dashLicious – very useful Mac widget
When you start Dashboard, dashLicious will automatically grab the URL and description from either your browser or NetNewsWire(!). When you launch the widget, it connects to del.icio.us and retrieves all your tags. When you start typing in the tag field of the widget, it will make suggestions based on what you are typing. You can also decide which posts you want private and which public.
You’re already dead
Phantom of the opera
The Phantom of the opera is out of copyright, which means you can do whatever you like with it. Watch it here if you like.
Or download it in better quality from Internet Archive (left sidebar).
The opening music is the beautiful Symphony No. 8 in B minor by Franz Schubert. Listen to it alone here.
Elevate your awareness
How many feet/meters above sea level are you? Trace the water you drink from rainfall to your tap. Point north. Is the soil under your feet, more clay, sand, rock or silt? From what direction do storms generally come? Name five native edible plants in your neighborhood and the season(s) they are available. Have a go at all 30. I got the first 8 then completely lost it.
Linked on MacSurfer
If you came here from MacSurfer, you might want to check out my other Mac posts.
Some recommendations:
Use your body to control the computer
Broadcast vCard
Getting things done with Automator and Spotlight
Media Centers NOT ready for primetime
The Inquirer reports that Media Center doesn’t sell. In Great Britain, only 150 000 have bought a Media Center PC, while over 2 million have bought a DVD recorders.
Although the comparison is a bit unfair (DVD recorders are much cheaper, and also typically sold almost everywhere. Even my grocery store at the corner sell them…), it proves a point: Media Centers are not for most people.
I got a Media Center four months ago. I love it. And hate it.
Media Center – things I like
The concept. The fact that we’re now able to record and time-shift programs. The kids can watch their favourite shows when they want, and don’t have to stop playing or eating to watch tv. And we can sleep when we should and still see those late-night movies later if we want.
Clean. I like the interface. The Media Center interface is the nicest thing Microsoft has made. It looks a zillion times better than Windows, and people I show it to, figure it out immediately.
The guide. The program guide is a great feature. After it’s set up (see the hate-list below too), it gives me quick view of everything on tv the next days.
Always something great to watch. If I’m bored and tired, I don’t have to watch “Walker Texas Ranger” reruns, but can choose between a bunch of Simpsons episodes, 30+ movies recorded that last months and interesting documentaries that always are aired when I’m sleeping or at work (why is primetime so filled with crap?)
Quiet. Thanks to Eirik, I got a Media Center with no fans. And so should you if you want one. It’s ok listening to the fan of the Xbox when you are running around shooting green monsters, beacuse – well, you can’t hear the fans. But when watching a quiet movie, it’s very annoying listening to the fans spinning and spinning. The only thing coming from the Media Center is the ticking of the harddisk. I can live with that.
Then – the things I don’t like…
Read the rest of this entry »
adCenter Labs
Enter your URL at Microsoft adCenter Labs, and you get a nice representation of the people they expect visit your site. Here’s mine:
Not to bad. Who is it that almost every marketer in the world wants to get?
Clever idea for marketing and viral too. Pretty soon all your favorite blogs will post these…
Disconnect
Sometimes I truly think I’d be more productive if I disconnected my ethernet jack… Which this post in itself is a proof of.
Popular Google videos
Google’s “Movers & Shakers” lists the most popular videos on Google Video for the day. You can see which videos that are popular in different countries, like China, USA, United Kingdom and even Iran.
Desktops are evolving
I think we will see this way of interacting with computers a lot in the years to come. It needs to be even better than this to become useful, but this is a good start. And imagine combining the ideas from BumpTop with ideas from Jaff Han and his team? A bright future!
What I like the best is the fact that you need to move more to use it: You use a pen and make circles, lines across the desktop. Not the static mouse we all have gotten so used to. In other words: More Africa in your computer.
10 sources of brilliantdays traffic – Thanks!
Darren Rowse says
So here are the ones that have sent the most traffic to brilliantdays.com since September 2005 (search engines, social bookmarking, corporate sites, forums and directories NOT included).
Eirikso.com
Aharef
Presentation Zen
StyleMac
Eric Mack On-Line
Adam Rice
Thomas Hawk’s Digital Connection
sugarfused.net
Kevin Lim
Paul Stamatiou
Thanks people!
I also have picked out a two articles I recommend:
What is good PowerPoint design? on Presentation Zen
How to make illustrations even if you can’t draw on Eirikso.com
Who are your major sources for traffic?
My site gets 60% of the traffic from referrers, 20% from searches and 20% direct. What’s your numbers?
The future of Motion and Shake
The price of Shake went down to $499 some days ago. Now it appears that Apple is going to discontinue Shake in the future. Frank Capria writes that Apple has announced on a mailing-list that this is the last version of Shake:
…It has been an absolute pleasure to serve the visual effects community for the past 9 years. We are looking forward to continuing to support you and are especially looking forward to working with you again. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this new version of Shake.
Frank thinks – and so do I – that there will be a new version of Motion with all the goodies from Shake inside. Why?
Read the rest of this entry »
How to create realistic bubbles on your pictures
Here’s a how-to on how to create quite realistic looking bubbles on your pictures, using Photoshop or GIMP. It’s based on the Amazing circles technique I have written about before. Join the Amazing circles group at Flickr if you make any, bubbles or not.
GarageBand changing the face of music creation
Mac Prius
What’s not to like about this? The coolest car with the coolest computer. Front Row with touch screen! Toyota, I want this option! PS. Add two LCD screens for the backseats and iPod chargers.
