Section: Blogs

Cool gadget using sparklines to show your RSS stats from Feedburner

May 7, 2007 1 min.

A friend of mine has written this google gadget in true mashup style… it uses an API from Feedburner, a service to produce the graphics, and works async to update itself right in the browser … and produces a sweet little graphic about your current # of subscribers.

Next Xbox Dad column (TMNT coverage) is up

Apr 26, 2007 1 min.

My 2nd column is up on Xbox.com, covering the recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game. To sum up, it is a pretty fun game for kids; I’d compare it to a faster paced, less scary and complex version of Prince of Persia, which is a great game to be compared to.

Looking for a good WMA to MP3 conversion utility

Apr 26, 2007 1 min.

for use on non-DRM’d files (one that can do both is fine… it just isn’t what I’m going to use it for) must transfer meta data correctly (ID3 tags) batch would be great, point it at a folder structure and let it run I’ve tried a couple, but so far I haven’t found a single free one that works well… I’d be willing to buy something but I think I really would like a recommendation in that case… there are too many out there and I’m not having any luck finding the ‘best’ one.

Renting vs. Buying

Apr 24, 2007 2 min.

I own a lot of Xbox and Xbox 360 games… some good, some bad… but the hit/miss ratio is much better for all my 360 games, mostly because of game renting. Starting around the time the 360 launched, I signed up for Gamefly and I’ve alternated between the two and three game plans. It is definitely a good deal for me, I usually only rent my second tier list of games, ones that I think I’ll like but I’m not already positive I’ll buy.

Trackbacks and URL matching

Apr 19, 2007 1 min.

I recently noticed a bug in the trackback code on Channel 10, some sites were failing to send us trackbacks, even though we were receiving trackbacks from other sources and those sites were happily trackbacking (I’m just annoying the spell checker today) other blogs. Turns out the problem appears to be in our RDF block on our blog pages. On a page like this, the RDF block contains the following element:

The 1% Incline Treadmill Myth

Apr 17, 2007 1 min.

I read an interesting and well researched article about treadmill running vs. outdoor running… The 1% Incline Treadmill Myth, and I certainly agree with the conclusion that air resistance has little or no effect on a runner at relatively low speeds (compared to world-class runners that is). I do find running outside harder though, for a few reasons… one is that the ground is generally less forgiving than the treadmills I use at the Pro Club, and two is that in my part of the world… there is really no such thing as a ‘flat’ course.

My first "Xbox Dad" column (post?) is up…

Apr 6, 2007 1 min.

It seems like an online article, but I wonder if it wouldn’t be just easier for them to publish these articles as blog entries? Brian is finding himself pretty busy lately so I decided to try my hand at writing an Xbox Dad column, and the results are up online now… Meet the Family Last Tuesday was the first FamilyGame Night on Xbox.com and the featured game, Walt Disney Pictures Presents Meet the Robinsons, has been a real hit around our house.