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Category Archives: Geeky

Nerdy and weird articles and ideas.

“I See,” Said the Blind Man as He Picked Up His Controller….

Brice MellenThink you’re good at video games? Maybe it’s time you went up against Brice Mellen of Lincoln, Nebraska. What makes Brice so special? He’s blind.

Blind since birth due to Leber’s disease, Mellen sharpened his skills for many years through patience, memorizing key joystick operations, and listening to audio cues. Beginning with “Space Invaders” and “Asteroid,” he now plays modern combat games. Learning to play video games without sight was anything but easy. “He enjoyed trying to play, but he wasn’t very good at first,” says his father. “But he just kept on trying… He’s broken a lot of controllers.”

Brice spends his time hanging out at the Dog Tags Gaming Center in Lincoln. Apparently, people will come in and challenge him, expecting an easy win, just to get their heads handed to them in Soul Caliber 2. With only a year left of high school to go, Brice plans on attending college. What might he be studying? Video game design, of course!

Next time you’re stuck on a hard level of Halo 2, imagine doing it blind! You can read the full stories at CNN and TheOmahaChannel.

Thanks to J-Love for sending me the original article. If anyone is interested in challenging Brice, it’s pretty close to my place in Omaha. Road trip?

Perhaps You Have Insecurity Issues…

Microsoft DancersYesterday, Microsoft Corporation launched a new program designed to prevent people from updating pirated versions of software. According to InformationWeek, Microsoft estimates that about 12 million machines in the United States and 13 million in China run illegal copies of Windows XP. In order to crack down on this problem, they have created a program called Genuine Advantage that supposedly sniffs out pirated software on someone’s PC. They require that this program be run before installing any updates, including those to Windows Media Player, DirectX, and Internet Explorer. Microsoft has been working on this solution for 11 months.

How long did it take to crack? Less than 24 hours.

On BoingBoing today, a one-line JavaScript hack was posted. All you need to do is cut and paste it into the address bar of the browser and everything works. As an AJAX web designer, I spend the majority of my days programming in PHP and JavaScript. I can tell you that we double check any security requests on both the client’s computer and on our server. The fact that a JavaScript hack works shows how pitiful Microsoft’s attempts at security really are.

It should not come as a surprise that Microsoft is poor at security. It has been plaguing them for years and has been a major concern since 2003 when major bugs appeared in Windows XP. Even last summer, the US Department of Homeland Security came out with security concerns about Internet Explorer and recommended that users switch to alternative browsers.

Oh, Microsoft….

Note: As I write this blog, I am watching NASA TV and they are having issues getting Microsoft Outlook to work on ISS. What do they recommend doing? Reboot!

War of the World’s Maps

Microsoft is at it again. Trying to keep up with Google, they just launched their own map website, Visual Earth, to compete with Google Maps. It is interesting to see how Google defines the direction the web will be going and it will be neat to see how the competition between the two creates new features.

Upon inspection of the two websites, I find that Google’s is still easier and cleaner to use. On my computer, the maps are rendered more quickly and the click-and-drag scrolling is much smoother. Microsoft’s maps do allow zooming using the scroll button which is cool but, while I would like to use this feature, it is too slow and choppy to be comfortable.

The final reason I still like Google’s maps better are their up to date high-resolution satellite images. Microsoft’s are still black and white and most are still from the early 1990’s. One rumor going around was that Microsoft had erased Apple’s HQ off of their map. In reality, the pictures were so old, Apple’s primary campus had not been built yet. Here are the maps to compare: Google, MSN.

Google's map of Apple's HQ
Google’s website looking at Apple’s Headquarters

MSN's map of Apple's HQ
Microsoft’s website looking at where Apple’s Headquarters should be

I’d be curious to know what other people think of the two.

3,2,1…. Again!

Update (July 25th, 2005, 11:15am): Woohoo! Discovery has successfully launched and is currently on route to the International Space Station. Yay NASA!

Discovery RollingCurrently, Cincinnati is sweltering at 95 degrees with a heat index of 107. Even my pup, Storm, doesn’t like to go outside. It’s going to be about the same, tomorrow, for the astronauts blasting off in Discovery.

After a faulty sensor in the fuel tank was examined, they have decided to launch regardless of fixing it. The launch time is set for tomorrow, July 26th, at 10:39am, Eastern Standard Time. All updates and the launch clock can be found at NASA’s Return to Flight website.

Discovery CrewOriginally, the major networks (including ABC, NBC, and CBS) were all going to break from their regular schedules to show the flight. Since the delay, I have not seen any articles stating they will do the same on Tuesday. If they don’t show it, you can watch it on NASA TV, which airs both over the internet and through some cable companies.

Wicked Crazy Space Videos

Water balloon at zero gravSome very cool eye candy has surfaced lately from those who brought us Apollo 11 and Voyager. NASA recently ran some tests aboard their Glenn DC-9 aircraft to see what would happen if you popped a water balloon in zero-gravity. The videos are really cool and the researchers get soaked as the plane goes from zero-g back to regular-g.

Tempel StruckAlso, by request, here is the movie of deep impact slamming into comet Tempel I. Talk about a bird’s eye view!

Discovery at PadFinally, NASA has set a new launch time for Discovery this Tuesday at 10:39am E.D.T. The countdown has already started. You can see it and all the details at NASA’s website.

Slew of Cool Stuff

I’m sorry that I haven’t put up anything for a while. After getting back from that wedding, my business mates expected me to ‘work.’ I know, I know, crazy. Anyway, here’s a buncha stuff to keep you entertained for a bit:

google mapsGoogle Maps, Google Maps, Google Maps: Google Maps has been the most hacked site for the last year. People have done incredible things with it including mapping crime and real estate. One guy even used it to get out of a traffic ticket. One of the coolest new hacks is done by a guy who used all the high resolution satellite pictures to map out Area 51. Even if you’re a skeptic like me, it’s worth checking out.

The second cool addition has been done by Google’s own mappers. Yesterday, July 20th, represented the anniversary of the first manned Moon landing in 1969. In celebration, Google created a Moon version of its mapping program with all the Apollo sites located. Be careful zooming in all the way. You never know what you’re going to find!

All Your BaseBored? Go here: Who remembers the dancing baby on Ally McBeal? Who’s spent hours secretly judging people on HotOrNot.com? Well, these are few of the top 10 web fads listed by Cnet.com. HampsterDance, the Star Wars Kid, and All Your Base made the list as well. Warning: Copious amounts of time will probably be spent at these sites!

amazonTired of Zoloft?: I have to include this even though it is a little off color. It’s just hilarious. Two days ago I received an e-mail from my friend Scot with a link attached and asking if it was real. The link pointed to a real book on Amazon.com: “How to Good-Bye Depression: If You Constrict Anus 100 Times Everyday. Malarkey? or Effective Way?” Written (poorly) by Hiroyuki Nishigaki, it describes a series of anal exercises to relieve a person of depression. Just as crazy, only two are left in stock! Even if purchasing the book doesn’t intrigue you, the reviews are worth a read!

Mathmos Airswitch: The Spawn of the Lava Lamp

So, I have officially found THE coolest light! I know. I know. You’re probably asking, “How could you possibly know that Juicio?” And I answer you, “Just look at it! The Mathmos Airswitch!” Most of you know Mathmos as the originators of the Lava Lamp. Back in 1963, when Edward Craven-Walker saw an egg timer where a drop of rising liquid signaled the egg’s readiness, he thought, “Hell, I could do that and sell millions!” Well, he did. Mathmos Airswitch

Many generations later of cross-breeding lava lamps with strange and wonderful things, they have created the Airswitch. In essence, it is a cool looking lamp that turns on or off by waving your hand above it! Better yet, by moving your hand up and down vertically over it, you can change the dimness level. How cool would it be to walk into your house Jetson-like and just wave your hands over the lamps to turn them on? Or, what if your special someone is over and you’re like, “Hey, let me dim the lights,” and suavely float your hands above the lamps? If that’s not cool enough for you, Mathmos has a whole set of cool ambience lighting great for any living room or evil scientist lab. I highly recommend checking it out.

Not Mathmos Airswitch

Summer Staples: Beer and Gas

Want to get healthy this summer? Go to a baseball game and eat your heart out. According to the latest journal of the American Chemical Society, many compounds found in the foods at baseball games are good for your health. Apparently, beer can reduce the risk of heart attacks, sunflower seeds may lower blood pressure, sauerkraut contains potential cancer-fighting ingredients, and onion battle osteoporosis. Sadly, for you non-vegetarians, the studies also confirmed that low-fat hot dogs are better for you, but they don’t taste as good as regular fatty ones. Check out the articles here and here.

Looking at fighting record high gas prices? Perhaps, you should check out the Dell-Winston School solar car challenge. Eight high school teams have put together solar-powered cars they will race on a 1,600 mile route through Texas, Mexico, and Arizona to the finish line at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratories in California. Let’s hope they don’t run into Dennis!

Don’t Use Internet Explorer!

From 3:00pm on Tuesday afternoon until midnight of Wednesday, I spent over 26 hours coding an awesome piece of JavaScript that bakes navigation back into AJAX applications with ease. I’ll talk more about this later. Instead, I want to rant why it took me so long to do. It is actually just a small piece of code, albeit a powerful one. The main problem that plagued me is the one that plagues all web developers in the world: Internet Explorer.

Unlike all other browsers on the market (Firefox, Opera, Safari), Microsoft does not believe that they need to follow international internet language and functionality standards. I am sure this arrogance does not come as a surprise to many of you. No one would disagree that Bill Gates is one of the most influential people in the world due to his money. His money, however, did not come with clean hands.

Even in the recent weeks, IBM and Microsoft finally settled a 2-year long lawsuit between the two. Back in the mid-1990’s, Microsoft used its growing influence to bully IBM and prevent the development and success of it OS/2 operating system and SmartSuite desktop application suite. And just recently, Go Computer filed suit against Microsoft for similar charges. Back in the 1980’s, Microsoft used its influence to curb the financial backing of Go Computer and prevent hardware manufacturers from using their operating system. There have been plenty more antitrust cases, but very few have the money to compete with Microsoft in the judicial system.

It is clear that Microsoft is founded on antitrust actions and bullying. Nothing makes this case more clear than Google. For almost 30 years, no one has been able to compete on par with the operating system giant, but this one small company based on innovation has done just that. By focusing on innovation in an area Microsoft could not bully them (the Internet), Google has created an empire that is leaving its rival in the dust.

The last six months have proven this fact. Almost a year after Google came out with their desktop search tool, Microsoft came out with their own. After Google began not only mapping the world but releasing its software and mapping sites for anyone to use, Microsoft tried to compete with their own products. After Google released their AJAX code, Microsoft came out claiming they would do the same.

Honestly, Microsoft just cannot keep up. Does this bigger competitor make them gain a little humility and realize they need to change their strategies? It does not seem so. In a recent interview on News.com, Arthur Sorkin, a national wiz on operating systems, talks about the times Microsoft tried to hire him. Upon inviting him to their headquarters, they tried to quiz him on technology rather than try to sell him on the company. As to be expected, he turned them down.

This same corruption spreads to Microsoft’s software. Just recently, they have been trying to acquire Claria, formerly called Gator, and well know for its pop-up ads and software that tracks people on the internet. Claria’s GAIN spyware is one of the most prominent (if not the most prominent) spyware on the internet. All major spyware removal programs categorize it as needing to be removed or quarantined. Microsoft’s anti-spyware software did the same until recently. Now, its software recommends that the user ‘ignore’ it. In other words, Microsoft will take off all spyware software on your computer except theirs. This blog has a nice description and screen shots.

I know that most of you reading this are doing so in Microsoft Windows. I will not recommend running out and installing Linux, a much sturdier operating system. That day will come. Instead, I will set my sites on the reasons I began writing this post: Internet Explorer. Much of this Microsoft angst has been fueled by my frustrations with this browser’s lack of standards and attempts to do things its own, non-innovative way.

Internet Explorer is an insecure, weak, and problematic browser. At this time last year, the Department of Homeland Security issued an official document recommending that users not use Internet Explorer. Since that time, we have even seen books written on why not to use Internet Explorer. (“Don’t Click on the Blue E!” from O’Reilly)

I recommend that if you are reading this in Internet Explorer, please download and try Firefox. Not only is it faster and more secure, it includes many more features than IE like tabbed browsing and built in RSS. It is also much harder for spyware to embed itself into Firefox.

Good luck and happy browsing!

Celebrating Independence by Blowing Up Part of the Universe

Like most geeks did on this year’s fourth of July, I celebrated my independence by staying up late into the early morning watching Nasa TV. As most people know, around 1:52am on the morning of the 4th, our space techies hurled a ginormous hunk of copper at comet Tempel 1 at a speed of about 23,000 miles per hour. At that speed, it could fly from Las Angeles to New York in 6 minutes and around the Earth in an hour. Upon impact, the space vehicle obliterized in a brilliant explosion equal to 4.5 tons of TNT. If that doesn’t beat my old M90’s and ground flowers, I don’t know what will.

It was very exciting watching the whole demonstration live as the pictures of the comet kept getting closer and closer. Knowing that the images were from 130 million kilometers from here and occuring almost real time was incredible. It was also cool to know that the years of effort that the ecstatic NASA and JPL crews put into it paid off.

Living deep in the city, however, prevented me from seeing the resulting light from the explosion personally. I did try, but the magnitude just wasn’t there with Cincinnati’s light pollution. Wild Cherry Pepsi and exploding comets, however, were a good way to start Independence Day.

As most days, the rest of my daytime was spent slaving away my shiny box that sits in front of my keyboard. The evening was much more eventful. The gal, Rachel, and our friends, Shannon and Megan, and I all headed out to ‘Red, White, and Blueash’, the largest 4th of July fireworks in greater Cincinnati (specifically, Blueash. Punny, huh?) While Richard Marx peforming was tempting, it didn’t compare to Styx from last year. Thus, we brought my dog, Storm, which prevented us from actually getting into the gated event.

This turned out awesome, however, because we ‘took a wrong turn’ trying to get to the festival. Like all 4th celebrations, you are required to park a minimum of a mile away from the actual fun. Our ‘wrong turn’, however, led us to a random street that had at least 1oo peeps camped out on it. It was somewhat industrial and had a big field to lay our blankets on. Everyone was incredibly friendly and no one had a problem with me keeping Storm off lead.

As it turns out, this was the prime spot for watching the fireworks. With almost no obstructions, the explosions seemed to appear almost over head. Not only did we have a great spot, the fireworks were some of the best I had ever seen. That mixed with great friends and a gorgeous summer night made it an absolutely wonderful evening. As Shannon pointed out, “Yay for kicking the Brits in the shins every 4th!”

Deep Impact Slamming Into Tempel 1