My first useful + informative post

OK, firstly, for the useful bit.
Go here : http://alexburgess.wordpress.com/2009/01/25/retro-toaster-screensaver/

And download the screensaver. It will be the best thing to happen to you, since you realized how to torrent.

And now the informative bit.
Does anyone get any blogger bugs with safari? For example, I'm having to use firefox to write this, because I can't paste anything into the box without it appearing somewhere at the bottom. And I have to double click on the 'insert images' to get the pop up to open. And it always seems to fail to publish.

Oh - and a big one. That red box, is meant to be a animated gif... Does blogger not support gif's?

That is all

Big computing

My living room is getting a new carpet...

So the TV is mine for a week! Wippee!

Music!

Hey hey. Shameless self promotion.

Check out the band i am part of. Good wholesome music

Support local music.

Oh, and at some point i may post some of my solo efforts at electronic music. Maybe

About Me...?

Hi im richard an i'm new to the HardWired crew

Soooooo... About Me...

Heya my name is Richard but some of you may know me as QleQ if u play alota CoD. Im 15 and live in the land of sex and drugs (holland =D).

Basically im gonna be introducing you into the 1337 world of gaming which these mac lovers wont know anything about (i hate Macs) For the record im into FPS and MMOs i like all the CoD editions except the french made CoD5 i like CnC ZH and WoW (which has a bad reputation but try it b4 u hate it...)

Man! Stuff sounds gay when you write it down... Oh and ppl who play FPS on consoles are fags

No one will care.... But whatever.

Yes, I married my memory card.

... I hate the blogger photo upload tool...

Essential Apps for the Casual User - Week 1

Here is a list of essential Applications for the Mac which I couldn't live without. Well, I could, but it just wouldn't be a very good life. In fact, I would probably commit suicide if I didn't have these Apps installed. 

1. VLC (VideoLAN Client)

This is the only media player you will ever need, and it's freeware. It supports almost every media format in existence, it plays DVDs and VCDs, it can stream media live over the internet or any local area network, it plays the Tuba in the National Youth Orchestra... no, wait, scratch that one.

2. Visualhub

Now discontinued, this is a fantastic little application that will convert from and to all of the popular video formats, as well as quite a few of the more obscure ones. Oh, and in half the time that Quicktime does it. Visualhub can still be obtained if you google it and look for a working mirror (the developer has removed the link from his website, although he has stuck the source code on there with some interesting GUI modifications, and no license restrictions). 

3. Screenflow

Okay, I'll just start by saying that this is not freeware (there is a free trial), but it is worth every penny of the $99 it costs to download. Basically this can record from your desktop in full resolution, as well as an iSight or other external video camera simultaneously, both with audio (you can even use the line input instead). 

But that's not all people, Screenflow also doubles as a fully-fledged video editor. You can edit your glorious HD recordings (or any quicktime-supported video file, for that matter), and add effects and the like. Personally, if you are after simplicity, I prefer this to iMovie. 

More will be posted in weeks to come. 

 - Tommey.

Question

... How many views does this blog actually get?!

Im in a computing lesson. Yay.

Private Sub btnGo_Click()

Dim strInput as string

Dim intOutput as integer

strInput = textbox1.text

intOutput = convert(strInput)

textbox2.text = intOutput.tostring.

Private Function  convert(strOld as string)

dim intdays as integer

dim intweeks as integer

dim intNew as integer

intweeks = strOld.substring(0,1)

intdays= strOld.substring(2,1)

intNew = (intWeeks * 7) + days

return intNew

End Function

Converts weeks and days into days. Not that i couldn't do that with my brain.

Free Alternative Games

Gaming is awesome. Unfortunately most of the time you have to pay to own a copy of the game. However once in a while you will discover free games that are addictive/cool/plain awesome.

So here are three of my favorites.

1) N way of the ninja. http://thewayoftheninja.org

Example of frustratingly addictive. Or that could just be plain frustrating. But this game is actually really quite good, and is a great example of flash games at their best.

You get to play as a gold hungry ninja who inexplicably has only has 90 seconds to live. Reminiscent of the oldschool classic lode runner, the player must avoid homicidal robots. Fun.

2) Toribash http://www.toribash.com

Toribash is turnbased strategic bloodshed and violence in which you manipulate a ragdoll. This is achieved by controlling their joints an muscles. Essentially you can have them perform any martial arts or wrestling move you can come up with. Steep learning curve. Lots of blood. Very alternative. 

3) BZflag http://bzflag.org/

This game is an old time favorite. Basically, you drive round as a tank shooting other tanks. You can play team capture the flag or free for all deathmatches. Powerups like the guided missile and laser come in the form of bonus flags. Slightly cartoonish in appearance, the graphics are not groundbreaking. However, the gameplay is usually fast paced if you join a busy server and did i mention the tanks can jump and even in some cases fly. Highly recommended for everyone.

Happy gaming.

Windows 7 wallpapers

Pretty nice hu?

Bastard games

I would just like to point out that I am also part of the bastard project (y'know, because I'm the actual legal bastard here).

Installed Hammer yet?

"The Bastard" Online FPS announced. By me.

Gentlemen,

I am pleased to announce that development has started on thegreatest game that will ever exist. Aptly named "The Bastard", the games will be based on the Half-Life 2 engine and will containseveral of the most challenging and ridiculous maps ever concieved.Oh, and I forgot to mention, it will be capable of up to 1000 playersonline in a single server.

More updates to come.

- Tommey.

Arduino!

I recently purchased a great bit of electronics kit. The Arduino is essentially a programmable development PCB. As i gather from their website, you can make it do a lot of cool (although sometimes pointless) things. But apart from the practical applications, this makes a great learning tool. All the code on it is essentially an adapted version of C/C++, much debugging fun awaits. Soon i will post some of my amateur attempts at creating something with it.

Guide to wordpress

Default theme > Edit CSS > Go insane

Sonic Disturbance (The Speakerbag) V1

OK, so a while ago i prototyped an invention of mine, the speaker-bag. My idea is hardly original and commercial alternatives exist, but essentially i was looking for a cheap quick portable music solution. (Skull-candy charge a bomb for theirs.)

Essentially my prototype was a rucksack fitted with 2 speakers (one sewn into each side-pocket), couple of 9V batteries and a small amp (stolen from disused computer speakers). The entire things was pretty-much held together with gaffatape and safety-pins. I just ran a line-in connected to an iPod for audio input. It worked nicely and was well received by my friends, who all fought over control of the music.

As you can see in the pic, it is an absolute monstrosity. 

Gaffataped grill on side is a feeble attempt to waterproof it.

Now i am looking at making a more efficient less sketchy (plain crap) version. DJM and i have a nice amp kit built and it should be made soon.

Amp + Speakers + Battery + Bag = Speakerbag

And yes, the bag, pictured actually works.

I am interested to see if anyone else has made anything similar or is now inspired to do so. I have a few wild ideas about wirelessly linking multiple bags (think portable 5.1 surround system!) but i am constrained by budget.

Happy making.

Why Hotmail should cease to exist.

All spam.

... Still hate blogger (directed at Pgreen)

I think we should move onto wordpress while we still can. Can do all the same - except more... And its prettier...

Alright, the other two have done a 'about me'...

Ok. Here we go.

I'm Alex Burgess, I sit next to both Pgreen + Tommey in computing...

... Ok, y'know what? I refuse to write a 'about me'. Its going to be right back in the blog roll, and people don't need to know about me...

I have the biggest mac. There. Over. I'm two to four inches bigger than you two.

Fuckin' hell.

Blogger?! BLOGGER?!

About me...

Hi, Tommey A.K.A. elrevert here introducing himself in the 3rd person for some reason.

Basically I'm a student studying computing, maths, film studies and English Language in Hereford, UK (sound familiar?). I'll be posting some general hackery from time to time as well as some Photoshop/iMovie type stuff.

I also do a podcast every few weeks or so, so if you want an insight into what we get up to at college, or just some cheap laughs, search for elrevert on Youtube and subscribe. 

 - Tommey

Lil bit about me.

Hey, im James AKA P-Green. I am a college student studying computing, physics, chemistry and maths in the lesser-known town of Hereford in the UK. I Hope this collaborative blog will be an outlet for the various tech related projects me and my friends get up to. Think make/hack/tinkering.

I am also a dancer, freerunner and amateur pyromaniac.

I hope to post interesting things soonish. Right after some upcoming exams.

Green

New Blog

Hello World.