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Aion Fantasy MMORPG in Open Beta
2009-09-10 19:58:00
Aion is a new MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing game) by NCSOFT that is now available for open beta, but it’s for this weekend only (September 6 – September 13). Head on over there to grab your Open Beta key and download the client. If you do want to play though you should start ...
More About: News , Reviews , Video Games , Fantasy

RoboForm Update ? Online Passwords!
2009-08-17 06:35:00
I just noticed this really cool feature so I thought I’d throw a shout-out to my favorite password manager. I’ve been using AI RoboForm for many a year now and have actually reviewed it on this site before. I really love this program. Basically it’s a program that sits in your task tray and ...
More About: Reviews , Internet Security , Roboform , Online , Update

Nike+ iPod Fix Retraction
2009-08-14 17:34:00
My last post (Nike + iPod : Cheap Fix For Failure) outlined a method whereby one could get around the premature end of workout due to water (sweat) damage for the iPod Nano and Nike+ Sensor setup. Well this method worked well for me for several runs afterwards… ending in a major fail. The “fix” may ...
More About: Running , Ipod

Nike+ iPod : Cheap Fix For Failure
2009-08-05 05:49:00
I’m a runner and I use the Nike + iPod gadgetry to track my runs. It is very easy to use, convenient and it helps me to be motivated. Well, about three weeks ago it started failing. At random times during my run it would just queue the end of run recording and my workout would ...
More About: Running , Tutorials , Ipod

The Great Office War
2009-07-24 17:56:00
Here is a very cool video for this fine Friday.
More About: Video , Humor , Office , Great

Get Cash Back @ Bing
2009-07-23 18:07:00
I wrote a short post a while back about the new search engine… or excuse me, “personal decision engine” (yeah, whatever)… from Microsoft called Bing. I just ran across this today and though it was interesting. Something more to try and entice users away from the Google behemoth is a Cash Back Program. So apparently ...
More About: Reviews , Search Engines

Mashable.com Beta Fail
2009-07-17 17:37:00
I just attempted to login to My Mashable account and received the screen below. It looks like they are beta testing some new platform using Scalr, which is a cloud computing platform. I wonder if they’ll let me in the beta since I uncovered their plans to take over the world!? Hmmm?
More About: Beta , Social Network

Manage Video Clips in iPhoto 6
2009-07-06 15:00:00
I was searching the internets this past weekend in search of a simple solution for managing and organizing my video clips on my Mac. I have a somewhat dated iMac with OS X version 10.4 and I don’t have the latest iLife versions. My current version of iPhoto is version 6. I’ve imported short video ...
More About: Video , Tutorials , Video Clips , Clips , Manage

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
2009-06-29 15:13:00
I received the strangest spam comment on this blog a while back and have just gotten around to posting about it. Ever want to take out your competitor’s website? Need some intellectual information stolen from somewhere? Well, now I have the hookups! lol Anyway, here is a screenshot of the post complete with a price list ...
More About: Humor , Dirty , Cheap , Dirt , Deeds

Bing.com ? Microsoft?s New Search Engine
2009-06-07 22:02:00
Have you “binged” anything lately? If not, then don’t sweat it. Microsoft just release a new search engine called Bing, which you may or may not have heard about yet. Really? Another search engine? I thought Live.com was their SE of choice. Well, if you go to live.com now it actually points to bing.com. So how ...
More About: Google , Reviews , Search Engines , Search

Friday Song Of The Day - Viva La Vida
2008-06-06 14:00:00
This is the hot new song from Coldplay’s latest album, Viva La Vida . I used to rule the world Seas would rise when I gave the word Now in the morning I sweep alone Sweep the streets I used to own I used to roll the dice Feel the fear in my enemies’ eyes Listen as the crowd would sing: “Now the old ...SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Friday Song Of The Day - Viva La Vida", url: "http://www.franzone.com/2008/06/06/frida y-song-of-the-day-viva-la-vida/" });

Friday Fun Waste Of Time
2008-06-06 13:00:00
You know that on Friday afternoons you just feel like wasting a little time. Well, this will do just that! I stumbled onto this little Flash game that is so absolutely simple, yet so intriguing. You start with a pyramid of blocks. Just click somewhere within the field of view and block will shoot from ...SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Friday Fun Waste Of Time ", url: "http://www.franzone.com/2008/06/06/frida y-fun-waste-of-time/" });
More About: Game

PHP Script To Monitor FTP Directory Changes
2008-06-05 13:04:00
I recently had the need to be able to monitor a directory on an FTP server for changes and to then be notified of those changes. I’ve been working a lot in PHP lately so I decided to use that to implement my script. FTP Access FTP (file transfer protocol) access in PHP is a breeze. It’s ...SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "PHP Script To Monitor FTP Directory Changes", url: "http://www.franzone.com/2008/06/05/php-s cript-to-monitor-ftp-directory-changes/" });
More About: Tutorials , Scripting

Link Bundle - June 4
2008-06-04 17:30:00
Google Shell Online - goosh.org Any *nix lovers (and Google lovers) should definitely check this site out. It’s basically a shell interface to Google… on a web page. Awesome! Not An OS Tim Bray vents his frustration about people calling the internet the “Web OS” and generally comparing the internet to an operating system. Preach on, brotha! Learning ActionScript ...SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Link Bundle - June 4", url: "http://www.franzone.com/2008/06/04/link- bundle-june-4/" });
More About: Reviews

Your One Stop Shop For CMS Needs
2008-06-03 18:23:00
Are you in the market for a CMS (Content Management System) for your next big idea? Or are you just looking for some easy to use software for a personal blog? Well, look no further! OpenSourceCMS most likely has what you are looking for. This site is created for the purpose of hosting many if not all of the free and open source CMS software systems on the internet. The kicker… they allow YOU to administer them and basically kick the tires for a bit. That’s right! Every wanted to see what it’s like to run Drupal or Joomla? How about WordPress or Textpattern? They have a ton of different platforms that you can try out in categories such as Portals, Blogs, e-Commerce, Groupware, Forums, Image Galleries, Wikis and more. All you have to do is find one that you’d like to try out and click on it. There will be some general information about the platform as well as links to both the front page and the administration page. And of course the login details for the admi...
More About: Shop , Stop

Revolution OS - The Linux Story
2008-06-02 16:40:00
Revolution OS is a 2001 documentary which traces the history of GNU, Linux , and the open source and free software movements. It features several interviews with prominent hackers and entrepreneurs (and hackers-cum-entrepreneurs), including Richard Stallman, Michael Tiemann, Linus Torvalds, Larry Augustin, Eric S. Raymond, Bruce Perens, Frank Hecker and Brian Behlendorf. The film begins in medias res with an IPO, and then sets the historical stage by showing the beginnings of software development back in the day when software was shared on paper tape for the price of the paper itself. It then segues to Bill Gates’s Open Letter to Hobbyists in which he asks Computer Hobbyists to not share, but to buy software. (This letter was written by Gates when Microsoft was still based in Arizona and spelled “Micro-Soft”.) Richard Stallman then explains how and why he left the MIT Lab for Artificial Intelligence in order to devote his life to the development of free software, as...
More About: Story , Revolution

Bash Script Naming - Say My Name, Say My Name!
2008-06-02 16:12:00
I use Java as my main Linux server programming language these days and so I usually have a Bash script to go along with each program. The Bash script help encapsulate creating the proper CLASSPATH needed to run the Java program, calls the correct Java class and also passes through any command line parameters that I might need. Recently I had several Java programs that I wrote and bundled inside the same jar file which I needed to call separately. They had all of the same CLASSPATH and environment requirements, so why should I create separate Bash scripts for each one? What’s In A Name? Instead of a separate Bash script for each Java program I used a neat little feature of Linux called symbolic linking. I create in a “bin” subdirectory my main Bash script and then link to it using distinct names from the main program directory. The script then detects what names is being used to call it and executes the appropriate Java class. Some of the Bash code looks like this: ...
More About: Script , Naming

Friday Song Of The Day - I Wanna Rock!
2008-05-30 15:08:00
A good friend of mine got this song stuck in my head this week. So, here you have this week’s Friday Song Of The Day. This is I Wanna Rock by Twisted Sister from their Stay Hungry (1984) album. I wanna rock, ROCK I wanna rock, ROCK I want to rock, ROCK I wanna rock, ROCK Turn it down you ...SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Friday Song Of The Day - I Wanna Rock!", url: "http://www.franzone.com/2008/05/30/frida y-song-of-the-day-i-wanna-rock/" });
More About: Video , Music

Why Is My FireFox Freezing!?
2008-05-29 16:39:00
For the past month or so I have been extremely saddened by my FireFox browser. I’m running Windows Vista (weeping and gnashing of teeth) and it seems like Firefox would just freeze up from time to time. I had network activity and could actually browse the sites I was attempting to connect to with another ...SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Why Is My FireFox Freezing!?", url: "http://www.franzone.com/2008/05/29/why-i s-my-firefox-freezing/" });
More About: Web Browser

Link Bundle - May 28
2008-05-28 14:00:00
What Science Fiction Can Teach Developers Casey Charlton gives some insight as to what science fiction can teach developers. It is a very interesting read ending a the statement, “most documentation is totally and utterly worthless.” OpenID: Does The World Really Need Yet Another Username and Password? Jeff Atwood gives a very well written analysis of OpenID providing ...SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Link Bundle - May 28", url: "http://www.franzone.com/2008/05/28/link- bundle-may-28/" });
More About: Reviews

Should Software Engineers Be Involved In Sales?
2008-05-27 15:43:00
Or even have contact with the customer at all? I’ve definitely guilty of the “open book” or “foot in mouth” syndrome while dealing directly with customers, though probably not quite as bad as Dilbert . SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Should Software Engineers Be Involved In Sales ?", url: "http://www.franzone.com/2008/05/27/shoul d-software-engineers-be-involved-in-sales /" });
More About: Humor

Is That Randy Jackson Or Captain Kangaroo?
2008-05-27 15:00:00
I’ve never been one who has been completely up to date with fashion. Since I work from home my dress usually consists of shorts or jeans and a t-shirt. My wife and I were watching the red carpet events for the 2008 Finale of American Idol when Randy Jackson caught my eye. He was wearing ...SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Is That Randy Jackson Or Captain Kangaroo?", url: "http://www.franzone.com/2008/05/27/is-th at-randy-jackson-or-captain-kangaroo/" });
More About: Celebrity , Fashion

Link Bundle - May 21
2008-05-21 17:35:00
Managing and applying database changes with LiquiBase Federico Cargnelutti gives a quick demonstration of how to use LiquiBase, an open source, DBMS-independent library for tracking, managing and applying database changes. Fibonacci Functions DeWitt Clinton writes a very interesting article which analyzes the differences in several programming languages by comparing implementations of the fibonacci algorithm. TuneGlue: Cool Music Discovery Tool? ...SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Link Bundle - May 21", url: "http://www.franzone.com/2008/05/21/link- bundle-may-21/" });
More About: Reviews

How Do I Get Meta Data From MySQL Using PHP?
2008-05-20 19:40:00
I know you’ve all asked that question before, right? Well maybe not, but I recently had the need to detect what the DATATYPE for arbitrary columns in arbitrary tables were inside a MySQL database using PHP. Turns out that it isn’t all that hard to get. The main thing about using this method is that we ...SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "How Do I Get Meta Data From MySQL Using PHP?", url: "http://www.franzone.com/2008/05/20/how-d o-i-get-meta-data-from-mysql-using-php/" });
More About: Tutorials , Database , Mysql

When The Going Gets Tough
2008-05-16 21:53:00
The tough pull an “all-nighter” to meet deadlines. Here is Billy Ocean’s hit When The Going Gets Tough . When the going gets tough The tough get going, tough, tough, huh, huh, huh When the going gets tough, the tough get ready Yeah, ooooh, du da du da I got something to tell you I got something to say I’m gonna put this ...SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "When The Going Gets Tough", url: "http://www.franzone.com/2008/05/16/when- the-going-gets-tough/" });
More About: Video , Music

Get Your Official Indiana Jones Fedora
2008-05-14 19:14:00
“You know the hat. It’s become an iconic symbol which is, thankfully, finally returning to the big screen. Indiana Jones’ hat is the hat we’ve always wanted to wear. But the hat really wasn’t just one hat. There were at least three different types of hats (of various costs and specialties) used in the films. ...SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Get Your Official Indiana Jones Fedora", url: "http://www.franzone.com/2008/05/14/get-y our-official-indiana-jones-fedora/" });
More About: Video , Movies , Reviews

Link Bundle - May 14
2008-05-14 18:49:00
Log memory usage using declare and ticks in PHP Dave Marshall, a web developer living in Hull, England, share a really quick and simple trick to allow you to monitor the memory usage of a PHP script. Thanks, Dave! Magnify?s Really Cool Video and Image Search Tool for Blogs Mashable.com brings you a review of blogging tool to ...SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Link Bundle - May 14", url: "http://www.franzone.com/2008/05/14/link- bundle-may-14/" });

New Dilbert Widget - Vista
2008-05-12 16:25:00
There is a new Daily Dilbert Widget out that is… better! At least that what Dilbert says. You can get the widget at http://csharptricks.com/Articles/DailyDil bert.aspx. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "New Dilbert Widget - Vista ", url: "http://www.franzone.com/2008/05/12/new-d ilbert-widget-vista/" });

Friday Song Of The Day - Say
2008-05-09 07:03:00
This Friday Song Of The Day is Say from John Mayer. Take all of your wasted honor Every little past frustration Take all of your so-called problems Better put ?em in quotations Say what you need to say (x8) Walking like a one-man army Fighting with the shadows in your head Living out the same old moment Knowing you?d be better off instead If you ...SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Friday Song Of The Day - Say", url: "http://www.franzone.com/2008/05/09/frida y-song-of-the-day-say/" });

Social Network Avatars - Hot Or Not?
2008-05-08 17:05:00
Most people running blogs and doing… well, anything on the internet these days use social networks. These could include the likes of Facebook or StumbleUpon and other more blog-centric ones like BlogCatalog or MyBlogLog. One of the interesting things about these networks which I’ve noticed is the use of avatars. Avatars are small pictures that ...SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Social Network Avatars - Hot Or Not?", url: "http://www.franzone.com/2008/05/08/socia l-network-avatars-hot-or-not/" });
More About: Social Network