Archive for the 'Other' Category

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More Open Source

Published on August 16, 2006 at 9:41 pm in Life and Other. 2 Comments

Well, after downloading “the basics” I’ve started looking around for more open source software. Here’s some of what I’ve found, downloaded, and loved:

FeedReader

A plain ‘n simple RSS feed aggregator that supports both RSS and Atom formats, and works on Windows 98 and above. It’s pretty much perfect. Although it’s a bit slow (as most RSS aggregators are) it works fine.

Media Player Classic

Yet another “plain ‘n simple” program that looks nice and simple, like the older versions of windows media player but can play just about any file that there is out there, including quicktime.

I’ll update this with more later, but I got both of these from this great website for windows open source programs, which also has a macintosh counterpart.

Open Source Alternatives

Published on August 16, 2006 at 4:51 pm in Life and Other. 3 Comments

Today I FINALLY decided to enter the world of Open Source. If something is open source, it means that it’s a program that you can download, but you can also view all of the code used to make that program, and you are free to edit and do what you want with it. Because of this, all open source programs are free. That’s right F-R-E-E. EF AR EY EY. Firefox is probably the biggest open source program out there. And if you think Firefox is great, get this: Firefox is a free program very similar to another free program – internet explorer. Now how about a free program very similar to a $600 program??? Sounds like a good deal, huh? Oh – and it’s actually legal!!!

In case you didn’t realize, I was reffering to Gimpshop, which takes another open source image manipulating program, called The Gimp, and reorganizes it and changes some names to make it look very similar to the industry standard, Adobe Photoshop which costs the same amount of money as this computer. Sound to good to be true? Maybe. The only downside is it’s not an EXACT REPLICA of Photoshop, but still, after a bit of playing around – if you know Photoshop – you’ll get the hang of it. Oh – and it’s for PCs AND Macs.

But that’s not the only Open Source program out there – there’s much more! Another very popular “Open Source Alternative” is OpenOffice.org. Which is very, VERY similar to Microsoft Office. That’s right, you can get a Word alternative, a Powerpoint alternative, an Excel alternative, even a Paint alternative! Plus a program to do math equations, and a program to (I think) store databases – all in one download! And it’s doesn’t cost $100! It’s 100% free! (Except for your kind heart donating some of your extra cash (about $700) to them for being such nice people. Oh, and just as before: Mac and PC.

And the best thing about these popular Open Source programs is that, well first off they’re all free, but second off that they have “spin-offs” of people using that same source code and adding extra features, integrating better, and doing so much more! (Some examples are Flock and previously mentioned Gimpshop.)

Now I’ve just scraped the edges of the Open Source community, there is SOOO much more out there. SOOO much more. I recommend starting at SourceForge.net which hosts just about everything open source. Enjoy, and don’t let the beta bugs bite.

I can hear it, can you?

Published on June 6, 2006 at 10:20 pm in Life and Other. 1 Comment

I remember reading about a sound that only people under 20 can hear a while back, and how some store owners are using it to keep teenagers away. Every since then I’ve wanted to hear the sound… well now I’ve found it. This “Mosquito Sound” mp3 is the soft tone of people talking in the room, like in the background but then there’s this really weird sound that, I can hear, and neither of my parents can. It IS pretty annoying, especially if you play it loud enough.

mosquito_sound.mp3

And for those readers over 20, if you can hear it – congratulations you have amazing ears! If you can’t, you probably think that I’m making this whole thing up! Well guess what, I’m not! So ha! And ha! I can hear a slightly larger frequency than you!

Thanks to Ms. Weed my mom for forwarding this to me.

The End of the World

Published on May 2, 2006 at 10:59 pm in Other. 0 Comments

During Science the other day, we talked about how the volcano at Yellowstone National Park is due to explode, and it completely clogs up the atmosphere and there is acid rain and lots of things die. Oh – and did I mention that the volcano erupts about every 600,000 years, and it’s been 640,000 years since the last eruption? Ms. Nowak (our science teacher) encouraged us to look online about these things, so I looked around and found this depressing yet fascinating website that not only states the end of the world by a super volcano (yellowstone) but by a hypernova, a meteor, global warming, methane explosions, science experiements, nuclear warfare, virus outbreaks… the list just goes on and on.

Warning: Don’t read it if in you’re in a good mood, because you’ll feel really bad after reading it.