Chris Norton » Asides

WordPress 2.7

Chris Norton — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 03:55:09 +0000

I just updated the software running this blog – fairly trivial process, especially when you have the fallback of version control. WordPress 2.7 is really exactly the same on the frontend but the admin panel has been changed significantly, and for the better I think. For instance, I am writing this directly from the dashboard, rather than going into a full post creation page. Highly recommended upgrade!

New Phone Anticipation

Chris Norton — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:17:27 +0000

I ordered a new phone yesterday – a Nokia E71 – and my desire for it to arrive seems to grow by the hour. The lure of mobile email, not to mention a good phone, is practically killing me. Full review/rant once it is in my impatient little fingers.

One Year of Magento

Chris Norton — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 03:42:12 +0000

Shortly after the first anniversary of Magento, I noticed today that it’s been a year since I signed up for an account on the Magento site. Go figure!

OpenTyrian and ProtoRPG

Chris Norton — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:17:06 +0000

A few quick links for some retro-style gaming: OpenTyrian, an SDL port of the classic Tyrian game, and ProtoRPG, a web-based RPG using the Prototype and Script.aculo.us.

Super Mario in 14kB Javascript

Chris Norton — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 23:50:22 +0000

Super Mario in 14kB Javascript. Very impressive little browser game that recreates some of the first Super Mario game.

QuickBooksForum

Chris Norton — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:59:49 +0000

If anyone is interested in discussing the Australian versions of QuickBooks then check out QuickBooksForum.com.au which was recently launched by Fontis.

Speed Is Relative

Chris Norton — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:27:31 +0000

You wanna know how to tell if you’re downloading a slow torrent? I now get excited when it tops 1.0 kbps. There’s only about 5MB left but I’m starting to think it would be quicker to swim to the single person seeding and ask them to just copy the file onto a disk for me. That or wait for continental drift to create Neo-pangaea so I can just walk.

The Station Formerly Known As

Chris Norton — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:38:47 +0000

I quite like the new styling of Spencer Street Station, I think the renovations were long overdue and the whole station is much easier to navigate. What baffles me is the name change. “Southern Cross Station”? I’m pretty sure having the street name is far less confusing for everyone and allows us all a little more alliteration in our lives. Still, what’s more puzzling that original change is the fact that they can’t seem to ditch the original name! See, it turns out that all the signs read “Southern Cross formerly Spencer Street”. So what was the point of the name change?

I predict that within 10 years time it will be renamed “The Station”, only to realise that’s idiotic and change back to “Spencer Street”.

Keyboards

Chris Norton — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 05:14:31 +0000

I just bought a new keyboard/mouse combo today to act as inputs for my laptop when I’m at work. I went with the Microsoft Wired Desktop 500 set and it’s pretty nice. There is one, glaring, problem though: the keyboard has a PS/2 connector. Pretty useless on a laptop that doesn’t have a PS/2 port!

Why Microsoft would even make non-USB keyboards anymore? I guess I should have gone for the more expensive wireless set. At least the mouse is usable.

New Haruhi Suzumiya Season Details

Chris Norton — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 11:21:04 +0000

The next season of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya has had some details posted, including a hint as to which plots will be covered from the light novels. In typical “hardcore fan” style there are a few hoops to jump through to get to the information (which adds to the fun) but if you don’t understand Japanese it’s slightly difficult. Thankfully the ANN post reveals the details for us English-speaking fans. I’m now officially excited about the next season!