Technology & Pop Culture

Get Ready For Windows 7 By Using Large Quick Launch Icons

Posted by Bradley under Personal, Technology

Microsoft‘s next version of Windows is due sometime after September of this year and fundamentally changes the way you think about the task bar.  (That’s the thing at the bottom of your screen that shows the programs and windows you have open.)

In Windows 7 each program gets a large icon that represents a program whether it’s running or not.

As you can see in the screen shot above Microsoft has eliminated the text that is traditionally seen to the right of a program’s icon in Windows XP and Vista in favor of large icons.  Similar to the dock on a Mac.

You can somewhat mimic this behavior on Windows XP and Vista by following these steps:

1. Unlock your Task Bar by right clicking and choosing “Lock the Taskbar”
2. Make sure the Quick Launch toolbar is enabled by right clicking the Task Bar and choosing Toolbars, Quick Launch
3. Right click in the blank space before, after or in between a Quick Launch icon and choose View, Large Icons — somewhat janky, try it a few times and it’ll work

Now your Task Bar and Quick Launch icons should look similar to mine.

Granted I am using Vista and I have moved my Task Bar above the newly enlarged Quick Launch icons.

By following this technique you can make the transition to Windows 7′s large icon style Task Bar much easier and make your icons prettier in the process.

For more on Windows 7 check out Gizmodo‘s “How to Use Windows 7′s New Interface“.

Tags: Interface, Large Icons, Task Bar, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP

Free Pixlr Plugin Turns Firefox Into Photoshop

Posted by Bradley under Art, Internets

If you ever need to Photoshop something on the fly or require more advanced photo editing than MS Paint can offer, Firefox and web-based editing software pixlr can help you out in a pinch.

The functionality is robust — allowing you to open and save images in popular JPG, PNG or BMP file formats, use layers and define custom brushes.  Pretty much any basic to intermediate Photoshop task can be accomplished with ease.

And best of all there is no installation necessary — it’s 100% web based and 100% free.

http://www.pixlr.com/editor/

Also go grab the plugin for Firefox which saves time when editing images from the web by adding right click “Edit image in Pixlr” menu integration.

A welcome time-saver for bloggers!

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/9924

[via Firefox Facts via Download Squad]

Tags: Firefiox, Photoshop, pixlr, Plugin

TONIGHT ON NBC: Conan’s Last Show, Jimmy Fallon Starts March 2nd

Posted by Bradley under Television

16 years and a few multiple masturbating bears later Conan O’Brien hangs up Late Night and moves to LA to take over for Jay Leno on the Tonight Show.

Conan is being replaced by Jimmy Fallon.

Likely to suck.

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon starts March 2nd.

The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien from Los Angeles starts June 1st.

Look out Letterman… Conesie Wonesie’s out to steal your thunder.

http://www.nbc.com/Late_Night_with_Conan_O%27Brien/index.shtml

Tags: Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Last Show, Letterman, NBC

The Curious Case Of Visual Effects Awesomeness

Posted by Bradley under Movies

If you are as mesmerized as much as I am when it comes to visual effects compositing then you are doing yourself a favor by checking out The Science Behind The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

The website details the visual effects that were used in the movie.

Many of which you probably never even noticed.

http://www.benjaminbuttonfx.com/site.html

Tags: Benjamin Button, Brad Pitt, Movies, Special Effects, The Science Behind The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Visual Effects

Celebrate Friday The 13th With Bacon!

Posted by Bradley under Internets, Technology

Bacolicio.us does one thing very effectively.

It puts bacon on webpages.

From Bacolicio.us:

Need a side of bacon on your web site. Just put it at the end of http://bacolicio.us/

Here’s this very post on bacon.

Tasty!

(Psst, there’s also cornify.com for some extra time wasting fun.)

http://bacolicio.us/

Tags: Bacolicio.us, Bacon, Friday The 13th, Internets, Jason

Obama Font And Chia Heads Might Be Going Too Far

Posted by Bradley under Politics

Ok, I love Obama as much as any self-respecting liberal but a font?  And a Chia head.  Really?

Luckily the fine folks at Chia give us two purchasing options — Determined Chia Obama and Happy Chia Obama.

YES WE PLANT!

[via gizmodo.com, geekologie.com]

Tags: Chia, Chia Head, Font, Obama

“The Sopranos, Uncensored” Is The LOLZ [NSFW]

Posted by Bradley under Television

From Vimeo.com:

for those of you watching the sopranos on a&e, here’s what you’re missing.

this is every single curse, from every single episode of the sopranos, ever.

Oh Tony how I miss you.

http://vimeo.com/2998698?pg=embed&sec=2998698

[via slashfilm.com]

Tags: NSFW, Sopranos, The Sopranos, Tony, Uncensored, Vimeo

Hilarious J.J. Abrams Interview Brings Up Spoilers

Posted by Bradley under Movies, Personal, Television

If you have half an hour to kill and are as entusiastic about J.J. Abrams as me you should check out this fun and quirky interview from the BBC’s The Chris Moyles Show.

Spoilers, plot devices and what to look out for in Star Trek, Cloverfield, Fringe and Lost all-in-one.

HAM SANDWICH!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chrismoyles/la/2008/video/video16.shtml

[via fringetelevision.com]

Tags: BBC, Chris Moyles, Cloverfield, Fringe, Interview, J.J. Abrams, LOST, Star Trek, Video

Announcing!! The Music Event Of The Century!!

Posted by Bradley under Music, Technology

Our local, lovable robots are back at it with a special release Wednesday night at 8 PM CST.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qufa9N-fagk

Tags: Antioch Mall, NIN, Nine Inch Nails, Robots, Rock-afire Explosion, Showbiz Pizza

LIVE BLOG: Mayer Creek Re-Enactment

Posted by Bradley under Live, Live Blog

With whom the movie is named!

Awww!

Tags: Mayer Creek, Oscar