Here's a good website to know: http://downforeveryoneorjustme.com/
It checks to see if a website is up and running.
Have you ever tried to go to a website .. and your browser times out? And then you wonder if you're having internet/browser issues, because the website must be working.
Well, go to http://downforeveryoneorjustme.com and put the website URL in. This webpage will check on its own to see if website is up and running. It's just another unique site to know about. I'm sure you'll use it every so often!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Making an animated gif from a movie clip
Using open-source software, I was able to take a clip from a movie file and turn it into an Animate GIF file.
Software: VLC and ImageMagick
Operating System: Windows 7 64bit (XP will work too)
Movie filename: "Epv peeps rev1.mov"
Command line for VLC: "C:\Program Files\VLC\vlc.exe" --video-filter scene -V dummy --scene-format=png --scene-ratio=3 --scene-width=300 --start-time=1 --stop-time=21 --scene-path=c:\temp\fw --scene-prefix=fw "c:\temp\Epv peeps rev1.mov" vlc://quit
This will create subdirectory c:\temp\fw and place files with the name "fw00001.png" and add multiple files with numerically incremented filenames.
Now to convert to an Animated GIF:
"c:\Program Files (x86)\ImageMagick\convert.exe" c:\temp\fw\*.png c:\temp\fw\John.GIF
This will create "John.GIF" comprised of all the png files created from the video file. Finding the correct parameters for VLC was difficult because they made minor changes with each newer version.
Software: VLC and ImageMagick
Operating System: Windows 7 64bit (XP will work too)
Movie filename: "Epv peeps rev1.mov"
Command line for VLC: "C:\Program Files\VLC\vlc.exe" --video-filter scene -V dummy --scene-format=png --scene-ratio=3 --scene-width=300 --start-time=1 --stop-time=21 --scene-path=c:\temp\fw --scene-prefix=fw "c:\temp\Epv peeps rev1.mov" vlc://quit
This will create subdirectory c:\temp\fw and place files with the name "fw00001.png" and add multiple files with numerically incremented filenames.
Now to convert to an Animated GIF:
"c:\Program Files (x86)\ImageMagick\convert.exe" c:\temp\fw\*.png c:\temp\fw\John.GIF
This will create "John.GIF" comprised of all the png files created from the video file. Finding the correct parameters for VLC was difficult because they made minor changes with each newer version.
Sunday, August 09, 2009
SkyHarbor needs to go embedded
A few weeks ago I went to Terminal 2 at Phoenix SkyHarbor Airport (PHX). [PS: I'm always impressed by the cleanliness.] There were new 'Arrival/Departure' screens .... not the normal TV-Monitors.
These monitors were large, LCD monitors ... 4 monitors in a group .. at body-height. It was nice because the old TV-Monitors are usually mounted up high and you have to always look up to see them.
I was able to look behind the monitors and took a great snap-shot. Notice what they're doing? Each monitor has its own Dell small-footprint PC .. what a waste. It would be so much easier to have one monitor with an embedded PC .. and that PC driving the video for all the monitors. If they make it wireless and use a low-power PC .. imagine the cost savings (in support and power).
It's nice to find these issues ... I just wonder to who I should communicate this idea.
Kodak Gallery -- download script
I have some photos that I uploaded to Kodak Gallery (2002-2003). Now, I want those photos back .. going into each album, viewing the picture then downloading the picture. Luckily, I found a script does all the grunt work for me.
Axon Flux has a great Ruby script that easily downloads all your albums into separate folders. I modified the script based on the comments and validated that it works in Windows-XP.
First, install Ruby for Windows (http://rubyinstaller.rubyforge.org/wiki/wiki.pl?RubyInstaller)
Then install the 'mechanize' and 'fileutils' addons:
At a prompt type: c:\Program Files\Ruby\bin\gem install mechanize fileutils
Modify the ruby script with your KodakGallery username and password.
Now run the ruby script: ruby ruby_script.rb
It's that easy!
Axon Flux has a great Ruby script that easily downloads all your albums into separate folders. I modified the script based on the comments and validated that it works in Windows-XP.
First, install Ruby for Windows (http://rubyinstaller.rubyforge.org/wiki/wiki.pl?RubyInstaller)
Then install the 'mechanize' and 'fileutils' addons:
At a prompt type: c:\Program Files\Ruby\bin\gem install mechanize fileutils
Modify the ruby script with your KodakGallery username and password.
Now run the ruby script: ruby ruby_script.rb
It's that easy!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Blogger Essential Training -- Online
Learning by video is unique to understand a new process. Lynda.com provides great video tutorials for various technologies. What's nice is they've provided one for free .. online.
"Blogger Essential Training" 17 chapters on blogging .. and using Blogspot.com. This is a great way to learn to about blogging ... just watch the videos on your free time.
"Blogger Essential Training" 17 chapters on blogging .. and using Blogspot.com. This is a great way to learn to about blogging ... just watch the videos on your free time.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Google Voice
Hooray! .. I finally got an invitation to use Google Voice. Google Voice gives me my own phone number .. and that number is multi-faceted. That number can forward to my cell-phone, work-phone or home phone. And .. if I don't answer .. it will go to Voicemail. That voice mail can be access from my email.
There are other neat features with Google Voice. I can call anywhere in the US for free. From my Google Voice webpage, I can enter a phone number to call. GV will then call that number .. and call my home phone. So I can call anywhere in the US .. and it will connect it to my designated phone!!!
Here's something to think about. Setup your GV phone number to an area-code where your family is. Some of my family live out of state. So I setup my GV number to that state's area-code. Now my family can call a local number .. and it will ring my phone. It will be a local phone call for them.
It took me a few months before I got my 'invite'. But they may be giving them out now with less of a waiting time. Go ahead .. try Google Voice.
Hooray! .. I finally got an invitation to use Google Voice. Google Voice gives me my own phone number .. and that number is multi-faceted. That number can forward to my cell-phone, work-phone or home phone. And .. if I don't answer .. it will go to Voicemail. That voice mail can be access from my email.
There are other neat features with Google Voice. I can call anywhere in the US for free. From my Google Voice webpage, I can enter a phone number to call. GV will then call that number .. and call my home phone. So I can call anywhere in the US .. and it will connect it to my designated phone!!!
Here's something to think about. Setup your GV phone number to an area-code where your family is. Some of my family live out of state. So I setup my GV number to that state's area-code. Now my family can call a local number .. and it will ring my phone. It will be a local phone call for them.
It took me a few months before I got my 'invite'. But they may be giving them out now with less of a waiting time. Go ahead .. try Google Voice.
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