Some of you may be looking at this article and thinking of how you know all of this information already, but the reason I wrote this is because I've met a lot of developers and programmers who want to take part in projects, but have never heard of SourceForge!
SourceForge.net is ?the world's largest open source software development website?, and contains many developers looking for others to help them create their programs and games. If you would like to create a project and recruit others to help you, you must register your program, and wait until it is approved. This process takes about a week and a half, but waiting for approval is worth it when you see all of the benefits that you get from registering. Once your software is listed in their database of hundreds (if not thousands) of programs, you are given your own server space to create yourprogramswebsite.sourceforge.net! However, what you put on the server space has to be relevant to your program. You can't be hosting pictures of bingo night at the retirement center on bingonight.sourceforge.net. You are also given more server space to upload files relevant to your program, like ZIP and TAR files, as well as small-sized executables.
Registering on SourceForge is beneficial, and it gives you full access to the Help Wanted section of their websites. This is where all the developers post their ads, hoping that someone will respond to help them with their project. If you are a web developer, all you have to do is look under the web development section, and find someone who is in need of your skills! I recently have been getting involved in the SourceForge community, creating websites for programs and background music for games!
Whatever your area of expertise, SourceForge is the place to gain experience in software development. It hosts so many famous software packages, including GTK+, GIMP, and Pidgin! I encourage you to register there and start getting involved today!
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Join us for a closer look at the inner workings of the online video parody "Mac or PC" in an interview with director and editor David Fine.
How long did the entire process take, and what would you say was the most challenging part of putting it all together?
DF: Process took about 5 weeks. 2 day shoot was followed by about 3 weeks of editing and 2 weeks of greenscreen. For me the most challenging part was figuring out how to really sell the visual reference of the Mac ads. We knew that we needed the images Mac and PC in front of the white to directly reference those ads, so we spent a lot of time in production as well as in color correction making that work.
How many people did it take to make this happen?
DF: The 3 of us (Pantless Knights Productions: Peter Furia, David Fine, Beau Lewis), Meghan Gallagher (lighting), the Pepperdine University hip hop dance squad, Jacqueline Becker (our vocalist), and O'Clock (our music producer). So about 14...
What was your favorite part of making the video?
DF: I had a blast shooting. Wasn't totally sure how the thing was going to turn out initially, but after we started rolling tape that first day I knew I was going to have more than I needed to make something funny and engaging.
The lyrics mention that Mac cuts all his videos with Final Cut Pro? Is that true, and what other applications do you use to refine your online video?
DF: We used Final Cut Pro for all the editing and composites, but we also used Photoshop to create many of the greenscreen backgrounds. I wish we had more time, as I would have liked to do the compositing in After Effects like we are doing on our newer projects.
Do you have any tips, techniques or processes you would like to share with someone interested in making there own independent video?
DF: I think that in terms of a video going viral, content is everything. Make sure the idea is right. Production value is all well and good, but if the idea is not there the video is not going to fly. Especially in this online video world where the user-generated look is sometimes preferable.
Do you have any other projects in the works?
DF: Currently, we are in post-production on a new video for client zillow.com, an online real estate site. We are also in discussions with a few start up companies around the bay area interested in viral marketing campaigns. Ideally, we would like to establish ourselves as a commercial production company for online based advertisements.
What sparked your creative interest in making films in the first place?
DF: I went to Wesleyan University where I majored in Film Studies. Didn't know that was what I wanted to do before getting there, and to be honest, I first got into it because I preferred to watch a movie and write about it as opposed to reading a book. I very quickly found myself totally engrossed in the world of the moving image, and I've been making films and music videos as well as working in the industry ever since.
As with any video online, especially anything potentially argumentative and passionate as mac vs. pc you must get a lot of bot positive and negative responses on the video. Any interesting ones you would like to share?
PeterFuria: One of our favorite responses went like this: "Oh, I get it, you're rapping?sweet. The video wasn't funny. It wasn't cool. It sucked. Keep to your day job, ok?"
Finally the big question, why did you mention MacWorld and not PCWorld? Just kidding. Really, which do prefer Mac or PC?
DF: I prefer Mac generally because they are so much more intuitive, but I recently started work at a visual effects company in San Francisco where I've come to see PC's as the real "heavy lifters"...so I guess the fight rages on.
Special thanks to director David Fine along with co-producer Peter Furia and co-songwriter Beau Lewis. You can checkout the video parody ?Mac or PC? at www.macorpc.org.
Bill Gates' recent call for kinder capitalism at a speech he gave in Davos, Switzerland, is roughly analogous to an alpha male lion waxing poetic about the benefits of vegetarianism.
The typical reaction of any thinking person is, "Yes, but..."
I hope they served tender meat in Davos. Perhaps some gazelle?
Isn't it funny how these low-lifes wait until AFTER they get rich before they turn into COMMIES?
His Idea of a kinder capitalism is to bring in foreign workers or send jobs over seas.
Recently, I've been reading a lot of articles about how pizza places are switching to new electronic-ordering methods, including text-message ordering and browser-based ordering. Dominos, Pizza Hut, and Papa John's are just a few pizza parlors that have been changing their ordering methods as technology increases. But with these new methods come new flaws....
I do not know if these pizza places realize that their systems can be easily abused. It would be extremely easy for someone with a lot of computer experience to order 600 pies in a row, clogging up their SMS text-messaging system, and disabling anyone else from order pizzas. Sure, they could ban your number from ordering, but then you could just use another free text messaging service to do the same thing. Their new methods for ordering are not going to work!
The same thing can work for browser-based ordering. Chances are, the website would use HTTP POST methods to order, and an experienced coder can easily write a script that sends the post data 600 times in a row, overloading the servers. Unless the website or SMS-reading computer blocks the user from ordering more than once in a certain amount of time, these pizza places are going to face some trouble.
But still, nothing prevents someone who really really hates Pizza Hut from connecting with different computers that have different IP addresses and doing the same thing. Either way, the systems are going to be tied up. I personally think it would be funny to gather up 400 friends, and text message orders in all at once, just to see what happened.
If I were Dominoes, Pizza Hut, or Papa John's, I'd drastically try to solve the problems that will arise from these new methods of ordering. I bet Little Caesars would never try to pull something like this. Pizza! Pizza!
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"I personally think it would be funny to gather up 400 friends, and text message orders in all at once, just to see what happened."
Great joke?.unless you?re the one working or it?s your store!
Have you ever written any computer viruses??? I?m sure those that do write them think their viruses are pretty funny too!
FreeRice.com is a wonderful non-profit website that not only allows you to sharpen your vocabulary skills, but to help feed the world at no cost to you. All you have to do is go to FreeRice.com and play the vocabulary game, for each word you get correct FreeRice donates 20 grains of rice. There are 50 levels in all and the game adjusts accordingly to your level. Below the game are advertisements in which fund the donation of rice. You can check out the totals page to see how many grains of rice were donated so far. Donations are made through the United Nations World Food Program. If you visit the World Food Program page you can learn where the rice goes, where it comes from and even make a donation directly.
You can also use your internet powers for good at thehungersite.com. Which also works on a 'click to give' basis. Simply click a button and 100% of sponsor money goes to charity. At thehungersite.com they have tabs set up for Breast Cancer, Child Health, Literacy, the Rainforest and Animal Rescue.
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Recently, I was playing GoldenEye 007 for the Nintendo 64 with my friends, and I realized that although it was extremely corny, it was really fun. The faces looked ridiculous (and big-head mode didn?t help), the explosions looked fake, and there was no blood at all, but somehow, the game was addictive! This is why, to honor the past, I am going to give you a brief history of first-person, 3D shooters.
There are two games that basically created the first-person view. Spasim, a space-shooter that was played on a network, claims to be the first one ever, but the date that it was created is shady. Maze War also has a shady date, but is better documented than Spasim. In Maze War, players battled in a giant maze, and when they came across each other, they saw each other as eyeballs. Strange, but historical. Ocassionally, a duck would appear for no reason. It has been available for a variety of computers, but was originally developed at NASA during a highschool internship program!
Battlezone in 1980 was a famous game where the player took the role of a soldier inside a tank, moving around and shooting other tanks. Guided missiles and UFOs will show up to give the player a chance to score some bonus points. I?ve played this game on a retro-arcade game CD I have, and it is pretty fun, but it gets repetitive after a while. What do you expect from such an early video game? It also can get a bit hard, though!
In 1987, MIDI Maze for the Atari ST was released. It has the same concept of Maze War, but connects up to 16 players using the ST?s MIDI interface. The players, which are represented as smiley-faces, shoot each other with round, ball-like bullets. There are several clones of the game, including the Faceball series.
The 90?s were a very revolutionary time for computers, as well as first-person games. The color computer was more common, and more people were programming for it, as the resources they could use increased. Ray casting, a method to quickly draw 3D scenes, was now commonly used as people saw how successful it was in MIDI Maze.
Hovertank 3D by id Software has the player rescue citizens of cities threatened by nuclear attacks, and has many mutated enemies to fight. The engine would later be used in Catacomb 3-D which was also revolutionary, as it showed the user?s hand, just like the guns are shown in today?s FPSs. And then came id Software?s Wolfenstein 3D, one of the most revolutionary 3D games ever. It was extremely complicated, with a variety of weapons, enemies, and bosses, as well as detailed objects and walls to create a more realistic game. Wolf3D is one of my favorites!
In 1992, Ultima Underworld would be one of the first 3D RPGs, and helped pioneer the use of walls that varied in detail, including height and length. No longer were the walls identical squares!
Several games would try to duplicated Wolf3D?s success, but nothing would satisfy players until id Software would release Doom, which would be even more successful, and controversial, than Wolf3D. Doom was probably the most complex FPS yet, with extremely-complicated maps, where the user can even go outside! There were many weapons (including a chainsaw), enemies, and complex sprites for the setting. Doom could also be played over a network, increasing its popularity even more, as well as worrying parents, as it included ?realistic? violence and gore, with body parts flying off the enemy when shot.
First-person 3D games have revolutionized the gaming world, and I feel they will continue to as our technology increases. Whatever advancement it is, our games will keep getting more and more realistic!
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Apple's new laptop, the Macbook Air, sure is a technological marvel, but is this what the market is hungering for? If the next version of the Asus Eee PC is less than $500, Apple will be competing against a similar weight laptop that is less than 1/3 the price of the Macbook Air.
Will the price of the Macbook Air then take a cut similar to the iPhone price cut? Some might say that you're paying a lot for air at that rarefied price. You might want to carry an oxygen bottle with you if you go that high.
Recently PC World reviewed several security suites but did not look at Sustem Mechanic Pro by iolo or System Suite Pro by V-com. I currently have the V-com suite installed and get updates almost daily. I have used both and find many of the utilities very good but wonder about their virus, spyware and firewall protection. What do you think of these suites?
larker
Both PC World and I are not responsible for any of your actions!
Recently, I stumbled upon HackThisSite, a website that provides scenarios and basic tests to examine the skills of a hacker. You do have to register in order to test yourself, but let me tell you, it is worth it. The easiest basic tests on the site require at least some knowledge of the web, HTML, and how the HTTP protocol works.
The site is divided into seven sections: basic, realistic, application, programing, logic, extbasic, and JavaScript missions. In order to gain access to the harder missions, one must complete the easier, lower-level missions. I'd imagine that some of the beginner missions would be annoying for experienced hackers, as they were even a bit annoying for me, and I'm not calling myself a Kevin Mitnick!
Many of the basic missions require beginner-skills, like view source, POST and GET knowledge, and JavaScript. If you don't know these things, learn them, because you'll need them. HackThisSite also suggests using Firefox (and so do I), as it is better suited for hacking than Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Now, before you run off to the website and expect to be made a hacker in five minutes, I'm going to tell you something very important if you want to become a hacker: you just don't ?become? a hacker overnight. You have to keep up with the news in the technological world, know a decent amount about computer security, respect others (that's very important), be willing to share ideas, speak almost flawless English, and you should not be a complete idiot. If you are already one, then forget about hacking. And hackers never talk in L33T. It's amateurish.
Also, if you expect to become a hacker, you have to learn to not be afraid of anything. Be fearless. I know it sounds corny, but sometimes you have to live on the edge. I'm no Jack Bauer, but I know that you have to do things that normal people wouldn't do. Do things people don't want you to do. Think outside of the box. Be a MacGyver. And when you finally reach the experience level where you can have an educated conversation with other hackers, you will feel pretty good. But only if they're not making fun of you.
And if you want to become a hacker because you want to spy on people you don't like, or hack a bully's MySpace, forget it. Real hackers don't respect people like this. I've seen it, and it's actually kinda funny. And if you know very little about computers, hackers will just make fun of you right and left. One time, I was on a web forum, and someone asked how they could hide their HTML code from view source. The response he got was to place the code in the ?noview? HTML tags. And if you even try this, I feel bad for you.
So there you go. Basically, I just explained where you can train to become a better hacker, and how you can become a hacker. Oh, you should also know how to program, and have a Linux or Unix computer. Windows is the worst OS for hacking. Happy hacking!
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If your having problems connecting to the internet here are some troubleshooting tips to help solve your internet connectivity issues. Please note that this article is written for Windows XP, but can be applied other operating systems. Be sure to pay attention to your computer and the steps it goes through when accessing the internet. Watch the small icon on your quick launch bar in the far right corner of your screen to see where it may be running into a problem. If you hold your mouse over the icon it should relay what part of the process it is currently working on or state of your connectivity. Also be aware of the icons and what they mean. If you are not connected there will be a small red x over the icon, and if there is some issues with your connectivity there may be a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark on it.
Establish a Connection:
First establish your internet is working and that all your cords are snapped in securely into place. Most problems occur between the router and the computer, so check to see if your internet connection is simply out first. Also be sure to check on the settings of your firewall. If you just installed one and haven?t allowed correct program access that may be the problem. If you suspect its your firewall disabled it to test out your connection if its not be sure to turn it back on.
Modem to computer:
* Unplug both router and modem
* Connect your computer directly into the modem
* Restart your computer
* If your internet connection works then it is an issue between your router computer and modem.
Power Cycling:
Many times power cycling will solve your problem. You can also try resetting your modem and your router. If you have wireless security setup make sure you enable it again if you restart your router.
* Power down both router and modem
* Plug modem back in wait until all lights are flashing correctly. Make sure not to skip this step, the modem needs to be able to recognize all ports connected to it.
* Power router back on
* Restart your computer
Checking and repairing your status via Network Connections:
If your on windows xp go to Start > Control Panel > Network Connections. From here you can view the current status?s of your internet connection. There may be many icons depending on if you have a wireless card or adapter hooked up to your computer. If your using a wired connection then you want to pay attention to the Local Area Connection icon. If your using a wireless connection then you want to focus on the Wireless Network Connection icon.
* Ensure your connections are not disabled, you can right click the icon to enable disabled connections.
* Right click and drop down to repair to see if it can fix your issue. Many times it will tell you a more specific error such as an ip conflict, or it will say: ?Windows finished repairing your connection. You can try connecting again. If the problem persists, contact the person who manages your network.? This is an all clear sign that windows cannot detect a problem and your connection should be fine. Of course this isn?t always the case.
Ipconfig:
Another good way to see if your connected at all is ipconfig. To check ipconfig go to Start > Run > and type in cmd. This will open command prompt, then type in ipconfig. Become familiar with this while troubleshooting as it can help you isolate issues in the future. Ipconfig will show you your ip address, subnet mask and default gateway if your computer is receiving any. Your ipaddress is from your modem and generally if it shows up your getting a signal from your modem to your computer. If only your subnet mask shows up and the rest are 0.0.0.0 then there is no internet signal coming through your modem and you only have a connection to your router.
Limited or No Connectivity:
One of the most common, and sometimes the most frustrating annoyances of not being able to access the internet is the limited or no connectivity sign. If you just upgraded to service pack 2 are experiencing the limited or no connectivity error you can try downloading this patch from Microsoft.
* Releasing and renewing your DHCP via your router. Your computer to have to access your routers settings via your web browser if your not sure how to do this check with your routers hompage. With linksys I connect via the default gateway listed in ipconfig above. Example default gateway: 192.168.1.1. So in your browser type in http://192.168.1.1 it will ask for your password it varies from router to router try typing admin in either the username or only the password. If your not sure contact your routers customer support. On my Linksys the buttons to release and renew your DHCP is found under 'status'.
* Assign your own ip. While not recommended unless you?re an advanced user you can assign yourself an ipaddress if there happens to be an ip conflict in your system. Right click on your active internet connection via network connection drop down to repair. On the general tab highlight Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click properties. By default it should obtain an ip address automatically. From here you can specify your own ip address that another computer on your network may not be using. Generally it follows a code of Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1 Ip Address: 192.168.1.100 for one computer 192.168.1.102 for another computer and so on. Try to keep in line just add one close to it such as 192.168.1.105.
* Try resetting your winsock settings. Start > Run > cmd then type in winsock reset.
Other Tips:
If you just reinstalled your operating system, be sure to check to see if the drivers for your network device is correct. Start > right click My Computer > Hardware > Device Manager. From here you can view what you have update, or go to your computer manufacture?s homepage to see if there are any updated drivers. If your unable to connect on your computer you can download the updates to a cd rom or flash drive and transfer it to your computer.
If your using an adapter make sure that the signal and your adapter are on the same wavelength. For example; I had a wireless G adapter picking up a signal from a wireless B router. Even though it worked for a while it stopped working because they are actually broadcasting and receiving on different frequencies. Check your router and adapter for more information. Sometimes the newer versions broadcast on different frequencies to cover the bases, while the older models may just broadcast in one.
Don't forget to have a good and active security system on your computer including a firewall anti-virus and spyware scanners. Malware issues can also interfere with your computers connectivity.
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As I read over so many articles about the technology of the new year, and the revolutionary technology of the past, I can't help but wonder what the killer invention of the future will be. No, I mean the real killer invention. Like the personal computer was in the late eighties/early nineties. What's going to change the world in a way that we could never envision?
If I knew this, you can bet I wouldn't be here writing this article, but I'd probably be locked up in my basement creating it. What's it going to be? Will it be the SmartPhone? Is Android going to change us forever? Or will some crazy-cool iPhone update force everyone in the world to buy one? I wish I knew!
Maybe in the future some brand new operating system will appear. When you think about it, the two ones that people use the most (Mac and Windows) are slowly being corrupted by hackers and lousy features and being abandoned by their users. I know that I personally took a vow to never use Windows Vista if Microsoft doesn't please me with one of their updates, and I really don't think they will. I like to know where every file is! It's not easy to find out where all of them are on Vista. Look out, Mac, here I come!
Maybe eBooks will be the future. If someone could create eInk, which a few people are pioneering, we would no longer need books, as we could just insert our eInk paper into the computer, select which book we want to download, and then read it on the eInk paper! But the problem is getting the power source for eInk. Solar power is not powerful enough, and batteries (so far) are too big and bulky.
How about digital media? I know that YouTube has changed the world, and maybe someday DVDs and VHS tapes (ha, who uses them anyway?) will be permanently replaced by websites where you can download the movies you want to watch. Now, there are a few websites like this already, but the internet isn't fast enough to handle the large file downloads, and pirates can burn the movies and sell them illegally! Hopefully, fiber optics will fix one of these problems. Maybe if we can get a bunch of ninjas to fight the pirates, we can start watching our movies on the internet.
Or maybe we'll have some of those really wacky inventions. Like helmets that let us control computers with our minds. Or flying cars. Or virtual instruments. Or electronic pets that actually act like real pets. Or holograms, so it's like your actually in the movie you're watching. Or virtual video game arenas, where you can actually be in the video game, so you're actually walking around in the Mushroom Kingdom in blue suspenders, eating way too many mushrooms, which is never good for your digestive system.
Whatever it will be, I'm sure that the next technologically-revolutionary product will be accepted by the public with open arms. Personally, I can't wait to see what it is. If only my time machine worked. :-D
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I think the most amazing invention that should be made before all those that you mentioned is devices that power themselves. I know this can be done someday. Imagine hanging your super thin OLED display on the wall and have no wires hanging down or going through the wall. Your electronics are under it and no wires out of those either. A TRUE wireless revolution unlike the one we have today.
I think that a link between solar power and motion coordinated power generation will power smarter portable devices with live satelite links, gps and high speed links. Devices could be tuned for different motion links from cattle to horses, poultry and even hogs. The ultimate in RFID and product tracking can also apply to consumers.
