, the Adobe Design Bundle and the Adobe Web Bundle, contain the latest releases of software from Adobe and Macromedia. These are just the original products, with no additional cross-product integration. The Design Bundle includes Adobe Creative Suite 2 Premium (Photoshop CS2, Illustrator CS2, InDesign CS2, GoLive CS2, Acrobat 7.0 Professional, Version Cue CS2, and Bridge) along with Macromedia Flash Professional 8. The Web Bundle also includes Adobe Creative Suite 2 Premium, along with Macromedia Studio 8 (Dreamweaver 8, Flash Professional 8, Fireworks 8, Contribute 3, and FlashPaper 2). A third software bundle, Adobe Video Bundle, is expected to be released in early 2006. There's no word yet on what it will include.


Pricing is steep. Adobe Design Bundle sells for a cool $1599, and Adobe Web Bundle for $1899 at the Adobe Store. There are upgrades from earlier versions of Adobe or Macromedia software suites. If you own Adobe Creative Suite 1 Standard or Premium, you can upgrade to Adobe Design Bundle for $949. If you own Adobe Creative Suite 1 Standard or Premium or Macromedia Studio MX or MX 2004 you can upgrade to the Adobe Web Bundle for $899. Those of us who bought the latest versions of the software may be left out of the upgrade path. Adobe suggests that if you bought Adobe Creative Suite 2 recently, you may be able to return it to the location from which you bought it and buy a bundle instead. There is no upgrade path from individual Adobe or Macromedia products to a bundle.


If you can get the education discount you're in a better position. Adobe's education price is $549 for the Design Bundle and $599 for the Web Bundle.

This is pretty cool, especially for streaming your iTunes library to your PSP!

::: UPDATE :::

I was just looking at and playing with this software.  Overall pretty neat.  My main objective was to stream my music over the wireless network to my PSP.  I got everything to work fine, but there is 1 small oversight which can be easily fixed.  When clicking on a song in the PSP browser, it wants to SAVE the file to my memory stick.  That defeats the point of doing this.  With the new 2.6 firmware release on the PSP, they have incorporated RSS (sort of) into the mix.  The so called RSS is really just a way to STREAM audio to the PSP via an RSS feed.  In this particular case, that would work great!  If these guys could incorporate RSS feeds into the next release, they would be officially kicking butt in the PSP community. 

[ via TUAW ]

Try Dot-Tunes free during December:

Dot-Tunes is an iTunes web server that makes sharing your music across a network, local or the web, nice and easy (we first took a brief look at Dot Tunes in October).  It looks pretty nice, and this may be just the time to try it out. The folks at DotPod have announced that you can use Dot-Tunes without the ten track demo restriction or the ten minute time limit for the next few weeks.

Here's the catch: To activate the extended demo, you must register with a server tracker. This will allow you to see other servers out there in the ether, as well as be seen by them. All of this is to encourage you to register before January of 2007, when Dot-Tunes will experience a price increase. Get it while you can.

[Via MacMegasite]

[ via PSP Fanboy ]

ChillArt offers free PSP eyecandy:

This is more of a singular offering than a range, but you can't beat that "free" price tag. This all appears to be an effort for artsy-fartsy ChillArt to market their quasi-existentialist mindjob videos to a whole new range of portable players, but we're not ones to discount variety in public taste. There's bound to be a market out there for those who like videos of rapidly edited, zoomed-in clips of oil paintings set to electronica, right?

Sony is almost starting to see the light here.  I think they are right on target with this service, unfortunately, they are on some serious crack if they expect to charge the same as a video download from the iTunes music store, but have it expire 2 weeks later.  Wrong answer.  You want me to pay for content?  I better damn well be able to keep it and archive it for future viewing at my convenience.  Get with the program Sony!

[ via Gizmodo ]

Sony Launches TV Network Service For PSP:

Those in Japan are going to get the goods from Sony very soon. Sony is launching a new network TV service for the PSP to showcase its capabilities. The service works through the PSP's Wi-Fi connection to grab content via the Sony Portable TV Network. Users will be able to download videos, movies, music videos, and more at about $3 a pop. The problem is that it's more like a rental service. The videos expire within 1 to 2 weeks and then are no longer viewable.

Sony launches Portable TV network for PSP [Mobile Whack]

Ok, so now i have an excuse to upgrade to that F350 Dualie I have been foaming at the mouth for.  Already have the F-150, so trading in for another F-150 seems silly no?  :-)

[ via MacNN ]

Mac mini with Front Row in a Ford F-150:

Car news site Leftlane News has a report on one Mac user's project to install a Mac mini in a Ford F-150. The user makes use of Apple's Front Row software and a Keyspan remote for easy navigation. He placed the Mini out of sight, and also installed a 10.2-inch LCD touch screen. The user also installed some GPS software to serve as a navigation system. In January, we noted a Washington Post article suggesting the Mac mini "comfortably fits in my car's glove compartment." Later, we reported that a New York-based company had plans to install the new Mac mini into car dashboards.

Yet another great resource for your PSP...

[ via PSP Fanboy ]

You got your literature on my PSP. No, you got your PSP on my literature.:

Two great tastes come together as one when your PSP meets a library full of classic literature. Of course, ebook reading is nothing new to the PSP, but it has sometimes been a bit of an irksome process to track down and transfer books.

Luckily, the community has psp.manybooks.net to simplify things for us. And when they say "many books," they mean it, backing the claim up with a library of nearly 12,000 classic works.

Each ebook is available to be read live, page-by-page via your PSP's browser, or you can go old-school and download the ebook for transfer to your memory stick.

So, next time Mom says you've been playing too much PSP, you can tell her you're reading Shakespeare (or you can at least load some up real quick so that she thinks your feeding your brain instead of destroying it.)

Wow.  Either user demand was so great on the server that it crashed it, or someone screwed the pooch big time at MSFT.  Looks like xbox.com is completely down.  I mean toast - not down for maintenance, not being upgraded, I mean DOWN.  Ouch...