86 Words

There are a number of "read later" services (Instapaper,  Pocket (formerly ReadItLater), and now Readability).

I needed one that would let me read later offline.

Readability, at least, does this, and does it extremely well! I can even send the article to my Kindle app (in my case, on my iPad) with one click!

Readability also, like the other services, makes it cleaner to read sans ads, etc.

Check it out!

If you opt to add the bookmarklet buttons to your browser, there is one that saves to your online archive, one that lets you read now, and one that sends the article immediately to your Kindle reader (or Kindle app)!

This image is taken from the front page of the Readability page - it shows that the service can be used on a wide variety of devices (due in part to Kindle compatibility).

 
This is a (partial) view of the interface when you access it online. You can keep current and archived articles, mark some as favorites, subscribe to favorite article publishers / authors, and even send specific articles to friends, etc.

- Readability.com -

Tags: Virtual, Reference, Net Life, Life Tips, Software, HowTo, General // Add Comment »

[Link originally posted by Felicia Day on Facebook]

I’m not sure there’s really anything "Geek" or "Tech" themed that I can claim here, but this was just too… Um… Out there not to show you guys!

Apparently, the entire point to this website is to show people that have been photoshopped to have one of their hands really small.

WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT?!?!?

I had to include this one - it’s Zooey! Even her (regular) hand is cute!

Kim Jong is looking a little… Ill! (Sorry, I couldn’t help it - I’ve wanted to use that joke for over a year!)

Ugh. Just… Ugh.
And no, that is not a political comment.

- OneTinyHand.com -
(again, WTF?!?)

Tags: Collections, Scary, Reference, Weird, Virtual, Art / Visual, Net Life, General // Add Comment »

Apple has released the new iPad. It’s not the iPad 3, or iPad HD, or iPad Pro.

It’s  actually called "The New iPad"!

What in the world are they going to do when the next one comes out?!?

(Oh, and yeah, that’s my only complaint!)

See the story at the jump!

It has just about everything that was rumored, and then some! The resolution (and speed, and battery life) are in-freaking-credible! The name, however, has me wondering if they changed it at the last second just to put off the predictors!

All of the stuff you’re used to still works (and a lot of it is improved), but even the stuff that hasn’t changed gets an automatic upgrade to the new Retina Display resolution, with improved reading, visuals, graphics… And everything else involving your eyeballs!

- LifeHacker’s Discussion of The New iPad -

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A friend who used to do some cool doodle art has recently started again.

He’s probably surprised by how much I’m reacting to it, but it’s really cool stuff!

Anyway, his re-doodling reminded of a grunge wallpaper I used to like, so I decided to create one.

It turned out so well (and was so much fun) that I did another.

They’re free for the taking!

This first one I did was 1920 x 1440 it’s a little flashier, but a bit less believable than the second one.

This is the second one I did. Click on either of them to be taken to DeviantArt where you can download them.

- My Feed on DeviantArt -

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Interestingly, those warm feelings are the insects’!

This (harmless) Walking Stick insect has been believed extinct since the 1920’s (declared officially in 1960).

However, a few (24 in total) were found alive in a single, remote spot.

 Interesting points about these guys include the fact that the male sleeps with his legs wrapped protectively around his (sole) female companion.

It’s a really good read.

Go read!

The (very few) survivors were found under a single plant on this remote, jagged rock, at an altitude of 225 ft. above sea level!

Here’s an overhead view of the "island". It really is pretty much just a rock cliff sticking out of the water (and pretty damned far away from any real land too)!

 
And here’s the picture you’ve probably been waiting for - a view of the actual bug. DON’T JUDGE, you probably look pretty hideous to them too, and it’s likely that you’re less docile!

- Original Article on NPR -
( GO READ IT ALREADY!!! )

Originally posted by Felicia Day on Facebook (Thanks Felicia!)

- Interactive Focus Gallery -

Tags: Weird, Scary, Reference, Current Events, Just Cool, Geek Stuff, Science, General // Add Comment »

A special Happy Birthday to my wonderful sisters (Armeda and Bobbette)! I love you guys!

Zorin OS is a free OS that looks and acts like Windows 7 (but runs much faster!).

Zorin even has an MS Office clone, and tons of other  software, already installed!

But wait! There’s more!

Zorin runs most Windows programs faster than Windows does!

If you’re interested in dumping MS Windows, check it out!

There’s plenty of capable (and mostly free) software for Zorin OS that Windows can’t run. On the other hand, Zorin can use almost all of the software for Windows even beter than Windows itself!

If you’re currently a MS Windows user, you’re used to the high price of Windows software. With Zorin OS (or any Linux dist), you can get similar software for free (and yes, Libre Office, which comes pre-installed, will almost always load files that were created in MS Office without a problem)!

 
For that matter, just about any file created in Windows can be loaded in Zorin OS to continue your work without adding any software at all!

- Zorin OS Main Site -

Tags: Virtual, Reference, Life Tips, Cool Sites, Geek Stuff, Software, General // Add Comment »

Note: Originally Found at this article on Geeky Gadgets

Cameras have been made with the same concept since the beginning of photography. They take pictures of a single focal plane.

That’s about to change!

The new Lytro camera takes pictures of light fields. This means that you can take the picture now and focus it later… At any point in the picture!

Their site gives you a BUNCH of pictures to play with to let the idea sink in, and it’s totally worth checking out!

This is what the Lytro looks like (also available in graphite and aqua). This alone is a pretty cool look for a camera (it’s 1.61" square and 4.41" long)

You start out with a pic that looks like this - either because you wanted it that way or because you goofed on the focus…

 
When looking at the picture later, you decide that you would rather have the snow globe in sharp focus, so you change it (or choose any other focal plane in the picture)!

- Main Lytro Site -

- Interactive Focus Gallery -

Tags: Virtual, Current Events, Reference, Gadgets, Just Cool, Geek Stuff, Art / Visual, General // Add Comment »

Built to show off the company’s GameMaker:HTML5 product capabilities, the game, called GraveMaker (cute, huh?) is a Plants vs Zombies style game (kindasorta).

You need friends, so you make undead ones.

This annoys the villagers who’s compatriots they happen to be, and the fight is on.

As you advance, you can grow better monsters, and face stronger villagers.

Good atmosphere, great sound, and interesting play!

Your monsters and the villagers are facing off. You now have to choose the order in which your monsters will fight (the villagers are lined up in their order).

Based on the number of unlocks, power-ups, secrets, etc in the game, it could take quite a while to complete it! Fortunately, the first time you play, you enter a user name and password and your game is saved under that (no other signup is necessary).

When the game starts, you have only the lowly, pathetic skeleton that you can grow, but that changes quickly enough! (well, you do get some plants & animals, but I cant figure out what they’re for).

- GraveMaker Game done w/ GameMaker:HTML5 -

Tags: Virtual, Just Cool, Weird, Scary, Reference, Net Life, Video Gaming, Geek Stuff, Software, HowTo, Gaming, General // Add Comment »

We’ve covered the computer CCG Shadow Era before - it’s my favorite computerized card game ever!

Wulven Game Studios, the publisher, is now printing real cards for non-computer play!

One cool side effect of this is that the game has been heavily played and they’ve already tweaked the cards for play, balance, etc, so it’ll release with the bugs already fixed!

The cards are shipping in March, so I have to go start practicing!

The cards are the same ones in the computer game, and the release will include all 10 factions.

There will be starter decks for all ten factions, as well as standard, 15-card boosters.

And of course I have to show a screen shot of the computer version! Note that it’s available to play in your browser, or on Mac, PC, or iOS (iPhone / iPod / iPad).

- Preorder Page with Release Details -
(Note that they aren’t accepting any more pre-orders, the page is now for-info only)

Tags: Virtual, Current Events, Collections, Reference, Net Life, Video Gaming, Geek Stuff, Software, Gaming, General // Add Comment »

Note: This article is being posted a day earlier than scheduled due to its importance. Also, the red text doesn’t count toward my 86 word limit!  

"A federal appeals court has found a Florida man’s constitutional rights were violated when he was imprisoned for refusing to decrypt data on several devices.

This is the first time an appellate court has ruled the 5th Amendment protects against forced decryption – a major victory for constitutional rights in the digital age."

While I dislike the apparent intent of the accused, I don’t his actual intent.

That’s his business, and the point to the right to privacy.

A note to my (geek) readers: the feds were unable to crack the encryption used in TrueCrypt. It might be worth pondering (and I’ve been using it for years).

- Article on the Electronic Frontier Foundation -

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