Disqus - Friends of chrismear

Re: Automatic Ubuntu Manual Updater

Matthew Petty — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:01:00 -0000

I like the idea of a document being treated like a package

Re: Generative Wallpaper idea proposes subtle evolution for your desktop background

Matthew Petty — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:20:30 -0000

This is a nice seed of an idea. It reminds me of the old Distant Worlds screensaver on Windows, which would generate random "planetscapes". I like the idea of a different abstract wallpaper every login.
http://www.screensavershot....

Re: Compiz-Indicator applet gives you compositing control in a click

Matthew Petty — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:37:01 -0000

Can anyone point me to a clear explanation of what Emerald, Metacity, GTK, Compiz etc etc are and what they do?

Re: Compiz-Indicator applet gives you compositing control in a click

Matthew Petty — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 12:28:25 -0000

Thank you for your concise and very informative answer. I'm a long time Linux user, but I just get confused at how these things fit together.
So Emerald and Metacity do the same thing, and you only need one. GTK sits below them, drawing the actual graphics. Compiz takes those graphics and makes them all snazzy. Have I got that right?

Re: Linux on TV: ‘The Glades’ – detectives run GNOME on a Windows-branded PC

Matthew Petty — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:18:29 -0000

I wonder if TV production companies have to pay licensing fees to use Windows or OSX, so it's cheaper to use FOSS?

Re: Spill Proof – Leak Proof Travel Mug: the Contigo Autoseal West Loop

Matthew Petty — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 12:17:14 -0000

Key question - can they be opened, drunk from, and closed all one-handed?

Re: OttLite Natural Daylight Desk Lamp Review and Giveaway

Matthew Petty — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:14:08 -0000

It reminds me of the 1953 movie version of 'War of the Worlds':
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Q...

Re: Delta Megarack Post Porter Seatpost Rack

Matthew Petty — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 12:44:06 -0000

Do you leave the bar attached to the seat post when you remove the rack?

Re: Jolibook goes on sale in the UK for Â£279

Matthew Petty — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 16:24:35 -0000

Anyone have any clue what the reference to "hetero" in this review means?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/rev...
"Kind of nice, but I wonder why it is not available in hetero."

Re: TRON: Legacy - Russian Poster. Is this a great big spoiler?

Matthew Petty — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 15:50:23 -0000

Tired of walking in those shoes, probably

Re: Mini-Vise

Matthew Petty — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 16:23:20 -0000

I made a very crude, but partially effective, clamp base using a bulldog clip, tape and a heavy tin of steel-cut oats:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/muteboy/3722264022

Re: Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap

Matthew Petty — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 16:51:06 -0000

The peppermint one combined with the scrubby cloth described here (http://www.kk.org/cooltools... really wakes you up!

Re: Window Alert

Matthew Petty — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:08:02 -0000

Is that another Cool Tool?

Re: ‘QtQr’ app quickly creates and decodes QrCodes in Ubuntu

Matthew Petty — Fri, 06 May 2011 16:16:44 -0000

A killer feature would be the ability to set certain pixels in the middle yourself, for example a little logo, and then have the tool create the QR code around it. Obviously it would have to figure out how to achieve the same content in the code with those pixels set as they are.

Re: What to ask your tailor to do

Matthew Petty — Tue, 31 May 2011 18:05:38 -0000

Item 2 raises a question - how long should your shirt sleeves be? (And don't say "1/4 inch longer than your jacket sleeves" )
I ask because I have a 17" neck, and it makes finding shirts very difficult - they always seem to be huge and baggy.

Re: Taxonomy of technological risks: when things fail badly

Matthew Petty — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:04:37 -0000

This table could apply to most kinds of system. Mitigations should cover everything here, plus everything in 5 (as mentioned above).

Re: Libya: Britain using Celt mercenaries to suppress riots

Matthew Petty — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:53:50 -0000

I was thinking more 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves"
Mortianna: Recruit the beasts that share our god
Sheriff of Nottingham: Animals?
Mortianna: From the North.
Sheriff of Nottingham: You mean Celts? They drink the blood of their dead!
Mortianna: Yoke their strengths.
Sheriff of Nottingham: Hired thugs... Ahh, briliant!

Re: Religion, vegetarianism, and law square off in New Jersey samosa skirmish

Matthew Petty — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 18:18:53 -0000

Seems there's a spectrum here (but should there be?)

1. I pay for something I don't get. Money back please.
2. I pay for veggie, but get meat. Money back and money for emotional distress?
3. I pay for meat, but get wrong (according to my religion) meat. Money back and ....?
4. I pay for veggie, but get meat (wrong according to my religion). Money back and money for "religious distress"?

Re: Religion, vegetarianism, and law square off in New Jersey samosa skirmish

Matthew Petty — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 18:23:47 -0000

I've noticed the current Nutella commercials call it a "hazelnut spread with a hint of cocoa". Nuts are healthy! No(t much) chocolate here!

In related news, Nutella is delicious, and I would very much to eat a Nutella-filled samosa now.

Re: The moral decay of our society is as bad at the top as the bottom

Matthew Petty — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:37:12 -0000

I agree, but I think it goes back a hell of a lot longer than "two decades".

Re: The moral decay of our society is as bad at the top as the bottom

Matthew Petty — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:37:58 -0000

"Sh*t floats"

Re: Internet dude named Jon counts to 100,000 (video)

Matthew Petty — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:17:05 -0000

That 80's B&W film 'Nothing Lasts Forever' had a guy on a treadmill counting to a million in German.

Re: Banksy's history of pranks documentary

Matthew Petty — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 12:26:36 -0000

I'm with Brooker
http://www.guardian.co.uk/c...

Re: David Byrne's fake iPhone apps

Matthew Petty — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:32:08 -0000

I love David Byrne.
With that out of the way, it's interesting that these get to appear in a physical gallery with some text generated by one of those funny online generators. Whereas every day, on this site or elsewhere, people create fake apps, redesign posters for films, mash up album covers and so on, and they just publish them online for all to see.

Re: Banksy's history of pranks documentary

Matthew Petty — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:36:33 -0000

He was in the middle of all the Nathan Barley stuff at the time, where one of the characters (a magazine editor) had the name "Jonatton Yeah?". I don't think he thinks it's hilarious, he's satirising people who say it.