A Cheap WiFi Adapter For Linux That Just Works
I’ve been searching for a very cheap wifi adapter that works out of the box with Linux. My search has finally come to an end with the AirLink 101 802.11G (AWLL3026).
I found this thing at Fry’s on the bottom shelf of wifi adapters, shoved way in the back where no one could get to it or see it. Original price $30. New price $10. What can I say but “Linux users are cheap as hell“:)
I’ve been recommending different Linux distros to a few friends for their old, secondary machines at home and everything seems to be working well except one thing…wireless.
Up until now, the only wifi adapters I could find that I knew for a fact were going to work with Linux without having to install the ndiswrapper or madwifi were around $40 or more. I would love to have wifi with my MythTV box, but not for $40. I also didn’t feel comfortable recommending such an expensive device for someone’s secondary “we were just going to throw it out” machine.
Animoto.com – Turn Your Images Into Mini Movies
I’ve seen other services do this, but none even close to the level that Animoto does. Basically you upload 10-15 photos of anything you want to create a small movie about, add music, and Animoto does the rest. I created the video below in a couple minutes.
You can do 30 second videos for free, and longer ones for $3/video or $30 for the whole year. The entire interface is very user friendly and all done in a very ajaxy web2.0 way.
If nothing else, check it out just to play around and waste some time next time you’re bored.
Linux Support Coming For Amazon’s MP3 Music Store Beta
Via Amazon: ‘a Linux version of the Amazon MP3 Downloader is under development, and when released will allow entire album purchases’
This is the final nail in the iTunes coffin. I, however, will not be attending the funeral.
First Impressions On the Amazon DRM-Free Music Store Beta
Finally.
I can’t express how happy I am to be typing this right now.
I just got done downloading my first DRM-Free MP3 from the Amazon DRM-Free Music Store. I already have most of the music on there, but I settled on John Lennon “Imagine”, Remastered.
This is finally going to put the screws to Apple’s proprietary, locked-down, DRM ridden store some refer to as the iTunes Music Store. A while back Steve Jobs released a statement talking about how he really wanted to get rid of DRM which was a great marketing ploy. Those of us who aren’t zombified Mac users knew it was all just him blowing smoke.
Well Amazon has finally done it…and brilliantly I might say. The process is dead simple. You get a DRM-free 256kbps MP3 that you can put on any of your computers or mp3 players. What a concept! The prices for a single track are usually around $.89 - $.99 or around $6.99 – $9.99 for an entire album.
Wordpress 2.3 / Google Sitemap Plugin Bug
Just upgraded about 10 blogs this morning to Wordpress 2.3. So far it’s another brilliant release from the Wordpress guys. Not sure how they keep doing it, but they do.
Just wanted to give everyone a heads up and hopefully save you some time if you are using the Google Sitemap Plugin (which everyone should be using:). You need to make sure you have the latest version here: http://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/google-sitemap-generator.3.0.zip
If you have an older version that is incompatible with WP 2.3, you will get an error whenever you try to post. You will be able to type the post and after you hit submit, you will get the error (or something similar):
WordPress database error: [Table 'mydatabase.wp_post2cat' doesn't exist] SELECT cat_ID AS ID, MAX(post_modified) AS last_mod FROM wp_posts p LEFT JOIN wp_post2cat pc ON p.ID = pc.post_id LEFT JOIN wp_categories c ON pc.category_id = c.cat_ID WHERE post_status = 'publish' GROUP BY cat_ID
The weird part is that the post will actually work and be visible on your blog, but this is obviously a very annoying feature that you will be much better off fixing now. Good Luck!
iPod Touch Update
If you read my post earlier in the week ripping the new iPod Touch to shreds (which hurt me more than it hurt it since I really want to like it), I figured I would post an update.
Apple recognized the problem and admitted it was a quality control issue (just like all their products have so get used to it) and they said the problem is fixed. The only thing is, the fixed Touch’s were made in the 38th week of production.
This means that it’s basically a grab bag if you want to get one that actually works. Who says Mac’s can’t play games? Happy hunting!
Another Brilliant Post From Valleywag: "If Everything Were Sold Like iPods"
McDonald’s:
“Hi, can I have a Big Mac?”
“Great, that’ll be $2.99.”
“Can I get bacon on that?”
“You can have our bacon cheeseburger with no lettuce.”
“But…but I want both.”
“I’m sorry, we don’t have that model; it’s too much clutter. What color would you like your Big Mac?”
“Wha…what color? Look, I’ll just get the bacon cheeseburger.”
“Ohhhh, I’m sorry, we just discontinued it and replaced it with a tofu burger. And the Junior Bacon Cheeseburger is now a chicken nugget.”
“But I liked the old one.”
“Sorry. On the upside, the Big Mac is now $1.69.”
“It was $2.99 one minute ago.”
“We changed them. One minute ago was the wrong time to buy a Big Mac. Now would you like some fries or would you rather wait a week until we have onion rings?”
Want more? There’s three more at Valleywag.
Why Macs Suck
I know this video isn’t new, but I can’t help but laugh every time I see it.
Apple Admits iPod Touch Screens Are Faulty
Forget the fact that the iPod Touch screens are faulty, did Apple just admit to something being wrong with their products? Wow. Amazing.
Anyway, if you’ve been surfing around in the blogosphere, you’ve seen countless number of stories saying that the screen on the iPod Touch is faulty especially with how it displays blacks (you bunch of racists Apple).
Well, after all the complaints, Apple has officially announced that the screens on ’some’ of the iPod Touch’s are in fact faulty. But honestly, are you surprised? I have yet to see a 1st gen product come out of Apple that hasn’t had some type of major bug or flaw. I enjoy letting all you ‘dipshits’ (see Bill Maher below) spend your money so Apple can screw you over while anyone with a brain waits two months for the price to be cut and the product to be upgraded to at least semi-usability status.
Bill Maher On iPhone Idiots, I Mean Owners
And when he says “dipshits”, he means Apple users. Because let’s be honest with ourselves, you are the only kind that are big enough douches to stand in line for a phone.
