Chris McLeod

Chris McLeod http://chrismcleod.net A Bunch of Collected Thoughts posterous.com Mon, 26 Sep 2011 07:23:58 -0700 Fixing Last.fm Tumblr with IFTTT http://chrismcleod.net/fixing-lastfm-tumblr-with-ifttt http://chrismcleod.net/fixing-lastfm-tumblr-with-ifttt

Lastfm_tumblr

When Tumblr rolled out a new version of their site in July they broke the popular Last.fm Tumblr service by Joe Lazerus, for those of us who didn't previously have it enabled. This made me sad. So using a new(ish) service called If This Then That, I fixed it!

What to do:

Set your Last.fm tumblr feed up as previous, using Yahoo Pipes.
Sign up to IFTTT. Activate the Tumblr and RSS channels.
Copy this recipe, and enter the URL to your Yahoo Pipe RSS feed.
Sit back and wait for Sunday.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1478466/261017_556188059_977507205_q.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiSa9MKxnr Chris McLeod Chris Chris McLeod Mon, 26 Sep 2011 04:28:00 -0700 Switching from a Chair to an Exercise Ball http://chrismcleod.net/switching-from-a-chair-to-an-exercise-ball http://chrismcleod.net/switching-from-a-chair-to-an-exercise-ball

Over the last few days I've experimented with replacing my usual home desk chair with an exercise ball.

There were 2 main reasons why I've given the ball a try: 1) posture - I noticed I have a terrible habit of 'slumping' when sitting in my usual chair; 2) health + exercise - sitting on an unstable surface engages most of your 'core' muscles to keep you balanced... plus, sitting still is killing you.

So far the experiment has been rather uncomfortable. Right now my mid and lower back is aching (though not really sore) due to my spine being forced to adopt the "proper" posture rather than the more relaxed one it is used to. Other than that, there are a few other niggles, such as it's hard to adjust your sitting position due to the friction of the rubberised surface on jeans/more difficult to move your 'chair' closer to the desk. I'm determined to stick it out though. The biggest issue I've had has been getting the ball to the correct inflation. It's been trial and error, and I'm not 100% I'm there yet, but I'm getting closer. Too little and the ball is 'squidgy' and more akin to a bean bag; too much and it's more uncomfortable, and more unstable.

I may wind up buying a larger ball. Exercise balls tend to come in one of three sizes: 55cm, 65cm, and 75cm. I went with 65cm as it was the most common, and an online chart indicated it was the correct size for my height, but it's maybe a fraction too small. Perhaps if my home desk lowered like my desk at the office it wouldn't bee too bad, but right now my mid forearms have a tendancy to rest on the edge of the desk, running the risk of pain in the elbows and wrists.

It's too early in my experiment to confirm any of the supposed health benefits, but for such a simple (and cheap) change it's got to be worth a shot!

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1478466/261017_556188059_977507205_q.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiSa9MKxnr Chris McLeod Chris Chris McLeod Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:05:00 -0700 Cult of Done Manifesto: a name for my disease – Boing Boing http://chrismcleod.net/cult-of-done-manifesto-a-name-for-my-disease http://chrismcleod.net/cult-of-done-manifesto-a-name-for-my-disease

fail fast and often, get stuff done, get more stuff done, fail some more, learn, blow something up, fail, learn, do more stuff, do more stuff, do more stuff.

via boingboing.net

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1478466/261017_556188059_977507205_q.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiSa9MKxnr Chris McLeod Chris Chris McLeod Sun, 18 Sep 2011 08:30:00 -0700 A REAL First World Problem... http://chrismcleod.net/a-real-first-world-problem http://chrismcleod.net/a-real-first-world-problem

Portal

FML indeed.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1478466/261017_556188059_977507205_q.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiSa9MKxnr Chris McLeod Chris Chris McLeod Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:25:00 -0700 Forget the Standing Desk; You Just Need to Move Regularly http://chrismcleod.net/forget-the-standing-desk-you-just-need-to-mov http://chrismcleod.net/forget-the-standing-desk-you-just-need-to-mov

Sitting at your desk all day is killing you whether or not you exercise, which is why so many people are building standing desks. But the ergonomics team at Cornell University points out that standing also has its problems. Their suggestion: Just make a point to get off your butt regularly.

via lifehacker.com

I should pay attention to this, but as a certified geek, it's all too easy to get sucked into something and loose hours at a time...

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1478466/261017_556188059_977507205_q.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiSa9MKxnr Chris McLeod Chris Chris McLeod Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:22:00 -0700 Sitting is Killing You http://chrismcleod.net/sitting-is-killing-you http://chrismcleod.net/sitting-is-killing-you

Sitting-is-killing-you-450x3105

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1478466/261017_556188059_977507205_q.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiSa9MKxnr Chris McLeod Chris Chris McLeod Thu, 15 Sep 2011 12:51:00 -0700 Heroku | Facebook and Heroku http://chrismcleod.net/heroku-facebook-and-heroku http://chrismcleod.net/heroku-facebook-and-heroku

Facebook and Heroku have teamed up to bring you the fastest and easiest way to get your own Facebook app up and running in the cloud.

via blog.heroku.com

I need to catch up with Heroku. Last I checked they only did Ruby, but now it seems they're supporting at least Node.js, Python and Ruby as well.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1478466/261017_556188059_977507205_q.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiSa9MKxnr Chris McLeod Chris Chris McLeod Thu, 15 Sep 2011 12:49:00 -0700 Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: Pagination with rel=“next” and rel=“prev” http://chrismcleod.net/official-google-webmaster-central-blog-pagina http://chrismcleod.net/official-google-webmaster-central-blog-pagina

Much like rel=”canonical” acts a strong hint for duplicate content, you can now use the HTML link elements rel=”next” and rel=”prev” to indicate the relationship between component URLs in a paginated series. Throughout the web, a paginated series of content may take many shapes—it can be an article divided into several component pages, or a product category with items spread across several pages, or a forum thread divided into a sequence of URLs.

via googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com

I've been wondering why they haven't been doing this for the last 4-5 years...

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1478466/261017_556188059_977507205_q.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiSa9MKxnr Chris McLeod Chris Chris McLeod Thu, 15 Sep 2011 12:47:00 -0700 "Just The Beginning": Google Plus API Made Available To Developers http://chrismcleod.net/just-the-beginning-google-plus-api-made-avail http://chrismcleod.net/just-the-beginning-google-plus-api-made-avail

The time has come for outside applications built on the Google Plus platform. With this release, Google has laid out its policies for independent developers, which it summarizes with three simple principles: "put the user first, be transparent, and respect user data." And with that, off to the races.

via readwriteweb.com

About time, really. Launching without a public API nowadays is a major oversight IMO.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1478466/261017_556188059_977507205_q.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiSa9MKxnr Chris McLeod Chris Chris McLeod Thu, 08 Sep 2011 05:44:09 -0700 New t-shirt :) http://chrismcleod.net/new-t-shirt http://chrismcleod.net/new-t-shirt

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Taken with picplz in Aberdeen City.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1478466/261017_556188059_977507205_q.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiSa9MKxnr Chris McLeod Chris Chris McLeod Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:10:00 -0700 More Procreate Experiments http://chrismcleod.net/more-procreate-experiments http://chrismcleod.net/more-procreate-experiments

See the full gallery on Posterous

Yeah, so I'm still trying my hand at this iPad-created art. Right now I'm trying to figure out the best way to use the tools and what styles work best.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1478466/261017_556188059_977507205_q.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiSa9MKxnr Chris McLeod Chris Chris McLeod Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:25:47 -0700 Cup o' Joe http://chrismcleod.net/cup-o-joe http://chrismcleod.net/cup-o-joe

Trying out Procreate on my iPad. I need waaay more practice.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1478466/261017_556188059_977507205_q.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiSa9MKxnr Chris McLeod Chris Chris McLeod Tue, 06 Sep 2011 08:06:05 -0700 Self Portrait http://chrismcleod.net/self-portrait http://chrismcleod.net/self-portrait

Because sometimes you just feel like it.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1478466/261017_556188059_977507205_q.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiSa9MKxnr Chris McLeod Chris Chris McLeod Mon, 05 Sep 2011 14:17:26 -0700 Lake House http://chrismcleod.net/lake-house http://chrismcleod.net/lake-house

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1478466/261017_556188059_977507205_q.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiSa9MKxnr Chris McLeod Chris Chris McLeod Mon, 05 Sep 2011 14:17:05 -0700 Marischal College http://chrismcleod.net/marischal-college http://chrismcleod.net/marischal-college

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1478466/261017_556188059_977507205_q.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiSa9MKxnr Chris McLeod Chris Chris McLeod Mon, 05 Sep 2011 14:11:00 -0700 Somebody Set the Sky On Fire http://chrismcleod.net/somebody-set-the-sky-on-fire-24069 http://chrismcleod.net/somebody-set-the-sky-on-fire-24069

Photo_1

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1478466/261017_556188059_977507205_q.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiSa9MKxnr Chris McLeod Chris Chris McLeod Mon, 05 Sep 2011 07:19:00 -0700 The iPad is Now My Main Computing Device http://chrismcleod.net/the-ipad-is-now-my-main-computing-device http://chrismcleod.net/the-ipad-is-now-my-main-computing-device

To some, the headline of this post will seem a bit sensationalistic. I assure you it's true though. Outside of the Office I spend more time on my iPad than I do my PC or laptop - and the gap is getting bigger.

It all started when I moved out a little over a week ago. Actually, scratch that, it really started when I bought the iPad a couple of months ago. Initially my usage was simply web browsing and email, like most people. Occaisionally I'd import some photos using the camera connection kit. Right now though, the iPad is my main device, and I use it for almost[1] everything.

So what am I doing with the iPad? I'm editing photos using some of the great apps available in the App Store. I'm creating original graphics (admittedly I'm not very good at this, yet!), I'm experimenting with creating music (again, not very good!), and I'm writing.

Dear gawd, yes, am I writing. Unlike to many people I do not have a problem typing fast on the iPad on-screen keyboard. I'm very nearly as fast as on a decent "real" keyboard. The only issue I have is touchscreen typing is quite tiring compared to a normal keyboard. Because I'm writing so much at the moment I decided to pony-up for an Apple Wireless Keyboard (and a matching iPad Dock, though that wasn't strictly necessary). Combine the keyboard with iA Writer (or recent discovery Elements) and I'm easily writing over a thousand words a night on various different projects. Once I've got one or two of them out of the way I may even find enough time to start posting here again regularly ;-)

I enhanced my iPad setup with some media apps and accessories. Combined with a set of Bluetooth speakers[2] (the awesome Jambox by Jawbone), I can listen to music without tethered by a set of headphones. I can either play the local content, or use iTunes Home Sharing to utilise the library on my PC. I haven't tried it yet, but I presume I could play Spotify tracks/playlists over the Jambox too. Video comes from either iTunes, iPlayer, or Air Video.

Now none of this is earth-shattering stuff, and many people will shrug and go "so what?". But the point for me is this: as a so-called "power user" I am doing most of the tasks I regularly used a full-blown PC or laptop for on iPad. There's something about that which almost seems insane to me, and even as recently as the start of this year I wouldn't have believed you if you told me.

[1] OK, apart from doing any .NET/SQL development, which is really about the one thing I care enough about which I can't do yet. PHP, HTML, JavaScript, and CSS are all done through the great Koder app.

[2] I found the Jambox to be around £120 cheaper than the cheapest Airplay speakers I could find, but they work in exactly the same way, just using Bluetooth. The iOS Music app even refers to them as Airplay speakers in the output sources menu.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1478466/261017_556188059_977507205_q.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiSa9MKxnr Chris McLeod Chris Chris McLeod Mon, 05 Sep 2011 06:19:00 -0700 Docked Rivals http://chrismcleod.net/docked-rivals http://chrismcleod.net/docked-rivals

Imag0179

HP Touchpad sitting next to the iPad. The Touchstone dock is a nifty piece of kit.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1478466/261017_556188059_977507205_q.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiSa9MKxnr Chris McLeod Chris Chris McLeod Sat, 03 Sep 2011 08:02:47 -0700 Surely Some Mistake, No? http://chrismcleod.net/surely-some-mistake-no http://chrismcleod.net/surely-some-mistake-no

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1478466/261017_556188059_977507205_q.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiSa9MKxnr Chris McLeod Chris Chris McLeod Mon, 09 May 2011 19:23:36 -0700 Front Porch Pub http://chrismcleod.net/front-porch-pub http://chrismcleod.net/front-porch-pub

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Taken with picplz at Front Porch Pub in Houston, TX.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1478466/261017_556188059_977507205_q.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiSa9MKxnr Chris McLeod Chris Chris McLeod