Entries from April 2008 ↓

By Andrew Min

Well, it’s that time of year again. The time of year when the Ubuntu faithful crash servers everywhere trying to download the newest version of Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Edubuntu, or derivative (all at the same time). So instead of doing my usual column, I’m listing what’s new in the latest release of Kubuntu and everything that it offers. Continue reading →

By Kyle Baxter

Paul Graham published an essay this week on why he thinks successful startups are ones that “be good,” and act more like non-profits than a profit-seeking organization. It’s a great piece, and one you should read if you haven’t already, but one subsection was particularly intriguing. Continue reading →

By Kyle Baxter

The Psystar comedy-fest continues, except today it isn’t Psystar causing laughs — it’s the exquisitely-designed ITWorld website. Don Reisinger wrote a lovely piece today arguing that “small, defiant” Psystar will force Apple to license OS X. I do believe this qualifies for my esteemed idiocracy of the week award, and the week has barely even begun. Congratulations, Don. Continue reading →

By Andrew Min

If you type a lot (and chances are that if you are reading htis, you do) you probably know and are slightly worried about that horrible disorder known as carpal tunnel syndrome, a form of repetitive strain injury (RSI) common among keyboarders. It’s a really painful disorder in your wrists and fingers. And once you have it, it’s really hard (and expensive) to cure. Obviously then, it’s a lot better to prevent yourself from getting it in the first place rather than trying to cure it. The best way to prevent carpal tunnel is to simply take periodic breaks from typing every now and then. Unfortunately, it’s really hard to remember to do this. That’s why Workrave was created. Continue reading →

By Kyle Baxter

CMS platforms suck. Although powerful, most CMSs require developers to learn their system and model their site concept around it. Consequently, these systems are for mid to large-size sites, and thus smaller website designers are left with few options to turn to for a simple CMS.

That’s where CushyCMS comes in. CushyCMS, developed by Stateless Systems, aims to make content management for smaller websites simple to implement and use.

As a part-time freelance web designer, I got a little giddy when I first heard about it on TechCrunch. I wanted to learn a little bit more about CushyCMS and the five-man team from Australia that built it, and so I contacted Guy King, CEO of Stateless Systems. Continue reading →

By Andrew Min

My student friends all use Google Talk or AIM. One of my editors uses Windows Live Messenger. My church friends all use Skype. My gaming friends all use Xfire. Obviously, I can’t download all five clients and run them all at the same time. What’s the answer? Trillian Astra, the free multi-protocol instant messenger. Continue reading →

By Ryan Joseph

We’ve all seen the time-lapse sequences in TV shows like Survivor where we watch clouds passing over the sky or a spider building a web sped up so it happens in a matter of seconds. These shots involve setting a camera up and filming for hours and then speeding it up considerably in an editing program. I am a big fan of this type of videography and so, we’re going to take a look at how to create this effect using popular video editing software. Continue reading →

By Ryan Joseph

The world of video is changing very quickly. It wasn’t that long ago that good equipment was too expensive for the average consumer. It’s been even more recently that HD cameras and editing software has become affordable. We now finally have the ability to film in HD, edit with quality software, and output to DVD or even Blu-Ray all from a standard home computer. And it’s only going to get better. Continue reading →

By Andrew Min

I’ve always been a fan of sidescrollers, ever since I got my first GameBoy with Super Mario Bros. on it. I’ve played them all, from Soldat to Super Tux. But I never experienced anything quite like Teeworlds, an open source multiplayer sidescrolling shoot-’em-up game. Continue reading →

By Kyle Baxter

Effectively managing the torrent of email we receive each day is one of the largest unsolved dilemmas of the web. Rather than replying immediately to emails, many are overwhelmed by the sheer amount of emails in their inbox. As a result, high-priority emails are left sitting in the inbox, rather than being acted on. Although there have been many solutions to this, most focus on modifying user behavior rather than devising a system. Here are a few strategies for more effectively dealing with email-overload Continue reading →