By default, the name of the application shown on the iPhone Home screen (below the icon) is the same as the project name. This will suffice in many cases, however, chances are the day will come when you’ll need to specify a different application name.
Changing the name is as simple as updating the Bundle Display [...]
Monthly Archives: February 2009
Changing Application Name on Home Screen
Posted on February 25, 2009
XML Notepad 2007 is a Simple, Smart Editor for Web Code [Downloads]
Posted on February 24, 2009
Windows only: If you’re delving into XML programming for the first time, or want to tweak a few software files, Microsoft’s XML Notepad 2007 may be the no-nonsense editor you’re looking for.
It's not a beginner's tool due to lack of features or context—we're just assuming that most full-time or experienced programmers have their own platform preference for editing all sorts of code. XML Notepad 2007 is themed around the same kind of just-the-text-ma'am simplicity of Windows' Notepad, but does add relevant features for markup language hacking.
The left-hand pane breaks an XML document into a tree view of classes, tags, and their key values. All the text is color-matched to its identifier on the left, and writing in Tree View allows you to leave all the tag containers behind. If you want to see what your raw XML looks like, click “XSL Output,” and you’ll see what Internet Explorer would see when checking out the file. Copying and pasting are modified to ensure the nodes you shuffle around keep their contexts, and, well, that’s about it for basic features. There’s more to find in XML Notepad, but nothing more is required to get started.
XML editing gives one all kinds of powers over a system. We’ve detailed how XML tweaking can get your Firefox passwords into KeePass, help you roll your own timeline, and, to get your next level-up, build your own Firefox extension.
XML Notepad 2007 is a free download for Windows systems only.
XML Notepad [via Online Tech Tips]
Projective transformation and perspective in Javascript
Posted on February 24, 2009
Javascript only supports affine transformations in the Canvas element. In plain English, this means you have control over simple transformations like rotation, scale, and skew. Rendering something with perspective, however, involves a projective transformation and there are no 3D transformation operations within the official Canvas spec to support this sort of thing.
Steven Wittens hacked some code to bypass this limitation and approximate projection transformations. It works by chopping up the source image into several pieces and applying affine transformations to each of the pieces to approximate their projected size and position. If the slices are small enough, it’s barely noticeable.
Perspective views are described by so-called projective transforms, which Canvas2D does not support. However, it does support arbitrary clipping masks as well as affine transforms of both entire and partial images. These can be used to do a fake projective transform: you cut up your textured surface into a bunch of smaller patches (which are almost-affine) and render each with a normal affine transform. Of course you need to place the patches just right, so as to cover any possible gaps. As long as the divisions are small enough, this looks convincingly 3D.
This technique is used in everything from Flash 3D engines to texturing in some PC and console games, but I’m impressed to see it functioning so well in Javascript.
82 – Duane’s Steamer Trunk Pt. 1
Posted on February 23, 2009
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On to our next project: a steamer trunk. This project was built and filmed in an effort to assist my new friend, Duane. The video gives the whole story. And here is a forum thread about the project: Wood Whisperer Forum
This first part focuses on building the frames that make up the sides of the trunk case. I cover numerous topics, but I spend a significant amount of time on grain matching. And since I don’t work with plans on the show very often, I thought it would be good to review some tips, tricks, and overall strategy for working with plans. I am incorporating a few notable changes to the original plan. First is the joinery of the corner “legs”. I will be using a rabbet instead of a reinforced miter. The second, and most dramatic change is the top. The plan calls for an arched top, and I have opted for a square top.
For the Sketchup File of the new revised top, click here. For a PDF version of the new top, click here.
And if you would like to donate to the cause, please check out the following links:
American Cancer Society
James Cancer Center
If you are interested in Lee Valley’s side rabbet plane, check this out.
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Steamer Trunk Plan and Hardware This plan shows you how to build your very own classic trunk… |
Related Posts
- March 5, 2009 — 83 – Duane’s Steamer Trunk Pt. 2
- July 5, 2007 — 20- One Small Step
- May 15, 2007 — Finishing Quartersawn White Oak- Question of the Week
Declutter Your Home with a Detailed Inventory [Clutter]
Posted on February 23, 2009
A detailed home inventory serves an important purpose, giving you something to show your insurance company in the event of theft or damage. As Apartment Therapy points out, a home inventory is also a great decluttering tool.
Photo by yenna.
The post provides a two-part guide to home inventory. The first part explains how to make a good inventory, from spreadsheet creation to recording items with your digital camera. Whether or not this is your first home inventory, we’d recommend trying out previously mentioned Know Your Stuff, a free application for Windows and OS X that dedicated to creating home inventories.
After you’ve inventoried your stuff, the post suggests that many of us, when faced with all of our belongings, realize we have way too much stuff. That’s when the decluttering begins.
Go through your list, room-by-room, and ask yourself how many of each item you really need. Highlight each item that can be reduced. You may realize that you only need five t-shirts instead of fifteen, two sets of sheets instead of four, or one frying pan instead of three.
Whether or not you get any serious decluttering done using this method, you’ll still come out on top with your new home inventory. Good on you!
How To: Make an Inventory of Your Home… And Use It to Declutter [Apartment Therapy]
Bubbles in my Finish? Viewer Question
Posted on February 23, 2009
This week’s question comes from Zac who asks; “I am sealing a door I stained and I keep getting these little bitty air bubbles. I can sand them off, but they keep coming back. What do I do?”
And my response was: “Hey Zac. Bubbles can come from a few different sources. One can be the wood itself. The pores and pockets on the surface of open pored woods like oak and ash can sometimes trap air, which wants to bubble out after you coat it with finish. You can also introduce air into the finish if there is a lot of air in your brush (if you are brushing). Letting the brush soak in your solvent for a while before using it and being careful not to agitate the brush too much will help quite a bit. Bad brushing technique will also lead to bubbles. So depending on what you are using and how you are using it, the culprit could be a number of things. One of the best ways I know to prevent bubbles is to wipe the finish on with a rag instead of using a brush. You will need to dilute the finish about 50% with mineral spirits or naptha, and as a result, you’ll have to apply more coats. But its well worth it for the smooth finish you’ll get in return. Good luck!
Related Posts
- January 26, 2009 — Natural Looking Finish? – Viewer Question
- October 20, 2008 — Difference Between Spar Varnish and Regular Varnish? – Question of the Week
- January 19, 2009 — Wipe or Blow Dust Off? – Question of the Week
Enigma Desktop 2.0 Released, Adds Installer, Widget Manager, and Templates [Downloads]
Posted on February 23, 2009
Windows only: Reader Kaelri, well-known for his killer Enigma desktop, has released a new version complete with an installer—making this amazing desktop customization easy enough for anybody to install.
The latest update includes features geared at beginners—the new welcome dialog in the middle of the screenshot adds widgets to your desktop which can be easily dragged around the screen—making customizations easier than ever. The full list of new features includes:
- EXE Installer
– GUI widget manager.
– Template configs – usable right out of the box.
– Black & white variants for every widget.
– Individual story links for the RSS Reader.
– Show/hide button for Sidebar.
– New mail indicator for Gmail Icon.
Getting started with Enigma is simplified down to just a couple of steps, detailed in the included instructions:
1. Download and install Rainmeter. (www.ipi.fi/~rainy/legacy.html)
2. Run EnigmaSetup2.0.exe to install the theme to Rainmeter. (Make sure Rainmeter isn’t running while you do this.)
3. OPTIONAL: Choose one of the files in “Templates.” Replace C:Program FilesRainmeterRainmeter.ini and replace it with your desired template. (Make sure Rainmeter isn’t running while you do this.)
4. Run Rainmeter.
The full package includes fonts, AutoHotkey scripts, and multiple templates to get you started. Kaelri recommends also installing either the NOOTO, CleanGlass, or SlanXP visual styles for Windows to match the Enigma look. Don’t know how? Follow our guide to installing custom themes. Great work, Kaelri!
Enigma is a free download for Windows users only. Linux users can check out the previously previously mentioned Enigma for Linux.
Enigma Desktop 2.0 [via Flickr]
Five Best Live CDs [Hive Five]
Posted on February 22, 2009
Live CDs (and DVDs) are versatile tools, allowing you to boot into an operating system without installing anything to your hard drives. Let’s take a closer look at the five most popular live CDs.
Photo by bulinna.
Earlier this week we asked you to tell us which live CD was your favorite. After tallying the votes we’re back to share the top five contenders. The following tools are unique compared to many of our software Hive Fives in that they are entirely independent of the main operating system installed on the computer. Live CDs load into the memory and allow you to use operating systems and accompanying tools without having to perform a permanent installation on the machine.
Knoppix
Knoppix is a Debian-based Linux distribution and one of the first Linux live CDs that was available. While the Knoppix distribution is packed with open-source goodness, one of the most popular uses for Knoppix is recovering files from damaged drives. To that end Knoppix is packed with open-source applications for testing disk integrity, recovering files, reading corrupted drives, and more. There are a total of 2,000 programs packed into the disc covering everything from disc recovery to media playback.
Ultimate Boot CD 4 Windows
The Ultimate Boot CD 4 Windows has a familiar interface. If you’re a Windows user, booting into a copy of Linux to get work done could be disorienting. The Ultimate Boot CD 4 Windows uses your Windows installation discs (only Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 are officially supported) to create a bootable version of Windows contained on a disc. Tons of quality Windows-based tools are included in the custom disc covering everything from backing up and cloning your discs to running diagnostics to partitioning and recovering data. Many of the tools on the disc are tools you may already be somewhat acquainted with, like UltraVNC, Recuva, and CCleaner. If you’re looking for a well packed toolbox that keeps you firmly planted in a comfortable Windows environment, The Ultimate Boot CD 4 Windows is an excellent choice.
Puppy Linux
Puppy Linux belongs to the family of ultra small linux distributions. Weighing in at under 100MB, it can easily be loaded on everything from a CD to a USB drive. The user interface is friendly even for a non-Linux user, and the basic tools you need for partitioning and file recovery are readily available—although it's just as great for web browsing and basic computing. Puppy Linux also has a rather handy feature: If you burn it to a re-writable CD, you can save your user settings for your next session.
BackTrack
BackTrack isn’t going to help you recover your lost vacation pictures, but it will make sure nobody can get into your network to steal them. Packed with 300 tools covering everything from packet sniffing to hot spot probing to brute force password attacks, BackTrack is live CD designed to facilitate penetration testing of computers and networks. Deployed by a skilled user, BackTrack will leave no corner of your computer and network security un-poked, scanned, prodded, and analyzed. If BackTrack was your friend, he’d be the friend who responded to you bragging about how secure your new house was by throwing a brick through the front window to prove otherwise. (You have weird friends.)
Ubuntu
Ubuntu's enormous popularity as the mainstream Linux distribution certainly helps bolster its rank among live CDs. Many a new user to Ubuntu has messed around with the operating system using a live CD before using that very same live CD to install the full operating system. Even if you don't intend to do a full install, just like Puppy Linux you can do all manner of computing tasks without leaving a trace on the computer you're using. The Ubuntu live CD comes packed with Open Office, Firefox, Pidgin, the BitTorrent client Transmission, and the open source image editor GIMP—a decent stable of tools for using Ubuntu as a portable computing platform.
Now that you’ve seen the top five, it’s time to vote on your favorite. Which live CD is the king of the bootable media?
The following live CDs are worthy of honorary mention: Ophcrack is an extremely efficient rainbow-table based Windows password cracker (here’s how it works). Hiren’s Boot CD is a DOS-based boot disk that is absolutely packed with utilities like Partition Magic, Disk Director Suite, and Norton Ghost. A final nod goes to Gparted, a tool incorporated into many of the above live CDs. GParted is robust disk partitioning tool for creating, destroying, organizing and mirroring hard disks.
The five and accompanying honorable mentions merely reflect the most popular portion of the live CD based tools out there. If you have a tip, trick or tool to add to the heap, sound off in the comments below.
The 10 Most and Least Affordable Cities in the US [Saving Money]
Posted on February 20, 2009
The National Association of Home Builders has released their Housing Opportunity Index covering the most and least affordable cities in the country. Here’s a quick rundown of the top 10 metropolitan areas with a population over 500,000.
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Ten Least Affordable Cities
1. New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ
2. San Francisco-San mateo-Redwood City, CA
3. Nassau-Suffolk, NY
4. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA
5. Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL
6. Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA
7. El Paso, TX
8. Newark-Union, NJ-PA
9. Honolulu, HI
10. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA
Ten Most Affordable Cities
1. Indianapolis-Carmel, IN
2. Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI
3. Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA
4. Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, MI
5. Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI
6. Syracuse, NY
7. Dayton, OH
8. Akron, OH
9. Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH
10. Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA
If the big city isn’t your thing, you may be more interested in checking into the most and least affordable cities under 500,000:
Ten Least Affordable Cities with a Population Under 500,000
1. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
2. Ocean City, NJ
3. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
4. Napa, CA
5. Flagstaff, AZ
6. Medford, OR
7. Bend, OR
8. Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA
9. St. George, UT
10. Laredo, TX
Ten Most Affordable Cities with a Population Under 500,000
1. Lansing-East Lansing, MI
2. Sandusky, OH
3. Lima, OH
4. Springfield, OH
5. Bay City, MI
6. Battle Creek, MI
7. Canton-Massillon, OH
8. Saginaw-Saginaw Township North, MI
9. Utica-Rome, NY
10. Binghamton, NY
For more fun stats brought to you by NAHB and Wells Fargo, be sure to head to the official Housing Opportunity Index page below. For a slightly different take, check out last year’s guide to the best US cities to live, work, and play. Let’s hear how the NAHB’s list matches up to your expectations (good god, Ohio!) in the comments.
CraigsList Reader Searches the Depths of Craigslist [Downloads]
Posted on February 20, 2009
Windows only: You can get amazing deals on Craigslist, but you won’t save any cash if you can’t find the bargains. CraigsList Reader lets you deep-search multiple Craigslist location to find the loot.
We’ve shown you ways to go beyond the basic Craigslist search, including searching all of Craigslist at one time. CraigsList Reader (their unnecessary capitalization, not ours) is, by far, the most thorough Craigslist tool for searching we've ever reviewed. You can search every listing in every city, fine-tuned by region, state, and city. You can drill down to search just for jobs, jobs by type, items for sale, items with pictures, price ranges—in other words, your OCD tendencies are amply rewarded. You can set up desktop notifications based on specific search variables. So if you're looking for freelance graphic design jobs or aquariums for sale in your region, here's the place to save time on doing so.
A bit of advice for searching: be specific and make sure to narrow your categories and location if applicable. CraigsList Reader is a very thorough program, and if you search for a generic term with the filter wide open, it’ll take a chunk of time to return all 94,294 results for “garage sale”.
CraigsList Reader is freeware, Windows only and requires the Microsoft .NET Framework. For strategies on getting the upper hand using this app, or just the website, check our in-depth guide to taking advantage of Craigslist during a recession.
CraigsList Reader [via MakeUseOf]