Version 2.0 of the imgscalr Java image-scaling library has been released. This release matures the library, tightens up every area that could get tightened up and adds some new features: * API-break: resize(BufferedImage, Method, int, int, boolean, boolean) was removed and replaced by resize(BufferedImage, Method, int, int). * DEBUG system variable added; set ‘imgscalr.debug’ to true [...]
Archive | January, 2011
The Rite Movie Review
The Rite is another in a long line of demonic possession/exorcism movies that goes a step beyond normal fare by offering compelling action and a thoughtful story but falls apart in the third act and becomes a cookie cutter disappointment. The Rite stars Colin O’Donoghue as Michael Kovak, a seminary student who was looking to join [...]
Patrick’s Top 10 Favorite Video Games of 2010
Okay so here is my top 10 list of video games for 2010. As ever, this is my list of favorites and my particular order of preference. Given that many people’s egos seem to be tied into the validation of their favorite games through other people’s acknowledgements it seems prudent to mention up front that [...]
JavaMail SMTP on localhost Fails with Amazon AWS SDK in Classpath (SOLVED)
Update #1: I solved the stupid problem! If you are using JavaMail in your application (most likely a web application) and no matter what you do, you cannot get it to connect to your SMTP server on localhost (in my case, Postfix) and just constantly get a cryptically stupid exception message like: unable to connect [...]
The Mechanic Movie Review
If you take a pinch of the Professional and a liberal helping of the Transporter franchise and layer them into a remake of a 1972 Charles Bronson and Jan-Michael Vincent vehicle you will get the Mechanic and it is just as glorious as all that sounds. Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) is a Mechanic, an elite [...]
Looking for Self Storage? Try Storitz!
I am posting this because I think as we continue to accumulate an inhuman amount of stuff into our lives, the use of self-storage facilities just gets more and more frequent. Storitz.com is trying to make the process of finding and renting a unit a much smoother process than using Google Maps to simply find a [...]
The King’s Speech Movie Review
Elegant and beautifully layered, the King’s Speech proves that with terrific performances, top notch writing and a sure hand behind the camera even the most pedestrian stories on paper can be elevated to greatness. The King’s Speech tells the story of the rise to power of King George VI (Colin Firth) against the backdrop of [...]
Assasin’s Creed Brotherhood (Xbox 360) Review
Summary [9.0 out of 10] Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood is an excellent addition to the Assassin’s Creed bloodline, focusing more on improved game mechanics and a bit less on the epic, over-arching storyline and instead ends with the perfect setup for Assassin’s Creed 3. For fans of the series, Brotherhood is a solid Must Play, there [...]
How to See “Closed” GitHub Issues by Label
GitHub’s issue-tracker is solid. It is easy to understand, easy to use and easy on the eyes. Unfortunately while trying to create a handy changelog link for the 1.2 release of imgscalr I noticed that GitHub doesn’t allow you to search Closed issues by label, only Open issues: I spent a while reading through the [...]
QN: imgscalr Java Image-Scaling Library 1.2 Released
Version 1.2 of the imgscalr Java image-scaling library has been released. This release makes the library easier to use, accessible from the new The Buzz Media Maven repository and improved the logic used to determine the proportionally-scaled width and height for images depending on their orientation (LANDSCAPE or PORTRAIT). For download links, Javadoc, source code [...]
UPenn GRASP Lab Robots Assemble a Building
A “quadrotor” (or “quadricopter”) is a 4-rotor miniature helicopter robot that has become quite popular recently, entering the mainstream with the launching of the AR.Drone iPhone-controlled quadrotor last year that we saw everywhere from personal blogs to CollegeHumor sketches. The University of Pennsylvania’s GRASP Laboratory have created a group of hive-mind-esque quadrotors outfitted with grabbing devices [...]
At Home with Cats Web Series
I make it no secret that I have cats. I used to hate cats, but 7.5 years ago my wife asked dropped a bomb on me when she asked if we could get a cat. I thought it over for about a day and figured her happiness was worth more to me than my disdain for cats, [...]
Season of the Witch Movie Review
Looking at Season of the Witch there are a lot of things that jump out at you as potential problems right away be it off the poster or the trailer but of all of these things the one that really kills the movie is indifference. It has its good points and bad points but the [...]
Mortal Kombat Going Back to Its Gory Roots
I think it is safe to say that the next Mortal Kombat is going right back to it’s “goriest arcade fighter” roots… and I can’t wait:
The Dilemma Movie Review
The Dilemma is an interesting movie insofar as it looks kind of like a wacky comedy of errors on paper, and in many ways it is, but there is more going on under the surface that takes this from typical zany romp to funny comedy with genuine heart. The premise is pretty simple. Ronny (Vince [...]
The Green Hornet Movie Review
Adapted from the radio serial of the 30s-50s and the live action show of the 60s, the 2011 Green Hornet has been a troubled production for years. Writers and directors came and went with stars dropping in and out all over the place. Then Seth Rogen took over the writing and starring duties and a [...]
Why Clicky Real-Time Web Analytics is Awesome for Bloggers
We have been Clicky Web Analytics customers for years now. We gave Clicky a try when the non-realtime nature of Google Analytics made it hard for us to figure out in real-time where traffic was coming from and going to so we could improve our content on the fly if need-be. For example, improving an [...]
QN: T-Mobile Massively Cuts Download Caps for UK Mobile Users
Across the pond in the UK, T-Mobile is desperate to remind people that their garbage cell network doesn’t like people who use the full features on their smart phones that the company is championing so hard. Right after T-Mobile’s US announcement that they are upgrading the US network to speeds up to 45 Mbps, T-Mobile [...]
QN: Thunderstorms Proven to Burst Anti-matter Into Space
Using the Fermi Gamma-ray-detecting satellite, NASA has detected the creation and explosion of positrons (anti-matter) into space from the top side of thunderstorms occurring on the Earth’s surface: Fermi is designed to monitor gamma rays, the highest energy form of light. When antimatter striking Fermi collides with a particle of normal matter, both particles immediately [...]
QN: Google’s reCAPTCHA has been Cracked
You know those reCAPTCHA anti-SPAM boxes you see on every other site’s signup page or story-submission page for social sites? Well it looks like it has been cracked for a while and even though Google continues to deny it, a researcher has proven that it has in fact been compromised.
QN: Google Goggles Used to Solve Sudoku Puzzles
From the “cool tech” files it looks like Google Goggles image-recognition and backend AI is comprehensive enough to solve tricky Sudoku puzzles for you now by simply taking a picture of the playing sheet: If you are not familiar with Google Goggles, it is essentially image-based searching using your cell phone; snap a picture of [...]
QN: Cross-Browser CSS Coding Tips
Smashing Mag has an absolutely excellent article on the most important aspects of CSS (box model, floats, inline vs block, etc.) as well as the cross-browser compatibility issues. The presentation is straight forward, well diagramed and really easy to digest. If you are a web developer, even if you are decent with CSS, give it [...]
Ian Lungold, Indigo Children and Our Increasing Consciousness
I read an NYT article today called “Are They Here to Save the World?” – “they” being Indigo children. The term “Indigo” coming from the color of aura these children are said to have. Indigo children are said to share similar traits to one another: high intelligence, challenging to authority or social norms, curious, empathetic [...]
Mac App Store DRM Broken – Use Any App for Free
Wow, that was like 11 minutes. About a day after the Mac App Store was launched as part of the 10.6.6 OS X Update, hacking group “Hackulous” announced that they have already cracked the DRM used by the App Store – making all apps unprotected and freely available. The crack is called “kickback” and the [...]
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