A PORTRAIT-DRAWING ROBOT!

Comcast DVR Hack - 30 Second Skip!

Joli and I got the Comcast DVR when we moved into our new place, and it's kind of changed our [TV-watching] lives. We've found so much quality programming that the truly great shows have actually elbowed out the shows we previously considered good: no more Scrubs; no more Sex and the City; no more America's Next Top Model (a former favorite Joli's, not mine). No, now it's Frontline, Top Chef, and Wired Science.

But the DVR realm is not a level playing field. Some people prefer the Tivo interface (Joli and I both felt like we were being pandered to with all of the goofy sound effects), and others like the Dish Network DVR. I am one of the latter, simply because of the skip ahead feature. When we first got Comcast, I missed it so.

But thanks to a guy named Moe, there is a hack to solve the problem. Make sure you skip step 4.

While I am grateful for the ingenuity people have, I wonder a bit about this type of discovery. I liken it to the fact that a credit card with a "dead" magnetic strip can be changed into a working credit card by placing a plastic bag over it and sliding it through again. Who thought to try that first? These people should be placed in history next to the person who first ate an egg.

Superconductor Anyone?

Get your own HERE.

Geekologie: Cut A Bottle With String, Acetone, And Fire

From Geekologie:



"You can cut a beer bottle using string dipped in acetone and then setting it on fire. The video is a demonstration. I like how the guy in the video shows you some great uses for the bottle after you've removed the top. Apparently it makes a great toothbrush holder or place to store desk supplies. While I did enjoy this novel approach to glass cutting, I already have my own bottle cutter. It's called the sidewalk. You may not be left with a toothbrush holder afterwards, but it will significantly decrease foot-traffic in your neighborhood."

Consolidate Your iTunes Library

I can't say how many hours of my life I've spent obsessing about the location of the music on my computer. I have a relatively tiny primary hard drive and a larger secondary drive, and I prefer to keep large files on the secondary for better performance. Those who use laptops don't have these issues.

Before now, I thought one had to transfer each file manually, and I've spent a good amount of time doing just that. Well, iTunes has a tool for that, and it actually works like it's supposed to.

I'd still like to have those hours back.

Song File Migration

Snap-O-Lantern!

Tesla Coils, Mario Bros.

I can't help it. When I first got my Nintendo, I nearly peed I was so excited. (This has partially to do with the fact that it was my only present I hadn't found that year, and the Nintendo was the only surprise I hadn't ruined for myself.) I loved Mario Bros.