Superb Web Developer Aid site
Anyone who spends a long time designing websites will love Milov’s fantastic subdomain idea. He’s created a simple script that has made a different website for every hex and rgb colour. Simply pick a colour such as bright pink (ff00c1 in hex code) and go to the sub domain for it to see the result ie: http://ff00c1.milov.nl. Alternatively, you can try the rgb code or some real names (such as orange.milov.nl) and it will fill your screen with the appropriate colour letting you see what the colout will actually look like on screen.
Explanation of RAID using Water Coolers
Any computer nerds who have tried to explain the different levels of RAID will appreciate this explanation using water coolers. For those who don’t have a clue what I’m talking about, it’s how you combine multiple hard disks for speed, size or security (for those of you who aren’t geeks but are still reading this, here’s a video of two people making the beast with two backs on a jetski NSFW obviously).
List of British English words not used in American English
Wikipedia to the rescue again! Here’s the compiled Wikipedia list of British English words not used in American English. Don’t take it too seriously though – especially when looking at ‘Bap’ – we had an arguement that latest over an hour at work the other day as to what the correct terminology for a bap/barm cake/bread cake/tea cake is – the only thing most of us agreed on was that a teacake contains fruit and that it’s called a chip butty to save any future regional fractions kicking off.
Fainting Goats
I’ve heard of fainting Goats before but had never seen them. This video clip from an American news program shows them in full effect – is it just me or do they look like the hardest animal to herd (apart from Haggis).
Pumpkin PC case mod
Just in time for Halloween, here’s a cool cyberpumpkin pc case mod.
Kill the Alien Blob thing
In a refreshing (but sadistic) twist on most cute little games, in this one you have to try to maim, spike, burn or otherwise kill the alien blob thingy instead of saving it. Unfortunately it took me 5 minutes to realise this so I was pretty frustrated by the time I figured it out (my excuse is that it is Monday morning & I’m already exhausted!)
eBay Google Maps Mashup
Here’s another fantastic thing you can do with Google Maps (I’m just loving these cool little apps that people are being so creative and inventive with at the moment). Go to the eBay/Google Maps mashup page and type in your ebay search, filter it down if necessary and type in your postcode or zip code (yes it works for USA, UK, France and Germany) and it’ll return the ebay results on a google map showing where each seller is – very handy indeed if you want to buy large items such as furniture or cars and don’t want to travel far to pick them up.
Fun with GIS
Time for more fun with Google Image Search. First up is Woogle – type in a phrase and it displays it in pctures using results from GIS. (You’ll probably want to check the ‘common words’ box).
Next up is Toogle which calls itself the ‘most comprehensive image bugg3ry on the web’ which is going a bit far but it’s still fun for a short while. Simply input a phrase or words and it returns the first hit for that converted to text – try ‘my brain hurts’ for an amusing example.
(caution – neither site seems to filter/safe search the results).
Talented Losers
You can’t deny that these guys have skills in the coin flipping department but you’d have thought they could put the talent to better use somehow.
Readymech
If you’re bored at work today and you have access to a colour printer then go print off a Readymech robot or creature and make it to pretty up your desk.
How to stop wobbly table legs
Bizarrely, it seems that you can stop pretty much any wobbly table legs you get in cafes simply by rotating the table – here’s the mathematical proof.
Fast Rock Climber
Although this video of an amazingly Fast Rock Climber is astounding, the snippet of info at the top of the page saying it was one of the last videos the guy ever shot sounded rather ominous and indeed, it turns out he is now the late Dan Osman although it was the even more stupid sport of BASE jumping that was his downfall (pun, rather sickly, intended).
Top 10 reasons why sex at the speed of light is not an advisable form of procreation
Here’s the Top 10 reasons why sex at the speed of light is not an advisable form of procreation (if you’d ever wondered). Number 8 scares me.
Abandonia – Home of abandonware DOS games
Not sure if we’ve already posted this site yet – apologies if we have. Abandonia is the home of abandonware DOS games. Abandonware is a class of software which means the software is either out of copyright or no longer supported by the copyright owner so whilst it’s technically illegal, no one is being stolen from and the sites are generally left alone. Have a look around and you’ll find some decent old games well worth a few minutes of your time.
Cooking Gadgets
Specialist blog alert! I’ve added Cooking Gadgets to my ever expanding list of specialist blogs to keep an eye on. I was strangely drawn to the Anatomically correct gingerbread cookie cutters.
More of the Arcata Police Log
The Arcata Police Log has been updated again so it’s time for another of our regular posts to it. Just to answer the same questions I keep being asked – yes, this is a genuine police log for a town called Arcata in California – yes, really – the person responsible has a brilliant sense of humour – yes, these are real reports logged by officers and all the incidents did happen. They’ve even made a book or two out of them.
You just can’t beat lines like;
“5:55 p.m. A green backpack and bedroll were borne upon an unsteady host, so beveraged out he could barely remain upright as he made his way to the little Sargasso Sea of similarly aimless souls adrift at Ninth and H. He was arrested as a punk in drublic. “
The archives are here.
Yoda Dance
Here is the easter egg that will be included with the release of STAR WARS REVENGE OF THE SITH DVD this November 1st. This post contains SPOILERS if you hadn’t already guessed!
Steeee-RIKE!
Courtesy of blennus, please view this rather nauseating clip of the owner of the sorest w1lly in the world. Don’t worry – it’s SFW but the banners are a bit dodgey. Pwwinnnggg!! Ow. Note the close up detail of the gentleman ‘rearranging’ himself about half way through.
Microwave Grape Plasma
“Its the damnedest thing you’ve ever seen. Please realize that although we haven’t actually damaged any of the ovens we’ve done this with, the potential exists to damage or destroy the microwave that this is done in, and the possibility also exists that it could harm a human being if the proper precautions are not made.” Grape Plasmification.
gromblog Email Posts Fixed
Oops! I’ve just been told that the daily emails with all of the day’s posts haven’t been working recently. I’ve fixed it again and all should be back to normal now.
If you don’t already know, you can subscribe to this site using various methods (look in the right hand bar) – the big subscribe button is best email method (although there is an alternative email service you can access by the smaller button near the bottom of the page) or you can use our RSS feed with any RSS reader. Drop us an email if you want help with any of this – we’re always happy to help.
The Dilbert Blog
For once, Dilbert is a bit behind the times but luckily Scott Adams now has a blog. Although it’s called The Dilbert Blog, it is actually Scott’s blog, not Dilbert’s (sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference).
Remote Control Device ‘Controls’ Humans
Although most of us feel like automatons in our work, Japan’s top teelephone company have come up with a method of controlling humans that will make this feeling more of a reality.
thanks Jim
Another near perfect OOTTINLTO
Yay! Here’s another near perfect One of these things… Here’s a GIS for ‘toe’. Mostly Safe for Work.
thanks Bob
The Birds and the Bees
If you ever have to explain to a small child where they came from, then this might come in handy – if it doesn’t mentally scar them for life. I mean, who wears green trousers? The bit where the kid seems to be waving on the way out is just one detail too far!
All Your Base Are Belong to Google
Google really are trying to take over the world. A screenshot or two showing the new Google Database and a couple of write-ups should whet your appetite. Can anyone explain why I feel quite excited over the idea of a big-ass global GoogleSQL databaase when I object vehemently to the UK ID card scheme – oh yeah, that’s right, one will be used imaginatively whilst the other one is a flawed, insecure compulsory system.
Another Star Wars animated gif
Another follow-up to a post from last week – this time it’s The Empire Strikes Back that gets the animated gif treatment.
Anti-game activist Jack Thompson under investigation
Further to this post from last week, it appears that Jack Thompson is under investigation by the Florida Bar Association. This seems only fair since he apparently contacted the Seattle Police Dept to file a complaint against the PennyArcade guys (which won’t go anywhere since the police generally don’t tend to arrest people for making $10,000 donations to charity).
Rosa Parks
If there’s a heaven then Rosa Parks will have a seat reserved for her there. Today I’ll be mostly listening to Outkast (since they finally settled their differences with Rosa).
Disconcerting Urinals
I’m not sure I could wee with this lot staring at my winky!
