BSpudd's .blog

DD-WRT

A little while ago I purchased a Linksys WRT54GS wireless router on sale. The idea being that I would eventually setup a wireless network as I have systems in three areas in my home and running CAT5 cable is not convenient. Looking at purchasing dedicated wireless bridges, I found that they are more expensive than wireless routers by around $60, sometimes more.

I did some research on the internet, and through a friend, I discovered the dd-wrt website. This is an open source project that replaces the firmware on your router which will enable several missing features of the original firmware. This does void any warrenty and can potentially render the device unusable.

After researching compatible routers, I purchased a Linksys WRT54GL for $100 and change. Next, I followed the flashing and configuration instructions from the project website, and viola. I now have a wireless bridge for lots less than a store bought one.

The new device is now in my living room on the other end of the house from the main router. I have tested it with my xbox and laptop and so far everything is working fabulously.

Posted 8:00 PM

Guild Wars - the new techno-crack

So for the last several months I've been into a game called Guild Wars. This game is an online RPG. The entire game is played online. You can play with other people or with the supplied computer controlled henchmen in a persistent online environment.

One thing that initially convinced me to give the game a try, is that there are NO MONTHLY FEES. Yes, you heard right. Play as much or as little as you want without having to worry about paying a monthly fee to keep your account.

Guild Wars is not actually one game, but three completely stand alone games that can be used separately or installed all together for one massive environment. The first game, known as Guild Wars: Prophecies, came out in late 2005. It is themed after the European mythos that we (in North America anyway) are familiar with. Wizards with powerful magic, warriors in shining armor performing acts of daring do, and an evil force threatening to bring about the end of the world.

Guild Wars: Factions is the second release from NCSoft. This one has a distinctly oriental flair. The music, the pagodas, the temples. Right down to the clothing, armor, and weapons.

Guild Wars: Nightfall is the recently released latest chapter in the Guild Wars universe. This edition feels like an African, Arabian, Egyptian mix. With wide open plains, vast deserts, and ancient ruins.

Each game has it's own history, unique story, engaging music, and amazing visuals. The landscapes, buildings, creatures, and players are beautifully rendered. While not taking anything away from World of Warcraft, I noticed immediately the higher level of detail and more complex 3d modeling in Guild Wars.

I am really enjoying Guild Wars, and I think you will too.

Friday 9:00 PM

Playing with HTML, editors, and the like.

So I dropped my Typepad account for now. I didn't see much sense in paying for it when I'm not making much use of it. I've still got my Blogger account and this small webpage, but I'm not too sure what I want to use to do this.

On the one hand, I enjoy the freedom of editing in a stand alone code editor, but on the other, I see the value of a content management system like Blogger, WordPress, Movable Type, etc. And then there are commercial products from Front Page to Dream Weaver. Add to that a slew of open source products and the old noodle starts getting a little sore.

Saturday 3:00 PM

My how time flies

Wow. Three and a half months since my last post. Hopefully it won't take that long before I post again.

Posted 2:30 PM

Holy Crap! An actual update!

Okay so I'm finally starting to play with things again. I'm looking at using something else to do my blogging with. So, with that in mind... I've started to tinker with Blogger and TypePad. I'm not sure what I will end up doing, but at least it's a start.

Posted 12:35 AM

Since I'm up anyway...

Bleah... It's after 2:00 AM and I can't sleep so I'm kinda running in zombie mode. Anyways, I went and saw The 40 Year Old Virgin with a friend of mine last night. It was pretty funny in a few spots, especially the body wax scene. Other than that I wasn't all that into it.

A note to those of a more sensitive nature... The language in the film is very lewd & crude throughout, there is some nudity, and plenty of sexually suggestive subject matter.

My verdict: two thumbs up out of five.

Posted 2:20 AM

I can't believe I haven't tried this yet...

Okay, my friends who read my blog (both of you - okay one being me) know that I'm a tech/gadget nut. Uh, Let me qualify that. I enjoy tech when it works. When it doesn't... well that's another matter, but I digress.

I just installed iTunes and started using it for the first time today. I've heard about it for a while and have heard many friends & others comment on how much they enjoy it. But up until now I hadn't taken the plunge (don't ask me why - I don't know). I've had it installed for all of 15 minutes, and already I've played several audio links (podcast and otherwise), found several great internet radio stations, and discovered new artists via the online store. I'm starting to see why the people at Apple and the "turtleneck mafia" have such a large piece of the public consciousness.

I'm not saying it's perfect, but so far I haven't got anything to bitch about. I'll probably post more about my impressions of iTunes later, but for now I'm liking it.

Well I've gotta run. I'm off to see The 40 Year Old Virgin with some friends.

Ciao.

Posted 3:30 PM

Happy Birthday (Belated)!

My good friend Teri turned 50 this past week.
Congrats! Look at it this way... you've made it this far, the rest is gravy.
My apologies for not making the bash this weekend.

To paraphrase Wayne & Garth: I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy...

Posted 2:50 PM

DOOMed

Posted 11:55 PM

R.I.P. Richard Biggs

While cruising BluesNews this morning, I discovered Richard Biggs of Babylon5 fame (among others), died on May 22, at the age of 43. My deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends.

linkage:
    loonyblog
    ShackNews
    The Galactic Gateway

    Posted 12:30 PM

Back in the saddle again...

Yes there is still some online life left in me. Updates will resume shortly...

Posted 6:30 PM

Merry Christmas!

Posted 7:00 PM

From the "one good turn deserves another" dept.

Speaking of monitors, I was reading up on the latest system builders guide at Ars Technica, when I found mention of this beauty from Sony. I think I'm in love! ;-)

The fact that I'd have to rob a bank to be able to afford it aside. I don't think my desk could handle even one of these mammoths, let alone two... *sigh* I guess I'll stick to dreaming for now.

And what's a wide screen monitor without an open source HDTV tuner for Linux?? Although my area only gets one HDTV channel. Even so, I know what's going to be on my Birthday Wishlist for a while.

Posted 10:45 AM

Multiple Monitor Goodness

According to this article on slash dot it's finally official. A study has found that multiple monitors increase productivity in the workplace. I have just one word of comment to that: DUH!

This is not exactly news to anyone who has worked in the IT industry, but maybe now management types will consider this as it is "official" and in suit-friendly format.

Posted 10:30 AM

Burgers & Barley Beverages

Earlier this evening (last evening - whatever) I was fortunate enough to be invited out for dinner over at Hillyup's. Burgers, barley beverages, and lots and lots of conversation. I had a great time discussing life, liberty, and the pursuit of geekiness. Thanks guys!

Posted 2:00 AM

From the self improvement category...

Well, today I started my first class in A+ training through work. The course is free and if we pass the certification exams, we get reimbursed for the cost of the tests (minus taxes of course). A complete win/win situation in my books. I get a certification under my belt which will expand my knowledge (not to mention resume), and the company adds value to their workers.

Posted 10:54 PM

Urban Terror (beta) 3 is out!

Thanks to Cadiolis (or "that sniping bizatch" as he is otherwise known ;-p ) for the heads up. Silicon Ice released Urban Terror 3.0 on Saturday August 9th.
Posted 10:30 PM

Daddy needs some bling bling

While virtually window shopping for some nice new tech toys, I ran across a site called dynamism.com. This site specializes in bringing over the latest and greatest tech wizardry from Japan, much of which is never seen outside the land of the rising sun. For those that want the latest and greatest, these people are a MUST SEE. I'm still drooling over the Toshiba Libretto L5.

Now, if only I could drop a few extra grand on some more hardware...
Posted 10:20 PM

The greatest series ever played

As I write this I'm watching the 1972 "Summit Series" on dvd. I was innocently walking by the dvd isle in Future Shop the other week, when this four disc set jumped up and caught my eye. Of course, me being an instant gratification kinda guy that I am, couldn't say no. The set contains the entire eight game series including comments and interviews from the players themselves. I'm quite enjoying it so far.

One thing I've noticed though, is the audio and video quality is sure worlds apart from even my earliest 80s hockey memories. Even though, according to the documentation included, every effort was made to restore the footage as much as possible, you can sure notice it. It's a shame that this piece of Canadian heritage was not preserved in a better state.

As for the game itself (so far), hockey is hockey and both teams made great efforts. Even by today's standards.
Posted 2:15 AM

From the "Man bites dog" category

Apparently, one man being fed up with a particular telemarketing company's bombardment - even after several times insisting they not call him, and that he had already signed up with the national do not call back registry - decided to turn the tables. Check out the story here.

To paraphrase a certain movie quote:
Hangin's too good for them! Burnin's too good for them! They should be torn into little bitsy pieces and buried alive!!
Posted 1:45 AM

The Incredible Bulge

According to this story, a little girl found that her Hulk doll's willy wasn't so wee.
Posted 1:32 AM

Congrats Vancouver!

Alright! I was listening to the radio this morning and heard the announcement made by the IOC in Prague. It's official... the 2010 Olympic Winter Games are coming to Vancouver!
Posted 11:00 AM

Happy Canada Day!

Almost forgot... HAPPY CANADA DAY - eh.
Please stand, foist your can/glass/mug of Molson, and observe a moments silence as we listen to our national anthem.
Posted 11:30 PM

New Quake maps

Woohoo! While reading Blues News, I noticed that Fred Nilsson of id Software updated his plan with word that they have made available two previously unreleased maps! One for regular Quake 3, and the other a remake of q3tourney6-ctf for Team Arena. Go get 'em while they're hot.
Posted 2:55 AM

So much for "fast" food

So the other night I was starting to feel a little peckish. I looked at the clock and realized that it was after midnight and I hadn't eaten any dinner yet. It being as late as it was, and me feeling like somewhat of a lazy sod, I decided to go out and grab something. Hmm... What to get, and for that matter, who was open? I know, I thought... the local McDonald's has a 24 hour drive thru now. So I drove on over. In hindsight, my first inkling that perhaps I should have gone elsewhere was the lineup.

So I drove on up, placed my order, and proceeded to wait. And wait, and wait, and wait. By this time other cars were behind me so there's no way I'm getting out. I waited approximately 17 minutes before I got to the window. All the while this loud mouth psychotic woman (and I use the term loosely) in the car behind me proceeded to yell out the Window various profanities at the restaurant staff, and constantly honk her horn. Five minutes of that could be considered hell, but 17... Unadulterated torture.

So when I get up to the window, the person doesn't apologize for the wait, takes my money, then proceeds to tell me that my order is not done yet. And as they are not allowed to open the building doors they cannot bring it out to me. She then informs me that I will have to park for 4 more minutes then drive around, and come through again to pick it up! I was and still am dumbfounded. Needless to say, lesson learned - the hard way. argh...
Posted 2:38 AM

new record

Woohoo! A new personal posting record of 4 posts on one day.
Doh! Actually this would make five. ;-p
Posted 4:35 PM

more marketing bs

Okay, so there I was the other day at the local Future Shop browsing through the geek toys, when I spot the bargain table. Not one miss up the chance for a deal, I went over to look. What immediately stood out, was a couple ATI TV Wonder tv tuner cards. The clearance sticker price was $89.97, which I thought was semi-reasonable - it would have been a true deal if they knocked another $15 off. Then I noticed the other part saying that it was $179.99. What a load of crap. These cards have been listed at this very same store for 6 months at $130. Seeing as how this card was in production for around 6 years or more (now discontinued), I suppose it might have sold for that price at one time, but certainly not this side of 1999.
Posted 4:30 PM

Apple (officially) announces new hardware

On Monday Steve Jobs announced the new G5 powered computers from Apple. Lots of shiny new hardware and new specs to drool over. But still at prices that would make most cringe. There's no denying that their hardware brings out "Mac lust" in all but the most jaded and/or zealous computer geeks, and OS X is sugar coated candy goodness. But come on guys, how about some price slashing to make it more affordable?

On that vein check out The Dagg's (the geek formerly known as Engel) post on Why Apple should be more like Ikea. In my opinion he's right on the money.
Posted 3:58 PM

One for the "mmm, beer..." department

Some of you may have already seen this mentioned on ufies. Anyways, it seems this enterprising geek was pondering a better beer mug and came up with a stroke of genius. Check it out here.
Posted 3:22 PM

My how time flies

Well it seems that I have been remiss in my blogging of late. The time seems to go by faster than I expected. Time to put something in here to at least make it look like my blog is occasionally updated.
Posted 3:12 PM

Mod your pet!

Okay, not that kind of pet. The Commodore Pet. I ran across this pet project (sorry... couldn't resist) at the mini itx website. Check it out; they have several nifty mini-itx mods. Now if I could only afford the parts...
Posted 4:55 PM

Too friggin hot

Yuck. It's around 15 degrees Centigrade hotter than normal for this time of year. Your clothes stick to you like saran wrap, and my apartment... I feel like I'm living in a kiln. There's no use opening the windows/patio doors as an even hotter breeze blows in from outside. Oh well, enough whining for now. Time to get back to my ice cold Sleeman Honey Brown. Aaahhhhh...
Posted 4:30 PM

It Lives!

So I finally got the warpig back on the road, which is a nice treat after having had it uninsured for so long. filling it up only cost $40+ CDN which isn't too bad considering the gas prices and all. But going for a ride, I sure miss the A/C. I would have got that done as well, but converting it from R12 plus fixing whatever is wrong would've run me around $1200. Nope, can't justify that kind of expense right now. So I just drove around with the windows open. Works for me. :-)
Posted 4:15 PM

Losing faith in giving

My friend Muckhead is a bit down after a recent experience left a particularly sour aftertaste. I can certainly understand his reaction. Those types of people are never "fun" to deal with. Especially when you are giving of your own free time and effort, and are treated like that. So read his post, and then drop him a line of encouragement.
Don't let them get to ya Muck! :-)
Posted 9:30 AM

Life goes on...

That it does, even if some of it's sparkle is gone. Well, as you can see I'm starting up my blog again. I'm going to be cleaning things up a bit, so there will be some changes in the not too distant future.
I've also moved my Mom's tribute page here, and will be doing things with it down the road also.
Posted 8:35 AM

The death of my Mother

On April 14th, my mother Lorna passed into the presence of her Lord & Savior at the age of 58. This happened suddenly and without warning, which as you can imagine, has devastated family and friends. My mother was a kind and caring person with a deep love for God and those around her.
I want to thank all those who have called, emailed, mailed, etc. Your kindness is greatly appreciated and will not be forgotten. Thank you. The funeral service will be at Chilliwack Central Mennonite Brethren Church on Friday April 25th at 10:30 AM. More/other details can be gotten from the Woodlawn Mt Cheam Funeral Home at (604) 793-4555 or (800) 363-2555.
Needless to say, that posts here will be few are far between (even less than usual) for the next while.

Posted 3:47 AM

Q: What are Knoppix, and Morphix?

A: Knoppix, and Morphix are debian based live cd distros. In other words you boot off the cd and have a functional working Linux platform (for the most part). I've been playing with both the last little bit and am duely impressed. Knoppix is a more fully self contained distro while Morphix is a stripped down version of Knoppix. Morphix even has three seperate flavours. The Heavy GUI version which is Gnome 2.x based. Then there is the KDE 3.1 version. And last but not least (figuratively speaking) is the Light GUI version using IceWM.
While they all work quite nicely, I must admit I'm kind of partial to the Light GUI version of Morphix. Mainly because it runs so nicely on my K-6 200Mhz and Pentium MMX 233Mhz. Even if it isn't as "integrated" or "visually appealing" as the latest efforts from Gnome and KDE. In my opinion it is still quite functional, clean, and easy on the eyes.
For those of you wanting to try Linux but are not able/wanting/willing to make changes on your harddrive, I highly recommend trying one of the above distros. Come on over and see how the other side lives. :-)
Posted 8:55 PM

Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.

My apologies for the unexpected hiatus. Work, health, and finances have all conspired lately among other things to keep me off my computer. But as you can see, I am back. So on with the show (such as it is).
Posted 8:10 PM

We are experiencing some difficulties. Please do not adjust your set.

My apologies on not posting for the last six days. I've been busy at work, and my schedule has been (and will be) changing. On top of that I've been fighting off a particularly nasty cold/cough bug which has been making things particularly uncomfortable. So by the time I get home I'm feeling like the living dead. Anyways, I'm finally getting a handle on things so postings should resume shortly.
As Bartles & James would say... "Thank you for your support."
Posted 4:54 PM

Instant Girlfriend Kit

Heads up all you fellow computer geeks out there! Here's a chance to improve your social status and impress your fellow geek friends. Imaginary Friends presents - the Instant Girlfriend Kit. This item is currently shipping with limited availability so get yours today!
Posted 8:42 PM

Gone in 6.5 hours

My condolences go out to my buddy PaRtZgUy (some of you may know him as SprintHD). After only 6.5 hours of owning his shiny new car, he was in an accident with a drunk driver and totalled it. Thankfully, he and his family walked away with only minor injuries and bruising.
Posted 10:24 PM

Arrr... Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS!
And when I find the email with the tagline that got this lyric stuck in my head...
Posted 9:47 PM

Linux on the corperate desktop

While perusing OSnews I ran across a post on an interesting article at the DesktopLinux website about a Pennsylvania attorney's experiences using Linux on the desktop for his day to day work. Not a bad read.
Posted 11:23 PM

Microsoft resigns from the OpenGL architecture review board

According to this article at The Register, Microsoft has pulled out of the OpenGL ARB to concentrate their efforts on their graphics platform.
Posted 4:23 PM

The Very Verbose Debian 3.0 Installation Walkthrough

Well, one good turn deserves another. I also discovered the author of the article mentioned below has also previously written an article on installing Debian Woody (3.0r1).
Sheesh... Where have I been?
Posted 8:05 PM

The Very Verbose Guide to Updating and Compiling Your Debian Kernel

While surfing Debian Planet, I discovered OSnews has posted this article about updating and compiling your Debian kernel.
Posted 7:37 PM

The land that time forgot...

Or is at least forgetting. According to this article at CNN.com, Venezuela's electric clocks are actually losing time.
Posted 6:49 PM

CollegeLinux

Robert Kennedy College in Switzerland has released CollegeLinux, a new Slackware based derivative Linux distribution.
Posted 2:17 AM

Funniest Mac switch parody I've seen yet

So here I am surfing a few blogs, when on Steve-O's blog I ran across this link to one of the funniest Mac switch parodies I've seen sor far. This one is definitely a must see! A word of warning though... it's a 50MB mpeg file and does contain some foul language. The skit seems to have originally come from this sketch comedy group.
Posted 1:20 AM

XFree86 4.3.0 released

Our friends at the The XFree86 Project, Inc. have released version 4.3.0 to the teeming masses. Okay all you early adopters, you know the drill:
   backup your X config files
   locate a decent mirror
   download the tarballs
   start compiling
   cross your fingers + toes and hope like heck that nothing breaks.
I'm lazy - I'm waiting for the .deb packages to hit unstable.   >:p
    Posted 11:46 PM

It's a Bear market out there

I see by his blog that my friend Bear has decided to flex some entrepreneurial muscle and go into business for himself. More power to ya my friend.
Posted 2:53 PM

Mr. Rogers dies at 74

Fred Rogers, the creator and host of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood died yesterday at the age of 74, of cancer. His television show was a favourite to millions of children (myself included) for over thirty years.
Posted 10:00 AM

Wonderbread's 30th Birthday

Wonderbread_13 that is. Welcome to the thirtysomething crowd Bro! I know, I know, you didn't want to be reminded... >:)
Posted 3:00 PM

nforce dual socket A motherboard

[H]ard|OCP has a couple posts here and here about a possible Asus dual socket A motherboard using an nForceFX chipset. I certainly hope this one turns out to be fact and not fiction.
Posted 12:34 AM

Lunch with Hobbes - no not the stuffed tiger

Met my friend Hobbes for lunch today to do a little catching up. It was nice chatting with one of my College friends. The Vietnamese food was great too.
Posted 11:55 PM

I'm feeling the need - the need for speed.

Feeling the urge for a pedal to the meddle, rubber hits the road, high speed adrenaline fest? Of course you are! Need For Speed Hot Pursuit 2 is all that and a bag of chips (the good brandname CAS2 kind). This latest edition to the Need For Speed franchise is a must own. 'Nuff said.
Posted 11:21 PM

More work congrats

Just found out my buddy Hobbes got a job programming in C++ and Python on Linux. Congrats dude! I'm almost jealous.
Posted 6:43 PM

Argh! Can't see...

Okay SilverStr, you are an evil, evil man. I was just getting ready to go to bed when I decided to check a couple websites before I turned in. Count the black dots indeed... It's now an hour and a half later and I'm finally starting to be able to see straight again. ;-p
Posted 4:37 AM

Happy Birthday!

Best wishes go out to ZeRoDeAd. Happy B-Day Cuz!
Posted 11:35 PM

CONGRATS BarqMulch!

I was just chatting with my friend BarqMulch, and I found out he has a new job. Congratulations! Now maybe I can get you out for nachos and beer more often. ;-)
Posted 9:00 PM

It's no secret that I don't like Fujitsu IDE harddrives. Overall I've found them to be slow, unreliable, and generally not worth my hard earned money. Well, rather than going into a multipage diatribe on the subject, let me just say that I now have a new level of hate for Fujitsu harddrives. In specific the MPG3409AT. I'm going to leave it at that, but suffice it to say I will never buy or recommend a Fujitsu harddrive to anyone.
Posted 2:02 AM