Scratched Chalk's Blog!

New site - PwnagePoint.com

2009-07-22T23:59:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone,

I would just like to say that my new gaming site, PwnagePoint, is under construction. This means that no new content will be posted for the next two weeks, since I'll be moving from SquareSpace to a different site manager.

It should take about to weeks, so check back then. Some features that we're planning to add are:

Custom Video Player

Forums

User Accounts

A unique template and design

And much more!

I'll have a blog post out once it's done, so you guys will be the first to know about it.

Gmail goes offline along with multiple inboxes

2009-02-06T20:42:00.000-05:00

On February 6, Google decided to add two new great features to the Gmail Labs list. Having to option to go offline and have a span of inboxes across your monitor(s).

Offline Gmail takes Google Gears into account and turns your inbox into an offline email client. Here you can do pretty much anything you do online, such as browse through your mail, add labels, draft new messages and even prepare a message and send it out when you go back online. Another great feature is that Google automatically detects if you're online or not, so it keeps everything in sync.

When enabled in Google Labs, Multiple Inboxes can display up to 8 different labels or searches next to your actual inbox, so you can keep an eye on incoming messages as well as labeled ones. To get started, go to settings then navigate to the Multiple Inboxes tab, then set your preferences.

If I wanted to see incoming messages labelled Ebay, I would enter is:Ebay (or the label of your choice). Here are some other examples of multiple inboxes that you can use.

is:starred [Starred items]

is:drafts [Drafted items]

has:attachment [All emails that have an attachment]

is:unread [All unread messages]

You can even combine these, for example you could have all unread messages with attachments. Post some of the multiple inboxes you are using in the comments, we'd love to see them!

Blog Proposition

2008-11-06T16:09:00.000-05:00

Here's something that could involve you!

I was thinking we could start a blog, and post about anything.

As you probably noticed, on my WordPress blog, the theme I use allows me to have different pages. We could separate these pages into different sections, such as computers, music, sports, film making ect. (If you have any more suggestions for different categories, please levae a comment or email me at: Feedback.ScratchedChalk@gmail.com)

Now, I would invite authors to join me in this blogging proccess, assigning them to their specified page(s) (email me about what categorie(s) you would like to blog in).

If you do want to become an author, here are some things worth considering:

1. If you are writting an article on a piece of software, for example, Audacity. You may NOT plagarise or copy someone else's work.

2. If you're embedding a YouTube video in your post, and it's not yours, you must state the link of the video and the proper owner of the video.

3. To be accepted as an author, you must send me (either through email or on YouTube) a sample of an article you would want to write.

------------------

If this becomes a major blog, I will have it self hosted, and create a site out of it, complete with a forum and some other interesting aspects.

------------------

Once again, feel free to either PM me on YouTube or Email me for questions/applications for becoming an author.

Feedback.ScratchedChalk@gmail.com

View video for more info:

Download YouTube videos and their MP3's

2008-11-06T16:05:00.000-05:00

Don't like downloading YouTube videos with a .flv extension? Like a specific song that you heard, and want to download it? Using KeepVid and VidtoMP3, you can do those exact tasks with a few simple clicks.

KeepVid allows you to download YouTube videos in .MP4 format or .flv, both are playable, but for the .flv extension, you will have to convert it to a .wmv or another media format.

As for VidtoMP3, you can easily download/rip audio from YouTube video in just a few seconds in a .MP3 extension.

Skype

2008-11-01T18:12:00.006-04:00

The free VoIP, Skype, has been downloaded over one million times ever since it came out. Now people are using it to get in touch with their friends and family, make pod casts, or even join an IM conversation.

Features

Free PC to PC calls to people anywhere in the world.
Free video calls – plus get more detail than ever before with High Quality Video.
Call phones and mobiles at great low rates per minute.
Instant message for free when it’s not a good time to talk.
Forward your calls to your mobile when you're offline.
Send SMS messages to people on mobiles.
Comes with the Google Toolbar (optional install).

Just a few days ago, I made a video showing some of the features of Skype, fairly basic, mostly for the newer group of people who have just downloaded Skype.Most of you have probably have probably already heard of Skype, but if you already haven't downloaded it, this video might just convince you.

You can download Skype HERE

GIMP - Download Free Abstract Brushes!

2008-10-27T20:51:00.001-04:00

Ever wanted to have a variety of brushes rather than those plain default ones in GIMP? Well in this tutorial I'll be showing you how!

Remove Acne with GIMP!

2008-10-27T20:37:00.001-04:00

Not so easy to do in real life... In this tutorial I'll be showing you how to do it with the image manipulator, GIMP. (Ah yes, the power of technology!) <- Geek moment! :P

GIMP - Create an Animated Signature

2008-10-27T20:32:00.002-04:00

Have you ever seen those really cool looking animated signatures on forums? Well in this tutorial, I'll be showing you how to make them!

Visual Basic - Create your own Web Browser!

2008-10-27T20:24:00.003-04:00

My first tutorial on Visual Basic 2008. This is a fairly simple tutorial, some scripting, some basic concepts of VB, and that's it! Scripting your own Web Browser has never been easier! Enjoy.

Pt.1

Pt.2

Hope these tutorials helped, more will be out soon!

Visual Basic

2008-10-21T17:58:00.002-04:00

Quick News:

I have recently installed Visual Basic Express Edition 2008.

VB is a scripting program for beginners and advanced programmers. I'm fairly new at this, yet I've learned how to make a simple Web Browser and a calculator.

You can expect several tutorials on VB Express in the coming videos.

Hope you watch 'em!

Updates

2008-10-09T18:41:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone,

I've just recently added some bookmarking features to my blog. You can now add it to Digg, Delicious, StumbleUpon, Google Reader and several social networks, enjoy!

Twitter!

2008-09-16T20:30:00.004-04:00

For all you people out there who don't use Twitter, you do not know what your missing.

Twitter is another social network site that lets users connect by answering a simple question: What are you doing? Extremely simple. You have a 140 character maximum for your "tweet" and you can post them as often as you want.

Like any other social networking site, you can follow, or be followed by other users around the world. Simply go to their Twitter page and click follow!Now you might be wondering, I don't want to look at people's tweets that say "I'm going out", those are boring! But of course not! There's several web sites that relate to Twitter and give you the latest tweets and headlines that are most popular! Such as TwitScoop and TwicPic.

Not sure on who to follow? Friends or family can't be bothered to join? Not to worry, you'll have plenty people to follow in no time! Twitter Search is the way to go. With it's easy and simple search, you could type in anything from Computers to Photography, and it will come up with all the profiles that relate to that search.

If your a FireFox user, may I recommend the TwitterFox Add-On. It lets you update, view and reply to your followers Tweets. Small, convenient and you'll be finding yourself using it almost everyday!

This social network is fast growing and one of the top ones on the Internet. Sign up for a free account today on Twitter and get Tweeting!

If you want to follow me on Twitter, my user name is ScratchedChalk. http://twitter.com/scratchedchalk

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This article is owned by ScratchedChalk | You must ask the owner for permission to copy or use the above article

Firefox 3.1 to gain modicum of privacy

2008-09-13T09:14:00.004-04:00

Of the two big browsing features of 2008, one seems to run counter to where developers are driving their browsers. The melding of the location bar to the search bar was expected in Firefox and Opera, thanks to beta versions. Chrome has it, too, calling it the Omnibar. What seems to have caught developers off-guard has been the clamor for a universal switch to stop the cache and browsing history from recording anything at all.

Microsoft's InPrivate debuted in Internet Explorer 8 beta 2, and Google Chrome's version is the well-received Incognito feature. So far, in Firefox, the feature has only been available via the Stealther plug-in, which basically copies all the features of InPrivate except that you don't have to open a new browsing window. Now, Mozilla has announced through the Firefox 3.1 status tracker that a privacy toggle will be a baked-in feature.

It turns out that Mozilla has had such a toggle on its radar since 2004, when Apple's Safari introduced a cache-avoiding browsing session. So what took so long for Firefox to decide that this should be a rolled-in feature? As others have noted, Firefox director Mike Beltzner declared that the feature would need to take a backseat to keeping the browser on schedule.

Pressure from this being a near-universal feature has no doubt accelerated its importance, although Mozilla plans to put its own spin on what it can do. In addition to turning off the page cache and the browsing history recorder, there will be no autofill for passwords and new passwords used will not be saved. Also, all cookies acquired during the session will be discarded, as will downloads in the Download Manager. Essentially, pages visited will be stored in the memory, not on the hard disk--although there's no word on if or how this will affect performance.

Another aspect of the current unnamed feature will save all tabs and close the session, re-opening a new blank browser window. When the private session is finally turned off, the older session will re-open. One difference from Microsoft's InPrivate will be that there won't be any neon advertising that private mode has been activated, according to Mike Connor, the lead developer on Firefox. The fact that you are using a privacy mode will remain private.

..........................................................................................................................................................................

~Article from CNET News~

Create a file of a certain size!

2008-09-12T22:21:00.004-04:00

This command is useful if you quickly need a file of a certain size. The command execution is instantaneous (no matter what you put for length), but the file contains only zeros.

Just open up CMD and type the following:

fsutile file createnew

(e.x - 1000 = 1000 bytes)

You can do this with any extension (.bat, .jpg, .txt)

Enjoy ;)

Google Releases Chrome!

2008-09-12T21:47:00.004-04:00

Google Chrome is an Internet browser that has just been released in 100 different countries just the other day. There are a few different tweaks in Google Chrome that are lacking in Firefox and Internet Explorer.

First of all, and I think I like this one the best, when you open up Google Chrome is automatically gives you a screenshot of the 9 most visited webpages that you frequent, just like Opera speed-dial.

On the side there is also a easy way to find recent searches, bookmarks and even recently closed tabs. Of course like a lot of other things Google, Chrome is open source, which makes it much easier for people to develop applications on it. Don't forget the speed either!

Google Chrome has built a JavaScript Virtual Machine called V8, this makes it the fastest browser on the market. Google Chrome has also incorporate the popular tabs feature only the tabs are at the top instead of below the address bar like in Firefox.

Google Chrome's address bar is actually called an omnibox and is complete with auto complete and search suggestions to help you find exactly what you are looking for. If you need privacy Google Chrome has you covered there too with Incognito mode.

This mode makes it so nothing that occurs in that window is ever logged on your computer. No more cookies to delete in this mode. So well, what is the price, well like most things Google it is 100% free. So what are you waiting for try it out. You can download it here or learn even more first by watching the video below...

Twit.Tv - Pod Casts

2008-09-12T20:16:00.001-04:00

Just a quick tutorial showing you a great pod cast site, all related to tech, called Twit.Tv. It's home of some very famous pod castes such as Leo Laporte and many more! I would definitely recommend checking it out!

http://twit.tv

Apple News - iTunes and iPod Touch update

2008-09-12T17:34:00.004-04:00

Genius playlists. Select a song, click this feature, and you'll get a playlist from your collection of similar songs, plus iTunes recommendations. This sounds like a promising way to solve the fatigue that a lot of users develop with their own collections after a few months, as well as the jarring transitions that sometimes pop up during a random shuffle session. Of course, so much depends on how well it works--will the algorithm adhere toward the same artists and genres? Will it be reliant on metadata such as composer and year, or can it analyze actual audio characteristics like tempo and key? The latter would be amazingly cool. I'll check it out later Tuesday and post more details then.

The iPod Touch is also getting a makeover, super-thin with an integrated speaker, has the App Store (games!) and Genius and Nike+ features built-in. This is really becoming a hybrid entertainment device--more like a PSP than a mere MP3 player. Still, I've always thought this product fits into a weird niche between the iPhone and old-fashioned iPods or other MP3 players. I guess it's for people who want cutting-edge technology (touch screen!) but aren't ready to part with their current phone. BlackBerry fans, maybe. They seem to be targeting it at gamers, but with an entry price of $229 I'm not sure that will work--that's $100 more than the cheapest Nintendo DS Lite, about $60 more than the cheapest Sony PSP, and--heck--$20 more than an Xbox 360 Arcade. Then again, it is the market-leading MP3 player as well as a game device.

~Article from CNET News~

The New iPod Nano!

2008-09-12T17:22:00.002-04:00

Well just recently Apple released their newest gadget, the new iPod Nano!

Now I've actually been waiting some time for this to come out, and I've even seen a leaked pictures on some forums I'm apart of.

Now it comes with a sleeker design, thinner cut and a shake to shuffle feature. Space wise it comes in 8GB or 16GB, and I find it's pretty decent.

The super-thin Nano looks amazingly cool and will probably do well this holiday. And a new 120GB Classic for $249 matches what Microsoft announced for the Zune on Monday.

Only it's an iPod, which means it looks way cooler, has a scroll wheel, is far more fashionable...you know the drill. They've put the cover flow and accelerometer from the iPhone in, meaning the Nano will know when you turn it on its side. You can shake it up and it'll shuffle songs. New bright colors, and more recyclable than ever before.

(Wow--is it smart to introduce a new product by talking about how you'll have to throw it away someday?) This is all fine and dandy if you don't have an MP3 player already, but I'm not seeing any exciting new features that will make existing iPod owners run out and upgrade.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Article from CNET News

How to Stop Windows Automatic Updates from Restarting Your Computer

2008-09-12T17:12:00.004-04:00

It's easier to get rid of than you think. Just pull up Windows Command Prompt (usually Start > Run > and type "cmd"). Just type this following line to stop the annoying screen from popping up:

net stop "automatic updates"

And there you have it! You are done!

Enjoy ;)

Pod Cast

2008-09-10T20:39:00.002-04:00

Well for some time now I've had an idea of making a pod cast.

Although I can't do it myself, since one person is extremely boring ;)

So I'm looking for one to two other people to become partners with me and host this tech pod cast possibly once every two weeks or so.

We will be doing this via Skype, so you're going to have to add me: "ScratchedChalk". I will be recording with Call Graph, a free Skype call recorder.

I will try at the most 10 people out and see if they will host it or not.

In a previous post I talked about moving to a co.nr domain, this is true, and I will be using PodCast Generator to host my pod casts on this site.

I am also allowing the other hoster(s) to place the pod cast on their sites (if they have one).

If you have any questions or ideas for the name of this pod cast, email me at:

feedback.scratchedchalk@gmail.com

What this blog will contain

2008-09-10T20:37:00.001-04:00

Well as most of you may have guessed...

This is going to be a tech blog!

Any sorts of software, hardware, new releases and especially news ill be posted here!

I'll also be looking for maybe two other people to host a pod cast with. More details on this later on.

My new blog

2008-09-10T20:35:00.000-04:00

Well here it is... Just a quick blogspot blog I put together in a few minutes.

In a couple of days or so, I will be configuring the HTML and Java of this page, so it looks more professional.

I will also be hosting this on a "co.nr" domain, so I won't have to have that annoying "blogspot.com" at the end.

Enjoy your stay! ;)