Ben Davis is a freelance web developer based in Derby who loves creating beautiful, content-driven websites. He uses only open source products to power his creations to show that with just a little imagination, endless curiosity and a healthy dose of caffeine anything is possible.
Ok, so I’ve finally got around to watching Firefly and I must admit I am a total convert. It is a crying shame that only one series was ever made but the film was still fantastic. Quite a rare thing I think you’ll agree.
Rather than try to explain the show, I’ll let you read the post linked to below and see for yourself.
One thing that’s always bothered me while watching it is not knowing what some of the great insults and curse words used were. Thankfully James Daniels has compiled us a list of some of the greatest. So if you’re ever in a situation where you’re dying to swear but can’t, mutter one of these gems under your breath and feel a little closer to serenity.
Evening all. Many apologies for the distinct lack of this site over the last few weeks.
Sadly my host was targeted by a phishing scam and I was forced to clean out and backup all data and slowly build it back again. This process has taken some time but I’m slowly getting things back together – and more to the point I’m ensuring the same thing cannot happen again!
For a while I’ve not been happy with the very basic theme I have on this blog. So last week I started work on a new one, something much more exciting to look at and much more me. I wanted something professional but personal, something slick but not too Web 2.0 and something which would stand out. I don’t think I’m too far off!
To make this I have used nothing but the magnificent program that is the Gimp and the Kubuntu text editor Kate. All open and all I need.
It should be finished in the next two weeks but for now here’s a little sneak preview.
Feedback very welcome!
A while ago a wrote briefly in a post that I had acquired a new phone, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic. I’m still using it and it’s still a good phone. I can watch films, listen to music, play games and of course I get access to the Ovi Store. At first Ovi really got hammered by the press, specifically over obvious comparisons with the iPhone and it’s store. To be honest, yes, the first few apps to appear where few and far between and not necessarily all that good. With a chance to find it’s feet though, I feel they’re now catching up and more importantly you don’t have to pay for all of them! Over the next few months I will be posting about some of the most useful apps I’ve found and prove you don’t have to spend money to gain new functionality – nor do you need anything with a fruit for a logo…
So, to start these posts off I will begin with Mobbler: a scrobbling application for your nokia phone which also functions as an internet radio using the great free service from last.fm.
In under a week now the highly anticipated Blood Bowl Legendary edition is released – I cannot wait! Having spent the last year brutalising a variety of fantasy creatures in the most chaotic and fun version of American Football I have ever played, not only do I want more teams to choose from I want more options for causing havoc. BB LE promises all that and more and I hope to sacred Nuffle they deliver.
What’s prompted me especially to post about this is that all BB players of the current game get a 30% discount off the price of the digital edition. Nothing to be sniffed at and a pleasant bonus for all the hard work I’ve put in this year playing the game!
With eleven new teams and more work on sharpening up the old ones; a larger bank of inanities for the commentators to spout mid-match (I hope!) as well as more rules and tweaks to spice up the game I really can’t wait to hit the astrogranite. Check out the latest HD trailer to wet your appetite.
If you like the look of this check out the official site at bloodbowl-game.com for more information, videos, artwork, system requirements and links to the support forum.
About time! This lecherous and often abusive man was barred from the off-license I work in a few weeks ago for his behaviour towards staff and customers a like.
His specific order means he is banned from acting, or encouraging others to act, in a way that “causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to any person in Derby as defined by the Inner Ring Road” (via Asbo bans 35-year-old man from begging and boozing in city centre.)
For once some I feel like some justice has been done. I think I speak for everyone when I say I’m a little sick of being asked for cigarettes/money and getting nothing but abuse when I dare to say no. I look forward to a day when I can walk into town, perhaps smoking, and not get sworn at for wanting to keep what is mine.
Just a quick post to show what can be made in around 10 minutes with a nifty little java morphing application called Javamorph and of course my favourite image editor gimp.
The Javamorph project can be found at Google Code or if you’re lucky enough to use Ubuntu it’s in your repositories so you can just apt-get it. I think it’s in the Debian Squeeze repos too.
The project homepage is worth checking out for a brief overview of how the program works and a link to a very informative pdf that explains all.
My very quick and dirty example shows me turning into my youngest brother and back again. Sorry Sam.
Inspired (if that’s really the right word) by all this new Ubuntu artwork I decided to have a little go at creating a new wallpaper. As I said in my last post I like brown, it’s smooth, sexy and natural. So, after a little tinkering with an old photo of my Bonsai tree – ‘Gemmell’ – I created this.
It’s now the default wallpaper on my desktop: could it be yours?
If anyone does like it I’ll upload the (somewhat mammoth sized) gimp xcf file so anyone can play with the colours or whatever they wish.
Anyone even remotely interested in Linux these days can’t really go more than a few days without reading something, somewhere about Ubuntu. It’s easily the most popular distribution of Linux out irrespective of how you calculate this. Be it from distrowatchs‘ rankings or just running a google search for Linux and seeing how many results pertain to Ubuntu (usually most of them.)
Currently the chatter surrounding Ubuntu is obviously focused on its next upcoming release 10.04 Lucid Lynx. However, most blog posts and news articles are all talking about the new artwork rather than any technological advances. Discussion (as ever with Ubuntu users and critics alike) seems to focus almost solely on colour. Yes that’s right. I said colour. This release will bring about quite a few changes in not only the colour scheme of the default desktop, it’s wallpaper and themes but also the ubuntu website, online shop, documentation cd covers (just mockups currently) and more besides. Which is nice. But how important is it?
Ben Davis is a freelance web developer based in Derby who loves creating beautiful, content-driven websites. He uses only open source products to power his creations to show that with just a little imagination, endless curiosity and a healthy dose of caffeine anything is possible.
