No, not the real Opera, I mean the incredible Opera Web Browser. I downloaded Opera 8.5x a couple of days ago to check the CSS support on MikeyP.com, and I haven't stopped using it since. Several years ago (1997?), I remember downloading an early version of Opera. At the time, I was blown awa... read more →
Comcast has a respectable lineup of about 14 or so international channels that broadcast exclusively in various languages. I thought it would be fun to subscribe to the Japanese channel so I could continue learning more of the Japanese language. Comcast's monthly price for that one channel: $2... read more →
My Guitar Rigs [guitarrig2001, guitarrig1992, guitarrig1987] Here is my first guitar rig. I put together this collection of guitar stuff when I first started playing guitar, around 1986, and had the complete set in 1987. I still have the original amp and guitar, though all of the pedals were stole... read more →
Leave the gun, take the cannolli. The Godfather ships today for PS2, Xbox, and Windows XP. I think gamers are going to be very surprised to see a game like this come from EA. The PS2 and Xbox games are well worth playing on current gen consoles. No need to wait for XBOX360… play it now. Th... read more →
Caught this on http://www.Fark.com Joe Satriani is letting fans listen to his entire new album Super Colossal on his web site. Even better, Satch introduces each song himself, talking about tech and creative aspects. Like Charlie Hunter, Satch is yet another musician who seems to really understan... read more →
I hardly ever use my DVD-R drive except when I need to rip some music, install software, or archive some stuff. So imagine my surprise when I popped a disk in the drive this weekend only to see… nothing. I opened the "My Computer" folder on WinXP and the drive wasn't even there... read more →
My Guitar Rigs [guitarrig2001, guitarrig1992, guitarrig1987] I've had three main guitar rigs since I started playing guitar as a teenager. Here is my rig circa 1991-1992, when I was the rhythm guitarist in the seminal Hayward band, Mystic Rage. I no longer have any of this rig - I sold the lot... read more →
Last year, I had a heckuva time getting my Linux box to serve music to an OmniFi DMS-1 via UPnP [musicstorage4, musicstorage6, musicstorage1, musicstorage2, musicstorage-solved3, musicstorage3, musicstorage-solved1, musicstorage8, musicstorage-solved2, musicstorage5, musicstorage7]. Since then, the... read more →
Most Linux UPnP media servers require the libupnp library. However, the install script for libupnp is incomplete and not well documented, so here are some more complete install steps. Although libupnp-1.3.1 was just released, I couldn't get it to compile, so I use the older libupnp-1.2.1a vers... read more →
It is cold and hailing tonight, with a forecast of possible snow. Sounds like time for a cocktail! Here's my take on a drink called Fireside Rum: Brew 1 cup of Tazo Chai tea While hot, stir in ½ teaspoon of sugar After the tea is infused, pour into a thick glass wine goblet Add 1 ½ s... read more →
Here are some instructions for checking the signal strength on the Comcast DVR [superbowlcomcastdvr, comcastdvrwar, comcastdvrdst, newcomcastdvr, comcastdvrdead, comcastdvrdelete, comcastdvravsforum, comcastdvrcodes] and how to reset it. I can't remember where I found these instructions, so I a... read more →
Wow. Joe up and decided to sail his boat Music across the pacific ocean, from Panama to The Marquesas Islands ... solo. Man, what an adventure. He's reporting via YOTREPS, and you can see a plot of his progress overlayed on a Google satellite map here: http://pangolin.co.nz/yotreps/tracker.php... read more →
Charlie Hunter's rockin' new album Copperopolis came out a few weeks ago. We saw him perform the new stuff at his annual x-mas gig at Yoshi's, and it's a fun departure from his recent jazzy albums. Hunter has a long history of offering free downloads of his live performances, and n... read more →
Many people are opting for a smartphone instead of a PDA these days, but for me, a PDA is still an essential tool. Most smartphones and PDAs handle calendar and contact management, but these devices can be much more useful with additional software. Here is a list of PDA applications that I consi... read more →
I've been trying various brands of running and hiking socks. Without a doubt, the Smartwool socks I purchased at REI are the best. A wool+synthetic blend, Smartwools come in bunches of different sizes, shapes, and thicknesses, all of which are stay plenty comfortable and dry. No more blisters... read more →