Church Of The Geek

It’s crap like this that makes hardware manufacturers even more reluctant to work with homebrew developers…

DS programmers have engineered a “trainer” that allows the user to activate game-ruining cheats.  Infinite ammo and infinite health are the worst offenders on the list.

The worst part is the trainer was built specifically to boot into the Nintendo Wireless system so they can ruin online play.

For those of you who don’t play Metroid Prime Hunters, imagine if somebody put together a cheat package that allowed your World of Warcraft character to never die and gave it infinite everything.

Oh wait, most WoW players would probably LOVE that.

Just kidding folks.  I don’t play WoW but I know plenty of people who do and most of them hate cheaters.

4 color rebellion » Warning: Incoming MPH Cheating

written by Jay

The fine folks over at Lifehacker have a soft spot for OS X it seems. In the year or so that the site has been running they’ve posted countless helpful OS X tips and software, and what better kind of software then the kind that’s free?

macZOT is offering iClip free of charge between today and July 2nd 2006. So if you’re an OS X user and you spend a lot of time copying and pasting be sure to pick this one up.

written by Jay

In the last few generations of iBooks and Powerbooks Apple introduced the SMS sensor, designed to detect sudden movement and shut down the hard drive to prevent any impact damage. SMS sensors are now standard in all of the MacBook’s, but don’t think the fun stops with hard drive damage prevention.

My first non-standard SMS application is the amazingly useful MacSaber (that’s a joke, it doesn’t do anything but simulate lightsaber sounds while you swing the MacBook around). A fun little software toy but that’s about it. If you try it out don’t get too crazy. The last thing you want to do is throw your expensive new portable across the room as you become the next Star Wars Kid.

The one useful application I found that uses the SMS sensor is iAlertU (via Lifehacker, link includes a demo video). Think of it as a car alarm for your MacBook. You enable/disable it with the included remote control (just like a key fob) and it even chirps like a car alarm. iAlertU will also activate the built-in iSight camera to try and take a picture of the would-be thief, and future versions will include the ability to e-mail the picture to a target address. All the usual input devices (keyboard, mouse, etc.) trigger the alarm and so does any change to the power connection.

And in case you’re wondering, yes, I did find iAlertU out of necessity. I spent some time at the Gone Wired Cafe today and really needed a bathroom break. I’m sure you can figure out the rest

written by Jay

craigslist: lansing classifieds

I might be a bit late to the party on this one, but uber-classifieds site craigslist now has a section for Lansing.

Anybody want a free bathtub for pickup around the Potter Park Zoo area?
All levity aside, I did find one particularly heart-tugging post. A woman who now lives in Colorado is looking for her birth mother. She was born at Sparrow Hospital in 1962. You can read the post here.

written by Jay

One of the many small adjustments one has to make after purchasing their first MacBook (first Apple ever for me personally) is getting used to the widescreen. This is the first time I’ve ever used a portable with a widescreen, and for the first couple days it actually hurt my eyes just a little bit. Not because it is difficult to look at, there is just more screen space to cover with your eyes.

A nice wallpaper makes a world of difference on these MacBook screens. Because they are widescreen and high quality they make bad wallpaper look really bad. Thankfully some quick googling turned up this gem at InterfaceLIFT and I’m now rocking some seriously excellent wallpapers.

Be sure to also check out my custom Transformers Movie Wallpapers!

written by Jay \\ tags: transformers, wallpaper

gskinner.com: gBlog: Flash 8: Webcam Fire

I certainly never thought Flash would have come this far in terms of its overall ability.

If you have a webcam that works with Flash 8 the link above will basically turn you into the Human Torch from the Fantastic Four.

Built-in iSight in my new MacBook interfaces with it like a charm.

via Download Squad 

written by Jay

Just in case you forgot, the majority of the rest of the world doesn’t like the U.S. very much.

I guess I should clarify for the sake of specifics: The majority of the rest of the world doesn’t like our policies very much.

I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have to clarify if somebody just ran a similarly sized study which simply asked “Do you like Americans?”

BBC News - U.S. “Biggest Global Peace Threat”

written by Jay

Unfortunately the popularity of my favorite band continues to grow and as a result the ability to get into one of their (rare) shows continues to get more and more difficult.

Take Bonnaroo for example.  Would I really spend close to $1000 when it was all over to go see Radiohead at Bonnaroo, when I would really be spending all that money just to see one band?  No.  I’m sure the overall experience would be worth it, but it’s simply out of the question at the moment.

Thanks to a tip from greenplastic.com I’ll be watching their set online from the cozy confines of a desk, couch, or coffee shop.  AT&T will be streaming a large amount of the Bonnaroo festival at the link below.

At least this way I can enjoy the show without worrying about… well… all the people you would expect to find at Bonnaroo (just kidding, I’ve been told it’s a cool crowd by many people).

AT&T blue room presents Bonnaroo

written by Jay

Just a quick eye candy post for everyone on this why-isn’t-it-Friday-yet Tuesday:

Citroen C4 - Ice Skater

(quicktime)

Enjoy!

written by Jay

Now that the DS Lite is out in the U.S. (and my wife has been using my original DS more than I do lately) it’s about time to head out and pick one up.  If you happen to be in the market for a DS Lite, or if this is your first time buying a DS, here are a few handy pointers:

Don’t be afraid to open the box in the store and power the unit up to check for dead pixels.   I had to return my first DS a day after I got it because I had a single dead pixel in almost the exact center of the upper display.  I honestly wouldn’t have minded so much if it wasn’t so unfortunately placed on the screen.  If you own a DS already take a game with you for testing purposes.  Metroid Prime Hunters (including the demo cart) works well for dead pixel testing.

Call first!  DS Lites are currently selling faster than the original DS did in its first few weeks on the market.  Don’t be surprised if you have to make a few calls to find one.

If you pick one up between now and June 18th you can also get a free copy of Brain Age at Best Buy or Circuit City.

If you’re looking for a good hands-on preview before you make that final decision check out this video.

Happy DS’ing y’all!

written by Jay