BITMAPS

Away from BITMAPS

2010-07-29T14:27:00.000-07:00

As you've noticed, I haven't posted to BITMAPS in quite some time. All of my sports/baseball fans can check out my new blog, The Payoff Pitch, which is a collaboration with one of my friends. Check it out at the link.

Don't want to pay for StatTracker?

2009-04-27T12:15:00.000-07:00

So I've spent some time searching for a good alternative to the Yahoo! StatTracker that costs $10 bucks to give me realtime scoring. Thanks to my buddy Paco, I found a nice free Greasmonkey script that gives a daily tabulation of the team. Might not be as good as StatTracker, but it does a good enough of a job in reducing the effort I have to put into figuring out where I stand. It has a fair amount of categories, so check it out here. You can get Greasemonkey for Firefox, which enables you to run scripts that customize the appearance of webpages that you visit here.

Intercompatibility issues in Office 08

2009-02-09T12:53:00.001-08:00

First of all, I just wanted to thank everyone for continuing to read this blog. The past month has probably been one of my higher yield runs thanks to the Windows 7 post, though I haven't been helping it much given my absence.

For those of you who follow regularly, you probably realize I'm a big fan of virtualization and it runs pretty smoothly on newer computers. I've got a copy of Office 2007 courtesy of Microsoft and frankly, Office 2008 on Mac just doesn't compare at all, probably for pretty obvious reasons. I did want to point out a few things to give people a heads up:

First, Office 08 can't handle equations from 2007 and vice-versa. There's not really any way around this.

Second, I ran into some strange issue with not being able to make trendlines in Office 08. I haven't been able to find a lot on this issue, but basically it's just greyed out and unclickable.

So basically, if you're toting Office 08, watch out for this things. I know that rendering is still a little weird sometimes in iWork, otherwise I'd probably make the switch. In the meantime, I'll be packing a copy of Office 2007 with me.

Also, since I'm on the topic of virtualization, I've ditched my Windows 7 Boot Camp and swapped back over to XP - it just runs faster and you can't take advantage of the great features in 7 like Aero Peek and such.

Windows 7 on MacBook followups

2009-01-17T17:03:00.001-08:00

A couple things that I've encountered while working on Windows 7 Beta 7000.

1) If you're using VMWare Fusion to boot a Boot Camp partition, make sure you do a complete shut down. Otherwise, it won't be adequately configured and you'll run into BSODs.

2) Networking is problematic in VMWare. You'll need to edit your vmx file to read: ethernet0.virtualDEV = "e1000" like the VMWare forums suggest.

Good luck.

Windows 7 on MacBook [How-to]

2009-01-11T00:19:00.000-08:00

Well, I've got Windows 7 Beta 7000 working out fine on my MacBook. I don't really plan on using it much, but I keep a Boot Camp/VM partition of Windows on my computer in case I need it. Easy instructions on how to do it:

1) Grab the Beta from Microsoft. It's been extended for distribution by Microsoft for a little longer: you can register with Microsoft here . I've also put the direct links for non-IE users at the bottom of this post. Remember though! Even if you grab the iso from Microsoft directly, you still need the key that they'll generate from the official beta site. You'll want to make sure you get the 32-bit version, since that's the only version supported on any Macs other than the Mac Pro and MacBook Pro (you can go 64-bit if you have either of those). This is mostly a limitation due to the Apple Boot Camp drivers that are available, I believe.

2) Use the Boot Camp Assistant to repartition your hard drive and start the installation process. It's pretty straightforward from there, make sure you format in NTFS and follow the instructions for setup.

3) Once you're done with that, pull out your Leopard disc and throw it in. Install the Boot Camp drivers and then head over to the Apple site for the Boot Camp updates. You can use the Vista drivers plus the Multi-touch touchpad drivers.

4) Go through the restarts and you're set. To get the whole Win7 experience though, make sure you enable your Aero visual effects. This process will reset your Boot Camp default partition to Windows, so to get it back to Leopard, go to your Startup Disk settings or the Boot Camp control panel in Windows to reset it to your Mac OS partition. You're all set.

There is word of sound issues too, so you can feel free to grab the Realtek drivers to fix the problem. I didn't run into anything along my way though, nor did I need to get NVidia drivers for my graphics card to enable Aero (but you still have to turn it on).

I have noticed some problems though with my Minidisplay port, so I'll look into that since I'd like my dual display setup working. Other than that, all of the new Windows 7 features are working fine.

Edit: I neglected to mention that non-IE users have issues getting the download after grabbing their key. You'll find the direct links from these Wired and Lifehacker articles below until Microsoft pulls them down. I recommend copy-pasting them.

32- Bit Windows 7 7000 - you'll want this if you have anything other than a MacBook Pro or Mac Pro. I know this works for sure with the Boot Camp drivers so if you want to be safe just use this.

64-Bit Windows 7 7000

Windows 7 is still up

2009-01-10T15:11:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, Windows 7 is still up for grabs at the official Microsoft site after being up and down for today. I've got both the 32 and 64-bit versions. Make sure you grab your key from MS and you can use any of the direct download links you find on Wired or Lifehacker. I'll post on how well this works on my Macbook and in VMWare Fusion when I get around to it. (It's a little sad though that I'll barely ever even use W7 though).

Still waiting on that Windows 7 Beta Download

2009-01-09T12:33:00.001-08:00

In case any of you guys are wondering what's going on, Wired has an update on Windows 7, beta build 7000 for public users (without using BitTorrent). Apparently the download was supposed to kick off at noon PST but I still don't see any updates on the official site as of 12:35. Stay tuned and I'll go over how the install goes in Boot Camp and VMWare Fusion compatibility on Macs. The new Parallels 4.0 gives some experimental support for Snow Leopard and Windows 7 according to TUAW and TheAppleBlog. We'll see what VMWare does and how the current version handles it when I get my hands on the beta.

Wires and Waves - Macbook WiFi issues

2008-12-27T04:23:00.000-08:00

So I've been sitting here reading about wireless issues that have plagued Macbooks for several years now. I'm back at home, chilling with my old school D-Link D-514 wireless router. It seems that my Macbook is having trouble maintaining a connection with the router, unlike my PCs. I spoke for a little with a very helpful AppleCare agent, who tried various fixes. The weird thing is my laptop works fine on the school network. After trying several things, including DNS fixes (which I had already done), uninstalling Sophos Antivirus, deleting login items, etc, we didn't really stumble across anything useful. My wireless is still shaky. Mostly I'm having trouble staying connected to AIM or any chat client over iChat, Meebo, GMail Chat, or Adium, and then can't tell that I'm disconnected. Javascript, AJAX, and Flash apps frequently have issues refreshing information, and I still haven't really figured out what's wrong. I have a slow internet connection where I get hangs on the "waiting for..." and "connecting to...", though a refresh usually gets it going again (something I can't easily do with the Javascript/AJAX/Flash issues, like refresh Meebo). Trace routes have had tons of timeouts. Granted, my router is terribly old and I should upgrade, but it still perplexes me that none of the other computers in my house are having (as much) trouble as my Macbook. No issues on any other network so it's got to be some sort of software compatibility interface or interference. Proximity to the router isn't helping my cause though, so I want to go for the former. I haven't found any online discussion of the exact problem, but I also don't really know the best search terms. I'll keep trying to figure it out, but I'm pretty sure it's something a new router can fix.

Anyone have any thoughts or having the same issue?

Amendment: I did end up getting a new router and my MacBook works fine now. Weird though with that old router.

(Multi-) Touch my body - Rocking Multi-Touch with MultiClutch

2008-12-21T22:37:00.000-08:00

Too bad Steve Jobs didn't pick that song for the iPod Touch commercial (not really).

For Mac Users:

So I've been thoroughly enjoying my MacBook multi-touch touchpad as I'm separate from my keyboard/mouse, taking advantage of the reverse engineered gestures enabled in Firefox 3.1 Beta (scroll, zoom, navigation, switching tabs). Really great. But one of the biggest limitations so far with the new touchpad is the fact that the native OS X settings don't enable you to map gestures. Enter MultiClutch which seems to have been in beta since February of 08. Nevertheless, it works great on the new MacBooks. Go download it if you have one. It's available for free and let's you map local application and global gestures to everything up to three fingers. No four finger action here and I seem to have had some issues with the zoom-in, zoom-out (and vice-versa) combination gestures, but everything else seems more than functional. Go out and grab it (same goes for the FF 3.1 Beta if you don't mind a few extension incompatibilities).

Guess I'm a Mac now (and I live in exciting times).

2008-12-09T17:00:00.000-08:00

I've been waiting for over a week now for my new Aluminum MacBook and it's finally here now. I got a great deal at MacConnection, netting me VMWare Fusion and my MacBook (I declined on a printer and case) for a tidy sum of $1150. Apparently they were bogged down during the Black Friday-Cyber Monday weekend and fell behind but were kind enough to upgrade me to overnight shipping and get this thing to me today. Of course after sitting here all day neglecting my finals and tracking my package on Boxoh, UPS arrived after 7PM to deliver the package. Figures right?

So I've put together this quick little cluster of shots of my unboxing of my MacBook, undoubtably the millionth one you can find on the internet. I've gotten a chance to use these already, and the honest truth is that this is the first time I've felt a significant hardware difference between Macs and PCs: the multitouch touchpad. Otherwise, I've normally felt that despite the quality of linking very specific software to a limited hardware set, Macs have been a tad overpriced (but 1K is pretty solid for a decent laptop these days). Oh well, looks like I'm a Mac. That said, I think those Mac vs PC commercials still need a breath of fresh air.

First reactions:

-The packaging is amazing as usual for Apple.

You're greeted by the OS X Welcome screen. You'd think that I'd figure out how to skip it but I couldn't, so I sat through it.

Usage observations:
-So the touchpad works great.
-I had a few issues with Time Machine since I only tried to restore a user account instead of everything.
-The 13" screen will take some getting used to.
-My external Acer monitor felt a little blurry with the VGA-Mini DisplayPort adaptor, but I reconnected it with my PC and I guess it's actually about the same.
-Everything else has worked pretty easily, migrating files over and such.

I guess I live in pretty exciting times. Now I just need to write a lab report and do some problem set.

Next up (hopefully): my awful experience with Buy.com. Geez, these guys seriously.

Pay my respects to grace and virtue [Day & Age Review]

2008-11-30T15:53:00.000-08:00

Catching the Killers on SNL on a rerun (and the fact that Human is stuck in everyone's head) made me decide to do a quick little review on the album. As an aside, I found them subpar last night and better on album, though I thoroughly enjoyed them at the Download Festival in 2005.

Heralded by many as the happy medium between the polar extremes that were Hot Fuss (one of my favorite albums of all time) and Sam's Town, Day & Age is the latest evolution of The Killers (and evolution is definitely appropriate). I've found the album thus far better than Sam's Town, but I've only listened to it a few times with the exception of the first single "Human." The album is really an ecclectic mix of various styles, featuring a new mix of instrumentals and backing tracks like the saxophones on "Losing Touch". The group makes it clear on the album that it is at no risk of having all of their songs sound the same (can I take a cheap shot at Nickelback right here?)

Like many other reviewers, I found the group at their best when more upbeat, pushing the focus towards the instrumentals and away from the vocals. Frankly, I've started to find Brandon Flowers' vocals a little off since Hot Fuss. If you manage to catch a hold of any tracks done pre Sam's Town that were released on Sawdust (like Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll), you'll easily notice his change in style (if you hadn't caught it before). The lyrics sometimes feel more overthought and nonsensical (the Nile used to run from East to West?) than past albums, but credit Flowers for the effort.

That said, the album is definitely a solid effort and I'd recommend it. For those of you in the Bay Area, they'll be up at Not So Silent Night in Oakland in a week or so. Big venue though, and last I hear tickets are pretty much sold out.

Don't Stop Believin' - Red Sox Come Back Against the Rays

2008-10-16T21:54:00.000-07:00

I'll go ahead and swipe the title from the ESPN headlines since it plays well into the theme of my blog titles. Wow what a game. I walked into the Graduate Community Center tonight with my Jonathan Papelbon jersey on and people were telling me that I wouldn't be too pleased with what was going on - and that was when the score was 5-0. Before Manny Delcarmen put two on without recording an out and via the base on balls. Before Papelbon let them score on a double. Luckily, he did manage to limit the damage to those two runs and kept his personal scoreless streak alive in the post season.

Then the Sox made the biggest comeback (as they've been fond of in past years) in the last 78 years of postseason history, blasting out 8 runs in the final three frames. "Big Papi" David Ortiz finally decided to show up for the series, hitting a two-out three-run homer that trailed Dustin Pedroia's RBI base hit and J.D. Drew followed that up the next inning with a two-run homer with Jason Bay having reached on a walk. A double by Mark Kotsay and clutch single by Coco Crisp tied the game, opening up the window for Drew's game winning shot to right field to win the game with Kevin Youkilis on second due to what the official scorer indicated as an infield hit and Evan Longoria throwing error. Fan Graphs has a nice portrayal of Red Sox Nation's morale over the course of the game, via the Sox win probability over the course of tonight's game.

So where do we go from here? The Sox go back to Tampa to finish up the series trailing 3-2, and Joe Maddon has James (formerly Jamie) Shields and Matt Garza wrapping up in game 6 and potentially game 7. Both pitchers were stellar in their starts, though I personally expect the Josh Beckett - Shields match-up to be less of a wash and to the Rays' advantage given Beckett's health problems as of late.

The teams get an off-day to rest and digest tonight's game, and as deflating as the loss is for the Tampa bullpen, I usually avoid claiming psychological advantages. That said, tonight's game shows the Rays still have the weaker top end of their 'pen (Danny Wheeler has now blown two saves in the series including getting pounded tonight, despite being the "closer"). Their advantage comes from the depth of their bullpen, being able to throw out Grant Balfour, JP Howell, David Price, etc and their offense. But as locked in as the Rays' offense (see the insanity that is BJ Upton, Carlos Pena, and Evan Longoria) appears to be, I think the series will be decided by the four starters - Shields and Garza against Beckett and Jon Lester. If Beckett is healthy though, don't be surprised if we see the Sox in their third World Series in the past five years. If not, we should probably get ready to print out some tickets for the Rays to take their Cinderella story to Philly.

Uh McCain-Palin or Tigh-Roslin '08?

2008-09-04T16:52:00.000-07:00

Well, I have a lot of opinions on the McCain-Palin ticket which I won't bother to voice here since this isn't a political blog, but a friend of mine pointed out a pretty funny graphic.

John McCain and Sarah Palin really do bear the likeness of Colonel Saul Tigh and President Laura Roslin huh?

The saving grace if they're voted into office is at least it'll feel a little like we're living on New Caprica in an episode of Battlestar Galactica...

...

The Joker and the Thief - Why so serious?

2008-07-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

Wow. After tons of anticipation, The Dark Knight was definitely worth it. I just saw it on opening night and let me say that as reported, Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker was amazing, portraying the Joker as what I believe he should have been all along (and would have been if not for the comic book censorship of the 50's and 60's) - a man with no identity, no goals, and absolutely no story; simply a catalyst for destruction and chaos. A reminder for why I'm scared of clowns. Aaron Eckhart's portrayal of Harvey Dent was great as well. This movie revolves around the development of Dent, with his rise as the District Attorney and hero of the people to his tragic fall.

As a Batman fan, it was unlikely that I'd be disappointed in watching this movie, but this movie has gotten rave reviews from all types of viewers. If you're not one for superhero movies, give it a chance and go see this movie if you haven't. Now. And if you can, check it out in IMAX.

If you have seen it, what did you think?

Random stories about The Dark Knight below:
Dark Knight displaces Godfather as the top movie, breaking a decade plus streak [/film]
Dark Knight breaks record for opening day with $66.4 mln [Wired]
Interview with Christopher Nolan [/film]

Viva Watermelon!

2008-07-07T22:58:00.000-07:00

Yeah. I hate those Viva Viagra commercials. Previously unknown to me, watermelon's citrulline increases the dilation of blood vessels, similarly to Viagra by boosting nitric oxide (like other vasodilators). Nitric oxide has significant effects on vascular tone and can help with issues such as hypertension or angina. Cool stuff, just don't try using it to replace your erectile dysfunction drugs (and definitely don't expect it to give you 36 hours to choose the right time... and remember to contact your physician when experiencing an erection for longer than four hours) as it takes a ton of watermelon to have sizeable effects (and as a diuretic this would cause you to go to el bano a lot) [Discovery].

Yeah I know, this post was basically a chance for me to make Viagra jokes.

Quantum of Solace Trailer

2008-07-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

While I eagerly anticipate the movies of this summer - Dark Knight and X-Files coming up, I'm also pretty excited about the next Bond movie, written to be a direct sequel in the storyline after Casino Royale. Check out the teaser trailer here at Moviefone. [via /film]

New Dark Knight Videos

2008-06-06T22:34:00.000-07:00

Still excited about this. A few more videos on the net. Check them out here at /film.

Public Enemy Number One - Clayton Kershaw Gets the Call

2008-05-25T14:21:00.000-07:00

Finally. Clayton Kershaw is up in the majors after much hype. He'll bring his career 2.62 ERA and 1.17 WHIP (2.28, 1.08 this year) with him. Sporting an absurd 264/87 K/BB ratio in 202.1 career innings over Rookie, A, and AA ball, the much hyped 20 year-old is in the midst of his first major league start. He currently leads 2-1 after pitching 5 innings with 74 pitches and 6 Ks (and 1 BB), giving up only the one earned. Ranked the number five prospect (number three pitcher behind only Clay Buchholz and Joba Chamberlain) by Baseball Prospectus, he'll probably get his shots at a few starts, but be limited due to the Dodgers' monthly inning limit on his arm. He immediately demands a number one waiver claim in all leagues with player pools shallower than average-sized mixed leagues, with the consideration that he'll be on an innings limit.

His signature pitch is his curveball and he sports a fastball in the mid-90s along with a potentially plus change. Watch Sean Casey be victimized by Public Enemy Number One in spring training. Vin Scully gives you the call.

Update: Kershaw finished the game with a no decision, going 6, striking out 7, walking 1, and giving up 5 hits and 2 earned runs with 101 pitches, following a blown save by the Dodgers bullpen.

Bears, Beets, Battlestar Galactica.

2008-05-20T00:10:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know I'm way behind on updating this blog, but I've been a little distracted and my escapades have kind of been a little slow lately. I've been watching The Office a lot though and this still remains my favorite scene.

Pictures of Success - Gizmodo Desktop Art Contest

2008-04-18T21:55:00.000-07:00

Yeahhhh I hate desktop clutter, but it seems to be in my nature to have a somewhat crowded desktop since I often use it as a todo area. But now you can make your desktop clutter productive and get recognized for it. Gizmodo is having a little contest. Check it out. Maybe you can make Honer and Spider-Pig like they did.

Broken Toy - Laptop underwear to the rescue?

2008-04-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

This is absolutely amazing. I think I've spent hours upon hours trying to come up with a way to fix broken laptop hinges. I actually have the same exact computer in this picture (minus Borat and the underwear), a Toshiba Satellite with broken hinges. My personal fix was to stack up a pile of books behind the screen to keep it propped up, but this definitely takes the cake for creativity. A mother apparently used underwear to keep the laptop screen propped up. I've seen way too many Toshibas fail in my day, so I stay away from them to make sure I don't have to do things like this.

[flikr] via [make] via [Gizmodo]

Piazza, New York Catcher - My fantasy baseball team

2008-03-30T16:32:00.000-07:00

I'm not done making moves yet, but here's my team post-draft, their draft position, and average draft position in Yahoo! leagues. This is for a 10-team mixed league (a little small this year, but hopefully everyone will be with it). Red ADP indicates that I reached (> 10 picks early) and blue was a bargain (> 10 picks late). I'm ready for the season to get going already.

Round	Pick	Player	Position ADP
1.	(2)	Álex Rodríguez	3B 1.2
2.	(19)	Grady Sizemore	OF 17.9
3.	(22)	Brandon Phillips	2B 23.1
4.	(39)	Manny Ramírez	OF 36.0
5.	(42)	Brandon Webb	SP 37.0
6.	(59)	Jonathan Papelbon	RP 44.0
7.	(62)	Dan Haren	SP 60.9
8.	(79)	Brian McCann	C 68.8
9.	(82)	Michael Young	SS 81.2
10.	(99)	Paul Konerko	1B 104.4
11.	(102)	Dan Uggla	2B 90.6
12.	(119)	Rich Hill	SP 123.9
13.	(122)	Yovani Gallardo	SP 128.9
14.	(139)	Rafael Soriano	RP 142.4
15.	(142)	Kevin Youkilis	1B,3B 158.0
16.	(159)	Tim Hudson	SP 156.2
17.	(162)	Plácido Polanco	2B 158.6
18.	(179)	Jacoby Ellsbury	OF 132.5
19.	(182)	Joe Blanton	SP 186.0
20.	(199)	J.D. Drew	OF 222.1
21.	(202)	Adam LaRoche	1B 219.3
22.	(219)	B.J. Ryan	RP 193.3
23.	(222)	Scott Baker	SP 224.4
24.	(239)	Franklin Morales	SP 224.6
25. WW WW WW	(242)	Mark Prior Joe Saunders Justin Duchscherer Brandon Lyon	SP 229.5 SP SP RP 204.2

Since the draft, I've placed Prior, Ryan, and Gallardo on the DL, taking a shot at Joe Saunders, Justin Duchscherer, and Brandon Lyon as waiver wire adds in the meantime. I think that at the very least Duchscherer and Saunders will put up a good audition to hang onto a spot. You'll notice that I reached a little to fill my corner spots. Konerko was a critical pick since he was the last third-tier first basemen available. He should have a decent bounceback season, though I'm not expecting anything incredible. LaRoche will likely hit 25 HRs this year as well. McCann was an absolute steal, when nobody noticed he was still on the board. I managed to fill my catcher spot with that pick, even though I was resigned to having to wait until Posada showed on the board.

Right now, I'm working on trading one of the 2B that I have on my roster (hopefully Polanco) and upgrade a few of my positions. I'm a little concerned about BJ Ryan, but he fell into my lap at a real bargain and there were not reliable closers left over at that point. Keep an eye out for Prior. He was my last pick and is just occupying a DL spot now. If he remotely comes back to form, it'll be a great value pick. I'll give updates of the league over the course of the season. I'd prefer to be posting this on our sports blog, but since that hasn't been put together, I'll be making my posts here.

Surfin' USA - What's the best web browser?

2008-03-26T19:39:00.000-07:00

I recently grabbed Safari 3.1 for Windows. It recently received a lot of fuss for being automatically installed on computers via Apple update, especially after criticism from Mozilla [Gizmodo, Slashdot]. I got it on my own at Download.com and I'd say it looks pretty stable and quick - a trademark of Apple software (though iTunes always disappoints me for some reason).

Anyway, with the recent release of the Acid3 test, it looks like the browser race has only taken another step. Opera received a 100/100 score [Slashdot]. I don't honestly know all that much about Acid3 other than it's a barometer of how well a browser can handle specific standards.

More important to me is memory usage, since it's something a little more tangibly understandable. Firefox 3 Beta 4 blows every browser out of the water, including Safari, FF2, Opera, and IE [Slashdot, Wired]

At the end, I'm sticking with Firefox. It's extensibility and the coming release of Firefox 3 keep me hooked. Of course, I do admittedly have both Safari and IE still installed on my computer.

Spring Break Broke - Jailbreaking the iPhone

2008-03-22T22:54:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since my last post, but now that I'm on Spring Break, I should be a little better for the next week. Like I mentioned before, I got a new iPhone. I'm eagerly anticipating the arrival of the iPhone Apps Store and the 2.0.0 firmware, but in the meantime, I took a look at some of the jailbreaking software. Ziphone is probably my method of choice right now, allowing very quick jailbreaking. Take a look - it's compatible with version 1.1.4 out of the box. The apps installer is great, resembling your typical repo installer. All of the apps listed below are similarly available for jailbroken iPod Touches as well.

So what're some good programs of note? Here's what I have on my iPhone right now:

Games:
gpsPhone (Gameboy Advance Emulator)
NES (NES Emulator)
snes4iphone (SNES Emulator)
Tap Tap Revolution (DDR clone)

Multimedia:
1Shoot (Uses the accelerometer as a mechanism for taking pictures)
MobileScrobbler (For the last.fm addicts)
PhotoBoard (Think Minority Report with photos and multitouch)
SendPics (Email full resolution photos)
VoiceNotes (voice recorder)

Other:
VNsea (VNC client)
MobileFinder (File manager)
MobileTextEdit (Text editor)
SummerBoard (Theme manager for SpringBoard)
MobileChat (Chat client)
BossPrefs (Extended settings)
Capture (For screenshots)
PDFViewer (Yeah a PDF viewer)
Sysinfo (To view running processes)
Touchpad Pro (Use a multitouch pad for your computer

Any good app recommendations? Feel free to spread the word.

Beautiful Beat - Lucky by Nada Surf

2008-03-13T13:59:00.000-07:00

So I guess it's about time for a music review. I've been meaning to sit down and do this for a while. For those of you not familiar with them, Nada Surf is an Indie-Alternative band probably best known for their single "Popular" from High/Low - you'll probably catch it on alternative radio. One of my favorite bands, I had the pleasure of seeing them open for Guster last year in Berkeley.

Lucky, released a couple weeks ago, is one of my favorite albums of the moment, getting pretty consistently high ratings from a lot of music reviewers, though Paste cautions that they've probably lost some of their energy from past albums which may be true. As always, they mix up some mellow rhythms with more powerful guitar pop-rockish sounds. The album features guest appearances from several notables, like my personal favorite Ben Gibbard from Death Cab for Cutie, Martin Wenk from Calexico, and Sean Nelson from Harvey Danger.

The bonus disc includes a couple acoustic versions of some of the albums titles as well. I'd definitely recommend checking out the album, and my favorite tracks are "See these Bones," and "Ice on the Wing," though from top to bottom it's a great album.