Archive for 2013
Fun with routing… or, how I finally got my server to freaking work
Just to prove to you that even people that consider themselves tech-literate can do stupid things…
WordPress 3.7 and Automatic Updates
So, WordPress 3.7 has been released, and as of version 3.7, Wordpress now has an automatic core update feature. Awesome, right? Wordpress does all the updating for you, so all those pesky security patches get applied automagically.
Radio Station WordPress plugin is now translatable
Well, it took me awhile to figure out how to go about doing it, but I’ve finally managed to get the Radio Station plugin to the point that I can localize it.
Why I don’t sell my WordPress plugins
So a friend of mine asked me an interesting question to other day. They wanted to know why all of my WordPress plugins are free when I could be selling them, or at least selling a “pro” version of them. There are actually a few reasons for this.
Installing Ruby on Rails and Redmine with XAMPP on Windows 7
I like Xampp. It sets up a full Apache/MySQL/PHP development environment with very little hassle, which means it’s installed on just about every computer I use on a regular basis. I recently had a need to look into Ruby on Rails (specifically so that I could use the Redmine project management web app) and figured it would be easy to integrate it into my existing dev environment. It kind of… wasn’t.
Peeling an image off a white background
A lot of times, I need to remove the background from an image in Photoshop as part of a layout. Until recently, I was using Photoshop’s magic wand tool, which, as I’m sure anyone who’s familiar with Photoshop is aware, is kind of hit or miss. Sometimes the result looks great… other times you end up with jagged edges or halos around the image. As it turns out there’s a much cleaner (though more complex) way of doing this.
Cutting the Cord – One year later…
It’s been almost exactly one year since I cancelled my subscription to cable TV. It’s taken some experimentation, but at this point, I can honestly say that I don’t miss cable. At all. It has definitely been an interesting transition, with some pretty great benefits (not the least of which is the fact that I’m no longer paying Comcast a ton of money).
My first real hardware project… building a home media server
Some of you may be wondering how I spend my free time when I’m not designing websites or writing Wordpress plugins. Generally, the answer is “really geeky things”. This past weekend, for instance, I set up a media server on my home network that can stream to the Roku set-top-boxes on my living room and bedroom TVs.
WordPress Plugin – Radio Station
Radio Station is a plugin to run a radio station’s website. It’s functionality is based on Drupal 6’s Station plugin, reworked for use in Wordpress. The plugin includes the ability to associate users with “shows”, display the currently on-air DJ, store playlists, and more.
Removing partitions from a USB thumb drive
Have you ever accidentally partitioned a USB thumb drive, and then been unable to get rid of those partitions? Here’s how to fix it.
My New Favorite Apps
Some of you might have noticed that I jumped on that cable cutters train a while back. I have to say (other than occasionally missing Cartoon Network) I have no regrets about doing so. You might also remember that I purchased a couple of Roku set-top boxes to make up for the lack of cabley goodness in my home.
