Wonderful Thoughts A weblog about latest news and reveiws on technology,science,computing,software and autoblog. Statistics Unique Visitors: Total Unique Visitors: Outgoing: Total Outgoing: 0 0 0 840

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Random Tuesday Links 2007-08-27 17:10:43 Josh Clark (globalmoxie) has written a wonderful post about the power of mystery. I highly, highly recommend it. We love Jeff Atwood at Coding Horror, and thanks to Ryan Fox for pointing out this post on friendlier 404 pages. Ryan was kind enough to refer to our 404 page here as “not great” as opposed to what he was actually thinking. [We’ve added that to the list of things to fix.] Jacqueline Nagel translated one of our posts into German. You’ll have to guess which post this was from. Thanks Jacky! There’s a very short video clip the SXSW folks put together, edited from my opening remarks there. It’s not exactly the way it happened in the talk — they cut things and rearranged things — but it does show a couple of the slides about The Suck Threshold. My good friends at Stikkit wrote to say they have integrated a version of the WTF button into an upcoming beta. (You’ll see a WTF button in the video clip from SXSW). I’m sure ...

The Prisoner: A, B, And C 2007-08-27 13:20:10 Episode 6 The Prisoner: A, B, And C. The Prisoner is a 1967 British television series, starring Patrick McGoohan as “Number 6,” a top-level government agent who resigns his post. As a result, he’s kidnapped and imprisoned in “The Village”, where his captors hope to interrogate him for “information.” The series documents Number 6’s repeated escape attempts and the progressively more extreme methods employed by his captors to break his will. Synopsis In this psychological, mind game of an episode, the new Number 2 calls up number 14 in order to perform a medical experiment on Number 6. A sedated number 6 is brought to The Village hospital where he’s strapped to a table. His thoughts are monitored and projected on a large screen. Number 2 and Number 14 can now see that while asleep, Number 6 dreams of his resignation, over and over. A drug which allows number 2 and 14 to manipulate Number 6’s dreams. They induce a party situatio ...

How to get rid of writer’s block 2007-08-27 08:18:05 I spent three hours staring at my computer screen yesterday, trying to will myself to write an article that refused to be written. It wasn’t that I lacked motivation or ideas, I just couldn’t get out what I was trying to say, and as a writer there are few things as frustrating as that feeling. In the end, I decided the only way to break through was to just start typing, and what better to write about than getting rid of writer’s block while actually getting rid of said writer’s block! So, here I go… Writer’s block comes in two varieties: lack of ideas, and lack of impetus. For me, the former is the easiest to overcome — whenever I’m out of ideas, I simply stop trying to find them. The best ideas, I’ve found, often come when I least expect them (like when I’m taking a shower, watching a baseball game, or banging on a plastic cylindrical drum). It’s always been my experience that ideas will find you whether you’re l ...

Nine free toy patterns at Knitting Daily 2007-08-27 08:18:04 I’ve already mentioned that Interweave Press publishes some of the best magazines out there for people who are interested in working with yarn, fabric, or beads, and I’ve posted about their new-ish sites, Knitting Daily and Beading Daily (the latter is now open). But I’ve also been talking about knitted and crocheted toys a lot this month, and on that note, Interweave sent out a press release last week that bears further discussion: they are releasing nine free toy patterns for Knitting Daily readers. Pattern designers include Louisa Harding and Kristin Nicholas, among others, so you know the patterns will be cool. Although not all have been featured on Knitting Daily yet, all the patterns seem to be listed in the toy category. The press release ties these patterns into the general concern raised by the recent toy recall, but whether the toys on the shelf at the store are toxic or not, something handmade is always wonderful. (I know I’m thinking of making the c ...

CCC - day two 2007-08-27 07:13:38 Well, today was a day to actually try and have some holiday… although I ended up hardly following lectures and trying to get some work done(…) Anyway, I thought this was pretty cool. Bre Pattis, from Make: decided to take a pic of my tricked out iPod when I showed it to him in Camp Anaconda where he’s staying. picture by bre pattis click to go to the post on make:blog bre fixing the blogpost on make:blog click to go to the corresponding pic on flickr my ‘famous’ rocket pic as used by wired and boingboing click to go to the corresponding pic on flickr me in a hammock trying to find a connection… click to go to the corresponding pic on flickr …maybe I should go back to such a hammock tomorrow and actually have some holiday *^_^* (not that I’m complaining! oh man, I’m having the best time out here!) …to be continued… From:geek technique ...

CCC - day two 2007-08-27 07:13:38 Well, today was a day to actually try and have some holiday… although I ended up hardly following lectures and trying to get some work done(…) Anyway, I thought this was pretty cool. Bre Pattis, from Make: decided to take a pic of my tricked out iPod when I showed it to him in Camp Anaconda where he’s staying. picture by bre pattis click to go to the post on make:blog bre fixing the blogpost on make:blog click to go to the corresponding pic on flickr my ‘famous’ rocket pic as used by wired and boingboing click to go to the corresponding pic on flickr me in a hammock trying to find a connection… click to go to the corresponding pic on flickr …maybe I should go back to such a hammock tomorrow and actually have some holiday *^_^* (not that I’m complaining! oh man, I’m having the best time out here!) …to be continued… From:geek technique ...

MyRealPlace.com - An Online Real Estate Community 2007-08-27 05:37:22 What it does MyRealPlace is a website with a very informative forum where buyers and real estate professionals can chat about different real estate subjects. The buyers can find professional advice and the Realtors at the same time can look out for the best interests of the buyers and at the same time build up a trust and rapport with the buyers, so when it really comes down to being the time that these people are looking to purchase, they will surely keep in mind the help that was given to them by particular Realtors. Realtors can also advertise on the site and also showcase the real estate listings that they have in their repertoire. In their own words MyRealPlace is the complete, realty resource for buyers, sellers, investors and realty professionals alike. We exist to help you buy and sell properties, to learn about trends in your area, to ask questions of the professionals, to search out realty professionals and to provide a meeting place where you can engage with each other. Fu ...

FeedMarklet.com - Feed Aggregator + Bookmarklet 2007-08-27 05:37:20 What it does FeedMarklet’s a handy tool which creates instant RSS feeds. This bookmarklet feed aggregator mashup requires no registration. To get started, first create a feed title. After that you’ll be given a link to which you can add feeds using the bookmarklet. One bookmarklet allows you to add the page you are viewing to your feed; the other lets you selectively add every link on the page you are viewing to the feed. FeedMarklet automatically detects and extracts the location and title of the page you’re reading, so you don’t have to enter in extra info; you also select text before you click the bookmarklet to be used as the description, making the process even faster. In their own words “Feedmarklet gives you your own RSS feed instantly, with no sign up required. Adding content to your feed is a snap- just browse the web as you normally would, and when you find something interesting, press the bookmarklet button in your browser bookmark bar to immediately add the p ...

iConcertCal.com - Track Your Favorite Artists 2007-08-27 05:37:17 What it does Wouldn’t it be nice to know exactly when your favorite artist’s new albums were coming out and when they were coming to your town to play without having to do any research? iConcertCal.com is an iTunes plug in that you can download to your computer and it will autmatically search through your iTunes collection and tell you when they artists found in your library are touring in your area and their new albums are coming out. The program, created by two college students from the Seattle area, is absolutely free to download and use. The plug in is smart enough to know where you are when you download the software, so you don’t usually need to do anything after you download the freeware, just download and enjoy! In their own words iConcertCal is not for sale. It is a free-ware plug-in that we have written because we care about promoting live music. It is not to be used for commercial purposes and we retain ownership and all rights of this plug-in. Why it mig ...

Best4c.com - Simple, Fast Diagram Creation 2007-08-27 05:37:15 What it does Best4c claims that they are ‘the best diagram tool on earth’. The statement makes for great marketing, but, are they really better than all those other apps out there? Best is easy to use, for one. The dead simple drag and drop editor gives you quite a few options as far as layout and objects. Best4c includes options for creating floor plans, flow charts and network diagrams among others. You can upload your own images too. There’s a toolbar at the top for modifying size, adding font, and saving to your hard disk or onsite. Cropping and resizing objects is a matter of dragging, as you would using any drawing/sketching app. Best uses Flash which handles nicely—it responds to your movements without any resistance. You can save your projects on their site; there are three access rights you can implement: private, for your eyes only, public, which means anyone can se your diagram, and sharing which allows your diagram to be used as a template by others to star ...

SimplifyMedia.com - Share Your iTunes Anywhere 2007-08-27 05:37:14 What it does SimplifyMedia lets you share your iTunes across the globe. Your friends will be able to access and listen to your iTunes library irrespective of location or local networks. You’ll be able access your own library without having to lug your laptop around. SimplyMedia allows you to invite up to 30 guests to share your music and you’ll be able to see their library too. Music can only be streamed (to ward off any legal actions). To get started, simply download the app to your Mac or PC, sign up and add your gang of buddies. Playback should be quick and melodious with a decent DSL connection. The SM app is completely free of charge. Download it today to get your music fix. In their own words “ Simplify Media is an early stage startup dedicated to making it easier for people to access and enjoy their digital music, photos and videos with close friends and family. Our software connects people directly from within their favorite desktop applications, without having to ...

FilmCrave.com - Make Movie Lists, Write Reviews 2007-08-27 05:37:11 What it does FilmCrave is a new site which lets movie buffs display their movie love by writing lists, churning out detailed reviews, and meeting fellow aficionados. Here you can rate movies, discuss plot elements, costume design, rave about your favorite auteur and exercise your critical voice. Check out other’s movie’s list, read their profiles and find out what films they’ve reviewed. Movies are classified not just by genre but also under the labels ‘coming soon’ and ‘in theatres’. Search filters include title, director, actors, and even MPAA ratings. Films are also distinguished by active discussion and highest member ratings. You can also search for members and see who have earned the most points. The site has more features on the way. In their own words “Originally planned by Josh and Alex as a personal movie review site, it quickly expanded into the idea of a full use social utility revolving around writing movie reviews, members’ favorite movie lists, ...

Foundational Principles For New Webmasters 2007-08-27 03:28:27 I have some friends looking to start their first website. They knew I make money online so they asked me for advice. Here is what I plan to share with my friends. These following principles can help new webmasters have a great start in internet marketing. Follow your passions. Too many new webmasters build sites on niches they’re not interested in. That’s a recipe for failure. There are so many benefits for having passion for your niche. You won’t run out of things to say. Webmastering will be enjoyable, which gives you long-term staying power. Your passion will attract like-minded people. Your passion will attract links. Building a successful website as a beginner is already difficult. Being passionate about your niche makes it easier. Pick a low competition niche. This is an non-intuitive principle for some internet marketers. A lot of them advise differently. They say, enter a niche where money is being spent. Now, I don’t disagree with that s ...

El Camino may return, but it won’t be a Chevy! 2007-08-27 01:30:27 Holden just released a new version of its Australian Ute, and it’s been rumored that the VE Trucklet will be US-bound. There’s no doubt that GM is taking a look at the possibility of reintroducing the El Camino’s ethos to American consumers, and fans of past El Caminos (and Sprints and Caballeros) are excited. GM Inside News forum member and photoshopper MonaroSS whipped up a chop of the VE Ute with an imagined Chevrolet nose and emailed it to everyone’s friend, Maximum Bob, at GM HQ. Accompanying the picture was the note “hope the new Ute gets a more Chevy look if it goes Stateside.” The reply from Lutz confirmed a desire on GM’s part to bring the Ute over, but went on to state that it wouldn’t be a Chevrolet if it happens. What? An El Camino that’s not an El Camino? What brand would sell it, then? There’s GMC, which had versions of the El Camino in the past (the aforementioned Sprint and Caballero), but is it a good fit wi ...

Renault Laguna Coupe coming to Frankfurt 2007-08-27 01:30:25 Renault appears likely to show a new coupe based on the Laguna at the Frankfurt motor show, based on the Fluence concept it showed back in 2004. CAR Magazine in the UK managed to snag a shot of the coupe at a recent launch presentation for the Laguna sedan. Unlike the sedan, which is styled very conservatively, the small teaser shot of the coupe looks promising as the rear won’t look like any car on the road today. Expect Renault to do away with the front lights on the Laguna sedan for something a little more sporty. Car is reporting that the coupe will come with a 2.0L petrol and diesel engines with 168hp and 148hp, respectively, a 3.0L diesel with 240hp, and finally a 3.5L petrol engine sourced from Nissan’s 350Z with around 300hp. The new coupe should be priced moderately higher than the sedan and the performance engines will give it the go to fight with the competition in this highly competitive segment. [Source: Car Magazine]   Read | Permalink | Emai ...